What is one thing you can always count on? Change.

Nothing stands still in this world. It revolves and we walk along the surface doing our thing. We  go to work, take care of our homes and families, and find ways to express our creative side. As I age I find just how much I appreciate the fact that things change, it keeps life from being boring. It's not uncommon for us to try and anticipate change, for example, at work they are laying off - so we get some additional training/certification to make our resume look that much more robust. Does it always work to make you more secure in your job? No. But it could improve your chances of getting another position if you are laid off.

In writing, we practice our craft, we attend writers workshops, we study the industry, and we read. We all need input and that feeds our stories. We can find input anywhere - we just have to be open and observant. So, what does that have to do with change? By expanding our writing world and experience we will change our perception and level of skill (hopefully).

Big changes can cause stress, but usually change allows us to find new pathways to live, love and create. Let's keep telling ourselves that as we writers struggle to find the right words, the right publishing venue, and find readers. With regard to the latter, we need to make ourselves visible - available - and interesting. How do we make ourselves interesting? I wish I knew. Perhaps I should change my comfortable fashion sense? Nah. That's not going to happen. Jeans, tee shirts, and tennis shoes suit me.

Perhaps I will change genre's and go from women's fiction to children's? Maybe. But the current novel needs to be finished first. How about changing Point of View? Third person intimate is the easiest for me to write, but the novel I'm currently working on (The Bucket List) is in first person POV. I might try rewriting what I have so far. This could be a very important change to the story.

Some writers ramble, physically as well as mentally. (This blog is a good example.) We take a path, see where it leads, and if we don't like it - we take another. We "change" direction. Let's try an experiment: The next time a big change happens in your life, go with it and see where it leads. Look at it as a new adventure and discover the potential of this new change.

ENJOY THE JOURNEY!

What Writers Wear

On the night that my writing group shows up, usually once a month, I scurry around dusting and vacuuming. I make sure the kitchen counters are clean, the floor washed, and the tea things laid out neatly. By this I only mean hot water, tea bags, and mugs. I have known these women for twenty years, and we’re comfortable with each other.

All this came to mind recently when I heard someone make a remark that I had heard before, some years ago. At the end of a small conference showcasing successful women, one of the participants said in an aside to another, Why do the writers dress so badly?

Really? We dress badly? Who knew? I hadn’t thought about it, so I decided to think about it.

The only comparisons I had were from the 1970s and 1980s, a few from the early 2000s. I scoured my memory and came up with what I regarded as evidence. I ran the mental film of a national conference, in Chicago, of women who were mostly well-to-do involved in the social services on the patron level. In a word, philanthropists. They not only dressed well, they had cases and cases of computers that traveled with them—this in the 1980s. They had money and it showed. Another conference, this one of academic professionals, was minus the computers in the 1980s but well-tailored suits and evening outfits ranked high on the style chart. A Boston conference of writers in all categories in the 1980s brought together a crew of such disparate styles and outfits that even I noticed how badly dressed some of them were.

Okay, I concede that most of the writers I know have as little interest in fashion as a Lap heading out for a seal hunt. But is there a reason for it? I decided to think about it. And the only answer I could come up with is this. I am lazy.

I have finite resources to dedicate to making choices and decisions, let alone money, at the early hours of the day. If I spend my time thinking about what I will pull out of the closet, I’m likely to wear out my brain and sit in front of my computer all day unable to write anything at all—except perhaps what the character is wearing. For those who are stylish in dungarees, this may not matter. But I don’t wear dungarees. I’m a New Englander and I wear khakis. Those are my default wardrobe. Needless to say, I have several pairs.

There’s a serious side to all this. I don’t like thinking about what I’m going to wear, when I’m going to clean, what to make for dinner, because all these decisions, which don’t have to do with writing, wear me out. This is a real phenomenon called decision fatigue. In a study conducted in Israel, the investigators found that a person applying for parole had a much higher chance of getting parole if he or she appeared before the board early in the morning; by late in the afternoon, a prisoner’s chances of parole had slid way down. The members of the parole Board were simply tired, whether they knew it or not. They had run out of mental energy to make a good decision.

President Obama is said to have solved some of the risk of energy depletion by having suits in only two colors—black and navy. (My kind of wardrobe!) He doesn’t use up his quota of mental decision-making energy before he has even left the family suite and made it to his office.

This phenomenon may be one reason writers are thought to dress badly. Another might be that we are so concerned with issues of life below the surface, perfect or otherwise, that we can’t bring ourselves to spend a whole lot of time on appearances—our own. I think my writer friends dress just fine. But I have to admit that as well turned out as they appear to me, they wouldn’t make it into the lobby of that hotel given over to the national conference of women philanthropists. Those women would know in a nanosecond that I shopped at thrift stores (and not very upscale ones either), couldn’t find the makeup counter in a mall, and had no idea what the current fashionable colors were. On the other hand, I can dress my characters any way I want, with no fear of running out of money or fashion.

I offer this little meandering as comfort to those who think writing is all about taking control of your time and computer, and still struggle to compose a decent story. Success in writing seems to be dependent on intangibles no one ever considered. I doubt MFA courses include a section on storing up ego energy for the long haul.

If you’re interested in reading more, see below.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/magazine/do-you-suffer-from-decision-fatigue.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

"What Makes Favorite Authors Stand Out"

My title is a quote from "The ABC's of Historical Fiction" found on dearauthor.com. Mary K. Todd summarized a survey she did in 2012. She interviewed the top 40 favorite authors gleaned from 800 different names mentioned by readers taking part in the survey. Based on Todd's analysis and her own reading she compiled a list of ingredients which make these authors stand out.

I found that the bold topics in this list could apply to most genres we choose to write in so I quote them (slightly abridged) below for your individual interpretation. They should make you think about your own books in terms of the qualities the surveyed authors possesed.

• Superb writing: This covers prose, pacing, emotional resonance, plot twists and entainment value.
• Dramatic arc of historical events: In essence, real authors are masters in selecting what H. Mantel calls 'the dramatic shape in real events'.
• Characters both Heroic and Human: Readers want to experience believable characters complete with doubts and flaws.....
• Immersed In Time and Place: Activating all senses, authors transport readers to another era from the very first paragraph
• Corridors of Power: ......Best selling novels expose the structure, corruption and machinations of monarchy, military,religion, law.....
• Authentic and educational: Readers love to learn. the hallmark of a top Historical fiction author is meticulous research followed by carefully chosen information to create a seamless blend
• Ageless themes: Favorite historical fiction dramatizes thought-provoking theories as important today as they were long ago
• High Stakes: Life, kingdoms, epic battles, fortunes, marriage, family. Characters risk on a grand style
• Sex and Love: Men and women from long ago rarely chose their partners. Women were pawns. Favorite authors incorporate conflict in their stories
• Dysfunctional families: Kings beheading queens, brothers killing brothers, rivalry between father and son, wives banished away, these are merely a few examples of dysfunctional family life that are subjects of successful historical fiction

Until next time may all of our words, written and spoken, touch and inspire readers of all genres.

The value of a writer's environment.

My favorite place to write is the cafe in a bookstore where the whirl of the cappuccino machine blocks everything else out. Crazy, huh? I love the smell of coffee, books, and the shuffle of chairs on the tile floor. It feels right for a writer to write surrounded by books.

Everyone has their own traditions and rituals around their craft. I used to light candles and play soft music, when I was at home and had a few minutes to write. But those times were few and far between. I made a lot of progress in the university commons and fast food places during lunch and between classes, however, so noise and the smell of coffee became my writing zone.

I carved out a nice little office at home, where I'd pay bills when I wasn't writing or researching. BUT, that was before our global corporation closed our physical offices in this small city and allowed us all to go "virtual." Sounds like a dream, right? Work from home in your pajamas? It was fun at first, but the only place to set up my day job office was - my writing space. Funny how when you spend 8-10 hours in one place you can't wait to escape it at the end of the day. It's really quiet so I'm an extremely productive worker, but...

So, I moved over to Border's Cafe & Books to do my writing on the weekends and a couple evenings a week. Which was fabulous! We all know how this ends, though. A few years ago Border's went away and I lost my favorite place to write. I tried the library, we have a fabulous branch near my house, but guess what...it's too quiet! The surroundings were great, all those books, so other than the absence of coffee the smell and ambiance was great. But I missed the bustle.

Since then I've written in sandwich shops, coffee houses, and other local bookstores - trying to capture that perfect ambiance. I spent this past Saturday in Watermark Books & Cafe and it was great, but I spent an hour in drive time. <sigh> I got a lot done, honest. It smelled right, it felt right, I was inspired. But oddly enough, I was just as productive at home Friday evening with the TV going downstairs and the door to my office open. Go figure.

Maybe the environment isn't as critical as I thought. Perhaps, (this is a tough one to admit) it is my state of mind instead. Ouch.

Writing isn't always easy or fun. You dig deep inside your dark places to pull out all the emotions and experiences that make the words on the pages real. You open a vein and your blood trickles onto the page. At least that's what it feels like, especially when you write something that you think is really good. I guess I just needed to figure out for myself that where I write doesn't matter as much as where the words come from. Me.

A lesson learned.

J.K. Rowling and Mystery Fiction by Jacqueline Seewald

Question: When is a rose not a rose? Answer: When J.K. Rowling says it’s not.

Rowling has reinvented herself as a mystery writer. Having myself created a heroine, Kim Reynolds, who sees the need for reinvention, I do not fault Rowling.

Rowling has done something that writers often do. Choosing to write in a new genre, she decided to use a nom de plume, a pseudonym. Clearly, she did not want to be pigeon-holed as a writer of young adult fiction or even literary fiction. Imagine her surprise when the publishing world did not instantly fall all over itself to turn THE CUCKOO’S CALLING into a bestseller. As a novel by “Robert Galbraith” the book sold modestly. When someone mysteriously leaked the real identity of the author  to the TIMES of London, and Rowling verified the story, the book shot up to number one on the bestseller list.

I believe this demonstrates that selling books, particularly fiction in hardcover, has become increasingly difficult. If readers are going to spend good money on mystery fiction, for instance, they want name recognition, a “brand” as it were. Fame still brings fortune in the book publishing industry. Even great reviews which are often rare as rubies do not necessarily guarantee successful publication.

The publishing industry is in a state of uncertainty. Will print go the way of the dinosaur as some predict? Will hardcover, trade and paperbacks be almost completely replaced by ebooks? Selfishly, I hope not. I hate the idea of print becoming obsolete.

But writers must be open to change and diversity. Even famous writers like Rowling are willing to work in a variety of genres. I believe Rowling is correct, that writers should publish in more than one form of media. With this in mind, for instance, a collection of my short stories, BEYOND THE BO TREE, has been made available on Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DTV0750.

In September, my co-authored mystery novel THE THIRD EYE will be published by Five Star/Gale in hardcover:

http://www.gale.cengage.com/servlet/ItemDetailServletregion=9&imprint=000&titleCode=TP906&cf=p&type=3&id=15903222

 Also in September, Harlequin Worldwide Mystery brings out a paperback reprint, the third of my novels they have republished this year, DEATH LEGACY, a spy thriller: http://www.harlequin.com/author.html;jsessionid=1393C3C686B0F8B9EDEDD9B62B0A54F8?authorid=2189

            So what can writers learn from Rowling’s latest effort as an author? Perhaps that we should not be afraid to venture into new territory and try something different, and that we should never become complacent.

.           As readers and writers where do you feel the future of publishing is headed? What would you like to see happen?

To celebrate the forthcoming publication of THE THIRD EYE, at least one responder will be selected at random to receive a signed Advance Review Copy—just include an email address.

Writing a Novel by June Shaw

Welcome to Author Expressions. Our guest blogger today is well-published author June Shaw. She is going to discuss how and why she became a writer.

“What made you decide to become a writer?” is a question I’m often asked during talks about writing or when I’m signing my books. My answer—“A splinter.”

I wasn’t fortunate enough to have anyone ever teach me creative writing, but while I was in ninth grade, my English teacher said he was sending me to a literary rally for English I. I’d take a test that was mainly grammar and also need to write a paragraph in case there was a tie. To practice writing, he told me to write a paragraph about a splinter.

His topic assured me that he was a boring man. I described a splinter using perfect grammar and brought it to his desk. “This is boring,” he said. “Yes, but you told me to write it.” And then he wrote a magic word: “Ouch!” He told me to take it from the splinter’s point of view. Somebody just sat on it. Wow, I thought. A writer can do that? She can make up any thing or person and make it say or do anything she wants? One day I’m going to do that. Be a writer.

No matter that it wasn’t until I had five children who’d begun giving me grandchildren, and my aging mother had moved in with me that I finally sold a novel. I did it! What happened was I’d kept the desire after I won: ) that literary rally. I was busy throughout school, married young, had five children, and became widowed when they were small. Often I’d recall that splinter and know I wanted to be a writer, but life intervened. I finished college, started teaching, and finally discovered time to write and sell a few small pieces. Much more time passed before I found time to read and write and rewrite novels—and now I have nine of them published!  

Now I proudly represent Louisiana on the board of Mystery Writers of America’s Southwest Chapter and am the Published Author Liaison of Romance Writers of America’s South Louisiana Chapter. My children, grandchildren, and squeeze Bob are really proud of me, and I am content.

ABOUT MY BOOKS: I sold my series of humorous mysteries to Five Star, which produced them in hardcover. To my surprise, the first one, RELATIVE DANGER, was nominated for a David award for Best Mystery of the Year and garnered excellent reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and many others. The next books, KILLER COUSINS and DEADLY REUNION, were also well received. The series features a spunky widow who “thinks” she wants to avoid her hunky lover so she can rediscover herself. But he opens Cajun restaurants wherever she travels—and she is so bad at avoiding tempting dishes and men.

RELATIVE DANGER was just released as an e-book. KILLER COUSINS and DEADLY REUNION will soon follow. In November Harlequin will reprint DEADLY REUNION in paperback, which they’d done with others.

RED SKIES revolves around three generations in a story of secrets, lies, lust, love, and redemption. Everyone asked me to, so I wrote a book about my mom. Many readers tell me NORA 102 ½: A Lesson on Aging Well is the most inspirational book they’ve read in a long, long time. And then my youngest granddaughter asked me to write a book with her. We’ve sold many copies of HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR PET GHOST, and now an editor has a YA that both her young teen sisters and I wrote and hope she’ll accept. I’ve written other books, too—and loved every minute with each of them!

I appreciate your interest in reading about my writing journey and thank Jacqueline for inviting me here. I do hope you’ll check out my books and see my mom dancing and me holding an alligator….and I love to hear from readers!   www.juneshaw.com

Comments or questions for June are welcome!

If you're going to give advice . . .

Everyone who writes at some point has the same experience. I finish a short story or a novel, go over it for the tenth or twentieth time, and print out a clean copy to give a friend to read. Perhaps I’ve been reading chapters to the members of my writing group as I go along, or perhaps I am a solitary writer with no group and a strong reluctance to share my work till I think it’s finished. But at some point it will be finished enough to share, and I will have to show it to someone. What I get in return can be significant.

A recent discussion on a chat list for writers touched on the problem of getting nothing but negative feedback from a first reader. The reader even went so far as to tell the writer to stop writing. The reaction of the other writers, including me, was that this negativity is not useful. It’s destructive and there’s no point in destroying a new writer’s dreams and determination. The discussion and comments reminded me of two things—first, how kind some of my first readers had been, and, second, a story I was asked to read by someone who thought he was destined to write the great American novel. In my opinion he couldn't write a grocery list. I learned from both experiences how to make useful comments without judgment. (And I have always been grateful to the editors who were kind. When I look back at my early work . . .)

First, I ask the writer to describe the “aboutness” of the story. What is the story about? Tell me in one or two sentences. Don’t give me a plot summary—that’s different. Tell me what this story is for me as a reader. Some writers will never have thought about this, and it helps any writer focus on the story and what is or is not relevant in the telling of it. A first reader asked me this once after I'd finished a novel, and I couldn't tell her. Her question and my reaction forced me to rethink the story and what I wanted to do with it.

Second, I ask about the opening line (and sometimes about the closing line). Where did it come from? What is it supposed to achieve? Is the writer satisfied with it? I’m almost never satisfied with my opening lines, but I sometimes am very happy with the closing lines. Are there alternatives that were discarded? Why?

Third, I try to find a sentence with an interesting or unusual word usage and ask about that. Why did he or she choose this word? What is the writer trying to achieve?

Fourth, if the story is a mystery or paranormal or science fiction, I try to ask relevant questions on structure and formula (I’m limited to mystery fiction mostly), and how the writer understands the formula. With this question I hope to learn something about how others see the formula.

Fifth, I might ask about characters’ names if there is anything unusual about them, or if too many characters are named Joe or Mary. I might also point out that the ethnic identities of the characters do or do not match the setting or story line.

I could go on, but you get the idea. There is nothing in any of my comments that is a judgment or an evaluation. Each comment is meant to take the reader and the writer deeper into understanding the story and the writer’s goals. This can be edifying for both writer and reader because getting another writer to articulate a way of viewing the world and trying to present it means that I will learn something.

In addition, if I read something I think is awful and have to discuss it, I am forced to dig deeper, to reach beyond my prejudices and blinders. I have to listen to another writer’s reasons for doing something I probably wouldn’t have done. And I have to read with possibility in mind, with the idea that the writer is reaching for something. She may not have achieved it, but she has reached, and I should be willing to view the story within that frame. All of this makes me think harder.

Being asked to read someone else’s work is a compliment as well as a responsibility. Anyone who agrees to do so, therefore, is obligated to provide something useful and productive to the writer. Offering up a visceral reaction isn’t enough, and that doesn’t count as any kind of thoughtful reading. There is nothing to be gained by telling a struggling writer that he can’t write. I am well aware that the one person whom I think can’t write a phone message may turn out to be the next Scott Turow.