Off the Bookshelf: WRITING CONVERSATIONS: Spend 365 Days with Your Favorite Authors ... by Cherie K. Miller

Okay, big confession time: When I picked up this book on Kindle -- either very inexpensive/on sale, or maybe even free at the time (it's been so long since I went on a book-ordering frenzy when I first got my iPad...) I thought this book was about writing conversation, as in writing dialogue.

DUH!

This is MUCH more useful.

This is a collection of bits of wisdom from published authors, advice, sharing of their experiences, lessons learned, glimpses into their approach to writing. Conversations ABOUT writing. And what's really useful is that there are several indexes, so if you're looking for a specific topic, a specific author, or even reference to a specific book, you can find it.

Niftily (no, that isn't a word, but writers are allowed to make up words when necessary!) these bits of wisdom and help are divided up kind of like those page-a-day calendars, so on January 1, you get a bit of wisdom. Then move on to January 2. On through the year. Kind of like a writer's morning devotions. Of course, I devoured it in 5 days, but I'll be back. Pick it up. You never know when you'll need a bit of encouragement, a new bit of insight into a problem you're facing in your writing process, or a glimpse into how your favorite author thinks.

Off the Bookshelf: HOW I ARE BECOMED A VERY MUCH GOODER AUTHOR, by Sevastian Winters

Uh, yeah, that IS the title of the book.
And yeah, this IS a book about becoming a better -- gooder -- writer.

It catches your attention, doesn't it?
That's the point -- and one of the many lessons, sometimes harsh, but very necessary, that Winters conveys in this book.

The subtitle says it all: On the BUSINESS of Writing, Editing, Publishing and Promoting.

If you want to "make it" as an author, that means getting people to read your books. It means writing books people want to read. It means making sure people know your name and are interested enough to give you a chance -- and then making sure that they can't put down the book once they start reading.

Warning: You'll wince in places at his language, his assessment of the true talent of popular authors, and the attitudes some people have toward other genres and approaches to writing. That's okay -- he's conveying what works for him, what he has learned in his years of experience and struggling. Like I tell people regarding other writing books: Take what works for you, don't let anyone pressure you into doing things their way, and throw out what doesn't apply to you.

But read this book. You might find that "ah ha!" moment you've been hunting for.

Off the Bookshelf: RIVET YOUR READERS WITH DEEP POINT OF VIEW by Jill Elizabeth Nelson

Short and sweet and hard to beat.

Point of View -- POV for those of us trying to write fiction -- is one of the big tripping points for a lot of people. I'm not talking about head-hopping in the middle of a paragraph, or even forgetting who the POV character is and switching from third person to first person in the middle of a scene (although such people should be SHOT!).

What the hey-yah is DEEP POV?

In this nicely lucid, clear, concise and readable little book, Nelson gives examples and exercises with each chapter. (Yeah, I know -- I thought we got away from homework when we got out of Senior English!) The hard and ugly truth is that we learn best through application, through DOING.

Nelson shows the subtle differences that take a sentence into deep POV, how to identify and eliminate the little authorial intrusions that mean the difference between "telling" and "showing," and help your readers really get inside the POV character's head instead of just sitting on her or his shoulder and watching what's going on.

I think when I picked it up, RIVET YOUR READERS WITH DEEP POINT OF VIEW was a free Kindle download. Might still be -- don't quote me on it. Look for it. It's well worth the short time you'll spend reading it -- and you'll want to refer to it regularly, just to brush up on your technique.

*****

TODAY! Cyber Launch Party for KATHRYN, Quarry Hall Book 3.
Want to chat, ask questions, learn some inside information ... maybe win a prize?
Come on over to www.CyberLaunchParty.blogspot.com today, Monday, February 24. The fun is going on NOW and will last most of the day.

Off the Bookshelf: WONDROUS STRANGE, by Lesley Livingston

This was the most recent "Free book Fridays" book from Nook/B&N. I was just in a fantasy mood, so with all the hundreds of books waiting to be read, I opened this one right away.

I was not disappointed. Clever, easy to read, with engaging characters. WONDROUS STRANGE is labeled as #1 in the Wondrous Strange series ... so when I get this to-be-read heap down to size, here is yet another series to follow.

What's it about? Well, not to ruin it too much for you ... the Faerie have been cut off from the Human world for more than a century, after Auberon's daughter was stolen by a Human woman. Well, it was only fair -- he stole her son! Once a year, at Samhain/Halloween, the doorway between realms opens up and the Janus Guards are tasked with keeping the mischievous, nasty, dangerous, rebellious Faerie creatures from escaping into our world. The Janus Guards are Changelings -- Human children stolen to be raised by the Faerie -- and they're kind of ... unpopular now, because their job is to kill Faerie. Not fun.

This year is worse, as the Gate inches open a little more every night for nine days before Halloween. Sonny, our hero, notices a young hopeful actress, Kelly, who doesn't seem to be entirely Human ... and as he gets to know her and more Faerie creatures sneak through into our world, his life and Kelly's life change completely.

And that's all I'm gonna tell you, because if you like magic, and magical creatures interacting with our world, and starcrossed lovers, and dabs of Shakespeare mixed into the story, READ this one.

Off the Bookshelf: TELLING DETAILS, by Kat Duncan

Details are important -- otherwise, you get blank-faced, naked characters acting on a white stage. Kind of boring, huh?

Duncan does a great job, exploring all the ways to handle details, painting a picture, setting the scene, creating background, and building the characters themselves. Use your senses -- smell, taste, sound, motion, heat, texture, etc. She discusses telling versus showing, which is always a battle for writers. When exactly is it better to just TELL readers what's going on, versus SHOWING them? When does the pace demand quick imagery, and when can readers spend many long, leisurely minutes exploring the environment where the story takes place?

When is enough enough? When are your lovingly created details too much? That's something that depends on the type of story being told, the pace, the attitude, the genre -- and has to be learned through practice. But this kind of book is a great starting place, helping writers skip a lot of trial and error and wasted time. Another book worth reading regularly, to brush up on things maybe you forgot you need to do.

Of the Bookshelf: FIRSTS IN FICTION by Aaron D. Gansky

The sub-title for this book says it all "First line hooks, hints & help."

Anyone who has studied writing and who has written for any length of time will tell you that the opening of a book, especially a novel, is a crucial part of the process. You have to hook the reader's attention and get him interested long enough to keep reading, and reading, and reading.

Gansky deals with many different questions and considerations when fashioning your opening line, opening paragraphs, opening scenes -- the all-important HOOK. Conflict, character, setting and tone, voice, action. Depending on your book, the genre and storyline and approach will all determine the kind of hook you need to craft. This book is a great teacher that anyone serious about writing should read at least once -- and it might just be a good idea to read it on a regular basis, as a refresher course.

Off the Book Shelf: CONFESSIONS OF A RAGING PERFECTIONIST, by Amanda Jenkins

I can sympathize and empathize with Amanda Jenkins, author of this semi-autobiographical, devotional, thought-provoking book (obtained free on Bookshout). The reason I can't identify with her is that, while yes, I do make lists and set goals and always give myself more to do in a day than I know I can actually accomplish ... *sigh* ... perfection is very far away.

Must be nice to be close to perfection.

I identify with her, the pressure to get so much done, the pressure to get it RIGHT, the envy of other people who have been able to let go and relax and enjoy life, to be flexible, to NOT be perfect. I think we all feel the pressure as Christians, because we have the ultimate example to live up to, right?

Thank goodness being a Christian is an ongoing process and not something we have to instant become, reach the pinnacle, cross the finish line two seconds after we realize we're a sorry mess without Christ in our lives. Read the book, sigh and laugh and say, "Oh, yeah, that's me!"