Monday, October 2, 2023

men writing women - some help for male writers

 For fun, I am going to address men miswriting women. And I'll talk about how not to do this. I will also be doing the flipside of this eventually (women miswriting men). Let's get into it. 

I'm going to begin by showing you a video I find absolutely hilarious. It is women writing men. Buckle in, ladies and gents. Get ready to fall off your couch laughing. 

Today's discussion is on how to actually write the female human. We're going to start with mistakes to avoid. We'll also discuss the sexism. If you have read (Ian Fleming or otherwise) men writing a female character as if they were fantasizing you understand. I do love James Bond books, but simply put, I'd like to shake Fleming for writing the phrase "silly b*tch" in a book. Do I still love James Bond books and collect them? Yes, but that's because they are otherwise great books you should pick up at least once. Fortunately, only Fleming is sexist. The other authors drop the sexist tone pretty dang quick. 

Common Mistakes

The appearance of a character being their personality is one mistake that can be made. Rule 1 of a character should be making their personality strong. I'm not saying you can't care about what they look like, but characters drive your plot. A character whose personality is their boobs, hair, curvy body, or purple eyes isn't going to drive your plot anywhere, except maybe into the charity shop where women dropped it off after they stopped reading it. 

Over-description of any female body part is a bad move - especially if it is a female perspective you are writing from. We don't stare at our boobs in the mirror. We don't look at ourselves any more than you do. The only time I stare at my boobage is when I'm feeling self-conscious about how much I'm showing, which is a tip for any male writing a woman. If you aren't sure if you over-described it, hand it to a woman and have her read it. Don't mention boobs. Those are normal to women and don't get much of a thought in our minds unless we're shopping for bras or dresses. Stop short of adding "she was a (insert cup size)" or "her breasts spilled out of her dress like two pillows". Too much of that nonsense and you lose the female audience entirely. 

The concept of someone being the support character is not a bad thing if your character has a plot of her own and can stand on her own. The point here is that the female should be able to stand on her own. She's not a prop. She should be her own character. She should do more than serve the male characters. Let's be real, no women in your life only live to serve men unless we're talking about prostitution and slavery. Women free of both those things have their own lives, opinions, and thoughts. Your characters should do the same. I know slavery shows up in stories, to be fair, but even then she should have her own thoughts and dreams. 

Female friendships are not shallow. While sometimes you do get backstabbed or talk about men, that isn't all we do. It is also a good guide to give personality types to your characters. INFJs, for example, will have a small, tight circle of people in contrast to extroverted personality types. Women who are close look out for each other fiercely. Women talk about other women, life events, what they have for dinner, and when they'll next come over to hang out. Give your friendships depth whether the character is female or male. 




Beta Reading is the act of getting outside feedback for your writing. Men who write women need to do this every time. Seriously, bite the bullet and have a woman do it. I hate the process as much as you do, but it's worth it, even just to get a good view of how your writing comes across. It makes sense to you because you wrote it. A woman may read it and not agree. It's a reality check if anything. It should be on every writer's editing list to do this at least a few times before publishing. It'll keep you off lists like the video above. 

What it comes down to at the end of the day is what George RR Martin has said: "I Write them as people." Start with a person, not a woman or a man. Just a person. I observe and create characters, personally, so start with that if you have no idea where to begin. Logically deduce and fill in holes where you need to. It isn't hard to write a person. You can do it. I believe in you. 

Sexism

Some of this comes from the time period a book was written (1940s, 1950s), but you'll notice that it hasn't actually stopped. Sad as this is, I'm going to talk about how to avoid the sexism in your book. It may have crept into your words and maybe only the women noticed it. I'm not kidding. I also implore you to get a beta reader who will notice this stuff has crept in. In a patriarchy of good and bad patriarchs you'll get some ideas spread that you may think are normal, yet shouldn't be. There are literally whole groups on the internet that hate women. Don't think our society hasn't absorbed some of it - even the women in your life. The way we think of our role in society is influenced by our society. Think on that for a bit. 

One way to avoid some sexist language is to try using gender-neutral pronouns. I know this is more of a grammar thing, but it may help you. For example, the terms fireman vs. firefighter, and not assuming the gender of an occupation are ways to smoothly use nonsexist language. It puts both genders on the same playing field. Need help with that? Try this link here. Also, this one and this other one.

 Going with the subtle language above, most of which proves the patriarchy is still alive and well, don't refer to a grown woman as a girl. If you do choose that term, though, you'd best refer to a man as a boy. Even that playing field. Parallel your terms for men and women, girls and boys, ladies and lords, etc... Depending on when your book takes place it may also be good to have your character not refer to a couple as Mr. and Mrs. Adam Smith. The alternative is Mr. Adam Smith and Mrs. Jane Smith. 

If you wouldn't say it to a man, don't say it to a woman. There is a whole list of phrases that are man-focused, such as "you throw like a girl", "man up", "grow a pair", and the list goes on. There are also phrases for women that get thrown around by men (and I'll admit that women do the same to men, so let's not blame only men for name-calling).  These phrases include "sl*t", "wh*re", "asking for it", "easy", "loose"', "b*tch", and a few others I won't list. Don't refer to women as slurs like this. If we did the same to you in your books you wouldn't like it, either.

Avoiding stereotypes about women should be a great start to not writing sexist statements. Not all women are homemakers and not all of us care excessively about looks. We're taught to by society, in fact, we're also taught that men are what we should all be chasing, but when you start reflecting on this reality it starts to make you wonder what we've been conditioned to believe. Women have been taught by many sources that relationships and the home are the female sphere. Women have a glass ceiling in the workplace and sometimes do twice the work because they come home to what is known as the "second shift", which is taking care of kids. Stereotypes will get you nowhere in your writing. Break those and be original. Women have also been shoved into the category of being children at different times in society, and even today when you look at ads it shows up.  If you want some more info on this, check out this link here. 



A Note For Historical Fiction Writers


When it comes to historical fiction I completely understand that this is sometimes unavoidable, especially if you want to make a point about how women have been treated by society. In this scenario, I would show how women feel about their roles and talk about that. Have a woman be offended by being limited by society, show a woman battling over whether she should enter the workforce during the Cold War, and reveal that a woman isn't entirely happy after WWII has ended and she has to re-enter the domestic sphere. You can include characters that say sexist things to your female characters as long as you have the women realistically react. I'm not saying you can't write a Frank Burns (MASH reference) into your storyline; what I am saying is that women shouldn't be described as "silly b*tches" and be referred to as lesser than a man (unless your character is an outright donkey on purpose). To establish men as being superior to women as normal is damaging to society. Historical fiction is one thing (accurate history is not always pretty), but casually dropping the idea that women are mostly pretty objects and should only serve men is not healthy. Women are people. Write them as such. 

When in doubt, call some female beta readers and have them read it. We know a realistic reaction when we see one. We can help. Call on us for feedback on your writing. We'll do that for you. If you had blatant sexism and badly described women we'll call you out on it and gently lead you down the path of good writing. I don't want to see you on a list. Ask us about our lives and we'll share real experiences you can base your book on. 



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I wrote a book! I am delighted to say that I have four five-star reviews up on Amazon now, which is amazing. I hope you like it, too. If you're interested in buying a paperback or ebook version go to my website link in this blog or click here to go straight to my Amazon page. 





Jack Thomas is running from a past case. He's hiding in Wrenville. Is his past case catching up with him? 

Find out in my first book, Wrenville, a stand-alone suspense novel.














Sources:













Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Hardback cover for Wrenville is available!

 Today is a joyous day! The hardcover edition of Wrenville has arrived at the party. I am here to tell you all about it. 


In case you were wondering what the new cover looked like, this is it. You are no longer left in suspense (not that I left anyone in suspense, really). I decided to do this because it needed to be done. It was crying out to be done. I changed the ebook to this cover and released the hardcover edition with the alternate cover you see before you. I can't wait to see how this shakes out!

Can you still buy the original paperback cover? Sure, you can buy the paperback version. I'm leaving that cover as it is so any collectors who want all the covers can have that one, too. There are also people like me who don't care as much about the cover as they do about the story inside it. 

Where can I get the hardcover edition? That's easy, just go to Amazon at this link. It'll take you directly to the hardcover edition of the book. Obviously, this post will be short and sweet (because I don't have all that much to say). This was a quick blurb to announce that I released the hardcover Wrenville edition. 

Thank you for all your support! I couldn't do this without you and my readers. You are my village. Please consider supporting me by buying a copy of Wrenville, whether you are passing it to a friend or reading it yourself. Below is the blurb I put on the back cover. 


Jack Thomas, a private investigator on the run from one of his past cases, found Wrenville in an effort to hide. Is he safe here, or has his past caught up with him?

Monday, September 25, 2023

Possible Alternate Cover?

 Today is a discussion, a discussion on whether I should change the book cover for my ebook and create an alternate version of my paperback version. Today I need your comments and opinions. I only get a few comments on my blog posts, but today is the day if you want to comment. Let's get into it. 


This image to your left is what I designed today in Canva. I like it better than my original cover creation, but would not eliminate the original cover if I uploaded this version onto KDP. I would, however, replace the ebook cover entirely. Ebooks are less likely to be admired on a shelf, thus I feel okay with just replacing the cover image. 

Why do I want your comments? I want to know whether you would buy this cover over the original cover. For real, I need your opinions. I couldn't do this without my village. My blog readers are part of my village. My family, friends, and coworkers are part of my village. If you are reading this you are a part of that village. I am asking for the help. If you hate this cover you can say it. If you love this cover you can say it. If this cover is almost there but needs something else you can say it. I'm listening, village, I'm listening. 



                                               



     I have included the original cover here for comparison's sake. This is the ebook, for reference. What you see here is the ebook cover. I'm pretty sure I might just make the alternate option my ebook cover. It's a serious consideration. 


As it is hard for me to show you the paperback cover in a neat picture (because it has to wrap around a book) and simply import it into my post, I am taking a picture of it myself, too. The back will not change. My information will not change. The description of the book will not change. Only the front design will change. See left for the whole view and below for the front view. 

Now that you have a comparison image or two let me know what you think. I don't often ask for comments, but I do today. God bless you all, everyone. Cheers!



Since you all know I wrote a book now, let me give you the amazon link to it: Amazon - paperback and ebook



 




Fear of silence


Stop and turn off all the background noise. You hear that silence? That lack of sound hitting your ears? Do you want it to stop? Do you like it? For me, it depends on the time of day. Today we're talking about the fear of silence. Let's get into it. Deep dive time!

Courtesy of medium.com


I can deal with silence for a long time while reading a good book. It is at night when that silence starts to frighten me. This is probably true for most people you know. I also have a substantial theory on one reason I get interrupted while reading: Society teaches us to be uncomfortable with silence. This is why introverts get frustrated and readers get annoyed while being interrupted while reading in public.  

Shut off all your background YouTube, ASMR, TV, and Netflix at night for five minutes and feel the silence. We feel a need for constant sound. But do we really need it? No, not all the time. Camping proves that. To be fair, though, nature is nearly never silent - it just isn't overly loud. 

I'm going to talk about why quiet and silence make people uncomfortable and then talk about the legitimate fear of silence that makes people afraid of it. As defined by Psych Central, silence is the absence of intentional sound. 

Society and Silence

Silence can be taken as disapproval, being dim-witted, being stand-offish, arrogance, disinterest, rudeness, ignoring someone, and offense being taken. Quiet people get judged more than you know. This means that introverts get judged for sitting in comfortable silence with a book. Or interrupted many times over. No words being spoken doesn't mean that you are being judged; it only means no words are being spoken. Maybe you think silence is someone's anger. In some cases, it can be, but not every person likes excess noise. 

Courtesy of wallpapersshare.com
Society tells us to be social, yes? Well, this means that people who are quite happy in their calm homes get labeled hermits sometimes. Not all of us like loud parties and crowds. Loud is the word to notice. Loud can overwhelm a person who has a loud mind already. Loud can cause sensory overload (where everything under the sun is too loud and you can't process anything). I think society is too loud. I think we need to dial down the noise level and get used to periods of quiet. We don't need excess noise in a world where everyone is shouting over everyone else. 

Go camping in a quiet campground in the woods for a week and come back. Do you hear the difference? You should. Nature has birds and frogs sounding off pleasantly. The busy workplace or the city you live in will be so much louder than the night music of the woods. Assuming a bear didn't maul you during that trip, you'll probably want to go back and camp for a few more weeks instead of returning. I prefer the subtle chirp of spring peepers and the bird songs. Society gives us excess noise and fills the silence. But do we really need to fill that silence? No, not in my opinion. 

Fear of Silence

At night alone I will start to turn on comedy movies to break the silence - this is coming from someone who prefers the quiet. Why? I lived in a haunted house once. I also experienced some weird stuff as a kid that almost exclusively happened at night. When I was alone. I think you get the point by now. Silent houses creak and moan. Much of it can be explained away if you bother to investigate, but all the same, we'd rather drown it out with our Netflix shows and audiobooks. 

Fear of ghosts ties right into this and so does fear of the dark. Or, as a friend once put it, what is in the dark. Another person can reassure you with their natural noise (my parent's snoring, my husband's occasional jerk while asleep, and body warmth... etc.). But dead silence? No. Especially if you hear a sound that isn't familiar and you aren't at a familiar place. Or you can't place the sound and you are in your own home. 

Sedatephobia is the very real, very legitimate fear of silence. These people need constant noise. This has nothing to do with the dark. Complete silence will make these people panic attack. This could be a trauma response (locked up somewhere for a long time with no sound at all, news of a loved one's death along with silence), but it isn't necessarily that. Technology is believed to cause this, too, as some people need constant tech with them. Silence can also be frightening and can connect to ghostly fears. Do you have this fear? Let's go through the symptoms together. We have trembling/shivering/shaking, dry mouth and sweaty palms, inability to speak and detachment, feeling numb, wanting to cry or flee, or rapid heartbeat or nausea - all while in quiet places. I don't have this at all. Maybe you do. Silence can be associated with death. 

Silence in culture

It can mean many things, including a polite way to say you disagree (no screaming involved) or agree (who says you have to speak everything verbally?). This is generally a listening culture (Japan or China, for example) that likes to keep peace. However, the West (and also Canada) is a speaking culture. This means a lack of engagement or disagreement in this context. Some think you offended them and you are angry. Many rush to fill the silence (and sometimes even us introverts fall into doing that if we aren't used to someone). Hierarchical culture means the person speaking is the elder and towards the top of the food chain. The lower people speak little and only when spoken to. This has a lot of context with us, even if we don't realize it. Think about the South in the time of slavery or Victorian servanthood; we have had a hierarchical culture in our society at times, and probably still do if you bother to look deeper into history. 

When you look at negotiations, silence can be a tool to get more. When a speaking and listening culture misunderstands each other the listening culture may get better offers, mainly because one person is seeing silence as disapproval. Know your cultures, dear readers, if you are in a multi-cultural zone. Know how the other places operate before negotiating. Silence in some places means yes and "Go on, I'm on board". The Chinese are trained to make us uncomfortable because they know we hate the pause. 

Sometimes those who speak first lose in negotiations, such as job offers (salary discussions) and making deals in business. When you should speak up is when you are in court. Silence is suspicious sometimes to juries. You should also speak up if something is going on in your workplace that sounds fishy. Say something about a decision that is odd because chances are the manager assumes silence as approval. 

Most English speakers find four seconds to be awkward. The Japanese, however, can be quite okay with 8.2 seconds of silence. Haragei (belly talk) is the idea that silence is the best communication. Here we say (as my great grandma told me) "The squeaky wheel gets the grease", but in Japan silence is golden. 
The Fins also like silence. 

Silence is good for public speaking. Pause by your main points, then keep going. Training someone is also a good time to pause and let your trainee ask questions and absorb what you just said. 

Technology's role in all this

Before the radio one couldn't simply break the silence, other than talking. The radio was a revolutionary tech everyone loved and huddled around. That began a trend I see everywhere; when there is silence we turn on our technology. Depending on where you live, you could get used to a quiet existence or be used to a lot of city noise. But all the same, we don't like a vast sea of silence and decide we need to turn something on. I include myself in this, too. I do this at night.

Courtesy of girlinthejitterbugdress.com
Sometimes, though, we find the technology too loud and seek to turn it off and leave it in a corner so we can think. Many have sought to avoid loud tech. I see my phone in this light. We seek both sound and silence. I alternate between the two like an indecisive cat. I think many of us do that if we're honest. There is a balancing act to it. Unfortunately, the world doesn't seem to maintain a healthy balance from my perspective; I have to go into my own home to achieve that balance. 

Technology is not entirely to blame here. One issue is being accustomed to background noise. As I sit here listening to Legend of Zelda Lofi I'm guilty of this, too. We're used to something playing in the background. When that isn't there we get a bit jumpy and uncomfortable. Try turning some of the unnecessary noise off every once in a while, starting once a day. You can unlearn this. 

Why we don't like it

There are many reasons we don't like silence and one of them is what we have been raised in. We've been raised in a loud world. I have learned to adjust to a loud world that I know won't adjust to me. Even so, as I read about silence I find introverted people like me also turn on devices daily to fill silence. Maybe I do fear silence, after all. We've gotten used to background noise all day long. I work to lofi and ambience music in my office job. I put on Pandora while folding laundry. Introvert or not, I don't like total silence, either. 

Another major reason is we like being distracted from our own thoughts. Yep, we're going here. Did you ever sit and process your day in silence? I have, but usually, I am verbally processing it when I'm alone. I fill the silence with verbal prayers. I only journal and write (and read) in true silence because my brain is not silent on the inside. Are you processing your thoughts? Or are you just turning on a movie to avoid it? 

To clarify why thoughts are scary, let's talk about my experience. I have a lot of projects I do (all hobbies plus my writing) and some of why I do this has to do with my brain going back to the one time I embarrassed myself in elementary school and junior high, said the wrong thing to someone one random day, did something stupid in general, or a traumatic moment from when I was five. Yep, my brain likes to time travel to bad moments on occasion and I have to process and redirect my thoughts in those times of silence. This is why some people constantly plug into media (aside from addiction to media). I have learned and constantly remind myself to stay in the present by grounding (saying one to four things I see, hear, smell, sometimes taste, touch). It works, so you should try it, too. It redirects your mind to what is happening now. Stay present. Catch yourself time-traveling and redirect those thoughts. Silence can bring up a lot of stuff you tried to avoid, too, so process that when it comes up. Journal in any way (verbal or written) or talk it out with someone. Prayer really helps me deal with my mental health, too.

Comfort Listening and Other Concepts

I've said predictability is comforting before. Today is no exception. This topic has a lot to do with that. Comfort is hearing a familiar voice or an old classic from your movie collection. The noise we choose has to do with predictability. It's called "comfort listening". This is why a favorite comedy movie or an episode of a TV show I love is going to be a common choice for me when I'm on edge. 

Boredom is the other enemy. We want stimulation and something to do. Our world has taught us to be busy and always moving, but do we really need to be? No,  it actually causes exhaustion. We aren't used to a lack of activity, social or otherwise, thus boredom becomes the enemy. I see this in myself. I have ten million hobbies to keep me busy. 

I have nothing against white noise. In fact, some studies say it helps neurodivergent people focus. What I am saying is what I said before; We need a balance of both. Constant noise is not good, but not enough noise will actually drive someone to insanity. Stimulation is the same scenario. Long story short, times of silence and times of activity are both good for you in good balance.

Courtesy of blogspot.com


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I wrote a book! I am delighted to say that I have four five-star reviews up on Amazon now, which is amazing. I hope you like it, too. If you're interested in buying a paperback or ebook version go to my website link in this blog or click here to go straight to my Amazon page. 





Jack Thomas is running from a past case. He's hiding in Wrenville. Is his past case catching up with him? 

Find out in my first book, Wrenville, a stand-alone suspense novel.












Sources:






Monday, September 18, 2023

Good books that aren't light reading

I love a good story that you can sink your teeth into and discuss at length. I need depth in my media. At times that means a story isn't sunshine, rainbows, and unicorns. Here are some of my suggestions for good books that are not light reading.

Courtesy of booksnap.blogspot.com


By "not light reading" I mean that they involve sex, the old west that has its own rules, revenge, murder, the poor on the streets, prostitution, war, a handful of suicides, and probably a lot of death. We are talking about Les Miserable, the whole Lonesome Dove series, The Count of Monte Cristo, and Tolkien in general. Light? No, we aren't speaking of what you read your kids at night. Some of it also includes older English words (archaic words, sometimes). Strap in. I will put the trigger warning for each book individually, as well. 

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

It translates to "the miserable ones", so I think you know what to expect. Jean Valjean gets out of prison and steals from a priest, who gives him a second chance. This leads to his redemption and a change of identity. All the while, he tries to help those who are in bad situations. This is all happening in France during the barricades and revolution against the king. He does die at the end. It will make you cry. 

Trigger warnings include prostitution, the destitute on the streets, death, a nasty description of the sewer systems that Jean Valjean has to go through, battles, and a lot of thieves. Basically, the miserable ones. Yep, this one is pretty straightforward. It is also very long and about 1500 pages. Strap in for this one. It'll take you months, even as an avid reader. It has a lot of tangents on convents and war, too. Don't pick it up if you can't finish a small novel. Just watch the movie if you can't read long books. Also, Hugo likes having multiple plotlines. If you can't follow more than one plotline you'll get really confused real quick. 

Courtesy of milkenroar.com
If you like this one, The Hunchback of Notre Dame by the same author is excellent. And long. And has long descriptions of a cathedral, as well as proof the British accused people of witchcraft, and the cartoon movie was not accurate at all. Oh, and it talks about lust in priests and how Esmerelda was only 16, and the soldier was a real drunken jerk. The Catholic church hated Les Miserables and the Hunchback of Notre Dame. The government of France did, too. It's on the banned books list. 


        The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Take Les Miserables and imagine he didn't redeem himself. The book describes how Edmund Dantes gets wrongly imprisoned, figures out who put him there, and then destroys their homes from the inside out by sheer influence under another identity. He escaped prison and slowly destroys the lives of those who wrongly claimed he was a political traitor. Revenge is never pretty. 

Trigger warnings include murders by poison (including a child being poisoned), a distressing death via seizure, at least two almost suicides and two successful suicides, revenge that goes way too far, and French politics in general. It also includes archaic words and a lot of older English. It is not something a ten-year-old (I tried) could understand well. I reread it as an adult and now fully understand why I was so upset by a character's death (seizure death, not pretty). 

This is not an easy book to read. Just know that. It is worth it, but please don't read it to younger children. It is a level of intensity that is only for adults who can understand the storyline. You will cry and gasp all book long. All the plotlines weave into each other, so if you get confused it will all make sense eventually. 


The Lonesome Dove Series

This is a series about two Texas rangers, Woodrow Call and Gus McCrae. Each book can be a standalone or part of the series. It can be read in any order, but it goes in this timeline: Dead Man's Walk, Comanche Moon, Lonesome Dove, Streets of Laredo. They are excellent, but quite clearly show the lawlessness of the untamed West. 

Trigger warnings include death, torture, sex, rape, murder, bad treatment of women and generally captives, mistreatment of animals, mentally distressed captives, suicide, sexually deviant people, cussing and language, hangings, native American raids, death by disease, prostitution, and man-burners killing settlers. Also, Mexican bandits, death by poison, and death by gangrene. 

I will say that he doesn't describe sex in a way that sensualizes it or makes it romantic. No, he is so vague that when he describes several rapes in a row he describes the lighting so your mind does the work. Also, the sex is mostly one short paragraph and it is not graphic in physical descriptions. I could read it, so keep that in mind. The west was not a tame zone and the Native American tribes were not all nice, especially Kiowa bands and Comanches. These are also long books, but if you sit down for a good few hours you'll get a lot read in one go. 



JRR Tolkien

Courtesy of storypick.com
And here we have a lot of fantasy and lots of pages. Tolkien has a loyal fanbase. Fortunately for those who don't want sex in their fantasy, Tolkien didn't put it in. At least I think he didn't. Correct me if I am wrong. In this collection we have The Hobbit, The LOTR (Lord of the Rings) trilogy, and The Silmarillion (which it is joked that you get credit for trying to read). The movies are long and so are the books. It is one fantasy series that is deemed hard to read by some individuals. 

Trigger warnings include battles, death, child abuse, slavery, suicide, and orcs being their disgusting selves. This book is tame compared to other fantasy series. What may dissuade you from reading it is the way the author writes. Large vocabulary and writing style means you need to take your time reading it. This isn't going to take one afternoon; it'll take getting used to Tolkien's style. This one has archaic words you may not understand. Pull up your Google dictionary if you need to. It won't be the movie, fellow readers, just know that. 

It is recommended that you start with The Hobbit, then go into the trilogy. Don't start with the Silmarillion. The Silmarillion is a history of middle earth and won't be a light read. If you tackle this one try reading along with an audiobook or The Prancing Pony podcast (season 1, specifically). 


The Fantasy Series I Tried To Read

A Song of Fire and Ice was attempted this year. I got 1/6th through the first novel and noped out fast. It was like the book got heavier and my will to read it dwindled into nothing. I'd look at it and say "not today" every day. I decided that after sobbing over a direwolf and seeing how cruel the royal family was I was not going to make it through even book one. I tried. I had even acquired four of the books. I got rid of all of them (and got less than a dollar back from a used bookstore). 

Why am I telling you this? Because George RR Martin is a master of writing characters. And he was too good at writing for me to keep reading (weird, I know). I can't read that much cruelty and brutality in a book. I can't watch the Starks be destroyed like that.  Let me regale you with the trigger warnings for this book: abuse, rape, graphic violence, animal killing and death, incest, and gay characters. I added the gay characters here for those who don't desire to read books with homosexuality in them. I didn't reach that character 1/6th of the way in. Be warned. If you cannot handle brutality and cruelty in a book I'd leave this one be. 

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I wrote a book! I am delighted to say that I have four five-star reviews up on Amazon now, which is amazing. I hope you like it, too. If you're interested in buying a paperback or ebook version go to my website link in this blog or click here to go straight to my Amazon page. 





Jack Thomas is running from a past case. He's hiding in Wrenville. Is his past case catching up with him? 

Find out in my first book, Wrenville, a stand-alone suspense novel.
















Sources:


Monday, September 11, 2023

Reading reviews - the pros and cons

 I have heard mixed reviews on the Barbie movie, only to come to the conclusion that I would like to actually watch it myself rather than blindly believe reviewers. I have loved books others have hated. I have loved TV shows that others don't like. We all have different opinions on different media and books. Let's talk about the pros and cons of legitimately reading reviews on anything. 

Courtesy of Business 2 Community


While it is beneficial to know whether a product is a scam (Amazon reviews) and know how much nudity is in that TV show that looks kind of interesting (IMDB Parents Guide), not everyone sees the same genre as great or the same tropes as awful. Yes, you want to know whether you could be running into sex scenes you didn't ask for, but some plotlines that aren't x-rated may be loved or hated, garnering mixed reviews. Do you believe every review you read?

Why You Should Be Checking Reviews

Let's use Guardians of the Galaxy 3 as an example. I love the first and second movie but heard about Rocket's flashbacks. I looked up trigger warnings and decided to pass on it. This is a good reason to look at reviews. If you think there is something you can't handle it is best to look up the trigger warnings before you enter the theatre. It is of no use to buy a ticket to a movie you can't handle. IMDB parent guides are helpful here. 

Courtesy of fool.com
If you have had any addiction to pornographic content you should absolutely be doing your due diligence. I don't advocate watching safe TV often (as the quality of those films varies and may be kind of awful), but this is one case that maybe you should consider it. If you feel you might fall back into old habits that die hard don't pull up Game of Thrones and think you'll be fine. Hollywood caters to what sells, which is unfortunately sex. That's never changed, as awful as that reality is. Hollywood doesn't care as long as they make money. 


Kids are a joy to watch movies with. However, taking a kid to a theatre only to find that movie wasn't so tame isn't a fun experience. Parents, check out what your kids are watching (preferably without pulling the reins too tight). If a warning pops up that says 'for select audiences' you should probably veto that viewing choice until they are old enough. Specific age ranges can handle different things. If it is suggested that kids should watch with a parent, join them in the living room. PG movies are also good choices. Kids are one audience that doesn't generally read reviews, so parents need to. 

Who Do You Listen To?

Reviews are great, as long as the reviewer has the same taste in movies or books. That's the problem; not everyone loves the same tropes and genres. Not everyone is okay with a few sex scenes in a book or movie. Not everyone is okay with cursing in their media. I know people who also blindly believe reviewers that lie. This also goes for video games, for reference. Not all of us like playing Call of Duty and not all of us are entertained by Petz DS games. 

I will also note that the parent guide on IMDB is not a review, because it simply just tells you trigger warnings. It shows how many instances of violence and sex, etc... It may include spoilers, but it puts them in a whole section. It isn't a review, per se, but it does help you get perspective on what is in the film. I also found a website on book trigger warnings, and for that click here.

The question remains, who do we listen to? Well, let's start by looking into the reviewer and their personal tastes. Some reviewers go nuts when there are five curse words in a film. Others might be okay with one sex scene that is thirty seconds. Others may not care about nudity and some care about it so much that one shoulder or butt is a big deal. Look into the preferences of the reviewers before you go on their word. Seriously, it may make the difference between going to a good movie or missing one. Or it could mean you think a movie is fine and it isn't. Think about who is reviewing it. 

Courtesy of studyclix.web.fc2.com
How well is the review written? Is it written so someone could get a constructive view of how intense it is, or is it vague and unhelpful? That matters, too. For example, if some lady who hates fantasy reviewed a fantasy book it isn't going to be a good review and we all know it. A constructive review says what they liked and didn't like clearly. It also reflects on who might like it and who might hate it. 
Look out for spoilers, though. 

I am a Christian. I also watch secular content. Not every Christian is only watching safe TV. Keep in mind different Christians will vary on reviews. Some get upset when one person says one cuss word or one shoulder is exposed. Others may say as long as it doesn't glorify evil they can look past some stuff. Honestly, I believe that our world sometimes needs a mirror to its face. Know thy reviewer before going on their word. 

The problem with looking at reviews

You see, I have a beef with reviews. That beef is that you don't know if they watched it or not. You don't know sometimes. Bad reviews can kill good media quickly. Sometimes an author who is hated wrote a good book and it gets sandbagged. Sometimes people attack the media someone made instead of the person. People are also sheep who can blindly believe false reviews. I don't think we all value thinking for ourselves and that is a real shame. 

What I'm saying we should do is this; we need to use the common sense God gave us and the intelligence we were given to read reviews and engage with media while our brains are switched on. Don't trust just one source. Shop around and see what others said over there and over here. Look at trigger warnings, then decide. If you see mixed reviews I highly suggest you check it out for yourself before judging it to be trash or the best film of the year. I believe in you. Use that beautiful intelligence and turn that brain on. 


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I wrote a book! I am delighted to say that I have four five-star reviews up on Amazon now, which is amazing. I hope you like it, too. If you're interested in buying a paperback or ebook version go to my website link in this blog or click here to go straight to my Amazon page. 





Jack Thomas is running from a past case. He's hiding in Wrenville. Is his past case catching up with him? 

Find out in my first book, Wrenville, a stand-alone suspense novel.














Monday, September 4, 2023

Read it or Unhaul it - pt 1

 I was watching booktubers (Youtubers who talk about books) on Youtube and came upon a reading challenge entitled "Read it or unhaul it" on several booktuber channels. I have a long list of unread books on my shelves that need to stay and be loved or leave because they take up too much space. Let's just jump into it with both feet. 



 I picked three books at random to read. The rules go as follows:

1. I pick the book based on how they are numbered in my Excel sheet using a random number generator.

2. I read the three books and review them in this blog.

3. I decide to keep or unhaul them based on those reviews. 

Ready? Let's go! 

Book 1 - The Murder House by James Patterson / David Ellis 

   

 I started this book and loved the first two chapters, then they abruptly changed over to a character that lacked personality. I didn't care about the character, so after nine chapters I was not enjoying myself. I DNFed (did not finish) it. It hit my unhaul pile quickly. I looked at reviews and found that maybe other people like this book, but I don't. Jenna Murphy seemed to lack the personality that would have made the difference between me finishing it and me DNFing it. 




Book 2 - The Gangster By Clive Cussler/Justin Scott   

I loved this one, and it is staying in the collection. In fact, I may seek out more Isaac Bell adventures in the future as a direct result. Because I read this book, I want more of Isaac Bell. I love that character and no character in the entire book disappointed me in any way. They had depth. The plot had me going from start to finish. I didn't take all that long to read it. 

The plot is basically this; Isaac Bell gets two cases and solves them both. It is set in the early 1900s. The cases connect back to one person who is talked about in the prologue, which details young Isaac Bell being a troublesome college prankster. It connects him back to the VanDorn detective agency where all this takes place. He thwarts the assassination of President Roosevelt (Teddy Roosevelt) and takes out black hand extortionists taking advantage of Italian people. That's about it, with some added fight scenes and compelling character relationships. I especially liked that Bell's fiance was a woman of high intelligence. You can read it without the rest of the series or with it - either way, it rocks! 

Book 3 - Mirage By Clive Cussler and Jack Du Brul     

Well, this one wasn't awful. It was basically a group of highly talented veterans pulling off stunts similar to NUMA files. It was more military than NUMA files and I didn't entirely connect with Juan Cabrillo "the chairman" as much as I did Kurt Austin and Isaac Bell. I'm unhauling it. I didn't hate it, but I'm unhauling it. If you are more into military operations you might like it more than I did. I know it had good reviews online. The writing was good; I just didn't fully connect with the main character. It was also a little heavy on pop culture references. I skimmed two chapters in order to finish it off. I don't agree with the five-star ratings I saw, but I'll give it a 3.5 stars for good writing. I liked some of it. 





Conclusions - 

With this batch of Read-or-unhaul books done, let's discuss. I chose not to finish Murder House because the co-author's chapters bored me for seven of the nine chapters I read. That was a clear unhaul. The other unhaul was Mirage, which wasn't awful and wasn't my favorite. I liked some of it, but not all of it. It is still getting donated to another home. The one book I loved and would give five stars to is the Isaac Bell adventure The Gangster. It had my attention hook, line, and sinker. I have unhauled two books this round and kept one. 

I will keep doing this, by the way, so be on the lookout for other blogs on this particular theme. I am trying to clean out my bookshelves via read-or-unhaul challenge. I have too many books I haven't read. I'm a book dragon. 

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I wrote a book! I am delighted to say that I have four five-star reviews up on Amazon now, which is amazing. I hope you like it, too. If you're interested in buying a paperback or ebook version go to my website link in this blog or click here to go straight to my Amazon page. 





Jack Thomas is running from a past case. He's hiding in Wrenville. Is his past case catching up with him? 

Find out in my first book, Wrenville, a stand-alone suspense novel.