tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-354067952024-03-12T20:22:09.601-06:00The Write Type - Multi-Author MusingsCheryl Tardifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15160526951596806898noreply@blogger.comBlogger1375125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35406795.post-22837734205545097272019-06-21T05:00:00.000-06:002019-06-21T05:00:07.314-06:00When Gods Collide! I'm pleased and proud to announce a story in the Southern Indiana Writers Group's just-published anthology, APOLLO AND ATHENA WALK INTO A BAR: (ART MEETS SCIENCE).<div>
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My story is "2619: Prayer", a science fiction story about loss and hope. <a href="http://southernindianawriters.com/?page_id=941" target="_blank">Samples of some of the stories (including mine) can be found on the Southern Indiana Writers Group website</a>.</div>
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The book is available <a href="http://bookshow.me/1942166621" target="_blank">in print and for Kindle through Amazon</a>, or by order through your friendly neighborhood bookstore with the ISBN #1942166621.</div>
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<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Marian Allen, Author Lady</a></div>
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<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes</a></div>
Marian Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842321321484056422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35406795.post-47680006304007864662019-05-21T05:58:00.000-06:002019-05-21T05:58:22.206-06:00THE WOLVES OF PORT NOVO #NewRelease #FantasyI'm delighted to announce the re-issue of my science fantasy novel, previously released as EEL'S REVERENCE, now called THE WOLVES OF PORT NOVO. The book has been long out of print, but not forgotten by fans. I've let it rest, I've run it through a critique group that gives no quarter, and I've made some necessary adjustments, have a stunning new cover, and a far less squiggly title.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Elderly priest of Holy Sweet Micah, Aunt Libby, leaves her parish in a huff and walks into danger. Not from the tough young mercreature who robs her, not from the pragmatic waterfront restaurateur who gives her the briefest possible shelter, but from fellow priests. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"Reaver" priests, mercenary and cynical, have driven all true priests out of Port Novo and plan to expand their power as far as possible. One old woman isn't going to stand in their way. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Or so they think.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Available through Amazon <a href="http://bookshow.me/1942166605" target="_blank">in print and for Kindle</a>.</span></div>
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I'm doing <a href="http://storyaday.org/" target="_blank">Story A Day May</a> again this year, writing and posting a story every day on my blog. <a href="http://marianallen.com/2019/05/wolves-and-rabbits-#storyadaymay-#wolvesofportnovo" target="_blank">Today's story is set in the world of Port Novo, and it's about Aunt Libby as a child</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Marian Allen, Author Lady</a><br />
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes</a>Marian Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842321321484056422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35406795.post-28949591758247254182019-03-21T03:00:00.000-06:002019-03-21T03:00:02.606-06:00Taking Fiction SeriouslyI asked my husband, a retired English teacher, for a subject for today's post, and he complained that people today, generally, read a lot of non-fiction, but don't take fiction seriously.<br />
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Fiction, he said, can offer a distilled truth that non-fiction can't.<br />
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I find that insightful and possibly the highest strength of good fiction.<br />
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He mentioned, in particular, Dickens writing about the plight of the poor in Victorian England. The facts were available, but Dickens took his readers into the lives of the poor. When we read about Little Dorrit, Oliver Twist, or even Fagin, we experience their suffering; we see the prejudices and systemic abuses from their sides.<br />
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We can read histories of times and places and know the facts, but a rich fiction can put us there inside a participant.<br />
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As he also pointed out, fiction can also harden stereotypes and perpetuate mythologies, but I maintain that only poor fiction does that. Good fiction doesn't deal in stereotypes, but in individuals, who do things that may look stereotypical for true, personal reasons; if they don't, it isn't good fiction.<br />
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What do you think?<br />
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<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Marian Allen, Author Lady</a><br />
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes</a>Marian Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842321321484056422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35406795.post-45469394936167523422019-02-21T04:00:00.000-07:002019-02-21T04:00:10.509-07:00Reading Your Work Aloud #ameditingThe company I'm third-part owner of, <a href="http://perbastetpublications.com/" target="_blank">Per Bastet Publications</a>, received a submission we were eager to see. When I looked it over, I sent it back. We're still eager for it, and the author is willing to do what I asked before we accept the submission for realz, but the contract would already be signed if the excellent author had done one thing before submitting the manuscript.<br />
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Peeps, read your work aloud.<br />
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If you don't have a critique group or a critique buddy, read to the dog or the cat or to yourself, but read it aloud.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://bookshow.me/1942166400" target="_blank">Buy my book.</a></td></tr>
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Dialog should sound like people talking. Ideally, dialog should sound like <i>different</i> people talking. It's all too easy to write formally instead of conversationally. Hearing it aloud will make you go, "Whoa, I never actually <i>heard</i> anybody talk like that." And, yes, some people do or could speak formally, using no contractions, but not everybody all the time.<br />
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As I say, it's easy--so, so easy--to perfect-English your dialog to death. Reading aloud will go a long way toward teaching yourself to avoid that, if you read what you've written and not what you <i>think</i> you've written.<br />
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To my mind, the best way to edit a story is to have at least one run-through where you read aloud and somebody else reads along silently from a copy of the manuscript. If you left a word out of the manuscript but say it when you read aloud because your brain fills it in, your co-reader will catch that. If you meant "read" but typed "red", spell-checker won't catch that, but your co-reader probably will. If you say and meant "less" but you typed "more", your co-reader will fix that for you.<br />
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That's my two-cents'-worth on the subject. What do you think?<br />
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<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Marian Allen, Author Lady</a><br />
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes</a>Marian Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842321321484056422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35406795.post-79079427181497467472019-01-21T09:33:00.000-07:002019-01-21T09:33:15.198-07:00On Birthdays #amwriting #characterizationPretty much every character was born. I leave a little wiggle room in deference to spec fic; you know how that goes.<br />
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ANYWAY, if a character was born, there are anniversaries of that event. And celebrations of events--of lack of celebrations of that event--contribute to your character's background and personality. Does your character's culture even mark birthdates? Does the culture use birthdates to group people or measure advancements through the culture?<br />
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Does your character's particular family celebrate birthdays? If so, how? Special foods or activities?<br />
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As an adult, how (if at all) does your character mark the birth anniversaries of family and friends? How (if at all) does your character mark their own birthday?<br />
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Are there special stories, gifts, or events associated with birthdays in general or a specific birthday?<br />
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If you're writing a book or story and get stuck, sometimes exploring a side/background issue like this can unstick you, whether you use the exploration in the story or book or not.<br />
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<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Marian Allen, Author Lady</a><br />
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes</a>Marian Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842321321484056422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35406795.post-48476641707340638372018-12-21T09:34:00.002-07:002018-12-21T09:34:49.900-07:00The Beauty of Talking StoryTalking story is one of my favorite things in the whole wide world. In case you don't know what it means in the context of writing, it means talking about stories you're writing or thinking of writing, especially if you're stuck.<br />
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You usually talk story with other writers, but it can help to talk story to people who aren't writers, but are familiar with something in the story.<br />
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For example: Suppose your main character is a waitress, but you've never been a waitress. You need her to be able to share some personal information with a co-worker, but they're both waiting tables. When could they chat?<br />
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A waitress could tell you that the boss would frown on their standing around chatting, even if the restaurant isn't busy. BUT, if the restaurant isn't busy, they would be doing side-work, like filling the salt and pepper shakers OR rolling silverware up in napkins. If they're both doing the silverware, they could talk. Or if they bring the low shakers to one location to fill them, they could talk.<br />
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If you use that, you not only achieve your requirement, you add some detail to your workplace setting and increase your authenticity.<br />
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Or you need a character to do something but don't have a motive. Chew that character over with somebody else, writer or non-writer. describe the character, time, setting, interpersonal relationships. Chances are, the other person or people will see the scene as you've created it, as a place as real as a place in the actual world you've visited. They'll understand the characters as deeply as they would an actual person they don't know but you've met and described. From that construct of reality, they may be able to tell <i>you </i>things you couldn't see past the blinders of Being Able To Make It So.<br />
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On this turning of the season, I wish you the ability and opportunity to talk story with other writers and/or other people.<br />
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I also recommend the Speculative Fiction Guild's <a href="http://bookshow.me/1502902524" target="_blank">GIFTS OF THE MAGI</a> anthology, a collection of speculative fiction stories set at the turning of the year, with a wide-ranging selection of celebrations. I have a story in it, but none of us get royalties: All profits go to "<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Bitstream Charter", serif; font-size: 16px;">Indy Reads, a not-for-profit organization that provides tutoring to illiterate and semi-literate adults."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Bitstream Charter", serif; font-size: 16px;"><a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Marian Allen, Author Lady</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Bitstream Charter", serif; font-size: 16px;"><a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes</a></span>Marian Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842321321484056422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35406795.post-75165299359919294172018-11-21T04:00:00.000-07:002018-11-21T04:00:08.064-07:00Leaving Stuff OutI went on a week-long writing retreat to rough draft a short story. The absolute upper limit of the submission word count is 9000 words, and my draft finished at nearly 11,000. A weeeeeee tad bit too long, eh?<br />
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So now I'm going back through and polishing and cutting.<br />
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The point of pounding out a draft during National Novel Writing Month is to just pound the thing out, to just get the story down, to get to the end. It's okay if there are repetitions; later, you decide what the best place for that information is.<br />
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So my first pass through the draft has been to trip repetitions and streamline awkward sentences. I've cut a bunch, added some, and I'm still above 9000 words.<br />
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Now comes the hard part: Now comes the part where I have to cut stuff that isn't awkward and isn't repetitious.<br />
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Luckily for me, I know where to go first.<br />
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I'm almost finished with <a href="https://www.tor.com/author/cixin-liu/" target="_blank">Cixin Liu's <i>Three Body Problem Trilogy</i></a>. It's insanely satisfying: Hard science fiction plus strong, rich characters. But, although the author realizes any number of worlds and societies, the books contain no animals. No, I tell a lie, there are a couple of ants, some passing birds, and mention of a pet cat. Otherwise, humans are the only animals on earth or in space.<br />
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So I put some animals into my story.<br />
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And now I'm going to take them out.<br />
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If cutting those bits give me enough wiggle room, I might be able to stick a reference in here and there, just a tiny brushstroke suggesting much more.<br />
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Wish me luck!<br />
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And read that trilogy!<br />
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Marian Allen, Author LadyMarian Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842321321484056422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35406795.post-81303607277174091142018-10-21T04:00:00.000-06:002018-10-21T04:00:03.528-06:00A Short Tale of a Long Tail: Are Events Worth It?People who don't go to events (conventions, conferences, festivals, craft shows) often ask if going to these events is worth it. The answer is a bit complicated.<br />
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Naturally, if you don't have the money, it doesn't matter if it's worth it, or in what sense it's worth it. As I often tell salesfolk, you may be offering me a good price for the product, but $400 would be a great price for a flawless diamond--but that doesn't matter, if I don't have $400.<br />
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But let's assume you do have the money to pay your entrance fee and/or table fee (if you're selling books) and to get a hotel room and to pay for gas and food.<br />
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Now the question, "Is it worth it?" involves defining what you mean by "worth it."<br />
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I'm a member of the Southern Indiana Writers Group. We publish a themed anthology of members' stories every year. Fellow member T. Lee Harris and I (and often other members, as well) went to science fiction and other writing-oriented conventions and offered the books for sale.<br />
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We sold some, but never enough to cover expenses.<br />
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After a couple of years, we were approached by an independent bookstore owner in our own state, who said he had been observing us at events and wanted to invite us to do a group signing/sale at his bookstore.<br />
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That led to a great relationship with him, his wife, her mother, other writers, and readers. When he began an Authors Fair, we were always welcome there. We always sold books, met people, and had fun.<br />
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When he started an indie press, any member of the SIW who had a book was invited to publish with him, the first novel publication for some of us.<br />
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When he decided to get out of the publication business (which, I would venture to say, most indie presses do), T. Lee and I joined another "orphaned" author to form our own indie press. This happened and that happened, but <a href="http://perbastetpublications.com/" target="_blank">Per Bastet Publications, LLC</a> is going strong, four years later and counting.<br />
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Whether we've made money or broken even or panned out monetarily shy at events, we've never attended one without coming away with something valuable: a contact or two, good will, recommendations for other outlets, marketing ideas, and fire for writing.<br />
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Your mileage may vary, but my answer to the question is an unequivocal YES. Assuming, of course, I have what T. Lee calls "the readies" to pay my way.<br />
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Do you attend writing/sales events? Do you consider they've been worth it?<br />
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<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Marian Allen, Author Lady</a><br />
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes</a>Marian Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842321321484056422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35406795.post-51002612182008541352018-09-21T04:00:00.000-06:002018-09-21T04:00:05.116-06:00Avoiding the Cabot Cove Syndrome #amwritingSharon Arthur Moore has <a href="http://sharonarthurmoore.blogspot.com/2015/04/6-views-on-avoiding-cabot-cove-syndrome.html" target="_blank">a wonderful post on this topic giving 6 methods</a> she's gathered from mystery writers/readers.<br />
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The method I'll be using in my Spadena Street series is kindasorta #4. The series is set on Spadena Street and the attached Spadena Villa. The Villa is a gated retirement community on the site of a chandelier-drop factory, and Spadena Street is a two-block cul-de-sac of factory administrators' housing built in the <a href="http://storybookers.com/" target="_blank">Storybook Style</a>.<br />
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Each book will feature a different resident involved somehow with a different murder (or non-fatal but serious crime). I've <a href="https://nanowrimo.org/" target="_blank">NaNo</a>ed several, and I've enjoyed having the characters pop into one another's stories and seeing what they think of each other.<br />
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I'm hoping to get the first of the series out in 2019. If I can pick which one I want to go first!<br />
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<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Marian Allen, Author Lady</a><br />
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes</a>Marian Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842321321484056422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35406795.post-80745647970133887722018-08-21T05:00:00.000-06:002018-08-21T05:00:11.506-06:00A Book Review Without a TitleI just finished a book that was very strangely composed.<br />
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The first two-thirds consisted of a group of men telling another man what they knew--or had been told by others not present--of the puzzling events of a particular day. Yes, two-thirds of the book take place on one evening, although the events they relate on that evening go back much farther than that.<br />
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The next part of the book skips around, with no notice, between the book's present and the past from the points of view of characters who weren't present at the first part's conference.<br />
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The last few chapters were only one scene long, while the chapter headings (In which so-and-so does such-and-such and this-and-that happens) have grown so long and detailed that they're longer and more informative than the snapshot or snatch of dialog of which the "chapter" consists.<br />
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Interesting, no? Well, no. It won the Booker Prize, and I'll never forget it, but I would never recommend it.<br />
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If one of the aims of a writer is to write a book which enters into a relationship with the reader, this book succeeds brilliantly. Unfortunately, it's a dysfunctional relationship, and, ultimately, a broken one.<br />
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During the first part of the book, I felt enfolded, drawn into the world described, that of gold-rush New Zealand. I learned things I never knew about the time and the setting, felt I had an insight into the psychologies of the characters, and was deeply invested in finding out the answers to the puzzles.<br />
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The second part of the book, in which the puzzles are supposedly answered, broke that spell with its more disjointed time hops and character switches, its competing explanations, its iffy timelines, and a big glob of magic realism that pops in like a gold tooth in a sausage.<br />
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That rapid-fire final section pushes you right outside of the story and only gives you glimpses of it, as if you're outside peeping through a keyhole.<br />
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Then there's that post-reading section that all powerful books have, in which you mull over what you've read. In the case of this book, there's a lot of, "Wait a minute.... That doesn't make any sense." After two or three episodes of, "But, why would she do THAT? That's just stupid," I stopped thinking about it. I believe the author did this on purpose, as a meta-message about what we can know or fail to know about situations and people. As if the reader hadn't been slapped upside the head with that often enough in real life, right?<br />
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There are some relationships you're just well out of. I could reread the book to see if things fell more neatly in place the second time through, but once bitten twice shy. No way am I going to give a toxic relationship a second go at me. Not the same damn one, anyway.<br />
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You'll notice I haven't named the book. The odds of the author of that book reading this post are so slim, I can probably safely say that if you're reading this, the book IS NOT YOURS. If you know me personally, the book is DEFINITELY not yours. You don't play unpleasant games with your readers.<br />
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I'm not going to name the book or the author, because I don't want to recommend the book even by warning against it. I know how that goes with human relationships. No, if you met Frankenstein's Monster, he would NOT be your bestie, unless you're an old blind violinist.<br />
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This curmudgeonly book review has been brought to you by<br />
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<a href="http://marianallen/" target="_blank">Marian Allen, Author Lady</a><br />
<a href="http://marianallen/" target="_blank">Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes</a>Marian Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842321321484056422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35406795.post-90767946039657958012018-07-21T03:00:00.000-06:002018-07-21T03:00:10.270-06:00Whydunnit?I read an article recently that said that a motive in a murder mystery must be strong enough to justify a murder, that nobody would kill somebody for stealing their socks.<br />
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As it happens, I had just heard an excerpt from Shostakovitch's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Macbeth_of_the_Mtsensk_District_%28opera%29" target="_blank">Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District</a>, in which the precipitating motive for a murder is a woman's appropriation of another woman's stockings. Granted, this is in Siberia and the stockings are warm.<br />
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So I would have to add three words to the article's advice: The motive must be strong enough to justify a murder <i>to the murderer</i>.<br />
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This means that the setting must be specific enough to affect the motive. The characterizations must be strong enough and deep enough to rationalize extreme reaction. Relationships must be clear enough to urge a violent resolution.<br />
<br />
Think of Poe's "<a href="https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/the_tell-tale_heart_0.pdf" target="_blank">The Tell-Tale Heart</a>." Is there a strong motive for murder? No, there's <i>no </i>motive for the murder -- except in the mind of the murderer.<br />
<br />
If you're just starting out writing murder mysteries, you might do well to follow the simpler advice and choose an obviously powerful motive like money, fear of professional damage, love, or immediate self-defense.<br />
<br />
But subtler motives are a lot more intriguing, if more difficult to put across.<br />
<br />
She took your socks? Yeah, baby, she had it comin'!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Marian Allen, Author Lady</a><br />
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes</a>Marian Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842321321484056422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35406795.post-40450405864818150342018-06-21T03:00:00.000-06:002018-06-21T03:00:06.230-06:00GenerationsGrandma was Lily Genarose Green, from Leitchfield, Kentucky. My grandfather divorced her when I was about two. I clearly remember when he came in, all het up about something, and announced his intention to her. I don't think he even saw me in the room, because I was behind my mother. "They" said she paid too much attention to her good works and not enough to her family. The people I know who knew her have nothing bad to say about her, so I don't know what he was so mad about. She trained and got a job as a Licensed Practical Nurse. Mom took Grandpa's side in the divorce, so she and Grandma saw nothing of each other all the time I was growing up. I would visit with Grandma once or twice a year. She seemed cold, but kind. I think the coldness I perceived was just reserve. She got hepatitis from one of her patients and was given little time to live. We had her stay with us for a few weeks while one of her brothers converted part of his house for her. She and I did some cooking together and talked. I liked her very much, and was sorry when she moved out. Mom and I weren't with her when she died.<br />
<br />
Mom was Ruth Genarose Turner. Her mother always hated having the middle name Genarose, and would never tell anybody what her middle name was, but then named her daughter the same name<em> and called her by it</em>. Grandpa had twin aunts, Ruth and Rose, and Mom was named after them, too. Mom was divorced before Grandma was, when I was just a baby. I have no contact with my father, and never did, much. Mom worked at the Health Department when it was located in Louisville. When it moved to Frankfort, she moved there for a couple of weeks to see if she wanted to move with it permanently. I stayed with a friend of hers in Louisville. She decided not to move to Frankfort, and I think that was when she started working for Corhart Refractories, which then became a division of Corning Glass (where the Corningware comes from). She worked nights selling Tupperware. Got some Tupperware party stories, you bet. When Corning moved its offices to Corning, New York, Mom did move, and took Grandpa and Grandma (his second wife, who I loved dearly) with her. I was all grown up, so I stayed in Louisville. Mom retired as Accounting Manager of the Ceramic Products Division. I took care of her as she aged and as dementia progressed. She passed in January.<br />
<br />
Me. 'Nuff said.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://saramarian.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Amazing Sara Marian</a> is a writer, an editor, and an archaeologist. Amazing.<br />
<br />
Stories. So many stories. So many characterization wrinkles. So much conflict.<br />
<br />
Everything is about writing.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Marian Allen, Author Lady</a><br />
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes</a>Marian Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842321321484056422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35406795.post-47237746138571196772018-05-22T06:50:00.000-06:002018-05-22T06:50:06.194-06:00It's May, It's May, A Story Once A Day!Julie of <a href="http://storyaday.org/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Story A Day</a> suggests we write something in the form of a news story. She specifically mentioned fairy tales. I'm also doing the <a href="https://bibliophilica.wordpress.com/2017/12/21/its-the-most-wonderful-day-of-the-year-announcing-the-8th-annual-deal-me-in-short-story-reading-challenge/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Deal Me In 2018</a> short story reading challenge, and since I drew the card that means I read a fairy tale, I read "The Dog and the Swallow," from Germany. So here I go!<br />
<h1 style="text-align: center;">
Fear and Loathing in LaGrange</h1>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Marian Allen</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
When I left LA, I had been up all night dropping lids with somebody's cousins. When I landed in Louisville, Kentucky, which runs on New York time, it was starting to get dark.<br />
<br />
I sat next to a man on the plane who, after we'd toasted each other with a couple of those short-shot bottles they sell you on the flight, whispered that his brother had scored a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle, and would I like to join them. I said I'd bring the grass, if my connection was still at liberty. He was, so none of us slept that night, either, insofar as I can remember.<br />
<br />
Then it was Friday, and I drove to LaGrange for my interview with the widow/prisoner. She had refused to talk to reporters after one of them had dubbed her The Bird-Brain Killer, but one of her fellow prisoners knew somebody at the Courier-Journal, who said I would give her a fair hearing without putting my own spin on her story, so she agreed. If I'm proud of anything, I'm proud of that.<br />
<h1 style="text-align: center;">
*</h1>
She sat across from me at a metal table, bolted to the smooth cement floor. The benches, also metal, were also bolted down.<br />
<br />
"They said you wouldn't make fun of me or laugh at me," she said.<br />
<br />
"I never laugh at murder," I said, which was true.<br />
<br />
"Most of it," she said, "it's my husband's story. I didn't have no reason to kill him. Well, maybe I did, but I didn't kill him for that. It was partly his fault and partly a accident."<br />
<br />
I didn't say anything. She peered at me, maybe trying to read my expression. At that point, I would have been surprised if I had had one, but whatever she saw seemed to satisfy her, so she told her story.<br />
<h1 style="text-align: center;">
* * *</h1>
My husband said he was driving the wagon with the three horses, bringing three barrels of wine. He traded the last of my mama's earrings for them. Said he was going to sell the wine a cup at a time and make a big profit and buy me some new earrings. But they wouldn't have been my mama's, would they? Besides, if I know him, he would have drink it all hisself.<br />
<br />
Anyway, he said there was a dog asleep in the middle of the road. He never swerved to miss an animal in his life. Give him credit: He never swerved to <em>hit</em> one, either, so.... Anyways, he said a sparrow told him not to run over the dog, that it was the sparrow's brother, but he said he just laughed and drove on. Killed that dog.<br />
<br />
He said the sparrow pecked the bungs out of the wine barrels and lost all the wine. If I know him, he drank it hisself before he could even get it home.<br />
<br />
He said then the sparrow pecked the eyes out of one of the horses. Said he tried to kill the sparrow with an ax, but the sparrow flew away and he killed the blind horse. He said that happened twice more, so all the horses were blind and dead. They say they found the horses dead in the road with their eyes pecked out, so nobody can say that didn't happen. They said I made it up about the sparrow, but they can't say the horses wasn't dead with their eyes pecked out, and they can't say them barrels wasn't empty.<br />
<br />
But the first I knew about all of this was when a sparrow flew in at the window and said, "Your husband done killed my dog brother, and me and my bird brothers is gonna eat you out of house and home." Then all these birds flew into the barn and started eating up all our grain.<br />
<br />
When my husband got home, I told him, and he told me what happened on the road. All he would say about it was how "unlucky" <em>he</em> was! Like <em>I</em> hadn't lost three barrels of wine, three horses, all our grain that I helped plant and harvest, and my mama's jewelry she left me besides.<br />
<br />
Well, that sparrow come in to gloat, and my husband took that damn ax and chased it around the house, trying to kill it, but just bustin up all the furniture that Daddy made. He finally dropped the ax and caught the sparrow with his hands, which he should have done in the first place. If he'd done that back on the road, I'd still be a free woman. Well, I'd still be married to <em>him</em>, but I wouldn't be in the fix I'm in now.<br />
<br />
So he says, he says, "I'm gonna eat this swallow alive!" That's the kind of man he was, if you want him in a nutshell. So he popped that bird in his mouth and swallowed it. Swallowed the swallow!<br />
<br />
[She laughed and I laughed. She reached over and patted my hand, the chain on her handcuffs clinking against the metal table between us.]<br />
<br />
Oh, that laugh did me good. They told me you was all right, and you are.<br />
<br />
Anyway, that bird fought its way back up and poked its head out of his mouth and kept on threatening us! Now, I ask you: What could a dog be to a sparrow, that it would do what it done to us for the sake of a dog that was so stupid it went to sleep in the middle of the road? And why didn't the sparrow just <em>wake the dog up</em>?<br />
<br />
[I was seeing sparrows everywhere by that time, so I just sat very still and nodded slightly.]<br />
<br />
So he says, "Take the ax and kill this sparrow in my mouth."<br />
<br />
Well, of course, when he said that, he opened his mouth, and the sparrow flew out, but the ax was swinging by that time.<br />
<br />
And that's how I killed my husband. Now, that's the God's honest truth. The prosecutor said I was just mad because he drank up my mama's earrings and killed the horses and broke up all the furniture. They did give me life instead of the death penalty, because they said I was provoked, which I was. My lawyer says he's going to appeal and see can he get me manslaughter instead of murder. It sounds worse to me, but he says it's better.<br />
<h1 style="text-align: center;">
***</h1>
I don't know if all the swallows left with me or if some of them stayed at LaGrange, but I put the hood up on my rental convertible for the drive back to Louisville, hoping my new friend, whose number was still penned on my palm, had some bourbon left in his cabinet.<br />
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
~*~</h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://marianallen.com/category/story-a-day-may/" target="_blank">Feel free to visit my web site and read all my May stories, from this and previous years.</a></div>
<br />
Marian Allen, Author Lady<br />
Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes<br />
<h1 style="text-align: center;">
</h1>
Marian Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842321321484056422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35406795.post-53299008489502543982018-04-21T04:00:00.000-06:002018-04-21T04:00:53.160-06:00New Publication! LONNIE, ME, AND....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kkXsVjToahQ/WtpqGxl7rcI/AAAAAAAADgo/uIjNY0vJcyE0WDaRElFDRYppKm7bGDrrQCLcBGAs/s1600/Lonnie%2Band%2BMe%2BFront150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="150" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kkXsVjToahQ/WtpqGxl7rcI/AAAAAAAADgo/uIjNY0vJcyE0WDaRElFDRYppKm7bGDrrQCLcBGAs/s1600/Lonnie%2Band%2BMe%2BFront150.jpg" /></a></div>
It isn't science fiction. It isn't fantasy. They don't solve crimes or have romantic adventures or think deep thoughts. Well, Lonnie hardly thinks at all, really.<br />
<br />
I'm talking about my newly published book of short stories, LONNIE, ME, AND....<br />
<br />
Lonnie is a natural-born fool. Tiny is the poor fool's best friend. Lonnie's wife, Leona, a hardshell Baptist, trusts Tiny to keep Lon out of trouble, but that ain't easy.<br />
<br />
Each story is titled "Lonnie, Me, and [fill in the blank]" and is narrated by Tiny, except for the final story, when Tiny's wife has her say.<br />
<br />
In "Lonnie, Me, and the Battle of St. Crispin's Day", the boys go back to the old neighborhood for the parish festival.<br />
<h1 style="text-align: center;">
Gotta Dance!</h1>
<div style="text-align: center;">
excerpt from "Lonnie, Me, and the Battle of St. Crispin's Day"<br />
by Marian Allen</div>
We almost made it. We were right there at the rectory gate when somebody opened the door to the parish hall and a burst of music came out.<br />
<br />
“Dancing!” Lonnie shouted. He faked a little tap routine. “Gotta dance! Gotta dance!” He tossed the panda into my arms and loped away from us.<br />
<br />
Drinking and gambling and dancing. Leona was purely gonna kill me!<br />
<br />
I’m big, but I’m not that fast, and Father Dan couldn’t but waddle. By the time we got into the hall,<br />
Lonnie had worked his way into the crowd and cut in on a guy who didn’t look all too happy about it. The woman he was dancing with was laughing.<br />
<br />
I recognized her. Then I recognized the guy.<br />
<br />
“Are you kidding me? He’s in here two seconds, after twenty years away, and he zeroes in on Jackie the Kipper?”<br />
<br />
Jacob deKueper, his real name was, but he was “Jackie the Kipper” to us boys, and his big brother, Pete, was “Dutch”.<br />
<br />
Danny was sweating, and not just from the heat of the parish hall.<br />
<br />
“I didn’t realize the deKuepers would be here. I haven’t seen any of them around for over five years.<br />
Jackie must have gotten time off for good behavior.”<br />
<br />
And the woman.<br />
<br />
“Isn’t that Yvonne Hargrove Lonnie cut in on?”<br />
<br />
“Yvonne deKueper.”<br />
<br />
“She married the Kipper?”<br />
<br />
“She married Dutch.”<br />
<br />
“This just gets better and better.” I craned around, lookingfor somebody my size but uglier and meaner.<br />
<br />
“Surely Dutch won’t be here.” Danny ran a finger around the inside of his dog collar, then made a twitchy gesture that looked an awful lot like the sign of the cross. “Dutch is still wanted for his part in the hold-up that got Jackie put away.”<br />
<br />
“I’m gonna go peel Lonnie off that handful of trouble he’s dancing with and get going. Thanks for the good time, old pal. If I ever invite you over to my place, take my advice and don’t come.”<br />
<br />
“Sorry, Tiny.” His voice faded behind me as I plowed through the dancers.<br />
<h1 style="text-align: center;">
~*~</h1>
<h1>
Buy LONNIE, ME, AND....</h1>
from Amazon in <a href="http://bookshow.me/1942166400" rel="noopener" target="_blank">print </a>and for <a href="http://bookshow.me/B07BVXRZC2" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Kindle and Kindle apps</a><br />
from an independent bookseller, like through <a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781942166405" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Indiebound</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Marian Allen, Author Lady</a><br />
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes</a>Marian Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842321321484056422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35406795.post-79011329387950351122018-03-21T06:57:00.000-06:002018-03-21T06:57:06.791-06:00Holmes, You Pre-date Me OR Kaye George Does Neanderthals #BookReview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/abf849_2ceebf66c93948399dbf0f4f248c5ad6.jpg/v1/fill/w_204,h_306,al_c,lg_1,q_80/abf849_2ceebf66c93948399dbf0f4f248c5ad6.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="204" height="200" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/abf849_2ceebf66c93948399dbf0f4f248c5ad6.jpg/v1/fill/w_204,h_306,al_c,lg_1,q_80/abf849_2ceebf66c93948399dbf0f4f248c5ad6.webp" width="133" /></a></div>
<a href="https://kayegeorge.wixsite.com/kaye-george/novels" rel="noopener" target="_blank">DEATH IN THE TIME OF ICE by Kaye George</a> is the first in her People of the Wind series. She places various hominid peoples in North America, including this tribe of Neanderthals. Using the most current research findings (at the time of writing) and what I can only call a stunning imagination, she creates a culture specific to one particular group of people.<br />
<br />
I read and loved <a href="http://marianallen.com/2017/10/week-jane-day-5-books-fridayrecommends/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Steven Mithen's AFTER THE ICE</a>, and there was nothing in George's book that made me go, "Naw. Uh-uh. Got that WRONG." I could absolutely believe that these people behaved and thought in these ways. I say "these ways", plural, because George writes about individuals.<br />
<br />
Okay, the death. Somebody kills the Hama, or Most High Female. The tribe wants to blame it on an outsider -- any outsider. One woman, though, believes the culprit is one of the tribe. Not a popular opinion.<br />
<br />
There are sub-plots galore, <em>none of which get in the way of the main storyline</em>. There is a wealth of detail about building techniques, burial practices, climate change, and so on, <em>none of which bogs down the flow with info-dump</em>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/abf849_9913f3a1675d48b082d6fdc05f18cf0e.jpg/v1/fill/w_206,h_306,al_c,lg_1,q_80/abf849_9913f3a1675d48b082d6fdc05f18cf0e.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="206" height="200" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/abf849_9913f3a1675d48b082d6fdc05f18cf0e.jpg/v1/fill/w_206,h_306,al_c,lg_1,q_80/abf849_9913f3a1675d48b082d6fdc05f18cf0e.webp" width="134" /></a></div>
The only drawback I can find is a tendency to repeat questions and musings a little too exactly and a little too close together.<br />
<br />
"You call that a <em>drawback</em>?"<br />
<br />
Hey, if I said it was perfect, I would draw the attention of the gods to the book. You don't wanna draw the attention of the gods, amIright?<br />
<br />
I've bought and read the sequel, <a href="https://kayegeorge.wixsite.com/kaye-george/novels" target="_blank">DEATH ON THE TREK</a>, and the sequel holds up. If there's another in the series, Imma buy that, too.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Marian Allen, Author Lady</a><br />
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes</a>Marian Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842321321484056422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35406795.post-21542639066745407482018-02-21T04:00:00.000-07:002018-02-21T04:00:13.890-07:00Write This Way Indie Author Fest #DallasShondra Quarles emailed me with news of this free event in Dallas, Texas. Alas, that I live nowhere near Dallas, Texas, 'cause this sounds like fun:
<br />
<blockquote>
Write This Way: Indie Author Fest is hosting our 2018 Authors of the Future Contest. This is an opportunity for new and amateur writers of poetry, novelettes, children’s books or short stories of any genre . No entry fee is required. Contest is open to writers 12 and older. Entrants retain all publication rights. Finalists MUST be present at our 2018 Write This Way: Indie Author Fest in order to win prizes.
The 2nd Annual Write This Way: Indie Author Fest is a FREE EVENT & will be held March 24th 12 noon -4pm at Ponchaveli Studios.
All awards are adjudicated by professional writers only.
Top Prize: Ponchaveli Studios will design a book cover, $600.00 - $1600.00 value.
2nd & 3rd Winners will receive gift cards to help with publication expenses.</blockquote>
<h3 class="label-primary l-mar-bot-2">
LOCATION</h3>
Ponchaveli Studios
914 West Commerce Street
Dallas, TX 75208
The organizers are <a class="js-d-scroll-to listing-organizer-name text-default" data-d-destination="#listing-organizer" data-d-duration="1500" data-d-offset="-70" data-xd-wired="scroll-to" href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/write-this-way-contest-2018-rules-and-instructions-tickets-40752837835#listing-organizer">Shondra M. Quarles and Latrenda Chirell Bailey-Rush</a>
To register, <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/write-this-way-contest-2018-rules-and-instructions-tickets-40752837835" rel="noopener" target="_blank">go to their Write This Way Eventbrite page</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Marian Allen, Author Lady</a><br />
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes</a>Marian Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842321321484056422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35406795.post-39794526889528605962018-01-21T04:00:00.000-07:002018-01-21T04:00:18.673-07:00Life Outside the StorylineI'm currently reading <a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781604693638" rel="noopener" target="_blank">BEATRIX POTTER'S GARDENING LIFE: THE PLANTS AND PLACES THAT INSPIRED THE CLASSIC CHILDREN'S TALES</a>. In it, author Marta McDowell first outlines the life of "Miss Potter" and then goes through a year of plants and flowers. She illustrates both sections with photographs of the actual gardens and "Miss Potter"'s art, and with quotations from her letters.<br />
<br />
I say "Miss Potter" in quotation marks, because Beatrix preferred her married name, Mrs. Heelis. The book leaves the impression that Beatrix Potter, author, was much more Beatrix Heelis, gardener.
<br />
<br />
When my grandfather went into the hospital and then into a nursing home, I found that his treatment shifted slightly but discernibly when I brought in a picture of him as a young man. Life outside the storyline of "an elderly man needing care" changed him into "THIS man who is <em>now</em> elderly."<br />
<br />
And that made me think about genre v literary writing. Everybody says, "Know your characters inside and out -- and then leave most of it out of the book." I think that's more true of genre writing than literary. I think genre books focus <em>nearly</em> exclusively on the storyline, with peripherals coming in as subplots. I think literary books focus on life outside the storyline, with the storyline simply being the thread through the beads.<br />
<br />
What do you think?<br />
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Marian Allen, Author Lady</a><br />
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes</a>Marian Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842321321484056422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35406795.post-66152324552596723502017-12-21T05:59:00.000-07:002017-12-21T05:59:04.550-07:00New Publication: SWORD & SORCERESS 32I'm pleased as punch to announce that Marion Zimmer Bradley's SWORD & SORCERESS 32 is now available for purchase. The reason I'm so pleased is that<em> I have a story in it!</em><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9fTwtS_nXIA/Wjuvz1JHleI/AAAAAAAADRc/qHfCKu0KGJQmqT7ar4Lo1BXqLAKASgabgCLcBGAs/s1600/ss32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9fTwtS_nXIA/Wjuvz1JHleI/AAAAAAAADRc/qHfCKu0KGJQmqT7ar4Lo1BXqLAKASgabgCLcBGAs/s1600/ss32.jpg" /></a></div>
<em><br /></em>
I'm even more pleased by the company I'm keeping:<br />
<blockquote>
Sword & Sorceress 32, edited by Elisabeth Waters, was published November 2, 2017 and is entirely suitable as a gift for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Twelfth Night, Winter Solstice, Yule, etc.<br /> </blockquote>
<blockquote>
It is available in <a href="http://amzn.to/2Ai60LS" rel="noopener" target="_blank"> trade paperback</a>, and for <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sword-and-sorceress-32/id1272948646?mt=11" rel="noopener" target="_blank"> iBook</a>, <a href="http://amzn.to/2hyjDBe" rel="noopener" target="_blank"> Kindle</a>, <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/sword-and-sorceress-32" rel="noopener" target="_blank"> Kobo</a>, and <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sword-and-sorceress-32-elisabeth-waters/1126973930?ean=2940158848186" rel="noopener" target="_blank"> Nook.</a></blockquote>
<table align="center" style="width: 600px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="left" colspan="2"><b><span style="color: #6600cc;">Contents:</span></b></td></tr>
<tr><td>Women's Work</td><td>Pauline J. Alama</td></tr>
<tr><td>Hostages of Honeycomb</td><td>Marian Allen</td></tr>
<tr><td>The Sound of the Moon</td><td>Robin Wayne Bailey</td></tr>
<tr><td>Finding Truth</td><td>Lorie Calkins</td></tr>
<tr><td>Wight Nights</td><td>Steve Chapman</td></tr>
<tr><td>Royal Daughters</td><td>Elaine Cunningham</td></tr>
<tr><td>Unexpected</td><td>Suzan Harden</td></tr>
<tr><td>Save a Prayer</td><td>Mercedes Lackey</td></tr>
<tr><td>Sky, Clouds, and Sonam</td><td>Catherine Mintz</td></tr>
<tr><td>Shaman's Quest</td><td>Kevin L. O'Brien</td></tr>
<tr><td>Authority Figures</td><td>Michael H. Payne</td></tr>
<tr><td>The Girl from Black Point Rock</td><td>Deborah J. Ross</td></tr>
<tr><td>Till the Cows Come Home</td><td>L.S. Patton</td></tr>
<tr><td>Deadly Questions</td><td>Jonathan Shipley</td></tr>
<tr><td>The Nature of Wraiths</td><td>Dave Smeds</td></tr>
<tr><td>Add a Cup of Terror</td><td>Michael Spence & Elisabeth Waters</td></tr>
<tr><td>A Librarian in Distress</td><td>Rose Strickman</td></tr>
<tr><td>Expiration Date</td><td>Julia H. West</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Grab a copy for yourself! Makes a great gift, too! No, really.<br />
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Marian Allen, Author Lady</a><br />
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes</a>Marian Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842321321484056422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35406795.post-38452826490256575422017-11-21T03:00:00.000-07:002017-11-21T03:00:19.522-07:00NaNo Pep TalkI'm not doing <a data-mce-href="http://nanowrimo.org" href="http://nanowrimo.org/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">NaNoWriMo</a>
(National Novel Writing Month) this year, but I have friends who are,
and I have friends who would like to, so I'm doing my annual NaNo pep talk.<br />
<h1>
NaNo Pep Talk 2017</h1>
by Marian Allen<br />
<br />
You cannot "lose" at NaNo<br /> however few your words.<br /> The "word count" is a goal, you know,<br /> and "winning"'s for the birds.<br /> The point is not to "make it";<br /> the point is just to think --<br /> to think about your writing goals<br /> or just step off the brink.<br /> With NaNo, you just concentrate<br /> and concretize your goals.<br /> It's possible you'll write a lot<br /> of plot, including holes;<br /> but maybe you'll just realize<br /> that you don't write this way.<br /> It may be you're a slowby<br /> not a sprinter. That's okay!<br /> Relax! Enjoy! Just savor<br /> the pleasure of immersion<br /> in writing -- your own flavor --<br /> <em>your</em> NaNo -- your own version.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Marian Allen, Author Lady</a><br />
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes</a> Marian Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842321321484056422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35406795.post-4881830397127782452017-10-21T15:19:00.002-06:002017-10-21T15:19:43.867-06:00But How Long Is A Piece Of String? reblogged from MarianAllen.comThe <a href="http://reedsy.com/" target="_blank">Reedsy</a> folks have put together <a data-mce-href="https://blog.reedsy.com/how-many-words-in-a-novel/" href="https://blog.reedsy.com/how-many-words-in-a-novel/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">a post on novel lengths</a>.
Yes, that's supposed to be plural. If you don't already know, lemme
tell ya: Different genres generally have different ranges of word count.
Books for different ages have different ranges of word count. Even
different publishers can have different ranges of word count they prefer
to see.<br />
As always, you need to check a publisher's or agent's
guidelines before submitting the book. Better yet, have a word count
range in mind -- not before you write or as you write, but certainly as
you edit.<br />
<br />
This Reedsy post covers most, if not all, of the bases,
including the fact that there will always be exceptions. Also including
the fact that you're heading for heartbreak if you <em>count on</em> being one of those exceptions.<br />
<br />
As
for my title, I asked an agent once how long my fantasy novel needed to
be, and he said, "How long is a piece of string?" The answer supposedly
being, "How long does it <em>need</em> to be?" The appropriate answers,
though, might have been, "How long does a publisher want it before
they'll look at it?" or "How long does a reader looking for your sort of
book expect?"<br />
<br />
'Cause, look: Maybe you write for your own pleasure
or artistic expression, but once you step into the marketplace, you're
in somebody else's sandbox. You write for you; you sell for the buyer.
If that irritates or sullies you, I'm sorry. Either accept and deal with
that or you might as well go all Emily Dickinson and fill a desk drawer
with with your work. Even if you self-publish, if you want to <em>sell</em> your self-published book, you need for somebody to <em>buy</em> it, amIright?<br />
<br />
Think of word count within or just outside expectations as a tool in <em>your</em> grasp, rather than as an imposition. If you choose to (or feel you must) ignore what the marketplace advises, try to realize <em>you</em>
choose to put that tool aside and to work without it. Maybe that will
alleviate some of your frustration, if you don't sell as quickly or in
as much volume as you expected.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Marian Allen, Author Lady</a><br />
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes</a> Marian Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842321321484056422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35406795.post-39794225342442537382017-09-21T03:30:00.000-06:002017-09-21T03:30:05.950-06:00Freebies -- Yes or No?My pal, Martin Cavannagh of Reedsy, has sent me a link to a whole raft of book marketing "opportunities," all of which feature only free and/or deeply discounted books.
<br />
<blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
...BookBub and Bargainbooksy as well as some lesser known ones that we've done our best to vet.
<a href="https://blog.reedsy.com/book-promotion-services/">https://blog.reedsy.com/book-promotion-services/</a>
You can sort by genre and advertising cost — and we've even allocated them into tiers based on their reputation: from tier one, meaning that they come highly recommended; to tier four, which probably won't do much for you (but at least they're free).</blockquote>
</blockquote>
Yeah, well, I pass the link along, in case any of you want to discount and advertise your books. Or in case any of you want to score some free or deeply discounted books.
Me, I subscribe to the Ruth Brown school of sales.
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KPll4sQDssU?rel=0" width="560"></iframe></center>
I might just possibly consider doing a freebie or discount on the first volume of my SAGE trilogy, or on the short story collection set in that world. It seems that people who are several books along into a series would do well to try to entice readers into that ongoing set of characters/adventures. Almost all of my books, so far, are stand-alones, though.<br />
<br />
What do you think?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Marian Allen, Author Lady </a><br />
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes </a>Marian Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842321321484056422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35406795.post-62601067675763142262017-07-29T11:00:00.001-06:002017-07-29T11:00:09.589-06:00The Many Reasons For Keeping a Journal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xeQ5wd04IPU/WXy-t2T9MmI/AAAAAAAAAe8/lC4ZQXfk2bcSB7DvnaiXGORFOvZwXhtLgCLcBGAs/s1600/Create_a_Personal_Journal1%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="986" data-original-width="1600" height="197" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xeQ5wd04IPU/WXy-t2T9MmI/AAAAAAAAAe8/lC4ZQXfk2bcSB7DvnaiXGORFOvZwXhtLgCLcBGAs/s320/Create_a_Personal_Journal1%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I believe that everyone has a story. Some
of the best ones I’ve read came from members of critique groups who were
writing their life stories to pass along to their grandchildren. Those stories were
filled with captivating details about times and places long gone. How did they
do it? Aside from great memories, most of the writers kept journals. The
ability to revisit times and places through old photos and the written word was
invaluable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I’ve kept a journal for most of my adult
life. It began with boyfriend and school issues, then slowly progressed to work
challenges, and later parenting ups and downs. Lately, I’ve discovered another
reason to keep a journal. In fact, I’ve started a second one which has nothing
to do with me as a writer, but as a daughter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I call it the dementia journal. Our family saga
began two and a half years ago, when my sister and I realized that our mother’s
cognitive skills were diminishing. It seemed like a good idea to record what we
were experiencing. I’ve since learned that journal records can give healthcare
professionals better insight as to what’s happening.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Journals have many purposes, and not all of
them are about writing fiction or memories. You don’t need to be a professional
or even a passionate writer to note things down. But you can jot down a few
lines about a memorable vacation or event. How about keeping a food journal filled
with great recipes you’ve experimented with? What about writing down goals, or
challenges to help you focus, or put things in perspective?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">In his blog, <a href="https://medium.com/the-mission/why-keeping-a-daily-journal-could-change-your-life-9a4c11f1a475">Benjamin P. Hardy</a> outlines
several potential benefits when one starts to keep a journal. It’s never too
late to start. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.debrapurdykong.com/">Debra</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35406795.post-1870553900209391802017-07-21T03:30:00.000-06:002017-07-21T03:30:29.019-06:00Writing Mary SueIf you don't know what a Mary Sue is, go read <a data-mce-href="https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/2378/42969/The-Definition-of-Mary-Sue" href="https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/2378/42969/The-Definition-of-Mary-Sue" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">this discussion on fanfiction.net</a>. You still won't know, but you'll be highly entertained.<br />
<div class="mceTemp">
<dl class="wp-caption alignright" data-mce-style="width: 177px;" id="attachment_15251" style="width: 177px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt"></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd"></dd></dl>
</div>
A
Mary Sue is, by general consensus, a female character who irritates
people other than the author by drawing all the attention to herself.
True Mary Sues are adorable to the other characters and/or to the reader
(in the writer's mind, at any rate) because she's perky and perfect or a
lovable goof-up who nevertheless saves the day. True Mary Sues exist
only in fan fiction -- stories set in established universes like Star
Wars, Star Trek, Tolkien's Middle Earth. Hard core fans of those
universes resent these upstarts' hogging the limelight and warping the
stories/personalities of the official characters.<br />
<br />
Some folks claim that,
if the official stories and personalities aren't warped, the new
character isn't really a Mary Sue.<br />
<br />
NOW, as someone points out in
the discussion I linked, sometimes the character labeled a Mary Sue
fulfills the author's fantasies: She battles bad guys. Or she has a
romance (preferably doomed) with an official character. Or she saves an
important person's life. And she's the main character of the story,
driving the action and <i>solving all the things!</i><br />
<br />
AND, as someone else pointed out in the discussion, and I think this is my point, although I'm never sure, <em>all</em> our characters are pieces of us, living out fantasies of what we would do if we were in various situations. But kind of not.<br />
<br />
Because our characters are <em>not</em>
us, playing out fantasies. Our characters have their own backstories,
their own likes and dislikes, their own childhoods, and they can't <em>all </em>be
the same as ours. That's why I have so many prompts asking things like,
"What's in your character's wallet?". Sauron doesn't have the same
things in his wallet as you do, most likely; why should any of <em>your</em> characters?<br />
<br />
It's
fun to write #menotme characters who get into and out of scrapes in
other people's universes and wrap the narratives around themselves. And
there's nothing wrong with doing that, if it pleases you. Just do it on
purpose, because you choose to do it, not because you don't know any
better. And expect some people to call your character a Mary Sue and
sneer at her. Because folks are like that, sometimes.<br />
<br />
Me, I've done it. And I've extracted my Mary Sue, changed all the official characters, and given her her own book. ha!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Marian Allen, Author Lady</a><br />
<a href="http://marianallen.com/" target="_blank">Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes </a>Marian Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842321321484056422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35406795.post-23702938898717781542017-07-14T18:48:00.002-06:002017-07-14T18:48:49.188-06:00The Power and Importance of Reading<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yhrTyjd3qsE/WWlmQVpwoJI/AAAAAAAAAes/xjt_ybZGah0uZXZ9CKxpNj4aQcs2LsBAgCLcBGAs/s1600/Books.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="850" height="212" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yhrTyjd3qsE/WWlmQVpwoJI/AAAAAAAAAes/xjt_ybZGah0uZXZ9CKxpNj4aQcs2LsBAgCLcBGAs/s320/Books.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">From an early age, I’ve loved to read.
Books kept me company in a life that involved frequent moves, and were solace
when family life was tough. Although I didn’t plan to become a writer, a love
for the written word and a good imagination found me delving into the world of
fiction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Reading has many benefits. One study says
that readers live longer. An article in <a href="https://www.blinkist.com/magazine/posts/reading-habits-of-highly-successful-people">Blinklist</a> states that the common link
among the world’s high achievers isn’t IQ or luck, it’s a love of reading.
Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg, for instance, are
all avid readers. I’m not saying that they read fiction, but that they make a
point to read daily and often learn something new nearly every day. How cool is
that?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I’ve learned a lot about the craft of
storytelling by reading thousands of works of fiction and books on writing. I’m
turning to other types of nonfiction these days, and I can’t wait to learn many
more things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">By the way, for those of you who love to
discuss books, I belong to three great groups on Facebook. All are well
moderated, so the discussions usually stays friendly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Bookworms Anonymous, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/131878603663093/">https://www.facebook.com/groups/131878603663093/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Readers Coffee House, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/ReadersCoffeehouse/">https://www.facebook.com/groups/ReadersCoffeehouse/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">BookAholic Café, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/BookAholicCafe/">https://www.facebook.com/groups/BookAholicCafe/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Happy reading!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.debrapurdykong.com/">Debra</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35406795.post-87570275608313383152017-07-05T16:53:00.003-06:002017-07-05T16:53:49.852-06:00#Canada150Event!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BOsytrq803A/WV1tzkCeY8I/AAAAAAAAAec/ywVSoB3g0-gLgvigrwAj4KqvURhf604cACLcBGAs/s1600/international%2Bad2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BOsytrq803A/WV1tzkCeY8I/AAAAAAAAAec/ywVSoB3g0-gLgvigrwAj4KqvURhf604cACLcBGAs/s320/international%2Bad2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">To celebrate Canada's 150th birthday, my
publisher, Imajin Books will be giving away 150 ebooks to Canadian residents
and 150 ebooks to international residents. To enter, just subscribe to the
Imajin Books Inner Circle (IBIC newsletter).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Winners will be selected from subscribers
and will be able to choose their ebook prize. This is a great way to add to
your summer reading collection, for free!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">To enter, go to <a href="http://www.imajinbooks.com/ibic"><b>http://www.imajinbooks.com/ibic</b></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Good luck!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0