Write what you know: Fallacy 101?

When was the last time you visited the twenty-fourth century OR wandered in a desert by yourself for months OR been to Middle Earth? Well, the answer would be NEVER if we followed the common advice that writers should stick to writing only what we know. Think about it, there would be no fantasy, no sic-fi, and no historical fiction. No Star Wars, no Lord of the Rings, and no Outlander.

Even in popular genre fiction like romance, no one can expect any one person has done all that (well, yeah, it's feasible, but...). Instead of sticking to what we know, I would modify the suggestion to such: First, cultivate imagination. Then, either write what you know OR what you can research.


Imagination is a necessary element in the art of writing, even in non-fiction to some extent, but certainly in fiction. Otherwise, whose story are you telling? Are you merely recounting someone else's tale, a myth, or an event? I would even argue that imagination helps us TO KNOW things we might otherwise not experience. The power of the mind is enormous, and it may seal experiences in our brains as if they really happened. A few suggestions to help step it up:

• Learn to daydream. You probably did this as a child. If you stopped, and you want to be a writer, you're in big trouble! Relearn it. 
• Practice meditation or mindfulness to empty the chatter-ridden mind for a few minutes and allow for imagination to soar. 
• Read good literature and poetry - the type that evokes emotion and brings forth images. I can't stress this enough. I recently posted an article about how positively the brain responds to fiction, and literary fiction was even more beneficial. It's worth checking out on my G+ page. 

Research what you don't know. Everything is available in the library, online, through other people, or by taking on direct experience. Remember when you were in school and you had to write a research paper? Well, gather those skills and do it again.

• Writing about a carpenter? Take a wood-working class. 
• Is your book about a heroine in Renaissance Italy? Read about the time period and other accounts of women in that era. 
• Does your protagonist have a facial tic? Interview a doctor on all the potential etiologies of tics. 

My first novel in the series The Search For Intelligent Life on Earth, A Story of Love, takes place in a variety of countries/states. I've been everywhere but one place. Can you guess which one based on the descriptions or lack thereof? Remember to put the knowledge you gain - either by direct experience or through research - into the eyes and ears of your character, and you're good to go!

Happy Writing! Happy Holidays!

Death by Adverbs? Hardly!

I had just taken a gulp of my drink and joined a circle of friends in discussion when a fellow Sunday loafer announced he decided to become a writer. He read a couple of books on writing and took a workshop. Thus, he elucidated us on never using adverbs because that's what he was taught.

Of course I am familiar with this argument. I am also aware that plenty of fabulous writers use adverbs, and that sometimes it's a stylistic preference. In other instances, there's no other word that will convey the same thing as an adverb. But, since it can be challenging to go against prevailing sentiment, let's narrow it down.

Here are opportunities to use adverbs fearlessly: 

1) Dialogue. How does your character speak? Does he/she use adverbs? Do they enhance the dialogue by making the character's speech stand out or intimate his/her upbringing, class, or geographic origin?

2) Poetry. If you want the sentence to read well, sound it out (read it out loud). If the rhythm doesn't work, change the sentence. It could be that an adverb is just what you need.

3) Precision. Sometimes an adverb is perfectly precise. Avoid unnecessary usage (again, because they are out of favor right now), but dare to utilize them when they do enhance. 

For example, you might not want to write the sentence, "She whispered softly." Do you see why? Softly/quietly are implied in the word's definition. However, what if you've already used the word whisper eight times in the last page, and a collection of synonyms like utter, mutter, mumble, and mouth just don't work. Then you might want to say, "She spoke quietly again."

At some point, I will probably go in and take out some of the adverbs in my first novel. There are more than a few unnecessary ones. But, then, I wonder, Gee, if I wait long enough will they suddenly and unexpectedly become trendy again?

4) Stream of consciousness. Are you writing in contemporary-style third person? Then stream of consciousness narrative is somewhat like dialogue. If your character thinks in adverbs, then he or she thinks in adverbs. Adverbs are real words. Don't let someone else's opinion dictate your style, or your character's.

Happy Writing!

I am available at www.gerrypirani.com

Save Me, or the Problem with You and I

I was watching television once and heard someone say, "It was for I." I nearly fell to the floor – instead, I was lucky enough to catch my chin on a piece of furniture. When teachers drummed You and I into our heads as small children, they apparently didn't help our developing minds distinguish between subjects and objects, and the only surviving element of their criticism was that "ME" is somehow bad. This blog is an attempt to save me.

As writers, are we obligated to take language seriously and assist the public (and our readers)? Maybe teachers are the ones morally obligated, but I've heard English and elementary school, high school, and college-level teachers say the following types of things a number of times:
"to he and his wife"
"with you and I"
"Her and her husband are going."

When I've asked them (I can be awful) if they know that their grammar is incorrect, they inform me that they do NOT know. They say that it was not emphasized in their educational programs.

Is this like an auto mechanic who never learned how engines work?

The inaccuracies do not appear related to education level or profession. Your attorney, doctor, and minister all might say "Listen, between you and I..."

Let's have a brief overview.

First, the fundamentals:

1. Me is a bona fide English word. You can practice saying it in front of the mirror. "Me" rightfully belongs in some sentences. It is an objective or accusative pronoun. Objective means that it has something done unto it. It is passive.

For instance, let us look at the sentence: "Give it to me!" Me is properly used here as the object of the preposition to.

Now, to really test you, which is correct:

A) Give it to Jacques and I!

B) Give it to Jacques and me!

B, of course. Why? It does not matter how many people are being given, they are objects all the same. You could say: "Give it to John, Lilith, Mark, Kyle, and me!" 

Now my friend Bob states that usage eventually becomes rule in language. If this is the case, I'll be on the next shuttle to one of the "new" planets in our solar system, cuddling up with a blanket of Me’s. 

2. Whom does not speak. In fact, whom does not do anything. Why? It is an object. I have seen people write comments such as: "I like Joe, whom says that…" This sentence is the grammatical equivalent of "him says no," an atrocity that brings us to number three:

3. If it sounds ridiculous, it most likely is ridiculous.

4. "Between you and I" is blatantly offensive. See number one above. Between is a preposition, and, as such, it deserves objects. Other prepositions frequently robbed of proper objects are with and for.

These are correct:

That is between him and her.

I'll go with John and her.

The gift is for Mark and him.
Does she want to go with you and me?
It meant the same to him and us. 

5. It is I is an exception because of the verb to be. Let's just leave it at that.

6. English is easier than German when it comes to pronouns. In English, you don't have to worry about the dative. If you don't know what this is, consider yourself fortunate, stop complaining, and learn your English grammar.


I know it's a lot to ask, but when I'm reading an extremely well formulated and researched novel that then has an educated character in the 1800's say between you and I, it pulls me right out of my suspension of disbelief. I doubt that's what the author intended.

For free or not for free?

About fifteen or more years ago, I heard that the novel was dead.
I assumed it meant that people weren't reading (a reasonable assumption with all the attention deficit problems).
Then Oprah's Book Club and JK Rowling happened. A revival was staged.

Now I realize that the novel is dying.
Why?
Because people are willing to pay 99 cents, or $1.99, or maybe $2.99 for an electronic book. It doesn't matter that the book is maybe 10,000 words (or anywhere from 5,000 to - and here's a stretch - 40,000 words). So, they are not reading novels. They are reading short stories or, at best, novellas. I purchased some of these to check it out.

I thought about separating my story into 3 novellas (it is about 100,000 words), but the book had a life of its own. As most writers will tell you, the story itself is sometimes in charge. Furthermore, I am writing 2 sequels and a sister novel. Oy.

And, here's the real kicker. People say, "Oh, you should 'sell' your book for free." Why? Because other writers do this.

So, to my fellow writers, I have two questions:

1) What other job are you willing to do for free? Are you willing to wait tables for free? Cut hair for free? Provide legal representation or psychotherapy for free? What about pick up trash, deliver mail, or fix the plumbing at a customer's house - for free? Maybe you're a realtor, and you choose to forgo your commission, just for kicks. 

2) Do you hope to make a living as a writer, or is writing just a side hobby? I think there might be a lot of people who fall into the latter category, and unfortunately it affects all of us. Believe me, I understand the marketing strategy: give away the first, so people will buy the second and the third. Still, it doesn't always work that way. Does it cheapen our art and devalue our media in the meantime?

Solutions?

1) Write a short story (under 10,000 words) to give out for free or 99 cents. If people like your writing, maybe they will buy your novellas and novels. I am in the process of writing shorter stories, maybe a couple of novellas myself. I love writing, so this part (unlike marketing) is not difficult for me.

2) Stick to your guns. Enter contests, take book tours, seek a publicist and/or agent, and charge for your work. Have patience. If it has merit, the book will probably sell at some point. At 100,000 words, my novel is actually a bargain compared to much shorter stories selling for less. Maybe we can start a trend to determine price per word, like labels in grocery stores give you price per ounce. 

3) Remind people that they pay about $5 for a coffee. (I recently paid $6 for a small latte and realized, Damn, I could have bought my novel.) What we choose to prioritize - and spend money on - reflects our cultural and personal values. 

This all said, Amazon is giving away my book for free for people who have "kindle unlimited." I'm not sure what this means to me as the writer. But, that's a whole other blog...

Thoughts on free or not for free?

Book Marketing (Fiction)

May I say that marketing my novel has been a harrowing experience - a bone-chilling, stomach-upsetting, and headache-inducing venture? Even worse, it takes time away from writing. Probably many writers today feel this way (maybe not so strongly). 

Sure, I would prefer to live in the world of my imagination than in the realm of social media, marketing research, and things like blog tours. (Remember when the word Blog would have just been confused with The Blob? Not that I'm really that old - just feels like it today.)

Worse than that: did you know that non-fiction is published (traditionally) at a far greater rate than fiction? Why? Strategic non-fiction sells, so publishing houses are taking less risk with it than they would be with fiction. 

Of course, when fiction hits, it hits big and keeps hitting. Contemporary (American) society is so brand-oriented, that once established, an author may even put his/her name to someone else's writing and keep selling.

To get to my point: people read non-fiction because they want to walk away feeling smarter than they felt before they read the book.

This is ironic because storytelling as a means to educate is in our genes. It's the way we have, as a species, learned to cope with the riddles of life, pass on our principles, and make way to create a more cohesive society. 

Reading well crafted fiction provides a means to learn new things, foster empathy, and create archetypes, which then may affect our subconscious minds and help us grow into something much grander than what we are. 

Over the course of my series The Search for Intelligent Life on Earth, I propose a more meaningful approach to the very transitory nature of life on our planet, a more spiritual version of what love and human relationships can be, and a more adult (or emotionally mature) interaction between lovers. 

In other words, my desire through this series is to provide a new interpretation of who we are.

And, yet, lofty ideals aside, I am left with the need to market. I am an "unbranded" writer, so readers are also wary to take a risk. There are so many books out there these days, you could lock yourself in the proverbial broom closet (equipped with a recliner and reading lamp) and spend the rest of your life reading - and still make little headway. 

I don't have the answers when it comes to this particular riddle, but I hope that my writing will stand the test of time, that my characters will embed themselves in the minds of my readers, and that the lives of others will be enhanced by my stories. 

Comments are always welcome. I am available at My Website.

How long have you been writing that?

Some of my readers know that it took me about twenty+ years to finish my first novel - not that I was writing every day (nor, dare I admit, even every year!) during that time, but still, it took a while. During those years, I kept thinking I would eventually send it out to publishing companies and agents, but I never seemed to find the free time to get it out to more than a handful of people. 

As many writers know, the business end of things (publishing, marketing, and such) is challenging for the introverted, artistic type - the tortured, introverted, artistic type. Okay, just kidding there. I wasn't tortured - except when it came to query letters and varying length synopses.

So, I kept editing instead - a good thing since writing styles changed over the course of those decades.

Here are a few tips for anyone out there who's taking as long as I did. They might save you some grief.

1. I'm sure you've heard not to get too attached to the words you've already written. That one took me a while to integrate into my psyche, especially when they'd been there for so long. Grow detached and change them. 

2. Get beta readers throughout the period, not just right at the end, or just somewhere in the beginning, of your journey. This applies especially any time you change POV. Just make sure they are trustworthy people.

3. I once had a long essay of mine with very specific and unusual ideas and references stolen (reprinted without my permission and taken out of state). Several years later, while I happened to be walking through the many shelves of books in a store (remember those days?), I saw an expanded version of it.  Hence, I was wary and hesitant to provide people with copies of my novel for a long time. If you are equally concerned, just take precautions such as sharing with more than one person, keeping old copies of your work, officially copyrighting the material, and/or sending a copy to yourself through the US mail (don't open it!). 

4. Remind yourself of what you've written before (has it been several months?) as you start again. Otherwise, it takes patience going through and ensuring you've not accidentally changed names, events, and dates. It's also helping me to write a few books at once now because they are interrelated and easier to correlate this way (for me). They are books 2, 3, and 4 in the The Search for Intelligent Life on Earth series, as well as a couple of novellas. 

5. I had multiple files/folders of chapters, which then needed to be formatted to match. Now I use the same document even if I skip around in the chapters. I find it easier and a time saver. 

6. Don't get discouraged. Remember that the ultimate goal is to feel good about your work, share something with the world, and daydream a little (in other words, have fun). 

Editing Your Edits

“Twelve by Fourteen Square Feet” or the Importance of Editing your Edits

Do you know what 12x14 square feet is? No, probably not, since it makes no sense. 12x14 is a rectangle, not a square, and the subject of today’s monologue from One Writer’s Foibles.

Originally, the two protagonists in my novel, Mark and Jacques, were living in a 12 x 12 studio – I cleverly figured out at some point that the space was too small. It would be hard to have as much action going on in it as I needed, so as the writer/creator of the story, I changed it. However, I forgot to take out the “square.” My choices? Delay the book another couple of weeks and correct it, or decide to live with imperfection.

A difficult choice for a perfectionist with a deadline.

I also noticed a rogue apostrophe, some commas where I would prefer periods, and periods where I meant commas, and the word “sleep” instead of “asleep” – despite reading that sentence maybe 150 times in the last month. But my eyes were no longer seeing the words on the page.

At one point I read a section of the book, put it down, and thought, I have to rewrite the whole book. Why? I was “reading” so quickly (meaning: my eyes pretended to see what was in front of me while my mind went through the scene), that I decided the whole scene happened too quickly and the pace was all wrong. I had someone else read it aloud to me the next day, and it was fine. 

Conclusions:

1) Remember to edit your edits. If you brazenly make a change, go back and study the words around it to make sure the change was done properly. Then get someone else to take a look.

2) Get an additional beta reader at the last minute before you approve the final draft. Alternative: read it one word at a time, covering up the right side of the sentence with a ruler (but I’m not convinced even this will work).

3) Don't overanalyze. 

If you don’t do these things, you could be stuck in a room that's 12x14 square feet!