XIX Agatha Awards

The nominees for the 19th Agatha Awards have been announced. So, I’m taking this time today to say congratulations to two friends:

For Best Novel, L.C. Hayden for her book Why Casey Had to Die
For Best First Novel, Karen MacInerney for her book Murder on the Rocks

Yea for both of them.

The Agatha Awards are under the umbrella of Malice Domestic, a nonprofit which holds an annual convention to salute traditional mystery books. And what is a traditional mystery book? Malice defines it as “mysteries which contain no explicit sex or excessive gore or violence; and usually (but are not limited to) featuring an amateur detective, a confined setting, and characters who know one another.”

If that sounds like the kind of book you like to read, then check out the Malice website for a list of the authors attending the May conference.

Self-Publishing

It was only a few years ago that self-publishing came into the light. People started talking about self-publishing like never before. People started actually doing it. Problem was, it was difficult, even impossible in the beginning, to get your books into major stores. And to a great extent, it’s still that way, more so with the mega chain bookstores than the smaller independent bookstores. AuthorHouse and iUniverse, and other self-publishers, were scoffed at and considered the holding tank for book sludge.

Now, self-publishing is becoming more legitimate. Still a difficult route to take, still not easy to get into Barnes & Noble and other big chains, but certainly more acceptable. A big reason for this, I think, is the major turn to the Internet. More and more people use the Internet not just for email and research, but for news updates and weather reports. A lot of people read their newspapers and magazines online. E-readers are becoming more popular as the technology improves, thus making e-books more popular. A whole generation has grown up with the Internet and with instant gratification.

No, I don’t think paper books will disappear, but their sales are flat. Things are changing.

I don’t have an e-reader, so I’ve never bought an e-book. I have bought self-published books. I do read a lot of news online. I publish my own e-newsletter. I do this blog. I spend way too much time online. But I’m a dinosaur compared to people in their twenties and teens. The Internet is not just a tool for them, it’s a life style. It, in fact, can be their life. They will lead the way; they will determine whether e-books and self-published print on demand books become mainstream.

Character Conflict

Someone once said to me that they were having trouble with conflict in their story. For example, they had a protagonist and a sidekick and a problem. Both characters knew what they had to do, so they worked together and did it. Problem solved. But too quickly, too neatly. And the writer didn’t see how they could insert any conflict since the characters were working together and knew what had to be done. And yet … the writer didn’t want things to go so smoothly.

Of course you can always insert problems that arise from outside influences or from the antagonist. But you can also have problems between the two characters, despite their common goal. Just look at real life.

At the moment, I’m trying to set up a get-together between myself and my two sisters. We all want to get together. Solution -- pick a place and a date and do it. We’re working together and we know what the goal is. Simple right?

Wrong. Every one of us is different and it doesn’t matter that we have a common goal. Sister One lives in Minnesota. She wants us to come up there. After all, she came down to Texas last time and she really, really, HATES the heat in Texas. So Sister Two and I will go up there. Here comes the conflict. I love to fly, but Sister Two hates to fly. We could drive, but Sister Two also doesn’t like to drive long distance because it makes her sleepy, so I’d have to drive. If the drive was the trip and we’d be stopping along the way for side trips and overnights, I could do it. But the goal is not the drive. We could take the train, but it takes 31 hours and only goes as far as Chicago. Sister One doesn’t want to meet us in Chicago – that’s a full day’s drive for her, after all. Sister One suggested we go to the Outer Banks in North Carolina instead. I reminded her that’s a two day drive from Texas. Her solution – fly!

And we’re back at square one. The crazy part is – a get-together was my idea.

If you look at things not just from this is where my character is and this is where he needs to be and this is the straightest way to get there, but rather from the different points of views and concerns of all the parties, you have conflict. It will arise naturally

On My Reading Table

Here’s what I’m reading right now: The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Jack Canfield.

The book was recommended by someone I met at a recent book signing. The woman was saying what a change it made in her life and way of thinking. So, the other day when I was locked out of the house, I went to a local Barnes & Noble and found it. Just locating it in the story was an adventure.

I keep a list of recommended books in my PDA and I remembered adding this one to the list. Problem was, I had my PDA with me, but hadn’t synchronized my PDA with my computer, so I had to try to remember the book -- which I couldn’t. But I did remember the author’s last name. That didn’t help a whole lot since Jack Canfield is the same Jack Canfield who is the co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. He’s written lots of books. But with the help of a persistent bookseller at B&N, I found it.

I’m only on page 78, but I can see why the woman liked it so much. It’s very inspiring (it is by the Chicken Soup for the Soul guy, after all). Some of the stuff is new, some of it you may already know. But he inspires you to actually start the process of changing your actions and way of thinking.

Still got a long way to go on the book. It’s one of those I can’t lend to anyone else. I’m doing too much highlighting.

Research is More than Memory

Friday is a much better day than Thursday. My website is back up.

Yesterday, I picked up my daughter and took her and my laptop to a coffee shop. She totally fixed everything. Because I don’t know html, I use a WYSIWYG program to build my site. I can look at the code, but it means nothing to me, except a headache. My daughter on the other hand has no fears about going into the code.

She completely restructured by site, putting things into the right places and cutting out duplication. Once she was finished and made sure it was back up and running, I told her it bothered me that some of the rollover buttons didn’t do what I wanted them to do, but I could live with it. She went right back into the code and got rid of every crazy “style” Dreamweaver attached to every page, and made sure the rollovers acted correctly by writing the code manually.

Hot damn, I love that girl.

So, the site is back up, but my email is still not coming through. That’s a pain, but not one she can fix.

And why can my daughter do all that? Number one, because she’s smart, of course. But also because she grew up with computers. Neither of my kids remembers a time before computers, internet, cell phones, and other high tech gizmos. They have no fears, they speak the language, they are within their comfort zones.

If you write about young people, don’t rely just on your memories of when you were a teenager or a young adult. Not just because of the gadgets and software has changed over the years, but also because the entire language seems to have changed. And even the language is not universal among young people. It varies from region to region, group to group, socio-economic level … even cultural background can dictate slang words.

It’s just another aspect of the research you have to do.

Websites and Workshops

This week has been really frustrating for me. Over the weekend I lost email, then yesterday, my website disappeared. I’ve tried everything I know how to do to bring it back up. If I knew how to delete the current site and put up a new one, I’d do that. My next choice is to change hosts to one that has tech support.

So, the last couple of days have been consumed with reading Dummies books and manuals, searching Help, and banging my forehead on the keyboard.

Isn’t it amazing how we can get distracted from what needs to be done? My to-do list has gone by the wayside. And I’ve got nothing to show for it.

I think I have to set the website aside for today, let my boil drop to a simmer, and work on other projects.

I’ve heard from some of you that you had trouble finding out more about the workshop, The Synopsis: Four Steps to the Ultimate SALES Tool, I’m doing in Bedford (near Dallas/Ft.Worth) on March 24. Apparently the link I gave proved troublesome for some folks. If you’re having a problem, go to the North Texas Professional Writers Association home page (http://www.ntpwa.org) and click “visitors.” That’ll take you to the page about my workshop.

For those of you who live more toward southeast Texas, it looks like I’ll be doing the Synopsis workshop in College Station in May. I’ll give details about that when it becomes definite.

And if you’re knowledgeable in Dreamweaver, email me. Oh wait, I can’t get email, at least not through my domain. Email me at mermaidhel@gmail.com. But you’ll have to speak English. I went to the Dreamweaver Forum and discovered that I don’t speak tech and they guys there are so advanced they don’t speak bumbler.

Real Life Does Not Make an Interesting Book

Even if you’re writing a memoir, a person’s everyday life does not make for an interesting book. Let’s face it, our daily lives are boring. Even when something different happens, it’s boring.

I got locked out of the house today. So what? I unloaded the groceries, put the refrigerator and freezer stuff in the freezer, then headed to Starbucks for coffee. I talked to a friend of mine who recently went for a walk and got lost. Totally lost. Completely turned around. By the time she got back home, she’d been out trying to find her way for five and a half hours. I call that an adventure. But to put it in a book, there’d have to be more than just her walking, going in circles, for hours.

She would have to be stalked, or kidnapped, or fall off a cliff or lose her memory. I’d have to hear the phone ringing and someone leaving a threatening message, but I can’t see caller ID, or a wild-eyed woman would appear from the back of the house, gun in hand. Or my friend would encounter a handsome stranger. Or whatever.

Not only does every scene have to have purpose and move the story forward, you have to cut the mundane wherever possible as long as it’s not relevant. You could write:

Stephanie grabbed the keys from the bowl on the entry table, then took one last look around.
Her car shuddered as it pulled from the curb.

If we don’t really need to know what happened in-between those two things, then don’t tell us. Do we need to know that she slung her purse over her right shoulder, swiveled and walked to the door? Closed the door behind her? Crossed the porch? Walked down the four steps to the sidewalk? Walked to the car? Opened the driver-side door? Inserted the key into the ignition? Adjusted the mirror?

Have you ever noticed that very few characters go to the bathroom? Because no one wants or needs to know. It’s rarely important to the story. I’m not saying cut all the minutiae. Sometimes details can be very telling. Sometimes you can hide important clues among a list of unimportant things. But everything is not always important.

If your character gets locked out of the house, have something interesting happen. If your character gets lost, make it worth reading.

What Could You Give Up?

This morning there was a piece on one of the network morning national news shows. I’m not sure which one since I tend to click around. The series is about taking things away from people and seeing if they can survive. Like taking away your car and seeing if you can cope without a car for a week. Today they showed a guy – the editor for Forbes magazine – who agreed to give up his cell phone, blackberry and email for one week. This was a guy who was totally wired for both business and personal connections. Like my daughter, he doesn’t even wear a watch because he always has the phone to tell him the time.

Within forty-eight hours, he was literally crying on camera, begging for his blackberry. I kid you not. This high-powered exec was crying. He couldn’t do it.

I think I could. I would miss it. I blog every day. I do the newsletter every week. I check email several times a day (I’m not sure, I probably have 7 to 10 e-boxes). But I could do it. I think.

I’m old enough to remember life before the Internet and cell phones. But they are now such an integral part of my life that it would be very difficult to be without them. The cell phone and email are so convenient, but the Internet has become essential. I use it constantly for researching things I need in every day life and information I need for writing. I would not want to go back to looking things up in the phone book or trekking to the library. No way.

The Internet has become a lifeline for writers. Take that away, and most of us would be asking the Forbes editor to pass the Kleenex.

Book Sales Figures

Recently, there was a great article in the Los Angeles Times about how the publishing industry counts book sales. It is definitely worth reading the full article. It discusses the changes that have been made in counting sales, as well as how they are often over-inflated. In fact, padding sales figures seems to be the norm.

The “secret” that sales figures are padded hasn’t really been a secret, but a lot of new authors may find it surprising. It has really come to the forefront since media mogul Philip Anschutz sued author Clive Cussler for supposedly supplying him with bogus sales figures as a way to get Anschutz to pay $10 million for the rights to two of Cussler’s books.

Even though, in 2001, Nielsen BookScan began “compiling information that measured about 70% of the U.S. book market,” the full story of book sales is not told since BookScan does not track “weekly sales from Wal-Mart, religious stores, gift shops, grocers, drugstores and other outlets.”

"We estimate that out of every 10 hardcover adult books, seven lose money, two break even and one is a hit," [Albert Greco, a Fordham University economist who analyzes business trends in the book world] said. "So, of course, this business is secretive about sales. Would you want to tell the world that 70% of your output is losing money?”

The article claims that while publishers may not make their sales figures available to the public, they do keep their authors updated. I have talked to many authors, though, especially ones with small presses, who haven’t a clue about their real sales figures. They just can’t get their publisher to tell them, and what figures they do get can be months, even a year, out of date.

Authors and book buyers not savvy about the publishing industry may also be surprised to know how few sales you have to have to be able to claim best-seller status. You may think you’d need tens of thousands of sales or perhaps millions, but that’s not always true. It can depend on different factors. A book might sell thirty thousand copies over its shelf life, but not be a best-seller, while a book that sells five thousand copies in its first two weeks is a best-seller. You can be a best-seller in Los Angeles, but not in New York. You can be a best-seller in Book Sense (independent stores) but not in Barnes & Noble. And you might not realize that there are different levels of New York Times best-sellers.

All in all, some “suggest the real problem with revealing sales numbers is that publishers put out too many books — and the vast majority sell poorly. Greco estimated that more than 200,000 titles were published last year, which averages out to 22 new books every hour. This is in addition to about 3.5 million already in print.”

Definitely an article worth reading.

Book Signing Event

Last night I went to a book signing. The signing was for Babyproofing Your Marriage by Stacie Cockrell, Cathy O’Neill and Julia Stone. I didn’t know the authors and didn’t have the chance to meet them at the signing. I did see people there I knew and some I just recognized.

It was a high profile event since it was by invitation at the home of Texas Monthly senior editor Evan Smith. Evan’s home is wonderful. Huge wooden front doors that open to a unique, warm, impressive house. I did get to say hi to him, although I’m sure he didn’t remember me. We’d met briefly once before when I was at the KLRU studios doing a promo spot.

Lots of people mingling, waiters with trays of drinks, big names … and press. As in lights, camera, action.

Which is why I never got to say hello to the authors. The camera was either taking shots of their stacks of books, or the crowd mingling, or the interviews with the authors. And I’m sure that cost them sales.

But …

For this kind of event, sales would be nice, but they weren’t the real point. People at the book signing were there, I believe, because of their association with Evan Smith or Texas Monthly or some other connection to either Evan or Texas Monthly. You’re probably wondering why I was there. I think it was my volunteer work with the Texas Book Festival. The thing to consider, though, is that those people didn’t come to meet the authors and get their signatures. They came because Evan opened his home and made it a pleasant event with wine and hors d’oeuvres, amiable guests, networking opportunities, and an evening out. Sure, you’re gonna buy a book. That’s expected.

However, if the authors missed, say, twenty sales because they were busy with the press instead of sitting and signing, that’s okay. Far more valuable than twenty sales was the press coverage. I don’t know where the cameras were from – KLRU, a local station, cable, whatever. I know I talked to Patrick Beach with the Austin American-Statesman. Maybe they’ll only get a half minute on the local evening news. Maybe it’ll lead to other, bigger, opportunities. Even a quick blurb on the local channel could lead to sales above and beyond what they missed getting that night.

Diane Fanning News

Yesterday I had lunch with a good friend, author Diane Fanning. She was in town to have a meeting with a lawyer concerning some documents she had requested. What is amazing is that she had requested the documents, under the Freedom of Information Act, six years ago. Six years. That’s how long it took for the information to be made available to her. Six years. What that shows is that Diane doesn’t give up. When she’s researching, she isn’t deterred when someone says no or when the information is difficult to find. She perseveres.

Diane will be writing the true crime book on the Lisa Nowak (NASA astronaut) story. Here’s the write-up that was in Publishers Lunch this week:
Novelist and true crime author Diane Fanning tackles the bizarre case of Lisa Nowak, the astronaut accused of attempting to murder a fellow astronaut's girlfriend because of her obsession with her colleague, to Charles Spicer at St. Martin's…

Diane is well-known for her true crime books. She’s been nominated for the Edgar Award; she’s been on Court TV as well as network TV. She’ll be on 20/20 before long. I’ve mentioned Diane before, so you know she also has the first in a new mystery series coming out this year, and has another mystery series in the works.

But don’t think projects just fall in her lap. She’s a hard worker and dedicated writer, with a very organized mind and work ethic. This is just my opinion, but I see her as “at the tipping point.” That point where your “star” takes off. Keep an eye on her. And buy her books now while you can get first editions.

Teleplays on your TV

Ever do something but then not know how in the heck you did it or how to stop it? And then somehow you stop it but haven’t a clue how you did that either?

I tend to tape things on TV with the intention of watching them at some more convenient time. As a result, we have tapes stacked on the TV. I’ve at least learned to date them and list what I recorded. I went to watch one over the weekend.

Somehow, and I honestly don’t know how, I managed to tape a show with a narrator talking over the show. It apparently is one of those conveniences like having the actors speak Spanish. Or one I use when I’m on the treadmill, which is very noisy -- having written captions of dialogue appear on the screen. But this one was totally unexpected. A woman just started talking, telling me everything happening on the screen (not the dialogue though). Apparently it’s designed for the blind.

I stopped the tape and tried every item on the VCR menu, but couldn’t find anything that sounded like this. I went through the menu for the TV. Nothing. It must be a choice you make before you tape or it’s too late to change.

At first, it was annoying. But as the show progressed, it occurred to me that this was like having the script of the show. And I didn’t have to look down to read the script; it was being read to me. A script tends to have descriptions that are sparse, but what is there uses strong verbs and few but telling adjectives. And this was what I was hearing.

It was a great learning experience. You could hear what might have been the script descriptions and compare them to what appeared on the screen. By the end of the show, I was loving the idea.

Now if I just knew how I fumbled around and turned the narrator-option off, then I could turn it back on.

Dialogue Study

Good Monday morning to everyone.

Over the weekend I went to a play called Dearly Beloved, put on by the Paradox Players. A fun play with some good actors in it. Disclaimer here – one of those good actors was a friend of mine. Lots of laughter from the audience and lots of applause throughout the play.

Going to see live actors is fun. It’s immediate; it’s personal. The big production plays in huge theatres are beautiful and seamless. But there’s a lot to be said for small performances. You see some of the mechanics of putting on even a small play. You cheer for the actors as they move in and out, as they wait professionally for the lighting when sets are changed. I enjoyed watching the performers and I liked having other friends in the audience. Family and fans of my friend took up two rows by themselves.

I also liked the play itself. It’s one of those where you like the dialogue and can hear many lines that you think are clever and original. Some that you wish you’d thought of yourself. Some that you even wonder if you could get away with stealing.

Okay, I wouldn’t do that, at least not intentionally. But it teaches you about timing, about punch, about turning an ordinary bit into something hilarious. And since plays are all about the dialogue, a play is a good place to go to see how the pros do it.

Rewriting the Words of Others

I’m out cruising the Internet this morning, checking out the news, when I come across an article called “A Bible Written in Simple Terms” in the Orlando Sentinel. The article talks about the many different versions of the bible written over the years, most of them in an effort to dumb it down for people who don’t understand the “thees,” “thous,” and words like “manger.”

There’s an audio version that came out last fall, a 464-page book that came out in 2005 that tells the story in narrative form rather than chapter and verse, a 1978 version that tells the bible at eighth grade level, a 1996 version written at sixth grade level, and many more.

My question is not, “How many versions of the bible do we need?” Nor is it, “What’s next? A toddler level?” I’m not asking that last question because I know there are bible story books already out there for parents to read to their pre-schoolers.

My question is, “At what point do you say that this one that brings it down to the first grade level or this one that is admittedly a paraphrasing of the bible is NOT the bible?”

There have been many re-tellings of Shakespeare’s plays. Romeo and Juliet appear in many books, the entire plot including the tragic ending, set in modern day. Yet the author doesn’t claim his book is THE Romeo and Juliet.

Can we go back to the original Bible, the one written on scrolls or papyrus or whatever they were written on and say that is THE bible. Everything else is a knock-off. A copyright infringement, if the original were still under copyright.

If I had written the bible, I’d be ticked that so many hacks were ripping me off.

High Concept Books III

Okay, let’s finish up on some of the traits common to big concept books:

Examine most best-sellers, and you'll find they have a rhythm, an ebb and flow, a definite pace. The protagonist gets in trouble or encounters a problem, things slack off, then pick up again. Up, down, higher, higher. The physical danger grows or the emotional investment intensifies. Chapters end in mid-crisis or with a hook. The readers don't want to put the book down. They turn the page and keep reading. It's tense, the characters are intriguing, the plot gripping. We're caught up in the roller coaster ride.

Another thing about big books is that they tend to be told through multiple Points of View. We don't just stay in the protagonist's head. We see things through another character(s) eyes -- often the antagonist's. We not only see what they see, we hear, feel, agonize, hurt, and hope as they do. We empathize with them. We identify with, and are emotionally invested with, more than just the main character. That doesn't mean we automatically root for the bad guy, just because we're in his head, though.

Now ... should you use these points as a how-to to create a blockbuster? No. There's no formula that guarantees a best-seller. Of course there have been plenty of books that became best-sellers that had none of these characteristics. But, if you're wanting to write a big book, keep these points in mind. They are traits common to the majority of high-concept books. You might want to weave them into yours.

High Concept Books II

Continuing with high concept books … here are a couple more things to keep in mind as you contemplate writing one:

In addition to larger-than-life characters, big books usually have "high concept." To me, that means two things. One, the premise of the book is outlandish or highly dramatic. It can even mean bizarre or unbelievable. (Of course, the author's job is to make it believable.) A high-concept book is exciting, sweeping, maybe controversial. But despite all that, the "big idea" novel, secondly, has a single or simple backbone. It has a dramatic question that the reader can hang onto. In Silence of the Lambs, that backbone was "Will Clarice catch the serial killer?"

If you're trying to write that high concept novel, consider the setting you choose. Big novels tend to be set in exotic locales. Does that mean you have to travel to Africa or Antarctica? Not necessarily. Look around. Do you live on a reservation? To a lot of readers, that's an exciting setting. Do you have first-hand knowledge of what it's like to be a Secret Service agent? That's a world only a few can live in, but a lot of people would want to know about. Do you love medieval England? Could you take your readers into the little known world of a forensic pathologist? Do you know the behind-the-scenes workings of an airport, mega-amusement park, or the IRS? Can you write about rich, powerful, or famous people and the world they inhabit?

High Concept Books

Writers try to keep abreast of what's happening in the publishing world. After all, it directly affects us. We read writing magazines, visit news websites, belong to writers' organizations. We notice what books make the bestseller lists, which ones are sold near the checkout counters at the grocery store, which ones get special placement in the bookstore. So, I'm sure we've all heard the mantra that mid-list authors are being squeezed out. Publishers want the "big book" or are looking for the "big idea."

But, what the heck is the BIG BOOK?

That's hard to define. But, over the next few days, let's try.

In the big novel, the stakes are high. Very high. That doesn't mean, though, that it has to involve the very future of the country or a race of people. It could be that one of the major characters in your book is in dire peril. But if it is only one person's life or future, usually that character is representative, either directly or subtly, of a larger community. The reader can see that the character's problem could easily be or become his dilemma. He wants that character to survive and triumph because it gives him hope that he, and humankind, will find solutions, redemption, or survival.

If you've read some of the best-sellers, you've probably noticed that the main characters are larger-than-life. Big novels have big characters. They do extraordinary, steel-emotioned, desperate, even outrageous things. They do what you or I hope we would do in impossible situations. Somehow, through their amazing inner strength, or their physical power, or their intelligence, wit, energy, daring, guts, and spirit, they transform themselves, and, in the process, us. Look at Clarice Starling in Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris. She started off ordinary and became extraordinary.

Tomorrow, more things that define the big or high concept book.

Opportunities for Writers

Today’s blog is a report on the Barbara Burnett Smith Aspiring Writers Event, scheduled for May 20th. The committee for Texas Mystery Month met today.

Two areas I’ll mention here concern aspiring writers and published mystery authors.

If you’re an aspiring author and have a mystery novel or short story either finished or in progress, you’re invited to enter the first 500 words and no more than a one-page synopsis. It’s first-come first-serve – no judging involved. No fee either. The one thing you do have to do is attend the Aspiring Writers Event on the 20th in Austin. At that time, you’ll meet with your “mentor,” a published author. One thing that’s changed since I wrote about this opportunity is that the deadline has been extended to April 20th. Check out the website for complete guidelines.

If you’re a published mystery author, keep in mind that events, book signings, talks, panel discussions, etc. that you have planned during the month of May can be included in the listing of events for Texas Mystery Month. You just need to let Dave Ciambrone know about your plans. So, you’re getting free publicity. Publicity was one of the main topics of discussion today since Terri Schexnayder has joined the group. Terri is a former vice-president at GSD&M and now a marketing consultant.

So there’s something for everyone, both published and unpublished.

Susan Wittig Albert

This past Saturday I went to hear Susan Wittig Albert speak at a local Barnes & Noble store. Susan is a best-selling author of multiple series. On Saturday she talked about her Beatrix Potter series. More specifically, she talked about Beatrix Potter and the research Susan has done in order to write the series.

If I had to peg Susan into a genre, it would be mystery. In addition to this Beatrix Potter series, she write the China Bayles mystery series, and she and her husband have written a Victorian mystery series under the name Robin Paige. But you can’t just tap her as only mystery since she’s written nonfiction and over 60 novels for young adults. You can go to her website to see a list.

Plus, Susan founded the now national organization called Story Circle Network. There are now Story Circles around the states and on the Internet, with the goal of helping women write their life stories.

But, back to her talk… Susan has done a ton of research on Beatrix Potter and probably could write a nonfiction book on her. She said that with this series, she’s now done the bulk of the necessary research, including traveling to England.

Susan is very organized. She knows how many days it will take to write a book. She knows what her schedule is and what she needs to do. She would have to be organized to keep up with all she does. Plus, she makes her living as a writer.

If Susan Wittig Albert is speaking at a place near you, go hear her. She’s very open to questions about her books or about writing in general. And tell her Helen Ginger said “hi.”

Fellowship Opportunity

One thing I probably should have put on my “Five Things You May Not Know About Me” list is that a little over a year ago I spent four weeks at the Vermont Studio Center as a Brown Fellow. The Brown Foundation awarded me a full fellowship to go to the VSC and write to my heart’s content. And write I did. It was a wonderful experience and I would encourage anyone to go to the VSC or some other center for writers.

I still get periodic emails from the VSC alerting me to things going on there, like the new writers’ studio they’re building or deadlines for application to the center. Yesterday I got one about a new fellowship they’ll have available this year. I wanted to pass this on to all of you.

The awards will come from the National Endowment for the Arts. Both artists and writers are eligible. What makes it really special is that it not only includes a fellowship for the studio itself, but a stipend. Here’s the word the Vermont Studio Center sent on it:

• The National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships (eligibility: artists and writers) New for 2007, the NEA will sponsor four Fellowships this year for outstanding painters, sculptors, writers, photographers, or printmakers who demonstrate clear financial need (applicants must submit their most recent tax return or other information that indicates financial status). Each Fellowship comes with a $1,500 stipend to cover direct residency expenses (travel, materials, shipping, etc.) or related expenses (child care, lost job revenue, rent, etc.). Awards will be based on a combination of the caliber of the work presented, and on demonstrated financial need.

• Recipients for these awards will be selected at both the winter (deadline: February 15th) and summer (deadline: June 15th) Fellowship competitions.
• To apply for either of these Fellowship opportunities, go to:
• http://www.vermontstudiocenter.org/apply.html
• and check the Special Fellowships box under Fees • VSC Grants • Fellowships and list the name of the award. All applicants who provide the necessary information will be considered for all awards for which they are eligible.

This is a fabulous opportunity. The good news for you is that this is a brand new award. And new means not too many people know about it. So if you’re interested, fill out the application. If you want to know more about my experience there, just ask.

New Award for Authors

I included information about a new award called The SAGE in yesterday’s issue of Doing It Write. It’s a brand new award that I thought I ought to mention here as well.

This award is so new, the tea to announce it was just held this past Sunday. At that gathering, the Barbara Burnett Smith Mentoring Foundation announced the 1st annual SAGE award in honor of Barbara Burnett Smith.

Barbara, past president of the international Sisters in Crime organization for mystery writers, is best known for her series, Purple Sage Mysteries. Before her death, she had started a second series, "A Bead on Trouble."

The SAGE award will be given to the author who most demonstrates a spirit of mentoring to those in the writing community. A committee of writing peers will choose the person, but the nominees will come from writers like you.

The foundation seeks to spotlight those who have worked to mentor other writers.

You can nominate an author who has helped you and others. Think of those writers who have been an inspiration, have given advice, have given the nudge or encouragement to fellow writers or have helped you in your quest to be published. The nominated authors do not have to be from Texas, but could come from anywhere. They can be from any genre.

Nomination is easy. Write a letter explaining why this person should win the award. The letter should be no longer than one page. Send the letter to:
The Barbara Burnett Smith Mentoring Authors Foundation
SAGE Award Nomination
9015 Fairway Hills Drive
Austin, TX 78750

Send in your nominations -- I'm sending mine.

Hopefully soon, more information will be available at: http://purplesagetexas.com/
In the meantime, you can email: info@purplesagetexas.com

Research with a Partner

Here’s an idea when you’re doing research on places or settings. Take someone with you.

Sure, they can help with navigation and taking notes on scenery as you drive … but just as importantly, they give you a second view point.

A second set of eyes, ears, nose, and taste buds can notice things you miss. That extra person also sees the same exact thing you do, but from a different perspective. Today I went with two friends to the Blanton Museum. We wandered the second floor through room after room, from ancient Greece to modern art. We like different kinds of art; we each saw things the others didn’t see – and pointed out stuff to each other.

Have you ever gone out to eat with someone and realized you had different reactions to the same dish? A chili you thought was delicious, the other couldn’t eat because it was too spicy for them? Yet you can hardly believe anyone would have thought it hot. Someone loves the spice curry, while you hate it. I love chai lattes, especially when it has a peppery taste to it. Not everyone does, though.

Sometimes if you only rely on yourself and your senses when you explore places, restaurants, clubs, parks, museums, you miss what others see and feel. You miss how other characters might react to something. That’s because it’s not easy to think outside of your own experiences and influences.

So, if possible, when researching, take someone with you. Listen to their reactions; see things through their eyes.