November 30, 2007

NaNoWriMo Contest Ends Today!

Today, November 30 is NaNoWriMo Day as I'd like to call it. Yeah, today is the last day of the November Novel Writing Contest. Read about it here and here. With less than two hours away from this year's NaNoWriMo contest some participants have finished the race before the writing competition closes at 11:59:59 PM local time.

I started out on the race, but couldn't beat the pace. Luckily, there's another NaNoWriMo contest next year, so I'd be prepared for it. For those who have almost given up on this race because they can't make up the 50, 000 word novel, an announcement on the NaNoWriMo site by Chris Baty might be a relief. So if you have written up to 45, 000 words, 'gravity' as he calls it will help with the rest 5,000 words.

So, what are you waiting for? Validate your novel now!

Tick...Tick...Tick...

November 29, 2007

10 Best Books of 2007 by The New York Times

As was promised, the New York Times has released its 10 best books of 2007. Earlier this week, it released the 100 Notable Books Of the Year which I reported on this blog on 25 November.

The 10 best books of 2007
which has Man Gone Down by Michael Thomas on top of the list will be published in the Dec. 9 print edition of the Book Review. View the 10 Best Books of 2006 here

This makes me wonder what the criteria is for determining the best books of the year. As curious as I was and given that I hadn't read any of the books, I read a review of Man Gone Down especially to see why it had to be the best book of 2007.

Thomas tells the story in the first person, narrating the events of four days and the troubled lifetime that’s led up to them. A story about a Boston-bred black man living in Brooklyn and struggling to write while supporting his blue-blooded white wife and their three children. One of the bigger questions posed by the novel is how to pursue the American dream and perhaps other dreams in a clash of race and color. Read more here

A Boston-bred African-American writer who lives in Brooklyn with his wife and their three children, Thomas seems to be writing what he knows best. But more than anything else, he knows why his "man" went down. Read the First Chapter of Man Gone Down

Find this book at Biblio.com


Click here to buy Man Gone Down online

Photo Credits: Design by Paul Sahre; photograph by Tony Cenicola
The New York Times

November 28, 2007

Khaled Hosseini: Medical Practitioner Turned Best-Selling Author?

Khaled Hosseini has showed strength as a successful writer and best-selling author. His first book, The Kite Runner has sold over four million copies. When he released his second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, no one doubted that the book would get a lot of attention when it came out in May 2007.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is the Best Book of 2007 by Amazon. A story of friendship between two women that complements the tale of two boys in his first book, A Thousand Splendid Suns is a compelling drama of personal and national tragedy weighted equally with despair and grave hope.

Watch Khaled Hosseini Introduce A Thousand Splendid Suns

With a background in Medicine, the author believes that he has no intentions of quiting Medicine for Writing, though he claims to have been a writer years before deciding to go into Medicine. But history has made us see best-selling authors like John Grisham (an ex-lawyer) quit their professions to become writers.

Khaled Hosseini’s novels have offered a potent combination of a setting in an exotic land - Afghanistan - that has taken on increasing importance to Americans in the last several years with a compelling human drama. If he can continue (as he has with A Thousand Splendid Suns) to join those elements in his future work, his readers are likely to remain loyal for many works to come.

But the question is: Will Khaled Hosseini keep 'flying the kite' and quit medicine?

Buy A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini at Amazon
Find This book at Biblio.com

November 27, 2007

WritersCrunch is One Month Today!

Today is November 27, 2007! A unique date for a reason (amongst others) that I'd be glad to share in this post. I started this blog exactly one month ago on October 27, 2007. The site's stats within the past 30 days has been remarkable given it's content and scope and the fact that it's a new weblog.

Thus, with over 1000 hits in one month, almost 200 unique visitors in November, and an average of 3 feed subscribers, I'm fired up to continue posting and profiling on WritersCrunch. The site welcomes visitors mostly from the U.S., U.K, France, Canada, Germany, Japan, and other countries.

If you are interested in having me blog about you or profile your organisation free of charge, please send me an email

View screen shot of statistics below




November 26, 2007

Writing, Editing and Publishing program at UQ

Becoming a writer requires strong communication skills and in order to succeed both in the corporate and academic worlds, a writer needs to be skilled enough to communicate. Being aware of the demand for professionally trained writers and editors, the University of Queensland's School of English, Media Studies and Art History (EMSAH) is offering a specific Writing, Editing, and Publishing program.

Whether you are a doctor, lawyer, vet or an English teacher, economist, etc or you are an aspiring writer, the UQ Writing, Editing and Publishing program is unique in that it covers academic, corporate and creative areas.

For further information on the Writing, Editing and Publishing program, visit the website here.

WGA Resume Talks Today

As the Writer's Guild of America strike enters it's fourth week, both parties involved in the negotiations are set to resume contract talks today. The WGA went on strike Nov. 5 over payment for TV shows and films being sold on Internet sites such as Apple Inc.'s iTunes.

Striking TV and movie writers kept up the pressure on studios by picketing and intensifying an Internet campaign that uses the very medium at issue in the contentious negotiations. On the other hand, studios, networks and producers, represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, say it is too early to know which business model will succeed on the Web. They want flexibility to experiment without having to be locked into payment formulas.

For the past three weeks, writers use social networking sites, including MySpace, Facebook and YouTube, to communicate among themselves, post short videos, create blogs etc

One of the most popular efforts has been the video "The Office is Closed," which was shot on the picket lines by Peter Rader. The video features the show's writer-producer Greg Daniels and cast members belittling a TV network claim that reuse of episodes on the Web is merely "promotional". That video as shown below was posted on YouTube and has been viewed more than 520,000 times.


Update: The next United Hollywood Live broadcast will be today, November 26th, from 12-1:30 p.m. Covering all aspects of the WGA strike, the interactive show will include interviews, live reports from the various picket lines and video clips. Visit United Hollywood for more details.

November 25, 2007

New York Times Notable Books of The Year 2007


The New York Times has released the 100 Notable Books Of the Year which will run in the Dec. 2 print edition of the Book Review. The list which comprises Fiction & Poetry and Nonfiction books includes J.K. Rowlings' Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Graham Robbs' The Discovery of France.

The 10 Best Books of 2007 will be released on the Web on Nov. 28. So watch out for this space! View the 10 Best Books of 2006 here

November 23, 2007

Do Authors A-u-t-o-B-i-o-G-r-a-p-h in Fiction?


You know, I kind of believe that writers, if not all, have written something about themselves in their books without giving themselves credit for it. From my research, I've seen a link between the past of some authors and their works and as a writer, I wouldn't be surprising myself if I write something about my past in one of my books.

For an author whose works often examine the link between past and present, it's hardly surprising that Elizabeth Hay, author of
the novel Late Nights on Air, had a flashback to her childhood when she won The Scotiabank Giller Prize, Canada's premier prize for fiction.

When she was about 5, she won a doll as a prize at a movie theater and the next day wrote her name in big, ballpoint letters around the doll's neck. Now, 51 years later, Hay took to the Giller stage to sign an enlarged copy of her book cover and reminded herself of the time she signed her doll. If only that prize-winning doll knew that her owner now has an award-winning "doll".

A former radio broadcaster, Elizabeth Hay describes the lives of a cast of characters at a small radio station in Yellowknife, in the Northwest Territories in her book which was inspired by Hay's own experiences living in the north when she was a radio broadcaster - all in a way to take her small life and put in fictional use - for something larger.

Hay's works have a distinctive Canadian feel, particularly because of their geographical settings. Her debut novel, A Student of Weather, which was nominated for the Giller in 2000, follows a family from a farm in Saskatchewan to urban Ottawa. Hay also documented her exploration of the country's cultural identity while she lived in New York in the non-fiction work Captivity Tales: Canadians in New York.

Elizabeth Hay's award-winning novel Late Nights on Air was No. 2 on the Globe and Mail newspaper's bestseller list for fiction for the week of November 17, and has been difficult for stores to keep in stock since it won the Giller.

Are Authors 'Writing for Pizza'?

I'm amazed at authors' attraction for I-t-a-l-y, I mean Italy - the FIFA 2006 World Cup Champions. I recently wrote a novel synopsis that has a lot of Italian presence, though based on an African plot. Because of my other projects, I've really not settled down to developing this story, but hey, I might just start working on that project soon.

I've just read an article in Reuters UK that reports the number of books by foreign authors set in Italy has exploded this decade, according to a survey, with best-selling author John Grisham, no doubt, following the wave.

It's been a centuries-old love affair between writers and Italy and this love may be deepening as the century drags on. Since 2000, 274 novels by foreign authors and set in Italy have been published, more than twice the number in the 1990s as a whole, according to a study of book reviews by Italy's International Tourism Exchange, an industry group.

John Grisham showed his love for Italy when he wrote The Broker (2005), set mostly in the city of Bologna, and has publicly confessed that 'he adores Italy and all things Italian'. Hmm, who wouldn't love Italy - the land of opera, fine wines, romance, food and Football Americano. This love gave birth to Playing for Pizza in 2007, a novel about a disgraced NFL quarterback who heads off to Italy to play for the Parma Panthers in Italy's American football league.

Italy has long served as a setting for writers ranging from Thomas Mann, Stendhal, Edith Wharton and Henry James to Robert Harris, Ernest Hemingway and Patricia Highsmith. Though John Grisham doesn't have an Italian origin, it's reasonable to think that some American authors (with Italian origin or not) would set their books in Italy in order to learn more about their ancestral home.

So where does that leave me? With absolutely no trace of Italian blood in me, why would I want to write a novel with a strong Italian presence? Well, that might have something to do with my origin too:-)

November 21, 2007

Editorial Intern Jobs at Brijit


Brijit is currently seeking editorial interns in their Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C office. Brijit, Inc, is a privately-owned, angel-financed online media startup founded in 2006 with teams based in Washington, DC, Silicon Valley and Beijing.

The ideal candidates should have some writing and editing experience both online and offline, be driven by curiosity, and respect people's time (including their own). Brijit's editorial interns work directly with their section editors, writing abstracts covering a range of sources and topics, and helping to manage their freelance content management system. Editorial interns also work directly with the editor-in-chief and managing editor on long-term planning and research projects.

Foremost, the right candidates will have the desire to work in a startup environment, helping shape the future of journalism at the nexus of traditional and new media.

Requirements:
* Bachelor's Degree (or current pursuit of one)
* Ability to work on deadline
* Understanding of Web-based media
* Strong command of language and a sharp sense of humor

If you are interested in a career at Brijit, email: team@brijit.com

November 20, 2007

Career in Filmmaking and Screenwriting at NY Film Academy

Are you interested in joining the next generation of filmmakers and actors in one of the most innovative and dynamic film schools and acting schools in the world? The New York Film Academy welcomes that generation.

With intensive, hands-on filmmaking, screenwriting, computer animation, and acting for film programs, the academy welcomes students from all over the world who develop an invaluable network of classmates that often provide opportunities for future work in the film industry.

Hollywood’s greatest filmmakers and stars such as Steven Spielberg, Susan Sarandon, etc have chosen to send their children to the film schools and acting schools of the New York Film Academy. Yet, some of the best projects to come out of the New York Film Academy are from students with no connections to the industry.

The following clip is from "Danny and the Ocean", a film written, directed by a New York Film Academy student named Abraham Heisler.




The Academy has film and acting locations in New York, London, Florence, Paris, Shangai, Bilbao, Milan, Abu Dhabi, Seoul, Budapest, Sardinia, Havard University, Universal Studios in Hollywood and Disney-MGM Studios in Florida.

November 19, 2007

Stop Sulking...Go Gather!


Starting a career in writing might just need a little nudge, a challenge or better still a passion. Today, online writing contests allow unpublished writers to showcase their talents in writing.

Recently, two aspiring romance novelists, one a 28-year-old doctorate student, the other a 56-year-old horse farmer, won the First Chapters Romance Writing Competition via the social media site Gather.com and will have their books published next year by Simon & Schuster.

Gather held a contest for unpublished writers to post the first two chapters of their romance novels on the Web site and have site users and a panel of editors vote on which works were best.
Gather is a place for you to connect with people who share your passions. It's a place where you can contribute thought, art, commentary, or inspiration.

Grand prize winner Meredith McGuire, currently working on a social science Ph.D at the University of Chicago, received a $5,000 advance for her novel 'The Shadow's Kiss' and Runner-up Starr Toth, who raises horses in Ortonville, Michigan, received $3,500 for 'Trust Me.'

So if you are an aspiring writer and doubt that you might not get published, stop sulking and start your writing career with online writing contests.

You never know:-)

Will the Kite keep flying for "The Kite Runner"?

The book, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini became a runaway best-seller in 2003 based largely on positive word-of-mouth among readers throughout the world. But can the Hollywood movie persuade fans of the book to see the film?

That's the intriguing question facing Paramount Vantage, the art-house arm of Paramount Pictures, after it embarked on an unusual marketing strategy to develop awareness of The Kite Runner movie among the novel's many fans.

The Marc Forster-directed film, which opens in Los Angeles on Dec. 21, tells the story of an emigre who, after spending years in California, returns to his homeland in Afghanistan to help his boyhood friend's son, who is in trouble. The film depicts Afghanistan as ruins where savages live and only the Johnny Walker drinking rich class who moved to the US deserves any sort of sympathy.

All around the United States, several "Kite Runner Clubs" are being set up as part of the marketing effort for The Kite Runner. Clubs with 200 members will receive copies of the book signed by the author, Khaled Hosseini and 100-member clubs will attend advanced screenings of the film in their hometowns along with family and friends.

Find This book at Biblio.com

Are NaNoWriMo writers on pace?

I have called this month, "Novel November" in my earlier post about the National Novel Writing Month - an annual event that invites aspiring writers to create a 50,000-word novel, about 175 pages during the month of November.

Actually, I was dared by this challenge and started out from the first of November, but couldn't keep up with my writing. What a shame! Yeah, I'd be better prepared next year:-) But, with 18 days into this year's contest, some writers are almost there though others are yet to go halfway.

I've been opportune to read a few excerpts from some writer's novel. One participant says, "Somewhere in the book, I am going to have to probably kill off one of the characters. That sucks, because I like my characters, and seeing as how I based them around people I actually know, it's even harder". Yeah, that's really some challenge, huh? Being a writer isn't easy, but being a murderer in your book? You'd get the cops on your trail!

Well, as the race becomes radical and the pace becomes powerful, we'd wish all participants of the NaNoWriMo to keep their eyes on the tracks.

November 15, 2007

Job at Brijit as Section Editor


Brijit, Inc, is a privately-owned, angel-financed online media startup founded in 2006 with teams based in Washington, DC, Silicon Valley and Beijing. Brijit is currently recruiting Section Editors on full-time basis in their Dupont Circle, Washington D.C. office.

The ideal candidates should have writing and editing experience both online and offline; driven by curiosity, and can strip an idea down to its essence in no-time flat. They should also have subject area expertise in at least one, and preferably two, of the following, broadly defined: Politics, Business, Science & Technology, Food/Wine/Travel, Sports.

Section editors are tasked with executing Brijit's coverage of their subject areas. They'll work with the editor-in-chief and managing editor to constantly improve the company's source lists, and help manage the distributed network of freelancers, to produce tens of thousands of abstracts per year.

Requirements:
* Bachelor's Degree (preferably related to your subject area
expertise) from a top school
* 2+ years editorial experience
* Ability to work on deadline
* Deep understanding of Web-based media
* Uncanny command of language and a sharp sense of humor

For more details, email: team@brijit.com

November 14, 2007

Mommying and Writing at MWLM

Writing is not an easy task! In my experience, I've had to juggle with other activities while keeping up with the research, writing and editing of my book. But how about mommying and writing? No small feat!

Firstly, I'm not a mother! I'm not even a woman:-) But, having read articles and books from mom writers (mothers who are writers), it just makes me respect them more.

As a mother and writer, (mom writer, if you like)
Paula Schmitt, founder of Mom Writer’s Literary Magazine has shown remarkable strength in being an editor and publisher. Her award-winning book, Living In a Locker Room: A Mom’s Tale of Survival in a Houseful of Boys is a fast, light and funny tale of the life of motherhood particularly raising boys.

Founded in 2005, Mom Writer’s Literary Magazine is a publication written by moms for moms across the globe who come together to share their stories. The online magazine publishes creative nonfiction essays, fiction, columns, book reviews, profiles about mom writers and visual art.

If you are a mom writer and interested in submitting a material for consideration, click here for guidelines.

Online Community for Writers at Helium

Helium is an online community of fellow writers who have a career in marketing but know more about killing crabgrass than anyone else; people who work in the post office but have raised five honors students; ex-teachers who love to write and writers who love to teach.

At Helium.com, writers can connect with other writers who have similar interests or mentor a new writer. Members can join a moderated discussion forum, in order to discuss trends in writing or improve their writing in the Writers’ Workshops or ask questions of a Team Helium member or just share their thoughts.

Helium’s Marketplace is the only place on the web where publishers are posting the titles they need articles for right now. Helium's partner publishers pay from $20 to $200 for each selected article, so writers can earn more when their article is the one picked by the publisher.

Members can also participate in fun and interesting writing contests at Helium which inspire writers to greater heights and increased earnings.

Does video game violence cause it in real life? Should smoking be allowed in public places? Who would win in a fight: Superman or Batman? Whatever the subject, Helium brings civility back to the Internet. Pick your side in a debate, write a compelling article and compete with others for the best argument.

Sign up and start having fun!

Are you America's Next Top Novelist?


In celebration of the National Novel Writing Month (November 1st-30th), The Editorial Department, America's oldest independent book editing company, is hosting a nationwide contest to find and help perfect the next great American novel.

The grand prize winner will win a complete manuscript evaluation and line-editing package from The Editorial Department and have the opportunity to work directly with Renni Browne, co-author of the bestselling Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, and one of publishing house most experienced and highly respected fiction editors.

The contest is limited to completed fiction manuscripts of any genre between 50,000 and 110,000 words. Published and unpublished authors alike are encouraged to enter, but submitted manuscripts must be unpublished and not under contract at time of submission.

Contest participation is on a first-come, first-served basis with a 500-submission limit.

For more contest guidelines and further details, click here

To register for the contest, click here

November 12, 2007

Is Harry Potter the most re-read book?

As we eagerly wait for this year's top most re-read book to be announced later this month, many wonder if the Harry Potter series by J.K Rowlings (currently on top of the shortlist ) would be the most re-read book. Last year, it was Stef Penney's The Tenderness of Wolves, which also won the Costa Book of the Year Award 2006.

A recent survey revealed last Friday showed that nearly 80 percent of Britons have re-read a book, with the Harry Potter series the most likely to be picked up again. People said they returned to the same books because they are fantastic stories of which they never tire, they find something new in each reading, it is comforting, they can relate to the characters and it cheers them up.

The current shortlist includes JRR Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" as well as Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code".

Writers Guild Strike: Any Effect Yet?

Just one week into the Writers Guild of America strike (prompted by a disagreement over royalty payments) it has yet to send shivers down the spine as was expected. No doubt, the strike is bad news for all the small businesses that depend on Hollywood to keep running, but no one seems to care.

The American TV viewers are getting through the situation in one way or the other, as most of them haven’t even finished watching the DVDs of Sex and the City, let alone 24 or Desperate Housewives. Instead of being a cause of alarm, the strike has given TV viewers a rare opportunity to catch up with past episodes.

But it seems like there is light at the end of the tunnel as California's governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, claims to be on the case who of course has some Hollywood experience:-)

November 11, 2007

WritersCrunch replaces iLive

I started this blog two weeks ago on October 27 and recently set up the site feed. It's been a really interesting experience watching the hits, visitors, page views and above all feed subscribers. So far site visitors have been mostly from the US, UK, France, Canada and Germany.

Now, the blog recently changed it's name from iLive to WritersCrunch, but with the same concept, and more features like 'JobJoint' for freelance blogging and writing jobs on the internet; 'Crunchy News', where you can read current and crunchy news about the writing career and writers.

I appreciate your readership and comments and hope that you'll find the right resources from the WritersCrunch Feed.

November 10, 2007

Become A Travel Writer at ITWAP


Are you a traveler? Does traveling the world writing travel stories and taking travel photos appeal to you? If yes, then you might just need the right skill to jump-start or accelerate a career in travel writing.

The Society of American Travel Writers will be holding its 13th annual Institute for Travel Writing & Photography from January 25-27, 2008, in Orlando, Florida. The one-weekend institute is for writers, travel writers and experienced travelers who want to learn travel writing for articles and guidebooks or who already are travel writers and want to improve their performance. This travel writing course teaches how to prepare article queries and book proposals, how to negotiate contracts, how to work with editors, how to organize your time, how to self-publish your own books, and how to publish your travel writing on the Internet.

The course is lead by top travel editors and writers who debunk the glamor of travel writing as an extended vacation and teach the course as a career that must be approached with real world skills, goals and expectations.

For more details, visit the Institute

PayPerPost hosts FREE Blog Conference in Las Vegas

PayPerPost™ will be hosting bloggers from all planets of the blogosphere in a one-of-a-kind blog conference tagged PostieCon'07 on November 10, 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The one-day conference will include targeted sessions focusing on helping bloggers market themselves and better leverage the PayPerPost™ platform. Experienced bloggers will share their knowledge of how bloggers can build traffic on their sites as well as readership, and how to effectively monetize their voice. Top PayPerPost™ earners and advertisers will also share their successes in two unique sessions. CEO/Founder Ted Murphy will also lead a special session for PayPerPost™ advertisers. The day will end with a rockin' party where winners of the Blogger's Choice Awards will be recognized!

PostieCon '07 attendees will get networking opportunities, blogging and business tips and if you happen to be one of the first 100 people to register, you'll get into BlogWorld FREE!

November 09, 2007

The Fourth Annual Writing Contest for Study Abroad

The University of New Orleans, the pioneer in writing programs abroad, is pleased to announce the fourth annual writing contest for study-abroad in the summer of 2008. Full fee waivers and transportation costs will be granted to one writer each in the genres of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction. Partial awards and honorable mentions may also be granted.

Anyone writing in English who has not yet published a book of 45 pages or more in the genre of application, except faculty and administrators employed by the University of New Orleans is eligible to participate.

For more details, visit: http://lowres.uno.edu/contest.cfm

The Beatrice Hawley Award

Alice James Books will be accepting submissions of poetry manuscripts for the Beatrice Hawley Award postmarked through December 1st, 2007. The Beatrice Hawley Award welcomes submissions from emerging as well as established poets.

Entrants must reside in the United States. The winner receives $2000, book publication and has no cooperative membership commitment. In addition to the winning manuscript, one or more additional manuscripts may be chosen for publication.

For more information, visit: http://www.alicejamesbooks.org/BH.html

November 07, 2007

Blog and Get Paid at PayPerPost!

Blogging is becoming better and better by the day! A new blogging revolution has attracted about 50, 000 bloggers who write about websites, companies, their products and services and get paid for blogging.

PayPerPost is an incredible new self-service marketplace that allows you to get paid to blog about the products, services and websites you love. You can easily earn $500 per month or more with your current blog!

The site also offers an opportunity for you to facilitate direct relationships with advertisers. If you have enough traffic and influence to appeal to advertisers on your own, the PayPerPost Direct widget can help you to negotiate terms and help ensure you are paid by an advertiser for the work you perform and maximize the amount of money you make per post.

For advertisers, PayPerPost solutions provide you with a vehicle to promote your Web site, product, service or company through the PayPerPost network of over 50,000 independent bloggers. You can connect with bloggers to create buzz, build traffic, get product feedback, gain links, syndicate content and much more.

November 05, 2007

Graham Robb discovers France in new book

France is not what it seems, at least to its own citizens. A survey carried out in the 1790s revealed that French, the language of civilized Europe, was spoken by no more than three million people, or 11 percent of the population, in France itself. More than six million French citizens spoke no French, and an equal number could barely sustain a French conversation. A century later, only about a fifth of the population said it was comfortable speaking French.

The Grand Canyon of the Verdon (Grand Canyon du Verdon in French), a deep, narrow incision in the Alps of Provence, is one of the great wonders of France. The Verdon River, a 175km long river in between limestone cliffs flows into the Lac de Ste. Croix, a delight for thousands of kayakers, hikers and camera-toting tourists. Yet until 1905, this natural wonder, located only 60 miles from Marseille, was known only to a few local woodcutters who descended into the canyon on ropes to cut boxwood, which they carved into high-quality balls for boules. Somehow the second-largest gorge in the world managed to hide in plain sight until the age of the automobile.

Graham Robb, a British author discovers France in his new book The Discovery of France - a land of secrets slowly divulged, a nation in name only for most of its history, fragmented by mutually incomprehensible dialects and deeply rooted regional cultures. France, in this brilliant work of history or biography if you like, dissolves under close inspection into a vast cabinet of curiosities, an endless series of counterexamples to the myth of a culturally unified nation and people.

Find This book at Biblio.com


Robb, the author of biographies of Hugo, Rimbaud and Balzac, writes in his introduction that he traveled 14,000 miles by bicycle all over France in the course of researching his book. Having reintroduced France to its citizens, it now owes Robb a fortune. Frankly!

November 04, 2007

Why Are My (or You) a BLOGGER?

I started this blog about a week now and didn't know if it would be worthwhile or not. My goal of creating a blog about my writing career stems from my passion for the art of writing and not about making money.

So far, my experience has been fun and interesting. Though I'm not making any money from this blog, partly because I've not signed up for an 'AdSense account', I've found blogging about what I love to do - writing - more rewarding than anything else. This brings me to asking folks whether they enjoy what they blog about or they blog just for the money?

I've been reading top niche bloggers such as Darren Rowse and I must admit that he is one of the most passionate bloggers in today's ever-expanding blogosphere. Darren started blogging in 2002 after he read an article about 'blogging' and within 24 hours he started his own personal blog. His story has been one of my inspirations on my path to becoming a pro-blogger.

So when I read people's blogs, I ask myself: What do I LEARN from this blog? Above all, I've learned that you will only go further to becoming a pro-blogger "if" you write what you're passionate about!

November 03, 2007

Writers Guild of America set for strike

The Writers Guild of America is poised for an industry strike from Monday, November 5 following three and a half months of negotiations over compensation for web content and higher residuals for DVD sales.

What does that mean for your favorite TV shows? Well, it if is anything like the last writers’ strike in 1988, the industry will be severely affected. The strike delayed the TV season after the writers’ stopped working for 22 weeks.

If Monday's scheduled strike continues, late night TV shows like “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “The Late Show with David Letterman” and Jon Stewart’s popular “The Daily Show” will be sent into re-runs, as they all require monologue and script writing. Daytime soaps will be forced into repeats within the month. And if the strike continues into 2008? Hmm, prime time viewing will be affected, as the episodes already filmed run out.


Nick Counter, President of the Producers Alliance said the Writers Guild's call for a strike was "precipitous and irresponsible." Yet he held out some hope that a deal could be reached: "Our goal continues to be to reach a fair and reasonable agreement that will keep the industry working", he said.

Already, informal behind-the-scenes talks have been begun between high-level members of the writers' negotiating committee and the studio and network executives they work for. The committee is headed by comedy writer John F. Bowman ("Saturday Night Live") and includes such top writer-producers as Neal Baer ("Law & Order: Special Victims Unit") and Marc Cherry ("Desperate Housewives").

Another high-profile member of the committee, Carlton Cuse, an executive producer of "Lost," confirmed Friday that members of the guild and the negotiating committee were having "back-channel" meetings with leaders of the alliance.

November 02, 2007

Fingernumb on Day 2 at NaNoWriMo Contest

Today is Day 2 of the NaNoWriMo contest and my fingers are almost getting numb from writing. I've been so cruel to my keyboard the last 2 days that I'm already feeling for the poor thing. If only it knew my own pain.

Well, I just took a little break now to post this blog, busy brain-browsing the next bits of my 'funny' story. This is the probably the most challenging period of my writing career, but I'm enjoying it. It's fun!

Meantime, I've got to take a nap now and knock on later!

See ya soon:-)

November 01, 2007

Social Networking for Writers & Filmmakers at StoryLink

The Writers Store®, the premier resource center for writers and filmmakers worldwide, has announced the official launch of StoryLink - the first social networking website specifically created for screenwriters and filmmakers.

StoryLink offers members countless opportunities to network with professional and aspiring creatives and to promote, share and market their materials or services. StoryLink is the only online destination that combines the crafts of screenwriting and filmmaking in one community.

A unique feature of StoryLink, is that it allows members to hire expert freelancers and professional firms geared toward their creative needs - a feature found in GetAFreeLancer. Thus, members rate their service professionals and companies with a unique five-star system for the benefit of the entire StoryLink community.

Since its beta launch in March 2007, over three thousand media creatives have joined StoryLink. To date, over two hundred contests and hundreds of events have been listed.

Visit StoryLink and get linked!