Ernest Hemingway, Kenya, 1953

One of my favorite authors is Ernest Hemingway. In my opinion, he was a brilliant writer, but let’s face it…he had some issues. Ok, lots of issues and based on quotes like this, he was aware of it:

That sounds like a better choice.

Happy Tuesday everybody! Due to some unforeseen circumstances, I’m postponing your regularly scheduled feature writer today. *sigh, groan* I know. But fear not, the series will return next week.

Today, I found an interesting couple of articles about young readers, both from the Washington Post.

One article pertains to graphic novels for beginning readers. I had never really thought of graphic novels as all that amazing…back in my day we called them comic books. But after seeing my daughter become obsessed with Star Wars and then wanting to clean the library out of every Star Wars graphic novel they had, I began to change my mind. She loved them, and even became inspired to create her own comic, “Mr. Sharp and Ninja Chicken.” I’ll let you know when it’s published. Here’s the WaPo article.

The other article talks about the future of children’s publishing and how it’s going to be a lot different from when we were kids! It’ll be exciting to see how it all evolves. Here’s that article.

When I was a kid, I read everything from Nancy Drew to Shel Silverstein, to Stephen King. Mr. King almost got me in trouble in fourth grade. I brought in “Cycle of the Werewolf” for free reading time and the edition I had, had comic-bookish images in it. Some of them fairly graphic. My teacher said nothing to me, but ended up calling my mom to see if she was aware of the “kinds of books I was reading.” My mom said, “Yes, I’m the one who gave it to her.” Good or bad parenting…you decide. LOL

As a writer, or any artist really, you get a lot of opinions thrown at you. Art is subjective. Your work will hit everybody a little differently. Your close friends and family will most likely err on the side of being positive about your work, which for a baby artist, can be nice. After all, nobody wants to get shot down before they even start.

But there comes a time, when you have to leave that safety zone and open up your work to the opinions of *gulp* strangers. Not unlike your child’s first day of school or later teaching them how to drive, this can be one of the most exciting and terrifying experiences you will ever have.

I remember the first time I went to my local writer’s group, we read our pieces aloud for each other and then were given a critique. My physical reaction to reading my work to a bunch of strangers for the first time was rather like going in for a job interview that I wasn’t sure I was qualified for. Sweaty palms, guts in knots, that sick burning in your stomach like you’re going to barf. (And this was supposed to be my idea of fun?!) The cup of coffee I slugged down while waiting for my turn didn’t help. But at the end, I managed not to run to the bathroom and barf, and lo and behold, the comments were mostly positive. The criticisms were constructive and helpful. That was over 4 years ago and I STILL consult these people when I write. I know they will be honest yet gentle with their criticisms.

Because criticism is how we grow and learn as writers. But we can’t get the criticism if we don’t put it out there. A friend who recently discovered that I wrote read some of my stuff and then asked why I kind of kept it a secret. Saying, “fear of rejection” wasn’t a good answer, so I just shrugged. He replied, “This isn’t something you should hide.” How true. Because I promise you, there is always going to be somebody out there that doesn’t like your work, and doesn’t have a nice thing to say about it. So it’s true, if you never put it out there, you’ll never get that rejection. You’ll also never get the compliments or criticisms that will help you grow and become better at your craft. So which is worse?

Hey everybody! Happy Tuesday. I said in an earlier post how Tuesday kind of stunk. Luckily now, we have a way to make it better. For our third installment of our Featured Writer Series, I’d like to introduce you to Susan Mordigal.

VRL: Hi Susan, thanks for your time! Tell us a little about your writing.

I am still a ‘student’ of picture books, meaning I’m still studying the ins and outs and the craft of writing a book for this very young audience.  I have however written many short stories for young people and articles about pets, pet therapy and medical issues.

VRL: Are you currently involved in a writing project?

Yes, I am working on writing and illustrating a picture book about our rescue dog –  his story of how he came to us.  We are a certified pet therapy team and I also plan to write and illustrate a picture book about our adventures in this rewarding cause.

VRL: How do you combat times when you’re uninspired?

Luckily this has never been a problem for me, for writing or illustrating. I literally see inspiration everywhere. I seem to have the opposite problem –too many ideas!  I have a sort of ADD I guess.  I’ll get a great idea, work with it, then I’ll get another one, start it up, then something else inspiring will come along, etc. etc.  It’s sort of like people who have endless craft projects or home improvements in the works.  I try very hard to stay focused, but sometimes it’s a challenge, my biggest enemy is not enough time!

VRL: What interests you about this specific genre?

I have a passion for helping others and for animals in need.  I found pet therapy to be the perfect mix of these two, everyone wins!  In the future, I also plan on broadening my subject matter to wildlife, and children and their loved ones coping with illnesses.

VRL: When can we expect to see your book?

My deadline has to be flexible because of the circumstances in my life right now, but I’m hoping to have a book ‘dummy’ completely ready to send to publishers no later than two years from now.  I am also keeping the door open for self-publishing.

VRL: Where can reader sample some of your writing?

On my blog there are several articles under the category ‘articles’.

VRL: Do you blog about your book?

I blog about the fact that the book is in the works, but do not share any specific passages or illustrations from the book.  I try hard to showcase good artwork and interesting topics on my blog – people seem to like it and I’ve made some wonderful friends!

To sort of piggy-back on yesterday’s post about what readers want, I’m curious, what do you read?

Do you tend to read in the genre you write or do you kind of go all over the map?

Right now I’m reading a mix of things.

Dead and Alive by Dean Koontz. It’s the third in his Frankenstein trilogy. Good stuff.

Moonwalk by Michael Jackson. His autobiography. Not far in yet but it’s interesting so far.

Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. I admit…I’ve been slack with the course, but I’m still with. I will finish, dammit!

I just finished a book, which I won’t name, because I really like the author, but the book was such a disappointment, that well…*sigh* I just can’t talk about it. I’m too upset. Hopefully you haven’t read anything lately that’s had THAT effect on you, but if you have, please share. We can get through this together.

And if you haven’t already, be sure and friend me on Goodreads!

Have a great weekend.

As writer’s we  write what we are presented with. An idea or characters start to form, and we write it. When that inspiration hits, it’s the best feeling in the world. Birds sing when you walk by, the sun shines a little brighter. For me, seriously, it’s like falling in love.

Then we edit. Some people love it, some people hate it. For me, this is the time in the relationship where the honeymoon is over, and now we’re starting to fight and argue. We fight, we make up…sometimes. But now the scars are there. It’s make it or break it time. If we can make it through the editing process, we can make it through anything, and hopefully we’ll be better and stronger on the other side.

Then, we send it out, get an agent and a huge advance and a multi book publishing deal. We start hanging out with big time authors and having millions of people worship us. For me…ok, I don’t know what that’s like yet, but I’ll bet it’s awesome.

Basically, we write because we love it and we can’t NOT do it. If we’re honest with ourselves, we write for ourselves, NOT for other people. We hope beyond hope that other people, (besides our writing group buddies) like reading our work too, because if we are to make a LIVING off of our writing, it’s essential that other people like it. But, what do readers really want?

As a reader, my must haves are plot and character. Style is important, but secondary. I love a good turn of phrase, but if there’s no plot and character, so what?

As a reader, what’s important to you?

Here’s an interesting article by Salon’s own Laura Miller on that very topic.

It’s Tuesday which means it’s time for another edition of our Featured Writer Series. Today I’m excited to bring you a true renaissance woman, Cheryl Malandrinos.

V.R.L: Thanks for being a part of our Featured Writer Series, Cheryl! First off, tell us a little bit about how you started your writing career.

CCM: Thanks Vanessa. It’s great to spend time with you and your readers. I’ve been an avid reader since preschool and began writing in my teens. Of course, back then I was using an electric typewriter with an “i” key that stuck. (Doesn’t that make me sound like a dinosaur?) I had always wanted to pursue a career in writing, but it wasn’t until I became a stay-at-home mom in 2003 that I could do much about it. I began blogging, getting involved in writing groups, and networking. In 2006 I began writing articles for Writer2Writer on the subjects of time management and organization. In 2008, I presented a workshop on these topics at the Muse Online Writers Conference. I am also a founding member of Musing Our Children, and last year took over as editor in chief of their quarterly newsletter, Pages & Pens. My first children’s book will be released by Guardian Angel Publishing this fall.

You are involved in quite a few things. You do a lot of online book promotions, you’re a copy editor, create video trailers, and much more. How do you manage to do all of these things and still find time for your own writing?

Now, why didn’t someone tell me I am supposed to manage my time? LOL! Seriously, time management and organization have always come easy to me. I took for granted that it was this way for everyone until I was asked to start writing articles on these topics. Making time for my writing is a challenge. Working as a virtual book tour coordinator for Pump Up Your Book Promotion is a full-time job. Luckily, I love it, because it requires me to be online almost all day long. I go to my office right after the girls get on the bus at 8AM. Then except to eat or do housework, I am there until 3PM when the girls come home from school. The rest of the afternoon is spent with the girls. I go back to my office after they are in bed for the night and try to use that time to write. It doesn’t always work, but I make decent progress. Some weeks are more productive than others. The reason many people struggle with time management is that they don’t know where their time is going. I began tracking my time, which allowed me to cut out areas where I wasted it—surfing the Net, overcommitting to projects I didn’t have time for, and just plain old focusing on things other than my writing. I religiously write a weekly to-do list to keep me focused.

I understand that you are sponsoring “Promo Day” this year. Tell us a little about that.

Officially, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is sponsoring PROMO DAY. Jo Linsdell, a wonderful and talented lady I met through the Muse Online Writers Conference, puts on this event each year. PROMO DAY 2010 will take place on Saturday, May 15th. In Jo’s words, PROMO DAY is “an all day, online, international event for people in the writing industry packed full of tips and advice along with a variety of opportunities for writers, publishers, editors, etc. to promote their work and services. Readers are also welcome to drop in and get to know the authors better.” This is the first time that Pump Up Your Book Promotion is sponsoring PROMO DAY, but I doubt it will be the last.

You have a children’s book coming out and are currently working on a middle grade novel. Can you tell us a little about those?

Now you’re in dangerous territory because a writer likes nothing more than to talk about her work. [snicker, snicker]

My first children’s picture book will be released by Guardian Angel Publishing in the fall. Anyone who knows me knows that I absolutely love Christmas; so it will be no surprise that my first book centers around this holiday.

Little Shepherd Boy tells the story of Obed, a young shepherd in the fields outside of Bethlehem on the night of Christ’s birth. After the angel’s visit, Obed is hesitant to follow the others to see the newborn King because he doesn’t want anything to happen to his flock. His father finally convinces him to go, but Obed spends the whole time worried about his sheep. When Obed returns, however, he discovers all his sheep safe and sound and not even the fire has dwindled in their absence. Obed believes it is a night of miracles.

My current work in progress is a middle grade novel about a young orphan girl named Amelia who is sent to live with her spinster aunt in a fictional New England town. Aunt Martha is a very unhappy person. Amelia is determined to figure out why her aunt is so miserable and fix it. Amelia’s best friend is Ralph, the stable hand at Havenwood, Aunt Martha’s estate. Ralph is opposed to Amelia poking her nose into her aunt’s business. In addition, Amelia wants to teach Ralph to read, but he refuses, even though Amelia is sure he wants to learn.

Where can we read more about you and your work?

Thanks for asking. I’m in the process of having a new website designed, but for now, readers can find me at http://ccmalandrinos.tripod.com/ I have a few blogs that I update on a regular basis:

The Book Connection

Book Tours and More

The Children’s and Teen’s Book Connection

I can also be found at Facebook and Twitter if anyone looks up ccmalandrinos.

Thanks for giving me the chance to talk about myself and my work.

As a follow up to Wednesday’s post about Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (I’m still confused, myself, but thank you everybody for weighing in), I present you this:

Tim Burton Wants to Adapt Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter for the  Big Screen.

People who know me personally, know I’m a Burton fan. I’m even a fan of the movies that nobody else likes, except for maybe Planet of the Apes. But now, ladies and gentlemen…if the first sign of the apocalypse was the idea/book of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, then surely, this is the second. This might even count for two signs, maybe even three.

I am a true believer now. Anything really IS possible. It MUST be. My husband told me about this last night and then I saw the following book trailer this morning. I’m really not sure whether I should smile, cry, high five the author for getting a several million dollar advance for this, or hunt him down like a dog, or curl into a ball and die myself, or laugh hysterically and enjoy the ride, or just vomit. Maybe a combo of all of the above. Really, I’m that confused. Check out the book trailer and let me know what you think.

Welcome to the very first post, in what promises to be an exciting series. Today, our featured writer is Garry Graves, author of “Character Happens – The Five Most Important-But Fleeting Virtues.” Please feel free to leave any questions for Garry in the comments section and if you bribe him with doughnuts, he’ll probably even answer them.

VRL: Garry, thanks for your time. Let’s talk a little bit about your book. How did you come up with the idea for your book, “Character Happens?”

G.G:…I mention this on my site and in my blog—I’ve spent over thirty years as a business owner, sales broker and small business consultant, consequently, I’m met all kinds and types of ‘characters,’ so to speak. As surely we all have. Pointedly, many individuals disgust me with how they make decisions and conduct their business and personal lives. Most make decisions based purely on ‘self-interest,’ and not a better decision considering what’s good for all. And, from my 30 years of observations, the makeup of people spread across; gender, age, religious sect, degree of religiosity and ethnicity. So no one group was more or less ‘virtuous’ in their decision making. One day my lovely wife, after hearing another horrific tale about an encounter I had with someone, said, ‘good character seems more sporadic today.’ I decided it would be a good book topic and the rest is history.

VRL: You are self-publishing your book. Tell me how you came to this decision and what are the pros and cons?

G.G:…I came to the decision after a couple years of writing agent-specific query letters with no positive response. Additionally, my inquiries direct with publishers came back with a variety of reasons why they were not interested. All the while I’m reading how the publishing industry is more closed to new writers than the National Football League is to the new players. That’s pretty damn closed believe me. Unless, you’re a celebrity of sorts, or another Stephen King, then chances of being ‘discovered’ by an agent or a publisher is monumental. Finding an interested agent or publisher is like playing the lotto. I don’t play either.

Further…we have all read books from big publishing houses that amount to crap, no two ways about it. This crap can be edited in an extraordinary fashion, (which is the slam about self-published books, typically coming from agented-authors and big publishers), fact remains it’s still crap. Not fit for human consumption. Yet here it is! So the old mantra of ‘if it’s self-pubbed, it’s not good,’ …is just that, ‘old.’ Self publishing is changing the industry and big publishers are worried. Writers can do much of this on their own (or hire it done) and that upsets big publishers to no end.

What are the pro’s and con’s you ask…the pros as I see it are: more control over the process like when the book comes out, no changing of passages or cover design, and finally—making more profit by avoiding the agent and publisher commission fees. The cons might be: editing—the better you’re editing (like hiring a professional), the better the book’s presentation. Marketing has to done by you…but then again publishers today leave much of that to you anyway, unless you’re the King. That’s the difference as I see it.

Vanessa, don’t forget to mention to your readers about the ‘ebook’ phenomena. It’s relatively new but writers cannot afford to not produce their books this new way. It’s another income stream and its beginning to grow with the new devices like the Kindle, the Nook and now the iPad.

VRL: Where can reader sample some of your writing?

G.G:…My books website has a page whereby a reader can sign in and choose from several snippets I’ve posted. The link is:

http://characterhappens.com/Snippetspage.html

Also, please inform your readers of my new ‘book trailer’ just produced by Jeannie Ruesch who conducts a book-trailer workshop. She did my trailer and it looks great. Here’s a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYfx69-SJm4

The music is most inspiring…Jeannie did a beautiful job.

Thanks Vanessa for asking me to visit with you today. If any of your readers have questions, please have them comment at the end of this post—that way all readers can view.