When is New Media Too Much New Media?

I've been contemplating this question for a while...I feel like I could spend my entire day on things like Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, MySpace (which, actually I never really deal with anymore), but there are so many new sites/tools out there to connect with other writers and/or readers that it's almost become a job in and of itself.

As I mentioned a week or so ago, I decided to join Twitter....and to be honest, I'm not sure if it's for me. I suppose that you get out of things what you put into them, but between writing my book, working on my celeb interviews, doing TOML stuff (still doing that months after its release) and the 1000 other things I have to deal with in the time when my sitter arrives and when she leaves (including but not limited to: walking the dog, squeezing in a workout, planning dinner, running errands, going to meetings, going to dr's appts, going to a million different things, oh...and working), and I'm not sure that I have it in me to keep up with this tweeting thing. But, on the other hand, as someone who recognizes the value of these online marketing opportunities, I'm hesitant to discard it altogether, even though I fully recognize that it probably isn't my bag.

It's interesting what the internet has done to book promotion and author accessibility. Gone are the days when book tours were a must. Now these days, what is a must? Tweeting? Facebooking? Blogging? Websiting? I don't know - where does it end? It feels like every year, something new will crop up, and I'll be honest, I was iffy on FB originally and now I can't live without it, though I try to use it strictly for personal, not professional, reasons. (I.e, I don't use it for networking and don't friend people I don't know - and vice versa, but regardless, it's been invaluable in terms of promoting within my pool of friends and people with whom I'm back in touch.) So it's not as if these places don't have a lot of value; I recognize that they do...it's just...where does it end? An author could spend all of her time networking and blogging and tweeting and whatnot and never actually devote herself to the important things.

I dunno. It's just food for thought right now. For me, this blog has been the best marketing tool I've opted for, but when people ask me if they should start their own blogs, it's hard for me to say affirmatively yes because, after all, who knows how well they'll use them? Maybe Twitter is a better choice or maybe nothing at all. Maybe they should just spend their time writing. I don't know. The possibilities are endless. Maybe it's just up for each person to decide. For now, I'm hanging onto my Twitter page, even if I don't make much of a tweet.

On Titles

Question of the day: Where do titles come from? I feel like I'm asking "Where do babies come from?"! ;-) Seriously, though, how do you come up with the titles of your book?

Well, for starters, I actually didn't come up with the title The Department of Lost and Found. My agent's boss did. Yes, really. I'd originally title the book, Round Trip, as in, the book is divided into chemo rounds, and I also thought it spoke somewhat metaphorically about Natalie's journey. But my agent, before shopping around, deemed it not marketable enough, and thus her whole firm brainstormed potential titles. (I chimed in as well.) We batted some things around, and TDLF was finally anointed the winner.

I think the key is to come up with a title that isn't so, so esoteric, isn't too generic, and at the same time is catchy enough to stick in readers' heads. Oh, and it needs to also represent the larger themes of the book. Yikes. No small feat.

So when I came time to name TOML, I knew that I wanted something that really captured the ethereal feel of the book but at the same time had a certain zing...like, if I tell someone the title, he or she won't have a hard time remembering it. (For example, I know that one of my all-time favorite books, Then We Came to The End, got some flack because critics thought the title was hard to remember...I dunno, I thought it was fine, but maybe that's an example of something that's a little too out-there to really stick in readers' brains? Not that the book had any problems: it was a huge smash seller, but I'm trying to think of an example to represent what I'm talking about. Conversely, another one of my favorite books, Good Grief, as what I deem a perfect title: catchy, sticky and the complete embodiment of what the book's overall themes are.) So, anyway, back to TOML: because I'm so inspired by music and listen to it 24/7 when I'm not writing, I actually started searching song titles for inspiration. (Actually this is after I'd thrown out several clunkers to my agent and editor...we gave it a title after we sold the book with the first 100 pages written.) I think I probably found 7 or so that could have worked well...some played off song titles, and some, like what we ended up with, is obviously an actual song title. (Pre-David Cook!) I fired off an email to the two of them, and we all just had that light bulb moment that you hope to have: yes! This is the perfect title for the pages inside.

With HAPPIEST DAYS, I did something similar - scoured song titles and went with something that I thought would sum up the book best. But this time, it was a little trickier because I hadn't (and haven't) written the entire book. Still though, knowing what I intend to write, I think I'll be fine.

One thing to keep in mind, when naming your book, is that once you sell it, the marketing dept may well change it. There's a lot of emphasis on finding just the right title to embody all of the things I mentioned above, so if you feel like yours isn't quite on the mark, don't worry, someone will let you know. :)

Writers out there - how do you choose your titles, and published authors, have you ever had your title changed? I'm curious to hear.

For Better or Worse

So I've talked a lot on this blog about how I think it's important to be open to constructive criticism, and this advice has really hit close to home recently, as I attempt to shape my next book and hopefully grow as a writer as I do so. One thing that I've found myself doing is replaying some of the common criticisms from readers in my mind. (Yes, I know, it's hard to believe but there are folks out there who didn't like TOML! LOL. Really.) The truth is that I think you'd be hard-pressed to find many authors who don't read their reviews and, well, on the internet, people feel free to say just about anything (especially when it's anonymous), so we writers really can see and read how we disappointed readers, and of course, conversely, when we made them happy.

So it's been interesting as I write HAPPIEST DAYS, both in the positive and negative sense of the word "interesting." Because, to be honest, it's hard to erase some of those criticisms from clanging around my brain (they linger long after the positive reviews flee your mind), but maybe that's an okay thing. One thing that a lot of readers have written to me about personally (yes, people actually take the time to write me to air both their raves and their grievances) is the foul language in the book. Huh. It actually never even occurred to me, to be honest, that Jillian's inner-monologue, complete with curse words, might offend people. And truthfully, I felt and still feel that this was her honest dialogue with herself and I wouldn't change that even today, knowing that it upsets some readers. It would be disingenuous to both the character and the writing process. But with Tilly, my next protagonist, I AM keeping this in mind. She's softer than Jillian, and maybe I'd have dropped more F-bombs in this one if not for those readers, but I realize now that I don't have to...and trying to please them is actually okay with me. I can find other ways to say what I wanted to say without swearing.

That's an easy concession. There are other criticism that are harder to accommodate, but I'm trying to listen to what readers had to say and use it wisely. Some readers complain about lack of character development, which I really don't get, but maybe that's because I knew these characters so well in my mind. But I've read this complaint a few times, and thus, maybe it makes it a little more valid, a little more worth considering. NOT that it shapes my writing, but maybe it can make it stronger. Maybe, when I'm thinking about Tilly, I can dig a little deeper to create a more dimensional character. I don't know. The truth is that I truly don't know if I can because I really felt like I laid Jillian pretty bare. But I'm trying to learn from these comments and see what I can do with them.

The truth is that once you're published, it's probably easier to rest on your laurels. But it's also a little scarier. At least for me. I absolutely DO NOT want to put out a book, which I deem as wholly representative of my capabilities, that isn't up to my standards. And thus, it only seems wise to listen to these reviews, and when there is somewhat of a collective agreement on my weaknesses, to see where I can bolster up my writing. I'm not going to get rejected by agents or editors anymore - these objective readers might be my only outlet for honest (and sometimes down right rude! LOL) criticism.

Obviously, there is a fine line to walk here: you can't become so absorbed with these reviews that you become paralyzed. I admit that it's tough: I keep thinking: character development, character development, character development, and it might be hampering me. But better that I'm aware of these things - and at least making the attempt to improve myself - than to have my head stuck in the sand and think that I can't make myself a stronger writer.

So...I don't really know where I'm going with this! :) Only to say that I know that a lot of you guys are still honing your writing and are often faced with criticism. So maybe this is my way of saying, hey, you can use it to your advantage - at least, I'm going to try to.

Separating Fact from Fiction

So one of the most frequent questions I get when I call into book clubs is "How much of this book is taken from your own life?" I got the same question for The Department as well, which is sort of funny because the protagonists are wildly different. But I guess there's a tendency (and I do this too) to look at the author's photo on the dust jacket and somehow insert him/her into the story. It's really interesting to be on the other side of the coin (jacket?) now though because this question always amuses me a little (not in a bad way): like people don't understand that what we do is write fiction, as in, we actually do really make this stuff up! :)

I know that we've discussed just how much of yourself you should put into your novels in the past, and by that I mean, I think if your plots/characters are too similar to you, you can often get stuck when it comes time to be creative, but in thinking about it (as I do when I'm asked this question about how much the plot line echoes my life), I guess there is a very fine line to walk. It's funny, actually, because Jillian, my protag in TOML, is actually nothing like me. I really didn't relate to her circumstances or her problems, and yet, I was able to give her her own voice, her own world totally outside of mine. I think what was important here was that on some level, I emotionally connected with her situation. I mean, like most women, of course I've had an occasional "what if," and that shared spark of a moment was enough for me to bring her to life. That readers are convinced that she is me (or vice versa) should, I guess, be a compliment, no?

The same thing happened with The Department. I actually get emails from people who think that Natalie's story was mine, and that the book was actually a memoir. Again, there were elements of Natalie's life that I related to - for example, her quest to be in touch with her exes, as I'm happy to say that I've kept in touch and am friends with many of mine and wish them all the happiness in the world - but obviously, I'm fortunate enough to never have had cancer, nor been in many of the situations that Natalie found herself in. But yes, on some emotional level, I clicked with her.

I dunno - it's just a funny thing. I guess that's really what I'm musing about - not that any of you might care! But do you guys do this? Put the author in the plot? (And as I said, I do it myself, but I've gotten better at it now that I realize that, indeed, this is a work of imagination!)

Editing (Ugh)

Question of the day: I am intrigued by the fact you edit 50 pages at a time. I usually write the whole MS and then edit once it is complete. I would love to know whether you've always done it this way, or have experimented with different ways, and why this works for you (knowing that everyone is different!).

This is by no means a hard and fast rule for me. But I've found that it really helps me with continuity and refreshing my brain as to small details I might have overlooked or plot lines that I now need to focus on. As I've said before, I don't write an overall outline as I go - again, for me, it just messes up the idea that I write where my characters take me. For example, in Happiest Days, I had originally conceived one of the main characters to vacate the plot at about page 75. Well, a lightening bolt hit me last week that - huh? - isn't it so much more complicated for everyone if he sticks around? Why not try that? So I am. It's a harder choice, writing wise, but I think it's a smarter move for the book. If I'd mapped out the book religiously ahead of time, I wouldn't have even given myself the freedom to really dig deep and consider this option.

But I've digressed. So, because I keep all of the details in my brain (something that I know doesn't work for everyone), I really like to refresh myself on what I've recently written. I helps me keep momentum with not only my enthusiasm for continuing to write (I often discover that what I've written is better than I thought), but it really pulls me into where I need to go next. So that's my reasoning.

I should note, however, that once the manuscript is complete, I definitely go back and read it from the beginning and do an edit that way too. Frankly, I could do never-ending edits - hell, there are still lines in both of my books that I wish I could change. But c'est la vie. At a certain point (for me, that's when my editor and agent say, "Perfection,") you gotta let go.

How do you guys go about your editing process? I'd love to hear.

I'm Tweeting

Hey guys, I know that some of you had urged me to join Twitter...and I just did. Ugh, I'm not sure if I'll regret it or not, but for now, I'm diving in. I'm still figuring it out, but if you're on there, find me! Back tomorrow with writing-related stuff.

Finding Inspiration

Today I'm over at Writer Unboxed talking about lifting my reading ban while writing in hopes of uncovering inspiration. (Though the good news is that since I wrote that blog post, I've reread what I've written of HAPPIEST DAYS and am quite pleased, which has lit the spark for me to keep writing - yay!)

Check it out!

Links You'll Love

Two quick shout-outs today...first, congrats to friend and author Brenda Janowitz, whose essay on high-concept books graces the very prestigous pages of Publishers Weekly this week!

Find it here for her thoughts (and a lovely shout-out to yours truly) here: http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6628065.html?industryid=48383

Second, I know we've talked about firing your agent before, and here, author and pal Amie Stuart shares her thoughts and experiences. Check it out:

http://southernfriedchicas.com/2009/01/12/the-low-down-dirty/

Trimming the Fat

Question of the day: if you have a scene that's sagging a little (or a lot!) into exposition or could make a reader bored, do you chop it or do you beef it up/combine it with something more interesting? When is it worth saving?

I think one really easy fix that turns telling into showing (or takes an internal dialogue into an external one) is to literally add dialogue. All of the stuff that your character is saying in her head can literally be said out loud with another character, and you can have them moving through a scene (with some sort of action) in doing so. Alternatively, there are physical ways to transform exposition. Say your character is telling readers how angry she is over a situation. Don't have her say it, have her show it physically. A cliche is to have her throw something (again, that's a cliche), but it's an example nevertheless. In Time of My Life, when Jillian was having an internal struggle, I often sent her out on a run. Jogging for her, was a sign to readers, that she was going through some emotional upheaval. But I didn't have her sit on her couch and say, "I'm going through emotional upheaval." Instead, she pounded the pavement until she felt relief.

Does that make sense?

How do you know when to cut it? Well, for me, I do my revisions in chunks. I think it's hard to gain perspective on what you've written until you can step away from it for a bit and then read it in conjunction with other pages/chapters. So I tend to revise about every 50 pages or so. When you do this (or read the entire me - however the revision process works for you), I think these moments of exposition really will stand out. And then, the key is to really ask yourself - and this is NOT an easy process because we can get very, very tied to every word we write - is this scene necessary? Is it honestly telling the readers something new? If I cut it, will the ms lose anything? Is there a more concise way to transmit this information? I think that often times, new fiction writers take a paragraph - or an entire scene - to connote what can be told in one or two sentences. Not that everything should be pared down, of course not. But those expository scene, well, yes. Trim them down to something more concise, and you usually won't lose anything...in fact, you'll probably beef up the scene by trimming the fat.

Just my opinion, of course! How do you guys out there go about whittling down exposition?

How Many is Too Many

Question of the day: About how many different plot lines do you feel you can juggle before a story gets tangled? Do you think these plot lines need to be clearly related to each other?

Continuing with exploring scenes and chapter structure, I pulled this question from the comments section because it's a great place to start. The answer, for me, is that I don't know that I have a concrete number, but let's talk through it and see where we come up...

I think there is a very fine line between having too few things going on and thus boring the reader and having too much going on, such that the reader is thinking, "Seriously? This is TOO dramatic; this sort of craziness doesn't have one ounce of reality in it." I remember reading a book this summer, by an author whom I love (but shall go nameless), and there were just too many things going on. It seemed totally implausible that every character would have such complete and total drama in his or her life, and as a reader, it was a little bit exhausting. I kept thinking, "Really? Can't one thing go right for someone??" At the same time, of course, we've all read books on the flip side: without enough drama, there simply isn't enough momentum to keep us flipping the pages.

So...how much is enough without going overboard? Well, when I think about TOML (not that this is a perfect example, and just to be clear, I never want anyone to think that I'm ever saying that my writing is without flaws!), there were four or five MAIN plot lines going on. 1) the arc of her going back in time; 2) her attempts to reconcile with her old boyfriend (and forget her old husband); 3) her friend's infertility; 4) her mother's reappearance in her life; 5) her various issues at work leading to a promotion. Then there were subplots (and actually, maybe #3 above is a subplot, though it did shape a lot of Jillian's behavior): her bosses marriage, her boyfriend's novel, a few others here and there. I think, in considering my first novel, there were also a similar amount of main plot lines: work, family, health, love, friendship. For me, this is about all I can juggle.

In fact, right now, I'm about 60 pages into HAPPIEST DAYS, and I actually think I might have too much going on. I'll reassess once I've written the complete draft, but a good way for me to gauge this is that, because I keep so much of my novel in my head, I sometimes lose track of a plot...I actually forget that I need to weave it in. And if I'm dropping plots, it's likely that there is one too many in the air. (Forgive the extended juggling metaphor.)

Do all the plots have to be tied to each other? I think, in some way, yes. Even if it's tangential, but if not, you're almost telling short stories that happen to be in a novel together, right? (This is just my opinion, and I'm definitely game to hear from people who disagree.) But when you write a novel, it's important to remember that you're asking readers to follow an arc: your characters start one place and end up another. And if you're going to throw in a plot line that has nothing to do with a character's evolution (even in a remote, tangential way), what's the point for the reader? I dunno, just my opinion.

So guys, I'm curious to hear how many plots you juggle when writing...how many is too many?

Establishing Structure

Question of the day: I'm wondering how to structure chapters. I DID start from the beginning and kept writing and writing and it's like one long stream of consciousness, sort of like Stephen King's Delores Claiborne. How do you go about structuring that first chapter and the rest to follow?

This is a great question because I think this is very much a learned skill, at least it was for me.

I think it is very, very common for first-time writers (and I say that with no condescension, because, as I said, I dealt with this very situation) to have more stream of consciousness writing than is necessary. In fact, exposition - too much of it - is a big reason why early manuscript go awry. Again, I speak from experience. Good fiction writing really minimizes exposition: you don't tell readers what you're trying to convey; you put your characters in situations in which they're conveying it for you. By considering this every time you write a scene, your chapters and how they unfold start to happen naturally. Let me explain.

I have a few rules when I'm writing a new scene or chapter: every scene has to move the plot forward. I seriously stop and think about this each scene (and long afterward when I consider whether or not I want to keep what I just wrote): are my characters advancing the plot, are they creating new conflict for themselves and others (this is a good thing), are they offering readers information that readers didn't have before? Every single scene you have should meet these criteria; if not, they're filler - think of when you're watching a TV show and thinking, "Ugh, what's the point of this scene, I'm so bored." That's what happens when you plop in those unnecessary moments in a book too: readers get bored.

Another rule is that I try not to have a scene address a stand-alone conflict. What I mean by this is that, even if it's a very small thing, I try to throw in two issues into one scene. This really gives the plot a sense of momentum and keeps the smoking-fast pace because there's never a down moment. For example, I wrote a scene today in Happiest Days in which my character assesses how to cope with the fact that her husband might want to move out of their small town. In mulling over the repercussions with her best friend, I worked in a quick bite about her friend's own marriage - the friend (who is separated) makes a quick comment about something that happened the previous night with her estranged husband. I don't linger over it, there's no need to, but it reminds readers as to what's going on with that plot line, moves the plot line forward, AND is pertinent to my heroine's own situation. Do you see what I mean? Keep as many things in the mix as possible, and your plot will fly by.

Another rule is that I try not to delve into a more than a paragraph or two consecutive of my character's inner-thoughts. This isn't hard and fast rule because sometimes, it's necessary to convey what she's thinking, things that simply CAN'T be conveyed via action - like when she's mulling over a memory and what it means to her - but these inner-thoughts have a way of veering into exposition territory, into telling-not-showing territory, and that's when - BAM -you lose readers because you're not offering any action.

I know that this sounds like a lot. But it does become second nature the more fiction you write.

So how does all of this lead to chapter structure? (I didn't forget your original question?) Well, for me at least, it leads to chapter structure because I'm always considering what action my characters now need to take - how can I keep the conflict going and the momentum moving forward? What's the next situation that they'd find themselves in to resolve their current conflict? It helps, sometimes, if I have sort of a running rotation of plot lines that I need to move forward. If you read TOML, you'll see that I'll address a work conflict, then a conflict with her mother, then a conflict with her boyfriend, etc, and then return to the work situation. (This doesn't happen on an exact rotation, but I never drop one ball for too long because not only will readers think, "Huh? I can't remember what happened so many pages ago!," but juggling these various plots keeps these scenes humming quickly forward.)

I know this was a lot of info, and I hope it makes sense! I think the key is to creating as much action and conflict as possible...and then your characters naturally place themselves in situations to get themselves to a different place...which, voila, is your next chapter.

Does this make sense to anyone??? Or have I confused you even further? I'm sure that others out there map out their chapters in a much more exacting way - care to share?

New Toys!

Sorry the blog is late going up today...I got a new computer last night and have spent the better part of the evening and the morning getting adjusted. I made the switch from PC to Mac, on the recommendation of so many writer friends, and so far, there are some kinks to work out, but mostly, it's not such a big leap.

But it did get me thinking...as writers, our computers are really our lifelines. Almost literally. I mean, I spend probably 6 hours a day sitting in front of mine, and I have an entire community of friends and places that I pass those hours with. Writing can be a lonely existence but it doesn't have to be thanks to the internet.

So anyway, I started thinking about what tools and software I can't live without, since I am so tied to this beast. Obviously, Microsoft Word - goes without saying. Ditto my email, since I'm much likelier to email someone these days than actually pick up the phone and chat. (In fact, even though I have an office line, it almost never rings.) Beyond that, I love my Sony digital recorder, which I use for my phone interviews, and I will never be able to live without Napster. As some folks mentioned yesterday, I really try to delve into the heads of my characters...I start to think like them...and music is a BIG way that I do this. I absolutely adore Napster to Go, which gives me the ability to test-drive any and all songs that strike my fancy. (In fact, I didn't realize that I wouldn't be able to use Napster - or upload my Sony files - on a Mac, so I'm installing Parallels, which mimics the Windows application, precisely to have access to these applications. That's how much I love them.)

Other than that? Well, those are probably my can't-live-withouts on a day-to-day basis. But I'm sure that I'm missing out on some really awesome programs or applications...so I'd love to hear what yours are to maybe make my day pass a little quicker! (And to have more ways to procrastinate.) :) Any super-fun or handy app suggestions?

Bringing Your Characters to Life

Question of the day: Though I've taken classes with several authors in the past, I'm still learning the finer points of fiction and have a big gap in my knowledge when it comes to creating full, robust characters. How did you go about setting up your characters from the beginning? Did you figure out all of their attributes ahead of time, or did you let them form while you were writing the book?

Great question and particularly applicable to me right now, as I'm on about page 50 of The Happiest Days of My Life and am really focused on making these characters as three-dimensional as possible. I think I develop my characters in two parts: the first is before I put a word on page. Although this book, as well as Time of My Life, are very concept-driven - as in: BIG PLOT - a lot of the plot development, when I conceive the nugget of an idea - revolves around the primary characters. So, for example, when I came up with the idea for TOML, I also obviously had to come up with the character of Jillian, as everything about the book centers around her. Ditto the concept for Happiest Days. It revolves around a woman who might be a little too contended in her life, and without her, the book isn't possible.

So, I start with that skeleton. In the case of Tilly (the protagonist in Happiest Days), I considered her occupation, her marital status, her siblings, how her parents (and their history) shaped her, what her hobbies might be, what her emotional limitations might be, what her weaknesses (and strengths) are. So, that sounds like a lot.

But, I inevitably find as I'm writing that the characters still need to become more full-bodied. The little nuances about people that you really don't understand until you see them in action, if that makes sense. Sort of like if you see all the facets of a blind date on paper, but there are smaller things - but just as important things - that you can't pick up until you meet them out on a date. How they carry themselves, how they react to situations that might surprise you, personal tics that only come out through their story.

I dunno, at the risk of sounding totally lame, the characters, like us, are always a work in progress, and there are always going to be some critics who read the book and think that you didn't do enough with them...but, rest assured, I tried to breathe as much life into them as I could think of. The process becomes easier with every book because I understand how important the small quirks are. If you're stuck, I think it can be really helpful to look around at your friends and family (not that you base characters on them, but still), and consider their tics, their subtleties, and ensure that your characters have them as well.

Just my two cents. How do you guys go about and develop your characters? I'd love to hear!

Resolution Road

So...wow...it's that time of year again - the very last day! I can hardly believe how quickly time has passed, and much like my protagonist, Jillian, I often wish I could press the pause button to have a moment to step back and appreciate it all. But...since I can't...one thing I like to do, come the end of the year, is take a deep breath and reflect on both the milestones and the slip-ups from the previous 364 days, so I can better arm myself for the next 365.

As far as resolutions? Well, I'm sure that I have some - have more patience with my husband, eat one dessert fewer every night (I tend to sample one of everything in the house, sigh) - but they're not yet concrete. What really helps me is to assess the path of the prior year and see what changes I might like to implement, because without doing so, they're just sort of blind promises that are bound to fail.

So, that said, my past year has been pretty spectacular. It's felt like the sort of year that comes along only so often every lifetime, and part of me is a little nervous that I'll never top it. But then I think of the conversation my husband and I had before our daughter was born, the one in which he worried if he'd love our second child as much as our first - because we really, really loved our first - and now, we both look back on that and crack up because, of course we love her madly, and of course, just because you have one great thing happen to you (or one banner year), doesn't mean that it can't repeat itself!

I guess the key for me is to figure out how to replicate those results...and it really all boils down to writing a book that is as appealing as Time of My Life. And I'm doing my best. I'm 40 pages in, and I'm working like hell to make it all that TOML was, but ultimately, and this may simply be my resolution, I also have to let go the comparison-game. (Not unlike that first vs. second child thing.) It's hard. It's very, very hard. I reread passages and think, "Is this as snappy as TOML? Is this BETTER than TOML?," and then I get out of my head and out of my writing groove. So, yes, I think this may very well be my resolution because, as I've said here before, all I can do with this book is make it the best possible 300 pages that I have in me. I didn't write TOML with the intention of a future movie or of hitting the NY Times list. That these amazing things happened were just the cherry on top. Before they did happen, however, I was thrilled with and proud of the book...and that would have been enough for me.

So the lesson, in thinking through my year, and where I am at present, is that the big stuff is probably out of my control. What has to matter is what is enough for me, and that would be to set aside expectations that are now attached to me, and simply to write. Maybe this is the same goal as last year - I'll have to go back and find that post - but it seems like a worthy goal, nevertheless.

So you heard it here: if I ever blog about how I'm stuck because I feel paralyzed with the expectations of TOML on me - remind me: Just write the dang book already! As an author, that's what I should be doing all along.

I'd love to hear what your resolutions (work and non-work) are this year! Spill! And have a happy - and SAFE - new year!

Is Chick Lit the Kiss of Death?

Question of the Day: Is there a difference between "commercial women's fiction" and "chick lit"? I think the novel I'm writing could fit into either category; i.e., it's the funny/sad/triumphant story of three young women figuring out their spot in life (and running a marathon-- shout out to a fellow runner :). They're single and young in a city, albeit Pittsburgh rather than NYC. I've thought of it as "chick lit"-- I embrace the term, actually, but I know to many it carries a stigma. Plus, my story contains more Nikes than Manolo Blahniks, and I've heard that the Chick Lit trend peaked a few years ago. When I'm ready to pitch the book to an agent, which term do you think I should use? Does it matter? Do you deliberately avoid the "chick lit" categorization in your own writing?

Great question. (Or questions.) I'll start by addressing the first question: is there a difference between CL and commercial women's fiction? And the answer, in my mind, is slightly. But before I get into this, I want to say that I think they're both equally great and that the only people who really delineate between all of the various categories are INDUSTRY folks, not consumers, and at the end of the day, it's the consumers who matter. But, yeah, when pitching your agent, I suppose it matters how you categorize it, if only to boost its appeal to said agent. And then, once signed, it matters how your agent pitches it to editors and then, once bought, how the marketing and cover design people perceive it, because all of these interpretations help shape the final presentation of your book to the buying public...but...still, I don't think consumers walk into bookstores and think, "Gee, I want to buy a commercial women's fiction book today." Does that make sense? What I'm saying is that these categories matter, but they are not the holy grail.

Anyway, in my opinion, the difference between CL and CWF - and this is just the general perception, and again, I'm certainly not taking away from either - is that CL is slightly less weighty. Breezier, less grave subject matter, if you will. I don't even know that the married vs. single thing matters so much anymore - I think it's more about the overall plot and the issues it addresses. I also think that CWF can skew a little more literary, though this definitely isn't always true. Think of it this way: my first book, The Department of Lost and Found, was classified as CWF, though I've seen plenty of folks call it chick lit. I don't really care what people call it, as long as they buy it. :) But it was classified as CWF because of the gravity of its primary plot device: cancer, and because it was deemed slightly more literary than your classic beach read.

These days, certainly, CL gets a bad rap. The industry bought so many CL books a few years back that they oversaturated the market, and ended up publishing a lot of not-so-great reads, even though there were plenty of great ones published at the same time. And yes, there's still a market for it - just look at the trade paperback new release rack at your bookstore. But some agents will cringe at the term because so many insiders have said that the CL market is dead. I don't think it is. I think they've just repackaged a lot of these books - Emily Giffin, Jane Green - they're great writers who are called both CL and now, CWF, and really, does it matter? And do I write with one in mind? Definitely not. I write with the voice that I find suits my characters and my story best. That the industry has deemed this CWF is just fine with me because I adore my covers and the support I've gotten with marketing, etc, but I write what I write, as well as I can, the end.

But, that said, I have read a lot of editors saying that they're more apt to buy CWF (again, because of perception, whether or not they're the same thing as CL), so I might use this term in your query letter. Not because one is better than the other, in terms of writing (I just want to be clear on this, because I have plenty of friends whose work I admire who write CL), but because the industry is in such disarray right now, that I think agents might find any reason to pass on your query letter and the term CL might be it.

Of course, what REALLY matters in your query letter is a strong voice, an engaging plot and a few sentences that leave the agent wanting for more. The rest? Not nearly important.

What say you readers? How would you advise her?

For Some Holiday Cheer

Check out the wonderful Larramie's (a frequent post on this blog) new blog called The Divining Wand. It's an incredibly kind, generous idea of a blog, and it's no surprise, since Larramie is much the same!

I love this concept and am sure you will too. Pass it along!

http://thediviningwand.blogspot.com/

I'm Getting My Groove Back

Thanks to everyone who chimed in on yesterday's post. Very, very good thoughts, and I hope my post didn't come off as divisive or judge-y or condescending. I only meant it to provoke some good food for thought, and I think it achieved its goal. :)

So in other news in my life, I am so excited to report that I've taken the leap and started my next book. I'll be honest with you: those first few pages, well, really up to probably about 10k words, where the ms starts to feel substantial, are very, very difficult for me. Knowing the uphill battle that I face - banging out 80k words or so - is so daunting, even though I know I've done it before and know that I have it in me to do again. But still. I hate the onset. I can't imagine a time when I will ever like it. The blank page practically mocks me as I sit there trying to fill it up so that the words amount to something more than a few paragraphs.

But I returned home from vacation determined to just dive in...and so, I did. I just did it. And once I got going, it proved a lot easier than I remembered it would, even though, as I hit the groove, I also remembered it being pretty great when you hit your stride in your prose. So I wrote about 4k in two days, and I plan to (ideally) write at least 1-2k each work day from here until the finish line. I'll keep you posted. I've found that the only way for me to maintain my momentum is to just throw myself into the deep end and keep swimming until I'm done. So this ms will likely consume my every thought (and many blog posts!) for a while. I hope you don't mind. :)

So, with that said, it feels like it's going to be a pretty happy holiday weekend for me. I hope that yours is the same - optimism in this time when it might not be so easy to be optimistic, quality time with your family, nourishment to help restore whatever part of you needs to be restored.

Happy holidays! See you in a few days!

So How Do You Know When You Suck (Or Just Haven't Made It)

I was reading a recent issue of EW (aka: my bible) on vacation, and saw this lovely interview with Matthew Weiner, who is the creator of the incredible show, Mad Men. I'm transcribing it below because I thought it opened up a really valuable discussion to have here at AA.

Here's what he said.

1) He realized he wasn't smart - yet. "I started looking at people whose careers I wanted - David Chase, Woody Allen - and saw that I was not on that path.)

2) He said no. "I turned down a contract at Becker, even though I had no other job. It proved that I was uncompromising. Or crazy."

3) He made stuff. "I wrote the Mad Men script to show what I could do."

4) He never gave up. "It takes hundreds of no's to get a yes. How many networks are there? That's how many no's I got."

5) He played nice with everyone. "My Mad Men script was given to AMC by my manager's former assistant. Taking your aggression out on anyone will always come back to bite you. Sometimes in the parking lot after the meeting."

So why did I take the time to post this interview? I thought that Weiner shares some pretty valuable tips on having the guts and survival instinct to hang in there for many years of moderate, though not showstopping success. But I also think his fourth point raises an interesting question that we don't often discuss here at AA, because I'm all about the positivity. But that question, and I hate to say it, but it's an important one, is: how do I know if these hundreds of rejections are simply part of the process or are a larger sign that I might not have what it takes?

Here's the truth: if you speak with agents and editors (and I have), all of them, when they're being honest, will tell you that a good many aspiring writers have no business hoping to move from aspiring to published. Obviously, writing is a subjective thing, and what is good to one person will certainly suck for another (just read any author's reviews and you'll see a wide range), but on the whole (and yes, there are exceptions, where universally, everyone says, how the hell did that get published), most published writers have a certain something that appeals. I don't know what it is. An innate knack? An innate voice? A very well-learned skill? It's really difficult to say, especially to say without coming off like a pompous ass, but again, the hard truth of this business, much like acting or any other artistic profession, is that not everyone is created equal. This is not a Montessori-like business where everyone is given and deserves a shot. (Says the mom who sends her kids to Montessori, so I'm certainly not knocking that educational method!)

How do you know if you have what it takes? That's where it gets tricky. Because I, for one, don't know the answer. Rejection, as noted above by Weiner, is so much a part of our business that it's difficult when to take something personally. I, of course, always tell you guys NOT to take stuff personally because, after all, this is a business. But never, ever, ever taking something to heart might mean that you're ignoring warning signs that, well, maybe this isn't the industry for you. I don't know. I know authors who have gotten 100s of rejections and finally landed an agent. I know authors who have gotten one yes at a publishing house after every other place rejected him/her. But I also know plenty of people who have never gotten that yes. Does it mean that they won't ever? No, of course not. But when (and why and how) do you draw the line? Because, let's be honest at the most pure level, some people are better simply writers than others. (Again, this feels very weird to say without coming off like an ass - and please know that I'm certainly not elevating myself here! I'm just opening up this discussion). How do you know if you're one of them? Again, tough call. I think being objective about your own work, as I've discussed in the past, is incredibly difficult, and sometimes, finding anyone who will be objective about your work and tell you the truth is incredibly difficult. Not to mention that again, many things are subjective, so one person's trash is another's treasure.

I don't really have any sagacious answers here. But I do think it's worth talking about. Certainly some people write for the pure pleasure of it, but others will chase the dream of being published for their entire lives, and if you do chase that dream...would you want to know if you just weren't going to cut it? Or alternatively, how DO YOU know that you weren't going to cut it? (I'm not saying that one poor manuscript won't give way to a better one - it happened in my case and has happened with countless writers I know. But yes, there are aspiring writers out there who are never going to leap the hurdle.) So how do you know?

I'm Back!

I got home late last night from a WONDERFUL and much-needed break. I did not one iota of work and just enjoyed the weather (and my kids) for eight days straight. I could have stayed there forever. Alas, but real life beckoned.

I'd hoped to put up a real post today, but didn't get around to writing it over my break. I can't remember the last time I took a real break like that - no work, no nothing - and I think it did very good things for my brain space. I returned home ready to dive into the new book, rejuvenated and feeling pretty grateful for my lot in life.

So...more tomorrow! For now, I have a new book to start (and a lot of suitcases to unpack!).

I'm Outta Here But Not Leaving You Empty-Handed!

At long last, I am off for vacation! Ahhh, beaches, warm breezes, two toddlers running around...er, okay, it might not be quite as relaxing as I'm imagining, but I'm going to try my damndest to chill out for the next week or so. Which means I won't be posting on the blog, barring any breaking news. But in the meantime, I'm leaving you with a fabu interview I did with my friend, Eileen Cook, whose blog is all sorts of hilarious and whose new YA book, What Would Emma Do, is a perfect last-minute gift purchase for any and all who qualify as teen-readers (this can include their parents, who have been known to devour YA books with the best of 'em).

Here's a synopsis, and then Eileen answers some questions. I particularly love her answer to #2 because this is exactly what I've been saying here on Ask Allison!

Thou shalt not kiss thy best friend’s boyfriend…again….

There is no greater sin than kissing you best friend’s boyfriend. So when Emma breaks that golden rule, she knows she’s messed up big-time. Especially since she lives in the smallest town ever, where everyone knows everything about everyone else….and especially because she maybe kinda wants to do it again. Now her best friend isn’t speaking to her, her best guy friend is making things totally weird, and Emma is running full speed toward certain social disaster. This is so not the way senior year was supposed to go.

Time to pray for a minor miracle. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s time for Emma to stop trying to please everyone around her, and figure out what she wants for herself.

1. Was there a difference in the writing process between YA and adult? Did you like one better than the other?
My agent was the one who suggested that I try writing a YA. She felt that my voice would work well in that genre. I was unsure. It had been a long time since I was YA, and I wasn't sure if I had a story in me. I hunkered down with a large stack of popular YA books and what I discovered is that while the setting and the age of the characters is different the conflicts are very similar to adult novels. Plus, at long last I had a place to focus all my teenage angst. While I can't say that I enjoy one more than another- I do enjoy the high stakes that are inherent in any YA. Everything seems to matter so much more at that age and anything seems possible. You love more than anyone has ever loved. You hate with a passion never felt before. It was a lot of fun to jump into that character mindset.

2. This is your second book…any big lightbulb moments of learning that made this one easier to write than Unpredictable?
The largest surprise I had after Unpredictable came out was that the world kept spinning on its axis just as it had before. I had dreamed about being published for so long I was certain that somehow things would be radically different. No parades, no trumpets, no phone call from Oprah. Imagine my dismay. The silver lining was the realization that publishing isn't magic. It's a business. Others may have already realized this, but for me this was a lightbulb moment. This took the pressure off writing the second book as I approached it like a job. I set goals and timeline and was off to the races.

3. What are you working on now?
I’m working on another YA, which is currently called Black and White. (Stay tuned the title may change.) It's a story of revenge, classic movies, friendship, and love. I’m having a lot of fun coming up with all sorts of nefarious plots for the revenge part. Turns out I have a very evil side. Who knew?

4. Is there somebody who convinced you that you have what it takes to be an author? If so, who?
Both of my parents are big readers. Weekly trips to the library were a part of our family routine and we’d come home with stacks of books. I’ve loved books and reading as long as I can remember. As soon as I understood that there people who got to make those stories up I knew that I wanted to do that. My parents saved an English homework assignment I did in second grade where the teacher wrote at the bottom “Someday I’m sure you will be an author!” When my first book came out my dad hunted down this teacher. She was over 90 years old and lived in a nursing home. We went out to visit her and my parents were hoping for a big meaningful moment- but she spent the whole time talking about her bunions.

5. What's your work environment like? Any rituals, totems, or must haves?
I love my office, but I write about half of the time there and the other half of the time wherever my laptop and I end up. When I’m stuck I tend to write better in public like a coffee shop or the library. If I am really stuck then I write by hand. I think I’ve convinced myself that if I’m touching the paper I must be closer to the story. I am aware that this is completely illogical- but it works for me so I go with it.

6. What do you do when you're not writing?
I like to knit and love the feel and color of yarn. I’ve bought enough that there could be a world wide sheep shortage and I would have enough stockpiled to last me the rest of my life. I’m a lazy knitter- I don’t like to do complicated things- thus I make a lot of socks and scarves.

7. Would you like to close with a writing tip?
Read- read a lot. You can learn so much about writing this way. Read books you like and books you hate. Break them down to see what works and what doesn’t. Underline or highlight passages/dialog you really like (assuming that this isn’t a library book). It isn’t about trying to write like someone else, it is about discovering the process of what makes a story work.