Susan Henderson's Blog, page 9

Question of the Month: Intimidating People

Do you ever get intimidated by brilliant people? Tell me a story about it.

The one author I find truly intimidating is Terry Pratchett. Even before he was knighted, it seemed right to put the word Sir in front of his name. I just find his work—whether you're looking at it from a bird's eye view or sentence-by-sentence—to express more layers of wisdom, humor, and historical reference than I know how to juggle… and all of it without slowing down the plot.

I feel no jealousy toward Sir Pratchett; it's more of an awe of the unattainable. And this makes his current struggle with Alzheimer's all the more heartbreaking.  His open discussions about his disease, including his recent thoughts about assisted suicide, remind us that the window on his brilliant mind is closing, that we'll soon be holding his very last book.

Alzheimer's has struck close to home. My grandmother suffered from it even before her hair turned gray. And more recently, my first love's father brought his own struggle with it into public view, documenting his descent both in books and on NPR. Tom DeBaggio, who helped Francesco and me make that sinking raft in the photo up above, died last week. There's a very nice tribute to him by Melissa Block, and you can catch his earlier NPR pieces here: 1999, 2005, 2007, 2010.

I'll post one more photo of Fran with my brother and my "other brother," who, by the way, gets hung in the opening scene of TRUE GRIT. And maybe my point, if there is one, is that the people we admire, even if they are brilliant beyond our reach, are just as human. And the other thing is that many of the people we admire have no idea how important they are in our lives, and maybe we should start telling them. At the very least, we should eat more cake with our mouths wide open.

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In writing news, I've spent the past 40 days digging deep into the new book, and I'm beginning to dream of it, too. I'll wake up in the middle of the night with characters demanding that I write something down. I love this part of the process.

There've been some nice reviews and interviews lately: Robert Gray talked to me about UP FROM THE BLUE's readers over at Shelf Awareness, Meg Pokrass talked to me about mentors at Fictionaut Five, Williamsburg Regional Library blogged about my book here, Evanston Public Library blogged about it there, and then there were some really lovely print reviews for which I'm so grateful—Bill Duncan at The News-Review, Veena Sterling at the San Francisco Book Review, and Chuck Erion at The Waterloo Region Record in Ontario, Canada. Later this month, I'll be in San Diego, talking with the wonderful Amy Wallen, first at Sdwink and then at the Savory Salon. And how fun is this?! Very excited about my trip!

I'll end with a celebration of my friend, Robin Slick's book, DADDY LEFT ME ALONE WITH GOD, which is a roller-coaster ride full of rock stars, insecurities, and the terrifying task of guiding talented children through a golden, but potentially dangerous, opportunity. It's a book that will break and then rebuild your heart.

UP FROM THE BLUE's readers are featured in Shelf Awareness

I'm very honored to have had the chance to talk with Robert Gray of Shelf Awareness about my readers. Thanks for having a look!

Question of the Month: Public Speaking

What makes you the most nervous about public speaking? And what helps you get through?

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I've been doing speaking engagements all month–book clubs, a reading in Brooklyn (with the remarkable writers Jessica Anya Blau and Paula Bomer), and a panel at BookMania in Stuart, Florida.

My fellow panelists at BookMania: Elizabeth Berg (author of THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU and the Oprah Book Club selection, OPEN HOUSE), Joyce Maynard (author of THE GOOD DAUGHTERS and the movie-adapted novel, TO DIE FOR), Michael Morris (author of SLOW WAY HOME), and Martha McPhee (National Book Award finalist and author of DEAR MONEY).

The moderator asked the most engaging questions, and while my hands were shaking with nerves (I clasped them together under the table), I found I'm not as nervous when I think more about the other panelists and their answers than I do about me. I try to think of it as a conversation rather than a performance, and that helps a lot.

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In other news, UP FROM THE BLUE is in its 4th printing, and it's now in Costco…

And this photo is courtesy of the beautiful Kiwi screenwriter, Eileen-Rita Folwell, who snapped a shot in her local New Zealand bookstore…

Thank you to everyone who sent photos. I really appreciate them. And thank you to these wonderful people who reviewed UP FROM THE BLUE this month: The Fabulous Beekman Boys, Sarah-Kate Lynch in New Zealand Woman's Weekly, Nicky Pellegrino in the New Zealand Herald News, Marion at Cover Me Book Review, Laura de Leon at Booking It, Michele Harrod at GoodReads, Karen and Gerard at Grab a Book from Our Stack.

Two quick announcements before I go: Many good friends and cherished colleagues have books out now (or coming out soon) and I'll be putting together a shout-out over on FaceBook because I'm so proud of them. And on February 18th at B.B. King's (42nd Street, Times Square), my 9th grader will be performing Pink Floyd's The Wall with the School of Rock All-Stars. Oh, and The Today Show will be filming it!

Question of the Month: Discipline

Tell me what you plan to get disciplined about in the new year.

I recently took 40 days to concentrate on the new book. I didn't exactly lock myself away, but I kept my FaceBook, email, and online time to one hour each morning. And now I  have the entire new book mapped out—plot, themes, character arcs, and so on. I'm very happy with the shape of it and with what I expect will be the pace of it. (If you're a longtime visitor at LitPark, you'll know exactly why I'm concentrating so hard on the bones of the story before I let myself loose with the actual writing!)

The flip-side to my taking 40 days was that I tried to be equally disciplined with vacation time. Of course I still take assignments for reviews and essays and book clubs during my downtime—I'm not in a position to say no to many things—but I've put the book away for now and will not work on it again until my kids are back in school.

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Stuff to share: I have an essay over at BookReporter about the first book I was obsessed with (I mentioned this last month, but it didn't go live until Dec. 31, so I can finally give you the link). I answered some fascinating questions over at Julianna Baggott's blog, including ones about childhood, past jobs, and the publishing business.  I interviewed 9-time novelist Caroline Leavitt over at The Nervous Breakdown, where we talked about what a difference an attentive publisher makes, and of course we talked about her newest book, PICTURES OF YOU, which got a rave in Oprah's magazine. (Thank you, Early Word, for linking to it!) Also at The Nervous Breakdown, there's a podcast of me reading from UP FROM THE BLUE, and many thanks to the talented Megan DiLullo for adding the creative spark to it. There was an all-too generous quote by Tish Cohen in when they asked about her favorite read of the year. I seriously adore Tish and hope the good karma zooms right back to her. And last thing, later this month I'm going to West Palm Beach, Florida to participate in BookMania. I'll tell you all about it when I get back.

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Seems like it makes sense to finish up by sharing books given and received over the holidays. I like to pick out my own books, and I get about 20 unsolicited books a month from authors and publishers, so my friends know not to add to my pile. However, I still got one book from Mr. H—THE SELECTED POETRY OF RAINER MARIA RILKE—and I'm very, very happy about it. And my brother-in-law gave the whole family I SHALL WEAR MIDNIGHT by Sir Terry Pratchett, which is wonderful… and darker than the others in the Wee Free Men series. Mr. H is reading this aloud to us, a chapter each night, because he does the accents right.

These are the books I gave as gifts: CLEOPATRA: A LIFE, Stacy Schiff; DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE UGLY TRUTH, Jeff Kinney; CUTTING FOR STONE, Abraham Verghese; THE RISE OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT, Edmund Morris; A TALE DARK AND GRIMM, Adam Gidwitz; THE WARMTH OF OTHER SUNS: THE EPIC STORY OF AMERICA'S GREAT MIGRATION, Isabel Wilkerson; X'ED OUT, Charles Burns; and SCOTT PILGRIM, Bryan Lee O'Malley.

Feel free to share your own lists… and don't forget to answer to the Question of the Month. I want to hear what you're up to!

New Reviews for UP FROM THE BLUE

"Beautiful yet sad, funny yet unsettling, this is ultimately a story of hope and grace." —Seattle Woman magazine

"A beautifully written, compelling tale that is not to be missed." —Long Island Woman magazine

"This is a book that haunts you long after you turn the last page. The accuracy with which Henderson portrays a child's vulnerability not only makes you ache, it reminds you how beautiful and terrifying it is to be young." —The Globe and Mail

"Striking, sad, suspenseful." —NewPages

So grateful for the reviews and for these sites that listed UP FROM THE BLUE as one of their Best Books of 2010: Shelf Awareness, My Books My Life, Steph the BookWorm

Many thanks!

UP FROM THE BLUE makes the Top 10 of 2010!

Was doing errands all morning and came back to a flood of emails about my book making the Top 10 Books of 2010 list.

Up from the Blue by Susan Henderson (Harper Paperbacks). As I read this brilliant debut novel, I kept thinking that if I was still working on a bookstore sales floor, I could handsell a bunch (bookseller shorthand for dozens, maybe hundreds) of copies. "You have got to read this," I would say, like an incantation. –Robert Gray, Shelf Awareness

So grateful to everyone who blogged about the book or told a friend or posted a review on Amazon or gave it as a gift. Means more than you can know.

Question of the Month: Holiday Plans

Tell me about your holiday plans and a tradition you keep.

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I've been unusually busy writing essays this past month. I have one over at Powell's about young narrators in adult books, another at BookReporter about the book that turned me into an obsessive reader, another at The San Francisco Book Review about my first signing, another at BookClubGirl about a little boy who wanted magic powers for Christmas, and another at Backstory about, well, the backstory of my novel.

A few more links: I interviewed Renée Thompson here and Shawn Anderson here. And I am so appreciative of these new reviews of my book from Steph the Bookworm, Books and Cooks, By the Way, and Dory Adams' In This Light. I especially like the recommendation of my book on Julianna Baggott's site, where she simply says, "It's not what you think."

UP FROM THE BLUE is now available at Sears, Target, and Sam's Club, along with most bookstores… in case you're looking for a cheap holiday gift. And if you buy it from Amazon, let me encourage you to use Charles Shaughnessy's link, where it's the featured book, because a portion of the proceeds will benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Okay, looking forward to hearing about your holidays, so let the stories begin!

Question of the Month: Staying Positive

Before I get to my question, just a reminder to please VOTE tomorrow (Tuesday, November 2)!

My question this month concerns your reaction to negative reviews, or negative people, for that matter.

How do you keep them from crushing your confidence or your productivity? How do you keep their hatefulness from making you hateful, too?

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October was an exciting month. UP FROM THE BLUE is now in Target and was featured in The New York Times and NPR. I participated on a panel for National Reading Group Month, my essay was run on the back page of the San Francisco Book Review, and I was interviewed on BookClubGirl On-Air.

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But with more visibility comes more negativity, and I'll be writing about this over at The Nervous Breakdown right after my hiatus (more on that in a minute). If I borrow your ideas, I will certainly credit you and provide a link to your own web page… so speak up!

In the meantime, you can catch my TNB interview with Shawn Anderson, one of the most positive people I know. He inspires me, and I hope you'll check him out.

Oh, one last thing: I'm taking the entire month of November to work full-time on my next book. I won't be reading anything that's not research-related, and I am only allowing myself a half hour online each morning–that includes email. Okay, I'm hunkering down… see you in December!

Chuck Sambuchino

Last month, I wrote a guest column for Chuck Sambuchino's blog, A Guide to Literary Agents. My column was called, At What Point Can You Call Yourself a Writer? and it sparked a conversation I wanted to bring back to LitPark. So today I've brought Chuck here take a crack at answering that same question, and I hope all of you will chime in with your own thoughts.

Thanks, and here's Chuck!

When Can You Call Yourself a Writer?

This is an important question in every writer's life. At what moment in time can you actually refer to yourself as a writer? But even the very question itself is deceiving. It's deceiving because there are actually two questions here. The first is: When can you look in the mirror and call yourself a writer? The second is: When can you call yourself a writer in front of several complete strangers at a party?

When Can You Call Yourself a Writer in Private?

Now. Absolutely right now. Tell yourself in the mirror before you brush your teeth then again when you're driving home from work. Say it so many times you get exasperated looks from your spouse. Heck, get business cards printed, too. I remember reading somewhere that Robert De Niro will sometimes repeat his lines dozens of times before filming a scene, in an effort to make himself fully believe what he's saying. That's your goal: Say it, then say it again until you believe it.

When you call yourself a writer, it drives home the fact that this is real. It's serious. We're no longer talking about some vague ambition. You're a professional writer who is going to produce content, be that novels or nonfiction books or articles or whatever. Go ahead and say it right now: "I am a writer."

When Can You Call Yourself a Writer in Public?

Well now. This is a different matter altogether. I remember the first time I called myself a writer in public. I was 21. I was still in school, and my only writing credits up to that point were campus news articles and getting a few plays produced. But at that point in my life, I knew I would be a writer. My sister and I were in a mechanic's garage listening to some guy explain everything that was wrong with the family car. When the mechanic asked me what I did, I replied, "I'm a writer." My sister immediately snickered at the remark and even said, "…Nice." That was my first taste of how people react when I said my occupation out loud.

I can boil it down to this: You should not say, in public, that you're a writer until you are fully prepared to answer the question that will boomerang back you 10 times out of 10—and that question is: What do you write? I don't care if you are at a book party in Manhattan or a hole-in-the-wall bar in the Yukon. When you say you are a writer, they will always—always—ask "What do you write?" and then when you answer, they will follow that up with "Anything I might have read?"

The most important thing to remember when answering this question is to respond quickly and concisely. Even if your credits are insignificant, if you answer with clarity and speed, it conveys confidence.  Try this:

"What do you do?"

"I'm a writer."

"Oh, cool. What do you write?"

"Articles, mostly. Working on a novel."

"Articles—great. Anything I might have read?"

"Just some stuff for some online websites. Nothing major, but I'm working on it."

It isn't impressive, but it's confident. The writer is in control. It comes off poorly when, upon being asked what they write, a writer stammers incoherently, then answers the question by basically saying "I'm not really sure yet, and to tell you the truth, I may just have no clue altogether! Hahaha!" So if you don't feel like you can confidently answer the question, or are embarrassed to say aloud that you haven't been published, think twice before mentioning your writerly aspirations at a soiree.

The constant to both questions I raise here is confidence.  Tell yourself repeatedly that you're a writer to build up confidence and raise the stakes. Then, upon stating your occupation at a mechanic's garage or a Hollywood mansion, answer people's questions with confidence and come off like a professional.

(This column is a supplement to Susan Henderson's guest column on Chuck's blog addressing this same topic: At what point can you call yourself a writer?)

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Chuck Sambuchino is an editor and a writer. He works for Writer's Digest Books and edits GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS (guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog) as well as CHILDREN'S WRITER'S & ILLUSTRATOR'S MARKET.

His humor book, HOW TO SURVIVE A GARDEN GNOME ATTACK (gnomeattack.com), was released in Sept. 2010 and has been featured by Reader's Digest, AOL News, and The Huffington Post.

Besides that, he is a produced playwright, magazine freelancer, husband, cover band guitarist, chocolate chip cookie fiend, and owner of a flabby-yet-lovable dog named Graham.

Question of the Month: Cool People

Know some cool people we should hear about? It can be a neighbor, someone who inspires you from afar, an artist who deserves a shout-out, or anyone who's changed your life for the better.

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I've been busy traveling and doing readings, and it's been amazing to see so many of you along the way.

Thank you to all of you who came to readings, who blogged and tweeted about the book, who recommended it to book clubs, who reviewed it over at Amazon, and who participated in the amazing Up from the Blue e-Party. I can't even tell you how it moved me and what a difference it made to the life of this book.

Here are links to just a sampling of you cool people…

Jessica Keener at Confessions of a Hermit Crab, Robin Slick at In Her Own Write, Tish Cohen, Patry Francis at Simply Wait, Adrienne Crezo at AdrienneCrezo.com, Laura Benedict at Notes from the Handbasket, Billie Hinton at camera-obscura and mystic-lit, Ellen Meister at Side Dish, Tiffany Harkleroad at Tiffany's Bookshelf, Sarah Strand at Strand Update, Jennifer at Rundpinne, Carolyn Burns Bass at LitChat, Carol Fitzgerald at BookReporter, Meredith Gordon Resnick at The Writer's [Inner] Journey, Maureen Dempsey at Hybrid Mom, Jennifer Haupt at the One True Thing (Psychology Today) blog, Rebecca Rasmussen's at The Bird Sisters blog, Caroline Leavitt at Caroline Leavittville, Robin Antalek, Ben Opipari at Writers On Process, Chuck Sambuchino at the Guide to Literary Agents blog, and The Nervous Breakdown.

I'm grateful to all of you! Now tell me about some of the cool people in your life….