August 2010
Some thoughts on book signings
1 August 2010
Book signings are scary beasts.
When you’re unpublished (or when you’re unpublished and uneducated the way I was) you romanticize book signings. I always thought it would be one of those “if you build it, they will come,” kind of things. Like if I published a book and held a signing, that’s all it would take to have people show up.
Well, kinda. My family is always there, camera’s clicking. My mom collects the signage with my picture on it, along with the Barnes & Noble monthly events newsletter that mentions me.
But book signings tend to be quiet affairs. Even someone like me – a lover of books, a writer by profession – has only ever been to one.
Determining the success of a book signing, particularly in these early days of my career, is tricky. There’s value in filling the book store, even if it’s with my Nana and Aunt Penny. For one thing, a long line creates curiosity in casual shoppers. For another, the book store appreciates extra books my relatives buy, and they’re extra interested in having me return for future events.
And yet, my Nana and Aunt Penny would buy 20 copies of Me, Just Different even if I didn’t hold the signing.
While I sold a decent amount of books on Saturdays signing, and while I’m grateful for every sale, I’m most appreciative for four girls who came and didn’t buy a thing.
They’re girls who don’t share any of my genes, and who don’t have to look at me at church on Sunday morning and explain why they weren’t there:
Mary and Moira Quinn, who are Sion girls and brought Out with the In Crowd for me to sign.
Carolyn, a junior at St. Thomas Aquinas, who brought a copy of So Over It.
And Kayleigh. Kayleigh brought all three books for me to sign, and she brought them all the way from Parsons, Kansas. I don’t know that I wowed Kayleigh with my intelligence, because when her dad told me they’d come 130 miles because Kayleigh saw I was holding a booksigning, I couldn’t even make sense of it. I’m pretty sure I just stared stupidly at them, because nothing in my life had prepared me for a logical response to this.
I wanted to hang out and have coffee with her, or buy her lunch, or a pony or something. At the very least, I wanted to come up with something brilliant to write in her books.
But the signing was just starting, so coffee and lunch were out of the question, and I’m a complete dud when it comes to witty book inscriptions. So I signed her books and they were gone within minutes. I’m hoping they at least caught a movie or something, because I’m sure I underwhelmed. (And this was minutes before Ben came with Connor and McKenna, so I didn’t even have cute kids to offer.)
In short (um, 500 words later…) the signing went well.
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
That writing feeling
2 August 2010
Today on Go Teen Writers, I’m talking about writing whether you’ve got that gooshy, creative, word-flowy feeling or not.
This blog is closed today...
3 August 2010
Due to a family emergency. I’d planned to talk about the TV show Mad Men, which my husband and I just finished the first season of a few nights ago. But, alas, my conflicted feelings about Don Draper will have to wait for another time later this week.
So Over It Book Signing Pictures
6 August 2010
Okay, so I don’t have a “real” blog post for you today. I’m still getting back on track from our few days out of town. And I’d already been behind due to figuring out life with two kids. Now I feel like I’m just trying to get to my normal amount of behind, rather than this behind-behind that I am at the moment. And I’m so sleep-deprived that I can’t even think of a better way to phrase the double behind.
Yikes. I think it’s for the best that I’m not really blogging today, that I’m just posting pictures from last Saturday’s signing.
Have a great weekend everybody!
Don Draper - Why do I like him?
8 August 2010
For a couple years now, my parents have raved about the show Mad Men.
During my final weeks of being pregnant, when sitting in front of the TV was about all I could muster up the energy to do at night, Ben and I finally watched the first season.
The show Mad Men focuses on an advertising agency in 1960. Right away, I liked it. It looks and sounds different than everything else on TV. The dialogue isn’t what I’d call true-to-life. It’s smarter, wittier. Larger-than-life, I’d say.
As is Don Draper, the main character.
There’s some serious character flaws in Don. In fact, as I’ve thought about him these past weeks, it was easier to make a “Don cons list” rather than the “Don pros list.” So what is it that makes me root for a guy who’s married, yet has a string of girls on the side? A guy who can’t figure out that his wife doesn’t need therapy, she needs him home more? A guy who yells at his wife when she gets hit on by his boss?
I think this is why:
Don Draper is funny
Characters can get away with a lot when they amuse us or make us laugh. Especially if they have those snappy responses ready for that other guy we don’t particularly like.Don Draper always saves the day
Don is head-something-or-other at the agency, and he’s one of those guys who just has a knack for what he does. In the first episode, he’s struggling to come up with a slogan for Lucky Strike Cigarettes, who are having to rethink their ad campaign now that it’s come out that cigarettes are bad for you. At the last minute, he comes up with something brilliant that the client loves. A character who has that ability, to stay afloat when others are going under, practically has a magnetic pull.Don Draper is a self-made man
I think this is the biggie. As the first season unfolds, you find that Don Draper had a less-than-fabulous childhood. We never learned how he wound up becoming a successful ad man (maybe we learn that in coming seasons) but it’s clear that he has his job, reputation, and beautiful house because he set his mind to having them. That’s a trait guaranteed to endear an audience or reader almost 100% of the time. We appreciate people who know what it is to work hard, who fought for what they have, and who know how to hold onto it.So while Don Draper isn’t the type of character about whom you think, “I wish he was real because I’d love to hang out with him,” he’s someone I can’t help cheering on.
How do you outline your stories?
9 August 2010
On Go Teen Writers today, I’m answering the writer who asked me how I outline my stories. Click here to join in on the conversation!
It's a small world after all...
10 August 2010
Seriously, it’s August 11th? When did that happen?
Not only have I completely lost track of dates, but my world is super small. The kids and I might trek the 1/2 mile to Target, or maybe the 2 miles to the post office, but otherwise we’re at the house. And with the vicious heat these last couple weeks, we’re basically in the house at all times.
I hate that feeling of disconnect. A couple nights ago, I looked across the street and saw my neighbor doing some yard work. I thought, “What on earth is she doing working so late?” Then I realized it was 8:15. Seriously.
So I’d like to tip my hat to a couple things that remind me the world is bigger than my tiny subdivision here in Overland Park:
1. Books that take me to other worlds far, far removed from my own. Like an island in Chesapeake Bay where I’m a religious sister. (More on that this Friday. Seriously, EVERYONE SHOULD READ THE PASSION OF MARY-MARGARET BY LISA SAMSON.)
2. My husband who carries the dinner conversation these days since all I can talk intelligently about is poopy diapers and the happenings on Ni-Hao Kai Lan. (Although the other night he mentioned a work trip to Taiwan … I didn’t appreciate that reminder of how big the world is.)
3. National Geographic, which I usually just read over Ben’s shoulder. I should read it. I think that’s why Ben’s so much smarter than me. Last night he was looking at these pictures of sand dunes in Brazil. Amazing stuff.
Off to convince a fussy baby that yes, it is indeed time to sleep…
Please leave me a note about what kind of stuff is going on in your corner of the world. I need the reminder that life exists outside of these four walls…
Setting Writing Goals
11 August 2010
In honor of the school year starting (at least here in Kansas City), we’re talking about setting goals on Go Teen Writers. If you’re a writer, chime in with the goals you’ve set.
You HAVE to read The Passion of Mary-Margaret
12 August 2010
Okay, everybody should immediately stop what they’re doing and pick up a copy of Lisa Samson’s The Passion of Mary-Margaret.
I’m about 2/3 through it, and this is going to be a serious contender for my all-time favorite book. (Unless Lisa totally botched the ending, which I’m guessing by the Christy Award it just won, she didn’t.)
I’d heard a lot of buzz about this book, including from my best friend Roseanna, who said she’d bring it to me when we saw each other in September, but then either forgot or wanted to keep her copy all to herself. I don’t blame her.
Would it be totally wrong to steal this copy from my church library? Because I totally want to. I want to re-read this book with my pencil in hand so I can underline particularly beautiful passages.
Okay, enough gushing.
The Passion of Mary-Margaret is about a religious sister (like a nun, but not cloistered) who has the coolest relationship ever with Jesus. He (Jesus) asks her to marry her lifelong friend, Jude. Who’s sexy, but unfortunately spent some time in Baltimore’s red light district and is now diseased.
I know that might not sound like a page turner, but it is. The story is bold and the writing fresh. And far more real than you’ll find in most Christian fiction. (I don’t think I’ve ever seen the word “helluva” used in another CBA book.)
The nitty-gritty of life is juxtaposed so beautifully with what it means to love Christ with all your heart. To be honest, the overt Christianity in the story and how well it works is challenging me as a Christian writer. I tend to downplay spiritual elements, yet I’m finding myself drawn to the authenticity of the faith represented in Lisa’s book.
Read it. READ IT, READ IT, READ IT.
And enjoy your weekend.
How do you get to know your characters?
16 August 2010
Today on Go Teen Writers, I’m answering the question, “How do you get to know every single detail about your character?” My method is character journaling. Come on over to share yours.
Goal vs. Journey
17 August 2010
On Monday we finally got a break in the intense summer heat we’ve had around here. So I loaded Connor up in the baby carrier, snapped on KC’s leash, and put McKenna in some comfy walking shoes.
While I didn’t work off any of my lingering pregnancy belly, I rediscovered the simple joy of the journey rather than the destination. It’s possible that the last time I did this was 3 1/2 years ago on “The Road to Hana” in Maui.
While the landscape of our neighborhood is slightly different, the idea was the same. McKenna collected treasures from our journey (leaves, sticks, etc.) and crouched low to the ground to help KC sniff for bunnies. (Which is just as funny and adorable as it sounds.)
For better or worse, I’m a goal girl. When I want something, it’s easy for me to get absorbed in accomplishing it. While this trait works well for me in my career or getting the house cleaned, I’ve found it works against me in parenting. Because I can often forget to enjoy the journey. Especially when it involves as much poo and spit up as it does these days.
I didn’t cross anything off my to-do list yesterday morning, but I feel it was a richer day for that reason.
What about you? Are you the “take life as it comes” type, or the “this needs to be done, then this, then this…” type?
Why bother writing
18 August 2010
Today on Go Teen Writers, we’re talking about what the point is in doing all this silly writing nonsense when there’s no guarantee it’ll ever result in anything.
Life's nude scenes
19 August 2010
Do you ever hear something totally weird, but discover you can somehow relate?
James Marsden was on The View last Tuesday (you find yourself watching some odd things when you have a newborn) to promote his latest movie. I had a massive crush on him back in middle school when he was on the show Second Noah (I think that’s what it was called) so I stuck around to see what he had to say.
One of the ladies asked James about a comment he’s made in the past about being willing to do nude scenes in comedies but not in dramas. He explained that, for whatever reason, he feels more comfortable “putting it all out there” as something to be laughed at rather than something to be taken seriously.
I don’t even feel comfortable stripping down to my swimsuit at the city pool, so the thought of doing any kind of nude scene is what my nightmares are made of. But I somehow really understand what James means.
I think whatever it is making him feel that way is the same thing I experienced back when I was unpublished and felt reluctant to tell people I was working full-time as a writer in hopes of being published. Instead I made jokes about it. I didn’t want people thinking I took myself too seriously. I didn’t want people to know how much I wanted it, how much rejections crushed me.
Or like about six weeks ago, when my friend, Kelli, saw me crying at church and followed me back to the bathroom. Instead of answering specifically what was wrong with me, I kept everything vague. Kelli’s a close friend. She doesn’t mind dealing with my junk, just like I don’t mind dealing with hers.
Until then, I considered myself quite comfortable with my emotions. I mean, I’m a writer. We’re a people comfortable with being vulnerable, right? We understand that when we dig deep into our own insecurities and put them on the page, magic happens.
It wasn’t until I walked away from church that day – frustrated with myself for not being more specific when I talked to Kelli – that I realized I have a problem being serious with people. Want to talk it out on e-mail? Sure. I can do that easy. But those eyeball-to-eyeball conversations do not come easily to me.
- Skimming what I just wrote *
Okay, when I started out talking about James Marsden and nude scenes, I didn’t really foresee this entry getting so serious. Kinda makes me uncomfortable. And makes me think I should suck it up and post it.
Have a great weekend everybody!
A Five Star Blog Post
22 August 2010
My publishing house recently sent me a whole slew of reviews for my recent release, So Over It. Lots of wonderful people took the time to read and thoughtfully review the book, of which I’m super appreciative.
Something I find amusing are those who insist on rating the book by the oh-so-scientific “star method.” Fortunately, most seem to have a clear idea of how the stars should work. If they write a review with lots of phrases like, “BEST BOOK EVER!!!!!!!!! I READ IT IN 2 HOURS, IT WAS SOOOOOOO GOOD!!!!!!!!” they usually give it 5 stars. But I’ve seen at least two reviews for my books that were along those lines, and then they gave me 4 stars. To which I was like, “So, on your system the ‘best book ever’ gets 4 out of 5 stars?”
Occasionally I get the very frustrating combination of nice review, sucky stars. They’ll say lots of nice things about the plot, the characters, the style … and then hand it 3 stars. Or yesterday I saw a really nice one that then finished with 2 stars. Seriously. The tone of the review was such that all three comments to the post were things like, “Wow, I’ll have to check this book out! Thanks for the recommendation!” So apparently they didn’t notice the 2 stars like I did.
Since this is a semi-cranky blog post, I’ll leave you with something flat-out funny. This is a video my husband sent me. It’s from an Astros game a couple weeks ago. This guy is all set to catch this foul ball, chickens out at the last minute, and it hits his girlfriend. I laugh every time I watch this. I’ve got to work it into a book.
Great story ideas, but no expertise to write them
23 August 2010
On Go Teen Writers today, we’re talking about what to do when you have a fabulous story idea, but need a little help in the research department.
Bargain argyle and my father-in-law
24 August 2010
Over the weekend, Old Navy had hoodies on sale for $8, so I scored an argyle hoodie for nearly half price. When I went to pay for it, I pulled out my argyle wallet. Which I could have pulled out of my argyle purse, but I didn’t use it that day because it didn’t match my outfit.
It’s possible I have a problem.
In other, non-argyle related news, tomorrow is my father-in-law’s birthday. I’m blogging about it because he reads my blog pretty regularly, and he’s the type of guy who’s so focused on serving others that he really might forget his own birthday.
I’ve known Bruce since I was in 8th grade. He was a youth coach at our church, and I was a student who had zero interest in going to youth group. But throughout the year, Bruce would seek me out after church, ask what was going on in my life, and let me know about upcoming activities in the youth group. I had a mad crush on his son, so it was basically all I could do to make eye contact.
Bruce making a point to talk to me has stuck in my mind over the years. It’s not like he’s one of those extreme extroverts who feels the need to chat up everybody within sight. He reaches out to people so often that it’s possible he’s gotten used to it, but I imagine at some point along the way, it stretched him. I know it would me.
I’m very grateful for him. If only he’d known that convincing his son to show some interest in me would’ve expedited the whole process.
The internal and external of scenes
25 August 2010
Today on Go Teen Writers, we’re talking about developing the internal and external qualities of a scene.
And happy birthday to my awesome father-in-law!!!
Dating in high school
26 August 2010
This weekend is my church’s Summer’s End camping trip. We used to call it the Canoe Retreat, and it used to be just for the youth group, but apparently while Ben and I were living in Florida, the trip grew.
13 years ago, Ben and I were freshman on the Canoe Retreat. It was the first event I’d attended in a while, and I wouldn’t have even been there except my dad had become a youth coach and talked me into it. The friend I’d invited along had to bail last minute, so I was Not Happy about climbing in that minivan and setting off for the Huzzah Valley.
My mood improved considerably during the Saturday night bon fire, when Ben took the seat next to me.
I don’t think dating in high school is for everybody, nor do I feel church should be viewed as a dating service. But I know God intended for me to meet Ben that weekend. And I know there was no way we could have been just friends.
Is it ideal to meet your future spouse so early in life?
There are certainly advantages. Yet at the same time, I really hurt Ben with my stupidity back then. I would have liked to have met him after I had a few life things figured out. Of course I’ve hurt him with my stupidity since getting married, and I’ll probably do it again. (Sorry, honey.)
I get e-mails from girls in high school asking if it’s normal for them to have never had a boyfriend. Yes, it is. I’ve also been asked in interviews if I think it’s possible to really, truly be in love in high school. Yes, I do.
As far as age goes, I don’t feel there’s a “right” time to start dating or a “right” time to fall in love. I don’t know why God ordained for Ben and me to meet at such a young age, but I’m thankful our parents let us pursue each other. I can’t imagine what blessings we might have missed out on had we rejected God’s plan.
Hope everyone enjoys the last weekend of August. I plan on relaxing with my family and giving thanks for the way things worked out.
Random thought Monday
29 August 2010
After a somewhat interrupted night of sleep, my brain is bouncing all over the place today. Here are several random thoughts from my weekend:
1. What possesses a guy to wear a tank top out in public? I’m not talking about a sleeveless shirt (though I’m not a fan of those either on men) but a traditional tank top with the huge arm holes. When I’m at the grocery store trying to pick out apples, I really don’t want to be looking at some dude’s hairy armpits.
2. Speaking of armpits, my daughter fell down the other day. When I asked her where she hurt herself, she wailed, “My armpit!” and wanted me to kiss it.
3. I had two classic Stephanie things happen to me yesterday. Right before I pulled into the store parking lot, I spilled frappuccino all down the front of my shirt. And then, once I’d been inside for about 10 minutes, I discovered I’d remembered to bring in my coffee, but not my grocery list. I winged it, and I think I did a pretty decent job. Guess I’ll know for sure tonight when I go to make dinner.
4. My grocery store happens to be across the street from Skylar and Connor’s Sheridan’s. As I left, I got so distracted by it, I missed several opportunities to pull out into traffic. I wasn’t even thinking about ice cream. I was just staring at where Skylar and Connor sit. Or where they would. Were they actually real.
5. We started the second season of Mad Men. When you put in the first DVD, it has one of those “Aren’t we great?” kind of montages that talks about all the awards the show has one, things critics have said, etc. That always seems weird to me. I mean, I’m in my living room and just hit “play” on the DVD. The sales pitch already worked – they already got me. Maybe it’s so I’ll feel good about my choice?
Anyone else have some random thoughts to share?
Advice for those hoping to get published as a teen
30 August 2010
On Go Teen Writers today, I’m answering the question, “What advice do you have for someone hoping to get published as a teen?”
I addressed this issue once before where I basically said, “You may think you want to be published now … but I’m guessing you really don’t.” I stand by that post, even though I know it’s not one of my more popular ones.
Today’s post is actual advice instead of a caution.