Nuts Over Libraries

What lengths would you go to to market your new book? I'll tell you what I did recently. (Last week, in fact.) I went online to a site that listed every library in Canada. That's right - EVERY LIBRARY! I then proceeded to email each and every one individually to suggest a book acquisition - mine. Of course, the five hundred or so listings were deceivingly moderate considering that a lot of the time the listing for a regional library would then have anywhere from 10 to 50 smaller libraries within it's jurisdiction. I figure I contacted anywhere from 700 to 1000 libraries over the course of five nights. Of course, many libraries will not accept suggestions if you are not a patron with a bonafide library card, while others make it virtually impossible to reach them via email. (Cutting down on spam, I suppose, of annoying wanna-be authors like myself trying to sell their book!) I have received a few positive responses, but only time will tell. Now I have my sights set on that even more lucrative sea of potential patrons, the US library system. I must be nuts! On the other hand, I've been thinking that I really want to do whatever it takes to make a go of this thing called being a writer. So ... look out America cause here I come!

Review of "A Skeleton In God's Closet"

I just finished reading a book by Paul Maier called "A Skeleton In God's Closet" and found it was well worth reading on many levels. It is based on the 'discovery' of Jesus bones along with other artifacts that 'prove' its authenticity. It is very thorough in its academic approach to the archeological aspects of the story - perhaps too much so, in some cases. I found myself skimming through some of the more dry scientific stuff to get back to the story. The story itself, however, is well written. I especially appreciated the skill in which the author described the scenery and even the emotional turmoil of the main character, Dr. Jon Weber. However, i did find some of the romantic scenes a bit 'cheesy', if I may say. That part of the story just didn't read as natural. Over all, however, I enjoyed the book - the intrigue, the subterfuge and the disturbing question itself - what if Christianity is a grand hoax? I caught myself feeling disheartened and disillusioned along with the 'world' as the story progressed - the mark of good story telling, I think! I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in investigative stories, archeology, and of course, Christian fiction.

The Art of Blogging

I recently read an excellent article by Michael Hyatt on the elements of a good blog – or more specifically, what NOT to do! It was so relevant to where I am at, in terms of my own networking, that I thought it prudent to recap his finer points here. For more, or to read the entire posting, go to his website – www.michaelhyatt.com.
Michael lists 10 common mistakes that new bloggers make which can lessen or impede your ‘traffic’. I’m very sure I am guilty of all ten – thus my keen interest in the article. Firstly, he points out that in order to get attention, you have to blog FREQUENTLY. No month long lapses, please! But conversely, don’t blog too often either – you don’t want to wear your followers out. He suggests four to five times a week, but my goal at present is to blog at least once a week. That might be all I can handle now that I am back at work. (The real world) Then, if I actually make it twice a week I can legitimately feel good about myself.
He also lists several points that focus on style. Watch out for that weak intro – something I should know from my days teaching journalism. It’s all about the hook! Along that same vein, a catchy headline pricks interest and hopefully will draw readers to your page. Finally, don’t make it too long. You don’t want to bore anybody by droning on and on, and hey – save some for the next blog. That allows for more frequency rather than unloading everything at once.
Then there is the matter of content. Keep your musings accessible. In other words, don’t use terminology and language that your target audience won’t understand just to make yourself look smart. One of the appealing things about blogs (for me anyway) is the casual and conversational tone, so try to keep it that way. Of course, another biggy in this area is focusing too much on yourself and blogging off ‘brand’, as he calls it. For myself, I have two blogs - this one and one specifically dedicated to writing that is linked to my present publisher. (Check it out if you haven't already - ( http://krauss.aegauthorblogs.com ) For that blog, I should try to keep it relevant to authors. Writing tips, sharing ideas and experiences about writing, marketing, publicity, publishers, reading, reviews … basically anything that has to do with writing, is fair game. Talking about my pet isn’t. (Unless he inspires me or answers my emails, which in my case is impossible since I don’t own a pet.) Which is a nice segue into that “Me, Me, Me” business. Too much fun and fluffy personal information can be a turn off for readers. As Hyatt puts it, most people just don’t care. (Unless they’re your relatives and then there is always ‘facebook’.)
I will indulge myself occasionally on this blog, however, since I do want to make this a platform for all of my creative pursuits. But I still think he has a point about the irrelevant trivia.
Lastly, he suggests that you need to invite engagement and then be prepared to participate in the conversation. Ending with a question or a thought provoking idea is a good way to do this. But don’t be a snob - talk back once someone has made a comment. With this in mind, I would love to hear if anyone else has found these ideas helpful.
Thanks Michael, for timely advice!

Editing is Essential!

I was recently asked to respond to a question about editing - is it necessary? My response is a resounding YES! I am almost frightened when I read some of the testimonials that said they don't need editing! I don't care if you're a Ph.D in English or not, EVERY writer needs objective criticism, even if they don't need help with mechanics. In many ways our writing is like a baby - we get very emotionally attached to what we've labored over and sometimes can't see how it could be any better. Someone (other than family) needs to proofread your work, not only for errors (and it doesn't matter how many times you go over it, there will still be something you've missed!) but also to give honest, non partisan feed back. I have hired an editor on more than one occasion and it has been the best thing I've ever done for myself in terms of my writing, even though it can also be very hard emotionally. As writers we need to develop this kind of tough skin. Not everyone is going to love what we've written and getting constructive criticism is essential in making sure you will have an audience later. Do yourself a favor - hire a professional and brace yourself for the criticism that may come. In the end you will be glad you did.

The Playwright

My spring break is coming to a close, but I feel as if I have had a very productive time. One item that has been on my 'to do' list for quite some time is preparing several of my plays for publication. I am happy to say that I have 7 plays ready to go to 3 different publishers. For anyone reading this that is familiar with me as a playwright, you'll know this has been a long time in coming! I actually wrote and directed my first play when I was in Grade Four at school after reading a book called Ghosts Don't Eat Sausages. I have no idea who wrote the book and I can hardly even remember what it was about, but apparently it made enough of an impact that I was inspired to write a play and convince my friends to be in it. As it turned out, my teacher took notice of my recess time directing, and offered to let me stage it in front of the whole elementary school. I did, the yearbook took pictures, and there I am, listed in black and white for the first time as "Writer/Director". I've gone on to direct, produce, and write many plays since, some of them in a church setting and others as a High School teacher of Drama.
Interestingly, I do not have any formal training in theatre, but I have always had an interest. Of course, I was involved in Drama during my teenage years, and when I went on to University I involved myself in the after school theatre group as part of my practicum. I later became a member of the Saskatchewan Drama Teachers Association, and have tried to maintain a connection with other amatuer drama enthusiasts even when I was homeschooling my children. (My kids did lots of role playing and dramatic presentations as part of their schooling - fun!)
I owe a lot to my predecessor at Watson Lake High School, Angele Champayne, who inspired not only the students, but many adults to get on board her elaborate 'Drama train' during her time there. I know my own children really benefitted from her energy and enthusiasm. Of course, I have learned a lot since then from all kinds of sources - books, mentors, workshops - and I continue to love the creative energy that comes from seeing a production through from the first stages of the 'idea' to the grande finale on stage.
All of the plays I am pitching have been successfully staged, some more than once. Included are: "Dorothy's Road Trip", an adaptation of Oz; "Hook's Nemesis", my version of Peter Pan with Hook as a neurotic woman who still hasn't gotten over her mother's disappointment that she was a girl; "Ebenezer's Epiphany", a revamp of the Dicken's classic; "Little Red In The Hood", a modern day Little Red Riding Hood with lots of twists AND a moral lesson; "What a Wonderful Life", an update of the Christmas movie about a suicidal teenager and her bumbling angel who wants to get her wings; "Ali and the Magic Lamp", with Ali as a skateboarding teenage girl; and finally, "The Western Tale", which is a westernized version of Shakespeare's "A Winter's Tale". I'm quite proud of all of these plays and have poured a lot of my creative energy into writing and producing them over the years.

Play It Again

I've been spending A LOT of time in the last ten days on line, trying to keep up with my growing enterage of networking/author sites/author blogs/publisher/marketing/ .... you get the idea. Seems the more a person tries to keep up the more there is to respond to! I guess that's a good thing. After all, it's what we're all trying to do - sell ourselves and create an 'on line presence'. It seems like a far cry from the early days of my writing career when I looked forward with anticipation each day to 'nap time'. Those were the days when I squeezed my writing into a 3 hour slot each afternoon during my childrens nap. Once they got too old for napping, I had to revamp the ritual into a quiet afternoon play time in their rooms so I could get my writing fix for the day. Of course, it didn't always work out so neatly, but generally speaking, I was able to squeeze quite a bit into those precious hours, especially if I had some continuity from one day to the next.
I was fortunate to have the privilege of homeschooling my children for many years, which did take much of my energy and time, but still afforded that 'home base' from which to continue with my writing habits. During those years, my writing was focused on full length stories that soon fleshed themselves into novels. I remember striving to finally finish that first book - it took me sixteen years to finally get it done! It had become such a part of me; such a attachment to my existence, that it was difficult to let it go once finished. It was even harder to hear - and FEEL - those first words of criticism when I ventured into the world of finding a publisher. I was so emotionally connected to the thing that I couldn't see the flaws. But boy am I grateful now for what seemed like a stab in the heart back then. What every author needs is a good, strong dose of REALITY. We need that objective, constructive, and sometimes brutally honest criticism in order to grow and get better at our craft. Once my shortcomings had been pointed out, and I had some time to process each and every hurtful truth, I couldn't imagine how I'd never seen it myself. I've taken quite a bit of 'pain' over the years (about 25 now ...) but each and every criticism has been worth its weight in paper. I'm happy to say that I've reworked that first book yet again and have once again put it out there for submission. Play It Again is still my baby, but hopefully it has matured, just like me. One thing's for sure. Without that first book, the next one never would have been. And The Beat Goes On, my current novel, is actually the story of the son of the original pair in "Play It Again'. So whether it meets the standard for publication now or not, it still has an important place in my made up world!

Nephilim - Review of 'The Ninth Generation'

I just finished reading a book called The Ninth Generation by John Owens. (I'm on spring break from school and have time for such things ...) I was introduced to the book itself by the author when he saw my novel And The Beat Goes On on line and noted that it also dealt with the Nephilim. I guess it goes to show you that somebody, somewhere out there is reading something I've written! In any case, I did enjoy this book for a number of reasons, although I do also have a few criticisms. Let's deal with the positives first.

The book is set in a pre-flood world and centres mostly around a man named Lameck, the father of Noah. Owens has done a fabulous job of painting a very descriptive and believable picture of what the earth was like at that time. His imagery is rich and thorough. It is obvious he has done extensive research on the topic, and he presents the earth, as it would have appeared under a young-earth model of creationism, in a detailed and imaginative way. I also appreciated the way he constructed an explanation for the presense of the Nephilim - the giants of old. There is lots of debate among Biblical scholars about who these 'men' really were, but Owens takes a stand on the side of the supernatural, which gives his version that sense of fantasy not unlike those metaphoric 'giants', Tolkien and Lewis. I also saw glimpses of Frank Peretti's classic This Present Darkness, as he delves into the spirit realm, although Owens treats the existance of spirits and angelic beings in a much more literal way. Early humans could apparently see and interact with supernatural beings on a daily basis. This aspect of the book certainly appealed to me since I do love the fantasy/Sci-fi genre and Owens delivered on that score. One other thing that I noted was how Owens integrates an explanation for our plethora of mythical creatures like satyrs, mermaids, etc. It came near the end of the book, and was quite subtle, but very effective. It was a thought I had never considered before and I was duly impressed. (If you want to know what happens you'll have to read for yourself!)

On the negative side, I sometimes found the writing style itself getting in the way of the story. It comes across as quite expository at times - a.k.a. Writing 101's Rule # 1: less telling and more showing. There was just too much explaining in certain spots, as if the author really wanted us to get all of the information (very good information, mind you) instead of letting the story unfold. Its like he really wanted us to understand the young-earth creationist point of view, which fortunately I do have an interest in, but it did cause almost a disconnect while reading. "Oh, so we're taking a break from the story part now, and we're going to have a bit of a lecture on pre-flood zoology..." As I said, my interest in the topic kept me reading, as did the fact that the story line itself was really quite intriguing and I wanted to get back to it to see what would happen next. I just wish there would have been a way to marry the two more cohesively.

I also thought the dialogue could have been fleshed out more. Again, what could have been showed to us through dialogue and interaction among characters was sometimes just explained so that we could move forward to the next scene. In that regard, I could easily see this story as a trilogy rather than just a single novel. I think that kind of treatment would have allowed more character development and also, there were plenty of climactic moments on which to end one novel and start another. Because of its Tolkien-esque qualities, I could definitely see this story written in that way. I know thats a tall order, but it's just my opinion.

My final criticism has both good and bad points. The book is absolutely evangelistic without a doubt. Owens spends a lot of time expounding on the magnificence of God and His future plans for the redemption of mankind. As a Christian, I was able to read and agree wholeheartedly, but I couldn't help but think that for a non-Christian, or even someone nominally searching in their faith, it just might be too much. I hope and pray that there will be people reading this book who come to a saving knowledge of Christ, but I almost doubt that they would get that far in their reading. Its a little too preachy in places. It definitely targets a solid Christian market (not that that's a bad thing) and I do think it is very timely in explaining creation and all its bumpy questions, especially to a generation that has been so bombarded with other teaching and that is very ungrounded in the fundamentals of the faith.

My final recommendation? Read this book! The story itself is engaging, imaginative and exciting. It is full of Biblical truth and is well researched. It explains very concisely the events leading up to the flood and gives plausible explanations for all kinds of natural phenomenon that might be confusing because of the evolutionary teaching that most people have received. It has an imaginative supernatural element which adds excitement and intrigue. Finally, I am impressed with the author for taking on such an epic topic which also has the potential to be quite controversial. His thoughts deserve to be shared.

On Avatar - what was the academy thinking?

I am glad to say that I have FINALLY joined the ranks of people who have seen 'Avatar' in all its 3D glory. When you live in a semi-isolated small town, its not always easy to keep up. I was anxiously waiting for my next trip to 'the city' (Grande Prairie - not exactly a metropolis, but hey!) so I could squeeze in a trip to the theatre among all the other shopping/repairs/appointments that inevitably go along with 'said' trip.
I was not disappointed. I LOVED every aspect of the movie, from the tremendous special effects right down to the actual story line. I wanted to go right back into the theatre and see it again. I guess that isn't too surprising, since I've never made it a secret that I am a long time Sci-fi/fantasy buff.
I have been keeping up with some of the dialogue that has been coming across my computer over the past several months since the movie's release, and I should comment on the obvious question that most Christians are asking. What about the New Age Philosophy that comes across? I've said it before - I try not to get too bent out of shape (a.k.a 'legalistic) over such things, even though I'm a Pastor's wife and all. (Gasp! A Pastor's wife endorsing New Age Philosophy?!?) No, I didn't say that. What I am saying is that the story line is still consistent with a 'good vs. evil' worldview where 'good' triumphs over evil. It is well written and engaging, and there is enough actual PHYSICALITY between the inhabitants of the planet and their mother/goddess that it becomes believable in a fairy tale kind of sense. Their connectedness to the earth is just that - a REAL and tangible connection through the nerve endings in their 'hair' like appendages to other living things. I don't think there is much risk of naive people getting mixed up and worshiping mother earth in this way simply because they saw the movie. I mean, come on. People are just not that gullible and , after all, we don't have nerve endings in our hair! Instead, what I took away was a beautiful story about humanity fighting for what was important to them, despite the odds.

I can't help but put in a small plug for my new book, "And The Beat Goes On'. Although it is not in any way related to 'Avatar' I couldn't help but think that the flying reptile thing was a happy coincidence, since a Pterodactyl features prominently on the front cover. Who knew back when I started writing it about six years ago that there would be any connection.

But now for the really amazing part - how did 'The Hurt Locker' win for best motion picture over 'Avatar'? I was utterly shocked, and may I say, dismayed, after the Academy Awards the other night. I guess the fact that 'Avatar' is one of the most profitable, not to mention talked about and enjoyed movies in recent history, just didn't factor into the decision. Now, I've seen 'The Hurt Locker', and I understand to a degree the intent of the movie. (I think) It was meant as a realistic slice of life - a glimpse into the somewhat twisted state of mind caused by war. I get that. War is horrific. It stinks. I also saw the merits of the film on an artistic level. It was not filmed in the way most action movies are, but was supposed to seem 'real' - more like a documentary. In fact, it alsmost seemed SLOW in many ways. (Did I say SLOW?!? I actually had trouble consentrating during the movie... my mind kept wandering to thoughts like 'When is this going to be over?')
I'm sorry, but I can appreciate 'The Hurt Locker' on many levels, but to say that it was the BEST movie of the year? Especially against so many others that were SO much more engaging ... Well, I'm still in shock. I've heard some comments that it was the 'patriotic' thing to do. To all my American friends, patriotism is a wonderful thing and you guys have written the book on it. But come on! If that is the new criteria for winning an academy award then things have really gone down hill.