Support Independent Writers -- Read Their Work

“There is no royal path to good writing; and such paths as exist do not lead through neat critical gardens, various as they are, but through the jungles of self, the world, and of craft.” – Jessamyn West, Saturday Review, Sept. 21, 1957.

So many people are writing today – perhaps there are more writers than readers, as I read recently in someone else’s tweet. As an independent writer, I hope it only feels that way.

Social media, in all of its varying forms, is the “neat critical garden” of our time. We sit in these gardens and console ourselves and our friends as we moan about the lack of readers. Yet all great writers are great readers.

Reading a book sends me into the “jungles of self, the world, and of craft.” Reading opens my mind, expands my horizons, and brightens my world. How many of us were first inspired to write by something we had read? Yet once we’ve written a book, many of us stop reading and instead spend all of our time in the critical gardens of the internet, trying to convince others to read our books.

If you are an indie writer, I challenge you to buy and read a book by another indie writer – you can find some real gems at Smashwords.com. Look around, take some samples, find something that speaks to you. When you finish the book, write a review for the author. If you blog, post the review on your blog, too. When you send out a positive message on behalf of someone else, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what comes back to you. I, for one, found a publisher.

 Happy reading!

What I Have Learned on Page 99

“Open the book to page 99, and the quality of the whole will be revealed to you.” – Ford Madox Ford

Ford Madox Ford was a writer and critic in the early twentieth century. Many consider him to be a guiding influence in the development of literature during that time.

And Ford Madox Ford was wrong.

Okay, maybe he wasn’t exactly wrong. Perhaps he is only guilty of an over-generalization in the quote above. I’m sure when he wrote that, he meant you could tell the overall quality of the writing by sampling a page from the middle of a novel. Which you can, if you are a discerning reader who understands that what you are really looking for in that one page is the quality of the writing, not the development of the plot. How many books have you read in your life that have a major plot development on every page? I know I’ve never read one.

The flaw in Page99Test.com – the website that takes the above quote as its credo – is that not everyone is a discerning reader. For example, I posted my page 99 from my most recent novel (which will be published in February by Ink n Beans Press). Based on that one page, I have received comments accusing me of everything from being anti-Christian to copying The Sixth Sense. Considering that the main character is a novelist suffering from writer’s block who has a great idea right after he kills himself, I suppose the critiques do have a certain amount of validity. However, how they arrived at that conclusion from one page – a page on which the main character doesn’t even appear – is beyond me. In any case, the critiques should be held to grammar and style. If you don’t like the way I write based on one page, I’m fine with that, but hold your tongue on the plot, please.

I’ll admit I was taking the comments a little too personally until I critiqued one particular page on the site yesterday. In it, the writer used some of the most beautiful metaphors and similes I’ve seen in a while, including one that described a girl as being as fresh and green as new Swiss chard. I loved it. When I submitted my critique, I saw the critiques of others. Many of my fellow critics felt that those same metaphors and similes were a detriment to the work. One person even said the writer shouldn’t have referenced Swiss chard because no one knows what that is. In fact, the critiques were split almost down the middle: half would turn the page and the other half would burn the book. And what was the book? Margaret Laurence’s The Stone Angel, a novel first published in 1964 and now well-known to many a high school student in Canada and the U.S. because of its frequent appearance on high-school syllabi.

Writers, I encourage you to post your page 99s on Page99Test.com. However, think of it as another marketing tool: people who have never heard of you will read your work, even if it is only one page. Don’t take the critiques to heart unless they are oft-repeated and have more to do with grammar and style than plotlines.

And when you are feeling discouraged, remember: one page does not a novel make.

A Habit I Don't Want to Kick

I finished writing my fourth novel, An Unassigned Life, last week, and I finished the first complete edit on Wednesday. It’s about a novelist suffering from writer’s block who has a great idea for his next manuscript – right after he kills himself.

When it’s real, there’s nothing worse than writer’s block. It’s creativity constipation – you know you have something to say in a new and unique way, but you just can’t seem to force it out, no matter how hard you push.

In my experience though, writer’s block is usually imaginary. It’s an excuse we literary types use when we’re simply not trying to write. It sounds so much more interesting than “I wasted an entire day frittering on Facebook and Twitter” or “I just had to know if that guy on Maury really had twenty-six children.”

No matter how much I wish I could say that writing is like breathing for me, I know it isn’t. It’s more like a habit. On the good days, it’s like getting a hit of some fantastic drug that makes me feel light as air and carefree – even if I have a stack of bills within arm’s reach. On the bad days, it’s something I hate but need anyway.

My fingers are itching to start my next novel, but I promised myself – and my husband – that I wouldn’t do that until we returned from our vacation next month. In the meantime, I’m giving myself little hits of my favorite drug – doing writing exercises and starting short stories – while I wait for my first readers to review An Unassigned Life.

Yep. I’m definitely an addict.

How Do You Get to a Writer's Heart? Write a Review!

As an independent writer, I know how a good review can make my day. That's one of the reasons I write book review posts on my blog -- I want to bring that feeling of accomplishment to other writers. The good people over at Inknbeans Press think the same way.

So, if you've read a good book by any writer lately, make today the day that you let them know by posting a few kind words. You could be giving him or her just the nudge he or she needs to keep writing.

Book Review: Raw, a Novel

When I was a kid, my grandparents kept a milk cow so that they could enjoy the pleasures of fresh milk. They tried to convince me that this raw product was better than the kind that came in cartons. Despite their best efforts, I was never converted to their way of thinking.

After reading Steven Revare’s Raw, a Novel, though, I’m thinking I may have missed out on something special back then. Thankfully, I didn’t miss out on this quirky novel. Raw follows Carl Krauthammer as he attempts to exchange his accounting career path for that of a writer’s. After the collapse of his marriage, he leaves the East Coast Manhattan for the Midwestern Manhattan, Kansas, in order to study under the tutelage of his favorite novelist, Julian Frye. Carl imagines that life will be simpler back in Kansas; he couldn’t be more wrong. Instead, he finds a town full of breast-feeding activists, aggressive philosophy students, and the same corporate cogs he thought he’d left back in that other Manhattan. Of course, he also discovers an illegal dairy that sells raw milk and other dairy products, which is the source of the novel’s title.

Every character in this novel is as familiar as they are unique. Julian Frye reminded me of a burnt-out author who taught creative writing at the university I attended. Carl’s girlfriend, Susan Hirschman, bore a strong resemblance to many of my feminist professors. However, the quirks that Mr. Revare gives these and his other characters are inspired.

Raw has done something my grandparents never could – it has made me wish I could try fresh milk. There must be something magical about the stuff for it to inspire such a funny, fantastic book.

Writing Exercise

Answer the five questions below for a new character or a character you would like to more fully develop.

1. What does your voice sound like?
2. What do you have in your pockets?
3. Do you have any quirks, strange mannerisms, annoying habits, or other defining characteristics?
4. How would you describe your childhood in general?
5. What is your earliest memory?


Happy writing!

Susan Wells Bennett

Writing Exercise

Begin writing with this phrase:

"When I think of the color pink, I..."

This exercise is intended to be used as a prompt for a free flow of ideas. Write uninterrupted for ten minutes. If you hit a mental wall, start a new paragraph using the same prompt.

Happy writing!

Susan Wells Bennett

Writing Exercise

Below you will find three possible sentence starters, five nouns, and five verbs. Choose one of the starters and use three each of the nouns and verbs in a short fiction piece (at least 200 words).

Starters:
1. Sometimes I feel like a hamster
2. When the hot air balloon
3. The day started off pretty much

Nouns:
Mitten Trader Writer Fiber Mine

Verbs:
Pose Wheel Build Pave Chug

Happy Writing!

Susan Wells Bennett

Writing Exercise

Write one of the quotes below into a short piece of fiction. You can either have your character think it or repeat it as dialogue.

"Birth, and copulation, and death. That's all the facts when you come to brass tacks." -- T.S. Eliot

"Savagery is necessary every four or five hundred years in order to bring the world back to life. Otherwise the world would die of civlization." -- Edmond and Jules de Goncourt

"The absurd man is he who never changes." -- Auguste Barthelemy

Happy writing!

Susan Wells Bennett

Writing Exercise

Using one of the first lines of poetry listed below, write a short piece of fiction or non-fiction (at least 200 words):

1. Was it a chance that made her pause (Christina Rossetti)
2. School is over. It is too hot (William Carlos Williams)
3. Be patient with you? (Amy Lowell)

Happy writing!

Susan Wells Bennett

Writing Exercise

Below are three quirky headlines pulled from the web. Using one of these headlines as the basis for your fictional piece, write at least 200 words:

1. Police sell off stolen knickers
2. Woman dyed cat pink to match her hair
3. Parking warden gives ticket to hearse

Have fun with this! Things aren't always what they seem.

Susan Wells Bennett

Book Review: Loisaida

Having previously read The Death Trip, I approached Loisaida with trepidation. I knew I loved Marion Stein’s writing style, but her novella’s ending was unsatisfying: I still had the munchies after what should have been a satisfying snack. Loisaida, though, is a full meal.

Based on a true murder, Loisaida follows an actor-cum-journalist, Peter Teller, who sets out on a quest to solve the murder of Ingrid Hess, a beautiful woman whom he almost picked up just weeks before her death. As Peter’s investigation pulls him further into the underworld of late-80’s New York, this reader could almost feel the hot water starting to boil under Peter’s feet – though Peter, of course, could not.

Ms. Stein’s writing style is, in turns, staccato, lyrical, and enthralling. She switches between points of view with ease and clarity and her use of present-tense prose was particularly compelling. I found very little wrong with the novel as a whole, despite the author’s somewhat idiosyncratic use of commas. There were a few typos and misspellings as well, but not enough to cause irritation.

With plenty of savory scenes and meaty characters, this gritty-city novel deserves more attention than it has gotten thus far. I truly admire this author’s skill with the written word and can only hope that she will cook up another novel soon.

Writing Exercise

Below you will find a list of random words. Use at least five of these words to help create a piece of short fiction (200 to 250 words -- more if you are so inclined). When you've finished, come back and post your results!

Garbage Razing Sweetly Trinket South Hidings Freight Mumps Talent Bocci Lip

Happy writing!

Susan Wells Bennett

Fantastic Advice from Smashwords Founder

If you want e-book publishing success, read this blog:

Smashwords: The Seven Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success: "This past weekend at the Self Publishing Book Expo in New York, I presented my Seven Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success. I embedded the pr..."

Happy writing!

Susan Wells Bennett

Writing Exercise

Answer the five questions below for a new character or a character you would like to more fully develop.

1. What is your occupation?
2. Write a full physical description of yourself. You might want to consider factors such as: height, weight, race, hair and eye color, style of dress, and any tattoos, scars, or distinguishing marks.
3. To which social class do you belong?
4. Do you have any allergies, diseases, or other physical weaknesses?
5. Are you right- or left-handed?
Happy writing!

Susan Wells Bennett

Marion Stein on Cyber-Bullying

Once again, I'm going to point you to the talented Ms. Stein's blog, where she addressed the topic of cyber-bullying in the wake of Tyler Clementi's suicide:

http://www.marionstein.net/2010/10/04/stopping-cyber-bullying/

This is a serious crime with serious consquences; the soon we adults figure this out, the more likely it is that we will be able to help the next victim.

Susan Wells Bennett

Smashwords Books Reviewed: Featured Author: Susanne O'Leary

Smashwords Books Reviewed has published a lovely interview with Susanne O'Leary as well as my review of her recent book, Swedish for Beginners. I highly recommend this author to anyone who enjoys women's fiction.

Smashwords Books Reviewed: Featured Author: Susanne O'Leary: "Today Susanne O'Leary is our featured author. Writing from Ireland, Susanne's novels have enjoyed international success in print as well as ..."

Writing Exercise

Begin writing with this phrase:

"When I think of the color purple, I..."

This exercise is intended to be used as a prompt for a free flow of ideas. Write uninterrupted for ten minutes. If you hit a mental wall, start a new paragraph using the same prompt.

Happy writing!

Susan Wells Bennett

The First Avondale Writers' Conference

I attended my first writers’ conference yesterday: the first Avondale Writers’ Conference. And no, that’s not the “First Annual” writers’ conference – please don’t make that mistake. Nothing is annual until it has happened more than once.

The highlight of the event was the keynote speaker, J.A. Jance. I will admit that I have never even picked up any of her books before. After hearing her speak yesterday though, I think I will. Her personal journey to becoming an author was inspiring and fascinating.

Other than that, much of what I heard yesterday was a rehash of what I already knew. The man who spoke about self-publishing was a non-fiction author who was so out of touch with the current ebook market that his opinions on the subject were obsolete. He still thinks the height of ebook technology is a PDF. The woman who presented the seminar on creating great dialogue basically gave us an hour’s worth of movie quotes. While entertaining, this really did nothing to enhance my ability to write great dialogue.

And finally, one of the speakers offered this little gem: don’t use adjectives or adverbs. Having recently read a romance novel by an author who took this to heart, I would like to clarify this advice. Here is a sample sentence:

 “I love the amusement park!” he said happily.

If you are replacing the single adverbial word “happily” with a phrase like “with a smile on his face,” please go back to the adverb. Adverbs ARE NOT the enemy, people. If you want to target something for elimination, “said” and its equivalents – from here on referred to collectively as “saidisms” – are the ones to aim at. Instead, try this:

“I love the amusement park!” He bounced on his toes at the thought of riding a rollercoaster.

If you find that you use a lot of “saidisms” in your first draft, don’t worry about it. That’s why it’s called a first draft. When you review your completed manuscript, carefully consider whether the “saidism” can be replaced by an action or gesture the character is making.

Remember, it is not necessary to completely eradicate “saidisms.” This should not be a categorical genocide. After all, “saidisms” are not inherently evil; they can’t help it if they have been misused by bad writers the world over.

All in all, I was left with a favorable impression of writers’ conferences. I look forward to attending more of them in the future. While some might have found it disheartening to realize how many aspiring authors are out there just in the Phoenix area, I truly enjoyed the opportunity to chat with others who share similar aspirations.

Happy writing!

Susan Wells Bennett

Writing Exercise

Below you will find three possible sentence starters, five nouns, and five verbs. Choose one of the starters and use three each of the nouns and verbs in a short fiction piece (at least 200 words).

Starters:
1. The traffic flew by
2. That's not just a hole in the
3. When I looked out the window

Nouns:
Braid Soup Deuce Tank Jay

Verbs:
Wrangle Crowd Point Hit Oil

Happy Writing!

Susan Wells Bennett

Nice Mention on Smashwords Books Reviewed

Thanks to Neil Crabtree for posting my information on his blog. Stay tuned for the book review...

Smashwords Books Reviewed: Susan Wells Bennett Will Review Susanne O'Leary: "Susan Wells Bennett is the author of three novels and reviews Indie books at her website. I am very happy to have her guest review of a nove..."

Writing Exercise

Write one of the quotes below into a short piece of fiction. You can either have your character think it or repeat it as dialogue.

"A paradox is what adults tell. When a kid does it, it's called a big lie." -- Art Linkletter

"Mockery is often the result of a poverty of wit." -- La Bruyere

"Unhappiness does make people look stupid." -- Anatole France

Happy writing!

Susan Wells Bennett

Writing Exercise

Using one of the first lines of poetry listed below, write a short piece of fiction or non-fiction (at least 200 words):

1. Vivid with love, eager for greater beauty (Sara Teasdale)
2. Zut! it’s two o’clock. (Robert Service)
3. Valiant sons of the sea, (Hattie Howard)

Happy writing!

Susan Wells Bennett