Ryan Field's Blog, page 513
December 15, 2011
Another Reason Why I Love My Kobo E-Reader...
This really isn't my bathroom (mine is nicer, with nicer towels and marble, and I'd rather wear white after labor day than put those bathroom rugs down around my commode). I swiped this on facebook. And I don't know who took the shot. But it would be hard to admit an e-reader doesn't beat this mess.
New Year's Resolutions: Writing a New Book
If you're making a New Year's resolution this year to write a new book, this article might help. I swiped the link from an agent's blog, but I don't think she'll mind.
The article gets into "formula," which I strongly believe in...because it works.
I like articles like this because they help motivate people in more than one way. I'm making my own New Year's resolution next month and I'm determined to follow it through.
For the most part, I'm usually good with New Year's resolutions and I think it's because I try to keep them realistic. This time it might be a little more difficult. Even though I have over eighty-five published works floating around out there, I've always wanted to write something for the mainstream/commercial market. Something along the lines of The Nanny Diaries, with commercial potential, and at least one or two LGBT characters. I'm still working on the basic storyline. So we'll see what happens. And I'll be doing this in my spare time, because I have a lot of m/m romance projects already lined up until at least next July.
When it's finished, it should be interesting to see how it's received by mainstream agents and publishers. So far, no one in the mainstream, from my experience, has ever been interested in anything LGBT unless it exploits or sensationalizes. This, I don't think, is discrimination. "They" just don't think LGBT material will sell. I'm sure I'll have more than a few posts on that topic.
And, if it isn't received well, you can be damn sure I'll be putting on my self-publishing cap and forging ahead faster than a steam roller on my own.
But check out the web site I linked to. It's a good read, and extremely motivational.
The article gets into "formula," which I strongly believe in...because it works.
I like articles like this because they help motivate people in more than one way. I'm making my own New Year's resolution next month and I'm determined to follow it through.
For the most part, I'm usually good with New Year's resolutions and I think it's because I try to keep them realistic. This time it might be a little more difficult. Even though I have over eighty-five published works floating around out there, I've always wanted to write something for the mainstream/commercial market. Something along the lines of The Nanny Diaries, with commercial potential, and at least one or two LGBT characters. I'm still working on the basic storyline. So we'll see what happens. And I'll be doing this in my spare time, because I have a lot of m/m romance projects already lined up until at least next July.
When it's finished, it should be interesting to see how it's received by mainstream agents and publishers. So far, no one in the mainstream, from my experience, has ever been interested in anything LGBT unless it exploits or sensationalizes. This, I don't think, is discrimination. "They" just don't think LGBT material will sell. I'm sure I'll have more than a few posts on that topic.
And, if it isn't received well, you can be damn sure I'll be putting on my self-publishing cap and forging ahead faster than a steam roller on my own.
But check out the web site I linked to. It's a good read, and extremely motivational.
December 14, 2011
The Personal Stories of Young Gay and Bi Men
I found this web site and wanted to share.
It has personal stories from young men who are bi and gay. The first story alone gives some excellent insight about what it's like to experience certain things at a young age.
Here's the link.
Here's one, by a young guy named Brandin.
Brandin
I think I've been gay for awhile. I've always been just a little on the girly side, but a lot was going on in my life at that time, so I never really had the time/interest to sit down and think the facts through. But, once I got over the small initial shock, I had nothing Against it.
My first open gay crush was a guy named L, at the RV/Beach Resort my family visits during most summers. I had my own golf cart, and it wasn't rare for me to go on drives lasting an hour or more, so I'd just head over to his camper and hang. We both knew there was something between us, and he accepted it. We dated for two years, till I was 15, when we both realised we were tired of being tied down. We broke it off last month, and he's still one of my best friends.
But, back to the story, I came out to my friends and selective family members at 14, and they were all very supportive. Point of the story: If you're afraid to come out, just tell your closest people. You're gonna have haters, but who the Hell doesn't?
How to Deal with an Editor who Needs a Kick in the...
I smiled when I wrote the title to this post. And I'd like to state, very clearly, this has nothing to do with either of my favorite editors, Janet and Dalia. I love these people and work well with them. I feel like Janet and I have established more than a working relationship: we're friends. I've watched her go through a lot in the past few years, and she's come through it like a trooper. Editing books with these two wonderful people is something I look forward to. I wish everyone in publishing could have editors like Janet and Dalia.
The reason I'm posting about this topic is because an author friend of mine had trouble with her editor, and it sounded all too familiar to me. I once had the same trouble with an editor, and it can make the entire publishing experience frustrating and dismal if you don't know how to deal with it.
The relationship between author and editor can be tricky. Just like in life, you either get along with some people or you don't. And there's no rhyme or reason. And if you don't get along with your editor, it can be extremely difficult. There must be a give and take on both sides at all times, and egos have to be put aside for the sake of the book so nothing is compromised.
In my case, I had an editor who didn't know how to communicate well electronically. She made notes and comments on the side of the manuscript in capital letters, with exclamation points. And she wasn't shy about it. She would write: "WRONG," at the top of the comment, and then go into a pedantic rant about a small detail that wasn't even important to the story, the love, or the romance. A chapter later, she would write, "WRONG AGAIN!!" and continue on with another rant about some idiotic fact that made no sense to the storyline or the book. I simply removed the issues, and rewrote a sentence or two. That's all it took to fix. There was no need for a two page pen pal letter from this editor.
When you're dealing with people through e-mail or electronic communication, you have to choose the way you speak with care. Capital letters can mean anything from arrogance to insult. I take it as a direct message whenever someone uses all caps with me. It's like shouting through cyberspace, and I don't like it when it's directed at me without just cause. I have a long fuse, and I'm not confrontational. But if someone were to shout at me in person, they'd better stand back, grab something, and be prepared for a response that might floor them...something they won't forget any time soon. This is just instinct for me; I think most people react the same way.
But when an editor does this on a word document, while you're working on a manuscript you care about, it's not easy to deal with. Your first instinct is to shout right back, in all caps. But the best thing to do is sit back, take a break, and calm down. Going back with snide remarks and swipes isn't going to make the book any better and you're not going to feel any better. I've learned this through experience, trust me.
I've also learned not to take everything an editor says or suggests seriously. Sometimes they are right. I've conceded many times because editors have been right. But they aren't always right, and you have to know when to stand up for what you believe is right for the book. You know your book better than anyone; you know your readers better than anyone. But you also have to learn how to react to an editor in a nice, professional manner, because you might be working with this editor again down the line. You're never going to like this person, you're always going to think this person is an idiot, but you're going to have to figure out a way to get along with this person.
I think the worst editorial experience I ever suffered through was with a copyeditor who had a loud, condescending tone/voice. I'm not sure if she really was condescending or not (why you have to be careful with e-mail and electronic communication). But she sure sounded that way, and I don't take well to pushy people. If someone pushes me too far, I'll either push back or pull. Either way, they are going to be sorry (smile). This editor used words like "parse" whenever she didn't like the way two characters were interacting..."This doesn't parse well..." I would look at the comments and think, "WTF?" Who the hell uses the word "parse?" And she loved to change character dialogue. Yup. She did that. And she was only a copyeditor, not a managing editor. Her job was to fix spelling and correct grammatical errors, not add input to the storyline.
And there's only one way to deal with condescending people who think they know it all: total dismissal. You're never going to win with people like this. And there's no point in complaining to the publisher. It only adds fuel to an already smoldering fire. Unless you truly believe that what the editor is doing will hurt the integrity of the book, the small changes don't really matter and sometimes it's just easier all the way around to let them have their way.
So if you ever come across an editor who knows it all, rants about things that don't matter to the book, and you get the feeling she doesn't really understand what you're trying to do with the book, handle it with care. And always keep the integrity of the book as the main focus, not the editor who needs a good swift kick in the ass. A week later, none of it will really matter.
The reason I'm posting about this topic is because an author friend of mine had trouble with her editor, and it sounded all too familiar to me. I once had the same trouble with an editor, and it can make the entire publishing experience frustrating and dismal if you don't know how to deal with it.
The relationship between author and editor can be tricky. Just like in life, you either get along with some people or you don't. And there's no rhyme or reason. And if you don't get along with your editor, it can be extremely difficult. There must be a give and take on both sides at all times, and egos have to be put aside for the sake of the book so nothing is compromised.
In my case, I had an editor who didn't know how to communicate well electronically. She made notes and comments on the side of the manuscript in capital letters, with exclamation points. And she wasn't shy about it. She would write: "WRONG," at the top of the comment, and then go into a pedantic rant about a small detail that wasn't even important to the story, the love, or the romance. A chapter later, she would write, "WRONG AGAIN!!" and continue on with another rant about some idiotic fact that made no sense to the storyline or the book. I simply removed the issues, and rewrote a sentence or two. That's all it took to fix. There was no need for a two page pen pal letter from this editor.
When you're dealing with people through e-mail or electronic communication, you have to choose the way you speak with care. Capital letters can mean anything from arrogance to insult. I take it as a direct message whenever someone uses all caps with me. It's like shouting through cyberspace, and I don't like it when it's directed at me without just cause. I have a long fuse, and I'm not confrontational. But if someone were to shout at me in person, they'd better stand back, grab something, and be prepared for a response that might floor them...something they won't forget any time soon. This is just instinct for me; I think most people react the same way.
But when an editor does this on a word document, while you're working on a manuscript you care about, it's not easy to deal with. Your first instinct is to shout right back, in all caps. But the best thing to do is sit back, take a break, and calm down. Going back with snide remarks and swipes isn't going to make the book any better and you're not going to feel any better. I've learned this through experience, trust me.
I've also learned not to take everything an editor says or suggests seriously. Sometimes they are right. I've conceded many times because editors have been right. But they aren't always right, and you have to know when to stand up for what you believe is right for the book. You know your book better than anyone; you know your readers better than anyone. But you also have to learn how to react to an editor in a nice, professional manner, because you might be working with this editor again down the line. You're never going to like this person, you're always going to think this person is an idiot, but you're going to have to figure out a way to get along with this person.
I think the worst editorial experience I ever suffered through was with a copyeditor who had a loud, condescending tone/voice. I'm not sure if she really was condescending or not (why you have to be careful with e-mail and electronic communication). But she sure sounded that way, and I don't take well to pushy people. If someone pushes me too far, I'll either push back or pull. Either way, they are going to be sorry (smile). This editor used words like "parse" whenever she didn't like the way two characters were interacting..."This doesn't parse well..." I would look at the comments and think, "WTF?" Who the hell uses the word "parse?" And she loved to change character dialogue. Yup. She did that. And she was only a copyeditor, not a managing editor. Her job was to fix spelling and correct grammatical errors, not add input to the storyline.
And there's only one way to deal with condescending people who think they know it all: total dismissal. You're never going to win with people like this. And there's no point in complaining to the publisher. It only adds fuel to an already smoldering fire. Unless you truly believe that what the editor is doing will hurt the integrity of the book, the small changes don't really matter and sometimes it's just easier all the way around to let them have their way.
So if you ever come across an editor who knows it all, rants about things that don't matter to the book, and you get the feeling she doesn't really understand what you're trying to do with the book, handle it with care. And always keep the integrity of the book as the main focus, not the editor who needs a good swift kick in the ass. A week later, none of it will really matter.
December 13, 2011
Excerpt From "Four Feet Under With My Buddies"
Here's a raw excerpt from a new short story, FOUR FEET UNDER WITH MY BUDDIES.
This is only the second round, so be prepared for a few possible mistakes. But I think it's interesting to post excerpts from raw edits so people see what the process is like.
It's also part of the fun for writers to go through these things.
The day we buried old Clyde, it rained. A slow, steady drizzle began at noon and lasted for the next thirteen hours. And the only thing I could think about was I hadn't gotten laid in months.
I stood outside beside my mom, dad, younger brother, and housekeeper, Mattie Johnson. We all wore black and held miss-matched umbrellas with frayed edges.
The only one who actually cried was my younger brother. And that's because we were burying his pet rat, and we couldn't have cared less. He'd insisted we all congregate in the backyard in a show of mutual respect, and we all decided to support him. He's only ten; he made up a shoebox to resemble a miniature casket with brown paint and tiny little cabinet handles he'd pilfered from my dad's tool shed. He even read a short eulogy he'd written on the back of a school essay in blue crayon and expected each one of us to say a few words about Clyde when he was finished.
When I glanced at the expression on Mattie Johnson's face as she gazed down into a dark hole that looked about four feet deep, I smiled. Her eyebrows were quirked, her lips pinched, as she searched for the right words to describe the pet rat that had always made her either jump or scream.
Mattie Johnson cleared her throat and rolled her eyes. She took a deep breath and said, "Ah well, rest in peace, old Clyde." Then she shot me a serious, urgent glance, letting me know she was finished and it was my turn.
I reached for my brother's shoulder and said, "He was a great little guy. We'll all miss him. He was one of a kind, buddy." Then I flung my father a look to let him know it was his turn.
My father cleared his throat and glanced down at the shoebox in the hole. He seemed to be at a loss for words until my brother's little head went up with an unyielding glance that even tugged at my heart. That's when my father softened and said, "Max is right. He was a great little guy, and we're all going to miss him, kiddo. He was one of a kind."
This is only the second round, so be prepared for a few possible mistakes. But I think it's interesting to post excerpts from raw edits so people see what the process is like.
It's also part of the fun for writers to go through these things.
The day we buried old Clyde, it rained. A slow, steady drizzle began at noon and lasted for the next thirteen hours. And the only thing I could think about was I hadn't gotten laid in months.
I stood outside beside my mom, dad, younger brother, and housekeeper, Mattie Johnson. We all wore black and held miss-matched umbrellas with frayed edges.
The only one who actually cried was my younger brother. And that's because we were burying his pet rat, and we couldn't have cared less. He'd insisted we all congregate in the backyard in a show of mutual respect, and we all decided to support him. He's only ten; he made up a shoebox to resemble a miniature casket with brown paint and tiny little cabinet handles he'd pilfered from my dad's tool shed. He even read a short eulogy he'd written on the back of a school essay in blue crayon and expected each one of us to say a few words about Clyde when he was finished.
When I glanced at the expression on Mattie Johnson's face as she gazed down into a dark hole that looked about four feet deep, I smiled. Her eyebrows were quirked, her lips pinched, as she searched for the right words to describe the pet rat that had always made her either jump or scream.
Mattie Johnson cleared her throat and rolled her eyes. She took a deep breath and said, "Ah well, rest in peace, old Clyde." Then she shot me a serious, urgent glance, letting me know she was finished and it was my turn.
I reached for my brother's shoulder and said, "He was a great little guy. We'll all miss him. He was one of a kind, buddy." Then I flung my father a look to let him know it was his turn.
My father cleared his throat and glanced down at the shoebox in the hole. He seemed to be at a loss for words until my brother's little head went up with an unyielding glance that even tugged at my heart. That's when my father softened and said, "Max is right. He was a great little guy, and we're all going to miss him, kiddo. He was one of a kind."
Pop Culture: People Faking to be Gay
I find this fascinating. When people fake being gay, for whatever reason, I can't seem to get enough information about what motivates this kind of behavior.
Very few gay people can get a movie deal...or book deal for that matter...into the mainstream, and yet stupid movies like I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry, sail through without a problem. I see wonderful gay books being either turned down or shunned, and garbage with no real gay authenticity makes headlines and gains tons of praise. The irony of all this, the fact that people who aren't gay can exploit and capitalize on gay people, absolutely amazes me. You would be amazed at how many times I've had to fight straight women editors for trying to change something that is gay and authentic in one of my books because the editor thought she knew better than I did about being gay.
I've even read where younger people fake being gay in order to be accepted or be cool in certain social circles. Personally, I think the gay community at large needs to pull together and find one good strong spokesperson. Someone who is there to speak up whenever something offensive happens. Because when you are a gay person, there is absolutely nothing more offensive or insulting or hurtful, than having a straight person tell you what you are suppose to be like or what you are supposed to be.
I read about this in the recent article below in Think Progress. So I can't be the only one who feels this way. I'm copying and pasting, verbatim, so you can see what I'm talking about in case you can't click or don't feel like clicking the link.
You can read the entire piece here if you choose to do so.
I find this quote particularly interesting, and true:
And they push actual gay people out of the frame.
Dear Pop Culture, Enough With the Faux-Gays
By Alyssa Rosenberg on Dec 6, 2011 at 1:37 pm
The CW, in its infinite wisdom, has decided that its next comedy will be about a young woman who marries her best friend to get around rules about roommates that would forbid said friend from moving into the main character's "swanky New York co-op." And I've had enough of fake pop culture gay people.
It as one thing to give us I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, which managed to be about the unfairness of two sets of laws, one that made it difficult for widowers to preserve pension benefits and another that denied gay couples the same rights available to straight ones, while also putting its two somewhat boorish male characters in a position that forced them to sympathize more deeply with gay people and to understand their own gender roles better. This, by contrast, is about maintaining access to a nice apartment, a kind of fraud that doesn't exactly help the cause of law-abiding real gay people. The characters get a domestic partnership even though New York is a marriage equality state. And it's a fake lesbian fantasy, written and acted, in this case, by Sarah Rue, who is in real life married to a man.
It's a lot worse than that still not-great storyline on Community where Britta fancies herself sophisticated for having a lesbian friend without ever actually ascertaining if said friend is gay (which says volumes about how deep that friendship actually is)—only to find out said friend is doing the exact same thing. But they have some things in common. They're stories that treat gay people and gay rights struggles like commodities, cool and credibility to be appropriated when necessary for wacky storytelling. Fake gay people let straight people try on tolerance without ever actually having it tested. And they push actual gay people out of the frame. Networks and studios can do better. It's easy to engage with real gay people than to make up eccentric fake ones.
Very few gay people can get a movie deal...or book deal for that matter...into the mainstream, and yet stupid movies like I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry, sail through without a problem. I see wonderful gay books being either turned down or shunned, and garbage with no real gay authenticity makes headlines and gains tons of praise. The irony of all this, the fact that people who aren't gay can exploit and capitalize on gay people, absolutely amazes me. You would be amazed at how many times I've had to fight straight women editors for trying to change something that is gay and authentic in one of my books because the editor thought she knew better than I did about being gay.
I've even read where younger people fake being gay in order to be accepted or be cool in certain social circles. Personally, I think the gay community at large needs to pull together and find one good strong spokesperson. Someone who is there to speak up whenever something offensive happens. Because when you are a gay person, there is absolutely nothing more offensive or insulting or hurtful, than having a straight person tell you what you are suppose to be like or what you are supposed to be.
I read about this in the recent article below in Think Progress. So I can't be the only one who feels this way. I'm copying and pasting, verbatim, so you can see what I'm talking about in case you can't click or don't feel like clicking the link.
You can read the entire piece here if you choose to do so.
I find this quote particularly interesting, and true:
And they push actual gay people out of the frame.
Dear Pop Culture, Enough With the Faux-Gays
By Alyssa Rosenberg on Dec 6, 2011 at 1:37 pm
The CW, in its infinite wisdom, has decided that its next comedy will be about a young woman who marries her best friend to get around rules about roommates that would forbid said friend from moving into the main character's "swanky New York co-op." And I've had enough of fake pop culture gay people.
It as one thing to give us I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, which managed to be about the unfairness of two sets of laws, one that made it difficult for widowers to preserve pension benefits and another that denied gay couples the same rights available to straight ones, while also putting its two somewhat boorish male characters in a position that forced them to sympathize more deeply with gay people and to understand their own gender roles better. This, by contrast, is about maintaining access to a nice apartment, a kind of fraud that doesn't exactly help the cause of law-abiding real gay people. The characters get a domestic partnership even though New York is a marriage equality state. And it's a fake lesbian fantasy, written and acted, in this case, by Sarah Rue, who is in real life married to a man.
It's a lot worse than that still not-great storyline on Community where Britta fancies herself sophisticated for having a lesbian friend without ever actually ascertaining if said friend is gay (which says volumes about how deep that friendship actually is)—only to find out said friend is doing the exact same thing. But they have some things in common. They're stories that treat gay people and gay rights struggles like commodities, cool and credibility to be appropriated when necessary for wacky storytelling. Fake gay people let straight people try on tolerance without ever actually having it tested. And they push actual gay people out of the frame. Networks and studios can do better. It's easy to engage with real gay people than to make up eccentric fake ones.
Book Pirates, Matthew Delman, and Digital Rights Management
When I have more time, I'm going to expand on this post.
But right now I'd like to link to a fascinating web site I just found by a guy named Matthew Delman. It's a wonderful web site, and even though I've only glanced at it, Mr. Delman looks like he knows what he's doing.
You can get there from here, to read about book pirates and DRM. It looks like there's a lot more to read as well.
But right now I'd like to link to a fascinating web site I just found by a guy named Matthew Delman. It's a wonderful web site, and even though I've only glanced at it, Mr. Delman looks like he knows what he's doing.
You can get there from here, to read about book pirates and DRM. It looks like there's a lot more to read as well.
December 12, 2011
M/M Fiction: Dirk Vanden
If you're looking for m/m fiction that's slightly different from what you've been reading, check out the work of Dirk Vanden.
Here's his page on the loveyoudivine.com publisher web site.
I would assume Dirk's books, like mine from LYD, can be purchased on Amazon and other web sites where e-books are sold.
Here's the tag line from one of his works, I WANT IT ALL.
One dark summer night in 1969, in a tiny Colorado cow-country town, in the back alley behind Red's Bar and Billiards, Warren Miller attempts to save a "Queer's" life, and in the process discovers his own homosexuality.
I have many older gay friends and I enjoy reading fiction set during this period. It was a different world in some ways, and in others it hasn't changed all that much no matter what "they" want you to think. There's no way to explain this...you just have to know it. You can't read about it in the press or watch it on TV. It's something innate.
Here's his page on the loveyoudivine.com publisher web site.
I would assume Dirk's books, like mine from LYD, can be purchased on Amazon and other web sites where e-books are sold.
Here's the tag line from one of his works, I WANT IT ALL.
One dark summer night in 1969, in a tiny Colorado cow-country town, in the back alley behind Red's Bar and Billiards, Warren Miller attempts to save a "Queer's" life, and in the process discovers his own homosexuality.
I have many older gay friends and I enjoy reading fiction set during this period. It was a different world in some ways, and in others it hasn't changed all that much no matter what "they" want you to think. There's no way to explain this...you just have to know it. You can't read about it in the press or watch it on TV. It's something innate.
List of Books in the Virgin Billionaire Series in Consecutive Order
While each Virgin Billionaire book is a stand alone and it doesn't have to be read along with any of the other Virgin Billionaire books in order to be understood, I get a lot of requests from readers about the order in which the books were written and published.
So here's a list, in order, that should help you out.
Book 1 The Virgin Billionaire
Book 2 The Virgin Billionaire's Wedding
Book 3 The Virgin Billionaire's Secret Baby
Book 4 The Virgin Billionaire: Revenge
Book 5 The Virgin Billionaire and the Evil Twin
Book 6 The Virgin Billionaire's Sexellent Adventure
Book 7 The Virgin Billionaire's Dream House
Book 8 The Virgin Billionaire's Hot Amish Escapade
Book 9 (Soon to be published) The Virgin Billionaire: Reversal of
Fortune
I'm contracted to do one more book in the series. After that, I'm honestly not sure at this point.
Christmas Rlease: Down the Basement II
Last year I wrote a Christmas e-book which is actually the sequel to a short story that was in a Lambda Award winning anthology, DOWN THE BASEMENT.
The title of the sequel is, DOWN THE BASEMENT II, and it's actually a novella and much longer than the original story.
