The Devil Is The Details

I hope your Christmas was full of happiness and joy this year. As we approach the close of this year and the start of a new one it is always good to reflect back. However, that is a topic for later on in the week. Right now I have plans to discuss a different topic.

For the past month I have been vigorously working on my manuscript. Yes, it is the same one that nearly took my muse completely out of the game. To be honest, I could not deny that need that eventually burst out of me. I opened the computer, started reading it and, before I knew it, I was neck deep in perhaps the largest, most comprehensive revision I have ever tackled. How massive is this revision? Here are the numbers but keep in mind one point; I have sixteen pages to go before I reach the end.

Currently I have deleted approximately 3,000 words and I have added approximately 6,000 words for a net of an additional 3,000 words. This revision will span from the first chapter to the last chapter. I don't know what the totals will be when I am done but this is a drastic change to a manuscript. What happened? How did I delete so much and add even more?

First, I deleted redundant words or sentences that hampered the flow. I tightened up many sentences which called for the deletion of most of the words. Many of you can understand deleting words and may even think I haven't deleted enough. That is a possibility. What about all the added words?

As I read I discovered the need to build upon certain scenes while stretching out others. How do you build the one scene and stretch the other? Typically, if I am stretching a scene it entails more dialogs between the characters. By doing this you slow down the flow and perhaps shed a little light on a few plot points. When I build a scene I usually add more action or give more detail to the action taking place. The buildup will start early until it reaches the climax and then start again until you reach the apex of the entire story. Some would classify this as 'fleshing out' the story. The majority of the words I added can be contributed to these two aspects.

Why was this so massive? The change was so extreme that it impacted everything down to the smallest detail. This is not a 'get done quickly' process. Many times I am going back through the early chapters to verify what I wrote or a character did there so it makes sense and comes together in the later chapters. Items such as eye or hair color must stay the same (readers pick up on things like that). I ran into one example of this last night. I changed a fight scene in a chapter and continued on until I was writing the second chapter beyond that scene. This would be the point in time where I noticed that my new scene didn't make sense because I changed the earlier scene. I had to go back and change it to the original way. Why did I change it in the first place? First, we are always striving to get our best work on paper and second, I thought it read better. Of course once I put the pieces together I realized that the change wasn't needed at all. These are the little things we must pay attention to.

As I said earlier, I have sixteen pages remaining. What happens after that? I have a plan. Before I close I will say that letting it rest for two months was a smart move even though I didn't see it as such. I was able to see things and write things afterward that I think I would have missed out on if I waited for two or three weeks. There is something to be said about letting it cool down.

How do you prepare and handle a major revision?

Twas the Day Before Christmas

A new take on an old classic. Enjoy!

Twas the day before Christmas, when all through the Net

People were surfing, this you can bet.

Articles were posted on blogs with care,

In hopes that followers soon would be there.

When out of the desktop there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the chair to see what was the matter.

Away to the keyboard I flew like a flash,

saved all my files and cleared out the cache.

The black on the screen of the new re-boot

was the color of coal and darkness of soot.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a digital sleigh, and eight digital reindeer.

With a popular driver, downloaded and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be Cyber Nick.

More rapid than spambots his courses they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Nook! now, Yahoo! now, Goodreads and Google!

On, Facebook! On, Youtube! On Digsby and Digg!

To the top of the site! to the top of the firewall!

Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

And then, in a twinkling, my computer it start,

the clicking and humming of each little part.

As dialog boxes on my screen flash round,

Up in my e-mail Cyber Nick came with a bound.

He shook off the malware and looked over my site,

nodded his head and pressed the button for like.

An Amazon link he had on his back,

With iPads, kindles and books in the pack.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled my in-box, then turned with a jerk.

I clicked my mouse on the side of his nose,

And with a nod, up the screen he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team sent a tweet,

And away they all flew; I was amazed by the feat.

But I heard him exclaim, from out of sight,

"Merry Christmas to all, your gifts ship tonight!"

An Emotionally Stirring Book

Title: This Bird Flew Away 
Author: Lynda M. Martin
ISBN: 978-1-9356-0592-8
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 406
Reviewed By: Brian Knight
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What do you do when innocence dies?

Bria is a typical little girl by all outward appearances but inside lurks dark secrets and problems only adults should have to face. She is smart but confused with the world around her. To top it off, she has no one to talk to about these problems. That is, until, Jack finds her in the basement of the family home during a funeral. Jack is Bria’s best friend and the one person she will talk to. Unbeknownst to them both, that friendship will be tested and strengthened, and eventually will save a life.

Bria doesn’t have a real home. After years of being shuffled between Aunts and across the border, the only family she can count on is her Aunt Mary and Jack. She takes it upon herself to protect her younger sister but, as fate would have it, she is forced into a difficult decision in her efforts to find them both a safe home with Mary and Jack. Her impossible situation turns into a nightmare as she is soon abducted and trafficked. The unspeakable acts she endures and witnesses leave her a shell of the girl she once was.

After a daring escape, Bria now faces the most difficult obstacle of all – finding her place in society again. Along her harrowing path, she confronts her inner enemies and discovers new life when it seemed her life was over. Can she truly recover? Will she learn what love really is? Will she allow herself to be more than the ‘nobody, nobody wants’?

From the first word, Lynda Martin’s passion for crafting a gripping story combined with her career of helping missing and exploited children takes center stage. Instantly, you are immersed in Bria’s journey as she struggles to navigate a cruel world. With each passing page, it is virtually impossible not to care for Bria and the others like her in “This Bird Flew Away.” You will find yourself wanting to hug, talk and listen to Bria as the connection is made on multiple levels.

“This Bird Flew Away” is a story of betrayal, abuse, hope, love and strength. The emotions experienced as the story unfolds carry it from page to page. Sadness, anger, grief, hopelessness, joy, love, hope and peace are all present and combine to deliver a surreal experience; one that will haunt and demand that you ponder on the reality that the story depicts. This book is a must have for those seeking an emotionally charged story of survival.

Author Lynda Martin’s debut novel, is sure to take the world by storm. I see a bright future for this up and coming author.

I invite all of you to visit her site and the information she has there about this book and the important message she is sharing through this book. Here is the LINK. You can also reserve your copy on her site. It releases on January 27, 2011.

Below is the book trailer for "This Bird Flew Away." Enjoy!

When Mother Nature Calls

This is the time for love, joy and cheer; a time to be festive and happy. This is also the time to be cautious and play it safe. As the chilly weather of fall gives way to the cold weather of winter more and more people will be reading and writing books, posting information on their sites and blogs and spending increased amount of time on the computer.

Of course there is nothing wrong with that. I mean there is time for everything when you can't really go outside and be productive but the outdoors still plays a role in your activities. You see, you can never be free of Mother Nature. That slight cold breeze you feel on your leg- that's her. That snow building up on your door - that's her. That ice, snow, or thunder storm that just knocked out the power to your home and your computer - that would be her saying hello.

I know that each and every one of us has felt the caress of Mother Nature. There is no need to get angry about it or frustrated (even though we do all the time). Like death and taxes, the presence of Mother Nature will always be there. The key is to be prepared and ready. How do you do that? You play the 'What if' game.

What if the power went out right in the middle of your writing? You set a time interval for you to save your work (every 10 or 15 minutes....for example) and make a strong effort to stick with it until it becomes a habit.

What if your husband/wife/child/pet spilled a drink on your laptop and ruined it? First, you would need to excuse yourself and calm down. Hopefully you will remember that you backed up your manuscript on a flash drive, CD or desktop. Yes, it is critically important that you back up your original to another source.

Well, what if my flash drive was in the laptop and I was accessing the file from that when the laptop was ruined? Check to see if, indeed, the flash drive is ruined. If not, count your blessings. If it is, then this is a perfect example of why you need to back up you back up to another second source.

This is the domino effect that occurred to me one night. I was in my chair, writing away, and looked out my front door at the ice and snow falling. I wondered what would happen if the power went out or if something happened to my laptop or worse yet, my flash drive was destroyed. That line of thought drew me to the conclusion that having the manuscript on my laptop was fine but having it on the laptop and flash drive was better. What is best, for me anyway, is to have it on the laptop, the flash drive, and my desktop. If, by chance, something happens to all three then it was meant to be and we must accept that.

If we prepare as best we can then the visit from Mother Nature is just that - a visit and not a catastrophe. How many back-ups do you have of your manuscript?

On a Scale of 1 - 10 How Cool Is This?

Okay, I'm going to post a picture and I want you to share you first thought with me. Ready.....here it is:

How cool it that? Well, I think it's pretty cool. I mean, people can get "The New Author" on their Kindle now. Do you know what this means? It means that you can read the blog, search through the archives and leave comments from anywhere! Of course you need a Kindle and a decent signal to download it. What an awesome gift for Christmas. Okay, I might be going overboard with that one but a Kindle is a cool gift.

Here is something else I think is interesting; if you follow this LINK and scroll down you will notice that you can leave reviews. Now, I am a little nervous about this aspect. I can't help but wonder which would be worse - no reviews or bad reviews? It is my hope that I will, one day, click on it and see positive reviews but time will tell. There is a monthly fee associated with it and you can thank Amazon for that. Fortunately it is rather inexpensive at $1.99 a month.

If you have a Kindle I invite you to download "The New Author" and share with me you thoughts about it. You might be thinking right about now - "why do I need to download it when I'm reading it on the computer?" That is a very good question. Think about it, you could be reading this at work or on your home computer in another room. If you had it downloaded to your Kindle you could then take it in the living room and relax on the couch while reading or you can kick back on the bed before sleep and read a little. Yep, this is the luxury of comfort.

Yes, I'm excited about this and wanted to share it with all of you.

Unanswered Prayers

Title: The Prayer Promise of Christ
Author: Edward F. Mrkvicka Jr.
With Kelly Helen Mrkvicka
ISBN: 978-1-61739-021-0
Genre: Religion, Prayer
Pages: 171
Reviewed By: Brian Knight
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ALL prayers are answered… if asked properly.

“The Prayer Promise of Christ” clears the path of confusion and misunderstanding regarding prayer. As we delve into the pages we find out why we pray and more importantly why we are not praying as we should. How do we know if we are not praying as we should? Our prayers go unanswered. This is a tough lesson because no one wants to admit that they are doing something incorrect but through Scripture we soon learn that our worldly wisdom is leading us down the wrong path. We must humble ourselves in order to receive divine wisdom.

Why is it important to pray in privacy? Why should we pray for others before we pray for ourselves? What is the difference between forgiveness and repentance? All of these questions are significant and all are addressed in “The Prayer Promise of Christ.” The remarkable thing about this book is the author’s ability to deliver such a profound message in a warm, personable voice. This book is easy to read and enjoyable but soon will inspire you to study further.

Edward’s passion is best expressed in his own words - “I'm basically just a ‘connect-the-dots’ guy who hopes to help people know the Lord as He describes Himself in the Bible.” He accomplishes that through his experience as a lay minister and avid student of the Bible. Instantly, you too begin to connect the dots and make a powerful discovery. With each passing page, it is virtually impossible not to reflect on your prayer life and relationship with the Lord. “The Prayer Promise of Christ” paints a vivid picture of the Lord’s love for us and his desire to share with us if we would only approach with a humble, pure heart.

“The Prayer Promise of Christ” is a resource book that draws on the strength of the Bible for support and verification. This overwhelming topic is laid bare before us through the use of examples, personal insight and Scripture. The author makes no apologies for the oft times tough truth that is exposed within the pages of this book but these are truths that all Christians must hear, know and understand in order to truly experience “The Prayer Promise of Christ.”

Author Edward Mrkvicka delivers again. If you have ever asked “why didn’t the Lord answer my prayer?” and/or “Does He listen to me?” I highly recommend “The Prayer Promise of Christ.”

This book was named Christian book of the year in October of 2010. To learn more about both book and author please visit HERE.

As you can tell by the picture above, you can get "The Prayer Promise of Christ" on your Kindle HERE.

Do Titles Mean Anything Anymore?

I planned to write about what I've learned this past year since today is my birthday and I typically do that around this time. I had it all figured out; I was going to sum up the trials, tribulations, joys and success of the previous year and what I looked forward to in the coming year.

That all changed when I read an article by Slate magazine. You see, the editors of Slate shared with us their favorite books of the year. I was intrigued when I saw the title listed on MSN.com so I clicked on it and began reading. What I discovered was surprising and maybe even a little shocking.

We, as writers, have always known or been told that the title of a book is the first draw for a reader and therefore should grab their attention. We have read countless numbers of articles discussing the needed strength in our book titles and the fact that we need to be careful with them. After reading these articles we spend hours playing with words and titles and ideas for titles until we can't see straight. Of course, we all know that the chances are high the title will be changed should we make it to publishing. Nonetheless, we put great effort into developing the titles for our works.

With that in mind, I give you a list of examples from the Slate editor's favorite books selection:

The Ask by Sam Lipsyte
C by Tom McCarthy
The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson
The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman
The Lost Books of the Odyssey by Zachary Mason
The New Yorker Stories by Ann Beattie
Room by Emma Donoghue

Before I continue; I haven't read any of these books nor is this a review of them. This article is simply focusing on the titles. To be honest, these could all be really good books and enjoyable to read; however, in my opinion, these titles are lacking. The only one I looked at twice was "The Lost Books of the Odyssey." That one did catch my attention. As for the others, I was (and am) wondering why they would title a book like that. Does it make me interested in reading it? Not really, but I would love to ask the author or publisher -"why did you decide to call it that?" Maybe that is what they were going for.

Yes, there is a slight negative angle on this article but I wanted to shine a light on this for one very important reason. The rules of publishing change almost daily. We cannot chance them down and hope to stay within them due to their flexibility. Where does that leave us?

I have a few suggestions regarding the development of titles for our manuscripts:

• If the title sounds good to you and you like it then go with it.
• Listen to your gut.
• Don't analyze your title to much and wonder if it is catchy or marketable.
• Develop titles that mean something to you. Just like naming a child or a pet the title should be something that reminds you of the work you've done and what the story is about.

These are just a few as I'm sure you could add to this list (I would really enjoy reading them too). I am, by no means, bashing the above listed books; however, I am using them as examples to think about. Would you or are you drawn to any of the books above because of their titles?

I do believe that titles are important and we should develop solid, attention grabbing titles for our books. I also believe that if we listen to our muse, characters and the suggestions above we can succeed in doing that without a great deal of stress and heartache.

Can You Talk Your Way Out of Hell?

Title: The Price
Author: Leon Newton
ISBN: 978-1-936076-40-6
Genre: Christian Play
Pages: 60
Reviewed By: Brian Knight
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Was there a mistake or do you belong in hell?


I lived by my own rules, did things my way but I was a good person. So why am I in hell? This is the millionaire’s question. He died before finding salvation in our Lord and Savior. Now, in hell, he confronts the devil and attempts to talk his way out. As part of his punishment the devil shows him that no mistake was made and he is where he should be. His confusion and questions are similar to many in real life.

The arrogance of the millionaire is amusing to the devil; as are the sins and confessions of the others with him. Arrogance, greed, disbelief and not repenting are all on display in this one act play that vividly depicts the consequences of those actions. Do you see any of these when you look in the mirror?

From the first word, Leon Newton’s passion for the Lord and his drive to honor Him takes center stage. Instantly, you are in the audience watching the finality of the millionaire take shape. With each passing page, it is virtually impossible not to reflect on your own spiritual condition. You will find yourself wanting to make changes in your life.

“The Price” is a beautifully crafted play. The prose are light and quick but deliver a powerful message of love, salvation and consequence. The stark contrast between the setting and the banter among the characters delivers an unexpected impact.

I enjoyed reading “The Price.” I recommend this play to ministries, churches, Christian groups, and individuals in need of a wake-up call. “The Price” proves that plays have a place in the publishing world.

Author Leon Newton’s play displays a wit, charisma and passion very similar to plays written in the past. To learn more about this play-write and author please stop by his site HERE.

You can also purchase 'The Price' for your Kindle HERE.