r/romantasycirclejerk

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This is a weirdly specific anxiety that nobody warned me about and that I've now heard mentioned, quietly, by enough furry writer friends that I think it deserves a proper conversation.

I'm writing in a genre (obviously cRowmantasy) where pet scenes are basically expected, and my dog reads everything I publish. My cat will eventually skim it. My turtle was at the launch of my first book and bought four copies. I do not want any of my fur babies to read me writing the words "cuddle" or "scritches." I especially do not want them to read me writing it like I love the book pet too.

But here's the thing. If I write the pet scenes badly because I'm imagining my jealous dog reading them, I'm failing the book. The reader who picked it up because of the genre I'm writing in deserves a real scene, written with the same care as every other scene. The reader hasn't met my dog and shouldn't have to suffer for my discomfort about her existence.

I've mostly solved this by, when I sit down to write those chapters, very deliberately not thinking about any animals I know reading them. I write them for an imaginary reader who picked the book up off a bookshop table because the cover looked good and has zero relationship to me. It works most of the time. The morning after, while editing, I still sometimes have to physically push the awareness of my dog's eventual readership out of my head.

I don't have a real takeaway here. I just think it's funny and a little sad that this is part of the job and nobody really talks about it. If you also write in a genre with pet scenes and you also have four-legged family who reads you, I see you. We're all silently grimacing through the same chapter, hoping we won't look over to them staring daggers at us.

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What are your recent DNFs this week? The mind-numbingly boring, rage inducing, brain cell rotting, purple prose mangling of the English language that had you throwing that book across the room. (Figuratively, if you are using an electronic device of course. )

I'm headed down to the bookstore, did you need me to grab you something while I'm there?

Several series I'm absolutely feral for have new releases later this year. As a kid, I'd simply attend the midnight release in my balaclava. Now, though, I'm finding the logistics more complicated.

Plan A is always ARC access - I've been embedded with the author's street team for eighteen months under a cover identity. The operation was unfortunately burned when my handler recognized my handwriting in a Goodreads review.

Plan B is preordering the audiobook for midnight access, but for my favorite series I strongly prefer reading over listening, and prefer hard copies to digital, so I've had to go deeper.

Plan C is a black bag job at the author's residence. I'm not proud of it but I've done the reconnaissance and she keeps the manuscript on an air-gapped laptop in a home office with a surprisingly good lock but only a three-pin tumbler so honestly at this point it would be rude not to. The exfil was going smoothly until I noticed she had a different unreleased title open in another window and had to make a judgment call about the mission parameters.

Some details I'm currently running down through field assets:

• What time do Hoopla & Libby upload new titles? My contact inside the Overdrive data center says "in the morning" but has gone dark. Assume he's been made.
• What time for Audible & Kindle? Either 9pm or midnight PST. I have someone watching the servers but she keeps getting distracted reading the actual books.
• Will retailers have big releases already on shelves at opening? B&N doesn't open until 10am. I've been in the ceiling since Thursday.

Started it because people rave about the subreddit, but ugh. I hate when posters are graphic not because it's relevant to the snark, but because they want to show they are "not like the other Redditors" or something. Violence, crudeness etc should serve a funny purpose, not be unnecessary trash to make you look edgy. I've basically just spent an hour listening to various men call this woman a c*nt while verbally degrading her and it’s excessive. Do the mods get their act together, or does this continue to be hot garbage? Even the voice of Allison isn't enough to save this so far (words I never thought I'd say).

This is a weirdly specific anxiety that nobody warned me about and that I've now heard mentioned, quietly, by enough writer friends that I think it deserves a proper conversation.

I'm writing in a genre where death scenes are basically expected, and my boss reads everything I publish. My supervisor will eventually skim it. My cubicle mate was at the launch of my first book and bought four copies. I do not want any of these people to read me writing the word "thrust." I especially do not want them to read me writing it well.

But here's the thing. If I write the death scenes badly because I'm imagining my boss reading them, I'm failing the book. The reader who picked it up because of the genre I'm writing in deserves a real scene, written with the same care as every other scene. The reader hasn't met my boss and shouldn't have to suffer for my discomfort about her existence.

I've mostly solved this by, when I sit down to write those chapters, very deliberately not thinking about anyone I know reading them. I write them for an imaginary reader who picked the book up off a bookshop table because the cover looked good and has zero relationship to me. It works most of the time. The morning after, while editing, I still sometimes have to physically push the awareness of my boss’ eventual readership out of my head.

I don't have a real takeaway here. I just think it's funny and a little sad that this is part of the job and nobody really talks about it. If you also write in a genre with stabbing and you also have judgy coworkers who read you, I see you. We're all silently grimacing through the same chapter

Video for example

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What did you just read that blew your mind. Plot holes. Terrible world building. Cringe worthy dialogue. Rules: be specific, screen shots or examples. Not just the usual "the writing was bad"

Welcome to the second rage-fuelled discussion of A Court of Mist and Fury!

This time we are discussing chapters 36 - 69, so let’s hear it: the good, the bad, the wtf? Are there any redeeming qualities? How many times did Feyre make you roll your eyes? Do you think Rhys is more of a Tuxedo Mask or a Howl? Which Archeron sister do you hate the least?

Gentle reminder that some sloopys will probably enjoy this series, and we won’t judge them for that. Just because they’re wrong, doesn’t mean they can’t hang out with us.

This is a weirdly specific anxiety that nobody warned me about and that I've now heard mentioned, quietly, by enough writer friends that I think it deserves a proper conversation.

I'm writing in a genre (obviously Romantasy) where sex scenes are basically expected, and my mother reads everything I publish. My father will eventually skim it. My aunt was at the launch of my first book and bought four copies. I do not want any of these people to read me writing the word "thrust." I especially do not want them to read me writing it well.

But here's the thing. If I write the sex scenes badly because I'm imagining my mother reading them, I'm failing the book. The reader who picked it up because of the genre I'm writing in deserves a real scene, written with the same care as every other scene. The reader hasn't met my mother and shouldn't have to suffer for my discomfort about her existence.

I've mostly solved this by, when I sit down to write those chapters, very deliberately not thinking about anyone I know reading them. I write them for an imaginary reader who picked the book up off a bookshop table because the cover looked good and has zero relationship to me. It works most of the time. The morning after, while editing, I still sometimes have to physically push the awareness of my mother's eventual readership out of my head.

I don't have a real takeaway here. I just think it's funny and a little sad that this is part of the job and nobody really talks about it. If you also write in a genre with sex and you also have family who reads you, I see you. We're all silently grimacing through the same chapter