The Open Vein

Blog Science - Why People Quit on Blogs, SURVEY

2012-02-10T14:11:00.000-06:00

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Blog Science: Why People Quit on Blogs, Part 1

2012-02-08T14:58:00.000-06:00

Hey gang! Hope your lives are chugging down the tracks at a comfy and productive speed. I've been going through some formal edits on a long-in-gestation project, and for the first time I'm actually enjoying the process! Probably only means I'm doing it right for the first time, however, it's still cool when you have those fleeting moments of, "I'm getting better at this writing stuff!"and your work actually reflects it.

Don't worry, it'll pass, and I'll get back to the writer default of "I'm worse than I ever imagined"as soon as the second round of editorial feedback hits my inbox. Until then, LET ME HAVE MY MOMENT!

*stamps foot and demands applause like a three year old in a room full of busy adults*

Anywho, as part of my Blog Science series I'm really posting today to get to the bottom of something: Why do people stop following blogs?

I posted waaaayyyyy back on my 100th post about the subject and (after re-reading) I think I summed up my personal feelings pretty well. Consequently, I'm going to re-post that post in this post. (Got that?)

HOWEVER, I'm really most interested in what you think. On Friday I'm going to post a survey (first ever for this blog, I think) as part 2 of this discussion. As such, consider this post a primer for that questionnaire. In the meantime feel free to let me know what you think in the comments.

Hopefully see you back here on Friday!

REPOST: How I Know I can Quit You

Sometimes it's hard to say goodbye ...

I'd like to continue my FOUR LETTER WORD theme for the week and discuss blog followers. Actually, I'd like to discuss how we lose them. The word QUIT came to mind, because that's typically how I'd define the termination of my keeping up with a particular blog.

First, let's take a quick look at why people might follow a blog in the first place. I follow blogs for a handful of reasons, which include:

They provide useful and/or interesting information - I'm a writer and like to read about, and learn from, other writers. I also enjoy reading and seek out others who do as well.

An act of reciprocity - The blog world is a community, and the 'Do unto others..." guideline definitely applies. You must follow to be followed--especially in the beginning. Simply put: could you make friends and build relationships by walking into Walmart, shouting your name and telling everyone to meet you in in aisle 15 of the parking lot if they want to get to know you? Heck no. No one is going to care if you create a blog and start posting stuff unless you make a genuine effort to get to know them too.

For entertainment - Some blogs I follow have nothing to do with writing. I follow them because they're funny, quirky or touch on some other aspect of life I enjoy. Sometimes I follow for purely voyeuristic purposes, meaning it's somebody who has an interesting life or (more likely) interprets their ordinary life in a unique way.

Before I get into how to run people off, I'll qualify a few things. I don't have a ton of experience in 'unfollowing'. I started following blogs when I started blogging (about a year ago), and in that time I've probably quit following 3-7 blogs. That's out of the dozens I currently keep up with. However, I have noticed a pattern in my jumping ship, and that's what I'm going to share. Reasons I quit following:

Lack of reciprocity - I've dropped a few blogs because I continually left comments on their posts and they didn't follow me (minor offense as I'm willing to accept that not everyone I follow is going to dig my blog and some folks like to keep their lists manageable) or didn't acknowledge my comments (major offense)--ever. I don't expect every comment I post to receive a direct response, or even be read for that matter. However, if I comment on your blog weekly over a period of months, at some point it would be cool if you answered my questions or responded to anything I said. Followers of my blog get a ton of slack in this area, btw.

Continued posting of things I completely disagree with - I can probably be accused of this one myself! :) I stopped following a couple of major writing-related blogs because the blogger continually posted offensive content. I'm not talking about nude photos or anything, they simply kept posting things that made me bristle intellectually. Not to mention one of the blogs posted an outrageous slam of pretty much half the human race and, when commentors began to call them out for it, they disabled the comments. If you're going to say controversial things in public, you need to be able to take your medicine. I might delete a profane response to one of my posts, but I'd NEVER prohibit people form disagreeing with me. As a matter of fact, I think some disagreement is healthy.

Constant pandering to the publishing gods (or being a fake, phony, fake) - We all know this is a fickle business. It's hard to get started and even more difficult to stay once you're there (so I'm told). Spitting in the face of conventions is probably not the best thing to do. That being said, I've dropped blogs because they were constantly trying to mirror things the "industry" seemed to encourage as opposed to being an organic representation of the author's voice and style. In my somewhat limited viewing, I'd say prospective YA and young reader bloggers are far worse at this than many of the other writing groups. I don't know if it's a voice thing, a market thing--or something else entirely--but it drives me a little crazy at times. Don't communicate what you think people want to hear, communicate what you think and what they NEED to hear.

Again, I'm sure I've done some of these myself. I've lost a few followers over time, and I may lose a few over this post. I don't think committing any of the 'offenses' listed above on occasion is going to necessarily lose you followers. Unfortunately, it might over time.

What say you? Do you monitor your following? Do you notice when someone drops you? Have you quit following blogs? Why?

PLEASE DON'T QUIT ON ME!

~EJW~

Language is Almost Dead & the Blood's on All of Our Hands

2012-02-01T17:08:00.000-06:00

source

"Every thing is quiet here in the Camp. Dear I could not even buy me a sheet of paper in Winchester to write to you. There is none to be bought. The boys are writing on paper that they have captured on the battle field. When ever you write to me you must send me a blank sheet of paper in your letter. The boys say that we shall soon have our pay and if so, I will send you some. Dear I would like to see you, and feel lonesome for you. Give my best respects to mother--and to all the enquiring friends. So nothing more at present but to remain your affectionate husband untill death."

Close your eyes. Imagine Tom Hanks or Brad Pitt reading the above. Sounds like something out of a Hollywood script, right?

It's actually an excerpt from a real letter written by 3rd Sergeant John Garibaldi of the Confederate army to his wife, Sarah, during the Civil War. (You can find the letter in its entirety, along with a number of other letters, at the VMI edu website HERE.)

Maybe he was a poet, possessed a writer's soul or was overly-educated for the time? Maybe, but there are tons of beautifully written letters from the Civil War era, just like this one. We're talking the 1860s! Now I'm not great at the new math, but that's something like a 150 years ago.

We go from that, to this:

"If I was on that plane with my kids, it wouldn't have went down like it did. There would have been a lot of blood in that first-class cabin and then me saying, 'OK, we're going to land somewhere safely, don't worry." Actor Mark Wahlberg, 2012, when asked what he would've done had he been aboard one of the flights on 9/11

If only Mark Wahlberg had been there, another national tragedy might've been averted.

Granted, Marky Mark's response was spontaneous. Not something as painstakingly crafted as a precious letter home in a time before phones, much less texting and instant updates. Still, spend one day at a public school (or follow a Hilton, rapper or Kardashian on the FaceTweet thing) and you'll see the point right away:

As a society, our mastery of language has gone into the crapper.

"My Dear Amanda, It has been a long time since I had an opportunity of writing to you, and I gladly avail myself of the present opportunity. I am not certain that I will have a chance of sending this but I will write a few lines any how and try and get it off to let you know that I am among the living--" J.C. Morris, 21st Texas Calvary, 1861

Educators have understood it for years. The ability to articulate complex thoughts and emotions with words (written and verbal) has diminished to the point of decay. Frankly, it has happened at a pretty alarming rate. 150 years isn't all that much time to have passed to get us from the intricate thought choreography of yore to the lolz, OMGs and IDKs of today.

I've heard the argument that there is no longer a need to speak or write in such an elaborate fashion. A claim, I assume, meant to somehow say that we've simply "evolved" and outgrown it. I think that's bunk.

That kind of thinking insinuates that we could do it the old way if we really wanted, or if there were a good reason for it. I don't think we can. I think we no longer know how.

"Another soldier was shot yesterday. The yankees went to jail and brought him while a citizen was standing near. He said the soldier was very poorly clad but his countenance was that of a gentleman. When the guard brought his horse to him (a broken down one from the camp) he asked what they were going to do with them. On being told to "Mount that horse and say no more . . ." he did so remarking that he supposed they were going to shoot him." From the diary of Alice Williamson age 16, Tennessee 1860

The education system has failed, you say? NOT SO FAST MY FRIENDS!

How many modern day sixteen year olds could pen a paragraph like the above? Maybe the best English students. Maybe the top 1-5% of graduating seniors. It was commonplace then. It's simply how they communicated. The only folks who put that much thought into their words these days are likely paid to do so.

So if they could do it then, and we can't do it now, surely our teaching practices have somehow devolved. After all, our brains haven't gotten smaller, right?

Remember, basic enlisted military personnel with little-to-no formal education could string together words and sentences that most would call poetry by today's standards. (There are grammatical errors, sure. But the comprehension/ability was there.) People weren't very educated (in general), and rarely went through twelve years of formal schooling.

Thus my conclusion is that it isn't a failure in our ability to teach and/or learn. If anything, the only real argument would be that we over-educate, or perhaps allocate our education time and resources to other areas. And I think that's a valid argument.

"I am sorry that Masters cow has so little manners as to eat Onions - in the City of Richmond too - well what a disgrace! I wish you to tell her that our Mountain Cows are better trained than that - and that if she will come up here we will learn her to be more genteel and not spoil the Governers milk - Tell My Master I think all the world of him and long once more to see his dignified steps up our hill--" Lethe Jackson, former Virginia slave writing to her mistress, 1838

Truly, the degradation of language is at the feet of society in general. The Civil War was at the end of the Industrial Revolution, also known as the beginning of the math and science age. We are currently a world run by machines, and those machines are run (we hope) by average people. Average people with analytical skills far surpassing most of the brilliant minds of 150 years ago. In fact, I'd wager most of our seven year olds know more about science than the professionals of that age.

Just think about how something as simple as a keyboard has greatly contributed to the loss of language skills. Most people use a keyboard (or pad) for 99% of our written communicating, and it's a device predicated on speed, not thoughtfulness. That's why we use it! It takes more time to scrawl letters than it does to click them. The mathematics of efficiency, as it were.

In that way, perhaps time has become the greatest enemy of language. The same number of hours exist in a day as there did when General Lee and General Grant were butting heads; however, there can be no argument that much more is expected out of those hours today. Less time for language, I suppose.

We've all contributed to the decline of language in its purest forms. A crime of necessity? Probably. But we are still partially responsible nonetheless. That also means we can help to repair it.

So we're left with some decisions. Do we try to resuscitate language? Do we rally society around the idea that expressing something in a paragraph is more worthwhile than doing so in 140 characters? Can it even be done?

What do you think? Does language matter outside of esthetics? Are there other factors you see contributing to the depreciation of language skills? Can we stop it? Should we stop it?

~EJW~

Losing the Story - Just Part of the Job

2012-01-23T16:41:00.000-06:00

"--I don't know much

And I'm not lying

But I think you just have to keep on trying

That's what's going to save me..."

~New Year's Eve - First Aid Kit~

So much in writing is about getting lost. Not surprising really, since being lost is at the very heart of all exploration. And don't be fooled by the pajama pants, nerdy glasses and bookish temperament: writers are explorers of the most adventurous sort. A true writer's brain is the equivalent of any whip-cracking, sea sailing, earth tasting, moon-landing globe trekker there's ever been.

To tell a good story, you have to be willing to go places--or at least get there--by the most unique method possible. No matter your process of writing a story (pantser/plotter/etc.), I think that applies on some level.

After all, you're not likely to discover a new path by constantly treading the ones you know. In that way, much of the storytelling journey is done by compass, not by map. There's a sense of direction, where you want to go, but not necessarily an exact idea of where you're at. And there's rarely one set path you're going to follow to get there.

Sounds exciting, right? (It is!) Here's the thing: If you've ever been truly lost--I'm talking no clue where you're at or where you're going but for your next step kind of lost--it can be scary as hell too.

"He stopped to look at me and said

'Child, don't fear doing things wrong'

Yet I am still afraid

But if anything

That's what's going to save me..."

~New Year's Eve - First Aid Kit~

Now you've stepped in it. You've done written yourself into the trees and the forest is lost to you. Like a hunting hound, you've chased that rabbit too far, too fast. There are brambles, tangled plots and meaningless landmarks/characters everywhere you turn. Those harmless shadows you raced by only moments before have somehow caught up. They've gathered round you to form an impenetrable wall of darkness.

You're lost. For real lost, not happy existential lost. You feel as though just a few more miscalculated steps in the wrong direction and the story might be gone for good. We've all been there. Personally, it happens to me once in every story I write.

It goes down something like this:

1) Inspiration hits!

2) I write like mad!

3) A few chapters in, I realize I might actually have a story.

4) I continue to write. I jot down notes. I do some research. I sketch out an outline of what I think the story is going to be. A true skeleton is formed.

5) I keep writing. Putting flesh on the bones, giving a body to the head I created.

6) Then I get to the legs: Crap! I've only got one good leg. Crap! Now I've got 7 shaky legs. Crap! Now I have none...

7) Having nothing to stand on, I question why I started writing the story in the first place. I might even question why I wanted to WRTIE in the first place. The thrill of exploration is gone. I'm scared. I'm lost.

"--Gotta stop worrying about everything to the letter

And sometimes when it's too hard to get on

It just might be you that I'll come upon

But I find it hard to believe

But if anything

That's what's going to save me..."

~New Year's Eve - First Aid Kit~

I've read the writing advice many times (you probably have as well): YOU HAVE TO WRITE YOURSELF OUT OF A JAM. I think the point is this - Go ahead and plot, outline, burn candles, listen to music, go for a walk--do whatever stimulates your writing brain. But at the end of the day, words on paper is the trick that's going to get you out of the mess you're in.

It might take ten-thousand unused words or a dozen unsuccessful steps to get you back on the right path. Ultimately, you'll find your way if you just keep writing. When you're drafting a story, it's all too easy to get turned around once the trail is cold. You lose purpose, and a story with no purpose or direction isn't a story at all, just words.

On those occasions, don't despair. Remember that getting a little lost is part of the process. There's a way out, even if you don't see it right away.

~EJW~

This post was inspired by a terrific new band I found over the weekend. Their name is First Aid Kit and the lyrics above are quoted from the song New Year's Eve (video and full lyrics below). I highly recommend their album 'The Lion's Roar'. They helped me get out of a story-related mire, and I thought they might be able to do the same for you. : )

NEW YEAR'S EVE - FIRST AID KIT - LION'S ROAR ALBUM

Well it's a new year

With it comes new hope and new fear

Met a young man who was in tears

He asked me what induces us to stay here

I said I don't know much

And I'm not lying

But I think you just have to keep on trying

And I know I am naïve

But if anything

That's what's going to save me

Took a stroll around the neighborhood

Where the trees are swaying

People pass in cars with their windows down

With a pop song playing

A man walked by

Rocking back and forth the street

With a drunken smile to go along

He stopped to look at me and said

"Child, don't fear doing things wrong"

Yet I am still afraid

But if anything

That's what's going to save me

Now I have a lot to learn and I'm starting tonight

Gotta stop looking at things like they're black and they'rewhite

Gotta write more songs, love a little more, treat my friendsbetter,

Gotta stop worrying about everything to the letter

And sometimes when it's too hard to get on

It just might be you that I'll come upon

But I find it hard to believe

But if anything

That's what's going to save

That's what's going to save me

Tell me tell me

Oh what's going to save me

Amazon KDP Select: Good, Bad or Ugly? Pt. 2

2012-01-16T09:18:00.002-06:00

Welcome back! Hope everyone had a restful weekend, and also hope some of you are getting to enjoy the holiday away from work.

We left off Friday with an opening discussion of the Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing Select program as part of my new (and ongoing) N00B VIEW take on publishing whathaveyous.

YOU CAN CHECK IT OUT HERE.

It was more of a 'leading up to' account of how we got to this point, so if you're not familiar with what's been going down in electronic publishing (particularly as it pertains to Amazon shenanigans) it might be worth a read. I included a number of links within the article just in case you want to skip the shower and plunge into the deep, murky water head first.

Also, there were a number of tremendous comments I'd encourage you to read even if you don't have time to get to the entire article. Lots of smart folks chiming in! Looking forward to more discussion as we wrap this up.

N00B VIEW: AMAZON'S KINDLE DIRECT PUBLISHING SELECT PART II

"You think these'll give you cancer? Just wait 'til I explain this publishing stuff..."

To understand KDPS we first need to wrap our noggins around the Amazon Kindle Owner's Lending Library (KOLL). Announced in September of last year, KOLL was to be a program for books akin to what the Netflix streaming service is to movies.

Pretty ingenious from a reader's standpoint, right? Who wouldn't like a steady supply of electronic reads for one monthly or annual price, after all? Especially those of us who read multiple books in a month. Score one for the Amazon! Er, maybe...

Amazon eventually launched the program late last year. Basically, if you enrolled in the Amazon Prime program ($79 US per year) and owned a Kindle device (NOTE: Doesn't work with Kindle applications on iPad, etc. from what I've read.), you could 'borrow' one book a month so long as the book was enrolled in the KOLL program. The KOLL program was to run in conjunction with other Prime benefits (like video streaming and free shipping for many Amazon products).

So it wasn't the open barn door to reading Nirvana many had imagined, but definitely a step in an interesting new direction for book lovers.

For folks in the publishing business, however, it was tantamount to landing on a big, dark and scary moon. A foreign world was opening up, a world in which Amazon was making the rules. Independent authors were quickly welcomed into this unusual new landscape as well, so long as they followed those rules.

What the heck is Kindle Direct Publishing Select (KDPS), and why do we care?

The easiest way to conceptualize the KDPS program is to think of it as 'the independent author's' side of Amazon's Kindle Owner's Lending Library. The afore mentioned rules, as it were, for enrolling your work in the KOLL.

Here's the dirty: Independent authors (trad authors are bound by their agreements with publishers; i.e. don't do anything without asking your agent, publishers and the Good Lord first) can opt to enroll either new or existing eBooks published via the Kindle Direct Publishing program in the KDPS program. You don't have to. You can simply upload your Kindle versions or leave them be if they're already up. Once they are enrolled (and published), your books (s) can then be borrowed by KOLL users. Easy as gettin' wet in a thunder storm.

(I know those of you familiar with KDPS are screaming, WHAT ABOUT THE FLIPPING GINORMOUS CATCH, EJ?! Wait for it...)

After reading the above, (assuming you're an author-type) you have to be a little curious as to what the author gets out of this book lending stuff. I know I was! Here it is:

1) Publicity: You get the relatively undivided attention of oodles of Amazon Prime members. Well at least the ones that own a Kindle... Well, at least the ones that own Kindles and read on them. (Hint - the new Kindle Fire is more of a tablet than an eReader, which translates to lots of people using them to do stuff other than read.) Furthermore, the program is in its infancy so there aren't THAT many books available. Yet.

2) Money! That's right, this ain't your grandparents' library with all the smelly sofas, burnt coffee and AA meetings. Folks pay for Amazon Prime, and the Big A was at least foresighted enough to know that authors would want their slice of cheese for playing along. Amazon has allotted a designated amount of funds to pay as royalties to all independent authors who have books enrolled in the program. Straight from the mouth of the giant commerce horse:

"Earn your share of at least $6 million throughout 2012 when readers borrow your books from the Kindle Owners' Lending Library."

The following is excerpted from an e-mail sent by Amazon to KDP authors:

(…)Your share of the monthly fund is based on your enrolled titles’ share of the total number of borrows across all participating KDP titles in the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library.

For example, if total borrows of all participating KDP titles are 100,000 in December and your book was borrowed 1,500 times, you will earn $7,500 in additional royalties from KDP Select in December.

Enrolled titles will remain available for sale to any customer in the Kindle Store and you will continue to earn your regular royalties on those sales. (…)

As near as I can tell the amount of funds available to KDPS enrollees is going to fluctuate based upon the number of books being downloaded, Prime Memberships, and Agnes knows what else. (If you are enlightened to the exact formula, please enlighten the rest of us.)

The monthly 'allotment' of money to be divvied up in December was $500,000 US, and they've raised the kitty to $700,000 for January.

3) Open and Constant Data Feedback: Amazon promises to allow you to see all the numbers on how often your book is downloaded, etc. at any time. Additionally, your 'borrowed' books will count toward your overall sales rank. And we all know how important it is from a marketing standpoint for your books to be ranked high in genre sales lists. (We all know that, right?)

Some authors think it isn't fair to allow borrowed books to count towards sales rank as it can perhaps create some skewed data. They also believe that it's Amazon's way of allowing/encouraging Indies to price their work for free so long as they do it the Amazon way. Note: Amazon doesn't allow you to price (strictly speaking) your regular Kindle Direct works for free--a common practice by authors on other eBook retail sites to generate buzz.

4) Other Stuff: Amazon is also promising some kind of snazzy Promotions Manager tool that will allow you to control the pub for your free books. Not sure how it works, but I do know there has been some clammer from Indies for additional advertising perks from Amazon for a while. We'll have to wait and see if this helps.

The BIG FREAKING CATCH-22

Sounds okay, doesn't it? So why are there so many authors with their drawers all knotted up? Directly from Amazon:

"When you choose KDP Select for a book, you're committing to make the digital format of that book available exclusively through KDP. During the period of exclusivity, you cannot distribute your book digitally anywhere else, including on your website, blogs, etc. However, you can continue to distribute your book in physical format, or in any format other than digital. See the KDP Select Terms and Conditions for more information."

What is the "period of exclusivity" you ask? 90 days. For 90 days you cannot offer your book in electronic form on iBooks, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, your blog, your news letter, your dogs fun electronic banner collar you bought at Sharper Image (well, maybe that)--you name it.

Amazon is basically telling you where, when and how you can use your work, which is something they've avoided like the plague up to this point. That kind of strong-arming was supposed to be how the big paper publishers worked, not the autonomous communal collective of the Wild Wild eWest. So 2008, Amazon! Hadn't we left that kind of neanderthal thinking behind? Maybe not...

Not sure it goes all the way to Neo-McCarthyism, but at best it's a glaringly obvious grab for power in the electronic reading arena, and many folks think it is out and out corporate bullying.

So is it good, bad or ugly?

As alluded to in part I of this discussion, I believe the modern independent (indie) author owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to Amazon. No matter what grievances have arisen since, this much is certain: Without the introduction of the Amazon Kindle to the general populous and the subsequent allowance of Kindle Direct Publishing (basically, the program that allows authors of any renown to upload their work for purchase on the Amazon site at no upfront cost), being an Indie would still mean vanity presses, eye-of-a-needle small print runs and local (if you're lucky) exposure.

The popularity of Amazon as a book vendor and their strong longterm reputation as an Online merchant and innovator is why we can even have this discussion with a straight face. They and, to a lesser degree, folks like Smashwords have placed a tremendous amount authority back in the hands of the creators. For that, I think all authors, both traditional and independent, should be at least somewhat appreciative.

Moreover, authors are already reporting some serious financial bumps from taking part in the KDPS. (Click for details and jealous convulsions.) Whether it be from their cut of the lending funds, or from the sales bump the rest of their 'pay' works are getting because of the exposure, there seems to already be some juice in the program. And we're barely a month in! So at the very least, Amazon seems willing to share at least some of the wealth with the authors filling out that robust Kindle library with content.

On the other side of things, I certainly think authors have a right to make their displeasure known to Amazon. The KDPS program DOES seem like a step toward Amazon taking control away from authors. Granted, at this point it's completely optional, but that's how most non-optional things start. No, I don't fault anyone for not getting involved with KDPS based upon principle so long as they can afford it. (The real question, perhaps, in all of this is just how long can they afford to hold out? The program seems to be off to a good start with readers, and that's ultimately who Amazon is going to cater to.)

If it were me, I'd probably not enroll my one and only book in the program. However, if I were an author with a large catalogue, I'd probably give it a shot on a few titles here and there. Or, if my one and only book had been out for a time, I'd consider enrolling it on a temporary basis to generate some new interest perhaps. 90 days isn't forever. (I certainly welcome any other thoughts and points I might have missed in the comments.)

In the end, I have to point to a recent blog post from celebrated independent author, J.A. Konrath. There's been a ton of pub lately about how he earned out $100,000 in three weeks just from his Amazon offerings. The post I'm referencing (and linked to above) he debunks some myths about how he accomplished it, and also reiterates two valuable points: 1) Only hard, hard work is going to make you successful--at anything. 2) You have to understand how the system works and keep practicing to find what works best for you.

Ultimately, that's what this N00B VIEW series is going to be about: learning new ways to be successful, and trying to understand how it all works. Hope you've enjoyed the first installment! Now go get to work...

~EJW~

Amazon KDP Select: Good, Bad or Ugly?

2012-01-13T12:16:00.000-06:00

N00B VIEW: Amazon's Kindle Direct Select Publishing
PART I

Just trying to wrap my head around all of the twists and turns in publishing of late usually leaves me with a swollen and aching brain. Things are moving that fast!

I know, I know. Just saying things are moving quickly in the publishing world makes me sound crazier than that ONE guy, from that ONE giant Southern state, who thought he could be President. (Silly Hillbilly, politics are for quasi-sane people.) Alas, it is unfortunately true, friends. Major changes to how words become books and writers become authors are happening daily.

Why? Pretty simple really. In a night of careless frivolity even the Bieber could admit to, reading and technology hooked up and made a crazy touch-enabled, instant download, content devouring, everyone-is-doing-it lovechild. That child quickly grew into a monster known as electronic reading and, knowing only a monster could properly care for another monster, Amazon adopted it.

Here we are millions of downloads later, and we're nowhere near seeing the end of all of it. Don't mind telling you, as a publishing newbie that's scary as hell. So, in an effort to help other newbies (a newbie brain-trust we shall be!), I'm starting another new 'feature' on my blog called the N00B VIEW.

Each N00B VIEW will take a look at different aspects of what's going down in publishing, mostly as it pertains to the new guys and gals. I hope to make it plain-speak, or as plain-speak as I'm capable of making it, and angle-free. I've got no ax to grind. Or, as Coolio might say, "If you got beef, eat a pork chop."

Maybe we can figure it out together? Maybe we'll all go blind from eyestrain and the robots will read to us out of the goodness of their tiny tin hearts? In my bleak book, a win either way.

This is part one of two articles examining Amazon's new book lending program (think Netflix for books) and what it means for authors. The second article will run right here on Monday, mostly because I thought we needed to have a little history lesson on the and the post just got too dang long.

Let's get started!

AMAZON - BULLY OR PUSHY BEST FRIEND?

Oh, what sad times are these when passing ruffians can say Ni at will to little old authors. There is a pestilence upon this land, nothing is sacred.

Street--er, I mean web credit

Amazon has been called many things by many authors. Savior. Greedy, sharp-toothed, dirty greedy bastards. You name it. Honestly? I think they've earned every slur AND every complement.

In one respect, Amazon almost single handedly took the publishing game out of the exclusive, corporate, freaking huge hands of New York publishing by pushing the Kindle and ePublishing. In the same move they put the game in the many grimy hands of the little people (see readers and writers--US). Yay Amazon!

Even before things got all techno-wild, Amazon was delivering paper books to your door at PRICES SO LOW THEY MUST BE CRAZY!! Consumers and fans of capitalism rejoiced!

On the other side of things big box stores, bean counters at Simon and Schuster and local bookstores moaned. You see, here is the paradoxical female dog of it all: You can rarely accommodate everyone in business endeavors. If consumers are happy, businesses are probably losing money. If businesses are happy, consumers are left feeling fleeced. Not always, but usually.

Before the Kindle ever caught fire, Amazon held a few too many cards for the tastes of many people in the publishing industry. Already a global giant in the paper book retail game, Amazon began acting as publisher as well with the eBook craze. Then, last year, they really peed on the campfire when they announced they were getting into paper book publishing as well. The tug of war between Amazon and traditional publishers began in ernest.

You can understand the dilemma faced by the trad pub folks: Your largest retail vendor is also trying to run you out of business. (Amazon denies that last bit, by the way.) They need their books to be sold on Amazon, but they also don't want Amazon (now a competitor in their business) to dictate terms.

Meanwhile, traditional publishing ex-pats and DIY authors flocked to Amazon to take advantage of the opportunity. Never before had an author been able to get her work in front of millions of consumers without signing 'Hurt So Good' contracts and/or mortgaging their creative properties. The filters were off, so to speak, and lots of previously struggling (or non-existant) authors started making money. Good money, and in some cases GREAT money.

However, a few nervous nellies (AKA - skeptical authors and agents) were cautioning about Amazon being the cow with the golden teat. (Okay, I just made that up, but it sounded like a cool name for a cautionary tale.) Once Amazon held all the cards, they said, they'd get all heavy handed and cut the purse strings. It would no longer be an open market, and you'd publish on their terms or not at all. Just like the old way of doing things, but maybe at an even higher cost, with even fewer people who really 'love' books in charge of things.

Hogwash? Many thought so, until Amazon announced the Amazon Kindle Owner's Lending Library at the end of last year. The Kindle Direct Publishing Select (KDPS) agreement for independent authors soon followed. For the first time, Amazon began using words like 'exclusivity' and other nasty terms that make the ears of the artistically free bleed.

So is it a good deal for authors or not?

HOPE YOU'LLL JOIN ME BACK HERE ON MONDAY FOR PART II AND AN IN DEPTH LOOK AT THE KDPS PROGRAM!

~EJW~

*UPDATE* I inadvertently left the word "SELECT" out of the title of this post and the references I made to the Kindle Direct Publishing Select program. Please note that Kindle Direct Publishing differs from Kindle Direct Publishing Select and that (for the purposes of this discussion) my intention was to discuss KDPS. I apologize for any confusion, and really (REALLY) appreciate the folks who pointed out my omission.

Blog Science - Who Do You Read

2012-01-05T16:51:00.001-06:00

Howdy Gang! How're you coming on those resolutions? Me either... Still, it's times like these we have to remind ourselves: What would Brian Boitano do? Know what I'm sayin'?

An ass or two is getting kicked in 2012, 'cause that's what BB would do...

You might (or might not) recall, not long ago I began a new reoccurring feature on this blog called Blog Science. (Guess I can't call it reoccurring yet 'cause this is only the 2nd post. I digress...) In this new feature we're basically going to take a hard look at blogging 'best practices'. Hopefully we can come up with some new ideas and/or insights that will improve our blogging. Or perhaps we'll just create a forum to bitch about the things we don't like. Either way, we grow, which is the point.

DISCLAIMER: I'm no expert or anything, but like most politicians I enjoy pretending I'm one. No, if you want blog expertise, go check out blogs with follower numbers in the Ks. In all seriousness, this is more about creating a dialogue between bloggers. So don't just sit there, tell us what you think!

Today's installment of Blog Science is going to examine the lucky few. The cream. The elite. No, I'm not talking about the the 1%, I'm talking about the blogs you actually read. I suspect I'm not alone when it comes to my blog diet: I've got many on my plate, but actually get around to eating only a few. My eyes are much larger than my stomach, as it were.

Now before you get all 'hate crazy' on me, understand it isn't because of some kind of weird follower Internet ponzi scheme. I didn't just follow a bunch of blogs, hoping they'd follow back, and then completely ignore them. This blog thang doesn't go down like Twitter, after all.

(thanks be to God--mazel tov! mazel tov! Sorry, we caught Fiddler at the local theater a couple of weeks ago and it's been in my head ever since...)

I can honestly say I've read at least a portion of every blog I follow and followed them because I truly enjoyed what I was reading. It is also a way I've thrown my support behind the friendly faces I've met around the WWWebs. Unfortunately, as I've said before, there are far more awesome blogs out there than there are minutes in the day.

Chances are, if you've been blogging for a year or more, you've run into a similar predicament. This post isn't about solving that problem. There are far more organized folks out there who can tell you how to sort out and prioritize your Google Reader list. There are also far more ruthless folks out there who can tell you when/how to cut people off your blog lists to keep it paired down to only the essentials.

What we are going to do is try to understand why we read who we read. Essentially, who makes the cut and why? In order of importance, here we go:

Loyal Customers Get Dibs -
Okay, this one isn't rocket science. The blogs I most frequent, especially to the extent of leaving comments, are the blogs of people who visit my blog and leave comments. Call it reciprocity, brown nosing or whatever. The fact of the matter is that I favor people who acknowledge my existence. I think most bloggers do this, but if I only have time to read AND comment on a couple of blogs during the day, I usually track down the people who frequently visit my blog.

This doesn't mean they are the only blogs I read. It just means they are the blogs I go out of my way to read, if that makes sense.

The GOOGLE Made Me Do It -
So I have the cute little iGoogle homepage thing going on. If you aren't familiar with it, you can basically create a custom Internet page with all of your favorite Web content on it. Why? Because it's awesome to be able to see your new e-mail messages, top stories on CNN, Twitter feed, Facebook updates, weather, etc., that's why. It's my homepage, so it's the first thing I see when I jump Online. You can learn about and get it HERE.

As part of my iGoogle page (at the very top, no less) I've got my Google Reader feed. It updates real time, so when someone posts a new blog update it pops up. It has become my blog lifeline. I know there are more efficient reader managers out there, but this one is the most convenient for me because I see it 10-15 times a day.

The downside? I tend to only see the blogs that have been updated recently. So if you posted in the AM and I get on in the afternoon, your post is waaaayyyy down the feed. Unless I'm dedicatedly searching through the list (which I do from time-to-time) I probably won't see it.

What I try to do is pick out a blog or two each time I'm on the homepage, that way I get a sort of eclectic mashup of reads from my blog list. Unfortunately, that means I don't consistently get to the same blogs.

Assuming again that I'm not the only person to use iGoogle feed lists (or something similar), here are some ways I choose which blogs to read:

Title of the Post: In my list I see the title of the post and the name of the blog. That's it. If I want more detail I have click the title (it then opens up in-page to reveal the entire blog post). Thus, one way to make sure I read is have an awesome title to your blog post. Something to get me to CLICK. Granted, this will vary from the interests of the reader. Some people scour for ePublishing content, others for craft tips. So try to cast a wide net with most of your post titles. Enough detail to tell what the point is, but broad enough to appeal to many.

Opening Paragraph: I can usually tell from the opening paragraph of a post if it is going to be about what I was expecting from the title. Consequently, I read that first line or two or three to scrutinize the relevance of the post (or how the message will be presented). Sometimes it catches me with humor, other times with information. Either way, make your openings good and I'll read all of it. If I read all of it I'll probably jump to your blog and say so. I might even take it to the Twitters.

The Early, Middle & Late Bird Gets the Reader: Knowing that some people only see the most recently updated blogs, and that some people only look in the mornings, at lunch or in the evenings I guess it makes sense to stagger when our posts go live. This is something I haven't tried, but based upon my own habits I think it merits some investigation. I know it works for Twitter. (FYI don't Tweet at the same time every day, or only a portion of your followers are probably going to see it. Not everyone stays connected all of the time. Tweeps are creatures of habit, too.)

Frequency: Another easy one. The more you post, the more likely people are going to find you. The more people find you, the more likely you are to create...

BUZZ -
Hate this word? I kind of do, but it's probably relevant to this conversation. If I'm on the Twitter, or other blogs, I pay close attention to what my Web Friends are saying. If a trusted blogger or Tweep says, "CHECK OUT THIS BLOG! IT CHANGED MY FLIPPIN' LIFE!" I'm going to check out the blog.

How do you get "BUZZ"? As best I can tell, two factors contribute greatly: 1) Write something worth reading. The good stuff has a way of getting out there. Study how to phrase your Tweets and blog titles. Learn how to share them effectively (What we're doing right here!) and fire with both barrels. 2) Do unto others. Help other bloggers get the word out. If you read something you love, share it on Facebook, Twitter, etc. They will typically treat you the same. If they don't, don't sweat it. Karma is as Karma does, momma always said.

You want chocolate? YOU BETTER GIVE ME CHOCOLATE!

Those are the three biggies that sprang to mind. What about you? Who do you read? Why do you read? Share your tips and tricks or we'll hunt you down!

~EJW~

5 Realistic Ways We're Going To Be Better Writers In 2012

2011-12-30T17:33:00.000-06:00

Not a big fan of resolutions for the year to come. They tend to be very complex and lofty things that have no shot of being attained. A couple of reasons for the failure: 1) People never seem to have a plan for reaching the resolution. 2) They tend to be focused on very complex things that require multiple steps to achieve. Not a formula for success.

Take the "I'm going to be a better friend, spouse, parent, etc." resolution for instance. Have you considered why you're a bad one? Are there concrete measures you can take to get "better"? Is it realistic to attempt to undue a lifetime psychological maladjustment in a year? Probably not.

"It's called Death Therapy..."

Not that I'm not an advocate for personal change and growth. I just think, like Dr. Leo Marvin in the movie What About Bob, it takes baby steps--not giant lines drawn in the sand while gulping champagne with strangers and/or loved ones. Furthermore, constantly failing to reach goals can lead to a reluctance to set them at all. Overall, not a good thing.

Photo cred

That's why I give you this, dear writerly cohort:

5 *REALISTIC* Ways We're Going To Be Better Writers in 2012

5. Read More & Read Different

The first part is easy. Just read more than we do right now. Well, unless you're one of those book-a-week freaks. If so, you should probably change this to "drink more coffee", cause you're going to be losing a lot of sleep.

I'm a slow reader, so my personal goal is 2 new reads a month. I probably average this over a year already (some months I might get in 3, others only 1), but I think if I actually strategize for 2 each month I might end up reading more as a result.

The second part is a challenge to read outside of your comfort zone. So why not pick 1 of those monthly reads to be dedicated to reading the classics (if you're behind like I am). Or maybe read in a genre you don't write in?

Say it with me now: GREAT WRITERS ARE GREAT READERS

4. Finish Something... I Mean Really Finish It!

Remember the 200,000 words we jotted down during NaNoWriMo? Why don't we polish them up a bit? Then find some folks to read it. Then polish it some more. Then find some more folks to read it again. Rinse. Repeat. Rinse. Repeat. Then *GASP* query some agents about it, submit it to a contest or maybe even publish it.

Perhaps you didn't do the November Writing Sadist Workshop thing, or that project is just too big of a mountain to climb. I bet you've got something else you've been working on. If not, surely you could crank out a couple of short stories, a collection of poems--something. The point is this: make 2012 the year you write something and see it as far as you can possibly take it.

Yes, it might end in rejection. Yes, it might only sell a couple of copies on Amazon. However, just going through the steps of editing, rounding up readers, etc. is going to push our writing to great new places.

3. Get Crafty

Writing, like most things, will yield only as much as we put into it. (Sometimes, it doesn't yield as much as we put into it, but that's a therapy lesson for another day.) As such, it's important that we invest in learning the actual craft. The nuts, bolts and such. That goes for everyone at every stage of the game.

So next year we're finally going to read that book about saving the feline everyone keeps yapping about. We're going to sign up for an online (or real-world) workshop. We're going to go to a conference, talk shop with a real, live author, join a critique group or do some other activity that's going to further our knowledge of placing words on paper/screen. We don't have to do them all, just vow to do something.

2. We're going to quit being so damned hard on ourselves.

Every writer does it. You think you're trash. EVERYONE is better than you, even your friends who don't write are better than you. Your six-year-old niece got her letter to Santa printed in the paper and you're jealous because she has more publication credits than you do. Every person on the planet knows you've been working at this writing thing for years, and they wake up every day thinking about what a massive failure you are. STOP

We're not giving in to that crap next year! Once a day, once a week--or however many times we have to do it--we're going to find a mirror (ignoring our coffee-stained sweatshirt and bed hair) and say, "I'm doing this for me, because I love it. I have talent and I'm going to get better."

That's it.

1. Not giving up

This is perhaps the easiest resolution ever. And it's the most important. Just don't quit writing. Yes, yes. Listen to all of the writing wisdom: Write as often as you can. (As Dr. Seuss might say, "Do it in a blog, do it in a song, do it until the Flarfel Beasts begin to yawn.") Set goals. Revise like the Devil. So on and so forth.

Most of all, we can't give up. Not next year. Not the year after that. Any deadlines we make in terms of our pursuit of a writing career are made by us. Thus they can be undone by us. I've done it. I've said, "If I'm not published by XYZ I'm trying something else." It was a dumb thing to do two years ago and it would be just as dumb to do next year.

If you check back with me in 2013, if I'm alive and well, I'll be writing. You do the same.

With that, I'll bid you all a very Happy New Year! Thanks for all of your support, as always. I hope to see you around the Webs in 2012, and not outside staring at the giant meteor that is sure to destroy the planet. Stupid Mayans think they're so smart...

~EJW~

Best Holiday Wishes To You

2011-12-21T10:35:00.000-06:00

Hey all,

Just wanted to say Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanzaa, Happy Holidays and peace on earth to you all. My two year blog anniversary is coming in the New Year, and I can't tell you how much I've appreciated your support and encouragement. I truly wouldn't be doing this without you.

I'll be taking a brief blog break over the next several days to entertain visiting family, but I plan to have an active start to 2012. Love for you to join me!

In the meantime, I hope the Season is all you want it to be, and that the next year will be your best yet.

How about some music to go along with the warm wishes?

~EJW~

Blog Science - Blogging Like a Pro Even If You Aren't

2011-12-16T14:14:00.001-06:00

It's beginning to look a lot... well, you know the rest. :) Have you nailed down your gift shopping yet? The crowds are likely going to be ugly this weekend, so for the sake of your sanity I hope so. If not, grease your wheels with your favorite warm beverage, a good breakfast and get to it! Just play nice... It might be me you're cutting off and/or yelling at in the parking lot.

Like my waistline this time of year, I've let the old blog go a bit. As such, I'm looking for ways to inject new life into Ye Old Web Diatribe Device to start the new year off on the right foot. One thing I've decided to do is start a new regular (hopefully) series on the science of blogging.

"OMG! Like, words are SO hard, you know? PRETTY FINGERS!"

Not that I'm going to speak from a position of expertise. 300 followers do not an army--or a Kardashian--make, after all. I'm just going to talk about things I've noticed and/or tried in the name of blogging. Hopefully it'll prompt some discussion and we'll all learn something. At the very least it'll give me something to talk about on more than a semi-annual basis. (Okay, I haven't been THAT bad. But it feels like it.)

First up: BLOGGING IS HARD

There, I said it. It's painful to admit, I think, because it isn't supposed to be difficult for a writer-type. Our lives are consumed with figuring out how to communicate thoughts and ideas via words. Consequently, filling a blank screen with a few paragraphs 2 or 3 times a week should not be difficult. Or at least it shouldn't appear to be difficult. There's proof. The best blogs seem effortless:

They are ALWAYS clever.
They are ALWAYS important.
They are ALWAYS on topic.
They are ALWAYS on schedule.

To make it worse, the Web is chockablock full of these ace blogs. Don't know about you, but my blog reader list is absolutely running over with folks who make this stuff seem like cake. Seriously, I think some of you must have teams of ninja elf idea generators chained in your basements. Their only job is bring you great ideas for blog posts. If you don't like them, you feed them to the Kraken. (The idea, not the elf. This is a family blog...) You make it look that easy.

Me? I've got no elves or ninjas (or Krakens .... damn). I've only got me, a desk, a computer, coffee, two extremely lazy dogs and a ~~HUGE~~ small case of inferiority complex. My post generating process goes something like this:

Self - "Oooo, a new comment on one of my blog posts!"

*Clicks to check e-mail*

Self - "That's really sweet, but I wrote that blog post like a month ago. This person is seriously late to the party."

*Hits 'reply' to fire off a thank you note. Types 3 paragraphs of exceedingly witty e-mail before realizing they don't have an e-mail account linked to Blogger. Curses. Decides to go directly to the blog post and click their profile to leave a comment on their blog. Realizes that month old blog post was actually the last time I posted. Curses.*

Self - "I've got to post something new. Like now!"

*Checks Twitter feed for interesting topics. Spends 4 days drafting 15 page opus-post on the dangers of over-indulgent writing. Gets distracted reading other blogs. Realizes someone else said exactly the same thing about over-indulgence two days ago. Curses.*

Self - "Guess I'll blog about how screwy the publishing business is right now. Again."

My point is that this isn't exactly a painless process. I also suspect I'm not alone in thinking so. So if blogging isn't easy, but it's supposed to look easy, what's to be done?

Here are some things to try that'll make people think you know what you're doing, even if you don't:

(NOTE - I probably fail on some level at all of these. See # 5 to get the point.)

1. Read Other Blogs: Read the good ones. Read the bad ones. Learn. Learn. Learn. Don't just read for content. Read for presentation. Read to see how others infuse their 'voice' or style into their blogs. Good habits rub off, just like your momma said. Apply any and everything that looks like a good idea. The key to looking like a pro is emulating one.

2. Routine: Yes, blogs can become stale very quickly (both in the reading and the writing of) when they get overly structured. (Think about bloggers who post daily and every day is dedicated to a specific thing. If you're not a content blogger, I'd advise against that.) However, having some sort of schedule or routine creates the feel of something dependable and professional. Pick at least one post each week that will have a reoccurring theme, refine it until you do it very well, and then never let it die. A percentage of your followers will come back every week just to read that one feature, and they'll typically look around to see what else you've been up to. (I know, because I do it as a reader.)

3. Title Your Posts Well, & They Will Love You: When you have 200 to 300 blogs in your reader list, you just can't get to everyone all the time. What do I do? I cherry pick, of course. Looking at most recent posts, I usually start with the bloggers I'm most familiar/friendly with and then I look for interesting post titles. I'm not suggesting utter sensationalism in your titles for the sake of getting a click. (I've seen this, and it ticks me off a little.) You have to deliver on what you promise in your titles or that one click won't yield a comment. Worse still, you might even lose a reader. Try for something catchy AND relevant.

4. Always Make A Point: Speaking of titles, always have a point to a post. I'm not talking about preaching, either. I'm talking about having a clear idea of what you're hoping to communicate when you start writing. It can be a GIGANTIC concept, or could be to simply tell people that you really loved the most recent book you've read. Either way, simply knowing what you want to say before you start will always yield a more polished result. Understand that you'll sometimes nail it, and other times miss. The effort you put into trying to convey a message will always be evident, however.

When you're done drafting, re-read your post and make sure your point is conveyed.

5. Never Quit: Blogging isn't an exact science. Readers are fickle. Some will leave you if you talk about having a martini, others will love that you're a wino. You're not going to fit everyone. The way to get around this is to keep putting yourself out there so the people you do fit can find you. You don't get to be a great shrimper by casting out your nets once a season, calling it quits when you only drag back an old tire and a handful of shrimp. You keep trying new areas, new tactics, until something works. Blogging is the same. You'll fall off the horse. You will. You just have to keep trying. Nothing says professional like persistence and dedication. After all, you can't raise a garden by sittin' in the shade.

What about you? What do you do to make blogging easier?

~EJW~

In Case You Didn't Already Know Enough About Me...

2011-12-08T15:36:00.001-06:00

Did a fun little interview over at Reece Hanzon's blog that I wanted to share with you fine folks. Stop by and make fun of me if you get the chance.

Hope you're all having an awesome week!

~EJW~

An Observer's Tale - 10 Things I've Learned About ePublishing

2011-11-30T16:51:00.001-06:00

As we race toward 2012, I thought it would be a good time to share my observations on e-Publishing. The publishing world is evolving at lightening pace. A bevy of attractively priced new reading gadgets *cough* KINDLEFIRE *cough* and a huge commercial push promises to make 2012 the year of the eBook.

I keep up with tons of self-published (and otherwise) authors on the Twitter, Facebook, blogs and the like--trying to learn what I can. As such, I thought it would be appropriate for me to regurgitate my knowledge in the form of An Observer's Tale - 10 Things I've Learned About ePublishing

This is by no means intended to be a comprehensive tutorial on the process, nor should it be taken as gospel. Just my take.

1. eBooks are like so hot right now:

This might be the understatement of the decade, but this digital media stuff is a big deal. In the last ten years we've witnessed the digitization of every major form of entertainment from music to movies. Now it's time for written entertainment to share the stage. Some have labeled it a fad, some a revolution. Whatever your take, I think we can all agree that this is now at the very least a movement--a shift--to a new way of "doing" books. Who knows if paper and pixels will be able to coexist, but I'd bet the family farm that the pixels aren't going away.

2. Fit and finish don't just apply to car shopping:

Hop over to your local online monster retailer and browse the eBooks. Do it like you would browsing for cars at the auto dealership. Why? You'll quickly get into the head of the average book shopper, that's why. It's the shiny exterior (i.e. the cover) that draws them in, the awesome stereo and smooth interior (blurb or back jacket verbiage) that gets their imagination going and the salesperson (reviews) that seal the deal. In an increasingly cluttered book market, presentation makes the difference.

3. It's a slow burn, baby:

That tune doesn't apply to ePublishing. There are no golden tickets. Much like in traditional publishing, there is a constant effort to figure out the purchasing habits of fickle readers. eAuthors are scrambling to try to figure out how Amanda Hocking, John Locke, etc., etc. managed to become Kindle millionaires seemingly overnight.

I follow both of the afore mentioned authors on Twitter and blogs (One of them follows me, but I'm not namedropping or anything... OK, it's JL and I nearly blew a gasket when I saw his name pop up as a new Twitter follower! Name. Dropped.) and I can tell you neither of them truly claims to know exactly how it all happened. One thing both say: it took some time and they worked hard to promote their stuff. They didn't instantly sell 10,000 books a month. Word of mouth had to build. The Interwebs had to weave its magic. Just like in traditional publishing, expect to have to pay your own dues before you get much payment in return.

4. Skinning cats and publishing electronically have a lot in common:

There are many, many ways to get a book published electronically, and many more yet to come.

Total DIY: You can study Kindle/Apple/Barnes & Noble/WhatHaveYou and learn to format and upload yourself. You can get free pictures online and create your own covers with free photo editing software. It's not rocket science, but it's also not without frustration. If budget is a concern, you can definitely do it on your own. Knowing your limits is important, however...

Hire out some of it: Don't have an artistic eye? Cool. There are oodles of folks online that will design a good cover for you. Got a great cover, but don't care to format? Cool. Lots of folks out there will format your book so it reads nice and pretty on the nook, iPad, Kindle, Kobo reader things. See # 2 if you're not sure why it matters.

Hire out all of it: Specialty ePublishing companies are ALL freaking over the place. Go to any online writing community and you'll see their ads. Hangout in the writing dens of Twitter and you'll get a half-dozen follows a day from someone offering to publish your book for a fee. (That and maybe a few unwholesome offers, but I digress ...) Heck, some of them even promote your book in various places. Prices vary. Quality varies. Choose wisely.

5. One is fun, but 8 is great:

Only got one great story in you? I'm sorry to inform you that self-publishing isn't going to pay your next electric bill. Nor will it likely pay any electric bill. Ever. Here's the thing, just like in traditional publishing you have to build a readership in the eWorld. That typically doesn't happen with one great book. It takes several. It takes building a reputation.

eReading is like any other electronic media thing, which is to say it's about consumption. Unlike Sam the Business Man who buys one non-fiction book every year at the airport to read on layovers, the owner of that Kindle plans on getting her money's worth. When she finishes one book, she's going to immediately jump into another. If you only have one book in the store, she can't buy your next. It's science--or math--or something.

The best anecdote I've read on the subject relates virtual shelf space to actual store shelf space. The more space you occupy the better chance someone is going to 'find you' and buy you.

6. Traditional rules don't necessarily apply...:

Suburban cat vampire fantasy doesn't sell you say? WRONG! There are no hard rules when it comes to ePublishing. All those agents and editors in the traditional world aren't wrong (just aggravating) when they shoot down your 'Hamster Falls In Love' picture book idea. In the paper world there are all kinds of upfront production costs that force the publishing machine to make hard choices about what they invest in. That doesn't exist online. If you want to publish it, you can. If you can connect with the people who are interested in what you've written, you'll probably even sell a few copies. And unlike a paper bookstore, even if you're only moving 6 copies a month it'll stay on Amazon's shelf forever.

Heck people are even publishing poetry again. That should really be all you need to hear to understand that up is now down, and that cats now sleep with the dogs.

7. Well, except for these:

Don't read 6 and assume everything has changed. These basic principals must be observed for any kind of publishing success:

You must have a great story.

It must be extremely well-written.

It must be gleamingly edited. And edited. And edited. And edited ....

You can never shortchange a reader with a poor product. Readers will drop you like a bad habit, even if your book is only .99 cents.

8. Merchandising! Merchandising! Merchandising!

I'm not talking about action figures (but that would be AWESOME!); I'm talking about selling your story and yourself. Understand where your story fits in terms of genre. Make sure your cover looks better than those 'other books' that pop up in the product search. Know where your readers hangout online--go to them. Use Twitter, Facebook, etc. to their full potential. Learn and heed the rules of responsible, non-D-Bag marketing. Make friends by promoting other authors more than you promote yourself. Make sure your story is available to every kind of reader for every kind of reading device. Make sure your website, Twitter page, Facebook, etc. say, "I'm a pro, not a schmo."

Self-publishing means you're now a small business owner. That business will sink or swim based upon your effort and nothing else.

9. All the cool kids are doing it:

ePublishing isn't just a game for the little guys to dabble in. J.K. 'I could buy your country' Rowling is self-publishing her Harry Potter books electronically. So too are many, many highly successful traditionally published authors. Some are completely abandoning the traditional route, others are simply supplementing their paper efforts, using it as a vehicle to explore things that wouldn't normally fly in the trad-world. Regardless of the reasons, don't assume that your too big or too small to make a go of it. It sure looks like there's room for everyone.

10. No one has THE answer:

There is a lot of advice from super-helpful authors out there. They might tell you to Tweet this way, never pay for XYZ, or never use XYZ font--you get the idea. They're all right to an extent. ePublishing is still very much a baby in the grand scheme of things. As such, each individual experience is a valuable learning tool. However, I've learned you'll find more conflicting answers than definite methods of success. Does this mean you should tune them all out? Absolutely not. Just understand that the path to success seems to be different for just about everyone.

Keep your ear to the ground and be willing to adjust your expectations and tactics as needed. That should keep you on track at least until next year. :)

~EJW~

BTW, big WAY TO GO for all of you who reached your NaNoWriMo goals! I'll buy you the frosty beverage of your choosing should we ever cross paths! :)

Exposing Your Soul

2011-11-16T13:25:00.001-06:00

Yeah, it's like that.

Now it's YOUR turn.

~EJW~

Word Searching - It's Hard. It's Important.

2011-11-13T08:32:00.001-06:00

You open your eyes. Darkness. The utter absence of light, devoid of any sense of space and self.

A deep, if shaky, breath. You close and open them again. Still nothing.

Panic!

You really squeeze them shut this time, knowing that you should at least see a few brightly colored floating orbs of light. Suddenly those floaters are no longer a physiological nuisance. They're an essential connection between your physical and mental self. If you can see, they'll be there. If you're alive, they'll be there...

Sometimes searching for the right word or phrase is like that for me. Probably why I write so slowly. If I don't see (on the page) exactly what I'm looking for, I risk losing my place in life (the story).What is normally an automatic, subconscious thing (putting a word into a sentence) becomes so much more important.

Contrary to common conjecture, writers aren't JUST fanciful dreamers who record their stream of consciousness and hope to coral it into a cohesive story. Unlike conversations with friends, writing requires perfect articulation. In the end, there's very little room for idle chat and boundless meandering.

Effective storytelling is more akin to playing in a sandbox than on an endless beach. You begin with the understanding that you only have so much room to spread out and build. If your sand castle (story) is too expansive there'll be nothing to focus on. Doing too much runs the risk of creating something that isn't recognizable as a castle at all.

Effective writers are word surgeons, extracting the unnecessary and repairing the vital. In that way a perfect balance must be formed. A writer understands that the presence of one word in a story carries no more weight than the absence of the next. In story economy, the said and unsaid are of equal value.

I suppose that's why word searching can be so excruciating. While I'm not certain any story has ever entirely failed or succeeded on only one word, I do believe--like a misplaced stone in a wall--an ineffectual thought can severely harm the overall structure and integrity of a story.

Do you feel any word-search pressure when you write? Has it ever gotten in the way of you finishing a story? At what point do you resolve to move on?

Also, BIG props to all you NaNoWriMo folks out there! I think you can read this post and understand why I might not be cut out to write 40K+ in a month. :) Best of luck to you all. I hope you surpass your goals!

~EJW~

The Spaces Between - Great Stories Are More Than Words

2011-11-07T16:54:00.000-06:00

Ever notice how many of the most important things in life are often the things left unstated? How communication is more about the things you do before and after words than what you actually say? Sure, saying I love you is a big deal, but it's a lot bigger deal if it's followed by a kiss. You can tell someone you're angry or you can say you're angry and throw something at them. Which one do you think gets the point across more effectively?

I think good storytelling is a lot like that.

It really struck me this weekend while talking books with some friends. The conversation consistently turned to a discussion of things implied by the actions of characters in the story rather than what was actually written on the pages. Don't get me wrong the words are important; without them there'd be nothing to infer from or to fuel the debate. However, I think I've underestimated just how much a reader likes to put themselves--and conversely, their own reasoning--into a story.

I'll confess, the idea that what readers really get into is being able to fill in the gaps of a story rather than simply enjoying what is ACTUALLY written has probably been a tad complex for my mind to truly wrap around. I guess I've kind of had a rather simple, neanderthal-esque writing mindset of, "ME WRITE WORDS. YOU READ WORDS."

Moreover, the concept of people intellectualizing beyond the words has always seemed a little highbrow or lit snobby to me. The stuff for writers, graduate programs, term papers and History Chanel specials to discuss. After all, the reader in me always really enjoyed the reading, appreciating what the author was communicating over implications.

So it's not surprising that I reasoned that Twilight fan just consumed the story and could care less about deeper meanings and character intentions, right?

W.R.O.N.G. You're everyday Joe or Susan reader loves to take stories to places beyond the margins. They constantly scrutinize Bella Swan's love choices and wonder what might have happened if Harry Potter had joined Slytherin instead of Gryffindor. Furthermore, the average reader loves to draw parallels between the lives of fictional characters and their own lives.

As a writer here's the scary part; that's stuff that no author could contrive no matter how carefully they plot. J.K. Rowling could have had no idea that I'd be able to see my own family in the Weasley's. Nor could she have known that so many kids would feel Harry's pain and joy on such an intensely personal level to the point they write stories about his grandchildren in the form of fan fiction.

I guess I'm saying that great stories are more than what they are on paper. It's those spaces between the words that hold the real power of a story. In the end, words are really just coal to fuel the fires of the imagination. Perhaps the real challenge in writing is learning how to create the spark to set it all off.

~EJW~

A Very Happy ...

2011-10-31T12:04:00.000-05:00

Halloween to you and yours!

Saving Your Best Writing for Lean Times

2011-10-20T17:04:00.000-05:00

"You going to eat that?"

Autumn is a great time of year for animal watching. Those first few cold mornings seem to set off Nature's alarm clock, sending the furry and feathered of the world into work mode. They gather and munch on the best and last of the year's harvest, knowing without being told that the abundance they've been enjoying is wicking away. They instinctually understand that soon there won't be enough of the good stuff to go around.

I'm wondering if writers should have a similar instinct.

A writer friend of mine posed an interesting question the other day: Do you ever hold back really good lines, metaphors, etc. from your blog posts or social correspondence so you can use them in your stories?

My initial reaction was, "Of course not, I write in the moment! If the words make the long commute from my brain to fingertips, I'm shooting them off like celebratory creative fireworks! My readers deserve only my best, after all." Actually, I wish that had been my response ...

I really said something like, "I don't think I'd remember it later, so I just use whatever comes to me and hope I think of something equally good the next time."

Like most writers, I always (ALWAYS) secretly fear there won't be a next time.

If you've dabbled at the word game long enough you realize that creative juice can have an incredibly short shelf-life. What flows tasty and free tonight can go sour by morning, often with very little provocation or warning. That isn't to say I believe in writer's block. No, I don't think there's some kind of mental barrier that springs up like a wart in our minds, preventing us from writing until it somehow dissolves.

I do think we sometimes don't feel like pushing our brains into that fringe creative area, or maybe even forget how to do it for a time. That's probably what separates hobby writers from daily writers. The hobby writer wanders off until their brain gets hungry enough to come back around; the daily writer puts out some bait and lures the sucker into a trap--forcing it to work. Figuring out what bait to use is often the trick.

Understanding that inspiration can be fickle, is there some merit to holding onto the really good stuff? Saving your best for your most important moments, as it were. It certainly seems so.

There are probably only so many great similes and metaphors to be had, and it's just a matter of time until someone else comes up with it. Unfortunately, constantly tucking the good stuff away might lead to some really bland blogs. I've been considering some options and they are:

Keep a journal or blank Word document handy to scribble down the good stuff when it comes. Lots of writers journal, but most use them for story ideas, not great sentences or thoughts. If you're ever stuck in your writing, break it out and get inspired by your own genius. (You can do this with the good stuff you actually use as well.)

Many cell phones have voice recording options, so you can use that as an auditory record. If you don't have a recorder, just call your own voice mail box and leave yourself a message. (WARNING: This may make you appear VERY crazy and/or unstable to friends and loved ones.)

When inspiration hits, we're often so caught up in moving to the next bit that we don't fully utilize or explore what's there. Consider jotting down that great phrase, etc. and then forcing yourself to write two or three more along the same lines. Use one and keep the others for future use. It'll add some time to whatever you're working on, but it might pay off later.

When I'm writing blog posts I often write two or three paragraphs that don't get used simply because the idea for the post changes as I go. Instead of tossing them out I plan on saving them (if they're good) for fodder for future posts and the like.

Do you save your best? If so, how do you do it? (Journal, etc.) Is it something you'd consider doing?

~EJW~

Author Spotlight: Damyanti Biswas

2011-10-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

E.J. (ME) – The important stuff first. Tell us about your book/collection, A to Z Stories of Life and Death.

Damyanti (D) -- The book is a collection of twenty-six stories, based on the twenty-six letters of the alphabet. They seek to question our moral compass: How do you judge a teacher toying with the sexuality of her teenaged student? A boy who decides to murder his mother? What thoughts rage inside a pedophile serial killer before he shoots himself? The stories challenge the concepts of beauty, truth, and morality, by revealing the face of the other side.

I began writing some of the pieces in the collection in April during the A to Z challenge organized by Arlee Bird. (Note - If you don't know about the A-Z, you should check out Arlee's blog, HERE. Seriously one of the most challenging and rewarding blogfests going.) During this challenge, participants had to post on their blogs for 26 days in April, every day excluding the 4 Sundays. Some of the readers liked my pieces of fiction enough to ask me to put them together in a book, so the idea took root there.

ME – The stories seem to be highly philosophical and emotional in nature, asking readers to take a reflective look at their own humanity and how life plays out around them. That’s an extremely complex task for short stories to accomplish. How did you make it work?

D – I write about what interests me--people, and what makes them tick. I question the reasons why someone did what they did, and I analyze everything way more than is healthy. My head is full of ‘weird’ people, of what ifs, and whys and wherefores. This is what came out in the collection. Some people have found it too hard-hitting, or the topics too uncomfortable: matricide and pedophilia are not exactly soothing reads, despite a completely literary style and clean language.

I did not write on those themes in order to sensationalize, however, just went where the writing prompts took me. I don't have a ‘moral’ approach to fiction--won’t judge, just hold up things as they are and let the readers come to their own conclusions. Just because something is ugly or inhuman is no reason why it should not be examined. Rather the opposite.

In most of the stories I examine what we usually turn our faces from: death, murder, child abuse, loss of a child, ageing, poverty—but I’ve tried to ask the whys and also sought a glimmer of compassion, understanding, forgiveness, hope, even love.

ME – Taking a step back, can you tell us a little about your writing journey?

D – I started writing 3 years ago. I had some non-fiction experience at the time, but none whatsoever in fiction. I’ve always been a voracious reader, and the idea of writing appealed to me. But it also terrified me, and I let decades pass by before I gave myself the permission to write.

I’ve been traditionally published in quite a few anthologies in Malaysia and Singapore, and Peeping Toe was my first published short story, two years ago. I got accepted for yet another anthology this week, a collection of short stories from Asia and Africa. I’m yet to finish a novel, but that should change soon.

ME – Tell us about your writing process in general.

D – I write everyday. Whether it is a page or a few pages, I feel quite upset if I don’t write something, a story, a free-write, a bit in my journal, a letter (I correspond via snail-mail with other authors).

I usually go with images, and take down stories as they occur in my head. I’ve been a pantser so far, and it has worked for short stories.I use exercises from books like Fast Fiction: Creating Fiction in Five Minutes by Roberta Allen. I take a prompt, a word, a picture, a sentence, anything at all, and start writing, pretty much without thinking.

Another book that influenced me, and from where I borrowed the word dream-storming, is From Where you Dream by Robert Olen Butler. After reading through this book (several times), I got into the habit of entering a sort of trance, of letting the character take over, of entering a setting and becoming part of it. My stories (even the longer short stories) never start from an idea, but instead from an image which tugs at me and compels me to write.

ME - Many of my followers also participated in the A-Z daily blog challenge as well as many, many other blogfests. As such, we know how much time and effort can go into blogging. The idea of turning that work into a published story will, I’m sure, be intriguing to many of the readers. What led you to the idea, and how did you go about making it happen?

D – My short stories started at Daily (w)rite, where apart from some journalling and rambling about writing, I began to put up some of the 5-minute or ten minute exercises I'd written. I got a few good responses from my readers, and kept at it, mostly because I enjoyed it.

Then came A to Z Challenge. Being naive, I thought of writing one flash piece each day. On some days, the pieces came easy, on others I barely made the midnight deadline. Near the end of the challenge, some of the readers asked me to compile the 26 pieces of flash fiction into an e-book, and the idea of A to Z stories of Life and Death was born. I threw out and re-wrote a few of the original pieces, spit and polished them as best as I could. Not many stories in the collection are longer than 200 words, and the entire book adds up to barely 12000 words. My hope is that I’ve made each one of them count.

ME - I saw from your author profile that you’ve been traditionally published and that A to Z is your first work to be published independently. What was the motivation for that shift, and it is it something you plan to continue to explore in the future?

D – I would not call it a shift, because I’m still submitting stories for traditional publication, (E.J. - EXCELLENT point! It doesn't have to be all or the other, folks.) and hope to publish my current work (a WIP collection of longer short stories, and a novel) traditionally.

As I keep repeating to myself: the most important thing is to keep writing, improve my craft, and keep submitting for publication. A writer writes, and then hopes for publication: each rejection is a spur to write more and write better. After all, an established writer is no different from an unpublished one (at least in one aspect): both aspire to write better and reach a bigger audience every day. (E.J. - This might be the most important paragraph ever printed on this blog!)

That said, I think I’ll epub some work as well, mostly because it is fun, and a good way to interact with writer-friends and readers. This e-book was an experiment of sorts: I wanted to learn what this new business of e-books was all about, because as writers I think we should not ignore the flux in the industry. I continue to learn more about ebooks, marketing, and publishing each day, and I don’t think that is a bad thing.

ME – Random question time: What’s the last good book you read?

D – “The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore”…I think it is one of the most moving, philosophical and thought-provoking books ever to be written with an animal narrator.

ME - We’ll finish up with the most important stuff. Give us three reasons why A to Z Stories should be our next download, and tell us where we can get them.

D – As a writer, I can give a million reasons, of course. All writers are painfully, desperately in love with their babies. But as a reader I think there exist only two reasons to download a book: the sample, and the reviews. Check those out, and if you like them, buy the book at Kindle Smashwords Nook or Diesel.

Thank you, EJ, for taking the time to host me, and for the well-considered questions. I've done my best to answer them, and I hope I've done them justice. Thanks also to the readers who have heard me through with my long rambling! I'm around to chat with you all, and answer any questions.

ME - You've been a beautiful interview, D! I think I can safely speak for everyone who reads this and say it has been a true pleasure getting to know you and your writing. You're an inspiration for sure. Best of luck to you on your future endeavors.

------

Writer Bio: Damyanti lives more in her head than in this world, adores her husband, and loves her pet fish and plants. She is an established writer for magazines and journals. Her short fiction has been published in the Quarterly Literary Review Singapore, Muse India and in print anthologies by Marshall Cavendish, Monsoon Books, and MPH publications. Her book, A to Z Stories of Life and Death, is available for downloadeverywhere ebooks are sold.

Twitter: damyantig

Website: http://amloki.com

Blog: http://damyantiwrites.wordpress.com

Author Spotlight: Kimberly Mullican

2011-10-05T07:30:00.000-05:00

Allow me to welcome author Kimberly Mullican to the Open
Vein. Her book, TAKING CONTROL is available now in
multiple formats. Read below for more details!

EJ (me) – First, the dirty. Tell us about your book,
Taking Control.

Kimberly Mullican (KM) – First of all EJ – thank you so
much for having me. I appreciate you taking time out of
your busy schedule to play Pimp for a Day!

This is the part I hate. If you can tweet in 140 characters,
why is it so hard to shorten the description of the book?
My blurb for my book:

Kat Trueblood, genetically engineered medium and former
CIA Agent, thought she had escaped the danger and drama
of her previous life. She has a stable job as a paralegal, is
dating her first girlfriend, and has plenty of time to spend
with her best friend and guardian – a ghost named Grant.

In denial about missing the action of her former life, Kat’s
thrust head first back into it when the Russian mafia – the
same guys who raped and tortured her for two weeks during
active duty – targets her and her family. The CIA forces her
to choose between working with the FBI to catch a serial killer
who is slaughtering area drag queens or leaving her family at
risk.

Distracted by discovering Grant is in love with her and her
girlfriend ending up on the suspect list, Kate finds herself as
the hunted instead of the hunter. Captured by the killer, she
must face her inner demons in order to survive and end the
serial killer’s mayhem.

ME – The book description for Taking Control is unbelievably
compelling, hinting at the story being a spy action thriller
with a paranormal twist. Was it a premeditated decision to
write a story using both elements, or did it evolve organically
from one into both?

KM – You’re not going to believe how this all came together.
I had a terribly overwritten vampire book (Don't we all? :) …
and it’s good, just horribly overwritten. After every single
agent said, “no thanks” or nothing at all I started looking at
what they WERE looking for. Strong female MC – check;
gay/lesbian overtones – check; paranormal – check;
Romance – well there is a little romance and sex, best of
both worlds. (Don’t gasp – we all love sex, it’s okay.) The
whole story started to form as I was reading what agents
were looking for. The funny part is – I decided to go the Indie
route instead. Who cares what the agents want really? I’m
not looking for an agent. Not now anyway.

ME – Most of my blog followers being authors, aspiring or
practicing, we’re always interested in the nuts and bolts of
craft here at the OV: Tell us a little about your journey to
authordom.

KM – Well, I did way better with English and Literature in
high school and college than Chemistry and Math. It’s just
the way my brain is built. (I like and understand the way your
brain is built!) I have written several short stories, really
sucky poetry and a few good stand-up routines for a couple
of starting artists.

I always loved a good book. I was a huge John Grisham fan
until his work seemed redundant to me. Then I discovered
Baldacci. I’ve been reading a lot of paranormal stuff and I
love vampires. Shoot me. I’m not enticed by the sparkly kind
though. I’m getting off topic. Blame it on my background in
sales. I talk too much.

After the divorce from my first husband, I suffered from
insomnia. I got sick of tossing and turning and decided to
write the stories that were in my head. Though Goddess
Janet Reid would flog me for admitting it – I published my
first novel via vanity press. Yes – I learned my lesson. I have
an unedited book out there with my face plastered on the
back. Thank God it isn’t on bookshelves and my name has
since changed!

Since 2006, I’ve been reading on the industry, following
authors and studying while writing. I joined a few crit groups
and finally, started TAKING CONTROL. I knew I wanted to
self-pub and that all responsibility was going to fall on my
shoulders. I have had 10 separate pairs of eyes on this book
through all stages. Editing is so important, and very difficult.
Each critter found something different or suggested
something different. Again, in the end, it’s all on the author.

ME – What’s your writing process like?

KM – Oh hell, I’ve tried to be a plotter. I find it stifling.
I’m a type B though and the fewer the rules the better.
Each WIP gets however much time it needs. If it’s shit,
I scrap, rewrite, rework and give to betas. Depending on the
scene I’m writing I switch up my environment. Dark scenes I
write at night, usually with a cocktail (careful using this
process, you need to reread it in the a.m.) Light stuff I write
during the day with a boat load of coffee in my system.

I do have one WIP that I never connected with and it never
made it to the Betas. It upset me so much I even erased the
digital file. It just stunk. It’s okay to write garbage. Someone
important once said, “The first draft of anything is shit.” The
important thing is to keep writing.

ME – In the current climate, it’s almost impossible to talk
about writing and not talk about THE business. You
published Taking Control independently. What went into
that decision, and what can you tell us about the process?

KM – I touched on that a little above. I read Konrath’s blog.
(NOTE: J.A. Konrath is an author who staunchly advocates
DIY publishing, and gives lots of tips on how to do it
successfully. You can read his blog, here.)I’ve also read
some of his books. I think the man is onto something. While
he may upset some people, I can see how passionate he is
and I don’t think he’s wrong, I just think the industry is
changing and why not have control of your own work
product? After all, I have a piece of garbage out there that
I don’t get control over until 2014. If I had self-pubbed, I
could correct my error and move on.

ME – Any tips for those of us considering the Indie route?

KM – Edit, Edit, Edit. (Amen, sister!) Get as many readers as
possible and as much feedback as possible. If you can afford
an editor (and I couldn’t) get one. Buy Kristen Lamb’s book
on marketing. I think of her as my guru, whether she likes
that or not, I’m not certain. But I talk about her so much,
Klout says I’m an influencer on Lambs… Your cover art can
make or break you, so choose wisely.

Read as much as possible. Read books, blogs, industry
news, author web pages anything you can get your hands on.
Stay on top of the industry. Please, look before you leap.
Educate yourself on what you’re getting yourself into. This
industry isn’t for the faint of heart.

Do your research. I wrote about drag queens in my book. I
spent a lot of time with a drag queen and he was very helpful
making sure I didn’t misrepresent that sector of the population
. I certainly didn’t want scores of drag queens out for my
head! That would just be weird.

ME – Change is constant in the publishing industry nowadays.
Put on your prognostication hat: What does publishing look
like 5 years from now and, perhaps more importantly, where
do you think authors fit in?

KM – I really do see the big 6 suffering in the long run. It’s
slow, and today’s world is fast paced. We get everything
on-demand nowadays and they just haven’t gotten on board.
We are going to have to sift through some self-published crap
to find the gems. Who knows, someone might not like my
work, and that’s ok. After all, you can be the tastiest green
apple in the world, but not everyone likes green apples. So
far I have received positive feedback and one 5 star rating on
Amazon! The reader even wrote a review that nearly made
me pee! (No one said I'd need diapers to be a writer ...
must. read. more.)

ME – Enough shoptalk! Tell us where we can find Taking
Control.

You can find it here: Barnes & Noble & Amazon

Paperback will be available shortly through CreateSpace.
If you want to be slightly disturbed and/or enticed,
TAKING CONTROL is for you.

Thanks again for having me! It’s been a pleasure.

ME - Pleasure is all mine. Best of luck to you in the future!

~EJW~

Will Amazon Change Our Taste for Words?

2011-10-02T19:24:00.001-05:00

It’s no great revelation that the ways in which we consumemedia and entertainment have changed over the last two decades. In the music industry, the concept of anentire album listening experience died several years ago at the hands ofindividual song downloads. This has led to a prevalence of artist creatingalbums full of HIT singles in place of albums comprised of songs that form acohesive whole. The days of high concept story albums—think Pink Floyd’s TheWall album, where the individual songs don’t necessarily stand on their own,but when listened to as whole become something essential and even beautiful—aremostly over. Sure, intrepid musicians will on occasion create ‘story’ albums,but the experience is lost on the average listener who shops from the iTunes top10 singles list.

Similarly, Hollywood is a machine driven by consumer demand,and that demand is for bite-sized entertainment. Modern blockbuster movies are longcommercials aimed at no one and everyone. They are designed to engage a broad audiencefrom moment to moment, as opposed to engaging an individual from beginning,middle, to end. The handful of films that dare to start a story in thebeginning and take a full 2 hours to finish are labeled as high concept and, ifthey’re fortunate enough to snag a big name in the lead role, might win a fewawards.

Please don’t misinterpret this as a shot at consumerism orsome heraldry for ‘the good old days’. While I enjoyed the good old days asmuch as anyone, I also like the freedom of being able to watch and listen towhat I want, when I want. The ability to do that is directly tied to the trendsin media consumption I mentioned above. Furthermore, I like a good popcornflick and lord knows I’ve got my share of top 10 singles on the old iGadget.

My point is that just like how we learn to enjoy differentfoods from childhood to adulthood as our flavor palette broadens, I think we(as consumers) have learned to ingest our media in different ways as technologyhas changed. We all have to accept that when change comes for a visit—no matterhow welcome it might be—it’s always going to bring along a few ugly cousins. Inthe end, there really isn’t much else to do but give them a comfy sofa to sleepon and hope they don’t steal the good silverware on the way out.

I’m thinking about all of this lately, because I see changeshappening in how we consume written media, and I’m left to wonder if it’s goingto similarly alter our taste for it. Amazon’s recent announcement of a sub-$100Kindle and a sub-$200 tablet reader have sent trimmers through the reading world. With the tablet, Amazon has clearlyput readers in their sites, similarly to how Apple put listeners in their siteswith the advent of iTunes/iPods. You see this tablet is going to be all thingsAmazon in terms of their video content offerings, music and eBooks. A veritablebuffet of entertainment options.

At first blush, it might not seem like such a big thing.After all, we have computers, iPads and other doodads that marry all forms ofentertainment onto one device. However, Amazon is certainly one of (if not THE) the top book retailers in the world (both paper and electronic) and up to this point no one has reallyattempted to give books equal space at the table with video and musicdownloads. Couple this with the rumorthat Amazon is contemplating a book rental service akin to Netflix where Kindleowners pay a flat monthly fee and are able to download as many books as theycare to read, and you’ve got the makings of full out assault on the bookbusiness.

In the effort of full disclosure, I’m mostly concerned withall of this from the standpoint of an author looking to build a seaworthy businessmodel (ship) prepared to navigate the unpredictable waters of modern-daypublishing. Many have theorized that the future of publishing is going to gothe way of short stories or serialized content as more and more folks turn tothe instant gratification/entertainment offered by all of these ‘connected’ gadgets.That certainly makes sense, especially in light of a giant retailer pushingwritten content right alongside its other electronic cousins (music andmovies). Plus let’s face it; the attention span of the average person just isn’twhat it used to be. Consequently, the idea of giving readers shorter readingexperiences that can be digested quickly makes some sense.

Over the next few weeks I’m going to do a couple of moreblogs on the topic, specifically thinking about what a ‘Netflix’ model mightmean for authors, and what impact it might have on storytelling. I’m going to try to answer questions I’mhaving, like: Is there a place for long-form fiction in the future? I hope you’ll come back and add yourthoughts. This is exploratory in nature, and I certainly don’t claim to havethe answers. As always, I’m just one guy thinking aloud.

More near in this blog’s future, in an attempt to get intothe mind of modern day authors, I’m going to begin running interviews withvarious independently published authors. Folks who are daring to carve their ownpath to publication, paths that many of us may be following in the years tocome. I think you’ll really enjoy hearing from these authors, both as readersand writers. They’re all super-smart, engaging and (most importantly) dedicatedto the craft. The first interview will bethis Wednesday with author, Kimberly Mullican, so please stop by and say hi. Also, if you’vepublished a story and would like to do an interview or a guest-post here on the Open Vein,please drop me a line in the comments, via e-mail or on Twitter and we’ll try to make it happen. I’d love to hear fromall of you.

~EJW~

I'm Not Dead Yet!

2011-09-23T10:43:00.003-05:00

HINT, HINT

Hey gang! Just wanted to give a quick shout to say I'm still alive and kicking. I've been traveling a lot over the last couple of weeks and have had family and friends in town to entertain, thus the blog neglect. I'll be back in full swing by mid-week next week. I've got some author interviews and other fun blog things I've been working on behind the scenes to share that I'm sure you're going to enjoy.

Until then, bonus cookies for anyone that can tell me where the title of this post is quoted from. Well, maybe not cookies, but you'll get a poop-ton of cool points!

Cheers!

~EJW~

Hell Hath Frozen

2011-09-09T12:49:00.001-05:00

No, it hasn't rained in Texas, I've just decided to do a blog award post! My old-time followers know that my blog award stance is thus: I'm exceedingly appreciative, but highly unlikely to do the little 'pass it forward' bit that most of the awards require. As such, I rarely accept awards as an actual blog post.

WHY?

Because I'm a massive jerk. Not really ... well, maybe. But the REAL reason why I don't do them is because I found them to be a ton of work and, while the intent is good, I've found that many bloggers consider them to be a burden.

I've actually given a 'No Strings Attached' award simply as a way of saying thanks, you're awesome, without burdening folks with telling us what kinds of underwear they prefer. (Which I'm about to do ... wait for it ...)

So why am I breaking tradition? Simple! 1) I've had a tremendous amount of bloggers-block this week. I've wanted to post something, but just couldn't figure out what. 2) Both of the awards I'm going to acknowledge today come from some very dear blog friends, and the award concepts/challenges are cool. 3) I do what I want!

Without further delay, the awards:

WHERE I TALK ABOUT UNDERWEAR (Told you to wait for it. PG-13)

Courtesy of Shelly at the Life of a Novice Writer blog. She's super sweet, and oh so funny. Don't believe me? Check out her underwear post.

What it's about: You answer a bunch of questions about underwear. Here we go ...

1. Do you have any commonly used nicknames for your underwear?

You mean like britches, banana hammocks, the Midnight Specials, the dungeons of fun or manhood-holsters? No, naming them would just be silly ...

2. Have you ever had that supposedly common dream of being in a crowded place in only your underwear?

I rarely have dreams, especially memorable ones. If did have one, I'd probably be more focused on being chased by leopard seals wearing clown masks while Ke$ha and Bieber fought to the death on a distant mountain top than my clothing (or lack thereof).

3. What is the worst thing you can think of to make underwear out of?

Easy. Chain mail or burlap.

Can you even imagine the chaffing?

4. If you were a pair of underwear what color would you be?

Eggplant or mother of pearl.

5. Have you ever thrown your underwear at a rock star or celebrity? If so, which ones? If not, which ones?

No. If they were made of chain mail I'd throw them at Bieber.

6. You’re out of underwear what do you do?

WWRD -- What Would Rambo Do?

7. Are you old enough to remember Underoos? If so, did you have any? Which ones?

Star Wars and Dukes of Hazzard. I thought the picture of the General Lee on the bum made me run faster.

8. If you could have any message printed on your underwear, what would it be?

Play nice or I'll take my balls and go home. That should probably be a bumper sticker on one of the gigantic pickup trucks I see driving around here in Texas.

9. How many bloggers does it take to put undies on a goat?

Seeing as how it would require the bloggers to leave the house, and we know how much bloggers hate sunlight, it might take quite a few.

WHERE I TALK ABOUT MYSELF

Courtesy of Julie of the What Else is Possible? blog. Julie is a tireless blogger, librarian and dog lover. i.e. FRAWESOME Go check her out. Now.

What it's about: It's called the 7X7 Blog Award and you're supposed to reference 7 posts from your own blog history according to the topics.

1. Most Beautiful:

While I'm not certain the word beautiful really applies to my blog, I'd have to list my Tragedy & Hope post as the most beautiful simply because it remembers a beautiful person. It was my attempt to juxtapose tragedy, like the loss of an aspiring YA author to cancer or the devastation caused by vicious tornados, with the beauty of living--no matter how briefly--a life undaunted.

2. Most Helpful:

I'm going to pick the post that has been the most helpful to me personally. It was my Q & R for Quiet Resolve A-Z Challenge post. I try to read it at least once every few weeks to remind myself that I wrote it, and that the words were truly meant.

3 & 4. Most Popular AND Most Controversial:

I certainly don't intensionally cause a ruckus, I just think out loud. As such, I have quite a few posts that might fall under the controversial heading. I've definitely lost my share of followers (gained way more than I've lost, though), and I have a sneaking suspicion that some traditionally published folks who once followed my blog no longer admit to knowing me because of my views on some of the trends in the publishing machine. One post in particular about the uproar over .99 cent eBooks seemed to cause the most stir--to the point that it is my all-time most viewed post. I got some less than flattering feedback behind the scenes on that one, but I'll say the vast majority of folks agreed with me.

5. Most Surprisingly Successful:

This is tricky, because I'm always a little surprised that anyone reads this stuff. That being said, hands down my BlogOholics Anonymous post was the most surprising. I did it as a spoof, as sort of a way of making an observation that the more frequently I posted, the fewer comments I seemed to get. It really struck a nerve and got picked up by a couple of popular content blogs.

6 & 7. Most Underrated and Most Prideworthy:

Occasionally my emotions get the best of me, and this is one time that I'm glad they did. I love young people. My teenage years were hard for me, and I think that makes me empathize with the demographic. I'm also a counselor by education, and have worked a ton with that age group, seeing firsthand how awful it can be. My post on the Teen Suicide epidemic is one I'm most proud of, one that I think everyone should read, and also one of my least viewed/commented on.

That's it! I probably won't do another one of these award things ... maybe ever. Please don't stop giving me awards, though! They truly make my week and keep me blogging. I know how much they mean to everyone, so I'm going to pass these on to, well, EVERYONE. I'd love to read your top 7 posts, and yes, even about your underwear habits if you care to share. Plus it's amusing blog filler.

So let us have it in the comments. If you accept one (or both) of these awards, blog them and then post the links here so we can all check them out. Or/also hit me up on Twitter and I'll re-Tweet your links. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

~EJW~

Telling a Story: A Journey Into the Dark?

2011-08-31T18:00:00.000-05:00

Credit

Poet and author Robert Frost once said, "I have never started a poem yet whose end I knew. Writing a poem is discovering."

It's an enlightening comment. If we scratch at it, unearthing some of the golden meaning hidden within, we could surmise that the poet felt as though expectations and goals were the death of creativity. That by circumventing the natural exploration of the words and emotions behind them, it would somehow strip the work of life. Direction being a fungus bound to overtake and stifle the energy *POWER* of the work.

In my own writing I've often found that I carry preconceptions about a story long before I get it drafted out. XYZ character needs to be of a certain type. She needs to meet certain objectives and obstacles. Readers will expect a certain amount of action. Readers won't care for that type of dialogue. On and on it goes.

It has left me wondering where these thoughts come from, and if they are good for storytelling at all.

A little reflection shows that these ideas of how a story should be told come from the collected information I've gathered on the craft over the years. Listening to other writers, courses in literature in college, trial and error, or 'How To' books and articles I've read have all contributed to my understanding of how one goes about writing a story.

I've also learned (somewhat subconsciously) quite a lot from my favorite reads. I never underestimate the influence of the words I read on the words I write. Imitation is only flattery if you're doing so on purpose, after all, so it's something I'm mindful of.

In terms of whether the impact on my writing has been positive or negative, I'd have to say it's kind of a mixed bag. I certainly believe there is value in understanding the basic constructs and principals of story telling. There is worth in plotting, for every adventure has a beginning and an end. To not know which is which can lead to waisted time and, worse still, losing the story entirely.

Unfortunately, I also think yearning for too much structure has at times sucked some of the marrow from my creative bones.

In the end, I side with Frost. I believe a story is truly told as you would navigate a cave with a lantern, which is to say a few steps at a time. The shadows swaying like beckoning ghosts at the edge of your light will sometimes yield a dead end, and other times open up into a cavern of unimaginable depth and beauty. If you only follow a plotted course, you risk missing out on the true wonders of trip.

In short: A story told can be good. A story explored can be great.

So what about you? Have you ever worried so much about maintaining structure that creativity has taken a backseat? Have you developed a way to have both in your writing? Do you write blind as Frost suggests?

~EJW~

What's Your Writing Kryptonite?

2011-08-26T13:39:00.002-05:00

If truth serum were poured into the collective margarita glasses of all writers, I think we'd quickly learn that there is some aspect of the craft that vexes each and every one of us. Be it an easy fix, like an unhealthy addiction to adverbs. Or slightly(see what I did there?) more complex issues with plotting, themes, etc. We all have the ONE thing.

My kryptonite? Onomatopoeia ... or rather the lack there of. I might be the worst phonetic speller in the known universe. And by worst I mean I do it all the time. I do many things by ear and tone that most would consider to be a blessing, like sing and play musical instruments. Unfortunately, I also spell by ear. Not a big thing, but a REALLY freaking annoying thing.

That's not to say I do all of the other writing things well, I just think spelling is one of my greatest foes. What's your thing? Do you rip your dialog straight from bad soap operas? Does your computer screen have more depth than your characters? Let's vent! :-)

~EJW~

WRITE ON: Best of CON

2011-08-19T12:39:00.001-05:00

"Best of Con" sounds like a rad Star Trek movie title, right?

"You missed the WOC? Your planet will suffer!!"

Hey gang! I know many of you participated in this weeks 2nd Annual Freaking-Awesome-FREE-Web-Writing-Conference-Supreme-Event, WriteOnCon. How do I know? Because I saw half of you poking around the live chats, and many of you said 'hello' to me on Twitter! (Super cool of you, btw.)

At any rate, I thought a few of you might have missed out and I wanted to do you a solid. While you can certainly mosey on over to the WriteOnCon website and look through all three days worth of awesome content at your leisure (they keep it all on the site), there's a ton of stuff to go through. So much, in fact, that it might take you three whole days to see/read it all.

Like all conferences, I found there to be many useful sessions, but also a few (very few) that were less useful. As such I've decided to pass on my 5 favorites to ease your already taxed schedule. Keep in mind that these are just my favorites (I've been through everything at the Con). There are dozens of great things I've not mentioned, so I'd recommend checking it out for yourself because, as they say, your mileage may vary.

5. PICK UP THE PACE - Author Tara Hudson offers up some straightforward tips and thoughts on story pacing. She also discusses her revision process, which I found very informative as well.

WHY YOU SHOULD READ IT: Tara is from my home state of Oklahoma. WINNING! Seriously, if you've ever needed a pointblank overview and understanding of what pacing is and why it works/doesn't, this is it.

QUOTE OF NOTE: "A compelling story, relatable characters, and a bewitching voice definitely don’t hurt a book. But the thing that will make your reader say “one more chapter” at 2 a.m. is pacing. It is your novel’s balance of description and dialogue, of back story and back-breaking action"

4. SPEAKING OF REVISION: Author Carrie Ryan explains why revision is your friend.

WHY YOU SHOULD READ IT: Carrie is very convincing when she says she was someone who originally hated doing revisions. If you've been in that boat, or if you're looking for a new way of getting it done, Carrie's got you covered.

QUOTE OF NOTE: "--some of the scenes I’d detested while drafting actually came out better than I expected and this taught me to push through the hard writing days because either (a) the writing isn’t as bad as you think or (b) you can fix it later."

3. TRADITIONAL VS SELF-PUBLISHING - AN AGENT'S TAKE: In a live chat, literary agent Sara Megibow weighs the pro/con of going it alone electronically or shacking up with a paper publisher. The link will take you to an area where you 'replay' the chat and read all of the comments.

WHY YOU SHOULD READ IT: This is a very touchy topic among writers, publishing business folks, agents, etc. and you just don't find many people willing to discuss it any kind of open way. Sara not only discusses it, but offers up some candid and balanced thoughts I think you'll want to read.

QUOTE OF NOTE: "I look at it as traditioanl publishing and self publishing are two different chains of distribution. A really, "2011" marketing plan would (for me as an agent at least) be to do both."

2. YOU CAN'T QUIT WRITING. EVER: Author Beth Revis illustrates why you have to continue to write even when you feel like you've given it your best shot.

WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH: She is a NYT bestselling debut author, and her level of sticktuitiveness is going to inspire you.

QUOTE OF NOTE: (When showing off a BIG stack of printed manuscripts.) "Here's the thing: I treated every single book like it was the one." Not one of them is published.

1. POWERFUL MEMORIES: Author/illustrator Alan Silberberg shares a very personal experience and explains how it help to fuel his creativity.

WHY YOU SHOULD READ IT: It'll remind you why it's so much more than writing or drawing or painting. It'll remind you of why we call it art.

QUOTE OF NOTE: " What happened really hit me for a loop because I started to doodle a memory about my father. I remembered how different he’d become after my mom died. I thought about how (the main character) Milo would also sense that difference and would be suffering from the loss of not one, but two parents."

I leave you with Uncle Rico. "WRITE ON, MAN. WRITE ON" Have a great weekend!

Uncle Rico Could Have Gone Pro
Napoleon Dynamite— MOVIECLIPS.com

A Stirring of the Soul

2011-08-17T16:25:00.001-05:00

From me to you ... One of my favorite artist ... Tonight, do something you were meant to do.

Feel it falling off like clothing
Taste it rolling on your tongue
See the lights above you glowing
Oh and breathe them deep into your lungs
It was always simple
Not hidden hard
You've been pulling at the strings
Playing puppeteer for kingsAnd you've had enough

But the search ends here
Where the night is totally clear
And your heart is fierce
So now you finally know
That you control where you go..you can Steer

So hold this feeling like a newborn
Oh and freedom surging through your veins
You have opened up a new door
So bring on the wind, fire and rain

It was always simple
Not hidden hard
You've been playing at a game
Called Remembering Your Name
And you've stuffed it up

Ohh..
And now you finally know
That you control where you go..you can Steer

Cause you've been listening for answers
Oh but the city screams
And all your dreams go unheard

Ohh..
Get out of the box
And step into the clear
Ohh..
So now you finally know you can.. Steer

~Missy Higgins~

Beta Reading = Better Writing

2011-08-14T13:14:00.000-05:00

I WISH ...

So it ends. I'm officially calling a halt to my summer blog slowdown. The heat and drought is making me crazy so I'm mentally ending my summer in an attempt to trick the world into forgetting it's August. Plus, I kind of miss all of you and your blogs!

I really appreciate those of you who've stuck around during my sporadic and infrequent postings the last couple of months. Promise you'll see more of me here and on your own blogs in the coming weeks.

Some of the tiny bit of writing work I've gotten done this summer has been in the form of beta reading. If you're a writer you're probably very familiar with the concept of beta reading. For the uninitiated, it's basically the process of finding your first (or early) readers for a story. The idea is to get feedback on the things that work--and the things that don't--and take it all back to the editing room.

It's also a means of creating a sort of 'idea trust' with a group of people who are interested in reading your work critically with the aim of making it the best it can possibly be. In that way, it really isn't (or shouldn't be in my estimation) strictly an evaluation of the writing quality or mechanics so much as a broad conceptualization of where/what the story is and what the story COULD be.

That isn't to say that writing quality doesn't or shouldn't play a part in the beta process. Sometimes bad writing gets in the way of a good story, plain and simple. As a reader if you can't get beyond errors in punctuation, funky sentence structure, etc. you'll likely never stick around long enough to find out if the story actually works.

Beta reading is an important part of giving a story strong legs to stand on. CREDIT

In the end, it's probably best to think of the beta process as if the story were a newborn foal trying to find its legs. It can see from the other horses around it what it wants to be, which is a colt or filly running, eating, playing and doing what horses do. Still, there is a gap between becoming the goal or vision and where the foal currently is (lying in a wet heap in the grass). It'll need some help to get to that point--probably in the form of an encouraging nuzzle or nudge from momma and the need to stand if it wants to eat. Just as learning to stand and walk is a fundamental part of a foal growing into a horse, getting feedback from early readers is crucial if you want the words and ideas you've slapped onto the screen to grow into a story.

Fortunately, there are lots of writers out there who've shared that essential little secret to writing success. In fact, you'll find people asking for and extolling the virtues of beta readers all over the WWW. What you won't find, however, are tons of people encouraging you to BE a beta reader. Well, people that aren't looking for beta readers that is. :-)

There are a few really good reasons why you'll find more people seeking beta readers than offering to be one, and they're things to seriously consider before you jump on board the Reading Railroad's Beta Express.

1) Beta reading is a time commitment--sometimes a big one: Granted, you're not generally going to be making line edits and going all 8th grade English teacher as a beta reader. However, you're going to have to read the story start to finish, and most likely twice to do it properly. I tend to be a slow-ish reader, especially when I'm reading critically, so I usually have to factor that in.

Then there is the matter of actually giving your feedback. Your style will largely dictate the time investment here. Some betas write it all up in a big summary e-mail covering major points, and not really going into great detail or specifics. That takes less time, but might not be the level of feedback desired or needed by the author. Other betas like to comment on every paragraph and go into considerable detail, going as far as to offer re-writing suggestions and story ideas (me). That takes much more time but can yield a more profitable experience for all of the parties involved, which I'll talk more about in a moment.

If time is an issue, you can always offer to read a few chapters at a time from a novel. Most people are willing to take any and all help they can get.

2) Beta reading takes skill: Anyone can read a story and tell you if they like it or not. It takes a certain level of skill and understanding of the craft to be able to articulate WHY you like it or not, especially in a way that someone else can apply. Like any skill, it takes practice to become a good beta reader, and it isn't necessarily easy to master.

3) You risk ticking people off: Getting and giving feedback on writing is a delicate business. Regardless of how well you gird yourself, hearing that your story isn't perfect (or maybe even good *cringe*) stings. Chances are if you've been asked to be a beta reader you've already formed some kind of relationship with the author, probably a good one, and there is a measure of risk involved if you have to share your honest bad news. Shoot, the news doesn't have to be THAT bad to ruffle feathers. This factors into the skill acquisition point in #2, but even if you've mastered the art of the gentle critical analysis, you still might not be asked to help out the next time if your thoughts aren't well received.

4) It's a fine line between under and overqualified: If you beta read enough, no matter your skill as a reader or writer, you'll run into a story so awesome and well-written that you'll instantly feel you can't offer anything of substance to the author other than 'great! great! great!' We all know that's not what the author wants to hear, because no story is perfect and they wouldn't have come to you just to get fluffy pink feedback--otherwise they'd have just had their moms read it. Similarly, you'll read stories you'll barely be able to make it through. The author didn't come to you be told to give up on writing, they came to you for help and growth. Navigating the different levels of the various authors is tricky and never gets easier.

SO WHY BETA READ WHEN IT SOUNDS LIKE SO MUCH WORK AND HASSLE?

Beta reading is unquestionably demanding, but there are some big time reasons why you (the writer) should be lining up to do it outside of simply helping out a friend or cohort in need.

1) Developing a critical and understanding eye: I believe you learn how to write by reading. Technically, every book you read for fun is going to help you become a better writer. Even still, beta reading will allow to go to new levels of understanding. As a beta, you try to catch all of the good and the bad. You break a story apart instead of devouring it. Kind of like taking a watch apart, once you see all of the pieces spread out before you you'll have a much better idea of why it works or why it doesn't. It's a forest for the trees thing, and nothing is better at helping you develop an eye for it than being a beta.

2) Learn new tricks: There are a lot of doggone good writers out there, and you can ~~steal~~ learn from every single one of them. Some of the biggest leaps I've made in my own writing have come via critiquing others and seeing how they approach things in different ways. From plot to characterization, I add something new to my toolbox almost every time I beta read.

3) By learning to give feedback, you also learn how apply it: Nothing prepares you for the beta process as an author like participating as a reader. I mentioned above that feedback stings. As you work as a beta reader you learn to consider how feedback will be taken, and in turn how it might be applied. At some point in the writing process you have to get feedback. I'd suggest learning how to give it first, and THEN learning how to take it.

So what are you waiting for? Offer to beta read for someone, and I promise you'll see positive results in your own writing. Plus you'll get some seriously good writing karma when it comes time for you to fish for your own betas.

Official mascot of writers everywhere. CREDIT

~EJW~

Goodbye Harry Potter - A Love Story

2011-07-21T18:40:00.000-05:00

Howdy folks! I've been on a once a week blog cycle this summer, and while I've certainly missed the catharsis involved in sharing my thoughts with you fine people on a more frequent basis, I must say it has alleviated some of the bulge in my 'to do' list. I'll get back to my regular 3-ish postings a week at some point, but to be honest I'm kind of enjoying stretching my legs a bit.

I previously posted about the runaway summer I've been having, and was relieved (in a morbid sinking ship kind of way) to see how many of you were experiencing a similar amount of 'nuts'. In conclusion, I think it's just the season to get distracted.

Perhaps the single biggest indication of just how much my time has gotten away from me this year was my delay in getting to the newest (and last) Harry Potter movie. You see, over the last 9 years I've managed to be at the theater on opening night for the previous 6 films. I missed the opening for the first film because I had no idea who or what a Harry Potter was, and I couldn't have told you the difference between a muggle and a mud cat. Ultimately, I decided the movie might be worth a shot after a couple of weeks worth of strong recommendations from friends and coworkers.

ONE NIGHT IN HOGWARTS ...

I can still remember that night vividly in my mind. The girl who would soon become my wife asked if I could make an evening showing after classes, and of course I agreed. In retrospect it was never really a decision, because 1) I was crazy about her and would have agreed to drive to the moon to fetch lemonade if she'd have asked it of me, and 2) I was--and still am--in love with the big screen too. I'll watch just about anything once.

I recall walking up to the theater holding her hand and suddenly letting it drop as I saw a line of a couple dozen people formed outside our tiny cinema. It was two weeks out from opening night and there were still droves of people (keep in mind we attended college in a VERY small town) lining up to watch it! "This must be some kind of story," I thought as we finally were allowed in to find a seat.

AN UNKNOWN LOVE

Backtracking a bit, you should know that I was not a big reader at that point in my life--at least not fiction. In my teens I'd become a pretty BIG fan of Stephen King and spent a fair amount of my time nose-in-book. Unfortunately, when I started college I put away the fun reads for textbooks. That trend continued all the way through grad school and the first Harry Potter film.

You should also know (for the sake of this story) that my wife and I were somewhat star-crossed in the love falling department. We first met in May of that year (2001), I asked her to marry me just shy of two months later. As we lay on her tiny dormitory bed listening to Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong sing a duet, the idea came to my mind that I'd never be able live another day without her, so I asked if she'd make sure that never happened. She thought I was joking, of course, but thankfully said yes.

That might sound crazy to you, and in hindsight I'd probably agree that it was, but there really wasn't much else for us to do BUT get married. I'm not exaggerating when I say that we had EVERYTHING in common. It was like we'd been walking on opposite sides of the same road our entire lives completely unaware that the other person was there. All of a sudden we found ourselves in the middle of the road staring at each other. From that point on, continuing to wander that road alone no longer seemed like an option.

When Harry rolled around, I'd found the hidden love of my life only months before. Little did I know that I was about to rediscover a lost love, and gain a new one all in the same magical evening.

A MUGGLE NO MORE

"We have to get the books," my wife said on the drive home. The next day we had all four and began to tackle the hardest part of any relationship: sharing. Luckily she wanted to read the first one to see if the movie matched the book, and I was already eager to start the second to find out what happened next. Who knows, if she'd have wanted to start with book 2 we might not be celebrating our tenth anniversary next year!

I read the next 3 books in a week. I'm not a fast reader, and keep in mind that I hadn't read much of anything in the way of fiction in years. Suddenly I found myself in love with reading again, and all of it thanks to some kids' books about wizards. I also started to see some of the children I worked with at the counseling agency reading them. Naturally, I explored what value they were getting from them. Seems that these kids, many of whom had absolutely awful home lives, could really relate to this orphaned boy who was terribly mistreated by his adopted family. It was escapism of the highest importance, in my eyes.

That's when I decided I'd like to be able to write those kinds of stories. Stories that could make adults remember the fun of reading, and stories that could truly mean something for people without much else to hold on to.

A TEARFUL GOODBYE

Nearly ten years later, last night I once again clutched the girl's hand in a darkened theatre as we watched the opening credits of a new Harry Potter film. Only this time I knew it was the last. I squeezed her hand and asked, "You going to make it through this?" Only half-joking, because I knew what it meant for her as well.

We fell in love with Harry in much the same way we did with one another. It was instantaneous, inexplicably familiar and lasting. Our relationship has evolved with Harry, and so many of our fondest memories together have come at his wand. Staying up all night to purchase (and read) each new book, laughing at the costumes people wore to the theaters, snuggled together in blankets on rare free weekends to re-watch the movies, and hashing out the meanings and relevance of the books over countless dinners. That's not to mention the number of friends we've made just because we had a shared love of Mr. Potter.

Like so many others, to us Harry Potter has been much more than a book or film franchise. Harry Potter has been a companion in our lives. He has marked the passing of time and provided us with a lifetime of special moments to look back on. Trying my best to sum it up, I'd say Harry Potter has proven to me that sometimes the journey truly is the destination.

~EJW~

HELP! I've been hit by a runaway summer!

2011-07-12T11:43:00.003-05:00

Hey folks! Ever feel like life just darted by and you somehow managed to snag its tail only to end up being dragged through the dirt, thistle and mud? Yeah, it's like that for me right now.

I wish this were my summer ... CREDIT

Sadly, it's more like this. CREDIT

This summer has been crazy busy, and most of it not by design. Last minute trips, visitors, appointments, dysfunctional air conditioning, etc. have left me sifting through the rubble of my seemingly once ample free time. Now, as I sit scratching myself with the proverbial shards of my broken ambitions (Holla at your boy, Job! Sorry, vague biblical reference. :-), I see it's mid-July and I have two more trips out of town before the month ends. *cue Bella Swan eye roll*

At any rate, this is more of just a check in to see how YOUR summer is going? Getting good writing done? Lots of family time? Need a drink, preferably stiff? Have you attended any writing related workshops or conferences? Have a book coming out? Read anything awesome?

Also, what do you think about the new Blogger dashboard design? I about flipped because it was so naked I thought all of my stuff was gone! I'm digging how it clearly displays page views, though. (In a morbid 'watching a car crash' kind of way.)

Let me have it in the comments so I can hopefully live through your exciting summer exploits!

~EJW~

A Game of Groans - Harsh Writing Lessons From George R. R. Martin

2011-07-07T17:38:00.000-05:00

Don't let the fact that he looks like Santa fool you. He's probably killing your favorite character, and not checking a list.

Howdy gang! Hope you're all doing well, and not nursing burns from the heat and/or fireworks. Not much posting for me this week and last week due to the holiday, travel, etc. I have been reading, though.

Specifically, I've had my nose buried in my eReader devouring George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. The newest book in the notoriously slow-to-birth (A Game of Thrones, the first in the series, was published in 1996, and he's just now to book 5!) set arrives next week, and I want to be all caught up and ready to dive in as soon as the download warms my hard-drive.

The books first grabbed my attention when HBO announced several months ago that a television show based on the novels was forthcoming. I'm a huge fan of HBO original series. From Rome to True Blood, they consistently offer some of the best production values, acting and entertainment in all of TV. Books ALWAYS being better than their visual interpretations--yes, like mountains being tall and heavy, it's a fact--I wanted to be sure to read the stories before I started watching the show. Nothing worse than a bad show spoiling a good book, right?

These stories came with the reputation of being some of the best in fantasy writing since The Lord of the Rings, so my expectations were sky high. They didn't disappoint. Like Tolkien/LOTR, G.R.R. Martin grounds the fantastical elements of the story with richly crafted histories and exceptionally detailed and realistic settings. So much so that you often forget you're reading fiction. In many ways the books are more akin to reading political history from a textbook than reading about dragons and such. Now, that might not sound like a formula for entertainment, but when that political history involves some of the most colorful, deadly and unseemly characters to ever grace fiction--well, let's just say there's never a dull moment.

Warring families, ruthless enemies, dragons, zombie-like creatures, love, friendship and death (LOTS of death ... but I'll get to that) are all commonplace in Ice and Fire. At times it's like reading a soap opera with swordplay, and other times they read like the classic 'buddy movie' Stand By Me, except there are dragons and giant wolves in place of a dead bodies and town ruffians. There's plenty to offer for just about every kind of reader, but that isn't to suggest the books are perfect.

Many have taken the author to task for his callus treatment of beloved characters, his penchant for dragging a story out, and for pulling a few punches with chapter transitions. In fact, I'd suggest a few rules to keep while reading the Ice and Fire books.

First, never expect to have anything TRULY resolved. Sure, certain plot points will work themselves out, but it typically just creates ten more. The books always end with major questions and characters dangling in the wind, and most of the chapters do as well.

She's cute, but she'll probably be the next to die. That's what happens when you play the game of thrones. :-( credit

Second, never--EVER--get attached to a character. Nor should you believe conventional storytelling wisdom will prevail as it relates to endearing characters sticking around for the reader's sake. Martin will focus on a character for three books, making you think the series hinges upon them in the process, and then kill them with the swift swipe of a broadsword as if they weren't there at all. I can't tell you how many times I've had re-read a few paragraphs at the end of a chapter or scene to actually get my brain to register that a character actually died. It's that shocking! Absolutely no one is safe, which is both compelling and utterly frustrating. Seriously, some of the stuff he pulls would be the story equivalent of killing off Han Solo at the end of the first Star Wars movie. Martin is that bold, and that cruel, of a storyteller.

Lastly, disregard all that you know about the natural flow of storytelling. Lots of authors have mined the open-ended chapter/scene closure with varying degrees of success. If done properly, a cliffhanger can prompt the reader to stay up way past their bedtime to figure out what has happened. (Stieg Larsson's Dragon Tattoo books come to mind.) If overused, it can feel like a gimmick or lazy storytelling. Dan Brown comes to mind as an example of the cliffhanger abuser. It might read something like this:

James opened the door only to find a gun in his face! -end scene-
-next chapter- "What a cute water pistol you have there, Billy," James said, opening the door further so the child could scuttle by.

Not cool, DB. Not cool at all. So long as you follow through, I personally feel there's nothing wrong with leaving the reader on the hook. In fact, it's usually a sign of darn good writing. I find Martin's storytelling to be a mixed bag on this front. On the one hand, when he leaves a character in great peril or facing some momentous discovery, the stakes typically stay high when you resume. A good thing. On the other, you might have to read half of the book to find out what happened. Not always a good thing, because you can sometimes forget why it was important in the first place.

Judging by his fan base and the rate at which I'm devouring his words, it's safe to say that Martin does way more right than wrong. As such, I think he offers some excellent--if a bit extreme--examples to those of us who study the craft.

First, I'm not sure you can ever be too cruel to your characters. If the story demands they meet an awful end, have everyone they know die in exceptionally cruel ways, or simply remain oblivious to the freight-train bearing down on them, it's probably the right thing to do. You'll just have to figure out how to make it work. (That's what writers do, right?)

Second, never be afraid to leave the reader with questions--even at the very end. I mentioned my preference for words over film earlier, and I think the magic that makes it so is the ability to fill in the gaps a written story leaves with my own images, thoughts, etc. Due to the compact nature of a film, almost everything has to be expressed overtly. Books have no such limitations. In fact, it's often best to leave certain details to a reader's imagination. It kind of goes against a storyteller's instincts to NOT tell, but the best authors know how to do it, and do it well.

Lastly, never underestimate the reader's patience. I know I'm personally guilty of trying to guess what a reader will and won't tromp through to get to the good stuff. Sometimes you just have to tell a story the way a character would live it. That might not be as expedient as killing them off when they've served their purpose, and you might also risk ticking off a reader who feels they've invested in a character only to have them yanked away. However, you're the storyteller, and if it makes the story better it's probably worth the risk.

If it is written well and I'm confident that I'll be rewarded with an excellent story, I've learned I'll stick with just about all of the hijinks and devilry an author can unleash. So I guess more than anything Martin has taught me to be bold with my ideas and words, because in the end the struggle really does make the story. Even for the reader.

~EJW~

Author Interview - L. Carroll

2011-07-02T08:00:00.001-05:00

Howdy gang! I'd like to introduce author L. Carroll to the Open Vein. It was a real honor to be able to interview her as part of the "400 Hours to 400 Days" blog party. You can learn more about it HERE. We talked about her newest book, Four Hundred Days, her experiences as an Indie author, and writing/publishing in general. I think you're going to easily see why I'm now one of her biggest fans. (She's a Harry Potter fan, need I say more?) Enjoy!

E.J. - Welcome to the O.V., L.C.! :-)

L.C. - Hello E.J., and thanks so much for having me! I'm honored to be here on The Open Vein blog and want to sincerely thank you for taking your time to host the "Four Hundred Hours to Four Hundred Days" blog party!

E.J. - The good stuff first. Tell us about your books, Lor Mandela – Destruction from Twins and the forth coming Lor Mandela – 400 Days (July 15).

L.C. - Well, let's see… "Destruction from Twins" is about the far away world of Lor Mandela which is facing full-scale obliteration, due to the selfish acts of a twin enchantress. There is only one person able to save it -- a young girl named Audril Borloc -- but when she vanishes shortly after her fourth birthday, all hope seems lost.

In a desperate effort to save themselves, a group of Lor Mandelan spies travel to Earth in search of the little girl with black hair and blue eyes, traits that on Lor Mandela are exclusive to Audril's ruling family. Instead, they find sixteen-year-old Maggie Baker. While the age difference between the girls is obvious, Maggie has the Borloc traits, so the spies conclude that she MUST be Audril. Following a strange incident at her bedroom window, Maggie begins bouncing back and forth between her boring hometown of Glenhill, Iowa, and the not-so-boring lands of Lor Mandela, where she comes face-to-face with a ferocious two headed monster, is abducted by a lawless clan of Shadow Dwellers, and falls head-over-heels for the son of an evil dictator. As Lor Mandela nears death, Maggie discovers that uncovering the truth about Audril's disappearance and stopping the destruction of this mystical world may depend entirely on her.

Book #2 in the series, "Four Hundred Days" continues Audril's story later in her life. (I suppose that's a bit of a spoiler…yes, she gets found in the first book). She goes to Earth to save one of her dearest friends from a power hungry tyrant who has begun systematically obliterating towns and cities to get her to turn herself over to him.

On Earth, she meets a wildly eccentric old lady named Teedee Venilworth whose imaginary butler/fiancé supposedly holds the key to her success. But how can someone help if he doesn't exist?

This book is an action-packed whirlwind of intrigue and fantasy that takes the reader to the haunted corridors of Alcatraz Penitentiary, an ancient castle on the cliff shores of Ireland, and to the picturesque Northern High Forests of Lor Mandela, where friends can become foes; enemies can turn into allies; and just because someone dies, it doesn’t always mean that they’re dead.

The series is technically listed as Young Adult Fantasy, but I've received some very nice compliments from twelve year olds as well as sixty-five year olds, so the young adult classification is a little loose.

As to my inspiration…it began as a dream about an epic battle where a young woman was kicking some major booty, despite being heavily outnumbered. Just as the battle turned ugly, she raised her sword into the air and yelled out a cryptic phrase, and everyone around her disappeared. The battle now only encompasses one chapter, and it's not even the first one in the first book, but that was the starting point for the Lor Mandela Series.

E.J. - Sounds like my kind of story, which is to say unbelievably fun and exciting! Most of The Open Vein's audience are writers or are interested in the craft. Can you tell us about your writing process, and maybe some of the writing challenges/successes of the Lor series?

L.C. - If you've ever read my blog posts, you've probably gathered that I'm slightly wacky. (E.J. - So are all of my followers, so you're in good company!) There are a couple of quirky things I do when I write. First of all, if I'm in a blasé or grumpy mood, I have to put on my "crazy lady glasses". They're these absolutely horrible, plastic-rimmed, white, pointy things with no lenses. They always make me feel goofy and light-hearted. I can't write unless I'm in a good mood…even the dark chapters!

The other thing that I do (which my kids all dread, especially if I'm wearing the glasses) is act out every scene before I write it. I do this to make sure that the story flows in a believable, realistic way. Let me tell ya, this does wonders for writer's block!

My biggest challenge, I think, is finding the exact, perfect word that I'm looking for. It's so frustrating to me to know what I want to say, and not be able to say it. Thank heavens for thesauruses! I don't know how any author can write effectively without one, (and/or "crazy lady glasses")

As far as successes go, every time someone tells me that they enjoyed reading my book, it's a success. There's nothing better than a glowing review. I had one that even likened "Destruction from Twins" to the Harry Potter books! That was a great day!!!

E.J. - I think it's very cool that you're so into your process. I've said many times that I think it's important to be able to conjure the writing mood if you're truly serious about getting better. Great authors don't write when the feel like it. Tell us a little about your reading and writing background. What are your favorite reads? How did you get into writing?

L.C. - I have such eclectic tastes; I enjoy books from several varied genres. I adore the classics… Austen, Lewis, Lawrence and Bronte (both of 'em). I devoured the Harry Potter Novels, and that's just the first time I read them! I love a good ghost story (as long as it's believable), and I read a lot of great motivational non-fiction as well.

I've never really had any formal (beyond high school) writing instruction, but I've always been a story teller. The dream that I mentioned before is really what started me writing. When I woke up the following morning, I remember thinking, "That dream would make an awesome movie scene…or a great basis for a book." The very next thought to pop into my head was, "I wonder if I could write a book." As they say, the rest is history.

E.J. - More proof that the great writers are great readers! Many of my followers are very interested in the booming Indie author scene, and the massive change the publishing industry is undergoing. (Let's talk about the 500 lbs gorilla in the room, shall we? :-) Tell us your thoughts on the shift from the traditional publishing method of write/query/agent/editor/publish/rinse/repeat to the DIY method.

L.C. - I think it's terrific that self-publishing is taking off. I've gone down the traditional road of querying agents until I was blue in the face. The fact of the matter is that these poor agents (and publishers) can't keep up with the demand.

I'm guessing that the story of a homeless gal who wrote seven books about a boy wizard, and who now holds a spot on Forbes' list of billionaires may have contributed. With success stories such as this, is it any wonder that there are so many authors now? As long as there are tales the likes of J.K. Rowlings' and Stephenie Meyers' I doubt this trend will slow. True, their both traditionally published, but one of these days (no doubt soon), the story will belong to an indie author…I'm positive!

Yeah, there are pros and cons. The first pro to self-publishing is that you retain the rights to your work. This is a big one, and the reason I ultimately chose to self-publish! Manuscript changes, movie or television rights, available formats…as a self-published author you make the call.

Typically, royalty percentages are better as a self-published author, and you'll see your finished book much quicker than if you go the traditional route.

On the flip side, because you're in charge, you are your own marketing/publicity department, (unless you pay to hire one). If selling your book is your objective, you must be prepared to pound the pavement and the computer keys…a lot!

The other drawback to self-publishing is one that I hope the current trend will smash. It is the general perception that indie authors are "rejects" or sub-standard authors. Many indie authors are phenomenal at what they do, and I've read some traditionally published books that weren't worth the paper they were printed on. I think we'll know when the trend stops being a trend and becomes the norm when indie author isn't a term we use anymore. If someone has a published work, they'll simply be called an author, regardless of the road they took. (E.J. - PREACH IT, SISTER!)

E.J. - Can you offer any tips for writers who might be considering a career as an Indie author?

L.C. - Absolutely! First, get a great editor! Even if you’re a spelling stud or a grammar guru, you'll miss stuff. Not only that, you've developed your story and it makes perfect sense to you, but will it make sense to someone who is looking at it for the first time? In my opinion, a good editor is the difference between a polished, professional book and one that looks homemade. Traditionally published authors have editors, and so should you!

Second, do your research! There are plenty of companies out there that will take your money to turn you into a published author, but if you haven't done your research, they might just take a lot of your money! You can spend anywhere from a few dollars to a few thousand dollars to self-publish. (I prefer the first option). Check with other authors and get their feedback. Find out what services companies offer, (ebook publishing, distribution channels, royalty percentages, hard cover availability, printing options, etc.) to make sure they fulfill your needs. Oh, and if a self-publishing company (sometimes called a vanity press) says they'll market your book, be leery! From what I've heard, (and experienced *blush*), you're not going to get much of a bang for your buck where that's concerned!

E.J. - Back to the good stuff! Tell us where we can find the Lor Mandela books, and give us three reasons why they should be the next books on our TBR (To Be Read) list. (Hey, we ask the TOUGH questions here on The OV! :-)

L.C. - Oh my goodness! You certainly do! Right now, "Destruction from Twins" is available in paperback at http://www.amazon.com/Lor-Mandela-Destruction-Twins-Book/dp/0615481752/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1309238407&sr=8-3 or https://www.createspace.com/3602036

It's available in ebook formats at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/55880 or http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lor-mandela-destruction-from-twins-l-carroll/1031162349?ean=2940011287046&itm=1&usri=lor%2bmandela

"Four Hundred Days", will be available on July 15th at both CreateSpace.com and Smashwords.com, and will be available on Amazon, B&N, and a bunch of other websites about 2-3 weeks later.

Here are the reasons you should read "Lor Mandela - Destruction from Twins" and "Lor Mandela - Four Hundred Days"!

Reason #1 (Amazon Review) "It has romance, action, adventure and so many twists and turns all rolled into one. What a great book!"

Reason #2 (Goodreads Review) "Lor Mandela is a captivating world that I enjoyed escaping into. Everything this world has to offer is something I loved being a part of."

Reason #3 (Goodreads Review) "I was drawn in from just reading the summary and then when I started reading the book, wow. Let me tell you this is such a wild ride from beginning to end."

Hopefully you'll forgive me for cheating a little here! When I say these things, it's bragging. It just sounds better coming from someone else. From my heart though, I hope you enjoy reading any and all of my books! Thanks again for this interview! It's been a pleasure!

E.J. - Thank YOU for sharing so much with us! I truly wish you all of the success in the world, and I know you've made a few more fans today!

Agents as Publishers - Round 2

2011-06-29T17:48:00.001-05:00

**UPDATE** Another article on the agents as publishers debate popped up today, and I wanted to share. Monster eBook distributor Smashwords posted THIS on their blog today. As always, Smashwords founder Mark Coker has some interesting things to say.

Hey Peeps! A few weeks back I posted THIS little diatribe discussing the implications of literary agents getting into the self-publishing game buy helping authors DIY it. I used the example of a YA author who recently teamed with a popular lit agency to get her book out there in electronic form. The agency provided editing, cover design, and other support functionality that publishers typically provide to authors, all for the customary agency rate of 15% of the profits.

I reasoned that so long as you're not paying them up front, it seemed like a good arrangement. There were a lot of interesting replies to that post, and a few of them strongly disagreed with my personal opinion that it wasn't necessarily a bad thing for authors.

Today I read THIS ARTICLE on popular Legacy-turned-Indie author J.A. Konrath's blog. He and thriller author Barry Eisler (also a Legacy-turned-Indie) seem to echo my sentiments, but from a much more educated perspective. It's definitely worth a read if you're considering looking for an agent that would support you self-publishing your work.

I'd also recommend reading it if you think agents getting into the publishing game is foolhardy. Konrath and Eisler make a compelling and balanced argument.

That's it for today! I'm going to be sharing an interview I recently conducted with Indie author L. Carroll in a couple of days. (I'll post it on July 2nd, to be exact.) We'll be discussing her new book (Four Hundred Days), FYI on writing a series, AND talking about the whole ePublishing 'thang'. You won't want to miss it!

Until then, happy writing!

~EJW~

Rated E for Everyone? We need ratings, not regulation.

2011-06-27T18:37:00.001-05:00

**UPDATE** Hey gang, just came across this article that takes aim at a popular book for its perceived violent attitude toward kids. Thought it was an interesting addendum to this conversation.

Howdy folks! I've been away from the computer/blog for the last few days attending a wedding, so I hope you're all well. I left South Texas hot and dry and, unfortunately, I found it unchanged upon my return. I think it's interesting how some things seem so prone to change--like weather, moods and gas prices--and other things are so resistant. Societal and cultural values are often some of the most resistant, I've noticed.

The Supreme Court ruled today that the state of California cannot prohibit minors from purchasing violent video games. The issue stemmed from a previous law made by the state which would fine retailers up to $1,000 if they sold violent games to children of a certain age. You can read more about it HERE.

The ruling basically keeps the purchasing decision in the hands of parents and the young people they give money to. Strictly regulating the content of video games isn't a new phenomenon, but it's a relatively new legal battle for the United States. Australia has had one of the strictest censorship programs in the western world for quite some time now. (You can read about it HERE.) The issue of violent games and their influence over the young people who play them has been broached before in the U.S., but no state had made any real attempt to legally regulate it until California.

It's no secret that I love video games. My generation was the first--starting with Atari--to grow up with a video game console in most households. I've seen the death of gaming as a niche form of entertainment, and its rebirth as the largest entertainment industry in the world. In 2009 video games earned more money than movies (all combined sales). Video games have multi-million dollar production costs and are only gaining in popularity as the generation that grew up enjoying them as kids have moved into adulthood and (surprise!) are still loving them.

Even still, I'm sure you're wondering why I'm talking about a video game law on a writing blog.

In the Supreme Court's ruling, Justice Antonin Scalia cited literature as a precedent for not meddling in in the lives of children's entertainment as it pertained to violence. Here's a quote from the article linked above: "Citing examples of violence in classic children’s literature like Grimm’s Fairy Tales and Lord of the Flies Justice Antonin Scalia said a state's right to protect minors, 'does not include a free-floating power to restrict the ideas to which children may be exposed.' Scalia noted that 'this country has no tradition of specially restricting children’s access to depictions of violence,' citing a longrunning history of attempts to restrict violence in movies and comic books."

Movies have long been regulated. There are ratings, and theaters are 'supposed' to adhere to them. Rated R means Restricted, and no one under the age of 17 is allowed to watch unless they are accompanied by an adult. What gets you an R rating? Nudity and sex. Language and violence alone won't do it in most cases. Many other countries around the world view nudity and sex as lesser evils when compared to stabbing and shooting, but not the U.S. Here, boobies = bad and bullets = borderline.

It should also be pointed out that video games carry ratings too. Just not all of them. Only the most violent and provocative games carry the dreaded M rating (for mature), and retailers are at liberty to restrict (or not) purchase accordingly. In truth, the rating is more for parents than retailers.

Fans of freedom of choice, and those who hate censorship, will applaud the Court's decision. It clearly keeps state governments from putting social blinders on young people, and keeps the ball in the parent's court. They'll argue that censorship is a slippery slope and that, if allowed, we soon won't have control over what our children do or see if even one such law is allowed. On the other hand, parents who have kids sneaking to their friends house to steal cars and shoot prostitutes in the latest Grand Theft Auto game aren't quite so excited. They'll argue that seeing violence on TV and taking control of a character and acting out that violence are two very different things. That simulating the bashing of someone to death with a baseball bat is something no child should be allowed to do, regardless of what their parents think.

This brings me back to books. There is clearly a parallel in terms of both games and books providing entertainment of the 'made up' variety to people of all ages. Many readers and writers are quick to raise the hackles when people start talking about limiting access to certain types of literature due to content. I've done it here on this blog when religious bozos started banning books in Missouri on the basis of implied immorality and raciness. Are video games THAT different? Can we abhor censorship in our favorite form of entertainment, but not in others? You can see from Justice Scalia's statement above, other people are already making the correlation.

I'm most definitely not in favor of censorship. I do think the choices should be left up to parents and other responsible adults. However, I also think we should make it easier to make those choices. No parent should have to play every video game their kid brings home start to finish just to see if it's too violent. Nor should they be expected to read every book their child reads. Once they hit 9 or 10 and start reading 3 books a week like my nephew, that ceases to be a viable option for most busy parents. Apply a ratings system with easy to understand and clearly stated guidelines.

Ratings prevent censorship, not encourage it. If every video game was clearly rated for certain content, laws like the one in California could never be made. There could never be an argument for the 'unsuspecting child or parent'. It's written on the box, you knew what you were getting into. If a store allows your kid to buy a game that's over the suggested age, don't shop there any more. The same applies for books. Don't want your kids reading about making out? Put a notice on their library account.

The more I see issues like this make it all the way to the highest courts, the more I get nervous about the future when it comes to access to great works of literature (like Speak and Huck Finn), and even classic video games that I'd like to someday share with my kids. (How long until someone deems Zelda as too violent for all of that sword play, or too tawdry for all that Princess smooching?) Particularly in the book world, our attitudes toward censorship have been way too reactive as opposed to proactive. I think it's time for that to change.

~EJW~

Cool Tool for Writers

2011-06-22T18:54:00.000-05:00

Credit

Hey gang! Going to keep this short and sweet today ...

I stumbled across this extremely interesting and (probably) useful little tool the other day and wanted to share it with you fine folks.

Every writer has their own personal brand of crack when it comes to overusing words and phrases. Some love "the" others "however", and I personally find it ridiculous how many times I can use the phrase "she couldn't" in a single short story. Anywho, I found a little gadget to help you find your word crutch and kick its verbose little tush.

CLICK ME, I'M FRIENDLY AND COOL

Basically, you just copy/paste whatever text you want it to analyze into the little box and it spits out all of this crazy data. It'll tell you the number of sentences you use, how many syllables were used, the most frequently used phrases (starting with 8 words and going down), and even provide a list of every single word you used and count how many times it appears. Is there ever REALLY a need to have the word plethora in a work of fiction? I think not ...

Apparently I have a real thing for the word "the", because in the sample I used it popped up 698 times! (nearly 5% of the words used) Seriously, it's like I'm stuttering with my keyboard or something. I thought you might find some practical use for it, or maybe just use it as an excuse to not do laundry or something.

Hope you're all well!

~EJW~

.99 Cent Books = Armageddon???

2011-06-19T20:00:00.000-05:00

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Salutations compadres! I've been poked and prodded so much in the last week that I'm starting to feel like 'The Catch of the Day' at the local fish market. That's right, I went to the doctor! Heck, they even let me run on a treadmill ...

I couldn't help but identify with a lab rat when they started greasing me up and sticking wires all over my chest. Seriously, an alien autopsy would probably have been less invasive. A good time it was not. Maybe that's why my feathers got all ruffled when I thought about today's topic.

I keep reading ... and keep reading ... AND KEEP READING about the scourge of the .99 cent book. Those of you who are in the ePublishing Circle of Trust will immediately know what I'm talking about. Those of you outside the Circle might not, so let me catch you up.

Pay attention, Focker. credit

(I'm going to simplify ~~a little~~ a lot, but there are lots of little linkable words and phrases if you want to learn more.)

A little while back a small family-run Internet retailer named FREAKING AMAZON--I heard they got their start as shoe cobblers--decided they would let any old author upload their books for free to be sold on their site in electronic fashion. Amazon, by this point, had officially become the largest retailer of paper books on the planet. In short: Readers knew Amazon. Readers trusted Amazon.

Coincidentally, Amazon had also popularized the eReader with their snazzy little device, Kindle. For the historians out there, they released it in November, 2007 @ $399 US. I say "popularized", because the Kindle wasn't the first eReader, it just happened to be the first REALLY consumer friendly one in both price and function. (Yes, they were once MORE expensive than $399.) Amazon had also become THE place to purchase eBooks--the things you read on an eReader. Convenient? I think so.

At the point authors were invited to share their wares on Amazon, eReaders were still relatively niche gadgets. A little too pricey, and a little too unknown for the common woman or man. That changed as other companies began to throw their names into the electronic book arena. Two years after the release of the Kindle, physical book retail giant Branes & Noble released their own reader (Nook) and announced that they too would allow authors to self-publish on their website. Shortly after B&N, Apple developed their own eBookstore. All the while, a major Internet eBook retailer named Smashwords was also allowing authors to self-publish. Even Google got in on the action.

Fast-forward to Now

eBooks and eReaders are HUGE. Sales of electronic books are surpassing their paper cousins and that gap is only going to widen with the growing number of popular electronic gadgets capable of functioning as a reader. As a result, many authors are running to get on board the eTrain.

Economics ... BLECH

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An initially unnoticed aspect of authors being able to circumvent the traditional publishing process--you know bleed tears, find an agent, bed-down with a publisher and hope your book made it to the front of the bookstore for a couple of days--and self-publish their work was pricing flexibility. All of the sites that allowed for DIY publishing also let the author more-or-less set the price of the product (a privilege usually afforded to only publishers). In the old model, the author's job was to write, not worry about profit margin. A good thing for many authors who feel as I do about the E word.

So what did authors do when they put on their big boy and girl business undies? What any entrepreneur would do, of course! They undercut the poop out of the competition. Why? Why does Walmart sell things cheaper than everyone else? Because they can afford to. The Indie/DIY author was no different.

eBooks from traditional publishers are more expensive, and here's why. You're going to pay more for Stephen King and Twilight because the big traditional publishers are corporations with big payrolls. They have many editors, secretaries, etc., etc. to feed. They also publish more than one or two books in a year. That requires coin. Furthermore, Stephen King and Twilight are responsible for making money for all the lesser-known authors who might not earn back the investment publishers make in them. Combine that with the cost of making paper books (ya know like ink, shipping, feeding the gnomes who blow on the binding glue to make it dry it faster, etc.), and you've got a formula for mark up.

Here's a pretty solid list of why traditional publishing is 'spensive.

It's a well known fact that most authors survive off of Saltine Crackers and various canned meat products, and they wouldn't know the difference between a board room and the Bahamas if you showed them a photo. (I kid, I kid!) So you see, the idea that an Indie author would be willing to price their baby at a scant .99 cents and think they were making a killing isn't that far fetched.

I'd like to point out that at this point no crimes were committed--by either party--and no animals were harmed during the making of the price war. Traditional publishers have a right to determine what an acceptable profit is, as do Indie authors. As with most things, however, the actual decision is going to come down to consumers.

I say tomato, you say I'm destroying an entire industry

There has been A LOT of mudslinging in the transition from paper to electronic publishing ...

Let's pause for a sec to clarify something: It is a transition. Not a fad. Not a phenomenon. Not a tryst. This is a lasting change to how we primarily consume a product. Proof? I just got my nearly 70 year old dad an eReader for Father's Day on Wednesday of last week. He told me on the phone this morning that he has already read half a book on it even though he didn't think he'd ever use it. It seems he really likes being able to enlarge the font. Now he wants to know how to get some of his favorite old paper books on it! Call it anecdotal if you want, but for my money when the "old folks" are buying in, the "change" has already come and gone.

Back on task, everyone (including me ... wait for it) has seemingly had an opinion about what has happened to the publishing industry. Readers, authors, publishers, editors, agents, Wall Street, grandfathers, granddaughters--you name it--have expressed everything from joy to dismay over the first real change to come to the reading medium since we swapped out stone for papyrus.

With those opinions have come accusations and prognostications. Accusations of wrong doing and right doing in the transition, prognostications of good things and bad things still to come. I've applauded some, laughed at others and scoffed at most.

The biggest bur to stick under my saddle of late is the scuttlebutt over book pricing. Former literary agent and current author, Nathan Bransford, posted this poll last week to essentially gauge what the perceived value of a $25 hardback paper book in eBook form is. He had posted a similar poll last year and the results were compared. The highly unscientific, yet utterly compelling, findings showed that a year ago 63% of the folks who voted believed an acceptable price for the eBook version of a $25 paper book was greater than $10. This year, 72% went the opposite direction and said that the eBook version should be priced below $10. Even as a somewhat random sample that's a pretty big shift.

Nathan isn't the first person to illustrate or surmise that the value of a book is falling. Consumers are starting to speak up. THIS EXCELLENT ARTICLE (highly, highly recommended) posted back in March on The Digital Reader noted that of the top 20 bestselling eBooks on Amazon, 9 were priced at $1 or less. With this evidence in hand a number of people have started predicting a day when all books are free, because no one will be willing to pay for them. I've also read a number of hostile comments directed toward the authors who are pricing their books in the bargain basement, blaming them for hastening the collapse of the written word's value.

Let's pump the brakes, m'Kay?

credit

Here are my reasonings (told you I had 'em) for why we shouldn't go all 2012 on books just yet:

The Entertainer: Entertainment and talent have always carried a price tag. People will pay to escape. People will pay to enjoy and whiteness things they cannot, or are not willing to do themselves. It's why we have sports. It's why we have Lady Ga Ga. If you can offer an experience of value, someone will pay for it. From puppet shows in the street to sold out arenas; if you build it, they will come.
A Change Will Do You Good: eBooks are a market in flux. It is still way too early to nail down the market price. Case in point: Back in March 9 out of the top 20 Amazon bestsellers were under $1. As of this evening, only 1 out of the top 20. A month from now it will probably be 15 out of 20. Based upon the survey mentioned above, I'm not even sure readers know what an electronic book is worth to them. While I'm pretty sure it isn't what a paper book is worth, I'm also pretty sure it isn't nothing. (That's coming from a reader, not a writer.)
"I'd Buy That For A Dollar": Worth is highly subjective. Some people wouldn't pay more than $30 for a meal, but would sell everything they own for a new Harry Potter book. Others would pay thousands of $$$ for a bottle of wine but not pay anything for digital content they can pirate for free on the Internet. As such, there will never be "an agreed upon" price for anything.
Look To The Past, Not The Future: The music industry went through a similar shift not all that long ago. People predicted horrible things when consumers were allowed to download their favorite tracks for .99c instead of being obligated to purchase an entire album for $15. The same mantra of, "Pretty soon we'll be giving it away!" was shouted then. (Actually, it is still being shouted by Jon Bon Jovi. :) Here's a news release from 2005 explaining how Apple and the Big Record Companies were butting heads over the issue. The reality is that the music industry for MUSICIANS and LISTENERS has never been better. What about the Big Record Companies? Not so much. Draw what conclusions you will, but I for one think authors and readers will be fine.
"A Hamburger Today ...": Fastfood restaurants have been waging the price war for years, yet I still have to pay .99c for a hamburger. Shouldn't it be free already? If piracy and price cutting were truly the ingredients for "free" I tend to think my next iTunes purchase would be $0 instead of $9.99. There is a bottom line for everything, and that bottom line will be set by the people who make a living off of the goods and services being provided. An author won't work for free so long as there are readers who covet their stories. Why? Because milk and eggs aren't free.

At the end of the day I think that authors just need write good stories. The money and accolades will come if there is justification for it.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Are cheap eBooks going to devalue literature to the point that no one is willing to pay for it? Are we headed toward a future where authors, like classical composers of old, are hired by private investors to craft stories that will be free to the public?

~EJW~

Writers: You Are What You Read

2011-06-14T17:50:00.000-05:00

“Originality is nothing but judicious imitation. The most original writers borrowed one from another.” ~ Voltaire

Oh, Tuesday. You fickle beast. You start like a Monday hangover--all noise, bright lights and regrets. Then, somewhere between 2 and 4 in the afternoon, you start to feel like Wednesday. If there's a groove in the week, it has to be from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday afternoon. Everything else feels like climbing up or sliding down in my book, which is to say a struggle.

Speaking of books, I've been doing some stewing on the relationship between reading and writing. We all know there's one. At the most basic level, if you can't read, you can't write. Pretty simple really. But what about at a deeper level? To what extent do our reading habits influence our writing habits?

You Are What You Read

You've probably heard the expression, "You are what you eat." This clearly isn't true, or I might have looked something like this guy after college:

"PIZZA THE HUT!"

I think it might be more applicable to reading and writing, though. My mother called the other day and asked what I was working on. The conversation went something like this:

Me - "Well ..."

Mom - "You are still writing, aren't you?"

Me - "YES! I'm just trying to think of how to describe it. It's actually a series of long short stories--like novellas. They involve a guy who becomes a monster hunter, or paranormal investigator. Each story is about a different investigation."

Mom - "Is it horror? Like Stephen King? You know my favorite movie of his was Silver Bullet."

NOTE: My mother is a HUGE horror film fan and loves movies based off of Stephen King stories. She also knows that I've read his books since I was a kid.

Me - "Well, he didn't actually make the movie himself, but they based it off of his novella, Cycle of the Werewolf--"

Mom - "You know why I like that movie so much? Because it seemed so real! You almost forget that it's about something crazy like a werewolf. I was just worried about the little boy in the wheelchair and scared of the creepy priest."

Me - "That's because King is a master character author. You worry so much about the characters and their relationships with one another that you almost forget that you're reading a horror story. Until some possessed dog eats someone, that is."

Mom - "So your stories are like that?"

Me - "I guess they are a little bit like that. They've got some fun paranormal and scary stuff going on, but they're mostly about this guy trying to find his place in the world. Those are the kinds of stories I've always enjoyed reading."

The thing is, I've always believed you should write what you like to read. If you're passionate about YA, horror or historical romance as a reader, that passion will surely seep into your writing. However, I'm not sure I ever really made the connection beyond the very broad strokes of genre or categories. It goes so much deeper than that.

In hindsight, I can easily see the little bits of my favorite authors in my writing. King's flawed and conflicted main characters. JK's strong female roles and iron-tight friendships. Shakespeare's exploration of human emotion. On and on it goes ...

"Easy reading is damn hard writing." ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne

Don't get me wrong, I'm certainly not claiming to have successfully cloned the techniques of the legends I'm referring to in my own writing. When I do that I'll give you a ride on my private jet and let you take the yacht for a spin. :-) It's just that I can see how I've tried to emulate them, and done so almost subconsciously.

So I ask: Have you noticed your favorite reads sneaking into your work? Do you purposefully try to emulate a style or author? Do you write stories similar to those you read the most?

~EJW~

No Limits, Please

2011-06-12T10:23:00.000-05:00

Ever get tired of boxes? I do! Here's a tune for all of those who yearn to be set free to be anything and EVERYTHING they can be.

Hope you enjoyed Lenka! (Her new album rocks, btw.)

Happy Sunday,

~EJW~

PUBLISHING: A MOUNTAIN OF CHANGE

2011-06-09T12:03:00.000-05:00

Photo can be found HERE

Howdy! You smell that? It's the sweet smell of blessed freedom wafting down from the flowery summit of what the school kids call Mt. Summer Vacation.

Each year parents, students and teachers set off to find it. In the beginning the mountain seems a distant, tiny thing. It's a speck on the horizon that gets eclipsed by the smallest hills and dwarfed by the youngest trees that crop up in the daily journey. Then December rolls around, and the mountain no longer fades in and out of view. It stands above the obstacles like a beacon in a storm. Clouds cannot scuttle it, and you can't ignore it but for to close your eyes and pretend it isn't there.

For the overly eager, March and April can feel as though every next-day will have you planting your feet on the rocky mountainside. The earth is starting to slope upward with each step, and Mt. Summer Vacation is now doing the eclipsing. It's so wide that it seems to be holding the back the sky, a mighty dam for the heavens. The experienced hiker knows there's still a ways to go yet, and that the roots of big mountains grow deep and long. Even still, May brings the realization that it's inevitable. You've navigated the thick trees at the base, and soon all that will be left is the climbing.

So it might be the scent of freedom you're smelling on the hot summer breeze, or it could be the smell of your productivity going up in smoke if you happen to be the parent in charge of entertaining those school kids. :-) Either way, Mt. Summer Vacation looms before us, and with it comes changes. Changes in the weather--well, at least for some. (We've been H.O.T. here in South Texas for a couple of months now.) Changes in schedules and activities. Changes in clothing, and maybe even changes in beverage choice. (No more red wine for me until September, I'm afraid. Bring on the wheat beers!)

PUBLISHING HAS CHANGED ...

I told the little story above because I think the publishing industry finds itself in the wake of a theoretically similar change cycle, and--at least for me--its journey to this point has followed a similar course.

Remember several months ago when non-publishing experts began predicting the rise of eBooks and the demise of traditional publishing? Consumers were starting to get hip to the eReader thing thanks to Amazon and the Kindle, and the paper book business was getting slammed (like everyone else) by the recession. Then Amazon threw fuel on the fire by letting any Tom, Dick or Janet upload their work and share shelf space with the likes of King, Brown and Meyer.

Most of the ACTUAL publishing industry experts (agents, editors and lots of authors) cried foul, saying how much people loved their paper books (they do), and how horrible it would be (it hasn't) for readers when there was no longer a vetting process for would-be authors. Besides, that mountain was a long way off and dwelling on it was pointless.

Basically, many of them chose to close their eyes and ignore it.

AND BIGGER CHANGES ARE STILL TO COME

This week I read that a relatively major literary agency has opened its doors to authors who ONLY want to ePublish.

The Andrea Brown Literary Agency is a big name among Young Adult and Kid Lit authors. They represent a number of the most revered names and stories in YA like: Jeff Stone/Five Ancestors series, Ellen Hopkins, Jay Asher/13 Reasons, Maggie Stiefvater/Shiver/Linger, Amjed Qamar/Beneath My Mother's Feet, and many more.

P.J. Hoover is the first author to test the agency's Indie offerings. P.J. is a fellow Texan (woot!), and her newest story, Solstice, is now available for purchase. On her blog, P.J. discusses why she decided to go the Indie route. Her reasons are pretty much the same as every other author who has foregone the traditional publishing path: More control over price and artistic esthetics (like cover, plot, etc.), control over the release date, and the desire to learn THE NEW WAY TO PUBLISHING (my words, not P.J.'s) while there is still a choice.

You can read all of her reasoning, including why she thinks an agent is still worth 15% and pros/cons, HERE. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READING!!!

WHAT AGENTS WILL/CAN OFFER IN THE DIGITAL DYI AGE

Of more interest to me personally, and probably more revealing on the whole, was the interview P.J. did with her Andrea Brown Agency advocate, Lara Perkins. Lara has taken on the role of Publishing Manager for Agent Laura Rennert. In short, she's the lady who is going to be overseeing the authors who want to Indie instead of traditional. In her own words, here's what Lara does:

"I work with the author on the final line edit of the manuscript and then coordinate copyediting, cover art, and formatting. I put together the front and back matter and the jacket copy, and then I upload the book for the author, make it available for sale across all platforms, and troubleshoot any issues that arise. Once the book is on sale, I help the author track sales and marketing efforts. I've always been passionate about editorial work, but helping authors publish their works digitally has been an amazing experience--and tremendous fun!"

You can read from that snippet that the agency has taken on a "salon" approach in regards to the services they are offering the author. It isn't all that unlike what many of those ePublishing companies you've seen popping up are offering (editing, cover, etc.), with one big exception: The agency gets paid when you get paid. Assuming they take you on as a client, they'll take care of the upfront stuff.

Again, you can read the entire interview on P.J.'s blog here. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

WHY IS THIS A BIG DEAL?

1. THE EVENTUAL OVERDUE DEATH OF BIAS - On P.J.'s blog, she lists one major con of DYI: the stigma still associated with self-publishing. You're not eligible for most awards, you're not going to get reviewed by most major outlets, and many writing pros (other authors, editors, agents) aren't going to treat you very well.

That doesn't sound great, right? The good news is that the stigma is starting to go away with the incontrovertible evidence of sales. Readers don't seem to care how the story gets in their hands so long as it is a good story. (Go figure!) Now, with notable lit agencies throwing their support behind the Indie-minded, it's only a matter of time until no one cares at all. (Except for maybe the big dog publishing houses.)

2. CONNECTIONS - The one thing literary agents have always offered is a connection to people in the writing business. Even if you decided to DIY your book, you would still greatly benefit from having someone negotiate and pursue all of the other stuff that can come along with it. (Like movie rights, foreign rights, etc.) That's not to mention promotional aspects. Some agents have Twitter, blog, Facebook, etc. followings in the thousands and you can bet they'll get the word out if they're getting 15% of every book.

3. A SUGAR MOMMA/DADDY - It can't be stated enough: WRITERS ARE USUALLY POOR! Having a financial partner to offset the upfront cost of formatting, editing, cover art, etc. is a big deal for most, and it's the one thing missing for most Indie authors. With agencies getting on board, that's going to change. Not everyone will get an agent to support them, and not all will want to, but it'll at least be an option.

I've always felt the model that legit agents work under (they get paid when you do) is the best model for artists, writers and the like. It creates a certain reciprocity and guarantees you'll get their best efforts. I'm not downing authors who have used ePublishing services that required payment, but I think it's a potential dangerous thing that could be exploited. Going with an agent would be much more sound investment as you know they're aren't going to push you to put out something that isn't ready.

4. MORE TIME TO WRITE - Let's be clear, writing is going to make you money, not figuring out how which font looks best on a Kindle or getting a PhD in Photoshop. If someone else can do that stuff, most of us will be better off for it. Furthermore, it's the REALLY BIG FREAKING carrot agencies can offer DIY authors, so I suspect all agencies will offer that stuff to entice authors into sharing their $$$

THE GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS

The good news is that you still might be able to have an experienced agent represent your career even if you do want to go it on your own. The bad news is that you're still going to have to figure out how to write a query letter to make it happen.

What a great time to be a writer, right? There are so many doors opening that it's hard to tell which one to run through first! :-)

~EJW~

P.S. - Be sure to follow P.J.'s blog and wish her luck with Solstice! Heck, you might as well buy a copy while you're at it!

The Thoughtful Pause & Keeping Pace

2011-06-06T17:39:00.000-05:00

"It's the deep breath before the plunge." ~ Gandalf

Pause. Interruption. Lull. Recess. Breather. Respite. All of these words can basically be defined as temporarily stopping an activity or thought. There are lots of reasons to do so.

Runners and fitness types know that proper (see - efficient) breathing is key to optimizing performance. The idea isn't to take in as much oxygen as possible (you'd pass out), but to take in exactly what your muscles and brain need. Harder to do than say when your exerting yourself, I know. However, knowing how to space your breaths--or when to pause--is important.

Pausing is an often overlooked aspect of general conversation. We've all known at least one person who never seems to pause in conversation. They jump from topic to topic with little prompt or indication. It can make communicating clunky and confusing, especially if you don't know the very person well. (If you're besties, you probably already know what they're thinking anyway. :0) Most of us learn without ever being told that it's good to stop talking from time to time when we are in conversation. We do it for lots of reasons, like to look for those all important non-verbal indicators that our words are having the intended effect, or to gauge the comprehension of the person we're talking to.

Musicians have long understood and mastered the art of lull or refrain--particularly jazz and classical musicians/composers. The best way to add drama in music is to adjust the volume or omit noise all together. This is partially because we've been conditioned to associate sound volume and frequency with emotion or feeling. (Think Pavlov's dogs, but cooler.) To our heartstrings, slow usually means sad, loud means angry, fast means exuberant, etc. Artists do similar things with color and texture.

I bring all this up because a timely respite is also very important in writing. I don't mean literally stopping, although that can sometimes be important too. I mean knowing when to use fewer words, shorter sentences, or to leave something completely unstated. It's a technique that can be used to manipulate pacing and tension in your story.

You want the reader to slow down? Add more detail and explanation (i.e. words). You want the reader to be breathless after reading an action scene? Shorten your sentences/paragraphs and use strong verbs. Dialogue, or the lack thereof, can also be used manipulate the flow of a story.

Like the breathing and exercise example, it's a simple technique, but it can be hard to master. I guess I've been thinking a lot about it lately as I've been working on edits for a new project. Learning to push/pull the reader through a story is definitely a challenge. I find I'm a little better at doing it with dialogue, but I REALLY would love to do a better job using other methods as well.

I set about trying to find some useful info on the subject of pacing, because... well, because I wanted to waste time thinking about writing instead of ACTUALLY writing. (It's a weakness.) Luckily, my search turned up some useful goodies.

THIS ARTICLE has some interesting things to say on the subject, particularly as it pertains to word choice.

THIS ARTICLE draws an excellent comparison between pacing and sports on television.

THIS ARTICLE has an awesome visual method for breaking down the pace of a story. The author lists the following factors as things to look for regarding pacing: "Word length, Sentence length, Length of paragraphs, Dialogue and internal monologue length, & White space" Highly recommend you give it a look!

Finally, I thought THIS ARTICLE offered a pretty good general explanation of pace should you still find yourself a little confounded by the idea.

I leave you with questions:

What are your tricks for manipulating the pace of your stories?

Do you consider pace when you draft, or only when you edit?

~EJW~