Becky Flade, Author

I love to read. I LOVE TO READ. I’ll read anything, including soup cans, so clearly I’m not picky about word count. What I don’t understand is why there appears to be a virulent undercurrent of animosity aimed at shorter reads prevalent in current society. I’ve noticed over the last year or so readers are speaking out against short fiction. And they seem angry at the form. One author was reviewed harshly over word count (and only word count) for a story that was given away as a free read!   This is very much an argument for:   DON’T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS …. LENGTH.   I brought the subject up in my writer’s group not that long ago and even there the consensus was decisively split between those that love the form and those that would never “stoop” to purchase a novella. And there it was again, while these writers weren’t angry at the short read like some readers I have encountered seem to be, they still saw the short story as LESS worthy or their time and money. [1]...

I’ve been running a book versus movie theme lately, ha, didn’t even realize it. But I’ve got another one. Love Joss Whedon [except for Buff-me – I wasn’t a fan] and my favorite work of his is Firefly/Serenity. The slash is because I equally love the movie and the short-lived television show. When I’m on a good run with my writing, I like to pop in the tv show; I have the box set. The rhythm, the pacing, the score, I find it soothing, even with the gunshots. [I don’t do silence well. For some reason, when working on something, anything, that I want to devote my attention to, I need noise to concentrate. Too much noise, I get a little nuts. But if it’s silent, I can’t focus my brain. It’s like there is so much going on in my head that it needs a distraction.] I had Serenity on yesterday and I was watching it, as opposed to writing thru it. And it occurred to me that I love the dialogue. In my opinion, dialogue has its own cadence that is particular to the individual writ...

Well I was going to review JD Robb’s last two books, Delusion in Death and Calculated in Death , because they were the last two books I read – both in hardback as I wanted, nee required, a break from my Kindle and my laptop. But for some reason it felt beyond arrogant to assume to write and then publish reviews of these books as though my opinion of them means anything. The reviews I’ve written previously have been requested of me and that, my friends, is quite different in my opinion than assuming to write an unsolicited review of someone else’s hard work. As a newly published author I look for new reviews regularly. I beg for them, I chew on my nails in anticipation of getting one; and when I do I analyze every word, even a positive one can send me into fits, but a negative one can send me spinning. But surely Nora Roberts/JD Robb wouldn’t lose any sleep over what I thought. Seriously? Who am I? I can just see it now. I post my lackluster review and Nora Roberts promptly signs i...