A little humor for all those authors out there!
A writer died and was given the option of going to heaven or hell.
She decided to check out each place first. As the writer descended into the fiery pits, she saw row upon row of writers chained to their desks in a steaming sweatshop. As they worked, they were repeatedly whipped with thorny lashes.
"Oh my," said the writer. "Let me see heaven now."
A few moments later, as she ascended into heaven, she saw rows of writers, chained to their desks in a steaming sweatshop. As they worked, they, too, were whipped with thorny lashes.
"Wait a minute," said the writer. "This is just as bad as hell!"
"Oh no, it's not," replied an unseen voice. "Here, your work gets published."
Friday, April 20, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Book Review: The New Death and others, by James Hutchings
The New Death and others
James Hutchings
This book is a collection of dark short stories and poems. I was asked to review this book by the author, and at first as I was hesitant because I'm not a big fan of short stories or poetry. But I decided to give it whirl.
I was surprisingly entertained! The stories were full of dark humor, cynicism, and satire. Some read like fractured fairy tales, some ended humorously, some had dark twists, and some had moral endings. They're presented at random, so that you never know what to expect on the next page. Some of the stories I didn't quite get, but for the majority they were quite cleverly written.
James Hutchings
This book is a collection of dark short stories and poems. I was asked to review this book by the author, and at first as I was hesitant because I'm not a big fan of short stories or poetry. But I decided to give it whirl.
I was surprisingly entertained! The stories were full of dark humor, cynicism, and satire. Some read like fractured fairy tales, some ended humorously, some had dark twists, and some had moral endings. They're presented at random, so that you never know what to expect on the next page. Some of the stories I didn't quite get, but for the majority they were quite cleverly written.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Book Review: The Iron Daughter, by Julie Kawaga
The Iron Daughter
Julie Kawaga
Picking up a sequel to a book is like putting on favorite, fuzzy slippers; or better yet, it's like seeing old friends after a long absence. They're comfy, you know them well, and they give your the warm fuzzies. Reading the Iron Daughter gave me that same feeling.
Meghan, Ash and Puck are all back, though the situations have changed. Meghan and Ash are at odds, and Puck and Meghan get closer than ever.
Being that I'm Team Ash, I kinda missed him for the chunk of the book that he was MIA, but I love how he comes back!
We meet new characters, all richly drawn and developed. New twists are revealed, and our characters stayed true to their roles from the first book. There's betrayal, there's love, there's action, and there are wicked fey all over the place.
The book starts with action and maintains its momentum throughout. This is a very good sequel to a very good first book.
Julie Kawaga
Picking up a sequel to a book is like putting on favorite, fuzzy slippers; or better yet, it's like seeing old friends after a long absence. They're comfy, you know them well, and they give your the warm fuzzies. Reading the Iron Daughter gave me that same feeling.
Meghan, Ash and Puck are all back, though the situations have changed. Meghan and Ash are at odds, and Puck and Meghan get closer than ever.
Being that I'm Team Ash, I kinda missed him for the chunk of the book that he was MIA, but I love how he comes back!
We meet new characters, all richly drawn and developed. New twists are revealed, and our characters stayed true to their roles from the first book. There's betrayal, there's love, there's action, and there are wicked fey all over the place.
The book starts with action and maintains its momentum throughout. This is a very good sequel to a very good first book.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Can You Handle the Truth?
Here's the thing about criticism: It's unavoidable.
As authors, even the brilliant authors, there's going to be criticism about our work. It's an unavoidable truth. Not every person is going to love every book. It's called taste, or preference. And there are a lot of readers out there with a lot of differing opinions.
Some authors don't want to hear the criticism. Their work is their baby; they've poured their heart and soul into their writing. It's perfect. It's brilliant. It rocks! And there is no way it needs improvement.
Time to cash in that reality check.
Even well-known authors will admit that if they could go back, there are things they'd change in their books. It doesn't matter how popular that book might be. Many authors admit that they have to force themselves to stop reading their novel because if they don't, they'll keep on re-writing and the thing would *never* be done.
Criticism should not be feared. When handled constructively, it should be revered. People, whether they're members of your critique group, your BETA readers, an agent/editor, or judges in a writing contest, are giving you feedback to make your work better. They're doing you a favor. Constructive criticism should be valued and considered, and not blatantly disregarded because you don't want to hear anything negative about your baby.
Sometimes, at first blush, this is hard to do. If you take the criticism personally and can't seem to see the forest through the trees, set it aside for a couple of days. Let the suggestions simmer. See the story through your eyes, and then through your reader's eyes. Envision your story with a few tweaks and ask yourself, "Does this make the story better?" You may be surprised by the answer!
With that being said, you know your work best. While critiques should be evaluated and considered, don't be swayed into blindly changing your writing style or the voice of your story simply because one person has a differing approach. Consider making changes that are right for you and for your story.
As authors, even the brilliant authors, there's going to be criticism about our work. It's an unavoidable truth. Not every person is going to love every book. It's called taste, or preference. And there are a lot of readers out there with a lot of differing opinions.
Some authors don't want to hear the criticism. Their work is their baby; they've poured their heart and soul into their writing. It's perfect. It's brilliant. It rocks! And there is no way it needs improvement.
Time to cash in that reality check.
Even well-known authors will admit that if they could go back, there are things they'd change in their books. It doesn't matter how popular that book might be. Many authors admit that they have to force themselves to stop reading their novel because if they don't, they'll keep on re-writing and the thing would *never* be done.
Criticism should not be feared. When handled constructively, it should be revered. People, whether they're members of your critique group, your BETA readers, an agent/editor, or judges in a writing contest, are giving you feedback to make your work better. They're doing you a favor. Constructive criticism should be valued and considered, and not blatantly disregarded because you don't want to hear anything negative about your baby.
Sometimes, at first blush, this is hard to do. If you take the criticism personally and can't seem to see the forest through the trees, set it aside for a couple of days. Let the suggestions simmer. See the story through your eyes, and then through your reader's eyes. Envision your story with a few tweaks and ask yourself, "Does this make the story better?" You may be surprised by the answer!
With that being said, you know your work best. While critiques should be evaluated and considered, don't be swayed into blindly changing your writing style or the voice of your story simply because one person has a differing approach. Consider making changes that are right for you and for your story.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Book Review: The Other Slipper, by Kenechi Udogu
The Other Slipper
Kenechi Udogu
Sixteen-year-old Jo is a tall, klutzy girl living in a kingdom of dainty opposites. One night, after sitting on the sidelines watching ball-goers enter the castle, including a strange beauty in a funky carriage who appears to be wearing glass slippers, Jo finds a ginormous pumpkin (which her family eats) and a little glass slipper. But the slipper hums to her, and only her, and Jo and her seventeen-year-old brother Ron find themselves on a mission to return the magic slipper to its rightful owner.
This is an interesting take on the Cinderella story *after* the ball, and from someone else's point of view. This story takes the slant of where the magic came from, how it originated, and the price one pays when they want too much of it.
I like how the story takes you beyond the magic of the ball, beyond the fairy tale that we all know. The story keeps it real; magic doesn't come for free. There are consequences for our actions.
The characters in this novel are likeable enough, but not especially charismatic. Probably the biggest issue I had though, was with the run-on sentences because run-on sentences have a tendency to lose their train of thought and sometimes slows the plot down especially if you have to go back and re-read the sentence and break it down in your head just to get to the point.
Overall, a nice read, especially if you like twists to the old fairy tales.
Kenechi Udogu
Sixteen-year-old Jo is a tall, klutzy girl living in a kingdom of dainty opposites. One night, after sitting on the sidelines watching ball-goers enter the castle, including a strange beauty in a funky carriage who appears to be wearing glass slippers, Jo finds a ginormous pumpkin (which her family eats) and a little glass slipper. But the slipper hums to her, and only her, and Jo and her seventeen-year-old brother Ron find themselves on a mission to return the magic slipper to its rightful owner.
This is an interesting take on the Cinderella story *after* the ball, and from someone else's point of view. This story takes the slant of where the magic came from, how it originated, and the price one pays when they want too much of it.
I like how the story takes you beyond the magic of the ball, beyond the fairy tale that we all know. The story keeps it real; magic doesn't come for free. There are consequences for our actions.
The characters in this novel are likeable enough, but not especially charismatic. Probably the biggest issue I had though, was with the run-on sentences because run-on sentences have a tendency to lose their train of thought and sometimes slows the plot down especially if you have to go back and re-read the sentence and break it down in your head just to get to the point.
Overall, a nice read, especially if you like twists to the old fairy tales.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Does Your Book Need To Go On A Diet?
Some things are meant to be chubby: Santa, little furry critters, and snow men, to name a few. Some things are not. When choosing hamburger at the supermarket, you see packaging that indicates how lean/fat the hamburger is: 90% lean, 80% lean, etc.
Your story should be lean, too. You don't want a book that's 60% lean, because that means it has 40% fat that could, and should, be trimmed. Those spare tires and jiggling thighs are usually indicative of minute details, redundancy, and scenes that do not move the story along.
Minute details drag the story to its knees. It's like walking through a forest and hitting quick sand. You get stuck. For example, I don't want to know that the character has woken up, stretched, brushed her teeth, sat on the toilet, taken a shower using Dove soap and a loofah that she just bought yesterday at the store, and then answered a phone call telling her her husband has been in an accident. These are all details that do not give life to your story, and no one really cares to read a minute-by-minute itinerary of what we do when we wake up. What we care about is that our character's husband has just been in an accident. So get there and tell us.
Redundancy is boring, and may seem to the reader that the author doesn't believe we can hold a single thought in our head. Chapter 3 might tell us that the amulet our character has received has been passed down to the first daughter for 10 generations and safekeeping it from the evil villain is key to keeping the world safe from annihilation. Chapter 10 reminds us that the amulet our character has received has been passed down to the first daughter for 10 generations and safekeeping it from the evil villain is key to keeping the world safe from annihilation. And chapter 18 reminds us that amulet our character has received has been passed down to the first daughter for 10 generations and safekeeping it from the evil villain is key to keeping the world safe from annihilation...just in case we forgot. Does your story need to repeat itself to get its point across to your readers?
Axing scenes that don't move the story along is by far the hardest trick to master. It might be a scene full of award-winning prose, clever use of language, or just your, the author's, baby and absolutely must stay in for personal reasons. Let it go. If it's not crucial to the story, it's a jiggling thigh or a big butt. I remember reading how JK Rowling's publisher (or movie director...I honestly forget if the interview was talking about the book or the movie) wanted her to axe the bathroom scene where Hermione, Ron and Harry battle the troll. She fought for that scene, because it cemented the friendship between the 3 characters. It was crucial to the story; the friendship between the 3 characters was pivotal to the entire series. If JK had said, "But I like trolls! It must stay in!" the argument would have had no merit.
So read your story with a critical eye. It may need some liposuction in order to become a lean, mean, reading machine.
Your story should be lean, too. You don't want a book that's 60% lean, because that means it has 40% fat that could, and should, be trimmed. Those spare tires and jiggling thighs are usually indicative of minute details, redundancy, and scenes that do not move the story along.
Minute details drag the story to its knees. It's like walking through a forest and hitting quick sand. You get stuck. For example, I don't want to know that the character has woken up, stretched, brushed her teeth, sat on the toilet, taken a shower using Dove soap and a loofah that she just bought yesterday at the store, and then answered a phone call telling her her husband has been in an accident. These are all details that do not give life to your story, and no one really cares to read a minute-by-minute itinerary of what we do when we wake up. What we care about is that our character's husband has just been in an accident. So get there and tell us.
Redundancy is boring, and may seem to the reader that the author doesn't believe we can hold a single thought in our head. Chapter 3 might tell us that the amulet our character has received has been passed down to the first daughter for 10 generations and safekeeping it from the evil villain is key to keeping the world safe from annihilation. Chapter 10 reminds us that the amulet our character has received has been passed down to the first daughter for 10 generations and safekeeping it from the evil villain is key to keeping the world safe from annihilation. And chapter 18 reminds us that amulet our character has received has been passed down to the first daughter for 10 generations and safekeeping it from the evil villain is key to keeping the world safe from annihilation...just in case we forgot. Does your story need to repeat itself to get its point across to your readers?
Axing scenes that don't move the story along is by far the hardest trick to master. It might be a scene full of award-winning prose, clever use of language, or just your, the author's, baby and absolutely must stay in for personal reasons. Let it go. If it's not crucial to the story, it's a jiggling thigh or a big butt. I remember reading how JK Rowling's publisher (or movie director...I honestly forget if the interview was talking about the book or the movie) wanted her to axe the bathroom scene where Hermione, Ron and Harry battle the troll. She fought for that scene, because it cemented the friendship between the 3 characters. It was crucial to the story; the friendship between the 3 characters was pivotal to the entire series. If JK had said, "But I like trolls! It must stay in!" the argument would have had no merit.
So read your story with a critical eye. It may need some liposuction in order to become a lean, mean, reading machine.
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