Hitting the Books

Part 3 in Robyn’s series for History Strumpets is up on Snarkling Clean. This time she takes on Regency England. Go on over and put in your 2 pence worth.

Ah ha! Now we have our culprit! According to Carla (see links), “this whole thing was sparked by a set of Rules for How to Write a Bestselling Fantasy Novel, mentioned by Alex Bordessa.”

I read the following statement with sinking heart.

From the March issue of Romance Writer’s Report:

“The Legislative Action Committee will consider the advisability and feasibility of establishing a romance writers’ political action committee for collecting and distributing political contributions and will identify other industry PACs that may be mutually beneficial in partnering with RWA.”

NO! NO! NO! NO!

Please, don’t politicize RWA! If I really am a minority voice among romance writers, I don’t want the majority pushing for laws and candidates that are antithetical to my own. Even worse, I fear that my RWA dues will go to support such things. Argh.

I’m writing a letter to the editor (tho’ I’ve little hope of it actually accomplishing anything). I hope this bad idea comes to nothing, but if it does go through, I’ll have to leave the RWA. Which sucketh mightily for me.

Sigh. Politics stinks up the wazoo (and I live less than an hour south of D.C., so I can say that with certainty)

What do you think?

Carla told me to go visit Gabriele Campbell. Her Rules for Scottish Romances are too, too true. Especially the part about heroine must always be a Sassenach. Why? I guess for the same reason that it must always be the feisty Rebel girl who falls for the big alpha Yankee. Tho’ I think Patricia Veryan a few times had the Englishman falling for the feisty Scottish lass (who usually was trying to help her Jacobite brother/fiance/best friend’s husband’s former sergeant escape the turrrible massacre after Culloden)

So are there any other rules out there? I’m really enjoying reading them. It’s funny just how many stereotypes are found in historical fiction (or fiction of any sort I suppose) when you really look for them. And not just stereotypes, but really silly ones too.