I've fought it for a while now, but I finally went ebook.
I still love physical books, especially since they are way more convenient to lug around (especially paperbacks) than my laptop. Though to be fair, some of that would probably go away if I was willing to put out the cash for a real ereader, but that's not really an option, at the moment.
But I've read so much about ebooks as the way of the future and so on, so I figured I should look into it. I wanted to get a feel for the medium, since if my books will eventually be published in it, I better understand it.
So I downloaded the free apps for my laptop and now have Kindle, Kobo, and whatever others I could find for free. I've tried them all, and have to admit I keep going back to the Kindle app. I think part of that is because I have more books for Kindle than anything else. And that (I hate to admit) is because Amazon seems to have the best shopping interface of any online bookstore I've found.
Okay, sometimes I hate their list of recommended titles. I often find ones there that are WTF?-inspiring. Other times the recommends are based on stuff I looked at more from morbid curiosity than actual desire to purchase. But otherwise, it is a very intuitive set-up, very easy to find a book I'm looking for, or even a book I didn't know I was looking for. It is by far the most browse-able site I've found.
Anyway, for the first few months, I stuck to free ebooks, since I couldn't/ didn't want to invest any real money in this. After all, I've lost so much data (documents/ files/ pictures/ etc.) over the years due to crashes, power surges, or just advancing technology, I am leery of investing much in a book that I can't hold in my hand.
But during our recent move, I found some of the old hardcovers we'd packed away were in boxes that had gotten wet at some point without our realizing it, and had to be pitched because they were moldy, had large chunks of pages stuck together, or both. It made me realize that not even physical books were really all that permanent. Also, having to haul all those boxes and boxes of books, even the paperbacks, was back-breaking. And it occurred to me I could have carried all those books and a lot more on just my laptop, if they were ebooks.
Yeah, sometimes it's the visceral lessons that stick with us.
So I finally took the plunge and actually bought an ebook the other day, one that is only on ebook format. And it turned out to be pretty good. I even reviewed it on Amazon. Gave it 4 of 5 stars, mainly because it's a first novel from the author and everyone starts off a little rough. I may copy my review over here and expand on it as a later post.
Anyway, looks like even I can learn something new. But than that's part of the joy of being a writer, learning new things and getting share them with others.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Reboot
Okay, my apologies to anyone that was actually following (or at least trying to follow) this blog. It was something of an experiment for me, my first attempt at really keeping a blog. And it was pretty damn erratic.
And that was before I just up and abandoned it.
So I'm going to try this again. Think of this as A Walk in the Shadows 2.0. This time I hope to get some regular posting done. I want to shoot for at least weekly posts, though I'd like to get them more often. I know myself well enough that daily probably won't be sustainable long term. In fact, I figure I'll still be pretty erratic, but I want to keep to at least once a week.
I think this blog is important for many reasons. The biggest, I feel, has to do with a remark I once read by Piers Anthony. He said that, unlike many other writers, he responded to every piece of fanmail he received, and he knew only one other writer (can't remember who now) that did that. He also noticed that they were the only two writer's he knew that never suffered from writer's block. He felt these facts were related.
I think he may have had a point. I think it has to do with keeping to writing goals. So I want to make this blog one of my writing goals, to make at least one worthwhile post a week. That shouldn't be that hard. And maybe keeping this writing goal will help me to work on keeping more discipline in my writing in general.
For anyone's still stopping by, thanks for your faith in me, and I will make it worth your time to keep coming back. And please feel to comment on what you like, what could use improving, or what just flat out sucks, whether it's the posting style, the content itself, or just the layout of the page. I'd like you to keep me honest here, call me out if I can't keep my promise to make the trip here worth your while.
Thanks again, and see you around the interwebs.
And that was before I just up and abandoned it.
So I'm going to try this again. Think of this as A Walk in the Shadows 2.0. This time I hope to get some regular posting done. I want to shoot for at least weekly posts, though I'd like to get them more often. I know myself well enough that daily probably won't be sustainable long term. In fact, I figure I'll still be pretty erratic, but I want to keep to at least once a week.
I think this blog is important for many reasons. The biggest, I feel, has to do with a remark I once read by Piers Anthony. He said that, unlike many other writers, he responded to every piece of fanmail he received, and he knew only one other writer (can't remember who now) that did that. He also noticed that they were the only two writer's he knew that never suffered from writer's block. He felt these facts were related.
I think he may have had a point. I think it has to do with keeping to writing goals. So I want to make this blog one of my writing goals, to make at least one worthwhile post a week. That shouldn't be that hard. And maybe keeping this writing goal will help me to work on keeping more discipline in my writing in general.
For anyone's still stopping by, thanks for your faith in me, and I will make it worth your time to keep coming back. And please feel to comment on what you like, what could use improving, or what just flat out sucks, whether it's the posting style, the content itself, or just the layout of the page. I'd like you to keep me honest here, call me out if I can't keep my promise to make the trip here worth your while.
Thanks again, and see you around the interwebs.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
A Lesson For Writers and Other Storytellers
For those few who may have missed it, there's a video going around the internet by a group called Invisible Children. It seeks to expose a warlord named Joseph Kony and his habit of abducting children and using them as sex slaves or child soldiers. If you haven't seen it, go watch it. It's interesting, and not just for the content.
Now, I'm not going to talk about Kony or how horrible what he's doing is. Lot of people are talking about it, many of them way more qualified than I. Besides, I think the video makes those points all on it's own.
What I found really fascinating was the response to it from the mainstream media, as shown here by Jon Stewart. What I found fascinating is the complaints, not about the factual errors in the video but about how popular it is. Kony has been doing this for 26 years. Some of these media personalities said they'd been reporting on him for 8 years or more. People had asked President Obama last year to address the issue with Kony. And no one cared.
Now, some nobody makes an internet video and everyone cares. This leaves the mainstream media scratching their heads. But why?
To me, it shows first what Jon Stewart points out, that most people stopped watching the mainstream media a long time ago. I'll admit I watch The Daily Show and The Colbert Report more faithfully than any real news source. Mostly I watch the news for the weather reports, when I don't feel like looking it up online.
Mainly, I hate that the news is usually just about murders and other spectacular deaths, with a bit of scandal and corruption thrown in for good measure. I'd have to watch hours of news to find any topics I'm actually interested in, and I can find that information faster online.
However, the second point is what I really want to talk about --the way the video tells it's story. It does an amazing job, which I think is the big lesson the media, and writers like myself, should learn from.
The video doesn't jump straight into non-stop images of death and atrocities. In fact, it starts off addressing the viewer, with images they should all be familiar with, things that make them feel comfortable. Then it moves to introducing the narrator and making him someone you want to trust and listen to.
When it does move to the real point, it does so on a personal level. The narrator introduces one person, one child, named Jacob. And he introduces Jacob, not as the destitute refugee child, but as the happy man he has become. We see Jacob smiling, petting a dolphin for the first time, and other short clips. We like this guy.
Then we meet him as the refugee child, we get to see his pain, his hopelessness. So when he talks about wanting to die, just to end the horrible life he's going through, the viewer wants to say "No!" because we've already seen that, for him, it really does get better.
These are the lessons I think the media needs to learn, and anyone trying to tell a good story can learn. To really bring your viewer or reader into a story, we need to trust our narrator and we need to care about the hero. That way, when you introduce the villain, we really hate them.
True, some writers break these rules very successfully. There are unreliable narrators, and main characters you hate, who you read or watch just to see them fall (though at least you do still care, you just care to see them get what's coming to them). But these are more the exceptions. And when done successfully, it's because the people doing it are very good at what they do.
So that's my contribution to all this furor, it doesn't matter what your topic is, how shocking or moving you feel it should be. If you can't tell it in a way that others can relate to and care about, it's all for nothing. No matter how long the media reported on and complained about Joseph Kony, people outside of Africa just didn't relate. Those ideas are so foreign to our daily lives, we just don't connect. It feels unreal.
But when it's told in a way they can relate to, people get it, they care. So if you have something you want people to care about, make sure you earn their trust and draw them in. Make it personal. Give it a face, a name. Let them see themselves in the Other. That is what we as storytellers really need to excel at.
Now, I'm not going to talk about Kony or how horrible what he's doing is. Lot of people are talking about it, many of them way more qualified than I. Besides, I think the video makes those points all on it's own.
What I found really fascinating was the response to it from the mainstream media, as shown here by Jon Stewart. What I found fascinating is the complaints, not about the factual errors in the video but about how popular it is. Kony has been doing this for 26 years. Some of these media personalities said they'd been reporting on him for 8 years or more. People had asked President Obama last year to address the issue with Kony. And no one cared.
Now, some nobody makes an internet video and everyone cares. This leaves the mainstream media scratching their heads. But why?
To me, it shows first what Jon Stewart points out, that most people stopped watching the mainstream media a long time ago. I'll admit I watch The Daily Show and The Colbert Report more faithfully than any real news source. Mostly I watch the news for the weather reports, when I don't feel like looking it up online.
Mainly, I hate that the news is usually just about murders and other spectacular deaths, with a bit of scandal and corruption thrown in for good measure. I'd have to watch hours of news to find any topics I'm actually interested in, and I can find that information faster online.
However, the second point is what I really want to talk about --the way the video tells it's story. It does an amazing job, which I think is the big lesson the media, and writers like myself, should learn from.
The video doesn't jump straight into non-stop images of death and atrocities. In fact, it starts off addressing the viewer, with images they should all be familiar with, things that make them feel comfortable. Then it moves to introducing the narrator and making him someone you want to trust and listen to.
When it does move to the real point, it does so on a personal level. The narrator introduces one person, one child, named Jacob. And he introduces Jacob, not as the destitute refugee child, but as the happy man he has become. We see Jacob smiling, petting a dolphin for the first time, and other short clips. We like this guy.
Then we meet him as the refugee child, we get to see his pain, his hopelessness. So when he talks about wanting to die, just to end the horrible life he's going through, the viewer wants to say "No!" because we've already seen that, for him, it really does get better.
These are the lessons I think the media needs to learn, and anyone trying to tell a good story can learn. To really bring your viewer or reader into a story, we need to trust our narrator and we need to care about the hero. That way, when you introduce the villain, we really hate them.
True, some writers break these rules very successfully. There are unreliable narrators, and main characters you hate, who you read or watch just to see them fall (though at least you do still care, you just care to see them get what's coming to them). But these are more the exceptions. And when done successfully, it's because the people doing it are very good at what they do.
So that's my contribution to all this furor, it doesn't matter what your topic is, how shocking or moving you feel it should be. If you can't tell it in a way that others can relate to and care about, it's all for nothing. No matter how long the media reported on and complained about Joseph Kony, people outside of Africa just didn't relate. Those ideas are so foreign to our daily lives, we just don't connect. It feels unreal.
But when it's told in a way they can relate to, people get it, they care. So if you have something you want people to care about, make sure you earn their trust and draw them in. Make it personal. Give it a face, a name. Let them see themselves in the Other. That is what we as storytellers really need to excel at.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Too Busy To Get Anything Done
Sorry it's been a while since my last post. Surprisingly, being laid-off seems to have eaten up all my time. I thought not having a job to go to would leave me with a whole ton of free time to finally do all those things I've been putting off.
Turns out I seem to spend most of my day busy, but with little to show for it at the end of the day. And I always find the things I really wanted to get done still waiting. When I think back on my days, I think my single biggest time-suck has to be the television. Worst drug ever. The bad part is the only spot I really have to sit with my computer at home is on the living room couch. So if the TV is on, I find myself sucked in. Worse, if I'm not interested in what's on, I pick up the remote and scroll through the stupid guide, convinced there has to be something on worth watching.
And I hate commercials, so I always mute them. But then I have to pay attention to unmute it when the program comes back on. Or if I'm watching a DVRed show, I fast-forward through them. Either way, it turns TV watching into an active pastime, rather than a passive one.
In addition, there's the packing and other things related to moving. And the looking for a job stuff (calling recruiters I'm working with, searching job sites, etc.). Plus, since many of the jobs I'm looking at are different (some are R&D, some QA, some QC, and a variety of product types) I really need to tailor my resume for each job I submit to, and should come up with custom cover letters for each, though I often don't.
I know, I should learn to multi-task. I try, really. I just suck at it. The best I can do is with rote mechanical tasks that require no real thought. Then I can at least get in some good thinking time at the same time. Otherwise, I really need to focus on things one at a time to get anything done right.
So I think maybe I should go back to the advice I was given before. When I got laid-off, they had someone come in and do a day-long workshop on career management. I think one of the better pieces of advice I got from that (and there really were a lot) was to make a list of things you need to do, then check them off as you do them. Make the list either daily or weekly, as needed. Also, he suggested to actually make two lists, one for personal stuff and one for work-related stuff, especially for job-search stuff.
Great, now I need to figure out how to set-up the list, where to post it so I'll see it everyday, how to update it... Should it be physical or digital? Should I make it a list or a spreadsheet? Do I need to print up some cool forms? Should I make a weekly calender? *sigh* See, this is another reason I don't get anything done. :)
Of course, the thing that's suffered the most is my writing. I don't think I've written a word on any of my books since I was laid-off. I haven't even really been submitting to agents lately either. I really need to get back to that. It'd be nice to at least sell one book. Honestly, I do still dream of making enough from my writing to give up the day job, but I'd settle for making at least some supplemental income from it.
So I guess I'd better stop wasting time posting here and get back to work. ;) Best of luck to all of you out there. Let me know if you also find yourself too busy to get anything done and how you deal with it. I'm always open to suggestions.
Turns out I seem to spend most of my day busy, but with little to show for it at the end of the day. And I always find the things I really wanted to get done still waiting. When I think back on my days, I think my single biggest time-suck has to be the television. Worst drug ever. The bad part is the only spot I really have to sit with my computer at home is on the living room couch. So if the TV is on, I find myself sucked in. Worse, if I'm not interested in what's on, I pick up the remote and scroll through the stupid guide, convinced there has to be something on worth watching.
And I hate commercials, so I always mute them. But then I have to pay attention to unmute it when the program comes back on. Or if I'm watching a DVRed show, I fast-forward through them. Either way, it turns TV watching into an active pastime, rather than a passive one.
In addition, there's the packing and other things related to moving. And the looking for a job stuff (calling recruiters I'm working with, searching job sites, etc.). Plus, since many of the jobs I'm looking at are different (some are R&D, some QA, some QC, and a variety of product types) I really need to tailor my resume for each job I submit to, and should come up with custom cover letters for each, though I often don't.
I know, I should learn to multi-task. I try, really. I just suck at it. The best I can do is with rote mechanical tasks that require no real thought. Then I can at least get in some good thinking time at the same time. Otherwise, I really need to focus on things one at a time to get anything done right.
So I think maybe I should go back to the advice I was given before. When I got laid-off, they had someone come in and do a day-long workshop on career management. I think one of the better pieces of advice I got from that (and there really were a lot) was to make a list of things you need to do, then check them off as you do them. Make the list either daily or weekly, as needed. Also, he suggested to actually make two lists, one for personal stuff and one for work-related stuff, especially for job-search stuff.
Great, now I need to figure out how to set-up the list, where to post it so I'll see it everyday, how to update it... Should it be physical or digital? Should I make it a list or a spreadsheet? Do I need to print up some cool forms? Should I make a weekly calender? *sigh* See, this is another reason I don't get anything done. :)
Of course, the thing that's suffered the most is my writing. I don't think I've written a word on any of my books since I was laid-off. I haven't even really been submitting to agents lately either. I really need to get back to that. It'd be nice to at least sell one book. Honestly, I do still dream of making enough from my writing to give up the day job, but I'd settle for making at least some supplemental income from it.
So I guess I'd better stop wasting time posting here and get back to work. ;) Best of luck to all of you out there. Let me know if you also find yourself too busy to get anything done and how you deal with it. I'm always open to suggestions.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
A Writer's Responsiblities
I recently came across an interesting article Science fiction needs more scientist heroes. First, the article gets a big thumbs up from me just for using Agatha Heterodyne as it's lead picture. If you haven't experienced the Foglio's Girl Genius, you are depriving yourself.
However, what really struck me was the writer's call for more scientists who can write to try writing SciFi with scientist protagonists.
It's a nice idea, really. And as a scientist who writes, I see the merit in that request. In fact, I am working on selling my own novel right now. So if that works out, I could be just the sort of person they're looking for. Of course, my books are YA, so none of the MCs are professional scientists. To be fair, most of them are geeks of one type or another, and a few have interests in science or technology. However, I'm not sure it's where the writer was going.
But it got me thinking, can a writer change society that much? Could a well-written book with a scientist hero really help turn the tide against all those scientist villains?
Well, I think the article has a point; certainly the prevalence of evil scientists in fiction does seem to correlate to the negative view many people hold of scientists and science in general. But of course, any good scientists knows correlation does not mean causation. It could as easily be the other way around - the fact that there is a general bias against scientists could cause the poor portrayals of scientists in fiction.
And even if it is possible for a writer to turn around the world's view of scientists with one brilliant book, maybe that's the wrong way to look at it. Because I've found that books that have a message, the ones that are "about" something, usually suck. If the writer is too busy hitting the reader over the head with a moral or lesson, then the reader usually gets bored or insulted and stops reading.
If the writer really wants to connect to the reader, they need to start with telling an interesting story. They need to make the reader care -- about the characters, about the story, about where this is all going. And maybe somewhere along the line, if the MC is an interesting character that the reader can connect to and root for, who happens to also be a scientist, maybe that will help achieve the article's goal.
Because in the end, I think the writer's real responsibility is to the story. They need to tell the whole story, and just the story. They need to be true to their characters and to their world. If they do that, then the reader will want to be drawn in, taken along for the ride. And if somewhere along that ride they learn a thing or two of some real world value, so much the better.
Even the great theologians of the past knew that a good story will stay in the memory a lot longer than any lecture. So tell them a good story, make it involve people doing things, making hard choices and following the sorts of paths you feel people should, and your readers will remember it.
As the old saying goes, you can get anyone to do anything, you just have to get their attention first. Sometimes it takes a gentle word, sometimes a two-by-four upside the head. And sometimes it takes a really great story.
So what do you think? Is a writer's responsibility to what the story can do, or to the story itself? Or is it just about writing something that will sell? Or something else completely?
However, what really struck me was the writer's call for more scientists who can write to try writing SciFi with scientist protagonists.
It's a nice idea, really. And as a scientist who writes, I see the merit in that request. In fact, I am working on selling my own novel right now. So if that works out, I could be just the sort of person they're looking for. Of course, my books are YA, so none of the MCs are professional scientists. To be fair, most of them are geeks of one type or another, and a few have interests in science or technology. However, I'm not sure it's where the writer was going.
But it got me thinking, can a writer change society that much? Could a well-written book with a scientist hero really help turn the tide against all those scientist villains?
Well, I think the article has a point; certainly the prevalence of evil scientists in fiction does seem to correlate to the negative view many people hold of scientists and science in general. But of course, any good scientists knows correlation does not mean causation. It could as easily be the other way around - the fact that there is a general bias against scientists could cause the poor portrayals of scientists in fiction.
And even if it is possible for a writer to turn around the world's view of scientists with one brilliant book, maybe that's the wrong way to look at it. Because I've found that books that have a message, the ones that are "about" something, usually suck. If the writer is too busy hitting the reader over the head with a moral or lesson, then the reader usually gets bored or insulted and stops reading.
If the writer really wants to connect to the reader, they need to start with telling an interesting story. They need to make the reader care -- about the characters, about the story, about where this is all going. And maybe somewhere along the line, if the MC is an interesting character that the reader can connect to and root for, who happens to also be a scientist, maybe that will help achieve the article's goal.
Because in the end, I think the writer's real responsibility is to the story. They need to tell the whole story, and just the story. They need to be true to their characters and to their world. If they do that, then the reader will want to be drawn in, taken along for the ride. And if somewhere along that ride they learn a thing or two of some real world value, so much the better.
Even the great theologians of the past knew that a good story will stay in the memory a lot longer than any lecture. So tell them a good story, make it involve people doing things, making hard choices and following the sorts of paths you feel people should, and your readers will remember it.
As the old saying goes, you can get anyone to do anything, you just have to get their attention first. Sometimes it takes a gentle word, sometimes a two-by-four upside the head. And sometimes it takes a really great story.
So what do you think? Is a writer's responsibility to what the story can do, or to the story itself? Or is it just about writing something that will sell? Or something else completely?
Saturday, January 28, 2012
The Fine Art of Querying
For those that don't know, I've got a novel I've written that I'm trying to get published. So this month, I'm sending out another round of queries. My usual approach has been to put together a list of a dozen or so agents that I think might be interested in my book, do a bit or research on each to make sure there aren't any red flags (not taking my genre anymore, died, left agenting, serious complaints of possible scam, etc.), then polish up the query letter and send them out.
Usually, if something catches my eye in the research, I'll try to add in a couple sentences about why I chose that particular agent to send to. But If nothing jumps out, I just send the query without it.
Lately, though, I've noticed a trend -every single request I've gotten (full or partial) has been from a query that I had that personalized paragraph in. Now, not every personalized one has gotten a request, but none of the non-personalized ones did. So this time I'm trying to make sure that every one I send has something personal to say. I guess it makes sense, if I can't think of even one special reason why I want this person as my agent, other than they have a proven track record of good sales in my genre, then maybe I should reconsider them as an agent.
So far, I've got about a half dozen or so that I've got really good ideas for personalizing. The biggest problem with some is finding information on them. Some just don't have much web presence at all, even some established ones. It takes a lot of digging to find anything to work with. But there are some great resources out there. I've put some in my links on this blog, like Literary Rambles, which is a wonderful place to find YA agents.
Also, if you are starting to query, I strongly suggest Query Shark, a blog by a wonderful agent who gives a lot of tips on creating a good query. Read the site, read the archives. Do understand this is one agent's take, so YMMV, but it really was a big help to me just in rethinking how I was writing my query. I know after I reformatted my query after reading her site, I got a lot more positive responses from agents.
One thing I've found this time around, in researching agents I've twice found out that the agent I was interested in was about to be part of a query contest through a blog. So I jumped in right away and got my query out there in front of the agent. I've gotten some good feedback and even wound up tweaking my query a bit as a result of comments on those contests. Even got one request for a partial out of it, so far. So look for contests like this, too (for one agent, I just happened to check her Twttier feed for the first time right after she announced she'd be doing the contest, which was at the last minute to enter). They seem to be fun, but intimidating, since everyone can comment on your query, though my experiences have been very positive.
Well, guess I'd better get back to the querying. If anyone has their own tips and tricks for querying, please share them in the comments.
Usually, if something catches my eye in the research, I'll try to add in a couple sentences about why I chose that particular agent to send to. But If nothing jumps out, I just send the query without it.
Lately, though, I've noticed a trend -every single request I've gotten (full or partial) has been from a query that I had that personalized paragraph in. Now, not every personalized one has gotten a request, but none of the non-personalized ones did. So this time I'm trying to make sure that every one I send has something personal to say. I guess it makes sense, if I can't think of even one special reason why I want this person as my agent, other than they have a proven track record of good sales in my genre, then maybe I should reconsider them as an agent.
So far, I've got about a half dozen or so that I've got really good ideas for personalizing. The biggest problem with some is finding information on them. Some just don't have much web presence at all, even some established ones. It takes a lot of digging to find anything to work with. But there are some great resources out there. I've put some in my links on this blog, like Literary Rambles, which is a wonderful place to find YA agents.
Also, if you are starting to query, I strongly suggest Query Shark, a blog by a wonderful agent who gives a lot of tips on creating a good query. Read the site, read the archives. Do understand this is one agent's take, so YMMV, but it really was a big help to me just in rethinking how I was writing my query. I know after I reformatted my query after reading her site, I got a lot more positive responses from agents.
One thing I've found this time around, in researching agents I've twice found out that the agent I was interested in was about to be part of a query contest through a blog. So I jumped in right away and got my query out there in front of the agent. I've gotten some good feedback and even wound up tweaking my query a bit as a result of comments on those contests. Even got one request for a partial out of it, so far. So look for contests like this, too (for one agent, I just happened to check her Twttier feed for the first time right after she announced she'd be doing the contest, which was at the last minute to enter). They seem to be fun, but intimidating, since everyone can comment on your query, though my experiences have been very positive.
Well, guess I'd better get back to the querying. If anyone has their own tips and tricks for querying, please share them in the comments.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Identity Theft Sucks, But At Least You Can Do Something About It
So this all started a few days ago.
First, I received a letter from a collection agency for a credit card I never opened, that was closed back in 2000. We've argued with them before. The last big one was back in '07, when I tried, again, to get the police to file a report on it as ID theft, just to get the collection agency to back off. Sadly, it was past any statute of limitations, so they wouldn't even take the report. But I had told the agency and the original bank that it was fraud repeatedly. (When I tried filing a police report in 2000, the police where I lived then told me it was a civil matter, and not their problem.)
Then last year, while going over my Free Annual Credit Report (annualcreditreport.com) and found the fraudulent card was still being reported on one of them. However, the woman I talked to at their customer service line was very friendly and helpful. I got that removed from my report, along with a name, another Social Security number and a couple of addresses that didn't belong.
So flash forward to this week. I get the letter asking for over $500 to settle the account (which has now grown to over $5000). I called them to tell them, again, that it was fraudulent. They again said they need a police report to do anything about it. So I tried to figure out what to do, since it was so long ago now.
Then on Wednesday, I get a letter from Capital One saying they think someone was trying to open a fraudulent card in my name with my Social Security number. I call them immediately. The woman I talk to is polite and helpful and we get the application denied. However, she tells me they can't give me any information about the application. I'd have to file a police report and have them request it.
So back to the police. Though with a first stop to one of the credit agencies to place a Fraud Alert on my account. Luckily, they say they'll file it with the other two as well. To save time, I leave it at that, for now.
When i talk to the police, the guy taking the report is friendly, but not very hopeful. He takes what little information I have (Capitol One, the date, and the Case Number) and tells me they can't get any more information without a grand jury subpoena. Great, just great.
When I post a comment about all this on Facebook, a friend tells me to file an ID Theft report with the FTC (Federal Trade Commission). I check their website for consumer fraud protection. The information there is great, though there is a lot. At one point, despite the fact that it is well-organized and very readable, I felt a bit of information overload. Just so much there.
But I easily found the form to fill out to file a complaint. And they even have a cover letter for law enforcement to go with it when you file a police report and a cover letter to send with it to the CRAs (Credit Reporting Agencies). All very user-friendly.
Also, I find out that I was told wrong. In fact, the law says that all I need is a copy of the FTC complaint form and a copy of the police report to request the fraudulent application for the bank. Oh, but I had to make the request in writing.
So, today I need to print out my copy of the FTC report, with the cover letter for law-enforcement, and drop it with the police. Then I'll need to get a copy of the police report, once it's available. Hopefully, in a week or two, I'll be able to send those out to Capital One and get the information on the application. Don't know what happens then, but at least I may find out something about who's doing it this time.
And actually, after reading the FTC site and going through the reporting process, I may go back and file a complaint on the one from 2000 as well. Nothing they can do about whoever did it now, but at least it's on record and maybe sending a copy of the FTC report to the collection agency will be enough to get them to finally back off.
Well, my advice to everyone out there is this: go to the FTC website, even if you haven't been victimized by ID theft, yet. Read what's there. It will make you so much better prepared in case it happens. I know it would have saved me a lot of time and fear if I'd known my rights and what to do from the start.
If you think you have been a victim, or could be (had ID like wallet, purse, etc, lost or stolen and so on), contact the three CRAs (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) and file a Fraud Alert. Then contact the FTC and file a report there. Then file with the police. It will save you time and aggravation.
First, I received a letter from a collection agency for a credit card I never opened, that was closed back in 2000. We've argued with them before. The last big one was back in '07, when I tried, again, to get the police to file a report on it as ID theft, just to get the collection agency to back off. Sadly, it was past any statute of limitations, so they wouldn't even take the report. But I had told the agency and the original bank that it was fraud repeatedly. (When I tried filing a police report in 2000, the police where I lived then told me it was a civil matter, and not their problem.)
Then last year, while going over my Free Annual Credit Report (annualcreditreport.com) and found the fraudulent card was still being reported on one of them. However, the woman I talked to at their customer service line was very friendly and helpful. I got that removed from my report, along with a name, another Social Security number and a couple of addresses that didn't belong.
So flash forward to this week. I get the letter asking for over $500 to settle the account (which has now grown to over $5000). I called them to tell them, again, that it was fraudulent. They again said they need a police report to do anything about it. So I tried to figure out what to do, since it was so long ago now.
Then on Wednesday, I get a letter from Capital One saying they think someone was trying to open a fraudulent card in my name with my Social Security number. I call them immediately. The woman I talk to is polite and helpful and we get the application denied. However, she tells me they can't give me any information about the application. I'd have to file a police report and have them request it.
So back to the police. Though with a first stop to one of the credit agencies to place a Fraud Alert on my account. Luckily, they say they'll file it with the other two as well. To save time, I leave it at that, for now.
When i talk to the police, the guy taking the report is friendly, but not very hopeful. He takes what little information I have (Capitol One, the date, and the Case Number) and tells me they can't get any more information without a grand jury subpoena. Great, just great.
When I post a comment about all this on Facebook, a friend tells me to file an ID Theft report with the FTC (Federal Trade Commission). I check their website for consumer fraud protection. The information there is great, though there is a lot. At one point, despite the fact that it is well-organized and very readable, I felt a bit of information overload. Just so much there.
But I easily found the form to fill out to file a complaint. And they even have a cover letter for law enforcement to go with it when you file a police report and a cover letter to send with it to the CRAs (Credit Reporting Agencies). All very user-friendly.
Also, I find out that I was told wrong. In fact, the law says that all I need is a copy of the FTC complaint form and a copy of the police report to request the fraudulent application for the bank. Oh, but I had to make the request in writing.
So, today I need to print out my copy of the FTC report, with the cover letter for law-enforcement, and drop it with the police. Then I'll need to get a copy of the police report, once it's available. Hopefully, in a week or two, I'll be able to send those out to Capital One and get the information on the application. Don't know what happens then, but at least I may find out something about who's doing it this time.
And actually, after reading the FTC site and going through the reporting process, I may go back and file a complaint on the one from 2000 as well. Nothing they can do about whoever did it now, but at least it's on record and maybe sending a copy of the FTC report to the collection agency will be enough to get them to finally back off.
Well, my advice to everyone out there is this: go to the FTC website, even if you haven't been victimized by ID theft, yet. Read what's there. It will make you so much better prepared in case it happens. I know it would have saved me a lot of time and fear if I'd known my rights and what to do from the start.
If you think you have been a victim, or could be (had ID like wallet, purse, etc, lost or stolen and so on), contact the three CRAs (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) and file a Fraud Alert. Then contact the FTC and file a report there. Then file with the police. It will save you time and aggravation.
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