Write what you know. Is that good advice?

I was working on an article tonight and had to do some research to verify some information. Suddenly a phrase popped into my thoughts.

Write what you know.

I'd heard that advice in high school; heard it again in college; heard it once or twice during my graduate studies; read it on the web.

Now I'm wondering, should I be writing about this particular subject?

"Wait a minute," this voice in my head said. "If you write only about what you know, why do you need an imagination?"

Think about it.

Did Lewis Carroll know about what it was like to fall down a rabbit hole?

Did Clement Clarke Moore actually have to meet Santa Claus to describe him so endearingly? 

How many vampires did Bram Stoker run into before he created Dracula?

How much science fiction and fantasy would we enjoy if we had to know everything about other worlds?

See where I'm going with this?

Now, if I have a character who is undergoing a surgical procedure, I would have to do a lot of research to get the procedures accurately on the page. I still wouldn't know how to perform them but I'd could write about them.

I guess if you're writing a memoir, it's best to know what you write, or at least write about what you THINK you know.

So to all those people who told me, who told you, I say go ahead, fall down a rabbit hole before you pen your version of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, but make sure you're female because otherwise ...

Who needs a proofreader?

Who needs a proofreader?

When I read blogs and forums about self publishing I find numerous suggestions that authors either hire a proofreader or go over their manuscripts thoroughly again and again.

I agree. But even with numerous readings, a manuscript can still have errors.

One of the (supposed) advantages of having a manuscript published by one of the major houses is the availability of professional editors and proofreaders.

But even that doesn't ensure a perfectly clean product. And if you think a little mistake will go unnoticed, think again. Case in point is a copy of Cold Case by Stephen White, which I picked up and read recently. It was a used copy, a hardbound published by Dutton.

Whomever owned the book before me didn't just notice errors he or she highlighted them and wrote above the highlighting. On page 181, for example, the sentence read in part, "...the local corner is an M.D." The reader corrected it with the word coroner.

On the very next page, a sentence read, "A second perimeter of yellow crime-scene tape blocked any closer access to the body."

At this point, I assumed there was a body but there wasn't. And, later, the body was discovered far away from the scene.

On page 189, the sentence read, "You're the psychologist--people wanting vengeance tend be your angry people, right?"

Except for the error referring to a non-existent body, it's easy to see how errors can slip by. And overall, the mistakes don't interfere with the plot or the writer's skill ...  Little errors, yes, but wouldn't it have been shocking if the invisible body showed up later -- alive and well?

Little errors, yes, but not unnoticed.

More unusual things found in books

I've found uncounted number of items used as bookmarks. In a recent post, I write about one of the more unusual, a marriage license.  Maybe it was an unhappy union? If so, I wonder if I'll ever find the certificate of divorce anytime soon.

A week or so ago, I was riffling through another book when a bookmark fell out.

Now, I'm not old enough to remember when hosiery sold for a buck a pair and I sure didn't know what Service Weight meant. Of course, I had to look it up. 

After stumbling over google's search results -- and finding a lot of information about service weight in regard to plumbing, I finally found a rather unusual site (But then, isn't the web full of unusual sites?) that explained it.h

Apparently, service weight refers to the fabric, which is 60 and 70 deniers. Hmmm. What, then, is a denier? Back to the google board which sent me to wikipedia where I discovered a denier is a unit of linear mass density of fibers.

The postcard, which was addressed and featured a printed stamp, was a sales pitch from a Philadelphia store, Bryans Ladies Shoes and Hosiery.

Certainly not as unusual (interesting) as the marriage license but more educational,

No free books

I know. Current wisdom advises indie writers to offer readers free copies of their eBooks. The purpose, I suppose, is to introduce readers to the writers in hopes that the style, plotting, characters and all the factors that make for a good novel, will entice readers to buy the writer's next book.

I guess this is sort of similar to going to a used book store or a thrift shop and picking up a book by an unknown writer. The difference is, in the beginning, what that less expensive tome came off the press, somebody paid for it.

It didn't start off being free.

So, why should an eBook start off being free?

Anybody can get a taste of a writer's work because books available for your kindle (or kindle for the PC) can be previewed. You get a set number of pages from the beginning of a book just by pressing a button. If that's not enough copy for decision making then I don't know what is.

I think the first question an author should ask is "How much is my book worth?" If the answer is zero, nada, nothing, if all that hard work was just to have a name under a title, then my advice is to keep the darned thing on your hard drive. If it's free, that's exactly what it's worth.

I think the only free copies that should be out there are the classics, the out-of-copyright works, especially those that are required reading for school kids.

Writers have a tough enough go at making money.

I know this is harsh thinking but the electronic reader isn't going to go away. People are still going to download books. Granted, with the current economy, readers are likely going to be very choosy about what they purchase.

My take? Get rid of the free eBook. Get out there and promote yourself and your work. Don't know how? Check out the eBooks written specifically for you.

I recommend Robert Kroese's $2.99 work (shown at left).  It's not the best but it's better than some of the others I've looked at.

You'd have to do it if you had a major publisher putting your stuff on paper and in stores.

Oh, and by the way, I was going to try the John Locke book but I downloaded a preview of one of Locke's Donavan Creed novels before deciding whether or not to purchase one or more.And, when I read the reviews of the book, I opted for this one,

Unusual things found in books

I do quite a bit of reading, which means I buy a lot of books -- new books and used books, hardcover and paperbacks. (eBooks too, but they don't apply to this post.) When I come across them, I also pick up books for a couple of neighbors who don't drive and therefore don't have access to treasure hunts.

On weekend I scour garage sales, thrift shops and used bookstores to satisfy my passion. I always find something interesting; sometimes I find more than words on a page.

People leave the oddest things behind as (I assume) bookmarks. I've found ordinary items such as dollar bills, bits of paper towels, paper clips, stuff like that. Sometimes, though, what's left behind is more personal and unusual.

Today, for example, I picked up a book titled You were Born for This by Bruce Wilkinson. This find looked unread and seemed the perfect choice for a neighbor who is quite a bit more religious than I. (She has a collection of Marianne Williamson works so I thought this would be a nice addition to her library.)

I almost always flip through a book before I buy it but today I was in a hurry (I had frozen food in the car.) so I bought it for its appearance.

When I got home, I riffled through the pages and noticed a piece of folded paper near the middle. It was a little tattered where a seal had been impressed, but the identity was perfectly clear.

A certified abstract of marriage for the groom and bride, married in September, 1998 in Clark County, Nevada.

Now, what should I do about this? Toss it? Frame it? Try to find the owner?

Better still (or in addition to whatever I decide to do) I suddenly found myself plotting a novel based on the find.

Hmmm. Maybe I should read Wilkinson's book -- it's about everyday miracles.

The Artist's Way -- Masochism

Last week I picked up a copy of Julia Cameron's 1992 book, The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity.

I read this book when it first came out but never followed any of the author's advice ... or at least I don't think I followed any of the author's advice. (I'll know more about that subject as I read it again.)

As I read, a particular passage hit home.

Judging your early artistic efforts is artist abuse. This happens in any number of ways: beginning work is measured against the masterworks of other artists; beginning work is exposed to premature criticism, shown to overly critical friends. In short, the fledgling artist behaves with well-practiced masochism. Masochism is an art form long ago mastered, perfected during the years of self-reproach; this habit is the self-hating bludgeon with which a shadow artist can beat himself right back into the shadows.

 Since I've been having a problem with the ending of my almost-finished manuscript, I realize what the author mentions here is part of the dilemma. As I begin to wrap up all the loose ends, I start to think about my first two eBooks and begin to doubt their value. I think: "I know they don't measure up to the work of more successful writers." I start to chastise myself for even trying to write this kind of stuff. 

I am, in Cameron's words, a masochist.

I don't think I'm unique.Am I? Do you go suffer artistic masochism? Do any of today's top-selling authors go through artistic masochism?

Guess I'll be reading the entire book again, this time with more attention to detail.

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My blogging mantra

When I first decided not to force myself to blog like a maniac I wasn't sure how much time would pass between posts. It didn't matter then and it doesn't matter now.

When I debuted this project I found myself clinging to the blogger's mantra: Post daily; post often. It was fun -- to start -- but as soon as it started to feel like a real job. You know, that nine-to-five drag we all experience.

Little Fella

I had to rethink the entire idea behind blogging -- my blogging in particular.. It occurred to me that this isn't about producing copy; it's about expressing thoughts, ideas, opinions, and information. It's also about putting things into perspective, not. the need to get every thought, idea, opinion or tidbit of information onto the web quickly.

Intermittent posting attests to a busy life. There's writing, hiking, reading, attending to social networking, emailing, eating out, visiting friends (in person or by phone), walking the dog, mowing the lawn, paying bills, shopping, and myriad other daily events (including trying to buy a house).

Intermittent posting also attests to an evaluation of what's being said. For example, I'm sure the world doesn't care that I have a new (unwelcome) roommate, a mouse I've dubbed Little Fella. (Okay, that might be a tweet, just for fun.) (Note to self: If it looked like Mickey, we'd have another store altogether.) So, why bother?

So, when blogging fits into the schedule, when there's something that meets my criteria ...

when the muse hits, I'll post.  

That's my blogging mantra. 

PS: In case you're looking for a humane way to catch a mouse, check out this unique approach.