Nenia Campbell's Blog, page 58
April 15, 2013
10 Literary Trends that Need to Stop Right NOW
1. Cheating, womanizing slutty, tattooed manwhore boy falls in love with and corrupts virgin girl.
I'm really not comfortable with the idea that it's perfectly acceptable, even desirable, for boys and men to have ridiculously high numbers of partners, because one day they will settle down and fall in love with a nice virgin girl. I also don't like the message that those other girls deserve this treatment for being "loose." Especially since they are frequently relentlessly and viciously slut-shamed by our so-called 'nice girl' protagonist.
2. BDSM-lite erotica knock-offs of FSoG.
This. Seriously. Needs. To. Stop. So do all the parodies, the homages, the satires, the copiers, and the hangers-on who put in their summaries "fans of FSoG will LOVE..."
Slap yo'self.
3. Spoiled teenage bitches having first world problems.
"Mommy bought me a Dolce and Gabanna prom dress when I ASKED her for Louis Vuitton. I'm going to go clubbing and cheat on my boyfriend with the bad-boy who wears leather pants made by Armani, because he is SUCH a bad-ass counterculture rebel with those Swarvoski gauges."
4. Ordinary girl finds out she is the last of her kind and all these men want to sleep with her/marry her/steal her powers/fall in love with her.
In all fairness, some of these can be quite good. But many of them come off as Twiclones. OR, they end up pushing annoying gender roles, slut-shaming, double-standards, instalove, love triangles, and ridiculous storylines.
If your story in particular is about angels, shape-shifters, vampires, or fae, you should probably just stop right there.
5. OMG YOU GUYS I'M DATING A BOY WHO'S IN A BAND.
Because being famous gives a man permission to be a licentious, drug-using, excessive drinking, foul-mouthed, abusive, womanizing, callous, unfeeling, fiscally irresponsible asshole. Okay, then.
6. Dystopian societies that forbid love for whatever reason.
Romeo and Juliet wasn't all that great the FIRST time around you guys--and that was five hundred years ago.
7. 'Trendy' devotionals.
I'm secular, but I get really irritated when I'm going through the giveaways and see things like 'Fifty Shades of Grace' and instructional manuals for girls on how to protect their V-cards and not be whores. Especially when these things are not labeled as Christian fiction/nonfiction; I've been suckered in to everything from 'Christian' housekeeping to 'Christian' medicine.
8. Shape-shifter/vampire forcibly takes/abducts/rapes his (soul)mate.
Most of these tend to be excuses for blatant misogyny and really disturbing border-line non-con. Of course, the woman falls in love with them immediately and once he gets his way, the man gives her his balls to keep in the expensive purse he buys her. These books are ALL the same, and most of them tend to be horrible.
9. Let's abandon all our problems by taking a road trip!
Not only does this say, "Hey! Running away from our problems is the best solution!" (A very selfish and irresponsible mindset, if you ask me), it also is very rarely about the trip itself and more about having frequent and often irresponsible sex with a boy.
The girl almost never tells anyone where she's going, or who she's going with. The boy is usually involved in something bad, and since this girl also wants to do something bad on the trip he seems like an ideal partner in crime.
Now if these 'road trip' books were actually about the places they see and explore, instead of being totally lame, I would be all over this genre like white on rice. The way it is now, though? No.
10. Trashy Tudor England novels.
That wasn't the only point in European history guys. Neither was the Regency period or the French Revolution. Seriously, what about the Italian Renaissance? The Gothic period in Germany? William the Conqueror? Charlemagne? The Jacobite rebellion? Celtic druids? The Enlightenment? Is Tudor England seriously all you remember from World History?
Coming up next: Ten Literary Trends that Need to Respawn
I'm really not comfortable with the idea that it's perfectly acceptable, even desirable, for boys and men to have ridiculously high numbers of partners, because one day they will settle down and fall in love with a nice virgin girl. I also don't like the message that those other girls deserve this treatment for being "loose." Especially since they are frequently relentlessly and viciously slut-shamed by our so-called 'nice girl' protagonist.
2. BDSM-lite erotica knock-offs of FSoG.
This. Seriously. Needs. To. Stop. So do all the parodies, the homages, the satires, the copiers, and the hangers-on who put in their summaries "fans of FSoG will LOVE..."
Slap yo'self.
3. Spoiled teenage bitches having first world problems.
"Mommy bought me a Dolce and Gabanna prom dress when I ASKED her for Louis Vuitton. I'm going to go clubbing and cheat on my boyfriend with the bad-boy who wears leather pants made by Armani, because he is SUCH a bad-ass counterculture rebel with those Swarvoski gauges."
4. Ordinary girl finds out she is the last of her kind and all these men want to sleep with her/marry her/steal her powers/fall in love with her.
In all fairness, some of these can be quite good. But many of them come off as Twiclones. OR, they end up pushing annoying gender roles, slut-shaming, double-standards, instalove, love triangles, and ridiculous storylines.
If your story in particular is about angels, shape-shifters, vampires, or fae, you should probably just stop right there.
5. OMG YOU GUYS I'M DATING A BOY WHO'S IN A BAND.
Because being famous gives a man permission to be a licentious, drug-using, excessive drinking, foul-mouthed, abusive, womanizing, callous, unfeeling, fiscally irresponsible asshole. Okay, then.
6. Dystopian societies that forbid love for whatever reason.
Romeo and Juliet wasn't all that great the FIRST time around you guys--and that was five hundred years ago.
7. 'Trendy' devotionals.
I'm secular, but I get really irritated when I'm going through the giveaways and see things like 'Fifty Shades of Grace' and instructional manuals for girls on how to protect their V-cards and not be whores. Especially when these things are not labeled as Christian fiction/nonfiction; I've been suckered in to everything from 'Christian' housekeeping to 'Christian' medicine.
8. Shape-shifter/vampire forcibly takes/abducts/rapes his (soul)mate.
Most of these tend to be excuses for blatant misogyny and really disturbing border-line non-con. Of course, the woman falls in love with them immediately and once he gets his way, the man gives her his balls to keep in the expensive purse he buys her. These books are ALL the same, and most of them tend to be horrible.
9. Let's abandon all our problems by taking a road trip!
Not only does this say, "Hey! Running away from our problems is the best solution!" (A very selfish and irresponsible mindset, if you ask me), it also is very rarely about the trip itself and more about having frequent and often irresponsible sex with a boy.
The girl almost never tells anyone where she's going, or who she's going with. The boy is usually involved in something bad, and since this girl also wants to do something bad on the trip he seems like an ideal partner in crime.
Now if these 'road trip' books were actually about the places they see and explore, instead of being totally lame, I would be all over this genre like white on rice. The way it is now, though? No.
10. Trashy Tudor England novels.
That wasn't the only point in European history guys. Neither was the Regency period or the French Revolution. Seriously, what about the Italian Renaissance? The Gothic period in Germany? William the Conqueror? Charlemagne? The Jacobite rebellion? Celtic druids? The Enlightenment? Is Tudor England seriously all you remember from World History?
Coming up next: Ten Literary Trends that Need to Respawn
April 14, 2013
Reviewing as an Author
Many people have mixed feelings about authors being able to review other people's books on Goodreads. Since I was a reviewer on Goodreads for several years before I published my books, this topic is near and dear to my heart. Particularly since, with Goodreads's being purchased by Amazon, there has been some speculation that Amazon might impose its own rule of authors not being able to review books within the genres they write on Goodreads.
Well. I have several thoughts on this. Because I like to think of myself as a lady, I'll concede to the opposition first. It's only polite.
Why It Makes Sense
1. Authors aren't unbiased.
You could argue that nobody is, but authors actually have incentive to be, hmm, shall we say less than 100% honest in their opinions of other people's books. Particularly their competition...or their friends.
2. Authors are 'public figures' so their opinions will be seen by more people and have a magnified effect.
There is some concern that authors might abuse their fame and fanbase to achieve the ends listed in reason #1.
3. When authors review other people's work, they are putting their own work at risk.
When authors write negative reviews they are opening themselves up to 'revenge reviewing.' Therefore it is in the author's best interests to keep silent and preserve the integrity of their own work.
4. It creates more temptation for sock-puppets.
Authors might write a review and then create several sock-puppet accounts to 'upvote' it. If authors were not allowed to review in the first place this would not be as prevalent an issue.
The Benefits (Yes, There Are Benefits!)
1. Writers generally have an intimate knowledge of the genre(s) they are writing in.
In order to be a good author, you have to read many books--both good and bad. Why? Because you can't know what's already out there unless you open your eyes and take a good, long look. Fantasy authors tend to read a lot of fantasy books, science-fiction authors read a lot of science-fiction, and so on and so forth for all the genres across the board. Reading inspired them to write because they found a genre they really liked and said, "Hey, X has never been done before. Maybe I should write a story just like this about X!" In this sense, I think writers can provide some very interesting insights about the books they've read, including those which they found especially inspirational.
2. The people who read a specific author writing in a specific genre tend to have similar taste to that author.
If a reader is looking at the reviews of an author who writes fantasy novels with strong female protagonists, it is very possible that he or she doesn't like romance novels with extremely passive heroines. So if the author has reviewed a book that the reader was on the fence about, but proclaimed that she found the heroine more representative of the damsel-in-distress archetype, the reader will probably take a look at a book's summary and nod in agreement. If a reader likes an author, it's highly likely that they will have similar tastes in reading to that author. Authors tend to write what they love; the books that inspired them to write will likely appeal to their followers. I know my fans tend to share my tastes quite closely, and we have very lively discussions about the books we love (and hate). Even if authors are not permitted to review, readers will still seek out like-minded individuals and put more stock in what they say than people who do not share their tastes and opinions.
3. Writers are very verbal, and are generally pretty good at putting their thoughts and impressions into words.
I think this is really important for reviews; when you read a review of a book, you want the impression the person had at the moment they were reading it. This is crucial for both positive and negative reviews. I love it when I'm reading a review and someone mentions some small detail that I can completely relate to, and I think, "Oh my gosh! I wasn't the only one!" and you immediately feel that warm spark of affinity with the reviewer. That's priceless. That's how friendships are made!
4. The type of individual who feels compelled to break the rules won't be deterred by more rules and restrictions.
In my experience, I've found that more rules and restrictions tend to force the nice, rule-following people into silence (because they are nice, rule-following people) while simultaneously providing an irresistible lure for those who take an especial pleasure in breaking them.
What do you guys think?
Well. I have several thoughts on this. Because I like to think of myself as a lady, I'll concede to the opposition first. It's only polite.
Why It Makes Sense
1. Authors aren't unbiased.
You could argue that nobody is, but authors actually have incentive to be, hmm, shall we say less than 100% honest in their opinions of other people's books. Particularly their competition...or their friends.
2. Authors are 'public figures' so their opinions will be seen by more people and have a magnified effect.
There is some concern that authors might abuse their fame and fanbase to achieve the ends listed in reason #1.
3. When authors review other people's work, they are putting their own work at risk.
When authors write negative reviews they are opening themselves up to 'revenge reviewing.' Therefore it is in the author's best interests to keep silent and preserve the integrity of their own work.
4. It creates more temptation for sock-puppets.
Authors might write a review and then create several sock-puppet accounts to 'upvote' it. If authors were not allowed to review in the first place this would not be as prevalent an issue.
The Benefits (Yes, There Are Benefits!)
1. Writers generally have an intimate knowledge of the genre(s) they are writing in.
In order to be a good author, you have to read many books--both good and bad. Why? Because you can't know what's already out there unless you open your eyes and take a good, long look. Fantasy authors tend to read a lot of fantasy books, science-fiction authors read a lot of science-fiction, and so on and so forth for all the genres across the board. Reading inspired them to write because they found a genre they really liked and said, "Hey, X has never been done before. Maybe I should write a story just like this about X!" In this sense, I think writers can provide some very interesting insights about the books they've read, including those which they found especially inspirational.
2. The people who read a specific author writing in a specific genre tend to have similar taste to that author.
If a reader is looking at the reviews of an author who writes fantasy novels with strong female protagonists, it is very possible that he or she doesn't like romance novels with extremely passive heroines. So if the author has reviewed a book that the reader was on the fence about, but proclaimed that she found the heroine more representative of the damsel-in-distress archetype, the reader will probably take a look at a book's summary and nod in agreement. If a reader likes an author, it's highly likely that they will have similar tastes in reading to that author. Authors tend to write what they love; the books that inspired them to write will likely appeal to their followers. I know my fans tend to share my tastes quite closely, and we have very lively discussions about the books we love (and hate). Even if authors are not permitted to review, readers will still seek out like-minded individuals and put more stock in what they say than people who do not share their tastes and opinions.
3. Writers are very verbal, and are generally pretty good at putting their thoughts and impressions into words.
I think this is really important for reviews; when you read a review of a book, you want the impression the person had at the moment they were reading it. This is crucial for both positive and negative reviews. I love it when I'm reading a review and someone mentions some small detail that I can completely relate to, and I think, "Oh my gosh! I wasn't the only one!" and you immediately feel that warm spark of affinity with the reviewer. That's priceless. That's how friendships are made!
4. The type of individual who feels compelled to break the rules won't be deterred by more rules and restrictions.
In my experience, I've found that more rules and restrictions tend to force the nice, rule-following people into silence (because they are nice, rule-following people) while simultaneously providing an irresistible lure for those who take an especial pleasure in breaking them.
What do you guys think?
April 12, 2013
5 Things Every Author Shouldn't Take for Granted
1. Positive reviews. They're not the status quo. Rather than going after negative reviews, take the time to thank the people who leave the positive ones!
2. Fans. Count yourself lucky that someone likes your books enough to get excited over them to the point to fangirl/fanboy over!
3. Reading. You can learn what you should do from the good stuff, and what you shouldn't do from the bad stuff. Any writer that says they don't have time to read shouldn't be taken seriously.
4. Criticism. Sometimes the stuff that hurts the most to hear can be the most valuable to a writer.
5. Sales. Sales = money! Someone wanted to read your books enough to pay money for them! Be grateful to the people who make it possible to do what you love for a career.
2. Fans. Count yourself lucky that someone likes your books enough to get excited over them to the point to fangirl/fanboy over!
3. Reading. You can learn what you should do from the good stuff, and what you shouldn't do from the bad stuff. Any writer that says they don't have time to read shouldn't be taken seriously.
4. Criticism. Sometimes the stuff that hurts the most to hear can be the most valuable to a writer.
5. Sales. Sales = money! Someone wanted to read your books enough to pay money for them! Be grateful to the people who make it possible to do what you love for a career.
All's Well that Ends Well...
...and this giveaway ended very well! 100 people received free Kindle copies of my short story anthology this round!
I hope you enjoy the book, guys! I look forward to seeing your reviews popping up in my update feed. :)
Thank you to everyone who participated! My books are always very happy when they get adopted--and I love seeing my books find new Goodreads homes! Plus, I noticed some people advertising for me, so an extra big thank you to you, too!
(If you didn't get a free copy don't feel bad; there shall be more freebie days in the future.)
Oh, yes, and happy reading!
xNenia
I hope you enjoy the book, guys! I look forward to seeing your reviews popping up in my update feed. :)
Thank you to everyone who participated! My books are always very happy when they get adopted--and I love seeing my books find new Goodreads homes! Plus, I noticed some people advertising for me, so an extra big thank you to you, too!
(If you didn't get a free copy don't feel bad; there shall be more freebie days in the future.)
Oh, yes, and happy reading!
xNenia
April 11, 2013
LAST DAY OF WISHING STARS FREEBIE - APRIL10-11
Just a reminder that today is the LAST DAY of my WISHING STARS FREEBIE. If you haven't already got a copy of your own, click HERE.
And if you really, really like it enough to adopt your very own hard copy version, it's only $3.89 through Createspace.
(I really ought to pub more novellas; I like the idea of people getting cheap hard copies. :3)
As always, thanks for buying my books! I see that C&D is becoming quite popular. That makes me very, very happy, although I think my Horrorscape series is getting jealous!
Happy reading,
xNenia
And if you really, really like it enough to adopt your very own hard copy version, it's only $3.89 through Createspace.
(I really ought to pub more novellas; I like the idea of people getting cheap hard copies. :3)
As always, thanks for buying my books! I see that C&D is becoming quite popular. That makes me very, very happy, although I think my Horrorscape series is getting jealous!
Happy reading,
xNenia
April 10, 2013
WISHING STARS FREEBIE NOW ACTIVE - APRIL10-11
There's a gay space pirate, a squid cyborg, bird people, and a CLOCKWORK PLANET. That's right. A motherfucking CLOCKWORK PLANET.
You know you want in on that.
Also, it's free. So tell your friends.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BAZHGI8
You know you want in on that.
Also, it's free. So tell your friends.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BAZHGI8
April 9, 2013
A WILD PROMOTION HAS APPEARED!
It's been a while since my last promotion and I wanted to thank you guys for all your wonderful support. I'm blown away by the positive reception my stories have been getting, and I want to give something back in return.
SO. For April 10th and 11th, Wishing Stars will be free for download for Kindle. If you don't have a Kindle, I think you can download free software from Amazon's website to read on your computer.
EVERYONE WINS!
So yeah, enjoy. In the meantime, back to writing Armed and Dangerous to appease all you Michael fangirls. :)
SO. For April 10th and 11th, Wishing Stars will be free for download for Kindle. If you don't have a Kindle, I think you can download free software from Amazon's website to read on your computer.
EVERYONE WINS!
So yeah, enjoy. In the meantime, back to writing Armed and Dangerous to appease all you Michael fangirls. :)
April 8, 2013
The Many Faces of a Writer
The many REACTION faces, that is! They say a picture is worth a thousand words. These are worth a laugh.
My reaction when someone adds my books on Goodreads:
My reaction when someone buys one of my books:
My reaction when someone rates my books on Goodreads:
My reaction when someone writes me a review on Goodreads:
My reaction when someone writes me a negative review on Goodreads:
My reaction when I get a friend request on Goodreads:
My reaction when someone likes one of my reviews on Goodreads:
My reaction when someone trolls me on Goodreads:
:D
My reaction when someone adds my books on Goodreads:
My reaction when someone buys one of my books:
My reaction when someone rates my books on Goodreads:
My reaction when someone writes me a review on Goodreads:
My reaction when someone writes me a negative review on Goodreads:
My reaction when I get a friend request on Goodreads:
My reaction when someone likes one of my reviews on Goodreads:
My reaction when someone trolls me on Goodreads:
:D
April 7, 2013
How NOT to Respond to a Negative Review
Okay, guys, this is getting a bit ridiculous now, not to mention repetitive. Writer reacts badly to review, writer gets called on the carpet about bad behavior, writer is convinced massive conspiracy is underway, writer starts acting crazy.
Am I the only one who sees this and thinks, "NO NO NO, DON'T YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LAST GUY WHO DID THAT?" Jesus. It's more frustrating than watching the blonde in a horror movie head DIRECTLY TOWARDS THE MONSTER.
I think it's time for another handy-dandy Nenia Instruction Guide. *nods*
1. Insult the reader.
Why would you do this? Seriously, WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS? Not only is it mean, rude, and incredibly unprofessional, it's also pretty much validating what the reviewer said. Why? Because YOU WERE SO COMPLETELY UNABLE TO COME UP WITH A RESPONSE THAT YOU RESORTED TO AD HOMINEMS INSTEAD OF ACTUAL FACTS. Congratulations; you've committed the Godwin's law of literary criticism.
2. Whine about how time-consuming writing is.
Clearly it's not very, or you wouldn't have all this free time to spend harassing people on the internet.
3. Tell the reader that they should try writing a book.
They might take you up on this. And wouldn't it be embarrassing if their book received so much more critical acclaim than yours? Plus, it ties into the same irrationality as in #1. Your argument is invalid.
4. Bully them into changing the rating.
Put yourself in their shoes for a moment. How would you feel if you had a really strong opinion about something and someone was trying to tell you that you were a effing moron for having that opinion and that the right thing--the DECENT thing--to do would be to change that opinion post-haste? Would you apologize to this person and agree to change your opinion? Or would you get pissed off and tell them to go to hell? Exactly. So don't act surprised when people tell you to go to hell.
5. Go cry to certain nameless sites claiming to help you fight off those mean nasty bullies by systematically attacking them.
This is like overeating to help yourself lose weight.
6. Report the negative review for abuse.
Let me direct you to a wonderful story called "The Boy Who Cried Wolf."
7. If the person is an author, or friends with an author whom they like very much, RATE ALL THAT BITCH'S BOOKS A 1!
I'm sorry, weren't we just talking about one-star reviews being abusive and bullying? You're not even adhering to your own logic anymore.
8. Dig up personal information on the reader to use for blackmail/revenge.
Okay, seriously? This is starting to get fucking creepy. If there were any people left who still had sympathy for you, they will feel it no longer. Congratulations, you are now a psycho.
9. Harass readers for rating OTHER people's books one star.
How does this affect you in any way?
10. Leave your Goodreads and Amazon accounts and cancel your internet subscription because that'll SHOW THEM.
Actually... feel free to do this. Because, um, it will show them. Yeah. They'll miss your harassment so much that they'll come crawling back.
But seriously, come ON. You're giving indie authors a bad rep. Cut it out, yo.
Am I the only one who sees this and thinks, "NO NO NO, DON'T YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LAST GUY WHO DID THAT?" Jesus. It's more frustrating than watching the blonde in a horror movie head DIRECTLY TOWARDS THE MONSTER.
I think it's time for another handy-dandy Nenia Instruction Guide. *nods*
1. Insult the reader.
Why would you do this? Seriously, WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS? Not only is it mean, rude, and incredibly unprofessional, it's also pretty much validating what the reviewer said. Why? Because YOU WERE SO COMPLETELY UNABLE TO COME UP WITH A RESPONSE THAT YOU RESORTED TO AD HOMINEMS INSTEAD OF ACTUAL FACTS. Congratulations; you've committed the Godwin's law of literary criticism.
2. Whine about how time-consuming writing is.
Clearly it's not very, or you wouldn't have all this free time to spend harassing people on the internet.
3. Tell the reader that they should try writing a book.
They might take you up on this. And wouldn't it be embarrassing if their book received so much more critical acclaim than yours? Plus, it ties into the same irrationality as in #1. Your argument is invalid.
4. Bully them into changing the rating.
Put yourself in their shoes for a moment. How would you feel if you had a really strong opinion about something and someone was trying to tell you that you were a effing moron for having that opinion and that the right thing--the DECENT thing--to do would be to change that opinion post-haste? Would you apologize to this person and agree to change your opinion? Or would you get pissed off and tell them to go to hell? Exactly. So don't act surprised when people tell you to go to hell.
5. Go cry to certain nameless sites claiming to help you fight off those mean nasty bullies by systematically attacking them.
This is like overeating to help yourself lose weight.
6. Report the negative review for abuse.
Let me direct you to a wonderful story called "The Boy Who Cried Wolf."
7. If the person is an author, or friends with an author whom they like very much, RATE ALL THAT BITCH'S BOOKS A 1!
I'm sorry, weren't we just talking about one-star reviews being abusive and bullying? You're not even adhering to your own logic anymore.
8. Dig up personal information on the reader to use for blackmail/revenge.
Okay, seriously? This is starting to get fucking creepy. If there were any people left who still had sympathy for you, they will feel it no longer. Congratulations, you are now a psycho.
9. Harass readers for rating OTHER people's books one star.
How does this affect you in any way?
10. Leave your Goodreads and Amazon accounts and cancel your internet subscription because that'll SHOW THEM.
Actually... feel free to do this. Because, um, it will show them. Yeah. They'll miss your harassment so much that they'll come crawling back.
But seriously, come ON. You're giving indie authors a bad rep. Cut it out, yo.
March 29, 2013
Are We Friends? Have We Not Talked in a While?
I try to only add people I like on friends on GR. That is why I really try to interact with most of the people on my newsfeed. However, because of time differences and busy schedules, I tend to talk with some people more than others.
If we are friends but I haven't talked with you in a while, let me know! I will bombard you with comments, likes, and requests for buddy reads!
I love my GR friends. :)
xNenia
If we are friends but I haven't talked with you in a while, let me know! I will bombard you with comments, likes, and requests for buddy reads!
I love my GR friends. :)
xNenia
