We’ve passed the 1500 RSS subscribers mark! Thank you all so much for sticking around and participating in our discussions of all things writing. As has become tradition here, we'll celebrate with a contest. And I have a good one.
A while back, my dad asked my husband (aka astronomer and literary snob J Blackburne) if he liked Midnight Thief. J’s response was something along the lines of, “Yeah, I did! A lot of first novels have cardboard characters and plots that fall apart halfway through, but Livia's book was not like that.”
Later on, I teased him about having liked my book because it “was not horrible.” At which point, my secretly-supportive-but-very-mischievous husband got a glint in his eye.
“It's… serviceable fiction,” he said. “With every element needed to become a runaway bestseller amongst undiscerning readers.”
What Makes A Story Persuasive?
Poking my head out briefly to say hi. Dissertation writing is taking quite a bit of time... (surprise surprise)What was the last time a work of fiction changed your view on an issue? For me, it was Cory Doctorow's Little Brother
, which made me think seriously about government intrusion on privacy. Fiction to make a point is nothing new. But what makes a story persuasive? A study from researchers Melianie Green and Timothy Brock points toward one ingredient.Starting the Second Novel: What I'm Doing Differently
It's crunch time in dissertation land. I’m aiming to graduate this June, so blog posts won't be as frequent this semester. Hopefully I'll come out the other side without too many dead brain cells. :-)
With the new year, it’s a good time to talk about new beginnings. Now that I’ve finished revisions on Midnight Thief for agent Jim, I'm starting a new novel.
It's a very different experience this time around. Three years ago, I was blissfully ignorant about the whole process. Seven revisions, two years of critique group meetings, and 178 blog posts later, I’ve learned a few lessons.
These some things I've learned and/or am doing differently the second time around.
With the new year, it’s a good time to talk about new beginnings. Now that I’ve finished revisions on Midnight Thief for agent Jim, I'm starting a new novel.
It's a very different experience this time around. Three years ago, I was blissfully ignorant about the whole process. Seven revisions, two years of critique group meetings, and 178 blog posts later, I’ve learned a few lessons.
These some things I've learned and/or am doing differently the second time around.
How to Incorporate Backstory That Hooks The Reader
Spoiler warning: Spoilers for the John Rain series by Barry Eisler. Also, The Detachment
reached #1 on the Kindle store this week. Congrats, Barry!I don't often read series out of order, but Barry Eisler was kind enough to send me a review copy of The Detachment
when he visited the blog. The Detachment can be read as a standalone, although there are references to events from previous books.While I often find “here’s what you’ve missed” sections boring, I enjoyed the backstory passages in The Detachment. They actually made me eager to go back and read the previous volumes. Now why would that be? Time to dig out the old magnifying glass.
Spoilers: Good or Bad?
 |
| One of my favorite Threadless T shirts |
But do spoilers actually decrease enjoyment?
Spoiler alert: A recent study says no.
Top Five Book Picks of 2011
I usually don't do book reviews, but once in a while, it's fun to blog as a reader rather than a writer. Here are my favorite books that I read this past year. I read many other fantastic books as well, but if I have to limit myself to five...
(Listed in the order in which I read them.)
1. Plain Kate by Erin Bow
I have already gushed about Plain Kate -- the poetic language, the heartbreak. I loved this book so much that I bought two copies – one to keep and one to underline and analyze. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fairytales and bittersweet stories.
(Listed in the order in which I read them.)
1. Plain Kate
by Erin BowI have already gushed about Plain Kate -- the poetic language, the heartbreak. I loved this book so much that I bought two copies – one to keep and one to underline and analyze. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fairytales and bittersweet stories.
Tips On Responding to Public Criticism (Inspired by Steve Jobs)
The Internet is an interesting place. When people interact through computer screens, it increases anonymity and decreases inhibitions while dehumanizing the person on the other end. This is why online interactions tend to be so polite and respectful.
Um, right.
The truth is, if you spend enough time on the Internet, you’ll eventually take your turn as a punching bag. As a blogger and future author, I'm very interested in how people react to public criticism. A while back, I ran across this video of Steve Jobs during a question-and-answer session. A man asks an insulting question, and Jobs’ response was quite impressive. It's worth taking a look.
Let's break down this response see if we can come up with some generalizable tips for dealing with public criticism.
Um, right.
The truth is, if you spend enough time on the Internet, you’ll eventually take your turn as a punching bag. As a blogger and future author, I'm very interested in how people react to public criticism. A while back, I ran across this video of Steve Jobs during a question-and-answer session. A man asks an insulting question, and Jobs’ response was quite impressive. It's worth taking a look.
Let's break down this response see if we can come up with some generalizable tips for dealing with public criticism.
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