GRAMMAR POLICE AND BOOK REVIEWS

Every author goes through the same thing. You have a pile of fingernails that you've bitten off in a nice neat pile on your desk. You try to get inside the head of your reader, hoping that they pay attention to the parts in your story that you believe you placed so much emphasis on.

You hope that they cheer when you want them to and feel what you wanted them to feel at the appropriate time. But it is nearly impossible.

As a writer, once you realize that everyone is reading your book for different reasons, you will see that not everyone will get the same thing out of your book.

I wrote a light comedic novella named Serial Me, where my character is the opposite of what most heroines look like in a book. She is overweight with low self esteem. She is trying to find Mr. Right while holding onto a job that she doesn't feel worthy of.

I hope that women with weight and self esteem issues will see that they too are beautiful. I hope that they stop worrying about self image and learn that once they accept themselves, others shall too. I should know. I'm in a wheelchair and suffer from many chronic illnesses. You think carrying a few extra pounds around is a possible deterrent. Try having 24 inch rims stuck on the side of your ass.

What will others get from the book? A great light and funny read on a Sunday afternoon. Perhaps someone interested in a high concept novel. Maybe someone looking for a few laughs. Or someone that just wants to size you up as a writer. Competition perhaps? Maybe.

I've noticed where a lot of reviewers will immediately make comment about grammar usage and misspellings. While there are so many horrible books out there that don't even grasp the basic concepts of the English language, there are some great books out there with just a few mistakes.

But there are those comments where the reviewer will berate the author over these errors. But what do you do when your book doesn't have errors?

I read one review where this woman was taking the author to task over grammar. But other reviewers chimed in and said that they could find no mistakes. Surely not as many as the first reviewer mentioned. Then it hit me....

What IF the reviewer didn't know what she was talking about? Novel idea, right? Of course! It makes sense. Most people that claim they know perfect grammar DON'T. What are their qualifications? Do they have a degree in English? Are they professional editors? What made this woman so sure that the book wasn't grammatically correct?

I saw two commercials and ten websites that  displayed the word WALLAH! When it's actually written Voila! But you couldn't tell the original authors of these websites that they were wrong. How many people do you think they go on "correcting"?

Don't take it too personal when someone takes you to task over a few mistakes here and there. I've found an error in World War Z but the story was so good, I didn't care. I still don't. The ones that lament the most about how the English language is going straight to hell are the ones that's sending it there with gasoline drawers on.

Unless you're one of those writers that really need to take an English class or two. IF so then stop reading and get there....FAST!

What's Wrong With Urban Fiction? The Top Five Trends in Urban Fiction That Needs to Stop

Plenty.

I can enjoy a great UF book every once in a while but it has gotten to the point where if you've read one, you've read them all.There seem to be recurring themes in quite a few of them. The UF book that doesn't deal with these sterotypical characters will bring a new day in UF and if crafted right, could make a killing with Hollywood beating down their doors. Not to mention agents fighting to sign them to multiple book deals.

Here are a few of the stereotypes that I would like to die a quiet but certain death:

1. The Bad Bitch

There is a bad bitch in every novel. Her skin color runs the gamut from pecan to honey. Her hair is long, past her shoulders due to her Indian heritage. She is no taller than 5'4" and the baddest bitch on the block. Every girl wants to be her while every dude wants to have sex with her. There simply isn't another girl badder than she is in the game.

2. A Drug Dealer Named Nino

Does this need any explanation?

3. Label Dropping Fools

Everyone wears Prada, Gucci, Fendi, etc. It sounds like a really bad rap lyric. Everyone is fresh to death wearing the latest in fashions from these designers. The label dropping in Urban Fiction is just atrocious and over used.  Boring and no imagination.

4.The N Word

A few of these dropped in an UF book is to be expected but only in dialogue. I was reading a book the other day where the author was using the N word in her exposition!!! Not to sound like a broken record, but if we want people to stop using the word, then we need to stop using this so much in our literature, especially when it's not in the dialogue. The omniscient voice of the narrator should never refer to the characters as N*****s. It's demeaning.

5. No Editing Whatsoever.

Too many Urban Fiction books are written so poorly, they are unreadable. I was recently accused of attacking UF writers and making them look stupid.  I had to think about that for a moment. Was that my ultimate goal? Making UF writers look stupid? Of course not and the thought makes me sad. What really makes me sad is that some of these self published books with poor grammar are a reflection on the educational system in this country.

There is nothing wrong with a gaffe here and there (I know my books have a few) but some books are so unreadable it makes you wonder how the author got through life without the ability to construct a sentence. It's embarrassing. Some authors choose to argue over these reviews instead of taking the constructive criticism and working on their novels to make them better.

My Books Are Available On The NOOK!!!

Have a NOOK?

Go to www.barnesandnoble.com and download.....

Hannah: A Fictional Account of the Youngest Child Executed in US History

Diary of A Sick Chick: A Year in The Life of A Chronically Ill Woman

Sex Therapy

Nowhere and The Teacher's Pet coming in January 2013

Getting Stuck

Ugh....

Writer's block sucks. You have this great outline that details your story from beginning to end and then Bam! You're stuck. What do you do?

With me, it's more self doubt.

This plot isn't plausible. I'm going to lose all credibility with this scene. No one is going to believe this. It's just too out there. My reader is going to throw their Kindle against the wall and then send me the bill for it.

My thing? Continue to write the story. Stopping is Death. Write until the end and then do the rewrite. Find the flaws and pull them apart. Don't stop writing. Don't stop giving up.
 

Dealing With the Aftermath of Sexual Assault

I never intended to write a book about my experiences, but so much in my life has changed. When I was diagnosed with Lupus, I knew that my time on Earth could be limited. I have already had a near death experience that has reminded me that life is precious and should never be wasted.

I had to get my truth out. Being faced with the decision to go back to school and get a degree, I had to face the reason why I vowed to never step into a classroom again.

I was sexually assaulted in school by a teacher.

I was bullied, harassed, intimidated, and rejected. I committed social suicide by coming forward and telling the truth. No one paid the price more than I did for doing so.

The advice that I have for other women?

• Report what happened to you and save all the evidence that you have.
• Go to a hospital so that you can get checked out. 
• Seek counseling right away.
• Understand that if you do come forward with your story, expect that there will be people that will demonize you, get you to recant your story, harass, threaten, or intimidate you. But know that there is an amazing amount of support out there as well. You are not alone and there are many people out there that know what you're going through.
• Staying silent won't help the next potential victim. 
• There will be triggers at times. Sometimes the smallest things will take you back to that place. Seeking help can actually help you to deal with the emotions.
• Ignore the apologists that want you to just "get over it". People fear what they don't understand. Give yourself distance from these people and allow yourself to heal in the time that you need to. No one else can tell you when you've had enough time to grieve.
• There is no particular way that a victim of rape "acts" although you'll hear a lot of opinions. Everyone is different and so you will get many different behaviors. 
• It's not your fault and you didn't deserve what happened to you regardless of the circumstance. If you walked out of your house naked every single day of your life, you are not "asking for it."
• If you have participated in apologist behavior, educate yourself. Ask yourself,"Why do I think this way?" Then educate others.

Sometimes women can be the biggest rape apologists on the planet. Why? Fear. People destroy what they fear. They may try to destroy you. Some women try to justify a rapist's actions because the world is an easier place to live, if they can find fault with you.

She wore that little skirt. She was out jogging late. Why wasn't she walking with someone? She let him do that to her! She was asking for it. She is an attention whore.

If they can blame you, then the world makes sense. It's like saying, "Hey if I do all the right things, then I won't get raped!" If only it were that simple.

When we demonize the victim, we give him the green light to do it again. And again. And again. 

You can get through this. You're not alone. 

Buy Teacher's Pet

Coming soon to Amazon.com

November 2012