Do you think books are still popular/will they remain popular?

[thunder&lightning]

though this mental shit has deteriorated my brain somewhat, i still like to read actual books. especially older novels and short story collections.

[GaPeach]

I was a fan of Grisham's work back in the day, along with Walter Mosley, Terry McMillan and Jackie Collins (shut up). But they all just lost me at some point. That's why I tend to stick with James Patterson. I've been reading his books since the late 90's and he hasn't disappointed me yet.

I have so many of Grishams books that I'm embarrassed to say it took me around 4 books before I realized they were all the same, however if your into books on tape he does have the best readers.

still even with Patterson you have to change it up.... or sit there waiting for him to finish another book. Like I am waiting for Karen Moning to finish her Fae Fever series.. a year I have to wait, a f'in year to find out what happens next. What I liked about James Michener is he put a series in one book so when it was out you didn't have to wait for the nex book. I got tired of waiting for J.K.Rowling - it was like "what do you mean you got sick and couldn't write?" arg

Im sure Laurel will do that the day after Charlaine Harris retires Sookie Stackhouse, and by that I mean no time soon. Sad that these paranormal romance books are catching on because its turning otherwise good stories into cheap porn. Thats all Anita is nowadays and Im sure Laurel is trying to pass it off as a romance.

As of July 2009, there are 17 completed novels in the Anita Blake series, plus a few published short stories and some comic books.

Laurel had Anita some pure chick until she makes it with a vampire in like book 6 or 7 then she starts banging anything that moved. She took a light paranormal romance book and turned it into porno.

Harris has 10 Sookie Stackhouse books, I'm on the 7th, so far it's still interesting. Thing is after a while they run out of material and either just get silly or the write fluff to fill the pages..... like Stephanie Meyer, Twilight was pretty good it was supposed to have been a stand alone book but it caught on and she rushed the rest of the series to meet deadlines but the tree killers are nothing but fluff. btw I read where the tenth book is supposed to be pretty bad, not up to her normal writing.

[Grimmlok]

1) people who don't read should be put down

2) people who read garbage like romance novels or The Da Vinci Code should join them because, frankly, that isn't literature. It's shit smeared on paper.

[kingcap72]

I have so many of Grishams books that I'm embarrassed to say it took me around 4 books before I realized they were all the same, however if your into books on tape he does have the best readers.

still even with Patterson you have to change it up.... or sit there waiting for him to finish another book. Like I am waiting for Karen Moning to finish her Fae Fever series.. a year I have to wait, a f'in year to find out what happens next. What I liked about James Michener is he put a series in one book so when it was out you didn't have to wait for the nex book. I got tired of waiting for J.K.Rowling - it was like "what do you mean you got sick and couldn't write?" arg

The thing about Patterson is that he's written, or co-written, over 40 books, and I've only read about 15 of them. So, while he's still churning out new books, I still have plenty of his older books to keep myself busy. I'm going to start reading another Patterson book in a few days called 'Run For Your Life.'

I love his writing style because he has fully-fleshed out characters, strong plots and his books move at a quick pace, so I never get bored.

As for Rowling, she made a boatload of money from Harry Potter. But as a writer myself, I couldn't just keep writing about the same characters over and over and over again. She probably got 'sick' of the characters and wanted to take a break.

[GaPeach]

Well as a writer then you knew she already had a story board finished before she wrote the first line. She never veered from the main story line. I think most writers do. She had 7 books in her head unlike say Harris or Hamiliton they just let the characters develope as time passes - which after a while causes character over load.

My daughter is a writer, she's written two books. It was going to be her vocation and some day it may still happen. Through her I met publishers and other authors. I always thought of authors as rich folks who sit around with a keyboard ala King or Roberts. One published author with several books under her belt I met in Walmart - I didn't expect that, she turned beet red when she saw us (daughter and myself). Most of the people I met write in the spare time. My daughter no longer has spare time - she had to become the bread winner in their family, she has a great job but she has a great imagination and really is good.

I sort of started editing for people in her group. That was a mistake. When I like a book I read it again and again, like say Cenntennial, but when I hate a book...... oh dear.

[darksithbunny]

I hope not! I love everything about books. The crisp pages. The smell of the paper and sometimes you can smell the ink. Please no. Save books!

[kingcap72]

Well as a writer then you knew she already had a story board finished before she wrote the first line. She never veered from the main story line. I think most writers do. She had 7 books in her head unlike say Harris or Hamiliton they just let the characters develope as time passes - which after a while causes character over load.

My daughter is a writer, she's written two books. It was going to be her vocation and some day it may still happen. Through her I met publishers and other authors. I always thought of authors as rich folks who sit around with a keyboard ala King or Roberts. One published author with several books under her belt I met in Walmart - I didn't expect that, she turned beet red when she saw us (daughter and myself). Most of the people I met write in the spare time. My daughter no longer has spare time - she had to become the bread winner in their family, she has a great job but she has a great imagination and really is good.

I sort of started editing for people in her group. That was a mistake. When I like a book I read it again and again, like say Cenntennial, but when I hate a book...... oh dear.

Most writers don't have a complete storyboard written. They may have an outline for where the story is going, but not a storyboard. And there are plenty of times where you can start out with the plot/characters going in one direction, and over the course of the process things change. But when you're talking about writing about the same characters over and over again, then it can get boring.

I finished what will, hopefully, be the last rewrites on a movie trilogy, and while I love the characters and story I don't plan to continue them after the third movie. It's just time for new characters and stories.

Authors tend to become rich if they have best-sellers and once they sale the movie rights to their work. I started out wanting to be a writer and wrote a novel, but I discovered writing screenplays was more my style.

[NVash]

I dont know if I count because Im a writer myself and going to college for it. I dont have a storyboard at all, I have ideas written down for where I want it to go but theres no storyboard, and those ideas change once in awhile as well. But Im learning to write for TV so that might be different.

I respect authors, because when I sit down and write a story I notice how long it takes just to get ten pages out, how hard it is to describe places sometimes. Just because you see it doesnt mean you can always describe it. Things like that, they have my respect.

But then some people crank out pure trash and that makes me sad since I spent valuable hours of my life reading it.

[kingcap72]

All writers count, NVash, whether they write books, plays, screenplays or for television. No worries there.

And I respect authors, too. The hardest thing I found from writing a book was that you had to put as much detail into describing things as you did the dialogue. I always wanted to focus on the dialogue and fleshing the characters out, so screenplays worked better for me.

[GaPeach]

My daughter wrote all through school, won awards in middle school and high school and also took classes in college however her father thought it was a nice "hobby" which really hurt her feelings. Now she's a senior city planner and that he can relate to. Writers are creative people, right now that part of her is filed away and I miss it. I'd like to see her write Christian self help books like Chicken Soup for the Soul only dealing with young girls because they seem to flock to her with their problems.

I think you need a guide line or a story board. You need structure or else things tend to get long winded, people go off on tangents. One thing about Order of the Phoenix - I remember people saying "JK didn't write it or had a ghost writer" because the style was so different. Stephanie Meyer had a brain cramp when she suddenly had Jacob as the narrator after Bella was the narrator the rest of the time.

Nice to see so many authors

[kingcap72]

I was the same as your daughter, Peach. I've been writing since I was a kid, too. When you have both the passion and talent for writing, painting, sculpting, etc it's a great outlet. Hopefully, your daughter will be able to get back to it. There were times when I had to table the writing because other obligations got in the way, too.

My father still has the same view of my writing as your husband did. He felt it was a waste of time. But I explained to him that just like he has a passion for photography, I have the same passion for writing. Went in one ear and out the other, so I gave up trying to explain it to him. Most of my relatives tend to brush the writing aside, but my friends have always been pushing me to continue with it.

[buttmunch]

I was a fan of Grisham's work back in the day, along with Walter Mosley, Terry McMillan and Jackie Collins (shut up). But they all just lost me at some point. That's why I tend to stick with James Patterson. I've been reading his books since the late 90's and he hasn't disappointed me yet.

Love Jackie but Grisham wrote one decent book: the first one. After that he should have been put down.

1) people who don't read should be put down

2) people who read garbage like romance novels or The Da Vinci Code should join them because, frankly, that isn't literature. It's shit smeared on paper.

Absolutely agree on both points.

Most writers don't have a complete storyboard written. They may have an outline for where the story is going, but not a storyboard. And there are plenty of times where you can start out with the plot/characters going in one direction, and over the course of the process things change. But when you're talking about writing about the same characters over and over again, then it can get boring.

I finished what will, hopefully, be the last rewrites on a movie trilogy, and while I love the characters and story I don't plan to continue them after the third movie. It's just time for new characters and stories.

Authors tend to become rich if they have best-sellers and once they sale the movie rights to their work. I started out wanting to be a writer and wrote a novel, but I discovered writing screenplays was more my style.

Every writer is different. I just start with an idea and see where the characters take me. Others know exactly what's going to happen before they start. YOu have to do what works for you.

The passion is important, though. There is nothing better in the world than working on something, particularly if it's difficult to work out and then getting it right. The joy! The elation! The dancing around the room!

[kingcap72]

Love Jackie but Grisham wrote one decent book: the first one. After that he should have been put down.

For me, Grisham's best books were 'The Firm' and 'The Client.' The movie version of The Firm sucked, but I thought the film version of The Client was pretty good.

[McJag]

For me, Grisham's best books were 'The Firm' and 'The Client.' The movie version of The Firm sucked, but I thought the film version of The Client was pretty good.

Agreed.
About James Patterson-I don't think he can be beat! Love his books & worry he is aging fast. Then what??

[kingcap72]

Agreed.
About James Patterson-I don't think he can be beat! Love his books & worry he is aging fast. Then what??

Another Patterson fan. Cool. I thought Cmmdee, and I were the only ones. Hopefully, he'll keep churning out more books before he ages too fast.

What Patterson books have you read, McJag? I still think his best book so far is Jack & Jill.