The Problem with Getting New Books...

So, with Christmas past us and a new year coming, I have a slight problem. I got three new books for Christmas* and I'm trying to fit them on my bookshelf.

The problem is that all of my books are different heights and different lengths so it looks like short book, tall book, short book, tall book and there are books that stick out and books that I can hardly see. (You could just picture the buildings in a city if you like.)

I think books should have a standard height and a standard length so they all look nice and neat on my bookshelf. But this could just be my OCD typing right now... What do you think?

Standard book sizes would also make it much easier to build bookcases, and presses (or whatever machinery they use to make books... hmm, how do they make books? To Google!)

Anyways, my rant is over. My OCD wants standard book sizes.

*The Radioactive Boy Scout by Ken Silverstein, Still Me by Christopher Reeve, and My Inventions by Nikola Tesla

(Original Post on December 30, 2011 at http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers106 )

Book Review: The Scarlet Letter

Alright, I'll admit that when I began The Scarlet Letter, I hated it. The language is a bit old and it's a lot to take in at once. It is a hard book to read, especially since Hawthorne thought it was perfectly acceptable to have paragraphs that were over 2 pages long (because it is very, very far from acceptable!).

On the surface, the novel explores the concept of sin in Puritan society, but it does so much more than that. Hawthorne wrote the novel to explore the concepts of love, hate, sin, pain, regret, redemption and revenge (to name a few) and he does it very well. Don't get me wrong, Hawthorne was a psychiatric genius, but the psychiatry in the novel feels extremely overdone, which takes away from the (very little*) plot that does take place.

However, Hawthorne does redeem himself in the final chapter when it is revealed what his biggest purpose for writing The Scarlet Letter was. [Read the spoiler at the bottom of the page if you wish.] All in all, the novel wasn't really something I enjoyed as a story, but I did somewhat enjoy the points Hawthorne was trying to examine and how he did so.

*I say very little because, to me, it felt like most of the novel was repeated descriptions.

 <Begin Spoiler>Hawthorne's real purpose was to examine the concept that love and hate are in essence the same. Both require another person, either the object of love or the object of hate, and when that person dies there is no longer a reason for love or hate.</End Spoiler>

(Original Post on December 30, 2011 at http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers105 )

The Power of Simplicity

Writers use a lot of big things to get points across. They use imagery, personification, metaphors, symbolism, etc, but what about the tiny little things that you may or may not look right past. They lurk, hidden in plain sight on the page of a book.

No

Many writers and poets vary sentence length in order to affect our emotions, but what if you don't even need a sentence to destroy someone? What if you only needed a single word? There is one word that has the ability to crush all of your hopes and dreams in the blink of an eye.

Hypothetical Situation #1: You have been dating a girl for a few years and you're ready to take the next step. You take her out to a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant. You walk her to the car and stop in the middle of the sidewalk to 'tie your shoe'. You pull out a ring and say, "Will you marry me?".

Now, there are many possible answers to this question. She could say, "Yes!" and jump up and down screaming, but that's the response everyone wants. There are many more negative responses, however. She could say, "I need to think about it." which is a pretty good sign that she isn't ready for commitment. She could say, "I don't love you." which is extremely heart-breaking and enough to drive anyone insane. But the most terrifying and horrific response to that question would be a very simple "No."

That "No." launches a rock down your throat. It starts your stomach churning and it makes your head ache. When you walk away from her you're left with a thousand questions: Why did she say no?; Did she ever love me?; Will I ever find love? That simple "No." will drive you mad and leave you in a heightened state of anxiety and depression.

Hypothetical Situation #2: You just so happen to be named 'Clark Kent' and you're on your knees with your cape and suit shredded watching Darkseid holding an innocent bystander by the shirt collar. You stare into the innocent person's eyes and see the fear and pain. You stare into the empty eyes of Darkseid and feel lost. You attempt one last act of heroism and say, "Kill me instead."

Now, obviously you're hoping that Darkseid says, "Of course.", gives a maniacal smile and rips your head off before you squeeze out another thought, but that's a pretty uneffective way to captivate an audience. From a writing standpoint, it's much more effective to have Darkseid squeeze out a simple, "No."

That "No." puts your heart in your throat and rips your eyes out of your head.

The Ultimate End.

This leads to another aspect of writing that can crush hopes and dreams. I call it 'the ultimate end', but you probably call it a period. Using a question mark to end a sentence shows uncertainty. Using an exclamation point shows emotion. But using a period can do so much more. If done right, a simple period can show certainty and emotion. It can highlight the darkest of thoughts or the brightest of images. It can scratch a sentence onto the back of your eyelids and stay with you months after you've finished the book.

Lets use some of my writing as an example.

Example #1: "In a hesitant manner, you raise your flashlight to peer above you. You see a silhouette, soon realizing that it is your friend, impaled on a tree branch, ten feet up. Behind you, you hear the shriek!"

The orange exclamation point leaves a shrieking sound throughout your mind and it sticks with you. Changing it to a period would give you an overwhelming sense of hopelessness. Both are very effective ways to get the point across. This just goes to show you how punctuation can change the meaning of a sentence.

Example #2: "In what seemed like hours but was merely a few seconds, you quickly turn around and see two round objects. They are black with a silver glow. In one instant they are there, and then they disappear and return. Eyes!"

That orange exclamation point sparks fear and wonder in your heart. It sends adrenaline through your body. However, changing that exclamation point to a period would do far more to your emotions. It would make you wonder, but it wouldn't be a fearful wonder, it would be an anxious wonder. Anxiety, I believe, is far more powerful than fear. The period also creates that sense of hopelessness. You feel doomed and anxious and you're just about ready to give up all hope.

.

So next time you've written the perfect paragraph and you're practically manipulated your own emotions, but don't know what to say next, say as little as possible. The little, simple things often have the most impact.

(Original Post on December 27, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers104 )

The Unreviewable Book: Looking For Alaska

I finished Looking for Alaska by John Green. I've been sitting here for half an hour trying to figure out where to start my book review. My conclusion... it's impossible to review this book. You just have to take my word for it, this book is absolutely amazing and you have to read it.

No book (movie or tv show) has ever pulled out my emotions and made me so vulnerable as Looking For Alaska did. It's amazing!

Go here and buy it: http://www.amazon.com/Looking-Alaska-John-Green/dp/0142402516/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322437199&sr=1-1


Or go support your local library and check out a copy!

(Original Post on November 27, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers103 )

The Great Gatsby (A True Classic)

Finally I've been given a so-called 'classic' novel that I truly enjoyed. Up until now I've believed that classics were only classics because they were great for the audience and time period they were written in, but The Great Gatsby has shown me something more.


Synopsis:

The novel is told from the point of view of Nick Carraway, a simplistic and seemingly unimportant character, and it follows the lives of seven adults: Nick, Daisy, Gatsby, Tom, Myrtle, George and Jordan. The main plot to the novel is the love story between Gatsby and Daisy. Gatsby went off to war and Daisy eventually married Tom instead of him. In an effort to win Daisy's love, Gatsby invents himself around the persona of a rich and well-liked man. Gatsby moved into a giant house across the bay from Daisy's house and waited for her for 5 years. Finally, when Nick, Daisy's cousin, moved in next door to Gatsby, Gatsby had a chance to finally reunite with Daisy. When Nick invites Daisy over for Tea and Gatsby shows up the novel explodes with drama and emotion.

Why is it a True Classic?

I'm going to call The Great Gatsby a 'true classic'. Why is that, you might ask? The novel sets itself apart from all of the other 'classics' I've read for many reasons.

All throughout the novel are themes of love, materialism and greed. Fitzgerald (the author) did an excellent job capturing the image of society during the 1920s. Each character represents the different types of people found in the era: Myrtle, Tom, Daisy and Jordan represent the many personalities of rich people during the era, while Nick represents a sort of middle-class and George represents the poor. Above all, Gatsby represents a group of people who believed that nothing mattered after the war, a 'lost generation'.

Gatsby spent 5 years holding onto Daisy only to lose her, and himself. George lost his wife, Myrtle, and killed himself. Nick lost Jordan. Conversely, Tom ran away with Daisy.

The novel ends with Nick alone in the world, no family, no friends. Nick, who seemed unimportant throughout the novel, end sup being the most important character. Nick represents the true 'lost generation' of the 1920s.

Symbolism:

To further explore the concept of the 'lost generation', Fitzgerald continually refers to the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleberg, which are on a billboard. The eyes are described as old a fading. The rest of Eckleberg's face is gone and the eyes are slowly fading with it. The billboard stands tall over the road and stares at you as you drive by. The eyes represent God. The fact that they have faded away represents the lack of faith and loss of hope in the 'lost generation'.

(Original Post on November 13, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers102 )

Dreams in Literature

Dreams are used throughout literature in many different genres, but why use dreams? What purpose do they serve? How do they enhance a novel? In my opinion there are two types of dreams: realistic dreams and nonsense dreams.

Realistic Dreams:

Sometimes you can't even tell the character is dreaming until they wake up. Perhaps a new chapter started right off with a dream. To pull off a realistic dream, the dream needs to consist of events that fit into the novel. You can't have the protagonist slaying a dragon if they work at a coffee shop (although, that could make a good story). You also have to ensure that any characters in the dream are acting as they normally would. You can't have a business man start talking in slang.

Nonsense Dreams:

A nonsense dream is just what you think it is. Nonsense dreams are quite clearly dreams and make no sense at all.

Now we know the two types of dreams, but why do we use them?

Foreshadowing:

The most common use of a dream in literature is to foreshadow future events. You do need to be careful though. If your character straight out saves the world in their dream and then saves the world at the end of the novel, your reader isn't going to be very happy. I personally use dreams to foreshadow events, but I disguise my foreshadowing with riddles, usually in a nightmare. I use a series of random events and symbolism in nightmares to disguise what is going to happen later on. This leaves the reader wondering and then shocks them once they finish the novel. If you write a series, you can foreshadow the next book in your current book, but that's a bit risky because it leaves part of the novel open ended.

Wishes:

Dreams can also be used to show what a character wants. Maybe they dream about a job promotion or about a family member that passed away. Sometimes these dreams can also be used as foreshadowing.

Flashbacks:

Dreams are a very good way to reveal back story in a novel. Rather than beginning a novel with a back story that might not draw in the reader, you can begin the novel with something exciting and reveal the back story in a dream later on.

Emotions:

Lastly, a dream can be used to express strong emotions. This can be a very affective strategy if your protagonist likes to hold their emotions in. You can show the reader what they are feeling without messing with the protagonist's character.

No matter how you use your dreams, or what type you use, make sure it fits with the novel. You might not want to put a nonsense dream in a very serious novel, or you might not want to put a realistic dream in a very light-hearted novel. But, then again, you may want to do the opposite of that. Perhaps a nonsense dream works perfectly in your serious novel. Above all, make sure your dreams don't pull away from the actually purpose of the novel.

(Original Post on November 6, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers101 )

Shooting Stars

I wish upon the shooting stars
to swoop down and tame your
nightmares, make them mine, not ours.

I wish upon the shooting stars
to bring the snow so we
can share the moment for hours.

I wish upon the shooting stars
bring our neighbor home from
space, so I can give you Mars.

I wish upon the shooting stars
to make this go on forever
so we can keep chasing cars.

I wish upon the shooting stars
to bring your heart home so
your smile can intoxicate for hours.

I wish upon the shooting stars
that we may make snow angels
in the bed that is ours.
------------------------------------------
Written on November 2, 2011 by B.S. Meyers

(Original Post on November 2, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers100 )

Snow Flowers

On that day when Hope, Faith and Sanity died,
the world iced over, bitter and cold, and last
snow fell upon Earth's fire, warm and steaming, taken
away was Mother Nature's bliss and gone so fast.

On that day when Hope, Faith and Sanity died,
two hearts mourned for a time unknown, and all
snow left ash behind, waiting for fires to awaken.
Hearts waited for Nature's move, the end of Fall.

On that day when Hope, Faith and Sanity died,
Love left the heart and became a name, those
snow flowers sprouted in heart and home, and shaken
by fictitious loss, Hope became new life; a Rose.
------------------------------------------
Written on October 30, 2011 by B.S. Meyers

(Original Post on October 30, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers99 )

If Love Had a Name...

Sometimes I wonder what would happen if everything died.
If it was all black clouds and no silver linings.
If family and friends were a joke and faith had lied.
Today I wonder no more and these are my findings.

Sometimes I wonder what would happen if everything died.
If the sun stopped shining and the world cracked open.
If sanity went crazy and everyones demons cried.
Today Hope went home because it couldn't keep on hopin'.

Sometimes I wonder what would happen if everything died.
If Earth started bleeding, when it rains it pours.
If Humanity turned to dust and words were personified.
Today, and all days, if love had a name it would be Yours.
---------------------------------------------
Written on October 22, 2011 by B.S. Meyers

(Original Post on October 22, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers98 )

Book Review: Huckleberry Finn

Huck Finn is a story of friendship, of overcoming adversity and of doing what your heart tells you, rather than what society says is the right thing to do. Huck and Jim are faced with many obstacles that they need to overcome, but some of those obstacles feel unrelated to the novel.

The entire situation with the con artists that call themselves The King and The Duke is a giant symbol of the darker parts of human nature: greed, deceit, etc. At the end of the part of the novel dealing with them, the situation does tie into the rest of the plot, but up until that point you don't quite understand why things are happening. After that point you just feel like the whole thing was a waste of time.

If diction was a genre, Mark Twain would be the father of that genre. Twain writes dialogue in so many different accents that I can't help but commend his talent. However, I believe that, while those accents are great for characterization, they take away from what the novel could be.

I believe the plot could have had much more potential if Twain spent more time with it than he did on diction. The characters are extremely believable, but some of the plot feels like rubbish. For a novel to be good it has to have both a solid plot and believable characters. I think Twain needed to find a bit of a middle-ground.

That being said, Huck Finn is one of the better classic novels that I have read.

(I'll spare you my rant about censoring literature, but if you'd like to read it go here: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers96 )

(Original Post on October 11, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers97 )

Censoring Literature

This seems to be a big topic currently. The question is whether or not books should be censored because of the language the author chose to use. Let's take a closer look:

I have been reading the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain for a few weeks now and my teacher brought up the fact that it does incorporate certain words that many people find offensive. Does this mean we shouldn't be reading it? The "N-word" is a very racial term in our modern society, but in the time period that Twain wrote the novel, it was used in every day life.

It has been proposed that the word be replaced with "slave" and that the novel be reprinted with the replacement. Now, I'm sure if Twain was alive today, he would argue that this goes against his freedom of speech, but does it make the novel less than what it was meant to be if it is censored?

I believe it does. I'm not an advocate of the word and I am in no way a racist, but I firmly believe in a writer's freedom of speech. I also think the word is very important in the context of the novel. It reflects the time period of the story, as well as the society that Twain was writing about. If we censor the "N-word" and replace it with "slave", what's to stop us from censoring the word "ass" and replacing it with "donkey"? Not only does that go against a writer's freedom of speech, it also doesn't have the same meaning as the original word. "Slave" does not translate to the "N-word".

It's only my personal opinion, but if we censor literature, not only are we defying our natural human rights, we're messing with the true meanings of the novels. What are your thoughts?

(Original Post on September 29, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers96 )

9-11-2001

We Will Always Remember.

Book Review: Last Night

Richard Allen is another of my favorite tweeters and I've just read his short story "Last Night". Here's what I thought of it.

The story begins with an unnamed narrator, a writer, working in his uncle's restaurant. Working along side him is Roger. Roger is an unlikely football jock who has always been nice to the narrator for whatever reason. The narrator tells us about Roger's tragic story of getting injured and being unable to play football again.

The story continues with a conversation between the two about what you would do if you couldn't do what you love anymore and it ends with chills running down your spine!

Richard's writing style is very appealing to me. It's very detailed, yet simple, and has little focus on dialogue in the beginning, which usually turns me off, but the dialogue in the end and the narrator's thoughts make up for that. The story is so realistic that you almost wonder if it's a part a Richard's life.

I recommend that you all go pick up a FREE copy of "Last Night" on Smashwords! (Yes, it's free!) After that you can check out Richard Allen's Blog, his Facebook Fan Page and his Twitter!

(Original Post on September 10, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers93 )

Book Review: Red Rain

Aubrey Hansen is one of my favorite tweeters and she's just released her first novella! I had the honor of reading a pre-release copy and here's what I've got to say about it:

The short response: I love it!

The long response: From the very first line I was hooked. The story takes place in a futuristic dystopian society on Earth where Christians are looked down upon and kept in disturbing Christian-Camps. The father of our protagonist, Philadelphia, is summoned to Mars to work on a scientific project, but Philadelphia had no idea she was going with him. After hunting for her dead brother's possessions she stumbles into a hallway that doesn't exist and learns of a secret operation that leads to her ultimate decision: return to Earth or destroy it.


Throughout the story there is a "Big-Brother" feeling lurking, much like George Orwell's 1984 and that definitely plants some anxiety in your brain. There are many memorable lines a descriptions, but I'll let you read them for yourself. Aubrey's writing style is very good at pulling you in and keeping you hooked, and it is never lacking emotion. Aubrey has built a wonderful futuristic society and an even better story to go with it. Philadelphia is faced with discrimination because of her faith and I believe anyone can feel sympathy for her plight, even if you, yourself are not a Christian. I would recommend this novella to anyone looking for a good read!

Please visit the book page for Red Rain here: Book Page where you can watch a trailer for the novella, download illustrated bookmarks and order your own copy! Don't forget to check out Aubrey Hansen's blog while you're there. She's also got a Facebook Fan Page and she's on Twitter!

(Original Post on September 8, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers94 )

Female Heroes

After reading an article speculating how Star Wars would have panned out with Luke and Leia switching positions (Here) and conversing with author SM Reine about it, we came to the conclusion that there really aren't that many females in literature or movies that follow the cycle of a hero.

You've got Harry Potter, Frodo and Luke Skywalker saving the world/galaxy and all, but then you've got Hermione, Arwen and Leia in the background. They're helping out, but they aren't single handedly saving everything.

Think of all the movies you've seen come out this year...Did any of them have female leads that were women? Green Lantern...Transformers...Captain America... Granted, those are all based on comic books, but where is Wonder Woman's movie? What about Ms. Marvel? The only movies I can think of (from any year) with female leads are Tomb Raider and Resident Evil, but those aren't legendary like the big three up there.

What are your thoughts?

(Original Post on September 1, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers92 )

Book Review: Seabiscuit, An American Legend

I'm going to go ahead and assume that most of you aren't fans of horse-racing, so trust me, I was skeptical too. When I opened up to the first page of the novel I was ready for a ton of description and waiting for the dialogue. I turned the page. The closest thing to dialogue in the whole novel was two lines long, but they both had the same speaker. I didn't like that, but then again, the novel is non-fiction.

The first three chapters or so were horrendous. Okay, you own cars and make more money than me... alright, you train horses... cool. Those were my thoughts. Hillenbrand first grabbed my attention by explaining all of the crazy things Jockeys did to stay in shape. Then my interest kind of went downhill. The story itself, in my opinion, was quite dull. However, Hillenbrand's writing made it worth while. Her ability to paint images in your head and force emotions upon you is quite amazing.

I couldn't care less about horse-racing, but Hillenbrand made Seabiscuit feel like a human being. After up and down and up and down in Seabiscuit's career I found myself wanting Seabiscuit to be cut a break. I'll let you find out what happens though :)

I believe the shining moment in Hillenbrand's writing was this paragraph: “The bell rang in Pollard's ears, and he felt Seabiscuit drop and push beneath him, hammering the track and powering forward. There was the rushing sound of seventy-five thousand voices and the tumbling motion of horses and the flight of wind and dirt and the airy unreal feeling of mass and gravity slipping away.” The emotions are rushing and you can feel yourself on the back of the horse. I loved it.

Though a skeptic at first, I now realize that Seabiscuit is more than a tale about a race-horse, it's a legendary tale about hope and perseverance. I'm glad I read it, but I will never read it again. If you don't like horse-racing you should still read it, but hang tight because the beginning of the story is going to be rough for you.

(Originally Written on August 31, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers91 )

Nature's Lament

With the water's edge, mother nature is receding.
The world, once covered in life, struck by man.
Spiraling in to darkness, the trees are bleeding,
and mourning their brothers, who couldn't have ran.

Trees fall in the forest, leaving no sound,
with no one to hear them, almost like they're dreaming.
Their roots whither and the fires burn all around.
They have no voices, but they will continue screaming!

And at the end of all the world's time,
the eldest tree will stand tall and gaze upon
the barren land, leaves falling, blending with nature's rhyme.
The eldest tree will plant a seed, and the world will go on.

-----------------------------------------
Written on August 22, 2011 by B.S. Meyers

(Original Post on August 22, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers90 )

Continuum

I've learned a lot about myself over the past two and a half years of writing. I've learned that my writing reminds people of Douglas Adams and of J.R.R. Tolkien. I've learned that I know how to write. Most importantly, I've learned that I can write a book!

After much thought and discussion, I've determined that my first novel, The Greatest Story Never Told, wasn't accomplishing my goals the way I wanted to accomplish them. That being said I've decided that my new course of action is to write (what was planned to be) my second series. Fortunately, it will be very easy to salvage some concepts, plot ideas and characters from my first novel and incorporate them into my new series.

Many writers would be disappointed and possibly discouraged after spending two and a half years writing a novel, only to discover that it wasn't working, but I look at it this way: I spent two and a half years developing characters, plots and a Universe. More importantly, I spent two and a half years developing my writing skills and my writing style. I'm ready to take on this new project and I'm extremely excited to write it.

Although this decision sets me back quite a bit it will be better for me in the long run. My journey will continue and I hope that you will continue to follow me on that journey. I'd like to thank my family, my friends, Melissa Foster, Aubrey Hansen, Richard Allen, Ms. Jennifer Case and each and every one of my twitter followers for their support. Without people like you there would be no need for writers.

(Original Post on August 14, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers88 )

Overplanning and Setting Projects Aside

Currently I find myself in a tight spot with my writing. Often times I've been known to be obsessive compulsive and I rarely under-do things. Because of this, I have rough plot lines and character ideas for over 20 novels planned out.

I have three series that I hope to eventually write. I'm writing the second book of the first series, but I'm a bit stuck there. For that reason I decided to write the first chapter of my third series (just for fun and to keep writing) on Wednesday. Yesterday I decided to write the first chapter of my second series.

My problem is that I feel like the second and third series' will work a lot better for me. What do you think I should do? Is it a bad idea to set my first series aside and pursue writing my second or third series first?

(Original Post on August 12, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers87 )

Vacation

For the past two weeks I've been in Florida on the vacation of a lifetime. I went to Universal Studios, Sea World, Aquatica (Sea World's Water Park), and Disney World: The Magic Kingdom, The Animal Kingdom, Blizzard Beach, Hollywood Studios, Typhoon Lagoon, Epcot and Downtown Disney! It was a blast!

One thing I learned over the past two weeks is that I LOVE writing. I did not write a single word in any of my books for two weeks! Now I'm home and I find another obstacle keeping me from writing: my dreadful summer assignments.

I will get back to writing!

(Original Post on August 10, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers86 )

My Twitter Top Ten Writers!

I'm heading out tomorrow for a two week vacation in Florida! This will mean very minimal Twitter and Blog interaction from me. That being said, I'm going to leave you with some of my favorite Tweeters so you can have some reading material while I'm gone! (I'm going to finally finish reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire!)


Melissa Foster: Melissa is an amazing author and an even better person! She will never hesitate to help someone in need. She's published two novels, Megan's Way and Chasing Amanda and won numerous awards for them. Megan's Way is even being turned into a movie as you read this! Follow her on Twitter, Facebook or her Blog!

Aubrey Hansen: Aubrey is a wonderfully creative and outgoing person. She's a screenwriter, an author and an editor (with some occasional poetry). She's very enthusiastic and welcomes her insanity. Her novella, Red Rain, is coming out in September so make sure you check it out! Follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and on her Blog!

Richard Allen: Richard is fantastically funny and very witty! I am always delighted to see that he's mentioned me on Twitter because I know that no matter what he says, it will make my day! He's published two books in his "Rumbling Heart" Series, Rumbling Heart and Recorded Butterflies. Go check them out! Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and on his Blog!

Nicholas J. Ambrose: Nicholas is a wonderful science fiction author who has independently published three novels, Morris the Misfit Monster, Progenitor and What Happened on the Sanctity Architect. He has also co-written three novels. He runs a site called EverythingIndie that helps independent authors by providing editing and revising, creating cover art, formatting ebooks and critiquing. Follow him on Twitter and his Blog! Follow EverythingIndie on Twitter and visit the site here!

Tamworth Grice: Tamworth is a horror and suspense writer! Her novel, Listening to Ian Magick is available on Amazon! I have yet to read her work, but I'm sure it is fantastic! Follow her on Twitter and her Blog!

Abby Jones: Abby has two finished novels that are just waiting to be published! She's an Urban Fantasy writer and she's a wonderful person to chat with! Follow her on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook!

Ania Ahlborn: Ania is a deep south aficionado and she's an independent horror writer! Her debut novel, SEED, is available in ebook format. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook and her Blog, and remember "in the darkness, something's watching you."

S.M. Reine:  Sara Reine has published two novels, Six Moon Summer and The 19 Dragons! Both are available on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble! Follow her on Twitter, Facebook and her Blog!

Robbi Sommers Bryant: Robbi has published 4 novels, 6 bestselling books and 1 book of poetry! She's a delightful person and a great tweeter! Follow her on Twitter, Facebook and her Blog!

Rebecca Scarberry: Rebecca is an awesome tweeter who enjoys promoting authors! She is currently editing her debut novel and herding cats! Follow her on Twitter!

Here's three more writers that deserve to make the list just as much as the others! (All three of them went to school with me!)


Amanda Dedie: Amanda is working on her debut novel, Invincible, which you can read about here. She's a wonderful person who's crazy and enjoying it! Follow her on Twitter and her Blog!


Rebecca Snow: Rebecca is an aspiring author who is working on a couple of different writing projects. She also enjoys doing graphic design! Follow her on Twitter and her Blog!


Roxeanne Williams: Roxeanne is a fun-loving writer! She's a nerd and she's proud of it! Follow her on Twitter and her Blog!

(Original Post on July 25, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers85 )

Publishing and Scams

A friend of mine was contacted by a publishing company called "JustFiction! Edition" ( Link ).  My friend had never heard of this company or contacted them beforehand. The stranger part... They sent her a Facebook message. Neither on her blog nor her twitter did she have a link to her Facebook page. Seem like a scam yet?

When reading through JustFiction's policy an alarm went off. They wanted you to sign over rights to epublishing, but were not offering a book contract. If there is no print contract, what is the need for a publisher? You can publish independently and sell your ebooks while holding all of the rights in your hand. Why have a middleman between you and your money?

Here's what Writer Beware had so say about JustFiction!: "I am getting so many emails about these solicitations! It's not a scam, but it is a ripoff--JustFiction is a branch of Verlag Dr. Mueller, a.k.a. Lambert Academic Publishing, an academic author mill that's notorious for cold-soliciting authors."

If you are contacted by a publishing company asking to publish your book. It sounds too good to be true. If they offer to do it for no money at all. It sounds too good to be true. If they contact you through an email or account that is not associated with your writing, it sounds too good to be true.

What's the moral of the story? If it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is.
YOU NEED TO DO YOUR RESEARCH! Check Writer Beware and Preditors & Editors. If they mention a publisher of agent that you've contacted or been contacted by, stay away from them.

(Original Post on July 19, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers84 )

Writing Style

What is writing style? Is it the way you order your words? Is it the way you choose your words? Is it the way your story flows? Is it the figurative language you use? Is it the way your characters are developed? Is it the way you make the reader feel?

The answer is yes to all of those questions.
 
However, it isn't that easy. The problem with style is you can't pick a style and start writing in it. You can't choose J.K. Rowling's writing style and use it. You have to develop YOUR style. You must write over and over again until readers can feel that style and see it. For a lucky few, their style exists the second they start writing, but most of us aren't part of that lucky few.

Don't fret about style. Just keep writing and let your style emerge.

Style according to...

Peter Meyers: "In the simplest sense, writing style involves the exact literary methods used by an author to inject their own personality into their work; all of their mannerisms, quirks etc through the use of dialect, humor, irony, imagery and so on."

(Original Post on July 17, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers83 )

Alphabet Building

While writing my first novel, I decided to create an alphabet for one of my alien races. This was inspired mainly by the Elvish language that Tolkien wrote. Tolkien created the alphabet, both written and spoken, two different dialects AND rules for conjugating and all of those lovely things when writing Elvish words in English.

I did not go to that much trouble. I just took the English alphabet, with its 26 characters, threw in a few characters like "CH", "TH", "SH" and separate characters for "Y"as a consonant and a vowel. That gave me thirty letters. Then I drew some cool looking symbols. The problem arose when it came time to insert some of my alphabet in my book. I couldn't exactly draw it in there unless I printed it first.

There's a program called GIMP that does almost everything photoshop can, but it's free. However, it's a little tricky to get used to. I used GIMP to make all of my alphabet. It took a lot of time, but it turned out great. Here's an example:

http://bsmeyersauthor.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/example.png

What do you think? (I'd tell you what it says, but if you remember, I'm really paranoid. I'll just tell you that it is a real word.)

I created my second alphabet a few weeks ago. It also has thirty characters, but it was a lot more complex. It is made up of a series of circles, triangles and squares that follow a pattern and it's pretty cool! I'm not showing you that though, it's my favorite!

A few days ago I drew eleven very basic alphabets for another project I'm working on. Only two of them have been digitized using GIMP though. I'm currently working on a twelfth alphabet for that project. It's my hardest yet! It has forty characters and has been a pain to digitize. I have ten left to digitize. I really like where it's going!

If you're not already following the work of Aubrey Hansen (@aubrey_hansen) you should go check out her blog! If you have been following her work stayed tuned because I've inspired her to create an alphabet herself!

(Original Post on July 15, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers82 )

I Made My First Guest Blog Post!

It's a honor that I was approached by Carlos A.R. de Souza, the Wizard Writer, and asked to write a guest blog post on his blog! Go check out my post about perfectionism and stick around to read all of his other great posts! Here's my post!

(Original Post on July 14, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers81 )

Top Ten Authors I Would Die to Meet

Here they are, as suggested by @Tiffany_A_White

(Only numbers 1-5 are in a special order.)

10: This is a group of authors I want to meet. At the moment I have over 800 Twitter followers and almost all of them are writers. I want to meet you guys! At least one of you is going to be the next NY Times Bestseller and at least one of you is going to write the best Independently Published book out there!


09: Ursula K. LeGuin: She is an amazing writer who crafted A Wizard of Earthsea perfectly! She's a master of juxtaposition and her stories draw your attention in!

08: Earnest Hemingway: I don't want to meet Hemingway because I loved The Old Man and the Sea. I want to meet Hemingway so I can find out how on earth he though The Old Man and the Sea was a good idea.

07: Isaac Asimov: Asimov wrote so many books in his lifetime and all were devoted to robots. The three laws of robotics were absolutely genius. I love his writing and I especially love I, Robot.

06: J.R.R. Tolkien: Lets face it, Lord of the Rings is one of the most well known and best crafted series ever written. The amount of time and commitment put into not just writing the novels, but creating a phonetic alphabet, both written and spoken, with two different dialects and a complete set of rules for writing it in English, is absolutely amazing!

05: John Green: John Green wrote Looking for Alaska, Will Grayson, Will Grayson, An Abundance of Katherines and Paper Towns. He wrote the whole way along to becoming a YouTube star and he's still writing today.  He showed me that writing was cool and fun and I try to keep that attitude with me!

04: J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter changed the way I saw books. Prior to reading it, I thought reading was a chore and I hated it. J.K. Rowling showed me the power a good book could have and she forever changed my perspective on reading!

03: Douglas Adams: I absolutely love The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy! It's a fantastic roller coaster ride through the Universe with crazy twists and turns and a whole lot of nonsense! More importantly, his writing goes against the norm and keeps you interested! (R.I.P.)

02: Aubrey Hansen: This girl is the most creative person I've ever met! She's written scripts, poetry, books and she's working on an amazing fantasy novel as we speak. Go Follow her on Twitter, @aubrey_hansen and then go read her amazing blog!

01: Melissa Foster: Though her novel, Megan's Way, wouldn't be of much interest to most men, her novel, Chasing Amanda, is a kidnapping mystery! More important than her writing is her personality! She out of the blue offered to help me refine my query letters and she is always willing to help another writer! (Go Follow @Melissa_Foster on Twitter!)

(Original Post on July 13, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers80 )

The Best and Worst Part of Writing

Lets get this straight, writing is HARD work. It’s not easy to write a novel. It’s very time consuming and brain-power consuming, but that’s not the worst part about writing.

The great part about writing (I’m speculating here) is the day your book gets released and the days following when you see the sales and the reviews and you’re ecstatic knowing that your story is out there.

The even better part of writing (I’m speculating some more) is the day ten years later when you’ve been working on a novel for a while now and you’re not feeling that great about it. You take a break and you check your email or look around at some blogs and you see that email/blog post that talks about you. Naturally you read and you find out that your book has touched someones soul. The best part about writing is knowing your voice has been heard and that it has changed someones life.

The worst part about writing comes after you’ve been published and you’ve sold tons of copies. The worst part is when you read back through your book and you enjoy it, but you know what’s going to happen, so you don’t get that feeling of reading it for the first time. You don’t get to be JK Rowling in that line of a thousand people lined up to buy Harry Potter.

That’s what I think is the worst part of writing, but it does not overpower the joy of knowing your words changed someones life, even if it is just one person.

(Original Post on July 11, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers79 )

Real Life vs. Writing

Once again I find that my real life is in conflict with my writing. Bo sooner was I finally able to write again did I find that I needed to start my summer assignments. I've been working hard the last few days to make it all work, but I no longer believe the first draft of my second novel will be done by August 1st. It's unfortunate, but I can't just push away my real life and focus on writing (can I?).

(Original Post on July 9, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers78 )

Why Do You Write?

What drives you? You wake up every morning and know it's on your mind. Some days you write, most days actually. You've got a story to tell. Characters, plots, settings, events... but why? Why are you spending all of your free time putting words on paper. To what end does writing serve?

I write for love; to show the Universe that love is the most important thing there is; to show the Universe that love is the most powerful thing there is. I write for you; to show you that you can do anything; to show you that any insignificant human being is capable of saving the Universe. I write for me; to find satisfaction; to show myself that I'm capable of anything; to have my voice be heard.

Why do you write? It had to start somewhere.

(Original Post on July 6, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers77 )

Overcoming Writer's Block

The best feeling in the world is that moment that you've been waiting for months to feel, that moment when the story goes on and your brain is bustling with idea, that moment that you overcome your writer's block and the novel is no longer on hiatus!

Over the past month, my second novel has been on hiatus because I honestly had no idea where to take it. I could have figured it out sooner if my life weren't so hectic with Regents Exams and finishing the edits on my first novel.

However, I'm glad that I took the time to wait it out because now I love where my second novel is going. That moment a few days ago when I was finally able to continue my second novel was amazing! It felt almost as good as the moment when I finished my first novel. It was like I spent a month trying to pick the lock on a fault door and then I finally just raised my fist and punched right through it! (Owe!)

(Original Post on July 5, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers76 )

The Power that Comes with Writing

One of the best things about writing is the amazing feeling it gives you. When I write I know that I have the power to make the characters into whatever I want. I can twist the plot into any direction I wish to take it. I can take my setting from Earth, across multiple galaxies, to Atlantis, then to the edge of the Universe and then I can take it back in time 100 years and you can’t stop me!

When you write you are free to make anything happen. The entire story is yours. You can create an entire Universe and no one can tell you that you can’t. That, is power.

So get writing! The Universe Inside YOUR Head isn’t going to put itself on paper. It’s up to you to tell your stories!

(Original Post on July 2, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers75 )

I Guess I Got Your Attention

Since I started blogging almost 3 months ago, I have averaged about 20 views per day. My best day was 67 views and that was in April. Today I broke 100 Blog views! Apparently I’ve got your attention.

I want to thank each and everyone one of my 671 Twitter Followers for being awesome! However, I don’t have time to thank you all individually, so you’ll just have to accept this post as your thank you.)

Today is a new day for me. I am know longer hiding behind my computer screen and my age. I’m 16 and I’m proud of it. I wrote a novel and I’m still in high school! Today is a good day and I couldn’t have done it without all of you.

Twitter, you gave me a voice. I can say anything I want on Twitter and someone will listen. A voice is a very powerful thing. My friends, you gave me recognition. I can’t thank you all enough for supporting me over the past two and a half years. (Kaleena, Danielle, Shannon, CJ, Justin, Jamison.) My family, you made me what I am. I am who I am because of you. I may never run a business, I may never cure cancer, but I will do something big. I will use my voice to help the world.

I must also thank the wonderful Melissa Foster for her help. She’s supported me and helped me along since I started using Twitter. She’s an awesome writer and an amazing person. ( http://www.melissafoster.com/ )

Last, but not least, I must thank the amazing Ms. Jennifer Case! She was my 8th Grade English teacher. She showed me what a good book could do. Her encouragement and enthusiasm about reading, writing AND life has stuck with me to this day and it will always be with me.

Thank you, everyone!

(Original Post on July 1, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers74 )

Surprise: The Real Me

It's time for me to tell you who I really am. Over the past two years, I've been hiding who I am because I was afraid my age would effect how the world views me as a writer. In the past three months I've slowly reached out of my box. Today it is time for me to stop hiding behind my computer screen.

If you've been following me on Twitter, you know me as B.S. Meyers. While this name is based on my real name (and I will be publishing with this name) it isn't my real name. My real name is Benjamin Scott Meyers. I write science fiction books and I've never been published.

Today is the day I let all of you know that I am a writer that will stop at nothing to be published. I'm writing so I can share my stories with you. I'm not in it for money or for fame. I'm doing this for you. I want to show the world that love is the most powerful thing in the Universe. I want to show the world that any ordinary, boring person can do great things and I'm going to do just that.

My name is Benjamin Scott Meyers, I wrote a 50,000 word science fiction novel and I'm sixteen years old.

Head over Here to see some of what I do when I'm not writing and so you can finally put a face to my name!

Here's a sneak peek of The Greatest Story Never Told:

On the night of December 21, 2012, the world anxiously awaits what they expect to be the end of the world. Contrary to their catastrophic expectations, the stars have faded away, leaving massive holes in their place--the universe is on the eve of its final days.

Scott Torres, a lazy, jobless, twenty-three-year old, holds the key to saving the universe, he just doesn't know it yet. After falling unconscious, Scott is transported to a planet called Arancio, the home of the city of Atlantis, where he learns of his destiny to save the universe. Traveling across the universe with his new found Atlantean friends, Olgrin and Viera, Scott learns about himself, as well as love, and the meaning of life. Scott and his friends make it to their final destination, The Porta Commeatus, a black hole that leads to the Anulla, the space between universes. It is here that he confronts the darkness that threatens all of creation.

(Original Post on July 1, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers73 )

"Finding Peace"

At the end of all time, man will look upon existence.
Standing so tall, time machine ready, his mind will face resistance.

He will stand on top of the world and see reality.
Life, death, past, present, future, no; to be lost at sea.

The planets will burn brighter, darker than any star ever should.
He will mourn and weep stronger than any man ever would.

He will learn more than long life has come to know.
At the end of the Universe, he will finally let go.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Written on June 29, 2011 by B.S. Meyers

(Original Post on June 29, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers72 )

"Truth"

“Our hearts and our minds are always in conflict. It’s when we open them that we see the truth.”
——————————————————————————————————-
Spoken on June 29, 2011 by B.S. Meyers

(Original Post on June 29, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers71 )

School and Books

Now here’s the rant I’ve been looking forward to!

In elementary school your teacher gives you Dr. Seuss books and The Magic Treehouse books. Kids love those! They’re short and they’re not hard to understand.

In fifth grade we stepped it up a little and read books like, Frindle and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (I still love that one).
In 7th grade we moved on to My Brother Paul is Dead, They Cage the Animals at Night and we read our first biographies (I read one about Christopher Reeve).

However, then you get to 9th Grade and you read books like The Old Man and the Sea, Watership Down, and The Odyssey. We read our first plays, Romeo and Juliet, and Antigone. I thought those books were bad (there’s a reason Hemingway killed himself), but then I started 10th Grade. We read more plays; Cyrano de Bergerac, Medea, and Julius Caesar. We read Brave New World and A Tale of Two Cities.

Brave New World was just strange. I don’t know about you, but at 7:30 in the morning, the last thing I want to do in my study hall is read about an orgy. I also don’t enjoy the author trying to convince us that we can’t know the truth AND be happy. That’s BS (and those are my initials, so you know it’s true).

There is a reason some books are considered “Classics”. It’s because they were good and enjoyable when they were written. I’m sure A Tale of Two Cities was great when it was published two chapters at a time in a newspaper, but if you try and make students read it all at once the only result will be sparknote quiz grades.

The summer assignment going into 10th Grade was The Count of Monte Cristo. You DO NOT give that to a group of 15 year olds and expect them to write an essay with no guidance and then give them a test on the whole book on the first day of class. It’s ludicrous!

So, if you’re an English teacher and reading this, the moral of the story is: give kids books they want to read. If you want good grades and students that pay attention, put the first Harry Potter in front of them. Give them Redwall. In elementary school, I didn’t even get to read Narnia. If you gave your tenth grade students Harry Potter as an assignment they would probably start crying with joy.

Do you know why I think this country is so stupid? It’s because the schools give us books that we don’t want to read. The end result is a generation that has the mentality that books suck. They avoid reading at every cost. If you start giving kids books they want to read, they will have the mentality that reading is good and that will create a generation that wants to read, and is ultimately smarter.

GIVE GOOD BOOKS. THEN WE READ. YOUR BOOKS BAD.

(Seriously, give them books they’ll enjoy… or they’ll eventually end up talking like that.)

(Original Post on June 28, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers70 )

Query. Letters. Suck.

Lets face it, if you're asking yourself how to write a query letter it's because you wrote a book. I've got news for you, writing the book was the easy part. The query letter sucks. There's a ton of articles online that tell you how to write one, but they all say conflicting things.

Even if there was one solid way to write a query letter, it would still suck having to write one. Yesterday I worked with the wonderful, Melissa Foster (Go read her blog: http://www.melissafoster.com/ ) on writing my query letter. She did a wonderful job helping me, despite the fact that she hadn't read my novel.
Five revisions later, here is the format that we've settled on.

Dear Ms./Mrs./Mr. (Agent's Last Name)

Paragraph 1: Tell the agent why your querying them specifically. Give the title and word count of your novel. This paragraph was only about 2 lines for me.

Paragraph 2: Write something interesting about your book. This needs to be something that will hook the agent and make them want to keep reading your letter. This was about three lines for me. (This doesn't have to be here. It works for some people, but not everyone needs it.)


Paragraph 3: This is the big paragraph. Write a synopsis of your book using the main events and the key points. This is the ultimate hook. If the agent doesn't like this, they're probably not going to ask for more.

Paragraph 4: Just a simple, "thank you for your time" and, "my complete manuscript is available upon your request."

Sincerely,
(Your Name)
(Your Address)
(Your Email)
(Your Phone Number)
(If there are any blogs you write that pertain to writing, put their address here.)

Before you even think about writing any of this you need to DO YOUR RESEARCH! A big percentage of denials from agents are due to the fact that the person querying them didn't do their research. If the agent only represents Mystery books and your wrote a Science Fiction novel, don't query them. Find a different agent.

When you do find an agent that represents your genre you need to find their submission guidelines. They may ask for only a query letter or they may ask for a query letter and 5 pages of your manuscript. Whatever they want, give it to them! Also, find out how the agent wants to be queried. If they only accept emails, make sure you send an email. If they only want mail, make sure you send mail.

The process has to be professional. You need to do your research. A query letter is basically a job application. You're asking the agent for a writing job. You wouldn't walk into a job interview dressed in jeans and a ripped t-shirt while talking in slang, would you? So don't write a query letter that gives the same impression! (If you would walk into a job interview that way, I sincerely hope you don't write that way.)

This is just the basics. Some things you should know: Always use Ms./Mrs./Mr. and the agent's last name. No buts. Write your second and third paragraphs in the present tense using an active voice. You want to entertain the agent, not put them to sleep. Read, read and reread, and then give it to someone else to read. Make sure there are no contradictions in your query. Agents will pick up on them! Finally, spell check and grammar check it all!

The Query is your first and only shot with an agent. Don't blow it. It HAS to be perfect!

(Original Post on June 27, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers69 )

"Camelot"

In the heart of Camelot a war wages on.
With the castle under siege and man’s heart brittle.
The trees stand silent, staring, trying to interpret humanity.
They see fire of the soul, lacking water’s tranquility.

The walls have broken down, the warriors have withdrawn.
Blood, tears combine in the mysteries of life’s riddle.
Men and boys have lost their souls to brutality.
And left the hurt, lonely masses lost at sea.
——————————————————————-
Written June 26, 2011 by B.S. Meyers

(Original Post on June 26, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers68 )

Updates and Multiple Emails

I’m sorry I haven’t been posting very much the last few days. I’ve been pretty busy! As you may notice on ALL of my blogs, there are now icons that go to my Twitter, My WordPress, my Blogspot, my Tumblr and my newly created Facebook page. You’ll also notice that I have a new blog header on my WordPress and my Blogspot and I created a blog header for Tumblr.

Why am I doing all of this? Well, I feel that my blogs need to look as professional as possible and be easy to use. Don’t get me wrong, I love my fun, but there is a time to be professional. When it comes to my writing, I want everything perfect. That includes, blogs, tweets and any other accounts I’ve created.

This brings me to something I think you should be aware of. You get lots of email updates from Twitter and Tumblr and everything you’ve signed up for to help you get noticed. While you can usually turn these updates off, I prefer to keep them. This is why I created an email that was separate from any of my personal life that I would ONLY use for things related to my writing. With Gmail (Mail from Google) I can make as many accounts as I like for free! I can also create labels for different kinds of email and keep detailed information on all of my contacts.

With Gmail’s new ability to use two different gmail accounts at once I can keep my writing and my personal emails open in different tabs or be able to switch between them without having to log out first. This is a VERY nice feature. The other great thing is Gmail’s spam filter. It catches anything you would consider spam and lets you see all of it for thirty days before it gets deleted (so if it thinks something is spam that isn’t, you can tell gmail it’s not spam and you didn’t lose anything… like say, an agent asking to view more of your manuscript).

Now, I bet you’re wondering why I put all this time into my writing the past two years. Well, you’ll find out soon enough. These website updates weren’t just for being professional. They are leading up to the surprise I’ve got planned for you on Friday at noon! It’s not too late to sign up to be notified. There’s a link up there called “Surprise!”… Go click on it! (You know you want to!)

(Original Post on June 26, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/BSMeyers67 )

Creative Writing Tag

So, here’s the situation. If I’ve “Tagged” you over on twitter consider it a challenge to take part in my Creative Writing Tag. I will give you a paragraph to start with and I want you to finish the short story. Please, don’t write a novel for me. Feel free to post your response on any of your blogs or websites. Send me a link and I’ll post it over here with a link to your blog.

I’m going to start by tagging three people and those three people, along with myself, would have to take maybe twenty minutes out of their day to finish the short (and by short, I mean short) story based on the paragraph I give you. Once you’ve been tagged, you can feel free to write yours and tag other people. This could be a pretty massive writing exercise. What do all of you wonderful writers say? (The first three of you to comment below will be the first ones tagged!)

(Original Post on June 22, 2011 at: http://bsmeyersauthor.wordpress.com/2011/06/22/post-66/ )

Surprise!

I have a surprise for you on…

July 1, 2011 12:00 PM
 
If you want to be put on my list to be notified of the surprise, comment your email or Twitter on the link below. (These comments will not be displayed.)

https://bsmeyersauthor.wordpress.com/surprise/

My Advice

Someone over at: http://z15.invisionfree.com/It_Is_Written/index.php?act=idx#.TgCsOqVCKio asked me what advice I could give them besides what’s on my blog. Here’s what I told them:

Don’t worry about when you want to be done and don’t stress about word count (but keep an eye on it). When you start, your primary goal should be getting the characters and plot on the page. Once you’ve accomplished this, go through and do a major edit of everything you’ve written. Once you’re content with that, polish everything up a bit. When you’re totally happy with what you’ve got, have a close friend (Who’s good with grammar and spelling) read the whole thing over, fixing spelling mistakes and telling you when sentences sound strange. (I recommend they do this on paper, so you can see what they did before it gets put into your novel.)

Once that is done, ask yourself, “Is there anything I’m not happy with?” If you answer yes, you’re not ready to self publish or query literary agents. If you think something doesn’t work, so will someone else. Fix anything you feel necessary. Then, ask the person who edited for you the same question. If they suggest something, don’t dismiss it because you just want to get on your way. Look at what they suggest and see if it needs work.

At this point, you’re ready to self publish or query literary agents. If you decide to self publish, I’d have a different set of eyes look over your novel. You can ask a friend or pay an editor at: http://www.everything-indie.com/index.htm If self publishing, you also need to either make a cover yourself, or let the good people at the link I just gave you do it for you. They will work with what you want.
If you decide you want to try and publish traditionally, read this: http://www.yafantasyguide.com/articles/how…uery-letter.htm and then use it to the letter. Then go to these sites and find literary agents: http://www.authoradvance.com/ and/or http://www.agentquery.com/default.aspx DO NOT JUST FIND A NAME AND SEND A QUERY. You need to look at the agent’s blog or at their info page on their agency’s website. See if they represent your genre and how they want your queries.

There’s a good start for you. Most importantly, have fun writing, don’t write for the money or fame, and always write your way. Don’t try and emulate J.K. Rowling. You’re not writing Harry Potter, you’re writing YOUR book.

So there’s what I’ve got to say right now. This could change eventually. In the meantime, go check out http://itiswrittenclub.wordpress.com/ Feel free to sign up and submit your work. You get good criticism and some exposure. This is a great tool for new writers.

(Original Post on June 21, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers65 )

Song: Only Time Will Tell

Once again, the formatting for my Wordpress doesn’t work over on Blogger. Go here are read it, please: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers64

(Original Post on June 19, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers64 )

I Want You to Know

I want you to know that the glow of your eyes sets my soul on fire. I want you to know that your smile turns the darkest room into a shining star. I want you to know that you hold me up when the sky is falling. I want you to know that your scent makes my blood boil. I want you to know that your minds depth leaves me in tranquility. I want you to know that without you the grass is not green, the sky is not blue and the wind does not blow. I want you to know that without you the seasons stay winter, the stars burn out and black holes cease pulling. I want you to know that without you the fire does not burn, the world does not spin and my heart does not beat.
____________________________________________________________________________ Written June 18, 2011

(Original Post on June 19, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers63 )

I Apologize. (Opinions)

I’m going to go ahead and tell you all that I’m sorry for insulting Stephanie Meyer’s writing as well as Rebecca Black’s and The Ting Tings’. Everyone has the right to their own opinions and I’m apologizing simply because I don’t want to deal with hate mail/comments and sometimes it’s just easier to shut your mouth and let the world keep revolving.

<——-Begin Addition——->
I’d like to add that I have not read any of Stephanie Meyer’s writing, so it was unfair of me to insult her writing, but I will go ahead and insult her plot choice.
<——-End Addition——->

But my offer still stands. Go ahead and pick up a copy of my first novel once it’s published and if you don’t like it, comment in any comment box you find on my blog and tell me you think it sucks! I’m not afraid to be hated because of my writing. I refuse however, to be hated because of my opinions.

(Original Post on June 18, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers62 )

Different Kinds of Writing (Which Turned Into... "Tell Me My Writing Sucks."

I know that what I’m about to tell you may come as a shock, but brace yourself. I’m not paying your heart attack bill. Writers don’t just write books. Shocker, right?

In reality, writer’s write books, poems, television shows, movies, news articles, plays, musicals and songs. Did I leave any out? All of these different forms of writing make up what we call media. You may think it doesn’t take much to write a movie, but look at it this way. Movie writers have to write a script for each actor/actress. Depending on the movie there can be a lot of talking. They also have to come up with a plot and the characters. This is the same for the writers of television shows.

Now, I mean no disrespect, but if you’re new to this whole writing thing, you may find yourself asking, “Is it really that hard to write a poem, or a song?” The answer depends. If you write a song where every other phrase is, “That’s not my name” or you have to write about the fact that today is Friday and your biggest worry is which seat to sit in… personally, I don’t think you’re that great of a writer.

(I’m also a bit disgusted with the fact that I had to google, “Friday Lyrics” because I’ve never actually listened to that song any longer than, “It’s Friday”. I’m currently going to pause writing this post so I can delete that search from my browser history.)

Back on topic… I think *all* poetry is good. It may not call to me, it may not apply to me, but it calls to the poet that wrote it and it may very well call to someone else out there. It’s the same with books. Now, there are some bad books out there, but I won’t mention anything specific. *coughsparklecoughcoughvampirescoughcoughvomit* Okay, that was a little mean, I’m sure Stephanie Meyer loves her books and I’m sure there are people that like them that aren’t crazy, obsessive, teenage girls. It’s my own personal opinion that I don’t like sparkling vampires.

Lets get back on topic again. My original intention for writing this post was to inform you that writers don’t just write books. I’ve done that, but now I feel the need to say this. If you don’t like my previous comment about that series (which I refuse to insult my blog by including its title in this post) then you can feel free to find a copy of my first novel once it’s published and if you don’t like it, go ahead and tell me. There’s a comment box right below this, and every other, post on this blog. Go right ahead and tell me you think my writing sucks because I welcome the input.

And if anyone doesn’t like my comments about Rebecca Black’s song or The Ting Tings’ song, I reserve the right to my own opinion. I personally don’t listen to much music outside of the 70′s and 80′s because I think once we got into the mid 90′s, music died.

(Original Post on June 18, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers61

"To light a candle is to cast a shadow"

While writing an essay today, I realized how much I love A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin. I first read the novel in my ninth grade English class. As you can probably imagine, in ninth grade I wasn’t that interested in reading. I’m still not, but I’m getting better after selecting better novels for my taste.

LeGuin’s writing is somewhat simplistic. However, she uses a juxtaposition of light and dark imagery very well. The story itself is follows a young wizard by the name of Ged. In an effort to preserve his pride, he attempts to summon a spirit of the the dead and in turn releases a dark shadow. Ged is forced to run and hide from the shadow. His journey takes him all across Earthsea as he learns about himself and others along the way.

What I find most fascinating about the novel is the quote, “To light a candle is to cast a shadow.” I’m sure many of you have heard it before. LeGuin is trying to convey the concept that there cannot be light without darkness… good without evil. I don’t know why, but I was drawn to this as soon as I read it.

A Wizard of Earthsea is the first novel in a trilogy followed by The Tombs of Atuan and The Farthest Shore. There are also two supplementary novels, Tehanu and The Other Wind. I have not read them, but I am confident that they are just as magical and will draw you in just as well.

Ursula K. LeGuin has 8 more novels in her Hainish Cycle Series and seven other individual novels.

(Just as a note, I love her name even though, Ursula, isn’t a very enticing name, in my opinion.)

(Original Post on June 17, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers60 )

Traditional vs Independent Publishing

I’ve been doing a lot of reading and a lot of thinking lately about indie publishing. There are some aspects that I find appealing about it. For one, you publish your novel the way you want. You don’t risk some editor, who doesn’t necessarily care if you’re happy, messing with your work. I haven’t thought about that until now because one of my best friends has been editing my novel.

I like that indie publishing is quick. If you know what you’re doing, and you’ve formatted everything properly, you can have your novel on a nook or a kindle pretty quickly. That’s definitely appealing because I don’t like waiting.

However, as far as I know, it’s not easy to go from an independently published ebook to have your novel in print. I want my work on paper. I don’t want to only accommodate half of the readers out there. I, myself, prefer a book to an ebook simply because I spend too much time looking at a computer screen as is.

With indie publishing every bit of advertising lies on your shoulders. With traditional publishing, the advertising lies mostly on the publisher. Advertising all by yourself isn’t the easiest thing in the world. Not everyone has thousands of people subscribing to their blog or 60,000 people following them on twitter. I have 467 twitter followers, and while I appreciate them a lot, that’s not a big audience for my work.

The traditional publishing company gets to pick your book cover for you. Now, I’m sure you get to give input, but that doesn’t mean you’ll get what you want. If I publish independently, I can hop over to sites like http://www.everything-indie.com/ and tell them what I want in the cover. For a small fee, they will make me a book cover.

That brings up another issue: Money. It is my firm belief that money is the root of all evil, but there’s no surviving in this world without it. That being said, paying for a book cover and maybe editing, if you’re publishing independently, is not always an easy task. I have no money at all. That doesn’t make it easy to pay for things. I’d find a way to pay for it if I decided to publish independently, though.

So, I’ve discussed this with my editor and we’ve figured out a pretty solid plan. If by September of 2012 I’ve exhausted all of my agent querying resources, and no one wants to represent me, I will seriously consider indie publishing, which has always been my plan B.

(Original Post on June 16, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers59 )

Another Song

When I wrote this, it was a very dark weekend for me. The events in my life had reached a climax of sorrow. I couldn’t take it.

Unfortunately, the formatting I had to do to get my song to show up properly in Wordpress does not allow me to copy and paste it here with the same effect. Go here and read it, please! http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers58

The Synopsis

Personally, I hate the concept of a synopsis. I wrote a book because I had a concept to express and a story I could express it with. I don’t want to compress 50,000 words into a paragraph and I certainly don’t think a synopsis gives a literary agent a clear view of my novel.

However, the publishing industry is the way it is and unless I decide to publish independently, I have to live with writing a synopsis (despite how hard it is for me). I believe I need to get over the fact that I hate synopses and just do it.

What are your opinions on synopses? Any suggestions on how to write better ones?

(Original Post on June 15, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers57 )

Query Letters

So, here is my dilemma. I’ve read a ton of articles about writing query letters to literary agents and it seems like each one had a different idea of how you should format your query letters. What did you do? I would assume Times New Roman, Size 12 Font, but I’ve read it should be single spaced. Everything I have read says no more than a page. I’ve read that I need a hook, a synopsis and a bit about my writing history. I’ve also read I need to say why I am querying that particular agent, then do a hook and a synopsis and a bit about myself.

What did you do? Did it work? What didn’t work? Please comment and tell me!

(Original Post on June 14, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers56 )

What do you think of when you hear, "the end of the world?"

(My editor wrote a pre-review of my first novel. These are HER words, not mine.)

Genocide? A religious purge? Mass combustion? The options are endless. In up-and-coming author BS Meyers’ Sci-Fi fantasy novel The Greatest Story Never Told, Scott Torres is faced with a strange alternative to your typical “end of the world” situation. Torres is lazy, jobless, lives with his mother and lacks motivation… but somehow, he holds the key to save the Universe from ultimate disaster. The problem? This key is nestled deep within Torres’ consciousness, and he isn’t sure how to utilize it just yet. Instead, he takes an expedition through the Universe with new friends, learning not only about himself, but also about love, happiness and the meaning of life along the way.

Meyers does an incredible job of developing his characters throughout this novel. From start to finish, our storybook hero Scott Torres and his new friend Olgrin are not only fascinating to learn about, but also extremely easy to relate to. His style of writing is simple and familiar, making this novel easy to read, but also sophisticated in its tones and intensity. He draws you in with a unique and engaging plot line, making it near impossible to set this story down. No matter what your favorite genre is, this is definitely not a book that you would pass up on the shelves.

Follow Meyers as he travels his own journey through the process of finding an agent, and eventually having this incredible story published and available for you all! He can be found on Twitter, Tumblr and WordPress:

http://twitter.com/BSMeyersAuthor

http://bsmeyersauthor.wordpress.com/

http://bsmeyersauthor.tumblr.com/

[Quick Review written by BS Meyers’ editor, Danielle D’Agostino, @daniellexda]