And you thought it was tough getting published in the U.S.?
Check out what Chinese authors have to go through:
Here is the Chinese Lanugage version of the book publishing flowchart for our WR2 readers in the East.
I hate this kid…nooo I don’t. I’m just jealous that he was a best selling author at the age of 19, and got a three-book deal that was since converted to a four-book deal.
Christopher Paolini’s million-selling “Inheritance” fantasy series, was originally planned to be a trilogy, but has been extended to now include four books in the series.
The first two books, Eragon
Paolini said, “I plotted out the `Inheritance’ series as a trilogy… when I was 15. At that time, I never imagined I’d write all three books, much less that they would be published,”
“When I finally delved into Book Three, it soon became obvious that the remainder of the story was far too big to fit in one volume. … In order to be true to my characters and to address all of the plot points and unanswered questions Eragon and Eldest raised, I needed to split the end of the series into two books.”
You can find more info at Paolini’s Web Site
This is from the blog Lying for a Living, published by one of my favorite up and coming crime novelists, Meg Gardiner. She has a humorous matter of fact no-nonsense approach on many subjects. On these posts she describes Character Building she did for her newest book, The Dirty Secrets Club and how she did it without a ‘so-called’ muse
Some writers claim they don’t construct their stories. Instead, they say, when they sit down at the keyboard the characters “just take over.” These writers describe this occurence with whimsical amazement at the way their creations spill themselves gloriously onto the page.
I don’t believe it. If writers truly think their characters seize control of the story, they’re either playing with a ouija board, off their meds, or listening to so much Carrie Underwood that they’ve thrown their hands in the air, crying for somebody to take the wheel. Gosh, it wasn’t me… this book is just a transcription of THE VOICES INSIDE MY HEAD. (more…)
Advice from a master at page turners: Keep it simple
By Rick Newman
U.S. News article
Elmore Leonard’s 42nd book is his shortest, by far. And that’s the point. After penning numerous page turners later adapted for the screen, like Three-Ten to Yuma, Rum Punch, Get Shorty, and Be Cool, Leonard gave a speech in which he listed 10 pithy guidelines for writers. The list gained a following, and a revised version became Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing. In a recent chat with U.S. News, Leonard, 82, discussed his rules—which include “keep your exclamation points under control” and “try to leave out the parts readers tend to skip”—along with his views on writing, movies, and modern technology: (more…)
From the Associated Press:
“Now & Then,” the 34th book in a series that began with the publication of “The Godwulf Manuscript” in 1973, finds Spenser as feisty and smart-alecky as ever. Despite a quarter century of getting shot at, and occasionally actually shot, both he and his friends are aging gracefully.
“Now & Then” is a return to form — one of the better Spenser novel in 20 years. The plot is unpredictable, the characters are richly drawn and the dialogue crackles. Although Parker’s work rarely approaches the excellence of more literary crime writers, his best books deliver a quick, entertaining read in a crisp, unadorned style.
