Authors Behaving Badly: A Little Author-on-Author Crime

We're getting into conference and convention season here and I recently listened to a panel of YA and MG authors talking about their books and their writing experiences--you know, stuff I subject my blog followers to on a semi-regular basis. ;-)

Everything was going along smoothly (a little discussion about how hard being an author can be--which I think is a good reality check from time to time) until one author turned to another and grinned, saying, "I guess we all could've made a bunch more money if we'd just written paranormals. Just add a vampire!" Everyone chuckled.

Except me.

My right eyebrow raised. But I kept my mouth shut. What the author's words didn't convey her tone and delivery did. That writing paranormals is somehow far easier and more lucrative than writing straight fiction or non-fiction.

It's the same attitude I've heard adult fiction and non-fiction authors use toward YA and MG authors (and picture book authors--oh, boy!). Like whatever they do is so much more difficult because they have adult readers (let's not dare point out that many adults never progress in reading level beyond eighth grade so it's not heavy vocabulary we fail to use that they're weilding). And, I'll be honest--condensing a story down to a picture book level that still conveys to an artist how they might best illustrate that kernel--that's skill.

But this is typical of every career path and job. Whatever I'm doing has got to be harder than what you're doing, right? Blech! And surely those paranormal authors are just tacking paranormal or supernatural aspects onto what could otherwise be a decent fiction read--just to make more money, right? Building worlds? Ha!

This, is obviously one of my literary peeves. I value all authors. We all struggle to dump the contents of our brains onto a page in some coherent form. We all delve into worlds other than our own to build interesting books. So a little respect? I think we've all earned it regardless of genre or target audience.

What do you all think? Have you also heard or read stuff like this? Have you heard any author say something nasty or belittling about any other genre? Am I the only one who thinks it hurts our entire profession?
~Shannon
PS--As a result of the panel's conversation I started wondering if I should leave one story I'm researching as straight non-fiction. I even argued it back and forth with my brother and my husband. I have since made up my mind about that particular tale's genre. Paranormal, baby!

A well lived life is a lot like a good man--hard and dirty, and over before you know it.

I bet you thought we dropped off the earth, didn't ya? Well, I for one wish that a few circumstances could have just passed by without gobbling up my time, but life just doesn't work that way.

Which is why I write. So things can somehow, someway, just this once, turn out the way I'd like them to.

So, after wandering about aimlessly for the past few weeks (O.K., part of that wondering was actually me suffering on the couch with an inner ear infection. I couldn't even READ for two weeks! Gads, I'd never wish it on my worst enemy) and with the ever inspiring Liane Gentry Skye leading the way, I am back.

With an assignment.

Wait! Don't leave! I'm not talking a homework assignment, exactly, but I am just curious about what inspires you.

For me, it's hardship.

Suffering.

Near death experiences.

Sick puppy, huh?

Well, life is hard. I know this. I read horror because of this. I watch gory movies and Oprah. I don't mind Nicholas Sparks movies. Awash in desperate and foreboding circumstances, I find that the human condition is at it's most interesting.

Writer's will tell you over and over, when you are stuck, imagine the worst thing that could happen to your character, then have it happen. You thought you knew everything about your beloved characters? Tie them up on a stone and put a swinging scythe aove them. Then tell me what they are made of.

The Little Post that Almost Wasn't

It's just a little blog post. But hey, it's a post nonetheless, and trust me when I say that for me, anything in the way of words on a page is a major event! With that said, that's my theme for today, starting over. That, and allowing myself to start over *small*. Baby steps!

Those who know me are aware that a major family meltdown has separated me from my muse. There have been days when the simple act of breathing in and out loomed before me, an insurmountable challenge. During this time, my word count wasn't all that. Not that there wasn't word count, there was, here and there, but most of it was less than stellar.

I'm working hard to let myself be ok with that. For now, because at least wordes comitted to a page can be pushed around and rearranged. If it's not written backly, it can never be written beautifully. Yeah, I know all the platitudes. So why the major hesitation on my part?

Because this feels dangerously like learning to write all over again. Worse, *gasp*, I'm published. Doesn't that imply that I must therefore be brilliant from here to Eternity?

As you can see, ball gagging my inner editor is an act easier said than done. So I'm turning to the divas for some tips to keep the old gal chained in the basement where she belongs.


Have at it. I really need your help! My muse will thank you in the morning!

I'm an Author, Jim!

Anybody else remember Leonard H. "Bones" McCoy complaining to Kirk about what he was ("I'm a doctor, not a ____!") and trying to blow off anything that didn't fit his label in his own sort of way? Perhaps I've just outed myself as a total nerd (like you couldn't guess--I mean, Russian werewolves and Cold War conspiracies ;-).

I'm feeling a deep kinship with Bones right now. I'm an author. A writer. My taxes officially proclaim it. And yet... The time I currently spend writing stories feels minimal.

This week already has included heavy farm work as I constructed a new pen for a newborn ram lamb and his mother and began sugaring off maple sap for syrup, and there's been plenty of promotional stuff: an exclusive 3000 word prequel story for St. Martin's Press, helping get authors together for a special Spring Break post over at The Daily Dose, organizing photos and pieces of things for my series website (supposed to launch on the 15th); planning my son's 6th b-day party (Saturday!); helping out at a great forum that asked for me to do a Writing 101 with them (*very* flattering and it's only growing...); planning my travel to several events; catching up with blog posts; catching up with obligations related to a great event I was asked to help host (squeee!); filling out interviews, interviews, interviews!

Promotional stuff's cool, and I'm glad to help other authors with it right now (it's kind of like holding hands when facing a firing squad) but I want to be writing. I'm no longer naive enough (if I ever was) to think I could simply write a book and not need to do anything else.

But I'm also trying to keep Orson Scott Card's advice in mind. Card suggested limiting promo stuff (conventions and conferences and other events) because writers need time to write. Huh. Imagine that. So, I'm pushing through as much promo as I can now because I hope it snowballs in May, June and July (right around the book's release). But who knows what'll happen by then?

And yes, I'm still writing. My prequel story only made me more desperate to get back into it. And with my brother and husband pushing me to pursue my next project (we're all brainstorming together and I *LOVE* it) and my agent loving what I recently put ibn front of him... Well, it appears I'll keep the label of writer for a while at least. :-)

So, how much time writing are you writers getting?
~Shannon

Movie Madness

I've been reading, writing and watching a lot of movies recently. Two nights ago (after a lengthy discussion) we decided we could introduce our son to Star Wars (he's been playing the Lego game and knows most of the "mythology" behind it already).

So I sat down to watch what's technically episode 4 (imagine explaining why we started with it instead of 1) and loved it. All over again (and I've seen it lots). I have a new appreciation for it, having gone through Campbell's The Hero's Journey and using it in ways in my own writing. Have I dealt with reluctant heroes? Yep. Put somebody in "the belly of the whale"? Sure. I think sometimes I could rename both Pietr and Jess as Jonah.

And it was AWESOME to see it all track out so neatly with the combined talents of Lucas and ILM.

Next time you're thinking about how your movie viewing can improve your writing, consider The Hero's Journey and how it fits in with your writing. There are three movies (off the top of my head) I think of when I think about The Hero's Journey: Star Wars: A New Hope, Star Trek (this most recent one), and The Lion King. So, pass the popcorn and tell me which movies you think of that follow The Hero's Journey in at least some way. Any pop to your mind?

Take care!
~Shannon