Sunday, November 22, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
You Might Be A Writer If...
You’re listening to a Green Day song and exclaim, “Wow! I love that metaphor!”
You shrug at the teenager who shoots you a weird look at the abovementioned exclamation and say, “Well, I do."
You love having nightmares, because they give you great story ideas.
Your idea of the perfect shopping spree includes a trip to the office supply store for paper, toner and an iTunes card; a stop at Starbucks for a venti latte and a month’s supply of coffee beans; a swing into the bookstore to reload your already teetering To Be Read pile; and the miraculous discovery of an extremely comfy sweater and the perfect pair of slippers.
You talk about imaginary people like they’re real – and you know them personally.
You have a notebook in your purse, your backpack, your laptop case, your glove compartment and every single room of your house – maybe even the bathroom.
You ask yourself questions out loud, then answer them. Because, hey. The cats are asleep and who else will talk to you?
You collect whiteboards, dry-erase pens, binders and bulletin boards instead of shoes.
Your family doesn’t ask what CD you’re playing in the car. They ask, “Which book is this playlist for?”
You give yourself an hour or so to be pissed, sad or frustrated when another rejection, bad review or hateful, whiney e-mail comes your way. Then you get over it and get back to work.
You pass up social engagements, video games, TV shows and sometimes sleep to write. Because writers don’t talk about writing – they do it.
You might be a writer if…
you quit reading blogs and get to it. *grins*
You shrug at the teenager who shoots you a weird look at the abovementioned exclamation and say, “Well, I do."
You love having nightmares, because they give you great story ideas.
Your idea of the perfect shopping spree includes a trip to the office supply store for paper, toner and an iTunes card; a stop at Starbucks for a venti latte and a month’s supply of coffee beans; a swing into the bookstore to reload your already teetering To Be Read pile; and the miraculous discovery of an extremely comfy sweater and the perfect pair of slippers.
You talk about imaginary people like they’re real – and you know them personally.
You have a notebook in your purse, your backpack, your laptop case, your glove compartment and every single room of your house – maybe even the bathroom.
You ask yourself questions out loud, then answer them. Because, hey. The cats are asleep and who else will talk to you?
You collect whiteboards, dry-erase pens, binders and bulletin boards instead of shoes.
Your family doesn’t ask what CD you’re playing in the car. They ask, “Which book is this playlist for?”
You give yourself an hour or so to be pissed, sad or frustrated when another rejection, bad review or hateful, whiney e-mail comes your way. Then you get over it and get back to work.
You pass up social engagements, video games, TV shows and sometimes sleep to write. Because writers don’t talk about writing – they do it.
You might be a writer if…
you quit reading blogs and get to it. *grins*
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Cathy's Writing -- So, what would you LIKE it to say?
When I first started to write professionally, it was in the magazine business. It either amuses or horrifies other romance authors (and readers) to learn that I formerly wrote articles about how to hunt and fish to a national, mostly male, audience. But those authors who likewise came from magazines to books often feel the same as me that it was incredibly instructive to come from that background because it teaches you how to think on your creative feet.
When you're freelance writing for magazines what you often have to ask is "What would you like the article to say?" Much like books, magazines appeal to a specific demographic---whether young females, or older men or those with a particular hobby or interest. The editors of weekly/monthly magazines have their fingers on the pulse of their readership. Often there's a "Letters to the Editor" section where readers will write in to express their compliments (or more often, their complaints) about a particular article or column. Outdoor magazine readers are VERY vocal about their beloved hobbies, so to say that article authors are under a microscope is an understatement. If you're interested to see an outdoor article I wrote, there's one still online that I wrote about pheasant hunting way back in 2004. That it's still on their website says it still gets a LOT of reads, an amazing thing in this fast-moving internet world.
What that means is that writers have to spend a HUGE amount of time working on details, which could change in a heartbeat when the editor decides to move the article into a different issue. Magazines are totally unlike books, in that you can move books from season to season with no particular effect. Oh, sure, publishers TRY to put out holiday themed books in the month of (or month before) the actual event, but there are plenty of releases of books set in the summer that come out in the winter, and vice-versa. But readers won't put up with that in the magazine trade. If you feature a particular lake as a summer fishing hotspot in a winter issue but readers know the lake yields no fish from October through March, they'll make their displeasure known.
But what does that mean for the author? Well, what sometimes happens is that the editor looking at a query, who had originally thought the article would be a good fit for a summer issue discovers he sold too much ad space (another issue that book publishers don't have to worry about.) Magazines are all about ads, because that's where better than half of the revenue to produce the magazine comes from. Ads rule each issue, and articles are second. A purchased feature can easily be bumped from an issue in favor of revenue generation.
So what happens to the article? Then the author gets an email or a call from the editor, who says something like, "You know that article I bought about such-and-such lake for the June issue? Can you rework that for January? Can you ice fish there? If not, do you have any other lakes nearby where you can?"
Of course, you researched a summer issue. All of your expert quotes are about the terrific wind surfing and warm water fish. Sigh... So, for the very same money, the author has to start over and rewrite the whole piece. Completely. Little is salvagable from warm winds to bitter icy ones--except maybe the caution to use sunscreen. The sidebar (those little boxes within an article with other, but related information) you wrote about the quaint shops to visit around the lake? Flip, splash! They're all closed in the winter. The sidebar becomes one about snowstorm preparedness for your car. (By the way, this example really did happen---just like this.)
So how does that benefit a writer of urban fantasy and paranormal romance novels? Well, your book editor is going to make similar requests. "You know that scene where the hero and heroine go into town to shop? It really doesn't work for me. Have them go somewhere else instead. Maybe a mountain resort. That'll set up the next scene better."
After dozens of articles for magazines, instead of panicking about such a sweeping change (because often it BECOMES sweeping---few scenes are easily removed) I just shrug and smile and say, "Okay. So what would you LIKE that scene to say?" :D
How about the rest of you? Do you adapt to sudden change well? Whether it's a child coming home and saying, "Oh, and I need 30 cupcakes for school tomorrow" or a husband calling to warn you that his boss, plus the management team from Boston, are coming home with him to have a working dinner, do you go with the flow, or blow a gasket? I'd really like to know so tell me all about your most memorable 'abrupt shift.'
When you're freelance writing for magazines what you often have to ask is "What would you like the article to say?" Much like books, magazines appeal to a specific demographic---whether young females, or older men or those with a particular hobby or interest. The editors of weekly/monthly magazines have their fingers on the pulse of their readership. Often there's a "Letters to the Editor" section where readers will write in to express their compliments (or more often, their complaints) about a particular article or column. Outdoor magazine readers are VERY vocal about their beloved hobbies, so to say that article authors are under a microscope is an understatement. If you're interested to see an outdoor article I wrote, there's one still online that I wrote about pheasant hunting way back in 2004. That it's still on their website says it still gets a LOT of reads, an amazing thing in this fast-moving internet world.
What that means is that writers have to spend a HUGE amount of time working on details, which could change in a heartbeat when the editor decides to move the article into a different issue. Magazines are totally unlike books, in that you can move books from season to season with no particular effect. Oh, sure, publishers TRY to put out holiday themed books in the month of (or month before) the actual event, but there are plenty of releases of books set in the summer that come out in the winter, and vice-versa. But readers won't put up with that in the magazine trade. If you feature a particular lake as a summer fishing hotspot in a winter issue but readers know the lake yields no fish from October through March, they'll make their displeasure known.
But what does that mean for the author? Well, what sometimes happens is that the editor looking at a query, who had originally thought the article would be a good fit for a summer issue discovers he sold too much ad space (another issue that book publishers don't have to worry about.) Magazines are all about ads, because that's where better than half of the revenue to produce the magazine comes from. Ads rule each issue, and articles are second. A purchased feature can easily be bumped from an issue in favor of revenue generation.
So what happens to the article? Then the author gets an email or a call from the editor, who says something like, "You know that article I bought about such-and-such lake for the June issue? Can you rework that for January? Can you ice fish there? If not, do you have any other lakes nearby where you can?"
Of course, you researched a summer issue. All of your expert quotes are about the terrific wind surfing and warm water fish. Sigh... So, for the very same money, the author has to start over and rewrite the whole piece. Completely. Little is salvagable from warm winds to bitter icy ones--except maybe the caution to use sunscreen. The sidebar (those little boxes within an article with other, but related information) you wrote about the quaint shops to visit around the lake? Flip, splash! They're all closed in the winter. The sidebar becomes one about snowstorm preparedness for your car. (By the way, this example really did happen---just like this.)
So how does that benefit a writer of urban fantasy and paranormal romance novels? Well, your book editor is going to make similar requests. "You know that scene where the hero and heroine go into town to shop? It really doesn't work for me. Have them go somewhere else instead. Maybe a mountain resort. That'll set up the next scene better."
After dozens of articles for magazines, instead of panicking about such a sweeping change (because often it BECOMES sweeping---few scenes are easily removed) I just shrug and smile and say, "Okay. So what would you LIKE that scene to say?" :D
How about the rest of you? Do you adapt to sudden change well? Whether it's a child coming home and saying, "Oh, and I need 30 cupcakes for school tomorrow" or a husband calling to warn you that his boss, plus the management team from Boston, are coming home with him to have a working dinner, do you go with the flow, or blow a gasket? I'd really like to know so tell me all about your most memorable 'abrupt shift.'
Stop and Smell the Moment
So we're nearing holiday crazy time. By next Thursday it will be full swing. I already have four events booked in early December for my daughter and I. She's three and this will be the first year I think she'll really *get* Christmas. I'm taking advantage of that and intend to have as much holiday fun this year that we can.
It helps that the deadline for my book is at the end of this month. I'll have that off my plate at the beginning of December and, while I will have to be working in December (working never ends), I'll be able to take some time off here and there for festivals and Christmas related charity events. I'm really looking forward to it.
Of course, that means lots of venues packed with stressed parents and children who can feel that stress and are reacting to it. Now that I'm a mom I'm plunged right into lots of events like that. It's just chaos, pure and simple. What I see a lot of at festivals are moms and dads desperately trying to enjoy the day while also refereeing arguments between siblings, dealing with tantruming toddlers, and trying to wrest objects out of little grasping fingers. Been there, done that, got the badge of honorable conduct in parenting warfare.
I remember this one time (in Band Camp. I can never say this one time without adding in Band Camp to it anymore. *sigh*) a mother wanted to take a picture of her son, who looked miserable, so she basically demanded that he stand up straight, smile, and look like he was having fun, damn it! The little kid looked ready to burst into tears by the time she snapped the photo.
Now, I totally get losing your patience with children, especially if you’re leading around four or five of them. And I’m really not much for crowds. They make me tense. So I get that too. But all day long at these events I look around me and see people looking harassed instead of happy and I keep wondering…if you’re not going to enjoy it, why do it?
I don’t mean to get preachy, but this moment is unique. It’s never going to happen exactly this way ever again. Don’t blink, (you know, metaphorically), or you’ll miss it. Every single event has beauty and, if you’re open to it, you’ll be able to see it. Even if your child is cranky, your feet hurt, and some random lady just halted her stroller in the middle of the pathway right in front of you for the. five. hundredth. time.
Because you never know when your moments are going run out. Don’t take these you’re having right now for granted.
Please, y’all, do me a favor and wallow in at least one moment for me. Do it after you're done reading this post. Seep into right now. Close your eyes if it makes it easier. Don’t think about the past or the future. Don’t think about what you need to get at the grocery store or how so-and-so just really pissed you off. Just concentrate on being exactly where you are at exactly this moment in time. Concentrate on what you hear, what you smell. Concentrate on your body in your clothes and your feet in your shoes. Note it, let it go, and float. See the beauty in it.
For anyone willing to play, tell me about your experience in the comments.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Food for Thought
I mentioned on another blog that for me Thanksgiving was about food and naps. To be honest, that's true. It's one of the reasons it is one of my favorite holidays. But yesterday my husband, without really meaning to, reminded me why it is important to be thankful and to count our blessings.
He had three stories, all tragedies involving men at his work. The first was a man, who was shot by his wife. She shot him in the thigh, but hit an artery and he nearly died. Turns out she'd shot her first husband too. I don't care how angry I get at the man I married, that kind of violence should never play a part. It made me thankful that I have an opportunity to vent my frustrations through the written word. I can blow up a bad guy, or shoot him with a crossbow, and no one "really" gets hurt. It's important to be grateful for our creative outlets that give us the opportunity to work through our problems, whether that's writing or knitting.
The second story was about a man who had a serious illness. They aren't sure if he'll pull through, and it all came on rather suddenly. I've spent years not really taking care of my body, but that has all changed the last few months when I had some serious health issues of my own. The light bulb FINALLY went off about two weeks ago, and I realized I had to make some big changes. It isn't easy, but I can already see some positive effects. We shouldn't take our health for granted, and we should always be thankful for it, as well as the health of those closest to us.
The third story broke my heart. Another man's children were hit by a car while walking home from school. The woman behind the wheel saw the children, but panicked and accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the break. Both children, a boy and a girl, are in the hospital and in comas. It's not looking good for the boy. I can't even imagine what these poor parents are going through. My children, as crazy as they drive me sometimes, are my life. You can bet there will be some big time hug coming their way. Even though they are both in college and will say, "Mom, get a grip." :) So let's be thankful, even for those who drive us a little batty. And though I don't know this man and his children, I hope you will keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
I didn't tell you all of this to bring you down, only to remind you what of what is most important. I don't know about you, but I have a tendency to get drawn into the drama of the day-to-day and forget the big picture at times. Stories like those above can help pull us out of that rut and remind us to be Thankful for all the lovely life gifts we've been given.
I hope this Thanksgiving that you'll remember to hold those dearest to you a little closer to your hearts, and to always be thankful. Each day is a blessing, and we should remember that.
I'd like to hear what you are thankful for... Tell me, I really want to know.
Happy Thanksgiving!
He had three stories, all tragedies involving men at his work. The first was a man, who was shot by his wife. She shot him in the thigh, but hit an artery and he nearly died. Turns out she'd shot her first husband too. I don't care how angry I get at the man I married, that kind of violence should never play a part. It made me thankful that I have an opportunity to vent my frustrations through the written word. I can blow up a bad guy, or shoot him with a crossbow, and no one "really" gets hurt. It's important to be grateful for our creative outlets that give us the opportunity to work through our problems, whether that's writing or knitting.
The second story was about a man who had a serious illness. They aren't sure if he'll pull through, and it all came on rather suddenly. I've spent years not really taking care of my body, but that has all changed the last few months when I had some serious health issues of my own. The light bulb FINALLY went off about two weeks ago, and I realized I had to make some big changes. It isn't easy, but I can already see some positive effects. We shouldn't take our health for granted, and we should always be thankful for it, as well as the health of those closest to us.
The third story broke my heart. Another man's children were hit by a car while walking home from school. The woman behind the wheel saw the children, but panicked and accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the break. Both children, a boy and a girl, are in the hospital and in comas. It's not looking good for the boy. I can't even imagine what these poor parents are going through. My children, as crazy as they drive me sometimes, are my life. You can bet there will be some big time hug coming their way. Even though they are both in college and will say, "Mom, get a grip." :) So let's be thankful, even for those who drive us a little batty. And though I don't know this man and his children, I hope you will keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
I didn't tell you all of this to bring you down, only to remind you what of what is most important. I don't know about you, but I have a tendency to get drawn into the drama of the day-to-day and forget the big picture at times. Stories like those above can help pull us out of that rut and remind us to be Thankful for all the lovely life gifts we've been given.
I hope this Thanksgiving that you'll remember to hold those dearest to you a little closer to your hearts, and to always be thankful. Each day is a blessing, and we should remember that.
I'd like to hear what you are thankful for... Tell me, I really want to know.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
33 Years Later
Every Thanksgiving is special, but this particular one for me is extra so in many ways. Thirty-three years ago in October of 1976, I gave up a child - a daughter - for adoption. This year, for the first time, she'll join us for Thanksgiving.
As a storyteller, I read that statement and instant questions arise, the majority of which begin with "what, what, who?" and "where, why, how?" I've already mentioned the "when."
Suffice to say the beautiful young woman who contacted me, and with whom I met a few days after Mother's Day this year is a far better, stronger, well-rounded and complete person than the one I could have raised knowing the emotional shape I was in back then. Her parents were older and more mature than I, wanted - and loved her before they ever saw her - every bit as much as I did and with the added benefit of being able to offer her a kind of stability that I, at that time and for years after, could not.
Painful as it was to let her go, the one thing I kept telling myself at the time was that "someone was getting the best Christmas present I could ever possibly give them." Now I know that sentiment bore out, that in fact, Kirsten's mother sat in church that Christmas thirty-three years ago and said thank you for the gift she'd been given.
I am grateful beyond words for the job Kirsten's parents did raising her, grateful that I can see the result of this gift, and share in it for a time this Thanksgiving.
Wishing you all the most joyous season possible.
Terey
Monday, November 16, 2009
Does Your Writing Smell?
There are a lot of studies that show the impact smells have on memories and emotions yet it seems to be one of the most underused senses in fiction. This is in spite of the fact that we go through our days with scents playing a big part in our lives.
Smell is integral to how things taste. Smells can warn us of danger. Smells remind us of good times and bad.
Smells trigger a conditioned response - the first time you smell a new scent, you link it to a memory. Because most new scents are smelled as we grow up, they most often trigger childhood memories.
Writers are constantly advised to use all the senses in their stories but this most primal and powerful sense seems to get the short straw far too often. I know for a while I just didn't think about smells but once I realized I was giving my nose too little attention, it made me really pay attention to what I was smelling throughout the day.
The smell of my toothpaste, the still "new car" scent in my car, the odor of leaves after a heavy rain, even the lingering scent of coffee in the kitchen. Someone at work was wearing a rose perfume and I thought about my grandmother, who always wore rose perfume. The smell of cookies someone had brought in to work made me think of kitchens and baking in peace and quiet.
Ocean water has a smell different than that of fresh water. Inland fog smells different than coastal fog.
To me, this was especially interesting because I really don't have much of a visual memory so scents seem especially evocative.
Once I realized the power of smell, I began to use it in my writing more often. One character smelled the scent of the ocean. Another character smelled lingering pipe smoke and it comforted her because of her memories. I really think it enriches stories and makes them multi-dimensional - gives them a depth beyond the sounds and sights.
What are your favorite scents and what do they make you think of? Do you think scents are underused in fiction?
Smell is integral to how things taste. Smells can warn us of danger. Smells remind us of good times and bad.
Smells trigger a conditioned response - the first time you smell a new scent, you link it to a memory. Because most new scents are smelled as we grow up, they most often trigger childhood memories.
Writers are constantly advised to use all the senses in their stories but this most primal and powerful sense seems to get the short straw far too often. I know for a while I just didn't think about smells but once I realized I was giving my nose too little attention, it made me really pay attention to what I was smelling throughout the day.
The smell of my toothpaste, the still "new car" scent in my car, the odor of leaves after a heavy rain, even the lingering scent of coffee in the kitchen. Someone at work was wearing a rose perfume and I thought about my grandmother, who always wore rose perfume. The smell of cookies someone had brought in to work made me think of kitchens and baking in peace and quiet.
Ocean water has a smell different than that of fresh water. Inland fog smells different than coastal fog.
To me, this was especially interesting because I really don't have much of a visual memory so scents seem especially evocative.
Once I realized the power of smell, I began to use it in my writing more often. One character smelled the scent of the ocean. Another character smelled lingering pipe smoke and it comforted her because of her memories. I really think it enriches stories and makes them multi-dimensional - gives them a depth beyond the sounds and sights.
What are your favorite scents and what do they make you think of? Do you think scents are underused in fiction?
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Adopt-A-Fox: The Heroes of Song, Story, and Movies
Each month, the Witchy Chicks adopt a fox for the Henhouse. Eye Candy? Quite often, but we’ve also adopted other types of foxes—from singing foxes to kitsune foxes. Today I’m going to adopt a type of fox. I’m going to adopt the fantasy heroes we know and love. Who we long to see meet their true loves (and much the better if it’s us but hey—as long as they get a woman worthy of them, we’re happy). I chose four archetypes, all adventurers but each one slightly different.
First we have the antihero, the dark knight who sweeps us away and makes us forget about our love at home. He’s not always ‘good’ and he’s doesn’t play by the rules, but we love him anyway, because we know he’d save our ass no matter what—and then he’d give it a pinch. My choice for the anti-hero here is Wolverine. Gorgeous, rugged, down-to-earth, and yet not quite of this earth.
Second we have the fun boy—the adventurer rogue who’s not quite so serious. He can make us laugh, he’ll get us into trouble with him, but then he’ll make sure we get out alive. He’ll cry if something happens to us, he’ll give us the last cookie off the plate, and yet he’s got a childlike spirit in the body of a man. My choice for the fun boy is Rick O’Connell—who woke up the Mummy and then put him back into his eternal slumber.
Third, we have the rogue—he’s not really an antihero because we know he’ll come through for us in the end, but he’s the playboy, the flirt, the risk-taker, the mercenary we all know and love. He loves women, sometimes he ends up running the other way, but in the long run, he’s going to do the right thing. My choice for the rogue is: Han Solo, and can any of us ever forget his immortal line when Princess Leia told him she loved him? “I know.”
And fourth—we have the prince in pauper’s clothing. We have the king. He’s regal, whether or not he’s wearing his royal garb. He’s honorable, he won’t flinch from his duty, he would rather stride through the woods but when he’s called upon, he will take up the task and lead the men to glory. His crown weighs heavy, but he follows his destiny. He can only marry a princess—but not one flighty and worried about her glass slipper. No, he’s destined for otherworldly love—and we wish for a moment we were the Elfin woman who won his heart—for we, too, would give up immortality for a man who has eyes only for us. And of course, my choice for the King is Aragorn, son of Arathorn, also known as Strider.
So who are your favorite heroes from movie, book, and ballad? What type best suits you? Have you met your real life hero? I know I have, in my husband—he’s more like Rick O’Connell.
Yasmine
First we have the antihero, the dark knight who sweeps us away and makes us forget about our love at home. He’s not always ‘good’ and he’s doesn’t play by the rules, but we love him anyway, because we know he’d save our ass no matter what—and then he’d give it a pinch. My choice for the anti-hero here is Wolverine. Gorgeous, rugged, down-to-earth, and yet not quite of this earth.
Second we have the fun boy—the adventurer rogue who’s not quite so serious. He can make us laugh, he’ll get us into trouble with him, but then he’ll make sure we get out alive. He’ll cry if something happens to us, he’ll give us the last cookie off the plate, and yet he’s got a childlike spirit in the body of a man. My choice for the fun boy is Rick O’Connell—who woke up the Mummy and then put him back into his eternal slumber.
Third, we have the rogue—he’s not really an antihero because we know he’ll come through for us in the end, but he’s the playboy, the flirt, the risk-taker, the mercenary we all know and love. He loves women, sometimes he ends up running the other way, but in the long run, he’s going to do the right thing. My choice for the rogue is: Han Solo, and can any of us ever forget his immortal line when Princess Leia told him she loved him? “I know.”
And fourth—we have the prince in pauper’s clothing. We have the king. He’s regal, whether or not he’s wearing his royal garb. He’s honorable, he won’t flinch from his duty, he would rather stride through the woods but when he’s called upon, he will take up the task and lead the men to glory. His crown weighs heavy, but he follows his destiny. He can only marry a princess—but not one flighty and worried about her glass slipper. No, he’s destined for otherworldly love—and we wish for a moment we were the Elfin woman who won his heart—for we, too, would give up immortality for a man who has eyes only for us. And of course, my choice for the King is Aragorn, son of Arathorn, also known as Strider.
So who are your favorite heroes from movie, book, and ballad? What type best suits you? Have you met your real life hero? I know I have, in my husband—he’s more like Rick O’Connell.
Yasmine
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