Saturday, June 30, 2007
The Search Continues...
I know it's been a couple of days since I've written, and truth be told, well... there isn't a lot to tell. At least not on the writing front. I had an apartment lined up and just before I signed the lease, the roommate went MIA (yes, I tried emailing and calling; no, I'm not going to just show up on her doorstep and force her to get a restraining order). So now I'm scrambling to find another place to live for the fall, and I haven't had much time to work on writing projects. Hopeully things calm down after July 4th. I promise to give an update later this week about the Media Bistro class I attended last week. In the meantime, back to pounding the pavement...
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
5 Q's with Liza Monroy
I contacted Liza Monroy after reading her article about first person pieces on Media Bistro. With a novel coming out next year and several more projects in the works, Liza epitomizes the busy working writer we all aspire to be! Here's her take on the writer's life...
Urban Muse: You’ve had personal essays published in The New York Times, Jane, Newsweek, and more, as well as teaching a Media Bistro course on the topic. What do you think goes into an essay that editors what to publish? Is it the writer’s voice? The content? Or something else?
Liza: I think it depends on a combination of elements all coming together and falling into place. A successful personal essay makes a universal point, yet still relies entirely on details, scenes, and a uniquely compelling voice. I once received some advice from Nick Flynn, one of my all-time favorite writers and a tremendous inspiration, that I think captures the essence of the memoir form: “question every assumption, make wild claims, trust the reader to figure out what it all means.”
I like to reveal as though no one were going to ever see what I wrote – it’s freeing, and when the material is making me a little bit uncomfortable and giving me a little of that squirming in my seat feeling, I finally feel that perhaps it’s getting somewhere. Beware the “nice” essay.
If you’ve had an experience that’s been nagging at you to write about it, odds are it wants to come out – whether it’s funny or deep, light or dark – and the personal essay is a fantastic form in which to write about the eccentricities of life. As long as you find the universal, human element and draw it gently out, without hitting the reader over the head, you can channel the story in a publishable way – personal essay columns always need fresh voices. I also think developing a good, solid arc helps. And I’ve been told simple and chronological works better in short pieces than attempting to play with more complex structures. Conflict, tension, and vivid details, along with an interesting story and voice, are the basic ingredients to toss into the pot. From there, it’s all about following your own homemade recipe and improvising.
UM: Your first novel, Mexican High, debuts next year. What can you tell us about that project?
L: Firstly, just how excited I am about it! It comes out in May 2008. I’ve always written, always wanted to be a writer – so to have a first book with Spiegel & Grau is a dream come true and an honor.
I worked on MEXICAN HIGH (scroll down for a description) for a year, spending countless hours typing away in the New York Public Library, two West Village cafes, the Soy Luck Club, and Grounded, and occasionally in the quiet of my apartment. I was freelancing at the time, so between essays, articles, and magazine jobs, I hid away and wrote relentlessly. I didn’t have an agent and I had no idea whether the book would be published or end up in my desk drawer for my future kids to one day dig out. So I feel very grateful to have connected with Jennifer Lyons, who in turn submitted the manuscript to my dream editor, Cindy Spiegel. Elle magazine had run an interview with Cindy and her partner Julie Grau when they first started up their new imprint at Random House. I’d clipped this article and had it taped up over my home computer the entire time I was writing the novel, so perhaps a bit of happy synchronicity came into play.
As for the story itself, it stemmed from a deep desire I’ve had since high school to write about Mexico City, where I lived for four years. My protagonist, Mila Marquez, appeared in my head one hot Monday night in August, on a ferry ride from Bay Shore, NY to Fire Island. Before that, I’d had a few false starts on the book as memoir, ultimately realizing I was not the right narrator – I wasn’t connected enough to the stories I wanted to tell about Mexico City. But once Mila sort of showed up and announced that she was taking over, I opened up a new document and out streamed the first draft, which I finished four months later. Then, of course, there was revision. Quite a lot of it! I believe in the old screenwriting adage, writing is re-writing (ed note: touche).
UM: Any tips on juggling multiple projects? How do you manage your time?
L: By not managing it! For awhile, I tried putting my happily scattered self on a schedule: awake at 8, coffee, gym from 9-10, writing from 10:30-7, then free time for husband, socializing, TV or whatnot. It was a nice routine, but like all routine and me, it didn’t last. I’m a night owl and I feel more creative during the witching hours. I also realized – didn’t I quit having full-time jobs in order to *avoid* having a strict, set schedule? So I turned to the wisdom of the Tao: “Can you deal with the most vital matters/ by letting events take their course?”
Right now I’m immersed in the first draft of my second book, a memoir that might be titled Reinventing the Ring or Inviting Earthquakes or There’s Been a Slight Change of Plans, or something entirely different. (Votes welcome!) I also have a couple of freelance magazine assignments. I juggle them based on how I’m feeling – if I am on a roll with one project, I’ll stay on, if I’m not feeling it that day, I’ll move to something else. It’s all very intuitive and I find that letting go and allowing myself NOT to manage, I am more productive and more at peace.
This, however, all changes at tax time. At tax time, my discipline with the organizing of receipts is unstoppable.
UM: Could you tell us about your newest project and the writer’s residency?
L: I’m the writer-in-residence at the Kerouac Project of Orlando this summer. It is an amazing experience that I’d recommend to writers everywhere. You spend three whole months with time and space in the glorious Orlando home where Jack Kerouac lived when On the Road was published in 1957. He also wrote Dharma Bums in the back bedroom – my current writing office! It’s a hauntingly beautiful place and I’m getting more done than I ever have – the productivity that comes with solitude and an inspiring environment. I’m also co-teaching a creative writing class through Valencia Community College and have met some wonderful people, so it’s not all typing in solitude - though those hours are the core component of my time here.
I’m working on the memoir I mentioned, which I won’t say too, too much about at this time. It’s set over a period of five years, in L.A. and New York, in which I was married twice by the age of twenty-five. It’s about being in your twenties, dealing with first jobs and muddled relationships, and trying to get over a fear of ending up divorced by entering a situation in which you surely will, but in which it won’t be a bad thing. I am examining what happens to a child of divorce once she hits her twenties and starts wanting a family of her own without having had any roadmap or template for how these sorts of things are supposed to go. And as a person who moved around constantly growing up – was I unable to ever settle down and find a meaning for the abstract concept of home? I spent a lot of time running. But it also deals with the laughable attempt at getting a foot up a rung of the Hollywood ladder, life with my gay best friend, dating (way) older men, and failed attempts at road trips. An essay centered around part of it will appear in the September issue of PSYCHOLOGY TODAY magazine, that gives a general idea of the book’s nature.
UM: What are your interests outside of writing?
L: I love, love, love to travel and seeking out new experiences in different cultures. I crave the unfamiliar – food, language, terrain, conversation. I’m also a great outdoors fan, which I don’t get to indulge too often living in New York City. Camping, hiking, rafting, anything nature-and/or-adrenaline related makes me feel so much alive, as does going to the ocean and being near beautiful beaches. Reading comes up very high on the list – you have to be a great reader before you can be a great writer – plus I’m a magazine junkie and need my Sunday NYT fix. I love readings and author events. And I will never turn down a night of Carrie-Bradshawing it up on the town with my motley crew and/or my best friend, my husband Alex.
UM: Thanks so much, Liza!
L: You’re welcome! Thank you.
Urban Muse: You’ve had personal essays published in The New York Times, Jane, Newsweek, and more, as well as teaching a Media Bistro course on the topic. What do you think goes into an essay that editors what to publish? Is it the writer’s voice? The content? Or something else?
Liza: I think it depends on a combination of elements all coming together and falling into place. A successful personal essay makes a universal point, yet still relies entirely on details, scenes, and a uniquely compelling voice. I once received some advice from Nick Flynn, one of my all-time favorite writers and a tremendous inspiration, that I think captures the essence of the memoir form: “question every assumption, make wild claims, trust the reader to figure out what it all means.”
I like to reveal as though no one were going to ever see what I wrote – it’s freeing, and when the material is making me a little bit uncomfortable and giving me a little of that squirming in my seat feeling, I finally feel that perhaps it’s getting somewhere. Beware the “nice” essay.
If you’ve had an experience that’s been nagging at you to write about it, odds are it wants to come out – whether it’s funny or deep, light or dark – and the personal essay is a fantastic form in which to write about the eccentricities of life. As long as you find the universal, human element and draw it gently out, without hitting the reader over the head, you can channel the story in a publishable way – personal essay columns always need fresh voices. I also think developing a good, solid arc helps. And I’ve been told simple and chronological works better in short pieces than attempting to play with more complex structures. Conflict, tension, and vivid details, along with an interesting story and voice, are the basic ingredients to toss into the pot. From there, it’s all about following your own homemade recipe and improvising.
UM: Your first novel, Mexican High, debuts next year. What can you tell us about that project?
L: Firstly, just how excited I am about it! It comes out in May 2008. I’ve always written, always wanted to be a writer – so to have a first book with Spiegel & Grau is a dream come true and an honor.
I worked on MEXICAN HIGH (scroll down for a description) for a year, spending countless hours typing away in the New York Public Library, two West Village cafes, the Soy Luck Club, and Grounded, and occasionally in the quiet of my apartment. I was freelancing at the time, so between essays, articles, and magazine jobs, I hid away and wrote relentlessly. I didn’t have an agent and I had no idea whether the book would be published or end up in my desk drawer for my future kids to one day dig out. So I feel very grateful to have connected with Jennifer Lyons, who in turn submitted the manuscript to my dream editor, Cindy Spiegel. Elle magazine had run an interview with Cindy and her partner Julie Grau when they first started up their new imprint at Random House. I’d clipped this article and had it taped up over my home computer the entire time I was writing the novel, so perhaps a bit of happy synchronicity came into play.
As for the story itself, it stemmed from a deep desire I’ve had since high school to write about Mexico City, where I lived for four years. My protagonist, Mila Marquez, appeared in my head one hot Monday night in August, on a ferry ride from Bay Shore, NY to Fire Island. Before that, I’d had a few false starts on the book as memoir, ultimately realizing I was not the right narrator – I wasn’t connected enough to the stories I wanted to tell about Mexico City. But once Mila sort of showed up and announced that she was taking over, I opened up a new document and out streamed the first draft, which I finished four months later. Then, of course, there was revision. Quite a lot of it! I believe in the old screenwriting adage, writing is re-writing (ed note: touche).
UM: Any tips on juggling multiple projects? How do you manage your time?
L: By not managing it! For awhile, I tried putting my happily scattered self on a schedule: awake at 8, coffee, gym from 9-10, writing from 10:30-7, then free time for husband, socializing, TV or whatnot. It was a nice routine, but like all routine and me, it didn’t last. I’m a night owl and I feel more creative during the witching hours. I also realized – didn’t I quit having full-time jobs in order to *avoid* having a strict, set schedule? So I turned to the wisdom of the Tao: “Can you deal with the most vital matters/ by letting events take their course?”
Right now I’m immersed in the first draft of my second book, a memoir that might be titled Reinventing the Ring or Inviting Earthquakes or There’s Been a Slight Change of Plans, or something entirely different. (Votes welcome!) I also have a couple of freelance magazine assignments. I juggle them based on how I’m feeling – if I am on a roll with one project, I’ll stay on, if I’m not feeling it that day, I’ll move to something else. It’s all very intuitive and I find that letting go and allowing myself NOT to manage, I am more productive and more at peace.
This, however, all changes at tax time. At tax time, my discipline with the organizing of receipts is unstoppable.
UM: Could you tell us about your newest project and the writer’s residency?
L: I’m the writer-in-residence at the Kerouac Project of Orlando this summer. It is an amazing experience that I’d recommend to writers everywhere. You spend three whole months with time and space in the glorious Orlando home where Jack Kerouac lived when On the Road was published in 1957. He also wrote Dharma Bums in the back bedroom – my current writing office! It’s a hauntingly beautiful place and I’m getting more done than I ever have – the productivity that comes with solitude and an inspiring environment. I’m also co-teaching a creative writing class through Valencia Community College and have met some wonderful people, so it’s not all typing in solitude - though those hours are the core component of my time here.
I’m working on the memoir I mentioned, which I won’t say too, too much about at this time. It’s set over a period of five years, in L.A. and New York, in which I was married twice by the age of twenty-five. It’s about being in your twenties, dealing with first jobs and muddled relationships, and trying to get over a fear of ending up divorced by entering a situation in which you surely will, but in which it won’t be a bad thing. I am examining what happens to a child of divorce once she hits her twenties and starts wanting a family of her own without having had any roadmap or template for how these sorts of things are supposed to go. And as a person who moved around constantly growing up – was I unable to ever settle down and find a meaning for the abstract concept of home? I spent a lot of time running. But it also deals with the laughable attempt at getting a foot up a rung of the Hollywood ladder, life with my gay best friend, dating (way) older men, and failed attempts at road trips. An essay centered around part of it will appear in the September issue of PSYCHOLOGY TODAY magazine, that gives a general idea of the book’s nature.
UM: What are your interests outside of writing?
L: I love, love, love to travel and seeking out new experiences in different cultures. I crave the unfamiliar – food, language, terrain, conversation. I’m also a great outdoors fan, which I don’t get to indulge too often living in New York City. Camping, hiking, rafting, anything nature-and/or-adrenaline related makes me feel so much alive, as does going to the ocean and being near beautiful beaches. Reading comes up very high on the list – you have to be a great reader before you can be a great writer – plus I’m a magazine junkie and need my Sunday NYT fix. I love readings and author events. And I will never turn down a night of Carrie-Bradshawing it up on the town with my motley crew and/or my best friend, my husband Alex.
UM: Thanks so much, Liza!
L: You’re welcome! Thank you.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Musta Been One Heck of a Letter!
Wow, I'm posting three days in a row! I think that's a personal record for me. This is not writing-related, but I wanted to share. Several months ago I posted a very strongly worded entry about a travel fiasco on Delta airlines. I figured that they wouldn't acknowledge my complaint or reimburse me for my trouble, so a scathing post was all I could hope to gain from the experience.
Turns out I was wrong. I sent them a letter listing my grievances and chastising them for poor customer service. I enclosed my receipts from the extra ten hours I spent in New York to further prove my point. Today I got a reimbursement check, a letter apologizing for the inconvenience, and a travel voucher worth $100. That was far more than I expected, and, I must admit, a classy PR gesture. So Mr. Gerald Grinstein, CEO (and the CS rep who signs your letters), I accept your apology. And your travel voucher!
Turns out I was wrong. I sent them a letter listing my grievances and chastising them for poor customer service. I enclosed my receipts from the extra ten hours I spent in New York to further prove my point. Today I got a reimbursement check, a letter apologizing for the inconvenience, and a travel voucher worth $100. That was far more than I expected, and, I must admit, a classy PR gesture. So Mr. Gerald Grinstein, CEO (and the CS rep who signs your letters), I accept your apology. And your travel voucher!
Sunday, June 24, 2007
For Your Viewing Pleasure...
Tracy McArdle is another 5 Q's alum from a few months back. Read my profile on Tracy here. And if you find yourself pressed for time (frankly, who doesn't?), check out my time-saving tips here.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Meme: 7 Random Things
Kristen at Inkthinker has tagged me for the meme "7 Random Things." Here goes...
- I have lived in such random places as Mukilteo, Washington, and Albuquerque, New Mexico.
- I have been a vegetarian since I was 9 or 10.
- Even before I could write, I would dictate short stories to my parents. They'd write them down and help illustrate them.
- I have one younger brother. Even though we're complete opposites in a lot of ways, he's still my longest running friend (and not a bad writer, either).
- I made my stage debut in the first grade as the Queen of Hearts. Prior to that, I directed and starred in a number of small budget films (meaning me, my reluctant brother, and our collection of toys!).
- Thanks to a bike accident (also in the first grade, it was a big year for me), I have porcelain crowns on my front teeth. Sometimes even dental hygenists can't tell the difference.
- I love to salsa dance!
Now I'm tagging Liz, Jessica, Writer Bug, and Mango Lass.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
5 Q's Reunion
This week instead of interviewing a new writer, I thought I would give you a little update on some of the 5 Q’s authors I’ve already featured. Here’s what a few of them have been up to since our interview (email me if you're an alum and have an awesome accomplishment we should know about!)…
Last I heard from Yee-Fan Sun, she was expecting twins!
Kristen Fischer and Kristen King have both purchased new homes with their respective husbands. Kristen King also reports that she has an adorable new dog named Ty.
Penelope Trunk has landed a second book deal!
Jenny Rough’s essay appears in the Cup of Comfort for Writers anthology . She also had several (very helpful) articles appear on Media Bistro. Read Tips for Editors and Make Writing Group Magic.
Lindsey Pollak’s book, Getting from College to Career, has recently been featured in such media outlets as The Washington Post, New York Newsday, The Boston Globe, Monster.com, Time.com, Martha Stewart Living Radio and ABC News Money Matters (as well as this blog, of course). Way to work the media, Lindsey!
Check back next to read an interview with the fabulous Michelle Goodman, author of The Anti-9-to5 Guide.
Last I heard from Yee-Fan Sun, she was expecting twins!
Kristen Fischer and Kristen King have both purchased new homes with their respective husbands. Kristen King also reports that she has an adorable new dog named Ty.
Penelope Trunk has landed a second book deal!
Jenny Rough’s essay appears in the Cup of Comfort for Writers anthology . She also had several (very helpful) articles appear on Media Bistro. Read Tips for Editors and Make Writing Group Magic.
Lindsey Pollak’s book, Getting from College to Career, has recently been featured in such media outlets as The Washington Post, New York Newsday, The Boston Globe, Monster.com, Time.com, Martha Stewart Living Radio and ABC News Money Matters (as well as this blog, of course). Way to work the media, Lindsey!
Check back next to read an interview with the fabulous Michelle Goodman, author of The Anti-9-to5 Guide.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Things a Publisher Should Consider
Me: "So I'm reading this great book, but it's like 500 pages so I may never finish it. Not because I can't read that many pages, but because it I don't own a purse that's large enough to carry it. It's just not fashion-friendly! Mass market paperbacks are perfect because I can stow them in my purse when I get off the subway. Or sometimes, if I'm carrying a gym bag, I'll take a magazine. Hate to say it, but my choice of reading material all depends on what bag I'm carrying."
Rachel: "Put that in your blog! Authors need to know that."
Rachel: "Put that in your blog! Authors need to know that."
Sunday, June 17, 2007
This Muse Needs a Makeover!
I'd been thinking about it for awhile, but when I saw Harmony's gorgeous new blog template, I knew it was time to invest in a new look for my blog. I'm proud of the cute little cartoon I created (see right), but I think it's time to ditch the old Blogger template. I like it, but it's a bit girly even for my taste. In fact, my boyfriend uses the bright pink panels on either side as an excuse not to read it (heaven forbid that the other analysts catch him on a website that's not ESPN or WSJ!).
I'm thrilled to announce that Goofy Girl Designs is on the case. Check back later this summer for a new look at Urban Muse. Don't worry, even if the colors change, my commitment to blogging about writing will not.
I'm thrilled to announce that Goofy Girl Designs is on the case. Check back later this summer for a new look at Urban Muse. Don't worry, even if the colors change, my commitment to blogging about writing will not.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Weekend Reading
This is too good not to share: Penelope Trunk wrote a blog post today entitled "How to Get a Six Figure Book Deal from Your Blog." She's a smart lady, that Penelope! Have a great weekend, everyone.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Shades of Speculation
A few months ago, I got a request to write an article on spec. I debated, but ultimately decided to go for it. And today my decision paid off. It had been so long with no answer that last night I considered submitting it elsewhere. As if on cue, I got an email today saying (more or less), "we're excited to publish your article, where do we send the check?" (And by the way, the pay is about twice as much as I'd expected.) Score!
I admit that I wouldn't write solely on spec, but it does have its perks, like getting an acceptance and already having the darn thing written. Here's my line of thinking: it's a little iffy to write a whole article without any prior communication with the editor (except for personal essays, those are in a class by themselves). What if she'd just accepted a similar article from someone else? Or if she had no interest whatsoever in my idea? I sparked this editor's interest with my query, so at least I knew she was mildly interested in the topic. That was my justification. Anyone else have a speculative experience to share?
I admit that I wouldn't write solely on spec, but it does have its perks, like getting an acceptance and already having the darn thing written. Here's my line of thinking: it's a little iffy to write a whole article without any prior communication with the editor (except for personal essays, those are in a class by themselves). What if she'd just accepted a similar article from someone else? Or if she had no interest whatsoever in my idea? I sparked this editor's interest with my query, so at least I knew she was mildly interested in the topic. That was my justification. Anyone else have a speculative experience to share?
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
5 Q's with Min Jin Lee
Min Jin Lee is yet another example of the lawyer-turned-writer phenomenon. This Yale alum is the author of Free Food for Millionaires, a delightful debut novel about a recent college grad trying to reconcile the thriftiness of her immigrant parents with the expensive habits she picked during in college, among other issues. The "caught between two worlds" protagonist reminds me a bit of Gogol in The Namesake (one of my fave novels). Here Lee shares a bit about her writing process.
Urban Muse: The protagonist in Free Food for Millionaires is a young Korean-American woman. Do you think the book resonates with other cultures and ages, too?
Min Jin Lee: This is a good question, and it reflects the issue of readership. A story has its own code, language and culture. Readers are by nature sophisticated interpreters, and I think that as long as a book’s morality, diction and atmosphere are coherent and logical, any reader can identify with any kind of character. So for example, a reader can follow and empathize with a narrative—science fiction, fantasy or even horror—though she is not an alien, knight or criminal. A writer should be able to provide meaningful emotional logic and detailed characterizations so that a thoughtful reader can go beyond his or her own experiences whatever that might be. I think readers are very generous. My main characters in this book are Korean-American, but I think their troubles and struggles are cross cultural ones. I have been fortunate to have had advance readers from different backgrounds, and their responses have been profoundly moving and gratifying to me, precisely because, the group has been very diverse.
UM: Where did you find the inspiration for the book?
MJL: A friend told me a story about the free lunches given at investment banks after a deal ends, e.g. If an investment bank closed a bond offering for a Chinese telecom company, there might be a free dim sum lunch for some of the employees of that investment bank. My friend told me that where he worked, sometimes, the wealthiest employees were the first in line to grab a lot of food. I thought this was ironic and funny: Free food for millionaires. I had intended to write a short story, but my best friend Dionne Bennett, a professor at Loyola, said it would make a great novel because I am familiar with this world of Wall Street and New York’s complicated class structure. I started this book in 2001 and finished it in 2006.
UM: You submitted lots of stories before getting published. Any tips on dealing with rejection?
MJL: Rejections hurt. I don’t know how to make them not hurt. But this is what I will say about those of us who still feel the sting of naysayers—vulnerability is a kind of strength for writers. I would be lying to you if I told you that rejections haven’t kept me back. They have definitely affected me, made me more shy about submissions, and doubtful of my abilities. But I have also taken classes, read more books, and re-written more before submitting again. I’ve always sent things out here and there. Not that much, but always something somewhere. I can be injured, but I am still capable of hope. Perhaps that’s the best I can offer in terms of what has been my experience. I think you’re supposed to be tougher in the arts, but I never think it’s possible, at least for me, to be tough just because I wish it so.
UM: What other books or writers have influenced you?
MJL: I have been most influenced by 19th century writers and turn of the century writers from Europe and America: Tolstoy, Dreiser, Flaubert, Dostoyevsky, Balzac, Wharton, Turgenev, George Eliot and the Bronte sisters. As for contemporary fiction writers: I admire William Trevor, Shirley Hazzard, Alice Munro, Jhumpa Lahiri, Alice McDermott, Rohinton Mistry and Edward P. Jones.
UM: What’s your next project?
MJL: I am writing a novel called Pachinko. An excerpt, “Motherland” appears in The Missouri Review. The manuscript is not done by any means, but bits and pieces of it were worked on quite a lot before I started writing Free Food for Millionaires. I am moving to Tokyo in August, so I look forward to completing my research and knocking out a real first draft. Wish me luck.
Thanks very much for your thoughtful questions.
Good luck, and thank you for sharing your experiences!
Urban Muse: The protagonist in Free Food for Millionaires is a young Korean-American woman. Do you think the book resonates with other cultures and ages, too?
Min Jin Lee: This is a good question, and it reflects the issue of readership. A story has its own code, language and culture. Readers are by nature sophisticated interpreters, and I think that as long as a book’s morality, diction and atmosphere are coherent and logical, any reader can identify with any kind of character. So for example, a reader can follow and empathize with a narrative—science fiction, fantasy or even horror—though she is not an alien, knight or criminal. A writer should be able to provide meaningful emotional logic and detailed characterizations so that a thoughtful reader can go beyond his or her own experiences whatever that might be. I think readers are very generous. My main characters in this book are Korean-American, but I think their troubles and struggles are cross cultural ones. I have been fortunate to have had advance readers from different backgrounds, and their responses have been profoundly moving and gratifying to me, precisely because, the group has been very diverse.
UM: Where did you find the inspiration for the book?
MJL: A friend told me a story about the free lunches given at investment banks after a deal ends, e.g. If an investment bank closed a bond offering for a Chinese telecom company, there might be a free dim sum lunch for some of the employees of that investment bank. My friend told me that where he worked, sometimes, the wealthiest employees were the first in line to grab a lot of food. I thought this was ironic and funny: Free food for millionaires. I had intended to write a short story, but my best friend Dionne Bennett, a professor at Loyola, said it would make a great novel because I am familiar with this world of Wall Street and New York’s complicated class structure. I started this book in 2001 and finished it in 2006.
UM: You submitted lots of stories before getting published. Any tips on dealing with rejection?
MJL: Rejections hurt. I don’t know how to make them not hurt. But this is what I will say about those of us who still feel the sting of naysayers—vulnerability is a kind of strength for writers. I would be lying to you if I told you that rejections haven’t kept me back. They have definitely affected me, made me more shy about submissions, and doubtful of my abilities. But I have also taken classes, read more books, and re-written more before submitting again. I’ve always sent things out here and there. Not that much, but always something somewhere. I can be injured, but I am still capable of hope. Perhaps that’s the best I can offer in terms of what has been my experience. I think you’re supposed to be tougher in the arts, but I never think it’s possible, at least for me, to be tough just because I wish it so.
UM: What other books or writers have influenced you?
MJL: I have been most influenced by 19th century writers and turn of the century writers from Europe and America: Tolstoy, Dreiser, Flaubert, Dostoyevsky, Balzac, Wharton, Turgenev, George Eliot and the Bronte sisters. As for contemporary fiction writers: I admire William Trevor, Shirley Hazzard, Alice Munro, Jhumpa Lahiri, Alice McDermott, Rohinton Mistry and Edward P. Jones.
UM: What’s your next project?
MJL: I am writing a novel called Pachinko. An excerpt, “Motherland” appears in The Missouri Review. The manuscript is not done by any means, but bits and pieces of it were worked on quite a lot before I started writing Free Food for Millionaires. I am moving to Tokyo in August, so I look forward to completing my research and knocking out a real first draft. Wish me luck.
Thanks very much for your thoughtful questions.
Good luck, and thank you for sharing your experiences!
Monday, June 11, 2007
New Clip
Blogger was acting a little odd over the weekend, so my Saturday post didn't show up until Sunday (weird, huh?). Anyway, here's my latest clip. It originated as a personal essay intended for a newspaper column or women's magazine, but after several failed attempts at getting it published, I shifted the focus towards a career article with personal anecdotes thrown in for humor. After reinventing it more times than Madonna, it's nice to finally see the piece in print (or in this case, in pixels).
In other news, Grub Street just announced their summer seminar line-up, so for those in the Boston area, it's worth a look. I am quite looking forward to the Time Management and Interview courses. Anyone else taking a writing class this summer?
In other news, Grub Street just announced their summer seminar line-up, so for those in the Boston area, it's worth a look. I am quite looking forward to the Time Management and Interview courses. Anyone else taking a writing class this summer?
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Summer Slump
Is it just me or are all the editors on vacation right now? It's been pretty slow around here, but thankfully I've been able to drum up some assignments from editors I've worked with in the past (yay for building relationships). I also took some time to re-evaluate my website.
I built it several months ago when I was searching for a new full-time copywriting gig, so it had to serve both prospective employers and freelance clients. Now all that vague, open-ended language (wouldn't want either party to think I'm cheating on them with freelance magazine work or a full-time marketing job!) needed to go. Plus, I took down some of my old clips and reorganized the existing ones. Those are small changes, but I think they'll make a big impact (we hope). The Renegade Writer has more ideas for dealing with slow periods.
I built it several months ago when I was searching for a new full-time copywriting gig, so it had to serve both prospective employers and freelance clients. Now all that vague, open-ended language (wouldn't want either party to think I'm cheating on them with freelance magazine work or a full-time marketing job!) needed to go. Plus, I took down some of my old clips and reorganized the existing ones. Those are small changes, but I think they'll make a big impact (we hope). The Renegade Writer has more ideas for dealing with slow periods.
Meme: Go Green - Recycle a Post
Harmony at Writer in the Making has tagged me for the meme "Go Green - Recycle a Post." I chose the one below on the basis of its title ("Short and Sweet") and its potential to help other writers. Here goes...
I just finished up some front of book pieces (FOBs) during downtime at the airport. Each one has a maximum of 250 words, so it’s been quite an exercise in word economy. I figured out how to pack the most punch with the least words by using these techniques.
1. Avoid transitions with a chart or list. If I were writing this in narrative form, I'd probably use phrases like "another way to..." and "you can also..." A list makes these phrases unnecessary. If you're comparing two or more things (brands of lipstick, types of writing, etc.) , a chart can work.
2. Minimize modifiers. Even articles like “an” and “the” aren’t always necessary. A stronger verb often replaces an adverb. And adjectives like “gorgeous” and “fantastic” are fine for blog posts but unneeded in shorter pieces.
3. Beware prepositions. I originally wrote “watch out for,” but “beware” is more concise. When I reread my first draft, I realized that I was wasting a lot of space with pesky little prepositions like "on top of" and "during this period," so those were the first to go.
4. Use the second person (if appropriate). Since my FOBs (and this blog post) are instructive, the implied "you" stands in for the subject.
5. Shorten subtitles. I didn't think of this when I was contacting authors for sources, but long wordy titles are a huge waste of space. I axed anything after the colon, so that When in Rome: 1001 ways to make the most of your first college study abroad experience would read When in Rome (I totally made that one up, don't search for it on Amazon). Sorry, authors!
Now I'd like to tag Jenny, Beth, and Rachel. You're next!
I just finished up some front of book pieces (FOBs) during downtime at the airport. Each one has a maximum of 250 words, so it’s been quite an exercise in word economy. I figured out how to pack the most punch with the least words by using these techniques.
1. Avoid transitions with a chart or list. If I were writing this in narrative form, I'd probably use phrases like "another way to..." and "you can also..." A list makes these phrases unnecessary. If you're comparing two or more things (brands of lipstick, types of writing, etc.) , a chart can work.
2. Minimize modifiers. Even articles like “an” and “the” aren’t always necessary. A stronger verb often replaces an adverb. And adjectives like “gorgeous” and “fantastic” are fine for blog posts but unneeded in shorter pieces.
3. Beware prepositions. I originally wrote “watch out for,” but “beware” is more concise. When I reread my first draft, I realized that I was wasting a lot of space with pesky little prepositions like "on top of" and "during this period," so those were the first to go.
4. Use the second person (if appropriate). Since my FOBs (and this blog post) are instructive, the implied "you" stands in for the subject.
5. Shorten subtitles. I didn't think of this when I was contacting authors for sources, but long wordy titles are a huge waste of space. I axed anything after the colon, so that When in Rome: 1001 ways to make the most of your first college study abroad experience would read When in Rome (I totally made that one up, don't search for it on Amazon). Sorry, authors!
Now I'd like to tag Jenny, Beth, and Rachel. You're next!
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Weekend Adventures
Fellow blogger Jenny wrote about the difficulties of writing in a coffee shop awhile back. Last weekend, it was gorgeous weather but I had a million queries that I wanted to tackle and finally had the time to write them. So I struck a compromise with myself: I’d write diligently, but I’d do it in more exotic locale than my apartment.
Last Saturday I took my laptop to the Boston Public Library and wrote up a storm in the Parisian courtyard (until my battery died, then I switched to the research wing, which I call the “Harry Potter” room). I adore the old section of the library; in fact, one of my ancestors’ names is engraved on the façade. I felt very scholarly with my laptop and stack of research materials (back issues of Cosmo if you must know).
Regrettably, the library isn’t open on Sundays in the summer, so I hit a coffee shop instead. I’m fortunate that my neighborhood has three Starbucks locations and several independent places, because all of them were packed (apparently no one goes to church anymore because they’re too busy worshipping at St. Starbucks). I finally found an open seat and, not having a coat, I marked my territory with research materials (see above).
I picked up my orange mocha and returned to find another woman engrossed in my research. Not wanting to pull a Naomi Campbell, I told her she could keep the seat if she returned my magazine. I must have been pretty darn scary because she fled the coffee shop and went across the street. I spent several blissful hours writing, and the best part was that since Starbucks charges for wifi, I didn’t get sidetracked checking gmail or blog-hopping (yes, I’m that cheap). For me the challenge is not getting engrossed in people-watching, but getting people to leave so I could have their seat! Where do you like to write?
Note to other caffeine-loving freelancers: at the risk of sounding like my Mom, Starbucks and computer keyboards do not mix (trust me, I know). If you must multi-task, please use protection. After another close call, I ordered this plastic keyboard cover, and now I don't have to worry about spilling vanilla crème lattes on my computer. Beats spending several hundred bucks on a new laptop!
Last Saturday I took my laptop to the Boston Public Library and wrote up a storm in the Parisian courtyard (until my battery died, then I switched to the research wing, which I call the “Harry Potter” room). I adore the old section of the library; in fact, one of my ancestors’ names is engraved on the façade. I felt very scholarly with my laptop and stack of research materials (back issues of Cosmo if you must know).
Regrettably, the library isn’t open on Sundays in the summer, so I hit a coffee shop instead. I’m fortunate that my neighborhood has three Starbucks locations and several independent places, because all of them were packed (apparently no one goes to church anymore because they’re too busy worshipping at St. Starbucks). I finally found an open seat and, not having a coat, I marked my territory with research materials (see above).
I picked up my orange mocha and returned to find another woman engrossed in my research. Not wanting to pull a Naomi Campbell, I told her she could keep the seat if she returned my magazine. I must have been pretty darn scary because she fled the coffee shop and went across the street. I spent several blissful hours writing, and the best part was that since Starbucks charges for wifi, I didn’t get sidetracked checking gmail or blog-hopping (yes, I’m that cheap). For me the challenge is not getting engrossed in people-watching, but getting people to leave so I could have their seat! Where do you like to write?
Note to other caffeine-loving freelancers: at the risk of sounding like my Mom, Starbucks and computer keyboards do not mix (trust me, I know). If you must multi-task, please use protection. After another close call, I ordered this plastic keyboard cover, and now I don't have to worry about spilling vanilla crème lattes on my computer. Beats spending several hundred bucks on a new laptop!
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
5 Q's with Anna David
Party Girl author Anna David is a former partier herself, but now her drunken adventures are confined to the page. She's contributed to the New York Times, Cosmo, Self, and Women's Health, among many other publications. Her debut novel was released last week. Read my commentary here and see below for insight into Anna's success.
Urban Muse: You've written about very intimate topics like dating, sex, and drug use. How do family and friends react?
Anna: My family has warmed up to the intimacy of my topics slowly. They were as reticent as any mildly protective, primarily private Jewish parents would be when I first got into the habit of potentially horrifying them with my first Playboy story about my sex life a few years ago. Because the piece was accompanied by some risqué shots, I actually explained to them that they were forbidden to look at the magazine, though my mom sent my step-dad out to the newsstand and he reported back that she didn't need to lock herself in the house and never come out -- that the writing was good and she had nothing to worry about.
I was nervous when I first gave my mom Party Girl to read and then she reacted so well -- barely mentioning the graphic sex and drug scenes and just complimenting me on the writing -- that I had a serious suspicion she hadn't really read it. I was recently home for some Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys readings, and many of the pieces that the other writers read were far bawdier than mine. It was a great awakening for my mom, who I think up until that point thought that she had given birth to the most shocking writer around. And my friends are divided into two camps: those who look at what I do with a sort of amazed delight over the fact that I'm so open about things they keep private, and those who do similar things through their blogs, stand-up comedy acts or own writing.
UM: How does writing for magazines differ from writing a novel?
A: When you're writing for a magazine, you're really a hired gun out to help make someone else's vision come true. The magazine has a specific voice they have to stick to, the editor usually has a clear idea about what she wants the piece to be, and you're there to fill in the rest. (Of course, there are exceptions -- when you're given free reign with an article -- but those experiences have been rare for me.) I remember when my agent first read Party Girl and said, "Well, I have some pretty major suggestions for changes," I imagined I'd be starting over again from page one, because that's what that sort of statement would mean if she were a magazine editor. Instead, she had three or four comparatively tiny edits that I could take care of in a day or two. I've definitely spent more time rewriting 1000-word magazine pieces because the editor kept changing her mind about what she wanted than I did rewriting my book. In general, I'd say the book world is far more respectful of the writer and the writer's vision.
UM: Since Party Girl is based on your experiences, where's the line between Anna David and Amelia Stone?
A: Amelia Stone is a fictionalized version of what I was like about ten years ago. Before I got sober, like most thoroughly self-obsessed people, I had absolutely no idea how self-absorbed I was. Sobriety for me has been as much about discovering how flawed and convoluted my thinking has always been as it's been about giving up alcohol and drugs. Anyway, that awareness made writing her a lot of fun: she keeps getting in her own way and creating her own misery because she literally lacks the capability to see anything outside her own tunnel vision. And tapping into that thinking almost felt like a vacation into being able to behave the way I did before I knew better. Of course, Amelia's life is also far more exciting than mine ever was -- the column I did called "Party Girl" certainly didn't make me into a well-known writer, going on The View and weighing offers to turn it into an HBO series. Premiere magazine actually discontinued the column and let me go when they decided it was "alienating" their core group of film buff readers!
UM: Now that you've written for the glossies, published a novel and appeared on network television, what's your next project?
A: I've written another novel, Kept, about high-class prostitution in Hollywood that we're negotiating to sell, and I'm eager to get started on a new novel. I have the basic idea and am hoping to go to a writer's workshop later in the summer to work on it. Of course, I'll continue to do my day job - blogging about reality shows for the Fox news website, answering sex and relationship questions on the G4 show Attack of the Show, and doing the occasional magazine piece.
UM: Journalistic ethics aside, which of the celebrities you've profiled would you most want to date?
A: Well, back when I was living the Amelia Stone life, I essentially looked at my job as a high-profile dating service and pitched editors stories on the actors I thought would be most likely to want to date me. After a handful of experiences, I've been restored to sanity and realized that generally speaking, dating an actor is an activity best left to the delusional -- or at least other actors. And truth be told, most of the time, meeting and interviewing them tended to be instant fantasy-killer. I'll never forget how nervous and excited I was to interview Viggo Mortensen, only to enter the hotel room and be instantly bowled over by how terrible his feet smelled (ed: ew!).
Thanks, Anna. Good luck with all your upcoming projects!
Urban Muse: You've written about very intimate topics like dating, sex, and drug use. How do family and friends react?
Anna: My family has warmed up to the intimacy of my topics slowly. They were as reticent as any mildly protective, primarily private Jewish parents would be when I first got into the habit of potentially horrifying them with my first Playboy story about my sex life a few years ago. Because the piece was accompanied by some risqué shots, I actually explained to them that they were forbidden to look at the magazine, though my mom sent my step-dad out to the newsstand and he reported back that she didn't need to lock herself in the house and never come out -- that the writing was good and she had nothing to worry about.
I was nervous when I first gave my mom Party Girl to read and then she reacted so well -- barely mentioning the graphic sex and drug scenes and just complimenting me on the writing -- that I had a serious suspicion she hadn't really read it. I was recently home for some Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys readings, and many of the pieces that the other writers read were far bawdier than mine. It was a great awakening for my mom, who I think up until that point thought that she had given birth to the most shocking writer around. And my friends are divided into two camps: those who look at what I do with a sort of amazed delight over the fact that I'm so open about things they keep private, and those who do similar things through their blogs, stand-up comedy acts or own writing.
UM: How does writing for magazines differ from writing a novel?
A: When you're writing for a magazine, you're really a hired gun out to help make someone else's vision come true. The magazine has a specific voice they have to stick to, the editor usually has a clear idea about what she wants the piece to be, and you're there to fill in the rest. (Of course, there are exceptions -- when you're given free reign with an article -- but those experiences have been rare for me.) I remember when my agent first read Party Girl and said, "Well, I have some pretty major suggestions for changes," I imagined I'd be starting over again from page one, because that's what that sort of statement would mean if she were a magazine editor. Instead, she had three or four comparatively tiny edits that I could take care of in a day or two. I've definitely spent more time rewriting 1000-word magazine pieces because the editor kept changing her mind about what she wanted than I did rewriting my book. In general, I'd say the book world is far more respectful of the writer and the writer's vision.
UM: Since Party Girl is based on your experiences, where's the line between Anna David and Amelia Stone?
A: Amelia Stone is a fictionalized version of what I was like about ten years ago. Before I got sober, like most thoroughly self-obsessed people, I had absolutely no idea how self-absorbed I was. Sobriety for me has been as much about discovering how flawed and convoluted my thinking has always been as it's been about giving up alcohol and drugs. Anyway, that awareness made writing her a lot of fun: she keeps getting in her own way and creating her own misery because she literally lacks the capability to see anything outside her own tunnel vision. And tapping into that thinking almost felt like a vacation into being able to behave the way I did before I knew better. Of course, Amelia's life is also far more exciting than mine ever was -- the column I did called "Party Girl" certainly didn't make me into a well-known writer, going on The View and weighing offers to turn it into an HBO series. Premiere magazine actually discontinued the column and let me go when they decided it was "alienating" their core group of film buff readers!
UM: Now that you've written for the glossies, published a novel and appeared on network television, what's your next project?
A: I've written another novel, Kept, about high-class prostitution in Hollywood that we're negotiating to sell, and I'm eager to get started on a new novel. I have the basic idea and am hoping to go to a writer's workshop later in the summer to work on it. Of course, I'll continue to do my day job - blogging about reality shows for the Fox news website, answering sex and relationship questions on the G4 show Attack of the Show, and doing the occasional magazine piece.
UM: Journalistic ethics aside, which of the celebrities you've profiled would you most want to date?
A: Well, back when I was living the Amelia Stone life, I essentially looked at my job as a high-profile dating service and pitched editors stories on the actors I thought would be most likely to want to date me. After a handful of experiences, I've been restored to sanity and realized that generally speaking, dating an actor is an activity best left to the delusional -- or at least other actors. And truth be told, most of the time, meeting and interviewing them tended to be instant fantasy-killer. I'll never forget how nervous and excited I was to interview Viggo Mortensen, only to enter the hotel room and be instantly bowled over by how terrible his feet smelled (ed: ew!).
Thanks, Anna. Good luck with all your upcoming projects!
Monday, June 4, 2007
You Gotta Be Kidding!
As you may remember, I've been looking at apartments for the last several weeks. By this point, I've seen a wide range of living situations, but in all my apartment hunts past and present, I've never seen anything quite like the one I saw earlier today.
As I mounted the tiny stairs, I pictured two bedrooms filled with Lincoln logs and Legos instead of furniture. "How did you manage to get a queen bed up here?" I asked the girl who was showing the apartment.
"Through the window," she explained, without a hint of irony. "We popped out the screens and shimmied the bedframe up the fire escape." I guess I'll keep looking...
As I mounted the tiny stairs, I pictured two bedrooms filled with Lincoln logs and Legos instead of furniture. "How did you manage to get a queen bed up here?" I asked the girl who was showing the apartment.
"Through the window," she explained, without a hint of irony. "We popped out the screens and shimmied the bedframe up the fire escape." I guess I'll keep looking...
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Dust Off Those Story Ideas
I was browsing the magazine racks in Barnes and Noble the other day when it occurred to me that it might be time to resurrect some old story ideas. I originally concieved one of them as an article showing teens how to deal with a certain rite of passage, and I'd shopped it around to almost every teen magazine in the US (and one in Canada). Editors confirmed that it was a good idea, but for various reasons no one wanted to assign it. Then I picked up a parenting magazine and realized that, with a few tweaks, it could become a parenting article on "Helping Your Teen Cope With X." Bingo!
Of course, there are a million variations on the theme of reslanting articles: you could take that dating article that wasn't quite right for a women's mag and submit it to a men's magazine instead (with different examples, of course). You might rework a piece that was originally intended to be national in scope and localize it for a regional magazine. A how-to article on gardening might get a new life as a personal essay about how you've found solace working in your garden. Any other ideas? How have you reslanted an article?
Of course, there are a million variations on the theme of reslanting articles: you could take that dating article that wasn't quite right for a women's mag and submit it to a men's magazine instead (with different examples, of course). You might rework a piece that was originally intended to be national in scope and localize it for a regional magazine. A how-to article on gardening might get a new life as a personal essay about how you've found solace working in your garden. Any other ideas? How have you reslanted an article?
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