Copycat?

Question of the day: How common is it that a writer submit an idea to a magazine, only to have the magazine poach the idea and give it to another writer?

Ah yes. The "they stole my idea" moment! We've all had at least one of those moments. That moment when you open up a magazine and see the exact story that you yourself pitched to the same magazine just months prior.

Before you send off a scathing email to your editor, take a deep breath. And read this post.

Here's the deal with poaching ideas: sure, it happens, but it happens rarely. Far less than writers seem to think. In fact, if you run this question by a board of really seasoned magazine writers, most of them will tell you that this is an urban legend: that poaching is sort of a newbie's myth, a way of suggesting that their idea and their writing should have been included in a mag, and that they were robbed.

Which isn't to say that it doesn't happen. Because I'm sure it does. But remember this: if you have an idea for an article, the odds are very, very, very, very, very, very high that somewhere out there in the freelancing world, someone else has that same idea. I know it's hard to admit because we all like to think that our ideas are uniquely genius, but the truth is...is that they're not. We all come up with our ideas from more or less the same pool: the same access to the same research; the same obstacles with our kids and our marriages and our careers and our bank accounts and our parents and our pets and our diets...well...you get the idea. Editors get pitched very similar queries all the time - it's inevitable - and if they choose a different writer, maybe one whom they're familiar with - over you, it isn't that they're stealing your idea, it's just that this writer got the gig because he or she has already proven himself to said editor. Also keep in mind that the lead time for most monthly magazines is at least six months (yes, editors are working on winter 2009 issues right now), so if you submitted your idea in less than that, there is simply no chance that it was stolen.

Okay. So you've heard what I have to say. But let's say that you're 100% convinced that your idea was taken. It does happen. I'm sure. Maybe the editor didn't want to trust a new-to-her writer or maybe - and this definitely happens - it was something less duplicitous and the editor just forgot about your pitch or overlooked it or had it slip her mind. So what now? Some writers will send off a kind but not-entirely-subtle note to the editor, along the lines of, "Hey! I read your great story on XYZ, and I'm so glad to know that since I pitched this idea a while ago, that I'm on the right track. I look forward to hitting the target again with you in the near future." Or something like that. Other writers will take a more forward approach: sending the editor a note basically stating that they pitched XYZ and were very surprised to see it appear in the magazine when it was so, so similar to the very query they fired off.

I dunno. I fall into the camp of: will these notes really do anything other than assuage your irritation? Maybe the former will guilt the editor into assigning you something, but really, do you want to work with editors whom you don't trust? Do you want to worry that when you send off a well-researched pitch, that said research is going to end up in the hands of another writer via the editor? I wouldn't, and I don't. So in the rare case when I really and truly thought that an idea had been poached (and come to think of it, I really can't think of anything concrete in the span of my career), I would probably just cross that editor off my pitch list. Maybe this is akin to tucking your tail beneath your legs - and it might not be the approach that everyone would choose, I know this - but I'd probably just let that bridge go unburned and walk away.

But chime in here: has this happened to you? How have you handled it? Do you think poaching is as common in the industry as some writers suspect? Or as others believe, is it more of an urban myth?

I Want a Divorce

(Admin note: I've noticed a lot of new readers at the blog. Welcome! Just so you know how this whole thing works: if you have a question about the book or magazine biz, take a spin through the archives, and if you don't find your answer, shoot me an email, and I'll post the question and answer on the blog. allison@allisonwinn.com. Thanks for stopping by!)

Question of the day: If I don't feel like my agent is a good match for me or lacks enthusiasm about my work at this point, how do you divorce an agent?

I am a divorcee. This will come as news, however, to my husband. :) No, really, I have divorced an agent, and like many divorcees (both from their agents and their spouses), I am so much the better for it. So I do speak from experience here.

The first step in breaking ties with your agent, in my opinion, is to have a frank discussion about where the relationship is and where the relationship is heading. Not unlike what you'd do when you're debating breaking up with a boyfriend (or feel like he might be gearing up to break up with you - sob). You'll inevitably dread this discussion - I lost countless nights of sleep and probably a few pounds too - anticipating mine, but it's a necessity. It's also the fair thing to do both for your agent and for your career. It's possible, for example, that you have different expectations in terms of communication than she does, and you just need to have a head-to-head to get on the same page. Be clear about what isn't working for you in this discussion and ask her (or him) if she feels the same - if you've, in fact, reached an impasse or if this is something that you can get past.

In my case, it was clear that my first agent had lost faith in me, and I was frustrated to all hell with her. So I called her, and we chatted. She was willing to keep working with me, but I certainly didn't want someone in my corner who barely wanted to be there. So I walked. (And felt 100% liberated in doing so.)

If you're at the point where you don't even want to have this conversation (which again, I think can be critically important because your agent might not even be aware of your complaints) and just truly believe that it's time to cut bait, you need to notify your agent before you shop around for a new one. I've actually read recently that some agents don't mind you putting out feelers - sending out some referral emails or "hey, would you be interested in this" emails - before you cut ties, but I'm not so sure. I think it's sketchy - agents know each other, they know each other's clients, and in my opinion, I think you should fully wash your hands clean of one agent before moving on to your search for another. Is that a horrifyingly scary step? Of course. But it's the ethical thing to do, and as I always say here: it's better to have no agent than a crappy agent.

So if you decide to move on, either send your agent a kind but professional note or give her a call, and simply say that you think you should amicably part ways. You don't have to get into the nitty-gritty and you certainly shouldn't convey a sense of anger or bad blood. This is a business relationship, though many of us tend to personalize it, and you should try to keep your parting as business-like as possible, in my opinion. This industry is small - and who knows when you'll run into this agent again? Best to leave it amicable and instead devote your attention to finding someone new.

Anyone else out there leave their agents? If so, did you look for someone new BEFORE getting out? How do you feel about that? How did you take steps to getting your divorce?

The First Review!

If at any moment over the weekend, you heard a loud whoosh of wind, it actually might have been me exhaling. Yes, I exhaled so forcefully upon reading my first big review from Publishers Weekly that you might have heard it 'round the nation.

It's funny: I know, as a writer, that books and writer are subjective and that certainly, not everyone will like what I put out there. I read plenty of books that I don't necessarily adore but understand that somewhere out there, someone else does. I get that I'll get the occasional (hopefully just occasional!) bad review from someone, and that's okay. You have to have an awfully thick skin to make it in this industry, and mine is certainly thick.

But.

I was totally internally freaking out all of last week about my first review, which I knew was coming from PW. Because the first review is the toughest. Because you worry that maybe you're walking around in this complete cloud of self-delusion, thinking, "I wrote a kick-ass book," which, by the way, every writer thinks, when, in fact, you wrote a crap book. And that first review might just shoot you off of that cloud. So, yeah, I was a little bit (or a lot of bit) of a stress ball.

So when it popped up late Friday, I was soooooo relieved that I could enjoy my weekend! Because they liked it! They really really liked it! They called the book "an engaging, fast-moving, high-concept drama," and said that "Scotch keeps one dexterous step ahead of page-flipping readers eager to guess the outcome." Whoohoo!

Now. I know that reviews are just that: a review from one single person's viewpoint, and if I'm going to enjoy the good ones, I damn well better read the bad ones too. And I will. With Kirkus just around the corner, that time might be sooner rather than later. LOL. But still. For this past weekend, I could exhale and know that I wasn't self-delusional. At least not completely. :)

Other writers - how do you cope with reviews? Do you read 'em? Do you take them to heart?

Putting Your Agent To Work

Question of the day: What is your relationship with your agent? What role do agents play in a writers career? Do they help with book promotion or with connections as to such? If I don't feel like my agent is a good match for me or lacks enthusiasm about my work at this point how do you divorce an agent?

I'll answer your last question - how to leave your agent - on the next blog post, but for now, there's a lot of stuff here to cover.

Let me first say that every agent, and thus, every relationship with an agent, is different. I happen to have a very reciprocal, fluid relationship with my agent - we are in constant touch, she helps me shape ideas for plots and characters, I keep her up to date on my press stuff, she keeps me up to date on administrative stuff, etc. When I was searching for an agent, however, I was acutely aware of my personal operating style: I NEED to be kept in the loop because I am anal about taking care of every last detail. So I needed to be matched with an agent who didn't mind having a free flow of information between us. Not all agents are willing to do this (Miss Snark made it clear that she wasn't, for example) and not all authors need this. Many authors are content to hear news on a need-to-know basis, but I'm not one of them, and if I were saddled with an agent who kept things close to her vest, I'd be miserably unhappy. BUT, this isn't to say that agents who aren't as communicative are just as good agents - they very well might be, they just wouldn't be well-suited to my style.

As far as what role an agent plays in your career, well, ideally, your agent is the one who navigates your career for you. Your agent wears a lot of hats: cheerleader, editor, go-between, but in my mind, none is more important than how they pilot your career. Ideally, you and your agent should be in this for the long run, so (in a perfect world), you'll have a longer-term strategy for the trajectory of your career. Is this a lot to ask from an agent? Maybe. But we're speaking in idealized terms here, and so I think this is an important point. For example, as I've mentioned here in the past, I wrote a book between The Department and Time of My Life that got some so-so offers but weren't what I really hoped for. My agent and I conferred, and thanks to her insights, we decided to pass on those offers and have me take a crack at another book, which turned out to be Time of My Life. My agent fully believed that I had a BIG BOOK in me, and that it was this BIG BOOK that would ultimately help me break out as an author. (Time will tell, of course!) Had I accepted one of these other offers, my career would be on an entirely different trajectory, and not in a good way. But she had the foresight to help steer me where I needed to go, and I think a good agent can and should be able to do this for you.

Finally, as far as agents helping you with promotion, absolutely...though only to a point. My agent set up meetings with my publicity team and has stayed in touch with them (as have I), as we gear up for the launch. She's also helped brainstorm ideas with me as to where we can generate press, looked through contacts of hers whom she's sent the book to, and helped me land a blurb from one of my all-time favorite authors. All of this really speaks to how proactive she is, in every aspect of my career.

Will every agent do this for you? Absolutely not. And that's okay. As I said before, everyone has different expectations of what an agent will bring to the table, but these were the expectations that I had of mine, and she's easily met them. In turn, I know that she has certain expectations of me as an author, and I feel confident that I've met them too. I trust her, and she trust me, and that's the underlying critical element here. If you don't trust your agent to do right by you or to truly go to bat for you, then....well...we'll get to leaving your agent (something I've also done!) in the next post. :)

Readers out there who have agent representation, what do you expect of your agent? Does he/she help steer your career and/or help with your book promotion?

Agent Question/Agent Answers

Question of the day: A couple weeks ago you had a post on asking the hard/scary questions of agents or prospective agents. I’m going to be shopping for an agent in a few months, what are these hard questions that I want to be sure to ask?

What questions you ask are going to be strictly individual and most likely determined by how well you click with your agent and how much research you've done. For example, when I chatted with the various agents who offered to rep me, I immediately clicked with one (my current agent) and didn't ask to speak with other clients or references. I trusted my gut. But I know plenty of authors who DO request references, and if you feel most comfortable doing so, then by all means, do it.

But, since you asked, here are some questions off the top of my head that I think are perfectly valid (and good) issues to be raised once you've received an offer of representation:

1) Do you envision this as hardcover or paperback?
2) Do you have other clients who have similar works? If so, did you successfully sell them?
3) How do you envision this book being marketed? (I.e, this will give you an idea if you and your agent are on the same page about the span and scope of the publicity/audience/etc.)
4) How many editors do you typically submit to? What happens if we don't sell the first round?
5) How do you deal with foreign rights?
6) Do you have a film co-agent?
7) I assume you take a standard fee, correct?
8) Do you have any specific imprints or editors in mind? (Some agents won't tell you or won't appreciate being asked, but if you're the type of author who wants a transparent flow of information, then this is a valid question. My agent, for example, asked for my input before she submitted.)
9) How hands-on are you, in terms of editing? Can I expect you to help me polish this or do you like to be handed a finished, ready-to-go version.
10) How communicative are you with your authors? Do you mind being nudged or sharing information or would you rather keep me in the loop on a need-to-know basis?
11) Do you have a contract?

Hmmm, I'm sure that there are plenty of others. Readers with agents, want to chime in? I should stress that I don't think you have to have this list in front of you when you speak with your potential agent: a lot of these things might come up in the conversation, but I do think these are all valid and necessary things to understand about the person who is repping not just your novel but your career.

GCC Presents: Jess Riley and Driving Sideways

I've mentioned Jess Riley and her new book (a perfect beach read), Driving Sideways, on the blog before, but I'm really excited to tour her today as part of GCC because her road to publication is awfully similar to a lot of readers' roads, which is to say that it was easy, but she persvered, and now, voila, here she is. Before we get to my questions and her answers, here's some scoop on the book:

Leigh Fielding wants a life. Seriously. Having spent the past five years on dialysis, she has one simple wish: to make it to her thirtieth birthday. Now, thanks to the generosity of the late Larry Resnick and his transplanted kidney, it looks like her wish may come true.

With her newfound vitality (and Larry’s kidney) in tow, Leigh hits the road for an excursion that will carry her from Wisconsin to California, with a few stops in between: Mount Rushmore, the Badlands, the Rockies, Las Vegas–and a memorable visit to thank Larry’s family for the second chance. Yet Leigh’s itinerary takes a sudden detour when she picks up a seventeen-year-old hitchhiker, Denise, a runaway with a bunch of stories and a couple of secrets. Add a long-lost mother, a loaded gun, an RV full of swingers, and Hall and Oates’s Greatest Hits to the mix, and Driving Sideways becomes a hilarious and original journey of friendship, hope, and discovery.

1) What’s the backstory behind your book?

I started Driving Sideways in the summer of 2004, after a near three-year hiatus from fiction writing. Based on the lessons learned from my previous ‘practice novel,’ (which shall forever remain unpublished, and deservedly so), I wanted to tell a story that was both fun to write and a little different. So after my What-If moment (“What if a young woman has a kidney transplant and convinces herself she’s channeling the traits of her donor—tastes in music, food, hobbies, etc.—only to learn she’s completely wrong about him or her?”), I created the character of Leigh Fielding, who sees her new kidney as a catalyst to tie up the loose ends of her life by taking a cross-country roadtrip.

I wanted to make it somewhat outlandish, somewhat raunchy, somewhat heartbreaking, but ultimately hopeful. The research for the book was fascinating, and I stumbled across the reason for Leigh’s failed kidney almost by accident—Polycystic Kidney Disease. It’s the most common life-threatening genetic disease in the world, and there is no cure, yet most people haven’t heard of it. I’ve been humbled by the book’s reception from PKD patients and their families, and it has since become a cause I support.

2) It seems that a lot of readers confuse fiction with real life, assuming that a novel must be an autobiography of the author as well. How many elements of your real life are reflected in your book?

Many of the amusing anecdotes are true, including some of the more off-the-wall bits (yes, there really WAS an ad campaign like that conducted by Geoffrey with a G, and the way the ‘real life’ Larry died was even more unbelievable than that in the story). I also took the same road trip my characters did, with my own best friend, at least twice (possibly more—it all blurs together now). Speaking of which, my best friend was the inspiration for Jillian, and she was a fantastic sport about it.

But I did not have a kidney transplant necessitated by renal failure, and both of my parents are living and still together. I don’t have an overprotective older brother, either. That said, people who know me well tell me that “Leigh is totally YOU!” (concerning her outlook on life, neuroses, use of humor as a coping mechanism).

3) A lot of my blog readers are aspiring or new authors. How did you land your first book deal?

First, I learned some hard lessons about craft and market trends by having my initial attempt at a novel roundly rejected. But four years later, I parlayed those lessons into Driving Sideways, the first three chapters of which I entered in two very different writing contests to ‘test the waters’ before querying agents again: the James Jones First Novel Fellowship and the Get Your Stiletto In The Door competition. I was floored to learn Driving Sideways was one of eight finalists (from 600 entrants) in the James Jones contest, and the only one of 200 entrants in the Stiletto competition to receive requests for the full manuscript by the two final judges (an agent and an editor). My goal was for the editor to like it enough to request the full manuscript, and as soon as I had that name, I subscribed to Publisher’s Marketplace and looked up every agent that had ever sold to her. I sent out 10 query letters, was able to choose between 4 agents (I was floored!), and we sold Driving Sideways at auction just before Christmas in 2005. It was very nearly orphaned when my editor left our acquiring house (HarperCollins) for Random House, but amazingly enough, I was able to shift my contract to Random. The book’s release was delayed by one year, but I got to stay with the editor who gets me and my book.

And now, the book’s been out for five weeks, and I just learned it’s going back for a second printing…I’m so, so glad I didn’t quit writing back in 2002, when I was so discouraged by rejection that I very nearly did!

4) I have a serious procrastination problem when it comes to tackling my fiction. What’s your routine? How do you dive it? Do you have any rituals or necessary to-dos before or while you write?

Oh, I hear you on this one!! Lately, my routine has been “Procrastinate all day with email, walking the dog, watching the cute wren family in the backyard, read a magazine, walk the dog again, write some blog entries, and talk on the phone.” But I do squeeze in some late-night fiction writing. In a perfect world, I will find a way to balance the promotion of book number one with the writing of book number two—I think I need to divvy up the day somehow. I have until October to figure it out, when I return to my day job.

5) Clearly, your book will be optioned for a multi-million dollar film deal! Who would you cast as the leads, if you were given creative control?
I wish there was a female equivalent of the Judd Apatow crowd—we need more quirky, salty, snarky Ellen Page-type actresses. A whole brat pack of ‘em. There are plenty of roles for young women in Hollywood, but comedy (think the girl version of Superbad or Swingers) remains elusive. I think Ellen Page would make a great Leigh, and Amanda Seyfried would make a great Jillian (or an unexpectedly fun Denise). Maybe Rainn Wilson as Chris? I like Paul Rudd and Vince Vaughn, but they’re a little too old for Leigh.

Early Review of Time of My Life

A little fun for Friday. So a while back, I got a note from a blogger, Bree Carte, asking if she could get an ARC of Time of My Life to review for her blog. And voila, here is her review! Check out her blog and add it to your blogroll if you're a fan of books and reading, which, er, isn't everyone here?

http://thethingsweread.blogspot.com/

Thanks, Bree!

Trolling in Forums

Question of the day: If you go to online forums to get sources or quotes, do you then contact the person and interview them by email? Or can you use a quote that they said in answering your question straight on the forum? And then just contact them to get their real name and permission? How do you handle asking questions on an online forum?

To answer your first question: yes, if I saw someone in a forum who might be of interest, I would contact him/her off-board and then set up an interview. I would never, ever, ever just take a quote and assume that the person would be okay for me to use it in a more public forum, like an article. I'm not even sure, to be honest, if this is legal, especially if it's a membership board. (Well, it's probably legal, but I don't think it's particularly ethical.) People post things on forums that are often thought of to be "for forum eyes only," and violating this is unacceptable, in my opinion.

The best way to garner sources from a forum, in my opinion, is to a) first check with the forum moderator and ensure that you can post something looking for sources and b) post a separate thread stating what you need and what you're looking for. Then, people don't feel as if you're capitalizing on something they might not want to discuss further with you (if you contact them unsolicited about something they've previously posted). Forums can be tricky, and they're not my first choice to find sources, to be honest. Some moderator and subscribers don't want to feel like journalistic prey, and there certainly is that line you toe between respecting people's privacy and getting your article written. So, all in all, post your own thread and let them come to you.

Just my two cents. How do others out there handle forum trolling?

Crazy for Kindle?

Question of the day: I've been looking at the Amazon Kindle thing, it seems quite a popular device. I can understand all the advantages of a book being available like this. My question - is there ANY downside at all (to the publisher, the author, or both?) to offering a book in this format?

You know, truth be told, I haven't drunk the Kindle Kool-aid, so I'm really not the best person to ask about this. I spend enough time - too much time - in front of a screen, the last thing I want to do is start reading my books on a screen too. BUT. Those who love Kindle LOVE Kindle, and I know that some of my blog readers are among them, so I wanted to open up this question to everyone. To answer your specific query, I don't see much of a downside to offering books in the Kindle format: it's simple one more means in which people might read, and in a time when so few people ARE reading, I'm all in support of getting books out there by any means necessary. It's also a hell of a lot cheaper for the publisher, I'd think: no printing, binding, etc - simply an electronic document that costs the same to the reader as a hard copy.

But that's really all I know and can say about Kindle. Readers - do you love Kindle? If so, why? If you're resisting it like I am, why? And what are the pros/cons for publishers?

Pretty Please, Give Me An Answer!

Question of the day: Here is a question I've been wanting to ask you... My agent recently sent my book proposal to publishers - that was about 3 weeks ago. I am going crazy waiting. Is this a normal time delay or should I ask her to check up on it and send to more publishers?

Oh geez, and here I kept you waiting for an answer for a week or so too. Apologies!

I hear you. I feel you. This wait is excruciating. It is enough to make a sane man (or woman) lose his marbles. But...three weeks isn't so long, I hate to say. I'd say that the average wait time (anecdotally, of course, I don't have concrete facts on this) is anywhere from six weeks to three months.

But that time frame is contingent on a lot of things, and certainly, you can hear back faster. I've heard back faster on all of my books (including the one that I wrote between The Department and Time of My Life, that we got offers on but decided to ditch and head back to the drawing board). It really depends on how much leverage your agent has with editors, how badly editors want to read the book (i.e., will they put it atop their TBR pile even if they have others that came in first), and of course, if you get a bite from someone else. In all of cases, this is what happened: my agent had good enough relationships with the editors to nudge the book forward and once we had interested from one publisher, she alerted everyone else who started reading asap.

So...the long answer to your question is that it really all depends, but NOT hearing by now doesn't mean anything! Don't fret. I know PLENTY of writers who sold after three or so months, and yes, I do know writers who sold after four days. It doesn't matter WHEN you sell, as long as you sell period. So, if you can (which you probably can't - I know from experience), try to find something else to occupy yourself with and trust that when there's news, you'll know. (Btw, if you do have the type of relationship with your agent in which you can check in, then do. If it helps assuage your anxiety, I say go for it.)

Readers who have sold books, how long did it take you to hear? What took so long or sped things along?

Which Person Comes First?

Today, I'm over at WriterUnboxed talking about why I write in the first-person, and why I think writing in the third person is so much tougher (for me).

And last night, I attended a book party for the awesome Laura Dave and The Divorce Party. I had the pleasure of catching up with some writer friends, and here's a pic! (Taken from a Blackberry, so it's sort of sketchy....and please ignore my bag that looks mildly perverse stuck between my legs! Ha!) With me are Sarah Mlynowski, Janelle Brown (whose book I posted about last week), Laura Dave, and Alison Pace. (The woman on the end was a friend of a friend.) Great fun!

Any LA or SF-ers here?

I'm debating setting up LA or San Fran readings/signings for October, but I'm on the fence about the size of the crowd I'd bring in and whether or not the travel/headache/leaving the kids with my husband and hoping they surive/etc would be worth it. As I've mentioned in the past, book tours aren't as big a deal anymore, nor are publishers anxious to send you halfway across the world (or in my case, 3000 miles) if you're not going to generate good turn-outs. And I'm certainly not interested in jetting to Cali to do a reading for 7 people. Er. Yeah. No.

So I was curious to see if there are any/many LA or SF readers here who might pop in for a signing. Feel free to post below or email me off-board.

Merci!

Finding a Mentor

Question of the day: can one look for a mentor in the writing business and how?

Absolutely. I assume that you mean formal mentor, which I'll get to in a second, but I also heartily recommend befriending writers whose careers you admire because often times, if they're generous (and many writers are), you can learn simply by example. The best place that I've found to do this is on FreelanceSuccess.com, where people dole out info and advice by the bucketfuls on the forum, and are always willing to advise you on whatever your dilemma/question, as long as it's not too, too insipid (and this is a high bar, so don't worry) and as long as they have an actual answer. (Thus, if you post something and don't get any replies, it's likely that no one knows the answer, not that you smell.)

As far as formal mentoring, I do know some writers who offer guidance and classes and such. I don't want to name them personally because I'm not sure if they're looking to take on new clients, but I welcome people to post names and referrals below. Alternatively, consider contacting associations such as ASJA or even Mediabistro. I know that ASJA has a formal mentoring program that it offers at its conference, and you might be able to hook up with someone throughout the year as well. Other than that, consider sending a writer whom you admire a note and asking him/her to BE your mentor. Several people have written me in the past to request a mentorship, but I've never been comfortable taking money from fellow-writers (and frankly, I never really had the time to take this on), but definitely, some writers love mentoring, and they'll jump at your request.

I'm sure that there are other great ways to find mentors: readers want to chime in with ideas?

I Quit!

Question of the day: I'm an English teacher who woke up one day and realized she has to go after her dream of becoming a writer now or go broke. I want to pursue writing novels and short stories and possibly articles. I was wondering how can I break into the business and earn enough that I can quit my job? I know it's going to probably take a long time but I'm willing to give it a shot. Also, can one look for a mentor in the writing business and how?

I think I've addressed the first question before (search the archives for a header called "Ditching the Day Job"), but I'm happy to answer it again, though I'm not sure that you'll be happy with the answer, which is this: it is likely that it will be a very, very long time until you can quit your day job. Bummer, I know. Actually, let me caveat that: it all depends on what sort of income you deem acceptable to live on. I live in NYC: my requirements for living/earning are a lot higher than someone who lives in the plains of Kansas. In other words: 50k in NYC is not the same thing as 50k in the plains of Kansas.

So, with that caveat out of the way, here are some additional thoughts. Several surveys have recently been conducted on what freelancers earn, including this ASJA one, and most freelancers (according to the ASJA poll, nearly 70%) earn less than 50k. (And according to that same poll, it took 4-5 years to establish themselves.) If I recall correctly, another survey I read about pegged that salary at closer to 40k. So - again, your 40k might not be my 40k, but it's a good barometer for what you might expect to earn after years of breaking in. This is not a career for those who aspire to lives of luxury.

Is it possible to earn more? Sure. Of course. I'm an example of it. I've worked my tail off and been lucky enough to make a healthy living as a freelancer, but I don't know that you should count on it. I really do believe that timing and luck (and yes, perseverance and chemistry with editors and personality) play into a writer's success, and I'd be foolish to think that I hadn't reaped the benefits of both of these.

I think it also depends on what sort of writing you do. I know far more full-time magazine writers than I do novelists. The average fiction advance is pitifully small (less than 10k), and you simply (obviously) can't survive on this if you're expected to contribute to the household income in any significant way. Magazine writing can be more lucrative (ergo that 40-50k annual earning), but much of this is feast or famine: you might have months-long dry spells and then be so busy that you can't keep your deadlines straight. So...one more thing to be aware of when and if you quit. I know several best-selling novelists who have yet to quit their day jobs. Seriously. Maybe this is a case of being overly-cautious (who am I to judge? I don't have access to their financial statements), but it can also be prudent: an advance is a one-time thing and if you don't keep selling new books to a publisher or earn royalties, well, that's all you're earning from this book.

Okay. I feel like I've been really discouraging. I don't mean to. Because it is fully possible to make a living as a freelancer. Just as me! (Er, you already did!) And plenty of my friends. But it is a process - and it can be a long one. I was lucky: due to a variety of circumstances, I was contracted to write a book nearly as soon as I left PR, and from there, national magazines followed. But I still continued to supplement my income with PR work until it was clear that I could literally afford to drop it. So I guess what I'm saying here is dig into the trenches and be prepared to walk uphill. If you're a teacher, find time to pitch smaller magazines, local publications or websites (all of which will be easier to break into) in the afternoon when school is out. (Again, check the archives for breaking in - there's a lot of good info on how to do it. You can also search for "FOB.") But don't march into the Principal's office and yell, "I quit," just yet. Eventually, maybe, probably even. But not until you have your ducks in a row and feel certain that there are clients and editors out there waiting for you to write for them.

As far as your mentoring question, I'll answer it tomorrow! I've been long-winded enough today as it is. :)

So readers, when did you quit your day job? How did you know that it was the right time? And if you haven't, when do you plan to?

GCC Presents Amy Wallen and Moonpies and Movie Stars

Yes! I know! I have questions to answer from you guys! (And keep sending 'em!) But I'm still also doing my GCC tours, so today, I'm thrilled to present Amy Wallen (a new member of the GCC!) and her book, Moonpies and Movie Stars, which is newly out in paperback. Not only should you pick up this book because the Los Angeles Times calls it, "spirited and honest," but you should also pick it up because there is a major plot involving The Price is Right! (If you've read The Department, you know why I love this!) Here's some more scoop on the book, along with Amy's answers to a few of my questions. (I particularly appreciate her answers to the first and on why she doesn't "write what she knows.) Check it out. And have a safe and happy holiday!

Ruby Kincaid has her hands full these days. In addition to running the bowling alley after the death of her husband, Rascal, she has the daunting task of caring for her two boisterous grandchildren, since her daughter Violet disappeared without a trace four years earlier. It’s 1976 and Ruby and her nearest and dearest in Devine, Texas are watching their favorite soap opera at the bowling alley when they see Violet in a Buttermaid commercial. Expecting it will only take a little motherly guilt to rein in her wayward daughter, Ruby loads up the Winnebago and heads for Hollywood to try and bring Violet back to the Lone Star State.

Along for the ride are Imogene, Violet’s over-bearing and pretentious mother-in-law (who’s ready to assume the title of “celebrity-in-law”), and Loralva, Ruby’s wild sister who is itching to visit Tinsel Town because it’s where all the game shows are taped – and nothing’s going to stop her from making it to her favorite, The Price Is Right. Rounding out the group are Ruby’s grandchildren Bunny and Bubbie who are confused, sad, and excited at the prospect of finding their mother. They give Ruby the courage she needs to track Violet down and try to make things right.

1) What’s the backstory behind your book? Also, it seems that a lot of readers confuse fiction with real life, assuming that a novel must be an autobiography of the author as well. How many elements of your real life are reflected in your book?

My main character is a woman named Ruby who is in her 50s, lives in a small town in Texas called Devine, and she owns a six-lane bowling alley. None of which I can say I have ever done. Although I’m working my way to my 50s, but I was only 34 when I started the book (I’m 44 now). I believe that there are at least 3 kinds of writing: autobiography (fact), just straight made up stories (fiction) and a combination of the two. I believe I am the 2nd kind. I make stuff up. Ruby did stem from my grandmother who lives in a small town in Texas, and is an entrepreneur owning many different kinds of businesses, but never a bowling alley. I had to research that—spending many hours learning to bowl (badly) and eating fried cheese, drinking Coors Light and wearing goofy shoes. I used to go to writing workshops and take early drafts of my novel. The others in the workshop would read my work and then look at me and say, “You’re not the person that wrote this.” Well, I am. I don’t believe in the expression, “write what you know.” I think the best creativity comes when you write what you don’t know. When you explore, dig around, delve into the stuff that intrigues you. Something about my grandmother’s go-getter personality interested me, I guess. But another major character, Loralva, Ruby’s sister is also based on my grandmother. My grandmother is such a big personality that she had to be two characters in my book. But the story, the plot line, none of that really happened to my grandmother. She used to always ask me, “How come you live out in California and you ain’t never been on one of them game shows.” So I put a Price is Right scene in the book, just for her. But she never was on one, but she dreamed of it. Maybe writing is my way of giving her that.

2) A lot of my blog readers are aspiring or new authors. How did you land your first book deal?My agent gets credit for that. She knew immediately where to send my book. I signed with her, Meg Ruley at the Jane Rotrosen Agency in NYC, one April and by Memorial Day I was deciding between two different publishing houses. This was a good example of why it’s so important to look for an agent who really loves and knows your work. If they represent other work similar to yours, then they have a good idea of where to send it.

3) I have a serious procrastination problem when it comes to tackling my fiction. What’s your routine? How do you dive it? Do you have any rituals or necessary to-dos before or while you write?

Procrastination. I think what I’m doing right now could be considered procrastination. On the other hand, it’s important to keep the publicity side going too. It’s a tough call balancing all the things we have to do in life. You can’t just put your kids out on the front porch like I can my cats when they are bothering me. But sometimes, cleaning the refrigerator out can sound like a whole lot more fun than writing. I try to approach writing like a regular 9-5 job and sit down at my desk and turn off my email and go at it as long as I can. Inevitably something interrupts me, a cat wanting out, a Fedex guy bringing me the stuff I ordered from catalogs last week when I was procrastinating, or a nagging feeling that I should really organize the shoes in my closet Some days, the 9-5 thing works though.

4) Clearly, your book will be optioned for a multi-million dollar film deal! Who would you cast as the leads, if you were given creative control?

You know, I should subscribe to People magazine because I don’t know diddly about celebrities past 1982. But a few people have told me they think Kathy Bates could be a great Ruby Kincaid. And I think I would die a happy person if Jessica Lange would play Loralva. I interviewed Valerie Bertinelli at the Los Angeles Times Book Festival at the end of April and she told me on the golf cart riding over to our stage that she was reading MoonPies and Movie Stars wanted to play Ruby in the movie. I think she would be the best Ruby I can think of. She’s even somewhat how I pictured Ruby—medium length dark hair, loveliest disposition and smile. I think her personality is not too far away from what I see Ruby being, so I think it could be an easy role for her. But I haven’t heard anything else from her. If anyone knows her and can stick a reminder in her ear, I’d pass on a free case of MoonPies.

5) What's your favorite part of writing? Starting something new? Revising what you've already got drafted? Developing characters? The plot? Something else all together?

When I’m creating something new, I feel like that’s the best part. Until it hits a road block. Then it’s hard and I think I should get a job at Home Depot in the tile department (I just retiled my bathroom, so I’m expert now). When I’m editing or rewriting, I feel like that’s the best part. So, I think that I love the whole process. None of it is ever boring. (If it is then I need to rewrite that section!) Overall, I believe in just moving forward and making sure I’m enjoying whatever I’m doing because life is too short, and my cats are sure to interrupt at some point.

Summer Reading Rec

Just popping in to recommend a great book: All We Ever Wanted Was Everything by Janelle Brown. I don't know Janelle (though I plan to send her an email and tell her how much I loved it!), don't know her publicists, don't know anyone connected with the book, so this isn't gratuitous pimpage. In fact, I just thought the book was so spellbindingly good that I wanted to support it and her. She manages to construct fully flawed yet entirely likable characters, spin a fast-moving plot, and whip it into a solid 400 pages that I read in two days.

Check it out and see if it's up your alley. If you like smart commercial fiction, I highly recommend it.

Mommyhood and Guilt

Question of the day: I wonder if you ever have any guilt that you should put your career on the back burner to spend more time with you kids? Sometimes I feel like I have my whole life to build my career, but my kids will only be young for a short time and I should "put them first" and just work as much as I need to for us to pay the bills. But this feeling quickly dissipates after about three consecutive hours alone with them! Also, I sort of feel like I've been waiting my whole life to write, or at least seriously attempt to write, a novel and I don't want to put it off forever. Just wondering if you ever have this struggle...

What a great question for the blog. Thanks for sending it in.

You know, I posted this because I think it is the struggle that marks so many of our lives, but I have to offer a full disclaimer before we launch into this discussion. I seem to have been born without a guilty gene. What I mean is that guilt trips rarely work on me (just ask my husband who caves at the first sign of a guilt trip and is both perplexed/amazed at my immunity to one) and I truly believe that guilt is often wasted energy. If I feel badly about something, I amend my behavior, and move on. Period. Done. I wash it of my mind. And yes, I DO sometimes feel guilty over being rude to my parents or whatever (yes, it happens!), but I'm just one of those people who is rarely affected by the emotion because it's often so easily fixable by actionable behavior.

BUT, that said, I certainly know what you're talking about, and I do feel that tug of emotion - but for me, I'm not sure if it's guilt, more really, of a longing - when my nanny takes the kids out the door, and I wonder if I shouldn't be spending more time with them. I think it is truly rare that you'll meet a 2008 mom who doesn't have this sort of conflict...in fact, it is one of the underlying themes of Time of My Life: how do you sustain yourself, how do you not give too much of your self, how do you find that balance between motherhood and the rest of your life?

For me, I find that balance in a couple of ways: I truly try to give my kids my complete attention when I'm not working - I give them breakfast every morning, dinner every night, take my son to school/camp nearly every day (occasionally my husband wants to do it...and I'm certainly not going to stop him!), and I put one of them, sometimes both if my husband isn't yet home, to bed each night. These are our rituals, and these are the ways that they know that I am there for them. When I have more time to give, I do. But when I don't, I don't spend a lot of time worrying about it because that's even more of a drain on my energy, and God knows that I don't have much in reserves.

Being a writer is nearly as much a part of me as being a mother. NOT as much, and there is NO DOUBT that I'd sacrifice everything - including, quite obviously, my career for my kids - but it is one of the most important pieces of who I am. I love being able to show my kids my byline or my books in our bookshelf or walking into a bookstore and hearing my son say, "Mommy, remember when you signed books here?" It's empowering to me, and thus, I know that I pass that empowerment on to them. What we get to do - put words on a page and (hopefully) get paid for them - is a pretty cool thing: it's creative and independent and intelligent all at once, and I really believe that my kids see that. For me, that's far better than spending 24/7 with them, which, like you, only makes me crazy. I love them more than anything on the planet - you know what kind of love I'm talking about - but that doesn't mean that I have to lose myself to motherhood.

So...I guess...to answer your question in a very long-winded way: I know that in doing this, I'm not only doing what's best for me, but I'm doing what's best for my kids. Yes, sometimes I feel those pangs of wishing I could whisk them out the door, but I also know that big picture, we'll all come out okay, more than okay, we'll all come out pretty great.

Working mommies out there - want to chime in on how you deal with guilt and motherhood?

Summer at Ask Allison - Ask Questions!

So, because I'm a little tired of all of my navel-gazing and because I can only think of so many subjects on which to write, I'm turning over the blog to you, dear readers.

Starting this week, we're returning to the Q/A format of the blog for the summer months. I'd love to hear what YOU GUYS want to talk about, what YOU GUYS want thoughts on, rather than just blabbing on and on about whatever is on my mind.

Send any questions you might have on any aspect of the biz to me, and I'll answer them and get them up on the blog. If no one asks, I'll just chill out and won't post. :) But I know, given the amount of questions I got the first year of this blog, that there are a lot of inquisitive minds out there who are just looking for answers, so send your thoughts - or even just discussion topics if you don't have a specific question - my way, and we'll get this party started.

I will, of course, occasionally pepper the blog with updates on Time of My Life, and good stuff like that...

So - send away: allison@allisonwinn.com! I'll try to get them on the blog in a timely manner.

Interview with Julie Buxbaum

Today, I'm over on Writer Unboxed with an interview with debut author, Julie Buxbaum. Did you know that Julie's first novel sold in a two-book deal for seven figures? Um, yeah. You might want to check out the interview.... :)

Your Dream Magazine

So the other day, I flew into a panic because I couldn't find my latest issue of Entertainment Weekly. (Yes, I subscribe.) I turned the house virtually upside-down and nothing. So, despite the fact that the issue had most definitely arrived the previous Friday, and that it was somewhere burrowed in a room in my house, I actually went out and bought another copy.

That is how much I love this magazine.

Which got me to thinking: if I could work for, full-time or freelance, any magazine on the planet, EW would surely be it. As I've said here before, I love pop culture, and I also love a hearty dose of both snark and smarts, and this magazine has all in spades. Not that I don't love plenty of other magazines (from my clogged mailbox, you can tell that I do!), but I had to avow myself to just one, it would be EW.

What about you guys? What magazine would you actually shell out twice for? And which would be your dream to write for or work for?

Beating Brain-Deadedness

Yes, I think I just made up a word, so you don't have to email me to tell me.

But a funny thing happened as soon as I put up the last post about having absolutely zero motivation to accomplish anything ever. I had, as I noted, a long list of to-dos, and obviously, they weren't going to get done on their own. (Including sending in my estimated taxes, which, oops, I was so brain-dead that I flaked on. So, er, yeah, this whole procrastination thing was definitely taking its (literal) toll...and let's hope I'm not penalized by the nice folks at the IRS!)

But anyway, after posting, I did something new-to-me, which was, as soon as I thought about a task, I did it. Like, that moment. So, I thought about paying my AmEx bill and even though I really wanted to click on Facebook, I instead clicked on my banking page. Then, I thought about those damn taxes and instead of clicking on People, I wrote a check. And as soon as I started doing this crap, it got easier...and really, didn't take up too much more time or energy.

And then, I actually started focusing on work. It all started snowballing - something flashes in my brainscan and rather than waste the energy of thinking of when I could do it another time, I just did it! I wrote three blog posts, I started going through my proof pages, and best of all, I actually sat down - right when the impulse struck - and drafted the first scene for my new book.

It was so energizing! I can't recommend this more. Normally, I'm a list-maker - I jot everything down and axe it as I go. But right now, it seems like the only way for me to accomplish stuff is to seize the moment. Try it! It might work for you!

Being Your Own Advocate

So recently, I was chatting with a friend who was about to receive an offer of representation from an agent with a good reputation. She and I were emailing about what she wanted to ask this agent and what she felt she could ask this agent. I was detailing my relationship with my own (fabulous) agent to her and saying that everything she was talking to me about, she should be talking to her potential agent about.

And it got me thinking: why we're so hesitant to speak up, pipe up and stick up for ourselves when it comes to agents. As I noted, fortunately, I'm not in this position. My agent and I have an open door policy - nothing is off-limits, and if I have a question, as annoying or ridiculous as it might be, I raise it with her. Not all agents are like this: I recall that Miss Snark was decidedly more autonomous and didn't like to be bugged. Which is totally cool IF you, as her client, are okay with it. If you're not, you either need to be aware of her (and I'm speaking universally here) policies or opt for a different agent.

The important thing is to determine as much of this as possible upfront. Which is why I was urging my friend to pose all of her questions to her potential agent. An agent shouldn't be offended by your due diligence; if anything, it should demonstrate to him or her that you take your career seriously and are looking out for number one. Which is exactly what you need to do to get ahead in this business. No one, not even the best of agents, cares about your career more than you do, and one of the surest ways to get ahead - or give yourself a chance to get ahead - is to surround yourself with people whom you trust. And if you don't feel comfortable asking critical questions from the get-go, you've set yourself up for not asking more critical questions (or getting critical answers) down the road.

All of this is a very long-winded way of saying that you hold some of the power here! If an agent wants to rep you, he or she wants to rep you! Regardless of if you ask some probing questions. Don't forget that. I've never heard of an offer being rescinded because an author ask what was on his or her mind, but I have heard of authors making informed decisions (either way) based on the answers they were given.

I'm Brain-Dead

Is anyone else?

I am having SUCH a hard time motivating to do anything these days. Why? What is going on? Anyone else feeling this way? Is it an epidemic or just me?

It's not that I don't have a lot to do - I do. Right now, I'm reviewing my FINAL proof pages of TOML, which means that this is my very, very last chance to catch any typos and axe those horrid sentences that I can't believe I ever wrote, much less committed to paper, and as I've mentioned, I'm also trying to jump start book#3. I'm also working on a few celeb interviews and doing a bit of publicity for the TOML release, which, egad, is less than four months out, but...I swear...it's all I can do to log off of Facebook or PerezHilton or the JCrew sale and actually get something done. I'm even putting off writing my blog posts to the very last minute! (No offense.)

I'd like to blame the warm weather and summer blahs, but...I dunno. I'm already planning on taking August off to spend time with my kids, so I need to get my ass in gear asap. It's not like I'm missing deadlines, but there really is this overall cloud of dread and procrastination when it comes to my work, any work, and it's such a strange place to be. Like, I want to snap out of it...but that will mean I actually have to snap out of it to do my work! Ha! Which isn't exactly enticing. :)

Anyone else out there suffering from the summer blahs? What do you do to shake 'em off?

Abandon Ship!

So, as I mentioned last week, I'm trying to pin down the plot of book #3, and as I also mentioned, I thought I'd revisit the book that I wrote in between The Department and Time of My Life, a book that was actually a spin-off of the book I wrote before The Department, the very book that didn't sell.

Phew. Still with me? Good.

So I took a spin through that manuscript, thinking I'd still be interested in the characters and the themes that the book touched upon...and guess what? I wasn't. Well, maybe not entirely, but not enough to devote the next three months of my life living and breathing these characters and their lives. (Three months is about how long it takes me to write my first draft.) So, sadly, I'm putting these two incarnations to bed. For good. (Well, that's not entirely true: there are tiny snippets of these characters that I'm carrying over to book #3, but mostly, 98% of the book is being abandoned.)

It's a tough question that I know many of us have wrestled with - when to hang on to a book for dear life and when to jump ship, and I don't know if I have all the answers. I can only say that for me, the writing process has to be both inspired and seamless. I have to sit down at my computer and spit out scene after scene; I have to be so infatuated with these characters and their lives and their nuance that they literally wake me up at night. I've learned that sludging through a manuscript just for the sake of sludging through means that I'll end up with a weaker end product...and so, when I reread these scenes that I now felt so disconnected to, I knew that I just couldn't - in every sense of that word - let these characters back into my life. I didn't want to. And so, that's that. These manuscripts will stay tucked in my hard drive, reminders of who I was a few years ago when the themes of these books compelled me to write about them, but that's all they'll be for now. And I feel okay with that.

Once I released myself from rehashing those old characters, I woke up with a fresh (and exciting to me) idea. Seriously, I just woke up a few mornings ago and thought, "Well, AHA! This is the idea." And now, I'm working out the details in my head and hope to start writing in the next few weeks. Not looking back at the abandoned ms because I know that this one is truly the one that is much more reflective of who I am now and the writer I've become.

So readers, how do you decide to abandon a ms? Have you ever returned to one to perform CPR on it, in hopes of reviving it?

Getting a Second Opinion

Question of the day: Before you were published, did you work with a book doctor or independent editor? If yes, what was your experience like? If no, why not? For my first manuscript, I worked with a well-established editor and learned a lot. For my second manuscript, I didn't, but I'm wondering if I should let another set of eyes take a look, other than my agent. So what is your experience or opinion on book doctors/editors?

This is a tough question because you'll find people in the industry who roll their eyes at the thought of book doctors, but I'm not one of them. To answer the first part of your question: I didn't use one for my ms that went unsold, (the one I wrote before The Department), but I did use one (partially) for The Department. To clarify: I happen to have a friend (who reads this blog - hey, Trish!) who is a professional book editor. After getting burned with my initial ms, in that it got repped by an agent but didn't sell, I was skittish - as it sounds like you are - about going through the whole rigmarole again and ending up with the same result, when, conceivably, someone could have helped me with some obvious problems and smoothed them over.

So, anyway, my friend offered to take a look at the ms, but because this is her JOB, I insisted on paying her, albeit at her suggested very, very generous discount. We started with the first half of the ms, and when it became clear that the ms was already in good shape, I didn't waste her time (or, I guess, my money...not that it was a waste...at all, I'm just speaking casually and don't have a better word) on the second half.

But, even though she didn't have any major changes, she did smooth over a few odd transitions, suggest a few tweaks/changes here and there, and such, but more generally, she gave me peace of mind that I wasn't nuts - that, in fact, this book was strong enough to sell. In an industry where it's easy to constantly second-guess yourself (or have a false sense of your skills/talent), this was invaluable to me.

So where does this lead you? I think it depends on if you have the disposable income to spend, first of all. Book editors and doctors don't come cheap...and if they do, you better do an AMPLE background check on them to figure out why they're so cheap. Maybe they're just trying to build their credentials, which is totally understandable, but you do want to be sure that, conversely, you have someone who knows what he or she is doing. Of course, this can also be considered a career investment, so, in that sense, it's of course money well-spent...but it's still an unknown quantity: will you ultimately sell your book...and if not, is it really money well-spent?
You also, of course, need to consider not only your potential editor's credentials but whether he or she meshes with your style of writing. I'm sure that there are some top notch editors out there who would be as horrified by my writing as I was by their editing. Like all things in life, chemistry is key.

So, in sum, if you find someone who you trust and you can afford it, I don't see what you have to lose. But, of course, it's critical to remember that these editors and doctors don't a) rewrite the book for you - they might suggest weak spots, but it's up to you to fix them and b) they certainly don't guarantee a sale. That is all up to you (and a dandy agent).

Readers - weigh in on the pros and cons of book doctors. Anyone else ever used one?

Getting the Hook

So...wow...I'm 35 years old today. And I'm having a weird reaction to it. Like, I know that I've accomplished so much in these 35 years, but man, doesn't that sound old? Geez. I still think that I'm 21! How did this happen? Hmmm, fodder for my next book. :)

Anyway, in addition to being geriatric, I'm also over at Writer Unboxed today, talking all about what I believe is critical to a book's success: the big hook.

Check it out. And in the meantime, I'll be stocking up on iron pills and prune juice.

GCC Presents: Melissa Senate and Questions to Ask Before Marrying

As if you need a better reason to pick up best-seller Melissa Senate's newest book, Questions to Ask Before Marrying, the title alone should sell you. Seriously, I love this title because, well, because of a lot of things, but mostly because it's simultaneously funny, serious, intimate and probing. And if the title of a book can raise all sorts of questions before I've even cracked the spine, I'm guessing the book itself will do much the same. Thus, I'm super-thrilled to host Melissa Senate and her new book on the blog today. You might know her from See Jane Date or Theadora's Twist, her first YA book. The Boston Globe, among others, raves about her, and honestly, this is a great pick for your beach bag this summer.

Here's a little overview:

A very popular New York Times article lists fifteen questions couples should ask (or wish they had) before marrying. Ruby Miller and her fiancé, Tom Truby, have questions 1 to 14 almost covered. It's question 15 that has the Maine schoolteacher stumped: Is their relationship strong enough to withstand challenges?

Challenges like…Ruby's twin sister, Stella. The professional muse, flirt and face reader thinks Ruby is playing it safe. And that the future Mrs. Ruby Truby will die of boredom before her first anniversary or her thirtieth birthday, whichever comes first.

Challenges like…sexy maverick teacher Nick McDermott, Ruby's secret longtime crush, who confesses his feelings for her at her own engagement party.

But before Ruby can plan the wedding that may never be, Stella announces she's pregnant by a one-night stand whose name might be Jake (or James? Maybe Jason?) and who lives somewhere under the glittering lights of Las Vegas. Ruby and Stella hit the road to find him—with a lot more than fifteen questions.

And after three thousand miles, a stowaway relative and hitchhiking teen lovebirds bound for an Elvis wedding chapel, the Miller sisters might get some answers.

And now, Melissa stops by to answer my usual questions:

1) What’s the backstory behind your book?: I admit it—I saw the movie Sideways (which I loved) and HAD to write a road-trip book. I couldn’t get the idea out of my head, but I had no idea who would be in that car. Then, estranged twin sisters started forming—one, Ruby, a conservative Maine school teacher about to marry her “good guy” fiance when she’s in love with someone else, and the other, Stella, a professional muse and face reader, pregnant from a one-night stand with a guy whose first name she can’t quite recall. She does remember him saying he lives in Las Vegas, so off the two go in search. The closer the engaged twin gets to those quickie wedding chapels, the more she questions what she really wants.

In the middle of writing, I came across a New York Times article, the most popular of 2006, which was just a list of 15 questions couples should ask before marrying—or wish they had. This article gave me my title and really honed the the theme of the novel for me, which is that you need to ask important questions, practical questions, crazy questions—even if you don’t like the answers, even if you don’t know the answers. The list tests quite a few of the characters in the novel. The question that struck me as the most important was the last one, number 15: Is the bond between you strong enough to withstand challenges? How can you know? That’s what my main character, Ruby, is about to find out. Because she’s facing some big challenges. Such as a serious crush on someone else who announces he wants a chance. Such as a twin sister who thinks she’s making the biggest mistake of her life by marrying her fiance.

2) It seems that a lot of readers confuse fiction with real life, assuming that a novel must be an autobiography of the author as well. How many elements of your real life are reflected in your book?: All my novels are autobiographical in spirit, if that makes any sense. All the emotional core issues, what the characters are struggling to understand, are always based on questions, issues, of my own. Sometimes I sneak them in in ways only I can identify, but they’re always there. This relates to what I love most about writing fiction: that I can fix whatever I want in my own life through my characters. A big component of Questions To Ask Before Marrying is taken from my own life, but I’ve never done (and never will) what the sisters decide to do. So I had them do it to see how it would turn out.

3) A lot of my blog readers are aspiring or new authors. How did you land your first book deal?: I still marvel at this. The Friday before Memorial Day weekend in the year 2000, a former colleague at Harlequin called me and said something like: “We’re starting an imprint dedicated to “chick lit” novels, and I’ll bet you have a story in you.” I loved the book Bridget Jones’ Diary and shows like Ally McBeal and was basically a walking, breathing chick lit cliché at the time: single, living in Manhattan, working in publishing, a serial dater, etc. I wrote See Jane Date that summer, which is to me a book about loneliness and breaking free of that within yourself, and I turned it in and waited. Red Dress Ink bought it and launched the imprint with it, which gave me invaluable free publicity. What I marvel at is that I actually sat my tush down and wrote a book when I never though I could. Yes, it definitely helped having an editor encouraging me, but writing The End on the last page of See Jane Date was up there with the greatest moments of my life. I wrote a novel—and one I was very proud of.

4) I have a serious procrastination problem when it comes to tackling my fiction. What’s your routine? How do you dive it? Do you have any rituals or necessary to-dos before or while you write?:
Procrastination is my biggest weakness. I hate, hate, hate that I do it. I’ve learned that I have to psych myself up for sitting down to write. I have to get emotionally involved with the story, the characters, where I left off, or how to begin, before I turn on the computer. If I don’t, I’ll stare at the screen, then check my email, surf, watch a repeat of Law & Order that I’ve seen 10 times, wash the dishes… If I just take a walk or sit quietly and think about the characters and their situation, let it really get inside me (and I mean for a good hour or so), I will get a burst of fresh energy to hit the keyboard.

5) Clearly, your book will be optioned for a multi-million dollar film deal! Who would you cast as the leads, if you were given creative control?: I wish! For conservative school teacher Ruby, who is engaged to a nice guy but in love with someone else: my beloved Mary Louise Parker. I just LOVE her. For flitter, professional muse and face reader Stella: I see Kristin Bell, from Veronica Mars. She’s tough, but looks like an angel. For Ruby’s nice guy fiance: Patrick Dempsey nerdied up. And for her crush: the hot actor who plays Prince Caspian. Cute, cute, cute!

And, Finally, Variety!

So it doesn't say too, too much new stuff re: the film deal, but it's still pretty cool to be on the top stories of today's Variety.

This is my last post about this, I promise! (Other than updates as to what is going on, progress, casting, etc, if things move ahead as hoped.)

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117987102.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

And, in back to reality news, I'm getting cracking on the next book today. Yikes. I've been feeling a bit paralyzed with my writing: Time of My Life has been so well-received that I've been struggling to come up with that "great hook" that everyone has been singing about in TOML. It might sound weird, but it sort of has me frozen - feeling like I might not be able to top this book. Not in terms of writing quality, because I'll always push myself to be better, but in concept...because I've learned that concept is king when it comes to enthusiasm from your publisher, reviewers, booksellers, etc.

But my agent suggested that I revisit the book that I wrote in between TOML and TDLF - that there were some really good ideas there and some good writing, even if it wasn't super-high concept, so I'm going to start rereading today and see what I can pluck out of there and make it a little more hooky. (Is hooky a word? Does it sound like my book is prostituting itself? Hmmm, must rethink that.) :) It's sort of like remodeling a house: I'll pull what I like, ditch what I don't, and hopefully come out with a much better product. But it also might turn into a never-ending remodeling project that ends with my head exploding. We'll see.

So that's where I am. We'll see how it goes. I'm a little distracted with all this other stuff, but do need to get cracking. I'd like to have my next book nearly done by the time TOML comes out in October. I'll keep you posted on my progress and maybe we'll do a little writing challenge with blog readers.

Anyone else out there working on a work-in-progress?

Official Press Release for TOML Film Announcement!

Whoohoo! More info should be coming tomorrow or Monday in the papers. I'll update the blog accordingly. There is also another blog post below this one, so keep scrolling. (Two posts in one day!)

THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY ACQUIRES FILM RIGHTS TO ALLISON WINN SCOTCH'S SECOND NOVEL"TIME OF MY LIFE"

Project to Serve as First Collaboration between TWC and Producer Meryl Poster

NEW YORK, NY (June 3, 2008) -- The Weinstein Company announced today it has acquired the worldwide film rights to Allison Winn Scotch's second novel TIME OF MY LIFE. Book was brought to TWC by Meryl Poster of Superb Entertainment. Poster, former president of production at Miramax, has a long-standing relationship with the Weinsteins having played a key role in classic adaptations such as "Emma," "Cider House Rules," " Chocolat" and "Cold Mountain." This project marks their first collaboration with TWC since Poster's Superb Entertainment struck a first look deal with NBC Universal in 2005. Superb Entertainment's head of development, Kate Schumaecker, brought the project to Meryl Poster who passed it on to Kelly Carmichael, svp production and casting at TWC. The announcement was made today by Harvey Weinstein, co-chairman of The Weinstein Company.

TIME OF MY LIFE is the story of a thirty-something housewife who is at an emotional crossroad in her marriage and gets the chance to go back in time to squelch those tiny, lingering doubts that send women googling old friends and exes or wistfully pulling out pictures of days gone by.

"We are thrilled to be finally working again with Meryl and thankful she has brought us this incredible project," stated Harvey Weinstein, "Scotch's writing is both outright honest and at the same time comically engaging. She provides a strong female voice with characters that easily relate to the screen. Considering our strong track record with Meryl, we are very excited to begin moving this project forward. There is no finer film executive that can single out talent and maximize theatrical potential."

Meryl Poster added, "What struck me about this project is that it speaks to women who have reached a very specific and self-reflective moment in their lives. The material is both relatable and romantic with a fabulous starring role for an actress."

"I am honored to be working with Meryl on this project as she is known for her passionate, hands-on approach to filmmaking," stated Allison Winn Scotch. "I am thrilled at the prospect of TIME OF MY LIFE joining her incredible resume. What more could an author ask for? I feel like I died and went to Hollywood adaptation heaven."

Allison Winn Scotch's first book, THE DEPARTMENT OF LOST AND FOUND, was published by Harper Collins in 2007 and received widespread positive reviews. Her second novel, TIME OF MY LIFE, is being published by Random House and will be released in October 2008. Allison Winn Scotch is a frequent contributor to numerous consumer magazines, including Glamour, InStyle, Lifetime Television, Self, Shape, Woman's Day, USA Weekend, Men's Health and Women's Health. Scotch is also a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors.

Today's announcement comes on the heels of news from the 2008 Cannes Film Festival that TWC will be adapting Paulo Coelho's "The Alchemist. Other projects being adapted for the screen by TWC include best-selling novels, such as "The Reader," "The Road," "Youth in Revolt" and "Wolf Boy."

Kelly Carmichael and Renee Witt, svp of production and development will be overseeing on behalf of TWC. Laine Kline, svp business and legal affairs negotiated the deal on behalf of TWC Sarah Self at Gersh represented the film rights.

Knowing My Strengths

Question of the week: Did you ever consider writing the screenplay yourself? I've been in similar shoes and instead of selling the rights to a production (albeit MUCH smaller than yours), I asked to take a stab at the screenplay myself. I've submitted one draft, received feedback and am now on round three or four. And yes, there are many days when I kick myself for not just selling the rights!

I didn't, not for one second, consider writing the screenplay myself. Which, I guess, might seem a little crazy. As my wise friend Laura Dave once said to me, "We really need to figure out how to write screenplays because that's where the money is!" Ha! And she's right, of course. You'll earn a lot more money on the deal terms if you adapt your own book, not to mention probably have a truer version (in most cases) of the adaptation.

But, eh, you know what? I just don't have any idea how to write a screenplay, and learning seems...daunting. I'm sure that I could read a few books and probably eke one out, but in many ways, I think I'm better off handing this over to someone who really rocks at creating a cinematic vision rather than pull together a scrappy version of what I might come up with. Another concern is that in some ways, I might be too close to this material. Obviously, not all aspects of a book can be included in the movie version, and what if I wanted to include certain aspects that are close to my heart but might not translate well on-screen? I'm not sure that I could toe that line. And since I've already written the best dialogue that I know how to come out of these characters' mouths, I also imagine I might have a hard time coming up with fresher, more movie-worthy chatter.

I dunno. It just seems hard. Writing a book is hard enough! Do I really need that challenge? :) One thing that I would certainly be open to is co-writing the screenplay alongside a pro, but since no one asked me, I guess that's not in the cards! Ha!

You know, maybe this sounds trite, but I'm really okay with passing it off to someone. I truly trust the producers on this project so much that I know that they'll put the material in good hands. Qualified hands. Which is more than I think I would be.

But readers, chime in - would you rather have a pro take a crack at your adaptation or do it yourself? Any personal experience with this?

Casting Call

Hee - I love how so many Ask Allison readers think exactly like I do: namely, they can't wait to cast their own novels and can't wait to hear how I'd like cast mine!

I should preface this post by saying that frankly, I'd be thrilled if anyone whose name I'd ever heard of would agree to be in an adaptation of my book. And I mean that. I also fully recognize that once you sign the rights away to your book and cash the check, you really lose all say. As I mentioned, I'm fortunate enough that the producers asked my opinion, and we were all on the same page, but still...if someone I never imagined as a character is cast...well, really, I won't complain. It falls under the category of "high class problem." And I try not to worry too much about those. I'm also not a casting director, who can see things in actors that I certainly can't.

But that doesn't mean I won't try!

So...answering your questions about how I would cast the movie is a little difficult because everything about this movie hinges around Jillian, the protagonist - different actresses would need different supporting players, and oddly enough, when I was writing the book, I never even pictured whom these actors would be. With The Department, I definitely did, but ironically enough, with this one...nope.

That said, as you guys know, I'm a devout Felicity fanatic, so I would absolutely squee to high heaven if we landed Keri Russell. In fact, I thought her final six episodes of the series, in which she goes back in time, were sheer perfection: her acting didn't get better than that, and she will forever have my girl-love for that (and the four seasons before that).

But certainly, there are other fabulous choices. The tricky part of this character is that she has to be both 27 and 34, and while that doesn't seem like THAT big a difference, it can be...and some wonderful actresses who can play 34 wouldn't be believable as 27, and vice versa. Jillian is this superficially perfect, desperately unhappy housewife who transforms herself into a breezier but still haunted 27 year old when she flashes backward. A few who I think could do it? Anne Hathaway, Kate Hudson, Jennifer Garner, Amy Adams, Rachel McAdams, Reese Witherspoon...who else? Chime in.

The other roles, as I said, all revolve around Jillian. Jack, her boyfriend in 2000, is that guy who so many of us dated at some point in our 20s: so close to what we think we need, sexy, kind, but maybe lacking that quality that we don't even realize we need. In the book, he's her escape (literally), and he's a good guy who doesn't quite have his world figured out, but who is good-looking enough (and sexy enough) to dupe others into ignoring that fact. If it weren't a full-out Felicity reunion, I'd be delighted with Scott Speedman. :) Robert Buckley, who is a hot piece of eye-candy on Lipstick Jungle would work. Ah, if only Timothy Olyphant were a bit younger, he'd be perfect because that man is the embodiment of sexy. (Though if they went with a slightly older actress, maybe he could work.) This is a toughie. Suggestions? This is why I'm not a casting director: I would just cast everyone from Felicity over and over again.

Henry, Jillian's husband when she's 34, is a classically handsome, straighter-laced kind of guy who has a quiet confidence about him that comforts and supports her. He's both her calming influence and also what undoes her: he's linear and rational, and gives her what she needs while simultaneously ignoring what she needs entirely. Again, casting the guys is so tough and so different for each potential-Jillian. But, I dunno, James Marsden? Patrick Wilson? Mark Ruffalo? Ben Affleck? Michael Vartan? Again, suggestions?

Jillian's boss is a 39-year old who has devoted her life to her work at the peril of her family (and because she has to be the primary bread-winner), and is sharply funny and sadly regretful. I'd love to see Catherine Keener, Laura Linney...anyone in that vein who can bring both snark and pathos to a character. There are SO MANY good actresses out there for this part.

Ditto Jillian's mom, who at about 55, has led a life of regret but also lived life to its fullest - leaving behind her family to find what she thinks is her true self. This role is entirely based on Jillian, so I can't even speculate.

Finally, the only person in the entire book about whom I DO have a clear vision is Jillian's dad, who has a gentle humor and a tender, wistful air about him, and for that, I think Jeff Bridges would be perfect.

But, as you can see, I'm game for just about any and every variation. As I said, I would be so flattered that any actor would even consider lending his or her time to this project that I really don't care so much!

But play along with me: which actors or actresses spring to mind when I describe the above roles? Jillian? Sexy, fun-loving Jack? Hard-working, but kind Henry? Lemme know!

The Next Steps

So more on film talk, since I got a lot of emails with questions and comments about the deal...which I think will be mentioned today or tomorrow in the trades. I'll post when/if I see some info.

A lot of people, I think, don't realize that while getting your film optioned is AMAZING, it is definitely NOT a guarantee that it will get made. What happens is this: a studio or production company buys the "option" to pursue the opportunity to develop your book for a designated amount of time, usually, in the case of film, 18 months. The very large majority of these options go nowhere. And I absolutely must and do keep this in mind. Someone on Backspace posted that she thought the percentage that actually get made is somewhere between 1% (if it's optioned by a production company that isn't attached to a studio) and 5% (if it's optioned with a studio deal). So, those are pretty sobering statistics.

That said, I have all sorts of reasons for being optimistic about this particular project moving ahead, not least that they are very, very actively looking to attach actors, writers, etc. Thus, they are moving forward, and hey, sometimes these projects do get made, and why shouldn't it be mine? This, coupled with a few other factors, has me feeling pretty good about where things stand right now.

But even so, even if it never gets made, I won't be disappointed. Here's why: in my opinion, this is a win-win situation. Not only do I get a very nice-sized check for doing absolutely nothing other than writing a book that I'd already written (and been paid for), but this announcement helps generate more buzz for the yet-to-be-released novel, which means that the sales teams, the foreign rights team, the marketing team, the PR team, the magazines who are reading galleys, etc, all take a little more interest in the book and might, just might, give it more promotion/review space/attention/bigger print run. I really can't lose, here.

So yes, I am feeling good about the chances of eventually seeing Time of My Life with a big old bucket of popcorn on my lap, but even if I don't, I can't say that I won't have won.

Tomorrow: we'll talk casting. :) (For all of you who have written to ask about my dream cast!)