Characters live on after the book ends
Welcome, multi-published author and long-time high school English teacher Paula Reed. Her upcoming book Hester will be published by St. Martin’s Press in February 2010. Support Paula’s Denver Writers team with a donation to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation by clicking here.
There is that classic question people ask writers: Where do you get your ideas? And the classic writers’ response: We don’t know. For my latest novel, Hester, which is being released in February 2010, I know exactly where I got my ideas: Nathaniel Hawthorne and my classroom.
You see, I’ve been an English teacher for over twenty years, and for over half of them, I have taught The Scarlet Letter. Ask any student who has had me as their sophomore English teacher in the last twenty years, and I guarantee that this is the novel they remember most in my class. I know this because last year a student bounced up to me on the first day of class and said, “Mrs. Reed, you taught my mother!” (Her mother? Am I really that old?) “She said she’ll never forget The Scarlet Letter. It’s one of her favorite books.”
Hands-down, my favorite class to teach is American Literature. My favorite unit? The Puritans. My favorite lecture? Calvinism. (How pathetic is that? I have a favorite lecture. And it’s on Calvinism.) My favorite book? Well, it’s not a part of the Puritan unit; it’s in the Romantics, but can you guess it? That’s right. I hand out copies of Hawthorne’s classic work and tell the kids that they must do their best to love it as much as I do. Barring that, they must pretend to. A colleague once told me that whenever she thought of Hester, she pictured me, and my dark-haired, dark-eyed daughter as the mischievous Pearl. (For the record, my daughter was always much better behaved.) Sooner or later, it had to happen. I had to write about this book.
As wonderful as the original work is, with its effusive, rich, and vivid prose, its compelling characters (specifically Hester and Roger), and its timeless moral (you should have been in my class the year I taught this and the Monica Lewinsky scandal hit), it is marked by Hawthorne’s great affliction. That is to say, it is a romance with a strong and vibrant heroine and a dud as a hero. (If you doubt that this is a pervasive Hawthornean flaw, read “The Minister’s Black Veil,” “The Birthmark,” and “Rappaccini’s Daughter.” Do I sound like your high school English teacher, yet?)
And my students have asked the same questions over the years. For pity’s sake, what did Hester Prynne ever see in Arthur Dimmesdale? After all, Roger is no peach, but he is a serious scholar who dabbles in black magic. That, at least, is interesting, but Arthur is a dishonest man who cares more for his image than his character, though he doesn’t have the strength to just accept that about himself. He isn’t even intellectually rigorous, Hawthorne tells us. His only virtues are his gifts for empathy and public speaking—not usually the sexiest traits (but don’t tell high school speech kids that). This is a relationship that needs further explanation if the reader is to believe that Hester has a modicum of self-respect.
There is also that big gap in the novel, those years between when Hester and Pearl depart from New England and when Hester returns alone. For a reader who has invested her heart in Hester, it is a gap that begs filling. She is such a magnificent creation, and she gets such a raw deal. Enter my affinity for a happy ending. Now, I would never dream of changing the destiny Hawthorne had given Hester. She is, after all, his creation, but it seemed to me that it was not exactly blasphemous to tweak the way that ending feels. And what about Pearl? After an entire novel in which this child is nothing but a symbol, Hawthorne breaks the spell and sets her free to be a real human being, then tells us nothing of her life. What sort of woman would Hester Prynne raise? How would Pearl look back on her one-dimensional, symbol-of-sin years? So many questions left unanswered…
So where did I get the idea for this book? In my classroom, of course. And where did the meat of it come from? Thousands of questions asked by thousands of teens, hence the dedication in the front of the book:
To all my students over the years who have read The Scarlet Letter with me and loved it…or pretended to love it…or at least resisted the lure of SparkNotes and read every word Hawthorne wrote. I love you.
Writing with kids and life…
By Lori Devoti
My very first appearance as an author was at the local library. I did my “this is how I got published spiel”. Afterwards, a woman came up to me to tell me how she had always wanted to write, but see…she had small kids, so it really couldn’t happen for quite a few years.
I smiled ’cause see…I wrote my first book with two kids under six at home with me. And those two kids both have cystic fibrosis. So, I not only had to deal with the fights, the many juice demands, and potty training, I also had to deal with chest physical therapy, a multitude of daily drugs to keep straight and way more doctor interaction than I recommend for anyone’s sanity.
But I did it and frankly so could this woman if she really wanted to.
Does that sound callous? I don’t mean it to, but the reality is that if you want something bad enough you will find time for it. We don’t live in a time where every waking hour has to be dedicated to cooking, cleaning, hunting, or farming for our very survival. (I mean I haven’t boiled my own soap for years!) No, the vast majority of us take time for things that aren’t absolutely necessary to our survival or our family’s survival all the time. We watch TV. We browse the Internet. We shop. We do stuff! And while doing stuff is important for our sanity and living a full life–each of those things is a choice and we could choose to be doing something else.
Simply enough, that’s what I did and to a degree still do.
Last Thursday we learned that a child in my son’s class had H1N1. This was a huge deal to us–my kids, both under 12 and both with CF, getting H1N1—-well it is a nightmare I don’t want to even consider happening. So, we, after a deep discussion, pulled them out of school. Since last Friday, I have been spending all day with them, home schooling them. And I am on deadline. And I was already behind where I wanted to be.
But you know what? I discovered I can get enough done to make my deadline–even with giving up hours to them every day.
I had to make adjustments. I watch a lot less TV. I spend a lot less time reading blogs. I ignore a lot more stuff – flame wars, entire conversations on loops, current events.
I adjusted my goal. I decided I could take an extra week to get the book done. It cuts into my revision time, but I know I can do that in the time that is left.
I adjusted my writing time from Monday thru Friday to every day of the week.
What I didn’t do is say “I can’t do this.” Because that is the one sure fired way to make sure you won’t.
Bottom line, I made my writing a priority again, and if you want to write with life and children you will probably have to do that too. But the good news is…You can!
Go forth and write. 
sacrificing the reader for the writer
Over the eight or so years I’ve been writing romance, I’ve met a few people who were readers and gave it up to become writers. No, I’m not kidding. They actually gave up reading.
One said she didn’t have time any more.
Another just abandoned a particular line she was aiming for. She’d loved reading those books before she tried to get published by that publisher. But she had to stop after she grew as she put it, “insanely jealous of published newbies I could write circles around.”
A reason that makes me nod with agreement — the fear of unintentional imitation. “I can’t read romance if I’m going to write it,” another writer explained. “I’m too afraid of unconsciously using someone else’s voice.”
In a conversation, I find myself adopting the cadences and phrases of the people I’m talking with. And I know that there are some writers who are particularly contagious. They pepper their writing with short sentences, maybe, or they have a particular sort of description they use at particular points in the story. I can see getting sucked into imitation.
But giving up reading? Oh, no. NO. Sometimes I’ll drop a genre. If I’m working on a historical, I probably won’t read other historicals for a while.
But the way I figure it, I have a list of things I’m willing to give up for writing: regular paychecks, ego (still getting those rejections, thanks), wrists, sanity.
Stories written by other people? Nope, not negotiable.
Week 3
We are entering the second-half of our event. I’ll get an official report from CFF tomorrow to see how we’re doing with the money.
What I can tell you is we have a lot of terrific prizes yet to give away. So–Week 3 Bonus prizes.
Top Money earner in Week 3 (most donations from Sept 14-20) will receive a choice of:
Medallion Necklace donated by Lori Devoti.
Or the set of Naked Books by bestselling author, Sally MacKenzie.
Or a critique by agent Kate McKean or author Sandy Blair.
The top total money earner as of September 21 will win a choice of:
The book cover pin by Diane Plumley
or 
The 60th Anniversary Harlequin Bag full of Harlequin Books
or
A critique by agent Alexandra Machinist
Top reader (most pages read) and Top writer (most words written) for Week 3 will receive an Unleash Your Story tote bag.
See Prize page for details on these great prizes.
2d Saturday
We are reaching the half-way point to our event.
How are you doing on your goals? Have you surprised yourself with how much you can read or write when you set a goal?
We’ve racked up some great numbers in the reading and writing category. Keep it up!
If you had a slow start, that’s okay. You can still get a lot done with over two weeks left. Figure out some times and places where you can squeeze a bit more time in with your story (whether reading or writing).
Don’t forget to also take some time to send out those e-mails to friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, etc. Don’t think of it as asking for money. Think of it as giving them an opportunity to donate for this great cause. If you’re having trouble getting those invitations out, check out our FAQ and Tips page. Remember you can always send any questions to info@unleashyourstory.com. Also, any questions about CFF or the CFF website can be directed to: madison-wi@cff.org
Thanks so much for your support! This event is only possible because of your efforts.
Top Reader/Writer
Announcing the Top Reader and Top Writer for Week 1.
Top Writer is Becke Davis with over 16,200 words written. Way to go Becke!
Top Reader is Irene Phelps with over 3600 pages read. Go Irene!
Becke and Irene received $5 Amazon gift e-cards. This week’s top Reader will receive an Unleash Your Story tote bag. Top Writer will receive a copy of Beyond Heaving Bosoms by Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan.
Writing with the rug rats
Please join me in welcoming an dear friend, funny (might we even say wacky) person and New York Times bestselling author, Angie Fox. 
Note: Angie is participating in Unleash Your Story as the team leader for the MORWA team. You can join Angie’s team or sponsor Angie by clicking here. All donors (through Angie’s team or through any UYS participant) who give $25 or more between Sept 9 and Sept 21 will receive a free book from our $100 book list.
A few weeks ago, my daughter came to me with a broken Ariel doll. She’d snapped the tail fin right off and was shocked when I couldn’t repair the plastic. “But mom,” she pleaded. “You can do anything!”
I didn’t know whether to correct her or to thank her. Because the truth is, most moms I know are a bit frazzled (myself included). It can be hard to find ten minutes for a shower some mornings, not to mention time to write a novel.
So what is the best way to write while raising kids? I wish I knew. But here are a few things I have learned along the way.
Get organized.
Just like your kids have a schedule (mostly), get yourself on a writing schedule. Personally, the only time I can write is when my kids are unconscious, so I write during afternoon nap times. If one or both of the kids don’t cooperate, I set my alarm for 4:00 a.m. the next day and sneak in a writing session before the family wakes up. It’s not always easy. Heaven knows I’m not a morning person. But it’s the best way I know to keep my books, and my writing, on track.
Plus, you’ll be surprised at how your muse really does cooperate when you commit yourself. For example, when I sat down to write the Accidental Demon Slayer series, I had no notes about a sidekick for my heroine. But in the second chapter, when Lizzie learns she’s a demon slayer and there are some very scary, very angry creatures on her tail, she takes comfort in her dog. As I was writing, I thought, ‘This is a sweet moment. Now how do I throw her off?’
I made the dog say something to her. Nothing big. After all, he’s only after the fettuccine from last week. And he knows exactly where Lizzie can find it (back of the fridge, to the left of the lettuce crisper, behind the mustard). It amused me, so I did it. Thanks to her unholy powers, Lizzie can now understand her smart-mouthed Jack Russell Terrier. I ended up having a ball with it. Pirate can say and do things that my heroine can’t. He’s such a kick to write.
But you know what? I’ve noticed that nine times out of ten, those kinds of “ah hah” writing moments only happen when I’m on schedule and wholly committed to my writing. It’s like making an appointment with your muse. She knows when to show up, and that you’ll be there.
Know you can do it.
Just like the time my five-year-old emptied her Barbie pool on her bed “to see what would happen,” I had to go with the flow when I realized I had written a talking dog into a story with a geriatric biker witch gang that was about to hit the road. When unexpected things pop up, the trick is to push forward.
In the case of the Barbie pool, we used plenty of towels – and a hair dryer. In the case of my manuscript, I researched and learned about the Biker Dogs Motorcycle Club, made up exclusively of Harley riders and their dogs. I ended up meeting some of them, along with a few other bikers along the way. These bikers were so great to me. They hoisted me onto the back of their Harleys (with dogs in tow). They took me to biker rallies (note to self: don’t wear pink). And they laughed at me when I tried to put my helmet on backwards (I still say I was distracted by the Pomeranian wearing a tiny pair of motorcycle glasses).
I was not only able to keep my dog and the Harleys too, but after a few outings with my new biker friends, I was able to make my geriatric biker witch characters a lot more realistic. 
Have fun.
As moms, we’re so used to doing everything for everybody that we sometimes forget about ourselves. This writing, this time with your book, is something fun and amazing that you can do for just you. What have you always wanted to write? What will you do for the pure joy of it? How can you get started?
Luckily, my critique partner is also the mom of two small kids. We’re always trying to amuse each other as we write. Typical feedback will come like this, “What are you doing? Don’t get me wrong. I like it when you come up with quirky new hideouts for the Red Skull biker witches. But we’re heading into the climax of the book. Why do we need a new one?”
I usually don’t have any good answer to questions like that except, “I did it because it made me smile.” But, really, if I’m amusing myself as a writer, won’t my readers have more fun too? At least that’s my excuse. In the case of the new hideout, it worked out. The Red Skulls end up on this abandoned riverboat that they’d enchanted years earlier (while drunk on dandelion wine). Now they not only need a safe place, but they need to catch the Choking spells, Lose Your Keys spells, not to mention the Frozen Underwear spells ready to attack from around corners and behind the old jukebox.
And in conclusion (because your kids are probably emptying your underwear drawer as you read this), I think it might be easier in some ways to write while balancing the needs of a family. When you have distractions, you have to take a stand for your writing time and your story. You have to let yourself have fun along the way. And you have a profound sense of accomplishment when you do sit down and let those words flow.
Besides – we’re moms. From what I’ve heard, we can do anything.
New York Times bestselling author Angie Fox writes the Accidental Demon Slayer series for Dorchester. Well, when she’s not chasing her daughter (age 5) and her son (age 2). Visit her at www.angiefox.com
Week 1 results & New incentives!
Total money raised: $1,780 + $202 from our July Moonlight Madness sale = $1982.
Top teams:
Bon Bon Chocolate Mafia in the lead with $330
The Cystic Gal team close behind with $260 and Team RBTB in third place with $230
Total reported words written: 82,355
Total reported pages read: 30,759 (more…)
The Necessity of Reading
Smart Bitch Sarah
Please join me in welcoming today’s guest blogger, Sarah Wendell of Smart Bitches, Trashy Books.
When I was asked to guest-blog for the 2009 Unleash Your Story, I literally giggled out loud. You want me to wank on about the joys of reading? Sure! I could write about how much I like breathing, too, or eating! Yes! I like eating and reading about the same amount, which is to say, a whole heaping pile of a lot.
Many people have asked me how I discovered romance novels, and that story begins with my insecurity at being a late reader. I had a hell of a time learning to read, at least, from an educator’s perspective I did. I remember clearly being moved backwards in reading groups in elementary school, but I don’t remember if it was because I couldn’t read or because I stubbornly didn’t want to read the words I was given. You’d think I’d remember the moment when I finally “got it,” and learned to read, but I don’t. I just know that at some point I did, because boy howdy dangnabbit, do I read a lot now.
Once I did figure it out, I developed a totally seductive, almost addictive relationship with words. If I see words, I read them. And – this is the troublesome part – I go completely deaf and peripherally blind to anything but those words. Drives my family nuts. They practically have to light a bucket on fire and use a strobe light to get my attention when I’m reading. When I’m reading, there is nothing else in my world but the words in front of me.
For that reason, reading is one of the few things I do that can occupy me entirely. With just about everything else on my to-do list, I multitask. I feed the family, sort the mail, pack lunches, schedule activities, feed the animals – all at the same time.
With reading, it is my sole companion, my unique and solitary task. Because it can entrance me all by itself, it is the most effective way I know of to recharge and relax. Written text is my comfort food, my favorite way to nourish and care for myself. Reading is a treat at any time, but especially when I’m so busy I think seriously about going back to school for multiple science degrees so I can study the potential of temporary cloning for humans.
Reading is my flannel sheets, my quilt that’s worn and soft, my warmest socks, my favorite chair, my homemade soup, my perfect hug – the one thing that sustains my peace and comfort when I need it most. Reading is more than my joy; reading is my necessity. More, please?
Sarah Wendell is co-author of Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches’ Guide to Romance Novels, and co-founder of Smart Bitches Trashy Books.com. The web site specializes in reviewing romance novels, examining the history and future of the genre, and bemoaning the enormous prevalence of bodacious pectorals adorning male cover models.
Sarah has been seen on The Today Show, the Canadian Broadcasting Company’s Steven and Chris Show, and on So Many Books. She has been quoted in People Magazine, The New Yorker, The New York Times, The New York Post, USA Today, New Jersey Monthly, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Los Angeles Times Book Blog, Metro:New York, and Publishers Weekly.
Labor Day
As a former union member (I was a skilled bookbinder while working my way through college), I should probably be thinking about celebrating the worker on Labor Day. Instead, Labor Day reminds me of two things–having babies (those were major “labor” days) and reaching the end of the first week of Unleash Your Story.
We are here September 7. Did you get your 15 donors to qualify for the $25 B&N gift card? Because of the holiday, we won’t get a report until Tuesday this week (so you really still have time to go for this one).
Did you reach the $100, $200 or higher level? Remember we will be giving away a free book for each $100 you raise up to $500. Check out the list of $100 books on our prizes page.
No matter how you did in Week 1, you can look forward to Week 2 prizes. We are offering a $25 Starbucks card for the person with the top dollar amount at the end of week 2. (This one is cumulative–we will be looking at the total raised as of Sept 14).
The top money earner for this week (not cumulative–this is most money brought in from Sept 7-13) will receive a “Pick Your Sub-genre” 12 pack from Michelle Buonfiglio. The winner chooses a romance sub-genre (contemporary, paranormal, historical or romantic suspense) and Michelle will send you 12 books from that sub-genre.
We continue to offer a free book for each $100 raised up to $500. We also have special prizes for the top reader(pages read) and top writer (word count) of the week. Thanks for your support and don’t forget to report your pages read and words written to info@unleashyourstory.com so that you can be eligible for our reader and writer prizes.
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