Lightning in a Bottle

“That’s why they call it a Best-seller…not Best-written.”

I heard these words today from a marketing guru-not another author, but no truer words have ever been spoken. For a writer hitting the top of the NYT Best Seller List is the pinnacle, the end all, be all, the sign that you have made it. You are someone. Complete validation that you are the best at your craft…

So much rides on this that virtually every writer at some point or other has thrown everything they can think of at the goal. They research the market, chase trends, learn all the so called “rules” of the craft, go to college, go to more college, network, meet people, throw money at publicists and web masters, join groups, schmooze agents, send editors love notes and lie awake at night tossing and turning and hoping that their story-this story-is that ever elusive lightning in a bottle story that will surge them to the top.

Unfortunately, all that effort is futile. You can’t deliberately recreate what happened with “The DiVinci Code” or “The Bridges of Madison County.” To use a cliché, all the stars were aligned. Even if your publisher thinks you’ve got it- even if they produce 150,000 books, if those books are all sitting in a warehouse next to a river and a muskrat eats through a levy your story just lost its place.

Writing is art and art is culture. Culture is as predictable as the weather- bring an umbrella just in case.

“But,” you say, “all I want is a career as a writer.” All a publisher wants is a branded product that will jump off store shelves and bring in revenue. Getting there in today’s market can be as tricky as capturing lightning in a bottle, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t tell your story. All it really means is that stories can’t be judged based on whether or not they are a best seller. As a writer you can’t let numbers validate your craft, your story- because they will never be good enough. So, take joy in the writing and in the revising and in the small notes readers send you. Let go of the rest. Let yourself off the hook. Remember the term is “best-seller” not “best-written.”

The King's English-or The Prodical Tongue

Ah, language... I have lived in many parts of the United States and several English speaking countries and I have always been fascinated by the variations in the so called "English" language. For example, I was speaking to a gentleman on the phone this week who told me to "axe" the receptionist for directions. My son swears he will live to be "a hunred." Then he asks "wo'if"-pronounced woof-it rains? Should he bring a jacket? A recent visit to Maine taught us about Americans who do not pronounce their "r"s. For instance they ate "lobsta" at a "dinea" in "Ba Haba."

English professors and teachers pull out their hair and mutter at the loss of the King's English, but Americans have always melted our language into regional tongues. Then we add Spanglish to the list, Englasian and Eubonics. Now we must worry about cyber speak for instance; LOL, OMG, TTYL, BFF and CU.

What about rules? What about grammar? What about pure language and educated writing? While it's true that polished language shows education, intelligence and forethought, it is also true that no one writes or speaks the way they did in 1776...when American language really did stem from the King's English. Language is a living entity, growing in new directions and dying in old directions... (Remember when everyone said, "swell" or "tubular?") I would argue that language is ever evolving and holding it back is counter to it's growth. Like a kaleidoscope, language is colored by the time and space it inhabits. As a writer, I love to listen to the way people talk and sneak some of the accents and color into dialog to show character and setting.

Always a purist in a professional setting, I think there is a time and place for every type of language. It's deciding the right time and place that really shows your intelligence. And don't 'cha think that's just awesome?

Great Men of Today

It's Father's day and I've been watching all the memorials for Tim Russert the journalist and "Meet the Press" Moderator who died on Friday. He was so much a part of my television viewing, so much a part of my politics and my news that it is strange to find him gone. I never met him, or his family and yet he shared his stories and asked the tough questions and changed my tiny world.

It made me think about how they say all the good men die too soon. Then I thought about all the good men-quiet men, unknown to you and me-who died on Friday with Tim. I think he would want us to think about them and their families as well.

Which lead me to think about all the good men in the world today. You don't hear about them because living a good life is not headline making news. Being a good father, being a member of the community, being an example for youth, a good boss, a tireless worker, a person with an open wallet and just as open a mind and heart- is not news...unless they die.

Let's not wait until they are dead. Let's take this Father's day to celebrate, think about, appreciate all the good men God has put on this earth. Let's thank them for their help, their wisdom and their comfort. How do we find these good men? Look around. Right now they are in line filling sand bags against the flooding. They are out fighting wild fires. They are at home grilling and playing with their children. They are sitting in church, volunteering with rummage sales, coaching sports, mentoring street kids. They are in your house. They are on your street. They are men who do their best every day. Go out and hug them, shake their hand and let them know that you see them...celebrate them now. The world wouldn't be the same without them.

How-To...

I'm reading How-To books-you know- How to get a job over 40...How to be gutsy and get what you want from life...How to get people talking about your work.

The crazy part is that I've read all this stuff before. As they say-there is nothing new under the sun... But I think we all need to be reminded sometimes. There is so much information in our lives that it's easy to get lost. Sometimes a good How-To book will pull us back on track.

The biggest thing I'm taking away this time is to write a mission statement. A mission statement is not a dream statement. It's not how we want the world to be, but instead what we can accomplish to get us closer to where we want to be. For example- it is unrealistic for a writer's mission statement to be: "It is my mission to become a number one NYT bestselling author." There are too many uncontrollable variables...right down to a fire in the ware house that stores your books the day before they're shipped. Instead, a good mission statement is: "My mission is to complete two quality manuscripts a calendar year and to market them in the best possible way." or "My mission is to continue to produce quality work in an interesting way." Although the last one is a bit vague.

Why a mission statement? When you get swamped by other people's ideas or requests you turn to your mission statement and ask yourself- does this idea or request further my mission? If so- go for it. If not-smile and let it go. Letting things go is one of the toughest and yet most powerful things we can do in our lives.

What's your mission statement?

His and Her Movie reviews

I love (not) how they label movies boy movies or chick flicks. As if all women like is crying and romance and all men like is to blow up things. (I know you're thinking-but that's true...) It's cliche. Let's give each individual the chance to make up their minds on their own. Otherwise you're saying that a woman who enjoyed Indiana Jones is not a real girl and a man who enjoyed Sex in the City can't be a real man.

Ummm, yeah, they can. I went to see both movies. I enjoyed Indiana Jones for it's every man hero fun and it's campy look at the 1950's. A woman can like tongue in cheek and improbable nuclear explosions. I also went to see Sex in the City and I'm here to tell you I really believe men will enjoy it- there are numerous scenes with naked women and men in various sexual acts-

That said both movies had things I enjoyed and things that could have been left out. For me Indiana Jones lost me in the opening scenes when a Russian convoy appeared in the middle of Nevada in the 1950's and took over a government installation. (If you read my daily blog on my web site www.nancyjparra.com you know how much this upset a veteran like me.-improbably, unlikely, unpatriotic hogwash.) As for Sex in the City-I think the same story could have had the same impact without all the porn. It was unnecessary-embarrassing since I went with my daughter- and as far removed from real life as the clothes, shoes and wealth of the characters.

Yes, I understand the reasons behind the Russians in the US. I also understand the reasons behind the sex scenes-doesn't mean I have to like it.

My opinion- rent both- or see both with a member of the opposite sex and discuss the cliche of guy flicks and chick flicks. There are more to come in both categories. I look forward to further discussion.

Wrapping your mind around the big "R"

My editorial calender--remember I said I'd have one?-- tells me that this week I am supposed to write an article on tips for aspiring writers.
In my opinion the biggest hurdle between a writer and their dreams is the big "R." The big "R" is rejection. Some people can't write a page because they are concerned people will reject their story. Others can write a page, a chapter but can't finish the book because they fear some one, some where will laugh at them...reject their words, their work...their soul. Still others finish book after book and hide them away under the bed, in the closet, in the attic without ever letting anyone read them. Why? They are afraid of the big "R." Still others will write a book, send it out and when they get their first rejection-they feel so horrified, so humiliated, they never do it again.
The thing is people assume famous writers never get the "R." I'm here to tell you that rejection goes hand in hand with creativity. I have over 600 pieces of paper- some 7 pages long, telling me why my book isn't "right for them." Each piece hurts like a laceration to the soul. I've been told you have to have a tough skin. I'm here to tell you that I don't have a tough skin. I don't. I whine. I cry. I hurt. I tell my friends- some of whom tell me to "get over it" or "suck it up and quit whining." These are usually people with one or fewer rejection letters. These are people who don't finish books or don't send them out. They imagine that to be successful means you shrug off rejection like a gnat and move on. Then there are those who say- celebrate each rejection with chocolate and champagne. A rejection means you are out there-trying-writing, revising and sending out stuff. Celebration doesn't make it easier either.
I've written 25 full manuscripts-published eight and revised, rewritten and scrubbed so many it hurts. Don't listen when they tell you the fable of being able to sell all those old manuscripts once you are published...it's a fairytale. What those manuscripts are is learning, loving pieces...right idea, wrong time... kind of relationships. They are there to teach you how to wrap your mind around rejection.
So, what about the big "R?" It is the price we pay to walk in the sun. Like a shadow that sticks to your feet, it never goes away unless you stay out of the sun. Sure it's scary. Sure it's painful. But like a shadow is only made in the sun, rejection comes only when you are creative. Bravery is living creatively anyway.
Don't let anyone tell you how you should feel or act or be when faced with rejection. Go your own way-cry, whine, kick, scream, pout, put the work away if you must knowing full well that soon you will write something else and send it out. Pat yourself on the back every step of the way. It's the only real reward...for once you're published, you still get rejections from your agent, your editor and reviewers and readers alike. If you don't, then you're playing it far to safe. So, go ahead, stretch and grow and try and bravely face the hurt and humliation of the big "R" and know at the very least you are living in the sun.

Marketing a fact of life

Self marketing is a growing trend that many writers dread. It was okay when books got smaller and we had to self edit. But so many writers cringe at the idea of hawking their own wares. To the point where they don't want to go out and sit at a book signing and say, here's my book. buy it. I promise, you'll love it. Instead they sit at home and worry that they aren't any good at this. That it takes too much work.

Truth is marketing is a human condition. From the time we are born, we "sell" ourselves to family and friends. We label our selves as "the bright one," "the pretty one," "The oldest," "the youngest." Marketing is finding out who you are and interesting people in keeping you in their world. You market yourself to your best friend as someone who is loyal, understanding and important to their world. You market yourself to your boss as a good worker in order to keep your job. You market yourself as a mate in order to keep your spouses interest. The idea that you are "in this together" has kept many family groups going. Marketing. It says I'm useful, important, necessary. It's a natural drive.

As creative people, writers shouldn't shun marketing. It doesn't have to be left to "business experts." In fact, writers make better marketers. We have a natural talent for paying attention to society, people, the human condition. It's as simple as using your natural gift to your own advantage. Something you've done since you were born. It all begins with an introduction, then you find a way to get noticed, become a part of someone's life. You've just marketed yourself and your book.

But wait, there are people who tell you it can only be done this way or that way. If you haven't done x then you're not doing it right. Hmmm, the people telling you that are merely marketing themselves as those "in the know." It's up to you to allow them that power. Turn it around and tell them how they need you and your work in their life. Remember, marketing is something you're naturally good at. Tell your story. Share your story. Enjoy the rewards.