Do You Really Wanna Know, Kwana?
What’s Jack up to? Well the wild vacation week is over so it’s back to what’s supposed to count for normal with just Jack and I at home for a big hunk of the day. I think he’ll be spending the day enjoying a bit of quiet. At least for a little while.
I hope you all had a good weekend. Anyone have a fine time with The Oscars last night? I’m amazed at how much fun I had on twitter with The Oscars last night. Seriously, it was a little party that I didn’t have to dress up for. The DH was so not getting it, but I was having a grand time with my tweets.
I’m a newbie to the whole social networking thing. Fact is, I really don’t consider myself all that social. Just a big faker. So how social are you? Are you Linked in? Do you tweet? Do you follow me? (um, over to the right) Are you Faced out? Or do you like to hang back and stay off the grid? Who needs Big Brother watching all that much, eh?Now, in the ultimate outing, I’m extremely honored to have been interviewed by Keli Gwyn over at her blog Romance Writers on The Journey. It’s my first blog interview so I’d love it if you stopped on by. You can check it out here. Thanks Keli!
Best,
KwanaFab Interview! Phyllis Bourne Williams
What’s Jack up to? As I type this he’s sleeping sweetly after a rip roaring day. Ah, peace is so good.
We’ve got a treat today. An interview with Phyllis Bourne Williams, fab author of A M
oment On the Lips and fellow blog buddy.Hi, Phyllis thanks to much for being here at KwanaWrites I really appreciate you doing this interview today.
Thanks, Kwana! I’m a longtime stalker…uh, I mean reader of your blog. It’s a thrill for me to actually be your guest today.I’ll start with my traditional question. What lead you to become a writer is it something you always wanted to do or is this a career you backed into?
I can’t remember not loving romance novels. In college, I hid issues of Romantic Times in my textbooks and read while the professor lectured.
A journalism major, I went on to become a newspaper crime reporter. After a long day of covering the unbelievable things people do to hurt each other, I couldn’t wait to escape into a good romance.
Years of reading evolved into the urge to write my own.Please tell us the story of your overnight success?
Overnight success? I have to laugh at that. For me, it was more like years (and years and years). I spent a lot of time thinking, dreaming and talking about writing, but not much actual writing. Once I sat my butt down and wrote, my efforts were rewarded with several RWA chapter contest wins and two Golden Heart finals.
A Dorchester editor was the final round judge of one contest, and she requested my full manuscript. I didn’t win, but the editor bought my book.What’s you typical writing day like? Are you a plotter or a pantser and how do you work this non-traditional job into your life?
I’m easily distracted. I don’t think about laundry or cleaning – until I sit down to write.
So when I need to get some serious writing done I go to the library or Starbucks. There I accomplish in a few hours what would take days for me to get done at home.
I try to get out of the house early, so no matter what crops up later I’ve got my writing done. I’ve also learned to say no and not alter my schedule to wait around on repairmen or deliveries.
I was a die-hard pantster, but I’m waning. Nowadays, I write my synopsis first and use it as an outline.I loved A Moment On The Lips. How did this book come to life for you? Also it incorporates knitting which a love of mine, is it a passion of yours?
Thanks, Kwana!
The story didn’t truly come to life for me until after it sold. My editor encouraged me to delve deeper into my characters and the story. By the time I was done, Melody and Grant were my best friends. I hated to leave their world.
Yep, I knit. Keep in mind, I’m not a very good knitter, but I try hard.
I typically start a knitting project at the same time I start a writing project. I like watching my skeins of yarn transform into a garment as my words turn into a novel.
I just started working sweater. Here’s what it looks like now. (*See attached photo)
(Sidebar: Phyllis’ knitting ROCKS!!)The main Character, Melody is a real woman with real curves is writing real women important to you?
I wanted my heroine to wear a size 12, the average size of most American women.
I also wanted the hero to appreciate and adore her voluptuous shape. It was important she didn’t believe she had to lose weight to be loveable.What main piece of advice would you give to an aspiring writing?
BICHOK – Butt in Chair Hands on Keyboard. Simple advice that I don’t always follow myself, but it works!What’s up next for you, Phyllis?
I have a novella in Dorchester Publishing’s October 2008 Christmas anthology, The Ho
liday Inn, along with authors Farrah Rochon and Stefanie Worth.
In my story, “By New Year’s Day” I write about a couple whose thirty-year marriage is crumbling under the endless demands of their adult children.
The fed-up husband whisks his wife away to a remote ski lodge, to rekindle their passion and save their troubled relationship.Thanks so much for being with us today, Phyllis. Please check out Phyllis at her website and her fab blog http://phylliswilliams.com/ and http://www.fortyisthenew20.com/. You won’t be disappointed.
Best,
KwanaGuest Blogger- Roberta Isleib
Today we’ve got a treat on KwanaWrites, a guest blogger, Roberta Iselib who is here to share a few secrets with us. Take it away Roberta!
Six Secrets for Keeping Your Sanity While Chasing Your Dream (Writing, that is!)
Clinical psychologist Roberta Isleib has just seen her eighth novel published i
n seven years. ASKING FOR MURDER is the third book in the series featuring advice columnist/psychologist Rebecca Butterman. Roberta’s also wrapping up her year of service as president of National Sisters in Crime.In ASKING FOR MURDER (Berkley, 2008), Dr. Rebecca Butterman’s dear friend, a sandplay therapist, is found badly beaten and left for dead. Rebecca’s determined to help search for answers. With a would-be killer on the loose, she can only hope the clues are buried within easy reach. Think: best friends, crazy families, and the mysteries of sandplay therapy.
ROBERTA: Thanks for agreeing to host me on your blog Kwana! It’s hard to believe eight books have come out since SIX STROKES UNDER in 2002. I promised I’d try to pull together some of the things I’ve learned over this time and here they are, in no particular order.
MAKE A PLAN: As I begin a book, I look ahead to the due date and figure out how many pages I’ll need to write each week in order to hand it in on time. I build in time for trips and family and time for my writers group to read and critique, and then time for me to rewrite. Then I have a page goal for each week. I write until I’ve hit the goal, sometimes even getting a little ahead. If I have an unproductive day, it just means writing a little faster later in the week to keep up.
HAMMER IT OUT: Get it all down, even if it’s awful. You can always go back and fix things later. Anne Lamott called this “the shitty first draft”—she had it right!
SET YOUR SIGHTS HIGH: As a psychologist, I know the importance of having “big goals” for my subconscious to aim at. So I keep a copy of the NY Times bestseller list pasted up over my computer. Then I forget about it and work on the books word by word…
FIND A BALANCE: The business part of writing is hard–the part I have no control over. I can produce a fabulous book, but unless the publisher is really behind it and I have a bit of luck somewhere along the line, it’s unlikely to be a commercial success. That’s why I do as much as I can to promote, as long as it doesn’t interfere with my writing! I want to be able to say I gave it my all without killing myself in the process.
MANAGE YOUR PROCRASTINATION SOFT SPOTS: I’m still learning that I don’t have to answer every email the second it arrives! If I’m having trouble concentrating, best approach for me is to turn the email off and look at it as a reward for when I’ve reached my word count goal.
YOU’VE GOT TO HAVE FRIENDS: Writing can be such a lonely, discouraging business. I’ve gotten very involved with mystery organizations (Sisters in Crime and MWA, and joined Roman
ce Writers and Yahoo groups such as Fiction That Sells. The friends I’ve met there have saved my sanity and supported me endlessly along the way.TAKE YOUR TIME: Don’t rush off too soon to try to get your work published. This business is extremely competitive so it’s crucial to have your writing polished before sending it out. The Internet makes querying too easy—don’t press send until you’re sure the piece is the best it can be. I have lots of info on my website about agents and getting published and some of the scams writers fall for. Read it over when you’re ready. http://www.robertaisleib.com/
Wonderful advice! Thanks so much for guest blogging here today Roberta. Stop back anytime. Everyone check out Roberta and her amazing books. You won’t be disappointed.
Best,
KwanaP.S. Scroll down for “reality” rundown
What a Jewel!
What’s Jack up to? Well he’s being a total Jack in the butt. Completely under foot with everything I do and feeling full of himself, barking up a storm. I’m sorting laundry and he’s stealing socks. Oh, Jack you are so asking for it.
This Friday we have a treat. At RWA National I had the pleasure of meeting the super cool friend of my PIC, Carolyn Jewel. I was so happy that we hit it off right away. How awkward would that have been if we hadn’t? Whew.
Well, Carolyn has agreed to be interviewed in my little corner of the blogosphere today.Carolyn is the author of: A DARKER CRIMSON, THE SPARE AND LORD RUN. Her n
ewest release MY WICKED ENEMY is just out this August.
Thanks for being here Carolyn. Let’s start with my traditional questions. Did you always want to be a writer and can you tell us the story of your ‘overnight’ success?Yes, I always wanted to be a writer, pretty much from the time I could hold a pen. But for some reason it never occurred to me that writing was something I could actually do. When I finished college I got a job and worked and really pretty much didn’t like what I was doing. I was, naturally, reading a lot. But overnight success? Kwana, it is to laugh! No, no overnight success, despite the story that follows. Read on for someone who sold her first book ever after sending one query. . . When I was 25 or 26, I read a book I thought was just awful. It was a historical romance that read (to me) as if it had been badly translated from some other language. I thought to myself that, surely, I could do better. From what I hear, this is a very common inciting event for writers. After that reaction I got to thinking that I really ought to see if it was true. I bought a computer and started writing and just kept going until all I was doing was changing the punctuation. Must be done!I did some research into next steps and discovered I needed a literary agent and a query package. I decided that I would not be able to tolerate more than two rejections at a time so I prepared two queries. I managed to transpose some digits of one of the street addresses on one of them so, leaping ahead a bit, I’ll reveal that six months later it came back as undeliverable. Flash back to me mailing off my two queries. Two weeks later, I came home from work to a message on my answering machine from a woman who introduced herself and said that she thought she had an offer on my book, could I call her, please? Well, I live in California so I had to wait until the following morning. In that one conversation I learned two Very Important Lessons about the publishing world. St. Martin’s Press had a line of historical romance called Americans Abroad. They featured, not surprisingly, American heroines who were, eventually someplace other than America. (Note: my heroine was French.) But an author had not turned in her manuscript. The woman on the phone with me was an agent and book packager who was desperately looking for a book to fill that slot. We chatted for a bit. She told me I was a talented writer and then said something along of lines of, “and you seem like you’re a rational person.” Would I mind, she asked, rewriting my heroine to be American. Heck no! And would it be possible, she asked, to do the rewrite in six weeks? The book was due out before the end of the year and they were all in a jam. No problem, I said. So the deal was done!.I’d sold my book to New York! But not for a royalty contract, for a flat fee. I knew nothing about the business, really, though as it turned out, I have no complaints about that sale.
The two lessons were, as I’m sure you’ve guessed, that deadlines really do matter and that it pays to be easy to work with. They were, I realized much later, taking a risk that a complete unknown could pull off a rewrite as promised. There is a third lesson embedded in this, which is that talent isn’t necessarily enough. There’s luck involved. I was lucky not to have misaddressed that query. I was lucky that it arrived at a time when there was a need for a book like mine. If my writing were dreadful, they would have kept on looking. I wrote another book in pretty much the same unconscious way. By the seat of my pants. And when all I was doing was changing the punctuation, I figured I was done. I found an agent, which I confess didn’t take very long at all, and she sold my second book. It was ten years before I published again. The reasons are varied but it comes down to two pretty simple things. I wanted to write a more purposeful book, but I had not yet learned that I’m a panster, and I had a baby in the middle there and spent three plus years absolutely exhausted because I swear that boy never slept. As a single parent, I did not have any help, so the exhaustion was pretty desperate.Eventually, I did learn more about writing and myself as a writer, most of which occurred after I joined RWA and met other writers. I did publish again, but I also had other periods when I thought my writing career was over or that I would never be able to write a publishable book again. So, overnight success? Uh, no. Not exactly. The battle continues. Each and every day.You are a mother, a writer and you also hold down a separate job, not to mention all the many animals you care for, how do you handle it all and still make your deadlines? What is your typical writing day like?
Let me start off my saying I am NOT a morning person. Nope. As far as I’m concerned, a good morning is one you sleep through. (Carolyn’s preaching to the choir here!) But I get up at 4:25 a.m. so I can get to the gym and then to work early enough that I’m home in time to supervise homework and perform amazing feats as a soccer mom. At the gym, I use an exercise bike because that leaves my hands free for 45 minutes of notebooking and brainstorming my current writing project. If I’m behind or otherwise panicking, I bring my laptop to work and write on my lunch hour. On days when there’s soccer practice, I get two uninterrupted hours in the car to work. Otherwise, in between or after my family responsibilities are done, I write in the evening, from 6:00pm to about 10:00pm with lots of interruptions until after dinner and homework. I put in as many hours as I can on weekends. If I’ve met my daily minimum word count, then I can stop.
You seem to live in two worlds, the historical and the paranormal. How do you balance the two?
When I was a child, my mother always complained I had a one track mind. So it should be no surprise that I write in two different genres by focusing on one project at a time. Although I think my voice is similar for both types, the sensibilities are very different and if I were to switch off between them, I think things would be very rough going.Tell us about your newest book MY WICKED ENEMY, especially the sexy Nikodemus.
MY WICKED ENEMY is set in the contemporary world, but it’s a world in which there are demons and people who can do magic. They don’t get along. The demons can and sometimes do take control of innocent people and destroy lives. They also can only reproduce with humans. Is it any wonder that magic-wielding humans (the magekind) have learned to protect themselves and other humans? Unfortunately, they do this by enslaving the demons or by outright killing them. Worse, some of the mages have learned how to kill a demon in order to prolong their own lives. It’s no wonder the demons are thinking about outright war.Nikodemus is a demon warlord who has sworn to kill the mage Magellan and Carson Phillips, the witch who’s helping Magellan murder his kind. Imagine his delight when he discovers Carson all by herself! But Carson isn’t what he thinks and, as it turns out, she has ample reason to fear and hate Magellan.
What’s next for you Carolyn?
A book set in the same world as MY WICKED ENEMY is set for summer of 2009, it features Xia, a secondary character from that book. SCANDAL is a historical romance that will be out in February 2009 (Berkley Books). It’s about a Regency rake who has fallen deeply in love with a woman he’s treated very badly. Will he be able to prove he’s reformed?
Thanks so much, Kwana, for asking me to appear in your wonderful blog. Please give the adorable Jack a biscuit from me, okay?
Aw. Thanks to you Carolyn for being here and just because you said so I will give jack that biscuit and tell him it’s from you!
Check out Carolyn’s book trailer for MY WICKED ENEMY below and catch up with her on her site here.
Best,
Kwana
New Author Interview- Leanna Renee Heiber! Dark Nest
What’s Jack up to? Well, I’m watching him closely today after he’s gone and gotten into the DD’s pockets yesterday and into a pack of gum. Oh, Jack.
Today I’m please to be interviewing a friend and fellow RWA/NYC Chapter member, Leanna Renee Heiber on the release of her futuristic/psychic/fantasy book: DARK NEST!
Hi, Leanna, Major Congrats on the release of DARK NEST. Thanks so much for doing this interview. I’m so happy to have you here at my little blog.Leanna: Thank you so much. I’m thrilled to be here, Kwana, major thanks for letting me chat with you!
1. Let’s start with my traditional question. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?
Leanna: I was writing as an outlet before I was doing anything else, so it was something I just did out of obsessive love, not something I thought to make a career of. I was scared I’d stop loving writing if I focused on it as a career. Pursuing it professionally didn’t occur to me until after college when I started realizing that, all my other artistic pursuits such as theatre aside, writing was what I cared most about and I had to take it more seriously.
2. Tell us the story of your “overnight” success. This is my favorite question.
Leanna: *chuckle* Well, nothing feels overnight (it took me almost four years just to get an agent) and just the fact that I haven’t walked away from this often brutally painful business would be my only claim to being a “success”. That goes for any of us that can face the notepad or computer and keep writing week in and week out.
— Sidebar to this question: did your agent sell this book for you?
Leanna: No, this is a novella and he only represents my traditional book length work.
3. How do you feel about being an eBook author? Where do you see the future of eBooks going and your future in it?
Leanna: I believe it’s a great opportunity. I’m still learning a lot about the marketing aspects of being a writer. But I do know that the eBook industry is invaluable in taking temperatures. EBooks can respond to what the public is reading and can attend to trends and tastes almost immediately. The advantage of the electronic market is the turnaround time. I had my book accepted, contracted, cover art created, copy and line edited and released within 4 months. Due to the nature of New York houses, that sort of turnaround time just isn’t possible. So while my agent is trying to swing the bigger stuff in NY, I can get my feet wet and hit the ground running with a short work that will hopefully start building me an audience. The future of eBooks will only get bigger. All major houses are now offering downloads and with the electronic readers on the market, I know they’re here to stay. However, if I have a choice, I confess that I like tactile books best. And many publishers, big and small, will do both eBook and print runs. (In fact, I just found out that my book will be going into a print run as well!) I will say it’s true that with smaller, new or electronic companies you accept some risks. Crescent Moon Press is very new and doesn’t have the benefit of being a familiar, ‘tried and true’ company yet. But sometimes you make choices because of the type of work you create. I specifically accepted a contract from Crescent Moon Press because of their interest in and commitment to Cross-Genre fiction (all my work is very cross-genre, DARK NEST is a futuristic/paranormal/fantasy/romance) and I believe in their mission to produce quality fiction that lives and breathes outside of the traditional genre boxes. I can get behind that. Electronic presses like Crescent Moon, while still adhering to quality standards (my editor was exceedingly thorough with me, which I loved), can give an author a great deal of artistic freedom and that’s exhilarating.
4. Have you always wanted to write in the Fantasy market? What draws you there? The possibilities of the imagination seem endless.
Leanna: Yes, always Fantasy. It was my second skin growing up and to me, no other genre holds such potent magic. There has to be a love story too, to keep me bound and loyal to the work. Blending large, sweeping, fantastical and supernatural realms with the lushly intimate human experience of love is my favorite combination.
5. Tell us a little about your writing process. Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Leanna: Full-blooded pantser. People with spreadsheets scare me. I need a notebook filled with unintelligible scrawls paired with a blank computer screen and a lot of time on my hands. Eventually I come out on the other end with a book. I can’t really tell you how I get there. It’s cosmic every time.
6. What’s next for you, Leanna?
Leanna: I recently sent off a YA proposal to my agent; a magical time-travel series set in and around Central Park . I need to work on finishing the first manuscript in the series.
Thanks again for hanging with us.
Leanna: Kwana, you’re wonderful, thank you.
Please check out Leanna at her website (http://www.leannareneehieber.com/) or at her fun blog (http://www.leannareneebooks.blogspot.com/) and don’t forget to check out DARK NEST! (www.crescentmoonpress.com/catalog)Leanna grew up in rural O
hio and began her first novel in grade school. It was many years later that she thought about doing something with one of her books. Choosing to pursue BFA degree in theatre performance, Leanna continued writing in the midst of arduous rehearsal and performance schedules. Hopping around the country performing in the theatre circuit, her first publications came in the form of short plays and essays for Dramatics Magazine. Her short plays won awards and garnered productions. This gave her the confidence to begin publishing longer works of fiction. Leanna is a proud member of the actors’ union Actors Equity and a certified Actor-Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors. She is represented by New York literary agent Nicholas Roman Lewis
A selection of her favourite things include: stained glass windows, social justice, Central Park, the Muppets, vegetarian restaurants, ghost stories, classy sword-fights, a finely tailored corset and ridiculously cute furry animals. Leanna lives in New York City with a wonderful gentleman and a fuzzy white bunny.Best,
KwanaPS- Scroll down to yesterday’s post if you’re a fan of Survivor!
Interview with a Sorority Girl- Marley Gibson aka Kate Harmon
What’s Jack up to? He’s still sleeping since I’m cheating and writing this at midnight. Must get some zzzz’s. Jack will make me pay tomorrow.
To
day I have the honor of interviewing author and fellow agency sistah Marley Gibson. Check out the photo of Marley and me from the NEC conference. Marley’s first 2 releases ev-ah in the Sorority 101 series Zeta or Omega and The New Sister comes out today, May 1st, written under the name Kate Harmon! Three cheers for Marley!
Here a blurb about SORORITY 101: Zeta or Omega?:
Who wants to be a sorority girl?
High school is already a distant memory for incoming Latimer University freshmen, Jenna, Roni, and Lora-Leigh. Jenna wants to meet cute college boys, Roni wants to get away from home, and Lora-Leigh…well, Lora-Leigh couldn’t care less. She’s going to LU and participating in sorority recruitment only to appease her mom. Sorority girls are pretty, rich, and snotty, and Lora-Leigh doesn’t want to be one of those girls. So she’s shocked to find herself actually connecting with the sisters of Zeta Zeta Tau. And her new friend Jenna can relate. She came to sorority recruitment only because her roommate begged her to, but now she can’t decide which sorority to join; she likes them all! Roni knows which sorority she should join. The Tri Omegas are exactly the type of “it” girls she would usually befriend, but Roni came to LU to reinvent herself. As recruitment progresses and the girls prepare to make big decisions, they’ll need to heed the best advice there is: follow your heart. But where will it lead?And here’s a blurb for SORORITY 101: THE NEW SISTERS:
So far, college life at Latimer University has been everything Jenna, Roni, and Lora-Leigh expected. They’ve already made close friends, caught the eye of a few hot frosh boys, and participated in sorority recruitment. As if it were meant to be, all three found a home in the Zeta Zeta Tau sorority. Now Roni hopes to be the most perfect ZZT in history, while Lora-Leigh can barely believe how quickly she went from cynic to sorority new member! Jenna is just as excited to be in the sorority, but she also has classes to stuffy for, a nasty roommate to put up with, and a marching band scholarship to uphold. How’s a girl supposed to appease everyone and everything—not to mention strike up a romance with an adorable fraternity boy—all the while keeping her diabetes hidden? Lora-Leigh and Roni are there for her, but ZZT initiation is on the horizon and Jenna must decide if she really trusts her new sisters enough to share her secret…Now to the hard hitting interview. (I love saying that):
Thanks for being here Marley. I can’t tell you how happy I am to have you here on this wonderful occasion. I’m just thrilled.
1. Let’s start with my traditional question did you always know you wanted to be a writer? Is this something you always knew you’d do?
Awww…thanks Kwanster! Much appreciated that you’re helping me pimp my books. LOL!! As for the question…I don’t know if I always knew I wanted to be a writer, but it’s something I’ve always done. When I was really little, I used to write stories (okay, they were like one page and six sentences) and then I would hold an “auction” where my mother, father, sister, and brother would bid against each other for them. Hmmm…maybe that prepared me for selling, eh? I’ve always written…in school, in my professional career, and finally, in 2001, I decided to do it for real. Seven years later, my first two published works hit the shelves!2. Now for my next favorite question. Please tell us the story of your “overnight” success. You just know I’m cracking up as I say this one.
Yeah…seriously. See aforementioned starting to write “for real” in 2001. I had been dabbling for years with romance novels and have an entire folder on my computer entitled “Ideas” that’s full of all sorts of story ideas. I took a Fiction Writing class in 1999 where I was pretty much the oldest person in the class. All these eighteen year olds were writing about killing themselves, killing their grandparents, killing their parents, killing their roommates, killing the guy they babysat for, I think one even wrote about killing the neighbor’s dog. It was tres dark. And here I was, writing a story about two girls finding love on Capitol Hill in the 80s. We would all critique each other’s work and I remember one of the angsted-wants-to-kill-but-never-would kids wrote, “This sounds like a romance novel.” Seriously…underlined the word. Like it was a curse. Flash forward to 2002 and an assignment the teacher gave us (to write a sex scene) turned into my book A LAPSE OF VIRTUE about my favorite heroine, Vanessa Virtue. (http://vanessavirtue.blogspot.com/)Anyway…I’m prattling…but I started writing my first novel in January 2001, called FOOTPRINTS ON MY HEART, which was about a girl reminiscing about her senior year in high school in 1985. It took me about eight months to write it and in the end, it turned out to be 863 pages and over 200,000 words! It’s a mess, with some glimpses of brilliance in it—LOL!—but it was a process and it taught me to write. Then, I went on to write Vanessa’s story, which got me my first agent, went to committee with two publishers and almost got published by a third, had the line not gone under. I finally had to put Vanessa aside in 2005 (although, I had written four other manuscripts in the meantime), as well as writing romance. In 2005, I decided to take a shot at the YA story that was calling to me…which was a good thing because it got me my new agent (the wonderful Deidre Knight) and some close calls on that, as well. In 2006, a publisher approached my agent asking if she had any authors who could write a proposal for a sorority series. The publisher had the idea, but needed someone to write it. Well, I took a shot at it and about two months later, we had the deal for the SORORITY 101 books.
3. What’s your writing process? Are you a plotter or a pantser and how do you get it all done working full time and meeting your deadlines.
Just the word “pantser” scares the ever-loving crap out of me. Before I can start writing, I have to see the whole story in my head from curtain rising to the final credits. I have to see it clearly, otherwise, I don’t know what I’m writing towards. I write out a full synopsis and then stick to it pretty much 85%…there are always twists and turns that come up…but that’s the fun part. Being a meeting planner my whole career, I’m used to deadlines. I simply set the deadline and work backwards from it. It’s all about sticking to a schedule and looking at it like a job (which it is.) I’m also a wicked-fast typist (over 100 WPM) so when I’m writing and in the blood-fever of getting the story done, I can get about 1,500 words done in my hour lunch break—when I write. Then, when I get home, I go over what I write and do a little editing and tweaking and then lather, rinse, repeat. It’s down to a science for me…and it’s what works for me.4. Tell us about your characters in Zeta or Omega? and The New Sisters.
Well…I there are three heroines: Veronica “Roni” Van Gelderen is a Boston Brahman from Beacon Hill who was born to very hands-off parents who see her more as a reflection of their social status than a daughter with needs, desires, and dreams. Roni rejects her mother’s Wellesley and her father’s Harvard offers of admissions and goes off on her own to Latimer University in Latimer, Florida, to find herself. Next is Jenna Driscoll from Marietta, Georgia. She’s a serial-joiner, and over-achiever, and the big sis who spends every spare moment taking care of her little sisters. She also became diabetic at the beginning of her senior year in high school. Since then, everyone treats her with kid gloves and looks at her like she’s different. Thanks to a band scholarship to Latimer, Jenna has the chance to start fresh and she can’t wait. Finally, there’s Lora-Leigh Sorenstein. She marches to her own drum, designs her own clothes, and can’t wait to fly away from the nest. She wants to go off to New York for design school, but her father, the dean of students at Latimer University, says she has to go to school locally. All three girls meet during sorority recruitment (known as Rush when I was in school) and become friends.Sidebar question: I hear there’s an intriguing minor character in The New Sister with the interesting name of Kwana. Tell me what inspired such a choice?
LOL…why yes! Kwana “Johnson” (ahem) is a very important part of the initiation ceremony in THE NEW SISTERS 🙂5. What up next for you, Marley? A little birdie tells me you’ve been hanging around in some really spooky place lately?
Yes! I’m verrrrrrrrrrrrrry excited about my new series that comes out in May 2009 from Houghton Mifflin – GHOST HUNTRESS. It’s a three-book deal and here’s the blurb for the first book: GHOST HUNTRESS: THE AWAKENING: Sixteen year old Kendall Moorehead never imagined in a million years that she’d become a ghost huntress. But after moving from Chicago to an historic southern town, she finds herself awakening to her latent psychic powers…and discovering there’s a ghost in her bedroom! With the guidance of a local medium and the help of her new friends and ghost hunting team (including a massively cute skeptic who makes her heart do flip-flops), Kendall must quickly develop her newfound intuitive abilities to talk to the other side and discover why a belligerent spirit is trying to harm her father.
I’ve been doing a lot of research for the series, which means a lot of lectures by paranormal experts, many hours of watching Ghost Hunters, Dead Famous, Psychic Kids, Paranormal State, and Most Haunted, and several ghost hunts to see this stuff first hand. I’m having a ton of fun with it and I can’t wait for the books to come out!Thanks so much for doing this interview and more than that thank for being a great friend and wonderful inspiration over these years! All the best to you.
Thanks so much for having me and for helping me promote the SORORITY 101 books! Hope people enjoy them! Hugs!!
Best,
KwanaP.S. You can check Marley out at her web page or at her blog here.
Oh and keep scrolling down for Top Chef and ANTM it’s a late night.
Ask The Agent- Round 1
What’s Jack up to? Wild child is romping around underfoot like a toddler today. I have work to do, Jack. No time to play with you, Love. Ok, maybe just a minute. Sigh.Today My Fab Agent, Elaine Spencer from The Knight Agency is back with the first round of questions answered from Ask The Agent.Did your question make the cut? Check it out.But please keep tuning in. There will be more questions answered next week. Major thanks to Elaine for taking the time to answer these in between her hectic travel schedule.Here goes:1.What do you look for in query letters when selecting writers to work with?
The number one thing that I look for in query letters is a professional product. I look for someone who has obviously done their homework on the querying process and on our agency. We hope to see that the potential client has a basic understanding of the business and what is expected of them as a potential client.The query letter acts as a general introduction, think of it as a first interview. If an author can’t follow directions at this preliminary step it sets off warning signs for difficulties that we may encounter at every step down the line.
There is a plethora of information available not only on the internet but at every imaginable writing event across the country on how to write a great query letter. It is really a pretty straight forward piece of the puzzle. We hope to gain a clear idea of the project being presented and of the author who is presenting it. We aren’t looking for bells, whistles or confetti, just the bare-bones facts about the project at hand and a high-concept pitch!
It sounds too good to be true, I know, but really this is a tough business, we need to see in a very simple way that the project has what it takes to stand out from the crowd.
2. What’s the best part of your job?
There are a million great things about my job! I can go on for days and days here. I think that this speaks directly to the favorite part of my: Variety. There is SO MUCH variety. Not only am I working with very wonderful and very different people and projects on a daily basis but I’m working with them in a variety of ways. Some days I’m inquisitively reading, some days I’m evoking my creative muse, some days I am the hard-nosed negotiator, and then others I’m the compassionate shoulder to lean on.Our job is a million things all rolled into one. Agents act as educators, entrepreneurs, promoters, counselors, planners, you name it, and we do it in some capacity or another.
3.What’s The Knight Agency’s normal response time? How Many queries do you normally get?
The Knight Agency’s typical response time to queries is on average two weeks. Some times (as in right now!) we get a little behind and can lag up to a month, and then sometimes we respond every 2-3 days. This flex’s depending on a variety of things including project loads, travel, etc.For partial submissions this is more based agent to agent. On average for the agency we are between 3-6 months.
In both of these cases, if it seems that it has been an absurd amount of time more than that between the time when you sent your email off to us and hearing a response SEND A FOLLOW UP!
I can’t tell you how many times messages are blocked by spam filters and such, this sounds like an excuse, but really when our email server is handling as much mail as we receive its unfortunately pretty common. We have tried to combat it but without making ourselves completely susceptible to all spam it seems there is little else we can do to ensure delivery either on our end or yours.
We receive about 300 queries a week and read several hundred partial submissions a year. That makes for a lot of mail.
4.What is the single most important thing an agent and a writer need in order to work well with one another.
Is the answer sand-paper?Sand Paper? I’m not quite sure I’m following there. The number one thing that an agent and client need to work well together is clear lines of communication. Simple as that. If both parties are communicating what their wants and needs are there shouldn’t be any grey area here.
Now within certain relationships at some point in time it might become apparent that despite clear communication the client/agent just aren’t a good business match. That’s unavoidable due to the ever changing nature that applies to all parts of this business. There is not a one-size fits all agent out there. The best way to find your perfect fit again goes back to communicating clearly up front exactly what you want out of the relationship.
5. Are you still able to read for pleasure? What non-cliented reads have you read lately? And who would you love to represent (besides your current roster, of course)?
Of Course I still read for pleasure. Reading is my passion. Not only is it something that I love in my job, but also its one of the things I love in my life. Sometimes with all of the “work” reading it’s hard to remember what it feels like to just get lost in a great book simply for the joy of it. I try to avoid that though, because at the end of the day there still is nothing better than curling up with a captivating story. The longer I’m in the business the more I realize how important it is to take the time out to remember that feeling.As a professional it keeps us fresh and reminds us of the most basic purpose of our job, to bring people stories that will have an impact on their life.
Some great reads of late, The Kommandant’s Girl by Pam Jenoff, The Pact by Jodi Picoult, Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr, A Dangerous Beauty by Sophia Nash, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, Rites of Spring by Diana Peterfreund, A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray – These are all totally random selections that I have loved, as you can see I’m really I’m all across the board.
6. I have a question for you. How do you feel about sharing a client with another agent–i.e., if the other agent only reps one genre of writing, but the client wants to write in another, too, and needs/wants representation for it. Do you or your agency ever run into this situation? Do you think it can work out okay? If so, any tips on how to make it work and how someone in this situation would go about it?
I think its possible, but not ideal, we try to avoid it at all costs. Here within TKA we share certain clients within the agency, but that’s a whole different topic I suspect. I do know situations where an author has needed separate agents, so again I’m not saying it is impossible, but its just not that common.Since I’ve never been involved in a situation such as this I really can’t offer much advice on it beyond the obvious. I think it is most important that all involved parties are offering full disclosure up front regarding all business matters. It is going to be important that each agent is aware of the scheduling restrictions and deadlines that are involved with each other.
My advice would be to TRY to find an agent or agency that handles all the genres you are working on. Not only will your agent/s be able to better plan and prepare for your future but this should help prevent confusion on what you heard from one agent in comparison to the other.
7. I realize that you as an agent may handle this in a specific way that renders my question completely irrelevant at your agency, but *in general,* say an agent reads a full, writes a nice long letter about revisions, and tosses the ball back to the author with the option of viewing it again after a revision if the suggestions make sense to the author. All of this is rather open-ended (ie, I don’t know if we’re even as far as if-then statements–just “ifs.”). What, in general, do you and your cohorts view as a reasonable time to do these open-ended revisions in? A few weeks? A few months? Any idea of a generally reasonable timeline would be appreciated. Thanks!
Hmm. Anything that shows you have put detailed thought and consideration into revising the manuscript as a whole. If someone sends the manuscript back to me within 24 hours (don’t laugh, it happens!) or even within the week, I’m going to assume they breezed through these and didn’t REALLY put a lot of thought into making the manuscript stronger.I would say that it should take a few weeks to make the changes, depending on how detailed the letter is. Its hard to generalize because editorial suggestions can really be across the board in scope. Obviously it will take less time if they are just asking you to bulk some stuff up versus a request to revisit an entire storyline.
I would suggest that you sit on the edits for a few days after receiving the letter to really let the ideas and suggestions sink in. Let them roll around in your end and really form into a fuller picture. Typically an agent isn’t asking for an easy fix, in most instances the suggestions are things that are really making or breaking the story. They shouldn’t be easy, and they should take a bit to come to fruition.
Plus, remember, this is most likely your last shot, you want to make sure you get it right! I would suggest when you respond to the agent that you outline their suggestions in your email/letter and let them know how you tackled them. This in itself can save both parties some time, it can help identify if the edits are heading in the envisioned direction.
Wow! That’s it for round one. Great questions folks and Great answers, Elaine. Don’t forget to tune back in for the next round. Thanks again to, Elaine and thank to all of you for stopping by.Best,KwanaManic Monday
What’s Jack Up to? He’s shaking of the rain after his walk this morning and marveling over the quiet of the house. Whew. Could it be we’re alone again, Jack?The weekend and Spring Break are both over and it’s back to the grind. It was nice to have a week without the daily push and shove, but it will also be nice to have a few hours of alone time in the house again. Possibly a few house of writing time once all the missed errands of the week are done in a a day or two. Can you say laundry?
This weekend before all the yard work the DH and I were super nosey and went to see a house that doesn’t know there’s a recession going on and gas is at 4.00 a gallon. It’s in walking distance from our house and we’ve watched this mini-mansion being built for the past year and a half so when the sign went up for an open house I was practically running over there acting like at potential buyer.
Of course we started going back and fourth about what the asking price would be in this NY suburb. DH went low which was not low at all and I went considerably higher considering the schools and the town.
As we were walking one of our neighbors drove by and asked where we were going and we told him. “Oh you gotta tell me what they want for that thing when you get back!” he said with excitement.
Real estate is a funny thing. We live in a town where the houses go from modest cottages (like ours) to just a few blocks over Mc Mansions that need intercom systems to call every one to dinner. And in the end it’s all about the school. I often say, “we didn’t buy a house we brought a school.”
Well, I’m proud to say I know my high end real estate. I priced it perfectly at 1.6 mil. Cra-zy. The house is gorgeous. Drool worthy. 4 bedrooms. Office. Great room with vaulted ceiling and stone 2 story fireplace. Basement ready to be finished as you like included in the price. I imagined a small theater and billiard room. The DH a 2 lane bowling alley. But still, 1.6 mil. I sure hope it sells. Will be great for my property value. Hmmm, must go and sweep the cottage steps.
Since it’s Monday, that also has me thinking about dieting. I’ve been doing so poorly. So I’m shaking things up. I’ve been on WW forever and not really following it forever. Usually being done with my points by around 12:00. But instead of giving up on WW I’m shaking things up by going on core today where you eliminate the white products but get whole grains and fruits. It’s more limiting than flex with the food choices but maybe that’s what I need. Wish me luck. Let’s see if I can make it till 3:00 today. Eek.
Oh, and once again the winner of the Liza Palmer Seeing Me Naked contest was Brown Girl Gumbo. See below and if you missed the interview click here. Liza was so inspiring. Thanks Liza!
Best,
KwanaWe Have A Winner!
What’s Jack up to? He’s relaxing on this Sunday after watching the DH and I (mostly the DH) work in the front yard all afternoon yesterday. Now today it’s rainy and perfect for lounging around.
Thanks to all who left a comment and entered Liza Palmer’s Seeing Me Naked contest. I had the lovely DH pick a winner out of a hat and the winner is:
Brown Girl Gumbo!!!Who also has the coolest blog check it out when you have some time.
Brown Girl please send me an email with all your info and we’ll get your book to you. Congrats.
In honor of Liza, Seeing Me Naked and Top Chefs everywhere here’s a final goodbye to faux-hawk Jen. She’s no longer doing it for Zoi. Oh and check out her super cool Casio watch. Perfect for timing dishes.
Best,
KwanaInterview With A Cool Girl- Liza Palmer
What’s Jack Up to? Jack is tired. It’s getting near the end of spring break week and he’s feeling ready to have his quiet days back, oh wait, is that just me? Whew.
.jpg)
Today I have the cool honor of interviewing author, Liza Palmer. I have been a big fan of Liza since reading her book Conversations With A Fat Girl an
d became an instant friend after bonding with her on line at an RWA convention in Dallas while waiting for free books. Somehow the first season of TOP CHEF came up and that was it. We were soul sisters!Now I’ve become and even bigger fan after reading her latest book Seeing Me Naked. The story of Elisabeth Page, daughter of famous novelist Ben Page and sister to equally famous novelist Rascal Page who is trying to make a name and life for herself as a pastry chef in in the hottest restaurant in L.A. while coming out of the shadow of her famous family.
For a chance to win a personally autographed UK edition of Seeing Me Naked. Please leave a comment and I will draw a winner at random and Liza will send a copy to the winn
er. Yay, Liza!Now to the hard hitting interview:
1.First off I’ll start with a couple of traditional questions. Liza did you always want to be a writer? Is it something you always knew you’d do?
I started writing at a very young age – even before I could write actually. My Mom would write my stories down– stories about Animal Land. Hilarious.
But then…life happens. And especially for young girls – writing and being different are not really sought after characteristics in junior high school. So, I stopped. And then high school came along – where you just try to survive. And then it became about putting food on the table – and there wasn’t any room for dreams and silly stuff like that. It was like this numbness set in. Years later I looked at my life and…well, it wasn’t what I wanted, you know? I was working at this law firm in LA and it just freaked me out – I could see myself there in ten years, twenty years. So, I started going to these little Saturday morning workshops at Vroman’s bookstore here in Pasadena. And weekend by weekend I started believing that maybe…maybe I could write after all.2.Please tell us the story of you ‘overnight’ success? I always laugh when I ask that one.
So, these little workshops taught me the business of writing – query letters, yaddayaddayadda. You know. So, I wrote the Worst First Draft ever over that summer, gave it to a group of friends (now former…echem). I thought in the time it takes to edit this draft down to something not ridiculous, I could send out these queries. So, I looked in the acknowledgements of books that I thought we like mine (Conversations with the Fat Girl) and queried four agents. Three of them wanted the manuscript and one turned me down…twice.
I thought…okay, they won’t forget about me in a month – so, I edited the draft in about three weeks and sent it back out. I signed with one of those first three. And then that little book just kept wriggling into the perfect situations…it was bought by Warner three days before Christmas and then launched the 5Spot line at Warner (now Grand Central).3.What is your usual writing process? Are you a plotter or a pantser. Do you have a set everyday writing schedule?
I am definitely a pantser. If there ever was one…but, it’s evolving though. I think of it like this: I know that I’m driving from LA to San Francisco. I know where I’m starting and where I’m ending. And I just need to decide if I’m taking the 5, the 101 or the 1. But, the problem with this whole “drive to san francisco’ theory is that most times I get stuck somewhere around San Luis Obispo wondering where the heck I’m going.
Lately, I’ve been going to this amazing little coffee shop everyday because a) I am actively bribing myself with nonfat lattes and b) I’m starting to feel like a shut-in. And you know – it’s totally worked. I look forward to writing again and it’s been a nice evolution for me. I’m probably going to stick with it for a little while.4. Seeing Me Naked takes us into the world of a gourmet kitchen. How did you choose that as a setting for the book and how did you do the research? I was totally immersed and it felt like it was written by an expert. Did you ever work in a kitchen? How much research do you do for your books?
When I just started percolating about Seeing Me Naked, I thought about jobs that I could see myself doing – if I couldn’t write. And I thought: chef. So, then I did some research and learned that the only place a woman is really tolerated in a French kitchen is in the pastry corner.
I then made a few phone calls and got hooked up with Karen Rawers, who was the pastry chef under Michel Richard (citronelle). I picked her brain for everything…every last detail. She drew out what a French kitchen looks like, told me all about etiquette, staffing, politics…all of it. And then we went to Bastide here in LA, when Chef Ludo Lefevre was still the chef there. We ordered the chef’s surprise menu, had it paired by the sommelier and then got a tour of the kitchen…it was just one of those nights. It gave me everything I needed…until I asked my next battery of questions.
But, I needed it to be right, you know? I hate reading books about certain settings and finding wrong details…, so, I really worked to make that kitchen as authentic as possible. And the recipes in the back are the real deal…my step-dad’s chicken and dumplings recipe, a family friend’s flan recipe (I can’t even begin to tell you how I wrassled that from her grip)…and on and on. I really had fun with all the desserts that Elisabeth made throughout the book…and now, my dish at Christmas is cherry clafouti! Pretty cool.Sidebar question: With the setting for this book, all I want to know why in the world you had to be coaxed to blog about TOP CHEF? LOL!
I had to be coaxed because I didn’t know if everyone was going to be as nutso for it as I was, you know!?!? I mean, I can go OFF on that show…I love it. But, I wasn’t sure if people were only into Project Runway or if they were sick of the tv recaps. But, I’m so glad I did – I love it. I am totally Blog Envious though…because you are so much more succinct about those shows then I am – you say things and I’m like…ohhh, that’s how to say it so people understand. Good to know.5. You are so good at your characterization. How do you come up with your characters? Do you do the whole GMC (goal, motivation, conflict) for all of them or is it just something you have in you?
Weird! I just learned that GMC thing in this screenwriting class thing. Weird??! Eerie, even.
So, obviously…I didn’t use the GMC thing for my characters…where was I when that thing came out? I mean, it’s genius!
How do I come up with the characters…I don’t know. How’s that for a bad answer! No, I just build the main character and then just ask why over and over again….like, okay – Elisabeth is kind of snobby. So, how did she get like that? Then I build the parents – Ballard and Ben. Ben is a key element to the novel – so I spent a long time building the biggest shadow that Elisabeth would have to come out from under, you know? I mean, all of our parents are these titans, but I really wanted to create a Zeus in that character. Then I thought I should give her a sibling who she could be in the trenches with (Rascal), but I wanted to make him the opposite of Elisabeth – so she’s this hard-driving perfectionist and Rascal is this Fainting Couch dauphin who is constantly being brought down by melancholy.
And Daniel. Well…Daniel was certainly a lot of fun to write. Sigh. A basketball coach from Kansas? Just this straight shooting man? He almost eclipsed the whole book, because I loved his interaction with Elisabeth…how he made her really look at herself.6.What’s the one piece of writing advice that you would give aspiring authors?
*Do you want to write A story or YOUR story.
*Don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story.
* Kill your darlings. (Yes, you think it’s clever, but does it move the story forward?)
*and most of all – WRITE!
Stephen King says to ‘close the study door’ as you finish your first draft. Such good advice. Just finish that first draft before really talking about it, sharing it or letting it see the light of day. You’ll never finish it if you keep editing and futzing…something which everyone does and inevitably ends with someone tearing my final drafts from my cold, dead hands.7.What’s next for you, Liza?
I just finished a script for a television show I’m thinking about…I love it. I love working in only dialogue (can you imagine?!?!?!) – it’s awesome. And then it’s back for the second draft of my third book – which is due in May…oh wait…what day is it? The 24th? Uhhhh…maybe I should get on that.
🙂Thanks so much for doing this interview Liza. Once again I’m honored to have you here.
Don’t forget to live a comment to me entered in the giveaway guys. I’ll announce the winner on Sunday.
Oh and Check out Liza’s site http://www.lizapalmer.com/
Best,Kwana
.jpg)
