The Truth About Writing

WEbook? How about WEcrook?

Status: Busy with stuff.

Watching: Fan-Based Collective Time Travel.

Listening To: Nothing at the moment.

Reading: Midori Days manga.

TOPIC: ANOTHER SCAM IN PROGRESS.

I joined another social networking site for writers--thinking it would be cool to ham it up with other writers and see what's going on.

That was three days ago.

What I discovered was a slick scam designed to steal the rights of every author connected with Webook and give very little in return.

As a precaution, I removed all of my outlined projects and have posted warnings on every social networking site there is--about Webook's costly right stealings; which are more complicated and complex.

But let's just say that if you do go through Webook, you won't be able to reclaim your rights to your work or on anything else you submit.

In fact...? They make it so that you no longer have any right to what you've spent years working on; once you become connected to their website.

So pay close attention to what Webook is throwing at you. You may end up regretting it later--if you're not careful and wary.

First, they claim that--for $5--you can get a literary agent after going through 4 rounds of voting.

But what they don't tell you is that there is absolutely zero guarantee that your book will be picked up!

And all the while, you'll be wasting more money trying to "get in" the front door of a literary agent--rather than just spending a small amount of money sending out query letters.

(This way...at least you'll get a generic rejection letter--instead of wasting funds doing it this way.)

Oddly enough, no writer magazine, book, or online site has ever mentioned Webook as being a "realiable", "trusting", and "auspacious" site that GUARANTEES absolute publication or literary representation.

Believe me...I've checked. I spent a few hours going through every site that I could think of, to pull any information on Webook.

And one site--Wikipedia--offered a disturbing premise on what Webook really is: "An online version of American Idol."

Much like "Operation Teen Author" (which offers teens the chance to become nationally best-selling authors for the low, low, price of $2495.00 (that is no typo by the way--they do charge that much!), Webook is nothing more than a vanity-press operation which is obscured in a media cloak of deception.

How do I know this?

One article in The Writer (March 2010 issue), tells writers that, "there is no magic pill to getting published."

And that goes for websites as well.

There is no 'magic pill' website that will do the same.

Bottom line?

Webook is a social networking site that's stamped with the words "SUCKER" and "VANITY PRESS on it.

It won't get you any closer to becoming published, or have tea and cookies with a high-profile agent.

In fact, it will ruin you on so many levels than it is designed to help.

So if you want to save yourself, and your works...?

AVOID WEBOOK!

WARN EVERYONE YOU KNOW ABOUT IT AND STAY AWAY!!!

Schuyler Thorpe


PS: After its launch 3 years ago, Webook declared last month (January 2010) that they had their first winning author; a sucker whose book isn't even being published by Simon and Schuster; a top-level publishing company located in good ol' New York.

Normally, such a valued company would announce a new acquisition, but after some digging, I discovered that the author and the book hasn't even been picked up yet and ready to become published!

So Scam #2 was successful after all. And one person's dream, one person's book, will never see the light of day.

I tried to contact the author and tell him the truth, but he wouldn't listen to me.

He's still convinced that he's getting published!

THE SLUMP OF 2009

Status: Just milling about.

Watching: Smallville, Season 6.

Listening to: Icon of Coil, VNV Nation, Infected Mushroom.

Reading: Star Trek: To Rein in Hell.

TOPIC: ONE CRAZY YEAR.

Some things change, yet some things still remain the same.

Reflecting on this past year, it was a pretty crazy one: Living with my in-laws for 5 months, getting our own place, and finally hitting a wall with my writing that has left a lot of unanswered questions, along with many unfinished journeys.

I haven't written much since September-October with my Airwolf novel and I'm still in a meloncholy state of mind: Where I want to write, but I'm not motivated enough to even start.

I've been trying to go over why I can't and my mind keeps drawing a blank. I'm beginning to wonder if being homeless againt for the second time in 15 years had destroyed some or all of my confidence in my abilities as a writer.

If being severely stressed out and severely depressed from those 8 months of being homeless--and at the mercies of both my wife's ex-friend and my in-laws--had something to do with the fact that I cannot produce a large amount of material for my writing.

I do know that it can be changed. I can feel it. At the edge of my perceptions, I can sense something's about to break free within me.

My writing obsession will eventually overwhelm me and nothing will be able to stop me from doing what I love most: Which is writing.

But I think it's going to take a little more time. But by then, I should be in full Writer Mode and putting away the pages like I always did these last 8 years. :0)

Sky

LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST STEPHANIE MEYERS.

Status: Writing on a variety of book projects.

Watching: James Bond movies from my PS2.

Listening to: Whatever's burned to my PC.

Reading: CHEEKY ANGEL manga.

TOPIC: PLAGIARISM ABOUNDS...

Like JK Rowling, Stephanie Meyers was recently handed a lawsuit--charging her with plagiarizing one of her books; from another unauthorized source.

Of course, Meyers denies that she plagiarized "anything" from her books, but one has to wonder why people like her can get so defensive about it--if they didn't do it in the first place?

Like Bush's supporters have famously said over the years: "If you're not worried, what do you have to hide?"

Plagiarism is becoming something of a growing epidemic within the publishing world these days--with more and more examples popping up over the past five years. (Or more.)

With the advent of the internet, it has become more and more easy to simply "lift" material (copyrighted or otherwise) from people's personal websites, or other different websites and claim it as your own--once the finished project is completed.

Stephanie Meyers and JK Rowling are most likely guilty of such crimes--which makes their claims of innocence all that more suspect.

No one in their right mind would think that either just didn't happen to dream up their book series independently and without any such public "influence".

If they did--as they claim--it's a load of crap. There are a lot of internal and external influences which makes coming up with something original all that much harder.

People these days have either fallen off of or gotten onto the band wagon--for that one, small, trip towards fame, fortune, and glory.

They constantly want to emulate their favorite authors, movie stars, and the like--and don't have to put in a whole lot of work doing it.

Writing a novel is becoming all that more challenging to do--because it is all too easy to fall prey to cheating and stealing your way towards the end of any given book project.

But denying it just casts a cloud over you--the author--and makes it all that more difficult to be seen as both credible and original.

Sky

***

"Twilight" author accused of plagiarism

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A writer plans to sue "Twilight" author Stephenie Meyer, accusing her of plagiarism by lifting passages from an obscure book she wrote called "The Nocturne" and using them in vampire romance "Breaking Dawn," an attorney said on Tuesday.

J. Craig Williams, who represents "The Nocturne" author Jordan Scott, told Reuters by phone that the passages in question involve few word-for-word similarities but that the two books have similar plot and character points.

Meyer's publisher, Hachette Book Group, called the accusation meritless, saying "The Twilight Saga" is entirely Meyer's creation and that she knew nothing of "The Nocturne."

"Breaking Dawn," which came out in 2008, is the fourth book in the series of novels about a teenager, Bella Swan, caught in a forbidden romance with vampire Edward Cullen.

The "Twilight" books, which the publisher says have sold 70 million copies worldwide, are the basis for a movie series from Summit Entertainment. The first film, "Twilight," has earned more than $380 million at worldwide box offices, and the second, "New Moon," hits theaters in November.

In "Breaking Dawn," Bella marries the blood-sucking Cullen and the book follows Bella through a difficult pregnancy and her new life as a vampire.

In a cease-and-desist letter Williams sent to Hachette Book Group, he provided comparisons from the two books of a wedding, a sex-on-the-beach episode and a passage where a human-turned-vampire describes the wrenching change.

As another instance of similarities, Williams pointed out that characters in both books call their wives "love."

Hachette Book Group said in a statement that Meyer's books "have been a phenomenal sensation" and that "it shouldn't be surprising to hear that other people may seek to ride the coattails of such success."

Williams said Scott plans to file a copyright infringement lawsuit against Meyer this week or next in U.S. federal court.

"I think the fans have to read both books and make up their own mind, like a judge is going to have to," Williams said.

He said Scott does not plan to seek monetary damages.

Scott made chapters from "The Nocturne" available online as she was working on the vampire book, which she wrote in her teenage years and released in book form in 2006, Williams said. He said he did not know how many copies the book sold.

FITS AND STARTS

Status: Living with the in-laws. (Week 13)

Watching: Stargate Continuum.

Listening to: Nothing.

Reading: Books, books, and more books!

TOPIC: SOMEWHERE...A CHARACTER IS SCREAMING AT ME.

I dunno.

For the past couple of months, I've been trying to write a novel--Starchild Crossfire--and not getting anywhere with it as a result.

I strongly suspect that my living situation is at the core of my writing difficulties, but I am also finding that I miss writing on our PC.

All of my books are still stored there and I desperately want to continue writing, but I'm finding that I cannot.

The past several months has been a bit of test of both wills and chaos--making me wish that I was somewhere's else entirely.

But that hasn't been so and I've been forced to make do.

I have something like 60 to 70 pages completed, but nothing seems to be working as I originally thought--forcing me to start over a number of times already.

I have a strong suspicion that I'll continue making mistakes and false starts with the book until we get into our new apartment. (Least, that's the plan.)

But what I want is a good beginning for the novel. That's all I'm concerned about at the moment.

Schuyler Thorpe

A VERY IMPORTANT PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE!

Status: Living with the in-laws. (Week 10)

Watching: Nothing.

Listening to: Recorded Music.

Reading: A bunch of mangas.

TOPIC: RABID FAN BASES

While I still have the strength and energy to type this out (sick once again--due to stress and a lot of other factors in my life), I wanted to touch base on the rabid fan issue.
Yes...

The RABID FAN.

Recently classified by scientists as an offshoot of the Homo Sapien race of mammals--rabid fans are an eclectic group of harbingers whom have this little nifty power to make their cousin species' sick with aggravation and deep-seeded annoyance

Why?

Because rabid fans can.

Their unique power structure stems from their obssessed love for any particular book or fad which has consumed their sad little lives--which ends being very badly for them.

They cannot discern reality from fantasy--having hooked onto the idea that their target in question will somehow respond and give back what was stolen from them in the first place:

Their lives.

How can you spot a rabid fan a mile away--or anyone else showing symptoms of unnormalcy?

A rabid fan's behavior is a dead giveaway. If they are acting completely out of character or seem to be fixated on something beu-faux specific...?

Steer clear of them and their little armies of gnawing teeth and explosive anger.

You don't want to get them angry. Not one iota.

They seem to believe that whatever made them rabid in the first place, might reciproctate and give them their undivided blessings in retrospect.

By saying, "Thank You!"--for hanging on and making the target's life all that less enriching and more self-important.

Rabid fans can be found dwelling in special groups, borrows, or tidy little holes with chains of flowers and other fauna designed to enhance their little abode--while showcasing a lot of their choice items which is the soul reason why they are rabid in the first place.

Rabid fans are easily spotted by their sharp claws, gnawing teeth, beady little eyes, and choice apparel reflecting why they are so rabid in the first place.

It can be a phrase, a word. a singular title, or even a picture of their dwelling fixation and undying love.

To say something bad about the rabid fans' target of affection (or love) is to invite disaster.

In such dreaded scenarios, the offender is usually found with their arms and legs ripped off at the seams, their impersonables torn completely away from their bodies and their clothes left tattered and in shreds.

In some documented cases, rabid fans have been known to take a trophy part of their targeted aggression and have it on display for the whole entire world to see.

Why?

Rabid fans don't like their god or goddess taken down a peg or beaten into a nice and juicy pulp.

So they have been known to congregate into tightly woven circles; throwing up all kinds of deflector-shield technologies in order to preserve or protect The One from his or her untimely critics or flame-bots.

Rabid fans often have been reported to not have much of a social life and one has to wonder if personal hygiene or grooming is ever required.

So far...

Scientists the world over have yet to confirm or document the inner workings of a rabid fan--only suffice to say that without some on-hand experience in dealing with them...?

All that is written here is pure speculation and shouldn't be taken with a grain of salt--for fear that angering these undomesticated rabid fans will somehow trigger and emotionally aggressive response.

So, the next time you run into a rabid fan or their base, please, please, please...!--give them a wide berth and go about your own lives.

If you ever value them.

End documentary.

ATTACK OF THE CLONES

Status: Living with the in-laws. (Week 8)

Watching: Nothing.

Listening to: Absolute silence.

Reading: A bunch of mangas.





TOPIC: STUPID THINGS WRITERS DO

Spend some time on Yahoo! Answers (Specifically the Books and Authors section) and you'll see a rather disturbing pattern currently on display: Wannabe writers asking about whether or not their vampires (or vampiress goddesses) are good enough.

Or if the whole book will past muster.

Or asking for ideas on what to do next with their vampires, or if their idea is good enough in the first place.

Judging by the current atmosphere of Twilight fanatics, one doesn't have to be a super genius to figure out where all of this monotony came from in the first place.

Yes...

We can blame Stephanie Meyers for it.

For inciting a riot amongst teenage girls desparate to emulate her in every way and going to great lengths to copy what has been a Greek tragedy in its own right.

By destroying the vampire lore in the process.

Meyers has made a mockery of the legends and stories behind the supernatural icon which spawed Bram Stokers Dracula in 1897 by giving us two completely unbelievable characters that did little to reinforce the power and majesty of the vampirac lore.

All Edwards wants to do is fit in and what Bella has is an insecurity complex worse than a nerd in a class room full of hot teenage girls.

But the love aspect just destroys what it means to have a respectable vampire novel on your hands.

Meyers failed to reinforce the stories and legends behind her vampire characters themselves as she went with her book--instead...she successfully made it a campy experience that makes most veteran writers want to dip their heads into an acid bath--just to get rid of the stinging embarrassment of having to be around her later on!

Her rabid girl fans will--undoubtedly--defend her and her works until the end of time, but what she's done won't take away the stigma of having created a sappy love affair on par with the 90s TV serial of Beauty and the Beast.

But what irks me, is now I'm seeing cloned books popping up with the same Twilight-like plots which emulate the same sappiness which has plagued much of Meyer's early vampire works.

And the questions that are being asked is in the same generalization as: "Will this sweet and sappy vampire book honor the same dip shit writing that my mentor-in-training (a.k.a: Stephanie Meyers) put out not too long ago?"

In other words, will their cloned books fly in the same manner of the original?

Most likely not.

It's fun to write about vampires and twisting a little of the lore around--to come up with something new.

But completely distorting the whole concept so that it can be turned into one big, teenage love affair (along with poorly constructed dialogue and equally weak characters)...?

Ann Rice wouldn't dare touch it.

What Stephanie Meyers has forgotten and what her fans seem to be amiss on, is that when writing in a particular genre, you have to take particular care in not upsetting the status quo.

The balance which is based stories, legends, and myths of a particular paranormal icon.