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Dwayne Fry - Fifty PLUS Free eBooks!
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Dwayne, That's Dr. Cannibal To You
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Dec 24, 2016 03:22PM
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You mean you didn't get your automatic deposit from the Society who Pays Authors Much Money Everyday Really?
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https://goo.gl/ZOXD2W
You guys are so ridiculous! Thanks for the good chuckle. I actually choked a bit on my coffee as I was reading, especially when Dwayne crossed out "suckers", LOL.
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Yes, the name is spelled correctly.
https://goo.gl/Wh26rf
Next month... the four books that I most regret publishing.
Just downloaded.If it has as many sharp little teeth as George Stew....
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Jane, it's the one story that still puts me through an emotional roller coaster when I read it. By the time I am done, I am a mess. This is not a guarantee that anyone else will have the same experience. As with anything, it's not for everyone.
Alex, You're on the autism spectrum, as I recall. Yes? If so, I will be very anxious to hear your reaction, if you care to share it. (This is not a beg for a review. If you want to share your feelings, you can do it here or in a private message). Or, feel free to walk away and not say anything.
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But, thank you.
Austism is more about the reactions of people to Austin and his condition and not so much about what it's like to be autistic. I would not know that. But, I known and cared for a number of autistic people. He's not based on anyone in particular, but a composite of various people I've known with autism and ID.
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*chuckle* You're already ahead of the story. Yes, Rain Man is mentioned in one scene.
Dwayne.Read Austism. Loved it.
Review on Amazon (UK) and Goodreads.
Happy Tuesday
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Thank you, Jane!
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I am becoming increasingly aware of this trend in publishing called self-publishing. I do not own a computer. I have never been on the Internet. I do not know a web site from a blog. I do not know a Facebook from a Twitter. I am, in this one area, quite ignorant. Yet, I have heard of this trend of self-publishing. From what I understand, you write up your novel. You have a cover made or make one yourself. You pump all this into your computer and it finds a web site with some room in it and places your manuscript there as a book.
I understand the appeal. For all my life the world has become increasingly “easier”. A time was, if I wanted to wash my car I had to stand in my driveway with a bucket and a hose. Now I can pay someone to do it for me. I remember a time when you could not just go down a freezer section of a supermarket and bring home a months’ worth of frozen meals, all different. I will admit, sometimes I do appreciate things made faster and easier. But, not everything should be so simple. Should a painter be allowed to feed his painting into a computer and have it appear in some museum somewhere? Maybe I’m old-fashioned or maybe I’m misunderstanding a part of this process, but self-publishing seems scary to me. Imagine, you work for years on a book and you insert it into your computer and poof! It’s published and it’s gone. Where? What book store? How do you ever find it again? And how can you sell multiple copies of a book if you feed your one and only copy in and it’s gone? Do you have to type up twenty-thousand books to sell twenty-thousand? Now, this may make it seem like more work, but I suppose in a way it isn’t. Some of us spend our lifetimes writing book after book just to have them rejected by publishers. That is the real appeal of self-publishing. With no one in your way to reject your book, you can publish anything you want.
That said, if you are asking me if you should self-publish, my one word response is: No! If you need a longer response, it would be this: No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!
From what I understand, today’s writer can write a book and publish it through the computer. If you write an article, from what I understand, there is a person or people out there that call themselves blogs. These people will publish your articles for you.
Simple and fast, yes. I get that. But, that is the problem. Nothing will hone your craft like having an editor, a proofreader, an agent and a publishing house all ready to tell you what is wrong with your book. I do believe these self-published authors are just afraid of criticism. I think they are afraid to be told they are no good. Well, let me tell you then, if you want to publish this way, you are no good. No good at all. You need to hear this in order to hone your craft.
Look at it this way. Pearl S. Buck was rejected numerous times as were Sylvia Plath and Margaret Mitchell. Louisa May Alcott was told to stick to being a teacher. Chicken Soup for the Soul was rejected one hundred thirty-four times. It should have been more. Aside from that last, all of these were great writers. They were all rejected time and again before they finally saw their work in print. I firmly believe it was the rejections and the retooling of their work that helped them learn to go from being mediocre writers to celebrated authors.
One of the greatest novels I have ever read was Black Swan Summer, White Dove Winter by Harriet S. Morrow. I have great doubts that you have ever read it. Not many have. It was written in 1963 and shared in a writers’ group of which I was once a part. This was back before I was even published. I was only eighteen at the time. Harriet was my best friend and a few years older than I. It took her three years to complete Black Swan Summer, White Dove Winter. I assisted her in the initial pandering of the book, sending it to the publishing houses that had published her favorite books. Every last one of them rejected Black Swan Summer, White Dove Winter. We then moved on to do some research and came up with a list of smaller publishers that often published works similar to hers. We sent off more copies. They were rejected, saying that the publishers already had too many books like that. So, we sent them to publishers that specialized in horror, science fiction and fantasy, since those genres were quite far removed from Black Swan Summer, White Dove Winter. They, too, rejected it, saying they didn’t publish things like this.
Dear Harriet took a year off and reworked the book, making changes to it like mad. She cut characters. She cut chapters. She added new twists. The book was trimmer, sleeker, but still a good sized novel. And it was still rejected multiple times.
Through the late sixties and the seventies, Harriet wrote and rewrote Black Swan Summer, White Dove Winter seventeen times. It was rejected a whopping two hundred forty-six times. Harriet literally papered her home with the rejection slips. Every time one would arrive with new advice, she would tweak the novel. By 1983, the novel was nothing like it had been when she first wrote it. And it was still being rejected. But, that final draft of it was so beautiful. Every page, nay, every word was dripping with emotion. The characters were so real. Her descriptions were so complete and vivid. And that night, after that final reading, while I slept in her spare room, she built a pyre in her backyard. She set herself on fire along with her manuscript. She never published.
Had we had computers in 1963, had self-publishing been an option then as it is in the lazy of today, and had Harriet not respected her work and the process of perfecting it, she might have self-published. The world would come to know Black Swan Summer, White Dove Winter for what it was in its earliest version. Hayes & Strump rejected it for being, “A nice effort, but marked with potholes.” Jimble Publishing said of it, “Quaint and trite, not what we are looking for.” Newton Brewster said, “Too complex for the modern reader.” As good as I felt that early draft was, it clearly was not ready for the world. As such, the world never saw it, but I saw the final version, the butterfly that Harriet finally coaxed her caterpillar to be, and it was beautiful. It is better to have an exquisite book that even only a small portion of the population shall enjoy rather than a pedestrian novel for the whole world to yawn over. For this reason, do not fall for the temptress called “self-publishing”. She is a wonton woman who will lead you down a path of sin and degredation. Follow the light that is tradtional publishing.
Oh my god. Dwayne. This is brilliantly terrifying. No, seriously, I'm scared people will not understand that this is scathing satire. I think you've captured the essence of the literary elitist a little too perfectly.
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*Wes is the narrator of Bonny Truman and is an Indie author.
It's powerful shit. And, as seems to be your forte, it points out how stupidly elitist and lacking in empathy the world can be.
I'm just waiting for your one star review from an outraged indie and your five star review from an elitist. ;P
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Well, when you see the entire work, you'll probably expect it to be the other way around. I am sure to piss off more elitists than Indies.
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Maybe. I just know Ambrosia is one of the funnest characters to write. I can be all snooty, then say, "oh, but it's just a joke, folks!"
Dwayne wrote: "Jane wrote: "It's powerful shit."Maybe. I just know Ambrosia is one of the funnest characters to write. I can be all snooty, then say, "oh, but it's just a joke, folks!""
Now that does sound like fun!
Dwayne wrote: "Sneak preview of Ambrosia Corazón-Reine's Writing It Right For Writers. This is a second draft version, so forgive any typos:I am becoming increasingly aware of this trend in publishing called se..."
Haha, you tell 'em, Dwayne! Those self-publishers are just the worst!
Dwayne wrote: "Christina wrote: "I'm just waiting for your one star review from an outraged indie and your five star review from an elitist. ;P"Well, when you see the entire work, you'll probably expect it to b..."
Ye of too much faith. ;P
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Oh, just to be clear, this is my character speaking, not me. I love Indie authors! Ambrosia Corazón-Reine is bright, witty and understands good literature, but this is her last written work at a time she has become bitter, angry, depressed and is losing her mind. Not to mention she drinks far too much. This is her last swipe at a world that never saw her for the literary genius she thought she was.
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Hope so. I am so close to this character. I get her. I love her. I feel for her. But, she pisses me off, too.
Dwayne wrote: "Sneak preview of Ambrosia Corazón-Reine's Writing It Right For Writers. This is a second draft version, so forgive any typos:I am becoming increasingly aware of this trend in publishing called se..."
That was hilarious. And yes, a little frightening. I think I'm going to go stuff more books into websites that have space.
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If this book were to be made into a movie (it could work) I could see Terry Gilliam doing some animation on some bits. I would love to see him animate how Ambrosia thinks the Internet and self-publishing work. I can see her feeding pages of a manuscript into something that looks like a meat grinder, then standing back, baffled and confused when she doesn't know where the book went.
Dwayne wrote: "Rohvannyn wrote: "That was hilarious. And yes, a little frightening. I think I'm going to go stuff more books into websites that have space. "If this book were to be made into a movie (it could w..."
*giggles madly* I'd watch that!
It's a series of tubes, you see...
Dwayne wrote: "Ambrosia Corazón-Reine is bright, witty and understands good literature, but this is her last written work at a time she has become bitter, angry, depressed and is losing her mind. Not to mention she drinks far too much. This is her last swipe at a world that never saw her for the literary genius she thought she was."
ROFL this is amazing.
More, Dwayne, more! When can we expect it?
Would you like me to write a five-star review right now?
Would you like me to write a five-star review right now?
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Would you like me to write a five-star review right now?"
Hoping by the end of the month.
*chuckle* No, I would like you to buy it, but only if you really want to. And then read it, but only if you really want to. At that point, if you feel you have the time to give it a review, I would appreciate it, but it does not have to be a five star. I will accept any amount of stars you think it deserves.
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If you really wanna chew the meta-meat about it, this should be taught in writing classes:P "
I used to fry donuts for a living and I will tell you, when they come out of the fryer and you put the glaze on them, it heats up and if you touch them it's like napalm. I am no stranger to donut burns.
And, you make me blush and leave me speechless whenever you say that second thing you said. But, thank you.
Doughnut burns are only second to pulled sugar burns....
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Have yet to experience that.
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Let’s start with number six. It’s a little Christmas story I call “Sid Goldstein – St. Nick’s Lawyer”. This was actually written in 2005 and when I learned about self-publishing, I was anxious to get some work out there, so I gave it a quick edit and published it. It’s a cute story. Some parts make me giggle. But, there is some flawed logic in it that bothers me, now. For example, at one point I say that Santa Claus doesn’t understand pain. Moments later, it states the one thing that hurts Santa the most. So… which is it?
It’s also pretty short. I wish I’d put a little more meat on it.
https://goo.gl/iyuovl
Next is actually the last story I published (so far), “Ms. Lucky”. It’s a good story. I like it, but it is a Noah City Story and I don’t feel it lives up to the rest of the series. The characters seem flatter and under developed. Also, I attempted to write it in present tense, something I rarely attempt and I’m not sure I pulled it off very well.
https://goo.gl/6e95ld
So, that is number five and six. They will both be free this weekend, on the 7th and 8th. I hope you enjoy them.
I liked Ms. Lucky! I'm gonna go review it now, so there!
Dwayne wrote: "They will both be free this weekend, on the 7th and 8th. I hope you enjoy them."Bump *smirks*
Dr Dwayne. Is this the place to ask you a sensible question about writing?If it isn't is there such a place?
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Why would you assume I know anything about being sensible?
Kidding. Ask away! *sips coffee stolen from Nathan*
Okay.It's actually two related questions....
One thing we have in common is that we both write short fiction and novel length (although my shorts are very short). And what I've found is that my shorts are often bleaker than my novels, because I feel I have to get the information across in as few words as is compatible with telling the story. So I gotta plan and prune and plan some more. Writing a longer, sometimes very long, book I can play with the reader more, and I can let my characters have more free rein.
I've yet to decide which is more satisfying.
Is this the same for you?
Part two. Themes. From the couple of yours I have read I get the feeling that being somehow different is an important thread for you. For me it's what happens when the ordinary bashes headlong into the jaws of what we'll call evil for want of a better word. I've looked through all my stuff, even the out and out fantasy, and I can trace my underlying theme in it all.
I don't think that without my themes there would be any truth in what I write.
Does this hold for you too?
I shall now hush up and drink my cappuccino
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That's all right. We have no dress code here.
Um... serious moment... be scared... let me ponder your questions a little bit and get back to you. Stuff I have not really ever thought about. I think the second will be easy and I think I know how I want to answer, but the first might take some pondering.
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I'm not sure how much of my work you've read. I know you have read Austism and George Stew. The latter is one of the bleaker things I've done, right down there with Lazarus Wept. Most of the Noah City Stories have a certain amount of gloom. Many of the horror / paranormal stories have a certain amount of darkness to them, too. But, not all of my short works are bleak. Some are humorous and fairly lighthearted, such as Ladybug Boy and Mr. Meeker. I wouldn't say the length of the book determines the amount of bleakness for me, but the theme and the intent of the story. I only have one novel out, but several in the works and they all have a certain amount of gloom to them, but some more than others.
Examples:
Rave On - Gets a bit heavy about halfway in and stays that way for a while, but most a fun little romp.
Juniper Jude - Wild and fun. Almost no bleakness.
Suckers & Rogues - A lot of dark little things going on in that one. Fairly bleak throughout.
The Arteest - A bit on the somber side. Sentimental and maudlin most of the time. A bit bleak in places.
Humpty Dumpty Town - This one will be bleak through most of it.
Writing bleak, gloomy stuff and writing light and humorous stuff is satisfying in near equal but different ways. I get more satisfaction from humor while I'm writing it. But, I'm generally happier with the serious fiction when it's finished. I tend to get the best feedback from those, too.
The Noah City Stories are primarily about prejudice, about society pushing others aside for one reason or another. But, I have always been drawn to "square peg in round hole" type stories or "fish out of water" stories. I think if I were to find one overall theme to my work, it would be that. I enjoy exploring people when they go outside their comfort zone.
Thanks Dwayne. You have given me some stuff to think about.
I do understand the different satisfactions in writing gloom and jollity, and I'm thinking the reason my shorts (though not all) tend to be bleaker than novels is that they are hugely condensed.
I will look forward to your novels.
Gracias amigo
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Could be. From what I've read, you condense a lot of story into a small space.
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I shall admit something to you that you may find shocking and it may cause you to lose some trust in me, your guide, your mentor and your instructor. But, hear me out, Virgin. While I am proud to be called a perfect speller and have never had difficulty mastering the skill, I shall admit that it is one area of the English language I can understand why some may find challenging. After all, there are few consistent rules when it comes to spelling. Spelling is a lot like the resident politician in the English language. When you feel you can trust her, she will find a way to show herself, once again, untrustworthy and inconsistent.
Spelling is like a man, in that you believe you can trust him. You bring him home. You bring him to your bed. You see him three or four times. You begin to think, “This is the one. This man is the one! This is the man I might come to like. This is the man I might even call a boyfriend one day.” Then he does something rotten like poisoning your dog or cheating on you or leaving the toilet seat up. Yes, I realize I am being silly there. Cheating? It is not a big deal, unless he calls another woman and arranges a tryst with her while he is still inside you. I find that a little on the tacky side.
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Were you shocked? Was it shocking?
Um... If she asks, then yes. Unless the answer was supposed to be no. Honestly, she scares me a little. ;)
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