Category Archives: The Writing Biz

That’s Not an Idea! None of Those Are Ideas!

twilight-fiftyshadesSomewhat against my will, I’ve been following recent developments in the Twilight saga.  I vaguely recall the big hoofara when someone leaked part of “Midnight Sun”, a retelling of Twilight from a different character’s POV, a while back.  I can certainly understand Stephanie Meyer being ticked about having a messy first draft released.  I can also understand her being mildly irritated at someone’s poorly-written fanfic based on her story turning into a massive bestseller.  But apparently now no one’s going to get a properly-edited POV-character shift of Twilight because there’s going to be a POV-switched “50 Shades of Grey”.  Instead, fans will have to make do with a different rewriting of Twilight with genders swapped.

But here’s the thing.  None of these things – rewriting a book with a different POV character, or swapping genders, are ideas, exactly, are they?  I mean, yeah, in the broadest sense they are, but they mostly sound like writing exercises.  I’ve rewritten parts of books in different POVs just so I have a better idea what’s going on, but I never thought of saving that stuff to publish later.  So it seems peculiar to get all wrapped ’round the axle about someone “stealing” something that isn’t much of an idea to begin with.  And I can’t help but feel that everyone would be better off finding some other book to write, like my idea about S&M vampires in the old west.  None of you are allowed to use that, by the way.

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Reviews

The.Encounter-wash-680x1024A nice review of my story (and others) in the latest Kaleidotrope at Eric Landreneau’s site.

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Another Book, Again!

I’ve been remiss in posting lately, which is particularly troubling because I missed talking about this new book from Carrie Patel back when I could lord my insider status in the writing biz as someone who had already read it, like I did with her last book.

CitiesThrones-144dpi

 

Of course, by now, ya’ll have probably already read it.  If not, what are you waiting for?

 

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Revisions

I was recently directed to a certain author’s blog, who, possibly jumping off from Heinlein’s third rule of writing, tells aspiring writers never to revise their work (or possibly even re-read anything they’ve written).  Rather, he says just keep cranking out the prose and sending it out and/or publishing it, then moving on to the next thing.

Personally, the very idea of doing that horrifies me, since when I look at some of the old stuff I’ve written I can only be grateful no one else had a chance to see it until I had a chance to make it better, and figure out how I actually want the plot to function.  But I understand that every writer is different, and no doubt many are slow, careful types who get things down pretty much the way they like the first time.  But I can’t help but wonder if functioning this way might result in some books like the one in the old Bob and Ray skit:

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Thrilling, But Not Blood-Curdling

outlineIt is my sad lot to be a pantser.  I bear up under it, mostly, but I do sometimes wish I was an outliner.  Those anal-retentive buggers seem to have things easier in a lot of ways (nano notwithstanding).

But my recent discovery of these outlines from the Stratemeyer syndicate have been a revelation.  All I need is an Edward Stratemeyer of my own, to provide me with sizzling outlines that I can fill out into bestselling novels.  Preferably ones like those of the proposed “X-bar-X Boys series” that are thrilling, but not blood-curdling.  I’d also like to be published in hard cover like the Hardy Boys books, so as to appear respectable to parents.  Important consideration, that.

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Another Book!

TheBuriedLife-300dpiAnother day, another fine book close to my heart arrives at the old homestead (I would have taken a nice photo of the physical book as proof, but my camera has gotten all fancy-pants and insists on batteries that aren’t “mostly dead”).  As I mentioned before, I’ve already read the book thanks to my industry insider status.  Technically, it was beta reading, though it was more of a learning experience for me than anything.  You can read more at Carrie’s blog, including other blogs where the book will be chatted about: your Scalzis, your Wendigs, your Robinette Kowals, etc.

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Crabby Post of the Day

Look, I realize that celebrities are going to publish books.  And I realize that they’ll occasionally end up being interviewed about them–just because they’re celebrities doesn’t mean they don’t care about sales, and I don’t begrudge them going for a bit of publicity.  But can interviewers please stop asking them about the publishing process?  And if they are asked about finding agents or the editing process or how many books earn out advances and what that means or whatever, can the authors in question please just admit they don’t know, and don’t need to?

If you’re a movie star who decided to sit down and write a children’s book and got it published in 3 months, you probably don’t have any advice that would be all that useful to the rest of us, is all I’m saying.

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Get Me, Being Like Scalzi

Granted, I recently pointed out when Scalzi was wrong about everything, but it is nice to be able to imitate his “New Books and ARCs” feature with all the books that have arrived at my house:

Junior Inquisitor

I should also point out that the top book on Scalzi’s pile, there?  I haven’t technically got my grubby hands on that ARC, but I’ve read it also, since I’m like an industry insider and all, and you should too.  You know, later – when the hoi polloi gets its chance.

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Author Photos

Personally, I plan to go for the “Author with dog” genre of author photo, as exemplified by these guys here
author_dog_tweak

(though this dog is frankly not properly into the “noble hound” look, and there is a shocking lack of tweed with leather elbow patches).  But it seems that the trend is away from pipes and toward cigarettes, at least for Very Serious male writers, as shown here by Szilvia Molnar.

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This Is How You Dominate The Industry, People

laces2I just got an email telling me that Amazon is sending me a pair of shoelaces by FedEx.  I didn’t pay to have shoelaces rushed to a turboprop plane waiting on a runway in the dead of night, and I don’t feel any particular urgency about getting these laces because I figure the knot in the old pair will hold for a while, but by Jove they’re sparing no expense.

The only problem is that while I understand that sending shoelaces winging around the country at great expense is part of the grand plan that will eventually allow Amazon to dominate retail sales (1. Pay shippers about $6 to mail things that cost less than $5 and aren’t needed soon 2. ??? 3. Profit!), I just … really don’t want to be someone who gets shoelaces by FedEx.  I hope the shipping label isn’t obvious, because I don’t know if I can look the driver in the eye if he knows what he’s handing me.

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