Blogger: Wendy Lawton (who did indeed vote today)
I figured you just haven’t had enough words written about our responsibility to vote in today’s USA election. Especially for our non-USA readers. We want to make sure you can say you voted as well.
So here are five ballot issues for you to chew on. I thought I’d divide this by party (Fiction Party or Nonfiction Party) and only allow you to vote in your party but this is a national/international election so you may vote on any and all ballot issues. Just like today’s national election.
So, let’s start:
PROPOSITION 1: In the longstanding, classic battle between novelist, James Scott Bell and former editor, Nick Harrison, which is more important in a novel: Plot or character?
[ ] Plot [ ] Character
PROPOSITION 2: Let’s settle it once and for all. Oxford Comma?
[ ] Yes [ ] No
PROPOSITION 3:
[ ] Traditional Publication [ ] Indie Publication
PROPOSITION 4:
[ ] Social Media [ ] Reclusive Writer
PROPOSITION 5:
[ ] Bigger Advance [ ] Bigger Royalty Percentage
Exit Polling: Would you care to take one of the propositions, tell us how you voted and why?
Shirlee Abbott
Vote early, vote often
(wait! this isn’t Chicago?)
1 – a tie, and they must share the office
2 – no (I got over that long ago)
3 – TRADITION! (fiddler playing on the roof as I vote)
4 – 3rd Party – Libertarian (I can do what I want when I want)
5 – Royalty (show me the money, over and over)
Now–off to vote, for real (while the band plays on)
Nicholas Faran
I will vote in this one and pin my colours to my mast!
1: plot. because I’m better at plot than character 🙂
2: Yes to the Oxford comma. Only because I live and work near Oxford and have to show solidarity. (I’d so no otherwise)
3: Traditional.
4: Reclusive (I just don’t get twitter et. al. my wife tried to explain how it all works together last night and I just don’t get it. I’m a cutting edge computer simulations engineer and I still don’t get it!)
5: Bigger Royalties, (tax reasons mostly!)
Thanks for the fun, feeling demotivated today after my third form rejection 🙁
I hope America rejects the right (or should that be wrong?) candidate today.
Shelli Littleton
Thank you for something fun on election day, Wendy. I voted early! Yes! Go vote, everyone. And I’m reminding myself to “give thanks in all circumstances”
“Here we go …” (Peter Pan) 🙂
Prop 1: Character. I base my vote on Becky Wade’s “Ty” character and Laura Frantz’s “Silas and Eden” MCs … though great plots, I’d have followed them anywhere.
Prop 2:Yes. I love the Oxford Comma. (though I’ll admit omitting them would save space and cost, but could break my heart) 🙂
Prop 3: Traditional Publication
Prop 4: Social Media (I’ve made the dearest of friends and might be lonely without them now)
Prop 5: Bigger Royalty
Jennifer Zarifeh Major
Ty and Silas. Mmm hmm.
Uhh, for their character, dontchaknow.
Shelli Littleton
Yes. 🙂 Ha!
David Todd
Very good idea, Wendy. I’ll play.
.
PROPOSITION 1: In the longstanding, classic battle between novelist, James Scott Bell and former editor, Nick Harrison, which is more important in a novel: Plot or character?
[ ] Plot [ ] Character
I was unaware of this dispute, although I know both men (a little). I vote for PLOT. Why? Because a good plot can cause you to accept a sub-optimum character, but a good character can do little with a bad plot.
.
PROPOSITION 2: Let’s settle it once and for all. Oxford Comma?
[ ] Yes [ ] No
YES. Why? Because it removes ambiguity.
.
PROPOSITION 3:
[ ] Traditional Publication [ ] Indie Publication
Since I don’t accept the word “Indie” as a valid publication term, I write-in SELF-PUBLISH, which will certainly caucus with Indie in either party if chosen. Why? Because that’s what I chose almost six years ago, and it fits me.
.
PROPOSITION 4:
[ ] Social Media [ ] Reclusive Writer
A true choice between the evil of two lesser. I must hold my nose and vote RECLUSIVE. Why? There is no why.
.
PROPOSITION 5:
[ ] Bigger Advance [ ] Bigger Royalty Percentage
Again, I must write-in: IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE FOR SALE. Why? See my vote on Proposition 3
.
And, as to party, being a member of both that you mention, I cast these votes twice, once for the Fiction Party and once for the Non-Fiction Party.
Carol Ashby
Oxford comma-yes. Omitting it looks ignorant to the vast majority who learned to use it.
*Indie-the only way I can retain rights to use my novels for missions.
*Social media-Don’t want to live there, but I do like people.
*Plot-A great plot can carry weak characters. Nothing can make a poor plot worth my limited reading time.
#5-Abstain. I’ve gone indie for mission, not money. Ebooks will be out by Friday, paperback about a week later. I wish a trad publisher was doing a lot of what I’m having to do, but I have to go where God leads.
Karen Barnett
Now that’s an election I can get behind!
1. (Plot v. Character). It’s a close race, but I vote character. A great character can lead to intriguing plots, but I rarely see it happen in reverse.
2. (Oxford Comma). YES. I was always trying to use Oxford commas back in grade school and getting marked wrong for them. Now I’m feeling vindicated.
3. (Trad v. Indie). Traditional for me. The gatekeeper forced me to become a better writer, and that’s always been my goal–not just getting published. With that said, I reserve the right to go Indie someday in the future.
4. (Social media vs. Reclusive). Social media all the way. I’m a FB addict. Lately I’ve had to turn off my WiFi just so I can get things done.
5. (Advance vs royalty). That’s a tough one. I’m going to have to sit through a few more debates in order to make that decision.
Thanks! That was fun. 🙂
Karen Barnett
And you left off the age-old one battle: seat of the pants vs. outliners. Or maybe that would be two different parties?
Jennifer Zarifeh Major
Ahhhh, good point.
Go Team Plantsers!
Andrew Budek-Schmeisser
Great idea, Wendy! 🙂
1 – Character’s more important; as an example, consider Nevil Shute’s “On The Beach”. The premise is both simple and preposterous; everyone in Oz is waiting to die from wind-borne fallout, the detritus of a ‘superpower’ nuclear war. It’s the vivid life of the characters that makes the book both readable and hard to bear.
2 – The Oxford Comma gets a yes, because its omission implies a connexion where none may exist. (Go Oxford! Concuss Cambridge, and show them what cricket bats are REAlly for!)
3 – This one’s hard, but I’d go with Indie. It takes away the temptation of assuming the mantle of impotent bitterness is results fall short of hopes. Besides, I have an Aussie named Indie.
4 – Social media, for sure. The friends I have met there keep me going.
5 – Big advance, because you can’t spend money after you’re dead.
Michael Emmanuel
Didn’t intend to comment, but then… You can’t spend money after you’re dead? Slight giggle. What about families?
Lori
1 – Character – It’s the character that moves the plot.
2 – Yes – Old habits die hard. Also, it’s what I was taught
3 – Traditional Publication – This is my dream
4 – Social Media – Have to be with the times. A reclusive writer does not sell books. At least not a new writer on the market.
5 – Bigger Royalty Percentage – A bigger advance would be nice but a bigger royalty I hope would last longer.
Love this particular election Wendy.
Katie Powner
Character
Yes to Oxford comma!
Traditional
Reclusive
Unsure on the royalty part…guess I better abstain
Thanks Wendy! And I was thinking the same thing as Karen about pantsers vs outliners…but I must abstain from that one as well because I am both.
Jennifer Zarifeh Major
#1-ohhh, tough question. But if the plot is dull, who cares about the characters? So I vote CHARACTER.
#2-Oxford!! I saw an ad in an airport yesterday… one of 3 airports, ick… and I almost turned to the lady next to me and said That last sentence on that billboard needs an Oxford comma.” I kid you not. I was THAT annoyed. And tired.
#3-Pleading the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms on this and withholding my vote. Too tough a call. BUT, for me personally? I’d prefer traditional, but its God’s call.
#4-Can I be socially reclusive? The last 3.5 weeks of only using social media to “pop in to say hello” has cemented my personal feelings of it being a burden on some issues, and a blessing on others. For me, I prefer to not be so married to all this “look at me, here I am!” ness.
#5-Royalty? God Save The Queen. After all, I am Canadian.
Exit poll: I’m gonna come clean and mention that I have enjoyed 3.5 weeks of not having to behave on social media. Yes, I normally do behave, and I dib pop in frequently, but the US election season has tested and refined, by FIRE!!!, my ability to not say anything snarky. I’m actually kind of proud of what I have not said. But, one aims to be wise and gracious. On social media, that is. But when a random person giggles and fawns, at a civilian event somewhere south of the Canada/US border, in which I was the only writer present, over my country’s leader because of his hair? I will definitely remind the blushing, fanning female that a man cannot lead an entire country simply by having nice hair. I was SO polite, but she got mad anyway. I figured that if she was going to get mad at me for pointing out that certain man’s hair was not actually a useful skill in running a country, then all logic had evaporated already.
Ahem.
Good thing I kept on point there, eh?
Jennifer Zarifeh Major
Nice proof-reading…I blame the jet lag. And the fact that when I got home at 11:20pm last night, after 3 flights and a 4 hour time change, there was a trebuchet in my living room.
Yes.
A trebuchet.
My 2nd son is taking engineering at university. Woooo. Hoooo.
At least we still have the picture window, right?
Carol Ashby
Did you take it outside and chunck a “”punkin” wth it?
Jennifer Zarifeh Major
Heyyyy, great idea!!!
Then again…the neighbours might not be too thrilled.
Carol
Invite them to play with it, too!
Davalynn Spencer
God save the queen? Seriously? Only you, my friend. Only you. 🙂
Jennifer Zarifeh Major
That was seriously my first reaction!! That’s usually how a member of a Commonwealth country interprets “Royalty”. Well, maybe not always. 😉
Andrew Budek-Schmeisser
There are those south of the border who still look askance at the American Insurrection.
Andrew Budek-Schmeisser
I misread that which you wrote…I interpreted it as God save Queen. Ooh-rah, Freddie Mercury Forever!
We are the Champions!
Shelli Littleton
I know, girl … it’s like this — I can talk about my brother, but you’d better not talk about my brother. Hair and all. Lol. 🙂 Wish I could have been with you to hear that. And well, we’ll be up all night long, probably … but we are partying, ordering pizza. Hey, every day is a reason to celebrate. Right?! 🙂
Wendy L Macdonald
Wendy, thank you for being inclusive of us outside the USA. I have to admit I’m happy the election’s almost over. I managed to behave on Facebook with regards to it; but wouldn’t you know it, I got into a deep discussion regarding something else that ended up being just as politically charged. Sometimes social media isn’t a safe place to say anything. 🙂 But I figure it’s good pre-published practice at keeping my nose wiped.
1 – Character (We need to care about him/her or we’ll stop reading.)
2 – Whatever the publisher wants.
3 – Both
4 – If we’re not social, we won’t be found.
5 – Bigger percentage for sure. A big advance can sink a career & bring on the birth of a pen name. 🙁
Blessings ~ Wendy Mac (I’ll love my neighbors no matter who their president is.)
Shelli Littleton
Yes, I’ve been so busy with my girls’ schooling that I’ve had little time to get on Facebook. Haven’t watched the news much either. And I’ve been trying to edit and edit and edit in between school stuff. 🙂 And you always handle yourself with love and grace …
Wendy L Macdonald
Dear Shelli, I hope “love and grace” don’t fly out the car window once I start teaching student driver #3 (woe is me). Thankfully #1 & #2 are done, passed, and driving. “I think I can, I think I can.” I’d offer to trade editing for driving lessons for my sweet daughter; but you’re a far better editor than I will ever be. I’m good at getting edited. 🙂 Blessings as you polish your manuscripts.
Shelli Littleton
Oh my goodness … teaching a kid to drive is downright frightening. Pray for me, and I’ll pray for you! That we survive. Lol.
Wanda Rosseland
1. Character, because the best plot in the world fails if you have dull characters.
2. Hey, I’m laughing here. Exactly what is the “Oxford comma?” (Guess I don’t think it’s necessary!)
3. I sincerely believe the choice of publishing depends upon both the author’s mindset and the book. If they honestly don’t think the book would be published by a traditional publisher, then self-publishing is fine.
4. Reclusive. This is actually a toughie for me. Social media is important in our day, but there is a reason why writers lock the door when they are writing.
5. Advance, it’s real, in your hand—-unless—you think the book will sell for a million years, in which case I’d go with the royalty.
Thanks, Wendy, loved ’em!
Wanda Rosseland
Yup, gotta vote for the Oxford comma. You really do want people to know what you’re writing about. Thank you, Google.
Sarah Thomas
Ahhh, an election I can get behind!
1) Character
2) YES (as one who was formerly resistant, I’m now adamant)
3) Traditional
4) Social Media
5) Royalty Percentage
Bill Giovannetti
1. Plot… I’m a guy.
2. Oxford comma… it’s better, it’s smarter, and I love it. Yes.
3. Traditional/Indie… God loves us all. Traditional if you can pull it off.
4. Media… Reclusive writing in the early morning house, and social media later.
5. Bigger advance… Unless you earn out fast and often, then royalty.
Kiersti
Thanks for giving us something fun today, Wendy! 🙂
1. I have to agree with the Character side on this–sometimes I read a book with a great and exciting plot, but if it doesn’t have characters that grip my heart, I don’t care that much. On the contrary, some books have characters that grab me so much (I agree with the Laura Frantz reference!) that I feel like I hardly even notice the plot, though obviously it is there and essential.
2. Oxford Comma–yes, please. 🙂
3. This one is tricky–but if I had to pick which I would prefer for myself, should I be given the opportunity, it would be Traditional. I am drawn to the team/community aspect of being part of a publishing company, and not having to bear the entire weight of the whole process myself, though I know writers still carry a lot. And I have to sympathize with Shirlee’s Fiddler reference here as well–TRADITION! 🙂
4. Social Media–despite my introvertedness, I can see that the benefits can be well-worth it in multiple ways, especially building relationships with other writers and readers.
5. This one I really don’t know a whole lot about yet, but my instinct is Royalty as being potentially longer-lasting, if smaller at first.
Have a blessed day, everyone! Whatever the election results, the real King doesn’t change.
Davalynn Spencer
1. Plot – if the characters aren’t doing something, there’s no story.
2. Yes for the comma. Unless, of course, you’re writing for the newspaper in which it’s all about space and the comma is cut.
3. Trad – because I am.
4. Recluse that pops up on Social Media from time to time. (I don’t see a lot of the bigger names flapping their wings on SM.)
5. Advance. Goes with “moving forward.”
Fun post, Wendy.
Janet Ann Collins
1. Both
2. No
3. 1.
4. 1.
5. 2.
Exit: 4. You can’t sell your books without a social media presence.
Sarah Sundin
I love this so much!
1) Character. For me, plots rise out of who the character is and how he needs to change.
2) YES! Oxford comma all the way.
3) Traditional for ME. I love having the team behind me.
4) Social media. One of the unexpected blessings of this writing journey is all the amazing people I’ve e-met.
5) Royalties. I like reducing the risk for my publisher, and royalty checks make me happy.
Michael Emmanuel
Late vote. Do they get accepted?
1. Character makes plot. Transforming plots need worthwhile characters. Both win.
2. Please, please, please, oxford comma stays.
3. Traditional publication. I really need the advice and lessons.
4. Reclusive writer using social media. No writer can help it.
5. Bigger royalty percentage. That works.