TTFN and TTYL by Lauren Myracle

You can view these abominations here and here.

And here is the up-coming sequel, l8r, g8r

These are entire stories told in chat format. With the windows and everything.

Now, I understand that taking a popular form of communication and using it to frame a tale (as in the epistolary novels of C18th France) is not uncommon. But SERIOUSLY. I can't believe these were even published. Let's our generation do better.

Please?

*headdesk*

Chatspeak is for chat rooms, not for books. Was that seriously published? Oh dear...

I'm guessing this is up for discussion?

I think its the stupidest thing in the world.

like you said, its not uncommon. but it takes the 'art' or of writing. Wheres the art in Dialog? No, the it would be a script or a play. BUT, I'm sure there is no proper grammar or spelling. It's like blasphemy. They should be shot for it. But that's my opinion, and its only that strong because I see writing as an art, and words are the most amazing thing in the world, and to degrade it like this? It's sick.

I'm sure She'll be getting a ton for it, too. All those girls that read pop or chic. lit. that don't ever read real literature (mind you, I'm not saying all of those books are crap, just these ones imperticular) will love them because its even easier to read than the other books. And its in chat forum, how 'it'?

Ew. I want to throw up...

But, Galatea, thanks for sharing I had fun ranting about it!

It hurts me too, Claudette. It hurts me too. This summer, I actually confiscated one from a girl at my daycare. When her mother interrogated me about it, I showed her exactly what her daughter was 'reading'. Her father (divorved parents...) had bought the book. The mother thanked me for taking it away.

Culture wins, on occassion.

What I want to know is how these...these...things made it to the bestseller list!

oh wait.

Take a step back, my friend. ITS THE BEST SELLER LIST! it means nothing.

Best Seller just means the publishers realized they could make money off of it, not to say its actually good fiction. Why do you think best selling authors who churn out fiction once a year start to be horrible? Really quickly? Because they're only on the best seller list because they make money.

That's it. best seller is NOTHING. I could rant more about it, but I'd only be repeating myself.

I want to buy a large quantity of these books (or better yet, steal them. I don't want my money going to sick, evil Lauren Myacle) and burn them. Who will join me?

Edit: a quick five second hunt had me find this:

lauren@laurenmyracle.com and http://www.myspace.com/laurenmyracle

We could always flame her (isn't that what it is? Flaming?) for her debauchery.

Or we could have an adult discussion with her (ha!) on her choice of...medium for producing her...literature.

Ouch. My brain.

(Regarding the MySpace...she's like a pre-adolescent trapped inside a grown woman. Ack!)

she does sound like a little girl...

I really wonder, what makes her think these would be good books? (Other than the fact that they do have a fan base) Literary-wise, its crap...

I hope she realizes she's only fuel to the fire that is low reading ability.

I didn't finish reading it all, that's how boringly stupid it was.

You...tried??

Yes, Claudette I agree with you. She may be fostering an interest in HER kind of literature, but at what cost? The minds of young women nation wide? She makes it okay to behave as the young women in the books: without forethought, grace or intellegence. They might as well watch television. At least its more than inane inter-speak.

Its insulting! It really is! The girls in her books are highschool age. YOUR age, Claudette. The kids on this website are who she targets. It infuriates me that she thinks so low of young women. She ought to be challenging them! Not sinking below their level just to make a few (million) dollars!

It makes me so mad.

It is quite sad. Even books like Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging are above this. The author of those books shows at least some respect for teenage girls, while understanding where they are developmentally, and uses proper English, apart from a few things that are very realistic examples of the way some people mess with language in how some people speak.

If chatroom conversations are going to be included in books, make it realistic, but don't make it hard to read. Just like with dialogue. How many people properly enuciate "ing"? But do we always write "in' " in dialogue? No. Same rules should go for chatroom dialogue.

UGH! It disgusts me that they cited Snow Patrol in there. SACRILEGE! ABOMINATION! AAAARGH!

*goes searching for torch and pitchfork*

*dies*

I couldn't get past the first ten lines or so. It was that bad.

I hate chat speak. Hate, as in, "I'm going to kill this thing dead with a fork." Ugh.

*dies again*

They cited Snow Patrol? *cries* darn...how sad.

Cass: Yeah, I opened it to read it but I think I didn't even get half a line in. it was...just sick.

I think they make high schoolers look immature. That's just me though. I'm a sophomore and I've been mistake (online and in real life surprisingly!) to be older than I really am. a lot of people say I'm more mature than those my age, so for me I see the whole high school population as more mature, but I know its very, very untrue.

I feel sort of above them (now, I don't mean this as an insult at all, I mean above the high school characters she writes) because I feel so much older.

I forget who wrote them, but the girl that did Princess Diaries was pretty good. I liked those a lot, and most teen books are turn offs for me, but she took control of the whole 'teen' thing in a very impressive way.

Its the age old problem, "Are children people?" That's what's so great about books like Ender's Game. Card treats his characters as PEOPLE, not as children. What Myracle doesn't seem to understand is that teens aren't the vapid, shallow, useless creatures we see on the television (being played by 20 and 30 year olds...) but actually people. If she had written people, she might have gotten away with it.

We're not just hollow, silly things I'd have to say.

I'm *practically* adult like other than the missing four years or so. I cook diner each night, I help my brother with homework, I clean house, So yeah... I'm like the mom. That's not very 'teen' like.

The more I think of it, I think shes writing for preteens. or....not even. lol.