My 13 day work week

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I've been working six days a week, ten hours a day on most days. This week I had to work Sunday. That made a 13 day work week. I'm tired. Because of that there has been no time for reading excerpts in the ABNA contest, or writing reviews. I also haven't been keeping up too well on my blogs or anything else online.

I can't complain. With the economy tanking, unemployment going to double digits, I'm damn lucky. At my work we have plenty going on, left over from better times. It will slow down. We are just a few months behind the curve. Because of that we're reluctant to add more people. That would just make the layoffs bigger when they come. So we are making do with the people we have, and working more hours.

Maybe that's not the best thing for the economy – a lot of other companies are no doubt doing the same – but it is best for our company and the people who have been here though good and bad times. This isn't our first economic downturn. There have been times when we worked short weeks to keep from laying people off. Those times may come again. It all evens out.

For a lot of younger people this is their first taste of hard times. For us older folks it's not the first, or the hardest. The '70s and early '80s were worse, higher unemployment and inflation eating away at paychecks. Our grandparents lived through the depression – we are not even close. We've been spoiled by a booming economy, and low interest rates, things seem worse than they are.

The American economy is 99% smoke and mirrors. Perception is everything. If people think we are doing well they spend money and the economy booms. If they get worried they don't spend and the economy sags. We are our own best consumers. We fuel the economy. Our recent banking crisis, caused by greed and mismanagement, has made people worry and close their pocket books. The economy stalled.

The economy will rebound. I'm not sure if we've seen the bottom of the dip yet, but we'll hit it and zoom back up the other side. The bullish spirit will come back, people will start buying homes, and cars, and refrigerators – then jobs will return to make those things.

In the mean time, visit your local bookstore and buy a book. It's the cheapest form of entertainment. For the price of a DVD movie you get hours, even days, of enjoyment reading. You'll be helping to keep your local bookstore in business, and the people who work there employed. You will also help support the publishing industry, a huge employer, and the struggling writers who pour their hearts onto paper. Who knows, you could help turn this economy around, just by buying books.

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Another 5 Star Review in the ABNA Contest

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I continue reading the top 500 ABNA excerpts. I have found some wonderful gems. The quality level in this competition is very high. I haven't read anything yet that could not do well in bookstores.

I found another 5 star excerpt. This is a beautifully written piece by Douglas McCambridge entitled The Two Patricias. My review follows...

“We are greeted from the onset with an expertly painted scene of tragedy. I didn't want to experience the terrible accident, but the narrative was so compelling I could see every brutal second in my mind. My emotions were instantly seized by the author and remained in his masterful hands throughout.
The interaction between the characters is very natural and brings the reader intimately into this circle of friends. I felt at home in Dwight's apartment, at the party, enjoying the banter between Patricia and Madoc in the kitchen. Very true to life and comfortable.
Then we return again to Patricia lost, and Madoc in morning, and once more my heart aches for him. His love for her is contagious and we miss her too.
Very well written. I'll want to read this when it's published. This could be a best seller when it comes out. Masterful!”

This is a very good read, but be warned. The opening scene is an intensely detailed description of Patricia's death. It is beautifully done, however, as is the rest of the excerpt. The author is masterful at grabbing the reader's emotions and taking them on a roller-coaster ride. I loved it.

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Eating crow and loving it

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In my ill timed diatribe yesterday I explained my reasoning behind my rating system for ABNA excerpt reviews. I stand behind the logic. I also said there would, most likely, be no 5 star ratings from me. I underestimated the talent of my fellow writers.

Last night I had delicious crow for dinner. I read the excerpt for Greyhound, by Steffan Piper. My socks were sufficiently blown off – I rated it a 5. As I said in the review, the narrative was flawless. I read it twice and found nothing I would change, not even a misplaced comma.

The protagonist, and first person narrator, grabbed me by the heart and never let go. He's an abused and neglected child being sent off on a three day bus trip by his self absorbed mother – I want to smack her – and her boyfriend of the moment, Dick – he needs his ass kicked. Could the irony of the name be any more beautiful?

The voice, the characters, the richly built scenes, all come together perfectly. If Steffan can keep that up through the entire manuscript we could very well be reading the next Huckleberry Finn. I couldn't give Greyhound any less than a five star rating.

Now I'm not just gushing for my friend Steffan. I don't know this cat from Adam. We met on the ABNA boards, like many of us have, and I friend listed him at ABNA and Facebook. This is the first thing I have read of his except posts on the message boards, but I want to read more.

In other news – I have read five excerpts so far and all have been top notch. With this level of craft in the top 500, I don't feel too bad only making the top 2000. I hope to get quite a few read this weekend. If I'm not blogging or hanging around online it's because I'm reading.

Stay tuned, there may be more 5 star excerpts out there. In the meantime read Greyhound by Steffan Piper. It is well worth your time.

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How I rate ABNA entries: a personal view

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So much to read, so little time

The 500 excerpts were posted in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards. Anyone can down-load the excerpts and review them. The feedback will effect the judges' decisions as they cut the field down to three finalists.

I'm trying to read and review as many as possible over the next few weeks. I am, of course, giving priority to those on my blog, my Amazon friend list, and my Facebook friends. If you're still in the running, post your link and I will add it to my reading list. I can't read all 500, but I'll do what I can.

Last night I read my first two. One was a YA fantasy of magical Female pirates and fourteen-year-old girls. Not my usual fare, but it was very well written. I was captivated and would love to read more. The other was a biblical story, set in the time of the Gospels. It's written from the POV of a Biblical heroine, who – we are told – wrote the first Gospel account. Very interesting, and one I will certainly buy when it is published.

I gave good reviews to both and rated them 4 stars (out of five) You should not expect 5 stars from me unless something really knocks me out of my socks. Four will most likely be the highest rank I will give to an excerpt, but one may surprise me. It would need to be completely flawless, and have me begging the author for the full manuscript.

The two I mentioned above were both top quality, well written, and I think very marketable. I hope they are both published, either through this contest or by another publisher. Both could conceivably become best sellers, but I would not give a five to most best sellers I've read.

I hope no one is offended by my rather conservative rating standards, but IMHO a 5 star should be reserved for a truly monumental work – Tolkien, Twain, Poe, and other greats. I may very well see the next great novel in the ABNA excerpts and if I do, it will get 5 stars. If you get four stars from me, read the review – I really liked your work.

To me a one star excerpt shouldn't be in the competition. I will trash it. Sorry. A two star needs a lot of work to be publishable. A three is average, and could do well on the bookshelves, but not a winner. Four star excerpts are the ones to watch, they could be best sellers and/or win the competition. A five is out of the league of normal writers, a classic that our grandchildren will read.

I hope that clears up my personal rating system. I know, I have rambled on for almost 500 words now. Go to http://amazon.com/abna and read a few for yourself. When you are done

make sure to rate and review each entry. Make your voice heard, and may the best novel win :)

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ABNA Top 500 Announcement

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Amazon announced the top 500 manuscripts in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards last night. It was a tense day. Many of the writers spent the whole day glued to their monitors – on the Amazon message boards, on CreateSpace, and for many Facebook became a good place to congregate.

As 5:00pm approached on the west coast, excitement was high and nerves were frayed. It was assumed that Amazon would make the announcement before close of business in the west. As 6:00pm approached, patience was reaching its breaking point. The humorous threads of “I got an email...” and the like, were loosing their mirth. There began to be panic stricken pleas of despair, angry words of impatience, and grim acceptance of fate.

I joined in early, I was home sick from work. The message board at Amazon reminded me of so many MMO boards right before Beta invites go out or while waiting for the servers to come up on opening day of a new game. Everyone handles the wait differently. I have been there so many times – waiting – that I was amused by it all, though no less stressed and angst ridden than the rest. For most of us, this was our chance at that big break. Our future as writers hung in the balance. This was not some online game.

One of the threads put up was a stay-in-touch type thread. Many of the writers were on Facebook, others posted their email or website addresses. I'm new to Facebook, and my friend list grew tenfold last night. I also found there was an ABNA Contestants group there as well.

During the day several of the Vine reviewers, who had reviewed our excerpts, came by the message board to offer encouragement. They couldn't give any specifics on what they had read, but they did say the quality level was generally very high. They also squashed some rumors about certain genres or styles being dismissed out-of-hand. That eased a lot of minds. It seemed, from what they told us, we had all received a fair and very thoughtful review of our work.

By 8:00pm on the west coast, 11pm my time, people were losing hope. It did say in the official rules “on or about March 16”, and some began to speculate it would be morning before the announcement came. Many, like myself, were on the east coast and it was getting late. I took a shower around 9:30pm local time, then scanned the message board, checked my email and my CreateSpace account, and hung out on Facebook until 11pm. Then I said goodnight and good luck to everyone.

I checked my email this morning and the notice had come. I made the top 2000, so my excerpt was reviewed, but I did not make the top 500. The contest is over for me. At least that tells me my Pitch was good, and the reviews from the Vine reviewers will help me polish my manuscript a little more.

I will stay around until the end – reporting on the contest and supporting my new friends as they move forward. I plan to read as many of the 500 excerpts as I can and review them. I may even post links to some of my favorites here. Then, of course, there will be the voting once Penguin picks the top three.

Congratulations and good luck the this year's ABNA Top 500. I can't wait to read your excerpts and learn from the best. You guys rock :)

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Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards: Quarter-Final Round

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On March 16, 2009 (Monday) Amazon.com will post the excerpts presented by the 500 writers who made the quarter-final round. There were approximately 10,000 entries in ABNA this year, so it is a huge achievement to make this cut. It was decided based on the writers' pitches of their novels and the strength of their excerpt.

Between March 16 and April 14 Excerpts and associated reviews will be posted at http://www.amazon.com/abna where Amazon customers can download the excerpts and write their own reviews. (Information on submitting reviews on Amazon.com can be found at http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/guidelines.html

On April 15, 2009 Penguin will select 100 semi-finalists based on those reviews, among other things. Between now and April we all need your help. Get in there and read those excerpts, rate them, comment, make your voice heard, and support your favorites. Obviously I hope you read mine and give me a excellent review, but read as many as you can.

There will be 500 excerpts from the best of the 10,000 writers who entered. This will be some great writing. You may be reading the first chapter(s) of the next Best Selling Novel. This has been compared to the American Idol of writing because you, dear reader, not only get to review and critique the top writers – on May 15, 2009 you will get to vote on the winner. More on that later.

For now, get ready for some great reading over the next few weeks. Visit Amazon.com, sign up as a customer or log in if you are already a customer, review the guidelines, and get ready to read some great fiction. I'll post a link to my excerpt as soon as I have it. You can also friend me on Amazon.com through your customer profile.

Http://www.amazon.com/abna

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards : first cut

One week to go before Amazon announces the 500 quarter-finalists in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards (ABNA). The slush pile of entries (up to 10,000) have been waded through, their pitches read and judged, and the field of 500 should be taking shape. Unfortunately all of this is happening behind closed doors, at ABNA secret headquarters.

Well, maybe it's not a secret headquarters, but the whole process is very hush-hush. For a contest that is set up to publicize Amazon.com, CreateSpace, and Penguin Books, there is scant publicity. I doubt many, outside the 10.000 writers who entered, even know the contest exists. There is no great hype being generated around the contest, no fanfare, not even sexy booth girls.

Amazon seems content to advertise to the contestants themselves, pushing their CreateSpace self-publishing service. There seems to be no real add campaign. I discovered the contest myself quite by accident. I have two books on Amazon's Kindle Reader. I was looking at sales and noticed the contest and the CreateSpace ads. At first I thought the prize was a self-publishing package through CreateSpace.

I am sure there will be more “buzz” once the excerpts are posted and people can comment on their favorites, but that will also be contained mostly within the walls of Amazon.com. The tension will build until members vote for the three finalists, but still all Amazon.com frequent shoppers. There seems to be no desire to push this contest beyond the Amazon.com community.

It will be pushed, by the contestants themselves, onto social networks from FaceBook to MySpace, Blogger to LiveJournal. Maybe that is the payoff for Amazon.com, a ton of free ads as contestants try to get everyone they can to visit Amazon and comment / vote. Some will no doubt shop while they are there, and of course all will have to sign up – building the member base.

Amazon's publishing tools and services, from POD to Kindle, are targeted at frustrated writers trying to get published – so this contest has already generated 10,000 potential customers, and garnered 500 potential salesmen. The writers themselves will drag in countless readers, and potential buyers. In its way it is a brilliant marketing ploy.

ABNA is not American Idol, selling Ford cars and Coke-Cola. It is Amazon selling Amazon – drawing targeted traffic to their web site. Book Surge, Kindle, CreateSpace, Amazon Books, all benefit from ABNA. The writers themselves benefit from the potential readers, agents, and publishers, who will be drawn to the contest – not to mention networking with their fellow writers.

It's a win-win situation. As writers we might want more media attention – bright lights, red carpets – but as a literary event this is actually very well designed. Our bread and butter are agents, publishers, and most of all readers – not the guy who wants a six-pack and a Ford truck.

edited 3/14/09 - I changed semi-final to quarter final. I had my finals mixed up 0_o

Contraception and STDs in Erotica

I'm a member of an Erotic Romance crit group over at AQ Connect. One of the subjects that came up recently was “safe sex” in erotica, or romance in general. I'm not a big reader of erotica, and what I write is more romantic than most of what is considered “erotic”, but in what I have read “safe sex” wasn't a theme.

The argument has been made that, in our modern times, it should be represented in erotic literature. Both as a reality of modern life, and as a public service, we as authors should embrace “safe sex” in our writing. It's a valid point. We often strive for realism, even while maintaining the fantasy, and issues of STDs and unwanted pregnancy are relevant to our times.

The raw mechanics of procreation can be very clumsy and even comical from a purely physical POV. It is a challenge to describe the sex act in a literary, and erotic, context that draws the reader into the complex emotions that are the true depth of our sexuality. Add to those difficulties the need to apply safe sex concepts and the scene can become anything but erotic.

In my opinion the more classical examples followed by most writers are simply rendered unworkable when we throw safe sex into the mix. The sex scene must be approached, then, in a completely new way. Safe sex must be an overriding principle around which the scene unfolds. You can't just add it to your old sex scene.

It can be erotic, however, and I think it can add new spice to cliché scenes and overused verbiage. A sex scene incorporating ideas of safe sex and contraception has a new dynamic, a new flow, from more classical scenes we are used to. That will make them fresh and relevant – always a good thing in any writing.

Online Communities: Flame Wars

I've been online since the mid 90's – hanging out in chat rooms, message boards, forums. The dynamics of group interactions are intriguing, for someone who loves to watch people. Much of the psychology is universal among divergent communities, whether they are sports teams, church groups, online communities, or any group of people. Whenever you put a group of people together, they act – and react – in predictable ways.

Online communities have certain dynamics all their own. In an online group there are varying levels of interaction. There are people who know each other off line, from other communities, or, perhaps, not at all. One of the most powerful dynamics in any group is familiarity and trust. The two go hand-in-hand.

In any group situation many different personalities and styles must interact. We find it easier to interact when we have some knowledge and expectations of others - familiarity and trust. In RL (real life, or face-to-face) we have a myriad of non-verbal clues to help us process someone's meanings, beyond the words they say. We learn a lot about their personality, their attitudes, their true feelings, not as much from what they say, but how they say it. This gives us the familiarity and trust we need to be comfortable.

In an online chat, forum, or message board – even in emails – we are stripped of some of our social tools. We see only words, possibly out of context. We make assumptions and judgments on very little information. We see a post and we think we understand the poster's point-of-view and motivations. Sometimes we are wrong.

As I said earlier, there are different levels of interactions - connections. This complicates things even more. If two people are posting derogatory remarks back and forth you could assume they don't like each other. Yet they may be the best of friends, and their banter playful. You can't see the smile and wink, they assume it because they have developed familiarity and trust.

Now let's say you weigh in on one side of the debate and the person from the apposing view slams you... Now you are angry. But perhaps that person thought you were joining the playful banter and included you. Suppose you flame back and the other person is hurt by your comments. Now it's no longer playful. Like mom always said, “it's only fun until someone gets hurt.”

There are myriad situations where the lack of non-verbal clues, and simple misunderstandings, can erupt into flame wars. At this point the two friends we were talking about are going to stick together and double team the interloper. His friends will come to his aid, and that brings out the classic “us v/s them” dynamic. Now we have schism in the community and attacks occur simply because someone is in the other camp.

When someone is caught up in the “us v/s them” mentality it skews everything. They think they “know” the other people's meanings and motivations all too well – they have lost any chance at genuine familiarity and trust. Stripped of any non-verbal clues - every post “they” make, every word – takes on hateful and hurtful meanings.

As human beings much of our understanding of communication requires a level of presupposition. We look at things in an assumed context to find meaning. If our presupposition is “that person is a friend” we assume lighthearted banter. If our presupposition is “that person is an enemy” we assume a attack. The words can be the same, they are irrelevant.

Flame wars are often hard to put out. Those who feel hurt and abused lash out, hurting and abusing others. No one wants to “give in” and just let it die. Even if they do, the presuppositions remains and any post by “them” can reignite the fire. Often the flame war ends in massive use of the “ignore” function and a split in the community.

Healing can only come when both sides strip away the presuppositions and start fresh. One must assume that everyone is inherently “a nice person” and forget the “us” and “them” attitude. This is rare indeed. Often the best we can hope for is coexistence.