Rachel Howzell Hall's Blog, page 6
October 17, 2013
Why Even Bother with the Writing Thing?
So, I just finished the second book in my new Lou Norton series -- and sent it to my editor three weeks before the due date.
And I now have the cover artwork to Land of Shadows (which I will be sharing with you very soon)!
And now, the anxiety sets in. About writing the next story in the series, certainly, but also about the book I just finished, which my editor hasn't read yet. You know, those questions that many writers asks themselves:
Is it good?
Does it stink?
Is that weird?
Is that boring?
Will she like it?
What if she hates it?
Is it better than the last book?
Why can't I breathe right now?
Did I use the F word too much?
What about the S word?
Maybe I should've read over it one more time?
Does Stephen King ever feel this way?
Should I recall that message, the one with the manuscript attached?
Does Gmail recall?
Should I be worried?
Really: why can't I breathe right now?
Crap - did I resolve that plot line right?
Did I use too many first names that start with 'C'?
Why hasn't she emailed me back yet?
Did she read the first chapter, then shake her head in disgust and say, 'What the frack is this piece of frack?'
Will they find out that I don't know nothin' about anything and will it all come out right?
And then... THEN! Once I exhaust that poor horse, I return to the corral to saddle up another. And I start thinking about that next project. You know, those questions that buck about in many writers' minds:
What do I write about next?
Can I fill another 421 pages?
Do I remember how she spoke? The cadences in her language? The type of car she drove? Her world?
Why isn't she speaking to me? Doesn't she want me to write about her again?
Where is that notebook that I bought, the $12 one for the next story?
Is Office Depot open even though it's 6:25 a.m.?
There are easier ways to live. Other things to think about. I have a fourth-grade girl -- yes, she gives me plenty of things to think about. Math that I haven't done in thirty-something years, parallel circuits, sandwich book reports, Gradelink...
But I can't imagine NOT thinking about writerly things -- they are a part of me. Like the moles on my face. The red strands of hair on my head. The way I tug at my lip when I'm worried.
I ask these questions because I want to share: my world, your world, the good, the not-so-good, the 'remember whens' and the 'no ways.' And since I'm not a public speaker, and suck at math, and will never run for public office, writing is the way for me. And writing good. And worrying that I'm writing as good as I can. Which leads to 'Is it better than the last book.'
Is it worth it?
I found this essay: When Writing Pays Off | Thought Catalog.
It pays off when someone sees themselves in your syntax and under your paragraphs and behind your syllables. You can bring them places they’ve forgotten or expose pieces they’ve hidden or lead them to the strength they’ve misplaced.
Since my writing career began, I've had a life-lone dream come true, met incredible readers, had fictional love affairs or scorched-earth arguments with the people in my head who populate my books, had lovely conversations with other writers, met Judy Blume, rode in a chauffeured Town Car, become Google-able, received great reviews, saw my name in print, watched my parents see my name in print, watched my daughter see my name in print....
Yeah. It's worth it.
And I now have the cover artwork to Land of Shadows (which I will be sharing with you very soon)!
And now, the anxiety sets in. About writing the next story in the series, certainly, but also about the book I just finished, which my editor hasn't read yet. You know, those questions that many writers asks themselves:
Is it good?
Does it stink?
Is that weird?
Is that boring?
Will she like it?
What if she hates it?
Is it better than the last book?
Why can't I breathe right now?
Did I use the F word too much?
What about the S word?
Maybe I should've read over it one more time?
Does Stephen King ever feel this way?
Should I recall that message, the one with the manuscript attached?
Does Gmail recall?
Should I be worried?
Really: why can't I breathe right now?
Crap - did I resolve that plot line right?
Did I use too many first names that start with 'C'?
Why hasn't she emailed me back yet?
Did she read the first chapter, then shake her head in disgust and say, 'What the frack is this piece of frack?'
Will they find out that I don't know nothin' about anything and will it all come out right?
And then... THEN! Once I exhaust that poor horse, I return to the corral to saddle up another. And I start thinking about that next project. You know, those questions that buck about in many writers' minds:
What do I write about next?
Can I fill another 421 pages?
Do I remember how she spoke? The cadences in her language? The type of car she drove? Her world?
Why isn't she speaking to me? Doesn't she want me to write about her again?
Where is that notebook that I bought, the $12 one for the next story?
Is Office Depot open even though it's 6:25 a.m.?
There are easier ways to live. Other things to think about. I have a fourth-grade girl -- yes, she gives me plenty of things to think about. Math that I haven't done in thirty-something years, parallel circuits, sandwich book reports, Gradelink...
But I can't imagine NOT thinking about writerly things -- they are a part of me. Like the moles on my face. The red strands of hair on my head. The way I tug at my lip when I'm worried.
I ask these questions because I want to share: my world, your world, the good, the not-so-good, the 'remember whens' and the 'no ways.' And since I'm not a public speaker, and suck at math, and will never run for public office, writing is the way for me. And writing good. And worrying that I'm writing as good as I can. Which leads to 'Is it better than the last book.'
Is it worth it?
I found this essay: When Writing Pays Off | Thought Catalog.
It pays off when someone sees themselves in your syntax and under your paragraphs and behind your syllables. You can bring them places they’ve forgotten or expose pieces they’ve hidden or lead them to the strength they’ve misplaced.
Since my writing career began, I've had a life-lone dream come true, met incredible readers, had fictional love affairs or scorched-earth arguments with the people in my head who populate my books, had lovely conversations with other writers, met Judy Blume, rode in a chauffeured Town Car, become Google-able, received great reviews, saw my name in print, watched my parents see my name in print, watched my daughter see my name in print....
Yeah. It's worth it.
August 26, 2013
Kickin' Ass While Wearin' Heels
So, I just finished with the copy-edits for
Land of Shadows
. If you've forgotten what the first of my new series is about, here's a reminder:
In Land of Shadows, LAPD homicide detective Elouise 'Lou' Norton must learn the truth about the apparent suicide of a teenage girl which may be related to her own sister's disappearance more than twenty years ago.
I love Lou. She's a homicide detective in a traditional male's world. More than that, she's a girlfriend, a wife, a daughter, a citizen and a sister. Many things to many people. I love her because she is strong.
Strong .
Just finished reading an article that makes me question that word. And not just that word, but the "Strong Female Character" trope. And I thought about Lou as the writer stated why she 'hated' these types of characters. The author says this about 'Strong Male Characters":
Are our best-loved male heroes Strong Male Characters? Is, say, Sherlock Holmes strong? In one sense, yes, of course. He faces danger and death in order to pursue justice. On the other hand, his physical strength is often unreliable – strong enough to bend an iron poker when on form, he nevertheless frequently has to rely on Watson to clobber his assailants, at least once because he’s neglected himself into a condition where he can’t even try to fight back. His mental and emotional resources also fluctuate. An addict and a depressive, he claims even his crime-fighting is a form of self-medication. Viewed this way, his willingness to place himself in physical danger might not be “strength” at all – it might be another form of self-destructiveness. Or on the other hand, perhaps his vulnerabilities make him all the stronger, as he succeeds in surviving and flourishing in spite of threats located within as well without.
And in many ways, I agree. She says:
I want a wealth of complex female protagonists who can be either strong or weak or both or neither, because they are more than strength or weakness. Badass gunslingers and martial artists sure, but also interesting women who are shy and quiet and do, sometimes, put up with others’ shit because in real life there’s often no practical alternative.
Click here to read the rest.
In Land of Shadows, LAPD homicide detective Elouise 'Lou' Norton must learn the truth about the apparent suicide of a teenage girl which may be related to her own sister's disappearance more than twenty years ago.
I love Lou. She's a homicide detective in a traditional male's world. More than that, she's a girlfriend, a wife, a daughter, a citizen and a sister. Many things to many people. I love her because she is strong.
Strong .
Just finished reading an article that makes me question that word. And not just that word, but the "Strong Female Character" trope. And I thought about Lou as the writer stated why she 'hated' these types of characters. The author says this about 'Strong Male Characters":
Are our best-loved male heroes Strong Male Characters? Is, say, Sherlock Holmes strong? In one sense, yes, of course. He faces danger and death in order to pursue justice. On the other hand, his physical strength is often unreliable – strong enough to bend an iron poker when on form, he nevertheless frequently has to rely on Watson to clobber his assailants, at least once because he’s neglected himself into a condition where he can’t even try to fight back. His mental and emotional resources also fluctuate. An addict and a depressive, he claims even his crime-fighting is a form of self-medication. Viewed this way, his willingness to place himself in physical danger might not be “strength” at all – it might be another form of self-destructiveness. Or on the other hand, perhaps his vulnerabilities make him all the stronger, as he succeeds in surviving and flourishing in spite of threats located within as well without.
And in many ways, I agree. She says:
I want a wealth of complex female protagonists who can be either strong or weak or both or neither, because they are more than strength or weakness. Badass gunslingers and martial artists sure, but also interesting women who are shy and quiet and do, sometimes, put up with others’ shit because in real life there’s often no practical alternative.
Click here to read the rest.
August 22, 2013
Stuntin'
I'm a child of layaway and remember the crumpled yellow slip and the crumpled $10 bill and seeing your special leather jacket in the plastic wrap back there in the Wilson's Leather storage room...
But a fur on layaway?!
That's a lot of $10 bills.
But a fur on layaway?!
That's a lot of $10 bills.
August 20, 2013
A Hero of Mine....
Passed yesterday:Elmore Leonard.
Along with Ira Levin and Stephen King, I cannot read Mr. Leonard's work while I am writing. He's just too good, and too clever, and his words aren't words at all and so I feel immensely inferior and so I won't read until I'm done with my own crappy pile of story.
For Elmore Leonard, there are 10 Rules to Writing:
1. Never open a book with weather.
2. Avoid prologues.
3. Never use a verb other than "said" to carry dialogue.
4. Never use an adverb to modify the verb "said”…he admonished gravely.
5. Keep your exclamation points under control. You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose.
6. Never use the words "suddenly" or "all hell broke loose."
7. Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly.
8. Avoid detailed descriptions of characters.
9. Don't go into great detail describing places and things.
10. Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.
"My most important rule is one that sums up the 10. If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it."
Number 10 is my favorite. Wish more writers did that -- I'm finding myself skipping parts that make my eyes cross.
Along with Ira Levin and Stephen King, I cannot read Mr. Leonard's work while I am writing. He's just too good, and too clever, and his words aren't words at all and so I feel immensely inferior and so I won't read until I'm done with my own crappy pile of story.
For Elmore Leonard, there are 10 Rules to Writing:
1. Never open a book with weather.
2. Avoid prologues.
3. Never use a verb other than "said" to carry dialogue.
4. Never use an adverb to modify the verb "said”…he admonished gravely.
5. Keep your exclamation points under control. You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose.
6. Never use the words "suddenly" or "all hell broke loose."
7. Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly.
8. Avoid detailed descriptions of characters.
9. Don't go into great detail describing places and things.
10. Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.
"My most important rule is one that sums up the 10. If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it."
Number 10 is my favorite. Wish more writers did that -- I'm finding myself skipping parts that make my eyes cross.
Closer and Closer...
One of my favorite parts of the publishing process just happened.
My wonderful Tor/Forge editor Kristin just emailed me with the copy-edited version of Land of Shadows .
So, now (since I haven't read a lick of the story since.... months and months ago, I get to re-discover Lou and Colin and the rest of my peeples -- with corrections!
And. And! This is where the author gets to write the dedication and the acknowledgements and Stet stuff.
Stet-ting!
It's all going so lovely and Kristin's so great and so smart and funny and I can't wait to share some wonderful THINGS with you.
Soon!
Cross my heart.
My wonderful Tor/Forge editor Kristin just emailed me with the copy-edited version of Land of Shadows .
So, now (since I haven't read a lick of the story since.... months and months ago, I get to re-discover Lou and Colin and the rest of my peeples -- with corrections!
And. And! This is where the author gets to write the dedication and the acknowledgements and Stet stuff.
Stet-ting!
It's all going so lovely and Kristin's so great and so smart and funny and I can't wait to share some wonderful THINGS with you.
Soon!
Cross my heart.
August 10, 2013
Ooh! Coupons!
So the mail just came and we got coupons from Volvo!!
How does one redeem a coupon for Everyday Low Prices? And will I get Crappily Trained Service Technicians if I didn't have this coupon for the Expert?
August 8, 2013
Rockin' That First Sentence
It was a dark and stormy night.
It was all a dream.
Bad first sentences -- we've all written them. And crossed them out. Hopefully.
Did y'all see the recent Atlantic article? Stephen King on why first sentences matter?
Stephen King: There are all sorts of theories and ideas about what constitutes a good opening line. It's tricky thing, and tough to talk about because I don't think conceptually while I work on a first draft -- I just write. To get scientific about it is a little like trying to catch moonbeams in a jar...
And there's MORE.
Here's the linkety-link.
Also, I love Stephen King and I was thrilled to see a compilation of three of his novels on the Classics table at B&N last night!
It was all a dream.
Bad first sentences -- we've all written them. And crossed them out. Hopefully.
Did y'all see the recent Atlantic article? Stephen King on why first sentences matter?
Stephen King: There are all sorts of theories and ideas about what constitutes a good opening line. It's tricky thing, and tough to talk about because I don't think conceptually while I work on a first draft -- I just write. To get scientific about it is a little like trying to catch moonbeams in a jar...
And there's MORE.
Here's the linkety-link.
Also, I love Stephen King and I was thrilled to see a compilation of three of his novels on the Classics table at B&N last night!
March 27, 2013
Coming Out of Deep Editing to Share This....
Er-mah-ger (as the yutes say nowadays)!
As I'm working on the next book of the Lou Norton series, I'm delving into this:
Write of Passage: Writing a Character's Dark Side: The dark side is not only for two-dimensional villains and vampires. It's part of everyone in real life who has lived more than a couple...
As I'm working on the next book of the Lou Norton series, I'm delving into this:
Write of Passage: Writing a Character's Dark Side: The dark side is not only for two-dimensional villains and vampires. It's part of everyone in real life who has lived more than a couple...
February 13, 2013
The Next Big Thing: Land of Shadows
So there's this 'thing.'
It's called The Next Big Thing.
Writers are doing it. On blogs everywhere.
And Nina Sankovitch of Read All Day tagged me to play!
Pop over and learn more about my upcoming novel The Land of Shadows (Forge 2014).
It's called The Next Big Thing.
Writers are doing it. On blogs everywhere.
And Nina Sankovitch of Read All Day tagged me to play!
Pop over and learn more about my upcoming novel The Land of Shadows (Forge 2014).
January 18, 2013
Top Ten Worst Gifts for Writers - The Loft Literary Center
My friend Betsy (waving to Betsy right now) sent this to me a while ago and I now have the bandwidth to share. The gaming part? Er-Ma-Ger! Courtney is talking to me, y'all. When I was playing Skyrim? Writing? What writing?
Top Ten Worst Gifts for Writers - The Loft Literary Center
Top Ten Worst Gifts for Writers - The Loft Literary Center
