tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post116308683406475045..comments2023-10-11T09:22:33.136-04:00Comments on Paperback Writer: Friday 20Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1163626092229087642006-11-15T16:28:00.000-05:002006-11-15T16:28:00.000-05:00Wow, that is a gorgeous cover.No questions from me...Wow, that is a gorgeous cover.<BR/><BR/>No questions from me at the moment. I need as much brainpower as possible for NaNo.Liahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03597665643678399960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1163320073028512732006-11-12T03:27:00.000-05:002006-11-12T03:27:00.000-05:00Oh, he's pretty! I adore this cover and I'm so hap...Oh, he's pretty! I adore this cover and I'm so happy for you in getting all this great cover art, especially for this series.<BR/><BR/>With all these hints you've been giving about tying in other story lines into your Stardoc books--you've been getting me so excited! <I>Plague of Memory</I> is going to be a special after-Christmas treat and I can't wait! I'll just be starting second semester with all new classes, so I'll really have time to enjoy it. ^_~<BR/><BR/>I just have a general questions related to your books. I love the Jorenians, and I think they are one of the most interesting alien races you've come up with--and I love story arcs about them. Teulon's story arc in your latest Stardoc book was especially interesting. My question is: would you ever consider someday writing a book featuring a female Jorenian warrior? I just find it interesting that their entire race is equally warrior-trained, and I'd like to explore a little more into the female Jorenian world.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1163293242852688802006-11-11T20:00:00.000-05:002006-11-11T20:00:00.000-05:00Thanks, Zornhau. I feel young again. ;)Thanks, Zornhau. I feel young again. ;)Jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01805501348812702651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1163283808050003642006-11-11T17:23:00.000-05:002006-11-11T17:23:00.000-05:00Jean: "swyving"/"swiving" is (possibly ersatz) Med...Jean: "swyving"/"swiving" is (possibly ersatz) Medieval for "shagging".<BR/><BR/>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SwiveM Harold Pagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08949772130509527838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1163277419510717392006-11-11T15:36:00.000-05:002006-11-11T15:36:00.000-05:00That is a rocking cover! Congrats.That is a rocking cover! Congrats.Nalini Singhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14035379088067281196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1163271300571037682006-11-11T13:55:00.000-05:002006-11-11T13:55:00.000-05:00WOW! Stunning!WOW! Stunning!Tracy Sharp - Author of the Leah Ryan Serieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12239533451929739327noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1163268110110727762006-11-11T13:01:00.000-05:002006-11-11T13:01:00.000-05:00After I had solved the problems and written the bo...<I>After I had solved the problems and written the book, I was then told (emphatically) that no one would buy a novel that had essentially seven protagonists in addition to a huge cast. I refused to give up on it, and in the end it got into print.</I><BR/><BR/>So I'm not the only one. I can't for the life of me come up with a novel project that does <I>not</I> involve more subplots than a tree has branches and more characters that it has leaves. :)<BR/><BR/>*knocks some of her characters over the head*<BR/>You can't <I>all</I> be protags - or antags, for that matter.Gabriele Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17205770868139083575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1163261704377233052006-11-11T11:15:00.000-05:002006-11-11T11:15:00.000-05:00WOW! Best cover yet! Congratulations!WOW! Best cover yet! Congratulations!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1163259286867102752006-11-11T10:34:00.000-05:002006-11-11T10:34:00.000-05:00Ok, I have to ask. swyving=swinging? Or is it so...Ok, I have to ask. swyving=swinging? Or is it something else?<BR/><BR/>My slang is so 70s. I got a little updated in the early-mid 80s when I was teaching kids right out of basic training, but I've lost touch.Jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01805501348812702651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1163245473850887162006-11-11T06:44:00.000-05:002006-11-11T06:44:00.000-05:00I didn't mean literally competative swyving. Rathe...I didn't mean <I>literally</I> competative swyving. Rather, two love interests, both - for political or emotional reasons - not available for relationsips. <BR/><BR/>Both are very different people, and this would be expressed in their bedroom style: one very physical verging on butch, the other sensuous and sophisticated etc.<BR/><BR/>Protag is drawn in both directions. <BR/><BR/>Oh, and "War of the Powers" was this vaguely dodgy series published in the 1980s http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/v/robert-e-vardeman/sundered-realm.htmM Harold Pagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08949772130509527838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1163217761284111312006-11-10T23:02:00.000-05:002006-11-10T23:02:00.000-05:00I love the cover art! It looks fantastic :)I love the cover art! It looks fantastic :)Erin the Innocenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06074095793492216013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1163215778548810132006-11-10T22:29:00.000-05:002006-11-10T22:29:00.000-05:00Crys wrote: No questions, but I have to say, my ey...Crys wrote: <I>No questions, but I have to say, my eyes were COMPLETELY absorbed by that beautiful cover... and I think it's more the colour and tasteful design than the man.</I><BR/><BR/>I really like that the series has its own look, which I think in this day and age of recycled cover art is vital to catch the eye of book buyers. <BR/><BR/>Several imprints of NAL are doing this for their authors; Patricia Briggs, Rob Thurman and Shiloh Walker all have gotten cover art that I thought was brilliant and suited their novels perfectly.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1163215383562781572006-11-10T22:23:00.000-05:002006-11-10T22:23:00.000-05:00Jordan wrote: Love the cover.Thank you, ma'am.Curr...Jordan wrote: <I>Love the cover.</I><BR/><BR/>Thank you, ma'am.<BR/><BR/><I>Currently fighting with the urban fantasy and having a Stephen King 'I'll never be that good' moment.</I><BR/><BR/>Sounds familiar. I had an Emma Holly "I'll never write that cool a sex scene" moment earlier this evening.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1163212432060951072006-11-10T21:33:00.000-05:002006-11-10T21:33:00.000-05:00No questions, but I have to say, my eyes were COMP...No questions, but I have to say, my eyes were COMPLETELY absorbed by that beautiful cover... and I think it's more the colour and tasteful design than the man. Love those green eyes, though. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1163210819780785432006-11-10T21:06:00.000-05:002006-11-10T21:06:00.000-05:00Love the cover. :) Currently fighting with the urb...Love the cover. :) Currently fighting with the urban fantasy and having a Stephen King 'I'll never be that good' moment.Jordan Summershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00437563784716604402noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1163208439907106972006-11-10T20:27:00.000-05:002006-11-10T20:27:00.000-05:00PBW wrote: It's almost like a battle you have with...PBW wrote: <I>It's almost like a battle you have with yourself and whatever makes you a writer, and I don't think you should run away from that kind of fight.</I><BR/><BR/>So true and very well put!Patrice Michellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12061901112336162568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1163205397951299732006-11-10T19:36:00.000-05:002006-11-10T19:36:00.000-05:00Patrice wrote: Have you ever written a story just ...Patrice wrote: <I>Have you ever written a story just to prove you could?</I><BR/><BR/>Many times, to prove to myself and/or to others that it could be done. Of the stories I have in print, <I>Blade Dancer</I> was one of these. When I got the idea for the book, I knew nothing about swords, training to use them, or how I could reasonably manage to make assassins sympathetic characters. Yet the idea was so strong that I had no choice but to nail it on paper. That took about two and a half years of planning, reading, researching and hammering out the details as well as some of the toughest writing I've ever done.<BR/><BR/>After I had solved the problems and written the book, I was then told (emphatically) that no one would buy a novel that had essentially seven protagonists in addition to a huge cast. I refused to give up on it, and in the end it got into print.<BR/><BR/>In my case, book ideas like that are few and far between (thank God) but I don't regret a moment I spent on any of mine. It's almost like a battle you have with yourself and whatever makes you a writer, and I don't think you should run away from that kind of fight.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1163203943704356432006-11-10T19:12:00.000-05:002006-11-10T19:12:00.000-05:00LOVE that cover, PBW! The green is so intriguing, ...LOVE that cover, PBW! The green is so intriguing, not to mention the guy! :)<BR/><BR/>Have you ever written a story just to prove you could?<BR/><BR/>Patrice *who sometimes thinks these word verifications are trying to tell us something!*Patrice Michellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12061901112336162568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1163197943572578432006-11-10T17:32:00.000-05:002006-11-10T17:32:00.000-05:00Darlene wrote: For the most part I leave it out o...Darlene wrote: <I> For the most part I leave it out of my books and not just because it makes the book dated fairly quickly. Slang varies from one part of North America to another. For instance, where I grew up we called the emergency room "the outdoor." And I'm guessing that unless you're Canadian you won't know what double-double means.</I><BR/><BR/>If you're an American who's been to a a Timmie's, you might. :)<BR/><BR/>Excellent points for not using slang too, D., thanks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1163197686425642182006-11-10T17:28:00.000-05:002006-11-10T17:28:00.000-05:00Raine wrote: No questions.Just a thumbs-up.Yummy c...Raine wrote: <I>No questions.<BR/>Just a thumbs-up.<BR/>Yummy cover.</I><BR/><BR/>Thank you, ma'am.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1163197631719885472006-11-10T17:27:00.000-05:002006-11-10T17:27:00.000-05:00May wrote: But but but but! You're Super-PBW! You ...May wrote: <I>But but but but! You're Super-PBW! You write more in one week than some of us do in NaNoWriMo!</I><BR/><BR/>Super-PBW, that's me. Faster than an agitated senior citizen, more powerful than 2% milk, and able to leap tall door jambs in a single hobble, lol.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1163197450911020242006-11-10T17:24:00.000-05:002006-11-10T17:24:00.000-05:00Vicky wrote: That's a gorgeous cover. I feel sorry...Vicky wrote: <I>That's a gorgeous cover. I feel sorry for authors that get saddled with really awful cover art.</I><BR/><BR/>Thank you, ma'am. You can't imagine how awful it is to get stuck with inappropriate cover art. It's probably one of the main levels of writer hell. <BR/><BR/><I>Personally, I'm very visual and a nice cover makes it more likely that I'll pick up the book and check it out.</I><BR/><BR/>Authors tend to be very visual, too, and we get close to our characters. I've tried to describe how jolting inappropriate cover art can be. Best I can come up with is imagine coming home one day and finding different faces on every member of your family.<BR/><BR/>Because cover art can be so wrong for the story, one thing I try to do is read the first couple of pages of anything I pick up. Unlike cover art, buying a book based on the author's writing has never let me down once.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1163196712129977672006-11-10T17:11:00.000-05:002006-11-10T17:11:00.000-05:00Jean wrote: As for the age of your cover models, I...Jean wrote: <I>As for the age of your cover models, I figure if I can marry a guy 23 years my senior is RealLife, I can darn sure admire one 23 years my junior in fantasy (especially since he'd still be of legal age).</I><BR/><BR/>I'm torn between admiring them, and wondering if they're eating right and calling home once in a while. God, I sound like <I>my</I> mother.<BR/><BR/><I>As for RealLife, I want them to have enough maturity and Life Experience to know how to provide their next meal without help from mommy or Hardee's.</I><BR/><BR/>Ah, yes, men who can cook -- always a delight. I feel a special warmth in my heart whenever mine fires up the grill.<BR/><BR/>I think I can better appreciate all sorts of men now that I'm older and totally unavailable. Before middle age, there was always that pressure to date and be fruitful and multiply. Now I can just be the wise old writer lady living in sin with her paramour. Sure spices up conversation around the neighborhood coffee clutches. ;)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1163195386669226222006-11-10T16:49:00.000-05:002006-11-10T16:49:00.000-05:00Lynn asked about slang in YA books. For the most ...Lynn asked about slang in YA books. For the most part I leave it out of my books and not just because it makes the book dated fairly quickly. Slang varies from one part of North America to another. For instance, where I grew up we called the emergency room "the outdoor." And I'm guessing that unless you're Canadian you won't know what double-double means.<BR/>I think you can still keep teens sounding real without a lot of slang. Kids in my books do swear sometimes and their grammar is often terrible.Sofie Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16830230500527705589noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1163194756849463912006-11-10T16:39:00.000-05:002006-11-10T16:39:00.000-05:00Lynn wrote: This is more a "how would you handle t...Lynn wrote: <I>This is more a "how would you handle this?" than a question, but I value your opinion.</I><BR/><BR/>Hopefully you still like me with this hugely swollen head, too.<BR/><BR/><I>I'm working on a YA for NaNo, and I'm torn about using slang. I honestly think that including slang as part of the characters' dialogue is key to making them sound real. Teenagers speak in ways that baffle me.</I><BR/><BR/>Same here. Recently I had a class of ninth graders completely stump me during our discussion of Chris Paolini's Eldest with such praise as "swom" "banging" and "hella tight." Despite my linguistic inadequacies, they deemed me "aw-ite" (and yeah, kids, I know I'm spelling some of these wrong.)<BR/><BR/><I>However, if one thing is truer than true, slang is so yesterday. Whatever words I write today will be next year's "groovy" and "gnarly!", which puts me in a bind. Lord knows I'm more than a full year away from even remotely considering imagining this book to be anywhere near a place someone could buy it. By then, I might as well have written caveman for as pertinent as the slang will be.</I><BR/><BR/>You're absolutely right. Slang does date a story, and the more you use, the more you run the risk of falling into the gnarly pit of sad groove.<BR/><BR/><I>So, what would you do? Leave it in and risk dating the book in order to give the characters a ring of authenticity? Or leave it out and just use plain 'ol English and hope it can be considered a classic?</I><BR/><BR/>I'd go with another approach -- coin my own slang for the characters and use it sparingly throughout the story. It is a little riskier than going with classic English or established real life slang, but the main advantage is that it can't be dated because it doesn't exist outside the book. <BR/><BR/>If you coin your own, you'll need to keep the slang logical to the characters, their cultural and economic environment (a poor white kid in a rural area who works the combines is unlikely to run around muttering slang like "faboo" "cher amie" and "kiss-kiss", for example.)<BR/><BR/>If that doesn't appeal to you, I'd skip slang and go with classic English. That way you can always go back once the book is finished and insert some current slang versus trying to update your year-old slang.<BR/><BR/><I>Thanks!! And, btw, awesome cover! Yours and J.R. Ward's BDB books are all so nicely marketing, with truly awesome covers. Congrats!!</I><BR/><BR/>We have been mightily blessed over at Eclipse. Thanks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com