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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Streaming Movies on an E-Reader...

Aug 20, 2012 by

Streaming Movies on an E-Reader

Not a new concept, but not really what we really intended those little tablets to do, right? And yet more and more people want, if not expect, their e-readers to do more than just display books. This was posted last...

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Thinking NEXT to the Box: Business books...

Aug 13, 2012 by

Thinking NEXT to the Box: Business books

Thinking inside the box is not something most people verbally advocate, but in actual fact, it’s required in many situations. Or at least, preferred. How many times have you been behind someone at a Starbucks who took an hour and a half to order? They’re thinking outside the box, and you’re muttering under your breath to “just get a frap and get out of my way, I’m late!” But of course, when writing a book, you’re supposed to think outside the box. Except, of course, on those occasions when you’re not. See, for a business book, it’s a bit of each. You want to convey the information in an easy-to-follow format. So think inside the box. But you want it written and communicated in such a way that it stands out from the multitude of...

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