This was a really great piece. The Houses illustrate the principle of tactical success/strategic blunder by attempting to maintain a monopoly while stiffing their talent/neglecting their backbench. It just goes to show you that if you treat people poorly, they'll remember. Then, they'll return the favor at their earliest convenience. Tsk. And thanks much for the mention! The crowd at the Burger has been great over the years!
Jason’s been there and done that in battlefields across the world, so he does bring a much needed dose of reality to his action scenes- and the aftermath.
I'm humbled by these remarks, guys. These stories are what I owe to the old soldiers of my youth, who sat alone with a half-empty pack of smokes and a whiskey bottle. May the veterans of today have better fates.
b) ‘scuse me, but I’ll just be giddily fanboi’ing with squeals of excitement over here with not one but TWO of my favourite authors in this thread.. imma need a lie down
I know I've said this to you before, but no one writes about trauma like you do, or the terror and stress of being in a pitched battle. It's a knockout talent to be able to take people on that journey and still entertain them at the same time 🧡
A great column. It's interesting to see how things have changed. Changes in publishing and the book trade often seem so slow and gradual, but to see it summarised in a column like that shows it was a series of sharp and jagged shocks, really. 2008 was only 16 years ago!
I started self-publishing after my third book done the old way - around 2008. Your take on the whole self-publishing deal is reifying and very timely. There's been a little bit of guilt hanging off all the stuff I've self-published, for myself and for other people, mostly from Papua New Guinea where a desperate horde of frustrated and unpublished writers stew in a country without a publishing industry and bugger all bookshops. Keith Jackson and I set up a national writing competition up there in 2010 and then when I couldn't get anyone to publish our annual anthologies I went to KDP/Amazon and set up Pukpuk Publishing to do it. The competition was called The Crocodile Prize, named after Vincent Eri's 1970 novel, which was the first novel published by a Papua New Guinean. All went well until Bezos stopped shipping books to PNG because so many got lost or nicked enroute and he had to replace them. We're still at it but getting friends to cart books to the writers in their luggage is wearing a bit thin. If anyone is interested, there are some bloody good books from PNG on our list, which now numbers some 80 titles. We've tried to get the PNG government interested but they've got bigger fish to fry (more mines and cuddling up to China mostly) and the Oz government just ignores us. I'll see if Keith will run your piece on his PNG Attitude blog, the PNG scribblers will be encouraged by it.
I’m not a writer. But I love reading. I enjoy all of your books and columns and insights. This one included… so no need for any compensation.. although I could have a go at the Trump bible. That would be a good conversation starter at the kids school.
This piece couldn't have come at a better time for me. Today I'm finishing off the second book in my Junior Fiction trilogy. The entire trilogy will be self-published because I'd rather be published & still alive than the obvious alternative.
Melbourne has that effect, JB. My wife and I were there in December last year - our 50th wedding anniversary - though neither of us was writing - though reading - for sure. I'll buy your mate's book. Loved this piece of writing. A perfect essay.
I find myself in my 50s rediscovering writing. I did it as a teen and then the academic narrowing of subjects at school and then uni suppressed it and I kept my writing to local political newsletters.
I am now one of those dreadful AO3 fanfiction writers and having two base characters and some semi-crafted scenarios is allowing me to put flesh on the bones and write for fun. and some people seem to like it.
I wonder how much AO3 is part of this. It's a great way for writers to practise & get feedback. I started reading one person's fanfic a few years ago, & the following year she published her first novel - in her 50s. #4 is out in August, all of them firmly in the 'bodice ripper with humour' category (or as my favourite description said, "as if someone blackmailed Georgette Heyer into writing smut').
Definitely and there are a few authors who IMO are as good as, if not better, than the mainstream published authors, writing longform magical realism, crime and/or romantic comedy stories.
I 'discovered' fanfic (in that I overcame my erroneous long term assumption that it was not good, weird, and not to be taken seriously) quite recently and there are writers on AO3 whose skill at world building, plotting and characterisation would make some mainstream authors feel quite inadequate.
I was discussing this with one of my favourite AO3 authors and she likes writing fanfic because she thinks it's fun, and (most) people understand that it's a low stakes free thing and leave their critiques at the door. Can't help but feel a lot of what could have been brilliant literature has instead emerged in fanfic because of the gate keeping of the publishing industry for anyone other than middle aged white men as JB mentioned in his article. Her horror of critique also came from being an academic, so it's not just students whose creativity gets snuffed out.
I have a friend who wrote two wonderful books of short stories of his life working as a kid on the Yorkshire moors. His writing style put you right there, it truly was excellent. A publisher he approached advised him to undertake a journalism course, while knocking him back. He took a course, then gave up writing completely. The "system" sucked him dry.
Wow JB! eBooks have been a revelation for me. I now don't ready anything on paper (ugh...hardcopy!) Of course these days that's mainly cos I can crank the text size on my tablet up to gargantuan so I don't need my glasses to read it. But the flip side is that, having subscribed to a daily ebook feed which sends me a list of 5 or more titles in the various genres I've told it I'm into, on the platform I prefer to use, I get new stuff to read every day. I also get notified when an author I've read before releases something new. Some of the things I get are freebies to get you started on a particular series and others are in the $1-$5 range. I've read more new stuff in the past 5 years than I ever did when reading hardcopy (again...ugh!). I know heaps are self-published and I love that I'm supporting publisher who would otherwise not see the light of day...But I also love finding those absolute gems that, without the daily email, I would never have discovered on my own. Also, gotta love those endlessly recyclable electrons right? Bring it on I say! Def. gonna try your friend, Jason's new one too...Thanks for the tip there!
I completely agree about Jason's books - raw and powerful is an apt description of those early titles. And that latest sounds right up my alley. I will definitely grab it.
I have a confession to make too. For the last couple years I've been trying to write a book for an audience of one, ie me, myself and I. But I seem to be failing at finding an actual story to tell - I find myself instead caught up in the details of the worldbuilding and the history of the future universe I'm constructing in my head. Too many questions to answer, but I seem to be caught in a trap of my own making. Ah well, so it goes.
Hey- thanks for reading my stuff. Re: avoiding creativity traps. Because it's real. Here's what I do. First, come up with a tentative plan. Make sure it's all written down. Know where you want to begin, and then where you want it to end. Draw up a chapter outline following distinct story beats. Suggested reading "Save the Cat," or "How To Be a Writer." Upon demand I can flex you my Cheat Sheet Beat Sheet. Then, write. Don't be alarmed if your characters wake up and start doing off the hook shit. It happens. As long as they follow the beats, it's all good. If there's clutter, you can clear it on the final edit. Because then you're a long way to your goal- a complete MS. Execute.
Thanks Jason. That's this weeks goal then - get what I've got so far into a structure such as you describe. Luckily I do know how I want to begin and the overall shape of where I want to get to at the end.
And I'd never heard the term 'creativity trap' before but it makes sense from what I've now read of it.
Do you have someone you can trust to bounce ideas off? JB has Editing Cats and Plotting Dogs for this reason, sometimes it's hard to create when it's just you muttering to yourself.
I work as a developer in IT. There’s a ‘thing’ called ‘duck programming’ where if you get stuck and you’re about to reach out for help - paraphrase your problem and then ask a rubber duck. I know it sounds weird, but it engages a different part of the brain and sometimes the answer presents itself.
This was a really great piece. The Houses illustrate the principle of tactical success/strategic blunder by attempting to maintain a monopoly while stiffing their talent/neglecting their backbench. It just goes to show you that if you treat people poorly, they'll remember. Then, they'll return the favor at their earliest convenience. Tsk. And thanks much for the mention! The crowd at the Burger has been great over the years!
Great inspirational post in its own right...bonus steer to some great reading at the end...
Jason Lambright is an awesome author, discovered from your recommendation. He’s another Dietz, a Ringo, a Weber but even more awesomer.
Jason’s been there and done that in battlefields across the world, so he does bring a much needed dose of reality to his action scenes- and the aftermath.
It really comes through. His treatment of post combat experiences is both educational and moving. The lived experience is visceral.
I'm humbled by these remarks, guys. These stories are what I owe to the old soldiers of my youth, who sat alone with a half-empty pack of smokes and a whiskey bottle. May the veterans of today have better fates.
a) Truth.
&
b) ‘scuse me, but I’ll just be giddily fanboi’ing with squeals of excitement over here with not one but TWO of my favourite authors in this thread.. imma need a lie down
Hope the new books suits, LeoGov.
I know I've said this to you before, but no one writes about trauma like you do, or the terror and stress of being in a pitched battle. It's a knockout talent to be able to take people on that journey and still entertain them at the same time 🧡
A great column. It's interesting to see how things have changed. Changes in publishing and the book trade often seem so slow and gradual, but to see it summarised in a column like that shows it was a series of sharp and jagged shocks, really. 2008 was only 16 years ago!
PS - I've grabbed the recommend.
I started self-publishing after my third book done the old way - around 2008. Your take on the whole self-publishing deal is reifying and very timely. There's been a little bit of guilt hanging off all the stuff I've self-published, for myself and for other people, mostly from Papua New Guinea where a desperate horde of frustrated and unpublished writers stew in a country without a publishing industry and bugger all bookshops. Keith Jackson and I set up a national writing competition up there in 2010 and then when I couldn't get anyone to publish our annual anthologies I went to KDP/Amazon and set up Pukpuk Publishing to do it. The competition was called The Crocodile Prize, named after Vincent Eri's 1970 novel, which was the first novel published by a Papua New Guinean. All went well until Bezos stopped shipping books to PNG because so many got lost or nicked enroute and he had to replace them. We're still at it but getting friends to cart books to the writers in their luggage is wearing a bit thin. If anyone is interested, there are some bloody good books from PNG on our list, which now numbers some 80 titles. We've tried to get the PNG government interested but they've got bigger fish to fry (more mines and cuddling up to China mostly) and the Oz government just ignores us. I'll see if Keith will run your piece on his PNG Attitude blog, the PNG scribblers will be encouraged by it.
Go right ahead mate. And good luck with your endeavors. You are doing great work
I’m not a writer. But I love reading. I enjoy all of your books and columns and insights. This one included… so no need for any compensation.. although I could have a go at the Trump bible. That would be a good conversation starter at the kids school.
Unfortunately, all of the Trump Bibles burst into flame. Not sure why.
That really did elicit a good ol' belly laugh!
This piece couldn't have come at a better time for me. Today I'm finishing off the second book in my Junior Fiction trilogy. The entire trilogy will be self-published because I'd rather be published & still alive than the obvious alternative.
HUZZAH!!!
Great stuff JB. Just what I needed to read during a lull of despair in my own writing. Good cummary too by the way.
Oops that was suposed to be "good summary". But I'll leave the original there, it's a good word 'cummary' (not sure what it means yet.)
Melbourne has that effect, JB. My wife and I were there in December last year - our 50th wedding anniversary - though neither of us was writing - though reading - for sure. I'll buy your mate's book. Loved this piece of writing. A perfect essay.
I find myself in my 50s rediscovering writing. I did it as a teen and then the academic narrowing of subjects at school and then uni suppressed it and I kept my writing to local political newsletters.
I am now one of those dreadful AO3 fanfiction writers and having two base characters and some semi-crafted scenarios is allowing me to put flesh on the bones and write for fun. and some people seem to like it.
“and then uni suppressed it” - Oh testify Sista!!
I wonder how much AO3 is part of this. It's a great way for writers to practise & get feedback. I started reading one person's fanfic a few years ago, & the following year she published her first novel - in her 50s. #4 is out in August, all of them firmly in the 'bodice ripper with humour' category (or as my favourite description said, "as if someone blackmailed Georgette Heyer into writing smut').
It’s definitely part of it. There’s probably a hundred different moving parts.
Definitely and there are a few authors who IMO are as good as, if not better, than the mainstream published authors, writing longform magical realism, crime and/or romantic comedy stories.
I 'discovered' fanfic (in that I overcame my erroneous long term assumption that it was not good, weird, and not to be taken seriously) quite recently and there are writers on AO3 whose skill at world building, plotting and characterisation would make some mainstream authors feel quite inadequate.
I was discussing this with one of my favourite AO3 authors and she likes writing fanfic because she thinks it's fun, and (most) people understand that it's a low stakes free thing and leave their critiques at the door. Can't help but feel a lot of what could have been brilliant literature has instead emerged in fanfic because of the gate keeping of the publishing industry for anyone other than middle aged white men as JB mentioned in his article. Her horror of critique also came from being an academic, so it's not just students whose creativity gets snuffed out.
I have a friend who wrote two wonderful books of short stories of his life working as a kid on the Yorkshire moors. His writing style put you right there, it truly was excellent. A publisher he approached advised him to undertake a journalism course, while knocking him back. He took a course, then gave up writing completely. The "system" sucked him dry.
Ugh. I have heard so many of these stories. They all annoy the shit out of me.
Wow JB! eBooks have been a revelation for me. I now don't ready anything on paper (ugh...hardcopy!) Of course these days that's mainly cos I can crank the text size on my tablet up to gargantuan so I don't need my glasses to read it. But the flip side is that, having subscribed to a daily ebook feed which sends me a list of 5 or more titles in the various genres I've told it I'm into, on the platform I prefer to use, I get new stuff to read every day. I also get notified when an author I've read before releases something new. Some of the things I get are freebies to get you started on a particular series and others are in the $1-$5 range. I've read more new stuff in the past 5 years than I ever did when reading hardcopy (again...ugh!). I know heaps are self-published and I love that I'm supporting publisher who would otherwise not see the light of day...But I also love finding those absolute gems that, without the daily email, I would never have discovered on my own. Also, gotta love those endlessly recyclable electrons right? Bring it on I say! Def. gonna try your friend, Jason's new one too...Thanks for the tip there!
The text size thing is an under appreciated driver of ebook sales. I still buy hard copy books but they have to be shelf worthy these days.
Yeah these days I only buy non-fiction in hard copy. Usually stuff that's long out of print or is never, ever going to be made into an ebook.
I feel seen, attacked and gently cuddled by this column all at the same time! But a gratuitous plug for Jason's new book FTW.
Definitely eyeing a second career as a romance author once I'm done in IT...
An excellent post on a number of levels.
I completely agree about Jason's books - raw and powerful is an apt description of those early titles. And that latest sounds right up my alley. I will definitely grab it.
I have a confession to make too. For the last couple years I've been trying to write a book for an audience of one, ie me, myself and I. But I seem to be failing at finding an actual story to tell - I find myself instead caught up in the details of the worldbuilding and the history of the future universe I'm constructing in my head. Too many questions to answer, but I seem to be caught in a trap of my own making. Ah well, so it goes.
Hey- thanks for reading my stuff. Re: avoiding creativity traps. Because it's real. Here's what I do. First, come up with a tentative plan. Make sure it's all written down. Know where you want to begin, and then where you want it to end. Draw up a chapter outline following distinct story beats. Suggested reading "Save the Cat," or "How To Be a Writer." Upon demand I can flex you my Cheat Sheet Beat Sheet. Then, write. Don't be alarmed if your characters wake up and start doing off the hook shit. It happens. As long as they follow the beats, it's all good. If there's clutter, you can clear it on the final edit. Because then you're a long way to your goal- a complete MS. Execute.
Thanks Jason. That's this weeks goal then - get what I've got so far into a structure such as you describe. Luckily I do know how I want to begin and the overall shape of where I want to get to at the end.
And I'd never heard the term 'creativity trap' before but it makes sense from what I've now read of it.
Do you have someone you can trust to bounce ideas off? JB has Editing Cats and Plotting Dogs for this reason, sometimes it's hard to create when it's just you muttering to yourself.
I work as a developer in IT. There’s a ‘thing’ called ‘duck programming’ where if you get stuck and you’re about to reach out for help - paraphrase your problem and then ask a rubber duck. I know it sounds weird, but it engages a different part of the brain and sometimes the answer presents itself.
Dammit, JB. This was so good that I just took out a paid subscription to this, too!
I listened to you again - and read Jason’s book. He knows the world as it really is, which most don’t. Well done to him.