P.S. Did this post count as writing? I signed into blogger with the intention of writing something as yet to be decided, but then I saw a blog post about this topic... And it all went downhill from there.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Pedal While You Work (Day 8)
My standing desk is great and all, but what if I had this? (Well I guess I would have to get a trainer too.)
P.S. Did this post count as writing? I signed into blogger with the intention of writing something as yet to be decided, but then I saw a blog post about this topic... And it all went downhill from there.
P.S. Did this post count as writing? I signed into blogger with the intention of writing something as yet to be decided, but then I saw a blog post about this topic... And it all went downhill from there.
Workshop Wednesday
Thanks to all of your contributions, Workshop Wednesday has been a success. We're going to continue on with it for as long as we have entries and the energy to comment on them. If you haven't yet submitted but are still interested, don't be afraid to participate as per the guidelines in our original post.
For anyone wanting to comment, we ask that you comment in a polite and respectful manner, and we ask that you be as constructive as possible. If you can be useful to the brave souls who submitted their query and comment on the query, that's great. Please keep any anonymous tirades on publishing or other snarky comments to yourself. This is and should remain an open and safe forum for people to put themselves and their queries out there so that everyone can learn. I'm leaving comments open and open to anonymous posters, as I always have; don't make me feel the need to change that policy.
And for those who have never "met" Query Shark, get over there and do that. She's the originator of the query critique, the queen, if you will.
In Morning Glory gardens are used as family escapes in to and out of abuse, silences, solitude, and depression, and through the revelations of both family and landscape history, the author slowly discovers how nature—specifically as gardens—has confronted his own dark character.
First, I really like to see some sort of greeting in a query letter. Call me a nit-picker, but otherwise, I feel like you dumped something in my lap without warning and walked away.
This ”parasentence” confuses me. Why would anyone want to escape into abuse or depression? After the word “depression,” you’ve lost me already. I’m still trying to figure out what could be so bad that someone would want to escape into abuse while you’re rambling through this run-on sentence.
However, if you could find a more concise way to get your idea across to me, I do find it intriguing that a person’s gardening history could make such an impact.
MORNING GLORY: A STORY OF FAMILY & CULTURE IN THE GARDEN is my completed 75,000 word memoir. At once a history of my mother instructing me how to be a gardener as a child, it is also an exploration of our careful relationship, and an unearthing of who my mother and I are in the shadow of her own childhood.
Memoirs are tough. The reason for this is that no one really cares about anybody else’s life unless you make it spectacularly interesting. Unless you are a celebrity, have a life that is heartbreakingly poignant and can write like a master, a memoir is going to be a tough sell. I do not think a mother teaching a child to garden is intriguing, nor do I particularly want to know how anybody else shaped their relationship with their mother. Who you are and who your mother is are very interesting topics to you, but to me — a person sitting miles and miles away who has never met you — they’re boring as white rice. I would like to point out, though, that I like your word choices. “Unearthing,” “exploration” and “shadow” make me feel like I’m in a garden.
As I grow older and begin writing this book, my mother forces herself to reveal her past and how it has shaped her and a larger family obsessed with silence, fear, and distrust.
Is your family well-known on a huge scale? Otherwise, I can’t say I find it interesting that your mother reveals her past or that your family has issues like anybody else’s. If the issues are unique to your family, that’s something I’d love to know.
These revelations ultimately help me to identify and confront my own harmful nature in a young marriage. Through narratives on topics such as science, religion, ecology, philosophy, and garden design—as well as lyrical sections on landscape and place—Morning Glory proposes that the answers to ending our violence toward each other may rest in ending our violence toward the planet, and vice versa.
Now I’m really confused. This began as a memoir of a mother, child and the larger family surrounding them. Gardens were a focal point. But now you tell me science, religion, ecology and philosophy are involved. I have a hunch that you’ve given smaller threads of your book grandiose mention here with these puffed-up words. Ecology would be present in this book, as would religion and philosophy—as they apply to the gardens involved and to the family involved here. But you make it sound as though this is a preachy diatribe, a plea to the world to treat the planet better. I’m not sure which is the case, but I have trouble believing this could be both.
I have an MFA and PhD in writing, and have received several fellowships, awards, and Pushcart Prize nominations. My creative nonfiction and poetry have appeared in almost fifty literary journals, anthologies, and textbooks, while I have also published two poetry chapbooks: [redacted]. I am the author of a top 80 blog on the #1 gardening blog portal Blotanical, which features over 1,500 international sites; I often post material from my manuscript and am frequently asked when it will appear in book form. Including my many blog readers, and the over 40 million intermediate and advanced gardeners in America, there is a ready audience for my work.
This is great information. Knowing that you’ve published work before, even if it is not in the same genre, is helpful. However, I don’t think that just because there are 40 million gardeners in America those 40 million people might buy your book, which is a memoir and not a gardening book.
If you’d like to see more material please let me know and I’ll send it out immediately. I look forward to hearing from you.
This last sentence is fine.
Lauren
For anyone wanting to comment, we ask that you comment in a polite and respectful manner, and we ask that you be as constructive as possible. If you can be useful to the brave souls who submitted their query and comment on the query, that's great. Please keep any anonymous tirades on publishing or other snarky comments to yourself. This is and should remain an open and safe forum for people to put themselves and their queries out there so that everyone can learn. I'm leaving comments open and open to anonymous posters, as I always have; don't make me feel the need to change that policy.
And for those who have never "met" Query Shark, get over there and do that. She's the originator of the query critique, the queen, if you will.
In Morning Glory gardens are used as family escapes in to and out of abuse, silences, solitude, and depression, and through the revelations of both family and landscape history, the author slowly discovers how nature—specifically as gardens—has confronted his own dark character.
First, I really like to see some sort of greeting in a query letter. Call me a nit-picker, but otherwise, I feel like you dumped something in my lap without warning and walked away.
This ”parasentence” confuses me. Why would anyone want to escape into abuse or depression? After the word “depression,” you’ve lost me already. I’m still trying to figure out what could be so bad that someone would want to escape into abuse while you’re rambling through this run-on sentence.
However, if you could find a more concise way to get your idea across to me, I do find it intriguing that a person’s gardening history could make such an impact.
MORNING GLORY: A STORY OF FAMILY & CULTURE IN THE GARDEN is my completed 75,000 word memoir. At once a history of my mother instructing me how to be a gardener as a child, it is also an exploration of our careful relationship, and an unearthing of who my mother and I are in the shadow of her own childhood.
Memoirs are tough. The reason for this is that no one really cares about anybody else’s life unless you make it spectacularly interesting. Unless you are a celebrity, have a life that is heartbreakingly poignant and can write like a master, a memoir is going to be a tough sell. I do not think a mother teaching a child to garden is intriguing, nor do I particularly want to know how anybody else shaped their relationship with their mother. Who you are and who your mother is are very interesting topics to you, but to me — a person sitting miles and miles away who has never met you — they’re boring as white rice. I would like to point out, though, that I like your word choices. “Unearthing,” “exploration” and “shadow” make me feel like I’m in a garden.
As I grow older and begin writing this book, my mother forces herself to reveal her past and how it has shaped her and a larger family obsessed with silence, fear, and distrust.
Is your family well-known on a huge scale? Otherwise, I can’t say I find it interesting that your mother reveals her past or that your family has issues like anybody else’s. If the issues are unique to your family, that’s something I’d love to know.
These revelations ultimately help me to identify and confront my own harmful nature in a young marriage. Through narratives on topics such as science, religion, ecology, philosophy, and garden design—as well as lyrical sections on landscape and place—Morning Glory proposes that the answers to ending our violence toward each other may rest in ending our violence toward the planet, and vice versa.
Now I’m really confused. This began as a memoir of a mother, child and the larger family surrounding them. Gardens were a focal point. But now you tell me science, religion, ecology and philosophy are involved. I have a hunch that you’ve given smaller threads of your book grandiose mention here with these puffed-up words. Ecology would be present in this book, as would religion and philosophy—as they apply to the gardens involved and to the family involved here. But you make it sound as though this is a preachy diatribe, a plea to the world to treat the planet better. I’m not sure which is the case, but I have trouble believing this could be both.
I have an MFA and PhD in writing, and have received several fellowships, awards, and Pushcart Prize nominations. My creative nonfiction and poetry have appeared in almost fifty literary journals, anthologies, and textbooks, while I have also published two poetry chapbooks: [redacted]. I am the author of a top 80 blog on the #1 gardening blog portal Blotanical, which features over 1,500 international sites; I often post material from my manuscript and am frequently asked when it will appear in book form. Including my many blog readers, and the over 40 million intermediate and advanced gardeners in America, there is a ready audience for my work.
This is great information. Knowing that you’ve published work before, even if it is not in the same genre, is helpful. However, I don’t think that just because there are 40 million gardeners in America those 40 million people might buy your book, which is a memoir and not a gardening book.
If you’d like to see more material please let me know and I’ll send it out immediately. I look forward to hearing from you.
This last sentence is fine.
Lauren
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
So Maybe the Young Doctors Are Better? (Day 7)
Today I visited a chiropractor for a free Active Release Technique (ART) session. She turns about to be quite young, and I suspect not long out of school, and is likely trying to build up her practice.
I wasn't sure if she would be able to do anything for my toe problem, as it has been termed a "joint" problem, but she surprised me from the start by discussing the two different forms of hallux limitus and noting that I have functional hallux limitus. Neither of my previous podiatrists had tried the test for the functional variety (applying pressure to the ball of the foot while trying to bend the toe up) and therefore had told me that my range of motion was basically fine. She also identified that farther up the metatarsal, some bones had become jammed as a result of the jamming at the toe. That probably explains my upper arch pain that no one had previous been able to explain! She performed an "adjustment" on this location.
I can't say if the 20 minute session helped my toe enough for Sunday, as that is a lot to ask for a 20 minute session. But I was extremely impressed with this doctor's knowledge. I guess paying hundreds of dollars for a top-notch podiatrist doesn't always buy you the knowledge that comes fresh from school.
I wasn't sure if she would be able to do anything for my toe problem, as it has been termed a "joint" problem, but she surprised me from the start by discussing the two different forms of hallux limitus and noting that I have functional hallux limitus. Neither of my previous podiatrists had tried the test for the functional variety (applying pressure to the ball of the foot while trying to bend the toe up) and therefore had told me that my range of motion was basically fine. She also identified that farther up the metatarsal, some bones had become jammed as a result of the jamming at the toe. That probably explains my upper arch pain that no one had previous been able to explain! She performed an "adjustment" on this location.
I can't say if the 20 minute session helped my toe enough for Sunday, as that is a lot to ask for a 20 minute session. But I was extremely impressed with this doctor's knowledge. I guess paying hundreds of dollars for a top-notch podiatrist doesn't always buy you the knowledge that comes fresh from school.
Is Your Promotion Making Sense
You've been told by someone what you have to do. Now that you have a book out or coming out you need to be blogging, Tweeting, Facebooking, LinkedIn, Glad-Handing, and selling your soul. You need to add an extra 12 hours into each day just to manage the new schedule your publishing contract requires. But is any of it actually working and are you paying attention to that?
I think I've always been very open about the fact that I don't necessarily believe that social networking and all of the "have to" publicity and promotion you hear about necessarily works or should be required of all authors. I don't necessarily think that blog tours sell books, especially if you don't even know the audience you're reaching with each blog. What I wonder, though, is how many of you are actually tracking the success of the publicity you're doing.
When sending bookmarks to writers conferences, for example, do you really pay attention to how many bookmarks are taken from the table versus how many are simply tossed in the trash at the end of the weekend? When you do a blog tour do you actually follow up with the host of the blog to see how many readers (not hits) the blog gets both before and after your post? Have you ever polled your readers through Facebook, Twitter, or your website to actually learn what brought them to your book?
I guess what I'm trying to say is are you running your publishing career like a business or are you simply throwing stuff into the wind book after book, the same "stuff," and assuming because that's what you're "supposed to do" it must be the right thing to do?
Do blog tours sell books? I don't think they can hurt, unless you're spending hours and hours on a blog tour and not selling one book. Time is money and losing all that time is losing money, so in that sense then yes, I guess it can hurt. Great publicity and marketing means changing things up. It means not doing the same things book after book, and it also means that you need to understand that what might have worked for one book or one author doesn't work for another, even if you are the same author with another book.
When planning your publicity and promotion it's important to work smart. If you're going to spend time and money doing something then I think it makes sense to spend time figuring out if that something worked. If it didn't, then for your next book it's time to switch things up, think outside of the box. Just like you did when you wrote the book, it's important not to follow the crowd. If everyone is doing a blog tour, does it make sense for you to jump in and join the pack, a very full pack, or find a new way to sell yourself and your book?
Jessica
I think I've always been very open about the fact that I don't necessarily believe that social networking and all of the "have to" publicity and promotion you hear about necessarily works or should be required of all authors. I don't necessarily think that blog tours sell books, especially if you don't even know the audience you're reaching with each blog. What I wonder, though, is how many of you are actually tracking the success of the publicity you're doing.
When sending bookmarks to writers conferences, for example, do you really pay attention to how many bookmarks are taken from the table versus how many are simply tossed in the trash at the end of the weekend? When you do a blog tour do you actually follow up with the host of the blog to see how many readers (not hits) the blog gets both before and after your post? Have you ever polled your readers through Facebook, Twitter, or your website to actually learn what brought them to your book?
I guess what I'm trying to say is are you running your publishing career like a business or are you simply throwing stuff into the wind book after book, the same "stuff," and assuming because that's what you're "supposed to do" it must be the right thing to do?
Do blog tours sell books? I don't think they can hurt, unless you're spending hours and hours on a blog tour and not selling one book. Time is money and losing all that time is losing money, so in that sense then yes, I guess it can hurt. Great publicity and marketing means changing things up. It means not doing the same things book after book, and it also means that you need to understand that what might have worked for one book or one author doesn't work for another, even if you are the same author with another book.
When planning your publicity and promotion it's important to work smart. If you're going to spend time and money doing something then I think it makes sense to spend time figuring out if that something worked. If it didn't, then for your next book it's time to switch things up, think outside of the box. Just like you did when you wrote the book, it's important not to follow the crowd. If everyone is doing a blog tour, does it make sense for you to jump in and join the pack, a very full pack, or find a new way to sell yourself and your book?
Jessica
Monday, February 27, 2012
How the Energy Efficiency Industry Can Further Water Conservation (Day 6)
One of the current trend lines I see as central towestern water and climate change issues is the attempted return to largeinfrastructure projects, including a proposed peripheral canal in California‘sSacramento San Joaquin Delta, Las Vegas’ simultaneous plans to build anotherintake pipe in Lake Mead as well as to pipe groundwater from a desert hundredsof miles away, and plans for the Flaming Gorge Pipeline to the Front Range ofColorado (which recently was dealt a setback). While shoring up supply isimportant especially in the face of climate change, many of these projects havebeen decried by the public for both their environmental risks and the potentialthat they are not truly necessary.
I believe that in many cases, this latter claim may betrue. I have been working in energy efficiency for the last few years, and as Ireturn to the water industry, I hope to bring important knowledge and ideaswith me. Energy efficiency has been a quickly exploding field. Many states nowhave decoupled utility revenue from sales, meaning that utilities are notpenalized for successful efficiency programs. In addition, some states,especially California, have allocated significant funds for evaluation, measurement,and verification programs that help ensure utilities that their money isactually saving energy. In fact, utilities often do not receive payment fortheir energy efficiency programs unless savings have been proven.
While water conservation has been in force for manydecades, it has not reached the level of implementation, oversight, andespecially evaluation, as has energy efficiency. Many water utilities stillstruggle with the loss of revenue that results from successful waterconservation programs. Some have cut back on their conservation programs as aresult. In addition, evaluation of water conservation programs has beenextremely lacking in many locations. It is hard to avoid seeking new watersupplies when you cannot trust that your conservation programs will savesufficient water.
There are many opportunities for the water industry tolearn from the energy industry in the efficiency and conservation arena.Whether or not large infrastructure projects are necessary in a given case,utilities or municipalities should ensure that the public can trust that allpotential demand management opportunities have been explored prior todeveloping additional supplies. Similarly, as states are beginning to adoptaggressive renewable portfolio standards (which have their own implications forwater that I will not address here), water utilities should make sure that anynew supplies needed are as sustainable and renewable as possible. The NewYork Times recently ran an editorial suggesting that San Francisco has notexplored all possible local resources (i.e. water recycling, groundwater, andrainwater harvesting) that would reduce its reliance on water from Hetch Hetchyin Yosemite National Park. There are many other locations (including,ironically, New York) that have similarly not thoroughly explored such localoptions - which may not always look good, depending on their own environmentaland energy impacts.
Dreams of Working in Publishing
Hello, I read your blog (Jessica's) about getting a job in publishing. I want so badly to work with new authors everyday, to be involved in the process of publishing and be with great works from the beginning.
It seems clear the main place to be is New York City. I live in West Texas. I am an English major (minor: Communications) and I will be certified to teach high school upon graduation. I do not have the resources to just up and move to the city. I was thinking of completing my Bachelor's degree and using teaching as a way to live comfortably and realistically be able to relocate to the city. That way, I could search for entry-level positions without fear of being destitute or having to move back home.
Is this a good plan?
I know it sounds like I'm not fully committed to my dreams of working in the publishing industry, but I think success stories I hear involve people who have money and resources. I have neither. And I've tried moving to big cities and waiting tables- let's just say that's not an option for me.
It warms my heart to hear someone say that their dreams are to "work with new authors" because that's really what publishing is all about. So many people go into this business because they want to be writers. I'm not sure I ever wanted to be a writer, but I wanted to be a part of the process, which is why my job is perfect for me. I get to work to my strengths and hopefully encourage authors to work to theirs.
You are correct that the right place to be is New York, and I think you have a good and smart plan. It's not easy to simply pack up and relocate to a new place. I know. I did it. When I first decided to move to New York to "make it there" I had nothing but a degree in hand. Okay, I lie. I also had five years of waitressing experience on my resume and, let's face it, you can almost always get a job waiting tables. I knew that I could find a waitressing job while I searched for my calling. That was my plan.
I think packing up to move to a new city and working at something while you achieve your true dreams is commitment. A huge commitment. Once you get to the City there are a lot of opportunities available to those who are searching for jobs in publishing. Both NYU and Columbia have publishing programs. I'll let others comment on the usefulness of those. I don't think they are at all necessary (I know more people who did not do those than did), but I understand they can be good for networking.
Publishers Marketplace has a Job Board that is a definite must for anyone looking for a job in publishing. I know there are other publishing job boards, but I can't say I know what they are off the top of my head. Watch the comments, I'm sure someone will post a list of other places.
There are internships every summer that might work perfectly for you if your "other job" is teaching. Most are unpaid or barely paid, but they will get your foot in the door. And lastly, send resumes blindly. You never know when an opening will come up, so every few months or so send a round of resumes to every publisher you're interested in working for. If you love mysteries, scour the mystery bookshelf and submit your resume to all of those publishers; if you love romance, do the same with the romance shelf.
And good luck. I think your plan is solid and it sounds like you have the drive to achieve your dreams.
Jessica
It seems clear the main place to be is New York City. I live in West Texas. I am an English major (minor: Communications) and I will be certified to teach high school upon graduation. I do not have the resources to just up and move to the city. I was thinking of completing my Bachelor's degree and using teaching as a way to live comfortably and realistically be able to relocate to the city. That way, I could search for entry-level positions without fear of being destitute or having to move back home.
Is this a good plan?
I know it sounds like I'm not fully committed to my dreams of working in the publishing industry, but I think success stories I hear involve people who have money and resources. I have neither. And I've tried moving to big cities and waiting tables- let's just say that's not an option for me.
It warms my heart to hear someone say that their dreams are to "work with new authors" because that's really what publishing is all about. So many people go into this business because they want to be writers. I'm not sure I ever wanted to be a writer, but I wanted to be a part of the process, which is why my job is perfect for me. I get to work to my strengths and hopefully encourage authors to work to theirs.
You are correct that the right place to be is New York, and I think you have a good and smart plan. It's not easy to simply pack up and relocate to a new place. I know. I did it. When I first decided to move to New York to "make it there" I had nothing but a degree in hand. Okay, I lie. I also had five years of waitressing experience on my resume and, let's face it, you can almost always get a job waiting tables. I knew that I could find a waitressing job while I searched for my calling. That was my plan.
I think packing up to move to a new city and working at something while you achieve your true dreams is commitment. A huge commitment. Once you get to the City there are a lot of opportunities available to those who are searching for jobs in publishing. Both NYU and Columbia have publishing programs. I'll let others comment on the usefulness of those. I don't think they are at all necessary (I know more people who did not do those than did), but I understand they can be good for networking.
Publishers Marketplace has a Job Board that is a definite must for anyone looking for a job in publishing. I know there are other publishing job boards, but I can't say I know what they are off the top of my head. Watch the comments, I'm sure someone will post a list of other places.
There are internships every summer that might work perfectly for you if your "other job" is teaching. Most are unpaid or barely paid, but they will get your foot in the door. And lastly, send resumes blindly. You never know when an opening will come up, so every few months or so send a round of resumes to every publisher you're interested in working for. If you love mysteries, scour the mystery bookshelf and submit your resume to all of those publishers; if you love romance, do the same with the romance shelf.
And good luck. I think your plan is solid and it sounds like you have the drive to achieve your dreams.
Jessica
Sunday, February 26, 2012
The Frustrations of Medical Care (and My Body) (Day 5)
Last spring, a newly-found problem in my right foot prevented me from running a marathon. It started after an 18 mile training run, went away, and eventually came back on runs over 5 miles. Then I couldn't even run 4 miles without pain. I attempted my 20 mile run and by mile 14 it was so bad I could barely walk.
First I went to a PCP at my medical group with a focus on sports medicine. Extensor tendonitis, likely, he said. Ice it. It will get better.
Then I went to the physical therapist who helped me with my sprained ankle. She fit me in before the marathon and I wanted to see if she could do anything for me. She suggested I see a podiatrist. Also suggested that maybe half-marathons were enough to me; she herself had never been able to run a full because her body seemed not to handle it.
I went to an in-network podiatrist to whom I was referred by my medical group. She listed to me for about half a sentence, then informed me that I had hallux limitus and send me for x-rays. On my second visit with x-rays, she confirmed that yes, I did have hallux limitus, basically arthritis of the big toe joint. She recommended a shoe store to get me set up with over-the-counter insoles and suggested I might want orthotics. Also noted that eventually I would decide whether running was good for me or not.
The first run with the insoles I was fine, and I grew excited. But on the next run, the pain came back. My body worker suggested maybe I should go see a podiatrist (out-of-network) who specializes in sports injuries. I had heard of him before as he gives clinics for Team in Training. He is well known and regarded by many famous runners.
So I gave him a try. He looked at my foot and my x-rays, and said, no there's no arthritis. I think you just have a "highly mobile" first metatarsal that is causing jamming of the big toe joint with every step. He videotaped me running and quickly reviewed it. Based on the fact that the over-the-counters had not fixed me, he recommended expensive orthotics. He guarantees them for a year and gives you free appointments to have them adjusted. And he was sure they would work for me. So I went for it. The orthotics were created just by scanning my feet while I was standing on them.
Unfortunately the orthotics did not give me immediate relief. Apparently foot irritation takes a long time to go away. By this time I had taken up cycling for something to do instead of running. Eventually I was able to start running without pain again, although I had other issues with this that eventually led to my diagnosis of anemia. On the day I was scheduled to go in to check on my orthotics because my foot was starting to bother me again, I sprained my ankle, and it took a long time to recover from that. So I didn't start running seriously until probably 6 months after I received the orthotics. I started to notice some discomfort, so I went in for an adjustment. This actually seemed to make a difference.
Sometime during this period I decided to get new shoes, as the doctor had suggested that with orthotics I no longer needed motion control shoes. I went to a highly recommended store where the proprietor is a physical therapist. He spent a lot of time talking with me, but talked me into buying shoes which I felt were too snug for me. He said they should be snug to hold my foot on my orthotics and that I would get used to it. I believed. The shoes first started causing me pain in my little toe and then just caused general discomfort in other places. When I went back to the podiatrist he said I shouldn't be wearing shoes that narrow because it was pushing my toe. There's a waste of $100. I went back to my motion control shoes.
However, last weekend, the pain cropped up again, and in a big way. I was only able to go for a 5 mile run instead of a 15 mile run as planned. The pain did not immediately stop upon walking. However, I discovered there was no pain when walking barefoot. When I got home I discovered that my orthotics seemed to be wearing quite thin under the big toe joint and were extremely flexible. These things are supposed to last 5-10 years...
The pain also cropped up while cross country skiing the next day, although probably not until 20k or so. I got through 32k. The next day the foot was fine while snowshoeing. I didn't run that week, and when I went to see my bodyworker, she taped my toe and calf (which was extremely tight). I skied 16k on Saturday with limited discomfort, but I quit skiing early to avoid irritating it. After all, my event is next weekend.
So Monday I will try to make an appointment with the podiatrist to see about getting my orthotics fixed again. We'll see how that goes.
Meanwhile, one of my coaches recommended that I try barefoot shoes. This has been suggested to me before, but not by anyone who actually used them to fix a big toe problem. This person told me he could not run with regular shoes but has no pain with barefoot shoes. It took him a year and a half to work up to a half marathon in the barefoot shoes, however. But he swears by them. He said that all running shoes have something of a heel, which naturally pushes your foot forward into your big toe joint. This kind of makes sense. So I'm thinking maybe I will actually try it, although I think my podiatrist will refuse to treat me if I injure myself further while running barefoot.
So once again my marathon plans have been shot, and I'm just hoping to get through the ski event next weekend. The good news is that I'm told I'm not doing damage to my foot, just irritating soft tissue.
It's so hard to know how to find the proper doctor, physical therapist, shoe store, or anything. How do you know who you should trust? How do you know what shoes or orthotics to trust? How do you know if barefoot running is for you? There are so few relevant medical studies on these topics. What works for one person does not always work for another. I just want to be able to exercise without pain. Maybe I should have become a doctor so I could figure this out for myself. I know I would spend enough time with myself at my own appointments, after all.
First I went to a PCP at my medical group with a focus on sports medicine. Extensor tendonitis, likely, he said. Ice it. It will get better.
Then I went to the physical therapist who helped me with my sprained ankle. She fit me in before the marathon and I wanted to see if she could do anything for me. She suggested I see a podiatrist. Also suggested that maybe half-marathons were enough to me; she herself had never been able to run a full because her body seemed not to handle it.
I went to an in-network podiatrist to whom I was referred by my medical group. She listed to me for about half a sentence, then informed me that I had hallux limitus and send me for x-rays. On my second visit with x-rays, she confirmed that yes, I did have hallux limitus, basically arthritis of the big toe joint. She recommended a shoe store to get me set up with over-the-counter insoles and suggested I might want orthotics. Also noted that eventually I would decide whether running was good for me or not.
The first run with the insoles I was fine, and I grew excited. But on the next run, the pain came back. My body worker suggested maybe I should go see a podiatrist (out-of-network) who specializes in sports injuries. I had heard of him before as he gives clinics for Team in Training. He is well known and regarded by many famous runners.
So I gave him a try. He looked at my foot and my x-rays, and said, no there's no arthritis. I think you just have a "highly mobile" first metatarsal that is causing jamming of the big toe joint with every step. He videotaped me running and quickly reviewed it. Based on the fact that the over-the-counters had not fixed me, he recommended expensive orthotics. He guarantees them for a year and gives you free appointments to have them adjusted. And he was sure they would work for me. So I went for it. The orthotics were created just by scanning my feet while I was standing on them.
Unfortunately the orthotics did not give me immediate relief. Apparently foot irritation takes a long time to go away. By this time I had taken up cycling for something to do instead of running. Eventually I was able to start running without pain again, although I had other issues with this that eventually led to my diagnosis of anemia. On the day I was scheduled to go in to check on my orthotics because my foot was starting to bother me again, I sprained my ankle, and it took a long time to recover from that. So I didn't start running seriously until probably 6 months after I received the orthotics. I started to notice some discomfort, so I went in for an adjustment. This actually seemed to make a difference.
Sometime during this period I decided to get new shoes, as the doctor had suggested that with orthotics I no longer needed motion control shoes. I went to a highly recommended store where the proprietor is a physical therapist. He spent a lot of time talking with me, but talked me into buying shoes which I felt were too snug for me. He said they should be snug to hold my foot on my orthotics and that I would get used to it. I believed. The shoes first started causing me pain in my little toe and then just caused general discomfort in other places. When I went back to the podiatrist he said I shouldn't be wearing shoes that narrow because it was pushing my toe. There's a waste of $100. I went back to my motion control shoes.
However, last weekend, the pain cropped up again, and in a big way. I was only able to go for a 5 mile run instead of a 15 mile run as planned. The pain did not immediately stop upon walking. However, I discovered there was no pain when walking barefoot. When I got home I discovered that my orthotics seemed to be wearing quite thin under the big toe joint and were extremely flexible. These things are supposed to last 5-10 years...
The pain also cropped up while cross country skiing the next day, although probably not until 20k or so. I got through 32k. The next day the foot was fine while snowshoeing. I didn't run that week, and when I went to see my bodyworker, she taped my toe and calf (which was extremely tight). I skied 16k on Saturday with limited discomfort, but I quit skiing early to avoid irritating it. After all, my event is next weekend.
So Monday I will try to make an appointment with the podiatrist to see about getting my orthotics fixed again. We'll see how that goes.
Meanwhile, one of my coaches recommended that I try barefoot shoes. This has been suggested to me before, but not by anyone who actually used them to fix a big toe problem. This person told me he could not run with regular shoes but has no pain with barefoot shoes. It took him a year and a half to work up to a half marathon in the barefoot shoes, however. But he swears by them. He said that all running shoes have something of a heel, which naturally pushes your foot forward into your big toe joint. This kind of makes sense. So I'm thinking maybe I will actually try it, although I think my podiatrist will refuse to treat me if I injure myself further while running barefoot.
So once again my marathon plans have been shot, and I'm just hoping to get through the ski event next weekend. The good news is that I'm told I'm not doing damage to my foot, just irritating soft tissue.
It's so hard to know how to find the proper doctor, physical therapist, shoe store, or anything. How do you know who you should trust? How do you know what shoes or orthotics to trust? How do you know if barefoot running is for you? There are so few relevant medical studies on these topics. What works for one person does not always work for another. I just want to be able to exercise without pain. Maybe I should have become a doctor so I could figure this out for myself. I know I would spend enough time with myself at my own appointments, after all.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
Crusty Old Men (Day 3)
I have often worked in fields that expose me to lots of crusty old men. I don't have a precise definition for crusty old men, but generally they are part of a good ol' boys network, insular, and not terribly friendly to women. Historically, I've had fairly good success with dealing with these types of people. For example, my editor at the Los Angeles Times was widely regarded as quite crusty. I always found him fairly complimentary and helpful, if not a bit gruff. At the end of my time there, another editor who sat nearby commented that she had never seen this guy be so nice to someone.
When I worked for the State of New Mexico, I spent a good amount of time in a car with a crusty old man, driving down to stakeholder meetings in the south of the state, and counseling him on how I felt the meetings were going. Basically trying to get him to be less crusty and stand-offish. There were definitely times that I had trouble handling him, which seemed to be isolated PTSD-ish incidents. But in general, I lasted longer in his company than most employees.
Recently I attended an annual meeting of an association of mechanical engineers. 95% male, I was told. I was able to meet a number of crusty old men working in the water conservation arena. Shortly after this meeting, one of the men I met emailed one of my co-authors on a paper to complain about how he had not been interviewed for it. (It was a literature review.) I was miffed that although I was the first author and I had just met him, he had not emailed me. My co-author (a self-proclaimed crusty old man) told me to give the crusty old men a break.
After a phone call with said crusty old man today, he again emailed my co-author to ask for a document. Naturally, I responded. His "thank you" email contained his signature with the following quote (which was interestingly not attached to the previous email he had sent my co-author):
When I worked for the State of New Mexico, I spent a good amount of time in a car with a crusty old man, driving down to stakeholder meetings in the south of the state, and counseling him on how I felt the meetings were going. Basically trying to get him to be less crusty and stand-offish. There were definitely times that I had trouble handling him, which seemed to be isolated PTSD-ish incidents. But in general, I lasted longer in his company than most employees.
Recently I attended an annual meeting of an association of mechanical engineers. 95% male, I was told. I was able to meet a number of crusty old men working in the water conservation arena. Shortly after this meeting, one of the men I met emailed one of my co-authors on a paper to complain about how he had not been interviewed for it. (It was a literature review.) I was miffed that although I was the first author and I had just met him, he had not emailed me. My co-author (a self-proclaimed crusty old man) told me to give the crusty old men a break.
After a phone call with said crusty old man today, he again emailed my co-author to ask for a document. Naturally, I responded. His "thank you" email contained his signature with the following quote (which was interestingly not attached to the previous email he had sent my co-author):
"There are three things I like about Italian ships. First, their cuisine, which is unsurpassed. Second, their service, which is quite superb. And then – in time of emergency – there is none of this nonsense about women and children first." Winston Churchill (on why he prefers Italian cruise ships to British cruise ships)Now I realize he probably thinks this is funny in light of the recent cruise ship tragedy (although a sense of humor in regards to that is questionable), but I just don't see how this is appropriate in a work setting. Yes, he does work for himself. But really? I don't think I have to buy the whole "women and children" chivalry to find this somewhat offensive. But at least it gives me ammunition for continuing to asses his nature as a crusty old man. I don't intend to give them a break - giving them a break perpetuates the ongoing anti-female nature of these fields.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
GleickGate.. Or So Some Call It (Day 2)
I'm not sure how much the general public has heard about this topic. It's all over the news, in various places, but mostly on news blogs that have to do with science, and in particular climate science. I'm fascinated by this saga more than I should be, so I have trolled all sorts of websites looking for juicy bits of information.
Here's the summary:
In mid-February, several documents were leaked to the "internets" (i.e. websites that are willing to post things with no confirmed genesis) that showed internal Heartland Institute information including fundraising, donors, and climate strategy. Heartland is a libertarian outfit that has this to say about the environment on it's website:
So the documents leaked to the internets basically confirm this. Heartland has an "anti-climate" agenda. Heartland acknowledges that all the released documents are authentic expert for a climate strategy memo. So what did the leaked documents tell us that was surprising? Nothing, I think. Sure there's some big name donors like Koch, sure they're funding "scientists". What exactly did everyone think they were doing?
Here's the appalling part:
Peter Gleick admitting to being the source of the leaked documents. Peter Gleick! As a hydrologist with an interest in conservation, Peter Gleick is one of the luminaries of the field. He founded and runs the Pacific Institute, which is one of the few organizations putting out good research related to water resources and conservation. He's right here in Oakland. I've many times dreamed of being able to work there. He's also, as you might suspect, something of a climate scientist.
Why would Peter Gleick basically wreck his career to fraudulently obtain confidential documents of a known libertarian group? The consequences do not seem to justify his actions. He claims that in January someone anonymously mailed him the climate strategy memo that Heartland claims is fake. In an effort to verify this memo, Gleick impersonated a board member and conned a staffer into emailing him internal board documents. These documents do in fact back up the data in the supposedly faked memo. But again, I don't see anything all that shocking or surprising in the contents.
Would Gleick's actions have been justified if something truly groundbreaking and environment-saving have come out of them? I guess that's for each of us to decide. But here's something else. Gleick was chairman of the American Geophysical Union's Task Force on Scientific Ethics (from which he has since, obviously, resigned). He's been involved in many panels on scientific integrity. Regardless of Gleick's scientific research has indeed had integrity (and I would like to believe so), this seems a serious breach of ethics for someone so invested in the very importance of ethical behavior. And again - for what! The Pacific Institute, after expressing support for Gleick when he first confessed, is now reviewing his actions.
Here's my fear - what happens to Gleick's influence on the California water debate? This article sums it up. There may be a void to fill for California legislators who are looking for good scientific information to inform their policies. Sure, I'll admit, Gleick's on my side. I agree with the Pacific Institute's assessments. Who's going to fill his shoes? Will he still be trusted? Will the Pacific Institute? Will all the proponents of dams and canals and desalination and other crazy things use Gleick's ethical breach as a reason not to trust his research? I would if I were in their shoes.
My other fear is that Gleick is actually the originator of the supposedly fake memo. There is much speculation in the media, and my favorite is here. Of course there's also the speculation that this was an elaborate set-up by the Heartland Institute itself - mail an enemy something they suspect he will let loose and comment on, then make fun of him. They may not even have expected him to fraudulently obtain additional documents. Well, probably it's just a conspiracy theory. But still - someone wrote that memo and maybe some day we'll know who.
Many are complaining that the focus of the media's attention has shifted from the information in the leaked documents to discussions of Gleick's guilt. That's true, and of course I'm taking part in that for my own personal reasons. No one is on a pedestal. No one is infallible. Just because a person shares your views on many things does not necessarily make that person a good person. I feel let down by Peter Gleick, but maybe that's because I never knew him in the first place.
Just to finish up by placing my horror in the hands of the Heartland Institute - they are in fact funding development of a climate curriculum to teach "both" sides of the climate "debate." So climate change may go the way of evolution - taught hand in hand with intelligent design. Here's an interesting piece on what effect this might have. Or perhaps it will have no effect at all.
Peter Gleick, I have just one question: Why?
Here's the summary:
In mid-February, several documents were leaked to the "internets" (i.e. websites that are willing to post things with no confirmed genesis) that showed internal Heartland Institute information including fundraising, donors, and climate strategy. Heartland is a libertarian outfit that has this to say about the environment on it's website:
The Heartland Institute's Center on Climate and Environmental Policy produces an ambitious program of research and educational projects in defense of free-market environmentalism. It has assembled a team of leading scientists and economic experts to participate in the production of books, videos, a monthly public policy newspaper, events, and other public relations activities....
Heartland has organized and hosted six International Conferences on Climate Change, events that attracted extensive international attention to the debate taking place in the scientific community over the causes, extent, and consequences of climate change.Hmm, guess what? The Heartland Institute is what you might call a climate change denier. Sure they don't say it explicitly, but "debate" in the "scientific community" over climate change? Sure, about the exact extent and consequences, but it's pretty well settled that humans have played a big role. Heartland also specifically points out they have "assembled a team" to do public relations, essentially on their behalf. Okay, so they are paying scientists or "scientists", right?
So the documents leaked to the internets basically confirm this. Heartland has an "anti-climate" agenda. Heartland acknowledges that all the released documents are authentic expert for a climate strategy memo. So what did the leaked documents tell us that was surprising? Nothing, I think. Sure there's some big name donors like Koch, sure they're funding "scientists". What exactly did everyone think they were doing?
Here's the appalling part:
Peter Gleick admitting to being the source of the leaked documents. Peter Gleick! As a hydrologist with an interest in conservation, Peter Gleick is one of the luminaries of the field. He founded and runs the Pacific Institute, which is one of the few organizations putting out good research related to water resources and conservation. He's right here in Oakland. I've many times dreamed of being able to work there. He's also, as you might suspect, something of a climate scientist.
Why would Peter Gleick basically wreck his career to fraudulently obtain confidential documents of a known libertarian group? The consequences do not seem to justify his actions. He claims that in January someone anonymously mailed him the climate strategy memo that Heartland claims is fake. In an effort to verify this memo, Gleick impersonated a board member and conned a staffer into emailing him internal board documents. These documents do in fact back up the data in the supposedly faked memo. But again, I don't see anything all that shocking or surprising in the contents.
Would Gleick's actions have been justified if something truly groundbreaking and environment-saving have come out of them? I guess that's for each of us to decide. But here's something else. Gleick was chairman of the American Geophysical Union's Task Force on Scientific Ethics (from which he has since, obviously, resigned). He's been involved in many panels on scientific integrity. Regardless of Gleick's scientific research has indeed had integrity (and I would like to believe so), this seems a serious breach of ethics for someone so invested in the very importance of ethical behavior. And again - for what! The Pacific Institute, after expressing support for Gleick when he first confessed, is now reviewing his actions.
Here's my fear - what happens to Gleick's influence on the California water debate? This article sums it up. There may be a void to fill for California legislators who are looking for good scientific information to inform their policies. Sure, I'll admit, Gleick's on my side. I agree with the Pacific Institute's assessments. Who's going to fill his shoes? Will he still be trusted? Will the Pacific Institute? Will all the proponents of dams and canals and desalination and other crazy things use Gleick's ethical breach as a reason not to trust his research? I would if I were in their shoes.
My other fear is that Gleick is actually the originator of the supposedly fake memo. There is much speculation in the media, and my favorite is here. Of course there's also the speculation that this was an elaborate set-up by the Heartland Institute itself - mail an enemy something they suspect he will let loose and comment on, then make fun of him. They may not even have expected him to fraudulently obtain additional documents. Well, probably it's just a conspiracy theory. But still - someone wrote that memo and maybe some day we'll know who.
Many are complaining that the focus of the media's attention has shifted from the information in the leaked documents to discussions of Gleick's guilt. That's true, and of course I'm taking part in that for my own personal reasons. No one is on a pedestal. No one is infallible. Just because a person shares your views on many things does not necessarily make that person a good person. I feel let down by Peter Gleick, but maybe that's because I never knew him in the first place.
Just to finish up by placing my horror in the hands of the Heartland Institute - they are in fact funding development of a climate curriculum to teach "both" sides of the climate "debate." So climate change may go the way of evolution - taught hand in hand with intelligent design. Here's an interesting piece on what effect this might have. Or perhaps it will have no effect at all.
Peter Gleick, I have just one question: Why?
Amazon flexes its muscle...authors caught in the squeeze.
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I've been in publishing only a short while, but I've been around it enough to have seen some of the big brew-ha-has involving Amazon. The first was when Amazon yanked all print-on-demand titles not produced through their print-on-demand arm. The second was when all MacMillan ebook titles were pulled during the great agency debate. Well it's happening again.
Independent Publishers Group, a large distributor for independent presses and authors has had all 5,000 of their ebooks pulled from the Amazon kindle. The print versions of their books are still for sale.
The reason, is that their ebook contract was up for renewal and IPG wanted the same terms, and Amazon wanted a deeper discount. When they couldn't agree, Amazon pulled the titles.
What does this mean to me
For most authors to this board, not a whole lot...except to point out that you should put some things in place.
A publisher (or author) should have an alternate means by which readers can get books in ALL formats. For instance, my press sells ebooks directly through my website (www.ridanpublishing.com). So even if Amazon yanked my titles (which would be a disaster) I could still fulfill orders by people buying direct from me.
If you are an author who is pursuing publication through a publisher, try to get language inserted into the contract that allows you to directly sell your titles when they are unavailable for sale on other venues. This may be difficult to get - but you can use this example, and the MacMillan exmaple as cases as to why you need such a provision. Without it, you your fans will have NO MEANS to get your books. At a minimum, choose a publisher that sells all formats directly on their website so that you can keep the sales flowing.
If you are an indie author, going direct through DTP is your best chance of not having his happen to you. You can use a distributor for your print books, but keep the ebook rights in your control.
What about those using DTP?
Actually, it shouldn't effect you, other than a possible bellwether sign that Amazon may start squeezing you a bit more for a bigger piece of the pie. Don't get me wrong, I love Amazon, they have made me and my authors hundreds of thousands of dollars, but being the market leade means you have a big stick and from time to time they will swing it. Keep your eyes open and be prepared to make adjustments as necessary.
Also...it may be possible that you'll see a hit on our sales. Moves like this will generate huge anti-Amazon sentiment (which is already pretty high these days, because of recent exclusivity moves) there will be people who will boycott all Amazon sales as a sign of displeasure - so for those in the Select program (and exclusive) you might have a little rougher time for awhile. Those not in the program, may see higher sales from other venues.
In Summary
Once again, it is proof that this business changes at the speed of light - and you have to keep abreast of what is going on. Only those who are watching and are willing to adjust will survive.
Learn More
If you would like to learn more about the incident in question. You can go to any of the following sites but they all pretty much say the same thing:
| Contact me at: |
Maybe I Missed These Lessons . . .
All right, so I wrote the novel, revised the novel (and again ... and again) and thought I was all ready to jump into querying. Not so fast. Unsurprisingly, I ran into several questions, and I'm hoping you can answer them.
1. My novel has a prologue, but the "voice" in the prologue is much different from the "voice" in the rest of the book (long story...). If the submission requirements for Agency X want the first ten pages of the manuscript with your query, is it better to include the prologue in those ten pages, for clarity (my prologue is less than ten pages), or just begin with chapter one? In my case, at least, the prologue is referenced many times in chapter one, and I don't want to confuse agents.
If your prologue is truly integral to the story, then there should be no question that you should include that in any submission to the agent. If you feel that you should or could eliminate the prologue when sending pages or chapters to the agent, then my suggestion is to look more carefully to see if you need the prologue at all.
2. Maybe this is obvious, but I was wondering: If an agent's submission guidelines ask for a query and the first ten pages, those ten pages should be double-spaced, right? I don't want to be sending more or less than I'm supposed to! (Maybe I'm alone in this, but I always write with single-spaced lines. It wasn't until I started researching "how to get published" that I realized my idea of ten pages might be very different from someone else's.)
Any pages you send should always be double-spaced. The only exceptions are the query and the synopsis. Those can be single-spaced. This "rule" stems from the "old days" when all agents read on the printed page. The double-spacing allowed editors and agents to make notes on the pages, and it also protected their eyes. Now that agents read on ereaders this probably doesn't matter as much, but that's assuming you know for sure that the agent you're sending to is doing all of her reading on an ereader. Since you don't know that, always double-space your manuscript pages.
3. I've read many times that it's a mistake to put too much about yourself in a query letter; that agents don't care how old you are, etc. I'm 16. Does that make it different for me -- should I mention my age in the initial query? I don't want to risk an agent just hitting "delete" on my query or throwing it out when he or she sees "16," without considering me for my writing first. I also don't want an agent to feel like I was deliberately holding back information or being dishonest, if I'm lucky enough to get beyond that initial query stage and actually talk to an agent about representation (at which point I realize my age would definitely have to come up). Would the idea of working with a teenage author really cause an agent to back away?
It's not different for you. Your age doesn't matter. It's all about the book. I agree that it's a mistake to put too much of yourself in the query. That doesn't mean we don't want to know a little about you and who you are, but what we really want to know first and foremost is what your book is about. Never mention your age whether you're 16, 60, or 96. It just shouldn't be important.
Jessica
1. My novel has a prologue, but the "voice" in the prologue is much different from the "voice" in the rest of the book (long story...). If the submission requirements for Agency X want the first ten pages of the manuscript with your query, is it better to include the prologue in those ten pages, for clarity (my prologue is less than ten pages), or just begin with chapter one? In my case, at least, the prologue is referenced many times in chapter one, and I don't want to confuse agents.
If your prologue is truly integral to the story, then there should be no question that you should include that in any submission to the agent. If you feel that you should or could eliminate the prologue when sending pages or chapters to the agent, then my suggestion is to look more carefully to see if you need the prologue at all.
2. Maybe this is obvious, but I was wondering: If an agent's submission guidelines ask for a query and the first ten pages, those ten pages should be double-spaced, right? I don't want to be sending more or less than I'm supposed to! (Maybe I'm alone in this, but I always write with single-spaced lines. It wasn't until I started researching "how to get published" that I realized my idea of ten pages might be very different from someone else's.)
Any pages you send should always be double-spaced. The only exceptions are the query and the synopsis. Those can be single-spaced. This "rule" stems from the "old days" when all agents read on the printed page. The double-spacing allowed editors and agents to make notes on the pages, and it also protected their eyes. Now that agents read on ereaders this probably doesn't matter as much, but that's assuming you know for sure that the agent you're sending to is doing all of her reading on an ereader. Since you don't know that, always double-space your manuscript pages.
3. I've read many times that it's a mistake to put too much about yourself in a query letter; that agents don't care how old you are, etc. I'm 16. Does that make it different for me -- should I mention my age in the initial query? I don't want to risk an agent just hitting "delete" on my query or throwing it out when he or she sees "16," without considering me for my writing first. I also don't want an agent to feel like I was deliberately holding back information or being dishonest, if I'm lucky enough to get beyond that initial query stage and actually talk to an agent about representation (at which point I realize my age would definitely have to come up). Would the idea of working with a teenage author really cause an agent to back away?
It's not different for you. Your age doesn't matter. It's all about the book. I agree that it's a mistake to put too much of yourself in the query. That doesn't mean we don't want to know a little about you and who you are, but what we really want to know first and foremost is what your book is about. Never mention your age whether you're 16, 60, or 96. It just shouldn't be important.
Jessica
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
40 Days of Writing (Day 1)
So here begins a project that I am extremely unlikely to finish. One of my cycling buddies posted a link to a Facebook site called 40 Days of Writing.Since I have been neglecting my blog and lately I have actually thought of things I wanted to write about but haven't actually gotten around to doing it, I decided to take the challenge. It's lent after all. I am by all means no longer a practicing Catholic, but I think we could all agree that there's something good to be said about lent. It is a time of reflection and of trying to be a better person. The sign outside the church down the street (which often has good things to say) currently suggests, "Instead of giving up a bad habit for lent, try a new practice such as compassion or patience." I like this idea. All the times I gave up soda and swearing probably didn't do much good for me or anyone else. I still swear although I drink much less soda. While I will also try to shoot for compassion, here I will focus on writing. Something. Maybe nothing long. Maybe just tweet-sized. But hopefully I will have something worthwhile to say.Thanks for sticking around.
Workshop Wednesday
Thanks to all of your contributions, Workshop Wednesday has been a success. We're going to continue on with it for as long as we have entries and the energy to comment on them. If you haven't yet submitted but are still interested, don't be afraid to participate as per the guidelines in our original post.
For anyone wanting to comment, we ask that you comment in a polite and respectful manner, and we ask that you be as constructive as possible. If you can be useful to the brave souls who submitted their query and comment on the query, that's great. Please keep any anonymous tirades on publishing or other snarky comments to yourself. This is and should remain an open and safe forum for people to put themselves and their queries out there so that everyone can learn. I'm leaving comments open and open to anonymous posters, as I always have; don't make me feel the need to change that policy.
And for those who have never "met" Query Shark, get over there and do that. She's the originator of the query critique, the queen, if you will.
Dear Ms. Ruth,
I have read your interview with Monica B.W. and your reply to question number five leads me to feel that you would be a good agent for me. I see that you represent mysteries and was wondering if my completed 70,000-word manuscript, Led By Lies, would interest you.
I think think is a great opening. Professional, personal and gives details. Perfect. Nothing fancy, but still good.
Imagine finding out someone close to you is linked to the murders you’re investigating, or worse yet, involved in the death of your sister.
To me this sounds like a rhetorical question without the question mark. I'm not a fan of this sort of plot introduction. It falls a little short for me. I'd rather you get right into the issues Lily has.
That is what second-generation detective Lily Blanchette endures when she is assigned her first case as lead in a double-homicide. After arresting the man she believes is responsible, another body surfaces and family secrets are unearthed. Left with no other alternative, Lily kidnaps her suspect hoping he’ll reveal who else is involved. In the shocking revelation more of her family’s deception is exposed.
I'd rather we start the entire description with Lily. Make it all about her and give it some oomph. Honestly, this entire blurb falls a little flat for me. The biggest problem is that there's nothing here that hooks me or makes this book feel like it's going to stand out from the many other similar books on the market.
In 2007, I worked at the State Public Defender’s Office where I did Intake for the Milwaukee Police Department. In 2009, I won honorable mention for my screenplay, [redacted], in the 78th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition.
Good bio.
If you would like to see the manuscript, I can send it via e-mail or regular mail. I look forward to hearing from you.
You wrote a very professional letter, but I question whether you'll get many bites since the hook falls short for me.
Jessica
For anyone wanting to comment, we ask that you comment in a polite and respectful manner, and we ask that you be as constructive as possible. If you can be useful to the brave souls who submitted their query and comment on the query, that's great. Please keep any anonymous tirades on publishing or other snarky comments to yourself. This is and should remain an open and safe forum for people to put themselves and their queries out there so that everyone can learn. I'm leaving comments open and open to anonymous posters, as I always have; don't make me feel the need to change that policy.
And for those who have never "met" Query Shark, get over there and do that. She's the originator of the query critique, the queen, if you will.
Dear Ms. Ruth,
I have read your interview with Monica B.W. and your reply to question number five leads me to feel that you would be a good agent for me. I see that you represent mysteries and was wondering if my completed 70,000-word manuscript, Led By Lies, would interest you.
I think think is a great opening. Professional, personal and gives details. Perfect. Nothing fancy, but still good.
Imagine finding out someone close to you is linked to the murders you’re investigating, or worse yet, involved in the death of your sister.
To me this sounds like a rhetorical question without the question mark. I'm not a fan of this sort of plot introduction. It falls a little short for me. I'd rather you get right into the issues Lily has.
That is what second-generation detective Lily Blanchette endures when she is assigned her first case as lead in a double-homicide. After arresting the man she believes is responsible, another body surfaces and family secrets are unearthed. Left with no other alternative, Lily kidnaps her suspect hoping he’ll reveal who else is involved. In the shocking revelation more of her family’s deception is exposed.
I'd rather we start the entire description with Lily. Make it all about her and give it some oomph. Honestly, this entire blurb falls a little flat for me. The biggest problem is that there's nothing here that hooks me or makes this book feel like it's going to stand out from the many other similar books on the market.
In 2007, I worked at the State Public Defender’s Office where I did Intake for the Milwaukee Police Department. In 2009, I won honorable mention for my screenplay, [redacted], in the 78th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition.
Good bio.
If you would like to see the manuscript, I can send it via e-mail or regular mail. I look forward to hearing from you.
You wrote a very professional letter, but I question whether you'll get many bites since the hook falls short for me.
Jessica
The Exaltation Of Whitney Houston
As another big name in the world unexpectedly dies I couldn't help but notice the publics need to deify celebrities. Heather small from the 80s band the M People said on the Jeremy Vine show "Whitney was the Messiah." Kevin Costner co-star in the film The Bodyguard said in his funeral address that she was being taken to heaven by hundreds of angels. It reminds me of the words of Jesus in Matthew 26:53 "Do you think I cannot call on my Father and he will at once put at my disposal 12 legions of angels?" So Whitney gets hundreds coming to her side just like Jesus! Sarcasm aside it is clear when looking at Whitney's life she was a troubled human being. She was a recognised drug addict from her late teens. A newspaper heading reads "Just another dead drug addict.'' Sad but true. What unsettled me greatly was the 'performance' at her 'going home' party. I say performance because 'God fearing' funeral service it was not. If Whitney was trusting in Christ then she was not a good advert for Christianity or the power of the cross. Can a drug addict become a Christian? A resounding yes! But they wont be able to stay that way. If they do they are denying the power of the cross and the shed blood of Christ to overcome the power of sin. It my well be that Whitney began as a gospel singer in her church choir but we know that going into a bakery does not make you a baker neither does attending 'church' make you a Christian. What we heard from the leaders of the church she once attended was nothing less than good old fashioned 'rhetoric.' It sounded good but was lacking any real biblical substance of truth.
Salvation is a free gift which is found through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. It cannot be won by good works which includes singing in a church choir. A friend told me about the time she attended a funeral service for a known 'Spiritualist' in a Anglican church (Yes you read correctly). She said she expected the deceased to jump up from the coffin at any moment because of the pure fancy of the things being said. I wonder if Whitney would have felt the same?
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Eating Animals - Jonathan Safran Foer
This book kept coming across my radar, so I figured that I had better give it a read. A word of warning for anyone considering picking it up - this book is a 300 page, very graphic argument for vegetarianism; so if you are militantly anti-vegetarian, or have a weak stomach you may want to give it a miss.Basically, Foer investigates the modern factory farm and examines all of the reasons why they are bad - bad for the animals, bad for the environment, bad for our health. There are very graphic descriptions of these farms, the animals living (if it can be called "living") on them, and the high-volume slaughter processes.
This book has not convinced me to become a vegetarian, but it has reinforced my already-held beliefs about eating meat. 5 years ago or so, I stopped buying meat at the grocery store, choosing instead to purchase any meat directly from the farmer who raised the animals. I do not eat meat every day (or every week, even). For me, this decision was based not so much on the ethical treatment of animals, but more on the environmental impact of shipping food half way across the country and back again before it reached my table; as well as the taste factor (animals raised in more traditional methods taste better than factory-farmed animals).
Here in Thunder Bay, we do not have any factory farms (except for one egg farm), and our only slaughter house (which I have visited) works only on a small scale, processing one animal at a time. Therefore, by buying local meat only, I know that the animal has not been subjected to factory farming practices. Right now in my freezer, I have beef from Mile Hill Farms; pork from Sandy Acres Farm; and lamb from Little Doo's (who are too small to even have a website!). The downside of this is that I have had to eliminate chicken from my diet as we do not have a chicken abattoir and it is illegal to sell meat that has not been killed in a government-inspected abattoir. This may change in the future as there is a move afoot to build a poultry abattoir; so for now we just won't tell anyone about the "illegal" chicken that is in my freezer waiting to be cooked. Now if I could just find someone to sell me the live chicken (or if the city by-laws would change to allow urban chickens), I could do the deed myself; but for now I will just hope that some day soon I will be able to eat chicken again.
The author, Jonathan Safran Foer does admit that choosing only to eat ethical meat is another option to vegetarianism; but states that he himself has chosen vegetarianism to satisfy his conscience. His main arguments for this decision seem to be that it is the only way to be 100% sure; and that if other people see you eating meat, it can be seen as a justification that eating any meat is OK (i.e. vegetarians can set a good example for others).
There was lots in this book that I agree with (even if I am not a full-time vegetarian myself). I already knew about the environmental and ethical and health concerns of factory-farmed meat. I did find this book to definitely be written from a North American cultural bias (e.g. the opening chapter using pet dogs as a comparison standard - in most parts of the world, dogs are not considered "pets" - in fact in Swahili, the same verb is used to refer to keeping dogs as you would use for goats, cows, or chickens). And all of the facts and data are American (as in USA) in origin. I am now curious to learn more about Canadian regulation and enforcement, as I know that while factory farms do exist in Canada, our farming legislation is very different here than in our neighbours to the south.
So for now, I will carry on buying my local, ethically raised meat. When I go out to restaurants, unless I know that they are buying from our local farmers, I will usually choose the vegetarian option. My biggest dilemma comes when eating at the table of friends and family. Here, I usually prioritize fellowship over meat-eating issues; but I rarely miss a chance to bring ethical meat issues into the discussion.
Supper tonight? A lovely vegetarian chick-pea curry!
Typos in Queries
Many times on Workshop Wednesdays typos are pointed out by fellow writers in the comments, and rightfully so: making your query and your manuscript as clean as possible is important. However, recently one commenter pointed out a typo in the first line and asked, "Would a typo in the first line not make you want to reject it?"
There's a distinct difference between a typo and a writer who doesn't have a good grasp of the English language. I'd like to think that a lot of the time I can tell the difference. Sure, typos might hurt your query and you should do your best to eliminate them, but a good query, a great and intriguing story, will rise above all typos.
Jessica
There's a distinct difference between a typo and a writer who doesn't have a good grasp of the English language. I'd like to think that a lot of the time I can tell the difference. Sure, typos might hurt your query and you should do your best to eliminate them, but a good query, a great and intriguing story, will rise above all typos.
Jessica
Monday, February 20, 2012
Twitter Tips
I love getting book recommendations. I mean face it, I'm a book person, I love to read and I love it when someone emails me or sends me a Tweet to tell me about something new they have just discovered. That being said, there's a big difference between Tweeting about your book release and spamming your book.
If you're a Tweeter it's perfectly acceptable, and encouraged, to let all of your followers know when your book releases, when you received your new cover, or where your edits stand. Of course, it's also encouraged to let them know where you are on vacation, what you're eating for dinner, what you're reading and other more personal bits of information.
It is unacceptable to send Tweets directly to other Tweeters (starting your Tweet with an @BookEndsJessica is what does this) to tell them about a "great new read" and have it be your book. Frankly, it turns me off. If you're telling me about someone else, I'm interested and appreciate it; if you're telling me about your own book, it's spam and it's irritating, and out of irritation I will probably not read your book.
Jessica
If you're a Tweeter it's perfectly acceptable, and encouraged, to let all of your followers know when your book releases, when you received your new cover, or where your edits stand. Of course, it's also encouraged to let them know where you are on vacation, what you're eating for dinner, what you're reading and other more personal bits of information.
It is unacceptable to send Tweets directly to other Tweeters (starting your Tweet with an @BookEndsJessica is what does this) to tell them about a "great new read" and have it be your book. Frankly, it turns me off. If you're telling me about someone else, I'm interested and appreciate it; if you're telling me about your own book, it's spam and it's irritating, and out of irritation I will probably not read your book.
Jessica
Saturday, February 18, 2012
The Secret of Willow Castle - Lyn Cook
Carrying on the trend of re-reading books from my childhood, I decided to pick up this book out of my bookcase. My copy has been re-read enough times that the binding is falling apart. Given that, I was quite disappointed to discover, while searching for a cover image, that this book seems to be out of print. Lyn Cook was one of my favourite authors when I was in primary school. I think that I read library copies ofmost of her books, as this is the only one that I own; but I remember reading and enjoying Samantha's Secret Room, Pegeen and the Pilgrim, and The Bells on Finland Street. Now on to this book...Book: The Secret of Willow Castle by Lyn Cook. It is the story of Henrietta Macpherson, age 11, of Napanee, Ontario in 1834. She is dealing with lots of problems as she is growing up - a secret friend who is a servant for her father's political adversary; the social expectation for her to act like a "lady"; a beloved cousin, John Alex who is rising in the world (and later became Sir John Alexander MacDonald, first Prime Minister of Canada); slavery as it is being abolished in the British Empire; and just day-to-day life for a well-off family in rural Upper Canada in 1834. An interesting note - Henrietta's father, Allen Macpherson, was a real person (I haven't been able to find out if Henrietta was real or not), and their house really exists in Napanee.
First Read: I don't remember. Probably around grade 3 or so, when I was devouring "chapter books" like crazy. I enjoyed it enough to re-read it countless times between then and now.
Original Impressions: This was the first Lyn Cook book I read, but it lead me to read many of her other books as I mentioned above. As with Shadow in Hawthorn Bay, I loved reading books set close to where I lived, and Napanee was less than a half hour drive away.
Current Impressions: It is still an enjoyable read as an adult. I enjoy the pen and ink drawings that accompany each chapter. Henrietta is believable as an 11/12 year old. And I love historical fiction written for any age group - it is a window into a different time.
And that is about all I have to say about this book; other than I wish that it were still in print.
This is my 5th Canadian re-read for the Canadian Book Challenge at The Book Mine Set.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Working with Your Agent
I'm often asked what makes the "perfect client," and the only answer I have is a great sense of communication. The desire to keep me posted on all things good and bad so that if something can be done (even if you don't know it can) I can jump in and do it.
One thing a few of my clients do that I LOVE is send me monthly or quarterly updates. Even if it's information I know or have it's extremely helpful. I get an email that says something like this:
Delivered Book 3 in series X, awaiting revisions
Finished copyedits on Book 2 in series Y, love the new cover
Starting promotion on series Y
Release date of series x is next week
Had long talk with editor about new ideas and will run those by you when I have time to think about them more.
Now, I do try to check in with clients occasionally, and to some maybe I check in too often, but an email like this helps the author center herself and feel a sense of completion and helps the agent step in with thoughts she might have. Maybe I never saw the cover so can remind her to send me a copy for the website, or maybe I just had my own brilliant idea for a new idea for her and this is the perfect time to send it along. Even if I have nothing to add, keeping an agent in the loop helps everyone work together better, which is what we're all striving for.
Jessica
One thing a few of my clients do that I LOVE is send me monthly or quarterly updates. Even if it's information I know or have it's extremely helpful. I get an email that says something like this:
Delivered Book 3 in series X, awaiting revisions
Finished copyedits on Book 2 in series Y, love the new cover
Starting promotion on series Y
Release date of series x is next week
Had long talk with editor about new ideas and will run those by you when I have time to think about them more.
Now, I do try to check in with clients occasionally, and to some maybe I check in too often, but an email like this helps the author center herself and feel a sense of completion and helps the agent step in with thoughts she might have. Maybe I never saw the cover so can remind her to send me a copy for the website, or maybe I just had my own brilliant idea for a new idea for her and this is the perfect time to send it along. Even if I have nothing to add, keeping an agent in the loop helps everyone work together better, which is what we're all striving for.
Jessica
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Workshop Wednesday
Thanks to all of your contributions, Workshop Wednesday has been a success. We're going to continue on with it for as long as we have entries and the energy to comment on them. If you haven't yet submitted but are still interested, don't be afraid to participate as per the guidelines in our original post.
For anyone wanting to comment, we ask that you comment in a polite and respectful manner, and we ask that you be as constructive as possible. If you can be useful to the brave souls who submitted their query and comment on the query, that's great. Please keep any anonymous tirades on publishing or other snarky comments to yourself. This is and should remain an open and safe forum for people to put themselves and their queries out there so that everyone can learn. I'm leaving comments open and open to anonymous posters, as I always have; don't make me feel the need to change that policy.
And for those who have never "met" Query Shark, get over there and do that. She's the originator of the query critique, the queen, if you will.
Dear BookEnds,
This greeting is probably for the blog, but in a query letter, you should address only one agent.
Zell Jinn doesn't do things like a normal teenager would. If he did, he would've met Shyla Franklin at school or online, rather than inside Hell.
These are small things: “Zell Jinn” sounds like “Sell Gin.” Is this deliberate, and if so, why? The word “inside” above irks me because, unless Hell is something that has physical dimensions and is enclosed like a box, this is the wrong word.
But for the modern day paladin, putting a soul back inside a vampire, then falling in love with her, and managing to literally piss off the Devil in the process are average days.
If he literally pissed off the Devil in the process, he’d be standing on top of the Devil and urinating off him while simultaneously falling in love with a vampire whose soul he just replaced. Please be careful with the word “literally” because you’re asking people to take what you say completely literally. You can’t call a figurative statement literal.
If only handling the weight of being the top point guard in the state and most popular kid in school was as easy as ganking the undead.
I like that Zell is living a double life, and I also think it is interesting that he’s the popular kid rather than a geek. “Ganking” is probably not a good word choice because as far as I know it only exists in video games like World of Warcraft with which literary agents might not be familiar.
But since Shyla's rescue, things have gotten bizarre. Or as the other paladins are used to saying: things have gone all to Zell. After returning from a mission in the Sierra Nevada broken and almost dead, Zell learns a new type of undead is stalking him.
I feel a little lost. What does returning from a mission broken and dead have to do with the new type of stalker undead? What does Shyla’s rescue have to do with it?
I’m not sure I know what’s going on and this is because you’ve made up a world in your head and then discussed it with me without telling me how it works. Above, you set your reader up to receive new information about a plot turn (“But since Shyla’s rescue, things have gotten bizarre . . .”) and then it seems to take forever to actually get the information . . . two sentences to be exact.
This enemy looks human and can block his ability to sense the supernatural. Now a danger to everyone, he is forced into seclusion. No paladin can help him.
Why would Zell’s inability to sense the supernatural make him a danger to everyone? When I think about it, I can assume that this ability is necessary for paladins, but this is vague and confusing. Further, why would he be so dangerous to others that he is forced into seclusion? Wouldn’t having the abilities of his comrades nearby make more sense? Why can’t the other paladins help him? What’s a paladin? Paladins are Medieval champions for others’ rights, so you can’t commandeer this term without clearly giving it a new meaning for your world.
The fun continues. A hellrift opens up on the coast of Maine, threatening to unleash hordes of undead.
What is a hellrift? This is one of the largest problems with this query. Because the story takes place in a world that I know nothing about, I’m confused and disinclined to want to read more of this.
Much is placed on Zell as he has to leave Shyla in the care of a man who wants her given back to the vampires, and go into a portion of Hell that has already claimed one of his friends.
What man? What friend? Shyla was taken away from the vampires? Why is it significant that she’ll return to them? Why does Zell have to do this, with his vulnerabilities?
Through these battles truths and powers will be revealed, explaining why normal has never pertained to him.
What battles?
Of course first, to make everything more Zell-like, he'll have to do something no paladin has ever done before: kill a host of demons.
We do not know what Zell-like is. We don’t get a very good sense of Zell, which is another problem in this query. His high school status, by this point, has been forgotten about and that makes me think you threw it in to make this YA.
Since “kill a host of demons” is the last line of the query and comes after a colon, it seems like you’re trying to give it weight. But we already know that Zell “ganks” the undead, so this is ineffective unless there is some type of characteristic the demons have that’s much stronger than those of other beings.
My main concern in this query is that there is not enough world-building. I need to know, at a minimum, the basic information needed to understand what is happening, its significance, and why it is happening, and that is not the case here. I’m also concerned that Zell’s high school life has been abandoned at the start of the query. I worry that your book will have all sorts of terminology only you know and situations that are unexplained. I worry also that it might seem contrived and forced that Zell is a high school student since this is not given enough attention.
OF FIRE AND FAITH is a YA urban fantasy novel, complete at 100,000 words. It is a first in a series following Zell's journey through paladinhood. The sequel, OF ANGELS AND ASHES, is already in the works.
I have been published by Keen Publications in their anthology [redacted] and by Anotherealm.com.
The last sentence is good. It is always helpful to know if a writer has been previously published, small scale or large.
Lauren
For anyone wanting to comment, we ask that you comment in a polite and respectful manner, and we ask that you be as constructive as possible. If you can be useful to the brave souls who submitted their query and comment on the query, that's great. Please keep any anonymous tirades on publishing or other snarky comments to yourself. This is and should remain an open and safe forum for people to put themselves and their queries out there so that everyone can learn. I'm leaving comments open and open to anonymous posters, as I always have; don't make me feel the need to change that policy.
And for those who have never "met" Query Shark, get over there and do that. She's the originator of the query critique, the queen, if you will.
Dear BookEnds,
This greeting is probably for the blog, but in a query letter, you should address only one agent.
Zell Jinn doesn't do things like a normal teenager would. If he did, he would've met Shyla Franklin at school or online, rather than inside Hell.
These are small things: “Zell Jinn” sounds like “Sell Gin.” Is this deliberate, and if so, why? The word “inside” above irks me because, unless Hell is something that has physical dimensions and is enclosed like a box, this is the wrong word.
But for the modern day paladin, putting a soul back inside a vampire, then falling in love with her, and managing to literally piss off the Devil in the process are average days.
If he literally pissed off the Devil in the process, he’d be standing on top of the Devil and urinating off him while simultaneously falling in love with a vampire whose soul he just replaced. Please be careful with the word “literally” because you’re asking people to take what you say completely literally. You can’t call a figurative statement literal.
If only handling the weight of being the top point guard in the state and most popular kid in school was as easy as ganking the undead.
I like that Zell is living a double life, and I also think it is interesting that he’s the popular kid rather than a geek. “Ganking” is probably not a good word choice because as far as I know it only exists in video games like World of Warcraft with which literary agents might not be familiar.
But since Shyla's rescue, things have gotten bizarre. Or as the other paladins are used to saying: things have gone all to Zell. After returning from a mission in the Sierra Nevada broken and almost dead, Zell learns a new type of undead is stalking him.
I feel a little lost. What does returning from a mission broken and dead have to do with the new type of stalker undead? What does Shyla’s rescue have to do with it?
I’m not sure I know what’s going on and this is because you’ve made up a world in your head and then discussed it with me without telling me how it works. Above, you set your reader up to receive new information about a plot turn (“But since Shyla’s rescue, things have gotten bizarre . . .”) and then it seems to take forever to actually get the information . . . two sentences to be exact.
This enemy looks human and can block his ability to sense the supernatural. Now a danger to everyone, he is forced into seclusion. No paladin can help him.
Why would Zell’s inability to sense the supernatural make him a danger to everyone? When I think about it, I can assume that this ability is necessary for paladins, but this is vague and confusing. Further, why would he be so dangerous to others that he is forced into seclusion? Wouldn’t having the abilities of his comrades nearby make more sense? Why can’t the other paladins help him? What’s a paladin? Paladins are Medieval champions for others’ rights, so you can’t commandeer this term without clearly giving it a new meaning for your world.
The fun continues. A hellrift opens up on the coast of Maine, threatening to unleash hordes of undead.
What is a hellrift? This is one of the largest problems with this query. Because the story takes place in a world that I know nothing about, I’m confused and disinclined to want to read more of this.
Much is placed on Zell as he has to leave Shyla in the care of a man who wants her given back to the vampires, and go into a portion of Hell that has already claimed one of his friends.
What man? What friend? Shyla was taken away from the vampires? Why is it significant that she’ll return to them? Why does Zell have to do this, with his vulnerabilities?
Through these battles truths and powers will be revealed, explaining why normal has never pertained to him.
What battles?
Of course first, to make everything more Zell-like, he'll have to do something no paladin has ever done before: kill a host of demons.
We do not know what Zell-like is. We don’t get a very good sense of Zell, which is another problem in this query. His high school status, by this point, has been forgotten about and that makes me think you threw it in to make this YA.
Since “kill a host of demons” is the last line of the query and comes after a colon, it seems like you’re trying to give it weight. But we already know that Zell “ganks” the undead, so this is ineffective unless there is some type of characteristic the demons have that’s much stronger than those of other beings.
My main concern in this query is that there is not enough world-building. I need to know, at a minimum, the basic information needed to understand what is happening, its significance, and why it is happening, and that is not the case here. I’m also concerned that Zell’s high school life has been abandoned at the start of the query. I worry that your book will have all sorts of terminology only you know and situations that are unexplained. I worry also that it might seem contrived and forced that Zell is a high school student since this is not given enough attention.
OF FIRE AND FAITH is a YA urban fantasy novel, complete at 100,000 words. It is a first in a series following Zell's journey through paladinhood. The sequel, OF ANGELS AND ASHES, is already in the works.
I have been published by Keen Publications in their anthology [redacted] and by Anotherealm.com.
The last sentence is good. It is always helpful to know if a writer has been previously published, small scale or large.
Lauren
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Happy Valentine’s Day!
I have to admit, this is one of my favorite holidays. Who doesn’t love the idea of a celebration of love and friendship? For Valentine’s Day this year I wanted to change things up a little, and thanks to my public library I came up with this terrific idea. Okay, I stole this terrific idea.
Today we’re going to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a Blind Book Date. How it works is that you comment in the comments with your favorite book, and the person who has commented before you has to read that book. In other words, it’s a blind date with a book.
How it works: The very first commenter will post the title and author of a book he or she loves. Since no one has commented before them, that will be the book I will read. Then, the first commenter’s blind date with a book will come from commenter #2, and so on and so on. If you’d like, you should also feel free to include some information on what the book is about or why you love the book.
The event will end at midnight on February 14, EST. At that time (or soon thereafter) I will post my book (the final blind date offering). Then, I’d like all of us to return on March 19 to discuss our experiences. Did we love the book? Hate the book? Was it something different, maybe a genre we’d never read? I’ll post some questions on March 19 for us to discuss.
The only rules are that you are NOT allowed to post the title of a book you have written. This is not an opportunity for self-promotion, but an event for readers and book lovers. If you want to post the book of a friend I can’t stop you from doing that, but I hope that we all look at it as readers and not writers and post books we love, books that have changed us or that we just want others to experience.
I debated requiring that the book be available in print and ebook, but I don’t want to rule out the fact that you might have read a book you love that’s only available in ebook format. What I would suggest, however, is that if you’re debating between two books, pick the one that’s available in both print and ebook format to give those readers who haven’t yet gone tech the opportunity to read the book as well.
And finally, there are no rules regarding genre. A pick you love could be new, a classic, YA or horror, romance or mystery. Whatever it is, please share it. I’m eager to see what everyone comes up with and what we’ll all be reading.
Enjoy!
Jessica
**one additional note. Any comments that are specifically to promote your work will be deleted. Thanks.
Today we’re going to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a Blind Book Date. How it works is that you comment in the comments with your favorite book, and the person who has commented before you has to read that book. In other words, it’s a blind date with a book.
How it works: The very first commenter will post the title and author of a book he or she loves. Since no one has commented before them, that will be the book I will read. Then, the first commenter’s blind date with a book will come from commenter #2, and so on and so on. If you’d like, you should also feel free to include some information on what the book is about or why you love the book.
The event will end at midnight on February 14, EST. At that time (or soon thereafter) I will post my book (the final blind date offering). Then, I’d like all of us to return on March 19 to discuss our experiences. Did we love the book? Hate the book? Was it something different, maybe a genre we’d never read? I’ll post some questions on March 19 for us to discuss.
The only rules are that you are NOT allowed to post the title of a book you have written. This is not an opportunity for self-promotion, but an event for readers and book lovers. If you want to post the book of a friend I can’t stop you from doing that, but I hope that we all look at it as readers and not writers and post books we love, books that have changed us or that we just want others to experience.
I debated requiring that the book be available in print and ebook, but I don’t want to rule out the fact that you might have read a book you love that’s only available in ebook format. What I would suggest, however, is that if you’re debating between two books, pick the one that’s available in both print and ebook format to give those readers who haven’t yet gone tech the opportunity to read the book as well.
And finally, there are no rules regarding genre. A pick you love could be new, a classic, YA or horror, romance or mystery. Whatever it is, please share it. I’m eager to see what everyone comes up with and what we’ll all be reading.
Enjoy!
Jessica
**one additional note. Any comments that are specifically to promote your work will be deleted. Thanks.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Choosing a Genre
I have written a novel where the main POV character is around 18 years old. There’s also a secondary POV character who’s 45 years old. This secondary character takes up almost as much page space as the younger character. It’s maybe a 60-40 split. There’s a mystery involved, and while the younger character gets involved in the mystery, his story is really a coming of age. The secondary protagonist’s job is to solve the mystery.
My beta readers all say I have written a young adult novel.
Based on the younger protagonist’s POV then yes, I can see what they’re saying. Also, my writing style fits YA quite well. However, almost half the book is from an older woman’s point-of-view.
I might add that the book was not written as YA. It’s just that the protagonist was young.
If I take the basic rules of query writing – stick with the character you start the story with and follow their arc – then when I query it’s going to be about the kid. Sample pages will be from the kid’s point-of-view, because the first couple of chapters are his.
Does it matter if I say it’s a young adult novel and then have a major secondary character who is a lot older?
If I say it’s an adult novel – or rather, don’t say it’s YA – how will an agent feel when they read the query and the sample pages? This author has no idea of her own market?
Do I need to explain about the two different protagonists in the query?
Does the very thought of a combination like this make you, as an agent, throw up your hands in horror?
This is one of those situations where I would have to read the book to know which genre it fits into. Honestly, based on your plot description, it doesn't necessarily sound like a young adult though. It sounds like for one character you have a coming of age, but the book overall is a mystery.
Ever since YA became "the thing" there's this assumption that just because you've written a great young adult character in a book the book has to be characterized as young adult. Not true. There are many fabulous works of fiction that have included well-written young adults, but would not be classified as young adult. One that pops into my head at the moment, or an author that pops into my head, is Jodi Picoult. Jodi regularly includes a character arc for a young adult character and often that character arc plays as strong of a role as the adult's arc, but never (to the best of my knowledge) have her books been classified as young adult. Part of that is that she doesn't have a young adult voice.
I think what matters is knowing who your audience truly is. Is this a book that would fit in today's young adult market, that would sell on those shelves to those readers? if so, it's definitely young adult. Or would you say this is a book that would appeal more to mystery readers because the mystery is truly the element that's the strongest? What about fiction, is this maybe a piece that's better classified as women's fiction or literary fiction? Who do your readers otherwise commonly read? Where is that author placed on the shelves? Maybe that will help you have a better understanding of where you should classify it.
I don't think you need to explain the two different protagonists per se, but I do think it's important that you explain the story as a whole. If the older woman plays as strong of a role in the book as the younger character, are you misrepresenting the book by only talking about the story arc of the one character? In other words, is it the story of "two very different people..." instead of focusing on individual characters?
A lot to think about, I know, but without reading your query and knowing your book I'm afraid I don't have any specific answers.
Jessica
My beta readers all say I have written a young adult novel.
Based on the younger protagonist’s POV then yes, I can see what they’re saying. Also, my writing style fits YA quite well. However, almost half the book is from an older woman’s point-of-view.
I might add that the book was not written as YA. It’s just that the protagonist was young.
If I take the basic rules of query writing – stick with the character you start the story with and follow their arc – then when I query it’s going to be about the kid. Sample pages will be from the kid’s point-of-view, because the first couple of chapters are his.
Does it matter if I say it’s a young adult novel and then have a major secondary character who is a lot older?
If I say it’s an adult novel – or rather, don’t say it’s YA – how will an agent feel when they read the query and the sample pages? This author has no idea of her own market?
Do I need to explain about the two different protagonists in the query?
Does the very thought of a combination like this make you, as an agent, throw up your hands in horror?
This is one of those situations where I would have to read the book to know which genre it fits into. Honestly, based on your plot description, it doesn't necessarily sound like a young adult though. It sounds like for one character you have a coming of age, but the book overall is a mystery.
Ever since YA became "the thing" there's this assumption that just because you've written a great young adult character in a book the book has to be characterized as young adult. Not true. There are many fabulous works of fiction that have included well-written young adults, but would not be classified as young adult. One that pops into my head at the moment, or an author that pops into my head, is Jodi Picoult. Jodi regularly includes a character arc for a young adult character and often that character arc plays as strong of a role as the adult's arc, but never (to the best of my knowledge) have her books been classified as young adult. Part of that is that she doesn't have a young adult voice.
I think what matters is knowing who your audience truly is. Is this a book that would fit in today's young adult market, that would sell on those shelves to those readers? if so, it's definitely young adult. Or would you say this is a book that would appeal more to mystery readers because the mystery is truly the element that's the strongest? What about fiction, is this maybe a piece that's better classified as women's fiction or literary fiction? Who do your readers otherwise commonly read? Where is that author placed on the shelves? Maybe that will help you have a better understanding of where you should classify it.
I don't think you need to explain the two different protagonists per se, but I do think it's important that you explain the story as a whole. If the older woman plays as strong of a role in the book as the younger character, are you misrepresenting the book by only talking about the story arc of the one character? In other words, is it the story of "two very different people..." instead of focusing on individual characters?
A lot to think about, I know, but without reading your query and knowing your book I'm afraid I don't have any specific answers.
Jessica
Sunday, February 12, 2012
A Red Herring Without Mustard - Alan Bradley
This is the third Flavia de Luce mystery (there is a fourth one that came out just before Christmas - I am Half-Sick of Shadows - but this is one series that I tend to wait for in paperback). I was mildly entertained by the first two books (The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag), so figured that the series was worth sticking with.What I liked and disliked about this book is pretty much the same as the other books. I thought that Flavia was just a bit to precocious to be believable as an 11 year old; and yet I loved the relationship between the 3 sisters and thought that was quite believable (as one of 3 sisters myself!).
As in the last book, there are several mysteries some of which are loosely tied together in the end. A gypsy woman is attacked in her caravan. A local fish-poacher and sometimes antiques-dealer is found murdered at Buckshaw (Flavia's home). And there seems to be something suspicious going on around an antiques shop.
In this book, Flavia does more active detective-ing than in the last book - rather than just overhearing gossip, she is out actively searching for clues. However, the longer that this series carries on, the more one has to wonder just how many murders can take place in a small village like Bishop's Lacey, and specifically Buckshaw. This is the same question that is always lurking in the back of my mind with successful mystery novels or television series (think Miss Marple or Midsomer Murders)...
So a pleasant, easy-reading diversion this week; and I will continue to follow this series, and I suspect that I will continue to enjoy it.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Win Some Loose Some
Yesterday was a day of interest for all UK Christians. My friend Michael Overd was found not guilty of causing intentional harassment, alarm or distress to two homosexual passers-by as he preached from 1Corinthians 6:9-10. I was there when it turned nasty and was a witness for the defence. Stephen Green from Christian Voice came to support and has a very good article about the case on his web-site. Michaels defence lawyer Paul Diamond was a pleasure to watch. In his closing comments he talked about free speech and the right of every Christian to proselytize all people groups including homosexuals. The truth of the matter is the two homosexuals who made the complaint did not like what the Bible said about them and wished to silence Mike Overd and mistakingly thought they could use the law to do it. On the back of this two guesthouse owners lost their appeal against a ruling and fine for only letting married couples rent a double room and Bideford Town Council were told in another hearing that holding prayers before a meeting was in fact illegal. The next round will be David Camerons attempt to redifine marriage and allow homosexuals to marry in church. Out of the three cases heard yesterday I believe God was showing his priority and his continued blessing for the preaching of the gospel in the UK. God is interested in the salvation of souls. It is the sacrificial death of Christ upon the cross for the redeeming of lost sinners which is the greatest message for mankind. This is what God wants Christians to proclaim and concentrate on. When we do, His Son is gloryfied and so is He, and His righteousness shines forth. Perhaps if the established Church had not lossed this focus the other two cases would never have arisen.
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