Guest Blogger: Author JO ANN HERNANDEZ on Revising

Please welcome today's guest blogger, Jo Ann Hernandez. There isn't enough room to list Jo Ann's qualifications. She has a Masters of Arts in Writing at the University of San Franciso. Her work has won awards and recognition throughout the United States. Her novel White Bread Competition and The Throw Away Piece continue to this day. I've worked with her since the mid 90s, and nothing she accomplishes surprises me anymore. Bravo, Jo Ann. Thank you for being such a pain when it came to editing my prose.

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A little R&R for the Writer (Revise and Revision)

I love to write. I find writing to be fun, enjoyable, and thrilling. Don’t worry. I outgrew that quick enough. I didn’t consider it a career because it was too easy to do. Should a person’s life work be tedious, boring and darn hard? Isn’t that what the pilgrims said? Then some friends told me that the universe needed my voice. Well, hey, who am I to argue with the universe? I did what I always do when I approach a new subject: I read a thousand books, attended conferences, kissed up to, met agents, and finally went for a Master’s in Creative Writing. C’mon. Ask me what my GPA was. Please ask me. I have so few things to be proud of about myself that I have to tell you. A university professor said I was being an amateur by telling it. Being the literary-minded individual with a 3.8GPA, I retorted with a “So?” Actually writing is still fun for me. Takes me to some fantastic places. When, in Joylene’s home, her son complained that I was annoying him. She explained, “I met her on the internet. Haven’t I told you how you had to be careful of the things you get off the internet?” Dry humor wins every time.

The mostest fun part of writing is revision. Be warned that the all-explosive editing shown here should not be done at home without supervision.

In my revision, I break the manuscript into parts. There are many parts and I can only mention a few here. I guess you’ll have to hire “Fresh Eyes” for more. Oh, oh, a plug. Is that allowed?

I do a search of every single 75k word that ends in –ly. You can color them, highlight them, or work on them as each comes up. Up to you and how you work best. That’s the thing about showing and teaching; what works best for you may be different. I tend to work each one as they come up. Thoughtfully. Fantastically. Inherently. Secretively. I secretly hide my faults. Hmmm I secret my faults. I fault my secrets. Hmmm I do secrets with my faults. I hide my secrets. Ohhhh I bury my faults like secrets in my heart. Dang, I’m good. I absolutely love my job. Isn’t this fun?!!!

Then I go on to the really, really hard words. The articles. When I taught a class, I discovered the OWL of Purdue website of grammar. If you don’t feel like writing or aren’t producing, go there and look around. There are little pictures to go with the lesson. They had a stick man jumping IN to an empty pool. There was a kitchen table with a glass of milk ON the table. Can’t quote you the rule or where you can find this, and the pictures are in my brain for life. The vs. A. “A” meaning general, out of a whole bunch. “The” being specific to one of its kind. Amazing isn’t it? To vs too. There are so many more.

Oh sorry, couldn’t forget my pet peeve. Be specific. Specificity is in the details. Did the cloth feel coarse or smooth? How old is old? How fast is swift? Did they fall like a sack or did they fold when they swooned? Details are what make the picture tune in clear. Details are what give the reader the sense of being there inside of the story. And too many details kill the flow of the story in a heartbeat. Ain’t this job fun?

As sport coaches say, learn each movement, each detailed step of the process then forget all you have learned and do it in one fluid graceful movement. Like learning how to drive a standard car. Any of us here remember those?

Ah, the biggie. I have only heard of this in a couple of places, and I was saying this long before then. Crutch words. Everyone has Crutch words - like the stick you put under your arm when you break your leg. If you think you don’t use Crutch words, please wait before submitting your manuscript to an agent so you won’t be disappointed. And the miserable thing about Crutch words is like having allergies. In your home, you’re allergic to dust. At your sibling’s home, you’re allergic to milk. Whichever house you visit, you are allergic to something different. Every single book or story you write will have a different Crutch word. You have to hunt them out.

Crutch words are those little words that show up about every other third word. In writing your first draft, you allow them. They are actually helping you write your first draft. Lately, my Crutch words have been: so, really and just. So I’ve been really writing a lot to just have a few. Then here comes Revision, able to leap tall buildings in a single vowel. You discover what your Crutch words are. It’s helpful to know there are usually only two or three Crutch words in each first draft of each book. As you search, you go to each one and revise, either deleting it or rewording it. Simple. Takes only about four to ten hours. Heh!

Have you seen those “only” sentences?

If you have gained weight.

If only you have gained weight.

If you have only gained weight.

If you have gained only weight.

Got it. Having fun? Isn’t this the best business in the world?

Just two more and I’ll be out of your hair. Clang. Clang. Cliché. I learned about these two words in my two million thousand years of therapy. When using the word “not” you are actually encouraging the person to do what you don’t want them to do. Do not touch the doorknob is translated in the brain to do touch the doorknob. What’s a “really” big hoot is thinking about what you are saying (or writing) without using “not.” I’ve found that my speech and my writing becomes much more positive. Go ahead. Take one day and be conscious of preventing the use of the word “not” in your vocabulary. You’ll surprise yourself with how affirming it can be. And Fun!!!

The other word I learned about is “but.” What I was told is that everything that comes before the “but” is false. “I love you, but…” Oh, I was told that a lot by guys I dated. “I agree with your theory, but…” Can you sense it? “You look nice in that dress, but…” Bash him along side of the head, Ladies. Think about it for a while. I bet you’ll understand, but…..

Okay, my last one. Joylene knows I’m a stickler for this one. There have been quite a few articles out in cyber space about reading your novel aloud to yourself. It’s supposed to help you find errors that your eyes don’t see any more. That’s cool. Go ahead.

What I encourage you to also do is to get someone else to read your manuscript aloud to you. They read along on one manuscript. You follow along with another manuscript and a highlighter in your hand. When there is a mistake, keep from disturbing the reader and highlight what was read differently or awkwardly. Every place where the reader has trouble is a spot that needs to be fixed. Guaranteed.

“I have also noticed that when I read aloud from my manuscript, I sometimes still miss problems like missing or repeated words because I know what the text is supposed to say and my brain corrects the errors without my noticing.” http://querytracker.blogspot.com/2009/10/was-blind-but-now-i-see-text-to-voice.html

This guy talked about software that would read your manuscript to you on the computer. I’m looking into that right now. The other thing I’ve found when someone else reads your manuscript is that – especially in the dialogue – the person will read it as it is spoken and not as you have it down on the page. Highlight that part. Jot a note if you are fast. That’s an important correction you will want to include to make your dialogue sound natural. How it’s spoken is how you want your dialogue to sound.

One suggestion I keep making is if you have teens in your home or close by, they can earn extra money by reading to you. Also if you have a certain type of character in your novel – military, financial, accountant – and you can find someone in any of those professions to read your manuscript aloud to you, I bet you’ll find ways to improve your manuscript from the way the words automatically come out of their mouth. Don’t believe me. (Get the not?) Find someone and try it.

There is so much more Fresh Eyes can do. I tend to write too much, and before I go, I have to tell you about a book. The Forest for the Trees: An Editor's Advice to Writers by Betsy Lerner should be mandatory reading in every writing class and MFA program. A new edition is coming out soon. She is an agent now accepting only non-fiction submissions. This book is not a how-to. It’s a how-come. Talks about the industry and why things happen the way they do. The chapter on rejection is inspiring. You come away from this book with the feeling that you can do it after all. On the last page of the book, she tells a sweet story about waiting for her grandmother at a train station. Her grandmother’s train has been delayed. When the grandmother finally arrives, the granddaughter asks her if she had been lonely. The grandmother answers, “When you have a book with you, you’re never lonely.”

Thank you Joylene for allowing me to invade your pages and spread my sick humor. I’ve enjoyed myself immensely. I hope you have too.

Jo Ann Hernández

BronzeWord Latino Authors

http://authorslatino.com/wordpress

BronzeWord1 AT yahoo com

A Guide to Self-Publishing by Charles Jacobs

Charlie's Choice
Weekly Tips to Help You Write,
Publish & Promote Your Work

MORE WORK, HIGHER RETURN - A GUIDE TO SELF-PUBLISHING

You’ve made the decision to self-publish your manuscript as it nears completion. You recognize that it will require far more effort than simply turning your manuscript over to a POD house, but you also realize that the financial return can be far greater. However, it does require an outlay of money up front.

Self-publishing is growing in popularity among experienced authors and even some wanna-bes. The sense of satisfaction you receive from having overseen and accomplished the entire process by yourself is an additional bonus that many authors cherish.
There is an important transition you have to make if you’re going to be a successful self-publisher. You must doff your artist’s cap and become a businessperson, for you will be dealing with financial decisions and a variety of chores that must be completed. You can tackle these on your own or hire and direct someone else to do them. In either case, you and you alone are solely responsible for every aspect of producing your book.

None of these tasks is terribly difficult, and professional book coaches stand ready to assist you on the two chores that really demand specialized talent: designing your book’s cover and formatting the interior text. Although it is possible to use templates for the cover and to learn to format, I strongly recommend that you hire professionals for these.

The appearance of your book, both inside and out, is a key factor in attracting sales. Far too many self-published books are amateurishly designed, and that’s the primary reason top reviewers and booksellers are often leery about reviewing or stocking them. However, if your book stands out because of its professional design, you can overcome that stigma.

Pre-pub Requirements
Self-publishing may be done either digitally or with offset printing. The choice depends upon the length of the press run you require. But in all cases, the pre-publication work today is essentially the same.

The first decision you must make is to determine the actual size and shape you want your book to be. The most popular sizes are 5.5 inches by 8.5 inches or 6 by 9. This is referred to in the industry as “trim size.” Most book printers can handle either size. Other sizes are available, but they are used principally for specialty books.

Your next consideration is the cover. The quality of your cover will strongly influence the number of books you sell. There are three segments of a good cover, and each one has a specific function. The spine is the first element a shopper sees when perusing the books on the store shelf. It contains the name of the book in large letters, followed by the author’s name and that of the publisher.

The front cover represents the first “stop” the potential buyer makes. That’s only a three second stop to examine the title, author’s name and if you have done your job obtaining endorsements, a very brief blurb from a recognized person. If that quick look intrigues the customer, he/she will turn to the back cover. This is your selling tool, but again you have only a few seconds to convince the customer to read further.

The several sections of the back cover should include a brief précis of the book, excerpts from reviews, endorsements from worthy sources, a short bio of the author, plus the required ISBN, barcode and the category listing in the top left corner. If the back cover functions well, the person will next flip to the table of contents and glance through the text. The $300 to $600 price for a cover design is perhaps the best investment you will ever make in your book.

Visit the library or your local bookstore. Study the covers on books similar to the one you plan. Next, search the Internet under “Book Cover Designers.” Most of these web sites will offer a gallery of cover designs the artist has created. Review them carefully, and narrow down your selection to three or four. Interview each designer before your make your final decision.

Your next concern is to format the interior text of the book in a style that is easy and comfortable to read. This means selecting a pleasant and inviting type font, spacing out between the lines (called leading) and shaping the computer text to the book’s page. It also involves creating interesting chapter headings and page footers (the page numbers and chapter identification found at the bottom of the page). Professional formatters are expensive, but very valuable. Formatting a book of approximately 300 pages will run between $800 and $1,200.

Smaller But Vital Tasks
Every book that is to be sold to a library or a bookstore must have an ISBN. This international identification number should be placed on the back cover along with a complementary bar code. These are easily obtained from the R.R. Bowker company by clicking onto its web site HYPERLINK "http://www.bowker.com" www.bowker.com.

Library of Congress Cataloguing is another necessity. (You will find this in the front section of a book.) It can be obtained directly from the Library of Congress, but is not always available if you have written only a single book. The alternative is to click on the Donohue Group, and they will prepare it for you. You can find the company at HYPERLINK "http://www.dgiinc.com" www.dgiinc.com and click on PCIP.

It would be very wise to officially copyright your book. Although your words are technically covered by copyright as soon as you place them on paper, that designation will not stand up in court. Obtain a complete copyright from the government to protect yourself from any piracy or plagiarism. It is easy to obtain by clicking on “Copyright” in your favorite search engine. Simple instructions and an official application will appear. It is very inexpensive.

You have the option of creating a Table of Contents yourself for your nonfiction book or you can use one of the available software programs on the Internet. Whichever path you take, enter the chapter heading and then highlight some of the important issues discussed in the chapters beneath the heading. Of course, you can’t add the actual page numbers until you have completed all revisions of your text.

If your book is nonfiction, you may want to include an Index and/or an Appendix. These are easy enough to develop yourself. For the Appendix, list references to any material that you think will help your reader by supplementing the information you included in your text.

The Index is a bit more time-consuming to assemble, although not terribly hard. As you do the final edit of the book, each time you come to a subject that should be included in the Index, jot it down. When you have completed all chapters, categorize each of these entries by subject. List them under the appropriate subject heading using a one or two-word designation and the page number. Many authors feel this is too time-consuming and prefer to farm the job out to a freelance indexer. These can be found on the Internet.

Next steps are, of course, the printing of your book and its distribution. It will be your task to select a quality printer and to arrange distribution through a wholesaler and/or distributor. Those topics we’ll leave for future articles.

This column is an excerpt from the blog of Charles Jacobs, book coach and author of “The Writer Within You,” named a Best Book of the Year seven times and winner of both gold and bronze medals. The book can be ordered at HYPERLINK "http://www.retireandwrite.com" www.retireandwrite.com. For coaching, Charles can be reached at HYPERLINK "mailto:carosbooks@gmail.com" carosbooks@gmail.com.

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Here's an excerpt from Charles' book THE WRITER WITHIN YOU:

"Most of you are familiar with the word genre, as it is used to depict distinct types of literature. Although the fundamentals of creation are essentially the same for every category, you will learn in succeeding chapters the approach does vary somewhat. So it is up to you to determine what it is you want to say, the genre in which you want to present it and how best to frame your work. Should you tackle a full length nonfiction book or begin with an article on the subject? Can the message you want to deliver be more effectively presented as a parable or a longer fictional story? Would you be better served by writing an essay? These questions aren’t difficult to answer once you have carefully thought through your project. Often the choice is inherent in the subject matter you choose to write about. Be sure it is something with which you are completely comfortable, for you and your project will be intimately wedded for a substantial period of time."

POD, THE MOST MISUNDERSTOOD CATEGORY OF PUBLISHING by Charles Jacobs

Charlie’s Choice
Weekly Tips to Help You Write,
Publish & Promote Your Work

POD, THE MOST MISUNDERSTOOD CATEGORY OF PUBLISHING

Some call it just plain ”publishing.” Others claim to have self-published their books when they use Publishing on Demand (POD). Actually neither designation is completely correct. Yes, it is a kind of publishing, but a very special kind. It is not self-publishing, a process that differs substantially and requires far more expertise and involvement.

POD is an outgrowth of the huge changes that occurred in printing technology when digital printing was developed. For the first time, authors were not forced to use offset printing with its minimum press runs of 1500 to 2000 books. For the first time, an author could order only the number of books he/she needed with this new technology, and was able to fill in small quantities as future needs arise. This was a great boon for beginners who were feeling their way in the publishing industry and for memoirists who wanted to distribute books just to family and friends.

The novice writer enjoys the advantage of having the POD house handle all of the prepublication work that is required to produce a book. And that service is available at a very minimal initial outlay of money for the services one receives.

For a production payment of as little as $300, the house will produce a finished book and in most cases do it extremely professionally. The high end of that scale—a ceiling of about $1,000—represents lots of bells and whistles that the house will try to sell you, but which frankly are of little or no value. You can receive a top quality book for an average investment of under $500, and that’s the level you should be at when dealing with this method of publishing. Use the company’s basic program, nothing more.

The Process

You turn your manuscript over to the POD house, along with an initial production check. In return, the house art staff produces a professional book cover. That alone would normally cost you anywhere from $300 to $600 if you were to hire a designer yourself.

The text that comes off the computer, of course, is not what appears in a finished book. It must be formatted to conform to the page size, produced in a type font that is conducive to easy reading and leaded (spaced between the lines). This requires a high level of skill. You can learn to do it, but I strongly recommend a professional formatter. The cost depends on the length of the book. Formatting a 300-page volume, for example, can cost between $800 and $1200.

Every book requires an ISBN number if it is to be sold to bookstores or libraries. This is an identification number that is assigned exclusively to a single book. Barcodes are needed to accompany the ISBN. In addition, Library of Congress Cataloguing is a necessity if you plan to tap into the huge library market. All of these are obtained for you by POD staffers.

The POD House will then print your book, bind it and register it with a major wholesaler (usually either Ingram or Baker & Taylor), a requirement if you are selling to libraries and bookstores. The book will also be placed on Amazon, Barnes & Noble.com and Borders.com. Further distribution and promotional activities are your responsibility.

Be Aware

Two words of caution: Most houses do not obtain a copyright for your book. But that’s not a serious problem. You can do it yourself for just a few dollars. Search for “Copyright” on the Web. The government’s copyright web site will come up and explain each step you must take. It will also supply you with a formal application form. Completing everything is perhaps a 15-minute task and very easy to accomplish.

The second matter you should be aware of is that when the ISBN is ordered by most POD houses, it is listed in the house’s name. You must understand that the entity that owns the ISBN controls all of the finances of the book. So when you read in the publicity, “You control the book. All decisions are yours,” it is a bit misleading. Don’t construe this to mean that you lose total control over your book. It is yours by copyright.

In fact, on the finance side, you do have the right to decide how much of a royalty (percentage of the profit of the sale of the book) you wish. But the reality is that when it sells your book, the house will insist upon taking a certain flat amount, which is usually quite substantial. As a result, if you select a high royalty, the retail price will shoot up above the competition. With a lower royalty, you will make very little money. Nonetheless, at any level of royalty, you have managed to publish your book with no more money out of your pocket than the initial production fee. That’s a pretty fair deal for what you’re getting in return.

The only negative, aside from the minimal compensation, is that there is still some reluctance to handle POD books on the part of the better book reviewers and some book sellers. This a carry-over from the old days of the vanity press, when the level of quality was so poor and from the sloppy, haphazard work y turned out by the charlatans who infected the POD world when it first began.

Today most of the reticence has faded. People judge POD books not by the publisher that produced them, but by the quality of the book itself. POD creations have reached the best seller lists in some cases, and they are available through the majority of bookstores. Even if they are not stocked on the store shelves, they can be ordered quickly.

Finding a POD House

Most POD publishers maintain web sites. Click onto “POD Publishers,” and you will find a number of them. Read their sites carefully, and discount the meaningless extras (the bells and whistles I spoke of above). Be extremely careful if you go to contract. Study the document before you sign or better yet ask a literary lawyer to review it. Think ahead. What impact will each of the conditions of the contract have on the sales of your book. How easily can you leave the POD house and either self-publish future editions or contract for them with a traditional publisher?

While I am reluctant to evaluate the different houses that I have not used, I leave that task up to others. There are a number of sites that make these evaluations. The one I recommend most strongly is www.bookmarket.com/ondemand.htm. The site is owned by John Kremer, a highly respected publishing guru, and supplies information on a large number of publishing on demand houses.

Another site I recommend to you is www.sfwa.org. This extremely informative site is maintained by the Science Fiction Writers of America, but its information is applicable to all genres. Although I do disagree with the site’s contention that POD is not the best choice for a beginning writer, I find the rest of its counsel excellent.

Click on the site, scroll down to the box near the bottom that states “Writer Beware.” Click on it. Over on the left side of the next screen, you will find “Print-on-Demand, Self-Publishing Services.” Click on that, and read it carefully.

POD publishing may not be ideal for every author, but it is a worthy alternative for beginners, family memoirists and in fact anyone who strikes out with traditional publishers and and has a burning desire to make his/her book available to the public.


This column is an excerpt from the blog of Charles Jacobs, book coach and author of “The Writer Within You,” named a Best Book of the Year seven times and winner of both gold and bronze medals. The book can be ordered at www.retireandwrite.com. For coaching, Charles can be reached at carosbooks@gmail.com.

SLEEPLESS IN CLUCULZ LAKE

Slept poorly last night. Bandit's girlfriend stopped by for short visits between 11:40 PM and 3:14 AM. Consequently, every time she left, Bandit had a fit. He howled and cried and even barked. I bet my neighbours were impressed. Bandit is generally a quiet dog, but in the last few weeks, he can't eat, sleep or think beyond his girlfriend's next visit. Reminds me of when my sons were teens. Do I want to live those days over again? NO!

If I knew where she lived, I'd call her parents and ask if they could keep her in at night. Or at least chained. A good night's sleep is worth its weight in gold. If he was in his right mind, I'm sure Bandit would agree.

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NOW for my latest news:

On Oct 17th I signed with Theytus Books to publish Broken But Not Dead. I'm currently waiting for them to assign me an editor.

Oct 20th, my husband got his moose. It's currently taking up residence in our freezer.

Nov 3rd and every Monday night at 6 PM thereon, I'm reading from one of my books on 93.1 CFIS FM. To listen, you'll need to click the link. Until they upgrade, their signal isn't strong enough to pick up on your radio.

Nov 25th, our youngest son Cory carries the Olympic torch in Fredericton, (Gagetown) New Brunswick.

Some of my upcoming guests are: Jo Ann Hernandez, Charles Jacobs, Phyllis Zimbler Miller, Katherine Swarts, and many more.
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joylene

Interview with author NERINE DORMAN

J: I understand the idea for Khepera Rising came from an incident on Fish Hoek Main Road where a stranger said to you, "Jesus loves you" and you wondered what if you were the thing she feared most. I have to admit, I heard that story, Nerine, and I was fascinated. Is your protagonist James the thing this lady would fear most? Can you tell us why he needs or craves that reaction?

N: To be quite honest, I had absolutely no idea who or what my protagonist would be up until that moment. I had vague inklings that I wanted to write about minority culture in my stomping ground but had no clear ideas. I knew there would be magic and alternative dream realities involved but no knowledge as to how I'd execute the story. Jamie provided the conflict just by being, well... Jamie.

I found it ironic that this lady stopped me in the street... or tried to, with her preconceived notion that I needed or would welcome her brand of "help". Jamie is a conglomeration of all the terrible stories you'd hear about "those evil satanists". However, he is highly intelligent and does have a great deal of empathy toward living creatures. I'd say he's most closely based on the concept of La Veyan satanist, however, with a more fervent belief in his magical arts in the sense of a ceremonial magician. He wouldn't hurt a living, sentient being but if a human were to cross him, he'd not shrink from gaining revenge. He is completely decadent and, as SA author Sarah Lotz put it, "deliciously morally ambiguous", and thrives on creating a stir wherever he goes.

Of course he is just setting himself up for a fall and that's most of the novel, really, about Jamie putting his life back together and deflating some of his ego. I guess he craves the reaction from other people because of the hatred and the boredom he feels when faced with what he considers their perenially dull lives.

J: From that moment on Main Road to finding your publisher, how long did the process take? What was the most difficult part of your journey as a novelist?

N: The incident took place late in 2006. I spent most of 2007 writing but then I lacked a lot of focus so the novel grew in fits and starts. At that time I was still fooling myself that I should write and sell short fiction, so I was constantly distracted. At the start of 2008 I finished the first draft then spent the next four or so months editing. I had a brief connection with a SA-based literary agent but in the end the two of us didn't see eye to eye, so I started looking overseas. The South African publishing industry still considers genre fiction to be below its notice so I knew well not to waste my time locally. Besides, my target market is mostly the US market, in any case.

The most difficult thing was dealing with rejection. I queried goodness knows how many agents. The dozen or so who requested partials or fulls said thanks but no thanks, with most of the reasons for rejection being that they weren't quite sure how to sell this novel. After this I started querying the small presses and was pleasantly surprised to have an overwhelming YES from Lyrical Press, Inc. Although technically it can be argued that I didn't need a literary agent now that I had a publisher, I still felt it prudent to return to one of the agents who'd initially seemed sympathetic to my cause. The lady in question agreed to representation, so I'm feeling happier for this that I have someone to look over my contracts and offer legal advice. But, ja... the rejection. It was horrid. Luckily I have a thick skin after working in advertising and newspaper publishing for a number of years.

Now the most difficult part of being published is finding the time to edit. I also work as a genre fiction editor, and it's not always easy balancing a demanding day job at the papers with my writing and freelance editing. I burn the candle at both ends at times, which can have a negative impact on my health when things get too busy.

J: You said there are two major themes dear to your heart, could you elaborate a bit on what they are?

N: Plainly put, I'm an iconoclast. I grew up in a highly conservative environment from a religious and cultural sense, so am quite passionate when I see persecution of minority religions and cultures. I tend to cheer for the underdog, be he pagan, Wiccan, heathen, Thelemite or satanist. I have a great love for spiritualities that are off the beaten track and believe there is strength in diversity. People should not be shaped from cookie cutter faiths and I feel it is up to the individual to find out for themselves what they want out of life. Other people mustn't dictate. Having had a highly conservative Afrikaner upbringing during South Africa's apartheid years probably contributed a lot to my current state of being.

As for the other, I always get a bit passionate about the topic of drug use versus drug abuse. I wanted to show a character who was able to transcend his dependency on narcotics through his own efforts without leaning on some organisation as a crutch. People close to me have either succumbed or gotten over their problems with addictive substances. Those who now shine have been able to do so by finding the strength within themselves to overcome their issues. Having people close to you addicted to drugs is not a nice situation. You love them but you also realise that there is very little you can do to help them.

J: What prompted you to start a writers' guild for speculative fiction writers in Cape Town?

N: Frustration, really. I felt as if I was totally alone. The only other genre fiction writers I knew back then were people overseas and yet I yearned to have face-to-face contact and people to commiserate with. I also knew that the local publishers were never going to start taking genre fiction in South Africa seriously unless we started somewhere, working toward improving local fiction as a whole. And hell, when I read about all the conventions overseas I grew rather jealous. I wanted that kind of excitement here in my home town.

Three years down the road I can definitely say our efforts are paying dividends. Two of our members have sold short stories within a month of each other and we've maintained monthly meetings, as well as outings. I've just convened the literary element of the SA Horrorfest, and a number of our members were ready to put their work in the public eye. We've also brought out our first anthology and are busy with our second.

J: Nerine, soon the world will be reading your work, praising and criticizing the story and characters. How does a writer prepare for that?

N: Go into it without expectations, good or bad. I create without lust for result. That way if there is a deafening silence, it doesn't phase me. However, having a thick skin in this industry is critical. Realise that you cannot please all of the people all of the time. While some will love what you do, there will also be those who'd like nothing better than to denigrate what you've created.

J: As a soon-to-be-published author, do you have a marketing plan in the works? Or is your publisher taking care of everything? Were any of their requirements difficult to fulfill?

N: As a author with a small press, I'm well aware that a lot of the marketing will fall on my shoulders. To that effect, I've started building an online presence blogging, as well as maintaining a group on social networking sites such as Facebook. I'll be handling some give-aways once the novel is released but I'm also planning a launch party here in Cape Town. ePublishing is all but unheard of here in South Africa and I'm excited to be at the forefront to spread word of the digital revolution that's currently transforming the publishing industry. Most of the books I read nowadays are onscreen and, although printed books will never fall out of favour, digital publishing is giving many authors an opportunity to put their work out there.

It's my feeling that nowadays authors no longer have an excuse to be hermits. They have to take an active role in promoting their writing, be it book signings, blogging, interviews... Marketing is only limited by one's imagination.

J: Which is more fun and why: writing, revising or marketing?

N: I love outlining and writing. Editing can be a pain due to time constraints. I simply do not have enough time in the day. My magic two hours are my daily commute to and from the Cape Town CBD, and I spend that time busy with my first drafts, all written by hand. Marketing can be fun. I come from a marketing communications background so I'm always full of ideas when it comes to that. Right now I'm relaunching my website. Next month I'm planning my launch party, including belly dancers, divas, live suspensions and wine tasting, if all goes well. I'm surrounded by creative people so there's never a lack of opportunity for a bit of collaboration and mutual promotion of the arts.

J: In your bio it says experienced penguin wrangler. When I was a child, I helped round up chickens. It was dangerous work. Nerine, what the heck is a penguin wrangler?

N: During 2000 there was a terrible oil spill. The Treasure ran aground in Table Bay and more than 17 000 African penguins were directly impacted by this disaster. These were laboriously rounded up and I spent a week working to tube, feed and wash penguins. It was one of the best experiences I've had, seeing how people can work together for a greater cause. And the penguins, yes... little chaps in their tuxedos. No matter how many times the ungrateful wretches bit me and narrowly missed removing vital bits of my person, I worked until late each day to save their lives. And there's quite an art to catching and working with penguins. If ever there were to be another disaster of this scale, I'd book myself off for a week to jump right in again. But, let's hope that's not the case. I feel very strongly about the environment and take a proactive role in doing what I can to lessen my impact.

J: I've yet to meet a writer who isn't plagued with the fear of being discovered a fraud. Have you suffered from that? If not, can you help the rest of us learn how to lighten up? If so, have you discovered a solution?

N: Ah, hell, I sometimes do have my dark teatimes, as I like to call them. Usually this is when I've taken too many physical and emotional knocks from the world, and these things do tend to happen in waves, so it's a case of learning to weather the storm. Thing is, when this happens, I have to remind myself that I write the kind of stories that I like to read. I may not have a masters degree in literature but I pride myself on constantly looking for ways in which I can improve my writing. The trick is to remember WHY it is that I write. If an author is writing because they want acclaim or make loads of money, stop right there.

I write because I have stories to tell and, chances are, if I can find a medium to share them, then other people who like my kind of stories will be entertained and hopefully learn about my world.

My advice: write without lust for result. Write the kind of prose that makes you want to sing or cry. Write what makes you happy, be it fanfiction or epic supernatural thrillers, but overall, just write and be glad for bringing some creativity in a world chiefly filled with consumers.

J: Can you tell us a little about The Dead of Night?

N: The Dead of Night takes up from Khepera Rising, about four months after the climactic events at the end of book one. Although, technically, it's a sequel, I've written it so that it works as a standalone novel. I've tentatively thought up a third and I'd like all these books featuring Jamie to be read in any sequence. The Dead of Night is perhaps darker and more blood-drenched than its predecessor. Jamie has more control over his magic, and he's mastered his demons, emotionally, physically, intellectually and magically, but events take place outside of his sphere of influence that drag him into trouble. It's a race against time for him to solve the savage, ritualistic murders of teenage girls, while trying to track down a demonic entity that threatens to destroy him.

J: Thanks so much for the interview, Nerine. I have a feeling your answers will help a lot of new writers. It's a scary road and sharing your experience has already made it a nicer place, I'm sure. Best of luck with Khepera Rising and all your future endeavours. Please come back when you're touring with The Dead of Night.
--
joylene

Introducing South African author Nerine Dorman

I'm interviewing author Nerine Dorman on my cluculzwriter blog on Monday, Nov. 2, 2009.  Nerine was Keith Pyeatt's editor for his first novel Dark Knowledge. On December 21, 2009, Nerine's first novel Khepera Rising is due to be released.

Nerine Dorman was born in Cape Town, South Africa, during the previous century, and has been writing weird tales involving gothboys, vampires, werewolves and other strange beasties since she can remember. She's been a Spur waitress, is an experienced penguin wrangler, plays piano accordion badly, edits genre fiction, loves travelling and lives with her photographer husband in a log cabin on stilts near Cape Point, where she regularly has to fend off baboons armed only with a broomstick. Her mother still asks when she's going to write some "proper" fiction.

Here's a brief synopsis from the Lyrical Press website.

     The wickedest man in Africa has problems, and they can't all be solved by magic. 

     Occult bookshop owner and black arts magician James Edward Guillaume reckons he has it all, and enjoys living up his reputation as South Africa's "wickedest man", a nice house, a business that's breaking even and teh pick of all the pretty Goth girls and boys in Cape town. 

      Little does he know, a group of violent Christo-militants are panting at his heels, ready to destroy his carefully constructed fantasy world. To add mischief to his misery, he's unwittingly unleashed a terrifying demonic entity, and he alone holds the key to The Burning One's secret. To bring order out of the chaos, all James has to do is conquer his personal demonds, teach a rather nasty, self-righteous sod a lesson in humility and find out whether he can win back the trust of an old flame. Only, as James discovers, getting back on top is hell on earth. 

Hope you can stop by on Monday and meet Nerine. If Supernatural Horror is your forte, you're going to love her book Khepera Rising.

LOVE IS LOUD AND IT HURTS

I'm trying to write the Great Canadian Novel but my dog Bandit is outside howling.

Oops, this isn't my dog, this is a Lama.

This is my dog. Okay, our dog.

Generally, you'd find Bandit outside...

frolicking in the snow,

fishing (sort of),

roaming free up at Tchentlo Lodge,

or...

inside watching TV with his family.

However, Bandit has a new girlfriend whose mum and dad only let out a night. Which means that now I can't get Bandit to come in after dark. And during the day when I'm trying to write, Bandit is either...

begging to get out, or sitting outside the front door howling for his girl.

Have you ever heard a Syberian Husky howl? My dog could win a marathon.

Or is that howlathon?

So, please...

if you see this dog...

could you send her to our place. Bandit's heart is breaking.

How Old is Young?

We celebrated our granddaughter's birthday this past weekend at the Aquatic Centre in Prince George. I watched from the sidelines and thought, she looks so small compared to everyone else.

Selena is 7 now. Young in numbers, but if you look closely, you'll see an old soul.That's her little brother Reece in the background.

When I say old soul, I'm referring to the expression in Selena's brilliant blue eyes. There's such wisdom there.

Yes, we all look upon our children and see things that no one else notices. And we assume we're here to teach them and guide them. Already, when I make a statement, Reece's response (he's 4) is a pact, "I know."

Selena, on the other hand, smiles.

Vera is Selena's 93-year-old great grandmother. I meant to take a picture of just the two of them to show you the similarities, but I got caught up on the festivities. Vera and Selena have the same eyes.

The only difference is Vera's confusion is more prevalent.

Interview with author Pat Bertram

Joylene: Pat, please tell us a little about Daughter Am I.

Pat: Daughter Am I is the story of a young woman who inherits a farm from murdered grandparents she never knew she had. Since her father won’t talk about them or explain why he told her they were dead, she sets out on a journey to discover who those grandparents were and why someone killed them. Armed with a little black address book she found in a secret room in the farmhouse, she travels halfway across the country talking to people who knew her grandfather. Through the stories those feisty octogenarians tell, she learns the truth about her grandparents and herself.

Joylene: What is the origin of Daughter Am I?

Pat: I have an historian friend who used to tell me stories about the Mob and how so much of what we thought we knew was untrue. For example, Al Capone was not the great crime boss depicted in so many old movies. He was the front man for the commission that ran Chicago. When he served a ten-month prison sentence for carrying a pistol, it was business as usual in the city. I decided to write a book so I could tell some of these stories. I’ve always like the story within a story format.

Joylene: Do you think writing this book changed your life? How so?

Pat: I wish I could say writing this book changed my life, it would make a good story, but the fact is, it made little difference. Daughter Am I was the third novel I wrote. I’d already experienced the joy and sense of accomplishment completing a novel gives one, and I’d already experienced the disappointment that comes from having a novel rejected. Now, if Daughter Am I would go viral, that would change my life!

Joylene: What has changed for you personally since you wrote your first book?

Pat: The main thing that changed for me in the eight years since I wrote my first book is that I learned how to write! That first book was such a horror that I have it locked away in the basement. Not really. I don’t have a basement. But the novel really was dreadful. Other changes came when I got a computer, signed up for the Internet, and began communicating with writers around the world. The final change came when Second Wind Publishing accepted my novels for publication.

Joylene: What do you think was the greatest obstacle in completing Daughter Am I?

Pat: The greatest obstacle? That’s easy -- me! The story came to me all in one day. Even the biggest story problem -- why the gold was buried -- was resolved that very night when I read a book about the war on gold. Still, even though I knew the story, it took me eleven months to write the first draft. Words come slowly to me. I’m not one who can sit down and just write what comes to mind. I have to dredge the words from somewhere deep inside.

Joylene: Can you tell us a little about the process of getting your book published?

Pat: Getting Daughter Am I published was simple. I just told my publisher I had another book and asked if he was interested. Getting the first two published was the hard part. Two hundred rejections! That pretty much tells the story. I did have three agents over the years, but none of them were any good, so I started querying publishing companies that accepted unagented submissions. During one of my querying spates, I happened to stop by a discussion thread on Gather.com and found a link to Second Wind that someone had posted. I immediately shot off a query, got a manuscript request in a couple of days and an acceptance within a couple of weeks.

Joylene: Has having two books under your belt made the writing and marketing of Daughter Am I easier or harder?

Pat: Daughter Am I was written before A Spark of Heavenly Fire and More Deaths Than One were published, otherwise it would never have been written. Since publication, I’ve written almost nothing except blogs and articles. I’ve been spending my creative time trying to figure out how to get my books known. The promotion is a bit easier because I’m more comfortable with social networks, and I’m friends with a lot more people, but marketing is just as difficult. To me, promoting is letting people know about the book, marketing is getting them to buy it. I still need to learn how to market!

Joylene: What's the future hold for you? What's your next book about?

Pat: I hope the future holds more books! One of these days I will get back to my work-in-progress, a whimsically ironic apocalyptic fantasy. My poor hero has been sweltering under a tangerine sun for over a year! He’s not very happy with me. I am also planning to write a graphic novel. And lastly, I’m planning on selling a ton of books . . . as soon as I figure out how.

Pat Bertram, author of DAUGHTER AM I

Please welcome my returning guest host, Pat Bertram. Her new novel, Daughter Am I has just been released and this week she's doing her virtual book tour. I'm thrilled to have her back.

Pat Bertram is a native of Colorado and a lifelong resident. When the traditional publishers stopped publishing her favorite type of book — character and story driven novels that can’t easily be slotted into a genre — she decided to write her own. More Deaths Than One and A Spark of Heavenly Fire, available at Amazon and from Second Wind Publishing, are Bertram’s first novels.

I once got in an argument with someone who claimed that writers have no business writing about places they have never visited. To be honest, it wasn’t much of an argument since I never got a chance to speak. Still, he did make a point -- there really is no way to impart the true flavor of a place unless you have experienced it. On the other hand, how much do you really need to say about a location to put a reader in place? If you are writing a travelogue, you need to know a lot, but if you are writing a novel, you only need to know enough to set the scene.

I’ve been to very few of the places I talk about in my books. I’ve lived in Denver, stayed in northern Wisconsin for about a year. I visited the outskirts of Chicago once, perhaps drove through Peoria. But I never went to Thailand or the Philippines. Never went much of anyplace. So does that mean I’m not allowed to let my characters visit exotic locales? Nope. It just means I need to do a bit of research. Find a few significant details that let the reader envision the scene, smell it, hear it, taste it. Even better is to show those details through the character’s eyes, through the character’s emotions. And lastly, include an aspect that is so common all readers have experienced it. If this aspect is real, if the character’s emotion is real, then the place will be real.

In Daughter Am I, I have Mary Stuart, my hero, driving along North Avenue in Chicago. The house where her grandfather had grown up, along with most of the original buildings on the street, had been bulldozed and replaced with modern townhouse developments already showing signs of age.

Mary drove slowly down the street, ignoring the honking horns of irate drivers, and wondered what it had been like when her grandfather lived there. Had there been so much traffic? So many people? So much noise?

I found the information about the townhouses in a travelogue, and for the rest of it, we’ve all been there -- a busy street is a busy street is a busy street.

I’ve never been to Cluculz, but I could write a scene that takes place on the lake. The character would be slapping idly at mosquitoes, listening to the cry of a loon, feeling a cool breeze and thinking about the coming winter, perhaps see a fishing boat silhouetted against a stunning red and orange sunset, maybe hear the cry of a baby from the nearby Lakeside RV Resort. Novelists don’t need to have experienced the places their characters visit. They only need to find enough details to make the reader feel as if the character has been there.

I’d never write an entire novel that takes place somewhere I’ve never been -- it would be too easy to make a mistake. But a scene or two? No problem.

-- Pat


* Pat will be back Monday for her one on one interview

THEYTUS BOOKS, Indigenous Publishing House.

Several months ago, the distributor for my novel Dead Witness, Nancy Wise from Sandhill Book Marketing, suggested I contact Theytus Books about publishing my novel Broken But Not Dead. I did. And last Saturday, October 17, I signed a contract. Note the gigantic smile on my face:

Anita Large, myself, Tracy Lawlor

Theytus Books was established in 1980 and became the first First Nations owned and operated Indigenous publishing house in Canada. The name Theytus is a Salishan word meaning "preserving for the sake of handing down." Selected by its' First Nations founder Randy Fred, the name Theytus was selected to symbolize the goal of documenting Indigenous cultures and worldviews via books. I'm very proud to be associated with them.

Anita Large, publisher and Tracy Lawlor, sales and marketing, gave me a warm welcome, full of enthusiasm and excitement over the publication of my book Broken But Not Dead. While our relationship has only just become, already I feel a connection to these incredibly talented women. They stand for everything I admire in my culture and my country: integrity, honour and dedication to their craft.

Thanks to Nancy Wise for suggesting I query Theytus, and for all the kind words she said about my first novel Dead Witness. Because I self-published Dead Witness, the process of publishing Broken But Not Dead will be a new experience for me. I'll keep you updated on the process and in doing so, I hope I clear up any misconceptions about the business.

Here's a brief description of my psychological thriller Broken But Not Dead:

When it comes to the safety of her daughter Zoe, retired English Professor Brendell Kisepisim Meshango knows no limit. Frightened beyond words, she draws upon an inner strength to go after her stalkers, a psycho and his murderous brother. What she must do to survive requires more than even she thought she was capable of.

Nancy Wise, Sandhill Book Marketing

Thank you to everyone for your support for Dead Witness. I hope you enjoy Broken But Not Dead with the same enthusiasm.

AN ALTERNATIVE TO PLOTTING & PANTSING by Carol J. Garvin

While I'm skirting on down the highway to Kelowna today, please welcome Carol J. Garvin, my guest blogger.

Occasionally popping up from beneath the protection of her pseudonym, Careann, Carol Garvin writes fiction, non-fiction and poetry from her rural home in BC’s Fraser Valley. She is a member of the Federation of BC Writers and the Langley Writers’ Guild. Her magazine articles appear in assorted Canadian publications but her novels do not (yet). In what is laughingly referred to as her free time, she indulges her love of photography, gardening, oil painting, music, all aspects of the purebred dog fancy, and of course, reading… always reading!

AN ALTERNATIVE TO PLOTTING AND PANTSING

by Carol J. Garvin

You hear it all the time: “I've got this great idea for a novel that I'm gonna write.” It's a little daunting but not an impossible task, right? Once you finally latch on to some spare time you gather your writing tools, find a place to work and get the story written.

::tap, tap, zap:: That's the delete key removing the first page because it isn't getting into the nitty-gritty of the story fast enough.

::chomp, snap:: That's the sound of fingernails being chewed off as you contemplate the unfamiliar characters that have wandered into your story and taken over a scene that now has nothing to do with anything.

::agghhhh!:: That's your scream of exasperation as you discard 283 pages that took you three months to dredge from your creative soul, only to realize that there's no evidence of a plot.

If you employ a seat-of-the-pants approach to your writing (what I call the 'Alice in Wonderland' method: “start at the beginning and when you get to the end, stop”), your story might meander in circuitous directions and never reach the satisfying conclusion you once envisioned. But what can you do if the only alternative to pantsing seems to be plotting and, like me, you hate being confined to a predesigned outline because tight control over the story kills the joy of spontaneous writing? You compromise, combine the most useful elements of both techniques and start planning!

Planning doesn't mean pre-thinking every detail of your story. It just means that as for any journey, making a few initial preparations before you jump into the vehicle will leave you free to enjoy the adventure of storytelling without the frustration of getting lost in a jungle of words.

My first two novels were 'pantsers'. Both have since gone through several revisions as I try to repair major problems. I decided I needed a more organized approach for the third novel and undertook to follow Randy Ingermanson's “Snowflake Method” of designing a story.

Based on the Koch Snowflake, which is a mathematical phenomenon, a fractal, the Snowflake Method is Randy's idea for growing a story from its basic idea to its complex completion. It uses a progression of ten steps, each one returning to expand on the one before. I tried diligently to follow them but the process just about scuttled my story!

I need more flexibility than the Snowflake Method allows, more freedom, rather than an intimidating web of plot and character details. So I salvaged the steps that had been working for me, threw away the ones that were suffocating my creativity, and emerged with a five-point plan that would ensure there was a sound structure in place before I started again but would allow me wiggle room as I proceeded. Here's my plan:

    ο    Create a one-sentence summary of the story.

    ο    Expand the one sentence into a paragraph that outlines the story basics.

    ο    Expand that paragraph into a page or two (or however many you need) to introduce the main characters, the conflict, complications, and resolution. Include how the MC will change throughout the story  (i.e., intended character arc).

    ο    Create a spreadsheet into which highlights of each chapter's action will be inserted as the first draft is written.

    ο    Write and then rewrite as necessary, adding texture with more details and description in each successive revision.

All this assumes you've taken the time to get familiar with what constitutes good writing. If you need a little prompting check out Joylene's earlier blog on Seven Easy Steps to Writing a Novel. But when you're ready to start, do a little preliminary groundwork. Planning finds a comfortable mid way between pantsing and plotting, providing vital structure without constraining creativity.

Just as other methods didn't work for me, so this specific one might not work for you either. If it doesn't, improvise. Do whatever it takes to find a personal approach that meets your creative needs but ensures quality writing. By having at least an elementary plan in place before beginning your novelling journey, your chances of reaching the desired destination is much better than by starting it off with a vague idea and no prearranged way of developing it.

Now, go dig those 283 pages out of the trash and see what gems you can salvage. After all, you've got a novel waiting to be written. It would be a shame to let all the expended blood, sweat, tears and fingernails be for naught.

=  =  =

Links to insert:

Snowflake Method:

http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/art/snowflake.php

Seven Easy Steps to Writing a Novel:

http://cluculzwriter.blogspot.com/2009/09/7-easy-steps-to-writing-novel.html

TO OUR SOLDIERS OVERSEAS

Today my family and I sit down for our annual Thanksgiving Dinner, grateful that our son, who served with the 4AD SUAV in Kandahar for seven months, is home this Thanksgiving with his friends and family. We sit down to hot turkey, thick gravy, sweet potatoes and lots of cookies and squares, more thankful than we can ever say.

Our thoughts are with those who still serve in the Middle East and with the families left behind. God Bless you and keep you safe. And thank you for your great service. 

If you're not Canadian, best wishes to you on your Thanksgiving Day.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE

 

May God grant us the peace that we all pray for.

The Definition of Literary by Martha Engber

(Answer to questions posed 10/6)

I couldn't resist answering tonight about the definition of literary. Here's the best analogy I can think of:

Norman Rockwell vs. Jackson Pollock.

I love Norman Rockwell. I grew up on his illustrations. I've been to his museum. I think he was a terrific artist, and extremely hard-working. His draws readers to think of the situations in which his characters are placed: the girl who worries she'll never grow up beautiful like the actress in the picture on her lap; the African-American girl walking to school in her white dress while surrounded by four guards. Great, great stuff.

But.

He didn't really break any new ground. I can look at his work and then forget it. I like the warm feeling it gives me. But it doesn't make me think all that hard. That's why he's such an icon in our society. People can look at his work, understand it immediately and sympathize with the sentiment. Is that bad? No!

Looking at Jackson Pollock's work — or that of any other modern artist, for that matter — is not so easy. After all, haven't we all at one time or another looked at something that's relatively simple — the proverbial red dot on a white canvas — and thought, "My cat could have done that."

We feel confused, as in why would this piece, instead of some other piece, get the privilege of being placed in a museum? We feel angry because we think the artist is trying to pull one over on us or is trying to be better, loftier, more condescending. We actually have to work to figure out what the artist wanted to say or achieve and in the end, are not given any confirmation of whether we're right.

Bummer!

But.

When all is said and done, what do we remember in the long haul? That lovely portrait of the satin-dressed Lady So-and-So, or that darn dot?

That's the difference between mainstream and literary literature. Both are great. Both fit worthwhile needs in our lives. But each has a different goal.

Mainstream literature deals with the journey of characters through a particular situation.  When the characters reach the end of the journey, the situation resolve and we're left with a feeling of satisfaction and so allow ourselves to forget the story. Is that bad? No!

Literary work, on the other hand, strives to dig deeper, which means we readers might not get that satisfying conclusion. We might end with questions. If the author does a poor job, we're left feeling annoyed and forget the story.

But if the author does a great job, the story continues to haunt us because it deals with such a basic and profound concept that's treated in a way that's so close to real life — where situations rarely resolve themselves quickly or neatly, if at all — we're left in a state of agitation. We have to think about what we think. Is that bad? No! It's just a different goal.

Now let's talk about the actual wording. To me, literary work does not mean throw in as many $50 words as you can. It does not mean confuse people as much as possible because that'll give the impression I'm smarter.

Many literary books are very simply worded. Hemingway is famous for his simple sentences, which so something like, ""The man asked for a coffee," and  "We went out together."

Pretty simple stuff. The same is true of "The Stranger" by Albert Camus. Rather than coming up with complex and difficult to read sentences, then, the emphasis of literary work is on the placement of words; the intolerance of extra word; and the order in which they're placed to gain the most effect.

Mainstream literature in quite often wonderfully written. The primary goal, however, is to convey meaning rather than a sense of art. "He knew he couldn't do the job any longer, so he quit." That does the job, so why bother with something more subtle? "He laid down the white apron he'd worn for thirty-two years. He let his fingers sink into the cotton and rest against the metal counter beneath."

The first sentence leaves the situation clear. The second doesn't. Which one is better? We don't know, because we don't know the goal of the author and who she's writing the story for. Does she want to create a story that will give people a few hours of enjoyment and leave them feeling satisfied? Or does she want her readers to think harder about the underlying human condition?

And yes, genre fiction can cross over into the literary. "Day of the Jackal" is a classic, not because it's a quick spy read, but because it's the haunting tale of a man facing his worst fear, that when it matter most, he'll fail.

And yes, Stephen King has actually written quite a bit of literary fiction, some under his own name and some under a pseudonym (or two).

And yes, the literary market is much, much smaller than the genre markets, of which romance rules, probably because literary does take more time and thought to register.

I think the biggest mistake people make is in assuming literary is better than mainstream, when I think the two have such different goals the argument becomes one of apples and oranges.

My suggestion is to read across the board — poetry, essays, genre short stories, literary fiction, etc. — because there's something to be gained from each and the stretch for the mind is stimulating, and for writers in particular, necessary.

Martha Emgber's Story Template

While I was writing Growing Great Characters From the Ground Up: A Thorough Primer for the Writers of Fiction and Nonfiction (Central Avenue Press, 2007), I realized the book is not so much about a method of character development as it is a guide for living.

I found myself applying every lesson to the world around me: How to observe other people and appreciate every difference, from appearance to language to gestures. How to use one small, telling detail to figure out what makes them tick. Why people’s greatest weaknesses are often also their greatest strengths. What could I figure out about myself by applying the same powers of observation?

So that when you all — Joylene’s faithful readers — asked me on Monday to divulge the template I use to create and test each scene I write, I decided to do so, though with this recommendation:

Step outside the role of a writer who might only see the following as a writer’s tool. Instead, view the list as a “seeing” checklist, one that will help you better observe the world around you.

Again, this template is very particular to my needs and a work in progress devised from the advice of writers far greater than myself. As you read, think about how you look at the world. What do you notice and why? If you, right now, look around you, what does this template help you see and understand?

Better yet, take the list to a coffee house, courtroom, therapy group or some other peopled place of drama. Now what do you see?

 Martha’s Scene (Seeing) Template
 
Summary

—   What’s happening?

Basics

—   Date
—   Time
—   Location
—   Weather
—   People present

Two questions

—   Why is this happening?
—   Why is it happening at this point in time?

Structure of scene

—   Who’s the focus (main character)?
—   From who’s point-of-view is the scene occurring?
—   What’s the goal of the main character in the scene?
—   What action (emotional exchange) takes place?
—   What’s the concrete problem or conflict?
—   How does that problem change the character? Does he/she meet his goal?
—   What’s the underlying problem that led to this moment?
—   What new problem has been created? (What makes you want to keep watching/reading)?

Desires

—   What does each character want?
—   Do those desires conflict? They should.
—   Who has the power?

Suspense

—   What’s the obstacle?
—   In what position does the obstacle place characters?
—   Do you sense neither will give up?
—   Does the obstacle increase in size?
—   Does the obstacle create suspense long-term?
—   Does the obstacle create tension short-term)?
—   What resolution will readers long for?
—   Will readers have to wait?

Sources of tension (use at least one)

—   a chilling fact
—   dangerous work
—   imminent deadline
—   unfortunate meeting
—   good guy trapped

Environment

—   weather
—   physical landscape
—   all five senses
—   placement of characters
—   appearance/dress of each character

If anybody is willing to test this checklist by Friday, either in his/her writing or in a real life moment, I’d love to hear the outcome!

Lastly, I’m looking for book clubs willing to test market my novel, THE WIND THIEF. I’m even willing to provide a free book to each group. If you’re interested, let me know (martha@engber.com) and I’ll send a list of simple instructions.

* If you have any questions for Martha, post them under comments, and I'm sure Martha will have an answer for you soon.