This post will likely have nothing to do with writing. It's about shopping, which I suppose is appropriate for this time of year and totally in character for an author of chick lit, even if it is chick lit with magic in it.
I spent a good part of yesterday shopping. I needed to find a birthday present for my mom, and I was looking for something to wear during my New York trip when I meet with my editor and agent. Yeah, they've both met me, they both know what I look like, but I still would like to maintain a certain image when I enter the hallowed halls of Random House.
I tend to do most of my clothing shopping at Ann Taylor Loft. Their clothes are generally reasonably priced, they usually have good sales, the clothing fits my personal style and it fits me.
Or, it did. They recently seem to have done the size inflation thing, where suddenly you wear a size smaller, without any diet or exercise. That's great. I'm as susceptible to being flattered and excited when the next smaller size fits perfectly as the next woman is. There's just one problem: they don't seem to have adjusted the number of items in each size that they stock accordingly. I wear a size that's a little smaller than average, but with the size inflation thing, I'm now in a size they don't usually stock in all items. They might get in one or two pieces in that size, which one clerk told me are gone as soon as they go on display.
Ann had taunted me with the advertising mailer she sent me, showing all the really cute winter clothes. I had my outfit planned. A couple of those pieces were just what I needed to fit in with clothes I already had and update those older pieces. But some of those items weren't actually in stock in either of the two stores I visited, and what they did have wasn't in my size.
So I visited the store's web site. They have a nifty feature where if you find an item you like, it will search to see which store near you has it in stock in your size. It turns out that one of the items I wanted isn't actually being sold in stores. It's only available online. Now, I know that some people are really into online shopping, but I can't do it for clothes. I already have about half a dozen sizes in my closet from the same store, and they all fit me about the same. I wear one size for pants, another size for skirts, depending on the cut. Another size for dresses, another size for a woven top, another size for knit tops that are relatively low-cut. But at least I'd figured out generally what size I'd wear in each kind of thing. Now they've monkeyed around with the sizing, so I'd have no idea what size to order online. To make things even more fun, the sizing guide they have online to help you order has no relationship with reality. Just for fun, I took my measurements. According to their size guide, I should be wearing two to three sizes larger than all of the items in my closet. Yesterday I tried things on that were one to two sizes smaller than the sizes they'd recommended, and the things that were one size smaller than recommended hung off me, while the things two sizes smaller fit pretty well.
In order to find clothes that fit and look good, I generally have to take two or three different sizes into the dressing room. Then I can tell which one fits best, and I can also see how the fabric drapes, whether or not the fabric is itchy (I have problems with some wools), whether the color is good on me. Ordering online, I can only get one size (unless I want to pay for two items and then try to return the one that doesn't fit). If it's something I want to wear to a particular event (like, say, on a trip to New York), I'd have to hope it fit because there wouldn't be time to return it and get another size, unless I started online shopping weeks before the event.
So I'm distressed in multiple ways -- they've changed the sizes around, they aren't adjusting the quantities in stores, they're going more and more to "only available online."
And that's not even getting into the lifestyle envy. They had some seriously cute party clothes (I'm not sure if they had them in my size), for the kinds of parties I won't be attending because nobody throws dressy parties these days (at least, not in my social circle). The only formal office holiday party I've ever been to was a "flashback prom," so I wore a dress from a college formal circa 1988 (there was a lot of chiffon involved). My friends tend to have parties where a sweater and slacks might be overdressing.
But on the bright side, I did find my book reward black dressy boots as I was traveling between malls. The heels weren't as high as I'd originally planned, but they're still a spiky heel and very comfortable. I also saw my book in a used bookstore for the first time. I was tempted to buy it because I'm going to need more copies for contest entries and it was in good condition, plus that takes a used copy out of circulation, but then I remembered the number of authors I've discovered because I found a copy of their book in a used bookstore and then got so hooked I bought everything else they wrote new. That book is an advertising tool for the next book, so I left it there.
Back to the Ann Taylor Loft issue ... I fired off a polite but strongly worded e-mail. We'll see what response I get.
And I really don't think that starting a major crusade against a retail chain is a form of procrastination. Really. I haven't at all spent valuable writing time trying to determine from the web site what clothes they might actually have stocked in any stores anywhere near me.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Monday, November 21, 2005
Drama!!! (Not)
I think I'm having a drama queen phase. You know all that "I'm going to break the rules!" stuff about going back and rewriting even in the middle of a first draft?
It turned out to involve one chapter.
I added two incidents to chapter five. They really improved chapter five, and I think they establish some clues or hints to something that happens later in the book, so it was worthwhile, but it was hardly worth all the accompanying drama.
Now I can pick up where I left off, early in chapter seven, since chapter six is the one that has to be entirely rewritten with location research.
One other thing I often struggle with (aside from the dramatics) is naming characters. I think in a way it must be harder than naming kids because you've got this pre-existing personality and you have to find the perfect name to fit or convey that (or if you're being funny, contradict it), without going too over the top with it, like Dickens sometimes did and JK Rowling sometimes does (though they are writing a bit larger than life, and it may be a British thing that a character with a big belly has to be named Mr. Fatmiddle).
My problem now is that most of my cast of recurring characters already has names. Those names have appeared in a printed book, so I can't decide now that I'm not so sure that's the perfect name for that supporting character whose personality is just now starting to take shape. You may also have noticed that a lot of my supporting cast doesn't have last names. Part of that is because last names can be hard to come up with (for me, at least), and part of it is because I try to work in names in a natural way that flows with the way people talk and think. The characters who have last names generally are those who've been formally introduced to my narrator character, but her best friends don't have last names because, seriously, how often do you think about your best friends' last names (unless you call them by their last names)? You're more likely to think or say, "I'm going shopping with my friend Mary," than "I'm going shopping with my friend Mary Smith."
But now in the third book, I'm having to give some of these people last names, since they are in situations where more formal introductions to other characters might be required. I have a couple of characters who were only mentioned by first names in book two who will now appear in book three, and I needed to give them a last name (they're a married couple). I flipped through my baby name book, looking for first names that are derived from surnames, which is a good source for aristocratic-sounding surnames, and I needed something aristocratic-sounding. I found one where the name description even mentioned it was associated with nobility. Great! I didn't even try to match the first names to the last name to see how it sounded, because in the context I was using it at the time, someone was referring to the couple as a unit by the last name. It was only later, when I had to use that last name with the first names, that it sounded kind of familiar. A quick Internet search revealed that there is a real person with the same name as one of those characters, a minor celebrity associated with a royal scandal. Oops. Now those characters have a different last name. I'd probably better Google the new names, just in case.
In other news, a British newspaper did a list of the Top 20 Geek Novels of All Time. I think I've read about eight of them, thanks to years in a science fiction book group. I say "think" and "about" because I'm not sure if I've read the particular Asimov books in question. I know I read a number of his in the book group, but (potential blasphemy alert ahead) they all tend to blur together for me. There's nothing distinctive about any particular Asimov novel that makes it stand out in my brain. I think it's because he tends to write "idea" books, while it's characters who stand out for me to set books apart. His characters (to me, at least) are kind of bland and exist mostly as mouthpieces to express his ideas.
If you don't hear from me tomorrow, you'll know that the Geek Police have raided my home and sent me for re-education.
It turned out to involve one chapter.
I added two incidents to chapter five. They really improved chapter five, and I think they establish some clues or hints to something that happens later in the book, so it was worthwhile, but it was hardly worth all the accompanying drama.
Now I can pick up where I left off, early in chapter seven, since chapter six is the one that has to be entirely rewritten with location research.
One other thing I often struggle with (aside from the dramatics) is naming characters. I think in a way it must be harder than naming kids because you've got this pre-existing personality and you have to find the perfect name to fit or convey that (or if you're being funny, contradict it), without going too over the top with it, like Dickens sometimes did and JK Rowling sometimes does (though they are writing a bit larger than life, and it may be a British thing that a character with a big belly has to be named Mr. Fatmiddle).
My problem now is that most of my cast of recurring characters already has names. Those names have appeared in a printed book, so I can't decide now that I'm not so sure that's the perfect name for that supporting character whose personality is just now starting to take shape. You may also have noticed that a lot of my supporting cast doesn't have last names. Part of that is because last names can be hard to come up with (for me, at least), and part of it is because I try to work in names in a natural way that flows with the way people talk and think. The characters who have last names generally are those who've been formally introduced to my narrator character, but her best friends don't have last names because, seriously, how often do you think about your best friends' last names (unless you call them by their last names)? You're more likely to think or say, "I'm going shopping with my friend Mary," than "I'm going shopping with my friend Mary Smith."
But now in the third book, I'm having to give some of these people last names, since they are in situations where more formal introductions to other characters might be required. I have a couple of characters who were only mentioned by first names in book two who will now appear in book three, and I needed to give them a last name (they're a married couple). I flipped through my baby name book, looking for first names that are derived from surnames, which is a good source for aristocratic-sounding surnames, and I needed something aristocratic-sounding. I found one where the name description even mentioned it was associated with nobility. Great! I didn't even try to match the first names to the last name to see how it sounded, because in the context I was using it at the time, someone was referring to the couple as a unit by the last name. It was only later, when I had to use that last name with the first names, that it sounded kind of familiar. A quick Internet search revealed that there is a real person with the same name as one of those characters, a minor celebrity associated with a royal scandal. Oops. Now those characters have a different last name. I'd probably better Google the new names, just in case.
In other news, a British newspaper did a list of the Top 20 Geek Novels of All Time. I think I've read about eight of them, thanks to years in a science fiction book group. I say "think" and "about" because I'm not sure if I've read the particular Asimov books in question. I know I read a number of his in the book group, but (potential blasphemy alert ahead) they all tend to blur together for me. There's nothing distinctive about any particular Asimov novel that makes it stand out in my brain. I think it's because he tends to write "idea" books, while it's characters who stand out for me to set books apart. His characters (to me, at least) are kind of bland and exist mostly as mouthpieces to express his ideas.
If you don't hear from me tomorrow, you'll know that the Geek Police have raided my home and sent me for re-education.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Breaking the Rules
A lot of writers and other creative types are rebels. They live to push the envelope and break the rules, to shake things up and make people question their values. I am not one of those writers. I'm afraid I'm the quintessential good girl. I live for the rules and tend to abide by them religiously (I don't even break the speed limit, much), even when it's an arbitrary rule I made for myself whose time has gone. I get all shaky and sick-feeling at the thought of disobeying it.
Way back when I first started playing around at writing when I was in junior high school, I started a bad habit. I'd get an idea for a story, write a chapter of the book, then rewrite it, rewrite it, rewrite it, then get another idea that was more interesting (or that "starred" my newest television star/character crush) and repeat the same process. By the time I graduated from college, still with the idea that I really wanted to be a novelist when I grew up, I had dozens of single chapters, a few "books" that went all the way to two or three chapters, several plot outlines and no completed manuscripts. It was nearly two years after I graduated from college before I wrote an entire book, and I did it because I instituted the Finish The Book rule.
I wasn't allowed to go back and tinker. I had to plow on and write the whole book before I started rewriting parts of it. The idea was that if I did that, then at least I'd have a finished book, which meant I'd have something I could consider submitting. It did work. It more or less cured me of having a lot of incomplete books lying around. But by now I think the rule has outlived its original purpose. I've had six books published, with one more completed and ready for publication. Then there are about four more complete novels I've written that, for various reasons, may not see the light of day in their present form.
But I still get all shaky and feel guilty when I start thinking about breaking this rule. It doesn't help that we're in the middle of National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNo), which is another one of those Finish the Book things, designed to encourage people to just write straight through to get a draft done so they can finish the book. I think, though, that it's in the best interest of the current project to break the rule.
That's because my subconscious is channeling my agent and editor. After I write a chapter, my brain starts playing with it as I fall asleep that night, and I start to realize what that chapter needs to take it to the next level and make it really come to life. I've been resisting because of the Finish the Book rule. I should plow on, I tell myself, and fix that in revisions. Finally, logic prevailed. For one thing, I HAVE to finish the book because it's already been sold. I would lose a lot of money if I didn't finish it. For another, all the publisher cares about is if it's turned in on time and is good enough to publish. They don't know or care whether I wrote a draft straight through or if I polished it along the way. It won't even make a big difference in when I finish the book. Either I make these revisions now or I make them later. The big final reason is that I know how much my writing tends to build upon itself. Something I change in an earlier chapter could end up giving me a new idea that spurs something in the book to take off in an entirely different direction.
So, I may not make my arbitrary "finish chapter X by X date" goal, but when I turn this book over to my agent after the holidays, I hope it will be a better book because I broke the rule. That means instead of plunging ahead in chapter seven, I will be working on chapter five because I got a GREAT idea that I can't wait to write.
But first I have to see the new Harry Potter movie (yes, I have my priorities). I'm a little disappointed because my neighborhood movie theater closed (again) last week, and I'd been so looking forward to one of my hike-up-the-hill adventures. For some odd reason, I enjoy something more if I walk to get there. Instead, I'll have to face the mall theater, which is dangerous because that's also where they keep the Ann Taylor Loft. It also means I have to drive, which isn't nearly as much fun as walking.
Way back when I first started playing around at writing when I was in junior high school, I started a bad habit. I'd get an idea for a story, write a chapter of the book, then rewrite it, rewrite it, rewrite it, then get another idea that was more interesting (or that "starred" my newest television star/character crush) and repeat the same process. By the time I graduated from college, still with the idea that I really wanted to be a novelist when I grew up, I had dozens of single chapters, a few "books" that went all the way to two or three chapters, several plot outlines and no completed manuscripts. It was nearly two years after I graduated from college before I wrote an entire book, and I did it because I instituted the Finish The Book rule.
I wasn't allowed to go back and tinker. I had to plow on and write the whole book before I started rewriting parts of it. The idea was that if I did that, then at least I'd have a finished book, which meant I'd have something I could consider submitting. It did work. It more or less cured me of having a lot of incomplete books lying around. But by now I think the rule has outlived its original purpose. I've had six books published, with one more completed and ready for publication. Then there are about four more complete novels I've written that, for various reasons, may not see the light of day in their present form.
But I still get all shaky and feel guilty when I start thinking about breaking this rule. It doesn't help that we're in the middle of National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNo), which is another one of those Finish the Book things, designed to encourage people to just write straight through to get a draft done so they can finish the book. I think, though, that it's in the best interest of the current project to break the rule.
That's because my subconscious is channeling my agent and editor. After I write a chapter, my brain starts playing with it as I fall asleep that night, and I start to realize what that chapter needs to take it to the next level and make it really come to life. I've been resisting because of the Finish the Book rule. I should plow on, I tell myself, and fix that in revisions. Finally, logic prevailed. For one thing, I HAVE to finish the book because it's already been sold. I would lose a lot of money if I didn't finish it. For another, all the publisher cares about is if it's turned in on time and is good enough to publish. They don't know or care whether I wrote a draft straight through or if I polished it along the way. It won't even make a big difference in when I finish the book. Either I make these revisions now or I make them later. The big final reason is that I know how much my writing tends to build upon itself. Something I change in an earlier chapter could end up giving me a new idea that spurs something in the book to take off in an entirely different direction.
So, I may not make my arbitrary "finish chapter X by X date" goal, but when I turn this book over to my agent after the holidays, I hope it will be a better book because I broke the rule. That means instead of plunging ahead in chapter seven, I will be working on chapter five because I got a GREAT idea that I can't wait to write.
But first I have to see the new Harry Potter movie (yes, I have my priorities). I'm a little disappointed because my neighborhood movie theater closed (again) last week, and I'd been so looking forward to one of my hike-up-the-hill adventures. For some odd reason, I enjoy something more if I walk to get there. Instead, I'll have to face the mall theater, which is dangerous because that's also where they keep the Ann Taylor Loft. It also means I have to drive, which isn't nearly as much fun as walking.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
The Chapter From HELL
Welcome to Texas, the home of whiplash weather. I'm used to rapid changes, but this week was ridiculous. I went from one night needing the ceiling fan to sleep comfortably to needing the electric blanket the next night. Monday was short-sleeve weather, and last night I had to wear my heavy winter coat to go out (I might have needed it Tuesday night, but I didn't go out then). I can handle a gentle summer, autumn, winter transition, but going straight from summer to winter can be hard to adjust to. What's funny is I spent yesterday shivering, bundled up and drinking hot tea while writing about a cold winter day in New York, then was chatting with my publicist at Ballantine, and she said it was 70 degrees in New York. Yep, the Texas weather provided me more of the proper atmosphere for writing winter in New York than the real New York weather would have.
Speaking of writing that winter in New York stuff ... I've realized that this chapter six is just going to have to go down in history as the chapter from hell. First there was all that location stuff I won't be able to write until after my trip next month. Then I realized once I started looking at it in order to write my "location stuff goes here" note that I'd forgotten a fairly important scene at the beginning of the chapter that had nothing to do with the location. I got that written, put in my placeholder note, then wrote the end of that chapter and the beginning of the next chapter and felt like I was moving on. But then last night just as I was falling asleep I realized that even the stuff I'd written for that chapter needed to be completely changed because I wanted to take a totally different approach to the way things were going with the characters. I don't want to go and rewrite what I have written, since I already know I'm going to have to completely rewrite it soon anyway. Instead, I'm just going to write a long note to myself about how I want things to go when I know enough about what events I want to have happen in this section. Mom, are you still sure you want to read this draft? It's going to be really, really drafty (as in with holes in it that the wind blows through). I also came up with a fun little comic riff that can go in the rewritten scene, but then had a moment of panic when I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't remember it. Fortunately, it came back to me when I woke up this morning.
Now I have to go to the dentist (fun), but first, we've got another Out of the Blogosphere entry, "White Heat," by Leigh Wyndfield, in the Secrets, Volume 12 anthology. Raine has spent the last few years avenging her murdered team, but the cost has been high. She’s hiding in an icehouse in the middle of nowhere from one of the scariest men in the universe. Walker escapes from a burning prison, staggering to safety. Imagine their surprise when they find out they have the same man to blame for their miseries. For more info, visit Leigh's web site.
Oh, and I got the Dutch copies of my book yesterday. Very cool. Unfortunately, the UPS guy showed up when I was in the middle of a thought, and I couldn't retrieve it once I finished admiring the books. Ah, the woes of the creative life.
Speaking of writing that winter in New York stuff ... I've realized that this chapter six is just going to have to go down in history as the chapter from hell. First there was all that location stuff I won't be able to write until after my trip next month. Then I realized once I started looking at it in order to write my "location stuff goes here" note that I'd forgotten a fairly important scene at the beginning of the chapter that had nothing to do with the location. I got that written, put in my placeholder note, then wrote the end of that chapter and the beginning of the next chapter and felt like I was moving on. But then last night just as I was falling asleep I realized that even the stuff I'd written for that chapter needed to be completely changed because I wanted to take a totally different approach to the way things were going with the characters. I don't want to go and rewrite what I have written, since I already know I'm going to have to completely rewrite it soon anyway. Instead, I'm just going to write a long note to myself about how I want things to go when I know enough about what events I want to have happen in this section. Mom, are you still sure you want to read this draft? It's going to be really, really drafty (as in with holes in it that the wind blows through). I also came up with a fun little comic riff that can go in the rewritten scene, but then had a moment of panic when I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't remember it. Fortunately, it came back to me when I woke up this morning.
Now I have to go to the dentist (fun), but first, we've got another Out of the Blogosphere entry, "White Heat," by Leigh Wyndfield, in the Secrets, Volume 12 anthology. Raine has spent the last few years avenging her murdered team, but the cost has been high. She’s hiding in an icehouse in the middle of nowhere from one of the scariest men in the universe. Walker escapes from a burning prison, staggering to safety. Imagine their surprise when they find out they have the same man to blame for their miseries. For more info, visit Leigh's web site.
Oh, and I got the Dutch copies of my book yesterday. Very cool. Unfortunately, the UPS guy showed up when I was in the middle of a thought, and I couldn't retrieve it once I finished admiring the books. Ah, the woes of the creative life.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
The Terrible, Wonderful Internet
I have come to the conclusion that the Internet is like fire in that it can be either a blessing or a curse. Fire gives us warmth, heats our food and toasts our marshmallows, but it can also be destructive and deadly. The Internet gives us information and communication, but it can also suck us into its seductive depths and eat up all our time.
The way I got so much written Monday was by turning off the DSL modem. I've developed a bad habit of instinctively checking e-mail every time I get the least bit stuck on something I'm writing. Then I have to respond to e-mail, and then while I'm waiting for a response to my response I figure I might as well surf around to a few of the sites I like to keep track of. Next thing you know, half an hour or more has gone by. The pattern becomes: write a paragraph. Ponder what the next paragraph should say. Check e-mail. Respond to e-mail. Check Live Journal Friends list. Check various other sites. Check e-mail. Lather, rinse, repeat. In a surge of guilt, write another paragraph. Repeat entire process. It's amazing how much more I get done when I force myself to just keep going when I feel a little stuck, when I don't have easy access to my e-mail (the Internet gateway drug).
I can't entirely blame the Internet for my somewhat reduced productivity yesterday. I probably didn't get as much written as I should have, but without the Internet I probably would have written next to nothing. I've reached a part in the book where location research becomes important. It's a "Christmastime in New York" sequence, and that's why I'm going to New York in December, to get a feel for it. I know the city well enough to write just about anything else, but I've never been there for Christmas. I know I'll have to rewrite this chapter once I've been there, but I didn't feel I knew even enough to have a rough outline of what might happen, nor did I know enough to plan what I need to research while I'm there. Back in the Dark Ages, that would have meant I probably would have had to drop everything and go to the library, search through the Readers Guide to see if any magazines had articles about Christmas in New York, and then hope the library had those particular issues handy (microfilm might have been involved). Today, a quick Google search brought me a map of the best window displays, lists of events and even some attractions I'd never heard of before.
But, of course, it's easy to get sidetracked. I went from getting a rough feel of some events I might include to planning my own trip. Then there was e-mail checking while I had the modem up, and then the usual surfing. And there went the afternoon.
My other problem is that I'm still not entirely sure what will happen, and I know that being there will spark all sorts of ideas, some of them the kind of thing that's not in any guide or magazine article. Some of these ideas may even affect my story. I know where this sequence is heading, but getting there I was meandering and hating it. Thus the procrastination. I've now decided that there's no point in writing this sequence at all. I should just put in "holiday sequence goes here," then skip to the part I know I need to get to in order to hit my major plot point and move on, adjust my target page/word count expectations accordingly, then write the chapter itself when I get back from New York while I'm doing revisions on the entire book.
That makes me feel much, much better. It also means I should get through this chapter pretty quickly (on this draft, at least).
The way I got so much written Monday was by turning off the DSL modem. I've developed a bad habit of instinctively checking e-mail every time I get the least bit stuck on something I'm writing. Then I have to respond to e-mail, and then while I'm waiting for a response to my response I figure I might as well surf around to a few of the sites I like to keep track of. Next thing you know, half an hour or more has gone by. The pattern becomes: write a paragraph. Ponder what the next paragraph should say. Check e-mail. Respond to e-mail. Check Live Journal Friends list. Check various other sites. Check e-mail. Lather, rinse, repeat. In a surge of guilt, write another paragraph. Repeat entire process. It's amazing how much more I get done when I force myself to just keep going when I feel a little stuck, when I don't have easy access to my e-mail (the Internet gateway drug).
I can't entirely blame the Internet for my somewhat reduced productivity yesterday. I probably didn't get as much written as I should have, but without the Internet I probably would have written next to nothing. I've reached a part in the book where location research becomes important. It's a "Christmastime in New York" sequence, and that's why I'm going to New York in December, to get a feel for it. I know the city well enough to write just about anything else, but I've never been there for Christmas. I know I'll have to rewrite this chapter once I've been there, but I didn't feel I knew even enough to have a rough outline of what might happen, nor did I know enough to plan what I need to research while I'm there. Back in the Dark Ages, that would have meant I probably would have had to drop everything and go to the library, search through the Readers Guide to see if any magazines had articles about Christmas in New York, and then hope the library had those particular issues handy (microfilm might have been involved). Today, a quick Google search brought me a map of the best window displays, lists of events and even some attractions I'd never heard of before.
But, of course, it's easy to get sidetracked. I went from getting a rough feel of some events I might include to planning my own trip. Then there was e-mail checking while I had the modem up, and then the usual surfing. And there went the afternoon.
My other problem is that I'm still not entirely sure what will happen, and I know that being there will spark all sorts of ideas, some of them the kind of thing that's not in any guide or magazine article. Some of these ideas may even affect my story. I know where this sequence is heading, but getting there I was meandering and hating it. Thus the procrastination. I've now decided that there's no point in writing this sequence at all. I should just put in "holiday sequence goes here," then skip to the part I know I need to get to in order to hit my major plot point and move on, adjust my target page/word count expectations accordingly, then write the chapter itself when I get back from New York while I'm doing revisions on the entire book.
That makes me feel much, much better. It also means I should get through this chapter pretty quickly (on this draft, at least).
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Yay, Me!
I was sooooo good yesterday. When I stop slacking, I really stop slacking. I got large portions of my living room tidied. I got my grocery shopping done. I was even ready to write early -- but then as I was making tea in preparation for writing, I realized I couldn't remember putting away certain grocery items I knew I'd bought. I double checked the refrigerator, then went back out to the car to make sure I hadn't left them in there. I ended up putting the tea in a thermos and heading back to the store. Sure enough, the bag with those items was still there. After rewinding the event in my head, I think I know what happened. There was only one lane open, the express lane, so I had grocery guilt for checking out with my reasonably full cart, even though that was the only option. The person in line behind me had something like two items. After the checker finished bagging my groceries, he turned to check out the next person instead of putting my bags in my cart (like they usually do in that store). I put my bags in my cart myself, getting all that were there, then when I turned to make sure I had all my bags, there was one more bag sitting there. I thought it was the next person's bag, since she was already paying. It turns out it was my bag, and the checker must have moved it up from the little bag rack below the counter while I was putting the other bags in my cart. I know he saw me looking at it, so I don't know why he didn't say anything and let me walk out without it. Grrr. It's only a couple of miles to the store, but still, it takes at least fifteen minutes to get there and back.
So, I ended up being later than I planned to get to work, but that didn't matter because I finished chapter four and chapter five. It was more than 6,000 words, about 25 pages. I'm now approximately one-quarter through with the book (though I suspect this one will run slightly longer than my usual 100,000 word target).
But the really good thing (sort of) is that I now know I'm definitely in writing mode with my brain in the book because I can't get to sleep. The moment my eyes close, my brain kicks into gear, revising the parts I've just written (the subconscious is great about coming up with ways to enhance existing scenes) and playing out the parts in the story that come next. It took me about two hours after I got to bed before I was finally able to sleep, and even then I kept waking up and having a hard time getting back to sleep again. That's part of why I tend to write so fast when I'm really into a book. I'm so desperate for a good night's sleep, and the only way to get it is to finish the book.
I don't think I got my thirty minutes of exercise yesterday, though I did do some exercises with wrist weights and some crunches while my spaghetti sauce was simmering (yes, I even cooked!).
Now that I know what happens next and have rehearsed it in my head (repeatedly), I may even get to work right after lunch instead of goofing around until my usual three o'clock start time.
So, I ended up being later than I planned to get to work, but that didn't matter because I finished chapter four and chapter five. It was more than 6,000 words, about 25 pages. I'm now approximately one-quarter through with the book (though I suspect this one will run slightly longer than my usual 100,000 word target).
But the really good thing (sort of) is that I now know I'm definitely in writing mode with my brain in the book because I can't get to sleep. The moment my eyes close, my brain kicks into gear, revising the parts I've just written (the subconscious is great about coming up with ways to enhance existing scenes) and playing out the parts in the story that come next. It took me about two hours after I got to bed before I was finally able to sleep, and even then I kept waking up and having a hard time getting back to sleep again. That's part of why I tend to write so fast when I'm really into a book. I'm so desperate for a good night's sleep, and the only way to get it is to finish the book.
I don't think I got my thirty minutes of exercise yesterday, though I did do some exercises with wrist weights and some crunches while my spaghetti sauce was simmering (yes, I even cooked!).
Now that I know what happens next and have rehearsed it in my head (repeatedly), I may even get to work right after lunch instead of goofing around until my usual three o'clock start time.
Monday, November 14, 2005
Diligence and Determination
After being the worst kind of slacker last week, I am determined that this week will be different. I have events for the next few chapters outlined, so I don't have the "I don't know what happens next" excuse. I have a schedule set up. I even have a rewards system in place.
And, as usual, when I start getting one part of my life in order, other things also fall into place. I was pretty good about the exercise last week, and I hope to keep that up. Over the weekend, I also started getting on the housekeeping.
My main problem is that I tend to be very all-or-nothing about way too many things. If I'm working on a book, then that's all I do, even if I'm not really doing all that much. I hesitate to start cleaning the house unless I have time to clean the whole house thoroughly. Often, my attempts at cleaning house end up with the house even messier than before because I've taken stuff out to sort through and "organize" and then I lose interest midway through, so in addition to the usual clutter, I have all the stuff I was supposedly organizing. That explains the condition of my office. I'm dealing with the remnants of too many cleaning false-starts.
Now I'm trying to set small goals, just one little corner of the house that I will get in shape before I move on. I figure that five minutes here and there will eventually add up.
As for the writing, I went to bed freakishly early (for me) last night, which meant I got up relatively early (for me) this morning, so I have a bit of a jump start on the day. I've already done my usual goofing off stuff, so now there's nothing more for me to do but write. Well, other than go to the grocery store.
We'll see how long this lasts. Maybe if I'm public about my goals, I can get people to hold me accountable (Mom, this is not directed at you. I've already received that message, loud and clear.).
In other news, we may be getting fall weather later this week! I keep thinking that people are really rushing all the Thanksgiving and Christmas stuff (I got my first Christmas party invitation over the weekend), but then I look at the calendar and see that Thanksgiving is next week. It just doesn't feel like it when it's hot and sunny outside. Even in Texas, I should be wearing sweaters at this time of the year, not shorts and sleeveless tops. That makes it very hard to write a book set around Christmastime.
And, as usual, when I start getting one part of my life in order, other things also fall into place. I was pretty good about the exercise last week, and I hope to keep that up. Over the weekend, I also started getting on the housekeeping.
My main problem is that I tend to be very all-or-nothing about way too many things. If I'm working on a book, then that's all I do, even if I'm not really doing all that much. I hesitate to start cleaning the house unless I have time to clean the whole house thoroughly. Often, my attempts at cleaning house end up with the house even messier than before because I've taken stuff out to sort through and "organize" and then I lose interest midway through, so in addition to the usual clutter, I have all the stuff I was supposedly organizing. That explains the condition of my office. I'm dealing with the remnants of too many cleaning false-starts.
Now I'm trying to set small goals, just one little corner of the house that I will get in shape before I move on. I figure that five minutes here and there will eventually add up.
As for the writing, I went to bed freakishly early (for me) last night, which meant I got up relatively early (for me) this morning, so I have a bit of a jump start on the day. I've already done my usual goofing off stuff, so now there's nothing more for me to do but write. Well, other than go to the grocery store.
We'll see how long this lasts. Maybe if I'm public about my goals, I can get people to hold me accountable (Mom, this is not directed at you. I've already received that message, loud and clear.).
In other news, we may be getting fall weather later this week! I keep thinking that people are really rushing all the Thanksgiving and Christmas stuff (I got my first Christmas party invitation over the weekend), but then I look at the calendar and see that Thanksgiving is next week. It just doesn't feel like it when it's hot and sunny outside. Even in Texas, I should be wearing sweaters at this time of the year, not shorts and sleeveless tops. That makes it very hard to write a book set around Christmastime.
Friday, November 11, 2005
Wasted Day
I'm proud to report that I seem to have accomplished absolutely nothing yesterday. I managed to completely lose a day. I spent most of the day dreading some errands I needed to run and procrastinating until I finally forced myself out of the house, and then it was time to get ready to go to the Fictionista chick lit event. Fortunately, I've just discovered that the post office is closed for Veterans Day today instead of on Monday like I expected, so that means I don't have to run errands today and I can force myself to sit here and work.
When it comes to going out, I have a bad habit of finding an outfit I like and practically making it a uniform that I wear whenever I go out, as long as it's not to an event with the same people. This year's uniform was inspired by the scarf I bought to wear to the Serenity premiere. I have a royal blue lightweight sweater that I wear with the scarf and my dark long jeans. I do vary the footwear according to the occasion. I've already worn this outfit to two birthday parties (once with neutral "leather-colored" boots, once with black ankle boots) and then again last night with the Infamous Red Stilettos. I may have a couple more constituencies I can wear this outfit around before I have to come up with a new uniform.
It was my first time wearing the Infamous Red Stilettos since the premiere, and it seems that the Very Long Night of the Red Shoes may have made them mold better to my feet, so they were much more comfortable than I remembered. That turned out to be a good thing because I had a little adventure getting to the Hard Rock Cafe (somehow, just about everything I try to do here lately has turned into a minor adventure -- it never goes smooth). Because parking can be problematic in that part of town, my grand plan was to park in the parking garage at the West Village, then take the trolley down to the Hard Rock. Unfortunately, I just missed the trolley heading in the right direction, and the next one was just coming up to make the turnaround and the loop, so it wouldn't be heading in the right direction for another twenty minutes or so. I was already running late, thanks to a traffic jam that doubled my usual travel time. I'd also left slightly later than I'd planned, since I got sidetracked watching a show about great floods on the History Channel (I still don't have that "psyche yourself up for going out" thing figured out). I figured that the Hard Rock wasn't that far away, so I could walk it. It wasn't a bad walk because it was a nice night and a lot of the bars and restaurants had live bands on their sidewalk cafes as I passed. I'd just miscalculated how far away it was by about three blocks (so it's probably a good thing I didn't try to drive directly there -- I'd have never found it). The good thing was, the next trolley didn't pass me by as I was walking. That's my pet peeve, to decide to walk rather than waiting, and then having the bus or trolley that I didn't want to wait for end up passing me by, so that I would have reached my destination sooner if I'd just waited.
It turns out those shoes aren't so bad for walking. It's standing where they become a problem. I was more sore from waiting about ten minutes for the trolley to take me back to my car than from walking the whole way, I think (though the walk may have intensified the standing soreness). I popped in at the Uptown Borders, where I had my first booksigning, to see if my book was still there. They do still have autographed copies (first editions!), in case anyone in the Dallas area is looking for one.
I think my shoulder/neck is almost healed, but ... this morning as I reached for something at the back of the laundry hamper, I felt a pop and guess what, the exact same spot on my other side had pulled (see, housework is bad for you!). Do you ever get the feeling that your warranty has expired?
Life lesson of the week: Rub on the Ben-Gay after you've put on your facial moisturizer and eye cream. Even washing your hands doesn't get it all off, and you don't want it all over your face.
And now to buckle down and work.
P.S. Happy Veterans Day to any veterans who are reading this. Thank you for your service.
When it comes to going out, I have a bad habit of finding an outfit I like and practically making it a uniform that I wear whenever I go out, as long as it's not to an event with the same people. This year's uniform was inspired by the scarf I bought to wear to the Serenity premiere. I have a royal blue lightweight sweater that I wear with the scarf and my dark long jeans. I do vary the footwear according to the occasion. I've already worn this outfit to two birthday parties (once with neutral "leather-colored" boots, once with black ankle boots) and then again last night with the Infamous Red Stilettos. I may have a couple more constituencies I can wear this outfit around before I have to come up with a new uniform.
It was my first time wearing the Infamous Red Stilettos since the premiere, and it seems that the Very Long Night of the Red Shoes may have made them mold better to my feet, so they were much more comfortable than I remembered. That turned out to be a good thing because I had a little adventure getting to the Hard Rock Cafe (somehow, just about everything I try to do here lately has turned into a minor adventure -- it never goes smooth). Because parking can be problematic in that part of town, my grand plan was to park in the parking garage at the West Village, then take the trolley down to the Hard Rock. Unfortunately, I just missed the trolley heading in the right direction, and the next one was just coming up to make the turnaround and the loop, so it wouldn't be heading in the right direction for another twenty minutes or so. I was already running late, thanks to a traffic jam that doubled my usual travel time. I'd also left slightly later than I'd planned, since I got sidetracked watching a show about great floods on the History Channel (I still don't have that "psyche yourself up for going out" thing figured out). I figured that the Hard Rock wasn't that far away, so I could walk it. It wasn't a bad walk because it was a nice night and a lot of the bars and restaurants had live bands on their sidewalk cafes as I passed. I'd just miscalculated how far away it was by about three blocks (so it's probably a good thing I didn't try to drive directly there -- I'd have never found it). The good thing was, the next trolley didn't pass me by as I was walking. That's my pet peeve, to decide to walk rather than waiting, and then having the bus or trolley that I didn't want to wait for end up passing me by, so that I would have reached my destination sooner if I'd just waited.
It turns out those shoes aren't so bad for walking. It's standing where they become a problem. I was more sore from waiting about ten minutes for the trolley to take me back to my car than from walking the whole way, I think (though the walk may have intensified the standing soreness). I popped in at the Uptown Borders, where I had my first booksigning, to see if my book was still there. They do still have autographed copies (first editions!), in case anyone in the Dallas area is looking for one.
I think my shoulder/neck is almost healed, but ... this morning as I reached for something at the back of the laundry hamper, I felt a pop and guess what, the exact same spot on my other side had pulled (see, housework is bad for you!). Do you ever get the feeling that your warranty has expired?
Life lesson of the week: Rub on the Ben-Gay after you've put on your facial moisturizer and eye cream. Even washing your hands doesn't get it all off, and you don't want it all over your face.
And now to buckle down and work.
P.S. Happy Veterans Day to any veterans who are reading this. Thank you for your service.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Back in the Saddle
My progress certainly improved yesterday. I got more than half an hour of exercise, as I walked to and from Walgreen's, which took about 45 minutes. No housework, alas. But I did write more than 2,000 words -- about ten pages worth. Yay, me! That's actually a slowish day for me, but I think it's pretty good for the first time back in the saddle for a while and for not feeling particularly great.
I'd like to report that the subconscious/body conspiracy immediately realized they'd been thwarted and released their evil grip on my shoulder and neck once I proved that I could write in spite of them, but unfortunately I can't. It is, however, much better. I think all that Ben-Gay helped. I still have some pain, but I can move my head. Yay! I'm hoping I'll feel up to driving later this evening because the Fictionista Book Tour is in town at the Hard Rock Cafe, and I know a couple of the authors who will be there. It would be really nice if I could show up without smelling of wintergreen. I doubt I could pass it off as the hottest new perfume. I may pull out the Infamous Red Stilettos for the evening, if I can bear the thought of putting my feet back into them. I think I'm totally recovered from the movie premiere, and I'm sure they'll have a chair or two at this place so I won't be on my feet the whole time.
I learned once again that physical activity is good for creativity. On my way to Walgreen's I came up with a fun comic riff to use in the next scene, and that was what got me back into the book. I'm still iffy on the plot part of the scene because I have this strange feeling that I'm going in circles, but when I'm groggy, tired and sore I seem to come up with good funny stuff. I can fix the plot later, I guess. Maybe I should get beyond chapter four before I start stressing over not making a lot of plot progress.
For those who were with me last fall when I was so frustrated about the Noisy Neighbor, who plays either talk radio or morning television news at very high volumes in the room that connects through the wall to my bedroom, starting at about five in the morning and going until past seven, it seems she's still up to her old tricks. I've been sleeping with ear plugs for a while, and I forgot them last night. Even when I woke up to the noise and put the ear plugs in, I could still hear her radio/TV/whatever, so I guess the ear plugs muffle the sound just enough that it doesn't wake me up. If I'm awake, I can definitely hear it. So it's back to the ear plugs tonight. This woman must be seriously sleep-deprived. I hear signs of life over there when I'm already in bed, and then she gets up at five. Maybe I should leave a nice aromatherapy gift basket on her doorstep so she can get more rest.
And now, once again, we have an Out of the Blogosphere entry, the last in the Bewitched, Bothered and Bevampyred anthology. This week's story is "Night Mares," by MaryJanice Davidson. At a birthday party for the Disdaine Triplets, the little darlings decide they aren’t pleased with the party or the guests and use magic to create their own fun. That night the town and all its residents are visited by the infamous Night Mares who wreak mayhem as only giant ponies prancing through your house can (I think that's my new excuse for the state of my living room). For more info, check out her web site.
I'd like to report that the subconscious/body conspiracy immediately realized they'd been thwarted and released their evil grip on my shoulder and neck once I proved that I could write in spite of them, but unfortunately I can't. It is, however, much better. I think all that Ben-Gay helped. I still have some pain, but I can move my head. Yay! I'm hoping I'll feel up to driving later this evening because the Fictionista Book Tour is in town at the Hard Rock Cafe, and I know a couple of the authors who will be there. It would be really nice if I could show up without smelling of wintergreen. I doubt I could pass it off as the hottest new perfume. I may pull out the Infamous Red Stilettos for the evening, if I can bear the thought of putting my feet back into them. I think I'm totally recovered from the movie premiere, and I'm sure they'll have a chair or two at this place so I won't be on my feet the whole time.
I learned once again that physical activity is good for creativity. On my way to Walgreen's I came up with a fun comic riff to use in the next scene, and that was what got me back into the book. I'm still iffy on the plot part of the scene because I have this strange feeling that I'm going in circles, but when I'm groggy, tired and sore I seem to come up with good funny stuff. I can fix the plot later, I guess. Maybe I should get beyond chapter four before I start stressing over not making a lot of plot progress.
For those who were with me last fall when I was so frustrated about the Noisy Neighbor, who plays either talk radio or morning television news at very high volumes in the room that connects through the wall to my bedroom, starting at about five in the morning and going until past seven, it seems she's still up to her old tricks. I've been sleeping with ear plugs for a while, and I forgot them last night. Even when I woke up to the noise and put the ear plugs in, I could still hear her radio/TV/whatever, so I guess the ear plugs muffle the sound just enough that it doesn't wake me up. If I'm awake, I can definitely hear it. So it's back to the ear plugs tonight. This woman must be seriously sleep-deprived. I hear signs of life over there when I'm already in bed, and then she gets up at five. Maybe I should leave a nice aromatherapy gift basket on her doorstep so she can get more rest.
And now, once again, we have an Out of the Blogosphere entry, the last in the Bewitched, Bothered and Bevampyred anthology. This week's story is "Night Mares," by MaryJanice Davidson. At a birthday party for the Disdaine Triplets, the little darlings decide they aren’t pleased with the party or the guests and use magic to create their own fun. That night the town and all its residents are visited by the infamous Night Mares who wreak mayhem as only giant ponies prancing through your house can (I think that's my new excuse for the state of my living room). For more info, check out her web site.
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Pain in the Neck
Well, I did get my half hour of exercise yesterday, but that may have been my only accomplishment. The pain in the neck has gone from being merely "a pain in the neck" to being a real hindrance. I managed to read the parts I've already written of book 3 yesterday, but actual creativity was more of a challenge. I learned last night that it may not be just my bad computer posture that led to the problem. It seems that my favorite sleeping position is also the most painful, so every time I managed to fall asleep, I'd automatically roll into that position and then be immediately awakened by the pain. So maybe I need to train myself out of that sleeping position, if it's what's giving me knots in my neck and shoulder muscles. I think now I shall walk to the drugstore (driving is kind of a problem when you can't turn your head) and pick up some kind of muscle rub stuff.
There's also the possibility that this is somewhat psychosomatic, like my subconscious is afraid of working on this book and is conspiring with my body to keep that from happening. I plan to thwart it, however, by making myself write when I get home from the drugstore, no matter how much I hurt (and no matter how much I smell like menthol). So, there!
In other news, I learned today that Enchanted, Inc. will be published in Korea. And I got my first review on the Dutch edition. Fortunately, the Dutch publisher translated it for me. It was a nice review, mentioning that thing about not being able to stop reading once you start. It's good to learn that is relatively universal, regardless of the language.
Would it be bad if I sit in the Walgreen's parking lot and rub the icy hot stuff on myself right then and there?
This is when I really need that cabana boy/personal assistant/tax accountant/masseuse I keep thinking of adding to my staff.
There's also the possibility that this is somewhat psychosomatic, like my subconscious is afraid of working on this book and is conspiring with my body to keep that from happening. I plan to thwart it, however, by making myself write when I get home from the drugstore, no matter how much I hurt (and no matter how much I smell like menthol). So, there!
In other news, I learned today that Enchanted, Inc. will be published in Korea. And I got my first review on the Dutch edition. Fortunately, the Dutch publisher translated it for me. It was a nice review, mentioning that thing about not being able to stop reading once you start. It's good to learn that is relatively universal, regardless of the language.
Would it be bad if I sit in the Walgreen's parking lot and rub the icy hot stuff on myself right then and there?
This is when I really need that cabana boy/personal assistant/tax accountant/masseuse I keep thinking of adding to my staff.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Back to the Presses!
I'm utterly delighted to announce that I got news this morning that Enchanted, Inc. is going to a second printing. Yay!!!!
You know what that means? Those first editions you own have suddenly become slightly more valuable, and this may be your last chance to go out and get a first edition before they all sell out and are replaced by the second editions. Then again, there will be fewer of the second edition than of the first, so maybe that makes the second edition rarer and more valuable. I'm not sure how all that works as I don't collect much of anything, especially not based on its potential future value.
There may be one small change between editions. The second editions will likely have the author photo included on the "about the author" page (since it was left off from the first editions due to a "production oversight").
Of course, this also means there are that many more books out there I need to get sold. Thanks to all of you who have been so great about buying the book, buying the book as a gift, telling people about the book, harassing booksellers about carrying the book, and all that. So, think we can get a few thousand more sold?
I'm hoping this will be good motivation to spur me to working today. I wasn't nearly as efficient as I hoped I'd be yesterday. I had a deadline on another project, and wouldn't you know, just before I got that done, I had a brainstorm about a better way to approach that project, which required research and rewriting at the last minute, but I did get it done. Unfortunately, that left me somewhat drained and not really up to getting other work done. I managed to develop a kink in the muscles that go from my shoulder to my neck on the right side, probably from very bad posture habits when I'm reading at the computer, and I still can't seem to shake it, in spite of a heating pad, hot shower, yoga and a night of sleep. So I managed to re-read the synopsis of book three last night but couldn't sit at the computer anymore before I could get into reading those first chapters.
I came close to getting my half hour of exercise while trying to work out that kink in my neck, but I did no housework. This afternoon I have a bunch of errands to run, including a big post office excursion. Then maybe I'll actually get some writing done.
You know what that means? Those first editions you own have suddenly become slightly more valuable, and this may be your last chance to go out and get a first edition before they all sell out and are replaced by the second editions. Then again, there will be fewer of the second edition than of the first, so maybe that makes the second edition rarer and more valuable. I'm not sure how all that works as I don't collect much of anything, especially not based on its potential future value.
There may be one small change between editions. The second editions will likely have the author photo included on the "about the author" page (since it was left off from the first editions due to a "production oversight").
Of course, this also means there are that many more books out there I need to get sold. Thanks to all of you who have been so great about buying the book, buying the book as a gift, telling people about the book, harassing booksellers about carrying the book, and all that. So, think we can get a few thousand more sold?
I'm hoping this will be good motivation to spur me to working today. I wasn't nearly as efficient as I hoped I'd be yesterday. I had a deadline on another project, and wouldn't you know, just before I got that done, I had a brainstorm about a better way to approach that project, which required research and rewriting at the last minute, but I did get it done. Unfortunately, that left me somewhat drained and not really up to getting other work done. I managed to develop a kink in the muscles that go from my shoulder to my neck on the right side, probably from very bad posture habits when I'm reading at the computer, and I still can't seem to shake it, in spite of a heating pad, hot shower, yoga and a night of sleep. So I managed to re-read the synopsis of book three last night but couldn't sit at the computer anymore before I could get into reading those first chapters.
I came close to getting my half hour of exercise while trying to work out that kink in my neck, but I did no housework. This afternoon I have a bunch of errands to run, including a big post office excursion. Then maybe I'll actually get some writing done.
Monday, November 07, 2005
I've Come a Long Way
Today, I get to work on Book Three in earnest. I sort of already started, since yesterday I went to the same spot where I brainstormed most of Enchanted, Inc. and re-read all my notes, then did a little more brainstorming. I'm hoping that being back in that place where I came up with so many ideas will trigger more ideas.
In a way it was a fun blast from the past. When I sat in that spot a little more than two years ago, that world was very shapeless. It was a lot of little ideas swirling around. Most of my characters were vague concepts, and few of them had actual names. Now I've written two books about those people, and they're real and alive to me. I was sitting in that spot when I first outlined the kind of person Katie would be. Most of those ideas are still true about her, but I got one thing wrong: my notes from that day mention that she's trying to be a more sophisticated "Kathleen." That never happened. She was always just "Katie" and okay with that. She's only "Kathleen" when she's in trouble. That brainstorming session was where I mentally cast some of the characters. Some of those castings didn't work out (I had to mentally fire Renee Zellweger as Katie because she was totally wrong for the role once we started "shooting"), and some worked out to a scary degree (as in, one of the actors in real life is more like the character he plays in my head than he has been in any role I'd seen him in -- to the point it's almost kind of freaky). This was when I realized that my idea for an executive who was brought to the future from a more medieval setting should actually be Merlin himself, and when I ended up swapping the core personality traits between Rod and Owen, which I think made both characters more interesting. You expect the guy who's really good looking to be charming and the guy who's not so hot but who uses an illusion to be bashful, but the other way around made them both deeper, richer characters, and I think that also had a ripple effect on the way the story shaped up.
I don't know if I had any similar breakthroughs yesterday, but then, I didn't know for sure that those were breakthroughs until much later. I mostly just focused on the emotional journeys for each character in this book, where I want to take them, what they've learned already and what they need to learn. Now I need to come up with events that will trigger those emotional things.
As I plunge into the writing madness, I'm trying to set up a few ground rules for myself. For one thing, I'm going to try to exercise at least half an hour a day. That's good for my health and my creativity. Plus, I'll be visiting my editor in New York around the time I hope to have my first rough draft finished, and I'd like to not look like I've been holed up in a cave for a month. I'm also going to try to devote half an hour a day to housework. I'll be coming out of my book haze at about the time to put up Christmas decorations, and I don't want to have to overhaul the whole house in order to do that. I have some gold stars I'll have to put on my calendar, and then I can think of a suitable reward if I'm good.
In other news, I finally got all my "congratulations, you're now a member" stuff from SFWA. It gave me a real sense of how far I've come. No, it wasn't the membership card (cool! A membership card!) that did the trick. It was the envelope it all came in. The directory, back issues of the magazine and all that came in a big manilla envelope, pretty much exactly the kind of envelope I used to send as SASE with my submissions, and the bulk of it was about the size of a proposal. I'm used to seeing that kind and size of envelope in my mailbox as a likely rejection. The moment I saw it, I had a bit of a panic attack. Then I remembered that I don't have any submissions unaccounted for, I send everything to my agent in e-mail, and when she gets rejections, she just e-mails the rejection letter to me. I can now see a bulky manilla envelope in my mailbox and not assume that it's bad news. That, my friends, is progress in the life of a writer.
In a way it was a fun blast from the past. When I sat in that spot a little more than two years ago, that world was very shapeless. It was a lot of little ideas swirling around. Most of my characters were vague concepts, and few of them had actual names. Now I've written two books about those people, and they're real and alive to me. I was sitting in that spot when I first outlined the kind of person Katie would be. Most of those ideas are still true about her, but I got one thing wrong: my notes from that day mention that she's trying to be a more sophisticated "Kathleen." That never happened. She was always just "Katie" and okay with that. She's only "Kathleen" when she's in trouble. That brainstorming session was where I mentally cast some of the characters. Some of those castings didn't work out (I had to mentally fire Renee Zellweger as Katie because she was totally wrong for the role once we started "shooting"), and some worked out to a scary degree (as in, one of the actors in real life is more like the character he plays in my head than he has been in any role I'd seen him in -- to the point it's almost kind of freaky). This was when I realized that my idea for an executive who was brought to the future from a more medieval setting should actually be Merlin himself, and when I ended up swapping the core personality traits between Rod and Owen, which I think made both characters more interesting. You expect the guy who's really good looking to be charming and the guy who's not so hot but who uses an illusion to be bashful, but the other way around made them both deeper, richer characters, and I think that also had a ripple effect on the way the story shaped up.
I don't know if I had any similar breakthroughs yesterday, but then, I didn't know for sure that those were breakthroughs until much later. I mostly just focused on the emotional journeys for each character in this book, where I want to take them, what they've learned already and what they need to learn. Now I need to come up with events that will trigger those emotional things.
As I plunge into the writing madness, I'm trying to set up a few ground rules for myself. For one thing, I'm going to try to exercise at least half an hour a day. That's good for my health and my creativity. Plus, I'll be visiting my editor in New York around the time I hope to have my first rough draft finished, and I'd like to not look like I've been holed up in a cave for a month. I'm also going to try to devote half an hour a day to housework. I'll be coming out of my book haze at about the time to put up Christmas decorations, and I don't want to have to overhaul the whole house in order to do that. I have some gold stars I'll have to put on my calendar, and then I can think of a suitable reward if I'm good.
In other news, I finally got all my "congratulations, you're now a member" stuff from SFWA. It gave me a real sense of how far I've come. No, it wasn't the membership card (cool! A membership card!) that did the trick. It was the envelope it all came in. The directory, back issues of the magazine and all that came in a big manilla envelope, pretty much exactly the kind of envelope I used to send as SASE with my submissions, and the bulk of it was about the size of a proposal. I'm used to seeing that kind and size of envelope in my mailbox as a likely rejection. The moment I saw it, I had a bit of a panic attack. Then I remembered that I don't have any submissions unaccounted for, I send everything to my agent in e-mail, and when she gets rejections, she just e-mails the rejection letter to me. I can now see a bulky manilla envelope in my mailbox and not assume that it's bad news. That, my friends, is progress in the life of a writer.
Friday, November 04, 2005
Bigger and Better
I finished proofing the galleys of Once Upon Stilettos last night, and I still like this book. I can't wait for everyone to get a chance to read it. I really do think it's better than Enchanted, Inc., which was one of my goals in writing it. If I'm going to do a series, I don't want it to be one that just coasts on the previous books. I want each book to be better than the one that came before it. I think I only changed a couple of things that were my own word choices, so I believe my own writing is cleaner this time around. Otherwise, all my changes had to do with continuing to clean up the wacky copy edit so that everything would be consistent. I did the last half of the book just about straight through last night because I couldn't put it down, so that's a fair warning on this book when it comes out -- if it's getting late, stop before the halfway point or you may end up staying up all night.
Of course, this puts the pressure on for the next book. I have to make it even better.
It appears that the Dutch version of Enchanted, Inc. is now in bookstores because I've received my first e-mail from a Dutch reader. It was in English, fortunately, because Dutch isn't one of my languages. I don't know a word of it. It's supposedly similar to German, but I can't read the signs in the Netherlands, which makes it a disconcerting place for me to travel. I get around well in Germany (I don't speak the language, but I can get by in reading it). I can even cope with basic signage in French and Italian because it's similar enough to Spanish in a lot of cases, plus all that liturgical Latin I've picked up from singing in church choirs. I'm not used to being in places where I can't read the signs, so my last visit to the Netherlands was a little unnerving, considering I was navigating. Fortunately, I remembered a lot from a childhood visit and was able to get around Amsterdam reasonably well, and everyone there speaks pretty good English if you get lost and need help. I suppose I'll have to respond in English, and keep it simple. I've learned from my discussions with the Chinese translator just how much idiom (mostly Southernisms and Texanisms) seeps into my language without me even realizing it.
I'm still trying to put together a "soundtrack" for book three, and it's something of a challenge. I keep finding perfect songs for early in book four, but book three is harder to get a grasp on. That's got me a little worried. I'm sure it will come together as I work on it. I had absolutely zero soundtrack for Enchanted, Inc.. Some of this soundtrack thing is purely a procrastination exercise. I do have music picked out for some of the key scenes.
But first, I have some revisions to do on my Desperate Housewives essay, and I need to go back over my book three proposal. There might be some household repairs to do this weekend (and would you believe, with all the wrenches I have, I don't seem to have an adjustable crescent wrench?). And then I plunge into the book on Monday. I'm scared and excited.
Meanwhile, if you're trying to hang onto the Halloween spirit, this week's Out of the Blogosphere book is for you. The book is His Dark Desires by Jennifer St. Giles.
"You are in danger. Trust no one." The terrifying words from a mysterious letter echo in Juliet Bucheron's mind. Destitute ever since her husband disappeared in the Civil War, Juliet has turned her New Orleans ancestral home into a boarding house -- despite the rumors of ghosts, the whispers of scandal, and the stain of murder. But even more unsettling is Juliet's new tenant, a handsome stranger named Stephen Trevelyan. Wealthy, educated, and seductively compelling, Stephen fills Juliet's heart with uncontrollable longing -- and her head with suspicion. Something, she senses, is lurking beneath the surface. And someone is stalking the hallways after midnight. As the danger draws nearer, Juliet wonders if she can really trust Stephen. But as he pulls her closer, she knows she cannot resist him...no matter what the price.
Spooky! For more info, visit Jennifer's web site here.
Of course, this puts the pressure on for the next book. I have to make it even better.
It appears that the Dutch version of Enchanted, Inc. is now in bookstores because I've received my first e-mail from a Dutch reader. It was in English, fortunately, because Dutch isn't one of my languages. I don't know a word of it. It's supposedly similar to German, but I can't read the signs in the Netherlands, which makes it a disconcerting place for me to travel. I get around well in Germany (I don't speak the language, but I can get by in reading it). I can even cope with basic signage in French and Italian because it's similar enough to Spanish in a lot of cases, plus all that liturgical Latin I've picked up from singing in church choirs. I'm not used to being in places where I can't read the signs, so my last visit to the Netherlands was a little unnerving, considering I was navigating. Fortunately, I remembered a lot from a childhood visit and was able to get around Amsterdam reasonably well, and everyone there speaks pretty good English if you get lost and need help. I suppose I'll have to respond in English, and keep it simple. I've learned from my discussions with the Chinese translator just how much idiom (mostly Southernisms and Texanisms) seeps into my language without me even realizing it.
I'm still trying to put together a "soundtrack" for book three, and it's something of a challenge. I keep finding perfect songs for early in book four, but book three is harder to get a grasp on. That's got me a little worried. I'm sure it will come together as I work on it. I had absolutely zero soundtrack for Enchanted, Inc.. Some of this soundtrack thing is purely a procrastination exercise. I do have music picked out for some of the key scenes.
But first, I have some revisions to do on my Desperate Housewives essay, and I need to go back over my book three proposal. There might be some household repairs to do this weekend (and would you believe, with all the wrenches I have, I don't seem to have an adjustable crescent wrench?). And then I plunge into the book on Monday. I'm scared and excited.
Meanwhile, if you're trying to hang onto the Halloween spirit, this week's Out of the Blogosphere book is for you. The book is His Dark Desires by Jennifer St. Giles.
"You are in danger. Trust no one." The terrifying words from a mysterious letter echo in Juliet Bucheron's mind. Destitute ever since her husband disappeared in the Civil War, Juliet has turned her New Orleans ancestral home into a boarding house -- despite the rumors of ghosts, the whispers of scandal, and the stain of murder. But even more unsettling is Juliet's new tenant, a handsome stranger named Stephen Trevelyan. Wealthy, educated, and seductively compelling, Stephen fills Juliet's heart with uncontrollable longing -- and her head with suspicion. Something, she senses, is lurking beneath the surface. And someone is stalking the hallways after midnight. As the danger draws nearer, Juliet wonders if she can really trust Stephen. But as he pulls her closer, she knows she cannot resist him...no matter what the price.
Spooky! For more info, visit Jennifer's web site here.
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Girlfriends Cyber Circuit Presents Gayle Brandeis
My guest this time around on the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit is Gayle Brandeis, author of The Book of Dead Birds, which has been reissued in a trade paperback edition. Some of you may remember my minor freakout when I got a great review from Charles deLint. Gayle can top that. She's had glowing acclaim from people like Toni Morrison and Barbara Kingsolver. In fact, she won the Bellwether Prize for Fiction, given by Barbara Kingsolver to advocate serious literary fiction that addresses issues of social justice, and the impact of culture and politics on human relationships.
The book tells the story of Ava Sing Lo, who has been accidentally killing her mother's birds since she was a little girl. As an adult, she heads to the Salton Sea, where she volunteers to help environmental activists save thousands of birds poisoned by agricultural runoff. Along the way, she struggles to come to terms with her mother's terrible past.
Here's the interview:
What inspired you to write this book?
This book started out as a poem about a dead bird I saw when I was six years old (my first direct encounter with death.) The poem ended up spilling out of its edges and eventually turning into a novel (it was a very twisty turn-y path to get there). You can read about the whole journey here.
Describe your creative process.
I write very much by the seat of my pants. I often have no idea where a story is going, and that can be scary at times, but it can also be incredibly exciting and freeing. I love when my characters surprise me. I tend to write scenes as they come to me, and then later figure out how to piece them together in a coherent way. I like to burn through a first draft fairly quickly, just to keep the energy going, keep the juices flowing. Once I'm done with a draft, I'll hunker down and figure out how to polish it, how to shape it, how to try to make it sing.
Do you have any writing habits or rituals?
Night time tends to be my most fruitful time, but I've retrained myself to work during the day when the kids are in school (plus I can't seem to stay up as late as I used to). I prefer to write in silence; I love music, but it distracts me when I'm writing, especially if it has lyrics. I don't have any rituals to speak of to get me into writing mode, although I've fallen into the habit of playing a game of Spider Solitaire to mark the end of my time at the computer (and I find that my characters like to talk to me while I'm playing—sometimes they send me right back into Word.)
How much, if anything, do you have in common with your heroine?
I didn't think I had much in common with Ava as I was writing the book (especially since she's a different ethnicity from myself, and has a very different background), but now, I am able to see a lot of parallels. Both of us tend to question ourselves a lot. Both of us feel most at home in our skin when we're practicing our arts, our passions—for her, drumming and tae kwon do, for me, writing and dance.
Chocolate: dark or milk?
I know this could be construed as heretical, but I'm a white chocolate kind of girl.
(I was ready to burn her at the stake, but then I realized I wouldn't have to share my dark chocolate M&M stash with her, so I think I'll let her live.)
What are you working on now?
I'm working on a new novel, which will be published by Ballantine somewhere down the road (it's the second book of a new two book deal. I should be getting my editor's revision notes for the first novel—Self Storage, which will be published in early 2007—any day now, and I'm eager to jump into the editing process.)
(Hey, a fellow Ballantinian! Welcome to the fold!)
Is there anything else you'd like to say about this book or the process of writing it?
This book took me to places, both physical and emotional, that I never expected to go, and I'm very grateful for the ride. I am also very grateful that the book received Barbara Kingsolver's Bellwether Prize. Barbara Kingsolver has long been an idol, a model, for me, and to have her blessing is such an amazing honor. I hope I can live up to it as I continue my writing path.
For more info, you can visit Gayle's web site.
The book tells the story of Ava Sing Lo, who has been accidentally killing her mother's birds since she was a little girl. As an adult, she heads to the Salton Sea, where she volunteers to help environmental activists save thousands of birds poisoned by agricultural runoff. Along the way, she struggles to come to terms with her mother's terrible past.
Here's the interview:
What inspired you to write this book?
This book started out as a poem about a dead bird I saw when I was six years old (my first direct encounter with death.) The poem ended up spilling out of its edges and eventually turning into a novel (it was a very twisty turn-y path to get there). You can read about the whole journey here.
Describe your creative process.
I write very much by the seat of my pants. I often have no idea where a story is going, and that can be scary at times, but it can also be incredibly exciting and freeing. I love when my characters surprise me. I tend to write scenes as they come to me, and then later figure out how to piece them together in a coherent way. I like to burn through a first draft fairly quickly, just to keep the energy going, keep the juices flowing. Once I'm done with a draft, I'll hunker down and figure out how to polish it, how to shape it, how to try to make it sing.
Do you have any writing habits or rituals?
Night time tends to be my most fruitful time, but I've retrained myself to work during the day when the kids are in school (plus I can't seem to stay up as late as I used to). I prefer to write in silence; I love music, but it distracts me when I'm writing, especially if it has lyrics. I don't have any rituals to speak of to get me into writing mode, although I've fallen into the habit of playing a game of Spider Solitaire to mark the end of my time at the computer (and I find that my characters like to talk to me while I'm playing—sometimes they send me right back into Word.)
How much, if anything, do you have in common with your heroine?
I didn't think I had much in common with Ava as I was writing the book (especially since she's a different ethnicity from myself, and has a very different background), but now, I am able to see a lot of parallels. Both of us tend to question ourselves a lot. Both of us feel most at home in our skin when we're practicing our arts, our passions—for her, drumming and tae kwon do, for me, writing and dance.
Chocolate: dark or milk?
I know this could be construed as heretical, but I'm a white chocolate kind of girl.
(I was ready to burn her at the stake, but then I realized I wouldn't have to share my dark chocolate M&M stash with her, so I think I'll let her live.)
What are you working on now?
I'm working on a new novel, which will be published by Ballantine somewhere down the road (it's the second book of a new two book deal. I should be getting my editor's revision notes for the first novel—Self Storage, which will be published in early 2007—any day now, and I'm eager to jump into the editing process.)
(Hey, a fellow Ballantinian! Welcome to the fold!)
Is there anything else you'd like to say about this book or the process of writing it?
This book took me to places, both physical and emotional, that I never expected to go, and I'm very grateful for the ride. I am also very grateful that the book received Barbara Kingsolver's Bellwether Prize. Barbara Kingsolver has long been an idol, a model, for me, and to have her blessing is such an amazing honor. I hope I can live up to it as I continue my writing path.
For more info, you can visit Gayle's web site.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Random Updates
A few updates on recently discussed issues ...
I mentioned the photo thing to my agent, who then talked to my editor. It turns out there is supposed to be an author photo on the "about the author" page and it was left out due to a "production oversight," so it was good that I asked about it. There will be a photo in this next book, and my agent thought my paranoia about asking about it was funny.
In the comments with yesterday's post, there was quite a bit of discussion about the movie Office Space, and it turns out that the special edition DVD (with Flair!) of that movie was released yesterday (ooh, cosmic!). I already have the movie on VHS. If someone has bought the special edition (with Flair!), you'll have to let us know if the new extras and bonus stuff are worth getting the DVD. Plus, Ron Livingston from that movie was the guest star on House last night (I wonder if that was planned in conjunction with the DVD release).
And after I discussed yesterday how watching The Office reminds me of my days with an office job, there were a few things in last night's episode that really gave me flashbacks. The main thing was the person waiting for the last second to do something that had to go out in the overnight shipment. Been there, done that, shredded the t-shirt, too many times. The former boss who was part of the inspiration for Mimi was notorious for that kind of thing, except she didn't procrastinate to avoid work. I think she enjoyed the last-minute rush of everyone having to pitch in and get things together as we raced the clock. First, we'd be aiming for the FedEx pickup at our building, and then when that didn't happen, we'd have to shoot for the last FedEx pickup in our area. Things got really bad when she realized I lived by the airport, so the FedEx depot at the airport where you could drop things off just before they loaded the last plane for the night was on my way home. Those kinds of marathons always seemed to happen on Fridays, to make matters worse, and the absolute last moment for getting something to the airport was something like nine or ten. And she acted like this was all so much fun. Grrr.
Then there's the way Michael, the boss on the show, is always talking about the employees as friends and family. That's something he has in common with the former boss who was a lot like him. That boss was bad about trying to be "pals" with us, even while reminding us of how much power he had over us, and worse, he expected all of us to be buddies with each other. There was much enforced socializing. If someone left the company, it was like we were an Amish family and they'd married outside the community. We weren't even to speak their name. There were staff meetings at which we were reminded that we were family, and if someone chose to leave the family, then it was their choice, but they weren't part of the family anymore. He also once said something very similar about how you feel when your best friend sneaks in late or goes to dentist appointments that aren't really appointments, though he didn't talk about them knowing he could beat them up (he did, however, occasionally issue competitive gym challenges, I think).
I also think the actress who plays Pam would make a good Katie, with slightly different hair and makeup. She manages to be the downtrodden office worker while still showing a lot of spark and spunk, and she has that look and coloring that can blend into the crowd or be really cute.
I've spent the last couple of days re-reading Enchanted, Inc. Some of that was difficult because I couldn't turn off the editing part of my brain and I kept seeing little word choices I wanted to change, which is kind of impossible, considering I was reading the final printed form. But eventually I did get into it enough to almost forget I'd written it, and I ended up staying up very late at night finishing it (hmm, maybe there's some truth to those rumors about the book itself being enchanted to make people read it until late into the night). Now I'm about to start proofing the galleys of Once Upon Stilettos. This time, I can change little word choices.
I mentioned the photo thing to my agent, who then talked to my editor. It turns out there is supposed to be an author photo on the "about the author" page and it was left out due to a "production oversight," so it was good that I asked about it. There will be a photo in this next book, and my agent thought my paranoia about asking about it was funny.
In the comments with yesterday's post, there was quite a bit of discussion about the movie Office Space, and it turns out that the special edition DVD (with Flair!) of that movie was released yesterday (ooh, cosmic!). I already have the movie on VHS. If someone has bought the special edition (with Flair!), you'll have to let us know if the new extras and bonus stuff are worth getting the DVD. Plus, Ron Livingston from that movie was the guest star on House last night (I wonder if that was planned in conjunction with the DVD release).
And after I discussed yesterday how watching The Office reminds me of my days with an office job, there were a few things in last night's episode that really gave me flashbacks. The main thing was the person waiting for the last second to do something that had to go out in the overnight shipment. Been there, done that, shredded the t-shirt, too many times. The former boss who was part of the inspiration for Mimi was notorious for that kind of thing, except she didn't procrastinate to avoid work. I think she enjoyed the last-minute rush of everyone having to pitch in and get things together as we raced the clock. First, we'd be aiming for the FedEx pickup at our building, and then when that didn't happen, we'd have to shoot for the last FedEx pickup in our area. Things got really bad when she realized I lived by the airport, so the FedEx depot at the airport where you could drop things off just before they loaded the last plane for the night was on my way home. Those kinds of marathons always seemed to happen on Fridays, to make matters worse, and the absolute last moment for getting something to the airport was something like nine or ten. And she acted like this was all so much fun. Grrr.
Then there's the way Michael, the boss on the show, is always talking about the employees as friends and family. That's something he has in common with the former boss who was a lot like him. That boss was bad about trying to be "pals" with us, even while reminding us of how much power he had over us, and worse, he expected all of us to be buddies with each other. There was much enforced socializing. If someone left the company, it was like we were an Amish family and they'd married outside the community. We weren't even to speak their name. There were staff meetings at which we were reminded that we were family, and if someone chose to leave the family, then it was their choice, but they weren't part of the family anymore. He also once said something very similar about how you feel when your best friend sneaks in late or goes to dentist appointments that aren't really appointments, though he didn't talk about them knowing he could beat them up (he did, however, occasionally issue competitive gym challenges, I think).
I also think the actress who plays Pam would make a good Katie, with slightly different hair and makeup. She manages to be the downtrodden office worker while still showing a lot of spark and spunk, and she has that look and coloring that can blend into the crowd or be really cute.
I've spent the last couple of days re-reading Enchanted, Inc. Some of that was difficult because I couldn't turn off the editing part of my brain and I kept seeing little word choices I wanted to change, which is kind of impossible, considering I was reading the final printed form. But eventually I did get into it enough to almost forget I'd written it, and I ended up staying up very late at night finishing it (hmm, maybe there's some truth to those rumors about the book itself being enchanted to make people read it until late into the night). Now I'm about to start proofing the galleys of Once Upon Stilettos. This time, I can change little word choices.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Workplace Comedy
Sometimes it's funny how the weirdest, littlest things can make me ridiculously happy. Today's happiness source: The Office is back on NBC after one week off. Watching this kind of counts as work, since I write workplace comedy, and as I no longer have an actual workplace, I need a refresher. I don't really have a boss, other than maybe my editor, who is in New York and doesn't know whether I'm working diligently or cramming at the last second, as long as I meet my deadlines (and as long as she isn't reading here). I don't have co-workers, unless you count my neighbors' pets. I don't have office mates, other than the hibiscus, who's pretty easy to get along with. That limits office politics (and if I can't beat a houseplant in office politics, then it's a good thing I'm out of the rat race).
So, I have to watch someone else's workplace. I realize the dangers in using fiction as a source, but this show in all its wackiness is true enough to life to remind me of places I used to work. In fact, I used to work in an office with a very similar atmosphere and even practically the same boss (he even had the same first name). Watching the antics of the fictional Michael Scott takes me right back in time to working for the kind of boss who would have bought his own "world's greatest boss" coffee mug and still would have thought it meant something. This guy was a big fan of those cheesy "motivational" posters with things like soaring eagles on them. Oddly enough, with all my past bad bosses who have been somewhat immortalized in the pages of my books (Gregor and Mimi were inspired by real people -- in composite form), I haven't yet used that boss, though there might be bits of him in the head of sales. Hmm, in case I need a new character to torture ...
In all fairness, I should say I haven't always had bad bosses. My fictional good boss, Merlin, actually shares some traits with good bosses I've had. He has his own flaws and quirks (as you'll see in Once Upon Stilettos), but they aren't mean or cruel flaws, and those flaws grow out of an honest desire to make things better.
Tonight I'll be giggling and grinning and so very glad I no longer have to work in a place like that. There are some things I miss from the day job, like the friends I've made, going to lunch and gossiping about the boss, but my current life is a lot less stressful. Well, except for all those scary deadlines I have this week. Back to work!
So, I have to watch someone else's workplace. I realize the dangers in using fiction as a source, but this show in all its wackiness is true enough to life to remind me of places I used to work. In fact, I used to work in an office with a very similar atmosphere and even practically the same boss (he even had the same first name). Watching the antics of the fictional Michael Scott takes me right back in time to working for the kind of boss who would have bought his own "world's greatest boss" coffee mug and still would have thought it meant something. This guy was a big fan of those cheesy "motivational" posters with things like soaring eagles on them. Oddly enough, with all my past bad bosses who have been somewhat immortalized in the pages of my books (Gregor and Mimi were inspired by real people -- in composite form), I haven't yet used that boss, though there might be bits of him in the head of sales. Hmm, in case I need a new character to torture ...
In all fairness, I should say I haven't always had bad bosses. My fictional good boss, Merlin, actually shares some traits with good bosses I've had. He has his own flaws and quirks (as you'll see in Once Upon Stilettos), but they aren't mean or cruel flaws, and those flaws grow out of an honest desire to make things better.
Tonight I'll be giggling and grinning and so very glad I no longer have to work in a place like that. There are some things I miss from the day job, like the friends I've made, going to lunch and gossiping about the boss, but my current life is a lot less stressful. Well, except for all those scary deadlines I have this week. Back to work!
Monday, October 31, 2005
Happy Halloween!
Thanks to everyone for your input on the photo issue (bonus points for those who mentioned prettiness). I think I may mention it to my agent and let her decide whether or not to say anything to the publisher. I don't think it's that big a deal, but it does seem unusual for my kind of book not to have an author photo, and it would help dispel that Jennifer Crusie pen name rumor.
I've had an appropriately scary Halloween morning, with a nasty storm coming through that made things go very dark. There was a lot of lightning and thunder, and I startle easily, so it was a constant refrain of lightning, thunder, me shrieking, then me laughing because I startled so easily. We even had a brief power outage that plunged everything into near-night levels of darkness. Now it's just blustery. No costume for me, but I'm wearing an old shirt from when I was on the PR team for a trade show, and that brings up all kinds of scary memories. I did the trick or treating thing last night at an event at my church, where we decorated the trunks of our cars out in the parking lot and did "trunk or treat" for the neighborhood kids. It was a lot of fun, and even better, I have a lot of candy left over, which I will now have to ration.
And now I must get to work on the scary week of deadlines. In my spare time, I'm re-reading Enchanted, Inc., and I actually cracked myself up last night. You know, I'm kind of funny, if I say so myself.
Happy Halloween, everyone! May it be full of chocolate.
I've had an appropriately scary Halloween morning, with a nasty storm coming through that made things go very dark. There was a lot of lightning and thunder, and I startle easily, so it was a constant refrain of lightning, thunder, me shrieking, then me laughing because I startled so easily. We even had a brief power outage that plunged everything into near-night levels of darkness. Now it's just blustery. No costume for me, but I'm wearing an old shirt from when I was on the PR team for a trade show, and that brings up all kinds of scary memories. I did the trick or treating thing last night at an event at my church, where we decorated the trunks of our cars out in the parking lot and did "trunk or treat" for the neighborhood kids. It was a lot of fun, and even better, I have a lot of candy left over, which I will now have to ration.
And now I must get to work on the scary week of deadlines. In my spare time, I'm re-reading Enchanted, Inc., and I actually cracked myself up last night. You know, I'm kind of funny, if I say so myself.
Happy Halloween, everyone! May it be full of chocolate.
Friday, October 28, 2005
Vanity of Vanities
I don't usually think of myself as vain. I'm more often insecure. But every so often the ego jumps out and takes over.
Take, for instance, those galleys I got the other day. The first thing I did was flip to the back to the "About the Author" page to see how my bio looks and to see if they'd included a photo this time (since I'd had a nice, professional one taken). The bio is still shorter than the "About the Typeface" paragraph, as I mentioned (I need to do something so I can add a line or two, maybe take up a new hobby). And there's no photo.
Now I'm wondering, is this a big deal? Is it worth saying anything about? I might not have been so sensitive about this if there hadn't recently been a spate of posts in the publishing industry blogging world about the importance of the relative degrees of attractiveness among authors and how important that was to their careers, if it was truly important at all. The consensus seemed to be that a publisher could and would use the attractiveness of an author as a selling point if the author was attractive, making sure to put a nice photo of the author in or on the book, send out author photos with press material and putting the author out in front of the public. But if an author was talented but a troll, then they'd still promote the book, but not use photos of the author.
That mingling of insecurity and vanity hit full-on as I wondered, does this mean they think I'm a troll? I'd rationalized that maybe they didn't use a photo in the first book because the one I was using at the time was rather amateur (even though my editor said she loved it and thought it made me look happy and friendly), so I'd sort of expected to see a photo now that I had a professional one. I immediately had to check every Ballantine trade paperback I own to see what other authors got and try to extrapolate the corporate policy. It was a mixed bag. Some had photos, some didn't. Some of the photos that were used looked even more amateurish than my original one, like random snapshots. Some of the authors were attractive, some weren't so much.
And the funny thing is, I'm not sure how much this matters, if it matters at all. I've seen on reader message boards where they like to see what an author looks like. I've also seen on reader message boards where they assume that the narrator/heroine of a first-person book looks just like the author, if there's an author photo (which would be a bad assumption in my case because Katie looks nothing like me). With the recent discussion of troll authors, I worry that having no photo will make people think I'm a troll. Or maybe I'm mysterious. Then there's the reader out there who apparently thinks I'm a pen name for Jennifer Crusie. Seriously. A photo should debunk that.
I'm not even sure -- if I decide to raise the question -- how to go about raising the question without sounding like I'm a hop, skip and a jump away from being one of those diva authors who's late to a personal appearance because she didn't like the limo the publisher sent to ferry her to that appearance and insisted on waiting until they were able to get the right kind of limo there -- stocked with the proper brand of bottled water, of course, and M&Ms with all the orange ones carefully picked out.
So, to the readers out there, do you even care if there's a photo of the author in the book? Does it have anything to do with your decision to purchase a book? Do you make any assumptions about the author based on the photo, or lack thereof?
And now I should get back to ticking things off that scary to-do list instead of getting sidetracked by vain and trivial things.
Take, for instance, those galleys I got the other day. The first thing I did was flip to the back to the "About the Author" page to see how my bio looks and to see if they'd included a photo this time (since I'd had a nice, professional one taken). The bio is still shorter than the "About the Typeface" paragraph, as I mentioned (I need to do something so I can add a line or two, maybe take up a new hobby). And there's no photo.
Now I'm wondering, is this a big deal? Is it worth saying anything about? I might not have been so sensitive about this if there hadn't recently been a spate of posts in the publishing industry blogging world about the importance of the relative degrees of attractiveness among authors and how important that was to their careers, if it was truly important at all. The consensus seemed to be that a publisher could and would use the attractiveness of an author as a selling point if the author was attractive, making sure to put a nice photo of the author in or on the book, send out author photos with press material and putting the author out in front of the public. But if an author was talented but a troll, then they'd still promote the book, but not use photos of the author.
That mingling of insecurity and vanity hit full-on as I wondered, does this mean they think I'm a troll? I'd rationalized that maybe they didn't use a photo in the first book because the one I was using at the time was rather amateur (even though my editor said she loved it and thought it made me look happy and friendly), so I'd sort of expected to see a photo now that I had a professional one. I immediately had to check every Ballantine trade paperback I own to see what other authors got and try to extrapolate the corporate policy. It was a mixed bag. Some had photos, some didn't. Some of the photos that were used looked even more amateurish than my original one, like random snapshots. Some of the authors were attractive, some weren't so much.
And the funny thing is, I'm not sure how much this matters, if it matters at all. I've seen on reader message boards where they like to see what an author looks like. I've also seen on reader message boards where they assume that the narrator/heroine of a first-person book looks just like the author, if there's an author photo (which would be a bad assumption in my case because Katie looks nothing like me). With the recent discussion of troll authors, I worry that having no photo will make people think I'm a troll. Or maybe I'm mysterious. Then there's the reader out there who apparently thinks I'm a pen name for Jennifer Crusie. Seriously. A photo should debunk that.
I'm not even sure -- if I decide to raise the question -- how to go about raising the question without sounding like I'm a hop, skip and a jump away from being one of those diva authors who's late to a personal appearance because she didn't like the limo the publisher sent to ferry her to that appearance and insisted on waiting until they were able to get the right kind of limo there -- stocked with the proper brand of bottled water, of course, and M&Ms with all the orange ones carefully picked out.
So, to the readers out there, do you even care if there's a photo of the author in the book? Does it have anything to do with your decision to purchase a book? Do you make any assumptions about the author based on the photo, or lack thereof?
And now I should get back to ticking things off that scary to-do list instead of getting sidetracked by vain and trivial things.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Spooky!
I just made my to-do list of projects that have to be completed in the next week and a half, and I think I just spooked myself. I won't need to visit a haunted house this year to get my Halloween scare on.
Speaking of Halloween, it looks like I'm going to be forced to somewhat clean/reorganize my office because I need some Halloween decorations that are under/behind the stacks of boxes that resulted from my last ill-fated office cleaning attempt. Back when I had an office job, we made a big deal out of birthdays, and one year my co-workers threw me a Buffy the Vampire Slayer birthday party. Although my birthday is in August, apparently that's already Halloween in the retail world, so they stocked up on plastic gravestones, plastic weapons and other spooky decor. My church is having a Halloween festival for neighborhood kids Sunday night, and they need my Buffy decor. The stake is mine, though, just in case a vampire shows up. (Hmm, I wonder if anyone would get it if I dressed as Faith -- I'm too brunette and curvy for Buffy, but I do own pleather pants.)
Meanwhile, tonight is the Taste of Oak Lawn event, a charity fundraiser where a lot of the restaurants in the general downtown/uptown/Oak Lawn area of Dallas (and some from more outlying areas) gather at the Melrose Hotel to offer a tasting smorgasbord. There's also a silent auction (two copies of Enchanted, Inc. will be up for auction, personally autographed at the end of the evening). The reason I look forward all year to this event is something called the Chocolate Glob. The restaurant that offers it (Parigi on Oak Lawn) describes it as a molten brownie, and I guess that's the best I can come up with other than, "Mmmmm .... gooey chocolate ... mmmmmm." It's so rich that I don't dare order it at the restaurant unless I can share with at least two other people, but the tasting sample is just the right size. I more than work off the calories, since I essentially work as a gofer at this event and am running around all night (when I'm not eating). If you're in the Dallas area and want to check it out for yourself, you can get details at http://www.tasteofoaklawn.com/. And now I have to go bake my chocolate chip cookies, another silent auction item.
But first, we've got another Out of the Blogosphere entry. This week it's another story from the Bewitched, Bothered and Bevampyred anthology, which raises money for the International Red Cross. Gena Showalter contributed the story "The Witches of Brokenoggin and the Dead Who Love Them," in which the well-endowed Tawdry triplets accidentally raise the dead while dealing with an overzealous peeping John. For more info, visit http://www.genashowalter.com.
Speaking of Halloween, it looks like I'm going to be forced to somewhat clean/reorganize my office because I need some Halloween decorations that are under/behind the stacks of boxes that resulted from my last ill-fated office cleaning attempt. Back when I had an office job, we made a big deal out of birthdays, and one year my co-workers threw me a Buffy the Vampire Slayer birthday party. Although my birthday is in August, apparently that's already Halloween in the retail world, so they stocked up on plastic gravestones, plastic weapons and other spooky decor. My church is having a Halloween festival for neighborhood kids Sunday night, and they need my Buffy decor. The stake is mine, though, just in case a vampire shows up. (Hmm, I wonder if anyone would get it if I dressed as Faith -- I'm too brunette and curvy for Buffy, but I do own pleather pants.)
Meanwhile, tonight is the Taste of Oak Lawn event, a charity fundraiser where a lot of the restaurants in the general downtown/uptown/Oak Lawn area of Dallas (and some from more outlying areas) gather at the Melrose Hotel to offer a tasting smorgasbord. There's also a silent auction (two copies of Enchanted, Inc. will be up for auction, personally autographed at the end of the evening). The reason I look forward all year to this event is something called the Chocolate Glob. The restaurant that offers it (Parigi on Oak Lawn) describes it as a molten brownie, and I guess that's the best I can come up with other than, "Mmmmm .... gooey chocolate ... mmmmmm." It's so rich that I don't dare order it at the restaurant unless I can share with at least two other people, but the tasting sample is just the right size. I more than work off the calories, since I essentially work as a gofer at this event and am running around all night (when I'm not eating). If you're in the Dallas area and want to check it out for yourself, you can get details at http://www.tasteofoaklawn.com/. And now I have to go bake my chocolate chip cookies, another silent auction item.
But first, we've got another Out of the Blogosphere entry. This week it's another story from the Bewitched, Bothered and Bevampyred anthology, which raises money for the International Red Cross. Gena Showalter contributed the story "The Witches of Brokenoggin and the Dead Who Love Them," in which the well-endowed Tawdry triplets accidentally raise the dead while dealing with an overzealous peeping John. For more info, visit http://www.genashowalter.com.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Rewards
Thanks to everyone for the congratulations. This is the fun part of a writing career. Soon, you'll get to hear the other side, as I whine and moan about how hard writing can be.
I forgot to mention yesterday how I plan to reward myself for the book deal. It's mandatory to buy new shoes to celebrate. Last time, I already knew I wanted the specific Infamous Red Stilettos and bought them that very day. This time around, I have more of a vague idea of a type of shoe I want, but I haven't narrowed it down to a specific item I must have this very minute. I'm going to celebrate with a new pair of dressy black high-heeled boots. Yes, I already own three pairs of black boots, but none of them fill that particular niche in my wardrobe. I have the high heeled, somewhat pointed toe ankle boots, but those are more casual and really only work with pants (I can't get into the ankle boots with a skirt concept -- makes my legs look too short). Then I have the flat-heeled riding boot style that come from the late 80s/early 90s, so they have the top that can fold over to create a Peter Pan style boot (not that I ever wear them that way). And my high-heeled tall black boots are from about 2000, so they have a square toe and chunky heel -- very motorcycle mama. They also weren't high quality to begin with (I refused to splurge during the square-toe, chunky-heel era), so they're starting to look not so nice. When I have time to shop again, I'll have to hit DSW and see what I can find.
Speaking of time ... the UPS man brought me a present today: the page proofs for Once Upon Stilettos. This is essentially the guts of the book, the way it will look when it's printed. I get to go over it, looking for any last-minute errors that need to be corrected before it goes in for the final printing. And yes, the typeface still has a longer bio than I do. I have about a week and a half to get that done.
This is actually good timing because it gives me a chance to reread both books before I get into book three. I don't think I'm in danger of having characters' eyes suddenly change color between books (I've actually read that in some series), but there have been enough drafts and rewrites that I don't always remember how things came out in the final version or which version of a scene I ended up going with. The whole creative process -- every scene or even idea -- is all jumbled up together in my head, along with the stuff that made it into the finished book. Plus, re-reading it is sure to get me totally back into that voice and with those characters.
Yesterday as I was taking a walk, I had scenes and bits of dialogue popping into my head already. I'm also working on some of my pre-writing stuff, like creating my soundtrack for this book, which means I'm listening to a lot of random music to see if anything jumps out at me as fitting the mood, emotions, characters or story for this book. The book takes place around Christmas time, so I may have to dip into Christmas music, too. I'd normally find that annoying at this time of year, but I'm in a choir, so we're already practicing Christmas music. The problem is, lately the kind of Christmas music I've been into is early music and English choral music, which doesn't fit the mood of the book (though if I could find a way to work in John Rutter's "What Sweeter Music," I would).
Now I have a few other deadlines for the day, plus a lot of errands to run, so I guess I'd better get to work!
I forgot to mention yesterday how I plan to reward myself for the book deal. It's mandatory to buy new shoes to celebrate. Last time, I already knew I wanted the specific Infamous Red Stilettos and bought them that very day. This time around, I have more of a vague idea of a type of shoe I want, but I haven't narrowed it down to a specific item I must have this very minute. I'm going to celebrate with a new pair of dressy black high-heeled boots. Yes, I already own three pairs of black boots, but none of them fill that particular niche in my wardrobe. I have the high heeled, somewhat pointed toe ankle boots, but those are more casual and really only work with pants (I can't get into the ankle boots with a skirt concept -- makes my legs look too short). Then I have the flat-heeled riding boot style that come from the late 80s/early 90s, so they have the top that can fold over to create a Peter Pan style boot (not that I ever wear them that way). And my high-heeled tall black boots are from about 2000, so they have a square toe and chunky heel -- very motorcycle mama. They also weren't high quality to begin with (I refused to splurge during the square-toe, chunky-heel era), so they're starting to look not so nice. When I have time to shop again, I'll have to hit DSW and see what I can find.
Speaking of time ... the UPS man brought me a present today: the page proofs for Once Upon Stilettos. This is essentially the guts of the book, the way it will look when it's printed. I get to go over it, looking for any last-minute errors that need to be corrected before it goes in for the final printing. And yes, the typeface still has a longer bio than I do. I have about a week and a half to get that done.
This is actually good timing because it gives me a chance to reread both books before I get into book three. I don't think I'm in danger of having characters' eyes suddenly change color between books (I've actually read that in some series), but there have been enough drafts and rewrites that I don't always remember how things came out in the final version or which version of a scene I ended up going with. The whole creative process -- every scene or even idea -- is all jumbled up together in my head, along with the stuff that made it into the finished book. Plus, re-reading it is sure to get me totally back into that voice and with those characters.
Yesterday as I was taking a walk, I had scenes and bits of dialogue popping into my head already. I'm also working on some of my pre-writing stuff, like creating my soundtrack for this book, which means I'm listening to a lot of random music to see if anything jumps out at me as fitting the mood, emotions, characters or story for this book. The book takes place around Christmas time, so I may have to dip into Christmas music, too. I'd normally find that annoying at this time of year, but I'm in a choir, so we're already practicing Christmas music. The problem is, lately the kind of Christmas music I've been into is early music and English choral music, which doesn't fit the mood of the book (though if I could find a way to work in John Rutter's "What Sweeter Music," I would).
Now I have a few other deadlines for the day, plus a lot of errands to run, so I guess I'd better get to work!
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