Have you ever wanted to send an author a really angry letter

ChrisReader · Joined: 05 Sep 2009 Posts: 685

I think the complaints people have had about sequels and the characters changing into someone else is one reason I am leery about sequels- both books and movies- unless the story was originally envisioned as such (Lord Of The Rings etc). So often authors or artists seem to want to stretch out their success with one story or set of characters they have to invent problems or tensions for the sequel and end up ruining the original characters.

I never understood why people wanted a sequel to Gone With The Wind. To me it was all about the reader/movie goer's opinion at the end. Everyone had a different idea of what would happen with Rhett and Scarlett. It made it so much more memorable.

I can't think of a book off the top of my head but I really disliked the sequel to the movie "Miss Congeniality." I loved the first one it was funny and charming and had a nice little romance. In the sequel it took about three minutes tops to make the hero of the first book into a cruel jerk (all off screen of course) and give the heroine a personality transplant. Hated it.

goldberry · Joined: 26 Dec 2011 Posts: 30

I did send an email this fall to a Christian writer about the ending of one of her books. She told me to be sure to read the sequel. LOL (It hasn't been released yet.)

Linda in sw va · Joined: 27 Mar 2007 Posts: 4707

I've never written an angry letter to an author but of course I've vented online! Twisted Evil

I have written a few happy letters to several authors that have an online presence. In each case they wrote back and seemed to truly appreciate the fact that I reached out to let them know how much I enjoyed their characters.

If an author has a website with an online contact email I don't see anything wrong with it.

Linda
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"The Bookshop has a thousand books, all colors, hues and tinges, and every cover is a door that turns on magic hinges." ~ Nancy Byrd Turner

Nicole · Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 7:59 pm Post subject:

I've never wanted to send a letter to a writer for good or bad reasons. I figure that they have a right to write what they want, and it's my problem if I like it or not. Not to say that I wont express my opinions about it. Also, I have to say I'm not terribly worried about offending an author if the opinion is negative.

I do, however, have issues with some author's behavior or comments online at times. In particular I found P.C. Cast to be pretty insensitive when a reader objected to her use of the word retard in some of her books. I though that both parties had a point, but that the author was extremely snide in her response. In general I found her conduct distasteful, which is an observation about her behavior and not her work. Either way though I have no desire to email the author about it. I just wont buy her books, and discourage others from doing so.
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Romance Reader · Joined: 16 Jul 2009 Posts: 9 Location: Northern Virginia

Well, I have sent emails to authors - they are selling a product and I am buying!

If I have found a particular story outstanding for one reason or another, I take the time to let the author know how much I appreciate his or her time and effort. When I read a romance that grips me emotionally to the point ot tears, I absolutely will let the author know how much his or her words have touched me. Nothing motivates like positive reinforcement!

On the other hand, if I find an author who is consistently putting out a poor story, I generally let my closed wallet do the talking.
Only once do I recall getting so annoyed that I sent a email to the author. In Pearl Wolf's"Too Hot for a Rake," the following appeared:
“he found it hard to like, one because she was overweight and for another, she meddled.” This was a father's thoughts about his own daughter.
As I work with at-risk children and teens with self-esteem issues on a daily basis, this sentence from Ms. Wolf just sent me over the edge. A father finding it hard to like his daughter becasue she was overweight? What kind of message is that to send any female???
I will never read another word that woman writes .

Eliza · Joined: 21 Aug 2011 Posts: 715

BlackenedVoodoo · Joined: 06 Mar 2011 Posts: 56

maggie b. · Joined: 23 Mar 2007 Posts: 2252

Sterling_95 · Joined: 04 Oct 2008 Posts: 212

PWNN · Joined: 11 Apr 2010 Posts: 818

There are parents who don't like their children because they aren't good looking enough, smart enough, strong enough, charming enough. I can't see how that translates to the writer approving of such behaviour or opinions. How many heroes and heroines in Romances feel as if they were unloved, disliked or ignored by parents who may have favored other children? Tons.

There's a difference between an author espousing an offensive or questionable viewpoint and a character doing so. Every viewpoint espoused or action taken by every character does not need to be laudable or even pleasant. Not even by heroes and heroines who can be flawed - as long as the author acknowledges they are flaws.

Now if the author in using an omniscient or narrative voice outside character or doing so via his/her heroes/heroines with no censuring or contrary opinions, or growth that's an entirely different matter. Like the above example of an author consistently using derogatory descriptors of overweight people where it seems more of an authorial viewpoint than a character's perception or prejudice.
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Linda in sw va · Joined: 27 Mar 2007 Posts: 4707

Who was the author that got so much hate mail when an excerpt was printed for her next book that she got so upset it almost wasn't published? Doing some scouting I think it was Lisa Valdez and the book was Patience, which was actually pretty good. I think some people felt it was offensive towards women but personally I didn't see it. *shrug*

I love Diana Gabaldon's website and don't see anything wrong with it?? But she does somewhat snub the romance genre in that she wanted to make sure bookstores took Outlander off the romance shelves and put it in straight fiction. It was initially released as a romance and that was what brought in many readers so it always seemed a bit ungracious but I can understand that her series really does not belong in the romance section. She's joked about many bookstores not really being sure where to place it since it has so elements of fiction, romance, science fiction, etc.

Linda
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"The Bookshop has a thousand books, all colors, hues and tinges, and every cover is a door that turns on magic hinges." ~ Nancy Byrd Turner

Eliza · Joined: 21 Aug 2011 Posts: 715

Romance Reader · Joined: 16 Jul 2009 Posts: 9 Location: Northern Virginia

Eliza · Joined: 21 Aug 2011 Posts: 715

From Facebook==

Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Did you notice very heated disagreements over some of the titles we've been discussing in the past few days? Fascinating, isn't it? I know this is going to sound very strange, but early on I learned that a writer can only pay so much attention to her readers. Sounds odd, but I've learned that everyone brings his or her own experience to a book. (See comments on CATCHER IN THE RYE, for example.) As a writer, I can only focus on writing a book that will please me and then pray it will please my readers, knowing all along that any book I write will be someone's very favorite and someone's least favorite. Ultimately, I find that liberating. Understand what I'm saying?