...Help! Okay, here's my plea...I need your help. Marketing of the book is as important they say (the people in the book-writing biz), as what is written between the covers! Incredible, I know...but I need your help with my efforts to get the word out about the book; Character Happens! The 5 Most Important—but Fleeting Virtues. Certainly some of you must have the knowledge or an idea of what additionally can be done to market the book’s arrival. Whatever your idea or suggestion...I want to hear it! It has always been an adage of mine that the true meaning of knowledge is... “the older you get the more you realize you don’t know what you don’t know.” Consequently, I’m not embarrassed about asking for help!
Additionally, a good “old” friend of mine who serves as a “reader” for me suggested that the verbiage in the first chapter might be somewhat foreign to those individual's who do not play golf. I asked if he thought a “glossary of terms” might be useful in the book. He said “No.” Now what?
Any advise you care to pass along...email me. Garry M. Graves
Monday, November 2, 2009
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What are "The 5 Most Important--But Fleeting Virtures?"
Honesty, Integrity, Courage, Compassion and Humility.
.....this is a portion of the "introduction" or prologue to the book (not yet completed)...email with your comments.
The books title; Character Happens! The 5 Most Important—But Fleeting Virtues, describes my belief these five important virtues (Honesty, Integrity, Courage, Compassion, Humility), are sporadic in use and diminishing in personal character. The books message is in recognizing this “fleeting” nature and from that reinstitute a more virtuous choice in your decision making.
The paradox of the two words; Character Happens, with another two words: “S### Happens”* (decorum prevents use of actual word) is not without merit. My belief is that observed human character is much like, well...s###! This kind of observation can be disconcerting at times. So confusing that society can hardly make the distinction between the two words and there obvious different meaning. Individuals make virtuous and un-virtuous choices/decisions for innumerable reasons, both consciously and without deep thought. If we postulate; can an individual make a 'more' virtuous choice in life’s decisions should they want to do so? Answer—perhaps. How does one 'reinstitute a more virtuous choice' into their personal makeup...making the response more automatic? Answer—practice. With a concerted effort at 'practice' I believe...an individual might just develop a more 'repetitive' decent response...much like grooving a golf swing.
I love golf. I think the game is like no other. The five stories that make up Character Happens! have a golf storyline. Some readers may not be able to relate to the game of golf or its vernacular or for that matter, why people...a large number of people...love golf. Too bad! You should try it sometime...because it’s more than a game...it can be a life experience. The golf course environment alone is enough to put most people at ease.
Golf is a game played by the individual as opposed to being a member of a team, like baseball. Baseball has umpires who enforce the rules of the game. In golf you are the umpire. Because of this unique method of enforcing the games rules—golf is a “hotbed” for testing the players character...their honesty, their integrity, their courage and sometimes their compassion. And, because all golfers started from knowing nothing about the game; like how to swing, how to putt or chip... they also learn of humility. Now doesn’t it make perfect sense that a book about character would juxtaposition a storyline with the game of golf? Anyway, I thought so.
There are five stories, one for each virtue. The book has six main characters that make up a group of what I call 'golf buddies.' The storyteller, Spencer Madison, in reality is me. Well, somewhat like me...as I have a better golf game than Spencer. The five others vary in age, gender, education, religious beliefs and definitely personality. The 'binder' of the group or what brings them together; golf.
The reader will hopefully discover in their own lives a similar incident with one of the story’s in Character Happens! If not, that’s okay too...as the stories are earnest while humorous, carefree yet compelling. And, I believe each chapter or story makes a 'point' in this wonderful, wacky, dynamic world in the 21st century.
The stories are fictional as are the characters. Names, personalities or incidents are fictional and in no way resemble or refer to a living person. I’ve used paraphrasing of many authors’ ideas and concepts and have referenced them in a special section. Because of these references and the specific genre where the book is to be found, it’s categorized as a non-fictional, personal development book.
.....this is a portion of the "introduction" or prologue to the book (not yet completed)...email with your comments.
The books title; Character Happens! The 5 Most Important—But Fleeting Virtues, describes my belief these five important virtues (Honesty, Integrity, Courage, Compassion, Humility), are sporadic in use and diminishing in personal character. The books message is in recognizing this “fleeting” nature and from that reinstitute a more virtuous choice in your decision making.
The paradox of the two words; Character Happens, with another two words: “S### Happens”* (decorum prevents use of actual word) is not without merit. My belief is that observed human character is much like, well...s###! This kind of observation can be disconcerting at times. So confusing that society can hardly make the distinction between the two words and there obvious different meaning. Individuals make virtuous and un-virtuous choices/decisions for innumerable reasons, both consciously and without deep thought. If we postulate; can an individual make a 'more' virtuous choice in life’s decisions should they want to do so? Answer—perhaps. How does one 'reinstitute a more virtuous choice' into their personal makeup...making the response more automatic? Answer—practice. With a concerted effort at 'practice' I believe...an individual might just develop a more 'repetitive' decent response...much like grooving a golf swing.
I love golf. I think the game is like no other. The five stories that make up Character Happens! have a golf storyline. Some readers may not be able to relate to the game of golf or its vernacular or for that matter, why people...a large number of people...love golf. Too bad! You should try it sometime...because it’s more than a game...it can be a life experience. The golf course environment alone is enough to put most people at ease.
Golf is a game played by the individual as opposed to being a member of a team, like baseball. Baseball has umpires who enforce the rules of the game. In golf you are the umpire. Because of this unique method of enforcing the games rules—golf is a “hotbed” for testing the players character...their honesty, their integrity, their courage and sometimes their compassion. And, because all golfers started from knowing nothing about the game; like how to swing, how to putt or chip... they also learn of humility. Now doesn’t it make perfect sense that a book about character would juxtaposition a storyline with the game of golf? Anyway, I thought so.
There are five stories, one for each virtue. The book has six main characters that make up a group of what I call 'golf buddies.' The storyteller, Spencer Madison, in reality is me. Well, somewhat like me...as I have a better golf game than Spencer. The five others vary in age, gender, education, religious beliefs and definitely personality. The 'binder' of the group or what brings them together; golf.
The reader will hopefully discover in their own lives a similar incident with one of the story’s in Character Happens! If not, that’s okay too...as the stories are earnest while humorous, carefree yet compelling. And, I believe each chapter or story makes a 'point' in this wonderful, wacky, dynamic world in the 21st century.
The stories are fictional as are the characters. Names, personalities or incidents are fictional and in no way resemble or refer to a living person. I’ve used paraphrasing of many authors’ ideas and concepts and have referenced them in a special section. Because of these references and the specific genre where the book is to be found, it’s categorized as a non-fictional, personal development book.
*...sorry for the language but this word best describes the thought I want to convey. In Forrest Gump the term was used to describe situations that happen to all people for no particular reason.
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Perhaps work into the narrative the definitions of some of those terms. I think most adults would at least have some passing knowledge of golf and the terminology. I've never golfed and I am familiar with most of the terms.
ReplyDeleteGarry, Just finished reading a lot about you and your book on the book site. Very ambitious project! I totally agree that this world's values are crumbling more and more little by little. I see it even now with the differences between my 15 year old's friends and my 12 year old's, it's very disconcerting. I read the snippet of the first chapter. I love your description of Spencer's face when he's trying unsuccessfully to get a non-verbal cue across to Johnny! Just thought you'd want to know, there is one typo I found. When you describe Johnny as normally "quiet" it reads "quite". Hope you don't mind me mentioning it, I would want to know if it was me! I also wanted to put a comment on this particular post because of what your friend stated about your golf analogy/theme. I personally am not a sports fan - I do appreciate athletes and their skill, but I have no interest in following any sports, teams, etc. (much to my Red Sox loving husband's dismay!)- anyway, my point is that just the bit I've read about your golf analogy makes me interested in learning about it! Heck, I'm such a dedicated reader, I even look up words in the dictionary that I come across that I don't know! In your book, any golf terms I don't understand, I'll just Google it, no big deal. I look at it as a way to learn about even more things. Will definitely be pre-ordering soon. Good luck! Susan
ReplyDeletehttp://susanbethstudio.blogspot.com/
...you see, this is the kind of thing I'm talking about! Someone (Susan, the writer), found a typo...the old quiet-quite snafu. I've read that passage a hundred times and didn't see it. Susan, thanks. And I'm still pondering the use of a glossary (or not), cause some of those "golf-speak" are foreign language for sure. I thought of working it into the narrative, but it seemed "off-key" in the storyline to have to explain what "press" was. (FYI-it means "bet."
ReplyDeleteThanks all...I just discovered these comments (from you all), guess I'd better look more. --gg