-
More Happy Endings?
In fit of writing procrastination I scanned through my published or soon-to-be-published stories, mostly looking at how they ended. What did I discover? Seven of the stories had unpleasant endings for the protagonist (or ambiguous endings that some readers, I think, would take as unpleasant) although one of those stories would technically be considered a happy ending by many readers as the protagonist is a real jerk. Eight stories have what I consider to be a happy ending. My early stories almost always had negative endings. This is ok sometimes — some stories have to end unpleasantly, if they are to end naturally. But I was finding that often I…
-
iPad App – Noterize
A few weeks ago I purchased the iPad App Noterize to assist me in editing a novel that is still in draft form. Wow. This is probably the most useful application I have on the iPad. Basically you import a pdf file (from a variety of sources) onto the iPad and can then make markup notes on it using a stylus. You can write notes or paste typed sticky notes on the manuscript and then send the annotated manuscript back to the computer. The editing experience is identical to paper without the mess. It also allows you to record page specific audio notes, which was useful with a story I…
-
Reading – Staggered by Content
So a few weeks ago there was a debate on a elist that I am on about the prospects of being able to make a career as a writer of fiction nowadays as opposed to 30-40 years ago. Some people felt that today because there were so many more venues for publishing work that it was a real opportunity for writers to find more exposure and more markets while others felt that with so many options for readers to choose from it diluted the ‘reader pool’ and each individual writer was at risk to earn less than they might have in a less opportunistic environment. Not having a lot of…
