I’d Say Writing is Like Acting

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acting, actors, authors, characters, writing

I have a few actor friends and sometimes they tell me about their craft. They talk about getting into character and trying to understand the thoughts and feelings of that person in order to bring them to life. When I hear them describe this process, I can’t help but notice the similarities between writing and acting.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

Now, writers don’t perform in front of an audience. Whatever “performance” we do is done when someone reads our work, usually unbeknownst to us. We don’t know of their reaction until they leave a review somewhere, if they do.

For actors, they don’t need to bring to life the whole scene with the description of whatever place a scene is taking place in or the vibe in whatever room. They’re responsible for bringing to life their characters.

But for us writers, so are we.

When I write my characters, I do feel as though I have to get into not only their heads, but their skin. I need to feel their feelings, know their life history, know their thoughts in order to make them come to life. I analyze my characters – especially the main ones – similar to my actor friends. I need to understand them in order to make my readers understand them.

When it comes to villainous characters, some actors say they have fun playing the bad guy. Judging by some performances, they do appear to enjoy themselves. I didn’t enjoy writing Daniel like that. That’s because to me, he is not a villain to have fun writing about. I have plans to do that for other villainous characters in my vampire trilogy. However, I didn’t totally hate him. I mean, yes I did, but I had to understand why he was the way he was and why he did what he did in order to tolerate him. Even now I do that. I guess writers and actors have to take a neutral stance sometimes with their characters in order to tell a story.

So, I take it this is another sign that writing is an art.

How about you? Do you see the similarities between writing and acting, or is it different for you?

NOTE: I won’t be posting this Friday, as it is the Thanksgiving weekend here in the U.S. To all my American readers, have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Should Authors Step It Up at Explaining Their Stories?

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authors, bad endings, books, minor details, nitpicking, novels, poor character development, stories, story loopholes, subplots, telling a story, writers, writing

Not too long ago, I was having lunch with some friends when the usual topic of what book we were reading, or movie or TV show we were watching. Since many of us love either one or all of those mediums, we spent a good deal of time talking about them.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

Not surprisingly, this kind of conversation led to complaints on how a book didn’t explain something well, or a movie ended poorly, or a TV show had a subplot that made no sense. As the complaints went on, one of my friends said, “I think the audience is getting smarter. So writers are going to have to step it up and not get lazy.”

That sounds like a challenge. And a daunting task. I once discussed how it is common for writers of all mediums to cut to the chase in order to move storylines along. It makes sense why we do it. But are we being lazy?

If our endings fall flat, then yes, we are being lazy. If a character does something out of left field, then yes, we will have to explain how that person got out of character, so to speak.

But if a minor detail is not fully explained or developed, does that matter? And what if a major part of our plot leads to more questions that turn into a long list of possibilities, did we as authors not think out our plots well? Meaning, what if our plot creates a domino effect and makes someone say, “Hey, if that were to happen, then XYZ would happen. And this would happen. And why would not that happen? And how then would that happen?” – ad infinitum.

I agree that all writers need to take responsibility for everything they write about, but how much is too much when it comes to explaining our stories? Should we worry about minor details that really don’t effect our stories as much as we worry about major details? And how deep should we go when we analyze storyline ideas? I’m sure many of us wouldn’t want our readers to wonder about the storyline possibilities that we didn’t think about. I’d want to analyze the possibilities thoroughly before creating a story, and knowing I missed a minor detail or forgot about the chances of something else happening would be a little embarrassing for me.

But if we were to be extra careful, would we come up with any storylines?  I mean, if one thing cannot be done then neither of the other 10 plotlines, or else the domino effect will come up as I mentioned earlier. Maybe just taking a look at one possibility is enough rather than looking at a much wider picture. After all, wouldn’t we writers drive ourselves nuts if we looked at 20 different possibilities?

As for minor details, I think if they really don’t play a role in the plot or character development, then I don’t see the point in getting tangled up in them. Granted, it may be laziness, but it also may be necessary if they are simply meant to be minor details.

Now when it comes to endings, yes it is imperative that we writers get that right. We don’t like it when they’re terrible, so why have our readers feel the same way when they read our work? Same for character development gone awry or subplots not making sense. I’d say this is when the belief that writers should write a story they want to read comes in. We all don’t want a lousy story or maybe even a mediocre one, so why reduce our stories to that level? And if we are the type to nitpick at every little thing, then we should do the same to our work.

But I’m sure if we were to try that, not only would we give ourselves headaches, but we also won’t get anything done.

Besides, I think it is safe to say that every story ever told has some flaws. Look at the negative book reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. There’s always someone who will find something wrong with a book, no matter how many more think it’s excellent. Remember, writing is subjective. Does that mean laziness? No, it just means that there’s no such thing as the perfect book. We writers can try our absolute best, but we will fall short somewhere. That’s just the way it goes.

Hey You! Get Off My Platform!

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authors, book promotion, Facebook, Facebook spam, promotions, self-published, self-published authors, self-publishing, spam, writers

The other day, I noticed an alert on my Facebook author page app, which indicated someone had either liked my page or left a post on my wall. Excited, I checked it out, hoping I had a new fan.

My hopes were dashed when I saw a post that kind of went like this:

“Hi Megan! I’m [so-so]! I’ve just published my book! Here’s the link to it on Amazon, please tell everyone you know about it! Thanks!”

I blinked, took a deep breath and deleted the post from my wall altogether.

I do not know who that person was. I never heard of that author, and that author had never before contacted me. S/he had not liked my Facebook page at all, never followed me on Twitter or Google+, or anything. I had never interacted with that person before, and yet here s/he was crashing on my Facebook page – which is part of my platform used to promote my books.

This wasn’t the first time this happened, and sadly it won’t be. There are some authors out there who simply don’t seem to understand how to properly promote their books. They may have heard social media is the way to spread the word, and that authors are supposed to help other authors. But the way they go about it is kind of rude and unprofessional.

If that person wanted me to help them get exposure, I would have been happy to do so. All they had to do was check out this blog and see that I offer author interviews. If they were polite when they contacted me, and not pushy and arrogant like a few have, I would have gladly featured them on my site. Crashing in on my Facebook page as they did was not appropriate. In fact, it was more like spam than promotion.

The same has happened here on this website. I’ve gotten comments left by authors responding to one of my posts. Only they are not really commenting on my posts. They’re leaving comments like this: “Buy my book! Here’s my Twitter handle! Like me on Facebook!” Again, authors resorting to spam promotion. Even worse, they are spamming on another author’s space.

Some self-published authors seem to really misunderstand how to promote their work. It could be ignorance or desperation. But either way, I can’t fathom why anyone would think hijacking another person’s platform is a good way to increase book sales.  It doesn’t at all, and they only make themselves look bad.  All they have to do is ask to do a guest blog post, offer their book for a review, and all the other networking strategies. Basically, asking for permission works, not stealing!

Learning to promote your book is simple. There are many websites and blogs that give great suggestions. Even I’ve given tips. If you’re going to self-publish your book, educate yourself. Don’t make a fool out of yourself or become disrespectful. Self-publishing isn’t easy and they are many who fail terribly because they made poor decisions. Don’t make yourself a statistic.

Author Interview: Anton Troia

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apocalyptic, author interview, author interviews, authors, books, environment, green, novels, writing

It’s always good to support your own. In this case, I am supporting fellow Staten Islander Anton Troia, author of “The Last Overseer”. Not only is it exciting to know about other authors from my old home, but Troia’s novel sounds very deep with a lot of points to consider. He also has an interesting perspective on how to pursue your passions despite the risks:

MC: What made you decide to become an author?

AT: I always loved stories, especially science fiction stories. If I had to pick one thing I love about science fiction, it’s how prophetic most of it is! I’m a die hard Trekkie, and I grew up reading Phillip.K. Dick novels, and other prophetic writers such as H.G. Wells, Frank Herbert, and Arthur C. Clarke. And I realized that science fiction was always a good platform for theology. Ever since I was a kid, I dissected the universe, the mathematical rules that orchestrate the cosmos and how it all relates to being human. I always asked myself questions, and I always tend to ask the ones that cannot be answered. At least not yet! And so, I began writing my debut novel, with the idea of wrapping a compelling lesson with a high octane action story, in hopes of shedding light on some of the deeper themes in literature. Overall, The Last Overseer is a theosophical body of work, and so writing this novel was a perfect way to get things off my chest and introduce my story to the world!

MC: You say you are now writing full time. Does that mean you took the plunge, left your job and now write? What advice would you give to any writer who’d like to do the same thing?

AT: I’ve been self-employed now for 2 years, and I work at home. I’m also a property owner, and so I have the opportunity to find the time to live out my dreams. If you’re a writer and want to dedicate all of your time to the very craft you love so dearly, then do it! Make that sacrifice, because sacrifice, willpower and dedication always pays off! Write the story you want to read and don’t let nothing get in your way.

MC: You like to write about the negative impact technology can have on society. Explain why you think this way, and what should society do to solve it?

AT: Ok, this is a great question. I look at technology, and I wonder if we are using it correctly. For example, take a look at the combustion engine…how much longer can we go on with a technology that harms the environment? There are many forests all around the world that have reached their maximum carbon dioxide saturation point. Meaning that they are no longer able to absorb any more Carbon Dioxide. I could go on and on, but my point is, that we had the opportunity to introduce electric cars to the public back in 1908, but the technology was suppressed by the global, industrial complex. It’s easy to understand why too, after all, the world economy thrives on oil. If free energy is introduced to the world, then, what would all the oil people do with their lives?

Besides the effect fossil fuels have, the method in which some companies are using to harvest crude oil is also a cause for concern. Certain methods such as hydro-fracking are very risky, and some other facilities such as the HAARP installations in Alaska have been rumored to not only aid in weather manipulation, but it is used to scan beneath the Earth’s crust for oil reservoirs. I can only wonder if this is affecting the geology in any malevolent way!

And so, I say, that the only way to solve this climate mess is to move on to the future and go Green, Green, Green! The Earth will heal itself over time.

MC: Why do you weave mythology, paranormal and historical fact with your stories? A lot of authors do this. Explain why you think they do this rather than write about our world as it is?

AT: Writers make for good thinkers, And so, a lot of authors create, theorize and speculate, using real history as a basis for their myth. Once in a while, fundamental science feeds off of religion and seeks to prove more than what was previously chained and measured. I myself, a thinker, spend lots of time thinking about how the metaphysical world relates to our measured world. This drive of mine increased a few years ago after a freaky event that I just couldn’t explain. I began writing my debut novel, “The Last Overseer” in 2010 after having an out of body experience. After experiencing this freaky event, it changed me, because I realized that there was a lot more to our existence, and my eyes were opened to this new world of the paranormal. I gained an affinity for not only the occult and paranormal, but cryptids, mythology, religion, and even new age topics like ancient astronauts and indirect extra-terrestrial evidence. This sudden fascination was exhilarating, and I suddenly felt as if there was a world out there that was previously unknown to me, and until then, I always thought it was limited to science fiction and myth. I mixed up the folklore, science fiction and religion to let readers realize that these topics are not mutually exclusive. I try best to examine all those topics in hopes of determining how they all relate to what you call – “The World as it is”

MC: Why do you choose to write about deep topics such as political or psychological issues?

AT:  I truly feel that we are living in a crucial time and a transition period for humanity in general, and I find that using fiction as a political platform is the best way to get through to people—more than non-fiction I think! I truly believe we are on the cusp of a new industrial age and renaissance, and with every renaissance, comes a shift in consciousness. A lot of this is because of the information age we live in, and a lot is energetic as well. Or what I believe is what Darwin meant when he coined “evolution” I truly believe people are experiencing a consciousness shift right now. And so, I wrote a story, with exaggerated and artistic expressions of political themes that embody many of today’s real world topics, such as Obama-care, socialism, GMO foods, and so on—all I did was add color as well as fantastical elements to these themes.

All in all, the heart of my stories are the characters, and the plot of course. And the message comes third.

MC: What can we expect from Anton Troia in the future?

AT: The sequel to “The Last Overseer” is a work in progress and is moving along smoothly! The 1st draft is complete and I hope to publish it by Spring 2014! I’m also outlining the 3rd and final book in my trilogy as well, and I hope to publish them via traditional publishing models, but if it doesn’t work out, I’ll self publish them and continue to write beyond this first trilogy of mine. Because writing, and bringing though provoking stories to one’s coffee table is what I love to do!

Thanks Megan for having me! If anyone is interested in my work, feel free to take a look at my book’s official website-

www.antontroia.com/

For more on my blogs and special giveaways, be sure to check my facebook page for a chance to win some goodies!

www.facebook.com/AntonTroia

The Word “Like” is, Like, So Necessary!

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daily speech, vocabulary, words, writers, writing

Like is, like, so over used. I mean, it is totally, like, the most annoying word in the English language. Like, can someone, like, eliminate that word forever?

OK, humor aside. I saw this blog entry by Madeleine Crum on the Huffington Post book section Thursday, and it made me smile. See, I’m self-conscious by how often I use the word “like” in my daily speech and also when I write my stories. Using the word “like”, even to describe something, kind of takes me back to high school where there was that one girl who literally said “like” after ever other word. Looking back, it was quite endearing to hear that. Hey, I’d rather hear “like” being used over and over, than “you know?” in every sentence.

Crum points out why “like” is being used so often in everyday language:

Like it or not, irony has become an “ethos of our age.” On one hand, a lack of earnestness makes a speaker seem vapid — they’ve nothing substantive to say, so they rely on sarcasm or ridicule. On the other hand, speaking and living with a healthy dose of irony is a way of conveying self-awareness. You can say that you “like, love watching ‘The Bachelor’,” which is to say that you sincerely enjoy the show, but also know that it’s a silly waste of time.

Oh yeah. Very true. Even I use that word in that manner.

So even though the word “like” may have been seemingly hijacked by people labeled as airheads, but it should not be disregarded in the English language. Crum’s blog has this quote from Allan Metcalf to explain how we need that word in literature:

“[It] allows us to introduce not just what we said or thought, but how. Instead of merely saying words, ‘like’ with ‘be’ allows us to enact the scene. And that, I think, is because it’s an extension of a longstanding use of ‘like’ to indicate manner: March came in like a lion, He raged like a madman.”

When I write, I’m very conscious not to use “like” to describe something. I try very hard to substitute it with “as if” or “as though”. The use of “like” makes me think people might think I’m a ditz. But then again, by using those two other terms so often makes it looks like (see what I did there?) I’m trying too hard to not use that word.

But “like” sounds so simple and welcoming. Saying “as if” seems kind of snooty. It also reminds me of the 90s teen classic movie , “Clueless”, which I remember fondly but Cher’s frequent use of that term was annoying. Using the term “as though” sounds kind of snooty in a “er, duh!” type of way.

“Like” seems to flow like water on a warm summer day. “Like” envelops you gracefully into its arms. “Like” is, like you know, perfect!

But yeah, as authors we have to switch up our word usage so we wouldn’t be so redundant. Too bad each term reminds you of something not terrible, but not so pleasant. Especially when it used far too often in everyday speech. Ugh, as if!

The Semi-Colon – Useless or Useful?

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punctuation, semi-colon, the semi-colon, writers, writing

As I continue working on the follow-up to “The Dark Proposal”, I’ve been paying close attention to my punctuation use. Usually I am concerned if I use my commas too often or too little. But I noticed something the other day that I’d like to share with you.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

Semi-colons seem to be somewhat controversial with writers. And I mean all writers: fiction, technical, journalists and so on. While going for my Master’s in journalism, I was taught what the semi-colon actually was good for after years of not being entirely sure. That lesson has helped me when I write articles for outlets I freelance for.

But I get the impression fiction writers have no use for the semi-colon. Based on what I’ve read on author forums and blogs, using a semi-colon while telling a story is being lazy. It is lazy because it doesn’t allow the writer to stop the sentence they are writing and start a new one. It also doesn’t give the reader an understanding of what is being told. If a semi-colon is meant to connect two independent clauses that are necessary to tell a story, then why make them dependent on each other?

That seems to make sense. Take a look at this example:

She was freezing outside; she knew she should’ve worn a better coat.

And then look at this one:

She was freezing outside. She knew she should’ve worn a better coat.

Both examples are significant. The first one makes the two clauses conjoined in a way, while the second example isolates the two to make them stand out.

I think the use of a semi-colon should depend on the tone of the story. The first example may be good for a light-hearted story while the second is good for a more serious one. The latter would pull the reader in more while the former allows the reader to sit back and relax.

That’s my take anyway. How about you?

Author Interview: Samantha Chase

Samantha Chase is one of the models of self-publishing success. Her romance novels have sold thousands of copies, putting her the New York Times and USA Today bestsellers’ lists. Her success has garnered many fans eagerly waiting for her next book. She puts a lot of time and energy into writing and promoting her work, including her latest endeavor, The Montgomery Brothers box set, which is available now.

As part of her blog tour, I interviewed Samantha as I was amazed by her success. Here she is:

Click here for Samantha Chase’s website

SC: Well, honestly?  I was really tired of those depressing rejection letters!  I had written a couple of novels and the first one was rejected and I never submitted it again.  The second one, I submitted to 16 different publishers, agents, etc. and was rejected by all of them.  I knew next to nothing about self-publishing, but that book, “Jordan’s Return”, meant a lot to me and I really wanted to see it in print so I decided to self-publish it.  It opened a whole new world for me.

MC: Why do you think your books are a success? Will you call it right time, right place or smart strategy?

Click here to check out Samantha Chase’s books on Amazon!

SC: “Jordan’s Return” was not successful at all, but that was mainly because I had no idea that you had to actually PROMOTE your book.  What a concept, right?  LOL!  My second book, “The Christmas Cottage” was really like a right place, right time sort of thing.  I released a .99 cent Christmas novella, right at Thanksgiving and it just took off.  I sold 10,000 books in six weeks!  That was an isolated incident for sure but my name was now out there and my strategy has been for 2013 to release a book a month.  So far, I’m pretty close to achieving that.  It’s exhausting but it has kept my name out there and the most important thing is to put quality stories out and not just focus on putting just anything out there.  Each book has been different in how I market and promote but I’m just keeping my name out there, interacting with my fans on Facebook and with great blogs like yours!

MC: Why do you think romance is popular with so many readers?

SC: Romance is a great escape from our everyday lives.  There is emotion and happily ever after’s…who doesn’t need a little bit of that?  A good romance that is well-told usually has the kind of man that we all dream of (to some extent) but is usually unobtainable falls in love with the girl that no one expected him to.  I love that!

MC: Some of your book covers are mighty spicy! Did you come up with them, and if so, how?

SC: I have a great cover artist and we work together on them.  Sometimes she finds the pictures and the backgrounds and presents them to me and we tweak them from there and sometimes I find pictures that I want and ask her to use them.  She has been a lifesaver for me because she truly listens to my suggestions and has taken what’s in my head and brought it to life, so to speak.  Christy with Gilded Heart Designs.  She’s amazing!

MC: How does it feel to be a self-published author who achieved the success that many writers dream of?

SC: It still doesn’t feel real!  I mean, I’m so excited that it’s happening the way that it is but I think that I’ve put a lot of pressure on myself.  The whole book-a-month thing is not something I’d recommend to anyone.  I don’t sleep a whole lot and I’ve eaten my fair share of junk food to keep going…but at the end of the day, I’m still pinching myself.  In my head I imagined a much more glamorous way of life but I’m still home, working in my jammies and paying my bills.  But it’s cool to be doing all of that while working at what I love to do.

MC:  Many are aware that it is not easy to self-publish and can be very time consuming. Do you have any advice for anyone thinking about this path, and also for those still on it?

SC: It is definitely time consuming.  I have a very understanding family that puts up with my crazy hours and the amount of time I spend in front of the computer.  My advice would be to not get discouraged.  I was unemployed for two years and did not write one word during that time.  It wasn’t until I went back to work that I suddenly took up writing again.  Write when you can and keep writing; don’t stop.  There is never a “perfect” time to write so don’t wait for it.  Take advantage of the time that you have and utilize it to the best of your ability.  I live in a tiny house, I don’t have an office, I have two kids and a husband who all need my help, but I make the time to write.  It’s hard to find the balance at first but keep trying until you do!

MC: Are you still teaching full time? If so, how do you balance work, writing and running your own author business?

SC: Unfortunately, I stopped teaching.  It was time to let it go – not just for me, but there were other locations that were offering writing classes and other options for homeschooler’s so everyone was gravitating in that direction.  After teaching, I went back to work at an office and did that until two months ago.  I would work 8-5 and then come home, cook dinner, do homework and then sit down in front of the computer until my eyes were crossing!  It wasn’t ideal but I kind of like working under a bit of a deadline/time crunch.  Once that got exhausting, I decided to come home and write full time.

MC: What are your plans for the future? How long do you think you’ll be writing and publishing books?  

SC: I plan on writing and publishing as long as people keep reading my books and asking for more! I love when people write and ask when the next book’s coming out.  It’s really cool when they tell you that they love your work…I am very blessed.

MC: Finally, what words of wisdom would you give to anyone who dreams of being a published author, no matter what route they choose?

SC: Stay true to who you are and what you write.  Don’t be swayed by what seems popular right now or what a publisher might ask you to try.  It shows in your writing when you are putting out a product that you love and that you enjoy.  I write contemporary romances even though erotica, vampires and paranormal are way more popular.  I’ve always enjoyed reading contemporary romances and so it’s what I enjoy writing.  I know I’m not alone because people are buying my books and they seem to be well-received.  Don’t let anyone tell you what to write; write what you are passionate about.  Create characters that YOU care about because it will shine through!

Thanks for having me!!