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Pinterest is becoming one of the major sources of traffic to my site. The visual medium of book covers and other related imagery piques people’s interest. Follow me on Pinterest.
If your name is Pattison, your name might be confused with Pattinson these days. Miserable vampires.
Life would be more interesting if YOU were part of the Fiction Notes Facebook group and if you asked and answered lots of questions there. Please come join us.
A new study sponsored by Cornell Center for Hospitality Research gives 3 solid reasons for face-to-face meetings, instead of just virtual meetings.
Co-author Mary Beth McEuen writes,
“. . .we identified three key reasons for face-to-face meetings: to capture attention, especially for new concepts; to inspire a positive emotional climate; and a related point, to build human networks and relationships.”
“Face-to-face meetings possess the unique ability to spur action and drive business results through creating powerful, emotional ties to your business mission and message. The fact remains that there’s no substitute for meeting in person when you want to build emotional support and develop relationships.”
I’m traveling a lot for the next six weeks, going to conferences and retreats.
MI-SCBWI Fall Conference, on October 08, 2010, @ Yarrow Golf Resort near Kalamazoo, MI
“Writing and Illustrating for Kids”: Southern Breeze SCBWI, Plotting Workshop and Keynote Speaker. on October 15 2010, @ Birmingham, AL
Novel Revision Retreat: Upstate NY SCBWI, on November 05 2010, @ Syracuse, NY
Novel Revision Retreat: Brazos Valley SCBWI, on November 13 2010, @ College Station, TX
I’m booking for 2011 and 2012. Interested in more information? Email me at darcy at darcypattison dot com.
A couple points here:
New concepts: Notice that the report talks about capturing attention for new concepts. At writing conferences, it’s easier to hold an editor’s attention for a few minutes while you pitch something. Practice the elevator pitch! Be able to discuss your story, your idea, your concepts in a few succinct words.
Positive Emotional Climate: Hey, please be polite and gracious and kind to guest speakers. You want them to come away with a great feeling about you and your organization. Put yourself in their shoes: they are in a room full of strangers. You don’t always have to pitch your story to make yourself memorable. Just a small kindness can do that for you.
Build Human Relations and Networks: Casual conversation can reveal unexpected points of connection between people and build tighter ties and relationships. Go to a conference with the idea that you’ll learn something, of course. And, of course, you’ll make connections with influential people. But don’t leave out your peers: they are just as important to network with. In fact, let’s don’t call it networking at that point. It’s important to make friends with whom you can share your joys and trials.
The results of the Face-to-Face study seems predictable: but it’s a good reminder to us of why we go to conferences, to meet people. I hope to meet YOU soon.
I know someone who had dinner with Andre. An friend of mine, through some art world connections, found himself across the table from the man, chatting between mouthfuls of pasta or sushi or some such. My apologies if this bombshell has caused you to drop your mug of coffee or to fall down a well, IPhone in hand, mouth agape. It is shocking, but I assure you it’s true.
If you aren’t shocked, it’s only because you’re thinking, “Andre? Andre Agassi?” Heavens no. This wasn’t some binge of crystal meth and Oedipal rants. “Andre the Giant, then?” Sadly, that glandular wonder is dead, and even if he was alive, I suspect a dinner with Andre the Giant would involve massive turkey legs and troughs of gravy as opposed to the stimulating discussions for which the Andre I refer to is famous. “And which Andre, pray tell, is that?”
In the 1980s, if you wanted to make a joke about intellectualism, Louis Malle’s My Dinner with Andre was always a good place to start. It was a film featuring Wallace Shawn, most famous to the masses for his “inconceivable” role in The Princess Bride and now for his joyously goofy part on Gossip Girl. In the film, Wallace (or Wally, as he’s known to pals) eats dinner with Andre Gregory. They talk about art retreats and existentialism and all things well-heeled and white. And that’s it. Roll credits.
As much as people were baffled that this could be a movie, there were critics such as Roger Ebert, and plenty of turtle-necked philosophy majors, who ate the junk up. I saw it when I was green and impressionable and while I can say it wasn’t an entire bore, I definitely didn’t buy into it. Just like I didn’t buy into Waking Life or I Heart Huckabees or similar exercises in navel-gazing cinematic blather. That said, should I ever be invited to a dinner with theatre stalwart Andre Gregory, I would be honored and humbled. Because it is the equivalent of winning the culinary/conversation lottery.
Really, it is. Think about it.
Let’s say Andre eats dinner every day, a safe assumption. Let’s also say he eats at home most often, but regularly goes out with his wife or friends, and occasionally dines at art openings and parties and business functions. From this, we can make a generous guess and assume that, on average, Andre eats dinner with a person he has never met once every five days. Now you can’t count any person who happens to be in the room while he cuts a t-bone. Having a conversation with Andre is essential to having dinner with him. So all things told, for each year of his life, Andre has had about 73 new dining companions. It’s been almost 30 years since the film. In that time, it multiplies to 2,190 folks.
Now let’s roun
0 Comments on The Vegas Line: A Dinner with Andre as of 1/1/1900
Sometimes small thing accumulate and there are small tips to pass along. Here are a couple.
Read the editor’s letter CAREFULLY:
Because I’m in between novels and not-yet-committed to the new one, I’ve been doing some freelance projects to fill the time, earn a bit, and look for new opportunities. I’ve had one editor interested in a piece, but wanted revisions. The editor is in charge of three publications and I had originally queried her about one, but she was interested in a piece for the sister publication. But I didn’t GET that at first. I was still thinking Publication A. When the article was off target and she asked for a revision, I re-read all her letter and was shocked to see that I had missed the switch to Publication B. Well, now I understood why she wanted that revision, I was thinking the wrong target audience.
My editor for Searching for Oliver K. Woodman retired to raise triplets. She’s always stayed in the business with two of her own novels published, Honk if You Hate Me and Big Mouth. When her husband was offered a year as an exchange teacher in England, they loaded up the trips and took off for a romp around Europe. She’s also done freelance editing and if you need that, she’d be a great option to consider. Take a look at her new site, ask questions and get to know her.
This year, I switched my “RSS by Email” service to MailChiimp.com, instead of using Feedburner’s service. If you signed up last year, you’re still on Feedburner’s service, though, I’ll probably switch people over soon — I’ll let you know when I do that.
I love MailChimp’s flexibility, its interface, its stats and its over-all friendliness. I looked at Constant Connect and tried it out a couple days, but found it less intuitive. I also tried AWeber and found it even less intuitive. Feedburner automatically had a nice look to its mailings. It was easy to duplicate that (almost) in MailChimp. AWeber and Constant Connect were HARD.
Disclosure: If you click on the MailChimp links (either here on at the bottom of the email post) AND you sign up for a paid account (I only have a free account), I will receive a $30 credit for mailings. Since I’m on a free account anyway, and you’ll likely just do a free account, it probably won’t make any difference; but I needed to tell you that.
By the way, you HAVE signed up for the RSS by Email feature, haven’t you? If not, why not? It make it easy to stay connected. Hey, follow me on Twitter, too: @FictionNotes
The US Copyright office tries to make it easy for you to understand the sometimes-complicated issues of copyright in the US. Here are some of the circulars (free pdf downloads about a certain topic).
I love my job, writing. That means holidays, while wonderful and full of family and friends and food and laughter, are stressful, because I’ve less time for writing.
I love holidays, don’t get me wrong. But why are Thanksgiving and Christmas so close together? Who planned that? And this year, we added on a winter vacation trip in January! Great trip, wonderful time. Glad we did it.
But, back to business: I’m glad to be back at work with no lingering distractions. So, I’m stretching out, looking around and planning and I have two issues I’d like to write about.
Author websites: how to build it, what it should contain, why should you do it, etc. Probably a series of about 10 postings. Or maybe a bit more. Not techie stuff exactly, but the ideas and reasons behind your website; plus lists of resources for those techie things.
Plot. I’d like to do a 30 Days to a Stronger Plot. Similar to the 30 Days to a Stronger Novel series, this would be short action-oriented tips on strengthening your novel’s plot.
It’s not that I know everything there is to know about either topic: but I do think I have some helpful things to say about both.
Which would you like to read the most? Plot or Author Websites?
PC and IPhone app. I thought I’d forward this to you in case you haven’t seen it. The free Kindle for PC download is another great option for readers who prefer digital versions of the Wayfinder. Readers who own iPhones can also download a free Kindle app. This is one of my favorite apps. I’ve read several entire books on my iPhone this way.
Everything is in-sync. The Kindle’s “whisper-sync technology” automatically saves a reader’s place when he/she finishes reading, and it synchronizes among all Kindle reading platforms. So, if a mother begins reading The Wayfinder on a PC, she can continue reading on her iPhone while she waits for her kids to finish soccer practice. She won’t even have to try to remember what page she read last; Kindle will keep track for her!
I like the fact that a reader doesn’t need to purchase a Kindle device in order to read books on a PC or iPhone. Hooray for more reading options!
I’ll have to load the Kindle PC on my netbook! Thanks for the tip, Sherrie
Here, at the end of 2009, it’s time to look forward to events in early 2010. These are recent announcements I’ve received.
Help a New Fantasy Publisher Get a Start
From Stacy Whitman. As you all know, I’m a children’s book editor. Since I was laid off at Wizards of the Coast, where I edited fantasy and science fiction novels, I’ve been freelancing, and I’ve decided that the next step will be to start my own company. If you guys are on Facebook, you might have already seen me posting about the small press that I’m starting, Tu Publishing. If you’re not, I’m working on starting a small publishing company that will fill a gap in the market, to publish multicultural fantasy and science fiction for children and young adults. Our website is http://www.tupublishing.com, if you want to know more about our mission.
To get started, publishing books takes a lot of money, even on a “shoestring” budget. That’s why I’m doing a Kickstarter campaign—to raise enough money to get started and give a reward to everyone who donates. If enough people donate $5, or $15, or $20, we’ll be able to reach our goal. For every donation through Kickstarter, the donator gets a reward: bookmarks, early copies of books we publish, books donated to libraries, etc. For a really big, pie-in-the-sky donation, I’ve even promised an author visit. :) So they get something for their money, and with enough people banding together, the project can become a reality.
The project has had almost 3 months to run. So far, we’re up to $4031 of $10,000, with just under a week left. So we’ve got some ground to cover—no money exchanges hands if we don’t reach $10,000.
Here’s the link to the Kickstarter page. It’s completely secure—payments are handled through Amazon payments.
Note: Scholastic editor Cheryl Klein also used Kickstarter to fund her book of speeches about writing for kids. It seems to be a new way of getting grass-roots support for a publishing project.
Fearless Writing by Crescent Dragonwagon
A Fearless Writing weekend — the Valentine’s Day/President’s Weekend (Feb. 12-13-14, 2010), Fayetteville, AR. Folks can get full details and register here but I’ll spell out a little more below.
We’ll begin Friday night, work/play together all day Saturday, all day Sunday, with a departure on Monday morning: about 12 hours together, plus informal times at meals — intense, but not at all tense. The workshop costs $895, and THIS INCLUDES ALL MEALS AND ACCOMMODATIONS. (Thank you, Mt. Sequoyah Conference Center!) You can pay all at once, or put $250 and down to hold your place.
IF FOLKS BOOK BY DECEMBER 15, THERE’S A $100 DISCOUNT.
I offer a full money-back guarantee (words you almost never hear about writing workshops, right?
I say them because I’m certain everyone who attends all the sessions will get every minute and every dollar’s worth put into Fearless Writing back ten- or twenty-fold, and because I really want people to come — I’m passionate about it).
Oliver News and Let Me Solve Your Writing Problems
Oliver News. Since The Journey of Oliver K. Woodman has come out in paperback this year, it has been featured in many recommended book lists. For example, Hicklebees Independent Bookstore in San Jose, CA starts its review this way, “We can’t think of any book in which people smile as often and as widely as they do in The Journey of Oliver K. Woodman. . . ” For more updates on Oliver, see his website.
Shrunken Manuscript Sighted. Elleen Booream reveals all in this photo of her novel in Shrunken Manuscript format. She says,
“As I recall, dialogue was pink. Notice the decided pink tinge to the manuscript.”
Solving Your Writing Problems One at at Time.Who Needs That Book? Get a sneak peek at the new Fiction Notes Store! We’ve added a section to Fiction Notes, a bookstore with annotations for each book, focusing on what book can help solve a particular problem that writer’s encounter.
Ever feel like you’re climbing an impossible mountain?
That you’ll NEVER get that contract?
That you’ll NEVER get a better advance?
That you’ll NEVER win that literary prize?
That you’ll NEVER reach the top?
Need an easy way to remember to read Revision Notes?
You can have it delivered to your email box. Just fill in the form below.
And if you enjoy this blog, please copy the link to this post and send to to 5 writing friends. They’ll probably enjoy the posts, too.: Revision Notes by Email
Need an easy way to remember to read Revision Notes?
You can have it delivered to your email box. Just fill in the form below.
And if you enjoy this blog, please copy the link to this post and send to to 5 writing friends. They’ll probably enjoy the posts, too.: Revision Notes by Email
Kids? Teens? Tweens? I haven’t seen any articles on this yet. If you have, please post a link!
Writing a cell phone novel:
So far, I haven’t seen/read one of these myself. So, this article, which has a partial translation of a Japanese cell phone novel was fascinating. The language is truncated, used emoticons and other abbreviations to the max. And (as we picturebook writers know) it’s hard to do characterization, emotions, plot, actions, etc. in fewer words!
This piece I did for myself over the Holidays. I'm not sure what it's about but it suggests to me the mystery of staring off into the Atlantic on a dark snowy night and you see glints of light or a suggestion of movement. I've posted both the original sketch and the finished painting because I'm interested in the relationship between the sketch and the finished piece. What should be left out of the sketch? What should be invented in the final painting? This is an example of a heavily worked sketch, I spent a few days on the sketch. Tomorrow I'll post a painting with a more minimal sketch to show the contrast.
14 Comments on Peggy's Cove, last added: 1/14/2008
And anyway, (she continued) this is a great working sketch, do you think that the resulting painting would be different/better if it were not so tight?
Eric Orchard said, on 1/6/2008 9:09:00 AM
I don't know, that's the question I think. I spent about a week on this drawing (although it was during Christmas and at my Mom's so I was far from my studio) and spent a fairly short time on the painting itself, a day or two. The problem was, I was getting a bit bored when I got to the painting. I think the final would have been fresher and more expressive if I had left more unfished in the sketch.
Ambera said, on 1/6/2008 9:51:00 AM
What a wonderful painting, and sketch! I think you did a really good job of preserving the spontaneity of the sketch in the finished piece. I love that her wispy hair is drawn really quickly in the sketch, and I see it looks defined and controlled the painting, that's the only major difference I see. How great are those owls?! Their glowing yellow eyes?! This reminds me of some kind of rescue, I can think of a million stories for it...
Eric Orchard said, on 1/6/2008 10:05:00 AM
A rescue! I love that. Is she rescuing the owls or being rescued by them or are they all being rescued by someone we can't see or are they on the way to rescue someone?
Frank Gardner said, on 1/6/2008 10:34:00 AM
It is a good topic for discussion Eric and I like to see all the points of view that your other readers have. I realize that most of you are illustrators and there is probably a difference there from my way of approaching art. I try and keep my sketches loose. If I make a tight sketch, I TRY to keep in mind that the painting should have a mind of its own and not try and copy it bit by bit. My sketching I do on the canvas before painting is very light with vine charcoal and just the minimum of marks to get stuff lined up where I think I want it. The rest is drawing with paint. I find the tighter my sketch is on the canvas, the tighter I make the painting and it loses the spontaneity. If I have my issues worked out in a sketch or two, I don't need a tight drawing under my paint.
Frank Gardner said, on 1/6/2008 10:35:00 AM
P.S. I like this piece a lot and am glad you had a chance to do some work just for yourself.
Eric Orchard said, on 1/6/2008 10:49:00 AM
Thanks Frank! I was trained as a "fine artist" majoring in painting ( minoring in art history) and I think I approach things from a fine art stand point. I tend to see a sketch and a painting as different things and put some emphasis on the materiality of the work. I like to be suprised by the final piece and not have it all mapped out. I fell like some part of my imagining happens on the paper.
3ster said, on 1/6/2008 2:29:00 PM
Really beautiful, Eric!! It´s full of sensibility...
Thanks for your link, I´m going to do the same to visit you!
:)
Ambera said, on 1/6/2008 4:19:00 PM
She and the owls definitely look like a gang of friends...I think they're on their way to rescue another character. But who?
Eric Orchard said, on 1/6/2008 7:26:00 PM
Thanks Ester!
Thanks Ambera! I like how this plot is developing....Do they also solve mysteries?
Sherry Rogers said, on 1/6/2008 11:53:00 PM
Love this piece! It really evokes a lot of emotion. . .excellent!
Eric Orchard said, on 1/7/2008 4:58:00 AM
Thanks Sherry!
ian said, on 1/13/2008 7:21:00 PM
Hi Eric, Thanks for visiting my blog. I was looking through yours and although I think they're all wonderful I especially like this one. Beautiful! I actually love the heavily worked sketch. It could stand alone by itself I think. They're both wonderful.
Great stuff! Ian
Eric Orchard said, on 1/14/2008 5:28:00 AM
Thank you so much Ian! I think our sensibilities are pretty close.
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For more 
And anyway, (she continued) this is a great working sketch, do you think that the resulting painting would be different/better if it were not so tight?
I don't know, that's the question I think. I spent about a week on this drawing (although it was during Christmas and at my Mom's so I was far from my studio) and spent a fairly short time on the painting itself, a day or two. The problem was, I was getting a bit bored when I got to the painting. I think the final would have been fresher and more expressive if I had left more unfished in the sketch.
What a wonderful painting, and sketch! I think you did a really good job of preserving the spontaneity of the sketch in the finished piece. I love that her wispy hair is drawn really quickly in the sketch, and I see it looks defined and controlled the painting, that's the only major difference I see.
How great are those owls?! Their glowing yellow eyes?! This reminds me of some kind of rescue, I can think of a million stories for it...
A rescue! I love that. Is she rescuing the owls or being rescued by them or are they all being rescued by someone we can't see or are they on the way to rescue someone?
It is a good topic for discussion Eric and I like to see all the points of view that your other readers have. I realize that most of you are illustrators and there is probably a difference there from my way of approaching art.
I try and keep my sketches loose.
If I make a tight sketch, I TRY to keep in mind that the painting should have a mind of its own and not try and copy it bit by bit.
My sketching I do on the canvas before painting is very light with vine charcoal and just the minimum of marks to get stuff lined up where I think I want it. The rest is drawing with paint. I find the tighter my sketch is on the canvas, the tighter I make the painting and it loses the spontaneity.
If I have my issues worked out in a sketch or two, I don't need a tight drawing under my paint.
P.S. I like this piece a lot and am glad you had a chance to do some work just for yourself.
Thanks Frank! I was trained as a "fine artist" majoring in painting ( minoring in art history) and I think I approach things from a fine art stand point. I tend to see a sketch and a painting as different things and put some emphasis on the materiality of the work. I like to be suprised by the final piece and not have it all mapped out. I fell like some part of my imagining happens on the paper.
Really beautiful, Eric!! It´s full of sensibility...
Thanks for your link, I´m going to do the same to visit you!
:)
She and the owls definitely look like a gang of friends...I think they're on their way to rescue another character. But who?
Thanks Ester!
Thanks Ambera! I like how this plot is developing....Do they also solve mysteries?
Love this piece! It really evokes a lot of emotion. . .excellent!
Thanks Sherry!
Hi Eric,
Thanks for visiting my blog. I was looking through yours and although I think they're all wonderful I especially like this one. Beautiful! I actually love the heavily worked sketch. It could stand alone by itself I think. They're both wonderful.
Great stuff!
Ian
Thank you so much Ian! I think our sensibilities are pretty close.