Hey Folks,
If you’re part of Draft2Digital, yesterday you received a very nice Christmas poem from them.
I always find it interesting when a company does something they don’t “have” to do. D2D didn’t have to send out that holiday greeting. After all, it went out (at least via email) only to those who are already signed up. It isn’t even on their blog.
To see the poem, click This Link.
D2D is a vibrant young innovative distribution company, still at the stage where they actually care about writers. If you aren’t using D2D yet, I hope you’ll jump on board.
***
In “Of Interest” there are a couple of posts from a company called Asian Efficiency. The more I read, the more I suspect some folks will be “offended” at that name.
Silly. Saying they can help writers be “Asian efficient” is a compliment to those of Asian descent. Anyway, I recommend you check it out.
I no longer watch the propaganda that passes for news in this country, and I’m on Social Media a lot less than I used to be (like almost never) so I’ve kind of insulated myself from the nonsense.
Actually, my kitten taught me that. One day I realized, no matter who’s in power, she simply continues being who she is, continues to improve herself and live her life, and doesn’t fret over things she can do nothing about. I’m totally on board with that.
A Topic, Sort Of
A day or two ago, I received an email from a long-time friend. He wondered whether sometimes (maybe) it’s all right for writers to assign human traits to human parts: e.g., “His nose pressed up against the window” or “Her legs raced down the street” or “His eyes flew around the document.” Things like that.
The short answer is, No, it isn’t. I mean, you’re the writer and the Creator of your fictional world, so you can do whatever you want.
But it’s important to remember there are readers on the other side of the typed page. The wise writer is aware of anything that might run them off.
Or, as I put it to my friend, “In every case, the writer draws the line in the sand; in every case, the reader decides how many lines he can cross before he closes the book and moves on to something else.”
For just one example (from the email), say the character is hurriedly viewing a document to discern it’s importance.
My friend’s possible solution was to write “If eyes could fly, his flew around the document.”
My own solution was “He quickly scanned the document for important information.”
For me, it’s important not to risk having the reader see the character’s eyes literally “flying” around the document.
My solution evokes in the reader’s mind (maybe) not only the movement of the character’s eyes, but maybe the character grabbing the document and holding it up or his bending over it and maybe even small motions of his head as he scanned it. In some small measure, it evokes a mood.
I was going to address this in much greater depth in a topic soon. Then I remembered I already had done in two earlier posts.
To see my rationale, first please visit “On Specificity and Clarity in Writing” at http://harveystanbrough.com/pro-writers/on-specificity-and-clarity-in-writing/.
After you’ve read that, please visit “Human Parts Do Not Have Human Traits” at http://www.asianefficiency.com/.
Of course, if you WANT to write “His eyes flew across the room,” by all means please do. Especially if the character was just slapped on the back of the head. Hard. With a shovel.
Comments on those two posts are probably closed, but feel free to email me at harveystanbrough@gmail.com with any comments or questions.
***
Finally to the novel at 8:40.
I actually shot past 4000 words today without realizing it. A good day. Maybe there’s hope. (grin)
Talk with you again soon.
Of Interest
See “A Christmas Offering – Free Books” at https://tonydwritespulp.com/2018/12/21/a-christmas-offering-free-books/. I’ve already bought the ones he mentions in .mobi format, though I haven’t read them. But I read an excerpt and I can tell you he’s a good writer.
See “7 Simple Steps to Start Building Your Personal Brand from Scratch” at https://draft2digital.com/blog/7-simple-steps-to-start-building-your-personal-brand-from-scratch/.
Via Linda Maye Adams, see “How to Get the Most Value Out of Conferences and Implement What You’ve Learned” (podcast) at http://www.asianefficiency.com/podcast/225-conferences/.
See “Donadio & Olson Files for Bankruptcy” at http://www.thepassivevoice.com/donadio-olson-files-for-bankruptcy/.
Asian Efficiency also has a blog. See “The Top Productivity Articles and Podcasts of Asian Efficiency in 2018” at http://www.asianefficiency.com/blog/. Or you can see the top 10 posts listed at http://www.asianefficiency.com/start-here/.
See “Been Reading and Watching Movies” at https://www.deanwesleysmith.com/been-reading-and-watching-movies/.
Fiction Words: 4350
Nonfiction Words: 750 (Journal)
So total words for the day: 5100
Writing of Cazadores (novel, tentative title)
Day 1…… 4917 words. Total words to date…… 4917
Day 2…… 1873 words. Total words to date…… 6790
Day 3…… 3453 words. Total words to date…… 10243
Day 4…… 4191 words. Total words to date…… 14434
Day 5…… 3527 words. Total words to date…… 17961
Day 6…… 5534 words. Total words to date…… 23495
Day 7…… 4350 words. Total words to date…… 27845
Total fiction words for the month……… 52355
Total fiction words for the year………… 511038
Total nonfiction words for the month… 13300
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 184986
Total words for the year (fiction and this blog)…… 695774
Calendar Year 2018 Novels to Date………………………… 10
Calenday Year 2018 Novellas to Date…………………… 3
Calendar Year 2018 Short Stories to Date……… 11
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)………………………………………… 36
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)……………………………………… 7
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)……………………… 193
Short story collections…………………………………………………… 31