Bill Conrad's Blog, page 21
December 29, 2021
Drive
I enjoyed the movie Drive because of its powerful and understated characters. Unfortunately, this fantastic movie did not receive broad appreciation. What core essence separated this move from its peers (in my opinion?) Passion. The entire team behind this movie clearly had a deep passion for their project. They believed in the minimalistic concept and flawlessly executed it.
What if a viewer could not grasp the minimalistic approach? Those viewers probably thought the movie had flat characters and a timid plot. Where is the disconnect? The viewers who do not appreciate a film like Drive lack passion. But is that really a fair statement? Can a person with passion simply not like that kind of movie? Sure. My point is stereotypical.
There is another example that highlights my stereotype, The Killing Fields. Wow, what a powerful movie that tugged at every human emotion. Every scene had a message to tell, and clearly, the entire movie crew put their hearts into that film. Yet, I can see how a pleasant person with passion would hate this movie. The movie takes a hard look at a painful topic, and not everybody wants to face the deep evils in society.
Some movies like Avatar ride an odd, passionate line. The director put enormous effort into creating a beautiful film, but he clearly needed to spend more time on the plot. Where is the disconnect? Clearly, there were two camps. One group had extreme passion, and the other was in it for a paycheck.
From my perspective, passion is one of those things that if you have it, you know it. The rest of us are content to pass through life and not take the time to smell the roses. So does this mean people without passion are empty inside? Hmm. I will have to give that some thought.
There is a wide range of passionate people. If I were to put a person on the top of the list, it would be a person who writes a poetry book. As for places where passionate people congregate, France and Italy are prime examples. From there, the bell curve smooths out until we have lifeless subjects who prey on the weak. But what about everyday folks who are not meek and not into poetry? I suppose 90% of us fit into this grey area, which is why Drive was not a box office hit.
What is the difference between passion and obsession? A lifeless criminal can spend months planning a bank robbery. That person might even like the movie Drive. I think the difference is that passion has no goal. People with passion do what they do because of what is in their heart.
Are people with passion weak? Non-passionate people look down on artists and poets. “Get an actual job!” So, it would seem that society considers those with passion to be “below normal.” People with passion do not have the mechanical (obsessive) drive and must instead guide their actions with emotions. For that reason, we consider them weak, but I would consider them the most vital parts of a moral society.
My life has a few passionate areas. The obvious answer is family and friends. However, writing has a new passion. The defining factor of my writing passion is how I desire the final product to look. I want the material to be standalone and be successful. My documents are like a child, and at some point, we let them enter the world and face reality.
And what about this blog? Was it written with passion? Each blog contains a small part of me, and I want each one to succeed. Yet, I know only four people will read this blog and that this number has not increased in the last two years. Depressing. No matter. I will passionately continue blogging until they rip the keyboard out of my dead hands.
What if a viewer could not grasp the minimalistic approach? Those viewers probably thought the movie had flat characters and a timid plot. Where is the disconnect? The viewers who do not appreciate a film like Drive lack passion. But is that really a fair statement? Can a person with passion simply not like that kind of movie? Sure. My point is stereotypical.
There is another example that highlights my stereotype, The Killing Fields. Wow, what a powerful movie that tugged at every human emotion. Every scene had a message to tell, and clearly, the entire movie crew put their hearts into that film. Yet, I can see how a pleasant person with passion would hate this movie. The movie takes a hard look at a painful topic, and not everybody wants to face the deep evils in society.
Some movies like Avatar ride an odd, passionate line. The director put enormous effort into creating a beautiful film, but he clearly needed to spend more time on the plot. Where is the disconnect? Clearly, there were two camps. One group had extreme passion, and the other was in it for a paycheck.
From my perspective, passion is one of those things that if you have it, you know it. The rest of us are content to pass through life and not take the time to smell the roses. So does this mean people without passion are empty inside? Hmm. I will have to give that some thought.
There is a wide range of passionate people. If I were to put a person on the top of the list, it would be a person who writes a poetry book. As for places where passionate people congregate, France and Italy are prime examples. From there, the bell curve smooths out until we have lifeless subjects who prey on the weak. But what about everyday folks who are not meek and not into poetry? I suppose 90% of us fit into this grey area, which is why Drive was not a box office hit.
What is the difference between passion and obsession? A lifeless criminal can spend months planning a bank robbery. That person might even like the movie Drive. I think the difference is that passion has no goal. People with passion do what they do because of what is in their heart.
Are people with passion weak? Non-passionate people look down on artists and poets. “Get an actual job!” So, it would seem that society considers those with passion to be “below normal.” People with passion do not have the mechanical (obsessive) drive and must instead guide their actions with emotions. For that reason, we consider them weak, but I would consider them the most vital parts of a moral society.
My life has a few passionate areas. The obvious answer is family and friends. However, writing has a new passion. The defining factor of my writing passion is how I desire the final product to look. I want the material to be standalone and be successful. My documents are like a child, and at some point, we let them enter the world and face reality.
And what about this blog? Was it written with passion? Each blog contains a small part of me, and I want each one to succeed. Yet, I know only four people will read this blog and that this number has not increased in the last two years. Depressing. No matter. I will passionately continue blogging until they rip the keyboard out of my dead hands.
December 22, 2021
Deleted Material
Over the weekend, I watched the movie Austin Powers for a fundamental reason. The movie got stuck in my parent's DVD player. Eventually, I removed the DVD, but not before watching the deleted scenes.
Some were interesting, and the rest were so-so. I probably would have made the same choices as the movie editor. Why? It is challenging to visualize action and tempo when writing a script. Clearly, the scriptwriter had great intentions, but some ideas did not align with a snappy movie. Still, I enjoyed watching them.
This got me thinking about the material I cut from my books. The worst offender is my second book, where I needed to delete the first chapter because the main character was a know-it-all. I also need to delete three paragraphs that took a deep dive into radio technology. I did a great job writing the scene, but casual readers would have been bored out of their minds.
What if the book became popular? Would readers want to read this discarded material? I have never found a book with deleted sections. Even an author’s webpage would never have such information. The closest equivalent is the first draft. A select few cherish such documents, but ordinary readers would never seek them out. Only the absolute top writers have their first drafts published, and these have a limited market.
Why? A book differs vastly from a movie. Many people have reviewed and updated the script before filming begins. As a result, the deleted scenes look like polished gems. The first draft of a book is not polished and only represents a window into the author’s process.
Well, I could be the first author to include a deleted chapter. The problem is readers are not expecting this addition and would not know what to do with it. “Why did Bill write about X after the book was over?” Also, I do not wish to air my dirty laundry. “Hey world. Look at my big mistake!” However, there is hope for super famous authors. They can use less than desirable material to develop inferior quality short stories related to their popular book. Then, when the author dies, other authors take the notes, first drafts, and other deleted material to make “new books based on original material!”
What about deleted blogs? Since I began blogging, I dropped three topics. They did not materialize, and I learned a long time ago to not “put lipstick on a pig.” While a deleted blog might be interesting to explore, my four blog readers probably are grateful I kept those thoughts to myself.
I continue to find things I cannot write about fascinating. Including a deleted chapter seems simple, yet no author would ever attempt such an outlandish act. People and blog readers are fascinating.
Some were interesting, and the rest were so-so. I probably would have made the same choices as the movie editor. Why? It is challenging to visualize action and tempo when writing a script. Clearly, the scriptwriter had great intentions, but some ideas did not align with a snappy movie. Still, I enjoyed watching them.
This got me thinking about the material I cut from my books. The worst offender is my second book, where I needed to delete the first chapter because the main character was a know-it-all. I also need to delete three paragraphs that took a deep dive into radio technology. I did a great job writing the scene, but casual readers would have been bored out of their minds.
What if the book became popular? Would readers want to read this discarded material? I have never found a book with deleted sections. Even an author’s webpage would never have such information. The closest equivalent is the first draft. A select few cherish such documents, but ordinary readers would never seek them out. Only the absolute top writers have their first drafts published, and these have a limited market.
Why? A book differs vastly from a movie. Many people have reviewed and updated the script before filming begins. As a result, the deleted scenes look like polished gems. The first draft of a book is not polished and only represents a window into the author’s process.
Well, I could be the first author to include a deleted chapter. The problem is readers are not expecting this addition and would not know what to do with it. “Why did Bill write about X after the book was over?” Also, I do not wish to air my dirty laundry. “Hey world. Look at my big mistake!” However, there is hope for super famous authors. They can use less than desirable material to develop inferior quality short stories related to their popular book. Then, when the author dies, other authors take the notes, first drafts, and other deleted material to make “new books based on original material!”
What about deleted blogs? Since I began blogging, I dropped three topics. They did not materialize, and I learned a long time ago to not “put lipstick on a pig.” While a deleted blog might be interesting to explore, my four blog readers probably are grateful I kept those thoughts to myself.
I continue to find things I cannot write about fascinating. Including a deleted chapter seems simple, yet no author would ever attempt such an outlandish act. People and blog readers are fascinating.
December 16, 2021
Perfect Characters
Who is my favorite character? Luke Skywalker from Star Wars comes to mind. However, as I ponder this larger-than-life individual, it occurs to me he is actually an arrogant teenager. How about Andy Dufresne from the movie Shawshank Redemption? He is a stuck-up, distant, and know-it-all. Michael Westen from the TV show Burn Notice? See Andy Dufresne.
How about female leads? Joan Wilder from the movie Romancing the Stone? I would classify her as intelligent, strong, and a tad gullible. Lucy from the movie Lucy? See Joan Wilder. Princess Leia from Star Wars? See…
How about written characters like the John Wells? See Andy Dufresne. How about Jack Ryan from Tom Clancy’s novels? See…
I do not have a high opinion of my favorite characters, and yet I enjoy watching or reading about them. Where is the disconnect? In real life, people are deemed good by their positive qualities. Characters on the other hand are judged by their flaws.
For example, my father has always been a powerful figure in my life. He is smart, honorable and charismatic. Because of his endless patience, I have become a man with positive qualities. (Of course, my mother and sister are equally responsible, but we are discussing characters.) While my father and I had our differences, I would only describe him in a positive light. What if he was in a movie? Despite my high opinion, he would be an awful character. A good guy that does good. There is no imagination, drama or intrigue.
There have been many less than perfect people in my life. Let’s examine my former boss. He was a bright individual, but arrogant, and I left the company because of this flaw. (Side note. Within two years, three coworkers did the same.) However, I learned from his wisdom and use this knowledge often. I suppose I would not classify him as a truly bad person, but in a story, he would be the villain. His flaws too pounced and his victories were too mild.
In creating this blog, I took a step back to analyze my former boss. I think he could be a prominent character. There is a fine line between doing bad for good and simply being a jerk. He could have been a decent character in a movie with some tweaks.
The art of creating an excellent character is spinning the negatives into positives. In this same line of thinking, I had another boss, Steve. He was arrogant, overbearing, intolerant, and a protectionist. Yet, I would move mountains for that person. He indeed was “The Luke Skywalkers of Engineering.” The difference between my bosses was how they applied their negative traits.
So, how does an author create a well-remembered character? First, we have to set up boundaries. For example, the movie Star Wars. The two dominant factions were the Empire and Rebels. Naturally, the audience liked when the Rebel forces won battles. (Keep in mind that Empire soldiers needed to die to have a rebel victory. Thus, the Revels were not necessarily honorable.) However, in a typical company, the workers do not battle good and evil with lightsabers. Instead, the conflicts are one-on-one in meetings and emails.
Am I suggesting that directors cannot set a movie in an office? No, but there is a staggering difference between a character and a real person. Characters are larger than life, and so are their flaws. They need to shine when they succeed and tug at our hearts when they fail. The difference is the connection, which allows us to overlook the flaws. So, it is alright when Luke Skywalker acts like an arrogant teenager.
Let’s create a character like Luke Skywalker. My approach is to first look at the main plot from a high-level perspective. A leads to B leads to… When I have the basic outline, I mentally throw the characters in. The key is to think about how they are going to fail. Let’s first create an optical. The best types of obstacles are those which the character unintentionally makes. A well-thought-out poor decision is a perfect example. The readers see the thought process, the execution, and the failure. Then the resulting drama and effort to correct. Perhaps their arrogance silenced a friend's good idea and made the wrong decision? Nice.
As I fully develop the outline, the characters fall into place, and their flaws build the drama. Then their positive traits pull the hero’s through to the next scene. For the villains, it is the opposite. Their undesirable traits solve the problems, and their good qualities make the lead characters look bad.
In summary, positive characters need the perfect amount of space to let their flaws shine. As they overcome or recover from failures, their efforts cause them to stand above their peers. A touch of arrogance goes a long way, but it causes a horrible character if not applied correctly. I also prefer intelligence over luck and strength.
Should I end this blog with an arrogant message to “keep things real?” I am going to stand above that.
How about female leads? Joan Wilder from the movie Romancing the Stone? I would classify her as intelligent, strong, and a tad gullible. Lucy from the movie Lucy? See Joan Wilder. Princess Leia from Star Wars? See…
How about written characters like the John Wells? See Andy Dufresne. How about Jack Ryan from Tom Clancy’s novels? See…
I do not have a high opinion of my favorite characters, and yet I enjoy watching or reading about them. Where is the disconnect? In real life, people are deemed good by their positive qualities. Characters on the other hand are judged by their flaws.
For example, my father has always been a powerful figure in my life. He is smart, honorable and charismatic. Because of his endless patience, I have become a man with positive qualities. (Of course, my mother and sister are equally responsible, but we are discussing characters.) While my father and I had our differences, I would only describe him in a positive light. What if he was in a movie? Despite my high opinion, he would be an awful character. A good guy that does good. There is no imagination, drama or intrigue.
There have been many less than perfect people in my life. Let’s examine my former boss. He was a bright individual, but arrogant, and I left the company because of this flaw. (Side note. Within two years, three coworkers did the same.) However, I learned from his wisdom and use this knowledge often. I suppose I would not classify him as a truly bad person, but in a story, he would be the villain. His flaws too pounced and his victories were too mild.
In creating this blog, I took a step back to analyze my former boss. I think he could be a prominent character. There is a fine line between doing bad for good and simply being a jerk. He could have been a decent character in a movie with some tweaks.
The art of creating an excellent character is spinning the negatives into positives. In this same line of thinking, I had another boss, Steve. He was arrogant, overbearing, intolerant, and a protectionist. Yet, I would move mountains for that person. He indeed was “The Luke Skywalkers of Engineering.” The difference between my bosses was how they applied their negative traits.
So, how does an author create a well-remembered character? First, we have to set up boundaries. For example, the movie Star Wars. The two dominant factions were the Empire and Rebels. Naturally, the audience liked when the Rebel forces won battles. (Keep in mind that Empire soldiers needed to die to have a rebel victory. Thus, the Revels were not necessarily honorable.) However, in a typical company, the workers do not battle good and evil with lightsabers. Instead, the conflicts are one-on-one in meetings and emails.
Am I suggesting that directors cannot set a movie in an office? No, but there is a staggering difference between a character and a real person. Characters are larger than life, and so are their flaws. They need to shine when they succeed and tug at our hearts when they fail. The difference is the connection, which allows us to overlook the flaws. So, it is alright when Luke Skywalker acts like an arrogant teenager.
Let’s create a character like Luke Skywalker. My approach is to first look at the main plot from a high-level perspective. A leads to B leads to… When I have the basic outline, I mentally throw the characters in. The key is to think about how they are going to fail. Let’s first create an optical. The best types of obstacles are those which the character unintentionally makes. A well-thought-out poor decision is a perfect example. The readers see the thought process, the execution, and the failure. Then the resulting drama and effort to correct. Perhaps their arrogance silenced a friend's good idea and made the wrong decision? Nice.
As I fully develop the outline, the characters fall into place, and their flaws build the drama. Then their positive traits pull the hero’s through to the next scene. For the villains, it is the opposite. Their undesirable traits solve the problems, and their good qualities make the lead characters look bad.
In summary, positive characters need the perfect amount of space to let their flaws shine. As they overcome or recover from failures, their efforts cause them to stand above their peers. A touch of arrogance goes a long way, but it causes a horrible character if not applied correctly. I also prefer intelligence over luck and strength.
Should I end this blog with an arrogant message to “keep things real?” I am going to stand above that.
December 9, 2021
Capacitor (noun)
Two weeks ago, I passed a grueling test. I work as an Electrical Engineer developing electronics, and, by definition, I do all the usual activities associated with this profession. Unfortunately, this test was designed for IT (computer network) technicians with three or more years of experience. The topics focused on IT basics, network security, system attacks, and computer organizations. Of course, I have no IT training and limited computer networking experience. However, because my work is a government contractor, all employees with computer access needed to pass this test.
The material was super difficult, and I struggled for three solid weeks to grasp the basic concepts. A big part of the studying was learning unfamiliar vocabulary. The hardest part was IT specific acronyms. As I studied, I realized there was more to IT terms than basic definitions.
Let me explain why by taking a dive into my world. In electronics, we use a device called a capacitor. Here is the ten-page Wikipedia article which does a so-so job of describing the topic:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor
The article discusses capacitor history, function, math, and applications. However, I have been working with capacitors for many years, and I know far more about the topic than the information presented. I will further say that reading this page will give electronic beginners a false sense of security. For example, there are many manufactures, and each has multiple product lines. As a result, I could spend over 20 minutes discussing that single aspect with no preparation. Keep in mind that this aspect is not even a technical topic, but it is critical to understand the manufacturing process, people who sell these components, inventory, quality, limitations, price, and specific characters not listed in the datasheets. The Wikipedia entry falls so short in this area, it is laughable.
I am sure a doctor could also spend hours describing scalpels. To me, they are “body knives.” Probably one type? Right? Of course not. They are sophisticated instruments made by many manufactures to accomplish many tasks, and they have an extensive history spanning thousands of years. I am sure a doctor could also spend 20 minutes discussing scalpel manufactures.
All areas of technology, art, science… have specific technical terms with detailed meaning. Simply reading the Wikipedia page will not turn a person into an expert. A person requires years to master their field of interest.
Yet, somehow, I needed to pass the test without years of experience. So, I studied like mad and passed with a minimum margin. The bad news is that I gammed the test and I will have to take it in three years. What does gamming mean? It means that I only learned the narrow test topics. I have no actual network security knowledge. Yet, I have the certificate, proving I have extensive security knowledge. What a sham!
There is a silver lining. I learned some new topics. But I now have a better understanding of how critical technical words are. What about the term blog?
The material was super difficult, and I struggled for three solid weeks to grasp the basic concepts. A big part of the studying was learning unfamiliar vocabulary. The hardest part was IT specific acronyms. As I studied, I realized there was more to IT terms than basic definitions.
Let me explain why by taking a dive into my world. In electronics, we use a device called a capacitor. Here is the ten-page Wikipedia article which does a so-so job of describing the topic:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor
The article discusses capacitor history, function, math, and applications. However, I have been working with capacitors for many years, and I know far more about the topic than the information presented. I will further say that reading this page will give electronic beginners a false sense of security. For example, there are many manufactures, and each has multiple product lines. As a result, I could spend over 20 minutes discussing that single aspect with no preparation. Keep in mind that this aspect is not even a technical topic, but it is critical to understand the manufacturing process, people who sell these components, inventory, quality, limitations, price, and specific characters not listed in the datasheets. The Wikipedia entry falls so short in this area, it is laughable.
I am sure a doctor could also spend hours describing scalpels. To me, they are “body knives.” Probably one type? Right? Of course not. They are sophisticated instruments made by many manufactures to accomplish many tasks, and they have an extensive history spanning thousands of years. I am sure a doctor could also spend 20 minutes discussing scalpel manufactures.
All areas of technology, art, science… have specific technical terms with detailed meaning. Simply reading the Wikipedia page will not turn a person into an expert. A person requires years to master their field of interest.
Yet, somehow, I needed to pass the test without years of experience. So, I studied like mad and passed with a minimum margin. The bad news is that I gammed the test and I will have to take it in three years. What does gamming mean? It means that I only learned the narrow test topics. I have no actual network security knowledge. Yet, I have the certificate, proving I have extensive security knowledge. What a sham!
There is a silver lining. I learned some new topics. But I now have a better understanding of how critical technical words are. What about the term blog?
December 2, 2021
New Author Advice
A friend recently asked me about what it takes to become a successful author. (Like I am an example!) I cautioned the potential wordsmith that this road is long and arduous. As I thought about this negative moment, it occurred to me that I had become jaded. So, I thought it would be a fun exercise to describe the positive aspects of my adventure.
But first, some housekeeping. Authors live in a competitive space with thousands of classic works (which continue to be enormously popular) and hundreds of new books coming out every week. As a result, an unknown author faces tough odds.
My first piece of advice is to develop a long-term plan that begins with a fundamental decision: Are you writing for fun or profit? This is a substantial first step with significant ramifications. I have explained the rest of the writing process in a previous blog:
https://interviewingimmortality.com/b...
My biggest piece of advice is to use outlines:
https://interviewingimmortality.com/b...
Housekeeping done. So, let’s get into the heart-to-heart advice. I feel it is a privilege to write because I get to express my ideas. Someday, I would like to fly a spacecraft. Look at that. I expressed one of my desires to the world. Now, this thought will be digitally stored for all eternity. Quite a powerful concept.
Being an author is empowering, and it is great to see my mental creations come to life. Writing also helps a person speak, organize thoughts and interact with others. After I became an author, I noticed other improvements. I now pay more attention to how people act, talk, write, dress, and think. A whole new side of life opened up.
Writing also helps me organize my thoughts, life, and projects because, as an author, I need to visualize the beginning, middle, and end of a story. In addition, my knowledge of Microsoft Word and vocabulary has dramatically improved. I also have taken an interest in new subject matters. Plus, I consciously and unconsciously examine words, sentences, and paragraphs. This sentence dissection gets me thinking about the author’s intent and choices.
One surprising improvement is more social interaction. To further my marketing attempts, I joined Facebook and made many online friends. They have been supportive, helpful, generous, and understanding. What a fantastic gift! I never would have expected this benefit.
The major downside to being an author is the critics. Haters have to hate, and that is part of life. However, a book is like a child, and we want our children to succeed. It hurts when I see my daughter publicly fail, and a critical review feels the same. Honestly, in the beginning, I did not think this would be an issue. My thought was, “I will write a splendid book, and everybody will love reading it.” Clearly, I was too optimistic. Finally, on this topic, there is a rainbow of critical reviews. Critics can point out true or untrue problems. Why do critics point out nonexistent issues? Sometimes people make mistakes or do not get the point. But a review is public and will be out there forever.
I imagine each author has their own personal frustrations. For me, poor grammar and spelling top my list. However, my writing efforts have dramatically improved my abilities.
My other frustration is marketing. I am not a natural marketer, and the concept of: “Hey, look at me! I wrote a book! Buy it!” Such an activity is not appealing. Yet, I know that to be accepted, I must adopt this mentality. Hence, I coined the phrase, “Writing is 99% marketing and 1% other.”
Other changes are not categorized as good or bad. Writing made me more liberal. Why? Authors must connect with their characters, and to do so, they require compassion. I also spot writing mistakes everywhere. Plus, I critically analyze books and movies. “The plot has to make sense!” Yes, I am referring to the recent James Bond movie. “Why did the villain want to destroy the world? What was his plan to disperse the toxin? How did he pay for his world-ending technology? He somehow got an entire island in contested waters? Why did so many people around him believe in his mad scheme?” The actors were great, but the plot was dismal.
While I have had many setbacks and devoted many hours to my craft, I would say the experience has been rewarding. Would I recommend this path? Hmm. A person needs to understand what they are getting into before jumping into this pool. The odds for success are drastically low, but there are many nontangible rewards. I am glad I undertook this journey, and I am grateful to my four blog readers. This blog was a privilege to write.
But first, some housekeeping. Authors live in a competitive space with thousands of classic works (which continue to be enormously popular) and hundreds of new books coming out every week. As a result, an unknown author faces tough odds.
My first piece of advice is to develop a long-term plan that begins with a fundamental decision: Are you writing for fun or profit? This is a substantial first step with significant ramifications. I have explained the rest of the writing process in a previous blog:
https://interviewingimmortality.com/b...
My biggest piece of advice is to use outlines:
https://interviewingimmortality.com/b...
Housekeeping done. So, let’s get into the heart-to-heart advice. I feel it is a privilege to write because I get to express my ideas. Someday, I would like to fly a spacecraft. Look at that. I expressed one of my desires to the world. Now, this thought will be digitally stored for all eternity. Quite a powerful concept.
Being an author is empowering, and it is great to see my mental creations come to life. Writing also helps a person speak, organize thoughts and interact with others. After I became an author, I noticed other improvements. I now pay more attention to how people act, talk, write, dress, and think. A whole new side of life opened up.
Writing also helps me organize my thoughts, life, and projects because, as an author, I need to visualize the beginning, middle, and end of a story. In addition, my knowledge of Microsoft Word and vocabulary has dramatically improved. I also have taken an interest in new subject matters. Plus, I consciously and unconsciously examine words, sentences, and paragraphs. This sentence dissection gets me thinking about the author’s intent and choices.
One surprising improvement is more social interaction. To further my marketing attempts, I joined Facebook and made many online friends. They have been supportive, helpful, generous, and understanding. What a fantastic gift! I never would have expected this benefit.
The major downside to being an author is the critics. Haters have to hate, and that is part of life. However, a book is like a child, and we want our children to succeed. It hurts when I see my daughter publicly fail, and a critical review feels the same. Honestly, in the beginning, I did not think this would be an issue. My thought was, “I will write a splendid book, and everybody will love reading it.” Clearly, I was too optimistic. Finally, on this topic, there is a rainbow of critical reviews. Critics can point out true or untrue problems. Why do critics point out nonexistent issues? Sometimes people make mistakes or do not get the point. But a review is public and will be out there forever.
I imagine each author has their own personal frustrations. For me, poor grammar and spelling top my list. However, my writing efforts have dramatically improved my abilities.
My other frustration is marketing. I am not a natural marketer, and the concept of: “Hey, look at me! I wrote a book! Buy it!” Such an activity is not appealing. Yet, I know that to be accepted, I must adopt this mentality. Hence, I coined the phrase, “Writing is 99% marketing and 1% other.”
Other changes are not categorized as good or bad. Writing made me more liberal. Why? Authors must connect with their characters, and to do so, they require compassion. I also spot writing mistakes everywhere. Plus, I critically analyze books and movies. “The plot has to make sense!” Yes, I am referring to the recent James Bond movie. “Why did the villain want to destroy the world? What was his plan to disperse the toxin? How did he pay for his world-ending technology? He somehow got an entire island in contested waters? Why did so many people around him believe in his mad scheme?” The actors were great, but the plot was dismal.
While I have had many setbacks and devoted many hours to my craft, I would say the experience has been rewarding. Would I recommend this path? Hmm. A person needs to understand what they are getting into before jumping into this pool. The odds for success are drastically low, but there are many nontangible rewards. I am glad I undertook this journey, and I am grateful to my four blog readers. This blog was a privilege to write.
November 25, 2021
Trope
The term “trope” refers to a word or expression used in a figurative sense. It can also refer to an overused person or movie theme. For example, if a boy liked to skip, a person would say, “Skipping is his trope.” Unfortunately, people often use this term as a putdown similar to cliché. I took a deep blog dive into why I did not like the term cliché here:
https://interviewingimmortality.com/b...
For some reason, the term “trope” has become popular, and reviewers love using it. It is challenging for writers to develop new ideas, and there are only so many plot themes. How many love stories can there be? I can think of five, and if I wrote about #1, a critic would say, “Character A falls in love with poor Character B. Standard love trope. Nothing new.” I would argue that there are fantastic stores with this “trope.” The moves Titanic, Overboard, Pretty in Pink, and The Notebook all come to mind.
Writing experts did not initially mean trope to be a putdown. It was supposed to be a technical writing term. For example, “In the third scene, we see the love trope coming into play.” However, the meaning has negatively transformed. I wish people were more considerate and would stop bashing writers. Yet, there have to be critics, and there are many works that need a good bashing.
Do I wish the term trope would disappear? It would be nice if this term slipped back into obscurity. With that in mind, I would appreciate it if my four blog readers would not point out my blog trope.
https://interviewingimmortality.com/b...
For some reason, the term “trope” has become popular, and reviewers love using it. It is challenging for writers to develop new ideas, and there are only so many plot themes. How many love stories can there be? I can think of five, and if I wrote about #1, a critic would say, “Character A falls in love with poor Character B. Standard love trope. Nothing new.” I would argue that there are fantastic stores with this “trope.” The moves Titanic, Overboard, Pretty in Pink, and The Notebook all come to mind.
Writing experts did not initially mean trope to be a putdown. It was supposed to be a technical writing term. For example, “In the third scene, we see the love trope coming into play.” However, the meaning has negatively transformed. I wish people were more considerate and would stop bashing writers. Yet, there have to be critics, and there are many works that need a good bashing.
Do I wish the term trope would disappear? It would be nice if this term slipped back into obscurity. With that in mind, I would appreciate it if my four blog readers would not point out my blog trope.
November 17, 2021
Pre-Outlines
Three years ago, I began using outlines to develop plots for my books. They improved the story and saved countless hours. However, I recently ran into a problem. One of my plots contained a logic issue. This plot uncovered a spy ring and then closed it down.
The issue was that an investigator made a discovery, but the logic behind the investigation was nonexistent. To solve my problem, I reverted to what I now call a “pre-outline.” I used Visio to visualize and organize the key plot concepts. Of course, a person could also use a whiteboard or paper, but I am a computer geek. Or, I am saving the world one sheet of paper at a time! Did you buy that argument? No? Let’s stay with the computer geek concept.
I start by breaking down the fundamental plot elements into single sentences. I then put each one into a block, which is linearly set up to follow the story. This technique allows me to see the big (plot) picture unfolding. As a result, I see errors and can make massive plot changes. Once the story makes sense, I change (or create) the outline to follow the pre-outline.
I solved another problem using a pre-outline. My plot was too short. So, I added more blocks and then updated the outline. I could make these major changes with confidence because I saw clearly saw all the story elements.
What does a pre-outline look like? Here is a super-basic one for the movie Star Wars:
Space battle, princess captured, robots escape with space station plans.
Robots captured, find the main character.
The main character, mentor, and pilot escape with robots.
The main character convinces the pilot to rescue the princess from the space station.
Rescue succeeds, mentor dies,
Use robot-provided plans to develop a minimal ship attach plan.
As you can see, there are no details. However, the author (or screenwriter) can focus on the fundamental elements without all that fluff. Let’s introduce a problem:
Space battle, princess captured, robots escape.
Robots captured, find the main character.
The main character, mentor, and pilot escape with robots.
The main character convinces the pilot to rescue the princess from the space station.
Rescue succeeds, mentor dies.
Attack space station with a few ships.
Hmm. How can a few ships attack an enormous space station? Let’s think of a solution. Ah. We could use the space station plans to determine an attack. Now things make sense, and we can write a full outline.
Pre-outlines have proven so helpful that I began three books with them. Of course, my pre-outlines are more detailed than my Star Wars example. In addition, I add notes (plot hints.) These keep me focused on the plot but explain transitions.
A person could also “connect the dots” and draw lines between the plot elements rather than a linear style. While this might be more visual, I do not work this way. My mind and plots need to be linear. Therefore, visualizing my plots left, right, or back makes little sense to me.
Is there a downside to this method? I suppose plots developed from pre-outlines would be more linear and logical. A leads to B, leads… Perhaps such plots are less exciting and monotonous. However, a talented author should be able to use this technique as a tool. Not all plots have to be complex. The pre-outline goal is to eliminate fundamental outline errors. The secondary goal is to rapidly visualize the whole story.
Recently, I discussed this topic with another author, and they do not use pre-outlines or outlines. The author prefers to think up a story and write. I started without outlines, which used to seem logical. Writing should be an organic process, and outlines follow a scientific/logical approach. Yet, my early plots had issues that an outline or pre-outline would have identified.
Do I blog with pre-outlines? Sort of. I have a list of topics and notes for future blogs. They are one or two sentences. As I blog, I sometimes update these future ideas, which refine the subject. Then, when I feel confident about a topic, I write up a blog. As a result, I avoided poor topics and wrote more robust blogs. This technique has saved my four blog readers from the random junk floating in my mind.
The issue was that an investigator made a discovery, but the logic behind the investigation was nonexistent. To solve my problem, I reverted to what I now call a “pre-outline.” I used Visio to visualize and organize the key plot concepts. Of course, a person could also use a whiteboard or paper, but I am a computer geek. Or, I am saving the world one sheet of paper at a time! Did you buy that argument? No? Let’s stay with the computer geek concept.
I start by breaking down the fundamental plot elements into single sentences. I then put each one into a block, which is linearly set up to follow the story. This technique allows me to see the big (plot) picture unfolding. As a result, I see errors and can make massive plot changes. Once the story makes sense, I change (or create) the outline to follow the pre-outline.
I solved another problem using a pre-outline. My plot was too short. So, I added more blocks and then updated the outline. I could make these major changes with confidence because I saw clearly saw all the story elements.
What does a pre-outline look like? Here is a super-basic one for the movie Star Wars:
Space battle, princess captured, robots escape with space station plans.
Robots captured, find the main character.
The main character, mentor, and pilot escape with robots.
The main character convinces the pilot to rescue the princess from the space station.
Rescue succeeds, mentor dies,
Use robot-provided plans to develop a minimal ship attach plan.
As you can see, there are no details. However, the author (or screenwriter) can focus on the fundamental elements without all that fluff. Let’s introduce a problem:
Space battle, princess captured, robots escape.
Robots captured, find the main character.
The main character, mentor, and pilot escape with robots.
The main character convinces the pilot to rescue the princess from the space station.
Rescue succeeds, mentor dies.
Attack space station with a few ships.
Hmm. How can a few ships attack an enormous space station? Let’s think of a solution. Ah. We could use the space station plans to determine an attack. Now things make sense, and we can write a full outline.
Pre-outlines have proven so helpful that I began three books with them. Of course, my pre-outlines are more detailed than my Star Wars example. In addition, I add notes (plot hints.) These keep me focused on the plot but explain transitions.
A person could also “connect the dots” and draw lines between the plot elements rather than a linear style. While this might be more visual, I do not work this way. My mind and plots need to be linear. Therefore, visualizing my plots left, right, or back makes little sense to me.
Is there a downside to this method? I suppose plots developed from pre-outlines would be more linear and logical. A leads to B, leads… Perhaps such plots are less exciting and monotonous. However, a talented author should be able to use this technique as a tool. Not all plots have to be complex. The pre-outline goal is to eliminate fundamental outline errors. The secondary goal is to rapidly visualize the whole story.
Recently, I discussed this topic with another author, and they do not use pre-outlines or outlines. The author prefers to think up a story and write. I started without outlines, which used to seem logical. Writing should be an organic process, and outlines follow a scientific/logical approach. Yet, my early plots had issues that an outline or pre-outline would have identified.
Do I blog with pre-outlines? Sort of. I have a list of topics and notes for future blogs. They are one or two sentences. As I blog, I sometimes update these future ideas, which refine the subject. Then, when I feel confident about a topic, I write up a blog. As a result, I avoided poor topics and wrote more robust blogs. This technique has saved my four blog readers from the random junk floating in my mind.
November 10, 2021
Writing Again!
I spent the last two years in an editing loop because I changed my dialog integration style, the grammar checkers improved, and I understood my writing ticks. But, of course, these improvements did not reveal themselves all at once, which required re-editing. Girrr. Was it worth the effort? Sure, but I wish I had those skills at the beginning.
I recently edited my fifth book to the level where my beta reader (mom) could look it over. This milestone allowed me to write my sixth book. However, the outline had a significant issue with the central plot. It would have been a 1-2 year disaster if I started without an outline. So, I worked on the outline until it became useable.
Unfortunately, the first step was painful. I needed to write a prequel summary. Summaries are challenging to write because they can drone on without being lively. This is because there are big writing traps like: This happened, then this happened, but this happened, then this happened… Bad summaries read like a 70s car that keeps running after the driver turned the key off (dieseling.)
It took three days to complete the summary, and then the magic began. The writing felt terrific, and my solid outline made the process easy. Words leaped onto my screen, and I created exciting dialog. Once again, I brought characters to life and could think about their actions. Issues resolved themselves, and I could not wait until the next sentence.
The experience felt engaging and rewarding. Every day, I could not wait to get back to my keyboard and type. However, in chapter three, I noticed an issue. I had trimmed the outline so much to make a fluid plot that my book would be too short. Yikes!
So, I went back to the outline, added plot, and continued to write. Then, in chapter four, I uncovered a logic issue. I failed to provide a character’s motivation, and the plot made little sense. Yikes! Again, I used Visio to visualize the plot. It took a week to iron out. And then, the magic happened again. The words flew off my keyboard and continued to flow.
This experience again allowed me to appreciate how lucky I am to have a modest writing gift. And yes, it was a pleasure and a privilege writing this blog.
I recently edited my fifth book to the level where my beta reader (mom) could look it over. This milestone allowed me to write my sixth book. However, the outline had a significant issue with the central plot. It would have been a 1-2 year disaster if I started without an outline. So, I worked on the outline until it became useable.
Unfortunately, the first step was painful. I needed to write a prequel summary. Summaries are challenging to write because they can drone on without being lively. This is because there are big writing traps like: This happened, then this happened, but this happened, then this happened… Bad summaries read like a 70s car that keeps running after the driver turned the key off (dieseling.)
It took three days to complete the summary, and then the magic began. The writing felt terrific, and my solid outline made the process easy. Words leaped onto my screen, and I created exciting dialog. Once again, I brought characters to life and could think about their actions. Issues resolved themselves, and I could not wait until the next sentence.
The experience felt engaging and rewarding. Every day, I could not wait to get back to my keyboard and type. However, in chapter three, I noticed an issue. I had trimmed the outline so much to make a fluid plot that my book would be too short. Yikes!
So, I went back to the outline, added plot, and continued to write. Then, in chapter four, I uncovered a logic issue. I failed to provide a character’s motivation, and the plot made little sense. Yikes! Again, I used Visio to visualize the plot. It took a week to iron out. And then, the magic happened again. The words flew off my keyboard and continued to flow.
This experience again allowed me to appreciate how lucky I am to have a modest writing gift. And yes, it was a pleasure and a privilege writing this blog.
November 4, 2021
Prologs
Most fictional novels have a prolog at the beginning, which is text copied from a later chapter. This preview provides the reader with a sample plot and writing style. Its purpose is to entice, which is essentially advertising. This is a good thing. Right?
I HATE reading prologs, and I would never put one in my book. First off, they confuse the reader by suddenly introducing names, events, actions, and concepts without explanation. Second, prologs do not contain any backstory, which makes them confusing. Plus, PROLOGS’S SPOIL THE PLOT. All regular stories have a beginning, middle, and end. Not a middle, beginning, middle, and end.
Alright, my rant is over, but I concede prologs are in ~70% of the fictional novels. How do authors select which part of their book to become a prolog? That is a tough choice. The section must have a balance of action, plot, and dialog. Yet, the prolog should not reveal essential plot elements, and it needs to be generic enough for an inexperienced reader to understand. Once selected, the author needs to “dumb down” that section so that an uninformed reader can clearly understand the contents. Unfortunately, the result is that this section no longer matches the writing style in the other parts of the book.
I do not know who invented prologs or why they are popular. Most books allow readers to view the first chapter online, and treader can read the book blurb. This activity should give the reader a good feel for what the book is about, and therefore a prolog is unnecessary.
The three sequels I am presently writing include a summary of the last book to remind the reader about the previous plot. Experienced readers may wish to skip this section. I like this approach because it gradually introduces the reader to the plot. Yet, few books use this technique. However, I have read at least 20 books with sample chapters of the next book at the end. Therefore, this is a better enticement or advertising technique.
I find it amusing we can only find prologs in fictional books. However, some documents have full content summaries or conclusions at the beginning, but this is a specific concept for technical papers. So why are prologs only found in fictional books? You can probably see that answer in a philosophy book prolog.
I HATE reading prologs, and I would never put one in my book. First off, they confuse the reader by suddenly introducing names, events, actions, and concepts without explanation. Second, prologs do not contain any backstory, which makes them confusing. Plus, PROLOGS’S SPOIL THE PLOT. All regular stories have a beginning, middle, and end. Not a middle, beginning, middle, and end.
Alright, my rant is over, but I concede prologs are in ~70% of the fictional novels. How do authors select which part of their book to become a prolog? That is a tough choice. The section must have a balance of action, plot, and dialog. Yet, the prolog should not reveal essential plot elements, and it needs to be generic enough for an inexperienced reader to understand. Once selected, the author needs to “dumb down” that section so that an uninformed reader can clearly understand the contents. Unfortunately, the result is that this section no longer matches the writing style in the other parts of the book.
I do not know who invented prologs or why they are popular. Most books allow readers to view the first chapter online, and treader can read the book blurb. This activity should give the reader a good feel for what the book is about, and therefore a prolog is unnecessary.
The three sequels I am presently writing include a summary of the last book to remind the reader about the previous plot. Experienced readers may wish to skip this section. I like this approach because it gradually introduces the reader to the plot. Yet, few books use this technique. However, I have read at least 20 books with sample chapters of the next book at the end. Therefore, this is a better enticement or advertising technique.
I find it amusing we can only find prologs in fictional books. However, some documents have full content summaries or conclusions at the beginning, but this is a specific concept for technical papers. So why are prologs only found in fictional books? You can probably see that answer in a philosophy book prolog.
October 27, 2021
Pontificate
I try to be a kind person and better my life. However, sometimes people deserve a “push” to “encourage proper behavior.” While I try to avoid harmful activities, I occasionally lose my temper.
My positive outlook is prevalent in my writing, which means my good characters have open minds and do the right thing. Granted, one of my heroes is heading down the wrong path. But he admits his faults and feels terrible about his destructive actions. Likewise, my villains are not too evil, and their negative motivations are clear.
The overall goal of an author is for their readers to enjoy their creations. To accomplish this, I spend hours editing, developing the plot, and formatting. But what could I have done to make my work more difficult? How about a topic that is offensive or irrelevant? I could also forgo editing. That would undoubtedly make my works less appealing. How about doing something good that is actually bad?
I could impress my four blog readers with my outstanding vocabulary. Yes, I could spin a pontification of verbal delight. Spellbinding my proponents with superior linguistic enchantment. To that, I say poppycock.
I dislike intentionally flowery sentences. Other writers intentionally use their linguistic skills to impress or intimidate their readers. (They scare readers into thinking the work is high-brow because the reader’s vocabulary is lacking.) I find this writing behavior to be arrogant, and the results anger readers. This activity results in lost sales, which is bad for all authors.
What about a technical or legal book/article/paper? Authors loaded such documents with specific terms rarely used in normal speech. However, that type of language is to be expected because of the document type, and, understandably, an inexperienced reader will find these documents difficult.
Why don’t we (society) use “pontificate” more often? Readers and writers have more accepted/universal/appropriate words. Who makes this choice? Evolution? Automated grammar checkers? Students? Newspaper editors? Popular culture? Teachers? Writers? The global English-speaking blob? Hard to say, but we universally choose not to use that word, and here is the proof:
https://en.lexipedia.org/
That list revealed, “the” is #1, and pontificate is #50,705 out of 2,923,835 words. (Note: that many of the words after 100,000 are nonsense. IE computer-generated junk or common misspellings.) FYI, bill is #914. Not too bad:)
The true power of a writer shows up in their word choices. Each sentence should stand out as a perfect gem that ties in with the last sentence, conveys a solid concept, and leads readers to the following sentence. There are no extra words and concepts effortlessly flow into the reader's minds. How? 99.999% of the time, readers can understand each word without a dictionary because there is no pontification to consider. See? That sentence tripped you up even though you knew I would try something silly like that.
My positive outlook is prevalent in my writing, which means my good characters have open minds and do the right thing. Granted, one of my heroes is heading down the wrong path. But he admits his faults and feels terrible about his destructive actions. Likewise, my villains are not too evil, and their negative motivations are clear.
The overall goal of an author is for their readers to enjoy their creations. To accomplish this, I spend hours editing, developing the plot, and formatting. But what could I have done to make my work more difficult? How about a topic that is offensive or irrelevant? I could also forgo editing. That would undoubtedly make my works less appealing. How about doing something good that is actually bad?
I could impress my four blog readers with my outstanding vocabulary. Yes, I could spin a pontification of verbal delight. Spellbinding my proponents with superior linguistic enchantment. To that, I say poppycock.
I dislike intentionally flowery sentences. Other writers intentionally use their linguistic skills to impress or intimidate their readers. (They scare readers into thinking the work is high-brow because the reader’s vocabulary is lacking.) I find this writing behavior to be arrogant, and the results anger readers. This activity results in lost sales, which is bad for all authors.
What about a technical or legal book/article/paper? Authors loaded such documents with specific terms rarely used in normal speech. However, that type of language is to be expected because of the document type, and, understandably, an inexperienced reader will find these documents difficult.
Why don’t we (society) use “pontificate” more often? Readers and writers have more accepted/universal/appropriate words. Who makes this choice? Evolution? Automated grammar checkers? Students? Newspaper editors? Popular culture? Teachers? Writers? The global English-speaking blob? Hard to say, but we universally choose not to use that word, and here is the proof:
https://en.lexipedia.org/
That list revealed, “the” is #1, and pontificate is #50,705 out of 2,923,835 words. (Note: that many of the words after 100,000 are nonsense. IE computer-generated junk or common misspellings.) FYI, bill is #914. Not too bad:)
The true power of a writer shows up in their word choices. Each sentence should stand out as a perfect gem that ties in with the last sentence, conveys a solid concept, and leads readers to the following sentence. There are no extra words and concepts effortlessly flow into the reader's minds. How? 99.999% of the time, readers can understand each word without a dictionary because there is no pontification to consider. See? That sentence tripped you up even though you knew I would try something silly like that.
