Title Mostly Chosen

So, I gave my editor a long list of possible titles, including the ones you folks came up with and she picked--Petronella Saves Nearly Everyone, or Petronella Saves Everyone. We're trying to see if the longer title will fit on the cover. Thanks for all your good ideas and your efforts. If you want, we could get together for lunch sometime and I'll buy dessert.

No Advance? Retreat!

So what's everyone's opinion on "royalties only" contracts? My sister signed one to do illustrations for a book, slaved for hours creating beautiful paintings, and only earned $100.

Of course she did get in print. She can now put that on her bio.

But what about for us authors? What if it is a respectable, reputable publishing house and not just a vanity press, and they offer you a "royalties only" contract? Is it an automatic "no way?"

Hey Everyone! Link to your Website or Blog!

I know lots of you have your own blog, more of you than have linked your blog to your name on the roll call.

If you click on the little tool icon at the bottom right corner of the Writer Roll Call thing on the side bar you can create a link to your website or blog. You have to "add new list item," type in your name, and click the little green link button by the field. Then a window will pop up asking you what web address you want to link to. Type in your blog or website address, save it, and your linked name will be added to the top of the list! After you've done this, you may go ahead and delete the old, boring, un-linked version of your name on the list.

Tor is offering free book downloads right now

Go to the Tor web site and see over 20 of their most popular books available for free download plus some of their most famous cover art.
http://tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=577

Passivity

I've realized that I have a problem. I have a tendency to get so caught up in the fun I'm having creating secondary characters, that I end up with a passive main character, even if that main character has some interesting traits about them. Does anyone have any suggestions about how to fix that?

To Join or Not to Join?

So what's everyone's opinion on joining SCBWI? Is that $75 worth it? Do we have any members here? Testimonials? Opinions?

Creating A Good Book - Creating A Good Writer

WIFYR brought about a major phase shift in my thinking. For so long I had focused on creating the one perfect book. I thought if I just kept at it long enough, I would get it right. It would be great. It would be publishable.

What I didn't see was that I needed to make myself into a writer. New concept! Instead of struggling and straining over the same tired old idea for years and years, I could toss off a new book in six months or less. So what if it wasn't perfect? I would write another one, and another one! I wouldn't just be writing, I would be creating a writer.

I used to sneer at books that weren't perfectly thought out, that had discrepancies, characters that didn't work, or silly bits that I felt should have been omitted. Okay, I still do, but now I feel more generous towards writers. You have to try a lot of things, and not everything you try will work. I shouldn't sneer at people for trying!

And, once I've created a good writer in myself, then hopefully I can find the good in what I write, preserve it and polish it gently, and make with it a good book.