Sunday, April 21, 2013
A Book Filled Photoshoot
With 200 or so books(some over 100 years old) some feather butterflies and a beautiful 70 degree Texas February day, Mel and I had an absolute blast commemorating her upcoming graduation in photos. She is set to graduate May 11th from UNT where she is an English Major. She is an awesome lady and one of the best friends I've ever had. I hope you all enjoy our fun yet highly symbolic (and slightly humorous) photo shoot!
In case you missed the humor (or she fooled you) Mel is blind. The upside down book is a little way of saying "You must be able to laugh at yourself"
Mountains of books to symbolize not only her academic career but the continuation of her story from this chapter on.
Butterflies to symbolize new beginnings. "This butterfly has burst from its cocoon"
Thursday, April 18, 2013
My Author Page!!
It's official! My author page is up and running on Facebook! Head on over and like it as we'll as share it with your friends!
Www.facebook.com/MOppermanNichols
Cheers!
Www.facebook.com/MOppermanNichols
Cheers!
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
To My Author Friends: On Reading a Bad Review
So as my book gets closer and closer to be finished and ultimately published, I can't help think about the reviews it will get. As with all my author friends I hope I get good ones but know there will be bad ones eventually. As I have told author friends of mine previously, even the best books get bad reviews. Many of the books that my college professors used in their courses and that I loved to study have a collection of one or two star ratings and long detailed reviews supporting this rating.
What I see over and over are things such as "_______________ were all immoral and I couldn't like any of them" or "I didn't believe that ____________would ever act and think that way." or "I don't believe that real high school students could have that much drama." My favorite which I see all the time is "_________ were too whiny". Lets turn this around and restate these reasons but in the blanks lets fill it with "Those people I met today."
"Those people I met today were all immoral and I couldn't like any of them"
"I didn't believe that that people I met today would ever act and think that way."
"Those people I met today were too whiny"
Hmmm we can probably relate to that can't we. We have all met people we don't like. But there is someone out there who loves that person and just because you personally don't like them that doesn't mean that their story is now invalid. Remember after all there is someone (or more many someones) who don't like you does that make your story invalid? Nope it sure doesn't. So when you read a statement about your book that is negative ask yourself "Does this person not like my characters?" because if the answer is "Why yes, I think that my reader just doesn't like these particular characters." then you can move on because it really doesn't matter. It's not your writing at all but instead that reader just thinks differently than you.
One more thing. I absolutely cannot stand when people say "I don't agree with what ________ did in that book. Who does that? No one who is a ____________ would ever do that."
I especially hate this when its directed at a junior high or high school student. Have you ever worked in a school? They will never cease to amaze you by coming up with something new to do and yes actually there really is that much drama. Don't let someone's failure to realize that just because they haven't met someone before that acts or thinks like your character that your character is unbelievable. Pull up the news or a book of world records or just go sit in public for a while and you will see that stranger things have happened.
We read fantasy books and have no trouble believing that Bella turns into a vampire moments before nearly dying from an emergency C-section of a half human half vampire baby who the whole vampire world is out to get, or we can believe that an ordinary European boy is actually a wizard and travels to a magical realm within the human realm and then manages to escape more near death experiences than ten cats have the lives to survive without ever getting PTSD, and even that a girl can fall down a rabbit hole and end up in a magical hallucinogenic horror land where plants and animals talk and a caterpillar smokes a giant hookah yet some how since we've never met a teenager who (Fill in the blank) suddenly the book is impossible?
Bad writing is bad writing. Incorrect dates or terminology is also bad. Do your research if you are dealing with something that might get you into trouble by not knowing our facts. I hope you and I don't get accused of that. However if you look at your bad review and realize that your writing isn't what's being criticized its your characters you can breathe easy. You've written a realistic person with friends as well as enemies. I know its hard, these are our creations. They are like our children and we want everyone to love them as much as we do. But that's impossible.
Remember the good reviews in your times of discouragement!
Cheers!
What I see over and over are things such as "_______________ were all immoral and I couldn't like any of them" or "I didn't believe that ____________would ever act and think that way." or "I don't believe that real high school students could have that much drama." My favorite which I see all the time is "_________ were too whiny". Lets turn this around and restate these reasons but in the blanks lets fill it with "Those people I met today."
"Those people I met today were all immoral and I couldn't like any of them"
"I didn't believe that that people I met today would ever act and think that way."
"Those people I met today were too whiny"
Hmmm we can probably relate to that can't we. We have all met people we don't like. But there is someone out there who loves that person and just because you personally don't like them that doesn't mean that their story is now invalid. Remember after all there is someone (or more many someones) who don't like you does that make your story invalid? Nope it sure doesn't. So when you read a statement about your book that is negative ask yourself "Does this person not like my characters?" because if the answer is "Why yes, I think that my reader just doesn't like these particular characters." then you can move on because it really doesn't matter. It's not your writing at all but instead that reader just thinks differently than you.
One more thing. I absolutely cannot stand when people say "I don't agree with what ________ did in that book. Who does that? No one who is a ____________ would ever do that."
I especially hate this when its directed at a junior high or high school student. Have you ever worked in a school? They will never cease to amaze you by coming up with something new to do and yes actually there really is that much drama. Don't let someone's failure to realize that just because they haven't met someone before that acts or thinks like your character that your character is unbelievable. Pull up the news or a book of world records or just go sit in public for a while and you will see that stranger things have happened.
We read fantasy books and have no trouble believing that Bella turns into a vampire moments before nearly dying from an emergency C-section of a half human half vampire baby who the whole vampire world is out to get, or we can believe that an ordinary European boy is actually a wizard and travels to a magical realm within the human realm and then manages to escape more near death experiences than ten cats have the lives to survive without ever getting PTSD, and even that a girl can fall down a rabbit hole and end up in a magical hallucinogenic horror land where plants and animals talk and a caterpillar smokes a giant hookah yet some how since we've never met a teenager who (Fill in the blank) suddenly the book is impossible?
Bad writing is bad writing. Incorrect dates or terminology is also bad. Do your research if you are dealing with something that might get you into trouble by not knowing our facts. I hope you and I don't get accused of that. However if you look at your bad review and realize that your writing isn't what's being criticized its your characters you can breathe easy. You've written a realistic person with friends as well as enemies. I know its hard, these are our creations. They are like our children and we want everyone to love them as much as we do. But that's impossible.
Remember the good reviews in your times of discouragement!
Cheers!
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