Chick Lit

DivaNicoletta · Dec 4, 2005

Am I the only one that is upset by the amount of chick lit? I mean a few novels are ok, but today I went into borders and there was a whole wall of it....come of people...don't you think this genre is a bit worn? If people are going to write some new chic little, I would prefer one with an edge. I am so sick of all of this mainstream chic lit that is all the same :Hammer:

DamaNegra · Dec 4, 2005

ok, I'm really starting to feel ignorant now. What's chick lit?

emeraldcite · Dec 4, 2005

When something is popular and sells, publishers are not afraid become avid devotees. That's the business side of writing.

The music industry is the same way.

In fact, any commercial produces of "art"* run that way. They have to make a profit in order to fund new artists.

*I mean this in a truely subjective way.

Chick lit disturbs me too. Mostly because it only has one gender in mind as an audience.

DamaNegra · Dec 4, 2005

What's chick lit?

Linda Adams · Dec 4, 2005

DamaNegra said:
What's chick lit?

Chick lit are books written for women by women. It filled a void for the twenty-something single women who wanted something other than romance novel. The tone is usually sassy, irrelevent, and humorous. Fashion may be mentioned prominently in the books, with such titles as The Devil Wears Prada or The Givenchy Code. A number of subgenres have formed under it, including Henlit (post-menopausal women), momlit, mystery lit, thriller lit, single city girl lit, wedding lit, etc.

veinglory · Dec 4, 2005

Why on earth would you be upset that another genre is popular. People like to read it, more power to the writers filling the niche!

DamaNegra · Dec 4, 2005

Sounds pretty disturbing to me.

If people like it and it sells, it will keep on selling no matter how much authors complain about it. Although I can't see how a genre with such a small audience can survive long.

veinglory · Dec 4, 2005

Women in their 20-30s are the biggest sales demographic there is. Some guys like westerns, some women like chick lit--some guys like chick lit too--vive la difference.

DivaNicoletta · Dec 4, 2005

There is one good chick lit novel with a twist, it's the Nanny Diaries. My mom always tells me I should write chick lit, since I am a twenty something leading that sort of life...GRRR :Hammer:

DamaNegra · Dec 4, 2005

I love the Nanny Diaries!! Lol, I never realized it was that genre, but I really enjoyed reading that book, I guess I loved the sarcasm in it.

As with every genre, I suppose it all depends on the book and/or author.

aadams73 · Dec 4, 2005

DivaNicoletta said:
Am I the only one that is upset by the amount of chick lit? I mean a few novels are ok, but today I went into borders and there was a whole wall of it....come of people...don't you think this genre is a bit worn? If people are going to write some new chic little, I would prefer one with an edge. I am so sick of all of this mainstream chic lit that is all the same

How is it worse than all the cookie-cutter fantasy? Or all the samey angsty literature?

DivaNicoletta · Dec 4, 2005

aadams73 said:
How is it worse than all the cookie-cutter fantasy? Or all the samey angsty literature?

It's not. I just don't read fantasy, but if I did, I would probably be just as annoyed by that.

emeraldcite · Dec 4, 2005

Why on earth would you be upset that another genre is popular.

For me, it's that soem genres then get squeezed and produce less and some writers get squeezed out altogether.

And it takes up massive shelf space because it's popular, forcing bookstores to put less variety on the shelves.

DamaNegra · Dec 4, 2005

Just to make my lack of knowledge more obvious, what is cookie-cutter fantasy?

Irysangel · Dec 4, 2005

aadams73 said:
How is it worse than all the cookie-cutter fantasy? Or all the samey angsty literature?

Amen.

I don't understand why people get upset that chick-lit is popular. There's a lot of it out there because it sells. The market always cycles back around to something different, so in a few years I'm sure we'll see wall-to-wall mysteries again, or Book Twenty of Robert Jordan's series...

Both of which horrify me more than a wall of chick lit.

Don't bash it if it's not to your taste.

aadams73 · Dec 4, 2005

DamaNegra said:
Just to make my lack of knowledge more obvious, what is cookie-cutter fantasy?

When it's all the same. Elves, mystical tongues and hard-to-pronounce names.

DamaNegra · Dec 4, 2005

Thanks!

Sage · Dec 4, 2005

aadams73 said:
When it's all the same. Elves, mystical tongues and hard-to-pronounce names.

How do you define a "mystical" tongue

veinglory · Dec 4, 2005

'Mystical' tongues seem to use a lot of apostrophes

Sage · Dec 4, 2005

' '

' ' ' '

' ' <---mystical tongues

Sakamonda · Dec 4, 2005

Excuse me. . .

As someone who writes, reads, and enjoys quality chick lit, I am offended by this thread. I don't bash whole genres of books just because I don't read or enjoy them myself. As an example, I can't stand most legal thrillers and am equally offended by right-wing revisionist history novels (such as those written by Harry Turtledove or Newt Gingrich--who is a novelist, believe it or not.) But a significant portion of the reading public still buys and reads that genre, so bully for those authors that found a market to satisfy.

It should be noted that 53% of new books (and that's ALL books, not just fiction) published in English every year are romance novels/women's fiction. And chick lit is just one of the many sub-genres of romance novels/women's fiction. Since the majority of book buyers are women and the majority of new fiction is aimed at women, I really don't see chick lit going away---nor should it. Besides, the more people read, the more people buy books of ALL genres, and the better ALL writers do! A rising tide lifts all boats.

DivaNicoletta · Dec 4, 2005

I write chick lit and read chick lit too on occasion ( I am reading Bergdorf Blondes), it's just annoying to see SO many unoriginal versions of it. It's like it's the same story in every book, with a few differences, but many chick lit books are all formula and no spunk or orginality. What I would like to see from this genre is a little more creativity and thinking outside the box.

katee · Dec 4, 2005

Sakamonda said:
As someone who writes, reads, and enjoys quality chick lit, I am offended by this thread.

Me too -- doubly so, because the novel I'm writing is chick lit, so I'm all for the genre staying popular, or even getting more popular!

The things that frustrate me in a bookstore:

1. Long lines at lunch time
2. Not having the book(s) I want
3. Having the book(s) I want at a ridiculous price
4. Not enough books on sale
5. Too many books on sale (gotta eat, after all)

aruna · Dec 4, 2005

Like in all genres, there's good and bad chick-lit, and of course that's completely subjective..
I, for instance, found The Nanny Diaries just terrible, one of the worst examples! (sorry!)... and I find Marion Keyes good. I also thought Bridget Jones was good - for the genre. But I would never compare Bridget Jones's Diary with, say, To Kill a Mockingbird.
I don't believe in looking down my nose at any genre per se, but some genres are certainly lighter than others; that is, they are more for a relaxing, distracting time and for readers who aren't looking for any major reading challenge at the time. When I'm looking for that sort of book, I'll choose chick-lit over, say fantasy or horror.

If there's a demand for a certain genre, then publishers wil fill it, and there's no point getting upset about it. What disturbs me about the whole chick-lit phenomena, however, is when it merely reflects the shallowness that seems to be taking over that generation of women. Clothes, make-up, getting a man, dieting - Lord, is that all life is about? That's why I like Marion Keyes - she writes in a lighthearted way about these things, yet manages to get through to a deeper vein. I just hate shallowness, in whatever genre.

unthoughtknown · Dec 5, 2005

veinglory said:
Why on earth would you be upset that another genre is popular. People like to read it, more power to the writers filling the niche!

Amen.

And there is some really good chic lit out there too.

Chick Lit

Mexican on the loose!

Art is Resistance

Mexican on the loose!

Soldier, Storyteller

volitare nequeo

Mexican on the loose!

volitare nequeo

Mexican on the loose!

A Work in Progress

Art is Resistance

Mexican on the loose!

She of Many Names

A Work in Progress

Mexican on the loose!

Our Lady of Parentheticals

volitare nequeo

Our Lady of Parentheticals

...

On a wing and a prayer

practical experience, FTW