Wishes for a new book

Here is a verse found on an old bookplate that I feel that would serve as a sort of a "grace" for a new book:

May this volume continue in motion,
And its pages each day unfurl'd,
Till an ant has drunk up the ocean,
Or a tortoise has crawl'd round the world.

Long live writers and long live your book. If you want to write a book that lasts until the ants drink up the ocean, join the Ligonier Valley Writers. For more information go to lvwonline.com

Great book for fiction writers

I just finished a wonderful book on the art of writing: The Lie That Tells the Truth: A Guide to Writing Fiction by John Dufresne. This book is very thorough and covers all aspects of writing novels and short stories. I particularly enjoyed his chapter on crafting dialogue. Dufresne is a very talented writer with a number of novels and story collections under his belt. This book uses examples of quality writing to illustrate the techniques he is describing. It is easy to understand and an enjoyable read. I feel that it is worth reading this book for the many quotes from writers and other artists liberally sprinkled through its  pages. The Lie That Tells the Truth   is a valuable book for writers in all genres. I look forward to reading Dufresne's book on writing the novel.

Keep writing! Thanks for reading.

Jim Busch

Forget the facts, tell me your story!

The world of science and the world of the arts seldom overlap but here is a great quote from cognitive scientist Roger C. Shank that connects the two:

"Humans are not ideally set up to understand logic; they are ideally set up to understand stories."

I spent many, many years as a professional persuader, also known as a salesman. During my career I saw some of my colleagues talk themselves blue in the face going over the facts and details of their products to no avail. Those who could tell a good story describing how the items they happened to be selling would help the prospective clients almost always got the sale. Everybody has to tell stories to get through this world, we writers are just a little more honest about what we do than the average individual.

If you need help telling your stories, be sure to keep checking the Ligonier Valley Writer's website ( LVWonline.org ) for upcoming events and classes.

Thanks for reading.

Jim Busch 

Creating an Empathy Machine

I was listening to a radio interview with John Landgraf, the CEO of the cable network FX. He was talking about the importance of story in building an audience for his company. The show's host asked him how he defined what constitutes a "good" story. I really like he answer and believe that it not only applies to TV scripts but to any good writing. Here is what he said,

" A story is an empathy machine that allows us to see the world through the eyes and minds of others."

I think this succinct statement is as good a definition of a good story as any I have read. We writers are the mechanics who build "empathy machines" to help others see the world from a different perspective.

Thanks for reading.

Jim Busch for the Ligonier Valley writers.  

Mark Twain--Self-publisher and Marketer

Mark Twain is remembered as one of America's greatest writers. People often forget that he was also a genius at marketing himself and his books. When he published his first books, he felt that the publishing houses of his day took advantage of him by taking the lion's share of the proceeds from his creative work. Twain took a step that is common in our day, but was groundbreaking in his; he decided to become his own publisher. Since he was living a century before digital publishing became available, he did this by making arrangements with a printer and starting his own publishing house.

Because he lacked the capital of an established house, he sold his books by subscription, essentially selling the books before they were printed and collecting at least part of the revenue upfront. Twain recruited commissioned sales people across the country to go door to door selling his books. He gave his representatives detailed instructions on selling his books and even how to sell special editions in more luxurious bindings. You can find these instructions by Googling "Mark Twain-how to be a successful agent." When Twain learned that another publishing company was taking advantage of his dear friend Ulysses Grant, Twain stepped up and offered him a much more favorable deal for his memoirs. This turned into one of the most lucrative publishing ventures of the 19th century.

I often talk to fellow writers that tell me they've published a book (or several), but then apologize for self-publishing it. They act as if this is "cheating" and it somehow diminishes their accomplishment. My response is that, "If self-publishing is good enough for the author of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, it should be good enough for any writer."

If you want to learn more about writing, publishing or just want to spend time with other creative types, join the Ligonier Valley Writers today. You can reach the LVW at www.LVWonline.org

Thanks for reading this post.

Jim Busch

 

Great book for writers.

I love the book shelf at the Goodwill store. Not only do I save a few bucks, which is near and dear to my skinflint heart, but I also encounter books that I would never know otherwise. Recently I discovered a copy of Letters to a young novelist by Mario Vargas Llosa. I've long been a fan of Rilke's Letters to a young poet but this book is almost as good as its namesake.

This book expresses the author's views on the craft of fiction which he illustrates with examples from a wide range of classic and contemporary novels. Llosa believes that authors are inherently rebels. That writers rebel against a reality that we don't accept by creating an alternate reality of our own. Another image likens an author's burning desire to write to a tapeworm. True writers constantly need to write to feed the "tapeworm" eating at our insides.

This book is available at Amazon and other sources. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in writing.

Keep the words and your creative juices flowing.

Jim Busch

How many crime writers does it take to change a light bulb?

Answer: It takes two crime writers to change a lightbulb. One to screw it almost all the way in and another to give it a surprising and unexpected twist at the end.

This is just one of the fun items in the "Booklover's Book of Jokes, Quips and Quotes" compiled by David Wilkerson and published in 2011 by The British Library. This little book is a fun read for anyone who loves the literary arts. Reading this book may not help you become the next Hemingway, but it will make you smile.

Remember, you have just about two weeks before the June 10th deadline for early registration for the Ligonier Valley Writers Conference.

Thanks

Jim Busch