The Author Chronicles

The Doh! Moment

Nancy Keim Comley — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:49:33 +0000

We all have those ‘Doh!’ moments. That explosive instant when you realize Something. I always think of it as when an idea that has been tap dancing across my brain finally hits the right synapse and I Get It.

Sometimes what shows up in my head is something I have never heard of before yet it turns out everyone else in the world has always known. “Yogurt is made from carefully rotted milk? REALLY?!”

Occasionally information I have been told for years suddenly makes sense. My mother: “The sun can help you bleach fabric.” Twenty years later, “Mom, guess what! I hung some white sheets out and the sun bleached them beautifully!” My mother, because she is kind, laughs instead of giving me a dope slap.

This past month I took an Intro To Writing Graphic Novels online class taught by Bree Ogden over at LitReactor. It was a great class full of enthusiastic students. We had multiple lectures and homework assignments, all of it challenging and interesting.

One of our exercises was to critique each other’s homework. I was struggling with developing my main character. The character, Jem, lives in a town with a long history, interesting and occasionally scary things happen, and in the end she saves the day.

And she was dull. Dull, dull, dull.

It was then that a fellow student commented: “In good storytelling, the external threat represents the internal struggle. It’s only by overcoming that threat that a character is able to grow and learn.”

Doh!

I can listen to people talk about the craft of writing for hours. It’s one of the my favorite conversational topics. I know I have heard similar sentiments many times. But it wasn’t until that moment that the bits of my brain decided to light up and go Bing!

Suddenly the character unfolded in my head. Now she doesn’t know who she is or what she can do. She’s from an interesting family and lives in an interesting town and she sees herself as normal and boring with the stupid name of Jemima. She loves her town, the forest that surrounds it, and her family but doesn’t think she has anything to give.

When there is an external threat to the town and forest she loves so much Jem is tempted to let things take their course. It’s when she steps out and and acts differently that things happen and the town is saved. She overcomes the external threat and thus she herself is able to grow and learn.

Why didn’t I see this before? Why did it take these two sentences at that exact moment for me to understand something so momentous about building characters? I have no idea, but I am forever grateful that it happened.

I’d love to hear if anyone else has ever had a ‘Doh!’.

Top Picks Thursday 02-16-2012

Kerry Gans — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:00:44 +0000

No community news today, so let’s dive right in!

CRAFT

In YA, Jill Corcoran discusses the importance of keeping up with current teen trends—in this case, lip dubs. Melissa Kantor talks about why she writes YA, and Lucas Klauss shares what it’s like being a guy writing YA. And no matter what your genre, Lindsay N. Currie reminds us of the importance of reading in the genre you write in.

Anna DeStefano reminds us that character rules, and that needs to be the focus of everything we write. Margot Kinberg explores self-destructive character in crime fiction. Authors should always choose a POV character that can give a powerful and unique view to the story. How about a zombie as a POV character? Author Jonathan Maberry does just that. And Chuck Wendig gives us 25 things you should know about protagonists.

In spite of their importance, characters are just one element of the story. Alexandra Sokoloff shares key story element lessons learned from musical theater. Marie Lamba talks about her struggles with finding and sticking to the main plotlines of her latest book and not getting drawn down tempting side plots. And Talia Vance discusses the extreme importance of endings—if it doesn’t live up to the promise of the beginning, you won’t have happy readers.

Once you’re done that draft, Jami Gold shares how to revise for story structure. Revision is usually where you start layering nuances into your work. Tim Kane gives tips on how to install creepy into your prose, and Susan Sipal examines the Valentine’s Day from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets to show how many things J.K. Rowling accomplishes in those scenes. While this is best done before you write, Thomas A. Knight explains magic systems in fantasy and what makes them work. And Janice Hardy advises what to do when your novel is too short.

There are so many things that can get in the way of us actually finishing our manuscript. Suzannah Windsor Freeman shares 3 steps to overcoming “almost done” syndrome, where you find anything to do except write those last couple of chapters. Kristin Lamb talks about what to do when you hit true burn-out.

But mostly, it’s just the minutia of life that gets in the way of our writing time. How to deal with that? Pauline Rowson shares the novel writing system that works for her. Kristi Holl discusses writing while doing other things—like laundry! Pavarti K. Tyler has tips on how to manage it all, and Sarah Duncan has 11 reasons why writing 10 minutes a day works as a method of reaching your goals.

Lena Roy shares the moment she came to call herself a writer. Angela Ackerman urges all of us to transform our writing weakness into strength in order to find success. And Chuck Wendig gets to the heart of the matter with his 25 reasons that writers are crazy.

BUSINESS

Queries are still necessary in traditional publishing. Mary Ann Loesch explores the question: How long should you query a manuscript? Jane Lebak talks about how to query your unlikeable protagonist. Juliana L. Brandt shares her organization method to track agent queries, and Lydia Sharp gives proof that book titles are important at the query stage.

When your killer query nets you that call from an agent, agent Mary Kole shares 10 questions to ask when offered representation. And take a look at the submission guidelines for new agent Dawn Michelle Hardy of Serendipity Literary to see if she’s the right one for you.

The publishing industry changes every day, it seems like. Jenny Bent reflects on how the industry has changed for the good and the bad, while Kristin Lamb talks about the future of big publishing in the new paradigm—will they get it together or crash and burn?

In the world of social media and apps: Jon Reed lists the 10 best Twitter hashtags for writers, Eric Boggs explains 4 core tools in the social publishing toolbox, and Galleycat talks about the Evernote app, which lets you easily digitize your handwritten notes.

Blair Hurley gives tips on how (and why) to always keep something in the publishing pipeline, while Jane Friedman lists 4 reasons NOT to blog your book as a path to publication.

THE UNIQUE SHELF

Sometimes it’s nice for writers to see how the greats worked. Check out the first page of Charles Dickens’ GREAT EXPECTATIONS manuscript and count the number of cross outs! Makes me feel better about mine. And take a look at J.K. Rowling’s handwritten spreadsheet for THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX. It doesn’t have to be high-tech to be effective!

If you are in search of Hebrew illuminated manuscripts online, the British Library has digitized many of their manuscripts. From the Walters Art Museum explore the Carrow Psalter.

That’s it for us! See you same time next week!

The Author as Actor

J. Thomas Ross — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:41:01 +0000

Life is a continual process of learning and discovery.

So is writing.

That’s what makes both ever new and interesting … and fun!

I’ve spent my life learning and teaching, both formally and informally. The teaching-learning process is a beautiful thing, for it is all about sharing; about spreading information, knowledge, and experience across the family of humanity; about connecting the present to the past and the future. Being a part of this process is exciting and rewarding.

After more than thirty years in the teaching profession, I retired … from the profession, that is, but not from teaching itself. My teaching now involves helping other writers make their work the best it can be. Most of what I share about writing has been learned from others who have willingly passed their knowledge along. Paying it forward gives me a great deal of satisfaction — and occasional frustration, when what I’ve learned isn’t enough to help.

Sometimes, however, I figure out something all on my own ~ a glorious moment of discovery!

That happened last week.

As a writing group member, critique partner, beta reader, and editor, I frequently read stories where I feel distanced from the point-of-view character and, thus, do not care much about what happens to him or her. No matter how interesting the plot and idea, without an emotional connection to the character, the story seems flat.

The reason for this problem, I felt, was that the writer did not know the character well enough. This had once been a flaw in my own writing, which another writer kindly pointed out to me. I suggested that my fellow writers do detailed character studies that would include all the character’s background, family, education, work/school history, likes and dislikes, hobbies, interests, attitudes, desires, fears, motivations, and so on.

In other words, a few paragraphs describing the point-of-view character are not enough. A writer must know the character’s history and hidden depths as well as those things apparent to the other characters. Most of these things will never appear in the story or novel, but knowing them helps the writer create a full-fleshed, three-dimensional character instead of a wooden puppet.

Writing in-depth character studies works for me. Often, however, even after some of these writers did as I’d suggested, I still felt little connection to their characters. I couldn’t figure out why. I admit — sorry friends! — that I privately wondered whether they really had done the character analyses. If they had, then why wasn’t this working for them?

Then came my eureka moment last week. I was actually in the bathroom getting ready to go out [channeling Archimedes?] when the pieces fell into place, and I realized that knowing the point-of-view character intimately was not enough.

At the Writers Coffeehouse [a free forum hosted by the Philadelphia Liars Club and held the last Sunday of each month at the Barnes & Noble in Willow Grove, PA] in January, I had talked to friend and actor Keith Strunk. Part of our conversation had me thinking about actors getting into the heads of characters for the roles they have to perform. I could relate to this because I get into the heads of my point-of-view characters every time I write. I’ve always done this; it’s as natural as breathing for me, and I can’t conceive of any other way of writing.

As I stood in front of the bathroom mirror that morning, I realized that this might not be true for all writers — that the reason I feel no connection to the point-of-view character in some writers’ stories could be because they are writing from outside the character’s head, not inside. No matter how well a writer knows the point-of-view character, the reader will feel distanced from the character if the writer is distanced from the character as he or she writes. A writer, like an actor, must get into the skin of the character, see what the character sees, experience what the character experiences, and feel what the character feels. When a writer does that, the character comes alive and the distance is removed, allowing the reader to feel close to the character and, thus, to care about what happens in the story.

I didn’t run out of the bathroom shouting “Eureka!”, but I could hardly wait to share my insight with my critique group. And as I mused over the possibilities, I realized that getting fully inside the point-of-view character’s head could also help eliminate other problems I frequently see in manuscripts, such as:

having the character act in a manner contrary to the character’s personality [making the character do what the author wants, not what that character would actually do]
slipping into another character’s thoughts or point of view
including details or events that the point-of-view character could not know [for instance, what is going on behind the character's back or outside the room]

It’s vital for an author to both know the point-of-view character intimately and to get inside the character’s head when writing.

How do you get inside your character’s head as you write? Do you find this an easy or difficult thing to do?

Top Picks Thursday 02-09-2012

Kerry Gans — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:00:10 +0000

Everyone wants free stuff that’s actually useful, and Jane Friedman brings us 7 Free Ebooks that will help us with our writing and publishing careers.

Also free, and a great deal of fun, are Lucas Mangum’s Awesome Reading Fests. Lucas is really giving back to the book community and spotlighting other authors. Read about his latest Reading Fest at Doylestown Bookstore, and see if you want to start something like this in your neck of the woods.

A neat idea to connect crit partners and/or beta readers: a blogfest. Loralie Hall hosts a blogfest to connect betas and/or crit partners Feb 10-13.

Having trouble finding time to write? David Hunter Shaw presents a flow chart on How To Know When You Should Be Writing.

In blog tour news, friends of the blog Jonathan Maberry (Dead of Night – zombies) and Marie Lamba (Drawn – paranormal YA) are touring—catch up with them at their latest stops! Marie was interviewed here on Feb 1st, and we also reviewed her book, Drawn.

CRAFT

Patrick Samphire tackles the question: Is popular fiction legitimate in its own right? While Smart Bitches lament that genre readers (particularly romance readers) are made to feel ashamed of what they read.

Before anything gets read, it must be written. Sometimes, when you’ve been away from writing, it’s hard to get back on track. Nathan Bransford has some tips for returning to writing after a long break. If you are a poet, Robert Lee Brewer gives 5 ways how to write a poem when you’re stuck. For prose writers, Robert C. Parker has a method to choose the right topic to write about. Matt Robb shares tips to fake out that inner censor so you can get writing, and Krissy Brady lays out the basics of project planning and execution.

There are many things that make a good novel good. Adventures in Children’s Publishing uses Hunger Games as an example of creating characters we care about and continually upping the stakes. Setting is often a major player in a novel, and Joanna Penn introduces us to Catacombs in an entry on The Bookshelf Muse’s awesome Setting Thesaurus tool. Character is arguably the most important facet of a book, and Aimee Said explains why it pays to talk to your characters as a writer.

In almost every plot, characters are gaining knowledge about something and seeking the truth about something. James Killick gives us 4 ways your protagonist can learn the truth, while Janice Hardy tells us how to track character knowledge so we can find it easily when we need it. Characters need emotion as well as knowledge, if we are to care about them, so Sharla Rae shares tips to mine for character emotion.

Juliette Wade makes an argument for writing your story in present tense. And when you’re done writing, Mike Duerksen has a handy 18-point checklist for proofreaders, aimed at non-fiction but good for everyone.

Every writer needs inspiration to slog through the hard times. Author Jami Gold, after a few weeks of emotional turmoil, asks her fellow writers how to keep writing through life’s chaos. Kat Howard shares her words of power, while Lists of Note gives us Henry Miller’s 11 Commandments. Ara Grigorian finds help through Occam’s Razor and advice from Stephen King; Ric Dragon lists the 12 most valuable lessons learned in the “long write” of his book; and Jennifer Niven shares pertinent advice from her Uncle Bill. Perhaps the most often heard and best advice is “Know Thyself,” to which end Joanna Penn exposes 7 truths about writers.

BUSINESS

It seems we can’t go a week without another volley in the Amazon-vs.-Traditional Publishing conflict. This week The Authors Guild weighed in with its thoughts on Amazon. Barnes & Noble and other major retail outlets joined the independent bookstores in declaring a boycott of Amazon-published books. Many people are cheering the boycott, but Jon F. Merz takes a thoughtful look at why Barnes & Noble just made a big mistake.

In further kerfluffles in the writing world, Diana Peterfreund demystifies the RWA ban of LGBT stories in their writing contest, while Melissa Foster tackles the often virulent conflict between indie and traditional authors by declaring that the line between indie and traditional is illusory and authors should make use of both lines of publishing.

Harold Underdown has years of experience with picture books. If that’s your genre, take a look at his advice on: How to properly submit a picture book, how to get out of the slush pile, and take the How Do I Get It Published Quiz to test your knowledge of the business.

Ever wonder what agents do all day? Check out the Twitter hashtag #agentday and find out. A couple of new agents to check out: Marie Lamba of the Jennifer DeChiara Agency and Carlie Webber of Jane Rotrosen Lit. Be sure to read their submissions guidelines carefully!

Michael A. Ventrella gives insight into writing a solid query letter to agents, and agent Chip MacGregor answers questions from writers.

In marketing, Matthew Pearl talks about expanding the world of your novel to keep readers interested; Daryl Grabarek lists some book-inspired apps for middle school kids; and Rachelle Gardner gives us 5 reasons to embrace the brave new world of social media instead of running away screaming. Renee Pawlish has tips on blog layout for authors, while Emma Straub tells us how an author can be an indie bookseller’s dream with a great booksigning. Rob Eager gives 3 reasons why your book isn’t selling, and Carrie Green talks about Product Descriptions for your book.

THE UNIQUE SHELF

Shakespeare’s Sisters at the Folger Library is a wonderful look at women writers from 1500-1700—an era when female writers were far from prevalent.

And for something totally different: Tony Lee & Dan Boultwood Create A Live Comic At The SFX Weekender.

That’s it for us this week!

5 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Critique Groups

Kerry Gans — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:00:15 +0000

Some writers like critique groups, some think they are a waste of time. I think they can be a valuable resource for a writer, provided you go into them with the right mindset.

1. Join one with a clear idea of what you want to get out of it. What are you looking for in a group? Deep critique? Reader-level reaction? I am a writer who likes feedback, and I like it early in the writing process. In my first group, I had criticism from people from all walks of the writing world—from reader to serious writer. I usually noted on my submission what kind of feedback I was seeking, so I could get the targeting feedback I wanted.

2. Learn what advice to take. One of the hardest things for early writers is knowing whose feedback is valuable. Some writers try to please everyone, and end up destroying their story. I quickly located a core group of people in the group whose advice was always right on, and whose writing I admired. A critique group is also a good place to learn how to take criticism gracefully—a skill every writer should learn.

3. Critique others fairly. A critique group is not all about you—it is a group. Honest critiquing of others’ work is a fantastic way to learn more about the craft, since it is usually easier to spot problems in other people’s work than in your own. You need to pull your weight and critique honestly but not brutally. There is no place in a writing group for venom or poisonous personalities—that brings everyone down instead of lifting them up. If your group is tainted by this type of atmosphere and it cannot be rectified by the group leader, you should leave the group.

4. Make sure the group elevates you as a writer. This does not mean that they all lick your boots and think everything you write is wonderful. An atmosphere like that is comfortable, and nice for your ego, but it does nothing to improve your craft. You need people who can tell you, in a supportive manner, areas you need to work on. You also should have at least some people who are better writers than you are—people who you can emulate and learn from to grow.

5. Know when to leave. There may come a time when you outgrow your group. You need to assess if the group is helping you move forward or holding you back. Certainly don’t leave the friends you made there behind. All writers need a support network, and you may still turn to them for advice from time to time as beta readers. But if the group as a whole no longer meets your needs, if it no longer is pushing you to the next level, then you are better off finding a new group or simply a good crit partner or two. Writers who are trying to get published must put the continued elevation of their craft first, and look at any group they join as a business venture. If you are not getting value out of it, then it is wasted time.

I have been in two critique groups, and I had great experiences in both. I am grateful to everyone in my first critique group for all they taught me, and I still maintain contact with a few of them. I am equally indebted to my new group, and I feel we will be helping each other rise for a long time to come.

What have your experiences with critique groups been like?

Top Picks Thursday 02-02-2012

Kerry Gans — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:00:23 +0000

It is with words as with sunbeams: the more they are condensed, the deeper they burn. ~ Robert Southey

Happy February!

Cheryl Klein offer a links roundup from her seminars ar SCBWI.

CRAFT

Ali Luke offers 25 ways to come up with great ideas for your writing. While you’re busy thinking about your book, Tim Kane asks if you ever get lost in your own head?

The basics of a good story are conflict and story structure. Jennifer M. Eaton talks about the art of conflict, and Chuck Wendig offers 25 things you should know about story structure.

The point of every fiction story is to make the reader care—otherwise they likely won’t finish reading. Mary Kole gives advice on how to make readers care, while Roseann Biederman shares tips from James Scott Bell on how to create believable villains. If you can make a reader care about your villian, you’ve got something special!

No matter how hard we try to be unique, clichés can creep into our manuscript. Peter Selgin lists 10 tips to bypass cliché and melodrama. One of the largest clichés is the first person narrator looking at his/herself in the mirror so the writer can describe the character. Kate Newburg advises how to get first person narrator description into your story without being cliché or clunky.

The devil is in the details, as every writer knows. Roz Morris points out the frequent lack of background people in novels—the empty world syndrome. And editor Theresa Stevens shows how minor changes in the line editing phase can deepen and strengthen your scene, using a real sample to show how.

Red Gage offers three ways to write better today; Sweepy Jean lists three writing lessons she learned as a young writer; and Victoria Mixon passes on 11 things her grandmother said about writing.

Lynda R. Young reminds us that “falling” is a normal part of the writing life and teaches us how to fall without hurting ourselves, while Shelli Johnson passes on her favorite writing advice—allowing yourself to fail on the page. Handing your final manuscript over to an editor can be nerve-wracking for any writer, so T.M. Souders shares words of encouragement from her editor to a nervous author.

And since everybody can learn something from the great authors, Dan Coleman compiles writing rules from famous authors Henry Miller, Margaret Atwood, Elmore Leonard, Neil Gaiman and George Orwell.

We found some interesting genre-specific articles this week:

Dottie Enderle on how to write easy readers.

Michael R. Vaillancourt defines “Steampunk.”

For romance writers, if you’re in the UK, come see the original romances: The Bodleian Library’s “The Romance of the Middle Ages” exhibit is open!

Speaking of romance and the whole male-female yin-yang, Patrick Ross explores the question: Do women simply write differently than men?

Writers are stereotyped as being an emotionally fragile bunch. Jami Gold explores whether being a writer is actually a form of mental illness; Matthew Turner brings 100 tips to alleviate self-doubt; and P.W. Creighton looks at author anxiety and when it gets better.

Susan May reveals the big secret to writing success: read, write, repeat. Following that formula is a lot of work, so Jody Hedlund answers the question: Is all that hard work going to pay off? And Michael W. Roberts delves into writer burnout by asking: Do you still enjoy writing? and what to do if you don’t.

Agent Bree Ogden shares how to find inspiration in three easy steps; Marie Lamba tackles 2012 with resolution; and Kathleen Alexander passes on tips from Dr. Eric Maisel, creativity coach.

BUSINESS

There are many roads to getting published these days. Alicia Rasley discusses the merits of going with a small press instead of the Big Six; Dystel & Goderich takes a look at going from popular blog to book; and Ginger Knowlton, VP of Curtis Brown, shares the current market for your work.

If you are lucky enough to be able to make a living as a writer, there’s a lot to keep on your plate, much of it marketing and social media related. Michael R. Hicks gives advice on adjusting to being a full-time author (part 4 of a series); Tonya Kappes explains what a brand is and why an author needs one; Tim Kane explains Twitter etiquette for writers; and Publishers Weekly examines how readers are discovering new books these days.

And just in case you’re not at the full-time writer level yet, Jill Corcoran is open for submissions, so give her a shout (but read her sub guidelines first!).

THE UNIQUE SHELF

For Tolkein fans, a complete genealogy of Middle Earth is now online.

Emily Temple bring us The 10 most Iconic Accessories of Famous Authors.

And for those of you who love you some Medieval manuscripts: The British Library has digitized manuscripts, including the Cat and Mouse and Hairy Elephants ms.; Rechtsgeschiedenis brings us legal history and heraldic manuscripts; and Gallica presents a gorgeous 14th century illuminated Chronicle of France.

See you next week!

Marie Lamba Interview

Kerry Gans — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:00:17 +0000

The Author Chronicles gives a warm welcome to author Marie Lamba! (See also our review of Marie’s book.)

Thanks so much for having me at the Author Chronicles. I’m so happy that you are a part of the Drawn Blog Ghost Tour!

Most of us writing YA are well past our teens. How do you manage to stay current with the contemporary teen sensibility?

Well past my teens? Hem hem… Well, okay, I’ll give you that. But I don’t feel that different than I did when I was a teen (back in the dark ages?). I think most of us have an age we sort of freeze at. A point where we feel: this is me. For me, I’d have to say it was around 16. I can’t say why, but it’s true. And in many ways I’m still that 16 year old girl, able to look through those eyes with the same degree of trust and distrust, if that makes sense.

It also helps that I have daughters who are around the teen age years, plus I’m a scout leader of an 11^th grade troop. These girls all keep me on my toes when it comes to what’s current, and what teens do and do NOT say and do. One example: Jean jackets on guys are NO LONGER HOT, not since the ‘80s. Switch that to a leather jacket. Another example: Adults say things like, “Hey, hook up with you later.” But this now means much more than, “See you at the coffeeshop.” Needless to say, my daughters always proofread my manuscripts before they go out into the world…

What hobbies do you use to balance out the often solitary life of creation?

For me, writing has become an extremely extroverted experience in so many ways. I belong to The Liars Club, a group of writers who basically lie for a living, and together we share our trials and triumphs, and we connect with the writing community at large. This means participating online at The Writer’s CoffeeHouse yahoo group, and meeting once a month with a huge group of writers who show up at our Coffee Houses (open to all…last Sunday of each month from noon-3 at the Willow Grove PA Barnes and Noble). I’ve also been teaching novel writing, and attending lots of signings and been featured as a speaker at conferences and workshops. And now that I’m also an Associate Agent for the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency, these appearances have been on the rise. Solitary writing life? Not exactly.

I also, as I mentioned, work as a Girl Scout troop leader, mentoring an amazing group of high school students through their Gold Award projects. I’ve been their leader since they were in 2^nd grade, and it’s never a dull experience. Zowie, I’m even the cookie mom.

Other than that, life keeps me busy… just keeping up with my amazing family and friends.

Do you do your research before or after your first major draft of the book?

A little bit of both, actually. When it comes to Drawn, I had a lot of ground to cover. It’s set in England, so I had to be sure to be a bit current on the slang, etc., there. I made good use of people from England (especially my sister-in-law) who were generous enough to give me some pointers and add in some good stuff like “Oy oy! Nice pair of stems!”… and if you don’t know what that means, you’ll just have to read the novel to find out.

The book also involves time travel, so that means I had to get sharp about the 1400s. Not just the history, but also how real people thought and felt back then. For this I turned to the ballads and stories of that time as well as to the Paston Letters, which are a series of letters between family members, and are a wonderful glimpse at some of the everyday life that went on back in medieval times.

And lastly, the novel explores issues of mental illness. Michelle’s brother is schizophrenic, and when she starts seeing things herself, she’s sure she is too. I wanted to be especially sensitive on this subject, and to understand not only the medical underpinnings of this illness, but also its effect on the sufferer and the family. Fortunately for me I came upon a remarkable memoir called The Center Cannot Hold by Elyn R. Saks. The author eloquently writes of her experiences as a brilliant academic suffering from schizophrenia. Very personal and illuminating.

But where do you stop researching and start writing? Once I had the beginnings of what I needed to start the tale, I stopped the research machine cold, knowing that I had identified all of my resources and outlined the basic facts. As I began writing, whenever I needed a detail, I’d just mark it with a sticky and keep writing, knowing that I could get it later. Occasionally the facts were too important, and I had to stop the writing cold until I researched more. But the story’s need dictated this, rather than my idle curiosity.

Are you an outliner or do you like to wing it?

I can’t seem to outline, though I’ve tried. What works best for me is writing up a one page synopsis of what my book is about. I imagine it as the back copy for my book jacket. I then pin this to my bulletin board and set off writing, trying to create the book that will go with it. I also always have my end scene in mind, so that I can write to reach that moment. Sometimes the ending changes, but it’s usually pretty close to what I envision. The other thing I MUST have before I set out is the main character’s voice firmly in my head.

With all of these things in place, I’m usually ready to roll.

Many authors draw on their own life experience for their books. Did DRAWN grow out of any life experiences for you?

When I was a senior in college, I lived for half a year in England. I was studying writing and illustrating, so you know I kept a journal that I filled with observations and with sketches. As someone who read so much gothic literature…The Woman in White, Wuthering Heights, etc. etc., of course I was prone to lurking around old graveyards and exploring dank castle dungeons. So one day, I was sitting on the cold dirt floor in a dungeon. The only light coming in was through a high small window, crisscrossed with bars and laced with cobwebs. Still, squinting, I could see enough to draw the eerie space in my journal: the chains hanging from the walls, the coarse stones that once must surely have been slaked with blood and suffering. And that’s when I saw him. Well, “saw” isn’t really accurate, because he wasn’t there at all. Not REALLY. But he was very much there in my drawing. A young man, chained to the wall, his haunting eyes looking straight at me. My own eyes darted to that wall, and for one moment, he was there…

Okay, you’re not buying this are you? Hey, I’m a fiction writer and a member of The Liars Club, for goodness sake!

Truth? Yes, I did study in England, I was well-read in gothic lit, I was trained in fine art (like Michelle in the novel), and did keep an elaborate journal of my time there, which includes sketches. And I did “haunt” plenty of castles and graveyards. But that’s pretty much where the truth ends, alas!

There are so many other connections that I have with the story and the characters, though. Like Michelle’s feelings of being an outsider, then her confusion at suddenly being accepted in this new location. I was teased mercilessly in elementary school, yet by the end of middle school, it was like I was completely reinvented in people’s eyes. It was mystifying.

Like Michelle, as a kid my family struggled with money. And I, too, had Thanksgiving dinner delivered to our house by the Lion’s Club. Plus, yeah, I’m a Jersey girl too!

And at one point Michelle talks about a little artist Smurf figure. I actually have this Smurf on my writing desk.

Like many authors, you give back to the writing community by lecturing and teaching. What is the greatest reward you get from teaching?

It’s two-fold. First and foremost, I get to meet some really interesting people who are passionate about writing. They are fascinating, have original voices, and are full of that fresh excitement we all get when we discover something we are truly passionate about. Because of this, I really look forward to teaching, and to seeing where people in my classes are taking their work. I love those ah-ha moments, and they give me plenty of these, too.

The other part is what I get out of it by being forced to describe the writing process. Even though I took countless writing courses when I was a student at the University of Pennsylvania, I never really learned traditional craft. It was all the “write something down and we’ll all tell you where you screwed up and maybe praise a thing or two” school of thought. This had its own merit, instilling a sort of Pavlovian response…Write this and get kicked, but write that and get a pat on the head.

But now teaching traditional craft, I’m forced to look deeper into why certain things get that pat on the head. I definitely think it’s made me a better writer.

Can’t wait to read DRAWN? Buy it now!

Marie Lamba is author of acclaimed young adult novels including What I Meant… (Random House), Over My Head, and Drawn. When she isn’t writing or lying through her teeth, she’s working as an Associate Literary Agent for The Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency in NYC. Marie lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

About Drawn:

Teen artist Michelle De Freccio moves to England in search of a normal life…instead she finds a hot medieval ghost with a sketchy past.

It all begins when a strange guy appears in Michelle’s drawings. When she actually meets him at the town’s castle, she’s unmistakably drawn to him. But something is definitely not right. For starters, he wears medieval garb, talks of ancient murders and tends to disappear each time they kiss.

Could he possibly be a ghost? Could Michelle be losing her mind? Or has she simply uncovered a love so timeless it’s spanned the centuries…

Praise for Drawn:

“A lushly romantic ghost story…captivating and haunting. I didn’t want it to end.” –Cyn Balog, author of paranormal YA novels Fairy Tale, Sleepless, and Starstruck

“…a wonderfully spooky tale of romance and discovery. It’s a magical exploration of the unconquerable power of love. Highly recommended!” —Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of Rot & Ruin and Dust & Decay

“In DRAWN, Marie Lamba deftly entwines romance and mystery, past and present, into a page-turning adventure. Buy it today and I promise you’ll be finished reading far too quickly!” —Joy Nash USA Today bestselling paranormal romance author of The Immortals series, The Grail King and The Unforgiven

Thoughts on How to Multitask without Losing Your Sanity

Gwendolyn Huber — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:00:38 +0000

Juggling is a learned skill. The term “implies a continuous
pattern where each time an object is caught, it is thrown
back up again.” Jack Kalvan http://www.juggling.org/papers/OJ/

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Definition of JUGGLE according to merriam-webster

3 : to handle or deal with usually several things (as obligations) at one time so as to satisfy often competing requirements

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“You CAN do everything, just not all at once”, a friend told me as she lent me her piano, the one thing she’d decided to drop from her life to make time for writing.

I’ve taken a different approach. Rather than drop things from my life, I juggle. When one thing is up in the air, I’m working on something else. My life is complicated by the fact that I don’t have one 9-5 job, in fact, I’ll be getting three W-2 forms and a 1099 this tax season. All of those jobs come with driving time, at-home prep work and hours that don’t fall into nice, neat patterns. I’m a musician and that means practice. I take time to exercise because if I don’t, I hurt. I write. I don’t do sleep deprivation anymore and things that allow me to eat and pay bills now get priority. And we won’t talk about housekeeping.

I’m pretty good at this juggling thing, but I’d like to get better at it. I dream that one day I’ll figure out a routine that allows me to practice my music and write every day of the year without dropping the ball once. I know, I know, that’s pure fantasy.

Some of my juggling tricks:

Juggling happens on a number of levels. There are some things that will happen every day or several times a week or every other week. Some things will be relegated mostly to summer months, and other things will only get a month out of the year to play.

2. I put in “groups” the things I want to do most regularly. So that, since I drive every day, that’s when I learn new songs. When traffic allows me to get to work early, that’s when I write in my journal. I use mealtimes to check and respond to e-mail. On the days when my lunch hours are longer, I’ve been known to write and practice the accordion in my car. Social media is reserved for just before bed, and this may account for my muted presence on social media! My best success finding time for writing has been when I get up an hour early before work.

3. Priorities. Everything else goes into the less structured parts of my day in the order of its priority.

4. I use my waiting time efficiently. I always have writing or reading (and a few other projects in progress) with me for waiting time.

5. Make lists. A list of projects, their respective tasks, and due dates is an essential sanity keeper.

6. Schedule. Look through the week’s schedule and pencil writing dates with yourself into the empty spots.

7. Work ahead. I have schedules that must be presented to someone once a week, so to save time, I work months ahead so that the final product only needs to be tweaked at the deadline.

8. Let things go that are unnecessary or that aren’t important (gasp, blush!).

9. Pair complementary tasks. I save my grocery shopping until I’m driving by the grocery store, pair cooking and laundry (washer and dryer are by my kitchen), and I tuck routine (mindless) tasks into any small space available.

10. I take time for myself when I need it, even if it means I have to put all the balls down for a bit. It’s more productive to take a break than to force myself to complete a schedule that produces lackluster results.

11. When a ball falls, and it ALWAYS does, I pick it up and get it back in the air as soon as possible.

I’m sure your life is just as much of a juggling act as mine or more so. Do you have any tips to add to this list?

Book Review: DRAWN by Marie Lamba

Kerry Gans — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:00:18 +0000

Join us on Wednesday (Feb 1st) for an interview with Marie!

Teen artist Michelle De Freccio moves to England in search of a normal life…instead she finds a hot medieval ghost with a sketchy past.

Could he possibly be a ghost? Could Michelle be losing her mind? Or has she simply uncovered a love so timeless it’s spanned the centuries…

I love when a book’s title works on many levels. Marie Lamba’s DRAWN does just that. Her protagonist, Michelle De Freccio, is a teenage artist who loves to draw. Characters are drawn together by romance, friendship, and hate. Michelle and her friends are drawn into a mystery. And the reader is drawn into this book, and it never lets go. I read this book in one day—and with a demanding 2-year-old in the house, that shows how engaged I was with the book!

Lamba’s writing is flowing and easy—nothing to trip the reader up and break the spell of the novel. The book starts quickly and speeds up from there. I found myself saying, “Just one more chapter.” every time I reached a chapter break.

Michelle, Christopher, Roger, William and all the minor characters are well-drawn (no pun intended) as well. It is not uncommon in novels for a group of kids the same age to act and sound the same, but Lamba avoids that trap. She is able to use class differences and the accompanying differences in speech to delineate the characters, but she also gives each one a personality of their own. What’s more, not a single character is one-dimensional—each one has flaws, strengths, and depths to them. Even the snotty “Queen Bee” girl, Constance, who could easily have been a stereotype, has flashes of a soul at war with the front she puts up.

Lamba also does a wonderful job evoking the atmosphere of the castle, which is almost as much of a character as the people. Haunting and haunted, housing both the grand and grotesque, Blanchley Castle entrances Michelle as well as the reader. The past and present entwine seamlessly within its walls, and what is “real” depends on what side of the temporal divide you are standing on. Lamba’s own experiences in England, and with fine arts, clearly shine through in the detail and solidity found throughout the book.

DRAWN is a fast-paced adventure filled with romance, danger, intrigue, friendship, and humor. Marie Lamba takes what could have been a stereotype-filled sketch of a story and turns it into a lushly detailed painting of life in both 21st and 15th century England. If you’re looking for a book with an engaging protagonist, captivating plot, and paranormal twist, this is for you. Just make sure to clear your calendar first, because once you start, you won’t want to put it down!

Can’t wait to read DRAWN? Buy it now!

Marie Lamba is author of acclaimed young adult novels including What I Meant… (Random House), Over My Head, and Drawn. When she isn’t writing or lying through her teeth, she’s working as an Associate Literary Agent for The Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency in NYC. Marie lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Remembering Stacie DeSantis-Dorego

J. Thomas Ross — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 19:21:33 +0000

Stacie DeSantis-Dorego. Writer. Friend. Beautiful human being. You will be missed.

I didn’t know Stacie long. We met just last year through Twitter, and she quickly became a friend. Caring, supportive, and encouraging, Stacie always tried to brighten the lives of others. We connected as writers and as women and mothers. We shared joys and troubles. And because I had suffered abuse as a child and now work as a volunteer to help those dealing with domestic abuse, we formed a bond of understanding that those who have not had the experience might not comprehend.

I write this, however, not to dwell on the darkness that took Stacie’s life but to celebrate the light and beauty that she brought to the lives of others, the light and beauty that forever remains in the memories of her family and her many friends. In addition to this lovely legacy, Stacy leaves behind her two beloved children, who now need our help.

Although my four blog partners did not know Stacie, when I mentioned what had happened, they wanted to post a remembrance of her with information about the fund set up for her children. And so I asked author Roger Grubbs, a friend who has known Stacie longer than I have, to write a few words about her and the fund that has been set up to help her children.

In this fleeting thing we call life, occasionally we cross paths with people for a specific reason. When I joined twitter, I had no idea what was going on. Soon Stacie took me under her wing and helped me learn how to use this powerful social media. It is because of this association that I met a wonderful person named Dottie Laster of Hear Women Talk and was able to participate in bringing public awareness to the global problem of human trafficking. This is having an impact and was made possible all because of Stacie. So, I would have to believe this is one of the reasons we met.

I got to know Stacie fairly well over the past few short months. I discovered that she wrote for and worked closely with Hear Women Talk. Her ability to connect with people was unbelievable. While dealing with difficult subjects, she attempted to remain positive and offer encouragement. Meanwhile her writing showed great talent and insight beyond her years. She attempted to reveal her emotions in a way that touched many readers. We can all learn from her.

http://writeonpaper.wordpress.com/

But, it was obvious – the most important thing in her life was her children. They were the center of her universe, and she cared for them deeply. Due to her untimely and tragic death, those children are now being cared for by relatives and have many needs. For those of us who have come to know and love Stacie, here is a way we can honor her life and show our respect: help her children.

In loving memory of Stacie DeSantis Dorego

… gone but not forgotten.

Donations and funds are now being accepted by the Johnston Firefighters Local 1950 on behalf of Stacie Dorego’s children. http://www.local1950.com/index.cfm?SectionId=66

Roger Grubbs,

Author and friend