Just writing a story won't do. Writer is nothing without a reader. Get it published.

Question: What are you trying to accomplish with your work?

Answer: I don't want to accomplish anything. I just want to write and to share my writing with the world.

Beauty is not skin deep. It's what covers the skin.

A newbie writer complained that people don't read him because his writing is unconventional. My reply? As Henry Ford used to say, "You can have any colour as long as it's black." You can write whatever you want and how you want as long as people read you.

Why is your story rejected?

It might come as a surprise to you, but the majority of stories rejected by literary magazines are good. At least, there is nothing wrong with them. They have a fine plot, developed characters and accomplished language. Why are they rejected, then? Because writing a good story is not enough. Your competition—and that’s what the other writers are—crafts well. You are not competing with half-wits amateurs. Your story has to stand out. It has to be best of the best. As simple as that.

A Stale Device?

I think that giving the name, rank and serial number of the protagonist in the first sentence has become a very stale device. OK, no serial number, just the name. I know it's convenient, and it has been done successfully before, but that doesn't make it any more stale.


There are other ways to address this problem:

From the New Yorker: Gilgulby Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi

“You know,” she said almost shyly, “that I have the ability, if you wish, to look into your eyes and tell you when you will die?”


Thoughts?

Sexy covers

I’ve seen a photo of an actress in a recent issue of the Esquire. She stands, supposedly naked, behind a slip hanging on a clothesline. Next to the slip, there hang her panties and bra. The photo is probably rated PG because you can’t see anything, but, if you are a man, you’d want to. That’s the whole idea behind the book cover as well. The author and the design team want you to pick the book, physically or electronically, and open it to reveal the naked woman inside (or maybe future worlds or the ancient history or the recipe to a knock-out dish).

I’d say the book cover is more than attractive clothing or hair are for a person. It’s more than a nice smile and a firm handshake. It’s the door to the reader. To the reader’s mind. Or to his or her wallet, if you wish. Ignore the cover and perish. There must be content inside the book, of course, but no one will see it unless your cover flashes some skin first. Happy cover design. Have fun at it. A few examples to kill for. For the pictures, go here.

Mark Budman shows off his own covers here.