Leon Stevens's Blog, page 121
December 2, 2021
Thursday Thoughts: A Book About Nothing (contains spoilers)
Now that NaNoWriMo is over, I have time to reflect on the process of writing a book. I am reminded by this iconic scene in pop culture:
[Two men sit across from each other drinking coffee in a diner]
“This should be the show.”
“What should?”
“This.”
“Just talking?”
“Just talking.”
“About what?”
“About nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“Nothing.”
“You want to do a show about nothing?”
“Everybody’s doing something. We’ll do nothing.”
It never is about nothing, though. Even the most mundane events are something, but who wants to watch or read about mundane events? (I see that no one has their hands raised.)
When writing fiction, something has to happen. And not just one thing. In The Lord of the Rings, the trip was not uneventful. They were chased, attacked, pursued, captured, and trapped. They needed to venture through caves, haunted woods, got caught in snow and floods, and fought their way through armies. It was one thing after another, and it felt like the whole Middle Earth was against them*. And they only lost one, and he wasn’t even part of the original group. Pretty good story, huh?
[inaudible]
What’s that?
[inaudible]
They lost two? Well, you can’t count Gandalf—
[inaudible]
Because.
[inaudible]
Just because. It’s magic.
[inaudible]
Then don’t read it then.
[inaudible]
No need for that language…
The reader has already bought into the premise that the characters will encounter difficulties and problems they will have to solve to survive. That’s why they are reading your story, right? Your characters have to get into jams—and out of them. If they don’t, the story ends.
Things have to happen on a regular basis. Too much time between events or not enough suspense will lose a reader. Too many in a row will exhaust them (The Fast and Furious, anyone). How many crises is too many to have on an adventure? And if your protagonists keep finding ways to solve them, does it become unbelievable? There is a fine line between believable and ridiculous —even when you suspend your disbelief.
When it comes to believability, science fiction has the majority of nit-pickers. There are great writers who research and employ experts in order to get the science (or potential science) right. I don’t write technical science fiction. I don’t enjoy reading overly technical stuff either and I’ll skim over those parts. So, how do I explain my technology to a reader?
Q: “How does your Faster-Than-Light drive work?”
A: “You press the green button.”
Q: “Then?”
A: “You get there fast.”
How many times do read read about or watch a main character dangle precariously off a cliff or building and still feel tense, knowing that they are going to get out of this alive . . . or will they**? Can you kill off a main character? Sure, but you have to do it in a way that moves the story forward—and not in the first chapter.
Also, have all the good (and bad) tropes been used***? Is there anything truly original or is everything just a variation of a previous story. I found myself having to go back and change something I previously wrote because I’ve read a published book with the same idea. The same book that’s now in the hands of my editor. Yeah, there’s stuff in there that I swear I thought up all on my own. Really.
Readers read to escape. Writers write for much the same reason and to entertain, of course. You can’t entertain with a book about nothing, can you?.
-Leon
*Spoiler alert: It was
**Spoiler alert #2: They do.
***Spoiler alert #3: Yes
Leon Stevens is a blogger, composer, artist, and an author of three books (so far): Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures, Journeys: Eight Original Pieces for Classical Guitar and The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories.
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December 1, 2021
Weird Wednesday: The Very First One
19 511
I did alright this month. [pats self on back]
NaNoWriMo is over (whew!). I wrote more than I did last year, and I use it as some extra motivation to be more diligent in my writing. What did I work on, you ask?
Well, last year, I started a novel which wound up being a novella, using the short story, The View from Here as a starting point. When I wrote that story, I wanted to leave it open ended, not that I was planning on continuing it, but because I think that some short stories should leave that reader wondering, which many of mine do.
Anyway, it took me 7 months to complete it, and a few more to reread and revise before sending it off to my editor, Doreen. I just received it yesterday (Monday), so I’m reviewing her changes (oh, those comma rules and split infinitives) and suggestions.
That story could stand on it’s own, but I got to thinking about what Thomas and April might be up to, so when I began to plan my next story, they needed to be part of it.
Stay tuned for an ARC of my latest book (title TBA), and of my new poetry collection, A Wonder of Words. You can contact me if you would like to be an advance reader/reviewer. There’s an email link at the bottom of the page.
My mind was elsewhere this week, so here is the final look back for a while:
https://linesbyleon.com/2020/12/16/weird-wednesday/
I forgot to reset my price so the paperback will be on sale for about 24 hoursMy newsletter goes out on Wednesdays:
Lines by Leon Newsletter: December 1
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Leon Stevens is a blogger, composer, artist, and an author of three books (so far): Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures, Journeys: Eight Original Pieces for Classical Guitar and The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories.
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November 30, 2021
NaNoWriMo Last Day: Yikes! Better get a move on.
I use the NaNoWriMo site to update my progress. It does keep track of many different statistics:
Hey, I did have a few good days.
January? My last novella* took 6 months. This one in 3? I’ll take it.
I was close on Day 1
Yikes! But I did write 330 words this morningOK. Back to work, only 31248 left to go . . .
*Speaking of my last novella, I did receive it back from my editor, so I have to start reviewing that one as well.
Leon Stevens is a blogger, composer, artist, and an author of three books (so far): Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures, Journeys: Eight Original Pieces for Classical Guitar and The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories.
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November 29, 2021
Music Monday: Songs You Might Want to Hear
NaNoWriMo Totals to Date: 17 810 words, 27 cups of coffee, one cup of Earl Grey, one cup of tea (unknown), two glasses of Rum & Coke, one glass of cabernet, one pint cream ale, and a half-pint of a Session IPA.
There is a radio show on CBC here in Canada that occasionally does a feature called SYNTH: Songs You Need To Hear.
Now, I can’t say to someone, “You’ll like this song” (or book for that matter) because I can’t presume that others will share my taste in music (or books), so it is safer to say, “You might like this” and if they don’t like it, so be it.
Maybe you will find a new favorite.
Some might think my focus is on Canadian artists. It is not intentional, but those are the ones that may not be heard elsewhere and deserve a shot at other listeners.
Donavan Woods is another in that category.
Are any of these people Donovan Woods*?-Leon
*It may surprise you, but he’s in there. Yup. He’s the guy that looks like a lumberjack. Welcome to Canada, eh?.
Black Friday/Cyber Monday Update
Last dayAvailable @ my Zazzle store: Lines by Leon
Leon Stevens is a blogger, composer, artist, and an author of three books (so far): Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures, Journeys: Eight Original Pieces for Classical Guitar and The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories.
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November 28, 2021
Short and Sweet Sunday
NaNoWriMo Totals to Date: 17 190 words, 27 cups of coffee, one cup of Earl Grey, one cup of tea (unknown), two glasses of Rum & Coke, one glass of cabernet, one pint cream ale, and a half-pint of a Session IPA.
Two days left:
US and UK for Kindle price. All other regions have the paperback priceLeon Stevens is a blogger, composer, artist, and an author of three books (so far): Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures, Journeys: Eight Original Pieces for Classical Guitar and The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories.
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November 27, 2021
Weekend Wrap-up Nov. 27
NaNoWriMo Totals to Date: 16 664 words (17 264 if you count the forward that I wrote and and some duplicate paragraphs I found lurking at the bottom of the word doc.), 26 cups of coffee, one cup of Earl Grey, one cup of tea (unknown), two glasses of Rum & Coke, one glass of cabernet, and a half-pint of a Session IPA.
Am I happy with my novella progress? Yeah.
From my blog this week:Short Story Sunday: Well, short, short stories. – I took a few moments to pen this humorous tidbit
Music Monday: Songs You Might Want to Hear – Like Canadian musicians? We got lots. Here’s another one.
Black Friday Stuff and my latest interview: In Conversation With Author Effie Kammenou
From the blogs of other’s:https://spinesinaline.wordpress.com/2021/11/26/mini-reviews-more-poetry/-Leon
US and UK for Kindle price. All other regions have the paperback priceLeon Stevens is a blogger, composer, artist, and an author of three books (so far): Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures, Journeys: Eight Original Pieces for Classical Guitar and The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories.
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November 26, 2021
Black Friday Stuff and my latest interview: In Conversation With Author Effie Kammenou
NaNoWriMo Totals to Date: 16 120 words, 25 cups of coffee, one cup of Earl Grey, one cup of tea (unknown), two glasses of Rum & Coke, one glass cabernet, and a half pint of Session IPA.
In Conversation With Author Effie Kammenou
About the interviews:
When I published my first book, I looked for ways to reach new readers, and being a brand new author, participating in various book bloggers interviews was a good way to start. Some interviews were standard questions, while others had more individuality built into them.
I then did a twist on the author interview by interviewing myself (Leon Interviews Himself). I then thought it would be fun to get to know some of the authors I was cross-promoting with, and the Friday Conversations were born. Guess what? They are a lot of work. I look up the authors information, visit the website so I can craft a unique set of questions (OK, there are a few standard ones) to let my readership get to know these new authors. Worth the work? You bet. Here is today’s conversation:
Effie Kammenou is a first-generation Greek-American who lives on Long Island with her husband and two daughters. When she’s not writing or posting recipes on her food blog, aptly named cheffies kitchen, you can find her entertaining family and friends or traveling for ‘research.’ In 2015, three years after the death of her mother from pancreatic cancer, she published her debut novel, Evanthia’s Gift, book one in a women’s fiction, multigenerational love story and family saga, inspired by her mother and her Greek heritage.
She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theater Arts from Hofstra University.
Today I have the pleasure of sitting down with author Effie Kammenou. Thanks for stopping by.
It’s my pleasure, Leon. Thank you for having me.
Beverage of choice?
That depends on the time of say. Vanilla latte in the morning. Water or iced tea for the rest of the day. A cup of hot tea at night. But if we’re out for the night, a glass of rosé.
Let pretend it’s evening. I won’t pass up a chance for a glass of wine.
Sounds nice. Cheers or as we say in Greek, Yamas – to our health!
[sounds of clinking glasses]
Your books are highly rated on Goodreads. Ever get a bad review?
Yes, I’ve received a couple. Fortunately, only a couple. One even brought me a spike in sales. How did the reviewers phrase it? ‘It was a shame because the writing was pretty good, but between the cursing, sex, and vulgarity, this book should have come with a warning.’
How did you deal with it?
I laughed! My books are far from vulgar or sex-driven. Curse words are used by a few characters when appropriate. Sex scenes are tasteful and between people who love each other deeply. But sex sells, and I had a spike in sales that week. Bad reviews can be good, too!
That is a pretty good selling point for some. My 1-star review said, “Boring stories. Nothing interesting happens.” No spike in sales with that one!
You can’t make everyone happy. Let is roll off your back. I was told early on that some bad reviews are actually good. It gives validity to all the good reviews. That way, readers won’t think your book is only being reviewed by friends and family.
Your exactly right. It did hurt a bit at first, but I got over it.
Which book are you most proud of?
It will always be my first, Evanthia’s Gift, for several reasons. It was an accomplishment I never thought I’d reach. I had a story in the back of my head that kept growing in my imagination. It was always just a thought—a maybe someday idea. But then my mother died in 2012, and the impact was devastating on our whole family. I had expanded the story to make it a generational saga. My late mother was the inspiration for one of the main characters and my way of honoring her and our Greek heritage.
I like that gesture. It’s heartfelt. Who is your target audience, and how do you reach them?
My niche audience is the Greek reading community. I would be nowhere without them. They continue to be loyal and supportive to this day. But I don’t just market to Greeks. My books are women’s fiction and contemporary romance novels, and I target readers who prefer those genres. Since the books are generational and feature main characters from their teens to their elder years, women of all ages have reached out to me regarding how relatable the story was.
It takes me a while to finish a book because I usually fall asleep after a few pages at bedtime. Are you an avid reader?
I was more of an avid reader before I started writing. With a day job, family responsibilities, and writing my own books, it’s hard to find the time to read as much as I’d like. My solution to that has been audiobooks. I listen to them while I drive, cook, and do chores.
I can’t do audiobooks. Tried it. Didn’t care for them.
You are of Greek ancestry. Does it bother you when people mispronounce gyro?
Ah, the gyro. With the way it’s spelled, I don’t blame Americans. This is what it looks like in Greek: γύρο. That letter that looks like a y is gamma. But it’s not a hard g. It’s g and y together formed in the back of the throat. Perhaps, if the English spelling dropped the g, it wouldn’t be as mispronounced. And that’s your Greek lesson of the day!
I suppose its that same way with Vietnamese “Pho”.
Yes! That’s another understandable common mistake.
Mother’s and Grandmothers always make the best food. Who is the better cook—you don’t have to answer if it will get you in trouble…
OMG! I don’t dare say me over my mother. A lightning bolt will come and strike me down. LOL. The traditional recipes I make are hers, so …
I always ask my guests about music. Any favorites?
Classic rock and disco. During my high school years, I listened to rock and all those great singers/songwriters. But once I got to college, I discovered the nightclubs, and it was all over. I love good classic disco. I also like some of today’s music.
Let’s speed things up a bit and go to the lightning round, shall we?
Sure!
What’s the difference between a spatula and a flipper?
You know I write a food blog, right?
Just checking. There’s a bit of debate with some acquaintances. I know the answer…
A spatula is a flat rubber or silicone tool used to lift food from bowls or mix ingredients. A flipper removes food from a pan or flips burgers, omelets, and such.
Paper or Plastic?
Paper
Poolside or beach?
Though I live on an island, I prefer my backyard pool. No sand, seaweed, or jellyfish.
Favorite city?
Do I have to have a favorite? I’m a New Yorker, and I’ve always loved NYC. But each city has its own charm and draw. I adore Paris, Athens, and Rome.
Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy?
Jeopardy
Is Effie short for something?
Efthemia. It’s a commonly used Greek name. Our tradition is to name after the grandparents and both my grandmothers carried that name.
What is the Pythagorean formula (the triangle one)?
Are you kidding? It’s been 45 years since I took geometry.
No. I’m not kidding. Minus 10 points.
So harsh! Taking a stab at it, doesn’t it have something to do with the degree of each angle of a triangle equalling the total area? If not, I want at least 5 points back for trying.
Sure, take the 5.
This has been fun, but we must wrap it up. Any links you wish to add?
Thank you. It’s been fun chatting!
Bookbub
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/effie-kammenou
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/EffieKammenou/
Twitter
https://twitter.com/EffieKammenou
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/effiekammenou_author/
Food blog
https://cheffieskitchen.wordpress.com
Newsletter Sign up
https://www.subscribepage.com/effiekammenou
Website
http://effiekammenou.com
The story behind Free Book Friday:
I’ve met many authors and readers during my time marketing, cross-promoting, and blogging. I think writers have a responsibility to inform readers about all the indie authors out there in the very crowded world of book publishing. You can’t do it alone, and why would you when you have a supportive group available?
Readers don’t just read one author – they stick with their favorite genres. There lies the power in cross-promotion. If one of my readers buys a book from an author I promote, then chances are there will be a reciprocal effect, or so is the hope. Do I want to boost sales? Of course I do. Do I want to boost other’s sales? Why not. It’s called karma.
Black Friday Begins Today!
US and UK for Kindle price. All other regions have the paperback priceNew BookFunnel and StoryOrigin Promos
StoryOrigin
BookFunnel50% on all products in my Zazzle store as well!
50% off all products in my Zazzle store!Leon Stevens is a blogger, composer, artist, and an author of three books (so far): Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures, Journeys: Eight Original Pieces for Classical Guitar and The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories.
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November 25, 2021
Thursday Thoughts: Attention Span
I recently came across a recent study that said most people lose interest when reading online articles after about twenty-five to thirty words. With the prevalence of many online platforms offering shorter
-Leon
NaNoWriMo Totals to Date: 15 845 words**, 24 cups of coffee, one cup of Earl Grey, one cup of tea (unknown), two glasses of Rum & Coke, one glass cabernet, and a half pint of Session IPA.
The paperback is actually on sale right now.Leon Stevens is a blogger, composer, artist, and an author of three books (so far): Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures, Journeys: Eight Original Pieces for Classical Guitar and The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories.
Purchase paperback directly for the author!Not ready to purchase yet?
Sign up for my newsletter and receive a free eBook of your choice.
Oh, pick me!
C’mon, space stuff!
November 24, 2021
Weird Wednesday
The paperback is actually on sale right now.Amazon only allows me to discount my Kindle version on the US and UK sites. Why? I have no idea. But, maybe check in your region on Friday—maybe they had a change of heart*.
NaNoWriMo Totals to Date: 15 380 words**, 23 cups of coffee, one cup of Earl Grey, one cup of tea (unknown), two glasses of Rum & Coke, one glass cabernet, and a half pint of Session IPA.
CartoonsThe Untitled
The Miniscules: The Very Latest One.
My newsletter goes out on Wednesdays:
Lines by Leon Newsletter: November 24
*HA! I say. HA! You’re so funny Leon…
**Bonus points if you noticed that I didn’t write anything yesterday.
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Leon Stevens is a blogger, composer, artist, and an author of three books (so far): Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures, Journeys: Eight Original Pieces for Classical Guitar and The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories.
Purchase paperback directly for the author!Not ready to purchase yet?
Sign up for my newsletter and receive a free eBook of your choice.
Oh, pick me!
C’mon, space stuff!
November 23, 2021
Time Machine Tuesday: Lists
NNaNoWriMo Totals to Date: 15 380 words, 22 cups of coffee, one cup of Earl Grey, one cup of tea (unknown), two glasses of Rum & Coke, one glass cabernet, and a half pint of Session IPA.
Just a short one from about a year ago:
https://linesbyleon.com/2020/12/27/i-am-not-going-to-write-a-list/-Leon
Leon Stevens is a blogger, composer, artist, and an author of three books (so far): Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures, Journeys: Eight Original Pieces for Classical Guitar and The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories.
Purchase paperback directly for the author!Not ready to purchase yet?
Sign up for my newsletter and receive a free eBook of your choice.
Oh, pick me!
C’mon, space stuff!
