Comments on: The Help, Rue, and me http://www.itsonlyanovel.com/2012/11/19/the-help-rue-and-me/ Join the Conversation... Sat, 18 May 2013 21:26:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Nicki Salcedo http://www.itsonlyanovel.com/2012/11/19/the-help-rue-and-me/#comment-1297 Nicki Salcedo Tue, 04 Dec 2012 05:01:15 +0000 http://www.itsonlyanovel.com/?p=1342#comment-1297 Jennifer, grouchy is very hard to stereotype. I do my best to be your idea of tired and ill-mannered at all times. Thank you for stopping by. You are a role model. I'm going to grow up to be like you one day, except the white part. Romily, I didn't notice that Rue was Black in The Hunger Games. The description was more about her character and mannerisms than her skin color. I'm going to erase the "make her trashier" comment from my memory. Yay for Wick and your book. You and McQuiston are my heroes. And I can take you anywhere. Dinner date is in order. Jennifer, grouchy is very hard to stereotype. I do my best to be your idea of tired and ill-mannered at all times. Thank you for stopping by. You are a role model. I’m going to grow up to be like you one day, except the white part.

Romily, I didn’t notice that Rue was Black in The Hunger Games. The description was more about her character and mannerisms than her skin color. I’m going to erase the “make her trashier” comment from my memory. Yay for Wick and your book. You and McQuiston are my heroes. And I can take you anywhere. Dinner date is in order.

]]> By: Romily Bernard http://www.itsonlyanovel.com/2012/11/19/the-help-rue-and-me/#comment-1286 Romily Bernard Mon, 03 Dec 2012 00:32:22 +0000 http://www.itsonlyanovel.com/?p=1342#comment-1286 NICKI!!! How am I just NOW finding this?! Love the post and I'm super glad to know I'm not the only one who blows thru character descriptions just to get to the good stuff. Wick ended up blonde bc I just didn't care and, later, they wanted to know if I could make her trashier? Do huh? Yeah, I said it just like that. You can't take me anywhere. Except maybe In and Out Burgers :) NICKI!!! How am I just NOW finding this?! Love the post and I’m super glad to know I’m not the only one who blows thru character descriptions just to get to the good stuff. Wick ended up blonde bc I just didn’t care and, later, they wanted to know if I could make her trashier? Do huh?

Yeah, I said it just like that. You can’t take me anywhere.

Except maybe In and Out Burgers :)

]]> By: Jennifer McQuiston http://www.itsonlyanovel.com/2012/11/19/the-help-rue-and-me/#comment-1285 Jennifer McQuiston Sun, 02 Dec 2012 15:41:58 +0000 http://www.itsonlyanovel.com/?p=1342#comment-1285 Nicki, thank you for such a thought provoking post! I love that you physically cannot be stereotyped, and that you refuse to let your writing be, either. Thank you for being such an inspiring role model at Georgia Romance Writers! And I cannot WAIT to read All Beautiful Things. Nicki, thank you for such a thought provoking post! I love that you physically cannot be stereotyped, and that you refuse to let your writing be, either. Thank you for being such an inspiring role model at Georgia Romance Writers! And I cannot WAIT to read All Beautiful Things.

]]> By: Nicki Salcedo http://www.itsonlyanovel.com/2012/11/19/the-help-rue-and-me/#comment-1271 Nicki Salcedo Sat, 24 Nov 2012 17:52:43 +0000 http://www.itsonlyanovel.com/?p=1342#comment-1271 Alicia, what can I say? I love romance, football, and zombies. I will let you have a peak at the apocalypse one day soon! Thanks for stopping by. Alicia, what can I say? I love romance, football, and zombies. I will let you have a peak at the apocalypse one day soon! Thanks for stopping by.

]]> By: Nicki Salcedo http://www.itsonlyanovel.com/2012/11/19/the-help-rue-and-me/#comment-1270 Nicki Salcedo Sat, 24 Nov 2012 17:49:24 +0000 http://www.itsonlyanovel.com/?p=1342#comment-1270 Farrah, thanks for stopping by. My journey has been a happy one. I haven't attributed ill-intent when people ask about my character's race. I'm much more careful interpreting those comments now. I've edited my self into a mess in the past by listening to different view points on how to make the story "better". More importantly: does the hero play football? I love a football story! When I read your last book, I was very happy and hopeful for writers everywhere. Farrah, thanks for stopping by. My journey has been a happy one. I haven’t attributed ill-intent when people ask about my character’s race. I’m much more careful interpreting those comments now. I’ve edited my self into a mess in the past by listening to different view points on how to make the story “better”. More importantly: does the hero play football? I love a football story! When I read your last book, I was very happy and hopeful for writers everywhere.

]]> By: Alicia McCalla http://www.itsonlyanovel.com/2012/11/19/the-help-rue-and-me/#comment-1266 Alicia McCalla Wed, 21 Nov 2012 15:23:13 +0000 http://www.itsonlyanovel.com/?p=1342#comment-1266 Great Post Nicki! Thought provoking. BTW, I'm ready to see the Zombie story! LOL! Great Post Nicki! Thought provoking. BTW, I’m ready to see the Zombie story! LOL!

]]> By: Farrah Rochon http://www.itsonlyanovel.com/2012/11/19/the-help-rue-and-me/#comment-1265 Farrah Rochon Wed, 21 Nov 2012 05:55:38 +0000 http://www.itsonlyanovel.com/?p=1342#comment-1265 Fabulous post. How your journey mirrors my own. I found myself nodding the entire time I was reading it. Eventually the characters's (and author's) race will no longer matter. That is, at least, my hope. Fabulous post. How your journey mirrors my own. I found myself nodding the entire time I was reading it. Eventually the characters’s (and author’s) race will no longer matter. That is, at least, my hope.

]]> By: Nicki Salcedo http://www.itsonlyanovel.com/2012/11/19/the-help-rue-and-me/#comment-1263 Nicki Salcedo Tue, 20 Nov 2012 02:21:29 +0000 http://www.itsonlyanovel.com/?p=1342#comment-1263 Michelle, you are the only white person I know who could revoke my black card. Take that however you want. I'm relieved to know that "White Men Can't Jump" was your biopic. Woody Harrelson didn't do you justice. Wow. "Least ethnic". Wow. Or code for white. But still wow. D, above all is love. Above that humor. Connie, oh, you outed yourself. Thank you for this: "I write as I see the world." Amen. (I meant that in the white church amen way, and not the black church amen way just to be PC). Michelle, you are the only white person I know who could revoke my black card. Take that however you want. I’m relieved to know that “White Men Can’t Jump” was your biopic. Woody Harrelson didn’t do you justice. Wow. “Least ethnic”. Wow. Or code for white. But still wow.

D, above all is love. Above that humor.

Connie, oh, you outed yourself. Thank you for this: “I write as I see the world.” Amen. (I meant that in the white church amen way, and not the black church amen way just to be PC).

]]> By: Nicki Salcedo http://www.itsonlyanovel.com/2012/11/19/the-help-rue-and-me/#comment-1262 Nicki Salcedo Tue, 20 Nov 2012 02:14:26 +0000 http://www.itsonlyanovel.com/?p=1342#comment-1262 Hey Carol, Have you read Michael Cunningham's "The Hours"? He nailed it. I love that book so much. Man writing in the perspective of 3 different women. I agree with your comment "...the imagination is allowed to run free. What fun writing can be!" True. And a poem. Chicki, readers who won't read black characters should not be allowed to eat cake. Ever again. Mary, do you see why your workshop came at just the right time. How do Northerners perceive the South? Catholics vs. Jewish? White blended into Black? We are all the same. You are a great find. Thank you for stopping by! Hey Carol, Have you read Michael Cunningham’s “The Hours”? He nailed it. I love that book so much. Man writing in the perspective of 3 different women. I agree with your comment “…the imagination is allowed to run free. What fun writing can be!” True. And a poem.

Chicki, readers who won’t read black characters should not be allowed to eat cake. Ever again.

Mary, do you see why your workshop came at just the right time. How do Northerners perceive the South? Catholics vs. Jewish? White blended into Black? We are all the same. You are a great find. Thank you for stopping by!

]]> By: Nicki Salcedo http://www.itsonlyanovel.com/2012/11/19/the-help-rue-and-me/#comment-1261 Nicki Salcedo Tue, 20 Nov 2012 02:05:16 +0000 http://www.itsonlyanovel.com/?p=1342#comment-1261 Sharon, I'm so glad I outed you and others on our big secret. I will sleep easy tonight. I honestly think the first agent was trying helpful, so the readers don't get to page 100 and say, "Wait? She's black?!?" Second agent was trying to find the right market to target. I have been blessed by meeting so many helpful editors and agents. They want good books that sell. Worst experience was a contest where the judge said my heroine (black female lawyer) was totally unbelievable. My sister is a lawyer. My cousin is a lawyer. It took me a while cooled off, come back, get back to writing. Take that for unbelievable. I keep writing no matter what. It's the only way the stories will get better. Sharon, I’m so glad I outed you and others on our big secret. I will sleep easy tonight. I honestly think the first agent was trying helpful, so the readers don’t get to page 100 and say, “Wait? She’s black?!?” Second agent was trying to find the right market to target. I have been blessed by meeting so many helpful editors and agents. They want good books that sell.

Worst experience was a contest where the judge said my heroine (black female lawyer) was totally unbelievable. My sister is a lawyer. My cousin is a lawyer. It took me a while cooled off, come back, get back to writing. Take that for unbelievable. I keep writing no matter what. It’s the only way the stories will get better.

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