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8:36 p.m. - 2006-01-26 My Husband says I am a literary SNOBThere are millions of people who share the dream of making a living writing. Most of that million dream of writing a novel or two. Several hundred thousand will actually put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and bang one out. The ones that actually get published probably number in the hundreds and out of those, only 50 or so become stars. Yes, I grabbed my numbers out of thin air�they are not real statistics, but I was trying to illustrate how many people are gifted with the talent and passion to write, verses the few who actually make it big. I did hear somewhere that most writers who make their living writing, are like their brethren the artist�.mostly starving. Using names of literary stars I gleaned from a book club brochure, I decided to embark on a little study of my own. I decided that every month, I would read a selection of novels from some author on the best sellers list, whom I had never read before. It was my intention to digest a number of different writing styles and genres and see if I could figure out what made them �STARS�. I found Mary Higgins Clark simplistic, yet her stories were easy to read at the end of a hard day and although the characters were pretty one dimensional (I do believe the same characters move from one book to another and just change their hair color), she did manage to hook you in with a tempting mystery. I was a bit disappointed though to find that out of the 4 books I read and 2 lifetime television movies I watched, I could easily pick the murderer out � way through the book, thus ruining the mystery. I have nothing bad to say about Mary Higgins Clark, but I don�t think I can call myself a fan. I am not a romance novel reader. I don�t think I have ever read one, unless it is a historical romance, with an emphasis on the HISTORY part, but I kept seeing this name, NORA ROBERTS, in bold letters on every book club brochure or advertisement for book club membership. When my Aunt opened up her gift of the last installment of the Nora Roberts, �In The Garden� trilogy with a look on her face that gave away her longing to just leave her guests and find a corner in which to curl up with it, I decided that it was time for romance and for Nora Roberts in particular. When I opened the book and saw a page filled with the 75 or so titles she has written and published, I became more intrigued. Now I am on page 139, almost � way through the book and Yoo Hoo�if there are any Nora Roberts fans out there, could you please clue me in to why this woman is selling so many books? I am sooooo bored, I can�t bring myself to read more than a few pages at a time. I am forcing my way through this book. Nothing is happening but a bunch of beautiful (they are all beautiful in shallow novels aren�t; they?) women working in a garden center and a not so spooky ghost. There is no mystery, no romance (and by page 139, you�d expect a little something to happen) and no excitement. Of course the protagonist is beautiful, sexy and smart but there is no antagonist. You would expect that an antagonist would show his or her face by page 139. Yet, Nora Roberts is a literary star. She is making big dollars writing prolifically from her estate in Maryland. I�m sorry but this writer won�t be gleaning another dollar from me. So, I will not be completing Nora Roberts month. I think I will squeeze in Teacher Man by Frank McCourt. Now there�s a story teller. P. I. Yarnsmith
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