Self-praise and egoboo, so just ignore me

[desperance]

I know I was grumbling about doing too much rewriting recently and not enough fresh work - and I do not resile from one word of that grumble: a good grumble, and I stand beside it - but I am now on the final leg of this period, going over the urban fantasy before my agent starts sending it around, and y'know what? I'm enjoying it, actually.

Granted that this is just the read-through, where all I have to do is scribble on the rough bits, mark them up for my later more serious attention; it's a process of getting acquainted with the work, in fact the first time I've ever read it, but I'm still surprised at how happy it makes me. I'm none too confident of its future, mind - there are better books in this field: more considered, more ambitious, more worked up - but I like these boys, I like this girl, I enjoy spending time in their company. I suppose it's a book I wrote for my own gratification, and yup. It punches my buttons. Also, every now and then, it takes me by surprise. Not with the plot, inevitably - I do remember that - but with the language. Most of it is workmanlike, but there's a sudden paragraph that soars, that takes me with it; I like that, too.

And meanwhile, I sent the play to a friend of mine, whose working life has been in theatre; and - in her blog, bless her, where the world can read it - she said:

"I read the draft of my friend’s new play. It’s wonderful and touching and disturbing and heart-rending all at once. I knew he’d draw me in – he always does. He’s one of those writers who defies genre – call him “boxless” or “unboxed” or, what he truly is, brilliant.

"I’m talking, of course, of Chaz Brenchley, who understands what makes humans (and other beings) tick better than we do ourselves, and is brave enough to expose it. If you’ve never read a Chaz Brenchley book, go order one right this minute – and if you’re in the U.S., Bridge of Dreams is a good place to start. He’s lyrical; compelling; a stunning linguist; understands the heights and depths of love, passion, turmoil, manipulation, loyalty, and pain; and helps the reader see the world (any world about which he writes) in a new way. Sometimes the beauty of his prose literally takes my breath away.

"His work is beyond genre. It’s too expansive and too honest to fit in a box. Plus, he can write in any genre – mystery, fantasy, or, as in this play, naturalism/realism."

I can live off that for weeks...

Comments

[durham-rambler.livejournal.com]

I think you stopped short. And thereby did yourself an injustice. Or did you think you were approaching the "fair use" maximum? The blog continues:

And he certainly does not get the acclaim he deserves. There’s another writer out there selling millions of books out there, who’s at a point of hiring people to co-write/ghostwrite because “he has too many ideas” – yeah, make me gag – whose, writing makes me want to go beyond gag and downright throw up, it’s so damn sloppy and formulaic. That’s one of the writers I sometimes joke about, who I think uses “global replace” for the character name and the location.

There’s nothing wrong with selling well. More power to anyone who earns the right to do so (Janet Evanovich and Tess Gerritsen immediately come to mind in that category).

And Chaz should be right up there with them.

[triciasullivan.livejournal.com]

Woo-hoo! That's fantastic praise--I think anybody would live off that for quite a while.

[devonellington.livejournal.com]

Well, love, it's all true.

And, on top of it, several of my regular readers have sworn to go out and hunt down your books!

I'm excited for the urban fantasy. Right now, there's a big and growing market for it in the states -- and it's the books that are written for the authors' gratification that seem to resonate most with the readers.

[danjite.livejournal.com]

If someone blows the trumpet for ye', there be no shame in enjoying the music!

Next time I am first world, I will actually track down one of your books.

[guipago.livejournal.com]

*wonders why she hasn't read a Chaz book yet???*

*wanders off to attempt to be able to rectify this when spring break rolls around*

[martyn44.livejournal.com]

The truth is sometimes just plain great.

[pennski.livejournal.com]

Hooray! What she said! Every word. Now we need to find a way to translate that into more sales for you.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

*wonders why she hasn't read a Chaz book yet???*

Ah - that'll be because I'm expanding my horizons. I used to be Newcastle's best-kept secret; these days, I'm internationally unknown.

Also, what's my own personal reading-for-pleasure this weekend? Some outrageously alliterative title, written (and signed - yay!) by this Scott Lynch guy...

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Yes, please.