Roberto Scarlato's Blog, page 6

Myth #2: One Bad Review Will End Your Writing Career

During my life, I heard somewhere that one bad review can sink your writing career. So I decided to do an experiment and put this to a test.

Three specific numbers came to mind.



Here they are:

1. 2,158*
2. 5,343*
3. 1,336*

*These numbers are subject to change each day.


These are the number of 1 star reviews on amazon for three kindle authors. 



Wanna know who they are?



1. Stephen King
2. James Patterson
3. Dean Koontz



Writers need to have tough skin.

People are going to hate you, poke you, prod you. They may even despise you. They may give you a bad review because your book was too long, short, wordy, descriptive, not descriptive enough, couldn't fit well in their thick hands. They may gripe about the font, size of the text, the format, the spelling, the plotting, the characters, the beginning  the middle, the end. They may trash you because they don't like your personality, your politics, your work ethic, your nationality, your religion. They may flame you because they never received a book, they hardly read the first page or it could just be that your book landed on their foot and now they have outrageous medical bills thanks to you. They may go after you because your book made them physically ill, nauseous, dizzy, gave them slight headaches, anal leakage, a slight case of pregnancy  They may chide you for being too dumb, too smart or not smart enough. They may not even consider you as a tried and true writer. They may even choose your book at random to troll. It doesn't really matter. The possibilities are endless. 

Out of a handful of reviews, I received two or three bad reviews. Yeah, they hurt for a sec. Like when you take a blood test and need to be pricked. And what's life? But enduring a prick or two every once and a while.

As long as you keep on writing, nothing can stop you.

Are you tough enough to keep on going?

The Great Chicago Flood of 2013

4/18/13


Things, it seems, are narrowing into a funnel of obligations, responsibilities and new beginnings.

It all started with "A dark and stormy night."


12:05am

I drive home from a long day's work.


2:30am

After dealing with a cat poop fiasco, some dinner and an episode of Lie To Me, I decided to head to bed.


4:30am

I'm woken up by a scream of terror. The toilet starts overflowing for what seems to be no reason. My wife and I start making plans on what we are going to do. She's nine months pregnant and NEEDS a toilet. We agree that she should take a cab to her parents house while I hold up the fort, monitoring the toilet, seeing if it will run over again.


6:30am

My wife arrives at her parents while I sit on the couch, watching The Switchback with Dennis Quad and Danny Glover. I've only seen the ending and don't care too much about the movie but I need something besides the thunder noises to help me sleep. I figure I'll sleep in the living room on the futon. I set the sleep timer on the tv for 30 minutes, set my phone alarm for noon and hope for the best.


NOON

Apparently hoping for the best just wasn't good enough. The water from the lakes rose while I was sleeping. It cleared the distance from the waterline to the deck within hours. That's about fifteen feet.




I skip all stages of grief and zip right to acceptance  Cause you have to accept something at this point. My apartment is without power and I can hear the water gurgling in the vents. Yep. It's time to scoot.

(My neighbor called this the Danger Step. Does that mean I was in the...Danger Zone?)

I call my wife and we work out a list of things I need to bring and things to do.

Had to call off work, too.


First, I unplug everything. I start stacking things on the couch and futon.  Then I start taking boxes out to our car. Two boxes are crucial: one says BILLS/DOCUMENTS and the other is STORIES, written in sharpie. Then I pack clothes, toiletries and other knick-knacks for the baby.


By 1:00pm I'm conversing with my neighbors  seeing if they need any help. They're getting along just fine so I high tail it to my car while the gettin's good.

I'm making my way on Ogden when, out of nowhere, my car battery goes kaput right in front of the post office.

I park in a nearby Dunkin' Donuts...crookedly, I might add.

Of course, I bang my knee while getting out of the car, too.

I flag down a nice enough fellow who helps me try and give life back to my battery. The jumper cables didn't work.

Just my luck. I call both my brother and my father to formulate a "creative" plan for getting to my wife.

After some time, and a bright idea from my bro, we settle on a taxi.

My wife calls the cab to pick me up and he gets there fifteen minutes later.

He parks and I begin transferring all my stuff to his cab. Last, but not least, my cat Bandit who does not have a damn clue what is going on, is handling the move well but his eyes are wide as saucers.

The drive is relatively quick and I have a great conversation with Sayid, the driver. We determine that in life, certain things must happen and pave the way for new beginnings  It's all part of a grand design. I'm very thankful that my wife and I got out safely, that her parents are so understanding and that the hospital where our girl will soon be born is now closer to us.

As we're coming up coming up on Bellwood it seems there is a wealth of numbnuts and numbskulls either trying to hit us or box us in because, for some reason, they just have to play CAR WATER SKI down the block.

5:00pm

I finally get our stuff to my in-laws and rest for a bit.

This day was hectic redefined.

In the span of just 17 hours, our lives changed.

I had to call off work, take pictures for insurance and we're about to have a baby in four short days.

Lately I've been looking on the news and see that I just managed to squeak out of there.

I remember seeing all the news vans and helicopters.

I'm sure an Ariel view caught me hustling like a mad man to get to his wife.

In the end, we ordered some food at her parents, settle in and have some laughs. We also listened to some 45's.

I'm just glad my friends and neighbors made it out when they did.

If our place is flooded, that's okay. Those are just things.

We're still here.

We're safe.

And I'm still writing.

Village Americana: Behind The Story

For once I wanted to give you readers a little Behind the scenes look into what happens when I create a new story. From conception to eBook.

In June of 2012 I was frequently visiting the local Starbucks. I was ordering a Mocha Frappe and scoping out my favorite seat; right next to the windows. It was raining that day and storming heavy. As the rain cascaded down, another storm was brewing inside my head. I wanted to write a novella. Something gritty. Something different.

As I slurped my drink, my brain went off on many different rabbit trails. One of them being of my old high school days. I began thinking about the books they forced us to read. Our school never gave us classics like Catch-22, Catcher in the Rye or Lord of the Flies. I read those later, when I attended college. We were stuck with Gang Member Memoirs and a book called Animal Farm.

Then, suddenly, an image arrived.

It appeared quite clearly, as if I were viewing it just outside the windows. I caught a glimpse of a hut and a young woman in distress, trapped. "Help me," she said. "Help get me out of here."

Then several other things popped into my mine.

A villain. 

A dead Uncle.

A resourceful man named Paulie.

To encourage the thought more, I flipped open the laptop and began a music video which helped me envision the rest of the story. Suddenly I had them: a cast of characters, a setting,  and a very gruff baddie. His name was originally Rufus. It was a quick name, just something to put down.


Slowly, the story began pouring out as I wrote the first lines:


Zach, the man who had led them to the hut, cracked the butt of his rifle on the Korean kid’s jaw, provoking a cry of panic from three of the others. This made him cock his gun and aim it at them. They fell silent, faces kissing the dirt, praying to mother earth for forgiveness.
From there came a chapter every three days or so. Every time I'd try to rescue my heroine  Brooke, I found she just got deeper into trouble. I think Kurt Vonnegut said it best when writing a story,  "Be a sadist. Now matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them -- in order that the reader may see what they are made of."
So, I did just that.
For the first time in a very long time, I felt as if I were writing with the door wide open. And for some reason, I couldn't write at home. I always found myself gravitating toward the same Starbucks and chip away at the story five hundred words at a time.
After I finished it, it felt good.
I saved, clicked out of the document and forgot about it.
Nine months later, I dediced it was time to unleash it out into the wild.
Things changed after some revision.
Now the Villain's name was Craig Hooks.
I kinda pictured him as Brooke became tougher.
Paulie had more of an arc.
But the story stayed the same.
I'm just glad it made its way to Kindle. Finishing a story is a fantastic high, revising it is even better, but the most potent high of all is sharing the story instantly with the click of a button. It's an exciting time to be an author in the digital age.
What's more, I had so much fun with this little experiment, I've decided to work on a few novellas I've been saving for a rainy day...

Village Americana, Back Cover Description: While taking a class trip to South America, sixteen friends are ambushed, captured and taken to a nearby village run by a mad man. It becomes clear that this is no ordinary village. It is a village of slaves, psychological warfare, and pure terror. With nothing but her wits and the voice of her dead uncle to guide her, Brooke Kylee must find a way to escape the horror while still maintaining the one thing she has left: her sanity.

VILLAGE AMERICANA is 10,000 word novella. Feel free to sign up on Amazon to receive email updates on new titles released in the future.

Amazon Buys Goodreads

So I heard the news that Amazon recently purchased Goodreads for at least $150 million.

Some people are going crazy about this.

They're saying that Amazon is manipulating the market.

Honestly, I don't see such a big deal.

People said the same thing when Google bought YouTube. Everybody got crazy for a while and then it died down.

There's only one thing that might happen that I am not too keen on.

Since Google purchased YouTube, I saw a bump in advertising clips. After a while, it became tedious to watch a 40 second funny cat video when a 2min 30sec advertisement was mandatory. Now, you can skip some ads but it's still a pain in the butt.

I just hope Goodreads isn't littered with ads left and right.

Today, I use Goodreads as a way to promote my books, update my readers and add another book to my reading list. I also use it to log what I'm reading. So far, I've read a total of 434 books and plan to read more.

If Amazon wants a slice of social marketing then I think they are playing it smart. 

What do you think?

Goodbye, Old Friend

Quite recently, I had to remove something that has been with me on my writing journey since I began.

It was my writing desk.

I had the thing since 1998 when I had a desktop computer and now, in 2013, I have to say goodbye to it.

I admit, I was hesitant, but my nostalgia for the thing has worn off.

Have to make room for our new baby and besides, now that I have gotten rid of it I'm really digging the extra space.

If you are a writer and feel that you can't part with certain objects that you believe contribute to your work, know this: You can write anywhere, with anything, at any time. Nothing limits you.

So long, old friend.

(P.s. The desk was literally on its last leg. While me and a high school friend were moving the thing out, one of the legs came loose, held on by one bolt, just swinging in the breeze. You just never know when things are gonna fall apart on you.)

Is The Nook Cooked?

There have been a lot of rumors going around that Nook sales are falling.

Specifically, they've fallen by 25 Percent.

That's a big chunk of loss.

This reminds me of one of the saddest days of my life; the closing of Borders.

But where Borders had fallen short was the eReader revolution. They had no eReader of their own so they couldn't afford to stay.

I feel that if Barnes and Noble doesn't do something soon, we won't see them wink out of existence completely but we will probably see the amount of stores nationwide reduced.

What they could do would be to offer something different. Bring something new to the table, why don't you?

They could update their Nook to be more user friendly.

They can request Nook owners to offer ideas.

They could offer exclusive titles or a book list under the B&N imprint.

Or they could offer deals on ebooks to correspond with what a customer likes reading, like a buy two eBooks get one free. That would be interesting.

Where they go from here is anyone's guess.

But my two cents? Change fast, change now or you'll be swept up in the tidal wave.

Inside My Writer's Block

Some writer's don't believe in writer's block.

But what you have to realize is that some have a certain brand of writer's block.

Mine happens to be 80 proof Self-Doubt Turkey.

Let me explain.

When I write, I'm either 80% confident or 80% doubtful.

The mix can go either way, especially if I'm in the middle of a story. I tend to write in spurts and there are times when I'm super-energized-I-have-to-write-now modes and other times were I fizzle out, get bogged down, lose sight of the story thread.

Maybe your self-doubt voice sounds a little bit like this:


Wow. This is a great story. Yeah, it's something else. Man, I just did 15 pages. I should come back to this.



1 day later...

Crap. I've written myself into a corner now. Those pages are good...what if the next 15 pages are terrible. Oh man. Why did I do this? I should come back to this when I'm in a better mood. I feel kinda down.



2 days later...

I cannot finish that story. There's just too much detail there already and anything I write now will just be useless rambling. It won't make sense. It'll just be filler. It'll confuse people. They'll hate it. I hate it already and I haven't even finished it. Why did I even try?



3 days later...

Anything other than perfection is crap. There's no saving this story. What a waste. 15 good pages that I can't finish.




Here's what I have to say to anyone who hears this little voice of doubt.

PUSH FORWARD.

DO NOT THINK.

JUST WRITE!

WRITE AS IF YOU ARE TRYING TO OUTRUN A RAGING TRAIN!

Maybe then you'll break through the barrier of writer's block.

I've written two novels, a few novellas and sixty short stories.

If you've written once, you can write again.

Stay strong.

The First Taste

Stephen king once wrote, and I'm paraphrasing here, "If you can pay a bill with your writing, in my eyes you are a serious writer."

Let me tell you about my first real writing boost.

My first royalty check from amazon.com

The first time I got a royalty check from amazon came at such a crucial time. We were struggling with bills and living paycheck to paycheck. It was two days before I would get paid and as far as I knew, there was next to nothing in our account.

But, for the sake of curiosity, I looked at our account. And lo and behold, there was money there. Not a big amount but just enough to where we could have a meal that night. The royalties from my books had been direct deposited. I was in awe.

When I told my wife she just said, "Oh...okay...great...we can use that now."

And we did.

I drove to our local Jewel, walked inside and searched the shelves. I settled on spaghetti with traditional red sauce and a couple of cans of pop. I was in a complete haze, still skeptical that I was actually PAYING for food with MY WRITING.

After I checked out, I drove back, we settled down, cooked the food and ate our meal.

Two days later, I got paid by my regular job.

Best part about it, we had leftovers for the week.

So yes, I was able to buy small meals with the royalties I've made with my writing. But it means a lot to me. That first taste was the sweetest.

And that's why I still write.

Because I know that someday, I'll be able to pay my electric bill, a phone bill, a car insurance bill or even a rent bill with my writing.

The Fixer

Editing is such a foul word to me.

For me it conjurs up two concepts:

Cuts and Sacrifice.

I've read a great number of horror stories of well-known writers who have brushes with editors. Believe me, they're not pretty.

I was discussing this whole thing with my wife one night.

"Y'know what word works better?" I said, "Revision. That, to me, means that the story evolves, like a Phoenix from the ashes."

What's more, my wife and I have a special bond.

She's seen me at my most best and at my most blocked.

Every once in a while, I'll read something to her. Lately, she's been liking the plots I come up with and has offered to give my stories a once over with her eyes.

One thing you should know is that my writing journey started when I was a Freshman in highschool. I was working on a novel and tried to be very specific with it. Back then I thought you had to overload a novel with two things: Description and Exposition.

My wife read it, bless her heart, and she loved the core story. But when she suggested deep changes into the book, my ego flared up. I was appalled. Then again, back then, I was still in my infancy when it came to writing. However, it was a learning experience that had a lasting effect. Every time I write a story, I have her in mind. Would my wife be wowed by this? Would she like this part? Like this line?

So, with every project, I give the writing a meticulous glare.

Now my wife and I have worked out a very cool system.

First, I read said story out loud to her. Kind of like a performing an audio book.

Second, I give her the text.

Third, she goes through the text and balances, sharpens and carries the flow of the story.

Honestly, this is the happiest I've been with the entire process.

Just recently, I looked over a couple of her suggestions and were blown away with how well they worked within the core of one of my stories.

"You know what you are, babe?" I say with a smile. "You're not an editor at all. I'm gonna call you The Fixer. Here I come with this bright shiney new car and you go in there and tinker with the engine, grease a valve, rotate the wheels and you make it run smoother. I love it."

So, if you hate editing, find someone who knows you, really, really, really knows you and have them be your personal Fixer.

The Writerly Life ReKindled

Today on the blog we have author Paul Levinson. I read his novel The Silk Code which was very good. But that isn't all he has written. His other works include The Plot to Save Socrates and New New Media. He's done many TV appearnces and I'm delighted he decided to stop by this blog. Take it away, Paul.




I love talking.  I love writing.  Likely because to me, the two are pretty much the same, pretty much just as easy.  Ok, writing takes a tiny bit more thought, and that’s as it should be, since the act of writing is intrinsically a public act, a move to get your thoughts out into the larger world, in contrast to speaking which is usually more private.

Part of the joy of writing, then, is in seeing your words out there in the world.  In fact, for me, not seeing my words - my stories and my novels and my books - out there in world would ruin a lot of the fun.   I mean, I suppose if someone threw a ton of money at me to write something that no one else would ever see, I might do it - nah, I really don’t think I would.  Life’s too short.  The writerly life is too short.

Traditional publishers used to be the only way you could get your words and works out there.  It had its benefits - actually, just a few benefits: getting a decent advance and getting your books into bookstores.  On the other hand, you as an author were lucky if you got more than 10% of the sales, and the publisher was ever ready to drop your book like a hot potato if sales took an even slight decline.

I shouldn’t complain.  Traditional publishers got my books reviewed in The New York Times, on Locus science fiction best seller lists, and publisher clout was no doubt helpful or responsible in my getting on NPR, C-Span, the BBC, and other national and international media.   But these highpoints of promotion were exceptions rather than the rule, which had my wife and me working like demons on publicity, and the publisher deigning to get my books in a bookstore after I had arranged for a signing, or to a radio station after I had arranged for an interview.

I likely would have continued exclusively in a such a traditionally published arrangement had the Kindle not come along.   My nonfiction book, New New Media, now in its second edition, is indeed published by one of the biggest publishers in the world, and they do a good job of getting the book into college bookstores, where it is used as a textbook.  But the best decision I’ve made in recent years about my science fiction was getting two of my novels, The Silk Code and The Plot to Save Socrates, up on Kindle, Nook, iTunes, and Kobo, with the help of JoSara MeDia, a small, savvy operation in Texas.  Both books had been selling little more than a handful of copies a year, and some of that handful were used copies - which earn authors no money and sap potential sales of new copies.   It took me a while to get my rights back from the traditional publisher, and then a while longer before I got the Kindles in motion, but now the novels are selling as many copies a week, sometimes in a day, as they used to sell - just a year or two ago -  in a year.  I do lots of promotion, and I get to reap the benefits.  When PBS recently aired a NOVA documentary, “Decoding Neanderthals,” I didn’t have to wait for any publicity department or plead for any publisher’s permission to launch what was now easily accomplished via a campaign of tweets, etc., that pointed out that many of the speculations in that science show were explored in my 1999 science fiction novel, The Silk Code, now available as a Kindle.  Indeed, an old fan and friend, Gerry Elman, first wrote to me about the connection, so the impetus as well as the execution were all in social media, which cost me nothing except my enjoyably spent time.

I’m now just about finished with the sequel to The Plot to Save Socrates - Unburning Alexandria - which had been languishing on my hard drive for years.  Further novels and movies are in the works.  I’m going to get every one of my other novels, and all of my short stories, out there in ebook land as well.  The Kindle revolution has rekindled my love of science fiction writing - and, though who needs the competition, I recommend that route to one and all.


Check out his books by Clicking Here.