Beem Weeks's Blog - Posts Tagged "writers"

I always imagined writing a novel would be the most difficult step to becoming an author--published or not. That isn't the case, though. Selling the finished product to a reading public is proving to be even harder than the arduous task of creating it.

Getting published is simple in this era of online publishers. But making a book-buying public aware of your work is such an odyssey--a thankless one at that. It's out there, among the millions of other novels clamoring for attention. Having a PR person chasing down reviews and interviews would be a wonderful blessing--which a starving artist can scarcely afford.

The dream of being a full-time writer has all but collapsed. I've seen those slick ads for this method of sales or that shiny new idea, each touting promised customers--in theory. But in reality, these are designed to separate the author from his/her hard-earned money--with little or no return on the investment.

Frustrating as it is at times, I'm still a published author. If it doesn't pan out, well, at least I can pull out my book and say, "I made it this far." I want more, though. I want an audience who reads my work and lets me know that they enjoy it or they despise it. It's here, this story called Jazz Baby. It's available worldwide at tinyurl.com/bbj4my7 among other sites.

But if my voice isn't getting heard, well, I'm just talking to myself. I'm extremely grateful for places like Goodreads, Koobug.com, and Twitter. These have helped me move a few more copies than I would have otherwise.

I know I'm ranting. But sometimes we all need to do that. Now, I'll reset myself and try again in this new year. Here's to writing! Cheers!

The other day I attempted to watch a popular comedian on a DVD I recently purchased. I was at my mother's house when I decided to view the comedy concert. Two minutes into the show, Mom hit the stop button. "Too much," she said. Too much humor? Too much laughing? Nope! Too much cursing--especially that F word.

I can understand Mom's complaint--to an extent. Mom won't watch movies filled with that particular offending word. Some great films have gone unwatched because of that word. Raging Bull is a classic film, but all Mom recalls of that movie is the over-use of that F word.

It is possible to make great films, write wonderful novels, or tell funny jokes without that word. There's a whole history of fantastic movies, books, and comedic shows to prove that statement. But what if the writer is trying to bring that element of reality into his/her story?

A novel about a gangbanger dealing drugs on some inner-city street corner won't have him calling his enemy--the one intent on killing him--a stupid dummy. When arguing over the proper way to dispose of a body freshly whacked by a pair of mobsters, it's not likely they'll toss a bunch of gee-whiz's and golly-wow's into the mix.

For all it's harshness, obscene language is still just that: language. It's how we talk--whether in English or any other dialect. Give a listen to some of those great old James Cagney gangster movies. He's tough, a hot-head, and violent. And while he never utters a curse word--Hollywood code prohibited vulgarity--the performances are intense.

But are they real? Are they genuine?

Does a movie like White Heat stand up against modern classics like Goodfellas or Pulp Fiction? That's for film critics to debate--though I do have my own opinions.

Gratuitous cursing detracts from any story--as does gratuitous sex and violence. But these things do have their place in a story meant to reflect the reality of an era, a place, or a culture. I won't be able to convince Mom of this--I've tried. But that's okay. Each individual is responsible for self. It's your story, tell it how you imagine it.

(Was: first and third person singular past of BE.) So says the Oxford American College Dictionary. I just call it lazy writing.

The use of the word "was" is the easy way out from having to actually prime the creative pump and come up with vivid descriptions that treat your readers to verbal delicacies of the story type. It's so disappointing to pick up a highly touted novel only to stumble over five, ten, or twenty uses of that dreadful word "was" within the first three paragraphs.

"Was" is a cheap way to get a description across. For example: "She was short and mean." YAWN! What dreck. Spruce it up a bit, toss some color into the mix. Write it something like this: "Short and squat, this girl; like a gumdrop with limbs--only not as sweet." Description is such a vital key to telling a great story.

Yeah, there are places where "was" is the word that fits. But such places ought to be limited in usage. Never settle just because it fits. Challenge yourself as a writer and you'll likely draw fans to your work. Fans buy books.

And sure, there are a handful of uses of that lazy word in my novel Jazz Baby. But you could probably count them on both hands. Slay those "WAS" monsters and watch your work take on flavors you never tasted before.

Okay, so here's a fun little game that hopefully will spread the indie word. Being “IT” means that you share information about your “work in progress” also known as “WIP” The Rules 1.) Give credit (including a link) to the Author who tagged you. 2.)Play by the rules, therefore you must post the rules! 3.)You MUST answer all 10 questions (below) some are quite hard but do your best. 4.)List five other Authors with links at the end that you have “tagged” so that the game can continue.


Link Back
The indie writer who tagged me is Dawn Husted. She is the author of a WIP called Safe, as well as published works like Nicova, Silently Screaming, and Windor Series. Her blog address is http://dawnhusted.weebly.com/1/post/2...

Q1.) What is the title or working title of your WIP?
The Secret Collector.


Q2.) What genres does your novel fall under?
Historical fiction/coming-of-age (Same as my first novel, Jazz Baby, though a decade earlier.)

Q3.) What actors (Dream Cast) would you choose to play the characters in a film version?
I haven't really given that angle any thought. I could see a cast of up-and-comers, the ones who would make their names on a piece like this, the way so many eighties actors became names after filming The Outsiders. If I had to choose one, Chloe Grace Moretz as lead character Violet Glass.

Q4.) What is the main outline for your book?
15-year-old Violet collects secrets of those family and friends around her. Some are benign secrets, little things that are more embarrassing than serious. But then there are those secrets that could destroy friendships and family ties. And she has her own secrets to protect, as well. It's 1910 and slavery only ended a generation earlier. Emotions are still quite raw on both sides of the issue. Woman are a full ten years from the right to vote. These things mold and shape Violet, who she is, who she'll become.


Q5.) Will your book be Indie published/self published, or represented by an agency and sold to a traditional publisher?
It's going to be the indie route again. I'll go with The Fresh Ink Group for this book, same as I did for my first novel Jazz Baby. They do phenomenal work. Yeah, I'd love to have that big publisher budget for publicity, but that's not likely to happen anytime soon. Besides, indie is the wave of the future. We'll have to wait and see how far this format can go.

Q6.) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
The first draft isn't even completed yet. I'm just at five chapters in. That's taken about two months to write. I'm notoriously slow when it comes to writing. Jazz Baby took nearly a decade from start to publication. But that's due to many re-writes (I believe strongly in the re-write process) and my giving up on the story a time or two. I had to be talked into finishing the story by a good friend.

Q7.) What other books in this genre would you compare your book to?
I guess I haven't thought about that. There's one novel I read about ten years ago, The Midwife's Advice by Gay Courter. That story isn't so much an inspiration as it is a thought. Same era, different region of the United States. Maybe there are elements from a film like, say, Paris Trout, starring Dennis Hopper.

Q8.) Who or what inspired you to write this book?
The era inspired me. Early 1900s America is an interesting time. And the idea of a girl, a young woman, who is able to keep secrets that could destroy lives is very intresting to me.

Q9.) What else about the book might pique readers attention?
Sexuality. Betrayal. Dark voodoo overtones. Zombie-vampires who fall in love with werewolves--JUST KIDDING!

Q10.) Five other Indie Authors you have tagged

Sienna Rose http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
Richard Van Holst http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
Christoph Fischer http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
Liam Perrin http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
Carol Traulsen http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/18...

Just a little heads-up on a few other websites for indie authors looking to spread the word about your latest creation. I search high and low for places to post a little something about my work, look to discover other authors' writing, and generally meet those who share that same passion for the written word.

http://www.koobug.com is a wonderful place that supports and promotes indie authors all over the world. The site allows writers to post where their books are available. They provide a blog space for authors to post short stories, ideas, or just rant and rave if you like. The Koobug motto is: Koobug is about authors. They live up to this motto.

http://www.writing.com is another site dedicated to indie writers looking to share their work. This site offers a free level, which allows for the posting of short stories. But they also have several pay packages that grant greater privileges depending on the level purchased. This is a writers community, meaning your short stories are posted for potential reviews and feedback from other writers. This is an amazing site for those who are struggling with such things as sentence construction, proper usage of word, or punctuation issues. But it's also for established writers who may want to share their work and expertise with others. There are thousands of writers on this site, most willing to offer a hand where needed.

http://www.readwave.com offers writers a place to post short stories for others to read and critique. This is a site that prides itself on promoting top-level stories and writers, so have a second and third set of eyes have a look at your work before posting. Remember, proofreading is not a sin.

http://www.youngwritersonline.net offers writerly advice, community feedback, and a place to post and read book reviews. This is a growing site that really deserves any attention it receives.

There are other sites, but this is enough for now. I'll post links to others in the future. The key for indie authors is to get word out that, Hey! I've written a book! Use these sites as a network that reaches as many potential readers as possible. And above all, have fun with this journey.

Short Story: noun: a story with a fully developed theme but significantly shorter and less elaborate than a novel.

That definition comes from The Oxford American College Dictionary circa 2001. With that definition in mind, what exactly constitutes a short story in today’s literary world? I mean length-wise. Is a short story 500 words or less? Can a shorty run at, say, 1000 words? How about 2000? It’s a difficult notion, this idea of imposing word limits on a creative writer’s work.

When I write, the word count is the last thing on my mind. I am too busy writing the story, constructing scenes, fleshing out the characters.

Recently, one of the sites on which I post short stories announced that they would no longer accept work for their home page if this work exceeded a certain word count. They’d continue to allow the longer pieces to be posted, sure, but just not on the main page, which is where many more eyes see these stories.

I have a problem with that. I’ve never sat down to write a story with a set word count in mind. Some stories might find a good telling within 500 words. I’ve written a few of those. They arrive at that lower count through a natural unfolding of description, narration, and dialogue.

However, many are the stories that take longer to germinate. I have some short stories that run in excess of 3000 words. Stephen King, Clive Barker, Daniel Woodrell, and T.C. Boyle are some of my favorite writers when it comes to the short story form. Some of their work stretches well beyond even that mark. Who in their right mind is going to tell Mr. King his latest piece is just too darn long?

I’m not in Stephen King’s league. But I am a writer. I write and the story unfolds. It’s as simple as that. If the story clocks in at 500 words or less, that just means the tale found a beginning, a middle, and an end in a quicker fashion. Will more people read it because it runs on the shorter side—as that other site suggests? Perhaps. But I am confident that intelligent readers will read a story—so long as it’s well-written and entertaining—regardless of length. These readers that supposedly prefer 500 words or less, do they not also read longer works, like novels? Is their attention span so guided by today’s ten-second sound-bite era that writers must adapt their style to this way of thinking? I certainly hope not!

And just for the record: this piece here clocks in at a mere 439 words.

I am a garage sale junkie. I spend many summer mornings going through the stuff other people no longer want cluttering up their homes. I search primarily for music CDs. With the advent of digital downloads, MP3 players, and the like, CDs can be had for a dollar each--or less!

I also find books I've been meaning to read. Best sellers in near-perfect condition often go for a couple of dollars--compared to fifteen or twenty dollars the booksellers demand.

Every so often I'll find a gem that maybe didn't quite make anybody's best seller list. You know the ones: interesting cover, intriguing blurb on the back, a young author showing promise. This is how I came across a collection of short stories by a writer of whom I'd never heard. I found this book lying in a box with other books designated for sale to benefit a high school girl's senior trip to a place I no longer recall.

I picked the book from the box, thumbed through its pages, got a feel for style and content. But it was the author's short bio on the back cover that sealed the deal for me.

The book is called Downriver, and it's written by Jeanne M. Leiby. Not a household name, sure, but Miss Leiby grew up in my home state of Michigan. I have a soft spot for Michiganders, be they writers, actors, or musicians. I feel the need to at least give them a chance to show me they're worth supporting.

After purchasing the short story collection mid-summer 2013, I added it to the growing pile of books sitting in my closet. There it sat for several months, just waiting its turn to dazzle me. That turn finally arrived in early November.

To say Jeanne M. Leiby's work pulled me in is an understatement. She writes the way people talk. She adds little quirks to her characters that you would swear you've seen in people you've personally met. There is a realism in Leiby's work that makes readers appreciate her efforts.

I instantly became a fan. That she's a Michigander only made this discovery that much sweeter. I had to know more about this amazing author. Does she have other published works? Has she written any novels? Info in her bio on the reverse of Downriver indicates she graduated from the University of Michigan (a hated school in my part of Michigan). She also received degrees from The Bread Loaf School of English/Middlebury College and the University of Alabama. Her short stories have appeared in publications such as Fiction, New Orleans Review, The Greensboro Review, and Indiana Review, among others.

I went online and dug deeper, learning Jeanne Leiby became a teacher, sharing her talents with students at the University of Central Florida. She won the 2000 Poets and Writers Writer Exchange. She served as fiction editor of Black Warrior Review and Editor-in-Chief of the Florida Review. In 2008, Jeanne took over as editor of The Southern Review at LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Oh, and if that's not impressive enough, while working as an intern at a publishing house, Jeanne Leiby became responsible for finding and publishing White Oleander by Janet Fitch--which just so happens to be one of my all-time favorite novels.

But then I saw it, there at the tail end of her Wikipedia page. On April 19, 2011, Jeanne M. Leiby was killed in an auto accident in Louisiana. According to police, Miss Leiby was driving a 2007 Saturn convertible with the top down. She was not wearing a seatbelt when she lost control of the vehicle, hitting a guardrail, before being ejected from the car. Doctors at a nearby hospital pronounced her dead on arrival.

That news kicked me in the stomach. I felt cheated. Here is this amazing talent from right down the road, and she's gone before I get the chance to discover her work. But I also feel cheated by Jeanne M. Leiby herself. Had she exercised a little common sense and worn her seatbelt, she just might still be here today, writing some brilliant prose that would make the rest of us writers jealous.

An amazing talent is gone from our midst, but her work remains with us. Do yourself a favor and invest in a copy of Downriver and see how good a short story can be.

Why do we write? It’s a simple enough question. The answer, well, that’s not quite as cut and dried. Every writer has his or her own reason for putting pen to paper in an effort to entertain, educate, or just let off a little steam.

I’ve been writing since about the age of eight. It’s just something I’ve always enjoyed. My motivations have changed over the years. Early on I wrote with the notion that I’d be the only one reading my work. I’d put down on paper some grand idea I’d find wandering through my head, an event from the day, or maybe a song or a poem. There has always been a need for me to create with word combinations belonging only to me.

In my teen years, for the first time, I wrote knowing that others would read my words. These writings took the form of record and concert reviews published in my high school’s newspaper. I went to a large school, with a student body of nearly 2500 members. People began to give me feedback, advice, compliments. I absorbed it all like a sponge. I felt a calling on my life; a calling to write.

To this day I am not able to make a living with this craft. And that’s fine; I didn’t take up my pen for financial gain. If and when it comes, that will be the clichéd icing on the proverbial cake!

I still enjoy writing. Whether it’s a novel, short stories, book reviews, or blog articles—like this one here—writing is my passion. I also find pleasure in writing communications to friends; letters that I’ll compose using pen and paper, stamp and envelope. I just don’t write every day the way I once did. Mood is my major motivating factor these days. Do I feel like writing something today? If I do, what form will it take? That’s just me, though.

Some writers must create each every day. Many even establish a daily word count. The day is a complete loss if they’ve not sprinkled a thousand words across their keyboard. It’s all selective depending on the individual.

Ann Frank needed to write. This girl’s existence consisted inside four walls of a silent room that became her family’s prison for many years. She wrote every day, detailing a life most human beings could never imagine. Writing is all Ann Frank had to keep her connected to the world—as dark as her world became.

Harper Lee didn’t need to write. Oh, sure, early on she wrote short stories, essays, and articles. But then she wrote a novel called To Kill A Mockingbird and basically walked away from the craft. Her sister claims the author knew she’d never again approach the level of success Mockingbird achieved—no matter the caliber of book number two. So why bother? Rumor has it there’s an incomplete book with the Harper Lee name attached to it. We’ll probably never have a chance to read it, though.

J. D. Salinger, though he ceased publishing his work after the mid-1960s, continued to write, taking a few hours each and every morning, creating stories only he had opportunity to enjoy. Upon his death, it was revealed that several of Salinger’s unreleased manuscripts would be published. The man loved writing but hated the attention his work drew from across the world.

Some people have never written anything outside of personal letters to friends and family. That doesn’t make them any less a writer than those with books or short stories on their resumes.

Everybody has their own reasons for writing—regardless if they publish or not.

Why do I write? I write because I have a passion to write—just not every day.

Why do you write?

As writers, most of us are thrilled to read reviews of our work posted on sites like Amazon and Koobug. Unsolicited, these words can spur sales of our books. They can also let us know where we lack in this craft we’ve chosen.

Then there are those messages that are of the personal nature, not intended for anybody but the author. I receive these every so often in the message box of my Goodreads account. These come from readers who were touched by something I’ve written or were reminded of some lost memory stirred back into their conscience by one of my short stories.

“Thanks for the message in your story,” they may write. “It brought back an event from my younger days—an event I’d long forgotten.” We never truly forget, though. It may slip from our thoughts but it’s always there, tucked away until the moment it’s challenged to reappear.

The thing is, I don’t set out to weave messages or lessons into my work. I write to entertain. But even so, messages appear. I believe these are out of our hands. Our egos tell us we are just creating. But there is somebody somewhere who has experienced what we’ve written.

I recently wrote a short story called Remaining Ruth, in which a teenaged girl cuts herself with a razor blade, in the privacy of her bathroom, just to have that one thing her parents can’t take away from her.

The messages were almost immediate: “I, too, was a cutter.” “I knew a girl just like Ruth.” “I didn’t cut myself but I did develop an eating disorder.” “My sister did this for years.” This particular story touched a nerve with so many readers, though that wasn’t my intention.

My novel, Jazz Baby, has prompted many such comments as well. Talk centers around the race relations within the story; Emily’s sexuality; the struggles Emily faced to achieve her dreams; women’s rights issues. I was asked by one reader why I chose to not use the N-word in the story—after all, it is set in 1925 Mississippi and New Orleans. The truth of the matter is: that wasn’t a conscious decision. I hadn’t even really thought of it until the reader brought it up. I suppose there may have been a desire to avoid the stereotypical racist clichés. The very real racism of the deep south of early twentieth-century America is indeed present within the story; I just found more creative ways to express it without resorting to what’s been written a million times in a million other stories.

And somebody found a message in that unintentional deletion.

Not every message need be heavy, either. After I wrote an essay about a childhood incident entitled Bigfoot Was My Father, I received many wonderful stories from readers wanting to share some silly moment their own fathers provided. I am honored and humbled that so many people consider me worthy of their memories.

As authors, we create worlds and characters that wouldn’t exist without us. It’s what we do. We convince ourselves of a story’s originality, of its uniqueness. But there will always be somebody somewhere who will be reminded of a long lost moment in time. It may not be spelled out in exact detail, but it’s there. It may be the metaphor you used to describe the loss of a loved one or the silly joke your main character’s love interest tells while trying to woo the girl. It will remind somebody of something. And that’s a blessing. It means you’ve written a piece in which others find a connection. It means your story matters to another human being.

There’s a verse in the Bible that says: There is nothing new under the sun; that which has been will happen again.

I believe that.

We just tell it in our own personal way.

Crackles of the Heart by Da'Kharta Rising

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This collection contains some truly intriguing works by authors who are skilled in the fine art of storytelling. Six writers lent their talents here. They have each taken a core question and answered it in their own unique words.

Though there are different styles at work, there remains a thread that connects each of the tales in this book, like a well-groomed path cutting through a summer wood. I’ve read some of these authors before. I am never disappointed in plots or mechanics or inspiration. Good writers know how to pull the reader in and dazzle.

The stories are provocative, dark, and at times, steamy in their telling—though not in an over-indulgent sort of way. There is an order to the chaos. I honestly couldn’t settle on just one or two as favorites, so I’ll give applause to each of these writers: Da’Kharta Rising, Y. Correa, Adonis Mann, Queen of Spades, C. Desert Rose, and Synful Desire. Cheers for a job well-done, authors!

I am a fan of the short form of fiction. This collection will sit on my shelf along with the others I’ve kept and returned to time after time.




View all my reviews