Peg Herring's Blog, page 38
August 24, 2010
Grouchy Reader Syndrome
Someone else named it, but it so fit me that I had to borrow it.
I've become a grouchy reader. Everything in a book has to work, or I'm angry at the author. Characters have to stay within their character, and there had better be at least one I can admire, maybe even like. I just finished one by an author who is admittedly great with words, but no one in the book was remotely admirable, so why should I care if they get involved in crime?
Plots have to work, and I can see it a mile away if you're stretching things so that the ending comes together the way you want it to. Mention that green sweater once too often, take a little too long describing the staircase to the basement, draw my notice to the picture on the bureau with too much detail, and I know it's the thread that's going to pull apart the whole veil of mystery.
I like setting stuff, but an author is wise to blend it with other stuff. Too many authors equate setting description with literary-ness and try for poetic expression of sunsets or vistas that don't fit well with the rest of the story.
For pity's sake, leave your political, societal, and psychological philosophies out of it. If I wanted a treatise on one of those things, I'd buy one.
And while I don't mind learning about crafts, history, and professions as I read, subject me once to an info dump and I'll never buy your books again.
After five decades of reading mysteries, I'm looking only for authors who can balance all these things and get them just right. There. Is that grouchy enough for you?
I've become a grouchy reader. Everything in a book has to work, or I'm angry at the author. Characters have to stay within their character, and there had better be at least one I can admire, maybe even like. I just finished one by an author who is admittedly great with words, but no one in the book was remotely admirable, so why should I care if they get involved in crime?
Plots have to work, and I can see it a mile away if you're stretching things so that the ending comes together the way you want it to. Mention that green sweater once too often, take a little too long describing the staircase to the basement, draw my notice to the picture on the bureau with too much detail, and I know it's the thread that's going to pull apart the whole veil of mystery.
I like setting stuff, but an author is wise to blend it with other stuff. Too many authors equate setting description with literary-ness and try for poetic expression of sunsets or vistas that don't fit well with the rest of the story.
For pity's sake, leave your political, societal, and psychological philosophies out of it. If I wanted a treatise on one of those things, I'd buy one.
And while I don't mind learning about crafts, history, and professions as I read, subject me once to an info dump and I'll never buy your books again.
After five decades of reading mysteries, I'm looking only for authors who can balance all these things and get them just right. There. Is that grouchy enough for you?
August 23, 2010
Monday, but not "Monday, Monday"
I have never minded Mondays. They are like a fresh slate, a new chance to get it right. I'm more realistic than I used to be, I suppose. I know I won't get every chore done on that list I started Sunday evening. But there's still a sense that I have time, five whole days' worth, to accomplish something. It's all over the map: household stuff, promotional stuff, writing stuff, personal stuff, shopping stuff, even a little sewing if the mood strikes just right.
Odds are about fifty-fifty that any one item will get done the way I envision it this morning, and honestly, for the sewing, they are even lower than that. But on Monday morning, it seems possible. Everything does.
Odds are about fifty-fifty that any one item will get done the way I envision it this morning, and honestly, for the sewing, they are even lower than that. But on Monday morning, it seems possible. Everything does.
August 20, 2010
Lessons from the Garden
Here is what I have learned in a lifetime of gardening.
Early optimism always trumps common sense.
Every year in August we tell each other that we will plant less next year. Every
spring we get excited and plant more.
Carl Sandburg was right.
His poem "Grass" is about war and forgetfulness, but it could well be about our
garden. "I am the grass. Let me work." No matter what our intentions, we always
grow more grass than anything else.
For every year of gardening, you get a little better at growing things.
There is a corollary, however. For every year of gardening, your back becomes a
little less willing to bend over long enough to thin those radish rows.
No matter how much I grouse, it is worth it.
Each day brings new miracles: tasty carrots, tomatoes warm from the sun, crisp cabbage, crunchy cucumbers. Oh, and don't forget, I still have zucchini to give away.
Early optimism always trumps common sense.
Every year in August we tell each other that we will plant less next year. Every
spring we get excited and plant more.
Carl Sandburg was right.
His poem "Grass" is about war and forgetfulness, but it could well be about our
garden. "I am the grass. Let me work." No matter what our intentions, we always
grow more grass than anything else.
For every year of gardening, you get a little better at growing things.
There is a corollary, however. For every year of gardening, your back becomes a
little less willing to bend over long enough to thin those radish rows.
No matter how much I grouse, it is worth it.
Each day brings new miracles: tasty carrots, tomatoes warm from the sun, crisp cabbage, crunchy cucumbers. Oh, and don't forget, I still have zucchini to give away.
August 19, 2010
Finally, the Fashion Show
Yesterday, a kind and industrious blogger, Gretchen Jones, put up pictures and a very complete run-down of my fashion show at RWA Nationals. I'm just going to point you to her today, since she did it so well.
http://www.gretchenjones.com
http://www.gretchenjones.com
August 18, 2010
The Author Continuum
We could give an infant a bicycle, but it's pretty certain that she will not be able to ride it. We can hand a third grader Shakespeare, and he will in all likelihood fail to appreciate it. Both need time, experience, and maturity to be able to perform the task, no matter how willing they might be. The same is true for authors and publishing. There is a learning curve that must be traveled, and there aren't many shortcuts.
When I started in the business, I read everything I could find: agent advice, author blogs, publishers' recommendations, reader complaints, whatever. The problem is, I couldn't always absorb it. The mind comprehends, but it doesn't internalize until it has experienced some part of what it studies.
There's the vocabulary, which at times scares the newcomer. What is selling through, and why does it matter to me? Later, one understands the words but has yet to experience the process. And of course, the process keeps changing. Add to that that no one really knows WHY books sell. If even the experts don't know, what chance does a beginner have of grasping the rules and making them work for her?
Some love digging into the business end of things, and they probably move along the continuum more rapidly than those who really would rather not think about it. I suppose the latter group is likely to hire help as soon as that is a financial possibility. If help can't be hired, we muddle along, understanding what we have to, moving along the path like snails on a stone.
That third grader may not understand Shakespeare until much later, but he'll grasp what he can along the way.
When I started in the business, I read everything I could find: agent advice, author blogs, publishers' recommendations, reader complaints, whatever. The problem is, I couldn't always absorb it. The mind comprehends, but it doesn't internalize until it has experienced some part of what it studies.
There's the vocabulary, which at times scares the newcomer. What is selling through, and why does it matter to me? Later, one understands the words but has yet to experience the process. And of course, the process keeps changing. Add to that that no one really knows WHY books sell. If even the experts don't know, what chance does a beginner have of grasping the rules and making them work for her?
Some love digging into the business end of things, and they probably move along the continuum more rapidly than those who really would rather not think about it. I suppose the latter group is likely to hire help as soon as that is a financial possibility. If help can't be hired, we muddle along, understanding what we have to, moving along the path like snails on a stone.
That third grader may not understand Shakespeare until much later, but he'll grasp what he can along the way.
August 17, 2010
Meetings, Hatred of
I was a teacher for thirty years. For anyone in the system, that should explain it all. Others have similar experiences: long-winded speakers, reiteration of information everyone already knows (or should), lame "spirit" events designed to make everyone into a team, diatribes on wrongs, imagined or otherwise, that cannot be mended by ranting and only serve to break down that team spirit we've supposedly generated. Of course there are always two people in attendance who drive the rest of the group nuts. One wants to brag, confess, or otherwise perform for his/her peers. The other, just when you think the meeting is winding down and you might get a few things done before the day ends, asks, "Could you clarify for me one more time the procedure for XYZing? I don't think I get it."
Now you know why, in retirement, I refused to join any organizations, or at least, very few. I've done my share of time at meetings, and I'm reluctant to add to it.
Yesterday, however, I was reminded that meetings can be done well. I was asked to come and speak to a group a couple of hours away from my home. I was a little anxious when they told me I was slated after their business meeting. "Oh, goody."
However, the chairwoman ticked through the necessary items in brisk fashion. Each speaker said what he or she had to say and then left the podium. Applause consisted of one hand clap to signal approval. And the productive part of the business was interspersed with entertaining, though brief, snippets that kept attention focused.
All in all, things moved, so that I was up to speak before I would have believed possible. Now that is how a meeting should go.
Now you know why, in retirement, I refused to join any organizations, or at least, very few. I've done my share of time at meetings, and I'm reluctant to add to it.
Yesterday, however, I was reminded that meetings can be done well. I was asked to come and speak to a group a couple of hours away from my home. I was a little anxious when they told me I was slated after their business meeting. "Oh, goody."
However, the chairwoman ticked through the necessary items in brisk fashion. Each speaker said what he or she had to say and then left the podium. Applause consisted of one hand clap to signal approval. And the productive part of the business was interspersed with entertaining, though brief, snippets that kept attention focused.
All in all, things moved, so that I was up to speak before I would have believed possible. Now that is how a meeting should go.
August 16, 2010
Why Can't We All Just...Read?
There's been an extended thread on one of my chat groups about whether or not we all should hate THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE. Some say it's infantile and just wrong. Some say it's great. A few (and I fall into this group although I never get involved in such debates) say, in effect, "Different strokes for different folks." Yeah, like that.
I have hated books that the Reading World lauds to the skies. I have loved books that get little or no notice from said World. Being a big girl with a brain that can conjure, I recognize that books speak to us in different ways. Characters remind us of someone. Places appeal. Plotlines operate the way our minds do, and therefore please us. At a given time, we're ready for a bit of silliness or we're not.
What irritates me is the person who believes that his or her word on a given book is what the world is waiting for. Not only are they often small-minded and picky, they're often wrong about the details. Don't ask them to admit it, though.
My friend P.J. Coldren, who reviews for several respected mystery review sites, tells me that it's essential to separate your own opinion from the truth of the book, at least as much as humans can separate truth from opinion.
As an author, I choose not to blab about the books I dislike, knowing how painful it is to have your children criticized, whether that criticism is right or wrong. If I do admit that I didn't like a book, I'm careful to state it as my opinion. If a publisher, several editors, and any number of fans have read and enjoyed a book, it's likely to be my prejudices, idiosyncracies, and distractions that keep me from doing the same.
I have hated books that the Reading World lauds to the skies. I have loved books that get little or no notice from said World. Being a big girl with a brain that can conjure, I recognize that books speak to us in different ways. Characters remind us of someone. Places appeal. Plotlines operate the way our minds do, and therefore please us. At a given time, we're ready for a bit of silliness or we're not.
What irritates me is the person who believes that his or her word on a given book is what the world is waiting for. Not only are they often small-minded and picky, they're often wrong about the details. Don't ask them to admit it, though.
My friend P.J. Coldren, who reviews for several respected mystery review sites, tells me that it's essential to separate your own opinion from the truth of the book, at least as much as humans can separate truth from opinion.
As an author, I choose not to blab about the books I dislike, knowing how painful it is to have your children criticized, whether that criticism is right or wrong. If I do admit that I didn't like a book, I'm careful to state it as my opinion. If a publisher, several editors, and any number of fans have read and enjoyed a book, it's likely to be my prejudices, idiosyncracies, and distractions that keep me from doing the same.
August 13, 2010
"Buy My Book" - the Mistake
I've seen it many times, usually from authors new to the business but sometimes even from those more seasoned. We're set up next to each other at an author event and the person immediately launches into his/her spiel, at some point throwing in the fatal phrase, "You would love this book."
Or I set up a blog for authors to publicize their ebooks (Hmmm. Could that really happen?) Instructions say to submit certain information in a particular way, and I'll post it for the world to see. Instead I get an email telling me how much I would like the book if I just buy it from the person's website.
The list goes on: Facebook, MySpace, and other social media messages, supposedly author-to-author, but really just sales pitches for books. I'm tempted to reply to each one of them with an ad for my own book.
But then, I'm not that rude.
Professionals don't hawk their goods to other professionals. Part of being a professional is recognizing that even though we're all in this for sales, we give each other respect. Of course I read books by other authors, but as a member of the gang, I should not have to listen to your sales pitch for twenty minutes just because my name comes near yours in the alphabet. And be aware that I will delete, ignore, and eventually un-friend you if you send me constant reminders of how great your book is.
Guess what? So are mine, but I'm not going to friend you just so I can say it.
Or I set up a blog for authors to publicize their ebooks (Hmmm. Could that really happen?) Instructions say to submit certain information in a particular way, and I'll post it for the world to see. Instead I get an email telling me how much I would like the book if I just buy it from the person's website.
The list goes on: Facebook, MySpace, and other social media messages, supposedly author-to-author, but really just sales pitches for books. I'm tempted to reply to each one of them with an ad for my own book.
But then, I'm not that rude.
Professionals don't hawk their goods to other professionals. Part of being a professional is recognizing that even though we're all in this for sales, we give each other respect. Of course I read books by other authors, but as a member of the gang, I should not have to listen to your sales pitch for twenty minutes just because my name comes near yours in the alphabet. And be aware that I will delete, ignore, and eventually un-friend you if you send me constant reminders of how great your book is.
Guess what? So are mine, but I'm not going to friend you just so I can say it.
August 12, 2010
Road Work
Clever double meaning here. I'm traveling, actually for FUN this time. We're in Stratford, Ontario, and we saw two plays yesterday.
So we're on the road, and of course there is road work everywhere. It's summer. They have to get it done while they can. It's just so .......... SLOW!
The other meaning of road work is that I don't do much work when I'm on the road. Something just shuts off, and even though I open a file with good intent, it just sits there and looks at me.
I guess that slowness pervades everything.
So we're on the road, and of course there is road work everywhere. It's summer. They have to get it done while they can. It's just so .......... SLOW!
The other meaning of road work is that I don't do much work when I'm on the road. Something just shuts off, and even though I open a file with good intent, it just sits there and looks at me.
I guess that slowness pervades everything.
August 11, 2010
Making Up Stories
People often ask, "Where do you get your ideas from?" and it sounds flippant to answer, "From my head," but it's true. They grow like little cabbages: a single leaf that curls, surrounding an inner core and producing other leaves that layer upon themselves until a single theme poplated in layers of separate but closely related parts.
When I know what is needed, e.g. "What's the next Simon & Elizabeth story going to be?", the beginning elements are there. Simon, the shy cripple who grows to a confident man with the help of his father, his girlfriend, his teacher, his friends, and his favorite princess. In each story, the situation changes as Simon's life unfolds and as Elizabeth's threats ebb and flow. So I begin thinking, (for Book #3) "Mary is on the throne. Elizabeth is a danger to her sister and she well knows it, so she must be extremely circumspect. In fact, invisible would be better." In this book, I will try for a different situation from the first two while holding on to the elements readers like. In my brain, then, I've already selected Hannah and Peto the Pope as characters who will play large roles. Once that selection is made, the story seems to grow by itself, like those cabbages, filling in the middle as characters do what I (and my readers) know they must when perils arrive.
As far as the original idea for a book goes, I have no idea where that comes from. Where did I get a young nobody who comes to be friends with Elizabeth Tudor? How did he acquire a withered arm? Why does he care so much about who killed whom? I'm not sure.
I only know that Simon is as real to me as a fictional character can be. I know how he thinks, what he will do in a given situation, and what drives him. I used to tell my students that in fiction, we know characters better than we know our own family and friends. We have seen them in situations that test their mettle. We know exactly what they are thinking when those situations arise. And we learn their motivations, hear their doubts, and understand their decisions. Very rarely in real life is all of that true.
I guess the answer to where an author gets her stories is from her picture of the world: the way it is, the way she imagines it was, and the way she hopes it might be. Weaving all that together, authors recognize evil and deal with it, each in her own way. For me, there is always that person who fights evil, despite limitations, despite expectations, despite fears. Because that's the way I want the world to be
When I know what is needed, e.g. "What's the next Simon & Elizabeth story going to be?", the beginning elements are there. Simon, the shy cripple who grows to a confident man with the help of his father, his girlfriend, his teacher, his friends, and his favorite princess. In each story, the situation changes as Simon's life unfolds and as Elizabeth's threats ebb and flow. So I begin thinking, (for Book #3) "Mary is on the throne. Elizabeth is a danger to her sister and she well knows it, so she must be extremely circumspect. In fact, invisible would be better." In this book, I will try for a different situation from the first two while holding on to the elements readers like. In my brain, then, I've already selected Hannah and Peto the Pope as characters who will play large roles. Once that selection is made, the story seems to grow by itself, like those cabbages, filling in the middle as characters do what I (and my readers) know they must when perils arrive.
As far as the original idea for a book goes, I have no idea where that comes from. Where did I get a young nobody who comes to be friends with Elizabeth Tudor? How did he acquire a withered arm? Why does he care so much about who killed whom? I'm not sure.
I only know that Simon is as real to me as a fictional character can be. I know how he thinks, what he will do in a given situation, and what drives him. I used to tell my students that in fiction, we know characters better than we know our own family and friends. We have seen them in situations that test their mettle. We know exactly what they are thinking when those situations arise. And we learn their motivations, hear their doubts, and understand their decisions. Very rarely in real life is all of that true.
I guess the answer to where an author gets her stories is from her picture of the world: the way it is, the way she imagines it was, and the way she hopes it might be. Weaving all that together, authors recognize evil and deal with it, each in her own way. For me, there is always that person who fights evil, despite limitations, despite expectations, despite fears. Because that's the way I want the world to be
