Author Archives: fictorians

A guest post by Ann Cummins.

Two aliens walked into a bar.

Well, that’s not quite right. They were New Yorkers just beginning to mutate. One was a writer, the other a tailor. The bar was crowded. It was karaoke night.

The writer was miffed. Had a bad week. It wasn’t his writing. His writing was great. First novel done and sold, review copies out; there would be royalties, he was sure.

But he’d spent the week trying to track down some fool tailor, who was never in his shop. The writer was getting married. This tailor was supposed to be the best, and the writer wanted the guy to sew him a wedding shirt. But the dang tailor was MIA, which made the writer’s skin crawl. He liked people to be where they said they’d be when they were supposed to be there.

The tailor, his skin was crawling, too. Some sub-species writer had flamed him on Yelp. For ever-so-long, the tailor had enjoyed a 5-star rating. “I’ll pan him on Amazon,” the tailor groused. “Just wait ‘til his book comes out.”

The writer’s day was getting worse. There were so many people between him and the microphone. He needed to vent. He wanted an audience. In frustration, he shouted to the room in general: “I’ll yelp him again. I’ll give five-stars to his competitors.”

“Who?” the room shouted back. So the writer told the story, and the tailor, he listened.

Blood in his eye, he could barely see the abomination that was calling himself a writer. “You!” he shouted.

The writer stared in horror at the needle-fingered couturier.

Both lunged. One skittered spider-like, the other bull-dogged: Over shoulders and under legs, they tore through the crowd in a dead heat toward the stage, each desperate to get to that microphone first.

(For details on the non-fictional story, go to: http://www.dailyfreeman.com/general-news/20130820/writers-new-woe-revenge-e-reviews)

*****

I published a short story collection, Red Ant House, with Houghton Mifflin in 2003. I was lucky. They assigned me a publicist, who sent out many review copies, followed up, and as a result my book was widely reviewed.

It was my first book, and I didn’t have much name recognition. My editor suggested I start reviewing books. Get my name out there. So I contacted the wonderful Oscar Villalon, who, at the time, was Book Review Editor for the San Francisco Chronicle. Oscar gave me a shot. Actually, he assigned me a 250-word review for a 600+ page tedious historical novel. A challenge? Yes. But I guess I did OK, because for several years after that, Oscar assigned me books. I graduated to the 800-word review.

But then, the congenial world of writing and book reviewing morphed into what it is now: the free-for-all electronic media driven Tower of Babble (not that that’s a bad thing, but it’s definitely a new frontier). Newspaper sales dwindled. Editors slashed or eliminated their book review sections.

In 2007, I hit the trail, promoting my new book, Yellowcake. The scene on the street was depressing: vacant buildings where bookstores used to be; conferences where bug-eyed writers paid for a ten-minute shot at sweet-talking an agent. And where were all the readers? I, and many writers I know, gave readings to empty rooms in a few holdout bookstores. The only writers getting any attention were showboats emboldened to camp it up and draw blood if necessary. Whatever it took to get an audience.

I decided to go home: To do what I could to promote writing and reading in a civil environment at the grassroots level. I contacted my local NPR station in Flagstaff, Arizona, KNAU. We launched Southwest Book Reviews. I aimed to review books by small regional publishers that might not get the wide media attention big bucks publishers could buy.

So how does a writer get reviewed these days? My advice: Read. Work at the grassroots level to promote reading. Contact favorite magazines, radio stations, websites. You’d be surprised how many will say yes to a well-written review about books by favorite and new authors.

What goes around comes around. Writers who read and write intelligently about books inspire readers. Readers, we hope, get excited about books. We all fan the dying embers, and everybody wins.

Bio:

Ann Cummins is the author of a short story collection, Red Ant House (Mariner, 2003) and a novel, Yellowcake (Houghton Mifflin, 2007), a San Francisco Chronicle notable book and Best of Kirkus. Her stories have appeared in The New Yorker, McSweeney’s, and elsewhere and have been anthologized in a variety of series including The Best American Short Stories, The Prentice Hall Anthology of Women’s Literature, Best of McSweeney’s, and The Anchor Book of New American Short Stories. A 2002 recipient of a Lannan Foundation Literary Fellowship, she’s a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and the University of Arizona writing programs. She’s on the fiction faculty at Northern Arizona University and the Queens University low-residency program in Charlotte, North Carolina.

A Tale of Two Book Babes

April 21, 2014

fictorians

The Writing Life 1 Comment

A guest post by Heidi Berthiaume and Victoria Morris.

Book Babe, as defined by James A. Owen, “Someone whose primary reason for being at a signing/event is to help the author; to make sure they have the tools they need, that they’re hydrated, and generally, everything necessary to ‘clear their path’ to do their best for the readers at the event. Someone for whom I, and other authors with similar helpful people, are extremely, extremely grateful.”

Heidi’s Story: On April 16, 2011, I read an ebook that changed my life, Drawing Out The Dragons by James A. Owen. It resonated with me in a way that very few books, especially non-fiction books, ever had. I wanted to find out more about the man who had written that book. What I found, was an author of comics and a young adult fantasy series, an illustrator of self-described “bonkers” detail, and a true individual of integrity.

I also found someone whose online presence could use a lot of help.

Drawing on over a decade of information architecture and usability expertise, I wrote up some thoughts (eight pages, single spaced, because I go bonkers on details as well) and emailed them to James. I wanted in some small way to help him as he had helped me with his book. He replied that my document was “some very good work” and that I now had his “attention.”

Since that initial conversation, I’ve become an administrator for his public Facebook page and Imaginarium Geographica website, built the initial version of his James A Owen website, advised on his first Kickstarter campaign, helped run his second Kickstarter campaign, created graphics for use in the promotion and marketing of his books, and earned the nickname “Design Department,” a reference to a scene from one of James’ favorite movies, Tucker.

Not a lot of what I do for James has to do with writing, but those things have everything to do with a relationship of trust and because of that trust, I’ve had conversations and advice and access to people involved in the publishing industry that are invaluable to me as a new writer. All of which are bonus—I did not approach James with the thought “knowing him would be good for my writing career.” I offered my expertise and services and he found them of value. So much so he wrote the foreword for my non-fiction book, the Kickstarter Companion.

The work I do for James is unpaid in terms of dollars and paid in full in terms of attention, the true currency of our time.

Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” I am very fortunate to be able to spend time with James A. Owen and am honored to be considered one of his Book Babes.

Vicky’s Story: I met James A. Owen twice. First; on September 15, 2006 when I walked into my local bookstore. There among the shelves, where I found peace in seeing all the books, one stood out like a lightning bolt in the night sky. HERE, THERE BE DRAGONS had just released. And that cover pulled at the artist in my soul immediately. And when I read that the illustrator was also the author, the secret I barely whispered to myself screamed in my head: an author who illustrates his own work. See, you CAN do it!

And then November 4, 2009. On this date, the release of the fourth book in that series by James. And he was touring near me. I arrived to find I was one of three people to visit the signing. Very nearly after I sat down, the two women ahead of me collected an excellent drawing of one of the dragons James illustrates. A wonderful gift he gives to lucky signing guests. He then turned to me and smiled, the one and only person not working at Barnes and Noble. And we spent three hours chatting, sharing art and in general, sneaky insider publishing lingo that frankly flew mostly over my head at the time. He let me peruse his thumbnail sketches which he turns into the main chapter illustrations. He signed and sketched in all of my four copies of his books. He said the words for me that in my amazed state, I forgot how to say. And he gave me a t-shirt, left over from the school visits earlier in the day. He asked if I wanted one of the big drawings too, and I never told him this, but I said no because it was lined paper. Seriously.

We friended on Facebook that night, and that three hour conversation inspired me to face and conquer the fear I was holding and I wrote the first draft of my first fantasy novel over the next three months.

Summer of 2010, James asked his Facebook family if anyone could help him do a project, and he’d trade art for it. I commented that I could help him. And he told everyone he owed me art anyway, so he was going to give it to me. Owed me art from that book signing…

And I was given the enormous honor of transcribing an audio of his school talk into a usable document that he would turn into the Book: DRAWING OUT THE DRAGONS. He had hoped to have this document within a week. I had it back to him in 18 hours.

Since then, I too have become administrator on his Facebook pages. I edited Heidi’s wonderful webpage and made sure the information created the most current bio instead of the one James had had in use for years.

I have edited several books for James. All of THE MEDITATIONS and more. But the ones that are cherished are the stories that were his first published novels. Because in those first drafts of the MYTHWORLD series, I learned so much as a writer myself. And I got to learn it, by reading and fixing my favorite author’s mistakes.

I’ve earned many nicknames from James over the years. Book Babe was the first. Apprentice and Caretaker are the Awesome ones. But Jane, in reference to Orson Scott Card’s character in SPEAKER FOR THE DEAD, is my favorite. I am the Jane James contacts when he needs something, anything, anywhere, online, in a book, in a quote. Whatever he needs, from wherever he is. Because I have always gotten things to him in a time that far exceeded his expectations. And thanks to Facebook, and a smartphone, I can do that in literally minutes. So he can post something, or add a piece in a presentation. And it’s exactly the thing he wanted.

Payment doesn’t come monetarily. It’s in things like, books 5-7 of that first series that introduced us, all were signed while I stood in his Studio Private office. Trust, time and the knowledge that should I ever need for anything, James would be there for me. Those are priceless gifts money can’t buy.

James created the Book Babe name in fun spirits, to acknowledge the book sellers, store workers and any one that gave him the care he needed to make every first impression for a fan as special as mine was. And I am honored to carry on that tradition with and for him. Helping him make each new fan just as happy.

Heidi Berthiaume Bio: Heidi Berthiaume has a last name that is easier to say (berth-e-um) than spell. She writes books, has had a few short stories published, consults on Kickstarter projects and regarding information architecture for websites and applications. Any remaining time is spent on some kind of project such as creating fabric art, editing fan music videos, or spreading the word about her favorite authors and artists. Learn more about Heidi’s stuff at her website.

Victoria Morris Bio: Victoria lives on the edge of a mysty magical forest in the Pacific Northwest with one husband, two daughters, a big white dog and one huge resident bald eagle that likes to circle over her house when she brings in the groceries. A lifelong artist and not quite as long writer, Victoria is building a universe inside her head that has taken form in a six book fantasy series, with a middle grade trilogy on the side. While illustrating the world and all its characters is always on her mind, she draws portraits in her spare time to relax. Find out more here.

Some of My Best Friends Are Editors

April 18, 2014

fictorians

Author's Perspective Craft & Skills Editing Goals Guest Posts Publishing Submissions The Fictorians No Comments

A guest post by Joseph Thompson, publisher of IF magazine.

IF_poster Let’s be frank. Writers are sympathetic characters, editors are not. Writers toil in romanticized isolation but get invited to the coolest parties. They create and share every moment of joy and sorrow experienced by not just one character, but by an entire world of their creation. They brainstorm and draft, rewrite and polish, and then one day they mass submit that perfect story to the editorial altars.

And it gets rejected. Again. And again. And again. A few of these rejections will come with well-intended but cryptic comments like “We just didn’t feel this story had enough meat on its bones for how it had been designed,” or “Your story is like a tree with really beautiful branches but no trunk.” An extremely lucky few may come back with a request for a rewrite. The majority, however, will come with nothing but a form letter: We loved (insert story title here), but it’s not for us. Good luck placing it elsewhere.

The editors themselves don’t do much good for their public image. The ubiquitous rejection form letter is on par with a break up text message. It makes editors come across as anonymous, insensitive jerks. Now don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against editors. Some of my best friends are editors. As the publisher of Isotropic Fiction, I work closely with an editorial team whose skills I respect and admire. IF06_100 As a writer, I’ve worked with a variety of editors, good and bad, from newspapers and books to literary and genre magazines. And as an editor, I’ve worked with sci-fi writers and romance novelists, journalists, and poets. There are countless essays about what editors are looking for, what their major peeves are, and how you can improve or kill your chances of getting published. Some of my favorite can be found right here on The Fictorians. After you’re done reading my essay, make it a point to check out Joshua Essoe’s “The Editing Hit List” and “Editing FAQ.” But first, I’d like to take a moment to present the contradictory image of the sympathetic magazine editor.

Believe it or not, editors are a lot like writers. They smell the same, hang out at similar cafes, and many editors start off as writers. They may have gotten into editing to help pay the bills or a friend with a managerial bent may have suckered them into the job by saying “let’s start a magazine.” No matter what drew them to the editing, they continue because they want to read what you wrote. Seriously! Editors don’t just read what writers submit. They want to read it.

TheBoneTree If you’re a writer reading this, think about the last time you asked your friend, husband, wife, or dog to read the latest draft of your story. Did you notice how their eyes darted toward the door in a desperate attempt to escape? Did they sigh? Did they take your pages only to not have read them a month later? Did they say it was nice? Editors will never treat you like that. This bears repeating: editors want to read your work. You are their raison d’être.

Editors see themselves as midwives in the creative process. When magazine editors open a file, they aren’t looking for perfection, but for some crowning creation that just needs a bit of a push. Like the midwife, the editor is there to help and guide the process, but it’s the writer who has to go through the labor. Unlike midwives who can limit the number of patients they see, editors must deal with dozens of new submissions each day.

Due to the realities of time management, editors match their efforts to the writers’. Form letters are a necessity for many submissions, and what’s written in them is true. Editors are glad to read the work even if the work is not ready for publication. And they do truly wish writers the best of luck in placing it. What the form letter doesn’t say is just as important. Print When a form letter goes out, the work that came in most likely was riddled with grammatical and spelling errors, displayed a total disregard of the publication’s submission guidelines, and/or wasn’t even a complete story. The form letter allows the editor to exemplify a level of professionalism with which the writer may not have treated his or her work.

When a work comes across the slush pile that’s well written but not quite finished, editors begin leaving comments. This is scary ground for both writers and editors. From the writers’ perspective, it can look like editors are trying to justify the rejection. Let’s face it: to a degree the writers are right. Acceptances and rejections are subjective, and the comments are an attempt to let writers know their story was looked at by an editor who gave it serious thought. There’s another side to this, however. When works are good enough to comment on, it means editors want to see that writer improve, and they want to see more by that writer.

When dealing with an endless slush pile of submissions, time is always a factor. The need for brevity frequently trumps clarity and civility, leading to the aforementioned cryptic comments. It can make editors seem gruff and unapproachable when they are actually trying to cultivate the craft of a fellow artist. And when comments include a rewrite request, writers should know that request is made in all sincerity. It means the editor wants to spend more time with the writer and the story.

It’s that word, “wants,” that is the key to the sympathetic editor. Regardless of their backgrounds, the majority of editors are there because they want to be. They love their work, which means they love the opportunity to see your work. Editors are very similar to writers in terms of their passion and dedication. They just don’t get invited to the cool parties.

Humbly submitted to The Fictorians editorial team.

Joseph Thompson Bio:
Joseph Thompson has published short fiction and poetry, and worked as a journalist, ghost writer, editor, and reviewer. He currently publishes and occasionally edits Isotropic Fiction Magazine.

Three Aliens Walk into a Writers Retreat

April 17, 2014

fictorians

Craft & Skills Guest Posts 3 Comments

A guest post by Travis Heermann.

One of the aliens sounds like William Shakespeare having an argument with Sylvia Plath. Another speaks in long expositions resembling Montaigne and Thoreau. And the third speaks like Willy Loman in a Michael Bay action movie….

The fiction writers hunched over their scribing tools snort with derision and go back into their own little worlds.

Except for one writer with a curious ear. To her, these babbling aliens at first sound like they’re speaking gibberish, but then she feels their groove, slides into it, and considers going along for the ride. She joins them at the bar, orders a round of Jagermeister shots, and pretty soon, she finds her mind expanding, new thoughts she might write down, new skills with cadence and alliteration she can’t wait to try.

The other writers, crabbed and snarling over their opus works, snort again with derision, now toward her. She smiles at them and–after the Jagermeister hangover–returns to her work with renewed vigor.

Those aliens represent other genres of literature and creativity—poetry, creative non-fiction, and plays for stage and screen.

Let’s try another metaphor.

Any yoga instructor, personal trainer, or fitness expert will tell you that you’re better off building core strength and large muscle groups than overemphasizing a single muscle. Although writers generally do not grace the cover of Muscle Head and Yoga Goddess magazines and find the word svelte a curiosity rather than a self-description, we can benefit from similar advice.

There are few things more frustrating to fiction writers than having an idea in your head for a story and being unable to pull it off in a way that feels like you did justice to the idea. We often finish something and wonder if we have somehow come up short, whether it be in terms of sentence structure, diction, poetic lyricism, organization, characterization–or in other words, all the multitude of disparate but related tools that we need to be successful as artists. Maybe our tool box needs a few more things in it.

This post can be summed up thusly: studying any genre of writing can make you a better fiction writer. The more genres you master, the more options in your toolbox.

When I say genre, I don’t mean urban fantasy versus historical romance. I’m talking about fiction versus poetry, creative non-fiction, plays for stage and screen, etc.

All of these different genres bring some specific skills to the fiction-writing game.

Poetry. You don’t have to love it all, any more than you have to love all kinds of novels or short stories. You’re free to take what you want and leave the rest. But nothing will flex the word, rhythm, and symbolism muscles like poetry. Some of it will make you groan and shake your head. Some of it you will seize upon and savor and squish around on your tongue like a mouthful of blackberries. Absorb enough of it, and it will make your prose sing out from the page without any music; it will make its own. It will show you connections and metaphors and plumb the depths of pathos like nothing else can. It’s also a crash course in economy of language.

Creative Non-fiction. A catch-all term for memoir, personal essay, narrative non-fiction, and the like, creative non-fiction can open internal doors. If you’re like me, you may not know exactly how you feel about something until you write about it. We can look at our own lives, current events, people who touch us. Creative non-fiction lets us examine who we are, flex that internal dialogue muscle, the one that lets us “get at something.” It also comes in a variety of amusing and experimental, innovative forms, as evidenced by writers like David Sedaris and David Foster Wallace respectively. In the Writing Excuses podcast, Brandon Sanderson and Mette Ivie Harrison discuss this topic at length.

Stage and Screenplays. Both formats force writers to focus on character and dialogue in ways that fiction sometimes lets slide. In fiction, you can write a paragraph of character introspection. Scripts do not allow this, forcing you to write only what is said and what can be seen. There is also little time to dally with dialogue. Most films have a limit of 120 pages (at one minute per page), so it is critical that dialogue does double- or triple-duty—advancing action, conveying character, and revealing subtext all at the same time. Study the best dialogue, and you’ll see subtext in action.

Likewise, your fiction writing skill cross-pollinates with these other genres. General baseline skills with grammar and spelling only improve with practice, no matter the genre in which you’re writing. So, branch out! Fill your tool box with as many wrenches, whatsits, whirlibobs as you can. Try your hand at poetry, or a stage play, or essays. You may find your fiction taking some surprising quantum leaps.

Plus, isn’t it more fun to be one of the aliens?

Guest Writer Bio:

Freelance writer, novelist, award-winning screenwriter, editor, poker player, poet, biker, roustabout, Travis Heermann is a graduate of the Odyssey Writing Workshop and the author of the Ronin Trilogy, The Wild Boys, and Rogues of the Black Fury, plus short fiction pieces in anthologies and magazines such as Weird Tales, Historical Lovecraft, and Shivers VII. As a freelance writer, he has produced a metric ton of role-playing game work both in print and online, including Legend of Five Rings, d20 System, and the MMORPG, EVE Online. He enjoys cycling, martial arts, torturing young minds with otherworldly ideas, and zombies. He has three long-cherished dreams: a produced screenplay, a NYT best-seller, and a seat in the World Series of Poker.For interviews about the Writing Life, check out his Author Interview Series at the Ronin Writer: http://travisheermann.com/blog/