Let's talk audiobooks.
I know some people have a bias against merely listening to a book, versus doing the work of reading a book, and all told, reading can be a much different experience. A poor reader, or a voice that doesn't quite fit the narrator can make an audiobook harder to get into, and of course, you're exercising a different part of your brain when you listen. But lately audiobooks have been my jam.
I've had to do a lot of driving recently, and when I was walking five miles a day, getting through a few chapters of the book I was listening to was great motivation (actually, after I finish this, I intend to walk my dogs and listen to more of Roxane Gay's new memoir, Hunger).
I've always been a voracious reader, but with adulthood, parenthood, and all kinds of responsibilities, I find my reading time being sucked away until bedtime, where I inevitably fall asleep and have to track back over the last few pages I "read" before passing out. Audio has been a godsend in this regard. I have never been able to read two novels at once. I just can't do it. The narratives and voice get jumbled in my brain and I can't keep up with what is going on in both books and whatever writing project I'm working on.
This problem is somehow eliminated when I "read" an audiobook and a regular book at the same time. I mentioned listening to Roxane Gay reading Hunger on my drives. I got through Sharp Objects just recently, all while reading The Passenger by Lisa Lutz, and now, flying through Danny Gardner's A Negro and an Ofay, a book I've been excited to read for almost a year. It's renewed my love and energy for reading, even as time is short. I find myself eagerly pulling out my phone to read an ebook in a waiting room instead of turning to Facebook or, my favorite time waster, Tetris.
I've always been reticent to judge someone for what they read, how they read, or how much they read. To me, the important thing with reading is that people do it. Stories are important, the work is important. If you want to read Twilight in paperback, or Borges on your iPhone, what do I care? I mean, read my book, and the books I'm featured in. Clearly I care about that. But otherwise? Three cheers for the many ways we can consume great writing.
I keep hearing that audiobooks are the future, the big moneymakers, the thing to cling to in your contracts for rights. Maybe there's something to that. For me, the audiobook doesn't take the place of reading something great, but fills time I'd otherwise "waste" with good books, and fills me with the joy of reading that leads me to my paperbacks and e-books. It's a great way to sample new writers and reinvigorate when reading seems to always be pushed aside for chores and responsibilities. My family is getting used to me listening to books while I make dinner, a time I'd usually reserve for checking social media between stirring what's on the stove or pacing around the kitchen.
As writers we must read. We must read a lot. Audiobooks are providing me a great way to get those books in and motivation to read even more.
Huzzah!
Friday, June 30, 2017
Thursday, June 29, 2017
Author Interview
By Sam Belacqua
I've been known to take part in author interviews, from both sides of the bar. Coming up with questions can be tough. Original. Thoughty. The sort of question that calls for more than a one-sentence response.
I've read horrible, dull interviews. I've read interviews in which it was clear the questioner hadn't read the book. Heck, I've read reviews where the reviewer hadn't read the book. And I've read interviews where it seemed the author hadn't read the book.
Anyhoo, if you're struggling to come up with questions for an author interview, I'm here to help. Whether you're hosting an author podcast or blogging or writing for print, feel free to use these questions below. Most of them were extras that I didn't get the chance to ask, for one reason or another. You're welcome.
I've been known to take part in author interviews, from both sides of the bar. Coming up with questions can be tough. Original. Thoughty. The sort of question that calls for more than a one-sentence response.
I've read horrible, dull interviews. I've read interviews in which it was clear the questioner hadn't read the book. Heck, I've read reviews where the reviewer hadn't read the book. And I've read interviews where it seemed the author hadn't read the book.
Anyhoo, if you're struggling to come up with questions for an author interview, I'm here to help. Whether you're hosting an author podcast or blogging or writing for print, feel free to use these questions below. Most of them were extras that I didn't get the chance to ask, for one reason or another. You're welcome.
***
Your new novel, THE GIRL WITH THE CARETAKER’S DAUGHTER, is
your twentieth in the series. Many authors seem to have run out of ideas after
the seventh or eighth novel in a series, but that doesn’t seem to bother you.
What’s your secret?
A few years ago I remember reading in Variety that one of
your novels had been optioned for a movie, but it seems like nothing ever came
of that. What happened?
Your literary novel, JAMES McGAVIN’S DECAYING MOLARS: A
NOVEL, received 86 positive reviews in various Brooklyn media outlets, but has a 2.0
rating on seven Amazon reviews. How many years did you work for that literary
website in Brooklyn?
I read on someone's post about you that you tend to write in coffee shops. Is an Americano the one with froth or is that a latte?
I noticed that you seem be taking up to seven months between
novels, with only a Kindle single to tide your fans over. What takes so long?
Your website has a songlist for each of your novels. What am
I supposed to do with that? Listen to the songs when I read your book? On
repeat? The playlists are about 30 minutes or so and it takes me a long time to get through your books. So, all the playlists together? Or if I like The White Stripes, then I’m supposed to like your book?
Please advise.
How would you describe your new novel to someone who hasn’t
read it, but needs to ask questions about it?
I subscribed to your Author Newsletter, "Read, Write, and Blue," because you had an
interview in it with Don Winslow one time, and he’s a really great writer. Now your
newsletter is mostly links to buy “swag” for your books and a low res PDF of
your upcoming blog tour. How do I unsubscribe?
What’s the worst reading experience you’ve ever had? Ever
had a reading where no one showed up or maybe some people did, but no one
bought any books? What’s that like?
Your agent, Karen Jenkins, reps some of my favorite authors.
This isn’t part of the interview, but I queried her a few weeks ago with the
first 40 pages a novel I’m working on. Would it be OK if you emailed her about
my writing? Is that called a blurb?
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to This Blog Post
by Holly West
This is one of those weeks where I'm having trouble coming up with something to write about for this blog. That's a good thing, because it means my mental energy is being taken up by more substantial projects. So what I'm really saying is: my gain is your loss. Or something like that.
But something happened last night that was kind of funny. We were watching the season finale of Veep and my former shrink popped up in one of the scenes. I mean "popped up" literally--Selena Meyer's legs were up in stirrups because she was giving birth and suddenly his head popped up from between them. He was playing the delivery doctor. He's a psychiatrist by trade and thus he went to actual medical school, so in this case he's a doctor just playing one on TV.
This is one of those weeks where I'm having trouble coming up with something to write about for this blog. That's a good thing, because it means my mental energy is being taken up by more substantial projects. So what I'm really saying is: my gain is your loss. Or something like that.
But something happened last night that was kind of funny. We were watching the season finale of Veep and my former shrink popped up in one of the scenes. I mean "popped up" literally--Selena Meyer's legs were up in stirrups because she was giving birth and suddenly his head popped up from between them. He was playing the delivery doctor. He's a psychiatrist by trade and thus he went to actual medical school, so in this case he's a doctor just playing one on TV.
Mind you, he's a practicing psychiatrist who I'm pretty sure still sees patients. He also appears on TV news programs a lot to explain different medical issues. Like when Carrie Fisher's death certificate was released he went on TV to talk about the drugs she had in her system and how they might've contributed to her death. One of his career goals was to be a "pop-culture" shrink, and he's been fairly successful. Think Doctor Oz without the quackery.
But it's not like my doctor was "Psychiatrist to the Stars," at least not when I was his patient. He was the UCLA intern who assessed my situation when my primary care physician referred me to a therapist. He was at the end of one part of his training and invited me to stay with him when he went on to the next part of his training.
Wait, why am I telling you all of this?
But it's not like my doctor was "Psychiatrist to the Stars," at least not when I was his patient. He was the UCLA intern who assessed my situation when my primary care physician referred me to a therapist. He was at the end of one part of his training and invited me to stay with him when he went on to the next part of his training.
Wait, why am I telling you all of this?
Anyway, that Veep scene wasn't the first time he just showed up on TV out of nowhere. Years ago when I was his patient, I saw him on a commercial for a bad breath remedy. He played the guy with bad breath who was grossing his dance partner out. Imagine asking your shrink if it's possible you might have seen him in a television commercial for something like "Amazing Breath?" Imagine him saying yes? That's pretty much what happened.
I'm not gonna lie, I started second-guessing our relationship after that.
I'm not gonna lie, I started second-guessing our relationship after that.
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Little Known but So Good: The Late Great Creature
Who as a reader doesn't like coming
across a great novel that's been long neglected? You read it and want to tell
other people about it. The Late Great Creature by Brock Brower
is one of those great little-known novels, a brilliant piece of
work published in 1971. I read it a few years ago, and I've been
mentioning it to friends ever since. I can't even remember now where I
found out about it. I think it was discussed in some piece I was reading
- that's all I recall - and it whet my interest so much that I ordered it used
from the Advanced Book Exchange. It was out of print at the time and had
been for decades.
Part Hollywood novel, part horror story, part intriguing character study,
it's a book not much like anything else I've ever read. It's the fictional
biography of an aging horror movie star named Simon Moro. Simon, who was born
in 1900, apparently in Vienna, was a huge star in the 30's and 40's, playing
such things as a mad pedophile in Fritz Lang's Zeppelin and,
in his American debut, The Moth, also starring Fay Wray. By WWII he
was already in decline, playing Nazis in war movies and the monster in the
ultra low budget Gila Man series. But the central point of the novel is his
last film, a very Roger Corman like production of The Raven, being
made in the late 1960s.
Moro's story is told in three parts. In each part, we get a different narrator - first a cynical journalist, then The Raven's very shallow director, and in the last section, Moro himself. In this last part, it becomes clear what Moro, for his grand finale as an actor, has up his sleeve. Suffice it to say, it is an act that is quite bizarre, and he performs it in the the Manhattan theater where The Raven has its premiere. It is his last determined attempt to deliver a memorable shock to an increasingly unshockable world. What he does is both grotesque and hilarious, a grand final gesture by an over the top personality.
This book is a terrific satire on celebrity culture and an affectionate send-up of the horror genre. Simon Moro is a person who is both comic and appalling, an unforgettable character. He reflects the novel itself, a book both extremely dark and funny.
As I say, the book was long out of print, but Overlook Press brought out a
paperback edition of the novel in 2011, and you can find it now on Amazon,
including as an e-book.
Here's a couple of comments you'll find there, from none other than the likes of Joan Didion and James Ellroy.
"It's a wonderful book . . . like a circus with several brilliant performances going on at the same time . . . a real breaking through. I don't think anybody ever again will be able to dabble politely in mixing 'real life' and fiction." — Joan Didion
"A lost classic is rediscovered, repackaged, and preserved as a feast for a new generation of readers. The Late Great Creature is the history of a horror-film star and a treatise on human frailty and the innate human urge to seek the sublime through the grotesque. Brock Brower created a brilliantly observed and wholly synchronous work of art 40 years ago; now it is back to be savored and marveled at anew." — James Ellroy
Couldn't agree more with both of them.
Monday, June 26, 2017
Tom Pitts and AMERICAN STATIC or Meet Princess Quinn
It’s summer! Time to catch up on that teetering, tower of
TBR. One of the season’s most anticipated new books is finally out.
"I don’t know what’s better, his (Tom Pitts) writing or the story he is telling."
-David Nemeth, Noir Czar, Unlawful Acts
Fans of dark, gritty crime fiction have come to know the
name Tom Pitts. Author of FASTBALL, PIGGYBACK, and HUSTLE he is also
acquisitions editor at Gutter Books and Out of the Gutter Online. He fills his
24-hours. His new novel AMERICAN STATIC hit the streets June 26.
AMERICAN STATIC is a fast-paced crime thriller with a
mystery woven throughout. It plays out against the backdrop of Northern
California’s wine country, Oakland’s mean streets, and San Francisco’s peaks
and alleyways. The perfectly paced story is filled with corrupt cops and death
dealing gangsters.
With a chaotic writer’s schedule and O.J. vs The People
streaming on Netflix Tom Pitts is a busy man, but we wanted to learn more about
his pitch perfect and true to life characters.
To get some insight, Do Some Damage sat down with AMERICAN
STATIC’s lead instigator Quinn and author Tom Pitts. Quinn is a mysterious
stranger on a desperate search for his daughter. When he picks up innocent
protagonist Steven after the latter is beaten and left for dead the two set out
on the ride of their lives.
In hopes of learning more about this fascinating man I
filled my phone notepad with questions. Deep, meaningful questions probing and
delving the depths of his soul and heart. Questions that might lead to a deeper
insight into his demons and angels.
Then my kids were released from school. Summer vacation hit and
my phone has not been the same. They text friends. Search DIY slime recipes.
Listen to Pandora without closing the app, suck the battery and lose all files
in my notepad.
There are some awesome consequences, though. All vocal apps
now address me as Mrs. Snow, Mother of Dragons. I can, in certain circumstance,
speak another language as my girls have changed my texting capability to
Japanese only. Plus, every single app on my phone is princess related.
With that being said and Quinn’s patience already tested I
decided to just do it, dammit. Thank you, Shia.
Ladies and gentlemen please meet Quinn and let’s get ready
to play…
Which Disney Princess Are You?
Quinn: Wait … is
that a real question? ‘Cause I have some thoughts on the subject. Having had a
daughter of my own, the whole princess thing is—
Pitts: Hang on,
wait a second, I don’t mean to interrupt, but this is ridiculous. I get that
trying to do a different spin on things might be fun, but an online Disney
quiz? Aside from it being inappropriate for the subject matter, you’re opening
yourself up to scrutiny from the most litigious organization in the history of
copyright infringement.
Quinn: Eh, not
for nothin’, but you seem a bit uptight, Pitts. Let’s let the little lady have
her fun and play along. Who knows maybe you’ll learn something.
Pitts: She’s not
a little lady, she’s a writer trying to go against the grain of a tired format.
Saying shit like that is patronizing at the very least.
DSD: It’s okay,
Tom. I don’t mind-
Quinn: Tell you
what, I’ll take the quiz, you can sit tight and relax for a minute. There’s a
bottle of Jack in the truck, why don’t you go pour yourself a short one and have
one of my Marlboros.
Pitts: I don’t smoke.
Quinn: Ha! Right!
Maybe you should. Maybe that’s your problem. Look, we all got shit to do today.
I’m startin’ to feel like you’re just being disruptive. I’ll tell you
only once more, sit down.
Pitts: I don’t
like the look you’re giving me.
Quinn: Okay,
Marrietta, I’m sorry. Some people just can’t let go of their own shit long
enough to have a good time. Now … where were we?
DSD: Checking hair in Quinn’s mirrored glasses.
Huh? Oh, yea. Wait. Something with princess. Which princess are you? Here we go.
1. What was your favorite
subject in school?
A. Gym. I was always team
captain
B. History. I loved
learning how romantic things were back in the day.
C. Lunch. Chatting with
my friends was the best part of my day.
D. English. Getting lost
in a book is so dreamy.
E. French. I
couldn’t wait to travel the world.
Quinn: School.
Yeah, right. I think you gotta get your education outside of the four walls,
you know? Question authority, and all that? Fuck school.
2. How
long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
A. Fifteen minutes. Tops.
I like the natural yet pulled-together look.
B. Five minutes. Messy
hair? Don’t care. Hello messy pony.
C. Depends. I love to try
new things. Ask my mood?
D. Thirty minutes. That
is just my hair.
E. An hour.
Perfection doesn’t happen by accident.
Quinn: Fifteen
minutes. This perfection actually did happen by accident. Back in the joint, it
was up at 5:45 and in the chow line by 6. If you didn’t make it by 6, it was
white toast with no butter for you. Now that I’m out freewheeling, I guess I
could do what I like in the morning. Take my time, read the paper, jerk off,
whatever. But, you know, old habits die hard.
Flashes perfect pearly whites.
DSD: No time for
proper nutrition? Shame. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
3. When
it’s a chill day, what is your fav activity?
A. Curl up with a good
book. No shame in re-reading my favorites.
B. Hang with my besties.
C. Hit the mall.
Hopefully run into my secret crush.
D. Sports. If I’m not
running, skating, swimming or biking I’m practicing.
E. Spa day!!!
Quinn: Behind the
wheel, all day, no stopping. One straight fucking beeline to the border, baby.
DSD: Sounds like
someone is a fan of the gorgeous open-air markets in Rosarita. Is it the
glassware or the hand-wovens?
4. How
would you ask your secret crush on a date?
A. Just ask. Duh.
B. Stick a cute note on
their car or mailbox.
C. Pop the question
during half-time!!!
D. Plan a fun scavenger
hunt.
E. Chill. Send a
text. NBD.
Quinn: Me? I have
to ask? I don’t know if you noticed that waitress looking at me, but she is.
Chicks dig me, what can I say. Usually they’re the ones asking me out.
DSD: Notes waitress’ expression also resembles
“bad burrito face.” Absolutely. I can see that. Let’s move on.
5. You’re
having a sleepover with your besties. What will you and your posse probably do
all night long?
A. Video games.
B. An epic game of truth
or dare.
C. Mani/pedis, of course.
D. Stalk your secret
crush on social media.
E. Watch our fav
tearjerker.
Quinn: Besties?
What the hell is that? Like a cellie? If we’re locked down, I don’t want
someone crawling the walls. They better lay still and entertain themselves. You
think I need a weapon to shut someone up? Hell no. All I need is these two
hands.
DSD: Aha. So, you
like arts and crafts? Are you a modeling clay type or do you like to work with
wood?
6. What
is your go to flirting move?
A. A subtle hair flip is
perfect.
B. Being super, duper
nice. Make them cookies!!!!
C. Show off.
D. Ramble on and on until
we find something in common.
E. Play it cool.
Act like I could care less.
Quinn: My smile,
it’s all I need. I’ve been told many times I got movie start good-looks. Hell,
I flash this grin at you and before you know it, I’m at your kitchen table and
you’re telling me your deepest darkest secrets. Lifts chin. Smiles.
DSD: As long as
you brought the doughnuts. Stares at
phone.
7. Your
bestie is super stressed they will never have a date. What do you suggest?
A. The Gym. People who go
to the gym are dedicated and totally hot.
B. Church. It’s where all
the decent people go.
C. You can find love
anywhere. Just be open to it.
D. Hang out after work.
Friends of friends.
E. Love yourself
first and love will find you.
Quinn: Toughen
up, kid. We ain’t all cut out for a life full of love.
8. Describe
your fashion style.
A. Sporty.
B. Flirty.
C. Classic.
D. Trendy.
Quinn: You
kidding? Class-sick. Shit.
DSD: Regular
Robert Redford.
9. Describe
your perfect crush.
A. Popular and charming.
So many people can’t be wrong.
B. Captain of the
football team. Go team!!!
C. Tough on the outside,
sweet and sensitive on the inside.
D. Mysterious.
Misunderstood.
E. I have a crush
on everyone.
Quinn: I’m not
sure I understand this question. What’re you trying to say? Are you accusing me
of something?
Pitts: Whoa, hang
on. Don’t get excited. It’s just one of those online quizzes for fun.
Quinn: For fun?
Online? Who else is reading this? I thought it was just us three, you know,
having a good time. What the fuck, Miles? Who asked you to do this? You with
somebody? You know Ricardo? Don’t lie, I’m not always this nice. If I find out
you’re fucking with me, shit ain’t gonna end pretty.
DSD: I don’t know
a Ricardo. I know a Weddle. Let me just get your score.
RAPUNZEL
You are funny and gregarious, people say you have a great
sense of humor and that you always keep them smiling and in stitches. You are
constantly on the lookout for adventures and excitement. You will never settle
down.
Perfect.
Sunday, June 25, 2017
Marking a New Release
By Claire Booth
The launch of my next novel is
only two weeks away and I’m getting all kinds of ways ready to let people know
about it. One of these is the time-honored tradition of author swag. I’m not
one who does a wide array of things in this regard, but I do spend a lot of
time on my bookmarks.
The design I wanted to use wouldn’t
have worked without great cover art. I wanted to preserve the detail and
fantastic colors. So instead of reducing the cover to a small rectangle and
putting it on a small spot in the front, I kept it close to the original scale
and sliced it.
For both books, the choice of
which slice to use was obvious. For the first, it was the sinking showboat in
all its listing, smokestacked glory. And for the second, it was the solitary
figure standing in the middle of the shadowy woods armed only with a
flashlight. (He might have a gun ... you'll have to read the book to know for sure.)
![]() |
The inspiration for this comes from fellow author Susan Spann, who’s been “slicing” her cover art into bookmarks for a while and graciously gave me pointers. |
So I got rid of the title wording
and then turned it over to a wonderful friend of mine who also happens to be a
fantastic graphic designer. She chose arranged where the text would go and how it would look, and designed the back.
They came in the mail from the printer on Friday, and
I love them. And if you’re anywhere near me in the next couple of months, I’ll
give you one!
Saturday, June 24, 2017
Reading for Pleasure vs for Research
By
Scott D. Parker
How many of y’all writers out there read for research?
Now, I’m not talking about actual research, where you scour
the internet or books to make sure you have your facts correct for a historical
piece or to verify which bullets go into the gun your hero carries for a
thriller. I’m talking about reading other fiction books with a writer’s mind
involved.
For awhile now, I’ve read hard copies with a pencil in my
hand and I will mark up the book as I go along. I circle various passages or
great turns of phrase. This is especially true when I read westerns because I
gather a growing list of “western words” that I can deploy in my own writing.
But I also study how books are constructed. How many
chapters? How many sub-chapters? How many pages/words per chapter? How many
pages over all? How many total words? A few years ago, I broke down the first
100 pages of THE DA VINCI CODE to figure out why it’s such a page-turner. It’s
really not rocket science.
As fine as this practice is, it can also lead to reading
*only* for research. For example, I’m in western-writing mode in 2017. That’s
what I’m reading (mostly) and writing. Thus, the desire to read only westerns
is quite strong. But other books are pulling at my attention. I selected the
new Donald Westlake novel, FOREVER AND A DEATH, for my book club so I’m reading
it. BEACH LAWYER by Avery Duff is also on my Kindle. The oddball is a book by
Jim Beard written in the G.I. Joe Adventure Team Kindle Worlds Universe,
MYSTERY OF THE SUNKEN TOMB. A fellow book club member recommended it to me. I’ve
read a bit and it pretty darn good.
Which reminded me of the reason I (and all of us) read in the
first place: for pleasure. A good story told well is a great pleasure to
experience. So I’ve put my pencil down for a bit and engage in some pure summer
reading for no other purpose than to enjoy myself.
Y’all ever run up against the conundrum of reading for
pleasure vs. research?
Friday, June 23, 2017
Crime DOES Pay (For awhile)
A real life jewelry heist story...
Most heist stories focus on what goes wrong - whether it's during or after the robbery. A well-executed robbery where everything goes to plan and the thieves escape doesn't make for great story telling. Or does it?
Surely when a real life criminal decides to rob a jewelry store or start fencing stolen goods, they think they're going to live the high life. Who would submit themselves to so much risk if the payoff was continuing to live a normal, boring life with a shit job? Marvin Lewis figured it out.
I mean, he got caught. We wouldn't know the story if he didn't. But before he did, he bought the cars, the luxury watches, the clothes. He inserted himself in Oscar and Emmy parties and documented his moneyed life on Instagram. He got another guy to keep robbing stores while he partied it up.
Usually, the only thieves who get to drive $200,000 dollar cars and hang with celebrities work for banks (badum-tss), but Marvin got his, at least for a little while.
The moral of the story is always supposed to be "crime doesn't pay" and while Marvin defended himself by claiming he'd always been rich, despite not wanting to discuss where his money came from in court, he's facing 57 years in prison. Hope the parties were worth it - and that a great director gets the rights.
Most heist stories focus on what goes wrong - whether it's during or after the robbery. A well-executed robbery where everything goes to plan and the thieves escape doesn't make for great story telling. Or does it?
Surely when a real life criminal decides to rob a jewelry store or start fencing stolen goods, they think they're going to live the high life. Who would submit themselves to so much risk if the payoff was continuing to live a normal, boring life with a shit job? Marvin Lewis figured it out.
I mean, he got caught. We wouldn't know the story if he didn't. But before he did, he bought the cars, the luxury watches, the clothes. He inserted himself in Oscar and Emmy parties and documented his moneyed life on Instagram. He got another guy to keep robbing stores while he partied it up.
Usually, the only thieves who get to drive $200,000 dollar cars and hang with celebrities work for banks (badum-tss), but Marvin got his, at least for a little while.
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His most heinous crime? "Loving" Ed Sheeran. |
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
First Readers and Sensitivity
Most writers have a "first" reader or readers, sometimes called beta readers, ideal readers. They are trusted voices who "get" what we do, who catch the rough spots we can miss because we're so close to the work, among other things. For some it's an editor or agent.
We research our books. Some crime writer go on a ride-along, take FBI courses, or visit areas they want to write about, to get the little details that make verisimilitude in the story and hold the readers' suspension of disbelief, because after all, if it's fiction, they know it didn't really happen. It's our job to make it feel like it did, or bring it to life in the readers' minds. One of your first readers might be in law enforcement, if you are writing about police. They might be someone who spent time in prison, if you are writing a prison novel. Someone who lives in Alaska, if you are writing a book set there, and only had the time and funds to research it online or by reading. Someone who has lived a life similar to your character.
Which brings up what some are calling "sensitivity readers." It's a first reader who has lived a life similar to your character. But not in their profession, or in their home country or state, but their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation. And a lot of writers chafe at this idea. Some of it is the name itself. What, you sayin' I lack sensitivity? (Imagine that said in my thickest of Jersey accents).
Writers work in empathy, in the original sense. The vicarious experience of another's emotion, through our imagination. And the idea that we'd fail at this strikes at the heart of what we do. Part of what we do is create imaginary people, and they are very personal to us. And the idea that we lack "sensitivity!" That's our bread and butter! We observe, we feel, we create in response to those observations and emotions!
Yes, but we do it through a lens. We don't actually walk in another's shoes, much less their skin. And as hard as we try to shed the beliefs and prejudices we were raised with, there are experiences we can only know second hand. Sometimes we feel like we know these experiences because we've read about them, watched them on TV, and have close friends who have lived it. But that's a lens in front of a lens. Which can be doubly distorted.
A writer I greatly respect responds to this with, "but your 'sensitivity reader' is only one person. Their experience doesn't speak for everyone of their background." And that is true, but their lens is different than ours. Personally, I think this chafing comes from fear. Not at being called a racist, but of finding a cataract in our empathic lens, a blind spot. To me, that's an opportunity for improvement. To learn something about life I can never experience firsthand. And that's why I read.
And I will admit my hypocrisy. One of my more popular characters is Denny the Dent, a hulking African-American man with a birth injury that makes people assume he is developmentally challenged. I have never used a first reader for any of those stories. They've gone directly to editors. Because Denny is based on me. Once I filled out, and my terrible striking defense gave me a pugilist's nose, I noticed that people were intimidated by me. When I went on my nightly walks, lost in my daydream writing world, people would cross the street. When I'm distracted by writing thoughts, I get what my wife calls my "murder face."
So I amplified what I felt, when writing Denny. He's a very sympathetic character. Like his pit bull Remy, he just wanted to be friendly, but the world was cruel. And now he hides inside himself, until he sees a cruelty inflicted upon another that he cannot abide.
That doesn't mean I got everything right. Denny grew up in Newark. I've worked there for decades, but I don't know what growing up in his ward was like. I've read articles by people who grew up in the Terrace projects, and talked to people who have. For a few short stories that may have been enough, but when I write the Denny the Dent novel, a lifetime Newarker like Denny will be one of my first readers. Because I want to get it right. Another lens, when positioned correctly, can let us see the stars. And that's what the right first reader can do.
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