Sigh....
Everyday, thousands of books are being published, thanks to the eBook format. You can become an author in a matter of minutes; a feat that would have been wonderful twenty years ago when I was making my start in the world of writing.
I do feel blessed to be living in such a time.
However, a lot of people tell me that they've always wanted to write a book and think that they may have a "high concept" idea that people will just love. While I've heard some good and bad ideas over the years, the one thing I would tell a "would be" author is to READ!
You need to read the BEST literature and then you need to read the worst. There are a lot of people out there **cough my fiance cough** that constantly complain that they don't have time to read when they spend an inordinate amount of time catching up on what other people are doing on Facebook and other social media sites. Reading is an investment in yourself and I can't understand why people would rather care about what Rihanna is eating right now over investing in something that will help them in the long run.
If you want to write, read. It increases your vocabulary as well. Readers like stories that flow. They like words that they have to look up in a dictionary. Words are your tools and should be seen that way. Words are like the different prescription medications that doctors prescribe patients. You should try to perfect your craft all the time. I probably spend more time reading than I do writing.
You should too as a beginner.
Showing posts with label bad writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bad writing. Show all posts
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Friday, August 9, 2013
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!
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!
Friday, December 21, 2012
How Can You Complain About Free? Kindle Freebies Anyone?
It's something I absolutely enjoy doing when I get up in the morning. I check the Amazon free lists of great books for the wonderful price that can't be beat: $0.00.
With the advent of self-publishing, your cat can become an author in probably ten minutes. People all over the world have probably kicked the idea of writing a novel in their heads at one time or another.
Well some of those people just scratched that off their "bucket" list because sites like Amazon and Barnesandnoble.com are turning your next door neighbors into authors.
Now people from all walks of life can share their life experiences and stories with the rest of the world. The problem for some is that the stories that are being shared are not the most "polished" and grammatically correct as they need to be.
Sure there are lots of Grammar Police out there in the world on patrol, noting every missed comma or misspelled word. But there are some books on Amazon that can make you think that English (or whatever language) is not their native tongue because of all the grammar problems.
There was one book that I read about Lupus that had such a long run on sentence that lasted all the way to the second page before a period was placed.
Some of the novels are just plain unreadable and it's a sad state that displays a lack of education around the world.
But what happens when that book is free?
Some books have typos here and there but you are able to get the general point of the story.
I have a problem with downright mean, insulting, and downright personal attacks on authors when they are giving their work away for free. It doesn't matter if a two year old can do better, it was FREE.
Constructive criticism can go a long way but insulting someone's intelligence doesn't. It just makes a hostile world more hostile.
But then again, no one twisted your arm to buy it. You picked it up because it was FREE!!! It's like purchasing a fake Coach handbag for one dollar. It looks just like the real thing and feels like the real thing but then five minutes later when the strap breaks, you're ready to ring someone's neck.
There is absolutely no logic in that. What did you really expect? You had your own set of expectations of this purse that LOOKED like a Coach purse so it should BEHAVE like a Coach purse, even when you didn't pay Coach money. You put very high expectations on something that didn't have much value in the first place and have the gall to be disappointed in how your fake Coach purse performed.
Yes, continue looking through the Freebies on Amazon because there are lots of gems out there that have authors with tremendous talent.
But if you happen to download something which your dog could have written better prose, you have no one to blame but yourself.
With the advent of self-publishing, your cat can become an author in probably ten minutes. People all over the world have probably kicked the idea of writing a novel in their heads at one time or another.
Well some of those people just scratched that off their "bucket" list because sites like Amazon and Barnesandnoble.com are turning your next door neighbors into authors.
Now people from all walks of life can share their life experiences and stories with the rest of the world. The problem for some is that the stories that are being shared are not the most "polished" and grammatically correct as they need to be.
Sure there are lots of Grammar Police out there in the world on patrol, noting every missed comma or misspelled word. But there are some books on Amazon that can make you think that English (or whatever language) is not their native tongue because of all the grammar problems.
There was one book that I read about Lupus that had such a long run on sentence that lasted all the way to the second page before a period was placed.
Some of the novels are just plain unreadable and it's a sad state that displays a lack of education around the world.
But what happens when that book is free?
Some books have typos here and there but you are able to get the general point of the story.
I have a problem with downright mean, insulting, and downright personal attacks on authors when they are giving their work away for free. It doesn't matter if a two year old can do better, it was FREE.
Constructive criticism can go a long way but insulting someone's intelligence doesn't. It just makes a hostile world more hostile.
But then again, no one twisted your arm to buy it. You picked it up because it was FREE!!! It's like purchasing a fake Coach handbag for one dollar. It looks just like the real thing and feels like the real thing but then five minutes later when the strap breaks, you're ready to ring someone's neck.
There is absolutely no logic in that. What did you really expect? You had your own set of expectations of this purse that LOOKED like a Coach purse so it should BEHAVE like a Coach purse, even when you didn't pay Coach money. You put very high expectations on something that didn't have much value in the first place and have the gall to be disappointed in how your fake Coach purse performed.
Yes, continue looking through the Freebies on Amazon because there are lots of gems out there that have authors with tremendous talent.
But if you happen to download something which your dog could have written better prose, you have no one to blame but yourself.
Monday, December 10, 2012
AND THE AUTHOR RESPONDS.....URBAN FICTION CONT.
Browsing through Urban Fiction, I decided to download three books. Of the three, two were unreadable because they were so bad. The grammar and English were that of an eight year old and even I've seen plenty of them do better.
I enjoy many genres and with some of the great covers and interesting storylines, (not to mention many of them are priced at .99, I decided to give this genre a chance since I don't read many authors that write there.
It made me so angry, mostly at the educational system. I don't know these writers at all. But we come from such great writers like Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Richard Wright, is THIS acceptable?
My father was illiterate but he didn't have the oopportunity that we did, growing up as a sharecropper in the early 1930's. Why is illiteracy acceptable today in 2012? Why do we turn a blind eye to authors that write books devoid of English and peddle it on Amazon for profit? Why is this acceptable?
I left my review here....
ME:
I tried to enjoy this book but had to delete it after reading it. I could not understand much of what was going on because of bad English, run on sentences, and no concept of elementary grammar. It was that bad. The author can paint a picture and tell a story well if they just understood the rules of grammar. Too bad, because the story had great potential.
I tried to enjoy this book but had to delete it after reading it. I could not understand much of what was going on because of bad English, run on sentences, and no concept of elementary grammar. It was that bad. The author can paint a picture and tell a story well if they just understood the rules of grammar. Too bad, because the story had great potential.
This is where she responded and it got ugly.
First she responded to a review I made on someone else who agreed with me.
no you need to get some glasses or maybe stay out of urban fiction all
together its sad how people are so judgmental when they haven't got a
clue . I do think editing is a must with anyone's novels but to be so
sadistic and leave a nasty review for anyone it just shows where your
mind is . I have seen all your reviews and you seem to be a bitter
person maybe you should stop reading all together. ---AUTHOR NAME DELETED
Then she responded to my review below in the comments section.....
Initial post:
Dec 9, 2012 10:35:33 PM PST
AUTHOR NAME DELETED
says:
of course you have an opinion like money so you are able to use the
both but as for your comment I find them to be down right stupid and
very untrue. you need to maybe try getting a class in reading 101 sad
and down right horrible
SONYA says:
Instead of taking the constructive criticism ( I take you to be the
author, no?) and making the book better, you decide to resort to name
calling. I can hardly understand your reply because it's NOT in English.
If you're going to be serious about your craft, you need to perfect
your English. It's like someone who wants to be a Doctor but they have
the slightest clue of Anatomy. It just can't be done.
Even your author's bio is riddled with errors! That should have NO errors PERIOD! It tells the audience to expect the same in your books. Readers are persnickety when it comes to grammar and English. You, as a writer, should know that.
Learn to be humble and listen to the criticism of potential fans if you would like to go far in this business. Otherwise, you're wasting your time. Read other great African-American writers in different genres and learn from them. Study English and pick up "The Elements of Style" by William Stunk and see how to really craft a story.
This is not an insult, but your material is unreadable. I'm sorry. Reading and studying is the only way to get better as a writer.
And I find it downright insulting for you to tell me to get a reading class when you can benefit from a writing class. No matter how mad a reviewer makes you, never attack your audience. I learned the hard way that this looks very bad on the author. It's upsetting to get a bad review, but even Stephen King will tell you (as he's said in a few interviews) you get mad, you scream, don't respond, and keep writing.
Keep writing dear. It will get better.
Peace
PS. I can help you edit your Author's Bio to get rid of the errors so that will be cleaned up. I'm from the "Chi" as well.
Even your author's bio is riddled with errors! That should have NO errors PERIOD! It tells the audience to expect the same in your books. Readers are persnickety when it comes to grammar and English. You, as a writer, should know that.
Learn to be humble and listen to the criticism of potential fans if you would like to go far in this business. Otherwise, you're wasting your time. Read other great African-American writers in different genres and learn from them. Study English and pick up "The Elements of Style" by William Stunk and see how to really craft a story.
This is not an insult, but your material is unreadable. I'm sorry. Reading and studying is the only way to get better as a writer.
And I find it downright insulting for you to tell me to get a reading class when you can benefit from a writing class. No matter how mad a reviewer makes you, never attack your audience. I learned the hard way that this looks very bad on the author. It's upsetting to get a bad review, but even Stephen King will tell you (as he's said in a few interviews) you get mad, you scream, don't respond, and keep writing.
Keep writing dear. It will get better.
Peace
PS. I can help you edit your Author's Bio to get rid of the errors so that will be cleaned up. I'm from the "Chi" as well.
Hopefully our discourse will end here. Hopefully she will do some reading of her own and get better as a writer. I'm not on a mission to help everyone learn English, but it's disappointing.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
J.K. Rowling and Writing
It's happened. The most popular writer on the planet famous for the Harry Potter series has come out with a novel very different from her usual work.
The Casual Vacancy is causing a media storm that is not going to let up soon. A million copies have been sold at the time of this blog post and it hasn't hit the stores thanks to pre-orders.
Because of Mrs. Rowling's celebrity, many people are waiting to see if she, who's famous for witches and wizards, can write a novel geared towards adults.
The haters (and I hate that word) have their fangs showing and they're ready to tear her novel to pieces if she can't stand up to the critics. Surely any work should stand on its own merit but there will be those that are already naysayers and the book isn't even available in the stores yet.
I've already heard from several other writers that they don't believe that a writer has the ability to switch genres like Mrs. Rowling has braved to do.
To them I say it is pure utter nonsense. Most agents and publishers admonish writers, telling them to write what you know and then stick to it!
It is utter nonsense that it's impossible to switch genres for good storytellers. I use the word storyteller because I believe the two are very separate. It's one thing to use proper English and grammar, delivering four hundred pages to an editor ready to publish.
Storytelling goes back to ancient times. It's the oldest form of entertainment. Thousands of years ago, our ancestors sat around a fairly new invention to keep themselves warm as the storytellers would make up stories to explain their way of life. You can teach someone to write. You can show them the rules of grammar. You can show them how to create the perfect sentence.
But you can't teach someone how to tell the perfect story.
I've always envied songwriters as well for they tell stories in a shorter version. I've always dreamed of becoming a writer when I was a young girl and that's where I am today.
Real storytellers can tell a story in any genre and keep an audience mesmerized. If Mrs. Rowling was able to do that with Harry Potter and keep a couple of billion children entertained, I'm sure she won't let the adult fans of her work down.
The Casual Vacancy is causing a media storm that is not going to let up soon. A million copies have been sold at the time of this blog post and it hasn't hit the stores thanks to pre-orders.
Because of Mrs. Rowling's celebrity, many people are waiting to see if she, who's famous for witches and wizards, can write a novel geared towards adults.
The haters (and I hate that word) have their fangs showing and they're ready to tear her novel to pieces if she can't stand up to the critics. Surely any work should stand on its own merit but there will be those that are already naysayers and the book isn't even available in the stores yet.
I've already heard from several other writers that they don't believe that a writer has the ability to switch genres like Mrs. Rowling has braved to do.
To them I say it is pure utter nonsense. Most agents and publishers admonish writers, telling them to write what you know and then stick to it!
It is utter nonsense that it's impossible to switch genres for good storytellers. I use the word storyteller because I believe the two are very separate. It's one thing to use proper English and grammar, delivering four hundred pages to an editor ready to publish.
Storytelling goes back to ancient times. It's the oldest form of entertainment. Thousands of years ago, our ancestors sat around a fairly new invention to keep themselves warm as the storytellers would make up stories to explain their way of life. You can teach someone to write. You can show them the rules of grammar. You can show them how to create the perfect sentence.
But you can't teach someone how to tell the perfect story.
I've always envied songwriters as well for they tell stories in a shorter version. I've always dreamed of becoming a writer when I was a young girl and that's where I am today.
Real storytellers can tell a story in any genre and keep an audience mesmerized. If Mrs. Rowling was able to do that with Harry Potter and keep a couple of billion children entertained, I'm sure she won't let the adult fans of her work down.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
My Birthday Gift To You!
Thank you so much for your support!
Friday, August 3, 2012
Bad Writing When You're Not A Writer
You want to know the wonderful thing about self publishing?
Non-writers can now be writers! First, let me clarify.
I was browsing on the Kindle store for books that I might have been interested in when I came across a book written by an undertaker. One review that was posted gave the book one star for bad writing.
She pretty much answered her own question with this one. Not everyone can be a writer, but does that mean that we silence the voices of those who aren't? I've read books from people of all walks of life. Sometimes, it's not about brilliant writing, flowing prose, and a gigantic vocabulary.
It's about the life experience that they are sharing. Reading about other people's life experiences can make your own very rich. Could some people benefit from an editor or even another writer to help the? Sure they could. But many people aren't really concerned about a few typos or a comma splice here and there.
I feel as if my life has truly been enriched by reading the stories of cancer patients, the Amish, Loyalists in the American Revolution, slaves in the Civil War, paramedics, doctors, lawyers, police officers, fireman, people with Lupus, serial killers, dentists, stockbrokers, people sold into sexual slavery, drug addicts, white supremacists, black supremacists, prisoners on Death Row, celebrities, etc.
Some of these stories were full of errors, but I didn't let that stop me from receiving the message. What we don't understand, we fear. What we fear, we destroy. Learning about other lives will make yours much richer.
Non-writers can now be writers! First, let me clarify.
I was browsing on the Kindle store for books that I might have been interested in when I came across a book written by an undertaker. One review that was posted gave the book one star for bad writing.
The authors tried to make an entertaining compilation of stories covering the entire mortuary process (removal through funeral), but the stories are rather dull and filled with impertinent information (e.g., long background histories of some of the writers, and extraneous details regarding the setting or unimportant background characters). I can only assume it is because the people who wrote them are not writers, they are undertakers....
She pretty much answered her own question with this one. Not everyone can be a writer, but does that mean that we silence the voices of those who aren't? I've read books from people of all walks of life. Sometimes, it's not about brilliant writing, flowing prose, and a gigantic vocabulary.
It's about the life experience that they are sharing. Reading about other people's life experiences can make your own very rich. Could some people benefit from an editor or even another writer to help the? Sure they could. But many people aren't really concerned about a few typos or a comma splice here and there.
I feel as if my life has truly been enriched by reading the stories of cancer patients, the Amish, Loyalists in the American Revolution, slaves in the Civil War, paramedics, doctors, lawyers, police officers, fireman, people with Lupus, serial killers, dentists, stockbrokers, people sold into sexual slavery, drug addicts, white supremacists, black supremacists, prisoners on Death Row, celebrities, etc.
Some of these stories were full of errors, but I didn't let that stop me from receiving the message. What we don't understand, we fear. What we fear, we destroy. Learning about other lives will make yours much richer.
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