Looks like we hit a nerve yesterday when I suggested you submit your author bios for critique. A LOT of you responded. I’ll look at some of them today. A few comments, first:
1) Yes, Christophe, there’s a Dublin in California. There’s also a Paris in Pennsylvania, a London in Texas, a Madrid in New York, and a Cairo in Tennessee. We are just a bunch of copycats here in the US, and no mistake.
2) A bio should be written in the third person. Randy feels very weird talking about himself in third person, but he’s getting used to it. Randy also has written press releases about himself in third person, and that is even weirder. “When you quote yourself, you start wondering if the whole news business is just one big scam,” Randy says without a trace of irony.
3) Several of you are exhibiting angst over the fact that you have no qualifications. Remember, you just need to tie your fiction to your real life. What genre do you write, and why? What is it in you that drives you to write that kind of fiction? How can you reveal a bit of your personality within your bio? All of these are at least as important as academic degrees, which really only matter if your novel is one of those that requires oodles of research.
4) You are allowed to be funny in your bio, but if you try it, you’d better actually BE funny. There is nothing worse than a joke that falls flat in a bio. Whimsy is good, in small doses, for the right kinds of books. John’s bio had a bit of whimsy, and it worked. I don’t whim well, so I wouldn’t try it. If you put humor in your bio and it’s really funny and the editors don’t get it, then it was probably best that you not work with them anyway.
OK, let’s pick out a few bios that I thought were pretty strong:
Brett wrote:
B. D. McLaughlin is a bestselling and award-winning non-fiction author. His books on computer programming, home theater, and analysis and design have sold in excess of 100,000 copies. He has been writing, editing, and producing technical books for nearly a decade, and is as comfortable in front of a word processor as he is behind a guitar, chasing his two sons around the house, or laughing at reruns of Arrested Development with his wife.
Aftermath is Brett’s first fiction novel, but his short stories and writing skills have been garnering lots of attention in 2007. He is a book reviewer for Infuze Magazine and a regular guest lecturer at Dallas’ First Baptist Academy, where he teaches creative writing. He’s been asked to teach a concentrated course in Professional Writing for students intending to major in writing-related degrees. His short story “Change of Heart” was published online at the Relief Writer’s Network, and is set for inclusion in the second issue of Coach’s Midnight Diner, a genre publication of Christian-influenced short stories.
Randy sez: First paragraph is strong. Those sales numbers let the editors know that you’ve moved some copies.
Paragraph 2 needs a little work. First off, “fiction novel” is redundant, since all novels are fiction. The second part of the first sentence is a little vague. Let’s examine it in some detail: “but his short stories and writing skills have been garnering lots of attention in 2007.”
What does this mean? Did any short stories get published? If so, where? Did they win an award? If so, how big of an award?
The parts about teaching writing are probably less relevant, since teaching is easier than doing, and many teachers haven’t been published. Likewise, publishing online is not regarded as a hard thing to do, so the sentence about that probably isn’t pulling its own weight here.
Can you tie in your life experiences to what you write? I don’t know what genre you’re writing, but the bio should fit the genre, if possible.
Jane wrote:
Since turning to Christian writing, Jane Robertson has contributed to Chicken Soup for the Soul Celebrates Mothers (2003), Chicken Soup for the Single Parent’s Soul (2005), and A Cup of Comfort Devotional (2004). She worked as a movie reviewer for crosshome.com from 2002 through 2004. She has also sold articles to the Dawkins Project’s Celebrations: Notes to My Grandfather and Kimberly Ripley’s second collection, Breathe Deeply: The Extended Family and Beyond.
Robertson attended Mount Hermon’s Christian Writer’s Conference in 2004 and again in 2006, the latter year as a participant in Brandilyn Collins’ novel writers’ seminar. In November 2005 she took part in Karen Ball’s mentoring clinic, also at Mount Hermon.
In 1991 she completed the Writer’s Digest Novel Writing Program. Her undergraduate minor was in creative writing, and she twice received her college’s fiction award. She earned honorable mention in two Writer’s Digest fiction-writing competitions (1987 and 1988) and won the Ohio River Writer’s Conference fiction prize (1981).
Robertson worked more than twenty years in advertising, as a copywriter, then an account executive, then a vice president. A client for whom she wrote a book-length company history was pleased enough to offer her a byline, and she still consults on occasion. Her career enables her to instill Curst Be the Tie with an insider’s view of the ad business.
She holds professional memberships in American Christian Fiction Writers, the Utah Christian Writers’ Fellowship, and the online Christian Writers’ Group.
Randy sez: The last paragraph is the most important, so this should be moved up to the top. I have read a few chapters of Curst Be The Tie, and found it extremely witty and enjoyable. It’s a mystery set in an ad agency. I didn’t know Jane had 20+ years in advertising, but this is useful to know, because it tells us Jane is an insider. There are any number of people who write books about stuff they know nothing about! Jane is not one of those.
The second most important material here is Jane’s actual experience writing. She’s contributed to a couple of Chicken Soup books. That is relevant.
As for Jane’s education and experience at writing conferences and various awards, those can be summarized in a quick paragraph. The idea is to show that you’ve been actively learning how to write without making too big a deal out of it. Lots of people have taken courses, gone to conferences, and won awards.
Camille wrote:
Qualifications: I have a PhD in Learning Things the Hard Way. I’m well acquainted with dysfunction, abuse, pain, and despair. And thanks to the self-help Eighties, in additional to dysfunctional, I’m self absorbed. I’m also sarcastic, ironic, gifted but lazy, compulsive, wry witted, self-depreciating, and over-caffeinated. I play bass guitar, love Classic Rock, muscle cars, big V-twins and action flicks, and I HATE shopping.
And. . . I’m currently writing a touchingly sweet, old fashioned, faith-based romance targeted toward nice, normal women with nice nails. WHY??
Randy sez: That set of qualifications is pretty darned good. “I’m self-absorbed.” Love that! Self-absorbed about being self-absorbed! I was waiting to see you call yourself “mean-spirited,” but maybe you’re not, which is a pity.
I think what makes this work is the fact that your novel is kind of out of touch with all that. You end with the question “WHY??”
I’ll bet there’s an answer to that question, Camille. If you come up with an answer that’s as genuine and funny as the “qualifications” paragraph, you’d have a winner. Because the world has enough writers who are sweet and old-fashioned and faith-filled and write sweet, old-fashioned faith-based romances for those pesky normal women with nice nails. But I bet it could use a sassy writer who writes that kind of fiction.
Think hard about this: Why are you writing this kind of fiction? Obviously, it’s because you like it. But why? There’s got to be some contradiction deep inside you. Contradictions make people interesting.
Nuff said for tonight. We’ll look at some more tomorrow.
Randy, thank you for the critique of the first three paragraphs of my synopsis. I’m re-working it now.
I appreciate your looking at our author bios. Here is mine:
Mischelle Creager is a member of Woodwights of Oklahoma City, American Christian Writers, and American Christian Fiction Writers. She began writing articles and short stories seven years ago. Several of these have been published in the local ladies church newsletter, Ties That Bind. She has taught the three-year olds in Bible class, been a pre-school Bible class co-ordinator, and has an on-going coffee ministry on Sunday morning.
Mischelle used her fears, depression, and thoughts in the years following the Oklahoma City bombing for the basis of her book about a woman’s emotional journey. Mischelle, like her main character, Abby, a young bride in 1870 Wyoming, lost her self-worth as wife and mother when events beyond her control led her to question her place in the family. Both Mischelle and Abby slipped off their walk with God as anger and fear increased. They felt they should be everything their families wanted. And when they could not, they felt they had no worth. Skewed though their perceptions were—that was their reality, until they came back to God and learned to lean on the family and friends He gave them.
Married for thirty-five years, Mischelle lives in Oklahoma with her husband, who is retired from the Social Security Administration. They have two children, a son in law school and a married daughter.
Alright, here’s my crappy attempt:
Christophe Desmecht is self-proclaimed Euro Trash. Not in the actual sense of the term, but just because he likes the sound of it. Living in Belgium, the heart of Europe, he hopes to dig deep into the mystical past of the continent and produce some fiction that’s both enjoyable and mind-challenging at the same time.
He enjoys writing about werewolves and nutjobs, and though he claims to be neither, he also states he’s properly house-trained and the newspapers should come off the carpet soon. He also doesn’t howl at the moon… anymore.
You know, I had no trouble writing about myself in the third person. In fact, I liked it so much I think I might start to refer to myself like this all the time.
Should make for interesting conversations around the office!
What’s ‘interesting’ to some is irritating to others.
Alright then, I’ll dig down and come up with the “Why”, but at the moment I’m still in shock that you included my (ahem) bio.
I’m sorry if my poor attempt at wit irritated you, Camille 🙂
Mmm…thanks for answering all those questions. Maybe if your story is called “The Sword’s End” or something similar, and you have a background in weapon making it would help.
I wonder how one gets about getting one.
Christophe, I laughed out loud at your bio! If your writing is as witty and fun, I think you’ll do well.
Christophe, You sold me. Hehe.
I am keeping a log of “Randyisms,” and this one really hurt! LOL.
“Because the world has enough writers who are sweet and old-fashioned and faith-filled and write sweet, old-fashioned faith-based romances for those pesky normal women with nice nails. But I bet it could use a sassy writer who writes that kind of fiction.
Think hard about this: Why are you writing this kind of fiction? Obviously, it’s because you like it. But why? There’s got to be some contradiction deep inside you. Contradictions make people interesting.”
I’m going to think about this one long and hard. I happen to be what people would consider “normal” (except for the the nice nail part — pianists and typists don’t get to have those). This Randyism made me go “ouch,” and I felt kind of sad. I don’t like to read romance novels but I do like to write romance into my novels. It makes me sad there are too many “nice, sweet romance writers” out there! I’m not expressing myself very well (the natives are restless here) but I’ve copied this statement into my “Randyisms” file to ponder on it.
I also wish I could be clever and funny like Camille! If I had written something like that it would be a disaster. I could just see the editors thinking, “this woman is a nut case, forget her!” I have got to find my own skin and feel good in it where writing is concerned. I don’t think I’ve quite found it yet.
Karla, I did this once and the result surprised me a lot. Try to sum yourself up in a few sentences. Then do it in one. Then a few words, and keep going until you end up with just one or very few words.
Not sure if it works for you, but for me the result was quite a surprise.
Pam & Lynda: thanks! I thought I was beyond hope or medication. Now I know it’s just one of the two!
Thank you, Randy! I knew I was being windy, but I wasn’t sure what mattered and what didn’t (mostly that).
Christophe – sorry, I wasn’t referring to your remark about interesting, but Randy’s. He said contradictions make people interesting, and I was smirking about how those who know ME might think otherwise, so a slam on me, not you. It was late and I was dozing off at the pc, didn’t even see your post. I would never make a mean-spirited remark like that, you know.
Karla – I think you and I are more alike than we know, my apologies. (what kind of hog to you ride?)
I’m also a little sad about Randy’s comment about too many sweet old fashioned types. Sass will always be around, but someone has got to bring back an appreciation for honorable, noble characters. That’s why I love Jane Austen’s work. But she’s dead. So it’s up to us biker women with a hidden soft side to shake things up and help the world see that there is pain and depth and struggle and strength in characters who seem on first glance too wholesome and upstanding. It doesn’t come easy to them, y’know. I know, I’m married to one. They’re misunderstood and I want to tell their story. There is great value in quiet integrity, and it’s sad that it’s overlooked or dismissed in a world where compromise and vulgarity are exalted.
I already know where my next novel is headed. It will be witty and sarcastic and poignant. And there WILL be a Harley.
Ok, after that my mind is just going all over the place. Like Camille, I seem to be a contradiction of sorts, but I don’t know what to do with that revelation. I’m a plain-jane homeschooling mommy of 3 who is also the wife of a minister, BUT I like to write Christian Fantasy that is in no way all nicey-nicey. It’s very blunt. For the characters to survive the story, they must travel down a very hard, and bloody road. One of my friends actually told me I needed to tone down all the “blood and guts”.
So, why do I write that stuff??? Hmmm…I’m going to be thinking about that one for awhile. I mean, do I have a deeper reason? I don’t think so. I just wrote it that way because it was necessary for the story to be right. I love those kinds of stories that really tug at your soul and make you think, and that’s what I want to do for others – make them think about their faith.
I may have just stumbled upon something. So would that be the tie? I mean, that fact that I’ve been the wife of a minister/missionary for nearly 20 years? If it is, how is that marketable? Even as missionaries we never did anything revolutionary or anything. What would be interesting enough about me to market?
Ok, now I’m confused again.
Ok, after that my mind is just going all over the place. Like Camille, I seem to be a contradiction of sorts, but I don’t know what to do with that revelation. I’m a plain-jane homeschooling mommy of 3 who is also the wife of a minister, BUT I like to write Christian Fantasy that is in no way all nicey-nicey. It’s very blunt. For the characters to survive the story, they must travel down a very hard, and bloody road. One of my friends actually told me I needed to tone down all the “blood and guts”.
So, why do I write that stuff??? Hmmm…I’m going to be thinking about that one for awhile. I mean, do I have a deeper reason? I don’t think so. I just wrote it that way because it was necessary for the story to be right. I love those kinds of stories that really tug at your soul and make you think, and that’s what I want to do for others – make them think about their faith.
I may have just stumbled upon something. So would that be the tie? I mean, that fact that I’ve been the wife of a minister/missionary for nearly 20 years? If it is, how is that marketable? Even as missionaries we never did anything revolutionary or anything. What would be interesting enough about me to market?
Ok, now I’m confused again.
Well, dang, here I was all set to resubmit my little bio based on Randy’s suggestions and all the other bios submitted so far, but I find myself in the middle of a conversation.
Luckily it’s short, so Camille, Christophe, and Karla, please jump over me and continue!
Anyway, here’s my second run:
Andra M is a member of the Christian Writer’s Guild, having successfully completed their two-year Apprentice writing course a few years ago. She holds two AAS degrees in Civil Engineering Technology, and Drafting and Design Technology, and she works for a civil engineering firm as a Registered Land Surveyor. Andra spends the bulk of her spare time studying and practicing the craft of writing, and working toward the day she can write full-time. She and her husband are looking forward to their first child’s arrival in January.
Andra’s writing credits so far include three short stories in two editions of “Drabbles,” a science fiction anthology published quarterly by Sam’s Dot Publishing, and a how-to article published by “AUGIWorld,” a computer-aided-drafting software magazine.
D.E. You snuck in before me!
I think your missionary work would make a great tie-in, so I’d add it. Though it’s not direct as far as marketing goes, it shows you have extensive knowledge and experience of the challenges Christians sometimes face. Your readers will look for that in your novels.
Question: Will an editor cast off an author when they learn the author is under 25? It got me thinking, because all these bios have oodles of life experience and here I am young and gung-ho. And then there’s all the plagiarism scandals with young writers. I read on another author’s site that no one has anything to write before they are 40 – but this writer doesn’t believe that (and has the manuscripts to prove it!)
In other words, can my age hurt my ability to publish, no matter how strong the writing? Can my age hurt my ability to market? Is there anything special I need to do to play it down or play it up?
Thanks Andra
Thanks Andra
I don’t think age matters if the writing is strong. If you’re a young success, you’re haled as a prodigy. If you wait till you’re in your 90s people are amazed your mind is still fit enough to coherently communicate. Turn age into an advantage, not a liability. You should be able to figure out how to give it a positive spin.
Christophe:
There’s both a London and a Paris in Ontario, Canada. Are you enjoying your Geography lesson?
Randy:
Thanks so much for giving your time and expertise to making us better writers with an increased chance of getting published.
Ok, I already know I messed up on my first posting for my author bio–too wordy, too personal, too unfocased. That’s what happens will too little sleep. Here is a revised one:
Mischelle Creager is a member of Woodwights of Oklahoma City, ACW, and ACFW. Several of her articles have been published in the ladies church newsletter, Ties That Bind.
Married for thirty-five years, Mischelle lives in Oklahoma with her husband who is retired from the Social Security Administration. They have two children.
Dealing with her family’s suffering after the 1995 OKC bombing (her husband’s office), she slipped into depression, losing her self-worth as wife and mother. She drew upon these feelings, fears, and thoughts when she wrote her novel.
When not writing, she loves to read, cook, and “google” historical research on the internet.
Thanks for all the info, Randy and fellow bloggers. I, too, write seemingly contradictory fiction, and I would love to see a bio that nails the “opposite attracts” situation.
Thanks again, love the blog.
~N.