Stay at Home Dad
It’s been a busy week and I’m slowly inching into the editing. Getting back into the biking too, so my legs aren’t happy. Honestly, I’m just kind of down. Probably revolving around exhaustion since it’s been a whole new schedule. Sales kind of slowed down too and I woke up to a 2-star review. It wasn’t mean and was entirely fair, but I was in that mindset where I simply felt disappointed. Not in the reviewer since I got the feeling that it was another ‘present tense’ issue. Then again, I also note that writing dialogue in a way that people actually talk tends to get more negative reactions than if you write people talking with perfect grammar and literary flair. Whatever. It was a fair review and at least it wasn’t a 1-star that spent more time insulting me.
I’ll be diving into the editing again today. It’s moving slowly because I’m trying to be meticulous. I’m still trying to figure out a few pieces of this project, but I’ll hopefully get an idea over the weekend. These are really editing runs to make things easier for my editor, but I should be as thorough as I can be. I pray this doesn’t mean I have to read ‘Beginning of a Hero’ again.
Anyway, the thought that prompted this sudden post is the topic for my posts next week. It was supposed to be poems on various hero types. Instead, it became a week of poems on Superman and his various states. Regular, unpowered, Supergirl, future version, and fallen hero came up and I noticed he’s been around for a while. So it was interesting to think of the same character in different roles. Then I remembered that people seem to hate Superman and now I’m worried that next week will be a disaster. I have no other ideas too. Also I’m too busy/lazy to write a full week of posts, so I’m stuck.
So, does anyone else have a hero that they like or hate while everyone else seems to be of the opposite mind? For example, I like Superman and am so over Batman. Yet most of my friends are the opposite.
Legends of Windemere 
I vote for Captain Underpants.
Happy editing, Charles. 🙂 That’s what I’m doing this week too.
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Captain Underpants?
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Yes! Look him up!
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Seen the picture, but no more than that. Actually thought you were mentioning a nickname for Superman.
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Haha! That works. 🙂
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Present tense always gets some confused. You and I like it so that’s all that matters. Your Superman poetry sounds interesting so I wouldn’t worry.
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Thanks. It’s always strange seeing a review that complements the plot and characters, but speaks as if the book was writing wrong. This time it was that the dialogue was trite, which really means it wasn’t interesting to the reader. Can’t really argue with that since it’s personal taste. I’ve read books that my friends praise for interesting dialogue and I drag my brain through it.
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This is why sage advisors say “write for yourself.”
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Yup. Ever wonder how author life was before reviews could be posted by everyone? We really live in a world where we’re exposed.
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Actually I always thought that Olive Oyl was vastly underrated – granted she did not have supermodel looks or figure but she had to put up with a pipe-smoking spinach addict and a boorish bully who needed a shave… just saying….
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Good one and I never thought of that. 🙂
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I can entirely sympathise with your low feeling Charles. I’m feeling rubbish at the moment and my book is also doing REALLY rubbish so that isn’t helping! I feel like starting over with my book – my husband’s suggested doing a relaunch but says I need reviews first on Amazon, but I can’t get reviews on Amazon till I’ve had a few sales/more responses to my offer of a free copy of my book in exchange for a fair & honest review.
So it’s like a vicious circle. Anyway I really loved the stay-at-home-dad images. I can definitely empathise with that!! Not that I have children (or intend to!) but just the feeling sometimes of being expected to be something you’re not.
As for a superhero – well I’ve never read the comics but I have watched a number of the superhero films and I quite like Spiderman. He’s young and vulnerable and gets into real messes – but I can identify with him. Another one I like is Captain America. He of course starts off as a dweeb and then has his world turned upside down. So yeah, either of those two! 🙂
(Hope you feel better soon!)
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I thought your book was just released. Seems a little too early to do a relaunch. Maybe just post about it on a few sites since the summer slump is ending. It could just need a small push instead of an overhaul.
Those heroes are rather popular. Though I was asking about characters in general, so it doesn’t have to be heroes. I think everyone has that one character that they like and others hate or ignore.
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Thanks for your comment Charles, that’s helpful. Had a chat with my husband who’s home from work and he agrees with you! I think posting about it on a few sites could really help so I will look into doing that.
If you’re asking about characters in general, I absolutely LOVE Tyrion Lannister, particularly as played by Peter Dinklage. Such a wonderful character and so heroic, without really meaning to be. I have read the first book but none of the rest BTW! 🙂
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If it helps, my first book was only put on 4 sites that weren’t social media. That was spread out over a few weeks too because I found them as I went.
I haven’t gotten into Game of Thrones, but I hear a lot of praise for that character. Wonder if anybody actually hates him.
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Oh ‘Game of Thrones’ is wonderful if you ever get the chance to have a watch (or a read!). Funnily enough I haven’t yet come across anyone who doesn’t like Tyrion.
That’s interesting what you say about your first book. Now that I have PayPal that should make it easier to sign up for these sites, what with being in the UK, and not have to ask my husband to help out (he had PayPal way before me!). 🙂
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I actually have the first book, but it didn’t really grip me like I expected. So I didn’t make it very far. A friend didn’t help with the pitch ‘every character you will like will die’.
PayPal definitely helps. I have that blog page with a listing of marketing sites if you want to look through it.
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I’ve had a look. Thanks that’s helpful.
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Check with Rosie Amber’s review team before you do anything drastic. It takes time for readers and reviewers, and to build interest. http://rosieamber.wordpress.com/rosies-book-review-team/
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Hi thanks for your comment. I am actually gonna have my first book ‘The Inheritance’ reviewed by someone soon so that should be interesting.
And you’re right – I guess I shouldn’t rush this! 🙂
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I meant have it reviewed by Rosie’s book review team!
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I love Superman. He’s my favorite. I guess because I have known him since, well, forever.
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He’s definitely one of the most iconic. I think the ‘issue’ people have with him is that he’s the perfect paragon during a time where people enjoy the tortured anti-heroes. The extreme powers are hard to overlook and realize that they come with a difficulty in terms of restraint. He could easily kill all of his enemies by going full strength, but he doesn’t. That’s something I found rather interesting.
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Sorry about your review. That’s disheartening. I try to base my rating on how well the book was written rather than whether it fit my personal taste or not. It doesn’t seem fair to give a good writer a low rating simply because the story wasn’t your style.
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It’s a tough call with my books. Many people see present tense as bad writing, so it straddles the border between personal taste and quality of the book. Such is my curse. 😛
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Personally I find most present tense just difficult to focus on. But I don’t think it’s bad writing; just personal preference. I think people who consider it bad writing are projecting their personal preferences on others. Rude.
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Not surprising. We’re raised on past tense stories, so the change is jarring. I’ve met many who couldn’t get a handle on it and others who can read both styles. Oddest thing is that people who are more into television or read a ton of comic books seem to read present tense a lot easier. I think it deals with immersion.
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I actually read present tense easier when it’s in the first person. Not sure why.
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chin up, Charles. I’m a stay at home dad who feels your frustration as I have to sacrifice sleep to write because looking after the children, entertaining and teaching them takes up as much time as keeping the home in reasonable repair. You are not alone, and, what’s more, you are doing a remarkable job. I believe in you, pal. keep smiling and remember why we do it!
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Thanks. We’re still trying to figure out weekends around here. It’s that debate between who should get more time to relax.
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I also work nights!
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