Posted by Mark Shaw on July 5, 2008
Hello Hemingwaywantabes. I hope you are having a great 4th of July weekend. And that you are writing away, at least some every day. Writers must be disciplined, you know.
An aspiring author in Texas who has contacted me asked that I look at some of his writings. I’m pleased to do so free of charge and give him an evaluation. I could tell he has worked hard on his book, but right away there were some common problems I see with just about every proposed book that comes my way: Clarity!
As I have written before, remember that 1) a book is like having a conversation with the reader but you are not there and thus the writing must be clear since you cannot answer any questions, and 2) that you know everything about your book topic, but the reader usually knows nothing causing you again to write with clarity so the reader knows what the hell is going on.
I gave this writer some advice, suggesting, among other things, that he write a 4-6 page “Overview” of this non-fiction book (for fiction it is called a “Synopsis), projecting what the theme-message is for the book. This includes the story to be told beginning, middle, and end so that the focus is clear. Since most any aspiring author is going to need this type of information in a query letter/book proposal, it not only helps with focus for the book being written, but for the sales package to be forwarded to literary agents or publishers.
The second piece of advice I provided was to then write a “Tagline, or ” “Hook for the Book.” This means writing fifteen to twenty words describing the book content/message/theme. Think of it like this – you are sitting in front of the desk of a high-level literary agent or publishing company editor and you have twenty seconds to tell them what your book is about. You thus need to organized, quick and to the point, and above all else, clear. The Tagline will also later be a part of your book proposal and query letter and used to promote your book when it is ready to be marketed.
As an examples, let’s take Hemingway’s Old Man and the Sea. Can you think of what a good Tagline might be?
So, hemingwaywantabes, take a shot at that Tagline a Tagline for your book, and if you want my two-cents, send it along to me here or at mshawin@yahoo.com. Happy Taglining!!!
Posted in Hemingway and Taglines | Tagged: Agents, Authors, Books, Bookstores, Clarity, Editors, Ernest Hemingway, Fiction, Hemingway, Hook for the Book, Literary, Non-Fiction, Old Man and the Sea, Poets, Publishing, Publishing Companies, Taglines, Words | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Mark Shaw on July 2, 2008
How many of you have read Ernest Hemingway’s Moveable Feast? If not, why not, especially you hemingwaywantabes, you aspiring novelists who dream of becoming a published author?
Oh yes, there are other Hemingway masterpieces, Old Man and the Sea, Death in the Afternoon, For Whom the Bell Tolls, etc., but Moveable Feast is the classic of the classics. The subtitle – “Sketches of the Author’s Life in Paris in the Twenties” – triggers interest but it is the prose that mesmerizes the mind of the reader. This is especially true when Hemingway describes his characters. One passage reads: “The dark girl was restless and she sat on display turning her profile and letting the light strike the concave planes of her face and showing me her breasts under the hold the black sweater. Her hair was cropped short and was sleek and dark as an oriental’s.”
Wow, with this visualization, you can see this girl right in front of you, standing to side of your writing table. She comes alive and this is exactly what Hemingway intended so you are swept into the story and want to know more about this girl who is “restless.” One thing you might try is to read this passage again and then write down all of the characteristics of the girl. You will be amazed at how many you pick up each time you read.
Many successful writers tell me they read a well-written book in their genre right before they begin writing their own story. Some even put the book under their pillow hoping the gifted prose will seep through into their brain and then similar words will spill out the next morning.
Remember, every great writer who ever lived is still with us today through their writings. All we have to do is open one of their books to begin the conversation.
Posted in Hemingway and Moveable Feast | Tagged: Books, Characters, Conversations, Ernest Hemingway, Fiction, Hemingway, Moveable Feast, Non-Fiction, Publishing, Words, Writers, Writing | 3 Comments »
