Ask Bestselling Author Lawrence Block a Question discussion
Future books
Linda, thanks so much. It seems unlikely that I'll be writing more about Bernie R., but you never know. Twitter: @LawrenceBlock
I have been interested in writing for many years. I took a course with Writer's Digest many years ago, when it was all done by mail. My instructor, Marian Blue, was excellent. She told me I had talent and that I was very good with dialogue. However, like you say in your books, the discipline is the hard part. I have so many books on writing, including yours, and I'm constantly cutting out articles from the paper, but I have a problem developing my story ideas. I'm 63 years old and now on total disability. I've worked for 40 years, 20 years as an ER nurse, so I have lots of stories. I have submitted 2 stories in the past, one a children's story to "Highlights" and an adult story to a magazine. They were rejected, but my instructor told me they are what they call "good rejections." Nothing negative about my writing. "Highlights" stated they had just printed a story with the same theme as mine and the magazine told me my story was outdated, it takes place during the Vietnam war.Lazy me, never pursued it. I'm considering taking another course with "Writer's Digest," could you recommend a class the would be of most benefit to me? I think it's time to get serious. I promise I would never ask you to read my manuscript.
Linda
Linda, I don't think it's a course you need. I think you need to work on your Inner Writer. I'm going to do what I don';t much like to do in a forum like this, and that's suggest you read a particular book of mine, WRITE FOR YOUR LIFE. The ebook's reasonable (the print version is not, as it's scarce and collectible) and it's really a seminar in book form. If you do the exercises, I think they'll help. Here's a link: http://tinyurl.com/5sf7kmw
Thank you so much. I will definitely get that. I have bought your other 2 books," Writing the Novel from Plot to Print" and I'm now reading "Telling Lies for Fun and Profit," which happens to be signed by you. Awesome. Thanks again.
Linda
You're awesome yourself, Linda. Hope you enjoy them. And if you do, and feel inclined to review them both here and at Amazon, well, I'd be grateful.LB
Lawrence wrote: "Linda, thanks so much. It seems unlikely that I'll be writing more about Bernie R., but you never know. Twitter: @LawrenceBlock"
Oh, come on, you don't have to say it out loud =) String us along a little bit. Next, you'll be telling us that we'll never see Chip Harrison again (don't say it! Even if it's true).
Don't get me wrong. I LOVE Scudder, but the humor you pull off in those are something else!
Scott wrote: "Oh, come on, you don't have to say it out loud =) String us along a little bit. Next, you'll be telling us that we'll never see Chip Harrison again (don't say it! Even if it's true)."Scott, I was whispering. And the operative phrase here is "You never know." See, I never know. I've often thought I was done with Scudder, and was absolutely certain I'd never again write under a pen name.
Yeah, right. And A DROP OF A HARD STUFF came out last month, and GETTING OFF, by Lawrence Block writing as Jill Emerson, comes out in September
So what do I know?
Thanks for the advice. I downloaded "Write for Your Life" to my Nook. I finished "Writing the Novel From Plot to Print" and I've just started "Telling Lies for Fun and Profit." I like the way you write your instructional books. You write the bare bones of what is important. I have read and own many books on writing, but I have learned more from your books than any of the others.I have also gotten a few of your friend, Donald Westlake's books. I absolutely love noir fiction. I also read Raymond Chandler.
Don't worry Scott. I bet if the right idea comes up we'll be seeing more Bernie R.
Linda
@Lawrence, so glad you picked Scudder up again. He really is my all time favorite recurring character, any genre. Probably gonna start over and go through them again. Glad to hear you're not ruling anything out!And big pats on the back for whoever had the idea to put these short stories & novellas on Amazon! Curling up with "Who Knows Where it Goes" right now!
@Linda, Westlake is so great. You should check out this graphic novel adaptation of "The Hunter" http://www.idwpublishing.com/previews... Since my two great literary loves are noir and comics...
Also, if you've never read any Jim Thompson. You really should =)
Scott wrote: "And big pats on the back for whoever had the idea to put these short stories & novellas on Amazon! Curling up with "Who Knows Where it Goes" right now!"Scott, thanks. I'm having fun Kindle-pubbling the stories, and hope you enjoy "Who Knows Where It Goes." There'll be more to come!
LB
I have a Nook, so not able to get "Who Knows Where It Goes."Linda
Ah, sorry about that, Linda. My self-pubbing's limited to Kindle. You do know that you can download a free Kindle app for iPhone, iPad, and many other devices, right? One of my daughters reads everything on her iPhone and quite prefers it to other media. Of course she's always been the slightest bit strange. . .
I'm the same way, I read exclusively on my iPhone/iPad. I like being able to put all of the apps on my devices (nook, Kindle, etc.), and just pick what suits me.Now, to kick back and start "The Specialists."
Brace yourself, here come's another plug.But one of my new eRiginal books for writers, The Liar's Bible, has been selling all along at $9.99, and there's been an experimental promotion dropping it to $2.99. (Nobody told me, I went on line and found it.) Personally, I'd like the book to stay at $2.99, but I don't think it will for more than a week or two. So if y'all want it, now's the time. I believe it's the same $2.99 price on all platforms, but have only checked on Kindle. (It's available for the others, but I don't know about the price.)
Here's a link: http://tinyurl.com/63e9zzt
Linda wrote: "I have a Nook, so not able to get "Who Knows Where It Goes."Linda"
If you have a color nook and and not afraid technically, you can "root" your color nook and then make it into an Android tablet which will give you access to all the major reading apps: Kindle, Nook, and Kobo. You can buy SD cards on the web or follow instructions available on Youtube and for the price of a micro SD card have a slick Android tablet. Note that many have complained about paying $60 or so for a bootable micro SD card when the cards themselves cost less than $10, but for the non-geeks, it's a painless and non-palm-sweating way to have a tablet that will boot into Android or (by taking out the card) revert back to the original Color Nook firmware.
Eric_W wrote: "Linda wrote: "I have a Nook, so not able to get "Who Knows Where It Goes."Linda"
If you have a color nook and and not afraid technically, you can "root" your color nook and then make it into an ..."
I believe there's also a way to bring in virtually any eBook on the fillings in your teeth. Of course, a tinfoil hat blocks the reception.
I have the original Nook. I like mine better than the color because I have 3G and Wi-Fi. My daughter has the color Nook and she doesn't have 3G. She has to find a "hot spot" to download books. I'll check with my son when he comes to visit from TX. He's a network engineer and software developer. He's the family computer guru.Linda
You must have read my mind. I downloaded "The Liars Bible" to my Nook yesterday. It was $2.99. I have a Droid phone, so I probably could get the "Who Knows Where It Goes" on that. I'll check with my son. He'll be coming to visit soon.Linda
It was a delight to find "The Girl With the Long Green Heart." I'd never heard of it. Viva Kindle and my iPad!!!
@Bill. I know, right! Have you found "The Specialists" yet? I had never heard of it and it is Rock. Hard.http://www.amazon.com/The-Specialists...
The eBook pricing revolution continues, one book at a time. Latest bargains—Killing Castro and Grifter's Game, both Hard Case Crime titles, each $2.99 for the usual "limited time only." Everywhere—for Nook, for Kindle, and I think Apple, Kobo, and Sony Reader as well. But Kindle and Nook for sure. I'd throw in links, but I'm exhausted and this crowd is savvy enough to find their way there.
Linda wrote: "I have a Nook, so not able to get "Who Knows Where It Goes."Linda"
Linda, I couldn't stand the idea of your being unable to read my work. It gnawed at me something awful. So I spent all day yesterday making all my self-published titles available for Nook as well. Here's a link to "Keller in Dallas" http://tinyurl.com/6gqzzbz
And here's a list of the others: Catch & Release, A Chance to Get Even, Welcome to the Real World, Who Knows Where It Goes, Speaking of Lust, Speaking of Greed, Dolly's Trash & Treasures, and Scenarios. They've all been available for Kindle, and they're now all available for Nook as well.
All 99¢, except for "Keller in Dallas" and "Speaking of Greed," which are $1.98. And you can take your time, because I won't be raising these prices. They'll stay right where they are.
LB
Oh my, that was so awesome of you. Thank you so much. I've been on disability since last Sept. and they say I will never be able to return to my job as an ER nurse or do any other work, so I have a lot of time to read. I do have other hobbies, but reading is number one, always has been since I was little. Used to stay up late, hide under my sheet with the flash light and read.Thank you again.
Linda
Linda wrote: "Oh my, that was so awesome of you. Thank you so much. I've been on disability since last Sept. and they say I will never be able to return to my job as an ER nurse or do any other work, so I have a..."Hey, I was just trying to turn a buck. Don't start telling people I did something nice. That'd ruin the whole image...
Afraid that ship has sailed, Mr. B. We already know you're a nice guy, and we buy your grisly books anyway.
Susan wrote: "Afraid that ship has sailed, Mr. B. We already know you're a nice guy, and we buy your grisly books anyway."Y'all don't hold my occasional lapse into decency against me? Wish I'd known that years ago.
LB
(and, for any interested: Twitter: @LawrenceBlock )
<>You couldda made it TWO BUCKS. $1 was supremely nice! :-)
Yes, I agree you are a nice guy. You don't fool anybody. Thank you again. Linda
Add my vote to bringing Bernie back. He's so much fun!
It's like Chinese water torture. Wearing you down one drip at a time.
Here's a Bernie question you might be able to tolerate. What are the odds of the abridged audiobooks you narrated ever being available digitally? Those were a treat!
Very slim. Glad you liked them, and I did enjoy doing them, but I have to say I hate the very idea of abridgments. In any event, Penguin owns the audio version, and they've reverted rights to the books, so it would be hard to untangle, even if anyone was interested.
Lawrence wrote: "Very slim. Glad you liked them, and I did enjoy doing them, but I have to say I hate the very idea of abridgments. In any event, Penguin owns the audio version, and they've reverted rights to the ..."Personally I think Robert Forster should do all your audiobooks. His reading on Hit Man was perfect.
He's very good. And a very nice man.
Yeah, yeah. My cat thinks that if she bugs me enough she'll get a tummy rub. We're hoping that if we bug you enough we'll get a new Bernie.
I dislike abridgments, too. I just enjoyed your narration, and being an audiobook addict (I'm a driver), would gladly scoop up those versions in addition to the unabridged versions I already own (I purchased those on cassette and converted them back in the day when you could still find a cassette player :)@Sean, have you heard and of Mark Hammer's narration? He does a fantastic job, too. Check out a sample of his version of "When the Sacred Ginmill Closes." http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZ...
Maryfox wrote: "Yeah, yeah. My cat thinks that if she bugs me enough she'll get a tummy rub. We're hoping that if we bug you enough we'll get a new Bernie." Won't happen, so forget about it. Larry has said it over and over again. You'll get a Bernie book if a story comes from that magical place wherever stories come from, but not before then.
Stunatra, you took the words right out of my mouth. Thank you.
Mr. Block- I have read many of your Matt Scudder books- they are universally excellent- His alcoholism and reliance on AA- I feel- has had a very possitive effect on readers with similar issues- seeing how AA works for Scudder..or how he works for AA...Did you include this aspect of Scudder as a device to make him more interesting?
Rick, thanks. But no, that's not how I work. I never expected Scudder would grow or change or change the pattern of his drinking, but the course he took just seemed natural for the character, and I allowed him to evolve that way. I've always felt that if characters are alive and realistic and interesting for me, they'll be that way for enough readers to keep me going.
And for Maryfox, and all the rest of Bernie's less patient fans: What you may not know is that there are a couple of Burglar stories. Here's a Kindle link to "The Burglar Who Smelled Smoke" http://tinyurl.com/5wgdftr a Bernie Rhodenbarr story written in collaboration with my wife, Lynne. And here's another for "A Bad Night for Burglars," a precursor to the Burglar series; http://tinyurl.com/4y78znw the lead character is very like Bernie, but things don't go very well for him. (I just put it up on Kindle today.)These are short stories, @99¢ apiece; if you haven't read them, and you're a Bernie Rhodenbarr fan, they may interest you. And I have two more that I'll make available as soon as I find the time...
Lawrence wrote: "Rick, thanks. But no, that's not how I work. I never expected Scudder would grow or change or change the pattern of his drinking, but the course he took just seemed natural for the character, and ..."interesting point- in a sense- Scudder prettymuch took on an identity of his own- and you "went with the flow"- perhaps that is why he is so very real- I am many friends in AA and they say that the character is very much like those they see in the rooms- and grateful for your respect for AA- what I mean is that Matt is portrayed as a man with the disease of alcoholism- not a stereotypical "hard drinking" PI
Mr. Block - I am in mourning, having read all of Bernie rhodenbarr and Evan tanner, and finding discouraging comments about the possibility of more. Certainly understand that the world has changed since these characters were conceived, but all the more reason we need that delightful wry humor and flights of fantasy. Your writing is always excellent, but I just can't find that degree of pleasure in Matthew Scudder. I do hope you will revisit that FUN Lawrence Block I love!
Tell me you enjoyed the Keller novels?
Richard wrote: "Tell me you enjoyed the Keller novels?"Haven't read them, but will get tho them asap. Good as rhodenbarr and tanner?
You might like the Chip Harrison books, starting with No Score. Here's a link: http://tinyurl.com/8a63se5
Thanks, Will give them a try as well.
Linda