Flash Notes

Anyone serious about writing and getting published? These are my top 3 Websites or Blog's: Avoid them at your own risk. (Whaa?)

1. Author! Author! :: Anne Mini's Blog
This blog explodes with real enthusiasm, sincerity, and humor. Anne covers just about everything you need to know about getting published. I highly recommend her points of view on the industry.

2. Flogging The Quill
Want to improve your dialogue? Take a chance and post some of your work on this site hosted by Ray Rhamey and you just might get a public flogging of your own. Good stuff!

3. A Story is a Promise
This site hosted by Bill Johnson is by far the best I've seen when it comes to helping you with your openings. (Yes, I mean your novel openings people.) His essays on novels and screenplays are superb.

All these links are located on my BEST LINKS LIST, on the right--somewhere down yonder. Thank me later. Which reminds me, I removed the Forum since no one was interested. Anyone in favor of a guestbook at least? (crickets) Hey, it's all in good fun folks, don't be shy. Nothing serious or life-threatening. We're not trying to change the world--just hoping the world changes us--for the better. Amen.

More to come soon. Don't get your silk thongs in a bunch ladies. Guys--whatever. Happy New Year! Easy on the Mojito's. Godspeed.

"A Death for Beauty"

This is the third title change for my new novel, previously titled "A Time of Redemption". The cover artwork is also different as a result. The reason for the change is that this new title is far more curious and obscure. It alludes to something, which is much more interesting, as opposed to its former title which played off the Book of Ecclesiastes and was straight forward. This time, the title is inspired by an Emily Dickinson poem, "I Died for Beauty...but was scarce".

Another reason for the change is that I had planned to publish this novel for the Christian Market. Therefore, some of the dialogue has also changed to reflect its new position in the marketplace. Why the shift? In a word, controversy. Sure you can have controversy with a religious theme, however, I felt that the subject matter and most of the dialogue is acceptable within both markets anyway. Also, since it's a short novel, it will fit better under the Mainstream Fiction Category. (Duh, what did I just say? Hell if I know.)

It's the same, new and improved story, different slant. That's marketing for you. I'll have to change all the trailers too. OOOFA!

Those Finicky Literary Agents

Where do I even begin? It always amazes me how one agent after another will always say, well, you know, good stuff but, this project is not for us. (Who said your stuff was good?) I understand they have an image to live up to within the industry and a roster of special clients with a particular "brand" of books, but would it hurt to guide one in the right direction? (Of course, they don't have time for you, unless you pay them. Get it?) Never mind all the clues they try to give you about what they like and what they are currently looking for. Forget it. It's never "just right" for them. It's such a crap shoot. But who cares, you just keep trying until one day you Query an agent and they get right back to you and say. "Damn, this is just what I've been looking for, sign here, you've got a deal." (Dream on brother, dream on with that one.) They've got to see GRANDE dollar signs folks. Isn't it always about those damn Benjamin's? (Those guys are too much, aren't they?)

QuipRant! (kwip-rant) Snappy self-depricating commentary.

Anyway, that's part of my stupid little rant about agents. Honestly, I'd rather self-publish if I could afford all the promotion and advertising costs. (Who do you think you are David Ogilvy?) Wouldn't it be nice to tell certain publishers what they can do with their paltry 5 to 10%? (It's the market stupid.) That way I would have total control over everything. (You can't even control your urge for chocolate.) Lord only knows what they'll do to my book covers, (make them commercially viable so the junk you flung between them will sell) if they're ever intersted in it to begin with. I mean for crying out loud, what's an author to do? (Learn your damn craft, moron.) Can't they see how brilliant my writing really is? (You call that writing?) And what a sizzling "High Concept" I developed? (You wouldn't know a high concept if it bit you in the face, dumb-ass) After all, I have the perfect plot, the perfect premise and amazing characters that leap off the page! (Who the fun;*%k! cares, have you checked the recent reader polls? The current flavor of the month is not yours, dipstick. Try again, but not with us.) After all, I'm destined to become America's next great novelist. (Not if we can help it.) But if I never make it, no problem, I can always go back to selling cars. (No thanks, just bought one, and not from you, LOSER!) Ahh, think positive. It's only a matter of time. (Forget you! You're out of time.) Let's see, Once upon a time...