Michael Embry's Blog, page 58
May 17, 2012
Ramblings: A Second Opinion and More
Ramblings: A Second Opinion and More: It’s wise for a writer to get a second opinion, especially when the only opinion is that of the writer. For...
A Second Opinion and More
It’s wise for a writer to get a second opinion, especially when the only opinion is that of the writer.
For those with agents and publishers, you’ll get feedback on setting, dialogue, characters and other parts of your work that may be weak and need to be addressed in one way or another.
From my own experience, I’ve had editors who've made suggestions on how to tighten, improve, and fix problems in my manuscripts before publication. I weigh what they say, and generally make the changes unless I feel strongly about what I’m trying to convey in my story. But it’s discussed and mulled over before a final decision.
And that’s generally what I do when I’m asked to read or edit something by a friend. It’s the writer’s decision to make suggested changes. I’ll even suggest for them to get someone else’s opinion. While it should be a given, I do remind them to run spell check before sending their manuscript to a publisher or editor.
I have several friends who have contracts with big-time publishers/agents and edits aren’t suggested – they are mandated unless the author can provide a valid reason for keeping their words intact.
And if you’re self-published, you can get feedback from critique groups, fellow authors, and beta readers. (A caveat – use those folks who’ll be honest in their assessments and won’t be afraid to hurt your feelings by providing useful criticism.) (A second caveat – don’t be afraid to get your feelings hurt; learn from the experience.)
You might even want to hire a professional editor to read, review and scrutinize your work before publication. While that may be expensive for some writers, it might be the best way to get their manuscripts in shape. And you may want to get a second opinion – references – on the editor before forking over the fee.
Regardless of how you feel about changes to your precious words, it’s always good to get a second opinion – and more!
Until the next time...
For those with agents and publishers, you’ll get feedback on setting, dialogue, characters and other parts of your work that may be weak and need to be addressed in one way or another. From my own experience, I’ve had editors who've made suggestions on how to tighten, improve, and fix problems in my manuscripts before publication. I weigh what they say, and generally make the changes unless I feel strongly about what I’m trying to convey in my story. But it’s discussed and mulled over before a final decision.
And that’s generally what I do when I’m asked to read or edit something by a friend. It’s the writer’s decision to make suggested changes. I’ll even suggest for them to get someone else’s opinion. While it should be a given, I do remind them to run spell check before sending their manuscript to a publisher or editor.
I have several friends who have contracts with big-time publishers/agents and edits aren’t suggested – they are mandated unless the author can provide a valid reason for keeping their words intact.
And if you’re self-published, you can get feedback from critique groups, fellow authors, and beta readers. (A caveat – use those folks who’ll be honest in their assessments and won’t be afraid to hurt your feelings by providing useful criticism.) (A second caveat – don’t be afraid to get your feelings hurt; learn from the experience.)
You might even want to hire a professional editor to read, review and scrutinize your work before publication. While that may be expensive for some writers, it might be the best way to get their manuscripts in shape. And you may want to get a second opinion – references – on the editor before forking over the fee.
Regardless of how you feel about changes to your precious words, it’s always good to get a second opinion – and more!
Until the next time...
May 15, 2012
Story Songs
While driving home from work the other day I was listening to an AM radio station (yes, some folks still do that) and heard Jim Croce’s “Time In a Bottle.”
“If I could save time in a bottleThe first thing that I’d like to doIs to save every dayTill eternity passes awayJust to spend them with you...”
What a great song. Croce was one of my favorite singer/songwriters back in the 1970s. It’s a shame he left us so early in that airplane crash in 1973 because I’m sure he would have produced more wonderful songs. He was only 30.
Croce was a splendid story-songwriter. He could weave music and lyrics into funny, sad, and heart-felt stories such as “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown,” “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim,” “Lover’s Cross,” “Roller Derby Queen,” “Operator,” and “Workin’ in the Car Wash Blues.”
Some of my future blogs are going to be about story songs I’ve admired and enjoyed through the years. I’ll try to have links to the lyrics and performance of the song.
I hope you’ll join me on the trip down memory lane.
Time In a Bottle lyrics
Time in a Bottle performance
“If I could save time in a bottleThe first thing that I’d like to doIs to save every dayTill eternity passes awayJust to spend them with you...”
What a great song. Croce was one of my favorite singer/songwriters back in the 1970s. It’s a shame he left us so early in that airplane crash in 1973 because I’m sure he would have produced more wonderful songs. He was only 30.
Croce was a splendid story-songwriter. He could weave music and lyrics into funny, sad, and heart-felt stories such as “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown,” “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim,” “Lover’s Cross,” “Roller Derby Queen,” “Operator,” and “Workin’ in the Car Wash Blues.”
Some of my future blogs are going to be about story songs I’ve admired and enjoyed through the years. I’ll try to have links to the lyrics and performance of the song.
I hope you’ll join me on the trip down memory lane.
Time In a Bottle lyrics
Time in a Bottle performance
May 14, 2012
Ramblings: Not in the Swing of Things
Ramblings: Not in the Swing of Things: I should have known better when I looked at the box containing a glider swing and read the large words – Easy Assem...
Not in the Swing of Things
I should have known better when I looked at the box containing a glider swing and read the large words – Easy Assembly. That may not be an oxymoron but it's close to it.
I should have recalled those days when my sons were growing up and I put together bicycles, Star Wars toys, and other items for Christmas, birthdays, and other occasions. For me, that was probably the worst part of parenthood!
There were several models of the swing on display, and they didn’t look particularly difficult to put together. And I figured that someone at the store had to assemble the swings, so why couldn’t I?
Easier read than done.
After mowing the lawn, my wife suggested we put the swing together on the back deck. It shouldn’t take more than an hour since there weren’t that many parts. And the swing was for Mother’s Day, so I decided it was time to go ahead and finish the mini-project for her.
The box had two sheets of paper containing the instructions. But after perusing them, I realized they basically listed the parts and that was about it. There were two diagrams that didn’t provide step-by-step directions. But I decided to go ahead and try to piece it together. It didn’t help that some of the nuts and bolts didn’t quite fit.
Three hours later it began to sprinkle. We decided to finish the “easy” assembly the next day. But it rained all day.
I decided to go to the place where I purchased the swing, this time with a small digital camera to take several photos of the models. I hope to finish putting it together this week.
I’m sure it will be easy this time. Not!
Until the next time...
I should have recalled those days when my sons were growing up and I put together bicycles, Star Wars toys, and other items for Christmas, birthdays, and other occasions. For me, that was probably the worst part of parenthood!
There were several models of the swing on display, and they didn’t look particularly difficult to put together. And I figured that someone at the store had to assemble the swings, so why couldn’t I?
Easier read than done.
After mowing the lawn, my wife suggested we put the swing together on the back deck. It shouldn’t take more than an hour since there weren’t that many parts. And the swing was for Mother’s Day, so I decided it was time to go ahead and finish the mini-project for her.
The box had two sheets of paper containing the instructions. But after perusing them, I realized they basically listed the parts and that was about it. There were two diagrams that didn’t provide step-by-step directions. But I decided to go ahead and try to piece it together. It didn’t help that some of the nuts and bolts didn’t quite fit.
Three hours later it began to sprinkle. We decided to finish the “easy” assembly the next day. But it rained all day.
I decided to go to the place where I purchased the swing, this time with a small digital camera to take several photos of the models. I hope to finish putting it together this week.
I’m sure it will be easy this time. Not!
Until the next time...
May 11, 2012
Ramblings: Time Isn't On My Side
Ramblings: Time Isn't On My Side: Most of us have heard the phrase, “So many books, so little time.” It generally refers to the books we want to read, a...
Time Isn't On My Side
Most of us have heard the phrase, “So many books, so
little time.” It generally refers to the books we want to read, and realizing that we don’t have time to do it – even if we have a short list.
But on the other end of the spectrum – those who write books – it can mean there are so many books they hope to produce, but know that they probably won’t be able to reach their goal. I know I’ll never write all the books I’d like to see in print.
I would even bet that prolific writers such as Joyce Carol Oates, Stephen King, Nora Roberts, James Patterson, and Danielle Steel would say they have many more books in them and probably won’t be able to write them in their remaining years.
Books aren’t easy to write. If that were the case, then everyone would be writing them. I’ve heard that everybody has a book in them, but I believe that’s only true in that we all have individual stories to tell. But not everybody can put those stories down in the printed form. That takes discipline and dedication -- and time.
That’s not to say folks can’t orally share their stories, and I believe that’s difficult as well. Some people are gifted storytellers, and they spin wonderful yarns about their observations and adventures, while others sputter and stammer along they way. I‘m in the latter group.
I’m more comfortable putting stories on a page, when I have time to think and reflect on the words that come to mind, and then make changes over time. I admire those oral storytellers who can pull you into their stories with vivid images that can make you laugh, cry, smile, and think.Until the next time...
little time.” It generally refers to the books we want to read, and realizing that we don’t have time to do it – even if we have a short list.But on the other end of the spectrum – those who write books – it can mean there are so many books they hope to produce, but know that they probably won’t be able to reach their goal. I know I’ll never write all the books I’d like to see in print.
I would even bet that prolific writers such as Joyce Carol Oates, Stephen King, Nora Roberts, James Patterson, and Danielle Steel would say they have many more books in them and probably won’t be able to write them in their remaining years.
Books aren’t easy to write. If that were the case, then everyone would be writing them. I’ve heard that everybody has a book in them, but I believe that’s only true in that we all have individual stories to tell. But not everybody can put those stories down in the printed form. That takes discipline and dedication -- and time.
That’s not to say folks can’t orally share their stories, and I believe that’s difficult as well. Some people are gifted storytellers, and they spin wonderful yarns about their observations and adventures, while others sputter and stammer along they way. I‘m in the latter group.
I’m more comfortable putting stories on a page, when I have time to think and reflect on the words that come to mind, and then make changes over time. I admire those oral storytellers who can pull you into their stories with vivid images that can make you laugh, cry, smile, and think.Until the next time...
May 4, 2012
Ramblings: In Review
Ramblings: In Review: As much as our ego would love it, mom can't be the final word on reviews about our books. If that were the case, every book ...
In Review
As much as our ego would love it, mom can't be the final word on reviews about our books. If that were the case, every book written would have five stars. 
When we send our books out for reviews to newspapers, magazines and other media, or when readers leave comments in Amazon.com, Goodreads, B&N, Shelfari and other websites, we have to accept what they say about our cherished words -- the good, the bad, and the awful. While the raves of some reviewers are wonderful, the rants by others aren't so easy to accept. I remember reading the book "Sports Illusion, Sports Reality: A Reporter's View of Sports, Journalism, and Society" by the late sportswriter Leonard Koppett about negative news, and his position was that while athletic teams welcomed positive coverage by the media and cringed at those bad news stories, the worst thing would be no news at all. At least the negative, within reason, kept the team's name in the public eye. What they didn't want was for the media and the public to lose interest in what they were doing. They needed to be relevant, regardless of the headlines. They didn't want to disappear from the public's eye. I believe authors should take a similar approach to their books. Most of us have received reviews that didn't sit well with us. It's almost to the point now that a three-star review (out of five) seems negative. But the point is that it is important to keep our name and titles relevant to the public. Some studies have shown, for the most part, that readers don't really recall a lukewarm or bad review but they do recall the title. Unless a book is totally trashed by multiple reviewers, the publicity generated from a review is important for the book's commercial success. Reviews are truly subjective. Something you write may be adored by some reviewers while others may roll their eyes. And we know reviewers are like books -- some are good and some aren't so good. But I do applaud them because they are bibliophiles and bookworms, many of whom review for little or nothing other than being able to keep the book. It's just sad that they don't have more of a mother's instinct!
Until the next time...
When we send our books out for reviews to newspapers, magazines and other media, or when readers leave comments in Amazon.com, Goodreads, B&N, Shelfari and other websites, we have to accept what they say about our cherished words -- the good, the bad, and the awful. While the raves of some reviewers are wonderful, the rants by others aren't so easy to accept. I remember reading the book "Sports Illusion, Sports Reality: A Reporter's View of Sports, Journalism, and Society" by the late sportswriter Leonard Koppett about negative news, and his position was that while athletic teams welcomed positive coverage by the media and cringed at those bad news stories, the worst thing would be no news at all. At least the negative, within reason, kept the team's name in the public eye. What they didn't want was for the media and the public to lose interest in what they were doing. They needed to be relevant, regardless of the headlines. They didn't want to disappear from the public's eye. I believe authors should take a similar approach to their books. Most of us have received reviews that didn't sit well with us. It's almost to the point now that a three-star review (out of five) seems negative. But the point is that it is important to keep our name and titles relevant to the public. Some studies have shown, for the most part, that readers don't really recall a lukewarm or bad review but they do recall the title. Unless a book is totally trashed by multiple reviewers, the publicity generated from a review is important for the book's commercial success. Reviews are truly subjective. Something you write may be adored by some reviewers while others may roll their eyes. And we know reviewers are like books -- some are good and some aren't so good. But I do applaud them because they are bibliophiles and bookworms, many of whom review for little or nothing other than being able to keep the book. It's just sad that they don't have more of a mother's instinct! Until the next time...
April 30, 2012
Ramblings: An (E)venture
Ramblings: An (E)venture: For the past four months I’ve been working on a collection of short stories. I should have my tenth (and final) story complet...
