Indie News: Wattpad Introduces Fan Funding

Not on Wattpad yet? If you need more motivation to get involved with this story-sharing social media site, here's an incentive: you can use it to make money for your self-publishing projects. 

Wattpad has recently introduced a "Fan Funding" option to the site, where writers can encourage readers in their network to help fund their upcoming projects. Wattpad says their program is different from the crowd funding platform Kickstarter because many Wattpad users have large fan bases to work with.

The platform isn't limited to ebooks or even print books. Through Fan Funding, Wattpad users can donate to movie scripts and other writing-related projects. This gives indies a whole new means of supporting their dreams and making them a reality. 

So if you've been waiting for an excuse to join the site, now's your chance. While you're there, look me up!

Books on Film: A River Runs Through It

Like some of the best film adaptations, A River Runs Through It was based on a short story. I've always believed that movies are too short and small a medium to accurately capture a complete novel...but short stories are another matter entirely. This one was originally published in May 1976, and it's sort of based on a true story. 

The Book

The story revolves around the Maclean family, who live in the wide-open spaces of Montana. Fly fishing is what bonds them together. The story is mostly told through Norman's eyes. He's the oldest son, and he goes on one last fishing trip with younger brother Paul. This occurs in the summer of 1937; both men are in their early 30s. 

Fishing is a huge part of the story, which is really more of a novella. If you like very long and detailed descriptions of nature and the weather, you will certainly enjoy the print version of this particular tale. In-between descriptions of lures and the like, you'll see the profound relationship between the Maclean brothers. Neither one can really understand each other, but their affection isn't any less because of it.

The story in the book delves much more deeply into the characters than the film, and gives you a much closer look at Norman's struggle to help Paul. The story is taken from a semi-autobiographical novel, a collection of three stories, written by (who else?) Norman Maclean.

The Film

A River Runs Through It is perhaps best-known as being a Brad Pitt movie, but it's a pretty enjoyable period piece in spite of that. Pitt plays Paul, younger brother to narrator Norman (Craig Sheffer). Directed by Robert Redford, the flick was so popular it actually sparked an interest in fly fishing all over the United States. 

The two brothers are the sons of a Presbyterian minister. Norman has been away at college for 6 years when the film begins, and Paul has been working as a journalist back home. They are a study of opposites. Norman is straight-laced, and interested in courting the eligible young Miss Jessie Burns. Paul is wild, and chases the ladies as it strikes his fancy. He drinks, he gambles, he does just what he likes...much to Norman's despair.

It's your classic coming-of-age tale...but it's Norman who ends up coming of age, not Paul. If you haven't seen it, what have you been doing? You must seek it out at once. But if you read the story and watch the film, you will find some differences in the two narratives.

What Got Adapted?

You'll get to meet Jessie much more quickly on the page. She appears once the film is already well-established, and she doesn't marry Norman soon enough. Jessie is Mrs. Maclean early in the story, and Norman's ordeal with her brother plays out after they are married.

Paul catches the fish in the movie, but it was really Norman who wrangled the beast on the page. It doesn't happen at the end of the story, either, but more toward the beginning. Certain plot points are also fabricated out of whole cloth for the movie. In the book, Norman doesn't attend Dartmouth or get offered a job in Chicago.

Some of the passages from the story, however, appear in the film verbatim. Some of Brad Pitt's most memorable lines are ripped right from the page, as are Tom Skerritt's as the minister/father.

The book takes you even deeper into the world make visual by the movie, and both are worth the time it takes to enjoy them. This is one adaptation that got it pretty much right...and that fits into my theories perfectly, so I highly recommend it.

Exposing Death

 "I don't know how Jade Varden keeps these twists and surprises coming!" 

"Will all the lies be revealed or will they all be swept under the rug like usual?"

Death (Deck of Lies, #3) has been reviewed at Eastern Sunset Reads. Check out their review to see how the book was rated!

Alert! You Need Justice

"If you enjoy a mystery and contemporary young adult this book’s for you."

"It’s different and refreshing from a lot of the YA that’s out there."

Justice (Deck of Lies, #1) has been reviewed at Good Book Alert. Read the whole thing to find out why the book got 5 stars!

Writing 101: Starting is the Hardest Word...

Those who follow me on Twitter know that I watch The Golden Girls late at night. One of my favorite moments is depicted in the clip below, where Blanche says she's got writer's block...because she hasn't written anything at all. Dorothy tells her that you have to have written something to have writer's block -- otherwise, everyone's got it. But I know what Blanche means, because I've sat and stared at blank screens a lot.

Blank

For me, starting any project is the hardest part. I compile research, I envision plots, I carefully plan outlines...and then, I sit. I stare at the screen. I think about that first line. I let my mind wander; I try to snap my focus back into place. The dance could go on indefinitely, in some cases, if I let it. 

A lot of emphasis is placed on the first line of any book. Join any forum group, and you'll often see it as a thread. The first line is the subject of articles, blog posts, conversation and obsession. No pressure, or anything, but you're expected to come up with an amazing first line. Not just good, mind you, but sensational. Some readers believe that the better the first line, the better the book.

This is how writers get blocked...before they even write a single word. This is why I stop, and start again, and erase, and go back, and eventually just write whatever feels right to me. This is how you defeat the blank page curse: stop caring. The best first lines are natural, and flow easily into the rest of the story. If you think about it too much and obsess over it, you're going to end up like Blanche...staring at egg yolks inside a plastic bag.

Writing 101: Easing Into It

It's very dramatic to kill a character suddenly, or allow raeaders to walk in on a cheating husband. Many authors write moments like this in order to provoke an emotional reacion. But your readers aren't going to buy it unless you're easing into it. Abrupt plot turns need to have some backstory. Otherwise, readers just aren't going to care. 

Slowing Down

You're writing a story about Beatrice and her friend Ursula. But if you kill Beatrice in the first four pages of text,  what do I care? I barely had time to meet her before she was suddenly gone. If the remainder of the story is all about Beatrice's loss, I'm not really going to identify because I'm not feeling the pain of that loss. In other words, I won't like that story. 

There is merit in slowing down and setting the stage, something that many great writers do before they introduce too much action and plot. Show me some scenes with Beatrice before you take her away. Show her doing something admirable, or intriguing. Get me interested in that character and invested in that character, and then yank the rug out from under my feet. Otherwise, I won't feel the impact of that big moment. 

You want to make an impact with your words. Do it properly by setting the stage and letting the reader establish some feelings before you throw them into the meat of the story. Easing into it is a delicate art form, but once mastered you'll be able to jerk those heartstrings much more successfully.

Writing 101: Retaliation

Ever given someone a not-so-glowing review? Ever had that come back to you in equal, or even greater, measure? The indie author community is a close-knit bunch of folks that do a lot of interacting with each other...but artists do tend to be a little touchy. You too could be a victim of indie author retaliation. 

Spite

I'm a big advocate for the indie author community as a whole. Self-published authors need each other, and honestly if you're doing it right you're going to interact with them anyway. You'll bump into them in forum groups, on Twitter, and you'll find them commenting on your blog. 

And you're not going to become BFF with every last one of them, because this is not summer camp. Even worse, if you start reading books by other indie authors (and chances are, you will) you're going to discover that some of them just don't suit your particular reading tastes. You're not going to enjoy every single self-published book you read. If you're honest about those feelings (and I believe you should always be honest), you may face retaliation. 

One-star reviews may appear out of nowhere, comments that belittle you may suddenly crop up...you might even get a rage-filled email accusing you of pretty much everything except being a Republican. It's going to hurt your feelings, because that's the point. You hurt their feelings...by being honest. This doesn't make sense, I know. When you're a  professional, you know that you aren't going to please all the readers all the time. You know that you may face comments and criticism that sting a little, and you know you've got to simply absorb that information, use it however you can, and write the next line. You'll get 'em next time.

But every indie author you meet isn't going to have this attitude. Some indie authors think they are geniuses, their words so brilliant and perfect they can do absolutely no wrong. You are wrong for not liking their work. You are wrong for being critical (even if your mission was to review their work and therefore, to be critical). And by Jove, you are now the one who's going to hurt.

This is the path to retaliation, and believe it or not it's pretty easy to walk. It beckons and it calls, and it traps many different indie authors and in some cases, their friends and supporters. You may not be attacked by the author in question, but by one of their network of fans/friends/whatever.

It may never happen, but if you dish out reviews then it's probably going to happen in some form or fashion. When feelings are hurt, people tend to lash out. And as a professional, you're just going to have to absorb it. Look at the bad reviews and the ugly comments, and feel sad about them. Cry if you like. And then shove it away from you...and write the next line. 

As an author, that's just what you do. Don't ever retaliate against one of your fellow authors, or anyone really. Stay professional, stay cool, and they'll end up leaving you alone. If you react to their reaction, it could lead to a full-blown war...and who's got the time?

Writing 101: Publicity Stunts

What's the craziest marketing idea you ever had? A few years back, I launched a one-woman email campaign under an assumed name in an attempt to get a certain right-wing, conservative talk radio host to publicly denounce a book I wrote (under a different pen name, in a former life). I happen to believe that bad publicity is better than no publicity at all, and there's an entire school of thought that controversy sells books...but I digress. The point is, I'm not above at least attempting a publicity stunt (because my campaign didn't work, FYI)...and you shouldn't be, either. 

Hanging Upside-Down from a Building

I saw this movie about Houdini once. It was based on his life (they call that a biopic) and it really wasn't very good (it had everything to do with the actor that played Houdini, whom I won't name). But I do remember this one thing about it quite distinctly: he was a master of the publicity stunt. Houdini resorted to all sorts of stuff in order to get attention for his feats of daring magic-do, and it worked. He had himself locked inside jail cells, punched in the gut, tossed into bags...and once, in Las Vegas, he put himself in a straight jacket and hung upside-down from a truly eye-popping height.

Suspended above one of the city's tallest buildings, Houdini hung there...until he started to draw an enormous crowd. This is how he introduced himself to the city. And whether you care for his tactics or not, you've got to admit that he did something right -- because you've probably heard the name Houdini before you ever found this blog. The man died almost 9 decades ago, and you still know his name. 

That's good marketing. Publicity stunts are a fantastic way to get lots of attention very quickly, but you have to tread lightly. Writing inflammatory (and fake) emails is one thing, but publicity stunts of Houdini's ilk are life-threatening (go back and read that again: life-threatening). So if you're going to pull a publicity stunt, please come up with one that couldn't possibly cause you or any bystanders any injury. If there is any risk or danger involved whatsoever, take all necessary safety precautions. 

I should probably also caution you not to break the law, though in some of my crazier moments I've often thought that even a jail term is negligible. But seriously, don't break the law and don't implicate me if you do. I am not advocating in any way that any authors go out and break laws in order to gain publicity.

However, I do condone a perfectly legal and relatively harmless publicity stunt. There are lots of good examples of safe, legal stunts. The most famous publicity stunt ever just may be the Boston Tea Party, but please don't go declare war to sell some books.

Ever heard of the Tour de France? A French newspaper organized the first one, back in 1903, to get more readers. It worked, by the way. The first Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade was also a PR stunt for the department store, back in 1924. In 1999, 11 UK ladies from the Women's Institute posed nude to raise money for charity. They cleverly used flowers and bakery items to hide the more R-rated areas of their anatomy, and got so much attention it even inspired a film.

And in the UK, a student glued himself to a billboard for a book promotion. Publicity stunts can work sometimes, and sometimes they fail. The beauty of a really good publicity stunt, however, is that even a failure can be a success because they may get media attention, too. By the way, I don't think you should glue yourself to a billboard.