Dwayne’s Comments (group member since Apr 01, 2017)

Dwayne’s comments from the Support for Indie Authors group.

Gail wrote: "Hi E.D.! I'm wondering now if the Wolf's name is Near????"

You're very close with that guess.

Gail wrote: "Well, having read Dwayne's posts before...I have a feeling his title has way more meaning to it. Normally, I would be dying to put an IS between those words, but ahhh....that's too common/boring..."

Thank you. I appreciate this comment. Yes, I think the title will be a draw to people that are used to my writing, knowing there's more to it than an odd pairing of words. But, I need a title that will hopefully draw in people who've never read my work before. So, I'm still thinking of some other ideas.

Ian wrote: "I'm with Phillip, for the first part anyway. It feels awkward."

I know. It's a strange and uncomfortable story, so I was hoping an awkward title might fit it well. Not if it's turning folks away, of course, which many of you seem to feel it will.

Phillip wrote: "It sounds a bit awkward to me."

I expected at least one person to say that. It sounds awkward to me, too. That's kind of why I like it. Seems several people feel that would be more of a problem than an asset, so I'm still debating.

Thanks for the input!

I started having this idea about two weeks ago. Last week I was browsing a book store and found a novel with a cover similar to this.

So...



P.S. This kind of thing happened to me all the time years ago. I was working on a series of novels about superheroes. I had to keep changing things around because things I came up with for my books kept showing up in comic books and I didn't want to look like I was plagiarizing.

P.P.S. This is the book I had been calling "FairyTale Village" and toyed with the name "Fear Near". For now I've settled on "Seven Little Pigs" as the title.

#1 catches my attention more, but I like the color scheme of #4 best.

Thanks again for all your responses. Overall, it seems the title isn't much of a hit. That's okay.

What it means...

The main antagonist is a supernatural wolf called Fyrnir (yes, somewhat inspired by Norse mythology). In our world Fyrnir is called The Big Bad Wolf.

When our unlikely band of heroes first hears the name, it is spoken by a ghost through a ghostbox. They don't realize it's a name and they thing the ghost is saying "Fear near" and are baffled as to what that means.

I've been calling the book "FairyTale Village" and I like the title, but I want something catchier, something that will grab attention more, so I'm playing with some ideas.

Thanks again for your help!

Akindle wrote: "I thought that most major authors could publish a second draft and it would be fine and their 1st book was done in a year."

It's possible, I suppose, but not likely. Most authors will commit to the time and patience needed to write multiple drafts. In two drafts, I highly doubt any author could properly flesh out the characters, identify any plot holes, kill their darlings with malice, etc. To me, to try to slop together a book in a draft or two takes the real fun out of writing. The fun is to take a crap piece of writing, also known as the rough drafts, and work it into something worth reading. Anyone could cobble together strings of letters and call it a word, string the words into sentence and so on until they have what might pass as a story. A real writer won't be satisfied with that.

Yeah, that's why I said, "if anyone is curious." I purposely left the context out to get initial reactions as I know the title won't make sense until the book is read.

I will explain it in a day or two for Gail and anyone else who is curious.

Thanks for all the feedback so far.

Gonna do this with as little context as possible.

I'm thinking of calling my third novel "Fear Near".

I'll come back in a few days and explain the title, if anyone is curious. Right now I'm looking for gut reactions. If you saw that title and a picture of a mean looking wolf, would you pick it up?

Sometimes I think I'm a little on the old fashioned side, Jude, but I agree with you. I have trouble getting into a book that tosses me into the middle of an action packed scene and I have no idea what is going on. Guns are blazing, people are dying, stuff's getting blown up and I'm going, "Okay, who are these people and what are they trying to accomplish?" I can't help but write the kind of stuff I like to read. I prefer a slow build-up to something rather than a lot of explosions and carnage and later on find out what it was all about.

Akindle wrote: "Update: The likely hood of it ever coming out is next to nothing as it will probably never be finished."

Writing is a tough art to master, possibly the toughest. You never stop learning. You never stop growing. Writing even a halfway decent novel can take months, even years. My current work in progress is done in six parts. I've been at it for about a year and a half. Only the first part is good enough for my wife to see. Otherwise, the whole thing is still a steaming pile of shit. But, I have a passion for the story, I love the characters, I love the vision behind it, and the themes are things I truly feel the need to convey. So, I keep at it. Not for the fame, because that will likely never come. Not for the money. That's likely never going to be enough to brag about. I do it because I can't imagine spending this much time doing anything else without some kind of pay off. You can't just kinda sorta like doing this. You can't just kinda sorta like your characters. You've got to get to the point where you can't imagine life without writing and get to the point where you miss your characters like you would miss your children or close friends when you're not with them. You can't just sit and string a bunch of letters and words together. You've got to love the craft and learn it inside and out. It will take a lot of time, so much time people will think you're crazy. You have to get to the point where you don't care if you're crazy. Hemingway once said, "There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed." Until you understand what that really means, you can't be a writer.

I hope you don't give up on it that easily. There must have been some spark that made you want to write. Don't let the realization that it's tough snuff that spark. Nurse it and bring it to a full blaze.

Helen wrote: "I illustrated my own children's book. Feel free to message me. (hope this is ok for the moderators?)"

Yes, that's fine. Any recommendation is fine, as long as there are no links included.

Here are some thoughts by playwright Chuck Sambuchino for Writer's Digest (Aug. 20, 2009):

"'Beta readers' is a term used for a close circle of writing friends who are the first to read your work. Well, they're not the first, techinically [sic] - because you are (you're the alpha reader). What you're aiming for is a group of other writers who write the same category and can offer thoughts on your work that is both honest and helpful.
"The reason that beta readers are important is that they help you edit your work, thereby 1) making the work better, 2) allowing you to avoid spending boatloads of dough on a freelance editor, and 3) give you a variety of perspectives on everything.
"So how do you find these beta readers? Let me tell you how I found mine. When I was finished with this recent middle grade novel (my first novel ever), I didn't know what to do. I work in a publishing house with tons of other writing pros, but the problem was: My friends here don't read MG work. So I promptly joined the local writing group for children - the (rogue) Cincinnati chapter of SCBWI. I went to some meetings and asked my one friend in the group, Nancy, who she would recommend for a manuscript swap. She made several suggestions so I contacted people and asked if they were game. Some said yes; some said no. We swapped manuscripts and set a deadline for edits (maybe one month). I got back their thoughts and edits, incorporated most of them - cause most were very good - and ignored the rest. That's how it all works."

His definition differs from others I've seen. I'm tossing it out there as an example of how we all have different ideas of what beta readers are and what to do with them. Bottom line, use what works for you and your needs. If you want the eyes of friends and family on your work, do it. If you want other writers to give you editing advice or critiques, do it. If you only want someone to tell you when they lost interest in your story, do it.

The key rule to give a beta reader is, “Read till the story stops making you need to turn to the next page. Then stop. And if you can, tell me why, also where, even if it’s on page one.” If they’re analyzing as they read they’re not being a beta reader.

There are a number of reliable sources that talk about the duties of a beta reader. This is your definition, and that is fine. For you. Please remember your personal rules do not need to apply to all of us "hopeful writers". Also, again, you're assuming we've all had the same English class, a common, and flawed, argument you fall on time and time again. We haven't.

Elliot wrote: "Jay wrote: "The exception that proves the rule?

Well, I guess I don't believe that I'm the only exception."

And I don't believe "the rule". I think it's possible to beta read without interjecting "this is how I would write it". I know it happens, but I believe it can be avoided. I also believe there are readers who are smart enough to know what point of view means. Not all readers are the same, not all writers are the same.

To each his own, I guess. The best beta readers I've ever had, by far, were authors. Yes, a bit of "I would have written it this way" seeps in, but it's not a tremendous task to separate the chaff from the wheat.

R.C.J. wrote: "xxx"

No links.

Andrea wrote: "Has anyone here had emails from anyone, stating that they are a beta reader and would like to review your book? I've had a couple of them so far, and just wondered if anyone else had had the same t..."

Beta readers are not reviewers. I'd ignore such emails.

We've had a number of members seek out beta readers here in this group. There are other groups in Goodreads where you can find betas, too. Do a search and you should find some.