When is “editing” really “marketing?” Read on:
Most authors nowadays try to get as many pairs of eyes as possible to look at their books before they’re published. Look at the acknowledgements of any science fiction or fantasy novel, and you’ll see a list of beta readers and people who gave feedback on early drafts.
Me, I’ve got a problem after seeing LARRY CROWNE.
Tom Hanks is heading to Electric City. No, Dunderheads, he’s not guesting on The Office, which is, of course, set in Scranton, Pa., a.k.a. Electric City. The two-time Oscar winner has created a new animated web series about a seeming oasis of idealistic possibility set amongst a dystopian, post-apocalyptic future. Hanks has been working on the idea for years, at one point contemplating bringing his characters to life with puppets. Instead, Yahoo will host a series of short five-to-seven-minute episodes, the first 10 of which will premiere on July 17. Additional episodes will follow on July 18-19, completing the 90-minute adventure.
Because we know some of you may want/need these (FTR: I don’t.):
1. No Mary Sues. Ever! Boring heroines are, in my opinion, the most common romance mistake. We loathe hanging out with women who define themselves purely through their relationships…why would we want to read about them? Make sure your heroine has a purpose. Make sure she has character. Make sure we like her *without* her hero. That will make her journey toward love that much more rewarding.
2. Heroes can (and should) be flawed. I real life, I’d say that your commitment-phobe/narcissist/bad boy boyfriend is a lost cause, but romance is shelved in fiction for a reason. Here, we get to test the old adage of love conquering all…and it had better conquer without question. Don’t be afraid to give your hero flaws. And once you do, don’t be afraid to make him face them.
Yeah, this is all we’ve got so far. But it looks bitchen, no?*
*”Bitchen”: An archaic adjective from before “bitch” meant what it does now to the extent it does now.
(Reuters) – NBC plans to premiere 16 new shows in prime time starting this fall, by far the biggest crop of launches for any network for the next TV season and one of the biggest new slates in recent years.
The large number of new shows is a function of the network’s status as the ratings cellar-dweller among the big four broadcast networks – the others are CBS, News Corp’s Fox, and Walt Disney Co’s ABC. But the amount of new shows also has the potential to overwhelm viewers.