Sunday 27 November 2011

A long awaited treat

Last week was a pretty special one. I finally got to fulfill a long-standing ambition. I got to see Cold Chisel play live.

You folk on the other side of the world probably would have no idea what this is about, so I guess I better explain. Cold Chisel are the great Australian rock band. They cut a swathe through the Aussie music world in the late-seventies and early-eighties before self-destructing. In little more than 5 years, they released 5 albums, all gems, and developed a reputation as amazing live performers. All just a little before my time.

Sure they've reformed a couple of times previously, but I was never organised enough to take advantage. When I heard they were touring this year (first time since the '90s), I made sure to score tickets.

And what a night it turned out to be. Things opened with the support act, You Am I. They're not exactly unknowns - they've been around nearly twenty years, hold some sort of record for albums debuting at no. 1 on the Aussie charts, and have toured with The Who and The Rolling Stones. But you could tell that most of the audience was from an older generation and here for the Chisels only. The applause was polite but quiet. Not that that deterred the band who ripped into their set with relish, oblivious to the lack of attention they were receiving.

Then time came for the mighty Chisels. For two hours, they ruled the stage, reeling out hit after hit. Nearly thirty years after their first break-up, it was amazing to hear that the power, the energy, not to mention the musicianship, was all still there. And the crowd lapped it up, singing along to every song.

It was definitely worth the wait.

Three days later, I'm still finding myself breaking into Chisel songs and reliving the experience. What it's really done is underscore for me the value of the creative life. What this band meant to so many people is quite extraordinary.

I don't ever expect to be in a position where I can touch anywhere near as many people as Cold Chisel have. But in the short time I've been putting my books out, I'm amazed at how the creative act of writing and putting out a book can enable connection with other people.

And You Am I also inspired me. They showed me that even if you're not getting the appreciation you deserve, it should never stop you going out, doing your best, and loving what you do. Because part of the joy of being creative is the act of creation itself.

So that's exactly what I'm going to do. I'll keep working at getting my writing out because that's what I love to do. And at those moments when I do get a response, and do make a connection with another reader, then that will just make it doubly special.

And I can't finish this post any other way than posting up a clip from the concert. This is Cold Chisel in intimate acoustic mode doing one of their classics, When the War is Over. If I can win a few more fans for this great band, especially from outside Australia, then I'll feel that I've done something worthwhile. So enjoy.



Tuesday 22 November 2011

Close but no cigar

A couple of weeks ago I put up a post about the way people in the indie writer community go out of their way to help each other out - The Free Economics of the Indie Author World.

In the last week, I've had the opportunity to see first hand the amount of time and energy the community is prepared to put in to support one of their own.

Last week I had the good fortune to have my novella, Doodling, selected as a semi-finalist in the Goodreads Choice awards, humour category. I'm not quite sure how it happened. I was barely even aware that the awards were on. I cast a vote for myself in passing (why not?) and then promptly forgot about it.

So I was well and truly amazed when I received an email from Goodreads telling me my book had been nominated. I couldn't believe it. There was my little, self-published book, up there on the page with books by names such as Tina Fey, Ellen deGeneres and Penn from Penn and Teller. Pretty mind-boggling for me. I felt like I really was in the big league now.

So, the first thing I did was I went to the community, and my friends on Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads, to see if anyone was willing to help out. I don't have a massive following myself, having only entered the world of social networks a few months ago. But the response was amazing. The support and encouragement really showed me the value of this community.

In particular, I'd like to single out Donna and David Brown who went beyond the call of duty in their support, even going so far as to:
  • Invent a new hashtag on twitter - #votedoodling
  • Design some fab banners which I was way too slow to put up on my sites: 
 
  • Even create an amazing promo video:
 
In the end, Doodling didn't make it to the final round of the awards. Still, I feel like I've really achieved something just by being nominated. And that could only have happened because of the support I received. So I'd just like to pass on a big Thank-You to all the members of a community which I'm really honoured to be a part of.
And if you want to see more of the extraordinary work Donna does promoting indie writers, check out her amazing event, Adopt an Indie.

    Saturday 12 November 2011

    Shay Fabbro - Guest Post

    This is one busy week at Dag-Lit Central. I'm pleased to announce my third guest for the week, the Queen of Squee herself, the amazing Shay Fabbro.

    Today Shay is going to talk about the things authors should or shouldn't put in their novels. And she's giving you a chance to win a copy of her ebook "The Chosen".

    So without any further ado, over to Shay.

    What should and should not be put into novels

    For today’s post I thought I would tackle the issue of what authors should or should not be obligated to put in their novels. A lot of this is going to be more relevant to only certain genres but I hope this post will give authors something to chew over.

    The idea for this post has been brewing for quite some time, mainly because of reading other random things on blogs, Facebook posts, Tweets, etc. The purpose of this isn’t to offend anyone, although logic and simple statistics says that I will most likely offend at least a few people but that’s a chance we all take every time we open our mouths or write something down, isn’t it?

    This first is something I actually saw on FB earlier in the week and found it fascinating. It’s a subject that I find to be a little uncomfortable to approach. When I have to teach reproduction in my freshman biology classes I have such terrible anxiety that I will break out into giggles when I have to say certain words or that I will stutter when I say them. Anyone see Scrubs? Elliot Reed and her total terror of saying sex words? That’s me, only not as dramatic ;)

    Anyway, the topic of sex in books has been something that most authors have struggled with, unless they write in a genre that uses that, like romance or erotica (see earlier comment about some of these things only being genre specific).  The topic on FB was whether certain genres should or shouldn’t include sex scenes. My answer was “If the author feels it necessary to the story, then yes.” But an author shouldn’t feel obligated to throw in an obligatory sex scene just because someone else says they should, or because Hollywood movies seem to do that. For me personally, I don’t feel comfortable writing sex scenes so I won’t use them, regardless of whether someone ELSE feels it would be appropriate. I would rather have a little romance, some hugging, kissing, and let the reader imagine what they will. Do the characters have sex or don’t they? As far as my story lines go, whether they do or not isn’t relevant to the plot.

    The other subject I want to touch on is whether writers should or shouldn’t include characters of certain skin color, religions, or sexual preference. I actually had someone  leave a comment on my old website lambasting me for refusing to include gay/lesbian couples in my Portals of Destiny series. *cue jaw hitting the floor* I was astounded that someone would dare to tell me what sort of characters I HAD to include in my books. I refuse to play the politically correct game and feel like I have to create characters to please each and every person on the planet. If a characters sexual orientation, religion, skin color, etc has relevance to the story, then by all means WRITE THEM! But readers shouldn’t begin reading a book expecting that each and every one is going to be a perfect balance of all things PC. Not gonna happen.  If a reader is looking for something specific in the way of characters, sex, etc then they should read a genre that matches what they are looking for, NOT expect every author to write to their specific preferences.

    Find me:

    Twitter: @ShayFabbro and @DrShayFabbro

    Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorshayfabbro

    Website: http://shayfabbro.com/

    Giveaway details

    Shay is offering to giveaway a copy of her amazing science fiction ebook, "The Chosen". Just leave a comment below to be entered in the running.

    And please make sure to leave your email address so she can get in touch with the winning entrant.

    Wednesday 9 November 2011

    Tahlia Newland - What makes me stand out from the crowd

    This is a big week for visitors to Dag-Lit Central. I'm proud to introduce my second guest for the week, the amazing Tahlia Newland. She writes young adult/adult urban fantasy with a touch or more of romance in it and a focus on challenging readers’ perception of reality. I have an ebook copy of  her short paranormal romance, ‘The Drorgon Slayer’s Choice’, to give away, and A Matter of Perception, her anthology of urban fantasy & magical realism stories, is  available on ebook  -  for the special release price of 99c until the 14th November.  ‘Realm Hunter,’ a Diamond Peak novella, will be released in December. 

    What make me stand out from the crowd

    When Jonathan first asked me to write a blog post on this topic, my first thought was that it was the hot pink tutu and lime green gumboots that made me stand out, then I  realised that everyone else was wearing hot pink tutus too and they were standing on fluffy foot stools with loud hailers shouting, ‘look at me. Look at me!’ Suddenly, I felt short and my gumboots seemed a little cumbersome compared to their high heeled diamante shoes. Some of them even sat on step ladders and had a cluster of spruikers gathered at the bottom handing out leaflets to passing people. How could I stand out amongst that lot?

    I sat on the edge of the gutter and stared at all the people buying books from the brightest, noisiest, tallest authors. I was tempted to stick my thumb in my mouth, curl into a small ball and rock, but I didn’t. I stood up and walked right into the middle of the throng. “I love your pink tutu,” I said to the nearest author. And who did your awesome Mohawk?”

    The author frowned, ran his hand over his head, checked his hips, glanced behind him then pointed at his chest. “Are you talking to me?” he asked.

    I grinned and nodded. He grimaced, picked up his stool and scarpered (That’s Aussie for knicked off ie ran away.) 

    Whoops, I hadn’t meant that to happen. The only explanation for his behaviour was if he didn’t see the pink tutu or the lime green Mohawk. I giggled and looked around and realised that everyone else probably didn’t see themselves quite the same way as I did. The giggle turned into a chuckle and the chuckle morphed into a laugh.

    A girl wandered over, tucked her fingers into the tops of her jeans and narrowed her eyes at me. ‘Why are you standing there laughing?” she asked.

    “Because everything isn’t what it seems.”

    “What is it then?”

    I waved my arm in a wide arc. “It’s all just a passing dream.”

    “Huh?”

    “Yesterday has gone, tomorrow hasn’t come, and as soon as I say now, it’s passed. Where is everything, if it’s not a dream?”

    She shrugged her shoulders, frowned, and shook her head, but she didn’t go away. She thought for a moment, then she grinned. ‘Where’d you get the awesome Mohawk?”

    “My mother did it for me,” I replied.

    I’m the one asking tricky questions. I’m not the only one who sees the circus, but I’m one who might be able to help you see it. Oh, and watch out for the shadow with the flaming eyes standing over your shoulder, you might not be able to see it, but I can assure you that it’s there. 

    About A Matter of Perception 

    Do you see what I see? Take a bunch of supernatural beings, a battle of magical light, a mysterious hole in the pavement, a dream of a future past and a pair of rose-coloured glasses, mix them with a little romance and a smidgen of philosophy and you might be left wondering if it isn’t all just a matter of perception. This thought-provoking collection of urban fantasy and magical realism stories includes ‘The Drorgon Slayer’s Choice’ and ‘The Boneyard’, a semi finalist in the Aussiecon 4 Make Ready fantasy/scifi competition of 2010.

    Author links -  if you read Tahlia’s books could you please help her out by posting a short review on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you.

    http://tahlianewland.com

    http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tahlia-Newland-author/188047104605893

    http://twitter.com/#!/TahliaNewland 

    http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5283573.Tahlia_Newland


    Giveaway details

    Tahlia is offering one ebook copy of  her short paranormal romance, ‘The Drorgon Slayer’s Choice’, to give away. In order to enter the draw, all you need to do is:

    1. Go to her Facebook page and like it
    2. Leave a comment below saying why you'd like to read the book.

    Please make sure to leave an email address in the comment so Tahlia can be in touch with you if you win.

    Monday 7 November 2011

    R.B. Wood - Writing that Stands Out from the Crowd

    Today is a special even here at Dag-Lit Central. I'm proud to be hosting my first visitor, Mr R.B. Wood. He's dropping in here as part of his Magical Mystery Blog tour to talk about what he believes makes a story stand out from the crowd.

    So without any further ado, over to Mr Wood. 

    Writing that Stands Out from the Crowd 

    When Jonathan agreed to host an article as a part of the Magical Mystery Blog tour celebrating the release of my book, The Prodigal’s Foole, he suggested that the subject for this essay be “Writing that Stands Out from the Crowd.”

    I thought “Wow.  What a phenomenal subject.  Let me thing about that for a while.”

    I spent a lot of time researching the subject, more so than I did when I first started the construction of my book.

    What I realized is there are a lot of opinions on what constitutes exceptional writing.

    So instead of citing writing methods like Snowflake or 1-3-1, Let me tell you what I find necessary for stand out storytelling.

    Characters

    Human beings are wonderfully flawed and complex creatures.  Characters should be rich in development, motivations, and history.  I spent nearly a year developing the main characters for The Prodigal’s Foole. I can tell you which character broke her arm when she was five (thus leading to the first instance of magic occurring in her life).  I know their fears and their triumphs.  I know how they each make love and I know their triggers.  They’ve become, in some sense, very real to me.

    Make your characters three-dimensional.  It will be obvious to your eventual readers if you do.

    Plot

    I have to quote Stephen Covey here.  “Begin with the End in Mind.”  Where do you want to go?  What journey do you want to take your characters on?  What will they learn?  What kind of story do you want to tell?

    That last question is key.  Be in love with the story you want to tell.  If for no other reason than you will write, edit and revise so many times before your book is finished, that if you don’t love your story, you’ll never finish.

    I’ll give you a quick example.  Arthur Conan Doyle killed off Sherlock Holmes because, quite frankly, he was done with the character.  The Public was furious, so the author brought him back (being a good business man).  But if you read the Holmes stories post the great detective’s penultimate fight with Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls, I think the stories are lesser in scope and impact.

    My opinion, of course.  But I feel the same way about bringing Spock back after Wrath of Khan and the Star Wars prequels.  Fucking Jar-Jar Binks.

    Anyway.  Map your story out,  How you do this doesn’t matter, whether you’re a pantser of a plotter—know where you want to go.

    Research

    Do your research.  If you are writing about Victorian England, read about the era.  And no, I don’t mean twenty minutes on Wikipedia.   A decade ago, I met a wonderful old gentleman.  In World War II, he had been gunner of a tank in the African campaigns.  I spoke with him for hours about many things, including his life in the war.

    Read the prologue of my next book (included at the end of TPF)--I hope I captured our conversations and his experience.  Unfortunately he passed away some time ago so I’ll never be sure.

    But my point is this.  The three things in my opinion that lead to a stand-out book are Character depth, a great story idea, and research.

    Tie those things together, than you can worry about structure, grammar and those other things.

    My two cents.

    R.B. Wood 


    R.B. Wood is a technology consultant and a writer of Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction and quite frankly anything else that strikes his fancy.  His first novel, The Prodigal's Foole, is available now from Pfoxchase Publishing and other fine eRetailers.  Mr. Wood is currently working on the second book of his Arcana Chronicles series and is host of The Word Count podcast.

    His Website/blog: http://www.rbwood.com

    His Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/rbwoodwriter

    His Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/rbwood

    Links for The Prodigal’s Foole


    Amazon (Paperback): http://www.amazon.com/Prodigals-Foole-Novel-Arcana-Chronicles/dp/1936827336/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320359140&sr=8-1

    Amazon (Kindle): http://www.amazon.com/Prodigals-Foole-Arcana-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B005WKF71U/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

    Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/97139

    Omnilit: http://www.omnilit.com/product-theprodigal039sfoole-615647-140.html

    Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12918243-the-prodigal-s-foole



    Special Offer 

    R.B. Wood has very generously offered to give away an e-copy of The Prodigal’s Foole to the most thoughtful response to his post.

    Please leave your comments below - and make sure you include your email address so he can get in touch with you.

    Tuesday 1 November 2011

    The Free Economics of the Indie Author World

    Today I'm going to say a few things on a subject which I really know next to nothing about. But then again, not knowing about things has never stopped me talking about them. So the subject of today's post is economics.

    I know, most people wouldn't find economics to be the most interesting subject, but I'm fascinated by it. So much of our life is governed by it. Politicians, bankers, business-people are constantly spinning stuff about it and let's face it, most of us don't really have any idea whether what they're saying is right or wrong. I even wrote a poem about it which I posted to this very blog, titled The Hunters.

    Now I'm hoping that nobody who has actually studied economics reads this because they'll probably tell me I'm totally wrong in every way. But I think there's a few things about economics that can be learnt by the way the indie author community works.

    My understanding of economics is it basically goes back to the ideas of Adam Smith back in the 18th century. His model of the free market was all about individuals pursuing their own self-interests. The baker only baked bread because he could make money, but thanks to him the village had bread to eat. The blacksmith only pursued his trade because it was profitable for him, but thanks to him horses were shod. And so on. Everybody was basically in it for themselves as an individual, but all of these individuals working together for their own benefit ultimately create a community.

    Now I'm not going into the rights and wrongs of these ideas - I know it's all hotly contested and I wouldn't say I know anywhere near enough to offer an educated opinion. The one comment I will make is this seems to be a lot like the way the indie community works.

    We writers are primarily involved because we want to sell books, but because we know we can sell better if we work with other writers, cross-promoting communities appear. And then there are all those bloggers. They're not putting their blogs up for charity. Many of them are writers themselves, looking to increase their recognition. But even the ones who aren't  have their own reasons for trying to generate traffic to their blogs. The result is that both writers and bloggers end up benefiting.

    As a result of all these individuals looking to achieve their own ends, an amazing community has sprung up. A community of people who are open, friendly, and willing to do what they can to help fellow-community members. A true free market of indie authors and their colleagues.

    Of course, in any community there are always those people who go out of their way to make that extra effort on behalf of others. I want to finish off this post by paying tribute to one of those people - my friend Donna Brown. Her fabulous event, Adopt an Indie Writer, begins today. Please join in, make yourself at home, and become part of the wonderful world of indie authors.