tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839053032066340281.post7447648190054702652..comments2023-10-03T11:50:18.671-04:00Comments on Brenda's Blog: BIG timeBrenda Janowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341902606434073240noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839053032066340281.post-28950985257523164952008-11-19T12:58:00.000-05:002008-11-19T12:58:00.000-05:00Allison says: “What editors and publishing houses...Allison says: “What editors and publishing houses often look for (at least in commercial fiction) is what they deem a high-concept idea. This is one that can be summed up in one sentence and is really marketable. In ToML's case, for example, it's something like, "Discontented housewife wakes up one morning seven years in her past and has a chance to answer her 'what ifs.'" BAM. High concept. Adaptable for a movie. Everyone gets it.”<BR/><BR/>And I think that’s the most important info in the post. I think some good examples of authors who write about BIG ideas are: Jodi Piccoult, Emily Giffin, Sophie Kinsella. They write books whose premise can be summed up in one sentence, and one that starts a discussion: what would you do if you fell for your best friend’s fiancé? What would you do if you woke up and had no memory of the last 5 years?<BR/><BR/>Here are some other blog posts that do a nice job of explaining what makes an idea “high concept.”<BR/><BR/>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_concept<BR/><BR/>http://www.scriptforsale.com/james.shtml<BR/><BR/>http://www.writersstore.com/article.php?articles_id=609<BR/><BR/>http://knightagency.blogspot.com/2005/05/whats-all-this-talk-about-high-concept.html<BR/><BR/>http://misaramirez.com/what-we-have-learned-from-others-becomes-our-own-by-reflectionralph-waldo-emerson/standing-out-from-the-pack-making-high-concept-work-for-you/<BR/><BR/>http://www.romantictimes.com/authors_tip.php?tip=934Brenda Janowitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02341902606434073240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839053032066340281.post-67734452030277972342008-11-13T13:28:00.000-05:002008-11-13T13:28:00.000-05:00This is SUCH a fun topic... and definitely an impo...This is SUCH a fun topic... and definitely an important one!<BR/><BR/>I do think it's important to have a "high concept" in your book, but I don't know if it 100% makes or breaks your book. I mean, if the story and the writing is interesting, people will still read it. <BR/><BR/>One of the biggest women's fiction books is Bridget Jones' Diary, and I don't think that has a high concept. It's just a single girl in the city who tries to change her life, but ultimately never really does. <BR/><BR/>Though, that being said, there ARE definitely some great "high concept" books. Lauren Weisberger's books tend to have one. Such as The Devil Wears Prada- about an unfashionable girl who goes to work for THE most fashionable magazine. <BR/><BR/>Even books in other genres... for lack of a better example, The Notebook- about what happens when your first love comes back into your life when you're engaged to another man.Irina Gonzalez @ Healthy Latin Foodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13335080791964316897noreply@blogger.com