Friday, June 22, 2012

Self-Publishing Craze

Is self-publishing a craze? Is it worth it? Do you think you have any chance going the traditional route? Let me know?


See The Killzone 6/22/2012:  http://killzoneauthors.blogspot.com/


Many new writers (wannabies) view self-publishing as their only shot. Obviously, readers are voraciously pouring over the slag heap searching for stories. and they love reviewing and commenting on those stories and characters. I see people reading all over the place - devouring all sorts of stories. These readers are the gatekeepers.


Being a writer is a dream for many folks. They shlep the same worn manuscript from conference to conference, and drone on forever when given a chance to read their stuff. Only the text never changes. That's their fictive dream. Sad as it is, they're welcome to it. Their foolishness doesn't diminish me or my desire to write on bit.


And is that guy in Brentwood sill our there selling the "poem of the day" at the intersection of San Vicente and Bundy?




Thursday, June 14, 2012

Story Engineering

Aside from editing and rewriting Catalina Eddie I have been reading and studying Story Engineering by Larry Brooks. This is a must-read for writers. Really! Along the same lines, I'm checking out Seven Basic Plots by Christopher Booker, The Power of Point of View by Alicia Rasley, Hooked:Write Fiction That Grabs Readers by Les Edgerton and 45 Master Characters by Victoria Schmidt. Whew!

And just today Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell just arrived on my doorstep. And if that seems like a lot of books, last night I just downloaded Predator Nation by Charles Ferguson. That's a riveting account of how we got into the financial mess we're in--and there's oh so much more, too. You think it's bad? It's worse, and there's no mystery about it. The fox has been guarding the hen house. While money talks, America's jobs, future, hopes and dreams have walked. That's a thriller-chiller for you.

I'm also looking at Trial Junkies by Robert Gregory Browne. Did you see how fast that one just shot up the Amazon list? He was just interviewed on The Kill Zone a few days ago. Also in the same box with Plot and Structure, I noticed that somebody has ordered An American Spy by Olen Steinhauer and Mission to Paris by Alan Furst. Both of these are hot tickets.

When do I actually get to write? Good question.

More later.

Jim