Because of the Stories...

This is the week. Now is the time. Millions of us, the world over, are glued to our TV sets as the athletes of the world unite for the Olympics in Beijing.

And as I sit here watching the women’s gymnastics final with baited breath (Go Nastia! Go Alicia!) I am reminded that it’s not so much the sports we are watching, but rather the people – yep, it’ s the stories.

Oh sure, we say we watch the Olympics because of the sportsmanship; because we love diving, or gymnastics, or beach volleyball, or track and field. And probably we do. But it’s the stories behind the games that bring us to the edge of our seats.

We writer’s can learn a lot about characterization and plot conflicts from our own emotional experiences during the games!

So, who do we remember from the Olympics so far? And why?

We’ll of course there’s Michael Phelps, the swimmer from the U.S.A who has now succeeded in winning more Olympic medals than anyone else in history. But for many of the millions of people cheering him on, it was not just his swimming prowess that had us rooting for him – it was his story. Raised by a single mother, taken under the wing of a caring father-figure coach, and now here at the Olympics giving each bouquet of flowers he won at his gold medal ceremonies to his sisters or his mother who sat crying in the stands. Yep folks – we fell in love with Phelps because we’d learned a bit of his story.

Then there were those female swimmers with the soap opera lives – two girls from two countries who both fell in love with the same, dashing man. The second one stole the first one’s boyfriend after the first one left her country and her swim team to move closer to the boyfriend in a foreign land, no less. And here they were racing each other for gold in the grand Olympic pool. The story -- the rivalry -- had conflicts on so many fronts that in our hearts we all took sides. That’s what happens when there’s a powerful story.

Of course there were hundreds of these stories: There was the world champion beach volleyball star that lost her wedding ring on the court; The male and female U.S. gymnasts who trained all their lives, got hurt right before the competition, and had to cheer on their teammates while wrapped in bandages at home or on the sidelines. There was the white water kayaker who braved the rapids to win his country their first ever Olympic medal; the Chinese coach who told his country he’d jump off the tallest building in Beijing if his team didn’t win the gold (thank God, they did!) but … the list goes on and on.

Even people who weren’t athletes pulled at the hearts of the world: A little boy who survived the recent earthquake, smiling in the arms of a hero, as they carried the Chinese flag in the opening ceremony; A little girl who sang the anthem, but whose face her nation thought was too unattractive to put on TV. (There’s a sad story for you). And there were so many more.

So, hooray for the Olympics (both the inspiring and the sad stories)! Though we writers may sometimes fear that reading is a dying hobby, these games have shown again and again that stories still make the world go ‘round.

If there’s a heart-touching tale out there for the telling, the whole world will tune in to listen.

The Print Icon

The other day I finally got to click the print icon!

I sat entranced as page after page of my manuscript (182 pages in all) flowed out of the printer in beautiful, crisp succession.

I am one of those writers who never prints the story until it’s complete. It stays on the computer until the first, and often even the second draft is completed. So for me, printing is a sign of progress; of having written the words “the end.”

I finished the draft of my current novel (POCL). So, I printed it. And I sent part of it off to my critique group for review.

I must say that there’s nothing as great as that feeling of making progress; of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel; of getting to the next stage in the work.

And so, today, on Writermorphosis, we’re celebrating “progress.”

Sometimes progress is just getting to the end of your current chapter. Sometimes it’s sending out that manuscript that’s been loitering in your bottom drawer for years – wrapping it in a manila envelope, writing a publisher’s address on it, and lovingly scooting it into the mail slot, fingers crossed, nervous ball in your stomach…

I’m part of a wonderful, and talented critique group called the Goalies, and we’ve been enjoying a lot of progress too. We meet monthly to critique each other’s work, boost each other out of those occassional writing doldrums, and celebrate book sales and other good news with home-made cookies and fun.

And lately, we’ve all been making great progress! The beautiful thing about a critique group is that each member benefits from the success of the others. When one or two people achieve success in the group, it gives the whole group new energy and enthusiasm and a new desire to finish our current works. We stop lolly-gagging around and actually submit our manuscripts to the world.

Lately, I’m so thrilled to report, that the Goalies have had cookies coming out of our ears. We’ve each been lifted forward by the enthusiasm of the group. We’ve have at least 2 members with recent books out, and four or more of us who’ve, this month, clicked the print icon for our current YA and MG manuscripts as well. Over the past year we’ve had members win writing and illustrating awards and members receive positive feedback from publishers. Some of the most joyous days of all are the ones where we get an email from one of our groupies (like we did the other day) saying “I got a positive note from (such and such) editor and they’re wanting to see more of my manuscript!”

So congrats to everyone in my critique group as we move forward together. Let’s spread the cookies all around and maintain our enthusiasm for the future! And for those out there in the rest of the world, I hope you’ll keep your eyes peeled for the Goalies . This group of writers is on the move. (Hooray!) And I hope that your critique group is making progress too.

A Bookstore Toast: Quail Ridge Books & Music

It's time for another Bookstore Toast here on Writermorphosis.

And the Bookstore we're celebrating today is a very writer-friendly, lively place that some of you may already know and love. It's Quail Ridge Books and Music right here in Raleigh.

Quail Ridge is a very community oriented shop where many Raleighites find great books and more besides...

Here are some of the reasons why Quail Ridge has earned this toast:

They're friendly. Yesterday I walked into the store and I was greeted with a pleasant “hello” by not one, but rather FOUR friendly and knowledgeable staff members who were busily working at various spots throughout the store. A few moments later I received a smile and a “you look familiar” from Carol in the children’s section (something that rarely happens at Barnes and Nobles, alas). And not long after that I watched a staff member stop her work at the cash register to go find a band-aid for a screaming preschooler who’d sustained a “book related injury” (A.K.A knee scuff) in his mad dash to get to the children’s section ahead of his elementary aged big-sis. Suffice to say that the staff at Quail Ridge are knowledgeable, caring, and friendly.

The teen section of the store is also great, with some quite recently published selections. And it’s not unusual to stop by the children’s section and find tables listing “such and such book” as a Newbery or Horn Book award winner, or to find novels and picture books hand picked as “recommended” by the staff.

Of course, I must admit that my favorite room at Quail Ridge is not the children’s section, the travel section, the music section, or the southern writers’ section (all excellent spots). But no, it’s the bathroom. This writerly little room is decorated wall to wall with autographed, note-bearing photos from the many, many authors who have visited Quail Ridge to speak, share their wisdom with other writers and readers, and sign their books over the years. It’s a testament to my favorite thing about this bookstore. Quail Ridge supports authors, writer’s groups, book clubs, and other literary folks in a way that few other book stores do.

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting various “big” names in the writing field at Quail Ridge - Margaret Maron, Jeffrey Deaver, and various other writers who have come to share their wisdom with us newer folks in the field. We've then hopped across the parking lot to Tripps restaurant, to eat together and chat.

Quail Ridge also welcomes SCBWI events (we've had a scmooze there each Spring for at least the past 3 years). And they encourage new writers by allowing the Raleigh Write to Publish group (an adult writing group) to bring in regular speakers (like Maron and Deaver) on the writing craft, so that they can teach and encourage the rest of us.

You’d be impressed to see the way that the staff at Quail Ridge enthusiastically arrange sound and video equipment, book signing tables, and circles of chairs for one group at 3pm, then break it all down and set it up completely differently for another group at 7 the same night.

Then there are the many, many authors -- some local, many internationally known, who Quail Ridge schedules to come read and sign their books for the readers. I'm personally looking forward to shaking Adam Rex's hand in November, getting his signature on my copy of his great book "The True Meaning of Smekday," (one of his many books), and thanking him for stopping by writermorphosis in the recent past.

Check out the Quail Ridge Website for upcoming author events, and opportunities to improve your own writing and book selling skills!

The reading, writing, and Raleigh communities all come together at Quail Ridge Books and Music. And thus we are celebrating Quail Ridge Books today as a bookstore that respects writers and receives our respect in return. Here's a TOAST to Quail Ridge Books and Music!

Writermorphosis Turns "One"

I just realized that it's been a year since I first set up this blog.

Being a techno-illiterate I had no clue what I was doing! And I was afraid that after the first 3 or 4 posts I'd have run out of things to say about the writing life. But now I realize that this was an irrational fear.
.

The more I hang out with all of you -- (my literary friends) at conferences, crit groups, and writerly events -- the more I learn from each of you, and the more experiences I've had. I've enjoyed getting to know some new folks through this blog and reading the comments of old friends.

I have been honored to have a number of writers who I've known only through their books stop by the blog - great writers like Kathleen Duey, Rick Yancey, Adam Rex, Jeffrey Deaver...

I've been delighted by my fellow writers who've shared their own work and thoughts here on the blog -- especially those brave souls who shared your page 123's a few weeks back.

And we've celebrated special events here - like the SCBWI conferences and schmoozes, the winning of awards, and the publication of books by various of my writing friends. We've had a contest - (The Harry Potter Dunk 21 Challenge). We've also highlighted special places like Powell's Books at the Portland airport, and discussed great YA/MG books - like the 2007 Cybils winners, and the "writermorphosis books of the month."

I also submitted my first novel to an agent over a year ago - celebrated that on this blog too. Alas, now I must celebrate that I got a form letter rejection from her 2 days ago -- just when I thought she'd forgotten all about me (and probably she had)! Ah well - one novel rejection down -- onward and upward. It's time to resubmit.

So thanks to all of you who continue to stop by from time to time to read this blog. It's been a fun ride, and I've been thrilled to have you all along on the journey with me.

Here's a toast to the upcoming year -- year number two on writermorphosis.

A Girl's Best Friend is Her Hand-Held Voice Recorder

Nope, I'm not on the payroll with Olympus or Panasonic. But I still want to take a moment here to sing the praises of one of my favorite writer's contraptions.

Afterall - if one writer finds something helpful, why not share it. Perhaps the info. will help other writers too.

So, I wanted to take just 5 minutes to say HOORAY for my hand-held voice recorder. I'm one of those writers (-- as so many of us are,) who finds that most good plot and characterization ideas hit me when I'm driving home from my day job, or out walking, or off at an event somewhere. So, I used to be one of those poepl who kept a tiny notebook and pencil in my glove compartment. But you know what? It's hard to drive and write at the same time. Plus, it's probably quite hazardous. So one day I decided to take a chance on an electronic voice recorder, and it has revolutionized my life. My little voice recorder (-- certainly not the only one of it's kind on the market, and probably not even the best,) cost me less than $45.00, and it records and categorizes my random writing ideas with just the touch of a button. And as a person who is not technologically brilliant, I was thrilled that it was easy to learn how to use.

My little electronic buddy can store multiple files -- I currently have verbal notes to myself in up to 6 separate, searchable, audio files related to several writing projects that I currently have in the works -- and there's plenty of memory space left for more.

So when I've been struggling about how to word something, and the answer suddenly comes to me while driving down Glenwood Avenue... I just pull the tiny recorder out of my bag, save the thought, and transfer it into my manuscript three hours later when I get home. For a distractable and busy person like me this device keeps me from losing brilliant ideas in the hecticness of the day.

Of course, since it is smaller than a cell phone, the recorder could also come in handy for undercover spywork in Paris, learning what your kids say about you when you're not around, or recording silly things that your boss says in your next meeting, but, uh.... Well, I guess what you do with yours is really up to you.

Suffice to say my little recorder has been a great addition to my writing life, and I suspect that this type of contraption might also be helpful for you.

(Birthday coming up, anyone?)

Writing a Novel is like Growing Perennials

It's Spring again...time for me to use flower planting as an excuse to avoid working on the revisions of my current novel, P.O.C.L!

You see, now that I'm plodding through the second draft of my second novel manuscript I have learned (as every writer does,) that there are parts of the writing journey that are just not any fun. There are the middles, the revisions, and those times when we - the authors - just get bored with our stories, or truly begin to believe (for the 257th time) that our novel is more ready for the trash bin than for an editor to see...

I've been in one of those funks lately (as those of you who read this blog already know). And thus I have closed down my computer and have taken my writerly butt out to my herb and flower garden to try to relocate my creative juices in the clay. And so there I was, unpacking my leafy beauties on my 3rd trip home from Lowes, when I realized this:

Writing a novel is like growing Perennials.

To grow perennials you get the excitement first -- the big idea, the planning stage (as in`I've got this great idea, it's going to be beautiful with the reds over here, and the yellows cascading down the side just to add interest -- everyone will love it); Similarly in a novel (`I've got this great idea, it's going to be brilliant, with the main character's lover getting kidnapped by pirates and then the main character coming in with her ivory sword to save him... everyone will love it...')

So we plan (us gardeners and novelers,) deciding what goes where and how to make it all perfect. Just like with flowers, we writers plant those brilliant words and ideas on the paper with the figurative sun shining down from the cloudless sky... oh the ecstacy!

Ah, but perennials are a lot of work, my friends.
And sometimes they're just not pretty.

Perennials need to be weeded and pruned. If you don't chop half of the plant off and toss it into the compost at the end of the season it's going to look like a scraggly mess.

Likewise, Novelers must snip, yank, snip, yank...we compost that stuff we thought was so beautiful before. The trimming makes it stonger.

And my favorite part of the analogy? Perennials tend to look dead, feel dead, seem ready for the trash bin (like my novel sometimes) during that long, dark, cold of winter. But, after being left alone for awhile, and perhaps even given up on or forgotten, they re-emerge in Spring, bigger and more beautiful than before; stronger after all that trimming in the fall, the time in the dark (desk drawer perhaps?), and that little bit of fertilizer offered again by the gardener in the spring.

When the perennials look dead in winter it of course does not mean that the gardener has failed or should give up on gardening all together. I does not even mean that those particular flowers were a waste of the gardener's time.

Nope.

Some beautiful things just take trimming, and a period of being set aside, before they are ready for the gardener to find their true beauty and to shape them into something glorious to show off to the world. What a great reminder!

For
Perennials;
Novels...
Spring is coming.

For
Gardeners;
Writers...
It's good to know.

The Closest Book

The GREAT Karen Lee has tagged me with another Meme. This one states that I am to find the closest book to me, open it to page 123, jump to sentence #5, and post the next 3 sentences here.

What a fun idea! It gives all of us the chance to spy on what our friends are reading. And more importantly, we get a glance into what writers are including at around pg 123 in the progress of their plots.

But before I lay my closest book out here, you must know that several friends and I just spent this past weekend at the beach where we discussed our Myers-Briggs Types extensively. I am classified as a "J" not a "P." This means (among other things) that spontaneity isn't exactly my thing.

But -- I'm trying to learn.

So, when I got this meme from Karen I looked around on my desk. The first book I saw was the Writer's Market -- but Karen already used that for her meme. So I prepared to look a little farther. Then it occurred to me...

The closest book to me at my desk is MINE. MY BOOK. It's on my computer; my own, not yet published (and no-where near ready yet either,) novel manuscript.

And though it's not yet on bookstore shelves, it IS a book to me. (I guess that's a good sign related to my psychological growth as a writer, eh? I believe my manuscript to be a book! But, don't worry. I'm sure that tomorrow will be another one of those days when I become convinced that I have no talent, realize that I have no motivation, and become once again certain that the little things I have gotten published so far have been only because editors saw how pathetic I was and took pity on me...)

But, nevertheless, today is a day for taking risks. So without further adoo -- (ok, well, and bearing in mind that this is definitely a first draft and that it will likely be totally different when finally sent to an editor... and, um, uh, erg... Ah- whatever!) Here is my moment of spontaneity:

Sliced from my own page 123

"Jolie stepped off the tram at the University, and glanced down at the pencilled map Sasha had sketched of the grounds. The Orchestral building was to her left, as expected, and Jolie was amazed again that in two seconds, on a napkin, at a bus stop Sash had still managed to capture the campus in perfect scale.

She slid in through the archway that he had starred on the map and the sound of a violin trilling behind a closed door greeted her."

And, from a book sitting near my desk which actually HAS been published...

Pg 123 Line 5-8 of The Clue in the Crumbling Wall (Nancy Drew) By Carolyn Keene

"Hey, come quick!' he shouted. `I've got something to show you!'

Cob was irritated..."

And now I tag my fellow writer-friend, Bish Debnam. And I recommend that all writers scroll to p 123 in our manuscripts and ask ourselves: Is this paragraph, this plot arc, this little drop of action, this brief dialogue good enough to send to an editor? Or would I be embarrassed to post it online? Eh hem...

May all of our page 123's get more and more glorious with every draft!