Book or movie?

Which is better? Audiences often are disappointed in the movie adaptation of a book. For the maker, the question has a different connotation. Which is better to create, a written piece or a video?

I am finishing a video project with students at school and besides the time it takes from my writing time, it’s a structure I’m not at ease with. They both have similarities. The difference is matter of presentation, the kind of format the story is presented in.

Each have a creative, inventive phase. It starts with a vision for an idea and then you work to develop it. It simmers and stews as your subconscious mulls it over while you sleep or mow the lawn or whatever. Then you write the rough draft. In the case of video-production, you go about planning the scenes and what the actors are to say and do. Video is a visual thing so you have to think in terms of what the camera sees. Both mediums have a creative, rough draft stage where you put ideas out there.

Then comes the revision. Once the idea is roughed out, you revise to clarify, simplify, and smooth out the edges. Revision cleans up the garbage. Editing is to video what revising is to story. You take raw footage and edit out the parts you don’t want.

They differ in the revision. Writing is a solo chore and critique groups help find areas that don’t work. Video production is more of a group effort. There is no established method of critique. More people are involved in the development, but there is less opportunity to have unbiased outside opinion.

The purpose of each is to entertain or to inform. My preferred style is written novel mode. I know it; I’m comfortable there. 

Traditional Publishers are Actually Trade Publishers

by Deren Hansen

Whether we call the new mode of publishing self-, indie, or artisan, the most consistently used label for the formerly dominant publishing model is, “traditional.”

As people who work with words, we understand how important it is to use the right ones. There are, for example, some circles where traditional means, “time-tested values,” not, “hopelessly stuck in the past.” But the real problem with the label, “traditional,” isn’t whether it implies the business model is good or bad but that it doesn’t accurately describe the business model.

Major commercial publishers are, “trade publishers,” because they published to the book trade. They sell their wares to booksellers, not readers.

“But,” you may object, “readers are still the ones buying the books, so what’s the big deal?”

Consider the problem of children’s books: children don’t buy books. Thanks to the inconvenient fact that very few children have disposable income, essentially all children’s books are purchased by well-meaning adults. This means that the book must appeal not only to the child for whom it’s intended but also to someone in the circle of adults with an interest in supplying that child with reading material. It’s not uncommon for the two constituencies (children and adults) to have very different reasons for choosing a book.

Booksellers, of course, want to sell books. The ideal book for a bookseller is one that every reader will want. Readers want to buy books that will entertain, educate, or provide an experience. The ideal book for a reader is one that speaks to his or her specific needs and desires. Absent that ideal book, readers choose the ones that seem to best suit their needs from what’s available. It’s not uncommon for the two constituencies (booksellers and readers) to have very different reasons for choosing a book.

Booksellers order the products they resell from trade publishers. Trade publishers don’t deal directly with readers. That means trade publishers are primarily in the business of convincing booksellers to offer their wares to the reading public. Convincing readers to read their books is at best a secondary concern for trade publishers.


Deren Hansen is the author of the Dunlith Hill Writers Guides. Learn more at dunlithhill.com.

For Young Readers

Not to harp about it, but WIFYR is just around the corner. There are still few spots available. You can sign up here.

I am an assistant this year and am excited to be working with Ann Cannon. She is a regular at the conference and I try to attend her afternoon sessions when I can. Ann writes at many levels in children’s literature. She’s done PB to YA. You can read her each Saturday in the Salt Lake Tribune and thus knows how to entertain adult readers as well.

Carol Williams, again, has assembled a host of talented speakers and faculty. Cheri Pray Earl, Sharlee Glenn, Steve Bjorkman, J Scott Savage, Kris Chandler, Martine Leavitt, Matt Kirby, and Mette Ivie Harrison all join Ann and Carol in running workshops. Something new this year, there are mini-workshops that participants can sign up for. Each morning focuses on a different theme, from blogging to screen writing and short stories to rhythm, rhyme, and riddle. Elana Johnson, Alison Randall, Krysten Crow, and Marty Nabhan are running these sessions.

Also in attendance will be an editor and two agents. Carol has pulled in Alyson Heller from Aladdin Books. The agents include Ammi-Joan Paquette of the Erin Murphy Literary Agency and Steven Fraser from the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency.

The Utah State Poet Laureate, Lance Larson will be the keynote speaker in Thursday afternoon.

The conference is a great place to grow your craft. I have yet to do a LTUE and have heard high praise for LDStorymakers, but the For Young Readers conference is refreshing. Any effort to cultivate your writing skill is satisfying. Carol’s conference is the place to do it.

Do Not Let Personal Struggles Stop Your Dreams with Author Sarah E. Sauer

When I was little, I wanted to be a veterinarian because I have always loved animals. My dream was to own horses and be a vet at a zoo. But that all changed suddenly when I diagnosed with brain cancer. 

The surgery, chemo and radiation treatment were awful. For eight weeks after my surgery, I could not walk, talk, move my hands, eat, and had to have everything done for me. It was a very frightening time for me. It was my animals that helped me get through my illness and treatment. In fact, my parents promised me an animal after every treatment cycle to get me to co-operate. Animals helped me in ways that no person ever could. When I was able to return to school, it was difficult. 

My classmates treated me differently. I felt like they treated me like a glass doll and no one would come close to me for fear I would break. I could no longer do the things with my friends that I used to do before I got sick. I could not walk, let alone run and play tag with my friends without falling. My voice sounded funny because my vocal cords were affected. I had to wear a hat because I had no hair. My hands were weak and I had trouble writing and doing things. I used to have so many friends and could do so many things. It was my animals that helped me get through these difficult times. They do not care if you do not have any hair, or can't walk well, they just loved you unconditionally and not for your appearance or abilities.

Despite all that happened to me, I was a fighter. I was not going to let the cancer or the limitations it left me with win. I knew I could not pursue becoming a vet so I volunteered at a local zoo and worked with the zookeepers. I loved volunteering and helping them care for the different animals. However, I soon realized that I did not have the strength or endurance or even the height to do the work of an animal keeper. I am only 4'8 because of the radiation to my spine and will not grow any taller. Even though I am 19 years old, people mistake me for being only 10 yrs old. I kept searching for how could I fulfill my dream to work with animals. 

I have always loved taking photos of animals. When I was little, my parents would give me and my sisters a disposable camera whenever we went on vacation. They encouraged us to take pictures of our vacation. Well when we got our film developed, my photos were all of the dogs that I saw! So when I had the opportunity to take a digital photography class my senior year of high school, I did. My teacher early on told me that she saw potential in my photography skills. 

She said I could tell stories through my photos. Of course, the majority of my photos were of animals. It was when I was in my first college class that I realized how I could use my love and passion for animals. I was given an assignment to put together a project that showed what my career goals were. 

I had been volunteering with foster children and preschoolers at St. Joseph Children's Home and Child Development Center and  decided that I would share my love of animals with young children and help them learn to see the beauty and detail of all animals using my photographs and creating a children's photo book. And so with the wonderful guidance of Lisa Umina at Halo Publishing, I have published my work, "What Do You See When You Look at Me?'. 

With my book I hope to not only help young children learn to appreciate animals and the world we live in but to inspire others, like many of the foster kids, who have had bad things happen to them. I am using proceeds from my book to give back to the different groups who have not only helped me in my journey but believed in me and gave me chance. When these people looked at me, they did not see what the cancer did to me but they saw potential and good. I want people to realize that when you reach out and encourage someone, you really do make a difference in their life. And most of all I want people to know that no matter what happens to you in life, you can always choose to take something bad that happens and turn it into something good, just have faith in God.

About the Author: 

Sarah E. Sauer is a childhood brain cancer survivor. She is also an animal lover. Sarah’s love of animals was something she drew on for strength throughout her illness. In her first children’s book, Sarah shares her love and respect for wildlife animals through her photos she took for her high school digital photography class. Sarah is currently studying early childhood education and hopes to share her love and knowledge of animals to promote and develop an appreciation of wildlife in young children. She currently lives in Corydon, IN with her family and her horses, llamas, donkey, cats and dogs.

Author website http://www.halopublishing.com/bookstore/Sarah-Sauer

Publisher website http://halopublishing.com/

Find out more about Sarah E. Sauer and her book at the World of Ink Author/Book Tour, visit http://tinyurl.com/carfswr

 

What Matters Most: Readers

by Deren Hansen

The notion that the national book culture we once enjoyed—a consensus about the books everyone who considers themselves literate should have read—is withering under the assault of disruptive businesses and technologies isn’t simply an exercise in good–old–days revisionism: it’s actually one of the last gasps of the cultural monopolies created by trade publishers during the last half–century.

Through a complex web of bestseller lists, influential reviewers, English professors, and book clubs, trade publishers have attempted to create the commercial equivalent of a required reading list. The publishing ecosystem expends a great deal of energy trying to create a sense of urgency by making readers feel they are behind or missing out on the literary cutting edge.

While it is true that shared references are a cornerstone of culture, the idea that a book’s importance is best measured by the number of concurrent readers is one that benefits principally trade publishers and booksellers.

Tracy Hickman has been telling conference audiences for several years, “It doesn't matter if you're published. Being published is nothing. It is everything to be read.”

In the past, writers had to play the commercial lottery of getting published because it was the only game in town. Unfortunately, that system fostered an all–or–nothing mentality: your book was a failure if it wasn’t the talk of the nation.

Rejecting a manuscript because it wasn’t, “sufficiently commercial,” meant the trade publisher believed the book wouldn’t sell in the volume they needed to turn a profit. But that judgment took none of the needs of readers or writers into account.

An author needs readers, but he or she doesn’t need every reader. In fact, it is not possible to write one book that will appeal to every single reader. What is possible, thanks to the recent explosion in publishing opportunities, is to write things that will be read because the distance between writer and reader is now much smaller.


Deren Hansen is the author of the Dunlith Hill Writers Guides. Learn more at dunlithhill.com.

The Secret to Getting Published

By Julie Daines.

I just finished up three days at the Storymakers 2013 conference! It was a great event with some wonderful agents and editors, and lots of amazing authors and aspiring authors. I attended some very helpful classes--some of them taught by agents and editors.

When the agents/editors open the floor to questions, inevitably the writers start asking things like:

"What are the upcoming trends in the market?"
"What should I put in my query letter to make it stand out?"
"What genres are you looking for?"
"When is the best time of year to query?"

The agents and editors do their best to answer these questions, but they struggle. Sometimes the writers get bugged. "Why can't they just tell us what they're looking for."  Even though these are all different questions, they all boil down to the same thing:

"What is that one magical thing I need to do to get published?"

The bottom line is that there is no one secret, magical, just-out-of-reach trick. They can guide you and offer suggestions on what NOT to do, but none of this is a shoo in.

The only trick that really works is to write a great story. I think is was Victoria Curran who said, after everyone kept asking for the magical secret, "Write what's in your heart, and write to the heart."

A good query is important. Not writing to the trends is important. Choosing the right agent for your genre is important. But the only sure thing that can sell your story is your story.

Write what's in your heart.
Create something that speaks to the heart of the reader.
Write it well.
When the time is right, your story will find a home. No magical tricks involved.

Those nasty adverbs

I’m probably not the one to talk about this.

I use them a lot. Religiously, in fact. They just inadvertently slip in. I write away and Miss Anti-ly Lady - she’s an awesome critiquers - finds them. Inevitably. What’s wrong with a few adverbs here and there? How do you do without them? I mean really?

Some of them I can do without. When Anti-ly sees them, and she sees them all, a good most of them don’t need to be there. I pull them out. But others I like.

I have been studying the idea and pulled ideas from the sites listed below. There are a few reasons not to use adverbs. They weaken your writing. It shows the author somehow needs to choose another way to express an idea. And lastly, a while ago as they were compiling a book of rules for writers, someone said don’t use –ly words. Everybody went along with it and now it’s the law.

In terms of weakened writing, I understand and I agree. It’s a show, don’t tell thing. The following, for example, presents one sentence stronger than the other.

-“Why did you do that?” she asked angrily.

-“Why did you do that?” she hissed.

It does show a physical cliché that Julie Daines referred to in a February post. But without the adverb, it is stronger.  

There are adverbs that are unnecessary.

-Jack stealthily hid behind the door. He quickly pulled out a knife. He finally decided to confront his assailant.

None of the sentences need the adverbs. June Casgrande blogs that they are stronger without them. And packed in a tight space the wording doesn’t sound comfortable.

The Emert site gives great examples of superfluous adverbs. The adverb is unnecessary in the radio blared loudly or totally flabbergasted as blared infers loud and flabbergasted implies astonishment that is total.

I get that. But adverbs must exist for a reason. A health nut would want to know if her food is organically grown. When a person smiles, they could smile mischievously but if they did so shyly, wickedly, or joyfully, it paints a different picture. Sometimes messages must be spoken emphatically. You can’t have your characters give up –ly words just to fall back to physical clichés. I like adverbs.

What is wrong with adverbs in dialogue? My middle grade MC is still working on figuring out his place in the world and he uses adverbs. Seriously. It is how kids and people speak. If I want my dialogue to sound kid-like, seems an adverb here or there wouldn’t hurt.

The most persuasive site I found in objection to adverbs is Erik Emert’s 2001site.

This is a compilation of the rules, the ones writers are supposed to adhere to. Emert sites some big names in writing, Browne and King, and others, so you have to listen. Perhaps I am too much of an amateur to fully understand. And please pardon my adverb. It just slipped in. But it clarifies my meaning.

So, “they” say you shouldn’t use –ly words. Others justify their existence if used judiciously. For Anti-ly Lady, they stick out. I don’t know about you, but I’ll still slip a few in once in a while.

Carol Williams shared a story at an SCBWI event this year. She had laid down the law on adverbs. A student dutifully obeyed but had a heck of a time avoiding referring to her family. And they couldn’t fly anywhere. I say let’s lighten up on –ly words.

Seriously.

WYFIR reminder. Don't be too late to sign up for this wonderful conference. Discount for SCBWI members.

References

http://www.grammarunderground.com/thoughts-on-the-old-avoid-adverbs-advice.html

http://www.users.qwest.net/~yarnspnr/writing/adverbs/adverbs.htm

https://iovere.wordpress.com/tag/why-writers-should-avoid-adverbs/

http://mattmoorewrites.wordpress.com/2012/10/18/the-avoid-adverbs-rule-is-very-wrong/

http://www.marklanden.com/2012/04/18/3-reasons-not-rules-to-avoid-adverbs/

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=389989

Your Personal Brand

Because I'm traveling today, I have limited time for blogging. I can, however, post a link to an amusing article from The Onion that reminds me of the frequent advice writers receive to build and maintain our personal brand, even before we are published. As is often the case in The Onion, the article is funny and a little too accurate for comfort.

If, somehow, you are not familiar with The Onion, be advised that, although this article does not contain profanity, others on the site do, so you might accidentally run across a strong word somewhere on the page. But I still recommend checking out this article.

James Patterson Mourns the Passing of our National Literary Culture

by Deren Hansen

Several weeks ago James Patterson placed an ad in the New York Times Book Review and in Publishers Weekly asking why the federal government "has stepped in to save banks, and the automobile industry, but where are they on the important subject of books?" (See Salon, "James Patterson speaks out about his aggressive 'book industry bailout' ads")

While many people have taken issue with the notion of a bailout for the traditional publishing industry, I see a deeper issue: what Patterson is really lamenting is the passing of an idealized national book culture.

The last question before the list of 38 books he considers important is, "What will happen if there are no more books like these?"

I was educated at an elite, east-cost university and hold a post-graduate degree. My home is filled with books (more than a ton of book boxes the last time we moved). I've read only four of the thirty-eight books listed in the ad. [To be fair, I've been affected by a few others on the list (e.g., movies).]

What's wrong with me? Why, in terms of Patterson's list, am I so poorly read?

Because I was reading other things.

There was a time when it mattered what was on television: with only three broadcast networks, you could always find people who had watched what you watched last night and wanted to talk about it. Now with hundreds of cable channels, video on demand services like Netflix, and YouTube, we can no longer assume anyone else watched what we watched.

With the possible exception of the Bible, not only is the same true for books, it's actually been a very long time since there were few enough books that one could make any assumptions about what most people had read.

Even though there has never been a national book culture, Patterson's lament is worth considering:

• What does literary culture mean in the new world of textual abundance created by Amazon and its ilk? 
• Who decides which novels belong in the canon of literature with which everyone should be familiar?

The answer is: we do.

In the infinite online catalog, we can actually vote (through reviews, for example), for the texts we consider worthwhile. Like democracy, the system isn't perfect, but over time it will tend to work better than tyranny, however benign.

Deren Hansen is the author of the Dunlith Hill Writers Guides. Learn more at dunlithhill.com.

30 days, 30 stories, and WIFYR

Thanks, Sarah, for another fun April with a new piece to read everyday. I didn’t necessarily get to them each day, but enjoyed them when I caught up with them.

I am impressed with the variety and the talent. The young man, I think you said he is 10, has got some impressive talent and I hope he stays with it. The illustrations and graphic stories were fun. Screenplay and poetry and adult fiction and kid lit graced the month’s choices. We’ve got good writers in our midst.

I need to put in another plug for WIFYR. This is the annual Writing and Illustrating For Young Readers conference in June. Here is a link: http://www.wifyr.com/ Carol Williams puts on a great show every year, pulling in agents and editors and amazing faculty. I can’t tell you all of the reasons why you need to attend, but illustrator Julie Olson can give you 10 good reasons. Click here: http://jujubeeillustrations.blogspot.com/2013/03/conference-success.html

SCBWI members get a discount.

Thanks again to all who entertained us this last month.

Scapple

It's rare that I write about a piece of software I've never seen, much less used. But I've been reading about Scapple, a new note-scribbling app for Mac from Literature and Latte, the people who brought us Scrivener. Because it is only available for Mac and I'm a Windows and Linux user, I haven't actually tried this, but from what I've been reading, it is an intriguing tool for writers.

Scapple is like a blank piece of paper on your Mac. You can add a note anywhere on the paper by clicking on a spot and typing. You can join notes with a line by dragging one note on top of another. There are other shortcuts to help you work out your ideas too.

It's not quite like a mindmap. Mindmaps are useful for planning a story, but can be frustrating because you can only have one central node, and everything has to branch off that node, or be connected directly to another node. Problem is, when you're planning a project, you often have ideas that do not immediately connect to your other thoughts. Traditional mindmapping software does not allow for these disconnected thoughts.

It's kind of like whiteboarding software with mindmapping advantages, but it's more like a big zoomable sheet of paper that you can use how ever you want. Make that a piece of paper that lets you move your doodles around on it. Then, when you're ready, you can import your Scapple sheet to your Scrivener corkboard.

It sounds like a simple tool without extra bells and whistles that get in the way. You just use it to do what you want to do and youd on't have tow ork around and between unwanted features to do it.

It's not enough to make me go out and buy a Mac, but if this works as well as it might, it will create a rare pang of Mac envy. 

Update: A Windows version of Scapple is in the works. No availability date has been announced.   


Other Tech News

And in other news, this week's software update for the Nook HD and Nook HD+ readers, available now, includes the entire Google Play App store, transforming what was already a great reader into a full-fledged tablet. One of the more interesting things about this news is that the Nook can now run the Kindle App for Android, which means you can now read your Amazon books on the Barnes & Noble Nook. I already loved my 7" Nook HD. I now love it even more.

Celebrating Storytelling

by Deren Hansen

Once again we've told thirty stories in thirty days. It's often good to take a step back after something like this to assess what we've done.

First, beyond simply thanking the participants for sharing their work, each and every one should be commended for the courage to do so in such a public place. Even though we rightly teach would-be authors that they must write for readers and not simply to express themselves, it is impossible to write without investing some of your self in the words. Exposing your words to public scrutiny — perhaps even ridicule — means exposing yourself as well. While you may develop a thicker skin over time, releasing a new piece of writing always requires some courage. So, kudos to all.

Second, we should never forget the simple joy of storytelling. Much of the discussion here focuses on commercial writing — that is, writing for money in some way, shape, or form. Add in all the rest of the writing advice floating around the web, particularly from those involved in the publishing industry, and it's easy to believe this is the only form of writing that matters. As nice as it would be to get paid to tell stories, the true mark of a successful story teller is telling a successful story in your chosen medium.

Storytelling is an essential part of what it means to be human. Whether you hit the bestseller lists or simply entertain your grandchildren, mastering the art of storytelling will make your work and your life richer.

Thanks to everyone here who helped enrich April for us.

Deren Hansen is the author of the Dunlith Hill Writers Guides. Learn more at dunlithhill.com.