We've all heard the saying, "The best way to make a friend is to be a friend." So. True. It's a give and take relationship (kinda like marriage but without the...perks), and the more you give, the more you get in return. Usually.
When building an author platform (and reputation) the same mantra rings true. You have to put yourself out there, volunteer your time and skills with only the mere hope that it will pay off at some point down the road. I'm not exactly a proponent of things like facebook, myspace, and twitter, but I do understand why and how they work for some authors. If you've got the time, by all means, go for it. I, however, do not have the time.
Blogging is still one of the best ways to present yourself, especially for writers because, well, you write on a blog. A lot. It's also a good way to interconnect. Start following someone's blog, and they're likely to return the favor and follow yours. Remember to comment on their posts, too. Give, give, give!
For more tips on effective blogging, check out these links:
10 Commandments of Blogging at Pimp My Novel
Author Blogging at Editorial Ass
(I believe both of those posts also include more links to other helpful sites.)
Over the past year (14 months, to be exact), I've built a handful of relationships on the Writer's Digest forum. I'm eternally grateful to people like Liz Penn, Traci Grant, Kaycee Looney, Jenn Lidster, Emily White, and many others (sorry if I missed your name), for helping me improve my writing, and I hope that I have in some way been of help to them in return. Also, people like Jeff Yeager, Georganna Hancock, James Ritchie (and again, many others) have helped me understand aspects of editing and publishing that I wouldn't have otherwise obtained without firsthand experience. A BIG THANKS to all!
Writer's Digest has recently started a new community (aptly titled, the Writer's Digest Community), that is being coined by some as the "facebook for writers." The main thing I'm enjoying there, is that you're able to get a lot of face time on the main page, just by participating. By having your name viewable, people get curious. They click on your profile and...instant publicity. It's great. Join discussion groups (and post!), start a blog (and post!), comment on other people's stuff, and suddenly, you're your own publicist, and learning about writing and publishing while you do it. Bonus.
It's no secret that word of mouth can be a writer's best friend or their worst enemy. Be selective in how many online communities you participate in (too many, and they will quickly suck you dry of precious writing time), and remember (always!) that most everything on the internet is public. Agents are not quiet about the fact that they will research you on the internet before deciding whether or not to represent your work. Don't ruin your career before it starts by making comments/posts during the heat of emotion. Stay objective and professional.
I encourage everyone to check out the new Writer's Digest Community and let me know what you think. And if anyone has any good/bad experiences they'd like to share about other platform venues (I didn't even scratch the surface here, I know), or how a seemingly insignificant relationship with someone had helped them achieve success, please do so in the comments. Looking forward to reading them!
~Lydia
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
The Humane (Blogger) Award
It's green. It's square. It's got a dog. Love it!
Thank you to Dawn Simon at Plotting and Scheming for presenting us with a Humane Award (although, admittedly, there is nothing humane about some of our posts). I'd like to pass along the green (if only it were money ... sigh ...) to these lovely bloggers:
Emily White at Stepping Into Fantasy
Jenn Lidster at...er...Jenn Lidster (hehe. luv ya, Jenn)
Jai Joshi at Jai Joshi's Tulsi Tree
Dorraine Darden at Free Ice Cream
Brandi Guthrie at Cursings and Musings
Liz Penn at Wandering Quill
Thanks for being great fellow writer-blogger friends!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Summarizing Dialogue
Perfectionism is a blessing/curse, especially when it comes time to polish your completed manuscript. I've been told that I over-edit. I've also been told that a third or fourth draft is still too rough. Too much description here. Not enough there. And the dreaded showing versus telling monster that looms over every writer's shoulder.
I'd always considered dialogue one of my personal strengths among the overwhelming weaknesses. And it is. But not all dialogue has to be detailed inside of quotation. This is something I've known for quite some time, but notice myself summarizing more and more recently, leaving only the really important stuff for actual speaking.
The result is that the narrative has a better flow. I can't even explain why, but it does. You'd think the opposite would be true, that your paragraphs are now cluttered and weighed down with excess that should be spread out through a conversation. More white space equals a quicker read, right?
Yes, but not always. Think of it this way: What reads quicker and more smoothly, ten lines of exchanges between characters, or two sentences of summary? That should be a no-brainer. And summarizing also saves you pages.
Why is that important? From a writer's standpoint, we tend to look at our stories in word count alone, so the number of pages fluctuates depending on things like the amount of dialogue included in a particular scene or chapter. From a publisher's standpoint, more pages means more paper. More cost. Printing a book is already a financial risk. It's not uncommon to get a request to trim down your novel based on the page count, especially for unknown authors, despite the word count being within acceptable parameters.
Here is an example of how to summarize dialogue without interrupting the flow and feel of your scene. It is from Time of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch. (Click HERE to visit her website. A link to her blog, Ask Allison, is in the sidebar.) I chose this one because it's what I'm currently reading and it proves the point.
page 54:
Eventually, Jack and I said our good-byes. Allie wrapped herself around my legs and told me I was the best magician they'd all seen at any party all year. Bentley pulled me into a bear hug, so tight that I could taste the scent of his Cohibas, and even Vivian managed to break her icy façade for more than a glancing second.
"Thank you, dear," she said, not warmly, but not too coolly, either. "You really were quite something today." She kissed me on each cheek, and I saw the family beaming behind her.
"Anytime, Mrs. Turnhill," I answered, pulling back to meet both her eyes and her approval.
"Vivian, dear. Feel free to call me Vivian."
The first paragraph is pure summary. If all of that had been detailed to the letter, it would have filled at least one page, if not more. Would we have had any more insight into the feelings of the characters or the setting had it not been summarized? Hardly.
Now notice what Allison did detail. It was important for the reader to see those words spoken and how they were spoken, to see the spark of change in the characters' relationship. Vivian, the MC's boyfriend's hard-to-please mother, not only thanked her, but also decided it was okay to now be on a first name basis. This would not have had the same impact had it been summarized. Also, she purposely mentioned Vivian in the last sentence of the first paragraph, effectively leading the reader into their more intimate conversation.
Writing like this doesn't happen by accident.
Also noteworthy in that example is how each particular sentence summarizing the different characters used wording that gave us a feel for that particular character. Allie the little girl, "…the best magician they'd all seen at any party all year." Bentley is compared to a bear, with no qualms about showing affection, pulling her so close that she can "taste" his scent. And then, of course, using phrases like "managed to" and "icy façade" and "glancing second" clearly portray Vivian's nature. This, my friends, is the true meaning of showing rather than telling. Take note of it.
What other good examples have you seen of summarizing dialogue? In what ways has this technique aided your own work?
I'd always considered dialogue one of my personal strengths among the overwhelming weaknesses. And it is. But not all dialogue has to be detailed inside of quotation. This is something I've known for quite some time, but notice myself summarizing more and more recently, leaving only the really important stuff for actual speaking.
The result is that the narrative has a better flow. I can't even explain why, but it does. You'd think the opposite would be true, that your paragraphs are now cluttered and weighed down with excess that should be spread out through a conversation. More white space equals a quicker read, right?
Yes, but not always. Think of it this way: What reads quicker and more smoothly, ten lines of exchanges between characters, or two sentences of summary? That should be a no-brainer. And summarizing also saves you pages.
Why is that important? From a writer's standpoint, we tend to look at our stories in word count alone, so the number of pages fluctuates depending on things like the amount of dialogue included in a particular scene or chapter. From a publisher's standpoint, more pages means more paper. More cost. Printing a book is already a financial risk. It's not uncommon to get a request to trim down your novel based on the page count, especially for unknown authors, despite the word count being within acceptable parameters.
Here is an example of how to summarize dialogue without interrupting the flow and feel of your scene. It is from Time of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch. (Click HERE to visit her website. A link to her blog, Ask Allison, is in the sidebar.) I chose this one because it's what I'm currently reading and it proves the point.
page 54:
Eventually, Jack and I said our good-byes. Allie wrapped herself around my legs and told me I was the best magician they'd all seen at any party all year. Bentley pulled me into a bear hug, so tight that I could taste the scent of his Cohibas, and even Vivian managed to break her icy façade for more than a glancing second.
"Thank you, dear," she said, not warmly, but not too coolly, either. "You really were quite something today." She kissed me on each cheek, and I saw the family beaming behind her.
"Anytime, Mrs. Turnhill," I answered, pulling back to meet both her eyes and her approval.
"Vivian, dear. Feel free to call me Vivian."
The first paragraph is pure summary. If all of that had been detailed to the letter, it would have filled at least one page, if not more. Would we have had any more insight into the feelings of the characters or the setting had it not been summarized? Hardly.
Now notice what Allison did detail. It was important for the reader to see those words spoken and how they were spoken, to see the spark of change in the characters' relationship. Vivian, the MC's boyfriend's hard-to-please mother, not only thanked her, but also decided it was okay to now be on a first name basis. This would not have had the same impact had it been summarized. Also, she purposely mentioned Vivian in the last sentence of the first paragraph, effectively leading the reader into their more intimate conversation.
Writing like this doesn't happen by accident.
Also noteworthy in that example is how each particular sentence summarizing the different characters used wording that gave us a feel for that particular character. Allie the little girl, "…the best magician they'd all seen at any party all year." Bentley is compared to a bear, with no qualms about showing affection, pulling her so close that she can "taste" his scent. And then, of course, using phrases like "managed to" and "icy façade" and "glancing second" clearly portray Vivian's nature. This, my friends, is the true meaning of showing rather than telling. Take note of it.
What other good examples have you seen of summarizing dialogue? In what ways has this technique aided your own work?
Friday, October 23, 2009
FTC pucker up. Bloggers drop drawers. That dude that likes Molotov cocktails do yo' thang.
I've been reading all of the angry rants about the FTC with half-interest. Someone said it means you can't review a book if you received a free copy. More say it means you can't review a book unless you put a disclaimer on your site saying that you have received a free copy. Still others say it doesn't apply to book reviews at all.
Who cares either way? If it's a government regulation commission or agency or bureau, they'll put some silly little thing into place that causes some to scratch their heads and yet others to stuff shredded underwear into whiskey bottles and ready their shoulders for repeated tossings of molotov cocktails. Some people just like to toss molotov cocktails. Repeatedly.
Haha! How funny would it be if one of those people that waits at home, grasping his collection of cheap liquor to his lap like a pile of Lego's, just waiting for a reason to stuff shredded underwear into them and repeatedly throw molotov cocktails...what if, what if that person took up some environmental cause? Dude's chained to a sequoia with a bunch of tree huggers, and then he tosses a molotov cocktail into the forest.
"Uh, uh, officer, we'll take the padlock off now. By all means, fire up those bulldozers. We'll move. Officer!"
*sizzle of bacon, only it's not bacon*
Hehe. What a waste...of shredded underwear.
Look here's the thing. This is obviously a conflict of interest to everyone except the regulatory employee with a pocket full of money and a backpack full of free books. If you are given a book, you're going to say it's terrible? The Cleveland Clinic no longer allows their doctors to take the little notepads or pens with name-brand prescriptions on them, given by sales reps for that name-brand prescription, because the doctor will likely go out to lunch with that sales rep and begin prescribing that name-brand medication.
I doubt all of us will be hammered by the FTC if we review books, whichever way this thing blows. But just in case, the following is used by the more savvy Youtube posters, and it works. The record companies that remove videos of certain songs over and over leave the ones with this note alone. It's applicable:
"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."
Bloggers, drop drawers. FTC pucker up. Smooch away.
Okay, so maybe a disclaimer from 1976 won't get the FTC to slather on the Chapstick and go to town on our cheeks, but those who know me know dropping drawers in the full moon position is pretty much my reaction to anything stupid.
That, and throwing Coke bombs to distract the source of the stupidity long enough to light a molotov cocktail.
Admit it. You forgot all about the FTC and the whole stupid drawer dropping thing when you watched that Coke video. Probably made fun of the stupid kids hopping around at the end. But you laughed at it just like they did.
I don't have a witty closing line for this one. I'm going to go shred some underwear. Out.
Psst...another Coke rocket. (FTC just banned laughing at that video. Sorry)
--JOE
Who cares either way? If it's a government regulation commission or agency or bureau, they'll put some silly little thing into place that causes some to scratch their heads and yet others to stuff shredded underwear into whiskey bottles and ready their shoulders for repeated tossings of molotov cocktails. Some people just like to toss molotov cocktails. Repeatedly.
Haha! How funny would it be if one of those people that waits at home, grasping his collection of cheap liquor to his lap like a pile of Lego's, just waiting for a reason to stuff shredded underwear into them and repeatedly throw molotov cocktails...what if, what if that person took up some environmental cause? Dude's chained to a sequoia with a bunch of tree huggers, and then he tosses a molotov cocktail into the forest.
"Uh, uh, officer, we'll take the padlock off now. By all means, fire up those bulldozers. We'll move. Officer!"
*sizzle of bacon, only it's not bacon*
Hehe. What a waste...of shredded underwear.
Look here's the thing. This is obviously a conflict of interest to everyone except the regulatory employee with a pocket full of money and a backpack full of free books. If you are given a book, you're going to say it's terrible? The Cleveland Clinic no longer allows their doctors to take the little notepads or pens with name-brand prescriptions on them, given by sales reps for that name-brand prescription, because the doctor will likely go out to lunch with that sales rep and begin prescribing that name-brand medication.
I doubt all of us will be hammered by the FTC if we review books, whichever way this thing blows. But just in case, the following is used by the more savvy Youtube posters, and it works. The record companies that remove videos of certain songs over and over leave the ones with this note alone. It's applicable:
"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."
Bloggers, drop drawers. FTC pucker up. Smooch away.
Okay, so maybe a disclaimer from 1976 won't get the FTC to slather on the Chapstick and go to town on our cheeks, but those who know me know dropping drawers in the full moon position is pretty much my reaction to anything stupid.
That, and throwing Coke bombs to distract the source of the stupidity long enough to light a molotov cocktail.
Admit it. You forgot all about the FTC and the whole stupid drawer dropping thing when you watched that Coke video. Probably made fun of the stupid kids hopping around at the end. But you laughed at it just like they did.
I don't have a witty closing line for this one. I'm going to go shred some underwear. Out.
Psst...another Coke rocket. (FTC just banned laughing at that video. Sorry)
--JOE
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Touch Technology: Apple's New Magic Mouse
Before I state anything in this post, let's get a couple of things out of the way:
1) I am not affiliated with Apple in any way, shape, or form. My laptop is an Acer. Aside from the constant threat of a meltdown without my awesome new Belkin Laptop Cooling Pad, this thing is all that I need to get my work done. I've been using it every day (sometimes ALL day) for the last 15 months with no problems whatsoever. (Hoping that didn't just jinx me.)
2) I was not given a free product sample to review because this is NOT a product review. (This could end up being one of Apple's biggest flops, for all I know, but it's doubtful.) I found a few articles about the topic on the intrawebz and found it interesting enough to talk about.
Okay, let's all take a cleansing breath and hope that was a good enough disclaimer for the FTC hot shots.
As writers, we spend a great deal of time at a computer, laptop, or the like. Not going to delve into internet phones or e-readers here. Let's just assume that you do all of your writing at home in a nice office with cherry wood bookshelves and an antique oak desk. (Aside: Joe and I have our laptop and wi-fi printer setup on our kitchen table. Easy access to all the necessities: Food, drink, and internet. Yes, Food is always capitalized.)
So the computer and all of its accessories are very important to us, and anything that makes our job easier/faster should be of interest. No matter which side of the e-reader debate we may stand on, we need to be on top of the latest technology to have any kind of leg up in this business.
Let's talk about touch screens. They're EVERYWHERE now. The first time I remember seeing something with this technology was when a UPS delivery guy whipped out a palm pilot at my front door (not surprisingly, I believe those are from Microsoft), handed me a stylus, and asked me for an e-signature. A what? Oh, you want me to sign my name. Stop talking all cryptic.
Not long after that, we have iPhones. And then, suddenly, ALL new phones have this function. For the record, coming from someone who grew up using a rotary phone and playing with it in "hang up" mode just to hear all the clicks as it spun back to zero, it is still weird for me to see any kind of calling device WITHOUT BUTTONS. My heartrate is spiking just thinking about it. But we adjust to things like this. We're human; we have that ability. That's how we're able to survive at all, right?
We have touchscreen cash registers now, too, where I earn my "regular" paycheck. And I have to say, the switch was not a difficult one. I can't imagine going back to the dinosaur clunkers we had before that.
I remember the first time I used a computer mouse. Junior high (6th grade?...it's a bit fuzzy now). I thought it was the coolest thing ever. How could anything top that? Nothing can! The mouse was IT. Well...it actually might be, because ** years later, we're still using them. They've changed a little over time, but they still do basically the same thing they did before. And we still have the same icons that represent it on the screen: the arrow pointer, the I-beam for cursor placement, the EFFING HOURGLASS. Hate. That. Thing. We shouldn't have to wait for anything in this day and age. Being Italian doesn't help me in the Patience Department either. Microsoft tried to make it more tolerable with a spinny globe and a blue circle thing, but it's still just as annoying, because you still have to WAIT.
Now we have another option that combines the mouse with touch technology. It's called the Magic Mouse. Is it magic? No. Good grief. I've never worked in marketing, but that is a LAME title. They called the mouse with the rolly-ball thing the Mighty Mouse. Cape not included, apparently.
But this thing (again, according to articles and images on the web, and not any actual usage) is pretty sweet, in my opinion. It looks like Silly Putty from heaven. White. Shiny. Ergonomically correct. I'm assuming other colors will be available, and if not, they should be. White? It better come standard with a travel size bottle of Windex.
Check out the official website that shows all the cool functions. Yep. Taking the easy way out with a hyperlink. I'm impatient. And I've got a million other things to do today, which includes tending to a five year-old with a runny nose.
Bad points (you knew they were coming):
1) You have to either buy a new iMac to get one, or shell out 69 clams. That makes it very out of reach for quite a few people, myself included. But, as with most new technologies, the price goes down relatively quickly as other companies come up with their own version, or something bigger and better takes center stage.
2) I can only speak for myself here, but unless I'm typing a big lengthy thing (like this post has turned out to be), my right hand rests on the mouse. And it fits so nicely there...thumb on the left side, first finger on one button, middle finger on the other button, ring finger on the right side and the pinky just kinda hovers. The good thing about this is that, unless you depress a finger, nothing happens. That's how it SHOULD be.
Getting to the downside now...if the Magic Mouse is like anything else with touch technology, sometimes "magic" really does happen when you don't want it to. The touchscreen registers at work seriously have minds of their own. Your sleeve could graze the edge of the monitor and the thing ends a transaction. What-- NO! (Mumble expletives under your breath because there are children staring at you who just want their toys. NOW!)
Another case in point, my laptop with the TOUCHPAD that I never use. Why don't I use it? I lost a bazillion words of good writing (at least that many) in the past because my hands would brush against it as I typed and the thing got all excited. Delete! Delete! Delete! C'mon, what else you got for me? More!
So my first question about the Magic Mouse is "How do you keep your hand nice and cozy on it without making it do things you don't want it to?" If anyone from Apple reads this, or if anyone has used one, please answer that for me in the comments. I really do want to know.
Everyone else, What do you think of this new little gadget? Have you heard of any other companies with a similar product? Or comments on touch technology in general would also be appropriate. Or pretty much whatever comes to your minds (like we've never gone off-topic in the comments before...right).
~Lydia
1) I am not affiliated with Apple in any way, shape, or form. My laptop is an Acer. Aside from the constant threat of a meltdown without my awesome new Belkin Laptop Cooling Pad, this thing is all that I need to get my work done. I've been using it every day (sometimes ALL day) for the last 15 months with no problems whatsoever. (Hoping that didn't just jinx me.)
2) I was not given a free product sample to review because this is NOT a product review. (This could end up being one of Apple's biggest flops, for all I know, but it's doubtful.) I found a few articles about the topic on the intrawebz and found it interesting enough to talk about.
Okay, let's all take a cleansing breath and hope that was a good enough disclaimer for the FTC hot shots.
As writers, we spend a great deal of time at a computer, laptop, or the like. Not going to delve into internet phones or e-readers here. Let's just assume that you do all of your writing at home in a nice office with cherry wood bookshelves and an antique oak desk. (Aside: Joe and I have our laptop and wi-fi printer setup on our kitchen table. Easy access to all the necessities: Food, drink, and internet. Yes, Food is always capitalized.)
So the computer and all of its accessories are very important to us, and anything that makes our job easier/faster should be of interest. No matter which side of the e-reader debate we may stand on, we need to be on top of the latest technology to have any kind of leg up in this business.
Let's talk about touch screens. They're EVERYWHERE now. The first time I remember seeing something with this technology was when a UPS delivery guy whipped out a palm pilot at my front door (not surprisingly, I believe those are from Microsoft), handed me a stylus, and asked me for an e-signature. A what? Oh, you want me to sign my name. Stop talking all cryptic.
Not long after that, we have iPhones. And then, suddenly, ALL new phones have this function. For the record, coming from someone who grew up using a rotary phone and playing with it in "hang up" mode just to hear all the clicks as it spun back to zero, it is still weird for me to see any kind of calling device WITHOUT BUTTONS. My heartrate is spiking just thinking about it. But we adjust to things like this. We're human; we have that ability. That's how we're able to survive at all, right?
We have touchscreen cash registers now, too, where I earn my "regular" paycheck. And I have to say, the switch was not a difficult one. I can't imagine going back to the dinosaur clunkers we had before that.
I remember the first time I used a computer mouse. Junior high (6th grade?...it's a bit fuzzy now). I thought it was the coolest thing ever. How could anything top that? Nothing can! The mouse was IT. Well...it actually might be, because ** years later, we're still using them. They've changed a little over time, but they still do basically the same thing they did before. And we still have the same icons that represent it on the screen: the arrow pointer, the I-beam for cursor placement, the EFFING HOURGLASS. Hate. That. Thing. We shouldn't have to wait for anything in this day and age. Being Italian doesn't help me in the Patience Department either. Microsoft tried to make it more tolerable with a spinny globe and a blue circle thing, but it's still just as annoying, because you still have to WAIT.
Now we have another option that combines the mouse with touch technology. It's called the Magic Mouse. Is it magic? No. Good grief. I've never worked in marketing, but that is a LAME title. They called the mouse with the rolly-ball thing the Mighty Mouse. Cape not included, apparently.
But this thing (again, according to articles and images on the web, and not any actual usage) is pretty sweet, in my opinion. It looks like Silly Putty from heaven. White. Shiny. Ergonomically correct. I'm assuming other colors will be available, and if not, they should be. White? It better come standard with a travel size bottle of Windex.
Check out the official website that shows all the cool functions. Yep. Taking the easy way out with a hyperlink. I'm impatient. And I've got a million other things to do today, which includes tending to a five year-old with a runny nose.
Bad points (you knew they were coming):
1) You have to either buy a new iMac to get one, or shell out 69 clams. That makes it very out of reach for quite a few people, myself included. But, as with most new technologies, the price goes down relatively quickly as other companies come up with their own version, or something bigger and better takes center stage.
2) I can only speak for myself here, but unless I'm typing a big lengthy thing (like this post has turned out to be), my right hand rests on the mouse. And it fits so nicely there...thumb on the left side, first finger on one button, middle finger on the other button, ring finger on the right side and the pinky just kinda hovers. The good thing about this is that, unless you depress a finger, nothing happens. That's how it SHOULD be.
Getting to the downside now...if the Magic Mouse is like anything else with touch technology, sometimes "magic" really does happen when you don't want it to. The touchscreen registers at work seriously have minds of their own. Your sleeve could graze the edge of the monitor and the thing ends a transaction. What-- NO! (Mumble expletives under your breath because there are children staring at you who just want their toys. NOW!)
Another case in point, my laptop with the TOUCHPAD that I never use. Why don't I use it? I lost a bazillion words of good writing (at least that many) in the past because my hands would brush against it as I typed and the thing got all excited. Delete! Delete! Delete! C'mon, what else you got for me? More!
So my first question about the Magic Mouse is "How do you keep your hand nice and cozy on it without making it do things you don't want it to?" If anyone from Apple reads this, or if anyone has used one, please answer that for me in the comments. I really do want to know.
Everyone else, What do you think of this new little gadget? Have you heard of any other companies with a similar product? Or comments on touch technology in general would also be appropriate. Or pretty much whatever comes to your minds (like we've never gone off-topic in the comments before...right).
~Lydia
Friday, October 16, 2009
LYDIA'S E-MAIL ACCOUNT HAS BEEN HACKED!!!
Late last night, Lydia received a message on another e-mail account her password for lydiasharp4sff@yahoo.com had been changed. She was unable to log on after that. Everyone on her contacts lists received an e-mail that she is trapped in London and needs $$$.
The e-mail is obviously a scam. The shackles I keep her in would not reach to London.
She's at work right now, but we are working on either getting her account back or just using her gmail account from here on out.
What sucks is that she uses this e-mail for submissions and corresponding with editors.
--JOE
The e-mail is obviously a scam. The shackles I keep her in would not reach to London.
She's at work right now, but we are working on either getting her account back or just using her gmail account from here on out.
What sucks is that she uses this e-mail for submissions and corresponding with editors.
--JOE
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Matter by Iain M. Banks
Please check out my review of Matter by Iain M. Banks at The Book Book. I really enjoyed it (enough to spend my weekly grocery money on a brand-spanking-new copy), and I plan to read more of his work in the future. His latest novel, Transition, just hit the shelves this past month.
If anyone has read this book, or any of Banks' other books (he's been writing novels for over twenty years now, both sci-fi and mainstream fiction), I'd like to know your opinions.
Thanks!
~Lydia
If anyone has read this book, or any of Banks' other books (he's been writing novels for over twenty years now, both sci-fi and mainstream fiction), I'd like to know your opinions.
Thanks!
~Lydia
Monday, October 12, 2009
Shadows & Light Anthology Released!
The Shadows & Light: Tales of Lost Kingdoms anthology is NOW AVAILABLE through amazon.com!
Awesome cover art. Check out the book blurb:
"Stories of the fantastic have captured the hearts and inspired the dreams of people since the sagas of Gilgamesh, The Odyssey, and Beowulf were first uttered. These mythic tales have helped mankind define the concepts of good and evil, and the epic struggle between the two. Shadows & Light: Tales of Lost Kingdoms continues this tradition with twenty-two fantastic tales of magic, forgotten worlds, and the conflict between the hero and the villain. From burning deserts to the center of the sea, from enchanted forests to King Arthur's court, and from dueling wizards to beleaguered cities, Shadows & Light has something for everyone who has ever wondered "what if?".
Authors in this volume include: Jean Rabe, Vaughn Heppner, Max Wright, Scott Harper, Christopher Heath, Laura Eno, JW Schnarr, Jessy Marie Roberts, Bill Ward, Christopher Jacobsmeyer, Kody Boye, Lydia Sharp, Martin Turton, D.M. Bonanno, Jessica A. Weiss, Carrie Harris, Gustavo Bondoni, Paul L. Bates, Ray Kolb, Alva J. Roberts, Jonathan Shipley, and John B. Rosenman."
Click the link in the sidebar for ordering information. I'd love to know what you all think of it.
~Lydia
Addendum: This book is now also available through barnesandnoble.com.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Out to Lunch
We'll get back to our regular posting schedule on Monday. Until then, kick back and enjoy the music.
~Lydia
Monday, October 5, 2009
Style and Content
As a member of writer's groups and critique forums, you can get comments about your writing that go from one end of the spectrum to the other. The good, the bad, and all the ugly gray in between. This, unfortunately, leaves quite a bit of room for conflicting opinions.
Personally, I've received comments such as, "Your characters are alive and well-portrayed," and, "Your characters are too flat and unemotional", on the same story. I understand that not everyone will like every story, but how can you have such extremes on one piece? How do you know if one commenter is just saying they liked it because they don't want to be harsh, and maybe the other commenter was having a bad day and hated everything they read that particular day?
Here's another scenario: Someone says, "Your writing is excellent, the structure is correct, and the characters are vivid, but I just don't care for the story content. It's not something I would read and/or buy." On the one hand, that's a compliment. On the other hand, it's a real bummer.
So my question is...
For the writers out there: How do keep your sanity when you receive conflicting comments on your work? How do you decide what to change, based on feedback, and what not to?
For the readers out there: What's more important to you, style or content? When you read, what keeps you reading, the author's wording, or the story itself? A combination of both?
~Lydia
Personally, I've received comments such as, "Your characters are alive and well-portrayed," and, "Your characters are too flat and unemotional", on the same story. I understand that not everyone will like every story, but how can you have such extremes on one piece? How do you know if one commenter is just saying they liked it because they don't want to be harsh, and maybe the other commenter was having a bad day and hated everything they read that particular day?
Here's another scenario: Someone says, "Your writing is excellent, the structure is correct, and the characters are vivid, but I just don't care for the story content. It's not something I would read and/or buy." On the one hand, that's a compliment. On the other hand, it's a real bummer.
So my question is...
For the writers out there: How do keep your sanity when you receive conflicting comments on your work? How do you decide what to change, based on feedback, and what not to?
For the readers out there: What's more important to you, style or content? When you read, what keeps you reading, the author's wording, or the story itself? A combination of both?
~Lydia
Saturday, October 3, 2009
News From QueryTracker
We interrupt our regularly scheduled program of Saturday Science to bring you an important news flash from QueryTracker. Writing query letters, finding an agent, dealing with rejection, and keeping everything organized is kind of like a science, though, so that's my excuse.
QueryTracker has updated their site, and I wanted to share with everyone who may not be familiar with them what kind of improvements they've made. This is a copy of the newsletter I received. Some of the links were added for the purpose of this post.
-----
The All New, QueryTracker version 3
If you've been over to QueryTracker.net in the past few days, you probably noticed it looks a little different. In fact, there have been a lot of changes, and I'd like to share some of those with you now.
The first is aesthetic. The site got a whole new look. It was time, and it was appropriate considering all the other changes. The black quill logo has been replaced by a much more modern writing tool, which is symbolic of the modernization of QT.
Second. The new technology that went into QT3 gives the site a speed boost and a more convenient user interface. For more information about these changes, take a look at the "what's new video". Click here.
Third. I resisted the idea for years because of the extra work it would generate, but the requests kept coming in and I couldn't say no any longer. So, a list of publishers has been added to the QT database. The list is short right now, because of the time it takes to research each publisher, and make sure they meet QT's strict requirements. This is done to protect our members. What are our requirements?
* The publisher should accept queries from unagented authors. This rules out most of the major houses.
* No vanity or fee charging publishers.
* No publishers who are "Not Recommended" by Preditors & Editors, or on the Writers Beware thumbs down list.
* The publisher should be well established with at least several published books to their credit. This is to protect members from potential scammers who are hiding behind the new publisher mask.
And finally, QT is venturing into the social networking realm. Not because it's the trendy thing to do, but because I've watched how the friendships formed on QT grew into important support and morale boosters for writers. Let's face it, the query road can be a difficult and frustrating path. It's much easier to bear when you walk it with friends who understand what you're going through. So, several new features have been added to help bring people together, including the ability to send personal messages to other users, create a personal member profile, and interact with other users in custom discussion groups.
Where we go from here is up to you, the users. I'm leaving it in your hands to tell me what is useful, and what isn't about QT3. This will allow me to focus on what you really want, and make everyone's QT experience the best it can be.
Thank you all for making QueryTracker a success, and an industry standard.
Patrick McDonald
-----
If anyone has used QueryTracker, please relay your experience, good or bad, in the comments.
Thank you!
~Lydia
QueryTracker has updated their site, and I wanted to share with everyone who may not be familiar with them what kind of improvements they've made. This is a copy of the newsletter I received. Some of the links were added for the purpose of this post.
-----
The All New, QueryTracker version 3
If you've been over to QueryTracker.net in the past few days, you probably noticed it looks a little different. In fact, there have been a lot of changes, and I'd like to share some of those with you now.
The first is aesthetic. The site got a whole new look. It was time, and it was appropriate considering all the other changes. The black quill logo has been replaced by a much more modern writing tool, which is symbolic of the modernization of QT.
Second. The new technology that went into QT3 gives the site a speed boost and a more convenient user interface. For more information about these changes, take a look at the "what's new video". Click here.
Third. I resisted the idea for years because of the extra work it would generate, but the requests kept coming in and I couldn't say no any longer. So, a list of publishers has been added to the QT database. The list is short right now, because of the time it takes to research each publisher, and make sure they meet QT's strict requirements. This is done to protect our members. What are our requirements?
* The publisher should accept queries from unagented authors. This rules out most of the major houses.
* No vanity or fee charging publishers.
* No publishers who are "Not Recommended" by Preditors & Editors, or on the Writers Beware thumbs down list.
* The publisher should be well established with at least several published books to their credit. This is to protect members from potential scammers who are hiding behind the new publisher mask.
And finally, QT is venturing into the social networking realm. Not because it's the trendy thing to do, but because I've watched how the friendships formed on QT grew into important support and morale boosters for writers. Let's face it, the query road can be a difficult and frustrating path. It's much easier to bear when you walk it with friends who understand what you're going through. So, several new features have been added to help bring people together, including the ability to send personal messages to other users, create a personal member profile, and interact with other users in custom discussion groups.
Where we go from here is up to you, the users. I'm leaving it in your hands to tell me what is useful, and what isn't about QT3. This will allow me to focus on what you really want, and make everyone's QT experience the best it can be.
Thank you all for making QueryTracker a success, and an industry standard.
Patrick McDonald
-----
If anyone has used QueryTracker, please relay your experience, good or bad, in the comments.
Thank you!
~Lydia
Friday, October 2, 2009
Book Review: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
This is the final day for Guest Blogger Week with SF/F Book Reviews. Thank you to everyone who submitted reviews, and thank you to everyone who has read and commented on them.
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Science Fiction, 324 pages
1991, Tor
(Aside: There are many different publishers and dates for this book. The original was published in 1985.)
Review by Ashlee Chism
Ender, a gifted six-year-old (you read it correctly), is taken to the world's foremost military school, Battle School, where the training takes the form of games. After the games (and not-games), he goes to Command School to take even more training. There he is told that he is being trained to be the lead commander of Earth's coming invasion of their enemy's holdings. From there, I can't divulge what happens, or else I would give the ending away, and I definitely do not want to do that.
Card is a prolific and gifted writer. I freely admit that Ender's Game is one of the first books that truly stunned me in high school, and it stunned me within the first page. In one of the first scenes, Ender goes to a doctor for a procedure, and the nurse tells him that it wouldn't hurt. I laughed to myself, because I thought, "Hey, this guy knows what adults say to kids. It's such a lie."
Then I read the next two sentences: "Ender nodded. It was a lie, of course, that it wouldn't hurt a bit," (p. 2; bolding mine). The fact that Card's protagonist actually acknowledged that truth floored me, and I eagerly kept reading.
The premise of using games to train gifted children for war is one that I had never encountered before reading this book. Card deftly explores the psychological, emotional, and mental ramifications that such a training would have on a growing young person. There is a good bit of profanity and violence in the book, once the fact that the book is talking about six to twelve-year-olds is considered. However, it is also a book about military geniuses, and, to my understanding, profanity and violence are realities in the military and in war.
Ender's Game is a book that is on my list of "flashlight books," or books that I had to keep reading even past my normal bedtime (back when I had one). I wholeheartedly recommend buying and reading this book.
-----
Ashlee Chism is a voracious reader and aspiring author of fantasy and science fiction. She is currently working on several short stories and her university homework.
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Science Fiction, 324 pages
1991, Tor
(Aside: There are many different publishers and dates for this book. The original was published in 1985.)
Review by Ashlee Chism
Ender, a gifted six-year-old (you read it correctly), is taken to the world's foremost military school, Battle School, where the training takes the form of games. After the games (and not-games), he goes to Command School to take even more training. There he is told that he is being trained to be the lead commander of Earth's coming invasion of their enemy's holdings. From there, I can't divulge what happens, or else I would give the ending away, and I definitely do not want to do that.
Card is a prolific and gifted writer. I freely admit that Ender's Game is one of the first books that truly stunned me in high school, and it stunned me within the first page. In one of the first scenes, Ender goes to a doctor for a procedure, and the nurse tells him that it wouldn't hurt. I laughed to myself, because I thought, "Hey, this guy knows what adults say to kids. It's such a lie."
Then I read the next two sentences: "Ender nodded. It was a lie, of course, that it wouldn't hurt a bit," (p. 2; bolding mine). The fact that Card's protagonist actually acknowledged that truth floored me, and I eagerly kept reading.
The premise of using games to train gifted children for war is one that I had never encountered before reading this book. Card deftly explores the psychological, emotional, and mental ramifications that such a training would have on a growing young person. There is a good bit of profanity and violence in the book, once the fact that the book is talking about six to twelve-year-olds is considered. However, it is also a book about military geniuses, and, to my understanding, profanity and violence are realities in the military and in war.
Ender's Game is a book that is on my list of "flashlight books," or books that I had to keep reading even past my normal bedtime (back when I had one). I wholeheartedly recommend buying and reading this book.
-----
Ashlee Chism is a voracious reader and aspiring author of fantasy and science fiction. She is currently working on several short stories and her university homework.
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