I just had a great conversation with a close friend who is also a terrific writer. Together we've shared ups and downs as we've negotiated the publishing path. As I am currently in the midst of a crisis of writing faith (should I be writing this or that or nothing at all?), she helped talk me into a place of peace.
When I related to my friend my woes of feeling uninspired by characters and storylines I previously was quite passionate about, she suggested my writing voice was changing.
"Like a 12 year old boy going through puberty?"
"Yes, exactly like that," she said and then went on to remind me that our relationships with books go through phases as we mature. Books we found fascinating as younger people no longer interest us. It's a rare novel that I loved as a teen or 20-something that I still love today.
It's not only our ages and life situations that change our way of writing but also the times in which we live. How many of us want to read about swinging singles living sexy, carefree lives in Manhattan or London, shopping every day, and not caring a whit for debt or credit card bills or their aging parents? As our lives necessarily become more austere as we deal with the economy and job loss and housing crises, many of us buckle down spiritually too. Not that we find God, but that we find our own god. We discover what's truly important in our lives: family, friends, a fine cup of coffee I can sip on a quiet morning, good health and mental well-being.
When we read books, we don't need to see characters going through the exact same situations as we are going through. That exact mirror isn't crucial to identifying with them. But we do need to see characters of substance that reflect our own internal crises: How do I give my kids what I had when I can't find a job? How can I care for my aging parents? How do I find what I truly love in life when all around me is crumbling? Even when we look to Escapist Lit (books that are not contemporary realistic fiction), we don't need human characters - only human characteristics. Stories about vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, angels, etc. may be fantasy but if they suffer as we do, we will love them.
I sat down to write what I thought would be Escapist Lit for me - I was writing the third book of a trilogy with characters that I thought I knew well and wanted to spend time with again. Easy-peasy, right? But the story was suddenly not me. It no longer had anything to do with what I was going through - and so I couldn't relate to it anymore. The voice had changed - my voice had changed - and I was no longer interested in telling a story in a voice that wasn't mine.
For me, Escapist Lit must be deeper in substance, the characters reflective of my need to connect with the greater world, for what is writing but a literal version of your soul? My desire to tell a story hasn't changed at all - I still love writing and have a million ideas in my head - but I'm looking for more from the time I spend at the keyboard. I'm in search of the Why...why tell this story? Why construct this character? Why use this word?
Why write at all?
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Special birthdays
Do you have one of those friends who celebrates every "big" birthday in a major way? Like 18, 21, 30, 40, etc.? Or maybe you're one of those people yourself? Personally, I was never a fan of milestone birthday celebrations because it seemed like so much pressure: pressure on the people giving it to make it awesome, pressure on the people attending to come up with extra special gifts or cards, pressure on me to enjoy it by drinking/eating/laughing longer and harder than at every other birthday.
Not to mention the pressure of what comes after...being the new age. "Now that you're 18..." "Now that you're 21..." and so on. Has something so intrinsic changed inside me now that another year has passed? Has a switch inside me flipped on - or off - so I should be acting differently?
Recently a friend turned 30 and her husband asked Mo and me to come up with some words of what it was like when we turned 30, or what we wished when we turned 30, etc. Something poignant or maybe even practical. Like, "When I turned thirty I started using moisturizer on my elbows" or something like that.
I wrote her a note about how I became funny when I turned 30. And I don't mean I was all of a sudden a comedian of Ellen proportions, telling jokes and doing stand-up. I was, for much of my life, a very serious person. And I was known for being a serious person. It wasn't that I didn't have a sense of humor or I didn't like comedy but my persona, the outward expression of my being, was a serious one. I read smart literature, watched foreign movies, spent my time in the pursuit of scholarly-type things. And that's pretty much what my parents and everyone expected me to be. I wrote serious things, too, that must go without saying.
But when I turned 30, I suddenly realized I had a funny side. I could write amusing things, wry dialogue, hilarious situations, and I could be funny in my personal life, too. Best of all, I discovered I could make other people laugh, which was something I had never even attempted before. And gosh, I loved that. How awesome was it to say something aloud that could make another person giggle? It was a huge change for me!
The friend to whom I wrote this note is a very sunny and cheerful person who happens to laugh a lot and make clever jokes so turning 30 for her will not mean the exact same thing. I suppose what I meant by my note was that, when I turned 30, I discovered something new about myself, something I never knew was inside me, and I hoped that the same might happen to her.
Not to mention the pressure of what comes after...being the new age. "Now that you're 18..." "Now that you're 21..." and so on. Has something so intrinsic changed inside me now that another year has passed? Has a switch inside me flipped on - or off - so I should be acting differently?
Recently a friend turned 30 and her husband asked Mo and me to come up with some words of what it was like when we turned 30, or what we wished when we turned 30, etc. Something poignant or maybe even practical. Like, "When I turned thirty I started using moisturizer on my elbows" or something like that.
I wrote her a note about how I became funny when I turned 30. And I don't mean I was all of a sudden a comedian of Ellen proportions, telling jokes and doing stand-up. I was, for much of my life, a very serious person. And I was known for being a serious person. It wasn't that I didn't have a sense of humor or I didn't like comedy but my persona, the outward expression of my being, was a serious one. I read smart literature, watched foreign movies, spent my time in the pursuit of scholarly-type things. And that's pretty much what my parents and everyone expected me to be. I wrote serious things, too, that must go without saying.
But when I turned 30, I suddenly realized I had a funny side. I could write amusing things, wry dialogue, hilarious situations, and I could be funny in my personal life, too. Best of all, I discovered I could make other people laugh, which was something I had never even attempted before. And gosh, I loved that. How awesome was it to say something aloud that could make another person giggle? It was a huge change for me!
The friend to whom I wrote this note is a very sunny and cheerful person who happens to laugh a lot and make clever jokes so turning 30 for her will not mean the exact same thing. I suppose what I meant by my note was that, when I turned 30, I discovered something new about myself, something I never knew was inside me, and I hoped that the same might happen to her.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Jealousy and the writer
Recently, the American Library Association awards were announced (the Printz, Caldecott, Newbery, etc.) and some truly amazing writers won prizes. Congrats to them all. I wasn't familiar with most of the books on the lists since some were picture books and others were for young readers but I did recognize many of the names. That's the thing about this writing business: it's a small one. It just has a very wide reach. Or it can if you're lucky.
When you first begin writing seriously, you see the many books in your genre and think, "I can write as good - no, I can write better than that!" You see people getting published every day, new books arriving on store shelves every week and think, "If that guy can get published, so can I!" But the longer you go without being published, you begin to get jealous of all the writers who do, especially if they're your friends. You wonder if certain wheels were greased; whether there was a personal connection, a previous relationship, a media platform you don't have.
You are the green eyed monster. And that's okay - we all go through that.
But the more time you spend pursuing this crazy idea of yours to become a professional writer, the more words you get under your laptop, the more you realize that your friends getting published and becoming successful has less to do with them and more to do with the business itself. Over the course of a career, so many things can change for a writer: one year you get a multi-book deal at auction but the next year, the contract is canceled because the first book tanked. You may sign with a high-powered agent only to have her drop you when your book doesn't sell. A beloved agent or editor could leave the business just when you thought you were hitting your stride. These things happen to everyone all the time.
And that's when you realize that there is a massive element of luck (I think it's being added to the periodic tables soon) when it comes to writing success. You could have it this year and your friend could have it next year. Both of you could sell books - or neither could. Sure, my eyes used to be a little green. I would get frustrated when people I knew were getting deals and I wasn't - or they were getting more of an advance or more marketing dollars or awards or fan emails - but now I know my luck could change too. I have every shot at getting those things too but it's nothing I can count on. I simply have to keep writing, keeping imagining, and keep supporting my friends. Their success is good for us all. It means publishers are publishing, readers are buying, and if my friend hits it big, maybe she'll write me an awesome blurb for my next book.
Win-win.
When you first begin writing seriously, you see the many books in your genre and think, "I can write as good - no, I can write better than that!" You see people getting published every day, new books arriving on store shelves every week and think, "If that guy can get published, so can I!" But the longer you go without being published, you begin to get jealous of all the writers who do, especially if they're your friends. You wonder if certain wheels were greased; whether there was a personal connection, a previous relationship, a media platform you don't have. You are the green eyed monster. And that's okay - we all go through that.
But the more time you spend pursuing this crazy idea of yours to become a professional writer, the more words you get under your laptop, the more you realize that your friends getting published and becoming successful has less to do with them and more to do with the business itself. Over the course of a career, so many things can change for a writer: one year you get a multi-book deal at auction but the next year, the contract is canceled because the first book tanked. You may sign with a high-powered agent only to have her drop you when your book doesn't sell. A beloved agent or editor could leave the business just when you thought you were hitting your stride. These things happen to everyone all the time.
And that's when you realize that there is a massive element of luck (I think it's being added to the periodic tables soon) when it comes to writing success. You could have it this year and your friend could have it next year. Both of you could sell books - or neither could. Sure, my eyes used to be a little green. I would get frustrated when people I knew were getting deals and I wasn't - or they were getting more of an advance or more marketing dollars or awards or fan emails - but now I know my luck could change too. I have every shot at getting those things too but it's nothing I can count on. I simply have to keep writing, keeping imagining, and keep supporting my friends. Their success is good for us all. It means publishers are publishing, readers are buying, and if my friend hits it big, maybe she'll write me an awesome blurb for my next book.
Win-win.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Things I Kept When I Cleaned
1. One of the last letters from my late maternal grandmother.
2. Cards from friends congratulating me on the publication of my first book.
3. A perfume sample from a store in Florence, Italy.
4. A collection of Phi Beta Kappa keys from my late paternal grandmother.
5. A Simpsons watch from Burger King that chimes with Bart's and Lisa's voices, "Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" when you press the button.
6. A conch shell bracelet my brother and his family brought me from the Caribbean.
7. A photograph of Oscar the Grouch from a shoot I did back in NYC when I was a script supervisor.
8. A pin that says "Shut up and dance."
9. The sign that says "Leigh Purtill" from outside my old cubicle at the CW Television Network.
2. Cards from friends congratulating me on the publication of my first book.
3. A perfume sample from a store in Florence, Italy.
4. A collection of Phi Beta Kappa keys from my late paternal grandmother.
5. A Simpsons watch from Burger King that chimes with Bart's and Lisa's voices, "Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" when you press the button.
6. A conch shell bracelet my brother and his family brought me from the Caribbean.
7. A photograph of Oscar the Grouch from a shoot I did back in NYC when I was a script supervisor.
8. A pin that says "Shut up and dance."
9. The sign that says "Leigh Purtill" from outside my old cubicle at the CW Television Network.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Random Thoughts on a Friday
1A. My ultimate dream vacation, if someone else is footing the bill or I suddenly become Bill Gates-wealthy, is a tour of Japan, China and Korea. I have always wanted to see Tokyo, although it was recently named the most expensive city in the world!
1B. My ultimate dream vacation, if I have to pay for it myself and I'm the same level of poor as I am now, is a west coast drive from SoCal to Seattle, stopping for the beaches of Malibu and Santa Barbara, the cities of San Francisco and Portland, and classes with the ballet companies of SF and Pacific Northwest along the way.
1C. My actual dream vacation this summer will be a few days in Arizona with my brother and his family. I can't wait to see my nieces!!
2. My friend Liz Thurmond has her very first published short story in Everyday Fiction! It's called "Modern Love." I love it! I never knew she had such a romantic side to her - amazing what you can learn about people when you read their material. Congrats, Liz!!
3. I don't really like research for writing. I like to make everything up as I go along. Besides, with the internet, you can spend/waste hours of your precious brain time.
4. I'm a little bit nerdy when it comes to Harry Potter. I can't wait for the new movie. In the meantime, I saw "Moon" which was AMAZING! Very thought-provoking; I highly recommend it.
1B. My ultimate dream vacation, if I have to pay for it myself and I'm the same level of poor as I am now, is a west coast drive from SoCal to Seattle, stopping for the beaches of Malibu and Santa Barbara, the cities of San Francisco and Portland, and classes with the ballet companies of SF and Pacific Northwest along the way.
1C. My actual dream vacation this summer will be a few days in Arizona with my brother and his family. I can't wait to see my nieces!!
2. My friend Liz Thurmond has her very first published short story in Everyday Fiction! It's called "Modern Love." I love it! I never knew she had such a romantic side to her - amazing what you can learn about people when you read their material. Congrats, Liz!!
3. I don't really like research for writing. I like to make everything up as I go along. Besides, with the internet, you can spend/waste hours of your precious brain time.
4. I'm a little bit nerdy when it comes to Harry Potter. I can't wait for the new movie. In the meantime, I saw "Moon" which was AMAZING! Very thought-provoking; I highly recommend it.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
My old friend's new book!
HUGE congrats to my former co-worker, Michael Ferrari, who used to sit next to me in our cubes at The WB in Burbank when we were both standards editors. His new book, BORN TO FLY, is in stores now! Check it out:
I read a very early draft of the book years ago when we were trading material. Michael read the first draft of my very first novel too. It was called FAT GIRLS IN LA and eventually became ALL ABOUT VEE. He was the one who read it and pronounced me a real writer which gave me a huge boost of self-confidence.
Eventually, Michael left the network, moved back to Ohio with his lovely family and entered the manuscript in the Delacorte Yearling prize for middle grade books and won! I was so thrilled for him! And now, it's published! Yay!
Here's Michael's very cool website - love the design of his book cover! So retro and yet still very modern. He's gotten some great reviews from Booklist and Kirkus - yes, Kirkus likes him! And who wouldn't? The story's hero is an 11 year old girl named Bird McGill and it takes place during World War II. I love that his hero is a girl - that's awesome! I'm sure both girls and boys are gonna love it.
Many, many good wishes to you, Michael!! Wish I could be in Ohio for your first signing but I'm sure it will be just the first of many!
I read a very early draft of the book years ago when we were trading material. Michael read the first draft of my very first novel too. It was called FAT GIRLS IN LA and eventually became ALL ABOUT VEE. He was the one who read it and pronounced me a real writer which gave me a huge boost of self-confidence.Eventually, Michael left the network, moved back to Ohio with his lovely family and entered the manuscript in the Delacorte Yearling prize for middle grade books and won! I was so thrilled for him! And now, it's published! Yay!
Here's Michael's very cool website - love the design of his book cover! So retro and yet still very modern. He's gotten some great reviews from Booklist and Kirkus - yes, Kirkus likes him! And who wouldn't? The story's hero is an 11 year old girl named Bird McGill and it takes place during World War II. I love that his hero is a girl - that's awesome! I'm sure both girls and boys are gonna love it.
Many, many good wishes to you, Michael!! Wish I could be in Ohio for your first signing but I'm sure it will be just the first of many!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Cool Friend Updates
First up, my friend Lisa will be on the Tyra Banks Show this Friday Oct 10 at 4PM, locally on Channel 11, Fox. The show is about losing weight and how it affects relationships. Lisa lost 50 pounds after her son was born. Set your Tivo!!
Next, a reminder that Holly's film will be at the Healing Through Creativity art festival in West Virginia on Oct 17. I love her sites, Woman Tribune and Menstrual Poetry. Totally dig the New Feminism!
Next, a reminder that Holly's film will be at the Healing Through Creativity art festival in West Virginia on Oct 17. I love her sites, Woman Tribune and Menstrual Poetry. Totally dig the New Feminism!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Double Post Extravaganza!!
For this Monday morning spectacular, I am giving you, my readers, a double dose of Leigh-mania. Don't say I didn't warn you...
First up, MAJOR CELEBRITY SIGHTING!!!!
Hint #1: Star of the Coen Brothers' Oscar-winning film
Hint #2: Married to a Desperate Housewife
Hint #3: Likes books
And the answer is...William H. Macy!! WOWSA, this was a big one! I was in Chevalier's Books on Saturday for my signing and who comes walking in, startling all of us, including some of us who consider ourselves fairly jaded Los Angelenos, but Mister Felicity Huffmann himself wearing a big bushy moustache and a smile! One of our friends managed to open her mouth and ask him for a picture, which of course he did because he's one of the most awesome actors EVER!
Sadly, he did not take one of my cookies nor did he glance at my books. I was soveryclose to asking him to take a postcard home to Felicity - and I would have been bold too - but there wasn't much of an opportunity and you really do want to let celebs do their thing or else they'll just stay home and order online.
And second of all...what a great store Chevalier's Books is! We are so lucky to have a wonderful independent bookstore like that here in Los Angeles. It's located in the heart of Larchmont Village and they are so cool, they allow people in with their dogs! And some great dogs too!
Special thanks to Erica, Liz and Norman who are the store's very special booklovers/employees who handled everything for me. Here are some pics of my lovely readers who made a super special effort to come down and hang out with me:
First up, MAJOR CELEBRITY SIGHTING!!!!
Hint #1: Star of the Coen Brothers' Oscar-winning film
Hint #2: Married to a Desperate Housewife
Hint #3: Likes books
And the answer is...William H. Macy!! WOWSA, this was a big one! I was in Chevalier's Books on Saturday for my signing and who comes walking in, startling all of us, including some of us who consider ourselves fairly jaded Los Angelenos, but Mister Felicity Huffmann himself wearing a big bushy moustache and a smile! One of our friends managed to open her mouth and ask him for a picture, which of course he did because he's one of the most awesome actors EVER!
Sadly, he did not take one of my cookies nor did he glance at my books. I was soveryclose to asking him to take a postcard home to Felicity - and I would have been bold too - but there wasn't much of an opportunity and you really do want to let celebs do their thing or else they'll just stay home and order online.
And second of all...what a great store Chevalier's Books is! We are so lucky to have a wonderful independent bookstore like that here in Los Angeles. It's located in the heart of Larchmont Village and they are so cool, they allow people in with their dogs! And some great dogs too!
Special thanks to Erica, Liz and Norman who are the store's very special booklovers/employees who handled everything for me. Here are some pics of my lovely readers who made a super special effort to come down and hang out with me:
Thanks to everyone who made my afternoon fantastic!
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