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FaithfulReader.com: What makes a book Chick Lit?
Tracey Bateman: A Chick Lit book focuses on a single young woman, usually a professional, dealing with struggles at work, self-image, family stress, and the pleasure and pain of trying to find a guy who will stay forever. An element of romance is important, but not the main issue. The heroine may or may not find her prince by the book's end, but either way the writer needs to be careful not to make it appear that finding love is a cure-all for a stinky life. The voice needs to be believable, as though this person could be sitting in front of you chit-chatting about struggles and successes and her perceptions of life in general. And you care enough to sit and listen because she's not whining about it. She's putting action to her faith and going on the offensive to invent the future she wants.
Mom Lit, which is what I write, is a subset of this genre. It's Mom having a meltdown, or an epiphany, or a vacation (as with the "Sisterchicks" books), or maybe venturing out into a new career. The key to a successful Mom Lit is making the book fresh so that women don't say, "Sheesh, what do I want to read that for? I LIVE it every single day of my life!" Mom has to be sassy and ready with an answer, even if it's the wrong one.
Judy Baer: The single most important thing in my mind about Chick Lit is the voice. It's that quick, witty, sometimes wry, often funny voice of the author and, as a result, the main character. Because Chick Lit is written in first person and with engaging humor, a special intimacy is created between the writer and the reader. The topics of Chick Lit are current, relevant and often oh-so-real. What woman hasn't at some time obsessed about 1) the man, 2) men or 3) the lack of men in her life, her weight, her job, her friendships, her future, or her life? Even though Chick Lit is written in a very "now" voice, the feelings, thoughts and emotions are more universal and can strike a cord in a woman of any age.
Allie Pleiter: For me it is mostly about the tone of the book, about the voice of the author. Chick Lit has a contemporary, sassy feel. It has a strong internal commentary, a very distinct view of the world, whether or not the book is in first-person narrative. It is contemporary, and focuses on the relationships the contemporary woman has --- or doesn't have, or botches, or wishes she had, etc.
Kristin Billerbeck: Definitely the voice. The story is secondary to the voice, which is funny, self-deprecating, and yet, rings of truth. It's from the viewpoint of a character who is easily identifiable, and her world becomes yours.
Penny Culliford: A strong, quirky, usually single, female protagonist. Characters who are dealing with real life situations, careers, boyfriends and friendships. Characters who don't get it right all of the time. Identification is vital: the readers must see part of themselves in the character. Most importantly, a good dose of humour.
Lori Copeland: Chick Lit books are fun and meaningful. They're stories about women dealing with everything life has to offer: relationships, careers, raising children and friendships.
Annie Jones: Probably the tone of the storytelling, the style as much as anything. It's lighter, maybe not so "by-the-rules" writing, with a fresh outlook. Or so we like to think. I think that --- like a lot of things --- we think we came up with Chick Lit, but it's been around before and is coming around in a new form again.
Laura Jensen Walker: A funny, flaw-filled and very real (usually single) female heroine generally in her twenties or thirties trying to find her way in life today. It helps if she's a little (or a lot) neurotic, too --- whether it's about body image, finding the right guy, the right job, the right relationship with her family and friends, or all of the above.
Sharon Dunn: The humorous first person narrative that creates a distinctive voice. In the most general terms, Chick Lit examines the struggles of single thirtysomething women in an honest, less soft focus way than other genres.
Neta Jackson: I hadn't even heard the term when I was writing the first "Yada Yada" novel. I just set out to write a story about twelve very diverse women who end up in the same prayer group at a women's conference --- stick them in this situation, sit back, and let the sparks fly. I thought I was writing "women's fiction." Then the pubs slapped that bright pink cover with the crazy socks on the book, and suddenly it was "Chick Lit."
Robin Jones Gunn: A general answer might be that these are stories by women, for women, about women. The plot often flows the way a conversation might flow between two close friends over lunch.
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