THINGS THAT MAKE ME GO MMMRUH!
October 7, 2009 by A Slice of Orange in category Archives
It happened on October first. Like a witch on her brooomstick, the crisp thrill of autumn swept through the air. Mmmruh! A cold gust, the rustle of leaves, my hair in my eyes – it all makes me just so darn giddy, on edge, pumped to be alive. I notice drops of mmmruh with rain-washed clarity.
As I pull out of the driveway, Ron runs out into the street to stop my car. Wait! Take the 110 – it has less traffic than the 5! He cared that much about saving me time on my commute. What a guy! And then the other night, that cute shuffle dance he did on the patio, all because he thought it would amuse our dog Robert – Mmmruh!
I look down at my slipper and notice the crude stitching and remember how I ripped my slipper and it kept falling off my foot as a result. I commented on this one time when I was visiting home, tripping over my damaged slipper as I walked through the house. So, my mom grabbed a needle and thread and fixed my slipper on the spot! While it was still on my foot! Mmmruh.
The nights are just perfect for curling up under the quilt with a good book about vampires or early America. Mmmruh!
In October, life is good, and fantasies are divine.
Geralyn is most excited that it is, once again, Giants season, though she is egregiously upset with the NFL for some of its dubious decisions so far this year. Geralyn appears in the award-winning internet short comedy film Daryl From OnCar and her short story “Jane Austen Meets the New York Giants†is published in the New York Times Bestselling anthology The Right Words at the Right Time, Volume 2.
The Business of Being an Author
September 28, 2009 by A Slice of Orange in category ArchivesYesterday I went down to San Diego to take the most unique writer’s class I have ever attended: Warrior-Writer with NY Times bestselling author Bob Mayer. The workshop addressed a mindset all too neglected by today’s writer: how to manage the business of being an author.
There are differences between being a writer (someone who writes, perhaps just for the fun of it) and being an author (someone who makes a career of selling their writing on a regular basis). Most writers I’ve met want to get published, and the reasons vary. A lot of them dream of being a full-time author (me included), who sells books on a regular basis and makes money for doing what they love. A lot of them just want the validation of being published—that proof that yes, my writing is good enough. The thing is, once you get published, what comes next?
The book business is an entertainment business, just like the film industry and the music industry. And the chances of success are just as daunting. When you do get your book published, you need to remember that small fact. You’ve just realized a dream. Your work is going to be in print, whether on the shelves at Borders or in electronic format. Someone is going to pay you for your writing. You are good enough.
But like marriage, once the honeymoon is over, reality sets in and you have to get used to living in the new situation in which you find yourself. The euphoria of the first sale fades as your editor sends you a revision letter, then copyedits, then page proofs. At some point you will receive a cover flat for your book, which could be a moment of joy very close to the day you got that call, or a moment of disappointment (disbelief even) as you wonder what the art department was thinking when they designed this cover! When things like this happen, you learn a very important thing: the author is only responsible for the words on the pages. The publisher controls everything else.
Once you’ve signed that contract, you have given the publisher the rights to your work. The marketing and sale of the book falls on them, and you can only cross your fingers and hope that they do a good enough job that the book sells well. However, the thing you have to remember is that the people who work for the publishing house are not writers; they are business people. Once you sign that contract, you have given them a product. They, as business people, break out their ledgers and spreadsheets and figure out the best way to sell that product. Everyone at that house has a boss to report to, including your editor, and the reasons for handling your work a particular way are business reasons. What approach is going to make them the most money from the product you’ve sold them? The upside to this dismaying revelation: people who work in publishing love books. All the people, from the editor to the copyeditor to the art department and even the sales and marketing departments. This is why they choose to work for a publishing house.
But because they are thinking of the book as a product, you need to take the same mindset. Once you have made that journey with your characters and written The End, once you have signed on the dotted line to sell the work to a publisher, the book stops becoming Your Baby and becomes The Product. And as Bob says, you have to let go of that baby and move on to a new journey with new characters.
It’s hard for many of us to think of writing from a business perspective. We aren’t really wired that way. Most writers are introverts and hate promotion, a part of the writing career that is becoming more and more the author’s responsibility. New authors might not understand at first that the contract the publishers sends is going to be weighted heavily in the publisher’s favor (remember, business). This is why you might want to get an agent. Agents know the publishing business, and because they deal with these editors and contracts on a regular basis, they know what to look for. They also know what can be challenged and what is written in stone for that particular deal. For most writers, it makes things more palatable to have an agent managing the business end so the writer can concentrate on writing.
In yesterday’s workshop, Bob addressed the business of being an author using the techniques he learned in the Green Berets. These methods focus on identifying your strengths and weaknesses as both a person and a writer with the idea that by learning these things about yourself, you can utilize your strengths and be aware of your weaknesses to avoid pitfalls. You can also change things about yourself that might be inhibiting your rise to the top. He talked about how to achieve goals and how to change your thinking to achieve those goals consistently and become a more effective business person. It was a great workshop that got those of us sitting in that room thinking a different way.
A way that, with luck and consistency, might very well lead to the NY Times list.
8 0 Read moreOctober Online Class- “Muse Therapy” with D.D. Scott
September 26, 2009 by A Slice of Orange in category Archives********** permission to forward **********
Hi everyone! Check out the exciting online classes offered by the
Orange County Chapter of RWA!
“Muse Therapy†with D.D. Scott
October 12 to November 7, 2009
Enrollment Information at http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclassOct09.html
COST: $20 for OCC members, $30 for non-members
If you have specific questions, email occrwaonlineclass@yahoo.com
ABOUT THE CLASS:
Could you use a romance writer’s go-to-gal for muse disorders? If so, stop looking ’cause you found her. I’m D. D. Scott, an agented, romantic comedy writer and a muse therapist in the making.
Muse Therapy – D. D. Scott style – is all about injecting life into tired and/or stressed out muses. I’ll give writers fun and fabulous tools to analyze their muses’ funks, reign in their creative divas and up their page counts.
Discover what makes your muses tick. What ticks them off. And what makes them dance like nobody’s watching.
We’ll name your muses and host a very special meet-and-greet just for them, then dig deep into their psyches by examining “muse disorders” such as:
** Unleashing Your Inner Sybil
** Writing Bi-Polar: I Suck vs. I’m a Genius
** What Do You Mean I’m Neurotic? No, I’m Not. Well, Not Exactly. But Okay…There Are Times When. Like You Need To Know That. Anyway, I Was Thinking, My Jeep Is Red
** Rorschach For Writers: I See Dead Lines
** Stimulants: When Coffee, Chocolate, and Martinis Aren’t Enough
Once we recognize, acknowledge and accept your muses’ afflictions, we’ll find terrific tricks and “trips” to treat our word witches.
So if your muse is in need of a tune-up, grab a comfy couch or chair and put up your feet. You’re in the right session. We’ll be “in therapy†together for four weeks. I’ll provide fabulous hand-outs and super-cool tchotchkes for all participants. You’ll have a terrific time conquering your creative divas and taking back the crown of your personal Muse-ville kingdom.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
D. D. Scott’s romantic comedies are all about sexy, sassy, smart, career-driven women and the men who complete them. They’re a bit chick lit with a gone-country twist. She’s agented, and her series BOOTSCOOTIN’ BLAHNIKS – think Sex and The City meets Urban Cowboy – is under consideration by several NY publishers.
She writes stories with big hearts and a bunch of sass. Once a small town newspaper crime reporter and now a HarperCollins Publishing Returns Center Executive Assistant, she’s learned great fiction comes from the street as well as which jacket covers meet early deaths.
She’s a member of Indiana RWA as well as RWA’s Chick Lit Writers of the World Chapter and ScriptScene RWA. She’s been featured in both Indiana RWA’s and ScriptScene’s chapter newsletters and been a guest blogger on Romance Writers on the Journey. She is linked to on Romancing the Blog and also has an active blog of her own on her website at www.DDScott.com.
Currently, she’s driving her darling hubby nuts waiting to hear whether or not she’ll be providing Muse Therapy for the 2010 RT BookLovers’ Convention in Columbus OH and for RWR in an article-based Muse Therapy series.
For updates on her books, her sexy, sassy, smart neurotic writer’s life blog, and for a schedule of future muse therapy sessions, visit her website www.DDScott.com. While there, sign-up for her mailing list for chances to win fabulous tchotchkes.
Enrollment Information at http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclassOct09.html
COST: $20 for OCC members, $30 for non-members
Coming in November–
“Heightening Conflict Through the Fatal Flaw and Shadow†with Connie Flynn
This class will help you: – Identify your character’s surface traits, find the corresponding shadows, match those plausible fatal flaws, add natural traits that build tension, increase internal and external conflict, and use plot points to ignite character change.
http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclasses.html. Check out our full 2009 list of workshops.
Want to be notified personally two weeks before each class? Be sure
you’re signed up for our Online Class Notices Yahoo Group! Sign up at
the bottom of http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclasses.html or send a blank
email to
OCCRWAOnlineClassNotices-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
********** permission to forward **********
0 0 Read moreHave you see Julie and Julia?
September 24, 2009 by A Slice of Orange in category Archives tagged as Julia Childs, Julie and Julia, Meryl StreepTurns out there’s a story behind the story (OK, when isn’t there?).
Apparently Streep had encountered Childs some years ago when seeking Childs’ endorsement and support to back one of Streep’s ‘we are being poisoned by food’ agendas, which Julia (who seems to feel that most anything in moderation is fine ) was utterly uninterested in.
Childs was also vehemently against the scare tactics and fear mongering utilized by purveyors of these agendas. That seems to have annoyed Streep, who made some accusations in a recent UK Telegraph article about Julia and the American Council for Science and Health.
So then the ACSH had to weigh in. You’ll find Dr. Whelan’s response to the Meryl Streep interview here.
Don’t you love getting a glimpse of the complexities of human relationships, the occasional myopia of personal agendas, and general (IMHO) lack of common sense? It does make me appreciate and strive for a measured assessment of information.
Despite her personal differences, Streep offered a lovely redition of Julia, a woman with a delightful joi de vivre. I really enjoyed the film, and if you have a chance next time you’re in Washington, D.C. go to the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History and visit Julia Childs’ kitchen.
Bon Appetit!
0 0 Read moreFlashdance
September 13, 2009 by Marianne H. Donley in category Archives tagged as Bobbie Cimo, Eye on Hollywood
by Bobbie Cimo
While most of you got a visual of your heroes from books, I got mine, at an early age, through movies and TV. Perhaps that’s the reason I wanted to work for a studio in the first place. I wanted to meet my heroes in person or at least the actors who portrayed them, hoping I’d find a trace of the characters that they had played. Most of the time I wasn’t disappointed, if anything, it was just the opposite. There was always some special thing they would do or say to make our meeting memorable. Like the time I met Paul Newman and the only thing he had to say to me was, “Sorry, Ma’am, I don’t give out autographs.†Okay, that’s not the memorable thing I was hoping for–nor was I thrilled to be called “Ma’amâ€, when I was barely sixteen years old…but at least I got to look into those magnificent, electrifying blue eyes of his. Oh, y-e-a-h, they were something to behold.
There once was a mini series on television called “The Gangster Chronicles†which was based on real life gangsters of the thirties and forties. And just like they do with all shows, they embellished on both the storyline and characters. Playing the lead was actor Michael Nouri, who went on to play “Nick Hurleyâ€, the hunky blue-collar boyfriend of Jennifer Beal in “Flashdanceâ€.
In much the same way this year, as I was drawn to Johnny Depp’s characterization of “John Dillinger,‖back then, I was drawn to Michael Nouri’s depiction of “Lucky Luciano†in “The Gangster Chroniclesâ€. Supposedly, Lucky didn’t believe in violence, disliked drug trafficking, was loyal to his friends and above all, respectful of women. Who couldn’t like a guy like this? Apparently I wasn’t alone in my feelings, because the network got tons of fan mail praising the likeability of Michael and his two co-stars ( Joe Penny and Brian Benben). Not exactly the reaction the studio was looking for, since they wanted to show the downside of crime and not the making of the next American idols.
After “Chroniclesâ€, Michael went on to appear in numerous movies and TV shows. Eventually, he ended up landing himself another series called “Bay City Bluesâ€. As luck would have it, the filming of the show was done at Studio Center, CBS’s sister studio, which was over the hill from where I worked at Television City.
When I walked on the set, I was hit with a double whammy. Not only had the shooting schedule been delayed by hours, but Michael’s call time had been pushed back until much later in the day. As much as I wanted to stay, it was impossible. I was needed back at my office. So reluctantly, I headed for the parking lot. The one pleasant thing about my visit was the warm welcome I got from all of the crew members. A few even asked me if I was going to the wrap party that night–okay, not even the best of crews are this friendly.
It wasn’t until I was stopped by the Stage Manager, did I realized why all the cheerful hellos. Looking over his schedule, he confessed to not knowing I’d had a call for that day. He became doubly embarrassed when he realized I wasn’t the person he thought I was. As it turns out, I bore a strong resemblance to the actress who occasionally played Michael Nouri’s ex-wife on the show. To this day I don’t know who the actress was, nor do I care to find out. I like to think she was some beautiful, thin and talented actress. And I’m sticking with that thought.
To say my visit was a disappointment would be putting it mildly. This was the final taping of the season and the ratings were low. Which could only add up to one thing. The show most likely would be canceled, which meant I’d never get another opportunity like this again. But just as I was about to cross the road for my car, a brand new shiny black Porsche passed in front of me. Sitting behind the wheel, wearing a pair of dark sunglasses and looking every bit the part of the proverbial hunk, was Michael Nouri.
As soon as he got out of his car, I greeted him with a handshake and introduced myself. I think what surprised him the most, wasn’t that he was being stopped by a fan, but that someone who was in the “business†was complimenting him on his work.
“I’m so flattered you came here to see me,†he said several times. But more than his words, it was the sincerity I saw on his face that made me believe he meant it. Alright, I was a little distracted by his big black olive eyes, and his full sensual lips…but I did believe him.
We talked about “The Gangster Chroniclesâ€, his present show and then somehow he started to talk about his family and his grandfather. Being a fan, I whipped out my camera and asked if I could have a picture taken with him. Of course, wouldn’t you know it, there was no one around to be found. I can be at home in my pajamas and run five feet to the trash bin and twelve neighbors and their friends will come out of nowhere and spot me. But now when I was looking for someone to snap our picture, there was nobody.
At the end, I took a picture of him standing alone, next to his Porsche. As I was about to leave, I mumbled something about this being the best birthday treat I could have given myself. He asked when my birthday was and I told him that it was in a few days. And then he asked if he could give me a birthday kiss. Like I was going to say no? He pulled me near and gave me a full kiss on the lips. It’s hard to remember what I said after that…I vaguely remember trying to be coy and saying something like, “Oh, that was nice.†(Probably a line I remembered from some old movie).
After getting inside my car which was only steps away from his, I started the engine. He waited for me to drive away, and as I passed him, we waved good-bye to each other.
Outwardly I seemed to be cool and in control…inwardly I was falling apart. My heart was pounding and my legs were wobbly. Once I was out of sight , I parked my car in an isolated area on the studio lot. With no one around to see me, I punched the steering wheel with my fists, as I let out a loud girlie shrill. Which confirms what I have feared all along…deep down inside of me I’m a little bit of a groupie. Da ya think?
6 0 Read moreFeatured Books
HOW TO STEAL A LYON’S FORTUNE
When it comes to stealing a Lyon's fortune, it takes two to right a wrong.
More info →
THE POETIC BOND V
Celebrating Five Years of Global Poetry Poetry that binds, Poetry that is NOW, Poetry that BONDS.
More info →
THE DAY BAILEY DEVLIN’S SHIP CAME IN
Oh, Boy! Oh, Bailey!
Just when you think it's going to be smooth sailing, Venus messes with your rudder.
