Hello,

My co-workers and I received some news the other day; our jobs are in jeopardy because we will be merging with another board, another company, so it means changes and possibly not in our favor. My co-workers have been murmuring all day about it, wondering what’s going to happen to our jobs. I wondered too then decided not to and for two hugely important reasons: one, I cannot do anything about the merger other than do my job the best to my ability until I don’t have to anymore. Two—the most important reason—if I no longer have a day job, I can write during the daylight hours, live my dream of the perfect writing life: up early, exercise, a cup of coffee while I write until its time for my children to wake for the day, drive them to school and even stay for an hour as a classroom volunteer, then back home to write and read until its time to pick them up. Heaven. I'm going to indulge in this until I have to look for another position.

Will any of this happen? I don’t know; the only thing I do know is that I’m not going to worry about something I can’t change, I’ll deal with what comes my way, make it work and no matter what: keep on writing because it’s something that can’t be taken away from me.

If you have any comments or suggestions please e-mail me at my new address: shabazzl@adasbcc.org.

Until next time, God willing,

Hello, how are you this Friday?

I read the other day that J.K. Rowling was writing a mystery novel and I wasn’t a bit surprised. I believe everyone loves a good mystery or detective novel. When you think about it Ms. Rowling’s can write anything she chooses and of course do it wonderfully so why did she choose the mystery genre? Oh, there are so many reasons: the challenge of writing a great mystery, one that is complex and layered but understandable and readable complete with surprises, twists and turns that don’t conclude until the last page; character development: the memorable, original characters you can create, an ensemble, readers can’t forget and want to follow from novel to novel; the situations—endless situations--that create a mystery needing badly to be solved for life or death and finally the detective defined as you want him or her to be, a policeman, a hotel maid, a taxi cab driver, an oil magnet, your choice and you can give him all the life you can imagine—good or bad.

So I’m not surprised Ms. Rowling’s is writing a mystery novel, so am I (a few of them) for all the right reasons I’ve given and one more: the love of the mystery/crime/detective genre and wanting to be a part of the renowned list of great writers who’ve created the best work in it: Agatha Christie, Edgar Allan Poe, Chester Himes, Ed McBain, Ruth Rendell, John D. MacDonald, Sue Grafton to name only a few; who wouldn’t want to join that list? I know I do and it looks like Ms. Rowling does too.

If you have any comments or suggestions please e-mail me at my new address: shabazzl@adasbcc.org.

Until next time, God willing,

Lori

Hello,

I’m not a fan of rock and roll music, especially Indie rock I’m more of a soul music lover but there is one rock band I have recently become enamored with after all my years of living and not once finding favor with this kind of music; yet this one band I truly enjoy. The band is the White Stripes, I know everyone has heard of them they're just that wonderful. Why I like them so well is of course because of their music, its inventive, complex but simple, beautiful and some songs unforgettable. Yet, in addition to their music it’s the band itself made up of Jack and Meg White, singing and playing three instruments: guitar, drums and piano—just that basic--no huge ensemble, no flashy fire breathing shows; they don’t need all this, they have the one thing that replaces all the hoopla—deep and rich talent.

I listened to a radio interview the two did and Jack White, the lead singer, said this one thing so true and I paraphrase it here, “No matter what you did some people are going to like it, some people aren’t…I can’t think about that anymore, concern myself with it, I can’t think about if its going to fit…” I believe Mr. White was saying you have to be true to yourself--in his case play and write the music he loves--and not concern yourself with whether others will like it or not; its what you think and love about it that counts and only feeling this way will give your work (writing, music, painting, wood-working, whatever) the clean, clear truth of it you can be proud of.

I try very hard, daily, to cultivate this attitude and for the most part I'm successful, I write the stories I love hoping others will love them too though this isn't necessary but if I come across one reader who enjoys my novel and looks forward to my others then I’m good; but if I never come across a reader who likes my work, this won't stop me from writing.

So stay true to yourself, your work, your writing, making sure when your novel (or novels) is complete it’s exactly what you want it to be, you are terrifically happy with it so that once you send it out in the world you aren’t concerned with who will like it or who won’t because your most important goals have already been reached: a novel you've written and feet great enough about to present to all; the rest is beyond our control and will take care of itself. So don’t worry, just write your best, the rest will be okay.


If you have any comments or suggestions please e-mail me at my new address: shabazzl@adasbcc.org.

Until next time, God willing,

Lori

Hello to you this Friday,

I’m re-editing You Don’t Know Me, I'll be sending it out soon as a self-published book. This will be my second review since the novel came back from the editors. I asked for only a basic edit for grammar, punctuation etc so I went through the novel correcting the errors I needed to, leaving those that were not errors but my writing choices. Now I’m going through the novel again for content and style error and story issues that can be changed or made better that would make the story have greater flow, make it seamless; I’m half-way through this process.

I’ll go over the novel a third time after putting it aside for a week for fresh eyes. I’m not ruling out a forth look though just to make sure I’ve caught all the bad stuff. Is this excessive? To the point I’ll never get my novel out because I can’t stop reviewing it with that fine tooth comb to catch every error, every uneasy word, to find a better word to use or shorten this paragraph, or change ‘he said’ to ‘Owen said’, and on and on--yes, it’s excessive… no it’s not, because I believe I have to work harder than the other guy writing his book, that I need to go that extra mile to make sure my novel is the best it can be and if going over it a forth time is the way to do it then there will be a fourth review.

I'lll submit my book for publication and soon but not until I get to the last page and realize there is nothing left to do to it, it’s as good as I’m going to get it; this does happen. I look at it this way, everyone wants to write a book—who wouldn’t? Writing can be indescribable, wonderful, at least when writing well, so who wouldn’t want to do it so in face of all that competition, to get my writing out front I have to be hardworking, patient, to persevere against all odds, to be relentless at making my book the best so that fourth review? It’s nothing in the cause for my book and in the immense pride I'll feel at--finally-- presenting to the world. I know it’s a feeling you understand well. Keep writing.

If you have any comments or suggestions please e-mail me at my new address: shabazzl@adasbcc.org.

Until next time, God willing,

Lori

Hello to you this Friday and to Ashish Jansri, thank you,

I was wondering…how do you separate your book from the pack? Hundreds of books are published a year through traditional publishers and self-publishing. If you’re published with Scribner for instance, is it something done for you or only if you're John Grisham? Though I’ve read even getting a book deal with a major house doesn’t guarantee you’ll get a large book party or go on publicity junkets around the country to get the word out about your book.

What seems to propel books these days to great sales and possibly on to those bestseller lists is word of mouth, meaning its left up to the readers to decide, not the publishing houses or the lists but the reader who takes a chance on your novel. But what makes them take the chance word of mouth? I suspect it’s the chicken or the egg phenomenon with selling books too. The question then is how to get the word of mouth going for your novel. I think first and foremost you have to write a great story all readers will enjoy, the fantasy reader finding many things to like in your mystery novel.

In addition to writing an interesting thoughtful story with terrific stay-with-you-characters and riveting situations that charge at a pace that gives the reader only a few chances to catch their breath (my idea of a wonderful book and its what John Grisham does) you have to find ways to get the reader to realize your book is something special and it begins with you starting that positive word of mouth and backing it up by “showing”, by offering excerpts of your novel on your website or blog and asking readers to respond to it; getting positive blurbs or reviews of your book by writers you admire and post them out in the world, do interviews radio and in print touting your book, appear at book store signings, ask book clubs to read your book letting them know you’ll be happy to discuss the book with the group, those are just some of the ways to get that word of mouth running wild and if you come up with more inventive ways please let me know.

One half of the battle is writing a wonderful story you love and you know readers will love too; the other half is getting people to read that story but we’re all up to the challenge aren't we. Write well.

If you have any comments or suggestions please e-mail me at my new address: shabazzl@adasbcc.org.

Until next time, God willing,

Lori