Arts and Culture

BOOK REVIEW: “Infinite Words,” a Guide to Writing and Publishing

Published

9 years ago

May 27, 2015

Sometimes, you feel like a boiling pot.

That’s because you’ve been cooking a story up and it bubbles and rolls just below the surface of your mind, waiting to burst forth into a bestseller for an eager audience. It’s always been your dream to be a famous author – and that could happen, but there’s work to do first. “Infinite Words” by Zane can get you started.

You’re witty. You’re hip. You’ve had an interesting life and friends have said that you should write a book, although “Not everyone who thinks they want to will be able to write a book or become a published author,” says Zane.

Even so, if you decide to walk the walk, there are lots of steps to consider.

Author Zane

First of all, she says, you’ll need discipline to set your writing habits, to find the right people to help you create a good product, and to finish your manuscript.

Determine your writing style, and “make a PIE” (Persuasion, Information, Entertainment) to hold your readers’ interest. Mixing the “six basic human needs” into your story is also important, and while you’re writing, read, read, read; you will learn from other writers.

As for characters in a novel, know what to do and what not to do. Zane warns against adding too much “fluff” in your story; it only serves as padding and might turn readers away.

For a nonfiction book, remember that anything libelous or slanderous won’t be published by a reputable company. “Publishers,” says Zane, “are not going to risk a lawsuit, no matter how amazing the book may be.”

Understand that the editing process requires patience (and yes, even if you’re self-publishing, you’ll need proofreaders and an editor).

Don’t ever send a sloppy manuscript out. Know the realities of being an author, keep in mind that “The literary industry is a very small, close-knit community,” and maintain professionalism at all times.

Says Zane, remember that “A successful writing career is not going to fall into your lap.”

Oh, how I wish I could wave a magic wand and put “Infinite Words” into the hands of every new and budding writer!

With blunt truthfulness that’s like a breath of fresh air, author-publisher Zane tells it like it is as she coaches writing readers with tough-love and advice that regretfully still might not bring success (which she explains).

Be aware that that may squash your dreams; in fact, there are many pages where her words could be hard to accept. Nevertheless, readers brave enough to be in it for the long-haul (and that includes erotica writers) will find info to instruct, becalm, and enlighten, from opening sentence to finished product.

If you’ve been told that you “should write a book,” this is the place to start it. This book can keep you on-track and avoiding mistakes, and it can help you determine if you’ve got it in you to continue.

If you’ve always dreamed of being an author, “Infinite Words” is perfect, whether you’re planning history, memoir, erotica, romance, or…potboiler.

“Infinite Words: A Comprehensive Guide to Writing and Publishing” by Zane, 2015, Atri, $16.00, 198 pages.

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Arts and Culture

Faces Around the Bay Dr. Carl Blake, Pianist

Born in Liberty, Missouri, Carl Blake, a virtuoso and respected pianist, made his most recent migration to the East Bay in 1999. One might have seen him performing recently at Noontime Concerts in San Francisco, or at the Piedmont Center for the Arts in Oakland. He is Director of Music at The Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples in San Francisco. He was also co-organizer and collaborative pianist at Herbst Theater for The Majesty of the Spirituals concert in 2022 and has held several church positions in the Bay Area.

Published

1 day ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Dr. Carl Blake

By Barbara Fluhrer

Born in Liberty, Missouri, Carl Blake, a virtuoso and respected pianist, made his most recent migration to the East Bay in 1999.

One might have seen him performing recently at Noontime Concerts in San Francisco, or at the Piedmont Center for the Arts in Oakland. He is Director of Music at The Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples in San Francisco. He was also co-organizer and collaborative pianist at Herbst Theater for The Majesty of the Spirituals concert in 2022 and has held several church positions in the Bay Area.

Blake obtained a Bachelor of Music from Boston University and continued post-baccalaureate studies in Jamaica before earning a Master of Arts in Music at San Jose State University. He was the recipient of two Fulbright residencies in Honduras and completed a third residency at the University of St. Petersburg in Russia. He has a Doctor of Musical Arts from Cornell University.

At age 19, Blake, then an undergraduate piano major at Boston University, was “discovered” by Impresario Dr. W. Hazaiah Williams, who is the Founder and Director of Today’s Artists/Four Seasons Arts.

Williams honored Blake by awarding him the first Marian Anderson Young Artist Award. Anderson personally presented the award at the Masonic Auditorium in S.F. Subsequently, Blake was presented by Dr. Williams in his San Francisco debut at The Herbst Theatre. Williams subsidized a year of study abroad for Blake at the Paris Conservatory of Music. Additionally, Williams sponsored Blake’s New York Weill Hall debut, where he has performed twice since. Blake performed several times at the Yachats Music Festival in Oregon.

Blake continues to perform nationally and abroad. His hobbies are reading, baking and travel. He says, “I’m still pumping ivories, as Belgian pianist Jeanne Stark described the disciplined practice of concert piano.”

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Arts and Culture

Oakland Jazz Great Offers Master Class as City Declares “John Handy Day”

World-renowned jazz master saxophonist John Handy, a McClymond’s High School graduate, was presented with a Mayor of Oakland Proclamation declaring Feb. 12, as John Handy Day in the city. Handy is most notably known as the featured saxophonist for Charles Mingus on “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” from the album “Mingus Ah Um” (1959) and on “Hard Work” from his own album “Hard Work” (1976).

Published

2 months ago

February 24, 2024

Oakland Post

(L-R) Del Handy, John Handy, Roger Glenn, and Joe Warner celebrate John Handy Day at Geoffrey’s Inner Circle, Oakland. Photo by Lady Bianca.

By Conway Jones

World-renowned jazz master saxophonist John Handy, a McClymond’s High School graduate, was presented with a Mayor of Oakland Proclamation declaring Feb. 12, as John Handy Day in the city.

Handy is most notably known as the featured saxophonist for Charles Mingus on “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” from the album “Mingus Ah Um” (1959) and on “Hard Work” from his own album “Hard Work” (1976).

“John Handy is a jazz icon and an inspiration to musicians everywhere,” said Ayo Brame, a 16-year-old Oakland tenor saxophone player who is enrolled at the Oakland School for the Arts.

In celebration of this day, the reception in downtown Oakland at Geoffrey’s Inner Circle was a gathering of artists, young and old, coming together in his honor and celebrating his 91st birthday.

Handy presented a Saxophone Colossus free masterclass for musicians. This class afforded a rare opportunity to learn about the saxophone from an aficionado. The class was free and open to all – saxophonists, vocalists, aficionados, students, and casual listeners.

“As a longtime friend for over 60 years, and fellow musician who has had numerous opportunities to share the stage with John, it has always been a pleasure performing with him and hearing his creative interpretations of the music and his gift of ease inspiring the next generation of jazz musicians,” said Roger Glenn, a multi-instrumentalist.

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Arts and Culture

Musical Chronicling Life of Betty Reid Soskin Set for Bay Area Debut

Betty Reid Soskin’s storied 102 years includes time spent as a WWII defense worker, activist, business owner, songwriter, National Park Service park ranger and so much more. Now the Richmond icon is the subject of a musical based on her incredible life.

Published

2 months ago

February 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Betty Reid Soskin. Photo courtesy of Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond.

The Richmond Standard

“Sign My Name to Freedom,” a San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company (SFBATCO) production which will focus on the life, music and writing of Ms. Soskin, will premiere at San Francisco’s Z Space Friday, March 29 and continue through Saturday, April 13. Tickets range from $15–$65 and can be purchased online at https://www.sfbatco.org/smntf

The musical is directed by Elizabeth Carter, while playwright Michael Gene Sullivan integrates Ms. Soskin’s own music throughout dialogue between what SFBATCO calls “The Four Bettys” as they progress through a century of experiences of this awe-inspiring American woman.

The cast of “Sign My Name to Freedom” features Tierra Allen as Little Betty, Aidaa Peerzada as Married Betty, Lucca Troutman as Revolutionary Betty and Cathleen Riddley as Present Betty Reid Soskin, according to Artistic Director Rodney Earl Jackson Jr. and Managing Director Adam Maggio. Other casting will be announced in the future.

Jackson said that having Soskin’s blessing to steward her life’s story is an honor and career highlight for him and that her journey stands as “a beacon for Black Americans, women and people of color all across the world [and] is a testament to the strength of the human spirit.”

San Francisco’s Z Space is located at 450 Florida St. in San Francisco. Check out the trailer here at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-ap9N2XBB0