In Living Color

This month my post at Blogging In Black is about color in novels. So much has been said about race in the past months. Actually it's simple, if we want our novels to feel real then the characters should reflect the country as it is. This means that stories should show the real deal- America is made up of all kinds of beautiful colors and cultures. There are few excuses for books making the rest of the world think America is less colorful than it really is. Also writers should do their dang homework. No excuses for stereotypical characters, unless you're writing wacky comedy or satire. Authors talk about the need for doing research to make characters come alive. Okay, fine. Do your homework. I think our fictional worlds are a lot more interesting when we have all kinds of colorful characters, literally.

Author Fantasy

Getting Started

A few posts ago I commented about a book called Some Writers Deserve to Starve. The subtitle is 31 Brutal Truths about the Publishing Industry. Well, I read the book. I can recommend it to aspiring and even newly published authors, especially if you're feeling like you've just landed in some alien world with no map, can't speak the language and everybody is rushing past you like they know what the heck is going on. That's how I felt the first time I went to a huge mega writers conference. If you ever been to a Romance Writers of American annual national conference for the first time you know what I mean. Think of books like Some Writers Deserve to Starve as a sort of GPS device to help you navigate this strange world. And believe me the publishing industry can be oddball. Of course I don't totally agree with one thing, authors don't help each other. I'd have to qualify that this way- some writers will see other writers as competition and will not share information or be very friendly. There are so many others who don't feel that way. But be realistic- no author can tell you all their business. Nor should you expect them to. Some writers are of the "No problem, I'll spill all if you ask." Not many, but there are a few. They'll tell you how much money they make, their agent's name and phone number, etc. Others will be willing to help you, but won't tell you certain things. I'm of the second group. Frankly, I think it's quite rude to ask folks "How much you make?". Yet I've gotten this question- more times than I can count. I've been tempted to ask, "So what's the balance in your bank account?" So here are a few questions an aspiring writer might ask that some authors won't answer and why:

• "How much do you make?" Answer- "None of you bleeping business!" Why? Many editors and agents hate when authors tell this information. Look, this business is not like working for an employer. All are not created equal. Can you believe some writers have gone to their editors to complain that Author X is making more than them? Well, maybe Author X has better book sales. You have to sail under your own power. Be gracious if an author is willing to tell you in general terms what kind of advance or royalties you can expect. Better yet, join RWA or Author's Guild. Those organizations inform their members of such bottom line business facts in their magazines.
• "Can I tell your agent you told me to call?" Answer- "No." If an author is willing to tell you the name of her agent, let her offer. Otherwise don't push it. Some agents don't represent unpublished authors or authors with only one or two books. They will specifically ask their clients not to give out their names because they concentrate on established authors only. Authors don't want to sour their working relationship with an agent by causing said agent to get lots of unwanted calls, e-mails and query letters.
• "Can I tell your editor you recommended my book?" Answer- "No." Ditto the previous answer regarding agents. Let an author offer. Otherwise don't ask. Especially if the author hasn't even read your book. Yes, people have had the nerve to ask when said author hasn't read the book. Any author with sense knows how busy editors are these days. She doesn't want to anger her editor by passing out her name to all.
• "Will you read/edit my book?" Answer could be "No." Why? We're incredibly pressed for time writing our own novels, and most of us work day jobs, have families to take care of, are busy promoting out own novels, updating blogs, etc. If an author says no, keep this in mind and don't get snarky about it. If an author says yes, please don't bug them every few days with, "Well, what do you think?" Remember they're busy.

So read great books on writing and on the business. Network with published authors, and understand that because authors are friendly doesn't mean you can expect them to just open their career information to you. Other books on writing that I can recommend:

The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman

The Plot Thickens By Noah Lukeman

Scene and Sequel by Jack Bickham (Oldie But Goodie)

Story by Robert McKee (Deep, but very valuable info from a pro)

Beginnings, Middles and Ends by Nancy Kress (Oldie But Goodie)

Write Way by Elizabeth George