What do readers really want?
We’ve been discussing this topic over on some FB threads. The complaint (from writers) is about what readers do not seem to want, i.e., originality. Or at least, they don’t want too much originality.
This isn’t meant as a diss or a put-down. It’s something that’s endemic to many entertainment industries (and do not doubt that publishing is an entertainment industry). Publishers want a sure thing to put their money behind, and readers want a sure thing for their hard-earned cash. Totally understandable.
Readers want something similar to what they already know they like, but they don’t want a complete re-hash of an old story. They want their tropes, their memes, but they also want a new spin, or perhaps a new element. Some genres are extremely hide-bound (detective novels and rom-com movies, for example), while others are more open to “variations on a theme” (e.g., steampunk). Continue Reading »
Posted in Writing | Tagged books, creative writing, novel writing, novels, publishing, Writing, writing techniques, writing tips | 2 Comments »
A friend of mine, Barb Hendee, is half of that incredible tag-team author-pair that has brought you The Noble Dead Saga and many other novels and series.
Well, Barb has a blog, and she often posts articles of a writerly nature. While all of her articles are good, her most recent article made me choke on my coffee and laugh out loud.
For the uninitiated, it’s as easy to suppose that all published authors are fabulously wealthy as it is to assume we have total control over the publication of our books. Hardcover or softcover? Price point? Cover art?
None of these are within an author’s control, once you sign that contract. I’ve even had the title of some books changed without either my consultation or assent. Go ahead. Try to guess which ones.
Meanwhile, go check out Barb’s article on the topic.
k
Posted in Writing | Tagged author control, Barb Hendee, creative writing, ebooks, editing, novel writing, publishing, self-publishing, the noble dead saga, Writing, writing tips | 4 Comments »
My wife and I take walks around Seattle’s Green Lake. It’s one of the best parks in the city, and it’s beautiful at any time of the year. It’s a nice 3+ mile circuit, during which we’d talk about many things, quite often about my writing. My wife (my First Reader) is a great sounding-board for plot ideas, plot problems, character development ideas, etc.
When I sold my first book, our walks had a new topic: which of these lakefront houses would we buy when the money started rolling in?
It’s true. I so firmly believed in the future success of my books and my career as a writer that I was eyeing million-dollar properties. So, what the hell happened? Why didn’t Oprah’s Secret kick in? Continue Reading »
Posted in Books, Writing | Tagged amazon, books, creative writing, ebooks, Kindle, novel writing, novels, publishing, self-publishing, Writing | 1 Comment »
Benjamin Zander is a zealot, and that’s a good thing. He’s zealous about music, specifically classical music.
If you’ve read this blog or my bio, you know I spent many years (decades, really) playing classical music. It was, I thought at the time, the only thing I’d ever do. I played several instruments over the course of my career (but what I always wanted to do was direct!) and though I eventually traded in my viola bow for a St Dupont fountain pen, classical music is still a primary element in my life.
Benjamin Zander knows the power of classical music, first-hand, and has been installing that power in young musicians for nearly 50 years, and in this TED Talk from 2008, he shows us how he does it. Continue Reading »
Posted in Culture | Tagged Benjamin Zander, Chopin, classical music, shining eyes, TED talks, the power of classical music | Leave a Comment »
There are some movies that have entered the common vernacular. Say “The Maltese Falcon” and people react. Even if they haven’t seen the film, people can describe the Black Bird, probably know it’s Humphrey Bogart, likely know the main character is Sam Spade, and may even know the final line (or, technically, the penultimate line) of the movie.
Well, if you haven’t seen the film, your missing one of the true classics, a movie that stands tall, even now. While today we think it synonymous “film noir,” stacked with great names like Bogie and Huston, Lorre and Greenstreet, was at the time really quite the low-budget, almost “indie” affair. Continue Reading »
Posted in Movies | Tagged Dashiell Hammett, Humphrey Bogart, John Huston, Maltese Falcon, Mary Astor, movie reviews, Movies, Peter Lorre, Sam Spade, Sydney Greenstreet | 1 Comment »
The Pineapple Express.
That’s what we call it, and yesterday, I smelled it coming.
6AM. Dark. Walking between the streetlight pools, heading to the bus stop, the wind picked up. I lifted my head, facing the wind, facing the southwest, and I felt it on my face, felt it warm and moist like a facecloth at the barber shop. I could smell the greenery in it, the lush growth of Hawaii and the tropical waters between. This wind had seen land before, jetting from Oahu to Seattle, bringing us rain and rain and rain.
It blew all day, and today the rain is here. Four to seven inches in the elevations, bringing floodwaters to the rivers, rain to my garden, and warmth to my budding groves.
The Pineapple Express has arrived.
k
Posted in Gardening, Seattle | Tagged gardening, nature photography, photography, rain, Seattle, seattle weather | Leave a Comment »
Yesterday, over on Facebook, a friend “Liked” a post that Kevin Sorbo made (which is the only reason it came to my attention). Kevin Sorbo? Oh, yeah, that guy.
Curious, I read onward.
In the post, Mr. Sorbo complained of people who put words in his mouth, people who said he resents helping others. To his credit, Mr. Sorbo does much more than the average person—he funds an after-school program that helps thousands of at-risk kids, he speaks before Congress about expanding his program—and for it I applaud him.
Unfortunately, then he launched into a rant about high taxes and how he pays “way more” than his “fair share.” This was followed by a tirade against those in need, in which he painted welfare recipients as whining obese freeloaders who”just feel like being taken care of.”
I pick on Mr. Sorbo because his post came across my desk, but his attitude—that taxes are too high, and that everyone on a government program is a shiftless freeloader—is common on the right, and while I’ve repeatedly countered the “taxes are too high” argument here and elsewhere (they’re essentially as low as they’ve ever been) what really gets my hackles up is this demonization of people receiving government assistance. Continue Reading »
Posted in Politics | Tagged corporate welfare, demonizing welfare, economic meltdown, food stamps, government, Kevin Sorbo, politics, recession, right-wing misanthropy, TANF, tax rates, welfare recipients, welfare rolls, welfare state | 2 Comments »
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