The online world...
It's this whole amazing place where you can be whoever you want, where you can create a persona for yourself from scratch if you so desire--choose a new name, a new identity, a new voice that is completely different from the one you use in the everyday real world. And in turn we on the other end conjure up a face to go with the persona, a build, a bodytype, a smile, a voice.
Of all the members of my writers' groups, I've seen pictures of a whole 3 of them (of course, I think they're actual pictures, but who's to say that everyone out there isn't splicing in and doctoring up the details?) How weird is it when you see that picture for the first time? When you can finally put a face with a name that has been talking to you for the last however-many years?
I didn't want to put my picture on my website AT ALL. I like my online anonymity. Once your face is out there, it's out there, in all its flawed reality, and you can't pretend you have perfect skin or a perfect figure or long flowing dark hair that looks perfect everyday.
What do you think? Do you like being able to put a face with a name? Does it change your perception of the person, the author, you thought you knew? How close are you in matching the real face with the one you created for that person in your head?
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Revisiting my babies
So in the name of good old procrastination the other day, I started going through old files saved on my computer. Amazing what things we (OK, I) leave out there over time. I came across about 5 versions of the first novel I ever attempted, about 4 years ago. Started reading...
And I thought, wow, some of this is really bad. And some of it isn't too bad at all. And I fell in love with a couple of my characters again, enough to want to see them have a real story to live in. Believe it or not, I'm actually brainstorming ways to fix the plot ('cause it's really the plot that needs fixing more than the characters or the voice, even. How on earth did I think I was going to write a romance with zero conflict?). Now, I'm really supposed to be finishing up a final edit on my latest WIP, but I've been in a rut lately. I figured maybe revisiting this old piece will rev up my creative juices. That's what I'm hoping, anyway. Either that or I'm just avoiding looking at my WIP for the thousandth time and trying to see it with fresh eyes.
Ugh. Revising is so hard...
And I thought, wow, some of this is really bad. And some of it isn't too bad at all. And I fell in love with a couple of my characters again, enough to want to see them have a real story to live in. Believe it or not, I'm actually brainstorming ways to fix the plot ('cause it's really the plot that needs fixing more than the characters or the voice, even. How on earth did I think I was going to write a romance with zero conflict?). Now, I'm really supposed to be finishing up a final edit on my latest WIP, but I've been in a rut lately. I figured maybe revisiting this old piece will rev up my creative juices. That's what I'm hoping, anyway. Either that or I'm just avoiding looking at my WIP for the thousandth time and trying to see it with fresh eyes.
Ugh. Revising is so hard...
Monday, August 28, 2006
Adolescents on the 'Net
Today was my first day back in the classroom, and I had my new students read an essay titled "What Adolescents Lose by Growing up in Cyberspace." It was all about how teens (and adults, really) spend so much time online--shopping, surfing, socializing--that social interaction in our society has decreased significantly over the last 10-15 years.
I asked them to read and then to respond. I really wanted to know what they thought. I figured most of them would disagree, since the Internet is really where they socialize and develop their identities and meet people and make plans and fight and make up and...
Out of 32 students, 2 disagreed with the article. The rest agreed whole-heartedly and, really, it was almost sad to see how aware they are of the social and person-to-person skills they know they do not have. The Internet gives us so much in terms of resources. But what has it taken away?
I asked them to read and then to respond. I really wanted to know what they thought. I figured most of them would disagree, since the Internet is really where they socialize and develop their identities and meet people and make plans and fight and make up and...
Out of 32 students, 2 disagreed with the article. The rest agreed whole-heartedly and, really, it was almost sad to see how aware they are of the social and person-to-person skills they know they do not have. The Internet gives us so much in terms of resources. But what has it taken away?
Sunday, August 27, 2006
KidWorld
OK, this blog doesn't really have anything to do with writing, but in our Sunday paper today there is a huge article about how "KidWorld" has taken over adult world. That is, kids and their sports activities are the focus of every family's life, in a way that didn't exist 10 or 20 years ago. This, of course, doesn't surprise me, as everywhere you turn you will see 3 year olds on the soccer field or moms and dads coaching on the sidelines or minivans racing down the road in an effort to get to the next game on the schedule.
Sports--heck, any kind of organized activity--is great for kids. Don't get me wrong. They learn all kinds of things about life and cooperation and hard work and goals and dealing with victory and failure. But at what point does it become too much? According to this article, the majority of families have sacrificed any adult time to be with their kids on the playing field rather than taking an afternoon to read an adult book or a Friday night to go to dinner with a spouse or, God forbid, a Sunday morning to go to church together.
What concerns me is that, as a teacher, I see the negative effects of KidWorld way too often. My students have been told, and shown, that they are the center of their parents' world, since the day they were born. Their events, and really, their wants and needs, are more important than Mom's or Dad's. Here's the problem with that: they begin to think that their wants and needs are more important than anyone else's in every other arena, too.
Newsflash: this isn't really preparing kids for the adult world. Once they leave the cozy nest of home, their employers or college professors aren't going to buy into the whole notion of the world-revolving-around-Johnny.
And what then?
Sports--heck, any kind of organized activity--is great for kids. Don't get me wrong. They learn all kinds of things about life and cooperation and hard work and goals and dealing with victory and failure. But at what point does it become too much? According to this article, the majority of families have sacrificed any adult time to be with their kids on the playing field rather than taking an afternoon to read an adult book or a Friday night to go to dinner with a spouse or, God forbid, a Sunday morning to go to church together.
What concerns me is that, as a teacher, I see the negative effects of KidWorld way too often. My students have been told, and shown, that they are the center of their parents' world, since the day they were born. Their events, and really, their wants and needs, are more important than Mom's or Dad's. Here's the problem with that: they begin to think that their wants and needs are more important than anyone else's in every other arena, too.
Newsflash: this isn't really preparing kids for the adult world. Once they leave the cozy nest of home, their employers or college professors aren't going to buy into the whole notion of the world-revolving-around-Johnny.
And what then?
Friday, August 25, 2006
Writers' Groups
Love my writers' groups. Love them.
It's funny to think back about 5 years when I first ventured online in search of one to join. I was terrified, really, to share any of my work. Now...well, they're really the reason I'm still writing and the reason my writing is any good at all.
But don't you hate when someone in your writing group comments on something...and you know she's right but STILL you worked so hard on that scene/character/dialogue/opening that it breaks your heart to admit that it still has problems?
Guess that makes the positive comments, the ones that say "Wow I loved this part..." even more valued, right?
Love my writers' groups. Love them.
It's funny to think back about 5 years when I first ventured online in search of one to join. I was terrified, really, to share any of my work. Now...well, they're really the reason I'm still writing and the reason my writing is any good at all.
But don't you hate when someone in your writing group comments on something...and you know she's right but STILL you worked so hard on that scene/character/dialogue/opening that it breaks your heart to admit that it still has problems?
Guess that makes the positive comments, the ones that say "Wow I loved this part..." even more valued, right?
Love my writers' groups. Love them.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Silver Screen Romance
I discovered, the other day, a list I had apparently cut out of our local paper a couple of years ago titled "10 Movies to Put You in the Mood for Love." Not sure who compiled it - probably the local news editor - but I found it interesting because I am a sucker for a great romantic movie. Most of these I've seen, and some I do adore. Others...not so much. I'd love to hear what anyone else thinks. Do you have a favorite romance from the big screen?
1. West Side Story - OK, I guess you can't really dispute this one.
2. Dirty Dancing - Loved it when it came out (but I was a teen, so Patrick Swayze was To Die For).
3. The Princess Bride - In the Top 10? I don't know...
4. When Harry Met Sally - This is actually my all-time favorite movie of any genre.
5. Say Anything - You have to admit that John Cusack-with-the-boom-box scene is a heart-wrencher...
6. Ghost - I cried at this one too. Maybe it's a Swayze thing.
7. Sleepless in Seattle - Do Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks ever make a bad movie?
8. The American President - Never saw it.
9. Jerry Maguire - Well, I'm not a Renee Zellweger fan, so I thought it was over-rated. Liked Cuba Gooding Jr in this one, though.
10. Titanic - This one didn't blow me away either.
Which movies would I add? Probably The Notebook, because it was better than I expected it to be; The Age of Innocence (did anyone else see this one? Daniel Day Lewis and Michelle Pfeiffer in a carriage scene that will make you melt); and this summer's release, The Lake House. That last one also surprised me with its intensity.
So...what do you think?
1. West Side Story - OK, I guess you can't really dispute this one.
2. Dirty Dancing - Loved it when it came out (but I was a teen, so Patrick Swayze was To Die For).
3. The Princess Bride - In the Top 10? I don't know...
4. When Harry Met Sally - This is actually my all-time favorite movie of any genre.
5. Say Anything - You have to admit that John Cusack-with-the-boom-box scene is a heart-wrencher...
6. Ghost - I cried at this one too. Maybe it's a Swayze thing.
7. Sleepless in Seattle - Do Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks ever make a bad movie?
8. The American President - Never saw it.
9. Jerry Maguire - Well, I'm not a Renee Zellweger fan, so I thought it was over-rated. Liked Cuba Gooding Jr in this one, though.
10. Titanic - This one didn't blow me away either.
Which movies would I add? Probably The Notebook, because it was better than I expected it to be; The Age of Innocence (did anyone else see this one? Daniel Day Lewis and Michelle Pfeiffer in a carriage scene that will make you melt); and this summer's release, The Lake House. That last one also surprised me with its intensity.
So...what do you think?
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Summer Reading
Since summer is my official time off, I always try to catch up on my reading. This summer, I've read quite a bit by Jodi Picoult (loved The Pact, really disliked My Sister's Keeper) along with some light stuff (Good Grief by Lolly Winston) and some not-so-light stuff, specifically Pride and Prejudice and The Count of Monte Cristo.
Why P&P? It seems like every other agent/editor that is interviewed in the Romance Writers Report mentions it as the best romance novel of all time. I thought I had read it in high school, but I coudn't remember. Anyway, turns out those agents and editors know what they're talking about! Though the Victorian language is tough to get through at times, the characters are beautifully drawn and the love story between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy is magical.
Why COMC? So many of my students had read it and loved it, I decided I had to pick it up so I could discuss it with them. And, though it isn't a romance novel per se, it is a TERRIFIC story with so much conflict and so many well-drawn characters that, though 600+ pages, it's nearly impossible to put down. There is one moment, near the end, when 2 lovers reunite after years apart and Oh My Gosh it brought tears to my eyes. Not bad for something that was written in 1844.
Guess they're called The Classics for a reason.
Why P&P? It seems like every other agent/editor that is interviewed in the Romance Writers Report mentions it as the best romance novel of all time. I thought I had read it in high school, but I coudn't remember. Anyway, turns out those agents and editors know what they're talking about! Though the Victorian language is tough to get through at times, the characters are beautifully drawn and the love story between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy is magical.
Why COMC? So many of my students had read it and loved it, I decided I had to pick it up so I could discuss it with them. And, though it isn't a romance novel per se, it is a TERRIFIC story with so much conflict and so many well-drawn characters that, though 600+ pages, it's nearly impossible to put down. There is one moment, near the end, when 2 lovers reunite after years apart and Oh My Gosh it brought tears to my eyes. Not bad for something that was written in 1844.
Guess they're called The Classics for a reason.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Turn Signals
You know, these days it seems like almost everyone I get stuck driving behind doesn't know how to use turn signals. Or doesn't want to. Or doesn't know where they're going. I mean, how hard is it to flip that little lever and blink left or right? Just let me know where you're going, so I can make a plan to navigate around you, or follow, or avoid, if I have to. But these drivers with no directionals make me wonder if maybe they don't know exactly where they're headed. Maybe they're making decisions at every intersection. Or maybe they just want to keep everyone guessing.
Hmm...
This is beginning to sound a lot like the characters in most of my stories. I have plans for them, naturally. At the start of the story, I know where they're headed. I know what turns they'll make at what critical junctions, and I make sure I give them turn signals ahead of time, so no one's surprised when they act the way they do.
Then they take matters into their own hands. They turn off their directionals and start taking turns, making choices, that I didn't plan out for them. How dare they? How dare they develop personality traits, decisions, quirks, that I didn't carefully arrange for them?
How wonderful that they do.
Maybe turn signals aren't a necessary thing in every facet of life, after all. It's kind of neat when you reach the end of a writing journey, whether a paragraph, chapter, or complete novel, and realize you've ended up somewhere you didn't plan to. Somewhere richer, more captivating, more interesting, less planned.
If only the drivers in my life could use their turn signals. I don't really mind if my characters turn theirs off once in a while.
Hmm...
This is beginning to sound a lot like the characters in most of my stories. I have plans for them, naturally. At the start of the story, I know where they're headed. I know what turns they'll make at what critical junctions, and I make sure I give them turn signals ahead of time, so no one's surprised when they act the way they do.
Then they take matters into their own hands. They turn off their directionals and start taking turns, making choices, that I didn't plan out for them. How dare they? How dare they develop personality traits, decisions, quirks, that I didn't carefully arrange for them?
How wonderful that they do.
Maybe turn signals aren't a necessary thing in every facet of life, after all. It's kind of neat when you reach the end of a writing journey, whether a paragraph, chapter, or complete novel, and realize you've ended up somewhere you didn't plan to. Somewhere richer, more captivating, more interesting, less planned.
If only the drivers in my life could use their turn signals. I don't really mind if my characters turn theirs off once in a while.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
"Almost There"
A few years ago, I heard Madeline Hunter speak at a conference about the dangers of being "almost there." She warned that sometimes, authors find themselves on the brink of publication, so close and yet not quite there yet, those aspiring authors who place or win contests, who final in the Golden Heart, or have their full manuscripts repeatedly requested by agents or publishers only to eventually receive the final rejection letter. She even knew a woman who won the Golden Heart twice and then stopped writing altogether when she still had trouble publishing.
I thought, what a great problem to have! At least winning contests or having your ms. requested means you have talent and you're doing something right. Right?
Well, now I understand the frustration of being "almost there." I finally put together a website for myself, and one page I devoted to the 3 ms. I've finished since 2001 and the agents/houses who had requested full ms. In total, over 10. Great! But every one ended in a rejection. Hmm. Not so great, after all.
My yoga teacher tells our class we should be happy with where we are and not worry about where we're trying to get. That may be fine when you're talking about touching your knees while reaching for your toes, but what about capturing that elusive first sale? Impatient overachiever that I am, I want to reach my toes. I want to reach beyond them! I want to sell that first ms. I want an agent request to end with a phone call rather than a form letter.
Almost there...it's a frustrating place to be. I guess I have to remind myself that the journey is part of the process too, and that the learning curve can sometimes be much, much longer that we expect it to be.
I thought, what a great problem to have! At least winning contests or having your ms. requested means you have talent and you're doing something right. Right?
Well, now I understand the frustration of being "almost there." I finally put together a website for myself, and one page I devoted to the 3 ms. I've finished since 2001 and the agents/houses who had requested full ms. In total, over 10. Great! But every one ended in a rejection. Hmm. Not so great, after all.
My yoga teacher tells our class we should be happy with where we are and not worry about where we're trying to get. That may be fine when you're talking about touching your knees while reaching for your toes, but what about capturing that elusive first sale? Impatient overachiever that I am, I want to reach my toes. I want to reach beyond them! I want to sell that first ms. I want an agent request to end with a phone call rather than a form letter.
Almost there...it's a frustrating place to be. I guess I have to remind myself that the journey is part of the process too, and that the learning curve can sometimes be much, much longer that we expect it to be.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Cool Agents I Know
OK, well "know" might be a bit of a stretch. More like "Agents I've Been Rejected By Who Seem Cool on the Other End of the Mail/Email/Telephone." Here, in no particular order except for the first 2, are my Top 10.
1. Susan Ginsburg, Writers House. LOVE HER!!!!!!!!!!! Amazing woman - kind, encouraging (the fact that she loved my concept, though perhaps not all of the delivery, helped a bunch); wrote me a fantastic personal letter explaining all the reasons she was concerned about my plot. I'd query her again in a heartbeat.
2. Natasha Kern - Called me after 3 months from out of the blue to personally apologize for misplacing my partial and asked for the full. Tremendously pleasant and down to earth on the phone and also wrote a nice, personal letter when she finally said no.
3. Deidre Knight - Again, really nice and enthusiastic emails, even the final rejection one.
4. Pam Hopkins - Nice, personal letter of rejection even though she only read a partial.
5. Vivan Beck - Requested my full from my original email query; really quick response.
6. Roberta Brown - Nice, personal letter (printed on crazy confetti-colored paper...)
7. Susannah Taylor, Richard Henshaw Group - Nice, personal letter after she read my partial; apologized for taking so long.
8. Scott Eagan, Greyhaus Literary - Seems like a nice guy, included some helpful advice after reading and turning down my full.
9. Michelle Grajkowski, 3 Seas - Nice, personal letter after turning down my partial (surprising because their agency asks everyone to send in a partial with the query).
10. Kristin Nelson - She's turned down my query every time, but I love her blog and I love that she's so technologically savvy.
So, amid the reams of form rejection letters, some with spelling and grammar errors, some on half-sheets of paper ('cause I don't deserve a full sheet, obviously), and some that are just stamps or scrawls across my original query letter, those 10 were gems.
1. Susan Ginsburg, Writers House. LOVE HER!!!!!!!!!!! Amazing woman - kind, encouraging (the fact that she loved my concept, though perhaps not all of the delivery, helped a bunch); wrote me a fantastic personal letter explaining all the reasons she was concerned about my plot. I'd query her again in a heartbeat.
2. Natasha Kern - Called me after 3 months from out of the blue to personally apologize for misplacing my partial and asked for the full. Tremendously pleasant and down to earth on the phone and also wrote a nice, personal letter when she finally said no.
3. Deidre Knight - Again, really nice and enthusiastic emails, even the final rejection one.
4. Pam Hopkins - Nice, personal letter of rejection even though she only read a partial.
5. Vivan Beck - Requested my full from my original email query; really quick response.
6. Roberta Brown - Nice, personal letter (printed on crazy confetti-colored paper...)
7. Susannah Taylor, Richard Henshaw Group - Nice, personal letter after she read my partial; apologized for taking so long.
8. Scott Eagan, Greyhaus Literary - Seems like a nice guy, included some helpful advice after reading and turning down my full.
9. Michelle Grajkowski, 3 Seas - Nice, personal letter after turning down my partial (surprising because their agency asks everyone to send in a partial with the query).
10. Kristin Nelson - She's turned down my query every time, but I love her blog and I love that she's so technologically savvy.
So, amid the reams of form rejection letters, some with spelling and grammar errors, some on half-sheets of paper ('cause I don't deserve a full sheet, obviously), and some that are just stamps or scrawls across my original query letter, those 10 were gems.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Welcome to My Journey
Welcome to my journey.
Since I started writing (seriously, that is, not counting the scribbling in high school and college notebooks or the box full of journals I kept during my 20's), I've completed 4 manuscripts. Pretty good, right?
Sure...
Five years ago, I thought I had this trememdous idea for a book. I thought I would write it in a year, send it out to a handful of agents and publishers who would fight over it, and be able to quit my day job by the following tax season.
Right...
3 manuscripts and a pile (and I mean a huge, ceiling-smacking pile) of rejection letters later, I realized maybe I needed to do a little work. A little research. Maybe more than a little.
So here I am, working on the final revision of my 4th ms., and I figured this time I would share my journey with anyone else out there who's felt frustrated too. Who wants to see what it's like to put together a query letter...and then change it 4 or 5 times. Who wants to vent with me about how the heck you're supposed to shrink 90,000 words into a 2-page synopsis. Who wants to hear (and laugh at, probably) the wording of rejection letters. Who wants to help me celebrate when I finally get The Call (you have to dream it, right??).
Here's to the journey. Let's hope that whatever direction it leads, I'll learn more this time around too.Next up: cool agents I've gotten rejections from in the past. (Hey, some of them really know how to let a girl down easy!)
Ciao, Allie B.
Since I started writing (seriously, that is, not counting the scribbling in high school and college notebooks or the box full of journals I kept during my 20's), I've completed 4 manuscripts. Pretty good, right?
Sure...
Five years ago, I thought I had this trememdous idea for a book. I thought I would write it in a year, send it out to a handful of agents and publishers who would fight over it, and be able to quit my day job by the following tax season.
Right...
3 manuscripts and a pile (and I mean a huge, ceiling-smacking pile) of rejection letters later, I realized maybe I needed to do a little work. A little research. Maybe more than a little.
So here I am, working on the final revision of my 4th ms., and I figured this time I would share my journey with anyone else out there who's felt frustrated too. Who wants to see what it's like to put together a query letter...and then change it 4 or 5 times. Who wants to vent with me about how the heck you're supposed to shrink 90,000 words into a 2-page synopsis. Who wants to hear (and laugh at, probably) the wording of rejection letters. Who wants to help me celebrate when I finally get The Call (you have to dream it, right??).
Here's to the journey. Let's hope that whatever direction it leads, I'll learn more this time around too.Next up: cool agents I've gotten rejections from in the past. (Hey, some of them really know how to let a girl down easy!)
Ciao, Allie B.
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