H.N. Wake's Blog, page 3

The Power of Reader Reviews

As a writer, you realize pretty quickly that not everyone is going to like your stories or your prose.  And when I say quickly, I mean in a nanosecond.  I have plenty of friends that responded to my debut, “Yeah, I’m not into thrillers.  I don’t read spy stuff.”  Fair.  I don’t venture much into Sci Fi or Fantasy, so who am I to judge?

So you learn to pay attention to your tribe.  As a new writer, you pay almost ALL your attention to FINDING your tribe.

In the few short weeks that the novel has been out, I’d say about 75% have commented on the gun rights issue in their reviews of A Spy Came Home.  This affirms that I’m on to a hot button issue that should be more fully explored in fiction – on both sides. (NRA, that’s called a double dog dare.)

But this week a new review literally inspired me.  First, the reader added an editorial about gun rights, with which I whole heartedly agree.  Second, he understood the novel’s intent when he wrote that the ‘only way this story could have been better is if it was based on real events.’  Can I get a WHOOP WHOOP?  From your mouth via Amazon to fate’s ears, my friend.

Finally – perhaps unknowingly, perhaps fully intentionally –  he buttressed my still tender, new writer’s bravado by suggesting that the protagonist’s “flaws make her interesting and human.”  Oh how many hours do writers spend trying to make their characters interesting and human?

I.  Appreciate.  Every.  Single.  Reader.

Maybe someday I’ll get old and jaded and not care about the audience.

But until then, reader reviews have powerful sway over my confidence.  And that’s just the way it should be.  Because why else do we write?

Great News: Feminist Movements Lower Violence

There’s a very solid Op Ed in the NY Times today titled To Stop Violence, Start at Home that gives me a nice hit of hope today, despite the horrible winter weather outside.

Two big take aways for me:

1.  Domestic violence is a huge indicator (that’s my non-science speak) for larger scale violence later in life, including mass shootings.

2.  Citing a 2012 study, the authors argue that “the mobilization of strong, independent feminist movements was a more important force in reducing violence” than any number of alternatives.  And they’re talking globally.

I know something about political and social science studies: this seems like a compelling finding.  More importantly, I know this *feels* right.

Domestic violence is about impotence and rage being turned on the vulnerable and less powerful.  Feminism is about empowering the vulnerable and changing power dynamics.  What this study says is we can address the first through the second.  That’s a blueprint, my peeps.  And that’s great news.

Internet Trolls: Personality Substitution

I follow quite a few writers forums.  Internet trolls and, in particular, the vitriolic negativity they bring to the internet are common topics.

Nora Roberts, a hugely successful romance writer, just posted a very interesting blog about her reaction to some trolls posting on her Facebook.  The blog title is Bite Me, which pretty much says it all.  She comes out strong, saying, “…those who insist on coming into my spaces with their negativity are going to be called out for it.”  Sounds like she has finally had enough.

I’ve thought long and hard about how to deal with trolls, as you can imagine, given my subject area this year.

I’ve come to a few conclusions.

1.  I applaud and support people who add content to the public space that is the internet.  Key word being ADD.  Without creativity or art in all their many wonderful forms, the world would be unpalatable.

2.  I will defend freedom of expression.  Period.  No matter how complex the debate may become.  It’s one of the fundamental building blocks of democracy.

3.  Those who attack art or freedom of expression are detractors.  Their trolling is a substitute for lacking any real value add.  Trolling is personality substitution.  If they had something of value to say, they should/would create their own space.  Then I would support them, since it would be creation not destruction.

4.  It doesn’t make sense to spend my time or energy in the common space on people that don’t add anything.  I’ve got enough of my own personality, passion, and positive ideas to keep me fully occupied for many years to come.

Join In: Pressure is Mounting on the NRA’s Shady Tactics

Today brought another very well argued and researched article on the NRA.

These types of articles are coming fast and furious now.  I don’t know if anyone else feels this: but it sure seems like the public is becoming much more engaged on preventing the epidemic that is gun violence in America.

If you’re not following one of major non-profits fighting for common sense gun control on Facebook – you should be.  It’s the easiest way to stay informed.

They all have a different flavor and flair, so see which suits your taste.

Coalition to Stop Gun Violence

Moms Demand Action

Everytown for Gun Safety

Brady Campaign

Sandy Hook Promise

Gabby Giffords - Americans for Responsible Solutions

The New Lawsuit out of Newtown

In case you missed the news, some families of Sandy Hook are bringing a lawsuit against Bushmaster for incorrectly distributing Adam Lanza’s gun – the AR-15.

The Bloomberg Businessweek article explains why they don’t view this suit as likely to be successful.  I’m not a lawyer so I can’t gauge their predictions.

I did, however, note that the article points to the 2005 legislation called the ‘Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act’ which was promoted by the NRA and signed by-President George W. Bush (who would later renounce his NRA membership.)  It shields gun manufacturers from liability suits (aka a liability-shield law.)  And this is the primary reasons the lawsuit will fail.

The good news?  This lawsuit will raise awareness about this super shady law.  I don’t think many Americans are aware of its existence.  They soon will.  Boom.

Expanding the Conversation: Another day, another shooting

This one happened not too far from us this morning.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/Police_SWAT_team_responding_to_Lansdale_shooting.html

My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of the victims.

And all I can hope is that out of this tragedy comes something good: that this country starts standing up to the gun lobby.

Because the gun lobby doesn’t represent a huge majority of Americans.  They don’t even represent gun owners.  They represent gun manufacturers.  And promote illogical, emotive fear mongering to push their agenda and increase sales of guns.

Let’s expand this conversation to include everyone.  Including gun owners.

Gender Neutral Word Choices…Possible?

When I write, I go into hermit mode. I sit in a quiet room that is purposefully de-cluttered, I turn off my mobile phone, and I cancel out of Safari. If it’s a grey or rainy day I turn on extra lights to get the room’s visual temperature just right. Then I sit with my laptop on my lap and let my mind wander. I’ll get up every hour or so, to do something dumb, but my mind is running. I can write for hours like this: I’ve easily lost eight or nine hours in a fugue.

When I have most of a story written, I do what I’ve learned most writers do: I go back and edit the shit out of that crappy first draft. Many times. And when I edit, I think long and hard about word choice, cadence, and style. On some passes I keep the gender of the reader in my mind.  Because I want my novels to lean toward being gender neutral. At least as much as a female writer can.

So when I read this article from Jezebel it struck a chord.  A Washington Post review of a nonfiction book called “Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy” took issue with the female author’s word choices. “At its best her prose is vivid, especially when she writes about battles and the terrible costs they exact, while at its less-than-best seems (dare I say it?) to have been borrowed from the pages of a woman’s magazine.” Huh.

My take away: he thought her language was too…female…and so, less-than-best.

I looked up reviews of some of John le Carre’s work and found 9 out of 10 were written by male critics, presumably because espionage is a male dominated domain.

Writing is learning. What I’m learning is that I should be thinking about the gender slant of my word choices. But also how to balance that with my authentic voice.  Not easy.

NRA: Fair Weather Friends

Looks like the NRA’s loyalty is slippery.

A recent article in Roll Call outlined the latest efforts of a Democratic Senator (AK) to follow the NRA play book, only to see the sand shift quickly beneath his feet. “For all his maneuvering, Pryor ended up in the gun lobby’s crosshairs anyway.”  Because no matter what you do, “… there’s always a candidate out there willing to do a little more to earn the NRA’s endorsement.”

What’s the opposite of loyal, ya’ll?

disloyal

faithless

undependable

unfaithful

unreliable

untrustworthy

Makes you wonder why any politician buddies up to the NRA?

NRA’s ads against Bloomberg. More Pricelessness.

NRA ILA has released an ad campaign against Michael Bloomberg that calls him a ‘liberal elite’ (snooze) and an ‘arrogant hypocrite’ (huh?) who wants to control people’s lives. It was reported that they spent $500,000 on this first round of the campaign.

I guess they need a bad guy for their false, fear mongering narrative.

But the NRA needs to be careful. As my momma always said, ‘you shouldn’t throw stones if you live in glass houses.’

A “Meet the Real NRA” campaign would be far more revealing and interesting.

Save the United States.org

The SS United States is docked down on the Delaware River, Philadelphia. It was built in 1952 as a luxury liner and still retains the record for the fastest, regular service crossing of the Atlantic Ocean.

It caught my eye the other day because it has a huge banner across the bow that reads ‘SavetheUnitedStates.org’ My immediate reaction was: “Right On!”

Just to be clear: my reaction wasn’t a misplaced-myopic-nostalgic-for-the-past type of “Right On.”

Quite the opposite. Mine was an energized, optimistic “Right On!” exclamation; ever hopeful about the future of our truly representative democracy and a common sense approach to guns.

Is that so much to ask?