Carole takes part in a on-line discussion with Wendy Holden, Marian Keyes and top American writers Jennifer Weiner, Alisa Kwitney, Valerie Frankel and Meg Cabot...
Below are Carole's answers to the questions - for the full discussion click on the Bookreporter.com link at the bottom of the page.
Bookreporter.com Chick Lit Questions:
1. What makes a Chick Lit book?
A Chick Lit book has a certain edgy style that’s common to the genre. It’s sharp, contemporary women’s fiction, laced with witty, self-deprecating humour. The books deal with modern day issues that affect young women. The majority of them also have pink covers!
2. What was the first Chick Lit book you read?
Rachel’s Holiday by Marian Keyes. I thought it was a fantastic read that addressed some of the very real issues that young women today are struggling with – some of the things I was struggling with! Life isn’t like the more traditional romances and I’d found myself becoming disillusioned with that type of novel. Meeting a man doesn’t solve everything in life – usually it’s the start of a whole new raft of problems! I could really identify with Marian’s work. And, of course, I love her Irish sense of humour. For me, she is still the Queen of Chick Lit.
3. Who do you think is the audience for Chick Lit?
Any woman who’s ever had a problem! In the rich tapestry that is Chick Lit, no stitch is left unpicked. There’s something for everyone. At one end of the spectrum you have the fairly straightforward boy-meets-girl type dilemmas to the more complex relationship issues of childlessness and infidelity. I read a Chick Lit book recently that dealt with the very serious problem of date rape. I have a lot of male readers too, but they’re very loathe to admit to buying books with pastel covers! I think they read them to find out what’s going on in women’s minds… : )
4. Does Chick Lit have to be funny to work? Explain.
Yes. I do think Chick Lit essentially has to be sassy and witty. It also needs to be sharp and edgy. It’s looking at life with tongue firmly in the cheek and using humour to escape from or work through problems is one of the key coping mechanisms for humans. I like my books to be light-hearted and, hopefully, laugh-out-loud but I like to explore some of the softer emotions too and maybe have a tear or two in there as well.
5. Is there a value to Chick Lit other than escapism or entertainment?
I write light-hearted, funny books that deal with the sort of dilemmas that are all too prevalent in this day and age. I definitely see it as escapist and entertaining – I think a lot of the situations I write about are exaggerated and over-blown, almost to the point of French farce. I squeeze every drop of humour out of them that I can – but I do try to balance that with pathos. But what I find amazing is how many women email me and say – ‘Wow, this is my life. I thought no one else understood.’ I hate to think that so many people out there have tortured lives, but it makes me think that this is why Chick Lit is hitting the spot for so many people. I hope that it gives them something to smile about while going through their heartache!
6. Is there a Chick Lit formula, or certain “must haves”?
I think some of the earlier books in the Chick Lit genre could have been called formulaic, but now the genre has evolved and broadened to encompass a wide range of complex issues. I think the problem with Chick Lit - if it has one - is that because all the books tend to be packaged and marketed in the same sort of way, it’s very hard to tell the quality of the contents from the covers. It all tends to look the same, but in the genre there is everything from young women struggling with career and boyfriend problems to more mature women coping with complex relationship and lifestyle issues. ‘Must haves’ for me include a strong, feisty heroine who solves her own problems while keeping a dozen balls in the air - normal, everyday stuff! It helps if there’s a drop-dead gorgeous hero somewhere in there too… : )
7. Fashion and beauty magazines --- and in fact, our entire culture --- surrounds women with images that often make them feel they are inferior. Do you think that Chick Lit, where women admit failure and address body issues and make mistakes, allows women to feel better about themselves? Explain.
Yes. Surprisingly, you can have a great life even if you’re not a size four with a pert nose! I think the Chick Lit message is that women are now empowered to do whatever they want – we have the wherewithal to go for it! Chick Lit embraces the concept that life isn’t perfect, it’s full of mistakes and misdemeanours – but it’s real life and life is for living! Chick Lit girls might not always get the guy – but they survive! (Cue Gloria Gaynor song...) They’ll be stronger for the experience and will move onwards and upwards in life. I find it a very uplifting genre to write in.
8. Tell us about a scene or a character in one of your books that you are particularly proud of.
Bare Necessity (Titled A Compromising Position in the UK) is about a woman called Emily Miller whose life falls apart when her boyfriend posts saucy pictures of her on the internet. Because of the scandal she loses not only her lover, but her job and her home, incurring horrendous debts. Emily fights back, but in doing so she has to compromise her principles by posing naked for a tabloid newspaper for a huge sum of money. I wanted to explore that idea, because I wondered what most women would do if they were put in that situation – I wondered what I’d do in that situation! It was a very current issue in the UK (where I live) at the time as similar things had happened to friends of mine and I thoroughly enjoyed writing it.
9. What scene in your own books are you most surprised you wrote?
In For Better, For Worse, I wanted to examine whether ‘for better, for worse’ in the marriage vows should actually mean that. Do people really think about what they’re signing up for? The heroine is a bridesmaid at her cousin Martha’s wedding – and, unfortunately, believes that Martha is marrying the wrong man. Martha has second thoughts too – but not until after she’s said ‘I do’ – and in spectacular style. At the reception, Martha disappears with an old flame and ends up getting low-down and dirty with him in a shrimp plate. I thought of the worse thing that could happen at a wedding and I guess that was pretty bad! The point of it was that her husband of a few hours forgives her and they get back together – he has definitely signed up for ‘for better or for worse’. I think most people would just want the ‘for better’ part. Still, I had a lot of fun writing it, but I have no idea where the ‘sex in the shrimp plate’ came from. I think it was a slightly excessive way of making a point … : )
10. Do you think the term Chick Lit is condescending?
In the UK, the term is seen as being slightly derogatory these days – but I can’t say that it worries me. I’m at an age where I’m quite glad to be still called a Chick! I prefer the term ‘romantic comedy’ – I think that’s a more accurate description of what I’m writing. I hate it when I hear people say it’s an over-crowded market. Have you seen how many crime/thriller books there are out there!
11. Share with us a story of an encounter you have had with a fan, either in person or via e-mail/snail mail.
I went to a party a few months ago and was introduced to a woman, who my friend knew was a big fan of my books. The woman was so shocked to be introduced to me that she let go of her wine glass which smashed on the floor. Then she was so dumb-struck couldn’t speak to me for nearly half an hour - during which I babbled incessantly trying to make her feel comfortable while she gazed at me adoringly and hung onto my every word as if I was a superstar. I was so embarrassed, but I had a very small glimpse of how Madonna must get treated everyday!
12. What are you working on now, and when can readers expect to see it?
I have a new book out in the USA in May called The Sweetest Taboo, which is just out in the UK. It’s based in LA and came from my experiences of trying to get a film made in Hollywood (I’ve sold the rights to two films – For Better, For Worse and A Minor Indiscretion) I had a great time researching it! Sometimes being a writer is a very dirty job. All of those crazy things in the book, I had to do. I attended acting classes, went to a Pilates studio and rollerbladed on Venice Beach – that was a blast. But it also deals with the dark side of Hollywood and how hard it is to make it there – it’s not a great place to suffer from a lack of self-esteem. It’s very funny – even though I say it myself! - plus you get two sexy heroes for the price of one in this book!
CLICK FOR THE FULL DISCUSSION AT BOOKREPORTER.COM
