Pantser Quote

I have surgeon’s block. Call my CP for a consult.

“I’m a pantser physician. I have no idea how this operation is going to turn out. Knowing that would ruin operating for me.”

Vince Mooney

It's Fiction!

“You don’t have a sagging middle. You just made the beginning and ending too strong.”

Vince Mooney

Marketing Writing Quote

“Remember that you sell books to editors not readers. What’s important is not what readers want but what editors think readers want. Forget this and you may wind up like General Motors or Chrysler who forget that their customers were dealers.”

Vince Mooney

Famous Writing Quote of the Day

“Do you think you could work in a little backstory, Mr. Speaklitte?”

“There’s nothing wrong with backstory as along as it really is backstory (a story that tells a story) and not just a description of a story.”  

Vince Mooney

Pantser Quote

“A sagging middle is just a WIP’s way of smiling back at a pantser.” 

Vince Mooney

Famous Writing Quote of the Day



No backstory allowed.

“Editors don’t really have to be all that insightful as long as they all faithfully engage in group think.”

Vince Mooney

Is Amazon Eating Its Children?

How Much Time Does Amazon Have?

There is a lot of talk in the media about Amazon becoming too great a force in the publishing industry.  I think there is a much better case for Amazon becoming a much lesser force.

After Amazon helps kill the paper book (and the paper book will die as disposable eReaders make paper books unprofitable) no one is going to need Amazon to buy eBooks.

Amazon’s big advantage was in delivering real books at low prices avoiding the state sales tax. An author can sell her eBooks directly from her website. However, it is more likely that a site like AbeBooks will be formed to sell all eBooks at the lowest prices. Google might come in as a partner to provide the affinity software (if you like this book, then you’ll probably like these books). Google could also just set up the universal eBook sale site itself.

It’s only a matter of time before internet sales become subject to state sales taxes.  Of course, Amazon is trying to diversify as quickly as possible. Amazon is trying to sell everything. It might even become the Sears Catalog of the Twenty-First Century. However, there is nothing special in doing that. Amazon might also become a seller of their own content. This is especially true for selling their own eBooks.  Amazon is working hard to stay alive.

Nevertheless, the future does not look all that good for Amazon. Ebook Readers will become simple comedies in the future. Sales taxes will rip away a big advantage that Amazon currently relies on.

Publishing itself is endangered by self-publishing opportunities. Even more important than publishers will be ‘endorsers’ and ‘designers’ – individuals and organizations – who will give their ‘Good Housekeeping’ seal of approval to eBooks of proven quality.

 
The publishing industry has a lot more to worry about than Amazon. In fact, Amazon may well be remembered in the same way we now think of Alta Vista. You do remember Alta Vista, don't you?

It's Fiction!

An author told her writing class that her characters were just like ‘real people’ because she did character profiles, intensive interviews, and always gave her characters their head.  

While this may well be true, it is also the reason why her characters were so unsympathetic. Her characters are just like the kind of ‘real people’ that real people read fiction to get away from.”

Vince Mooney

Famous Writing Quote of the Day

“While it is true that romance fans get to vote with their dollars, they don’t get to vote in the primaries. Well edited self-published books represent the coming of direct elections.”

Vince Mooney

It's Fiction!



Who is the boss?

“Many authors treat their characters like relatives: they just take the ones they get!”

It’s fiction!

Create the characters that are best suited for the story and then tell those characters to play their parts as directed or you’ll call central casting and replace them.”

Vince Mooney

Famous Writing Quote of the Day

“Unfortunately, a lot of characters know their authors better than their authors know them.”

Vince Mooney

Famous Writing Quote of the Day

“The problem with writing gurus is that they are always preaching to the choir.”

Vince Mooney

It's Fiction!

Concerning backstory, one author wrote this in a writer’s Journal:

(After reading about 15 to 25 seconds of backstory),  the author concludes,

“By now the reader’s forgotten what’s going on…”  

Really? Who are your readers anyway? That’s about the attention span of a watermelon. Get real! It’s fiction!

Vince Mooney

Famous Writing Quote of the Day

“The fastest way to get writer’s block is to let your characters do your thinking for you.”

Vince Mooney

Famous Writing Quote of the Day

“The problem with many writing rules is that they assume the reader is a complete idiot.”

Vince Mooney

It's Fiction!

Concerning backstory, one author wrote this in a writer’s Journal:

“Readers don’t need that much information…”

What are we dealing with here? National security? Readers can only get backstory on a ‘need to know’ basis. Get real! It’s fiction!

Vince Mooney

Famous Writing Quote of the Day

“Editors are like Popes. When they speak ex-publicata whatever they say becomes infallibly true whether it makes any sense or not.” 
Vince Mooney

The Fight of the Century

Sugar Ray Backstory

vs

Insta Killer

“Welcome fans, this is Eddy Torre along with Merv Swerver, we're here tonight at the Punchinello Arena to bring you the fight of the century!  The undefeated World Champion Sugar Ray Backstory has come out of retirement to put a stop to Insta Killer and to save the Sweet Science.”

“Well, Eddy, I think Sugar Ray has made a mistake. The times have changed. Fans today don’t care about the sport of boxing. I don’t think they even know what the Sweet Science is. They just want to see two fighters come out at the bell throwing punches. They just want instant action.”

“You can say that again, Merv. It’s like today’s fans all suffer from ADD.  All we see today are Insta Killers. The real boxing fans have little choice."

"The establishment just won’t train or schedule classic boxers for matches any longer.”

“It’s the promoters fault, Eddy.  They say boxers are too slow getting started. Boxers like to feel out their opponents. Test for strengths and weaknesses. This can take a round or two or even more but it pays off in the later rounds.”

“It’s sad. All that these so-called boxing fans want to see is action and more action and then even greater action. I think they'd all be happier if we just brought in Roman Gladiators.”

“Don’t doubt for one minute, Merv, that today’s promoters wouldn't bring in Gladiators for fights to the death if it were legal.”

‘So why is Sugar Ray coming back? He knows he’s a dinosaur.  He should know these fight promoters are like lemmings. They are not going to change no matter what. The mob wants Insta Killers, and that’s what they are going to get. After all they vote with their dollars.”

“Sugar Ray is a great man as well as a great fighter. He’s the third great fighter to honor the name of Sugar Ray.  He’d like to save the sport from the Philistines.”

“Doesn’t Sugar Ray know that the smart marketing people have done surveys? Doesn’t he know that 80% of the fans want to see Insta Killer fighters and not classic boxers?”

“Sugar Ray has a marketing degree, too. He knows that the 20% of fans who love the sport and want to see classic boxers buy 80% of the tickets to fights. The 80% of the Insta Killer lovers only buy 20% of the tickets and yet they are the ones the promoters cater to.”

“Pareto’s law, even I know that Eddy, but the 20% who buy 80% of the tickets don’t count. They are going to come to the fitghts anyway. All efforts are made to sell the last 20% of the seats. That last 20% of the seats represents all bottom line profit. “

“That’s like the tail wagging the dog, Merv.”

“No, it’s called the concept of  ‘marginality’.  And it’s too powerful for even Sugar Ray Backstory to overcome.”

“Maybe, but that’s what were here to see. Maybe Backstory has a few surprises yet to spring on the brut Insta Killer.”

Ding. Ding.

“We’re off. Just as expected Insta Killer is firing punches like a machine gun.”

“His fists are a blur. Backstory is backing up, bobbing and weaving, using fancy footwork, and making great use of the full ring.”

“Insta Killer is just not connecting.”

“But the fans love it.”

“They want a quick kill. And Insta Killer’s just the brut to do it.”

“Backstory's  now on the ropes. He’s got his arms up trying to protect his face and ribs. It’s awful. Sugar Ray is just a punching bag.”

“Why doesn’t he go down?”

“Backstory has pushed off.  Insta Killer is back peddling.”

“Insta Killer may be tiring. He must have thrown thirty or forty punches.”

“It was a Rope-A-Dope! Backstory wasn’t hurt at all. He knew what he was doing.”

Boo! Boo!

“The fans don’t like it, Merv. They want Backstory to stand his ground and fight. They don’t want to see boxing. They want to see blood on the canvas.”

“Sugar Ray is now following Insta Killer around the ring. Feeling him out. Right jabs, left jabs. Just feeling him out.”

Boo! Boo!

“The fans want both of them in there slugging it out.”

“Intra Killer is just waiting for the bell so he can get his breath back.”

Ding!

“First round is over, Merv. I'd say the round has to go to Instra Killer. He took the fight to Sugar Ray. He should have that round on points.”

Ding!

“Round Two and here comes Insta Killer. He’s raised the ante. Look at those fists fly! Sugar Ray is just dancing around. Insta Killer just can’t connect. I think it would only take one punch if Insta Killer could hit him.”

“Boo! Boo!”

“The fans want Sugar Ray to stand his ground and go toe to toe with Instra Killer.”

“Sugar Ray is a scientific boxer, Eddy. He’s just not going to do that.”

Ding!

“Third round coming up. Do you think Insta Killer can keep it up? How much engery could the big guy have?”

Ding!

“Here’s comes Insta Killer. Look at those punches. How many can one man throw in a single fight?”

“Sugar Ray is still moving like a butterfly. Still feeling Insta Killer out.  I think Sugar Ray saw something. Every time Insta Killer throws two left jabs he drops his right.”

Boo!  Boo!

“The crowd's not happy. They want a slug fest not a boxing match.”

"Merv, I think this crowd would rather watch a street fight."

“Sugar Ray’s hit him! Insta Killer dropped his right and Sugar Ray stung him in jaw.”

“Oh, that had to hurt the big guy.  Insta Killer is woozy. Sugar Ray looks like he’s just started the first round and Insta Killer looks like he’s in the fifteenth round.”

“Another hit!  Sugar Ray 's right just blasted Insta Killer’s jaw.”

“Yea! Yea!”

“The fans like that. That’s the loudest yelling yet.”

“They're not the same fans who were booing. They're the true boxing fans having their say at last. Remember the true fans fill 80% of the seats.”

Ding!

“Do you think they should stop the fight?  Insta Killer doesn’t have anything left. He’s just a one trick pony.”

Ding!

“Now the crowd's on Sugar Ray's side. Ray’s just picking Insta Killer to pieces.”

“Well, Insta Killer is no boxer. He doesn’t know what to do. He’s hit again and again.”

“Stop the fight!  Instra Killer is just helpless. Sugar Ray can hit him at will. The Killer is down.”

“Insta Killer is not going to get up. It’s over!”

Here's comes the announcer.

“Still heavy weight campion of the world...a true boxer and lover of the sport: Sugar Ray Backstory.”

RINGSIDE:

“Fans, we have Sugar Ray here with us. Ray, you don’t even look like you’ve broken out in sweat yet.”

“I’m in shape. I also know how to box. These Insta Killer clones are boring. All they know is action. They just flail away! That’s their plan and when that gets boring they just up the ante and flail away even faster.”

“So do you think this victory will help your cause? Do you think we’ll see more classic boxers in the future?”

“You mean boxers who come out slow and apply their science and feel out their opponents to the joy of the true boxing fans?”

“Yes. Will the promoters go back to scheduling boxers instead of Insta Killers?”

“No, the promoters won’t change. If it takes Insta Killers to fill those last 20% of the seats, then Insta Killers are all we are going to see being booked for matches.”

“So the promoters are just going to take the true boxing fans, who buy 80% of the tickets, for granted.”

“Of course they are. They’re promoters. That's what they do. That’s what they have always done. The marketing battles are always fought on the margins. It’s the same in politics.  The battle is always for the voters on the margin and not the loyal party members.”

“If the situation is hopeless, why did you come out of retirement?”

“I’m starting an association of Indie promoters. We’re going to bypass the big promoters and put on our own fights. These will be the fights that the loyal boxing fans really want to see but are not getting right now. We are going to let the big promoters have their margianl 20%.”

“Then what about your plans? What about the last 20% of the seats? Can your Indies be profitable without them?”

“We'll have lower costs and smaller venues. This will provide much larger paydays for the fighters. Beside, we have me!  I flit like a butterfly and sting like a bee! We are going to take this sport back and make it the Sweet Science again. And, believe me guys,  I’ve got the Sugar to do it.”

“That’s it fans. This is not good news for the big fight promoters.”

“Maybe the real dinosaur here tonight was the Insta Killer mentality.”

“Well, there’s always the Gladiators, Merv. Maybe the big promoters can get fights to the death legalized.”

“We better learn a new vocabulary then, Eddy.”

Famous Writing Quote of the Day

“Writing fiction is not just one skill. It requries a hundred different skills. Some, like POV, are well known and entire books have been written about them. Some have yet to be discovered.  Until a writer masters enough of these skills, the writing will fail.”

Vince Mooney

Poesia sulla scrittura

When read

her writing

was quite

ordinary;

but when

sung

it was

extraordinary.

Some prose

must be sung

and never read

just as some 

immortal words

are those

that were

left unsaid.  

Vince Mooney

Famous Writing Quote of the Day

“Successful writing is 1% ideas and 99% execution. Nora Roberts could take the most shopworn ideas and turn them into a great reading experience.”

Vince Mooney

Famous Writing Quote of the Day

“The best humor does not depend on being funny.”

Vince Mooney

Poesia sulla scrittura

“A writer’s voice

Is never heard

Not a syllable

Not a single word

It all depends

On the reader’s ear

And what the reader

Was trained to hear.”

Vince Mooney

Famous Pantser Quote

“Pantserism might produce a decent novel from time to time but it will never produce decent marketing.”

Vince Mooney

Have you read "Why the Devil Wants you to be a Pantser." yet?

Poesia sulla scrittura

“All this talk

about the writer’s voice

and yet we never hear

about the reader’s ear.”

Vince Mooney

Famous Writing Quote of the Day

“The problem with giving characters their head is that most characters are not team players.”

Vince Mooney

Famous Writing Quote of the Day

“Humor should flow from the story as if the author did not exist.”

Vince Mooney

Philosophy Quote of the Day

 

“Plato was wrong. We begin life outside the cave and not inside. It’s as we grow older that the cave grows around us.  The secret is that we’ve all been on the outside and the loss is too painful to mention. It’s the philosopher who shines light on the past and for this a philosopher can earn the death penalty.”

Vince Mooney

Famous Writing Quote of the Day

“Nothing insults a reader more than the belief that if an author doesn’t kill the sheriff on the first page, the reader won’t continue reading the book.”

Vince Mooney

Famous Writing Quote of the Day

“Make everything strong enough to carry the book: make the plot strong enough, make the characters strong enough, make the voice strong enough, make everything strong enough so that, even if the reader does not care about any of the others, the book will still be an enjoyable reading experience.”

Vince Mooney

Famous Writing Quote of the Day

“Readers don’t want real characters. They want sympathetic characters that seem real.”

Vince Mooney

Famous Writing Quote of the Day

“I don’t care how well defined your characters are or how conflict-ridden your plot is, if I don’t care what happens to your characters, I won’t finish reading your book.”

Vince Mooney

Famous Writing Quote of the Day

“Writers strive to avoid clichés and yet they live their lives by them.”

Vince Mooney

Famous Writing Quote of the Day

“Letting your characters name themselves is like a surgeon letting his patients perform their own operations -- because they think they can do it better.”

Vince Mooney

Famous Writing Quote of the Day

“Showing sells books to editors. Telling sells books to readers. Self-publishers take heed.”

Vince Mooney

Famous Writing Quote of the Day

“There’s good backstory and bad backstory. Unfortunately too many writers treat all backstory like Santa Claus: they just don’t believe in it.” Vince Mooney

Famous Writing Quote of the Day

“I never met a deadline I didn’t like.”

Vince Mooney

Famous Writing Quote of the Day

“Some writers dribble out backstory tidbits as if they were treats given to keep a dog’s attention during a training session. This works fine for writers as long as they don’t mind treating their readers like dogs.”
Vince Mooney

Famous Writing Quote of the Day

“Point of View is to writing what perspective is to drawing.”  

Vince Mooney

Famous Writing Quote of the Day

“I write because I want to be a writer. Success is just a useful mirage I use to justify not doing more ruminative things.”

Vince Mooney

Famous Writing Quote of the Day

Zeugma

“Well written backstory can move the story and move the reader.”

Vince Mooney

Famous Writing Quote of the Day

“Backstory is like riding a horse backwards; it can be very entertaining, if the rider/writer knows how to do it well.”

Vince Mooney

Famous Writing Quote of the Day

“Writing is like singing. It doesn’t matter how good the song is, if the singer is screechy and off key, it’s rubbish.”

Vince Mooney

Famous Writing Quote of the Day

“Writing is to singing what karaoke is to self-publishing.”

Vince Mooney