Do people read blurbs anymore? Recently, I've seen several reviews for books that complain about things that were clearly advertised in the work.
Blurbs aren't easy to write, people. They're pretty awful, actually. Summarizing every nuance of a book, choosing between what plot points to mention and what to keep, and then writing a couple paragraphs in a way that both showcases your skill yet also ensnares readers. The market is saturated with a thousand other stories like the one you're selling, and you're expected to make yours stand out. Think that's hard? Every other author is doing the same thing.
Yeah. I hate blurbs. Most of my author buds do, too. So it's somewhat disconcerting when readers don't even bother glossing them over. Don't like menage? How about not buying a menage book. Not a fan of shifters? Maybe pay attention when the author starts discussing wolf packs. Skeeved by taboo subjects? Steer the fuck away.
These things are there for a reason, people. Are you allowed to not like a book because of a kink or theme? Of course. You're allowed to not like a book for any reason you see fit. But there's a reason I'm not rushing out to buy Fifty Shades. I have some idea what it's about, and I'm not interested.
I actually saw a review for an Ellora's Cave book complaining about the sex. As in, it was too descriptive. In an Ellora's Cave book.
If you're going to spend money on a book, you owe it to yourself to read up on what you're buying.
Showing posts with label musings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label musings. Show all posts
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Friday, October 7, 2011
Hitting a wall
I can't write when I'm stressed. This is a pattern I've noticed over the past year or so...whenever something comes up, my anxiety disorder kicks in, and even if I refrain from my typical obsessive routine, it's hard for me to focus on my writing projects when I know a larger project looms.
The past month and a half or so, I've been hit with larger projects. Toward the end of August, I received a lengthy manuscript that needed some TLC. The author has the first round of edits, and I'm not sure when to expect her to fire them back. Then the move happened within a week (and even though we're moved and unpacked and settled, I keep having nightmares about it). Now I'm waiting for my editor to send me back edits for one of my upcoming releases, which has my anxiety spiked as well.
This, too, shall pass. I know it will. September was an incredibly busy month and we're barreling toward the holiday season, so it's no wonder everything's a little wonky. I also find I've been completely exhausted the last few days. I have accomplished a little writing, and while I know exactly what I need to have happen, a boulder sits between me and the characters; to get them to do something, I have to move the boulder first. The cursor's no help, either. It just sits there mocking me.
This isn't writer's block. I think it's writer's fatigue. And though not being able to write sucks, I know from experience it won't last. Once I wake up, I'll be back with a vengeance. I just hope it's soon...I have a NanoWriMo project I want to tackle.
The past month and a half or so, I've been hit with larger projects. Toward the end of August, I received a lengthy manuscript that needed some TLC. The author has the first round of edits, and I'm not sure when to expect her to fire them back. Then the move happened within a week (and even though we're moved and unpacked and settled, I keep having nightmares about it). Now I'm waiting for my editor to send me back edits for one of my upcoming releases, which has my anxiety spiked as well.
This, too, shall pass. I know it will. September was an incredibly busy month and we're barreling toward the holiday season, so it's no wonder everything's a little wonky. I also find I've been completely exhausted the last few days. I have accomplished a little writing, and while I know exactly what I need to have happen, a boulder sits between me and the characters; to get them to do something, I have to move the boulder first. The cursor's no help, either. It just sits there mocking me.
This isn't writer's block. I think it's writer's fatigue. And though not being able to write sucks, I know from experience it won't last. Once I wake up, I'll be back with a vengeance. I just hope it's soon...I have a NanoWriMo project I want to tackle.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Irreverent v. Offensive
As I get closer to wrapping up the second book in the Sinners and Saints series, I find myself becoming more and more apprehensive about how people of certain faith might respond to some of my less conventional theology. I don’t parade it around as fact, the way Dan Brown might, but I also don’t handle the material with kiddy gloves. In all honesty, I suspect if God exists he has a sense of humor (Exhibit A), and while I don’t go out of my way to offend anyone, I am highly aware as I’m writing that some of the content might be construed as sacrilegious.
According to the dictionary, the word irreverent is synonymous with profane. Other synonyms might include rude and disrespectful. Yet its counterpart, reverent, carries with it the implication of being worshipful, of placing overt emotional or spiritual significance in an object or concept. The difference being this: in my stories, all characters are created equal. They are all imperfect, regardless of cultural relevance or consideration, and all likewise have redeeming qualities. I am interested in unorthodox theology, and many of the things I have considered in my own religious journey are included in the Sinners and Saints series…but not because I believe them, rather because I think there are questions/issues/problems that haven’t been addressed, or even truly acknowledged. I don’t write with a mind to push the envelope, rather to take themes prevalent in the world around me and include them in my work. I don’t see my Lucifer or Big J as anything but characters in a book.
To be offended by something, one must go out of one’s way to make it personal. Thankfully, I haven’t received any “you’re going to Hell!” emails as a result of the first book, but I think that might change as the series progresses. And if people choose to believe that, fine. If faith is so fragile to be threatened by a piece of fiction, what does that say for faith?
There are things I could do to intentionally make the Sinners and Saints series offensive, and those things I won’t touch. There will be none of Exhibit B or Exhibit C or even Exhibit D. Not because I think any of these things are offensive, but there is a degree of pushing things too far, and honestly, the series doesn’t call for that.
I know I’m far from the first author to touch upon theological issues in fiction, romantic fiction, or even erotic romantic fiction. This territory, however, is new to me; as the granddaughter of a Church of Christ minister and an inhabitant of the Bible Belt—not to mention a professed nonbeliever—I have to wonder what will come next, and what might possibly be deemed as too much. In the end, though, everything runs the risk of offending someone, no matter the subject matter.
I suppose the point of this post is this: I am aware that the material is sensitive to many, and while my goal is not to offend, people might become offended because of things they read into the text, not things I write. I can’t help that. I intend to be faithful to myself and true to the characters I’ve established. Beyond that, it’s out of my hands.
According to the dictionary, the word irreverent is synonymous with profane. Other synonyms might include rude and disrespectful. Yet its counterpart, reverent, carries with it the implication of being worshipful, of placing overt emotional or spiritual significance in an object or concept. The difference being this: in my stories, all characters are created equal. They are all imperfect, regardless of cultural relevance or consideration, and all likewise have redeeming qualities. I am interested in unorthodox theology, and many of the things I have considered in my own religious journey are included in the Sinners and Saints series…but not because I believe them, rather because I think there are questions/issues/problems that haven’t been addressed, or even truly acknowledged. I don’t write with a mind to push the envelope, rather to take themes prevalent in the world around me and include them in my work. I don’t see my Lucifer or Big J as anything but characters in a book.
To be offended by something, one must go out of one’s way to make it personal. Thankfully, I haven’t received any “you’re going to Hell!” emails as a result of the first book, but I think that might change as the series progresses. And if people choose to believe that, fine. If faith is so fragile to be threatened by a piece of fiction, what does that say for faith?
There are things I could do to intentionally make the Sinners and Saints series offensive, and those things I won’t touch. There will be none of Exhibit B or Exhibit C or even Exhibit D. Not because I think any of these things are offensive, but there is a degree of pushing things too far, and honestly, the series doesn’t call for that.
I know I’m far from the first author to touch upon theological issues in fiction, romantic fiction, or even erotic romantic fiction. This territory, however, is new to me; as the granddaughter of a Church of Christ minister and an inhabitant of the Bible Belt—not to mention a professed nonbeliever—I have to wonder what will come next, and what might possibly be deemed as too much. In the end, though, everything runs the risk of offending someone, no matter the subject matter.
I suppose the point of this post is this: I am aware that the material is sensitive to many, and while my goal is not to offend, people might become offended because of things they read into the text, not things I write. I can’t help that. I intend to be faithful to myself and true to the characters I’ve established. Beyond that, it’s out of my hands.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
What's in a name?
Over the last day or so, I've been toying with the idea of writing under a different name.
For starters, the story-lines wouldn't be necessarily erotic, though there'd be romance ('cause I'm a sucker romance) and sex, most likely, but nothing explicit or too graphic. Just something a little lighter and outside my immediate target audience. I suppose the only reason why a different name would be necessary is so readers won't buy something for the heat, and be disgruntled when they don't get what they expect. Likewise, one of my author buds wrote some killer-smokin' stuff under the same name she wrote her urban fantasy, and was accused of writing pornography by those readers who don't like it hot.
Then again, I've been writing explicit sex scenes so long, it might just come naturally (hahaha, pun).
So I ask you: if an author's planning on toning down the heat for a WIP, would it make it easier for readers to differentiate the stuff from The Stuff by using a different name?
Just to be clear: I wouldn't separate my material in terms of blog or website. Everything I release will be mentioned here, or somewhere you guys can find me.
For starters, the story-lines wouldn't be necessarily erotic, though there'd be romance ('cause I'm a sucker romance) and sex, most likely, but nothing explicit or too graphic. Just something a little lighter and outside my immediate target audience. I suppose the only reason why a different name would be necessary is so readers won't buy something for the heat, and be disgruntled when they don't get what they expect. Likewise, one of my author buds wrote some killer-smokin' stuff under the same name she wrote her urban fantasy, and was accused of writing pornography by those readers who don't like it hot.
Then again, I've been writing explicit sex scenes so long, it might just come naturally (hahaha, pun).
So I ask you: if an author's planning on toning down the heat for a WIP, would it make it easier for readers to differentiate the stuff from The Stuff by using a different name?
Just to be clear: I wouldn't separate my material in terms of blog or website. Everything I release will be mentioned here, or somewhere you guys can find me.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Writing for yourself
I have this WIP I've been working on for almost two years, perhaps longer. It started right around the time Firsts was accepted for publication from Loose Id and has been referenced in numerous interviews in response to the questions "What can readers expect from you?" / "What are you currently working on?"
I wrote the first 12k or so before hitting my writer's block, and I tell you, it sucked. As any author knows, writing when your creativity is tapped is like trying to milk a bull. It just ain't happening, folks. Sorry, thanks for playing, please claim your consolation prize. It's also no surprise that last year, during my writing drought, I was going through one of the longest bouts of OCD-inspired depression I'd experienced in some years. I was also at a job I loathed and in a constant state of panic about losing that job due to my OCD.
Yeah, not fun.
A lot of things changed last year at the same time. I began CBT as in an effort to battle OCD (which was amazing -- as much as I knew about OCD then, I know 10x that amount now, which makes dealing with spikes so much easier). I also manned up and quit the job I had needlessly worried over (honestly, I actually hear some of the customers I once helped stopped going there because I was gone. Suck on that, bitches), and got a job where I didn't have to stress much, if at all, over anything.
Is it any surprise I began writing again?
Funny as it is, when I began writing Lost Wages of Sin, it was less out of inspiration and more out of wanting something out there while I continued work on that other WIP. Of course, I quickly became enamored with the world (true fact -- LWoS reminded me how much FUN writing can be. I hadn't enjoyed working on anything as much as that story in a painfully long time). I never intended LWoS to spawn into a series, but spawn it did, and I'm enjoying every minute.
If you're wondering, the original WIP in question is nearing completion (though will likely exceed the word count goal) and will hopefully be out this fall.
Here's the punchline, though...I don't think my readers will like it.
I really don't.
Well, except Sarah Ballance and Nikki London, who are reading it as I write. It's dark and creepy and very sexual, and while I am damn proud of the story, it just doesn't seem like something my readers will enjoy. At least, those readers who expect comedy with my writing (according to some, I'm good at that).
So why am I writing it? Because I wanna, dammit. Because the thought entered my head and refused to leave, and those are the stories I want to tell. I doubt I'll want to see the reviews of this book (should it even be accepted anywhere), but that's okay. It's something I did for me. And hey, maybe I'm being pessimistic or whatever, but I also refuse to shutdown a project I love because bloggers might not like it. Someone out there will. If don't write what I want to write, why the heck am I doing this to begin with?
Hopefully I'm wrong. I mean, every author wants their stories to be universally adored, and I'm not exactly someone who views the glass as half-full to begin with. So, hey, stranger things have happened. I've read books much, much, much darker that sold well and were critically acclaimed. It could happen.
And if it doesn't, oh well. You live and you learn, and then you get luvs.
I wrote the first 12k or so before hitting my writer's block, and I tell you, it sucked. As any author knows, writing when your creativity is tapped is like trying to milk a bull. It just ain't happening, folks. Sorry, thanks for playing, please claim your consolation prize. It's also no surprise that last year, during my writing drought, I was going through one of the longest bouts of OCD-inspired depression I'd experienced in some years. I was also at a job I loathed and in a constant state of panic about losing that job due to my OCD.
Yeah, not fun.
A lot of things changed last year at the same time. I began CBT as in an effort to battle OCD (which was amazing -- as much as I knew about OCD then, I know 10x that amount now, which makes dealing with spikes so much easier). I also manned up and quit the job I had needlessly worried over (honestly, I actually hear some of the customers I once helped stopped going there because I was gone. Suck on that, bitches), and got a job where I didn't have to stress much, if at all, over anything.
Is it any surprise I began writing again?
Funny as it is, when I began writing Lost Wages of Sin, it was less out of inspiration and more out of wanting something out there while I continued work on that other WIP. Of course, I quickly became enamored with the world (true fact -- LWoS reminded me how much FUN writing can be. I hadn't enjoyed working on anything as much as that story in a painfully long time). I never intended LWoS to spawn into a series, but spawn it did, and I'm enjoying every minute.
If you're wondering, the original WIP in question is nearing completion (though will likely exceed the word count goal) and will hopefully be out this fall.
Here's the punchline, though...I don't think my readers will like it.
I really don't.
Well, except Sarah Ballance and Nikki London, who are reading it as I write. It's dark and creepy and very sexual, and while I am damn proud of the story, it just doesn't seem like something my readers will enjoy. At least, those readers who expect comedy with my writing (according to some, I'm good at that).
So why am I writing it? Because I wanna, dammit. Because the thought entered my head and refused to leave, and those are the stories I want to tell. I doubt I'll want to see the reviews of this book (should it even be accepted anywhere), but that's okay. It's something I did for me. And hey, maybe I'm being pessimistic or whatever, but I also refuse to shutdown a project I love because bloggers might not like it. Someone out there will. If don't write what I want to write, why the heck am I doing this to begin with?
Hopefully I'm wrong. I mean, every author wants their stories to be universally adored, and I'm not exactly someone who views the glass as half-full to begin with. So, hey, stranger things have happened. I've read books much, much, much darker that sold well and were critically acclaimed. It could happen.
And if it doesn't, oh well. You live and you learn, and then you get luvs.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Drop in!
I'm over at friend and fellow author Tara Lain's blog today. Drop in and say hello!
The winter months can be difficult insofar as maintaining a consistent writing schedule; my own has been all over the place this week. I'm now toying with dropping one of my WIPs into the "stalled" bin. My muse, fickle as ever, seems to want to focus on two projects now rather than three. It might be more manageable, so I'm not going to argue.
I'll see you all again after the holidays. Have an awesome weekend!
The winter months can be difficult insofar as maintaining a consistent writing schedule; my own has been all over the place this week. I'm now toying with dropping one of my WIPs into the "stalled" bin. My muse, fickle as ever, seems to want to focus on two projects now rather than three. It might be more manageable, so I'm not going to argue.
I'll see you all again after the holidays. Have an awesome weekend!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Halloween Giveaway
I'm giving away a copy of Ripples Through Time and Possession in my good friend J.A. Saare's Halloween contest. Check out her blog and author's group for details.
I'm thinking about opening a Yahoo! Author's Group. I don't know if I have enough people who would actually join, but hey...I suppose I could post excerpts and details and whatnot pertaining to my new WIPs.
What say you? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?
I'm thinking about opening a Yahoo! Author's Group. I don't know if I have enough people who would actually join, but hey...I suppose I could post excerpts and details and whatnot pertaining to my new WIPs.
What say you? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?
Friday, August 20, 2010
Writing status
I’ve completed two interviews in the past week and both have asked what I’m currently working on. It's a good question, but one I'm never really sure of how to answer. All the interviews I've given over the last few months have mentioned, in some way or another, the paranormal WIP I've been working on since February. It's been a struggle; I had a listless female protagonist, who was listless for a reason, granted, but she provided absolutely no drive or reason for me to come back…therefore I found myself apathetic, road-blocked, and incredibly frustrated. It wasn't until I participated in an author chat for one of my publishing houses that I decided the story was worth more than my original version of my protagonist and if it was to survive, I needed to man up and do some serious revising. Over the past month or so, I've completely rewritten the beginning of the book, adding in a prologue from my hero's POV and a new chapter featuring his first encounter with the heroine. It flows much better now, and it gave my character a voice whereas before she lacked depth.
I’m encouraged because I do truly care about this project and I’m not going to let the shaky beginning deter me from my goal. However, I’ve recently found myself bombarded with ideas for lighter stories that won’t take nearly as long to get out. Writing can be two things for me, and hardly ever at the same time: easy-peasy or “all work and no play.” Lately, it’s been the later. If I’m deeply invested in a project, I’ll obsess over it. After all, people with OCD are known for obsessing, and since I already obsess over everything under the sun, I have a tendency to stumble over sentences and self-edit as I write, which is something I know, I know, I know I shouldn’t do, but I find myself doing it anyway. No matter how many times I tell myself to worry about edits later, my brain doesn’t want to function that way, and since I care about this project, I don’t want my own neuroses to interfere with its progression. That’s where I believe lighter projects might help its progression. If I can get my mind out of the place where everything has to be “just so” and on a lighter, fluffier note, the blood might blow a bit easier, and I’ll have a real chance at tackling the story I really, really want to tell.
Anyone else out there have this problem? Please? Bueller? Bueller?
In other news, one of my interviews will go live soon. I’m thinking about doing a giveaway for those who comment on the blog it’ll appear on. Any takers? I’ll even take suggestions on what book to giveaway.
I’m encouraged because I do truly care about this project and I’m not going to let the shaky beginning deter me from my goal. However, I’ve recently found myself bombarded with ideas for lighter stories that won’t take nearly as long to get out. Writing can be two things for me, and hardly ever at the same time: easy-peasy or “all work and no play.” Lately, it’s been the later. If I’m deeply invested in a project, I’ll obsess over it. After all, people with OCD are known for obsessing, and since I already obsess over everything under the sun, I have a tendency to stumble over sentences and self-edit as I write, which is something I know, I know, I know I shouldn’t do, but I find myself doing it anyway. No matter how many times I tell myself to worry about edits later, my brain doesn’t want to function that way, and since I care about this project, I don’t want my own neuroses to interfere with its progression. That’s where I believe lighter projects might help its progression. If I can get my mind out of the place where everything has to be “just so” and on a lighter, fluffier note, the blood might blow a bit easier, and I’ll have a real chance at tackling the story I really, really want to tell.
Anyone else out there have this problem? Please? Bueller? Bueller?
In other news, one of my interviews will go live soon. I’m thinking about doing a giveaway for those who comment on the blog it’ll appear on. Any takers? I’ll even take suggestions on what book to giveaway.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)