Dani Shapiro was kind enough to share some thoughts over at my other blog What Women Write.
Check out the interview and then the book trailer here.
I'll be back soon with my thoughts on her new book, Devotion. Can't wait to read it!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Dani Shapiro stops in at What Women Write
Dani Shapiro was kind enough to share some thoughts over at my other blog What Women Write.
Check out the interview and then the book trailer here.
I'll be back soon with my thoughts on her new book, Devotion. Can't wait to read it!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Amy Einhorn Stops by WWW
Did you love The Help by NY Times bestselling author Kathryn Stockett? Pamela chats with Ms. Stockett's publisher, Amy Einhorn, at What Women Write today!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
BBC TV
I am hooked on BBC productions. Movies, television, you name it. I’ve been through many mini-series', period pieces like The Forsyte Saga, Berkeley Square and Cranford. I recently found a contemporary show on Netflix: William and Mary, starring Martin Clunes and Julie Graham. It aired for three seasons and when I finished the last episode, I went into mourning.
An undertaker and a midwife, both single parents to teenagers, meet through a dating service—a beautiful juxtaposition, especially since in olden times, as William later points out to Mary, midwives served both functions. From the first scene, conflict and misunderstanding are center stage.
At Mary’s first set up—not with William—her date’s wife shows up. Mary charges into the dating service’s office and demands her money back, but they convince her to go on one more date with William, who wanted to meet only her. Meanwhile, the owner has instructed William to say he’s in community service rather than divulge he’s an undertaker. After an intimate second date, Mary’s called to the home where her cancer-ridden postpartum client has died. Who comes to the house while Mary is with the grieving father? William. She’s furious at what she considers a lie, especially since it’s the second time she’s been deceived. William mails an apology, but her busybody live-in mother confiscates the letter. Just as one conflict is resolved, another appears.
I’ve read about upping the stakes for characters. When things seem as bad as they can get, heap some more on them. That’s what agent Donald Maass writes in both The Fire in Fiction and Writing the Breakout Novel and it’s done brilliantly here.
Since I loved William and Mary so much, I thought I’d try another with the excellent Martin Clunes. In Doc Martin, Clunes plays former London surgeon Martin Ellingham who leaves the big city to be local G.P. for Portwenn, a small fishing town on the gorgeous Cornwall coast, a place I’ve wanted to visit since reading about it in one of my favorite books, The Shell Seekers by Rosamund Pilcher. He’s cranky and arrogant, but he has a secret: The sight of blood makes him ill. The town’s quirky and endearing residents suffer more medical (physical and mental) problems than in any big city. He’s intrigued by the beautiful head teacher at the town’s school, but his arrogance and candid behavior (after an all night vigil at the hospital for one of the residents, they share a kiss and he asks her, "Are you aware you have halitosis?") infuriates her. The writing is spectacular, real and gritty. Conflict and dark humor, double check. Luckily, they’re still filming this one. The next season comes out on DVD at the beginning of February.
I don’t know what it is about BBC television, but I’m on the search for more. Anyone have suggestions?
An undertaker and a midwife, both single parents to teenagers, meet through a dating service—a beautiful juxtaposition, especially since in olden times, as William later points out to Mary, midwives served both functions. From the first scene, conflict and misunderstanding are center stage.
At Mary’s first set up—not with William—her date’s wife shows up. Mary charges into the dating service’s office and demands her money back, but they convince her to go on one more date with William, who wanted to meet only her. Meanwhile, the owner has instructed William to say he’s in community service rather than divulge he’s an undertaker. After an intimate second date, Mary’s called to the home where her cancer-ridden postpartum client has died. Who comes to the house while Mary is with the grieving father? William. She’s furious at what she considers a lie, especially since it’s the second time she’s been deceived. William mails an apology, but her busybody live-in mother confiscates the letter. Just as one conflict is resolved, another appears.
I’ve read about upping the stakes for characters. When things seem as bad as they can get, heap some more on them. That’s what agent Donald Maass writes in both The Fire in Fiction and Writing the Breakout Novel and it’s done brilliantly here.
Since I loved William and Mary so much, I thought I’d try another with the excellent Martin Clunes. In Doc Martin, Clunes plays former London surgeon Martin Ellingham who leaves the big city to be local G.P. for Portwenn, a small fishing town on the gorgeous Cornwall coast, a place I’ve wanted to visit since reading about it in one of my favorite books, The Shell Seekers by Rosamund Pilcher. He’s cranky and arrogant, but he has a secret: The sight of blood makes him ill. The town’s quirky and endearing residents suffer more medical (physical and mental) problems than in any big city. He’s intrigued by the beautiful head teacher at the town’s school, but his arrogance and candid behavior (after an all night vigil at the hospital for one of the residents, they share a kiss and he asks her, "Are you aware you have halitosis?") infuriates her. The writing is spectacular, real and gritty. Conflict and dark humor, double check. Luckily, they’re still filming this one. The next season comes out on DVD at the beginning of February.
I don’t know what it is about BBC television, but I’m on the search for more. Anyone have suggestions?
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Cat's Eye
I just finished my first Margaret Atwood book. I know, years after I should have.
From Random House:
Considered to be her most autobiographical work, Cat's Eye, Margaret Atwood's critically acclaimed seventh novel, is the story of Elaine Risley, the daughter of a forest entomologist and controversial artist in her fifties who returns to Toronto for a retrospective of her work. In her moment of professional glory, she becomes consumed by vivid images of her past, especially those of Cordelia, her best friend and emotional counterpart who waged lavish cruelties on her as a girl. Atwood employs her wry humor, rich irony, and keen eye for detail in a brilliant exploration of the treacherous terrain of girlhood and the historical geography of Toronto from the 1940s to the 1980s.
"An eye for an eye only leads to more blindness." The novel is filled with gems like this, strong themes and imagery. It's a novel about the past, about time and space, about the evil and sly behavior of young girls. The child's perception of life is altered and spun as she grows to adulthood. I'm still deciphering the nuances, flipping back through the book for other insightful passages. Wow.
Which Atwood novel should I tackle next?
From Random House:
Considered to be her most autobiographical work, Cat's Eye, Margaret Atwood's critically acclaimed seventh novel, is the story of Elaine Risley, the daughter of a forest entomologist and controversial artist in her fifties who returns to Toronto for a retrospective of her work. In her moment of professional glory, she becomes consumed by vivid images of her past, especially those of Cordelia, her best friend and emotional counterpart who waged lavish cruelties on her as a girl. Atwood employs her wry humor, rich irony, and keen eye for detail in a brilliant exploration of the treacherous terrain of girlhood and the historical geography of Toronto from the 1940s to the 1980s.
"An eye for an eye only leads to more blindness." The novel is filled with gems like this, strong themes and imagery. It's a novel about the past, about time and space, about the evil and sly behavior of young girls. The child's perception of life is altered and spun as she grows to adulthood. I'm still deciphering the nuances, flipping back through the book for other insightful passages. Wow.
Which Atwood novel should I tackle next?
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Diversion
I'm writing about cemeteries again. Which means one thing to those who know me: I'm spending way too much time on my favorite diversion, FindaGrave.com.
Both my solo WIPs feature cemeteries, one is set near Highgate Cemetery in London, and the other along Route 40 from Arizona to South Carolina. Highgate's characters are set, and I've done most of my research. But my other WIP, currently titled "Greer," was formulated during NaNo and is truly a work in process. The plot is developing as Aunt Greer and her niece drive across the country and run into oddball characters as they go. Some of the cemeteries I've invented, but I'd like to include some actual gravesites of historical figures.
The problem with research is that when you find one interesting fact, you find ten others that draw you to places both exciting and time consuming. Did you know that D.H. Lawrence was buried at Koiwa Ranch in Taos, New Mexico? His body was cremated and his ashes were mixed in cement and used in construction of his memorial altar. As of yet, I don't see how this nugget would fit into Greer's story, but you never know. He died before Aunt Greer was born, but his wife Frieda, also buried in New Mexico, died in 1956.
When I wrote THE CEMETERY GARDEN, I got sidetracked many times locating the burial sites of Jewish mobsters. I even wrote a short story about Grandpa Izzie visiting the graves of New York. It never won any of the contests I entered, but it's a fun bit of nostalgia.
Enough sidetracking for one day, I'm off to write. What's your favorite research diversion?
Both my solo WIPs feature cemeteries, one is set near Highgate Cemetery in London, and the other along Route 40 from Arizona to South Carolina. Highgate's characters are set, and I've done most of my research. But my other WIP, currently titled "Greer," was formulated during NaNo and is truly a work in process. The plot is developing as Aunt Greer and her niece drive across the country and run into oddball characters as they go. Some of the cemeteries I've invented, but I'd like to include some actual gravesites of historical figures.
The problem with research is that when you find one interesting fact, you find ten others that draw you to places both exciting and time consuming. Did you know that D.H. Lawrence was buried at Koiwa Ranch in Taos, New Mexico? His body was cremated and his ashes were mixed in cement and used in construction of his memorial altar. As of yet, I don't see how this nugget would fit into Greer's story, but you never know. He died before Aunt Greer was born, but his wife Frieda, also buried in New Mexico, died in 1956.
When I wrote THE CEMETERY GARDEN, I got sidetracked many times locating the burial sites of Jewish mobsters. I even wrote a short story about Grandpa Izzie visiting the graves of New York. It never won any of the contests I entered, but it's a fun bit of nostalgia.
Enough sidetracking for one day, I'm off to write. What's your favorite research diversion?
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Bookmarks
For our What Women Write retreat, Pamela gave all of us personalized charm-bookmarks she’d devoted precious time to making. From mine dangles a pretty marbled stone, a silver and black heart, a Hope charm, and a 2009 marker, a little indication that this was the first of many retreats.
It got me thinking about bookmarks and the little things that, for me, make reading a book more special.
I’ve picked up bookmarks from libraries, conferences, bookstores, even from colleges my son hopes to attend. I’ve received bookmarks for gifts, whether alone or nestled inside one of my soon to be favorites. The ones I like best are from unique places or remind me of good friends.
I’ve got several from Politics and Prose, the Washington, D.C. bookstore one of my sisters frequents. I've collected treasures from other independents as well, such as the fantabulous Powell’s in Portland, where my husband had to drag me away from eight floors of books. From both the Poisoned Pen and Pages in Scottsdale, recent excursions with my cousin Gail. From Four Seasons Books in Shepherdstown, WV, where my friend Devon and I met to browse and reminisce about our time at Oxford. Some remind me that getting published is for real people too, like the publicity bookmarks I’ve accumulated over the years from writers I know, such as my friend and mentor Sophia Nash, award-winning author of seven historical novels; my critique partner Bill Lee, author of The Boys in Blue White Dress and who was recently featured in the Dallas Morning News; fellow board member Rachel DeFriez, author of The Rath Haven Chronicles; and writing acquaintances Candace Havens and Rosemary Clement Moore.
Truthfully, any slip of paper will do and often has. I’ve used an airline boarding pass, a grocery receipt, the empty lines on the bottom of a to-do list. Anything to avoid dog-earing pages, which for me is truly taboo for any true writer or reader.
How about you? What are your favorite and most memorable bookmarks?
It got me thinking about bookmarks and the little things that, for me, make reading a book more special.
I’ve picked up bookmarks from libraries, conferences, bookstores, even from colleges my son hopes to attend. I’ve received bookmarks for gifts, whether alone or nestled inside one of my soon to be favorites. The ones I like best are from unique places or remind me of good friends.
I’ve got several from Politics and Prose, the Washington, D.C. bookstore one of my sisters frequents. I've collected treasures from other independents as well, such as the fantabulous Powell’s in Portland, where my husband had to drag me away from eight floors of books. From both the Poisoned Pen and Pages in Scottsdale, recent excursions with my cousin Gail. From Four Seasons Books in Shepherdstown, WV, where my friend Devon and I met to browse and reminisce about our time at Oxford. Some remind me that getting published is for real people too, like the publicity bookmarks I’ve accumulated over the years from writers I know, such as my friend and mentor Sophia Nash, award-winning author of seven historical novels; my critique partner Bill Lee, author of The Boys in Blue White Dress and who was recently featured in the Dallas Morning News; fellow board member Rachel DeFriez, author of The Rath Haven Chronicles; and writing acquaintances Candace Havens and Rosemary Clement Moore.
Truthfully, any slip of paper will do and often has. I’ve used an airline boarding pass, a grocery receipt, the empty lines on the bottom of a to-do list. Anything to avoid dog-earing pages, which for me is truly taboo for any true writer or reader.
How about you? What are your favorite and most memorable bookmarks?
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