Writing and Writers Groups

I don’t believe in writing workshops or “training” or “gentle” critique or a majority of the writing “advice” flowing freely–whether in workshops or books–from those whose main goal is to separate a writer from his or her hard-earned dollars.  Either you are a writer, or you’re not.  To my way of thinking, there’s no middle ground nor is there a method or a formula, an all-encompassing recipe if you will, to give you what you do not already innately possess.

The only advice I ever took to heart was time-tested and true: read and write EVERY day.  Whether it’s ten words a day you read and write, or thousands, ten minutes or ten hours–the discipline is every bit as important as the study and practice.  However, this is too easy, and the price apparently too high for many.  It is also very lonely.

To commit, to look yourself in the soul and say, a writer is what I am, then follow your destiny is probably the hardest task anyone ever sets before themselves.  You will lose sleep.  Your health will suffer.  Your family will think you possessed.  Doubts will have a field day with you.  But, if you persevere, eventually you will succeed.

Hanging out with a group of other “writers” is all well and good, but there is danger in that, too.  Imagine a pond stocked with fish.  They are all circling happily.  They are comfortable.  There’s safety in numbers.  They are also afraid, though they may not even be aware of that.  What they fear is bucking the tide, leaping from the pool, and heading upstream–alone.  So, most don’t do that.  They critique each others’ work, but none of them ever get any better or worse, nor do they encourage creativity or writing freedom.  Their critique may or may not be colored with their egos, their personal agendas, or jealousies. They pay for workshops to be with others of their kind; or buy all the “recommended” books from “authors” who have yet to write a best seller, fiction or non; they do everything they can to avoid one simple truth: writing is a lonely business.  A writer at some point MUST float his or her own boat, swim away from the crowd happily circling the pond to see what’s upstream.  And they must do this alone or content themselves to stay at the same level as every other writer in their comfortable little pond.

A writer writes because he or she must.  No amount of money can compensate for what is or isn’t inside.

Still, I’m not saying don’t join a writers group.  You have to do what you think is right for you.  My opinion remains, however, that most writers would be better off to keep their money in their pocket and work on their discipline instead.  Given enough time, ten words a day will still add up to a story or a book.

Why I Love My Publisher, Jigsaw Press

The following is a recent post Jigsaw Press’s CEO (also my editor) made to a publisher’s listserv when the subject of contracts, bankruptcies, and authors losing their rights came up. You gotta love the rationale. I sure do.

To my way of thinking, these contracts between writers and publishers exist for a number of reasons, none of them very brilliant or inspiring when you really look at the issue. I’m going to be blunt here.

Contracts exist:
1. To protect the author from being screwed.
2. To protect the publisher from being screwed.
3. To enrich lawyers, beginning with that first one way back who saw an opportunity to capitalize on distrust between two parties and suggested they put their agreement on paper.
4. To give the bankruptcy court an “asset” to “grab” on behalf of creditors.
5. To ensure timely payment of royalties.
6. To keep an author from jumping ship.

There are more less than stellar reasons, I’m sure, but do any of you see one item in the above list that implies trust or engenders loyalty? I don’t. In fact, quite the opposite. The proliferation of contracts, their increasing complexity in hope of covering “all the bases” is simply more evidence of a society crumbling into ruin. We are only as good as our signatures on paper. Our word, our characters, mean nothing any more.

A dispute over a contract right out of the gate when I started my business forced me to give this issue some serious thought. I personally do not want to work with anyone who thinks that I, as a publisher, am going to screw them, nor do I want to work with people who aren’t good for their word. A person who demands a contract can just take it down the road as far as I and my business are concerned. Because of my personal belief that God, no matter who you think he (even she) is or isn’t, sees every single thing I do, I wouldn’t take a dime, nay, a penny not belonging to me. A billion dollars isn’t worth pissing off the Creator of the Cosmos. Not to me anyway.

Everything about my deal with an author is outlined in a virtual handshake of an email. My authors are absolutely free to take their books and leave, anytime they want. I don’t charge them a dime, for my work in editing and designing their books, nor do I charge them for print set-ups or copyright fees or any other thing. I also don’t pay advances. And do you know what is happening now that I decided to pursue this course? Loyalty is happening. Trust is happening. I do pick my authors carefully, generally based on how receptive they are to editing, and sure, I expect one or two to run off perhaps after all the work is done, but that hasn’t happened yet. And that will be the particular author’s karma, not mine, if it should.

Now, if I go belly-up and close my doors, the authors aren’t out because they haven’t signed away anything, there’s nothing for any unscrupulous lawyer or court to grab outside of my business checking account, and I have no intentions of selling out, so there you go.

To my way of thinking, the ideal contract is no contract at all. And if I should get sued on behalf of an author for plagiarism or outright libel, that’s my fault for not vetting the work properly to begin with. If that’s the case, I will stand up and take responsibility, not try to shift it to someone else because “it’s in the contract.”

Mari
editor-Jigsaw Press
www.jigsawpress.com

Threads, a Blaine Horney Mystery, Book Trailer

Somehow, I neglected to post my book’s video trailer here on my own damn blog. Until now.  I just love the blues, and the theme music fits the main character, Blaine Horney, Texas Ranger.  A taste of what’s in store for readers.

Enjoy!

Amazon: Money is God and Greed is Good

This blog was so good, I asked M.L. Bushman if I might share it as well. Kris

There are times in history when you are presented the unique opportunity to stand up in defense of what’s right, ethically and morally, not only for yourself, but for others as well. Almost as if you are being tested as to strength of character and/or being forced to bare your true colors for all to see.

Amazon’s recent decision to strongarm independent publishers and their authors into using the substandard BookSurge printing company owned by non other than Amazon have brought divisions in the publishing industry to light–those who still believe in doing good versus those for whom money is God, while the frightened or merely confused sit on the sidelines and watch to see how this greedy grab for power plays out.

Jeff Bezos obviously believes now that money is God, that greed is good. He sees his customers not as real people, but merely as vehicles to increase his wealth. He’s decided we authors and publishers should now provide cheaper cars to further fatten his coffers, we should hand him our keys and let his lordship dictate how much gruel we peasants are allotted for any given sale while he plots a space colony in lieu of first paying his bills.

Complain all you want about other bookstores or chains, but Amazon is just as bad, if not worse, for all aspects of this business. It’s bad for the bookstores, chain or no (just check out the new text messaging service where a customer can use their cell phone from within the walls of any bookstore to compare prices and even order from Amazon); bad for publishers, independent or otherwise, especially those who would oppose the Amazon; bad, bad, bad for the authors caught in the middle of this squeeze play–authors whose own fellows, in some cases, won’t stand up beside them because they are sold on the idea that they “need” Amazon.

Most of all, however, Amazon is particularly bad for the customers, who will foot the bills. And tell me, unless we authors and publishers work diligently together to enlist the support of consumers, who will ultimately be blamed for the rising costs of books? The answer is only a look in the mirror away for any one of us. Unless we stand together and make Amazon’s greed an issue no customer will ever forget, we publishers and authors will bear the brunt of the blame, not Amazon. Just as publishers and authors shoulder the blame every time a book is poorly produced. And don’t think for a minute Jeff Bezos doesn’t realize this, too.

Whatever will I do without Amazon? Well, necessity is the mother of invention and change may be stirring in the wind, below anyone’s horizon right now. Although the references to David and Goliath abound, the story of one small soul felling a monster with a single well-placed stone might simply exist to encourage those would to stand up and try, despite the risk, in spite of the odds.

If you think about it, Jeff did virtually the same thing himself, but now, well, he’s made a very poor choice that suggests he’s lost his way, he’s completely forgotten his roots.

You might not believe in karma, but the truth is, we always get what we give. Always. And the longer what we gave to the world takes to come back around to us, the better or worse the return is. Always.

Boycott Amazon.

Writers’ Crutches: As and It

Something I want to point out to you budding writers out there are the two biggest writers crutches–as and it.

As Johnny leaned over her, brandishing a knife, Jane kicked him in the package. His eyes widened as he crumpled to the floor, clutching himself. Jane scrambled to her feet, picked it up, and as he moaned, she ran out the back door.

Ok, now that I have your attention–LOL–this is passable writing maybe. Something on par with what I read from midlist authors all the time. However, the passage suffers big-time from two things (among others)–it and as.

Johnny leaned over her, brandishing the knife, and Jane kicked him in the package. His eyes widened, he crumpled to the floor, clutching himself. She scrambled to her feet and snatched the blade. Ignoring his moans, she ran out the back door.

Do you see a difference? The second example, while certainly not stellar, is more immediate. The action is in your face. Everything is happening in the now, not as this happened, that did, too.

In my humble opinion, if writers would simply search their manuscripts for it and as, then endeavor to reword these two crutches out of their work the best they can (and you can’t all the time, only most of the time), they would immediately see a difference, a huge difference, in the quality of their work. Again in my opinion, by doing this one simple thing, a lot of mediocre writing would leap to good, while good writing might become great.

Just a thought…

Painting Our Tales

There is only one rule in writing–there are no rules–and one caveat to that rule–everything in moderation.

Balance is the key. Not too much of this, not too little of that.

What any writer works toward is a unique “voice”, a writing style all their own that readers can identify in a paragraph, or pick out of a line-up of such.

No one will ever be considered a master at this craft. We are all journeymen trudging our separate paths, painting our tales with words, the blank page (or computer screen) our canvas.

Aw, hell. Think I’ll go write something. What about you?

Four Cups!

My novel, Threads, a Blaine Horney Mystery, was recently given four out of five cups by a reviewer for Romantic Times.

You can read all about it here.

To say I’m thrilled doesn’t cover it. Jazzed? You betcha! And what nice things were said about the writing and plotting. Couldn’t ask for anything more. Thanks so much, Maura, and Coffee Time Romance.

Hell, I’m encouraged now.

Book Two of the Blaine Horney series, Just Blaine Horney, will be out later this year. For now, you can get your autographed copy of Threads, a Blaine Horney Mystery, directly from my website or the publisher, Jigsaw Press, or if you prefer, order direct from Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, and all the usual suspects. Just plug the ISBN 9781934340240 into search. Also available in eBook (pdf) and for the Kindle.

Aaron Russo’s America: From Freedom to Fascism

This is a guest blog by M.L. Bushman, who has my full support…Kris.

The time for sitting on the sidelines is over, America.

Watch all 11 parts of Aaron Russo’s America: Freedom to Fascism on YouTube

You’ll see what I mean. Hell, you might be inspired like me to join the revolution.

I’ve been calling for a binding national referendum, a national vote once a year to return to the citizens of this country the power that rightfully belongs to us by giving us the authority to oversee, to approve, of what Congress and even the President does purportedly on our behalf.

After seeing this movie by Aaron Russo, I realize now that those whores with the title US Senator and US Representative preceding their names will never accede to this demand, not so long as their every move is the result of a string pulled not by their hearts, their consciences, or even their so-called patriotism or respective religions, but by those private interests that make up the Federal Reserve, whose one aim is to enslave the world.

Well, folks, I have only one thing to say to these would-be world dominators and their puppets:

I have just begun to fight.

Watch the movie. Make your choice. Doing nothing is the coward’s way out. And our forefathers were not cowards, by any stretch of the imagination.

M.L. Bushman

Threads, a Blaine Horney Mystery by Kris Karrel

Yep, the eBook was released September 30, 2007, by Jigsaw Press! The paperback is on its way, too!

Boy, am I thrilled! Can you say “published author”? Woo-hoo.

Now, for a limited time, my publisher, Jigsaw Press, has decided to offer the world at large a free download of the eBook.

Who doesn’t like free?

So head on over to my website, Kris Karrel, or Jigsaw Press, and get that free download! You can pre-order the paperback, too. And if you’re of a mind, I’d sure appreciate it if get in touch with me or the publisher and leave some feedback on the story, pro or con.

For those of you yet undecided, here’s a peek at the back cover copy:

Why the ethics of this side job began to nag as the miles passed under the tires, the Texas Ranger didn’t have a clue. A personal favor for an unidentified friend of his captain wouldn’t exactly hurt his career. The double homicide was cold enough, a year old yesterday. And out of his or any Ranger’s usual jurisdiction, whole states out—Morrison, Montana, a town so small it didn’t rate a dot on a map.

Should be cut-and-dried easy.

Especially for a Ranger with a psychic gift, one that in the blink of his mind’s eye crisscrossed the world in threads, the ectoplasmic trails of people past and present, the residue of their daily lives, any moment of which he might experience simply by crossing their paths.

When it worked.

Always a downside to everything. Like a hangover chases good whiskey, or a high-class escort expects to be paid, or the name on some mythical office should he ever leave the Rangers to form an agency of his own.

Horney Investigations.

Beat Blaine Horney, PI or B. Horney, Private Investigator, but not by much.

A steady paycheck had a lot more appeal, for now anyway.

Side jobs notwithstanding.

The Honest Government and Open Government Act of 2007

What an oxymoron the title of this blog is.  Wow, the Congress is going to pass a bill that among other things restricts access to parking and gym privileges by former members who turn lobbyists.  I bet that’s causing strife and debate all over the Hill.

Under this bill passed overwhelmingly by the House today and awaiting approval by the Senate later this week, former senators must wait two years before becoming lobbyists.  House representatives only have to wait one year.  Gee.  What a sacrifice there, huh?

This bill would require all congressional travel paid for by outside interests be posted on the Internet.  Where isn’t exactly spelled out in this article according to Time.  Buried deep on some obscure page at firstgov.gov?  Good luck finding it.

There hasn’t been honest government or open government for decades.  Who is Congress trying to kid anyway?  Surely it can’t be the People of these United States, can it?

I think the majority of us are all damn well finished being dazzled by so-called reforms from either side of the political and legislative aisle.  Not even their bullshit can baffle us anymore.  They don’t want honesty unless there’s some political payoff for them.  They won’t give us open government until we demand a binding national referendum once a year to decide for ourselves whether or not they’re doing their jobs or ought to be fired.

Personally, I think they should be fired without delay and forfeit their pensions.  But that’s just me.  And a thousand other people I know…