You say Tomateo, I say Tomarto - Using Fiction as a Discursive Forum

Many writers over the years have used their novels, short stories and poems as indirect ways of expressing political, social and philosophical beliefs or values. If you are composing a serious body of work this may be something that you want to incorporate into your piece.

This is not to say that you should have all characters or narrative supportive of a particular editorial drive, but instead perhaps you could have different characters expressing different, conflicting or contradictory perspectives, to the point that the reader isn't sure which argument the author is promoting. Such techniques raise awareness of the various viewpoints that may surround a particular issue and also challenge the reader to decide for themselves which points they agree with and why.

A writer who has mastered this technique is Oslo born author Jostein Gaarder. His novels include works such as "Maya" and "Sophie's World" which both offer an array of philosophical arguments and counterarguments presented through the flow of narrative. It is clear that philosophy is an interest for Gaarder, but nobody can be truly certain without speaking to him where his loyalties and beliefs lie.

You too can implement such a strategy with your writing, and if you choose to do so think about what literary techniques you could use to convey certain perspectives. Direct speech is an obvious one, but how about an anonymous narrator, the detailed description of a characters image or demeanour, the setting, the time period, context all such variables can be key in telling your story and conveying points of view or cultural climates.

Such an approach requires you to think deeply about what you are trying to achieve with your work - i.e. what is your purpose? If it's a comedy piece does that mean it has to be void of meaning? Comedy too can be used to convey some of the most intricate nuances of our world. It also requires you to think about your own belief system, what you believe deep down and why, and who would disagree with such beliefs. More importantly can you understand why they would disagree with you - do you see their point of view? Can you sympathise with it?

Considering all these elements will better enable you to devise characters for your piece. Characters that have beliefs and perspectives will "ring true" with readers, engaging them further in whatever discussion you may be raising.

Our Integrity Sells for So Little...

Today I am posing the question: what makes a book worth buying? Is it popularity? To what extent it is deemed "a classic"? Whether it is written by a new, up-coming author? What makes us spend money on literature?

On a personal level, the beauty of the book is really important to me - i.e. how much attention to detail has been taken when it comes to the publication of the piece. If I am going to spend money on a book from an unknown author, I want to see a high level of integrity when it comes to their work. Every page needs to be hand crafted to convey the meaning and influence the writer is hoping for. It should in my opinion be a work of art, even if it doesn't contain any pictures, layout and quality of paper, and concept behind the covering are all of utmost importance to me. It is an indication of how much value the writer places on their own work.

For this reason when I self publish in January, the utmost care will have been taken over even the most minute detail. I am fortunate enough to have many artists as friends who have actively volunteered to annotate the borders and blank space of my work with their imagery. For me this brings the publishing experience to a whole new level. Not only is it adding another dimension to my writing, it is becoming a shared experience with some very close friends. On a personal level this raises the significance of the publication, but it also means that when people buy it they will be buying a unique example of contemporary art.

If you are self publishing your own work, you might want to give some thought about what aspects of the process you hadn't previously thought about. Do you want images? Does a particular typeface matter? How are you going to lay your work out on the page and what does this mean for you and the reader. Writing is an incredibly organic experience that can be personalised without giving way to vanity. Finding your particular preference for delivering your work can be crucial to the effectiveness of the finished result.

What's Simple is True: Talkers Talk, Writers Write

It amazes me how many writers out there spend more time talking about what they intend to write, than actually writing. I myself have been guilty of this. The thing that tends to prevent us from putting pen to paper is a little voice somewhere within telling us that what we are about to write isn't going to be any good. That if people see what we've written they will laugh, ridicule and generally disregard creations that are very close to our heart. Not writing anything is easier than taking that kind of risk. The one draw back is, unless you write, you can never truly be a writer. It's a simple fact. Artists draw, and sculpt and paint, waitresses wait on people in cafes and coffee shops and writers write, they place words on the page that influence, move or touch the reader in some way.

One way you can overcome this is to make writing a daily discipline. A practice that you partake in at a particular time of day that suits you (schedule it into your diary). You might put your "daily pages" into a secret file on your laptop or into a notebook that you never show anyone. That way it doesn't actually matter about the quality of what you're writing. Nobody else except yourself is going to see it. Just let the pen move, let your thoughts flow, and once you've finished (it is recommended that you write for about twenty minutes), you can take the best bits and polish them up into quality pieces, that you are proud to put your name to.

Just letting the pen flow, without worrying about formatting your work will enable you to get beyond the judgement of that horrible blank page, (or impatient cursor) and will mean you are actually spending your time practicing your art form. Making it a daily practice will prevent you from making excuses about "not having the time" to write. If writing is something that is so important to you, twenty minutes out of twenty four hours is not a huge sacrifice to make, give yourself that time, stop thinking about what others will think and concentrate on your own creativity and passions. You might just surprise yourself...

A Declaration of Independence - Why Self-Publishing is the Way Forward!

Previously, self-publishing has been looked upon with a great deal of
disdain. Such projects were invariably managed by companies who
were taking advantage of the aspiring writer, who was forced to pay
up front fees and costs at every stage of the publishing process. It was
further frowned upon because self-recommendation isn't deemed in
some circles to be any recommendation at all. In short, just because
you think you are good enough to be published, does not make it
an indisputable fact.

But isn't this true of any author? Writers who are published through
publishing houses have had their work approved by a hand full of
people. These people are lucky enough to have the resources to
promote the project with the ultimate aim of making a profit. Because
people know about the book, if it appeals to them, they buy it - but
the fact still remains that it has only been published due
to a few people believing in it's power to speak to readers
(aka potential consumers).

With this in mind, perhaps now is the time for the author
to finally claim some authority over their work and not rely on
publishing houses that are in all cases inundated with manuscripts
and in most cases only interested in what will generate sales (it's not
their fault, they're running a business and must do what is necessary
to survive).

And so the torch is passed to the author, the unknown writer to make
things happen for themselves rather than waiting for the approval of
some unknown editor at the other end of the phone. If you have written
a manuscript there is now a method by which you can self-publish
without being ripped off by a vanity company. This opportunity
comes in the form of writer-friendly websites who take a small
commission on each book sold, but do not charge up any set-up fees
and incorporate the cost of printing and publishing into the cost
of the book.

You too will earn royalties for each unit sold, so there really is no
excuse for letting that pile of papers on the shelf that was supposed
to be your award-winning novel get dusty.

Visit www.lulu.com and find out how you can follow in the footsteps of
Walt Whitman.

Future tips on publishing your own work including proof
reading, editing and marketing will follow soon on this blog.

The author of this post will be publishing her own work on lulu.com in
January 2008. A collection of poetry entitled "Dislocation." There
will be further updates about the launch of this book coming soon.