Split is Positively Rejected!

Happy holidays to all! 2008 has been an exciting year, and one of my highlights was having Split published. It provided a vast array of learning experience and even more exciting…

Split is Positively Rejected!

Recently, Humble Fiction Café entered our book, Split, into the 16th annual Writer’s Digest International Self-Published Book Awards. We did not win. I am happy to report however, that we received some fantastic scoring and commentary.

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being excellent, Split received outstanding marks as follows:

Plot – 5
Grammar – 5
Character Development – 4
Cover Design – 5

Wow – I’m still excited by those impressive marks. The judge went on to comment that he liked the overall theme of the book, as well as the variety of voices and writers. He mentioned a few stories by name where he particularly liked the ending, and said all the stories were good reads! Additionally, he found value in the end of story explanations. The judge complimented Humble Fiction Café saying that through our writing he felt we liked one another and he sensed good will.

Equally beneficial, the judge also mentioned areas that could improve the book, such as stronger character development, and less focus on plot twists that occasionally resulted in sudden, sometimes violent endings. The judge felt there were too many stories with the character Beatrice, but also said they were all good so he wouldn’t know which stories to cut.

Overall, I think the commentary and our scores were outstanding. As writers, we value this kind of feedback because it helps us know what we did well, and how we can do better in the future.

If you haven’t yet read Split, I invite you to do so. If you’ve read Split, I would love to hear from you. What did you like best about the book? How do you think the book could be improved?


Happy Holidays!

Split Book & Candle Giveaway - Ends Soon!

Don't forget - Humble Fiction Cafe' is giving away a copy of Split, our anthology of short stories and poems reflecting dichotomies, and a 3X4 Cappuccino Brulee' pillar candle custom-designed by Studio 3B. What a delight to curl up and read a good book of short stories, while enjoying the delicious smell of Cappuccino Brulee'!

If you haven't already entered, you still have time. It's so easy. Just visit Humble Fiction Cafe' before midnight, June 20, and add your comment to the blog post. Or, send an email to humblefc@gmail.com with "Split Giveaway" in the subject line.

GOOD LUCK!

"Split" Book & Candle Giveaway

Humble Fiction Cafe is running its first ever book and candle giveaway, and you could win a signed copy of Split, our anthology of short stories and poems reflecting dichotomies! And if that weren't enough, we are throwing in a 3X4 Cappuccino Brulee' pillar candle custom-designed by Studio 3B.

Details to enter can be found at www.humblefictioncafe.blogspot.com. The contest deadline is midnight, June 20, so be sure to visit soon.

Following are a few links with excerpts from Split.

Hell's Kitchen, by Dorlana Vann
Enrico's Only Hope, by Sheryl Tuttle

Goodreads

If you are like me, you like to read. But you're busy, and nothing is more frustrating than wasting time reading a not-so-good book. It's a rarity when I put a book down as unreadable, but there have been many books I've finished that I've wished I had. Or better still, I wished I hadn't even bothered starting. And so now I'm a member of Goodreads.

At Goodreads, reader reviews are available for books that you place in one of three default bookshelves… "read," "currently-reading," or " to-read." It is customizable in that you can add or modify your bookshelves, but these are the defaults and they have suited me well.

Any time I hear of a good book, or I read a good review from a friend, I can immediately place the book in my "to-read" bookshelf, which is a great feature. Later, when I am ready to make a new book purchase, or even if someone asks for my book preferences, I have a complete list of books that I know I want to read.

"Currently-reading" is where I put books that I am reading, but haven't yet finished. From there, once the book is finished, it is very easy to move it over to the "read" bookshelf and add a review. I have found the reviews on each book to be so helpful in determining whether I want to read a book, so I always make sure to add my review to the books I finish.

Another thing to like about Goodreads is the friends network. Friends are people that you know that can see your reviews, what you've read and are reading, etc. Even better, Goodreads lets you set automatic email updates when your friends have added books or reviews. What better way is there to hear about a book and then be able to add it to your "to-read" list? Word-of-mouth from someone you know and trust is the best!

Anyway, that's why I'm a member of Goodreads. I hope you also have an opportunity to check it out! And if you have read Split by the Humble Fiction Café, please don't forget to add your review.

Split and the Lessons Learned

I'll never forget the day that Split arrived and I was able to hold our newly published book in my hands. Up until then, I knew we had all written and contributed stories and poems for an anthology of dichotomies. We had worked on it for months. We had read and critiqued each other's work, watching the stories become more cohesive with each re-write. We had shared back-story and helped one another capture it in an appropriate format. We had labored over each of our stories. Yet it was when I held Split in my hand, that it all felt real.

For those of you new to this blog, Split is a book of 27 short stories and poems, each reflecting a whole or one-half of a dichotomy, or two mutually exclusive or contradictory ideas. The contributing authors belong to my writer's group, Humble Fiction Café (HFC), a diverse mix of extremely talented writers at various stages in their writing careers.

I don't remember the month, but in 2007 we decided to challenge ourselves to write a book and selected the theme of dichotomies. There is war/peace, hot/cold, guilt/innocence, create/destroy, and many more dichotomies reflected in our stories. Some of us worked hard to contribute just one story to the book, while other (more prolific) writers provided more. We all hope you read the book and let us know your favorite(s).

There were many lessons learned throughout the process, which is exactly why we undertook this project (HFC does not receive any profit from the sale of this book). I learned, for one, that as many times as you re-write and edit a story, there is more that can be done. Until you put it away and declare it "finished," it isn't done!

I discovered that there is a lot of work that goes into editing and cover design. Our group was fortunate enough to have the talent of Kelli Meyer and Victor DiGiovanni respectively for these tasks, and for that, we are all truly grateful.

But wait, there is more. A book introduction had to be written, a back cover synopsis, bio's for each author, and even descriptions to follow each story embodying the dichotomy. Then the book had to be organized. Whose story would appear first, second, last? And what organization would make the most sense. After all, some of the stories written were by-products of another author's story, borrowing characters or locations or some other common thread. Everyone within HFC contributed magnificently to these tasks.

Finally, while we are the Humble Fiction Café, I know I for one experienced pride in the completed product. For days, Split was all I could think about or talk about, and the smile would not wipe off my face. It's not about how many copies are sold or whether or not a book makes a best-seller list (although wouldn't that be grand?). It's all about the enormity of the project, the completeness, the giving forth of all your efforts that provides the satisfaction.

Participating in the creation of Split was hugely rewarding. What an outstanding group of individuals to have pulled this off and with a remarkably good book to boot. Kudos to the HFC!

It's Here! The long awaited anthology by the Humble Fiction Café is now available!

Click here to order your copy.

Read the 27 stories and poems in Split and enjoy the work of twelve contributing authors. Each story contains one-half or each half of a dichotomy. Some of the stories contain threads from other stories, perhaps a common character or location. How many can you recognize?

If this seems like an advertisement, well, it is, of sorts. I am a contributing author to Split and am so excited that it is published and now available. I really want you to read the book, but my motivation is not for the money. No. Neither the Humble Fiction Cafe (HFC) nor the Split contributing authors receive any compensation from the sale of this book.

The reason I want you to read this book is for your feedback. Feedback can be one of the most valuable lessons to a writer. So, please let me know your opinion of the book. What do you like about the book? What are your dislikes? Do you have a favorite story? A favorite character? Where did you hear about Split? Did you read all of the stories? Did you read them in order? Would you recommend this book?

Comments are very welcome – I value your feedback!

Ready for Split

It's finished! I finally completed my contribution to Split, a short story entitled Enrico's Only Hope. Ready for copyediting and proofing, Enrico's Only Hope survived a computer crash and countless revisions. It has evolved into a story that I'm satisfied with, and one that I believe is as good as I'm going to make it. It's been a long road to completion.

Enrico's Only Hope originated from a picture that I saw on the internet. It showed two men playing pool with a female onlooker, and appeared to be set in the 1950's. This was my starting point. It was truly a delight to bring the characters to life, learn how these two men from differing backgrounds came together and discover why they were playing.

It feels really good to have moved this story from draft stage to final, and I am excited and anxious now to move on to the next project.

Writers Group - A Good Thing?

You bet! But there are people out there, writers I should say, that are not big proponents of participating in writers’ groups. Some say it will stifle your creativity and that you will be so busy critiquing and reading the work of your fellow group members that there won’t be time left to let your own creative juices flow.

Others say you will receive so much critique of your own work that you will be immobilized and afraid to write another word for fear of unkind comments. Some writers, they say, are forever looking for the “bad” in your work, perhaps even to elevate their own writings and musings.

Still others say it is impossible to find a group truly dedicated to writing, and that they are comprised of “wanna-be” writers that are not totally focused. That they won’t provide honest feedback, advice and suggestions that will be helpful simply because it is too part-time for each member.

And still there are other arguments.

But as many arguments as there are against writers’ groups, there are as many or more for writers’ groups. I’m here to say that writers' groups are wonderful!

I personally have participated in a number of groups...o.k., this is my third. But they have all been full of delightfully colorful characters and enriching conversations. Never, however, have I found such a diverse group of dedicated professionals as I have with the Humble Fiction Café.

Where to start...well, talent is a word that comes to mind. Members of our group have published articles, won contests, self-published books, held book-signings and some have written novels. One novel I read (unpublished as of now, but I believe just a matter of getting the book in front of the right person) is as good, and in many cases much better, than many of the books you will find available in any bookstore. We have inspired individuals in our group that can write a short story that makes you say “Wow!” Some are poetic and gifted at finding the exact right words to convey their message perfectly.

Through my experience with the Humble Fiction Café, there have been times I have felt overwhelmed with the talent in our group. Sometimes I feel like I’m the only one in the group that can’t get the right words on paper to express what’s in my heart. That my words don’t convey the image in my mind. That I am completely inefficient and a blundering storyteller.

Then I go to a meeting and learn that I’m not the only one experiencing writer’s block. I’m not the only one feeling less talented. I’m not the only one having difficulty in finding the time to write. I go to a meeting and learn that this is all a common thread.

Sometimes I refer to my writers group as group therapy. It certainly feels like that at times, and it has helped me through numerous difficulties, if nothing more than to be around pleasant adults with a common interest sharing stories and tales over coffee and tea. What a fantastic thing writers group is. Not only do I get valuable feedback from outstanding writers that I truly respect and enjoy, but I also get to hear stories and share laughter with an interesting and great group of friends.

My mom has frequently told me I need to go through a 12-step program (long story, and not for here). She’s probably correct in that I would benefit from the meetings, the sharing, and from learning and applying the 12-steps. But I get a great deal from within my group. No, not the 12-steps. But with the belief in a higher power (I call mine God) and the support and encouragement of a terrific group, I am able to forge ahead, remain optimistic, and continually improve my skill at writing.

If nothing else, the Humble Fiction Café motivates, encourages, supports and shares. It is a wonderful writers’ group, and I am proud to be a member. I am sure that each and every one of us will remember with fondness the work poured into our eventually published first book, Split, and I look forward to many more group and individual successes.

My name is Sheryl, and I’m a writer.

Making of a Dichotomy

I am proud to be a member of the Humble Fiction Café. We are a diverse group of aspiring writers that meet weekly at the Barnes & Noble in the Deerfield Mall, Humble, Texas. I am continuously amazed at the talent in this group, and I invite you to see for yourself by visiting our blog at http://humblefictioncafe.blogspot.com. There you will find introductions to some of our members, links to their individual blogs, and even some excerpts from work in progress.

Speaking of work in progress, we are currently working on a book that we plan to self-publish entitled Split. This is a book of short stories and poems. Each entry is a part of, or complete dichotomy, two usually contradictory parts or opinions. One of my entries is a short story entitled, Enrico’s Only Hope and the dichotomy is guilt/innocence. Following is an excerpt.

The twelve-story building loomed ahead. One of the first apartment buildings built to replace the former mansions lining the street, its facade was handsome and rich. Hesitating for only a moment, Enrico entered. The elegant and lavishly decorated lobby featured beautiful sculptures, plush oriental rugs and a graceful stone staircase, suggesting a wealth beyond belief. He thought about his own family and friends less than five miles away, how they struggled to make ends meet and lived together, extended families, in tiny two-room tenements.

The young uniformed doorman was humming a tune that vaguely resembled the newest Elvis Presley hit. He stopped humming, cleared his throat and looked Enrico up and down. “May I help you?” The scowl did not go unnoticed.

Enrico unbuttoned his black leather jacket, purposely revealing his raw and bloody knuckles. He clenched, then unclenched his fists. He could pound this punk and show him. He felt his neck getting hot and his palms getting sweaty, it always started like that. “Yeah, you can help me,” he said, “I’m here to see Jayne Lee.”

“And who shall I say is calling? Does Miss Lee know you?”

“I know her,” Enrico snarled as he walked over to where the doorman stood. Standing erect and nearly a foot taller, Enrico looked down and added, “Tell her that Enrico DeMaggio is here to see her.”