Tuesday Takeover: Literary Prejudices by RJ Blain

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From an early age, we’re taught a lot of things. We learn to tie our shoes, we learn to follow the morals of society, and we’re taught to adhere to a certain set of beliefs. What is popular often comes before our personal interest and likes, and literature is no different. We’re taught we should appreciate literature because it’s old or appropriate, not because we enjoy it.

Too often we’re taught to read, not taught to read what we love. Even from an early age, we’re not given many choices in the types of books we can read.

As often as not, our personal interests fall second to the strict standards of our family and society, resulting in children, teens, and eventually adults adhering to the preferences of others. Fashion is a good example of this. We wear what society teaches us is popular, not necessarily what we want to wear. Young girls are encouraged to like the color pink and pursue interests ‘suitable’ for their gender. As early as pre-teens and early teens, clothing is sexualized to conform to society’s standards of popularity. Merchandise from popular franchises, especially within the superhero genre, are skewed heavily for male audiences.

Literature is no different, and it should be. This trend is most obvious when it comes to the interests of the young, highlighted by novels like Twilight and Fifty Shades of Gray. Women are scorned for having interest in these types of books. Men, young or old, are discouraged from having any interest in the romance genre at all. Perceptions of a story’s intended audience often result in the culture of interest shaming.

Twilight has become a showcase novel of this syndrome, with lovers of this book often facing the scorn and ridicule from others, particularly among those who consider themselves more literate. This problem is present in every genre of fiction, resulting in alienating potential readers, which in turn harms everyone.

This is a problem, especially in fantasy and science fiction genres, which heavily rely on people thinking outside of society’s norms. While certain elements of the science fiction and fantasy genres have become mainstream, many still have a negative reputation, particularly paranormal romance. Other targeted sub-genres include shifter fiction, vampire fiction, and many types of space opera.

These genres of fiction have a unique quality; they attract new, young readers, which is why readers should consider putting aside their prejudices to recommend these titles to the young audiences beginning to explore fiction as a viable source of entertainment.

While many readers may not consider Twilight, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and similar books to be good fiction, they share one important advantage: they capture the imagination.

Unfortunately, too many learning to read for enjoyment are being scorned for their interests. The only message this sends is that they are not allowed to love the books they enjoyed and that their interests do not matter.

Literary prejudices hurt us all, restrict the type of literature written and released to the market, and prevent people from feeling comfortable trying a new story or genre from fear of being scorned for their interests.

Change begins with each and every one of us. Instead of scorning those who enjoy a book you don’t like, embrace them and their interests. Encourage them to read, even if you don’t find their type of book to your liking. When you review, if you think you’re just not the right audience for the title, say who you think is the audience, without prejudice.

It’s okay to dislike a book, and it should be okay to love a book, too.

Many of us love books. I, for one, would rather recommend a book I hate to someone who will love it. They’ll be reading, and that’s the most important thing of all.

RJ Blain - Author Photo

RJ Blain suffers from a Moleskine journal obsession, a pen fixation, and a terrible tendency to pun without warning.

When she isn’t playing pretend, she likes to think she’s a cartographer and a sumi-e painter. In reality, she herds cats and a husband, and obeys the commands of Tsu Dhi, the great warrior fish.

In her spare time, she daydreams about being a spy. Should that fail, her contingency plan involves tying her best of enemies to spinning wheels and quoting James Bond villains until she is satisfied. Discover Blain’s books here.

Apr 4, 2016 | Posted by in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Tuesday Takeover: Literary Prejudices by RJ Blain

Tuesday Takeover: Why we love Zombies by Lindsey Winsemius

Do you love Zombies? Where do you think your captivation with the undead comes from?

Love them or hate them, we’ve all seen the explosion of Zombie pop culture, from literature, film, and television to university classes and themed events. I’ve talked a little bit previously about why we love dystopian themes [http://www.lindseywinsemius.com/blog/7-reasons-we-love-dystopian-books].

Now let’s explore our fascination with the undead.

The general zombie concept has Haitian origins, the term nzambi, referring to someone’s “soul.” It is believed that people who die unnatural deaths (such as murder) have souls that are vulnerable to being snatched by sorcerers and locked in a bottle, allowing the sorcerer to use their undead body.

Hatians were pre-occupied with this concept because of the prevalence of slavery throughout Africa; having one’s soul enslaved after death was the final horror. Where does our modern interest in Zombies stem from?

Here are several reasons suggested by researchers of the subject.

6 Reasons we love Zombies

According to the experts.

1. Zombies help us understand and deal with current societal issues.

“You can’t shoot the financial meltdown in the head — you can do that with a zombie.” Max Brooks, World War Z Author

Just like I talked about our love of dysptopian stems from the very dystopian world in which we live now, our fascination with Zombies is a way to deal with the societal wrongs of today. We feel helpless in the face of global warming, crazy politicians, and threats of terrorism. But a Zombie apocalypse? Grab your shotgun and some of the free stuff all the other dead people have left behind, and you’re going to change the world one dead un-dead at a time.

2. Zombies will punish the bad guys

The apocalypse is one way to find justice in a world that is sadly lacking. Imagining our enemies being overrun by Zombies can be a safe yet satisfying way to feel like the scales will eventually be balanced. Think of the many times in Zombie lore in which the bad guy (because naturally Zombies are not bad enough) gets his or her comeuppance in a delightfully horrific way. Or consider the guy at work who never really works, and everyone else is carrying the team. He obviously isn’t going to survive in a Zombie apocalypse, and won’t it be satisfying to know his laziness is finally going to bite him in the ass (possibly quite literally)?

Even if it might be a little uncomfortable to think in these terms, subconsciously we all want justice. Imagining a more equal society where people who work hard will survive, and the underserving are turned into the undead that we can then deal with accordingly can be quite satisfying.

3. Zombies give us an outlet for our aggression

Not only does the Zombie apocalypse allow us to imagine a world in which the base of humanity is being punished for its wrongs, it also lets us celebrate the highly militarized media culture in which we live. We don’t have to feel bad about imagining taking a machete to everyone around us, when everyone around us is trying to devour our flesh.

As depicted in the popularity of first-person shooter games like Call of Duty: Black Ops, killing Zombies is a completely acceptable way to play out aggression and embrace the shoot ‘em up nature of our society.

4. Zombies level the playing field.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a blank slate society where anyone can be a hero? Where success is completely dependent on our survival skills?

“People are still afraid of dying, getting sick, of social infrastructures falling apart. The collective nightmare. And it poses the question of, ‘What would you do? Would you survive?’ It plays out this great survival narrative.” Professor Kyle Bishop

Many professors feel that the idea of the Zombie apocalypse is so appealing because it levels the playing field for many of us. Presidents and the poverty-stricken can become equals in this scenario, allowing anyone with some concept of self-preservation, and perhaps a firearm, to survive and flourish.

5. Zombies give us a way to handle our fears.

“The West African version of the zombie didn’t eat brains — they weren’t scary in the same way our zombies are scary. They were a symbol for fear of enslavement under French colonial rule. People weren’t afraid of them, but of becoming a zombie and losing control. So the original zombie reflects the fears of the society in which it was created. The zombie becomes a window into ourselves.” Professor Kelly Murphy

What Murphy says is most interesting is how the zombie apocalypse shows that people shouldn’t necessarily be afraid of the zombies they are running from, but of other humans. Zombies become the background material. The real question — and this is something that has become prevalent in many zombie television shows and flicks — is, “Can you trust the other people that you meet along the way while trying to survive?”; and if you can’t, then what does that say about humanity? “Even if we haven’t turned into the monster, the zombie is a reflection of how we ourselves become the monster.”

Humanity is full of monsters hidden beneath a veneer of civility. Wouldn’t it be wonderful is every jerk out there who wouldn’t hesitate to back stab you looked like a half dead corpse, instead of your next door neighbor? Not only would they be much easier to recognize the evil in the world around us, we could actually do something about it. Like shoot them in their undead brain. This gives us a much more satisfying way to deal with the real monsters around us, and feel as if we could possibly have some control over them.

Consider the popular game and movie series Resident Evil. The real evil in the movie is not the army of reanimated dead taking over the world, but the Umbrella Corporation whose greed has resulted in the apocalypse. If that isn’t a metaphor for the direction of our current societal issues, I don’t know what is.

6. Zombie vs other apocalypse: More control of survival.

Zombies give us something to fight. You can’t fight a deadly virus, a natural disaster, or even a nuclear fallout. But you can fight Zombies. The Zombie apocalypse is one we are more likely to survive if we use our wits, band together, and find an abandoned prison full of old rations and ammo.

That is the appeal of the Zombie apocalypse scenario over other suggest end-of-the-world scenes. We all feel as if we’d be the few who would survive (except me, I’m absolutely certain I’d be turned into a moaning undead within the first five minutes) and be able to use our blank slate society to start fresh. We’d live in the World War Z world, after the war had ended (I’m talking about the novel, not the movie). The world being rebuilt by the strong, by the brave, by the survivors.

Do you love Zombies? What do you think is most fascinating about the idea of a Zombie apocalypse?

 

Lindsey

About Lindsey Winsemius

Lindsey is an author and marketer living in Grand Haven, Michigan with her husband and two young children. When she’s not imagining different apocalyptic scenarios, she writes romantic suspense and dystopian novels. You can connect with her on Amazon, Facebook, or her website.

 

Sources: http://mashable.com/2015/03/12/zombie-obsession/#.FsvOJ4wpkq5

http://www.popmythology.com/why-people-love-the-zombie-apocalypse/

http://www.socraticmethod.net/essays/zombies/page2.htm

http://www.umich.edu/~uncanny/zombies.html

Mar 29, 2016 | Posted by in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Tuesday Takeover: Why we love Zombies by Lindsey Winsemius

Tuesday Takeover: You’re Afraid of What? by Casey Hays

Hays blog photo

Have you ever taken a good look at the list of phobias? It’s extensive to say the least. You can find a phobia for just about anything if you search hard enough. We’re all familiar with the most common ones. Claustrophobia, the fear of tight spaces. Arachnaphobia, the fear of spiders. Or how about this one: arachibutyrophobia, the fear of peanut butter. Imagine that!

If I had a phobia, and I’m neither admitting nor denying it, but if I did, I would have to concede to this one: enosiophobia – the fear of criticism.

Okay… I admit it. I cringe just a little, teeny, tiny bit under the weight of that big word.

I am anal enough to also admit that I did google the different types of criticisms. Guess what? The list is just about as long as the phobias’ list.

Reasonably speaking, I know that all criticism isn’t negative. There is the constructive type, and when given in kindness and taken pragmatically, it’s great. And yet, even with this fact planted firmly in my brain, my heart thumps one beat too fast when a critique, good or bad, is directed toward me.

My initial reaction, many times, is to become defensive. Not necessarily externally . . . but inside. And then, I begin to reason with myself before approaching the “antagonizer.” I’m a great debater, you see. I’ll reason myself all the way around a critique or into a corner, whichever comes first, hoping to convince the critic to go easier on me.

But never did this fear of criticism strike me more strongly than when I became a writer.

Is there a fear of edits? Revisophobia, perhaps?

Now, I know my editors are on my side. Like me, they want my story to be the best it can possibly be, and this is the only reason for the harsh “appraisal.” Everything in me knows it. I know it when I’m asked to cut my favorite scene because “it doesn’t really add anything to the plot.” I get it when I’m told “it might be wise to write two extra chapters for consistency’s sake,” thus pushing our deadline back a week or more. When I’m gently prompted to use a different word even though I love the one staring back at me from the page, I still know it. And I still tremble and pout and really, really want to say, “What? Now you don’t like my word choices either?”

I can’t be the only author who suffers from this sickness, haha! Just kidding. Really, I’m not phobic. I’m just an author; I exaggerate for creative ambience. *wink, wink* But seriously, I think all of us can agree that when we write, every single word drips onto the paper straight from our hearts. And when we surface brandishing that beautifully woven tale tightly clenched in our fists and prepare to pass it under the scrutinizing eye of inquiring minds for the very first time, it’s a scary feeling. Gut-wrenching, even. In fact, I don’t believe I’ll ever get used to that lightning streak of unease that crackles through me and encourages a sudden dose of Xanax.

It takes me a good couple of days to work up the nerve to open up an email from my editor when I know it contains a myriad of critiques and cuts and suggestions. My hands get sweaty, my heart races, and I have no doubt, at least in that one single moment that I must indeed suffer from enosiophobia. The same thing happens when I notice a new review for one of my books. The moment of truth . . . and my anxiety level soars.

Because I don’t suffer, however, from scriptophobia (the fear of writing), I continue to subject myself to the scrutiny of editors and reviewers alike.

But if I’m being honest, there’s a bigger part of me that actually loves the fear. I’m pretty sure this oddity in me comes from the same place that makes me keep watching horror flicks despite the fact that I’m jumpy for days afterwards. It’s the terrifying thrill that I must have. Fear lingering over the shoulder of the writer in me eventually gives me the adrenaline rush I need to finally open that blinking message from my editor. It’s what drives me to work harder, to write better, to make those editors continue to say, “Wow, you’ve really come a long way since we first met.”

I like to think that with every book I write . . . handling the criticism becomes easier. To a degree, this statement is true fact. And I’m convinced that one day, taking criticism will be easier than swallowing swords.

Uh, yeah. Note my slight hint of sarcasm.

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Hays

Casey Hays lives in New Mexico with her husband and two children. She is a former high school English teacher turned author. She loves Young Adult Fiction as well as supernatural, fantasy sci-fi, and dystopian–all with a twist of romance. She is the author of four works: “The Cadence” a YA supernatural romance, and Arrow’s Flight, a YA Christian dystopian sci-fi series: Breeder, The Archer, and Master, which released on January 15, 2016. Her short story “Edge of a Promise” is featured in the collaborative anthology PREP FOR DOOM, published June 18, 2015. Currently, she is working on a series of novellas for Arrow’s Flight, as well as a YA supernatural romance based on the legend of the Phoenix.  http://www.whisperingpages.com/

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Mar 22, 2016 | Posted by in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Tuesday Takeover: You’re Afraid of What? by Casey Hays

Official Release of Final Book in Vagabond Circus Series. And No it Doesn’t Suck

Released release

Yes, I wrote another book. Yes, I churn them out kind of fast. No, they don’t suck. I’ve written eleven books. And inside of sixteen months, I’ve published ten of them. I promise you that they don’t suck. Promise.

I was having a conversation with a lady-kinda-sorta-friend-person the other day in a parking lot. Here’s how it went. I’ll keep it brief.

Her: “What’s been going on?”

Me: “I’m publishing another book this week.”

Her: “Another?” And her face resembled something you see when the movie jumps the shark.

Me: “Well, yeah. The book was done. The editor had finished. Readers wanted. I published. That’s how I do.”

Her: She gave me a long silent stare.

I don’t do silent stares. I ask questions.

Me: “What?”

Her: “Well, at the rate you publish, how do you know your books don’t suck?”

And there in lies the question I’ve met recently. I guess I don’t really know if my books are amazing. Here’s what I do know. I have a plethora of beta readers who tell me the truth. Always. I have an editor who I know won’t feed my ego. I’ve tried to get her to. She tells me my books are good. And I have an instinct about my books and a need for perfection.

I write my books fast. Are they all good? I think so.

Look, here’s what it boils down to this year, because next year might be different: I don’t sleep. I have unrealistic standards. And I love what I do. So yes, I published 10 books inside of 16 months, and I put my seal of approval on those pages. They’re good. Some of them are great! My stories tend to come out fast. Maybe that’s because they need to be told, or I need to tell them, or because I like offending otherwise nice mom’s in parking lots who ask me direct questions. Hard to say. I have to get back to writing now.

Mar 18, 2016 | Posted by in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Official Release of Final Book in Vagabond Circus Series. And No it Doesn’t Suck

Tuesday Takeover: Play for the Win by EE Isherwood

When I first considered penning a book I was in my mid-40’s, had a full-time job, and supported a young family. In 2014 my grandmother passed away. For some reason, that event inspired me to write a short story set in a zombie universe. The little old woman in my story had to survive an encounter with her live-in nurse—who had become infected with the zombie virus. When I finished the 6000-word story, I loved it so much I wanted to keep going. I wrote a book about what she did next. Then I wrote two more books, with at least one more in the works.

Over the next year I lost my job and had months of free time to work on my writing. It slowly dawned on me they formed a coherent story that maybe…just maybe…someone would want to read. So I got to the hard work of editing, designing covers, and formatting for Kindle. I also spent a lot of my days doing research into self publishing. I wanted to do it all myself the first time, just so I could learn what goes into it.

The number one lesson I took away from all my research up until that point was to always respect your readers. Anyone who takes a chance on your book is going to spend several hours inside your world. Is it ready for them? Did you invest in a professional editor? If not, why? Does your cover look like it belongs on a shelf in Barnes and Noble? If not, why?

When I hit publish in December of 2015, I truly believed I was publishing for a few friends and my mom. I thought I was doing right by them. I edited the book myself several times. I put probably a month of man hours into editing those 90,000 words. I released with a simplified cover I felt was competent, though I had no illusions it was top notch. Being unemployed, it didn’t make any sense to invest money into something I had no idea was going to make a nickel for me in the short term.

In short, I wasn’t playing to win.

When you publish your book, think about why you are doing it. Is it to make money? Is it to wow readers? Is it to prove to your naysayers that you can publish it? Is it because you want to share something brilliant with the world? Is it because you think you are super awesome? Maybe you just want to prove to yourself you can do it.

If any of those are true, and you release without professional editing or a professional cover, you aren’t playing for the win. Think about any grand opening you’ve ever attended. If the business had dirt and debris on their parking lot, broken shelves and misplaced product on the inside, and clogged toilets, what are your chances of ever going back—even if whatever they were selling was brilliant?

Being an author is a strange place for an introvert such as myself. It simultaneously begs for humility and braggadocio. But promoting something that isn’t an absolute best effort is a formula for failure. So how do you stay grounded while playing for the win? Easy. Eliminate points of failure.

  • Book cover. If your cover doesn’t belong on a shelf at Barnes and Noble, are you sure you want to tell a reader it’s still good enough for their shelf? I thought my original cover was respectable, but my new professional cover makes my original look juvenile. Cost to cross this problem off your list: less than $150.
  • Editing. I rate myself as a decent writer and a decent editor. Not great, but decent. I read my manuscript end-to-end four times on printed paper before release. I had my wife read it. A trusted friend read it. Then I paid a professional editor to read it. She found an extra word in a sentence on page 3! If I had sent that book out for review, imagine my chances of getting favorables. Cost to cross this problem off your list: $200 at a minimum for basic proofreading services. Double that (or more) if there are deeper problems.
  • Story. OK, here’s where the rubber meets the road. People love your cover. They read the sample and find the editing is good. Now, is your story something people actually want to read? No, your Mom doesn’t count. No one you know personally can answer this question for you. Find a community of readers in your genre. Ask for beta readers. Listen to them. We all want to believe we are special snowflakes. Here’s the big secret: we aren’t. You are going into a marketplace that gets 6000 books a day—your competition! And that’s just Amazon. If your story doesn’t impress non-partial beta readers, you can’t possibly hope to get lots of glowing reviews, which are your book’s lifeblood out there. Cost: nothing.

Here’s the good news. Playing to win is actually not that expensive. If you’re writing for anyone besides yourself, you can’t go wrong paying the $500 to edit and sheath your book. Sure, that may be a lot of money for a roll of the dice, but your book is your intellectual property that can sit in a variety of electronic bookstores FOREVER. You’ve created something that will generate revenue for you until the day you die, plus 70 years. Think about that, then adjust your math.When you hit publish you are either dumping a second-rate product into a bottomless pit with 6000 other books, or you’ve invested in yourself and your property to ensure you have the best chance of recouping your investment rather quickly. In my case, it took about 20 days with revenue from KDP Select, and I’m a nobody.Play for the win, believe and invest in your product, and give yourself a chance to succeed. Your readers will love you for it.

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About:

EE Isherwood is a lifelong reader of post-apocalyptic fiction. In 2015, life gave him the opportunity to try his hand at writing and he began with a short story about a 104-year-old great-grandmother. Then he tossed her into the zombie apocalypse in his debut novel Since the Sirens. He wrote two more books about her as part of the Sirens of the Zombie Apocalypse series. A fourth volume is coming. Every day he goes to bed amazed he’s kept her alive for one more day.

http://amazon.com/author/eeisherwood

http://www.zombiebooks.net

Mar 15, 2016 | Posted by in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Tuesday Takeover: Play for the Win by EE Isherwood