Hey folks. Sorry for the sporadic posting lately. My writing time for the last two months has been tied up on a sekrit project. In true graduate student fashion, I attacked the project with some top sekrit procrastination, and things got pretty hectic towards the end. But that should be wrapping up soon.
But enough about me. Let's talk about something more interesting. Like erotic romance novels. And condoms. And of course, science.
Raymond Moore at On Fiction recently described a study about the influence of romance novels on condom use. Erotic romance as a genre generally focuses on spontaneous and passionate sex. Since rubbers don’t exactly scream passion, love scenes rarely mention their use.
Our Brains Naturally Frame Events As Stories
"Stories are efficient summaries of reality, but that isn't all they are. Stories have an arc, they put constraints on the future - when you've heard the first half there are some things which are more likely in the second, and some less. I'm sure our minds use stories because they describe the way the world is AND because they say something about how the world could or will be."
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Tom Stafford, psychologist at the University of Sheffield and author of The Narrative Escape. See the rest of our conversation about our brains' narrative habit at the 40k blog.
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Tom Stafford, psychologist at the University of Sheffield and author of The Narrative Escape. See the rest of our conversation about our brains' narrative habit at the 40k blog.
Sally Feels Your Pain. Harry Just Points and Laughs.
You could say that fiction is about pain. When you boil them down, stories describe characters taking hits and trying to emerge as unscathed as possible. Neighborhood under attack by zombies? Run hard and hope you have some painkillers on hand if they catch you. Or what if it’s actually a friendly, attractive zombie who loves you? In that case, it’s all good -- until you realize that mortals and undead can never be together. Oh the agonies of unfulfilled love!
Read the rest of my guest post on pain, empathy, and fiction at Nathan Bransford's blog. Older blog followers will recognize one of the studies. I also describe a new study about some interesting gender differences in empathy (Hint: see title).
Read the rest of my guest post on pain, empathy, and fiction at Nathan Bransford's blog. Older blog followers will recognize one of the studies. I also describe a new study about some interesting gender differences in empathy (Hint: see title).
Book Packagers 101
Congrats to Catherine Stine, winner of the Vordak ARC!
I recently attended the Northern Ohio SCBWI conference, where I had the pleasure of meeting author Emma Carlson Berne. Berne is the author of over thirty fiction and nonfiction books for children and young adults. Some are written under her own name (check out her recent YA romantic comedy Hard to Get
), while others were ghostwritten for book packagers under a pen name. Since we rarely hear about working with book packagers in the blogosphere, I thought I’d share my notes from her very informative session.
What is a book packager?
A book packager acts as a layer between the writer and the publisher. Usually they come up with a concept and recruit writers on a work-for-hire basis. The popular series Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
and Gossip Girl
were produced by book packager Alloy entertainment , and many nonfiction/educational book series for children are put together by book packagers as well.
How does the writing process work?
For fiction, the packager provides character sketches (sometimes with pictures) and a detailed plot outline. In nonfiction, the packager provides specification about style, content, and any limitations on sources to use. The writer is responsible for conducting the research.
What are the advantages to working with a book packager?
1. If you’re hired on a work-for-hire basis, you’re paid a set fee. The amount of money you make is not dependent on whether a publisher buys your book or how well it sells.
2. You're generally not called on to do any publicity or marketing for the books. Your job is done after you write the book.
3. Brene also found ghostwriting to be a good learning experience, comparing it to a paid apprenticeship in novel writing.
What are the disadvantages?
1. If you’re hired on a work-for-hire basis, the packager owns all rights, including rights to notes and drafts.
2. There are often strict noncompete clauses, so you can’t write anything else that is considered competition for the book.
3. After you finish te book, you have no control over what happens next. If the publisher doesn’t like what you wrote, they can hire someone else to rewrite it without consulting you. You can’t be too emotionally tied to your work.
4. Writing for a set fee can either work for or against you. If your book does really well, you won’t make any more money. On the other hand, if you’re writing a book that’s not particularly likely to become a runaway bestseller (say, a biography of a historic figure), that maynot matter.
How do you get a postion writing for a book packager?
Berne got her first job wirting nonfiction for a book packager through a personal referral from another writer. Since then, she’s also gotten a lot of work simply by cold calling book packagers to see if they’re hiring. When she cold called Alloy entertainment, hey looked at her resume, asked her to write a sample chapter, and hired her based on the writing sample. Now that she’s more established, editors sometimes contact her for jobs.
Is there a directory of book packagers?
Check out the American Book Producers Association at www.abpaonline.org for a list of members and contact information.
I recently attended the Northern Ohio SCBWI conference, where I had the pleasure of meeting author Emma Carlson Berne. Berne is the author of over thirty fiction and nonfiction books for children and young adults. Some are written under her own name (check out her recent YA romantic comedy Hard to Get
), while others were ghostwritten for book packagers under a pen name. Since we rarely hear about working with book packagers in the blogosphere, I thought I’d share my notes from her very informative session.What is a book packager?
A book packager acts as a layer between the writer and the publisher. Usually they come up with a concept and recruit writers on a work-for-hire basis. The popular series Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
and Gossip Girl were produced by book packager Alloy entertainment , and many nonfiction/educational book series for children are put together by book packagers as well.How does the writing process work?
For fiction, the packager provides character sketches (sometimes with pictures) and a detailed plot outline. In nonfiction, the packager provides specification about style, content, and any limitations on sources to use. The writer is responsible for conducting the research.
What are the advantages to working with a book packager?
1. If you’re hired on a work-for-hire basis, you’re paid a set fee. The amount of money you make is not dependent on whether a publisher buys your book or how well it sells.
2. You're generally not called on to do any publicity or marketing for the books. Your job is done after you write the book.
3. Brene also found ghostwriting to be a good learning experience, comparing it to a paid apprenticeship in novel writing.
What are the disadvantages?
1. If you’re hired on a work-for-hire basis, the packager owns all rights, including rights to notes and drafts.
2. There are often strict noncompete clauses, so you can’t write anything else that is considered competition for the book.
3. After you finish te book, you have no control over what happens next. If the publisher doesn’t like what you wrote, they can hire someone else to rewrite it without consulting you. You can’t be too emotionally tied to your work.
4. Writing for a set fee can either work for or against you. If your book does really well, you won’t make any more money. On the other hand, if you’re writing a book that’s not particularly likely to become a runaway bestseller (say, a biography of a historic figure), that maynot matter.
How do you get a postion writing for a book packager?
Berne got her first job wirting nonfiction for a book packager through a personal referral from another writer. Since then, she’s also gotten a lot of work simply by cold calling book packagers to see if they’re hiring. When she cold called Alloy entertainment, hey looked at her resume, asked her to write a sample chapter, and hired her based on the writing sample. Now that she’s more established, editors sometimes contact her for jobs.
Is there a directory of book packagers?
Check out the American Book Producers Association at www.abpaonline.org for a list of members and contact information.
Revision tip from James Frey Part III: Be a Poet
Today we have part three of our three-part revision series based on tips from How to Write a Damn Good Novel
by James Frey. Our first tip was be specific. Nate wrote a great entry for that, which we used as a starting point for our next tip: appeal to all the senses. As a reminder, here is Nate’s paragraph.
Sarah arrived at school eager for the afternoon's Halloween party. As she sat down at her desk, she looked inside her backpack for her costume. She found the box, plastic piping, and gloves, all spray-painted a metallic silver, but couldn't find the robot's helmet. She searched through both closets and in every cabinet at the back of the classroom, but didn't see it anywhere. Mrs. Brannigan hadn't noticed it, either.
By noon, when the rest of her class headed out to recess, Sarah was very worried indeed. What would she do? She couldn't possibly be Bender without his head. Finally, she had an idea. She found Mr. Hossburn, the school janitor, and begged him to unlock the supply closet. Beneath a stack of paper plates and a folded plastic tablecloth, she found what she was looking for: an old gray bucket that fit perfectly on her head. Her costume was saved!
There were a lot of nicerevisions in the comment section of the last post. This time, I will feature Peta’s. Remember, Peta's task was to revise it to appeal to all the senses.
Sarah arrived at school eager for the afternoon's Halloween party. Long, thin streamers ringed the room, bright orange and spooky black. As she sat down at her desk, the thick scent of cotton candy tickled her nose. Digging around in her backpack for her costume, Sarah’s fingers brushed against the box and stinky plastic piping. When she touched the gloves, she pulled a face--the silver metallic paint had dried easily enough on the box and piping, but her gloves were still tacky, like frosting that hadn’t set properly.
Wiping her hands on her jeans, Sarah tried not to worry. Had she let the best part--the most important part!--of her costume at home? Tugging at her bottom lip, she searched both closets, made the class hamsters squee as she looked under their cage, and even poked her head under all the kids‘ desks. When she asked her teacher, a sweet old lady who loved sunflower hats and had pieces of liquorice stuck in her teeth, Mrs. Brannigan could only shake her head, and offer a condoling twizzler.
Come recess, Sarah was frantic. She had to have a head! Bender had a head, the Tin Man had a head...the Tin Man! Pounding down the hall, Sarah found Mr. Hossburn, the school janitor, and begged him to unlock the supply closet. There, hiding beneath an old checked plastic tablecloth (still spotted with grease and Coke) and a stack of paper plates, she found it: a slightly rusted, slightly damp-smelling grey bucket that fit perfectly on her head. Her costume was saved!
Peta has some great imagery here -- the tacky feel of paint on the gloves, the damp smell of the bucket, the bright orange and spooky black of the streamers. I especially like how Sarah pulls a face when she touches the tacky gloves. Here the psychologist in me comes out again. Our facial expressions are very tightly tied to our feelings. In fact, people who assume facial expressions often report their emotions shifting to match the expression. Forcing yourself to smile might actually make you feel happier. So I love how this expression of disgust works with the description of sticky paint to give us this “eww” feeling. Great job!
So the final revision tip of the series is “be a poet.” Now this one is a lot of fun for writers, but be careful not to overdo it. Frey says that the corollary to this rule is “don't be too much of a poet,” but a few figures of speech here and there can really liven things up.
Some categories of figures of speech:
1. Personification -- giving human traits to nonhuman objects. “My bed, mournful and empty, begged me to return for just one more hour.”
2. Hyperbole -- exaggeration. “The bean burrito and my digestive tract conspired to make a significant contribution to global warming today.” (Apologies. My husband is in town this week and I blame him for any juvenile references.)
3. Metaphor - Describing one thing in terms of another. “My husband is a five-year-old.” (Okay, I'm done with all the husband digs for now. I love him dearly, not least because he lets me make fun of him.)
4. Simile - Describing one thing in terms of another, using the words “like” or “as”. An example from Peta's paragraph: “Her gloves were still tacky, like frosting that hadn’t set properly.”
Frey brings up another point, that a good figure speech applies in more than one way. For example, Peta’s comparison of the gloves to frosting not only provides a texture comparison, but also conjures associations with cupcakes -- a apt association for a story about a party.
It occurs to me that if we rewrite the entire passage using figures of speech, we might end up with some really purple prose. So instead of rewriting the entire story, let's just brainstorm some phrases that we can use in the story. Share your gems in the comment section!
by James Frey. Our first tip was be specific. Nate wrote a great entry for that, which we used as a starting point for our next tip: appeal to all the senses. As a reminder, here is Nate’s paragraph.Sarah arrived at school eager for the afternoon's Halloween party. As she sat down at her desk, she looked inside her backpack for her costume. She found the box, plastic piping, and gloves, all spray-painted a metallic silver, but couldn't find the robot's helmet. She searched through both closets and in every cabinet at the back of the classroom, but didn't see it anywhere. Mrs. Brannigan hadn't noticed it, either.
By noon, when the rest of her class headed out to recess, Sarah was very worried indeed. What would she do? She couldn't possibly be Bender without his head. Finally, she had an idea. She found Mr. Hossburn, the school janitor, and begged him to unlock the supply closet. Beneath a stack of paper plates and a folded plastic tablecloth, she found what she was looking for: an old gray bucket that fit perfectly on her head. Her costume was saved!
There were a lot of nicerevisions in the comment section of the last post. This time, I will feature Peta’s. Remember, Peta's task was to revise it to appeal to all the senses.
Sarah arrived at school eager for the afternoon's Halloween party. Long, thin streamers ringed the room, bright orange and spooky black. As she sat down at her desk, the thick scent of cotton candy tickled her nose. Digging around in her backpack for her costume, Sarah’s fingers brushed against the box and stinky plastic piping. When she touched the gloves, she pulled a face--the silver metallic paint had dried easily enough on the box and piping, but her gloves were still tacky, like frosting that hadn’t set properly.
Wiping her hands on her jeans, Sarah tried not to worry. Had she let the best part--the most important part!--of her costume at home? Tugging at her bottom lip, she searched both closets, made the class hamsters squee as she looked under their cage, and even poked her head under all the kids‘ desks. When she asked her teacher, a sweet old lady who loved sunflower hats and had pieces of liquorice stuck in her teeth, Mrs. Brannigan could only shake her head, and offer a condoling twizzler.
Come recess, Sarah was frantic. She had to have a head! Bender had a head, the Tin Man had a head...the Tin Man! Pounding down the hall, Sarah found Mr. Hossburn, the school janitor, and begged him to unlock the supply closet. There, hiding beneath an old checked plastic tablecloth (still spotted with grease and Coke) and a stack of paper plates, she found it: a slightly rusted, slightly damp-smelling grey bucket that fit perfectly on her head. Her costume was saved!
Peta has some great imagery here -- the tacky feel of paint on the gloves, the damp smell of the bucket, the bright orange and spooky black of the streamers. I especially like how Sarah pulls a face when she touches the tacky gloves. Here the psychologist in me comes out again. Our facial expressions are very tightly tied to our feelings. In fact, people who assume facial expressions often report their emotions shifting to match the expression. Forcing yourself to smile might actually make you feel happier. So I love how this expression of disgust works with the description of sticky paint to give us this “eww” feeling. Great job!
So the final revision tip of the series is “be a poet.” Now this one is a lot of fun for writers, but be careful not to overdo it. Frey says that the corollary to this rule is “don't be too much of a poet,” but a few figures of speech here and there can really liven things up.
Some categories of figures of speech:
1. Personification -- giving human traits to nonhuman objects. “My bed, mournful and empty, begged me to return for just one more hour.”
2. Hyperbole -- exaggeration. “The bean burrito and my digestive tract conspired to make a significant contribution to global warming today.” (Apologies. My husband is in town this week and I blame him for any juvenile references.)
3. Metaphor - Describing one thing in terms of another. “My husband is a five-year-old.” (Okay, I'm done with all the husband digs for now. I love him dearly, not least because he lets me make fun of him.)
4. Simile - Describing one thing in terms of another, using the words “like” or “as”. An example from Peta's paragraph: “Her gloves were still tacky, like frosting that hadn’t set properly.”
Frey brings up another point, that a good figure speech applies in more than one way. For example, Peta’s comparison of the gloves to frosting not only provides a texture comparison, but also conjures associations with cupcakes -- a apt association for a story about a party.
It occurs to me that if we rewrite the entire passage using figures of speech, we might end up with some really purple prose. So instead of rewriting the entire story, let's just brainstorm some phrases that we can use in the story. Share your gems in the comment section!
Brain Science, Verbal Diarrhea, and How a Cup of Kahlua Got Me Into MIT
Hello everyone! Our revision series will continue shortly. There's still time to write an entry to Part II and see what others have written in the comments, including one impressive entry in which Simon harnesses the five senses to ruin a happy ending.
But for today, something different. I've followed author/blogger Joanna Penn for a while now and admire her greatly. Her blog The Creative Penn takes writing blogs to the next level with insightful articles, podcasts, and video blogs about anything publishing related. She was recently listed on Problogger's 30 Bloggers to Watch in 2010 .
Joanna was kind enough to invite me for a podcast interview. We had a nice chat about brain science and writing. Click on over to hear the podcast. There's a written summary as well (although it doesn't explain the Kahlua reference in the title of this post).
Thanks Joanna!
But for today, something different. I've followed author/blogger Joanna Penn for a while now and admire her greatly. Her blog The Creative Penn takes writing blogs to the next level with insightful articles, podcasts, and video blogs about anything publishing related. She was recently listed on Problogger's 30 Bloggers to Watch in 2010 .
Joanna was kind enough to invite me for a podcast interview. We had a nice chat about brain science and writing. Click on over to hear the podcast. There's a written summary as well (although it doesn't explain the Kahlua reference in the title of this post).
Thanks Joanna!
Revision tip from James Frey Part II: Appeal to All the Senses
We’re in part II of our three part revision series, using tips from How to Write a Damn Good Novel by James Frey to rework a passage as a group. As a reminder, we started with this:
Sarah arrived at school eager for the afternoon's Halloween party. As she sat down at her desk, she looked inside her bag for her costume. Most of her robot costume was there, but she couldn't find the helmet. She looked around but couldn't see it anywhere. She asked her teacher whether she had seen it, but the teacher said no.
By recess time, Sarah was very worried indeed. What would she do? She couldn't possibly be a robot without a helmet. Finally, she had an idea. She found the school janitor and asked him to open the supply closet. In the supply closet, she found an old bucket that fit perfectly on her head. Her costume was saved.
And last week’s tip was to be specific. I encourage you to check out the revisions in the comments of last week’s entry. There’s some good ones there, including one memorable one by Eric, who rewrote the passage as a science fiction piece.
Nate had a nice entry, which I've copied below. It's pretty amazing how much of a difference a few more details can make.
Sarah arrived at school eager for the afternoon's Halloween party. As she sat down at her desk, she looked inside her backpack for her costume. She found the box, plastic piping, and gloves, all spray-painted a metallic silver, but couldn't find the robot's helmet. She searched through both closets and in every cabinet at the back of the classroom, but didn't see it anywhere. Mrs. Brannigan hadn't noticed it, either.
By noon, when the rest of her class headed out to recess, Sarah was very worried indeed. What would she do? She couldn't possibly be Bender without his head. Finally, she had an idea. She found Mr. Hossburn, the school janitor, and begged him to unlock the supply closet. Beneath a stack of paper plates and a folded plastic tablecloth, she found what she was looking for: an old gray bucket that fit perfectly on her head. Her costume was saved!
So onto this week’s revision tip: appeal to all the senses. That one’s pretty self explanatory. So starting with Nate’s passage, can we rework it now to appeal to more senses?
by James Frey to rework a passage as a group. As a reminder, we started with this:Sarah arrived at school eager for the afternoon's Halloween party. As she sat down at her desk, she looked inside her bag for her costume. Most of her robot costume was there, but she couldn't find the helmet. She looked around but couldn't see it anywhere. She asked her teacher whether she had seen it, but the teacher said no.
By recess time, Sarah was very worried indeed. What would she do? She couldn't possibly be a robot without a helmet. Finally, she had an idea. She found the school janitor and asked him to open the supply closet. In the supply closet, she found an old bucket that fit perfectly on her head. Her costume was saved.
And last week’s tip was to be specific. I encourage you to check out the revisions in the comments of last week’s entry. There’s some good ones there, including one memorable one by Eric, who rewrote the passage as a science fiction piece.
Nate had a nice entry, which I've copied below. It's pretty amazing how much of a difference a few more details can make.
Sarah arrived at school eager for the afternoon's Halloween party. As she sat down at her desk, she looked inside her backpack for her costume. She found the box, plastic piping, and gloves, all spray-painted a metallic silver, but couldn't find the robot's helmet. She searched through both closets and in every cabinet at the back of the classroom, but didn't see it anywhere. Mrs. Brannigan hadn't noticed it, either.
By noon, when the rest of her class headed out to recess, Sarah was very worried indeed. What would she do? She couldn't possibly be Bender without his head. Finally, she had an idea. She found Mr. Hossburn, the school janitor, and begged him to unlock the supply closet. Beneath a stack of paper plates and a folded plastic tablecloth, she found what she was looking for: an old gray bucket that fit perfectly on her head. Her costume was saved!
So onto this week’s revision tip: appeal to all the senses. That one’s pretty self explanatory. So starting with Nate’s passage, can we rework it now to appeal to more senses?
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