http://kennethrbesser.gather.com Recent Articles on Gather by Kenneth R. Besser en-us Copyright Gather Inc 2009 Sat, 02 Jan 2010 14:21:28 GMT 2010-01-02T14:21:28Z en-us Copyright Gather Inc 2009 http://www.gather.com/images/header/logo_gather.gif http://www.gather.com/ http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977123782 In preparation for a novel I am writing, I was drawn to Bobby DeLaughter’s true crime novel about his successful 1994 prosecution of Byron De La Beckwith, a bastion of the Ku Klux Klan, for the 1963 . . . Fri, 21 Sep 2007 12:39:24 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977123782 Kenneth R. Besser 2007-09-21T12:39:24Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977122859   As we have said before, great stories are comprised of great premises involving great people, in grand places, doing wonderful things. All of these things are very important, but at some times . . . Thu, 20 Sep 2007 15:25:40 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977122859 Kenneth R. Besser 2007-09-20T15:25:40Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977115315 Premise, stakes, place, and time are four key components of a great novel, but none of them are worth a tinker’s dam if they aren’t being driven by meaningful characters. According to chapter . . . Wed, 12 Sep 2007 23:08:03 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977115315 Kenneth R. Besser 2007-09-12T23:08:03Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977113006   Fire Bell in the Night Author: Geoffrey S. Edwards Publisher: Touchstone: An Imprint of Simon & Schuster ISBN-13: 978-1-4165-6424-9 $15.00 443 pages  With his maiden work, Geoffrey . . . Mon, 10 Sep 2007 23:08:25 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977113006 Kenneth R. Besser 2007-09-10T23:08:25Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977111919 Ribald though it may be, one silly memory of my childhood is a parody sign mimicking an airline ad with one duck flying on another duck's back above the words "Fly United." If ever one picture . . . Sun, 09 Sep 2007 23:24:06 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977111919 Kenneth R. Besser 2007-09-09T23:24:06Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977111814   Every story is set in a time and place and fixing them strongly in the minds of readers is a large part of making your writing a breakout novel. In the fourth chapter of his book, Writing the . . . Sun, 09 Sep 2007 21:00:01 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977111814 Kenneth R. Besser 2007-09-09T21:00:01Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977111154   In a staggering decision that should have some rogue debt collectors in New Jersey quaking in their millionaire boots, on September 6, 2007, the Federal Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit . . . Sun, 09 Sep 2007 03:49:12 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977111154 Kenneth R. Besser 2007-09-09T03:49:12Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977108797 Authors who publish their first books have a tendency to treat them like firstborn children. They take photographs of  their contract signing meetings with their agents and more pics at the even better . . . Thu, 06 Sep 2007 20:07:42 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977108797 Kenneth R. Besser 2007-09-06T20:07:42Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977108295   Our friend, The Donald, is a big stakes eater, if you pay any attention at all to the third chapter of his book, Writing the Breakout Novel. To quote Maass, who makes the same point he admits many . . . Thu, 06 Sep 2007 10:50:09 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977108295 Kenneth R. Besser 2007-09-06T10:50:09Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977107865   My editor in New York is looking to start her own imprint. I’m her lawyer and I’m handling the business details for her. On Monday, over a latte, as I was handing her a manuscript I . . . Wed, 05 Sep 2007 23:49:47 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977107865 Kenneth R. Besser 2007-09-05T23:49:47Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977107624 “[Insert your  favorite story’s title here] is a great story, wonderfully written!” Simple though it may be, no higher praise can be lauded upon a literary work of art. What is it, . . . Wed, 05 Sep 2007 19:37:32 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977107624 Kenneth R. Besser 2007-09-05T19:37:32Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977106404 Donald Maass's twenty-page chapter on stakes in Writing the Breakout Novel can be distilled down to four affirmative words, make the reader care. In order to do that, unless your first draft is miraculously . . . Tue, 04 Sep 2007 17:00:46 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977106404 Kenneth R. Besser 2007-09-04T17:00:46Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977104409 Book reviews only work if they are sufficiently short and to the point. Great works, however, like Donald Maass's how-to manual, Writing the Breakout Novel, sometimes take a little longer. We will . . . Sun, 02 Sep 2007 13:43:52 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977104409 Kenneth R. Besser 2007-09-02T13:43:52Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977102810 “Your opening scene was vivid,” The Donald wrote in his reply letter passing on my request that he represent my novel, Hollow Vengeance, “but that was not enough for me to keep turning . . . Fri, 31 Aug 2007 15:19:17 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977102810 Kenneth R. Besser 2007-08-31T15:19:17Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977102434 Since the very first one in 1984, my wife, Susan, and I have always been blessed with practically perfect children. The nature and extent of their very slight imperfections have ebbed and flowed over their . . . Fri, 31 Aug 2007 03:20:48 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977102434 Kenneth R. Besser 2007-08-31T03:20:48Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977101337  Anyone who's been near me recently knows I have lately become a big fan of "The Donald." Maass, that is, the New York literary uber agent; not the New York real estate one with the . . . Thu, 30 Aug 2007 01:52:47 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977101337 Kenneth R. Besser 2007-08-30T01:52:47Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977100553   Being a successful author is only 10% writing. The other 90% of what an author needs to bestsell books is marketing, which is as difficult to define as it is to do. Nonetheless, if you ask any . . . Wed, 29 Aug 2007 11:11:26 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977100553 Kenneth R. Besser 2007-08-29T11:11:26Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977095755   After thirty years of being happily married to the same wonderful person and 111 kid-years of being a parent of six practically perfect children, few things phase me anymore. I thought I had pretty . . . Fri, 24 Aug 2007 10:28:15 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977095755 Kenneth R. Besser 2007-08-24T10:28:15Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977095417 I continue to enjoy reading books on how to write better. In his book, Writing the Breakout Novel, and his seminars based thereon, uber agent Donald Maass somewhat dismisses the value of reviews by asking . . . Fri, 24 Aug 2007 00:33:50 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977095417 Kenneth R. Besser 2007-08-24T00:33:50Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977094725 Many people ask the questions, What makes a person successful? and What did they leave behind upon their death as a monument of their success? The only remnant of our success in life that we leave behind . . . Thu, 23 Aug 2007 10:09:42 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977094725 Kenneth R. Besser 2007-08-23T10:09:42Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977093619 One man’s poop is another man’s peanut butter, I always say because I firmly believe your perception of anything in life is quite often a matter of the perspective from which you view it. . . . Wed, 22 Aug 2007 12:37:28 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977093619 Kenneth R. Besser 2007-08-22T12:37:28Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977092593 Pick a spot and if one of my vacation condo weeks can be exchanged there and your email entering my contest is chosen, I will put you up there for a week.   This is not spam. It's just a sweepstakes . . . Tue, 21 Aug 2007 14:54:03 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977092593 Kenneth R. Besser 2007-08-21T14:54:03Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977090612 Question: --- In trtreadingcircle@yahoogroups.com, (a good little group, even if it's not on Gather) "Rjay" <irish.bratz@...> wrote: > Hello all, > I have been a member her . . . Sun, 19 Aug 2007 14:03:41 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977090612 Kenneth R. Besser 2007-08-19T14:03:41Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977088849   As I have traveled around hawking my new young adult adventure series, The Arnie Carver Adventures, people have often asked, "Why do you stress diversity and nonimposition so much?" . . . Fri, 17 Aug 2007 13:11:57 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977088849 Kenneth R. Besser 2007-08-17T13:11:57Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977088452   All writers dream of having a bestseller. In order to reach this nadir, you have to do something I call "bestselling" your book. Many writers mistakenly believe the best way to make the . . . Thu, 16 Aug 2007 22:33:24 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977088452 Kenneth R. Besser 2007-08-16T22:33:24Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977083722   As an entirely unexpected surprise recently, I received an e-mail telling me Writer's Digest was making rebroadcasts of select sessions from the Pre-BEA Writer's Conference available to . . . Sun, 12 Aug 2007 15:32:20 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977083722 Kenneth R. Besser 2007-08-12T15:32:20Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977080131 Many muggles are mourning the martyrdom of their most beloved HP characters. The most common lament is "Why did they have to kill [fill in the blank, no spoilers here]?" As an author of a young . . . Wed, 08 Aug 2007 20:50:09 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977080131 Kenneth R. Besser 2007-08-08T20:50:09Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977078473   Head Start kids aren't the only ones who buy the idea that anything wrapped in the golden arches is better than the competition. Just like the kids in a study recently published by the Stanford . . . Tue, 07 Aug 2007 14:00:30 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977078473 Kenneth R. Besser 2007-08-07T14:00:30Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977074803 The sarcastic pessimist in me intermittently rears its ugly head to spit the plaint that no good deed goes unpunished. Yesterday was no exception. I'd worked hard courting a local independent . . . Fri, 03 Aug 2007 10:43:33 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977074803 Kenneth R. Besser 2007-08-03T10:43:33Z