My name is Melanie, and I am a writer. I hate telling people that. It's almost as bad as saying, My name is Melanie, and I majored in Religious Studies. Or, my name is Melanie, and I live in Rome, GA. I hate saying it because, unless they are from Rome, or majored in Religious Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill, or happen to be writers themselves, people look at me funny.
Okay, let's stick with writing. You get a few different responses.
1. Why, couldn't you find a job?
2. You must be an alcoholic.
3. I'm a writer too, but I've never published anything, and I have a handwritten 500 page manuscript for a novel that I'd like you to read tonight and then publish for me. How much money will I get?
4. I'm not a writer, but I have a great idea for a book, which you can write for me. How much money will I get?
5. If you're a writer, why haven't I heard of you? And why aren't you rich?
6. Do you write romance or mysteries or true crime?
7. My second cousin's step-daughter wants to be a writer. Can you give her some lessons (for free)?
8. You've published a book? Is it in the library?
9. You've published a book? I'd like to borrow it sometime.
10. What are you working on now?
The answer to #10 is tough because either I'm not writing (ohgodIdon'tknowdon'tknowwhyI'mtryingreallypleasebelieveme), or I'm still writing the same book I announced I was writing five years ago, and one wonders, naturally, what's the hold-up here?
Or...as in my present circumstance, I am working on publicity. Publicity is the opposite of writing.
My third novel, The Ghost of Milagro Creek, set in northern New Mexico, comes out with Algonquin on July 6. You can read about it, and my other books, stories, and essays on melanie-sumner.com. I'm doing a reading at The Georgia Center for the Book in Decatur on July 6 at 7:00pm, and a book signing at Barnes in Noble in Rome on July 10, 2:00-4:00. I'd love to see you there.
Enough about me --- what are you working on now?
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Testing, testing
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ReplyDeleteMy name is Danielle, and I am a writer.
ReplyDeleteAnd a teacher.
And a mother.
And a lot of other things.
I am currently working on a chick lit/romance book called Thirty Days, which is the crazy, slightly hillarious, story of a woman trying to find her true love in... well, thirty days, of course. Whenever I am working on this project, the words come so easy. I love my characters and the conflicts going on in all their lives, and they have the best conversations over cosmos at Buckhead bars.
I have five chapters and a pretty decent outline of plot points; my biggest problem seems to be finding time to commit words to paper. By summer's end, I hope to have at least 100 pages done, though I'd really like 150. Any tips for adding more hours to the day would be helpful. :0)
I'm an avid reader (aren't we all, though?), and I inhale at least a book a week. My favorite authors are mainly ones I hope to someday be like: Sophie Kinsella (I'm obsessed with her work!!!), Jane Green, Jennifer Weiner, Jennifer Cruise, Janet Evanovich, and Anna Quindlen. I love to read things that make me laugh out loud and books with bright pink covers.
I don't write serious literary-type fiction. I've tried, and I truly suck at it. So, I've just given in to who I am, and for the first time, last semester, I really worked on what I wanted to. I'm happy with the results and hope to continue down that path for the rest of my MAPW journey.
Happy reading and writing!
Sarah, have you ever read any of Katherine McCormick's YA novels? She tackles very tough subjects. One of her books, "Cut," is about teenagers who cut themselves. I read some reviews of it on Amazon, which included remarks from mothers complaining bitterly that the book enouraged their teens to begin cutting themselves. McCormick's novel, "Sold," is the heartbreaking account of a Nepalese girl sold into prostitution in India by her stepfather. This book, however, is beautifully and uniquely written and I would recommend it heartily. It is literature.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Kathleen, and I am a writer.
ReplyDeleteAnd an ardent lover of literature.
I'll confess that I've not written a word on paper since spring semester ended. I took Creative Nonfiction last semester, which is an important course for the writer's journey, but it burned me out a bit on self-relevation.
Instead, I've spent the last month conducting a long overdue "clearing of the decks" at home, so that I have more serenity, more sanity, and more space to be a writer. We actually rented a dumpster and filled it with things and paper that just needed to go around here. I've been busy setting up shop for myself in an upstairs bedroom where my family can't find me and talk to me when I'm trying to write (like they're doing right now). And I've been reading, reading, reading.
I've always been certain that Creative Nonfiction was "my" genre, and I've been working on a book about a family trip to Ireland that weaves together funny stories, descriptions of the scenery and the customs, and the symbolism behind the stitches in an Irish sweater.
The funny thing is that in this month that I have been cleaning house, a seed has sprouted in my head for a novel - fiction, of all things! As I've pitched out old files and furniture, I've plotted out my story about a somewhat dysfunctional, gardening-obsessed, middle-aged woman who takes a roadtrip in a convertible with her newly cancer-stricken father.
I'm itching to get it all down on paper, and I've excitedly registered for Tony Groom's fiction writing class in the fall. But so far, there are only three students taking the class, not the requisite 15, and it looks likely that the class will be cancelled. If that happens, I'll be on my own with my story - just like a real writer.
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ReplyDeleteSarah, I have both McCormick books and would be happy to loan them to you. In my very first class in the MAPW program, I wrote a paper on YA literature and did a lot of reading on the subject. I would be happy to give you all of the books I bought for the project. The only book I'd want back is "Sold." Are you by any chance taking the Review Writing class? If so, I could bring the books to one of those classes. Otherwise, I'm also happy to meet you at school sometime to hand them off.
ReplyDeleteI actually had the seed of the idea for my story for a while, but never, ever thought about writing fiction. While I was doing all of the boring manual labor around the house, the story sort of reappeared in my head and tapped me on the shoulder. It was kind of like it was saying, "My turn." I wonder if the Creative Nonfiction class got a lot of personal anaylsis out of my system, freeing me to devise plots or something. I'm basing my main character on myself and two good friends who've also struggled at times with the housewife thing. And I like books about life-changing odysseys!
Sorry, meant to type "self-revelation"!
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ReplyDeleteDanielle, I envy your enthusiasm for your novel-in-progress and your affection for your characters. With sentiments like those, you're sure to get the job done!
ReplyDeleteAnd Melanie, I look forward to reading "The Ghost of Milagro Creek." I hope to make the signing in Decatur.
My name is Heather, and I am a writer—who likes to party. Just kidding. That was a reference to Hot Rod for anyone that has seen it. :)
ReplyDeleteWhen people discover that I am an English major and that I want to become a professional writer, they kind of stare at me like passersby stare at homeless people in Downtown Atlanta. When my first book is published, I’ll remember those looks.
I’ve always been a writer at heart, and it wouldn’t surprise me if I had had a pencil or some type of prenatal writing tool with me when I emerged from my mother’s womb. But enough of the graphic imagery! Right now, I am writing a young adult fantasy novel that has basically any kind of fantasy creature you can imagine. It contains dragons, vampires, magical wolves, shape shifters, harpies, a phoenix, a Pegasus, and that’s just to name a few. The project began as a Christmas gift for my fiancé. This past fall semester, I took an undergraduate (I actually still am an undergraduate) fiction class with Mr. Plattner, and we were instructed to write realistic fiction as it is the easiest to critique from a literary perspective. After my fiancé read the short story for my class, which was about the relationship between a grandfather and his grandson, I could tell that he wasn’t quite into it.
“You don’t like it?” I whined.
“No, it’s not that. It’s beautifully written like always,” he said.
“You don’t like it.”
“It’s just that I’m a guy, and I like stuff with lots of action. You know, it’d be cool too if at the end of the story, a guy and a girl could be making out while riding off into the sunset on a dragon.”
This brief conversation is essentially where all the inspiration for the project came from. Once the story began to take on a life of its own, I realized that the project was much too big to be adequately completed by Christmas, so I slapped on a makeshift ending and decided that I would transform the short story into a novel. However, besides a few bits of editing, I haven’t had time to continue writing it.
A great deal of inspiration for my other writings, such as my poetry, comes from nature. I have this tree (that I have named Larry) that I sit in on rainy days. Nature never fails to give me something to write about, and the best part is, no matter where I am on this planet, my inspiration surrounds me.
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteThe idea for your book made me want to pack up right now and head to New York. Seriously. I’ve never been much of a city girl—I’ve actually been a little scared of the city—but your brief descriptions of Brooklyn were so vivid and beautiful that the city didn’t sound so foreign to home. When you do decide to let more people read the novel, I’d love to.
I'm so glad you listed Stephenie Meyer as one of your heroines in the Young Adult genre. Many people have discounted her as a good writer, and although her style isn’t as riveting as others’ styles, her plot development and use of suspense is fantastic, in my opinion. Like you mentioned with the evolution of the Young Adult genre, Meyer adds a bit of family conflict and the notion of the outsider.
Kathleen,
ReplyDeleteBoth books you are writing/are wanting to write sound amazing!
I, too, have been reading a great deal lately. I’ve read about eight books in the past two and a half weeks, and I’m still on a roll! I also agree with you that when I’m in the writing zone, I can’t be interrupted, or things get ugly. As I mentioned in my blog, I have a tree that I like to sit in and write. I’d take the chirping of the birds over the bickering of my brothers any day.
My name is Samara Zeiger, and I am a writer.
ReplyDeleteI just finished my 10th year as an elementary school teacher and will be teaching two sections of 1101 at Kennesaw in the fall as part of the MAPW TA program. Going from 3rd graders to college students is going to be a bit of a challenge, but I am ready for it!
I am currently working on a story I started in Melanies Advanced Fiction class last semester called Black and Blue (not sure I love the title) about a female cop with some serious issues. I am also beginning to work on my capstone, at least in theory, which will be a children's book that elementary teachers can use to help teach the writing process.
I absolutely love to read, which is a very good thing for this course:) My all time FAVORITE author is Jodi Picoult, and I just finished her latest novel House Rules. I LOVED it!
I am looking forward to taking this course with all of you.
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ReplyDeleteI am completely inspired by those of you writing YA. I think that is one of the hardest genres to tackle. I would love to read any snippets you are willing to share. I was told by a classmate, when I took creative non-fiction, that I have a YA voice when I write, which I found to be a compliment.
ReplyDeleteI am also totally jealous of those of you who are actually ON THE BEACH writing! I guess my office chair will have to do:)
My name is Melissa Davis, and I am a writer.
ReplyDeleteI am also a middle school teacher, an only child (well, that’s not quite correct – I am technically past the child part), an animal lover, and devoted tea drinker and hard cover book snob. I tend to write what I know which is children’s literature. I worked for Barnes and Noble for over five years, managing the children’s department and it was there, surrounded by all those lovely books, that I realized I wanted my books on those shelves. They would go right between Alice Dalgliesh’s Courage of Sarah Noble and Kate DiCamillo’s The Tale of Despereaux. All in due time…
Once I began teaching, I found myself using my own writing to engage and motivate my students in their writing. Children and teens are fickle and their interests change with the drop of a hat. Teaching allows me to be on the for-front of the YA scene and get a firsthand account of what is hot and what is not. Having a captive audience can be very rewarding and very ego-busting. It’s great to hear: “Ms. Davis, can we read your story?” with enthusiasm and interest; while “Ms. Davis, can we share our stories now?” can be quite humbling. All in all, I find that teaching and writing go hand in hand very well. My students provide positive feedback and keep this writer with her head in the (imaginary) clouds and her feet firmly planted on the ground.
Right now I am working on a few things. I have a YA novel (with the potential to be a series) about a group of “misfits” who work for a large corporation collecting ghosts. Each of the main characters has different aspects and flaws they bring to the group. I would love to be able to focus on different regions and / or cities to personalize the ghostly legends. I also have the beginnings of either a short story or novel (not sure which) that is a re-telling of the Cupid and Psyche myth. I love mythology and find that it creeps into my unintentionally at times. This story is slow going at times but I think I just want to get it right.
Melanie, you forgot to add three of my absolute favorites to your list.
ReplyDelete1. "I'm going to have to sit down and write a book sometime."
2. "I'd love to read it. Can you loan me a copy?"
3. "What's it about?"
My favorite (and I get it because I am a teacher) is "Will you give all your students a free copy when you are done?"
ReplyDeleteSarah, it sounds to me like you've got it going on with your novel. New York is such a great setting for any story. And you are right about YA. It is a popular genre. I wish you luck on getting your book published.
ReplyDeleteDanielle, I really like the name "Thirty Days." Your story sounds interesting and seems quite adaptable to the screen ($$$$). I can't give you any more hours in the day, but you do have my best wishes.
ReplyDeleteKathleen, there's no real shame in being a novelist. It's just one of those things you can't help, like political affiliation or religious orientation.
ReplyDeleteHeather, I like your voice, and the way you blended dialogue into your blog post. I expect I'll like your book, as well.
ReplyDeleteSamara, I think Black and Blue is kind of a cool title for a story about a female cop with issues. I don't even know what the story is about, but the ambiguity of the title is intriguing, nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteMelissa, a YA series with mythological aspects sounds like a winner, to me. A series is much easier to sell to a publisher, because their interests lie in the direction of the author's commercial viability.
ReplyDeleteMelissa, you and I are going to need to become very good friends:) Another children's book writer! SWEET!!!! I can't wait to share ideas.
ReplyDeleteHeather,
ReplyDeleteMy husband doesn't "get" my writing either. The first couple of times he read some of my work, he actually became a little disturbed. The look on his face screamed "what kind of messed up stuff is going on in that head of yours?" But, he eventually got over it and learned to ask whether or not whatever I'm working on is something he would be okay with reading. How funny that others have similar experiences!
Melanie, there is a great coffee shop right on the square in Decatur, about a half block from the library.
ReplyDeleteJava Monkey, Ray???
ReplyDeleteWow! I'm truly humbled by all of your descriptions of yourselves as writers. I'm glad I didn't read all of these before I wrote my own blog, or I would've frozen up! I just have one question - may I get a free copy of all your books when you finish?! Just kidding - advance notice so I can go buy them when they come out will be sufficient. I look forward to this semester with all of you.
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