Ginger Rue's Blog, page 3

16 Things Writers Wish You Knew (Part Two)

(A continuation of my rant from last week…)

9. When I say I work from home, I mean I actually WORK from home. I’d like to dedicate number 9 on this list to the teacher who called me up when my daughter was little and said, “Well, since you don’t work outside the home…” and then gave me a laundry list of ways I could help her out in her classroom. It was as though she thought she were saving me from all this free time on my hands! Yes, I can be flexible when I’m not on deadline, but that doesn’t mean I’m just sitting around waiting for something to do. Why? Because… 

10. Books don’t write themselves. I actually have to sit at my desk and churn out words, day after day.

11. Yes, I’m sure Oprah’s book club would be great for my book. It makes me laugh whenever helpful people say, “You know what you ought to do? You ought to get Oprah to put your book on her book club list!” Hey, that is a GREAT idea! Why didn’t anyone else think of that? I will call her up right now since I have her number in my phone and we talk every week. Oh, wait…I actually don’t know Oprah. But if you do and you want to hook me up, be my guest.

12. No, I don’t want to write your book idea and then split the money with you. Trust me, I have plenty to do (and plenty of my own ideas) and don’t need any help filling my time (see number 9).

13. I have no idea if your idea would make a good book. People often tell me their book idea and ask me if I think they should write it. But I have no clue. Why not? Because it depends on how well you write it. And I can’t tell that without reading it. Except I don’t want to read it. (See numbers 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8 in the previous post.)

14. Publishing takes a really long time. Whenever I post that I’ve sold a book, many people want to know if it will be in Barnes & Noble next week. It takes a couple of years, usually, from the time the manuscript sells until the time the book sees print. But (and please read this without any sarcasm whatsoever because I am being sincere) I do appreciate your interest! I hope you will still be enthusiastic two years from now when the book comes out.

15. I work on the same book for a really long time. The number of edits would boggle your mind, and that’s just after it’s already sold.

16. Interested in publishing a book? There’s this amazing thing called the Internet. You should check it out. I’m always baffled when someone wants to invite me out for coffee in order to learn how to get a book published. I know coffee is ridiculously expensive these days, but really, even a vanilla cappuccino does not make up for not doing your homework. Especially when doing that homework is so easy! You lucky whippersnappers don’t even have to walk through twelve inches of snow to the library! A wealth of knowledge lies before you for the mere click of a mouse.

If you’re truly serious about publishing, you’ll do the research, and it’s all right there at your fingertips. (I always just direct people to Nathan Bransford’s blog, because not only is it chock full o’ information, it’s entertaining. Or, if reading is not your thing—and if it’s not, why are you writing a book?—there are helpful videos such as this one.) The sad truth is, if you can’t find the discipline and time to research the publishing process, you probably won’t have the discipline and time to go through the publishing process.

Having said all that, I’d like to add this: if you do invite an author out for coffee to pick his/her brain, have some actual questions based on your research; don’t just say, “How do I get a book published?” If you really want to look serious, bring a notepad and pen! Once, against my better judgment and despite the fact that I really did not have the time, I went to lunch with a college student who was just dying to write a book and asked me ever so nicely if I would take the time to mentor her a little bit. Imagine how unimpressed I was when I got to the restaurant only to find that she had zero questions for me and didn’t write down any of the advice I gave her. There are folks who sit around dreaming of writing a book, and there are folks who sit down and actually do it. You can usually spot the latter because they’ve done their research.

Those are my 16 annoyances. If you other writers think of any I’ve left out, I’d love to hear them.

 

 

16 Things Writers Wish You Knew (Part One)

Warning: It’s about to get real up in here.

Every profession has its list of petty annoyances. I’m sure doctors get sick of everyone they meet asking them about their physical ailments at cocktail parties. I’m sure stockbrokers would probably like to talk about their favorite movie once in a while instead of constantly being pumped for info about which investments to choose. But I don’t know much about being a doctor or a stockbroker, so I’m going to tell you about what drives writers nuts…because THAT, I know. And, hey, our writing teachers’ mantra was always, “Write what you know.”

I’ve compiled a list of 16 things I think every professional writer has at some point wanted to say (or scream) to someone. But since that’s a lot to scream at once, these are the first 8. I’ll post the remaining 8 next week. And if you have any to add in the meantime, please comment! Here we go….

It’s really awkward when you ask for an agent referral. Every struggling writer hoping to have a book published knows an agent is a must or at least a huge leg-up in the publishing industry. The way to get one is to do your research and send query letters. Occasionally a friend of a friend might make introductions on your behalf, but when you ask a writer, “Will you refer me to your agent?” it puts us in a very awkward spot. In the first place, you’re assuming we love your work. That’s a big assumption. Sometimes people whose work we’ve never even seen are bold enough to ask for an agent referral, or sometimes it’s someone whose work we don’t love but we’re not mean and heartless enough to want to say so. So how would our agents feel if we kept burdening them with potentially less-than-stellar submissions they have to carefully consider because the person is a friend of ours? And then how awkward for the agent to say no when it’s a friend of a client? In my case, my agent already has a full client list, so I can avoid any awkwardness just by sharing that information. My advice: just don’t ask. If your writer friend loves your work enough to recommend you to his/her agent, he/she will suggest it without your asking. (Oh, and apologies to the authors I asked this question when I didn’t know any better.)


Would I like to read your manuscript? No. Practically every author I know gets a request about once a week to read someone’s unpublished manuscript. One friend of mine has a particularly funny story of going to the restroom at a writer’s conference, only to have a bold conference participant slide her book manuscript under the stall. Most of us are already trying to balance our writing time with jobs and family, and we simply don’t have a lot of free time to read and critique others’ work. Once again, my advice is just not to ask. If your writer friend is dying to read your manuscript, he/she will ask you. Instead, take a writing class online or in person or sign up for a critique session at a writing conference.


I’m afraid to tell you what I really think of your manuscript (if I read it). On the occasions when I have taken copious amounts of time to read and critique a manuscript, I’ve found it was a complete waste of my time. Why? Because so many writers don’t really want a critique: they simply want me to tell them how brilliant they are. That’s another reason I’m reluctant to take the time to read someone’s unpublished book. Creative folk are notoriously sensitive. I’ve known professional writers who have destroyed friendships because one of them didn’t love the other’s latest work.


We especially don’t want to read your unpolished manuscript. If for some reason we do agree to read your book—like, say, you saved our dad’s life in Vietnam or you gave us a kidney or whatever—please, please do not preface the reading with, “This is really rough and I haven’t had time to read through it, but just go ahead and take a look.” REALLY? That’s basically saying, “My time is too precious to put the work into this, but your time isn’t valuable at all, so you fix it for me and let me know when you’re all done.” Umm, no, thanks. If a writer is generous enough to read your manuscript, make sure you give him/her your very best.


Please don’t lump us in with the Grammar Police. Often when I meet new people and they find out I’m a writer, they respond with, “Ooh! I better watch what I say around you or you’ll correct me!” Why? Why would I do that? I’m not a seventh grade English teacher. And even when I WAS a seventh grade English teacher, I didn’t correct people’s grammar and usage outside of the classroom because that’s just rude. As a writer, I break grammar and punctuation rules all the time for stylistic purposes. Right now, I’m working on a series of elementary chapter books with a fourth-grade narrator, and you can bet she’s a lot more believable if she doesn’t correctly use who and whom. So, really…you don’t have to be careful what you say around me because of your grammar. However….


You should be careful what you say around me. Because if I like it, there’s a pretty good chance I will steal it and put it in the mouth of one of my characters. You’ve been warned!


No, I’m not impressed that you wrote this poem/book/short story in ten minutes because inspiration flowed freely through your genius brain. Whenever someone tells me he/she “just sat under a tree and wrote this whole thing and it came out perfect,” right away, I’m dubious about the work’s literary merit. Why? See number 4. Unless you happen to be John Keats. In which case, disregard everything I’ve said here. I would love to read your poem and whatever else you’ve got.


When I tell you I don’t know anything about children’s picture books, I am not being modest. I really don’t know anything about children’s picture books. I’ve come to the conclusion that about 90% of the population aspire to write a children’s picture book. And 90% of that 90% seem to be under the false assumption that I can help them do it. I have lost count of how many times I’ve been asked for advice on picture books. Trouble is, I don’t write them, and I know less than nothing about them. Seriously. I can’t help you. It’s a whole ‘nuther genre and the only thing I do know is that it’s not nearly as easy as people seem to think it is.

Thanks for letting me vent! Tune in next week for numbers 9-16!

Writing and Gratitude

Painting: just another one of the zillion things I can’t do.

A while back, an older friend of mine (in her 80s) was telling me about some needlework she’d recently done. “Oh, I wish I could learn how to do that,” I remarked. “I’m just not good at anything handy.”

Imagine my surprise when, instead of offering to teach me her skill, my friend looked at me and responded pointedly, “I think instead of trying to learn new tricks, you ought to be thankful that you can write, and just keep on working on doing that better and better every day. Be grateful you’re good at something and keep with it.”

It’s good to hang out with the older and wiser folk. They give you some good perspective…and sometimes keep you from blowing a lot of money at the fabric or craft store on stuff that you will never, ever actually use.

So, I hope you weren’t counting on an embroidered or crocheted or knitted gift from me for Christmas, because it’s not happening. Perhaps you’d appreciate a copy of Tig Ripley? Writing is pretty much all I know how to do.

But it’s enough. And I’m grateful.

 

The Greatest Writer Who Ever Lived

Recently a friend of mine was telling me how he strives to be the best at what he does professionally. “I don’t just want to be good, I want to be the best,” he said. Then he asked if I strive for the same thing. I was a little confused.

“Don’t you want to be the greatest writer who ever lived?” my friend asked.

I couldn’t help but laugh. Now he was the one who was confused. He couldn’t understand why I didn’t set my sights higher.

The truth is, the whole “being the greatest writer who ever lived” thing? I’ll pass. And here’s why.

Whenever I start thinking of the greatest writers of all time, I think of Faulkner. Hemingway. TS Eliot. (Feel free to keep listing here, but I’m a sucker for 20th century American writers.) I truly think they were all geniuses.

But genius, I fear, comes at great personal cost for artists.

In one of my favorite lines from poetry, Keats sums up what it means to think too much when you live in a fallen world. We live in a world, Keats says, “Where but to think is to be full of sorrow.”

If you’re going to be the greatest writer who ever lived, you’re going to have to think. A lot. And the price is profound sorrow. Are you willing to do that?

I’m not suggesting that we stop thinking. As a society, I worry that we don’t think enough. But at what point do you as a writer stop plunging the depths of the human condition and just do your laundry or play with your kids or go make some biscuits for supper?

TS Eliot, who knew a lot of sorrow and did a lot of thinking in his time, was asked towards the end of his life about how his personal suffering had produced such great art. (And wow, did it ever.) He was asked if it was all worth it.

Eliot’s response? “Are you kidding me? No way!”

I’m paraphrasing, of course. Eliot said everything in the most beautiful of ways because he was one of the greatest writers who ever lived. But you get my point.

If it was the suffering that birthed the art, then if Eliot had had a happier life, we wouldn’t now have his incredible literature. But all things considered, he might have just rather made some really good biscuits for supper than to have wound up in lots of anthologies.

I recall when I was an undergraduate, some classmates of mine were sitting around and talking about how “cool” Sylvia Plath’s suicide was.

And all I could think was that I bet Plath’s children would disagree.

I’m exceedingly grateful for the amazing literature such geniuses have given us. Their work has so enriched my life. But when I consider the personal cost to the writer, well….

I kind of feel like maybe I ought to go make some biscuits.

How about you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supporting Characters Rock

I posted recently about how to be your own leading lady/protagonist. But honestly, protagonists in real life can be overrated.

When choosing your friends, would you rather have someone single-mindedly dedicated to a goal, who will often stop at nothing to achieve it, or would you rather have someone supportive who doesn’t have to be the center of attention all the time?

Supporting characters are also sometimes a lot more fun to write. Unlike your protagonist, your supporting characters can start out awesome and stay awesome–they don’t require the character arc your main character does. For example, my agent, editor, and I are all unanimously giddy over Tig’s friend Robbie Chan in my new novel Tig Ripley: Rock’n’Roll Rebel. We all three agree that we want to be Robbie! I call Robbie “The Fonz” of the book because she’s ridiculously cool, fearless, and can do anything. She was so much fun to create…all I had to do is imagine how cool I could be if I were actually, you know, cool.

What do supporting characters tend to have in common? 

They’re quirky. These characters can be a bit overdrawn to make them more memorable. One of my favorite things when writing is choosing my supporting characters’ quirks. Quirky people are so much more interesting, don’t you think?
They tend to be a lot more settled. While protagonists are on a quest, supporting characters are often way chill. Couldn’t we all use a little more of that in real life?
They fulfill a need. Sometimes a supporting character serves as the conscience of the protagonist, or the sympathetic ear, or the Ethel to their Lucy. They are the kind of friend you wish you had or that you should strive to be.
They don’t need to be the center of attention. I don’t know about you, but in real life, I quickly tire of “look at me! pay attention to me!” people. Supporting characters are much less needy, and I love that about them.

Sure, sometimes in life you have to be your own leading lady/protagonist. But there’s a lot to be said for playing the part of the supporting character, too.

 

Teaching TIG

If you’re a middle school teacher looking for a new, fun, wholesome book for your reading list, I may just happen to know of one. Tig Ripley, Rock ‘n’ Roll Rebel will be available this September.

And to make your teaching life a little easier, here are some classroom activities based on Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Tig_TeachersGuide(1)

In the meantime, here’s hoping that all you teachers are currently enjoying a much-deserved restful summer break!

 

How to Be Your Own Leading Lady

It’s not surprising that women love the 2006 movie The Holiday. I liked it, too, but not for the obvious chick-flickness of it all. What I really loved was the old screenwriter who kept applying screenwriting techniques to real life. One scene that so many women adore is the dinner scene when the writer tells Kate Winslet’s character she should be the leading lady, not the best friend, in her own life. That sounds great, doesn’t it? But how do you do that?

Many years ago, when I was trying to find an agent to represent the book that became Brand-New Emily, I sent out queries. I got an email back from a big-time agent. He was interested, he said. Send him the manuscript, he said. Wow! According to my research, this guy had sold film rights for…well, let’s just say, a writer you may have heard of if you’ve been on this planet more than a few days. I could hardly believe he was taking the time to read my book!

Of course, he loved the book and took me on as a client and we made millions. Oh, wait. That isn’t quite right.

What really happened was that he sent me back a very nice, pithy email, thanking me for sending the manuscript, and saying he was sorry but he was going to pass on offering representation. I’ll never forget his words: “I prefer a feistier protagonist.”

If you want to survive as a writer, it’s very important to get past your ego and listen to what people in the business are telling you. This agent’s brief comment was a huge revelation for me. He was right! My protagonist was too passive.

And ultimately, that is what the screenwriter is telling Kate Winslet’s character in The Holiday. He tells her she needs to be the leading lady, but he stops short of telling her how to do it. So allow me to fill in the missing info.

Seven Ways to Be Your Own Leading Lady (Protagonist):

Make Things Happen. Protagonists do not sit around passively waiting for things to happen for them; they make things happen. Leading ladies don’t just wish for their dream job; they go after it. (Frequently, hilarity ensues, which sounds like a real-life bonus, doesn’t it?)
Be a Problem Solver. Protagonists don’t have time to sit around and whine about their fate (OK, maybe some do…cough cough Hamlet). They see an obstacle and they find a way around it.
Know why you’re doing what you’re doing. Protagonists want something. The whole story is about their pursuit of that something. But why do they want it? No fiction writer worth his/her salt leaves out why this something is so important to the character. If you want to be the leading lady, have not only a goal but a purpose for that goal. Know yourself.
Have stakes. You may have been pretty pumped up until this point. “Yeah!” you thought. “This leading lady business sounds awesome! I’m so in!” But protagonists always have something they might lose if they pursue their goal. To pick on poor Hamlet again, if he fulfills his heroic quest, there’s always the chance he’s really just lost his mind and is killing his uncle for no good reason. I mean, a ghost told him to commit homocide, for crying out loud. Let’s hope your quest is less gruesome, but you probably will have something to lose. For example, going after that dream job may mean leaving the dull but steady job you already have. Are you willing to go for it? Being the leading lady is not without price.
Be likable. All this talk about the unrelenting pursuit of goals sounds exciting, but what good is it to get what you want if no one can stand to be in the same room with you? Fiction writers try to make our protagonists compelling in some way, even if they aren’t likable. In real life, I would suggest that your compelling trait be something that makes people not hate your guts. This isn’t to say that everyone has to adore you, but for the purposes of real life, do try to hang onto the whole “decent human being” bit while pursuing your goal.
Be quirky. This is my favorite: as the leading lady, you get to be quirky! Protagonists all have something interesting about them that sets them apart from the pack. Quirks are a plus because they make the protagonist interesting. So embrace your quirks! Come on…in every romantic comedy, it’s always the weird thing that hooks the love interest, right? As the audience, we totally buy that the lead actor really loves her for her fervent devotion to her stamp collection and not merely because she’s hot. If only we could make that true in real life.
Grow and change. All good protagonists are undergoing a metamorphosis of some type. They’re growing as human beings. So if you want to be the leading lady, be open minded and be willing to expand your horizons.

There you have it. Here’s hoping the movie of your life lands you a great adventure…and maybe even a smokin’ hot love interest who loves you for your mind.

 

 

Making Book Gifts Super Fun

I’m the aunt who gives books.

It’s not always easy being the aunt who gives books. Because at birthday parties, when the nieces and nephews are opening every manner of shiny new toys, it’s not like the kiddos get crazy excited over unwrapping a book. Yes, I know that, later, when the house is quiet and the bells and whistles of show-stopping toys have taken a rest or become old hat, my gifts will create cozy memories of parent/child bonding that will live forever in memory. But in the heat of the party, in that frenzy of unwrapping, it’s hard to remember how special a book gift is. Sometimes I can almost hear the sad trombone playing wah-wah as my niece or nephew says, “It’s a book.”

That’s why I’ve come up with a plan.

No, I will not stop giving books! I am that aunt! But I’ve figured out a way to get in a few bells and whistles, too. I’ve started creating themed presents around a book.

Recently, I gave my three-year-old nephew I Don’t Want to Be a Frog along with a game related to frogs that introduces small children to principles of physics as they attempt to balance frogs on a log. Full disclosure: he seemed to like the Paw Patrol stuff other relatives gave him better, but is Paw Patrol teaching him physics? Huh? Huh? Actually, I have no idea. I’ve never seen Paw Patrol. Maybe they are. But you get my point. If that frog in the book had a TV show, my gift would’ve brought down the house, I’m sure.

I did a little better with my niece’s fifth birthday, which just happened to coincide with the tenth anniversary of Fancy Nancy. To say that this present was a hit would be an understatement.

Here’s what I did….

I individually wrapped several gifts relating to the book. As you might imagine, just the sight of all those gifts created eager anticipation.

On each gift was a small sticky note with a number on it. The numbers corresponded to sticky notes with numbers I’d placed inside the text of the book.

My niece and I sat together and read the book, and whenever she got to a sticky note with a number, she got to peel it off and open the present with the same number.

She ended up with quite a lot of loot.  A few days later, my sister-in-law texted to let me know that my adorable little niece was currently enjoying her ice cream with sprinkles in her new fancy parfait dish.

And so, literature comes alive! Not to mention that my niece needed sparkly sunglasses and a pink feather boa, because she is fabulous!

And so are books.

 

I Hope Your Life Would Make a Lousy Book

Often, when I tell people I’m a writer, their response is, “Oh, I’ve always wanted to write a book about my life.” Immediately, I feel sorry for them. (Then, when they inevitably ask if I’d write it for them, I feel sorry I for me, but that’s another blog for another day.)

My wish for you, dear reader, is that no one would ever want to read a book about your life.

Why would I say such a thing? Because in fiction or true-life narratives, there’s only one thing that’s interesting, and that thing is Trouble (note the capital T).

The other day I read an excerpt from Yeonmi Park’s memoir, In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl’s Journey to Freedom. Her life story makes a good memoir because it’s full of pain and suffering and horrors I can’t imagine, but if she’d had a choice, she probably would have preferred to have had a boring, wonderful life story instead of fodder for a great book.

Whenever I speak to school groups, I offer to make up a story about a kid in the audience. Lots of hands go up. I choose a volunteer. I make up a story where things go great, where nothing bad ever happens to the subject of my story. Then I ask the other kids if they want to read that book. “NOOOOOOO!!!!” they chorus. The only one who says yes is the student in the story. I offer to make the story interesting with lots of trouble, and everyone’s game except for the original student. See how it works? Your happy, perfect life is strictly Dullsville to everyone but you.

Therefore, I wish you a boring, lovely life that would make a lousy book. Trouble is awesome in storytelling, but in life, it’s overrated.

 

Are Fictional Characters Really Fictional?

I’m often asked whether the characters in my books are based on real people. The answer is no. And yes.

Writers are influenced by everything and everyone around them. Ideas come from any number of sources. When I create characters, oftentimes I am inspired by something about a particular person and then use that nugget of inspiration to flesh out a completely different character.

My novels draw inspiration from my experiences growing up, and most of them are in some way inspired by my experiences as teacher. There might be certain things about certain students I taught that I found interesting and later incorporated into my characters, but the characters remain completely fictional.

The other day at the airport, I ran into a woman who’d graduated from high school with me. I went over and said hello, which is kind of funny because in high school, I don’t think we ever spoke. She was cool and popular and I was…well, neither of those! I knew who she was but never had a class or a conversation with her. She was surprised when I told her that a character in my first novel, Brand-New Emily, owed something to her. This real-life person has a distinctive facial birthmark that was the envy of all the girls in our class, and I’d given a similar birthmark to a beautiful female character in Emily. When I told her about it, she said, Mean Girls style, “Why are you so obsessed with me?!” Then she called her lawyer to get a restraining order in place. Nah, I’m just kidding! She was really nice. I just wanted to show you how writers operate. Ha ha. See how I took that one real thing about her but made the rest up? That’s what I do…all the time.

The other day one of my daughters asked me if a new character of mine wore her hair in a braid. When she pictured the character, she explained, the character had a fishtail braid. Cool, I said. But does she have a braid or not? my daughter asked. I had to tell her I didn’t know. I’d never really thought about her hair at all! She was shocked that I didn’t have a clear picture of the character, but the truth is, I don’t really “see” the characters I create as if they’re acting out a movie in my head. Most of the time, I just have more of a feel for who they are.

And who they are may have a small part to do with a character trait, idiosyncrasy, or physical aspect of someone I know or have observed.

Or not.