The Writers' Group

The Literary Maze

2009-01-12T09:34:00.012-05:00

When we began this blog in 2006, our goal was to cover the subject of writers' groups and we feel we've done so rather thoroughly. Our posts on forming, maintaining, and making the best use of a group can be found in the archives and will remain there as a resource.

Yet the writer's life has its ups and downs, twists and turns; and for reasons many and varied, though all good, we've turned in a new direction. Each of the four of us, Lynne Griffin, Amy MacKinnon, Lisa Marnell, and Hannah Roveto will continue to pursue our unique literary lives, to see where their personal literary journeys take them.

Farewell and happy writing.

Happy Holidays 2008

2008-12-22T07:44:00.010-05:00

With the joys and blessings of the holidays upon us, The Writers Group blog is on hiatus until 2009. Thank you for taking time to stop by and share your thoughts with us in 2008. We wish you the following:

* make time to write, to think, to plot, even if you find yourself amid chaos;

* take a warm cozy moment or two to read;

* enjoy spending your gift certificate to your favorite bookstore, preferably independent, and cherish the books given to you with love from those who care for you.

Happy holidays, and cheers to a productive and personally rewarding 2009!

Amy, Lisa, Lynne and Hannah

Getting the Interview

2008-12-19T07:40:00.010-05:00

Writers, as creative as we may be, are not able to imagine the true details of the many professions we envision for our characters. Wikipedia does not suffice. We need to get out there and find individuals who live and breathe, as our characters do, to interview. How to turn away from our solitary world where we have complete control, and get out there to do the job right?

Q) Do you have advice on the best way to get an interview with someone you want to speak with for research purposes? One of the characters in my book had a niche job that I know I don't know enough about, but I've located someone who would be perfect to speak with. How do I go about getting a busy person to speak with me for informational purposes?

Lynne Griffin
I do a lot of research before I ask for an interview. Being prepared is critical to conducting an informative one and in being seen as professional. By doing your homework, you'll have a better sense of who to approach and specifically what you're after. Don't waste your subject's time by asking the obvious things you have access to by reading books or searching online. Make the experience worthwhile for both of you by going deep. The interviews I've conducted for my work-in-progress gave me some of my best insights into my characters' motivations. I strongly urge you to round out your research by going to a primary source. And always send a thank you afterwards, and again via your acknowledgments once the book is published.

Amy MacKinnon
Call and ask. It's amazing how helpful people are -- and flattered that you're interested in their lives. As for questions, allow your natural curiousity free reign and make a point of going to their environment. It's crucial to the detials, to the setting, the character to be present.

Hannah Roveto
People are amazingly kind and always flattered when anyone wants to peek into their lives, nevermind someone who might turn knowledge into a story. I've interviewed complete strangers on things as arcane as bioluminescence (glowing plankton!). Take a deep breath, and be professional. Write the person a brief but thoughtful email or letter. Explain you are a writer and you have a character doing a similar job, and need to understand the whys and wherefores and hows. Estimate how much time the interview will take and tell them. An hour? At their convenience, of course! Go in prepared with questions based on the story, going beyond the job to things like the temperament of people who do that job, what motivates them to go into that field, terms that might have useful secret or double meanings. Explain your basic theme; what comes to mind professionally for them? Why did you make your character this way? You are genuinely interested in who these people are; enjoy the conversation and write a follow-up thank you. And credit them when the book comes out!

How To Thread a Novel

2008-12-17T07:44:00.016-05:00

So much detail to put in just the right places. How does anyone ever write a novel? There are tricks, of course, passed along from writer to writer. Not to over simplify -- or over promise as per our header here, but here are our best suggestions in a nutshell.

Q: I've written my first draft and there are sizeable clumps of information that need to be threaded throughout. What's the best way to do this? I started an outline, but got sick of it. I read Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird about plot treatment--summarize chapter by chapter what happens. I'm thinking this might be the best way to go. I know the chronological thread of my MC's life, but I want to start when she's an adult, then go back and insert background on her past, her relationship with her mother, her job, her relationship with her boss, how she met certain friends, all while keeping the main story moving forward. Without it all becoming a huge mess. How have you done it? Hannah's Thread Obsessed and Millefeuille post were helpful, but maybe a little more nuts and bolts about how to work those threads? And Lynne's post on journals hit home. I had one character as an ex-Marine, then realized it didn't really fit his personality! Exactly what does a thread consist of--subplots or just the chronology of each character?

Lynne Griffin
Like Amy, my storytelling process is more organic than plotted or outlined. I don't choose jobs or homes or life circumstances for my characters, these come to me over time. And the time I spend thinking about my characters--listening to their story, wondering about their predicaments-- far exceeds the time I spend putting words on the page. That said, as you mentioned above, I keep a journal for each novel. Not only do I jot down plot points as they come to me, but I note what threads I'll need to go back and tighten in revision. Writing fiction, for me, is equal parts art and science. I strive to write for the story, then I go back to be sure I've been true to craft. As my dear friend Michael Lowenthal once said, "Let readers dismiss the work on taste, not talent."

Amy MacKinnon
Outlines? Plot treatments? Chapter summaries? It all sounds so technical. I'm afraid I can't help you with this one because my process is more organic and very simple. In terms of threads, I introduce them the way I'm introduced to other people's stories in real life: in bits and pieces. When I'm getting to know someone, they don't tell me everything of their past and present right away, and they almost always hedge the truth. Time teases out the story, trust, circumstances, a shared experience. It's a gradual process. And then, finally, there's the big revelation and you realize the clues were there all along. It's simply a matter of identifying each story in your novel, and ensuring each is told as fully, as richly as possible, and all sharing a common thread.

Hannah Roveto
I always do a chapter-by-chapter synopsis, for my own work and when I read for others. Hallie Ephron teaches a High-Low Revision process; she explains it in her Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel, which is perfect for any kind of novel. Whether or not you're an outliner, and I'm not, you do need to see your first draft from higher ground and follow each character through. The draft is very organic for me, messy even. Once it's complete, then comes the work to make sure it doesn't stay that way! I do synopses on a couple of sheets of lined paper, with 3-4 lines per chapter. Line one is the synopsis, with the date in the left margin and setting, then a quick description of key points. When I've got them all down I go back and make little notes -- one or two words -- thread by thread, character by character, on what info gets revealed to whom when ("R 2 K, dad issue"). Leaving yourself little space makes you focus. What really does happen here that is important to the reader/story? Best to do this with a cup of hot tea to one side, in the comfiest office chair you own. The few hours it takes are well spent!

The MFA Decision

2008-12-16T07:28:00.017-05:00

There are lots of ways to immerse a learner in the craft of writing. And every writer should be prepared to be a lifelong learner. But which way is the right way for you?

Question)
I've pretty much ruled out going back for an MFA (I'm in my early 40s with school-age kids, and can't quite justify the cost right now, and I'm not looking to teach any time soon), but I keep wondering if that's the right decision. I wonder how the workshops and teaching in a decent low-residency program compare to the workshops and teaching I've gotten at writers' conferences and online. And of course I wonder if the credential helps open doors. I can't say for sure that my fiction is literary; I think it's halfway between literary and commercial. I'm wondering if any of you went through a similar decision struggle, or if not, why not.

Answer)

Lynne Griffin
Like you, when I came to writing fiction my life circumstances made getting an MFA a challenging proposition. Full time business to run, full time wife, mother and homemaker. It wasn't going to happen. And I already had a masters degree in education. I never toyed with the low residency programs either, though I think they are a fantastic option and know some amazing writers who teach in them. I have taken numerous courses at Grub Street and have benefited from every single one. The means by which craft is learned and then honed is a personal decision. Having written two novels, I can say the learning is ongoing. Each experience teaches new things and reminds me I will never know it all. My advice is to examine the way you learn best and then to fill your writing life with as many different opportunities to learn as you can. And if you do choose to get an MFA, be forewarned. Even when you complete a program, you're learning won't be through.

Amy MacKinnon
I would love to get my MFA. It would please me to no end to devote many, many hours to reading excellent books, parsing it with like minded people, devote time to critiquing their work, having the same done to mine. Wait, I have that already...

So, do I think an MFA opens doors? Maybe Iowa and a few others. Do I believe it makes for a better writer? Maybe, maybe not. I believe the writing is more organic without it, but some people would absolutely benefit from honing their craft. Do I think there's the tendency while enrolled in a MFA program to write to a particular schematic. Yes. Evalaute your goals for the program. If you're doing it with the intent of getting published, you don't need it. If you desire an MFA for the pure joy of wallowing in literature, with the intent to expand your breadth of knowledge, go for it.

Hannah Roveto
Knowing writers who made it with and without an MFA, the bottom line is this: having the stick-to-it-iveness to make the time to learn from others and also to share critical reading support. If you have options like the fabulous Grub Street in Boston for classes -- and will get yourself to them -- and a great writers' group or reader, an MFA is not necessary. A low-residency MFA is a solid middle ground between this Do-It-Yourself version and a formal MFA, requiring you to make the commitment (not unlike how some use a gym membership to force themselves to exercise!) in a way that fits your life. If that is the push and structure you need, I heartily recommend such a program!

Best Books of 2008

2008-12-12T08:05:00.005-05:00

Thank you, Book Browse and Donna Chavez!

Mystery. With her stupendous prose and intricate characterizations MacKinnon has penned a winner - Hardcover

Tethered A Novel by Amy Mackinnon
Read the full review

Tethered is the first book in recent memory that I absolutely could not read fast enough to see how it comes out. The book is deceptive. Is it a mystery? Is it a literary novel? At first it seems to be a rather interesting, if uncomplicated, story about a young woman, Clara Marsh, who works in a funeral home as an undertaker; assistant to the funeral director, Linus Bartholomew. She's had a rather difficult life – orphaned at an early age then raised by an overly strict Bible-thumping grandmother – thus she is pretty much a loner. So when she encounters a little girl called Trecie in one of the mourning rooms I was expecting a story about how Clara begins to relate to the youngster and eventually overcomes her inability to connect with others. Boy was I wrong. .... Read full review.

Reviewed By Donna Chavez

2008-12-11T06:42:00.006-05:00

You've been waiting and waiting, emailing for hints, finally it's Thursday and Lissa Warren is back with the answer to that question every writer asks. And who better to ask than Lissa, Senior Director of Publicity at Da Capo Press and author of that must-have, The Savvy Author's Guide to Book Publicity:

Q) We've heard again and again that writers need to help promote their work once their books are published, but not every one knows how to do this (other than buying THE SAVVY AUTHORS GUIDE). What are your best author do's and don'ts?

A) Lissa Warren: It’s true—these days, authors need to be actively involved in the promotion of their books. They need to be partners in the campaign—not just the recipients of it. Here are my do’s and don’ts:

DO
Create a website for your book—and keep it updated. By adding new content on a regular basis—even if it’s just your latest media coverage and your newest events—you’ll make it a place people want to come back to, rather than a place they visit once.

Be agreeable. If your publicist asks you to wake up at 6 a.m. on a Sunday to do a phoner with a small radio station in a city no one has ever heard of, do it—not just because you never know who could be listening and what it could lead to, but because publicists tend to work extra hard when authors are cooperative.

Follow the news, and let your publicist know what’s happening in the world that you can speak to, and what your take is on it. She can then use that info to get you more coverage. Don’t have a publicist? Then send out a well-crafted pitch via email yourself. When news is breaking, the media needs experts and will sometimes be receptive to authors even when they’re pitching themselves.

Write—and try to find a home for--op-eds and original articles (preferably tied to your book) that mention the book in your bio line.

Blog. Start your own blog, or blog for established ones like the Huffington Post.

Secure some speaking gigs for yourself. Bookstores, libraries, literary festivals, universities, corporations, churches, synagogues and JCCs, professional conferences—there are tons of places to talk. Check with your publicist to see what she’s pursuing—then fill in the gaps. If it seems like too much work, investigate the possibility of enlisting the services of a lecture agent.

Consider hiring a freelance publicist or outsourcing for a radio satellite tour and/or Web campaign for your book. They’re not cheap, but they can really help you get the word out.

DON’T
Be hard to reach. If you don’t have a cell, get one (and return messages from your publicist and from the media promptly). Same goes for email (and check it frequently so as not to miss opportunities). The three months before and after your book comes out are not a good time to take a vacation—so don’t.

Be your usual unselfish self. Every book has a very small window in which to succeed—usually a couple of months after it pubs. You may need to set limits with family, friends, and even your employer. To the extent that you can, try to view promoting your book as a full-time job.

Don’t have unrealistic expectations. It’s good to aim high, but not everyone can be on Oprah or Fresh Air, or reviewed in the New York Times Book Review. Start small, start niche, start local—then build from your base. And remember: publicity begets publicity begets publicity.

Engage in shameless self-promotion. Find ways to put yourself out there that aren’t tacky. For example, in any press material you create don’t say your book is fascinating—make it sound fascinating. Don’t praise the book yourself, but instead quote positive reviews and provide blurbs by other authors.

Fail to do your homework. Spend time researching shows, publications, and Websites that might be appropriate for your book. Before going on a radio or TV show, try to listen to or view it online—or at least check out the show’s website. Before speaking with a reporter, Google them to see what kind of things they’ve covered in the past, and what their approach has been.

Be a forgettable interview. Go into every interview armed with 3-5 talking points—things you’d really like to convey that you think will resonate with the intended audience. Learn how to sound bite well. If necessary, hire a media coach to help you. And the same goes for your reading/talks—select your passages carefully, time yourself (20-30 minutes is usually sufficient for a bookstore talk), and practice your delivery. And be sure to send thank you notes once the segment airs or the article runs/posts.

Forget that this is supposed to be fun. Most people never even write a book, much less get it published. Try to enjoy your time in the spotlight.

Should I Query Agents Now?

2008-12-10T06:46:00.008-05:00

'Tis the season! But is it a good time to send out those query letters?

Q) I've finished the umpteenth draft of my novel and I'm ready to start querying agents. Should I start now or wait until after the New Year? Everyone is telling me to wait, but I feel like I've waited a long time already, though I don't want to waste my one shot with an agent. Advice?

A)
Lynne Griffin
I'd continue to query, but with two caveats. Are you absolutely sure your manuscript is in the best possible shape to stand out? And are you querying a very targeted group of agents? Being thorough on both counts is the key to query at any time of year.

Amy MacKinnon
Send away! Conventional wisdom states you should wait until the beginning of February -- what with the holidays in December, New Years, and then the assumption that agents' inboxes are full to crashing in the weeks following. Most people follow that advice, but I didn't. I queried my top pick the end of November, and sent the rest the first two weeks of December. All of the agents I queried were working away and responded immediately. If I were you, I'd query right up until December 17 and then take a breather until mid-January. Good luck and let us know how you make out.

Lisa Marnell
She's away for the holidays. Merry Christmas, Lisa!

Hannah Roveto

Did you move in with the first guy or gal who ever asked you out? Unless you were very lucky, I suspect it took a little more work before you found someone you decided was worth a risk. I'm querying, and don't plan to stop! If an agent turns you down, it wasn't meant to be, independent of the time of year, state of the industry or any other factor. While some agents aren't taking new clients in this environment, if you've written something they can't resist, all bets are off. The trick is to keep going until you find your own personal Mr. or Ms. Right.

The Hook or the Book

2008-12-09T06:02:00.012-05:00

While every agent or editor delights in finding the high concept novel with page turning pace in the slush pile, what's to become of the more sedate literary novel? In the midst of the changing landscape in publishing, many worry that their novel doesn't have the right stuff. Do you? Does yours?

Q) My novel has been called "quiet" by a few agents who've rejected it. Even those who have complimented my writing say they don't know how they would position it in the crowded market. I love my novel as is and feel that it will eventually find a home. I have no interest in revising it to give it a big hook. What advice do you have for a writer like me?

A)
Lynne Griffin
It's true that selling literary--in fact all--fiction is tough these days. The shelves are certainly crowded and it takes a lot of promotion to stand out. That said, there are wonderful books being published that are literary, quiet and still deeply rich in texture and tone. I suggest you step back and ask yourself some tough questions about your novel. Are the characters richly drawn and as three dimensional as your best friend or next door neighbor? Is your story original and compelling? Great writing is a must no matter what your genre, but in truth, today your work does need to stand out in some way in order to break free from the stack.

Amy MacKinnon
Ah, the quiet novel. When I think quiet, I think Last Night at the Lobster or Out Stealing Horses, Old Man and the Sea or The Stone Diaries. Each is a gem, two were awarded the Pulitzer, all have enormous heart. If no one is telling you there's a structural issue, that the voice is a mere echo, and the characters flat, then I would persevere -- but perhaps not now. I believe in the pendulum swing philosophy, that literary gems will once command the attention they deserve. As Lynne said, the climate is not welcoming to many novels right now, but this too shall pass. Believe.

Lisa Marnell
It sounds to me as though your decision's made; you say you have no interest in revising it to give it a "Big Hook." But, allow me to play devil's advocate... I challenge you to tell yourself WHY you don't want to revise it. Are you intimidated by the work it would entail (we're all too busy these days). Do you fear you won't be able to come up with an idea? Perhaps you owe it to yourself and your novel to rethink your decision.

Hannah Roveto
Perhaps you could have someone else read it for you; and if you've had it read by one or two knowledgeable friends, try a third or even a book doctor. You don't need to do what they say, but the knowledge might be useful. If it's a marketplace issue, would a chapter or a deleted scene be worth crafting into a short story? Many a first novel came from a published short story that drew someone's attention, and a credit in Post Road might be nice to have under your belt.

How to Publicize Your Book

2008-12-08T06:54:00.007-05:00

Joining us this week at the Writers' Group to answer your question is industry insider and all around nice person, Lissa Warren.

We first met Lissa at a Grub Muse and the Marketplace conference where she hosted one of the most informative panels that year on author do's and don'ts. Lissa is an author herself of the book every serious writer should own, The Savvy Authors Guide to Book Publicity and is senior director of publicity at Da Capo Press. Can you think of a better person to ask your PR questions of? Check back on Thursday when she answers this:

Q) We've heard again and again that writers need to help promote their work once their books are published, but not every one knows how to do this (other than buying THE SAVVY AUTHORS GUIDE). What are your best author do's and don'ts?

Lissa Warren has worked in the publicity department of several prestigious Boston publishing houses including David R. Godine, Houghton Mifflin, and Perseus Publishing, and is currently Senior Director of Publicity at Da Capo Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group. She is an experienced promoter of both fiction and nonfiction, with particular expertise in the areas of business and biography, health and history, poetry and parenting, sports and science, and music. She has worked on such national bestsellers as The Cluetrain Manifesto, Greenspan: The Man Behind Money, Flatterland, Smart Mobs, Faster Than the Speed of Light, and Touchpoints Three to Six.

2008-12-07T15:56:00.003-05:00

Have a question? Don't be shy! If we can't answer it, we'll find someone who can. Write to us at: WritersGroupQuestions@gmail.com

In the coming weeks, look for Q&As with special guests such as Lissa Warren, author of The Savvy Author's Guide to Book Publicity and a Senior Director of Publicity at Da Capo Press (you know, that great publisher of Cancer Is a Bitch by Gail Konop Baker), as well as the dark one himself, Evil Editor.

Stay out of the doghouse--Buy books!

2008-12-06T11:50:00.005-05:00

Have you ever given a gift that elicited an unexpected response? Received a cold stare after giving a sweater two sizes too big or found yourself sleeping on the couch because of a vacuum cleaner or blender? If so, don't take your chances this holiday season. We have a sure way to stay out of the doghouse. Buy books. Buy books. Buy books.

Watch this video and then buy books.

Debra Ginsberg is a New York Times Pick!

2008-12-05T16:42:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to Debra Ginsberg, author of the New York Time's Top Ten Crime Fiction pick of 2008, The Grift!

Not only is she a good person, she's a great writer. Brava, Debra!

Best of Interviews: Mameve Medwed

2008-12-04T08:22:00.013-05:00

We'd gotten a question on inspiration, and began thinking of memorable inspirations for stories we'd come across. One we love was the crazy kernel that Mameve Medwed nurtured into Of Men and Their Mothers. Rather than answer the question ourselves, we thought we'd bring back a "Best Interview" so you can hear the story again from Mameve yourself!

Mameve Medwed’s books are known for their strong sense of setting, fully-drawn characters, and plots that build on comedies of manners in the issues that matter most day-to-day: love, children, parents, career, self. Of her first novel, 1997’s Mail, Publishers Weekly noted that “Medwed’s talent is in the details,” and her books have been praised by the likes of Arthur Golden, Tom Perrotta, Gregory Maguire and Anita Shreve. Her book, Of Men and Their Mothers, was a BookSense “Notable Book” last May. She graciously agreed to be interviewed for The Writers’ Group blog, and offers insights into her path through and take on the literary life.

Hannah Roveto: Thank you for sharing your time with us. I’ve read your first four books, already bought the fifth, and the fact that you are known for humor is of particular interest to me. First off, Mail came out in 1997. What was your background to that point? You were writing already?

Mameve Medwed: Thank you, too! Yes, I was writing short stories and had published a lot. Mail started as a short story published in The Missouri Review. I thought I was a short story writer. Elinor Lipman called and said, you know, you need to write a novel. I told her I didn’t know how, and she said, “Nobody does. Take Mail and turn it into one.” So I did it, kicking and screaming. Then it finds an agent, results in a bidding war, and I thought, this isn’t so bad! I felt I never wanted to write short stories again. I love the luxury of working on something for a matter of years. I always panic at the end of a story, worry where the story will go, and will I ever get another idea. Novel writing delays that panic.

HR: How did you meet Elinor Lipman?

MM: I met Elinor almost thirty years ago in a writing class at Brandeis, adult ed, twelve weeks for forty bucks. We hit it off and became fast friends right away, especially since we were the only ones writing funny stuff and we were considered not “serious!”

HR: What did you learn as you grew into a novel writer?

MM: I don’t know what I learned, in that I did it by the seat of my pants. I’d always keep one paragraph ahead of myself. I was so certain I couldn’t do it, that nobody would want it, I didn’t set any limits on myself. I let my imagination spin, went on tangents, moved back and forth in time. I took classes, of course, at the Cambridge Center and at Radcliffe, which were tremendously helpful. I was quite sure nothing would come of it, though. I still feel that way with every novel, that I’m reinventing the wheel for myself.

HR: Did you have a writers group in those early days?

MM: I’ve certainly been sustained by writers groups and seminars, but all the groups petered out over time. They’d work for a while, then they didn’t. I have one reader over the years, Elinor, who’s been a constant. I read her work and she reads mine. Sometimes my agent reads before I’m done, sometimes someone else.

HR: Do you have a formal process or rules any longer?

MM: No. (Laughs.) Ellie send stories chapter by chapter, very polished. I send her big messy manuscripts I’ve certainly gone over a number of times, but I think she has the harder end of that deal. I don’t want to be stopped too early on.HR: If you are asking someone else to read, are there any guidelines you suggest to them?

MM: I’m very careful whom I ask to read. I have to know the person, know they know me. I want brutal honesty wrapped in encouragement. I don’t want to feel like I’m going to go home and fall on my sword; I want a certain professionalism. You need to know if the story works, the characters are real, whether there are any confusions. Is it too long, and so forth.

HR: You’ve said Mail took about three years to write, and your other books have come out at about two year intervals. Can you talk a bit to your process while you write? Do you outline, or know where your stories are headed, and do you have any thoughts on those “messy middles?”

MM: I’ve been told I’m “so prolific.” Of course, between the time you have a book accepted and when it is published is about eighteen months, so there’s been an additional six months or so of time nobody sees. I have very bad habits, or at least, a horrible time starting a new book. First, I’m often in the whole publication-touring-promotion phase for another book, so it’s hard to switch heads. I haven’t given birth to the old book yet, fully. Nothing flows, and that is torture. It’s an exquisite and delightful torture.

I never know the story when I start to write it out. That’s what makes it interesting to me. If I know, then to me the process feels too mechanical. I like the surprises along the way; they keep me going. If I felt I had to analyze or intellectualize the elements, I’d be paralyzed. I used to feel dumb, but I’ve learned to trust the subconscious when I’m in the zone.

The first draft, I try not to overthink. E.L. Doctorow had a quote about writing a novel: “It’s like driving a car at night. You never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” I keep that over my computer.Once I have about fifty pages, though, I have a place to go. Then I’m really good, have exemplary habits. I can work for eight or ten hours a day and will do at least two pages each day, which accumulates. I let myself write badly; everything including the kitchen sink goes in, what I read in the newspapers, everything. I don’t worry about the middle, because I know I’m going to revise. In revising, I cut huge swathes through it, connect the dots, address continuity. If you allow yourself to write badly the first time through, you use some of it, not other parts, but it’s all there on paper.

HR: So you never know the endings, even in a book like The End of An Error (re-released in paperback last April)?

MM: No. I didn’t. And I don’t know that afterward she sticks with that choice or regrets it, either.

HR: Humor is tricky. What do you think makes it work, if it is something that can be quantified at all? Any tips for someone working in this category?

MM: I don’t think I’m funny. I’m dead serious when I’m writing. That it was funny was a surprise, that people laughed. I suppose it’s my voice, my style. I’ve been on panels, talked about it a lot, and I’ll say that when you’re going to write anything, even humor, it still has to be serious. I do write serious books, about life, love and loss. Robert Stone said it’s the great thing about literature: it makes the world less lonely.To write it, I know the characters have to be real, layered; they can’t be caricatures. The biggest danger in comedy is to have cardboard characters. You need a real person with an inner life. Trollope says that easy reading takes hard writing. You have to go over it a million times to make it seamless, make sure it flows.

HR: When you are ready to start a novel, what sets it off: a moment, a story you hear, a character idea? What inspired your newest book, Of Men and Their Mothers, for example?

MM: I always like writing about mothers and sons; there were certainly experiences with my own mother-in-law that prompt thoughts, and stories I hear. Although then you need to take it and bring it to another level. And class – that’s something we dare not name in our society. For the new book, I’d had some thoughts. Then a somewhat scruffy man was looking for some neighbors, who were out. I told the woman later about him, and she asked me to come over. She pulled a bag from the freezer: breast milk that had been in there for three years or so. Her husband was a lawyer who’d done a pro bono case for DSS and his client asked him to store the milk. The idea of someone’s breast milk in a stranger’s freezer for years… well, that clicked right away with what I was thinking!

HR: What do you like best about the literary life?

MM: I like that I am the god of my domain. I can do whatever I want. And I do love the torture of writing, which gives me the clay to do revision. I like the big feeling of having a book in me, no matter where I go, carrying it inside of me. I don’t like giving up that control once it’s done, when it depends on so many other people, on budgets, reviews and sales. It’s hard to give up the story to that. Most of us are shy, find it hard, worrying about what another person will think even though you know it’s only one opinion; but will it make or break the book? The lovely part, then in turn, is to have a book in your hands, in bookstores and libraries. You get that connection with readers.When you start writing, all you want is to have a book. Then you say, okay, all I want is another book. You’re never satisfied, and each time the anxiety gets ratcheted up, and then the book comes out and that alone doesn’t fulfill you. In the end, it always goes back to the joy and torture of writing your world. Every single time, you have to go back to the writing.

Information on Mameve Medwed’s books, from those above to How Elizabeth Barrett Browning Saved My Life and Host Family, as well as essays and public appearance dates are at http://www.mamevemedwed.com/.

Platform

2008-12-03T07:43:00.014-05:00

Like Olympic divers, braving the jump and going to the depths, writers also need platforms of their very own to take it to the limit. Are platforms carved in stone based on who you are and what you've written, or can one build one afresh?

Q) I am revising my first novel and am starting to investigate next steps. The word "platform" comes up quite a bit. Can you define this simply? Or suggest how I might define what I have, or how I might achieve it? I am a teacher and have never been published before.

A)
Lynne Griffin
As a writer of nonfiction, I’m going to give it to you straight. You need a huge platform to sell books and get paid speaking engagements. TV & radio appearances—regularly. A column or freelance assignments from major newspapers and national magazines--consistently. And events that attract loads of participants—in the hundreds. Have I frightened you yet? I haven’t meant to, but it is my intention to be brutally honest. Hear this: readers of nonfiction want to hear from experts. They want to know you and trust you before they buy. Publishers know this. So should you.

For fiction, platform takes on a different relevance, but it is relevant nonetheless. Certainly you don’t need to have the same kind of platform—though it certainly won’t hurt if you do. Your platform in this case serves a more indirect role. Do you already have contacts with television producers, radio hosts, and magazine editors? If so, you’ll be more likely to garner media attention for your fiction, though you will have to come up with appropriate pitches. (For example, with Life Without Summer, I’m pitching parenting, marriage and grief angles to get coverage for the novel.) While some may say having platform for fiction is less important, in today’s marketplace you’ll need it--and whatever else you have up your sleeve--to stand out.

Amy MacKinnon
Publishing being what it is, a nonfiction author needs to have a national platform related to her book proposal to get a book deal. That means if you're writing a cook book, you should probably have your very own show on the Food Network. Bam!

Fiction, well, that's a bit different isn't it? Most everyone will tell you to start building your platform now in order to get a book deal, do something related to your genre -- for literary fiction get an MFA and teach at Iowa -- or publish a magazine article related to your novel's plot -- if it's about a brain surgeon, write about your experience being wide awake on the OR table as neurosurgeons removed that non-malignant tumor.

Personally, I think people need to be more concerned with writing a magnificent story about characters readers will know in their bones. If there's a good backstory about the author coming to write that novel, great, but that's not what will keep up long into the night, reading and falling in love.

Lisa Marnell
Interesting question. When I did a manuscript mart (when an agent reviewed the first twenty pages of my YA WIP), I was surprised when she told me to try to get any bylines I could in publications that deal with autism - my MC's brother has autism. It didn't make a lot of sense to me then and, if I'm honest, it still doesn't make sense now. I am writing fiction, not non-fiction.

When it comes to fiction, Amy's got it right: Write a magnificent story!

Hannah Roveto
Given that platform translates literally into the credentials you stand on as you leap into publishing, it's not too late to add to your credentials, either. Examine newspapers and magazines you enjoy to better understand their style, and pitch or submit articles or essays. Get creative and if you are not already involved with a program or non-profit that might relate to one of your themes or threads, make those connections and create relationships that way.

What's My Genre?

2008-12-02T06:03:00.017-05:00

How many genres can you name and do you know yours? Here are a few we came up with: literary fiction, commercial fiction, women's commercial fiction, mystery, cozy mystery, thriller, suspense, African-American fiction, manga, chick lit, magical realism, young adult, middle-grade, children's picture books, poetry, memoir...

Question)
Your blog is great. I have a question I was hoping you might address. When you were querying, did you pitch your book as fiction or as a specific genre? I'm struggling a little with this question, and Amy's book, Tethered, seemed to share some of the cross-genre issues, as it sounds a little darker than women's fiction, more literary than a genre mystery, etc. Thanks.

Answer)
Lynne Griffin
For so many reasons, (see Amy’s response) you will need to know your genre. And you’ll need to know it very early in the process of trying to land an agent and a book deal. If you don’t know yours, start by finding comparison titles. In one of my first meetings with marketing, a member of my team suggested that fans of Deep End of the Ocean and Good Grief would love Life Without Summer. (These were the comparison titles my agent and I came up with for her original pitch.) Without getting into the pros and cons of branding, knowing your genre—and being comfortable with it—is something you should take control of early. The way you take charge is to identify your niche, and then to own it. It will follow you for the life of your book, and beyond.

Oh, and Life Without Summer—upmarket women’s fiction.

Amy MacKinnon
Great question. I wish we could market books as good stories, but people need labels to simplify their worlds. Agents need to know in that query letter because they have to make a snap judgment about requesting pages; editors need to know because they need to decide if it suits their list and how to pitch it to marketing (yes, it's true, the marketing department helps decide if a publishing house will buy a manuscript); bookstore buyers need to know in order to properly shelve it; and readers need to know because they very often have narrow tastes and little time.

My book does cross many genres yet I had to pick one so I melded two: I queried it as literary suspense. But if I had my druthers, I'd put it on the shelf marked good story.

Lisa Marnell
YA or middle grade? That was the choice I faced when I queried agents. YA is edgier, but my first attempt at a novel was pretty tame. (That's changed a bit). But middle grade? That sounds like something my nine-year-old would read. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and if memory serves, I queried with both. One agent was offered YA, another agent middle grade for the very same book.

Thankfully now, I'm solidly in the YA category, at least with my 2 WIP's. But the series I'm working on with my nine-year-old son...that's a whole new question. Sigh, I think I'll have to ponder that a bit further...

Hannah Roveto
Tess Gerritsen pitched her first novel as a mystery with no luck. Then she changed one (1) word in her pitch. Cross out mystery, replace with thriller, and bam! Interest. On the other hand, Lisa Scottoline once said to never pigeonhole your story in a query. Describe it in your brief paragraph with key plot points and enough flavor of the work to let the agent decide for him or herself, especially if you're walking the literary-commercial line. I'm with Amy. I'd be happy to sum up reader responses: made me laugh, made me cry, made me think, couldn't put it down. Wouldn't it be great if we could label them as to where they'd fit in Hallie Ephron's book 1001 Books for Every Mood?

Help Me Get Published!

2008-12-01T06:45:00.018-05:00

Q) I know most authors got published because they knew someone, but I don't know anyone in publishing and I don't live near New York. Can you help me get published?

A)

Lynne Griffin
I've never won the lottery, or got a job because I knew the boss, and I didn't know a single person in publishing when I landed my first agent back in 2001. And of all the people I've met in my journey so far, not one landed their deal without doing so the old fashioned way. They did their homework. They networked like mad. And above all, they wrote a great story.

No one can help you get published, but you! Plain and simple there is no easy way to do it. Now certainly networking by attending conferences, author signings, and taking classes can help in innumerable ways (This equals doing your homework, learning about the industry) but at the end of the day, this process is not a linear one. In fact the journey requires you to travel through the narrow gate.

Amy MacKinnon
I know lots and lots of people in the publishing business, everyone from authors to agents to editors. When I completed my manuscript, a few authors offered to refer me to their agents and a few agents offered to read a full. Maybe it's the Aries in me, but I wanted to do it on my own without ever having to wonder if the work was good enough. Of course knowing someone is no guarantee your work will get published, still I didn't want to argue with "that doubt" the rest of my life.

I went it alone, through the slush piles and was fortunate enough to receive several offers from agents. I chose the one who best got what I was aiming for; turns out I chose well. She put my manuscript before the perfect editors and there was an auction involving -- if memory serves me well -- eight publishers. Bottom line, you don't need connections, you need to write an excellent book, do your research, persevere, and then work harder than you imagined every step of the way.

Lisa Marnell
Going it alone is exciting. It's like that first time you borrow your mom's car and drive to a friend's house. Will you make it there? Who knows, but it's all up to you. Write well (as Miss Snark says) and you'll find an agent who falls in love with your work. BTW, there will be agents who pass you by; it's not for them. Stick to it and surprise yourself!

Hannah Roveto
One word: persistence. Or many words: Finish your manuscript, make it the best it can be. Find an agent who believes in you. Keep yourself positive and excited about what may happen, what you will make happen. The business is a hard one; go into it with eyes wide open and a readiness to handle what comes your way and still find every drop of joy. No joy, don't bother. Network, and keep networking. The first contacts you make may not be the right ones. Do your research, and know whom you are approaching and why you are approaching them. Don't assume any open door will stay open, or even that you may want it to do so, or that any closed door will stay closed. Keep sending letters. Every journey is unique. Take classes and more classes, and listen to new thoughts on your manuscript, as long as you are faithful to its core and know how it might be made better. The world can be your oyster; you need to know it and explore it for it to open wide.

Black Friday: Books=Gifts

2008-11-28T06:35:00.009-05:00

By Amy MacKinnon

Remember the sheer joy of Christmas when you were a kid? Remember how the eight days of Hanukkah captivated you? Oh, and the presents! Big Wheels, Gnip Gnop, anything Fisher Price held your attention for hours, and, if you were really lucky, you might have found an Atari game system under the tree.

Great memories. But what do you have from those halcyon days? Maybe the western town but no stagecoach. Maybe.

Do you have any books from when you were a child? I do. In fact, one of the first gifts my mother gave me when I became a mother was a box filled with my childhood picture books. The Little Mommy was my favorite. Years later, seeing my daughter pour over the same illustrations, sounding out An-na-belle as I had a quarter century before became one of the singular moments of my life. Later there were my Judy Blumes, Madeleine L'Engles, Nancy Drews to share -- all of which found their way to my own children's nightstands and now their bookshelves. When the time comes, I'll pack them into a box, wrap them in something pretty, and give them to my grandchildren. Imagine?

I don't have my kitchen set, my Rockem Sockem Robots, or any of those video games from my childhood to pass along and I'm pretty sure my kids wouldn't have much liked them anyway. Something bigger and shinier is always around the corner.

But stories are timeless. Precious. They inspire and comfort and teach.

Buy local. Buy books for the holidays. Buy books for a lifetime.

Jamie Cat Callan: When the Going Gets Rough

2008-11-26T08:00:00.003-05:00

Here's a Thanksgiving treat that won't put on a pound and could lift the weight from your literary shoulders now and again! We promise not to tease you any longer about any guest starting this week, and yes, we are posting her a day early so you can enjoy and ponder her response as you hit the road or the kitchen.

Jamie Cat Callan is a writer and writing teacher extraordinaire. Her work has appeared in The New York Times Modern Love column, to The Missouri Review, to UCLA Magazine. Awards include the PEN Syndicated Fiction Award, the Goldwyn Award in Screenwriting, two First Prizes in the Writers Digest Fiction Competition, a Bread Loaf Writing Conference Fellowship, and several residencies. Her March 2009 release entitled French Women Don't Sleep Alone: Pleasurable Secrets to Finding Love will be her second book on love and romance; she is author of the YA novel Just Too Cool, and she is spending time in Los Angeles these days researching a novel based on adventures she had as a script girl for Meg Ryan.

We invited Jamie to take a question of interest to all writers, whether on our first, fifth or fiftieth manuscript, because in Jamie's spare time she is the author of The Writers Toolbox: Creative Games and Exercises for the "Write" Side of Your Brain, and has taught this right-brain approach not only at Boston's Grub Street, but at Yale University, Wesleyan University, NYU, UCLA, to name a few.

Q: I'm facing a terrible writer's block. Threads head into dead ends I can't get out of and characters don't act or speak the way they should, no matter what I do to force them back toward my outline (which seemed right when I started). What tactics can you suggest to keep things flowing and get back on track?

A) I believe each individual writer possesses a kind of gold--an individual voice and style that is so unique, no one else can replicate it. Sometimes it's hidden in that deep place within that is bound up in love and tears and confusion and joy and secrets. As a writing instructor, I see it as my job to help you find that core--that heart center--where good, strong writing flows. To do this, I use "right brain" technique. I bring games and laughter and even a kind of creative irrationality into the classroom, so that you feel safe to take risks and to jump into that deep pool--where you will find your own gold--your own truth. So when the going gets rough:

1. Leave off the writing each day at a place where you'll be excited to go back. Don't completely "scratch that itch," so that you'll have something to look forward to the next day.

2. Throw scraps of interesting sentences, pictures and even discarded passages from other work in a box next to your desk. When you hit a wall, reach into the box and just go with whatever you get. Use the power of the right side of your brain, that part that's intuitive, nonlinear and slightly wacky, kind of like your third cousin--the one with the sequin eyeglasses and the bright red beehive. It's the opposite of the left brain--that's the more analytical and critical part--perhaps your mother's voice in your head asking you what makes you think you could be a writer.

3. Go for a walk. Actually, Dorothea Brande in her landmark writing book "Becoming a Writer" suggests that any rhymic, repetitive, nonverbal activity will get the juices flowing. When I worked for Meg Ryan and someone asked me to xerox an entire book (a bound book--so it would take hours)--I welcomed it has an opportunity to think and take notes on my own book.

4. Don't ever let the "paint get dry." By that I mean, don't spend too long away from your project. Otherwise, it's harder to re-enter the dream of the narrative.

5. And to continue the metaphor, try "throwing some paint" on the wall. See what sticks. Embrace your wacky-inner-child self. How do I "throw paint on the wall"? First off, I always approach my work as if I'm just going to fool around. I make no demands on myself. If I'm stuck, I like to go out and eavesdrop and use "found dialogue" the way visual artists use found objects to make sculpture. It's amazing how you can get inspired just by standing in line at the CVS prescription line!

6. Hook up with writer friends who will encourage you, give you a deadline, suggest agents, etc. and give you a good boot in the pants, when necessary.

The going is always rough. I think that's just the way it is, and I think that's why we write.

Book Sales in This Economy?

2008-11-25T06:18:00.009-05:00

Okay, so maybe you heard Houghton Mifflin is no longer acquiring manuscripts. I know, breathe. Or you read this post by Editorial (Ass)istant and you're scared your book won't catch an agent's eye or sell to any of the twenty editors to whom she's submitting. Scary stuff. But take heart, where there's a will, there most certainly, undoubtedly, is a way.

Q: Okay, I know the chances of making it as a writer have never been good, but the bad economic news I hear every day has to make my chances worse. What I need to know is whether or not there's any chance now for me. And before you tell me I need to write well, let me say that I'm no J. K. Rowling. All I ever hoped for was to be a mid-list author; I love to write and I want to make money on the side. Go ahead ladies, make my day and say there's still a chance for me or tell me to give it up. I can handle your version of the truth!

A:
Lynne Griffin
My answer contains both good news and bad news. The bad news—and the reality is—there will be fewer book deals in the coming months and years. So whether you want to hear it again or not, this means you must write well. Very well. Pen a story strong in narrative drive. Work hard to unravel the secrets of writing a novel.

Yet this reality has an up side, too. In my opinion, fewer books should be published. Being an eternal optimist, I think this economic downturn will force editors and publishers to acquire only the best books, working with talented writers who have career potential. Fewer acquisitions will mean more focused campaigns for promoting the ones they do buy. Economic concerns aside, your challenge will always be to write the best book you can. And for goodness sake, readjust your attitude. Don’t aim for midlist, hoping you’ll be offered pocket change. Aim high. Don’t settle. And of course, write well.

Amy MacKinnon
Until you want this with every fiber of your being and you're willing to dedicate nearly all of yourself to your writing, no, I don't believe you have a chance. Writing isn't about the money, it's not about dabbling here and there, and it should never be about shooting for mediocrity. It's about pouring your soul onto the page.

Lisa Marnell
Well, all I'll say is that children's books were published in the Great Depression. You've heard of the Tales of Babar, right? What about The Little Engine That Could? That's right, both of these published in the worst of times and from what I here, the news today, unemployment, etc. doesn't even come close.

Oh, by the way. I asked this question to my husband (A Marketing Man). He said simply: Publishers need product. And the piece I heard on NPR the other day said that authors like you, my friend, are now often referred to as "content providers."

And I promise you, between now and Christmas, Publishers Marketplace will annouce sales; just last week I read about an auction and a pre-empt for two children's book authors.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

Hannah Roveto
If you have characters in your head who beg to come alive, whispering to you about a set of situations that make you laugh or cry or shake with fear, and they won't leave you alone no matter what you read or hear, then read and hear us instead. Get them onto paper. Fill the edges of their world with details and beauty. You can't get published if you don't finish a manuscript, so take control of what you can. Write, and read, and study, and revise, and connect and believe.

Narrative Drive

2008-11-24T06:48:00.006-05:00

Amy here. When I lived in Washington, DC, I rented a WWII-era studio on Capitol Hill. Fabulous. Every day I walked to work and passed Folger Shakespeare Library; the Supreme Court and Library of Congress; and, the most beautiful building on earth, the United States Capitol. One day, a woman befuddled by her map stopped me and asked, "Where's the Capitol?" I pointed to the ginormous building before us. A couple of Congressional aides strutting by snickered (yes, they absolutely did), and she wilted a little. I reassured her that there's no such thing as a stupid question. None at all.

Having worked for the most convoluted bureaucracy on planet earth, the United States Government, I can say with utmost sincerity that publishing is a close second. Lots of unspoken rules and unknowable expectations. I don't know what I don't know and neither do you. Ask away; we'll give it a go or pose it to one of our special guests. So if you have a question, whatever it may be, know you're safe here: writersgroupquestions@gmail.com.

Q) I have representation for my first novel from a successful agent. Many editors have reviewed my full MS and have said that they enjoyed my writing and characters but found that my novel lacked narrative drive. I have revised extensively a few times, but am getting the same concern with each submission. I used to think that my novel was getting better each time, but for the first time I think it may be getting worse. I'm afraid I'm removing too much in order to achieve the "what happens next" suspense factor. Can you offer any advice about what editors are truly looking for when they assess a novel for narrative drive?

Lynne Griffin
Imagine that every detail you give readers is a stone you ask them to carry for a long journey up a mountain. As the load becomes heavier, the reader will reevaluate his or her load, asking if each is integral to the experience. Once at the mountain top, all the stones the reader carried for no reason will add up to pile of bad feelings and negative impressions of the author.

Narrative drive is story force. If you’re in what you believe to be your final revision, before sending your manuscript to an agent or editor, you must take accountability for every sentence, every word. When you come upon dialogue that says nothing, cut it. When you read scenes that do nothing to move the story forward, sorry, they must go. Glorious phrases that don’t tell the reader something worth carrying—kill those little darlings. When you revise with narrative drive in mind, you will eventually get to the heart of your story. After this humbling experience of accountable revision, you may have to go back to the drawing board to add scenes rich in conflict, loaded with compelling details. Now is the time to rework the piece with the goal of asking your readers to care, inviting them to embrace what you're asking them to hold.

Amy MacKinnon
In a word? Compelling. Suspenseful. Page-turner. Even children's picture books -- take Where the Wild Things Are -- make us care deeply about the character and wonder what will happen on the next page. Do that.

Lisa Marnell
All you have to know is this:
YOUR CHARACTER MUST SUFFER FROM THE TORTURE OF HER INTERNAL ANGST.

This will drive your narrative and this will force the reader to stay up late into the night to find out what happens. Things must get bleak for the old MC, then bleaker still. She has to want something so, so badly, but in chasing it, she must face the worst decision and struggle of her life.
Now, if you want to know how to achieve this, it's a simple answer as well. YOU must suffer internal angst in the writing and revising. What you must do is - as Amy says - up the stakes. Then, add a surprise, shock yourself. Next, sit somewhere by yourself in the middle of the night and think of one more thing to make it worse for your character. Tell yourself this isn't good enough and make it more compelling. This is not fun. I know. It's actually torture, until you have a breakthrough. This feels like heaven on earth. I know, I had a breakthrough last night.

What you cannot do is think that an okay story is good enough to make it. IT WON'T.

Yes, you can do this if you are not afraid to go back to square one and look at the story again and again, until it sings. You can do this!

Hannah Roveto
Not that a group blog needs narrative drive, but like a novel, we do not want to wallow in repetition, nor do we want to put down words for their own sake. So I offer this as you do revisions. Everyone works differently, but this helps me. Absorb every wise word above, and then sit down with a cup of tea and write an abbreviated summary of each scene, each chapter. Two lined sheets of paper at the most. Identify troublesome passages. Highlight where they are and take a close look at them and how they fit into the whole. Why does the reader need that section? Do we need it at that moment, in that way? What physicality in that scene provides movement and action, even if the passage takes us into a character's thoughts? Does this involve the reader, or simply inform? Sometimes it helps to reread a book like The Time Traveler's Wife, that ties every moment in time, every thought to a purpose. Dig at it and explore the why. Then return to your own work. Sometimes I find when a section is not pushing the narrative forward, something is missing in the story that my brain tried to fill without success. Why did I write that passage, what did I want to say, and how can I deliver with more impact? Doodle your thoughts next to your summary. You will find yourself finding ways of being more compelling, of upping the stakes, and before you know it, you will be adding words and not deleting them, and the result will be exactly what you need.

Books=Gifts

2008-11-22T09:32:00.010-05:00

Our local, independently-owned book shop may not be around come January. The owner said as it stands, she won't be able to make payroll after the holidays. The same scenario is playing itself out across America. You've heard sales are down sharply this quarter at Barnes & Noble; Borders is in even worse shape. As if it weren't bleak enough for writers.

What can you do? Act locally, my friend. Walk into your neighborhood bookstore and buy books, lots of them.

This holiday season, give the gift of reading. Buy books for friends and family, and be sure loved ones know books are on your list. Can you think of another gift that can be handed down through generations; shared and discussed passionately among friends; used and used again; and can help make your dream of being published come true by teaching you how to write?

And while you're at, post this image, or one like it, on your blog. Save yourself, save your local small business, save an industry. Buy a book.

Best of Interviews: Marisa de los Santos

2008-11-21T07:03:00.002-05:00

Posted by Lynne Griffin

When I saw the advance praise for the new novel, Belong to Me, by Marisa de los Santos, I was delighted. A big fan (along with millions of other readers) of her first novel, Love Walked In, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. De los Santos delivered with her second gem. After finishing Belong to Me, I contacted Marisa asking if she’d like to be part of our author spotlight series. And lucky for us, she agreed.

Lynne: Can you share with our readers a glimpse inside your literary life?
Marisa: I taught literature for many years at the undergraduate level. And spent most of my time writing poetry. The idea for Love Walked In came to me after I had my first child. It was published in 2006 and before it was off my desk I started writing Belong to Me, which was just published in April.

Lynne: How great is it to have two novels out in a two year period?
Marisa: It’s been wonderful, really. Belong to Me has brought new readers to Love Walked In. It’s been very special to have new life to that book, through my latest. I love hearing from readers who’ve really connected with Cornelia Brown.

Lynne: I was surprised Belong to Me was a sequel. Can you tell our readers how you came to that decision?
Marisa: I started on Belong to Me, when Love Walked In wasn’t even off my desk. The characters wanted to say more, so I wrote it before Love was published. For me, each book evolves over time. I don’t have lots of ideas that I can pick off a shelf. I write the book I need to write at the time. Belong to Me has a different mood, a different tone. I worried people might not like it because the characters are in different places in their lives. In Love Walked In, there was lots of room for play. Belong to Me is more serious, but it had to be written that way; it’s a more grown-up book. My third is not a continuation of last two. But who knows about my forth.

Lynne: I know you’ve had the same editor for both books, but not the same publishing house. Can you tell us about that?
Marisa: After Love Walked In was published, my editor moved to Morrow. I will be there for my next two books, as well. It’s very nice to have a home. It’s been a very positive experience, and I think that has to do with the fact that I’ll be with them. It works for me—and for them—to think long term about our efforts. It would only make sense; it’s an investment.

Lynne: Any words about your agent and editor relationships?
Marisa: I’m very fortunate to be close to both my agent and editor. All the relationships are very personal, with your agent, editor and publicity staff. For me the experience has been extremely positive.

Lynne: How do you balance writing and promoting?
Marisa: The times I’m not writing are just as important as when I am. The first time I was on the road, I remember sitting in a hotel room trying to write. I wasn’t in my space. I’m a homebody when I’m writing. I need total immersion, as much as you can get of that when you have a family. That’s what I need, I figured out. So now when I’m promoting, I’m writing less. But I do a lot of the working out of the story in my head, so I’m always doing that.

Lynne: Tell us about your writing routine.
Marisa: During the school year, when my kids are in school, I write between 8:30- 2:30. Each day I start by reading pages from the day before, and then I plunge in. I write sentence to sentence, and I don’t know my story until I’m writing. I have a vague sense, but the story comes as I write. My first drafts take a long time because I fine-tune as I go. I don’t have numerous drafts, but more of a thorough continuous draft. I send my manuscript to my agent in chunks. She’s a great editor. I’m very at home with her.

Lynne: What’s most important to you as a writer?
Marisa: I can’t write for an audience. I never want my books to lack integrity because I’ve not been true to my story and the characters. I value my audience, but I have to write what I have to write.

As a writer and a reader, characters are paramount to me. I love language, but I get impatient when books don’t have a story to tell. The highest compliment I can get is that my characters feel real. The books I go back to over and over again—the ones that become part of my life—are the ones where the characters are alive.

The way I write is character-driven. I don’t plot, I let the characters tell me what the story is.

Lynne: How are you contending with your new found success?
Marisa: It’s all wonderful. This whole publishing life for me has been full of serendipitous things, some incredibly miraculous things, but it doesn’t change my daily life. The thing that brings it home for me, isn’t the sales figures, it’s the email, the conversations with readers. The fact that my books are touching people, reaching people, that’s the best thing.

I’m grateful things are happening now that I’m happy, and my life is firmly in place. It is all a great privilege to be doing this, though there was no big identity shift, because I’d had always been a writer. The real relationship is between you and the work; nothing changes that, and nothing should.

I’ve been incredibly lucky to work with the people I’ve worked with; they’ve been dedicated to me and my books. I know I’m blessed and I live in a state of gratitude.

Thank you, Marisa, for sharing your time with the readers of The Writers' Group. Your insights are incredibly valuable.

Editorial (Ass)istant: When Do You Know?

2008-11-20T06:28:00.000-05:00

Ah, it's Thursday, you can all breathe again. We know you've been waiting with bated breath for Miss Moonrat's answer to that vexing question. Before you read on, one bit of advice, be certain that first page sings, my friend -- and the rest of it too! And after you read her response, make sure to go over to her blog, http://editorialass.blogspot.com/, and read the archives, all of them. There's much to learn.

So to recap, we asked Moonrat (aka Editorial (Ass)istant), a woman we know to work at one of New York's finer publishing houses (see Monday's post), to answer a simple question:

Q) When you read a manuscript, at what point do you stop reading, knowing you'll decline, and at what point do you feel your pulse quicken, expecting to make an offer?

Moonrat: At the risk of quoting a Tom Cruise movie... Remember when Jerry McGuire walks in the door and gives Renee Zelwegger a long take-me-back speech? I know you can see where this is going.

You really should have me at "hello." The proposals that really get me start so strongly that I can't resist them. If you don't start strongly, then (on my desk, at least) your book will have to distinguish itself in spite of itself.

Notice I say "proposal" and not "manuscript." The reason is that "hello" comes well before I start reading your first page. Really, "hello" comes when your agent calls me on the phone and pitches your book to me. To this end, you can help your agent out by working together to brainstorm the perfect pitch line--one that catches my attention and is memorable. There are ways of pitching the same book that can make it more or less attractive to an editor (who, keep in mind, will have to sell the concept to her money-minded publisher and sales department, not to mention about a jillin other people). Stay away from generic praise and focus on what is special and unique about the book--"A beautiful collection of lyrical linked stories" means much less to me (and, thereby, to my boss) than "What happens to a tight-knit small-town community when they discover a secret in their church basement?"--even if we're talking about the exact same book. I know it sounds horribly commercial and low-minded, but a memorable pitch will set your manuscript apart from the other 15 beautiful and lyrical books I have on my desk at any given time.

Not that I encourage you to underestimate the importance of your first page! If you do, it may be the only page of your manuscript I read! On the other hand, for almost every book I've ever bought--let me think, are there even any exceptions?--I've already known at the first page that this book was one I was going to care about. It's a combination of the sellable hook and how caught up in the writing I get at the first page.

If a book does not speak to me with its first page, I give it the benefit of the doubt and continue reading closely for at least 20 pages. After that, I'll skim to 50pages. But as I turn each page and still fail to be engaged, it becomes less and less likely that I will change my mind.

It's true. I make snap judgments. But I'm not too proud to admit it. I hope that that is information that authors can make work for them, though. I sincerely doubt I'm the only editor who works like this!

Me? A Writer?

2008-11-19T05:34:00.000-05:00

The confession -- or revelation -- that one writes, always prompts some kind of response from others. Is is a hobby? A career? A worthwhile pursuit? How can one know for certain?

Q) I have been writing on and off for most of my life. Nothing published, and frankly, nothing close to being published. Recent conversations with loved ones (read husband and parents) make me wonder if I am wasting my time; I spend at least three or four hours a week on my writing. How do I know if I'm just wasting my time or not?

A)

Lynne Griffin
Doing what you love is never a waste of time. Yet from your question, I’m not feeling the love. If you spend three or four hours a week writing in a journal or dabbling with a short story, and you enjoy it, great! If you’re writing with the goal of being published, I’m afraid I have to be honest. You’ve got more than an uphill battle.

The single most important character trait of successful writers is drive. Good old fashioned work ethic, coupled with passion to tell a good story. One you are certain only you can tell. Even if you’re driven, there will be times when your story has you by the throat. You will wrestle with it in your dreams, it will distract you from your day job, and you’ll find you willingly skip leisure time in favor of stealing just one more hour at the keyboard.

Writers write for all kinds of reasons, publication being only one. If you write solely for self-expression, go for it. If you want more from your writing, you’ll have to give it more of your time and energy. Some days you’ll be wrung out from giving, and still, whether it’s a day later or a week later you’ll go back to it. You won’t be able to stop yourself.

Amy MacKinnon
Wasting your time doing what? If you enjoy those three or four hours writing, then it's not a waste of time. I enjoy reading and baking, and even spend a fair amount of time doing so each week. Is that a waste? I take pleasure in each, a vastly underrated pursuit.

If, however, you're writing with the intention of getting a book published, then perhaps it's time to re-evaluate your commitment to your dream. Find your story and write it through to the end. Just that one story. Do so with intention (it will be published, it will be the best writing I'm capable of at this point, I will tell a great story with honest characters). Like everything else in life that matters -- relationships, education, career-- your writing demands a consistent investment of time and devotion.

As for your family and friends, think twice before sharing your writing life with them until you are published. In all likelihood, they perceive you as another person, not as a writer. And because they love you, they'll be quick to point out the many, many obstacles along your journey in an attempt to protect you. Your job as writer, as one who dares to dream big, is to see your way around all of the brick walls. Remember, publishing is persistence.

Lisa Marnell
You don't. End of story.

I can't tell you how many times I've had near panic attacks wondering that very same question. Although, I can almost guarantee that I've poured even more hours into my writing than you have. What helps me is to think of the alternative to writing: what else would I be doing with my time? I would spend my evenings watching either Stephen Colbert of Two and a Half-Men, or likely both (I could tape one as I watch the other).

For me writing is as much about who I am and what my dreams are than whether I will be published this year, next year, 2012 or 2020. Writing helps me love myself and I long to become. Simply put, I am a writer, published or not. If you feel at all like I do, than, frankly, do you have a choice?

Hannah Roveto
I have been a writer all my life, personally and professionally. The challenge of being a published author of fiction is its own unique beast. Ignore the others; listen only to yourself. If you want to be a published author, take writing as seriously as you have your professional career (workshops, books, network). Take it as seriously as you do your family (What to Expect, He Says She Says, playgroup wisdom, counseling). Take it as seriously as you do your garden, your decorating, your boat, your fishing, your skiiing, your tennis, your golf. There is a craft, skills that need to be acquired and practiced and polished. If you were to study for an MFA, your thesis would be "a book-length novel of publishable quality." That is your goal. The question is not when it will happen, but do you want to make it happen? If you answer yes, keep writing and revising and learning and moving ahead.

What You Read Makes A Difference

2008-11-18T07:38:00.011-05:00

Writers love to read. What we love to read, of course, varies widely. Yet how does that affect the writing and then, of course, the path to publication?

Q) I have written my first novel, and it's a story I believe in. Yet as I send it to agents, I'm getting a consistent question back: whom do I write like? To whom would I compare myself? The trick of it is, I really prefer non-fiction to fiction, so how do I figure this out?

A)

Lynne Griffin
Agents ask this question of nonfiction and fiction writers primarily to hone a pitch. Editors want to know this to sell your book to the house. If the publishing house can visualize your novel finding a home with a specific subset of readers--the bigger the group the better--you'll be more likely to be offered a deal.

Be sure that you make accurate comparisons. Resist the urge to shoot the moon by saying you're the next Stephen King or Ann Patchett. Instead it's best to make specific comparisons. I pitched Life Without Summer as Ordinary People meets Deep End of the Ocean. Later my editorial team fine tuned it to--Good Grief meets Deep End. Why? Because comparisons should be contemporary so a larger group of readers can relate and of course should be compared to books readers know, those that did well in the market.

How to come up with your comparison titles? Read. Read. Read. Doing your homework is more than half the battle in this business. Never stop reading.

Amy MacKinnon
Interesting. My first instinct was to respond to your obvious question about comparing your writing to a published work, but I think there's a more urgent consideration here: Why are you setting yourself on the fiction track if you prefer nonfiction?

Look, it's a tough business. You will not reap satisfaction in a $big$ deal, you will not discover contentment when you make the NYT's bestseller list, the reviews will give you no solace. The true joy in the writer's life is found in the writing. It is the only time you'll feel whole. Write what you love, write your passion, and then you'll know exactly where your work fits in relation to others. And from a purely business oriented standpoint, it's a heck of a lot easier to sell nonfiction than a novel. I like nonfiction too, I read a lot of it. But I far and away prefer novels when I want to cozy up on the couch with a cup of tea. So the ball's back in your court. Why are you spending precious hours of your life pursuing something you don't want?

Lisa Marnell
My gut feeling is that you probably have a favorite author or two that you may be similar to. Given that you may not read much fiction, I'd look back to authors you read as a child or teenager, books you love. Are you similar to any of those authors? If you can't pinpoint yourself in regards to an author's style, then I'd recommend you think about genre and fit yourself comfortably in between books on that shelf.

Hannah Roveto
One question to ask yourself is are they asking because they want a way to categorize you, or because they perhaps feel you need to define yourself, and thus in turn refine your writing? If you write fiction, it is important to read fiction, and what you should do is to go to the library and talk with those fabulous men and women who seem to read everything. Tell them what you like to read, what it is about non-fiction and the particular books you read that you enjoy. Give them a brief overview of what you write, and ask for suggestions. They will get you on your way. At the same time, read about craft, so that you can read as a writer, too. In time, you will find you are learning from fiction writers (Guardian Angels, in the words of Martha Southgate) who are most similar to yourself.

Editorial Assistant

2008-11-17T07:36:00.004-05:00

That's right, Moonrat will join us this Thursday to help answer your pressing question with irreverent humor, industry insight, and a lot of heart. If you don't know about her blog Editorial (Ass)istant (wait, you don't?), then take an hour or so to peruse the archives. There is much to learn.

So who is Moonrat? We can confirm that she is in fact an editor -- promoted from editorial assistant --at a publishing house where any writer would be delighted to have their book. She's generous with sound advice and parses the relevant publishing buzz in context. You must read her blog to stay informed; it's like no other. Here's what she has to say about herself:

I'm a recovering editorial assistant. I'm like most of my kind: impoverished coffee-and-gin survivalists, underpaid but ambitious, bitter but hopeful. Painfully self-conscious, woefully self-congratulatory, willfully self-indulgent. Yes, I'm white, but I'm trying to get over it. Accurate spelling (to the dismay of my boss) is not among my interests. So read forgivingly.

We are delighted to welcome the very special Moonrat on Thursday with your question:

When you read a manuscript, at what point do you stop reading, knowing you'll decline, and at what point do you feel your pulse quicken, expecting to make an offer?

Star Struck

2008-11-14T06:11:00.003-05:00

Pssst, did you hear? Publishers Weekly reviewed Lynne's novel Life Without Summer this week and they loved it! A STARRED REVIEW! Brava, brava, Lynne.

*Life Without Summer Lynne Griffin. St. Martin’s, $23.95 (320p) ISBN 978-0-312-38388-6
Griffin’s fiction debut is a spellbinding tale of loss and hard-won redemption. When Tessa Gray’s four-year-old daughter, Abby, is killed by a hit and run driver, there are no witnesses. From first meeting, Tessa distrusts the detective assigned to the case and, with her journalism background and ties to newspapers in nearby Boston, she begins to dig for her own answers to the identity of Abby’s killer. Meanwhile, she vents her grief with Celia, a compassionate but reserved therapist. Celia’s story, with its tragic undertones, unfolds parallel to Tessa’s: Celia has a second marriage, a secretive teenage son and an ex-husband who makes her current family circle impossibly tense. At the office, Celia is practical and pulled together, but her home life buzzes with strife. Outside therapy, Celia’s and Tessa’s narratives remain separate until they shockingly intersect and lead the way to healing for both. Griffin’s carefully crafted characters ring heartbreakingly true and her finely wrought plot will snare readers from the first page. (Apr.)

Ronlyn Domingue

2008-11-13T06:18:00.008-05:00

Join us in welcoming Ronlyn Domingue as our guest. Ronlyn is the author of The Mercy of Thin Air (Atria Books), which sold to 11 other countries. Her writing has appeared in New England Review, Clackamas Literary Review, New Delta Review, and The Independent (UK). Currently, she’s at work on her second novel. To learn more about her writing, visit her website at www.ronlyndomingue.com.

Here's the question we posed to her...

What is the secret to writing a novel?

A)
I have no clue, but this is what has worked for me the first time. So far, it's working for the second.

1. Discipline. Some people say that a writer MUST write every day. That isn't true. You have to figure out what works in your life. That might take a while to discover. You might plot your story, then write, then revise. You might start to write and watch it evolve as you go. Early mornings or late evenings, all day Sundays--whatever, it doesn't matter--as long as you put your rear in a chair on a schedule that works for you. My current process is to do lots of research and thinking for several years. Yes, years. I take notes, of course, and I don’t have a schedule for this. Once I actually write, however, it’s a serious binge of eight to sixteen hour days, several days a week. I mark this on my calendar, often in ink. (No, I don't have children.)

2. Passion. Love what you’re working on. Even when you hate it, love it. Surprisingly, writing a book presents challenges much like an intimate relationship. Remember what brought you together in the first place.

3. Study. Read what you love over and over again. There's a reason you love those books. Those authors are your teachers. Make a point to read new books every now and then. With them all, take notes, draw diagrams of the structures, and find those sentences that hold secrets in the balance.

Thank you, Ronlyn, for being our guest. And for those of you who haven't read The Mercy of Thin Air, pick up your copy today. It is a marvelous novel!

Querying Tactics

2008-11-12T06:59:00.007-05:00

So now you know how to write a query, but what to do when the responses start coming in -- or don't?

Q) I've written my first novel and started querying agents in mid-September. I've sent out 19 queries and have received interest, thus far, from two agents asking to see more (and probably about 10 or so rejections). Recognizing that every book and every agent is different, is there a typical or average time frame for landing an agent? (If it's relevant, I'm writing in the genre of women's fiction.) And should I just keep sending out queries?? It would be great to hear some personal accounts from all of you (and others) about how long it took -- and what strategies you employed -- to find the right agent. I'm trying to be patient...! :)

A)

Lynne Griffin
Keep being patient, but don't stop querying! The agent search is often approached as if it's a race when in reality it's really a journey. Think tortoise not hare. The key is to always be moving forward. The best way to feel in control is to have a plan. Long before I sent out my first query letter, I started the journey by doing my homework. (See Amy's post below) I came up with my list of appropriate agents, wrote my query letter, and began submissions via email only. Week one I sent out ten, with the next ten waiting in the wings. My fastest response time was 4 minutes! My longest? Still waiting!

Once I had multiple requests for fulls, I started crafting the questions I would ask agents if I was successful with my query. Once one offer was in, I emailed the agents I was waiting on, politely informing them of the interest. (This is where things usually get moving, because agents by their nature are competitive.) Later, if a declination came in, I thanked said agent for taking the time to consider. After an offer came in, I set up a phone meeting or an in person get-together, so I could make a more informed decision. In fact, I went to New York to meet the agent I was most intrigued by and before I took one bite of breakfast, I knew she was the one. Best career decision I've made thus far.

My advice is adopt a positive active stance on acquiring representation. Kick desperation to the curb. This is your career and you need to find the agent that's right for you. It takes as long as it takes.

Amy MacKinnon

Nineteen queries in two months? You need to start querying! And you haven't received 10 declinations (a much nicer term Lisa introduced to our group), but 17. Silence is a rejection. Sure, you might hear from the agent at some point, manna, but if you haven't after a week, accept it and move forward. The key here is to always move forward. The method I believe works best when querying is to send out ten every two weeks and email only. I don't care if they say to snail the query, email it. If they want only a query, include the first page in the body of the email too. If they want ten pages pasted into the query, send only ten pages. Trust me, after reading the fiction slush pile for Post Road Magazine, I can attest that most agents will know after a page or two if they want to read the full.

What should you do now? You've barely begun the journey up the mountain; grab hold of that boulder and start pushing! Query widely. Query agents who represent and sell your genre (now is the time to sign up for that Publishers Marketplace membership, if you haven't already, and make sure they've sold similar projects within the last 19 months). Write the next book (you're building a career, right?). Never give an exclusive to an agent. Know that there is no timeline. You may get an agent after 10 queries or after 110. For me, 100 declinations would indicate the book isn't going to be my first published work. That's when you allow yourself a couple of weeks to mourn, then it's time to pick yourself up from the floor and move forward. With my first manuscript, I queried 73 agents over 6 months, 50 of whom requested partials or fulls, all of whom rejected it. Ahem, declined. With Tethered, I queried 15 agents, and had multiple offers within weeks. Remember, publishing is persistence. Good luck.

Lisa Marnell
The best I can offer is that it's subjective. The agent who offered me representation said, and I quote, "I like this novel. I like it a lot. I'd like to represent you." (I saved his message for weeks)! But I do remember in a single day, I got feedback that my work was (I paraphrase now) not complex enough, another agent said my plot was too intricate. Oi!

I did snail mail and I would again (Amy, I'm sorry, I just like that old-fashioned way)! I agree; if you don't hear it's probably a rejection. Or else, it's landed with an agent who's plum too busy.

Hannah Roveto
I am in the same position, as you know, having sent a handful of queries thus far with two lovely declines. One was more personal, and referenced the fact that I mentioned that my work was unlike most of what he represents. He agreed and told me others would likely be far more interested. Lesson One: Don't tell an agent your work is unlike anything being represented, even if that is true. (I did do my research, which is another subject, and had reasons for thinking he might make an exception.) Lesson Two: It never hurts to follow your gut as long as you have reason, thank them if they pass and move on. Always thank them even if they pass, with a charming note. The queries continue to roll out and to be honest, they will until someone takes this or provides direction on what I could do differently. If the latter, I'll consider and decide whether it's valid for what I am trying to achieve. This story will be represented in time, because I believe in it and my readers believe in it. I'm pushing on that front, starting my second, and I am optimistic, keeping at it until I find Ms. or Mr. Right. Meanwhile, you and I, we are onward and upward!

The Not-to-Be-Dreaded Query Letter

2008-11-11T08:00:00.022-05:00

Ugh, the dreaded query letter. You know, that little letter that can change the course of your life -- or not. You've written a great book, 300+ pages for goodness sake, so why not a simple one-page business letter? Probably because you have to boil down that 300-page tome to one paragraph and a life's work of experience into another. Or maybe you don't have any publishing experience at all. What to do?

Q) What essentials go into a query letter? I still can't get past the elevator pitch. How do I boil down my 300 page novel to just one line and then turn that into a query that will get requests from literary agents?

A)

Lynne Griffin
I’ve got a few pre-writing exercises that helped me a lot, not only for query writing, but later when it came to pitching my novel to those who asked, “so what’s it about?” First, do your homework by looking at the jacket copy of some of your favorite published novels. See what kinds of descriptions pop off the page. While the length of these are prohibitive for a query letter, reading them will give you a sense of what intrigues readers. Next look at the descriptions on Publishers Marketplace, and as Hannah suggests peruse the one-liners describing books on the New York Times list. Now on paper, in bullet form, try to sum up what your novel is about and be certain to capture who is at the heart of your story.

Amy MacKinnon
Easy. No, really, it's easy. You can read my answer to outlining the easy-peasy query letter here. Now, your one-liner is a little different, but no harder. Nope, not at all. It is the essential theme of your story. And please don't tell me you don't know the main theme of your novel. If so, you're not ready to start querying. Go back, revise, and then revise some more.

Lisa Marnell
The best advice given to me is that the writing in the query must equal your best writing in the novel. No, I'm not talking about your bio, your experience, your thanks to the agent for taking his or her time to review your work; you state that in a straightforward manner. I mean the pitch in the query, the summary, stakes of what you've written has to capture a reader; in the words of Miss Snark, you have to write well.

Hannah Roveto
The best summary on writing a query is Amy's easy-peasy query letter post for this blog. I know Amy suggested you read that, and I second the motion. As for the one sentence, credit goes to Lisa Scottoline for the following advice. Pretend your story is published. It's selling well; it's made the best-seller list! But... you are no longer the author. You are the New York Times Book Review staffperson assigned to boil down the entire book to one sentence. Bingo!

Welcome Back

2008-11-10T07:31:00.000-05:00

As promised, the writers' group is back with a sharp look and fresh content. We'll begin each week introducing you to an author, agent, editor, publicist, or other industry insider who will answer your questions about writing, editing, publishing, marketing--in short, anything and everything having to do with the truth about the writer's life. Some weeks, in the absence of a guest expert, we'll share industry news or other need-to-know information that will help you to make it in this business.

Each Tuesday and Wednesday, we'll tackle your questions ourselves and/or consult someone in the business who can round out our perspectives, sometimes throwing it out to you, our readers.

This week we have the pleasure of welcoming Ronlyn Domingue, the author of The Mercy of Thin Air (Atria Books), which sold to 11 other countries.

Library Journal said Mercy is, "Filled with vivid descriptions of . . . marvelous human sensations that people take for granted and that spirits can only wistfully recall, this is a novel that gets under ones skin." (Starred Review)

Ronlyn's writing has appeared in New England Review, Clackamas Literary Review, New Delta Review, and The Independent (UK). Currently, sheʼs at work on her second novel. To learn more about her writing, visit her website at www.ronlyndomingue.com.

Check back this Thursday for Ronlyn's answer to the question:

What is the secret to writing a novel?

~~~~

Tomorrow, we'll tackle the question:
What essentials go into a query letter? I still can't get past the elevator pitch. How do I boil down my 300 page novel to just one line and then turn that into a query that will get requests from literary agents.

~~~~

Do you have a question you're dying to have answered? Send it to us at writersgroupquestions@gmail .com and please let us know if you'd like to go on record or remain anonymous. We're eager to get an honest dialogue going about the truth about the writer's life. We invite you to join in the conversation.

Making a Literary Life Friday: Farewell

2008-10-31T06:00:00.010-04:00

(L-R: Lynne, Hannah, Amy, & Lisa on the phone.)

That's right, we're done. The world does not need another essay about the writer's life. Blah, blah, blah. Been there, done that, and now it's time to do something else.

So let's get creative. We're going away for a week and when we come back (November 10), we'll feature your questions about writing, editing, agents, editors, conferences, marketing, grammar (especially that irascible semicolon) -- anything and everything having to do with the truth about the writer's life.

Yeah, the truth. You see, we'll take your questions, answer them ourselves and/or consult someone in the business who can, sometimes throw it out to the readers to help; grant you anonymity, naturally; and be very honest (did you notice the semicolons? not so tricky). Like 1-2-3, off-with-the-Band-Aid honest.

Let's start with a little bit of honesty right now: We will not read your manuscript and critique for you. Don't even ask. We might consider your query letter. Maybe.

We'll publish your question, each of us will give our own answer (heck, you'll have to decide what to take and what to chew over), and you have to be prepared for the truth. Imagine you're sitting down with the four of us in Amy's red dining room and getting a dose, just like we give each other. It can be tough. Expect tears, gnashing of teeth, maybe even a few epiphanies.

If you think you can take it, send us your questions. If you think you know better, leave a comment.

Whatever happens, we hope you'll leave a little inspired and better prepared for a literary life. Farewell.

Got a question? Contact us here:
writersgroupquestions@gmail.com

Reading

2008-10-30T07:42:00.009-04:00

Posted by Lynne Griffin

Put the words literature and professor together, and do you get a case of the hives? Maybe visions of long papers and red pen come to mind? Don't let that turn you off to the book called, How to Read Literature Like a Professor, by Thomas C. Foster.

This book is filled with insight into great works of fiction that draw on Greek myths, Shakespeare, and the bible. You may have known that West Side Story was a contemporary Romeo and Juliet, but did you know that the scene in Toni Morrison's Beloved when Sethe is protecting her children as four white men come after her is based on the book of Revelation's four horsemen of the apocalypse?

The book's subtitle is--A lively and entertaining guide to reading between the lines, and let me tell you, it's as much a book for writers as readers. If you're going to put your characters at a table to enjoy a meal, you better know why writers do that. And if you're interested in planting symbols or burying meaning read the chapters called, Is that a symbol? and What does that mean?

This is a terrific book to add to your library, and though I haven't read Foster's next, How to Read Novels Like a Professor, I imagine that's a keeper too. So if you're interested in learning more about craft in a new way, pick up a copy and be prepared to be entertained. And think of the trivia you'll have for your next get together with writers or avid readers.

The Calm in the Storm

2008-10-29T07:42:00.007-04:00

by Hannah Roveto

In the beginning, it was helpful that Lisa, Amy, Lynne and I were in the same place. We all wanted -- had started -- to write fiction. The road to where that would take us stretched out before us all, as it did before Dorothy and her sidekicks (once they'd found the Cowardly Lion, of course).

Years later, we are in different places. I know some writers would love to form a group, and yet they hesitate because they are all in different places. There are challenges, yes, but given the right frameworks, a writers' group is more flexible than you might think.

For us, the fact that we all write fiction is still key. We are dealing with similar essentials, if you make allowances for the genres within the fiction world. We do not do memoir, non-fiction (although we do love to read Lynne's works in progress there!), essays, picture books or corporate freelance types of work as a group.

That we have all come some distance along the path is also key. To paraphrase Lynne at our meeting yesterday, writing is like climbing stairs. You stand at the bottom and see five steps: research, write, edit, agent query, publish. You leap up that first step, push up onto that second step, and all of a sudden, you realize there are not three more steps. There are a thousand and three steps in the writing process alone, you may even have missed a number in the research, and there will likely be a thousand and three steps each in the editing, and the querying, and the publishing. To know that, to be a few thousand steps along and for someone else to still be waiting to take the first step are places that cannot be combined within a writers' group.

That said, what a group does offer, beyond gentle and (loving) not-so-gentle nudges along the steps for writers in different places goes beyond process.

There are points along the way -- starting a new story, doing thoughtful revision, considering edits -- where the mind goes blank. Or worse, where life swirls like a twister and ideas won't settle. To sit with likeminded people, to talk about the joys of words, of possibility, is grounding. This is not to say there is a flash of epiphany, a bolt of inspiration that follows immediately, but in a solitary endeavor, a small and dedicated community centers the spirit and provides a calm spot in the storm that can be the start of something productive. Which is precisely what yesterday's meeting provided to me.

My Mentor

2008-10-28T06:54:00.012-04:00

By Amy MacKinnon

I met Stewart O'Nan last month when we both participated in a fundraiser for the Mark Twain House, Writers Read for Twain. He wasn't what I expected, not at all. I thought he would greet each of us with a polite hello and then retreat into himself. If you've read his books, then you might understand why I assumed such a thing. His work delves into the internal lives of his characters, deeply, in exquisite, discomfiting detail. Even his settings, such as the lake in Wish You Were Here, are fully realized characters. His books are often called quiet and it's somewhat true. Like that lake, they are to a certain degree, but we're all well aware of that old adage of what goes on beneath the surface.

That day at the Twain House, Stewart O'Nan was unlike his books: he was chatty, cheerful and kind. We talked quite a bit and when I confided how nervous I was to speak in front of such a large group, before so many of my favorite writers, he and Arthur Phillips took it upon themselves to sit on either side of me in the theater and whisper support until it was my turn. I was quite at ease because of it.

Afterward, I approached him with my copy of his novella Last Night at the Lobster. It is a little gem, 160 pages, and with more heart than most "big books" I've read lately. As he signed, I asked if it was a difficult thing to get it published considering it's length, the fact that it wasn't a big story and came with no discernable hook to promote it. He said it was. But, he added, I didn't listen because I believed in this book.

Though I left inspired, enough to attempt something similar myself, a project I'm working on now that has me hugely excited because of the challenges it presents creatively, but terrified because of the obstacles it may encounter in the marketplace, I thought it was an easy thing for him to say. He is Stewart O'Nan after all. Who wouldn't want to publish him?

And then I read this. His editor at Farrar Straus & Giroux, turned down the manuscript for Lobster. It was Stewart's tenth book and it was rejected. Imagine? Thankfully for all of us, Viking bought it and another, Songs for the Missing, due out next week. Yes, I'm excited to read it too.

Stewart O'Nan has taken great risks in his writing life, he, with the support of his wife (after reading the article, don't you adore her?), made real sacrifices for his writing. His path hasn't been linear, it's more a series of forks: heading north and then bearing west, pivoting east then moseying southwest. He's written thrillers, historical fiction, and a baseball memoir. Though he could have taken the easier route, he chose a journey filled with uncertainty and many, many obstacles. I suspect he did it to honor the integrity of his writing.

I suspect we all should.

Why?

2008-10-27T06:00:00.006-04:00

Posted by Lisa Marnell

There are different reasons we write. For some it's therapeutic (true for me). Writing fiction can help us process the injustice or cruelty we see in life (Amy?) For others, perhaps it's the joy of creating a quirky character who sets forth on a mission (a road trip, perhaps, Hannah?)Writers create worlds where family dynamics and life in general is protrayed honestly in a way that helps us make sense of our own relationships (Lynne?) This may be some of the reasons we write.

So, why do we read?

The other evening, as I approached the final chapter of the final episode of Scott Westerfeld's Uglies trilogy, the reason I read was so clear to me. It's hardly an epiphany to most of the world, I'm sure.

But I realized there are two reasons I read: one is to fall in love with strangers, to care about people that have become my friends over the course of two hundred, three hundred pages. The other reason is to be entertained; to feel my heart pound, to have to read ONE MORE PAGE before turning out the light.

Oops! I lied. There's another reason: Escape. Scott, dear author, my life has been so busy lately. I won't bore you with details... but your stories, delightful, entertaining, gripping stories were better than finding a hundred dollar bill every day for three months. Your novels were such a discovery and joy.

Oh, to write to satisfy readers!

Making a Literary Life Friday: Party!

2008-10-24T06:16:00.015-04:00

Everyone likes a good party and we at the Writers' Group are no different. Well, actually we are. We're writers, we're not into swinging bashes and binge drinking -- with apologies to Dorothy Parker and William Faulkner. Our idea of a good time is a little more sedate: parrying over the relevance of the semicolon; flexible intelligence when it comes to the pros and cons of first and third points-of-view; and, oh heady times, the best first lines in literature.

And what better venue to discuss these matters than at literary events. Tell us about your favorite experience at a conference and, by all means, tell us the worst. Which authors give the best readings and who is a total snore. Tell us what events you'll be attending in the coming weeks and which ones you wish you could attend. And if you feel like it, let everyone know how you feel about that irascible semicolon.

Lisa Marnell
I will NEVER forget the day I interviewed Gregory Maguire at the 2007 Muse and the Marketplace. The Gregory Maguire of Wicked fame. He is easily the most intelligent and articulate person I have crossed paths with. At the end of our interview - he's so kind and generous - Gregory asked me about my projects and encouraged me. Ironically, we share the same literary agent (if I can finally get my final manuscripts completed), and he said this kind and experienced agent has been nothing but wonderful.

At times, memories of that hour I spent with Gregory Maguire comforts me. Sigh!

Amy MacKinnon
Hands down the best conference I ever attended was Grub Street's 2006 Muse and the Marketplace when after critiquing twenty pages of my WIP Asya Muchnick, Little, Brown editor of The Lovely Bones and The Dogs of Babel, asked that I submit to her when I finished writing it. I will always adore her for that. The worst? There was this event where the room was stifling, the drinks ran out far too soon, and a best selling author I'd met on numerous occassions claimed never to have met me at all -- in front of a rather large group of authors I admired. Worse, when we each mentioned a favorite book or author, and I mentioned Stephen King, she said, "I only read him in the New Yorker." Hmmm...

More recently, I was welcomed with open arms by the Duxbury Free Library and Westwinds Bookshop last Sunday. The library director Carol Jankowski said they had reservations for 60 and strange but true, my high school English teacher Roberta Erickson, whom I thanked in the acknowledgments of Tethered, was there as a bookseller for Westwinds! It was a lovely reunion. Thanks to all who attended; I was impressed and honored with your questions.

Lastly the event I'm most looking forward to attending with Hannah by my side is Grub Street's annual fundraiser Taste of Grub. It's sure to be huge and I really, really want to see you there! Will you come?

Hannah Roveto
One of the best was listening to Lisa Scottoline present at Grub Street's Muse and the Marketplace this year. Holy cow. The talk was something like "Everything Lisa Scottoline Knows About Getting Published" and indeed, she covered getting started to elements of a novel to getting published in an hour and a half, including offering up her agent to us. A different, um, memorable one was a conference where a tall male writer decided to stand out from the crowd wearing bike shorts. No matter his talent, the crowd was divided into two groups: those who dared look down and those who memorized his face.

I wish I could be at the upcoming PEN New England's Horrors of the Publishing World event, but will dedicate what I call my Literary Life funds for this season to Grub's Taste. Cannot wait!

Lynne Griffin
My favorite conference was also the 2007 Muse and the Marketplace conference. My manuscript pages were reviewed by Elinor Lipman's and Michael Lowenthal's editor at Houghton Mifflin, and she requested my full. I sailed off to the luncheon, plunked myself down in an empty seat, only after situated did I realize that I was sitting at keynote speaker Charles Baxter's table! His talk about taking this business one step at a time is one I will never forget.

My horrific workshop experience came just last year when I went to a noted author's talk. When someone in the audience mentioned that my novel was going to be published, she asked me to describe it. I gave my best two sentence pitch, and her response? "Oh, dear. I only write happy books." To which I was left to use a line from Carolyn See's Making a Literary Life. "No kidding."

Covers

2008-10-23T06:00:00.009-04:00

Posted by Lynne Griffin

If you're a regular reader of our blog, then you know Amy and I are thrilled with the cover art for our novels. We are deeply grateful to Whitney Cookson (Random House) and Michael Storrings (St Martin's Press) for persevering until "the right" images graced our covers.

How do you know the image is right? Well to be perfectly honest, you don't. What you do know is that the cover should represent the genre of the novel, connect to the title of the book, captivate and encourage readers to pick the book up off the crowded bookshelf, and most important, evoke a reaction--all kinds of reactions will do.

That said, many people are involved in signing off on your cover design--your editor, sales staff, publisher, booksellers-- but the true test is the over time reaction from readers. Keep in mind, covers that work don't have to be pretty, though pretty sometimes works very well. So far so good for Tethered and Life Without Summer!

In keeping with Hannah's Fun and Games post yesterday, would you like to test your skills at judging a book by its cover? Click on over to the new website that tests your ability to rate covers and then find out how many stars they've received on Amazon. I admit it's not scientific, but it is a lot of fun to play.

Other great blog posts about book jackets include:
Jackets Required
Best Book Jackets of 2007
Hardback Paperback Covers

Feel free to post your questions in the comment section. I'll do my best to answer or direct you to the resources that might inform.

Fun and Games

2008-10-22T07:47:00.009-04:00

by Hannah Roveto

As a journalism student and reporter, as a corporate writer and editor, how many times have I seen and written w/c on copy? A word or phrase is too weak to give life to a particular stretch of text; we all know it when we see it, don't we?

To worry about word choice when you have eight inches of copy for a newspaper, or four pages for a brochure is one thing. To worry about 80,000 of the darn things when strung together into a cohesive whole is another. We have to get 80,000 of them right? Oh, my.

As writers we become human thesauruses. My children are frustrated by this, because homework would be so much simpler if they could yell out a word from one end of the house, and I would yell back its equivalent. This holds true especially for those games they play when learning vocabulary. The class is divided into two sides, every child having found two alternate words for every spelling word of the week. Anyone else remember Password? The old one with Allen Ludden, although I hear there's a new one. In either case, a celebrity and regular person are a team, and one has to make the other say a chosen word by using one-word clues. Same idea, but with screaming elementary school students all able to guess as they jump up and down behind half-sized desks.

In September, ten to fifteen words a week come down the hall at 1000 decibels. Mean mom makes them pick up a thesaurus and look them up. By October we're down to two or three.

"What does in-deck-iss-iv mean?"

"How do you spell that?"

"I-n-d-e-c-i-s-i-v-e."

"Indecisive." I'm feeling generous. "I'll give you one. Confused."

Heavy sigh. "Confused is my word. I looked in the thesaurus. What's another one?"

Heavy sigh from me. Mixed-up, unsure... I try to find sentences to lead the way to another choice. Truth be told, I like this game, especially when I have my WIP up on the screen. The game reminds me to think about every word, every phrase of the 80,000.

For example, I wrote a scene the other day where a woman is with her ex-husband in a bar. The new wife knows and is not the least bit jealous. How dismissive is the new wife about a possible rekindling of the old flame? My character could "trade her club soda for three shots of tequila, challenge him to a contest and sit on his lap while they tossed them down and (new wife) wouldn't have minded a bit." Even better, I thought: straddle. She wouldn't sit on his lap, she would straddle it, and still the new wife would shrug, smile. Not a single worry. Silly as it sounds, one word switch made me happy all day, and I don't mind telling you because you know what I mean.

This all led to a subversive thought. What better than to play Password with friends and family, in the car, in the dentist's office, when conversation ebbs at a dinner party? Carry around three phrases or words you know could be better in what you wrote, and toss them out at others. Turn the tables; turn them into human thesauruses. It's only fair.

Really?

2008-10-21T06:04:00.005-04:00

By Amy MacKinnon

A lot of people have emailed lately asking that I read their query letters, first three chapters, or entire 400 page, single-spaced YA manuscripts. In one instance, a person asked I read the first three chapters of three different novels and their accompanying query letters--and then choose which she should submit. I know some, most are strangers, but so far I've agreed to read one and only because he's a good friend. I won't do it again.

It's not that I've deigned to read his work, it's not that at all, but how am I qualified to yay or nay another's writing? Here are some of my favorite books and a sample of their Amazon reader reviews. What do I know?

"The ending is stupid, unsatisfying and has all the melodrama of a soap opera...My heart WAS filled with gratitude however that my copy was from the library so I could simply dump it in the return slot." The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

Interesting tidbit. This book is currently #2 for literature, is an Oprah pick, and of its 473 reviews, 141 are either one or two stars with an overall rating of 3 1/2 stars.

Here's another:

"...insipid mainstream pap, which is clearly enriching its author. Do yourself a favor: try Jose Saramago, Oscar Hijuelos or Gabriel Garcia Marquez, instead of this uninspired, banal, vapid, intellectual dead-end. Sorry, but this is one of the worst novels I've ever read." Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

One of my favorite books ever has an overall rating of 3 1/2 stars and of the 582 reviews, 137 are either one or two stars. Really?

Another:

"Talk about a labor of bore! This book was horrific...If you're in jail, by all means, indulge yourself." Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier

This is my favorite book ever. It too has earned an overall rating of 3 1/2 stars, and of the 1,507 reviews, 355 are one or two stars. Sniff.

"Okay, I didn't really care for this book. It seemed dull and pointless, not to mention the plot was very vague. From what I could understand, it just seemed totally random. Not to mention it's hard to understand!" The Adventures of Hucklebery Finn by Mark Twain

Don't tell Jon Clinch. Definitely don't tell him it has 54 one or two stars, with an overall rating of just FOUR stars.

One more:

"...if I didn't know better I would say that it was written by a 10th grader who has done too much glue." The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Huh.

You see? I am not in touch with mainstream American tastes. I can't predict what will appeal to the masses. In fact, it's pretty much a given that if I do fall madly in love with your book, it will be slaughtered by reviewers.

If you're curious to know what's #1 on both the New York Times' and Amazon fiction best seller list, here's an Amazon review:

"I find that to be the best part of this author, that when he has you crying, laughing, or ready to spit nails, he has the power to make you believe that anything is possible- that fate and destiny are not myths, after all. (Insert sigh here), Another great read from a true gem." The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

Only 21 reviews so far for this new release; five stars overall rating, with no one or two stars.

Insert sigh here indeed.

Absence

2008-10-20T06:00:00.011-04:00

Posted by Lisa Marnell

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. Perhaps the other old adage is true as well: Out of Sight, Out of Mind. After being away visiting family in Montreal, I must admit that I've come to the conclusion that both of these sayings are wise.

You see, I decided to leave my WIP behind when I went away. For a full eight days I didn't read or write a word of my manuscript. This may not seem like a long time to some writers, but I check in with my main character nearly every day, writing as little as a paragraph or reading a scene.

Of course, common advice is to let your manuscript rest. To take a break from it so you can try to come back and see it with new eyes, a fresh perspective. I can't say I've ever done this. I decided to give it a try.

On the flight back to California, I took out a journal and opened it to a blank page. And I thought.

At first I thought about my ending. Next, I thought about my theme. The notes I scribbled over the course of half and hour, were barely legible, full of criticism. I must, I decided, raise the stakes, write a novel that's more "edgy". Then, as I reached the end of that journal page, scattered with inspired chicken scratches, I came to a realization.

I like my story.

It's that simple. I felt relieved and happy. Is that how writing is supposed to make us feel?

Making a Literary Life: Boo!

2008-10-17T07:00:00.012-04:00

It's getting close to Halloween, that time of year when small children and frightening teenagers knock on your door and bid you Trick or Treat! It's time for us to get into costume. We wanted to share with you, our readers, what literary character we would love to dress up as.

Lisa Marnell
I actually did dress up as Jane Eyre. Yes, for Halloween. I had watched a British version of this classic on television and the next day my brother suggested we go out for one final Halloween; we were far too old, but who can say no to free candy? I wrapped my long brown hair in Princess Leah-like cinnamon buns at the sides of my head. I found a dowdy brown skirt and a white blouse. I didn't frighten anyone that night - or did I?

Amy MacKinnon
Do myths count? If so, I would like to inhabit the world of Medusa. At least then I would have an excuse for all of the voices swirling about me. And I do like snakes. And I like the idea of turning those who bother me while I'm writing to stone with just a look -- just for a little while. Yesssssss, Medusssa.

Hannah Roveto
When I was about ten, I made a paper mache over-the-head Snoopy mask; does that count? Not terribly literary, but then most of the fun characters that come to mind for me are from young adult novels. How about Narnia's White Witch?

Lynne Griffin
When I think of dressing up, I think more about the theatre than Halloween. If I had the acting talent and operatic voice needed to anchor the show, I'd love to dress in the gowns Christine wears in Phantom of the Opera. Sadly, my job each year is to answer the door to ghouls and goblins.

Publicity

2008-10-16T07:55:00.009-04:00

Posted by Lynne Griffin

This is funny to me no matter how many times I view it. Partly because I feel his pain and partly because it's a bit ridiculous.

Watch, laugh, and learn.

On a more optimistic note, Editor-in-Chief George Witte of St. Martin's Press spoke about Life Without Summer on Online and Unscripted, a webcast sponsored by Publishers Weekly and the Association of American Publishers. You can listen to it by going to the seventh link down, where George's name is listed. Once you download the program, SUMMER is the fourth book of five he discusses.

Note: You can go here if the embedded video is glitchy. This clip is worth watching.

A Pause on the Journey

2008-10-15T07:57:00.011-04:00

by Hannah Roveto

The journey becomes so encompassing, we sometimes forget to pause and look around. Today, stop. Look around and breathe it in.

Five years ago I was known as "the writer" at work, the first to be assigned press releases and speeches and reports and executive correspondence. I walked the aisles of bookstores and libraries and ran my finger along the spines of novels I loved and ones yet to be discovered. Once I was old enough to spell, I wrote short stories, snippets of long stories. I even had friends who'd been published. Still, theirs was another world.

Then comes the moment. Enough. I cannot live another day without releasing that part of my insides that insists on taking this writing thing seriously. The notice is up on the library bulletin board: a writers' group, hosting an author. A writers' group; are you a writer, or not, Hannah? A phone call, and I am part of the group -- a dysfunctional one, but it is a declaration of intent, a physical and mental step forward. Every year, more steps, tentative and yet increasingly certain.

Five years later, I am picking up my child at that same library. A large poster promoting an author's appearance is behind us, and my daughter points with a big smile on her face as she turns to her friend's mother. "She's in the mall, too, and there's another picture downstairs with the book." This is true. The long glass-fronted bulletin board in the lower entrance features a fall author series. Amy is there, leading the way, and nearby is Hallie Ephron, whom I had the honor of interviewing for this blog.

"You know her?" asks the woman.

"She's my friend." This is not enough. Amy's gorgeous black-and-white photo nudges me. "She's in my writers' group."

A neighbor passes by at that precise moment, overhears. "Really? How's your book going?"

"I've started to query agents," I tell her. "And I'm starting a second one."

"Anita Shreve and Hannah Roveto. Quite the neighborhood." She smiles and gives me a thumbs-up. The low-slung, brown shingled house was the home of the senior Shreves, but I won't quibble.

I get home and open my child's backpack. This is the same day, I kid you not. A notice falls out; a writer and parenting expert is coming to the school complex's massive Performing Arts Center to speak. The story was in the weekly newspaper, as well, Lynne's name in bold type, her Web site -- her beautiful sea-glass site -- listed for more details on her parenting work and her fiction, coming out in April.

On my computer is a recent email, promising that a full revision of a lyrical, stunning story coming soon for my reading pleasure -- before the agent sees it. How cool is that? (That's not how Lisa described it, but her voice is so distinctive, this character and situation so compelling, it will be that!) Before I switch to my PR email, I check blogs I love, your blogs about writing and life, all names I know and voices I hear in my head from the words on a screen. I glance at the list on my desk, too. Agents names. Real agents with real offices, with notes on whom they represent, their contact information not only jotted down, but in a few cases now, used.

This is my real world, five years later. This is a journey for all of us, a unique individual journey; mine certainly has been made clearer because of Amy and Lynne and Lisa, but there is still the do-ing of it all that has unfolded within me. While it feels unreal some days, yesterday it felt crystalline solid. Where this journey will lead, I don't know, but I am moving every day deeper into that territory. When my boss says, "You're the writer, you take this," I smile. Today that has a whole different meaning. Today I really am the writer, evolving as the writer I wished I could be years ago, step by step.

True Dark

2008-10-14T06:46:00.006-04:00

By Amy MacKinnon

Some have said my novel Tethered is too dark. The truth is a hell of a lot harder. Precious Doe's killer was found guilty last week.

If the spirit moves you, perhaps make a donation to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in her name, her real name: Erica Michelle Marie Green.

Funny thing is I deluded myself into believing I could rewrite her ending. Delusions of grandeur, I guess.

Making a Literary Life Friday: Discoveries

2008-10-10T08:08:00.013-04:00

In the spirit of Columbus Day, celebrating Cristoforo Columbo's discovery of a place other people already lived, what have you discovered of late of your own writing, process, or approach to writing that deserves a nod this holiday?

Lisa Marnell
There are two ways to put this. Either, "Trust Yourself", or "Don't let your ADD interfere with your writing." In reading books on writing craft, I rarely hear about the phenomenon of writers completely changing their work, or thinking about changing plot (in a major way) in the final hours. I am so close to the finish line that it must be nerves, or self-doubt, or disbelief.

Amy MacKinnon
I've discovered that before I can became truly immersed in the writing, I must first do most of my research. I need to have that foundation of facts to build a fictious world. Research is one of my absolute favorite parts of the writing process.

Hannah Roveto
I have been reading novels with shifting narrators and viewpoints. Whether I decide to tackle this with the emerging WIP is yet to be determined, but this is definitely a new shore I feel prepared to land upon and explore.

Lynne Griffin
Like a good map, editorial feedback points me in the direction of the story. What I've learned is that only I can take the story the distance. And I still believe revision is a wonderful thing!

_____

A few people of note this week:

Congratulations to friend of the blog, Therese Fowler, on the sale of her next two books. Very impressive!

A huge round of applause to Kim Reid for winning the Colorado Book Award for her debut No Safe Place. What an accomplishment!

And finally, three cheers to faithful blog readers Ello, Holly LeCraw, and Ray Anderson for recently signing with their dream agents. Onward and upward!

Do Your Homework

2008-10-09T08:19:00.011-04:00

Posted by Lynne Griffin

If you have kids, then you know that homework can be a headache for everyone. Few have children who skip up the driveway after school, eager to pull up a chair to begin research for a term paper. And I don't know any parent who likes policing the activity. What does this have to do with living a writer's life? You too must do your homework. And other writers don't want to supervise you doing it.

In the last few months, I've been approached by a number of writers who, like most, wish to be published. Some have clearly done their homework, studying agents' lists and learning everything they can about the industry. I'm all too happy to share my lessons learned so far, having published a nonfiction parenting book and with my soon-to-be-released novel in production. It's the writer who hasn't done a lick of research, one who expects me to do the homework for him or her, that believe it or not, brings out the teacher in me.

I've taught elementary age children and now I teach graduate level students, and regardless of age, both groups have something in common. Some students are self-directed learners; they're well aware of what they know, what they don't know, and they have a strong sense of how to get the information they need. And some students need study guides.

"Can you give me the name of an agent who represents memoirs?" "I'm sending you some of my short stories, and I'd like you to tell me how I can organize them into a themed collection."

Stop your printer! These examples of real requests I've received just in the last two weeks are not examples of networking, nor are they reasonable expectations to have of a fellow writer. Would you ask a friend who works for a bank to balance your checkbook?

You've got to do your own homework. And with the Internet, lots of published books about writing, and blogs like ours and others available, your study guide is right in front of you. Take a look at our list of links. We've collated the best and brightest industry sites, author pages, and books on craft. Make friends with Google, folks. Search key words, mixing them up like a salad until you find what appeals to your palate. Take classes. Go to conferences. Join a writers' group. You'll find what your looking for if you're persistent enough. And speaking of persistence. Doing your homework is perfect practice for learning to cope with the ins and outs, the ups and downs of traveling the road to publication. Not to mention staying on the road after you're published.

So here's this week's homework assignment: Whether you've read it or not, read Carolyn See's Making a Literary Life. Take notes if that's your style. Trust me, there's a test and you're the only one who can take it.

Heroes

2008-10-08T07:54:00.006-04:00

by Hannah Roveto

We have all heard it, the curse wrapped into bland pleasantry: "May you live in interesting times." Each morning when we wake up and turn on the news or open the papers, we indeed find ourselves in interesting times and few if any of us are feeling settled about them.

Truth is, we all have interesting times that go beyond today's headlines. We all have worries and fears, not just about the stock market, but about job security in any year, about our health, about the wellbeing of our friends, family and children. As writers we borrow those jumping heart rates, the crawl of apprehension, and transform them into interesting times for our characters. We create tension, strife, nemeses and tragedy, and we find ways for characters to make their way around, through and beyond, showing the why of how people act under stress and how they might succeed, whether or not they do in the end.

It's a fascinating pursuit we have chosen. We take bits and pieces of reality -- a wince of frustration, the honeyed sweetness of a rose, the angst of being sixteen, jaw-grinding tension -- and filter them through our own unique perspectives. We create a single, fresh reality that becomes a genuine experience for those who read it. What is real and what is made up, we are asked, over and over again. It's all real, we answer, and it's all made up. It is what we make it.

Take the "interesting times" phrase above. Turns out it is a fiction, created perhaps by an English writer around 1900. The real Chinese saying from which it seems to be derived does not involve a curse at all. Instead, it goes as follows:

Heroes are made over turbulent times.

This I like better, for my real life and for my writing. Life is what we make it. We can either feel falsely cursed to live in interesting times, or we can seek heroes made from turbulent times. Better yet, as writers, we get to take it yet a step farther. We have the opportunity to create heroes who rise from fictional turbulence to speak to readers riding the waves of the real world. The challenge to do so can be daunting, but how wonderful it feels to take that chance, and how beautiful the stories are from those who do it well. Lucky, lucky, us to be a part of it, yes?

A David Mehegan Interview

2008-10-07T06:10:00.005-04:00

By Amy MacKinnon

I have long admired the work of Boston Globe reporter David Mehegan. Part of my "dream big" scenario was to be profiled by him, he really is the best. He coaxes everything out of a writer. I'll never forget his interview with author Janet Fitch and how she revealed her struggle to write a follow-up to White Oleander. If such a writer as Fitch found it a challenge, then my anonymous struggle to write a first was okay. There have been so many over the years. And now it's my turn. He even called my agent and publisher, and really, their words will stay with me forever. Read it here.

He also recorded a podcast of me reading an excerpt from Tethered.

Direction

2008-10-06T06:00:00.001-04:00

Posted by Lisa Marnell

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.

You're on your own. And you know what you know.

And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look them over with care.

About some you will say, "I do't choose to go there."

With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,

you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you'll want to go down.

In that case, of course, you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there in the wide open air.

Excerpt from "Oh, the Places You'll Go!"

There are times I wonder why an author ended up writing the book he or she did. Were plots decisions, choices about character intentional? Were they made by accident? Honestly, this baffles me. In the excerpt from the beautifully written book I share with you today, it talks about choices and direction we have in life. We have these choices in writing.

One common piece of writing advice is to write the type of book we love to read. As I come to final decisions with my WIP, I long to take pride in this work. Will I look back and wish I went in another direction? Do other writers? A good friend of mine struggled with her ending. In the end, is it chance or luck or fate or a well-thought out decision?

Making a Literary Life: So?

2008-10-03T05:52:00.018-04:00

Well, what you done this week to further your literary life? Did you write a charming note? Read a like a writer? Did you have an a-ha moment that you followed through to a nirvanic conclusion? Check, check, and check. C'mon, let's celebrate the good, commiserate with the challenging, and kvetch over the annoying together.

Lisa Marnell
Truthfully, I meant to do a lot to polish my WIP. Sadly, everything else took over my life (boo hoo). Frankly, I'm in a place with writing where I'm focused on the writing.

Amy MacKinnon
I went to my first book club last night and, I have to say, it's the absolute best part of the writing life -- apart from the actual writing that is! Thanks to Mal Noonan and Suzie O'Gara for hosting, I'll post pictures next week and tell you what three books I recommended (hint: one of the author's intials is GKB).

I also received my French cover of Tethered (here). Wow, is it gorgeous!!! Thanks to my editor at Fleuve Noir, Deborah Druba, a huge advocate for this book. Tomorrow, I get to do a reading of Tethered at one of the new Borders concept stores. Maybe I'll see you in Wareham, Massachusetts.

Hannah Roveto
I bought a new notebook, standard school variety. Doesn't sound like much, but it is everything. With MS Number One on its way to agents, I pulled up the rough starts and thoughts of Novel Number Two accumulating over the past months and had a minor "aha." I could start writing; I know how it starts. Still, I want to play with the characters a little more first, get to know them, explore some more subjects and research. Thus my new trusty notebook, with pages assigned to each character that has appeared, room for scenes to be captured as they appear. This is differen than how MS Number One started, and I think the notebook will be my partner to making Number Two stronger, richer and (oh, pray), a little more efficient!

Lynne Griffin
As I fine-tuned my work-in-progress, two important details came to me. These ordinary moments when characters finally choose to reveal bits of vital information make writing fiction the best job in the world.

And I wrote a charming note to Ronlyn Domingue, author of The Mercy of Thin Air, thanking her for this.

Griffin's sensitive debut reveals how loss can tear people apart yet be the same force that binds them again with strength and love. I was touched by its honesty and intrigued by its emotional complexity. Many readers will find comfort and healing through this heartfelt, genuine story.

If you haven't read MERCY, please do. It is a beautiful novel that will stay with you long after you finish the last line. And check out Ronlyn's For Writers page on her website. She is generous with information about living a literary life. Thank you Ronlyn.

Taking Feedback

2008-10-02T07:50:00.017-04:00

Posted by Lynne Griffin

I've been doing some manuscript consultation through Grub Street and through my own company and I'm learning a lot about how writers respond to editorial feedback. Now I'm not an agent looking to buff and polish a manuscript to get it ready for submission. And I'm not an editor at a publishing house. I'm reading like a writer and giving honest development feedback on stories and nonfiction book proposals. There are a number of myths out there about editorial feedback, some I admit to grappling with in my writing career. I'm going to attempt to bust a few.

Myth 1
If your work needs editing, it isn't very good.

Every writer needs a good editor, or two! From developmental edits about structure and voice to copy edits for consistent grammar, open your mind to this: you will be edited. Before any kind of submission, be sure to find smart, savvy readers. Your work will absolutely be better as a result of constructive feedback.

Myth 2
If you accept the editorial feedback, then the story isn't yours.

You are in the driver's seat making the final choices about what stays and goes, and what is deepened and strengthened. If you write with the hopes of being published, then get set to embrace a team mentality when it comes to fine-tuning your work.

Myth 3
If there is too much editorial feedback, then the story probably isn't worth revising.

Feedback on a first draft may well be overwhelming, but keep in mind most writers believe it is in revision that the real writing begins. I doubt Arthur Golden or Wally Lamb would show you first drafts of Memoirs of a Geisha or She's Come Undone.

Myth 4
If an editor suggests that an aspect of your work is confusing, he or she just doesn't get what you were trying to do.

When one trusted reader says he doesn't get, and then another says the same, it's time to listen. If sophisticated readers don't understand something, likely readers won't either. There's an art and a science to listening to feedback, and of course then to taking it.

Myth 5
If your editor gives you feedback, that means he or she doesn't like the work.

Often editors can be more objective about your work than you can. Simply because he or she points out flaws in argument or weak plot lines doesn't mean he or she doesn't like your overall effort. It's all too easy to take feedback personally. This business requires you to know when to put on your armor or when to close the office door.

Like anything in this journey toward living a literary life, it's important to learn where you are in accepting honest, constructive feedback. Perspective taking is hard work, but I will say it's important to do it. If you're able to let go of mythical thinking and really sort through the feedback you've received, only then will you be able to see what rings true and what doesn't. You'll be in a better position to execute changes that deepen the piece, and in the process become a better writer.

Working through my own feelings about accepting feedback is it's own work-in-progress. I'm willing but not always able to challenge my thinking about accepting feedback, but when I can, my writing is stronger for it. I'm truly grateful for the cadre of trusted readers who've challenged me to reach for a new personal best when it comes to story telling.

The first step in debunking myths related to accepting editorial feedback is to be open to what gets in the way of seeing it's validity. What gets in your way? And how do you attempt to overcome it?

My Tiff with Bill (W. Somerset)

2008-10-01T07:43:00.007-04:00

by Hannah Roveto

Bill and I are having a bit of a disagreement; Bill, of course, is W. Somerset Maugham, and this tiff has gone on for three days. The whole thing started with The Grub Street Rag, which offers news of the local literary scene and tempting class offerings, and my favorite, a quote of the week. This week they reported our dear friend Bill once said: "There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are."

When I first read that, I started to agree; on further thought, I had to argue the point. You see, I have started in on Novel Two, unleashing what has been percolating in my head for some months. At the same time, a neighbor called. She has thought of writing and wants to know how to make the dream real. As a result, I had been giving this Rules of Writing A Novel thing some attention, and I have proposed to Bill three rules I think are undeniable.

Rule Number One: Have a plan. Writing a novel is a journey you need to think through a bit before you head out upon it. Say you live in Boston and something inside you has always wanted to travel the U.S., east to west. You decide you want to end up in L.A. You get maps and you plan for supplies and provisions and clothing and lodging; you mark out routes and alternate routes. A novel requires this, too. Some people get very organized and do outlines. Those people actually end up in L.A. with their manuscripts. Other people plan and yet allow for a bit of a surprise; they end up in Portland, Oregon, which meets the goal equally well.

Rule Number Two: Employ sitzfleisch; strong gluteus maximus muscles put to use to achieve what you want. The rough English translation is stick-to-itiveness. Bill can't deny this one. He wrote his first book at 16. He worked on his second book every night while he was studying for his medical degree. He proof-read Of Human Bondage outside of Dunkirk while working as an ambulance driver during World War II. No matter what else goes on in life, you write. And edit. Every day you touch the work in some way. As on any journey, the more you do it, the easier it gets, because those glutei get stronger with every use.

Rule Number Three: Learn and build on your craft. You have a story in you. Break it down. What do you imagine this story to be like when you are done, and what do you need to do to have the craft to produce that book? Plot, characters, setting and other elements of writing are the supplies you need for your journey. Know what they are, and get them onboard. What is the voice? What the heck is voice? Find out. Read. Take classes. Read again. Write it and rewrite it. Edit, fine-tune as you take more classes and refine again. An artist constantly works on craft. What you wrote yesterday was good, if you put your heart into it. What you write today will be better if you want to make it so. What you write tomorrow will be your best.

What you put in the novel is up to you. How you structure it, the story you wish to tell, the guidelines you wish to follow or learn well enough to break are yours to choose. There, it's wide open territory. Bottom line, though, you can start that journey if you follow three rules, and I've given you my suggestions on those. Meanwhile, Bill hasn't gotten back to me with his thoughts, which makes me a bit nervous. Or should I be more nervous if he does respond?

A Fool's Gambit

2008-09-30T07:29:00.009-04:00

By Amy MacKinnon
Don't mess with success. Write what you know. Stay within your genre. Focus on one project at a time.

I am a fool. I'm a scared fool. A bit of a wreck even. I'm doing everything wrong, I know this, and yet I keep doing it.

Right now, I'm writing two books. One is so dark, I'm not sure there's a market for it, though Jon Clinch assures me there is, right there alongside him and Cormac McCarthy. Have you read Finn, Blood Meridian? Brilliant books written by brilliant writers. Already I'm being warned not to go too dark, to be careful.

The other I have no business writing at all. None. It is an homage to a classic, one I've read countless times over the years, a story I know in my bones because I've lived it firsthand. But the author of the classic is a literary titan. When I told a close friend what I was attempting, he was aghast. Be careful, he said.

But it's not my job to be careful, to play it safe and write the same book over and over again. It's my duty to myself and my writing to reach beyond whatever skillset I have today, to stretch, and then follow my instincts.

Last week at Writers Read for Twain, I was talking to one of my favorites, Stewart O'Nan. He's the author of many, many books including the little gem Last Night at the Lobster. I say little, not because of the story, it's bigger than the jacket can contain, but because I doubt it's more than 40,000 words. I asked if his publisher worried that it was too short, if people along the way urged him to flesh it out. He nodded vigorously.

But you refused, I said.

Yes, he said (and I'm paraphrasing here), I believed in it.

He was right to do so. Lobster represents a return to simple elegance in storytelling. Stewart O'Nan broke all the rules and won; his book was both a commercial and literary success. He took a magnificent risk.

I hope I'll be able to say the same some day.

One Week

2008-09-29T06:00:00.012-04:00

Posted by Lisa Marnell

In one week, I will hit send. My writers' group will, thankfully, critique my full WIP. I have a handful of details to sift through, but by next Monday, it will be in their inbox.

This makes me feel:

But it also makes me:

One thing I can promise is I won't be like this (at all):
Most of all, I'll feel:

because I am so lucky to have Amy, Hannah, and Lynne to help me produce my strongest work!

Crime Bake Blog

2008-09-27T08:18:00.002-04:00

By Amy MacKinnon

I'm blogging over at Crime Bake. Will you be there?

Making a Literary Life Friday: Best Sentence of the Week

2008-09-26T08:00:00.012-04:00

The sentence can be your own, that one that was too perfect and you stopped and stared at it before moving on. The sentence might be from one of the many books littering your home. It made you laugh, cry, shake your head in appreciation. It was:

Lisa Marnell
Lisa is away today and will weigh in next time.

Amy MacKinnon
"The distant irregular trills of Angelica's uncertain fingers stumbling across the piano keys downstairs, the floury aroma of the first loaves rising from the kitchen: from within this thick foliage of domestic safety his coiled rage found her unprepared." Angelica, Arthur Phillips

I met Arthur at Writers Read for Twain (you've got to see this photo!) this week and he was the consummate gentleman. Tasha Alexander raved about his books, so naturally I bought one. He is as brilliant as he is kind. But I'll tell you all about it on Tuesday!

Hannah Roveto
"He was heading into memory number two, I might as well tell you that straight up, because how I'm supposed to get him in and out of all these memories in a smooth way so nobody notices all the coming and going I don't know." Jennifer Egan, The Keep.

I love that as the moment the reader is promised intertwined narratives.

Lynne Griffin
"My childhood grudges, my righteous indignation, and my master's degree didn't count for squat. My Phi Beta Kappa key unlocked nothing. I was my failings and my actions period."

Okay, that's more than a sentence from Wally Lamb's soon-to-be released novel, The Hour I First Believed. He is a master, breaking rules effortlessly, while managing with grace to tell a powerful story. Wow! I'm reading it like a writer and learning so much.

Trade Shows

2008-09-25T07:49:00.010-04:00

Posted by Lynne Griffin

I had the privilege of attending the New England Independent Booksellers Association trade show last week. My publisher sent me there to sign advance copies of Life Without Summer. The event, held in Boston's Hynes Convention Center, buzzed with publishers, booksellers, authors, and other vendors all passionate about books.

Sales representatives, who cover the region, man booths showcasing the next season's books. Galleys and finished books are everywhere. Author receptions, signings, educational programming, and general schmoozing make up the agenda.

My expectations were to go and do my best to represent my novel to booksellers. I had my two minute pitch down, along with my backstory on how I came to write it. Armed with gorgeous new book/business cards, I'd expected to go there and be generous with my energy. I ended up walking away with so much more than I offered.

Spending two days with the sales representatives who will bring my book all over New England was invaluable. They had the chance to ask me questions about the novel, thankfully because they'd already read it. Each wanted to know more about my background, including my connections with my writers' group and to Grub Street. On my second day there, they set me up to sign advance copies in the booth, in addition to my formal signing to take place later that afternoon. This gave them a chance to see my ability to speak to my story and to demonstrate the way I would represent my work and our publisher.

Another unforeseen benefit of attending the trade show was that I got to see first hand how booksellers and avid readers would respond to my title, my cover, my blurbs, and my pitch. All of this was reassuring, and all of this provided valuable information for fine-tuning my press materials and talking points.

I'm grateful to have attended NEIBA, and urge other writers to discuss attending regional trade shows with their editor and/or publicist. Getting out there early builds buzz and allows an author the chance to add the personal touch. Two things debut authors very much need to do.

Hurrah for... the Day Job?

2008-09-24T08:20:00.005-04:00

by Hannah Roveto

"It's fine for writing teachers to talk in self-help jargon about how their lives require 'balance' and 'shifting gears' between teaching and writing, but below that civil language lurks the uncomfortable fact that the creation of literature requires a degree of monomania...It's hard throw your whole self into something when that self has another job." -- David Gessner, "Those Who Write, Teach," The New York Times Magazine, September 21, 2008

Mon-o-ma-ni-a: an excessive interest in or enthusiasm for some one thing. (Definition two: a mental disorder characterized by irrational preoccupation with one subject.)

How many of you are independently wealthy? How many of you have no families or friends, no homes save the hotel with staff who serve up each meal and deliver your laundry neatly folded? If only we could make our entire living by writing. How simple and glorious life would become. Hallie Ephron once announced in a class I took with her that she'd recently realized her entire income came from the literary life, at last. She taught, wrote bylined articles, wrote her wonderful mysteries. No more "other job." Those of us around the table sighed happily on her behalf and dreamed the whole way home of reaching that goal.

Into this comes Mr. Gessner's article in the New York Times, asking whether "an artist can survive success in the academy." I saved his article for dead last this week, hesitant to read it. Turned out, for good reason. He quotes Mike Magnuson as saying, "What teaching has done for me is make me not want to read anything, written by anybody, for the rest of my life." Holy cow. Now what am I supposed to do when I grow up?

I thought of my own day job in public relations. I can't count the moments when I grind my teeth against the compulsion to get back to my fiction. At least once a week I finish my PR checklist and pull up my work-in-progress and the phone rings and I gaze longingly at the screen before admitting defeat, because it will be a good hour before I can attend to it. Of course, at that time the kids will come home, and crazy me pulls up the WIP again as though that will make them instantly dive into homework without a fuss or cross word to each other. (The faint laughter you hear from my corner of the world at that point is, well, monomaniacal...)

Gessner's article made me think of my mother, who is an artist, who went back to school when I was young to get her master's degree in library science. She chose a job that had nothing to do with her art, on purpose. The work was satisfying, concrete and produced a paycheck. Most important, she would say, was the fact that she literally left her job behind her when she'd put in her time and could focus on her weaving or jewelry with every ounce of her creative soul intact.

Gessner also is making me rethink my day job to some degree. Have I given up my glowing vision of a fully writerly life, whatever that may be? Not a chance. However, I appreciate what I do have a little more, thanks to him. I am paid to write, first and foremost, and to think strategically and creatively in a way that does not fill my head with fiction other than my own or what I choose to read. Between us, I even love the rush when a television producer or newspaper editor agrees to interview my client.

Maybe the writerly life doesn't have to be fiction 24/7. Maybe there are day jobs that make writing possible on a financial level, and help keep it fresh on the artistic level. The answers, therefore, have to come from proportion and determination when it comes to the writing itself. Maybe someday a little less PR, a little more fiction could be a personal ideal in my particular case; who knows? After all, if we're really being honest, everything interferes with writing at one point or another. Showers and meals, everything and everyone. Which may be bad news for our WIPs, but it's not bad news for us. We are writers. We are monomaniacal. Which is what it takes to get the job done.

Writers Read for Twain

2008-09-23T06:02:00.006-04:00

By Amy MacKinnon

I had a sleep over last night. It's true. Deb Founder and author of Catching Genius and Matters of Faith Kristy Kiernan is right here (sorry, Gail, wish you could have been here).

Why you ask, did Kristy fly to the frigid north? In just a few hours, we're heading out to the Mark Twain House to do a fundraiser, Writers Read for Twain, and guess who'll be there: Jon Clinch, Tom Perrotta, Tasha Alexander, Stewart O'Nan, Phillip Lopate, Robert Hicks, Philip Beard, David Gates, Andy Carroll, and Arthur Philips. And little, ole me.

As my husband said over the breakfast table the other day, "Imagine? You're going to Mark Twain's house -- one of the greatest American writers -- as an author, to help Mark Twain."

******

Look what I just received:

I just finished "Tethered"...Dark, disturbing and I couldn't put it down! Great writing, great story and it will be on our recommends shelf at Fig Garden Bookstore in Fresno, California.

Thank you, Fig Garden!

Double gosh.

The Trash-Talking Tournament

2008-09-22T06:00:00.000-04:00

Posted by Lisa Marnell

There's a buzz at my tennis club in Westlake Village, California. Enough play-by-the-rules games, where players win a game, a set, a match. It gives all of us too much of a predictable, been there, done that feeling. It time for a change. A breath of fresh air. There's a buzz because we might have a trash-talking tournament.

Huh?

Nothing's definite yet, but it seems it would go something like this: players need to keep the ball in play for at least a couple trips over the net, but the idea is that a good trash-talking player will think of something appropriately rude, distracting to the other player, insulting, such that said player would mess up and lose the point. Sounds like fun, doesn't it?

So, it got me thinking. Wouldn't it be great, great fun to take part in a Wimpy-Writing contest? Just think, when a person enters a traditional writing contest the competition is fierce, preparing one's work is very labor intensive. In a Woosy Writing contest (the name hasn't been finalized yet) there could be many categories for judging: Too many Adjectives, Too many Adverbs, Sorry Dialogue, Flat Narrative, the list goes on. If you're too good at dialogue to win a prize, maybe you can't paint a scene to save your life. See! There's hope for all of us.

I know this idea may never catch on. It could die right here on this page in my sad blog entry. But how fun it would be to win a writing contest. I can barely imagine!

Making a Literary Life: Improving Craft

2008-09-19T00:00:00.010-04:00

We all have strengths and weaknesses when it comes to craft. Some of us write polished prose in that first draft, but the pacing is a little ho-hum. Others nail characters so well, it's as if they are flesh, blood, and snarling comebacks, but, wait, ground me, where's the setting? This week, at our writers' group meeting, we turned to the subject of writing workshops and reflected on what needs attention with our own writing.

Lisa Marnell
I've been reading Pretties by Scott Westerfeld. He's a master of voice, plain and simple. Pretties, you see, are teens who have had parts of their brains altered (as well as their faces) so they see only happiness in the world. They're the valley-people of this decade, if you will. Their speech reflects their thinking. "Oh, that snow outside is so cold-making!" He's nailed them.

I need to work on revealing internal thought in clever, unobtrusive, non-hitting-the-reader-over-the-head ways.

Amy Mackinnon

Gosh, I don't know -- everything! I want to improve everything. This interview with Ann Patchett is what I keep turning to for guidance as I work on my next book, especially that part about narrative structure. It's all so humbling.

Hannah Roveto
Like Amy, I want to learn more about everything. I've learned a lot from the first MS, of course, and as I look to the second, much of what I want to reach for is in details -- touches of characterization, delicate hints as to threads that build intrigue without bashing the reader over the head or are missed entirely, a reining in of the world I create, a refinement of phrasing. We were talking this week about Karl Iagnemma's class on editing at the Muse and the Marketplace, how he spoke of revision as sandpaper, starting with a rough pass on form and plot, then moving to chapters, paragraphs, sentences, words. I want to have more of that knowledge so that the first draft is more of what it will be than what it could be.

Lynne Griffin
Lynne's at the New England Independent Booksellers Association trade show today. I'll bet next week, she'll be happy to weigh in on the aspects of craft she still wants to learn more about.

Magazines

2008-09-18T09:58:00.003-04:00

Posted by Lynne Griffin

If you're in the market for an agent, check out the interview series in Poets & Writers, or the article on agents looking for your work in Writer's Digest.

Want ten tips for curing the mid-book blues? Then read next month's article in The Writer.

Love Hallie Ephron's Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel? Then you'll love her article in the September issue of The Writer.

There are plenty of magazines to peruse aimed at helping you refine your writing while staying tuned into the marketplace side of writing. Whether you subscribe, buy a copy now and again, or visit each magazine's on line equivalent, writer's magazines are a useful tool.

Do you have any magazine recommendations for our readers? If so, please share them in the comments section. And do check out the article featuring friend of our blog, Gail Konop Baker's memoir. It's in Writer's Digest, on stands now. It's terrific. Congrats, Gail.

Forget the Numbers

2008-09-17T08:03:00.006-04:00

by Hannah Roveto

There are approximately 6.7 billion people in the world, with somewhat more than 4.7 billion of us over the age of 15. The world literacy rate, defined as anyone over the age of 15 who can read and write is estimated at 82%. Allowing for my rough math skills, this gets us some 3.76 billion people who, in theory, could or do read books.

Next, let's look at worldwide book sales. The Bible comes in at about six billion copies, followed closely by quotations from Mao Zedong. Mao was a big seller, folks, followed by the Qur'an and then, interestingly, Charles Dickens, with A Tale of Two Cities at 200 million copies, followed by Lord Baden-Powell with Scouting for Boys. The entire Harry Potter series has sold a mere 400 million books total. Clearly, JK has a lot of sales left to go before every reader out there owns a complete set.

The fact that this is a numbers business is never far from a serious writer's thoughts. Every query explains to a potential agent not simply how wonderful a story is, but how it can be championed in the marketplace. Every agent paints a picture for publishers of the prospects for a particular title, and so on, and so on.

This makes it far too easy to ask when a particular project appears in a writer's head whether to even bother to write it. The subject matter is difficult. A protagonist character is unlikeable. Where is the audience, and will anyone care? We are told to up the stakes on one hand, to add mayhem and fear and create tension, and yet other stories are "untellable," and the ultimate damper, that nobody will buy them.

Garbage. How would you feel about a dwarfish boy who kills his best friend's mother by accident, in a story that delivers commentary on American foreign policy? (John Irving's A Prayer for Owen Meany). How can there possibly be subjects that are untouchable when there are so many authors already exploring them? Try Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson. Here is a man who feels "most alive while in the presence of another's loss," according to one review. Pick up the lyrical Bel Canto by Ann Patchett or the action adventure bestsellers of Tom Clancy, and between the pages of each you find people compelled by politics, love and honor to do their worst as well as their best. Death, murder, fear, passion, insincerity, longing, hope, honor, familial strife, redemption. It doesn't matter what we write as long as we are true not only to ourselves, but to our craft, to the art of the storytelling as well as the story.

Readers read and will do so as long as writers write well. If you can write a story in a way that carries a reader through, that is conscientious of the reader's needs and pushes at boundaries in such a such a way that the reader is willing to follow, do it. Pull out everything you know, learn what you need to and make that story come alive.

Don't worry about sales, not while you write. Consider only craft and the story. If you start to worry about numbers, then turn them on their pointy little heads. There are more than 3.3 billion people out there who -- in most cases -- have chosen not to own a single copy of Harry Potter, and still they read. Who knows: perhaps they are waiting for a book more like yours.

Right or Wrong

2008-09-16T06:52:00.004-04:00

By Amy MacKinnon

I saw him standing toward the back. It was Saturday afternoon and I was doing my first reading of the day at Barnes & Noble in Hingham. He shifted his weight from left foot to right, and then back again. One hand was on his hip and his expression was unfathomable. He never faltered when I stared back at him, though I did. He didn't smile, he didn't glower, he didn't appear pleased or displeased. But that fidgeting had me worried.

To be honest I wasn't certain it was him. I'd met him only once, about two years ago when it was clear my novel would be set in Brockton, Massachusetts, featuring Brockton cops. I called the police department to see if I could have a tour, I needed to know the layout of the building, smell it, feel the grit that coated every surface, and have a sense of the people who inhabited the place. I was patched through to Officer Al Gazerro.

He gave me hours of his time, showing me every nook and cranny, introducing me around to everyone from the dispatchers to the detectives to the chief. I took notes, I inhaled the place as best I could, and then went home to try to convey it all on the page.

Details matter. They matter to your readers, to the authenticity of your story, they should matter a great deal to you. I wanted desperately get it right. And there, toward the back, was Officer Gazerro who was about to tell me if I got it wrong.

He was last in line to have his book signed. As he got closer, I knew it was him.

"Do you remember me?" he asked.

"Al Gazerro," I said, waiting.

"I love your book." Finally he smiled.

He said his daughter got him a copy, that they now had three at home. He told me I got it exactly right, even the woman detective's shoes, the detective's unit, the homes he so often goes to while on duty. I got it right.

I hugged him, I had to. I so badly wanted to please him, to honor his vocation, and repay the faith he had in me. So far, it's been the highlight of my booktour.

All along there've been two people I've feared disappointing with this book: Al Gazerro and my uncle, the funeral director. I've waited on tenterhooks for their feedback, knowing I'd hear about it if I got it wrong. It's the sort of thing that gets under people's skin, isn't it? The relief is huge, knowing Officer Gazerro is pleased. Now I just need to hear from my uncle...

What it's all about

2008-09-15T06:00:00.003-04:00

Posted by Lisa Marnell

As a writers' group we have broken bread together, or more specifically, we've shared many meals; bagels for breakfast and lunches at Grub Street's Muse, dinner at restaurants, dinner at Lynne's. We've dug into tarts, cakes, pies and cookies. We've drunk multiple cups of tea and we've sipped sparkling cider as we've toasted to each other's successes and accomplishiments.

We all managed to get a decent night's sleep when shared a (tiny) hotel room.

When we've car-pooled together, we've managed to find a parking spot for our car in almost-full parking garages in Boston, and we've been able to find said car in said parking spot hours after attending a literary event.

Each of us have shared dreams and disappointments. We've talked about aging parents, loss, and regret.

Over the past four years, we've seen each other's children grow older.

We've problem solved parenting issues; I've benefitted from Lynne's expertise and Amy and Hannah's insights. Yes, we've talked about men and our preferences regarding that subect: big or small, blond or brown-haired, hairy-backed or Olympic-swimmer smooth (we never claimed to be sophisticated).

But of all the experiences we've shared, what I think I love most is reading fresh work from Amy, Hannah, and Lynne, new pages that surprise and entice me. Pages that are e-mailed as attachments are presents wrapped in colorful paper, waiting under a Christmas tree. The creativity of these three women, the places they go, the people they discover (or create) never fail to draw me in.

NYT's Review of Tethered

2008-09-12T15:12:00.001-04:00

Read all about it...

Making a Literary Life: Memorable Characters

2008-09-12T06:00:00.011-04:00

Memorable characters leap off the page and stay with a reader long after a book is closed and returned to the shelf. Reading like writers, we study our favorite characters in fiction, frequently making recommendations to each other. Whether the ones you've come to love are from novels you've read years ago or just last week, we'd love to know your favorites.

Lisa Marnell
I loved Maddelena in A Kiss From Maddelena by Christopher Castellani. Was she the victim of circumstances, meeting the wrong man at the wrong time, or did she simply make a foolish choice that changed her life?

Amy MacKinnon
Inman from Cold Mountain rattles my bones. It's as if Camille Preaker of Sharp Objects lies huddled in one of my upstairs bedrooms. Deenie is a dear, dear friend, someone I spent a lot of time with when we were children. Meursault from Camus' The Stranger still haunts me. Pauline Chen's 83rd organ procurement from Final Exam will leave you gasping for air (did you see Dr. Chen's new column debut in the New York Times?). And then the cast of characters I reunite with every so often because they are so dear to me: Stu Redman, Nick, Frannie, Trashcan Man, Larry Underwood, the Walking Dude aka Randal Flagg, and darling Tom. Don't you know this book?

Hannah Roveto
I love Pat Wood's Perry L.-for Lucky- Crandall in Lottery. Love him, love him, and his Gram and Keith. I know them, had lunch with them: microwaved burritos and a soda. Joe Kavalier and Sammy Clay, of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay are complex, unwinding as each page turns. Quoyle in E. Annie Proulx's The Shipping News is so solid I couldn't see the movie, for fear those images would remove the ones I hold so clearly. Christopher Boone, the autistic boy in Curious Incident by Mark Haddon... Celie in Alice Walker's Color Purple... oh, how the list goes on!

Lynne Griffin
Oh, there are so many! The unnamed, second Mrs. DeWinter in Rebecca, by Daphne Du Maurier is a wonderful example of a multi-layered, complicated character whose inner motivations make her physical attributes almost unnecessary. Leo Gursky in Nicole Krauss's, The History of Love is so fully drawn, I feel like he's a relative or friend. And Jennie in Portrait of Jennie, by Robert Nathan exemplifies how to craft characters across the stages in human development.

*CHECK THIS OUT*

Look for Marilyn Stasio's review of Tethered in this weekend's New York Times Review of Books!

Advance Review Copies

2008-09-11T07:01:00.000-04:00

Posted by Lynne Griffin

I knew they were coming, still the feelings were intense when I opened the package. Cotton candy kind of feelings that leave you not knowing what to do. Should I read it. Should I go show it to someone. I was over the moon, yet nothing about my life changed when I opened my mail at ten in the morning on a Monday.

So I wrote a note, thanking my editor for all she did to secure great quotes and lobby for my marvelous cover. And I parked it on my desk so I could admire it.

Then it hit me. It was two years from the time the first word landed on the page to the date of its sale to St. Martin's. A full eighteen months in production, six more months until it sits on book store shelves. I needed to get back to work. I have a manuscript that needs revision.

And Again

2008-09-10T07:57:00.003-04:00

by Hannah Roveto

There is something in the air this week. The mysteries behind what drives some people to not simply put thoughts on paper, but to stretch them like taffy, fill in about them like soil around a seedling, spend hours and days and years listening to voices and cutting beautiful phrases in search of a way to communicate something... somehow... have been uppermost in my mind as well. Amy said most poignantly yesterday that her work is driven by a need to "give people comfort in a world of my making," which is the most perfect description indeed for the outcome of her labors.

Why and how we write is how we make sense of the world. I see absurdity everywhere, and the sharp edge intrigues me. The devoted mother known for lobbying on expensive school programs, who drives around town in her SUV, on her cellphone, at speeds in excess of posted signs along roads where other children walk. The new resident who talks loudly about how excited he is at moving to a small town, yet he puts up a fence and hedge that walls him away from the community he seeks. There are layers to these people I find compelling, in whom I find elements of the humor I so love.

Tragedy informs my writing, in a different way. Private conversations around the most horrific of experiences make me wonder at the human capacity for strength, at how people get up and live their lives the day after, and the day after that. Yet they do. The spirit is an incredible thing, bruised and torn and damaged and yet loving and laughing and hopeful. I may not write about sorrows -- some I simply cannot -- but the idea of this force of life hovers over me.

In the end, I process the world best through humor. It may seem Pollyanna-ish to some, but I would argue that humor is a protective weapon. I admire writers who take the most vital emotions and experiences and create those moments in which we see a bit of ourselves, and that prompt a smile against all that is rational. Mark Haddon's father in A Spot of Bother thinks he has cancer, has an adulterous wife, and is but one of the characters brought together in the slow progress toward a wedding that creates much discomfort. Nick Hornby's A Long Way Down has those four strangers who decide, independently, to end their lives. How can these stories be funny? They are about unbearable things, written with great sympathy, yet it is how they are written that takes us by surprise, against our will, and -- whether or not the character does -- makes us see possibilities.

This is why I write and how I hope and try to write. Capturing moments in which the odd quirk becomes not only a possible downfall, but also the thing that drives us forward. Naming the fears we hide that show themselves despite our best efforts in ways strangers then cannot possibly undertand. Revealing moments of recognition and against all odds, creating a smile of understanding as to where the hope lies.

Why?

2008-09-09T06:00:00.004-04:00

By Amy MacKinnon

We each write for different reasons, though last week I couldn't possibly tell you mine. I've been wondering about this a lot lately, why it is we writers are eager to rip away the cloak that shields us from public scrutiny and misinterpretation. Most would tell you it isn't for the money (how many published authors earn a living wage from writing?); it's not for the glory (try facing down an empty bookstore or sitting next to a New York Times bestselling author at a signing); it's not for any sense of immortality (I'm still hoping this one might be true among my descendents).

Last Friday, Patry Francis, Lynne, and I wondered at this conundrum over tea and cakes (for those of you wondering, Patry's doing well and gorgeous to boot). When each of us started writing, we hoped against all reason that we would eventually sell our books, that they would be read by people who connected with them, and maybe one of us hoped for more beyond that-- a scenario too magnificent to lay down black-and-white. Haven't you done the same? And we've been lucky, we know it and are grateful. But this isn't a business for the faint of heart. As Gail Konop Baker once wrote to me as consolation after a particularly awful day, "This can be a tear your heart out kind of business." Some days I've truly feel that wrenching in my chest.

But I think I finally figured out why I write: I don't understand a world in which there is unfathomable pain.

I wrote about the real Precious Doe, Erica Michelle Marie Green who was killed by her parents; about my friends' four-year-old daughter, Mary Katherine, who died of a brain tumor; about the unbearable weight some cops have to bear when dealing with the seediest aspects of our society. Why is the world like it is? Why?

I don't write to entertain readers for vanity or fame. I write because, at least on the page, I can give each of these people some measure of comfort in a world of my making. It's all I can do.

The Voices

2008-09-08T06:00:00.024-04:00

Posted by Lisa Marnell

There are many voices that speak to me. They don't come from little creatures, sitting on my shoulders, helping me decide between good from evil. Besides, I don't have enough room on my shoulders to carry about the number of voices that speak to me. Perhaps I should explain.

One voice is gruff and deep like a rumble of thunder. It always says the same old thing: "Hey! Lisa! The stakes in your story aren't high enough." You, again? I complain, But I upped the stakes already! "More stakes! More!" It shouts to me day after day after day.

One voice is soothing, low-pitched female. She's less persistent. She doesn't talk to me as often and when she does, I tend to listen. "Excuse me," she whispers with the trace of a British accent. "What do you say to adding a more poignant detail in this description? And perhaps you should paint this setting more clearly." Her suggestions are fun; I could Word Paint until the cows come home.

The third voice is probably the most annoying. She speaks in a flat tone and only says five words, time and time again: "I don't get this story," she complains. What don't you get? I ask. The character's actions? The plot turns? "I don't get this story," she repeats ad nauseum. Oh, she's annoying, and she's the one that fills me with self-doubt. She's right, I tell myself. I need to change everything, absolutely everything. I must never pay attention to her.

Another voice I love. "Fantastic," it calls out to me in celebration. If this voice were a person, he'd look like Rafael Nadal. Strong. Confident. Awfully cute and definitely either Spanish like Rafael, or maybe Italian. He sings to me that it's time to celebrate! My novel is on track! It's working!

Every day, I hear these voices. Every day I must choose which voices to listen to, which to ignore. I will stay on track, tie my threads, get ready to send it to my writers' group in a few weeks time. In a way, I've won already.

Making a Literary Life: Happy Birthday, Google!

2008-09-05T08:00:00.015-04:00

This month is Google's tenth anniversary and, being avid Google Gals, we're thrilled to wish the folks in Mountain View, CA a very happy birthday. Not only do they provide us with this *free* venue, blogspot, but access to a king's ransom worth of information: maps, images, videos. And do you know Google's motto? Do no evil.

In that vein, we'd like to know what your motto is to keep you going through the dark days and what goodness you've put out into the world this week. Now let's eat cake.

Lisa Marnell
I picked mine up from the days I rode horses, from the British riding instructor who lived across the street in Quebec: Gallop on the Middle!

Amy MacKinnon
I have three idioms when I'm digging deep: Just do it (I had it before that shoe company, btw); keep moving forward; and persevere.

Hannah Roveto
Elvis Costello gets me going. When you need a lift, start to hum "Everyday I Write the Book!"

Lynne Griffin
I try to live and breathe one word. Believe.

Choose to Write

2008-09-04T06:56:00.010-04:00

Posted by Lynne Griffin

I love September. It's time for a fresh start. Positive outlooks and enthusiasm abound. Even my teenagers like being set up for success with clean rooms and tidy desks, new notebooks and a handful of good pens.

As a writer intent on revising my second novel, I deserve a new set of goals and an optimistic plan for achieving them, too.

Here's my four point plan for getting back to basics.

Schedule writing time
I write my appointments with writing directly on my calendar, just like every other important meeting I make time for.

Write down specific tasks I want to accomplish this month
I assign realistic target dates for completing chapters or polishing parts of my manuscript.

Feed my brain
My best writing happens when I exercise, eat right, and get seven hours of sleep a night. A sharp mind is critical to my ability to concentrate and work through challenging sections of my novel.

Feed my muse
When I read a short story, some poetry, or excerpts of a favorite novel before writing, it's as if I'm putting out an invitation for inspiration to find me.

So many writers lament there isn't time to write. Truth is, if you buy into that kind of thinking, there won't be. I'm of the mindset that we all have the same twenty-four hours a day to do with what we will. I choose to write.

The Essence of Us

2008-09-03T07:53:00.001-04:00

by Hannah Roveto

I didn't know it was Wednesday this morning. Between the holiday weekend and the trips to Staples and Target and signing my name to a thousand papers, between a store grand opening and some national media outreach for my client, and between the pages of the revisions I have been doing between it all, I lost track of the days, as we all do.

Funny, but the post forming in my mind even over the weekend was about rushing, about looking ahead so often that you forget to look around at where you are and what you are doing. Living the moment.

The reason for this kernel of an idea was an article written by the wonderful Kathleen McKenna in a local magazine on some writers' group that has been churning out pages of material for quite a long time, the result of which are books like Tethered, Life Without Summer, and... yes, more to come, we are sure!

To Amy's post last week, many people have approached me to comment on the story, offered their support and best wishes, which has been lovely. Over the weekend we were at the beach, kids swimming to and from the float, when a neighbor with whom I have one of those nice wave-in-passing relationships made it a point to come over specifically to say she'd seen the story. So used to looking ahead am I that I said yes, the group is wonderful, and in a rush of words, explained that I am finishing my revisions (last inning!) and expect to send agent queries this month. (Didn't I once swear I would never make excuses?)

A slow smile came across her face as she said, "You're doing something that is all yours, something just for you all the time. I think that's wonderful."

All my forward-motion, rush-to-what's-next line of thinking came to an abrupt halt. The bustle of the beach, the shouts of the divers off the raft sharpened. I thanked her, and inside thought, hey, it IS cool! The smile didn't come off my face for hours.

Whether or not it's writing, it is important to do something that speaks to your soul, to follow that desire to do... something... to be someone beyond how you are defined in relation to other people. Every stolen minute or every stolen hour (or couple of hours!) with a story is a bit of Being Hannah, and that makes it all the more pleasurable. When I returned to my revisions the next day, I enjoyed them more than I had for weeks. And today is Wednesday, and I am writing now, working some, and writing some more before the door bangs open this afternoon. In the moment. Doing what we love, all for ourselves. What is better than that?

New England Crime Bake 2008

2008-09-02T07:17:00.005-04:00

By Amy MacKinnon

Yes, I'll be there, as a panelist no less. Imagine? What a difference a year makes. The organizers have asked me to help spread the word and so without further ado, here are your Top Ten reasons for attending Crime Bake 2008:

Top Ten Reasons To Register For Crime Bake Today

10. Early bird members who sign up soon (before October 1st) get a $30.00 discount. Put that in your gas tank for the drive to the commodious Dedham Hilton where Crime Bake will be held November 14-16.

9. After arriving at the Dedham Hilton, feast on pizza and conversation at the Free pizza party where you can meet and greet mystery readers, writers, agents and editors.

8. Following the Free pizza party, you get to choose to attend one of two fabulous and Free Friday night workshops: Practicing Your Pitch with Lynne Heitman, a huge hit at previous Crime Bake conferences or Creating Your Wave with publicist Susan Schwartzman about how to effectively market your mystery in today’s tough market.

7. Yes, another Freebie! Crime Bake conference attendees are entitled to sign up for a Free 5-minute one-on-one session to pitch their work to a literary agent. This year, attendees will have the opportunity to list their top three agent choices. Don’t wait to take advantage of this fabulous opportunity.

6. The agents are coming, the agents are coming and they include some of the finest, including Janet Reid, Donna Bagdasarian, Susan Gleason, Christine Witthohn, Ann Collette, Esmond Harmsworth, Sorche Fairbank and Gina Panettieri.

5. Great Master Classes are offered again. Choose two from Planning The Plays: Painless Research with Kathy Lynn Emerson; Who's On First: Point of View with Hallie Ephron; Hitting It Out Of The Park: Ten Key Ingredients For a Successful Thriller with Gary Braver; and Peewee League: Writing for Young Audience with Peter Abrahams.

4. Manuscript Critiques are available. Attendees may submit a 15-page writing sample (novel or short story) in advance and receive a one-on-one critique with a published mystery author during the conference.

3. A fountain of forensic experts, including the popular Poison Lady, will hold panels where you can fill your writing well with ideas on how to commit those dastardly deeds.

2. You can dine elbow to elbow with agents, authors, editors and forensic experts at the Saturday Night Banquet where the menu includes delicious food and maybe even a book deal. Your fabulous Saturday night will be topped by “Mystery Bingo” hosted by our own prime-time Hank Phillippi Ryan.

1. The number one reason to register for Crime Bake today is the Number One New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and London Times author and our Guest of Honor, Harlan Coben.

Self-Talk

2008-09-01T06:00:00.001-04:00

Posted by Lisa Marnell

Last Friday we, at the writers' group, posted our thoughts on what we've learned over the summer as September arrives today. I am in a very happy place these days as I have finished my first second draft of my YA - long story. I'm loving working to pull threads tight, word paint settings, work on dialogue (Hannah, you'll help me there, right?) As I reflect over the last year of scrapping and changing this WIP, there are many, many things that have helped me. Here is another strategy that works for me:

Make up a mantra about your writing to keep you focused and energized. Even when I am losing in a tennis match (and I'm not so good at tennis), I repeat these words in my mind: "I am fast, I am strong, I am getting better every day. " (I really do say that to myself - I can't believe I just admitted that). When it comes to my writing, I made up a mantra a month ago. It's very simple. It's this: "My story is beautiful." Whether or not my story is beautiful is something that readers will decide. What's important is that I remind myself that I care about this story and I care about these characters.

Did I just give out writing advice? Who am I to give out writing advice? My novel needs work. It will be ready for our group to read in September and there will be changes, perhaps many changes to make. Though I may not yet be published (time will tell), I am in a place where I have been successful with writing this WIP. I wrote a story I love and I am proud of. That's cool. I can't say I've been here before.

To go into the dark with a light is to know the light
To know the dark, go dark, go without sight
And find that the dark, too, blooms and sings
And is travelled by dark feet and dark ways.

Wendel Berry

Making a Literary Life: End of Summer Reflections

2008-08-29T08:00:00.017-04:00

The final long days of August seem to carry with them a melancholy. We slow down, reflect. Warm days that ran together are suddenly turning into memories. With September around the corner, we're another year older, but are we another year wiser? We at the writers' group consider what we've learned.

Lisa Marnell
I learned there is no right answer in plotting, in setting, in character development. It's all a choice. You make a choice, you run with it. Second guessing isn't your job; that's the duty of a writers' group or trusted reader. I've gone down too many roads and backtracked, wasting time and emotional energy.

Amy MacKinnon

Though I've heard Lynne repeat it a thousand times and agreed with her a thousand one, I've truly learned that life is a marathon, not a race. Even more important, that this journey isn't worth taking without friends by your side cheering you on and allowing you to cheer for them.

Thank you to the folks at Grub Street and the many writers -- published and not yet -- who came to the Porter Square Books Reading Tuesday night. It was good to be among my people.

Hannah Roveto
I've learned to trust myself more, as well. I dislike stories where the author lingers like God; you see the strings being pulled behind the characters and plot rather than it appearing to happen organically. I probably had shied away more than I should from being a Goddess, and stakes in particular had suffered. I believe I have found the balance, at last, where I make lives turmoil and yet am not seen by the reader twist by twist.

Lynne Griffin
After a trip to New York to meet with my publicity and marketing teams, I learned how important it is to have champions for your work. Thank you Elisabeth Weed, Hilary Teeman, and the rest of my advocates at St. Martin's Press. I am deeply grateful.

As I fine-tune my work-in-progress, and do a bit of manuscript consultation for Grub Street, I'm learning that revision is a beautiful thing. It's where the real word painting begins.

________

This week, Amy gave a reading with Brunonia Barry, author of The Lace Reader, co-sponsored by Grub Street and Porter Square Books. My daughter and I were there to share in the excitement. Amy was, as you'd expect, a real star! We are so proud of her and her accomplishments. And it was wonderful to catch up with our talented friends, Lara Wilson, Chris Castellani, and Michael Lowenthal.

A Writer's Retreat

2008-08-28T07:44:00.016-04:00

Posted by Lynne Griffin

I admit I work a lot. Yet to me writing is where work and play come together, it's the definition of being in flow. I don't mind working long hours, I often write six days a week. I have no anxiety around spending an entire day on one paragraph or tossing out a whole chapter in favor of going in a new direction with my work-in-progress. I love the challenge of writing the novel, but I still love a good vacation.

Last week, my family and I took our annual trip to Maine. The house we rent lakeside, in the Sebago region just outside Portland, is magical enough to draw my husband and me away from our career and home responsibilities. More astounding is its ability to coax two teenagers away from friends and technology. It's a just us, no TV, no laptop trip, and it has been for fourteen years.

And while you can take the writer out of her office and away from her computer, you can't take the writing away from the writer. Here's a glimpse inside what I call my writer's retreat.

I've always baked a pie using wild Maine blueberries. This year in honor of Patry Francis, author of The Liar's Diary and her tradition of making a pie for the muse, I made my version of the literary blues pie.

Before

After

Some of us couldn't wait for the after photo to be taken before diving into the pie.

In Portland, ME, in the wonderful independent book shop, Books, Etc... I couldn't resist searching out Tethered. My daughter thought a photo was called for.

Lost in a family game or puzzle, or while sipping a glass of wine from a local vineyard on the dock at sunset, I worked out a structural change in my novel. It was so easy to see things clearly sitting there.

And of course, I read. Thanks to a recommendation from Michael Lowenthal, I've now added another novel to my top ten. Revolutionary Road, by Richard Yates is perfection!

I loved The Shack by William P. Young, The Rest of her Life, by Laura Moriarty, and The Unthinkable, by Amanda Ripley, too.

So I'm back now and ready to begin working again in the traditional sense. I still have my memories of the time I spent with the people I hold most dear and I look forward to next year when perhaps I'll walk into Books, Etc... in Portland and find a copy of Life Without Summer on those shelves.

Spotlight On You

2008-08-27T07:41:00.018-04:00

by Hannah Roveto

A crossroads of thoughts came somewhere between watching Ted Kennedy speak on Monday night and reading Amy's post yesterday. Having a book out makes an author a public figure, subject to being recognized, approached, discussed, analyzed. Yet other professions that generate public figures -- politics, or sports or entertainment -- offer a distinct advantage in that their years of junior experience train them not only in their chosen field, but force them to be increasingly public people along the way.

When I was younger, I worked in state government. Once a week or so, I would write a press release for the Commissioner at the Department of Revenue and when it was approved, march it up to the press offices under the golden dome of the Massachusetts State House. As I headed to the rooms where the wisecracking reporters sat, I would pass the young politicos. They were my age, and the young men and women alike eyed my long skirts, short-sleeved tops and flat shoes with suspicion.

Clearly, I was not one of them no matter how comfortable I looked pushing in and out of heavy oak doors. They wore suits, wandering the marbled halls looking earnest, practicing their public faces. They moved from being aides to assistants, meeting constituents, coordinating public meetings, rising and flourishing under increasing public visibility, until some eventually launched their own bids to represent their neighbors. They, like top athletes and entertainers, moved from small stages to ever-larger venues over a career.

Writers do that to some degree. We can publish a piece in a local paper, by-line for a regional magazine, perhaps have a story published in a literary journal. We can network, teach or go to conferences or work through a master's degree. Still, the growth and change and development happens mostly in the shadows. Our craft is quiet and private and happens behind the walls and doors of our homes. Then, with hard work and determination, one day:

Tah Dah!

When the story leaves us, the shield of invisibility comes off and there we stand, in our local libraries, in a bookstore, in the grocery store, blinking into a quick spotlight. With luck, we have acquired some of those tools elsewhere, so that when we are required to handle that moment with grace and aplomb, it's as though we, too, have been practicing all of our lives.

And so to a question: What are your thoughts about the moments when you have sent or will send a story out into the world... and you must follow it out, as well?

So What's It Like?

2008-08-26T08:03:00.004-04:00

By Amy MacKinnon

My email inbox is more full than ever before. I've heard from long ago friends and complete strangers, all of whom have been supportive and kind. To know there are people out there actually reading Tethered is a little jarring though, like someone poking around the shadowlands within me.

Neighbors I've never met have stopped by to ask if I'm the one who wrote the book and then wished me well.

My father called the other day to say when he started his car, the radio came on, and my voice filled the space. "You're like a Hollywood celebrity, Amy," he said. There was a catch, but he swallowed it. "Your mother and I are real proud of you." I didn't tell him it was a very local show and the interview lasted only six minutes; we all want to believe our children are somehow special.

I've scrubbed the bathrooms and the windowsills, I've managed to vacuum every other day. The laundry still gets away from me.

I walked past my local Barnes & Noble the other day and was a bit wistful to see the display window filled with books that came out the same time as mine. This is my turf, I thought. In the next moment, I accepted that my book was one among many and as Lynne says, we each have our own journey. With my next step, I noticed another display window. In it was a poster-sized photo of me and copies of only my book. It reminded me to keep moving forward.

Most people don't know who I am, don't know that I've written a book, and don't care.

I've received my first 1-star review on Amazon. I expected it to hurt. Instead, it made me wonder about the laws of attraction.

I received my first newspaper review from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. This from a writing instructor.

My children and I finished their back-to-school shopping. They'll be leaving me in a week's time, gone for hours each day. I'll miss them terribly.

Yesterday at my local library, the place I learned to read, a librarian asked if I was the author of "that book." She said there was a wait-list and she looked forward to reading it. Another woman approached me with her two children in tow, "I saw you in the paper, you wrote that book. Congratulations." After I mumbled a thank you, she then turned to her kids and said, "This is a real live author, she wrote a book..." Something to that effect. I was too embarrassed, too shy to hear anymore much less do the proper thing and greet her children. I promise to do better next time.

Yesterday, I went to the doctor's, the pharmacy, supermarket, and corner store. No one knew or cared who I was.

Also yesterday, a package arrived from New York, something from my agent. I opened it and was stunned to discover a gorgeous fountain pen inscribed with the title of my book and its pub day. She believes in me and that is why you need an agent.

Tomorrow I'll be doing a reading in Cambridge, MA with Brunonia Barry, author of The Lace Reader. It's sponsored by two favorites: Grub Street and Porter Square Books. Those will be some coattails.

I received a charming note from Ann Patchett in response to one I wrote her. It's tucked away in the first copy of Tethered I received from my publisher. If my house were on fire and my children safely out, I would race back in to save both.

I sleep through the night now.

Dreaming

2008-08-25T06:00:00.007-04:00

Posted by Lisa Marnell

I was away last week - spending time in BEAUTIFUL! Santa Barbara and beyond, but I'd love to play catch-up with Friday's MLLF question: What's Cool About The Writing Life?

My answer is simple. It's cool to daydream.

Just yesterday, I was walking back from our neighborhood pool, I meandered along a series of walkways that are hidden away by stone fences and pine trees. I was so very alone. It was delightfully relaxing. And yes, of course, I was thinking about my WIP. How could I not be? That ten minute walk was time I gladly share with my characters.

What, I wondered, should be Ava's reaction when she finds out Rose is in danger again?

Just how friendly should I allow my two main characters become?

It's fun - to daydream. It's a lovely perk of being a writer. I get to be a child, to daydream, to fantasize.

Ah, did we choose writing or did writing choose us?

Making a Literary Life: Cool

2008-08-22T07:34:00.011-04:00

As the dog days of summer turn cool (at least in these parts), we'd like to reflect on what's cool about the writing life. We've kvetched about the heartache when the words won't come, the angst of getting an agent (or not), selling a manuscript (or not), but let's talk the good stuff. What's your favorite aspect of this journey?

Lisa Marnell
Lisa is away, but will catch up next week.

Amy MacKinnon
Last night, I sat in my family room surrounded by boxes and boxes of Tethered. Why, you ask. Well, rock star Random House sales rep Sherry Vritz asked if I'd be willing to sign copies for bookstores that requested them. So they were shipped to me first, I spent several hours gratefully signing them all, and will then ship to them to fabulous IndieBound book shops. Many thanks to The Mysterious Bookshop in New York City, The Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale, AZ, and Murder By the Book in Houston, TX. Very cool.

Hannah Roveto
What's cool for me is that writing was a life I used to live completely in my head. Not only the writing part, but the life part. I'd doodle, I'd lurch, and I would always let "real" life push it aside. Writing is a life I live now, and yes, there are still the job and the kids and the house and... yet... every day, I write, and now there are goals, milestones, and accomplishments.

Lynne Griffin
Lynne is still away, but we'd like to hear her thoughts on this topic when she's back.

A New House

2008-08-21T11:28:00.002-04:00

Lynne is away on vacation, but here's one of our favorites of hers:

Posted by Lynne Griffin

I've never built a house, but I took a wonderful course on building a novel. When I was deep in to a revision of Life Without Summer, I took a course on story construction offered through Grub Street by the smart and talented Stace Budzko. It helped me then, but how was I to know that eight months later, as I delved into crafting my next novel, that things he taught me would flood into my mind with new relevancy.

The elements of our stories are not unlike those of a house. What we know about our characters--how they behave and misbehave--their desires, wants and needs are as important to the writer as the windows that allow light into the living room. Plot can be seen as the opening and closing of doors. Voice--the house's architectural style.

Having built and sold one novel already, I know that building a good foundation is critical to the novel's ability to stand out in the marketplace. For me, settling on point of view is an important first step in creating the right structure, telling the right story. Whose story is it? Which character(s) have the most to gain and the most to lose given the situations and complications I've chosen to write about? When I find the heart of the story, I know it. I love writing in two voices, so for me there is often more than one heart to consider.

At every stage of novel building it's important to use quality goods. For a writer, the raw materials are words. This time I'm finding it even easier to lay down the structure with care, partly because the more I write the more I fall in love with words. Though in truth, I'm confident, because I trust that even when a house is done, there is nothing wrong with moving a little furniture or hanging new curtains. Even brothers and sisters have been known to change rooms, and parents know when it's time to add a room over the garage.

Perhaps the single most valuable lesson I learned from Stace during that weekend in April relates to setting. I will be forever grateful to him for opening my eyes to the idea that setting can be compelling, not merely a backdrop "where characters do their thing". Whether you imagine the places in your novel as pleasing, forbidding or somewhere in between, setting embodies all the places that influence the way your characters see the world and how they respond to it.

Andre Dubus once said, "We enter the fictional world through memory". During my weekend course, Stace urged me to take every opportunity to pry, eavesdrop, stare, and otherwise gather the material I'd need to build a story. Little did he know that the perspectives he offered, I would remember, serving me well in my building projects down the road.

Math and the Artist's Career

2008-08-20T07:54:00.006-04:00

by Hannah Roveto

I was reading Rolling Stone yesterday, not because I am cool but because I was waiting for back-to-school haircuts to be completed. The current issue has an interview with Robert Downey Junior, who is, as far as I'm concerned, an artistic genius.

He was talking about his career and what a single choice can mean. People used to say to him, "Hey, I remember you in Weird Science; loved Less than Zero." By that latter movie he'd been in a dozen films, plus a season on Saturday Night Live. His achievements, he said, were like an algorithm -- a moveable, complicated process. Now, he says, people point to him: "Iron Man!" With that choice, Downey said, he has a fixed point from which to build.

The last time I took a math class was in high school. Calculus, actually, and that was pretty much the point when I switched with a happy heart to the humanities. But algorithms and fixed points -- the process of a career and its successes -- got me thinking.

As writers, we hope -- try -- for fixed points, one after the other. In part for ourselves, but in part for business reasons, truth be told. We want our stories to resonate and stay with the audience, to create a deep connection. The annoying thing is that -- as with other kinds of artists -- we don't get those starry successes every single time. This career is two-faced, the art and the business, and we can never forget it. And we worry.

What I like about Downey's math analogy is that it provides a long-term rationale for pushing forward, for not letting one moment make or break your determination. Yes, you can have a career and go along for a bit without a fixed point. If you keep at it, if you are smart about it, you will create one. Why am I so certain? Because what must be done comes not from the outside world, but from inside of us. We keep going, we keep creating. It is in our souls. Not to say we shouldn't be strategic. Many writers take pseudonyms to restart careers, extend careers. Or consider John Irving. His first three books didn't get the reception he thought they should have (career as algorithm), so he took his fourth book to a new publisher. That book, of course, was The World According to Garp (seriously fixed point!).

I have had relatives, neighbors and friends in this business; I have been lucky enough to absorb their experiences in preparation for my own. I know there will be times when my career might be more of a process; I also believe that with hard work, belief and determination, there will be points of achievement to stand upon over time, as well.

The Etiquette of Book Signing

2008-08-19T06:06:00.008-04:00

FYI: I'm over at Jungle Red today. Check it out!

By Amy MacKinnon

So I went into Boston over the weekend with a friend to visit area bookstores. Yes, of course I went to see if Tethered was out and if I could possibly, maybe, sign what was in stock. If you're like me -- and you're writers so I can safely assume you are -- it's a bit awkward to present yourself to the manager of a bookstore and say hi, I wrote this book, mind if I sign it? Luckily, for us, they're used to this sort thing, it happens on a fairly regular basis. In fact, it was happening while I stood in line at the customer service desk at the Downtown Crossing Borders.

To my left was an unassuming man in t-shirt and shorts, a backpack slung over his shoulder, stacks of books in front of him and he's waiting patiently, calmly. To my right, being helped by Dave the manager, was an older gentleman. Now while I should have been paying attention to the man on my left, I was in fact futzing with my outfit, smoothing my wayward hair, and standing there holding tight to my book, grinning like a game show contestant, angling it so anyone walking by might see the lovely cover. Waiting, waiting, fidget, futz, wait. It is lovely, though.

Then the man to my left says to the manager, "Are there more in back?" At which point I look to the stacks of books on the counter, look to the man, who is already heading in the direction the manager is pointing, and then I grab Dave the manager's hand (yes, I did) and say, "Is that Richard Russo?"

"Can you believe it? He just walked in!" I ran after him. No, this isn't the dorky part yet, close, but it gets worse. You may need to stop reading now because it's too painful, but imagine how excruciating it is to write. Here goes:

"Mr. Russo?"

"Yes?"

"I'm a big fan, I love your work, like..." At this point, I'm so excited, I can't remember a single title. Not Bridge of Sighs or Empire Falls, not Ship of Fools or The Whore's Child. Not one. His smile is beginning to wane. "I loved that article you wrote for that Maine magazine, I can't remember the name of it, on Alzheimer's, it meant so much to me..."

He starts to back away, his smile waning. "Oh, I'm sorry. Thank you."

There was more, luckily I can't remember it all. Then I really did it. "Could you sign my book?"

You see I'm still holding my copy of Tethered I'd hoped Dave the manager would want me to sign so he could slap that shiny sticker on it: autographed. But I was waiting my turn and hadn't asked yet and it was the only book I had on hand. It didn't occur to me that we were standing in the Richard Russo Aisle (can you imagine having your own section in a bookstore?) and I should have plucked one of his off the shelf.

Now Richard Russo's smile truly falters. He gestures to Tethered. "You want me to sign this book?"

"Yes, it's mine, I wrote it." I'm beaming, from nerves not pride. Even I can see how this is going, but I can't stop the train wreck.

"Oh, congratulations." He's so very nice. "But I don't think I should..." He's shaking his head, looking from me to the book.

"Of course, that would be silly." I may have stopped beaming here. I may have even gulped and developed a nervous tic.

"Hey," he said, angling my book so he could see it better. "Tethered, huh? And you're Amy MacKinnon?"

I nod. Futz, twitch, tic.

"I'll have to get that. The cover is really great."

I thank him, I leave, and Dave the kind manager, leads me over to my own -- much smaller -- stack of books on the front table and I begin to them. A man passes, he stops and turns to regard me. It's him, Richard Russo. He calls out across the floor.

"Is this your first one?" He's walking backward, toward the exit, that face I know so well smiling, for me.

"Yes." I'm beaming again.

"Good luck with it. I'll be looking out for it!"

And then he was gone and in an instant, he made me feel like I wasn't quite the big dork I knew myself to be.

Choices

2008-08-18T06:00:00.000-04:00

Posted by Lisa Marnell

I'm happy today.

Late last night I finished a first draft of Frozen Rose, my YA novel. Hurrah! I woke feeling a sense of relief.

Over the past six months, I've changed the plot at least five times. I had figured out characters. I had established a setting that was magical to me. Though it should be hard to delve into mid-winter New Hampshire as I write mid-summer in sunny California, I managed. I'll admit to closing the blinds in my study and turning on the air conditioning a few hot afternoons. Being surrounded in my many photographs of New Hampshire mountains certainly helped as well. No, getting into my novel, wasn't ever a challenge, but knowing what my characters were going to do was hard for me.

Choices. Commitment.

Deciding that a character will follow one route and not another is something I haven't read much about in writing books on craft. But making choices about the direction for my novel has weighed me down for a long time now. I discovered something. It's easier to have a main character kind of lie, kind of cheat, kind of steal, than to decide on one course of action such as, My main character is a compulsive liar, or My protagonist, when challenged will cheat every time.

In Tethered, Amy's recently released novel - I'm still amazed and blown-away proud - she made choices. Some of them were difficult. But those choices were believable, realistic, and, from a writerly point of view, raised the stakes. Her choices made her novel the gripping and emotional story that it is.

In deciding which direction to take with my YA novel, there was one bit of advice, some wise words I copied and taped above my laptop. My mini-poster reads:

Fiction isn't written to make readers happy.

Its purpose is to jangle their nerves,

Make their hearts race,

Give them goosebumps,

and disturb their sleep.

Words to live by, writers!

Oh, I'm pleased.

Making a Literary Life:Friday: Three Little Words

2008-08-15T08:28:00.013-04:00

This week overflowed with emotions like Christmas-morning excitement, heart-bursting pride. How amazing the literary life can be! Quick: what are the three words that best describe it for you, whether it be the process of writing, the high wire trek of the business of writing, or moments like this week?

Lisa Marnell
Dreamy. Frightening. All-encompassing.

Amy MacKinnon
Defining. Heart-breaking. Everything.

Hannah Roveto
Spiritual. Consuming. Energizing.

Lynne Griffin
Gratifying. Invigorating. Intense.

************
Words to Mouth
Notes From the Handbasket

Inspiration

2008-08-14T06:00:00.004-04:00

Posted by Lynne Griffin

Tethered is in bookstores, you can order it online. Amy's words are dressed in their Sunday best, her flap jacket stunning in gold, green, and black. Advertisements are appearing in papers, announcing its arrival. Interviews are posted on blogs. Readers are beginning to weigh in on her creation.

Over the last few days I've felt a bit like a sister watching her sibling show off her new baby. I've held back a few tears when family members openly gushed about her accomplishment with genuine love. When she opened her copy of Tethered and eloquently read those haunting first lines to a crowd leaning in to savor her prose, I felt proud. And when the crowd jockeyed for a turn at congratulating her as she began to sign personalized copies, I smiled.

Amy's baby is out in the world. She's the one that endured the labor pains of writing a first draft, submitting pages to three virtual strangers three years ago, and then revising it until she was certain it was her best work. She tackled the agent search like no one I've ever known and she didn't quit when she was asked to edit once more. So why am I so over the moon?

Because Amy is an inspiration, and her novel a testament to the power of commitment. She does not have a published novel because she is lucky or because she spent her time wishing it were so. She believes in the beauty and sway of language. She set her sights on a big dream and then did whatever she could to make it a reality. She's still dedicated to doing whatever it takes to get her book to readers.

The word sister is defined as a woman who is closely allied to another, as in the same faith, society, or community. How lucky I am to have added not one, but three very talented and generous sisters to my family. It's Amy's time now, and I know I speak for all of us at the writers' group when I say we wish Amy the best on her journey. Lisa's and Hannah's time will come soon.

Your time will come too, if you embrace our philosophy.

Learn craft.

Persevere.

Think positively.

Support others.

And dream.

All for One

2008-08-13T07:27:00.022-04:00

By Hannah Roveto

Amy MacKinnon spoke last night at her release party/first appearance/first reading of Tethered at Buttonwood Books. Friends from different points in her life were present: family, childhood, high school, college, neighborhood, and yes, from her literary career; many more who weren't able to be there in person were there in spirit. All the communities that have supported Amy through the years -- and that she has supported in turn -- were one as she stood alone, facing us.

Amy notes in her acknowledgments that writing is a solitary life, but that there are people who support a writer along the way without whom the final product would not exist. In her case, I don't believe that to be true, not completely.

Amy MacKinnon is fierce. She is gracious and intelligent and modest and devoted. And a force with which to be reckoned. Amy decides to do something and it happens. Not only that, but it happens the right way, because she will not not accept anything less. She asks questions, she involves people and makes them care, she finds out what is needed and pushes each venture forward. She makes people believe. Ask any of the people who were there last night.

Betsey Detwiler, owner of Buttonwood Books, told the crowd what a friend Amy has been to the bookstore -- a wonderful, welcoming, independent bookstore -- as did the store's events magician Totsie McGonagle. Authors -- teachers, cheerleaders, friends -- Hallie Ephron and Hank Phillippi Ryan of Jungle Red Writers drove down from Boston to share in the celebration. And as the crowd mingled later, a college friend spoke about how the roommmates in their house knew one of them would be famous some day -- and looking at Amy, she said not only is one on the way, but maybe more of them would still. Inspired, no doubt, by Amy.

Everyone there to see Amy at last in the full spotlight savored the moment when she stood alone before us. She believed she had a story to tell and found a way to tell it. She fought her way through a first chapter for six months. She found time in a crazy-busy life to get it all down, finish it, find an agent, revise it, work with a publisher, and now, to launch it into the world. The hard work is the part that is solitary, and Amy makes that happen. She has, she does, she will. Period. Everyone who knows Amy knows this moment, and every moment that is going to follow, is richly deserved.

Amy MacKinnon is fierce. She is many things to many people, and now she is a published author with a career ahead of her that will be long and sweet.

First Amazon Review

2008-08-12T17:10:00.003-04:00

Awww!

Launch Day

2008-08-12T07:09:00.004-04:00

By Amy MacKinnon

Thrilled.

Sanguine.

Ill.

Bewildered.

Bemused.

Hopeful.

Anxious.

Lost.

Found.

Touched.

Expectant.

Self-conscious.

Confident.

Exposed.

Terrified.

Calm.

Assertive.

Competitive.

Determined.

Grateful.

So very, very grateful to each of you, most especially, Lynne Griffin, Lisa Marnell, and Hannah Roveto, my rocks. Thank you, all.

Hope to see some of you at Buttonwood Books in Cohasset at 7:00 pm tonight for the launch!

Tomorrow ...

2008-08-11T06:00:00.000-04:00

Posted by Lisa Marnell

It's a Christmas Eve feeling today. Though tomorrow is August 12, not December 25th, I'm excited, a little nervous. Tomorrow Tethered will be in bookstores.

Tethered will be in bookstores! I read chapters from Amy's WIP so long ago. When I read the ending I sat on the bottom step of my old house in Massachusetts, cuddling with my dog, Maggie. I was en route to going to bed, but I had to read ONE MORE CHAPTER. Reading one more chapter turned into finishing the book. I loved the ending!

It's an Empty Nest feeling today. My friend's novel will be out in the world tomorrow. I'm melancholic, definitely. Times are changing for Amy, for our group. Though we are still determined to be writers, the stakes have changed and our own characters have developed in different ways. We aren't the wide-eyed wannabes we were three years ago; the writing world has its ups and downs.

Someday, I will walk into the Barnes & Noble near me, here in California, and I will see someone thumbing through the pages of Tethered. A part of me will be proud, no doubt. Yay, Amy! But is it odd that I will want to shut the book and tell them this is my friend's story? Is it insane I should want to whisper that a good, dear person I know struggled to write this gripping and touching tale and that looking at Amy's words is really none of her business? I know publishing is the goal in this business, but on some not altogether sane level, I want to buy every copy of Tethered, and keep it safe with me, I'll pile them in my study, if only for a few more days. I know readers will love this book; how could they not? The story promises such hope .

Making a Literary Life Friday: Kindness

2008-08-08T07:52:00.018-04:00

Believe in Karma? There just might be something to it. It's a wonderful thing to cast goodness into the world -- whether karma exists or not. We know just how wonderful our readers are, we hear from you all the time and trust you're doing your share to make this world a more gracious place -- but we'd love to hear what kindness someone has bestowed on your literary life.

Lisa Marnell
Almost two years ago, author Elin Hilderbrand (currently number four on the NYT bestselling paperbacks list with her novel, Barefoot, and also listed on the NYT hardcover books with A Summer Affair), offered to help me in my agent search for my first YA. Elin lives on Nantucket; her husband and my husband are best friends. Elin was busy with three kids, busy writing, having construction done on her house, but she graciously gave me her time. More than that, she gave me unbelievable positive encouragement. It meant the world to me!

Amy MacKinnon
Where to start? How about a lovely kindness from one Michael Kindness. He's a sales rep for Random House and yesterday, of his own free will, he toured me around area bookstores, introducing me to the staff. Now I'm a stay-at-home mom who seldom leaves the house, who gets lost driving to the next block, so to finally see these stores I've only heard of was magical. Porter Square Books, Brookline Booksmith, Newtonville Books among them. A lovely dream come true. At the end of it, he told me he would be discussing Tethered later today on his podcast today over at Books on the Nightstand. Thanks, Michael!

Then, a book I've longed to read appeared in my mailbox! Debutante Danielle Younge-Ullman sent me her amazing debut, Falling Under. It was clear from the first sentence that this is a powerful book. I can't wait to finish it. Thanks, Danielle!

Finally, a friend emailed to say an ad for Tethered is up at USA Today. Surreal. Thanks, Shawn!

Hannah Roveto
The greatest kindnesses on this literary journey thus far are from Amy, Lisa and Lynne. While I have been blessed with support from my parents, family and friends, they are the ones who assured me I could write a novel when journalism instead of fiction came out of my fingers, and then it seemed, the next time I sat down, I could indeed. And as we all know, the more we do it, the better it gets.

Lynne Griffin
The kindness and generosity extended to me by my husband and children tops my list. They ceaselessly give me time to write, believing my stories need to find their readers. Random acts of kindness have come to me in the form of feedback from my wonderful writers' group, in editorial guidance from my fantastic agent and editor, and most recently in the form of comments from authors and booksellers. Thank you, Jeanne Ray, Martha Moody, Pat Wood, Margot Livesay, Beth Simpson of Cornerstone Books, and Jess Foley of Barnes and Noble, Hingham. The fact that you took the time to read Life Without Summer and then comment so thoughtfully is deeply appreciated.

My Gorgeous Cover

2008-08-07T08:44:00.007-04:00

Posted by Lynne Griffin

My thanks go out to Executive Art Director, Michael Storrings for creating the perfect cover for Life Without Summer. And to my team at St. Martin's, please accept my gratitude for taking the time to get the cover just right.

A Group Grows Up

2008-08-06T07:52:00.002-04:00

by Hannah Roveto

What does a writers' group offer to writers who are not just starting out? How is someone who has a full WIP or even experience in the wild world of publishing supposed to use a writers' group?

A friend of mine with two books on shelves recently formed a group with two other published authors and even among the three of them, the questions arose: What do we need from each other? What are the rules and boundaries? One of the writers has a full manuscript and her first need is for a reading and critique, while my friend is in the development stages, turning a script she wrote into a novel. She asked for my thoughts, which was hugely flattering.

I outlined our group's process as established early on, noting that as we evolved, the rules have become somewhat flexible. We meet regularly, not necessarily every two weeks. We don't turn out pages "just because," and still keep the pressure on ourselves to push forward. We do read full manuscripts and here is our process for that:

* Readers follow a piece's progress in chunks. However, as we near the end (Amy or Lynne's brilliant idea) the author holds back the last three or so chapters and rewrites/completes the entire manuscript. The work is delivered as a fresh story with an ending the readers have never seen.

* A complete manuscript is usually the sole work reviewed in a meeting. Pages are delivered in advance, packaged in gray copy center boxes that to us signify excitement and accomplishment. We read and comment on the entire book, from threads to plausibility to line edits.

The value of those comments is in their service to the author, which is more significant than it sounds. As Lynne once wrote, honesty is in the details, but those details can only be processed by the author, something we all recognize fully. The author can feel free to use readers outside the group. And while the author considers any reader's critique as a flag marking something worth review, critique is recognized by the writer -- and the readers -- as opinion. Our role is to point out details that work and don't work, where the strengths are and where challenges might lie. We hope to help make the foundation strong; what the author does with our thoughts is her prerogative. We trust each other enough to know the advice is good, and we take what is needed as a gift, with deep appreciation.

In fact, The Writers Group members have never seen the final manuscripts delivered by our sisters-in-writing to an agent. (A draft once, but no finals.) We have seen only predecessors. What stayed and what went, what was deleted or added by the author -- and in turn, the agent and editor -- is a surprise. Really. And on that note, is everyone ready for a fabulous book being released on the twelfth called Tethered? I'm dying to read it!

Five Remembrances

2008-08-05T07:04:00.006-04:00

By Amy MacKinnon

I've written in this space before about the Five Remembrances of Buddha:

The Five Remembrances
1. I am of the nature to grow old. I cannot escape growing old.
2. I am of the nature to have ill-health. I cannot escape having ill-health.
3. I am of the nature to die. There is no way to escape death.
4. All that is dear to me and everyone I love are of the nature to change. There is no way to escape being separated from them.
5. I inherit the results of my actions in body, speech and mind. My actions are the ground on which I stand.

Though I'm not a person of faith, these aphorisms appeal to my sense of perspective on the world. To some, they may appear bleak. To me, they are a way of coping with the inevitable. Acceptance is a powerful thing.

How does it all apply to this writing life of ours? When we dream of the possibilites of having our words appear in print, we may include buckets of money, best-seller status, glowing reviews in the New York Times, scads of charming notes from readers, and, if we are so bold, a place on a certain talk show host's nightstand and then her bookclub.

And so you should dream. Dream beyond all reason, but be prepared to balance out the glory with the guts of this business. Prepare yourself so you don't succumb to either the glory or the guts of this business. Seek balance. Know that you're never as good as the sycophants claim, nor are you ever as dim as the critics proclaim.

As many wonderful experiences as I've had over the past ten months, and I know just how blessed I am, I am prepared for the downside of putting myself out there. One week before publication and already people are wondering about the details of my personal life, how they measure up to the trauma of my protagonist Clara Marsh. Others will criticize the writing, the subject matter, the overall quality. I am now fair game. For someone who's spent most of her life hiding among the shadows, I expect some days the naysayers will engulf me. This is the price we pay.

So here are my Five Remembrances for Publication

1) I am of the nature to become irrelevant. I cannot escape being irrelevant.
2) I am in the business of being harshly critiqued. I will be cruelly critiqued.
3) I am of the nature to fail miserably. There will be times when I will fail.
4) My words are of the nature to be misinterpreted by those who cannot understand their intent. There is no way to prevent this.
5) I inherit the results of my actions in body, speech and mind. My actions are the ground on which I stand.

You'll notice I didn't change a word of the fifth one. No need. From this point forth, that's all I can control.

------

A big thank you to blog friend and dear, dear reader Larramie. Your post on Tethered is the most magnificent review a writer could ever dream of. I count it among the dearest gifts I've yet received.

Happy launch day, Kristy Kiernan! You know her as the author of Catching Genius, but her second novel, Matters of Faith, is out today and you will love it. It's already an IndieBound pick for September. If you haven't pre-ordered it, I urge you to run out to your local indepedent bookstore today and grab one for yourself and another for your best friend.

The Hot Seat

2008-08-04T06:00:00.003-04:00

Posted by Lisa Marnell

According to Donald Maas …

“If there is one single principal that is central to making any story more powerful, it is simply this: Raise the stakes.”

Donald Maas is a literary agent, president of Donald Maas Literary in NYC. In his book, Writing a Breakout Novel, he goes on to suggest that many writers cannot answer that question of what will happen to the protagonist if he doesn’t reach his goal. Too often, he reports, writers sit dumbfounded; we love our characters and we simply HATE to see bad things happen to them. Not good. Stakes aren’t high enough.

Look at Harry Potter. (Oh, how I loved that series). And think about the stakes, the personal stakes to Harry. Voldemort killed his parents, brutally, and tried to kill Harry as well; he was just a baby! Now, Harry has discovered he is a wizard – how cool is that – and he has this wonderful new life in front of him, away from those dreadful Dursleys. Harry has so much more to fight for now. He has friends now, a muggle-friend no less, Hermione would be first on Voldemort’s list. The stakes are high. Back comes Voldemort into Harry's life.

In his chapter on plot, Donald Maas holds that we, as writers …”must be willing to push characters into situations that you would never go near in your own life.”

I’m afraid I’m too nice, and frankly, I don’t like where I’ve put my protagonist. Chapter 18 gives me a downright icky feeling. But, I tell you, she's staying put! One of our writer’s group members once said something wise. In fact, she’s said many wise things, but one sticks with me and gives me comfort. I paraphrase her words but the gist was this: “It shouldn’t bother us when our characters find themselves in an awful situation because we, as writers, are the ones to help them out of said situation.”

I do love a book with high stakes. So, I’ll keep putting my fiction friends into that mess. I must; I want to write fiction.