Guest Blogging Today

Just to let you know I've a guest post on the great blog run by Joanne Troppello - Here's the link
If you visit, you may find out things you never knew!
Guest posting is time-consuming but a great way to spread the word. Enjoy.

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Writing the Blurb

It’s possible some of you won’t know what the ‘blurb’ is, so let’s define it.

Technically, it’s the selection of words you use to appear on the back of the book with the intention of persuading the reading public to commit to it.

With nonfiction, this may be any one of a number of things. But I’m a fiction writer and that’s what I’m discussing here.

Ask yourself a simple question: What do I want my blurb to achieve?

The answer should be that it hooks the reader to the extent that he/she makes a decision to purchase (or borrow) the book.

How do you do that?

Consider the usual circumstances: that potential reader is in a library (which is a less challenging place for many reasons) or, hopefully, in a bookshop. What’s going on in there? Other people, possibly background music, staff hovering, ready to pounce on the promise of a sale, but, most importantly, there are books. Shelves and shelves of books. Books in competition with yours for the customer’s money and attention. Some of them have the dubious advantage of celebrity status (though why the name of a celebrity should sell a novel is a mystery to me: most of them seem vacuous and uninteresting). Some will be by authors already accepted as both entertaining and absorbing. Some will be part of a special deal, offering 3 for the price of 2 or half price deals. So, not only do you have to compete with all these external influences, but you have a limited amount of time to do so.

The purpose of the blurb is to sell your book. You don’t want a synopsis (save that for the agent and/or publisher who need to have more detail to determine the genre and potential market for your book). What you do need is a pithy, short piece of description that will intrigue, fascinate, tempt and impress the reader. Length will be determined either by the publisher (in which case, the blurb may well be written by a staff member anyway), or, more likely, by a combination of genre and design. You may, for example, have excerpts of quotes displayed on the back cover.

So, what can you say in 50 to 150 words that will clutch at the reader’s imagination and make him/her want to explore the interior, flick through the pages, and perhaps, just perhaps, part with ready cash? Use of strong verbs, avoidance of adverbs, and language that says precisely what it’s meant to convey are essential.

A question often works; citing the major dilemma in the book and suggesting some sort of possible conflict/danger/ambition achieved (depending on the genre).

‘Will Susan’s obsession with chocolate stop her turning the rivalry between her and siren sister, Ophelia, to her advantage when it comes to attracting ruggedly handsome Martin?’  (superficial romantic fiction)

A hint of the challenges facing the protagonist(s) will often act as a hook: ‘When James opens an envelope surreptitiously placed on the passenger seat of his locked Bentley, he begins a journey that will ultimately threaten not only his business but the reputations and lives of those he most loves.’ (thriller)

I was recently asked by Fantastic Books Publishing to provide a blurb for the first volume of my fantasy trilogy, which they’re publishing in spring. 50 words in 3 sentences was the brief. Here are a couple of examples:

‘Hatred between a corrupt leader and the rightful heir flares when a crucial prophesy is misread.

Regardless of cost, a fanatical disciple feels compelled to right a decisive wrong in a key ritual.

Against overwhelming odds, a young hunter sets out to rescue his adored betrothed.’

And

‘A false prophesy forces a corrupt leader to menace the rightful heir and start a dangerous mission.

Only the reckless kidnap of the leader’s daughter by a fanatical disciple might correct a vital wrong.

A charismatic young hunter braves hostile seas and unknown lands to free the gifted maiden he loves.’

I’ve no idea whether either of these will be used. But, for me, they illustrated the difficulty of encapsulating the essence of a story running at 200k+ words, with 3 intertwining stories, into so few words. Not, as I say, a synopsis, but a flavour, a taster, a teaser that will encourage readers to read on.

Do they hint enough at potential challenges and conflicts? Do they insert questions into the mind of the reader? Do they, most importantly, encourage the reader to open the book?

I’d love your observations and comments.

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A Fantastic Talk on Marketing.

Dan Grubb

Like many writers, I loathe the whole paraphernalia of marketing. But, also in common with most writers, I want my books to be read. This produces a bit of a problem, since there are so many books published that authorial silence is hardly likely to produce much in the way of attention from the reading public.

My writers’ group, an amazing mix of professional scribes who call themselves ‘Hornsea Writers’, for the very good reason that Hornsea is their geographical meeting place, had the opportunity this week to have a talk delivered by independent publisher, Fantastic Books Publishing’s CEO, Dan Grubb. He gave us a talk on, you’ve guessed it: marketing.

Amazing, inspiring, informative and, above all, entertaining, Dan’s talk was delivered with passion and professionalism, which is no surprise, given the way he runs his business. I’m not going to précis the content here, since Dan’s producing his own blog on that (I strongly suggest you subscribe to his weekly newsletter here, so you can catch that when it appears.)

But I will pass on a couple of his pointers:

·      If you don’t already belong, join these sites and be active – Facebook, Google+, Goodreads, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr,  Stumbleupon and Youtube. And, if you don’t already blog, DO! Blogger or Wordpress are probably the best free sites for that. Connect ALL these sites.

·      Whenever and wherever you post, make it engaging and interesting. There’s huge competition out there and it’s easy to be ignored and/or rejected, so give your readers something that’s of value to THEM.

It isn’t often that a small writers’ group, some of whom are quite tall, gets a talk from a publisher, so it’s as well for members to take heed of what they hear. What did I take away from his presentation?  Well, many things. But, principally, I was inspired to take a more positive view of marketing. To view it not simply as a sales platform but as a way of interacting with actual and potential readers. Now, that is something I can do with pleasure. In fact, it’s why I write this blog.

So, look out for Dan’s blog post, visit his website at Fantastic Books Publishing, and follow his advice there. Meantime, please connect with me on the sites listed above. The more connections we all have, the greater the chance that we can help each other.

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A Plea for Uniformity in the Presentation of Writing for Editorial.

Typographic quotation marks (top) versus straight quotation marks, or "dumb quotes" (bottom). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you’re a writer, you’ll understand my frustration at the multitude of different formats we’re required to adopt in presenting our work to various different organisations, I’m sure. You may even share it.

You write a story and want to send it to a British magazine. So: wide margins, double spaced lines, double, curly quotes for speech, indented paragraphs without space between, a standard proportional font like Times New Roman or Ariel, and, of course, British English spelling and idiom. The latter two are understandable; though, more on that later.

You then decide to send it to an American magazine. So: wide margins, double spaced lines, single, straight quotes for speech, no indents for paragraphs, but each separated by a line space, a non-proportional font like Courier, which makes the piece look as though it’s been produced on an old-fashioned typewriter, and, depending on editorial policy, either your original or American spelling and idiom.

Next, you wish to produce it as an ebook. So: strip out all formatting, reduce margins, single line spacing, use straight quotes and avoid any ‘special’ characters, paragraph formatting again requires an indent, but a smaller one than for the printed text, and a proportional font again. Here, it’s a personal choice which linguistic idiosyncrasies you choose to adopt, though consistency throughout the work is advisable, of course.

These are just three of the varied styles we’re required to adopt. There are many small variations, dependent on the house style of the publication chosen. And, as the writers, we’re expected to adapt to each individual set of requirements. The fact that we are the creators, the originators, of the material is immaterial as far as the publications are concerned. It is we who have adapt to their specific peculiarities.

Almost without exception, the reasons for these idiosyncrasies of presentation are based on simple tradition. The publishers have always done it this way; therefore, that is the ‘right’ way for it to be done. I’ve argued, in a previous post, that tradition is not always a good thing. In fact, it can frequently be a very bad thing. It’s tradition, after all, that maintains the custom, prevalent amongst certain ill-educated and socially backward clans, of violating their women by the horrendous imposition of female circumcision. I doubt there’s a single modern individual who would uphold such a tradition.

Is there, in reality, any reason why there should not be a single, straightforward style of presentation that could be used for all manuscripts submitted to journals, publishers and ebook producers? I can think of no technical reason. The oddities of ebook formatting requirements are largely down to lazy and/or non-standard software programming; something that could so easily be changed. Such standardisation would be of benefit to readers as well, since it would make it very straightforward for them to read their purchased books on any given ereader.

All the individual publishers, publishing organisations, national bodies and organisations would no doubt come up with reasons why their particular style should be the one adopted, of course. Such is the nature of tradition and habit. But such objections could be negotiated into a sensible solution and, in reality, once a standard form of presentation was adopted, users would very quickly become familiar with it. We, the writers, the creators, the originators, would then be left free to get on with our job of making instead of having to mess around with all the variations we’re currently required to deal with.

The linguistic elements I alluded to earlier represent a more difficult area of change. However, it’s clear from current developments that English will be the language most widely spoken (and, perhaps, written) for the foreseeable future. Perhaps, instead of allowing it to deteriorate organically into the more or less incomprehensible Panglish that is the predicted outcome, we should organise ourselves into a guiding role and consciously modify the language to make it more understandable by the majority? Clearly, the use of phonetic spelling would help non-native speakers to learn and use the language; a plus in the spread of our means of communication. There will always be a need for irregulars, of course. But, surely, we could determine that plow is a more sensible version than plough. I’d even argue for the more sensible thru to replace through.

I know the purists will hate the very idea. But we live in a world with a growing population and shrinking borders. Surely it makes sense to help our decedents get along with each other and remove one of the many barriers to cooperation and mutual understanding. It’s been said, with some justification, that wars have been started because of linguistic misunderstandings. Let’s actually do something to avoid future incomprehension rather than allow events and tradition to dictate ever increasing chaos in our methods of communication. Language is how we swap ideas. Let’s work to make the exchange easier, rather than increasingly difficult.

Or am I being idealistic here? What do you think?

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Does Indie Book Publishing Let Authors Write in Multiple Genres?

Caxton Showing the First Specimen of His Printing to King Edward IV at the Almonry, Westminster: With Edward are his wife, Elizabeth Woodville, and their children, Elizabeth, Edward, and Richard. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Publishing is an ancient industry. Ever since Caxton ran the first press, publishers, in many and varied guises, have intervened in the process of the author getting his book to his readers. In the early days, such intervention was necessary. It wasn't possible for an author to write and to get to know all those people who would be involved in the complex machinery of designing, producing, marketing and actually selling a physical book.

In those early days, and right up to the turn of the 21st century, the traditional publisher was seen as a vital part of the process. In fact, in many cases, books were actually initiated by publishers; authors being employed as jobbing writers by the book producers. For most authors, the prospect of getting their book into print was daunting and often became no more than an impossible dream. It's unknown how many great books never actually got published, but history is full of examples of those books that publishers, often in large numbers, turned down on various grounds, only for them to become best-sellers or even classics once a publisher with vision got hold of them. For the author in those not so long-gone days, it was generally the publisher who dictated what the writer would produce next. Genre was everything and woe betide the crime novelist who wanted to turn his hand to mystery, science fiction or, heaven help us, fantasy! Women were shoehorned into writing romance even when they had talent that developed character and story in a way suitable for literary novels. Men were forced to turn out series of adventure stories, even if they had a gift for displaying relationships and emotions.

Okay, I know I'm generalising, but this was more or less the state of the industry for all but the most fortunate and talented of writers. Many very good writers never had a book published. Some didn't even get as far as submitting their work because the process was too daunting for many sensitive souls. And when an author was fortunate enough to be recognised as having some talent by a publisher, often they were required to abandon their hopes of telling their own stories and made to turn out books that fitted into the narrow confines of the publishing house's list.

Nowadays, with the advent of both POD and digital book production, the publisher has become irrelevant for many writers. Not only does the lack of that publisher give greater freedom of expression but it also allows many writers to make more money from their creations than was possible in the past. One straightjacket from those early days, however, seems to persist into the modern field of writing. It seems that many authors continue to be caught in the genre trap. They believe they must write a series of books that all fit into a particular pigeonhole otherwise readers will be confused and won't know what they're buying. But is this true?

My belief is that readers, as a bunch of individuals, are generally amongst the more intelligent of human beings. I think they're perfectly capable of examining the blurb, character, and selling points of a book and determining whether they're looking at a murder mystery, a soft romance, a spy thriller or a historical romp where bodices will be ripped with gay abandon.  In other words, readers do not necessarily expect authors to write in only one vein. Publishers and their literary agents did expect this, because it made life easier for them, not for the reading public.

But is it true that an author can write in various different genres, under the same name, without confusing his readership? I believe it is. And I intend to prove it by doing precisely that. I've already published a romantic thriller, a sci-fi novelette, an anthology of dark speculative fiction, a collection of soft love stories and a short comic tale, all under the same name. The next book will be a collection of erotic stories and that will be followed by a comedy thriller and then, probably, an epic fantasy trilogy. I don't intend to alter my name or online presence in any way for these books, relying instead on the intelligence of readers to decide whether they're interested in the subject of the stories. The writing quality will remain the same throughout, i.e. the best I can possibly produce. The style of writing, however, will naturally suit the subject and the type of story I'm telling.

No one expects a painter to specialise entirely in one field, or an architect to design only sheds, or a musician to play only rock or pop or classical jazz. The whole point of being a creative artist is to produce and create those things that matter most to you as an artist. So, that's what I intend to do. I'd love your company as I travel this road. But whether I succeed commercially or not, I'll continue to do my own thing. Otherwise, what's the point in being creative? Oh, I know I could probably make a lot more money if I was willing to write formulaic fiction to fit in with some preconceived idea of what a good story should be, but it wouldn't really be my story, would it? In any case, I've spent my life going my own way, often rejecting opportunities to make more money simply because I refused to compromise along lines set by men who had no idea of my personal priorities and goals. If being a creative artist means anything, it means being true to yourself, doesn't it?

So, I invite you join me on my journey and, hopefully, to inspire you to do the same yourself. Let's show those who fear to take a step beyond the boundaries of convention that such steps often lead to the greatest adventures. Are you with me? Let me know what you think. Commenting is free and easy, you know.

What and Who do You Admire Most as a Writer?

Cover of J.K. Rowling

Most of us have heroes we look up to in one way or another. Sometimes it's simply the creative output we admire, sometimes it's the person rather than the work, and sometimes, just occasionally, it's both.

So, who do you look up to, whose work do you admire?

I'll start the ball rolling with my own listing.

I grew up long before the Harry Potternovels were written, let alone published, but I admire the story-telling, imagination and range of language used by J.K.Rowling in these adventure tales aimed at young people. I started out reading them to my daughter as she grew up and ended up reading the last three because I was hooked on the adventure. I also think JK is an admirable person; her struggle to get published under very difficult circumstances and her generosity, once she was established, both make her someone for me to admire.

The work of William Golding is something I've enjoyed since I was introduced to it with The Spire when I attended evening classes during 1983 to take my English Literature A Level (which I passed with a grade A, I'm pleased to say). Having discovered the multi-layered story and accessible literary elements in The Spire, I went on to read the rest of his canon, finding I enjoyed the lot and learning a great deal about writing in the process. I particularly like The Pyramid, one of his works that's rarely mentioned.

Several of William  Horwood's books have impressed me. I enjoyed the pure fun and adventure of Duncton Wood and it's following episodes. But it was The Stonor Eagles that most resonated with me. I felt real empathy with the sculptor who is the human protagonist in this novel. The book details the struggles of Sea Eagles in and around the Norwegian coast and the Scottish Islands, and contrasts their lives with the problems faced by the artist commissioned to produce a sculpture of them to commemorate their re-introduction to the UK. A book that was definitely a powerful influence on my writing. The author's ability to enter the 'minds' of his flying characters as effectively as he does the humans in the story is most impressive.

Graham Greene's work has been influential in my reading and writing, as has that of Neville Shute. I've also enjoyed the work of Louis de Bernier. And, for reasons I don't fully understand, I have a particular soft spot for Richards Adams' Shardik and, particularly, Maia.

There are, of course, hundreds of other writers who have entertained and educated me during a life of reading. Attached to this blog is a list of some of the books I've yet to read. You'll find them on the tab, My To Read List' above. If you're interested in other books I've read and enjoyed, or otherwise, you'll also find a list of those I can actually remember on Goodreads, an excellent site where readers can exchange information about their reading experiences. There, you'll find a list of the 817 titles I've so far recalled, along with reviews of 89 of the books. I estimate I've probably read in excess of 3,000 books but so many are from the past and no longer held on my shelves (I was forced to abandon a large number of my books when I divorced my first wife, unfortunately) that I can't recall them now. All, however, have played their part in developing my language skills, facility with the written word, and my knowledge of the human story.

So, there's an idea of the work and writers I admire. Perhaps you'll share some of your own influences here?

Thank you for reading this.

Silly question to amuse: Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

The Week, Writing.

Traffic lights can have several additional lights for filter turns or bus lanes. This one in Warrington, United Kingdom, also shows the red + amber combination seen in a number of European countries. It also shows the backing board and white border used to increase the target value of the signal head. Improved visibility of the signal head is achieved during the night by using the retro-reflective white border. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Another fractured week. Domestic duties vying with writing demands and wants. Still, it's been a positive few days in so many ways, and it's good to have Kate back home for a while. The walk with Valerie on Thursday took us into new country and the unseasonal sun baked us as we walked 6 miles through rural parts not previously explored. Managed to escape the fools queuing for fuel and draining the petrol stations of the very fuel they so desired. Government ministers may bear some responsibility for their inane advice but the general public acted like sheep and queued for hours to buy petrol they didn't really need.
In Preston, at the very end of the trip to collect our daughter, a young man in a large new car crashed into the back of my small hatchback at some traffic lights. A small white mark was my only damage. His was a broken front bumper and a smashed number plate.
Kate drove us back home, which was a great rest for me.
I'm currently reading and acting on, the Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. It's a 'spiritual' approach to the recapture of creativity and, if you can get past her generic use of God (Good orderly direction) as the external creative force, her advice seems apposite and appropriate. I've managed the 'morning pages' every day so far. And I've taken my 'artist's dates', employing them to do some drawing, listen to music and to write some poetry, a genre I rarely indulge in. So far, the process has been beneficial, so I'll see it through. If you're feeling blocked in any way, it might be a good idea to take this 12 week course.
I've managed a piece for the blog - to be posted next week, and a short piece for a contest. But I've also spent a good deal of my time bringing the Writing Contests page up to date - it's accessible on the tab above and will lead you to hundreds of contest details and links to the websites.
And I've dealt with those emails you get and decide you'll do later; you know, the ones that require more than a minute or two to complete.
So, not a bad week in all, but not enough writing done. Still, now the decks are more or less clear, the coming week should provide the opportunity for more words to be written. That's the plan, anyway.
See you on the other side of the week. And good luck with your writing and reading.

Why I Set my Novel in the Yorkshire Dales.

Writers choose locations for their fiction for all manner of reasons. Sometimes it's because the place is a familiar haunt. Sometimes the setting is exactly right for the fabric of the story. Sometimes the landscape is so alien to the author that it stimulates his imagination.

I grew up in Yorkshire and it has been my home for much of my adult life, though by no means all of it. Many years ago, when I was married to my first wife, in fact, (and I've been married to my current lovely lady for coming up to 24 years) we were walking in a particularly remote and rugged part of the Yorkshire Dales. There are some sink holes in this area. For those who don't know, these are geological features that are best described as vertical caves. Often quite deep, usually narrow, they are places where water has eaten away the porous rock and left a deep pit in the surface of the Earth. The Buttertubs, as this particular set of sink holes is known, are a series of pits close to the narrow and precipitous road that leads from Hawes to Muker. Readily accessible, they are a tourist attraction for many motorists but few walkers.

It was a chill and windy day when I approached these holes in the ground, grey clouds skimmed a pale sun, and the gusty wind made waves through the long grass. At that time, the pits were unfenced and entirely open to public gaze with none of the modern obsessive concern for 'health and safety' rules. It was possible to step right up to and, indeed, over, the edges of these shafts. I am uncomfortable with heights and, since I was determined to gaze into the bottom of the largest and deepest, I sank to my knees and crawled forward until I could safely peer into the dim depths. As I did so, quite inexplicably, I was visited by a brief image of a woman's body at the bottom and the question was posed in my writer's mind, 'What would you do if you found a dead body down there?'

That thought stayed with me over the years. A divorce and remarriage took me to different parts of the country and overseas for the first time. But I was drawn again and again to the Yorkshire Dales until, almost on a whim, my wife and I with our new daughter just 2 years old, moved into the area to live. Our walks became regular events, regardless of weather. We experienced everything from dry thirsty heatwaves to icy winters cloaked in deep drifting snow and everything in between, as can only happen in good old island Britain.

It was whilst we lived in this location that the initial question slowly coalesced into a plot, peopled by the characters I had long lived with in my imagination. The story developed and the setting became part of the narrative, as much a character in the tale as Faith or Leigh, in fact. It was the natural setting for the rugged and tough tale and the fact that I was living in it made the descriptions so much easier. So, the first draft was completed at the same time as I renovated the house we'd bought and worked part time for a local holiday accommodation company.

Life came along, in the form of redundancy, just days before the new millennium was about to commence. At the age of 51, I understood my chances of re-employment in the area were slim and I moved the family back to my native East Yorkshire, where I found a job. It was some years before I found time to write again and dug out that first draft. I changed the viewpoint characters, giving both the male and female protagonists a chance to have their say in first person. I changed relationships that formed essential background to the story. I changed incidents. I changed the ages of the protagonists. What I didn't change was the setting. The Yorkshire Dales remained as valid a landscape as it had been from the beginning.

For those who don't know the area, it is a National Park. An area of outstanding natural beauty and considered by many to be the best walking country in Europe. It's populated by a native people who are as tough as the characteristic dry stone walls, as stubborn as the local sheep, as different as individuals as are the inhabitants of any region.

I changed the time frame to a period that was historically real: the severe drought of 1976, since the weather and the burgeoning philosophy of 'free love' allowed me to introduce a degree of external nudity that would otherwise be unlikely in this wild country. The nudity was an essential element in the relationship of the two protagonists and a useful tool in examining the fight between innocence and corruption that is at the heart of the story.

So, there you have it. Those are the reasons I came to set my romantic thriller, Breaking Faith, in one of the most beautiful parts of the English countryside. Many readers have commented on how apt the setting is. Whether you'll agree or not can only be determined by reading the book. And I give you the opportunity to do that for free here on this blog. Each week of this year I am posting a chapter. There are 50 in all, so it'll last for almost the whole year. And each post is accompanied by one of my photographs taken in the Dales, so you can experience the landscape for yourself. I started in January and the link to that first instalment is here. You'll find the rest of the early chapters listed in the archive and you're welcome to join the readers as we take the journey together to the end.