Bye Bye to Writer's Block

At last, this attack of writer's block has ended in a burst of near-normal productivity. It started with a small essay for NPR, a brief letter to the editor that was published in the Roanoke Times, two articles as a freelance writer, the start of a short story I am writing with Edna Whittier, a fellow Valley Writer, and a multi-day exchange with another Valley Writer, Keith Martin, on what was wrong with the second chapter of Max 1.

I think I finally figured out what was wrong with that chapter. Three agents commented on the same problem. I'm planning to read the chapter at Valley Writers on Thursday, rather than watch the NCAA National Championship game. Frankly, my dear writers, getting this chapter right is more important than either Texas or Alabama winning the football game.

'Possoms and 'Coons and Bears, Oh My

With all due apologies for modifying this famous phrase, I ask, what do the three critters in the title in common with writers?

Give up?

We all hibernate in the winter. I love this time of the year. The lake is cold and quiet. Snow birds have driven south. Year-rounders are hunkering down and recovering from the holiday season. The family has left and my husband and I are alone with the calico-with-an-attitude.


Nikki has the right idea. She's tucked in, not to be disturbed until the tree comes down on Twelfth Night. She'll survive, as long as we encourage her sleeping all day. Not a problem.

And what do I have on my plate as a writer?

Finishing a revamp of Max 1 and getting it to be the best book I can write.

Sending the revamped book out to agents.

Seeing the book in print (or under an agent's guidance) before the end of the year.

That's enough for now.

A New Take On An Old Tale

I love works that respect the oral story-telling tradition. They are few and far between. So when my friend Becky Mushko asked me to read her advance reader copy of Ferradiddledumday, I couldn't wait. This is an Appalachian retelling of the Russian folktale, Rumplestiltskin. Full of local plants, Appalachian names, and a real feeling for life in a mountain holler, Ferradiddledumday begs you to read it aloud. I read it first as printed matter, then retired to the basement and read it as it was meant to be read: out loud to a collection of very impressed stuffed animals.

Becky received a terrific cover blurb from Sharyn McCrumb, New York Times Best Selling Author and another Appalachian writer, who said, "Becky Mushko's retelling of the European folk tale Rumpelstiltskin brings a new world perspective to the old story, illuminating the frontier setting with a wealth of detail: plant names, folk traditions, and regional dialect. If the story had happened here, it would have happened like this."

High praise, and well deserved. The book comes out in January and includes a teaching guide. If you have children, or if you teach, or if you love the oral tradition, go out to Cedar Creek Publishing's distributor and pre-order this wonderful story. You won't be sorry.

Radio Silence

It's been nearly three weeks since my last post. Sounds like the start of an AA confession, doesn't it? In a way, it is.

I have several reasons, er, excuses, for my silence.

Thanksgiving

Christmas decorating

My husband's surprise birthday party

Christmas cards

Christmas shopping

Check, check, check, check. Not the last one. I finished my shopping before Halloween.

But there is a real-er reason. WRITER'S BLOCK.

I couldn't write a thing for those weeks. Not the Christmas letter. Not a word of revision in a novel. Not a blog entry. NOTHING.

Then I confessed the block to Edna Whittier, a fellow writer. She gave me a kick in the pants. The next morning, writer's block was gone.

Snapped off the Christmas letter. Wrote a near-final essay for NPR. And am now digging into Max 1 (again! Sigh) to fix the problems an agent was kind enough to point out.

And I'm working through the reading slush pile as well.

Promoting Your Book

I was multitasking this morning -- reading my favorite blogs and listening to the Today show with half an ear.

The Today show announced that Al Roker had written a novel. A mystery novel. So, okay, I thought. Then I listened to the story. Talk about promoting a debut novelist. The entire Today show team acted out the start of the mystery. It helps to have at least 60 seconds of air time, Matt, Meredith, Ann and the rest hamming it up and giving Roker a huge send up for his novel. Alas, all it takes is money, a big name, access to top morning show personalities, air time, etc. What the rest of us poor writers lack.

I turned back to my blog reading. Rachelle Gardner noted a brilliant trick one author uses at her book signings.

"Novelist Wanda Dyson puts yellow crime tape around her table when she does books signings. Do you think that attracts more readers than tables that have nothing interesting to draw a reader's attention?"

I sent the idea to Sally Roseveare for her next signing. If she coupled crime scene tape with her large black lab (stuffed), everyone would stop to see what was going on.

Whaddya think, huh? Crime scene tape for those of us who write mysteries and who don't have the access that Al Roker has?

Faster Pastor, new comedy by Sharyn McCrumb

On Tuesday, Nov. 17th, I went to a writers workshop led by Sharyn McCrumb and Adam Edwards. Everyone knows Sharyn. New York Times best seller. Author of 22 novels, including two in a NASCAR series. Great person who generously gives her time to people like me who want to write better.

Here's the premise of the novel:

Imagine what happens when an irresponsible young NASCAR driver crashes his car into a funeral in a blink-on-an-eye Tennessee mountain town and is forced to perform two weeks of community service by teaching the town’s ministers how to race stock cars. Camber Berkley, the hapless protagonist of Sharyn McCrumb’s new novel, Faster Pastor, can’t afford his fine and court costs, so he has no choice but to turn nine ministers into race drivers competing for a $2 million prize.

This is Sharyn's third entry in her popular NASCAR series and the first one written with a collaborator, Adam Edwards, a NASCAR/ARCA driver. She and Adam is at her best in this laugh-out-loud comedy romp around a country short track.

If you like Janet Evanovich's NASCAR series, you will love Sharyn and Adam's book. Why is it that women can write very funny comedies about a testosterone-dominated sport? Could it be that we don't take the drivers as seriously as they take themselves? After all, strip off the flashy fire suits and generally you have a short, scrawny guy. Not so with Adam, who is a NASCAR/ARCA driver, about oh, six two, lean, dark, very good looking. Um, what I think a real NASCAR driver should look like. . . .

Vuy the book when it comes out in February 2010. I was lucky to get my hands on an advanced reader copy, stay up two nights in a row until way too late, and loved every laugh.

Oh yes, I also learned that you can be successful with a collaborator -- if you are compatible to begin with, if both of you can write, if you have similar work ethics, and if you can meet deadlines without whining. Maybe that's why I failed with two previous collaborators. Didn't have any of the mix except that they could actually write coherent sentences.

Using the Tritest Opening Yet

I have always wanted to use the oldest and tritest line to open a story. And I got my chance to do so in last week's Laker Weekly.

"It really was a dark and stormy night when I joined my friend Karen Wrigley of Hardy and seven others for ghost hunting at Avenel, an historic museum home in Bedford."

Yup, stole Bulwer-Lytton's line and used it in print. I couldn't help myself! Will somebody stop me!!!