Sunday, October 12, 2014

Open Letter To Authors

And Other Interesting Subjects

Yum Bee Treat.jpg
Good to see a bee

Dear Authors;

Some of you appear to be getting paid by the word, or the number of pages.

Please stop. You are causing yourself, the reader, and most importantly the subject to reach fewer and fewer numbers of people who would otherwise be informed or entertained by your efforts.

On The Rocks Lizzard 1.jpg
Dancing on the dirt

Many readers can tell the difference between story and filler, don’t waste their time. I read approximately 5 to 8 books a week. I don’t have the time or patience to read filler, and if I feel that the book has no more story left, I move on to another book.

Here's Another Rose.jpg
Adapting to drought, few petals

A books importance is not measured by it’s size or weight, but by it’s ability to convey the message, or tell the story. Many times, as I am trudging poring advancing slowly through pages of minutia intended to convey the necessary information to increase the importance of an eventual action, I feel that this stuff should have been published in an accompanying volume for those who might be more appreciative of this level of detail, (on some topics that would include me).

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A beautiful Treehouse Sunday

Other times, while reading some books, it seems obvious that it should be published as more than one book. Maybe three or four.

Exception; If you are writing an academic, scientific, mechanical, medical or other professional reference book, it should be dry, detailed and factual. That is in another section of the library/store/house and should be as large as needed.

Trick or Treaters.jpg
My favorite pic of the day

I have always loved magazines. I read them cover to cover in less than 20 minutes. They are, “books-lite”, with pictures. But now, magazines are even better online. National Geographic is a good example.

Still A Rose.jpg
Another drought adapting rose

Interviews are videos, stories have pictures and video and sound. Interactive maps let you zoom in for more information, detail, photographic history, sliding charts and viewer operated graphics. The printed magazine is like a clay tablet compared to the online version.

Too Compare.jpg
Patio rose I’ve been following the past few days

Here is an example of a story that is printed and illustrated with pictures, but is best told by the author/artist in a short stop motion video/movie/film/artwork/memoir. It was so well done, I sent an email to poet/writer/photographer Margaret Miller encouraging her to watch it.

Here is the body of that email;

Just watched a great video on National Geographic

It was a stop motion style film about this persons Grandmother
probably the best stop motion collage work I have seen
I got an award for a stop motion commercial I did in 1968
But this is much better


Well worth the view
Phil

Now A Trio.jpg
Now a trio

Today’s Video;

A lot of money has been spent on media sources promoting fear. Jon Stewart did this segment on the Daily Show that explains how skewed the fear business has become;


If the video doesn’t appear, click this LINK to the Jon Stewart clip


Love Thy Neighbor

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