We’ve talked about it. We’ve dreamed about it. And now…we’re doing it.
One week from today, the Disco Mermaids are hitting the highway and heading south. We’ve planned a weekend writing retreat in Santa Barbara…just the three of us!
What we realized was that we were all on the verge of either finishing a project or starting a project (for Eve, it’s her new romance; for Robin it’s the final third of her first young adult novel; for Jay, it’s the beginning of his second book for Razorbill). And we all decided that what we really needed was time away from people and dogs and the magazine rack at Barnes and Noble.
How did the big idea get started? A little conversation between Eve and myself, while we waited for Jay to join us at the coffee shop. Here’s how it all went down:
EVE: I need some time away, in a hotel or something, to just get my stuff done.
ROBIN: That’s a great idea!
EVE: I want you guys to come with me.
ROBIN: No.
EVE: But whhhhhyyy? It’ll be so fun and—
ROBIN: Exactly! I’m not going if we’re going to have fun.
EVE: Awwwright. No fun. Only writing. I promise. Think Jay will want to go?
ROBIN: Only if it’s strictly writing and no fun.
(in walks Jay)
EVE: Hey, Jay! We’ve decided we’re all going to get a hotel room in Santa Barbara and—
JAY: I’m in.
So that’s pretty much how the Disco Mermaid Writing Retreat came into being. But we definitely all agreed that we will write like the wind and leave the “disco” part of our “mermaidism” at home. (Which I guess means our families will be partying hard in our absence).
That said, I would like to propose the following rules:
1. We will write for three days straight.
2. The only breaks taken will be for the bathroom, showers, eating, caffeinating and the first ten minutes of The Daily Show.
3. We will wake up early. And by “we” I mean, “Eve, get the hell up!”
4. Use of the cell phone will not be needed since we only call each other anyway, so, hey, that’s taken care of.
5. There will be no alcohol. (I know…no one really believes that one.)
6. If someone does sneak alcohol in her suitcase, it must have a fruity mixer and a box of Tylenol attached.
7. Every night we will have a “write off” in which we must read one page from our manuscript that was written that day and the worst writer will be voted off. Or forced to mix drinks.
Anybody out there in blogland got any more rules we should add? (We need ‘em!)
--Robin
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
LOVE Is In The Air --Eve
It's not even Valentine's Day yet, but Jay, Robin and I are all about LOVE this month. All our main characters seem to be unexpectedly falling head over heels right now. Whether it's first crush, true LOVE, or being in LOVE with the idea of being in LOVE, the three of us seem to be discussing the topic a lot lately.
And I'm LOVING the fact that we're all completely in sync right now because we're all under some form of deadline. Jay's new book outline is due in a few weeks. Robin received revision suggestions from a dream editor, so Jay and I are literally combing through Robin's changes as we speak so she can send it on ASAP!
And me? While my agent (LOVE saying that!) shops around my first book, I am busy at work on my YA Romance. Let me rephrase: I'm obsessively IN LOVE with my YA Romance. Is it strange that I've got scenes, characters, dialogue running through my head constantly? I'm a total freak! While I sleep, eat, shower, run, watch a movie, drive, hang out at a concert… no matter where I am, I've got this LOVE on the brain. And although I had the entire story outlined in my head within the first few days of writing it, my characters often surprise me and throw in plot twists that hadn't entered my mind before.
Late last night I received my first real professional revision suggestions from my wonderful agent. Woo-Hoo! And…whew!! I'm going through the same thing Robin went through last week. The whole, “Why didn't I think of that? Of course! That suggestion makes so much sense.” I think part of the reason we as writers don't see the obvious sometimes in our writing is that we fall completely IN LOVE with our words and the worlds we've created. For example, I've spent the last four days consumed with the idea of changing my “perfect” ending. Beautiful as it was, it just didn't have enough punch. When a totally unexpected “WOW” ending was suggested, I freaked out because it totally digressed from my original plan. But, damn, it makes for a powerful ending!
After a few days of therapy with Jay and Robin (and a lot of café mochas and cookies), I realized that I was so opposed to the new ending idea because it brings harm to the one character I had fallen completely IN LOVE with! But sometimes LOVE means having to let go and do the right thing. Ahh, LOVE……
Thanks for all the help.
LOVE you DiscoMermaids!
--Eve
And I'm LOVING the fact that we're all completely in sync right now because we're all under some form of deadline. Jay's new book outline is due in a few weeks. Robin received revision suggestions from a dream editor, so Jay and I are literally combing through Robin's changes as we speak so she can send it on ASAP!
And me? While my agent (LOVE saying that!) shops around my first book, I am busy at work on my YA Romance. Let me rephrase: I'm obsessively IN LOVE with my YA Romance. Is it strange that I've got scenes, characters, dialogue running through my head constantly? I'm a total freak! While I sleep, eat, shower, run, watch a movie, drive, hang out at a concert… no matter where I am, I've got this LOVE on the brain. And although I had the entire story outlined in my head within the first few days of writing it, my characters often surprise me and throw in plot twists that hadn't entered my mind before.
Late last night I received my first real professional revision suggestions from my wonderful agent. Woo-Hoo! And…whew!! I'm going through the same thing Robin went through last week. The whole, “Why didn't I think of that? Of course! That suggestion makes so much sense.” I think part of the reason we as writers don't see the obvious sometimes in our writing is that we fall completely IN LOVE with our words and the worlds we've created. For example, I've spent the last four days consumed with the idea of changing my “perfect” ending. Beautiful as it was, it just didn't have enough punch. When a totally unexpected “WOW” ending was suggested, I freaked out because it totally digressed from my original plan. But, damn, it makes for a powerful ending!
After a few days of therapy with Jay and Robin (and a lot of café mochas and cookies), I realized that I was so opposed to the new ending idea because it brings harm to the one character I had fallen completely IN LOVE with! But sometimes LOVE means having to let go and do the right thing. Ahh, LOVE……
Thanks for all the help.
LOVE you DiscoMermaids!
--Eve
Monday, January 08, 2007
Picture This! -- Jay
I have a question for all you published authors out there. Is the second book just as fun and exciting as the first? I still have about nine-and-a-half months till my book comes out, but it seems like every week brings another exciting milestone.
On Sunday I took my author photos. Lucky for me, Robin happens to be married to an amazing photographer. A couple weeks ago he came up with a great idea on how to incorporate the suspenseful tone of my book into the photos. So yesterday we met at a tunnel that runs beneath the freeway so people can walk from their homes to the beach. Truthfully, it didn’t look very suspenseful, but I learned something about photography through this experience: It’s all about the lighting, baby!
The idea was to shoot me at one end of the tunnel, backlit by the opening at the other end. Then he thought it’d be cool to have some shadowy figures far behind me. Two teens entered the tunnel and Jayson said, “Hey, this guy just sold his first book...actually, it’s for people about your age. As you go down the tunnel, would you mind walking on the left side so we can get a cool effect?” They were more than happy to participate, and when they exited the tunnel they shouted back, “What’s the book called?”
Yes! Two more books sold. (And the answer to their question is Thirteen Reasons Why, if you're just joining us.)
We wanted to experiment some more with people in the background. Unfortunately, the only other person passing through was a mom on a bike with a baby on board (not the look we were going for). So Jayson picked up Robin at the beach and that’s who wound up standing behind me in the tunnel. When you read the book, that shadowy figure could represent a couple characters. Or it could simply be someone who walked into the shot. But, no...it’s a Disco Mermaid!
Or maybe Razorbill will go with one of the other photos I'm sending in. Either way, here’s the photo with Robin:
- Jay
On Sunday I took my author photos. Lucky for me, Robin happens to be married to an amazing photographer. A couple weeks ago he came up with a great idea on how to incorporate the suspenseful tone of my book into the photos. So yesterday we met at a tunnel that runs beneath the freeway so people can walk from their homes to the beach. Truthfully, it didn’t look very suspenseful, but I learned something about photography through this experience: It’s all about the lighting, baby!
The idea was to shoot me at one end of the tunnel, backlit by the opening at the other end. Then he thought it’d be cool to have some shadowy figures far behind me. Two teens entered the tunnel and Jayson said, “Hey, this guy just sold his first book...actually, it’s for people about your age. As you go down the tunnel, would you mind walking on the left side so we can get a cool effect?” They were more than happy to participate, and when they exited the tunnel they shouted back, “What’s the book called?”
Yes! Two more books sold. (And the answer to their question is Thirteen Reasons Why, if you're just joining us.)
We wanted to experiment some more with people in the background. Unfortunately, the only other person passing through was a mom on a bike with a baby on board (not the look we were going for). So Jayson picked up Robin at the beach and that’s who wound up standing behind me in the tunnel. When you read the book, that shadowy figure could represent a couple characters. Or it could simply be someone who walked into the shot. But, no...it’s a Disco Mermaid!
Or maybe Razorbill will go with one of the other photos I'm sending in. Either way, here’s the photo with Robin:
- Jay
Friday, January 05, 2007
A Little WRE & R—Robin
I used to be a fifth grade teacher and was responsible for teaching every subject. And I mean EVERY subject. Drug Education? Yep. Sex Education? Oh yeah. (That was me at the front of the room blushing as I pointed to diagrams of reproductive organs. And believe me, many of those moments have ended up in my books.)
My favorite subject to teach, though, was creative writing. It always astounded me that the school system would actually pay me to teach writing (creatively) on a daily basis. What cooler way to spend my time!?
I created a huge poster that I proudly displayed at the front of my classroom with the steps of the writing process: Write, Rewrite, Edit and Revise. I touted the joys of rewriting their stories and even explained that I would only use a green pen when critiquing their work because I didn’t want them to ever see red on their writing. Red meant “stop,” but green always meant “go” and I wanted them to “go even farther” whenever they saw my green marks on their paper.
My students often responded to my soliloquies on the joys of editing with a resounding, “Um…huh?”
When they finished a story, they would bring it to me and I would mark it up with my green pen and say, “Go forth, oh lucky one! You now have the honor of moving on to Step 2: Rewrite!” I would go back to my corner and twirl, and my students would hang their heads and slowly scuffle back to their desks mumbling something similar to, “Bummer.”
So now that the tables have turned, and I am the one writing stories, I often wonder if I, too, would hang my head and scuffle when asked to rewrite my work. Well, this week, I was given that opportunity.
An editor who read one of my manuscripts asked for a revision. My immediate reaction was a bit like my ten-year old students’. “Bummer.” But when I thought more on the revision and looked carefully at how it would enhance the book, my reaction changed to, “Wow.”
The revision was exactly what my book needed. It was like a puzzle piece that fit in with a satisfying “click.” Aaaahhh. Just right. And then I found my reaction turning to that of, “Doh! Why didn’t I think of that!? Of course!”
But I think that’s what editors are for. Editing! And the magic they bring to a manuscript is just as important to the process as the writing itself.
So for now, I will work through the 4-step process of writing. And I’ll use my green pen with care. And I’ll respond to my husband who would like the dishes done with a resounding, “Um…huh?”
--Robin
My favorite subject to teach, though, was creative writing. It always astounded me that the school system would actually pay me to teach writing (creatively) on a daily basis. What cooler way to spend my time!?
I created a huge poster that I proudly displayed at the front of my classroom with the steps of the writing process: Write, Rewrite, Edit and Revise. I touted the joys of rewriting their stories and even explained that I would only use a green pen when critiquing their work because I didn’t want them to ever see red on their writing. Red meant “stop,” but green always meant “go” and I wanted them to “go even farther” whenever they saw my green marks on their paper.
My students often responded to my soliloquies on the joys of editing with a resounding, “Um…huh?”
When they finished a story, they would bring it to me and I would mark it up with my green pen and say, “Go forth, oh lucky one! You now have the honor of moving on to Step 2: Rewrite!” I would go back to my corner and twirl, and my students would hang their heads and slowly scuffle back to their desks mumbling something similar to, “Bummer.”
So now that the tables have turned, and I am the one writing stories, I often wonder if I, too, would hang my head and scuffle when asked to rewrite my work. Well, this week, I was given that opportunity.
An editor who read one of my manuscripts asked for a revision. My immediate reaction was a bit like my ten-year old students’. “Bummer.” But when I thought more on the revision and looked carefully at how it would enhance the book, my reaction changed to, “Wow.”
The revision was exactly what my book needed. It was like a puzzle piece that fit in with a satisfying “click.” Aaaahhh. Just right. And then I found my reaction turning to that of, “Doh! Why didn’t I think of that!? Of course!”
But I think that’s what editors are for. Editing! And the magic they bring to a manuscript is just as important to the process as the writing itself.
So for now, I will work through the 4-step process of writing. And I’ll use my green pen with care. And I’ll respond to my husband who would like the dishes done with a resounding, “Um…huh?”
--Robin
Thursday, January 04, 2007
New Year, New You! (Or Not) --Eve
Funny thing is that every New Year's Day, I make a bunch of silly resolutions that I think are supposed to make me a happier and better person, and every year on about January 6th I abruptly turn back into the pumpkin that I was meant to be. So this year, I took the realism route and on New Year's Day I slept in, watched football with my buddies, left the house a disaster after the previous night's raging party, stuffed myself with chocolate chip pancakes, pizza, fudge and coconut cake, and limited my exercise to walking out to the patio to fetch pitchers of beer from the keg (from the previous night's raging party).
In our culture, we're all about changing ourselves…diet, exercise, makeovers, hair extensions, plastic surgery. What ever happened to accepting ourselves for who we are and learning to love the skin we're in? Change doesn't always equal happier, folks! Anyway, after spending the first two days of 2007 shunning resolutions and embracing my inner gluttonous sloth, I finally got back to my writing routine today and met Robin at Linnea's Café to hammer out more of my YA novel.
Since I like to discuss what I'm going to write before I write, Robin had the unfortunate obligation of sitting and nodding while I babbled on about the “heart” of my book, the themes and challenges, and what it all means. And since I'm on this kick of accepting myself for who I am, refusing to “change” and “better” myself, just because society says I should, I asked Robin if my main character really has to change at all. I believe that our main characters are really just extensions of our true selves, or who we'd like to be, so…why can't my MC love who she is and refuse to change as well?
Seriously. Think about it. We're taught that our characters have to grow and learn something meaningful. So, why can't my MC learn that the way she lives her life totally kicks ass, and those around her who want her to change are the ones who need some attitude adjusting? Just saying.
I guess I just want to give my MC the luxury of learning what it took me 30 years to figure out, which is that living life the way others want us to will never make us happy. Much to the chagrin of my family and friends, I'm always going to be a little bit attention deficit girl, running late, forgetting stuff, never having a conventional job, spending my days being distracted and spontaneous. And I'm cool with that. Because I'm an exceptionally happy person. Probably has a lot to do with all that sleeping in and scarfing chocolate chip pancakes. Mmmm…chocolate chip pancakes… Now, what was I saying??
New Year, OLD ME!
Eve
In our culture, we're all about changing ourselves…diet, exercise, makeovers, hair extensions, plastic surgery. What ever happened to accepting ourselves for who we are and learning to love the skin we're in? Change doesn't always equal happier, folks! Anyway, after spending the first two days of 2007 shunning resolutions and embracing my inner gluttonous sloth, I finally got back to my writing routine today and met Robin at Linnea's Café to hammer out more of my YA novel.
Since I like to discuss what I'm going to write before I write, Robin had the unfortunate obligation of sitting and nodding while I babbled on about the “heart” of my book, the themes and challenges, and what it all means. And since I'm on this kick of accepting myself for who I am, refusing to “change” and “better” myself, just because society says I should, I asked Robin if my main character really has to change at all. I believe that our main characters are really just extensions of our true selves, or who we'd like to be, so…why can't my MC love who she is and refuse to change as well?
Seriously. Think about it. We're taught that our characters have to grow and learn something meaningful. So, why can't my MC learn that the way she lives her life totally kicks ass, and those around her who want her to change are the ones who need some attitude adjusting? Just saying.
I guess I just want to give my MC the luxury of learning what it took me 30 years to figure out, which is that living life the way others want us to will never make us happy. Much to the chagrin of my family and friends, I'm always going to be a little bit attention deficit girl, running late, forgetting stuff, never having a conventional job, spending my days being distracted and spontaneous. And I'm cool with that. Because I'm an exceptionally happy person. Probably has a lot to do with all that sleeping in and scarfing chocolate chip pancakes. Mmmm…chocolate chip pancakes… Now, what was I saying??
New Year, OLD ME!
Eve
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Finding DiscoLand #4
“Seek and ye shall find…something TOTALLY different than what you were looking for.”
Such is the case for those who typed the following words into search engines and discovered us. The Disco Mermaids!
- how do mermaids go to the bathroom -
(it's not as complicated as it sounds...although one of us consistently forgets to put the seat down)
- I need to borrow your panties for five minutes -
(not that we're selfish, but first you need to explain why you only need them for five minutes)
- pomegranate benefits related to carpal tunnel -
(see, we also serve your medical needs...)
- Mayim Bialik overdose -
(...as well as celebrity gossip -- say it ain't so, Blossom)
- Robin smelled me -
(what?)
- pulled my tampon -
(again...what?)
- mermaids gone wild -
(this pic should not be viewed with children in the room -- notice how she combined two of our looks into one?)
- Johnny Tremain low level reading -
(you've gotta be kidding, right?)
Such is the case for those who typed the following words into search engines and discovered us. The Disco Mermaids!
- how do mermaids go to the bathroom -
(it's not as complicated as it sounds...although one of us consistently forgets to put the seat down)
- I need to borrow your panties for five minutes -
(not that we're selfish, but first you need to explain why you only need them for five minutes)
- pomegranate benefits related to carpal tunnel -
(see, we also serve your medical needs...)
- Mayim Bialik overdose -
(...as well as celebrity gossip -- say it ain't so, Blossom)
- Robin smelled me -
(what?)
- pulled my tampon -
(again...what?)
- mermaids gone wild -
(this pic should not be viewed with children in the room -- notice how she combined two of our looks into one?)
- Johnny Tremain low level reading -
(you've gotta be kidding, right?)
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