Ellyn Oaksmith's Blog, page 2

Books + Readers: Collaborating on a Book Launch.

She's promised the worlds hottest band for prom. Now all she has to do is find them.
There are few moments in life where one can pinpoint happiness. Usually it's spotted in a rear view mirror.  "Oh yeah, that was fun." Rarely does anyone recognize and instantly cherish joy.  Monday November 6th I had two hours of utter happiness. (Not to mention a lot of fun planning.) A friend offered her home for the book launch of my 4th book, my first young adult and LGBT novel. We invited 60 people. We baked, shopped and bought wine. People filled the house, chatting, laughing, connecting the dots. My half-baked plan not to imbibe until after my book chat went out the window in the first half hour. (Sake, I rationalized, looked like water.) After an hour I spoke to the remarkably diverse group. Earlier I joked with a friend who knows me as a confirmed public crier. "No tears. Not one. These people mean nothing to me." 

Within thirty second I was sniveling and weepy as I shared the backstory to Chasing Nirvana. How writing a character who was bullied and isolated for being gay brought back my own struggles with depression. Chasing Nirvana taught me that sometimes I'll write above my pay grade to reach deeper emotions without knowing it. Apparently I'm not to sharpest tool in the shed if it took four books to figure this out. My years as screenwriter made me think of myself as a detached but able crafts person. (Working on draft 22 of a studio screenplay can do that to a person.)

Everyone at the party, including people I didn't know, were so completely supportive, engaged and effusive. I couldn't have asked for a brighter beacon to sustain me as I stare at the computer at draft #9 of my work in progress, book 5, wondering if it's too late to start another career. Each of those people have accomplished tremendous things in their own lives and yet they stopped to share a celebration of one little book. One measly writer. 

People love a story. And the story of this party has a happy ending. We all had a wonderful time. And the book? It just hit its first best seller list. 
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Ellyn Oaksmith is the USA Today bestselling author of four books, including the upcoming Chasing Nirvana. She lives in Seattle with her family. ​

How did I bring Kurt Cobain back to Life in my New Novel ?

Once I decided that the main character in my new book, CHASING NIRVANA (click for the presale link) was obsessed with Kurt Cobain, I needed to know this man. I'm a Seattleite and lived in Seattle during Nirvana's epic rise but I my book doesn't focus on Cobain himself but the inspiration he offered a young, bullied gay girl growing up in 1993 in Aberdeen Washington. These days Aberdeen boasts a sign as you ride into town that says "Come as You Are," based on the popular song of their hometown hero. Back in the 1990's Cobain wasn't revered. He left town because small town America didn't welcome long-haired dope smoking loners who were interested in art, music and getting the hell out of town. 

It made perfect sense that a young gay girl would idealize Cobain, find solace in his lyrics and raw, emotional sound. Cobain said, "I'm not gay, although I wish I was just to piss off the homophobes." Although this was long before an 18 year girl could  cruised the internet to hear those exact words, my girl Fran hears hope in Cobain's music. She knows that "Smells Like Teen Spirit," is angry, ironic and sarcastic. She's trapped in the same high school hallways that Cobain and Kurt Novoselic roamed a mere ten years ago. 

Fran's epic quest is Quixotic. Although filled with self doubt in her ability to pull it off, she embarks on a road trip with friends to California to a Nirvana concert. Her plan is to sneak backstage and ask Kurt Cobain to play at prom. She's been hate-nominated for prom queen and in a true life twist, which happened in the 1990's in Mt. Vernon Washington, the PTSA at Fran's school organize an alternate prom. Although I can't tell you much more about Cobain in the book without major plot spoilers --- the best thing I found about exploring Cobain's personality was his sense of humor.  "I'd rather be dead than cool," is a man who understands the mythologizing of rock legends even as he was becoming one. He wanted to make music, laugh with his friends and have fun. Unlike the main character in my book Cobain didn't find his way out of the darkness. In the end it extinguished his fire far too soon.  Author

Ellyn Oaksmith is the USA Today bestselling author of four books, including the upcoming Chasing Nirvana. She lives in Seattle with her family. To win a Kindle Fire, join the Facebook Launch of Chasing Nirvana. 

Truly Scary Image: A Sick Writer Between Books

I'm not going to lie. In the last few weeks I have been in a frenzy of proof corrections and last minute editing of my new YA novel Chasing Nirvana. During all this I came down with a nasty, butt whipping cold. Not the achoo, excuse me kind of cold. This one is a 2 week headache kind of thing that makes my whole body feel like it's been in a rock tumbler. Instead of coming out polished, you come out chipped, exhausted and wishing your mommy wasn't 80 and you could be tucked under the covers and let someone else be the grown up. 

Lurking in the distance is my book launch party which will be a fun, grown up affair where I am expected to dress up, sign books and make a speech thanking everyone. Then all my guest will feel obligated to buy my book, which is completely awkward. Never one for Pampered Chef or Tupperware or candle or Arbonne parties or anything smacking of feeling obligated to buy something, I'm now asking all my friends to buy my book. So my speech will probably be something like "I don't care if you buy it or not." Mostly I'll be eager to drink because I won't allow myself a single drop until I've cleared the thank you speech hurdle. I'm a messy, ugly crier. The audience will be packed with people who love me and my writing. Even a few words in front of this crowd is terrifying. I'd be much happier in front of a classroom of caged, bored teens who've been forced at gunpoint to read my book. 

Up next is a re-write of Stealing Baby X. It's based on a true story of my Canadian Nana who stole a baby in 1927 or thereabouts. I've turned it into a parable of good and evil and also, hopefully, an action story with a great romance. We'll see. It needs a lot of work.  

If you want to buy a presale copy of Chasing Nirvana, click on the book cover.  

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A girl, a band and a dream. 
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Fran Worthy is just another girl trying to make it through senior year in Aberdeen, Washington. But it's 1993 and Fran is gay. Her comfortably off the radar life turns vividly public when a student nominates Fran for prom queen. When confronted by angry parents Fran refuses to back down, promising to deliver her hometown heroes in hopes of winning prom queen votes.

Fran heads out on a 24 hour road trip to Daly City, California with four friends, including her crush, who may or may not be gay. Their plan? To sneak backstage to ask Kurt Cobain and Nirvana to come home and play prom.

No problem. Unless something goes wrong. ​Ellyn Oaksmith is the USA Today bestselling author of the upcoming Chasing Nirvana (November 3, 2017) 50 Acts of Kindness and other books. She lives in Seattle.

Fridays with Mauri

Avenue of Mansions," 14th Avenue N, Capitol Hill, Seattle, 1906 Courtesy Lawton Gowey Kirkland Ferry in 1920 Photo: Bellevue Historical Society In post WWII Seattle, around 1946, a nine year old boy was dropped off by his mother early in the morning at the YMCA on 50th street in the University District. From there the boy boarded a YMCA bus with other children that took them to a ferry terminal at Madison Beach. The ferry sailed across Lake Washington to the Kirkland dock.  From Kirkland the children boarded another bus that drove them to the YMCA day camp at Juanita Beach. "We didn't know how to say Juanita," my dad tells me. "We pronounced the J."  "Our counselor was an older guy, white hair. Must have been about 40. He loved kids. He taught us songs and games. We had the greatest time. It was wonderful." 

My dad told me this story as we sat at a restaurant overlooking Market Street in Kirkland, the same road his nine year old self took to the then distant day camp. Up the hill from the restaurant is where my 80 year old father now visits his teenage grandchildren. While we watched lines of cars waiting to turn onto Juanita Drive my dad told me that as campers they swam, had picnics and played organized games. They also picked caterpillars off a strawberry field that belonged to a doctor who lived on Capital Hill, near my father's house, one of many enormous homes populated by large Catholic families. The doctor's home was a stately Capital Hill mansion. "The windows curved around the side of the house, so they bent the glass." In Juanita, my dad remembers dumping jars of caterpillars plucked from the strawberries. "We were paid by the jar." My dad winced. "We burned them." 

At that time the population of Seattle was about 550,000 people. My dad is eighty years old. He's seen the jet city turn into the tech city and has stories from every era. I feel lucky to share a small part of his memories.  Stay tuned for more. 

​Have a great weekend. Thanks for reading.


Volunteering at the Center for Wooden Boats on Lake Union 2016 ​Ellyn Oaksmith is Mauri Oaksmith's daughter. She is also the USA Today bestselling author of the upcoming Chasing Nirvana (November 3, 2017) 50 Acts of Kindness and other books. She lives in Seattle.

My Fictional Life

Chasing Nirvana is in the can. It's edited, designed, locked into a publishing date, on Amazon pre-sale and booked for a blog tour. All that's left is to pick out the wine for the launch party, plan some high school visits and mail a few paperbacks to magazines and newspapers. That sentence made me kind of sad. The book comes out November 3rd and has been an enormous part of my life. By the time publication rolls around, I'll be editing Stealing Baby X, my historical fiction novel.

I'm not a huge fan of people who call their novels their "babies." I have children. There are much harder to control than books. They rarely, if ever, progress in a reasonable narrative arc. Books are hopefully unpredictable. But they must make sense. Any parent of teens will enlighten you on the predictability of children: zero. Life plans? Ha!

Nonetheless, since I'm one year from becoming an official empty nester, there is something familiar about a book making its way in the world. Chasing Nirvana will get its first bad review. Someone will take exception to my portrayal of Aberdeen or teenagers or Nirvana. I once had a critic take me to task for mentioning Oprah too many times. I'd love to have a conversation with that person and explain why Oprah popped up in Family Secrets but that's not how reviews work. The review phase for a novelist is like sending a kid off to school knowing they're going to get beat up. Or at least scratched.

Critics criticize. It's their job title. Believe me, even if I don't read reviews, someone will bring it to my attention. A barista. A neighbor. They'll think they're doing me a favor. It's like being around someone whose favorite topic is highway fatalities.

Stealing Baby X will become the story I struggle with, talk about and finally shape into something I'm proud enough to send off. It's a wonderful, terrible process. I live with fictional people that are more real to me than some people I encounter every day. It's a weird life that is impossible to explain except to other writers. We bond over the imbalance of possibly enjoying our own company a little too much. So here's to the people who put up with us and the readers who enjoy our work. You're very kind and patient. Ellyn Oaksmith is the USA Today bestselling author of the upcoming Chasing Nirvana (November 3, 2017) 50 Acts of Kindness and other books. She lives in Seattle.

Chasing Nirvana Drops.

​I'm not cool. Ask my kids. But somehow I've written a coming of age story about sex, drugs and rock & roll. It's also about first love and friendship at that moment when the world feels upside down. This book is my:First YA (young adult) novel First LGBTQ novel First road trip novel     Early readers are loving it. An editor in New York wrote, "It reads like a John Hughes movie." John Hughes was a wonderful screenwriter and director. His credits include: "Sixteen Candles," "The Breakfast Club," "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" and "Uncle Buck." If you want to see an example of great American comedy directing and writing, watch all of them. Now.
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There is a character in Chasing Nirvana who is obsessed with movies. 
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CHASING NIRVANA
A girl, a band and a dream. And another girl. 

Fran Worthy is just another girl trying to make it through senior year in Aberdeen, Washington. But it's 1993 and Fran is gay. Her comfortably off the radar life turns vividly public when a student nominates Fran for prom queen. When confronted by angry parents Fran refuses to back down, promising to deliver her hometown heroes in hopes of winning prom queen votes.

Fran heads out on a 24 hour road trip to Daily City, California with four friends, including her crush who may or may not be gay. Their plan? To sneak backstage to ask Kurt Cobain and Nirvana to come home and play prom. No problem. Unless something goes wrong.
​Ellyn Oaksmith is the USA Today bestselling author of the upcoming Chasing Nirvana (November 3rd, 2017,) 50 Acts of Kindness and other books. She lives in Seattle.

The Total Eclipse is Totally Worth it. And then some.

Un-edited notes from the total eclipse: Deer ran past immediately before eclipse started. Rapidly grew cold. Birds nested. Shadows grew sharp and slick grey. Colder still. Sun crescent turned to short curve. Smaller and smaller until a diamond ring appeared. At total eclipse Mt. Adams disappeared and a rosy glow appeared over all the mountains. I held my husband's hand. There were a few tears. Mostly mine. It's growing warmer now. The birds came back and sang like it was morning.

Today, two days after the eclipse I want to see another one as soon as possible. It's an amazingly powerful, beautiful and surreal thing. Climbing out of the canyon to leave our little leafy, organized campsite, I couldn't believe how many people were camped in much more crowded, hot and dusty situations. Fields were sliced into sections and renting for up to $150 a spot. We paid $28 per night and although it took a year of planning and a lot of luck to grab a spot at Cove Palisades State Park. Hopefully with more luck and planning and opportunity, I'll be writing about the next one from a different location.
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Ellyn Oaksmith is the USA Today bestselling author of the upcoming Chasing Nirvana (Fall 2017,) 50 Acts of Kindness and other books. She lives in Seattle.

Solar Eclipse 2017 is Heating Up

Things are heating up here. A twist of luck enabled us to land a prime camp site surrounded by lilacs and tall leafy trees. We have free hot showers, plenty of water, canyon and mountain views, spectacular sunsets, nightly lectures and lectures from rangers and a solar physicist from NACAR.
Nearby is a nearby bumpy former potato field that Oregon State opened up as overflow camping. The field people wander into our campground to shower, seek shade and water and as I just heard one gentleman say, "feel homeless," compared to the camp dwellers. I offered cold drinks to two: an architect and chemical engineer from Grass Valley, Nevada.

The beaches at Lake Billy Chinook, once quiet, are packed. RV's squeeze off to the side of the road. Cars slowly drive into the campground, shimmering with heat. The space next to us, a handicapped site with a limit of 8 inexplicably swelled today to 11-13, possibly more. Rumor has it that the Parks Department auctioned off 14 sites for up to $3,000 for one night. Maybe we're next to one of them.

Today at the beach after kayaking, swimming and a picnic we gave our table to a San Francisco based couple who'd seen the last eclipse in Turkey. Everyone has an eclipse story even if it's just how they did or didn't score a camp site.

Relative peace remains despite the growing crowds. Sheriffs, firefighters and medics patrol the beaches and campgrounds, offering help to anyone with questions, keeping an eye out for a hint of fire or injury. Here at Crooked River campground yappy dogs are the worst threat so far.

Tomorrow morning is the big event. We're all ready and waiting.
​Ellyn Oaksmith is the USA Today bestselling author of the upcoming Chasing Nirvana (Fall 2017,) 50 Acts of Kindness and other books. She lives in Seattle.

Solar Eclipsing in Oregon

Greetings from The Cove Palisades State Park, Crooked River Camp ground. We've been here 3 days on day four of a ten day journey to see the eclipse. We expected this campground to be hot, crowded and possibly dusty. Instead its's like camping on a gorgeous orchard with every amenity (free, hot wonderful showers

Summer Gardening: Hope in a Jar

My mother is an excellent, world class gardener. I do my best. All through June and July I water the baskets in our tiny backyard that few people will ever see. We have food too: Stevia, arugula, strawberries the ants eat, tomatoes that are finally ripe. We have little space and in the best of times a short window of light for the tiny raised beds.

In August it all pays off. When people invite us over, I make bouquets like this one. Ten minutes spent snipping. Fifteen minutes in a creative frenzy jamming in one more bloom, burst of mint or tiny heart shaped strawberry. Although a host might not notice the bouquet in the rush of greeting and feeding guests, they will later. I will have shared something I enjoy. Mostly I've had a wonderful time in the garden and at my sink making a collage that brings August alive. Ellyn Oaksmith is the USA Today bestselling author of the upcoming Chasing Nirvana (Fall 2017,) 50 Acts of Kindness and other books. She lives in Seattle.