Ellie Lieberman's Blog: Dusty Shelves, page 4
September 4, 2015
Being Brave
When I’m not writing or working on my business, I wear a neon orange vest and am the official shoe tie-er, whistle-blower, referee, nurse-referal writer, and hand raised- answerer of an elementary school playground and lunchroom. For three hours I stand in the blazing sun and try not to think about the questionable substance I just stepped in on the cafeteria’s floor. In the midst of the laughter, shouting, whistles, and bells was a little girl in tears.
Something was going on at home, she missed her mom, she was lonely, and the only thing that helped was holding my hand as she walked with me around the playground and she sat with me at lunch. By the second day, first recess went a lot better. She didn’t have to hold my hand as much, she was jumping up and down, and was talkative with no tears. Come lunch, it was right back to square one. When I asked what happened, she answered with a sniffle, a shrug, and told me, “I’m trying to be brave, but it’s hard.”
And who hasn’t been there? Whether it is something inside you, a relationship with someone, or trying to publish that new book. We need someone’s hand to hold, someone to sit with us, because it is hard. It’s hard to be brave enough to face the challenges, let alone attempt to conquer them.
But, a wise person once said, “Being brave is not the absence of fear, but being afraid and doing it anyway.” What is braver than that little first grader still sitting there at that table with me? Still coming to school the next day? Still trying? What is braver than the person with anxiety making a new stride in their development to overcome? What is braver than the person who has had their heart broken before, but dares to try to love and trust again? What is braver than the writer who wrote that book, and then shares it with the world?
To bare your heart and soul, to walk naked in front of the crowd, to put pen to paper, makes you no less brave. To feel uncertain and nervous and somewhere between the excited butterflies and raccoon claws in your stomach, but still pushing forward, still hitting publish or submit is the definition of brave! It is hard and it will hurt. It’s a part of growing. And, as Amy Bishop says in Society's Foundlings, “It’s not supposed to be easy. Anything that’s anything is always hard.”
Something was going on at home, she missed her mom, she was lonely, and the only thing that helped was holding my hand as she walked with me around the playground and she sat with me at lunch. By the second day, first recess went a lot better. She didn’t have to hold my hand as much, she was jumping up and down, and was talkative with no tears. Come lunch, it was right back to square one. When I asked what happened, she answered with a sniffle, a shrug, and told me, “I’m trying to be brave, but it’s hard.”
And who hasn’t been there? Whether it is something inside you, a relationship with someone, or trying to publish that new book. We need someone’s hand to hold, someone to sit with us, because it is hard. It’s hard to be brave enough to face the challenges, let alone attempt to conquer them.
But, a wise person once said, “Being brave is not the absence of fear, but being afraid and doing it anyway.” What is braver than that little first grader still sitting there at that table with me? Still coming to school the next day? Still trying? What is braver than the person with anxiety making a new stride in their development to overcome? What is braver than the person who has had their heart broken before, but dares to try to love and trust again? What is braver than the writer who wrote that book, and then shares it with the world?
To bare your heart and soul, to walk naked in front of the crowd, to put pen to paper, makes you no less brave. To feel uncertain and nervous and somewhere between the excited butterflies and raccoon claws in your stomach, but still pushing forward, still hitting publish or submit is the definition of brave! It is hard and it will hurt. It’s a part of growing. And, as Amy Bishop says in Society's Foundlings, “It’s not supposed to be easy. Anything that’s anything is always hard.”
August 31, 2015
How I Met My Characters
I tend to meet my characters the way you would meet a stranger on the streets. There are things you can tell just by looking. And these features in their own right tell you a bit about a person. There is evidence of where they came from and who they are in the way they speak, the way they look, the way they hold themselves. Peeking through the cracks of the masks we show the world, you can start to see the true person who lies beneath.
Then, you get to know them and you become their friend and confidante. They let you into their own little world and little by little the mask starts to ease off, until they are as comfortable with you as they would be with someone they’ve known their whole life. Here is where you learn of their past, confirm or rethink what you assumed when they first showed up, and discover interests, idiosyncrasies, habits, and sometimes, but not always, their secrets.
Writing characters for me is not the act of playing god, but more the role of a scribe. I listen, I watch them in my mind, and I take dictation. Hopefully it is a well enough job to do them justice, because otherwise they won’t let me get some sleep.
There are certainly elements that are borrowed or inspired by other things, whether it’s real people or other fictional characters in other stories and forms of storytelling. However, the characters are no more planned than the plot. They are not built upon like legos, though connections can be made. They appear as they are and then they leave with each new reader.
Then, you get to know them and you become their friend and confidante. They let you into their own little world and little by little the mask starts to ease off, until they are as comfortable with you as they would be with someone they’ve known their whole life. Here is where you learn of their past, confirm or rethink what you assumed when they first showed up, and discover interests, idiosyncrasies, habits, and sometimes, but not always, their secrets.
Writing characters for me is not the act of playing god, but more the role of a scribe. I listen, I watch them in my mind, and I take dictation. Hopefully it is a well enough job to do them justice, because otherwise they won’t let me get some sleep.
There are certainly elements that are borrowed or inspired by other things, whether it’s real people or other fictional characters in other stories and forms of storytelling. However, the characters are no more planned than the plot. They are not built upon like legos, though connections can be made. They appear as they are and then they leave with each new reader.
August 22, 2015
Female Foundlings
Between the interview with Dot Cannon from Over Coffee (http://twomaverix.com/) at my last event and the most recent question I received on Goodreads, I’ve been recently exploring my characters more, especially the characters who are not the main four, such as Nicole Brennerman and Ophelia Cortes. What I have come to discover is a better understanding for not only these female characters, but the male characters as well and for my book as a whole.
During the interview, one of the questions asked was why the friendship with Sampson was so important to Nicole Brennerman. And like a pro, I completely froze. Somewhere between the anxiety and trying to get the character to talk to me, I think my answer was something along the line of “I’m not sure she herself knows.” While I think there is a truth to this, the answer does not provide the whole picture. It’s taken some stewing, but allow me to elaborate my understanding and interpretation of the character here.
Nicole Brennerman likes attention. She is drawn to Sampson for a similar reason that he is drawn to her, at least in the beginning. They are both so very different than what the other knows. For Sampson, however, it’s more of the life she’s been handed (the nice car, the relationship with her father, the money and the security it provides to her future). He wants what she has. For her, though, he is very different than her usual friends (Insta-friendships, just add money and stir in the drama). In a way, she craves his friendship because he is the one person who isn't wrapped around her finger. It’s so important that he cares, even just a little, because how could someone not care.
She is used to the spot light, center stage. And, Sampson is the first time the entire world does not revolve around her.
In complete contrast to Nicole Brennerman, you have Ophelia Cortes. She shows up in one short scene with Carver, a total of 574 words. A question asked on Goodreads about who my favorite character is (Yes, Ophelia is one of them) spurred some deeper exploration. To quote some of my answer, “She represents a type of freedom within the same restrictions the main characters, and even Amy Bishop, feel so fiercely. For her to achieve this type of freedom, or "more" as Carver would put it, within these same struggles, to defy the challenges each of the characters face, including herself, was sort of a breath of fresh air, if that makes sense. I think she was that for Carver, too.”
Another female character I explored a little due to that question was Math and Sampson’s mother (who is another character I like a lot). She doesn’t make an appearance in the book. However, both boys reference her. To me, she is vital to these two characters, as well as the book itself, because she is the only positive experience any of the characters have with an adult. It makes her absence in the story that much sadder. The hole she leaves in Math and Sampson and how strongly they feel it, prove what a huge influence she was to them.
Staying on the topic of positive moms, as I’m typing this I’m realizing the part Amy Bishop’s mother plays as well. She is only mentioned once, and could be easily missed. To understand the importance of her mother, one must first understand Amy Bishop. To me, she is the epitome of the pressure and expectations put on today’s young women.
During the week, she stays with her father. As Math points out, at school she dresses like a nun, compared to during the weekend where her mother is “a bit more relaxed.” Her mother offers her a chance to explore with her outward appearance and her identity in a way she can’t with her father. Her mother allows her the freedom and ability to also be heard, as Amy, too, has expressed the feeling of being voiceless and how “sometimes, it can feel like no one is listening. And sometimes all you need is someone to listen.”
At a recent event, when attempting to explain what Society's Foundlings is about, the customer said it sounded more like a book for guys. While it’s told in the perspective of the four teenage males, the female characters are as much foundlings of the society around them as Clem, Carver, Sampson, and Math, and they, too, have a story to tell.
During the interview, one of the questions asked was why the friendship with Sampson was so important to Nicole Brennerman. And like a pro, I completely froze. Somewhere between the anxiety and trying to get the character to talk to me, I think my answer was something along the line of “I’m not sure she herself knows.” While I think there is a truth to this, the answer does not provide the whole picture. It’s taken some stewing, but allow me to elaborate my understanding and interpretation of the character here.
Nicole Brennerman likes attention. She is drawn to Sampson for a similar reason that he is drawn to her, at least in the beginning. They are both so very different than what the other knows. For Sampson, however, it’s more of the life she’s been handed (the nice car, the relationship with her father, the money and the security it provides to her future). He wants what she has. For her, though, he is very different than her usual friends (Insta-friendships, just add money and stir in the drama). In a way, she craves his friendship because he is the one person who isn't wrapped around her finger. It’s so important that he cares, even just a little, because how could someone not care.
She is used to the spot light, center stage. And, Sampson is the first time the entire world does not revolve around her.
In complete contrast to Nicole Brennerman, you have Ophelia Cortes. She shows up in one short scene with Carver, a total of 574 words. A question asked on Goodreads about who my favorite character is (Yes, Ophelia is one of them) spurred some deeper exploration. To quote some of my answer, “She represents a type of freedom within the same restrictions the main characters, and even Amy Bishop, feel so fiercely. For her to achieve this type of freedom, or "more" as Carver would put it, within these same struggles, to defy the challenges each of the characters face, including herself, was sort of a breath of fresh air, if that makes sense. I think she was that for Carver, too.”
Another female character I explored a little due to that question was Math and Sampson’s mother (who is another character I like a lot). She doesn’t make an appearance in the book. However, both boys reference her. To me, she is vital to these two characters, as well as the book itself, because she is the only positive experience any of the characters have with an adult. It makes her absence in the story that much sadder. The hole she leaves in Math and Sampson and how strongly they feel it, prove what a huge influence she was to them.
Staying on the topic of positive moms, as I’m typing this I’m realizing the part Amy Bishop’s mother plays as well. She is only mentioned once, and could be easily missed. To understand the importance of her mother, one must first understand Amy Bishop. To me, she is the epitome of the pressure and expectations put on today’s young women.
During the week, she stays with her father. As Math points out, at school she dresses like a nun, compared to during the weekend where her mother is “a bit more relaxed.” Her mother offers her a chance to explore with her outward appearance and her identity in a way she can’t with her father. Her mother allows her the freedom and ability to also be heard, as Amy, too, has expressed the feeling of being voiceless and how “sometimes, it can feel like no one is listening. And sometimes all you need is someone to listen.”
At a recent event, when attempting to explain what Society's Foundlings is about, the customer said it sounded more like a book for guys. While it’s told in the perspective of the four teenage males, the female characters are as much foundlings of the society around them as Clem, Carver, Sampson, and Math, and they, too, have a story to tell.
August 3, 2015
Here There Be Dragons!
An opportunity arose to be part of an anthology. An anthology for dragons. My work would be featured along with so many talented authors such as Raven Williams, author of the Elven-Jumper, Kindra Sowder, author of Follow the Ashes, and Barbara Lieberman, author of Message on the Wind and more. What an honor! All I had to say was yes, I was interested.
I spoke a lot with Barbara Lieberman, who agreed to be part of it before I had. Her work doesn’t really focus on the realm of fantasy. It’s a challenge for her because it takes her out of her comfort zone in one sense. She’s a phenomenal author, so whatever story she comes up with is sure to be brilliant. One of the things she mentioned, though, was that she didn’t have an idea for the story until she agreed.
I hemmed and hawed over whether or not I should agree. There were so many fears and elements to raise my anxiety. For as much as it is an honor to be featured alongside authors you adore and respect, it is also terrifying. What if my quality of writing doesn’t match up? (How could it ever match up)?
Then there’s the deadline. Not only do I not have any stories written about dragons, or anything outside of a vague possibility for a maybe-story, but I’d have to fit it into a specific deadline. I don’t work well with deadlines. Ask every teacher I’ve ever had. Or better yet ask my mother who bears the brunt of my “holy-I’m-going-to-fail-Batman” freak out. I tend to find deadlines of any sort constricting to my creativity. And then there’s the freak out of epic proportions because constricted creativity = writer’s block = nothing to turn in by the deadline.
Barb Lieberman, however, pushed me and told Raven Williams - Fantasy Author, who is the genius behind this anthology, that I was in fact interested and viola, I’m now aboard the dragon express. And I have to say, not only am I excited for this new adventure and challenge, but it turns out, like always, Barb Lieberman was right.
I was sitting in my doctor’s office, when a dragon flew into my head. I had some notebooks with me, but they were special notebooks designated for other stories, research, or other purposes (yes, I carry around a notebook of jokes, who doesn’t). I scrambled for the only thing on hand to type out notes, and as my mother put it, it was weird seeing me so engrossed in my phone. Funny what writing will do to you.
Suddenly, a vein was tapped. And the ideas and the story and the characters just started flowing. It is incredible. On top of this challenge, I have added writing at least a page a day through the month of August. So far, I am succeeding. Somehow, by taking these challenges and opportunities presented to me, I have a brand new story on my hands that is unfolding before my eyes.
Doors will open for you. The universe will drop hints. Opportunities will present themselves. And they will seem challenging. They may appear like mountain, an impossible feat. But challenge yourself to do it. Because you might just surprise yourself. And things like this are not ones you will want to pass up. Sometimes you need a push. So, if you’re reading this, consider it your push. Take the chance. Fly with the dragons!
I spoke a lot with Barbara Lieberman, who agreed to be part of it before I had. Her work doesn’t really focus on the realm of fantasy. It’s a challenge for her because it takes her out of her comfort zone in one sense. She’s a phenomenal author, so whatever story she comes up with is sure to be brilliant. One of the things she mentioned, though, was that she didn’t have an idea for the story until she agreed.
I hemmed and hawed over whether or not I should agree. There were so many fears and elements to raise my anxiety. For as much as it is an honor to be featured alongside authors you adore and respect, it is also terrifying. What if my quality of writing doesn’t match up? (How could it ever match up)?
Then there’s the deadline. Not only do I not have any stories written about dragons, or anything outside of a vague possibility for a maybe-story, but I’d have to fit it into a specific deadline. I don’t work well with deadlines. Ask every teacher I’ve ever had. Or better yet ask my mother who bears the brunt of my “holy-I’m-going-to-fail-Batman” freak out. I tend to find deadlines of any sort constricting to my creativity. And then there’s the freak out of epic proportions because constricted creativity = writer’s block = nothing to turn in by the deadline.
Barb Lieberman, however, pushed me and told Raven Williams - Fantasy Author, who is the genius behind this anthology, that I was in fact interested and viola, I’m now aboard the dragon express. And I have to say, not only am I excited for this new adventure and challenge, but it turns out, like always, Barb Lieberman was right.
I was sitting in my doctor’s office, when a dragon flew into my head. I had some notebooks with me, but they were special notebooks designated for other stories, research, or other purposes (yes, I carry around a notebook of jokes, who doesn’t). I scrambled for the only thing on hand to type out notes, and as my mother put it, it was weird seeing me so engrossed in my phone. Funny what writing will do to you.
Suddenly, a vein was tapped. And the ideas and the story and the characters just started flowing. It is incredible. On top of this challenge, I have added writing at least a page a day through the month of August. So far, I am succeeding. Somehow, by taking these challenges and opportunities presented to me, I have a brand new story on my hands that is unfolding before my eyes.
Doors will open for you. The universe will drop hints. Opportunities will present themselves. And they will seem challenging. They may appear like mountain, an impossible feat. But challenge yourself to do it. Because you might just surprise yourself. And things like this are not ones you will want to pass up. Sometimes you need a push. So, if you’re reading this, consider it your push. Take the chance. Fly with the dragons!
August 2, 2015
The Story Of the Book
Barbara Liebermanwrote, “The story of the book enhanced the story within it.” Never have I received a book the way John’s sister received Comedy Divine in To Miss The Stars, but I understand the sentiments behind the quote well.
I have blogged before about my grandmother’s copies of Anne of Green Gables. Though, the story behind these books haven’t faced quite the same adventure, they are special to me. The story may seem short and simple to anyone else. To me, it is just as important to the story itself. She passed on not only her love for Lucy Maud Montgomery’s work and the doll and other related items, but, something I treasure the most in her copies is her signature. Seeing her name and penmanship.
For me, books are always a great gift. Last Christmas, I received Perks of Being A Wallflower from my brother. The message on the inside made the gift and story even more meaningful for me. It was his copy, which was special in and of itself. However, what the book meant to him made it mean more to me.
This is very similar to The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which I’m currently reading. It came as a recommendation from my boyfriend and it’s his copy I’m borrowing. For as much as I’m enjoying the story itself, it becomes even more special because it’s his and he loves the book.
Books tend to be tied to people and memories for me. And as much as these elements and the stories the people I love bring to these books, the story of why an author wrote the book enhances it just as much. I have always loved learning about the story behind the story.
Evangeline Duran Fuentes, author of Cry on Hallow's Eve, is a storyteller through and through. For as much as I adore her books, I absolutely love how the stories came about. In the back of her book, she includes a little information about the urban legend her story is inspired by. Knowing she was told this story as a child by her father and this was her own twist on it, enhances it in a way only Barb Lieberman could put words to.
Now, in the age of technology, authors themselves are more accessible in ways they had never been before. We can receive this information more readily and I do think it makes a difference in our appreciation for the story.
I have blogged before about my grandmother’s copies of Anne of Green Gables. Though, the story behind these books haven’t faced quite the same adventure, they are special to me. The story may seem short and simple to anyone else. To me, it is just as important to the story itself. She passed on not only her love for Lucy Maud Montgomery’s work and the doll and other related items, but, something I treasure the most in her copies is her signature. Seeing her name and penmanship.
For me, books are always a great gift. Last Christmas, I received Perks of Being A Wallflower from my brother. The message on the inside made the gift and story even more meaningful for me. It was his copy, which was special in and of itself. However, what the book meant to him made it mean more to me.
This is very similar to The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which I’m currently reading. It came as a recommendation from my boyfriend and it’s his copy I’m borrowing. For as much as I’m enjoying the story itself, it becomes even more special because it’s his and he loves the book.
Books tend to be tied to people and memories for me. And as much as these elements and the stories the people I love bring to these books, the story of why an author wrote the book enhances it just as much. I have always loved learning about the story behind the story.
Evangeline Duran Fuentes, author of Cry on Hallow's Eve, is a storyteller through and through. For as much as I adore her books, I absolutely love how the stories came about. In the back of her book, she includes a little information about the urban legend her story is inspired by. Knowing she was told this story as a child by her father and this was her own twist on it, enhances it in a way only Barb Lieberman could put words to.
Now, in the age of technology, authors themselves are more accessible in ways they had never been before. We can receive this information more readily and I do think it makes a difference in our appreciation for the story.
August 1, 2015
An Ironic Profession and A Masterpiece Cover
Originally posted on Acorn Tops blog:
The box of my books finally arrived! (Can you hear the squealing from there?) And, let me tell you, it is like all the best Christmases all rolled up into one (I might have stolen that line from my mother)! For a profession that relies so heavily on words, it’s ironic that there are no words for moments like these. It is truly indescribable. I mean, I wrote that. This is my story, my baby.
It’s important to understand, though, I did not accomplish this alone. Yes, I wrote a story, but to get it into a form I can hold and open (and caress the cover and sniff) was the support and work and patience of many individuals. What makes these moments even more special is having these people I love stand beside me and support me on this incredible journey, like my boyfriend and the people I mention in the acknowledgements, such as my editor, my brother, one of my best friends.
Another person I mention is my other best friend and cover artist, Jessica Johnson. She deserves more recognition than I could possibly give. Her talent alone is award winning. But the reason why my books are so beautiful, part of the excitement when opening the box, is the masterpiece she made for my cover.
I know I’ve been saying that a lot on social media, but there is no other word that could possibly fit. The details alone are outstanding, like that on the bricks or the wood (or the whole thing, really). But it’s also the attention to detail in the way it fits the story so perfectly - The shoes and wooden porch and the brick steps and the dandelion. And everything about the design came from her. She was one of my first readers and there could be no better book cover for my story.
This attention to detail is not unique in the beautiful book cover she illustrated for me. You can find it in all of her work, from her Cherry On Top or Pokémon Pinups to her newest goddess art print. Be sure to check out her work. Because trust me, whether you order her work online or buy it from her in person at one of her events, you will be as excited as I am!
Check out more of her work at: http://www.jessiejinspirations.com/
The box of my books finally arrived! (Can you hear the squealing from there?) And, let me tell you, it is like all the best Christmases all rolled up into one (I might have stolen that line from my mother)! For a profession that relies so heavily on words, it’s ironic that there are no words for moments like these. It is truly indescribable. I mean, I wrote that. This is my story, my baby.
It’s important to understand, though, I did not accomplish this alone. Yes, I wrote a story, but to get it into a form I can hold and open (and caress the cover and sniff) was the support and work and patience of many individuals. What makes these moments even more special is having these people I love stand beside me and support me on this incredible journey, like my boyfriend and the people I mention in the acknowledgements, such as my editor, my brother, one of my best friends.
Another person I mention is my other best friend and cover artist, Jessica Johnson. She deserves more recognition than I could possibly give. Her talent alone is award winning. But the reason why my books are so beautiful, part of the excitement when opening the box, is the masterpiece she made for my cover.
I know I’ve been saying that a lot on social media, but there is no other word that could possibly fit. The details alone are outstanding, like that on the bricks or the wood (or the whole thing, really). But it’s also the attention to detail in the way it fits the story so perfectly - The shoes and wooden porch and the brick steps and the dandelion. And everything about the design came from her. She was one of my first readers and there could be no better book cover for my story.
This attention to detail is not unique in the beautiful book cover she illustrated for me. You can find it in all of her work, from her Cherry On Top or Pokémon Pinups to her newest goddess art print. Be sure to check out her work. Because trust me, whether you order her work online or buy it from her in person at one of her events, you will be as excited as I am!
Check out more of her work at: http://www.jessiejinspirations.com/
July 30, 2015
At My Mother's Keyboard
First published on Acorn Tops blog:
If you are anything like me, you have done many pretend author interviews in the bathroom mirror since you were about eight. Yes, indeed, I am a pro of this type of Q&A. We’ll see if that carries over to my interview with Dot Cannon from Noelophile blog at the Mystic Dragon Book Festival on August 15th.
Throughout all of those pretend interviews, as well as the millions (no, I’m pretty sure this is not an exaggeration) of author interviews I have watched online thanks to youtube, and that one time I saw Diana Gabaldon live, one of the most commonly asked question is when did you become a writer? When did you start writing?
When is a very different question then the why (which most, I have found, answer much like Descartes- “I write, therefore I am”). Writing is a state of being, how we got to that state, though, is as diverse as the people who write.
For me, personally, it is something I have always been doing. I don’t mean this as a simple answer or a cop-out. It is the truth and I owe it to the most powerful inspiration in my life, my mother.
Barbara Lieberman
I grew up to the sound of her fingers dancing across the keyboards, making new worlds to explore and new characters to meet and fall in love with. And those were some of my purely happy childhood memories. I still remember the first story she wrote. It was about a small acorn I found walking back from dropping my brother off at the bus stop.
We had a deal. She would let me stay up past my bedtime to get to listen to what more she wrote that day as long as I brushed her hair. And I learned a lot in those nights. I learned tricks for editing (reading aloud). I learned research and the lengths one could go and the different resources available. I learned spelling and grammar (and that even the best sometimes flub in that area). Most importantly, though, I learned the power of storytelling, the power of writing, the power of words. It ignited a spark.
I remember my countless sketchbooks filled with what most would call scribbles on the front, and on the back would be a corresponding very short story. My mom tells me on the way to ballet, I would tell stories from the moment the key in the ignition turned to the moment the car would park. I grew up writing and telling stories, and I owe much of that to my mother.
I was fortunate to not only grow up with a mom who was passionate about reading and who shared that passion with me, but to grow up at my mother’s keyboard as well as her bookshelves. And what is even more exciting, as I follow in her footsteps and publish my own stories, is getting to experience the stories and characters I grew up with being shared with the whole world, too. Mouse and Shadow; and Emma and John; and Ellie and Alex were my earliest and oldest friends and playmates. And to see them become a book I can hold and open and revisit any time, is indescribable.
So when did I become a writer? When did it all start? It started with the first word my mother typed.
Check out my mom’s blog/website: http://www.keyboardmusings.com/
Her Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/Barbara-Lieberm...
Her Good Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
If you are anything like me, you have done many pretend author interviews in the bathroom mirror since you were about eight. Yes, indeed, I am a pro of this type of Q&A. We’ll see if that carries over to my interview with Dot Cannon from Noelophile blog at the Mystic Dragon Book Festival on August 15th.
Throughout all of those pretend interviews, as well as the millions (no, I’m pretty sure this is not an exaggeration) of author interviews I have watched online thanks to youtube, and that one time I saw Diana Gabaldon live, one of the most commonly asked question is when did you become a writer? When did you start writing?
When is a very different question then the why (which most, I have found, answer much like Descartes- “I write, therefore I am”). Writing is a state of being, how we got to that state, though, is as diverse as the people who write.
For me, personally, it is something I have always been doing. I don’t mean this as a simple answer or a cop-out. It is the truth and I owe it to the most powerful inspiration in my life, my mother.
Barbara LiebermanI grew up to the sound of her fingers dancing across the keyboards, making new worlds to explore and new characters to meet and fall in love with. And those were some of my purely happy childhood memories. I still remember the first story she wrote. It was about a small acorn I found walking back from dropping my brother off at the bus stop.
We had a deal. She would let me stay up past my bedtime to get to listen to what more she wrote that day as long as I brushed her hair. And I learned a lot in those nights. I learned tricks for editing (reading aloud). I learned research and the lengths one could go and the different resources available. I learned spelling and grammar (and that even the best sometimes flub in that area). Most importantly, though, I learned the power of storytelling, the power of writing, the power of words. It ignited a spark.
I remember my countless sketchbooks filled with what most would call scribbles on the front, and on the back would be a corresponding very short story. My mom tells me on the way to ballet, I would tell stories from the moment the key in the ignition turned to the moment the car would park. I grew up writing and telling stories, and I owe much of that to my mother.
I was fortunate to not only grow up with a mom who was passionate about reading and who shared that passion with me, but to grow up at my mother’s keyboard as well as her bookshelves. And what is even more exciting, as I follow in her footsteps and publish my own stories, is getting to experience the stories and characters I grew up with being shared with the whole world, too. Mouse and Shadow; and Emma and John; and Ellie and Alex were my earliest and oldest friends and playmates. And to see them become a book I can hold and open and revisit any time, is indescribable.
So when did I become a writer? When did it all start? It started with the first word my mother typed.
Check out my mom’s blog/website: http://www.keyboardmusings.com/
Her Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/Barbara-Lieberm...
Her Good Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
July 29, 2015
And How Are You Mr. Wilson
First published on Acorn Tops Blog:
When you are a child, you are handed down a lot of different things from your family. You have your name. Some idiosyncrasies you pick up along the way. You have the physical gifts and keepsakes. You also are given references, and by that I don’t necessarily mean what you would put on a job application. I mean, culture, whether it is the classics or more modern day pop culture. I mean, things they loved that they shared with you that you now have grown to love.
Growing up, if my family wasn’t randomly breaking out into song (because, yes, my life is and has always been a musical), we were tossing references back and forth. Close to every sentence has at least one reference, some so obscure those eavesdropping would have thought we were speaking a foreign language. This is probably why my newest book, Society’s Foundlings, is riddled with random references.
In the acknowledgements of my book I thank and tip my hat to a few of the people who have given me the building blocks of my reference palace, including my brother, Ben, my mother, Barb, and one of my best friends, Alyse. Someone who I failed to mention, though, was my Grandmother. And she is someone who deserves mentioning.
Anyone who knows about my Acorn Tops business knows well about my Grandmom’s influence and inspiration. One of the gifts she gave me, a picture, is now my logo and how I got the idea to carve fairy doors. She has also inspired products from my business, such as my collaboration with Seeds of Inspiration, the Seeds of Remembrance Rosemary Scented Fairy Pillows!
Though she passed away when I was very young, she has given me a lot. She has added to my love of reading. I have her Anne of Green Gables books, the ones with her name written in them. I have her Anne of Green Gables doll. I order Eggs Benedict whenever I can for breakfast and orange cream ice cream at the boardwalk and the beach, just like she did. I share a name with her and am named after the same strong and incredible woman, she is named for. And, most relevant to this post, I share a love of Harvey, the movie about the 6ft 3.5in tall pooka. I even dressed up one year for Halloween as El Wood P. Dowd, with a hat that had slots cut in it for rabbit ears and business cards with one number crossed out (call me at this number, not at this number).
In Society’s Foundlings, the reference appears when three of the characters are gathered around the television. One, sitting upside down on the couch, offers non-stop commentary while they watch and another is showing off his knowledge of every movie ever made. It’s a very minuscule part, one that could easily be missed and would not even be worth mentioning, if not for the personal significance, and not necessarily my own.
A book, a movie, a song, a television show- they have memories tied to them. You see them, you hear them, and they make you pause for a moment with a small nostalgic smile. Because you remember that person it reminds you of, who first showed it to you, who watched it, read it, sang it with you. You remember that moment it’s associated with, like a photo album you don’t have to pull out of the top shelf of a closet. And you remember how it made you feel. The way it spoke to you.
John Green (yes I am referencing him once more), did a whole vlog about Harvey. As he says, “All I know is I woke up the morning after watching Harvey feeling a little bit better and in all the years since, I have never felt quite as hopeless as I did before I watched Harvey.”
If you haven’t watched Harvey, I suggest you do. It’s a life changer for sure. And maybe when you’re reading Society’s Foundlings and you come to the part where they are watching it, you will pause for a moment and smile.
When you are a child, you are handed down a lot of different things from your family. You have your name. Some idiosyncrasies you pick up along the way. You have the physical gifts and keepsakes. You also are given references, and by that I don’t necessarily mean what you would put on a job application. I mean, culture, whether it is the classics or more modern day pop culture. I mean, things they loved that they shared with you that you now have grown to love.
Growing up, if my family wasn’t randomly breaking out into song (because, yes, my life is and has always been a musical), we were tossing references back and forth. Close to every sentence has at least one reference, some so obscure those eavesdropping would have thought we were speaking a foreign language. This is probably why my newest book, Society’s Foundlings, is riddled with random references.
In the acknowledgements of my book I thank and tip my hat to a few of the people who have given me the building blocks of my reference palace, including my brother, Ben, my mother, Barb, and one of my best friends, Alyse. Someone who I failed to mention, though, was my Grandmother. And she is someone who deserves mentioning.
Anyone who knows about my Acorn Tops business knows well about my Grandmom’s influence and inspiration. One of the gifts she gave me, a picture, is now my logo and how I got the idea to carve fairy doors. She has also inspired products from my business, such as my collaboration with Seeds of Inspiration, the Seeds of Remembrance Rosemary Scented Fairy Pillows!
Though she passed away when I was very young, she has given me a lot. She has added to my love of reading. I have her Anne of Green Gables books, the ones with her name written in them. I have her Anne of Green Gables doll. I order Eggs Benedict whenever I can for breakfast and orange cream ice cream at the boardwalk and the beach, just like she did. I share a name with her and am named after the same strong and incredible woman, she is named for. And, most relevant to this post, I share a love of Harvey, the movie about the 6ft 3.5in tall pooka. I even dressed up one year for Halloween as El Wood P. Dowd, with a hat that had slots cut in it for rabbit ears and business cards with one number crossed out (call me at this number, not at this number).
In Society’s Foundlings, the reference appears when three of the characters are gathered around the television. One, sitting upside down on the couch, offers non-stop commentary while they watch and another is showing off his knowledge of every movie ever made. It’s a very minuscule part, one that could easily be missed and would not even be worth mentioning, if not for the personal significance, and not necessarily my own.
A book, a movie, a song, a television show- they have memories tied to them. You see them, you hear them, and they make you pause for a moment with a small nostalgic smile. Because you remember that person it reminds you of, who first showed it to you, who watched it, read it, sang it with you. You remember that moment it’s associated with, like a photo album you don’t have to pull out of the top shelf of a closet. And you remember how it made you feel. The way it spoke to you.
John Green (yes I am referencing him once more), did a whole vlog about Harvey. As he says, “All I know is I woke up the morning after watching Harvey feeling a little bit better and in all the years since, I have never felt quite as hopeless as I did before I watched Harvey.”
If you haven’t watched Harvey, I suggest you do. It’s a life changer for sure. And maybe when you’re reading Society’s Foundlings and you come to the part where they are watching it, you will pause for a moment and smile.
