I finally figured out the difference between literary fiction and genre fiction.
A member of the writing forum that I frequent was struggling to write the beginning of her novel. If I remember correctly, she is attending a prestigious masters program in Creative Writing. (I might have that bit wrong, but it is something to do with literature and writing.) In frustration she said: "I have eight books on craft and not one talks about how to write the beginning of a story."
I've been puzzling over this for the past few days. I have a lot of writing books and they do cover how to start a novel. Why wouldn't at least one of her text books cover that element of fiction?
And I puzzled three days til my puzzler got sore
Then I thought of something I hadn't before:**
Most how to write fiction books don't cover literary techniques like allusion, synechdoche, alliteration, et al. Genre writers don't concern themselves as much with literary technique as they do about plot, character, world building, beginnings, middles, and ends. We might use those techniques in our writing, but we don't talk about them or how and when to use them. We might not even know that we are using them or know that we are using them but can't tell you what it is called. Think about it: When was the last time you saw a writer of genre fiction blogging about hyperbole? I bet at least one of you has run off to dictionary reference dot com or wikipedia to look up allusion, synechdoche, alliteration, or hyperbole.
So it follows that a textbook for a prestigious program in creative writing or literature is going to focus on literary techniques like those previously mentioned. You can find a list of them on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literary_device. And won't cover the elements of fiction like plot, characterization, world building, and yes, beginnings, middles, and ends.
When I took literature classes back in the dark ages when dirt was young, if we talked about a character we discussed hubris not whether we could relate to the main character or whether the MC was likeable or not. We didn't talk about the kind of plot that was used, we talked about foreshadowing and red herrings and things like that.
But just think of how powerful a novel would be if it incorporated both literary techniques and the elements of fiction. There's no reason in the world that genre fiction writers can't use literary techniques nor literary writers incorporate the elements of fiction into their stories. And it just might make the writer's story that much better. It's something to think about.
** If you didn't recognize the literary technique or did but can't remember what it is called, this is an allusion to How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
Defying Gravity by Cherie Reich
Before I talk about Defying Gravity by Cherie Reich, I want to state that I only recommend books that I have paid for. This leads me to a bit of a dilemma when the book is written by someone I know to be talented, but because I don't own an ereader, I can't purchase the book for myself. So when Cherie Reich asked for people to review her book Defying Gravity on their blogs, my hand shot up in the air so fast that I think I strained something. Having published two of her short stories, Io Saturnalia and Grave Mistakes, I felt confident that the story would be good and that I could recommend it to people. So she sent me an ARC to read so that I could write my review and I completely forgot my rule about only recommending books that I have paid for.
What to do? What to do? I feel strongly about putting my money where my mouth is. And so I will say this about Defying Gravity by Cherie Reich: If I were still publishing Crystal Codices, then I would pay her for the right to publish this story. And that actually says a lot, because I passed on a lot of the longer short stories that were submitted to Crystal Codices.
Defying Gravity grabbed my attention from the start and held it until the end. There was tension throughout the story. I thought it was going one way and it would flip and go another way. The plot was very satisfying from beginning to end.
The story switches back and forth between her two main characters and that let me as reader really get to know Linia and Alezandros and their hopes, dreams, and fears. They were real 'people' with many dimensions not cardboard caricatures.
It's a great story! I highly recommend it! You can buy it here.
Defying Gravity by Cherie Reich
Book Description: Homesick upon the SS Perseid, Linia, a young linguist, thinks she signed up for a mission of peace, but her crew members have another plan: attack the planet Medusa.
Bored with his dying planet, Alezandros, a space cruiser pilot, joins the Medusan army in his quest for adventure.
When the SS Perseid clashes with the Medusans’ army, Alezandros and Linia’s lives intertwine. Sucked through a wormhole, they crash upon a post-apocalyptic Earth and are captured by cannibals. In adjacent cells, Alezandros and Linia cast their differences aside for a common bond: escape. But when romantic feelings emerge between them, they might do the unthinkable because for a Medusan and a Persean to fall in love, it would defy gravity.
Book Links: Surrounded by Books Publishing http://sbbpublishingandeditorialservices.wordpress.com/
Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13446448-defying-gravity
Amazon http://amzn.to/ADj3QF
Author Bio: Cherie Reich is a writer, freelance editor and library assistant. She enjoys writing horror, fantasy, and mysteries, but she doesn’t let that stop her from trying other genres. Her short stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies, and her e-books include Once Upon a December Nightmare, The Best of Raven and the Writing Desk, and Defying Gravity. She is a member of the Virginia Writers Club and Valley Writers and placed third in Roanoke Valley’s BIG READ writing contest.
Author Links: Website http://cheriereich.webs.com
Blog http://cheriereich.blogspot.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/authorcheriereich
Twitter @bookworm0753 https://twitter.com/#!/bookworm0753
Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/112299073711170994514/posts
What to do? What to do? I feel strongly about putting my money where my mouth is. And so I will say this about Defying Gravity by Cherie Reich: If I were still publishing Crystal Codices, then I would pay her for the right to publish this story. And that actually says a lot, because I passed on a lot of the longer short stories that were submitted to Crystal Codices.
Defying Gravity grabbed my attention from the start and held it until the end. There was tension throughout the story. I thought it was going one way and it would flip and go another way. The plot was very satisfying from beginning to end.
The story switches back and forth between her two main characters and that let me as reader really get to know Linia and Alezandros and their hopes, dreams, and fears. They were real 'people' with many dimensions not cardboard caricatures.
It's a great story! I highly recommend it! You can buy it here.
Defying Gravity by Cherie Reich
Book Description: Homesick upon the SS Perseid, Linia, a young linguist, thinks she signed up for a mission of peace, but her crew members have another plan: attack the planet Medusa.
Bored with his dying planet, Alezandros, a space cruiser pilot, joins the Medusan army in his quest for adventure.
When the SS Perseid clashes with the Medusans’ army, Alezandros and Linia’s lives intertwine. Sucked through a wormhole, they crash upon a post-apocalyptic Earth and are captured by cannibals. In adjacent cells, Alezandros and Linia cast their differences aside for a common bond: escape. But when romantic feelings emerge between them, they might do the unthinkable because for a Medusan and a Persean to fall in love, it would defy gravity.
Book Links: Surrounded by Books Publishing http://sbbpublishingandeditorialservices.wordpress.com/
Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13446448-defying-gravity
Amazon http://amzn.to/ADj3QF
Author Bio: Cherie Reich is a writer, freelance editor and library assistant. She enjoys writing horror, fantasy, and mysteries, but she doesn’t let that stop her from trying other genres. Her short stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies, and her e-books include Once Upon a December Nightmare, The Best of Raven and the Writing Desk, and Defying Gravity. She is a member of the Virginia Writers Club and Valley Writers and placed third in Roanoke Valley’s BIG READ writing contest.
Author Links: Website http://cheriereich.webs.com
Blog http://cheriereich.blogspot.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/authorcheriereich
Twitter @bookworm0753 https://twitter.com/#!/bookworm0753
Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/112299073711170994514/posts
Sunday, February 12, 2012
BOOKS!
Hey all you bibliophiles, here are several cool videos about books.
It's a Book!
Organizing the Bookcase
Those guys had so much fun organizing their bookcase, that they went and played in a bookstore
And last but certainly not least, there's a brand new reading device on the market!
It's a Book!
Organizing the Bookcase
Those guys had so much fun organizing their bookcase, that they went and played in a bookstore
And last but certainly not least, there's a brand new reading device on the market!
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Looking-Glass Milk by Kristin Janz
Kristin Janz has reissued her short story, Looking-Glass Milk, on Kindle. I originally published this story in the Crystal Codices line which are now all out of print. If you missed it the first time, now is your chance to get it from Amazon. You can find it here.
The blurb:
On a hostile planet far from home, two scientists stand on the verge of a discovery that could alter humankind's understanding of the origins of life itself. But more than science is at stake, as Tanais and Xichen wrestle with questions of politics and identity, and race against time to redeem captive crew members from a terrible fate.
Go! Buy it now! It's only 99 cents!
The blurb:
On a hostile planet far from home, two scientists stand on the verge of a discovery that could alter humankind's understanding of the origins of life itself. But more than science is at stake, as Tanais and Xichen wrestle with questions of politics and identity, and race against time to redeem captive crew members from a terrible fate.
Go! Buy it now! It's only 99 cents!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Bumble Bindlegrim
Check out The Holiday World of Mr. Bumble Bimblegrim. It comes from the imagination of my amazingly talented cousin, Robert Aaron Wiley. His blog Bindlegrim also has some amazing stuff on it.
I snagged this from his about page on his website:
Hello! My name is Robert Aaron Wiley, and welcome to the holiday world of Mr. Bindlegrim! An alter ego, if you will, for myself who never had much restraint when it came to holidays - always starting too soon, or too late (as evidenced by my parents confiscating that obnoxious 70s Halloween vinyl, I was playing over and over well after the holiday was done). Later in life, 2004 to be exact, I rediscovered my interests in these traditions, exploring them through art, writing, and music, and most recently novelty objects like bobble heads.Please look around, enjoy, and contact me if you have any questions:
This is the book trailer for his halloween book:
Check it out!
I snagged this from his about page on his website:
Hello! My name is Robert Aaron Wiley, and welcome to the holiday world of Mr. Bindlegrim! An alter ego, if you will, for myself who never had much restraint when it came to holidays - always starting too soon, or too late (as evidenced by my parents confiscating that obnoxious 70s Halloween vinyl, I was playing over and over well after the holiday was done). Later in life, 2004 to be exact, I rediscovered my interests in these traditions, exploring them through art, writing, and music, and most recently novelty objects like bobble heads.Please look around, enjoy, and contact me if you have any questions:
This is the book trailer for his halloween book:
Check it out!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
New Market: Rollicking Tales
Thomas H. Pugh, a forum friend, is starting up a new publication called Rollicking Tales. This will be a themed anthology.
The first theme is Farmer's Almanac and the deadline is December 31, 2012. Submission details can be found here.
My only involvement with this publication is that I tried to rain on his parade of starting up a new publication. (It's A LOT of WORK.) Fortunately for you, he had an umbrella of enthusiasm and passion for publishing.
Check it out! Rollicking Tales!
The first theme is Farmer's Almanac and the deadline is December 31, 2012. Submission details can be found here.
My only involvement with this publication is that I tried to rain on his parade of starting up a new publication. (It's A LOT of WORK.) Fortunately for you, he had an umbrella of enthusiasm and passion for publishing.
Check it out! Rollicking Tales!
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