Goodreads | Jessica Wilsons review of Hard Times.
Even though Charles Dickens makes for heavy reading it is also thought provoking.
Posted in Literary works, Reading | Tagged Charles Dickens, classic reads, literature | 1 Comment »
Agent Monday: Starting your Pitch « Marie Lamba, author.
I wish I had known this earlier about queries. So many books tell writers to make the pitch at the beginning and then of course the second paragraph is the plot. Why, oh why, is there so many different ways to write a query letter? I think the most interesting thing is that we keep in mind that every agent or publisher wants to read things differently. Some want to hear the genre first or they want to know why you are contacting them. Just keep writing and stay as close as you can to the guidelines.
Posted in Writing | Tagged genre, pitch, queries, writing | Leave a Comment »
What Do You Think About Authors Paying for Positive Reviews? | Nathan Bransford, Author.
I really think that every author should read this. It goes against everything I believe but this is the way society is headed. I don’t think an author should pay for a review. They should earn it the hard way. Who would trust a review that is paid for?
Posted in Editing, Writing | Tagged author, publishing, reviews | Leave a Comment »
Goodreads | Jessica Wilson’s review of The Horn of Moran.
A Moral to the Story.
I would have given this book five stars but again I had a problem with the main character Alex. He talks way too good for his age. Unless I misunderstand the time era Alex is from, he defintely doesn’t talk like someone from this era. I love everything in this book. The trials they have to overcome, the inner turmoil, and pride are such key parts in this novel. Most writers don’t even touch on these standards. I am glad Forman writes about a character so unlike what we see today. Where did manners, courtesy, and kindness to each other even go? I hope a lot more youth read this book and see that honor is worth more than gold.
Posted in Literary works, Reading | Tagged children's books, Goodreads, kindness, Morals, novels | Leave a Comment »
Have you ever felt that what you are trying to achieve is impossible? Well you are not alone. I was recently listening to an author who gave his bio and it was very depressing. He was first self-published and then after years of trying he finally landed an agent. Which of course led him to becoming traditionally published. Not everyone is that lucky though.
I read an article by Writers Digest called “Why Am I Getting Rejected?” and it made some interesting points. One question said, “How many rejections slips do you consider the cutoff point- where I should give up completely?” I don’t know how many times I have asked this same question to friends and family members. Here was the answer given in the article:
If you put a lot of time and effort into a project, don’t abandon it too quickly. Look at the rejection slips as bits of advice for improvement, or as patters of criticism. Rejections, if used properly, can be a lesson to improve your writing.
If you’ve been sending the same magazine query (or book) around for many months, your idea may have grown stale for you to keep circulating it. If you’ve been attempting to sell a book manuscript, and have had some near misses, then your timing or your luck may be off; some books circulate for many years before finding the right agent or editor. As long as you feel passionate about the work, you shouldn’t give up on it – even if it means returning to the manuscript a few years down the road. Some ideas and manuscripts have to be set aside because the market isn’t ready for them.
When I feel down and out about my pile of rejection notes I turn to authors who know my pain. I love reading Nathan Bransford blogs and here is one of my favorites:
http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2009/03/ten-commandments-for-happy-writer.html
Of course he has many more insights on how to format your manuscript, write a query, edit your novel and so on. There are many great blogs out there and lots of good advice. Just go sample the variety of flavors and stick with a favorite.
The one thing I just have to keep reminding myself is to write, write and write. 
Posted in Writing | Tagged advice, blog, manuscripts, novels, reading, writing | 3 Comments »
When I read out-loud words tend to take on a different meaning. Have you ever noticed that characters in a book will become more enthusiastic or have more feeling? My children even like to hear a goofy accent. My point is that when you volunteer to read to a group of kids at a library or a school to make it fun. Make it enjoyable. Too many times I have heard adults read a book to children and pretty much put them to sleep. Not too many children want to hear a story that is boring. Every story (at least in theory) should be fun. It should be read with feeling. Go volunteer at a school, library or bookstore and read, read, read!
Posted in Reading | Tagged children's books, enjoyable, reading | Leave a Comment »
The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this read so much that I could hardly put it down near the end. The beginning had me yawning but near the middle it became more interesting. I was glad to see that Vlad wasn’t as bad as you think. There were great characters in this book and I can’t wait to read the next one.
Posted in Reading | Tagged great reads, Rick Riordan | Leave a Comment »
With all the “Big Brother” censorship laws being passed, I begin to feel like protesting. Now I read in Publishers Weekly that people want censorship for one of America’s classics. Here is the link:
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is being censored for using the “n” word. The article gives good reason why they want to censor the novel. But how much should we change a book to conform to our standards today. The book took place during a time era when race was a big issue. The characters had to deal with slavery. There were all kinds of derogatory words used back in the 1800’s. Should we censor classics so that feelings will not get hurt today? Will the reader still be able to grasp the underlining racial issues?
Sadly I have to say, as an artist, I do not agree with censorship. There is a thing as too much of a good thing is bad. With schools pulling books off the shelves because it has racist words in it and the government censoring the internet I wasn’t too surprised by the next piece of news I heard. A school was trying to decide on a mascot and several kids liked “cougars” but the school board wouldn’t go for it because the word had a dual meaning. So even now the word “cougar” can not be used in schools because it could mean the female teachers are “cougars” to the younger students. How stupid is that?
Posted in Literary works, Reading | Tagged censor, censorship, freedom of speech, laws, rights, words | 8 Comments »
I was recently reading “Style – The Basics of Clarity and Grace” by Joseph M. Williams for an English class. The author states using the word “he” as a generic pronoun could become a problem of biased language. “Common sense demands that we not gratuitously offend reader, but if we reject he as a generic pronoun because it’s biased and they because some readers consider it ungrammatical, we are left with several bad choices. We can try a first person we. Some writers use one. For years to come, we’ll have a problem with singular generic pronouns, and to some readers, any solution will be awkward. I suspect that eventually we will accept the plural they as a correct singular.” (p. 24- 25 – Style by Joseph M. Williams)
I don’t know how many times I have seen children’s magazines for parents with articles that use both he and she to describe a toddlers growth and so forth. I just accept it because they are trying to write an article that encompasses both genders without using a they. I have had instructors tell me to be more specific when I use a generic pronoun and it seems to help the story line. Replacing a they with a different description helps too. I don’t know if I agree totally with Williams about pronouns being biased. I don’t get offended when I read articles that just use he.
So I guess the lesson here is seeing what works for you and your audience.
Posted in Literary works | Tagged grammar, pronouns, writing | Leave a Comment »
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