See Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, and Part 8. The Relativism of Words Some may read my heading and wonder, Huh? Relativism? I thought this guy was going to argue against bad language using absolutes. Yes, absolutes are certainly what drive my engine in this discussion, but I would be remiss not to acknowledge that words can be relative in certain contexts. So before I get to the meat, let’s get certain distractions out of the way. First, what do I mean by “relativism in words”? When weighing the use of certain words, we must remember that their meaning and appropriateness can vary based on culture, time, and social context. Let me illustrate. Context of Culture My mom was born in Canada, and I remember my family visiting relatives in Ontario when I was a child. I recall being puzzled when a great-aunt (speaking with a strong English accent) referred…
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See Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, and Part 8. Over the last year, many Christian authors have participated in virtual blog debates about what language should or should not be permissible in Christian novels published for the Christian marketplace. Some folks have appealed to common sense and logic, others to audience and publisher guidelines, some to realism and freedom of expression, others to what they “think” crude language/cussing is and isn’t. All well-meaning folks who are brothers and sisters in Christ, whom I truly love. But often discussions have been bathed in the soothing balm of relativism. You’re okay, I’m okay. What you think is okay for you is okay for you. What I think is okay for me is okay for me. As if no one could possibly stand up and say, “I know the answer.” Getting to the Core Very few of the debates I’ve seen…
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See Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, and Part 6. #7: Once I publish my novel, I’ll just be able to keep cranking them out. Oh, if only it were that simple, especially in today’s economic climate. The fact is, publishing a well-crafted novel is no guarantee of future publication. Oh, if only novels could be published based on their own merits. Stepping into publication, I had a lot to learn. I naively thought getting my first novel published basically guaranteed long-term publication. After all, if my first novel was good enough to be accepted, why not future books? Being a Salesperson What I learned is that getting a novel published is only a small part of the equation. The other part is the almighty dollar. Publishers take a big financial risk on first-time novelists. They spend a lot of money on editing, graphic design, and printing. They put their necks…
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Note: Regularly, I get this great E-zine in my e-mail inbox by Randy Ingermanson. The newsletter is always chock-full of great advice for authors. This article I found to be particularly helpful and informative for organizing the scenes in a novel and decided to pass it on. I already use Randy’s approach, though I do so in the context of a free computer program called yWriter5. Check this out if you’ve ever wondered how suspense novelists like me can keep all those pesky scenes organized. by Randy Ingermanson One of the hardest parts of organizing a novel is keeping all the scenes straight. Novels typically have 50 to 100 scenes or more. That’s a lot to keep track of! Here are some typical problems you’ll face in managing all those scenes: * Deciding what happens in each scene * Deciding what order to present your scenes * Deciding how long…
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