|
| ||||||
Subj: Someone has to read the books to write the Cliff's Notes.. Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 08:18:24 pm EDT (Viewed 2 times) | Reply Subj: Fewer and fewer students bother once the Cliff's Notes are released. Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 06:02:19 pm EDT (Viewed 487 times) | ||||||
Quote: Quote: My editor asks if you could repost your review on the Amazon page listing the book. You might need to excise your comments about Lisette - or offer a very comprehensive footnote.Quote: I think it's best that I don't provide an explanation of what you've done to poor Lisette to the general public. She's been through enough without being dragged into the spotlight.I imagine her videos are still popular. Quote: A version of my initial thoughts has been added to the amazon order page, slightly edited for that format.Thanks. Apparently its very important to do things with Amazon rankings and feedback and things since it affect retail orders and so on. I don't have the interest levels to work out how to use Amazon association pages to get it more prominently promoted and so on. I wrote it. Other people can try and sell it if they want. Quote: Given that I've never had a particular ambition to write a Robin Hood story - this was more by way of a commission - I found msyelf warming to the characters as I went. This is also more polished than my usual PV work, since people were paying for it.Quote: I thought it might have been the publisher's idea, but you took to it quite naturally I thought. The were happy to publish my Arthurian stuff too, but I thought I'd see what they were like before handing them things I'd already written. Psychologically it felt different giving them something I'd written knowing it was for them than something I've held onto for a while. Of the list of things they offered Robin Hood seemed like the best choice. Quote: Not to knock your PV work, but I'd say the polish showed as well... although perhaps I was merely overly seduced to be reading your work on nicely laid-out pages rather than hunched over my monitor. Still, while I've enjoyed your non-PV writing before, it's new that I'd happily take the next bit of this story over the next chapter of Untold Tales. There is something very satisfying about reading a story in book format. That said, apparently Assembled is now being kindled. Quote: That said, if more of this is at least a year out, you can hurry along that next UT chapter...I'll be getting to that in the next week or so. This weekend's about more writing for publication, including a proofing/second draft of Robin Hood: Arrow of Justice. Quote: Quote: I was trying hard to blend the styles to include that pulp action feel. It wasn't actualy that difficult. Somewhere in the deep literary roots of pulp fiction are the medieval Robin Hood 'gestes'.Quote: Yes, I believe you said much the same thing in the afterword. It shows quite well, and considering the popularity of the Errol Flynn version of the character, it's not surprising.My favourite interpretation of the legend is the 1980s UK TV series Robin of Sherwood, a well-researched well-written production with an excellent soundtrack by Clannad. Recommended. Quote: Quote: This might sound familiar. I started out to write one book but as it went on it became apparent that it would require three volumes to do the story justice. The second one is written and is due with the publisher in June, which might put publication date as early next year.Quote: Is it publishing costs that keep the page number of the volumes down then? My one qualm to a unreserved endorsement to everyone I know is the rather steep cost for the number of pages. I'm assuming the print run is small, hence the higher price point. It's a bit of a shame, because I think the story would be great fun for casual readers, and yet I think it requires an audience willing to support the work rather than being an impulse purchase by those who just want the most entertainment bang for their dollar.Yes, I think the price point's prohibitive. I'm not familiar with the economics of it, though. By the way, did the volume include a map? I sent them a map. Quote: I'm not as experienced at writing novel-length stories as I am at shorter things and I'm still on a learning curve. I have five or six novels sitting on my hard drive but bringing them to a "ready to print" level of finish is still challenging to me.Quote: Well, again, you've done a fine job here. I'm looking forward to reading it. It'll come out fresh. Quote: Quote: We return to Ros in book two. I wouldn't just leave her like that.Quote: Well, you wouldn't leave Lisette like that either, but hopefully you mean there are brighter days coming rather than worse things you could still do...You can certainly hope. Quote: Quote: Another thing that often happens in Robin Hood stories is that pretty much all of Robin's band are together already, or else all join in one event. That can make them pretty generic. I wanted to offer each one of the traditional cast their own intro and little story arc. The only major character missing is the minstrel Alan a Dale, and he's in book two.Quote: That's a good point, and I think one of the reasons your version works so well for me. Everyone, hero and villain, has their role to play, with multiple masters to serve. Their different motivations make them line up as believable allies, rather than just predetermined Merry Men.That seemed important to me. In book two there's a different cast so some of the book one crew don't have as much to do but at least they're established and I can cameo them and make readers recognise them. Quote: I can write them faster than the publishers can publish them.Quote: Someone ought to grease the presses then.I think it's the limits of editorial time. Airship 27 aim to produce a book each month this year and there's a queue forming. And in associated news, I'm told this book's getting a nomination for Pulp Fiction Novel of the Year next time. | |||||||
