Back Story

Art - for blog post Oct 30 2013

Though any remark from an agent or editor was appreciated as a feedback, and critique, one of the most painful remarks was “need character development.” Much of these referred to my short story submissions in the 1990s, on several of the many past rejections. The writing into the story of the “back story” is tricky. When and where does one feed the bits and snippets in? I am reading a new novel, “The Vesuvius Isotope,” a first person narration, which uses past flashbacks in italics interspersed in chapters as the story progresses. I’ve not written that way, but it does work. Though not using italics, I have written a novel as a flashback story, with alternating present and flashback chapters, then at two thirds of way, the past meets present and then presses on to conclusion. The italics flashback is not exactly a new approach. Hemingway’s “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” uses those italics flashbacks interspersed in almost fifty percent of that twenty eight page short story. More often in recent writings, including TV and screenplays, back story is played out in conversations between characters. It is always a good study and demands some creativity. For a discussion and comments read a Limebird Writers piece at: http://limebirdwriters.co.uk/2013/10/30/character-backstory-important-or-not/#more-4233
This post caught my attention. I still struggle with it.
Timothy J. Desmond
Blog at: https://timdesmondblog.wordpress.com
Amazon author page at: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00694KQQO
Writing at: http://timothydesmond.wordpress.com
Art at: http://artbydesmond.wordpress.com

New Painting

Art - Harvesting 1963 - 2013-06-28Last Saturday this new painting was taken to the Chris Sorenson Studio for the $1000 Mural Competition and Public Art theme “juried” show. This entry is 48 x 48 inches and is painted with oil based enamels on canvas. It is titled “Harvesting 1963” and this scene depicts, partly, my high school summers. I have no idea the response it will get, although Sorenson liked it as he said he drove tractor on the Giffin Ranch.
Coming in two days …… the author interview with Kristen Elise, PhD.
Timothy J. Desmond
Tim’s Amazon author page at: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00694KQQO
Blog at: https://timdesmondblog.wordpress.com
Writing site at: http://timsfiction-art.com
Art site at: http://artbydesmond.com

PR for Authors

14
There was once a fellow with whom I had grown up with in the blue sky, sunny, valley days of our one high school town. Our families were close. There is a 1924 photo of our fathers together as they were kids playing on a railroad flatcar in the Sierra lumber camp known as Sugar Pine. We probably had sneaked sips of Lucky Lager at barbecues, and looked for nut grass to eat as we played hide-and-seek in his dad’s cotton field. The bolls were still green. Then, as happens many times, we drifted apart as college, jobs, and work forced different demands on place and location. What I do remember is that my friend worked as a “PR” man for many years in a different state. I do not know for which company.
When I think of “PR” – public relations, I also think of the Jack Lemmon movie Days of Wine and Roses where he is the PR fellow for a company. There party promoting entertainment guru for his company loses everything because of drinking. I often wondered how guys in real PR jobs thought of that portrayal. I realize that many things have changed about PR with companies, and ever more so, in the “dot com” era since the ‘90s. I have in my hands a 2003 paper back about published author’s promotion. As the title implies, there is no assumption of a PR support from one’s publisher, and the subtitle for this anthology is “Marketing Tips by Published Authors.” I think I bought it in 2004 or 2005, but I am trying to see if it is in an ebook or on line someplace, in order to give reference, before I write the actual title here.
More later, on the various points in this PR book, but as a thought, how is your professional “self PR” going?
Timothy J. Desmond
Tim’s Amazon author page at: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00694KQQO
Writing site at: http://timsfiction-art.com
Art site at: http://artbydesmond.com