Claude Forthomme's Blog, page 29
June 6, 2014
Real/Unreal, No Limits to Artists' Imagination
I came across these amazing works of art/installations presented on Impaker - none of them photo-shopped. They're the real stuff. For example:
A "meat painting" by Victoria Reynolds (steaks like you've never seen them):
A shaken piece of furniture by Ferruccio Laviani (what "good vibrations" will do!)
A giraffe in a fabled palace, placed there by Karen Knorr (all across France):
And there's much more from where these came from, at Impakter, click here.
A "meat painting" by Victoria Reynolds (steaks like you've never seen them):
A shaken piece of furniture by Ferruccio Laviani (what "good vibrations" will do!)
A giraffe in a fabled palace, placed there by Karen Knorr (all across France):
And there's much more from where these came from, at Impakter, click here.
June 5, 2014
What's Wrong with Google's Semantic Search and Amazon's Bestseller Lists?
What's wrong with social media? A lot, and most of the time, we're not aware of it. We are so deep into our digital life that we don't notice what's going on. Yet, willy-nilly, our "likes" and "dislikes" are shaped by machines that "think" in a binary mode...Here I'll focus on Google and Amazon's search systems but much the same can be said of how prominence is given to items on Facebook or Linked In. All major social media are driven by algorithms that rank items by number of hits.
I plead guilty: I'm simplifying a lot and I won't go into the technicalities, but please bear with me. I want to get to the principle at the heart of all those systems. And the principle is incredibly simple: the higher the number of "hits", the higher the ranking.
Now "hits" can be driven by many things, and Google has tried to give a different "weight" to different things.
What things? In Google's world it can be summarized in one word "authorship". If someone who's an "important author", i.e. considered an "expert" in his or her field (whatever that might be and however defined - which, incidentally, further complicates the matter), then a "plus" from that person on Google+ counts for more than from someone who doesn't rank as an author, or at least doesn't rank as high. The concept of "semantic search" is a further refinement that allows Google computers to take into account your past search history that expresses your interests and thus put them and you in context, ensuring more relevant answers to your questions...
But all that is based on an assumption that you search for what you are interested in.
And that, in itself, could be a dangerous assumption to make. For example, it's all "off" in the case of fiction writers like myself: I will search for things the characters in my novels are interested in, but that doesn't mean I am! And I assume that's even more true of a crime writer searching for the specifications of guns and other firearms: presumably, it doesn't indicate at all that he's in the market to buy a weapon...Also, you could be deeply interested in something today and not give a damn about it tomorrow.
Personally, I love to play games with Google and look for the most unlikely stuff. Their computers probably think I'm off my rocker...
Now take a look at Amazon, the situation is very similar.
Though Amazon has never described its ranking system, one suspects it too is driven by some variant of the "authorship" concept - things like popularity, number of customer reviews and the "star" average resulting from all reviews. For example, a product with a straight 5-star review average resulting from over 50 reviews will obviously "weigh" more than one with a 4-star review average resulting from less than 50 reviews etc It can get quite complicated, but it's nothing that a good computer algorithm can't handle.
All this means that if you search for something - anything, from a bicycle on Google to a book on Amazon - the top returns will be those that got the highest number of "hits".
Read that sentence again.
See what I mean?
Personally, I am terrified. Because it means that there's no choice or decision-making criteria at work here. No evidence of any quality evaluation carried out by anyone. No sign that this is a product floating to the top because it is "better".
No.
What we have here is a classic "snowball" effect. The more votes something gets, the more votes it accumulates. It's a vicious circle, and a very vicious one indeed.
What's on top of searches - whether Google's or Amazon's or for that matter, what is "popular" and "liked" on Facebook - is not necessarily "the best". Some very good stuff could have been by-passed, ignored, forgotten.
Why? Sheer bad luck, lack of "good marketing". Yes, if you throw a lot of money at something and "force" it up the ranks, at some point it will start to float up by itself. Or maybe it won't. Because luck also has its place here and can destroy the marketing strategies of the savviest marketeers.
Conclusion: we know that a number of good, valuable products will always stay "at the bottom". That's in the nature of algorithms based on number of "hits" - no matter how you try to give weight to some aspects, like popularity or authorship.
That "giving weight" is inevitably a simplification - it's never a thoughtful in-depth evaluation of a product - or, what interests me as a writer, a book. Hey, this is a "binary" world!
You're in (value=1) or out (value=0).
Is our cultural life really down to two numbers, zero and one?
Joseph Pulitzer, the "father" of the PrizeNow, the traditional publishing industry has for a long time used a complex system of literary evaluation - it works on multiple levels, ranging from expert opinions/reviews of books published in specialized magazines like Granta and the New Yorker to articles reviewing books in the mainstream media like the UK Guardian and the New York Times to high-level literary competitions like the Man Booker Prize or the Pulitzer. And all those systems are linked and interact: when someone wins the Pulitzer, the news reverberate through the media - with a snowball effect.
Not the same snowball effect you find on Amazon when a book title hits the top 100 sellers. That list is driven by sales, not by expert opinion. Computer algorithms simply record that, based on the number of copies sold, you're in that list...or out. It says nothing about book quality.
Now this is a number-driven system that indie writers - those who've had the guts and bravery to self-publish - are ignoring at their peril. Because when you self-publish, you hand your books over to the search systems of Amazon and Google (and similar on Internet). You don't have access to the traditional publishing world and its complex system of literary evaluation. Your writer's blog and your books are driven by algorithms rather than in-depth, quality evaluations. And the numbers can easily go against you - at the end of the day, it's largely a matter of luck. Of course, book marketing can help counteract the onslaught of cold numbers, but not always and only up to a point.
Let me repeat: it's largely a matter of luck.
And that means only one thing: the digital revolution has connected us all very closely, closer than ever before in human History, but it has also injected a "binary numbering" system between us that is not the equivalent of serious discussion and quality evaluation. A lot of good stuff sinks out of sight on both Google and Amazon. And of course on Facebook and other media.
The binary system drives the content that is noticed, popular and talked about.
The binary system impoverishes our intellectual and cultural life. The digital revolution has spawned off the binary society.
You're either in or out. No two ways about it.
Your views?
PS. This is not in praise of the Pulitzer or Man Booker, far from it. Such literary competitions have their own drawbacks as brilliantly depicted in the novel I'm currently reading "Lost for Words" by Edward St. Aubyn. Let me quote just one very appropriate sentence:
"Everybody thinks they understand the joke of reality TV, but the real joke is that there is no other reality! There can be no civilization because we are living in the desert of the Real. All our experience has been mediated by a system whose tyranny is precisely that no one controls it. Its tyranny is the absence of the tyrant..."
Yes, and the "absence" is filled by Google's algorithms ceaselessly at work...So we may not really have the "tyrants" - for example, the gatekeepers of "taste" and culture found in traditional publishing - but we do have the binary numbers to guide us!
The Brunn-bodied Cadillac belonging to Joseph Pulitzer's son...Those were the days!
Related articles
Don't Overthink Semantic Markup - 5 Basic Types To Adopt First(searchengineland.com)
Search Marketers Need to Evolve: Google is Rewarding Marketing Strategists(moz.com)
Authorship and AuthorRank in the Post Panda SEO Landscape(covario.com)
June 3, 2014
The United Nations: It's Not What You Think...
Sharing with you another article I wrote for Impakter, under my own name (Claude Forthomme) and if you wonder why I did, it's because I spent a lifetime working for the United Nations, starting at the lowest possble echelon and ending as Director for Europe. After 25 years of service, I do think I know something about it, and here is my first article (many more to follow):
Sorry to disappoint, but the UN is neither. Not a beast, not a dream utopia.
Too often in the news the UN is reported as if it acts autonomously, as if it is solely responsible for waging war, building peace, providing emergency aid or development. It is involved in doing all this but it does so only at the behest and command of member nations – never on its own.
A UN military mission cannot exist without full approval from the UN Security Council made up of representatives from member countries. The mission itself is made up of soldiers on loan from member countries. Every delegate sitting around the Council table is an ambassador from his own country and is casting a vote on behalf of his own government. The UN hasn’t got an army.
The only people who actually work independently for the United Nations are those in...
To read the rest, click here.
June 1, 2014
Is Google Plus on its Way Out?
I just published one of my articles on a new cool magazine, Impakter. Here's the opening:
The geeks are convinced of it, Google is about to snuff out Google Plus. The younger generations, the Millenials in particular, consider Google+ a social media disaster. Something totally useless, even laughable. A month ago, Google Plus’ founding father, Vic Gundotra, resigned and rumors were that Google+ staff was being relocated, possibly to the Android platform.
Does that spell the end for Google+?
A lot of people in the blogosphere think so. Tech Crunch is convinced of it...
To read the rest, click here.
May 29, 2014
What's Life Like When You're a Writer Married to a Writer? To Find Out, Rome Calls Chattanooga, choo-choo!
Couples engaged in the same occupation are rare and don’t always have a happy life together. It may be harder for writers than for other artists to achieve serenity in their life as a couple – perhaps because writers are more given to analyzing their feelings and expressing them into words. That can easily turn into a source of friction as famously happened with Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre, when she wrote
The Mandarins
, a barely concealed critique of Sartre and his group of existentialists whom she felt had cut her out.
Marsha Roberts, author of the best-selling Confessions of an Instinctively Mutinous Baby Boomer and...
...Bob Rector!
His recently published book, Unthinkable Consequences , is steadily climbing the ranks of romantic suspense novels, are definitely an exception: I know from reading “Confessions” that they are very close to each other and have always been, including now that they are suddenly finding themselves in the situation of writers married to each other.
Yet, before they met, they had pursued completely different career paths. Bob had been into musical video production, documentaries and script writing. Marsha started as an operating room nurse but quickly became restless for adventure. She began to travel, using part time nursing to support her habit, and met Bob at the end of one of her journeys. He was directing the feature film, “Don't Change My World” at the time. She immediately became fascinated by the filmmaking process and became Bob's right-hand-gal for years. She worked herself up to the position of Producer which culminated in the production of Letters from the Front, a most unusual and arresting play written and directed by Bob, which toured the world with great success for 15 years. Today, I am honored to interview them: Rome calls Chattanooga, choo-choo!
Yes, I live in Rome and they live in America and we have never met anywhere else but on the Net. I see this as a unique opportunity to find out how Marsha and Bob have moved from a situation where he was the artist and she was the business manager to the present one where they are both writers.
Claude: Marsha and Bob, this is a question for both of you: for the first time in your life, you find yourself in the same line of work, writing books. And pardon my curiosity, how do you get along? Do you help each other? Do you avoid each other?
Marsha: I can't help but laugh when I read this question, Claude! We get along (as Forest Gump said) “Like two peas in a pod.” We are always there for each other and it would never occur to me to avoid Bob. He's too delightful to avoid!
Bob: We've always enjoyed working together. I think we bring out the best in each other. Traditionally, I've always been the writer, but Marsha has developed, through our mutual work, keen storytelling skills that I learned to respect. Marsha neglected to point out that for years she was an accomplished film editor and, as one of my blog posts points out, nothing develops story telling abilities like hours spent at the editing table.
Claude: Marsha, you told me that you are producing an audio version of your book. From your own life as a theater producer, you knew actors and I’m sure Bob, with his long experience in video production, could also help. How did that work out?
Marsha: First off, it was a delight to have Della Cole read my book. She starred in Letters from the Front for years and is also a dear friend. She is a top voice talent and she knew many of my stories from first hand experience. She also runs one of the top acting schools in the southeast, YourAct. The tricky part was in post production and, frankly, Bob saved my... well, he saved the project! He is a fantastic editor and finished the audiobook in style. It will be available through Amazon soon and I'm really excited about it!
Claude: I'm looking forward to hearing it! Bob, your book came out a couple of years later than Marsha's and you had ample opportunity to observe her working at book promotion. Were you able to profit from her experience?
Bob: Unthinkable Consequenceswas a project that simmered on the back burner for a couple of decades. Marsha's success with publishing and promoting her book was what convinced me to finally finish mine and publish it. By that time Marsha was already plugged into social media and I benefited from her experience.
Claude: I’d like to know how you organize your working life and whether you have advice for other writers: how much time do you devote to creative writing, how much to book promotion?
Marsha: I wish I could say I've found all of the answers in how to time manage promotion and writing, but I haven't. I'm still trying to wrangle the beast of marketing my book without it taking up every minute of every day.
Bob: We have both tried various approaches with e-marketing our books, some with success, and some without. It's a tedious and sometimes frustrating process because it's all new. And most of us at this point are making it up as we go along.
Claude: I am asking because book promotion in my own life is interfering with my writing, sometimes much more heavily than I would like. Do you ever feel any frustration, any desire to shut down the Internet?
Bob: I can answer that with two words: hell yes! But Marsha and I are in this for the long haul and we certainly know about long haul projects. Ultimately we're going to have to develop our own methods for marketing, just as we have in the past. How much the internet will be a part of that is still a question, but I firmly believe you should use all resources that benefit you in achieving your goals.
Marsha: Well said, Bob. I'd like to add that about a year ago I begin a process of trying to discern which activities on the internet were helpful and which were just time wasters. And I'm speaking here about the bottom line: selling books. Social media can give you the impression you are getting a lot done because you are posting and tweeting and sharing and it's all so busy, busy, busy! At the end of the day, does it sell books? If so, I continue to do it. If not, I move on. But, do I have time for writing? Not much.
Claude: Same here! I’d like to probe a little deeper into your working life as a couple, if I may. Do you discuss book ideas together? Do you read each other’s drafts and critique them? Do you even listen to each other’s advice and act on it (grin)?
Marsha: As Bob mentioned earlier, we enjoy working together and collaborate very well. Yes, we read each other's drafts and critique them. I can say without hesitation that my Mutinous Boomer book would not have taken the shape and form it did without Bob's input. We always listen to each other's advice and usually take that advice because we are working on such a level of trust. However, occasionally one of us will feel passionately about what we've written and the author always has the choice to keep it as is.
Bob: From the beginning of our relationship we had to learn to work together as pros first and a couple second. I did not want Marsha branded as 'the director's girlfriend' as the reason she was in the business. So I was very tough on her, tougher than I would have been on an employee, but she understood why and simply upped her game until she became well-respected within the business and us being a couple was no longer an issue. We still work that way and never allow personalities to get in the way. Our goal is to produce the best work we can. And neither of us has much tolerance for people who don't operate on this professional level.
Claude: I don't either! And it is natural of course for the two of you to collaborate. But are there things you would never do together?
Bob: I won't eat tofu with her. Marsha won't join me in spitting, belching and farting, but other than that, we both enjoy football and baseball, the great outdoors, time with our kids (grown!) and consuming adult beverages, preferably in exotic locations.
Marsha: Ha! True that! I'd say the only professional area that we operate separately is that Bob is a whiz with the computer and manages all our tech “stuff” and graphics. But, when it comes to making a call on a potential client or sponsor, it's me who walks through the door. Bob would hate it just as much as I hate dealing with computers!
Bob: That's because Marsha is like Sara Lee, nobody doesn't like her!
Claude: I’d like to know what writers have influenced you the most and why. Marsha, you wrote what is basically a memoir yet with a totally new twist – giving us an extraordinary sense of life seen from an unshakeable optimistic standpoint. Did you believe you were into something entirely different from anything you’d ever read or did you have a model in mind?
Marsha: Thank you, Claude, for those kind words about my book. Besides novels, I've always read books that teach about how to grow spiritually, everyone from Dr. Wayne Dyer to Deepak Chopra to the great Granddaddy of them all, Norman Vincent Peale. The Power of Positive Thinking is real and is a real force in my life. However, I had a different and more personal story to tell than a how-to type of book. Mine is very conversational in approach (quite female!) and, no I didn't really think about doing something entirely different. I was just telling my story as honestly as I could.
Claude: How did the word “parable” end up in the title? Was that your thought from the beginning or was “Confessions” the main idea? And I'm curious, will there be a follow-up to your “Confessions” or something totally different? I expect you still have a lot of confessions up your sleeve!
Marsha: My book started as The Parable of the Tomato Plant and as it grew into something bigger, it just didn't seem right to remove it from the title. My original idea was a series of vignettes that illustrated how spiritual lessons are part of our daily lives, if we take a moment to see them. When Bob read my first draft, he loved the stories, but he said he thought it would leave the reader frustrated because I had introduced so many interesting characters, but had not completed their stories as I moved on to the next vignette. It was then that the organization of my book took shape and “Confessions” AND “Mutinous”seemed appropriate! And, yes, I do believe I have another Mutinous Boomer book in me, but not just yet...
Claude: Any plans other than writing yourself, like reviving Letters from the Front? I’ve only read it but I’ve enjoyed it immensely, it’s a great play and I’d love to see it produced again. In our world tired of wars, that’s exactly the kind of play that needs to be seen.
Marsha: The reason I said I wasn't concentrating on writing another book just yet is that we have decided that it is time for Letters from the Front to be out touring military bases again and we intend to make that happen. Our audiences always described it as “from the heart” and “healing” as well as “incredibly entertaining!” With so many of our troops returning home after multiple deployments, they need something as positive and encouraging as Letters from the Frontand we intend to be there for them and their families. We miss them and we miss the show.
Claude: Bob, you’re an incredibly versatile artist, from music videos to cartoons that you have drawn yourself – yes , I’ve seen your remarkable and very funny cartoon. I can't resist inserting it here:
(or you can watch it by clicking here) And of course, you've done film scripts and theater plays, and now a romance that is also a fantastic page-turner, it’s so fast-paced. The dialogues are superb which is of course what one would expect coming from a talented playwright like you. What writers, or should I say artists, do you consider as models to follow in your widely diverse endeavors?
Bob: The storyteller who has without a doubt had the greatest influence on me is Walt Disney. He understood character and plot construction and the workings of the human heart better than anybody. And of course he was a master showman. As for writing, from books with great scope and adventure I think Hammond Innes is probably the best and certainly influenced writers like Clive Cussler and Ken Follett. In the genre I've written in, Dashiell Hammett is the acknowledged master, followed by Earle Stanley Gardner and later by John D. MacDonald, who is my personal favorite.
Claude: I know that you feel like playwriting is not “fully appreciated” in the writing world – though I beg to disagree, I love playwrights and consider some of them as the greatest writers ever, from Shakespeare to Arthur Miller. I’ve been wondering why you feel that way. Have you had a particularly disappointing experience in the theater world and is that why you’re into novel-writing now?
Bob: That's a complicated question and definitely hits a nerve. As you know, most of my background was in the world of films. So when I stumbled into the world of theatre, I was surprised at how ego driven it was and the amount of snobbery that was prevalent. Particularly towards someone who had not “played by the rules.” But since Marsha and I produced this play ourselves, we could basically tell everybody to go to hell, and did. The fact that our show was so successful only ostracized us further from the theatre establishment. So I was a little put off when I first joined ASMSG that playwrights were not included. As for writing Unthinkable Consequences, it was a project I'd tinkered with for years and finally decided to complete, but not because of my experiences in theatre. I just wanted to finally get it done.
Marsha: I'd like to interject something here, Claude. It would be difficult to describe to someone who hasn't experienced it the incredible impact that Letters from the Front has on its audiences. Why? Bob Rector. How he walks the audience into the lives and hearts of the characters is no less than genius, and I'm not exaggerating when I use that word. I've never been more proud of Bob than when the curtain went up hundreds of times to audiences that could only respond with standing ovations.
Bob: Okay, lets all sing together now: We belong to a mutual admiration society, my baby and me. Before we move on, Claude, I'd like to say something about playwriting that the painter side of you will appreciate. You are familiar with the challenge of painting with a limited palette. Playwriting is very similar in that you virtually have nothing more to work with than dialogue to develop characters and advance the story. I encourage all writers to try writing a play at some point because it will hone their storytelling skills in ways that will only benefit their novel writing.
Claude: I agree, good dialogue is key and writing a play is the way to hone that skill. Do you plan on a sequel to Unthinkable Consequences or are you ready to write something entirely new?
Bob: I have no plans for a sequel and very little interest. I've told the story, it's finished, and so am I. As for other projects spinning around in my mind, I'd have to live to be 500 years old to do them all.
Claude: I know what you mean, but I hope we'll soon see another one of your projects! Bob and Marsha, there is one thing that brings you together now, the world of indies and self-publishing: you’re both self-published authors. How do you feel about the world of indies, would you do it again or would you seek a traditional publisher for your next book?
Marsha: No question about it, I would self publish again and I will. Why? The big publishers are primarily interested in putting their money and time into established authors. I have seen quite a few indie author friends I've grown to know on the internet to get publishing deals. They end up working just as hard as the rest of us, marketing their books and trying to sell them, but splitting the sales with an agent and a publisher who are doing virtually nothing to promote them. This isn't an easy path. We are on the forefront here – the beginning of the way it will be done from here on. I'm glad to be in on the ground floor.
Bob: Marsha's right. This is a ground floor opportunity and that makes it both exciting and frustrating. There's lots of very talented and energetic people involved and I am inspired by them, and have made lots of friends. Who knows how the world of indie publishing will eventually shake out, but I know I want to be a part of it and maybe in some small way, help make the baby grow.
Claude: I'm sure you can help "make the baby grow" but like any parenthood, it is frustrating at times! Thanks so much for responding to all my questions. Just a last one before we close, and I take the inspiration for it from one of the author interviews you did, Bob: if money was no object, what would you do with your life beside write?
Marsha: Money no object? I love that question! I would have a home on Lake Como, be able to travel to wherever I wanted, make sure my sons had what they needed to pursue their dreams and insure that Letters from the Front was entertaining the troops and their families (and veterans!) for a long, long time. Besides that? I'd have clothes designed just for me, I'd have.... I guess you get the picture. I'm ALL about enjoying life!
Bob: We have known so many people who look at life as a contest that must be won. Marsha and I look at life as an adventure that must be lived. So if money was no object, I'd spend as much time as possible with Marsha at Lake Como and we'd make ourselves real nuisances dropping in on you and Giuseppe and drinking up as much of your wine as possible. Other than that, as Marsha said, just enjoy life and spend as much time with our family as possible. And many thanks to you Claude for your valuable help as a beta reader on Unthinkable Consequences. You definitely helped me shape it into a much better book. We enjoyed doing this interview with you and wish you every success with the launch of your Forever Young series.
Claude: Many thanks to you both, and Giuseppe and I are looking forward to drinking our Lake Trasimeno wine with you next time you come to Europe!
Bob and Marsha in Pompei, looking happy...not yet Lake Como!
Marsha Roberts, author of the best-selling Confessions of an Instinctively Mutinous Baby Boomer and...
...Bob Rector!
His recently published book, Unthinkable Consequences , is steadily climbing the ranks of romantic suspense novels, are definitely an exception: I know from reading “Confessions” that they are very close to each other and have always been, including now that they are suddenly finding themselves in the situation of writers married to each other.
Yet, before they met, they had pursued completely different career paths. Bob had been into musical video production, documentaries and script writing. Marsha started as an operating room nurse but quickly became restless for adventure. She began to travel, using part time nursing to support her habit, and met Bob at the end of one of her journeys. He was directing the feature film, “Don't Change My World” at the time. She immediately became fascinated by the filmmaking process and became Bob's right-hand-gal for years. She worked herself up to the position of Producer which culminated in the production of Letters from the Front, a most unusual and arresting play written and directed by Bob, which toured the world with great success for 15 years. Today, I am honored to interview them: Rome calls Chattanooga, choo-choo!
Yes, I live in Rome and they live in America and we have never met anywhere else but on the Net. I see this as a unique opportunity to find out how Marsha and Bob have moved from a situation where he was the artist and she was the business manager to the present one where they are both writers.
Claude: Marsha and Bob, this is a question for both of you: for the first time in your life, you find yourself in the same line of work, writing books. And pardon my curiosity, how do you get along? Do you help each other? Do you avoid each other?
Marsha: I can't help but laugh when I read this question, Claude! We get along (as Forest Gump said) “Like two peas in a pod.” We are always there for each other and it would never occur to me to avoid Bob. He's too delightful to avoid!
Bob: We've always enjoyed working together. I think we bring out the best in each other. Traditionally, I've always been the writer, but Marsha has developed, through our mutual work, keen storytelling skills that I learned to respect. Marsha neglected to point out that for years she was an accomplished film editor and, as one of my blog posts points out, nothing develops story telling abilities like hours spent at the editing table.
Claude: Marsha, you told me that you are producing an audio version of your book. From your own life as a theater producer, you knew actors and I’m sure Bob, with his long experience in video production, could also help. How did that work out?
Marsha: First off, it was a delight to have Della Cole read my book. She starred in Letters from the Front for years and is also a dear friend. She is a top voice talent and she knew many of my stories from first hand experience. She also runs one of the top acting schools in the southeast, YourAct. The tricky part was in post production and, frankly, Bob saved my... well, he saved the project! He is a fantastic editor and finished the audiobook in style. It will be available through Amazon soon and I'm really excited about it!Claude: I'm looking forward to hearing it! Bob, your book came out a couple of years later than Marsha's and you had ample opportunity to observe her working at book promotion. Were you able to profit from her experience?
Bob: Unthinkable Consequenceswas a project that simmered on the back burner for a couple of decades. Marsha's success with publishing and promoting her book was what convinced me to finally finish mine and publish it. By that time Marsha was already plugged into social media and I benefited from her experience.
Claude: I’d like to know how you organize your working life and whether you have advice for other writers: how much time do you devote to creative writing, how much to book promotion?
Marsha: I wish I could say I've found all of the answers in how to time manage promotion and writing, but I haven't. I'm still trying to wrangle the beast of marketing my book without it taking up every minute of every day.
Bob: We have both tried various approaches with e-marketing our books, some with success, and some without. It's a tedious and sometimes frustrating process because it's all new. And most of us at this point are making it up as we go along.
Claude: I am asking because book promotion in my own life is interfering with my writing, sometimes much more heavily than I would like. Do you ever feel any frustration, any desire to shut down the Internet?
Bob: I can answer that with two words: hell yes! But Marsha and I are in this for the long haul and we certainly know about long haul projects. Ultimately we're going to have to develop our own methods for marketing, just as we have in the past. How much the internet will be a part of that is still a question, but I firmly believe you should use all resources that benefit you in achieving your goals.
Marsha: Well said, Bob. I'd like to add that about a year ago I begin a process of trying to discern which activities on the internet were helpful and which were just time wasters. And I'm speaking here about the bottom line: selling books. Social media can give you the impression you are getting a lot done because you are posting and tweeting and sharing and it's all so busy, busy, busy! At the end of the day, does it sell books? If so, I continue to do it. If not, I move on. But, do I have time for writing? Not much.
Claude: Same here! I’d like to probe a little deeper into your working life as a couple, if I may. Do you discuss book ideas together? Do you read each other’s drafts and critique them? Do you even listen to each other’s advice and act on it (grin)?
Marsha: As Bob mentioned earlier, we enjoy working together and collaborate very well. Yes, we read each other's drafts and critique them. I can say without hesitation that my Mutinous Boomer book would not have taken the shape and form it did without Bob's input. We always listen to each other's advice and usually take that advice because we are working on such a level of trust. However, occasionally one of us will feel passionately about what we've written and the author always has the choice to keep it as is.
Bob: From the beginning of our relationship we had to learn to work together as pros first and a couple second. I did not want Marsha branded as 'the director's girlfriend' as the reason she was in the business. So I was very tough on her, tougher than I would have been on an employee, but she understood why and simply upped her game until she became well-respected within the business and us being a couple was no longer an issue. We still work that way and never allow personalities to get in the way. Our goal is to produce the best work we can. And neither of us has much tolerance for people who don't operate on this professional level.
Claude: I don't either! And it is natural of course for the two of you to collaborate. But are there things you would never do together?
Bob: I won't eat tofu with her. Marsha won't join me in spitting, belching and farting, but other than that, we both enjoy football and baseball, the great outdoors, time with our kids (grown!) and consuming adult beverages, preferably in exotic locations.
Marsha: Ha! True that! I'd say the only professional area that we operate separately is that Bob is a whiz with the computer and manages all our tech “stuff” and graphics. But, when it comes to making a call on a potential client or sponsor, it's me who walks through the door. Bob would hate it just as much as I hate dealing with computers!
Bob: That's because Marsha is like Sara Lee, nobody doesn't like her!
Claude: I’d like to know what writers have influenced you the most and why. Marsha, you wrote what is basically a memoir yet with a totally new twist – giving us an extraordinary sense of life seen from an unshakeable optimistic standpoint. Did you believe you were into something entirely different from anything you’d ever read or did you have a model in mind?
Marsha: Thank you, Claude, for those kind words about my book. Besides novels, I've always read books that teach about how to grow spiritually, everyone from Dr. Wayne Dyer to Deepak Chopra to the great Granddaddy of them all, Norman Vincent Peale. The Power of Positive Thinking is real and is a real force in my life. However, I had a different and more personal story to tell than a how-to type of book. Mine is very conversational in approach (quite female!) and, no I didn't really think about doing something entirely different. I was just telling my story as honestly as I could.
Claude: How did the word “parable” end up in the title? Was that your thought from the beginning or was “Confessions” the main idea? And I'm curious, will there be a follow-up to your “Confessions” or something totally different? I expect you still have a lot of confessions up your sleeve!
Marsha: My book started as The Parable of the Tomato Plant and as it grew into something bigger, it just didn't seem right to remove it from the title. My original idea was a series of vignettes that illustrated how spiritual lessons are part of our daily lives, if we take a moment to see them. When Bob read my first draft, he loved the stories, but he said he thought it would leave the reader frustrated because I had introduced so many interesting characters, but had not completed their stories as I moved on to the next vignette. It was then that the organization of my book took shape and “Confessions” AND “Mutinous”seemed appropriate! And, yes, I do believe I have another Mutinous Boomer book in me, but not just yet...
Claude: Any plans other than writing yourself, like reviving Letters from the Front? I’ve only read it but I’ve enjoyed it immensely, it’s a great play and I’d love to see it produced again. In our world tired of wars, that’s exactly the kind of play that needs to be seen.
Marsha: The reason I said I wasn't concentrating on writing another book just yet is that we have decided that it is time for Letters from the Front to be out touring military bases again and we intend to make that happen. Our audiences always described it as “from the heart” and “healing” as well as “incredibly entertaining!” With so many of our troops returning home after multiple deployments, they need something as positive and encouraging as Letters from the Frontand we intend to be there for them and their families. We miss them and we miss the show.
Claude: Bob, you’re an incredibly versatile artist, from music videos to cartoons that you have drawn yourself – yes , I’ve seen your remarkable and very funny cartoon. I can't resist inserting it here:
(or you can watch it by clicking here) And of course, you've done film scripts and theater plays, and now a romance that is also a fantastic page-turner, it’s so fast-paced. The dialogues are superb which is of course what one would expect coming from a talented playwright like you. What writers, or should I say artists, do you consider as models to follow in your widely diverse endeavors?
Bob: The storyteller who has without a doubt had the greatest influence on me is Walt Disney. He understood character and plot construction and the workings of the human heart better than anybody. And of course he was a master showman. As for writing, from books with great scope and adventure I think Hammond Innes is probably the best and certainly influenced writers like Clive Cussler and Ken Follett. In the genre I've written in, Dashiell Hammett is the acknowledged master, followed by Earle Stanley Gardner and later by John D. MacDonald, who is my personal favorite.
Claude: I know that you feel like playwriting is not “fully appreciated” in the writing world – though I beg to disagree, I love playwrights and consider some of them as the greatest writers ever, from Shakespeare to Arthur Miller. I’ve been wondering why you feel that way. Have you had a particularly disappointing experience in the theater world and is that why you’re into novel-writing now?
Bob: That's a complicated question and definitely hits a nerve. As you know, most of my background was in the world of films. So when I stumbled into the world of theatre, I was surprised at how ego driven it was and the amount of snobbery that was prevalent. Particularly towards someone who had not “played by the rules.” But since Marsha and I produced this play ourselves, we could basically tell everybody to go to hell, and did. The fact that our show was so successful only ostracized us further from the theatre establishment. So I was a little put off when I first joined ASMSG that playwrights were not included. As for writing Unthinkable Consequences, it was a project I'd tinkered with for years and finally decided to complete, but not because of my experiences in theatre. I just wanted to finally get it done.
Marsha: I'd like to interject something here, Claude. It would be difficult to describe to someone who hasn't experienced it the incredible impact that Letters from the Front has on its audiences. Why? Bob Rector. How he walks the audience into the lives and hearts of the characters is no less than genius, and I'm not exaggerating when I use that word. I've never been more proud of Bob than when the curtain went up hundreds of times to audiences that could only respond with standing ovations.
Bob: Okay, lets all sing together now: We belong to a mutual admiration society, my baby and me. Before we move on, Claude, I'd like to say something about playwriting that the painter side of you will appreciate. You are familiar with the challenge of painting with a limited palette. Playwriting is very similar in that you virtually have nothing more to work with than dialogue to develop characters and advance the story. I encourage all writers to try writing a play at some point because it will hone their storytelling skills in ways that will only benefit their novel writing.
Claude: I agree, good dialogue is key and writing a play is the way to hone that skill. Do you plan on a sequel to Unthinkable Consequences or are you ready to write something entirely new?
Bob: I have no plans for a sequel and very little interest. I've told the story, it's finished, and so am I. As for other projects spinning around in my mind, I'd have to live to be 500 years old to do them all.
Claude: I know what you mean, but I hope we'll soon see another one of your projects! Bob and Marsha, there is one thing that brings you together now, the world of indies and self-publishing: you’re both self-published authors. How do you feel about the world of indies, would you do it again or would you seek a traditional publisher for your next book?
Marsha: No question about it, I would self publish again and I will. Why? The big publishers are primarily interested in putting their money and time into established authors. I have seen quite a few indie author friends I've grown to know on the internet to get publishing deals. They end up working just as hard as the rest of us, marketing their books and trying to sell them, but splitting the sales with an agent and a publisher who are doing virtually nothing to promote them. This isn't an easy path. We are on the forefront here – the beginning of the way it will be done from here on. I'm glad to be in on the ground floor.
Bob: Marsha's right. This is a ground floor opportunity and that makes it both exciting and frustrating. There's lots of very talented and energetic people involved and I am inspired by them, and have made lots of friends. Who knows how the world of indie publishing will eventually shake out, but I know I want to be a part of it and maybe in some small way, help make the baby grow.
Claude: I'm sure you can help "make the baby grow" but like any parenthood, it is frustrating at times! Thanks so much for responding to all my questions. Just a last one before we close, and I take the inspiration for it from one of the author interviews you did, Bob: if money was no object, what would you do with your life beside write?
Marsha: Money no object? I love that question! I would have a home on Lake Como, be able to travel to wherever I wanted, make sure my sons had what they needed to pursue their dreams and insure that Letters from the Front was entertaining the troops and their families (and veterans!) for a long, long time. Besides that? I'd have clothes designed just for me, I'd have.... I guess you get the picture. I'm ALL about enjoying life!
Bob: We have known so many people who look at life as a contest that must be won. Marsha and I look at life as an adventure that must be lived. So if money was no object, I'd spend as much time as possible with Marsha at Lake Como and we'd make ourselves real nuisances dropping in on you and Giuseppe and drinking up as much of your wine as possible. Other than that, as Marsha said, just enjoy life and spend as much time with our family as possible. And many thanks to you Claude for your valuable help as a beta reader on Unthinkable Consequences. You definitely helped me shape it into a much better book. We enjoyed doing this interview with you and wish you every success with the launch of your Forever Young series.
Claude: Many thanks to you both, and Giuseppe and I are looking forward to drinking our Lake Trasimeno wine with you next time you come to Europe!
Bob and Marsha in Pompei, looking happy...not yet Lake Como!
Interview with Two Writers Who Happen to be Married to Each Other: Rome Calls Chattanooga, choo-choo!
Couples engaged in the same occupation are rare and don’t always have a happy life together. It may be harder for writers than for other artists to achieve serenity in their life as a couple – perhaps because writers are more given to analyzing their feelings and expressing them into words. That can easily turn into a source of friction as famously happened with Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre, when she wrote
The Mandarins
, a barely concealed critique of Sartre and his group of existentialists whom she felt had cut her out.
Marsha Roberts, author of the best-selling Confessions of an Instinctively Mutinous Baby Boomer and...
...Bob Rector!
His recently published book, Unthinkable Consequences , is steadily climbing the ranks of romantic suspense novels, are definitely an exception: I know from reading “Confessions” that they are very close to each other and have always been, including now that they are suddenly finding themselves in the situation of writers married to each other.
Yet, before they met, they had pursued completely different career paths. Bob had been into musical video production, documentaries and script writing. Marsha started as an operating room nurse but quickly became restless for adventure. She began to travel, using part time nursing to support her habit, and met Bob at the end of one of her journeys. He was directing the feature film, “Don't Change My World” at the time. She immediately became fascinated by the filmmaking process and became Bob's right-hand-gal for years. She worked herself up to the position of Producer which culminated in the production of Letters from the Front, a most unusual and arresting play written and directed by Bob, which toured the world with great success for 15 years. Today, I am honored to interview them: Rome calls Chattanooga, choo-choo!
Yes, I live in Rome and they live in America and we have never met anywhere else but on the Net. I see this as a unique opportunity to find out how Marsha and Bob have moved from a situation where he was the artist and she was the business manager to the present one where they are both writers.
Claude: Marsha and Bob, this is a question for both of you: for the first time in your life, you find yourself in the same line of work, writing books. And pardon my curiosity, how do you get along? Do you help each other? Do you avoid each other?
Marsha: I can't help but laugh when I read this question, Claude! We get along (as Forest Gump said) “Like two peas in a pod.” We are always there for each other and it would never occur to me to avoid Bob. He's too delightful to avoid!
Bob: We've always enjoyed working together. I think we bring out the best in each other. Traditionally, I've always been the writer, but Marsha has developed, through our mutual work, keen storytelling skills that I learned to respect. Marsha neglected to point out that for years she was an accomplished film editor and, as one of my blog posts points out, nothing develops story telling abilities like hours spent at the editing table.
Claude: Marsha, you told me that you are producing an audio version of your book. From your own life as a theater producer, you knew actors and I’m sure Bob, with his long experience in video production, could also help. How did that work out?
Marsha: First off, it was a delight to have Della Cole read my book. She starred in Letters from the Front for years and is also a dear friend. She is a top voice talent and she knew many of my stories from first hand experience. She also runs one of the top acting schools in the southeast, YourAct. The tricky part was in post production and, frankly, Bob saved my... well, he saved the project! He is a fantastic editor and finished the audiobook in style. It will be available through Amazon soon and I'm really excited about it!
Claude: I'm looking forward to hearing it! Bob, your book came out a couple of years later than Marsha's and you had ample opportunity to observe her working at book promotion. Were you able to profit from her experience?
Bob: Unthinkable Consequenceswas a project that simmered on the back burner for a couple of decades. Marsha's success with publishing and promoting her book was what convinced me to finally finish mine and publish it. By that time Marsha was already plugged into social media and I benefited from her experience.
Claude: I’d like to know how you organize your working life and whether you have advice for other writers: how much time do you devote to creative writing, how much to book promotion?
Marsha: I wish I could say I've found all of the answers in how to time manage promotion and writing, but I haven't. I'm still trying to wrangle the beast of marketing my book without it taking up every minute of every day.
Bob: We have both tried various approaches with e-marketing our books, some with success, and some without. It's a tedious and sometimes frustrating process because it's all new. And most of us at this point are making it up as we go along.
Claude: I am asking because book promotion in my own life is interfering with my writing, sometimes much more heavily than I would like. Do you ever feel any frustration, any desire to shut down the Internet?
Bob: I can answer that with two words: hell yes! But Marsha and I are in this for the long haul and we certainly know about long haul projects. Ultimately we're going to have to develop our own methods for marketing, just as we have in the past. How much the internet will be a part of that is still a question, but I firmly believe you should use all resources that benefit you in achieving your goals.
Marsha: Well said, Bob. I'd like to add that about a year ago I begin a process of trying to discern which activities on the internet were helpful and which were just time wasters. And I'm speaking here about the bottom line: selling books. Social media can give you the impression you are getting a lot done because you are posting and tweeting and sharing and it's all so busy, busy, busy! At the end of the day, does it sell books? If so, I continue to do it. If not, I move on. But, do I have time for writing? Not much.
Claude: Same here! I’d like to probe a little deeper into your working life as a couple, if I may. Do you discuss book ideas together? Do you read each other’s drafts and critique them? Do you even listen to each other’s advice and act on it (grin)?
Marsha: As Bob mentioned earlier, we enjoy working together and collaborate very well. Yes, we read each other's drafts and critique them. I can say without hesitation that my Mutinous Boomer book would not have taken the shape and form it did without Bob's input. We always listen to each other's advice and usually take that advice because we are working on such a level of trust. However, occasionally one of us will feel passionately about what we've written and the author always has the choice to keep it as is.
Bob: From the beginning of our relationship we had to learn to work together as pros first and a couple second. I did not want Marsha branded as 'the director's girlfriend' as the reason she was in the business. So I was very tough on her, tougher than I would have been on an employee, but she understood why and simply upped her game until she became well-respected within the business and us being a couple was no longer an issue. We still work that way and never allow personalities to get in the way. Our goal is to produce the best work we can. And neither of us has much tolerance for people who don't operate on this professional level.
Claude: I don't either! And it is natural of course for the two of you to collaborate. But are there things you would never do together?
Bob: I won't eat tofu with her. Marsha won't join me in spitting, belching and farting, but other than that, we both enjoy football and baseball, the great outdoors, time with our kids (grown!) and consuming adult beverages, preferably in exotic locations.
Marsha: Ha! True that! I'd say the only professional area that we operate separately is that Bob is a whiz with the computer and manages all our tech “stuff” and graphics. But, when it comes to making a call on a potential client or sponsor, it's me who walks through the door. Bob would hate it just as much as I hate dealing with computers!
Bob: That's because Marsha is like Sara Lee, nobody doesn't like her!
Claude: I’d like to know what writers have influenced you the most and why. Marsha, you wrote what is basically a memoir yet with a totally new twist – giving us an extraordinary sense of life seen from an unshakeable optimistic standpoint. Did you believe you were into something entirely different from anything you’d ever read or did you have a model in mind?
Marsha: Thank you, Claude, for those kind words about my book. Besides novels, I've always read books that teach about how to grow spiritually, everyone from Dr. Wayne Dyer to Deepak Chopra to the great Granddaddy of them all, Norman Vincent Peale. The Power of Positive Thinking is real and is a real force in my life. However, I had a different and more personal story to tell than a how-to type of book. Mine is very conversational in approach (quite female!) and, no I didn't really think about doing something entirely different. I was just telling my story as honestly as I could.
Claude: How did the word “parable” end up in the title? Was that your thought from the beginning or was “Confessions” the main idea? And I'm curious, will there be a follow-up to your “Confessions” or something totally different? I expect you still have a lot of confessions up your sleeve!
Marsha: My book started as The Parable of the Tomato Plant and as it grew into something bigger, it just didn't seem right to remove it from the title. My original idea was a series of vignettes that illustrated how spiritual lessons are part of our daily lives, if we take a moment to see them. When Bob read my first draft, he loved the stories, but he said he thought it would leave the reader frustrated because I had introduced so many interesting characters, but had not completed their stories as I moved on to the next vignette. It was then that the organization of my book took shape and “Confessions” AND “Mutinous”seemed appropriate! And, yes, I do believe I have another Mutinous Boomer book in me, but not just yet...
Claude: Any plans other than writing yourself, like reviving Letters from the Front? I’ve only read it but I’ve enjoyed it immensely, it’s a great play and I’d love to see it produced again. In our world tired of wars, that’s exactly the kind of play that needs to be seen.
Marsha: The reason I said I wasn't concentrating on writing another book just yet is that we have decided that it is time for Letters from the Front to be out touring military bases again and we intend to make that happen. Our audiences always described it as “from the heart” and “healing” as well as “incredibly entertaining!” With so many of our troops returning home after multiple deployments, they need something as positive and encouraging as Letters from the Frontand we intend to be there for them and their families. We miss them and we miss the show.
Claude: Bob, you’re an incredibly versatile artist, from music videos to cartoons that you have drawn yourself – yes , I’ve seen your remarkable and very funny cartoon. I can't resist inserting it here:
(or you can watch it by clicking here) And of course, you've done film scripts and theater plays, and now a romance that is also a fantastic page-turner, it’s so fast-paced. The dialogues are superb which is of course what one would expect coming from a talented playwright like you. What writers, or should I say artists, do you consider as models to follow in your widely diverse endeavors?
Bob: The storyteller who has without a doubt had the greatest influence on me is Walt Disney. He understood character and plot construction and the workings of the human heart better than anybody. And of course he was a master showman. As for writing, from books with great scope and adventure I think Hammond Innes is probably the best and certainly influenced writers like Clive Cussler and Ken Follett. In the genre I've written in, Dashiell Hammett is the acknowledged master, followed by Earle Stanley Gardner and later by John D. MacDonald, who is my personal favorite.
Claude: I know that you feel like playwriting is not “fully appreciated” in the writing world – though I beg to disagree, I love playwrights and consider some of them as the greatest writers ever, from Shakespeare to Arthur Miller. I’ve been wondering why you feel that way. Have you had a particularly disappointing experience in the theater world and is that why you’re into novel-writing now?
Bob: That's a complicated question and definitely hits a nerve. As you know, most of my background was in the world of films. So when I stumbled into the world of theatre, I was surprised at how ego driven it was and the amount of snobbery that was prevalent. Particularly towards someone who had not “played by the rules.” But since Marsha and I produced this play ourselves, we could basically tell everybody to go to hell, and did. The fact that our show was so successful only ostracized us further from the theatre establishment. So I was a little put off when I first joined ASMSG that playwrights were not included. As for writing Unthinkable Consequences, it was a project I'd tinkered with for years and finally decided to complete, but not because of my experiences in theatre. I just wanted to finally get it done.
Marsha: I'd like to interject something here, Claude. It would be difficult to describe to someone who hasn't experienced it the incredible impact that Letters from the Front has on its audiences. Why? Bob Rector. How he walks the audience into the lives and hearts of the characters is no less than genius, and I'm not exaggerating when I use that word. I've never been more proud of Bob than when the curtain went up hundreds of times to audiences that could only respond with standing ovations.
Bob: Okay, lets all sing together now: We belong to a mutual admiration society, my baby and me. Before we move on, Claude, I'd like to say something about playwriting that the painter side of you will appreciate. You are familiar with the challenge of painting with a limited palette. Playwriting is very similar in that you virtually have nothing more to work with than dialogue to develop characters and advance the story. I encourage all writers to try writing a play at some point because it will hone their storytelling skills in ways that will only benefit their novel writing.
Claude: I agree, good dialogue is key and writing a play is the way to hone that skill. Do you plan on a sequel to Unthinkable Consequences or are you ready to write something entirely new?
Bob: I have no plans for a sequel and very little interest. I've told the story, it's finished, and so am I. As for other projects spinning around in my mind, I'd have to live to be 500 years old to do them all.
Claude: I know what you mean, but I hope we'll soon see another one of your projects! Bob and Marsha, there is one thing that brings you together now, the world of indies and self-publishing: you’re both self-published authors. How do you feel about the world of indies, would you do it again or would you seek a traditional publisher for your next book?
Marsha: No question about it, I would self publish again and I will. Why? The big publishers are primarily interested in putting their money and time into established authors. I have seen quite a few indie author friends I've grown to know on the internet to get publishing deals. They end up working just as hard as the rest of us, marketing their books and trying to sell them, but splitting the sales with an agent and a publisher who are doing virtually nothing to promote them. This isn't an easy path. We are on the forefront here – the beginning of the way it will be done from here on. I'm glad to be in on the ground floor.
Bob: Marsha's right. This is a ground floor opportunity and that makes it both exciting and frustrating. There's lots of very talented and energetic people involved and I am inspired by them, and have made lots of friends. Who knows how the world of indie publishing will eventually shake out, but I know I want to be a part of it and maybe in some small way, help make the baby grow.
Claude: I'm sure you can help "make the baby grow" but like any parenthood, it is frustrating at times! Thanks so much for responding to all my questions. Just a last one before we close, and I take the inspiration for it from one of the author interviews you did, Bob: if money was no object, what would you do with your life beside write?
Marsha: Money no object? I love that question! I would have a home on Lake Como, be able to travel to wherever I wanted, make sure my sons had what they needed to pursue their dreams and insure that Letters from the Front was entertaining the troops and their families (and veterans!) for a long, long time. Besides that? I'd have clothes designed just for me, I'd have.... I guess you get the picture. I'm ALL about enjoying life!
Bob: We have known so many people who look at life as a contest that must be won. Marsha and I look at life as an adventure that must be lived. So if money was no object, I'd spend as much time as possible with Marsha at Lake Como and we'd make ourselves real nuisances dropping in on you and Giuseppe and drinking up as much of your wine as possible. Other than that, as Marsha said, just enjoy life and spend as much time with our family as possible. And many thanks to you Claude for your valuable help as a beta reader on Unthinkable Consequences. You definitely helped me shape it into a much better book. We enjoyed doing this interview with you and wish you every success with the launch of your Forever Young series.
Claude: Many thanks to you both, and Giuseppe and I are looking forward to drinking our Lake Trasimeno wine with you next time you come to Europe!
Bob and Marsha in Pompei, looking happy...not yet Lake Como!
Marsha Roberts, author of the best-selling Confessions of an Instinctively Mutinous Baby Boomer and...
...Bob Rector!
His recently published book, Unthinkable Consequences , is steadily climbing the ranks of romantic suspense novels, are definitely an exception: I know from reading “Confessions” that they are very close to each other and have always been, including now that they are suddenly finding themselves in the situation of writers married to each other.
Yet, before they met, they had pursued completely different career paths. Bob had been into musical video production, documentaries and script writing. Marsha started as an operating room nurse but quickly became restless for adventure. She began to travel, using part time nursing to support her habit, and met Bob at the end of one of her journeys. He was directing the feature film, “Don't Change My World” at the time. She immediately became fascinated by the filmmaking process and became Bob's right-hand-gal for years. She worked herself up to the position of Producer which culminated in the production of Letters from the Front, a most unusual and arresting play written and directed by Bob, which toured the world with great success for 15 years. Today, I am honored to interview them: Rome calls Chattanooga, choo-choo!
Yes, I live in Rome and they live in America and we have never met anywhere else but on the Net. I see this as a unique opportunity to find out how Marsha and Bob have moved from a situation where he was the artist and she was the business manager to the present one where they are both writers.
Claude: Marsha and Bob, this is a question for both of you: for the first time in your life, you find yourself in the same line of work, writing books. And pardon my curiosity, how do you get along? Do you help each other? Do you avoid each other?
Marsha: I can't help but laugh when I read this question, Claude! We get along (as Forest Gump said) “Like two peas in a pod.” We are always there for each other and it would never occur to me to avoid Bob. He's too delightful to avoid!
Bob: We've always enjoyed working together. I think we bring out the best in each other. Traditionally, I've always been the writer, but Marsha has developed, through our mutual work, keen storytelling skills that I learned to respect. Marsha neglected to point out that for years she was an accomplished film editor and, as one of my blog posts points out, nothing develops story telling abilities like hours spent at the editing table.
Claude: Marsha, you told me that you are producing an audio version of your book. From your own life as a theater producer, you knew actors and I’m sure Bob, with his long experience in video production, could also help. How did that work out?
Marsha: First off, it was a delight to have Della Cole read my book. She starred in Letters from the Front for years and is also a dear friend. She is a top voice talent and she knew many of my stories from first hand experience. She also runs one of the top acting schools in the southeast, YourAct. The tricky part was in post production and, frankly, Bob saved my... well, he saved the project! He is a fantastic editor and finished the audiobook in style. It will be available through Amazon soon and I'm really excited about it!Claude: I'm looking forward to hearing it! Bob, your book came out a couple of years later than Marsha's and you had ample opportunity to observe her working at book promotion. Were you able to profit from her experience?
Bob: Unthinkable Consequenceswas a project that simmered on the back burner for a couple of decades. Marsha's success with publishing and promoting her book was what convinced me to finally finish mine and publish it. By that time Marsha was already plugged into social media and I benefited from her experience.
Claude: I’d like to know how you organize your working life and whether you have advice for other writers: how much time do you devote to creative writing, how much to book promotion?
Marsha: I wish I could say I've found all of the answers in how to time manage promotion and writing, but I haven't. I'm still trying to wrangle the beast of marketing my book without it taking up every minute of every day.
Bob: We have both tried various approaches with e-marketing our books, some with success, and some without. It's a tedious and sometimes frustrating process because it's all new. And most of us at this point are making it up as we go along.
Claude: I am asking because book promotion in my own life is interfering with my writing, sometimes much more heavily than I would like. Do you ever feel any frustration, any desire to shut down the Internet?
Bob: I can answer that with two words: hell yes! But Marsha and I are in this for the long haul and we certainly know about long haul projects. Ultimately we're going to have to develop our own methods for marketing, just as we have in the past. How much the internet will be a part of that is still a question, but I firmly believe you should use all resources that benefit you in achieving your goals.
Marsha: Well said, Bob. I'd like to add that about a year ago I begin a process of trying to discern which activities on the internet were helpful and which were just time wasters. And I'm speaking here about the bottom line: selling books. Social media can give you the impression you are getting a lot done because you are posting and tweeting and sharing and it's all so busy, busy, busy! At the end of the day, does it sell books? If so, I continue to do it. If not, I move on. But, do I have time for writing? Not much.
Claude: Same here! I’d like to probe a little deeper into your working life as a couple, if I may. Do you discuss book ideas together? Do you read each other’s drafts and critique them? Do you even listen to each other’s advice and act on it (grin)?
Marsha: As Bob mentioned earlier, we enjoy working together and collaborate very well. Yes, we read each other's drafts and critique them. I can say without hesitation that my Mutinous Boomer book would not have taken the shape and form it did without Bob's input. We always listen to each other's advice and usually take that advice because we are working on such a level of trust. However, occasionally one of us will feel passionately about what we've written and the author always has the choice to keep it as is.
Bob: From the beginning of our relationship we had to learn to work together as pros first and a couple second. I did not want Marsha branded as 'the director's girlfriend' as the reason she was in the business. So I was very tough on her, tougher than I would have been on an employee, but she understood why and simply upped her game until she became well-respected within the business and us being a couple was no longer an issue. We still work that way and never allow personalities to get in the way. Our goal is to produce the best work we can. And neither of us has much tolerance for people who don't operate on this professional level.
Claude: I don't either! And it is natural of course for the two of you to collaborate. But are there things you would never do together?
Bob: I won't eat tofu with her. Marsha won't join me in spitting, belching and farting, but other than that, we both enjoy football and baseball, the great outdoors, time with our kids (grown!) and consuming adult beverages, preferably in exotic locations.
Marsha: Ha! True that! I'd say the only professional area that we operate separately is that Bob is a whiz with the computer and manages all our tech “stuff” and graphics. But, when it comes to making a call on a potential client or sponsor, it's me who walks through the door. Bob would hate it just as much as I hate dealing with computers!
Bob: That's because Marsha is like Sara Lee, nobody doesn't like her!
Claude: I’d like to know what writers have influenced you the most and why. Marsha, you wrote what is basically a memoir yet with a totally new twist – giving us an extraordinary sense of life seen from an unshakeable optimistic standpoint. Did you believe you were into something entirely different from anything you’d ever read or did you have a model in mind?
Marsha: Thank you, Claude, for those kind words about my book. Besides novels, I've always read books that teach about how to grow spiritually, everyone from Dr. Wayne Dyer to Deepak Chopra to the great Granddaddy of them all, Norman Vincent Peale. The Power of Positive Thinking is real and is a real force in my life. However, I had a different and more personal story to tell than a how-to type of book. Mine is very conversational in approach (quite female!) and, no I didn't really think about doing something entirely different. I was just telling my story as honestly as I could.
Claude: How did the word “parable” end up in the title? Was that your thought from the beginning or was “Confessions” the main idea? And I'm curious, will there be a follow-up to your “Confessions” or something totally different? I expect you still have a lot of confessions up your sleeve!
Marsha: My book started as The Parable of the Tomato Plant and as it grew into something bigger, it just didn't seem right to remove it from the title. My original idea was a series of vignettes that illustrated how spiritual lessons are part of our daily lives, if we take a moment to see them. When Bob read my first draft, he loved the stories, but he said he thought it would leave the reader frustrated because I had introduced so many interesting characters, but had not completed their stories as I moved on to the next vignette. It was then that the organization of my book took shape and “Confessions” AND “Mutinous”seemed appropriate! And, yes, I do believe I have another Mutinous Boomer book in me, but not just yet...
Claude: Any plans other than writing yourself, like reviving Letters from the Front? I’ve only read it but I’ve enjoyed it immensely, it’s a great play and I’d love to see it produced again. In our world tired of wars, that’s exactly the kind of play that needs to be seen.
Marsha: The reason I said I wasn't concentrating on writing another book just yet is that we have decided that it is time for Letters from the Front to be out touring military bases again and we intend to make that happen. Our audiences always described it as “from the heart” and “healing” as well as “incredibly entertaining!” With so many of our troops returning home after multiple deployments, they need something as positive and encouraging as Letters from the Frontand we intend to be there for them and their families. We miss them and we miss the show.
Claude: Bob, you’re an incredibly versatile artist, from music videos to cartoons that you have drawn yourself – yes , I’ve seen your remarkable and very funny cartoon. I can't resist inserting it here:
(or you can watch it by clicking here) And of course, you've done film scripts and theater plays, and now a romance that is also a fantastic page-turner, it’s so fast-paced. The dialogues are superb which is of course what one would expect coming from a talented playwright like you. What writers, or should I say artists, do you consider as models to follow in your widely diverse endeavors?
Bob: The storyteller who has without a doubt had the greatest influence on me is Walt Disney. He understood character and plot construction and the workings of the human heart better than anybody. And of course he was a master showman. As for writing, from books with great scope and adventure I think Hammond Innes is probably the best and certainly influenced writers like Clive Cussler and Ken Follett. In the genre I've written in, Dashiell Hammett is the acknowledged master, followed by Earle Stanley Gardner and later by John D. MacDonald, who is my personal favorite.
Claude: I know that you feel like playwriting is not “fully appreciated” in the writing world – though I beg to disagree, I love playwrights and consider some of them as the greatest writers ever, from Shakespeare to Arthur Miller. I’ve been wondering why you feel that way. Have you had a particularly disappointing experience in the theater world and is that why you’re into novel-writing now?
Bob: That's a complicated question and definitely hits a nerve. As you know, most of my background was in the world of films. So when I stumbled into the world of theatre, I was surprised at how ego driven it was and the amount of snobbery that was prevalent. Particularly towards someone who had not “played by the rules.” But since Marsha and I produced this play ourselves, we could basically tell everybody to go to hell, and did. The fact that our show was so successful only ostracized us further from the theatre establishment. So I was a little put off when I first joined ASMSG that playwrights were not included. As for writing Unthinkable Consequences, it was a project I'd tinkered with for years and finally decided to complete, but not because of my experiences in theatre. I just wanted to finally get it done.
Marsha: I'd like to interject something here, Claude. It would be difficult to describe to someone who hasn't experienced it the incredible impact that Letters from the Front has on its audiences. Why? Bob Rector. How he walks the audience into the lives and hearts of the characters is no less than genius, and I'm not exaggerating when I use that word. I've never been more proud of Bob than when the curtain went up hundreds of times to audiences that could only respond with standing ovations.
Bob: Okay, lets all sing together now: We belong to a mutual admiration society, my baby and me. Before we move on, Claude, I'd like to say something about playwriting that the painter side of you will appreciate. You are familiar with the challenge of painting with a limited palette. Playwriting is very similar in that you virtually have nothing more to work with than dialogue to develop characters and advance the story. I encourage all writers to try writing a play at some point because it will hone their storytelling skills in ways that will only benefit their novel writing.
Claude: I agree, good dialogue is key and writing a play is the way to hone that skill. Do you plan on a sequel to Unthinkable Consequences or are you ready to write something entirely new?
Bob: I have no plans for a sequel and very little interest. I've told the story, it's finished, and so am I. As for other projects spinning around in my mind, I'd have to live to be 500 years old to do them all.
Claude: I know what you mean, but I hope we'll soon see another one of your projects! Bob and Marsha, there is one thing that brings you together now, the world of indies and self-publishing: you’re both self-published authors. How do you feel about the world of indies, would you do it again or would you seek a traditional publisher for your next book?
Marsha: No question about it, I would self publish again and I will. Why? The big publishers are primarily interested in putting their money and time into established authors. I have seen quite a few indie author friends I've grown to know on the internet to get publishing deals. They end up working just as hard as the rest of us, marketing their books and trying to sell them, but splitting the sales with an agent and a publisher who are doing virtually nothing to promote them. This isn't an easy path. We are on the forefront here – the beginning of the way it will be done from here on. I'm glad to be in on the ground floor.
Bob: Marsha's right. This is a ground floor opportunity and that makes it both exciting and frustrating. There's lots of very talented and energetic people involved and I am inspired by them, and have made lots of friends. Who knows how the world of indie publishing will eventually shake out, but I know I want to be a part of it and maybe in some small way, help make the baby grow.
Claude: I'm sure you can help "make the baby grow" but like any parenthood, it is frustrating at times! Thanks so much for responding to all my questions. Just a last one before we close, and I take the inspiration for it from one of the author interviews you did, Bob: if money was no object, what would you do with your life beside write?
Marsha: Money no object? I love that question! I would have a home on Lake Como, be able to travel to wherever I wanted, make sure my sons had what they needed to pursue their dreams and insure that Letters from the Front was entertaining the troops and their families (and veterans!) for a long, long time. Besides that? I'd have clothes designed just for me, I'd have.... I guess you get the picture. I'm ALL about enjoying life!
Bob: We have known so many people who look at life as a contest that must be won. Marsha and I look at life as an adventure that must be lived. So if money was no object, I'd spend as much time as possible with Marsha at Lake Como and we'd make ourselves real nuisances dropping in on you and Giuseppe and drinking up as much of your wine as possible. Other than that, as Marsha said, just enjoy life and spend as much time with our family as possible. And many thanks to you Claude for your valuable help as a beta reader on Unthinkable Consequences. You definitely helped me shape it into a much better book. We enjoyed doing this interview with you and wish you every success with the launch of your Forever Young series.
Claude: Many thanks to you both, and Giuseppe and I are looking forward to drinking our Lake Trasimeno wine with you next time you come to Europe!
Bob and Marsha in Pompei, looking happy...not yet Lake Como!
May 28, 2014
Amazing Italy: It Voted for Europe Against All Odds!
The Franco-German Couple at risk (Merkel and Hollande) Italy is the only country in Southern Europe that voted strongly for Europe in Sunday's elections for the European Parliament - not only was the vote a strong one but it broke all historical records! Imagine, this result can be ascribed to just one person, Matteo Renzi, the Prime Minister. He did a brilliant campaign - I watched him on television, and he's a great communicator, perhaps the country's only politician capable of moving crowds with his words. Certainly not Beppe Grillo, he can't make a speech. He is a vociferous protester - "everybody home! - but he protests too much and has no programme to offer.
By contrast, Renzi did. He was defending his policy of reforms and asking for public support - and he sure got it: over 40% of the votes went to his Partito Democratico. That number, in itself, is breath-taking on two counts: never before had his party ever reached such a level (the highest had been around 33%) and it meant 11 million Italians voted for him. Moreover they voted in an election - the European one - that normally does not attract much affluence. Indeed the average in Europe was around 43% of voters, while in Italy it was about 10 points higher.
Renzi simply got people out there to vote for him.
This is all the more remarkable that Italy has really suffered from the 2008 recession - unemployment is very high, one young Italian out of two is unemployed. It's perhaps not as bad as Greece, but it's no picnic. There is no question that Beppe Grillo's success in 2013 (when he reaped some 25% of the votes) can be attributed to the recession and protests against austerity. So before Sunday's elections, the expectation was high that Beppe Grillo would win again and beat Renzi. As we all know, he failed miserably.
But the second part of Renzi's political message was important too and oddly enough, so far, major newspapers and political commentators in Europe and America have failed to notice: Renzi called for "more Europe" and came in favor of reforming Europe to make it "stronger".
Now this is indeed a strong message when it's backed by a 40% win at the polls.
Attention has been focused on the remarkable breakthrough of Marine Le Pen in France - 25% of the votes, well ahead of the government's socialist party that has fallen to an all-time low, at 14%. And of course the focus was also on Britain's UKIP that is now paving the way for a British exit out of Europe.
These are big news, no doubt. On the face of it, one can argue that the death knell for the European Union has sounded. The media loves nothing better than bad news.
But this time the media is wrong. This is far from a deathknell - besides, it's not the first time that anti-Europeans have suddenly flooded the European Parliament (they did so notably back in the 1980s). But, as it turns out, anti-European parties have a tendency to squabble among themselves and can't get their act together.
Do you think that Marine Le Pen will band together with the nazis of Greece's Golden Dawn? She has already said that she will have nothing to do with Beppe Grillo's party because he has no program. Moreover, both she and UKIP's Nigel Farrage want to lead the anti-European movement. Which one will win? Okay, you get the drift: the anti-Europeans are likely to end up in useless litigations amongst themselves.
Yet, even if by chance they didn't, my view is that a cohesive anti-European movement in the European Parliament could have some very positive results: the pro-Europeans, now divided in three large groupings, the conservatives, the socialists (among whom you find Renzi's party) and the liberals, would have to react together against the anti-Europeans. This could really move the dialogue forward and force people to focus on reforming Europe for the better - moving it away from petty bureaucratic regulations like the shape of bananas or the definition of olive oil and go forward to address the real issues, first and foremost, the elaboration of a European foreign policy. The EU will have no say in the international community until it does. We've seen how it went for Ukraine where America stepped in ahead of Europe even though it is a European problem...
To sum up: Renzi's result in Italy will affect the way Europe goes forward. The presidency of the EU goes to Italy in July (for 6 months). Do you really think Italy is going to sit back and watch everyone talking about the so-called two pillars of Europe - Germany and France - when the French pillar has all but collapsed and disappeared?
I believe we could have an Italian pillar to prop up Europe....Amazing Italy!
Your views?
Source of photo: UK Guardian
Related articles
European elections 2014: Italy's Matteo Renzi fights off challenge from comic(telegraph.co.uk)
Italy has mandate to ''change Europe'' claims PM Renzi(euronews.com)
May 26, 2014
A Writer's Life: Can Blogging Help You Sell Your Books?
Conventional wisdom has it that blogging helps to sell books, and the more successful your blog, the more books you will sell.Not so.
Yet, marketing gurus and hugely successful bloggers like Adrienne Smith maintain that with blogging you can "make a living" (see here).
Perhaps you can if you sell something else than books.
And here is why (in my humble opinion). There are two factors at work: (1) market saturation and (2) TV competition for your free time.
No question, of late, the ebook market has become saturated. If you have an e-reader, I bet it's full of books you haven't read, books you uploaded when they went free.
Over the past three years, there has been a frenzy of giveaways to "gain new readers", and I confess that I joined the crowd and made my books free several times, with decreasing success each time. Gone are the days of 10,000 downloads (at least for me)! Of course, now 99 cents (the launch price of an ebook) is the "new free" - I plead guilty, I've done it too, all the first book of my series are priced like that.
The end result is the same: way too many books around.
Because the truth is, you're never going to read all those books you've stored up in your Kindle (or elsewhere).
Another major reason is that people don't feel like reading novels the way they used to.
Don't get me wrong, the desire to be entertained is as strong as ever - who doesn't like to unwind at the end of a hard day's work in front of the TV with a drink in hand? So TV series like House of Cards or Game of Thrones replace long evenings of reading novels.
People read fiction only when there's a blockbuster around,
50 Shades of Grey
and the like. Otherwise people prefer to read non-fiction (if they read at all). This is why Thomas Piketty's book, Capital in the 21st Century, is immensely successful, in spite of forbidding reams of statistics and a title reminiscent of Karl Marx.
Ditto for the worldwide success achieved by Karl Ove Knausgaard, an unknown Norwegian writer. His novel, bizarrely called My Struggle which translates to "Mein Kampf" in German, reminiscent of Hitler's famous book, is less a novel than a huge memoir thousands of pages-long that traces his "growing up", his "struggle" to understand the world around him. Book 1 starts off with a witty observation: people love to watch death on TV - war reports from the Middle East, volcanic eruptions, fires, floods etc - but turn their eyes away whenever someone dies around them. The corpse is immediately covered with a blanket and whisked away in an ambulance, bodies are stacked in cold storage rooms etc Why, he asks, are we afraid to see a corpse in reality when we spend our time doing so on TV? Good question.
In general, books that express a personal point of view are big successes - much more so than novels that are often seen as fantasy and therefore a "waste of time". How else do you explain the global success of Eat, Pray and Love, the story of a woman wounded by love who goes in search of herself across the world, from Italy to Indonesia? Elizabeth Gilbert has since written other novels, like, for example, "The Signature of All Things", that in spite of its intriguing title and subject matter, hasn't met with the same success - probably because it didn't give off the same whiff of personal intimacy.And herein lies the cause of the success of such memoir-like books: they don't read like fiction, they are one man or one woman's exploration of their own lives. Mind you, these are people who haven't done anything remarkable; they have just lived their lives as someone's child, lover, parent.
In short they are like you and me and that's why people are curious. Such books are "literary selfies".
So if your fondest hope is to be the author of a break-through novel, write a "selfie"...and don't bother with blogging!
I'll tell you a secret. Contrary to what you might think, I'm not blogging in order to sell you my books (if you're curious, you can see them displayed in the sidebars, if not, just ignore them). I only blog because I enjoy it, I simply like to share my ideas with you and hear what you think.
So tell me, how about you, why do you blog? Have you seen a connection between your book sales and your blog traffic?
Related articlesBoyhood Island: My Struggle 3 by Karl Ove Knausgaard, review(telegraph.co.uk)
May 23, 2014
The 6-Word Novel: For Sale, Wedding Ring, Never Worn!
For Sale: Wedding Ring, Never Worn
Ok, I plead guilty: the original 6-word short story, a.k.a. the six word novel, an extreme form of flash fiction, is Hemingway's and it's not about a failed relationship but a dead baby or perhaps an unborn child, precisely this:
For Sale: Baby Shoes, Never Worn.
He dreamt it up in the 1920s in response to a bet with friends. He won the bet and he considered it his best story ever.
The 6-word flash fiction has fascinated people so much over time that today there's a website entirely dedicated to it, with hundreds of examples, see here.
And now ReadWave, the cool website that draws together readers and writers with short stories (including non-fiction), has come up with a competition inspired by Hemingway's 6 word story:
Readwave will award $100 to the 6-word story that gets the most "likes" on their site, there are still 12 days to go, but hurry! To submit your story click here.
I submitted a horror story (it was an idea my husband had, surprisingly so, he's usually not that morbid!) and this is how it looks on the Readwave website:
...hum. If you like it, please go over to the website here, and click the "like" button, thanks!
BIG NEWS (in case you missed it)! All 4 parts of FOREVER YOUNG are now OUT, Part 4, The Longevity Gene is here
You can start reading Part One for free on Wattpad where I release a new chapter every day - 6 chapters published so far, click here to start reading. And if you like it, please "vote" (that's how "likes" are expressed on Wattpad) Many thanks!
May 21, 2014
Black on Black? Soulages!
Lithograph, 67 by 52 cmWho'd ever guess that painting black on black would get you a million dollars and more? The miracle - because it is another Contemporary Art miracle - is called Soulages, a 94 year-old, 6 foot tall Frenchman who still paints everyday, spreading his favorite color, black, searching for the perfect point of black. His earlier paintings, dating back to the 1950s-60s, can fetch up to $4 million.He's probably the most famous living artist in France, he's in the greatest museums, the Guggenheim, the Tate, he's exhibited in the Pompidou Centre in Paris and the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. His work has even inspired fashion collections (see article below). And now he's coming to New York, in two galleries, Emmanuel Perrotin and Dominique Levy (in the same building, 909 Madison Avenue and 73rd Street).
Personally, I am not fond of abstract art but I can see the point (and the pleasure) you can derive from his works. They are solidly structured, and the restrained use of a bright color here and there brings out the mysterious darkness of the black that permeates all his paintings. A perfect black that leaves no doubt about the color - or, if you prefer, the non-color. Look at that blue in the lithograph shown here. It makes the black bars all the more striking, even threatening.
If you're lucky enough to be in New York and can make it to the show, you'll see a lot of his work dating back to the 1950s and 60s. For example, this one:
This is a very large painting (ca. 130cm x 162 cm ), so what you see on your digital device doesn't really do justice to it.
In the more recent works, Soulages has wholly gone black on black, with variations only in the texture, allowing for reflections of light that play off differently depending on where you look at them, like in this painting dated 2013:
People have read into this symbolism and memories of World War II and all sorts of other interpretations that the painter himself does not subscribe to. My personal opinion is that the best way to enjoy this kind of art is to stick to what you see and let your eyes play with the light, full stop. But that's just my opinion, what's yours?
Soulages (source: Photo AP, UK Guardian article)Related articles
Pierre Soulages: Master of Black, Still Going Strong(nytimes.com)
Pierre Soulages(fashionmayann.wordpress.com)
Black is the new black for Pierre Soulages France's best known living artist(telegraph.co.uk)
