Sally Wiener Grotta's Blog: Grotta.net, page 19
June 17, 2012
Songs Unheard, Books Unread: If Not For Readers
by Sally Wiener Grotta
When I was fresh out of college, the only thing I wanted to do was sing. I knew that eventually I would want to write my stories, but first I ached to sing them. After several years of struggling in the New York scene, and singing only occasionally in various clubs, I came to realize that creating music meant that there had to be ears to hear it. Otherwise, my songs were nothing more than abstractions created in isolation, floating
When I was fresh out of college, the only thing I wanted to do was sing. I knew that eventually I would want to write my stories, but first I ached to sing them. After several years of struggling in the New York scene, and singing only occasionally in various clubs, I came to realize that creating music meant that there had to be ears to hear it. Otherwise, my songs were nothing more than abstractions created in isolation, floating
May 24, 2012
Poetic License 007
by Sally Wiener Grotta
I love understanding the roots of words, it colors them and gives layers of meaning when we use them. So, I'm signed up for the emailed words of the day from Visual Thesaurus and Dictionary.com. (And, yes, I forward the emails to Dad, so he can have the same Scrabble advantage.)
Today's Visual Thesaurus email was about the word iniquity. The root is the same as equity or equal, but with the opposing prefix "in," the word has come to mean unequal, therefore wrong, therefore evil. At least that's how the word has evolved and come down to us. So, if I use iniquity in a story, it would color the sense of wrongness with an underlying
I love understanding the roots of words, it colors them and gives layers of meaning when we use them. So, I'm signed up for the emailed words of the day from Visual Thesaurus and Dictionary.com. (And, yes, I forward the emails to Dad, so he can have the same Scrabble advantage.)
Today's Visual Thesaurus email was about the word iniquity. The root is the same as equity or equal, but with the opposing prefix "in," the word has come to mean unequal, therefore wrong, therefore evil. At least that's how the word has evolved and come down to us. So, if I use iniquity in a story, it would color the sense of wrongness with an underlying
May 22, 2012
ePublish or Traditional Publishing, That is the Question.
by Sally Wiener Grotta
In my career, I have had books published by some of the really great houses, including Random House, McGraw Hill, John Wiley, and others. The experiences have been a mixture of delight, creative opportunities, disappointment and general success. Now that the industry is being thoroughly shaken up by ePublishing and POD (print on demand), I wavered for a time between the traditional mainstream author's snobbery about self-publishing and a 21st century sensibility that the old ways and relationships are simply atrophying. Daniel and I have finally and fully embraced this brave new world, and even launched our own imprint Pixel Hall Press with the publication of Daniel's novella "Honor." (My novel "Jo Joe" will be published next.)
It was an inevitable outgrowth of our decades of experience as full-time freelance writers combined with the realities of the new marketplace.
A case in point was a phone conversation I had a couple of months ago with an editor at a respected publishing house.
In my career, I have had books published by some of the really great houses, including Random House, McGraw Hill, John Wiley, and others. The experiences have been a mixture of delight, creative opportunities, disappointment and general success. Now that the industry is being thoroughly shaken up by ePublishing and POD (print on demand), I wavered for a time between the traditional mainstream author's snobbery about self-publishing and a 21st century sensibility that the old ways and relationships are simply atrophying. Daniel and I have finally and fully embraced this brave new world, and even launched our own imprint Pixel Hall Press with the publication of Daniel's novella "Honor." (My novel "Jo Joe" will be published next.)
It was an inevitable outgrowth of our decades of experience as full-time freelance writers combined with the realities of the new marketplace.
A case in point was a phone conversation I had a couple of months ago with an editor at a respected publishing house.
Grotta.net
To see my essays in their entirety, including photos (and without all those strange characters that Goodreads puts into them), please go to http://www.grotta.net/blog.htm.
Thank you, Sally ...more
Thank you, Sally ...more
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