dedication...?
I've gotten to the point where I repeat myself in dedications (for Linda, again) but I feel like I really have to write something because I resent books that don't have dedications. I always, always flip to see who the author dedicated a book to. I love secret and obscure messages. Long ones seem too pretentious. No dedication feels like the book is mass produced and not personal.
I didn't say my resentment was based on reality, okay?
Mike doesn't particularly want me to put him in. Not sure why, but okay. He got one anyway--Somebody To Love. I've already dedicated a story to the dawgs. (Perfection, which I think of it as Sniff Me.) It's out in print in an anthology so I get to draw a picture of the pups when I sign it--a bonus for me.
I was thinking of dedicating my latest book to Trader Joe's frozen raspberries--1.89 a bag--because I love those things. But isn't that worse than no dedication? It's even worse than those "To my editor" (brownnoser! You just want to sneak in more adverbs) or "To You, My Reader" dedications. OOoo even though I always think, awww, thanks, when I read it. . . truth is that's so cheating.
I ended up dedicating it to my local RWA chapter president because the woman has done a lot of work for CORWA. The thing is, I doubt she'll read the book. Do I point it out to her? Do I send her a copy and hope she looks at the dedication? Do I think of it as a form of prayer or act of charity and therefore it's the doing, and not the acknowledgment of the acknowledgment that matters? I mean there are a fair number of dedications to people who are dead, so really, it's a matter of the author's heart not the person/being/food substance named.
Okay, guys. What's the dedication protocol?
Next time, maybe it'll be the raspberries because I can draw them, too. And those raspberries have helped me lose a lot of weight.
OOooo it just occurred to me that the current book (the one to Laurie the CORW president) is a dragon book and I love doodling dragons. Listen. If it ever comes out in print in an anthology and you buy a copy and you want me to sign it with a dragon, go ahead and ask me. No, it won't be a real work of art or even maybe recognizable. But I love doodling. And if it doesn't come out right? I can just cross it out and try again.
If that doesn't work...Riiiiip, out goes last page of Bianca D'Arc's story as I try another draft of a dragon.
I didn't say my resentment was based on reality, okay?
Mike doesn't particularly want me to put him in. Not sure why, but okay. He got one anyway--Somebody To Love. I've already dedicated a story to the dawgs. (Perfection, which I think of it as Sniff Me.) It's out in print in an anthology so I get to draw a picture of the pups when I sign it--a bonus for me.
I was thinking of dedicating my latest book to Trader Joe's frozen raspberries--1.89 a bag--because I love those things. But isn't that worse than no dedication? It's even worse than those "To my editor" (brownnoser! You just want to sneak in more adverbs) or "To You, My Reader" dedications. OOoo even though I always think, awww, thanks, when I read it. . . truth is that's so cheating.
I ended up dedicating it to my local RWA chapter president because the woman has done a lot of work for CORWA. The thing is, I doubt she'll read the book. Do I point it out to her? Do I send her a copy and hope she looks at the dedication? Do I think of it as a form of prayer or act of charity and therefore it's the doing, and not the acknowledgment of the acknowledgment that matters? I mean there are a fair number of dedications to people who are dead, so really, it's a matter of the author's heart not the person/being/food substance named.
Okay, guys. What's the dedication protocol?
Next time, maybe it'll be the raspberries because I can draw them, too. And those raspberries have helped me lose a lot of weight.
OOooo it just occurred to me that the current book (the one to Laurie the CORW president) is a dragon book and I love doodling dragons. Listen. If it ever comes out in print in an anthology and you buy a copy and you want me to sign it with a dragon, go ahead and ask me. No, it won't be a real work of art or even maybe recognizable. But I love doodling. And if it doesn't come out right? I can just cross it out and try again.
If that doesn't work...Riiiiip, out goes last page of Bianca D'Arc's story as I try another draft of a dragon.
I like "to my editor" dedications ;)
ReplyDeleteHow about, "To Doug, because he begged so prettily for it." Then you could draw a picture of a walnut. That's easy -- just draw a wrinkly scrotum. Instant walnut!
ReplyDeleteKATE! Don't you deface my story!!! ;-)
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm guilty of almost all of your no-no's in dedications. *sigh* I'm so predictable.
I know, maybe I'll dedicate the dragon story to my co-authors in the anthology! (Except she-who-wants-to-rip-out-my-last-page, of course!) ;-)
Bianca
NEW BLOG: http://biancadarc.com/blog/
Next time, Angie and Doug.
ReplyDeleteAnd Bianca, I give you full permission to rip my head off if I do that. Or maybe the person buying the book will do it for you?