THE DREADED REVIEW

I'm a reviewer. It's what I do.  Lately I've read a lot of angry words directed at reviewers, so I decided to set the record straight on the subject.  I have spent twenty plus years as a journalist, have a degree in literature, have been the staff reviewer for Meridian Magazine for eleven years and also have twenty years experience as a published author.  Perhaps my most important credential is that I review for an accredited publication.Today almost anyone can call him-or-herself a reviewer.  After all, anyone can write a short blurb for Good Reads, Amazon, or one of the book store chains about a book and call it a review.  Some people do this very well, but unfortunately, for others it's an open invitation for anonymous nastiness. 

I deplore trolls who get some kind of sick jollies out of making mean remarks about books just because they can and because they can do it anonymously.  However, it's true that not all books are created equally.  Some actually are poorly written.  For the casual reviewer it's enough to say "this  book didn't appeal to me", or just don't say anything at all.  And those stars!  Only twice in all of the years I've rated books have I given a one star and in both cases it was because of filthy language and a total disregard for factual research. There was a time when I rated every book I read, but no more.  If the book is a genre I don't care for, I generally don't do stars because it seems unfair to mark down a possibly well-written book just because it's not the kind of book I like and therefore didn't enjoy.  I also don't rate books if they're  part of a group of books I've been asked to judge for a contest. A real reviewer does point out flaws in books, but does so in an attempt to suggest a way the writer can improve and to be honest with his/her audience.  If criticism isn't constructive, it's better omitted. Criticism of mistakes or weaknesses should never belittle or become a personal attack on the author.

It's much more fun to say positive things about books than negative.  I love introducing my readers to an author I enjoy.  When a book delights me, I want to let everyone know about it.  That's the real purpose of reviews.  Reviews are a means of letting readers know about a book they might otherwise miss.  It's a chance to let readers Know a little bit about the author.  Reviews give readers a chance to peek at a book just enough to know whether or not it is a genre they wish to read.  I see the critic's role as more cheerleader than flaw finder.

And one more thing.  Many books today are published independently and I'm often asked if I review these books.  Yes, I do.  But unless the author sends me a review copy I may not know the book even exists.  Anyone who wants me to consider reviewing an independently published LDS novel can contact me through the comments section here or on face book, give me an email or message address and I'll send you my address.  Either print or electronic copies are fine.  If your novel is published by an LDS publisher, just contact your marketing manager to remind him/her to send me a copy.

 

PICTURE ME WRITING

On a beautiful day like today there are so many things to distract me from writing. The deck seems particularly inviting. 

And I need to check on the plants I planted in barrels along the east fence.

There's a peek-a-boo look at the wild rose along the back fence.

 

And all those bright red petunias are taking hold at the top of the rock garden. It seems so good to be gardening again, though I've discovered there are similarities between writing and gardening.  From the first early seeds of a story, I love watching it grow.

 

Just as there are all kinds of interruptions to my gardening, there are interruptions to my writing.  sometimes a visitor shows up.

 

Sometimes I get so carried away with the grand vista, I don't pay enough attention to the details.

 

Other times something amazes me.

 

There are close-ups.

 

And sometimes something is left dangling.

 

I guess I'll write awhile, then I'll garden awhile, then I'll go pick up a grandson from school.  Why can't more days be like this!

THE REST OF THE STORY

This time last year I was recovering from my second knee replacement surgery.  Naturally I didn't get much yard work done.  The summer before my knees were so bad I could barely walk and working in my flower beds just didn't happen.  Today I finished weeding my flower beds, all of them, and though I'm stiff and achy, I think they look pretty good. Naturally I'll be finding weeds and grass I missed all summer, but it feels pretty darn good to finally have them looking more like flower beds than weed patches.
 

 

For the past three and a half months my cousin and her husband have lived with us while he was undergoing cancer treatment.  Last week they were able to return to their home in Alaska.  We miss them, but are glad he's well enough for them to pick up their life in their own home and community.  Right after they left here, a son-in-law came to stay for a few days following radiation treatment.  He's doing really well, but a person stays radioactive for awhile following this treatment and can't be around pets or children.  We loved having him here, but his wife and kids are happy to have him back home.  After nearly four months of having our guest room occupied, our house feels kind of quiet now.  I'm stronger and feeling much better and the house is quiet, do you suppose I'll get more writing done?  I don't know; I've really enjoyed working outside in the yard the past few days. 

I blogged last about conferences and conventions.  For those who haven't heard the results of LDStorymakers Whitney Awards, here is my Meridian column in which I listed all of the winners. 

Wednesday, April 30 2014

Whitney Awards Gala

By Jennie Hansen

Blaine Yorgason was the recipient of the Whitney Lifetime Achievement Award Saturday night at the award ceremony concluding the LDStorymakers convention held in Layton, Utah. Rachel Ann Nunes received the Outstanding Achievement Award.

Blaine Yorgason- Lifetime Achievement Award

Yorgason wrote his first book, Charlie's Monument, in 1980. It has since been made into a popular film. He is the author of 83 books which total over four million copies. He has been a teacher and has held a wide variety of positions in the Church. Currently he is a temple worker at the St. George Temple. He and his wife are the parents of seven children.

 

Rachel Ann Nunes - Outstanding Achievement Award

Nunes has been a popular LDS author since the mid nineties. Her 37 books have been published with several LDS publishers and she has also self-published. She was instrumental in beginning LDStorymakers, the guild for LDS authors. She and her husband are the parents of seven children and live in Utah.

Top writing awards went to Julianne Donaldson for Blackmoore (Best Novel of 2013) , Brandon Sanderson for Steelheart (Best Youth Novel of 2013), and Kasie West for Pivot Point (Best Novel by a New Author).

Adult category winners this year are Sarah Dunster for Mile 21 (Best General Fiction), H.B. Moore for Esther the Queen (Best Historical Fiction), Julianne Donaldson for Blackmoore (Best Romance), Traci Hunter Abramson for Deep Cover (Best Mystery/Suspense), and Jeffrey S. Savage for Dark Memories (Best Speculative Fiction).

Youth category winners are Julie Berry for All the Truth That's in Me (Best General Youth Fiction), Brandon Sanderson for Steelheart (Best Speculative Youth Fiction, and Jennifer A. Nielsen for The Runaway King (Best Middle Grade Fiction). 

I was a finalist in the Historical category, but not the top winner.  I'll include a picture taken by Heather Zahn Gardner (Heather Gardner Photography), showing a group of finalists posing for the loser's cheesecake consolation prize and one of me with my daughter, Lezlie, who has a Christmas booklet coming out in October.

 

 

 

 

 

ABOUT CONFERENCES & CONVENTIONS

Storymakers conference is this weekend and several other writing conferences and conventions just concluded.  Writing conferences can be found almost year around, but some of the most well known ones occur in the spring.  I'm sometimes asked if these conferences are worth the money attendees spend on them and I always say it depends on what you hope to gain from them. 

Because I've taught or "presented" at a lot of these conferences as well just attending others, I've drawn a few conclusions.  First off attendees aren't always there because of what they hope to learn.  There are those who attend just because the conferences are fun and an opportunity to meet in person some of the "stars" they admire.  Some of these fan attendees spend years hitting every conference they hear of, but never write or submit anything to a publisher.  There are some attendees who already know it all and are just there to show off their superior knowledge.  Heaven forbid they should actually learn something new.  Some are looking for a shortcut to publication and think they'll find it at a convention. 

The majority of those at the conferences I've attended are there for multiple reasons.  They enjoy the camaraderie of other writers, they hope to make it through the slush piles a little faster by meeting agents and editors, but most of all they're interested in improving their work and having better manuscripts to submit.  Many are looking for that spark that keeps them excited about writing when life has dampened their enthusiasm. 

Some presenters are better writers than teachers and some presenters do a better job presenting than they accomplish in their own writing.  That's why it's a good idea to hear from more than one writing instructor.  Some concepts like using good grammar and spelling correctly are universal; they work for everyone who employs them.  Other advice doesn't work well for everyone, but learning about other writers' techniques and methods helps new writers discover what does work for them and opens their minds to previously unconsidered options. 

Writing is usually a solitary experience, but it's more than sitting before a computer and pounding out words.  There's a side most of us never considered when we fell in love with writing.  There are book signings and other PR obligations, there's learning to do home business taxes, and there's the assumption that anyone who writes well can also do public speaking well!  Conferences usually provide some help with the non-writing side of being a writer as well as the nuts and bolts of formulating a well-crafted story. 

Are conferences worth the money they cost?  There is no definitive answer.  Some are; some aren't.  I've attended a lot of conferences; sometimes as a presenter and sometimes not, some presented by individual groups such as ANWA, League of Utah Writers, ALMA, Romance Writers of America, National Federation of Press Women, LDStorymakers, and those sponsored by colleges and universities. I've always learned something of value. Only those who actually attend can judge whether or not it was worth it.  I suspect that most of those who attend this weekend's conference will consider it money well spent.

NO SUBSTITUTES PLEASE

Give me the real deal.  I'm not fond of artificial sweeteners, fake eyelashes, or phony apologies. Carob doesn't satisfy me when I want chocolate. It annoys me to pay for a product and receive a substitute in its place. This may seem like an odd analogy, but I feel the same way about those politically correct non-prayers that substitute for denominational prayers at public gatherings. 

Many years ago I attended a special service at a centuries old Catholic cathedral.  The priest, in what no doubt was an attempt not to offend the many non-Catholics attending, recited some vague bit of poetry about nature's beauties instead of offering a Catholic prayer.  I was disappointed.  I was in a Catholic church, I wanted and expected a Catholic prayer.  

I've come to very much dislike the bits of poetry, the vague references to some euphemism, random references to some force of nature, and empty moments of silence that substitute for prayer at many public gatherings.  In our zealousness to not offend anyone, we've become atheistic worshippers of a non-god, followers of a pessimistic religion of doubt. 

When visiting a synagogue, mosque, revival meeting, or Christian Sunday School, I want to hear the prayers of the people who ascribe to those faiths.  I don't want them to cater to my beliefs.  When I attend a public meeting, I want to experience the prayers that have meaning for those who attend the meeting.  I want to experience the richness of prayers given by those of other cultures and faiths. 

There are those who deem public prayers as unconstitutional.  I don't agree.  Prayers are only unconstitutional if they are mandated to be of a particular denomination.  My fifth grade teacher made each of us in her class responsible for the prayer on a rotation basis (down one row, then the next, so we each had a turn then started over.)  We could say the prayer ourselves, have clergy come, or skip the prayer for that day.  It was our call on our assigned day. As the only Mormon in the class, I found it a great opportunity to learn how others prayed and what was important to them.  When I worked for the legislature I had a similar experience when each day someone different offered the prayer and we heard from religious leaders from Reverend Francis Davis, an imam, a rabbi, LDS General Authorities, and many local protestant leaders. 

For those of faith there is something deep and meaningful in prayer.  For those who profess no belief, it is an opportunity to build group cohesiveness and discover what matters to others.  To me prayer is both of these things and I feel cheated when that opening appeal for divine guidance is skipped or a substitute is offered.  Even when a prayer feels strange and not of my choosing, I consider it an educational opportunity.  When it's an honest appeal for those of diverse beliefs to work together, there can be no substitute.

THIS AND THAT

I'll begin with a little updating.  I'm now beginning chapter three of my new work in progress.  It looks like it's going to be another romantic/suspense novel.  I'm also almost finished going through the second of my seven plastic drawers full of material that might be considered genealogy verification. Sorting through memories is kind of fun, but entering names, dates, etc., in the computer is time consuming and I can see I need more info from several of my nieces. 

Two of my daughters have books coming out this year.  Janice Sperry's book is a middle grade reader with a really cute cover and it's a fun spoof on dozens of fairy tales.  Lezlie Anderson's book is a Christmas booklet and I got a sneak peak at its cute cover a couple of days ago. I'll have more to say about it closer to its fall publication date. 

I just made my first Whitney nomination for 2014!  2013 awards are coming up next month, but it's not too soon to start making nominations for the next round of awards.  

Like almost everyone else, I'm really tired of winter, but all the rain we've gotten the past couple of days has really turned the grass green and it's so inviting to see daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, violets, and some purple flower (I don't know its name) blooming in my yard.  I love spring! My husband even bought two more half barrels so we won't have to fight over which barrels get flowers and which will host vegies this year.  

It's funny but I have a hard time believing it's really spring until April conference has come and gone and my accountant finishes preparing my taxes.  I'll admit I'm a little less than enthused about including children in this year's Women's Conference session, but I'll see how it goes.  It will seem a little strange not to do any conference signings this year.  After twenty years of Celebrating Sisterhood and Ladies' Night, I feel a little left out.  I hope all of my readers won't forget me before I have another book out.  (My old books are still available on Amazon/Kindle and LDS book stores still carry quite a few of them.)  As for taxes--there aren't a lot of happy memories associated with them as there is with conference, but I'll just be glad to know what I have to pay and get the sorry deed over with. 

Today marks eighteen months since the first of the four surgeries that sidelined much of my life for a time.  Both knees are doing fine and the left one serves as a barometer to let me know when we're going to get rain or snow.  My doctor assures me that with the removal of my pancreas I won't ever get pancreatic cancer as so many of my close loved ones have done. I'm still adjusting to using an insulin pump and skipping most of my favorite snacks.  Alas no malt balls, Cadbury eggs, or jelly beans for Easter this year.  On second thought, I might sneak in a stray jelly bean or two on days my glucose count is low.

BURIED IN PAPER

I have seven deep file drawers full of stuff.  I don't mean nice orderly files; I mean tossed in and hope I get to it someday stuff.  For more years than I care to mention, I've saved birth announcements, wedding invitations, funeral programs, letters, obituaries, etc., all written verifications of people, places, and events in my family.  These all contain information I want added to my family history records.  The problem is I've never added the information; I've just added it to one of these drawers. 

I've never treated other data this way.  I neatly file tax information, medical records, when cars are serviced, research on my books, and dozens of other categories of information.  I'm not sure why or when I adopted the pack rat method of saving family records.  I have nephews and nieces, old enough to marry and start their own families, I haven't added as children of my siblings yet!  I've done a better job of tracking my ancestors than of keeping a record of my closer family. 

Last week a family member asked me a question I couldn't answer, but I know where the answer is.  It's in a little book my sister gave me many years ago that was compiled by some distant relative of her husband and includes a genealogy record of many generations of his family.  Both my sister and her husband passed away during the past few years so I can't ask them.  So I began looking for the book.  I'm pretty sure it's in one of my seven drawers of stuff.   

Instead of just looking for the book I want to find; I decided it's time to sort through my heaps of stuff and get it entered into my records.  So far I've worked my way through the top four inches of one drawer. I think this may take a long time.  

BEGINNING

I did it!  I started another book.  It's much too early to say much about it since the first chapter is making its way onto my computer very slowly, just four pages so far. A book has a beginning, a middle, and an end.  I'm very much at the beginning.  This part, at least for me, requires a lot of thinking, a lot of research, and a lot of getting to know my characters.  That usually adds up to a lot of rewriting too.  I will say it's going to be a murder mystery with a bit of romance.

One and a half more books and I'll have all of the adult Whitney finalists read.  So far I'm impressed with the nominees.  Well there's one I'm not sure how or why it even got nominated, leave alone chosen as a finalist, but the others are either impressive or super impressive.  I'll be glad when I have these last two books finished because it will give me more time to read the new books I'm given to review and to do my own writing.

Thinking about time, it's my theory that no one actually finds time to write.  Most writers I know are busy people.  Most are parents, most have another job, and many have strong community or church (sometimes both) commitments.  In order to write, it is necessary to take time; not find time. Some writers call this the fifteen minute rule; I've always tried to make it thirty minutes, but either way it simply means I carve fifteen or thirty minutes out of my day as an absolute priority to write. I take more time whenever I can of course. That means no facebook, no phone calls, no TV, prepare in advance another diversion for the kids, and do planning and research in advance.  I just do whatever it takes to claim fifteen minutes of solid writing time.  Fifteen minutes isn't long and many writers feel they can't get much done in that amount of time, but most writers are pleasantly surprised by how much can be accomplished in a quarter to a half hour.

I also give myself a minimum of fifteen minutes daily reading time.  Again I take more as often as possible. That's another pet theory of mine.  I don't think a person can be an effective writer if they're not also a reader.

It seems to be the fashion now to ask readers to suggest titles or characters' names for a work in progress.  I'm not that far along.  So far my book has a number, not even a working title, but I may consider doing this a little farther down the road.  For now it just feels good to be back to thinking through a story.



 

ON LIFE AND BOOKS

It's been two weeks since I last blogged.  I keep promising to do better, then life gets in the way.  Someone once said life is what happens while we're on our way to somewhere else.  That seems to be the way my life has been for the past couple of years.  I'll be dealing with diabetes and the unexpected ups and downs that go with it for the rest of my life, but overall I think I'm getting back to some kind of normal--at least I'm thinking about another book.

The question is, since I write in several genres, should I start a romantic suspense or begin a historical?  Maybe a western?  One of my sons-in-law wants me  to do another historical and has practically plotted it out for me.  A couple of friends are anxious for a book similar to If I should Die or Shudder.  I've even had differing suggestions for using my recent experiences with hospitals, cancer, diabetes, celiac, etc. to write a medical thriller or a women's fiction novel.  Clearly I have more thinking to do and I'm open to suggestions.

Even through my four surgeries and the medical problems of several people close to me, I haven't moved away from the publishing field, I just haven't been working on a new novel.  I've kept up my review column on Meridian, I've blogged, had a couple of short stories published, and my most recent novel Where the River Once Flowed is a Whitney finalist.  And though I had no part in writing them, I'm proud to say two of my daughters have books coming out this year.  Janice Sperry has a middle grade chapter book, Rebel Princess, coming out in June and Lezlie Anderson has a Christmas booklet, Snow Angels, due for release in October.

I catch myself thinking about perspective, looking at people, scenery, viewpoints from different angles.  I meet someone and notice a trait or personality quirk that might be fun to give a character.  I'm a literary critic so I always question motives and twists in the books I read, but lately I've become more critical.  I find myself shredding apart plots, rewriting in my head, questioning realism.  I'm a writer.  It's what I do.  It's a part of me.  Yes, I think it's time to start another book.

 

MIXED BAG

Every few days I think I really should write a blog, then I usually don't do it.  Every two weeks the group blog I'm part of, V-Formation, reminds me it's my turn and I usually come up with something. A lot has been happening lately, but I don't seem to be able to latch onto one thing and turn it into a blog.  That means this will be one of those "little of everything" kind of blogs. 

February is a birthday month in my family, two grandsons, a granddaughter, and a brother.  Toys R Us here I come! Shopping for gifts for the little ones is fun, but the older ones are more of a problem.  On Sunday we'll get together for ice cream and cake and a lot of visiting and catching up.  That's one of the fun things about having our children close enough for casual get-togethers. 

I made it to finalist status for the Whitney Awards- Historical novel category- with Where the River Once Flowed.  Thanks to everyone who nominated my book and thanks to the judges for including it in the five finalists.  The winner will be announced in April.  I feel greatly honored to be a finalist and to have my book included in such prestigious company.  All four of the other finalists are fantastic books; Belonging to Heaven by Gale Sears, Esther the Queen by H.B. Moore, Safe Passage by Carla Kelly, and The Mounds Anomally by Phyllis Gunderson.  

I'm becoming more comfortable wearing an insulin pump.  Becoming a diabetic at this stage of my life is a challenge, but at least I no longer have to worry about pancreatic cancer.  

Speaking of cancer, we learned this past week that one of our sons-in-law has two forms of cancer.  The thyroid cancer was easily taken care of with surgery, but the lymphoma will be a harder fix.  He's physically and spiritually strong, so he has every chance of making it through this challenge, and he has strong support from family and friends. 

Lately I've been reading the Whitney finalists I somehow missed during the past year along with new books for possible reviews.  In the process I've met a number of both plausible and implausible characters. They've got me thinking about what works and what doesn't in characters and plots a writer creates.  Like my mixed bag of occurrences in my personal life, I find characters with multiple responsibilities and interests more believable than single focus characters.  But just as in our real lives we can't be spread too thin dealing with multiple problems and be effective in dealing with any of them, characters lose their appeal when they're experts in everything. Writers who go off in too many directions, spend too much time describing scenery, or educating their readers concerning a pet interest that doesn't move the story forward lose readers' interest.  Just because we spend a lot of time researching doesn't mean we have to use every bit of that research in our story.  Fiction is best when it maintains its focus. 

Readers don't buy into characters that are too perfect either.  Most writers know that like real people, realistic characters have flaws.  Sometimes it's some sort of physical handicap, but more often it's an unhealed emotional issue.  This is an area where a writer needs to be careful.  The flaw should make the reader sympathize with the character, but not pity him or her, nor consider the character a whiner, cry baby, or bully.  And the flaw should not be so annoying it takes over the story or interrupts the flow of the story. 

In other words, a novel shouldn't ramble like this blog has done!