Stephanie Gayle

When I'm really in the zone with my writing my brain works on the project at all times, often bubbling beneath the surface. The best evidence of this is when I've fallen asleep and I awake with an idea for a scene, or dialogue, or somesuch.

Then I drag my weary body out of bed and unhinge my sleep-stuck eyes and fumble for pen and paper. I have learned the hard way that I will not always (or often) remember these ideas in the morning and even if I do they're clouded. So I turn on the light and scribble what the Muse has given me and then I roll back into bed muttering, "Is that it? Can I sleep now?"

That's been happening lately. And while I bitch about having to wake up, the truth is I live for those moments because it means I've reached a certain plateau in my writing and the view is pretty good from there.

Posted by Stephanie at 09:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lots of times people gush about things: movies, books, other people, and by the time you see/read/meet said movie/book/person you often think, "eh?" The hype was too much; it set your expectations too high.

Last night I watched, for the first time, "Sunset Boulevard." Holy frosted cupcakes, Batman! Expectations met and exceeded. Wow. I had heard what a great film, yadda yadda yadda and even though I like Billy Wilder I somehow managed to miss seeing it. Until last night when I found myself laughing hysterically because that Norma Desmond is crazy. Crazy ass crazy. So wonderfully crazy. J'adore. Truly. Plus, Edith Head did the costumes. I also love me some Edith Head. Are there any costume designers as good as the inimitable (and dead) Head? Methinks not.

So anyway, if you've got two hours and haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favor. Do Norma a favor. Watch Sunset Boulevard. Because she's ready for her close up, and you're ready for her readiness.

Posted by Stephanie at 08:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the latest book I have a character named Hyde of whom I'm rather fond. He's a cop with some anxiety issues and a soft side for his family. A sympathetic figure by all means. But is he necessary? I'm not sure.
He doesn't appear in the manuscript all that often. He could be eliminated.

Of course I like him so I don't want to delete him, but if he isn't serving a purpose, if his existence is a distraction, a hindrance, than he should exit stage left, never to be seen again. I've deleted characters before. Characters to whom I had a major affinity. Deleting Hyde would be easier.

But again, I'm not convinced it's necessary and I suspect I won't know until I'm done editing and still might not know until a test reader or two says, "What's this cop doing here?" or "Love the cop. Keep him."

Another odd thing about Hyde is he doesn't have a first name. Not even on my characters list I created to keep them all straight. He's just Hyde. Maybe with a name like Hyde (hide) you don't ever learn the first name. Or maybe he's waiting for me to promise to keep him before he tells me.

Posted by Stephanie at 04:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm slogging through the editing of draft one of the current book, and it's been feeling sloggish. So the other day I made an announcement.

"The next thing I write is going to be a whole lot easier to edit. It's going to be a novella."

I mean people are crazy for novellas, right?

Posted by Stephanie at 08:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear Ms. Rowling,

May I call you J.K.? I've read that your next book, the last in the Harry Potter series, is to be published and available for sale on July 21st. Congratulations on your achievements. Really, all the best. There's just one thing. Do you think perhaps you need to release the book on July 21st? Could you not perhaps delay release until say January 2008? You see, I too have a book being published. It's called My Summer of Southern Discomfort and it hits shelves July 1st. The thing is, well, your release date being so close to my own, well, it doesn't bode glad tidings for me. You see, I'm trying to hit a modest target of 10,000 sales in my first six months. No, please don't laugh. I'm quite serious. Yes, I know you made that many pre-sales in the time it took me to type this sentence. See, that's just it. While not everyone who reads Harry Potter is a potential buyer of my books (actual children won't enjoy my literary offering) your gigantic readership is such that at least many of my potential buyers will, I fear, be lost to Harrymania.

With the small amount most people spend on books it's clear where they'll be plunking down their July summer reading money. And when it comes to money, well, you're not hard up anymore, right? I doubt you still work a day job because you need health and dental insurance and rent money. I do. I spend the hours I'm not working that day job editing my second book and those hours not spent thusly working on booking readings at local bookstores because publishers don't arrange tours for ones such as me. I bet you tour all the time. You're probably touring right now.

Would delaying the release do anything but deny gratification to millions of readers? I thought not. And patience is a virtue in short supply. By teaching it you would be doing the world, and me, a great favor.

Thank you, J.K., for your careful consideration of this matter.

Sincerely,
Stephanie Gayle

P.S. If you tell me who dies in your book I'll tell you who dies in mine!

Posted by Stephanie at 09:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Readings attract two types of people: readers and freaks (the two aren't mutually exclusive). I learned yesterday at my Personal Ad workshop that workshops attract two types of people: those interested in your topic and freaks (see above disclaimer).

My freak was a man who was very concerned about the Tufts rape case. He meant the Duke lacrosse rape case but he kept saying Tufts as if the two are interchangeable. He said he wanted to get 'back into' dating but what if, after a date, a woman leveled a false charge of rape against him? What to do?

You may have many answers to this question or more questions as a result of this question, but here's the thing: you cannot engage this person in a reasonable talk. It's impossible. Give up, don't try. My tactic was to say I didn't feel comfortable dispensing legal advice. Julie (best friend and library coordinator who planned this event) suggested he speak with a community police officer about his concerns. She also suggested that perhaps this workshop was not best suited to address his concerns and she assured him it would be okay if he wanted to leave.

He didn't leave. And despite this very frightening beginning, the workshop went well. I deep sixed the Q&A at the end to keep our friend from bringing up his Tufts rape case worries, and the peace was kept.

What did this teach me? No matter how much I think I've planned for the worst case scenario (no people showing was mine) I have not. The freaks always surpass your expectations of crazy behavior. Always.

I told my Mom about this, and she said, "That would make a great book title. It's Always Worse." Let's hope I do not amass such a collection of freak stories that I could write such a book. Oh who am I kidding? It's ALWAYS worse.

Posted by Stephanie at 08:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)