Lane Diamond's Blog, page 11
April 19, 2012
Idle Ramblings of a Bad Boy
Why am I a bad boy? Err… well… I haven’t blogged in over two weeks. WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?
I know. Sorry. (Hangs head in shame.)
One of the things that happens when you wear so many hats – publisher, editor, editor, editor, editor, editor, author/writer 
– is that the last item on the list tends to go begging. That’s okay; we all have our responsibilities to juggle, and I don’t mean to complain about mine (well, maybe just a little), I just want to explain why I’ve been such a bad boy.
Is this the part where I get spanked? Is it?
In other news (actually, it’s kind of the same news), we’ve added 3 more authors to the Evolved Publishing team in the past week, and I’ve taken on even more… wait for it… editing! And publishing! I know, I know. Now where did I put that cognac?
Truly, though, it’s an exciting time, one that we’ve worked hard to reach. While I struggle to find the time to work on my own next novel, and even though something as seemingly simple as keeping up with this blog and the one at Evolved Publishing has become a strain, I remain optimistic and just plain stoked about the future.
That light at the end of the tunnel grows brighter and bigger, so bear with me. I’ll offer up a little more content here at Lane Diamond Central one of these days.
No… seriously. I WILL TOO!
~~~~~~~~~
April 2, 2012
Win a FREE Copy of “Forgive Me, Alex” Softcover Book, Signed by Author Lane Diamond
Yeppers! I’m giving away a signed copy of my book. All you have to do is enter at Goodreads to win. No obligation.
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
Forgive Me, Alex
by Lane Diamond
Giveaway ends May 07, 2012.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
Enter to win
~~~~~~~~~
Win a FREE Copy of "Forgive Me, Alex" Softcover Book, Signed by Author Lane Diamond
Yeppers! I'm giving away a signed copy of my book. All you have to do is enter at Goodreads to win. No obligation.
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget { color: #555; font-family: georgia, serif; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; font-size: 14px;
font-style: normal; background: white; }
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
Forgive Me, Alex
by Lane Diamond
Giveaway ends May 07, 2012.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
Enter to win
~~~~~~~~~
March 26, 2012
Big Promotion from Evolved Publishing – 9 eBooks and 3 Short Stories
Wowzer! Do we have a deal for you? How about 9 eBooks and 3 Short Stories, with loads of 5 star reviews, some awards, and legions of fans… all FREE from Evolved Publishing? It's true. Just stop by on Tuesday, March 27th – 1 DAY ONLY – and download your books from Amazon.
This includes not only my psychological suspense thriller, Forgive Me, Alex, and my short stories, Devane's Reality and Wind Tunnel, and the short story anthology I edited, Evolution: Vol. 1.
It also includes an epic fantasy that will redefine the genre forever, an award-winning YA paranormal thriller/romance, a YA paranormal fantasy featuring Valkries and Norse gods, a fun and fast-paced YA zombie western, an inspiring memoir, a deeply heartfelt and beautiful Native American historical fiction novel, and a humorous fantasy short story.
Don't miss this chance to load up your kindle without spending a dime.
For the full list, click here: http://bit.ly/zXJER7
~~~~~~~~~
March 25, 2012
Six-Sentence Sunday #1 – Forgive Me, Alex
Okay, so this is a simple but great idea. I must give credit where credit is due: I first saw this on author Alex Laybourne's website, according to which he first saw it on Darlene Steelman's website. Maybe Darlene has started something here.
The idea is to give you a small taste (6 consecutive sentences) of one of my pieces, but a compelling one. So, is the excerpt below effective? No clue. Only you can tell me that.
Six-Sentence Excerpt – Forgive Me, Alex (A Psychological Thriller Novel)
Alex's vacant brown eyes and perpetual frown, his continuous soft sigh and the musty smell of sweat and tears on his Scooby-Doo pajamas, the way his chin rested continually on his chest—these left me utterly heartbroken.
I could only pray that the dark Christmas of 1975 would slip into history as the worst I would ever experience. Surely, Dad, Alex and I would recover our happiness, our optimism, as our futures unfolded according to a new plan, albeit a motherless one.
That little executioner's waltz I'd performed on the street in front of our house in August would no doubt be my last dance.
Little did I know: more monsters roamed the world than I'd ever imagined.
They weren't finished with me.
Click Cover for Amazon Link
~~~~~~~~~~
March 24, 2012
Writers Need Readers – Period!
One of the primary concerns that has driven me from Day 1 of my writing career is this: How shall I appeal to readers, so that they will want to read every piece I publish?
Ultimately, the answer is simple: Provide the reader with a great reading value.
Okay. Great. How shall I: (A) Produce the best possible book, and; (B) Convince potential readers to take a chance on it?
Well, I provided part of that answer in an article I posted yesterday: From Evolved Publishing: Our Covenant with Readers
~~~~~~~~~~
March 20, 2012
Psychological Thriller “Forgive Me, Alex” Now Available in Print
I’m pleased to say that my novel is now available as a softcover through Create Space, and within a couple of days through Amazon, at $13.99 + shipping.
Additionally, I’ll be offering signed copies in the near future through the publisher’s website at www.EvolvedPub.com, for $25.00, which includes safe packaging and shipment via USPS Media Mail.
~~~~~~~~~~
Psychological Thriller "Forgive Me, Alex" Now Available in Print
I'm pleased to say that my novel is now available as a softcover through Create Space, and within a couple of days through Amazon, at $13.99 + shipping.
Additionally, I'll be offering signed copies in the near future through the publisher's website at www.EvolvedPub.com, for $25.00, which includes safe packaging and shipment via USPS Media Mail.
~~~~~~~~~~
March 18, 2012
The Power of Monologue in Fiction, or “Hey, I Like Talking to My Self”
In a fiction narrative, monologue (often referred to as silent dialogue) can be a great way to get inside a character’s head, and without sharing his thoughts with the other characters in the scene. That’s the key difference between monologue and dialogue: the former is a secret for the readers only, kept from the other characters, whereas the latter is a regular part of the obvious character interactions.
Monologue, like its first cousin dialogue, provides an intimacy for readers that straight narrative simply can’t achieve. I think many writers fail to take full advantage of this tool. I also believe some writers use this tool as if they’re attempting to remove a tangled wire from a kitten’s paw with a sledgehammer.
Like all tools in the Writer’s Toolbox, we must use monologue sparingly, and only where it perfectly suits the task at hand.
As a simple example, a character is in a crowded room, full of old ladies and wee children, where polite discourse is not just expected, but demanded. Then he… oh… drops that sledgehammer (don’t ask; I’m trying to make a point here) on his toe. He wants to curse up a storm at that point, but he grunts and swallows his words, because he has a responsibility to those old ladies and toddlers. Shit! Yep, that simple one-word bit of monologue works quite well, thank you.
Some scenes lend themselves to monologue better than others. In my novel, Forgive Me, Alex, as an example, I have three or four scenes that beg for monologue, those oh-crap-what-do-I-do-now moments where the character must remain silent. I use monologue several times within those scenes. During the rest of the book, monologue appears only occasionally, and only in small clusters, often a single word or sentence.
Allow me to provide an example from my novel of where a single short line of monologue works perfectly:
Oh, that grin. For seventeen years it has taunted me, punished me for my indecision, my incompetence. I missed my chance to kill him in 1978, to remove his damned head—simple, as if cutting a sheet of paper. It would have been a fitting end for a monster.
Why did I let him live?
Like whispers in a storm, those memories only tease at me now, here at this obscene and maddening event. I’m trying not to relive every moment of 1978. Every time I do, I feel as if swimming in quicksand, anchored by my constant companions—sorrow and guilt. I’m too damned tired; can’t shake the confusion, the dread. I fear surrendering to fear.
If you examine that line of monologue above, and how I proceeded into the next paragraph, you’ll see that had I made it simple narrative (a couple different ways to do so), I’d have lost some of the power of that moment.
So take advantage of this great writer’s tool… but take it easy. If you overdo it, you’ll sap the mechanism of its power.
Three things to remember about monologue in your manuscript:
1) Italicize the text, including related punctuation, and don’t use quotation marks to signify monologue.
2) Set up the mechanism early in the book (just once or twice), alerting the reader to the fact that italicized segments represent monologue, and then let it do its own heavy lifting. E.g. Holy crap, I thought, she can’t be serious. I realize this is redundant structure, but again, it’s only to set up the mechanism the first time; at least, that’s my preference.
3) Monologue, like dialogue, occurs in the moment. People talk to their selves in Present Tense, so don’t fall into the trap of writing monologue as if it were straight narrative. Use Past Tense only if the character would do so when talking to his self.
Gosh, I sure hope writers find this article helpful.
~~~~~~~~~~
The Power of Monologue in Fiction, or "Hey, I Like Talking to My Self"
In a fiction narrative, monologue (often referred to as silent dialogue) can be a great way to get inside a character's head, and without sharing his thoughts with the other characters in the scene. That's the key difference between monologue and dialogue: the former is a secret for the readers only, kept from the other characters, whereas the latter is a regular part of the obvious character interactions.
Monologue, like its first cousin dialogue, provides an intimacy for readers that straight narrative simply can't achieve. I think many writers fail to take full advantage of this tool. I also believe some writers use this tool as if they're attempting to remove a tangled wire from a kitten's paw with a sledgehammer.
Like all tools in the Writer's Toolbox, we must use monologue sparingly, and only where it perfectly suits the task at hand.
As a simple example, a character is in a crowded room, full of old ladies and wee children, where polite discourse is not just expected, but demanded. Then he… oh… drops that sledgehammer (don't ask; I'm trying to make a point here) on his toe. He wants to curse up a storm at that point, but he grunts and swallows his words, because he has a responsibility to those old ladies and toddlers. Shit! Yep, that simple one-word bit of monologue works quite well, thank you.
Some scenes lend themselves to monologue better than others. In my novel, Forgive Me, Alex, as an example, I have three or four scenes that beg for monologue, those oh-crap-what-do-I-do-now moments where the character must remain silent. I use monologue several times within those scenes. During the rest of the book, monologue appears only occasionally, and only in small clusters, often a single word or sentence.
Allow me to provide an example from my novel of where a single short line of monologue works perfectly:
Oh, that grin. For seventeen years it has taunted me, punished me for my indecision, my incompetence. I missed my chance to kill him in 1978, to remove his damned head—simple, as if cutting a sheet of paper. It would have been a fitting end for a monster.
Why did I let him live?
Like whispers in a storm, those memories only tease at me now, here at this obscene and maddening event. I'm trying not to relive every moment of 1978. Every time I do, I feel as if swimming in quicksand, anchored by my constant companions—sorrow and guilt. I'm too damned tired; can't shake the confusion, the dread. I fear surrendering to fear.
If you examine that line of monologue above, and how I proceeded into the next paragraph, you'll see that had I made it simple narrative (a couple different ways to do so), I'd have lost some of the power of that moment.
So take advantage of this great writer's tool… but take it easy. If you overdo it, you'll sap the mechanism of its power.
Three things to remember about monologue in your manuscript:
1) Italicize the text, including related punctuation, and don't use quotation marks to signify monologue.
2) Set up the mechanism early in the book (just once or twice), alerting the reader to the fact that italicized segments represent monologue, and then let it do its own heavy lifting. E.g. Holy crap, I thought, she can't be serious. I realize this is redundant structure, but again, it's only to set up the mechanism the first time; at least, that's my preference.
3) Monologue, like dialogue, occurs in the moment. People talk to their selves in Present Tense, so don't fall into the trap of writing monologue as if it were straight narrative. Use Past Tense only if the character would do so when talking to his self.
Gosh, I sure hope writers find this article helpful.
~~~~~~~~~~
