Writing a novel including salsa

DJ Yuca said:
Hope it works out for you.
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Me too. It is harsh of me to say this considering I myself am a girl and in most cases would always take my gender's side, but what I 've learned from the movies and series is that bitches are snitches and there is no snitching in my stories.

But, if I don't find a way to publish it somehow for free, there is really no need for writing it in the first place except of my own pleasure. Does someone know how can an amateur writer publish their first work if they are literally broke? I 've read something about posting it on some Amazon site, but I don't have enough info.

Any kind of help would be welcome.
 
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MaryR said:
Me too. It is harsh of me to say this considering I myself am a girl and in most cases would always take my gender's side, but what I 've learned from the movies and series is that bitches are snitches and there is no snitching in my stories.

But, if I don't find a way to publish it somehow for free, there is really no need for writing it in the first place except of my own pleasure. Does someone know how can an amateur writer publish their first work if they are literally broke? I 've read something about posting it on some Amazon site, but I don't have enough info.

Any kind of help would be welcome.
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If you decide to self-publish it using Amazon, pay particular attention to who will own copyrights and who will get to decide how to price the book. Many authors don’t realize that by self-publishing, you can inadvertently give rights to Amazon (or equivalent big platform) to decide the price. They may start selling it at a price tag over which you have no control or say. You want to retain those rights. You will need a lawyer who specializes in book publishing to review any contract agreement you sign.
 
Offbeat said:
If you decide to self-publish it using Amazon, pay particular attention to who will own copyrights and who will get to decide how to price the book. Many authors don’t realize that by self-publishing, you can inadvertently give rights to Amazon (or equivalent big platform) to decide the price. They may start selling it at a price tag over which you have no control or say. You want to retain those rights. You will need a lawyer who specializes in book publishing to review any contract agreement you sign.
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Very useful warning.
 
Offbeat said:
If you decide to self-publish it using Amazon, pay particular attention to who will own copyrights and who will get to decide how to price the book. Many authors don’t realize that by self-publishing, you can inadvertently give rights to Amazon (or equivalent big platform) to decide the price. They may start selling it at a price tag over which you have no control or say. You want to retain those rights. You will need a lawyer who specializes in book publishing to review any contract agreement you sign.
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I know won't make any money off mof my 2 acceptable songs, but on the OF CGANCE. That someone wants to use them for whatever reason, I'm scared I won't get full pay for it. Why settle for 2.5 cents instead of the whole nickel? My friend said it doesn't matter cu it won't make money lol. Then he told me the work to self publish. Eff that.
 
TikiTaka said:
[

I would just change the insult to something less trivial
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Like:
"You're so dumb you probably dance a tribute to Yemayá @ the 3 minute mark in Mambo Gozon when a Suzie q to the right , kick and grapevine to the left whilst shoulder shimmying would be more applicable;"

#pwned
 
Ok here is my take on the storyline:
Prison inmates in Florida does not work. No possibility for an audience to "like" the protagonists.

I would change the whole scenario to kidnap victims in the "jungle" between Venezuela and Colombia. That does really happen and both Venezuelans and Colombians are equally fond of salsa.

The perpetrators could be Farc dissidents who did not sign the peace treaty or they could be narco gangsters or they could be right wing paramilitaries.

Or... all of the above in several different camps... now a salsa dance off between paramilitaries, narco gangsters, guerilleros and various army and police units.... now that could be a fun plot.

I would not worry too much about the songs or the dance steps. A dance floor would be hard to come by in a jungle, so steps will be simple. Songs could be whatever is popular right now.
 
@bailar y tocar:

Okay, not bad, but I only write about narcos and gangsters, they are my all-time and absolute favourites, the protagonists of all my stories that are not fanfiction, mostly Colombians and those from the Caribbean. The basic concept is that cartels who act like family because they are family to each other kick the sleazy DEA agents' asses and celebrate their victory. So, the plot must revolve around narcos and the villains should be gringos (doesn't have to be DEA, but it usually is).

I am pissed with all those American movies where the gringos always win and act all superior while the Latinos are dumb and bad guys. That is one of the things that motivated me to write my stories.
 
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bailar y tocar said:
Ok here is my take on the storyline:
Prison inmates in Florida does not work. No possibility for an audience to "like" the protagonists.

I would change the whole scenario to kidnap victims in the "jungle" between Venezuela and Colombia. That does really happen and both Venezuelans and Colombians are equally fond of salsa.

The perpetrators could be Farc dissidents who did not sign the peace treaty or they could be narco gangsters or they could be right wing paramilitaries.

Or... all of the above in several different camps... now a salsa dance off between paramilitaries, narco gangsters, guerilleros and various army and police units.... now that could be a fun plot.

I would not worry too much about the songs or the dance steps. A dance floor would be hard to come by in a jungle, so steps will be simple. Songs could be whatever is popular right now.
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Also, I want to keep the characters I 've come up with, the infamous Rivas brothers and their friends and Gabriel, the former salsa world champion and dance instructor who later becomes one of the significant Colombian drug lords and the boss of Los Malvados cartel.
 
To summarise:

The novel has no female characters (because 'bitches are snitches').
All characters are asexual and uninterested in romance.
You want to reverse the usual negative cliches about Latin Americans, so to do that you make all your novels about Colombian/Caribbean narcos/gangsters (whilst all gringos are DEA agents).
 
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DJ Yuca said:
To summarise:

The novel has no female characters (because 'bitches are snitches').
All characters are asexual and uninterested in romance.
You want to reverse the usual negative cliches about Latin Americans, so to do that you make all your novels about Colombian/Caribbean narcos/gangsters (whilst all gringos are DEA agents).
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I 'm not trying to do anything but write about the themes I like and I like Latino narcos, they are the best to me. And I don't think it is a bad thing that there is no romances.
 
I 'm from Europe, so no, I do not know any Latinos personally, but I 've watched many movies and series.

The reason why I like narcos are several:

They are rich.
They are powerful.
They are badass and inspire both fear and admiration in other people.
They don't allow anyone to mess around with them.
They have loads of guns and to me that is hot.
They live in mansions that look like palaces, they have their soldiers who protect them, they have luxury clothes and cars and stuff
They don't live everyday life most of all.
 
TikiTaka said:
@matty @bailar y tocar @DJ Yuca should be able to help you
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Interestingly a lot of the music that Colombian salsa culture is synonymous for is not Colombian
they like a lot of older Puerto Rican and Cuban music especially from the 60s, 70s, both in the club and on the stage. Although you could of course choose some songs by Colombian artists too if you wanted to have that reference to Colombia in there.

If im understanding you right, since the characters are in jail there are no women in the dance performance so the dance will be kind of solo dance style with lots of footwork, so im thinking you want something with interesting percussion sections and piano solos that they can mirror with the footwork.
To me the music with a bouncy pachanga feel to it really typifies the Colombian dance style.
The best advice I could give you is to consult a Colombian dance performer for ideas, because they can really get into specifics about it. I can put you in touch with some if you want.

Im skimming through my music at the moment and here are a few songs that stand out to me that i have seen people dance solo to in Colombia.

Cachao - Cogele el golpe
Richie ray - Bomba Camara <--- great one
Los Orientes del paramonga - La danza del Mono (Peru)
Joe Cotto y Mon Rivera - Dolores
Sonora Gloria Matancera - La punta del Pie
Joe Cuba - Yo vine pa ver

another phenomenon that Colombia is known for is playing songs at higher speed than they were meant for
it comes from the time when we used Record players that had two speed settings, 33 and 45.
somtimes the DJs would play a record meant for 33rpm at 45 for it to have a faster high energy sound to it and sometimes the song became more popular this way. This might be an interesting detail to include.

Louis Ramirez - Chin Chon Chow is ones song that comes to mind that I have heard used in this way.
But its often done with slow boogaloos.

then you have songs that have relevance to prison and crime
such as the following, but they dont strike me as being particularly suited to dance performances.
but as I said, talking to a colombian dance performer would be the best bet !

Fruko - El Preso (this one is the only one in my list that is colombian) song about being in prison, very good one
Frankie Ruiz - Mi Libertad (singing about getting out of prison)
Hector Lavoe - Juanito Alimaña (about dangerous and corrupt neighbourhoods)
Willie Colon - Calle Luna Calle sol (about violent neighbourhoods)
Marvin Santiago - Nostalgia (about being in prison)


im looking forward to you book, and even more so to the movie !!
its gonna have a great sound track ! ;)
 
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First I have to find a way to publish it and it is almost impossible for someone who dkesn't have money, but I can always hope. Thanks for the songs though. It would be a nice movie, but I don't think the gringos would make one where Colombian narcos are the protagonists.
 
MaryR said:
First I have to find a way to publish it and it is almost impossible for someone who dkesn't have money, but I can always hope. Thanks for the songs though. It would be a nice movie, but I don't think the gringos would make one where Colombian narcos are the protagonists.
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Have you heard about the series Narcos?
 
Thanks for those songs with prison themes becahse that is what my Los Malvados need. They are prisoners, but they will be free and then become a cartel with don Gabriel as the boss. I want to focus on dancing in this story, not the usual shootout between the narcos and gringos. In this one I don't need the sleazebag gringos, because the main plotline is the practice of the group for the contest and their bonding with Gabriel.
 
MaryR said:
No, as far as I know at the contests that I 've watched on the internet there is no live music. Why?
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Sorry, I was only thinking along.; so no '(Salsa) Dancing with the Stars'-type of event here. Good luck with writing and publishing the story.
 
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