Do Not Disturb: I'm Taking a Nap

I would never call anyone a nerd. I admire such people. I call them “tech savvy.” I am not tech savvy.

Yes, I have a website that I maintain myself, all 50+ pages. But it is a very simple website. I have a blog, an easy to do blog.

But I have to force myself to learn new things. I just got a new camera. A teeny lightweight digital camera, hardly bigger than my cell phone. (Incidentally, don’t cell phones get smaller and smaller? Pretty soon they’ll be nothing but a bud implanted in your ear.) The camera has more functions than I’ll ever use. I can turn pictures into cartoons, artwork, wallpaper, 3-D images, watercolors, and on and on. Hel, I just want them to turn out clear with people’s heads attached. So far, I’ve taken nine pictures and only two of them came out blurry and everybody had all their body parts. Right now I’m charging the battery (forgot to do that before I inserted it).

Here’s another example of how non-tech savvy I am. I signed up for an online critique class with Ray Rhamey. He has a great blog on subjects like editing your work and helpful hints like how to set up bookmarks within your document. It’ll only last one day, but to get ready I had to set up MSN messenger. Then today we did a test run to make sure we could all get into the chat room. (It’s good there are only four students and Ray, ‘cause today we kept getting off subject. We’ll have to be more focused for the actual class.) I couldn’t find the chat room. I could IM the other members, but had to have someone send me an invitation to join, then voila I’m in. Luckily, one of the other students is definitely tech savvy. She pointed out obscure things like a whiteboard available to us if needed.

What is all this leading to? Well, just like I have to be dragged into chat rooms, I sometimes have to kick myself to get started. I’ll reach a point where I’m stuck in my writing. I can waste a whole day – make that a week – with things to avoid writing. Three techniques usually work for me.

1. I force myself to sit at the computer and work or I will take pad and pen and start listing possible directions the manuscript or scene could go.

2. I read a book. Sometimes fiction, but often one on writing. A book on writing, whether it’s on writing in my genre or how to write a query letter, will usually trigger something that will send me back to the manuscript.

3. I take a nap. For me, that’s not procrastination because I do focused imagination or dreaming. I see the scene in my head and let it run.

As for today, reading the manual on my camera is doing nothing for my writing. I think I’ll take a nap. Don't wake me. It may look like I'm sound asleep, but I'm really watching the movie of my book playing out on the back of my eyelids.

Characters

"No matter how visual your setting and scenery, like a play, the book doesn't come alive until the characters walk onstage."

Carol Dawson said that during a panel discussion I attended a few years ago at the Art and Soul Symposium at Baylor University . How true! I bet in the majority of books that are memorable to you--no matter what the genre--what you remember most are the characters. And it holds true, maybe even more so, for scripts.

At this point, someone might stop me and argue that characters are more fully developed in mainstream novels, and less so in a genre like action/adventure. The truth is, all stories are driven by characters. But structure and character have to be balanced, although not necessarily equally.

An action/adventure character may seem simpler so as not to detract from the action and plot intricacies. Even so, a thriller plot is created out of choices characters make and action characters take. On the other hand, most mainstream novels require complexity of characters because of their introspection. We're more likely to get inside their heads, think what they think, feel what they feel. Through them, we learn who they are, and, in turn, gain insight into the human psyche.

In both cases, though, characters are what bring the story alive. Betsy Cox, during the same panel discussion in Waco, said, "Let go of your characters so they come alive. If they don't surprise the writer, they won't surprise the reader." As a writer, what you're doing is putting your characters under pressure. The decisions they make, the actions they take, reveal who they are. You'll notice I said the characters take the action and make the choices, not you, the writer. Know the people of your story well enough that you can let them go to live and act independently of you. That's not to say, let them run amok and stray too far from the boundaries of your story. But, pay attention to them, let them speak in their own voices, do and think what is true to their character.

Scriptwriters are always talking about "character arc"-- what the character gains and how he changes due to his/her involvement in the story. Novelists also have to be aware of this arc. Characters are more than just physical descriptions; they're emotions and thoughts and actions. If your story doesn't alter them in some way by the climax, then why are you telling it? As readers, if we don't feel as though that character breathes and burps and makes her own decisions, then why are we reading the book? And will we bother to buy the next one?

Flesh out your characters. Let the reader understand them, identify with them. Let the reader hear the character's voice. Different characters have different voices, all distinct from the writer's. All stories, no matter the genre, have twists and turns. Characters do things that a reader wouldn't do, but that make sense for that character. They may surprise the reader--and sometimes the writer--with their thoughts and attitudes, their choices and actions, their feelings and beliefs.

As Jack Butler said, "Characters should seem inevitable in retrospect, but surprising in perspect." At the end of the manuscript or screenplay, we should be satisfied. Even if the ending or climax is not what we expected or even wanted, it should be true to the characters.

Ghost Writer in the News

Do ghost writers get enough credit for all the work they do?

Kim Green, the ghost writer for American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino’s book, Life is Not a Fairy Tale, doesn’t seem to think so. The book came out a year ago, sold 48,000 copies, made the New York Times best-seller list for non-fiction, and was the inspiration for a Lifetime movie. Green received $45,000 and was mentioned in the acknowledgements, as well as in some interviews, such as one last month in Parade magazine and in October 2005 in Read This Now.

Now, after her nondisclosure period has expired, Green’s letting it be known she’s not happy. According to a Radar Online article, she feels she was shut out of the movie plans and also feels she deserved co-writer status since Barrino has admitted she’s functionally illiterate. According to Radar Online, “Green doesn't blame Barrino for shutting her out, though she does question whether the singer, who is reportedly receiving tutoring, will ever bother to read the book she purportedly authored.”

In another article from Fox News, Barrino’s father is suing Simon & Schuster, publisher of Life is Not a Fairy Tale, for $10 million. You’ll note he’s not suing his daughter. Publishers Lunch said in their September 27 issue that may be “perhaps because the father doesn't think she wrote the book.” Fox News says “the lawsuit alleges that the singer's grandmother, Addie Collins, was the ghost writer. Fantasia Barrino was not listed as a defendant.”

This may not have been the best time for Kim Green to come forward and announce herself as the ghost writer. But, on the other hand, she strongly feels she deserved co-author status and should have been consulted on the movie. Basically, she feels she deserves more credit and is taking steps to stand up for herself.

Ghost writers don’t get a lot of credit. But then, that’s what the name “ghost writer” implies -- someone invisible and unseen. Basically, what Green purports is that she wasn’t really a ghost writer. She was the co-author.

Attending Conferences

One of the blogs I like to keep up with is J.A. Konrath’s. Konrath is the author of the Lt. Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels thriller novels.

If you’re an author and going to a conference, his post today is a good one to read. The post is called “Conference Tips.”

Konrath is a straight shooter. He’ll tell you the truth like, “Don’t expect anyone to attend your panel to see you.” He gives tips for being on a panel like, “No eating, chewing gum, picking your fingernails, drinking anything other than bottled water.” Want to know what to do when other panelists hog the floor, or when the panel moderator sucks? He’s got advice.

If you’re a fairly new author and will be attending conferences, speaking on panels, or visiting the booksellers, read his blog. In fact, print it out and save it.

If you’re an author who is very new and attending a conference, but not as a speaker, his advice is still good to know. If this is the case, I would add a few tips:

1. Talk to other authors in groups you belong to like Sisters in Crime or Romance Writers of America. Find out who is attending the conference you’re signed up for. See if someone will mentor you. They’ll help you maneuver the ins and outs, introduce you to people, maybe even take you along to the behind-the-scenes happenings.

2. When you attend panels, don’t rush out afterwards. Go up and talk to the authors, even if you can’t afford to buy their books (although that would be nice). Say hello, introduce yourself, let them know you appreciated what they said.

3. Meet as many people as you can. You don’t want to be trying to sell your book constantly; that gets to be annoying. But you do want to meet people – readers, authors, fans, booksellers.

4. Be sure you visit the booksellers. Small conferences may have only one bookseller. Large ones have dozens. Talk to them. Leave business cards. If you find they have your book for sale, thank them. If they don’t, let them know you’re coming to their area. Maybe you could set up a signing or a drop by. Maybe not, but at least you’ve made contact. What a great opportunity you have – dozens of booksellers in one place.

5. Make sure you meet the people who put on the conference. You’re not likely to get invited to speak at the next one if the staff has no idea you exist. There’s even a chance if a panelist can’t make it, you might be called as a stand-in.

6. Have fun. If you’re having a good time, most likely those you meet will have an enjoyable time and will remember you. Relax. Even if you stumble over words or spill a drink on an editor, life goes on.

Remember that last one. Don’t sweat, and, if you do, keep a discreet hankie near by. Relax. Enjoy yourself.

Oral History

I belong to a Bunko group. I’ve been in it about twenty years. That’s a long time, but I’m actually one of the “newer” members. The group’s been around much longer. Kids have been born; they’ve grown; and got kids of their own. I think I’m the only non-grandmother or grandmother-to-be in the group.

This is all to say, we have history. Stories. Hi-jinks … and low-jinks. Luckily, we have an historian. She has a notebook.

A blank notebook.

Every time something happens we all yell for the historian to put it in the book. Every time a past escapade comes up in conversation, we call on the historian. Like the time one member was late to Bunko. Very unusual for her. The host called and found out the member had totally forgotten about us. She jumped up and raced across town … sat down, rolled a few times, then made the realization and sudden announcement that she’d forgotten to put on her panties.

Or the time two women, after a long drive across town, arrived at Bunko, careened through the front door, and hit the stairs running, hollering they’d chat after they visited the bathroom. Only to stop mid-way, realizing they didn’t recognize a single face in the house.

Or my own tale of being new to the group. It was, I believe, my first time to host Bunko. Nowadays I’m very relaxed about Bunko. Back then, it was stressful, especially for the first time -- cleaning house, preparing a full dinner for twelve, buying presents. After we gathered, chatted and had drinks, ate dinner, played Bunko, gave out presents, had coffee and dessert, and were sitting around talking, someone asked if I was happy my first Bunko was over. I told her I was so happy, I could dance. And I did. A silly little dance as I sang, “Bunko’s over. Bunko’s over. My Bunko’s over.” Whereupon, everyone stood up and left.

Luckily, we have a historian to record all of these tales. Luckily, she has a good memory. If she could just remember where she put the notebook.

But that’s okay. Oral history is a time honored way of passing on stories. And we’re a group of women who do love to talk.

The Book as Art

The event I'm chairing this year at the Texas Book Festival (October 27 – 29) is called The Book As Art.

We're going to host photographers, artists, authors and others over two days (Saturday, the 28th, and Sunday, the 29th) at the Austin Museum of Art (823 Congress). They'll talk and show slides of their work, as well as be available to sign books.

It's a brand new event and we're hoping for big crowds. The AMoA is just a few blocks from the capital where the majority of the TBF events take place.

If you’re interested in art or photography books, I’m looking for volunteers. This is a chance to meet some of these fabulous artists and writers, as well as see what goes on behind the scenes at the Texas Book Festival -- and get a snazzy Texas Book Festival t-shirt.

The schedule of speakers at the AMoA hasn’t been released yet. Until everything is confirmed and solidified, it won’t even be posted to the Festival website. But I can give you a list of the great speakers who are expected to be at the Austin Museum of Art: Bill Wittliff, Graciela Iturbide, Richard Payne, David Lake, Michael P. Berman, Charles Bowden, Richard Holland, O. Rufus Lovett, Patsy Cravens, Tammy Cromer-Campbell, Joe Nick Patoski, Laurence Parent, and others.

To volunteer, you have to go to the website to sign up.

Go here to find more specific information on what volunteers would be doing at the AMoA, The Book as Art:

If all you want to do is put your name on the dotted line, then go directly to the sign up form.

If you can't volunteer, then come to an event and tell me "hi."

MySpace, YouTube, We All Scream for Ice Cream

Since I started blogging I’ve heard from people who also blog. I’ve heard from some who have fabulous websites (color me green with envy). I’ve heard from folks who intend to never have a blog or a website; they plan to market their books the old-fashioned way.

What I’m discovering as I stretch myself farther out into the Internet is that blogging and websites may just be … the old-fashioned way. Yipe!

People are out there doing things I haven’t a clue how to do. MJ Rose is active on MySpace. I can’t even get to see her Space since I’m not a member of MySpace and therefore am not her “friend.” A friend is someone who connects up with you on MySpace, whether you know them or not. I’ll have to get my son to show me how to get onto MySpace.

I did get as far as the profile for her latest book, which apparently is located in the MySpace Music section (and probably in every other section on MySpace), and discovered that she is also busy promoting her books on YouTube.

Other authors are on MySpace and on YouTube. This one on YouTube sure sounds like a true crime book, but it’s not.

It’s all rather scary.

Use Your Common Senses

About a week ago, I was in Colorado and Wyoming. While in Colorado, as I sat near the window, I noticed a cool front approaching. (And, no, I did not bring a coat with me – it was September for Pete's sakes, said the Texas girl.)

I noticed that a front coming in over the mountains is really different from the fronts that slide in over the hill country near where I live. Which, of course, made me think of setting the atmosphere in books.

If you're writing about a place you've never been or a setting you've never seen at the time of year you're describing, you're really at a disadvantage. You could talk to someone who lives in the area you’re describing, especially if that person is a writer and used to looking at things with a writer's eye. You can do
Internet searches for information on the area. You can talk to people in chat rooms. You can look in travel books or even in other fiction books. It can be done, but there's nothing like seeing it for yourself.

That’s because the best way to get it right is to see and feel it yourself. Whenever possible. The puffy clouds lingering among the peaks of the mountains. The white caps of the higher clouds. The light blue that radiates to a darker blue then to an almost purple.

When we describe things in our manuscripts (or our characters do), we tend to focus on what can be seen. This is natural. In the book I’m reading now, You: The Owner’s Manual, Drs. Roizen and Oz say, “Roughly 80 percent of what our brains process comes from what we see.” So, of course, we describe what we see (or what our characters see).

But sight is not the only important sense we should keep in mind when writing. We, and characters, not only see, we smell things; we feel pain, touch and bumps; we hear sounds, soft, loud, low, high; we taste all kinds of things, good and bad, and some in-between.

And all of these senses can trigger emotions inside. We hear a song and we’re thrown back to our teenage years. We smell bacon cooking and smile as we’re transported to our childhood. A certain unidentifiable flavor causes us to spend an hour or even days trying to remember when we once tasted it before, or it makes us gag and spit it out.

Yes, the majority of description in a book is based on sight. It’s what our brains process most. But don’t ignore the other senses, even if it means you have to go back on some round of editing and add them in.

Stop the Spam

Yesterday, I received an odd email. Don’t know how I got on their spam list. According to the fine print at the bottom of the email, I requested to be on their list, but I sure don’t remember doing it, especially since I’d never heard of them before. First off, here’s the letter (misspellings are theirs):

***
Dear Author:

In celebration of the opening of our new website you can have an agent review, and critique your query letter. A written critique and ten minute telephone consultation will be provided to each person who buys, and reviews Beyond Peleliu on Amzon.com.

New York Times bestselling author of Dead Man Walking, Sister Helen Prejean says,” A must read book, not only for those who fought in World War II, but for all of us living in a time of many wars around the globe. This book can be a source of forgiveness and healing for those who inherit the demons of war.”

In a story that rivals The Christmas Box for pulling heart strings, Beyond Peleliu brings home the agony, and subsequent redemption, of one soldiers father-son relationship.

The book has been featured in The Arizona Republic, The Salt Lake Deseret News, The Philadelphia Legal Intelligencer, The American Medical Association Journal, The Arizona Attorney, and ABA’s Litigation Magazine; with more on the way from The California Bar Journal, The Chicago Bar Journal, and The New York Bar Journal. An NPR syndicated journalist, and his local FOX News channel also interviewed Beyond Peleliu author Peter Baird about the book.

Please buy your copy today and help spread the word about this wonderful book.
When you are done visit our new site at www.GlobalTalentReps.com and find out about our vision for the future.

*Authors wishing to take advantage of the free critique must send a copy of their sales receipt and query to GTR, Inc., 3140 S. Peoria St., #295, Aurora, CO 80014

*Offer valid on sales between 9/17/06 and 10/01/06

*GTR, Inc. is not responsible for, nor do we participate in the active assistance of writers seeking representation, nor is this an offer or guarantee of representation.

*You have at some time requested to be on this mailing list. To be removed please respond to this e-mail and reply with “Remove”
***

Okay, let me get this straight. They have a new website. If I go to it, I can buy the book they’re promoting. If I buy the book then I get a written critique and a ten-minute phone consultation of a query letter, if I send them a copy of the book receipt and the query letter.

Okay, here’s something a little fishy. Global Talent Reps supposedly represent authors, among other artists. Yet, another fine print point at the end of the email says: “GTR, Inc. is not responsible for, nor do we participate in the active assistance of writers seeking representation…” They don’t assist writers seeking representation? What the *&#?

On their website, it appears GTR, Inc. has an arm called National Writers Literary Agency. But no where in this email is that mentioned. It’s all lumped together as GTR. Yet GTR doesn’t actively assist writers seeking representation. But they’ll look at my query if I buy their book.

Oh please. I’m not an idiot. And, hopefully, neither are the thousands of other writers they spammed.

Gordon Andrews on Blogging

I’m happy to announce another Guest Blogger. Today, we hear from Gordon Andrews about his views on blogs. Gordon is a writer, editor and blogger. He’s written freelance articles through the years on historical, technology and railroad-related subjects and has edited newsletters for model railroad groups. He wrote, “I am currently working on several fiction projects including a novel which I hope to sell.”

I would add that Gordon is most likely organized. He would have to be to do all that, plus work for over thirty years in Information Technology. He’s now working in the field of Rapid Prototyping. And, yes, I had to ask what in the world was Rapid Prototyping.

Here’s Gordon Andrews:

GORDON ANDREWS ON BLOGGING

I find the idea of blogs interesting.

I've attempted to write my own blog.

Sometimes it is simply a way to get my thoughts going in the morning. Sometimes the thoughts happen late and night.

I find that my blog sometimes contains thoughts and words that are reflections of ideas that do not fit into anything else I'm writing. Sometimes the blog is "playground time."

I break the unwritten rule of blogs that used to suggest that each entry contains a hot link to another page on the Internet. Many people seem to take this approach.

I do read other blogs but then I enjoy reading.

Some blogs are fascinating for the graphics and the use of coding. Some are well written and some (like mine) could use some tender loving care. My excuse for not editing is that I'm trying to have some fun.

I'm not so committed to the idea of blogging that I feel guilt if I do not make a daily entry.

Like it or not I suspect that blogs may be a hint of the progression of writing.

I haven't found Blogs that remind me of Proust or Joyce. Blogs often resemble sound bites. They are more like the writings of Thompson or dare I suggest Wolfe. I doubt very seriously if we'll ever see a fictional novel that resembles a blog but I suspect that short stories and even poetry will morph to look a bit more "blog-ish."

Blogs - take them or leave them. They are what they are. I believe it was Wolfe used the idea of "mind candy" or perhaps "eye candy" and I'll be so bold as to suggest that many blogs are just this. I don't think they will rot my brain or my teeth. As for whether blogs take too much of my time I can only suggest that blogs will have to stand in line behind cable news, old movies on cable, New Yorker magazine, and chatting with my family and friends (not necessarily in that order.)
***
THANK YOU GORDON. And, in case you were wondering, here’s what Gordon said about Rapid Prototyping:
“Rapid Prototyping is creating 3-D drawings. From these drawings a computer controlled machine can create a model based on the drawings.

“For instance:
This model is less than 1 inch in length yet all of the detail including hinges, locks and door knobs are accurately produced. (These dog houses were shelters for brakemen on coal tenders attached to steam locomotives)

On another page is the wooden boxcar I'm working on. Needless to say I can take anything and create scale models. With the right equipment I could make full size equipment for a price.

Rapid Prototyping is used in industrial application to design parts and equipment and make 3-D models relatively cheap before setting up equipment to machine the parts.

FROM HELEN: Don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m impressed. Thanks Gordon.

China Plans New Bookstores

Last week, China came out with some interesting news. On Thursday, they announced plans to establish 200,000 bookstores in rural areas over the next five years.

It might be difficult for most Americans to imagine a country where the government controls the media from TV to newspapers. But they do in China. And now, as part of their next Five Year Plan, they’ve announced a national cultural development program, including providing rural bookstores.

The People’s Daily Online said each bookstore will have at least 1,000 books, 30 magazines and periodicals and some audiovisual products and will cost about 20,000 yuan. In case you’re wondering how many people these 200,000 bookstores will serve – about 900 million people.

The bookstores will be sponsored by the government and also open to public donation. I wondered what exactly what was meant by “public donation.” The public can donate books? The public can donate or build their own bookstores? Couldn’t find the answer, though, since three different articles in three different papers, China Daily, People’s Daily Online, and China View, all told exactly the same story, pretty much word for word. Even the Middle East North African Financial Network printed the same exact press release.

Banned Aid

It’s almost Banned Book Week, September 23-30. May not be a whole lot of celebrating going on, though.

Did you know the American Library Association received a total of 405 challenges in 2005? The top two were challenged for sexual content. In fact, looking at the top 10 list, seven of them were pegged for sexual content, one for racism and offensive language, and one for anti-family content. Lest you think it’s caused by the kind of books being printed today, also challenged very recently were “Of Mice and Men” and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”

So, is Banned Books Week a time to get the word out on these books so libraries won’t stock them? Actually, the title for Banned Books Week continues after a colon to read – Celebrating the Freedom to Read.

The ALA Code of Ethics says, “We uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources.”

The Library Bill of Rights states: Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval. It also goes on to say: Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

When the ALA says a book was challenged, they don’t mean that someone said, “Ooh, I don’t like this book” or “I find this book offensive.” They mean someone(s) made “an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others.”

So, perhaps the best way to commemorate Banned Book Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read is to go to a library and read one of the challenged books or authors. Do something to fight for your freedom, your right, to read, lest those rights and freedoms be taken away by the few.

The Grey Goose in on My Desk

Earlier this week, the paper, The Coloradoan (that’s a tongue-twister) had an article on product placement in books. Product placement is commonplace in movies, TV, video games, music videos, even in plays. Some TV shows include a product and get paid for it, then when the show goes into re-runs, they can digitally insert a different product and get paid by another company. It’s not as common in books, but it is becoming more acceptable.

It’s hard to imagine a book without some kind of product placement. You can’t have your private eye driving just a car. That’s too generic. It’s got to be a brand name like Jeep. And not just a Jeep. It’s a Jeep Cherokee. Or it’s a Toyota Camry. Or whatever. But for the most part, the writer chooses the vehicle because it fits the character’s personality or needs – not because they’re getting paid to name a particular brand and product.

But companies making deals with writers to embed their products in books is happening. Not a lot, but the trend is building. There has been a lot of talk in the past years about the beginnings of this trend. Authors were compensated for mentioning certain jewelry, cars, and alcohol in their books.

The Coloradoan article focused on a new book, Cathy’s Book, due out on Oct. 2. This YA book includes Procter & Gamble products aimed for young girls, like lipstick and eye shadow. Is this bad? Is it an example of corporate greed – using a novel to sell product to vulnerable teenagers?

Is it a big deal being made out of nothing? After all, when you write you invariably mention products, so what difference does it make if you mention one instead of another?

Is it a boon to writers, who don’t get paid a whole lot anyway (the Grishams and Kings aside)? Cathy’s Book is getting a big push by the promotional team at P&G. The publisher is doing a 120,000 first printing.

If a company wanted to pay me either in money or promotion to have a character die in a parachuting accident and mention that the parachute was manufactured by a competitor… I’d probably say no. If they wanted to pay me to have a character drink a Diet 7-Up instead of a Diet Dr. Pepper, maybe. Although I do like Diet Dr. Pepper … but that doesn’t mean the character wouldn’t prefer Diet 7-Up. I could drink Diet 7-Up at book signings. I could sip Diet 7-Up on the Oprah show.

Note: I received no compensation from Jeep, Toyota, 7-Up, Dr. Pepper, The Coloradoan, Cathy’s Book, or Grey Goose Vodka. Unfortunately.

Legit or Scam?

Each week in my e-newsletter I post, among other things, a contest for writers. I try to post legit contests, but I do include the caveat of Buyer Beware. Before you enter any contest, look into the rules and obligations.

This morning I opened my Publishers Lunch and found an announcement of the Sobol Award. Although they noted there are detractors who consider the Sobol Award paramount to a scam, by putting it in Publishers Lunch, they basically gave it credibility. Publishers Lunch is highly respected.

A little later I clicked over to Miss Snark’s blog and she makes it clear that to her the award is a rip-off.

The Sobol Award is not new. I’ve seen it before. You could look at that two ways. You could say it must be legit or it wouldn’t keep being repeated. You could also say it’s such a money-maker for the people who run it, why should they quit?

What is the big prize enticing people to enter? The top award is $100,000. Yep. That’s a hook, all right. What’s it cost to enter? Eighty-five dollars. An article by Hillel Italie with the Associated Press says Sobol Literary Enterprises, which created the award, will cap the entries at 50,000. Do the math and figure out what they’re making. This not to say they shouldn’t make a profit. Even non-profits who run contests have to make a profit. The people reading the manuscripts and providing evaluations are most likely not doing it for free. There is overhead in any contest. But at what point does profit become so huge it’s considered a scam?

Now, to be honest, they give out other prizes too. It appears second place gets $25,000, third $10,000 and seven others get $1,000. And every writer who enters is supposed to get two or more evaluations. Wait, wait. There’s more! All ten finalists get representation from Sobol. No, wait, wait. Make that MUST sign a representation agreement with Sobol. Correctamondo. You cannot be a finalist unless you sign the agreement. Not just the $100,000 winner…all ten finalists.

Maybe that would be fine with you. You get $1,000 for being tenth, plus you get to sign with an agent. Before you get too excited, check their FAQ to see their agency agreement.

As with any contest, read the rules, read the obligations on your part, and if it’s run by a literary agency like this one is, find out who’ve they sold in the past. Don’t make your decision on what I say, or what Miss Snark, Publishers Lunch or Italie with the AP says. This is your profession and business.

Guest Blog: Mary Gordon Spence

Today is a special day! We have our first guest blogger. Mary Gordon Spence is a renaissance woman. She’s a sought-after speaker, a humorist, a public radio personality, a regular contributor to the Austin American-Statesman newspaper, author of Finding Magic in the Mundane, and, important to this blog post, speaks fluent Spanish.

Currently Mary Gordon is in Costa Rica on a Writing Residency at the Julia and David White Artists’ Colony in Cuidad Colon. And she’s taunting all of her friends by sending us fabulous pictures that show her writing studio, her living space, the countryside and animals, the people, and basically what a great time she’s having. Because she’s fluent in Spanish, she takes time to travel and go out to meet people.

Today, just for Straight from Hel, she’s written an essay about one of her excursions. Thank you, MG!

GRINGO CORNER
September 12, 2006

“Are you waiting for your husband?” a tall, thick, dark man wearing a brown Panama hat asked me as he stood next to the empty chair across the table from me.

“Yes.” I replied.

“Is he coming soon?” the man asked. And then, “What are you and your husband doing after you leave here?”

“We’re going to the symphony,” I replied.

“Mind if I sit here till he comes?”

Before I could answer he had plopped down into the chair, adding, “I don’t go to no symphony, especially by myself.”

The intruder—whose crude tattoo peeked out from his shirt with the top three buttons undone—hailed from San Antonio. He said he had been coming to Costa Rica for years and that sometimes he stayed in a house and other times in a hotel. He was leaving the next day but returning in two weeks. When I told him I was from Austin, he said he’d been stationed at Bergstrom Air Force Base in the 70s. “I went to Viet Nam,” he said as he took off his hat to reveal some serious scars on his head.

I had already decided this was a man who would not be a close acquaintance in Texas or anywhere else for that matter. I thanked him for his service to our country and then asked the question. “What brought you to Costa Rica in the first place?”

“How much time you got?” he asked.

I told him I had four minutes, so he cut right to the chase: “Women. I came to Costa Rica to meet young women.”

And then he launched into a tale that I couldn’t quite follow—one of bars and prostitutes and how young women expected him to buy them drinks and gifts without getting involved with him—if I knew what he meant. I knew, and it was far more information than I wanted. He told me about a young woman he had his eye on, and when they were supposed to meet at a bar after she got off work cleaning a hotel, she showed up with her sister. He cussed the young women for thinking he was a sucker. “I’m no pushover,” he declared. “I know what I’m dealing with, and they can’t take advantage of me. The girls switched from beer to wine coolers when they knew I was buying, expecting me to spend $2.00 on them.” He interrupted himself and asked, “What are you doing after the symphony?”

I assured him I would be making the 25 mile trip back to Cuidad Colon. Then he asked my name. “Maria,” I replied, as I always do when in Latin America.

His eyes and face hardened. “That’s not your name,” he said emphatically. “You are a blonde Texan, and I know that’s not your name. What is it?”

I repeated, “Maria—or Marita as my daddy calls me.”

I’m sure it was the impact from his 35-year old injury that caused this man to get furious over the simple exchange we were having. I considered making up another name just to appease him; I remained silent instead. As I suspected from the start, this man was a little too cuckoo for my taste. He took a deep breath, regained his composure and resumed the conversation. “See those men over there? That’s Gringo Corner. Why don’t stop by and say hello to the Gringos?”

Instead, I excused myself and went to find the rest room in McDonald’s. A young man showed up with a key, unlocked the door to the women’s room, and let me in.

I had never planned to go to a foreign McDonald’s. Heck, I can go to one of several in South Austin. But when I got to the National Theatre of Costa Rica an hour before the symphony began on Sunday morning at 10:30, I looked for a place to read the newspaper and to eat some ice cream. Since I often choose a reverse chic path, I walked into the McDonald’s, ordered a chocolate and vanilla cone, and sat down at a little table toward the back of the restaurant. That’s when the man showed up.

When I came out of the bathroom, the senor from San Antonio had disappeared. Since I had to pass Gringo Corner to leave the very clean, very sanitized McDonald’s I offered my newspaper to one of the men drinking a cup of coffee. He motioned for me to sit down and thanked me for the paper. After we exchanged pleasantries, I asked him the same question I had asked the man with some major head damage. “What brought you to Costa Rica?”

“How much time do you have?” the boyish 50-year old man asked. And then he gave me what he called an abbreviated version of how he and a buddy were driving to Mexico from Kansas, but decided to drive on to Costa Rica. And how he had fallen in love with the country and had come back many times over the past 16 years. And, how he began to buy property here, divorced his wife, and continued to come back. “Women. That’s why I came,” he stated. “Women, and the weather.” He was glowing as he spoke.

I assumed he spoke Spanish, and I said so. He told me didn’t speak a word, and that he didn’t need to. The skinny 60-something year-old man wearing sun glasses sitting next to him chimed in. “I don’t speak no Spanish either. Those Tica women and this weather. You just can’t beat them—and you don’t need to speak no Spanish to enjoy them.”

Fortunately, it was almost time for the performance at the National Theatre to begin. When I got up to leave, one of the other men sitting in Gringo Corner asked me where I was off to. “Across the street to the symphony,” I replied.

He stared at me, shrugged his shoulders and went back to drinking his coffee.

The Crown Gets a Diamond

Yesterday I talked about the buzz on Diane Setterfield’s debut book, The Thirteenth Tale. This was in today’s Publishers Lunch:

“Barnes & Noble has launched a seasonal BN Recommends pick, selecting "one book we love -- a book that we know is a riveting read and a work of extraordinary quality worthy of stimulating discussion." Their first pick is Diane Setterfield's THE THIRTEENTH TALE.”

Looks like Setterfield got a diamond mounted in her gold crown.

How to Receive the Golden Crown

Ever wonder how a book gets chosen for the coveted Book-of-the-Month club? Doubleday released a press release that tells us exactly, according to them, what the criteria is.

In talking about the newest novel, Diane Setterfield’s The Thirteenth Tale, to become the International Book-of-the-Month selection, they said it was chosen “because of its compelling voice and outstanding story. The Thirteenth Tale illuminates a world of secrets, confused identities, lies, and half-truths, with a spellbinding and atmospheric style -- just the type of novel that makes a perfect International Book-of-the-Month®.”

So, there you go. You want your book to be number eleven on the IBOM list? Now you know what to write.

You need to have a compelling voice and an outstanding story and you want to have the potential to become an international bestseller. Easy enough. Of course, that’s what every author aims for when they sit down to write.

Of course, if you can pull it off and get chosen, the rewards are pretty nice. The Thirteenth Tale is Setterfield’s debut novel. It will be offered in twelve countries to a possible twenty-two million readers.

I’d say Setterfield is on a roll. Today’s Yorkshire Post said The Thirteenth Tale was “snapped up by UK publishers for an estimated 800,000 [pounds], the US auction for the book has risen above one million dollars, and eight translation deals have already been signed.”

Utilize All Your Senses

This weekend I was reminded of how important it is to use the senses in your writing. Sometimes writers tend to focus on the sense of sight. We describe things, their color, their shape, size, texture. Less often, we establish the sense of taste – usually when the character is eating or drinking. Sometimes the sense of smell comes in. That can be a pleasant smell or a bad smell. Probably one of the least often established senses is that of touch. Someone might run a hand across something and feel the texture or they might feel heat or cold. Of course, if your character gets into a fight, he/she probably has more “feelings” than they would just walking down a street.

But the sense I was reminded of this weekend was that of hearing. Sounds probably come into play more in writing than, say, taste, but not nearly as often as sight. What brought sound to mind? My husband and I were in the kitchen working on dinner, when quite suddenly the windows shook and there was a huge roar. We both immediately recognized the sound as a plane, very low, very loud. My first thought was that a commercial plane was going down. We’re not near the airport, but we do have planes flying over head – very high overhead.

We raced out onto the back deck and saw six fighter jets flying over in formation, four in front, two behind. My husband knew what kind they were, but said he hadn’t heard jets that loud since his days in the service. We have no idea why there were flying or why they were so low. We guessed perhaps they took part in the opening of the big University of Texas vs. Ohio State University game here in Austin. But we weren’t at the game and it hadn’t started yet, so we weren’t sure.

The jets weren’t just loud; they were thunderous and startling. And, afterwards, I began to think about how we don’t utilize the sense of hearing nearly enough in writing. Sometimes we have to make a conscious effort to go back through our manuscript and add in some of the senses other than sight. As you’re imagining a scene in your mind, pay attention to more than what is “visible.”

Paying Out the Pieces

How many of you bought James Frey’s book, A Million Little Pieces? I didn’t, but the hoopla about the book caught my attention. There’s always been lingering questions about the lines between nonfiction, creative nonfiction and memoir. How exact is a memory? If an author researches extensively and then writes dialogue based on his/her best determination of what most likely was said (or done) is that nonfiction or is it creative nonfiction? And if nonfiction stands for the truth, then how can it be creative?

I think the trouble for Frey came from two places. One, he marketed the book to agents and editors as fiction. When multiple publishers refused it, he began calling it a nonfiction memoir. Not only did Frey obviously know he’d written it as fiction, the publisher who bought it knew. The second problem for Frey was that Oprah liked the book and put him on her show and he sold millions of copies because of that. If he’d remained a nobody and sold only a few hundred copies, the situation wouldn’t have caused such a stir. Now, I’m not saying that’s Oprah’s fault. In my opinion, it’s more of society’s fault or problem. If a writer fools me, but makes only a little bit of money, give him a slap on the wrist. If a writer fools me and makes millions, burn him. And it’s of course Frey’s fault. He knew, he knew, he knew, deep in his heart and soul that he had fictionalized too much of the book for it to be a true memoir.

But he wasn’t taken to task for plagiarism or slander, he was pursued for consumer fraud. They said he defrauded the book buyer. There now appears to be a pending agreement in the case. People who bought the book and thought it was a memoir can get their money back. They have to meet certain conditions, though.

This is the first time a case like this has been settled. And it has publishers a little concerned.

You can find out more about the settlement in yesterday’s The Deadbolt, Thursday’s MSN Money and on the pop culture website RadarOnline.

Jentel Residency Program

While in Wyoming, I drove out from Sheridan to visit the Jentel Residency Program. Jentel is not easy to find. From Sheridan, you drive southeast on Hwy 14. If you go by to visit, hopefully the road construction will be done. There were sections where the road just disappeared and you’re driving on either dirt or torn up pavement. You’ll come to a side road (#149) where you’ll turn right. On that gravel road, you drive about one and a half miles before you come to Jentel on the left.

You won’t miss it. It looks just like the pictures on their web page, only more spectacular. The buildings butt right up against huge red boulders and rock. I didn’t drive into the complex because their website requests no visitors except on the 14th when they’re between residents. But I did sit in my car at the end of their driveway and look (stare with mouth agape is more like it).

The buildings are close enough together that you can walk easily from one to the other. But if you wanted to take walks, you would have miles to trek and soak in the scenery.

The nonrefundable application fee is $20. If you’re accepted, there’s no cost except for your travel to and from. You’re given a weekly stipend to pay for groceries. No chef here. You can either make your own meals or get to know the other residents and work with them to combine cooking duties. Jentel is too far from Sheridan for you to walk to, but Jentel takes the residents in to town once a week.

Although I didn’t get to go inside the complex or the writing residents’ building, I did get to meet Lynn Reeves, the woman who manages Jentel. A friend introduced me to her the next day at the rodeo for Don King Days. Jentel has been in operation since 2001. It began year round programming in 2003 and now admits 4 visual artists and 2 writers each month.

The deadline to apply for the Winter/Spring Residency (January 15 – May 13) is September 15. The deadline to apply for the Summer/Fall Residency (May 15 – December 13) is January 15. So, if you’re interested in going during the upcoming Winter or Spring, you need to act fast.

If you’d like to apply, you can download the application.

Websites are a Pain

Websites can be a pain in the butt. Probably any of you who have a website would agree. I’ve had mine up for ten years, I believe. I keep adding to it and I’ve changed the color scheme a time or two. I even reached a point where I organized the archive of articles. But it is really sad looking.

I know that. I can admit it ‘cause I’m the one who did it. I would like for it to be more professional looking. Unfortunately, I don’t know that I have the designer’s “eye” that would be needed to do the job.

I’ve been trying to create a new version of it. I think it definitely looks better, but with the new version of Dreamweaver I’m using, I can’t get it to work like it’s supposed to (it’s hidden behind the current site and has no links to it). And I don’t know html.

So, I’m at the point where I’m ready to delete all the new pages I’ve created and start over. Maybe I’ll have better luck the next go-round.

And for all of you who don’t feel my pain because you don’t have a website, consider putting one up (ignore my whining). Authors need some kind of presence on the web. A great many of them have a website. Some, in addition or in lieu of, have a blog or a MySpace presence. Some have all of that, plus a newsletter and multiple blogs.

You don’t have to do it all. Consider making yourself known in cyberspace, though. Readers like to be able to find out more about authors they like.

The Book Shop in Sheridan, Wyoming

This week I’ve been traveling through Colorado, Wyoming and a bit of Montana. As I go, I try to stop in at places that might be of interest to writers. I’ve already talked about UCross and plan to talk about another writing residency called Jentel, but today, I’m “reviewing” a book store I visited.

While in Sheridan, I stepped in The Book Shop at 117 North Main Street. Although not a big store, it was interesting. Lots of books, of course, but also CDs. A small area was dedicated to chairs and headphones so you could preview the music.

It looked like the owner put out coffee in the mornings. I was there about midday, so the only thing out was some chips.

There were a few gifties or knick-knacks, but the emphasis was books. The main part of the long, rectangular store was set aside for adult books. The second section of the shop was for children’s books, including a play area with lots of books for kids to read and thumb through. After that, the last area of the store was used books.

Since the store was shaped like a long box, there weren’t the cozy nooks some bookstores have for sitting and reading, but there were chairs, even small tables with two chairs.

If you’re in Sheridan, Wyoming, check out The Book Shop.

Consider a Writing Residency

Yesterday I drove out to Clearmont, Wyoming to visit the UCross Foundation Residency Program. The foundation main offices are at the intersection of Hwy 14 and Hwy 16 and encompasses 22,000 acres. The residency buildings aren’t spread out, obviously, over that territory. They are in fact fairly close together.

Pulling into the long main drive, I parked in front of the main offices and spoke with Sharon Dynak, Executive Director. She showed me around a bit then took me to the building next to the offices, the Gallery. Sunprints by Lindy Smith were on display in the gallery. The upstairs of the gallery is a composer’s studio.

Back outside I could look one direction and see the artists’s studios and writers’ residence. In another direction, more studios. You could walk from one studio to another, but UCross also supplies bicycles for the residents to get around.

There are usually about eight residents at any given time, four writers and four artists. Residencies vary in length from two weeks to eight weeks. And there are two application deadlines (one is fast approaching). If you’re interested in coming sometime in the fall, the deadline to apply is March 1. If you’d like to be there in the spring, then you’d need to get your application in by October 1.

Since there were artists and writers there at the time, I didn’t get to go in the other buildings, but from the outside, they looked comfortable and homey. There is a chef who prepares the meals and the only cost to residents (other than getting yourself there) is a $20 nonrefundable application fee.

If you’re interested in applying and want to know what the guidelines are, check out their application.

Fish Out of Water

I think if I were going to write a series character, I would probably make her a Texas girl, since that’s what I know best. That also means she would be a fish out of water when she went elsewhere, because that’s what I am.

Whenever I travel, and I travel quite a bit, I cannot make myself believe other places are not hot like Texas. When I left day before yesterday it was about 102 degrees. I brought short sleeves and open-toed shoes. It was the end of August. It’s now September 1; I’m in Wyoming and digging through my suitcase for the one long-sleeve shirt I packed.

I know it gets cool here. My husband and I come here every Labor Day weekend to gather with other friends from across the U.S. And yet every time we come, I can’t imagine it being cold anywhere in August or September. Not only is it cool here, they get rain. We finally got a little rain just before I left Austin. It had been so long, I didn’t recognize what the noise was at first.

I did the same thing years ago when I went to San Francisco. It was summer and yet it got so cold at night I finally had to go buy a jacket. I was freezing.

Of course, it probably works the other way around, too. Folks from Minnesota probably have a hard time believing they could come to Austin in January and wear shorts.

After I finally uncovered the long-sleeve shirt and put it on, I decided my series character would constantly have to find the right clothes to wear wherever she went. Or maybe she’d just leave a note in her suitcase to always carry at least one outfit in case of heat and one in case of snow. Oooh, despite my open–toed shoes, I’d love to see snow. Not likely, even in Wyoming . But since I didn’t bring a coat, there’s a good chance for a few flakes.