Would You Want to Know... You?

by Peg Brantley
Evocative Characters. Intriguing Crime. Compelling Stories
(Who is happily meeting readers and writers at Left Coast Crime in Monterey!)




I recently saw a chart for Successful versus Unsuccessful People. I think it could also have been for Happy versus Unhappy People, or even... drumroll... Writers You Want to Know versus Writers You Don't Want to Know.

We hear things all the time about how gracious Laura Lippman and Lee Child are. They come across to readers as generous and kind and well... writers as people who readers want in their lives. Writers as people who readers want to cheer for.

Other than the obvious—that writers write stories readers enjoy reading—here's what I've come up with:

Writers You Want to Know	Writers You Don’t Want to Know
Have a sense of gratitude	Have a sense of entitlement
Make decisions out of love (there's passion in every story)	Make decisions out of fear (they write to formula)
Take the high road	Take the expedient road
Exercise forgiveness	Hold grudges
Want others to succeed and be happy	Secretly want others to fail and be miserable
Share information and data	Horde information and data
Understand they owe their readers	Believe their readers owe them
Operate from a transformational perspective	Operate from a transactional perspective
Understand it takes a village	Believe they are the village
Trust others	Doubt others
Continuously seek to improve	Believe they’ve got everything covered
Believe in others	Believe only in themselves
Set goals	Have that sense of entitlement thing going on again
Are honest in their assessment of how hard they work	Either say they slave away 24/7 or that they simply have the magic touch
Accept responsibility for their failures	Blame others for their failures
Include as many as possible in as many ways as possible	With each ladder rung achieved, they pull the steps up behind them

Do you have issues with any of these? Disagreements are fine with me. I'm not a politician.

What would you add?

And before anyone says it, I have some friends who say they could care less about getting to know any authors. All they want is a good book. And yes, I still love them.

What Floats Your Boat?

By Jenny Hilborne

Author of mysteries and thrillers

Earlier this month, I found myself in an unfamiliar position – I went to a party. I was pulled out from behind my computer and my beloved writing/editing and dragged along invited to attend this thing. The event, organized by a professional tour group, wasn’t just any old party, either, but an evening of pre-show revelry for some of rock band Bon Jovi’s most loyal fans. It meant a lot to these people, many of whom (including my sister) had traveled all the way to Canada and were one day away from meeting their idol – the man himself, Jon Bon Jovi.

I wasn’t keen. As the hour drew near, I grew less keen. For one thing, I had picked up a nasty little cold on the plane ride over and it had found its grip. Secondly, I hadn’t been to a party (or dressed up and worn make-up) in ages. Lastly (though, if not for my sister, I’d have thought up a host of other excuses), I like the band’s music well enough, but I’m not a fan. I’d rather spend my time writing.

Anyway, I donned what I thought might be acceptable attire for a rock party, and cringed when the elevator doors opened on the 38^th floor of the hotel and ejected me directly into the party - and into a throng of die-hard fans. No turning back, and no talking about books or writing. Not here.

My bag stuffed with tissues, I gravitated to the drinks line, got my tipple, then meandered over to the window where I downed it and looked out at the stunning views of Toronto - and wished myself back behind my computer, seventeen floors below. What did I have to talk about up here, with all these Bon Jovi fans?

Surprisingly, quite a bit, as it turned out. As I mingled, I discovered passionate people are happy people, good folks to be around. Their enthusiasm is contagious and I got caught up in it, forgot I wasn’t a fan and that I felt like crap, and enjoyed myself chatting with people about their passion (for some an obsession) instead of mine. 

While I won’t be attending a Bon Jovi concert any time soon, it was good to do something different, and for someone else. These fans couldn’t wait to meet their idol, and I felt a tinge of sadness that I don’t have one.

It’s hard not to be affected by the excitement and the energy radiated by passionate people.  There was no apathy in the room that night, only happiness and excitement. I’m glad I got to share in it, form new social bonds, and appreciate someone else’s passion. Indulging in my sister’s interests for a week gave me an opportunity to travel. I got to see Niagara Falls, the Toronto Islands, the CN Tower, and the underground PATH system. The experience was meaningful and satisfying.

Whether it’s music, books, sports, food…indulging other people in their passions is a chance to learn, and brings unexpected pleasure. It makes the world a more enjoyable place. I took a much needed night off from writing, and enjoyed a great night at the Bon Jovi pre-show party. I even got a few ideas for characters in future books.

Whatever floats your boat, get out there and enjoy it. When you’d rather stay at home, go out and get carried along with the hype. It’s infectious. Then you can bring those passions alive again—whether they are yours or someone else’s—when you write.

Five Things I've Learned About Being an Author

By Andrew E. Kaufman

Author of psychological thrillers

I’m working on my third and fourth novels right now, and in some ways, I think I’m starting to get the hang of what this gig is all about. I’m not saying I know everything, nor do I think I ever will. Life is all about the learning curves, and the only time we stop riding them is after we die. But I’m at a stage now where, because I’ve put on some miles, I’m able to look back at the road and see things with more clarity. Of course, everyone’s journey is different and experiences will vary, but here’s what mine has taught me so far:

Follow your heart and everything else will follow right along.

I was once at writer’s conference. They were talking about how to sell lots and lots of books. When the speaker opened the discussion to the audience, I raised my hand, and when he called on me, I said:

“Don't you think if you follow your passion everything else will fall into place naturally?”

“Are you bull$h#ing me?” he said.

“No,” I replied, shrinking into my seat. “Why?”

He rolled his eyes and called on the next person.

But regardless of the less-than-enthusiastic reception, I still hold firm to that belief. In fact, I believe it now more than ever, and I’ve used it to guide me through every decision. I write about what inspires me, even when logic or “the rules” tell me otherwise. I allow my passion for writing to lead the way. So far, it hasn’t failed me. When you do what you love, and keep doing it on a consistent basis, success  is bound to happen.

My readers owe me nothing, but I owe them everything.

Make no mistake about this: whatever success I’ve had thus far, I owe to the people who have chosen to pick up my books and read them. Yes, talent can be a good thing, but it will only get you so far. If you want people to read your work, you need readers. The choices these days are mind boggling, and I’m grateful as hell to anyone who spends their hard earned money or precious time on my work. I will always be thankful to my readers, never take them for granted or lose sight of how much they mean to me, and I will always strive to give them the absolute best I can offer. 

Trust The Process

Writing a novel is a journey. Sometimes it’s bumpy, sometimes it’s invigorating, and yes, sometimes it’s just a plain old pain in the rear. But it’s all part of The Process, and it’s all necessary. There is a purpose for everything, and I’ve learned that if I allow it to occur, good or bad, I'll be just fine. I’ve also learned that the more I resist, the more I tend to get in my own way, so I do my best to avoid that pitfall. It’s all about allowing The Process to do its work. 

I write because I have to.

I often get caught up in the numbers game, on selling books; most of us do, but I’ve found that's the very moment I start to make myself miserable and unhappy. It never fails. On the other hand, when I forget about all that and focus on my writing--what I love--I remember again why I got into this business in the first place; it's because I have to write. Yes, sales are wonderful validation for hard work, but the real validation comes every time I start a fresh new page and watch my story and my characters come to life. Nothing else can compare. Nope, not even big sales numbers. Yes, I know...we also have to pay the bills, but let's be honest, if that's what it were all about, we would have chosen a career with much more stability.

I will never stop learning, never stop improving

Because the moment I think I’m too good to do better will be the exact moment I fail. There will always be room for improvement in my work, and to be honest, for me, that’s part of the magic. There's nothing better than seeing my skills stretch to new heights, and I never want to stop experiencing that feeling. To grow is to live life to the fullest.

What about you? What has your journey taught you? It doesn’t have to be about writing books; it’s about life.

The Price of Integrity

By Andrew E. Kaufman

As if Amazon reviews weren’t already the subject of intense scrutiny, here’s something else guaranteed to make your skin crawl. There’s a new breed of fibbers in town: they’re called review factories, promoters who will speak well of your novel for a fee. And it doesn't end there. More and more, individuals are offering the same service.That’s right. Apparently, rave reviews are no longer something you have to earn—they’re something you can buy. Cheaply.

Here’s an example. I randomly pulled these ads from fiver.com, a website where you can offer any service for five bucks:

• I will write two Amazon reviews from two different reviewers for your product or book for $5.
• I will give your book a glowing five star review on Amazon for $5
• I will vote Amazon reviews as helpful or unhelpful and report a review as inappropriate for $5

Huh?

Okay. We all know this is wrong. No-brainer, right? And we also know that engaging in this sort of activity does nothing but adulterate the review process—that is to say, render it useless. And it no doubt hurts those of us who work hard to actually earn our good reviews.

But on a much deeper level one has to wonder: is it really worth it? Seems like a shallow victory to me. I know, I know, anyone who engages in this sort of behavior probably doesn’t much care about fulfilling a dream or chasing their passion. More than likely it’s all about the money.

Not that there’s anything wrong with making a buck, but if that’s the case, I’m thinking there are much easier ways to go about doing it. I speak from experience here. I’ve sold a lot of books, and when you consider how long it takes me to write one, I’m absolutely positive I could have earned the money in half the time doing any number of other things. Seems to me that writing books just for the purpose of making money is sort of like trying to dig your way to China with a plastic pail and shovel.

What about the props? Is that what it’s all about? Bragging rights? I doubt it, but on the slight chance that’s the case, here’s a question: how about just writing a damn good book? And if they can’t do that, if they don’t have the ability, why are they wasting their time writing bad ones? I mean, they have to be bad, right? If they were good, they wouldn't have to pay someone to say so.

If I sound a little angry it's because I am. But what about you? What do you think? Authors: how's it make you feel? And readers: does it make you want to take reviews less seriously? Not read them at all?

Talk to me.

I Wasn't Putting Myself First (Or, Deconstructing Superman)

By Andrew E. Kaufman

This post isn’t going to be about crime fiction or even about publishing—not really, anyway. This post is about life. About being human, realizing we’re not perfect, that we can’t do it all.

Sometimes, I think, many of us forget that.

It’s easy to do. Life can often get in the way. I remember before I published my first novel, things seemed a lot less complicated. That’s not a complaint; it's an observation. Juggling my personal and professional life is more of a challenge now, and with that, it’s easy to get caught up in the swell of activity and forget what matters. It’s not unusual—it’s just life.

But sometimes too, if we’re lucky, we get reminders, warnings, even, to slow down and stop trying to be everything to everyone, because quite simply, we can’t.

It’s not like anyone was asking anything extraordinary of me. I was doing a good enough job of that myself, getting tangled-up in Life’s Rut. I wasn’t selling enough books, needed to write better ones, was worried about pleasing my readers, my family, my friends.

Pleasing everyone, that is, except for me.

“Yes” had become a staple in my vocabulary, and “no” a word I hardly recognized anymore. I wasn’t eating right, not working out, getting very little sleep. It’s a familiar theme in my life, a slippery slope I often unknowingly fall down. And usually, it takes a slap in the face to bring me back down to earth, make me realize that I am, in fact, not Superman, that I can’t do it all.

I got my wakeup call.

And then, a question: What the hell are you doing? I didn’t have an answer, didn’t even remember how I got here, and suddenly, felt kind of foolish and a little bit angry. I just wanted to be the successful author, the good son, the reliable friend. But at what cost? Compromising my health? Giving away a little of my self-esteem each time I said yes when I should have said no? Admittedly, I’m an overachiever, but sometimes—actually quite often—that means taking things too far and pushing my own needs toward the back of the line.

So I stopped everything. I slowed down, took a deep breath, and I looked around. I played with my dogs, took some walks, and sometimes I did absolutely nothing just because I felt like it. I also learned to say, “I’m sorry but I’m just not able to do that right now,” to the people who matter to me; it wasn’t easy, but it was important.

Did my book sales suffer? Yeah, some. Did people get upset with me? Probably. Will my next novel take a little longer to finish? Maybe, but I also had the foresight to realize none of that matters—none of it—because I’m no good to anyone if I’m not happy, healthy, and whole. And here’s the hook, folks, something we all know: there are people who will be disappointed no matter what you do.

So my advice, if I can be so bold to give it: don’t get caught up in the small stuff, and try to catch yourself when you do. Put yourself at the front of the line when you need to, and don’t feel guilty about doing it. Look out the window and really see what’s out there, then enjoy the view. And smile.

Because, as Sir Max Beerbohm once said: Nobody ever died of laughter.