SB Day -- voice/style
Mar. 6th, 2006 02:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jmc_bksLast week, LLB posted a question about a cover quote on a Kinley MacGregor book from Sherrilyn Kenyon, who happens to be MacGregor’s alter ego. Or maybe MacGregor is the alter ego. In any case, MacGregor=Kenyon. Was it tongue-in-cheek, did anyone care? Personally, I take all cover quotes with a grain of salt, and since I knew that M=K it didn’t make much difference to me. I don’t care for M/K. I came too late to Kenyon’s Dark Hunters – the world is much too convoluted with too much backstory to wade through in order to read and understand the books. MacGregor (I think) writes Scottish set historicals, which I avoid like the plague.* But I’m thinking now that it is a little dishonest, cheating kind of. I can’t put my finger on why it bothers me, but something about giving a cover quote for yourself just doesn’t pass my smell test.
But that’s not really the subject of this SB post. The MacGregor/Kenyon question got me to thinking about authorial voice and style, and whether or not a writer who writes under multiple names/pseudonyms really has separate styles for those different personas. The examples that I can think of off the top of my head really don’t change their style or voice, they are just switching from one sub-genre to another. The name change seems to be more about warning readers of the genre change so they don’t bring a certain set of expectations to the table, rather than signaling a complete change of style and voice.
The examples I can think of: Nora Roberts/JD Robb; Lynn Viehl/SL Viehl; Meg Cabot/Meggin Cabot/Patricia Cabot; Jessica Bird/J.R. Ward.
First up, La Nora. There’s a distinct difference between the Robb books and La Nora’s trilogies, single titles and hard back books: the setting and the protagonist/heroine. Contemporary vs. futuristic; police procedural vs. romantic suspense; straight up mystery vs. woo woo paranormal (lately in the NR trilogies). I could go on, but the differences really aren’t about style or voice, they are about character and setting. The language is the same, the structure of the tale is the same, some of the characteristics are the same. For awhile, almost all of NR’s heroes wrapped their fists in their heroine’s hair while making love. *snort* How did they manage to never yank out a handful? I don’t know. I think a comparison of older La Nora, say her category/series book, to her most recent single titles or the In Death series would show a distinction of style, but not so much of voice. I’m not sure though, if that is a function of format, or of her development as a writer, or if it was truly an intentional disguising/distinction.
Lynn Viehl/SL Viehl. She (I’m assuming Lynn is female, although I haven’t done any research to confirm this) may even write under another name, I’m not really sure. As SL Viehl, she writes the Stardoc series and Bio-Rescue books. As Lynn Viehl, she writes vampire books. I read most of the Stardoc series and Bio-Rescue before becoming bored; on a personal level, I didn’t like her writing style, which was excellent at the adventure, terrible at the relationship development. Note, those books are science fiction, but both attempt to have strong romantic elements. IMHO, the romantic elements didn't work at all; at the points where the romantic element was supposed to feed back into the larger plot, I just didn't believe it, so the entire story was weakened. Haven’t read either of the Darkyn vampire books that have been released by Lynn Viehl, because a cursory check of the first book didn’t convince me that the issues that I had with earlier books were going to be resolved. Different name (sort of) and different world, but the problem is the same (for me). ETA: I just checked online and discovered that Viehl's other alter egos include straight romance authors Gena Hale, Jessica Hall, and Rebecca Kelly. None of which I have ever read.
Meg Cabot and all her incarnations. She comes closest, I think, to having different voices and styles for her books in different sub-genres. The differentiation is largely a function of narrative style from what I’ve observed. Her chick-lit books, written as Meg Cabot, are told via emails, text messages, etc., rather than by chunks of narrative written in a traditional style. Her YA books follow the more traditional format, but the voice does seem younger to me. [Read the Mediator series, which was pretty good; haven’t read the Princess series or her other YA stuff.] The comparison may break down when one looks at the Patricia Cabot historicals and the Meggin Cabot single title(s?). But there is at least a partial differentiation that I can see.
Jessica Bird/J.R. Ward. Haven’t read anything of Jessica Bird’s, so I don’t have a basis for legitimate comparison. But the two J.R. Ward books that I have read have such a distinctive voice and style that I have a hard time imagining that same voice/style in category/series romance.
Is Michele Albert's work really all that different from Michelle Jerrott's? Is Amanda Quick's voice all that different from Jayne Ann Krentz, or is it just a matter of changing centuries? Are Ann Maxwell's books all that different from Elizabeth Lowell's?
What was my point? I can’t remember. Anyway, can you think of examples of a writer working in different genres or subgenres that does develop a distinct voice for each of her or his authorial personas?
*I’ve written before that I don’t really care for European Historicals. Which is a little odd, because Carla Kelly, traditional Regency writer extraordinaire, is one of my favorite writers. And Julia Quinn’s The Viscount Who Loved Me is a keeper, along with several of Jo Beverley’s Company of Rogues books. But truly, I read considerably more contemporary-set books than historicals. My lack of enthusiasm is a result of three things: the glut on the market of interchangeable Regency-set historicals and Scottish-set historicals; 21st century characters planted in 19th century costume; and the obligatory reforming rake as hero. Rakes don’t really work as heroes for me, as I mentioned in my review of Carlyle’s most recent books. It is really hard work for an author to redeem a rake satisfactorily, and there are very few who do it well.
But that’s not really the subject of this SB post. The MacGregor/Kenyon question got me to thinking about authorial voice and style, and whether or not a writer who writes under multiple names/pseudonyms really has separate styles for those different personas. The examples that I can think of off the top of my head really don’t change their style or voice, they are just switching from one sub-genre to another. The name change seems to be more about warning readers of the genre change so they don’t bring a certain set of expectations to the table, rather than signaling a complete change of style and voice.
The examples I can think of: Nora Roberts/JD Robb; Lynn Viehl/SL Viehl; Meg Cabot/Meggin Cabot/Patricia Cabot; Jessica Bird/J.R. Ward.
First up, La Nora. There’s a distinct difference between the Robb books and La Nora’s trilogies, single titles and hard back books: the setting and the protagonist/heroine. Contemporary vs. futuristic; police procedural vs. romantic suspense; straight up mystery vs. woo woo paranormal (lately in the NR trilogies). I could go on, but the differences really aren’t about style or voice, they are about character and setting. The language is the same, the structure of the tale is the same, some of the characteristics are the same. For awhile, almost all of NR’s heroes wrapped their fists in their heroine’s hair while making love. *snort* How did they manage to never yank out a handful? I don’t know. I think a comparison of older La Nora, say her category/series book, to her most recent single titles or the In Death series would show a distinction of style, but not so much of voice. I’m not sure though, if that is a function of format, or of her development as a writer, or if it was truly an intentional disguising/distinction.
Lynn Viehl/SL Viehl. She (I’m assuming Lynn is female, although I haven’t done any research to confirm this) may even write under another name, I’m not really sure. As SL Viehl, she writes the Stardoc series and Bio-Rescue books. As Lynn Viehl, she writes vampire books. I read most of the Stardoc series and Bio-Rescue before becoming bored; on a personal level, I didn’t like her writing style, which was excellent at the adventure, terrible at the relationship development. Note, those books are science fiction, but both attempt to have strong romantic elements. IMHO, the romantic elements didn't work at all; at the points where the romantic element was supposed to feed back into the larger plot, I just didn't believe it, so the entire story was weakened. Haven’t read either of the Darkyn vampire books that have been released by Lynn Viehl, because a cursory check of the first book didn’t convince me that the issues that I had with earlier books were going to be resolved. Different name (sort of) and different world, but the problem is the same (for me). ETA: I just checked online and discovered that Viehl's other alter egos include straight romance authors Gena Hale, Jessica Hall, and Rebecca Kelly. None of which I have ever read.
Meg Cabot and all her incarnations. She comes closest, I think, to having different voices and styles for her books in different sub-genres. The differentiation is largely a function of narrative style from what I’ve observed. Her chick-lit books, written as Meg Cabot, are told via emails, text messages, etc., rather than by chunks of narrative written in a traditional style. Her YA books follow the more traditional format, but the voice does seem younger to me. [Read the Mediator series, which was pretty good; haven’t read the Princess series or her other YA stuff.] The comparison may break down when one looks at the Patricia Cabot historicals and the Meggin Cabot single title(s?). But there is at least a partial differentiation that I can see.
Jessica Bird/J.R. Ward. Haven’t read anything of Jessica Bird’s, so I don’t have a basis for legitimate comparison. But the two J.R. Ward books that I have read have such a distinctive voice and style that I have a hard time imagining that same voice/style in category/series romance.
Is Michele Albert's work really all that different from Michelle Jerrott's? Is Amanda Quick's voice all that different from Jayne Ann Krentz, or is it just a matter of changing centuries? Are Ann Maxwell's books all that different from Elizabeth Lowell's?
What was my point? I can’t remember. Anyway, can you think of examples of a writer working in different genres or subgenres that does develop a distinct voice for each of her or his authorial personas?
*I’ve written before that I don’t really care for European Historicals. Which is a little odd, because Carla Kelly, traditional Regency writer extraordinaire, is one of my favorite writers. And Julia Quinn’s The Viscount Who Loved Me is a keeper, along with several of Jo Beverley’s Company of Rogues books. But truly, I read considerably more contemporary-set books than historicals. My lack of enthusiasm is a result of three things: the glut on the market of interchangeable Regency-set historicals and Scottish-set historicals; 21st century characters planted in 19th century costume; and the obligatory reforming rake as hero. Rakes don’t really work as heroes for me, as I mentioned in my review of Carlyle’s most recent books. It is really hard work for an author to redeem a rake satisfactorily, and there are very few who do it well.
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no subject
Date: 2006-03-06 08:02 pm (UTC)As for your intended topic, I can say I don't think MacGregor/Kenyon have different voices at all. I do think Roberts/Robb do, but I think this is more of a function of Robb being the one long storyline and the Roberts having a finite end; if I thought about it longer, I'd probably see that their writing style is similar enough that if I didn't know they were the same author already, I might guess.
:-)
no subject
Date: 2006-03-06 10:14 pm (UTC)SL Viehl = Paperback Writer. I have a link to her over at my place. Definitely a gal, and a mighty nice one at that ;)
Doug (Balls and Walnuts)
no subject
Date: 2006-03-07 06:10 pm (UTC)Michele Albert and Michelle Jerott? Don't see a difference, which makes sense considering that the reason for the name change wasn't differentiating between styles or genres, but simply sales.
Amanda Quick and JAK? Hmmm, maybe. I think she makes an effort to sound more old-fashioned in her word choices and constructions in her AQ books, but it's not really much of a difference.
More on the Kenyon Quote
Date: 2006-03-20 05:14 pm (UTC)Re: More on the Kenyon Quote
Date: 2006-03-20 05:27 pm (UTC)There was another round of conversation about this over at SBTB. The general opinion was that it was supposed to be funny and was good marketing.
I'm okay with the internal explanation, I guess. But something about self-quoting still bothers me, even if it supposed to be a joke for fans. I asked myself if it was b/c I don't really care for KM/SK, but I don't think that is it. I would get the same sort of squidgy feeling if there was a Krentz quote on a Quick book (like, but don't read any longer) or Nora Roberts quote on a J.D. Robb book (still read and love). Then I considered the same behavior in more literary authors: I can't imagine it happening there, even as a joke, or among non-fiction writers, or in other areas of artistic endeavour. The only marketing I've ever done is professional -- the law is very particular (excessively so in some ways, I think) about what you can and cannot advertise or hawk or endorse; maybe I'm just carrying that standard into arenas in which it does not belong.
Re: More on the Kenyon Quote
Date: 2006-03-20 06:26 pm (UTC)Here's a question: was JD Robb always marketed as "Nora Roberts writing as JD Robb," do you know? I came to the Robb bandwagon a bit late, so all my editions say that. I'm wondering if Robb would have done as well without the Roberts revelation on the front.
Re: More on the Kenyon Quote
Date: 2006-03-20 06:37 pm (UTC)I have early(ish) paperback editions of the In Death books, so I'll check the labelling this evening. I'm not sure I knew that Robb was a pen name when I first started reading them, although I was already reading Nora Roberts' category and single titles at the time.
Re: More on the Kenyon Quote
Date: 2006-03-20 06:45 pm (UTC)Re: Follow up re: JD Robb
Date: 2006-03-25 04:55 pm (UTC)Beginning with Naked, JD Robb is the only name on the cover or spine, but there is a blurb on the back that says JD Robb is the pseudonym of NY Times best selling author Nora Roberts (regular font, not large or small print); a NR single title book list is always included in the front of the book. Ads appear in the back of the books intermittently for the other JD Robb books with "Nora Roberts writing as JD Robb" appearing at the top of those ads. Ads for Nora Roberts books appear intermittently as well, after Naked. The back blurb about JDR=NR moved off of the back, inside the back of the book with Conspiracy (book #7 or 8?). There is no photo or author blurb on the books until you hit Betrayal, book #12. At that point, her photo appears on the back of the books and her name is listed on the cover as "Nora Roberts (small caps) writing as JD Robb (large caps)."
It looks like her publisher wasn't hiding who was writing the books, but wasn't really pushing or promoting them either at first, probably waiting to see how they were received before that happened. My take is that they'd be worried about alienating an established readership by introducing a fairly abrasive character in a new subgenre, and also worried about harming the reputation of a romance cash cow (I say that with the utmost respect for Roberts, since I do read her single titles and think that what she does, she does amazingly well) if the new series crashed and burned. The interesting thing for me is that I know a couple of guys who read and liked the In Death books as police procedurals, more or less, but stopped reading them when they learned who Nora Roberts/JD Robb was, because they didn't want to read romance.