Julia McDermott's Blog, page 8
February 19, 2016
A dozen things I’ve learned from my writers group
Instead of “Pizza and a Movie” (we’re skipping it, today), this post is about another one of my (sometime) Friday activities. For several years, I’ve participated in a writers’ critique group (called the Writers Circle) connected with the Atlanta Writers Group.
It’s facilitated by my friend Gelia Dolcimascolo and meets twice a month at Georgia Perimeter College, now known as Georgia State University Perimeter College (I think). On alternate Fridays, some members meet at area businesses that welcome us, like coffee shops, bakeries and restaurants.
This is a multi-genre group–kind of appropriate for me, as a multi-genre author (something I didn’t plan to be, but there it is). Members are poets, short story and flash fiction writers, nonfiction writers, screenplay writers, and novelists. Genres include fantasy, science fiction, thrillers, literary fiction, women’s fiction, children’s and middle grade, young adult, and others. We read several pages of our work in progress (WIP) aloud to the group, and then discuss, sharing comments and reactions. The idea is to help each other improve, and over the years, I certainly have.
Members at a meeting discussing someone’s work (guess which one is me)
Here are 12 things I have learned (just a partial list, undoubtedly):
How to construct a story arc, and where elements like plot twists belong (thank you, screenplay writers!)
How to tighten my writing (wordy = bad)
How to write believable (and good) dialogue, and that if you don’t need a tag (“he said”), remove it
What to do when I am stuck (write something – anything!)
How to take suggestions and criticism, and use it to improve my story (thick skin = good)
How to dig deep when writing about my own emotions (see ALL THE ABOVE: My son’s battle with brain cancer)
That others can see the problems and issues in my writing (everything from typos to story and character inconsistencies) when I can’t
What genre I am writing in, in a particular work (sounds weird, I know, but when I was working on my novel UNDERWATER–originally titled THE PROJECT–and wondered aloud, “What the heck kind of story is this?”, another member immediately responded, “Suspense, of course!”)
That I can learn something from writers of other genres, even if writing in that genre is not something I could ever do
To take out anything that doesn’t move the story forward, and write only what does (“if you don’t need it, take it out”)
That’s it’s okay to write what you know, and use elements from your own experiences in your work
How to “show, don’t tell” (paraphrasing Mark Twain: “Don’t tell me that the fat lady sings–bring her out, and let her sing!”)
Sometimes, in the midst of all this learning and discussing, things get animated. So, when she needs to, facilitator Gelia rings a bell, to get things back on track (kind of like in the servants’ area downstairs, in Downton Abbey). Recently, she added a plaque next to the bell, in the center of our table:
Are you part of a writers’ critique group, and if so, what have you learned and how have you benefited?
February 17, 2016
How Pizza and a Movie got started…
In May 2015, I started a weekly an almost weekly blog series titled “Pizza and a Movie.” Why?
Because, most Friday evenings, my husband and I go to (the) Corner Pizza in Atlanta and then to a movie.
We always share a medium 3-topping pizza (choosing from their list of 27 different toppings). I always almost always have white wine, and my husband has a beer.
We go to a show starting at either 7:15 or 7:30. One evening in May 2015, as we walked out of the theatre, discussing the film (as usual), I mentioned the idea of writing a weekly blog post about our evening.
“I could write a short review of the movie we saw.”– [we’ve seen LOTS of movies, some good, some bad, and usually, all of the Oscar nominated films each year] – “And I could mention the toppings we ordered on our pizza that night.”
“That’s a great idea,” my husband, ever the encourager, said. “You could call it Pizza and a Movie.”
“Perfect,” I said. “I wish I’d have thought of this a long time ago, and been doing it since.”
“No time like the present,” he said. Then, as he is the more analytical, logical, and mathematical (left-brained) of the two of us, and I’m the more intuitive, thoughtful, and creative (right-brained), he came up with his own idea.
“With 27 different topping choices, we could order a different combination of them each week, and it would take years–probably decades–before we order them all!”
Later, he gave me the formula for the combinations (though I didn’t ask for it):
“The number of combinations of n objects taken r at a time is: n! / (r! (n – r)!). So the number of possible pizzas with 27 toppings taken 3 at a time is 27! / (3! ( 27! – 3!) = 27! / (3! 24!) = 27 * 26 * 25 / ( (3 * 2 * 1) = 2,925.
“Which means, we will have to go to the Corner Pizza every Friday for the next 56 years and 3 months (2,925/52 = 56.25) to exhaust every combination.”
“But I don’t necessarily want to order every combination,” I said, as if we had 56 years and three months ahead of us, and would also never miss an upcoming Friday night. “Besides, you know I don’t like jalapenos.”
Undeterred, my husband pressed on. “It could be years before we get to the jalapenos,” he said. “In fact, I’d bet on that.”
“What if I want to order the same three toppings we’ve already had before, on some future night?” I asked.
“Well, we’ve had anchovies twice in the last few weeks, and I could go another six months before we order them again,” he said.
Though we both like anchovies, I heartily agreed with that. “But having some goal of ordering a different, new pizza topping combination every time wouldn’t be the point of my blog posts!”
“Do what you want to do,” he said, “but I think…”
(That’s when I stopped listening, began nodding, and started thinking of ways to make my posts more interesting.)
“I could take a picture of my first piece of pizza each time,” I cut in. He took my cue to stop offering advice. “And when I write about the movie, I could say something personal and quirky about it, something one of us said about it, noticed, or we disagreed about. And sometimes, maybe, something funny.”
“Do it!” he said. “I think it would be great!”
And there you have it: Pizza and a Movie was born.
[The majority of this blog post first appeared under “Pizza and a Movie” tab, which is no longer up.]
February 14, 2016
Pizza and a Movie: 45 Years
This weekend’s Pizza Toppings at Corner Pizza:
Poblano Peppers
Portobellos
Corn
Movie:
45 Years
The pizza was vegetarian, and it was good. The movie was terrible.
When we walked out of the theater, I said to my husband, “I’d give it a D.” Another couple who was nearby heard me, and the woman said she’d give it an F.
I hate to be negative about movies or books – after all, someone wrote it, produced it, and believed in it. As an author, I don’t want to criticize someone else’s work. Maybe I’m just not sophisticated enough for this film, but in my opinion, it was not very good.
Two reviews I read (afterward) say it better than I can:
“Is it extraordinarily well acted? Yes, but it’s the emotional equivalent of slamming your hand in a door for 90 minutes. Glacierly paced.”
and
“Hugely disappointing, dreadfully slow moving and boring. Honestly one of the worst movies I’ve seen in years.”
Perhaps the plot (or lack of it) bothered me even more because:
I’ve been married for 34 years, and found myself wondering if my husband and I would be like this couple in 11 short years (please, no).
We had a big party for our 25th anniversary, a year after his parents’ (and 5 years after my parents’) 50th. It was a wonderful night and very memorable, and it made up for the fact that we couldn’t afford anything other than cake and cocktails at our wedding’s backyard reception (no dinner, no dancing, and I don’t remember the few toasts).
In short, this was a sad movie, with few redeeming qualities.
As for the pizza, we agreed ahead of time on poblano peppers and corn. I wanted something red (but not meat), and he suggested sliced tomatoes. “They’re two squishy,” I said, so we picked portobellos. It was yummy, and I enjoyed the evening with my husband.
February 11, 2016
All the Above is a featured book on a women’s book reviews website!
ALL THE ABOVE is currently being featured by Women’s Book Reviews, a gem of a site that I just discovered through my friend Rona Simmons, author of historical and literary fiction!
Click here to read about the book and about me, and tell your friends about the site. I recently reviewed two books, and I’ve been intrigued by the reviews of others. What a great way to find out about books and get recommendations!
February 8, 2016
My new motto, grâce à Steve Martin
One of my “Sisters in Crime,”* a talented editor, posted this quote on Facebook today:
Be so good they can’t ignore you.
– Steve Martin
Good advice for any field, she said. However, I’m going further. I’m making it my (new) motto.
Some things to know about writing books are:
A gazillion other people are doing it;
Not all of those other people are publishing independently (self-publishing) – about half of all books now are self-published, with the other half published by a small, medium, or large press;
No matter who you are, how your work is published, or what you do, it’s very difficult to stand out (not be ignored) – and, if you’ve self-published anything, no matter how good it is, you’re likely to be viewed as not good enough;
People are reading less and less (well, not everybody, but lots) and spending more time watching movies, TV, and on other media;
Even if your work is really, really good, there’s no guarantee it will get noticed.
I’ve self-published fiction and nonfiction, and my (originally self-published) novel UNDERWATER was acquired and rereleased by a traditional publisher.** Somehow, they found it (I didn’t approach them). Was it so good that they – “they” – couldn’t ignore it? I don’t know, but I did the best job I could, writing it.
My next book (ALL THE ABOVE) was already written, edited, and ready for publication when that novel was rereleased. But I waited a few months before publishing it, myself. I wanted it to be so good that it wouldn’t get ignored.
Over the previous two years, I had poured my heart into writing ALL THE ABOVE. I got feedback from my writers’ group, beta readers, and my freelance editor. I made all the recommended changes. I combed through it for mistakes and typos. I paid attention to the details. I wrote the back cover copy, and approved the design created by my cover artist. Last March, I released it in paperback and on Kindle. Since then, it’s been selling steadily and has received 24 Reviews on Amazon.
It’s hard to get noticed, to stand out, and not to be ignored. But I’m inspired now, to be so good that they can’t ignore me.
One word at a time.
*A national mystery/thriller writers organization
**Thomas & Mercer
February 7, 2016
Pizza and… the SUPER BOWL!
This weekend’s Pizza Toppings at Corner Pizza:
Chicken
Bacon
Ham
That’s right – no movie this weekend! :-(
We planned to go see The Revenant, and we still do. But since the showtime at our favorite theater was a bit early, we decided to relax and enjoy our “meat-lovers” pizza instead.* We won’t be eating pizza this evening while watching the Panthers and the Broncos (Carolina vs. Denver, in Super Bowl L – “50”). But since tomorrow is my husband’s birthday, we’ll have sandwiches, chips, and cake.
I can’t wait to watch the game (and the commercials!), and no matter who wins, I hope it’s a good one. In honor of it, here’s an (amusing) short excerpt of an article about it that we discussed in my French conversation class this week. I’ll quote this (simple) explanation of the game in French, and then give you the English translation, even though you can probably figure it out, with so many vrais amis (similar words). Words in parentheses are included for extra clarification:
“Sur un terrain de près de 91 mètres sur 49, deux équipes de 11 joueurs se disputent et galopent derrière un ballon ovale. Celui-ci est flanqué d’un lacet de fermeture, qui permet aux joueurs de lui donner un mouvement rotatif indispensable pour stabiliser sa trajectoire…”
“On a field of about 91 by 49 meters [100 by 53 yards], 2 teams of 11 players battle (contend, argue, dispute) and gallop (dash) behind an oval ball. The ball is locked/held together by a (shoe)lace, which permits the players to give it an indispensable rotating (rotary) movement, to stabilize its flight path (trajectory)…”
*Meat-lover’s, since Lent begins on Wednesday. So, for the next 6 weeks, we’ll be eating vegetarian pizzas on Fridays.
February 5, 2016
Friday music – to an author’s ears
While checking email over my morning coffee today, I was thrilled to discover that a reader had just posted a 5 star review of my first novel, MAKE THAT DEUX!
“GREAT BOOK!! I LOVE IT!” she said. “I really enjoyed reading this book. I liked all of the different characters and reading about their adventures. It never got boring. It kept me wanting to keep reading and reading. Great story!!!”
She had already read my third book, ALL THE ABOVE, which is nonfiction (a true story), and a very different type of book. Here’s what she said about that:
“I read this book in two days! I felt so many different emotions while reading it. I felt so sorry for the family to have to deal with this horrible and scary situation. Poor Jack having to go through cancer treatments while in the beginning of his college career. The book was very well written and an honest story of how the family coped during this time of tragedy. It showed how the McDermott family relied on their strong faith while so many obstacles were being thrown their way. I loved this book and had a hard time putting it down.”
I thanked her on Goodreads (she’d posted her reviews there, and on Amazon), and asked if she might consider reading my 2nd book, suspense novel UNDERWATER. She replied, “You’re welcome :) I actually already read Underwater last year and loved it as well! I can’t wait to read your next one!”
All of that got my Friday (and my weekend, and month) off to a wonderful start! So, to celebrate, I thought I would share some (very old) photos from my year in Montpellier, France, the experience on which my novel MAKE THAT DEUX is based. (And it’s NOT a true story! Novel = Fiction!)
The handwritten words are grâce à one of my girlfriends, with whom I shared an apartment in Palavas* that year, and the photos come from a collage she made for me:
Me (left), another girlfriend (right), and the teenage son of our program’s directrice, on a visit to Carcassonne…
Like Jenny in MAKE THAT DEUX, sometimes I actually studied!
Our apartment building is still there…
I’m on the right, with 2 girlfriends and the French boyfriend of one!
*Palavas-les-flots, a beach town 20 minutes away, where we lived
February 1, 2016
List Post, février 2016
Enjoying connecting with readers on Facebook, and getting messages, shares and Likes!
Grateful for an author friend’s help recently with social media details like tabs, lists, and videos. You can now sign up to receive my bimonthly Newsletter on Facebook!
Anticipating the publication (this month!) of another author friend’s middle grade/young adult novel set in WWII Britain. I’ll let you know more when it’s released!
Ideas starting to gel on WIP, Book 5. Words coming.
Announcing title of Book 4, a suspense/women’s fiction: A ZERO-SUM GAME. One lucky newsletter subscriber guessed it, and she’ll be getting a free, signed copy! Teasers and cover reveal coming; stay tuned!
January 30, 2016
Pizza and a Movie: Room
This weekend’s Pizza Toppings at Corner Pizza:
Capers
Feta Cheese
Pepperoni
Movie:
Room
The first thing I wanted to know after seeing this film was: Is it a true story?
The answer is no, but it will remind you of more than a few true stories. If you’re interested in seeing it, you probably already know the storyline: A woman and her son are kept in a small room for several years, and when they come out of it, the world is a brand new place, surreal, and almost unbelievable to her 5 year old son.
I won’t tell you how they get out, or what life is like for them before or after they do. You have to see the movie to find all that out, and I recommend that you do. But be prepared for something that’s intense and unpredictable. The movie has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture, and it deserves the nomination – and maybe even the award. I was riveted by the story, and it was refreshing to note that I didn’t recognize any of the actors, sauf one – and he’s not a huge star.
The pizza was yummy, and we were hungry. I’ve always been a fan of feta cheese, he wanted capers (don’t ask), and pepperoni was a mutual, quick decision. Très bon!
January 26, 2016
(No) Pizza or a Movie, but a cool (literary) cocktail recipe book!
Last Friday night, because of the horrible weather possible blizzard very cold (for Atlanta) weather, my husband and I passed on Pizza and a Movie, and stayed home (and warm). The next evening, however, we braved the cold temperatures and had dinner out with very dear friends.
So today, I’ve decided to write about a cool little truc – a book* – we picked up last month at an interesting cafe/bookshop in France. Tequila Mockingbird: Cocktails with a Literary Twist is a cocktail recipe book written by Tim Federle and illustrated by Lauren Mortimer. When we my husband spied it on the counter, while we were purchasing another book (we love books), we had to have it!
I’m always fond of twists – whether in literature, my work in progress (a novel), or a martini – and I love the recipe titles. I’ve listed a few below, based on a (favorite) book:
Gin Eyre
Bridget Jones Daiquiri
A Confederacy of Ounces
Rye and Prejudice
The Cooler Purple
Gone with the Wine
The Pitcher of Dorian Grey Goose
Olives ‘n’ Twist
Tequila Mockingbird
There are many more, and we can’t wait to delve into the recipes, which we plan to do, over time.
Because interesting, tasty cocktails “with a literary twist” – over ice, or neat – seem like just the thing for cold weather!
*Not a (literal) translation
