Hello there!
And welcome to Volume 15, The Arrival of the Proof Copy of Becoming Amber plus Is it Fiction or a Memoir?
This is the fifteenth in a series about the state of fiction writing today along with updates on my debut novel, Becoming Amber, which will be released later this year.
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Proof Copy
The long-awaited Proof Copy of Becoming Amber has arrived!
There is only one Proof Copy, a paperback version printed for the author to review for any last minutes changes to the cover or interior before the book goes to the printer.
As I held the 432 page novel in my hand for the first time, I did a big "Wow!" then dug right in.
After reading it cover to cover and scrutinizing all the elements, I'm happy to say there were only a few items that needed tweaking.
- The Human Authored logos (which arrived after the Proof Copy was ordered by the publisher) need to be added to the back cover and copyright page.
- The chapter opening design element seemed too light. I requested it be darkened throughout the book.
- There was only one missing comma in the entire book.
That was it!
Once my changes are made, the corrected file will be transferred to its paperback version plus the hardbound with dust jacket format and the eBook.
While all that is being done, I'm taking a bit of a breather before my manuscript for Smudging Sage, the second book in The Amber Series, comes back from my developmental editor.
Fiction or Memoir?
After reading the back cover copy and reviews in newsletter 14, a close friend who has known me a long time, wrote this:
"I know you said it is fiction BUT I never dreamed you had a husband who was a vet and one with demons no less who abused you. Geeesh, and you are such a happy and grounded person today. Sending you huge hugs Love you and so sorry!"
Since we kid around with each other, at first, I thought she was joking. But when I wrote her back, I found out it was a genuine reaction. So, I reassured her that, yes it is fiction, and thanked her for providing an idea for this newsletter and I took the hugs anyway!
First of all a couple of definitions.
- Fiction - a creative work with imaginary characters, places, and events.
- Memoir - a non-fiction recounting of a particular period in an author's life.
- Autobiography - the entire life story of the author, also non-fiction.
After reading those definitions, you might think, "Case Closed." Not so fast. There are gray areas.
P.D. James, late author of 19 crime/police procedurals, notably the Adam Dalgliesh Series, once noted that "all fiction is largely autobiographical and much autobiography is, of course, fiction."
I got a good laugh out of that but she made two good points!
It's generally thought that fiction is intellectually autobiographical, that novelists use their own values, ideas, and emotional truths to fabricate the characters and events in a story.
I would have to agree with
that. After all, what would be the point of writing a story if you couldn't express
your own ethics, beliefs, and opinions and your take on the adventure and mystery
of life?
Anyone who knows me will recognize certain themes in my books that
are part of my real life: animals, cooking, jewelry, and self reliance to name
a few.
I borrow those things and use them as I create fabricated characters and an imaginary storyline.
There are books that parallel an author's real life. They are hybrid works called autofiction - a story of their exact life events, but with names and timelines changed. Because facts are changed, this type of work is still classified as fiction even though it closely resembles an autobiography.
In Newsletter 2, I told you my favorite college writing professor said: "Write what you know." Following his advice, it seemed logical to set the novels in places and times where I have lived to give them a rich authenticity.
In summary, while a novel might not describe the actual events of an author's life, it often reflects the truth of who they are.
So, Becoming Amber and Smudging Sage and the rest of the upcoming books in The Amber Saga are not autobiographical, they are not memoirs, they are not autofiction. They are FICTION.
While I wait for copies of Becoming Amber to be printed and for Smudging Sage to go through production, here are some topics I've been thinking of covering in future newsletters:
- Using a Literary Agent
- Traditional Publishers
- Vanity Presses
- Self Publishing
- Hybrid Publishers
- Artificial Intelligence books flooding Amazon
If any of those sound interesting, or if you have questions or other topics, you can reply to this newsletter with your comments.
Past newsletters cover the love of writing, the importance of a good idea, writing the book, looking for a publisher, the Acquisitions Editor, Contract Terms, the Developmental Editor, cover design, copy editing, interior design, research, early storytellers, and other news.
Until
then,
