Muse

Doing research for novels sometimes lands writers in strange places. 

I’m writing a novel set in Key West in the 30s around Ernest Hemingway.  Hemingway spent a great deal of time organizing and participating in boxing matches in Key West and on the island Bimini.  My protagonist–a young housekeeper for the Hemingway’s–is torn between the literary icon and an Argonne veteran who also happens to be a boxer.  Boxing will be central to the story.  Aside from the Rocky movies, I know nothing about it. 

So, I found myself at the Naval Academy for a boxing match last night.  It was hot, crowded, noisy, and bloody–and I loved it.  It was thrilling.  The boxers started out in the light weights and moved to heavy weights.  The boxers fought in three, three minute rounds, were awarded points, and each round had a winner. One of the winners had won his weight class four years in a row.  They recognized some alumni who had also won all four years, and a group of visiting soldiers from Walter Reed who had been wounded in the war.  The vets received a five minute standing ovation. 

I was able to stand ring-side and take pictures and scribble notes, and I have some great material for the book.  I know that the depression-era, Hemingway-organized fights in the back alleys of Key West would have had a different feel than Navy boxing, but it took me a step closer to an experience I needed for my characters.  Seeing, smelling, and hearing things my characters experience makes for better fiction.  I was happy to be a part of it, and I’ll go back.

While I remarked yesterday that Gatsby was one of my all-time favorite novels, my friend at Age30books, Heather Johnson, respectfully disagreed with my assessment.  Heather hates the book.  She doesn’t like the story or the characters, and she is entitled to her opinion.  (Check out my earlier post on classics I hate, here.)

So I found it amusing today in my book blog wonderings to come across this Gatsby shirt.  And these Gatsby & Daisy truffles.  And this Gatsby mug.   

My birthday’s not until August, but if anyone needs any ideas…

Heather, on the other hand, might want this.

I came across this rather strange and fascinating post on The Rumpus today about a painter and jewelry designer named Julie Vanderburg who has been obsessively reading and rereading Thomas Hardy’s Return of the Native for twelve years. At first, I thought it was a little weird, but I guess it’s no weirder than watching a favorite movie over and over. 

She says that she keeps reading the book because she’s in love with it.  She loves the language, and learns new things each time she reads it.  I suppose that it has become like the comfort of an old blanket for her. 

I’ve had some “old blanket” books–none that I read continuously–but certainly books I have read yearly or regularly enough to memorize portions of them. 

First, it was Lewis Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland.  I had always felt a strong connection to Alice–like we were soul sisters–though I judged her harshly for having all of my worst qualities; namely, an overactive imagination and a penchant for believing in impossible things. 

Then, my father–who worked in the air freight business–brought me home an old book with no cover that he had found in a crate at work.  It was Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach, and what a treasure that turned out to be.  From there I developed a Roald Dahl obsession, and read all of his books aloud to my father and younger brother on the way to school over a year period.  

Once I was old enough to have an intelligent conversation, my well-read grandmother started giving me books that we would talk about once I read them.  I was shocked when she started me on the V. C. Andrews, Flowers in the Attic series because, first, I couldn’t believe people actually wrote things like that about men and women in widely read books, and second, I couldn’t believe my grandmother liked reading books like that.   I did, ultimately, give those books away when I determined that they were smut I wouldn’t want my kids reading, but every now and then I wish I had kept Flowers.

As an adult, there are two books I read every year at least once. 

1) The Great Gatsby.  Seriously, why would anyone ever write another book after reading that?  It gets better and better every time I read it.  It’s literary perfection high school kids can’t possibly appreciate.

2) Possession by A. S. Byatt.  When I asked my favorite college professor which book would be a classic for our kids, she answered, without hesitation, “Possession.”  It’s about two present day literature professors researching old poets who discover they had a love affair. It’s a complex literary mystery, it’s work to read, but the payoffs are worth it.  What’s most amazing about the book is that the present day prose, old fashioned poems, and historic letters are all written in very different styles, but it’s all the same author–A. S. Byatt.  Her talent is overwhelming. 

What do you read over and over?

Abundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette, was written by Sena Jeter Naslund, and published by William Morrow in 2006.  An epic drama spanning the time Marie Antoinette entered France at the age of fourteen in 1770 until her death by guillotin in 1793, Abundance represents the best in historical fiction.  I couldn’t help but think of Freytag’s pyramid for dramatic structure in a story while reading it, because it followed it perfectly–even keeping with the directional rise and fall of Marie Antoinette and her family.

Naslund did her research from primary sources, and drew her conclusions of obvious sympathy for the unlucky queen from there.  She tells the story from “Toinette’s” point of view; thus, the reader can’t help but be sympathetic to her.  Naslund makes Marie Antoinette our intimate friend through her portrayal of the sweet and innocent fourteen-year-old child, to the capricious and over-indulged girl in her late teens and early twenties, to the woman she had become after the birth of her children, and ultimately, the demise of the monarchy following the Reign of Terror.  Naslund gives Marie Antoinette a brilliant and satisfying character arc that makes her tragic end all the more poignant.

I am an historical fiction writer.  I love to read historical fiction.  I love nothing more than learning about different people and places in history through a narrative. This book offered me all of my favorite things, and I highly recommend it.

Last year, I read The Hidden Diary of Marie Antionette by Carolly Erickson.   It was more overtly sexual and violent than Naslund’s novel, and it lacked the depth and insight into Marie Antoinette’s thinking that Abundance tried to provide.  It was entertaining, however, so it was not a disappointment. 

In my Amazon searches, I came across another Marie Antoinette novel by Antonia Fraser.  Sofia Coppola based her Marie Antoinette movie off of this book.  I’ll have to put that in my Netflix Queue. 

What’s amazing to me is that, in spite of knowing the endings of these historical women, I a) still want to read as many versions of their stories as I can, and b) still cry when they get their heads chopped off.  When Anne Boleyn in The Tudors lost her head last season, I was depressed for days. 

I’m (reluctantly) stepping away from history, briefly, to read a Jodi Picoult novel called Change of Heart that has been recommended to me by three different people over the last month.  I have a strict “once a year” policy for Jody Picoult novels because they are so depressing.  It’s moving very quickly, though, so I’ll have a review of that next week.

I started a Creative Writing class last night.  Those things can go one of two ways, and I’m pleased to report that it looks like it’s going to be a great group. 

It’s always interesting to watch new students file into a classroom and select their seats.  I’d love to conduct a psych. study on why people sit where they sit in relation to the teacher–front, middle, back, left or right of center, back facing toward or away from the door, etc.  Next week, I’m sure we’ll all go back to the chair we selected on the first night, creatures of habit that we are.

The demographics of the class are diverse–varying ages, genders, races, and reasons for writing.  When we introduced ourselves, I was struck by many of the responses.  One man said that he never understood fiction and he couldn’t connect to it, so he thought he’d take a class to learn to “make it” so he could gain a better understanding of it. 

What a great thing to do.

I could never see myself heading off to economics class to generate an understanding of complex energy derivatives, but here was this mathematical, science-y guy doing just that. 

Then there were others, like myself, looking to hone their craft, or meet imposed deadlines to facilitate productivity, or  just stimulate the non-mommy side of the brain. 

We analyzed some flashfiction for style and structure, and discussed–in broad strokes–the writing process.  We went over the syllabus.  We got some homework assignments.  It was a very productive and well-spent evening, and I look forward to the rest of the semester.

I love school.

I haven’t read The Lace Reader, but it  looks intriguing. Here’s a description of the novel from the book’s website:

“Towner Whitney, the self-confessed unreliable narrator of The Lace Reader, hails from a family of Salem women who can read the future in the patterns in lace, and who have guarded a history of secrets going back generations, but the disappearance of two women brings Towner home to Salem and the truth about the death of her twin sister to light.  The Lace Reader is a mesmerizing, tale which spirals into a world of secrets, confused identities, lies and half-truths where the reader quickly finds it’s nearly impossible to separate fact from fiction, but as Towner Whitney points out early on in the novel, “There are no accidents.”

I heard about the novel in my March/April edition of Writer’s Digest Magazine.  As if by magic, this installment of WD is devoted to self-publishing–which is very relevant to me right now.  Embedded in the self-publishing section was an article about Brunonia Barry, the author of The Lace Reader.

Mrs. Barry self-published her novel, successfully marketed and sold 2,000 copies of the book in a few weeks, hired a publicist to get her some reviews and media face time, and now has a huge advance and contract with William Morrow. 

Needless to say, I’ve contacted her publicist to ask about rates.  I would imagine that they’re being flooded right now and are a bit out of the budget, but it’s worth a try. 

If anyone has read the book, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I am a Jane Austen fanatic.  I’ve read all of her books several times each, I’ve read all the fanfiction, I’ve seen all the movies, and I never get tired of her. 

I don’t know, however, if I will be picking up Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.   It actually sounds pretty funny.  Amazon’s description says:  “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” features the original text of Jane Austen’s beloved novel with all-new scenes of bone crunching zombie action. “  I love horror, I love Jane Austen–it might be a perfect marriage.  And we know what a tough broad Lizzy is–she tromps through the mud to visit her sick sister.  What’s beheading a couple of zombie’s along the way?

P&P&Z author, Seth Grahame-Smith, has a great blog on Amazon. He reported that his Facebook group for the as-yet-unpublished novel just reached 1,000 members, and his Amazon sales rank hit #77.  Let me repeat–the book hasn’t been published yet.  It just goes to show you what a fabulous title and some savvy marketing can do for a writer.  Pride and Prejudice and Zombies comes out in June.

In addition to that silly book, Jane Austen has inspired some serious fanfiction.  My favorite Jane Austen fanfiction is the series by Elizabeth Aston. It continues on with Darcy and Elizabeth’s daughters, and their adventures and exploits.  I also enjoyed Linda Berdoll’s series that picked up after the marriage of Darcy and Elizabeth, but it leaves the reader blushing under her bonnett.  It probably has Jane Austen turning over in her grave.

My favorite modern-day Austen knock-off movie is Clueless.  It is a ridiculous film, but a great 90’s reinterpretation of Emma.  If you know your Emma, you’ll appreciate the script.  It’s a hoot.

Now, I’m only about a week away from publication, but is it too late to change my title?  Receive Me Falling with Zombies?  It has a nice ring to it.

Dave Tieff is a musician and songwriter.  He has had success with the band Laughing Colors, but now he is working on a solo album called The Art of Peace.  Dave has experienced the highs and lows of drug and alcohol addiction, and uses his music to center himself, provide a creative outlet, and help others. Dave was kind enough to answer some questions I had for him.  Check out his answers, below, and his website.

Tell me about your songwriting process. 

The songwriting process for me has come full circle. When I was in my teens and early twenties, the writing process consisted of me picking up a guitar and letting whatever words, melodies, and chords that were inside of me pour out. As I got more experienced and there were higher expectations on the band, I fell into a rut of writing what I thought people wanted to hear, especially record companies. As an artist you can try and deny that, but subconsciously it’s a difficult thing to avoid. I’ve gotten back to writing from pure inspiration. I no longer believe that I need a record company to get my music heard, and that’s what The Art of Peace is all about. It’s an experiment to show how the landscape of the music business has changed, and that artists already possess all the power that they need to get their music to the masses. This album also differs in that each song has a story behind it, and most of the songs were written specifically for causes I believe in. When I committed to that premise, the music seemed to write itself.

When did you write your first song?  What was it? 

I was 17 years old, and I wrote a sad song called “The One Alone” while in Hawaii in the summer of 1987. I was a fat kid at that time, and not very popular with the ladies. I think the impetus for the song was that my hormones were exploding and I wanted a girlfriend!

Do you prefer to collaborate on songwriting or go solo?

I have always preferred to write my own lyrics. Something about the words and meaning are so personal to me. I do like to collaborate with the music though, and I’ve been fortunate enough to play with some world class musicians. The new album is no different. Matt Ascione, who is producing and engineering it, is also playing guitar and singing on the album, and has been an integral part of bringing the song to life. Ironically, I went to high school with Matt, but hadn’t seen him for 15 years when we started this project last May. We both recalled jumping onstage at our senior prom, stealing the instruments from the band and playing “Wild Thing.”

You are very open about your difficult life experiences—dysfunctional childhood, obesity, drug and alcohol addiction.  Is that hard?  Why are you so candid?  Has it been therapeutic for you?  Has it helped others?

Being open about my faults, obstacles, and addictions has been the biggest blessing of my life. It’s always been something that came very easy to me. I just could never find a good reason to hide it—especially when most people are effected my addiction in some way. It has been extremely therapeutic for me as well. It takes a tremendous amount of energy to cover up, lie about, or deny your own shortcomings, and that energy is much better spent in a positive direction. Since I first got sober in 1994, I’ve had hundreds of people approach me about their own addictions, or those of a loved one. I’m not sure how to measure the benefit of me being so open about it, but I’ve never questioned that it was the right thing to do. When it feels right, you know it!

Is there any topic off limits?

When it comes to me personally, I can’t think of one. It’s very liberating to open up the windows, it lets the breeze roll through.

Who are some of your favorite songwriters?

My son is named Dylan, so you can gather that Bob is at the top of the list. I’d have to mention Lennon and McCartney as well, and I’ve always been a huge fan of British bands like Oasis, Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Coldplay, Led Zeppelin, etc.

 Jerry Garcia was smart enough to use the words and poetry of Robert Hunter as the lyrics for most of the Grateful Dead songs, thought Hunter didn’t actually play with the band. His writing is poetic genius.

hat are some of the themes on your new cd?

The underlying theme of The Art of Peace is that the world is in the midst of a shift in consciousness. The old ways of buying, eating, drinking, smoking, and consuming as much as possible have proven not to bring long term happiness–or inner peace.  This is more of an American conundrum than a global one, but the rest of the planet could also stand to practice peace, whether that’s inner peace, peace of mind, or alternatives to war. The new paradigm will be sweeping technological advances in all areas of peace.
 

When will it be released and where can we buy it?

The most significant thing about this album is that I’m offering it in MP3 form completely free. I’ve written songs specifically for Human Rights, Education, the Environment and Battered Women, and when you download the album you will be able to donate to these causes as well. If you decide not to, that’s okay. You’re not obligated to do anything but listen to the music.

As I mentioned, I’m conducting a bit of an experiment, and I’m trying to raise $1,000,000 for these causes by giving my music away. My goal is to raise this money by 12.31.09.

I will also have packaged CDs at all of my live shows.

The target date for release is April 1^st, 2009. You can get all of the details and show listings at http://www.davetieff.com/

Thanks, Dave.

It’s bleak, people. 

Collins (of HarperCollins) is no more.  The New York Times reported that the one major publisher who appeared to be treading water just let go of two executives following a 75% decine in operating income.  Whoa. 

Nothing is safe from the effects of the economic downturn right now, and it’s changing how everything is done. And maybe that’s not all bad.

Let’s go back to the summer of high gas prices.  I drive a big van.  At one point, it cost $115 to fill up my van from empty.  So what did I do?  I stayed home.  I played outside with my kids.   We skipped the fast food and put lunches together at home.  But I know that my family is blessed.  For us, it meant better habits, but for people already in poverty or who relied on transportation for jobs it was crippling. 

Jumping ahead to the current Wall Street crisis, I’ve seen stories about CEO’s flying private jets to beg for money from the Federal Government,  executives decorating their offices for a million dollars, companies in “crisis” sending their mangagement on lavish vacations, post bail-out.  It’s madness, and it’s no tragedy that these people have had to rein in their hedonistic lifestyles.  But again, it’s meant lifestyle adjustments and minor inconvenience for them.  For the workers in their companies who live paycheck to paycheck, they are now on unemployment.

Back to publishing, in the height of the economic boom (or pseudo-economic boom–I think we can all agree it was an illusion that is now being dissolved by pesky reality and accountability) first time authors were being given six figure advances by publishers.  Authors with no track record.  Authors who hadn’t published before.  Authors like me. 

And while I’ve gritted my teeth over the lack of risk taking in the industry now, it hits me with complete clarity and understanding that I don’t deserve a six figure advance.  I don’t deserve anything I haven’t earned.  Nor does any other writer or artist.  It puts undue pressure on people to achieve arbitrary goals.  It’s gambling.  It’s not good business to put down buckets of money on an unfinished product, and a book that hasn’t been sold is an unfinished product. 

Sure, authors have devoted hours of research, and sleepless nights, and time at conferences and workshops and classes to produce their manuscripts, but the process of writing is not about the writer.  It’s about the reader.  

To paraphrase Stephen King (I have to give the guy some props since he’s been getting so much shit lately)  from his fabulous memoir On Writing:  The first draft of the book is for the writer.  The second is for the reader.  And until the collective, societal reader approves (or disapproves) a book, it is an unfinished product. 

My husband just sent me this article from Salon.com where a writer laments over her miserable experiences publishing books.  She was clearly trying to write the article to dissuade novice writers from even thinking of getting in the game, but all it did was give me hope and reaffirm my decision to self-publish.  Why shouldn’t new authors have to prove themselves before publishers will take them on?  People have to prove themselves in every other profession before making money. 

So, I’m encouraged.  I have an optimistic streak in me, and I really believe that shake-ups and changes can be good, good things.  I also feel really fortunate to be entering publishing at this moment.  Change is in the air all over, and I’m happy to be a part of it.

Yesterday would mark the trillionth time I read my book, and the first time I only found one mistake.  (I had “mediate” instead of “meditate.”)  The final proof came last week, and I literally read every word out loud (for the second time.)  I’m finally feeling confident that it is mistake-free.  Oh, how I pray that’s true. 

The final item of business before publication is the color adjustment of the cover by Author Support.  Then, it’s ready!!  I think I can say the book will be ready next week!!  (Please forgive the overuse of exclamation marks, but I just can’t help myself!!)

!!!!!!!