Pope in the Pool

I never heard this before, but with the conclave going on, it seems apropos:

I got this term from Elizabeth George’s wonderful writing reference, Write Away.  She talks about creating scenes with an eye towards making interesting action, rather than simply a few “talking heads” getting across information through dialogue.  She uses the acronym “THAD” to describe it – a Talking Head Avoidance Device. 

A similar technique, mentioned in a more irreverent writing reference guide, is Blake Snyder’s wonderful description of the Pope in the Pool trick. He wrote about needing to have the Pope get some information in dialogue, but they didn’t want the scene to be boring – so they set the conversation in the Vatican’s pool as the Pope was swimming.  Which made everyone think whoa, I didn’t even know the Pope had a pool! What could’ve been static and stereotypical suddenly

Yardley, Cathy - Rock Your Revisions

I know that the picture is a pope off, but it's the only one close enough to merit a posting. I found it on DailyEdge. Secondly, it is a terrific way to remember that it's important to spice up the writing to keep the readers interest.

Not Very Touch Improved

When I worked at a dash-mounted video camera company, where we manufactured the hardware and software for police to use dash cams, I talked to one of our users and found out that they were using our system in a revolutionary manner.

After they mirandized their suspects they would put them in the back of one of their cruisers. Then in full view of the suspects they would switch off the screen on the dash-mounted camera system so that it looked liked they'd turned it off. They hadn't. Instead they had just turned off the screen, but the camera, the audio recording, and the system were all still on and recording.

Usually the suspects would begin planning their "defense." They would talk about what actually happened and in many cases what their "stories" would be once they were taken to the police station. Since they were already mirandized everything that the camera captured could be used in court against them.

After hearing this I spoke to my boss and we developed a "covert recording" button. A button that the officer could push that would set the system up for this type of backseat recording. In less than a month we had a differentiator from our competition.

It's because of this experience that I'm continually amazed that Amazon can't produce screen savers that are personalized. Why not have a program that would make the screen saver for the Kindle the book cover of the book that was last read. Or better yet, have a compilation of book covers of the books in that Kindle's library. And these are just off the top of my head.

I got my touch yesterday, and although I'm happy with it, compared to the older Kindles, not quite impressed compared to the iPad, this one niggling thing seems like such a loss. Not only that, this is one thing from one customer that would greatly add to the appeal of the technology, . . . think about all the other great ideas out there.

Year of the Thriller with Some Detours

Yesterday I mentioned I might have to make time for The Metamorphosis in my year despite my pledge to go all thriller all the time. There's one other genre that I'm sneaking in every few books. A couple of years ago one of my resolutions was to read a book on writing for every few books I read that were for fun. Yep, that's what I'm back into.

So, along those lines, and based on where I am with my most recent novel, I'm reading Rock Your Revisions by Cathy Yardley. So far I'm quite happy with it. It's had the desired effect both on me and on my draft. The book starts out strong with:


Let’s say revising a novel is like building a house.  The rough draft you’ve currently got?  That would be the building materials.  Some parts of it are more “raw” than others.  But instead of just moving things around willy-nilly, you’re going to have a systematic approach.  You don’t put in carpet before you put up walls.  You don’t put up dry wall before you put in plumbing.  And you don’t put on a roof before pouring the foundation. 

It’s all about sequence and strategy. 

In this first pass, you’re going to do a quick “inventory” and see what you’ve got, and what you need.  Then, you’re going to make sure that you do, indeed, have the right plans and you’re really building what you want.  You’ll check the foundation.  Then, you’ll build the frame.

So far so good. Rock Your Revisions might not be as mind blowing as some of the books on writing I've read in the past, but it sure has given me the kick in the pants that I needed.

Missed It in High School

For whatever reason, one that I can't remember, I was not in the advanced  or International Baccalaureate English program in high school, ergo I missed out on the assigned reading of Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis. I still remember seeing the other students running around with their copies and thinking to myself that I should like to read that book. Never did. Might need to take a hiatus from my "Thriller Only" year to read that sucker, particularly after having read this little piece by A.B. Yehoshua in the WSJ entitled The Limits of Imagination.

The most compelling passage in A.B. Yehoshua's article is this one:


In every work of literature, perhaps in any work of art, we may distinguish two principal forces contending with one another. Each pulls in its own direction, and finding the right balance between them is what gives the work its unique value.

On one side is the unbridled imagination—the primal spark, the fantasy, the fresh insights, the innovations in form and language, the raw originality that entitles a book to claim the attention of the reader. On the other side is the force that constructs and connects, that imposes logic on the content, winning the reader's trust, enabling him or her to relate to unfamiliar material. As a result, the reader isn't merely impressed with the fruits of wild imagination but consumes them, internalizes and identifies with them.

That tug of war between unbridled imagination and realism. How much will the reader believe? How far will they follow the author into their imagination before they say, "eh, not worth it, not believable."

This is why I am always so humbled by writers like Vernor Vinge and Isaac Asimov. Authors like these take completely made up worlds, they provide stories that are full of imagination but provide them to the reader in such a way that it's impossible not to believe them. It's as if they dare the reader to disbelieve them. It's all a matter of how far you can push the reader.

E-Cover

Normally I have trouble finding articles to write about for this blog. Then, today, BOOM! there's three right away. I plan to write about and link to all of them, but I've decided to start with this one as it seems the most apropos to what I've been writing about lately.

This article in the WSJ by Javier Espinoza entitled Designing for Digital is all about book covers for the e-reader world. It's a good little article with some nuggets of info I already knew or could have guess at. Among them:

an e-book cover must be bolder, simpler and more legible than its print counterpart, graphic designers say.

and

For Andy Fielding, an Edinburgh-based graphic designer who works with writers self-publishing their e-books, simplicity is the key to a beautiful design that will stand out. "A print book only really has to work in your hands as an object. But when people are looking at e-book covers they are looking at them on places like Amazon, where they are very small initially—the size of a thumbnail."

I've always thought that Dick Francis' book covers were simple, colorful and yet powerful. These are the ones that I tried to channel when I came up with my own.

Yes, yes, his look better, but I feel that mine meet the requirements that are laid out by the article.

Anyway, I thought it was a great article, and was full of information for anyone planning to e-publish. I've seen several other self-published folks who have not used the advice listed in the article and I believe their sales probably are hurting because of it. Then again, my sales aint no rocket ship.

Among the Bullets

Among all the bullet points that are listed in this article about the Kindle Touch, I must say the one I'm most looking forward to experiencing is the fourth one:

• A new user interface
• Whispersync for Voice
• Enhanced Parental Controls
• Book Covers
• Time-to-Read
• Recommended Content
• Enhanced book samples
• Navigate graphic novels, and comics

As I have written in this blog many times, I don't like the screen saver and book cover capability of the Kindle. If I was more confident of my abilities I would have "jail breaked" it a long time ago and uploaded my own screen saver images. Again, why not tailor the screen saver to show the book jackets of the books I am reading? Why not have images of my favorite authors. Nothing against Emily Post, but why must she show up on my Kindle?

I'm sure something else, maybe something that isn't even listed will pique my interest once the new Touch arrives, but for now, I choose book covers.

Second reason why I'm excited? This site, Top Ten Reviews, suggested that the Touch was a solid 9.73 out of 10 in terms of e-readers on the market.

If you enjoy reading and are always looking for your next good read, we recommend purchasing the Kindle Touch 3G. The portable eBook reader is second to none in the features and tools that count: readability, size, ease of use, free internet, battery life, library selection, speakers and fast page turns. Hands down, the Kindle Touch 3G is our clear winner and choice for the best eBook reader.

As I said a year or so ago, I like my Kindle if only because it forces me to read. It focuses my mind on reading and helps me filter out everything else. Based on this review, it sounds like the Touch will provide that same level of focus.

Kindle Dies So Touch Me Please

No, the title of this post is not referencing some article I found, rather it is referencing the death of my original Kindle, the one my wife gave me for Valentine's day so many years ago.

It's had a good run. I got it in 2010, so it lasted about 3 years. It's gone through multiple hard knocks and bumps and thumps and take offs and landings. I have almost 100 books on that sucker (minuscule compared to what it could hold) and it still holds a respectable charge. Lastly, my wife became the owner of it when it became evident that working crosswords was easier via Kindle 2nd Gen than 3rd.

I troubleshooted that sucker before contacting customer support, in the end I got a credit toward a new Kindle Touch. I guess I didn't have to use the credit, but it was there, I've never tried a Touch, why not.

Expect reviews of the Touch in the near future.

Just Finished Night Over Water

I like Ken Follett's works. I like em. I don't love em. My favorite so far has to have been Eye of the Needle. I've read six or seven of his novels, and still that's the best of the bunch. I keep picking up his novels hoping that this will be the one that leaves them all in the dust, and I am continually dismayed. I enjoy the book, but I'm dismayed in the quest for something of his better than Eye of the Needle.

Night Over Water was good. The characters were fun, the plot was mildly engaging and the historical nature of the book, the Pan American Transatlantic flights, was fun to read about. That being said when I finished it I thought, "Ho-hum, what next."

It's never good to think "Ho-hum" after a book. By that same token, I'm pretty sure anyone who reads my books thinks "Ho-hum" afterward. I need to find a way to go from "Ho-hum" to Humdinger (if that's not a lead in to another post I don't know what is).

Liked it. I look forward to the next Ken Follett book and I hope that the next one will finally be "the one."

As a final post script, the Book Review I posted on Eye of the Needle is still, by far, the most viewed item on this blog . . . still not sure why! And although I wondered if the review of Jackdaws would outstrip it, it has not. Funny old world.

Latest Last Line

I finished Night Over Water by Ken Follett and I sorry to say it wasn't as good as some of his others. Good, but not great. The final few lines tends to underscore how less than deep it was.

He put his arm around her waist. “This is a hell of a thing, sailing along in the sunshine with a girl like you. My old mum always said I was lucky, and she was right, wasn’t she?” 

“What will we do when we get to St. John?” she said. 

“We’ll beach the launch, walk into town, get a room for the night and take the first train out in the morning.” 

“I don’t know what we’re going to do for money,” she said with a little frown of worry. 

“Yes, that is a problem. I’ve only got a few pounds, and we’ll have to pay for hotels, rail tickets, new clothes....” 

“I wish I’d brought my overnight case, like you.” 

He looked mischievous. “That’s not my case,” he said. “It’s Mr. Luther’s.” 

She was mystified. “Why did you bring Mr. Luther’s case?” 

“Because it’s got a hundred thousand dollars in it,” he said, and he started to laugh.

Follett, Ken - Night over Water

A good book? Sure. A two timer? Probably not.

Is This My Writer's Block?

I don't know if I'd call it writer's block, but right now I'm having a hell of a time writing. It's not for lack of ideas. According to Merriam-Webster writer's block is: a psychological inhibition preventing a writer from proceeding with a piece. That's a tad closer to what I'm dealing with as I just can't seem to get motivated to write.

In some ways I think it's the kiddos and the changing nature of our daily lives. Each major life change brings with it less writing time. As a single guy, no television, crumby apartment, I was at my most prolific. Then I got married. A bit less time, but still there were times when I could sneak away. First child arrives and I found my writing time was in the morning, super early in the morning when it was quiet in the house. Two boys and there's even less time, most of my writing came when I traveled. Now, no travel equals no writing.

I need to find that next evolution of my "writing time." I have got one novel ready to go, another that needs several more revisions, another that is rough, and three more in my brain ready to come out. Maybe I need to try late at night?