During the September 2007 ACFW conference in Dallas, I (Rachel) presented a continuing session on writing Lits. The Book Therapists are bringing those sage lessons to you.

It started with Chick Lit in ’96 with Helen Fielding’s popular “Bridget Jones Diary.” Wilkipedia defines chick lit a genre which features hip, stylish female protagonists, usually in their twenties and thirties, in urban settings (usually London or Manhattan), and follows their love lives and struggles for professional success (often in the publishing, advertising, public relations or fashion industry). The books usually feature an airy, irreverent tone and frank life themes.

The genre covers the breadth of the female experience which deals unconventionally with traditional romantic themes of love, courtship and gender.

In the USA, lits expanded to Mom Lit, Lady Lit, Southern Lit, Super Chick Lit, Widow Lit, and various other forms of a woman’s story.

Lits ask questions:

“Where (how) do I fit in?”
“Will my action bring me the desired success and fulfillment?”
“Is true love in the cards for me?”
“I’m 50, what now?”
“Tell me again, why did I have these kids?”

Remember, the lit genre focuses on a slice of a woman’s life. How is she dealing with this particular issue or struggle?

Lits have an opportunity to bridge the gap between literary fiction, which confronts, and genre fiction which distracts.

In a humorous or light tone, lits can cause the reader to face a social and stereotypical issue while entertaining.

For example, Bridget Jones confronts a very real world dating scene using quirkiness and humor. Diva NashVegas confronts stoic, religious mind sets. Susan May Warren’s Josey confronts missionary stereotypes. Tracey Bateman’s Claire confronts divorce and remarriage. Yet, the stories will make you laugh. Out loud.

A Lit heroine has goals. She wants to discover who she is at this point in life. Find love. Chase a dream. Overcome obstacles. Find love, career, deepen friendships. Her goal is usually single focused.

The Lit tone is Light hearted, quirky, fast paced, humorous with serious moments. Diary feel. Dive Deep, Surface Fast.

The Lit humor is how the heroine faces her obstacles. She laughs at herself, is self-depreciating. She finds herself in unusual situations. She’s surrounded by odd ball secondary characters. She’s in love with someone who doesn’t know she’s alive.

Since humor is a major component of Lits, I’ll pause here for a second and list Dos and Don’ts.

Humor Dos:

The best humor is a reflection of life. Shows like Friends and Seinfeld are great examples of every day life humor. Popular comedians like Eddie Murphy and Jerry Seinfeld are famous for their common man stories. Write humor women can relate to – we like details.
Use community humor – in the group – by creating strong secondary characters.
The outer group, like a mean boss, snobby co-worker, or a family member, can be excellent source of humor.
What are others saying about your humor? What works for you? Humor that works for me doesn’t work for someone else. So, find your comedic voice!

Humor Don’ts:
Watch snarky – makes her unsympathetic.
Avoid slapstick – doesn’t translate
Avoid stereotypes like prat falls, shoe and chocolate lover, clothes horse, etc.
Don’t have characters react to humor – “We rolled on the floor laughing.”
Never, ever allow the reader to laugh at your character.

That’s it for Lits Today. Come back next Thursday and the Therapist will talk about Lit plots, voice and other fun stuff.

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