Category: OnWriting

Posts that relate to writing. Comments, ideas, other writers, tips, resources, etc.

bookmark_borderAlive But Unwell

Posted on by PaulaO

Yes, I am alive. Yes, I am writing. Yes, I am also playing games more than writing.

And yes, I am unwell. I would say I am sick but that’s a given.

I have bronchitis. This is week two. I’m tired of coughing. Tired of being so damn tired. I am getting better though. I can hold up the phone while texting now. Last week I couldn’t. I went to the doc Friday and got these huge antibiotics. Huge. But by Monday night, I wasn’t markedly better so back I went. Now I am a steroid and a codeine cough syrup that, for some reason, makes me cough. Weird I am, yes.

What am I writing? Well, working on Harri’s story. It’s going along well. I’m working hard to make it funny. I am also working on a Science Fiction novel that is going well, too. That one will be in first person and is interesting to write. Being in just one person’s head is difficult!

I don’t do New Year’s Resolutions but if I did, I would resolve to get a book sold this year.

bookmark_borderBook Giveaway!

Posted on by PaulaO

Enter a drawing for copies of books by (or including work by) members of the Lesbian Fiction Forum, a discussion site for readers and writers of lesbian fiction. http://www.lesbianfiction.org/index.php

The books we’re offering:

Redemption, by Forum member DeJay

Butch Girls Can Fix Anything, by Forum Member Paula Offutt

Lesbian Cowboys, edited by Forum Member Sacchi Green, including a story by DeJay

Lesbian Lust, edited by Sacchi Green, including stories by DeJay and Forum members Fran Walker and Ren Peters

A Ride to Remember, by Sacchi Green

Promises, Promises, by Forum member L-J Baker

Women of the Bite, edited by Cecilia Tan, including a story by Fran Walker

Skulls and Crossbones, edited by Andi Marquette and R.G. Emanuelle, including a story by Forum member Elaine Burnes

Enter by commenting on this announcement at http://tinyurl.com/7qqr57e
Guests are welcome to comment and enter the drawing. You do not have to register or join the forum or provide personal details to post a comment on this topic and enter the drawing.

Eight names will be drawn as winners, and will be contacted in the order drawn to determine who gets which book. No need to express a preference yet.

The deadline for entering is Sunday, December 18, midnight EST.

bookmark_borderDialogue

Posted on by PaulaO

A lot of my writing includes dialogue – conversation between two or more persons. When the people within the conversation are of different genders, it is easier for the reader (and writer!) to keep who is saying what when by simply using pronouns. But when they are of the same gender, it can get to be confusing if not done right.

One way to do it wrong, so very wrong, is to repeatedly use names.

“Lorna, did you go to the bank today?”
“Yes, Paula, I did.”
“Good, Lorna. You needed to do that.”
“Paula, are you saying I am forgetful?”
“Never, Lorna! Well, maybe.”

See? Annoying as hell. For f…fudge sake, don’t do that! We don’t do it in real life so why on earth would characters do it? Say the names once then move on. If the dialogue is longer than, say, a page, the writer can toss in a cue now and then to remind the reader who is where.

“Hon, did you go to the bank today?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Good, you needed to do that.”
Lorna turned toward her partner. “Are you saying I am forgetful?”
“Never! Well, maybe.”

I just tried to read a bit of online erotica. Purely for research of course. But that research was ruined by the constant use of names. Every single change of speaker had the name of the person they were speaking to. What might have been a decent story was lost and the reader was experiencing the wrong kind of frustration.

Another error with dialogue is the use of pretty words for ‘said’. Just use ‘said’ and the reader will bleep right over it without noticing yet keep track of who is saying what. But again, don’t do the ‘said’ with every line, just do it often enough to remind the reader.

I don’t think I will ever understand the concept of ‘show vs tell’ but I keep trying. The writer needs to show the reader vs telling them. For example, show them facial expressions that reveal the emotion without telling them the emotion.

Lorna’s lips formed a hard, straight line. “I am not forgetful.”

vs

Lorna was angry. “I am not forgetful.”

Which do you, the reader, prefer? If I did it right, you should prefer the first as I showed you Lorna’s anger without telling you she was angry. The first is also stronger and the second more passive.

Lorna’s reading a book that has four main characters, all women. It doesn’t seem to be that good of a book because she’s had to write notes about each character in order to keep them straight. *I* said it is a bad job of the writer. *She* says she is just confused. Which goes back to the writer not doing a good job of making each character distinct enough to set them apart, make them real. Each character needs a distinct voice in the reader’s head. Lorna says they are all the same and are interchangeable. Not good. Personally, four main characters are too much unless the writer can give them each that individual voice. If they are that interchangeable, then they need to be trimmed down in number. Can the same plot go forward with just two? Probably. Or maybe two are the main characters and the other two are team members, kind of like the poor red shirt ensigns from Star Trek. Stepping forward when needed then fading to the background when not. My first full length book I wrote had at least nine main characters. Far too many which is why the book kinda ended at about 250 thousand words. It was awful, awkward, and even *I* had trouble keeping them apart. It is a good story and someday I will take it apart and re-do it but wow, that’s a lot of characters.

__
PS – As I spend time in The Pit, I spend time thinking. And lately my thoughts are about writing so hence a post about writing.

bookmark_borderWriting Stuff

Posted on by PaulaO

Hey, had a short story get published in Muscadine Lines: A Southern Journal. I’ve had two other pieces published by them. This story, “White Trash, Dirty Laundry, and the Southern Mafia” is an interesting piece, quite different from most stuff I do. Very different indeed.

What else? Oh, NaNoWriMo is about to start again. And, again, I have no freakin’ clue what to write. I’ll come up with something (I have 5 days). Butch Girls Can Fix Anything was written in my first NaNo, waaaay back in ’04 and since then, I have “won” every year but two. No bets on how I will do this year.

That’s about it for today.

bookmark_borderSelf-Publishing Rant

Posted on by PaulaO

…and it’s not mine! Someone else thinks like I do! Wow!

I haven’t a clue who this guy is but I like ‘im.

(in the quotes below, the bolding and such is mine)

The Publishing Cart Before the Storytelling Horse

I got a little rant stuck between my teeth. It’s like a caraway seed, or a beefy tendon, or a .22 shell casing (hey, fuck you, a boy’s gotta get his vitamins and minerals somehow).

Self-publishers, I’m talking to you.

And I’m talking to the pundits, too. In fact, I’m talking more to the pundits than to those actually walking the self-publishing path. Not everybody. Just a handful.

If you get a little froth on your screen, here — *hands you a squeegee* — just wipe it away.

Here, then, is the core of my message to you:

It is time to upgrade the discussion.

See why I like him?

First, it means: we get it. Self-publishing is the path you’ve chosen and further, is a path you believe is lined with chocolate flowers and hoverboards and bags of money and the mealy bones of traditionally-published authors. Self-publishing is a proven commodity. You can stop selling the world on its power. This isn’t Amway. You don’t get a stipend every time another author decides to self-publish. You’re not squatting atop the pinnacle of a pyramid scheme. (And if you are, you should climb down. One word: hemmorhoids.)

Instead of trying to convince people to self-publish, it may in fact be time to help people self-publish well. While self-publishing may by this point be a proven path it doesn’t remain a guaranteed path. In fact it’s no such thing: I know several self-published authors out in the world with great books, kick-ass covers, and they are certainly not selling to their potential. In fact, if they continue to sell as they appear to sell then I would suggest these books would have done much better had they been published — gasp — traditionally. Succeeding in an increasingly glutted space is no easy trick. Every bubble pops. Every gold rush either reveals a limited supply or instead ends up devaluing the gold one finds there. The reality is that it’s going to become harder — note that I didn’t say impossible — to succeed in that space and so it behooves the Wise Pundits With Their Long Beards to acknowledge the realities and help authors do well.

(…)

Though, actually, let’s take a step backward. Here’s another problem: maybe we should stop putting the publishing cart before the storytelling horse. In self-publishing, I see so much that focuses on sales numbers and money earned, but I see alarmingly little that devotes itself toward telling good stories. After all, that’s the point, right? Selling is, or should be, secondary. The quality of one’s writing and the power of one’s storytelling is key. It’s primary. It’s why we do this thing that we do. Any time you hear about the major self-publishers, it’s always about the sales, the percentage, the money earned. What’s rare is a comment about how good the books are. When the narrative was all about Amanda Hocking, everybody was buzzing about her numbers, but nobody I know was buzzing about how good those books were. Focus less on the delivery of the stories and more about the quality of what’s being delivered.

It goes on from there in a wonderful, well laid out rant that makes me envious. To have such control and to make such sense! My favorite part is probably the end.

The rhetoric often assumes that we’re all on our own side of the fence, but here’s a newsflash for you: there’s no goddamn fence. You’re a storyteller. I’m a storyteller. Good books are good books no matter how they got to market. You make your choice, so why not let others do the same? Further: don’t be a sanctimonious dick about it. Upgrade your attitude. Elevate the discussion. You should be proud of your own accomplishments and excited that the path you picked was the right path. Go any further than that and you do little to endear anybody toward your imaginary bullshit either/or dichotomy.

We should all be helping one another tell great stories.

Let’s talk to one another not as publishers, but as writers and storytellers.

All of us, wondrously pantsless. And probably drunk.

Amen.

*drops mic off stage, disappears in a cloud of incredulity and oompah music*

bookmark_borderFonts

Posted on by PaulaO

I have migraines that are mostly related to neck position. As in if I move it, I get a headache. Fun and joy all around. Some of the things I do to lessen the pain is I have my monitor’s brightness turned down, I have background colors in the word processor (although not at the moment), and something new I kinda like.

It is a new font. It is called Lexia and was developed to assist those with dyslexia. I find it real easy on my old, tired eyes and I find it especially nice when a headache is on.

screenshot of Lexia font. click for larger version

It is considered an alternative to Comic Sans.

screenshot of comic sans font

Personally, I find Comic Sans kinda hard to read and tend to make it larger (the above examples are both in 12pt). Before Lexia, I used Verdana which is a bigger font anyway.

Lexia is free and doing a Google search, I found it in a lot of places. But font sites tend to be malware sites so, as always, check it before opening. I got it from K-Type which is where several dyslexia sites suggested.

As long as I am just writing, I’ll use the Lexia. But when I am in the final edits, I’ll have to switch to whatever the publisher prefers, that way I see the layout correctly. Never ever submit anything in a bizarre font. Always always read their guidelines to see what they prefer. Some like Courier, others like Times New Roman.

bookmark_borderTo Degree or Not to Degree

Posted on by PaulaO

My niece, bless her heart, wants to grow up to be a writer/illustrator. I’ve not sugar coated the profession (the writer part) in the least and yet that is what she wants. Does she want to be one because I am (kinda sorta) and therefore it is a viable option? Or does she want to be one because that is what she truly wants? Only Princess knows for sure.

Sometimes I see an article about writing and I think “Hey, Princess would want to read this.” but most of the time the articles are way way over her head. She is, after all, only 11 (soon to be 12). I came across and article today that I went ahead and sent her the link to. It is one discussing the arguments about whether or not a MFA degree has been good or bad for literature as a whole. Some say it has only made it better. Others argue it has only made cookie cutter novels better.

Here’s what I sent Princess:

As you prepare for thinking about college, here’s something to think about.

http://www.salon.com/books/laura_miller/2011/05/17/mfa_programs/index.html

What it basically is arguing is whether MFA (Masters of Fine Arts) in creative writing has been good or bad for literature as a whole.

I’m kinda split on the topic. On the one hand, one shouldn’t need a Masters degree in order to produce a novel. Either you can or you can’t write and a Masters isn’t going to help you much on that. However, the more I write, the more I wish I knew. Not about how to write in terms of plot, characters, etc, but I wish I knew more about sentence structure, verb agreement, and just what the heck a dangling participle is. Would a MFA give me that? Maybe. But so does classes at local community colleges. And goodness knows the bookstore shelves are full of “how to be a writer” books.

And it’s true. I wish I did know more about various grammar stuff. Spelling isn’t a priority but sometimes I wish I could write better sentences and I certainly wish I knew bigger words! Sometimes it takes me two sentences to explain in what someone else could say in two or three words. I’m not an idiot. I have a BA (behavioral science) and an AA (production crafts). And yes, I got them in that order. Sometimes I think about going back to school to get a MFA just so I can continue learning and perhaps hone my craft some. But then I think, nah, all that money wasted! Instead, I look at the online courses A-B Tech offers or I buy yet another ‘how to be a writer’ book.

bookmark_borderStep(s) Forward

Posted on by PaulaO

The problem with being a writer, well, one of the many, is that you have to write something that makes sense to someone somewhere and hope that special someone finds your work and admires it. The more someones that it makes sense to, the better. There’s things to do to ensure that number is high. Editing, understanding grammar, plot, character development, etcetera. Then there’s marketing and promotion (which I stink at).

I got this story. It’s huge. I have mentioned it a lot since I’ve been working on it since 2004. I’ve finished it three times now. Maybe four depending on how I look at it. Each version is slightly different and, with each, it makes more sense to more people. I’ve had some people read it and they’ve all enjoyed it. Sure, there’s problems. But for the most part, they’ve liked it.

Problem is, I don’t. Yeah, yeah, I am so addicted to this novel I dream of it. But there’s parts of it I just can’t seem to get right.

The book is Simple Sarah (I can hear the groans from here). The problem I have with it is the Bad Guys and Evil and All That Bad Guy Evil Stuff. Where’d they come from? Where have they been? Why are some religious nuts allowed to kill them? Why doesn’t the gov’t step in and say, “Um, you are killing a lot of people.” It just never really felt right. I’ve danced around the issue in several different ways and I’ve discussed it with Lorna (spouses of writers discuss the oddest things at the dinner table).

Gods and Goddesses are odd beings. Where’d they come from? Are they static? Do they never change? Do the peoples that worship them change them in any way? How do those peoples even start worshiping them to begin with?

I realized the deities within Simple Sarah are like the Greek/Roman gods. They walk among the people at times, although they are not all that accessible on the whole. Which means perhaps that they have faults, just like the Greek/Roman gods did. And perhaps they were also influenced by the who and how of the worship directed toward them.

Many times in the Christian Bible we read of how someone sweet talked God into Plan B. Was that God’s intention to begin with or did He/She really get swayed?

Which led Lorna and I to develop a new religion base for the Simple Sarah novels. It actually feels better now. I feel as if I understand it now and feel more comfortable with the entire story arc. One of the things E. said about it when she read it was that while it was a good story (she finished the whole thing), she didn’t feel that anything actually happens. And she is right. Sure, lots happen but really, it was the WHY, not the WHAT that was missing. At least to me.

Evil plays a huge role in fantasy novels. People, things, places, abstract thoughts. Mean dragons or evil wizards or unholy trinkets wreak havoc on the world and someone has to fix it. But why did that dragon eat that village? Why did the evil wizard become evil and why did he stay that way? How did that unholy trinket come to exist? And, if it is oh so powerful, why does a simple blow from just the right hammer or a toss into just the right fire kill it?

I really feel that this is it for Simple Sarah. I really feel that in a few weeks, it will be done. For real. But I am not recommending you hold your breath. Unless you are underwater, then, yeah, go ahead.

bookmark_borderRamble of Thoughts

Posted on by PaulaO

I write. Sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. I waver between intense explosions of ideas and directions and utter desolation of any kind of spark. I open a document, stare at it, re-read bits. Then close it down. Sometimes I don’t even read, just open then close.

Am I a one book kinda sorta wonder? Am I a literary fluke?

But then I think of the characters and their imaginary lives and where they are going. Some of them feel so very real to me. Their stories demand to be told but…nothing happens. Perhaps the clamor of the words in my head are too loud and I can’t see the plot for the pages. Their stories may eventually fade, I don’t know. Part of me wants them to go away. Another part wants to make them real. Today, I float in the air above two sinking ships, trying to decide which one to board.

bookmark_borderMore on Borders Books

Posted on by PaulaO

More information and better written articles are slowly appearing. Writer Beware has an excellent (as always) post about it that has good links to further explanations and opinions.

Borders isn’t the only bookstore to announce bankruptcy. There’s one in Canada (which came as a surprise as opposed to the slow shipwreck crash of Borders) and a huge chain in Australia.

What is interesting are the comments to the post. I was going to quote some of them and decided not to. My theories on the self-publish mentality belong in another post/rant for another time.