Patreon Preview #312: Steel Yourself

Summary

Hey Riddle Riddle: Patreon Preview #312 - "Steel Yourself"

Release Date: February 28, 2025

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Introduction to the Episode

In the Patreon Preview episode titled "Steel Yourself," the Hey Riddle Riddle team delves into a fascinating discussion about the enigmatic author Danielle Steele. Hosted by Adal Rifai, Erin Keif, and John Patrick Coan, the trio explores their perceptions, misconceptions, and the sheer magnitude of Steele's literary career. This summary captures the essence of their engaging conversation, highlighting key points, notable quotes, and the underlying skepticism about Steele's prolific output.

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Understanding Danielle Steele and Her Genre

The episode kicks off with Alex posing a question to Brandon and Casey about their familiarity with Danielle Steele. Alex asks, “What is your relationship to the author and their work? Danielle Steele? Do you know, when I say Danielle Steele, do you know who that is?” (00:02).

Brandon immediately categorizes Steele as an author of "mass market paperback romance novels" (00:13), while Casey adds, “I think of like airport books. I've never. I wouldn't be able to tell you a title or style or anything...” (00:17). This sets the stage for a broader discussion on Steele's influence in the romance genre.

Alex acknowledges her own unfamiliarity with Steele’s works but expresses intrigue: “I have also never read a Danielle Steele book. But I think that Danielle Steele is like a…” (00:27). She contrasts Steele’s work with modern "smut" genres, emphasizing that Steele’s novels often transcend simple romance, venturing into contemporary fiction with emotional depth: “...some of her stuff is like sad or like has like there's like real struggle to it which is not the same as like romance” (01:00).

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Debunking Misconceptions About the Romance Genre

The hosts navigate the loaded perceptions surrounding the romance genre. Alex remarks on the modern connotations of romance, referencing popular culture: “I feel like nowadays when you say romance, it's kind of loaded and people think like, you know, quivering member and other things that I remember from 10 Things I Hate about you” (01:36). This leads to a humorous interlude where Casey jokes about sexual references, lightening the conversation.

Casey and Brandon further discuss their superficial understanding of certain cultural icons, with Brandon reflecting on cowboy culture: “...I'm like, yee haw. And cowboy hats and lassos. That's the cowboy. That's the extent, the full breadth of, of what a cowboy is” (02:44). This analogy underscores a recurring theme in their conversation—appreciating the surface appeal of a subject without delving deeper.

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Danielle Steele’s Prolific Career and Personal Life

The conversation shifts to the staggering accomplishments of Danielle Steele. Alex shares surprising facts about Steele: “She's currently 77 years old.” (04:08), prompting Casey’s astonished reaction: “I was just about to ask. 77.” (04:09).

They delve deeper into Steele's personal life and writing career:

• Marital History: Alex reveals Steele's tumultuous personal life: “She has been married and divorced, I think six times.” (04:14), followed by humorous banter about the logistics of multiple marriages.

• Literary Output: The hosts express disbelief at Steele’s productivity: “...she wrote three books a year.” (05:01), and later, “seven books every year for like over a decade” (05:29). Alex highlights Steele’s impressive bibliography, noting she has “written 190 books, including over 140 novels and she's sold 800 million copies” (04:22).

• Writing Process: Discussions about Steele’s alleged writing regimen include her use of typewriters and 22-hour workdays: “she writes all of her books on typewriter... she routinely puts in like 22 hour days writing” (06:09). This revelation sparks skepticism among the hosts regarding the feasibility of such an output without assistance.

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Skepticism and Speculation: Ghostwriters?

The hosts express skepticism about the authenticity of Steele’s claims. Alex speculates, “There's also a lot of speculation that she's absolutely full of shit and that she has ghostwriters that she just doesn't want to claim” (06:41). This sentiment is echoed by Brandon, who humorously questions the practicality of writing 22 hours a day: “...if I told you I was writing 22 hours a day, that leaves two hours where I'm not writing” (07:03).

The conversation humorously highlights the impracticality of Steele’s reported writing habits, with playful remarks about the lack of basic necessities during such intense work periods: “You can't do that while you're writing” (07:28) and a nod to the absence of commas in a sentence as a joke about their riddle-solving nature: “Hey, hey, dbz. No commas.” (07:36).

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Final Thoughts and Reflections

The episode concludes with the hosts pondering the balance between fascination and skepticism. While Alex remains intrigued by Steele’s extraordinary career, Casey and Brandon maintain a lighthearted yet questioning stance on the plausibility of her achievements without external support. The discussion leaves listeners contemplating the realities behind literary success and the often-hidden mechanisms that drive prolific authors.

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Notable Quotes

• Alex: “I have also never read a Daniel Steele book, but I think that Danielle Steele is like a. It's so interesting because I think the romance genre. Danielle Steele has been as prolific she's been writing.” (00:27)

• Brandon: “I think it's Stephen King of smut.” (00:49)

• Alex: “Do you feel that way about anything?” (02:25)

• Casey: “I feel that way a little bit about how food gets made and where it comes from.” (03:25)

• Brandon: “That's to me, more than double.” (07:03)

• Alex: “One, two, three, four. Hate riddle. Riddles Clue Crew Listen to the rest of the episode now by starting your free 7 day trial at patreon.com heyriddle riddle.” (07:44)

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Conclusion

In "Steel Yourself," Hey Riddle Riddle offers an entertaining and thought-provoking exploration of Danielle Steele's literary empire. Through candid conversations and humorous exchanges, the hosts navigate their limited knowledge and burgeoning curiosity about Steele’s work and life. The episode serves as both an informative piece for those unfamiliar with Steele and a playful critique of the myths surrounding prolific authorship.

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Interested in more insightful discussions and bonus content? Join the Clue Crew for weekly episodes at Patreon.com/heyriddleriddle.

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Timestamp Reference:

• 00:02 to 07:44 – Transcript excerpts included in the summary.

Transcript

[Alex]

So the question I want to ask you too. What is your relationship to the author and their work? Danielle Steele? Do you know, when I say Danielle Steele, do you know who that is?

[Brandon]

I think of mass market paperback romance novels.

[Casey]

Yeah. I think of like airport books. I've never. I wouldn't be able to tell you a title or style or anything or like even if it's been any of them have been turned into movies or.

[Alex]

Anything now in adolescent romance. And I think that that's not wrong. And I have also never read a Danielle Steele book. But I think that Danielle Steele is like a. It's so interesting because I think the romance genre. Danielle Steele has been as prolific she's been writing. I think her first book that she published was like in the 70s.

[Brandon]

I think it's Stephen King of smut.

[Alex]

Well, but it's not smut because I think I'm listening. I think a lot of Stephen King.

[Casey]

Smut type in to porn.com.

[Alex]

I think a lot of the modern day. I don't know what you even call it like that kind of smut, like the trashy nature of things is like explicitly sexual. And I don't think that Danielle Steele, I think her thing is like more romance romance, but also not even like always necessarily romance. Like sometimes it's just like contemporary fiction. But it's. And I've also heard that some of her stuff is like sad or like has like there's like real struggle to it which is not the same as like romance.

[Brandon]

Yeah.

[Alex]

I feel like nowadays when you say romance, it's kind of loaded and people think like, you know, quivering member and other things that I remember from 10 Things I Hate about you.

[Casey]

How did you know what I was thinking? Can you read mine? Who told you?

[Alex]

I've also never read a Daniel Steele book, but I'm fascinated by her. And it's one of those things where it's like. I don't know if this sensation is familiar to you, but have you ever.

[Casey]

Been like quivering members?

[Alex]

Now Aaron, I know that sensation's not familiar to you. Hold on, let me get my just. And then everybody just kind of make small talk for just a moment. And just make small talk for just a moment.

[Casey]

I am having a ton of sex.

[Alex]

Okay.

[Casey]

Yay, Aaron. Good for you.

[Brandon]

Yay, Eren.

[Alex]

But the sensation of you are fascinated by a thing but you don't want to know anything more about it. I never want to have the illusion stripped away from me of what this thing is. Do you feel that way about anything?

[Casey]

That's A great question. Let me think about it.

[Brandon]

My first instinct, and I haven't thought this through completely, so apologies if I jade by vine immediately. I feel like, almost like even like cowboy culture or something where I'm like, I get it. There's guys with boots and these hats and they ride horses and they, they're herding cattle. And it's like, I'm sure if I did a deeper dive, it's like I feel like cowboys started in either Mexico or South America and then the. So I feel like there's, there's so much more depth to it, but to me I'm like, yee haw. And cowboy hats and lassos. That's the cowboy. That's the extent, the full breadth of, of what a cowboy is. Yeah, but there's, there's stuff like that where I do. I'm like, I'm sure there's more underneath the water, but I don't care to dip my face below surface.

[Casey]

I feel that way a little bit about how food gets made and where it comes from. I can get food ick. Quite easily. And obviously I'm not just talking about meat stuff that we know is really intense.

[Alex]

Ooh, meat stuff.

[Brandon]

Meat stuff. That's a Danielle Steele novel, right?

[Casey]

But. Yeah, yeah, I don't want to know.

[Alex]

Yeah, that's like everything, everything is way more complicated than like the base level understanding that you have of it. But there are some things that I just don't have the inclination to ever dig into. Danielle Steele is one of them. But I am fascinated by Danielle Steele because a couple of things about her. She's currently 77 years old.

[Casey]

I was just about to ask. 77.

[Alex]

77 years old. She has been married and divorced, I think six times.

[Casey]

Icon.

[Brandon]

It'd be funny if she was married six times, divorced two times.

[Alex]

I know.

[Casey]

Wait a minute.

[Alex]

Yeah, Married and divorced six times. I don't think, I don't think she's ever had a marriage go longer. Her longest was nine years. Seven children. Biological children. And this is going to. I mean, this shocked me. So she started writing in the 70s. She has written 190 books, including over 140 novels and she's sold 800 million copies.

[Casey]

What?

[Brandon]

Damn.

[Alex]

Now that's.

[Casey]

So she's like a billionaire.

[Alex]

She. I. Well, I mean, I think she's very wealthy. But it seemed wild to me because I was like, that's too many books, first of all, to write.

[Brandon]

Yeah.

[Alex]

She. Between the years of, I want to say 19. It was like 1994. Yes. Between the years of 1994 and 2014, a 20 year period. She wrote three books a year.

[Brandon]

But then this Brandon Sanderson level output.

[Alex]

Three books a year is a crazy pace.

[Casey]

Yeah, what is? I want to know. Her daily routine. That's nuts.

[Alex]

We'll get to that.

[Casey]

You know.

[Alex]

Well, I know what she claims. In 2014 or 2015 she wrote four books. 2016, she wrote seven books. And then it's seven books. Seven books. Seven books. Seven. She has written seven books every year for like over a decade.

[Casey]

What the fuck?

[Alex]

Holy shit. She did an interview a few years ago where someone was like asking her about her process. And this is by the way, a 77 year old woman who I guess in her like 60s, like 60s and 70s, was cranking up 7. A woman who has like 7 kids and presumably at least a grandchild.

[Casey]

A thousand husbands.

[Brandon]

Oh, she hates her kids.

[Alex]

Well, she was saying that she routinely, she writes all of her books on typewriter like this. These two different typewriters, one in her house in San Francisco, one in her house in Paris, which is also crazy to be like, I'm a novelist in the modern age. Writing on a typewriter. Like that's really just a hassle for the people that work with you that probably have to take that and type it up into a computer. But she said that she writes all the things on typewriters and she routinely puts in like 22 hour days writing. What now there's also a lot of stuff.

[Casey]

Oh, so she loves writing.

[Alex]

Well, I guess there's also a lot of speculation that she's absolutely full of shit and that she has ghostwriters that she just doesn't want to claim. But it's crazy to say, like when you were making a name for yourself, you wrote three books a year, and then now you're cranking up seven books a year in your 70s.

[Brandon]

That's to me, more than double.

[Alex]

A little unbelievable, I would say.

[Brandon]

A little unbelievable now, Aaron, if I told you I was writing 22 hours a day, that leaves two hours where I'm not writing. Obviously I have to sleep at some point. Well, I don't know, say for an hour. We'll take an hour of that time to say I'm sleeping during that hour. At least one hour for me to eat, poop, pee.

[Casey]

You can't do that while you're writing.

[Brandon]

Walk upstairs, walk downstairs.

[Alex]

Where are the commas in this sentence? Because you should absolutely not be eating food.

[Casey]

Hey, hey, dbz. No commas.

[Alex]

Oh, yeah.

[Brandon]

Oh, yes.

[Alex]

One, two, three, four. Hate riddle. Riddles Clue Crew Listen to the rest of the episode now by starting your free 7 day trial at patreon.com heyriddle riddle.