I've been incredibly busy with school over the last few weeks, so I feel I must apologize for my reticence. Balancing school and a family is a tricky proposition, but it will all be worthwhile in the end. My hope is to do some blogging over the Christmas holidays when I get more of a chance to relax and wrap my head back around the writing life (or lack thereof, as it were).
So, no. I'm not dead...
Talk soon,
Derek
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Semicolons Aren't Just Fancy Commas
I promised myself that I wouldn't use this blog to air pet peeves, but as it is a blog (generally) about writing, I thought, ah, what the heck...
I continue to be amazed at just how often a single piece of punctuation is constantly misused, and if you read the title of this blog post, you already know that I'm speaking of the semicolon.
I've seen it used in place of the colon. I've seen it used like a comma (now there is a way to use it like a comma, but I'll get to that in a second), and I've seen it just, well, sit there for no good reason at all. And I'm not just talking about spam emails I've received, or semi-literate, throwaway forum posts on the internet. I'm talking about major books written by major authors. And it blows my mind.
I am, by no means, a professor of grammar, and I'm also not perfect. I've made my fair share of writing boo-boos in my time. However, the semicolon is so constantly misused and abused I felt I had to say something. Semicolons aren't difficult; anyone can use them.
See what I did there? That's right. I used a semicolon. Correctly. Now it isn't the greatest sentence ever scribbled in the English language, but I followed the basic rule for the semicolon's number one use: seperating independent clauses (related to a similar topic). If you drop a semicolon in the middle of a sentence both halves must be able to stand alone as sentences of their own. Like this:
Semicolons aren't difficult. Anyone can use them.
See. Two sentences. And they could very well remain two sentences, but sometimes it's about flow. Sometimes you just want to get a rhythm going and how you do that is up to you. It's what makes writing such a cool endevour.
As I alluded to earlier, the other use for a semicolon is similar to a comma. This is done when you are making a list, and within that list commas are already being utilized. Say you wanted to list places you have visited:
Last summer we travelled to Oslo, Norway; London, England; and Paris, France.
Since there are commas already separating the city name and country, semicolons act like a super comma. If you didn't use the semicolon it would look like your keyboard threw up commas all over your page. That, and it would be confusing for the reader. Like so:
Last summer we travelled to Oslo, Norway, London, England, and Paris, France.
Doing it that way makes it seem like you are listing Oslo and Norway (and the others) as if they were places you visited separately. It doesn't make sense.
Personally, I find this stuff about semicolons pretty straight forward. Some people don't. I get that. But we live in the age of the internet. The proper use of a semicolon is right at your fingertips. Just plunk it into a search engine and away you go. So if you read this and five minutes later you forget about it, that's fine. But when you're tempted to throw a semicolon into your writing and you aren't sure if you're using it correctly, look it up. The world will thank you for it. Of course, they'll also thank you for using them sparingly. Trust me.
So there you have it. Now use this knew found knowledge wisely, before we have to start placing semicolons into the witness protection program...
I continue to be amazed at just how often a single piece of punctuation is constantly misused, and if you read the title of this blog post, you already know that I'm speaking of the semicolon.
I've seen it used in place of the colon. I've seen it used like a comma (now there is a way to use it like a comma, but I'll get to that in a second), and I've seen it just, well, sit there for no good reason at all. And I'm not just talking about spam emails I've received, or semi-literate, throwaway forum posts on the internet. I'm talking about major books written by major authors. And it blows my mind.
I am, by no means, a professor of grammar, and I'm also not perfect. I've made my fair share of writing boo-boos in my time. However, the semicolon is so constantly misused and abused I felt I had to say something. Semicolons aren't difficult; anyone can use them.
See what I did there? That's right. I used a semicolon. Correctly. Now it isn't the greatest sentence ever scribbled in the English language, but I followed the basic rule for the semicolon's number one use: seperating independent clauses (related to a similar topic). If you drop a semicolon in the middle of a sentence both halves must be able to stand alone as sentences of their own. Like this:
Semicolons aren't difficult. Anyone can use them.
See. Two sentences. And they could very well remain two sentences, but sometimes it's about flow. Sometimes you just want to get a rhythm going and how you do that is up to you. It's what makes writing such a cool endevour.
As I alluded to earlier, the other use for a semicolon is similar to a comma. This is done when you are making a list, and within that list commas are already being utilized. Say you wanted to list places you have visited:
Last summer we travelled to Oslo, Norway; London, England; and Paris, France.
Since there are commas already separating the city name and country, semicolons act like a super comma. If you didn't use the semicolon it would look like your keyboard threw up commas all over your page. That, and it would be confusing for the reader. Like so:
Last summer we travelled to Oslo, Norway, London, England, and Paris, France.
Doing it that way makes it seem like you are listing Oslo and Norway (and the others) as if they were places you visited separately. It doesn't make sense.
Personally, I find this stuff about semicolons pretty straight forward. Some people don't. I get that. But we live in the age of the internet. The proper use of a semicolon is right at your fingertips. Just plunk it into a search engine and away you go. So if you read this and five minutes later you forget about it, that's fine. But when you're tempted to throw a semicolon into your writing and you aren't sure if you're using it correctly, look it up. The world will thank you for it. Of course, they'll also thank you for using them sparingly. Trust me.
So there you have it. Now use this knew found knowledge wisely, before we have to start placing semicolons into the witness protection program...
Thursday, September 8, 2011
One Last Thing About Agents
For all the agents out there who consider a "non-response" an acceptable form of rejection: screw you. We took the time out of our busy schedule to query you, the least you can do is take two seconds out of your day to reply with (even) a form rejection. Most other busy agents can do it, so why can't you?
Yeah. I'm feeling saucy today...
Yeah. I'm feeling saucy today...
Thursday, September 1, 2011
A Little Update
Haven't blogged in a while, so I thought I'd give you all a little update on what I've been up to, and to dispell any suspicions that I might just be too lazy to post...
It's official. After much soul searching, followed by running around and chasing after transcripts and the like, I am officially a student again. Back to the ol' academic grind for me. I'll be spending this year getting what are known as my "teachables" and then applying for the College of Education in the spring. I've always wanted to go back to school and finish my degree, but life seemed to always get in the way. But a recent layoff has compelled me to go back and try it again. I always regretted not getting my university degree, and I love working with kids, so put those two together and teaching came up as the most obvious choice. And who knows, perhaps I'll parlay my teaching degree into an MFA in writing (something else I always wanted to do). So we'll have to wait and see.
I've also been writing up the proverbial storm on my latest WIP. It's one I had shelved for a while, needing the time and distance to mull over the ending. I'm enjoying the process, and the story is flowing well. Once this draft is finished, I'll need to sit on it for a bit so I can come back and revise it with fresh eyes.
I've outlined another novel length work and started the preliminary planning for two (count 'em, two) YA series. One may turn out to be better suited for middle grade readers, but that likely won't be determined until I start writing it. With a full-time class schedule on the horizon, that might be tricky, but I'll have to gauge the workload once classes start and take it from there. I've gotten into a groove lately with my writing and I'd like to continue on that same track, but again, we'll have to wait and see.
What else? Ah yes...
While on holidays this summer, I finally picked up an ereader--a Kobo to be exact. I'm a late adopter of the technology because, I must admit, I was (and still am to a certain extent) very pro-book. The idea of replacing those wonderful little bricks of paper with a cold hunk of plastic was enough to give me fits just three years ago. But I've seen the light. I love my Kobo. I actually read more now, if that's even possible, so I've been spending more of my time glued to my Kobo screen than planning my next blog post. So, my aplogies for that. And if you haven't picked up an ereader yet, I highly recommend it. There's just something about having millions of books at your wifi enabled fingertips (and from the comfort of your own couch) that makes me a tad giddy. Almost any book, any time you want it. Wow. Just... wow.
Amongst all this flurry of activity, I enjoyed spending time with my wife and daughter this summer. Family is important. Sure I could spend all of my time writing and outlining, but a guy's gotta live. If you don't get out there and do stuff, what the heck are you going to write about? It'll be tough this winter, we all have busy schedules, but we'll make time. We always do.
So that's why I've been a bad little boy as it pertains to blogging. I'll try to do better. And I'll keep you updated on the editorial process of Cold Fear as it begins this fall (add another thing to my list... yikes). I'm looking forward to it, and then the subsequent release of the book in mid to late 2012. It's been a long birthing process for this book. It will be nice to finally get it out there and get some feedback on it. I just hope you all enjoy it when it comes out.
Now I'm going to finish my coffee and go pick my daughter up for lunch (and seriously, get an ereader... you won't regret it).
Catch ya later...
It's official. After much soul searching, followed by running around and chasing after transcripts and the like, I am officially a student again. Back to the ol' academic grind for me. I'll be spending this year getting what are known as my "teachables" and then applying for the College of Education in the spring. I've always wanted to go back to school and finish my degree, but life seemed to always get in the way. But a recent layoff has compelled me to go back and try it again. I always regretted not getting my university degree, and I love working with kids, so put those two together and teaching came up as the most obvious choice. And who knows, perhaps I'll parlay my teaching degree into an MFA in writing (something else I always wanted to do). So we'll have to wait and see.
I've also been writing up the proverbial storm on my latest WIP. It's one I had shelved for a while, needing the time and distance to mull over the ending. I'm enjoying the process, and the story is flowing well. Once this draft is finished, I'll need to sit on it for a bit so I can come back and revise it with fresh eyes.
I've outlined another novel length work and started the preliminary planning for two (count 'em, two) YA series. One may turn out to be better suited for middle grade readers, but that likely won't be determined until I start writing it. With a full-time class schedule on the horizon, that might be tricky, but I'll have to gauge the workload once classes start and take it from there. I've gotten into a groove lately with my writing and I'd like to continue on that same track, but again, we'll have to wait and see.
What else? Ah yes...
While on holidays this summer, I finally picked up an ereader--a Kobo to be exact. I'm a late adopter of the technology because, I must admit, I was (and still am to a certain extent) very pro-book. The idea of replacing those wonderful little bricks of paper with a cold hunk of plastic was enough to give me fits just three years ago. But I've seen the light. I love my Kobo. I actually read more now, if that's even possible, so I've been spending more of my time glued to my Kobo screen than planning my next blog post. So, my aplogies for that. And if you haven't picked up an ereader yet, I highly recommend it. There's just something about having millions of books at your wifi enabled fingertips (and from the comfort of your own couch) that makes me a tad giddy. Almost any book, any time you want it. Wow. Just... wow.
Amongst all this flurry of activity, I enjoyed spending time with my wife and daughter this summer. Family is important. Sure I could spend all of my time writing and outlining, but a guy's gotta live. If you don't get out there and do stuff, what the heck are you going to write about? It'll be tough this winter, we all have busy schedules, but we'll make time. We always do.
So that's why I've been a bad little boy as it pertains to blogging. I'll try to do better. And I'll keep you updated on the editorial process of Cold Fear as it begins this fall (add another thing to my list... yikes). I'm looking forward to it, and then the subsequent release of the book in mid to late 2012. It's been a long birthing process for this book. It will be nice to finally get it out there and get some feedback on it. I just hope you all enjoy it when it comes out.
Now I'm going to finish my coffee and go pick my daughter up for lunch (and seriously, get an ereader... you won't regret it).
Catch ya later...
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Much Ado About Agents
The publishing industry is in flux. Anyone with half a brain and an internet connection knows this. It's reported on almost daily if you follow publishing or writing blogs/newsfeeds. And it's been this way for a couple of years now. Because of this, I've been giving my attempts at finding an agent a lot of thought lately (let's just say that when you drive over 17 hours to get to BC for a little R&R, you have a lot of time to think...).
I've been going through the motions of seeking literary representation for the last couple months now (well, years, really, but it's been a more concerted effort as of late), and as you've probably guessed, without much success. There are two fairly obvious reasons for this. One: my writing sucks. Of course, pure hubris prevents me from accepting this notion. That and the fact that I've had at least one novel accepted for publication from an epublisher (shameless plug alert : http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/), and from what I've seen, they put out some quality stuff. So that leaves me with option two: the industry is in such trumoil at the moment that most agencies have closed ranks. Meaning, of course, that they are focusing more on existing clients rather than actively seeking new ones. Now that's not to say it's impossible to find an agent anymore, but I honestly believe that in today's business climate and with another global recession looming, things are tough all over.
Now, I could keep soldiering on, slogging it out in the query/submission trenches, but I don't think I will. At least for the time being. Anyone who has ever had the strange compulsion/notion to become a writer is probably quite familiar with the process. Granted it has become easier since the advent and acceptance of email queries/submissions, but don't ever kid yourself. It's still a time consuming process. Which is why I won't be submitting to anymore agents for the foreseeable future. I'm going to let my current submissions run their course. If they garner some attention, great. If not, it's no big deal. I have a lot of other things to do. I'm going back to school in the fall to complete my teaching degree. And I have about a dozen ideas for upcoming books and a couple of YA series that I've been mulling over for some time now. And when Cold Fear is released next year, I'll have some major marketing/promoting to do. I'm a busy little bee, and will be for a while.
The agents will wait. Either that, or this new business model in the publishing industry will eradicate them completely or change what they do so drastically as to render them nearly unrecognizable. I hope it's the latter, as I bear no ill will towards agents or what they do and I have no wish to see anyone put out of work. I'm just not going to expend all the energy needed to find representation until things have calmed down a bit. In the industry and in my own life.
Is this folly? Maybe. Maybe not. But thems the breaks, I guess. Things'll shake out one way or another. They always do.
And now I'm off to write. The vacation was great, but it's time to get back down to business. I've been pre-planning, outlining and writing in my head for over two weeks now. I need to get some of this down before it drives me completely round the bend...
Talk to you soon.
I've been going through the motions of seeking literary representation for the last couple months now (well, years, really, but it's been a more concerted effort as of late), and as you've probably guessed, without much success. There are two fairly obvious reasons for this. One: my writing sucks. Of course, pure hubris prevents me from accepting this notion. That and the fact that I've had at least one novel accepted for publication from an epublisher (shameless plug alert : http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/), and from what I've seen, they put out some quality stuff. So that leaves me with option two: the industry is in such trumoil at the moment that most agencies have closed ranks. Meaning, of course, that they are focusing more on existing clients rather than actively seeking new ones. Now that's not to say it's impossible to find an agent anymore, but I honestly believe that in today's business climate and with another global recession looming, things are tough all over.
Now, I could keep soldiering on, slogging it out in the query/submission trenches, but I don't think I will. At least for the time being. Anyone who has ever had the strange compulsion/notion to become a writer is probably quite familiar with the process. Granted it has become easier since the advent and acceptance of email queries/submissions, but don't ever kid yourself. It's still a time consuming process. Which is why I won't be submitting to anymore agents for the foreseeable future. I'm going to let my current submissions run their course. If they garner some attention, great. If not, it's no big deal. I have a lot of other things to do. I'm going back to school in the fall to complete my teaching degree. And I have about a dozen ideas for upcoming books and a couple of YA series that I've been mulling over for some time now. And when Cold Fear is released next year, I'll have some major marketing/promoting to do. I'm a busy little bee, and will be for a while.
The agents will wait. Either that, or this new business model in the publishing industry will eradicate them completely or change what they do so drastically as to render them nearly unrecognizable. I hope it's the latter, as I bear no ill will towards agents or what they do and I have no wish to see anyone put out of work. I'm just not going to expend all the energy needed to find representation until things have calmed down a bit. In the industry and in my own life.
Is this folly? Maybe. Maybe not. But thems the breaks, I guess. Things'll shake out one way or another. They always do.
And now I'm off to write. The vacation was great, but it's time to get back down to business. I've been pre-planning, outlining and writing in my head for over two weeks now. I need to get some of this down before it drives me completely round the bend...
Talk to you soon.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
My Brief Hiatus
If you follow me on Twitter, you probably already know this, but I'm on holidays at the moment, so regular blog posts won't be starting again until I get home. I've been doing a lot of thinking while breezing around BC and I've come to a decision in regards to my attempts at finding an agent.
But more on that upon my return...
Cheers,
Derek
But more on that upon my return...
Cheers,
Derek
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Are Zombies Dead? (Redux)
This isn't really an answer to my question on the popularity of zombies, but it does make for an interesting article. This, from the NY Times Book Review section: Click here
Sneak Peak
Okay, so Cold Fear isn't being released until next year, but I thought it might be fun to post a blurb of the book to whet your appetite. Hope you enjoy.
On a lonely expanse of tundra near the small, subarctic community of Churchill, Manitoba, an unholy evil has been awakened from its ancient slumber—and now it is time to feed.
Ben Russell has just lost his young wife, his job, and any semblance of happiness he once had. A trip north to visit his former brother-in-law turned RCMP corporal is a last ditch effort to pick up the pieces of his shattered life. But Ben soon finds himself face to face with a living nightmare as he is thrust headlong into a terrifying journey that will test the very boundaries of reality—and his sanity.
On a lonely expanse of tundra near the small, subarctic community of Churchill, Manitoba, an unholy evil has been awakened from its ancient slumber—and now it is time to feed.
Ben Russell has just lost his young wife, his job, and any semblance of happiness he once had. A trip north to visit his former brother-in-law turned RCMP corporal is a last ditch effort to pick up the pieces of his shattered life. But Ben soon finds himself face to face with a living nightmare as he is thrust headlong into a terrifying journey that will test the very boundaries of reality—and his sanity.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Are Zombies Dead?
Well, of course zombies are dead (well... undead), but that's not what I mean. What I mean is, is the zombie sub-genre dead?
The reason I'm even bringing this up is because I've been shopping around a YA zombie novel to agents over the last couple of weeks and had nary a hint of interest. Now, of course, it's hard to get any real inkling as to the reasons for such a snub from email form rejections alone (a pet-peeve I will save for another day). I mean, maybe said agents simply aren't digging my writing (but of course, that can't be it), but I thought I would blog about it and see if I could elicit some opinions here.
So, have zombies reached peak saturation among book buyers and movie goers? Or do you think there is still room for a few well written stories starring everybody's favourite rotting brain-eaters?
Personally, I think they're getting close. There have been a lot of horror movies and adult horror novels that have tapped "the zombie well" over the last few years, which is why I decided to write my zombie novel for a YA audience. Now I know there have been a few YA zombie novels already, but I don't think the youth demographic has been as inundated by the undead as the older markets. YA still seems to be the domain of angst-ridden teenage vampires a la the Twilight Series, and werewolves seem to be making a bit of a comeback. But zombies don't seem to be as well represented. So I figure I still have some room to maneuver with a well written zombie novel.
And so that's what I did. I wrote an edgy zombie novel for teens. And I set it in Canada's isolated Northwest Territories, which in and of itself offers some interesting situations. But as I've said, I haven't gotten a sniff from agents (so far).
So what do you think? Am I flogging an (un)dead horse with this one? Are zombies finally dead?
I, for one, sure hope not...
The reason I'm even bringing this up is because I've been shopping around a YA zombie novel to agents over the last couple of weeks and had nary a hint of interest. Now, of course, it's hard to get any real inkling as to the reasons for such a snub from email form rejections alone (a pet-peeve I will save for another day). I mean, maybe said agents simply aren't digging my writing (but of course, that can't be it), but I thought I would blog about it and see if I could elicit some opinions here.
So, have zombies reached peak saturation among book buyers and movie goers? Or do you think there is still room for a few well written stories starring everybody's favourite rotting brain-eaters?
Personally, I think they're getting close. There have been a lot of horror movies and adult horror novels that have tapped "the zombie well" over the last few years, which is why I decided to write my zombie novel for a YA audience. Now I know there have been a few YA zombie novels already, but I don't think the youth demographic has been as inundated by the undead as the older markets. YA still seems to be the domain of angst-ridden teenage vampires a la the Twilight Series, and werewolves seem to be making a bit of a comeback. But zombies don't seem to be as well represented. So I figure I still have some room to maneuver with a well written zombie novel.
And so that's what I did. I wrote an edgy zombie novel for teens. And I set it in Canada's isolated Northwest Territories, which in and of itself offers some interesting situations. But as I've said, I haven't gotten a sniff from agents (so far).
So what do you think? Am I flogging an (un)dead horse with this one? Are zombies finally dead?
I, for one, sure hope not...
Friday, August 5, 2011
Muddling Through
Okay. So here goes... my first official blog post.
I've agonized over this for a couple of weeks now. With the imminent release of my first ebook later next year, I thought it would be a good idea to create what is generally referred to as a "web presence". This, as it turns out, is what you do when no one has a clue who you are, but you're attempting to become better known to the general public. In this brave new(ish) world of social media, it apparently means starting a Twitter account, a blog, and a website. So I've done the first two, but I'm holding out on the website (for now, anyway...). Twitter and blogging I can handle, but the whole website thing seems a bit pretentious. Especially when you're just starting out and your book hasn't even been released yet. Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to slag off anyone with a website. It's just not for me (at this juncture).
Anyway, I digress.
As I was saying, I've been agonizing over this whole blog thing for some time. And the reason for it is quite simple: I don't have the foggiest clue what to actually blog about.
I've always been a glass half empty kind of guy, so my first inclination when it came to starting this blog was to think, Who's going to want to read a blog about me? In the great scheme of things, I'm nobody. So I waited. And slept on it. And from those very misgivings came the answer I was looking for.
This blog is going to be a personal journal of sorts. I'm going to keep it fairly casual. I'll talk about things I like, things I don't like. Heck, maybe I'll even throw in a few recipes. Who knows? (I do make a mean pulled pork sandwich). But what I'll probably focus on most is this writer's journey I've embarked on: the ups and downs of the craft, my experiences in this new digital publishing frontier, perhaps some previews of my upcoming work. All I ask in return is that you have a little patience as I try and wrap my head around this whole blogging thing. Well, that and buy Cold Fear when it comes out...
So, with that being said, welcome to my blog.
I think this'll be fun. I hope you do too.
I've agonized over this for a couple of weeks now. With the imminent release of my first ebook later next year, I thought it would be a good idea to create what is generally referred to as a "web presence". This, as it turns out, is what you do when no one has a clue who you are, but you're attempting to become better known to the general public. In this brave new(ish) world of social media, it apparently means starting a Twitter account, a blog, and a website. So I've done the first two, but I'm holding out on the website (for now, anyway...). Twitter and blogging I can handle, but the whole website thing seems a bit pretentious. Especially when you're just starting out and your book hasn't even been released yet. Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to slag off anyone with a website. It's just not for me (at this juncture).
Anyway, I digress.
As I was saying, I've been agonizing over this whole blog thing for some time. And the reason for it is quite simple: I don't have the foggiest clue what to actually blog about.
I've always been a glass half empty kind of guy, so my first inclination when it came to starting this blog was to think, Who's going to want to read a blog about me? In the great scheme of things, I'm nobody. So I waited. And slept on it. And from those very misgivings came the answer I was looking for.
This blog is going to be a personal journal of sorts. I'm going to keep it fairly casual. I'll talk about things I like, things I don't like. Heck, maybe I'll even throw in a few recipes. Who knows? (I do make a mean pulled pork sandwich). But what I'll probably focus on most is this writer's journey I've embarked on: the ups and downs of the craft, my experiences in this new digital publishing frontier, perhaps some previews of my upcoming work. All I ask in return is that you have a little patience as I try and wrap my head around this whole blogging thing. Well, that and buy Cold Fear when it comes out...
So, with that being said, welcome to my blog.
I think this'll be fun. I hope you do too.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
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