The most important communication

Valerie and I and our youngest spent the new year weekend in Atlanta, staying in the home of Valerie's brother and attending a young cousin's wedding. Valerie's brother is a doctor, a career he came to late in life after pursuing design and architecture; his field is clinical research. His home is stunning, but though he identifies himself as "living in Atlanta," it's actually in a suburb several miles outside the city. Atlanta sprawls on a scale I associate with Miami or LA, and the sprawl evidently affects the minds and perceptions of those who live under its influence. The "good restaurant close by" was an hour's drive away, "up the road" required an afternoon in traffic to reach, and two places "right next to each other" had a half mile between them. I'd thought I'd have time to see a few people and places while in the city, but abandoned those plans once the scale of the requisite journeys registered.

The cousin getting married was on Valerie's father's side of the family, which meant I was only vaguely aware of who she was and how related. While family on Valerie's mother's side has always been involved with ours, most of the family who would be at the wedding hadn't seen Valerie or me since her father's funeral twenty years ago – many not since a family reunion a few years before that. Valerie grew up farther down the Carolina coast than we now live, closer to Savannah than Charleston. Before her mother moved to Wilmington we used to drive down every few months to visit. The fastest route from Wilmington to Atlanta follows our old run as far as Florence, which of course prompted memories of those days (which in turn prompted our 20-year-old daughter to don headphones). We passed South of the Border for the 900th time without stopping; I keep being surprised it's still standing. (Their official site and the Wikipedia entry.)

At the wedding and reception/family reunion/New Year's Eve party I kept introducing myself to people who knew me. (In my defense, I think that after 20+ years it's easier to remember "Valerie's white husband" than it is to remember 137 names.) More than one person commented on the fact last time they'd seen me I'd worn my long(ish) black hair in a ponytail; Valerie's aunt Stella gave me a playful poke and said: "You used to be a skinny thing," making her the only person to mention the additional eighty pounds. (Going to have to dig my bike out of the garage.) A few asked about my photography business, a venture I'd driven into the ground a quarter century ago, before I'd gone back to school to become a teacher. It struck me that that failed business had not been something Valerie and I had reminisced about while driving. As nearly as I could tell, no one knew I was a writer.

On the drive back to Wilmington Sunday night I couldn't help but reflect on the many jobs I've had over the years and my nascent Kvaad Press. Actually, it would be hard on the January 1st of any year not to be taking stock and considering the future; visiting my brother-in-law, meeting extended family I hadn't seen in decades, and attending a wedding merely sharpened the focus a bit. Normally I keep my musings to myself, but with both my wife and our daughter uncharacteristically awake and nothing but midnight interstate around us I ended up talking with them about the future – particularly my writing. I discovered both of them have read more of my work than I thought they had and learned one of our daughter's professors at William & Mary her freshman year liked "The Monkey Puzzle Box," my Dixon Hill (Star Trek) mystery. Neither of them is concerned about the lack of cash flow; neither of them had paid any attention to the fiscal milestones I'd expected for Kvaad Press's sixth month (January, 2012). At the same time, neither knew my goals as a writer or what I considered a reasonable investment of time and energy for reaching both my creative and business goals. For my part I'd missed some things my wife and family expected from me in terms of availability and involvement. In other words, though we'd talked about these in the past, we had either not communicated or forgotten elements we'd once understood.

The details of our discussion aren't relevant to this column; the fact the discussion took place is.

While writing is a craft, writing professionally is a business. And no business succeeds without clear communication both within and with partners, suppliers, and customers. None of us questions the importance of communicating with editors, book packagers, etc., and we put a lot of thought and effort into communicating clearly – making sure we understand and are understood. As freelance writers we work alone, but only at our craft. We live our lives as part of a family, a community, a network, whatever form it may take, made up of people we count on and who count on us. Communication is as key to personal relationships as it is to professional relationships; more so. Keep your family - your natural supports, whoever they are - in the loop. They don't need to know details about the passage that's giving you fits, but they shouldn't have to guess how your writing is going from your mood. Plan family events; be clear on deadlines and objectives; know other people's schedules; protect what you need to protect, but be flexible when and where you can. This may seem like a no-brainer, but tugs of war and contests of will are common in writers' families; avoidable stressors that negatively impact both our work and our relationships. Whether it's a weekly meeting, a master calendar on the kitchen wall, or a family-only private FaceBook community, create a structure for clear and regular communication with the people in your life you value. It will de-stress the writing process and strengthen your relationships.

It's 2012 & I'm Back In Stride Again

Happy New Year!

Well here we are in 2012! Most of us think about the past year and set goals for the coming one. I've only briefly done my "Writer's Wrap-up", but here is how 2011 stacked up for me. 

• Finished two original indie novels
• I went from frozen with fear at the thought of indie publishing to putting on my big girl pants and getting it done. Two new mystery books plus four back list romance titles are now on sale (hint -hint)
• Learned new POVs of traditional publishing that helped me make wiser decisions about what I want in the future
• Participated in a cooperative promotion effort that had positive results

For the 2012 I will:

• Finish the second and third novels in my paranormal thriller triology. A Darker Shade of Midnight is now on sale at Amazon , B&N and Smashwords
• Take part in more cooperative promotions if I can find the right partnters
• Start the second in my cozy mystery series. Best Enemies is now on sale.

What do I mean by "cooperative promotion"? Two author friends happened to have holiday themed romance novellas that they were getting ready to release as indie titles, eBooks of course. Angela Benson came up with a great idea. She suggested we do a group e-blast promotion through Shades of Romance Magazine (SORMAG). She also suggested we put blurbs and links to each other's titles at the end of our novellas. Monica Jackson threw in with us and we were off! We saw our sales rankings drop on the Wednesdays the e-blasts went out (last three in November). We scheduled those dates to fall in line with readers getting into the holiday spirit and shopping mode with all those eReaders being bought or gifted. Of course we tweeted and did Facebook wall posts. This was 3 holiday romances x 3 authors getting the word out = increased sales.  Fellow authors, I recommend this kind of effort for sure.

As a reader I fought with the writer side of me and made time to read more. I was rewarded with delightful hours that reminded me why I decided to be a writer at eleven years old. So readers, I'm not leaving you out. Here are wonderful books I read in 2011:

• Kwanzaa Homecoming by Monica Jackson
• Friend and Lover by Angela Benson
• The Dead Detective Agency by Peg Herring
• In Her Name (entire triology) by Michael R. Hicks
• Cannibal Nights by Kiana Davenport
• Darkness and the Devil Behind Me by Persia Walker
• Sweet Liberia, Lessons from the Coal Pot by Susan Peters
• New Orleans Confidential by O'Neil De Noux
• Coyote Ugly by Pati Nagle
• Dark Bayou by Nancy K. Duplechain
• Sanctuary by Niambi Brown Davis
• The Hungar Games (still reading) by Suzanne Collins
• Dying on the Edge by Francine Craft
• Black Water Rising by Attica Locke

Whoa, that's some list. I hadn't actually looked at it before writing this post. In fact, I believe I've left off a title or two. As you may notice my reading is all over the map: romance, mystery, sci-fi, memoirs, short story collections, literary, cereal boxes, etc.

In 2011 I did something else I'd scoffed at before, read all but the last two books on my IPhone. Yes, I bought a Nook Color for my twelve year old niece, two VTech readers for my five and six year old nephews;  but Aunt Lynn doesn't own a dedicated eReader device. Because I love reading books on my phone. I mean, this thing goes everywhere with me. That means I can whip it out and be into a great book at a moment's notice. Where I used to grind my teeth and mutter cuss words while waiting in lines, at the doctor's office, etc., I'm now serene. Time whizzes by while I catch up on news or even better, read a book.

Have a great 2012 writing and reading!

Lynn Emery
Amazon Store
Nook Books 
Smashwords

Guest author Joanne C. Hillhouse: Got an author reading? Don't sweat it

Photo by Emile Hill

Antiguan and Barbudan author Joanne C. Hillhouse is the author of Oh Gad! – a novel scheduled for publication by Simon and Schuster in 2012. Her previous books are The Boy from Willow Bend and Dancing Nude in the Moonlight. She’s published in various literary journals, and her literary prizes include a UNESCO Honour Award, the Michael and Marilee Fairbanks international fellowship to participate in the Breadloaf Writers Conference, and the David Hough Literary Prize from the Caribbean Writer. Her activities include youth writing programme the Wadadli Youth Pen Prize.


I don’t sweat.

Well, okay, I do sweat; quite a bit, actually. I’m talking the kind of dampness that has people (okay, one person, one time) approaching me in the supermarket, concern wrinkling her brow: “Miss, you okay?”

But I don’t sweat when I’m nervous, like I invariably am, right before a reading. No, the signs are subtler: For only I can hear my heart trying to sledgehammer its way out of my chest, and the way everything gets dark and tight until passing out is a real possibility. And only I, once at the lectern, can feel the way one leg locks, firm, while the other trembles – not shaking like it does when idle, but trembling like an earthquake; And only I can sense the weird standing beside myself thing that happens.

One self chastises, “your leg is shaking, stop it, stop it”, worrying that the leg will give out and leave me sprawled on the floor; while the other keeps reading, initially stumbling over familiar words before catching her stride. This self is, by definition and inclination, a writer not a reader nor entertainer – which people seem to expect writers to be. But her motto is ‘feel the fear but do it anyway’, and so she does. She’s impressive really, this second self. On good days, she will begin to feel herself vibesin’ with the audience – encouraged by their laughter and murmurs. She’ll assert herself, as she tunes in to the story and her audience tunes in to her and the story she’s telling, the two of them hitting the same frequency. And just like that, they’ll merge. And soon she is one with them, the audience, herself, and Sexy Sadie (or whichever character happens to be commanding their attention).

I am no authority on readings. But since publishing my first book, I’ve survived (yes, you read that right: survived) more than a few readings – at this writing, I just completed one at the University of Toronto which included the first ever previews of my forthcoming book Oh Gad! alongside previously anthologized poetry. It went amazingly well.

I’m not sure how the next one will go, of course, but while I’m in the zone, here are some of my tried and true tricks, which you might find useful too.

1. Breathe. Cliché but true. I suck it in and hold it, counting down, trying to slow my heart beat. And it works. Deep breaths keep me from passing out – because like all humans, I need oxygen to live – and they slow things down. They remind me to trust the work; it’s ready…and with another deep breath, I’ll be ready too.

2. Distract Yourself/Be Present. Now, this sounds like a contradiction but it really isn’t. I try not to obsess about what I’m about to read. As I prepared for tonight’s reading, I ironed, watched music videos, surfed the web, tried to work (couldn’t settle down enough for that), tried on my outfit, took it off …all before leaving the hotel room.

At the event, I listen to the other speakers. I clap. I laugh. I am there. Beats sitting and worrying (read: obsessing) about all the things that could go wrong.

On this particular night, my debut reading from Oh Gad! nothing did. And isn’t that usually the case?

3. Prepare. Of course, distracting yourself only works if you’ve prepared; you know, like you can only sleep the night before the big test, instead of being up all night cramming, if you’ve actually been keeping up with your reading throughout the term. So, I prep and practice (when you’re not a natural, you have to) then, like they say in those Italian mobster movies, fuhgeddaboutit. Which is not to say that during early performances of my rare acting turns (in local productions of Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues and Antigua & Barbudan equivalent When a Woman Moans) you may not have found me prowling back stage running lines trying to get into the right emotional head space; I’m not Meryl Streep, after all.

4. Take it in. This is a big one, and one I still have to work on. I’ve been known to treat readings like I did those big tests in that, I do not want to discuss or think about it after it’s done. I was not the girl to stand around discussing what answer I put for question six, when it was past the time that I could do anything about it. Move on, that’s been my mantra. But, this approach doesn’t work with readings where it’s advised that you hang around and discuss the book, make small talk, socialize. Me, I fled my Breadloaf reading as soon as it was done; turns out, several people actually found me in the days that followed to congratulate me on the reading, would have been better if I had hung around to hear it. In Toronto, I stayed put and survived (no, I can actually say that I enjoyed) the small talk, and embraced the response from the audience that, as I subsequently told a friend, felt like love.

So, my final bit of advice to you – and me – be in the moment. After all, it’s your moment.

5. Oh, and, go to the bathroom before leaving your room, or sweating may be the least of your worries.

So, what are your tips for giving your best reading?

That Resolutions Time of Year

Hard to believe we are already counting down the days before the New Year arrives. Why it seems as if only yesterday we were ringing in 2011. Where does the time fly?

This can only mean that it is resolution time again. I had a number of resolutions for this year, such as make my deadlines, write a certain amount each day, pace myself accordingly, and keep the writing world in a proper perspective in keeping in mind what is truly important in life, such as good health and love of family. I also vowed to exercise regularly and no longer use the writing as an excuse not to.

Happily, I kept all of my 2011 resolutions and am the better for it.

Now, with 2012 right around the corner, my resolutions for the New Year begin with those from this year in terms of maintaining a dependable and workable writing daily writing schedule, not missing a single deadline, and doing my part to ensure good health while taking enough time to smell the roses in life and spending as much quality time with my wife and family as possible in keeping my priorities in order.

Along with these resolutions, I also want to continue to please my fans with great fiction and nonfiction; and spread my writing wings, so to speak, by adding more screenplays to my repertoire, having already written one currently being read by two producers.

Lastly, I am resolved to taking my wife to Maui, our home away from home, this year, where everything is beautiful , including the weather. Maybe while enjoying the leisure, sand, sun, and ocean, I can look ahead on resolutions for 2012...

What are your resolutions for the New Year? Did you have any for this year? Did you achieve them?

Happy New Year!

Devon Vaughn Archer

e-Gift Giving

It's that time of year when lives are busy and time for updating blogs is short. I have to complete all the things that I planned to do in 2011! No, seriously, I am heading out on a trip to the Western Region of Ghana and very excited about it so please forgive me for this short and not particularly insightful posting.

This Christmas, I gave my husband and father books for their presents; not physical books this time around, but eBooks. Now, keep in mind that I am a major proponent of this development in the realm of reading. I have released my three children's books as eBooks and purchased Kindles for my children. I must say, however, that it felt a bit odd to give an eBook as a present ...convenient (I chose my husband's books in the wee hours of Christmas morning) ... but I missed watching him open the present and flip through the pages to preview his new novel.

I imagine that by next year I will be an old hand at this and presenting eBooks to everyone on my list!

Color and Mood

Do you use a lot of color terms in your writing? Do you do it with a purpose?

Robert E. Howard, the creator of Conan the Cimmerian, often used “black” in his fantasy and horror fiction. Some say he used it too often, but when you read his stories you don’t really notice the frequency of the word, you notice the mood the word helps create.

Howard also used shades of red a lot. I use them as well, partially because I write horror and adventure fiction and there’s always the color of blood to describe. Of course, words like dark and black and shadow appear in horror fiction a lot as well. As do their opposites, such as pale and pallid and white.

The proper use of color in fiction depends much on the environment/setting as well. In the summer woods you will have prominent greens and browns and grays, with only wisps of other colors. In the desert there will be sandy tans and, possibly, pale pinks and reds and oranges. If your work features skies and oceans, then certain colors follow naturally. If you are trying to create a sense of exotica, then exotic colors may help. Think about the strange colors of the foods and plant life that you see on many episodes of the original Star Trek.

Color is a powerful subjective experience for most people. If used carefully it can suggest much without weighing your prose down with multiple adjectives.

Do you have a color or colors that you depend on a lot in your own work? For me it’s probably black and red. If you do have a writing “color,” is it the same as your favorite color in the real world? My favorite colors are the dark reds, tending toward the maroons.

Let me close with a short list of some of the more interesting color terms available to writers. At least in my opinion.

Aeruginous bluish green like copper rust
Amaranth dark purplish red
Amethyst purple or violet
Argent silver
Cinereous ash gray
Cinnabar brilliant red
Cyan dark blue-green
Fuchsin purplish red
Fulvous dull reddish brown, brownish yellow, or tawny
Gules red as referred to in heraldry
Indigo a deep violet blue
Lapis Lazuli azure-blue
Lavender pale purple
Magenta purplish red
Mauve delicate purple
Niveous the color of snow
Ochre dark yellow
Onil a deep violet blue (indigo)
Puce brownish purple
Russet yellowish brown or reddish brown
Saffron orange yellow
Sepia dark reddish brown
Taupe brownish gray
Topaz yellow
Umber raw = yellowish brown, burnt - reddish brown
Vermeil scarlet vermilion
Vermilion brilliant red or scarlet
Violet bluish purple
Xanthous yellow or yellowish

Christmas wish list

It’s Christmas day again. Another year that flew by. It’s a time of traditions, myths and gift giving. In my family, we’re still trying to forge a tradition which incorporates my husband’s and my culture and that of the country wherein we live.

For my kids, though, it seems to be all about the presents. My eight year old, of course, had a long wish list that grew longer with each passing day. My three year old just wanted a present and my two year old had no idea what was happening besides seeing pretty lights.

My husband, my ever unchanging sweetheart, did exactly as he’d done for the many years we’d been together. He waited until the day before Christmas Eve to ask me what I wanted for Christmas. I thought about it long and hard, because what I want, he probably cannot give me. So here are five things that topped my Christmas wish list:

1. Good health
2. Increased sales on my existing books
3. A day job
4. A publisher for my children’s book series
5. A good contract with a major publishing house.

Of course since my husband can give me none of the things on my wish list I just told him to surprise me.

What’s on your Christmas wish list?