Today's post needs to be short and sweet so here are some of my favorite links:
Absolute Write Forums This is a wonderful community for writers at any level and with all different kinds of goals. For those who are looking at professional publishing though I will recommend their Bewares, Recommendations and Background check forum.
Writer Beware This is one of my very favorite blogs. What can I say, I like watching them dismantle scams. If you are thinking about publishing at all, self-publishing, small press or with a major house, read through this blog. They can help you avoid throwing away your money, your time, and your rights.
Pat Rothfuss's blog I love everything that Pat writes. His writing advice on the blog is sporadic but what is there cuts to the heart of crafting stories.
Pub Rants This is agent Kristin Nelson's blog. I particularly recommend her Agenting 101 series for a great look at contracts and what sort of language should be in there.
Miss Snark This blog is closed however if you read through the archives their is a wealth of information both in how to land an agent and how to craft a compelling query letter/pitch.
I'll be back on Monday with more bloggery goodness.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Can you see the theme....
I've been on a roll recently, going through the back episodes of Writing Excuses and applying their advice to my latest outline.This episode is one of my new favorites:http://www.writingexcuses.com/2011/10/02/writing-excuses-6-18-hollywood-formula/
If you are seeing the word formula and rolling your eyes, hold on to your skepticism.It is not quite as exacting as a2 + b2 = c2 but the case it makes for character roles and pacing are very good. You can break the formula, (and they list a few successful things that do) but knowing it can help tighten your story a lot.
One of the main points I took out of this was dissecting my characters role in the story.In the piece I am working on now I have set up about five major characters.My protagonist is easy to identify, I am telling the story in a limited third person through her eyes.My antagonist is not my villain, it is one of the character who is closest to the protagonist and a generally good person.My relationship character is someone who will probably be identified as a villain. My villains, while they are driving the plot, are not important to the underlying story I am telling.
An example of the three character dynamics in Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold the protagonist is Cordelia Naismith.The book is about her actions and written from her view.The Antagonist is the main male lead, Aral Vorkosigan and *spoiler* her eventual husband.The plot is about a coup and a war but the story is about loving someone so completely that you make a sacrifice for the relationship and the way that love changes us.The relationship character is harder to identify.This was originally written as two books. Bothari the tortured batman of Aral's is the relationship character of the first book but I feel that the second half, where the love theme changes from romantic love to maternal love, that Princess Kareen shows the theme of the story.
If you are seeing the word formula and rolling your eyes, hold on to your skepticism.It is not quite as exacting as a2 + b2 = c2 but the case it makes for character roles and pacing are very good. You can break the formula, (and they list a few successful things that do) but knowing it can help tighten your story a lot.
One of the main points I took out of this was dissecting my characters role in the story.In the piece I am working on now I have set up about five major characters.My protagonist is easy to identify, I am telling the story in a limited third person through her eyes.My antagonist is not my villain, it is one of the character who is closest to the protagonist and a generally good person.My relationship character is someone who will probably be identified as a villain. My villains, while they are driving the plot, are not important to the underlying story I am telling.
An example of the three character dynamics in Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold the protagonist is Cordelia Naismith.The book is about her actions and written from her view.The Antagonist is the main male lead, Aral Vorkosigan and *spoiler* her eventual husband.The plot is about a coup and a war but the story is about loving someone so completely that you make a sacrifice for the relationship and the way that love changes us.The relationship character is harder to identify.This was originally written as two books. Bothari the tortured batman of Aral's is the relationship character of the first book but I feel that the second half, where the love theme changes from romantic love to maternal love, that Princess Kareen shows the theme of the story.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Foils in story
I'll repeat my plug from yesterday, Writing Excuses. They have a wonderful episode in the sixth season about character foils. Go, listen, I'll wait.
http://www.writingexcuses.com/2011/12/18/writing-excuses-6-29-character-foils/
In my writing I like my foils for my romantic characters. I particularly love the scholarly character paired with the more street smart. Patrica Wrede's Kim and Mairelon and Tamora Pierce's George and Alanna are great examples.
http://www.writingexcuses.com/2011/12/18/writing-excuses-6-29-character-foils/
In my writing I like my foils for my romantic characters. I particularly love the scholarly character paired with the more street smart. Patrica Wrede's Kim and Mairelon and Tamora Pierce's George and Alanna are great examples.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
I think I'm back....
A few years ago, just before this blog went quiet, something happened and it's taken a while for me to find some equilibrium. Pregnancy and the lovely ball of chaos that is my son didn't help the adjustment. Babies are little energy vampires that only increase once they reach toddler-hood. Very adorable entrancing energy vampires that occasionally sparkle (because Mommy forgot to put the glitter on a high enough shelf and six months later we are still washing it out of his hair).
And that's about all the navel gazing I want to deal with. The end result is that the things I love that haven't been in my life are coming back in. Blogging is one of them.
I'll leave you with a wonderful link to Writing Excuses. It is a fifteen minute podcast that produces a new episode each week about writing. I am a fan.
And that's about all the navel gazing I want to deal with. The end result is that the things I love that haven't been in my life are coming back in. Blogging is one of them.
I'll leave you with a wonderful link to Writing Excuses. It is a fifteen minute podcast that produces a new episode each week about writing. I am a fan.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
At long last content is coming.....
To tide you over until I make it through this weekend (which involves me cleaning my house before my in-laws visit, cooking for 20 people and finishing a sewing commission) I leave you with gratuitous baby pictures.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Still not writing related....
However phase one of the hiatusing process has been completed and on 10-27 I had my little boy.
We are home and healthy and resting now. Hopefully this means the blog content will resume soonish, but I wouldn't look for it before the new year. In the meantime good luck to the Nanowrimo's out there and we'll see you flip side.
We are home and healthy and resting now. Hopefully this means the blog content will resume soonish, but I wouldn't look for it before the new year. In the meantime good luck to the Nanowrimo's out there and we'll see you flip side.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Breaking my hiatus again....
We are still waiting for the new arrival over here but until he decides to make his appearance I wanted to boost the signal on a couple of scams and scandals that have come to light recently.
First via Writer Beware (this is one blog you absolutely should be following) comes the very odd story of "Iron" Dave Boyer. Dave ran an unusual scam, he masqueraded as an editor of various publications then cherry picked stories from his slush pile and submitted them to other publications. Sometimes with out changing the name of the story. This is a rare practice, most fake editors and agents don't bother to read your work, they are just interested in scamming money from you. According to Writer Beware's team there are legal actions being pursued against him currently. Dave seems to work primarily in horror, so if you think you may have submitted to him a google search of your stories might be worth the time, and please contact Writer Beware.
The scandal bit concerns Dorchester Publishing. Previously Dorchester decided to exclusively move to an E-book only model due to financial issues. As a press there have been numerous complaints of non payment of royalties to their authors. As a result of this the rights of some of Dorchester's books have been reverting back to their authors. Dorchester has not stopped selling the authors' books that they no longer hold the rights to (and which the author is not receiving any roayties for). Yesterday they were called out publicly over this issue and the author who went public with this, Jana Deleon received an answer at last assuring that the books will be taken down after this broke however she is not the only author in this situation. If you are considering purchasing a Dorchester book I would recommend checking in with the author or borrowing it from the library until the rights issues can be resolved.
Back to waiting for the new arrival.
First via Writer Beware (this is one blog you absolutely should be following) comes the very odd story of "Iron" Dave Boyer. Dave ran an unusual scam, he masqueraded as an editor of various publications then cherry picked stories from his slush pile and submitted them to other publications. Sometimes with out changing the name of the story. This is a rare practice, most fake editors and agents don't bother to read your work, they are just interested in scamming money from you. According to Writer Beware's team there are legal actions being pursued against him currently. Dave seems to work primarily in horror, so if you think you may have submitted to him a google search of your stories might be worth the time, and please contact Writer Beware.
The scandal bit concerns Dorchester Publishing. Previously Dorchester decided to exclusively move to an E-book only model due to financial issues. As a press there have been numerous complaints of non payment of royalties to their authors. As a result of this the rights of some of Dorchester's books have been reverting back to their authors. Dorchester has not stopped selling the authors' books that they no longer hold the rights to (and which the author is not receiving any roayties for). Yesterday they were called out publicly over this issue and the author who went public with this, Jana Deleon received an answer at last assuring that the books will be taken down after this broke however she is not the only author in this situation. If you are considering purchasing a Dorchester book I would recommend checking in with the author or borrowing it from the library until the rights issues can be resolved.
Back to waiting for the new arrival.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
Still Hiatusing however....
I am going to be on several panels at Marcon in Columbus, OH over memorial day weekend. Most of them concern my other crazy hobbies but On Sunday at 10 am I will be part of the Writer Beware panel.
If anyone has ever spoken to me about the publishing industry and some of the scams that surround it (agent fees, vanity presses, marketing scams, etc) you know how passionate I am that authors understand how it works. Besides the obvious places, Writer Beware and Preditors and Editors, and a run through of the differences between self publishing and vanity publishing is there any other subjects or scams that people would like to hear about?
If you are in the area drop by, I'll be around most of the weekend. Now back to hiatusing.
If anyone has ever spoken to me about the publishing industry and some of the scams that surround it (agent fees, vanity presses, marketing scams, etc) you know how passionate I am that authors understand how it works. Besides the obvious places, Writer Beware and Preditors and Editors, and a run through of the differences between self publishing and vanity publishing is there any other subjects or scams that people would like to hear about?
If you are in the area drop by, I'll be around most of the weekend. Now back to hiatusing.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Hiatus
As you might have noticed I've been absent lately. There are a lot of reasons but I'm only going to share the happiest here.
Yes.... that is a baby pic. I'm somewhere between 8 and ten weeks pregnant.... leaning toward the 10 weeks right now. He/She is just over an inch long and has a very normally beating heart. The other half is endearingly overprotective (this is our first) and overjoyed.
Things will probably still be quiet here but when I am able to come back I will.
Yes.... that is a baby pic. I'm somewhere between 8 and ten weeks pregnant.... leaning toward the 10 weeks right now. He/She is just over an inch long and has a very normally beating heart. The other half is endearingly overprotective (this is our first) and overjoyed. Things will probably still be quiet here but when I am able to come back I will.
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