 Poem: Writing Your Way into the Story The Black Genre Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk |
Issue 37
Dear Lee
| Dear Lee, My spouse is a writer. He’s been published a couple of times, but he doesn’t make near enough money for us to live on. To be honest, he doesn’t make that much at all. However, the way he spins it, you’d think he’s making millions of dollars. Here’s my problem: My spouse, I’ll call him Eddy, is on blog sites for writers nearly 18 hours a day! He’s giving out all kinds of advice—whether it is true, sound advice, I don’t know. I’m an accountant with a steady job. The question is: If it is good, solid information, then, why isn’t he following his own advice? Recently, he has taken to “rating” publishers, agents, other writers and even commented on the janitorial department at a major publishing company. Most of what he writes is very negative and I’m afraid we are going to get sued. Now here’s the kicker: We have a three year old son who has been in daycare since he was six months old. Because of our financial situation, mostly due to Eddy’s lack of a steady income, I was forced to have Eddy care for our son at home. The first week, which was also the last week Eddy “cared” for our child, was a nightmare. That’s when I realized my husband is blog addict. I love Eddy and I want to keep my marriage in tact. However, if things don’t change I’m going to give him a choice: Me, our son and our marriage or those damn blog sites. I’m actually afraid to give him the choice because I believe my son and I would come out the losers. I need help. I don’t know where to turn. -A Blog Widow |
| Widow, It seems old Eddy needs a wake-up call, so you are going to have lay down some rules. Let’s think about this: Eddy doesn’t have a job or at least a job that supports his family; he unwilling or unable to care for his own child properly; he seeks adulation and interaction with strangers as opposed to his own family; he lies about his status and qualifications, he is creating a potential legal ordeal for himself and you since it will be your money to support his defense, and I’m willing to bet that he can’t stay off the blogs for twenty-four hours. You need to get him professional help. You are going to need some help, too. You’ve been supporting this guy for how long and you just realized that there are some major problems in the relationship? If Eddy can’t get in control of his addiction and become a responsible parent, then it is up to you do the best thing for your child. Good luck to you, Eddy and your son. |
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| Dear Lee, It was announced on the cover of Publishers Weekly that the magazine co-oped with an author. The publishing trends are changing, but the “informational” sites that claim to help writers are not keeping up with the times. Why do you think that is? -Out of the Loop |
| Dear Loop, Control. And it’s really hard for some people to admit that they just aren’t that good at what they do. |
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| Dear Lee, This is a strange one. Several months ago, my husband decided to get a 3000 piece medieval landscape floor puzzle. He asked me to help him put it together. His interest in puzzles was puzzling enough, but this activity seemed to “arouse” him. Anyway, I won’t go into details, but I’ll get to the point. There’s this website for writers (my husband is a novelist, yet to be published) and my husband began chatting with one of the writers, who I learned, is a floor puzzle enthusiast. She is also my husband’s online, make-believe lover. They work on the same puzzle at the same time and share their “puzzling” activities with each other. My husband has broken all confidences and I absolutely will never trust him again. I learned that this woman is married. I have managed to get her husband’s work number. Question: Should I call him and tell him about his wife and my husband? -Puzzled in Maine |
| Dear Puzzled, I can only say that if my husband were involved in online “puzzling,” I would definitely want to know. The call is yours. |
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Break Free from the Ghosts that Haunt You
I may write about paranormal phenomena in my novel, Midnight Revelations, but in this instance I’m referring to something different. I’m talking about the kind of ghosts that you keep locked in your head–those counter-productive and often irrational little voices that are adept at throwing obstacles in the way of your success. You may find the idea of ghosts rattling around in your psyche to be a strange concept, but the fact is that no one goes through life in a vacuum. We all come out of a family with a unique style of navigating the world. Our actions and relationships commonly reflect how we have assimilated these strategies into our identity. How we handle pressure, expectations, attention, disappointment, conflict and success, as well as a whole range of human emotions have their deepest and earliest roots in our family of origin and preceding generations. The challenge is in recognizing which of these coping skills work in our favor and which ones become the ghosts that haunt and hinder our lives.
The first step in ridding your life of these invisible stumbling blocks is by heightening your awareness and then listening to your internal script. These may include statements ranging from some occasional self-doubt to outright self-contempt. When you allow these ghosts to haunt your thoughts, they invariably contaminate your self-confidence and erode your ability to seize opportunities.
Sitting in front of the computer screen poised to start a new manuscript, do you question your abilities? If the sentences come flowing out like water rushing down a mountain stream, do you celebrate or do you listen to the whispers that nobody will want to read it anyway? As you’re about to embark on a speaking tour, do you embrace the excitement and or do you stay awake all night convinced you are going to make a fool out of yourself? Are you able to silence that single passing doubt or do you let it turn into a familiar and repetitive chorus? Remember, a negative self-defeating attitude is the quickest and most effective way to achieve absolutely nothing.
So, what are your ghosts telling you? Keep track of it…write it down so you can recognize them when they start chipping away at your self-confidence, because ultimately it chips away at more than your self-esteem…namely, your book sales.
I was recently asked to be part of a multi-author book festival held at a large national book retailer. I was amazed to witness author after author quietly sitting behind a pile of books. Patrons would pass by their tables while they passively sat by and watched. Sadly, only four or five authors of the twenty in attendance stood up and stepped out to greet their potential customers. They told them what their books were about and why they should purchase a signed copy. What a shocking sight–a whole convention of ghosts congregated that day!
If you only care to see your manuscript bound and printed and to sell a hundred copies to your friends and family, then by all means, settle in with Casper; but if you want to be successful, to reach a broader audience, and make a career for yourself, then pull off the old sheet and expose the ghosts to the light. You’ll be one step farther on the path to being free to achieve your full potential.
Be sure to catch the next installment of Breaking Free from the Ghosts that Haunt You.
Karen M Bence graduated with a bachelor of arts in Psychology from Dickinson College and a master's degree in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. A former social worker, psychotherapist and educator, Ms. Bence is also an avid equestrian and dog breeder.
Falklore: Happy New Year
My column in early December covered reading sources that would be of great assistance to aspiring writers. They were novels and instruction books by some of today's top writers, several of whom are right here at SterlingHouse.
The last sentence in the second to last paragraph of that column read, "Publishers love clean manuscripts." The person who would benefit most from that, I found, was me. I thought I did pretty good, grammar wise, editing my novel, Sitting Duck which is now available. The novel before that, The Pen Pal Murders, must have gone to my head, because editors at SterlingHouse who worked on the new manuscript must have used up a gallon of red ink. I am really embarrassed as I go over the manuscript. I read and edit what I write at least three or four times, and sometimes more.
My English professor in college claimed she had never seen a person make so many comma faults. Well, at least I was number one at something. I actually learned to improve on grammar while working as a news reporter. I also suffered a lot of harsh criticisms from my editor with words like: "Where in the hell did you ever learn to write?" The SterlingHouse editors, bless their souls, are less harsh, so I'll remember them in my will. They get all my debts.
I think I just got careless with this most recent manuscript. I had so much fun writing it that I forgot one of the most important things - caring about good grammar. Then I thought, "if I didn't have a foot in the door, my most recent manuscript would have been tossed in no time flat." The importance of good grammar and spelling is something we all should think seriously about. I know I will from now on. I have to convince Cindy - that dear, dear woman - that I'm really not that bad, and I will also try my best to keep Megan Davidson from pulling any more hair out.
As I typed this article, I began to think about those other two possible sources for improvement. One was in New York for construction and the other on the west coast. But I've changed my mind.
If you are a senior who hasn't been in a classroom for years, I think you should still utilize the book and text sources I wrote about before going further. Go back two issues and look in your library for the instructional books I suggested. If you need the titles, send me an email at james@jamesfalk.net. I will mail you a copy of the article. All you have to do is concentrate and remember what you read. Evidently, I didn't, so guess what I'm now reading.
Have a happy reading and writing New Year.
Questions/Comments? Contact Jim at james@jamesfalk.net, or visit www.jamesfalk.net.
James Falk, as a teen-ager, used to dream of being a big-time racketeer. Fortunately, his dream didn't come true. A 10th grade dropout, he finished highschool after four years in the Marines and went on to earn a B.A. in Journalism and an M.A. in Communications.
Literary Spotlight: Cat Johnson
Cat Johnson is an award-winning author of more than a dozen romance novels. Under a different name, she has also published in the Young Adults genre. She also plays the harp professionally.
Q: How have your novels taken the romance genre to a new level? (More erotic? More passion?)
A: Most of my novels are written in the niche genre of contemporary military romance. I like to think that I have taken this genre to a new level in that I've developed a recipe that infuses reality while at the same time maintaining a satisfying fantasy romance for the readers. I use real military details obtained from my active duty, often deployed, military muses to add realistic details to the stories, but they are woven throughout so it is neither a lesson in war, nor a downer for the reader. These details are simply part of the characters' lives, a part of what makes them who they are, and who they are, are usually extreme alpha males.
Q: What is it about a man in uniform that makes him an ideal romantic hero?
A: I think men in uniform (whether it be military, firefighter or police) know that life can be taken away at any moment, which makes them value every moment more. They tend to live hard, fight hard, love hard (when they find the right woman), and are dedicated and loyal to what they believe in. What could be more romantic than that? Besides, in this world of multi-tasking and overworked women, who doesn't fantasize about playing the damsel once in a while and letting your dream hero 'save' you and who is more heroic than a man in uniform?
Q: The covers of your books are sensual and provocative. How does this help market the book?
A: Many readers do judge a book by its cover and I strive to let the reader know exactly what they are getting at first glance. Looking at my covers, you'll see plenty of male flesh because my books contain a high level of sensuality, as well as because the hero is a major player in my books, the main part of the action (both in and out of bed), they are not just an accessory for the heroine. You also may notice a lack of faces on my books. I prefer that because I want the reader to picture the hero with the face she wants, not the one my cover dictates. If nothing else, I think the hot covers get attention.
Q: How does playing the harp professionally strike a chord in your romance novels?
A: Excellent play on words in that question! Anyway, I have written a heroine (Trilogy No. 107: True Blue) who was a harpist, and because of my experience I could add in details that a non-harpist wouldn't know. Things like: What starts to hurt first on your body when you play for too long? How do people treat you while you perform?
Q: Compare the response to your e-books vs. the real deal (print.) Different audience?
A: I know from analyzing royalty statements that my print sales are about equal to my e-Book sales. Financially, e-books are a better deal and are better for the environment. They cost about half of what my print books do mainly because Trade Paperback-sized books printed using Print-on-Demand technology (which my books are) cost more, but you get a larger book made of nicer quality paper and are printed to order so there in no waste vs. Mass Market-size books printed using large print runs that use low quality paper but cost much less because they are printing hundreds of thousands of copies that often are returned to the printer by chain stores and end up in landfills
Q: How do male readers respond to your books?
A: Really well, actually. My poor male consultants have to read my books to proof them for accuracy but they swear they enjoy them, and they must because they've even read some of my books they weren't required to! They comment how well I get into the male head. And just recently I discovered that some guy I went to high school with went online, ordered one of my books in print, read it, then sent it to another guy from our school to read. I'm going to suggest they start a book club!
Carlotta Holton is the author of Salem Pact and Touching The Dead, and is a member of the National Federation of Press Women and an affiliate member of the Horror Writers Association.
Carlotta Holton has just received her second award for Touching the Dead from the National Federation of Press Women Communications Contest. Click here to purchase the book.
Book Review: "Dancers in Mourning" by Margery Allingham
By Carole Shmurak
Dancers in Mourning (Heinemann 1937) is a fine mystery with some classic Golden Age touches: a country house setting, a murder among the rich and famous, a small circle of suspects, an upper class sleuth. It is also a great example of the use of misdirection by a mystery author. (To say more about this would give too much away.)
This is eighth book in Margery Allingham’s Albert Campion mystery series. Here, Campion is initially called in to discover the person attempting to sabotage a London show that stars the legendary singer/dancer Jimmy Sutane (who bears a strong resemblance to Fred Astaire, both in appearance and talent). But when the ‘pranks’ played on Sutane escalate to the murder of another dancer in the cast of the show, Campion joins with the police — his old friends Superintendent Oates and Chief Detective Inpector Yeo — to find the murderer.
Unfortunately, Campion becomes too infatuated with Linda Sutane, Jimmy’s wife, to think as clearly as he usually does. Though he eventually comes to the correct conclusion, this is one book in which the police actually arrive at the solution to the case ahead of the detective.
I enjoyed many aspects of Dancers in Mourning, but I was never quite convinced by Campion’s love for Linda. The irony of the final conversation between Campion and Jimmy Sutane was, on the other hand, perfect. I also missed Campion’s ‘assistant’, Magersfontein Lugg, who appears much too briefly in this book. When Lugg does come on the scene, the book brightens considerably: his interactions with the Sutanes’ neglected daughter Sarah are hilarious and heart-warming, and show Allingham at her best.
Book Review: "Eclipse" by Stephenie Meyer
By Amanda Linsmeier
Eclipse (Little, Brown Young Readers, 2007), the third novel in the Twilight vampire saga by Stephenie Meyer, is yet another interesting and surprising story. Bella and Edward continue their relationship but because her friendship with Jacob puts her in danger, Edward is hell bent on doing everything he can to keep them away. He wants to keep Bella safe from everything and if that means he has to tamper with her truck, have her kidnapped by his sister Alice or watch out for her all hours of the day, then so be it. Bella feels stifled by Edward’s behavior and really misses her best friend Jacob. As Edward’s attitude shifts and he “allows” Bella to see her friends at La Push once more, Bella realizes that Jacob feels much more than friendship for her. Added to this love triangle are threats from the Vulturi, a powerful vampire clan who first made an appearance in book two, Victoria, an enemy vampire out to get Bella, and a string of murders by newborn vampires and Eclipse is very entertaining.
I did find some faults, the first being that I was still waiting for more of the intense love between Edward and Bella. Just Edward and Bella. I’m not interested in love triangles at this point in the series. I understand partly why the author did this and I feel that it’s to illustrate the fact that Bella is just human and while she loves Edward intensely, she is vulnerable and isn’t sure of herself. That being said, why didn’t Edward get mad at her? I’ve heard other people say it’s because he was too “perfect” and I really think it’s because he loves her so much, he just wants her to be happy and if that means loving Jacob too, then its okay. But I think it does show that Jacob is not perfect and that he doesn’t love her, and never will love her, the way Edward does. Besides being pushy and obnoxious, I found the once loveable Jacob to be extremely selfish in this book. Although this is not the best book in the series, in fact it made me quite angry at some points (which is inevitable when you become so emotionally invested in characters) it is still a good read. Many things mentioned in the previous two books are brought into more detail here and also lay the foundation for the fourth and final book. Please, keep reading.
Click here to read Amanda's review of Twilight
Click here to read Amanda's review of New Moon
Click here to read Amanda's review of Breaking Dawn
Laura Bush to Publish Memoir
First lady Laura Bush has signed a deal with Scribner, and imprint of Simon & Schuster, to publish a memoir to be released in 2010. Through a statement through Scribner, Laura Bush says the book will “tell the stories of the extraordinary events and people I’ve met in my life, particularly during my years in the White House.”
Choose Your Own Adventure Gets an Extreme Makeover
Victoria Blake, publisher of Underland Press, is making news this week after NPR aired a story about the wovel, or Web novel. The way it works is simple: An author writes a small chapter and ends the piece with a decision. The chapter is posted on www.underlandpress.com on Monday, and readers vote until Thursday on what they want to see happen. Once the votes are cast, the author of the chapter writes a new chapter, following the decision the readers voted on. On Monday, a new story is posted until the wovel has ended. In addition to publishing, Blake is a freelance writer and book editor at Dark Horse Comics.
Move Over, Penthouse!
The bestselling office product on Amazon.com this New Year is a 2009 calendar. Not surprising. What is surprising is that it isn’t a bikini-clad model, sports star or even the President-elect gracing the top spot; the top-selling office product is none other than the 2009 Sarah Palin Calendar! What is second place, you ask? The Hubble Space Telescope 2009 Wall Calendar, of course.
WAY Smarter Than a Fifth Grader
Ten-year-old Paris Morris of Danville, California is making news this week after New Year Publishing launched two books penned by the fifth grader, titled I’m Having Twins! and My Twins Are Coming Home. The 22 page illustrated books tell the story of Paris’ experiences with her twin sisters before and after they were born. The next two books in the five-book series are titled Paris Goes to Lake Tahoe and My Twins’ First Birthday, and are expected to be released in February 2009. For more information on the books, visit www.myfriendparis.com
