Tuesday saw the release of Old Poison, the second book in the Dangerous Ground series. It's the one about the two DSS agents, partners and best friends, who suddenly realize there may just be more there to explore. And explore they do. At length and in detail. I jokingly call this my "popcorn" series because it's all action-adventure and sexy fun, but maybe I shouldn't because it gives the impression that these books are...tripe. And I don't think they are. Oh, they're not Dostoevsky -- I'm well aware -- but I'm as careful writing them as anything else. (Which, for the record, is painstakingly careful.) I may not always get it right, but it's not for lack of trying.
The problem, I suspect, is that these books are very easy for me to write -- and I enjoy writing them -- and after all I am The Josh, famed wide and far for Doin' eet Write, yeah? So how does the pure pulp pleasure jibe with my standing as Serious Author? Assuming you can wrap your gray cells around the notion of genre fiction being the stuff of serious writing.
It's a rhetorical question mostly because I love doing what I do or I'd do something else. I've done something else -- and made a heck of a lot more money at it -- so this is definitely about love of the work. The craft. And my craft is -- sometimes at least -- making popcorn balls. The best freaking popcorn balls out there, if I have anything to say about it.
Anyway, I was reading Old Poison's review at Jessewave's. I love Wave's reviews, by the way, because she is unabashed in what she likes and doesn't like. She loves books, she loves reading, and she isn't pretentious about it. She's not unkind, she's frank. Which is great if she enjoys what she read, and less delightful if she doesn't. But you're still getting the real Wave. Anyway, in the comment section Wave mentioned something to the effect that she loves my work but sometimes feels guilty (I'm paraphrasing like mad here) because she has yet to give me a bad review. Basically she feels guilty for enjoying herself too much.
Just as I feel guilty for enjoying myself when I write these books.
What is it about us humans that makes us prone to guilt for enjoying the things we love? We refer to so many things -- chocolate, television, genre fiction, bubble baths and taking time for ourselves -- as guilty pleasures. Why are we guilty about our pleasure?
I'm asking, I don't have an answer -- I just think it's an odd thing about our species. We have trouble being happy. Have you noticed that?
It's not like there is so much pleasure in all our lives that we can't stand one minute more -- or that there's so much laughter and love in the world that these things are trite and meaningless. If anything, given the state of the world, I think escapism is more important to people than ever before (barring a couple of World Wars).
Like I said, I don't have the answer. I'm curious as to what you think.
12 comments:
Having devoured Old Poison in a single enjoyable sitting last night, I'd just like to say that it might be pure escapism, but it's damned good pure escapism. And I'm pretty good at enjoying my escapism free of guilt. :)
I completely agree. There isn't enough pleasure, laughter or love in the world that we can't add more if we want.
I think people might feel guilty after a guilty pleasure because they think of someone who can't escape from their world. I read and my whole mind dives into the book to the point I don't acknowledge the outside world at all. There are people who can't do that, though, and are stuck experiencing the chaos in their life and we feel sorry for those people.
At least that's my opinion. :) Great post, though!
Part of my constant case of the guilts is that I was raised (and still am) Roman Catholic. Mind you, I'm not knocking the Catholic Church, but they know how to put a case of the guilts on a person.
I think another reason we may feel guilty about our pleasures because we also see/hear about those who have so little, not even the basics.
Now, I'm REALLY feeling guilty....
I think we're guilty about indulging ourselves because we've been taught not to be selfish, to think of others first right from childhood. Learn how to share, don't be greedy etc Well, I have anyway. But it's important to have those indulgent moments for yourself - whether reading a book that lets you live in a different world for a while, or eating a bar of chocolate you found lurking in a cupboard - but not that dusty bar you found stuffed down the side of the settee. You'll only spit out. Oops - is that just me?
I also think guilt is at its height in those middle years. When you're a kid you don't feel it. You do what you want because you don't really care about the consequences. When you have kids you always put them before yourself. Once they leave home, you can indulge yourself again. Of course if the monsters don't leave you have to share the chocolate.
Thanks, Chris! So glad you enjoyed the novella. And guilt-free at that!
Thanks, N.C.
Yes, I think there's truth to that -- there are many whose lives are so unceasingly miserable that it doesn't seem fair. (And it's not -- which is one of the hardest lessons to learn: that being lucky or blessed isn't always about being deserving.)
Hey, Booklover. *g* I hear you on the Catholic guilt thing -- as a fallen away Catholic, I must concur.
Hey, Flick! Pass that chocolate bar over here. *g*
Okay, well since we had such a relatively low turn out of responders, I'm going to gift a copy of OP to all those who commented -- up to this point. Chris, you already read it, so is there another backlist title you might enjoy?
Send me your email addresses off list.
Heh, from looking at your bibliography, I think I have all of your released works. :)
Thanks for the offer, Josh but you just sent me it in my other guise - Barbara Elsborg. I can't work out how to leave messages in anything other than my google account as Flick. I'm such a dork. Everytime I try one of the identities in the list it won't let me comment. I'm stuck as Flick forever. It just happened to be the name of the accident prone heroine in my first book. Fate telling me something.
Barbara
I'm late in responding.. ugh, how dare WORK get in my way of fun!
Thank you for the offer, Josh, I'll send you an email with my book, if the offer is still open.
Thanks,
Tracey D
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