Help! Synopsis!

 Elizabeth S. Brinton in 2002.

There is no word in the English language I dislike more than the word synopsis. Tasked with writing one for my current novel, I started the way I begin most intimidating chores, I asked Google. Of course, this is not the first time, nor, hopefully, will it be the last, where I agonize over this dreaded concept. At first I looked for agents who did not require one. However, once gave myself a severe talking to, I proceeded to the reference shelf, to Google, to any help section within my grasp and got a refresher course. There is no simple solution.

There are a ton of books on the market about how to get published, how to write a query letter, how to write a synopsis, and how to get an agent. I believe I have read most of them. Usually, I am overwhelmed, in a near state of panic, and wonder if I can get through the process with any self- esteem left intact. Because I am an author, I prefer to live in a fantasy world. Would my flimsy little bubble burst right before my eyes? Not this time. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me that if the hard work of figuring out what story you plan to tell is done in the early stages, these finishing stages are far less intimidating.

 To my everlasting surprise, I could hardly write fast enough. It just came flying out. As I had worked the plot-line, scene by scene, and had a big chart up on the wall of my old study, I think the trick may be in the narrative itself. Do not let any submission guideline intimidate you. We may not even know how these things come about, but for whatever reason it seems much easier this time. One tip suggested that a writer should follow the narrative arc. That was the spark that enabled me to pick up my pen. Yes, I wrote it longhand. Scribbled would be a better word.

Literary agents have to be admired. They stay in business. They maintain the same address. Instead of whining about how impersonal the process seems, why wouldn't I look at it as something I plan to make happen. All the guidelines are different. Some want a query only; others prefer a few pages of the novel which is a great thing, in my humble opinion. Most require a synopsis, and who can blame them? Well then, a synopsis I will deliver. I may revise it a hundred times; I may whine and wail, but I can promise one thing. I will not give up.

My search revealed another nugget of good news. I'll be honest. I fear rejection. I fear a loss of confidence and a total tail-spin. Because of the volume of submissions, making one's chances even more scant, a new process has evolved. They don't seem to bother with rejection letters anymore. Instead of trying to tell you why they are turning you down,  the prevailing winds are blowing in the direction of, “we will contact you if we are interested.” So the solution is to keep on doing whatever it is you do. Start a new project, or paint your laundry room, or knit a hat, or whatever it takes, but just keep going. Over the years, I have learned one thing about myself. I happen to like writing. I don't seem to tire of it. How does the saying go? Make art. While others try to figure out if they like it or not, whether they will buy it or not, make more art. Jazz musicians refer to playing in the shadows. Here is a piece of advice I read on Twitter. It came from Julian Lennon. He wrote, “That time you think you just wasted, wasn't wasted.”

Publishing Forecast: The Sun Will Continue to Rise

Cute boy in biology class (OK, not-but same haircut)

I'm old enough to remember when answering machines began to catch on for home use. My parents purchased their first answering machine in the late 1970s, a great behemoth of a box that sat next to the hefty push-button telephone and recorded messages on mini-cassette tapes. I thought it was fantastic--no more wondering whether someone had called when you were out or relying on the fallible memories of household members to give you the message. (This turned out to be a mixed blessing when one realized there would also be no more kidding oneself that the cute boy in biology class may have called while one was at the mall.)

At the time, I knew a man who hated the answering machine with a passion. "I won't use it. I refuse to talk to a machine." I wonder how that's worked out for him.

When e-mail was gaining popularity in the 1990s, I had a friend who declared she had no use for it. "Why would anyone want to type a message when all they have to do is pick up the phone?"

Technological innovation has always sent some people running scared. Who remembers Napster? Remember how that young upstart made waves of tsunami proportions in the music industry? Back in the late 1990s, Napster's innovative use of Internet technology and peer-to-peer sharing revolutionized the way music was bought and distributed. Although it was shut down in 2001, Napster presented a major challenge the way things were done, and the music industry hasn't been the same since.

"Look at what happened to the music industry" is a common lament from those who declare that the rise of e-books is impacting the publishing world as the likes of Napster impacted the music world.
 Not so fast, says literary agent Rachelle Gardner at Books & Such. She's written an insightful post at the Books & Such blog about why NOT to be too quick to equate the book publishing industry with the music industry. For all they have in common, there are some significant differences that need to be taken into account before we declare the sky is falling.


Yes, there are many unknowns in this brave new world of electronic publishing. Yes, it's a hassle. Yes, there are growing pains, and many more to come.

According to Publishers Weekly, there's been a recent slowing of e-book sales compared to hard-copy sales. In the article, literary agent Laura Rennert said, “Whether in paper or digital, it seems to me that healthy competition is good for all aspects of the industry, so I hope traditional publishers, Amazon, and other players will continue to evolve successful strategies for getting content to readers and for increasing the market penetration of books in all the formats readers seem to want.”

As readers and writers, we watch these changes with equal parts wonder and skepticism. What will tomorrow bring? One thing's for sure. As long as people like us cherish the written word, it will always be around, in one form or another. The sun will rise tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that.

How do you feel about the rise of electronic publishing? Love your e-reader? Glad you don't have to lug a hardcover copy of War and Peace in your carry-on? Miss your neighborhood brick-and-mortar bookstore?

Writing Holiday Articles for Magazines

Ever wanted to see your words on the 

glossy pages of a magazine?  Go for it!

It’s Valentine’s Day … another holiday offering writers a plethora of opportunities.  Granted, it’s too late to get your name in print this year, but it is the perfect time to think about getting to work on a magazine article for an upcoming holiday or for Valentine's Day next year.

Magazines are produced on a constant series of deadlines.  A yearly outline of topics is set and then writers, photographers and advertising personnel get to work.  They assign articles to writers and give them a deadline and a word count.  Typically, articles are due three months prior to publish date so the page layout can be completed.

You must first pick a genre – what type of information do you want to share about Valentine’s Day?  Will it be fiction or non-fiction?  Do you want to write about food or relationships?  Do you want to write about romance, or about your favorite valentine – your dog? 

Next pick a magazine specializing in the type of article you want to write.  Study their rules for submission and the format of their magazine.  Do they accept submissions?  Do they seem to like lists? The 12 Worst Valentine’s Day Stories Ever! – Woman’s Health Magazine; Five Romantic Trips for Valentine’s Day – Madison Magazine.  Figure out their focus and their target audience. 

Not to worry, you will find a magazine geared toward your interests.  There are thousands of magazines out there, including many with a business interest focus that you have never even heard about, both online and traditional. What are you passionate about?  What do you want to write about?  Be daring and check it out.  

How about some Valentine's Day inspiration?  The following articles appeared in recent online and traditional magazines:

A Personal Story

A mother’s love and the Valentine’s Day dress – The Boston Globe Magazine

Relationships

What Men Think of Valentine’s Day – Women’s Health Magazine

Survey: Men Would Prefer to Have Sex on Valentine’s Day – Time

The Single Person’s Guide to Surviving Valentine’s Day – Caliber Magazine

Romance

Heat Things Up This Valentine’s Day! – Curve Magazine

Be my valentine – Harper’s Magazine

Men

Last Minute Valentine’s Gifts – Houstonia Magazine

The Procrastinator’s Guide to Valentine’s Day – RV Magazine

A Valentine to My Future Wife – Set Apart Girl Magazine

Family

Valentine’s Day is for Everyone – Meridian Magazine

Teens

Seventeen’s Ultimate Valentine’s Day Guide – Seventeen Magazine

Animals

Celebrate Valentine’s Day Like an Animal – Modern Dog Magazine

Food

Gift Guide: Love is in the Kitchen – Gourmet.com

10 Sweet Treats for your Valentine – SideDish Magazine

7 New York Patisseries for Valentine’s Day Sweets – Gotham Magazine

How To Cook For A Carnivore on Valentine’s Day – Happen Magazine (My personal favorite.)

Finances

How to Nail Valentine’s Day Without Dropping a Ton of Money – Primer Magazine (My husband's personal favorite.)

Research & Information

Valentine’s Day – Christian Custom or Pagan Pageantry? – GetMagazine

What’s the Point of Valentine’s Day? – Relevant Magazine

Valentine’s Day: Why Do We Celebrate it?  (Hint: Naked Romans) – National Geographic

Poetry

Valentines Poems by the Editors – Poetry Foundation Magazine

Gift Ideas

His and Hers Valentine’s Day Pampering – Michigan Avenue Magazine

7 Amazing Anti-Valentine’s Day Gifts Your Single Friends Will Love

Valentine’s Day Guide 2014 – New York Magazine

Travel

Places You Should Be On Valentine’s Day – RV Magazine

Have a Long-Distance Valentine’s Day – Happen Magazine

Valentine’s Day getaways around the state – Phoenix Magazine

Media

14 Romantic Films for Valentine’s Day (that Guys Will Like) – Paste Magazine

The Best of Valentine’s Day: Movies, Books, Songs, Gifts – Time Magazine

Celebrities

Valentines For the Stars – People Magazine

Inspired yet? 

Now you can start writing, but not your article quite yet.  You first must write a “pitch” or Query Letter.  In this letter you must sell yourself to the editor of the magazine.  Tell what your idea is and why it is important to their readers.  List reasons you are the best person to write it.  There are many examples of excellent Query Letters on the Internet.  Spend some time learning the proper format before sending the pitch for your article and your chances for success will improve. 

Once you receive a go-ahead from an editor, you will be given your deadline, word count and a request for photos, if any.  NOW you can start writing your article. If you’ve chosen wisely, this will be the easiest part of the entire process.  Get started early.  Edit, edit, edit.  When you think you are done, let your article sit for a few day, then take a second look.  You might be surprised at the changes you want to make.  Once you are happy with your article, send it in.  

If you met your deadline and produced a well-edited and polished article, chances are  it will be published and you'll finally see your name in glossy print.  Oh, and you might just earn a little income from your writing too. 

Happy Valentine's Day ... now, go for it!

"It was a dark and stormy night.." Plagiarism and You

vietnameselanguage.wordpress.com

     

“Two weeks after disgraced journalist Jonah Lehrer publicly apologized for the “frailties” and “weaknesses” that led to his firing from The New Yorker and withdrawal of his bestselling book Imagine, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), publisher of all three of Lehrer’s books, has decided it will no longer offer for sale his second book, How We Decide. After an internal review uncovered significant problems with the book, the publisher is “taking How We Decide off-sale” and has “no plans to reissue it in the future,” HMH senior vice president Bruce Nichols said in an email.” (www.thedailybeast.com 3/1/13)

“…in recent years as several search engines have come online for the express purpose of tracking duplicate images. Though, most notably, this has included Tineye, other search engines, including Google, have gotten in on the act as well.

Now, a Firefox extension, Who Stole My Pictures (WSMP), is aiming at making all of those search engines available at one convenient place, your right click menu, thus making it trivial to search for plagiarism of your images or duplicates of any image you find online.” (http://www.plagiarismstoday.com//2011/09/12

   It was a dark and stormy night when I sat down to write a column about plagiarism. Actually, it was not Charles Schultz and Snoopy who first uttered these now famous first seven words but Edward George Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873), British playwright, poet and novelist. He also wrote, “The pen is mightier than the sword”, “the great unwashed” and “pursuit of the almighty dollar.” To avoid the charge of plagiarism, I should have written, “It was a dark and stormy night” (Edward George Bulwer-Lyttonn)

   Plagiarism is passing off someone else’s work, ideas, thoughts, opinions, theories, statistics, facts, drawings, or paraphrasing the same. There are 5 common forms of plagiarisms: 

1.    Duplicating another’s words or phrases, etc. without identifying the speaker or author, or not using quotation marks.

2.    Same as #1 except including quotation marks.

3.    Using another’s ideas by paraphrasing them without noting sources.

4.    Submit, enter or sell as your own work by merely rearranging words and/or phrases without footnotes.

5.    Intentional or unintentional, ignorance of the law is no defense.

   The devil is in the details, however. According to copyright laws established in 1989, works are now protected with or without the copyright symbol; they are considered intellectual property. As long as the material can be shown to belong to someone other than you, even though altered but similar to the original form, without acknowledgement, it is considered plagiarism. Copyright laws do not protect facts considered “common knowledge.” Common knowledge is defined loosely as information generally known or known by a large group of people, e.g., Roosevelt was the author of the New Deal. Copyright laws can be in effect up to 75 years after the death of the author. There are many variants of the length depending upon how old the work is and who owns the copyright.

  Another gray area is “public domain.” This often, but not always, means intellectual property that “belongs” to the public and can therefore be used freely. There are variations of law depending on copyright laws in different countries as well as patents and trademarks. It is best to check with an attorney. (Disclaimer: this author does not represent the material in the essay to be thought of as legal knowledge or advice under any terms. 

   The punishments are of varying degrees often depending upon the venue and the amount of material copied. The greater the amount of material copied the greater the punishment can be.  Most cases are considered misdemeanors bringing fines between $100 and $50,000 and can be accompanied by up to one year in jail. Generally, your offense is considered a felony if you earn more than about $2,500. The punishment could be upwards of $250,000 and ten years jail time. In a business situation, the punishment is usually not of the prosecutorial kind (unless sued by the original author.) It takes the form of a demotion, denial of promotions, monetary fine or firing. In the academic world, the punishment is often meted out by the professor which can result in a failing grade, failing the course or, under the auspices of the dean’s office, expulsion from the college or university. The easy use of the Internet has increased the instances of plagiarism many fold in all venues.

    There are a few ways to protect yourself from prosecution of plagiarism. First, avoid plagiarizing by understanding what constitutes plagiarism. When taking notes from various sources for your writing, clearly identify anything that is not in the public domain or not in your original words and thoughts. Keep all your notes, electronic, recorded and penned, in several backups in various venues; back up your computer file each time under a different name, e.g., essay plagerism-1, essay plagerism-2, etc. This will give you a paper and time trail to strengthen your case should you be charged or you wish to charge someone else with plagiarism.

ncsu.edu

 Check the style manuals for the organization for which you are writing as to how to format your written word. APA is the American Psychological Association used primarily in liberal arts settings, ACS (American Chemical Association) for writing in the science field, AP and Chicago styles for general writing. Publishing houses and business often have in house guidelines they wish authors to follow. Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities, began his book, “It was the best of times…” If you fail to properly credit your sources in your writing, it could easily become, “…the worst of times.” 

http://definitions.uslegal.com/p/plagiarism

www.wikipedia.com

www.plagerism.org

           

New Adult...A Flash Genre or Here to Stay?

New Adult, NA, genre has rather quickly popped on the writing scene. It is a genre that is a follow on to Young Adult, YA, books. It is aimed at readers 18-25 years of age. This genre targets the young adult of college or post college age who is dealing with being on her own and facing the grown-up world head on. It is for the "should I get my own apartment instead of living in my parent's basement, and shouldn't I find more than a temp job where I can use my master's degree" individuals. The Devil Wears Prada, although written as a thinly disguised assault on a real life obnoxious boss, would be an example of a NA book.

The New Adult category started with epublishing by authors like Cora McCarmack and her Jessica Darling series, by Megan McCafferty and by Tammara Weber. The following books are available for free download by searching for the author + epub.

NA is aimed at adults with more insight than teens. The targeted audience is focused on what part they will play in the future. They realize that decisions they make will have an impact on their lives as well as on the lives of others. YA fiction is based on that group, ages 12-17, who live in the immediate without too much thought for the future. These books do not contain sex. Case in point for YA books is Little Women, Swiss Family Robinson  and The Outsiders. 

Think of NA as the Downton Abbey of our times. One hundred years ago Edith, Matthew, Anna, Thomas, Sybil and Mary dealt with these same issues that 18-26 years old of today have. The plot lines for these Edwardian characters are New Adult themes....marriage and its responsibilities, joys and challenges; life's sorrows; sex; what to do with their lives and how what they do impacts others. The Twilight series, Hunger Games and Beautiful Creatures, all deal with slightly older characters and more mature story lines so they might be considered NA.

This new genre is also touching Christian Fiction by writing about Christians' ways of focusing on transition. These books explore young adults, believers of God, who are now in positions to make life driving decisions and what their impact on the world might be. Publishers of Christian fiction are clamoring for CFNA--Christian fiction new adult themed books.

The term New Adult was coined by St. Martin's Press in 2007. By 2009, it had caught on quickly with authors. E-books have been the driving force for this genre. Many ebooks are available for free downloads by searching for "new adult epub" using your preferred search engine.

Do you think this is a genre that will last? Judy Blume answered some of the questions about adult subjects for some of us, Peyton Place, East of Eden and Forever Amber for others. The times and mores have changed in fifty years. Critics think that immature teens will read NA books with situations too advanced for them to comprehend appropriately. They moan that the adult themes will contaminate young minds because these themes contain sex. Others realize that another money market fills not only a needed literary slot and but also their coffers. There are always spill over readers of all ages and genres; that is not something authors can or want to control. Control of what children read is for parents. The Harry Potter series started children and many adults of all ages reading and liking it. Possibly this genre of New Adult will do the same for people of the young adult age. What is your opinion?

In Your Wheelhouse

Upon returning from a trip to Nelson, British Columbia, I happened upon an old expression. Technically, the term in your wheelhouse, refers to your particular skill set. Literally, a wheelhouse is the enclosed compartment from which a vessel can be navigated. So it would make sense then that a writer casting about for subjects topics and ideas, would do well to consider this idiom.

In Nelson, I enjoyed basking in the culture of my native land. With my family off ripping up the powder at Whitewater, a ski resort blessed with both magnificent terrain and fine cuisine, I decided to take a personal day and wander around the town. My love affair with the city of Nelson began in my early twenties with it being the destination of a never to be forgotten drive across Canada. What we discovered along the shores of surely one of the most magnificent lakes on the planet, had much to do with the course of my adult life.

Vessels powered by steam, were the life blood of small towns on northern lakes. The mail, the groceries, the summer guests and the news of the day arrived with the welcoming sound of a steam ship whistle. This sent islanders and lake dwellers scurrying down to the docks; missing the boat meant waiting another week and doing without vital supplies. My mother told me tales of hearing shouts from upstairs windows in summer cottages: bread, milk, eggs, and get all the vegetables you can! Yes, the concept of a wheelhouse is ingrained in my mind, but taken to the idea of stories waiting to be told, I find it to be a useful concept.  After all, when writing, I alone am the captain.

As I wandered happily about Nelson, I was thrilled to find the local museum open. In I went, knowing that because I was alone, I could stay there for hours and hours. Inside, I found much fodder for inspiration. A beautiful white linen summer costume, complete with  a lace collar and straw hat filled me with awe.  Photographs of old yachts, races and regatta days from the golden era before World War 1,  found me marveling, as I do here in North Idaho, at the courage of the settlers of long ago days. In every photograph of that era, here and to the north of us, and across the wide expanse of the nation, you see pictures of men standing beside a string of huge fish. The first skis, those huge curved planks, the photos of brave souls out in their warm sweaters, the parades, the soldiers returning from war, the wagons, and the horses, it is all there for anyone to see. Nothing inspires me more, or gets my creative juices flowing, like an afternoon spent at a local museum. It is not just the artifacts, it is the stories, the curiosity I feel in the presence of the past, brought lovingly back to life by the curators. Then, of course, there is the gift shop, the small volumes which would otherwise go unnoticed, depicting the lives of early settlers. If you are at a loss for words, find yourself out of ideas, fearing that your tank is running on empty, then I would suggest a wee trip and a small museum where something may just spring to mind. Keep your own culture, your own history, your community in the forefront, and write from your heart, from the seat of all passion, from your own particular wheelhouse. Do not be surprised if you are suddenly so inspired that your fingers can barely type quickly enough to match the rush of ideas.

As for Nelson, it is a welcoming destination for people from all over the world. If you take a trip there, don't be surprised if you find yourself falling in love with the place. 

French Food and Fiction, Part Two

 Do you know why diets don't work? Neither do I. Diets don't fail, dieters do, so therefore if you don't like failure, for heaven's sake, don't go on a diet.

I credit my mother for my long and tiresome history with dieting, as it was she who would always start with the latest diet book. After she left this world and I had to close up her apartment, there on the night table, right beside her bed was Dr. Phil's book of strategies for weight loss. She would rail against the strictures of these programs, and then get in bed and say, "I have to read about what I get to eat tomorrow." From the eggs, steak and grapefruit of the sixties, to Weight Watchers, to Atkins, to South Beach, to Palm Beach, you name it, she was always game. Not being overweight, ever, and in possession of a healthy body and mind, she was nevertheless always after those elusive ten to fifteen pounds that seem to plague us all. At the same time, she entertained and churned out more meals for guests than I can possibly count. This extended to her family, children and grandchildren and we do not think of her without remembering all those wonderful dinners. As her mother came from a large Irish clan, the tradition of eating food in season and not being too extravagant in any one direction, came into play.

When I worked with Coldwater Creek, the idea of an employee cook book sprang to the mind of the H.R. director who wanted this to happen, but did not want to do it herself. Yours truly here volunteered to head up the project and a labor of love began. I decided that it would be great to celebrate our mother's and grandmother's cherished recipes and put their full names, place of birth and dates alongside those family treasures. Sharing this task with our counterparts  in West Virginia, we gathered a compilation of culinary wisdom entitled, Coldwater Creek Cooks. To this end, I managed to get the best pound cake recipe ever, originating from Kentucky and served with hot butter sauce with a touch of Bourbon. As my son was getting married that year, I thought it would be great to give my future daughter-in-law all the reference material possible from the culture of his maternal line. As my daughter headed off to college and moved from wretched dorm food, to her own apartment, she had her copy as well. How I delighted in those first calls for instruction in basic meals. I am so proud to say that both my children love good  food, eat well and share this bond with me.

Writers who love fine cuisine share a particular place in my heart. When The Pat Conroy Cookbook came out, I raced home with my copy, hot off the press and read it from cover to cover. Tasked with preparing the evening meal for his family when his wife decided to go to law school, he began the challenge in the way most writers do: he went straightaway to his favorite  book store. He picked up a copy of The Escoffier Cookbook and learned the basics of French cooking which always begin with homemade stock.

 My culinary history has a similar origin. As a young adult, living on my own in a stone house in the country, I came down with a nasty bout of pneumonia and moved back home to recover. My mother, working as an interior designer at the time, decided that if I was home all day, I could take on the responsibility of dinner.  In her collection of cookbooks, I found one published by our favorite restaurant in Palm Beach, Florida, called The Petite Marmite. The pictures were so beautiful, and inspiring, that I set out to recreate them. I had to start by making stocks which I have always believed are not only the essence of great dishes, but also of good health. In Conroy's book, he describes his time in Paris and also in Rome, the places where he dined after a hard day of writing The Lords of Discipline and The Prince of Tides. He also peppers his chapters with tales of the region he knows so well: the low country of South Carolina. When Mireille Guiliano created French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure, I knew I had found the ultimate book for me. Years ago, in Paris with my mother, we decided to uncover the secret we could see all around us, that being, French women ate the best food in the world and seemed much thinner than their North Americans counterparts. We thought we could just indulge to our heart's content and it would all somehow balance out. Wrong.

You cannot describe the physicality of a character in exact terms. It would read like a medical chart. Your reader will get a better picture by depicting what they eat, how much, how often and how important it is to them.  Do they eat to live, or are they more like me, a person who lives to eat. Are meals, described in terms of grabbing a bite, or set under an arbor in the garden and encompassing most of the afternoon? Is food a necessary chore, or an unbridled passion? Above all, what do they eat for lunch?

From The Pat Conroy Cookbook:

"I write of truffles in the Dordogne Valley in France, cilantro in Bangkok, catfish in Alabama, scuppernong in South Carolina, Chinese food from my years in San Francisco, and white asparagus from the first meal my agent, Julian Bach, took me to in New York City."

Oprah's Book Club and Mine

As I have been happily ensconced in two book clubs in my life, I can attest to the many pleasures of membership. Twenty two years in my current group has enabled me to know and share life's gifts with some of the wisest and wittiest women anywhere. For many years, we had no name until one evening, at the home of a beloved caterer, we hit upon it at last: Greatest Food Ever Book Club. Our numbers have had to ebb and flow with time, sometimes due to circumstances beyond our control. Yet with all the changes, one constant remains true; we will never be in complete agreement about any given novel. It is the differences of opinion that have provided some of the more irksome and also illuminating evenings. Whether we are at a member's house, or we gather around a table in a restaurant, the conversation is lively, the minds are engaged, and the disagreements fly freely.

What makes people, all reading the same material, vary in their likes and dislikes? As a former English major, we were trained to discuss theme, content and style. Our personal preferences had no place in academia, so I often chafe at those who say they dislike a book, because they do not admire the character. It is the darker strains, the sinners and the sorry who often drive the action of the story, so whether we tend to 'like' them or not, they will be with us forever.

While I have my local group, I often venture into other, larger venues, as it is so pleasurable for me to share in the reading experience with others. To this end, I jumped into the ressurrection of Oprah's hugely successful book club. Her first selection, Wild, by Cheryl Strayed is a fascinating read. Depicting a journey through grief that becomes a literal hike along the Pacific Coast Trail, the author captures the experience with breathtaking clarity. As a veteran of long canoe trips myself, and a person who carried a ninety pound pack, I can vouch for the realism involved in every detail. While on those trips through the wilderness of northern Ontario, I often longed to be able to describe the experience. Lacking both the skill and the time to get enough words on paper, my trip journals tend to be patchy and brief. How much can be said about a walk in the woods? In Strayed's case, plenty, it turns out, and my hat goes off to her for managing a feat that has eluded me. I have not, however traveled alone, but even if I were to attempt such a thing, I still feel I would come up short, compared to Wild.

Oprah Winfrey single handedly changed publishing history with her book club. Most of us choose books through word of mouth. Newspapers, magazines, and interviews come next, but no matter what the marketing budget, nothing tops hearing someone describe their experience. Having a book selected by Oprah can be likened to being tapped on the shoulder with a golden wand. Her greatest success lies in getting people who didn't read, or who had stopped reading years ago, back into the joy of curling up with a good book.

Here at this web site, we love to share old favorites and books we are reading, as well as tips about writing and learning the craft. We hope you will visit us often to keep abreast of the cornucopia of books from which to choose. Have fun and let us know what you think.



http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_4?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=wild+cheryl+strayed&sprefix=Wild%2Cstripbooks%2C383

Renovations and Revisions: The Writing life

My husband and I have been renovating a boat. The boat (named Pretty Lady by my father after my mother) was the last one my father built in the early 1980s while living in Ketchikan, Alaska. After my folks’ passing, we had the boat brought from Alaska to Idaho where it underwent mechanical repairs in Coeur d’Alene to get it into good working order again, and then had it delivered to our back yard last fall where we are renovating the interior and giving the Pretty Lady a face lift, of sorts.

Working on the boat over the past few days, I couldn’t help but think of the long hours my father had worked on the Pretty Lady when he originally constructed it. He had spent hours on end welding, sawing, hammering and bolting the boat together. And now, nearly 30 years later, I (along with my husband) am spending hours on end sanding and refinishing wood, pulling up old flooring, painting, and shining aluminum, to help bring it back to life.

As this renovation process progresses, I feel like I have been mimicking a small piece of my father’s life, following one of those preset patterns in which we sometimes find ourselves repeating things we have gleaned from our parents or others.

These patterns are learned, and we follow them in all areas of our lives. In our writing lives we get these patterns from other writers as we study and learn from those who have accumulated knowledge and experience. We mimic their styles as our own style develops. We look to them for guidance, techniques, and tips for improving our writing.

Our goal for the Pretty Lady is to have it seaworthy, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing. This goal works as well for the books we write. 

Like the Pretty Lady, we need our stories to be structurally sound, mechanically correct and in good working order so that they are seaworthy when the day comes to launch them into the publishing world. We also want our books to be aesthetically pleasing. We want our book covers to garner the attention of readers; to entice them to open the front cover and begin reading. We want a comfortable interior layout that has an easy-to-read typeface with clear organization, adequate spacing and white space.

To do this, of course, takes hard work with thoughtful attention. We need to “renovate” our manuscripts again and again to make our stories as compelling as possible. We need to make sure every scene is complete, to cut what is not essential and to add what is essential. We need to revise our prose for the greatest impact on the reader. We want to fulfill our promise to our readers and to try to give them more than they expect.

There are a number of writing-related books that give us patterns for revising our manuscripts. Two I have on my shelf are Revision by David Michael Kaplan (Story Press, 1997), which is one of my favorites. Even though Revision may now be out of print, copies are still available through the Amazon marketplace.

Another book I found helpful was Manuscript Makeover (Perigee Trade, 2008) by Elizabeth Lyon, who goes into great depth about many aspects of the revision process.

A more recent publication is Crafting Novels & Short Stories (Writers Digest Books, 2012) by the Editors of Writers Digest.

       

Whether we self-publish or contract with a publisher, we want our manuscripts to be strong enough to weather the potential turbulence of the publishing world and have its best chance at drawing readers. And it is those who have come before us that give us that chance, whenever we are ready to climb aboard.

Bon Voyage!

Hey Boo: Unforgettable Book, Unforgettable Author

One of my favorite books turned 52 this year, and the movie made from the book turned 50. Over those years, the compelling story of Atticus, Scout, Tom and Boo has made a deep impression on millions of Americans.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a novel set in a small Alabama town during racial segregation, was published by J. B. Lippencott & Co. in 1960. It is a story of a small-town lawyer defending an unjustly accused man, and the story of a young girl trying to make sense of the world around her.

As someone who also grew up in a small southern community where I was a child during the final years of segregation, I could identify with Scout. Like Scout, I was also somewhat of a tom-boy; had a soft-spoken, gentle father; and like my brothers, kept small, insignificant trinkets in a cigar box.

In 2010, a 50th anniversary edition of To Kill a Mockingbird was published, and a film titled Hey Boo: Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird was released. PBS recently aired the film as part of their American Masters program.  As a writer, I was interested in learning more about Lee.

Born in 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama, Nelle Harper Lee left Alabama for New York in 1950 after completing college. There she spent eight years supporting herself as an airline reservation agent. She became good friends with a couple who had read and loved some of Lee’s essays. One year, knowing Lee was working on a manuscript for a novel, the couple gave Lee a Christmas gift of money with a note that said Lee could take one year off from her work to write whatever she wants.

Lee took her friends up on their offer and completed her manuscript, then titled Atticus, and secured a literary agent who sent the manuscript to several publishers. All of the publishers rejected the work.

Eventually, an editor at J. B. Lipppincott & Co.—even though the editor felt the manuscript was mostly a series of short stories and needed a lot of work—recognized Lee’s talent and the potential of the story, and signed a contract with Lee.

Lee described what happened next as a long and hopeless period of writing the manuscript over and over again. The writer and editor reshaped and worked on the book for the next two years, until it eventually became what we know today as To Kill a Mockingbird. The book was an immediate success and awarded a Pulitzer Prize, among many other awards.

Lee was 34 when the book was published. She gave several interviews about the novel and the movie, and then stopped. She stepped back from the publicity and public life and hasn’t granted an interview in more than 40 years.

Amazingly, Lee grew up only a few doors away from author Truman Capote. They became childhood friends and remained friends for many years, advising each other on writing and publishing. Lee assisted Capote in his research for his book, In Cold Blood. Eventually they grew apart as Capote embraced fame and Lee avoided it.

Even though Harper Lee never wrote another book, Lee remains one of America’s favorite writers. And 50 years and nearly 50 million copies later, To To Kill a Mockingbird remains required reading in schools across America and continues to be enjoyed by both adolescents and adults.

If you would like to watch the documentary, Hey Boo: Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird, it can be viewed for free at the following PBS link:

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/harper-lee-hey-boo/watch-the-full-documentary/2049/

You can also check your PBS schedule for future showings.

Special Effects in Book Publishing

On December 5, 2011, the “New York Times” published an article on how book publishers are trying to jazz up their books in order to improve sales of hard cover books. Publishers are feeling the pinch of e-books, self-publishers, electronic readers and the increasing use of public libraries (the latter due to harder economic times.) “Convenience" aka electronic reading is moving at warp speed. It is anticipated that there will be many more e-readers and gift certificate for e-books under the Christmas tree including the iPad Santa is bringing me than paper books .

I like having a book in my hands; I’ve been reading that way for decades. That is not to say I am not willing to change when there is a choice between publisher-manipulated print books versus less expensive, easy and fun to use, ever evolving e-books.

Julie Bosman in a “New York Times” article, 12/5/2011, titled “Selling Books by Their Gilded Covers” writes “New releases have design elements” that “…push the boundaries of bookmaking.” These are ordinary books with an attitude. Some books on the market now have embossed covers, higher quality paper, deckle edges, colored end papers and silk page markers.

Books by Stephen King, 11/25/63 (about the assassination of JFK), Haruki Murakame’s anticipated 1Q84 and Jay-Z’s memoir Decoded are examples of gilded books. Robert S. Miller, publisher of Workman Publishing states, “It (a special effect book) is like sending a thank-you note written on nice paper when we’re in an era of e-mail correspondence.” A senior VP of Spiegel and Grau was quoted as saying, “We’re rethinking the value in certain cases of special effects and higher production standards. Now in some cases, creating a more beautiful hardcover or paperback object is warranted.” (NYT 12/5/11)

All this means to me is publishing houses are still in the stone tablet-chisel mode of thinking. They do not understanding that e-publishing is the selling mode of the now and increasingly, the future. They continue to protect their monopolized fiefdom. Their answer besides embellished books is to use wide margins, bigger font, shorter chapters, fewer words and more books per season by popular authors. For a run-of-the-mill paperback book the prices have gone from $3.99 to $8.99 or $11.99. We spend more money for less content, plot, ink, and changing covers for the same books so you think you haven't read it.

Evan Schnittman of Bloomsbury publishers states that they hope readers will say, “…well there’s convenience reading and then there’s book owning and reading.” Special effects books like a gilded copy of The Iliad have always been around. Embellished effects books by a rapper or a movie star are not in the same category as a classic or “coffee table” book. Books we want to keep regardless of quality or looks, we keep. We give away, donate or sell at garage sales a greater percentage than we keep.

Publishing houses remain working at their physical desks seemingly sans computers, blinders in place while refusing to acknowledge technology has changed not only the industry but also the reading public. Libraries of the future will be computer inventoried with librarians specializing in information retrieval for the patrons. E-books will evolve into something we cannot imagine. Will traditional publishing houses continue to think “Customers want a print book in their hands” while most of us will be saying, “Did you see the new XYZ book reader that is out?”

Writing North Idaho will be in hiatus for two weeks. We wish you and yours a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, a joyful Kwanzaa, or plenty of time to enjoy the end of the year. We will be back on-line January 2, 2012.

Typeface, Fonts and Your Book

Que sera, sera. Sans serif, serif. Which is easier to read: an article or book with a font that has serifs or one that does not? To have feet or not to have feet that is the question.

Technically, serifs are small projections finishing off the end strokes of individual printing or computer generated press letters. Easier to understand is to say serifs are small lines on the tops and bottoms of each letter of the alphabet on some, not all, fonts.

ABCD abcd-sans serif ABCD abcd-serif

Some theorists say a font with serifs leads the eye along smoothly. Others say serifs make the individual letters more difficult to discertain versus the clean, simple lines of a sans (from French meaning ”without”) serif fonts. Potaytoe, potahtoe.

There is a difference between “typeface” and “font.” Typeface is a particular design of type. Font is a particular instance of type. You can have different fonts within one typeface (Arial bold, arial italic, arial black, arial rounded, etc.) Even each size is a different font.

Most studies show that typefaces with serif fonts are easier to read for a lengthy time. In 1932, Times New Roman was designated as THE typeface for newspapers. Our brains have been trained to expect serif letters. Web sites can simply respect the browser settings of the use or use sans serif type because sans serif typefaces have better resolutions on a computer screen.

If you are self-publishing here are some thoughts about choosing typeface and fonts Many authors do not think about it and use the default settings for their Word processors default setting.

1. The general rule is that newspapers and books often use two different fonts but no more than two. The fonts should be similar in look, e.g., Helvetica (headings) and Garamond (body of text); Verdana (headings) and Palatino Nova 189@ (body of text.) Work to find two that are compatible and not in juxtaposition.

2. Non-serif fonts can be used for titles, chapter headings, table of contents, and bibliographies for distinction and variety but not for the main body of your work. Sans serif fonts are thought to be not easily readable in large block of texts. Transposing from your computer to the printed book page changes the crispness and clarity of sans fonts. Suggested sans serif fonts are Gulliver, Helvetica, Verdana and Lucinda Grande.

3. Serif fonts may be used for all portions of your book: title, introduction, chapter titles, table of contents, body, and appendices. One article I read said to avoid using Times New Roman in self-publishing as it looks amateurish because it is too common. It is associated with newspapers that we read in short bursts and toss away. We want readers to linger, enjoy our words, and recommend our books to others. Some suggested fonts are: Baskerville, Cambria, Courier, Garamond and Lucida Fax, all 12 point.

4. Decorative fonts are as described: embellishments. They may be used, if at all, only as the beginning letter of a new chapter or chapter titles. They must be of good quality, easily readable, and close to the typeface and fonts used for main body of the chapters. Some fonts are so different from the body type that the eye fails to comprehend the letter and thus the reader gets confused.

5. Be leery of free font programs. Often they do not come with true bold and italics or all the characters you may need (no percentage sign or ampersand for example.) In choosing your typeface and fonts, check to see if you can click on the actual setting, e.g., Arial bold or Arial Italic. If you use “control” plus “bold”, you will be using a fake setting.

Some publishing houses will reject your work if they feel you have used a fake or free font program because they have to correct it. Microsoft invented Arial just for their programs. It contains different names on its control panel which allows you to chose, and receive, exactly what you want matching the quality of your other font letters.

Typeface and font selection is subjective. Choose yours wisely, remembering to go for the generally accepted and shine with the most important part, the writing.

Recources:

http://www.designzzz.com/typography-basics-serif-vs-sans-serif/

http://alexpoole.info/which-are-more-legible-serif-or-sans-serif-typeface/s

http://www.self-pub.net/guides/choosingtherightfont.html

Publishing Predictions

The recent news that Borders has filed for bankruptcy reminded me of publishing industry predictions contained in a Publishing Poynter’s Newsletter I received in January.

The newsletter included predictions not only from Dan Poynter (Para Publishing), but also from Publishers Weekly, The Daily Beast, Mark Coker (Smashwords), Danny Snow (Society for New Communications Research), Michael Hyatt (Publisher Thomas Nelson), Alex Pham (Los Angeles Times), and others.

Here’s an overview of some of their predictions:

Bookstores:
Dan Poynter: Brick and mortar stores will continue to close. Rent for a bookstore on the street is higher than for an online site. Read more...

Judith Rosen, Publishers Weekly: If the last few months of 2010 are any indication, this year's most successful bookstores will have a smaller footprint, more diversification, or both. Read more...

Danny Snow: Watch for widespread closings of brick-and-mortar bookstores in 2011, possibly dealing a mortal blow to old school print publishers, and the wholesalers and distributors that supply offline booksellers. Read more...

Ebooks:

Jim Milliot, Publishers Weekly: The U. S. book publishing industry is rushing headlong into the digital future, a process that is changing everything about how books are acquired, manufactured, sold, and read. Read more...

Mark Coker: Indie ebook authors are becoming more professional and sophisticated, and they’re starting to climb the bestseller charts without the assistance of a publisher. Ebooks will account for one third or more of unit consumption. Why? Ebooks cost less and early ebook adopters read more. Read more...

Dan Poynter: The future of nonfiction publishing is ebooks. The future of ebooks is color. The future of reading is on a screen. Ads will begin to appear in Ebooks. Unlike print books, ads can be added into an ebook any time and charged for by the (sold) book. Ebook publishing and reading will continue to grow. Read more...

Danny Snow: Expect continued growth in sales of periodicals and books in digital form, especially to users of smartphones. Anticipate a titanic struggle taking shape between Amazon, Apple and Google for dominance in the epublishing world. Read more...

Michael Hyatt: Free e-Readers: E-tailers will do this as a premium for readers who buy bundles or join e-book clubs. Or they might provide a dramatic discount to induce the next segment of holdouts to try digital reading. More and more the dedicated reader will be seen as a commodity, just like razors are to razor blades. In the near-term, expect to see the major e-Readers drop below $100. Read more...
Mainstream Traditional Publishers:

Dan Poynter: More and more established authors will abandon their New York publishers when their contracts let them. Read more...

Mark Coker: 2011 will be the first year traditional publishers feel the need to compete against the indie ebook alternative. Agents will bring new credibility to self publishing by encouraging authors to proactively bypass publishers and work directly with ebook distribution platforms. Read more...

Alex Pham: For more than a century, writers have made the fabled pilgrimage to New York, offering their stories to publishing houses and dreaming of bound editions on bookstore shelves. Publishers had the power of the purse and the press. They doled out advances to writers they deemed worthy and paid the cost of printing, binding and delivering books to bookstores. In the world of print, few authors could afford to self-publish. The Internet has changed all that, allowing writers to sell their works directly to readers, bypassing agents and publishers who once were the gatekeepers. It's difficult to gauge just how many authors are dumping their publishing houses to self-publish online, though for now, the overall share remains small. But hardly a month goes by without a well-known writer taking the leap or declaring an intention to do so. Read more...

Self-Publishing:

Mark Coker: Self Publishing goes from option of last resort to option of first resort among unpublished authors – Most unpublished authors today still aspire to achieve the perceived credibility and blessing that comes with a professional book deal. Yet the cachet of traditional publishing is fading fast. Authors with finished manuscripts will grow impatient and resentful as they wait to be discovered by big publishers otherwise preoccupied with publishing celebrity drivel. Read more...

More demand for Print on Demand (POD):

Calvin Reid, Publishers Weekly: Print on demand and short-run digital printing will continue their methodical growth in 2011, a tribute to the technology's utility to publishers looking to keep backlist titles in print or quickly replenish out-of-stock frontlist titles. Read more...

The future of authoring is multimedia:
The Daily Beast: As the capabilities of ereaders like the Kindle and Nook grow, and as tablets like the iPad set the standard for consuming electronic content, more publishers will feel the push to turn books into hybrid forms that combine audio and video. The shift will be apparent mainly in nonfiction, where biographies will begin to include video and audio recordings of their subjects, but some clever practitioners will produce killer multimedia ebooks that will begin to blur the lines between novel and videogame. Read more...

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Some of these predictions might make you mad, sad, or glad. But for writers, I hope they represent new opportunities and discoveries.