Wow. My blog “attendance” plummeted this and last week. Hmm.
Reviewing a good novel tomorrow.
If you’ve seen The Book of Eli starring Denzel Washington, I’d be interested in your thoughts.
May the Lord bless you and cause His face to shine upon you.
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Yes. And no. Are you? I can be. Sometimes.
A few years back I stopped reading an author whose novels no longer appealed to me. What happened? It wasn’t the writing per se; it was the “process”. By that I mean this particular author began a new series by making the first book a total set-up for the second one. After reading the second one which should’ve been combined with the first, I said enough. When I feel manipulated as a reader, I’m done.
Also several years ago I picked up a novel to read the back cover copy because the book was large—and you know how I love long contemporary stories. I read the entire back cover copy with this one which I don’t always do and decided to fork out the bucks for the hard cover newer release. Well . . . the story started out interesting, but soon zoomed into pure “speculative”. The writing was decent, but the plot was nothing like I expected. Apparently I had completely misunderstood the copy, and I trudged through this novel also not knowing it was the first in a trilogy. When this novel ended in a cliff-hanger, it totally dropped off that cliff with an unexpected plot additive on the very last page. Knowing I wouldn’t be reading the following books, I was not only disappointed, I was irked. I’d spent my money on a book I wouldn’t have read if I’d known what to expect. Somehow I missed its purpose in the copy. This author finished the trilogy and I believe has one more book either coming soon or just released. Needless to say, I doubt I’ll take a chance on him again in spite of the better than average writing.
I consider the two previous examples to be reasonable explanations for stopping on an author. And I don’t consider them to be examples of a fickle reader.
When we’re attracted to an author or his/her book for whatever reason and we read said book and enjoy it, we do one of two things. We look for others by the same author or we settle for the experience and keep reading any number of books that interest us without specifically seeking out that author. I’ve read and been entertained and/or emotionally invested in novels by authors but when their next book released, I didn’t run to acquire it. Not because I didn’t appreciate and even admire a previous book but because the new one didn’t catch that indefinable “something” that compels me to pay the price for a new book. I think that might qualify as somewhat fickle. The reason being at this point in my reading life there are certain authors who I’m guaranteed to read whether I receive their novels free for review, win them from a contest, or purchase them for myself: I’m committed to those authors.
There are other authors I watch for, but it definitely depends on the book itself whether or not I will buy it. If I’m indifferent and the particular novel is offered for review, if I’m not overbooked, I’ll read it. If I’m up to my burning eyeballs in stories waiting for reviews, I’ll pass.
Many readers set their sights upon favorite authors and never quit on them. Other readers couldn’t tell you the names of the authors of their favorite books. And I’ve said before some readers have no clue how valuable they are in the process of promotion and marketing. They’re an unaware bunch who simply read to enjoy stories and might or might not share the titles or what they think of them with friends and relatives. Literally an untapped resource.
I’ve also been where my friend Dayle is with an author he used to really enjoy, and that’s giving the author one last chance to “redeem” himself. When the new novels stray too far from what we’ve come to expect and appreciate from authors, we bid them farewell after giving them several opportunities to re-prove themselves to us. Other readers don’t offer those chances. One disappointment and they’re gone. “Too many books, too little time.”
So. Are you a “fickle” reader?
Father, let those of us who write be true to you before and above all others. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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I don’t know about you but I don’t read blogs on the internet to gain instruction about how to write. Like it or lump it: I’m a writer. An author even. It’s a fairly insignificant fact because really I’m nobody in the world of writing. An unknown except to my internet friends and colleagues, some of whom I’ve been blessed to meet in person, via emails, or by reading their manuscripts.
And, actually, I no longer search the different blogs to read about “opinions” of the professionals regarding the structures of query letters or book proposals because nearly every one of them is different in some way due to the subjective factor.
There came a point where I selected blogs to read because I came to enjoy the individuals who penned them and the way they delivered information or thoughts. Stopping by their blogs established or continued a connection to them, and I found it valuable—or I wouldn’t do it. I’m sure most of us started out with certain places we no longer, or rarely, visit. And no doubt people have dumped this blog and re-established with other favorites.
Maintaining an active blog is tough. People take sabbaticals from blogs, reduce their commitments to them, and sometimes abandon them altogether. Writers feel some pressure to keep up with a blog because they need a visible presence on the web for easy access. Some choose to make official websites which all but atrophy until a new release comes on the scene. Others actively operate a website, a blog, Facebook and Twitter accounts while sending out a monthly newsletter—and continue to create novels!
Most bloggers design a theme or redo designs regularly. You can pretty much count on certain types of posts from them with little variation. I know it’s crazy to keep the same design as I’ve done, but I really like the black scene. Until Typepad comes up with a design I like better, this is it. And the themes of the posts stick remarkably close to the tagline at the top of the blog. Readers get an occasional poem, political rant, random thoughts, movie reviews, but mostly I talk about writing, novels, and spiritual topics.
After E-vals it turns out this is who I am in the blogosphere. Who are you?
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for seeing me and knowing me and loving me in spite of who I am.
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Michael Jamison: protagonist in my novel Breath of LIfe
Few people truly consider the cost of sexual sin . . . until it’s too late.
Breath of Life tells the story of embittered, wounded, and divorced Michael Jamison, who, after a prolonged period as the casual observer of a lovely woman, discovers his attraction to her supercedes remaining a stranger. With a smarting ego and nothing to lose, he figures out a non-threatening way to introduce himself and is overwhelmed with her pristine beauty and challenged to change everything about the way he’s lived his life so far.
A prelude opens this mostly first person story, the observation by a man who has noticed a beautiful woman leaning against a building next to the coffee shop where he takes a break from his office.
Michael David Jamison, formerly fast living, now presently divorced for almost two years, is captivated by a woman he sees only occasionally.
God, your salvation is available to all of us. Thank you, Jesus. Help me, Spirit of God.
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While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."
They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have."
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.
He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."
Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations , beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."
Luke 24:36-48 (NIV)
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For those of us who’ve seen death up close, the coined phrase “Death with dignity” doesn’t exist. Death is an ugly thing. It takes the last breath of a body and leaves that body empty. While it’s possible to die in quietness and “peace”, the only real peace comes from knowing your eternal residence following the moment when human life no longer exists.
And isn’t that the ultimate beauty of the Savior of the world? He took a brutal death and transformed it to real Life. He proved that eternity exists and invited us to spend it with the triune God.
We read (or view) the horrors of death daily. Some professions experience it daily. While the reasons for it are too numerous to explore from the aged passing to the victim-ology of serial murders, to those of us who know Jesus Christ, death is a constant reminder that “The wages of sin is death.” Inescapable in one form or another.
Jesus died a brutal crucifixion after being beaten to an unrecognizable form. Is there any dignity in the death of the holy God-man who gave his life as a sacrifice for those who killed Him? If ever there was “dignity” in it, His death was it. Once for all He took upon himself the sins of us all and bore the punishment for them. Metered out over the slow process of being thrashed and spat upon, receiving the horrors of painful spikes through his hands and feet, and afterward being thrust up on a penalizing cross to endure a slow and suffocating demise. Surely the most painful part was to take upon His sinless self every perversion known to man, the sins of the world. Allow them to kill him. Trust that His father would resurrect Him . . . as it is written.
As many of the hymns read: death could not keep Him in the grave. Real Life awaited Him. Resurrection guaranteed. As He told his disciples: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The only holy sacrifice ever given. The only pure sacrifice ever offered. The only real sacrifice ever accepted. For us.
There’s no dignity in death: it’s a reminder of sin. But Life given through the death of Jesus, the sinless One, is the only true life we can own for eternity. Through Him and Him alone.
Happy Resurrection Day.
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Okay, yesterday I gave you a brief description of what I don’t like in female characters, at least in female heroines. Today let’s explore male protagonists.
Protagonists need to have some redeeming quality right from the start. The first line or chapter can present an angry man, but if there’s a reasonable concern at the root of that anger—better yet a noble one—anger can be good. He’s got to be a man, though. Not a wimpy whiny guy whose concerns center on himself, an unjust world, some woman who did him dirt. Don’t get me wrong here. Hurt can be admirable. Pain is real. Just don’t give me an emotional pansy protagonist. Sensitive is fine. Tender-hearted is good. But namby-pamby: no way.
Men who’ve loved hard and lost tend to put up barriers to their hearts. Sometimes those guys make great characters because there’s always an opportunity to penetrate that shield which makes for a good story.
Men who stumble awkwardly through situations involving females can be done well with humor, quirkiness, or good ol’ fashioned reality, but if the awkward men come off too weak-willed, yuck. High-maintenance men don’t work well as protagonists but do nicely for either serial killers or ordinary peripheral characters.
If you portray Christian men for your protagonists, they have to be real for me. Devoted, struggling, passionate. All of those things make for good characters who love the Lord. Facing the same things all men face in this world, they have to want to do the right thing even if they fail. Fake or faulty weak-willed Christian protagonists gag me. Unless you give a weak-willed man a heart after God. If they love the Lord but face huge personal challenges, depending on the skills of the writer, I will view them with unconditional love, but it’ll take some good writing to pull it off. I’m tired of Christians being portrayed as weird, soft, about as deep as a mirage, especially when they’re males.
So. What do you prefer in male protagonists?
Lord, thank you for making the two sexes different. For the unique chemistries and biological fingerprints that mark them with your divine hand. It was all “good” until we ruined it with sin. Thank you, Jesus, for saving our souls.
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Certain matters or particulars in our characters make them desirable or undesirable to some and vice versa to others. Who can know? Since we compose the story and create the characters, our aim is to make those characteristics we deem desirable to look and feel the same to our readers. What happens when we fail to do so?
Well . . . chances are if the character we make desirable or sympathetic to our standard declines to measure up to our readers’ standards, the best bet is those readers won’t like the book.
Writers at some point arrive at this conclusion: story is it. A good story told poorly will still win over readers whereas a good story told well will win over writers too. The arguments—or discussions, if you prefer—emphasize plot vs. characters but conclude with story trumping all.
I like female characters with some kind of spunk—even if it’s only in their thoughts. I can handle “fragile” characters provided they’re not self-absorbed and whiny. Whiny galls me, especially if the character is supposed to be a Christian. Which brings me to another dislike: weak Christian characters. If the character is new to the faith, weak is understood, but if the character has walked with the Lord for any number of years, give me a break. I’d rather read about worldly characters than those who act like the world but throw up a prayer now and then.
We’ll check out male particulars tomorrow.
God, I’m desperate for you. Infuse me, Holy Spirit. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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Is it possible to try too hard? When it comes to writing, I think it is. Mostly because I’ve done it myself. At some point writers just “gotta be me” when they write. Especially in the posting factor on blogs or in comments.
Everybody who’s endeavored to keep a blog going for over a year knows how difficult it is to sustain a fresh topic, a fresh voice, even a fresh attitude. That old familiar “There’s nothing new under the sun” remains a nagging truth after a single subject such as writing has crossed every bridge to arriving at something—anything—clever, profound, interesting, or instructional. Ad nauseam.
But it’s the writing itself I’m talking about here. Today. Some writers post or comment with zeal, humor, their reality, and come undone about certain topics (for me: politics). But others post as if they’re entering contests for the loveliest prose, literary masterpieces, and/or seeking acclaim from the professional crowd visiting specific sites.
Okay, maybe it’s just the way they are. I don’t know them all personally. Sometimes, though, the “audience” seems to respond with awe like the individual is sure to be “the next big thing”. Admiration and praise shower their posts or comments and suddenly it’s like being at a rock concert.
Hey, don’t get me wrong. I think it’s exciting when someone writes with a unique voice or delivers a profound post or comment. And it can even be enriching, but after awhile sometimes a post is just a post, you know? It doesn’t really warrant a drooling, praiseworthy response.
I know it’s the desire of every writer to be the best they can be. No one wants to put schlock on a page unless it’s called for in a character or situation. Everyone wants to fine tune and yield an admirable result for those who like or enjoy our approach, our voice, our genre. But honestly I’ve read books that felt like they were competing with an unknown force—like they had to match and/or surpass their competition either by adhering to the current rules like they’re the gospel of literature or by creating the most unique metaphors to ever grace the pages of a novel.
Could be I’m the only one who feels this way . . .
Lord, keep me understanding it’s all about you. You. Not me. Or anyone else. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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This is one of my protagonists from the novel Destination.
Thomas Grand: Young 30-something, lost and suffering through a miserable marriage and separation, unintentionally walks in on his wife with another man, loses it, gets in a fight which goes wrong, other man dies, Thomas is incarcerated for Man 2, comes out a Class B felon and a Christian.
Life leads us to and from many places, but when it comes to eternity there are only two choices for our destination . . .
An unlikely felon returns to his roots and the friendship of a fiery old widow. The last things he expects to find are true love, a ministry to youth, and the unusual burden for his new love’s ex-fiancé.
Father, thank you for stories. Thank you for characters who seem so real. Apart from you we can do nothing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
