Volume 9

Attention: WritersNewsWeekly is now accepting books to be submitted for review.
Click here for our submission guidelines.

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WNW Speaks with Bobby Nash

By Sara Halleman

This week WritersNewsWeekly chatted with Bobby Nash, an artist/writer of comics, novels, and short stories. He has done such works as Evil Ways, Fantastix, Lance Star: Sky Ranger, Domino Lady, Sentinels: Alternate Visions, Full Throttle Space Tales: Space Sirens, and A Fistful Of Legends. His comic books and graphic novels include Life In The Faster Lane, Fuzzy Bunnies From Hell, Demonslayer, Fantastix, Yin Yang, I Am Googol: The Great Invasion, and Lance Star: Sky Ranger, among others. Read more about his works, passion, and career in this week’s interview.

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Banned Book Week

By Sara Halleman

This week marks the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week, a week dedicated to the celebration of the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. The ALA works hard to bring awareness to the books that are being challenged and banned every day in the Untied States. They define intellectual freedom as the freedom to access information and express ideas openly, without reprisal. This intellectual freedom is the foundation for Banned Books Week.

Read More

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Lessons in Humility By Jessica Quillin

There are many stereotypes surrounding writers. In film and on television, writers are often portrayed as possessing an intellectual air of aloofness with a dash of vulnerability that supposedly leaves readers hanging on their every word. The very aloofness of writers, of course, is symptomatic of the fact that their thoughts are constantly hither and thither rather than centered on what is happening in the real world. Following this stereotype, contemplation thus permits writers a unique lens into the deeper mysteries of life and human experience.

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Warning By L.L. McKinney

Okay, so you’ve completed your first draft. You’ve printed it off, held it in your own hands and celebrated your accomplishment. Then you set it aside for a few weeks without cheating and peeking at it from time to time. After that, you took it to writers groups or handed it over to critique partners for some much needed and appreciated feedback as you set into the revision process. Now all that’s left is to fix typos, adjust punctuation and swap out a few words, right? Not really, no, but that’s the perception of a lot of first time writers.

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Nameless by the Hour (2nd Draft)
By Maggie Secara

My Muse (and this is true)
is a bleached blond tramp
reclining on a white sand beach
reluctant to give up a pretty boy
whose fingers lips mouth
forgive her lack of care,
delight her
asking nothing of the sky
but rhinestones.

The bitch nods off while I
fiddle with inconsequential phrases—
C-major chords and self-indulgent rhymes.
Icebergs
in their last melt linger
in her eyes.

I'd kiss her, occluded
in occulted light,
but she (the slut) holds back
her motivation, lacking payment
for refracted service.

In a wreath of bitter almonds she
knows everything I know,
and snores, sometimes, in Greek.

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Dressed in Mourning
By Gereg Jones Muller

We leave nothing behind us.
We’re going out to bury Mom today.
Inside my heart is a little boy crying,
3, 2, 1 years old, crying
for the loss of the smile he’ll
never see again, the arms that will not
ever hold him anymore, and the
only grown-up part of his 10, 9, 8 pain
is the adult understanding
of mortality and he will not
he will not be consoled. Not with
his mother’s God and not
with his mother’s faith
and not with all the tears his eyes could shed.

We’re going out to bury Mom today.
Oriental pottery and Impressionist prints.
The eclectic collection of coffee mugs
cluttering your kitchen cabinets. The candles,
hundreds of them, half burned
or too beautiful for the burning.
We leave nothing behind us.

You told me you felt closer to God
on a mountaintop or in the forest
than in any church on earth. You told me that making love
is the most beautiful act a man and a woman
can share. You asked me
if I wanted to see a miracle: and when I said yes
told me, Move your thumb.
We leave nothing behind us.
Move your thumb. Show me a miracle.
We’re going out to bury Mom today.
And we can lose nothing. Not
one hour, not one lesson, not one loss
can ever be erased
or forgotten in the heart of God:

it is only we
who can forget that, living or dead,
it is yet in the heart of God that we abide.
We leave nothing behind us.

We grow. We go on, and we carry with us
every day, every scar, every hoarded hour of pain or joy
and if we are fortunate we harvest
from the sum of it some wisdom, or some peace.
We leave nothing behind us.
And we can lose nothing. “What thou lov’st well,”
(as Pound reminded us), “shall not
be reft from thee. What thou lov’st well
is thy true heritage.”
We’re going out to bury Mom today.

We’re going out to bury Mom today.
And the tears that tear-- entirely distinct from those that heal--
are those that spring forth
from the friction of past with present
from the place where child and man
are jostled against each other in the press
of ten thousand yesterdays which all demand their chance
to step forward and do honour to she who brought
each one of us forth-- salute her life, salute her death,
and the final gift of her given back to earth.
We’re going out to bury Mom today.
And leaving, we leave nothing behind us.
We carry on.
Her love and her lessons
live on, light on the road.

This I wish you, dear heart: Clear sight,
a clear road, and a clear conscience;
a high heart and a high purpose;
the breath of God at your back
and your true lover’s arms
before you.
I bless you and I bid you
safe home.

By Sara Halleman

This week marks the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week, a week dedicated to the celebration of the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. The ALA works hard to bring awareness to the books that are being challenged and banned every day in the Untied States. They define intellectual freedom as the freedom to access information and express ideas openly, without reprisal. This intellectual freedom is the foundation for Banned Books Week. Classic novels such as Keroac’s On The Road or Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye have been historically known for the backlash that followed their publications. Perhaps the controversy surrounding these great novels is what eventually made them classic. That controversy generally being the sexually explicit content and offensive language, the number two reasons for banning a book. I did some research this week about why certain books have been banned for other reasons and was pretty surprised with what I have found.

My first surprise was that this was still an ongoing task. When I think of banning material, I think of strict governments or a powerful dictator. But wait a second, are we not the land of the free? Many books today are still being challenged or becoming targets for potential banning. Fortunately, while some books are banned or restricted, there is hope due to many organizations fighting for the First Amendment. This is all thanks to the awareness of Banned Books Week. Efforts put forth by librarians, teachers, booksellers, and members of the community to retain the books in the library collections have proven successful. Readers like me should be thankful for these advocates of intellectual freedom. So many more books might be challenged or restricted if it wasn’t for them. Because these leaders use Banned Books Week each year to teach the importance of our First Amendment we retain our rights and power of literature and become aware of the danger that exists with such restraints.

According to the American Library Association, the most challenged book for the years 2006-2009 was surprisingly a children’s book. The book, entitled And Tango Makes Three, tells a true story of two male Chinstrap penguins in New York’s Central Park Zoo, who were given an egg to hatch. The book, which was published in 2005, received several prestigious awards but that did not stop the accounts of restraint. It was challenged and banned for its portrayal of homosexuality and a nontraditional family structure. Because of these two elements, the book was said to be unsuitable for young children, the target audience for the book. Co-author Justin Richardson states, “We wrote the book to help parents teach children about same-sex parent families. It’s no more an argument in favor of human gay relationships than it is a call for children to swallow their fish whole or sleep on rocks” (New York Times 2005). I’m not trying to advocate for one specific book or genre, rather, I’m advocating for the reader’s right to read what they choose. The concept is simple. Just as you would change the channel on your television when you may find a topic not to your liking, so too can you pass up a book not to your liking. In And Tango Makes Three’s case its up to the parents to decide. Yes, in our society this penguin relationship is unconventional but it still exists whether some some choose to accept it or not.

And Tango Makes Three isn’t the first children book to be challenged. Classic books like Charlotte’s Web and Winnie the Pooh have both been questioned in the past. Charlotte’s Web was banned by religious groups for its unnatural portrayal of talking animals and Winnie the Pooh was supposedly threatening Russian dignitaries. Though these reasons seem radical, they were a real issue at one point in literary history. As our culture shifts, the reasons to ban books will, as well. It will be a never-ending fight. It is important, however, to realize that it is a fight that can be won, one book at a time. To learn more about Banned Books Week and ways to help log onto http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/index.cfm

By L.L. McKinney

Okay, so you’ve completed your first draft. You’ve printed it off, held it in your own hands and celebrated your accomplishment. Then you set it aside for a few weeks without cheating and peeking at it from time to time. After that, you took it to writers groups or handed it over to critique partners for some much needed and appreciated feedback as you set into the revision process. Now all that’s left is to fix typos, adjust punctuation and swap out a few words, right? Not really, no, but that’s the perception of a lot of first time writers.

When I first started writing, it was my viewpoint as well. I honestly believed that once I got my first draft done, the “work” was over. At that point all I would have to do was sit back and fix a handful of issues on each page. If I knew then what I knew now I would have laughed myself silly. Rewriting, revising, just about any bit of editing done to a manuscript is equally as hard as the initial writing. I actually think it’s a bit harder because there are a lot more questions involved; why the protagonist did this, why didn’t he go there, why was this allowed to happen, wouldn’t that complication give the story more conflict? On and on and on, there didn’t seem to be an end in sight. Every time I thought I answered one of those questions, two more would crop up in its place, and it kept going like that until I started questioning the validity of my work entirely. There was a glimpse of that crisis in last week’s article.

I can hear some people asking, “Okay, so what’s the point, El?” Sorry about the tangent. Anywho, the point is to not underestimate any part of the process. Writing off editing as easy is a death trap. The instant you start to think that you don’t have to put in too much work, you open yourself to subconsciously slacking off. You write less and less each day, each week, each month. You allow other issues that wouldn’t have stopped you before to get in the way of progress. You don’t hold to those deadlines you set way back when, because you believe that revising is not going to take as much time as you thought. This is a dangerous way to think, and this week I offer up a warning to avoid it altogether. For those who may already be lost in the woods, I offer a way to get back out again. Don’t worry, I’m pretty deep myself.

I didn’t realize just how deep until a few days ago, when I received an email from myself. Actually, I got it from my calendar on my computer where I had set it up to send me a reminder, but I digress. The message contained big bold letters flashing at me that a completely revised version of Swayed was due in a couple weeks. I’m barely past chapter seven in a twenty-three-chapter manuscript and I’ve been editing for almost two months now! Actually, no, I haven’t been. I’ve been meaning to, I’ve been getting around to it now and again, but all in all I’ve just been lazy. And now, I’m facing the consequences.

I’ll have to rush to meet my deadline, which means my work will be of poorer quality and I’ll probably miss issues I would have seen when calm and collected. Or, I’ll have to sacrifice every outing with the girls, every television show I planned to watch, every movie I wanted to see or book I wanted to read to get this done on time. Don’t let it happen to you; or, if it’s already happening, realize it’s not too late to pull yourself and your WIP together. I’m doing it myself. Let’s take out our planners and make the adjustments to our schedules. Apologize to friends and family, and take the verbal thumps that will come with cancellations—though don’t shirk attending weddings or birthdays or things of that nature, I’m talking lunches and dinners and afternoons at the café—because there’s no one else to blame for this but ourselves. In short, reassess yourself and your responsibilities in regards to your manuscript. It’s been said over and over again, no one is going to do this for us.

I know this week’s article is a little on the short side, and I apologize for that, but it’s like I said; I’ve got a deadline to meet and I’ve got to get down to business. Oh, and I put a WARNING sign in front of that slacker’s hole I just climbed up out of. Hopefully, no one else falls in.

“I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.” Douglas Adams

L.L. McKinney is a freelance writer, a published poet and a playwright. As an active member of First Tuesdays and YA Lit Chat, she is currently seeking representation for her young adult paranormal urban fantasy, Swayed.

By Jessica Quillin

There are many stereotypes surrounding writers. In film and on television, writers are often portrayed as possessing an intellectual air of aloofness with a dash of vulnerability that supposedly leaves readers hanging on their every word. The very aloofness of writers, of course, is symptomatic of the fact that their thoughts are constantly hither and thither rather than centered on what is happening in the real world. Following this stereotype, contemplation thus permits writers a unique lens into the deeper mysteries of life and human experience.

Of course, all writers (and perhaps their audiences as well) know that these stereotypes are completely misplaced. Somehow, as a writer, after you delete draft 52 from your computer for an article you’re trying to write or after you feel lucky to have received your fifteenth rejection letter from another publisher (at least you heard back!), you no longer take yourself so seriously.

Let’s face it: we’re all pretty happy to receive any work, never mind actually garner readership. Obviously, it’s better if writing work pays. But, at least the opportunity to get exposure, make contacts, and have your work read is the way to keep things moving forward.

Yet, we all know or have seen writers on TV or elsewhere who come off as arrogant, self-possessed, and judgmental about their subject matter and even their readership. Perhaps success has gotten the better of them.

However, I suspect that the “writerly” public persona is a myth. Like any actor or good salesperson, a writer must keep his or her defenses up yet continually be in the game to market their work since they are constantly selling a product. Inasmuch as our creative energies inspire us to capture our thoughts in language, writing is nonetheless a business and a brutal one at that.

This past weekend I had the unusual opportunity to observe famous and highly-touted writers interact with readers at the National Book Festival in Washington, DC. As a writer, I found it an interesting bit of research. On the whole, I found the authors insightful, intelligent, and gracious. But, inevitably, they had their limits, even considering their vast experience in dealing with the public.

For one, the National Book Festival took place on a gorgeously sunny but unbelievably hot day. It was over 90 degrees. Hundreds of people waited in seemingly endless lines to get books signed by their favorite writers. However, these writers, perhaps not surprisingly for such a large event, were on a very tight schedule that was rigorously enforced. Each writer was assigned a one-hour book signing block. After he or she finished, it was time for the next writer. Unfortunately, as a reader, this meant that it was entirely possible that, despite waiting in line for a long time, you wouldn’t get the chance to have your book signed.

The combination of the heat and long lines produced many very unhappy people. One lady with whom I spoke briefly while waiting in line became enraged when she learned that she was too far back in line to have her book signed by certain Famous Author. He finished on time, gave a quick wave to the 20-odd of us left in line, and was ushered away by event security. As the Famous Author drove past, the enraged lady started yelling at him, screaming that it was unfair for readers to have spent money on his book when he couldn’t stay an extra ten minutes to sign their books. He looked at her in bemusement and gave her a cursory shrug.

While I felt rather bad for the Famous Author, I couldn’t help but think that there was some truth behind the rants of this slightly crazed woman. His reaction was at best perfunctory, though I’m not sure what else he could have done. The situation was perhaps slightly out of his control.

Yet, I found the Famous Author’s reaction incredibly amusing, both because it was a ridiculous situation but also because of his status as a writer of contemporary fiction. He purports to write about the ordinary person and even presents himself as a quiet, reclusive sort of fellow. Yet, here he was, being treated deferentially as if he was a member of an elite society.

Since, as a writer, this Famous Author has suffered through long periods of rejection and frustration, shouldn’t he want to find a way to stay a little later? After all, these were his readers that were being turned away. It was especially silly since there were literally less than 20 of us left in line. But, all we got was a wave and a brief glimpse of him being escorted away on a golf cart.

Given the situation, I’m not sure what would have been a better solution. He could have said, “Sorry,” or insisted that event staff extend his time. It may not have made any difference, though. The ultimate answer was clearly for event planners to have allotted more book-signing time in the first place for authors for whom they expected a large turnout.

Observing this funny episode, I came away thinking that we, as writers, could all use lessons in humility. By humility, I mean that, no matter how experienced or inexperienced we become, it is important to step back from the day to day and realize how incredibly fortunate we are. We have the chance to communicate our ideas to other people and perhaps in some small way help or influence them. One day, if we’re really lucky, we might even find money and success via this route.

Writing is an art. But, like all arts, writing is a privilege. It should be exercised often, though with care and cognizance of the how, the why, and the to whom we are writing.

Jessica Quillin owns Quillin Consulting, LLC, a consultancy in Washington, DC, focused on content development, research, and strategy for the public and private sectors. She holds a Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Cambridge.

By Sara Halleman

This week WritersNewsWeekly chatted with Bobby Nash, an artist/writer of comics, novels, and short stories. He has done such works as Evil Ways, Fantastix, Lance Star: Sky Ranger, Domino Lady, Sentinels: Alternate Visions, Full Throttle Space Tales: Space Sirens, and A Fistful Of Legends. His comic books and graphic novels include Life In The Faster Lane, Fuzzy Bunnies From Hell, Demonslayer, Fantastix, Yin Yang, I Am Googol: The Great Invasion, and Lance Star: Sky Ranger, among others. Read more about his works, passion, and career in this week’s interview.

WNW When did you start writing comics and stories?
Nash I started writing comic book stories when I was in middle school, which seems like such a long, long time ago, but most of those stories are best left forgotten. After school I wrote stories for a few friends and for small press publishers for awhile until I started scripting Demonslayer for Avatar Press back in 2000. My first story was rejected, but I was given a second chance and my first published issue was Demonslayer: Vengeance #1 in 2001. After that I picked up work wherever I could, which is pretty much what I do today as well. I love writing and I’m always looking for publishers interested in hiring me.

WNW You work with all types of writing such as novels, short stories, and comics. Do you find it difficult to transition from one type to another?
Nash Not really. I usually have no trouble transitioning from one to the other as writing comics and writing prose both use slightly different creative muscles. I find it refreshing to be able to jump back and forth between comics and prose.

WNW Is there one type of work you enjoy writing more than the rest?
Nash With novels, I tend to like writing thrillers the best and using the short stories to scratch certain creative itches. Of course, if I get a science fiction or western novel idea then I’ll probably work them into my schedule as well. With comics I don’t really have a favorite. I just enjoy collaborating with artists on the stories and seeing what we come up with as a team. I’ve been very fortunate to work with some terrific artists.

WNW Out of all the writings you’ve done (novels, comics, short stories) which are you most proud of?
Nash While I’m generally proud of them all, the debut of my first published novel, Evil Ways is definitely a proud moment for me. I couldn’t stop smiling the first week or two after I received my comp copies. Of course, then it was right back to work.
On the comics side, I’m very proud of the Yin Yang graphic novel, which hits stores on September 29th, 2010. It has taken some time to get from me writing it to the shelves so I’ll be a proud boy when it hits shelves. It’s a fun story and the art is beautiful.
For short stories, Lance Star: Sky Ranger tops the list. Not only was this the book that kick started my short story writing career, but it has opened doors for me as well. And there are more Lance Star: Sky Rangers short stories, novels, and comics coming so that’s exciting too.

WNW How would you describe your genre?
Nash I don’t generally think in terms of genre when I write a story, which sometimes results in my mixing a few genres together. For me, I tell the story and hope it fits. Sometimes, I take on freelance writing assignments so in those cases I write the genre that the publisher or editor hires me to write. I rarely start a project by wondering in what genre I’m going to set the story.

WNW Who are some of your favorite authors (comic book and/or novel)?
Nash Such a long list. I read a lot, but a few of my favorite writers (comics and prose) include Darwyn Cooke, Chuck Dixon, Beau Smith, Michael Connelly, Ed Brubaker, Beverly Connor, Alex Kava, Stephen J. Cannell, Jonathon Hickman, Gail Simone, Jimmy Palmiotti, Roy Thomas, James Reasoner, Marv Wolfman, Sean Taylor, Mike Grell, Van Allen Plexico, Peter David, Kyle Mills, Howard Hopkins, Nancy Holder, Steve Alten, Christoper Golden, and plenty more.

WNW What were some of your favorite comics growing up?
Nash I was a huge Spider-man fan growing up. It was reruns of the 60’s Spider-man cartoon that got me hooked and my Mom bought me a three pack of comics at a supermarket once that had Amazing Spider-man issues 192, 193, and 194 inside with stories by Marv Wolfman with art by Keith Pollard and Jim Mooney. I was hooked.
After that I started reading and whatever else I could get my hands on. In high school I met other readers and we swapped books. I started reading X-Men, Fantastic Four, Thor, Avengers, New Teen Titans, JLA. It was great.
I like to tell people that it was Spider-man that got me into comics, but it was The Fantastic Four that made me stay.

WNW Tell us about your upcoming novel Earthstrike Agenda.
Nash Earthstrike Agenda was the first novel I wrote so it needed some work. A lot of work. A couple years ago I started reworking the story and finally got it into shape and was happy with it. It was my first attempt at science fiction prose and I learned a lot along the way. I’ve since written several science fiction short stories. I’m currently shopping the novel around and hope to have it out sooner or later. I have toyed with the idea of changing the title to Operation Earthstrike. Still toying with both title ideas.

WNW Are there any other future projects in the works?
Nash There are several things on the horizon.
Comics: The Yin Yang graphic novel from Arcana Comics comes out on September 29th. The I Am Googol: The Great Invasion graphic novel (Book 1) from Point G Comics will be available in November. A second Lance Star: Sky Ranger comic book is in production as well as a few others I can’t mention quite yet.
Prose: I have stories in a few anthologies that will be out in the coming months including Lance Star: Sky Ranger Vol. 3, Secret Agent X Vol. 4, and Ravenwood: Stepson of Mystery Vol. 1, Aym Geronimo And The Postmodern Pioneers: Tall Tales, Tales From The Zero Hour Vol. 4: Weird Tales, Green Hornet Casefiles, and Frontier, which collects several of my sci fi shorts). I also have a Lance Star: Sky Ranger novel in the works as well as Games!, Blood Shot, and Evil Intent (sequel to Evil Ways) in production as well.

For more information on Bobby Nash please visit him at www.bobbynash.com, http://bobby-nash-news.blogspot.com, www.facebook.com/bobbyenash, www.twitter.com/bobbynash, and www.lance-star.com, among other places across the web.

By Sara Halleman

This week is the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week. So in support of a week dedicated to the awareness of the crimes against knowledge, I’ve decided to review 2009’s most challenged book ttyl by Lauren Myracle. This novel, intended for young adults, has been banned or questioned since 2007 because of the books descriptions of sex, porn, and alcohol.

ttyl tells the story of three high school girls, Zoe, Maddie and Angela, starting their sophomore year. The author writes using only instant messages between the girls, who ritually meet online every night to discuss the social events of the day. The girls’ friendship is very honest and Myracle does an excellent job of portraying these teens through their conversations. Just like real friendships, each girl balances out the other. While Zoe is smart and innocent, Angela hops from boyfriend to boyfriend. Maddie is insecure and constantly seeking attention from the popular crowd, while her friends are more confident and secure with their social status. Their relationships hit certain bumps in the road, like break-ups, misunderstandings, and sexual harassment from a teacher, but the girls manage to stay together.

As I mentioned before, this book was challenged for being unsuitable for the age group. After reading ttyl I can’t see any age group that it is more suited for. Lauren Myracle flawlessly captures teenage struggles and situations. Not only does she understand her audience, she speaks the ‘language’ they do. That language being conversations through instant messaging that are filled with mannerisms and emoticons. Just like real online communication, a lot of the conversations are easily misinterpreted. I enjoyed the author’s take on this concept. Today we very much depend on communication via text or internet networks and many misinterpretations occur that wouldn’t in a verbal transaction. This is no exception in this novel. These girls go through instances of misunderstandings and it tests their friendships.

Apart from the way the girls talk through online chat sessions, the content of their conversations is always intriguing. The girls speak openly with one another, just like normal teenage girls would. They are upfront with their lives and confide in one another while on their path to self-discovery. Nothing is off limits in these discussions. They speak of matters that are real to a teenage girl’s life and the topics are what lands this book on a banned book list. Discussions about sex may offend people but these are the conversations that bring the girls to life. Their naivety, vulgarness, and curiosity is real and any reader could relate.

ttyl is a coming of age novel surrounding three sophomores dealing with the ups and downs of high school life. Author Lauren Myracle has created an honest story of friendship that many people can understand. Even though it has been on top banned book lists several times for its explicit sexual language is not something to fear. Myracle is simply portraying how real teenage girls talk about these controversial topics. Add in her unique style of internet-speak language and you have a genuine story. If you can get through the intentional, grammatically incorrect text you’ll find this book to be a truly brilliant read.

Attention: WritersNewsWeekly is now accepting books to be submitted for review. Click here for our submission guidelines.

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WNW Speaks with Erin Blakemore By Sara Halleman In Erin Blakemore’s debut book The Heroine's Bookshelf, she celebrates some of her beloved authors and female protagonist. This highly anticipated book will be released by Harper on October 19, 2010. WNW had the opportunity to ask Blakemore about her book and what inspires her. Read More

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WNW Features Littlefly.co.uk By Sara Halleman Ever wish you could take your favorite book with you where ever you go? Well now you can! No, I’m not talking about a sleek electronic book reader. I’m talking about turning your favorite literary work of art into jewelry. That’s exactly what Jeremy May, creator of LittleFly does. I recently came across the website www.Littlefly.co.uk and was instantly fascinated. Jeremy May creates these literary jewels from books that have been treasured and cared for by their readers. Each piece of jewelry is carefully constructed and unique to the wearer. Read More

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Writing Big By Jessica Quillin
Is it possible to have too many plans for your writing? Is ambitiousness just a sign of foolishness? Read More

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To Rewrite or Not to Rewrite? By L.L. McKinney Last week I had a mini Q&A session here at Fiction, from the First Draft Forward. I hope it was informative, even though I only answered four questions of about a dozen, give or take. This just means there is plenty more to cover in future articles like that, so keep the questions coming! Read More

By Sara Halleman

Ever wish you could take your favorite book with you where ever you go? Well now you can! No, I’m not talking about a sleek electronic book reader. I’m talking about turning your favorite literary work of art into jewelry. That’s exactly what Jeremy May, creator of LittleFly does. I recently came across the website www.Littlefly.co.uk and was instantly fascinated. Jeremy May creates these literary jewels from books that have been treasured and cared for by their readers. Each piece of jewelry is carefully constructed and unique to the wearer. LittleFly has found a way to bring a new life to these books and the reincarnation is nothing short of beautiful. They put a twist on recycling, turning the paper from your favorite novel and creating the perfect accessory or gift. Jeremy May carefully visualizes these written texts as colored images and forms and creates them for new owners to cherish as jewels. The care and talent that LittleFly puts into each piece is astonishing. Lucky for us here at WritersNewsWeekly, this week we got to chat with LittleFly about their creations!

WNW How long as Little Fly been around and how did it start
LittleFly Little Fly was officially born in February 2009, when the first collection was presented in London (at Deploy). Following the launch of the brand Little Fly exhibited at Colette in Paris, at TOI in Osaka Japan, at Eleni Marneri Creative Gallery in Athens. And at present Little Fly is presented at Wollfson & Tay a bookshop in Bermondsey Square in London and as part of an exhibition titled ‘Domestic Affair’ in Craft2eu in Hamburg Germany.

WNW How did you come up with such a creative idea?
LittleFly The first piece of jewelry I crafted was a ring for my wife, created for our first wedding anniversary in September 2007, created from her favorite Greek newspaper and recycled coloured paper. The first year of marriage is represented by paper and we decided to take presents for each other from it.

WNW What makes each piece different from each other
LittleFly For each piece made, I select from the book a distinct quote that directly inspires me to create and envisage the form and appearance. Every jewel is impossible to replicate and is unique to the wearer, carrying a serial number. Their beauty extends within the piece: text and images pass all the way through, only exposed at the surfaces, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of the writer’s story and my vision. The result is an exquisite range of collector’s jewelry pieces that combine modern simplicity with traditional craft and sensitivity.

WNW Where does the name Little Fly come from?
LittleFly Little Fly is named after my wife Eva-Chloe; Little Fly (in Greek) was her nickname from when she was born. (On occasion she is still called by this name).

WNW How long does it take to make a creation?
LittleFly The process that I developed and I am using to re-appropriate the books is lengthy. It is really impossible to pin point the amount of time as it also depends on the complexity of the piece. It is important I feel to mention that I do not outsource any part of the process of creating these jewels. Little Fly – Literary Jewels are created from recycling paper. Each jewel is carefully crafted out of vintage books and sculpturally formed through process of layered compression and lacquering.

WNW Where do most of these books come from?
LittleFly Each book chosen has a history, people have bought them, read them, made notes on them, sold them on or gave them as a gift and have been passed on to the vendor on the quais of la Seine in Paris, a second hand book shop in the university district in Tokyo, in Vathis Square in Plaka, a local charity shop, or donated.

WNW Can you choose the book you would like to be created into jewelry?
LittleFly I have created bespoke pieces, where a specific book was chosen.
Such as the engagement ring I crafted from ‘Peter Pan’ (Serial no# 094 'Peter Pan)

'and the one crafted from the book ‘Love Poems’ (Serial no# 099 'Love Poems').

WNW Is there a permanent store in the works?
LittleFly At the moment we are presenting and introducing Little Fly in exhibitions. It would be an interesting prospect to have a store but I feel that, that could only happen in the far future. One of my dreams would be to have a workshop that could house an exhibition space that I could also invite other artists.

WNW What are some of your favorite pieces you have created?
LittleFly Each piece has a special place for me as its history from the point of choosing a book to designing the jewel and to creating it; I spend a lot of time with each of them. Saying that I also feel that the relationship developed for the bespoke pieces create another kind of attachment with these pieces. I was really touched to see the wedding bands that I created for a lovely couple that got married this August give them such joy.

WNW Can you give us a general price range for your products?
LittleFly The prices of the pieces vary as the each piece is unique but as a guide, a ring presented in a box is £105, a ring presented within the book it was created from would be £360, and the price range goes up to £1000 for more complex pieces such as necklaces.

By Jessica Quillin

Is it possible to have too many plans for your writing? Is ambitiousness just a sign of foolishness?

Once you’ve got a good idea, how do you know if your work is ready for public view? Do the old concepts of self-editing and self-criticism have any function in an age of spontaneous communication?

As writers, we all have grand plans for our writing. Despite our protestations of amazement at any level of success or readership we may achieve, we all share the common ultimate goal of communicating our ideas or message to others and in turn building a community of readership. We can’t help it. Dreaming—wide-sweeping, world-changing dreaming—is what motivates many of us to write in the first place.

Perhaps it’s because the art of writing brings with it an inherent sense of narcissism that comes from focusing on one’s own thoughts for a long time. Coming to even a tiny fraction of nosce te ipsum (“know thyself”) sends many of us reeling into churning out page after page of written work as a way to capture our unique take on a particular idea or indeed the world itself.

As anyone who has been following this column over the past few months knows, I firmly believe in the importance of establishing your own voice as a writer but also in not being afraid to follow your passions. These are, obviously, clichés. Yet, I think that voice and passion in writing are so often overwhelmed by a litany of prescriptiveness about the proper ways or best methods for certain types of writing.

When I first made the move to become a full-time writer, I, like many neophytes, obsessively consulted advice columns and books about writing. Yet, while I understand that writing for the web is more casual than other forms of writing, the number of errors I found in articles purporting to provide advice on effective writing techniques was absolutely astounding. How can I be expected to garner lessons on communication from sources that themselves are unable to convey ideas clearly and succinctly?

It is for this reason that I think the concepts of ambition and good writing are intertwined for professional writers. Most writers begin as readers, so they should have a sense of what defines good writing. This understanding should, in turn, influence a writer’s own style and use of language. Thus, in an ideal world, a writer should be able write whatever he or she wants but then be able to judge when his or her work is of sufficient quality to be read by someone else.

Unfortunately, this often isn’t the case. “Good” and “sufficient quality” are obviously subjective, yet the fundamentals of grammar and syntax are not. The web may make everyone a writer, which is good from the point of view of ambition because it encourages creativity and entrepreneurship. Yet, this open forum brings with it inevitable foibles in terms of quality because it does not mean that people are writing well, never mind writing about something in a way that someone else will find interesting.

On the other hand, many excellent writers may be stifled by their own sense of the inadequacy about their writing, misjudging the actual quality of their own work because they’re not sure if their work is up to scratch or if anyone will want to read what they have to say.

In my opinion, there are two sides to dreaming big in reference to writing: the innovation of new ideas and implementation of these ideas in actual words. Big ideas have the potential to create change through generating discussion and altering the way we think about things. However, when it comes to writing, tempering—or at least being conscious of—the implementation of these ideas can make them more powerful. It is often important to take a step back, refine your thoughts, and figure out if you’re saying what you want to say in the right way.

So, don’t be afraid of having big dreams in your writing career. Yet, keep a dash of humility in the form of self-editing, even if it’s just a quick proofread of a blog entry or closer analysis of a longer article. It may help make you a better writer in the long run.

Jessica Quillin owns Quillin Consulting, LLC, a consultancy in Washington, DC, focused on content development, research, and strategy for the public and private sectors. She holds a Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Cambridge.