R.S. Anthony's Blog
April 18, 2016
Happy Endings Are Overrated
That's right. I'm one of those people who don't like endings with all the loose ends neatly tied up with a pink bow and the good guys happy forever more. Ugh!
Wait, what did you think I was talking about? Perv!
Anyway, to be honest, I used to live for stories like that in my teens. They made me cheer for the good guys and root for their plans to succeed. In fact, this very attribute made me a bookworm. But in my twenties, I had read too many books with happily ever afters that it became boring. Plus, I was beginning to see more and more of a disconnect between the written world and the real world. While the good characters in books always got what they wanted, the real-life good people hardly got what they deserved. And so I began to wonder if fiction novels and fairy tales were one and the same with different names for different age range. I understand how important this is for someone who reads as a form of escapism but it doesn't work for me.
Not since I discovered how much more involving and satisfying a book with a sad ending can be. Where the good guy dies. Or the bad guy wins. Or lovers don't end up together. And I'm not talking about the John Green type of books either. I'm talking about something even more complex, where good and bad sometimes blurs and become less obvious than black and white. When you don't know why you're drawn to someone you're not supposed to be drawn to. Isn't that how life is usually? Isn't it easier to relate to this, when it's tied back to the conflicts we ourselves go through in our lives?
Coming up with characters like this is an art, though. One that's perfectly mastered by Scott Turow in his book called Personal Injuries. I cried like a baby at the end of this book and the main character (who is a jerk by anyone's standard) is still close to my heart after more than a decade of reading it. You'll have to read the book to know why. But it's the type of book that moves me.
These days, any kind of book with death or sad ending works for me. In my own book, I try to infuse these elements to keep it real. It may not be all bad in the end but you're bound to see a lot of bad with a little bit of real good. Just like life :)
Rose
Wait, what did you think I was talking about? Perv!
Anyway, to be honest, I used to live for stories like that in my teens. They made me cheer for the good guys and root for their plans to succeed. In fact, this very attribute made me a bookworm. But in my twenties, I had read too many books with happily ever afters that it became boring. Plus, I was beginning to see more and more of a disconnect between the written world and the real world. While the good characters in books always got what they wanted, the real-life good people hardly got what they deserved. And so I began to wonder if fiction novels and fairy tales were one and the same with different names for different age range. I understand how important this is for someone who reads as a form of escapism but it doesn't work for me.
Not since I discovered how much more involving and satisfying a book with a sad ending can be. Where the good guy dies. Or the bad guy wins. Or lovers don't end up together. And I'm not talking about the John Green type of books either. I'm talking about something even more complex, where good and bad sometimes blurs and become less obvious than black and white. When you don't know why you're drawn to someone you're not supposed to be drawn to. Isn't that how life is usually? Isn't it easier to relate to this, when it's tied back to the conflicts we ourselves go through in our lives?
Coming up with characters like this is an art, though. One that's perfectly mastered by Scott Turow in his book called Personal Injuries. I cried like a baby at the end of this book and the main character (who is a jerk by anyone's standard) is still close to my heart after more than a decade of reading it. You'll have to read the book to know why. But it's the type of book that moves me.
These days, any kind of book with death or sad ending works for me. In my own book, I try to infuse these elements to keep it real. It may not be all bad in the end but you're bound to see a lot of bad with a little bit of real good. Just like life :)
Rose
April 15, 2016
When English Is Not Your First Language
Okay people, let's talk about this for a bit okay? I am an author born and raised in Malaysia. English is not my first language and I've never lived long-term in a community where English is the first language. To be honest, this was (and remains) my biggest fear when I published my first book.
What if my English is not strong enough to convey what's on my mind?
What if my readers call me out on spelling or grammatical errors?
What if I fail to capture the essence of what interests the English speaking world in my written words?
Yes, many are the questions an insecure mind conjures.
The truth is, my English is not bad (well, at least I'd like to think so :D) and I can get my points across quite effectively. I have had editors giving positive comments on my writing so I know I can't be that bad.
Even so, it's not easy for us.
For example, some editors are reluctant to take our work because there is a preconceived notion that our writing will not be up to standard. So we spend more time looking for an editor who will accept our work. The same goes for reviewers and readers. One look at the author's biography and they're not so sure about reading the book anymore. I am quite certain this is partly because of the amount of bad writing there is out there. I on my part, never publish a book without having it run through an editor at least twice. Fortunately for me, I have an English name (I've got to thank my parents for this) so I don't have it so bad. But I know of others who do.
There are other associated problems when English just cannot be your first language - we're just born somewhere far from the English speaking world and yet for some reason we gravitate towards English literature. Let me try and explain: I live in a very small country in Southeast Asia where the currency exchange rate is terrible against the US dollar. American editors & cover designers obviously charge in US dollars and I can't scrimp here because I need my book to have a certain standard. When I calculate the amount I spend in producing one book, it's way more than what a bank manager earns in a month here. It is NOT cheap. And what are the chances of ever recouping what I spent? Zero. And that is the reality.
So why do I do it?
Maybe someday I'll be able to answer this but for now, I'm just going to enjoy the experience.
P/S: Despite the struggles, there are people still giving me a chance, reading my work, encouraging me and trusting me. It is truly heart-warming and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. God bless!
Rose
What if my English is not strong enough to convey what's on my mind?
What if my readers call me out on spelling or grammatical errors?
What if I fail to capture the essence of what interests the English speaking world in my written words?
Yes, many are the questions an insecure mind conjures.
The truth is, my English is not bad (well, at least I'd like to think so :D) and I can get my points across quite effectively. I have had editors giving positive comments on my writing so I know I can't be that bad.
Even so, it's not easy for us.
For example, some editors are reluctant to take our work because there is a preconceived notion that our writing will not be up to standard. So we spend more time looking for an editor who will accept our work. The same goes for reviewers and readers. One look at the author's biography and they're not so sure about reading the book anymore. I am quite certain this is partly because of the amount of bad writing there is out there. I on my part, never publish a book without having it run through an editor at least twice. Fortunately for me, I have an English name (I've got to thank my parents for this) so I don't have it so bad. But I know of others who do.
There are other associated problems when English just cannot be your first language - we're just born somewhere far from the English speaking world and yet for some reason we gravitate towards English literature. Let me try and explain: I live in a very small country in Southeast Asia where the currency exchange rate is terrible against the US dollar. American editors & cover designers obviously charge in US dollars and I can't scrimp here because I need my book to have a certain standard. When I calculate the amount I spend in producing one book, it's way more than what a bank manager earns in a month here. It is NOT cheap. And what are the chances of ever recouping what I spent? Zero. And that is the reality.
So why do I do it?
Maybe someday I'll be able to answer this but for now, I'm just going to enjoy the experience.
P/S: Despite the struggles, there are people still giving me a chance, reading my work, encouraging me and trusting me. It is truly heart-warming and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. God bless!
Rose
April 14, 2016
Yes, I Made All The Rookie Mistakes As A Writer
I've been researching about writing and self-publishing since 2014 to make sure no crickets chirped around my book when I eventually launched it. I took notes, made lists, read some more, asked questions and came up with a plan. And then, when it was time, I launched the book in April 2016. Guess what? Yeah. Crickets.
Writing is fun. It's drudgery work but it's also creative, cathartic to some extent and exciting. I love it! But marketing is challenging on a whole new level. All those things I read about, I have no idea why I didn't implement them the way they said I should. But I realise more and more now, how right they had been and how mule-headed I'd been.
Rookie Mistake #1: Rushing to publish the book before I even had a following. This one is not easy. It's better to start early.
Rookie Mistake #2: Not contacting reviewers earlier (like, two months before the launch). This should be a topic on its own. Maybe I'll blog about this in the next post.
Rookie Mistake #3: Not learning how to use Goodreads correctly. This one is so dumb I can't believe I've fallen prey to it: Just this morning, I discovered I had received a couple of reviews on my book. I was ecstatic but I didn't know which button to click to read them so I fiddled with it for about ten minutes before I had it figured out. Not acceptable!
Rookie Mistake #4: Not having fun with Goodreads earlier. I had delayed this until my book was published because I figured nobody'd be interested in hearing from someone who didn't have a book. I had no idea I could have done so much as a reader. I could've i) offered to read & review other authors' books, ii) added more friends, iii) given my opinion on books, iv) participated on polls, v) asked other authors questions. Man, these are fun things! And I had been ignorant. But it's not too late to jump into the foray. I've already started offering free review service and I'm thrilled by what I've read so far.
Rookie Mistake #5: Not having an author website. Practically every guide out there says this is a must along with a mailing list. I haven't started one yet and I might regret this later. But for now, I think I'll meet my peeps and make friends here in Goodreads first. I find I enjoy having one-to-one conversations here than starting another website no one visit. Who knows, maybe no one will read anything I say here either. But it's been good so far. I get messages every day and there's always something to talk about. Maybe a few months down the line I might start a website after all and give out a free book. For now, I'm going to just have fun making up for the lost times here on Goodreads.
So come on, send me a message or a question or whatever and we'll talk :D
Rose
Writing is fun. It's drudgery work but it's also creative, cathartic to some extent and exciting. I love it! But marketing is challenging on a whole new level. All those things I read about, I have no idea why I didn't implement them the way they said I should. But I realise more and more now, how right they had been and how mule-headed I'd been.
Rookie Mistake #1: Rushing to publish the book before I even had a following. This one is not easy. It's better to start early.
Rookie Mistake #2: Not contacting reviewers earlier (like, two months before the launch). This should be a topic on its own. Maybe I'll blog about this in the next post.
Rookie Mistake #3: Not learning how to use Goodreads correctly. This one is so dumb I can't believe I've fallen prey to it: Just this morning, I discovered I had received a couple of reviews on my book. I was ecstatic but I didn't know which button to click to read them so I fiddled with it for about ten minutes before I had it figured out. Not acceptable!
Rookie Mistake #4: Not having fun with Goodreads earlier. I had delayed this until my book was published because I figured nobody'd be interested in hearing from someone who didn't have a book. I had no idea I could have done so much as a reader. I could've i) offered to read & review other authors' books, ii) added more friends, iii) given my opinion on books, iv) participated on polls, v) asked other authors questions. Man, these are fun things! And I had been ignorant. But it's not too late to jump into the foray. I've already started offering free review service and I'm thrilled by what I've read so far.
Rookie Mistake #5: Not having an author website. Practically every guide out there says this is a must along with a mailing list. I haven't started one yet and I might regret this later. But for now, I think I'll meet my peeps and make friends here in Goodreads first. I find I enjoy having one-to-one conversations here than starting another website no one visit. Who knows, maybe no one will read anything I say here either. But it's been good so far. I get messages every day and there's always something to talk about. Maybe a few months down the line I might start a website after all and give out a free book. For now, I'm going to just have fun making up for the lost times here on Goodreads.
So come on, send me a message or a question or whatever and we'll talk :D
Rose
