Finding Your Film Story in Your Novel


One of the hardest things an author will face, when adapting their own novel for film, is finding the film story buried in the novel. If you've read many books and then seen film adaptations, you should have noticed that they are often different--ranging from slightly to beyond recognition. I think The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe is the only book to film that is almost unchanged? I could be wrong, because I haven't seen every single book to film ever made, but in my world, yeah.

So what is the film story in a novel? You find that by remembering what a film is. A film is a visual representation of a story. In simple terms, a film is seen. So the stuff that goes into a script has to be seen. One way to find the visuals in your novel is to print out a copy and go through it with a highlighter, marking only the stuff that can be seen. Marking only the stuff that characters can do. 


Once you've got the action spine of your story, you need to look at for story structure. Without the novel stuff, do you have enough action to tell the film story? Not every book does. Is there a visual beginning, middle and end?

If there isn't, that doesn't mean you through down the highlighter. Because the next question to ask yourself is: is there film story potential in what I've pulled from my book? What if I changed this or that? What if this character became more important and this one less so?

If you can let go of "how its supposed to be" and find the potential film story in your novel, you can do a successful adaptation of your novel. Or you can know when to walk away.

For more information check out my handbook Adapting Your Novel for Film, available in print and ebook from most online bookstores.

And the next time you watch a movie made from a book you've read? Spend a little time thinking about the choices they made during the process. You can learn a lot, even if its just what not to do.
Perilously yours,
Pauline

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Side Effects of Writing Fiction


    Unless you really are writing novels in a garret somewhere, you will eventually experience a side effect of fiction writing. Someone, somewhere, will ask you a "how" question. How did you write that book? How do you come up with such great characters? Sometimes other writing groups will ask you to talk about how you do your thing. Sometimes those talks can lead to articles or even "how to" books.
   It's a good side effect. People only want to know how you do something, if you're doing it right. I mean, I don't ask people to talk to me if I don't like what they wrote. Writing groups don't invite you to talk to their members about how NOT to do it. 
   My handbook Made-up Mayhem was the result of this synergy, this writing side effect. Most writing how-to books are big. They can be a mix of basic writing info and genre specific tips. I wanted this handbook to be a quick guide for a specific genre, for a specific writer who wanted to write--not spend hours reading about how I write. I do include a short reading list, but even as I type these words the suspense/romantic suspense genre is changing, shifting on the sands of reader demand. Its my hope the handbook will have some durability over time because it is more about how you create characters and crank up the action, than a book about the market for suspense/romantic suspense.  
   Writing non-fiction can also come out of your "aha" moments, when you figure something important out that you think/hope might help other writers. Or it comes from finding a hole in the "how to" books that you can fill.
   This is how I came to write my Adapting Your Novel for Film handbook. I had submitted three chapters to a high profile agent and got an actual response back. He told me he thought the book read more like a movie script than a book. This got  me thinking about screen writing. I'd done some playwriting, but minimal research revealed that playwriting and screen writing are very different animals. So then I went searching for how to adapt MY novel for film. There are tons and tons of books about screen writing. There are some books about adapting books to film, but I found that there wasn't a trimmed down look just at how you assess your book for adaptation and then do it. 
   This handbook provides some limited information on what you do after adapting, but again, that is a fluid situation that can change from month to month, let alone year to year.  

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It's All In Your Head...


Morgan Mandel has a discussion on surviving book signings at her Make Mine A Mystery Blog that got me thinking of my first book signing "event." It was on a Saturday at the big B&N in Metairie, LA.(New Orleans). First, much of the freeway was shut down early for construction. Then the President arrived at the Kenner airport, shutting off most of the main, non-freeway streets. 


I didn't know this at first. I got the store, amazed when there was plenty of parking spaces, including one right by the front door. Usually you were lucky to get a parking space IN the parking lot around the store. Then they put me behind this table that was--I kid you not--about one foot square. No room for displays of any kind, or to sign anything, assuming the three people in the store were moved to buy. Last, they put me at the base of this HUGE escalator. It was like a big arrow pointing to a dot (me). Anyone who did stop and talk to me wanted directions. 


As the time moved oh so slowly on, I felt smaller and smaller. By the time my two hours were over, I felt about two inches tall. I don't think I did a book signing again for two years and then it was a group thing. That doesn't mean I didn't stop thinking about it. 


There are some things that will probably never change. I don't have the soul of a sales person and can't chat up strangers, though I love talking books with people who chat me up. I have to work with who and what I am, so signings like that aren't my best venue and money-wise, I make less per sale, too. 


That said, there is one big thing I did different at my next book signing. This was a huge group, a charity event sponsored by RWA. This time I was in a long row of authors. It felt like everyone around was selling books but me and I could feel myself shrinking again. 


But this time, I decided I wasn't going to let that happen. I started shifting my thoughts to the positives. I was sitting shoulder to shoulder with other authors. I was an author! I was "there" wherever "there" was. This wasn't about me and my ego. This was for charity. And my positive redirection of my thoughts worked. I sold every book I'd brought with me. 


It made me realize how much of what we are thinking on the inside is reflected on the outside, be it by the look in our eyes or unconscious body language. If you feel successful, you'll be successful--or you will at least attract people to you to talk. If you look around you, you'll see that confident people make things happen. 


Now the great thing about this business, the field can be level, because i

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Cleaning out the Dust Bunnies in Here!

I was shocked when I realized how long its been since I posted on this blog, but I have been writing, which is a good thing. All the publishing advice in the world is useless if you're not writing. All the things we do, as writers, are so we can write. Jamie and I wrote Managing Your Book Writing Business because we wanted to help other writers keep writing.

There's a measure of self-interest in my desire for people to keep writing. I like to read and if I find an author I like to read, then I want them to keep writing. It's like an endless causality loop. You're here, or you're writing, because you want to get into the loop. You want to write, find readers and you really, really want them to want you to keep writing.

So if you're doing a lot of book writing business, but aren't doing a lot of actual writing, then you need to rethink and redo your plan.

And I really need to sweep. Excuse me while I look for a broom...
Perilously yours,
Pauline

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Why Contribute to an Anthology Collection?


As our chapter releases its third short story anthology this month, I found myself talking to a new member about the benefits of taking time out from novel writing, to write short stories.
 

There are good reasons for contributing a short story to an anthology. For some, it is a chance to donate to a favorite charity. For me, it is both a chance to change my writing pace and to promote myself to (hopefully) a new audience.


How can a short story promote your other work? Some authors set their shorts within the world of the larger novel series. I did this with Men in Jeans that was included in the A Death in Texas anthology that The Final Twist released last year. I introduced new characters, but had a character from The Key make a guest visit to the story. I've also written three short stories using the characters from Do Wah Diddy Die. One of these stories has already released in Dead and Breakfast and the others will release in Ghostly Dreamspell and The Mystery of the Green Mist.


Doing these shorts gave me a chance to revist some fun characters, but without the pain of plotting a full length novel. Hopefully they will also ignite a desire to read the novel by the people who buy the anthologies. Authors live in hope a lot.


Anthology contributions can also be an introduction to your writing style. Or they can give you a chance to explore new directions and genres with your writing. For instance, my short story in A Texas Box of Chocolates is a short romance story called Getting a Clue. I also have a couple of other romance shorts releasing in The Romance of My Dreams II. It was fun to try something different, to write some fiction where no one died. **g**


For me, writing short stories was also a way to keep writing through a personal, family crisis that occupied a very long year and a half in my life. They also gave me books to promote while I have been working on my latest novel, Girl Gone Nova.



And if you have yet to sell your first novel, paricipating in an anthology can give your a publication credit--and a boost to your self confidence.


If you've never thought about submitting to an anthology, I'd urge you to give it some thought. Just make sure you understand the business implications of any contract you sign and that the projects you're involved in are done in a professional manner. :-)


Perilously yours,
Pauline
Perils of Pauline

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When Did We Stop Boldly Going Where We Haven't Gone Before?

I've been reading and thinking a lot about the 40th anniversary of man's first walk on the moon. I was alive then. Yes, I am that old. :-) I was alive for all our adventures in space. As I look back, what shocks me most is how much we haven't done since we put that first man on the moon. When did we stop boldly wanting to go where no man has gone before and instead started settling for where we are? When did brave and bold and risk taking go out of style? When did we stop wanting to do amazing things? When did we stop looking up and wondering?

We accomplished SO much back then and with SO little. If you want to get an inkling of how amazing it was, buy or rent From Earth to the Moon. As a country and as a people, we are the beneficiaries of many amazing achievements, but you can't see all of them on video. We can see that journey to the moon and we should see it. We need to know about the good parts of our past, too. We need to be inspired, to dream big and aspire beyond the ends of our noses--or the edge of our atmosphere. We need the generations that follow us to have dreams, too. We need them to have a sense of wonder and to believe that not only is "boldly going" a good thing, but its also possible.

We need to go back to the moon and then go beyond it.

And why am I asking these questions and saying these things on a blog devoted to the business of writing?

I thought about that, too, as I mulled moon walks and blogs and being brave and aiming high. Writers may not visit the moon or outer space for real, but our stories and essays and articles are a way to reach into the hearts and minds of those around us.

We need to believe that dreams come true to start a story or novel or whatever it is we write and we need to pass that legacy on. We need inspire the generations behind us with our words and ideas. Small goals are fine and good, but when I was a little girl gazing up at the night sky, my goals weren't small. They were bold and bright and as big as that sky.

Life hits hard and fast sometimes, it can take our legs out from under us and it should take the legs out from under our characters, but we--and they--need to get up and go forward. We need to share our belief that we can do seemingly impossible things.

We learn to do from trying and failing and we learn to do it by learning from the example of men who walk on the moon and the people who helped them get there. We learn it by boldly going and by doing and by living.

And then we pass it on, because if we miss that step, the story--and the vision--dies with us.

I don't want my grandchildren to grow up in a world where no one looks up at the sky and wonders...

I want them to wonder and dream and boldly go...even if its only in their imagination.

Perilously yours,
Pauline

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July has been a crazy month for me (I keep saying that, don't I? Maybe I should just say that my life is crazy and be done with it?). Some big changes in my writing career. After eleven years with Hard Shell Word Factory, my back list is moving. Still love HSWF, but felt it was time to bring the babies all together under one roof and maybe get them some new clothes (covers) and a new look. So my back list is moving into the same house as The Key and my non-fiction books at L&L Dreamspell. I'm excited that my books will also come out of the move with a more coherent look. I loved my old covers, but they didn't tie the books together in any consistent way. As a small business owner, I need to do more than love a cover, it needs to build my brand.

It's taken me a while to understand this--though I've always known that I'm not the best judge of my covers. I don't shop books by their covers (though they can run me off!), but I know a lot of people do. I'm not a marketing expert, nor am I a graphic designer. In this down economy, liking my covers isn't enough. As I said, they need to be consistent, coherent in design and build my brand--my name.

One of the cool things my new home (publisher) is going to do is use my personal logo on the book covers. It will be small, a little space on the back cover, but it will tie my books together. I'm so grateful they are willing to take on my back list. Some of them have been out for over ten years! We're both hoping the new look will bring new readers.

While I can't say all my decisions have been all business, all the time, this decision is about what is best for my small business and my product. It's hard for me to have my back list unavailable for even a short time, but in the long run, I believe it is a good move.

It's interesting how there are always things to learn in this business. That's why I keep networking with other writers, even when time is tight. Many thanks to all the authors who have helped and advised and shared what they knew with me!

I have two releases coming up:

A Box of Texas Chocolates Anthology (my short is called "Getting a Clue.")
Girl Gone Nova - The next installment in my Project Enterprise/Garradian Galaxy Series.

I also have some more short stories releasing in several anthologies, but don't have release dates yet. Be sure to stop by

The Perils of Pauline

to find out what I'm up to and what's releasing when. :-)
Perilously yours,
Pauline

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Now Remember: Pillage First, Then Burn

Okay, now that I've got your attention...

So I've been reading all the posts related to the RWA and the Digital Divide. I'm not going to weigh on on the actual discussion, but use it as a reminder about minding your manners when you're out and about. There's been a lot of pillaging and burning going on. As someone who's been there and burned that bridge once or twice, I'll just say: run, save yourself!

Authors are passionate, opinionated and strong-willed. We have to be those things to write. But when you are representing your small business, whether in person or online, you need to stuff passion in a closet or a trunk and protect your brand.

Authors sometimes forget that they don't just write books. If they are published, they are also a small business. If you go into the local market and the clerk is rude to you, your reaction is:

"I'm never going there again."

So why would it be different for readers who see us publicly lose control? Leave pillaging and burning to the barbarians and video games. When you're out of the house or online, keep it cool. Keep it polite. Don't engage. I'm not saying you can't have an opinion or express it. I am saying, write it down, let it sit for a while or run it by someone who won't tell you what you want to hear.

We KNOW the power of words. We KNOW how easy it is be misunderstood. If your words CAN be misunderstood, don't sent them out. Just vent and delete.

IF you engage and get misunderstood, apologize.

It doesn't matter if you're right.

Being right isn't the issue.

Protecting your brand, protecting your business IS the only issue.

Word of mouth either sells books or it stops sales of books.

You are either burning bridges or building them.

You've worked hard to write. You've worked hard to sell your work.

Why would you risk it for a flame out?

So what if you think someone has it wrong? So what if you have a brilliant argument to present? Does it help your brand?

So save the pillaging and burning for your novels. If it's making your crazy, kill the offender fictionally. Quit reading the discussion. Step back from the edge (and the computer). If you're having a bad day, don't go where you know you might have a problem. If you want to effect change, then address the person/org/people who can affect change.

If you have to engage, keep in mind that:

* Not every issue is about right and wrong. Sometimes they are just different points of view. You remember points of view, right? How peoples' POV is shaped by their life experiences?

* Where ever you take your eyes, they will always see things from your point of view. Be willing to accept premise that no one is ALL right or ALL wrong--including you. Your opinions are also shaped by your life experience. You have a POV. You get to keep yours and so does everyone else.

* Find where you DO agree and build on that.

* Agree to disagree. Be okay with agreeing to disagree. You can be brilliant and still not get agreement. (see my point on POV)

Life is short. Where and how you spend your energy and creativity should always be a choice and not a reaction, particularly the knee jerk kind.

Cultivating a professional persona is as important to your business as creating great stories and great characters.

Be the business person your writer needs you to be to make your small business a success.

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Pondering Paragraphs

On the Blood-red Pencil blog, Charlotte Phillips is talking paragraphs. Charlotte had this to say on the subject:

"I checked my trusted Chicago Manual of Style - which disappointed me for the first time in a very long time. Chicago was silent on paragraph rules (or I simply wasn't smart enough to locate the information). I Googled. I even cracked open several of the writing and grammar books parked on the corner of my desk. Did I find anything definitive? No."

She has some interesting comments on her paragraph questions. If you're curious about paragraphs, you should check it out.

She did get me thinking about how I decide on paragraph length, etc. As I pondered the subject, I realized I get some of my paragraphing technique from scriptwriting. Scriptwriters are always (or should always) be aware of the white space on every page. Lots of white space and shorter paragraphs are said to make the page more friendly and accessible to the reader.

Script paragraphs are generally very short, typically no more than two or three lines. Obviously that guideline is too extreme for novels. Paragraphing like that would make for very choppy fiction. Still, I realized I am aware of how my words look on the page. Does each page invite the reader in? Does it look friendly or hostile?

I do have longer paragraphs, but not excessively long. Looking at my WIP, I tend to switch to a new paragraph when a change in topic occurs, even if it's happening inside the head of a character. I'll also isolate an important conclusion and/or decision in a paragraph by itself. It's a quiet way of telling the reader: this is important.

George Smiley, in his book Playwriting: The Structure of Action points out how important it is to show a character's thought processes when they are engaging in ethical or deliberative thinking. (Excellent book, btw, on how to create characters with consistency and stature.)

Most of what I do when I'm writing is unconscious, but when I'm editing, I do look for these types of thought patterns. I look for clarity, consistency and ways to highlight the key points, so that the reader isn't surprised when a character acts.

Donald Mass, in his Writing the Breakout Novel, urges the author to figure out something that your character would never, ever do and then write a scene where they are forced to do that thing.

If you push your characters to that point--and want to take the reader along with you--then you need to have deliberative paragraphs in place, so that the reader can believe it when the character acts against their deepest convictions and does the previously unthinkable.

For me, this means not burying those moments in long paragraphs, but framing them in ways that show they are important by what goes before and after. Over time, you develop an instinct for when a break needs to occur in the flow of sentences.

This kind of choice is also integral to developing your own style. No two writers will use paragraphs in exactly the same way. You can learn from other authors, but you also need to have the confidence to be true to your own style.

When I'm going through a manuscript, if a section needs more than grammer corrections, I'll write MB in the margin. This means "make better." I keep breaking, unbreaking and rebreaking my paragraphs until I can't make it any better. Then I set my WIP aside for as long as I can and try again.

Because this business is so subjective, there will always be someone out there to tell you that you got it wrong, but if it feels right to you, then I'd say go with your gut. (And it helps to have a great editor.)

Perilously yours
Pauline

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Twittering Around

I've been really enjoying exploring Twitter and the people who tweet there. I think my favorite part is that I have to write short. No more than 140 characters allowed per tweet. It seemed short at first, but now I'm amazed at what people can communicate with micro-blogging.

So if you're in the mood for a quick way to promote (or whine), check out Twitter. It's fast and easy to sigh up for and even faster to use. It will take time to build followers. The best way to do that is follow people and them show them you're reading them. Not all the time, but the occasional reply to a comment shows an interest and attention to their posts.

Like most social networking sites, you can't hit and run and hope to get attention. You have to build your network. And then you have to be interesting in 140 characters or less. :-)

Perilously yours,
Pauline

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Happy New Year!

I can't believe 2008 is almost over and I really can't believe I survived it! Been a crazy year, but I'm still here. :-)

As a gift to my writing friends, I've compiled an eBook of my "best of" tips, taken from Writers Nibs: Dip into the Well, a feature on my website. I've been posting tips, sort of on a schedule, since 2006, but I've never gone back and looked at them. So this was a looking back exercise for me, too. You can download the free eBook on my website and I hope it will give you a boost to head into 2009 with more determination to succeed at your writing goals. ;-)

You can find some other, cool writing related free stuff here. I printed out the free calendar to use in 2009. I like to have a calendar on my desktop, where I can make quick notes or check dates. It's a mini-diary for me as I pass through the year. I also like the DRAW tips. I think you have to sign up to get those by email, but some great tips for jump starting the writing.

I've also been hanging around with Twitter Moms that Writer. It's a diverse group, but most interesting. Finding the right kind of support for your writing efforts can be a challenge, but with the internet, it is possible. :-)

I hope that your new year brings you the realization of your writing dreams and much happiness!
Perilously yours,
Pauline

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Managing Your Book Writing Business

November was such a personally challenging month for me that the release of our non-fiction book almost passed without my notice. But it IS official. Here's the official blurb:

Are you a writer? Have you published your work or are you seeking publication? Did you know that you are also a small business owner? This helpful handbook outlines basic and important information every author needs to know about the publishing industry and the “business” of writing. From developing a business plan to cultivating a professional reputation, award winning author Pauline Baird Jones and public relations expert and author Jamie Engle share their years of knowledge and experience. Don’t wait until it’s too late, then say “I wish I would have known…” Managing Your Book Writing Business includes helpful web links and guidelines to help you get started, and keep you from making simple but potentially costly mistakes. Save time and start out right—success comes sooner for authors who take the time to organize and plan a strategy!

It was a dream to work with Jamie to finish this book. She is a wonderful writer and very professional and knowledgeable. She pulled things from me that I didn't know I knew.

Hope you'll check it out in ebook or print!
Perilously yours,
Pauline

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Today we're guesting author Jeff Rivera on the blog. He's the author of Forever My Lady, releasing today. Welcome, Jeff. :-) He's agreed to answer a few questions, so let's get started!

Can we get Forever My Lady on Amazon?
Yes, Amazon.com or www.JeffRivera.com or of course, bookstores all over.

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog, Jeff. We wish lots of success with the book!
Perilously yours,
Pauline

Pauline Baird Jones
www.paulinebjones.com
[email protected]
The Key; Men in Jeans: Death in Texas Anthology
Made-up Mayhem,
Adapting Your Novel for Film
Managing Your Book Writing Business

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This and That....

If you missed me, well blame it on Ike. We got our hardest hurricane hit this time, though it was nothing like it could have been. There are a lot of people out there who got hit a LOT harder and longer. To read about my adventures with Ike, check out my personal blog. There are pictures, too.

While I was offline, our chapter released our latest anthology, A Death in Texas, which is way cool. You can find it online at amazon and B&N or at fictionwise as a mutliformat ebook. I downloaded my copy and have read four of the short stories and so far am very wowed. My short is in very good company!

I also got a review of The Key from Booksmugglers. It was a decent review, though I was surprised they found it political. It is a good lesson in this truism:

Where ever I take my eyes, they see things from my point of view.

Simply put, we each bring our personal experiences to the reading experience. It's not something the writer can control or even predict. You can plan to be political and still not get the response you hoped for. It's just the way things are. So it's not worth it to get huffy and bent out of shape if you get a review you don't like.

I'm fortunate that good reviews have far outnumbered bad (and the BookSmuggler's review is really nice. They liked my story and loved Sara, my main character) but I have gotten slammed. I had one reviewer not only hate the book, but she proceeded to give away each and every plot surprise in the book. My mildest "bad" review thought I was "too funny."

At no time have I written and complained about a review. If I write, I thank the reviewer for their time. If I find something interesting or a surprise, I might mention it, but never in a hostile manner. We can learn from reviews, even if that lesson is just: turn the other cheek.

If you're going to be in the this business, if you put your writing out there, someone somewhere is going to have an opinion about it and it won't always be flattering. And if you don't get reviewered ever, you need to work on your promotion and marketing.

Char's Book Reviews has an interesting discussion on her website today about even genre fiction writing can reflect our world view and become a forum of our beliefs. Guest blogger Mark Phillips writes:

"I believe that fiction, even, and perhaps especially, genre fiction is the modern democratic forum for ethical discussion. We can and should be conscious contributors to that ongoing dialogue."

And if you become a part of that dialogue, you WILL tick someone off somewhere. For the writer, the question then becomes, "Do I allow my critics to silence me? Do I slink off into a dark corner and lick my wounds? Or do I accept that everyone has their own point of view and experiences? Can I allow them their differences? Can I refuse to give them power over my words and thoughts and writing?"

You probably won't know how you're going to take criticism until it happens. It's probably a good idea to expose your work to others prior to publication. Learn to smile when someone tells you how your work would be better. And consider the fact that they may be right. Or might at least have a point.

People will analyze your work and see things you don't. Because where they take THEIR eyes, they will see things from their point of view. That's never going to change, no matter how much you might want it to be different. And if you set out to make your work didactic, you can count on ticking off people.

To toughen your hide, put on your asbestos drawers and do what you love. Words have great power--but they still only have the power You give them.
Perilously yours,
Pauline

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Dealing with Fatigue...

I haven't written a blog here, because frankly, couldn't think of anything to write about. I went to my writer's meeting on Saturday and a friend was talking about how hard it is to start a novel, just how much energy it takes to launch a big project and I realized I was suffering from fatigue--not just writer's fatigue but general life fatigue.

Life happens. Sometimes it lifts. Sometimes its a rip tide. We've been swimming against the rip tide for a while, plus I've got promotion burnout big time.

So, no writing blog advice. I've been browsing the blogs and sites, looking for a way to fill my internal well. In the past I've been able to funnel hard times into my writing, but it hasn't worked that well this time. Going to my writers meeting helped (I knew it would, which is why I dragged my sorry out to it despite my fatigue!).

I've also been writing some short stuff, just to keep that feeling I'm doing something. But that seems to be working against me, in a way. My brain has gotten lazy. I've also been working on some non-fiction with Jamie and preparing for the amazing Muse Online Conference next month (and preparing for hurricane season and now bracing for Ike-talk about a distraction!).

So, I'd like to be wise and tell you, here's how you get through writing/life fatigue, but I'm not to wise yet. It does help to know that when this has happened to me in the past, it's not forever. Like the tides, creativity can ebb and flow. Sometimes you just have to wait for the tide to come back in. Sometimes you have to wade out to it.

Other than that, all I can say is that you're not alone. And that I know it will pass. Been here, done that, bought the tee shirt. And the chocolate. :-)
Perilously yours,
Pauline
The Key; Men in Jeans: Death in Texas Anthology
Made-up Mayhem, Available now!
Adapting Your Novel for Film, Available now!

Fyn emerged out of the woods at the back of her house and gestured for him. They met in the center of the backyard.
“Found something.”
Apparently he’d used up his allotment of full sentences. Rick signaled for a couple of the guys to come with them and followed Fyn into the woods.
(from Men in Jeans in the Death in Texas Anthology, 10/08)

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Taking a Look at Adapting Your Novel for Film

I think we all dream of making it big, in publishing and then in film, but the odds of having your books adapted to film and then made into a major motion picture are beyond my math skills to calculate.

That said, there are independent film routes into movie production. When you look at the success of indie films such as The Blair Witch Project and My Big, Fat Greek Wedding, then it makes sense to target your efforts at more than just the big movie studios.

And if you are going to work with an indie, then it's a good idea to learn how to adapt your own work. Many of the small indies don't have the budgets to hire scriptwriters to adapt books, though it does happen. It's just a good strategy to know how to do your own adaptation. And it doesn't hurt to learn to talk the talk, even if you don't do your own adaptation.

There are some excellent books out there on adapting novels for film, but they are targeted at scriptwriters who will be adapting other people's work. They focus a lot on theory and storytelling--something I assume you already know if you've written your own novel. My booklet is just about adapting your work for film. It's short and to the point.

And in other news.....

I’m participating in an event to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Please join me and help raise funds for investment in vital CF programs to support research, care and education. During the month of September, I commit to writing 15,000 words and I'm hoping to raise at least $150 for CFF. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a devastating genetic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. More than ten million Americans are symptomless carriers of the defective CF gene. Advances continue to be made in finding a cure, but your help is needed now-more than ever-to help keep up the momentum of this life-saving research. To learn more about CF and the CF Foundation, visit www.cff.org. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of those with cystic fibrosis. Thank you for supporting the mission of the CF Foundation!

Thanks to everyone for your support!

Click Here to donate. Perilously yours, Pauline

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Taking a Look at Made Up Mayhem

Week two since the print release of my two, new non-fiction titles and it's past time I did some blogs about the books. I have no excuses for why I've been slow, except that it is August. It is my personal belief that we should be allowed to be unconscious for the whole month.

I hadn't looked at either book since I turned in the last edits to the publisher, so I was curious to see how they looked in their new format and if I still liked them. (Yes, I do worry about that!)

Is it conceited to say, I still like the book? There's something distancing about seeing your work formatted and presented by a publisher. It doesn't feel like it belongs to you anymore. So it feels possible to get some distance, but I don't know if you actually do get that distance.

In the book (booklet really, it's pretty short and to the point), I talk about the basics of writing as they apply to writing the suspense or action oriented book. Like pretty much everyone else who has written book about how to write, this is how I did it, what works for me.

Will it work for you? I have no idea. Not everyone strikes sparks in the same way, or has chemistry with someone's writing process. I do think, that for the price, it's worth checking out, but I am prejudiced. And excited to have both Made Up Mayhem and Adapting Your Novel For Film available in print. :-)

If you buy the books and have questions, I hope you're stop by here or email me and ask. :-)

Perilously yours,
Pauline

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The Key Wins Dream Realm Award!

I'm pleased and excited to announce that The Key has won the Dream Realm award for its category. I'm also pleased that Adapting Your Novel for Film and Made-up Mayhem have released in online bookstores and fictionwise.com!

I was going to do some blogging about the booklets, but life intervened. I will try to do better in the upcoming weeks.
Perilously yours,
Pauline

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Made-up Mayhem and Adapting Your Novel for Film

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Book Teasers

Okay, this is totally my opinion. I've viewed a lot of book teasers (can't call them trailers, because it has been trademarked). I've seen many I liked a lot, some I didn't. But liking a teaser and having it impel me to go buy the book, well...

Again, MY opinion, but I don't think a teaser should be:

*Long. It's a teaser, not a novella or even a summary of your book. We live in a short attention span society and your teaser is competing with all kinds of crazy stuff on you tube, etc. You can't hope to condense a novel into something comfortable to view anyway. What your goal should be, IMHO, is a hook that makes the viewer want to find out MORE. If you think about movie teasers, most are also short. They are designed for maximum impact and to create questions the viewer needs answered by either seeing the movie or looking it up if it isn't out yet.

*Cast with actors. Again, this is just my opinion, but if I see actors portraying roles in a book, well, it messes with MY casting those parts in my head. And if I'm not wowed by the people playing the parts then it turns me off the book, not on it. The other reason I personally, have issues with book teasers containing acted out sequences if that the teaser is about a BOOK. If people won't read a brief teaser, watching it acted out isn't going to make them buy the book. Teasers should be targeted at READERS.

*No music with words in the background. I find myself listening to the words of the music (or trying to figure it out) and miss the words I'm supposed to be focused on.

I don't have a problem with teasers that have pictures. It should certainly include your cover art. And it can have some nice visuals and good sound is nice, but again, IMHO (I have no data to back this up, just my gut feeling) spend most of your time focusing on the WORDS. Your goal is to tease visits to your website for more information--or better yet, get them to go looking for it in a bookstore.

I did my first teaser and I have no clue if it is a good one or not. Obviously I don't have the necessary distance from it to judge it dispassionately. I may never know if it is successful or not. It's hard to find linkage between any promotion you do and income. (It's on my website on The Key info page, if you're curious or want to mock me.)

So why do a teaser if you don't know if it works or not?

Its just one more tool in your promotion kit, one more way to get your name and book title in front of people. I rarely go looking for book teasers about a book I want to read, because well, I READ books, I don't view them. But I will go look at a link for a friend or if someone forwards me a link with a "this is cool" comment.

So, my last suggestion would be, make it cool. Make it fun so people want to forward i. Be creative. Or completely ignore everything I've written. Because it just MHO.
Perilously yours,
Pauline

Pauline Baird Jones
www.paulinebjones.com
2007 Dream Realm Awards Finalist
The Key; Men in Jeans: Death in Texas Anthology

Rick wished he had a tie to tug on. Not that he liked wearing ties, but the moment seemed to call for a good tie tug. “We need to talk to you about your books, ma’am.”
"Is this some kind of weird joke?” She looked past them, as if she expected a camera crew to pop out of the under brush. “A new reality show?”
“We’re not allowed to joke, ma’am.” It took some work, but his lips didn’t twitch.
(From Men in Jeans, DEATH IN TEXAS Anthology)

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Talking Sig Lines...

Sig lines (signatures at the end of your email posts) can be a wonderful promotion tool or drive some people into a foaming frenzy. The frenzy comes from expectations--mostly the unmet kind. Everyone has opinions on what is the perfect sig line.

Here's mine:

Some sig lines are block-long parades and others barely cast a shadow.

What a sig lines should do for the author is tell people a little about you without you having to come out and say it. Look at this way, you don't go into a party wearing a sandwich board or carrying a blow horn. You should approach your internet contacts with the same courtesy and restraint.

A good sig line will contain:

1. Your name (believe it or not, a lot of people forget this basic necessity. If you're name isn't there, then your name recognition isn't being built.)

2. Your website URL: This tells people where to find our more about you if they want to.

3. Email contact: While most email programs let you find an email address, you want to make it easy for people to contact you. (And no, if someone creepy uses this info, you don't have to answer them. Use the delete key.)

4. Your book title. It can contain book titles, but probably no more than two. Too much information and your sig line because a novel, not a sig line.

5. In SOME situations, you can add review or book snippets to your sig line, but be sparing and respect the list rules. Put this information at the bottom, so you can delete it easily where necessary.

Note the word snippet in the above line. That means SHORT. To the point. Yes, there will be a longing to shoe horn all the wonderful things a reviewer said about your book, but you want to pick ONE sentence. Later you can use the other wonderful things, because a sig line should also evolve.

And while you're waiting for review quotes or once you've used all you have, consider the benefit of adding short snippets from your book. Linnea Sinclair creates a special file of these snippets while she's writing her book, then sprinkles them through her email correspondence. It does a wonderful job of creating buzz and anticipation for novels. I tried this and actually had a reader email me for more information.

The good thing about sig lines, because they are a work in process, you have time to hone and refine yours. :-)
Perilously yours,
Pauline

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Social Networking and Promotion

As some of you know, I'm co-writing a promotion book with Jamie Engle, and as part of the research, I dived into the world of social networking. Holy cow! I don't think I scratched the surface of what's out there.

I came away feeling like it was something that could literally suck up ALL your time, but it's still worth doing IF you learn to manage your time effectively.

I couldn't even begin to list all the sites out there, but here are a couple that are, IMHO, worth it for authors (and readers!):

Goodreads
Shelfari

These two are specifically targeted to and for readers, which means, that while you'll still be authors marketing to authors, you'll also find readers looking for books and sharing their reading experiences with other readers.

Be prepared to run into readers who don't like your books (if they've read them). Don't answer back or flame. Take it on the chin and look for the readers who DO like your stuff. I know it's easy to say, but let the negative just wash off you. You can't please everyone, so don't bleed away your precious time trying.

And if time is a huge issue, consider microblogging...
Perilously your,
Pauline

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Covers and Contracts...

I thought some of you might be interested in these links to a discussion about cover art by Kathy's Review Corner. While the discusion focuses on romance novels, writers can still learn a lot from the readers answers to her questions. The discussion is broken into two parts and here are the links:

Part One
Part Two

In other news on the net, writers are again discussing how to handle it when a publishing relationship goes sour. Everything, everything depends on your contract. While other writers can give advice, they can't give reliable legal advice unless they happen to be lawyers.

We had a lawyer come speak to our writers groups about scams and cons, but he had good advice for anyone signing a contract: the only thing that matters is what is written down.

What you think the contract says or what the other party told you they meant don't matter. In a court of law, it's all about what the contract actually says.

If you don't understand what's written, get legal advice. For authors, there are tons of sites out there that break down contract clauses and warn against certain types of language.

Too many authors sign nasty contracts because they are so eager to get published, they forget to protect their intellectual property rights adequately. Too often we're afraid to mess up a deal with reasonable questions.

Learning how to ask intelligent questions about your contract/s is a sign of your professionalism. If it makes a publisher/editor upset to be asked reasonable questions and to reasonably negotiate a contract (note that word reasonable -- how much you can negotiate depends on a lot of factors) that is a huge warning flag.

The savvy writer does their research. The savvy writer is also willing to walk away from a bad cotnract.

Perilously yours,
Pauline

Pauline Baird Jones
www.paulinebjones.com
[email protected]
The Key, L&L Dreamspell, Independent Publisher Awards Bronze Medal Winner,
2008Proud member, Broad Universe (http://www.broaduniverse.org)

It was hard not to feel like the gods had sent him a gift for not giving up, but he realized she might not see her arrival in quite the same light. He ran a finger down the smooth curve of her cheek, then across her soft, full lower lip, relieved to see the slow rise and fall of her chest.
from THE KEY

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Did You Hear....?????

One of the questions that come up a lot on the lists, "Why didn't anyone warn/tell me there was a problem with XYZ Publisher?"

Information is important currency to authors. It can save us time--or cost us time and opportunity.

Information can also be the killing blow to a small press publisher.

There is no magic formula for how to foresee if a publisher is healthy or about to disappear. All of us struggle with how and when is the "right" time to share what we know or what we've heard.

While it can be fun to be "in the know," spreading information that you don't know is true can have devastating effects on a small press working with a thin profit margin in a hostile environment. Rumors can even take down a healthy small press. If you've ever played "Gossip" as a child, then you know how quickly information can get distorted, even by well-meaning individuals.

My best advice is: don't pass on information until YOU have personal proof that something is wrong. And then be careful how you share that information and who you share it with. If your careless words caused harm, you could get sued.
Perilously yours,
Pauline

The Key, L&L Dreamspell, Independent Publisher Awards Bronze Medal Winner
2008Proud member, Broad Universe (http://www.broaduniverse.org)

It was hard not to feel like the gods had sent him a gift for not giving up, but he realized she might not see her arrival in quite the same light. He ran a finger down the smooth curve of her cheek, then across her soft, full lower lip, relieved to see the slow rise and fall of her chest.
from THE KEY

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