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 |  This is a continuation of my blogging here at WdC |
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This will be a blog for my writing, maybe with (too much) personal thrown in. I am hoping it will be a little more interactive, with me answering questions, helping out and whatnot. If it falls this year (2024), then I may stop the whole blogging thing, but that's all a "wait and see" scenario. An index of topics can be found here: "Writing Blog No.2 Index"  Feel free to comment and interact. |
| Adverbs So, there is a “rule” most writers are told at least once in their career, which is to “not use adverbs.” This comes from people who think they know best, and yet these same people, guaranteed, use adverbs. Because these people think adverbs are only words that end with ”-ly”. And I have even met some editors who think that. (Word to the wise – if an editor does not know something as simple as what an adverb is, then maybe find a new editor…) Well, as you might have guessed, that is not the case. Adverbs are vital in all writing, even formal academic writing. Now, I cannot blame writers for this one, because there are way too many so-called experts (pot here, calling out the kettle) who peddle rubbish online and the general run-of-the-mill person is going to get confused by so much conflicting information or, because they see it all the time in different places, believe it must be real. Add to that the fact that in some jurisdictions, the education standards are not as high as they could be, and writers are often stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to knowing the more technical basics of writing. And adverbs is one of those areas where many people get confused because of external influences. An adverb is a word (or even a short phrase) that modifies a verb, an adjective or another adverb. That is the basic definition. Most of the time an adverb will be used in conjunction with a verb, a doing word. The exemptions to this are detailed below. There are six different types of adverb: Adverbs of Manner Adverbs of Time Adverbs of Place Adverbs of Frequency Adverbs of Degree Conjunctive Adverbs Let’s look at them. Adverbs of Manner This is the most common form of adverb that people think of when the term is used. This is generally the -ly words people just seem to hate. Adverbs of manner tell the reader how something happens. This includes words like wisely, sagely, eagerly, quickly, slowly, interestingly, quietly, precisely, loosely, etc. They add a touch of extra information to give the reader a verbal picture. Yes, over-using them can become boring for a reader, and there are many examples of verb-adverb that can be replaced by a stronger verb, but adverbs of manner still have a vital role to play in writing. e.g. The builder followed the architect’s plans exactly. John cowered as his boss angrily hurled the telephone across the room. Compare that to: John cowered as his boss jokingly hurled the telephone across the room. That one adverb changes the whole meaning of the sentence. Adverbs of Time Adverbs of time are some of the most commonly used across all manner of writing. They give context to writing by giving an explanation of the timing of occurrences, also when things happen in relation to when other things happen. Adverbs of time tell the reader when something happens. These adverbs can include specific times or can be more general, but they are related to when actions occur in a written work. This includes words like (taken from Let’s Make English Live, 3rd ed, 1981) today, yesterday, tomorrow, tonight, soon, later, now, eventually, forever, still, yet, early, late, recently, since, etc. Note, actual days of the week, months, years, etc. are not adverbs, but nouns. e.g. I haven’t finished my essay yet. We were going to go to the shops tomorrow, but ended up going today. Adverbs of Place Adverbs of place are also very important to give context to a story, specifically the location. Adverbs of place tell the reader where something happens. These can be places in relation to other places, or a little more specific, but the place is what is important with these. This includes words like (taken from Let’s Make English Live, 3rd ed, 1981) here, there, everywhere, nowhere, somewhere, anywhere, in, out, inside, outside, wherever, on, off, over, under, away, left, right, north, south, east, west. e.g. Amundsen just went south until he found the Pole he was after. My keys could have fallen out of my pocket anywhere on my hike. Adverbs of Frequency The frequency of an event happening can be important to make a written work make sense. Adverbs of frequency tell the reader how often something happens. This includes words like (taken from Let’s Make English Live, 3rd ed, 1981) constantly, frequently, occasionally, sometimes, usually, never, always, rarely, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly. Note, as previously stated. actual days of the week, months, years, etc. are not adverbs, but nouns. e.g. Mike usually mows the lawn on Sundays. I never drink coffee because it tastes like an armpit smells. Adverbs of Degree This is where things get technical, and where people get confused by adverbs. It is said that these give an idea of the intensity (or lack thereof) involved in performing an action. These are also often used in conjunction with other adverbs or with adjectives, which is why they confuse many writers. Because of the fact they can be used with an adjective, they may not necessarily correlate to the verb in the sentence. Some of these are also members of that shunned -ly group of words. Adverbs of degree tell the reader how much something happens, or how much a thing can be said to have a particular property. This includes words like (taken from Let’s Make English Live, 3rd ed, 1981) very, really, extremely, incredibly, too, quite, barely, deeply, fairly, greatly, hardly, highly, intensely, somewhat, totally, little, less, least, much, more, most. e.g. He stared intensely at the insect. I thought highly of Marcus Aurelius. Adjectival examples: I didn’t buy the car because it was too expensive. The mountain was very high. Conjunctive Adverbs And things stay insanely technical, and this is another area where people get confused by adverbs. These are used a lot without people realizing they are adverbs, because they serve the same purpose as other conjunctions (joining words), although they are verb-dependent. Like other conjunctions, they join two clauses or two sentences. A conjunctive adverb is often used in association with a semi-colon. This can include words like however, instead, meanwhile, therefore, nevertheless and others like that. It can be confusing and easy to miss. However, these words are still adverbs. e.g. I went to the movie theatre. However, the film had already started. I didn’t have a speech prepared; nevertheless, I received a standing ovation. She didn’t spend all her lottery winnings. Instead, she donated more than half to charity. And that’s adverbs. I know it gets really technical and potentially confusing at the end there, but grammar can be like that. And if someone tells you that adverbs are no good, you know they probably use them. Yes, so many people only consider “-ly” words adverbs, and when I’ve brought this up in the past, I was then told by one person who abused me they were only referring to “-ly” words. Well, that’s not good enough. And if those people read this, I stand by my words – we all use adverbs, and if you don’t like “-ly” words, then that’s personal, and stop trying to make it a rule. Anyway, I hope this has helped someone. |
| Formatting Titles Okay, this is technical, and this only applies to formal writing. In fact, in some places, it is being seen as unnecessary, so I am going to assume that, in 10 years' time, this will be completely out of date. So, titles. Now, I am talking here about the names of things. This is not concerned with titles, occupations, etc. involving people. This is things only. If we have the title of a book, movie, play, TV show, magazine, newspaper, sculpture, painting the title should be written in italics. Book: Tales Of Mystery And Imagination by Edgar Allan Poe Film: Predator Play: Romeo And Juliet TV Show: The Big Bang Theory Magazine: Women's Weekly Newspaper: The New York Post Sculpture: David by Michelangelo Painting: The Pioneer by Frederick McCubbin Going back 70 years, all words should be capitalised. Now, this is where there are cultural differences. In the USA and Canada, "the", "of" and "and" are generally not capitalised unless they are the first word of the title. In the UK, all words are capitalised. In Australia, depends on the publisher. All other words should be capitalised. Songs, short stories, poems and journal articles do not use italics, but instead should be inside single quotation marks. When it comes to capitalisation, the same cultural differences apply. Song: 'Stairway To Heaven' by Led Zeppelin Short Story: 'The Tell-Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe Poem: 'The Man From Snowy River' by Banjo Patterson Journal Article: Post, S. (1991). 'Euthanasia, Senicide, And The Aging Society'. Journal Of Religious Gerontology, Vol 8, No. 1, 57-65. Now... this last is changing. The journal reference comes from a 2019 essay. Under the rules of referencing that are now being adopted, journal articles would be written thus: Journal Article: Post, S. (1991). 'Euthanasia, senicide, and the aging society'. Journal of Religious Gerontology, Vol 8, No. 1, 57-65. When writing the headings of web-pages, the rules of short stories apply: Web-page: 'Is James Corden the Awful Kisser Emily Blunt Has Been Talking About?' However, more and more we would see this: Web-page: 'Is James Corden the awful kisser Emily Blunt has been talking about?' Note that proper nouns still have their capital letters. As to names of web sites, there is no definitive way of formatting them. Finally, traditionally, the formal names of boats (not nick-names) and space-craft should also be italicised. Boat: SS Titanic Space-craft: Apollo 13 But... Columbus' boats were the Santa Maria, the Nina and the Pinta. Why? Because Nina and Pinta were not formal names, but nick-names for the vessels. As to the names of other transport, italics are not necessary. And the names of Oil Rigs can be either simply capitalised or italicised. The names of businesses are not italicised, but do use capital letters. So, that's technical. Things are changing. You will see variations on these all over the place. And the simple fact of the matter is, when submitting, you need to check the house style. But I am nothing if not a traditionalist... |
| Writing Young Adult Fiction Okay, I am in the process of going through my second Young Adult book with a brand new publisher, and, following a video conference with their editor to show me where I need to rewrite a couple of sections, I thought I’d share everything I’ve learnt from her, from my Creative Writing degree, and from my last YA book, as I know YA is a strong market. First, “back in the day” Young Adult used to be considered a separate genre. More than that, it was often derided, put down as a marketing ploy. In my opinion it is neither a separate genre nor mere marketing – it is, in the end, a rating. It is like a movie rating system, indicating the best age a work is suited for, but the work is not restricted to that age group. In fact, many adults enjoy what is considered young adult fiction. As to genre, Young Adult can be horror (R.L. Stine), fantasy (J.K. Rowling), historical (Morris Gleitzmann), comedy (Dav Pilkey) or any other you can think of. Quick general definitions: In Australia, YA covers 12 to 18 year olds. 10 to 14 year olds are called Middle Grade, and some publishers use a 16 to 21 year old group classification, New Adult. In the USA, the publishers I have dealt with have told me Middle Grade is 10 to 16, Young Adult 14 to 24 and there is no “formal” New Adult classification. In the UK, MG is 10 to 14, YA is 12 to 18, NA is 18 to 21, though it is a rarity. Note the overlap in ages – because kids do not develop at the same rate. With the length of a YA novel, nowadays it is pretty much the same length as adult novel, though ten thousand or so words less is not rare and is perfectly acceptable. Forty, thirty years ago, it would have been fifty to eighty percent of an adult novel’s length at most, but that is no longer the case. In fact, that is closer to MG length (which is generally 25k to 50k words nowadays). I say nowadays… Enid Blyton released some very long books way back when and no-one batted an eyelid. So maybe it’s returning to the past. As an aside, to be honest, I think New Adult was just a marketing gimmick that was popular for a little while and has since started to fall out of fashion. It will be interesting to see where it goes. I also stand to be proved wrong. In the UK and Australia, Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone is considered Middle Grade; in the USA it is classified both MG and YA. The next two books are considered both MG and YA in Australia and the UK, and the last four are YA. How’s that for confusing? The Percy Jackson series is even more confusing! Plus, The Hobbit was written for youngsters. And I point this out to emphasise again – these labels are often ratings. Except… no. We’ll get there. So, before I became a teacher I used to think Young Adult involved simplistic story-telling and basic ideas with under-developed characters. Basically, it was what we were presented with when I was 11 or so (at 12 I was in high school, and the school I went to believed adult books were the only way to go…). It was only when I started to teach and so read a lot of YA works that I realised the story-telling is as complex as that in adult novels and the characters just as fully realised. Now we hit content. This is the "except" and "there" I said we'd get to. According to my aforementioned sources, content-wise what sets YA apart from adult works are:  The age of the protagonists is the same age as, or a couple of years older than, that of the readers. The main characters will rarely be older than 21 (the publisher of my first YA books says 18). The issues the characters deal with are more to do with "coming of age" or "self-awareness" or a myriad of other things that adults have already been through. These do not have to be the central focus, but the characters should be going through these, even in the background. There is a stronger concept of relationships as friendships and love as platonic instead of everything leading to or based around the idea of a sexual (physical) relationship. School is a part of the character’s lives. If they are not students, they have recently been students, and the friendships they have were most likely formed at school. Parents are a part of the character’s lives as well. Even if not directly involved in the story, that sense of home and family (even if broken) will exist in at least some characters.Vocabulary of YA is interesting. Don’t use words that YA readers would not use. That does not mean writing “down”! YA will know what arterial spray is, they will understand that internal discussions are a thing, they realise that constructive criticism is something teachers try to do. What I mean is… well, let’s use an example. I used the word “peer”. My beta reader said the kids don’t think of one another as peers. I asked in the video conference; my beta is correct – it is a teacher word. Use terms that the readers themselves would use. And they have a wide vocab. As for technology – keep up with it. Mention new things. However, do not overload the narrative with all the modern conveniences; in 5 years’ time it will seem quaint, “of its time” and possibly even dated. But having computers, mobile phones (“cell phones” to USians), smart household devices in the background is all fine. Of course, if writing scifi set in the future, you do you. This is for contemporaneous works. As for social media, yes, indicate kids are using it! But it was recommended to me not to say which socials they are using. This is nothing to do with copyright ("20240508 What Does Copyright Cover?" ), but to do with dating your work. Following the meeting, I had a look at a book recommended by the publisher. It seems to work… except for all the (fictional) LiveJournal blog quotes throughout. My daughter doesn’t even know what LJ was! (She’s 16…) Just something to be aware of. The meeting did say that Facebook seems here to stay; that might be fine to use.Finally, when it comes to writing YA I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a person of that age as your beta reader and, if you can, a teacher or librarian involved with that age group as well. My daughter and son are mine (my son will be a teacher of that age group in a few years as well, so… yay?) and the librarians here have been good. And read some! Not just one book, and not just one author – read heaps. You need to see what is out there, how they approach the content considerations mentioned above, and what sort of characters are out there. Of course, I did teach the age group and read a lot of their stuff, so I have some knowledge there as well. Anyway, while it is fresh in my mind, I thought I would share. |
| Answering Questions About Australia So, I recently listed some things people in other countries are confused about the US. Some people here got extremely upset and angry that I would dare say anything against the USA, but that’s their right. Blind defence of country is rather prevalent the world over. And, for the record, I did look up everything I included. While I know some on the list were only applicable to certain parts of the US, being told that some were outright lies I feel is also wrong. Still, I then asked if people wanted to know anything about Australia. So, in the vein, I will answer the questions posed to me on this very site. I’ll start with the serious ones. Well, the ones that require serious answers.  Why did Australia let their government take away their guns?Okay, for those not aware, in 1996 a young man went to the Port Arthur historic site and killed 35, wounding 23 more, over the course of half a day. After it was over, the federal government banned automatic weaponry, heavily restricted semi-automatic weaponry, put tight restrictions on all firearms, established a firearm registry, put an extended waiting period for purchase of weapons, and stopped huge sections of the population from owning guns. This is where people get it wrong. The government did not just do this as being a nanny state – the Australian people asked for it to be done (with exceptions being those on the far right side of politics; this is not me being political, this is simply the way it went down). The federal government at the time was the right-wing Howard government, and the laws went through with bipartisan support. Why would Australians ask for guns to be removed? The media at the time drummed up a storm (again, except for the far right wing media): “Don’t let Australia become as bad as the USA.” This is not me saying that – that was the opinion of Australians and the media and it was bandied about wherever you looked. Posters even proclaimed this. I will say that, at the time, the US ambassador to Australia took offence at what was being said, but that’s the media and the way the USA is portrayed here for you. Wow, way to start heavy. Would it be safe for a young woman to travel alone to Australia?Well, that depends on where you go. In the big cities on the east coast – Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane – think of them as like big cities in the USA. Would you feel safe travelling alone in those? If yes, then yes here. Adelaide and Perth, generally good… but listen to the locals about which suburbs to avoid. Rural areas – country Victoria, southern Western Australia, the coastal areas of Queensland, all of Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory, the coastal areas of South Australia, plus the state’s Yorke Peninsula, Barossa Valley and Clare Valley are fine. The Northern Territory and a lot of the central outback… there’s a reason Wolf Creek could be made, add the Falconio murder, Ivan Milat… In the end, yes, in most touristy places. But it is like everywhere else in the Western world. There’s psychos everywhere. Is there a lot of police brutality over there? Do the Aborigines get treated like the African Americans, profiled, unfairly convicted, etc?Yes. Unfortunately. And, in fact, I think it may be worse in Australia. Indigenous Australians make up around 2% of the population, and around 20% of those incarcerated. Indigenous people are 20 times more likely to die in custody. Indigenous people are more likely to be pulled over in “random” police car stops. Here’s a personal story: I was at a local park about 2 years ago with a group of 6 Indigenous friends. One was a musician and we met up so he could play me the music he’d written for a song I’d done the lyrics for, and a few of his friends came by as well. I was the only white guy. A police car pulled up, the cops got out, came directly to us and asked if I was okay, if these people were threatening me. One arced up and they threatened to arrest him. It did end fine, but I have rarely been that embarrassed. Of course, there are issues with Indigenous gangs, with young Indigenous being out of control in Alice Springs (don’t get me started on the social workers involved…) and with Indigenous people being much more likely to be drunk in public. But how much of that is informed by police and societal challenges, and how much is otherwise, no-one knows. Having said that, if you are poor, you will also be harassed. I was threatened with incarceration for being homeless last year! I call Australia a police state for a reason. The majority are nasty. Phew! That was heavy… So, let’s go to the most insulting question, and one we get all the freakin’ time: Why do Australians throw shrimp on their Barbie dolls? And is it like... ceviche? Or full shrimp?First, shrimp are not Australian. They are a different creature and edible ones don’t live in Australian waters. We eat Prawns. Second, Barbie would melt on the barbie, and smell awful. While I get the humour, this is actually one of the few things Australians find grossly insulting… and it’s all because of a Paul Hogan television commercial. Okay, the rest of the questions! Why do cassowarys hate humans?They don’t! Okay, maybe they do. But, really, they hate everything. In fact, if you add teeth and fingers with claws to a cassowary and turn its beak into a snout, current palaeontological evidence is that it would be the closest to a late Cretaceous dinosaur as you’re going to see in the world today. But, really, it’s emus who are this issue. While both could disembowel you with a kick, the Australian army fought a war against the emus. And lost. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emu_War How big is Australia, really?It is almost as large as the contiguous 48 US states. We have 6 states, and 5 of the capital cities have populations in excess of a million people. My state, South Australia, is a mid-sized state, and is 150% the size of Texas. Your largest state is Alaska, which is 1.7 million km2; ours is Western Australia which is 2.5 million km2. And yet, our population is only 26 million people, which is 2/3 the population of the state of California. To give you an idea of some of the natural disasters. The flooding of 2013 would have covered Pennsylvannia to Indiana and down to South Carolina; The Ash Wednesday bushfires in 1983 would have burnt an area from Oklahoma to Arkansas and south to the Mexican border. We don’t have tornadoes; we call hurricanes cyclones, but they are the same. We don’t have as many earthquakes as the US; we have less active volcanic areas as well. We also have far less fresh water sources; the US has a much more extensive river system, which is a reason why the population is more widely distributed. Do you call everyone "mate" or just friends... or just close friends? Or something else?This is something that was fading. My generation and those before, yeah – we call everyone “mate”. People you know, people you don’t know, people you’re angry with, people you really like. Everyone is a “mate.” The people who came “of age” in the late 90s, early 2000s moved away from it; this was also the time when the Internet first blew up and social media started. They didn’t adopt another phrase (though the UK “bruv” was everywhere), just stopped using “mate.” However, the current crop of teens and 20-somethings use “mate” to refer to their friends. I think it is trying to re-establish a cultural identity of their own. So it’s coming back. Are all Australians alcoholics?Yep. What? Fine. Australians actually sit around 25th in the world when it comes to alcohol consumption per capita. The USA sits in the 30s or 40s, so, yes, we drink more than the USA. And we do drink a lot. But the UK and Germany drink more. So… YMMV. Why does everything in Australia want to kill you in the most painful way possible? Looking at you insects, animals, nature Unfair! Accurate, but still unfair. 8 of the 12 deadliest snakes in the world can be found in Australia or Australian waters; we have the only venomous mammals; it was recently discovered that goannas have a venomous bite as well; 5 of the 10 deadliest spiders are Australian; kangaroos can cause huge damage with their two-legged rear limb kick; emus and cassowaries can rip open flesh with their claws; magpies will swoop you and attack until you bleed; the blue-ringed octopus is the most venomous; the box jellyfish is nasty; the Irukandji jellyfish is considered the have the most dangerous toxin the animal kingdom. Over 1000 species of native Australian flora is considered harmful, and a full 10% of Australian plants produce cyanide. So, why? Evolutionarily, it’s because Australia was isolated and so the animals had only one another to defend against, and these defences developed into an arms race of nasty proportions. Realistically, it’s because Mother Nature uses Australia as a proving ground for what she wants to inflict upon the rest of the world. And don’t get me started about penguins… I hope that answers your questions! |
| What Does Copyright Cover? I thought I’d write this because a person on a Discord server I belong to (a writing-based one run by a publisher) recently told us that his self-published book needs to be taken down because of a copyright complaint. He needs to take out three lines in an entire book and it has resulted in him trashing the book. Those who have e-copies will find them removed from their libraries and the “40 or so” (his words) people who bought it are supposed to return it to him. Why? He used song lyrics without permission. So, what is copyrightable? What can you use, and can you not use? Now, I got a lot of this information from my Creative Writing degree and from a discussion with the publisher of Invasive Species, because, as you will see, I went through some of this with them. First and foremost, titles are not copyrightable. Use the title of a song, film, book, TV show, album, play (maybe except Macbeth… theatre lore), painting, etc. with impunity. Make sure you format it correctly, and all is right with the world. For a quote from a real person said as that person (i.e., not as a character), so long as you acknowledge who said it, you’re fine. However, it must be remembered some speeches are copyrighted (especially those from award ceremonies; AMPAS are shocking in this regard); having said that, TED talks are generally okay. Most famous historical speeches are considered public domain, so Churchill’s “We shall fight them on the beaches…” and King’s “I had a dream…” speeches are fine to quote. Here comes the good bit: You cannot quote song lyrics without getting permission from the song-writers, the publishing company and any ancillary companies, and most of the time it will cost you money (sometimes a lot). So, I went through this with Invasive Species. I had the lyrics for a song (I thought it was out of copyright; I was wrong), the publisher’s lawyer said no, so we alluded to it. Basically, the law says you need to get permission. Unless it is an independent release, like I said, there are three parties you need to contact – the songwriter and/or their representatives, the music publisher, and the large entertainment conglomerate who probably owns it all. They can, of course, refuse. Van Morrison does this – a blanket “No”. But, most likely, they will charge you. This can range from a few thousand dollars (yes, that is where it tends to start) to many thousands of dollars plus a percentage cut of the gross (not net) profits (this is what you pay to use The Beatles’ lyrics if they even let you). They might refuse if they think your work will be too small; it is generally accepted that they will refuse ALL self-published requests (especially Universal music). Also, some artists refuse to appear in certain genres (The Radfords won’t allow their lyrics in YA works and Stryper will not allow their works in anything horror, for example). Sony even take down YouTube videos that use their music without permission, even if said music comes under fair use laws (criticism, parody, etc.); no warning, just DCMA statement and gone. So, if you have the line: She looked at him and started to sing, “When I see my baby, what do I see? Poetry… Poetry in motion…” Forget it. But if you had: She looked at him and started to sing the old Johnny Tillotson hit ‘Poetry In Motion’. that’s not an issue. Even: She looked at him and started to sing about seeing him and it being poetry. might be clunky as all out, but it is still acceptable because there is only an allusion to the song without a direct quote. So, the long and short of it is: do not use any song lyrics ever. One caveat: like I said, song titles are not copyrightable, but the title must be used exactly as written. So, if you refer to the Sir Mix-A-Lot song ‘Baby Got Back’ as ‘I Like Big Butts’ you will either get done for misrepresentation OR for using a song lyric. Go to the original album the song by the artist you are referencing appears on (or the very first appearance if not referencing any particular artist) to ensure you have the title correct. Now, movie quotes is interesting. A few lines can be used (I quoted 2 lines from Pretty In Pink in Invasive Species and the publisher let them stay), but not huge chunks, and it depends on the context in which they are used, but if in doubt, check with the company that owns the film. They are the only people who need to be contacted. However – and this is a big however – this does not apply to films owned by the Disney Corporation. They will hammer you for even the slightest hint of a quote because they are like that. And they tend to say, “No,” if asked. Now, of course, words can be used that are used in films; you just cannot acknowledge they are film quotes, and the context should not allow them to be perceived as such. Quoting from books is a grey area, and, really, it depends on who published it, Again, context is king – if it is obvious or implied it is a book quote, you could get in trouble. So, if you are quoting from a book from a Big 5 company, generally they will say, “No.” If from a self-published book, you merely need the permission of the author. From an indy (small to medium) publisher, it can be complicated; author and company need to be contacted and permission granted, usually, but not always. Depends on the contract signed. When it comes to using characters, no. Of course, characters can share a name (one of the characters in my Patch Of Green shares a name with a major character from a book series), but if the character is clearly taken from another work, that is where the issue lies. And this is from film, book, theatre, TV, everything. Now, to add complications – works and characters can enter public domain. Books and their characters, paintings (and associated), plays, and statues enter 70 years after the death of the last author of a work (not editor). Speeches enter public domain (if not broadcast in an awards ceremony) after 70 years in the USA, or 50 years in Australia. Films enter public domain 95 years after the copyright date in the USA, 70 years in Australia, and never in Japan (just for three different countries). Music composition enters public domain 99 years after being written; specific recordings by specific artists 99 years after the last release (which is why you see so much older music re-released on CD every so often). Interestingly, this currently only covers physical media. Anything released digitally only is a straight 99 years. This is currently being tested in court, by the way. Anything created by AI is not subject to copyright. It is currently before the courts as to percentages of a work being AI as to when a human can get copyright applied. It is messy. There are not definitive answers yet. And that is how easy this part of copyright law is! |
| Only In America Now, I know a reasonable amount about United Estatian culture, coming from selling my work to the USA for decades, reading MAD magazine for decades, and being inundated with US television, music and movie products… as well as the books. The problem is, in the United States, a lot of people think the way they do things is the way the rest of the world does things. Obviously, that ain't the case. The rest of the world understands there are differences because US pop culture is shoved down our throats like the watery slop you call “beer.” (No, Fosters is not real beer; it’s just the crap we sell to the rest of the world.) So, after having a long discussion with my friend in Florida, here are the things about US culture that confuse me, an Australian who deals with those from the USA on a daily basis. Using non-metric measurements. The US is one of only 3 countries in the world to still use purely Imperial measurements (if you ignore the increased use of 16mm ammo). Huge serving sizes. I discovered only recently that our ‘Large’ cups sizes are the equivalent of a medium in the US. A Large is plenty, thanks. Especially coffee. And your meal sizes could feed a family of 4! We have a one kilo schnitzel challenge – eat a kilo schnitzel and win a prize. Apparently, in the US, that’s a snack. Talking loud in public. Yes, look, some Australians get loud when they get drunk. But regular conversations are held at a volume much more convenient. Or are loud US people only tourists, the people who have interviewed me, the people on TV and people over here for work? And reading online comments… yeah. Other countries feel the same way. “College.” The rest of the world calls it “University” or “Uni” for short. College is either a sub-school of a university or an elite private school (JP to high school). Homecoming & fraternities/sororities. Sticking with the university theme. Look, this confuses us. We have seen them on TV and in films, and none of us have any idea what any of it means. Censoring swear words and religious terms. I know people say them. But on TV, in books, in music, there are censored versions. The religious words especially confuses us, as these appear in non-religious usage even in our kids TV. Religion everywhere. If you look at graphs of countries’ GDP v those who consider religion important in their lives, as GDP goes up, faith goes down. With one outlier – the USA. In Australia, more than 50% identify as “no religion”; we have had atheist Prime Ministers. In the USA, there are some who want atheists imprisoned. Not including tax in prices. Not only is tax included in the price, but at the end of your shop receipt, how much tax you paid is outlined. The price we see on the shelf is the price we pay. It’s not that hard. The Pledge of Allegiance. Really? Why? Isn’t it just brainwashing? Date order. ONLY the USA uses month-day-year; the rest of the world uses day-month-year, escalating. 9-11 to us is the 9th of November. Holidays and annual leave. How much annual leave do you get? 10 days? We get a month (28 days), and it doesn’t have to be used all at once, either. The huge number of flags everywhere. In Australia, people who fly a flag all year round are seen as far right, neo-N*zis. 99.99% of houses do not even have the capacity to show a flag. On Australia Day you might wear your Aussie flag swimming cozzie or beach towel or apron at the BBQ. But apart from that – nope. The obsession with processed cheese. The world makes really nice cheeses suitable for all palates and United Estatians eat cheese in a freakin’ can! Your attitude towards alcohol. Drinking age of 21? The rest of the world is generally 18. When I told a US friend I had a breakfast beer, it was like he was ready to send me to Alcoholics Anonymous. I know you drink, and I know you get drunk, sure, but alcohol is seen as something that should be hidden and not talked about. Shops that sell everything under one roof. Not a shopping centre (or “mall” as you call them), but, say, Walmart. Food, drink, insurance, pets, clothing, tools, drugs, alcohol, ammunition… all in one place. Red Solo cups are a cultural icon? Seriously? They’re just cups! You can get into university just by being good at sports; college sports in general. Sorry, but sport being the reason for getting into university seems like it diminishes university. And your college sports! Why? We have leagues and clubs and things. And if you look at the highest paid US state government employees, college sports coaches top the list in 45 of the 50 states! It’s just kids playing games! Only two political parties with no independents; the complete partisanship of politics. Here, minor parties and independents hold the balance of power. And politicians on both sides can both agree on issues. And then there’s the way you treat politicians like they are gods or something. Really? They’re all just lying scumbags. Tipping. See, where I live, minimum wage is minimum wage for everyone, no matter the industry. My daughter earns more as a 16 year old in Target than a US waitress who’s been in the job for 16 years. Your love affair with guns. I know some countries have more guns per capita than the USA, but the USA has the highest amount of gun-related deaths in the developed world. Problem with sex and language, but killing kids is apparently fine. And don’t give me “a good guy with a gun is needed to stop a bad guy with a gun.” Ain’t really worked so far. Schools have security guards and metal detectors. The fact these are needed says a lot more about the USA than I think you realise. Pharmacies that sell alcohol and cigarettes. You know these things are bad for you, right? Cooking with sugar. The amount of added sugar is insane. Here’s an example – Subway in Australia were forced to change the recipe of their bread from the US standard because otherwise it would be considered a “cake” not “bread”, and so have the GST applied to it. The cost of your health care. Even your medicines cost a fortune, let alone an emergency hospital stay. Universal health care can be wonderful, you know. Belief trumps science. In fact, science is seen as less believable than the many and varied faiths, from indigenous beliefs to mainstream and beyond. Referring to the country as “America.” America is the name of two continents. The country is the United States of America. Canadians and Mexicans in North America alone are “Americans” as well. Asking people what they do for a living as an initial question. I’ve known people for years and still don’t know exactly what they do for a job. We also don’t ask what people earn. All we care about is what sporting team you support. Worship of the military. Look, soldiers and vets do and have done a great job, but here, apart from ANZAC Day and maybe Remembrance Day, they don’t want to be reminded of it. It was their job, that was all. Both of my grandfathers refused to march because they felt ANZAC Day glorified war. And getting vets to stand up at sporting events so people can cheer them is never, ever done. They would be embarrassed. Don’t get me started on the aggressive recruiting in the US… Microwaving water? You guys really don’t use kettles? All of the money looks identical. Ours is not only a different colour, but a different size. Oh, and it’s made of polymer plastic, making it harder to forge. Customising your restaurant orders. What’s on the menu is what you get. The options available are those on the menu. Changing things for personal taste don’t happen. You want personalised food? Cook it yourself. Kids trick or treating on Halloween. Shops are trying to make it a “thing” here, but kids and parents alike are not buying in because most households do not care and will not supply snack food. Halloween here is mainly an excuse for a dress-up party; trick-or-treating does not really exist.Any I’ve missed out? Any you want to argue with me about? Oh, and don’t bother trying to explain anything. I’ve given up. |
| Answering Some Questions Some questions I have been asked that don’t need a full blog post to answer. What is your advice for the first-time published authors on how to sell their book? Not being self-published, I can only go from my experiences with small and mid-sized trad publishers. While publishers like social media, in the last 5 years it has stopped working effectively. Facebook has not worked for years, Twitter stopped working when it became ‘X’, Instagram is seen as too niche and TikTok has never worked. Yes, some people have had success that way, but in general, they don’t work. However, a Goodreads page does seem to work. An Amazon authors page can also work if you have more than two things for sale on Amazon. Your own website can work, but then you need to market/publicise that. Be willing to do interviews. Even if only on radio or podcasts or even via email, do them all. Attend conferences, workshops and other places where authors and readers congregate and use the opportunity to sell yourself. Join writers' groups and network. The writing community at a lower level is generally helpful and you'll be surprised what you can learn. The joy of NOT self-publishing is that I don't have to pay for marketing and I let the publishing companies do what they think is best. They will sometimes recommend I do things and that is fine as well. How should I look when I submit? Eager, naïve, bright, foolish, what? Professional. Always professional. If it's somewhere I've submitted to before and been accepted (especially if accepted more than once) then slightly more relaxed, but still professional. Why shouldn’t I just submit my work? I write good stories. All this extra stuff is just making us jump through hoops for no reason apart from control. Because, again, you want to look professional. If you submit something that does not meet the submission guidelines, you will not even get a look in. If your work is filled with spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, punctuation issues, etc., no editor is going to spend time fixing it (no matter if the story seems good) because they do not have that sort of time and who wants to put the effort in if the author doesn't? It says you do not take writing seriously. You look like you don't care. And remember, a number of the smaller and mid-sized presses talk to one another. Get a bad name in one place, and it becomes really hard to sell anywhere. If you're at the stage where you're talking with a cover artist, how particular do you get? Like do you nitpick every little detail? Do you let the little stuff go? If going the trad route, generally you will be asked for ideas, but the publisher will want it to fit the house style, so nitpicking will give you a bad reputation. If you’re self-publishing, you are paying big money for a cover. You want it to be as perfect as you can. Nitpick away – it’s your money! Agent told me NOT to write my sequel until after book 1 is a proven success. What do you think? And why? Okay, this is an interesting one. If you have the idea, write it anyway, just to get the idea out of your head. If you don’t have the idea, then this advice is spot on. Thing is, if you are looking at a book series/trilogy (etc.) and you write the first one and it sells, and then you can’t finish it because the idea didn’t work, then you’ve let down readers, publishers and, in this case, agents. I own so many first books in obvious trilogies that were never continued it hurts. So, if I know I’m writing a trilogy, I will have all three books done before I try to sell number one. On the other hand, if a standalone book sells well, then I might write a sequel (haven’t done so yet, though). Do you think that self-published books should have professional covers, formatting, and editing done? Editing is vital. Formatting is important. Covers are very important. But editing first. Pay an editor! The amount of books I've read with misused homophones, poor punctuation and shocking grammar is huge. Then again, some authors “know best” and that's why I no longer edit for others. How many times do you let your story get rejected before you stop submitting it/tweak it? I’m not sure if I’m giving up too early, or if I’m being too stubborn! Depends on the story. Some I've given up on after one rejection; I think the most I’ve done is twelve tries out there before acceptance. It comes down to how invested I am in what I've written. I’m finding the Beta read stage kind of hard. My beta readers have been amazing, but I’m struggling with feelings of inadequacy now, despite having a sharp word with myself. How do you combat that? To me, the beta reader stage is a relief. It means the book is at least 75% finished, maybe more. It also means I can get started on the next thing. Once it's out there, it stops me from changing it; someone is actually reading it, the goal of the majority of writers. I like the beta stage. Does a short story collection need to have a theme? I have to say that I enjoy a good themed anthology. Unfortunately, that does mean that sometimes surprises are not surprising because the theme gives it away. So... not good? Then again, the theme could simply be the same writer. However, in general, having similar genres of all stories helps. Having said that, trying to sell a story collection to a publisher is really tough. Do you keep track of your queries? Do you track the rejections or just forget them? What do you do? What recommendations do you have? I keep track of who I've submitted what to through an Excel spreadsheet, including acceptance, rejection or non-response. This covers everything from poems to short stories to longer works. It also makes sure that you do not submit the same thing to the same publisher two years later. Not that I’ve done that by accident…  I have a rookie question. If you have a finished manuscript and are NOT self publishing... What steps need to be taken in between finishing the manuscript and querying for agents? Hiring editing? Beta readers? These are the steps I’m not familiar with. This is not just querying for agents, but also submitting direct to publishers. 1) Get yourself an editor 2) Get at least one beta reader 2) Research who publishes/agents your genre 2a) If going to a small/mid-sized indy publisher, look at their list, buy a couple of books and see if your style matches theirs 3) Look at the company/agent carefully 3a) Make sure you check "preditors & editors" sites so you won't be ripped off 4) Submit (follow their guidelines to a T) 5) Hope for the best! Good luck! |
| A Meeting With A Publisher So, this morning I had my usual Skype call with my friend in Florida, then, as I was doing some work for a local group, remembered I had an invite to a Q&A with a representative of Random House Australia. I logged on, waited 15 minutes, then found I was one of over 100 people listening in. We had all submitted to RHA in the past 2 years and had reached second round, but got no further; that was the idea of this - to help us reach final round, to help those who are close maybe get a Big-5 contract. The two women who spoke to us said we had done the right things - edited before submission, followed the genre dictates, put story first. They then went on to state the things we (in general) may have fallen down on: characterisation being either weak or dominating, pushing an overt message, under-writing. When asked to explain what under-writing is, they said it was using simplistic language. Yes, that meant I felt called out. Then came Q&A. Questions I noted: * If I revise, should I resubmit? No, unless you completely rewrite the work and change the title. * Is any genre off-limits? No, but the extremes of any genre are not appreciated. Additional question: But I don't see a lot of humour in your listings? Answer: Humour is a hard sell universally. What's funny here [Australia] is not necessarily going to translate internationally. But we do have some humour books in our store. * Do you accept collections of works? No, they just don't sell unless you already have a name. * Do you accept books that are chasing current trends? (Example given, Hunger Games and Harry Potter styled works.) Yes, but they have to be amazingly well-written and not just pastiches, and they need to hit different story beats. * Do you accept previously published works? No. What about if it is on Wattpad or something first? Only if it is not visible to the general public at large. She then went on to add:If you have previously self-published a work of fiction, we will be very unlikely to accept any other work except in exceptional circumstances. * Why don't you publish children's books? The cost of picture books and short page count early reader books does not make them financially viable. Specialist companies have a much better system generally. * Do you publish fan fiction? No, and any author worth their salt knows why. (This was genuinely the only time they seemed pissed off with a question.) * Can we have our own covers designed? We encourage input into cover design, but we prefer to work with in-house designers. Of course, this is not a hard and fast rule. * Do you do audiobooks? If so, can we choose our own narrators? Yes, we do. And we prefer the author to be the narrator if at all possible. Otherwise, this is something we are willing to negotiate with the writer. We do not have a list of preferred narrators. * What do you see is the future of books and publishing? Good question. Ten, fifteen years ago, I would have said digital all the way. COVID saw a rise in audiobooks and post-COVID physical books have come back. So, the future? I don't think anyone knows, and we are just going to give all formats equal time. I got bored about then, but there weren't many more questions. Anyway, just thought I'd share. |
| I Or Me? So, this has come about because during my reviewing here on WdC, I have seen this error creep in more and more. When do we use “me” or “I”? So, this involves use of the first person pronoun, indicating the writer is the one the story happens to; this is first person Point of View. (For an explanation of Points of View, see: "20240121 Point Of View" )Speaking in purely technical terms, “I” is the subjective, “me” is the objective. Easy, huh? Okay, “I” comes before a verb. I went to the shops. I was shot by an arrow. “Me” comes after a verb. He gave me a book. The arrow shot me. “Me” also follows prepositions. The cat slept on me. The book was given to me. She winked at me. The confusion comes when the narrator is not the only person being spoken about. Bob and I went to the shops. The dog licked Bob and me. Sue smiled at Bob and me. NOT Bob and me went to the shops. The dog licked Bob and I. Sue smiled at Bob and I So, how can we tell what is what? The simple rule of thumb is, if in doubt, split the sentence and see how it sounds. For example: Bob and I went to the shops. becomes Bob went to the shops. I went to the shops. That is how simple sentences work, so the initial Bob and I went to the shops. is correct. On the other hand, Bob and me went to the shops. becomes Bob went to the shops. Me went to the shops. (not good) So the initial Bob and me went to the shops. is wrong. Let’s look at another example: Sue smiled at Bob and me. This breaks down to: Sue smiled at Bob. Sue smiled at me. All good, so the initial Sue smiled at Bob and me. is the right way to go. On the other hand, Sue smiled at Bob and I breaks down to Sue smiled at Bob. (good) Sue smiled at I (not good) Therefore, the initial Sue smiled at Bob and I is wrong. There is one other time when this is often confused, and that is when the word between is used. “Between” always involves two (or more) options, so there is not singular you can break it down to. However, “between” is a preposition, so it uses me. The ball went between Sue and me and then down the hill. This is correct. The ball went between Sue and I and then down the hill. This is not correct. The reason this is an issue is that the second one sounds perfectly fine. In this case, swap the word “between” out for “into” and see if it makes sense. The ball went into Sue and me and then down the hill. The ball went into Sue and then down the hill. The ball went into me and then down the hill. This is correct. The ball went between Sue and I and then down the hill. The ball went into Sue and then down the hill. The ball went into I and then down the hill. The final sentence means this is not correct. Finally, Plurals The plural of I is we. The plural of me is us Everything I explained above applies here as well. This has been another technical post, but I do hope it helps someone. |
| How Long Does Writing Take? This comes from Elycia Lee ☮ asking me a question after yesterday’s blog post: ”Let's say you are to write a 5k words short story. How long does it take you? My teacher kinda made us outline and write five drafts within a week. Is that doable or I'm just slow? Okay, I know that you said to each our own. Just very curious. It takes me a whole week to write a first draft for a 5k-word.” First, I will say this – five drafts in a week is excessive, and when I was a teacher I would never demand that of any students. It feels like giving work for the sake of giving work. Okay, got that off my chest. Right. To the crux of the question – speed of writing. There is nothing right or wrong. And no two writers are the same. However, in general, it will often come down to if you are a plotter or pantser (see "20240120 Plotting and Pantsing" ).Now, if you are a plotter, then the planning phase generally take the longest , and even for a short story, this can take weeks. But once you have the plan sorted, the writing phase generally can be relatively quick, and edits tend to be less about story and character because you worked it out beforehand. If you are a pantser, then the initial writing phase takes less time because you want to get the idea out before you lose it. However, because of the rush, there is a greater chance of character and plot errors. For the record, I am a chronic pantser, and very, very rarely plot anything. But time. Look, you need to work at what speed suits you. In general, if an idea is there, and either a plan is finished or a pantser is on a role, the average according to many sites seems to be 1000 words a day. However, in my creative writing degree, the lecturers gave us 1000 to 1500 words a day as an average. But averages mean half write more and half write less. Using Elycia Lee ☮’s example, a 5000 word story would take me 1 to 2 days to finish a first draft. My former editor would have taken a week to two weeks. Stephen King would have taken a day. Lionel Fanthorpe would have written three in a day. JD Salinger would have taken a month or more. This brings me to a point I think needs to be made: Do not compare yourself to other writers. Every writer is different. I have found in the past in some writing groups that people feel intimidated by my word count when I am on a roll. Last year during NaNoWriMo I wrote more than 153k words in a month. That averages out to 5000+ words a day. On my local NaNo server, some writers stopped because of how I was going (and one other woman who ended up clearing off 225k words for the month). NaNoWriMo is one of the few times when you are required to write a certain word count in a certain time. Others include entering contests, submitting to open calls, and getting work finished before a life event (surgery, marriage, etc.). In the end, though, you are the writer and you know what is best for you. There was a writer whose name escapes me who wrote a sentence a day, but he would agonise over each word, and sometimes he would rewrite that sentence the next day. In that regard, if you edit as you go, that is going to slow you. If you change your plan as you go, this is going to slow you. If you get into a groove, that is going to speed you up. But pace is individual. How long does it take to write anything? Does it matter? |
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