Betsy Lerner's Blog, page 6

Yes, It’s Going to Be a Long, Lonely Summer

Photo: goodreads

Remember, on the first day of school, you will be asked what your did on your summer vacation. I hope you’ve been writing. Honestly, I’m stalled out waiting for notes. I tried to jump back into a screenplay outline that feels dead on the vine in this post-Barbie landscape. Actually, Barbie has nothing to do with it. When do you declare a patient dead? DNR? Now that I’ve finished War & Peace, I’m determined to read a lot of really short books that also promise to change my life. I’m starting with Near to the Wild Heart by Clarice Lispector. So far, it’s brilliant. And she wrote it when she was 23. Fuck me dead.

What are you reading? What’s inspiring?

Is this My Beginning or is this the End (Part 2)

Are you there god, it’s me Betsy? I have big news: I finally finished War & Peace!! It took a full year of chipping away, plus the last three weeks in a more concentrated effort, but the fucker is under my belt and I can now happily go to my grave. Was it worth it? Yes. Top five books I’ve ever read. The sweep and intimacy of it will never leave me completely. Sentences I had to copy out for their beauty and precision. Now, I’m going to read four or five very short books.

How have you all been? If you’re out there, I’d love to know how the writing is coming along. I hope to check in a couple of times a week with reports of my first novel, which was sold to Grove Publishers! I want to capture all the agony in real time as I expose myself (not in the Louis CK mold) yet again to that particular pain of holding out all your hope in sentences and paragraphs that won’t set you free, AKA the publishing process. I’m very grateful to have sold my first novel, don’t get me wrong, but that doesn’t mean I can’t exercise my god-given right as a writer to moan about it every step of the way.

In other news, I’ve attempted to join the whack-a-mole community of book lovers on TikTok known as Booktok. You can find me @betsylerner if you’re curious. But do check out Booktok – it’s the wild west where you can find lots of passionate readers, book recommendations, everything from the sublime to the ridiculous, plus lots of people dancing.

Hope to hear from you. Love, Betsy

Is This My Beginning or Is This the End

Dear Beloved Readers of this blog: As some of you may know, I’ve been reading War and Peace since the summer and I’m only 600 pages in. I want to finish this book and a few others before I die. To that end, I’m going to go off social media and take a blogging hiatus. I will miss you dearly. I will really miss Harry Styles. Please keep writing every day if only to be reminded of how intensely pleasurable it is to commune with your demons, stare down your detractors, sacrifice your health and well-being, and make your own magic. Tolstoy or bust! Be good. Love, Betsy

It’s Easy to See Without Looking Too Far

So, fuckers, I finished a draft last night. I mean I still have to go through it all again ON PAPER, but I feel…close. I’ve now officially spent twice as much time revising as I did writing. I’ve been helped immeasurably by some incredibly astute readers and a fairy godmother who appeared in the form of an old friend and brilliant writer who supplied a close read when I needed it most. I am so humbled by this process and humility is not a strong suit.

Who are your readers?

CONTEST RESULTS: Bonnie has to win this one for best Cinderella story. Bobbie honorable mention for such a wonderful story that involved moi. And shout out to Mike for best stoner story. Full stop. (Bonnie send me your address to Thebridgeladies@gmail.com to receive your prize.. & thanks for all the stories.

Mama Said There’s Be Days Like This

CONEST – SEE RULES BELOW

I was in the office today and the phone rang.

Me: Hello, DCL Agency.

Caller: I have a kids’ book.

Me: Excuse me.

Caller: I write for kids and adults.

Me: Are looking for an agent.

Caller: Are you a publisher?

Me: No, we are an agency.

Caller: What’s that.

Me: It’s someone who can help you find a publisher.

Caller: You’re not a publisher?

Me: No.

Caller: How does it work?

Me: The best thing to do is go to our website and go to the agents’ page. You will see descriptions for all the agents and you can choose the one that sounds best for you.

Caller: That’s it?

Me: Well, then you send your work in and they will let you know if they want to take you on.

Caller: But you’re not a publisher.

Me: Right, I said, we’re not.

Caller: Okay, thank you.

Me: Good luck.

CONTEST: We used to get these calls all the time. Most people reach out with a little more information these days thanks to search engines. Do you remember the first time you reached out to a magazine, agent or publisher via query letter or call? The best story will get a free book of my choosing. Submissions open until Monday.

Praying for This Moment to Last

Coming to the end of yet another revision. The more you see the more you see. A few first readers commented that one of my major characters disappeared in the middle of the book. I made a map of where and when all the characters appeared and sure enough she had fallen into the grand canyon. It took a lot of rejiggering to get it right, and then another reader pointed our that there was still a hole. I found the errant flashback and popped in its rightful chronological place. It slid in easily with a few minor adjustments. The world may rest easy.

Writing or revising? What turns you on?

I’m Never Gonna Stop the Rain by Complaining

I’m on a massive self-improvement kick, which basically means I’m flossing.

What about you?

Looks Like Love Has Finally Found Me

Watching Philadelphia Story. Tracy (Katherine Hepburn) doesn’t want to be worshipped, she wants to be loved. Deeply loved. I’d be super happy with being worshipped. Adored. Envied. What is love but having to say you are sorry all the time. I believe in friendship, colleagues, compatriots, partners, holding hands, and saving seats. I believe in playing with the dog. I love letters and movies and parades and people watching. I love being miserable and I love being happy. I love getting older except that I hate getting old. Love is too unreliable. Put me on a pedestal any day.

What about you?

Hey Now Hey Now Don’t Dream It’s Over

Last night I dreamt that I called a very big deal editor and pitched a project on climate change. She said, I think it’s been done. A LOT. I said that it was a book about inside climate change. And she said, Good luck with that. Then I had another dream where an editor (who I hate in real life) tried to snub me at a party when a big celebrity entered the room and asked me to leave with her. Dr, Freud?

Do you interpret your dreams?

Credit: Freud Museum

I’ll Send You All My Love Every Day In a Letter

I just received a couple of really nice letters about the Bridge Ladies all this time later. I can’t tell you how good it makes me feel to know that someone is out there reading the book and liked it enough to reach out. When I wrote the Bridge Ladies, I was anxious that it might be too Jewish. When I asked my mother about it, she said, “Is Angela’s Ashes too Irish?” That was all I needed to hear and leaned into the insular Jewish lives of my bridge ladies. So it’s especially gratifying when someone mentions that they’re Italian or Episcopalian and related to the story. I’ve always believed that every story is universal is you find the details. I don’t believe in god, but I believe god is in the details.

Have you ever written a fan letter to an author? Spill!