Worth One’s While
Enjoying a book is a win-win for the reader and author. The reader does not waste precious time. For a buyer, it is money well spent.
My novels are labeled self-published. The first half of each is available online. To have a good chance that reading Reason Reigns or Royal Serf would be worth your while, I hope, dear reader, that you would check the posted chapters first before purchasing or requesting the book.
I am a Romantic writer. I depict heroic subjects. My writing style is reality-oriented. My characters think, speak out, and decide. I do not tell the reader what to think about the characters’ thoughts, ideas, actions or inactions. I endeavor not to make arbitrary assertions - the value-judgments of the characters are part of the characterizations. Readers who prefer the emotion-oriented literary style would not enjoy my novels. It would be a strain to understand them.
My values are reflected in my writing. I hold that glorifying sacrifice is evil because self-sacrifice is masochism and sanctioning it is sadism. I regard selfishness as a virtue because it is concordant with man’s nature. I revere equal, inherent, inalienable rights.
I regret wasting anyone’s time. If I did not provide the book to a dissatisfied reader, I deeply regret wasting his/her money as well. For a self-published author like me with very limited resources, if I provided the book and the reader finds it boring, not good, or not worth reading, it is a double whammy: a waste of precious money and an unfavorable review.
My novels are labeled self-published. The first half of each is available online. To have a good chance that reading Reason Reigns or Royal Serf would be worth your while, I hope, dear reader, that you would check the posted chapters first before purchasing or requesting the book.
I am a Romantic writer. I depict heroic subjects. My writing style is reality-oriented. My characters think, speak out, and decide. I do not tell the reader what to think about the characters’ thoughts, ideas, actions or inactions. I endeavor not to make arbitrary assertions - the value-judgments of the characters are part of the characterizations. Readers who prefer the emotion-oriented literary style would not enjoy my novels. It would be a strain to understand them.
My values are reflected in my writing. I hold that glorifying sacrifice is evil because self-sacrifice is masochism and sanctioning it is sadism. I regard selfishness as a virtue because it is concordant with man’s nature. I revere equal, inherent, inalienable rights.
I regret wasting anyone’s time. If I did not provide the book to a dissatisfied reader, I deeply regret wasting his/her money as well. For a self-published author like me with very limited resources, if I provided the book and the reader finds it boring, not good, or not worth reading, it is a double whammy: a waste of precious money and an unfavorable review.
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Hi Betsy. Thank you for your perspective.
A Romantic writer projects moral values and presents man as he could be and ought to be. -----> Some deem this moralizing or being preachy.
A literary style has two fundamental elements: choice of content and choice of words.
Choice of content: the characters in Reason Reigns are heroic because I choose to write about heroes.
-----> Several readers have described Reason Reigns as fantasy. I believe this is due to the virtues and achievements of the characters, though the novel clearly portrays how the heroes earn their virtues and creations.
-----> I answer this in Royal Serf where real-life heroes are depicted.
Choice of words: I endeavor to present facts (reality-oriented) rather than use arbitrary assertions (emotion-oriented). To further explain this – here is an excerpt from Reason Reigns:*
By the foot of the ramp were life-size marble statues of a man and a woman, side by side, barely touching, with bodies stretched taut, hands reaching for the firmament, heads tilted upwards, feet on tiptoe, ingeniously balanced on a smooth marble platform. Santo Sacrificio and most members of his congregation referred to the pair of sculptures as The Torments and Supplication of the Damned.
On the other hand, Ron, Alisa, Frank, Ari, Glenda, and a few others saw ecstasy, not torment, on the faces and bodies of the marble statues. Ron and company saw exultation, not supplication, in the hands reaching for the heavens. The sculptor was also the creator of the indestructible Constitution tablet and its case.
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I presented visual facts about the statues. The characters have different value-judgments.
a) Showing the nature of a character by means of his/her value-judgments (aside from action and dialogue) is reality-oriented. Asserting a character’s nature by using adjectives is emotion-oriented.
b) The reader can form his/her own value-judgments based on the visual facts given. He/She could agree with Santo, or with Ron, or form another opinion --> this is reality-oriented. The reader has to form his own value-judgments because I endeavor not to --> some readers might say: “difficult read”
If the writer says: “the sculptures are stunning” or “the sculptures are not works of art” --> this is emotion-oriented. An independent-thinking reader would ask – why are they stunning? Or – why are they not works of art? A second-hander would accept the writer’s say-so.
I choose to endeavor using the reality-oriented literary style because of respect: self-respect and respect for my readers. It is much more difficult than the emotion-oriented style, but I shouldn’t expect my readers to accept my say-so.
I am learning from books I read. Kudos to these writers who really take time to inform their readers on almost everything in life. Again my salute to Ilyn Ross for stressing the value of reason in her Reason Reigns and the must role of government in her The Royal Serf.
Thank you, Alma.I am reading O. Henry and I learned that "alma" is the Spanish word for "sweetheart".
Emotion can drive anyone to unpredictable measures. Give me a author that can deliver this and I am in to the very last page.
It is good I know you have a certain perspective before I read your work. Thanks for sharing giving insight to your view.
Perception has so much to do with the entire universe and one's viewed experiences or journeys.