Which will it be: Jelly Beans or Chocolate?
Prior to becoming published, I was an RN, certified diabetes educator. Part of my training included following a registered dietician on rounds. One of the questions she asked every patient prior to creating their meal plan was, “Which would you prefer: chocolate or jelly beans?” Stunned the first time I heard this; I waited until we were out in the hall to ask, “Why? You’re not planning on feeding them jelly beans are you?”
She laughed and said, “No. I just need to know if they crave sugar or fat, so I can modify their diet accordingly and they won’t feel deprived.”
Turns out the jelly bean eaters are after fast sugar highs and would grab a real Coke and cake when under stress, whereas those who preferred chocolate would gravitate toward ice cream, burgers, fries and the like.
Readers and authors could be described in similar fashion when it comes to their taste in books. The jelly bean gang prefers fast paced plots with lots of dialogue. They often gravitate toward contemporaries and really don’t care what color the sofa is or what the wallpaper looks like. They just want to be entertained or kept in suspense until they discover if the guy gets the girl.
The chocoholics—like yours truly--prefer books with more detail. We gravitate toward historicals and sagas and do want to know what the castles’ interiors look like and how they made mead. And while you’re at it, why not tell us how they constructed and cleaned those garderobes. (Well, maybe not that much detail, but you get the idea.)
Prior to becoming published, I was an RN, certified diabetes educator. Part of my training included following a registered dietician on rounds. One of the questions she asked every patient prior to creating their meal plan was, “Which would you prefer: chocolate or jelly beans?” Stunned the first time I heard this; I waited until we were out in the hall to ask, “Why? You’re not planning on feeding them jelly beans are you?”
She laughed and said, “No. I just need to know if they crave sugar or fat, so I can modify their diet accordingly and they won’t feel deprived.”
Turns out the jelly bean eaters are after fast sugar highs and would grab a real Coke and cake when under stress, whereas those who preferred chocolate would gravitate toward ice cream, burgers, fries and the like.
Readers and authors could be described in similar fashion when it comes to their taste in books. The jelly bean gang prefers fast paced plots with lots of dialogue. They often gravitate toward contemporaries and really don’t care what color the sofa is or what the wallpaper looks like. They just want to be entertained or kept in suspense until they discover if the guy gets the girl.
The chocoholics—like yours truly--prefer books with more detail. We gravitate toward historicals and sagas and do want to know what the castles’ interiors look like and how they made mead. And while you’re at it, why not tell us how they constructed and cleaned those garderobes. (Well, maybe not that much detail, but you get the idea.)
That’s not to say historicals can’t be fast paced. They are if the author knows what she’s doing. (Julie Garwood, Diane Perkins and Lorraine Heath immediately come to mind.) The best historical authors provide the richness we historical junkies crave while providing us with a thrill a page that keeps us up all night.
So, I’ll admit it. I’m a Heresy’s Kiss kind of gal. Which are you?
Sandy
To win an expense paid trip to the 2007 Romantic Times Booklovers Convention in Houston, TX go to http://www.sandyblair.net/
