Monthly Archives: January 2012
The Novel Vs. The Short Story
In the literary world, there are countless unending genre wars that take place such as romance vs. erotica, mysteries vs. thrillers and sci-fi vs. fantasy. But the most famous of these literary battles is the novel vs. the short story, the inspiration for this post. This is an example of a war that just will not end. I keep trying to figure out what side I am on in this fight but I’m honestly not sure. On one hand, I really enjoy short stories. If done right, they draw you in, entice you, rivet you and end with a bang that leaves your desperate for more. Short stories can be really excellent and exciting, as Edgar Allen Poe has proven. They are especially nice if you want a quick but exhilarating read, which I often do.
However, short stories can go by too fast for me. The good ones leave me craving more, which is fine, but I don’t get “more”. Sometimes, for me, short stories are just too short. With short stories, I don’t really have time to get into the book’s characters or really understand the plot, though I always want to spend more time with the plot and characters. Which brings me to the short story’s greatest foe, the novel. The benefit of a novel is that the author has time to spread out the plot so you can really understand what’s going on. Also, novels allow you to follow and enjoy the characters. With a novel, you – as a reader – have time to be riveted by the plot, have time to guess at the killer (if your reading a mystery), then re-guess again and again, and can live with a book for longer. Novels can be savored for a longer time and can ultimately be more fun to read if they’re good. However, unlike short stories – for me at least – novels can be hard to get into. If you’re going to be with the characters for a whole novel-length book, you need to make sure you understand everything from the beginning and authors aren’t always able to provide that understanding. And sometimes, the characters are hard to connect with or really get into in a novel, which is an immediate buzz-kill for me. Novels often take time to develop and, unfortunately, are not always rewarding.
Ultimately, I’m not sure what side of the battle I’m on. I guess I lean a little bit more toward the novel side but let’s just say that if this hypothetical were real and there are really two literary armies shooting each other down, I’d probably get caught in the middle of the battlefield. And that never ends well…
But my question to you, readers, is: what side are you on? Novels or short stories?
Hope you all enjoyed your weekend!
What Does Your Favorite Genre Say About You?
This post idea was taken from a post I read at Novel Journey’s, another awesome blog worth checking out. Essentially, the question is: what does your favorite genre say about your personality? This site has a list of genres and what it supposedly says about the reader.
Here’s what it says about people who like mysteries:
“A naturally curious person, you are probably a good problem solver. A bit of an adrenaline junkie, you have an incline towards either 1. adventure or 2. paranoia… need to look at supplemental books outside of Mystery genre to determine.”
A naturally curious person? I guess I am. Good problem solver? Meh. Adrenaline junkie? Yes! The genre that I love to read seems to be somewhat telling of my personality but not very much. It seems to me that the genre you love to read is mildly indicative of your personality, but I don’t think it’s too much so. Of course, there are the stereotypes like – for example – a person who reads horror has a sick mind. Same with erotica. There are the stereotypes of people’s personalities and the genres they read but is a favorite genre really a good indicator of you as a reader? It seems that it has to be somewhat representative of you because you have to actually like it but, in my humble opinion, a favorite genre doesn’t tell much about your personality. Everyone has their secret reading addicitons. It doesn’t mean that, because you like mysteries, you’re a good problem solver. You may happen to be a good problem solver but it doesn’t mean that you have to be to like mysteries. So my answer is simply: it depends. What do you think? Do you think your favorite genre is indicative of your personality? Take the challenge to see what your favorite genre is supposed to say about you. Is it right?
Guest Post – From Self-Published To The Big Screen – Lynn Hardy
Today, as a part of the Lightning Book Promotions blog tour, I have over author Lynn Hardy whose self-published book is currently being made into a movie! Read this guest post to find out about her amazing success story.
From Self-Published to the Big Screen – The Road Less Traveled
In the winter of 2007, the first Prophecy of the Flame books rolled off the press. In those days, small press was just beginning. An order of 500 copies was the minimum for a first run. It took a sizeable investment to get started.
The original printing of the manuscript, the Author’s Edition, was not much more than a rough draft of the book. It was all me – exactly as I saw it. I knew very little about the road ahead, as I fearlessly barreled down the small trail others had hewed out before me.
The moment I had that first book in my hands was bittersweet. It was a beautiful moment to see a book with my name on the cover. However, one look told me I had a lot of work to do. The cover was marbled gray. It was so dark it was hard to make out the subtitle. The spine was nearly unreadable.
With a shake of my head, I cleared some brush. I knew I had to sell these books if I was going to improve upon my work. My first book signings were at Borders – they were the only stores that would allow me to do a signing without being listed at Ingram, the nationwide distributor that large chain stores order from.
Renaissance Fairs were another welcoming local where I could sell books as I signed them. I did these events in costume. The sorceress outfit helped break the ice with potential readers. The shiny blue and silver outfit was based on a design I created for the main character, Archmage Reba; it was an easy intro into the storyline.
It wasn’t long before people found my Amazon profile and somehow figured out how to message me. I was surprised that readers actually wanted to email me. Because of this, I created a fueling station, my first website – a central location for fans to find me. And boy did they find me.
Ninety percent of the initial reviews were positive – everyone seemed to want the next book in the series! But there was another consistency: nearly every reader mentioned the numerous typos. I thank God for those early fans and their encouragement. They fueled my journey and I continued on.
Further research showed that I had a typo every three pages in that mess I call the Author Edition. I am still amazed fans could see a diamond through all that muck. I had discovered the second pothole on the road of self-publishing.
I asked the small press publisher – who had charge me a small fortune for editing my manuscript – for credentials on his editor. She had none. The publisher also let me know that I had accepted the edit so there was no guarantee: no refund and no more help.
I employed three steps to clean up my work. I listened to my book as a free program called Natural Reader, read the words aloud. I had several teachers I know go through the manuscript. Finally, I listened to the fans. They were my initial group of “first readers.”
During signings I had also noted that many parents were buying the book for young teens – even tweens – though I warned them that book contained adult situation including a steamy sex scene. Teens seemed drawn to the storyline. While editing, I toned down that steamy scene, trying to make it appropriate for a YA rating.
With renewed confidence I went to print again with a brighter cover. The true First Edition of Prophecy of the Flame was a second set of 500 books printed in May of 2008.
I moved from Washington, DC to Boise, Idaho that summer. It is eight hours to the next major city from Boise. How was I going to continue self-publishing from here? I also discovered that through all my efforts, I still had a typo every ten pages!
One of my only events in the northwest was a Science and Fantasy convention in Spokane, WA. There I met a cover artist from Tor, the largest publisher of fantasy books in the US. His honest critique of what I thought was a unique cover made me realize that I had hit yet another pothole in the road of self-publication – one that had given me a flat tire. Unsure of where the road was, I put the book on the shelf, wondering if I had taken a wrong turn somewhere.
In 2009 I had a chance meeting at a jury summons. A woman approached me as I dragged out my laptop and sat down to entertain myself.
“Are you an author?” Eva asked.
Over lunch we talked about many aspects of being self-published. Eva was considering publishing a manuscript she wrote many years ago. She would use the income from the book to help out her daughter who was struggling financially.
The story of this family struck a chord in my heart. I could see the downturn in the economy affecting so many. If what people were predicting was true, it would only be getting worse. I decided it was time to take to the road once more. This time I had a new goal.
I lived through the recession of the 80’s and knew how hard homelessness was on children. I had always dreamed of helping families who had kids and where homeless when I became a bestselling, famous author. Feeling that there were people that needed help, that they couldn’t wait any longer, I took a leap of faith. I would start a nonprofit and dedicate 100% of the proceeds from the first book in my series to it.
Many long hours on the phone with government employees helped me fill out the forms for a nonprofit I called, Agape Assistance. I was not yet famous, but I couldn’t stand by and do nothing. I would give what I had and hope others would join me. I had a few hundred dollars to start the organization with. Because I dedicated Prophecy of the Flame – Book One to this charity, I hoped it would give credibility to this new 501(c)(3). I figured, if people were unsure about a nonprofit started by a stay-at-home mom, I could give a book in exchange for donations – then they would have something in return for their support.
A few months later, I ran into a local author who had started a small press publishing company. Aaron had some success developing a system of publishing on Kindle. I launched Resilient, as an imprint under his company, and started down the trail once more, this time with a guide to help show me the way.
The second edition of Prophecy of the Flame had had a new black cover, the concept suggested by the Tor artist – a stylized flame to draw attention from the shelf. A new printer allowed for a shorter run. A run of a hundred books, allowed me to test the market.
Again, I must thank readers for their willingness to communicate with a new author. I quickly discovered that men would not pick up the book with the subtitle of Love’s Dawning on the cover. One bold guy even came out with the truth of the matter: “We love the suspense the romance adds. It doesn’t distract from the adventure at all. But I just don’t want to carry a book around with LOVE on the cover!”
Armed with this new information and a snazzy new look I forged a head. My resilience in the face of difficult obstacles paid off. I had the joy spending a weekend with L.E. Modesitt Jr. at a local Science Fiction convention in Boise where we were guest panelists. Lee is one of my favorite authors. I love his Recluce fantasy series.
After taking one of my books home with him, Lee sent me an email. That correspondence will forever remain a highpoint in my journey. “Very enjoyable and fun…” is the quote from L.E. Modesitt Jr. that graces the front of Prophecy of the Flame – Book One. (Love’s Dawning only graces the title page on the inside of the book.)
In the summer of 2010, Book Two in the Prophecy of the Flame series debuted. Agape Assistance also became a certified nonprofit. One month later, Prophecy of the Flame – Book One, became #1 on Kindle in two categories: Science fiction/Fantasy and Fantasy/Epic.
Other side streets have now emerged along the road of self-publication. I have self-produced a full-cast audio book with the help of, Zany Productions, a local studio in Boise who donated massive amounts of studio time to Agape. A group of voice actors – some from DragonBall Z, Tekken and even the guy who plays Iron Man in the cartoon – also donated their time to the project. Now Agape has a wonderful audio book to give for any donation larger than $40. Thanks to this, and many other Agape projects, the charity was able to support its first family this winter!
Terry, a local businessman, found out that 100% of the proceeds from the audio book are donated to Agape Assistance. “Would you be willing to donate the proceeds from a movie to the charity as well?”
“Of course, that was the purpose in starting Agape!” I replied with joy.
Turns out that Terry is good friends with a director. He suggested making a movie for Agape. Wow! I thought the charity was there to receive proceeds from the book, I never thought of creating a movie for the charity!
A screenplay is being written. The Prophecy Project is underway! I have now embarked on yet another journey, one that will lead to the big screen.
As you can see, it’s not like Spielberg called. This time, I am blazing the road of self-publishing, just on a bigger scale. The downside is the time a project of this magnitude takes. Book Three is delayed. I am three-fourths of the way done, but the movie, the Prophecy Project, is taking all my time at the moment.
The upside is that I will be working closely with the director on the screenplay, helping to choose the actors, storyboarding and I will be on set for every day of filming. Not to mention the fact that the more fundraising I do for the Prophecy Project, the greater the percentage of income Agape will get to keep. (Paying back investors would reduce Agape proceeds)
It is a job I am happy to be saddled with. With the movie proceeds, thousands of families will get a helping hand: a warm bed for their kids, financial aid counseling, and job search help.
I believe that there is nothing greater than the combined force of the human spirit joined together for a common good. Together we can achieve what Hollywood cannot: we can entertain millions and help thousands of families find a warm bed for their kids. I hope many of you will join me on this new adventure.
You can find a rallying point for the Prophecy Project at my Facebook page. Clicking “Like” will help spread the word. We will be launching a Kick-starter campaign to begin the fundraising for the Prophecy Project in January, 2012. (At Kick-starter, a donation of any size will get you one of many gifts designed specifically for the Prophecy Project.) I hope to see you there.
Agape Assistance Association homepage
Order your copy of “Prophecy of Flame” here:
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