Jennifer R. Hubbard's Blog, page 106
January 27, 2011
What characters see
Continuing the bloggers' exchange program, I visited Becky Levine's blog to talk about staying focused, and coping with all the writing advice that one encounters.
In other news, the charming Susan at Wastepaper Prose is hosting a giveaway of The Secret Year paperback, plus a bonus treat (a miniature version of Julia's notebook, as described in the book).
And now, for the topic of the day:
Once upon a time, I wrote a post about description to which CE Dunkley commented: "One thing I have been trying to incorporate when adding description (besides including the 5 senses) is to concentrate on describing what the specific POV character would notice. This allows me to personalize the description or choose even what gets described."
I love that idea. It means that description isn’t just about setting; it’s about characterization, too.
I came across a great illustration of this concept in Sinclair Lewis’s Main Street. On the same day, two different characters get their first look at Main Street in the fictional town of Gopher Prairie. The first character, Carol, is a young bride who has been working as a librarian in the city of St. Paul. On this small-town Main Street, she finds, among other things, some buttons on display in a general store: “steel and red glass buttons upon cards with broken edges.”
The second character, Bea, comes to Gopher Prairie (a town of several thousand) from a farm whose nearest town holds 67 inhabitants. She sees the same general-store display: “a card of dandy buttons, like rubies.”
The characters view the same street on the same day, yet Carol sees smallness, dirt, dinginess. At the meat market: “a reek of blood.” From the saloon: “a stink of stale beer” and “thick voices bellowing.” She notices the sour smells, the noise. The decay of ill-kept properties, the clash in different styles of architecture. Bea sees the town as huge, busy, dazzling. She notices the marble counter at the drugstore and the velvet at the jeweler’s. Carol sees cheap buttons on a broken-edged card; to Bea, the buttons are gem-like.
The difference in these points of view is not due only to their different backgrounds, to Carol's having come from a larger place and Bea from a smaller one. The filters through which they view Main Street are also consistent with their characters' values, vocabulary, emotions, and ambitions. Carol seeks artistry, depth, significance, beauty. She dreams big and is often disappointed. Bea is joyful and optimistic; her dreams are more practical, and much more attainable.
Because of this extreme contrast, Main Street's Chapter Four is a perfect one for writers to use in studying the relationship between description, character, and point of view.
In other news, the charming Susan at Wastepaper Prose is hosting a giveaway of The Secret Year paperback, plus a bonus treat (a miniature version of Julia's notebook, as described in the book).
And now, for the topic of the day:
Once upon a time, I wrote a post about description to which CE Dunkley commented: "One thing I have been trying to incorporate when adding description (besides including the 5 senses) is to concentrate on describing what the specific POV character would notice. This allows me to personalize the description or choose even what gets described."
I love that idea. It means that description isn’t just about setting; it’s about characterization, too.
I came across a great illustration of this concept in Sinclair Lewis’s Main Street. On the same day, two different characters get their first look at Main Street in the fictional town of Gopher Prairie. The first character, Carol, is a young bride who has been working as a librarian in the city of St. Paul. On this small-town Main Street, she finds, among other things, some buttons on display in a general store: “steel and red glass buttons upon cards with broken edges.”
The second character, Bea, comes to Gopher Prairie (a town of several thousand) from a farm whose nearest town holds 67 inhabitants. She sees the same general-store display: “a card of dandy buttons, like rubies.”
The characters view the same street on the same day, yet Carol sees smallness, dirt, dinginess. At the meat market: “a reek of blood.” From the saloon: “a stink of stale beer” and “thick voices bellowing.” She notices the sour smells, the noise. The decay of ill-kept properties, the clash in different styles of architecture. Bea sees the town as huge, busy, dazzling. She notices the marble counter at the drugstore and the velvet at the jeweler’s. Carol sees cheap buttons on a broken-edged card; to Bea, the buttons are gem-like.
The difference in these points of view is not due only to their different backgrounds, to Carol's having come from a larger place and Bea from a smaller one. The filters through which they view Main Street are also consistent with their characters' values, vocabulary, emotions, and ambitions. Carol seeks artistry, depth, significance, beauty. She dreams big and is often disappointed. Bea is joyful and optimistic; her dreams are more practical, and much more attainable.
Because of this extreme contrast, Main Street's Chapter Four is a perfect one for writers to use in studying the relationship between description, character, and point of view.
January 25, 2011
Take a breath
Have you seen this post, in which Kelly Fineman discusses the importance of "fallow hours?"
In talking about the times when writers (temporarily) stop writing: "There was a time when I worried about them. Perhaps I'd lost my mojo. Or my imagination. Or my interest in writing. Invariably, I'd start to worry about what was going on, and what it meant, and whether I'd ever write again. And that actually made the situation worse .... These days, I don't worry so much. I recognize these fallow hours as what they are: a temporary break. Turns out that just as one can only drive so far on a tankful of gas before running out ..."
It reminded me of a post I wrote a couple of years ago called "Do Nothing," in which I described an important day on which I did nothing. Years later, it remains a cherished memory, probably because it was the only day on which I did nothing during my entire time in graduate school. (I was working full time as well. Yes, I was young and ambitious and slightly insane.)
And today Natalie Whipple posted about burning out, in a post called "Overdoing It." An excerpt: "I am fried, guys. I've spent too much time fixing book problems. ... Too much time stressing over getting things right. Friday night my brain essentially exploded."
I'm taking these as messages reinforcing something I've put into practice within the last couple of weeks: carving out a little more breathing space, indulging in some slow moments, long walks and quiet reading times and, most of all, times during which I don't do much of anything. My brain needs time to digest events, to gather itself for the next effort. It's as much a part of writing as the time spent in front of the keyboard. And more importantly, it makes for a happier life.
I've had to say no to some things, and put other things off a bit, and face the fact that I can't do everything all the time. Nobody can. I'm spending more time on things I truly enjoy and less time on things that were really not nourishing me. (As it happens, the things I enjoy do include keyboard time, because I'm excited about my current work in progress. But I'm letting this project flow naturally instead of trying to push it.)
So I invite you to sit back, relax, and put up your feet. And breathe. Unless maybe you happen to be in one of those joyful busy, productive periods ... in which case we'll have a cup of tea and wait for you. No hurry.
In talking about the times when writers (temporarily) stop writing: "There was a time when I worried about them. Perhaps I'd lost my mojo. Or my imagination. Or my interest in writing. Invariably, I'd start to worry about what was going on, and what it meant, and whether I'd ever write again. And that actually made the situation worse .... These days, I don't worry so much. I recognize these fallow hours as what they are: a temporary break. Turns out that just as one can only drive so far on a tankful of gas before running out ..."
It reminded me of a post I wrote a couple of years ago called "Do Nothing," in which I described an important day on which I did nothing. Years later, it remains a cherished memory, probably because it was the only day on which I did nothing during my entire time in graduate school. (I was working full time as well. Yes, I was young and ambitious and slightly insane.)
And today Natalie Whipple posted about burning out, in a post called "Overdoing It." An excerpt: "I am fried, guys. I've spent too much time fixing book problems. ... Too much time stressing over getting things right. Friday night my brain essentially exploded."
I'm taking these as messages reinforcing something I've put into practice within the last couple of weeks: carving out a little more breathing space, indulging in some slow moments, long walks and quiet reading times and, most of all, times during which I don't do much of anything. My brain needs time to digest events, to gather itself for the next effort. It's as much a part of writing as the time spent in front of the keyboard. And more importantly, it makes for a happier life.
I've had to say no to some things, and put other things off a bit, and face the fact that I can't do everything all the time. Nobody can. I'm spending more time on things I truly enjoy and less time on things that were really not nourishing me. (As it happens, the things I enjoy do include keyboard time, because I'm excited about my current work in progress. But I'm letting this project flow naturally instead of trying to push it.)
So I invite you to sit back, relax, and put up your feet. And breathe. Unless maybe you happen to be in one of those joyful busy, productive periods ... in which case we'll have a cup of tea and wait for you. No hurry.
January 23, 2011
The kissing scene
Today, I worked on a kissing scene first, followed by several other scenes. The other scenes went much faster.
Kissing scenes can be difficult because the characters are extremely vulnerable to each other. (Confession scenes also take me a long time to write, for the same reason.) Even if it's a comedic kissing scene, the characters are still vulnerable (in a way, I would argue, more vulnerable!). Also, in real life we have a natural inclination to look away from people who are kissing, to give them privacy. The writer, on the other hand, must stare at the characters in her head and describe their experience in enough detail to bring it alive. The first few times I ever wrote kissing scenes, I squirmed and blushed my way through. Then I would go back and reread and think, "Wow, I thought this was so intense as I wrote it, but it's really mild--you can hardly tell what's going on." It can take a long time for a writer to drop her defenses and just write about the kiss already!
Every kiss is different, of course--depending on the degrees of interest and experience the two characters bring to the event, and depending on how they feel about themselves and each other at the time. One nice thing about YA is that it often gets to incorporate a first-kiss scene (which is less common in adult literature). And people's reactions to a first kiss can vary so much:
"Oh, so that's what it's like? What's the big deal?"
"Blech!"
"I am so glad he finally kissed me!"
"Was I doing that right?"
"So this is what everyone's raving about!"
"I suppose it must get better."
"I wish it had been [insert name] instead."
"When can we do that again?"
I try to capture the experience honestly, whether the characters' reactions are positive or negative: the bumped noses, the insecurities, the surprises, the joy. How characters handle these situations is as telling as how they handle every other experience in their lives: it's part of characterization. And a kiss is an action, a plot point, that can change the whole course of the story.
Kissing scenes can be difficult because the characters are extremely vulnerable to each other. (Confession scenes also take me a long time to write, for the same reason.) Even if it's a comedic kissing scene, the characters are still vulnerable (in a way, I would argue, more vulnerable!). Also, in real life we have a natural inclination to look away from people who are kissing, to give them privacy. The writer, on the other hand, must stare at the characters in her head and describe their experience in enough detail to bring it alive. The first few times I ever wrote kissing scenes, I squirmed and blushed my way through. Then I would go back and reread and think, "Wow, I thought this was so intense as I wrote it, but it's really mild--you can hardly tell what's going on." It can take a long time for a writer to drop her defenses and just write about the kiss already!
Every kiss is different, of course--depending on the degrees of interest and experience the two characters bring to the event, and depending on how they feel about themselves and each other at the time. One nice thing about YA is that it often gets to incorporate a first-kiss scene (which is less common in adult literature). And people's reactions to a first kiss can vary so much:
"Oh, so that's what it's like? What's the big deal?"
"Blech!"
"I am so glad he finally kissed me!"
"Was I doing that right?"
"So this is what everyone's raving about!"
"I suppose it must get better."
"I wish it had been [insert name] instead."
"When can we do that again?"
I try to capture the experience honestly, whether the characters' reactions are positive or negative: the bumped noses, the insecurities, the surprises, the joy. How characters handle these situations is as telling as how they handle every other experience in their lives: it's part of characterization. And a kiss is an action, a plot point, that can change the whole course of the story.
January 21, 2011
What keeps you going?
Over and over, I have heard writers say that the successful writers are, above all, the most persistent. That staying power is even more important than talent. The ability to keep coming back after rejection, after having a writing project fall apart under your very fingers ... where does that stamina come from?
For me, the writing itself has always been rewarding. Before the world gets a chance to pass judgment, I've already made my own judgments; I've already spent quality time with the manuscript. What keeps you writing?
For me, the writing itself has always been rewarding. Before the world gets a chance to pass judgment, I've already made my own judgments; I've already spent quality time with the manuscript. What keeps you writing?
January 20, 2011
Guest post: Seeking Advice
I spoke recently of a "bloggers' exchange," through which I hope to write and host more guest posts through the year. I have a few people signed up already. Today's guest is
Natasha, of the blog "A Great Book is the Cheapest Vacation,"
who has some questions about getting started as a writer. Feel free to leave your best advice in the comments!
More of a Story-Teller Than Writer
by Natasha Jennex
Since I was young I wrote horror stories for school projects, loving the creativity in making a scary story and feeling as if I'm living the experience while writing it. I can get very creative when it comes to horror. I've always had a soft spot for scary movies and novels, so I tend to write best in that direction. But as a writer, I don’t have much experience. I lack proper grammar and structure when writing, and tend to ramble on when I get excited. Though, as stories go, I can think of very imaginative and spooky themes. I love sitting at my laptop and starting a spooky tale, all the better when writing at night.
I don't only read and write horror. I like read every genre; for instance, paranormal romance, urban fantasy, chick-lit, fantasy, fiction and of course horror. Lately I write toward the urban fantasy and paranormal romance genres. I don't actually finish anything, and I wonder if it's because I feel that I should stick to my roots? Or that I'm not as comfortable writing in those genres as oppose to horror, but either way, I find myself stumped unless I'm writing a horror scene. I don't just mean blood-and-guts horror, I mean pull-the-blankets-over-your-head, squeeze-your-eyes-shut horror, or the horror that makes the hairs at the back of your neck stand on end. I love a good fright.
Now, back to my first thought.. (I told you I ramble when in thought.) I love telling stories, but I need to learn the skill of writing structure. I also tend to write blindly, as opposed to having characters and plots formed already. I may have a character or scene in my head, but I tend to write and let it blossom as I go along.
I know everyone has different techniques for writing, and everyone has their own style, but as an inspiring writer, I am in need of schooling. Can anyone give me any tips? Maybe on what steps to take?
More of a Story-Teller Than Writer
by Natasha Jennex
Since I was young I wrote horror stories for school projects, loving the creativity in making a scary story and feeling as if I'm living the experience while writing it. I can get very creative when it comes to horror. I've always had a soft spot for scary movies and novels, so I tend to write best in that direction. But as a writer, I don’t have much experience. I lack proper grammar and structure when writing, and tend to ramble on when I get excited. Though, as stories go, I can think of very imaginative and spooky themes. I love sitting at my laptop and starting a spooky tale, all the better when writing at night.
I don't only read and write horror. I like read every genre; for instance, paranormal romance, urban fantasy, chick-lit, fantasy, fiction and of course horror. Lately I write toward the urban fantasy and paranormal romance genres. I don't actually finish anything, and I wonder if it's because I feel that I should stick to my roots? Or that I'm not as comfortable writing in those genres as oppose to horror, but either way, I find myself stumped unless I'm writing a horror scene. I don't just mean blood-and-guts horror, I mean pull-the-blankets-over-your-head, squeeze-your-eyes-shut horror, or the horror that makes the hairs at the back of your neck stand on end. I love a good fright.
Now, back to my first thought.. (I told you I ramble when in thought.) I love telling stories, but I need to learn the skill of writing structure. I also tend to write blindly, as opposed to having characters and plots formed already. I may have a character or scene in my head, but I tend to write and let it blossom as I go along.
I know everyone has different techniques for writing, and everyone has their own style, but as an inspiring writer, I am in need of schooling. Can anyone give me any tips? Maybe on what steps to take?
January 19, 2011
Critique: pro and peer
Someone recently asked me how useful peer critique groups are, as opposed to professional critiques (such as the ones people pay for at SCBWI conferences). Did I see one as more valuable than the other, especially if the peers in question have not published yet?
There's no simple answer to this question, since many factors come into play. But my shortest answer would be: It's not necessary to limit oneself to professional critiques.
A professional editor is likely to give an excellent critique, because it's one of the things editors do for a living. And yet, I've still heard of people being disappointed after paying for a professional editor critique. Sometimes it's because the editor didn't click with the manuscript--and it's harder to give constructive criticism for the kind of story you don't read a lot. (This sometimes happen at conferences, when an editor who doesn't handle historical manuscripts might receive a historical novel, or when an editor who favors gritty YA gets a sweet chapter book.) Sometimes the editor's style just doesn't mesh well with the writer's. The writer may want a certain style or category of feedback, and the editor approaches critique from a different angle altogether.
Editors aren't the only source of professional feedback. Some agents help their clients edit manuscripts, while other agents are very hands-off. Similarly, some writers like agent feedback and others prefer their agents to stick to contract-related matters. It's all a question of what works best for the pair involved.
Our fellow writers, whether published or not, have a wide variety of critiquing skills. The best writer in a room isn't necessarily the best critiquer, and isn't necessarily the best fit for every manuscript.
Some writers know they want a brutal dissection of their work; they don't take anything personally and need no pats on the back. They are best off finding critiquers who will dish out such critiques, no holds barred. But for most of us, a mix of different styles can be helpful. Different people pick up on different things. Some focus on plot problems while others notice problems with setting, and still others have an ear for dialogue. Some critiquers are quick to praise and others are hard to please; in such cases, a writer knows that if the "easy" critiquer finds something problematic, it really is a problem. And praise from the tough critic is a sign that the manuscript is ready.
The best thing to look for in a critiquer is a careful reader who can give feedback in a style most suited to the writer. Familiarity with the current literature and the industry are pluses, but that doesn't mean the critiquer has to be an editor, agent, or published writer.
There's no simple answer to this question, since many factors come into play. But my shortest answer would be: It's not necessary to limit oneself to professional critiques.
A professional editor is likely to give an excellent critique, because it's one of the things editors do for a living. And yet, I've still heard of people being disappointed after paying for a professional editor critique. Sometimes it's because the editor didn't click with the manuscript--and it's harder to give constructive criticism for the kind of story you don't read a lot. (This sometimes happen at conferences, when an editor who doesn't handle historical manuscripts might receive a historical novel, or when an editor who favors gritty YA gets a sweet chapter book.) Sometimes the editor's style just doesn't mesh well with the writer's. The writer may want a certain style or category of feedback, and the editor approaches critique from a different angle altogether.
Editors aren't the only source of professional feedback. Some agents help their clients edit manuscripts, while other agents are very hands-off. Similarly, some writers like agent feedback and others prefer their agents to stick to contract-related matters. It's all a question of what works best for the pair involved.
Our fellow writers, whether published or not, have a wide variety of critiquing skills. The best writer in a room isn't necessarily the best critiquer, and isn't necessarily the best fit for every manuscript.
Some writers know they want a brutal dissection of their work; they don't take anything personally and need no pats on the back. They are best off finding critiquers who will dish out such critiques, no holds barred. But for most of us, a mix of different styles can be helpful. Different people pick up on different things. Some focus on plot problems while others notice problems with setting, and still others have an ear for dialogue. Some critiquers are quick to praise and others are hard to please; in such cases, a writer knows that if the "easy" critiquer finds something problematic, it really is a problem. And praise from the tough critic is a sign that the manuscript is ready.
The best thing to look for in a critiquer is a careful reader who can give feedback in a style most suited to the writer. Familiarity with the current literature and the industry are pluses, but that doesn't mean the critiquer has to be an editor, agent, or published writer.
January 17, 2011
Comic relief
I've been posting lately about tough times, and the various strategies we use to get through them. One of those strategies is humor. Certainly there are times when we're beyond laughter, but there are times when laughter saves our sanity.
For example, in the middle of a bunch of personal challenges, I somehow found myself becoming part of an imaginary band with Mike Jung and Sarah Stevenson. As Mike describes it, the band known as Antfighter! "originated in a very off-hand Twitter conversation about ... ants ..." Aside from providing me with some much-needed laughs, Antfighter! has taken almost zero time and energy, due to its imaginary nature. Yet it's inspired Mike to give away an actual prize, for a good ant-fighting song/album title (entries to date include "God Spray the Queen" and "Borax for Thorax"). So you might want to hop over to Mike's blog and test your song-naming skills, and admire the logo Sarah designed.
I also just finished reading Two Parties, One Tux, and a Very Short Film About THE GRAPES OF WRATH, by Steven Goldman. This YA book features a narrator who is completely clueless about who really likes him and who doesn't (but in a believable, not a roll-your-eyes, kind of way), a deadpan best friend (I love deadpan), various girls who puzzle the narrator, a couple of strange teachers, and a Claymation film that sparks an investigation and an appearance before the school Judicial Board. Oh, and the prom chapter is called, "Prom and Punishment." The book addresses a couple of serious issues, but mostly I found it a fun read.
Even in the darkest, most serious material that I write about, I try to include at least a vein of humor. Because life is so often like that.
source of recommended read: library
For example, in the middle of a bunch of personal challenges, I somehow found myself becoming part of an imaginary band with Mike Jung and Sarah Stevenson. As Mike describes it, the band known as Antfighter! "originated in a very off-hand Twitter conversation about ... ants ..." Aside from providing me with some much-needed laughs, Antfighter! has taken almost zero time and energy, due to its imaginary nature. Yet it's inspired Mike to give away an actual prize, for a good ant-fighting song/album title (entries to date include "God Spray the Queen" and "Borax for Thorax"). So you might want to hop over to Mike's blog and test your song-naming skills, and admire the logo Sarah designed.
I also just finished reading Two Parties, One Tux, and a Very Short Film About THE GRAPES OF WRATH, by Steven Goldman. This YA book features a narrator who is completely clueless about who really likes him and who doesn't (but in a believable, not a roll-your-eyes, kind of way), a deadpan best friend (I love deadpan), various girls who puzzle the narrator, a couple of strange teachers, and a Claymation film that sparks an investigation and an appearance before the school Judicial Board. Oh, and the prom chapter is called, "Prom and Punishment." The book addresses a couple of serious issues, but mostly I found it a fun read.
Even in the darkest, most serious material that I write about, I try to include at least a vein of humor. Because life is so often like that.
source of recommended read: library
January 16, 2011
L.K. Madigan's Feast of Awesome Giveaway
In 2008, in one of the smartest moves I've ever made as an author, I joined a group called Debut2009. We all had first novels in the MG or YA category coming out in 2009. Although we ended up doing some promotional activities, the primary focus of the group was--and still is--the sharing of information and mutual support. We've shared our personal and professional ups and downs. We've read one another's books. We've cheered one another's successes, and commiserated over the more challenging moments.
Right before Christmas 2008, my book was bumped to 2010, and I joined the Tenners. But the Debut2009 community said I was still one of them, and I remain a 2009 "Deb" to this day. I feel a special bond with all of the Debs.
But I had another layer of connection with one of the Debs, Lisa (known to the wider world as L.K. Madigan). Like me, she was writing first-person male POV, though she's female. Like me, she had a contemporary realistic novel in a world where paranormal and fantasy books were hot. And I loved the title of her book: Flash Burnout. I couldn't wait for it to come out--and as it turned out, I didn't have to. When she donated an advance copy to a charity auction, I had the winning bid on it. I was surprised by how tickled Lisa was that I bid on her book--she expressed that in the inscription of the book (which is sitting next to me right now) and a couple of times afterward. My attitude was: Of course I want to read this; are you kidding? Awesome story, awesome title, awesome writer! I was vicariously proud and not at all surprised when Flash Burnout won last year's Morris Award for a debut novel.
Like so many of the Debs, Lisa was there for me throughout the crazy publication process. And there are a few things I remember in particular:
--She was able to turn writer angst into gold in the "Tim Gunn in My Head" series on her blog (see Tim Gunn's first visit to Lisa's head, the triumphant return of Tim Gunn, and once more with feeling). She even called in Tim Gunn (and Dr. House) after her surgery last fall.
--One time she and I ran a Debs giveaway together, and I was fretting over one aspect of the giveaway. Lisa sent me a soothing message that boiled down to: Don't sweat the small stuff.
--She ran "Authorial Intrusion" interviews on her blog to celebrate other debut authors. She interviewed me when my book came out. She continued to post interviews with this year's Morris nominees even while her health was suffering.
Now that Lisa has gone public with her cancer diagnosis, so many of us want to help in whatever way we can. If we could restore her to instant physical health, we would. But being writers rather than oncologists, one of the things the Debs have decided to do is help bring Lisa's wonderful voice to as many people as possible. Forty of us are giving away copies of her first book, Flash Burnout, and her second, The Mermaid's Mirror. Details are here, along with a list of other things you can do to spread some love at this difficult time.
Right before Christmas 2008, my book was bumped to 2010, and I joined the Tenners. But the Debut2009 community said I was still one of them, and I remain a 2009 "Deb" to this day. I feel a special bond with all of the Debs.
But I had another layer of connection with one of the Debs, Lisa (known to the wider world as L.K. Madigan). Like me, she was writing first-person male POV, though she's female. Like me, she had a contemporary realistic novel in a world where paranormal and fantasy books were hot. And I loved the title of her book: Flash Burnout. I couldn't wait for it to come out--and as it turned out, I didn't have to. When she donated an advance copy to a charity auction, I had the winning bid on it. I was surprised by how tickled Lisa was that I bid on her book--she expressed that in the inscription of the book (which is sitting next to me right now) and a couple of times afterward. My attitude was: Of course I want to read this; are you kidding? Awesome story, awesome title, awesome writer! I was vicariously proud and not at all surprised when Flash Burnout won last year's Morris Award for a debut novel.
Like so many of the Debs, Lisa was there for me throughout the crazy publication process. And there are a few things I remember in particular:
--She was able to turn writer angst into gold in the "Tim Gunn in My Head" series on her blog (see Tim Gunn's first visit to Lisa's head, the triumphant return of Tim Gunn, and once more with feeling). She even called in Tim Gunn (and Dr. House) after her surgery last fall.
--One time she and I ran a Debs giveaway together, and I was fretting over one aspect of the giveaway. Lisa sent me a soothing message that boiled down to: Don't sweat the small stuff.
--She ran "Authorial Intrusion" interviews on her blog to celebrate other debut authors. She interviewed me when my book came out. She continued to post interviews with this year's Morris nominees even while her health was suffering.
Now that Lisa has gone public with her cancer diagnosis, so many of us want to help in whatever way we can. If we could restore her to instant physical health, we would. But being writers rather than oncologists, one of the things the Debs have decided to do is help bring Lisa's wonderful voice to as many people as possible. Forty of us are giving away copies of her first book, Flash Burnout, and her second, The Mermaid's Mirror. Details are here, along with a list of other things you can do to spread some love at this difficult time.
January 15, 2011
Help and Hope
I almost titled this piece, "Helpless and Hopeless," but then I thought:
1) Yeesh, what a turn-off.
2) People might rush over to my house to perform an intervention.
3) Sounds like the headline of the worst personal ad ever!
I wouldn't say I'm helpless and hopeless today, although I've had a fair amount of bad news to digest recently (not involving writing--except in the sense that one piece of the bad news involves a fellow writer who is also a friend, and I'll say more about the wonderful L.K. Madigan when I can be more articulate). What I want to talk about in this post is what you do when you're feeling helpless and hopeless--in any area of your life?
Writers reach this point in a professional sense quite often. Writing has a long apprenticeship and a high rejection rate, and it's easy to feel that we're getting nowhere with it. And then there is the rest of life, with its myriad disappointments and nasty tricks, its accidents and illnesses and upheavals.
Yet Pandora's box of evils had the shining jewel of hope lying at the bottom. Somehow we face the day before us, and the next day. Somehow we find the silver lining or the half-full glass or the blessing among the curses.
For me, having a network of understanding friends and family is key. Also, writing itself helps me identify my feelings, work through them, release them. Walks help, too. And, although I don't discuss it directly or overtly on this blog, my spiritual life is also a source of strength.
What (or whom) do you lean on, when you need to lean?
January 14, 2011
Pep talk & books for libraries
Kitty Keswick posted a New Year's pep talk for writers on her blog. In reply, Swati Avasthi posted an amazing quotation from Martha Graham. This is part of it: "You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep open and aware ... Keep the channel open." But I urge you to follow the link and read the whole thing.
In news for librarians:
To celebrate the end of our debut year, The Tenners will be holding a special giveaway just for librarians. One public or school library will be selected to receive a set of 55 books by 2010 MG and YA debut authors. All you have to do is capture one of our books in the wild.*
Take a photo of yourself, another librarian, a patron, or even an adorable library pet posing with one of our 2010 debut novels. Send it to us at 2010debuts@gmail.com from your institutional email address. Tell us your name, your library's name and mailing address, and who's in the picture. The contest will be open until February 15th and the lucky winning library will be chosen and announced on February 16th. Until then, we'll be periodically posting your pictures.
*No purchase necessary, so posing with a photo or artistic interpretation of a book's cover is just fine too.
The full list of book prizes, which includes The Secret Year and 54 other YA and MG books, is on the Tenners site.
In news for librarians:
To celebrate the end of our debut year, The Tenners will be holding a special giveaway just for librarians. One public or school library will be selected to receive a set of 55 books by 2010 MG and YA debut authors. All you have to do is capture one of our books in the wild.*
Take a photo of yourself, another librarian, a patron, or even an adorable library pet posing with one of our 2010 debut novels. Send it to us at 2010debuts@gmail.com from your institutional email address. Tell us your name, your library's name and mailing address, and who's in the picture. The contest will be open until February 15th and the lucky winning library will be chosen and announced on February 16th. Until then, we'll be periodically posting your pictures.
*No purchase necessary, so posing with a photo or artistic interpretation of a book's cover is just fine too.
The full list of book prizes, which includes The Secret Year and 54 other YA and MG books, is on the Tenners site.
