Uncertainties of Life

Sep 11, 2012 by

Uncertainties of Life

On Sept 11, 2001, the world came to a crashing halt, and that included the book industry. Every book on an editor’s desk that was set to get published? Scrapped. Every manuscript that had an agent’s attention was shoved aside. Every book already at the presses was halted. For six months the industry came to a stand still. Contracts were cancelled, series were paused, sequels didn’t come out. There are no guarantees in the world, least of all in the book business. If you come to me with a manuscript and ask for a promise that after I’ve worked on it, it will be published by a major publisher, I show you the door. No matter how good the book is, there’s never any way to be certain. Today is the 11th anniversary of a deep tragedy,...

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Community Etiquette

Sep 7, 2012 by

Community Etiquette

I use music when I write, because it helps me tune everything else out. I work on a main street in an office with other people, so if I can’t concentrate through random cars, typing, laughs, chatter, and in many cases a very loud cat meowing incessantly because he wants to be fed now, now, NOW…I listen to music. However, that’s a bit rude, eh? I’m in a room with other people. They may actually need to speak to me. It’s been known to happen. So putting on headphones isn’t exactly the most polite thing I could do. On the other hand, I do need to get my work done. It’s how I make my living. And especially when someone’s on the phone, it’s very difficult to write around the voice. Really, though, when it comes...

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No Easy Day

Sep 4, 2012 by

No Easy Day

I’d expound on the dangers of publishing a book when, say, Langly or the Pentagon are already threatening legal action should you do so, but instead, I’m just going to link you to an excellent article at The...

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Books VS Graphic Novels

Aug 31, 2012 by

Books VS Graphic Novels

Despite wide-spread thoughts, graphic novels are not the same thing as comics. Comics are shorter, tend to be printed as magazines are, and do not usually tell a complete story in each issue. A graphic novel is, in fact, a novel, told using a comic, or “artistic” format. Basically the difference between a Saturday morning cartoon and a feature motion picture. That said, they are not written the way traditional books are. And it is very difficult to apply the principles of either media/style to the other. A graphic novel has the obvious advantage of the artwork. The art can convey the emotion, show the foreshadowing, hint at the lust or betrayal, illustrate the catastrophe and explain to the reader exactly what it is the main character is holding. None of these tools are...

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She said “It’s ok.”...

Aug 27, 2012 by

She said “It’s ok.”

I recently read a manuscript in which the author never once used the words “he said” or “she said.” She was very proud of this fact, and asked me if she’d done it right. Well, yes, she did. But it made for very difficult reading. Flat attributions are expected by the mind and the eye and while there are many ways to avoid saying that someone said something, it makes it very difficult in many situations. Also, verbose. His eyes focused on her. “I don’t understand.” She met his gaze with one of her own. “It’s very simple. Only a moron wouldn’t understand this. Are you a moron?!” A narrowed glare met her at the accusation. “When you get insulting, I start to wonder why I even speak to you.” Imagine an entire book...

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