How to review books - Grace Bridges style!

Here's a little something I wrote on book reviewing recently. You can also use this method to review movies, and at a stretch, music CDs too. Why not give it a try?

Now I don’t claim to be an expert, and this is no highly professional technique. Still, as a hobby reviewer, it’s worked again and again for me, even when I think I’m not at all in the mood to write a decent review.

Get a piece of paper and fold it in half. This makes two sections on each side, four in all. You can also use four pieces of telephone notepad, or whatever you have on hand – as long as there are four sections of paper with room enough to write a few sentences on each.

Each section has a heading to help you get started. You’ll need to take the headings out of your final review text, but it shows what you need to begin. Here are the titles:

• The Intro is your prelude to having a chat about the book. I like to set the scene and tell where I was when I picked it up, perhaps how I was doing that day, or the situation I read it in. More important perhaps is what you had already heard about the book. What have others said about it, what did you already know, about the author or genre or publisher, etc? What were your expectations on picking it up? Did other books or articles by this author affect your expectation? What did you think of the cover design?
  
  
• Describing the story can be a short synopsis or your paraphrase of the back-cover copy or other promotional materials. Outline what happens, particularly as the tale begins. Don’t give away too much of the ending, but it’s good to mention whether you were satisfied with it and why/why not. Try and do all this in your own words.
  
  
• Go into details where there was something you particularly noticed. You can also note this while you’re reading if you like. This can be anything from characters to plot twists to writing style to evocative imagery. Whatever seizes you in the story, try and describe it a bit. This is also the place to mention aspects you were perhaps disappointed with, if any. Try to balance criticism with comments on something that did work well, e.g. if you found the writing style was lacking, perhaps the plot was really clever, or vice versa.
  
  
• The wrap-up is your arena to pull all the strands of your comments together. Sum up your overall impression. If you found it not to your liking, it’s often helpful to compare it to something similar, e.g. “If you liked X, you might/will enjoy this.” This makes it possible to deliver a professional recommendation even if your opinion tends towards negative – and that happens to all of us sometimes.

If you write a couple of sentences for each of the four points, you should be able to get at least 200 words total, which is a perfectly respectable review length. Longer is good too!

The fun part is that you don’t have to write the four parts in order. I often write the third point first, since that’s the first thing that comes into my mind – that special something this novel touched me with. With the four titled sections of paper, this is no problem – just start writing at the point where your first ideas come, and filling in the rest is then pretty easy. Of course, you can also write the four headings on your computer and just start typing – that’ll save extra work. However, I often find it easier to do it on paper first, also because I like to read outdoors when at all possible, and paper and pencil are easier to shove in my pocket than a computer.

Using this method has changed my own book-reviewing from a drudge at times, to something fun and easy. Have your papers at hand, and you’ll be amazed at what you can scribble down in the course of a busy day, just a sentence or a half sentence here and there. The headings are not rules to be followed, but prompts to help you get started – feel free to leave them by the wayside if another structure shows up in your essay.

Don’t forget – this will be easier if you do it fairly soon after reading the book. A week is too long for me, because by then I’ve probably forgotten what made it special for me – and that is the single most important thing in a review. That’s what both the author and the reading public are wanting to know from you.

If you'd like to go into more depth, Terri Main has written a great article on book reviewing, and you can read it here:
http://www.wayfarersjournal.com/2007/03/more-than-opinion-writing-and-effective.html

Have fun!

Superhero Sews Own Suit!

Get ready for some fun!

Being in the Lost Genre Guild means I know A.P. first and foremost as a horror writer. Now I'm not into horror at all, so I hesitated a while before finally deciding to read Axiom-man. After all, a caped crusader must be pretty harmless, right? So to be honest, I didn't know what to expect - but the cover looks pretty cool!

As it turned out, I needn't have worried about A.P.'s horror spilling into this book. It's totally harmless, yet anything but gutless! Easy reading, light-hearted and fun, I bet this will be a hit with the kids.

The superhero scenario may be fairly standard, but there are some new twists on it here. Gabriel receives his gift of power from a mysterious messenger who gives him a task to do - but he doesn't give him the suit and cape. Our intrepid hero has to trot off to fabric stores and learn to operate a sewing machine before he can show himself to the world at large. Meanwhile, he continues in his job at the call center and longs to get to know the girl in the opposite cubicle.

Winnipeg's emergencies often cause him to be late for work, which of course causes headaches with the boss. Gabriel is still learning to hide his powers, and rides the bus to work rather than flying. I found the sewing machine a nice touch, and also the backpack worn under the cape to carry his normal clothes for when he has to change again. Makes me wonder - why don't any other flying rescuers carry handbags? I mean, don't they need any stuff? ID and all that? Axiom-man is certainly the cleverest of all superheroes in this respect.

Another nice sideline is the bad guy's online marketing strategy. How to get rich via Internet in the 21st century. Read carefully - you might just learn something really useful! When the two opposing superheroes get in a fist fight, things get a bit messy and the action is a little rough. But I guess that's to be expected in a clash of superhuman powers. There's only a little blood and gore.

You'll find plenty of surprising twists and turns in this highly enjoyable story, and it'll leave you wanting more. The story is far from over, but the end of this book is very satisfying in and of itself. Axiom-man is a delightfully human superhero with true depth and spirituality. I look forward to seeing what A.P. and Axiom-man get up to next!

Interview with Jo Linsdell on Lulu Publishing

This week I asked Jo Linsdell some questions about publishing with Lulu... I think you'll find her comments useful!

How easy was it for you to publish?
Lulu is very easy to use. They can even create the pdf of your book automatically for you so you don’t really have to worry about the technical side of things. They also have templates that you can use for free both for the format of the book and for the cover art. This means you don’t have to panic over margins and other issues that could affect the presentation of the book. There are guides on the website too full of information about ‘how to’ and an online help for assistance if needed.

How computer literate do you have to be?
Enough to be able to go to the website ;) Everything is so easy to use and the process is guided step by step so even the most computer illiterate person can publish a book.


Did you need support from Lulu at all, and in what areas?
I’ve never needed to contact Lulu for support because the site is very straight forward to use and my orders have always arrived on time and with good quality printing. Royalty payments have also always been on time and correct.

Are there any particular pitfalls a newbie could easily miss? What should I watch out for to make sure I get it right?
When designing your book make sure you consider the size before formatting. Some sizes e.g. pocket size books can only be ordered from the U.S. and the ‘standard’ size is different for the U.S (6 x9) and Europe (5 x 8). Think about who your market is and where you’re likely to sell more copies.

Overall: is it a positive thing for you to be using Lulu?
I’ve used Lulu to publish all my books so far and am happy with the results. I’m considering using a traditional publisher for my next book though so I can compare them and consider the differences between the two. I will however continue to use Lulu in the future esp. for ebooks.

Aside from Lulu, what marketing strategy has brought you the best results?
I do a lot of marketing for my books. I’ve sold books to people who have visited my website, myspace (where I have a page), PROMO DAY! (an online event I organise for people in the writers industry), my blogs, subscribers to my monthly newsletter and to members of writers groups that I belong to. There’s not really one strategy that has worked best. All of these plus interviews, leaving flyers in book shops etc…have helped sales.

Anything else you feel would be interesting for Lulu newbies?
I’m the moderator for two Lulu groups; Travel Literature and Italy and I strongly encourage lulu members to take part in the forum discussions. They can be a great way to learn more about lulu, meet other members, pick up some tips and advice and keep up with new developments on site.

Jo Linsdell-Feliciani
Visit Jo at the following websites:
http://jolinsdell.tripod.com
http://jolinsdell.tripod.com/promoday/
http://writersandauthors.blogspot.com
http://astheromansdo.blogspot.com
http://www.lulu.com/jolinsdell
http://www.myspace.com/jolinsdell

Of Germans and UFO's

The video below is in German so I'm going to try and explain it.
I wanted to interview all the mountain climbers, but I didn't know what to ask them. Then I opened up the ever-present writer's notebook and found a half-finished story. What could be better than asking them for help with my UFO story?

So I told them what happened already:
Two people are sitting in a restaurant, when suddenly a blue light hovers outside the window. What happens next?

Most explained that it wasn't really a UFO - it was an ambulance, or a bike tail-light, or a lamp. One girl said that little green men got out and served up cake from Mars, and one guy said that the spaceship's captain just got out and introduced himself. Perhaps you'll catch his mime if you watch carefully.

So the general consensus is... Germans don't believe in UFO's. But at least we had some fun finding out. Enjoy the scenery!

Petticoat Ranch by Mary Connealy

This is a rather unusual Western full of modern satire, girl power, and the supernatural. And no, Petticoat Ranch is not the name of the piece of land in question. It’s just an apt title for a story of a farm full of women – not one of them wishy-washy. A young widow and her girls get by in the wilderness, until her late husband’s brother shows up…

The tale begins with a dramatic night-time rescue of said brother-in-law, followed closely by a hurried wedding. The pace hardly lets up as the sudden newlyweds lock into a battle of wills. Sophie and Clay give each other plenty of reason to get mad, but they have to work together to outwit the killers after their ranch. Sophie’s four daughters confuse Clay mightily with their crying and shrieking while they hide from him the fact that their prowess with guns and horses is on a par with his own. Clay learns that it’s hurtful to call someone stupid, and Sophie learns to let Clay do the heavy work she’s been used to since Cliff died.

Clay does his best to protect his newly-acquired womenfolk, but in the end they take care of the problem themselves. It’s almost pure delight to observe the men rushing off on wild goose trails while the girls set traps, load their guns and tie up bad guys with a matter-of-fact skill.

The supernatural aspect is an underlying simple communication between Sophie and God, which is miraculously overheard by far distant friends who then set out to help her. The timing is always perfect, whether for Sophie’s booby-traps or the arrival of the troops.

The result is a highly spiritual Western adventure full of hilarious moments as well as serious Christian growth. In between Clay’s getting buried in petticoats, threatened with a soup ladle by his little wife, or spied on by gangsters, and Sophie praying, building booby-traps, or fighting off the desire for revenge, there’s never a dull moment.

The storyline is squeaky clean, to the extent that it surprised me when Sophie announces she’s pregnant. Yes, this is a romance, but a very practical one – men don’t like talking, women are smart, men yell and women cry, men want to be protectors and women wear long rustly dresses. Some of these things may almost seem clichéd, but the way it’s all told here, it sure sheds a humourous light on the gender battles that still go on today.

It is perhaps a little incongrous to see so many elements of modern thinking in the Wild West. However, it is certainly more than obvious that it’s the rigours of the West that force people to be innovative.

A sharp-eyed view of the world as seen by a tough Western woman is salted with occasional comments from her husband, only proving how very opposite their thinking is. Girls, don’t miss this one…

And don't forget to visit CFRB Central to see what the others are saying!

Sci-Fi Still Too Unpopular with Christians

A quick comment on a very prevalent prejudice among Christians...

The other day I came across a new Christian publisher (who shall remain unnamed) and read through their submission guidelines. Down the bottom was a list of genres they don't accept. There along with erotica and porn and violence they listed sci-fi!

I promptly wrote to them and asked why as nicely as I could, and stated that I was very saddened to see it in a list with porn etc. I also said I don't need them to bend the rules for me, but I do wonder why they exclude a genre with so much potential for touching people's hearts.

A very nice lady wrote back to me immediately and explained the quandary they find themselves in when deciding what is acceptable - the traditional Lost Genre/bridging-the-gap problem we're all too familiar with. After all, the LGG was founded as a support network precisely because most Christians find our genres unacceptable, and most mainstream genre writers/publishers/readers are not interested in God. This same problem pops up all over the place.

Anyway, because of what I said, they had a rethink and took sci-fi out of the no-no list. They still don't want aliens, but futuristic is okay. So those with alien stories will still have to go to Wayfarers' Journal or Raygun Revival.

Slowly, surely, the lost genre moves forward... :) It may seem like a small step, but I was encouraged at how easy it was to point out the prejudice to the publisher, and that they so graciously re-worded their guidelines, at least a little bit...

Catholic science fiction? Seeing is believing...

Review: Infinite Space, Infinite God
Karina and Robert Fabian, Editors

CFRB Tour for April

http://isigsf.tripod.com

Are you ready to have your imagination expanded beyond what you thought possible, while doing some serious thinking? Then this is the book for you. This extraordinary collection of fifteen science fiction short stories from a Catholic viewpoint will take you places you’ve never dreamed of. Hold on tight…

Walk beside a priest on a moonbase, then a soldier on Mars, as they each face the question of whether clones and reconstructed people have souls. In fact, the issue of cloning and genetic manipulation is handled from many different angles, shedding much light on the questions that must arise. Part-animal humans appear more than once and are sometimes discriminated against, sometimes beloved by children, and once even rescued by Saint Francis from the hatred of a Middle Ages community.

An unlikely evangelist is abducted by aliens, while in another place the mystical communion wafers are miraculously multiplied on an isolated asteroid. A hermit monk, seeking silence, acknowledges his call to a raucous moonport, and a young girl finds her destiny as a gun-toting bodyguard nun. A century of isolation causes the community on a lost ship to begin worshipping the earth, while two true believers help an unwitting visitor to escape the cult’s clutches. Appearances of Mary and the saints contribute here and there to the launch of a colony starship and the saving of a space station. The last two tales take up the rather more disturbing topics of deadly time-travel and the computer-aided confession of a Catholic terrorist.

These stories cover an immense breadth and depth of subject matter, locations on Earth, on the moon, and in far-off star systems. While I’m not a Catholic, many of the issues addressed are relevant for all Christians, and the things I found strange do provide some fascinating insights into Catholic thought and theology. In short, this anthology blows classic speculative fiction out of the water time and time again with amazing twists on the eternal question: “What if…” while giving you just enough time, in each longish short story, to ponder a little along these lines for yourself.

Each time I picked up this book to read a story, I came away enriched somehow by the multitude of new possibilities opening up around every corner. “What if” really is a much bigger question than I ever thought. The dark side of each new realm of possibility also plays a big part. Don’t expect a bunch of happy endings – rather, expect realistic results in a world that is every bit as tough as our present day, if not even tougher, as man penetrates the void of space. But hope also shines through in the midst of desperate circumstances.

I believe good science fiction should, among other things, always stretch your brain – and that’s just what this collection has done for me…fifteen times over. Watch out world – the Fabians are coming! And it looks like they're bringing their friends...

http://isigsf.tripod.com