World Book Day

April 23 is World Book Day. (Note: World Book Day is celebrated on the first Thursday in March in the U.K.) Reportedly, the date of April 23 was selected as the day of recognition because many famous authors have died on that date, which is a little unsettling for writers when one thinks about it. Authors who have death dates of April 23 include Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547-1569), William Shakespeare (1564-1616), William Wordsworth (1770-1850), Rupert Brooke (1887-1915), Tim Keefe (1857-1933), Karl Polanyi (1886-1964), P.L. Travers (1899-1996), Harold Arlen (1905-1986), James Earl Ray (1928-1998), and Boris Yeltsin (1931-2007). It was created by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), an organization whose mission is to promote the opportunity for learning for everyone. The first World Book Day was celebrated in 1995.

The purpose of World Book Day is to promote pleasure reading. It’s interesting to hear so many people are turned off by reading when there was a time in history when people begged to learn to read. In fact, some groups of people were denied an opportunity to learn and would have been severely disciplined or even killed in some instances for attempting to learn. And even when reading became more common amongst larger groups, books were too expensive. There was a time in history when owning books was a display of wealth. Much of this had to do with the tedious process required to print a book.

Before television, the internet, social media, and the likes, books/reading was a main source of entertainment. Book reading and book clubs were popular. In a book, the reader can go anywhere or do anything. Books are truly another world. When I hear someone declare they dislike reading, I often wonder why and if they realize how much they are missing. A coworker once confided in me that she disliked reading because it made her think. Of course, the only books she’d ever read were the ones required in grammar and high school. I don’t even know if school book reports are a thing anymore. I remember back in my day (making myself sound ancient) that most of the books on the required reading list found dull and boring. But those just weren’t my jam. The beauty was there were thousands and thousands of other books for me to choose from.

However, perhaps what I found the most interesting was hearing a coworker rave about a book that was a media darling at the time. I won’t name the book, but it was controversial which is why it was trending. However, many writers and critics pointed out how poorly written the book was. This wasn’t a commentary or criticism about content. The author had not done research and elements of the story were just wrong, not to mention the poor grammar. And many people didn’t notice because they hadn’t read any other books. If one is starving, bitter herbs may taste sweet.

That’s all I have on this subject other than to say grab a book and enjoy World Book Day. If you’re looking for a read, I have a few.

What did you think? What is your take on the subject? Did you find this information helpful or informative? Did you learn anything new, or did it change your opinion? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section. Also, let me know if you would like me to cover more of these types of topics or dive deeper into this one. If you like this post, please click the like button and share it. Your feedback allows me to know the content that you want to read. If you’re not following me on Creole Bayou blog, what are you waiting for? There’s always room at the bayou.

Get ready. It’s time to hit the ice again. Future Goals has arrived and is available.

When a college hockey player needs the help of an attractive older attorney, he gets more than he bargained for when trying to sort out the troubles in his career. Falling in love was never part of either man’s plan, especially as Corrigan’s and Sacha’s lives should never have collided. Now they’re left questioning if they’re standing in the way of the other’s future goals, or if there’s room for redirection.

Order your copy at:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3RjPYb9

Other booksellers: https://bit.ly/3CI8d5W

Did you miss the first four books in my hockey romance series? No frets.

Out of the Penalty Box (book #1), where it is one minute in the box or a lifetime out, is available at http://amzn.to/2Bhnngw. It also can be ordered on iTunes, Nook, or Kobo. For more links on where to purchase or to read the blurb, please visit http://bit.ly/2i9SqpH.

Defending the Net (book #2) can be ordered at https://amzn.to/2N7fj8q or www.books2read.com/defending. Crossing the line could cost the game.

Ice Gladiators (book #3) is the third book in my Locker Room Love series. When the gloves come off, the games begin. Available at https://amzn.to/2TGFsyD or www.books2read.com/icegladiators.

Penalty Kill (book #4) retakes the ice. Get a copy at https://amzn.to/3ex0N9p or https://amzn.to/3ex0N9p and let the pucker begin.

For more of my stories, shenanigans, giveaways, and more, check out my blog, Creole Bayou, www.genevivechambleeconnect.wordpress.com. New posts are made on Wednesdays, and everything is raw and unscathed. Climb on in a pirogue and join me on the bayou.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this post or any others, feel free to comment below or X (formerly tweet) me at @dolynesaidso. You also can follow me on Instagram at genevivechambleeauthor or search for me on Goodreads, Amazon Authors, BookBub, Bluesky, Threads, or TikTok.

NEWSLETTER! Want to get the latest information and updates about my writing projects, giveaways, contests, and reveals first? Click https://genevivechambleeconnect.wordpress.com/newsletter/ and sign up today.

Until next time, happy reading and much romance. Laissez le bon temps rouler.

Author Bio

Genevive Chamblee resides in the Bayou country where sweet tea and SEC football reign supreme. She is known for being witty (or so she thinks), getting lost anywhere beyond her front yard (the back is pushing it as she’s very geographically challenged), falling in love with shelter animals (and she adopts them), asking off-the-beaten-path questions that make one go “hmm,” and preparing home-cooked Creole meals that are as spicy as her writing. Genevive specializes in spinning steamy, romantic tales with humorous flair, diverse characters, and quirky views of love and human behavior. She also is not afraid to delve into darker romances as well.

Confessions of an Overwriter

My name is Genevive Chamblee, and I’m an overwriter. I find myself not only chatty in conversations but rambling in words. I’m an extrovert and come from a family of talkers (mostly)—a community, in fact. It may seem a copout, but it’s the culture. I’m convinced southerners are born long-winded. This bleeds over into my writing. If you’re a panster like me, this may lead to significant problems.

What problems? First, and probably the most obvious, is publication problems. For self-publishers, this may not be an issue. For writers seeking to go the traditional route, hang on because it’s about to be a bumpy ride. Most genres have suggested word counts. Now, let me stop right there. The word is “suggested”. It is not mandatory. It is not a rule. It is a suggestion that anyone who isn’t a celebrity, bestselling author, or famous media personality should follow.

Second, writing is a business. Agents and publishers are seeking financial gain by selling books. Publishing costs money, and many of those costs are tied directly to the length of a book. Longer books take longer to edit, which means more time an editor must spend working with it. The more hours an editor clocks in, the more the charges. In brick and mortar stores, larger books take up more shelf space. Shipping fees are more. Paper costs increase. Many agents or publishers won’t consider works over specific word counts. Like it or not, right or wrong, they may agents or publishers believe it is too risky to invest in longer books by lesser-known writers. They compare the cost of publishing to the profit they expect to make. The lower the financial investment on the front end, the higher the potential profit.

Second part B, it cost self-publishers. Self-published books need a professional edit—not a computer program or a good friend or even an English professor. Self-published writers should hire a professional editor. There are plenty of self-published writers who would argue this is not the case. But the bottom line is when a book is not edited well, it makes it harder for all writers. Readers are extremely angry when they pay for a book riddled with typos and grammatical errors. And since so many self-published books have not been appropriately edited, self-published books in general been stereotyped as lower quality, and some readers will not purchase a book that has been self-published based on the stereotype.

The argument then becomes that hiring a professional editor is too expensive. Aha! And this is where word count enters. Most independent editors charge per word. Lowering word count prior to sending to an editor may save the writer hundreds of dollars. Plus, it allows the editor to focus on other issues the text may have. The editor may complete the job in a shorter amount of time, which may mean the writer can publish sooner and can begin generating sales.

Three, many readers are impatient and prefer instant gratification. They want their stories short and sweet. Consider the state of traditional newspapers and magazines. Many subscribers get their news online. Why? Because there is no waiting and constant updates. They do not have to leave their cozy bed to venture outside into the blustery January wind and fish their paper from a bird bath. Other readers do not have time to read longer works. They cram their pleasure reading in between work meetings or while commuting on the bus or subway. Binge watching series have spoiled a generation and taught them waiting does not have to be an option. It is not uncommon to see a movie previewing in selected theatres to have spoilers on the internet several hours later. Packages are rushed delivered.

Fourth, if the book is hardback or paperback book, readers may not have room in their backpack or suitcase. Or they may be too burdensome to transport or too bulky for compact apartments. We are a society on-the-go. Smaller books are easier to pack.

But stop! Hold the delete button. Wait a minute before cutting that scene. Many writers get caught up in writing X-number of words because it’s a “rule” when the focus should be writing the story until it is finished. At the end of the day, content is what is the most important and not the word count.

Oh, that sounds like a contradiction. But it isn’t. Here’s the real tea. A well-written story can get away with longer or shorter word counts than suggested by the general guidelines. However, many times, books with shorter word counts are underdeveloped and longer word counts are dragging in parts. In other words, those stories may benefit from additional editing, not because of word count but to improve the quality of content. Again, this is not always the case, and there are exceptions.

Before a writer begins slashing their work, he/she needs to take a critical look at the entire story. Does the story work? Is the plot concise or convoluted? Are parts of the story boring? Are there unnecessary scenes or characters? Are there too many subplots? Has the story become repetitious in places? Is there more than one story, or is the story better told divided into two parts? Are some sections too complicated or complex? Does the story remain on target or ramble? Is there a better way to express an idea? Has the genre of the story been identified appropriately? All of these questions need to be asked and answered before any cutting is done.

I want to discuss the last question a little further, as I feel it often is one overlooked. Has the genre of the story been identified appropriately? Each genre (and subgenre) have suggested word counts. Some genre suggested word counts are higher than others. Therefore, if a writer has miscategorized the genre, the writer may be aiming for the wrong word count. In that instance, a writer may be well in the range of the suggested word count but not know it. I found myself in that position once. I spent weeks agonizing how to cut additional words to meet my goal when I realized my story had grown beyond my original concept. When the idea first came to me, I delayed writing it. After my first draft, I set it aside for several months. As I edited it, I saw plot holes and then a big shock. My “end” wasn’t the end. It was the climax that required a resolution. After more editing to correct the plot, my story switched genres, but I did not realize it. I combed through the story line-by-line more than a dozen times, failing to meet my goal. All the fat had been trimmed, and there was no extra. It wasn’t until I started asking why I couldn’t get my word count to where I thought it needed to be without losing content. It was because I needed the extra words for worldbuilding, something I had not done in previous works. After re-evaluation, I still needed to cut words but not as many.

And here’s one final note before hitting the delete button. A writer should be confident in their story. Just because a beta, critique partner, sensitivity reader, or editor suggest something be cut does not necessarily mean it needs to be cut. Those groups of people offer suggestions to the writer in order to improve the story. However, it is the writer’s decision what, if any, of those suggestions to accept. Sometimes, a writer’s vision of the story may not be the same as the persons helping. If that is the case, then the writer may need to re-evaluate who he/she has helped.

I once presented a story in a critique group. They suggested I cut my entire first chapter. When I followed this suggestion, the heavy-hand chop devastated my story. The group said it was my ego that made me feel that way. They accused me of being overly sensitive and not objective, and for a while, I thought it might have been. It took weeks for me to see the issue. Each time I read my story, it sounded more and more generic and disjointed. I was not happy.

Yes, the first chapter was bulky and may have been a little “telly”, too. But that was not the main problem. The biggest issue was that part of the chapter was in the wrong place. It needed to be pushed back to chapters three and four. The second issue was the critique group was not the same demographic as my target audience. Third, the main information they suggested I cut was necessary information that had to occur in a particular order to maintain a logical timeline. For example, they would suggest that information be explained later in the story or by a different character. Explaining later would cause confusion and using a different character would cause inconsistencies. Joe can’t explain something to Sally in chapter two if he vanishes in chapter one—unless I wanted to dig my grave in flashbacks. And adding flashbacks would have increased my word count.

In short, I had a problem. I knew I had a problem, which is why I presented it to the critique group. The critique recognized there was a problem. They pointed out valid problems. But they also wanted to take my story and stuff it into a mold of what I consider trendy writing, such as death to all adverbs. One boasted his novel didn’t contain a single adverb. I’m sure that’s great for him and his novel. Didn’t work for mine. As an author, I didn’t ask the questions that I should have to my critique group. Because I didn’t have a firm grasp on my story, I did not enable my critique group to give me the necessary feedback. They did their part, but I hadn’t done mine.

It required a great deal of work, but I managed to get the first chapter where it needed to be. My cuts were in sentence structure. I had to add words to flush out scenes before I could cut to a lower word count. Being an overwriter can be a huge pain in the butt, but recovery is possible.

Enjoy sports romance? Check out my new adult romance, Defending the Net, released on November 10. It is the second in my hockey series and guaranteed to melt the ice. It will be sold at Kindle, Apple Store, Nook, Kobo, !ndigo, Angus & Robertson, and Mondadori Store. It is the second in my hockey series and guaranteed to melt the ice. Order a copy now at www.books2read.com/defending. Crossing the line could cost the game.

Missed the first in my hockey romance series? Don’t worry. Out of the Penalty Box, an adult romance where it’s one minute in the box or a lifetime out is available at http://amzn.to/2Bhnngw. It also can be ordered on iTunes, Nook, or Kobo. For more links where to purchase or to read the blurb, please visit http://bit.ly/2i9SqpH.

IWSG