What Do People Want? Good Writing or Good Story?

There has been a lot of buzz lately about whether the publishing industry sets the bar on writing too high, and that what people really want is just a good story.

So which is it? Writing or Story?

Do readers only care about easy entertainment? Do they like the familiarity of the same stories told over and over again with only minor plot changes? Is real life so stressful that all we want is to lose ourselves in a simple, predictable form of entertainment?

I have a friend who said she didn't want to read books that challenged her way of thinking. She said she already finished college and didn't want her reading to feel like homework. Is that how everyone feels?

Some people worry that really great works of fiction will be overlooked as more and more readers get caught up in the commercial, no-brainer stories, and then all we'll have left is the slush pile.

Is there still room for good writing and thought provoking works of fiction? Years from now, who will we be quoting?

Is this surge of mediocrity in fiction only a phase brought on by poor economic times? Or is society lowering its standards?

What place does the indy and self-publishing industry hold in all this turmoil?

Which is more important to a work of fiction, good story or good writing?

College Advice

Today's post is on a more personal note.

In a few hours we will be dropping our oldest child off at college. It scares the living daylights out of me. He is going beyond the range of our safety net.

I hate to be cliche, but where did the time go? It really does pass in the blink of an eye.

Blink--kindergarten. Blink again--junior high. Blink--ohmyheck he's driving. And now he's out the door and on his way.

He's a great kid and I know he'll do well, but what can I say? I'm a mother. I worry.

So, as I enter this new phase of parenting, I'm open to advice.

All you parents who have done this before--what are the dos and don'ts? What worked for you? Any mistakes I should avoid?

And all you youngsters out there--what did your parents do that you appreciated? How did they help? How did they not help?

I look forward to lots of useful comments. Please... I'm desperate.

And because I'm old and feeling particularly nostalgic, here's a very sappy but true Joni Mitchell video: Circle Song

Judging a Book by its Cover

We've all heard this saying a million times: You can't judge a book by its cover.

But I really wish you could.

Some of my favorite books in the world have unattractive covers. Granted that's just my opinion and someone else probably loves the covers I hate.

How many times have you recommended a book and added the caveat to ignore the hideous cover.

Cover styles come and go. But lately, there has been a huge surge of nearly identical covers--especially in Young Adult fiction. Just click on this link and check out the covers of the 2012 YA debut novels.

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/11525.2012_Debut_Authors_Young_Adult_Middle_Grade_

Luckily, I think (hope) the random girl in a flowing dress (which usually has NOTHING to do with the story) is going out. Now we're seeing the close-up of a face with a haunted look.

We all know that as authors we have no say (or in some cases very little say) about our covers. Each book is marketed to a specific audience, so if a prom-dress is what's selling, then I guess it makes sense for every book to have one?

What do I prefer? I like covers that set the tone of the story, that give us a hint of what to expect. I like covers that leave the looks of the main characters up to my imagination. The character in my mind never matches the one on the cover.

Here are a few covers that I love because they convey the tone of the book and are visually enticing. 

What covers do you love? What covers do you hate?

If you are already published, what was your experience regarding the cover of your book?

A Rose By Any Other Name

I've always felt like it's important to give my fictional characters meaningful names. Names that say something about the character and give them added depth.

Draco Malfoy, Napoleon Dynamite, Huckleberry Finn, Ebenezer Scrooge, Malvolio. Each of these names evokes something about the character.

But it's not that easy to come up with great names.

Here are a few quick tips I picked up from various places:

1. Make it easy to read. Especially in fantasy and science fiction. Readers don't like stumbling over names as they read a story. A name can be easy to read and still sound exotic, foreign or futuristic.

2. Make the name appropriate to the time period. Use census data or the Social Security Name Popularity List to find names that were common to the time period of your story.

3. Consider the meaning of the words in the name. What does the root of the name mean? What country does it come from? For example compare the name Sunny to Draco; Lucy to Lucia.

4. Consider what the name means to the general public. If you pick the name Brittany readers will immediately think of Brittany Spears. Is that who you want your character associated with?

I have this book called The Baby Name Survey Book that lists hundreds of names and what the general public's first impression is about someone with that name.

Example: My name is Julie, here is what the book says about it: 

Image: The name Julie calls to mind a tall, quiet woman who is pleasant and average. 

And then it lists several famous Julies that people might associate with that name, such as Julie Andrews.

5. Avoid overused and cliche names. Like Jack. How many big strong heroes are named Jack? Unless of course you're going for the cliche.

What are your favorite fictional names? I'd love to hear your examples of best character names.

What are your tips for naming your own characters?

And let me know if you want me to look up your name in my awesome book.

The Proper Care and Receiving of Criticism

As writers, we are constantly putting our writing out there for critique. We have writing groups, beta-readers, we win a critique from someone, we get a rejection letter enumerating all that is wrong with our story. It's a tough business and we need a thick skin.

So let's talk a little about how to receive criticism. Some of it is valuable, some of it--not so much. How do you know what to accept and what to reject?

First of all, consider the source. If an agent or editor tells you the story is too slow or the voice is off, listen. Agent feedback is valuable and almost always spot on.

When it comes to your writing group, some might feel it is their job to point out as many problems as possible. If they have no negative feedback they feel they are failing at their responsibility so they may dwell on the nit-picky. As we say in my group, scraping the bottom of the barrel. Stew on their advice and then go with your gut reaction.

Non-writer feedback can be useful because they tend to look at the story as a whole. But if your writing falls outside of their preferred genre, their feedback could mean nothing.

Second, pay attention to the feedback's level. Criticism that considers the story as a whole is more valuable than the nit-picky. If a reader mentions overall plot issues, says the story didn't hook them, it was confusing, didn't care about the main characters, too much repetition, too slow--those are red flags. Listen up and fix it.

If the feed back is full of nit-picky small stuff then those are the kinds of changes you think about and then go with what you feel is right for your story.

If a reader says your story just really isn't their thing, no problem. Move on. They are not the target audience.

In the end, all criticism is based on personal opinion and should be carefully considered. Most writers and readers that offer feedback are well-meaning and want to help you write the best story you can, so don't get offended or disheartened by negative comments. Listen to them, think about why that person said what they did, and then use those comments to strengthen your writing.

What are your tips for receiving (or giving) criticism?

Coincidentally, Mary Kole wrote an excellent article on agent vs. paid editorial feedback and why agents say the things they do. Check it out.

New Things I Love

Sorry I've been the absent blogger these past few weeks, I've been traveling England and Scotland with my family.

I'm so excited to show off my new prize possessions that I got on our trip.

My new Complete Works of William Shakespeare, purchased from  his birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon. They even stamped an official bookplate into it. 

I've been wanting a complete works for a long time, but I decided to wait and buy it in Stratford. I don't know what took me so long. 

The complete, 100 year anniversary limited edition collection of books by Beatrix Potter. Purchased from her home in the Lake District, Hill Top Farm. I can't even say how much I love these! They are so beautiful.

Now I just need to go back to the UK to pick up the places I didn't have time to visit this time: Bath or Chawton for a complete works of Jane Austen, and Haworth for the Bronte sisters.

Years ago, I bought Wuthering Heights at Haworth, but it's been read so much it finally fell apart.

To read more about the great literary places I visited, see my post at the Utah Children's Writers blog.

What are some things that you love and inspire you?

Bring On Summertime!

Ladies and Gentlemen, bring on summertime!

I love summer. Not because of the nice weather. Anyone who knows me knows I'm a cold weather person. I'll take wind and rain any day. So why do I love summer so much. Here are the reasons!

1. No more HOMEWORK. By the end of the school year I'm sick to death of nagging my kids about homework and grades. Sick. To death.

2. Home is safe. I'm like a mother hen, always wanting my kids gathered safely under my wing. It's getting harder and harder to gather them, especially as my oldest just graduated form high school and my next oldest is 6' 4" and will be a senior. Young adult kids don't like to be under their mother's wings.

3. Sleeping in. I'm NOT a morning person. We get up at 6:15 during the school year. Summer, I'm usually rolling out of the sack around 8:00. (I can hear the collective gasps from all you morning people. Overachievers.)

4. Relaxed schedule. We like to keep thing easy--we're simple folk. Although some might use the word lazy.

5. Vacations. What's up for this summer? England for two weeks. (Can't wait.) And Hebgen Lake Montana for about three weeks. (I've spent every summer of my life at the Hebgen Lake family cabin. It's a little slice of heaven.)

I have other friends that dread summer. How do you feel about it?