Here’s a startling article from Publishers Weekly
After increasing at a 169% rate in the first two months of 2011, e-book sale rose at a relatively modest 145.7% clip in March, to $69 million, according to the 16 publishers who report figures to AAP’s monthly sales estimates. For the first quarter of 2011, e-book sales were up 159.8%, to $233.1 million. While adult hardcover and mass market paperback did better, posting gains in March, all the print segments had declines for the first quarter with the nine mass market houses that report results showing a 23.4% sales decline, and the 14 children’s paperback publishers had a 24.1% decline in the quarter. E-book sales easily outdistanced mass market paperback sales in the first quarter with mass market sales falling to $123.3 million compared to e-books’ $233.1 million in sales.
In other segments, the 18 religion book publishers who report results had a 27.4% sales gain in March and were up 13.7% for the quarter. Physical audiobook sales were down 11.8% for the month and 17.6% for the quarter, falling to $21.8 million at the 20 reporting companies. Digital audiobook sales rose 9.0% in the quarter at the 14 reporting companies, and just trailed traditional audio with sales of $20.2 million
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Creating Short Stories - 09: More on Characters
Creating Short Stories 08 – More on Characters
Please don’t read that as moron characters, although some of them may fit that description for the story.
As I mentioned previously, I use a NEO from Renaissance Learning Hand written journals present a viable alternative. One benefit of using a pen and ink format: you can create drawings of people, places and things. I haven’t quite figured out how to do that on the NEO word processor, yet.
Often, I use these sketches to create difficult scenarios in the stories. In Elevator 37 (I hope it will be a best seller.), one of the scenes had the protagonist, Thom Stanton, in a dreadful predicament. A hideous being stood ready to terminate him. I could see it—almost—but it wasn’t clear. I grabbed my sketchpad and oil pastels and drew it until I could see all the elements clearly. Then writing the scene became easy—well, almost easy.
Getting back to keeping a journal to take notes on characters and other vitals of stories, one character I saw, an older woman with hair that touched below her hips often frequents a coffee shop I visit. A rather batty personality dwells within her psyche. One day she entered with that endless crop of hair tucked under a man’s hat, making it appear she had shorn hers locks.
This provoked me to think she may have gone off the deep end, which isn’t too difficult to imagine. If you ever saw or heard her, that statement would make sense. This character must appear in the novel I’m currently writing, MORB . I have a perfect scene with her in mind.
See how bad writers can be.
A few minutes later, she hopped on her broom and sped out the door. Two thirty-something men walked into the coffee shop, nattily dressed. Sharp creases showed on their white as a bleached road in Florida shirts and pants that shouted “custom tailored for me”; the Windsor knots and their multi-colored silk ties created the impression that cost never mattered with any of their purchases. I had to wonder why. Why, if they had all this wealth they would come to this coffee shop, in this part of town, to have a business meeting? I had to discover their purpose.
Were they faking it? Could this mean development for the community? The kind of development that pushed poor folks out of the quaint, houses of an earlier era that gave texture to the neighborhood they struggled to maintain for their lives. What harbinger did they represent?
Provide plenty of detail about each character. Describe how they react, how they dress, how they move, how they think and what they say because it all determines who they are. You want the readers to see a piece of themselves in the character so they can identify with the individual you depict. You want the reader to say, “Yeah, that’s me, or “Yeah, that’s so and so.”
It gives clues as to who the character is.
When it comes to characters, specificity matters.
Please don’t read that as moron characters, although some of them may fit that description for the story.
As I mentioned previously, I use a NEO from Renaissance Learning Hand written journals present a viable alternative. One benefit of using a pen and ink format: you can create drawings of people, places and things. I haven’t quite figured out how to do that on the NEO word processor, yet.
Often, I use these sketches to create difficult scenarios in the stories. In Elevator 37 (I hope it will be a best seller.), one of the scenes had the protagonist, Thom Stanton, in a dreadful predicament. A hideous being stood ready to terminate him. I could see it—almost—but it wasn’t clear. I grabbed my sketchpad and oil pastels and drew it until I could see all the elements clearly. Then writing the scene became easy—well, almost easy.
Getting back to keeping a journal to take notes on characters and other vitals of stories, one character I saw, an older woman with hair that touched below her hips often frequents a coffee shop I visit. A rather batty personality dwells within her psyche. One day she entered with that endless crop of hair tucked under a man’s hat, making it appear she had shorn hers locks.
This provoked me to think she may have gone off the deep end, which isn’t too difficult to imagine. If you ever saw or heard her, that statement would make sense. This character must appear in the novel I’m currently writing, MORB . I have a perfect scene with her in mind.
See how bad writers can be.
A few minutes later, she hopped on her broom and sped out the door. Two thirty-something men walked into the coffee shop, nattily dressed. Sharp creases showed on their white as a bleached road in Florida shirts and pants that shouted “custom tailored for me”; the Windsor knots and their multi-colored silk ties created the impression that cost never mattered with any of their purchases. I had to wonder why. Why, if they had all this wealth they would come to this coffee shop, in this part of town, to have a business meeting? I had to discover their purpose.
Were they faking it? Could this mean development for the community? The kind of development that pushed poor folks out of the quaint, houses of an earlier era that gave texture to the neighborhood they struggled to maintain for their lives. What harbinger did they represent?
Provide plenty of detail about each character. Describe how they react, how they dress, how they move, how they think and what they say because it all determines who they are. You want the readers to see a piece of themselves in the character so they can identify with the individual you depict. You want the reader to say, “Yeah, that’s me, or “Yeah, that’s so and so.”
It gives clues as to who the character is.
When it comes to characters, specificity matters.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
New York Times Best Seller List
Combined Print & E-Book Fiction
1 DEAD RECKONING, by Charlaine Harris. (Penguin Group.) The telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse seeks the culprit in a firebombing.
2 10 TH ANNIVERSARY, by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro. (Little, Brown.) Detective Lindsay Boxer and the Women’s Murder Club race to find a missing baby.
3 WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, by Sara Gruen. (Algonquin.) After his parents are killed in a car accident, a young veterinary student — and an elephant — save a Depression-era circus.
4 SOMETHING BORROWED, by Emily Giffin. (St. Martin's.) A maid of honor to her charmed friend, Rachel White has always played by the rules. But that changes on her 30th birthday.
5 THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett. (Penguin Group.) A young white woman and two black maids in 1960s Mississippi.
For the complete list: Visit the New York Times
1 DEAD RECKONING, by Charlaine Harris. (Penguin Group.) The telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse seeks the culprit in a firebombing.
2 10 TH ANNIVERSARY, by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro. (Little, Brown.) Detective Lindsay Boxer and the Women’s Murder Club race to find a missing baby.
3 WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, by Sara Gruen. (Algonquin.) After his parents are killed in a car accident, a young veterinary student — and an elephant — save a Depression-era circus.
4 SOMETHING BORROWED, by Emily Giffin. (St. Martin's.) A maid of honor to her charmed friend, Rachel White has always played by the rules. But that changes on her 30th birthday.
5 THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett. (Penguin Group.) A young white woman and two black maids in 1960s Mississippi.
For the complete list: Visit the New York Times
Monday, May 16, 2011
NASA Endeavor Launch: Science Fact From Science Fiction
Once, people only fantasized about space flight through the eyes of the science fiction writers, H. G. Wells and Jules Verne. An earlier work by Greek writer, Lucian of Samosata, wrote a story named Vera Historia (True History), which is tell the tale of a sailing ship being propelled by a great wind for seven days and nights to land on the moon. I find Lucian amazing because he lived from 125 to 180 A.D. He must have had a forward looking and creative mind.
Here’s a video of today’s launch.
Thanks NASA!
Here’s a video of today’s launch.
Thanks NASA!
Watch live streaming video from spaceflightnow at livestream.com
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Writing On Nothing for a Bit for Creativity
I’ve had a couple of hectic weeks and the busyness prevented me from creating new posts for Science Fiction Writer, Writing On Monday I expect to be back to a normal schedule, whatever that may be.
Part of the busyness involved transferring notes from the new novel I'm writing, MORB (hopefully a best seller), from handwritten notes to the computer. Other activity was about learning something new and completely different. Learning something new and different, and usual at the same time, always adds to one's perspective on the world.
Some of the learning involved new experience that required using creativity , something I think the world could use more of to solve global dilemmas. So I’m not referring to the creative arts such as writing, dance, theater, music, painting and other fun things in that domain. Rather, the learning involved things such as helping deliver healthcare to everyone or creating global security , so the global population can pursue better lives and enjoy peace and happiness.
Part of the busyness involved transferring notes from the new novel I'm writing, MORB (hopefully a best seller), from handwritten notes to the computer. Other activity was about learning something new and completely different. Learning something new and different, and usual at the same time, always adds to one's perspective on the world.
Some of the learning involved new experience that required using creativity , something I think the world could use more of to solve global dilemmas. So I’m not referring to the creative arts such as writing, dance, theater, music, painting and other fun things in that domain. Rather, the learning involved things such as helping deliver healthcare to everyone or creating global security , so the global population can pursue better lives and enjoy peace and happiness.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
New York Times Best Seller List
Combined Print & E-Book Fiction
1 WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, by Sara Gruen. (Algonquin.) After his parents die in a car accident, a young veterinary student — and an elephant — save a Depression-era circus.
2 SOMETHING BORROWED, by Emily Giffin. (St. Martin's.) A maid of honor to her charmed friend, Rachel White has always played by the rules. But that changes on her 30th birthday.
3THE SIXTH MAN, by David Baldacci. (Grand Central.) The lawyer for an alleged serial killer is murdered, and two former Secret Service agents are on the case.
4 THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett. (Penguin Group.) A young white woman and two black maids in 1960s Mississippi.
5 A GAME OF THRONES, by George R. R. Martin. (Random House.) In the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are mustering.
Visit The New York Times
1 WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, by Sara Gruen. (Algonquin.) After his parents die in a car accident, a young veterinary student — and an elephant — save a Depression-era circus.
2 SOMETHING BORROWED, by Emily Giffin. (St. Martin's.) A maid of honor to her charmed friend, Rachel White has always played by the rules. But that changes on her 30th birthday.
3THE SIXTH MAN, by David Baldacci. (Grand Central.) The lawyer for an alleged serial killer is murdered, and two former Secret Service agents are on the case.
4 THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett. (Penguin Group.) A young white woman and two black maids in 1960s Mississippi.
5 A GAME OF THRONES, by George R. R. Martin. (Random House.) In the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are mustering.
Visit The New York Times
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
New York Times Best Seller List
Combined Print & E-Book Fiction Weeks
1 WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, by Sara Gruen. (Algonquin.) After his parents die in a car accident, a young veterinary student — and an elephant — save a Depression-era circus.
2 THE SIXTH MAN, by David Baldacci. (Grand Central.) The lawyer for an alleged serial killer is murdered, and two former Secret Service agents are on the case.
3 SOMETHING BORROWED, by Emily Giffin. (St. Martin's.) A maid of honor to her charmed friend, Rachel White has always played by the rules. But that changes on her 30th birthday.
4 THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett. (Penguin Group.) A young white woman and two black maids in 1960s Mississippi.
5 A GAME OF THRONES, by George R. R. Martin. (Random House.) In the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are mustering.
Visit The New York Times
1 WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, by Sara Gruen. (Algonquin.) After his parents die in a car accident, a young veterinary student — and an elephant — save a Depression-era circus.
2 THE SIXTH MAN, by David Baldacci. (Grand Central.) The lawyer for an alleged serial killer is murdered, and two former Secret Service agents are on the case.
3 SOMETHING BORROWED, by Emily Giffin. (St. Martin's.) A maid of honor to her charmed friend, Rachel White has always played by the rules. But that changes on her 30th birthday.
4 THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett. (Penguin Group.) A young white woman and two black maids in 1960s Mississippi.
5 A GAME OF THRONES, by George R. R. Martin. (Random House.) In the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are mustering.
Visit The New York Times
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