June 2010
29 posts
June 30, 2010
THE ART OF THE PUPPETEER
On Monday, I did another radio interview for my books, Heart Land and Gothic Spring. I’ve been lucky to meet some wonderful hosts and Monday’s was no exception. He’d pulled out nuances from the text that I’d put there, mostly to amuse myself. Being discovered, I wanted to giggle like a school girl caught passing a note to her boyfriend in class.
One needn’t catch all the...
For L
What inspires me L is knowing you are with me and the hope that others may follow.
A Writer's Courage
I’m not sure how you manage to come up with these inspired posts and still have time to rewrite your novel. I loved this piece…..pushes all the right buttons! Thank you!
L
June 29, 2010
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE
I’ve edited 40 pages of my novel so far. The work has been slow, painstaking and I’d love to believe it will be my last rewrite; but I know it isn’t. I’ll rewrite it again before I send it off to my personal editor. She’ll go over it, find errors I have missed and I’ll be surprised, as always. But that’s what an editor does. She perfects my work, not my ego. I am grateful...
Thanks.
L,
Thanks for your last post. Sometimes writing these blogs feels like sending notes in a bottle out to sea and then I get an affirmation, like yours, and the effort becomes worthwhile.
Caroline
June 28, 2010
A Writer’s Courage
Beginning a rewrite on one of my novels is always an act of faith. I imagine, when I’ve laid my first version aside, it has been left in the best possible condition. Yet after a month or two of its lying fallow, I’m aghast to discover the amount of repair required. Carpenter ants, or some writer’s version of them, have nested in my computer, transposed sentences, misspelled...
Bleeding Words
Lovely Caroline, …….Lovely!
L
June 25, 2010
WHERE IS MAHLER’S WIFE?
Today the sun is shining. I edited 10 pages of my 4th novel yesterday and hope to do the same today. That is, if there are no interruptions. The writer’s craft may be a lonely one but the world insists upon peeking through the window. Sometimes it says, “Come out and play,” but mostly it says, “Your dryer is broken.” Or, “your cell phone has died. You need a new one.”...
June 24, 2010
THE ROAD NOT TAKEN
I read somewhere that while the number of book buyers has remained constant among Baby Boomers, the number among younger adults had dwindled, or should I say, ‘kindled’? Younger readers have taken to electronic books while those over 50 still like the feel of paper between their fingers. By age and by preference, I fall into the latter group. There’s something wonderfully...
June 23, 2010
BLEEDING WORDS
Today I begin to rewrite my 4th novel. Novel number 3 lies like Sleeping Beauty awaiting the appearance of an agent. I am hopeful the 3rd will be published but am uncertain whether it will be through the small or main stream press. Either way, I shall work to give it life just as a mother struggles to give birth to her child. In the meantime, I labor with the new piece, hoping my...
June 22, 2010
Music of the Heart
Of the people I met on my book tour all but two identified themselves as writers. That degree of interest in the craft would warm the heart of any one-time English teacher. But what was the source of this calling? Some began their practice when they were young; others gave no thought to expression until an event changed their lives. My guess is that young or old there is a...
June 21, 2010
A(oc)Cs Sometimes, mathematics and literature have been known to collide. I determined this truth during my first book tour to southern Oregon. I refer, of course, to my revelation that Attendance at book readings is in inverse proportion to the Community’s Size. (A (oc)CS). I’m considering submitting a paper on the subject to the Journal of Computational and Applied Mathematics. In the meantime,...
NOTICE TO FACEBOOK READERS
Hi Everyone,
I’m back from my trip to southern Oregon. I will begin my regular blog on Monday, as promised.
What a surprise to come home to find a number of people wishing to add my blog to their facebook page. Please be aware that I’m delighted to be a part of these communities but if you wish me to acknowledge your comments and questions, send your messages through my blog. ...
Goodbye for a little while.
Caroline Miller Write Away will resume on Monday, June 21. Please come back for a visit. Hope to have interesting stories about my book tour.
Caroline
June 11, 2010
A Short Rant against Kindness
Yesterday I got a rejection from an agent. It was the second one she wrote for the same submission. Apparently she thought so well of her earlier decision, she chose to e-mail me again. Here’s her comment:
“The premise of the book is very compelling but I’m afraid I just didn’t feel as passionate about the voice as I wanted to.”
As my central character is...
June 10, 2010
Don Quixote’s Quest
On Wednesday, I cautioned that a writer’s worst sin is to bore his reader. Of course, that begs the question of what I mean by it. What one person finds interesting may be an occasion to nap for another.
My eyes glaze to hear talk of sports, for example, any sport. Games generally require that someone wins and someone loses. Competition is supposed to make watching or playing...
Well said L. I guess that’s what’s meant by “The Lonely Crowd.” Ha, ha.
Caroline
On the Truth of Fiction
Preferring non-fiction over fiction sounds a bit like an excuse for lack of publicising effort on the part of the principal organizers. If five people show at an author’s event….that’s a crowd of five.
L
June 9, 2010
On the Truth of Fiction
On Monday, I received an e-mail from a woman who is organizing one of the stops on my upcoming book tour. She seemed worried about the success of the event. Recently some Oregon Book Award authors visited area and drew sparse crowds. Her explanation was that people in her neck of the woods preferred non-fiction to fiction… “something that connects to their lives,” she...
June 8, 2010
Pooh Bear Demystified
Socrates observed that man is a social animal. If I’d have been his contemporary, I’d have added the words, “who likes a story.”
When a journalist writes, “First the king died and then the queen died,” we have an article.
When an author writes, “First the king died and then the queen died of grief,” we have a story.
Grief is another sticky word, you see, because it’s laden...
June 7, 2010
POOH BEAR, POUND CAKE AND EZRA POUND
Sunday, I took an imaginary walk in the park. In reality, I was somewhere else, but as it was a sunny day, my mind kept wandering to the place where there are trees, a duck pond and an expanse of grass to sit upon. In my mind, I laid out a blanket, a thermos of tea, some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and a slice of pound cake. Not long after, as I sat in...
Hello L
Glad you’ve dropped in. Poor Bear has another question. He will be back on Monday. He tends to nap on the weekends.
Thoughts of Pooh Bear, Sticky Words and Other...
Quite a poetic piece! I, like Pooh, had to think a bit about this journalism and poetry stickiness business. Pooh would have been delighted with this story…..I was! Thanks….
L
June 4, 2010
Thoughts of Pooh Bear, Sticky Words and Other Nonsense
Pooh Bear might have said, “Thinking makes me think things.” He’s made so many profound statements in his young life that I’m almost certain that he did. At least I’ll blame him for the question that popped into my head yesterday during my walk through the park. “What,” he asked as I stood beneath an Elm, “is the difference between a poet...
June 3, 2010
JENNIFER ANISTON ISN’T OLD
Browsing through one of my picture magazines this morning, I came upon a photograph of Jennifer Aniston and below it were the words, “America’s aging sweetheart.” The writer meant to hurt and as I am old enough to be Jennifer’s mother, I took umbrage. As far as I know, the actress’s major offenses are that she’s unlucky in love and recently starred in a movie that...
June 2, 2010
“I SEND MY WORDS THROUGH TIME AND SPACE TO GREET YOU. YOU WILL UNDERSTAND.” James Elroy Flecker (1884-1915)
Yesterday, these lines from “To a Poet a Thousand Years Hence,” came to me as I opened my blog and found that I’d had visitors. Unlike Flecker who imagines a future reader will find his work and feel a connection, 1000 years didn’t have to pass for me. “L” and Tom in Burbank sent me their...
June 1, 2010
Dominique Browning and Slow Love
Dominique Browning has published a new book called, Slow Love. You may think it strange that I’d recommend a book I haven’t yet read, but I’m confident about the author. Her writing never fails to satisfy. www.dominiquebrowning.com.
I discovered Dominique Browning through the pages of House and Garden when she was the magazine’s editor. I confess to having a varied...
Not a writer at all....
Caroline,
This is such an enjoyable blog! Nice to be able to read firsthand how it is in the real world of writing and agent hunting…. reads as a novel unto itself! Love your perseverence and look forward to seeing your daily posts!
L
Hi Caroline..
Welcome aboard! Looking forward to reading your new novels. I see that Gothic Spring and Heart Land are highly regarded by readers using Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com. No surprise there. Both are fine books.
Tom in Burbank
