My book is where?

I got a strange message on my Facebook page today. It was a friend congratulating me on my book being on Amazon. Funny thing was...I had no idea. Apparently, my publisher put it there.

My writing friend was sitting next to me at a coffee shop. And she was so excited she ran around with her laptop, showing it to anyone who would listen. BREAKING THE CODE comes out in November so I just wasn't expecting it to be happening this soon. Wow!

When I was in Chicago visiting Sourcbooks, one of the things I was surprised by was all of the pre-publication work that has to be done. There are so many things that an author can and should do prior to a book launch. It's about marketing and publicity! So, next on my agenda is to figure out how to create an author page on Amazon. Wish me luck.

If you want to pre-order my book, you can do so on the Amazon site. Just put in "Karen Fisher-Alaniz" or "Breaking the Code memoir"You even get a reduced rate for pre-ordering.

OK...how do I get down off this Cloud #9 so I can get something done today?

Mini-Memoir Monday: Music in Your Head

photo: bandstand at Pioneer Park, Walla Walla.

Music is amazing at bringing memories back. Whether it's a tune from your teen years or from a few weeks ago at church, music has a way of forming pictures in your head. I think we've all had the experience of hearing a song that we'd completely forgotten about, and having it jog a memory. We remember the lyrics, or most of them anyway, to a song that we haven't sung in 30-years. But what's more amazing is that songs will often take us to a place we'd forgotten about or a memory long-forgotten. Mental pictures are formed around songs.

For example, perhaps it's a song from the movie Grease. When you let the song penetrate, you can see your friends at the drive-in, watching the movie, goofing around and trying to get the attention of the popular kid from math class - the one who didn't know you existed. You remember belting it out with your best friend, at her birthday party. You remember pretending to be Olivia Newton John in front of your full length mirror and singing into your curling iron. And the memories, like notes of a song, continue.

Today your mini-memoir challenge is to write about music.

Challenge:
Turn on a radio station with the oldies or even one of the T.V. channels that have stations solely devoted to the 60's, 70's, 80's and beyond. Go about your business; cleaning, cooking, whatever. I guarantee a song will come on that will surprise you. You'll find yourself singing along. Now that you have that song stuck in your head (you're welcome, by the way), dig a little deeper.

* What feeling do you have when you hear it? Not all songs bring happy memories; that's OK. Feel whatever it is. Sometimes our most painful memories are our strongest.
* Are there people tied to that song?
*Did someone special sing that song? When did you first hear it? Where were you?
* What does the song make you want to do? Lie in a meadow of wildflowers? Jump off a tall building? Scream? Cry? Laugh?

Write your memories down. Just let them flow. This exercise will likely lead to a memory about a specific person or group of people. Write about that. Let your writing wander. There's nothing wrong with that!

Write Now - It's Later than you Think.

Getting Your Parents to Talk

The following is part of a letter I received recently. I thought perhaps it might be helpful to others.

Karen,
I am curious how you...got the old folks talking. It seems like when
I was young and not really interested, my mom had all kinds of stories
to tell. Now that she knows I AM interested, she seems reluctant to talk.
Of course, it doesn't help that we are several thousand miles away from
each other, but even when I visit, it's like pulling teeth to get her to tell
me anything. -Sherrie

Dear Sherrie,
I know what you mean. When I was interviewing my father for what eventually turned into a book, he wasn't real big on talking. Like you, I'd heard his stories many, many times as a child. That said, here are a few ideas;

1. Spend time with your mom on a regular basis and without an agenda. A consistent time, even if it is on the phone is likely to bring you closer to your mom. I think we all want to know that we are important enough for a regular call or visit. Eventually, that time may provide opportunities for stories to be shared. It may seem time-consuming but in the end it's really not that much time at all. And there's something about knowing that someone set aside Wednesdays at 9am every single week, that opens doors to memories.
2. Photos are a great memory-starter. So are memorabilia or even just walking around someone's house and talking about the items contained in it. People keep things for a reason.
3. Talk about your own memories. Share them with no expectation.
4. Ask about memories that are common, yet individual. Ask the "where were you
when...?" questions. For example, "Where were you when JFK was shot?"

Above all, don't give up. It takes time for people to share, but it's worth your
effort and patience.

Thanks for asking! Good luck and let me know what you learn. ~Karen

Mini-Memoir Monday:Everything AND the Kitchen Sink

As we get further and further from our childhood, we tend to think that we can't really remember much about it. That is so, not true! I think we've all had the experience of smelling something or seeing something at a yard sale or antique store and suddenly a memory floods us.

Assignment #1: Think about a kitchen sink in your childhood - then look around you at the kitchen around it. It could be in the first house you remember as a child, or the one you kissed your first boyfriend in as a teenager. It may be from the home you grew up in or it may be a relatives house, or a best friend's house. What is the first kitchen that entered your mind? Was it your grandmothers; the one with the garden right outside the back door? Was it your cousins - where they always a pitcher of grape Koolaid in the avocado-colored green fridge.

Begin at the kitchen sink; what color is it? Is it smooth or cracked in places? What do the faucets look like? What's in the sink? Now, expand your vision. What does the rest of the kitchen look like? What did it feel like? Where did you sit? Who is standing at the stove? Who is standing in the doorway? Are there windows? What do you see outside? Is there a centerpiece on the table? What does the floor feel like. Are the counters clean and smooth? What sits on the counter? Who cleans this kitchen? Who never cleans it? What smells congregate in this kitchen? Besides cooking and eating, what else is done in this kitchen? Now add yourself to that kitchen. What do you feel there? Does it evoke a memory?

Now, just start writing. Begin with the strongest memory you have. It may be a physical aspect of the kitchen, or it may be something that happened in that kitchen. It may be something that took place on a regular basis or it may be something very specific. There is no wrong way to write your memories. Just write them down.

Congratulations! You've just written your first mini-memoir. I'd be thrilled to have you post it here! Whatever you do with it, don't keep it to yourself. Read it to somebody. Reminisce with someone. Put a date on it and promise me you'll never throw it away, no matter how silly you may think it sounds later. And remember - all assignments can be done in interview fashion with your loved ones. Adapt and make it your own.

See you next Monday with another Mini-Memoir Monday. But in the meantime, I can't wait to hear about the kitchen of your childhood!

Memory Monday

photo: Togo is always happy when I have a new blog feature!

This is the first day of a brand-spankin' new feature. For every Memory Monday, my post will feature some sort of advice on how to go about recording your memories. As the name of my blog, WRITE NOW - BECAUSE IT'S LATER THAN YOU THINK, indicates, I truly believe in getting those stories written down before it's too late. I've searched the internet, books, and forums to help me understand personal history writing. I hope to share some of those finds with you, my current and eventual readers.

My dream is to create a community of people who are actively taking the steps to get their stories and the stories of their loved ones written down. I'd love nothing better than to have some tiny influence. But it is for me too. While I've concentrated my effort on my father's extraordinary story, there is still a lot to be done for the rest of my family. So, as I learn, I'll share that learning with you. And together, we can change our little corner of the world - one story at a time. Ready? Tune in next Monday for your first mini-memoir exercise.

Memoir Writer Qualifications?

In a recent article for the New York Times, Neil Genzlinger questioned just who should be worthy of writing a memoir. While I don't agree with what he said, in general, I can see his point.

If you've ever been in a critique group, hopefully someone has said, "So what?" to you. For example, there are lots of books written about people who overcome a terrible accident or a terrible illness. If it is your experience, it seems unique. It seems as if nobody has ever had an experience like that -- unlikely. I am a firm believer in reading books in the genre you want to be published in. If you do this, you may be able to take your common experience of overcoming illness and write it into an experience that is unique and untold. Without reading widely, you won't know what just that is.

Genslinger's article ends on this note, "If you didn’t feel you were discovering something as you wrote your memoir, don’t publish it."

When I was writing BREAKING THE CODE, I had a sense of being in a movie at times. When I was discovering clues in letters my father wrote, it felt like a scene in a movie. But the next memoir I'm writing doesn't have that same feel. I'm not sure we have the feeling while we are going through it. Afterall, we're just trying to well...get through it. What do you think?

Photo Friday: Signing Contract with my Dog

I love my dog, Togo. Seriously, I love her. She's been with me in good times and bad, in sickness and in health. She's sat at my feet as I typed away, pursuing my dream of writing a book. So, why should I be surprised that she wanted her photo taken with me and OUR book contract?

Photo Friday: The Signing

OK...The Signing sounds like a sci-fi flick. When I received my first ever literary contract recently, it seemed sort of anti-climactic to just sign it at my kitchen table and be done with it. So, I took it to my parents house. I signed it with my dad there to watch. The book is such a dual effort.

Dad wrote the letters all those years ago and I have been transcribing and writing it into a book for almost ten years now. Since signing with Sourcebooks, I have been working like crazy on it and I probably send 3 to 8 questions to my dad every day via email. Getting every single detail, small and large, correct is mandatory with this kind of book.

And on top of that, there are about three of his original letters written to his folks during the war, in each chapter. So, signing with my dad meant a lot to me.

What's up with the Rainbow?

I've tried lots of things when it comes to the editing process. I've read books and articles on the subject, talked to fellow writers, and gone to workshops. I can't say I've tried them all because many just didn't fit with my writing personality. But I did try some, only to figure out that they too, didn't fit me quite right.

Trial and error can be a frustrating experience. And I had my share of frustration as I wrote and rewrote, edited and revised. And then ended up where I started and no real idea how I got there or where to go from there. I got confused on what I had decided to change and what I hadn't, so I edited things I had decided not to edit. Does that make any sense at all? Yeah, well when you confuse yourself, that's not a good sign!

Finally, I came up with different colored edits and it has evolved to the colors of the rainbow. Why? Because I know them. I taught them to my kindergarten class when I was teaching. The order is; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple. If you've been reading here, you've already read that my very, very first edit takes place on my word processor. The red edit is my first paper and pen edit.

As I move along with this series, you will learn what each edit entails. I have this delusion that maybe it will actually help somebody out there. But remember, no two writers have the exact same editing style. So take what you can use and trash the rest. Happy editing! ~Karen

Critiques-Live and Learn

As you may remember, I entered a literary contest several months ago. Well the bad news is I didn't win. The badder news (no wonder I didn't win-with grammar like that!) is that I didn't even place. OK, I get that there were more than 1,000 entries from all over the world. Stiff competition, and all that.

I am an optimist. I expect good things to happen or in this case...to win. Good or bad, that's just the way I think. I know that some people (in my family even) do the exact opposite. They always expect the worst and when something great happens they are surprised. I just can't think that way-I just can't. I think it's genetic or something. Anyway-so I was disappointed that I didn't even place in the category of memoir.

Then a few days ago I received the critiques. For this particular contest, there was an entry fee. And regardless of whether you win or not, you get two written critiques of your work. Each critique consisted of seven questions and the judges answers.

Here is a sampling of the comments;

"Beautiful! What a gift to your family and most importantly, to your Dad. The hook at the beginning of Chapter 1 is very compelling. This is an unbelievable treasure. You have taken a fantastic piece of history and made it come alive for one veteran who was like thousands of veterans."

"Excellent choice of words paints your background and setting...Your curiosity is powerful suspense."

"This untold story has its own mirror with those returning from war today. The lessons of your father's generation need to be taught."

Dang. Those are some darned good critiques. Those judges are very smart and full of wisdom (haha). But here's a question for you (my blog readers); if it was so great, why am I sitting here with two nice critiques and no "congratulations, you are a finalist" letter?

I'm not saying that there wasn't any constructive criticism within the critiques-there was. But it was about 90% positive to 10% critical. I am letting the critiques merinade at this point. As with almost everything for me, it needs time to sit. Then I'll make decisions. Maybe I'll change things. Maybe I won't. But for now, I am encouraged...I think. ~Karen

Request and Rejection

How can I have such extremes in the span of just four days? I'm tellin' you, this business is both brutal and exhilerating!

My book query blitz resulted in success...already. I don't want to go into a lot of detail yet. Just know that when a writer sends a query letter, the point is to get an agent or publisher to ask to see more. That has happened. I am beyond excited about getting "Huey and the Summer Snowball" into the hands of those who can help me get it on the publishing road. While still basking in the joy of this new road, I stumbled across quite disappointing news.

I was on the website for the Pacific Northwest Writer's Association looking for something else, when a bar to the side caught my eye. It said, "2008 Literary Contest Finalists Announced." I had expected an email or letter in the mail early next week, but it seems they'd already made an announcement. I clicked on the link and scanned down. I didn't place. Of six places in my category, I didn't place. My entry was for my memoir and I really thought I'd be a finalist. Disappointing? Definitely.

I haven't really had a chance to process it yet. Admittedly, I am a thinker, an over-thinker actually. So right now, I'm not letting myself go there. All I can say is that finalist or not, each participant receives a critique from two people in the industry. My hope is that this will give me a good idea of what direction to take with this book. The book is complicated for many reasons. And as a writer friend reminded me over at Absolute Write, "Everything happens for a reason." Right now, that reason is a mystery.

Just for fun, and to help me focus on the positive, I think I'll post a paragraph or two from each of my books sometime in the next week or so. Until then, Write Now-because it's later than you think. ~Karen

Write Now - A Holiday Perspective

Write Now. It's the name of my blog. After my father shared letters he'd written during WWII, we began having breakfast at a local diner once a week. We talked about what was in the letters and we talked about what was not. And I learned something that I think just about everyone can benefit from.

I grew up hearing several of the stories. I knew them well...or at least I thought I did. But as my father retold the stories to me over breakfast and I went home to write them up, I realized that memory is a funny thing. My memories of what he'd told me as a child were not entirely wrong. It's just that I had run stories together, I'd even added detail. And here's what I think we can learn from that.

When you remember a story that Great-aunt Mabel or Grandpa Burt told, your mind fills in details that they don't mention, in order to make sense of it. The memories are not your own so you don't have the benefit of recalling them. So your mind makes assumptions without your permission.

So now, as an adult, I was hearing my father's stories for the first time...again. And when I went home to write them up, I realized that the story is truly in the details. I often followed up our time together with a couple of emails to clarify the story. There is something about writing it down, that ensures more accuracy.

The holiday season is upon us. Family will gather, for many it is the only time of year that everyone is all together. And for a few, it will be their last holiday. Take the time to "write now" during this season. It can be as simple as taking a small tape recorder to the dinner table. Or it may be that you take Grandma to lunch and have her tell you that story you grew up hearing. Writing your family history isn't as daunting as it sounds. It just takes a little planning and a little time. ~Karen

Learning to Divide my Focus

Boohoo! I bought the t-shirt and everything. And now I have to wear it in shame. I just couldn't keep up with the National Novel Writing Month challenge. Well, in all honesty, I could have, I just chose not to. I worked hard at freelancing this month and found it extemely difficult to divide my focus in two directions.

And in real life I'm not so good at it either. I like to start a job and finish it before moving on. I like to clean one room at a time and when it's done, move on to the next. I eat all of one serving on my plate before moving to the next. And I designate one day a week to run errands and pay bills. As I write this, I think, "What a freak." Do you think I need therapy?

Obviously, this is not a good trait for a writer. I've been working on it, but it still just doesn't feel right. It's impossible to come up with an idea for an article, write it, edit it and submit it before working on anything else. So I'm trying to come up with a system. So far it's been pretty haphazard.

I have found that once I write the rough draft of an article, it is best to let it sit a day before editing it. So right now, that's what I do and the cycle begins; write article 1, edit article 2...but that's as far as I've gotten.

Any freelancers out there have a system that works? If so, let me in on the secret.

In the meantime, I'll just be sitting here, feeling like somewhat of a failure, but all the while celebrating that although I didn't finish NaNoWriMo, I did start. I did get the first 10,000 words of a very good book written and I have faith that at some point, I will return to it.

And now, back to figuring out a system for a reluctant multi-tasker (that's me). ~Karen