I read an article on Publishers Weekly (they are amazing!) about a Norwegian woman who had had her Amazon account closed and her entire Kindle library wiped by Amazon.
Having read a different article not long before about companies like Amazon being able to know what book you have purchased on your e-readers, I was shocked.* Though it is obvious that they would know what you have purchased, I still feel uncomfortable by the idea that they know how long it takes me to read one page, what page I stop at, what sentences I have highlighted, etc. but I digress.
I do not know if the user did anything wrong with her account or Kindle. It is my understanding that she doesn't know either.
The issue for a lot of people I mentioned this to was whether or not Amazon were within their rights to do this irrespective of whether or not the user had done something wrong. The short answer is yes. This is because, and this is very clearly outlined in the article by Eileen Brown, when we all buy books on our devices, we do not actually own them.
Sticking with Amazon just to simplify all of this, they clearly state in their Terms and Conditions that all of the content making up the e-book still belongs to them under copyright laws.
What does this mean then? Well, essentially, it means that we are all paying for the privilege to be able to read the e-book version of a book instead of physically owning a printed copy of it. Put simply, we e-reader owners are renters.
Though I was initially annoyed (it doesn't take much. I have a love-hate relationship with my Kindle, it's mostly love, but still gets on my nerves at times) I realised that this is the only way that publishers can protect themselves and their author's works.
The Digital Rights Management (DRM) protects the book from being illegally distributed to those who want the fun of reading their favourite books without paying. I understand that to fight against piracy, this rule needs to be in place. It is irritating considering there are already plenty of books, especially on Kindle, that are available for FREE anyway!
We must remember that e-books and readers are still only young, mere toddlers in the literary world, so a little patience will make the whole experience better.
In any case, if, unlike me, you are not a poor graduate, you could always splash out and buy a physical copy of a book if owning it is important to you. If it's important enough for you to want to own it then why not? Before e-readers, unless you borrow from the library, we all paid for printed books anyway.
The fact that Amazon could wipe my own Kindle is a little disconcerting but here is the biggest lesson I learned from this article, that if I just keep my nose clean with them that my books will stay on my device with no problem. Indeed, this is a lesson we must all learn when it comes to e-readers and e-books.
It's a bit like dealing with a very strict parent. Be good and they won't take your toy away from you. Cross them and, well, don't be surprised if they punish you for it!
So, fellow e-reader users, be good and don't begrudge publishers and authors for wanting to protect their work. After all, without this protection, we avid readers wouldn't be able to enjoy them so quickly with just 'one-click'.
*This wasn't the article I originally read on this but it is much more informative than the other.
11/26/2012
My NaNoWriMo - Week 1
The first week of my NaNoWriMo experience was a little bit out of character for me. Although it is a very popular event, I had never heard of it before this year when it seemed the universe was trying to tell me something.
This is where social media really helped me. I had seen #NaNoWriMo trending on Twitter on October 31st and again on November 1st. But it was not until one of my favourite Fantasy authors, Kelley Armstrong, tweeted about her NaNo experience on the 3rd that I actually looked into what it was.
You don't need to berate me for my ignorance in all of this, I assure you, I have already done it myself because once I found out just what it was, I realised I had been missing out on something very special.
Thinking I had missed the opportunity to take part, I promised myself that I would do it next year. But one of my dearest friends, Tas, after hearing about it also, sent me a message and urged me to do it. The fact that she was pushing me to do it caused me to finally create an account on the NaNoWriMo website. I knew that I was now 3 days behind everyone else and I was feeling very weary about doing it. Truth be told, I wanted to stick to the novel I was already 5 weeks into writing and the thought of leaving it to catch up on writing a novel I had yet to form in my head was more than I thought I could handle having just completed a long year of constant writing.
But then something strange happened. A plot for a Crime/Thriller novel, of all things, popped into my head and I quickly wrote an extract and synopsis. (I know I already covered this in my introduction to my NaNo series but just go with me on this).
The first week went suspiciously well. I met up with another very close friend, Zahrah, whose eyes lit up like Christmas lights when I told her that I was taking part in NaNoWriMo. She, along with my sister, has always loved to read my writing (in fact, only last week she was asking me if I had any short pieces to send her to read because she missed reading my stuff). That gave me a boost of confidence and now, with two friends and my sister cheering me on, I decided to give this NaNo project a really big effort. What is wonderful is that one of the tips on the website for continuing with NaNo through to the end of the month is to tell close friends and family that you are taking part. That way, when you feel like giving up, you remember that you might well be asked about how it is all going. It's amazing how saving face can be a real motivator on the days you feel like giving up!
I like to call myself a realist (my mum and sister both call me a cynic. Hardly surprising I disagree then) so when I spent my first week hammering out the plot of the novel and writing to catch up with the prescribed word count, I found myself waiting for the other shoe to drop. I began thinking to myself that there was absolutely no way that, having hardly read any Crime novels, I could suddenly write one in a month.
I admit, it was a little bare. There were no intricately woven storylines, no red-herrings, no suspense. But, considering I had started four days behind, the basic plot was there and I knew what was going to happen from start to finish. I figured the rest would come the more I wrote. I had total faith that I could do it. After all, I had just completed a dissertation for my Masters. A project that, in the beginning, was just a series of disjointed ideas that I thought I had no hope whatsoever of ever turning into a coherent research paper that I could be proud of. But I did so I went with it.
The rest will follow, I thought.
Oh, how terribly wrong I was!
Expected NaNoWord Count at end of week 1: 11666
My Word Count: 4195
This is where social media really helped me. I had seen #NaNoWriMo trending on Twitter on October 31st and again on November 1st. But it was not until one of my favourite Fantasy authors, Kelley Armstrong, tweeted about her NaNo experience on the 3rd that I actually looked into what it was.
You don't need to berate me for my ignorance in all of this, I assure you, I have already done it myself because once I found out just what it was, I realised I had been missing out on something very special.
Thinking I had missed the opportunity to take part, I promised myself that I would do it next year. But one of my dearest friends, Tas, after hearing about it also, sent me a message and urged me to do it. The fact that she was pushing me to do it caused me to finally create an account on the NaNoWriMo website. I knew that I was now 3 days behind everyone else and I was feeling very weary about doing it. Truth be told, I wanted to stick to the novel I was already 5 weeks into writing and the thought of leaving it to catch up on writing a novel I had yet to form in my head was more than I thought I could handle having just completed a long year of constant writing.
But then something strange happened. A plot for a Crime/Thriller novel, of all things, popped into my head and I quickly wrote an extract and synopsis. (I know I already covered this in my introduction to my NaNo series but just go with me on this).
The first week went suspiciously well. I met up with another very close friend, Zahrah, whose eyes lit up like Christmas lights when I told her that I was taking part in NaNoWriMo. She, along with my sister, has always loved to read my writing (in fact, only last week she was asking me if I had any short pieces to send her to read because she missed reading my stuff). That gave me a boost of confidence and now, with two friends and my sister cheering me on, I decided to give this NaNo project a really big effort. What is wonderful is that one of the tips on the website for continuing with NaNo through to the end of the month is to tell close friends and family that you are taking part. That way, when you feel like giving up, you remember that you might well be asked about how it is all going. It's amazing how saving face can be a real motivator on the days you feel like giving up!
I like to call myself a realist (my mum and sister both call me a cynic. Hardly surprising I disagree then) so when I spent my first week hammering out the plot of the novel and writing to catch up with the prescribed word count, I found myself waiting for the other shoe to drop. I began thinking to myself that there was absolutely no way that, having hardly read any Crime novels, I could suddenly write one in a month.
I admit, it was a little bare. There were no intricately woven storylines, no red-herrings, no suspense. But, considering I had started four days behind, the basic plot was there and I knew what was going to happen from start to finish. I figured the rest would come the more I wrote. I had total faith that I could do it. After all, I had just completed a dissertation for my Masters. A project that, in the beginning, was just a series of disjointed ideas that I thought I had no hope whatsoever of ever turning into a coherent research paper that I could be proud of. But I did so I went with it.
The rest will follow, I thought.
Oh, how terribly wrong I was!
Expected NaNoWord Count at end of week 1: 11666
My Word Count: 4195
11/20/2012
Self Publishing Summit 2012 - Is Self Publishing Really the Enemy?
So here is the thing about getting published these days. It is notoriously difficult to become a published author regardless of what genre you write. Not only that but it is even harder to actually become a successful enough one that you can make a living out of it.
There are, of course, so many people who love writing so much they dream of becoming the next J.K. Rowling or, dare I say it, E.L. James. (I shudder to think there could be another one!)
What the problem with traditional publishing is for (budding) writers such as myself is how hard it is to get noticed by a publishing house. It seems like there are so many nameless, faceless people behind the grand name of a publishing house that are so far out of our reach that the task of getting their attention seems to be an impossible one. Such is the volume of intake they get that most of them never take unsolicited manuscripts. Instead, they advise that the best possible way to a book deal is through getting a literary agent.
With companies such as Amazon coming in fast and heavy giving writers the opportunity to self-publish their work in recent times, the end of goal of getting work published has suddenly become that much easier. Now, with the ever growing e-book market and the opportunity given to writers to self-publish their books, it seems publishers are looking to demystify their reputation for making it difficult for writers to get published.
So here, then, comes the Self Publishing Summit 2012. Held at Kings College London, the event is supposed to gather publishers, literary agents, writers, etc. to discuss the traditional publishing, self publishing, marketing, sales, etc. Basically, all of the things that go into making a book from its conception by the author to the book on the shelf that the public go out to buy.
It sounds similar to the Penguin Open Day I attended back in 2010.
Great! Except not great.
Visiting the website, the short summary of the event seems to want to tackle the problem publishing houses are having of the increasing number of authors who are opting to self-publish. Indeed, the second paragraph explains that publishing in the 21st century is more about the business of publishing rather than art. (I wish I were going to the event just so I could see whether or not that is the overall message behind this event).
Whilst I applaud the honesty of this, I do find that the whole idea behind this summit is to appear as though the literary business are trying to embrace self-publishing. It seems to me, however, that they the whole point is to show writers and prospective writers that publishing is a business and that they need to understand that, but also self-publishing is not the best way to go about getting published. (The incentive for writers to come along and pitch their book idea to win a marketing a publishing prize worth £3000 by the sponsors of the event, I think backs up the impression I got from the website).
I disagree, I think there is plenty of space in the literary business for both traditional publishing and self-publishing. I also acknowledge that there are also smaller publishing houses out there that perhaps may not be fairing so well against the business of self-publishing. I know that but my point is that self-publishing is not necessarily the first option for many people. For myself, I see it as an opportunity that will always present itself for whenever my books are just not what any publisher is looking for.
I am just a writer, I don't know much about the business of publishing that a lot of those working in publishing have to go through. I would love to learn more about it just so that I can understand and learn about the seemingly mysterious goings on behind the company names. It's sort of like wondering what happens when the Queen is like around friends and family at home or what President Obama does when he is not doing President-y things.
This really is just my opinion. Do I want to get published? Yes. Do I want a publishing house to back my book? Of course I do. But I try to be realistic, and somewhere in the back of my mind, lingering in the background of my dreams, is always going to be the option to self-publish if I get rejected by them all.
The point is that self-publishing, in my opinion, is just an alternative way of getting published if traditional publishing fails. I don't think publishers have anything to be worried about since the whole institution of publishing is so revered that it will stand up to the younger, easier, competition that is self-publishing. (E-books are totally different problem entirely, however!)
So if a publisher decides to pass on my books that is just fine, I can always publish them myself knowing that I tried to do it the traditional way first but that the best option is for me to do it myself.
Hey, it's just business!
*The Self Publishing Summit 2012 is being held at King College London on 24th November, 2012. Tickets cost £45.
What the problem with traditional publishing is for (budding) writers such as myself is how hard it is to get noticed by a publishing house. It seems like there are so many nameless, faceless people behind the grand name of a publishing house that are so far out of our reach that the task of getting their attention seems to be an impossible one. Such is the volume of intake they get that most of them never take unsolicited manuscripts. Instead, they advise that the best possible way to a book deal is through getting a literary agent.
With companies such as Amazon coming in fast and heavy giving writers the opportunity to self-publish their work in recent times, the end of goal of getting work published has suddenly become that much easier. Now, with the ever growing e-book market and the opportunity given to writers to self-publish their books, it seems publishers are looking to demystify their reputation for making it difficult for writers to get published.
So here, then, comes the Self Publishing Summit 2012. Held at Kings College London, the event is supposed to gather publishers, literary agents, writers, etc. to discuss the traditional publishing, self publishing, marketing, sales, etc. Basically, all of the things that go into making a book from its conception by the author to the book on the shelf that the public go out to buy.
It sounds similar to the Penguin Open Day I attended back in 2010.
Great! Except not great.
Visiting the website, the short summary of the event seems to want to tackle the problem publishing houses are having of the increasing number of authors who are opting to self-publish. Indeed, the second paragraph explains that publishing in the 21st century is more about the business of publishing rather than art. (I wish I were going to the event just so I could see whether or not that is the overall message behind this event).
Whilst I applaud the honesty of this, I do find that the whole idea behind this summit is to appear as though the literary business are trying to embrace self-publishing. It seems to me, however, that they the whole point is to show writers and prospective writers that publishing is a business and that they need to understand that, but also self-publishing is not the best way to go about getting published. (The incentive for writers to come along and pitch their book idea to win a marketing a publishing prize worth £3000 by the sponsors of the event, I think backs up the impression I got from the website).
I disagree, I think there is plenty of space in the literary business for both traditional publishing and self-publishing. I also acknowledge that there are also smaller publishing houses out there that perhaps may not be fairing so well against the business of self-publishing. I know that but my point is that self-publishing is not necessarily the first option for many people. For myself, I see it as an opportunity that will always present itself for whenever my books are just not what any publisher is looking for.
I am just a writer, I don't know much about the business of publishing that a lot of those working in publishing have to go through. I would love to learn more about it just so that I can understand and learn about the seemingly mysterious goings on behind the company names. It's sort of like wondering what happens when the Queen is like around friends and family at home or what President Obama does when he is not doing President-y things.
This really is just my opinion. Do I want to get published? Yes. Do I want a publishing house to back my book? Of course I do. But I try to be realistic, and somewhere in the back of my mind, lingering in the background of my dreams, is always going to be the option to self-publish if I get rejected by them all.
The point is that self-publishing, in my opinion, is just an alternative way of getting published if traditional publishing fails. I don't think publishers have anything to be worried about since the whole institution of publishing is so revered that it will stand up to the younger, easier, competition that is self-publishing. (E-books are totally different problem entirely, however!)
So if a publisher decides to pass on my books that is just fine, I can always publish them myself knowing that I tried to do it the traditional way first but that the best option is for me to do it myself.
Hey, it's just business!
*The Self Publishing Summit 2012 is being held at King College London on 24th November, 2012. Tickets cost £45.
11/15/2012
NaNoWriMo - My Saviour
NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, is the most wonderful thing that could possibly happen to a struggling graduate like myself.
For those of you who don't know, NaNoWriMo is a scheme that challenges writers and non-writers alike to write a 50,000 word novel during the month of November.(It says National, but it has been so successful, people all over the world are getting in on it, like me in sunny London!)
Of course, 50,000 words seems like a daunting task but writing about 1,667 words a day is not. That is what they so helpfully recommend you go by. If you write more, great. If you write less, not to worry, there is plenty of time to catch up.
Together with useful tips, encouragement, help, and a community that makes you feel like it is ok to ask even the most obvious questions, their website tries to encourage you to keep at it and stay the course throughout the month. If you reach 50,000 words by the end, you win! Yay!
What I love most is getting those words of encouragement I get as NaNoMail. It feels like I am being cheered on to finish a race, especially on those days when I feel like quitting. What is also cool is that members hold group writing sessions at various different places such as coffee shops. The sense of community that comes with this really makes me smile. I have yet to go to one though. I just get distracted easily but for those who enjoy writing in quiet groups I imagine it is very rewarding.
So how did I get started? Not until the 3rd November when my best friend pushed me to do it. Truth be told, at first I didn't want to do it. I had just started a new book that I was excited about writing and the prospect of having to keep to a deadline in my writing after 4 years of non-stop deadlines, was daunting to say the least. But she wanted me to do it, believing that it would help me in the end. (She was right and we're not even at the end yet!)
So, I signed up. I realised that I needed to start a new book entirely and thought again about not following through with it. This is where I scolded myself. Here I was, barely 5 minutes in and I was already thinking about quitting? I never quit!
"Screw it," I said and began to type a synopsis. I wanted to try a crime/thriller novel so that is what I went with. A plot began to form as I typed and I ended up writing an extract too. Proud of myself, I went to sleep happy and excited about trying something new.
It has been a bumpy ride since then and I will be documenting my progress from the day after, the 4th November, to now. So much has happened that it may take me a few days to catch up on it and the rest of my backlogged blogging but I am determined to see this and my NaNoWriMo novel through. That is another thing I must credit NaNo for, forcing me to get back to blogging. Until recently I had not wanted to blog, a voice in my head saying: "what could you possibly have to blog about?" every time I thought about writing a new post. (I'm glad I don't hear that bitch's voice anymore).
The only thing that makes me sad is that I cannot give back to them by donating money. That is the first thing I am going to do next year! It's the least I can do considering how much I have already gotten out of this.
But for now, all I can say is that NaNoWriMo has saved me from sitting at home scared about what my future holds. The first big lesson I have learned from doing this for the last 10-11 days? It is ok to not know what is going to happen next.
And that has helped me so much already!
;)
For those of you who don't know, NaNoWriMo is a scheme that challenges writers and non-writers alike to write a 50,000 word novel during the month of November.(It says National, but it has been so successful, people all over the world are getting in on it, like me in sunny London!)
Of course, 50,000 words seems like a daunting task but writing about 1,667 words a day is not. That is what they so helpfully recommend you go by. If you write more, great. If you write less, not to worry, there is plenty of time to catch up.
Together with useful tips, encouragement, help, and a community that makes you feel like it is ok to ask even the most obvious questions, their website tries to encourage you to keep at it and stay the course throughout the month. If you reach 50,000 words by the end, you win! Yay!
What I love most is getting those words of encouragement I get as NaNoMail. It feels like I am being cheered on to finish a race, especially on those days when I feel like quitting. What is also cool is that members hold group writing sessions at various different places such as coffee shops. The sense of community that comes with this really makes me smile. I have yet to go to one though. I just get distracted easily but for those who enjoy writing in quiet groups I imagine it is very rewarding.
So how did I get started? Not until the 3rd November when my best friend pushed me to do it. Truth be told, at first I didn't want to do it. I had just started a new book that I was excited about writing and the prospect of having to keep to a deadline in my writing after 4 years of non-stop deadlines, was daunting to say the least. But she wanted me to do it, believing that it would help me in the end. (She was right and we're not even at the end yet!)
So, I signed up. I realised that I needed to start a new book entirely and thought again about not following through with it. This is where I scolded myself. Here I was, barely 5 minutes in and I was already thinking about quitting? I never quit!
"Screw it," I said and began to type a synopsis. I wanted to try a crime/thriller novel so that is what I went with. A plot began to form as I typed and I ended up writing an extract too. Proud of myself, I went to sleep happy and excited about trying something new.
It has been a bumpy ride since then and I will be documenting my progress from the day after, the 4th November, to now. So much has happened that it may take me a few days to catch up on it and the rest of my backlogged blogging but I am determined to see this and my NaNoWriMo novel through. That is another thing I must credit NaNo for, forcing me to get back to blogging. Until recently I had not wanted to blog, a voice in my head saying: "what could you possibly have to blog about?" every time I thought about writing a new post. (I'm glad I don't hear that bitch's voice anymore).
The only thing that makes me sad is that I cannot give back to them by donating money. That is the first thing I am going to do next year! It's the least I can do considering how much I have already gotten out of this.
But for now, all I can say is that NaNoWriMo has saved me from sitting at home scared about what my future holds. The first big lesson I have learned from doing this for the last 10-11 days? It is ok to not know what is going to happen next.
And that has helped me so much already!
;)
From Student to Writer (who apparently hears voices, yup that's me!)
Having just finished my MA in English Literature I am lost and have had little courage to admit to myself that what I really want to do with my life is write books.
I know, it sounds stupid even to me but it's what I want to do. Over the last three years, I have been living in my head for most of my days. My mum sometimes asks me what I am thinking about when I forget myself and drift off. My reply is always the same: "nothing". But the truth is I'm thinking of lots of things, I just lack the courage to admit to anyone that I want to write. I feel ridiculous saying it out loud..
I have no idea how other novelists come up with the characters in their books, but for me, it has been a somewhat bizarre experience of talking to them in my head. Sometimes I just get hit with something (this might be what is commonly known as inspiration, but I prefer to not give it a name so as to not ruin the magic), and I find myself talking to him or her. I sometimes argue with them, tease them, laugh at them, cry with them, feel everything with them until they become a real person in my head, until I can almost picture them sitting in front of me.
There are also times when I become them, walk like them, talk like them, eat like them, even sneeze like them. It is a strange thing to experience, particularly whilst sitting in a lecture trying to take notes and, you know, learn!
The day I submitted my MA dissertation was a strange day for me. I felt sick to my stomach, somehow convinced I had failed (I hadn't), and I think a large part of my anxiety was due to the realisation that I was officially done with education. (I'm still in two minds as to whether or not I want to pursue a PhD in the future).
That night, I lay in my bed, unable to sleep despite having been awake for two days already. I kept thinking about getting a job, any job just so I wouldn't look like a 22 year-old bum living off her mother.
I would like so very much to pursue a career in publishing simply because I know that if I can't be a writer (I don't delude myself by thinking I'm good enough to be a published author let alone a successful one), I want to be around books. I want to be have my hands or rather, my brain, my knowledge, and passion for books to be a part of some other author's success. As long as I am there, I can be happy knowing that I am doing something with my life that I love. I want to look forward to going to work in the future, knowing that I get to do something I love.
See? I'm barely out of my life as a student and I am already worrying! I can't help it!
But back to that night, I felt lonely. Probably more lonely than I had felt in a long time. My sister is away a lot at university and I didn't want to bother her again with my insecurities. She has always been my personal cheerleader, building me up when I feel down and believing to the ends of the earth that I will someday forge a career in books. No one can tell her otherwise, not even me.
To my surprise, however, my loneliness bore a character, actually two characters. By the following day I had 10 characters and a series of 5 books already, and this later turned into 6 books! It was amazing to me that out of such feelings of hopelessness came something I could focus all of my energy onto. I started to write, sending draft after draft to my number one fan, my sister of course, to read. I managed to write 10 chapters in 5 weeks. It is slower than I wanted but I know that I can do it. And that is all I will say specifically for now about what I will refer to as the O series.
I love my characters. I love them deeply as though they were friends of mine that I have forged a lasting relationship with. To this day, only my sister has read any of it. She hounds me if I don't write quickly enough so that she can find out what happens next (I purposely leave each draft with a mini cliffhanger just to annoy her). It is gratifying that she enjoys my writing. If nothing else comes out of it, I at least know that I did it and can be proud of my work, and that just because I am not a published writer it does not mean I am not one.
This month I am taking part in NaNoWriMo and the first book of the series that was born that night has been put aside so that I can take part. I miss my characters but I know that they will still be there when I come back to them. They still talk to me and I carry around the notebook I now treasure that my sister gave me to keep all of my notes in for when they pop into my head for a chat sometimes.
My NaNoWriMo novel is going really well and I have decided to upload a diary of my progress which I am very excited about. If nothing else, the diary will help me to stay disciplined and write daily.
On 1st December, when I return to my O series, I think I'll do the same for it too!
I am excited, scared, and just in case you want to know, not at all worried that I hear voices and talk to them!
;) Wish me luck!
I know, it sounds stupid even to me but it's what I want to do. Over the last three years, I have been living in my head for most of my days. My mum sometimes asks me what I am thinking about when I forget myself and drift off. My reply is always the same: "nothing". But the truth is I'm thinking of lots of things, I just lack the courage to admit to anyone that I want to write. I feel ridiculous saying it out loud..
I have no idea how other novelists come up with the characters in their books, but for me, it has been a somewhat bizarre experience of talking to them in my head. Sometimes I just get hit with something (this might be what is commonly known as inspiration, but I prefer to not give it a name so as to not ruin the magic), and I find myself talking to him or her. I sometimes argue with them, tease them, laugh at them, cry with them, feel everything with them until they become a real person in my head, until I can almost picture them sitting in front of me.
There are also times when I become them, walk like them, talk like them, eat like them, even sneeze like them. It is a strange thing to experience, particularly whilst sitting in a lecture trying to take notes and, you know, learn!
The day I submitted my MA dissertation was a strange day for me. I felt sick to my stomach, somehow convinced I had failed (I hadn't), and I think a large part of my anxiety was due to the realisation that I was officially done with education. (I'm still in two minds as to whether or not I want to pursue a PhD in the future).
That night, I lay in my bed, unable to sleep despite having been awake for two days already. I kept thinking about getting a job, any job just so I wouldn't look like a 22 year-old bum living off her mother.
I would like so very much to pursue a career in publishing simply because I know that if I can't be a writer (I don't delude myself by thinking I'm good enough to be a published author let alone a successful one), I want to be around books. I want to be have my hands or rather, my brain, my knowledge, and passion for books to be a part of some other author's success. As long as I am there, I can be happy knowing that I am doing something with my life that I love. I want to look forward to going to work in the future, knowing that I get to do something I love.
See? I'm barely out of my life as a student and I am already worrying! I can't help it!
But back to that night, I felt lonely. Probably more lonely than I had felt in a long time. My sister is away a lot at university and I didn't want to bother her again with my insecurities. She has always been my personal cheerleader, building me up when I feel down and believing to the ends of the earth that I will someday forge a career in books. No one can tell her otherwise, not even me.
To my surprise, however, my loneliness bore a character, actually two characters. By the following day I had 10 characters and a series of 5 books already, and this later turned into 6 books! It was amazing to me that out of such feelings of hopelessness came something I could focus all of my energy onto. I started to write, sending draft after draft to my number one fan, my sister of course, to read. I managed to write 10 chapters in 5 weeks. It is slower than I wanted but I know that I can do it. And that is all I will say specifically for now about what I will refer to as the O series.
I love my characters. I love them deeply as though they were friends of mine that I have forged a lasting relationship with. To this day, only my sister has read any of it. She hounds me if I don't write quickly enough so that she can find out what happens next (I purposely leave each draft with a mini cliffhanger just to annoy her). It is gratifying that she enjoys my writing. If nothing else comes out of it, I at least know that I did it and can be proud of my work, and that just because I am not a published writer it does not mean I am not one.
This month I am taking part in NaNoWriMo and the first book of the series that was born that night has been put aside so that I can take part. I miss my characters but I know that they will still be there when I come back to them. They still talk to me and I carry around the notebook I now treasure that my sister gave me to keep all of my notes in for when they pop into my head for a chat sometimes.
My NaNoWriMo novel is going really well and I have decided to upload a diary of my progress which I am very excited about. If nothing else, the diary will help me to stay disciplined and write daily.
On 1st December, when I return to my O series, I think I'll do the same for it too!
I am excited, scared, and just in case you want to know, not at all worried that I hear voices and talk to them!
;) Wish me luck!
11/14/2012
Fifty Shades of Grey ... The Torture Continues
I recently read an article in the Guardian that the worst book I have ever read (truly) has been nominated for a National Book Award.
Just what kind of country do I live in that this piece of garbage has been nominated for a literary award?(On second thought, I'm not sure I want to know the answer to that question).
I really am trying not to sound like a snob here. Indeed, I know that I am hardly the authority on what constitutes a good book. I am neither a literary critic nor a published writer, and my love for reading and writing lies primarily in Fantasy. But you know what, I have also read quite a few erotica or 'Romantica' (erotic romance) books. Some of them were really good but most of them were bad.
Just really, really... bad.
Even so, I became a serious reader of books at aged 10. I had always enjoyed reading before then but it became a real love of mine at about that age. So with over 12 years of experience of reading a range of books, having also completed a BA and an MA in English Literature, I think I am well within my rights to be perplexed by the popularity of this book.
Because it is not good. It's not even a little bit good. I'm serious.
Fifty Shades has been nominated for the Popular Fiction of the Year award. I have no doubt that the book is popular but really, in my humble (trying hard to be unbiased) opinion, popularity alone is no reason to hand this tragically bad book an award. Frankly, the fact that it has even been nominated irritates me.
It is not simply the fact that the book is poorly written, that the characters are annoyingly one-dimensional (see my last post for my thoughts on Anna 'the annoying'), or even that the plot is so bad I want to scream (oh, wait, I did that already!) It is that this book, in my opinion, promotes sexual shaming so much so that I find it incredible it has had the success that it has.
I find it truly repulsive that EL James thinks it is ok to write a book (or a trilogy) that portrays sadomasochism (and she does a poor job of even doing that properly in the first place), as some kind of sexual abnormality brought about by sexual abuse.
This is, of course, the primary reason for Christian Grey's sexual antics in the bedroom. Seriously? No, seriously?
I do not claim to be an expert on sadomasochism, nor do I know much about the effects sexual abuse can have on the many survivors in the world. It may just be that a lot of survivors find that sadomasochism is enjoyable for them. I do not know.
And what about those who indulge in sadomasochistic practices who have had no such abuse in their lives?
Here is my problem, Christian Grey's excuse, and yes it is an excuse, for his sexual behaviour is put down to the abuse he suffered in his past. Anna demands, and eventually, shames him into admitting this and I find this to be a fundamental flaw in a book that is so popular amongst readers these days. Why? Because it sends out the wrong message to these readers.
First of all, survivors of abuse do not need to be shamed in any way, I don't care how many books you have sold. Secondly, those who partake in sadomasochistic practice also do not need to feel as though they are somehow sexually abnormal. It is an expression of sexuality that many people enjoy without having such negativity attached to it.* What right does James have to project such ignorance? Absolutely none.
Once again, I am perfectly aware that the book has been nominated in the Popular Fiction Book of the Year category and is supposed to recognise a book that has "exceeded expectations" and has had a big impact in literature. I am not denying that Fifty Shades qualifies on both counts.
What I find repugnant is that this book, which, for all its appearance of exploring and celebrating sexuality, is essentially telling us that there is a right way to be sexual and a wrong way. (And James seems to try and achieve this through torture because, quite frankly, reading an entire book through Anna's point-of-view was sheer torture for me!)
If lecturing on the right and wrong ways of sexuality through shaming is the impact the National Book Award wants to celebrate then this is a very sad time indeed. All I can say is EL James can stay out of my bedroom. Fingers crossed that she does not decide to write another book...EVER!
*My final dissertation for my MA included my arguments that sadomasochism is a legitimate form of sexual expression.
Just what kind of country do I live in that this piece of garbage has been nominated for a literary award?(On second thought, I'm not sure I want to know the answer to that question).
I really am trying not to sound like a snob here. Indeed, I know that I am hardly the authority on what constitutes a good book. I am neither a literary critic nor a published writer, and my love for reading and writing lies primarily in Fantasy. But you know what, I have also read quite a few erotica or 'Romantica' (erotic romance) books. Some of them were really good but most of them were bad.
Just really, really... bad.
Even so, I became a serious reader of books at aged 10. I had always enjoyed reading before then but it became a real love of mine at about that age. So with over 12 years of experience of reading a range of books, having also completed a BA and an MA in English Literature, I think I am well within my rights to be perplexed by the popularity of this book.
Because it is not good. It's not even a little bit good. I'm serious.
Fifty Shades has been nominated for the Popular Fiction of the Year award. I have no doubt that the book is popular but really, in my humble (trying hard to be unbiased) opinion, popularity alone is no reason to hand this tragically bad book an award. Frankly, the fact that it has even been nominated irritates me.
It is not simply the fact that the book is poorly written, that the characters are annoyingly one-dimensional (see my last post for my thoughts on Anna 'the annoying'), or even that the plot is so bad I want to scream (oh, wait, I did that already!) It is that this book, in my opinion, promotes sexual shaming so much so that I find it incredible it has had the success that it has.
I find it truly repulsive that EL James thinks it is ok to write a book (or a trilogy) that portrays sadomasochism (and she does a poor job of even doing that properly in the first place), as some kind of sexual abnormality brought about by sexual abuse.
This is, of course, the primary reason for Christian Grey's sexual antics in the bedroom. Seriously? No, seriously?
I do not claim to be an expert on sadomasochism, nor do I know much about the effects sexual abuse can have on the many survivors in the world. It may just be that a lot of survivors find that sadomasochism is enjoyable for them. I do not know.
And what about those who indulge in sadomasochistic practices who have had no such abuse in their lives?
Here is my problem, Christian Grey's excuse, and yes it is an excuse, for his sexual behaviour is put down to the abuse he suffered in his past. Anna demands, and eventually, shames him into admitting this and I find this to be a fundamental flaw in a book that is so popular amongst readers these days. Why? Because it sends out the wrong message to these readers.
First of all, survivors of abuse do not need to be shamed in any way, I don't care how many books you have sold. Secondly, those who partake in sadomasochistic practice also do not need to feel as though they are somehow sexually abnormal. It is an expression of sexuality that many people enjoy without having such negativity attached to it.* What right does James have to project such ignorance? Absolutely none.
Once again, I am perfectly aware that the book has been nominated in the Popular Fiction Book of the Year category and is supposed to recognise a book that has "exceeded expectations" and has had a big impact in literature. I am not denying that Fifty Shades qualifies on both counts.
What I find repugnant is that this book, which, for all its appearance of exploring and celebrating sexuality, is essentially telling us that there is a right way to be sexual and a wrong way. (And James seems to try and achieve this through torture because, quite frankly, reading an entire book through Anna's point-of-view was sheer torture for me!)
If lecturing on the right and wrong ways of sexuality through shaming is the impact the National Book Award wants to celebrate then this is a very sad time indeed. All I can say is EL James can stay out of my bedroom. Fingers crossed that she does not decide to write another book...EVER!
*My final dissertation for my MA included my arguments that sadomasochism is a legitimate form of sexual expression.
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