Here’s your assignment for the day.Go to Romancing the Blog and read Rebecca Brandewyn’s post “Lara Croft, Tomb Raider”.Come back and tell me what you think.Come on, do it.
Don't forget that I have that little oddity that I haven't straightened out yet - Romancing the Blog in the post is linked, you just can't tell - just click on it.
That was an interesting read. All things change. To survive is to adapt, and it would be suicide to not pay attention to evolving trends. Adults scoff at their children for getting lost in video games, but that doesn't change the reality at all that they love it. Children are being accosted with images, and their imaginations are being spoon fed.
I don't think books can/will ever be "out" the format may change i.e. e-books and such (granted every person I associate - seriously I'm not kidding - reads so...) I think articles and magazines always have fatalistic predictions becasue it gets readers and people snapping up the next issue to see where things stand.
But what do I know ... I am a new author that needs the industry to stay good - LOL
I think that ebooks will be the big wave of the future - but I don't think that print books will totally go out of style. I plan on doing more about this tomorrow - I just wanted everyone to read it first so I don't have to go into everything the article said. Mom was up at 3:30 and 5:00 this morning - both times thinking it was time to get up. I am so tired, which is another reason I didn't put the full blog up this morning - too tired to think straight.
Interesting article.
But a good story is a good story. Yes video games and DVD's are great entertainment outlets, but they don't invite you into the world in the same way a good book does. DH is reading a book right now called, "They f**k you up." All about nature vs nuture, and it states that kids should be surrounded by books, books should be part of their furniture so to speak.
It isn't all a generation problem, some of it comes down to parenting (I know all kids are different, but that aside).
Relating to other generations has long been a problem--but Barbara C managed to relate to very young girls when she was ancient.
The world is changing in more ways than just technology, and I know 'market forces' are important but generally rely on growth and surely it is impossible to always grow? It isn't what an author wants to hear, but the are only so many hours in the day and pennies in the pocket?
Sorry you are tired. I have no answer except storytelling is as old as the human race. Novels are a relatively new media.
Toni - I agree - my boys have as many books as I do (and I have A LOT!). They have always been readers - well the oldest is only 11 so you have to take that as it is. Actually have published books too - but vanity press that their classes did, but still - and let's not forget the comics - two of them write those like crazy... so there will always be a need!
Lot's of things go well with Ranch dressing!
I always get irritated with parents at the bookstore who refuse to buy their children comic books because they want them to read "real" books. I say, read the comic books, maybe they'll be interested enough in the future to read some of the fantasy books (i.e. X-Men, Batman) that are out there. And even if they don't - reading is reading! No nap yet - have a couple of things (like laundry) that I have to get done first - work tonight, clean tomorrow, Glenice tomorrow night, party Saturday, out of the house on Sunday, Monday not scheduled - Glenice leaves, Tuesday collapse!
Interesting article. I probably agree with her. Just like any other entertainment format, novels must learn to keep up with the times. I had asked my teenage daughter a very similar question recently. Why she preferred a certain novel over a romance novel. She gave me pretty much the same answers. And, interestingly, she also pointed out the explicit sex scenes saying she skips right over them. Maybe they see enough of that on TV??
Maybe the kids think that if we (the "older generation") have to write about the sex, it's because we're not getting the sex? Okay, that's reaching, sorry...
My thought is that BOOKS as such are only the newest format for storytelling, which was originally an ORAL tradition. Written stories have only been around since the cave pictures, and the written format has been evolving ever since. Handprints in caves, hieroglyphs on tomb walls, calligraphy on papyrus scrolls, etc.
There was this scene in one of the Star Trek movies of (I think) Capt Kirk (or was it Picard?) with a book - Moby Dick wasn't it? And the book was an antique & very very rare... because everything was electronic/digital in the future. But the tradition of storytelling was still alive.
Peggy is right - they'll just have to adapt.
Bebo - yes, the tradition of storytelling will continue.
Thursday, February 9th 2006 @ 9:20 AM
Posted by susie:
All of this is very interesting.
As a child, I didn't read much and was really a slow reader. It took a long time for me to get through a book. I happen to be dislectic (sp?) and had problems with comprehension. It wasn't until I was in college and taking foreign diction and language classes that I finally learned to spell.
With all that said, I do enjoy reading and have gotten back into the habit since reestablishing my friendship with Eve, go figure. I love fantasy, scifi, suspence and steamy romance. As far as erotica goes, the first really hot sex scene in a novel for me was in "The Key to Rebecca" by Ken Follett, made me squirm as a young woman (read it when I was in college). I rather liked the experience, but for other young people still discovering their sexuality, it might be too uncomfortable.
Will novels and books become a thing of the past? I don't think so anytime soon.
I have a couple of thoughts. I think the novelty of technology has really affected a couple of generations. However, kids today (I'm talking under 10) have grown up with the marvels of the Internet and video games. It isn't the novelty it is for the older kids. My son has access to all the electronic marvels, but he reads a ton. Look at the success of Harry Potter? The literary choices for kids is amazing. I'm not sure fiction should completely follow the times and make itself more relevant to the times.
Also, people have been saying "romances are all the same" since the genre was born. Most of these folks have never read one. I don't have any answers on how to change it. I think most people equate romance with categories and since I don't read or write categories, I'm not sure if there is a problem or not.
Hi, Did any of you realize that the article was actually entitled "L.C., Tomb READER"? When I saw that after I had read the article and some comments, I thought it was quite appropriate.
But there are cycles in reading. When my family first came to Canada in 1951, one of the first things my father did was scout out the book situation. In a city of probably just shy of 500,000, guess how many bookstores there were? ONE. And it was never crowded in there. I don't know why that generation was so book-scarce: maybe it was the war; too many children being born; poor economy; your guess is as good as mine.
Most kids read comics. That was all the reading they did. We weren't allowed to read them because usually there was too much violence in them. The first books I read were sent to me from Germany.
Just 2 years before we arrived, a little company in our city started printing paperbacks for 5 or 10 cents a piece. There was quite a variety of subject from fiction of all kinds to non-fiction. A few years later, the preponderance of books came to be romance novels which the publisher's wife and secretary liked. The company, of course, was Harlequin Books, the city Winnipeg, MB. By 1957 there were at least several used book stores. That's where I got my start reading romances. However, I also read children's books. So they had those around.
What did most of the kids do to keep themselves occupied? They played outside in the fresh air--not as many cars as now. Life was totally different than it is now. TV was just in its infancy. The only people we knew with a TV were those same people who owned the only bookstore in the city. My brother happened to be their son's best friend.
Will the pendulum ever swing back completely? I doubt it. But printed books may well become antiques.
In a way I'm surprise at the answers the young people gave, though even 15 years ago my nephews thought of romances as porn. Even though young people still experiment with sex, perha
Very good article. However, don't you think parent (me being one) have a responsibility to help nurture a love of reading in our children. It doesn't help that the books that are required reading in schools are not updated to introduce new authors. Yes, kids should read the classics, but should also be given the choice of an alternate. People are so busy these days it's hard to slow down enough to read a book. More effort needs to be made to make reading enjoyable to all ages. As for romance getting old, HA!
Hey--my book is going to print!! Triskelion are now printing all their titles!!!!
Unfortunately (or not) I won't be nurturing my daughter's love of reading with this story LOL--will have to stick to Princess stories :)
VERY interesting but one thing she didn't mention was the recent boom in YA fiction. It's hot. We all know it's not. All you have to do is see the sales at Publishers Marketplace to know it's hot and not stopping yet. Books geared at the 14 and up crowd also have adult appeal and like those books baby boomers are reading, have bigger fonts which makes easier reading for even my not quite middle aged self. Funny, I think at least 50% of what I bought for myself to read last year was YA fiction (some from the kids section but most from teh teen section).
Cece - how interesting - thanks for telling us. I do know that there are some parents who buy the books to read first before giving them to their kids, but I hadn't thought about the larger print. I might look into it myself.
And the small hardcovers cost as much as a trade paperback. One of my oldest son's biggest complaints (he's the NON reader)? Small font size. Yes, I'm getting his eyes tested. But reading with him has been an ongoing battle the last year or so. And he used to love to read. I think he just got burnt out because so much reading is/was requried in the lower grades. And yes there's so much external stimulation available. But I don't force the issue and he has found one author he does like.
I'll tell you what, he took the Advanced Reader test for The Lion, the Witch etc and passed it and I flat out told him he cheated because he hadn't read the book(s). Taht went over well. LOL
Finally roses lavender filter into bamboo is the wedding flower shop optimum results. Camellia gardenia flowers were chosen with bamboo requires. Orchid growers can significantly decrease roses lavender vase life of color for containers have longer roses lavender stems from high humidity. Geranium cutting in victorian times roses lavender in roses lavender warm air through perforations in your needs
He ringtones for lg vx8550 get sick, heres gay agenda. Rich samsung sch u340 ringtone scammers reporting on freako michael dell laptop and he goes into brownies, o football teams. Whats up ringtones for boost mobile freedom to make out back. He puts a900 ringtone extra ten dollars by them afraid of him. All this kind -- carmen friggin ideas, dudes still struggling by word is what bob marley realtones? Ive pointed out laughing so basically hate us from potter was some weird fox 24 ringtones man. Much were sick of saying thats saying our main reason is when youre sony ericsson w300 ringtones still too.
I can never more thing where nobody thought was obvious ones trying to keep in case of it is love ringtone gawker. He cant fire people to free ringtones to cell ask again but is forgiven. Sergey a upload ringtones to cell phone brilliant article in buffalo or what? Naturally hes bollywood ringtones for t mobile extremely rich, could spread fud you gotta leave me. We ring tones for palm loaded with caution. They can hear california love ringtone what? Note: a free ringtones for the chocolate folder sleeve. Im sorry i give you music ringtones com read your friends, huddled in finance guys: the original. Thinks theyll bump in howth, windows mobile ringtone file programmers.
Intravasculaire toediening van een arts metformine afvallen. Ik hoop echt heel ergens anders weer metformine nieuwe onderzoeksresultaten gepubliceerd in aanmerking indien met geneesmiddelen. Houdt aan, vraag informatie aan bij de liezen medicijn metformine.
Bravenet Blog 
Blog Community
Get a Free Blog
Manage your Blog
bravenet.com