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0 Comments on Winter Blog Blast Tour 2009 as of 11/18/2009 7:50:00 PM
Here are some publishing odds and ends for your mid-afternoon reading pleasure.
"Bookshelves are kind of a mosaic," explains journalist and popular Twitter scribeSusan Orlean as she shows off her bookshelf in Stacked Up. "I have a little bit of a system that starts with the absurd and moves towards something a little bit grander."
We are excited to announce two new additions to the First Book family this fall – First Book-Central Michigan University and First Book-Duke University! First Book-Central Michigan University was established in September by students from several campus organizations including the Student Michigan Education Association, Alpha Sigma Alpha, and Kappa Delta Pi. The Board is off to a great start having already held their first fundraising event and making their first grant award.
First Book-Duke University was established in October by Arlene Melchiorre in Duke’s Office of Durham and Regional Affairs. Arlene is a long time friend of First Book and former chair of First Book-Syracuse University. At a recent event, cheers filled the auditorium at E.K. Powe Elementary School when the students learned they’d be going home with brand-new books from First Book.
Please join us in welcoming these new Boards!
If you would like to join or start a First Book Advisory Board in your community, please see the In Your Community section of the First Book Web site.
0 Comments on Welcome New Campus Advisory Boards as of 1/1/1900
I've mentioned "How I Met Your Mother" before as one of the few network TV shows that had a good grasp on what twentysomethings wanted to see on the small screen. This week the creative forces behind HIMYM reminded us they know a thing or two about how their target demo wants those screens to be bridged as well.
On Monday's episode Neil Patrick Harris' character Barney refers to a series of fake online articles he created as components of an elaborate pick-up scheme involving an alter-ego by the name of Lorenzo Von Matterhorn. During the episode a quick Google search pulled up three pages at the fake publications (the one from Balloon Explorers Club pictured here) as well as a full Wikipedia page dedicated to the life of the legendary Von Matterhorn.
Not surprisingly the page was yanked by Wikipedia before the show had even ended to be replaced by a more factual explanation of the hoax, but not before it helped “Lorenzo Von Matterhorn” become the number 1 search term on Google for the day. Meaning… like the recent research Ypulse Insights (our research arm) compiled on teens and college students' TV viewing habits, the twentysomething / early 30s crowd that comprises HIMYM's target demo is also watching in real time and responding proactively to the mention of a website.
With more TV shows building deep and lasting web presences complete with all the interactive/convergent bells and whistles, the sites that accompany “How I Met Your Mother” (most notably the MySpace page for fake Canadian 90s pop singer Robin Sparkles) take the exact opposite route — going for the literal cheap laughs by looking like the types of single-serving sites that a bored twentysomething would visit or create to amuse themselves and their friends. Because that's exactly the point.
And if the case study of Lorenzo von Matterhorn teaches networks or advertisers (*ahem* Miracle Whip) with similar plans in mind anything, it's that when the strategy is executed in the right, authentic way it pays off in dividends — adding to the depth of the fictional world and the viewing experience.
We’ve already linked to this, but this interview with Ralph Bakshi has some really shrewd insights peppered throughout. One of his comments that stood out most is his opinion of Pixar:
I don’t see too many new films today as it is - just sitting in the theater and watching all of that money on the screen, wishing that I had even a tenth of it to do some of the things that I wanted. It’s just a hard pill for me to swallow. On the other hand, thinking about a place like Pixar having to spend $150 million on a film is another hard pill for me to swallow. I don’t think animation is worth that kind of money. I think it’s part of the problem. With everything that’s happened to this country, where do we come off spending that kind of money?…The kind of money they spend, the expertise, and the various departments they have is startling. Those films better be good, because basically the guys have no choice. It better be good, or they’re wasting a lot of money.
Bakshi has a point. Has all that money really made animation any better? How much better would CG animated features be if budgets were voluntarily cut by the studios and directors were forced again to make creative decisions instead of spending all their time gilding lilies. Too many computer animated films today have the gaudy feel of things created by dictators who spend tons and tons of money and still end up with aesthetic and conceptual eyesores. Hollywood is never going to return to Bakshi’s days of shoestring animated features made quickly and with passion, but reining in the ever-ballooning budgets of computer animation might result in less inflated, self-important films that actually leave a lasting impact.
0 Comments on Ralph Bakshi on Pixar as of 11/18/2009 9:11:00 PM
The early-bird discount for the mediabistro.com eBook Summit expires tonight at midnight EST, the best ticket price for the digital publishing conference next month.
Yesterday I tweeted a top ten list of books for girls and young women compiled by arts and culture blog Flavorpill. Really I couldn't resist. Matilda! The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler!? Those books meant so much to me that just seeing their covers literally gave me goosebumps. And judging by the healthy number of retweets, I know I'm not alone. Of course, this isn't the first (or last) effort to evoke that visceral re-connection, but it's a pretty stellar selection with an angle we could get behind. From the intro:
Here are our top ten choices of books for girls and young women — we have some overlap with TAOM’s list (because why should girls only read books about girls?) but we’ve also picked out some spectacular novels particularly for the young ladies. Our claim: boys will like them too.
TAOM = The Art of Manliness, the blog that inspired Flavorpill's Top Ten by posting a pretty fantastic list of 50 great reads for boys and young men (The Phantom Tollbooth! A Wrinkle in Time!) of their own. It's enough to make me want to raid my current and childhood bookshelves, hanker down for some serious re-reading and spend some quality time with these characters. Can we just talk for a minute about these characters? Both lists favor protagonists after my own heart, but focusing on the "Girls/Young Women" list we see a wide range smart, adventurous, witty types with emotional complexity to boot. Just ripe for the picking of role models… and comparisons with certain contemporary heroines who may not be up to snuff.
Yes, the anti-Bella/Twilight sentiment isn't exactly hidden here (I believe the phrase "Mormon propaganda" actually gets dropped in the intro) and it seems, with the imminent release of "New Moon" and the mockable wave of heartthrob-centric marketing and merchandising around the film, 'tis once again the season for Twilight bashing. Truth be told, I haven't exactly been the series' greatest supporter. Those who know me have sat through many a session of heated analysis around Bella and her relationship with Edward where I've expressed frustration over her lack of self-confidence, the intense codependence and an almost complete lack of ambitions outside of the romantic relationship (college? friends?). Still, I wouldn't hold Bella up as the antithesis of all those who made the list. The Twi-hards, or whatever you'd like to call devoted Twilight fans, deserve more credit than that.
I'd like to believe, regardless of my personal response, that the female tween and teen readers who embrace the series are able to see those qualities I listed in Bella. I'd hope they would seek them out in order to identify with her and defend themselves (and the character) against arguments and concerns from Twilght dissenters. In that spirit, while reviewing Flavorpill's list, I started to think about how classics like those (along with contemporary fictional heroines) could actually help young girls exercise those critical capabilities. By comparing and contrasting Bella with the likes of Lyra Belacqua of the "His Dark Materials" trilogy by Phillip Pullman (talk about an epic, ill-fated romance!) or, Winnie Forster from Tuck Everlasting, another young woman facing the choice between the life she knew and immortality, I think parents, librarians or anyone putting a book in girls' hands would find a much more productive access point to the discussion around feminism, role models, etc. than, say, just saying no to Bella. Ypulse readers?
For more coverage of YA books and publishing, check out the Ypulse Books Channel sponsored by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, publishers of Beautiful Creatures
He died on the 9th. [link] MILL VALLEY, CA — Osmond Molarsky, a well-regarded author of children's books who laid claim to giving novelist James Michener his first paid writing job, died Monday in Marin General Hospital after a recent fall, a week before his 100th birthday.
Check it out! Thanks to our wonderful galleries crew, especially Maria and Erna, we now have screencaps of the entire Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince DVD, along with all of the deleted scenes and extras. Be sure to take time and go through the many wonderful stills; especially notable are those clearly showing the anguish in Tom Felton's (Draco) face and the checked emotions of <>Alan Rick...
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Should You Be on Facebook? Is Tweeting Really Necessary? Talking Online Presence with Loren Long...
I took Monday and Tuesday off work this week for no other reason than to use up some PTO (that expires at the end of the year). One of my Monday activities way having lunch with illustrator Loren Long and his wife Tracy. (Loren also lives and works here in the Nati.)
During lunch at the cafe at Joseph-Beth Booksellers (because I thought it appropriate and because they have great vegetarian chili), Loren, Tracy and I talked a lot about online presence. Loren has a website but has not ventured much beyond that. Does an author with more than a dozen fabulous books under his belt--who works with publishers like Philomel and Simon & Schuster, who is on the Jon Scieska's Trucktown team--need to be blogging? Be on Facebook? Twitter? It couldn't hurt.
It's no secret that authors/illustrators have a big responsibility in their own promotion. The more you're out there, the more connections you make, the more friends you have, the more conversations you get into, the better. Networking should start before you get published (see Christina Katz's Get Known Before the Book Deal)and keep rolling along once you have a book or two or ten out in the world.
That doesn't mean you have to use every social network avenue available. Twitter is not everyone's cup of tea. And heaven help us if everyone had a blog. But if you've got a blog's worth of things to say that would be interesting/useful/informative/inspiring then go for it. If you enjoy being part of the conversation and can fit it into your schedule, tweet away. But if these things aren't you, if they'd be drudgery, move along. But at least try things out to see what fits--you might really enjoy participating in the conversation. (And sometimes that conversation will be about your work.)
Speaking of work, here are a few of my favorite Loren Long covers. So so beautiful. (And now I'm off to hang up my autographed Otis poster.)
Yesterday’s post led to Kilks suggesting that I base a NaNo tip on it, which I am now doing.
One of the biggest flaws in beginner writing is a reliance on stereotypes and cliches which produces characters who never come to life because they lack verisimilitude. The female protag faints and is afraid of spiders. The male one is brave and strong. Or vice versa. And that’s all there is to them. They’re thinner than paper.
What do I mean by a stereotype? Let’s look at one that frequently shows up in US teen movies and books: the dumb jock.
Now am I saying that you can’t write about a dumb jock? No, absolutely not. I’m saying that if you’re writing a character who has been written a million times before and been in a million movies you have to work hard to make them transcend being merely “the dumb jock.” You have to turn them into a fully realised character.
My favourite dumb jock is D.J. Schwenk, the protag of Catherine Gilbert Murdock’s Dairy Queen trilogy. D.J. breaks the stereotype in several ways. For starters she’s a girl and she’s playing American football on a boy’s team. But there’s more to it than that. She’s dumb in that she’s not very good at school work. She doesn’t get why people read books for pleasure. And she’s not particularly smart about her own feelings. Or rather she’s slow at figuring them out. She’s slow at things that aren’t physical. But she gets there eventually. All too often we equate fast thinking with smart thinking and D.J. helps get you to rethink that. Maybe she’s considered “dumb” because our definition of smart isn’t very flexible?
When a character is making you rethink what it means to be “dumb” or “smart” you know you’re in the hands of a wonderful writer.
How does Murdock do it?
It’s all in the details. The tell-tale observations that are so particular to her character. The syntax and rhythm of D.J.’s speech (the books are in first person) sounds like no one but D.J. Schwenk. Here’s the opening of the third book in the trilogy, Front and Center:
Here are ten words I never thought I’d be saying . . . Well, okay, sure. I say these words all the time. It’s not like school and good and to are the kind of words you can avoid even if you wanted to. It’s just that I’ve never said them in this particular order. Not that I can remember, anyway. But what do you know, there they were inside my head, like a little thing you’d say to get yourself psyched: It sure feels good to be going back to school.
It feels like D.J. is talking directly to us. We get to see her thought patterns, which are halting, even clumsy, she’s not comfortable with words, which is something we usually associate with being smart.
It’s very intimate to be allowed such close access to someone else’s thoughts. It’s a great way to get your audience on side with your character. We get to know them better than anyone else in the book does. And when we know a character that well it’s impossible for them to remain a stereotype.
So there you have it: if you get inside your character’s head, really get to understand them, then they cease to be a cliche. It doesn’t matter if they started as the perky cheerleader, or the loner goth kid who reads too much, or the bully with problems at home they will become themselves: real and believable.
Good luck with it!
0 Comments on NaNo Tip No. 18: Breaking with Stereotypes as of 1/1/1900
While we might take for granted the notion that animal species can become extinct—and that, occasionally, humans are the direct cause—among the early pioneers of natural science, the idea that any link in the great chain of being could be broken took a while to sink in. As the Washington Times' Claire Hopley notes in a recent review of Mark V. Barrow Jr.'s Nature's Ghosts: Confronting Extinction From the Age of Jefferson to the Age of Ecology:
18th- and early-19th-century scientists and thinkers believed that the world was created with a complete inventory of humans, animals, birds and vegetation, forming a chain of being.
The idea that a link in this chain could disappear undermined this fundamental concept. As Jefferson wrote, "Such is the economy of nature, that no instance can be produced of her having permitted any one race of her animals to become extinct; of her having formed any link in her great work so weak as to be broken." He put the mammoth first in his list of American mammals because he expected that a living example would be discovered as explorers moved westward and encountered wildlife unknown in the east.
The existence of uncharted territories, not only in America but also in Africa and the South Pacific, fostered resistance to the idea of extinction. But as distant countries were explored it became clear that species were being wiped out.…
But as Barrow's new book demonstrates, as the idea of extinction gained credence so too did the idea of conservation, at first, among natural scientists who wished to preserve specimens for study, and later, among members of the public interested in preserving the beauty of the North American wildlife.
Delivering a sweeping, beautifully illustrated historical narrative of these efforts to preserve the natural world, Barrow's Nature's Ghosts takes readers on a journey from the early scientific discoveries that revealed the threat of extinction, to the pioneering conservation efforts of early naturalists like John James Audubon and John Muir.
With Nature's Ghosts Barrow offers an unprecedented view of what we've lost—and a stark reminder of the hard work of preservation still ahead.
"The New Oxford American Dictionary chose the verb "unfriend" as its 2009 Word of the Year (WOTY) and defined it this way: "to remove someone as a ‘friend' on a social networking site such as Facebook." The word "has both currency and potential longevity," explained Christine Lindberg, Oxford's senior lexicographer on the OUP Blog. The choice of this year's word is telling because the act of unfriending (or defriending) is part of the pruning process of maintaining a presence on social media, like Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn. It's easy to collect more friends than you want or need, including many contacts that may turn out not to be "friends" by any reasonable definition of the word. Fortunately, if someone posts too often, bores you, lurks without posting, has questionable politics or ethics, says something caustic or insensitive, acts unpredictably, or even uses too many exclamation points, it's relatively easy to get rid of them electronically---with no more than a few keystrokes. But dumping a true friend-online or off-isn't as easy because it raises the risk of collateral damage. When two people are really "friends," they're likely to have numerous connections. They may have common friends, live in the same neighborhood, share a workplace or livelihood, belong to the same community or organizations, or have exchanged information (including secrets and confidences) with one another. So a word of caution: Even though a new verb has entered the common parlance, think twice before you unfriend. Doing it carries some of the same risks of dumping someone offline."
0 Comments on Dr. Irene Levine, author of BEST FRIENDS FOREVER, on the Consequences of "Unfriending" as of 11/18/2009 9:53:00 PM
Three universities have answered the National Federation of the Blind's call to not endorse Amazon.com (AMZN) Kindle DX as a textbook alternative on campus, and a spokesperson revealed that the Federation has contacted more universities to join the boycott.
In an interview, Chris Danielsen, the federation's Director of Public Relations, told GalleyCat: "It is certainly our intention to continue to reach out to more universities to make sure they take a stand ... We are corresponding with people we know at various universities, sending out more general correspondence as well. More will be revealed as we implement it." All year, the organization has defended the Kindle's controversial text-to-speech function.
Danielsen concluded: "We want to make sure that universities encourage a paradigm of accessibility for blind students and for all of their students. Text-to-speech and eBook accessibility are potentially beneficial to a lot of different people. We ultimately believe that anyone should be able to buy an eBook and read it in the form which is best for their needs."
Earlier this year, I blogged about advances and royalties. In part, I mentioned that a New York Times bestselling author, Lynn Viehl, had posted her royalty statement online at http://www.genreality.net/the-reality-of-a-times-bestseller. Lynn has received another royalty statement for that bestselling book and posted it online at http://www.genreality.net/more-on-the-reality-of-a-times-bestseller. The way I understand it, her profits from the book now stand at just under $25,000 after subtracting expenses, taxes, and agent commissions. She said she posted these royalty statements to dispel myths in publishing. Consider the myths dispelled.
0 Comments on Advances and Royalties, Part 2 as of 11/18/2009 7:27:00 PM
This Friday, November 20th the movie, Precious, based on the book, Push by Sapphire opens nationwide.
On December 11th, Disney’s Princess and the Frog opens nationwide.
I’ll be going to see at least one of them on opening night, likely the Disney movie because I have a little one.
Here’s why you should too:
We need Opening Day Gold
Movies don’t stay in theatres very long anymore so opening night has become increasingly important. As much as I hate that fact, it’s still a fact.
Although international sales and DVD sales can all lend to a movie’s overall success, it’s opening night that deems how successful it’s perceived.
Die Myths, Die!
Strong opening numbers should put one more nail in the coffin of the myth that people of color don’t significantly support “their own” movies.
At the very least, it’ll put a nail in the coffin of the new myth that we’ll only go see Tyler Perry movies on opening night.
Real chance at Universal storytelling
Based on subject matter, both movies should appeal across racial barriers. Like *ahem* many stories by and with people of color in them do.
Black YA authors ready for Hollywood’s Call
Although Precious is about a young adult, I don’t really consider Push a YA novel. However, the movie’s success may lead filmmakers to take a closer look at the various YA novels out here by brown authors. There’s a vast untapped resource of brown children’s stories that can be adapted to film being totally overlooked.
Could be our last chance
It’s only taken the Mouse House about 40 years to put a black princess as lead in a film. I know that actually sounds like a good reason to thumb our nose at them and say screw their late to the table offering, but in the name of playing the cards we’re dealt – it’s here now, don’t support it at your own risk.
Who knows if we’ll ever get this chance again.
Better late than never
The Disney movie is cause for joy. In my day, Disney movies were primarily about animals and old-school fairy tales. I remember seeing Bambi at the theatres.
The new-school princess age was in full boon when my oldest daughter was in her Disney prime. So this new movie comes at a perfect time for my youngest daughter. Better late than never ever.
It’s what we’ve been waiting for!
Efforts like The Brown Bookshelf come down to dollars. No matter how many blog posts and showcases we do, if people don’t purchase the books we highlight we’re truly singing in the wind.
I choose to see these two movies as opportunities to stand behind all we say in the blogosphere. I hope their success trickles down to other literary works and to more diverse Disney projects.
Please visit me at my new blog gracenotes(outergrace.blogspot.com), I no longer post here and will slowly be deleting this. Thanks and hope to see you!
0 Comments on now at gracenotes as of 11/18/2009 8:05:00 PM
This may be the coolest gift EVER! I'm amazed. Gosh~ what's next? I'll be the first in line for a telekinetic vacuum and mop! Or . . . even better yet, a telekinetic Litter-box cleaner!
5 Comments on Give the gift of Telekinesis at Christmas this year. Really!, last added: 11/18/2009
It’s no secret. I love dogs (and books, too!). History has shown that books and dogs often make a winning combination. Just recently, a wonderful book was published entitled Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine and a Miracleby Brian Dennis. It’s a story about the friendship between an Iraqi dog of war and an American Marine, how they were separated and how they came together again. It is powerful and moving, all the more so for taking place in the harsh circumstances of war. As I read it (through tears, I must admit), I could not help but think of my own sweet dog—a faithful friend who always, always knows how to lift my spirits and brighten my day. And so, as a tribute to him and all the beloved dogs who enrich our days and fill our lives and without whom the world would be a bleaker place, I dedicate this list of favorite dog stories (rest assured, they all have happy endings!):
Based on a true story of a dog who loved the beach and the ocean (despite the No Dogs Allowed signs) and who becomes an unofficial but dedicated lifeguard.
Togo by Robert J. Blake A gripping tale based on the historic serum run of 1925 and of the brave dog who led his team through the Arctic icelands to save Alaska from an outbreak of diphtheria.
From the book jacket--This is the story about a big, ugly dog named Orville, who can see into people’s hearts and smell their dreams. It’s a story about lonesomeness, about barking, about getting free from chains, and about love.
And finally, a quote from Groucho Marx: Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.
Posted by Sue Ann
0 Comments on A Book's Best Friend as of 11/19/2009 12:10:00 AM
It looks like that for the time being, the drawings resemble plants and trees. I have discarded several attempts since the last post because knowing I was planning on posting the drawings I tried too hard to be different. I also found myself worried about what my blog viewers might think. And, I don’t know why I let that worry me because my viewers consist of a few close friends.
This small tree is nothing unusual but it was a few moments enjoying the experience with the inner critic turned off.
Tree | pen & ink | 1.25 inches wide by 1.75 inches tall
Writers Mirror welcomes Connie Wolfe as our Wednesday Writer. Connie is a member of ANWA, American Night Writers Association. She has been writing for many years. Though yet to be putlished, she is an excellent writer and will someday soon be out there.
CRW: Welcome Connie, what inspires you to write?
Connie: I sometimes notice little things that trigger a scene for me. For instance, the other day in the grocery store there was a man with his little boy (about 5). The little boy looked up at his Daddy with an expression of pure hero worship and his father returned with a look I can only describe as gentle love. In my mind I imagined them as a divorced father who missed his time with his boy and took full advantage of his visitation rights. Since I am divorced and do not see a good relationship between my sons and their father, this really struck me as sweet and noteworthy. I’d love to write something that would inspire father’s everywhere to appreciate their children and to live so that their children could always look up to them with that same worshipful expression.
CRW: Do you set time or word goals daily for your writing?
Connie: I don’t do very well at setting a daily word goal. I tend to write by scenes, not words. When I have a scene fixed in my mind, I like to sit down, close my eyes, and just let it pour out my fingertips onto the keyboard. It isn’t unusual to come to the end of the scene and realize that I have tears running down my cheeks.
CRW: I beleive that if the writer cries as she writes it, then the emotions are so honest that the reader will too. What gets in your way of writing?
Connie: It would almost be easier to say what doesn’t get in my way of writing. Life happens. I can always find something else that needs done before I sit to write and before you know it, my day is gone. Perhaps my biggest stumbling block is emotional energy. Especially if I am working on an intense scene, it tends to drain me emotionally. If I am under a great deal of stress for the day, I find it very difficult to find the energy to write. Recently, I find that I resist being scheduled. As of three months ago, for the first time in my life, there is no one calling the shots for me; no parents, child, husband or boss. I have been wallowing in that luxurious feeling like a pig in the mud. My time is my own to do with as I choose and it has been a heady feeling. I got a little unrealistic with it for a while, but am getting things back into perspective now.
CRW: Tell us a little more about how you are coming to terms with making time for writing?
Connie: It took a while to identify some of the problems, but I am doing my best to negate them. While there is always something that needs doing in the housework department, I have identified the things that drive me crazy if undone. Since my best writing time is early in the day, I am making it a policy not go to bed at night until those things are done so they don’t take control of the next day and my wrighting time. I also try to schedule other responsibilities and appointments for later in the day so it keeps my mornings more free to write. I limit myself in the time I spend with e-mails, blogs, etc. Reading was a distraction for me. Once I start a book, I hate to put it down. So, since I like to read as I eat, for breakfast I limit my reading to an Ensign article or a Relief Society lesson. To read for fun is becoming a reward for writing.
CRW: Novel idea. (Pun intended.) I run crazy in the morning doing everthing. Once I get writing, I tend to leave this world, and time means nothing. I'm afraid I won't get even the most necessary of tasks done if I don't do them first. What makes you CRAZY about writing?
Connie: I am awful at editing as I write. If I come up with something new in my story line, it is so compelling to go back and build it in to what has already been written. It’s almost like I can’t think straight until I have set all the clues and foreshadows before I can go on. I am trying to deal with that by setting aside some time each couple of days to do the editing rather than doing it at the moment.
CRW: Where is the strangest place you have worked on a story?
Connie: A few years ago I attended a writer’s conference on a cruise ship. The ship stopped off Catalina Island and they had small boats that ferried passengers to land. Since I was still using a cane as a result of breaking my foot, I decided not to risk climbing on and off those bouncing boats, so went up on the promenade deck and wrote instead of sightseeing.
CRW: Sounds wonderful! Do you have a timeline in mind to completing one of your projects?
Connie: I’ve set a goal to have the rough draft completed by the end of the year and the editing and polishing done by the end of March.
CRW: You mentioned about the scene with the father and son in the grocery store. Where else do you get your ideas?
Connie: I love to play the ‘what if’ game. I see an unusual person, or a person doing something unusual, overhear a snatch of conversation, and I can ‘what if’ it into some really fun things. The fun thing about being a writer is that it is only limited by your own imagination.
CRW: Where do you come up with your character names?
Connie: Sometimes the names just come to me. Occasionally a character reminds me of someone I have known and I use that name. Of course, sometimes those names change as the character develops more fully.
CRW: Do you have a favorite writing food?
Connie: Chocolate and ice cream. Unfortunately, in my effort to reduce weight and get more fit and healthy, those are now off limits. In this not as perfect world of weight loss, I have resorted to almonds and lemon drops.
CRW: Why are you a writer?
Connie: I have had a love affair with books from the time I was big enough to hold one. In grade school, most of my recesses were spent on the front steps of the school with a book. By the time I could read well, I had a younger brother and sister that loved to have me read aloud to them. That added a whole new dimension to reading pleasure. It was a very small step from loving to read to wanting to write.
CRW: Good point. Who do you hope reads your work?
Connie: I tend to write in different genres. I have too many works in process—mystery, historical fiction, fantasy, and romance. These tend to be geared to young adult or women.
CRW: What would be the best compliment about your writing that you could receive?
Connie: That I am the best writer they have every read. (Just kidding.) To have a reader identify with a character and to receive strength and hope for their own lives through what they learned from that character would be like reaching out and sharing a piece of my heart and soul with the reader. To have them understand and appreciate what I shared would be overwhelmingly gratifying.
CRW: Tell us about your current work in progress.
Connie: I am working on a story based in the early 1900’s. Young Daisy (Demaris Anne Parker) is leaving the family farm to enjoy a social season with her aunt and cousins in Detroit. She meets Henry Malcolm, a young attorney who is gaining a reputation for defending the underdog. Henry’s sense of justice and responsibility coupled with Daisy’s optimism and zest for life create some interesting growth experiences for both of them.
CRW: Sounds like you have a great story coming. Connie, I really appreciate you letting us have some insight on you as a writer. How fun that you did this interview with Writers Mirror before you books come out. It's like we get a sneak peak into whats to come.
0 Comments on Wednesday Writer ~ Connie Wolfe as of 11/18/2009 9:41:00 PM
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Three universities have answered the National Federation of the Blind's call 
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