Writing Women's Fiction(Sep 18, 2011)
When new writers don't get taken on by literary agents, they often complain, "So-and-so never even read the whole thing." Whenever we hear that, we know that person hasn't understood some basic truths about the whole literary business.Of course agents make their mind up quickly - it's their job. And it's not hard to do. At the Writers' Workshop we can tell within a minute whether a manuscript is a possible contender for publication or not. Naturally there are things that matter with every novel that comes our way (is it well written? is the concept sound? etc) but with women's fiction / chick-lit, there are a few critical areas you simply have to get right.One, you need to be intimate with your characters. We need to know their thoughts, feel their feelings. We also need to know their vulnerabilities. Maybe they look great but worry about their looks. Or maybe they worry about their career or their parenting - or whatever. Writing for women means that you have to deal intimately and honestly with these things.Secondly, you need to have warmth. It's all very well to expose genuinely difficult things or portray genuinely unlikeable characters. (And some books - The Devil Wears Prada - revolve around such characters.) But there needs to be an inner heart of warmth. Without that, you'll lose your reader.Thirdly, you need to get the comedy right. There are two common mistakes here. One is to write a whole novel without wit or lightness. The second is to keep your foot so hard on the comedy pedal that the effort ends up feeling grating and dull. The first error is easy to identify - just ask yourself if there are jokes and humour in your book. The second error is harder to locate. Are you writing like the wonderful Helen Fielding / Bridget Jones? Or are you aiming for that and missing? It's hard to say. On the whole, I'd say that (from the work we see) writers are more often guilty of trying a bit too hard. Remember that it's OK to have whole passages that are not particularly funny - that are touching, or sad, or scary, or whatever.Fourth, it's OK to be girly. A book that's full of shoes and handbags will likely get dull, but a good sprinkling of these things is probably required by your audience. But also ...Fifth, stay true to your character. If your central character is obsessed by make-up and accessories, then you need to stay with that truth. If your character is more of a free spirit and your book has more of a romantic theme, then centre on that. Don't drag your book away from your character's essence because you think you need to chase the market. Character must always come first.Sixth, make sure you understand the market. The market for women's fiction is very broad. It can move from quite serious semi-literary novels through to mysteries and psychological suspense stories through to real girly stuff, like the Shopaholic series, for example. You need to read enough to understand the terrain and your niche within it. That also means reading a lot of contemporary novels. Reading the classics is fine, but it doesn't tell you what editors are buying today - or what literary agents are looking for.And finally, seventh, most women's fiction, however broadly defined, will have a relationship at its centre. Sometimes that's a family one; most often a romantic one. So make that relationship genuinely touching and moving. Don't be scared to make your guy gorgeous, successful, tall, charming, funny. Yes, I know those things are cliches, but they're cliches that still sell books! You need to make sure your guy feels real - feels unique, in fact. (Stephenie Meyer's vampire hero, Edward Cullen, succeeded in large part because he was both Mr Gorgeous & Talented, but also Mr Oddball.) Again, getting character right is the secret.I know I'm a guy, but I do as it happens read quite a lot of chick lit. The best of it is terrific. Bridget Jones is a wonderful book by any standards. So get inspired and get writing. Best of luck.
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Shanghai -- Shopping Paradise(Sep 18, 2011)
Can't wait to shop in Shanghai? Well then, which are the best places to shop in this consumption-crazy city in China?Shanghai is well known for some of the best shopping experiences you'll find among major cities in China. When visiting Shanghai you'lll surely pass through the city's two major commercial streets -- upscale Nanjing Xi Lu (Nanjing West Road) and bustling Huaihai Lu (Huaihai Road). But there's a lot more to shopping than these two obvious places. Indeed, you'll find streets big and small full of shopping centres. You'll be able to plan a full day of shopping if that's what you want. Even if you don't really feel like shopping you should still visit them. (I know you're a guy but you're already in Shanghai, right?)Shopping in Shanghai is an experience you will never forget. Whether or not you are a shopping fanatic, there are various shopping malls selling anything from high-priced luxury goods to stylish and affordable casuals and traditional Chinese handicrafts.I should mention that as I'm writing this article, the infamous Xiang Yang Market has already been closed down. Some of you out there reading this will have fond memories of highly-charged bargaining sessions with fake goods vendors who speak six different languages.Here are a few shopping highlights in Shanghai, starting with Nanjing Xi Lu...Shanghai's Plaza 66Where: 55 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Shaanxi LuPlaza 66 is crystalline proof of Shanghai's diligent obsession with consumption. Arguably, it's the fanciest shpping mall in Shanghai, with a frosty demeanor to match. Whether you're looking for Prada for pret-a-porter, Waterford for cystal, Bose or Bang and Olufsen for sound, Plaza 66 has over 100 famous brands. With its dazzling array of designer brands, this place is perfect for the nouveau riche with money to burn. There isn't another shopping mall as luxurious as this one in Shanghai.A five-minutes walk from the Portman Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Plaza 66 has a cafe in the atrium and a few restuarants perched on the fifth floor. Shanghai's Citic PlazaWhere: 1168 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Plaza 66A bright, gleaming five-storey mall offering a varied mix of clothing labels, Citic Plaza is a five-minutes walk from the Shimen Yi Lu metro station. From high-end designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, Chloe and Kenzo to the more affordable casuals from Tough and Esprit, this is a mall with more reasonable prices. Whether you're wealthy or light on budget, this place is perfect for anyone with an eye for fashion. Feeling hungry after all that shopping? No worries there. Every floor of the mall offers a restaurant -- from McDonald's (you're not going to eat at McDonald's in China, are you?) in the basement to super buffet Golden Jaguar (unlimited sashimi and Pacific oysters) on the third floor to chic Sichuan restuarant China Moon (puts your local Chinatown Sichuan restuarant to shame) on the fourth. By the way, there's also a convenience store and English-Chinese language bookstore in case you're looking for mineral water or maps.Shanghai's Westgate MallWhere: 1038 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Citic PlazaA smart, well-organized shopping haven, offering up a range of trendy shops from Burberry, Givenchy and Versace to Chinese label Zuczug. The Westgate Mall is perfect for mall lovers with cash to spend who fancy a change from their usual hang out.Also a couple of minutes walk from Shimen Yi Lu metro station, the Westgate malls offers a Studio City Cinema (with super sound system), Watson's, a small supermarket in the basement, Marie France sliming clinic and an Isetan Department store ( a major Japanese chain) accessible on every floor.And much, much more...As I mentioned before, Nanjing Xi Lu and Huaihai Lu are the most prominent shopping streets in Shanghai but they're not the only ones. These are the modern shopping malls and they'll give you a good idea of how things have changed in China over the last 20 years.Other Shopping...If you go on older streets like Dongtai Lu you'll find classical hand-made items. This handicraft market offers a variety of classical items like Chinese ceramics, jade, bronze, wood articles, paintings, and calligraphic works. You can also get your tools there if you are an artist yourself or plan to be.More of an intellectual shopping street, Fuzhou Lu boasts a vast collection of bookstores in Shanghai. Not only does it offer over thirty bookstores but also has some of the oldest bookstores (some over 100 years old) in Shanghai.Shopping in Shanghai is probably the most time-consuming activity in Shanghai whether for visitors or locals. With big shopping malls on the more popular streets to small boutiques or specific markets on smaller streets, Shanghai is where shopping fanatics will find their Paradise.I'm a foreigner who traveled to Shanghai and realized it is hard to have a great time in Shanghai when you are not well-informed. That is why I decided to come up with a complete online guide with the latest information and tips on having a great time in Shanghai, whether you're traveling to Shanghai or living in the city.
