Writing Historical Fiction Archives - Page 9 of 33

Learning Time – Open Book Blog Hop #437

August 5, 2024 By Captain Maiel

♦Welcome to another edition of the Open Book Blog Hop!♦

Topic #437

At which stage in the writing process do you seek feedback and from whom?

Welcome back to another Open Book Blog Hop! The authors included in this ongoing series wish to thank you for your reads. Even more so, we appreciate that you share our writings with friends. If you’re new to the series, welcome aboard. The authors engage and impress weekly. Prepare to become a regular reader.

Let me address the would be writers in the room, who I like to think are my general audience… All stages are a great place to get feedback. What you can do with it is up to you, based on where you are at both mentally (your reception of the feedback) and where you are at in the publishing stages of your manuscript. If you’re not mentally prepared to hear something, really great feedback is likely to miss you. Don’t get swept up in feelings. We all want to be further along in our journey than we are. To get there, we have to take feedback constructively and address our mistakes. Prepare to have your bias slapped around.

a map lies on the table with books and writing implements, as a person takes notes. Photo by Oxona on Unsplash

Firstly, mistakes aren’t to be avoided. I do not care who you are and how much money you make in this field. Your notoriety doesn’t mark you safe from legitimate criticism and making mistakes. There will be no stage in your writing career where you cannot learn something new and, therefore, better your writing for it. I write on here, hoping that would be writers who read this hop find something useful. The road I walked was hard, because I didn’t have anyone to help me. I insist on being that person for others now.

Let’s get started with: humility and frame of mind.

Humility is one of your greatest tools on your belt. So is honesty–with yourself and others. That means looking deep within to your fears and misgivings. You need both humility and honesty to reflect on yourself and your goals. This said, some insist on mistaking honesty for a lack of humility.

For instance, getting miffed about a writer who has a degree feeling that their skills outpace others who don’t have a degree. Well, it’s not untrue. When you spend the time working on your craft in this capacity you’re not only getting a piece of paper, you’re getting a ton of feedback and practice, studying your artform. It’s exactly like an apprenticeship. You’re put through the paces to earn that paper.

In addition, degreed people have also done all of the steps those who don’t go through university claim are just as equal. However, self-teaching doesn’t have structure or focus. It is simply what you stumble upon and seek to look at. How do you know what to look for? What are you focused on learning? Do you reject things as elitist thinking depending on how it is delivered? Regardless, a degreed individual has been institutionally vetted on top of all the other stuff, including being prepared to benefit from self-learning by knowing how to structure and examine what they stumble upon. They’ve done a lot of work! Respect it.

You can be mad about that, or you can do the work. And, why shouldn’t you? Is there some reason you’re more special and don’t need to do learning? See how that works? It goes both ways. Honestly, however, it doesn’t carry water to suggest someone who has done vastly more work isn’t more skilled. That’s just anti-intellectualism that seeks to devalue education and divert the masses from seeking better knowledge. It’s dangerous and it is sloppy.

wish for it, hope for it, dream of it, but by all means do it. — Photo by S O C I A L . C U T on Unsplash

Think of it this way: it would be like telling a master artisan carver or master cabinet maker that a self-taught, hobbyist dabbling deserves the same consideration as their master work. It isn’t grandstanding to defend an earned skillset in the face of such poo-pooing. You’re literally pissing on their work and everything they did to get that work accomplished. But somehow that master is the problem not the other guy? Would you tell an olympian that some guy who swims on the weekend is better than they are? Or, is this different because those medals somehow declare hard work where a degree doesn’t?

One of the best places I found to get feedback was via learning in the collegiate realm. There you find people who made a life of studying literature and writing–the masters if you will. They have explored it thoroughly. Panning these individuals as egoistic and uppity speaks more about the person saying so than it does their proven skill sets sitting right out in your face.

There’s a reason higher education exists. It is there to improve your knowledge of a specific skill. If you’re able to take courses, do it. No one can take that learning and experience from you. It only benefits you and your skillset. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Harvard course or something offered by your local high school. Courses are structured to expose you to a curriculum of learning for skills improvement and knowledge expansion. It sets you up to successfully self teach other things that don’t need all that structure.

Or, you could be mad about it, demand respect for what you don’t actually have, and continue in that cycle. But don’t get mad at someone who has done this, and sacrificed to make it happen, as elitist. That’s only going to hurt you in the end, creating a bitterness instead of improving your writing.

Look, being self-taught is not the same as having degrees. There are very few successful autodidacts, and it is disingenuous to believe they have no formal education along with their individual endeavors. Albert Einstein is often cited, but he received his PhD in Zurich in 1914. Eddison even attended Cooper Union before proceeding to steal from others with degrees (such as Nikola Tesla: Graz University of Technology, Karlovac Gymnasium, Charles University). Oprah Winfrey went to University of Tennessee. The list of presumed autodidacts goes on and on like that. The overarching similarity is that they know how to create self-coursework.

When you think you can’t or don’t need to take classes (aside from financial limitations), what you’re actually experience is the concern that you will have to face your worst fear: I am not any good at this. I see you out here comparing yourself to that person in class. Well, if that is what you find out, then you’ve taken the steps to fix your failings. Keep going. When you want to do something like writing, studying and growing your skills is only going to benefit you in the long run, regardless of age. Do this for yourself, seek out grants and other financial help. There is no time stamp on learning. Face your fears. I bet, instead of finding out you suck, that you’ll find out you’ve got a great skill that simply needs honing. Even masters hone their craft and continue to practice. It reinvigorates the desire!

Perhaps, also, you’re afraid to face bullies set on ripping you apart regardless of how good you are. Here’s a secret: they’re going to be out there no matter where you hide. Authors, for one, cannot hide. Unfortunately, our field has become extremely public in this social media world. We put ourselves out there and get slapped around quite a bit.

By now, I know that you must feel the same way I do about the phrase: don’t attribute to malice what you can attribute to ignorance. I had a boss who used to say this when I had to deal with arrogant higher ups treating me like I had no brains in my head because of the job title I held. I said back: Don’t fool yourself into thinking every person has your best interest at heart. Some folks just like to cause hurt and exert their power. And, they will manipulate others into being their minions, adding to the pile up, but also hurting those folks because bitterness and envy does not win friends.

Recognize the sapping kind of feedback for what it is. It cannot be used to improve, and is simply said to slow you down. When someone feels threatened, they often lash out and attempt to get others to feel a way about you, too. I have experienced that in the various sectors of my careers, as stated above. My best advice: choose your battles, avoid situations that are needless, address your own envy/shadows, and find laughter where you can often. Haters have too much time on their hands, don’t give them your life as something with which to play.

You can’t please everyone, so don’t try. Simply do the best for yourself, whatever that looks like.

Now that I have moved myself along in learning, how I get feedback has changed drastically. That was part of what I learned: when, what, and how feedback is useful to my work. Typically, at this stage of my writing, I seek feedback from those closest to me about the viability of a story before I start writing it. Mostly, however, I trust my gut. I write the thing. When it is editor time, I let them tell me what’s what. After the copy is clean, proofed and all, I will then seek reviews from a beta team. Throughout the life of the work, I continue to peruse reviews.

When you know yourself and what you want to write, the confusion about what does and doesn’t work lessens. The more you hone your skills, the less you’ll require feedback about the mechanics. The more you pay attention to beneficial feedback, the less you’ll need to know what elements work best as far as story. Take a course. Learn more about you. Fear of doing so could be a sign that you need to face something and work on weak points. Don’t deny yourself that opportunity!

For my novels, I tend to be far more secretive about the work. It is the screenplays that I like feedback on now, and from those within the industry. A couple of drafts in, I start the process of entering it in contests and meeting with executives to hear their take. The biggest feedback I need is about my pacing and also that pesky logline. Pacing in a film is a lot harder to pin down than in a novel. You sort of know that half way you should be in the thick of things but good. In a script, you are given the grace of five pages to get to the good stuff, and then trying to break the entire piece it into acts, and so on. Try it sometime. Holy cow is it a feat!

At any time in your journey, feel free to seek the feedback you need to make your story the best possible. Set your fears and bad feelings aside. Treat yourself to structured classes that help you work on crafting, or whatever stage you’re looking at. You deserve that. Lastly, don’t compare your journey to another writer. Your path is yours alone. Yes, degrees and all of that are stages that lift you up along that journey.

I hope this has been helpful to the aspiring writers seeking answers as to what their path should look like. Sometimes, all the pieces come out of order, and that is ok. Never stop learning, and learn how to learn best. Don’t sell yourself short because you’re afraid what you’ll learn about yourself. And, lastly, don’t poo poo another who has done the steps and deserves the credit. They have a right to be proud and loud about it. They earned that! You can earn it, too.

I’d like you to try a fun activity. Google your favorite author and their education. That should help give perspective and also an idea of what to pursue for your own writing. Once you’ve done that, please explore the topic of anti-intellectualism and its uses. That is great research to have in our field!

Click on the links below to see what the other authors have to say about when and where they seek feedback, and what that looks like. Each author’s path is unique. They offer something for everyone to consider in their own journey. Take what’s useful! I’ll see you back here next week. Be sure to subscribe to get this hop delivered to your inbox weekly.

open book blog hop, camera and a notebook on a vintage map

Where to Begin – Open Book Blog Hop #436

July 29, 2024 By Captain Maiel

♦Welcome to another edition of the Open Book Blog Hop!♦

Topic #436

Which book of yours do you recommend readers start with?

I cannot wait to hear what the other writers on the hop have to say about where to begin with their work. Make sure you click their links via the icons below, so that you can view each of their answers. This is important! Whenever I meet a new writer, and they’ve gained my interest, this is the first question I ask. Sometimes, even when their books appear to have no necessary order, there is a book that is important to understanding their work overall. It gets you in the right frame of mind, and reveals intertexts/subtexts in the other pieces.

Writing in seemingly different genres, my work can seem to bounce about a little. However, there is a connection. There is always a historical aspect, overt or otherwise. Additionally, there is always a darkness to the work, something hanging over it that makes it a bit shadowy. Some may read it is sullen or somber moods, while others will see the connection of looming threats. Noir is a heavy influence on my work. Regardless of the year in which the book is set, you’ll find that flavor included. Lastly, there are downright horrific things going on.

While I tend to write for anyone of a mature reading level, I don’t put ages on my work. A teen of 15 years can be ready to read these depending on their maturity level. That’s up to their parents to help them decide. The dark, often horrific, topics can give one pause. However, there are a lot of ideas to explore and things to meditate upon. The series is the deepest of them all.

Where should a reader begin with my work? If you like the dark fantasy, you should always begin with the first book in Trailokya. It will set you up for understanding the entire universe it encompasses. The series is linear. That stated, there are also the two historical fictions under my name. My best seller is OP-DEC. I recommend this to begin consuming my work. This is the one I recommend to pretty much everyone seeking one of my books. It’s a good introduction to my style without dumping them in the deep end too quickly (or, rather, noticeably).

OP-DEC is a thrill ride set in Europe during a specific point of the Second World War. There are set dates, and the accuracy of what goes on during that period was painstakingly adhered to–down to the moon phases. It’s scary without being a horror or paranormal. It faces tough questions, without banging anyone over the head about it. The best part: it pays homage to Noir Film and classic adventure pieces. This one would make a great limited series for streaming.

The best reviews I have received came in on this book. It’s well-liked by just about every type of reader. From there, you’ll be able to tackle Blue Honor and Trailokya with a sense of how things form in my head (a bit on the dark side). Keep in mind, Trailokya can be read without a deep knowledge of world mythologies. However, the more you know, the better your read will be. There are a lot of Easter Eggs for historians and culture buffs.

Ultimately, where you begin is your purview. I won’t steer anyone away from any particular book I have to offer. In the end, I just want to share them with everyone who will listen. Happy reading. Let me know which you decide on in the comments below. And, don’t forget to stop by the other author responses (click their links below) to get their recommendations. This hop is full of great authors ranging many genres. Enjoy!

Subscribe to my newsletter and have this hop delivered to your inbox every Friday at 1:00 PM est. See you next time!

Paragraph Questions – Open Book Blog Hop #435

July 22, 2024 By Captain Maiel

♦Welcome to another edition of the Open Book Blog Hop!♦

Topic #435

How do you determine where to end a chapter?

I can hear my fifth-grade grammar lesson replaying in my head as soon as this question came up. I’m zapped back to my seat sitting on the right side of the room toward the front (thanks to assigned seating). The room was bright with overhead office lighting. It’s a wonder I ever became an author after the terrible grammar lessons endured in my US (New York) school. Dry as dust and confusing.

chalk board with know the rules written large

The thing about teachers up through this point is that they specialize in topics, but are expected to be able to teach in every subject. Yeah, we moved around a bit, to get us used to how things would go in high school and then college/university settings. The moving was great. That really helped my ability to pay attention for longer periods. A change of scenery and moving my feet is always helpful!

Anyway, back on track! The lesson talked about how we knew to break a paragraph. Paragraphs, they insisted, should be at least four sentences long. For the most part, I try to keep to that. If the thought is less, I often can make it part of a previous or next paragraph. Sometimes, you just have a couple things to say that stand alone. A paragraph, basically, is a grouping of sentences that pertain to the same idea. When you move to the next part of the overall idea (the chapter), you can make a paragraph break.

All of that said, the breaks aren’t always clear. Thankfully, beta readers and editors can help you out when you’re stuck. That’s one of the reasons they’re so important to us. They help us look our best on the page. From time to time, I still have a sentence ending a paragraph that should be starting the next, and vice versa. It happens. It’s ok.

At this point in my career, paragraph breaks have become rather intuitive. Eventually, you just feel it. I know. I know. We writers are always saying things like that, and it’s not helpful! You know what is helpful? The provost at my graduate alma mater back in the day said to me: just get yourself a copy of an eighth-grade grammar textbook. You don’t need anything else. I am not sure what the equivalency is for other countries, but you would be about 13 years of age when going through that curriculum.

Does such a grammar text help you understand Chicago? It should. That is the accepted style, but it may veer toward MLA (see below). If you want some additional help, there are student handbooks for grammar and citations that they make you buy when studying English and Writing at University. Those are handy! Keep in mind, there are multiple styles for specific types of writing, AP (Associate Press) and MLA (Academic Style) coming to mind. You don’t want to use either for fiction. However, they do overlap in many places.

Does this matter? Yes, especially if you have designs on publishing with a big 5 publisher. My professors used to remark about how once you’re established, then you have the leeway to do as you will and push those boundaries. Until then, the writing world just regards it as novice mistakes. I know how unfair that can be for someone being creative with language, who knows what they’re doing, but we are not in control of those entrenched ideas. It is ours to play ball with, or go home.

Paragraphing, after many years of writing, becomes and intuitive matter. Until then, refer to the online style guides and seek assistance from others when in doubt. Nothing is wrong with reaching out. The more you learn and absorb, the easier it becomes.

Happy writing. Happy reading. Be sure to check out the answers the other authors give on this hop by clicking on their links below. Each authors has linked up to this hop, and you will find the same links at the base of their article (or top). Be sure to subscribe to get this hop delivered to your inbox every Friday. You’ll get the skinny on writing life, technical aspects, and recommendations about great books in our indie community.

See you next time!

Useless Feedback – Open Book Blog Hop #428

June 3, 2024 By Captain Maiel

♦Welcome to another edition of the Open Book Blog Hop!♦

Topic #428

What is the worst piece of writing advice you’ve ever received?

There’s so much bad feedback and advice out there for any field you could pursue. The worst among it is what we now label Toxic Positivity. A lot of these pep talks never sat well with me. The person spouting the jargon back at me clearly ignored my individual experience and failed to give much thought to my personal situation. That’s exceptionally sad when those folks are friends and colleagues who claim to care about you. I wouldn’t do this to a stranger. In fact, I’ve learned to be honest but compassionate to a fault.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash, a couple clasp hands across a table between coffee cups.

The best thing to come out of the toxic positivity movement were the demotivational posters. These little memes were painfully honest, but they gave me a laugh. In comparison to toxic positivity that made me think I failed because I wasn’t doing enough or I didn’t want it enough, that was a breath of fresh air! Unfortunately, toxic positivity still proliferates. Pushing back is key. Whenever you get toxic positivity feedback, ask them probing questions as to why they think that’s a helpful bit of advice. For instance, when they say, work hard, ask them why they think you’re not.

Unfortunately, a lot of things people say are just parroted niceties they think will make you feel better. There is not thought in them. In fact, it comes from a place of not wanting to be uncomfortable. Yes. They think your concerns and worry are uncomfortable. If not, they have little to no experience supporting someone they care about other than repeating a nicety and brushing it off. Yikes! That may sound harsh, but think about it. Why are they reading you 99c card sayings instead of hearing what you have to say and talking about it? Would they want you to spout a nicety at them when they’re struggling?

Even just talking about it without finding a solution is helpful. The person with the problem mostly wants someone to hear them. Someone truly hearing your concerns can help you talk through the issue and get your brain to unpack it more effectively.

Returning to the idea of hard work paying off… If you’re working on it, you’re doing enough. If you are resting, you’re doing enough. When you need to regroup and plan, or take a breath, that is just as much work as writing or promoting. Don’t let someone (not even yourself) tell you otherwise. Not to mention, getting back up right away may not be the best thing. Processing our hurts is important. Stuffing them down will make our health suffer. As someone with depression, anxiety, and CPTSD, I seriously don’t need to ignore the hurt and the moment and just brush myself off. That is dangerous.

Rejection is a big part of writing. Expect it. Expect a lot of it. In fact, expect more rejection than success. That is so normal. I hope you embrace it and grow from what each rejection teaches you about your writing. That’s feedback you can use for successful outcomes, by the way.

Within the range of toxic positivity, the worst piece of feedback that I ever received was: Don’t Ever Give Up. That idea looming over you is painful. There have been so many moments of abject fear that I was giving up, stopping, and that I failed by not doing enough or wanting it enough. It all came back to those words. For a writer, writing is like breathing. We just do this thing. There really isn’t a give it up possibility. The better advice would be: be sure to do plenty of self care. Rest is working on your writing, too. Writing and publishing is very hard, and you will need to regroup a lot. And, that is okay.

Yes, you do see others having to do a lot less to find success. That’s absolutely true. There are people who have access to opportunities fair or not. Don’t gaslight yourself into believing they have to fight like you. No two journeys are the same.

Rest and regroup. Don’t hold shame for doing so. Don’t beat yourself up for not having the connections you need in place already. That’s some more useful feedback.

Related to this is the idea that hard work is going to lead to success. That line is said with absolutes. The only hard work produces is a tired producer and a product that is maybe the best you can do. I mean, you can work your ass off but not know what you’re doing, so the quality of the end product isn’t guaranteed to be epic. Let’s be honest. Hard work does not guarantee success. Opportunity for success breeds success. Knowing what your best opportunities look like as they come along, being blessed with the best possible opportunities, that is what leads to success.

four round stones that say dream, courage, inspire, harmony

There is no one hustling harder than an artist trying to make things work when they have few to no connections in their field. It’s exhausting. There are so many dead ends. No one is out to help you. It’s lonely and consuming. Hard work will not change your outcomes for success, except on one front: You have a product that is finished to the best of your ability. Without at least that, you can’t get in line for success at all. But don’t fool yourself that it’s the front of the line you’ll be hopping into. You can’t possibly think other writers aren’t working hard–and what about where they are in their experience and journey?

While you shouldn’t compare yourself to other writers, because they’re not you and they are running their own career, not that you should take away some things from what they’re doing. For instance, what steps did they take? What steps do you still need to take? Identify their strengths. What are your strengths? What can you learn from them? Sometimes it’s comparing apples to oranges, but comparing another author to where you’re at can help give you an idea of what you need to do to help yourself.

When they say don’t compare yourself to another author, they mean not to look at their successes alone and then beat yourself over the head for not having the same or better. That’s not constructive. You can look at their steps and see if there is anything useful to learn. Many of us love to teach this stuff to other authors, anyway. There’s room for us all. Lots of readers are out here looking for books to read and love.

Here’s some great feedback, tips, and advice for writers: Rest. Rest as much as you write. Don’t ever think you can’t learn more about how to be better at what you do. Everyone’s journey is different and interesting and right for them. Ask for help and be helpful. Compare notes, not trophies. Be real. Faking success displays a lack of humility that will be clear to potential readers and colleagues, and they haven’t got time for that. Vulnerability is a strength not a weakness, but you don’t have to be a doormat. You’re loved. You’re working hard enough.

Click on the links below to find out what terrible feedback and advice other authors have been given in their writing journey. This is a great crowd of authors that you can be sure to learn a lot from. Don’t forget to subscribe to the blog so the hop is delivered to your inbox each Friday. Sometimes there will be a Zo Duck illustration in the mix.

Never Silent – Open Book Blog Hop #427

May 27, 2024 By Captain Maiel

♦Welcome to another edition of the Open Book Blog Hop!♦

Topic #427

How do you turn off your internal editor when you are reading for enjoyment?

The inner dialogue running while I am reading is constant, never silent. It doesn’t matter if it is official documents for work, emails, texts, social media posts, or juicy new book. That editor is ready to go regardless of my need to quiet them. I cannot turn them off. In fact, it’s a good thing for me not to turn them off.

Why allow this inner dialogue to run, which can be distracting to the reading? I know I need it silent when reading, but letting my editor brain work exercises those synapses. I get better at writing by observing bad writing and good writing, equipped by years of experience to do so. Knowing the difference is important and not learned by just reading or writing excessively. This is why I am so annoyed with traditional publishing companies who put out books riddled with mistakes, as they’re always doing. People will accept what they put out as good writing without question. They will take any independent author to task for a single typo, though. Infuriating.

A traditionally published book should be clean. There should not be any mistakes in them. In this age, with all of the technology, and ability to change copy on a whim, how do the mistakes continue to make their way through to print (i’ve seen them even in classics)? Don’t their overpaid editors actually edit? Isn’t there a proofing level they go through a few times, too? Doesn’t a copy that comes to them for consideration have to be edited prior to submission? Yes. All of this. There is no excuse.

That is essentially why my inner editor is not silent. The umbrage.

I have no patience for an industry that claims to be the outlet of all good writing. Independent authors do their due diligence to better outcomes, but are still called wannabes. Sure, there are still those who cannot escape their ego and put out poorly written work, but this is also very true in traditional spheres. I once read that certain authors do not even receive an edit after a time, because publishers cannot waste time getting to the profits. I’d be mortified as an author. The author I’m thinking of was hugely popular in the 1980s and 1990s and their book quality declined heavily once they were no longer edited. The readers took note, but the traditional publisher behind them continued pumping them out.

Why does this all bother me so much? Fledgling authors are told to read all of the popular books, and as many books in general as they can, to ingrain good writing. Somehow we learn our skill by osmosis. That’s not true, because if you cannot discern between the faulty stuff and the solid stuff, how do you know? You’re just incorporating what is hot at that time. If you want to write the hottest new thing, you’re going to have manage the seemingly psychic ability of reading where tastes are headed. You will get this wrong more often than right. Not to mention that you care more about the hot new thing than the art.

If you’re following trends, your writing still needs to rank high. You can’t learn that just reading or writing for set amounts of time per day. Unpacking what makes bad and good writing is far more necessary. Getting into the grammar dos and don’ts is tedious. If you’re serious, you’ll suck it up. Paying attention to what readers are making fun of is also part of the deal. Would you want to find yourself on the list of authors who wrote a ridiculous line?

While reading, I also tend to rephrase sentences. My brain goes on tangents: how could this paragraph be better? There is the occasional: I wouldn’t have used that word. That’s actually interesting for me, but it makes reading a lot more time consuming. Yes, I do this while watching a film, too.

Nope. I can’t shut off the editor in my head. Binding and gagging that part of my brain doesn’t work. The editor is just never silent. Click on the other author’s responses below to see how they handle this writer conundrum. Before you go, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter and have this hop delivered every friday to your email. See you next time!