Patrice's comments (member since May 04, 2008)

Patrice's comments from the Q&A with Jennifer Weiner group.

Jennifer,

Would you say Cannie regrets having written her novel? She seems grateful for the financial success, yet dreads the impact of the content on her daughter. Also, the book served her well on a therapeutic level, releasing the cumulative pain and resentment.

Have you ever looked back at one of your novels and wished you would have omitted or added something?

Many thanks for sharing your perspective and experiences this past week.

Jennifer,

Cannie's career as a science fiction novelist seemed a good fit for her. It's always good to see strong, capable women!

Hmm, how might Cannie's career evolve in a future work?

Do you read much Science Fiction?

Fascinating. The extra work of pulling Joy's content together and checking it no doubt helped with the unity and consistency of her voice.

As a side note, have you ever been surprised by turns a particular work takes? For example, have the endings that you envisioned for your novels ever developed a different than anticipated outcome?

One of my favorite scenes takes place at the spa when Cannie is preparing to ask her sister to be their surrogate.

It's half derailed seduction and half I Love Lucy zany, underpined with an endearing sincerity.

I love Elle's response! I also really liked the way her character had matured and developed, even the whole philosophy of Be-ism. She's busy, centered, still fun.

The mother was also wonderful as a counterpoint of balance, sage wisdom/life experience and humor in this scene.

Lady,

D'oh! Thank you for the explanation, obviously the acronym just wasn't clicking with me. I do run across some of those ARC's and ARE's at used book stores. I'll need to do some reframing as ARC makes me think of character arc (or a curved line, and even Noah's Ark), and ARE is a passive verb!

The one time I received an advanced copy as part of a reader-feedback opportunity through an online book review I was hideously embarrassed when I couldn't bring myself to read beyond a few pages of the book. I rarely have that kind of response to a book (and I have slogged through some unwieldy beasts), but I had a total knee-jerk reaction to it. I couldn't bring myself to lie about it either so they never sent me another advanced copy!

A big center chunk of that book was blank, is that a common practice? I'm guessing it may have made it cheaper/more cost effective to bind?

You knew it was coming Jennifer, more of those pesky questions about process.

I noticed that Certain Girls has a lot of short chapters (with alternating points of view) but the development doesn't feel choppy.

Did you write the book with the alternating format or pull the separate threads apart in the revision process?

Also, do you outline? Plan for specific turning points or work more from an organic process (fishing at Stephen King et al's lake of words).

Many thanks for sharing your time and expertise.

Penny,

One of the things I enjoyed most about Certain Girls was the theme of growth and change, maturation, personal responsibility. The framework of Joy's bat mitzvah provides an effective vehicle to explore both her coming of age and her mother's.

Cannie wrote her novel when she was angry and didn't think about the repercussions she might face when her daughter learned about the book. This is so human! I've got a high school reunion coming up this summer and although I won't be attending, the event has prompted a lot of memories that I'd suppressed!

I love learning about cultural practices that I'm not familiar with or sharing different perspectives. I'm always amazed at the similarities.

I hope your friends get a chance to experience Cannie's life!

Karen - how wonderful that someone is paying attention to such details!

I love a good cover that reflects the content of the book, a glimpse or teaser -- even if I'm far more interested in what's inside. When the cover and content don't connect it often results in disappointment upon disappointment.

When I've got the time to linger, I'm willing to do more browsing, but if I'm pressed for time and feeling stressed, I'm far more likely to reach for the pink or maybe some fun colors.

Lady -- what's an ARC? I keep thinking I should know this but clearly I don't.

thanks

Jessica - see message #6 above ( :

It sounds like Jennifer went into the book with a clear idea regarding the ending.

It was hard to see Cannie suffer, and yet it was so perfect that Peter had wanted another child, he had been the instigating force in searching for a surrogate mother, and at the end of the book, the arrival of their baby helps her pull herself through the grief of his death.

Thank you! This was exactly was I was looking for. I loved that I didn't see Peter's death coming, probably because I didn't want to! I fell in love with him long before Cannie did in Good in Bed (he reminds me a lot of my husband).

For some reason I'm glad to hear that you began the book knowing the full outcome and that there wasn't a point in the writing process where you thought 'Peter must die!' While we feel Cannie's loss, the ending managed to be so rich and fulfilling with Joy taking big steps toward adulthood. The cyclical aspect of the book was done with a light and satisfying touch.

I hope we hear more from Cannie, hot flashes or not!

Jumping forward before I disappear offline for who knows how long, the opening of Certain Girls: was this scenario triggered by any real life incident? How did you know that this was the scene/flashback you wanted to use for the opening?

Loved Certain Girls, your other books, blog, articles, babies and am almost completely comfortable with having little context for Rock of Love.

I'll understand if you'd prefer to hold off on my question for awhile, and I'll dance around it for the time being. The ending of the novel was particularly powerful, apt and yet difficult.

Have readers been giving you grief about the conclusion?