Wizards, Witches and Muggles, Oh My!

Dana Rodgers, mermaids, Motivation, Writing,


I woke up at four-thirty in the morning the other day with an idea for a scene and instead of rolling over and going back to sleep like any sane person, I instead rushed out of bed and down to my computer to spend the next two hours writing. Why you ask? Because I’m a writer and that’s what writers do. We take our thoughts, ideas, dreams and musings and transfer them to the page, hopefully, creating dynamic characters, witty dialog and conflict along the way.

But why lose sleep? How important could one idea be anyway? I mean really, people have hundreds of ideas everyday. Is one idea really so important that you should stop every thing? Roll out of bed to get it down before it evaporates into the floating mists of dreamland? Can one idea for a book or a scene or a character really change the world? Heck yeah! Some people would disagree with me, but for those people I have only two words: Harry Potter.

Think of how many millions of fans on continents around the world have been affected by the Harry Potter books and movies. None of that would have been possible without J.K. Rowling taking the time to get her ideas down on paper.

Joanne Rowling first conceived Harry Potter in 1990, while on a crowded train from Manchester to King’s Cross station in London. She began writing the first story longhand in 1991 while teaching English as a foreign language in Portugal. Fighting depression after a failed marriage, she returned to her native Scotland in 1993 with suitcases half full of different versions of Harry Potter stories. Struggling to support herself and her daughter, she continued to write the books in Edinburgh cafes during her daughter’s nap times when she wasn’t working. In 1995 she finished the first book, typing it out on an old typewriter and submitting it.  It took six years for Joanne Rowling to bring that first glimmer of an idea to the published page, but she didn’t give up, even after being rejected by several publishers. Can you believe it? I bet those other publishers feel pretty silly now!

Her first manuscript, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, was released by Bloombury in June of 1997 winning several prestigious awards. When Bloomsbury released the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, in July of 1998 it went straight to the number one slot on the BookTrack bestseller list. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was released in the United States in October of 1998 and Warner Brothers, recognizing a huge opportunity, paid a seven-digit sum to secure film rights for the first two books. With the wild success of the first two books and movies, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was released in July of 1999 and became the fastest selling book, topping book lists and selling 64,000 copies in the first 3 days.

Beginning with the 2000 release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, booksellers around the world began holding midnight release events with games and live entertainment to coincide with the release of Rowling’s books. Anxious fans would line up around the block, some dressing up like characters from the books, to be the first to get their copies. This was the first time in history where people would line up around the block to get a copy of a book! To bittersweet fanfare the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was finally released on July 21, 2007. It had taken 17 years to bring her original idea, thought up on a crowded train, to fruition and get the whole story on the page and into bookstores around the world. And a record number of fans lined up for it…Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows sold 11 million copies in the first twenty-four hours. As of June of 2011, the book series had been translated into 67 languages and sold over 450 million copies. The world built throughout the Harry Potter book series has even been turned into a theme park in Orlando, Florida.
And all of this stemmed from one woman’s idea. So let me ask again—how important is an idea?

Practice Makes Perfect, or How My Daughter Made a Swimmer out of Me

mermaids, Motivation,

I’m the first to admit, I’m not good in the water. You know that little girl who sat on the sidelines clutching her stomach so she wouldn’t have to take the swim test? Yeah, that was me. Only I wasn’t faking. I was so nervous I literally was sick to my stomach. And then there was the time I went to beautiful Cozumel with my then-boyfriend, now-husband. We paid hundreds of dollars to go scuba-diving… except I never made it past the training exercises. Yep, me again, sitting on the sidelines, tears rolling down my face as I waited for my husband to come back from his underwater excursion. I had nightmares about drowning for six months afterward, no joke.

Fast forward a whole bunch of years, and imagine my dismay when I have a couple of children who love being in the water. This summer, in particular, my daughter begs me to take her to the swimming pool nearly every day. So what do I do when she looks at me with those pleading eyes? The answer, as every parent will attest, is simple: I grit my teeth and take her.

Now don’t get me wrong. I do know how to swim. I’m just not particularly good at it, and I never understood how I was supposed to get a good work-out when I was gasping for breath. But because I was already there, wet, and in a swimsuit, I found myself swimming laps during my daughter’s swim lessons. Day after day, I lugged myself across the pool, and then, a funny thing happened. On these scorching hot summer days, I actually found the feel of the cool water sluicing over my body… refreshing. Dare I say… enjoyable. What’s more, my stroke improved. Without the benefits of lessons or pointers or even conscious thought, I am becoming a better swimmer just by practicing. Imagine that.

Of course, I immediately drew the parallel to writing. How many times have we moaned about how we suck at writing synopses or plotting or revising or networking or (fill-in-the-blank)? How many times has this belief turned into an actual writer’s block? We may not have the guilt of parental obligation to prod us into action, but if we can get our butts in the chair, day after day, and practice the thing that we hate the most, we may surprise ourselves. We may find our abilities improving, and gasp!, we may even find that we’re actually enjoying ourselves. That’s the hope, anyway.

After all, if my daughter can make a swimmer out of me, then anything’s possible.

What is your Achilles’ heel (or swimmer’s ear, ha!) when it comes to writing? How has your ability progressed with practice? Have you ever found yourself enjoying something you were “supposed” to hate? I’d love to hear your stories, in writing or otherwise, so please share your thoughts!

A Little Reconnaissance

mermaids

Lately, I have become obsessed with book reviews. Not in terms of what I should read, but what I should (or shouldn’t) write.

The whole thing began when a writer friend of mine, who is very much published, lamented about stinging reviews. As a very entrenched NPI (non-published individual), my only concern with the other side of the fence (getting published) is how to scale it. I never once gave thought to what I would do if.. gasp!.. I’d ever make it over the hump. But being able to perch on my friend’s shoulder as she navigates through this publishing maze has opened my eyes. And those eyes went straight to reviews.

As I scour through the reviews, I’m fascinated, riveted and scared witless. In many instances, they are like a bad car wreck (i.e. carbeque). And even though I know I should look away, I can’t turn my head away from the good, the bad.. and the, oh, holy moly, OUCH! And there are many ouches out there. From Smart Bitches to Mrs. Giggles, these folks don’t pull any punches. They throw them down, one after the other.

I keep telling myself that I’m performing an epidemiological study into the mind of a reader and reviewer. It’s fascinating to understand what people liked or didn’t like and why. I’m hoping, through this exercise, it will trigger an a-ha moment for my own stories, although, I can’t help but feel like a grave robber – trying to steal gold nuggets from the coffins of writers who were trampled by bad reviews.

At times, I do wonder if I’m using this voyeuristic journey as a way to stymie myself, through fear, into a writing corner. It’s not as if the pontifications of some nameless web weenie will have any bearing on floppiness regarding my own story. But as much as I’m kicking and screaming that bad reviews of other writers have no effect on my own writing, in reality, of course they do. Beyond the floppiness, I think it eats at the core of my desire for perfection and if every part of the story isn’t perfect, it might as well be trash.

The big question is whether I have scared myself to write, or, if by reviewing the possible mistakes of others, I’m realizing and understanding my own mistakes. Right now, the ONLY upside to being unpublished is that, unlike the published writers, I can go back and re-do portions that don’t work.

I’ll probably wean myself off these review drive-bys, but I won’t entirely forget them. In a world where anyone with a keyboard and an opinion can electronically transmit their thoughts to zillions of people around the globe, the question of when to listen and to whom becomes greater. Although in the end, we can do all the reconnaissance we want, but after all the research, you gotta go with your own gut.

Still Searching for a Tagline…

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I’ve been on a quest to find the perfect tagline. That elusive phrase that summarizes all that there is to know about moi the writer and aspiring author. Why is it important since I don’t have an agent (yet), or a book sold (yet)? Well, it’s all about marketing in the new era of author as business owner (can I get an AMEN).

In this new age, you can’t just sit back and rest on your laurels. You must create the foundation for success by getting on board the marketing train and tooting your own horn. You would think I could do this with my eyes closed. After all, I am a professional marketer. Have been for 25 years. But nope…and you ask why?

I’ve hit a brick wall.

I just can’t come up with that clever catch phrase, and “I’m smart. I know things.” (Think Godfather II, and you’ll get the reference:)…But clearly I don’t know as much as I thought about creating a brand for me (versus clients or even offering advice and creative to other authors and writers).

So, I’ve been doing my research, searching the Internet and visiting at least a 100 author sites, and here’s what I’ve deduced.

1)  Once you hit the NYTimes Bestseller list -you don’t need a tag line:)

2) If you write Urban Fantasies – you don’t need a tag line:)

3) If you are a male author – you don’t need a tag line (okay, this doesn’t help me much, but it’s what I got)

4) And with all of this said – I still want my freaking tagline…

What’s your tagline and how did you come up with it?

And if you’ve got something left and can spare – toss it my way!

Spotlight on Our Voices

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Two weeks later and I am still thinking about the spotlight session on St. Martin’s Press at RWA’s National Conference in Manhattan. 

I had decided to take that particular day and have a little fun.  Choose workshops that weren’t necessarily honed in on craft, possibly pop in on a book signing or two and I’m so glad I did.  I had no idea what the “spotlights” on the publishing houses were going to be about but one of my favorite authors writes for SMP and so I found a seat and debated whether or not I’d need my notebook.  Just to be on the safe side, I dug it out of my overstuffed bag and relaxed into my seat.  I scribbled a header on my blank note page and thought that I’d probably be jotting down submission guidelines once things got started.  What I found myself voraciously copying down once the ladies of SMP began their presentation was not just information I could easily find on a website somewhere but truly invaluable insight that was only being shared there in that room! 

The question the editors posed, “What makes us buy a book?” (The room’s posture collectively became a little straighter, eyes and ears perked up.)

The answer, “An interesting voice.” (An internal erggh, “But what is that?” silently bounced off the walls.)

They then each took a turn at reading the passages from books that hooked them into wanting more and eventually buying.  For some it was a relatable character they’d become invested in, for others a great set-up, lush details or an emotionally intense scene.  Sometimes the hook leaped out at them right from the first pages while one editor noted that her favorite passage hadn’t revealed itself to her until well into the second chapter. (A sigh of relief from those of us who need a few more pages to get good and meaty.)

It got me thinking about how my favorite passages or moments from the truly unique and memorable books I’ve read are still right there in my mind.  Completely unforgettable and also unique to me, the reader, a bit like they are to editors.  I’d like to share a few of mine:

“Orange is the second color of the rainbow.  It’s bright and sticks out like your husband in a crowd.” From the essay “The Rainbow Means Life” by Alexandria Soto-Flores.  This fresh and touching way to describe the color struck me right away and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.

The cherry-flavored salad dressing discussion amongst Olivia Cunning’s rock stars on a trip to the grocery store in Backstage Pass.  The heat level in this book is the highest I’ve ever gone but what had me cracking up and loving it, what gave it heart for me, are scenes like this one that come out of nowhere and tickle your giggle bone.

Kristan Higgin’s wheelchair bound grandma in Too Good to be True when she compares Meme’s ramming the chair into Grace’s shins to be as “ruthless as Ramses bearing down on the fleeing Hebrew slaves.”  I once thanked Kristan for giving us Callahan O’Shea from this wonderful book but I wish I’d have thought to thank her for weaving in passages like this one that make us laugh in spite of the fact that it’s a painful situation we’re really dealing with.

These are only a few examples of what I believe the St. Martin’s Press editors were trying to convey to us that day in their spotlight.  That special and unique voice that we all have, just waiting to become a reader’s favorite passage.

Even if you can’t recall the exact words, what are some of your favorite parts of books, the ones that you’ll never forget?  Please share. 

 

Make a Wish

Kerri Carpenter, mermaids, Motivation, ,

Today is my birthday. Those wishing to send me elaborate gifts, let me know and I will provide my address. 😉

Every year on my birthday, my BFF writes some variation of the following phrase in my card: This is going to be the best year ever!

Outwardly I roll my eyes, but secretly, I love reading that. It’s more than just a sweet sentiment. It’s reassuring, in a very uneasy time in my life.

The past year has been a big writing year for me. No, I didn’t get published or bag an agent. I didn’t even win any contests. Hell, I didn’t even enter any. But I found something more important. My writing mojo. It was gone for awhile but I just feel so assured that I’m on the right path now.

So this birthday I’ve decided to take my BFF’s advice and have the best year ever. More specifically, I’m going to have the best writing year. Butt in the chair, hands poised on the keyboard, these stories are getting out. And I am going to love every painstaking minute of it. That is my wish.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must return to my favorite place to celebrate my birthday. At the beach with my family, my BFF and a good book.

While I’m getting my birthday tan on, I ask all of you: What do you wish for this year?

Writer PMS

mermaids

Lately, there has not been enough chocolate in the world to satisfy me.

Also, the Washington Post’s review of the last Harry Potter movie made me cry – and I’ve only read a few of the books and seen two of the movies, it’s not like I’m invested.

Finally, I’m a bit …. how should I put it … snarly.

So it hit me today, PMS has snuck up on me again. Yeah, I’m real quick that way.

What does my TMI have to do with writing? Well, just as scientists have declared that men get PMS too, so do writers. Ours is a special strain and by using the following self-diagnosis chart you can determine if you are suffering from Writer PMS.

1. Is Everything You Write Crap?

Now, that’s not what other people say about it. That’s what that cranky-pants who lives in the back of your head whispers to you while you’re staring at your computer screen.

2. Are You Unable to Spell?

Most of us have words that baffle us (one of mine is bananas – yes, I had to use spell check to write that), but when a writer is struck with Writer PMS even the word the becomes difficult.

3. Does No One Understand Your Brilliance?

This is the ying to No. 1’s yang. So what if twelve critique parters, three potential agents, four editors and even your dog has said you plot is implausible and your hero a slime ball? You won’t even consider taking a critical eye to your perfect prose.

4. Have You Decided to Scrap Everything?

Similar to No. 1, but with the added twist of a delete button, this symptom of Writer PMS is one of the most serious. Just as one shouldn’t shop for tight dresses while PMSing, nor should you make book altering decisions when you’re in such a state of mind.

5. Is Every Word Out of Your Mouth to Your Writer Friends is a Complaint?

We all have bad days, but when one is suffering from Writer PMS there is nothing redeeming to be found in the writing life. The royalties suck. The editors are idiots. Other writers just want to steal our ideas. Agents are evil trolls. And book reviewers/bloggers – they’re stuck up wenches. I know, I know. It’s shocking to see it written, but when you’re in the throes of Writer PMS it all seems logical and totally rational.

If you’ve answered yes to any of the above symptoms, you may be suffering from a case of Writers PMS.

If you’ve answered yes as many as four questions, you have a raging case of Writers PMS.

If you’ve answered yes to all five questions, I’m staying the hell out of your way because you’re on the verge of going postal.

The good news about Writer PMS is that while we all suffer occasionally, it’s effects are temporary. Give it a few days and you’ll pull out of the funk and return to your normally brilliant self. The best cure is amazing friends (may I suggest the Waterworld Mermaids?), walking away from the computer for at least a day and warm chocolate chip cookies right out of the oven.

C’est La Vie

Motivation

Happy Bastille Day, everyone!

I spent the morning trying to figure out how to make this blog post relevant to June 14th, but I could not come up with anything decent regarding the rise of the bourgeoisie or cake. (Anything decent about cake.) I went through a few popular French phrases: Ou est mon chat? and Lassiez les bon temps rouler! and Ceci n’est pas un pipe, but none of those really spoke to me. And I only have about fifteen minutes to write this blog post, because the Fairy Goddaughters spent the night (the internet is down at their mom’s house) and I had to make sure they ate, and I had to tell them some more stories about my recent trip to Vermont and give them a few things to do around the house today because I have to get read for working a none-hour shift at the bookstore today.

Notice how nothing in there included writing? That’s right. I’m having an abundance of Life right now. So C’est la Vie seemed perfect.

The intarwebs were abuzz last week over this Independent article on bestselling novelist Steph Swainston, and her announcement that she was getting out of her publishing contracts and going back to being a Chemistry teacher: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/steph-swainston-i-need-to-return-to-reality-2309804.html

What the conversation turned into was publishing’s demands on authors today and whether or not they are realistic. What I focused on in the article was the very last sentence: “Besides, I’ve never said I won’t write again, just that if I do write another book, I’ll do it on my terms.”

I’ve always said that any writer who ever tells you that they’re thinking about giving up writing is not really a writer at all. For most of us, writing is just something we are, like diabetes, or the color of our eyes. Those of us who belong to this club (I hesitate to call us Real Writers, but that is how I think of it) have never thought of giving up writing, because it would be like giving up our left leg. It’s just inconceivable.

The tough thing for people in this club is the insanity that sets in when Life Happens. Because Life Happens: there’s a birth or a wedding or an illness or a new job or an accident or a windfall or a Royal Proclamation or something that commandeers all your time and seems Vastly More Important to Your Survival than writing a story about a street sweeper in a city of monsters (that I’ve been trying to write for a month).

Life Happens, and we must deal with it. The Show Must Go On. But if writing doesn’t happen in the there somewhere, seeping through the cracks, then we go a little insane.

Lately, I have been going a little insane.

For me, writing is therapy. When I create, my brain defrags itself, and the result is like waking up after a good night’s sleep. All that emotion–good and bad–channels into my work, and everything that’s been overflowing settles back down to below critical levels. I need to write. I have to write. I am a writer.

A couple of months ago, I got a day job as a bookseller. It keeps me socially active, and it lets me go to the dentist. I need it to survive. But I haven’t written a lick of fiction in a very long time. And I’m going a little insane.

I promised the Fairy GodBoyfriend that I would write six words today. Six whole words, and that I would post about it on my blog. I told him I would, no matter what happens. Even if it’s for only five minutes, I will be writing today.

As for the rest of the world…well, let them eat cake.

Exercise and Writing–Yea, Write! . . . I Mean Right!

mermaids, Motivation, ,

How many of you find yourself working on that scene—you know the one where your characters are finally getting into the juice of the story, working on that love scene you just can’t walk away from until it’s finished and bam, another day has gone by while you promised yourself you’d start exercising again?
Okay, maybe it’s just me. Lately I’ve been so focused on my writing/editing/researching and yes, checking out blogs/websites/Tweeting—all in the name of my writing career. In the meantime, I’ve managed to find my clothes a bit snug and soda cans piling up in my trash can.
My favorite words lately—‘Just a few more sentences. Let me finish this scene.’
By the time I’m done I don’t have the energy to work out or it’s time to fix dinner, or some other excuse. That was me, a year ago. I was spending time applying to jobs on-line along with my hubby who’d been laid off (I was the stay at home Mom for many years), working on my novels and trying to keep up with my teenagers schedules. One was in college locally and the other active with theater and art. Where was I supposed to find time to exercise, finish a novel and do everything else? My idea of exercise was walking up and down 3 flights of stairs to do laundry and then I was winded—no, I was out of shape!
It took me getting into my favorite Renaissance dress (or barely) to realize something had to give. I had gained a size in my upper body, my clasps barely fit around my bodice and though the dress hid a multitude of sins elsewhere, I realized my jeans weren’t fitting as well and I had those wonderful muffin tops hanging over my stretch Lee’s.
I evaluated what I’d been doing. We started buying sodas, something I rarely kept in the house, when my hubby was home. My routine had changed drastically now my hubby was home and I busied myself with my books to stay with him and look for employment. Just a few things were making my life different. I didn’t feel like exercising—I hate to when someone is home, I prefer alone time for that.
So now hubby is working again, even though the kids are home for the summer, I’ve gotten back into power walking in the morning and playing Kinect on the Xbox in the afternoon when I begin to get sluggish. Yes, it breaks up my writing but it also keeps me alert and wakes me up. As far as eating/drinking—I’ve gone back to flavored waters, juices and one cup of coffee in the morning and air popped popcorn or fruits and veggies when I’ve got the munchies.
Is it working? Let’s say, I’m maintaining a ten pound range—not going under but not going over either. Any suggestions?
How do you find time to stay fit and write, live, etc?

Shut Up and Listen

Dana Rodgers, mermaids, Motivation

I’ve been out of touch recently, lavishing in the brief respite from the buzzing schedule of my normal life. My family and I have seen a few sights, visited with grandparents, attended a reunion and just relaxed. I’ve enjoyed basking in the sun by the pool with a favorite book (that I’m reading for fun, not research), the air permeated by the familiar scent of sunscreen while my kids swim with their friends. I’ve enjoyed taking my girls to the mall where we can walk and talk, have lunch and window shop. And of course lots of giggling over boys—I do live with two teenage girls after all. For me, a family vacation allows time to unwind and reconnect with each other without the day-to-day distractions of home life.

During the school year I’m all about schedules. Who has to be where? Soccer, field hockey, volleyball, basketball, track, chorus, cello, friends, doctor’s appointments, dental appointments, sleepovers, and then some…Whew, it makes me tired just writing it. 🙂 We all have these scheduling drains on our lives and we all know how hard it is to find time to write, but have you ever considered the story inspiration that surrounds you everyday while you’re going about your normal routine?

It might be the next table’s conversation while you’re at lunch or someone standing in line with you at your local coffee shop, a teacher or coach at your child’s school or the receptionist at your pediatrician’s office. You know how it happens, you’re standing there minding your own business, and suddenly, someone does or says something outrageous or hilarious or poignant and the next thing you know, a story or character idea flashes in your head. You stand there thinking, I so need to put that in a book. It’s an A-ha moment in which your universe suddenly makes sense, at least the one you have built in your story.

Earlier this month we attended my husband’s 25-year high school reunion and I have to say inspiration abounded. Fortunately, most of the attendees had moved on from being the ‘nerd’ or the ‘cheerleader’ to just being people with jobs and lives with bigger things to worry about than who’s going out with whom and what kind of car they drive. But how could I not zero in on the stereotypical ‘obnoxious jock’ that spent his high school years making everyone else’s life miserable. The poor man is 43 and spent his evening reminiscing over his “glory days” of giving wedgies in the locker room and proving that he continues to be a foul mouthed jerk by screaming, “Nipples” when the photographer was taking a group picture.

Another comical inspiration occurred recently while on a family trip. We stopped at a small roadside diner for lunch and I thought I was going to spew soda through my nose when the lady taking orders turned around and in the worst southern accent you can imagine and shouted across the entire restaurant, “Chicken up! Pluck ‘em and fry ‘em!” I mean honestly, who does that? Well apparently, she does.

So whether it comes in the form of a news article, television, movie or a person on the street little tidbits sneak in and make you think, Wow, what a great idea for a book, or a scene, or a character, or dialog… and the next thing you know your story takes off.  Now that I have told you my secrets for story inspiration it’s time for you to check in and share, where do you find your inspiration?