Sweet & Sassy Scribblers
​
  • Scribblings on Writing
  • Scribblings on Empowerment
    • Healing with Vers Libre
    • Lend an Ear
  • Scribblings on Conservation
  • Fiction
    • Books for Children
    • Fantasy
    • Thrillers
    • Mysteries
    • Women's Fiction
    • Science Fiction
  • Nonfiction
    • Well-being
    • Spiritual Psychology
    • Poems, Essays, Etc.
  • Browse Our Library
  • Heart Song Ghostwriting
  • The Scribblers

Book Publishing – Self-Serve or Full Service?

3/29/2023

4 Comments

 
Picture
The debate continues. Is it better for an author to self-publish or go with a small independent press? A third option is to hire a literary agent and try to get in with one of the big guns. Unfortunately, the chances of this route being successful are not too good, so 99% of us will probably stick with self-serve or full service. 
​
But before we delve into this discussion any further, there is another venue I must mention: pay-to-publish companies.

​Pay-to-Publish
A Vanity or Predatory Publisher is in business to make money off the author. So they charge ridiculously high prices and don't care about their substandard products or the authors. Yet, as long as people willingly pay their fees, the industry flourishes.

Not all pay-to-publish presses are out to get you, though. There are some Service Publishers who honestly want to help authors publish their books. However, they must charge a fee to stay in business.

The problem is weeding out the good guys from the bad guys.

There is a difference between vanity and service publishers, but neither one is worth the sizeable investment necessary for their services. The best solution is to stay away from all pay-to-publish companies.  

Self-Serve or Full Service
What is the most advantageous route for you? There are advantages and disadvantages to either selection. An independent press does all the prep work necessary to publish your book but takes half of your royalties as compensation. For some folks, it's well worth the monetary sacrifice to have someone else do the editing, formatting, cover design, and publishing! A drawback to an independent publisher is the time factor. Getting your book on the market can take a few months to almost a year.

If you have the funds to pay for the services you cannot do yourself and want to keep all the royalties as well as have total control of the whole process, then self-publishing is the way to go. It's a lot of work, but help is available whenever needed. Plus, you can work on it at your own pace.

Of course, an individual's preferences determine which path to take. What works for one person may not be suitable for another. You just have to do your research and decide for yourself.

I spoke with two established authors who followed different routes during their publishing journey. Hopefully, their experiences will assist you as you wade through all the information available on the internet.  

Independent Presses
Sharon Ledwith never had any interest in self-publishing. Instead, she concentrated on finding the ideal small press that worked best for her. There are many out there, and even though they offer the same services (editing, formatting, designing a book cover, and publishing), they differ in the support and attention they give to the author, as well as the quality of the books they put out.

She has worked with two small presses. The first, Musa Publishing, went out of business in 2015. Sharon says, "I would compare them to a puppy mill publisher where they would churn out as many eBooks as possible in different genres. They were helpful as far as learning the ropes about being a published author and what is expected from their authors, but that's it."

The publisher she is with now, Mirror World is totally different. According to Sharon, "They are very supportive and grounded and only publish about six books a year." Along with the typical small press services, they also pay for a virtual week-long book tour, share marketing and promotion, and will print up advertisements when Sharon requests them.

Mirror World's earnings come from 50% of the eBook’s royalties. So, the publisher has plenty of incentive to put in the work and do it right!

An added bonus of living near Mirror World's headquarters, Sharon gets to join them at book shows and art markets. She is delighted with the choice she's made and recommends small presses over self-publishing. "I love to work with a team."

Self-publishing
On the other hand, KS (Kat) Brooks disagrees. She began her writing career as a traditionally published author. At the time, that was the only choice. There was no such thing as self-publishing. Kat comments, "You got published by one of the big publishers, or you didn't get published."

Nowadays, it's a different ballgame. There are choices, yet Kat highly recommends self-publishing. She says it's available to everyone. You do all the work yourself—hire an editor, make a cover, format the books—and keep all the royalties, as opposed to sharing the royalties with a publisher.

"With all the resources available online, an author no longer needs to rely on hiring a publisher. On Indies Unlimited, we have pages on editors, cover designers, and beta readers. There are also many other resources out there as well that will guide you through the process."

As far as sales go, Kat believes some small presses price things in a way that do hold authors back. "But a lot of them have smartened up and changed their models and now try to price ebooks more competitively, but many others will not."

With all the pros and cons considered, Kat always tell authors starting out to go with self-publishing. “I mean, the real question is, why go through a middleman? Why give someone a cut of your hard work when you can do the same thing and keep all the money?"



Decisions, Decisions
Whether you're publishing your first book or your tenth, the goal is the same – produce a quality product that is well-edited, has an appealing cover, and will please your prospective readers. How that task is accomplished is up to you.

Do your homework before making a decision. Then see what fits your style and go for it. Good luck!

4 Comments

Paranormal, Supernatural or Both?

3/22/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
Although the terms paranormal and supernatural are used interchangeably in the literary marketplace, they are not exactly the same.
​
​All things paranormal have the possibility of perhaps being able to be duplicated in a scientific study one day or for humans to understand how they work. These phenomena include such mental abilities for humans as clairvoyance, telekinesis, psychometry, telepathy, and even faith healing to name a few.
 
Although many scientists do not believe in psychic abilities, there is some interest in the theory that quantum mechanics can explain psychic ability. Because quantum mechanics focuses on the things in the world that we cannot sense, such as light waves, sound waves, and those mysterious spaces, it seems the perfect approach to understanding psychic ability as well as the subconscious mind. More and more scientists who have a passion for grasping the world beyond the physical are invested in proving that scientific experiments can indeed prove the existence of psychic ability.
 
For those not very familiar with psychic abilities, below are a few I’ve used in my novels.
 
Clairvoyance (clear seeing) – the ability to see things beyond the physical sphere, like auras, spirits, and visions in the present, past and future. Clairvoyants can also see and communicate with spirits or ghosts.
               
Telepathy – an ability that allows mind-to-mind communication, even with animals on occasion.
 
Telekinesis – the ability to move objects in the physical world with one’s mind. 
 
Psychometry – an ability that allows a person to experience visions or emotions related to a place by being present there or an object by touching it.
 
Clairsentience - the ability to sense energy and emotions and/or to sense past, present or future events. To be clairsentient one also has to be highly sensitive and empathetic.    
 
Claircognizance (clear knowing)  - a sense where one knows something to be correct but may be unable to back up their statement with fact or how they came to know that information.
 
Clairaudience (clear hearing) - the power to hear sounds said to exist beyond the reach of ordinary experience or capacity.
 
Writers in literature in the modern age often prefer the term paranormal if their characters are human with enhanced mental abilities. Writers often favor the term supernatural if vampires, werewolves, zombies or other such creatures are the primary characters even if they possess enhanced mental abilities, which are common with supernatural creatures.


Picture
​The supernatural world includes those things which can never be proven because science has no way to prove their existence. For example, many people talk about guardian angels, but it is only faith that serves to “prove” their existence. Even the existence of one’s soul is not provable by science. Nor can we duplicate a true miracle in the lab. The supernatural easily harmonizes with religion and mythology. Both concepts work to explain or make acceptable things that aren’t really explainable or scientifically provable. 
 
The most popular supernatural novels today include vampires, werewolves, and zombies, although there are other supernatural creatures depicted in literature. Let’s consider the pseudoscience of cryptozoology to further our understanding of how complicated defining supernatural creatures can be. 
 
Cryptozoology
Cryptozoology is considered a pseudoscience because it does not follow the scientific method. Its name means the “study of hidden animals.” It relies mostly on anecdotal information to search for folklore animals yet to be identified, such as the Loch Ness Monster, Mothman, and Big Foot. Such animals which have yet to be identified are known as cryptids.
 
In 1983 John E. Wall defined cryptids this way: Cryptids are, in the most limited definition, either unknown species of animals or those that are thought to be extinct but which may have survived into modern times and await rediscovery by scientists.
 
Obviously, we have all seen novels utilizing folklore creatures just mentioned as the central focus of their stories. However, with the fascination for vampires and werewolves, one may wonder if they are simply supernatural or are they “hidden animals”?
 
Most of the “evidence” for vampires are legends, which are often depicted through folklore or even in ancient paintings on cave walls.  The existence of these legends range from Mesopotamia to Egypt, Greece, Rome, Mexico, and China. Not all the forms were the same, and some drank blood while others consumed human flesh.
 
What about werewolves? Mythology often relates that werewolves were actually possessed old females or witches having poisonous claws. The method of identifying a werewolf from other humans also varies greatly from culture to culture. As with vampires, evidence of werewolves, other than ancient drawings and tales, provides little expectation among most scientists that they ever existed.
                                                             
Still, the question remains. Could they actually be “hidden animals” or cryptids?  Well, if vampires and werewolves exist at all, they are certainly “hidden,” but perhaps not in the intended meaning of a cryptid. Despite most cryptozoologists insisting their existence is more likely supernatural than hidden, there are some who disagree. The dissenters believe they are extinct creatures, which does put them in line with the definition of cryptids.
 
Of course, who’s to say that one of these cryptids won’t emerge at some point? Folklore isn’t always tall tales. Are you ready to encounter a vampire or a werewolf anywhere other than on the written page or the screen?
 
For fun, here’s an interesting article about seven known species that used to be regarded as cryptids. https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/2020/12/12/seven-cryptids-species/

Picture
SO WHERE DOES THIS LEAVE US?

Well, it doesn’t really change anything except to offer us some interesting information to store somewhere.
 
Supernatural novels with vampires and werewolves and zombies are great stories. Paranormal stories where human characters have enhanced mental abilities reaching beyond established norms are also great stories.
 
Whether an author chooses to describe their story as paranormal or supernatural usually depends on where the emphasis is placed in their story. Keep in mind, however, there are often shades of the supernatural in paranormal stories and vice versa. I’ve read many books where I was delighted to discover there was a healthy dose of the paranormal in their supernatural tale. Both are usually subgenres of other genres, such as speculative fiction, horror, fantasy, and even romance.
 
If you start researching the two terms in relation to literature, you will find so many contradictions among the resources out there, it will make your head spin. So, the bottom line is that you should make sure to read the book blurb carefully if you have an aversion to either supernatural creatures or enhanced mental abilities.
 
Many of my novels involve what I view as paranormal in varying degrees:  Second Chances, The Threads That Bind, Center Stage, Chasing Shadows, Shattered Hearts, and Unraveling Memories. I enjoy the process of writing such novels because it opens one up to the metaphysical, that is, going beyond what is known and accepted. My first two novels might be considered to be supernatural by some due to the appearance of a wolf with whom the main character communicates. However, I view them more as paranormal tales.
 
So, whether you’re reading a novel labeled as a supernatural tale or a paranormal tale, you have to suspend your disbelief if you want to really enjoy the story because neither mirrors what most consider normal. If you’re ready to take a step into the unknown, both await you with the promise of a great adventure.

​


0 Comments

Circles of Freedom: a Race for Survival

2/15/2023

0 Comments

 
It’s probably not a stretch for you to figure out what influenced the storyline of Circles of Freedom in 2018. After two years of bully tactics in the national political arena, behavior considered suitable for those serving in public office as well as those enlisted to their turn of mind presented the American people with a series of situations that promised to tear the idea of a civil society to shreds. It opened the narrative in America to horror; in other words, to actions intended to frighten, scare, or disgust people as is typical in bullying tactics. These engendered loathing among those who favored a civil society.

I was no different than others in being shocked by the rise of such violent negativity. Circles of Freedom was my way of establishing a safety valve for my own frustration and perhaps putting my two bits out there. Despite one’s political preferences, the storyline here is about people who stand strong in their belief in the democracy of America and are willing to step outside their comfort zones to protect it.
​
As authors, we all get feedback from persons who don’t appreciate the development of our characters. This happened to me when a reader jumped to conclusions about my female character as being weak after reading only a couple of chapters. In truth, she was simply in one of those crossroads in her life that can make one feel uncertain. This was all right with me because I believe in allowing my characters to develop psychologically. Life is a journey after all, learning from each experience. If you were already at the finish line early in life, where would be the fun in that?  
​
Picture
So, What Is the Gist of the Story?
When Brandon Boehle creates the Circles of Freedom blogs to strike a blow for truth, he has no idea of the loss, the love, and, the chaos it will set in motion. When the dominoes start to topple, there's a race to survive for friend and foe alike.

Brandon never imagines that a mercenary hired by the President of the United States would be out to kill not only him, but his assistant Alise Winston and the professionals who are writing the blogs. What started out as a simple, though carefully safeguarded, effort to get the truth out there has put all of them in the crosshairs. He quickly realizes that his expectations of the United States government have been naïve.
​
The contract put out on Circles of Freedom turns out to be the least of their worries for themselves and the country. A nefarious plot is uncovered to overthrow the government, and the players believe themselves to be untouchable. Circumstances draw Brandon and Alise and all those closest to them into this dark plot. Their only hope lies in a twist of fate. ​

What Are People Saying?
"You truly have a gift, I'm so blessed that you are sharing it with me. I've got a feeling about this book."
"I got so involved in the story, (you did it again)! I can't put it down ... I have to keep reading to see what happens next."

""I love it!! The story is fast-paced and very well-written.”

"A must read, Dannye. Thought provoking, intense, and topical."  (a former member of U.S. Foreign Service)

Picture
Where Can You Find It?
Circles of Freedom is available for purchase through Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Circles-Freedom-Dannye-Williamsen/dp/1719178305.
You can read reviews and learn more about my other works at the following sites: http://www.DannyeWilliamsen.com and https://www.SassyScribblers.com/thrillers.html/ 
0 Comments

Find Books Recommended by Other Authors

11/18/2022

0 Comments

 
​Just wanted to take a minute and share this site with you. https://shepherd.com. It's a great place to discover books that speak to a certain fancy.

I was contacted by by Shepherd.com to share my book Second Chances and recommend five other books in the same genre that would answer a certain need. I chose  the topic "The best books for helping you think outside the box." I chose this because many of my books have a paranormal twist, and I've seen people dismiss a book if it is described as paranormal before giving it a chance. 
Picture

​Here's the link to the promotion of Second Chances along with the five reads I chose and why.
https://shepherd.com/best-books/helping-you-step-outside-the-box
Picture
Although I don't have a book in the category of Life Satisfaction, a new topic on their site, it is a genre in which I write. You may find something there you like.
https://shepherd.com/bookshelf/life-satisfaction 

0 Comments

Halloween, As Old as the Ghosts

10/26/2022

5 Comments

 
Picture
On October 31, beware of munchkin monsters, pint-size goblins, and shrunken super-heroes knocking on your door asking for treats. Have you ever wondered where "trick or treat" came from?
  
On Halloween, jack-o-lanterns light up dark paths and peek out of windows. So how did this tradition start?
 
Have you ever tried bobbing for apples? I have. Why do we put ourselves through such torture?
 
The origins of Halloween date back as early as the fifth century BC. The ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (sow-in) celebrated a successful harvest and the beginning of the long, cold, dark winter.
 
In preparation for the celebration, the Celts allowed their hearth fires to burn out while the last crops were being gathered. After the harvest was completed, Druid priests lit a communal bonfire in the center of the village, where the residents prayed, danced, and offered sacrifices to the Celtic deities. Then, villagers rekindled their hearth fires with embers from the sacred bonfire to protect their families from harm during the uncertain days and nights to follow.
 
The Celts believed the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead opened during Samhain. Ancestors and other spirits were expected to cross over and stir up trouble. To keep the fairies away from their homes, the Celts left offerings outside the village. To prevent the ghosts from kidnapping any living beings, the villagers dressed up in animal skins and heads, disguising themselves as monsters.
 
After the Romans took control of Britain, they merged the Samhain festival with two of their own. On the last day of October, the festival of Feralia commemorates the passing of the dead.
 
The festival of Pomona honors the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. Her sacred symbol was the apple. Part of the celebration was to grab hold of a dangling apple without using any hands, hence the origin of bobbing for apples.
 
Many years later, the early Christians discovered they couldn't stop pagan celebrations, so they replaced them with religious alternatives. To replace the Celtic/Roman celebration of the dead, November 1 was designated All Saints Day to honor Christian saints and martyrs. The night before turned into All Hallows Eve.
 
I'm sure you can figure out the rest of the tale from there.
​

Picture
Other Halloween Traditions
I wonder if the first Celt who stuck an animal skull over his head ever realized he was starting a fad that'd still be practiced a couple of thousand years later. Of course, the celebration has changed over the centuries. I'm glad we've advanced from wearing animal hides and heads and no longer really believe that fairies and spirits come out to play on October 31. (They don't, do they?)
 
In any case, during its transition from a Druid ritual to a night of fun for the kids, Halloween has also picked up a hodge-podge of other traditions.
 
Trick or Treat came from the Irish peasants going from door-to-door begging for soul cakes. Failure to supply soul cakes resulted in fairies being set loose to play tricks and harass the unlucky victims.
 
According to Irish folklore, a character named Jack was a terrible person, always playing tricks and making trouble everywhere he went. He even tricked Satan into climbing a tree and trapped him there by carving a cross in the bark. Jack would not let the Devil out of the tree until he promised never to tempt Jack again for the rest of his life.
 
When Jack died, he was not allowed into Heaven because of his evil ways. He was not permitted in Hell either because of the nasty trick he played on Satan. Instead, Satan gave Jack a single ember to light his way through the eternal darkness. The ember was placed inside a hollowed-out turnip to make it glow longer. Jack now bore the name of "Jack of the Lantern."
 
When the Irish brought this tale to America in the 1800s, the turnip was replaced with a pumpkin. Then, somewhere along the line, a crude face was carved in the pumpkin creating the Jack-o-lantern we all know and love.
 
What I love most about Halloween are the ghost stories. Some of the tales, myths, and legends have survived for eons, like the story of Jack. Others are more modern and easier to believe. I mean, who would ever walk around carrying a turnip instead of a flashlight?
 
I like all kinds of spooky tales, except horror stories. They're just downright too scary for my taste.
​
Here are a few of my favorites:

For children
Patchy and Calico’s Ghostly Adventure by Greta Burroughs
Corduroy's Best Halloween Ever! by Don Freeman and Lisa McCue
The Berenstain Bears Trick or Treat by Stan and Jan Berenstain
Trick or Treat, Little Critter by Mercer Meyer
Peter Rabbit and the Pumpkin Patch by Beatrix Potter
What Was I Scared Of? by Dr. Suess
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Cara Stevens
Clifford's Halloween by Norman Bridwell
 
For middle grade, teens, young adults, and adults
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Kiwi series by Vickie Johnstone
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe
 
How about you? What are your favorite Halloween stories?
 
Be sure to subscribe to the Sweet & Sassy blog, so you never miss out on any of our posts!
 

5 Comments

Writers Step Into Reality Television Genre

10/12/2022

2 Comments

 
PictureKwame Alexander, Host
Full disclosure: I am not a fan of so-called reality TV. First of all, it’s not reality. Second, the plethora of these shows is all about competition. Some of the game shows are entertaining for those who like games. The productions which follow people in their private lives are pure theater, but their out-of-control behaviors, the backstabbing, and the emphasis on winning no matter what (all for ratings) do not create desirable role models whose behavior should be emulated.
 
The Real World in 1992 was one of the earliest “modern reality shows” when ordinary people were presented rather than characters. It was cheaper for the producers than what is usually involved in producing a scripted, character-driven show with actors. Survivor catapulted the reality show concept into a phenomenon in 2000, followed by Big Brother in 2001. It created a thirst for competition where winning is all that matters.
 
People watch and/or participate in reality shows for various reasons. Psychologists say wish fulfillment is a number one reason for many participants, either in terms of career advancement or financial gain. Many watch celebrity reality shows because it somehow makes the celebrities more relatable. Others watch the drama-driven shows because watching others being humiliated makes them feel superior. 
 
So, What Does This Have to Do with Books?
 
Well, believe it or not, someone has figured out a way to join the fray by pulling in amateur writers (who are obviously desperate to be noticed) to audition for ... wait for it! ... America’s Next Great Author. That’s right! They will have one minute to pitch their book idea to a panel of publishing experts. The six winners all get to live together at the Writer’s Retreat for 30 days during which time “these talented amateurs have to start their books from scratch on day one of the Retreat and finish the novel by the end of the thirty days.” But wait, they also have to participate in storytelling challenges and work with mentors to develop their stories while learning how to market and promote their books. Not sure how much time the extracurricular activities leave for writing from the heart.
 
Okay, so Arielle Eckstut and David Sterry who are behind this new reality show also co-founded Pitchapalooza  (Book Doctors) 15 years ago. It appears to be the model for America’s Next Best Author. With Pitchapalooza a hopeful writer gets 250 words to pitch their book. Twenty are chosen to have their pitches critiqued on a live webinar. The winner receives an introduction to an agent or publisher appropriate for their future manuscript.
 
I have no problem with Pitchapalooza. The issues I have with the proposed reality show are 1) being forced to write your book in 30 days while meeting all the other challenges noted, and 2) having to live “Big Brother-style” with five other writers while trying to find a creative space to write.
 
Being an introvert may color my perspective on the close quarters situation, but being forced to write a book in 30 days with all the interruptions going on is not something I could support. I do realize that some writers today believe if they spend more than six weeks working on a book that it’s a sign they need to pursue another profession (read this on a social media writers’ group).
 
Bottom line: This would not be my cup of tea, but I’m sure it will have as many participants and watchers as all the other reality shows gracing the airwaves.

2 Comments

Literary & Character Tropes

6/30/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
We talked about story tropes last month, but I’d like to address literary and character tropes.
 
Literary tropes include tools, such as irony, allegory, metaphor, and metonym. These tools are utilized to elevate one’s writing. Metaphors occur quite often in fiction as a means of enriching a commonplace situation. They can help the reader see things in a new light and help the writer succeed in showing, not telling.
 
A Character trope is another type of trope. Certain character tropes allow the writer to build characters more easily because of the intrinsic expectations of the reader for that type character. We often hear people referring to a trope as a cliché. However, just because a trope has been used often does not make it a cliché. A cliché occurs when a trope is used poorly. In other words, the writer makes no effort to round out their character with his/her own unique characteristics, but rather displays a 2D version of a known trope.
 
Character tropes can be rounded out by having your character, who may be identified by a specific trope, be portrayed with an unexpected gender or race or displaying quirky passions usually not related to that character trope.
 
There are certain of these that are considered best left alone unless the effort is made to round out the character. Examples are the action hero, the hostile boss, damsel in distress, the woman looking for love. You get the idea. With these character tropes, it is so easy to fall into the expected format, which can leave a story flat.
 
Tropes are often mistakenly called Archetypes. The difference between an archetype and a trope is the difference between a role and a personality. Roles can utilize many personalities, whereas a trope is a personality. A good trope is a personality which has been rounded out to give it uniqueness.
 
An archetype is the “original pattern from which copies are made.” There are many archetypes from which character tropes are formed: the ally, the sidekick, the hero, the mentor, the nemesis, to name a few. Looking at these examples, it is easy to see how creating unique personalities to align with these roles, these archetypes, definitely enhances a story.
 
As a reader, the characters you encounter in books may seem familiar to you sometimes, but it is not always the fault of poorly-used tropes. The one thing which provides a commonality across most characters and readers is emotion. No matter who we are, we each possess similar emotions. We don’t necessarily all express them in the same way, which is a result of our unique personalities. However, I know I have encountered a number of characters with whom I totally resonated. The writers were not lax in rounding out their characters. I resonated because I could relate to their attitudes, their emotional responses to situations. Some characters I enjoy, but their personalities are worlds apart from mine. This also can play a role in why a certain book appeals to some and not to others.
 
Are you open to allowing a story to develop the characters or do you assume it’s the same old same old?

0 Comments

Avid Readers: Do We Have to Read the Classics?

6/9/2022

2 Comments

 
I consider myself an avid reader. I am addicted to the written word. Like others afflicted with the same disease, my obsession manifested itself at a young age. When I was a teenager, I greatly annoyed my mother whenever we had company. No, I didn’t hide in my bedroom and read, even though that’s what I wanted to do. Instead, I sat on the couch with my nose buried in a book, paying more attention to it than to our guests.

And to this day, the urge to hide behind the pages of a book and ignore monotonous chatter is still there. However, I have it under control – most of the time.

What kind of sickness is this? The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) quantifies an avid reader as someone who reads 50 or more books a year. Wow, that’s almost a book a week! Sorry, I read a lot but not that much. In a 2017 survey, the NEA discovered that not many people do; only five percent of readers met that requirement.

A more straightforward definition describes avid readers more realistically. It states that people suffering from this addiction read as much as they can, whenever they can. That’s more my speed.

A few months ago, I saw a comment in a Facebook reader’s group that insisted an avid reader should also be well-read. She questioned the validity of one reading only sci-fi or Harlequin romances as being equal to another person reading “real” literature such as Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Les Miserables, or Frankenstein. She went on to say that readers need to have a selection of classics included in their “have read” collection alongside a mix of modern novels and nonfiction to be considered an avid reader.

Pardon me, but is there some kind of competition no one told me about? Does a person have to read Jane Austen or Louisa May Alcott to join the ranks of booklovers? How do you prove it? I could claim to have read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and no one would know if that were true or not.

Actually, a 2013 study uncovered that more than 60 percent of people lie about reading classic novels. Fortunately, in this case, I’m not one of them. I really did read Frankenstein. Other than that, though, I’ve been fickle in the traditional literature department. In high school and college, I waded through Moby Dick, Scarlet Letter, The Red Badge of Courage, The Brothers Karamazov, The Great Gatsby, and other required reading. However, I don’t remember one thing about them. 
For pleasure, I’ve read an assortment of books by Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, Charles Dickens, and many other famous authors. Yet again, I couldn’t tell you anything about the books.
While researching this article, the idea occurred to me that maybe I should reconsider the types of books I devour. Instead of the cozy mysteries, fantasies, or historical fiction I generally turn to, perhaps I should try a classic or two.

According to expert opinions expressed on the worldwide web, the older literary works open a window to different worlds, cultures, and historical perspectives from the past. They’re more challenging than modern-day fiction and will make me feel better about myself once I have completed something more thought-provoking.

So, on a whim, I uploaded some old classics to my Kindle.

Little Women and Jane Eyre were pretty good. In Little Women, the dialog was unrealistic, and the plot moved along at a snail’s pace, but that was the writing style during the late 1800s. Jane Eyre was faster-paced and more interesting. At any rate, I did enjoy the stories.

One thing annoyed me, though. The attitude towards women bothered me immensely. So, when the same demeaning behavior repeated itself in the first chapter of Pride and Prejudice, I gave up on these classics and went back to solving crimes with Detective Chief Inspector so-and-so in my five-volume whodunit series.

I haven’t completely given up on the classics, though. I still have a few old tomes stored in my Kindle waiting for whenever I get the notion to expand my mind and dive backward into a forgotten dimension of time.

Until then, I’ll stick to my modern novels for my evening’s relaxation and entertainment.

Be sure to subscribe to the Sweet & Sassy blog, so you never miss out on any of our posts!

Picture
2 Comments

Don't Shoot the Messengers!

6/7/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
I read several posts today attacking authors’ fictional works that make me wonder what the world will be like in the future. The tunnel of acceptability is becoming so narrow that soon most fairy tales will be banned from the shelves. Authors will not be allowed to write directly about or allude to societal issues/beliefs. There will be no such thing as a metaphor for internal chaos. Instead, the literal, superficial words will be all that matter. No symbolism depicting the human condition.
 
How will we tell stories? Stories are not just entertainment. Stories are messengers. Stories are often meant to lead us to a more human and empathetic conversation about issues that are often difficult to address directly. They wend their way through the cracks in the rigid walls we have constructed within ourselves. These walls can be extreme in either direction. There are zealots on both sides, and both are impotent in terms of understanding.

Humans have this tendency toward “all or nothing,” and it is this attitude that deflects all attempts at compromise. It causes us to fail to resolve the very issues for which we believe ourselves champions. Freedom is not about stifling those who would try to stir up questions in our minds by slipping through the cracks in our walls.

The human condition will never be pristine. Can it be improved? Absolutely! But, not through the zealots or the book banners or the uninformed or the manipulators. Ethan Smith stated these types of people are “characterized by how they respond to information.” He contends there are four archetypes: idiots, zealots, elitists, and patriots.

Before we quickly label ourselves as Patriots, let’s look at the way in which these are defined by Smith:
  • Idiots avoid all new pertinent information in an attempt to maintain a limited, comfortable perspective.
  • Zealots believe they have “the answer.” They ask certain questions of certain information but ignore and dissociate from information that is unaligned to their pre-determined perspective.
  • Elitists question information in order to manipulate those who do not have that information, to their own benefit.
  • Patriots – true patriots – question information to educate themselves and share it with others in order that all may progress.

Few of us are true patriots these days. However, going back to the current attitude toward authors’ works — our assessment of writings is usually driven by one of the four states of mind listed above. Being in one of the first three categories makes it difficult to step outside it to view the world in a different way. Still, we must try. We may not always succeed, but one never-changing aspect of the human condition is that it will always be shifting and testing our resolve to be better than we are.

The bottom line is we need to try and understand that too many of us have long since moved beyond fighting for our collective freedoms. We have narrowed our boundaries to include only what is acceptable to us and fight to make others comply. In terms of books, why do you think the banning of books continues to cycle through our lives?

Freedom doesn’t simply rest on basic principles of not harming others or the planet. We have tightened the reins on every aspect of life – social, family, health, work, spirituality, personal growth, financial, communities. This is unacceptable because we are not all identical. We don’t have the same challenges or the same imaginations or the same dreams, to name just a few differences.
 
So, How Do We Deal with Our States of Mind?

The symbolism of the four wise monkeys is familiar to most of us: hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil, do no evil. In recent times I have seen the fourth monkey’s symbolism shift from simply ‘do no evil’ to fear no evil. This is how we can rise above the archetypes of idiot, zealot, and elitist. Rather than simply not hearing, seeing, speaking, and doing no evil, we must ultimately FEAR no evil. It is our fear that stands in the way of our freedoms. It is our fear that makes us react with rage or violence or simply internal chaos. 

My husband used symbolism to write about fear. One of my favorite talks was titled: Dracula is Alive and Well in Your Life. He spoke about how we have attitudes and emotions that seem difficult to grab hold of because they are never the same from one time to the next and yet they seem to have power over us. They feed off of us, dragging us deeper and deeper into the darkness of negativity. The circumstances, the issues, are not always the same, but the underlying force is fear.

Only when we get up close and personal to our fear and symbolically drive a stake through its heart, as the story of Dracula reveals, can we rid ourselves of it. Our hearts are the seat of our emotions, our feelings, and this is where fear lives.

Returning to symbolism, the professor in the story of Dracula represents the part of us pursuing the vampire, the fear, and knows its weaknesses. What does this mean? It means that we must recognize the feeling of fear as a borrowed attitude. It is not you! It is not me! Then we have taken a step toward consciously choosing to take actions not motivated by fear. Those who rise up and call for books to be banned are acting out of fear, a fear that believes power over the situation is their only solution. Wrong.

The real solution is to choose, instead, to educate oneself through reading and not resort to seeking out things to disparage. Sharing one's opinion about books is fine, but striving to figuratively shoot the messenger serves no one. Authors are as unique as readers and no book will find a place with every reader, which is obvious when you read social media comments. 

So, whether reading nonfiction or fiction, hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil, and 
fear no evil. Absorb the information, analyze how it impacts your personal knowledge base. If it positively affects you, share it with friends. If it clashes with what you believe, don't attack the author. Simply do not share it. With these actions, you have become a true patriot by defaulting to a positive stance for yourself and your friends, and perhaps influencing others outside your current sphere of influence in a positive fashion.


0 Comments

Just a Quick Pet Peeve

6/3/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
As a writer I understand that writers are not perfect, and neither are editors. However, it doesn’t mean that as a reader, there aren’t things I see repeatedly across books that I feel create unnecessary confusion.
 
This one is the misuse of “shaking one’s head” versus “nodding.” Lately, I have seen them used interchangeably so often.
 
Shaking one’s head means to move from side to side as in signaling a negative response to another person.
 
Nodding means to move one’s head up and down, signally an affirmative response.
 
This is one of those things which creates a disruption in the flow for a reader when the character nods, and you know she would be giving a negative response. This holds true for a character shaking her head when the reader knows it supposed to be a positive response.
 
In real life, I doubt any author nods when asked if they’re guilty of something they didn’t do. Nor do I believe they would shake their head if their agent asked if they want to accept a million- dollar contract with a publisher.
 
Just an observation.

0 Comments
<<Previous

    Book Genres

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture


    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022

    Categories

    All
    Books
    Genre Articles
    Guest Authors
    Inspiring Children
    Memes
    Scribblers
    Writing

    RSS Feed

I will read forever because it lets me visit in my mind the worlds that I will never be able to see; it helps me put away the stresses of the day and relax into the rhythm of the story before me; it lets me bring to the surface and experience without regrets those feelings I hide away; it lets me re-experience the thrill of first love through someone else's eyes; it keeps my mind juiced so that it will never desert me; it is always there for me even when there's no one else. I will read forever no matter whether it is print or digital because the words will always call to me. ~ A Sassy Scribbler