Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Critiquing a critique group

Over a year ago, I stepped away from a local SCBWI critique group I'd been part of for several years. There was nothing 'wrong' with the group or its members. They're all talented writers, working hard on their craft and focused on getting their WIPs in shape and ready for submission. But they were all working on picture books. I was working on a middle-grade novel.

So I set about creating a critique group focused on writing middle-grade novels. A month later, five of us, all avid readers and writers of literature for that age group, met virtually for the first time. After initial technical problems, we settled into a rhythm of monthly manuscript submissions and online critique of our middle-grade WIPs. The group seemed to be going well.

Six months later, one member withdrew. She found getting feedback early in the writing process derailed her vision for the piece. We all understood and wished her well. 

Last month, another member withdrew. Multiple demands in his work and personal life left him with little extra time and energy. Again, we all understood and wished him well. 

So the three of us who remain will decide the group's future. We've all been at this long enough to know that groups like this are malleable. They morph into what is needed by its members and are reshaped as members come and go. The three of us can tweak our guidelines and procedures or we can tear them up and start over. We can keep the group at just three members, or we can add another one or two. In any case, I look forward to the process of redefining ourselves and am excited about our future.  


Friday, November 19, 2021

The unexpected benefits of audiobooks

This year, my challenge on Goodreads was to read 50 books. I've surpassed that, mostly because I've added audiobooks to my reading experience in the last few years.  

Listening to audiobooks allows me to expand not only the number of books I enjoy but also the places in which I enjoy them. I listen to books while driving, exercising, cooking, or when I'm out for a good long walk. Time passes quickly when someone is telling me a story, and that's exactly how I perceive a well narrated audiobook.

My library system's Overdrive and Libby accounts give me access to thousands of great titles to download and enjoy for free. Courtesy of a friend, I've recently added Audible to my audiobook source list. The number of stories I can listen to boggles my mind. 

When I read books in print or ebook, I have a (guilty!) tendency to skim past wordy descriptions and long unbroken blocks of text. An audiobook doesn't let the reader do that. The narrator progresses through the text word by word, paragraph by paragraph, even parts I would have chosen to skim.

And guess what? I've learned that those wordy sections are (usually) there for a reason. They add to the setting, reveal a bit of character, or define the underlying reason for a conflict. Just what this girl needed to slow down her mind and enjoy the journey through the story. 

That said, I don't I have a favorite format for reading. I still love bookstore browsing and reading a hard copy I can hold in my hands. I also love my Kindle for its lightweight convenience and portability. But now about half of the books I read per year are ones I've accessed as audiobooks. I've found it to be a great option with its own benefit to me as a reader.

How about you? Do you listen to audiobooks? 


Saturday, November 13, 2021

Book trailers that can't be ads

I made these book trailers using the free site FlexClip. Each took me less than one hour to make. 

My idea had been to use the trailers in ads on TikTok, Facebook, Google Ads, and Instagram. Because of the swastikas on the novels' covers and the fact that the word 'Nazi' appears in the ads' description, my ads were rejected out of hand. I appealed, explaining that the novels are historical and are not pushing a neo-nazi agenda. I told them my books are well-researched, have been used in schools and book clubs, and are 'clean reads' for young readers. 

It didn't matter. The computer algorithm labeled the ads as containing 'hate speech.' The humans I spoke with said they couldn't do anything to change that label.

So I'll share them here in the hopes that you'll enjoy them and share them too!