SOL Books

by Dominic Ward

(part 1 was published in January)

Style is the ingredient added at the conceptual stage of a work that makes or breaks the whole enterprise. Some writers emphasis style more than others, which is just a come-on. Style is inherent to a work, whether you talk about it at your book launch or not. And the chosen style for your work can decide how well it is received by critics.

Great writers have their own style, honed and exasperated-over for years on end. Often, these styles harken from the very marrow of the writer themselves, inimitable. In this way, most notable writers can be recognized by their signature use of grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary alone. Other writers alter their style to suit the content of their book, such as Dan Brown, Peter Carey and Pynchon. A great talent for mimicry and a good sense of the zeitgeist is needed for this approach to succeed.

How does it start for me? It starts with the shell of an idea. This may have come from a line I’ve heard on the radio, a day-dream, or from something expressed by another author. I have many such ideas — few excite my sensibilities enough that to last beyond the memory of the day they came to be. However, the few that have the claws to stick around begin then as tumbleweeds, rolling along on the winds of thought, picking up bits and pieces as they go, snowballing from a single straw eventually into a whole workable concept. I might at this point begin jotting down quotes or lines I imagine would fit in with it. After the inertia of the tumbleweed has taken it out of my control, it comes time to plan everything, to gain a little of that control back. I plan out everything chapter-by-chapter, sequencing things as simply and in as much detail as I can. I let my intuition inform this process of planning, trusting to my gut the placement of the mechanics of the piece.

I write in a style I have termed ‘fragmentation’, whereby the work is written in fragments, or segments, with each segment representative of the larger themes contained in the work so that the work need not be read from left-to-right, but rather it may be opened at random and read from any page. This style dictates that I know my subject very well, that at all times I am linked sub-consciously to each individual fragment. The failure of one segment to contact with its fellows publishes the ultimate failure of the work itself.

Dominic Ward currently has a novel and poetry in print. Balloon Cotton Bush was published by Small Dogma mid-2009 and represents a risk taken in literary development. He lives in Brisbane, Australia, with his partner and two children.

February 10th, 2010 | Category: Writing Matters | Leave a comment

Thanks to all of you who were in attendance last night. It was an enjoyable night (though you didn’t eat nearly enough; I have enough leftovers for a second gathering).

To the rest of you, we hope to see you at our 2011 book release party.

January 31st, 2010 | Category: General | Leave a comment

A while back, a friend and I were discussing ways in which we could use technologies like blogs and Twitter for writing purposes. And we were implying uses beyond just having a blog to promote ourselves or using Twitter to detail the minute happenings of our writing lives. We wanted to use technology to enhance our writing, to drive an idea forward, and to reach an every growing and expansive online audience.

We also had great aspirations thanks to the successes of Jeff Kinney, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and Kazu Kibuishi, Copper, who have used the Internet to their advantage. Diary of a Wimpy kid was spawned as a website and has grown into a series of national best sellers. Copper helped launch Kibuishi’s career and earned him a contract with Scholastic for five issues of a best selling graphic novel series, Amulet.

While the aforementioned ideas were aimed at children, my friend and I wanted to tackle something aimed at a more mature audience. In the coming months, I plan to highlight one of my own projects using online technology and also point out other ventures that I have come across.

January 20th, 2010 | Category: Writing Matters | Leave a comment

by Dominic Ward

Although it is certainly true that every writer may have his or her own method of writing, it is, of course, only the end product that really counts. Graham Greene may have forced himself through five hundred words every morning and two tabs of codeine washed down with strong coffee, Flaubert may have tortured himself to the half-rest of death with his own over-blown method that emphasised style, and Joyce may have gone near blind with his attention to the shapes of his words, but the publisher, first, and the world, second, were only ever interested in the outcomes of these terrible practices – the finished work. However, for the sake of adding something to the discussion of methodology, I will submit my own bit. And over the course of the next five articles, I will examine the different stages of the literary creative process, first focusing on the primary concerns of a larger philosophy of writing.

Why can we say that there is, at all, a process to writing? Don’t we all acknowledge the fluid ocean-state of the human sub-conscious, the primary organ system through which all creative activity is regulated? Does this intangible force of affairs proscribe straight-out the existence of an observable, demonstrable process to art? Some would argue, perhaps having read too much of Nietzsche while dramatically intoxicated, that there can be no further dialogue on the subject; that all notion of creativity and the creative process lies somewhere death-sharp and clouded to the eyes, but nevertheless certainly over the precipice of the abyss. Successful objective annihilation of the self may prove this theory for them one day, but for now, I think it is a ridiculous notion at best. While it is certainly true that the sub-conscious is a washpool, writing can necessarily only rise to become an art form when these Dionysian forces are controlled and programmed onto paper. Automatic writing, as practiced by Georgie Hyde-Lees (esteemed wife and soul mate of William Butler Yeats), describes the nihilistic version of creativity, in which no process exists. Yet, it was Yeats himself, not Georgie, who won the plaudits for writing ability. Why? Because it is only through process that inspiration, intuitions, and the imagination can become melodious to the human heart. There is a definite stage of conceptualisation that defines the literary practice as a human process and not an automatic one.

It is largely dependent upon the individual temperament as to what form this process of conceptualisation takes. Hunter S. Thompson was in many ways the perfect nihilist. His strong energies pulled him towards transformation at the deepest level through utter destruction. He chose drugs as this vehicle for self-destruction. Accordingly, much of his work at the conceptual stage was characterised by madness. That he had to rely on his editors to pull his works into shape is telling. Yet his works do have a great shape to them, and this was all his design, whether by practice or by proxy. There are two or three sublime passages in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas that contain such a vibrant poignancy that they could have only been written by a genius in full control of his talents. That these passages are set immediately pro- and preceding sections of manic energy and comic cynicism is further testament to his abilities in scripting: he knew exactly when and where to place these quieter passages of gentle introspection.

Stay tuned for part 2 of “The Philosophy of Literary Creation”,
which will be published next month.

Dominic Ward currently has a novel and poetry in print. Balloon Cotton Bush was published by Small Dogma mid-2009 and represents a risk taken in literary development. He lives in Brisbane, Australia, with his partner and two children.

January 10th, 2010 | Category: Writing Matters | Comments (1)

We’d like to start the New Year off by announcing the latest selection for Sol Books Poetry Series: Mama Joy by Eileen Silver Lillywhite.

About the winning selection: Mama Joy is lit with a quiet beauty, its language easy in the best sense of the word—graceful, melodic, never over-handled. The poems in Eileen Silver Lillywhite’s collection move together like variations on a favorite theme, the “streets rasping with Cadillacs” and the “winds booming across continents,” all of which set the tone for a frank look at life’s major thematic movements.

Runners up:

Finalists:

Congratulation to Eileen and all of the finalists, and thanks to everyone who submitted their poetry collections, making this another successful contest.

January 1st, 2010 | Category: Mama Joy, Poetry Series | Leave a comment

May Santa gift you some riveting reads and the New Year bring fruition to your writing endeavors.

We hope to bring to you more exciting news and books in ‘10, including a series of article about the steps of writing by Dominic Ward, author of Balloon Cotton Bush.

December 20th, 2009 | Category: General | Leave a comment

by Roy A. Barnes

There’s an old saying that goes, “You have to play the hand you’re dealt.” I was born with Asperger’s Syndrome, a neuro-biological condition that is considered a high-functioning form of autism. It affects my dexterity, how I take in the environment around me, and makes it challenging for me to relate to people on an interpersonal level. As a lover of travel, Asperger’s Syndrome also affects how I get around, especially when exploring new places on my own. You see, I often get lost because I have a hard time understanding where I’m at in relation to maps, and on early trips, only with the help of the police and locals did I manage to find my way around.

Dealing with the Hand You Are Dealt

I have had to learn to compensate for the hand that was dealt me, which in turn helped me travel independently throughout the world. Having Asperger’s Syndrome may have been a blessing, too, as far as my writing is concerned, for we Aspies (those who have this condition) are very methodical and ritualistic when it comes to approaching things that interest us. These traits help keep me focused on certain aspects of my writing, such as tracking submissions and meeting deadlines.

Once I started getting more serious about my freelance writing in the late summer of 2004, my market searches came up with numerous publications wanting personal stories of people overcoming a physical disability or other life challenge, such as growing up in an alcoholic home, giving care to homebound people, or dealing with addictions. One publication, LaChance Publishing, was looking for written accounts for their book Voices of Autism. I submitted an essay about how I overcame Asperger’s Syndrome to become an independent traveler and was published in this widely-sold book. LaChance Publishing actively seeks accounts from writers about various hands dealt to them in life, and besides autism stories, they have published books on breast cancer and Alzheimer’s.

Playing the Hand You Are Dealt

I also published my article in You and Me Magazine. Sharing the link to my article with an agency in my home state of Wyoming that airs a show on disability issues resulted in me being invited to be a guest on their program in April of 2009. I was able to talk about dealing with Asperger’s Syndrome and my road to becoming a travel writer. That connection led me to another opportunity: one of the people involved with the program mentioned me to someone at another proactive disability agency in Wyoming, who in turn asked me to speak at their June 2009 conference on the subject of being self-determined when pursuing your dreams.

Winning With the Hand You Are Dealt

Radio host Don Imus said, “no one goes through life undefeated.” How can you best deal with the struggles you face? Writing is a cathartic way that helps us come to terms with the challenges we face, and submitting our writings to editors can lead to seeing our bylines in print, which may not only inspire others, but can also open the door to opportunities we would never have dreamed of, all because we were dealt a hand that seemed like a loser at first.

Online writing sites like Anthologies Online and Funds for Writers regularly list calls for submissions from publishers seeking stories about dealing with and overcoming life’s challenges. Think of the challenges that you have faced in your lifetime: divorce, illness, losing someone close to you. Subscribe to these sites, explore their archives, and see if your life stories fit what they’re looking for.

As writers, we can exercise our gift and ability with the written word to not only write about the challenges we face in our lives, but by sharing them via published articles, essays, and books based on our personal journeys, surprising opportunities may come our way.

Travel writer Roy A. Barnes is a past contributor to Sol Books and other writing-themed publications like The Willamette Writer, The Busy Freelancer, FellowScript, Writers Weekly, Writing for DOLLARS, Writer2Writer, and The Christian Communicator. He lives in southeastern Wyoming.

December 10th, 2009 | Category: Writing Matters | Leave a comment

Michael Loyd Gray’s latest novel, Well Deserved shares the same fictional small Midwestern town with his second, December’s Children: Argus, Illinois. There was an Argus the All-Seeing in Greek mythology. Gray could very well be referencing “Argus of the hundred eyes.” We readers are willing witnesses, as well.

His choice offers some pleasing continuities, such as Fleener family. But even without having read December’s Children, this setting will feel comfortable and familiar. It’s old-fashioned small-town America, 1970. Think: Mayberry from The Andy Griffith Show, but with enough mustache on Opie that he can enjoy a Pabst at the VFW. Michael Loyd Gray gives us the American Midwest before giant heartless agribusinesses and crystal meth.

In 238 concise pages, four main characters meet and form powerful bonds: Jesse Archer, at twenty years old, drifts from day to day selling pot from his isolated trailer. Raul, a suntanned local son returning from Vietnam, is not quite ready to live within his parent’s familiar walls again. Camping by the lake, he hears Jesse’s Rolling Stones, Jefferson Airplane, and Jimi Hendrix, and they become buds over a few PBR’s. Keeping an eye—though a more fatherly than suspicious one—on the pair of youngsters is the town’s new Chief of Police, Art Millage. His face grazed by a bullet in his native Chicago, Art knows the malice inherent to this world and how close its wrath can come. Finally, there’s the lovely, long-legged Nicole Michelle Beckert, cashier at Ferguson’s IGA and the sharpest and most knowing of the four.

With its controlled substances and the chief cruising in his patrol car, Well Deserved works as crime fiction: not the hard-boiled variety, but with normal people. Art knows well what Jesse is doing by the lake. He is not personally opposed to a puff of MJ himself, for one, and there’s a recognition that the entire police force could comb those dense woods for weeks and never locate the stashed evidence. Jesse may be a dealer, but his motivations are not those most fictional drug-pushing gangsters. He’s a laid-back seventies guy, happy to let his hair grow long and just keep things turning over. A notion is building, as well, that it’s time for him to get out of this game… if only he can. Along comes Raul, the feel of weapons familiar to his hands and nerves attuned to conflict. Slowly, Gray builds toward a climax.

I like the way he writes. Reading Well Deserved is like spending time hanging around a campfire with some friends. There’s also a beautiful GTO with Sergeant Pepper’s on the eight track, and a diner that serves potatoes spiced with a special, elusive ingredient. Argus in that week in 1970 is a great place to be.
—Critical Mick

December 1st, 2009 | Category: Reviews, Well Deserved | Leave a comment

“A son looks up to his father as a mentor, a provider, and shoes to fill. My Father’s Gloves is a collection of poetry from David Spiering reflecting on the unique relationship of father and son. Sure to make both parties look at their relationships and consider them. My Father’s Gloves is a unique read that should not be passed up. “That’s Hard to Say”: a ringing phone / drop on a table / like an ashtray — I think / how I drove something new / happy as a poem arrowed / into my father’s last chance . . .”
—Midwest Book Review

November 20th, 2009 | Category: My Father's Gloves, Reviews | Leave a comment