The other day someone asked me about my favorite books. So I tried to think of a top 5. And when I looked at what I had come up with, I couldn't believe how different they all were. To look at them, you'd think I have absolutely no genre preference at all.
It, by Stephen King
Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith
The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, by Mark Haddon
Close runners-up would probably include The Pact (Jodi Picoult), The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas), The Dogs of Babel (Carolyn Parkhurst), and The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini).
See what I mean?
But then I thought about it, and I realized that every one of these stories I love, for the most part, because it tells a fascinating story. I care about the characters. I want to hang out with the characters. I feel for them, cry with them, cheer for them. And I'm sad when the story's over. Ayn Rand I also like because of her views on the individual-vs-society. And Sebold, Picoult, and Parkhurst do some beautiful things with language.
King, of course, rocks as one of the best story-tellers of all time. Plus his book On Writing is brilliant too.
But back to the story. That, I guess, is everything. Of course.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Thursday, September 07, 2006
First Sales
I have a confession. Whenever my monthly Romance Writers Report arrives, I always turn to the same section first: the First Sales column. I want to live vicariously through whoever has been fortunate enough to grab her first sale in the romance biz. I want to see what houses are buying, what titles and genres are selling, and inevitably, I want to see how long these people have been struggling before getting their big break.
And that's where I run into a problem. Because I'm happy for all these fellow authors, really, I am. I just can't tell you how amazingly frustrated it makes me when Suzie Smith reports that she's been writing for 2 years, and this was the first manuscript she completed before selling. I mean, come on. Who actually sells their first manuscript, after writing for only 2 years?
Sigh...so let's look at this month's and see if there's room for hope for the rest of us under-achievers.
17 First Sales in this month's column. 8 of those to Triskelion Publishing. They've been buying a lot lately. Hmm.
Moving on...a bunch of 4th and 5th manuscripts sold, and...Hooray! Only one author who sold the first manuscript she ever wrote, and two who sold their second. Ooh, and here's one that's been writing for 13 years. Wow! I'm also loving the woman who sold her 11th complete manuscript, because first of all it takes some persistence to stick it out through that many stories, and second of all, she landed herself a 3-book deal with Avon. Way to go! See, it does pay off.
Okay, enough drooling over other people's success. Time to get back to the keyboard and chug along toward mine.
And that's where I run into a problem. Because I'm happy for all these fellow authors, really, I am. I just can't tell you how amazingly frustrated it makes me when Suzie Smith reports that she's been writing for 2 years, and this was the first manuscript she completed before selling. I mean, come on. Who actually sells their first manuscript, after writing for only 2 years?
Sigh...so let's look at this month's and see if there's room for hope for the rest of us under-achievers.
17 First Sales in this month's column. 8 of those to Triskelion Publishing. They've been buying a lot lately. Hmm.
Moving on...a bunch of 4th and 5th manuscripts sold, and...Hooray! Only one author who sold the first manuscript she ever wrote, and two who sold their second. Ooh, and here's one that's been writing for 13 years. Wow! I'm also loving the woman who sold her 11th complete manuscript, because first of all it takes some persistence to stick it out through that many stories, and second of all, she landed herself a 3-book deal with Avon. Way to go! See, it does pay off.
Okay, enough drooling over other people's success. Time to get back to the keyboard and chug along toward mine.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
The Excitement of Starting...and the Agony of Finishing
Don't you love when you've got a terrific new idea for a story, characters you love (with just the right names and just the right combination of traits that make them utterly believable and likable), and a plot that you can't wait to unfold?
It comes to you all at once, sometimes, a thunderbolt of inspiration, or in a series of dribbles, an idea upon an idea, until you flesh it out and think Great! I love it! You sit down to write, get a few thousand words in...and stumble to a stop.
What a stupid idea. What a lousy plot. What a gaping hole in the main character's motivation. And how am I ever going to get 85K words out of this?
The frustration of the middle can be staggering. You try a plot twist, you add a character, you tweak a conflict, and sometimes it takes shape. Sometimes it gets worse. Hopefully, it gets better. But finishing - that's something I continue to struggle with. Finding just the right way to wrap it all up, finding the perfect words, overwhelms me.
I'm in the middle of a 3rd revision of my latest WIP, and while avoiding working on the final few chapters, I looked through old works. Found a story I loved, with characters I loved, and decided I should dive back in and work on that one.
Changed up the plot, deleted some characters, and now I'm in the honeymoon stage with that one, wanting to move it forward.
Trouble is, I know I should really finish my current WIP. Which brings us back to the agony of finishing. Anyone have any good ideas about motivating myself through the final gates? Procrastination has set in the last week or so, and it's not a good thing. I want to get this finished. I want to send query letters out. I want to move on.
So why am I dragging my feet?
It comes to you all at once, sometimes, a thunderbolt of inspiration, or in a series of dribbles, an idea upon an idea, until you flesh it out and think Great! I love it! You sit down to write, get a few thousand words in...and stumble to a stop.
What a stupid idea. What a lousy plot. What a gaping hole in the main character's motivation. And how am I ever going to get 85K words out of this?
The frustration of the middle can be staggering. You try a plot twist, you add a character, you tweak a conflict, and sometimes it takes shape. Sometimes it gets worse. Hopefully, it gets better. But finishing - that's something I continue to struggle with. Finding just the right way to wrap it all up, finding the perfect words, overwhelms me.
I'm in the middle of a 3rd revision of my latest WIP, and while avoiding working on the final few chapters, I looked through old works. Found a story I loved, with characters I loved, and decided I should dive back in and work on that one.
Changed up the plot, deleted some characters, and now I'm in the honeymoon stage with that one, wanting to move it forward.
Trouble is, I know I should really finish my current WIP. Which brings us back to the agony of finishing. Anyone have any good ideas about motivating myself through the final gates? Procrastination has set in the last week or so, and it's not a good thing. I want to get this finished. I want to send query letters out. I want to move on.
So why am I dragging my feet?
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Why I Don't Do Contests
A few years back, when I first started writing seriously, I dove into contests every other month or so. I thought, how great that I can get feedback from very wise judges on my WIP! And if I win or place, I might actually get that WIP in front of an agent or editor.
5 or 6 contests later, disillusionment set in, and here's the reason I rarely enter contests anymore: they're WAYYYYY too subjective.
By that I mean that, without fail, I get one judge who loves my entry and one who can't stand it. One says it's the best entry she read, that it's ready for publication, while the other struggles to find something positive to say at all. I've had one judge say the characters were interesting and likable, while the other said they were cold and the dialogue stilted.
After awhile, I figured I was spending too much money to get a split decision every time. And I got irritated, really. This past year, I decided to be a judge for RWA's Golden Heart contest. Figured it would be good to be on the other side, for a change. I got my 7 manuscripts in the mail, settled in for an afternoon, and read my little heart out. I'd say 4 were pretty average, in story and style, 2 were close to publishable, and 1 was below average: awkward writing, grammar problems, interesting story but too many convoluted plot twists and coincidences. I sent in my scores and waited to see the results. Of the 7 I read, one actually finaled. Guess which one?
I spent about a week questioning the whole point of writing, when the whole business is so damn subjective...and then I realized, wow! How great! The whole business is so damn subjective. That means that for every person who doesn't like my story, someone else might. There are a zillion different literary tastes out there, and from what I've seen so far, there is enough disparity in what's published these days to please a lot of them.
I'm still not sure I'll enter a contest anytime soon. But it's worthwhile to remind myself that the beauty of literature is the variety of styles, of writers and readers and publishing houses. Somewhere out there, if I work hard enough, I still believe there is a niche for me.
Remember that the next time you're feeling low about the whole business...
5 or 6 contests later, disillusionment set in, and here's the reason I rarely enter contests anymore: they're WAYYYYY too subjective.
By that I mean that, without fail, I get one judge who loves my entry and one who can't stand it. One says it's the best entry she read, that it's ready for publication, while the other struggles to find something positive to say at all. I've had one judge say the characters were interesting and likable, while the other said they were cold and the dialogue stilted.
After awhile, I figured I was spending too much money to get a split decision every time. And I got irritated, really. This past year, I decided to be a judge for RWA's Golden Heart contest. Figured it would be good to be on the other side, for a change. I got my 7 manuscripts in the mail, settled in for an afternoon, and read my little heart out. I'd say 4 were pretty average, in story and style, 2 were close to publishable, and 1 was below average: awkward writing, grammar problems, interesting story but too many convoluted plot twists and coincidences. I sent in my scores and waited to see the results. Of the 7 I read, one actually finaled. Guess which one?
I spent about a week questioning the whole point of writing, when the whole business is so damn subjective...and then I realized, wow! How great! The whole business is so damn subjective. That means that for every person who doesn't like my story, someone else might. There are a zillion different literary tastes out there, and from what I've seen so far, there is enough disparity in what's published these days to please a lot of them.
I'm still not sure I'll enter a contest anytime soon. But it's worthwhile to remind myself that the beauty of literature is the variety of styles, of writers and readers and publishing houses. Somewhere out there, if I work hard enough, I still believe there is a niche for me.
Remember that the next time you're feeling low about the whole business...
Monday, September 04, 2006
The Nice to Know and the Need to Know
One of my writing friends insists that the most important thing writers can do is separate the "nice to know" from the "need to know." That is, it might be nice to know what color dress the heroine is wearing, and that she took the time to put on her favorite perfume that morning, but all we really need to know is that she didn't have time to finish her laundry so she's stuck wearing her granny pants on the day she finally meets - or beds - Mr. Right.
Well, shoot.
I posted this lovely chapter a couple of weeks ago, for one of my writers' groups, a scene with my heroine and her friend. Thought their conversation was conflict-rich, their actions revealing of their inner emotions, and was ready to move on to the next chapter when one of the group said, "Well, it's a nice chapter overall, but all those little mundane details about the characters? Not really needed."
Crap.
Of course he was right, when I went back and looked at it. I think I've gotten better at separating the two, though it's still hard sometimes. I'm about halfway through a 3rd revision of my latest WIP and am finding a lot of small sections of "nice to know." I delete them and realize that the chapter is not the least bit lacking once they're gone. Of course, this is also cutting down on the length of the work, which right now is around 85K words when I'd really like it to be around 90K for a mainstream novel. Ah, well. I'm getting into the heavy conflict soon, so I can probably throw some more at my characters and see how they deal with it.
Poor things.
Well, shoot.
I posted this lovely chapter a couple of weeks ago, for one of my writers' groups, a scene with my heroine and her friend. Thought their conversation was conflict-rich, their actions revealing of their inner emotions, and was ready to move on to the next chapter when one of the group said, "Well, it's a nice chapter overall, but all those little mundane details about the characters? Not really needed."
Crap.
Of course he was right, when I went back and looked at it. I think I've gotten better at separating the two, though it's still hard sometimes. I'm about halfway through a 3rd revision of my latest WIP and am finding a lot of small sections of "nice to know." I delete them and realize that the chapter is not the least bit lacking once they're gone. Of course, this is also cutting down on the length of the work, which right now is around 85K words when I'd really like it to be around 90K for a mainstream novel. Ah, well. I'm getting into the heavy conflict soon, so I can probably throw some more at my characters and see how they deal with it.
Poor things.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Open Blog Night - Check it Out!
Vey exciting news...
A blog that I had submitted for Romancing the Blog's Open Blog Night was posted today! (That's Sunday, Sept. 3, BTW) Of course I didn't know it, and it was a good thing that I came back from vacation a day early (too much hurricane rain and wind, even up here in NY). So when I finally sat down tonight to check my email and my bookmarked sites, how very cool to see my own blog staring back at me!
In the meantime, I've been wondering a lot about characters' names. In my latest WIP, the hero's name is Jack Major. Strong, single-syllabled, I liked it. At first. But since the WIP is sort of modeled after the TV show "24," I think I have to change my hero's name to something that doesn't sound identical to Keifer Sutherland's character. Also, I'm getting the feeling that Jack/Jake is a too-popular name for romance heroes these days. In fact, I got a rejection letter a few months ago (before the latest major revision...which prompted the latest major revision, actually) in which the agent wrote all these very helpful comments about the story and referred to my hero as "Jake." So clearly I need a name that stands out more.
But what? I seem to go for single-syllabled first names in a lot of my stories and novels. Not sure why. I actually had a dream last night that featured this guy who would be terrific as a romance hero whose name was Roman. Roman??? But actually, that's a strong name too.
What do you think? Favorite hero names, anyone? Favorite hero names that aren't already over-used?
And hey, check out my blog on over on www.romancingtheblog.com tonight if you've got a minute.
A blog that I had submitted for Romancing the Blog's Open Blog Night was posted today! (That's Sunday, Sept. 3, BTW) Of course I didn't know it, and it was a good thing that I came back from vacation a day early (too much hurricane rain and wind, even up here in NY). So when I finally sat down tonight to check my email and my bookmarked sites, how very cool to see my own blog staring back at me!
In the meantime, I've been wondering a lot about characters' names. In my latest WIP, the hero's name is Jack Major. Strong, single-syllabled, I liked it. At first. But since the WIP is sort of modeled after the TV show "24," I think I have to change my hero's name to something that doesn't sound identical to Keifer Sutherland's character. Also, I'm getting the feeling that Jack/Jake is a too-popular name for romance heroes these days. In fact, I got a rejection letter a few months ago (before the latest major revision...which prompted the latest major revision, actually) in which the agent wrote all these very helpful comments about the story and referred to my hero as "Jake." So clearly I need a name that stands out more.
But what? I seem to go for single-syllabled first names in a lot of my stories and novels. Not sure why. I actually had a dream last night that featured this guy who would be terrific as a romance hero whose name was Roman. Roman??? But actually, that's a strong name too.
What do you think? Favorite hero names, anyone? Favorite hero names that aren't already over-used?
And hey, check out my blog on over on www.romancingtheblog.com tonight if you've got a minute.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Posting Pictures and other ways we strip ourselves naked for the world to see...
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?
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?
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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