Re-reading the Wheel of Time

Having just gotten a signed version of In Memory of Light, the last Wheel of Time book, at Quail Ridge Books, it should come as no surprise that I am now beginning an endeavor to reread the entire Wheel of Time series. Yes, all 14 books. Yes, the first one was 2068 pages on my Nook, and they don't get shorter.

Yes, I read finished the first one over a weekend. And no, I didn't get anything productive done in that time period.

So I don't usually do book reviews on this blog (that's what GoodReads is for, right?), but because this was an old favorite series of mine for a while, I'm suspending that rule for a little while. Mostly nostalgia, but because there are some things I like about this series.

First of all, the first book was published in 1990 (I did not read it when it first came out. I was, in fact, still learning to spell words like "cat" and "dog" and "has" at that point.) But this is important, because that time period rather marks the end of the Good Ol' Boys Club of literature. In other words, while there were some bestselling novels being written that didn't treat women as objects or side characters, they were still considered somewhat innovative for not doing so, and the majority of books were still centered around male characters who collected females like pokémon. Epic fantasy was ahead of the game, and had been for a while, in that while many of the epic stories had male protagonists, women were given actual roles in the stories, and weren't always treated like collectibles, walking enigmas, or villains-because-boobs. It was, what I call, just the beginning of the Golden Age of fantasy (in which we still reside).

So that's the historical turning point that saw the Wheel of Time step into the scene. And one of the first things I noticed when picking up the books, both the first time and now, is that the female characters do stuff. I know, that seems weird to be the first thing I notice. After all, lots of books published in the 90s had female characters that did stuff.

But in these books, the main character is male. In fact, there are 3 central male characters whom I would argue are the primary protagonists. Despite this, numerous female characters have POV parts and are integral to the story--even have their own plotlines. You see, they have their own motivations. When they get in trouble (and they do), it's usually because of something they did themselves, and not because they happened to know the guys. And they don't wait for the guys to come rescue them, either--when the guys do happen to rescue them (which does happen a couple of times), they're angry as all about it. Usually they manage to get out of the trouble themselves, or by helping each other.

Also worth noting is that, for the first three books at least, none of the lead female characters are fighters. Can they fight? Yeah. Do they fight? Heck yeah. But they're not "butt-kicking, trained from birth" warriors. They're farm girls and a princess. Yes, a pretty-pretty princess. Who spends half her time doing the dishes, the other half caring more about becoming an Aes Sedai than queen, and most of both those halves channeling her way into trouble.

Having strong gender roles in a story sometimes ends up with the women being weak. But in this epic fantasy series, that's anything but the truth. Women have different roles in the different cultures, meaning Jordan gets to play with what position they have in society depending on where they're from. Nor are any of the positions portrayed as purely subservient, even in the least egalitarian societies--his female characters help determine how their worlds are run, regardless of whether or not men think they do.

What Jordan does so well is to make strong female characters who aren't necessarily strong. That's something that a lot of authors struggle with: as if making a woman a warrior makes her a strong character, and never mind that half the women warriors are flat as a pancake when it comes to characterization. Is he the best author at it? Not by a long shot. In many cases, for example, he portrays women as constantly manipulative, and even the female characters POVs are obviously written through the filter of a man's head. But he does a lot better than many of his contemporaries in making women real characters instead of plot points, and as a female reader, I notice that.

I enjoy re-reading the series, and as I'm about to begin #4 (of the 14-book series), I find myself falling in love with this world all over again.

Have you read the Wheel of Time? What's one thing that stuck out to you about the series?

Publishing Industry News

This post covers 2/22-3/8/13. Get comfortable, and prepare yourself: things have been stirring like crazy these past couple of weeks!


Industry News

A law firm begins to investigate vanity publisher Author Solutions Inc., alleging ASI has engaged in deceptive practices. If you think you may have been affected, go to the link to learn more and submit your own story--they're looking at going the class action route, but still gathering evidence.

Although Penguin settled with the DOJ in the antitrust e-book lawsuit last year, they're still headed to court beside Apple, as of June 3. Penguin had asked to be exempted from the trial, but the request was denied.

If you heard that Barnes & Nobles was planning to close 1/3 of its stores within 10 years, Barnes and Nobles marketing department would like to point out that this is not an accelerated schedule as compared to historical rate of store closings. The company closes 12-20 "underperforming" stores annually, and has done so for the past 10 years, leaving the profitable stores open. Meanwhile, the B&N chairman has put in a request to purchase the retail portion of the company himself, including all brick-and-mortar stores.

Twitter discontinues support and development of Tweetdeck AIR, Tweetdeck for iPhones, and Tweetdeck for Androids to focus on newer models. The apps will soon no longer be available for purchase.

There are more male reviewers than female reviewers at major literary publications (uh, surprise?). VIDA: Women in the Literary Arts points this out with a comparison chart.

The Association of American Publishers isn't thrilled about Amazon making a bid for the .book domain ending. Nine different agencies are applying for control over and/or use thereof. The AAP does not believe any one group should be allowed sole control over this particular domain.

Apple opens iBookstore in Japan.

Evernote deflected a hacking attempt, but is now asking all 50 million users to reset their passwords. The hackers did manage to see user names, e-mail addresses, and passwords, but not payment data or stored data. Evernote does not believe that the thieves would be able to decrypt the passwords, but says better safe than sorry. (CNN, Evernote's blog, Wired)

Have an iPhone or iPad? Don't install Kindle update 3.6.1, says Amazon.

Amazon's changing a couple of their download and linking policies. For websites that link to free e-books, if more than 20,000 free e-books are purchased from the link and more at least 80% of the e-books attributed to the linking from your website are free, you won't get paid advertising fees. Amazon's official statement.

When Victoria Strauss speculated about the Random House Hydra, Flirt, and other e-publishing lines, she wondered if the contract was established to lure in self-publishers, and if it's really a good deal. Hint: She says no, she doesn't think so. And so does author and current SFWA president John Scalzi, calling them "appallingly bad contract terms." To add injury to insult, SFWA then delisted the Hydra line--in other words, authors publishing with Hydra cannot not qualify for SFWA membership based solely on the Hydra publication, as the Hydra does not pay authors an advance against royalties ("Hydra fails to pay authors an advance against royalties, as SFWA requires, and has contract terms that are onerous and unconscionable."). Note that all other Random House lines are fine--it's just the relatively new Hydra, Flirt, and Alibi that have been excluded.

Random House, of course, took offense and published a letter in response. They call the terms a "profit-share" and say it's actually an okay deal after all. They also express disappointment at Strauss, Scalzi, and the SFWA for publicly expressing anger at these terms instead of coming to them and giving the company a chance to convince them otherwise, and disappointment at SFWA's move to delist them without giving them a chance to rebut the criticism.

Scalzi was not impressed, restating that the "profit-sharing" is not actually a good for authors, and followed up by saying the Alibi line has just as horrible contract terms. He then goes into detail as to why it is such a bad deal--which is useful, if you're looking at contracts, because it gives an idea of what to avoid at all costs from absolutely anyone. Scalzi is an already successful author published through Tor, a division of Macmillan, and is retiring from SFWA presidency this year.

Strauss, meanwhile, responds in less scathing words, reiterating that she does not like the terms listed. But she does make sure to point out that some authors have successfully negotiated better terms, and that she does not think life-of-copyright terms are necessarily awful, if negotiated to give clear limits. She also mentions being willing to meet with the Random House folks.

(If there are any more updates on the RH Flirt/Hydra/Alibi vs industry watchdogs debacle, I'll be needing popcorn! What do I think of the issue? Well, I'll say this: if that were the contract a publisher tried to make me sign, I'd walk away and self-publish, and never look back. Thank goodness there's other lines and imprints out there, and groups like the SFWA that bring things like this to our attention. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be off making popcorn in the kitchen while you move on to the blog section. ;)

Industry Blogs

QueryTracker's Publishing Pulse for 3/1 and 3/8.

Nathan Bransford's The Last Few Weeks in books.

GoodReads looks at how readers read e-books.

PaidContent speculates on Amazon's changes to their promotional program. Doesn't sound like a big deal, but websites that make connecting to free e-books their primary spiel, such as eBookDaily.com, BookBub, and Free Kindle Books and Tips will be having to rethink their business model. The emphasis on paid Kindle books will probably also change how authors use sites and price reduction to advertise their books.

Rachelle Gardner informs authors of their rights as writers, and their responsibilities. Mostly, you've got the right to be treated fairly and kept informed, but you've got the responsibility to know what "fair" is and to understand that information. She also gives us advice on getting a great headshot. If you want your profile picture to look good, remember, you get what you pay for, and you need to own the images yourself. And here's how to look good on your webcam: make sure you have an area set up ahead of time, and spruce your visible parts up as you usually would for business.

Oh, and are you worried about that typo you found on p.213 of the manuscript you just submitted, and want to send the agent you're querying a new version? Don't sweat the details quite so much. Agents understand. (Also, how did Gardner get a picture of me? I thought I said no one was allowed near me with cameras while I write...)

Kristen Nelson at Pub Rants encourages all self-publishing authors who think they may one day want an agent to keep an Excel spreadsheet to analyze and keep track of their sales numbers.

And keep in mind that agents can't accept cupons for free e-books, or most other kinds of gifts. Just send the query. Anything else makes them worry about business ethics. Also, one of Nelson's clients became a digital best-sellar--six years after publishing. Want to repeat that act? Have you considered forming a village?

Tuesday tea, Saturday brunch, and more at Janet Reid's the Question Emporium. Should you personalize your query to your agent with non-essential details from the book that research indicates the agent might find interesting? Reid prefers not, because it's too easy to come off sounding stalkerish or get the interest incorrect. And if you write two different genres, should you seek an agent who represents both of them? Don't worry about the second book until the first is sold. If the agent doesn't rep your second genre, they might have a fellow agent at the agency who does. Also, make sure your contract has an audit clause. That way, you have a vehicle for checking in to make sure your publisher is sending you the correct numbers. Checking up doesn't mean you suspect them of deliberate wrong-doing, either: with all the hundreds of books publishers put out, it's easy to make clerical errors. So there's nothing wrong with taking a look at the numbers every so often to verify everything's correct.

Publisher's Weekly looks at what works in book promotion and what doesn't, as discussed and analyzed by the American Book Producers Association's monthly meeting. Gradual reveals and GoodReads? Yes. Video responses or promoted Tweets? Not so much.

Victoria Strauss at Writer Beware talks about why it's not necessary to register a copyright for an unpublished work.

Ash Krafton on QueryTracker talks about choosing a stand-out title in your genre.


What publishing industry news have you encountered in the past two weeks?

Sharing

There is nothing beautiful that does not become more so when shared.

Sure, there are things best not shared (toothbrushes, restroom habits, the flu), but when it comes to joy, giving begets more. Vacations are better with someone to share the experience. Books are best when, having read an excellent one, I can find someone with whom to theorize and speculate and dally over all the lurid details. (What's next? Oh, but I don't think she'll put up with him. No, they can't break up in the sequel! I bet that was foreshadowing a new villain who'll destroy the kingdom.)

I walk through a gallery and think how fantastic it is that everyone can enjoy art. I write a story and share it because I think about how much better it will become when others read it, filter it through their minds, and find things within it I never even dreamed of. Or when they find the things I hid that I never expected anyone would see--that's a joy and a satisfaction of a deep and special kind.

Some things I do for myself, and they are sufficient to be shared with only me. Owning my warrior fairies, which are mine and only mine, and decorating my walls with beautiful Nene Thomas prints (that's the one in my hallway right now). They're lovely, and it gives me a little bit of joy each time they catch my eye.

But the moments that are the essence of life--tea tastes best when I can share it with friends. I never drink mead alone, for a bottle split among the ladies of girls' night or shared over a game night feast is richer, sweeter, and more invigorating than a glass sipped in an empty room. Twenty minutes reading a book read with a cat in a lap is more restful than an hour reading in at a deserted desk (even when said cat tries to nibble on the book or push it aside for petting).

Perhaps that may sound odd for someone who is a self-described introvert. Too much social time wears me out, especially in winter when the cold and dark sap my energy like poison saps HP. But it's true, nonetheless, and when I seek to do something, I prefer to do it with someone at my side. I go home afterwards and read a book in feline-accompanied solitude to recover afterwards, because life is richer shared. And if it means that I rest up before and after doing something awesome, and must dole out evening plans carefully when I'm already tired, well, I do very much like to read, so it's a small price to pay.

Because the only thing that smells sweeter than a cup of jasmine tea, is a teapot brewed to share.

Tea Time: Wild Sweet Orange

Wild Sweet Orange (Tazo Tea) Reviewed by: BecTea
Type of tea Herbal, sachet	Flavor aspects and Aroma Flavor Aspects: Fruity, Spicy Aroma: Sweet, slightly dark citrus
Where I got it Drugstore.com	Cost 4.99 box of 20 teabags
How I brewed it Just boiling water over tea bag, steeped for about 5 minutes.	Rebrewing notes Brewed same, slightly less rich flavor. I think it was better the second time. Strong enough to make a third cup.
Review Rich and flavorful, almost over powering in orange. If it was brewed quickly on the first brew, I think it would have been softer and easier to drink. This is more of a pick me up, energizing tea than a comfort, tea time tea. I found it at Drugstore.com, but Tazo brand is in most stores.
Reviewed by: No second review yet.
Type of tea	Aroma
Where I got it	Cost
How I brewed it	Rebrewing notes
Review

(Learning to Like Tea Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Guest Post: Types of Tea, Guest post: Getting the Best Cup of Tea)

Tea Time: Rooibos Cream Caramel

Rooibos Cream Caramel Reviewed by: Juturna F.
Type of tea Rooibos, loose-leaf	Flavor aspects and Aroma Flavor Aspects: Natural Aroma: Hot caramel
Where I got it Tin Roof Teas	Cost $8.17/100g
How I brewed it 3 teaspoons in a tea strainer in a cast iron pot. Water boiled in kettle until just whistling, then poured over leaves. Brewed 2-3 minutes, not timed.	Rebrewing notes Haven't rebrewed.
Review It brews a beautiful caramel color. I've always found rooibos to be interesting teas. They taste vaguely fruity to me without tasting fruity (yes, I know that makes no sense!). This red tea brews a rich caramel color, and smells like caramel heated to the point of almost but not quite burnt (I think that's the "creme"), but doesn't taste like caramel. It's not dissimilar to black tea in taste, but lacks the bite of the tannins that give black tea the black tea taste, and is just a tad tangier. And that's the best I can describe it. I feel like this tea would do very well with sugar, maybe a touch of milk or cream. It practically begs to be blended with other teas. I'd add it to an early grey, I think, to enhance the black tea scent, or a maybe a "sweet" tea like a chai or Teavana's Slimful Chocolate Decadence. On its own, I don't find it particularly extraordinary in terms of rooibos teas. It smells amazing, but the caramel flavor is almost unnoticeable as compared to regular rooibos tea. Not quite as caramel-colored with milk and sugar... But tastier! I did add milk and sugar my second cup, and it much improved the flavor. Normally I dislike sweetening my tea, but in this tea it really balances it out. I highly recommend having milk and sugar at hand if you plan to drink this tea without blending it with something else. Not my favorite tea, despite the smell. The scent sets up high expectations for the flavor, but the flavor falls short of the promise without sweetening it, and I like a tea that can stand on its own. On the other hand, sweetened it's actually quite good. I'd say it's best for blending with other teas. If you like fruity teas and black teas, but want to cut out the caffeine, rooibos might be a good match for you. Also, if you like Indian tea such as served at authentic Indian restaurants, you'll like this one.
Reviewed by: No second review yet.
Type of tea	Aroma
Where I got it	Cost
How I brewed it	Rebrewing notes
Review

Ack! Technical difficulties!

(Learning to Like Tea Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Guest Post: Types of Tea, Guest post: Getting the Best Cup of Tea)

Getting a good picture of a teapot
is harder than you'd think.

 

Social issues in the details

One of the joys of publication is the expectation that people will read what I've written. It's the chance to be heard.

It's a chance to make a difference.

When I write, the first thing I write is the story. The basics, the blocks, the stones that are the foundation. That's the rough draft, and also the philosophy: the story comes first.

By the end of the rough draft, I know what I'm missing. The characters need more of this, and the story needs more of that, and I could use a little more detail here, here, and here. So I can go back and fill in the blanks. Which sometimes leaves me a choice: what detail should I put in?

Stories have overarching themes, messages hidden in the subtext that apply throughout. But in the crevices, there's room for different messages. When I'm going back to flesh out a story, I try to choose details that draw attention to things needing attention.

For example, when choosing a backstory for a character who at various points referenced a particularly dark period of his life, I wanted to give him an unspecified eating disorder. I could very easily have gone with drugs, or alcohol, or driving too fast on too-curvy roads. All of those are things that are a call for help, and that need addressing, and stereotypically masculine. But I could choose anything, and I wanted to bring attention to real problem that doesn't get much attention: men are also subject to eating disorders, and because of the cultural associations of the problem with women, are more likely to die from them because they're less likely to seek help.

Let's say this here and now: Men do get eating disorders. It was once estimated that 10-15% of people with anorexia and bulimia are male, but revised estimations say "that the ratio between male and female eating disorders respectively is 1:3" (www.namedinc.org/statistics), which means 25%, a full one-quarter, of American eating disorders occur in men. Eating disorders have a relatively high rate of fatality, so getting help is very important. And many of the men affected do it for reasons such as excelling in sports or maintaining a profession where weight is a key factor in performance (wrestlers, runners, etc).

The nuances of life are in the details. By giving a gym-owning, very masculine male character this problem, I acknowledge men get eating disorders, too. Maybe it doesn't make much of a difference. But humans are good at picking up details like that, and the more times they hear it, the more normal--thus, the less shameful, and thus, the more okay it is to seek help--it seems. So maybe the difference is that a man seeks help when he otherwise wouldn't. If it helps one person, it's a difference worth making.

Not every added detail is chosen for its social implications, and no detail is chosen that doesn't fit the story. Most are simply things foreshadowing the end of the story, or details brought in from the beginning of the story to give the novel a rounded effect. Nor am I certain every detail I add will make it into the final draft. This is a detail I would like to remain, but it's the difference between selling the novel and not, it might not make the cut.

Nor is every detail perfectly realistic. The character reached near-death in less than month due to the way his magic manifests. And because of magic, he suffers no long-term physical symptoms. Neither reflects the way the eating disorders and their effects manifest in reality. But story comes first, which means figuring out how the issue would look in this world, in this character.

It's the details that enrich the story. And when I can choose an implication that might address a real problem needing attention, I try to do so. Maybe it won't ever make a difference--but maybe it will.

Do you notice social issues addressed in the details of the stories you read? Do you add social issues to the details of your own stories?

Ruins and Daydreams of the Future

What's so fascinating about ruins?

I think it's the hidden possibilities. The questions that lay unanswered, the desire to meet the people who once stood where you do now, these things buzz through my mind when I look at ruins.

And I think it's also the curiosity. In a thousand years, or two thousand, what if our society is in ruins? Many of the ruins uncovered today weren't suddenly and horrifically destroyed: they were buried through time, through building over the past.

These are ruins in Cozumel. They would have been abandoned in the 15-1600s. I find myself wondering what, in four or five hundred years, my home will look like. (Being an apartment, probably mulch, but still.) What will my city look like in 500 years? Will it even be recognizable?

One of the greatest joys of science fiction is to imagine what the far-flung future will be like, but it's not just science fiction writers who do so. Given our technology now, and the advances we're making on a day-to-day basis, will our rate of growth increase exponentially with the population? Or will we hit another 'dark ages,' in which innovation slows down? Maybe in 2513, people will still be driving cars (powered by salt water instead of oil, but still cars). Or maybe we'll be riding bioengineered, photosynthetic horses that can gallop at the speed of sound.

But I think people will still be people. Teenagers will still be seen as crazy and irresponsible; parents will be considered tyrants; pets will still be coddled and working animals will still be doing work. People will still read, and still imagine; but maybe reading will involve as much listening as tracing words on a page, and daydreams might be shared through screen projection at will.

What will people still be doing in 2513? How will they be doing it differently?