The Creative Spark with Uvi Poznansky discussion

Feel free to post your reviews of any book you have read recently, so that all of us can learn about it.

I don't own a digital reader, though I download books onto a Kindle app. Primarily though, I love the touch and smell of a real book in my hands, but once I get an iPad I know I'll be glued to it.

What about you? Books or eBooks for you, and why?

I love books. Comfortable to carry, easy to share, pleasing to keep like surrounding myself with old friends. But I have to confess I love my kindle too. Have kindle will travel. Have kindle will review tons of books without husband throwing a fit at the size of the to-read stack.

I hear you... Do we have the same husband? ;)

I don't have a Kindle yet, but have the app to read it on my laptop, which is neat too. But I'm an old-timer... Love to curl in bed with a book and lose myself there.

Ah, if only I could stay awake long enough to curl in bed with a book.

lol...

Hi everyone! I wonder, are your reading habits changing because of the new generation of eBook devices? Do you find yourself hindered, as you try to immerse in reading, by their multi-purpose design, which offers a multitude of ways for your concentration to stray away? The original Kindle was not designed as a multi-purpose device, specifically so that readers could focus on reading and nothing else. But in a competitive market, newer designs offer more and more functionality--and more ways to shorten our attention span.

Is this a question of concern to you? It is to the writer of this New York Times article, called Finding Your Book Interrupted ... By the Tablet You Read It On. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/05/bus...

I would like to have a book in my hand

So do I, Christine! For me, nothing compares to the feel of the book cover in my hands.
But do you read on a reading device at all? If so, how does the reading experience change for you?

I read on Kindle Fire

I have loved books since I was a child. When ebooks and ereaders came along I wasn't sure just how I would react to them. Then I acquired an IPad. It was surprising how quickly I took to reading all kinds of content in electronic form including books. Now paper and electronic versions of books are interchangeable to me. However, there are some advantages to electronic versions that I like. Looking up the meaning of a word is easier on an ereader as is highlighting and making notes, something I would never do in one of my treasured books.
As a writer, I kept hearing that paper books were dead. Guess what, as soon as the ebook version of my books were issued I started getting questions about how to find the paper version. Lesson learned, I quickly produced paper versions. In any transitional period when new technology is being adopted there are discussions similar to those taking place about books. Change is inevitable. As a writer the best way for me to deal with it is to accept it and give the reader what they want.

Here, here!

Many of my writing friends, who are curious to know how I accomplished the conversion of Apart From Love from book to ebook, ask me to explain, in excruciating detail, how to do it. My best advice to you, having gone through the process, is not to rush things, or you will create a mess...
To read more, click the link
http://uviart.blogspot.com/2012/05/co...

I agree with your comments about the trials and tribulations of creating different formats. The problem of updating each version and keeping it all straight is a trying one and requires much vigilance. I created the ebook version by using a software program called Legend Maker which works with a RTF file. The paper version is based on a template from CreateSpace and is basically a Word file. You are right to stress that it is important to proof read and edit your text as thoroughly as possible before creating the various versions. Even then you are likely to find the odd typo. The fewer the better.

Hi Murdo, glad you read the blog entry. I find that the workflow of converting to the various ebook formats--which one to do first? kindle, nook or ipad--is also important.

I found doing the first conversion for ipad makes the other two almost trivial. This is because there are stricter instructions for the epub file for ipad, in terms of fonts and use of templates for the word or pages document. Following these instructions greatly enhances the appearance of your document on the reading tablet.

I don't read on a reading device

I have to say I am torn on this. There is nothing like holding a book and turning the pages but - since I travel alot - it is so much easier to carry my nook. It holds many books in one so it is easier for me for sometimes I want to read fiction and sometimes I am in the mood to read some non-fiction - when I am doing research for a story or for my own personal growth. A lot easier to carry my nook than to carry at least 2 books and my Bible.

Indeed, I see more and more people in airports enjoying a read on their tablet. An additional consideration is library space. Just last night I spoke with friends of mine, who sold their home, donated their books and are now free spirits, on the move. For them an e-reader would be perfect.

I like to have a book in my hand

Like you I love the feel of the cover and the rustle of the pages.

Hi everyone! If you have a Kindle--and even if you don't--you can join Kindle Boards, which is a discussion network for Kindle-related topics and for books.

If you join, or if you are a member already, come talk to me on my author thread: http://www.kindleboards.com/index.php...

Uvi, I have two novels published by Black Jackal Books, Apostle Rising and Mr. Glamour, both in paperback. Apostle Rising is being released as an E Book this month, Mr. Glamour to follow. I think we have to adapt to both forms. The E Book represents great opportunities.

Richard, great to hear your voice! I actually took a look at Mr. Glamor the other day... Lovely reviews, too!

Indeed, as writers we should publish on all platform, no question about that! I totally agree with you.

I've not visited the kindle boards yet. Would I be lost?

You, Sheila? Lost? Never! ;)

I've heard negative impressions from fellow writers about Kindle Boards. They have strict rules against self-promotion, which are posted on your book thread as soon as you create it, blocking everything else from direct view. The name of the moderator is Betsy the Weaver, but I don't know that she can weave with that iron fist of hers. She enjoys 'punishing' writers who stray, even accidentally, from a complex set of rules.

So it all depends how you want to use Kindle Boards--as a reviewer or as a writer.

One more thing that makes posting there cumbersome is the fact that you cannot post a link in a way that makes it clickable. This problem, which they created, they try to solve by providing a tool called 'link maker.' Which means that those of us technically challenged are at a disadvantage.

All that said, you should get in and establish a presence there. If you find a way to use it to your advantage let me know.

I would rather have a book in my hand

Yes, Christine, I understand, me too... There is nothing like the rustle of the pages as you turn them, they lend a background rhythm to the story...

You might want to watch my animation, Now I Am Paper, which talks about the voice of the book in your hands. To watch, take a look here: http://uviart.blogspot.com/2012/04/jo...

Nope i agree lol

I would still like to have a book in my hand

Uvi wrote: "One more thing that makes posting there cumbersome is the fact that you cannot post a link in a way that makes it clickable. This problem, which they created, they try to solve by providing a tool ..."

Sounds scary. I'll add it to my list of places to go sometime, when I'm feeling brave. Complex rules always send me running away to hide behind good intentions.

I began using a Color Nook because I had to proof my own eBook, and seeing it on the screen allowed me to correct the position of full color images inserted into the text. Then I needed to do the same with the Kindle edition. Using eReaders is now my preference, for a number of reasons. I enjoy having books delivered instantly to my Kindle, especially when the paperback would have to be shipped from the UK, and many of my favorite authors are "over there." With limited space on my book shelves, I see eBooks as the green solution to reading more, and to discovering new authors at a reasonable cost. I will always love the feel of a book in my hands, but have come to feel the same about the books stored in my eReading devices. They are as real to me as the perfect bound books on my shelves.

Good afternoon Marcia! So happy to hear your voice here. I think it is so important for readers to realize the careful work that goes into producing an ebook. In the case of your book, Joan of Arc: The Mystic Legacy, this level of paying attention to detail is even more crucial, because of having to incorporate color photographs and lay the text out in a pleasing manner on each page.

So I hope you continue to share your experience here, about creating the ebook edition of your book: how many revisions did it take to get it right? What were the major stumbling blocks? This is of particular interest to me, because in the back of my mind I am planning to create an ebook edition for each one of my children books (you can see the animations for them on my author page, http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/... )

You, all the writers among us: please take this as an invitation to share your experiences creating the ebook editions of our work, right here!

Hi Uvi,

Because the book contained nearly 100 references that needed to link to endnotes, in addition to thirty-seven full color images that required careful placement in the layout, I hired a team of eBook design professionals that had been recommended to me by another author. I was told that the eBook would not be released until it had been perfected, and that I would be able to make whatever corrections were required at no additional cost.

Many errors appeared in each proof I received, and although I patiently worked with the "team" to correct them, NEW errors appeared out of nowhere, within each proof that followed. The TOC was out of alignment, which bothered me most. I could not understand why they couldn't correct it, because most novels also contain a Table of Contents. I thought I would lose my mind after enduring several weeks of getting the ePub3 version formatted.

Next, a separate set of proofs came in for the Kindle(color)Fire edition, but I did not (at that time) own a Kindle! Viewing the proofs on my computer screen, everything appeared to be fine, and I was told by the "team" that the book looked exactly the same on the screen of the Kindle Fire. When I bought that eReader a month or so later, I was horrified to see that I had effectively been lied to. In that edition, the references do not even link to the endnotes, and there are other problems with the indented quotations.

So far, my readers have not been critical of the eBook edition layout designs. I believe we have come to expect to find glitches and have grown to accept them as "not the author's fault."

Proofing the printed edition layout was a nightmare as well, because Word documents are not compatible with InDesign. That program drops punctuation marks, drops italicized words, and no matter how many times I proofed that layout, words were either repeated or mis-spelled, punctuation changed in each proof, although the Word manuscript had been carefully edited.

I am not looking forward to starting this process all over again when I search for another layout designer for all editions of the book, but I know that is exactly what I will be forced to do. I want to eventually release a second edition, with all errors corrected.

When I've done my homework (this winter), I'll report back to you, Uvi! CreateSpace supposedly now handles full color images effectively. Smashwords cannot accept complex layouts (multiple fonts) or 300 dpi color images.

Keeping the faith that I'll find a way!

Blessings,
Marcia

This is great information, Marcia!

Now here is some information that you and other discerning authors may find useful, to format ebooks to a higher level of design:

- children books, where illustrations are to be incorporated, fixed layouts and Kindle Text Pop Up;
- fiction books, where text is to be formatted with embedded fonts, line spacing, alignment, and justification;
- Technical and engineering books, where nested tables, boxed elements and Scalable Vector Graphics are to be incorporated;
- Comics and graphic novels.

So take a look here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html...

Now what is needed is to compare Kindle Publisher Tools with other tools available for iPad and Nook. At a minimum, you would want your ebook designer to be knowledgeable about these techniques!

Thanks Uvi,

The team that formatted the Kindle edition of my book waited for over a month to receive the information from Amazon about how to use KF8 to format it.

So, although they were supposedly knowledgeable about it, they did not apply that knowledge!(Sigh.)

Since I am not a pro in technology, I doubt if I could do it myself, and would most likely need to hire someone to help me with it.

As do most writers! It's not easy to to rely on qualified professionals, and make sure the result is to our complete satisfaction in terms of the layout of the text and the functionality, as tested on a reading device. You, Marcia, took great care, for both the paperback and the ebook, to achieve excellence in both. To me, this means that you care about your work, and most of all--about the reader!

(in my case, because of having worked as a software engineer, I could do the conversion single-handedly.)

But even though most writers cannot do the actual conversion by themselves, they should still keep an eye to Amazon , B&N and iTunes announcements about any news for conversion technologies. Why? Because by keeping abreast of the latest news, writers can better assess if the people hired to do the job know what they're talking about.

Thank you Uvi, and I agree, it is so important to keep abreast of the ever-changing news in technology and publishing.

As I understand it, books published through Amazon's CreateSpace are now being boycotted by other book sellers and distributors. The reasons are understandable, as Amazon's competitive tactics are merciless and in many ways, unethical. Goodreads disconnected from Amazon's data base during the past year, upsetting quite a few authors.

Perhaps I can hire you to format the next edition of my eBook, but only after it has been thoroughly edited by a professional! We can discuss that outside of this forum, but of course I know how very busy you are! Perhaps you know other software engineers who would be interested in taking on the conversion?

I am not busy, but swamped! Also, you would need someone who can incorporated pics, and I am yet to learn the ins and outs of that. If I know someone, I am sure to let you know.

But now, Marcia, to the more interesting, exciting part: what is your next project? Are you writing a new book?

Yes Uvi,
I'm returning to complete "Sheets of White Linen" the memoir I began writing years ago. I set that book aside to research and write the bio on Joan. In the mid-1990's, I submitted an excerpt from the memoir to the California Writers Club for critique, without realizing it was also entered into a contest. When they called to let me know I had won "first place, nonfiction book" that was the confirmation I needed. It let me know that I should continue writing. I do look forward to completing and publishing the memoir. Since it will not contain footnotes or photographs, formatting it should be relatively easy, after what I've been through with the bio on Joan.

Wow Marcia! It is so rewarding to have your work appreciated, let alone to win first prize! I have written scattered chapters of my memoir, but found it so difficult to put it all in perspective, because I feel too close to certain events. In addition there is also the need to 'protect the innocent' and think about who in the family might take certain notes 'the wrong way'...

So have you restarted this project, and how do you deal with the issue of perspective?

Yes Uvi, I have gone back to editing the memoir, and added quite a few chapters during the past year. My four adult siblings have all read the first draft, in which their names were changed. When one of my sisters asked why I had done that, before I could answer, my brother said, "...to protect the innocent." They are all keenly aware that I intend to publish it, with or without their approval, but I need to know for certain whether or not they want me to use their real names.

I think the perspective I've gained is the result of working constantly to heal the core wounds I incurred as a child and young adult that caused chronic PTSD to interfere with almost every aspect of my life.

Interestingly, I had a much harder time gaining the emotional distance needed to write effectively about Joan. Tears fell onto the keyboard as I wrote about her life. After expelling that outrage and grief in the earlier drafts, I continued to revise the bio until I felt that at last, her voice had replaced mine.

I am reading an excellent memoir right now, "The Box of Daughter: Healing the Authentic Self" by Katherine Mayfield. It helps to know that we are not alone, and to feel the support of other authors who have been through this process, through reading their work. Writing it out does provide a means of healing. My sole intention in writing the memoir is to help others heal.

Hi Marcia, it is quite enlightening to learn how thin are the boundaries between writing fiction and writing non-fiction. In both cases, we as writers form an intense bond with the hero or heroine, be it a historical figure as in your book, or a fictional one as in mine. And we use the scientific side of our brain to balance and guide the story through its highs and lows.

Now about writing a memoir: from my experience and as I can see, from yours too, it is a desperate attempt not only to come to terms with our challenges--but also to frame them in a way that can no longer threaten our core existence. If not for writing, I would not be here. I'm dead serious about this. Here, for example, are Ben's words in Apart From Love , which I lifted, word for word, from a different context in my memoir, several years before the novel:

"I have no will. I have no curiosity. Of its own, my finger is passing with barely a touch along the blade until suddenly, catching on a spot, it halts. Rust, perhaps. I raise my hand over to the light, careful not to tighten my hold over the thing. A cold shine can be seen in intervals, shooting up and down between my fingers along the metallic handle. I can sense the edge.
I can see my wrist, a vein twisting through it with a hard pulse. I can see the delicate lines, guessing their way across the skin. How frail is life. Better close your eyes. Close your eyes, I say. Do it.
I close my eyes and with a light, effortless relief, my thoughts are lifted, flying away from the moment. They are lifted, turning over the edge, cutting up and away, heading for a far, far time in the past.
I have no will. I have no curiosity.
What now, I ask. What if I have no blood. What if I am no longer here?"

And Marcia, you are welcome to post here an excerpt from your current project. This is a standing invitation to all the writers in the group, as sharing our creativity can be used as a starting point to an exchange about how we go about the creative process.

Here is a link to an excerpt from the memoir, submitted on the spur of the moment in June, 2011 to "Women's Memoirs", when they announced their monthly contest's topic, "Fathers Day". I certainly was not expecting to place or win, but felt compelled to share this piece. Because it did win "honorable mention," now this image of my father shows up next to mine, in a Google Search for Marcia Quinn Noren. If my mother were active on line, she would surely find it. My siblings doubtlessly have.

http://womensmemoirs.com/memoir-scrap...

Uvi wrote: "Hi Marcia, it is quite enlightening to learn how thin are the boundaries between writing fiction and writing non-fiction. In both cases, we as writers form an intense bond with the hero or heroine,..."

Absolutely true! I just finished writing a guest post for Indies Unlimited, "The Challenges of Publishing Indie Nonfiction Books" and was tempted to talk about what you've said here (the fine line between fiction and nonfiction), at length. Instead I focused on the technical differences between publishing a novel and a work of nonfiction that includes references and endnotes. I emphasize in that piece that although we (nonfiction authors) do not invent characters, events or dialogue, we cannot be objective, because everything we write is filtered through subjective experience.

Ben's words send chills up my spine. What he expresses is the voice of a brother who is in that moment, held apart from life itself. We know what it is to feel separated from everything, from everyone, from our bodies, from our imaginations, from the will to act, and from the desire to live.

Marcia, now that you turn your attention from French history to your memoirs, do you find differences between the writing process for each project?

This poem is so powerful, I will ask your permission to include it in my memoir (giving you full credit, of course!) I doubt if we who bear these core wounds can maintain a dispassionate point of view for any given length of time, because the old wounds are triggered too often by current events. The only other quotation I use in the memoir is from Bob Dylan. Not from one of his songs, but he said this in an interview.

"Well, my daddy didn't leave me too much...he was a very simple man, but he did say, 'Son...it's possible to be so defiled in this world that your own mother and father will abandon you. And if this happens, God will always believe in your own ability to mend your ways.'" Bob Dylan

With pleasure, Marcia!

Thank you Uvi, a friend who read my memoir commented on your poem: "the poem is chilling and describes the feelings you've written about so well. It has that anger and is so sinister in tone." For me, I felt sorrow and grief in your poem.

By the way, I realize we are "off topic" with this thread here, and perhaps we can start another thread specifically about how we write out our grief in memoirs, to gain a dispassionate distance from the pain and regain more control over our emotions.

Also, Dylan's quote would be more appropriate if the closing line could be changed. "And if this happens, God will always believe in your own ability to heal."
It's not our ways, but our hearts that need mending, unless we become self-destructive and abandon ourselves.