REVISION | Old Thought, New Take

Posted on January 19, 2009 by lalber

I’ve been working on the current revision in fits and starts since the fall, all the while doubting one aspect of the story, and all because long ago an agent rejected it with the comment that the romance was underdeveloped.

Fine, if I’d written a romance I’d have serious problems, but I didn’t write a romance. However, for years her comment followed me around, so I started to think it had merit in a way I didn’t yet understand.

The truth is, my protagonist does end up with one of the male characters. But the fact that she does isn’t the point of the novel. You know what I mean? If that were the point of the novel, it would be a romance.

But it’s not a romance.

Yet, since the agent rejection, I’ve pondered the love subplot, feeling vaguely uncomfortable. There is something off about it, isn’t there? I thought of adding scenes that showed the pair miscommunicating, coming to terms, falling out again, and so on.

But this would turn it into a romance, a completely different story altogether.

So here I am, right now, sitting with marked-up page 196, my breakfast/lunch, and an epiphany that arrived while I scrambled eggs with spinach. And what a bloody relief! Years, I mean years, this thing has been noodling at me every time I thought about this manuscript.

Ready? Ta-da: It’s not that I have to change the novel to fit the end. Rather, I need to alter the final chapters so the love aspect doesn’t read like it was the point of the novel.

Does this make sense?

It does to me. It’s so simple! And I’m sitting here quietly celebrating as if I’ve discovered the ultimate writing secret. Now, I’m gung-ho again. It’s like magic.

The real mystery is why it took me years to figure out this simple fix!

Lottery Distraction (and Dogs Too)

Posted on January 17, 2009 by lalber

When it comes to your fiction, have you ever wondered what you’d do if you won a $150 million lottery?

Today I stopped at the grocery store to buy yogurt. A teenager (pink rubberbands on her braces and, like, green eyes) with a dog carrier caught my eye. We got to talking about her pup, a Japanese Chin.

I was about to ask the pink-banded one if her dog also dances up on its hind legs, when a growing line of people visible over the girl’s shoulder distracted me further. Apparently, Powerball is up to $150+ million and people are buying tickets big-time.

It took me an inordinately long time to decide on the yogurt. In the midst of all-important considerations — strawberry-flavored or vanilla? lowfat okay since there are no nonfats? what, now there’s yogurt with added fiber? — I couldn’t help wondering what I’d do if I won the lottery.

Just how much of a novelist do I think I am anyhow?

Would I live a well-invested life of bling and leisure, happily dabbling at writing, no pressure to publish, no need to see my words in print?

Or, would I self-publish because I’d have the money to hire excellent editors, copyeditors, designers, marketers and publicists?

Or, would I take 20 years to write one masterpiece, get it out there, and call it a day?

I like to think that I wouldn’t change when it comes to my fiction, but I don’t know that for sure. Writing might be a totally different experience when you don’t have to worry about growing a career.

It’s that nasty word “career” that adds a level of urgency to the equation and has me wondering what my writing would turn into if I didn’t have to earn a living.

(P.S. Didn’t buy a Powerball ticket.)

End of an Era

Posted on January 16, 2009 by lalber

threefriends11 I’m coming at you live from a cafe called Three Friends. As a sign of my mood, sitting around a coffee house rates as positive.

Yesterday I received my first paycheck in a long while. Thus, my writing grant time-off officially ends.

It was great while it lasted. Too bad I had preposterous hopes during that time, namely that I wouldn’t have to work a day-job ever again, that I’d land that publishing deal, that yadda yadda yadda…

threefriends3 I won’t dwell on the only-ifs like I won’t dwell on the fact that my time-off was supposed to last until July, 2009. Bloody economy.

Officially, I’m now an Instructional Designer. A fancy term for writing training material. I found an ongoing contracting gig with a family-run company that manages outsourced documentation projects for a certain gynormous software corporation.

I made it out the other end of my turmoil, and I’m no longer depressed or panicked. In fact, in the spirit of positivism for 2009, let me count all the ways my new gig is good:

1. First and foremost, I’ll still have time for fiction. I’m predicting that the new gig will be part-time with full-time spurts, and I’m predicting that because of its deadlines, I’ll become more efficient all around.

2. I’m astounded at how well it pays. (Thanks to bottomless gynormous-corporation coffers.)

threefriends2 3. This is a better fit for me than the salaried job I left behind, which enervated me in the biggest way even though it, too, was part-time, from home. (Key word: “salaried.” Meaning: still enmeshed in a corporate culture with its 1-on-1s, meetings, boss politics, and performance reviews.)

4. I can take on as much or as little work as I want, which means that I can still take writing sabbaticals and travel if I want. (In fact, I might have to go on another mini-writing retreat here soon!)

5. This is going to sound backwards but finding this gig halted my desperation to land that publishing contract now. I can go back to taking my sweet time, concentrating on craft and my next story.

6. I’m used to living lean — I’m pretty simple anyhow — but a little leeway will be nice. I love summer sandals! And a pedicure now and then? Heaven!

Just a Head Cold

Posted on January 15, 2009 by lalber

Go too many days without a post, and I start to feel funny. Isn’t that strange? Almost as if I’m letting people down, or letting myself down. So, this is an inconsequential post to put a stop to that silliness.

Nothing deep and dark going on here. Just a head full of phlegm instead of thoughts. Using what little energy I have for the main attraction: revisions. (Updates on this coming soon.)

About time for a nap though. I can’t wait for tonight’s NyQuil!

Simple Discoveries

Posted on January 12, 2009 by lalber

snack We talk about simple pleasures for better lives — actually, I don’t; the mysterious “they” do — but what about simple discoveries?

Just now, I discovered that a munchilicious snack next to my computer helps me stay seated during the afternoons. (Mornings, I’m fine.) Apparently, shoving food into my mouth waylays restlessness and distractibility.

Obviously, I’m using food as an emotional Band-Aid, but who cares? I’m here, I’m writing, I’m content. (And carrots and hummus are healthy.)

I don’t know why I only discovered this now, years later. I suppose because I’m turning over a New Year’s leaf in one small way: weekly grocery shopping rather than winging it day-to-day. In other words, I actually have decent food in the fridge!

Who knew weekly grocery shopping would improve my writing habits?

What about you, any surprisingly simple discoveries?

More Like With a Puff

Posted on January 10, 2009 by lalber

wintermist Struck me today as I was walking that I haven’t started 2009 with a bang. This includes blogging. Any new readers that have come my way probably aren’t impressed with me at the moment.

My brain’s foggy, trying to wade through my priorities for 2009.

I just wrote seven rambling paragraphs and erased them because I don’t know what I’m feeling and what I meant to convey. In those seven paragraphs I admitted to desperation and disappointment and fear.

I suppose what’s really on my mind is this: I’m returning to my life as of summer 2007. That is, I’m back to technical writing to pay the bills (writing grant kaput) with no publishing contract in sight (literary agent kaput). And this feels like a sad, been-there-done-that, what’s-the-point way to start the new year.

One question intrudes even though I keep pushing it out of my mind in the quest for hope and optimism: Since I’m back to this, is this where I’ll always remain?

Answer: Hopefully not; it must not be; perish the thought. But funny how the question persists, buzzing at me like a pesky fly.

I’ve decided that for the New Year I’ve got to ease up on Lisa the Writer and get back to being Lisa the Whole Person. This will help, I think.

Blogger Awards, Two of Them!

Posted on January 7, 2009 by lalber

Wow, okay, so DeAnna Cameron, debuting novelist, and oh over at Oh! Books…Paper…Real Life… notified me that I’d won blogger awards. Two different blogger awards, which makes this post a little tricky…Hm…

The rules for the awards are basically the same, so I’m going to combine them. If I list you, please pass on your kudos to your favorite bloggers using whichever award you want! Both awards were created to promote fraternization between bloggers, a way of showing affection and gratitude for work that adds value to the Web.

Inspiration Award

inspirationaward oh listed me for the Inspiration Award (picturing Marie Antoinette). It is an award for blogs that you find inspiring. Thanks, oh!

1. Please put the logo of the award (above) on your blog if you can make it work with your format.

2. Link to the person from whom you received the award.

3. Nominate 7 or more blogs.

4. Put the links of those blogs on your blog.

5. Leave a message on their blogs to tell them.

Prémio Dardos Award

premiodardos DeAnna listed me for the Prémio Dardos, which is Italian for “Prize Darts.” This award is given for recognition of cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values transmitted in the form of creative and original writing. These stamps were created with the intention of promoting fraternization between bloggers, a way of showing affection and gratitude for work that adds value to the Web. Thanks, DeAnna!

1. Accept the award by posting on your blog along with the name of the person that has granted the award and a link to his/her blog.

2. Pass the award to another 15 blogs that are worthy of this acknowledgement, remembering to contact each of them to let them know they’ve been selected for this award.

—

I hereby express my gratitude and affection to the following bloggers. (DeAnna and oh: not listing you but would have otherwise!) These are in no particular order.

1. The Third Eve: Eve’s understanding about human nature and psychology gets me thinking every time.

2. Shrinking Violet Promotions: This is an author website about marketing for introverts. Marketing for introverts! Gotta love it.

3. Sandi Kahn Shelton, novelist: She simply writes so well. This in itself inspires me.

4. Bloglily: I’m looking forward to reading Bloglily’s fiction because I feel good after reading her blog. I imagine her fiction will be filled with the same warmth and understanding as her blog.

5. Elizabeth Engstrom, novelist: She’s wise and she’s a good friend. I like the way she thinks.

6. Susan Wiggs, bestselling romance author, is a cheerful person. She’s an antidote to my bad moods!

7. Distraction no. 99: Reading her blog is so voyeuristic. She’s a writer who puts it all out there, her self-doubts, her angsts, her snags. It’s amazing really.

8. Murderati: This is a crew of publishing crime writers who together provide a varied and fascinating view into the working novelist’s life. Plus, lots of wisdom about the business!

9. Merely Me’s Writing to Survive: This woman’s got some stuff going on! I’m inspired because she’s honest about her health issues and because since I met her in Bloggerland she’s gone on to write columns/posts for other sites and expand her blog.

I’m only listing 9 because it’s too difficult to choose amongst the bloggers I pop in on. Plus, I’ll be honest, I haven’t been hitting the blogosphere as much as usual in the last couple of months — distracted by life and holidays — but writing this post reminds me how much I’m missing!

Disco into the New Year

Posted on January 1, 2009 by lalber

newyearseve Last night I danced and drank my way into the New Year with good friends. Today, I’m sore and tired, but feeling pretty darned good, especially because I’ve decided to keep my resolutions simple.

This afternoon I came upon a Day-Timer organizer from a decade ago. This was back when I thought a Day-Timer could help, and I worked a salaried job that paid for it anyhow. Talk about a time capsule! And the interesting thing is that in essentials, I haven’t changed. At all.

At first, I didn’t know whether to be distressed or relieved. Distressed because I haven’t grown out my bad habits, because I’m still obsessing about the same old three issues, because I’m stuck? Or relieved because I’m a stable person with my stable set of self-improvement goals?

Many years ago, a good friend, B–, didn’t know if she should marry her boyfriend because they always seemed to be arguing about one thing or the other. She was distressed. Then, she told me, she had a realization: What appeared to be all-encompassing turmoil and incompatibility were really only issues around three topics. Three.

When she quantified and listed these clashes, she saw that they weren’t deal-breakers. She could work with them. Most of all, she accepted them. And then she was relieved.

I remembered B– as I read through my Day-Timer, and I decided that I, too, can work with my threesome. In fact, no need to write them down because this is who I am, apparently: a person who’s concerned about her health, concerned about her writing, and concerned about using her time more efficiently.

I’m hopeful for 2009 because I begin it in a state of acceptance rather than conflict with myself. Are you hopeful as you start your new year?

Lisa Gets Interviewed

Posted on December 30, 2008 by lalber

Check it out! My first online interview!

Thanks to Bloglily, who writes a fabulous blog!

Exotic? Me?

Posted on December 29, 2008 by lalber

Just back from dinner, and I’m still smiling about a comment that someone made about me.

My friend Lee gets his pals together for a post-holiday Italian dinner at one of his favorite eateries here in Portland. It’s the kind of restaurant with all-you-can-eat-spaghetti Mondays and plastic checkerboard tablecloths. Old school and reeeally good food.

There we sat, starting from my left:

~ The host, investment banker (specialty: public stock offerings)
~ Beauty school teacher
~ Librarian
~ Lawyer (specialty: non-profit, foster children)
~ Scientist (NATO research facility, Italy)
~ Urban planner (specialty: green, sustainable)
~ Yours truly, writer

These people are up to some interesting things, or, if not so interesting, have loads of funny stories (about beauty school drama queens and homeless-people shenanigans in the library stacks, for example). I was into hearing about spooky NATO research, or heartwrenching foster-care cases, or our new mayor’s crazy plans for Portland. Stories, stories galore from all of them! Let me suck them all up!

Unfortunately, before I could delve in, the urban planner turned to me. “Lisa, you’re a writer, right?”

So then it starts. You know the questions — people get curious, it’s a fact, and I don’t know why I continue to be surprised. After a couple of glasses of chianti, I’m okay with talking about myself, about my erstwhile agent, the writing grant, and all the rest. To my surprise, after awhile the lawyer says, “I’d say you’re the most exotic person at this table, Lisa.”

Exotic!

Exotic?

Me? This white girl who is so white that tomorrow she has to return a facial powder in the lightest shade (“light”) because it’s still too dark? Me? Exotic?

So I crack a joke, something about me being the most boring person at the table because I spend most of my time alone, at home, with my computer.

They laughed. I don’t think they believed me, but did I care? Nah. Because they were under the impression that I’m exotic. (Frankly, I bet it’s my cool blue glasses; they’re the most exotic thing about me!)