tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post3246294056824315213..comments2024-03-18T09:09:59.625-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: I did my research, please please please can I tell you?Janet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-91586363806684092492018-02-08T08:07:29.401-05:002018-02-08T08:07:29.401-05:00To AJ's comment (...A contest judged nailed me...To AJ's comment (...A contest judged nailed me on setting...telling me no way would the station house and cattle yards be positioned the way I had them and to do my research...in my book I had described exactly how the station was set-up from my time there...) -- This happens to me a lot, from both the writer ane editor sides. In one of my novels, which was about horse riding, I fictionalized real events that had happened to me personally, then had very experienced horse people review the story for accuracy. All of them vehemently insisted that NO WAY would the situation go down as described. NO WAY. NEVER. Well, surprise! Meanwhile, when I'm editing, I might flag something as hard to swallow but the author insists it's credible because of personal experience. What the problem usually ends up being is failure to present the scene well enough to create verisimilitude. (Yes, that word again. It's the bottom line, what makes a story -- technically accurate or not -- believable.)Carolyn Haleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12439194025687389191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-18370091660647634942018-02-07T22:57:07.433-05:002018-02-07T22:57:07.433-05:00I worked in the outback for a number of years, so ...I worked in the outback for a number of years, so naturally I set a book there. A contest judged nailed me on setting (with a dismal score) telling me no way would the station house and cattle yards be positioned the way I had them and to do my research...in my book I had described exactly how the station was set-up from my time there. So much for making sure I was on point!AJ Blythehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04529233142099749005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-75524482264386943912018-02-07T21:25:00.684-05:002018-02-07T21:25:00.684-05:00Yes, PAH, I read the entire post. Perhaps I phrase...Yes, PAH, I read the entire post. Perhaps I phrased this in an unclear way. First of all, non neurotypical is not a bandwagon. Living with an autistic person and researching autism isn't the best way to go about making a plot that's focused on a character who needs to be autistic for the plot to work. Because no further context is given, it's hard to tell what the plot actually is.<br /><br /> Living with someone autistic doesn't mean that you can correctly write a plot-pivotal autistic character. That doesn't mean this author can't do it! She doesn't go into precisely WHAT makes this autistic character well researched and genuine, or why it's pivotal. I'd be far more concerned about this than about any police plot points. Trust me- my neurotypical relatives would never be able to turn me into a fictional character, even if they lived with me, and have it be correct to the autistic experience. And right now is an extremely sensitive time to be querying books with a character that is a mom to an autistic son. My advice actually goes against most of the advice given. Right now, there are so many non-autistic people writing, acting, and engaging in media that has autistic characters, not created by autistic people. If her son had a big role in actively helping to create this character, and she's talked to other autistic writers, and had autistic sensitivity readers, I would ABSOLUTELY briefly mention this somewhere, even if it's only her author website. I'm not trying to be negative here, or a downer, but I'm being realistic. It may not matter to neurotypical readers, agents, and editors, but it matters to the autistic ones. <br /><br />If autistic characters are something she cares about, and she's done the research, and believes she can convincingly and compassionately write an autistic character without turning them into a plot prop, yes, yes, yes, please briefly mention WHY you're qualified to do this. Your future autistic readers care, even if your neurotypical readers don't.Inktrufflehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01327486464624134847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-83547319650151448952018-02-07T19:10:26.127-05:002018-02-07T19:10:26.127-05:00Or how about those fantasy stories where sometimes...Or how about those fantasy stories where sometimes they have guns, but the main character still ends up fighting the nemesis with a sword? <br /><br />Yes this kind of stuff makes me yell at my book. I will still finish the book, if it's interesting enough, but whenever I think about it ever after, I roll my eyes. Lennon Farishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03570629350169504234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-2141407878811777352018-02-07T17:41:39.934-05:002018-02-07T17:41:39.934-05:00Or like when I watched an episode of a popular cri...Or like when I watched an episode of a popular crime show last week - set in Central Florida. The opening shot showed wide open space (Central Florida is practically jungle!) and MOUNTAINS!!!! Drove me up a wall and I couldn't take anything else in the episode seriously. Those accuracy errors ruined any authenticity of the fictitious programKariVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13824650323413004291noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-30143314059481205112018-02-07T17:18:18.741-05:002018-02-07T17:18:18.741-05:00I went to a Lee Child event a few years ago, and h...I went to a Lee Child event a few years ago, and he told stories about people nitpicking details in his novels. He mentioned that one Army guy asked him if he'd been in the Army. Child was impressed that he'd somehow gotten these details right, and told the fan "No, but that's how you really do it in the Army?" The fan replied, "Oh, no, not my unit, but I assumed the <i>other</i> units did it that way..."CEDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10411394450673673225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-37550793538992514192018-02-07T16:42:28.274-05:002018-02-07T16:42:28.274-05:00@ Inktruffle
Did you not read the whole post? The...<b>@ Inktruffle</b><br /><br />Did you not read the whole post? The OP clearly states that her son is Autistic and not only has there been extensive research, but also first-hand experience dealing with it.PAHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18150112855344551488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-29838448677770253122018-02-07T16:19:14.852-05:002018-02-07T16:19:14.852-05:00Jennifer, I guess I am. I wish I could shed the ha...Jennifer, I guess I am. I wish I could shed the hair that tickles my fiction fancy. Carolynnwith2Nshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998702410764388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-13610210441471363992018-02-07T16:06:01.800-05:002018-02-07T16:06:01.800-05:00Belated congrats to Melissa for a brilliant and hu...Belated congrats to Melissa for a brilliant and humorous story! <br /><br />Re: today’s post, you can count me among the persnickety in a broad sense when I beta or Cp for anyone. In that respect I think a good beta/cp will point out those inconvenient details that detract from the verisimilitude of the story. When it comes down to it you are writing a novel and you can make everything up. That doesn’t mean that you should make literally everything up. Accurate details can play a part in making a story feel authentic. That’s why research is so important, and someone who doesn’t do any research at all, who doesn’t attempt to utilize the wealth of information that’s available is not only potentially being disrespectful, but also could be potentially causing real world harm. So I am definitely among those who will tell someone that no, that cannot happen in court, or hey a cop who says the subject was slamming Mary Jane probably does not deal with illicit substances, and btw a farm boy that bales hay while shirtless deserves the splinters he’ll probably get. But the goal there is not to feed my superiority complex. Rather, I want to help you find a workaround. <br /><br />An example: a few contests ago a fellow Reider commented on my use of a 2 gauge, thinking I meant a 12 gauge. I meant the 2 gauge, in my mind I visualized that big ass punt gun in a boat with my characters. BUT the commenter’s point was appreciated because it let me know as a writer that I did not bring that Reider who clearly knew about firearms to the same place and if I had meant the 12 gauge, it would have offered me an easy fix :) <br /><br />As for Op, why not mention your experience in a roundabout fashion? Like I have gathered numerous firsthand experiences from an officer with Xyears on the force. <br /><br />Megan Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00752842865397799428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-64358456843948751662018-02-07T15:58:05.153-05:002018-02-07T15:58:05.153-05:00As someone who is autistic, it bothers me deeply t...As someone who is autistic, it bothers me deeply that the author is so concerned about the research that went into the police parts of the novel, and not the autism parts. I'm having some red flags that this autistic character being autistic is pivotal to the plot, and yet the author doesn't seem to say anything about their research into autism. Replace the word 'autism' with any other label and understand why this is a problem. Inktrufflehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01327486464624134847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-89585703257907213662018-02-07T15:05:26.287-05:002018-02-07T15:05:26.287-05:00Maybe this is not the correct post to put this on,...Maybe this is not the correct post to put this on, but I believe these suggestions/statements hold true for non earth fiction as well. Whereas no one can definitively say your accuracy is incorrect in a created world, just keep verisimilitude (excellent word Colin) the same throughout your story. The readers are there to find their own world within your world. They are not there to point out everything that is off even within the confines of your own creation.nphollandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11147914537371906782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-85961409684092782092018-02-07T14:35:38.263-05:002018-02-07T14:35:38.263-05:00And then there are those of us who commit alternat...And then there are those of us who commit alternate history. Intentionally, I mean.<br /><br />There's a reason why so much of it is set well after the point where fictional history has diverged from reality. It's tough to write with sufficient authenticity to boost the reader over those "But that's not the way it happened!" moments.<br /><br />I've mercifully forgotten the author and title of the otherwise-enjoyable alternate history novel that gave me three separate "Hey, that's not right--oh, wait" moments.Casey Karphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10592351859886981726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-42887286773306511122018-02-07T14:29:51.769-05:002018-02-07T14:29:51.769-05:00As someone who works at an Ad Agency, I can say I ...As someone who works at an Ad Agency, I can say I LOVE how movies and TV portray the industry.<br /><br />Regarding the topic: I think, as a reader, I crave LOGIC more than ACCURACY. I really don't care if a story is accurate (unless it's just blatantly ridiculous, I guess) but it has to be logical, and it has to fit the logical reality the author created for the story. So many stories worry about accuracy and fail on the logic. It's frustrating.PAHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18150112855344551488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-67320859219636321922018-02-07T12:25:40.354-05:002018-02-07T12:25:40.354-05:00What gets me is errors with small airplanes. I rem...What gets me is errors with small airplanes. I remember a book by a favorite author which had the main character owning a private plane and they go out to the airfield, hop in it and take off.<br />Nope. Good way to get killed.<br /><br />Sharyn Ekberghhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11987304898246173619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-80362948747034259922018-02-07T11:40:19.887-05:002018-02-07T11:40:19.887-05:00I've been watching a lot of movies this year, ...I've been watching a lot of movies this year, as I decided to try my hand at writing a screenplay. On Amazon, when you stream a movie, you can also read 'Trivia' which is FILLED with goofs, errors, etc. I was astounded at the number of them--but of course almost never noticed when in the middle of watching. Same concept--if the story's got you hooked, these things don't matter a great deal.Richelle Elberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11323766317305564428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-8811982109634454372018-02-07T11:22:55.330-05:002018-02-07T11:22:55.330-05:00Dang! And I was going to smell the roses at Madiso...Dang! And I was going to smell the roses at Madison Squsre Garden.<br /><br />Can I get a jump start at Battery Park?<br /><br />I used to live on Lexington Ave, so for the welfare of my erstwhile neighbors, I am glad it is still there.<br /><br />There is one additional issue nobody mentioned. In one of my learning expriences I researched how Joseph P. Kennedy and Co. engineered the stock market crash of 1929. Economists whose books I consulted professed to not have a clue (and if you believe THAT), so, being a former stock trader, I asked myself how I would do it were I Joe.<br /><br />It took about ten seconds to figure it out.<br /><br />I wrote it into the story and was dressed down sternly by a beta reader who happens to be right wing. That happened by ACCIDENT, she wanted me to know, and it was pure blind luck that all the money men on the East Coast knew exactly when to hold, when to fold, when to walk away, and so on.<br /><br />Not true.<br /><br />I made up the dialogue, but I know how they did it.<br /><br />The lesson is: no matter what you say, you are going to get into somebody's belief system.<br /><br />Re the current selloff: I was warning friends several weeks ago to close their long positions. Since I obviously don't know anything, nobody listened. Maybe they will believe me next time.<br /><br />Now all the talking heads on TV say they knew it was coming. Yet not a single one of them said anything before it happened.<br />Steve Stubbshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13421775912951050610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-23699501192185657742018-02-07T11:10:17.673-05:002018-02-07T11:10:17.673-05:00For me, the most important thing as a reader, is h...For me, the most important thing as a reader, is how a story makes me feel. That's why I can re-read books. I don't remember the details, or sometimes even what happens beyond a general sense, but how a book makes me feel can stay with me forever and I re-read so I can feel that way again. <br /><br />So I guess my philosophy is that if the details don't effect the emotional core of the book, it's great to have them correct and people will probably nitpick them if they aren't, but it's not the end of the world. But if they are details that DO effect the emotional core, like the experience of someone on the autism spectrum, or dealing with the aftereffects of rape or loss or how it feels to be a POC living in America today--the authenticity of experience revealed through those details is super important. <br /><br />That said, everyone's experience is different and what's true to one person's experience may not be true to another, which is why there needs to be more diversity in publishing so there are more and more experiences out there for people to relate to. There's been a lot of interesting discussion on Twitter I've seen about #ownvoices<br /><br />sorry for the long comment. It got away from me. Gaylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02646484878657759453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-32566593423973133242018-02-07T10:57:40.235-05:002018-02-07T10:57:40.235-05:00Joe,
If it relates to the book, the OP can and sh...Joe,<br /><br />If it relates to the book, the OP can and should put it in the bio section. In this case, it does because this is what her book is about. <br /><br />If I were writing a mystery about Paris fashion, I would have no reason to mention my past life as a stablehand at the Biltmore. If I were writing a mystery about a Paris fashion designer dying in the Biltmore stables, it might be a bit more pertinent. <br /><br />Julie Weathershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13725236516593676381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-70676473592658431482018-02-07T10:50:55.017-05:002018-02-07T10:50:55.017-05:00I'm going to have to come back and re-read thi...I'm going to have to come back and re-read this after the caffeine has kicked in because halfway through I started down the "I bet I could write a story that intentionally has them driving east on 40th Street!" rabbit hole and I'm pretty sure that wasn't the point of the post.Theresa B (of Nebulopathy)https://www.blogger.com/profile/12747200216210698142noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-15447942980738046152018-02-07T10:45:54.302-05:002018-02-07T10:45:54.302-05:00I've got police in the family, so we gleefully...I've got police in the family, so we gleefully lambast the more ludicrous popular errors in shows and movies (you can't go tasting random substances to see if it's a drug! defibrillators don't restart hearts, they STOP them!!). On the other hand, we love the original RoboCop. It's not pretending to be accurate or authentic in any way. So I'd say it's a mysterious combination of the tone of the work and the expected knowledge of the intended audience. I'm a reader that appreciates the detail, so grill your husband, grill him!! :DSam Millshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12069749673374661798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-53495064577039375182018-02-07T10:38:40.689-05:002018-02-07T10:38:40.689-05:00Kari Lynn
Whenever I promote your books, and I do...<b>Kari Lynn</b><br /><br />Whenever I promote your books, and I do every chance I get, I always mention "Kari is the real deal. She's a rancher, champion cowgirl, rodeo expert, all around good gal with a great sense of humor and writes awesome books." I wouldn't do this if it weren't true. I do this because I read very few western romances. They mostly make me want to throttle authors, editors, and publishers, which isn't a good thing. Plus, whether you have anything to do with it or not I don't know, but you don't have those vapid, oiled up, hairless, shirtless nitwits on the cover with their pants down so low you can nearly see Mr. Happy. <br /><br />"Why, yes, ma'am, we always oil up and go shirtless to stack hay. It's the cowboy way."<br /><br /><br /><br />Julie Weathershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13725236516593676381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-3805489554047975922018-02-07T10:33:44.041-05:002018-02-07T10:33:44.041-05:00OP, perhaps you could put a line in your bio at th...OP, perhaps you could put a line in your bio at the end of the query. After any relevant publishing credits, you can say something like, "I have been married for thirty years to a former undercover detective and raised a wonderful son who is on the Autism spectrum." Only write it better than that, of course.<br /><br />That way the info doesn't clog up the query, but you've still informed the agent of your background.Elissa Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10727748060605823895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-67089241608527152562018-02-07T10:29:38.156-05:002018-02-07T10:29:38.156-05:00Some of those "those stick-in-the-mud, purse-...Some of those "those stick-in-the-mud, purse-lipped, accuracy hooligans" are also called "copyeditors," and part of their job is to spot anomalies that might embarrass the author and cause readers to stop reading or, worse, toss the book over their shoulder and diss the author in public forums. Copyeditors have no way of knowing of whether an anomaly is intentional or something the author forgot to check. Once advised of the nitpick, the author can then decide what to do about it. It's not helpful to us to make us out as people interfering with an author's creativity; rather, we're interested in a story's verisimilitude and author's credibility.Carolyn Haleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12439194025687389191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-39013458066190731982018-02-07T10:28:27.287-05:002018-02-07T10:28:27.287-05:00My neighbor once went door to door to ask if anyon...My neighbor once went door to door to ask if anyone had seen a small leather case. It seems he dabbles in diamonds, and had set a case of them on his bumper while he packed something in in his truck. He then drove off, losing the case somewhere along the way. <br /><br />I've often played with the idea of using this in a story, but his being so careless with a case of diamonds is just too much of a stretch for authenticity, even if it is accurate.Beth Carpenterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02447148196867821907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-36230636415706932532018-02-07T10:23:32.452-05:002018-02-07T10:23:32.452-05:00I appreciate it when authors try to get things rig...I appreciate it when authors try to get things right. Getting stuff wrong about horses drives me nuts. "My rescuer stole two horses from the Americans, but threw away the bridles because the cruel metal bit would savage a horse's tongue. I would have to learn to ride like an Indian with a soft leather loop in the horse's mouth instead." <br /><br />Yup, in the trash with you, my darling.<br /><br />I have maps of Charleston in 1861 and know which street St. John's is on. I also know it will burn down a couple of years after my MC prays in the beautiful church. <br /><br />People are going to pick details apart in Rain Crow that are fact. I've decided to start blogging about them now and offer up references to try to head off some of the criticism. I won't be able to please everyone and that's all right. It's a novel, not the second coming of Shelby Foote. <br /><br />I'm not going to tell agents in the query I have over 600 Civil War books etc. crammed in my abode and harass historians on a regular basis.<br /><br />If the authenticity doesn't come through, none of this matters. <br /><br />Julie Weathershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13725236516593676381noreply@blogger.com