Decency

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It started on the playground when I made fun of a kid named Eddie.
We were in fifth grade and playing my favorite recess game, Socko, a more manly form of Dodgeball. It involved throwing a soccer-sized rubber ball at the opposing team across the line. If you hit a guy with the ball he was out. But if he managed to catch and hold onto the ball, you were out. Speed and power were of the essence.
This day Eddie was on the opposing team. He was the tallest kid in class and a little slow afoot. To get in his head I started loping around my side of the line pretending to be Eddie. My teammates started to laugh. Never one to give up the stage when the going is good, I continued my pantomime.
Finally, Eddie had had enough. “You wanna fight?” he said.
This challenge was issued in the full hearing of everyone on the Socko court. Things suddenly got very quiet, like that old E. F. Hutton commercial. Activity ceased as the crowd awaited my answer. The code of the schoolyard dictated that I not back down. To refuse would have marked me a coward, especially since I’d started the whole thing.
So I said, “Yeah.”
News of the fight spread like a Southern California wildfire. It was whispered in the bathrooms, shouted in the hallways, discussed over peanut butter sandwiches in the lunch area. By the end of the day it seemed like the entire student body of Serrania Avenue Elementary School had turned out to the regular fight venue, across the street on a grassy lot.
I was nervous. While I had a quickness advantage, Eddie had height and reach on me. Also, his fists also looked like canned hams.
And so the circle formed and the two ten-year-old adversaries put up their dukes.
I got in the first lick, a right to Eddie’s mouth. He shook his head a couple of times and the next thing I knew my world went red. One of those canned hams smacked me square in the snout and I started bleeding like the Red Sea.
This ended the fight as everybody recoiled in horror. Including Eddie. He did not follow up or come in for the kill. Everything just fizzled.
I walked home with my hands over my nose. My mom just about had a heart attack when she saw me caked with blood. But ten-year-old boys are supposed to do that to their mothers every now and then. It’s a story as old as mankind itself.
Later that evening Eddie’s mom called my mom. My mom called me to the phone. Eddie came on.
“You okay?” Eddie said.
“You gave me a bloody nose,” I said.
“Sorry,” Eddie said. “You gave me a fat lip.”
“Sorry,” I said.
There was a slight pause, then Eddie said, “Wanna be friends?”
“Okay,” I said.
“Okay,” Eddie said. “Bye.”
“Bye.”
I’m sure what happened was this. Eddie’s mom saw her son’s ballooned lip and had the same reaction my mom did. And then she said to him something like, “You are going to call and apologize.”
And Eddie did.
I never forgot that, because you don’t forget acts of decency. They seem rarer and rarer these days. The idea that there is a certain code of behavior for a civilized society is now more of a quaint notion than a moral imperative. And that’s just a shame.
Eddie moved away the next year so we weren’t in the same school anymore. Life went on. I retired from schoolyard fighting. I didn’t see the point. I preferred my nose just the way it was.
Then, in high school, my basketball team went to play a non-conference game in another county. We came out on the court for our warm ups and there on the other team’s bench sat Eddie. He looked exactly the same, only now he was about 6’8″ and his hands were the size of dining room tables.
I ran over and stood in front of him.
He looked up and took about two seconds to recognize me. Then he broke out into a big smile and said, “Jim!”
He stood up and put out his hand and I took it. No longer were we throwing fists with them.
Because we were friends.
I thought about Eddie this week. It was a bad one in our country, with news of horrific acts performed at a respected university on the watch of a beloved football coach. There was death and violence in tent cities, and continuing breakdown of civil discourse in our political realm. Sometimes it seems like the whole society has a collective nosebleed after a getting punched in the face. And there doesn’t seem to be much we can do about it.
But we can. Be kind to somebody this week. It’ll probably shock them. And don’t be afraid to say you’re sorry if you’ve messed up. We flat out need more decency around here. Let it start with us.

A New Slippery Slope

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Advertising in e- books. Are you ready for it? Do you want it? Granted, advertising in a book is not a new idea. There are paperback imprints that in the front or back of one book will place ads for other books which they publish which may be of similar interest to the reader. There was a somewhat short-lived experiment in the early 1970s to place four-color ads for cigarettes in the middle of paperbacks as well. But…advertising in an e-book?

That is the idea currently being floated by Harper UK. As it is currently conceived, such commercial interruptions would be limited to works of non-fiction (apparently because we readers of fiction have such easily derailed attention spans). The example which was presented was that an e-book concerning bird-watching could contain an advertisement for binoculars. You can see where this could go. Imagine the irregularly scheduled commercial in the e-book version of a sex manual. Or an ad for ginsu knives in a true crime book. Given the ever-growing popularity of the iPad (not to mention the Kindle Fire) such a commercial or advertisement could manifest itself in multiple media forms. Would it be a page that you could skip by, or perhaps one of those annoying popups for a movie or commercial product? And make no mistake: such a plan may be limited to non-fiction books at the moment, but if the trial with non-fiction e-books is at all successful, works of fiction will be next.

With that in mind, here is a bit of free advice: if you are fortunate enough to have a major entity, be it a publisher or Amazon or whoever, interested in publishing your work, make it your business to determine how and if your agreement addresses this issue. The argument from the other side may be that such an addition to your work in e-form is part of the content, or form, or your work, and thus falls under the purview and authority of the publisher. If you are in a position to negotiate this point (in other words, you haven’t signed anything yet) there are a number of points to consider. Two of the bigger ones would substance and form. You might object to ads for certain products (alcohol, condoms, and firearms, to name but three examples) or products manufactured or sold by a certain companies (The GAP, Wal-Mart, Progressive Insurance, and McDonalds, to name but a few). You might also have some concerns with regard to how the commercial is presented, or the product portrayed, in Your Book. An even bigger issue, however, concerns who will get the cheddar from the sale of such ad placement. When an ad is placed in your e-book, will your cash register go Ka-ching? Or will the proceeds of such go into the publisher’s coffers to offset the costs of publishing your e-book?
Is this an issue yet? No; but I believe it will be soon. Authors, published and prospective: what do you think about advertising in an e-book? Do you like the idea, or not? Why? And readers. Would you mind an occasional advertisement? Or are you happy to have a place to go that is ad-free?

The sincerest form of flattery?

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by Michelle Gagnon

So news broke this week that Q.R. Markham’s debut novel, ASSASSIN OF SECRETS, was being pulled from shelves after the publisher (Mulholland Books) discovered that numerous passage had allegedly been taken from other sources.

To get a sense of what they mean by “numerous,” follow this handy link. Apparently the only part of the book that Q. R. Markham didn’t plagiarize was the overly generic title and his bio.

My question is, why would a new author do such a thing? And more importantly, after all the plagiarizing scandals of the past decade (see: Stephen Ambrose, Kaavya Viswanathan, et al), how could he blithely expect not to get caught? In the digital era, all you have to do is type in a key phrase, and Google can usually instantly match it to a source. So why take the risk?

I have to wonder what the months leading up to his novel’s release have been like for Q. R. Markham. Was he basking in the thrill of having gotten away with something? Was he waking up nightly in a cold sweat, shaken by nightmares of being discovered? (Something about his pose in the photo to the left leads me to suspect probably not.) Or had he actually managed to convince himself that the work was his own?

And how did Mulholland Books (an imprint of Little, Brown) get so far along in the process without discovering the malfeasance? The book was released a week ago, which means that ARCs of it made the rounds months earlier. In fact, Publisher’s Weekly gave ASSASSIN OF SECRETS a glowing review, praising it as “quirky” and “entertaining.” My favorite part: “the obvious Ian Fleming influence just adds to the appeal.” Yes, of course, the Ian Fleming “influence.” As in, passages were extracted directly from his James Bond series and dumped into Markham’s narrative.

But he didn’t limit himself to stealing from merely one giant of the spy genre: Robert Ludlum’s books were also liberally borrowed from. Other excerpts have been attributed to John Gardner, Charles McCarry, Geoffrey O’Brien, and James Bamford. I have to admit to being a bit tickled by the inclusion of my pal Raymond Benson’s HIGH TIME TO KILL. If you want a great espionage read, go to the source on that one.

Here’s the thing. I’ve been forced to jump through numerous legal hurdles with each book, ranging from acquiring permissions for song excerpts and poems, altering university and town names, and changing one benign reference to Star Wars for fear of igniting a legal response from mighty Lucasfilm. So who feel asleep on the job here?

I have a friend who recently discovered that his novel ULTIMATE RUSH was being made into a film by Sony Pictures- yay, right? Except here’s the rub: they never optioned it. They changed the title to PREMIUM RUSH, altered a few character names, but adhered to the overall plot about a bike messenger on the run. Joe has been fighting them in court, so far to no avail. Theft, pure and simple. Apparently in Hollywood, it’s easier to get away with that sort of thing.

This has to be hugely embarrassing for Mulholland, especially since it’s a newer imprint that just started releasing books this past April. The question now is what happens to Markham? His second book has been canceled (obviously, although I’d love to see who he robbed to write that one), and I’m guessing he’ll be asked to return the advance. But will he also be sued by Mulholland? How about the people whose work he co-opted? (Here’s your shot at the big bucks, Ray).

Anyway, here’s the takeaway. You never rip off another writer’s clever turn of phrase–ever. It’s cheap and wrong and basically illustrates that you’re incapable of an original thought. Shame on Q. R. Markham for thinking he could get away with it.

Cornered

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Have you ever written yourself into a corner? Have you progressed at least midway through your story and then realized your hero is going down a black hole and you don’t know how to get him out?Recently, I found myself in this situation. In my synopsis, which acts as my writing guideline, I was up to the part where the hero, Lord Magnor, goes to the underworld to obtain a sacred book stolen by Hel, Queen of the Shades. To get there, he has to die. Circumstances with the heroine make him despair of their future together, and so he takes a poison pill that another character has given him.

Here is what my synopsis said:

He awakens underground in front of an iron gate. This leads to a gold-paved bridge that crosses the river Gjoll. Beyond is Helheim, where Hel resides. A giantess guards the gate and asks him for the password. If he fails to give the right answer, she’ll toss him in the river and it will carry him to the land of fire and eternal torment.

Magnor figures out a way past and meets Hel. She isn’t willing to give up the Book of Odin, not even for the mead he’s brought. So he creates a diversion and steals the sacred book.

Now this presented several problems. How does he get past the giantess when he fails to give the right password? How does he get into Hel’s palace? What kind of diversion does he create, and how does he steal the ancient relic?

I printed out these questions and sat on my “thinking couch” until the answers came to me. First of all, if he fails to give the right password, the giantess won’t throw him in the river. Instead, she’ll doom him to spend eternity in the company of other lost souls.
At that point, he has to find another way past the gate. He doesn’t have any cutting tools or acid to break in at some point farther down the line. And even if he could do so, how would he cross the raging river? What he does have are his wits, so he eases into the shadows and cheats by climbing up the rocky wall lining the chamber and gaining access to the opposite bank that way. In other words, he goes up and over instead of across. It’s the Kobayashi Maru solution from Star Trek. If you’re in a no win situation, change the rules.

So what about confronting Hel? He decides upon a frontal approach, stating his business to the palace guards in such a confident manner that he convinces them to allow him an audience with the queen. I’m glossing over the details but suffice it to say he states his case to her and she refuses to comply. Now we need a distraction so he can steal the book that rests in a glass case.

In the story, I’ve already planted the seeds for this solution. He’s been given a magic horn that is supposed to sound a warning when the demon, Loki, is near. But what will happen if Magnor blows the horn within Hel’s palace? He does so, and glass shatters throughout the hall, including the case protecting the sacred book. He snatches the artifact as Hel’s minions surround him.

Now what? The heroine has been told she must obtain a golden apple from the Fae to revive him. But fairies aren’t part of Norse mythology, which my story is based on. Here is what my synopsis says:
Erika must return him to the land of the living. She realizes how much he means to her and won’t risk losing him. However, reviving him isn’t easy. Aware that she only has a certain window in which to resuscitate the warrior, she saves him just in time.

Okay, how does she save him? Anytime you leave things vague like this in your synopsis or writing outline, eventually you have to come up with the details. Again, I’d already sowed the seeds within the story. Erika, a descendant of Odin, has inherited some of his shapeshifter powers. She cannot change her own form, but she possesses the power to manipulate the earth.

Odin also had the “breath of inspiration”, and this reminded me of the breath of life possessed by the Mord Sith in Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series. What if, instead of going to the Fae, Erika is inspired by the figurines of fairies she’s designed in her pottery studio? Fairies might not be real, but what about fairy dust? And so she uses her innate power to revitalize the hero with the magical dust she breathes into his mouth.

As you can see, whatever corner you back your hero into, if you’ve laid the proper groundwork for your story, the solution will arise from material you’ve already planted. So go ahead and gloss over these details in your selling synopsis, but be assured when you come to them in the story, the muse will help you fill in those plot holes. You can rewrite your synopsis accordingly.

So who else has backed a character into a corner, and how did you get him out?

A Day at the Park Reveals a Mystery . . . or, Let’s Write One!

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By Kathleen Pickering   http://www.kathleenpickering.com

One of the beauties of being an author is that you find stories everywhere. Since this is a mystery writers’ bog where I am so kindly welcomed as a multi-genre author, I want to try my hand at a mystery. Wanna play?

So, it’s a beautiful Sunday morning along the New River in downtown Fort Lauderdale. You are heading for a Jazz Festival where folks may not actually be as they seem.

 jazz sunday

To reach the river, you enter an open park with a large pavilion just before the river walk. On the paved sidewalk you find this symbol:

jazzsunday5

You think, that’s cool. Is it a fish? A dwelling? It’s just a novelty until you reach the other side of the park. There where the path ends you see this symbol:

jazzsunday7

Now, you can’t help it. You follow the orange-brick road circling the other side of the park and discover this:

jazzsunday8

Now, you’re wondering, is this a secret code? Directions for aliens landing on the green? These symbols are not located at the four compass points, but simply dotting the path at four points where you would enter or exit the park. So, now, your curiosity is peaked. Is there another symbol in the other section you haven’t checked? Sure enough. At the path by the fountain at the city side of the park, you find this:

jazzsunday9

Then someone’s name is carved into the cement at the foot of the park:

jazzsunday10

If you tell me what kind of mystery this creates for you, I’ll tell you mine. I’m sure someone smarter than I will be able to tell me what these symbols represent. In the meantime, let’s make our own meaning and build a mystery. It doesn’t have to be long. A paragraph or two, like a cover blurb, will do just fine.

Now, as a throw in . . . across from the park is an open pit where they’re starting construction. The pit is lined with fencing decorate with images such as these:

jazzsunday4

On the other side of the park is an odd tavern filled with flotsam and jetsam. It’s masthead is a flying mermaid. Do either of these locations have anything to do with the symbols?

jazz sunday1

Let ‘er rip, mystery writers! The winner gets a free, autographed copy of Mythological Sam – The Call. Let’s see what you can do!

Kindle Lending Library Controversy

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So unless you have been hiding under a rock (and sometimes with all the changes in the industry I would like to do this!) you will have heard that Amazon is offering to lend e-books to its Kindle-owning Prime members for free. Since then a number of issues have been raised which I think, quite rightly, places the spotlight on just how authors are going to be fairly compensated for this.

The Association of Authors’ representatives (AAR) has issued a statement stating: “The agent and author community have not been consulted about this new sort of use of authors’ copyrighted material and are unaware of how publishers plan on compensating authors for this…”

From what I have read publishers (those that consented to be in the program, at least) are being paid a lump sum for inclusion in the e-book lending library no matter how many times their titles are borrowed. Other publishers, who have apparently not been contacted (!) or consented (!), will be paid the wholesale price for the ebook any time someone borrows it. But what about the authors?

Here are some of the issues as I see them (and I would love your input on any or all of these):
  • Is what Amazon is proposing even covered by the publisher-agent contract? The AAR statement states that they think “free lending of an author’s work as an incentive to purchase a (kindle) device and /or participation in a program (i.e. Amazon’s Prime) is not covered by most contracts – nor do most contracts have any stipulation for how an author would be compensated for such use.”
  • What is the basis for author compensation? If a publisher receive a flat fee, how will that be allocated to the author? Again, the AAR seem to believe that there is really no basis for either distributing this income to authors or for determining how much authors would get as an aggregate sum in the first place for their work being in Amazon’s ‘library’ program.
  • What will be the impact on ebook sales and prices? Will Amazon’s move further devalue books? Will it decrease the price people are willing to pay for ebooks (“hey, I could have borrowed it for free!”)? Obviously we already have physical libraries where people borrow books but still, I think Amazon’s program is a significant new step. My understanding is that many of the ‘big’ 6 publishers have not agreed to be part of the Kindle lending library program – presumably over fear it would impact sales or devalue their books – but given Amazon’s clout (and willingness in the past to shut publishers out) will they feel pressured to join? Also, finally…
  • Is it a good thing that Amazon now has so much market power – both in terms of retailing and publishing?
What do you think? Sure, it’s great for Amazon Prime members who own a Kindle but what about for authors? Is it nothing more than storm in a teacup or yet another example of authors being screwed?

How to Feel Miserable as a Writer

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On her website, artist and writer Keri Smith generated a lot of blog noise with her list of 10 ways an artist can feel miserable (h/t to agent Rachelle Gardner for referencing the post).
I thought the list perfectly applicable to writers, and wanted to see what you think. I’ve changed the wording slightly to reflect the writing life:
1. Constantly compare yourself to other writers.
2. Talk to your family about what you do and expect them to cheer you on.
3. Base the success of your entire career on one book.
4. Stick with what you know.
5. Undervalue your expertise.
6. Let money dictate what you do.
7. Bow to societal pressures.
8. Only do work that your family will love.
9. Do everything your editor asks you to do.
10. Set unachievable, overwhelming goals — to be accomplished by tomorrow.
So what do you think? Any of these resonate? Anything you’d add?

THE PLOT THICKENS…OR MAYBE THINS.

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By John Ramsey Miller


I almost clean forgot this blog because I’ve been so absorbed in work that I almost forgot I was up to bat this week.

This week I got an emailed message from the International Thriller Writers that stated that due to the insanity in the publishing world at the moment, authors who are members can submit their self published works for inclusion in the ITW awards selection process. That, my friends, is HUGE.

Part of it went as follows:
“The awards committee would like ITW members to know that he criteria for the 2012 Thriller Awards have been expanded to include self-published work by active ITW members. Active status members may submit independently published work to the appropriate category of Thriller competition (best Hard Cover, best Paperback Original, best Short Story).

Independently published work from Associate ITW members will not be considered for competition at this time.”

There is no eBook only category, but everything is up for grabs at the moment.

Our organization is promoting eBooks self-published by members in their (our) webzine which goes to 13,000 individuals and industry related businesses.

This goes to show you how many previously published authors there are in our ranks. These are guys and gals who have proven they have the “goods” and are quite capable of writing a book that is at least readable, and probably ought to be on shelves as long as there are shelves.

I am proud of the ITW for understanding where a lot of us are right now, and largely through no fault of our own. We the houseless. Not long ago this would have been a dire situation. Whether or not our large houses need an individual at the moment, said individual needs to write, and have their work available to their readers, existing and future. I don’t know if the MWA (Mystery Writers if America) or the SIC (Sisters In Crime), or the other similar organizations will follow suit, but I think the ITW has been a leader among the organizations that “serve” us authors. It shows me that there is an organization that “gets” the situation and is trying to take care of its members. This flexibility is crucial and shows that the ITW cares about its members as individuals. I have heard that others do not want to change something it might have to change back in the future.

Recently I found a talented author who is writing top notch books, and he is self-published. I’ve been reading his series as fast as I can download them to my Kindle. I sent him a note and we started a correspondence. He wants a legitimate house to publish his work because he feels the self-published stigma. As he is successful at self-publishing a house has offered to re-release his books under their banner and take half of his profits. To his credit he has so far declined their offers because they won’t give him an escape clause in the event that they do not increase his numbers significantly. The only upside is the branding. I have heard that there are houses, both large and small, trolling the eBook world looking for authors with a following. Often they can pick up the author’s catalogue cheaply. I get it.

I look forward to the day that authors like this talented individual will not feel as though they are looked down on by other authors who are (or have been) published by a “name” house. I am finding more and more quality authors available only on Amazon. So the quality is there, and the I imagine the stigma (real or imagined) is getting to be a thinner curtain. It is the story that counts and there are more talented storytellers than publishers who will get behind them.

Sorry if this is a disjointed mess of a blog, but I am rushing so I can spend my Saturday on the planet Rewrite.


The Performance Side of Writing

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By John Gilstrap

A few weeks ago, my wife and I were among the hundreds in attendance when Stephen King addressed an audience at George mason University as part of Fairfax, Virginia’s Fall for the Book Festival.

By way of full disclosure, seeing Stephen King live is to me analogous to what I imagine it would be for a classical actor to see Kenneth Branaugh.  Or Laurence Olivier.  While many of King’s stories don’s appeal to me anymore (I read Pet Sematary when Joy was pregnant–‘Nuff said?), he works the English language exactly the way I wish that I could.

He also worked the audience with supreme grace and skill.  The fact that he was entirely at ease on the stage confirmed for me that his spontaneity was well-rehearsed.  If that read as snarky, please re-read. I meant it as a statement of supreme admiration.  As one whose Big Boy Job requires dozens of speeches a year–a few to standing O’s, I hasten to add–I can attest to the importance of hard work to making things easy.

Sooner or later, we all find ourselves alone on stage–or something like a stage–and I thought I’d share some of the tricks of the trade when it comes time to entertain an audience.

First, notice the E-word.  Embrace the fact that successful speakers are first and foremost entertainers.  I don’t care if you’re delivering a eulogy or a paper on astrophysics.  People will remember you if you’re entertaining.  And they will forget you if you are not.

We all work too hard to be forgotten.  So, how can we be memorable?

Step One:  If you truly hate public speaking and are not willing to work for it, turn down the public speaking gigs.  Your audience and your replacements will both be grateful.

Step Two:  Remember that ain’t none of this about you–iy’s about the audience.  Give thme a good ride, and they’ll love you forever.  Turn to navel-gazing bullshit about your muse and your struggles, and you’ll turn everybody off.

Step Three:  Have something to say.  This is where preparation and rehearsal pay dividends.  And remember that making feel good is better than making them feel bad.  Know where your laugh lines are and wait for them.  If you don’t know how to do this part, sign up with your local chapter of Toast Masters and learn how to structure and deliver a decent speech.  (See Step Two above.)  Every person in your audience gave up the sure thing entertainment option of watching a Seinfeld rerun for the ninth time.  You owe them at least as good a ride as that.

Step Four:  Talk to your audience, not at them.  Make eye contact.  Smile.  Invite input.  The fact that this is the 4,784th time you’ve delivered this speech doesnt change the reality that it’s the first time for each of your audience members.

Step Five (and this one’s a personal bugaboo):  Yes, you need a microphone.  I don’t care if you’re James Earl Jones on crack; you’re easier to hear in the back of the room if you’re amplified.  (See Step Two–again.)

Step Six (actually, it’s 5-A):  The microphone is a voice amplification device.  It is not a pointer, a magic wand, or an extension of your Italian gesticulation hand.  To work, it needs to be pointed at your mouth.  We’re talking straight-on.  Ninety degrees.  If you’re speaking from a podium, think in arcs as you look from one side of the audience to the other.  As your head moves, the mouth-to-mike distance should remain constant.

When using a lavalier microphone (always my preference), take time to hide the cord and the transmitter.  Having that black cord swinging around gets in the way and looks ugly.  Neatness matters to the audience.  If you have an audio technician working with you, trust his advice.  If you don’t, put the microphone a fist’s width from the underside of your jaw.  For guys, that will be between the second and third buttons on your shirt.  For ladies, that means that you have to dress in anticipation of a microphone.

There’s more, of course, but I think these are the basics.  What do y’all think?  What are your tricks or cardinal rules for presentations?