Big news in the book world. Borders is in financial trouble and may be up for sale. One potential buyer? Barnes and Noble. Why should this matter to writers? Check out Kristin Nelson's blog (see sidebar) for an in depth explanation. The short of it is, right now one of the steps a potential publisher takes in deciding to buy your book is to check it with the buyers from B&N and Borders. If they say they don't think they can sell it, you don't get published. So there would be one fewer buyer to say 'yes' to carrying your masterpiece.
Why is Borders in trouble? I have my suspicions. The Borders here in town are rather sterile in look and feel. The lights are too bright, the people who work there are not particularly friendly and the openness of the store makes the place feel empty. There are no comfy chairs to curl up in. Their 'rewards' program sucks in comparison to B&N's. And they almost never have the book I'm looking for.
At the same time, independent book stores are going under at an alarming rate. Which is sad. But when I think of one of the local independents who went out of business, Chinook, I think it could have been for many of the same reasons I listed above. The people who worked there rarely came out from behind the counter just to see if they could help. The shop was cozier than Borders but still no welcoming chairs. Their selection was limited. And I've heard people say, "But they'd special order anything you wanted." True, but if I have to wait for it, I can get a better deal on Amazon or at B&N. Sorry, but that's the hard economical truth. And their employees were willing to buy the shop when the owners wanted to retire, but they said no.
So what's the answer? Maybe the independents should band together. Form a coalition to build bargaining power. Then they could offer discounts as well. Offer the best of what the biggies do and find a way to stand out. When a friend near San Francisco talked about opening a book store, we suggested partnering with a winery to offer wine and cheese instead of the ever present coffee shop. The shop pet is always fun, especially with a cool name. The Book Sleuth in Old Colorado City has a black cat name Moriarity. Community involvement is good. A literacy program or sponsoring a writer's group can get you noticed.
Look at The Tattered Cover. Three locations in Denver and they have a signing with big name authors almost every day of the year. And there's a friendly feeling when you walk in.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Separated At Birth?
Proof that maybe Russell Crowe and Alan Doyle ARE related. Russell sitting in with the band at Shamrockfest 2008.
Also check out the big finale with Carbon Leaf joining them to sing Molly Malone.
Now if I can just find a video of the show where Bela Fleck did Captain Kidd with the group.
Monday, March 17, 2008
I'm Baaack
Wow, what a change of scene. When I left Phoenix on Saturday afternoon, it was in the mid-80s even though it was overcast. Snow and rain the whole day on Sunday. But it was a good day to unpack and unwind and un-snit the cat.
The week was great. Miss Elizabeth was a trip. Her vocabulary is huge, although she mispronounces just enough to be cute. And her imagination has taken off. We played a lot of pretend. "I'm Annaliese and you're Erika," she'd tell me. (Barbie Princess and the Pauper for those of you who are confused.) She also does groovy claw hands as the Wicked Witch or the White Witch (we also watched Narnia a couple times). Three is a fun age.
Kelly, my nephew and Elizabeth's dad, and I played WII--I whupped his butt at bowling and boxing and beat his initial scores on the crossbow game (who knew that they had rapid-fire, automatic crossbows?) and went to see Vantage Point (good flick).
Amy, Kelly's wife and Elizabeth's mom, and I went to a place called Beads Galore. I got a few things for me and some 'thank you' beads for DB for covering for me while I was gone. And as bribes to teach me what she's learned so far.
Most of the time, though was just hanging out. Which I tend to like best on vacation. We caught up and watched DVDs and, mainly, played with Elizabeth.
Now it's back to work--work-work and writing-work. Yes, I was a almost a total slacker. I read a couple books. And I made note of a woman I saw at the play area at the mall. Interesting. There's a short story there. Eventually.
The week was great. Miss Elizabeth was a trip. Her vocabulary is huge, although she mispronounces just enough to be cute. And her imagination has taken off. We played a lot of pretend. "I'm Annaliese and you're Erika," she'd tell me. (Barbie Princess and the Pauper for those of you who are confused.) She also does groovy claw hands as the Wicked Witch or the White Witch (we also watched Narnia a couple times). Three is a fun age.
Kelly, my nephew and Elizabeth's dad, and I played WII--I whupped his butt at bowling and boxing and beat his initial scores on the crossbow game (who knew that they had rapid-fire, automatic crossbows?) and went to see Vantage Point (good flick).
Amy, Kelly's wife and Elizabeth's mom, and I went to a place called Beads Galore. I got a few things for me and some 'thank you' beads for DB for covering for me while I was gone. And as bribes to teach me what she's learned so far.
Most of the time, though was just hanging out. Which I tend to like best on vacation. We caught up and watched DVDs and, mainly, played with Elizabeth.
Now it's back to work--work-work and writing-work. Yes, I was a almost a total slacker. I read a couple books. And I made note of a woman I saw at the play area at the mall. Interesting. There's a short story there. Eventually.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Storytelling
No excuses for not updating sooner.
I've been doing a lot of repetitive kinds of tasks at work over the past few weeks. No complaints. It's good to be busy at work. But not a lot of brain-power has been required. I found a radio station on i-Tunes that plays old radio shows. Amazing how many of the comedy shows aren't funny anymore and how many comedies and dramas both are incredibly racist--don't get me started on The Lone Ranger, Gunsmoke and Have Gun, Will Travel. But the storytelling aspect is interesting.
There are three shows that I particularly like. One is Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar about a freelance insurance investigator. It's a fifteen minute show. Each story takes a week to tell. Johnny is reporting on his expense account and why he's incurring the expenses. Of course, he tells about how he figures out what actually happened, too.
Another is Suspense. It's an anthology style show. Some of the biggest names of the time are involved. I've heard James Stewart, William Powell, Cary Grant, Agnes Moorehead, Joan Fontaine, etc. The stories range from mysteries, horror and straight drama. But all are supposed to be suspenseful. Some work better than others.
One thing that is common to both of these shows is the combination of narration and dialogue. And the stories are told not shown. There is very little description of setting. You might get an occasional "It was a muggy night" or "The ramshackle house" but not much else. Still I have a very specific idea of what Johnny Dollar looks like. And, of course, I'm familiar with most of the actors on Suspense so I can picture them. But I see the settings in both shows too. Even though they aren't described in any detail. But if it takes place in a rural setting then I have a catalogue in my head I can access for rural settings. English manor house? Same thing. California ranch? You get the idea.
The third show I like is Lux Radio Theater. Another anthology program. But this one takes stage plays and movies and distills them into an hour-long radio play. I've heard a couple from movies that I'm familiar with. Suspicion and Sorry, Wrong Number. It's interesting to see how they took a two-hour movie and boiled it down to under an hour (commericals, you know) without losing anything. Again, setting suffers. But they still work.
I'm a writer who loves setting the stage. I think it can help set the mood. Not just spooky old houses, but details like faded floral wallpaper can tell you a lot about the person who owns the house in three little words. Mary and Moe really set scenes. And I love their work. I'm there. Everyone else uses varying amounts of stage dressing. And it seems to work well, too. So why is that? Is it genre? Style? Don't know.
My other question is, if these radio plays work so well with telling rather than showing, why don't books?
Discuss.
I'm out of town next week and may or may not check in.
I've been doing a lot of repetitive kinds of tasks at work over the past few weeks. No complaints. It's good to be busy at work. But not a lot of brain-power has been required. I found a radio station on i-Tunes that plays old radio shows. Amazing how many of the comedy shows aren't funny anymore and how many comedies and dramas both are incredibly racist--don't get me started on The Lone Ranger, Gunsmoke and Have Gun, Will Travel. But the storytelling aspect is interesting.
There are three shows that I particularly like. One is Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar about a freelance insurance investigator. It's a fifteen minute show. Each story takes a week to tell. Johnny is reporting on his expense account and why he's incurring the expenses. Of course, he tells about how he figures out what actually happened, too.
Another is Suspense. It's an anthology style show. Some of the biggest names of the time are involved. I've heard James Stewart, William Powell, Cary Grant, Agnes Moorehead, Joan Fontaine, etc. The stories range from mysteries, horror and straight drama. But all are supposed to be suspenseful. Some work better than others.
One thing that is common to both of these shows is the combination of narration and dialogue. And the stories are told not shown. There is very little description of setting. You might get an occasional "It was a muggy night" or "The ramshackle house" but not much else. Still I have a very specific idea of what Johnny Dollar looks like. And, of course, I'm familiar with most of the actors on Suspense so I can picture them. But I see the settings in both shows too. Even though they aren't described in any detail. But if it takes place in a rural setting then I have a catalogue in my head I can access for rural settings. English manor house? Same thing. California ranch? You get the idea.
The third show I like is Lux Radio Theater. Another anthology program. But this one takes stage plays and movies and distills them into an hour-long radio play. I've heard a couple from movies that I'm familiar with. Suspicion and Sorry, Wrong Number. It's interesting to see how they took a two-hour movie and boiled it down to under an hour (commericals, you know) without losing anything. Again, setting suffers. But they still work.
I'm a writer who loves setting the stage. I think it can help set the mood. Not just spooky old houses, but details like faded floral wallpaper can tell you a lot about the person who owns the house in three little words. Mary and Moe really set scenes. And I love their work. I'm there. Everyone else uses varying amounts of stage dressing. And it seems to work well, too. So why is that? Is it genre? Style? Don't know.
My other question is, if these radio plays work so well with telling rather than showing, why don't books?
Discuss.
I'm out of town next week and may or may not check in.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Happy Leap Day
I think Leap Day should be a national holiday. It only comes around once every four years. Shouldn't we celebrate it? A few weeks ago, DB posted a prompt about making up a holiday. So, if Leap Day were a national holiday, how would you celebrate it?
I would sleep in a little. Then, since it is such a pretty day today, I would go for a hike. Spend an hour or so communing with nature, filling the well and clearing out the cobwebs. Looks like Leap Day is also cliche' day for me. Anyway, then I would spend the rest of the day taking leaps. Not physical, but creative. I would maybe start a story in a genre that frightens me. Or apply for an exclusive workshop.
So how would you spend Leap Day if you had it free? Like John, the rotter.
I would sleep in a little. Then, since it is such a pretty day today, I would go for a hike. Spend an hour or so communing with nature, filling the well and clearing out the cobwebs. Looks like Leap Day is also cliche' day for me. Anyway, then I would spend the rest of the day taking leaps. Not physical, but creative. I would maybe start a story in a genre that frightens me. Or apply for an exclusive workshop.
So how would you spend Leap Day if you had it free? Like John, the rotter.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Memories
Another Fresh Air post. NPR seems to be my main exposure to news these days. Fresh Air, BBC World News, The World, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me.
Anyway, Terry interviewed a woman who wrote a book about how memory works. She talked about pain memory. With physical pain, as a survival technique, we can remember that we felt pain and even that it was bad or not, but we don't experience the pain again. But with emotional pain, we can experience it again. To the point that it can be debilitating.
Which could be why if we don't know or care about a character, they're physical danger may mean nothing to us. But if we are emotionally involved, then it matters. Not because we identify with the pain, but with the emotional impact of that pain on the character. I've heard it time and again in the critique group. A couple writers had a penchant for introducing a character and then killing him off. The reaction by the readers? Eh.
And, moreover, it is probably why writing strong emotions can be hard for so many writers--myself included. Feeling the same pain as your characters isn't fun. May also be why writing romance (from basic longing glances to erotica) is so popular. If you're going to re-experience an emotion.......
Anyway, Terry interviewed a woman who wrote a book about how memory works. She talked about pain memory. With physical pain, as a survival technique, we can remember that we felt pain and even that it was bad or not, but we don't experience the pain again. But with emotional pain, we can experience it again. To the point that it can be debilitating.
Which could be why if we don't know or care about a character, they're physical danger may mean nothing to us. But if we are emotionally involved, then it matters. Not because we identify with the pain, but with the emotional impact of that pain on the character. I've heard it time and again in the critique group. A couple writers had a penchant for introducing a character and then killing him off. The reaction by the readers? Eh.
And, moreover, it is probably why writing strong emotions can be hard for so many writers--myself included. Feeling the same pain as your characters isn't fun. May also be why writing romance (from basic longing glances to erotica) is so popular. If you're going to re-experience an emotion.......
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Wave Your Freak Flag High
Yes, my freak (and geek) flag are definitely waving when I say this, but "Happy birthday to Joel Hodgson creator of Mystery Science Theater 3000."
Best. Show. Ever.
Best. Show. Ever.
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