Standing outside the fire is one of my favorite songs from Garth Brooks. When I first heard the lyrics it spoke to me on a few issue that fills our country and world. Recently, well last week, I heard the song again and I had a different take on it.
Do we stand outside the fire when it comes to our writing? Do we only peak in now and then when we have a free moment or when the mood hits us? How about after the book is done, what than? Do you let it sit in front of you churning itself alone while you stand outside waiting for the next step to appear without making an effort to churn the ashes or add to the fire wood? Sitting outside is nice and quite safe and if that is all you want from your book awesome. But if you want more you have to tend to it repeatedly letting it grow in its flame growing and growing until it has a life of its own.
Promotion is not easy or very much fun and it takes a lot of time and effort from each of us. And any little thing can derail us from doing it while we logic it away. But where we end up with our book all depends on where we are standing.
Do movies follow the books they are taken from? For example I have never read any of the Bourne books, hubby has. After watching the first movie I turned to him and asked how accurate was it with the book. He said, “I am Jason Bourne.” To which he proceeded to walk to the car. Catching up I asked what he meant. He told me that was all he felt the book they took from.
Another case in point is my beloved Stephen King. I noticed when he does the screen writing it is as if the book came alive. When he isn’t the book is represented but that is about it. After seeing “The Dark Tower” and “It” I could see a stark difference. The Dark Tower is a seven book series, this movie was only 90 min long and they cramped three or four of the books into the movie. Now Mr. King didn’t write the script for either film but it showed how the movie industry works with books. At least for the movie “It” it was over two hours long and there will be a second part to it to conclude how the book actually is.
I often wondered in the past why would people read the book after seeing the movie first. I soon learned. People do it to see what Hollywood left out and in some cases a heck of a lot. I get it. They are working with time, special effects and choose the parts that work and use creative license to some degree, in other cases majority of the time. They are going for the WOW factor to draw people in. But if a book is that awesome enough they want to make a movie out of it it be nice if the book was represented well, not just in pieces.
As a writer do you try to hog the whole show? Are you unwilling to cross-post with another author? Are you unwilling to interview someone and place it on your website, unwilling to read another person’s book and review it or unwilling to give anyone else space on your page giving them the spotlight instead of you?
If you haven’t figure out by now writing is a solitary job. The only time it is a team effort as far as actually writing it is when you are collaborating with another writer to write a book together. Helping another writer out doesn’t diminish what you write or take away your spot as an author. By sharing with each other we learn plus who knows we may get more hits or more noticed by helping another writer out.
From the authors I know online I been blessed that it is a co-op situation with us helping each other. Sadly the people I know in real life are too busy pushing themselves out there that a/ it’s all about them and b/ even when they talk to you it is all about them with rarely a mention in asking how I am doing. True, some do ask but they are the exception.
I use to think this way not willing to give up space, thought or time. But that doesn’t get anyone much anywhere. And while this space on the web hasn’t shown it in a bit I use to do just that with the interviews, the cross-post and the reblog. I need to get back to doing that.
Sharon C. Williams-Author 