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Archive for the ‘Writing’ Category

The Yellow Brick Road

Posted in Fallen Cloud Saga, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 06 Sep 2012| 2 Comments »

The goal of almost every writer is to be published by a big publishing firm. These big publishing houses pretty much had a lock on the whole shebang until about 20 years ago, when small and on-demand presses started popping up. Then, when e-publishing started to take off, authors had even more options open to them.

But, for most of us, the Yellow Brick Road still leads to Oz, and all those other venues are just waypoints for which we must “settle” if we can’t get all the way to the Big Publishing House.

I’ve hit pretty much every stop on the Yellow Brick Road. Under normal circumstances, I’d be taking my new novel down as far down that road as possible, but FC:V is a bit of an edge case. (more…)

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On, You Huskies!

Posted in Fallen Cloud Saga, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 05 Sep 2012| Leave a Comment »

First Reader has come back with comments on Beneath a Wounded Sky (FC:V).

Overall, response was very good. Really good. “I miss them already,” was the comment after the last page.

But, there was room for improvement. Here’s the sort of thing First Reader found:

  • The first major action sequence, written back when I was approaching getting back into a groove, was unclear. I know that I didn’t follow my own advice on writing action sequences, so this is not a surprise.
  • Sequences that referred back to one of the previous books needed more detail. This is because I had re-read FC:I-IV before re-starting my work, but First Reader (intentionally) did not. Since most readers won’t re-read the first four, this was very good feedback.
  • A few of the more complicated sections were unclear as to motivation; why did so-n-so do thus-n-such? Again, great feedback because to be honest, I hadn’t thought it out. I’d cheated, and tap-danced my way through a section to get to a good part. Bad writer! No biscuit! I’d written some action without considering the “why,” and it showed.
  • The denouement seemed rushed. This is a common response, and one I always suspect I’m going to get. With the finish line in sight, I will dash ahead and finish the book, wanting to (a) get it done, and (b) get it to First Reader. It’s nothing tragic; it just needs a little more attention.
  • Throughout the entire novel, only four typos. A record for me.

Now, all the changes have been considered and fixed. The new version is off to a select group of Second Readers. I expect to hear back from them in a couple of weeks.

Meanwhile, I get to think about what to do next? Agent/Publisher (which could take—literally—years)? Self-publication (which would reap little, monetarily)?

k

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The Art of the Fugue

Posted in Fallen Cloud Saga, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , on 04 Sep 2012| Leave a Comment »

A Sixty-Fourth NoteA canon is a piece of contrapuntal music where first one voice performs a melody, and other voices perform the same melody, entering at specific intervals. “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” is a well-known canon.

A fugue is similar, with one voice performing a melody, but when other voices join, the melody is “developed.” It may start on a different note, be inverted, reversed, ornamented, etc.

In writing, I want to emulate the fugue, not the canon.

(more…)

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Scammin’ and Slammin’

Posted in Culture, Hi Tech, Writing, tagged , , on 04 Sep 2012| 1 Comment »

UK’s The Telegraph reports today that RJ Ellory, noted writer of crime fiction, has been outed as the author of pseudonymously posted raves of his own work—and likewise posted pans of his competitors’ books.

I will admit that I have posted a “review” on my own works on Amazon, but (1) it was done under my own name, and (2) it wasn’t an actual review, but a more in-depth blurb and a note to readers. The idea of heaping glory on my own work under a fake name just reeks of desperation, and the idea of trashing other writers in my genre? Oy. What was he thinking?

RJ Ellory has since apologized for his “lapse of judgement” but I say, this is no lapse. This was a self-justified, long-term pattern of bad behavior born of some overweening belief that he is just “too cool for school” and that the rules of fairness just don’t apply to Himself. For someone who gets the kind of notice, press, and accolades RJ Ellory already enjoys, this sort of petty, schoolyard tactic is nigh on unbelievable.

But, it is just another example of how standards have been reduced and misbehavior is only regretted once one is caught out red-handed. I expect this will not hurt Mr. Ellory in the long run—his sales will not markedly drop nor will his next contract be in jeopardy—but I hope it stings like hell for a while.

k

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Back To You, Brian

Posted in Fallen Cloud Saga, Writing, tagged , , , , , , on 01 Sep 2012| 2 Comments »

Beneath a Wounded Sky is now in the hands of First Reader.

First Reader is and always has been my best sounding board for what I call “macro” edits. First Reader is a constant reader of a broad spectrum of works, from fiction to non-fiction, classics to contemporary. First Reader is smart, intuitive, and unafraid to tell me when something pretty basic just plain doesn’t work. First Reader also, because of the aforementioned reading habits, is able to tell me when the Big Things need work, can tell me when I’ve done something someone else has already done, and can comment knowledgeably on the allusions I might draw, be it to Classical Greek or Modern Geek. (more…)

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Trimming the Fat

Posted in Fallen Cloud Saga, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , on 31 Aug 2012| 4 Comments »

I thought I’d share some of the things I’m finding in this edit.

I can definitely tell which chapters came out of my pen wholly formed and which I struggled with. I think most writers find this; some chapters are the lynchpins that keep the wheels of my story from falling off the axle. Other chapters are less clear; perhaps they’re transitional or just utility chapters, that I’ve sketched in my mind, but don’t know the details ahead of time. And then there are the places where I assumed I’d be doing “X” in Chapter 20, but ended up doing “Y” when I got there, so now I have to go back and fix the earlier reference.

Other things I have been stumbling across: (more…)

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Liebster Award

Posted in Culture, Writing, tagged , , , on 30 Aug 2012| 6 Comments »

Obey the Kitty!Yesterday, Paige Nolley nominated this blog for a Liebster Award (Thanks, Paige!) The award is really sort of a vox populi way of shining a light on newer blogs (those with followers < 200), which means I most certainly qualify.

The procedure for award nominees is:

  1. Thank and link back to the giver.
  2. Answer the giver’s questions.
  3. ‘Nominate’ five other blogs with fewer than 200 followers.
  4. Ask five questions for one’s nominees to answer.
  5. Post it all on one’s blog!

(more…)

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