A Bit of Vaingloriousness

It might be a bit too much self pride, but I love getting these reviews and posting them here (see here). They have two affects. First, they're fun to read. It's interesting to see how others view and process my writing. I didn't realize that my writing was detailed or that I was at all like Hemingway or Heller (see here). Secondly, it inspires me to write more. I know that this morning I should be getting homework done. I should be reading articles about what chemicals are produced by the amygdala via emotional responses to create more resilient long-term memories. Instead, I wrote about elephants in my eastern-Africa thriller novel. 

This first one is from a reader who read my book of short stories, Stories from the Day (see here). I love that chuckled. That's exactly what I was hoping for! 

This second review comes from someone who read On the Edge (see here). Like some of the other reviews she mentions characterization positively, which is awesome for a writer to hear, and the fact that she "devoured" the book. Several others have said the same things. One person wrote that they read my novel in just a few hours and that she couldn't put it down. 

Again, love getting them and reading them. These are two of the best, there were a couple of others that earned me 5 stars but weren't so detailed. Looking forward to more. 

Short Story about Bataan

I spend an inordinate amount of time driving and commuting for work. My office is about an hour away from my home. When I took a job about 12 years ago, it was in an area nearer to my house. Since the company merged with it's largest competitor, the office moved 30 miles to the east, away from my home. Now I'm stuck in an industry that's a significant distance from my home. This leaves alot of time for listening to music, podcasts and sports radio. 

At the moment I've been listening to Dan Carlin's Hardcore History (see here). I started trying to listen to this a year or two ago and gave up. Apparently my barrier for entry is lower on my commute as I got into it and now I love em. 

The first one I listed to was called Supernova in the East. It's a terrific series on how and why Japan fought in WWII and why the war fleshed out the way it did. During one segment Dan discusses McArthur's pull out from Bataan and the troops that were trapped on the peninsula and the fighting that took place there. Although I've never fought in the jungle, we as a unit did a ton of training in jungle warfare and when Dan was discussing the rigor and hardships of fighting in the jungle it sure made me think about my time in Panama. 

As a part of that segment Dan asks the listener to imagine themselves in a fox hole, in the middle of the night, with just your buddy in the fox hole with you, and the next fox hole out of visual reach and perhaps due to the forced silence you can't hear them either. All around you there are jungle noises and mixed in there, with the total blackness of the triple canopy jungle, are suspicious noises of Japanese soldiers getting through the defensive perimeter (something they routinely did) and killing soldiers in their fox holes silently. 

It's a terrific word picture and I was thinking of writing a short story about a guy who gets stuck in his fox hole alone and doesn't know what to do next. I've been that guy in the fox hole in the middle of the night not sure what to do. I've been that guy in the jungle all night. I can't add the combat experience, but I can add the stress, the fear, the uncertainty. 

It would be a fun short story to write. 

Now that I'm spending so much time working on papers for my PhD, I don't have the time to write my novels, perhaps short stories can be my milieu for a while. 

Another Great Review (and a less than stellar one)

 I love getting these reviews . . . well . . . some of them. 

I say, some, because of this first one I got. 

I guess my response to this review, if I was going to write to Ariana is:

Why did you decide to buy, read and review my book if you admit upfront that "you don't like action stories"?

There are many other reviewers who have said the exact opposite of what you said about there not being enough in the beginning to grab the reader's attention. Other reviewers have said "fast paced", "page turner", "wild ride" and "action from the get-go!" 

I kinda think this was a revenge post rather than an actual reader, but whatcha gonna do?

This second review is one that I would much rather focus on. Amazing detail! An engaging book! and the perfect length! I'll take all of those reviews happily! 

Storytelling for Engagement

Storytelling is key to engagement in so many ways when it comes to teaching classes. I try to use storytelling as an aspect of my teaching often. I think there are few things that help bring a class together than being able to know the history and the background of the teacher and maybe more importantly, vice versa. 

One thing I try to encourage all of my instructors to do is to reach out and promote that the class they are teaching tell their own stories. When I taught field technicians how to work large pieces of equipment I showed up with a wealth of book knowledge and 8 hours to fill. The classes I taught were to field personnel with hours and hours and weeks and years of time in the field on the very equipment that I was trying to train on. I learned quickly that not only should I step back and allow the class to teach themselves, but also to encourage the use of their telling their own stories. 

Quickly we found that the younger technicians really honored and enjoyed hearing the stories from their more senior supervisors. By that same token, the senior supervisors, when hearing the stories and anecdotes from their teams, we're able to add to them, address their issues, and help them. Encouraging the use of having the class tell us their stories really helped make the class more powerful and worthwhile for the class as a whole. 

Covers, Covers and More Covers

So there was one thing that came out of that last review that I felt compelled to address. Romantic wrote:

To the author, please consider getting a professional cover done. The current one really doesn't do justice to the level of writing in this book.

Although this is a wonderful compliment about my writing, it's not the best compliment about my skills in terms of cover design. When I first started this journey, I tried making my own covers. That came to a screeching end very quickly (see here, here and here). 

In my defense, as a huge fan of Dick Francis, I was trying to mimick his style. They do look rudimentary and cheap though, so I'm glad I decided against using them long term.

It took me a while, but I found an online but when I found the ones I thought were professional, sophisticated and worthwhile, I invested in them, bought them, worked with the designer and rolled them out (see here).

These were far better, but they still lacked something. They looked too blank I realize now. Truthfully, even though Vapor Trail looks homemade, it was actually the most expensive one I bought. I never liked it though. It never truly represented the story. Romantic was correct.

Thanks to this comment by "Romantic" I went back and found a better cover for Vapor Trail (it's not easy by the way) and updated both the other two. I uploaded tag lines, provided some more flare. Now I'm far happier with them. I can live with these. Let's hope "Romantic," thinks the update is worthwhile.

Why Writer's Write

So this is why people write! I should get reviews more often. A few months ago I wrote about a review that I got online for one of my novels (see here) and then before that another one (see here). Those two were nothing compared to the two I just got over the winter holidays. I've updated my author page with all of my novels now, and it's fun to see the reviews coming in (see here).

The first one I got was for On the Edge (see here) from Michael Best:

The aspect that really hit me was two things he wrote. The first was about the ability to add depth and richness to the story. 

The author skillfully creates a clash of characters, though adding to the depth and richness of the story, it requires the reader to remain exceptionally engaged without missing a beat. Given the nature of the story, that is not hard to do.

The second quote discusses the allegorical quality applied to the story. Was I trying to do that? Yep. What's funny is that Vapor Trail has a far more sophisticated touch of that than On the Edge. 

Dick Hannah’s book has an allegorical quality to it, in that, Joe Malone is symbolic of today’s war vet and emblematic of the struggles to adapt to civilian life. Leaving the cruelty of war, expecting to find peace and acceptance, becomes an illusion upon return to civilian life for the MC, as is the case in the real world.

The second review was for Vapor Trail (see here) and it's just as fun to read, this one from someone named "Romantic:"

I have to say, it feels good to say that character development was so good. Thanks so much!

Mechanically well done, dialogue exceptional, plot believable and tense (in just the right places)...but for me, it was the character development that really shot this one through the roof.

It feels so good to be recognized for your craft. This must be why writers strive to keep producing. I can tell you this much, reviews like these make me want to write more!

Wishing for More from the Marlowe Murders

Some of my favorite stories to read are Agatha Christie whodunnits. There's nothing better than a well thought out, well-formed, compelling, well-thought-out mystery. Every now and then I'll put down the books or the work and I'll go get a copy of the ABC Murders, or Murder on the Mews, or Death on the Nile. I've read most of her stories, so most all the time nowadays I'm re-reading instead of reading. 

I was hoping for a story like that from Laura Giebfried's The Marlowe Murders (Alexandra Durant mystery Book 1). I was not pleasantly surprised. 

I found the pacing off, and the story disjoint and not fun to read. It was tough to care about what was going on and the characters seemed forced. I really wanted to like this book and there were undertones of writing that I hoped would pan out. Sadly, it didn't pan out. There were just enough oddly written phrases and too complex descriptions of setting and characters that I gave up halfway through. 

I'm sorry it wasn't a tad more tightly written because I feel like Laura could have had a remarkably good story. Sadly, it just wasn't this one this time. 

Book Review of No Place for Mercy

I was eager to read No Place for Mercy by Brian G. Walsh because I've always been a fan of short stories, I grew up with Louis L'amour stories about Bowdrie (see here) and have read all of the short story anthologies of Alfred Hitchcock. Secondly, I've just published my own anthology of short stories and wanted to see how Walsh's stacked up to mine . . . . or mine stacked up to his.

They stack up well. 

Walsh has a way with words and phrasing. His analogies are vivid and compelling. His prose make the ready want to read on. This one about mistakes shaking you like a rag doll got me:

She smiled with nice, even white teeth, probably paid for by her pimp. A beautiful young girl, probably no more than 18. Some day she'd wake up and realize the true cost of making this life decision. She'd learn what Cleon had learned, that some mistakes never let go of you, they shake you like a rag doll until you break, but Cleon wasn't in a lecturing mood tonight.

A very good collection and I enjoyed it very much. 

Might Be Looking at Poetry Differently Going Forward

I took a moment to read Across the Room by Shannon Sonnenberg-Pietila and honestly I was quite happy that I did. I am not usually a reader who is attracted to nor am I consumer of poetry, but for Across the Room I might change my views. Simply put the poems are deep, worthwhile, and poignant. 

The title comes from the third poem in the book that might have been the one that hit me hardest. How many times have I seen that person who I wonder what they're thinking? Are they looking like I think they are? And worse is she looking back? How does that change my thoughts on my life? And that makes my thoughts go back to the first poem, the one that ends with the couple sitting on the couch, wondering who will push pause first. 

I read another review that said that the poems lacked polish, but I liked that lack of polish. It provided a harsher more realistic view of life, love, and relationships. It makes me look forward to other poems that might be coming to see how the poet grows, changes, evolves, and develops. 

I'm not by nature a love or poetry, but I loved this book. 

NaNo This Year

 I wrote a few days back about my NaNo journey this year (see here), and how even though I didn’t make it to 50K words, it was still a worthwhile effort in many ways. 

I was reading in Carol Roberts’ The Dissertation Journey the following passage:

You don’t have to write something good initially. Thinking that you do only causes self-disparagement and self-recrimination. Remember, first drafts are only first drafts and are for your eyes only. Let them be sketchy thoughts, rambling sentences, clumsy word patterns using poor grammar, and so on. Just get everything out of your brain and onto paper. Don’t obsess and ponder ideas too long. Don’t judge it, just write it. Getting ideas on paper gets you moving. You now have something to work on and revise. Accept the fact that you will be writing several drafts, and take the pressure off the first one by concentrating only on your ideas. Most writers agree that it’s easier to revise than to create. Writing is a complex and slow process, so don’t expect it to flow effortlessly. Few writers write only when they feel inspired. If you wait for inspiration, or write only when you feel like it, your chances of completion are nil.

Great advice and particularly good considering my own NaNo. Just because I ddin’t hit 50K doesn’t mean what I have written is no good or not worthy. Just wait till I get a chance to rewrite it!