R. Lawson Gamble's Blog: R Lawson Gamble Books, page 20

Four Things I Never Forget

 

Each of us writes in our own way, in our own time, and for our own reasons. Over time we establish our own truths; our own mandates, if you will. These tend to boil down to just a few basic rules, if we scrutinize them long enough. And they are often universal.

I’ll share mine with you.

1. The first (and most difficult) for me is patience. Within that realm I include the willpower to put my work aside and look at it again much later with fresh eyes. Do I still like it as much as when I wrote it? It includes the patience not to write until I am ready; to let the story line or situation mull about in my head for a day or two or three before I commit to paper.

2. I write for myself. As my Amazon reviews accumulate, I see a variety of preferences, some strongly stated. I hear the thoughts of relatives and friends. I read the advice of Stephen King and T.C. Boyle. I listen. And then I look deep inside for the answer: what do I really want to write and how do I really want to write it? What will give me the most satisfaction? Only when I’ve honestly discerned the answer to these questions do I commit to paper.

3. Quality comes first. Ultimately the work I publish must satisfy my own highest standards. I put aside my work (see patience) and then I read it as if someone else wrote it, with the same critical eye. If I can find fault, I try to improve it.

4. Focus on one thing at a time. My fourth rule reflects a personal weakness, which is to involve myself in multiple projects at the same time. Stephen King writes that he works on one book at a time, from start to finish, and that book will engage him fully during his sanctified writing times. I began that way, but have let this rule slide since then and I regret it. When a single novel is on my mind, all my thoughts are occupied with that story and those characters, consciously and unconsciously, and that results in deeper characterizations and more layers to my plots. I live the novel, and that brings it fully to life.

I have other rules that direct my writing, consciously or not, but most grow out one of the above guidelines. I will probably evolve others as I learn my craft and improve. But I doubt I will ever relinquish these four.

 

Tagged: guidelines for writing, reviews, self improvement for writers, the craft of writing, writing discipline, writing focus, writing influences

Who’s Got The Time?

I’ve just read a very interesting post by Elizabeth Spann Craig. She talks about hybrid authors, that is, those who both self-publish and publish traditionally. She has done both. Long and short, she felt her traditional publishing profile help stimulate her self-published books, which are now selling  even better  than her trad books.

Okay, not much of the above is a great surprise. And for those of us who have not found our way (or for whom our way has not been found) to traditional publishing, she hints that she senses a swing toward greater initial discovery as a self-published book in the future.

That may or may not be true.

But anyone who contemplates going the traditional publishing route must make a decision. And the single most important element in that decision is the consideration of time. Once you make the decision to hunt for an agent and then a publisher, or even hunt a publisher directly, this is a time-consuming path. Yes, some people have work accepted right away; but really, will that be you? Maybe. But it won’t be me.

For best success in finding an agent, one should utilize the skills of a professional editor. More time. And leaping ahead to that contract with the publisher; how long will it be before the book is released?

My point is this: those authors with a time limit, whatever it may be, are at a disadvantage with traditional publishing. It is possible for the self-published author to have three books on the retail shelves earning 70% before the traditionally published book arrives and begins paying 8%.

But don’t get me wrong; I see advantages to being a hybrid author. My only question is could I live long enough to become one?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What A Publisher Wants

 

I recently received an inquiry from a publisher asking that I write a proposal for a book they’d like me to write. This publisher deals in strictly formatted, non fiction books. There is not a lot of opportunity for creativity, nor is there a pot of gold at the end of this particular rainbow.

Because the style is so very structured, the editor enclosed a form to fill in, essentially a formatted proposal – I am to fill in the blanks. I’m in the throes of decision about the book, but the proposal form is interesting in that it reveals fairly precisely what this publisher wants. I’d like to share that with you.

 

1. Author information. No surprise here. They want to know current careers and leadership roles and educational background. My connection to my community, memberships in organizations. Previous works. Am I currently under contract? A community reference.

What’s it about? Fifty percent is my character and credentials and the other fifty percent is marketing.

 

2. Book information. Time span of book (it’s a history). A preliminary outline of chapters topics. A summary of why this book is unique. Why is it a good fit for the publisher? Sources and rights for any images. Rights for electronic publishing. Are there competing books out there? 

What’s it about? Whether this book will sell and if all rights secured.

 

3. Publicity and Sales. Will I be active in sales and promotion? What bookstores, gift shops, specialty stores, unique sales opportunities exist for my book? What community organizations will get behind it? What traditional and non-traditional and loca news outlets will get behind it?

What’s it about? Marketing, marketing, and marketing.

 

4. Schedule. How long will it take me? What major event in my area might a release date be timed to?

What’s it about? Market timing, marketing.

 

And there it is! These are the concerns of this publisher. As you can see, a small portion of the information requested is dedicated to the author’s credentials, a bit is about the scope and rights and ‘hook’ of the book, and all the rest? Marketing.

 

Everyone in the book business struggles with marketing. That will be an increasing emphasis in future book sales. Keeping in mind that this publisher deals in a specific type of book for a specific audience, I none-the-less believe that the general tendencies found in this outline can serve anyone when writing a book proposal. Just go heavy on the marketing!

Tagged: book marketing, book sales, books, ePub authors, marketing, Publishing, retail outlets, traditional publishing, unique books, writing proposals

The Automobile And The Horse

I was intrigued by Penny Sansevieri’s latest bulletin post in which she suggests that The Emperor (read New York Publishers) Has No Clothes (still don’t realize that their existence is in jeopardy).

And as she goes on to surmise; perhaps they won’t go away altogether. To draw an analogy, when the automobile arrived, the horse didn’t go away, but it became a whole lot less necessary. I’m big on niche finding, and I believe the big publishers will always have a role, but will no longer own the industry.

It’s all about the math. An author today can self-publish and expect up to 70% of the profit from book sales, versus 10% to 15% if going the publisher route. Sure, publishers have the experience and know-how and connections, but in the end, self-publishers will gain that too. And self-publishers will always have to market their work, regardless. Look for marketing consortiums created by author groups to crop up – no one has time both to write and to market, but working as a group, the load can be lightened.

Penny mentions the cache of big house publishers; to many writers’ minds, being published by an established publisher means your work has met a certain standard. But guess what? Your work must meet that same standard to self-publish successfully. Nor does being published in the traditional way necessarily mean success. I continue to be a believer in “build it, and they will come”; in other words, write a damn good book, and people will want to read it.

One big advantage to the self-publisher? Keep writing and publishing good books, and with each book your profits grow incrementally. Only the lucky few can manage to do that through traditional publishing.

It will take a while for the role of the traditional publishing house to evolve. Because no one wants to settle for less – except, maybe, that horse!

Tagged: big house publishers, book sales, books, ePub authors, high standards, marketing, Publishing, self-publish, traditional publishing, Writers Resources

Five Ways to keep Your Joy in Writing

My first novel was the most fun I’ve had while writing. There are a number of reasons for that; most of them obvious: It was my first attempt, therefore the outcome was uncertain. I had many mental scenarios stored away over the years to draw upon. Everything was available – I could use any imagery, any backdrop, any expression, any character; in short, anything I wanted to use, because the slate was clean. I had the freedom to go anywhere, and I did. Every day was exciting.

I set my second novel in a very different locality with different sub-characters, I think largely to try to maintain that same freedom of mind. But I soon realized I was dealing with diminishing returns, even then. I now had to reject some ideas because I had used them already. It was still fun, but an element of work had been introduced.

After my first two novels were published, it was time to market them. The idea was that I’d give those books a head start and then begin the third novel of the series. But I faced a serious learning curve in a very uncertain world. It was a struggle that diverted me completely away from writing. I found it difficult to return. I needed to make choices.

1. Remember The Feeling. I decided I had to go back to what got me here in the first place. That meant focusing just on writing, at least for a period of time each day. I find that writing will draw you in if you let it, if you allow it time to occupy your brain completely from day to day. I wanted to recapture the feeling I had writing my first novel. I sensed that anything less would be cheating my readers. My first decision was to demand of myself sufficient writing time to allow it to happen.

2. Don’t let the market cart lead the horse. Marketing brings with it a sense of desperation. Book sales are uncertain and unresponsive to most stratagems. There is a disconnect between market manipulation and results. Every marketing expert has a device to recommend, something that invariably works. Try them all and you’ll never write again; you won’t have the time. There are only a few basic marketing strategies that work: create a good product, expose it to a lot of people, create another good product, and so on.

3. Fit your image of yourself. When I began to write novels, I had an image of myself as a successful writer. The image itself was vague, being perhaps more a collage of moments stimulated by certain circumstances such as signing books, speaking about my novels to fascinated audiences, being asked to speak about my books to fascinated audiences – that sort of thing. If you can’t visualize yourself as a successful writer how can you become one? Don’t be embarrassed by the imagery – instead, pursue it and adopt it.

4. Remind everyone around you that you are a writer. People rejuvenate and refresh each other in a way that is impossible to duplicate. When a neighbor asks me a question about my book, I am instantly recharged. When the man who sells me my bread asks how my writing is going, I want to run straight home and get to work. But they wouldn’t know to ask me those questions if I hadn’t told them multiple times in multiple ways that I am a writer. Give away your books to people you know and they will give back to you twofold.

5. Go back to your childhood. Remember the book that drew you in to its pages and wouldn’t let go? How you never wanted to put it down, even to eat? How you identified with the main characters completely? How you were transported to a place you never wanted to leave? Now is the time to try to recapture those feelings, because that is exactly how you need to feel about writing your book. Do not think that you are writing your book for others, or you will try to become others to write your book. You are writing your book for you! And for the passions, the longings, the pain and anguish, the triumph that only you can feel. Write that book, and they will love it.

Tagged: Author, be a writer, book sales, enjoyment, Fiction, marketing, Publishing, Reviews and Criticism, Writing

Writing Intimacy

 

Close upon the heels of Valentines Day it feels appropriate to talk about writing intimacy, or intimate scene writing, or…well, you know what I mean.

I am not talking about erotic writing; that is a whole other skill set. I refer to those intimate scenes that we write within almost any form of fiction; scenes that are increasingly demanded by our readers, regardless of genre. Romance rules.

Such writing does not come easily to everyone. But regardless of whether or not it does, there are skills to develop and lessons to learn from the masters.

I’ve learned that less is more. A large part of sexuality is anticipation. Authors may spend half a novel leading toward a particular sexual encounter. And as in real life, if the eventual act is disappointing, all that time spent in anticipation may seem wasted. As always with fiction, the best scenes are those created within the mind of the reader, not dictated by the writer. To that end, less is more when writing about intimate encounters. Too much detail tends to repress the reader’s vision of that moment, a vision which has been growing and taking form throughout the entire anticipatory approach.

Brown and King in their book Self-Editing for Fiction Writers call this “sexual encounters that take place in line spaces.” They illustrate this concept with the love scene from Gone With The Wind, when finally, after half a book’s worth of anticipation Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara get it on. A little more than a page is devoted to the scene. The only physical touching mentioned in all of that is kissing. Instead of a literal, physical description, we experience Scarlett’s growing fear and passion and wonder. It all leads to a final cloud of ambiguity: “Somehow her arms were around his neck and her lips trembling beneath his and they were going up, up into the darkness again, a darkness that was soft and swirling and all enveloping.” Reading this, we have no difficulty filling in the line spaces with our own imaginations.

No less important is a consideration of the time, place, and participants. In McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove when the men talk of a sexual encounter it’s about having a “poke”, in Meyer’s The Son it’s a “plug”, and both are always appropriate to the setting. As Brown and King point out, if your novel contained no vulgar vocabulary heretofore, the sudden use of the word “fuck” during a sexual encounter is jarring. And, on the obverse, a novel full of obscenities except when describing love-making is inconsistent, or at the least must seem to be trying to make a point.

Finally, consider the purpose of the scene. Why has it been included? If it is the culmination of the sexual tension that has grown throughout the entire novel, the scene should reflect that. But if it is simply meant to establish the relationship of some minor characters in a subplot, don’t allow the description of that encounter to overwhelm the entire work with its vividness.

The Five Layers of Great Writing

 

I have learned to see writing in layers; that is, layers of growth. Starting out, all writers must believe we have better than average abilities to express ourselves on paper – otherwise we might not begin to write at all. I see this as the first layer of writing. I should note here that one persons’ first layer might not be anything like another person’s first layer; this is not about comparative ability, it is about individual progress.

Layer one writing can be quite good, encouraging even, perhaps praised. But again, comparative quality is not germane; the important critic here is the author. And when we the author are not satisfied, we turn for advice to accomplished writers; we turn to books on writing by Steven King, and observations on writing by Tom McGuane, or comments in articles about Elmore Leonard – that sort of thing. And from them we learn to remove all adverbs, to use ‘said’ as an attribute in dialogue, to remove every sentence that doesn’t advance the plot or our characters, and so on.

And it works! We find our writing has become efficient, clearer, better paced, fluid. We are at layer two. At layer two, the enjoyment of writing increases, we feel confident in our tools. We write more and we read more and as we read we become aware of vocabulary. We notice that great writers seem to find the precise word that is needed for a particular moment. How do they do that? And what does that word mean, anyway? We want to become better writers, so now we note vocabulary as we read, how the words are used. We write down the words we don’t know and look them up later. And gradually our own vocabulary improves; the best word comes to mind more of the time, and we are not satisfied until we have found just the right word.

We have arrived at layer three. Armed with a strong vocabulary, our confidence has increased exponentially and our enjoyment of writing has grown even more. We write and we read on. But now we notice that the great writers, the ones we really enjoy, have an ability to engage with the commonplace, to create electricity in everyday routines, to somehow elevate drudgery. Is it in their phrasing, is it what they choose to say and what they decide to leave out, is it in the perspective; what is it? There is no discernible formula for it, no catechism we can learn, no set of rules. We have reached a stage where no one can teach us, only show us.  And so a bit deflated, we journey on.

We are at layer four. Rather than growing easier, writing has become harder now; writing well, that is – writing to a standard we have have glimpsed but are not yet able to accomplish. We are less satisfied more of the time. But we write and read on. And somewhere along the way we begin to understand.

And so we arrive at layer five, the uppermost layer. We now understand that truly great writing is a process that will never end. We understand that the rules that brought us all the way to layer four might have to be ignored to provide enough freedom to find our own voice.  We start to recognize that voice, our voice! We can hear it, we glimpse our potential,  our direction is clear. And so we write and read on. And we begin all over.

 

 

Tagged: great authors, great writers, learning to write, writers voice, writing discipline

Back To Basics

 

Like many people, I found the game of golf to be irksome. Actually, it doesn’t take so long for the beginner to reach a level

of proficiency that is encouraging. The game is exciting at that point, the challenge clearly defined, and progress positive. But that is the hook.

At some point, be it weeks or months the confident golfer strides to the first tee, shanks the drive, and there follows a travesty of such proportions that onlookers may wonder if the golfer had ever learned to play in the first place.

With his confidence shattered, the golfer continues the effort week after week but fails. He has lost the mental game along with his stroke. There is no cure now but to return to the basics, the training that launched him in the first place.

I have found a similar point in my writing. But it’s not the creative aspects that are lost, it’s the single-minded purpose and disciplined focus with which I began that is gone. Somewhere along the line, with a book or two published, I had allowed myself to take

on too many projects. It is a simple trap; at the height of proficiency it all seems very easy. So why not begin a second project, or a third. Why not shift my time to marketing. After all, when it’s time to write, it will flow as it has always done.

Well, that’s the rub. The time to write is gone, buried somewhere beneath all the other demands that my new projects have birthed. New deadlines have appeared, all of them urgent. The time allocated for real creative writing has dwindled to the point that the time I spend at it may actually do more harm than good.

Like the golfer, it is time for a seismic shift. When I began writing, I had one work firmly in mind, one novel that I thought about night and day. There was no other. The work had my undivided attention.

It is time for me to find that place again. My writing must have my full focus. It must own the best part of each day. I must reclaim my game. All else can wait for those bits and pieces of the remainder of my day. I can see now that I have disarmed the urgency that once accompanied them; for I had created it myself.

DEVIL TOWN

 

My research of late has taken me to Alta California and the restless pioneering souls who first settled it. I am pursuing links to certain colonial families but as often happens while hunting treasure I stumbled across an entirely unexpected gem. I call this one Devil Town.

Here’s the story. Along with the Missions and Presidios established by the Spanish in Alta California once they awoke to the fact that the Russians, the English, and the Americans were more than a little interested in occupying these fair lands, they also initiated three civil settlements: Los Angeles, San Jose, and Villa de Branciforte. The pioneers in these settlements were neither priests nor soldiers – they were civilians.

Villa de Branciforte was located across the river from Mission Santa Cruz. And it became clear right from the start that the interests of these colonists were very different from the aims of the church.

Many of the town’s first settlers were refugees from Mexican law, told to “go colonize or go to jail”. They immediately engaged in a riotous lifestyle of song and fandangoes, bull and bear fighting, gambling, and horse racing through the middle of town.

In the Mission across the river, the Neophyte Indians, who dearly loved such entertainment, had to work in the fields and orchards to the accompaniment of the distant sounds of music and laughter. More than a few times they snuck off to join the festivities only to be soundly censured upon their return by the disapproving Fathers, who complained bitterly to the Spanish authorities about the sinful city across the way. The authorities made half-hearted attempts to rein in those carefree spirits, but since the settlers had never received the housing and supplies they had been promised, they were not inclined to listen. The frivolities went on.

There were good people in Branciforte, but the wildness eventually overflowed its boundaries. The young men of the town ran about the countryside stealing horses along with the hearts of the local senoritas. Fathers literally locked their daughters away, to no avail. Real trouble began when a lad from the Robles family, supported by his brothers, ran off with a young lady without her father’s permission. When found, they offered resistance but were finally captured by the soldiers who roped the boys like livestock and forced them to walk to town, a great insult to their pride. When they attempted to break free, shots rang out and a brother was killed and another wounded. Bad feelings simmered for weeks. Then one of the brothers, angered by the insults of a group of Americans, rode his horse into an adobe where they were drinking and gambling and challenged them. He was shot off his horse.

The story goes on. A sister of the Robles brothers married a man from the town named Rodriguez who had managed to fritter away his part of a large family ranch through drinking and gambling. They raised eight children. Their sons grew up to stories about their wild uncles and inevitably three of them demonstrated a disposition toward the same wild ways. Meanwhile, the Americans had taken over their land, and gold seeking strangers were trampling the birthright of the proud Branciforte clans. Hard feelings festered.

The line was crossed during a knife fight at a Fandango when a Rodriguez boy was cut. Seeking vengeance, young men from both families set an ambush but attacked the wrong party and accidentally killed an innocent American. In a classic case of overkill, the Americans jailed those brothers that they could catch, their parents, and even several of their young siblings. Before the trial could begin, angry vigilantes broke into the jail and removed one of the Rodriguez boys, weighed his body down with stones and tossed him into the surf to drown.

For the Robles and Rodriguez boys who had managed to escape, the bandit life had begun in earnest. From these beginnings came an era of California bandits made famous around the world by pulp fiction writers such as Johnston McCulley. And nearly all of the Mexican bandits, from Tiburcio Vasquez to Pio Linares and Joaquin Valenzuela can trace their roots back to the Villa de Branciforte.

Tagged: bandits, Californios, Early California, history, research, stories, Writing

Just For You

 

It is New Year’s Day and as my mind wanders back over the year just past I think of opportunities not seized and words not spoken. With each passing year these omissions grow in importance for me and I resolve to improve.

So often it is not the will to seize these opportunities that fails me but rather a lack of recognition of the importance of the moment; I fail to realize that the opportunity has arrived and that there might not be another.

A brand new year is like Confession – it clears the soul. It doesn’t erase past omissions but it offers new chances. I would find it very helpful to have a New Year every month or so.

But I have made my resolutions once again and in the spirit of fulfilling them I do not intend to let this opportunity pass to thank all of you who supported my writing efforts this past year, whether through purchases, great reviews, not so great reviews, proofing, reading, meeting, hosting, suggesting, spreading the word, and following.

A special word to my blog followers. I am pleased and honored that you find something in my words worthy of following. I will continually strive to improve my content. I will be using analytics to try to learn which topics interest you most, and make those the subjects for my posts. I will do my best to reward you for following. And I will follow you in return.

Resolutions are famously difficult to keep, but when viewed as opportunities to be seized, moments to be captured lest they disappear forever, they cease to be ordinary stressful exercises and become paths to fulfillment. May it be so for you in 2014.

 

Tagged: blog followers, critics, New Year, opportunities lost, readers, resolutions, reviewers, thank you, Writing