The Divining Wand

The dream goal of most authors is being able to describe their book in one sentence — a sentence that piques interest — and Leah Stewart (The Myth of You and Me, Body of a Girl) has been able to do that with her third novel, Husband and Wife,:

A young mother discovers that her husband’s novel about infidelity might be drawn from real life.

And from this, along with a bit more, come glowing reviews:

“Stewart (The Myth of You and Me) creates a crisis of faith where adult reality collides with youthful dreams, “the people we were and the people…we always thought we should be.” The writing is tactile, elemental, even comical, providing readers with a situation that could so easily be their own. Highly recommended.” —Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal *Starred Review*

“An unflinching look at what happens when one’s identity is shattered, and “what-ifs” and past choices come back to haunt the present. . . . . Stewart’s graceful prose and easy storytelling pull the reader into caring about what happens to the struggling heroine while exploring the many gray areas of life and marriage.” —Publisher’s Weekly

The Divining Wand has scheduled a presentation/review of Husband and Wife for Monday, September 13, 2010. In the meantime, though, let’s meet the author through her “official” bio:

The recipient of a 2010 NEA Literature Fellowship, Leah teaches in the University of Cincinnati’s creative writing program, and lives in Cincinnati with her husband and two children.

And now here’s Leah upclose and personal:

Q: How would you describe your life in 8 words?
A: Kids, teaching, music, reading, writing, TV, eating, sleep.

Q: What is your motto or maxim?
A: Everything I think of is stupid, so I don’t want to say it. Maybe that’s my motto: Don’t say stupid things.

Q: How would you describe perfect happiness?
A: Enjoying whatever you’re doing at the moment, with no thoughts of your to-do list.

Q: What’s your greatest fear?
A: Losing one of my kids.

Q: If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you choose to be?
A: Without my kids: the cottage on Kauai where my husband and I honeymooned. With my kids: Disneyworld.

Q: With whom in history do you most identify?
A: I’ve always been partial to women who defied whatever the gender norms of the time were. Women who went to war, suffragettes, Jane Austen and George Eliot, Hilary Clinton. I remember really admiring Abigail Adams, way back in elementary school when I read her biography.

Q: Which living person do you most admire?
A: There are so many writers who fit the bill I don’t think I can pick just one. In music: Neko Case. In TV: Joss Whedon.

Q: What are your most overused words or phrases?
A: In speech: “Does that make sense?” In writing: it.

Q: If you could acquire any talent, what would it be?
A: Singing well. The tragedy of my life is my inability to sing.

Q: What is your greatest achievement?
A: Managing to finish a novel three times.

Q: What’s your greatest flaw?
A: Bossiness.

Q: What’s your best quality?
A: Well, I think I’m a pretty good writer.

Q: What do you regret most?
A: All the time I wasted before I had kids.

Q: If you could be any person or thing, who or what would it be?
A: If I can’t think of an answer, does that mean I’m way too pleased with myself?

Q: What trait is most noticeable about you?
A: I talk a lot.

Q: Who is your favorite fictional hero?
A: Maybe my most noticeable trait is that I don’t like to give just one answer: Elizabeth Bennett, Dorothea Brooke, Meg Murry, Buffy, Starbuck (the second one), Veronica Mars. I could probably go on.

Q: Who is your favorite fictional villain?
A: So many of the books I read don’t have straight-up villains, I’m thinking of TV again. I’ll go with Angel from BTVS, when he turned evil.

Q: If you could meet any athlete, who would it be and what would you say to him or her?
A: Neither my husband nor my mother can understand this, but I have an almost complete lack of interest in sports. I did watch the Olympics. I could meet Evan Lysacek and say, “Hey, good skating.”

Q: What is your biggest pet peeve?
A: Can I list three? Late or sloppy student work, everyone in my family yelling at me at once, use of the word “I” where it should be “me.”

Q: What is your favorite occupation, when you’re not writing?
A: When I’m not making up my own world, I’d just as soon be lost in someone else’s, so reading, watching TV, and going to movies. I’ve also become addicted to a dance class called Rhythm & Motion at the Cincinnati Ballet.

Q: What’s your fantasy profession?
A: Singer!

Q: What 3 personal qualities are most important to you?
A: Humor, intelligence both intellectual and emotional, reliability.

Q: If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your days, what would it be?
A: Chocolate (so predictable!)

Q: What are your 5 favorite songs?
A: At this moment:
“Skinny Love” by Bon Iver
“Swim Until You Can’t See Land” by Frightened Rabbit
“Don’t Forget Me” by Neko Case
“Marry Song” by Band of Horses
“L.E.S. Artistes” by Santogold

Q: What are your 5 favorite books of all time?
A: Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
Middlemarch, by George Eliot
Jesus’ Son, by Denis Johnson
Eva Moves the Furniture, by Margot Livesey
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald

To keep up with talented Leah Stewart, please follow her on Twitter and become a friend on Facebook.

Book Giveaway: The Divining Wand is giving away two copies of Katharine Davis’s A Slender Thread in a random drawing of comments left only on this specific post, Katharine Davis and A Slender Thread. Comments left on other posts during the week will not be eligible. The deadline is tonight at 7:00 p.m. EDT with the winners to be announced here in tomorrow’s post. If you enter, please return tomorrow to see if you’re a winner.

Katharine Davis (East Hope, Capturing Paris) — Winner of the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance 2010 Award for Fiction — celebrated the release of her third novel, A Slender Thread, two weeks ago.

The book described as A gripping novel of two sisters who must reimagine the future-before they’re ready to let go of the past., has also earned the following praise:

“Luminous and deeply affecting . . . In this novel of the complex bonds of sisters and the pernicious effects of a rare illness, Katharine Davis memorably captures the language of family. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and it was a pleasure to watch it take shape.”
–Susan Coll, author of Beach Week and Acceptance

“With a sure, light touch and a shrewd eye for telling details, Katharine Davis expertly weaves a resonant story about the bonds of family, the tug of geography, and the regenerative power of art. A Slender Thread is an emotionally rich and penetrating novel.”
–Christina Baker Kline, author of Bird in Hand and The Way Life Should Be

“The multiple viewpoints of Katharine Davis’s A Slender Thread weave in and out of chapters like threads in a tapestry, illustrating the intricate, complicated ties that bind us as family. While this compelling story shows just how fragile –and therefore precious –are our connections to each other, Davis also shows that even the slenderest of threads can have the surprising strength and resilience to hold it (and us) together.”
–Katrina Kittle, author of The Blessings of the Animals

The Divining Wand has scheduled a full presentation/review of A Slender Thread for Monday, August 30, 2010 but, in the meantime, let’s meet the author through her “official” bio:

Katharine Davis began writing fiction in 1999. Capturing Paris (St. Martin’s Press, 2006) was her first novel. Recommended in Real Simple Spring Travel 2007, the novel was also included in the New York Times suggestions for fiction set in Paris. Her second novel, East Hope, published by New American Library in 2009, won the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance 2010 Award for Fiction. A Slender Thread, New American Library 2010, is her third novel.

Katharine Davis lives with her husband in New York City and spends summers writing in southern Maine. She is now working on a novel set in Florence, Italy during the summer of 1969.

And now here is Katharine as her revealing self:

Q: How would you describe your life in eight words?
A: Blessed, full, rewarding, happy –I’m afraid to go on for fear of jinxing myself!

Q: What is your motto or maxim?
A: Invent your own life. No one will do it for you.

Q: How would you describe perfect happiness?
A: Sitting at the table on our porch in Maine enjoying a delicious dinner on a summer evening with the people I love.

Q: What is your greatest fear?
A: Losing the people I love.

Q: If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you choose to be?
A;At home! I’m a homebody at heart. Though, sitting on the terrace of the Café Marly in Paris overlooking the Louvre while sipping Champagne would not be a bad second choice!

Q: With whom in history do you most identify?
A; Jane Austin – I love the way she lived a full domestic life alongside her writing life.

Q: Which living person do you most admire?
A: Right now, Hillary Clinton. Imagine trying to bring about world peace at the same time as putting on a perfect wedding for your only daughter.

Q: What are your most used words or phrases?
A:I think you should ask my family that one!

Q: If you could acquire any talent, what would it be?
A: I would love to be able to sing. The only time I even dare is in church and I try not to stand too close to anyone.

Q: What is your greatest achievement?
A: I raised two absolutely great children and I published my first novel at 57.

Q: What is your greatest flaw?
A: I’m a worrier!

Q: What’s your best quality?
A: I’m a good listener and I try to be kind!

Q: What do you regret most?
A: I wish I’d started writing sooner.

Q: If you could be any person or thing in the world, who or what would you be?
A: I would be fresh air! We all need it to survive.

Q: What trait is most noticeable about you?
A: I’m quite tall. I’m friendly and I try to see the good in things.

Q: Who is your favorite fictional hero?
A: Atticus Finch

Q: Who is your favorite fictional villain?
A: Dr. No in the Ian Fleming James Bond series. I read every one of Fleming’s novels when I was a teenager, and loved them.

Q: If you could meet any athlete, who would it be and what would you say to him or her?
A: I am totally non-sports oriented. I guess I would have to say thank you to Billy Jean King for what she did for women’s tennis. Saying this kind of dates me! I’m clueless as to who’s important these days.

Q: What is your biggest pet peeve?
A: People who are late.

Q: What is your favorite occupation, when you’re not writing?
A: Like most writers, it would have to be reading.

Q: What’s your fantasy profession?
A: I would be a famous country music star and sing for thousands outdoors on a starlit night!

Q: What 3 personal qualities are most important to you?
A: Kindness, honesty, loyalty

Q: If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your days, what would it be?
A: Fresh corn on the cob in August with field grown tomatoes with mozzarella and basil. Oh dear, I’m greedy –that’s more than one!

Q: What are your 5 favorite songs?
A: My husband loads my Ipod with all kinds of music and I never remember titles. I’d have to say I love all early Beatles like “Yesterday,” but also “Stand by your Man” by Tammy Wynette.

Q: What are your 5 favorite books of all time?
A:This is something I ponder when I can’t sleep at night, and the list changes constantly as things come to mind. In the spirit of cooperation, as of today, I would say: Madame Bovary, The Great Gatsby, Rebecca (Daphne du Maurier), Howards End (E. M. Forster), and Crossing to Safety (Wallace Stegner). These are books I never tire of reading. Ask me tomorrow and I’ll have 5 more!

Katharine Davis is charming, delightful, and talented, do become a friend on Facebook and visit her Thursday Thoughts Blog.

Book Giveaway: The Divining Wand is giving away two copies of Kristina Riggle’s The Life You’ve Imagined in a random drawing of comments left only on this specific post, Kristina Riggle and The Life You’ve Imagined. Comments left on other posts during the week will not be eligible. The deadline is tonight at 7:00 p.m. EDT with the winners to be announced here in tomorrow’s post. If you enter, please return tomorrow to possibly claim your book.

Knowing that memorable characters linger in readers’ minds well beyond the last page of a novel, The Divining Wand wondered about the authors’ experience in letting them go. After creating and living through them for months, years….the question was asked: How do you say “goodbye?”

Here are several responses:

~Katie Alender (Bad Girls Don’t Die YA):

“I don’t think I do say good-bye to characters. Because they’re mine, I get to carry them around in my head and watch them live out their lives. It’s very different from being a reader and finishing a book and feeling that sense of loss–I feel that a lot when I finish my favorite books. Thankfully, as a writer, I am the Supreme Authority over my characters, where they go, what they do, and all that. I’m pleased to report that they all lived happily ever after!”

~Robin Antalek (The Summer We Fell Apart):

“I haven’t yet said goodbye to the characters in THE SUMMER WE FELL APART—book groups – (I just visited my 53rd) have kept these characters alive for me much longer than I ever dreamed. Even though in my writing world I have moved on to another set of characters – readers have allowed me to keep tabs on the Haas siblings – and I love that.”

~Julie Buxbaum (After You, The Opposite of Love):

“I don’t. When I finish a book, I always keep open the possibility that I’ll get to revisit with them at some point. Since I really and truly love all my characters–I feel like they are my friends–and at the same time, also spend somewhere around three hundred pages torturing them in the name of that annoying thing called “‘plot’”, I sometimes feel like it’s merciful when I leave them alone for a while.”

~ Beth Hoffman (Saving CeeCee Honeycutt releasing in Trade Paperback October 26, 2010):

“I can’t say goodbye, I still think of them and will most likely bring them back in future works in cameo appearances.”

~Kristy Kiernan (Between Friends, Matters of Faith, and Catching Genius):

“You mean if I don’t kill them? I let them go gently. I try to give them new emotional tools–empathy, or fortitude, or simply hope–and then place them gently into their new surroundings…without me.”

~Leah Stewart (Husband and Wife, The Myth of You and Me, Body of a Girl):

“I think of the last lines of my books as their goodbye, and my goodbye to them. If I can get the last line right I feel I’ve given them a fitting send-off.”

Announcement: The winners of Julie Buxbaum’s “signed” copies of After You are Jenny and Colleen Turner. Congratulations!

Please email diviningwand (at) gmail (dot) com with your mailing address and Julie will send out your book as soon as possible.

Today’s post is the continuation of how authors responded to a recent question posted on The Divining Wand’s Q & A page:

Here’s another question for your authors: What is the word count of most of their novels?

I know that we here all sorts of estimates of what a novel should be, 70,000 to 100,000 words. But what is the actual count for the novels featured here, and do your authors think about word count as they’re writing?

Also please welcome The Divining Wand’s latest about-to-become author, Allie Larkin, who leads off with:

Allie Larkin (STAY coming June 10, 2010):

“The final version of STAY is around 100,000 words. The first draft was just short of 70,000, and then grew through the revising process, as the story became more layered and I developed the characters further. I don’t think word count should be a concern in the first few drafts of a book. Those drafts are about creating the framework of the story and getting to know the characters. Obviously, there are ideal lengths for books, but I think reaching an ideal word count should be more of an organic process than a goal to meet. You never want to add words just for the sake of adding them. So, even if it’s necessary to add 10-20,000 words to make the book a marketable length, I think the focus should be more about figuring out a way to grow the story and grow the characters, than trying to hit a certain number.”

Melanie Benjamin (Alice I Have Been):

“This is a good question. Before ALICE, I always aimed at 80,000; my earlier contract, for my 2 contemporary novels, stipulated that should be the approximate word count. When I moved to historical fiction, however, I found that there’s more leeway, and ALICE came in at around 100,000 words, and nobody blinked an eye. That’s the word count I have in mind for my next historical novel, too.

“However – word of advice. Let the story develop as it needs to and try not to obsess about the word count until it’s finished. Revisions always change things. If you finish and you find you’re way under the typical word count (which is, yes, anywhere from 70,000 to 100,000, depending on the genre as I said above), then you may have to decide whether or not the work would be better off as a short story. If you’re way over, you can edit and perhaps divide the work into 2 novels. So – try not to obsess while telling the story, but at the end of the day, word count does matter.”

Judy Merrill Larsen (All the Numbers):

“Ooh, I definitely think about word count as I’m writing . . . my novels tend to be in the 75,000 word range, which is a bit on the short side. And I NEVER get to that in my first draft. My goal in a first draft is to get to 65,000 words because I know that in revising (which to me means mostly adding and rearranging), I’ll get in that magical realm of 70,000-80,000 words.”

Holly LeCraw (The Swimming Pool):

“Mine is about 80,000 words. I didn’t think about word count as I was writing, but assumed I would come in at 300ish pages. As it turned out, mine is 307. I tend to like books that are tightly constructed and not overlong, although there are always exceptions.”

Lauren Baratz-Logsted (most recent Crazy Beautiful YA, Sisters 8 series with Book 5: Marcia’s Madness coming May 3, 2010):

“Since I write for pretty much every age group imaginable, I’m all over the place on this. Each volume in The Sisters 8 series for young readers comes in at about 22K. My one middle grade was 35K. My adult novels range from 70-100K. Even within YA, I’m all over the place, with most coming in at 45-50K while The Twin’s Daughter (due out on Aug 31) is a whopping 96K! It all depends on what the individual book demands, how long it takes to tell the story right.”

Shana Mahaffey (Sounds Like Crazy):

“Sounds Like Crazy weighs in at just over 105,000 words. I wrote without regard to word count and was lucky enough to have my book published under an imprint that believes a book should be as long as it needs to be to tell the story.”

Maud Carol Markson (When We Get Home, Looking After Pigeon):

“I don’t have the exact number but I believe Looking After Pigeon was just around 80,000 words. The novel I’m working on now is about 85,000 words.”

Sarah Pekkanen (The Opposite of Me):

“The Opposite of Me is 105,000 words (give or take a few). My second novel is about 90,000 words. I do think a little about word count as I write, knowing it would be much harder to sell a book that came in at 60,000 or 200,000 words.”

Kristina Riggle (Real Life & Liars and The Life You’ve Imagined coming August 17, 2010):

“I had to look this information up. REAL LIFE & LIARS was 85,498 in the pre-copyedited version, and THE LIFE YOU’VE IMAGINED is a little longer at 91,171. My work-in-progress will end up about the same. Since I measure my daily progress in first drafts by word count I suppose I do think about it as I write, but only as a handy way to measure productivity. I do feel very pleased when I hit the big round numbers divisible by 10,000. It’s arbitrary, but it does feel like a milestone and since writing a first draft is so solitary it’s nice to congratulate myself on leaping those hurdles. No one else is going to throw me a party.”

Allison Winn Scotch (The Department of Lost and Found, Time of My Life and The One That I Want coming June 1, 2010):

“All of mine hover around the 85k mark. I do think about WC as I’m writing – I think about the book in a series of acts, and I know when to begin each one (generally), so I can time the action – and the necessary arc of that action – to the word count.”

Barrie Summy (I So Don’t Do Mysteries, I So Don’t Do Spooky and I So Don’t Do Makeup coming May 11, 2010, Ages 9 – 12):

“My novels (tween mysteries) are 52,000 to 55,000 words. Do I think about word count while I’m writing?

“Yes. Yes. Yes.

“I’m a HUGE plotter, and I know where I should be word-count wise for the major plot points, darkest moment, the resolution. This is how I keep the pace up.

“And also how I keep my sanity. I promise myself treats all the way through the first draft. For example, when I reach the first plot point, around 13,000 words, I get to have a package of licorice as a reward.”

Wendy Tokunaga (Midori By Moonlight, Love in Translation):

“I believe that my word counts come out to be around 85,000. I never think about this when I’m writing, though. I just write as much as I need to tell the story and it always seems to work out okay in the end.”

Therese Walsh (The Last Will of Moira Leahy):

“My publisher, Shaye Areheart, likes books to come in right at about 90,000 words, which is the word count for The Last Will of Moira Leahy.

“I keep tabs of word count using Word, but I don’t stress about it much while drafting a story. I tend to trust that the word count will fall near the right mark in the end. Word count definitely becomes more important during editing, though. I find it easier to edit a “fat” story down to size rather than add new beef.”

And a final word on just the facts….

Randy Susan Meyers (The Murderer’s Daughters):

“According to fictionfactor.com, ‘”Most print publishers prefer a minimum word count of around 70,000 words for a first novel, and some even hesitate for any work shorter than 80,000. Yet any piece of fiction climbing over the 110,000 word mark also tends to give editors some pause. They need to be sure they can produce a product that won’t over-extend their budget, but still be enticing enough to readers to be saleable. Imagine paying good money for a book less than a quarter-inch thick?”‘

“That said, there is much back and forth on this issue. I think the topic is very well covered by agent Colleen Lindsay in her blog, the swivet.”

If you have a question for our authors feel free to post it on the Q & A page or email: diviningwand@gmail.com

ATTENTION: This site’s rather exclusive sidebar has a new addition under the category of Must See. ArounderTouch is an iPhone app from Arounder.com. The virtual reality site — featuring gorgeous 360-degree panoramas of the world — is what I frequently used on Seize A Daisy’s “Friday Getaways.” It’s a first-class ticket for your travel plans or imaginary flights of fancy, please check it out.

Announcement: The winners of Quick’s debut YA novel, SORTA LIKE A ROCK STAR, are Keetha and Beth. Congratulations! Please send your mailing addresses to: diviningwand (at) gmail (dot) com, and I’ll have your copy sent out promptly. Many thanks to everyone who entered.

A recent question posted on The Divining Wand’s Q & A page sounded simple enough and an overwhelming number of authors responded to answer:

Here’s another question for your authors: What is the word count of most of their novels?

I know that we here all sorts of estimates of what a novel should be, 70,000 to 100,000 words. But what is the actual count for the novels featured here, and do your authors think about word count as they’re writing?

Jessica Barksdale Inclan (Being With Him, Intimate Beings, The Beautiful Being):

“Great question (I can’t wait to see all the answers). My latest manuscript Swimming Lessons is 75,656. But some of mine go up 10 109,000. the shortest was 65,000 or so.”

Emily Winslow (The Whole World coming May 25, 2010):

“THE WHOLE WORLD was about 80k when I submitted it, and about 90k after editing. (I know for most writers, editing involves taking away. I write sparely, and am more likely to add scenes in editing.) I’m very conscious of word count as I write. I generally break it down to a certain number of words for each chapter, and sometimes even scene. I don’t force conforming to that goal, but it helps me keep a sense of proportion as I craft the whole.”

Jenny Gardiner (Sleeping with Ward Cleaver, Winging It: Twenty Years of Caring for a Vengeful Bird Determined to Kill Me):

“I’d say for commercial fiction around 90K words is good. Used to be they wanted lots of words but with publication costs, etc, over the past few years it’s been downsized–in fact something w/ 100K words or more would definitely give an editor/agent pause.

“I’m not sure about YA fiction but I’m thinking 45 – 60K (I’m sure YA authors can tell you more precisely).”

Eileen Cook (Unpredictable, What Would Emma Do? YA and Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood YA ):

“My biggest advice for word count is to write your book and then when it is done figure out where you are in terms of word count. My two YA novels (What Would Emma Do? and Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood) have been around 65k words. My adult title, Unpredictable was just under 80k words and the middle grade I am writing now will come in at about 27k words.

“The only thought I give to word count when I’m writing is measuring my progress. I have set weekly word count goals based on a rough idea of the estimated length of the book, otherwise I ignore word count until I’m done.”

Therese Fowler (Souvenir, Reunion):

“Word count “requirements” (I use the term loosely because there are always exceptions) vary by genre. I write mainstream/women’s fiction, aiming, as I write, for about 100k-115k words–which, if I’ve done my job, means I’ll have produced a layered, complex story with subplots in place. My first drafts tend to be pretty complete, but not every writer works that way. Some like to put down a fast “sketch” and then go back in to fill things out. I’m not saying that my first drafts don’t need a fair amount of revision, just that the word count doesn’t change dramatically from one draft to the next.”

Alicia Bessettte (Simply from Scratch coming August 5, 2010):

“I’m very word-count oriented, thanks to my magazine/newspaper background. Whenever I get a freelance assignment, my first question is, How many words?

“As I wrote Simply From Scratch, I stayed conscious of my goal of 80,000 words, give or take 5,000. My agent later told me 80,000 words is the perfect length for upmarket women’s fiction.

“A previous, unpublished fantasy novel I wrote was less than 60,000 words, and several agents told me that was far too short for the adult fantasy genre. Each genre seems to have what is generally considered an ideal length. But then again, there are notable exceptions. The Harry Potter books are often singled out as exceptions, because they’re longer than average children’s books.

“I’m curious to know whether other novelists keep word count in mind as they write, or if it’s more of an editing goal.”

Carleen Brice (Orange Mint and Honey, Children of the Waters):

“My word count for Orange Mint and Honey was something like 76,000 and for Children of the Water 81,000. I absolutely think about word count as I’m writing. It’s definitely helpful. One way it’s helpful is if parts of the book that should carry a lot of weight are much briefer than other parts. Or if you have more than one POV character that should have equal weight in the story, are their word counts about the same? ”

Robert Gregory Browne (Kill Her Again, etc. and Down Among the Dead Men coming May 25, 2010):

“My typical word count is about 100,000 to 125,000 words. And yes, I do think about word count because I’m contractually obligated to turn in a book at that length. Word count differs, however, depending on the editor and how he or she actually counts the words. Some still use the old method of 250 words a page, while others rely on computer count, which seems to be the trend these days. I consider this less accurate because it doesn’t take into consideration the space on each page, the way old method does.”

Meg Waite Clayton (The Wednesday Sisters):

“The Wednesday Sisters is about 93,000 words. And yes, it’s something I keep an eye on. When I was writing the first draft of my new one, The Four Ms. Bradwells (Ballantine, March 2011), I celebrated the halfway point at 40,000 words. At 80,000 I began to panic as the end was nowhere in site. At 120,000… And the complete first draft was 140,000 – yikes! My contract with Random House contemplates a novel of approximately 100,000 words. The final version – just put into production last week – is a bit longer than that, but closer far closer to it than to 140,000. I like to think I shoot for 80,000 words, although obviously I miss the mark on a regular basis.”

Tish Cohen (Town House, Inside Out Girl, Little Black Lies YA, The Truth About Delilah Blue coming June 8, 2010):

“I never think about word count. Nor have I had a single editor bring it up. The Truth About Delilah Blue likely runs about 90,000 words or about 450 book pages– the longest of my books so far.”

Katie Alender (Bad Girls Don’t Die YA):

“I write YA, and my first book was about 68,000, which seems to put me just on the longer side. My next book will be a few thousand words more. Some authors don’t think about wordcount at all, but I use it to gauge my progress and make sure I’m getting enough work done–typically on a first draft, I shoot for 2,000 words a day (and come out at about 1200-1600 most days).”

Robin Antalek (The Summer We Fell Apart):

“Word count is one of those things that is in the back of my mind — but not something I’m aware of until the manuscript is finished and my computer gives me the number. The Summer We Fell Apart comes in at 115,103 words give or take and that final word count was based upon when I thought the novel was done — not some magic number I thought I needed to reach. When I was writing more short stories and submitting them — I was more aware of not exceeding a certain number since some journal requirements are fairly specific — and I have a tendency to cram a novel’s worth of information into a short story. Writing novels gave me the luxury of writing long and I suppose, given my word count on Summer, you could say I embraced it.”

To be continued…

Today’s post presents the third and final additions in response to this question:

I wondered, what do your authors read in the way of writing books? Do they have favorites they refer to again and again? Do they read the classics like, Bird by Bird, or Writing Down the Bones, or do they favor books on craft like, Save the Cat?

Reading (and writing) minds want to know!

Shana Mahaffey (Sounds Like Crazy):

“The best investment I EVER made was Blockbuster Plots by Martha Alderson. The book is terrific, it is well written, full of examples and exercises. I also invested in getting my plots whispered out of me via consultation with Martha. You can’t go wrong with this book and/or her help.”

Emily Winslow (The Whole World coming May 25, 2010):

“I love Donald Maass’ books. He does a good job of inspiring without being too precise.

“I no longer read books on releasing one’s imagination and creativity. They’re invaluable when you need them, but I had enough “release your inner creativity” in acting school to last me a lifetime. (I’m also of a specific age and demographic that had touchy-feely public school. Remember trust falls? We used to do those in *gym class*.) I’m glad I learned it, but I don’t need to add to it any more.

“At this stage, I get most of my writing advice from industry blogs and discussion at Absolute Write and Backspace.”

Robert Gregory Browne (Kill Her Again, etc. and Down Among the Dead Men coming May 25, 2010):

“The only book you’ll ever need is TELLING LIES FOR FUN AND PROFIT by Lawrence Block.”

Danielle Younge-Ullman (Falling Under):

“I always come back to Steven King’s On Writing and there’s a book called The War of Art by Steven Pressfield that’s great. Both of these are particularly good for motivation, pushing through when you don’t feel like it. (And I guess I prefer writing books written by guys named Steven, lol.) For editing I like Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King.”

Meredith Cole (Posed for Murder, Dead in the Water coming May 11, 2010):

“I enjoyed reading Bird by Bird and Stephen King’s book On Writing. I have a large collection of screenwriting books that I reread as well. Creating Unforgettable Characters by LInda Segar is worth a read, no matter what you’re writing.”

Alicia Bessette (Simply from Scratch coming August 5, 2010):

“The writing books I’ve found particularly helpful include Stephen King’s ON WRITING and YOUR FIRST NOVEL by Ann Rittenberg and Laura Whitcomb (the latter discusses both writing and publishing). And yes, I adore BIRD BY BIRD.”

Eve Brown-Waite (First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria: How A Peace Corps Poster Boy Won My Heart and A Third World Adventure Changed My Life):

“My very favorite writing book has always been, Bird by Bird. Also, when I read what I consider a really, really well-crafted book, I re-read it, trying to see how the author did that. Amy Tan’s THE HUNDRED SECRET SENSES and Margaret Atwood’s THE HANDMAID’S TALE. fall into that category for me.”

Therese Walsh (The Last Will of Moira Leahy):

“I gravitate more toward craft books than inspirational ones, though I own both. My two favorites—the ones that will always be on my keeper shelf—are “Writing the Breakout Novel” by Donald Maass and “Save the Cat” by Blake Snyder, because they provide the tools for creating a standout novel.”

A major thank you to all our authors who contributed to this book list!

Our Authors’ Go-To Writing Books, I, Our Authors’ Go-To Writing Books, II

Yes there are more of our favorite authors’ writing books for your consideration and, though duplications become more numerous, there are also thoughtful additions to this question:

I wondered, what do your authors read in the way of writing books? Do they have favorites they refer to again and again? Do they read the classics like, Bird by Bird, or Writing Down the Bones, or do they favor books on craft like, Save the Cat?

Reading (and writing) minds want to know!

Carleen Brice (Orange Mint and Honey, Children of the Waters):

“Definitely Bird by Bird, also Story by Robert McFee and This Year You Write Your Novel by Walter Mosley”

Judy Merrill Larsen (All the Numbers):

“I love both of the books already mentioned, and I’ve also becoME a big fan of Donald Maass’ books: WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL and THE FIRE IN FICTION. And I also firmly believe my craft improves by reading lots and lots of fiction that’s already out there–both the classics and what’s new, which, of course, rocks because I can claim time spent reading is ‘”work!”‘

Ivy Pochoda (The Art of Disappearing):

‘”The Stuff of Fiction”‘ by Doug Bauer is essential.
I also like James Woods ‘”How Fiction Works”‘
‘”Bringing Down the House”‘ by Charles Baxter”

Randy Susan Meyers (The Murderer’s Daughters):

“If I MUST choose, my favorites would be:

On Writing by Stephen King for the most down-to-earth advice presently like a memoir.

Forest for the Trees by Betsy Lerner because she’s an instant shrink for writers.

Modern Library Writer’s Workshop by Stephen Koch because it’s an MFA in a book.”

Allison Winn Scotch (The Department of Lost and Found, Time of My Life and The One That I Want coming June 1, 2010)

“I wish I could help but I’ve honestly never read a book on writing! Instead I read what I enjoy.”

Kristina Riggle (Real Life & Liars and The Life You’ve Imagined coming August 17, 2010):

“BIRD BY BIRD is classic and amazing, as much for its practical advice as its humor and commiseration (operative root word being “misery” of course). Whenever I have a bad day I think of KFKD (you have to read the book to get the reference) and I have re-read the Jealousy chapter more than once when I’m chewing on my own spleen about something.

“I’m a big fan of Sol Stein’s books ON WRITING and HOW TO GROW A NOVEL. Also, I read the classic SCREENPLAY by Syd Field in preparation for writing a film treatment of an earlier book. I don’t plan to walk down the screenwriting road but there were lots of plot tips in that book which helped me focus on my novels.

“Really though, the best education is to write more. Writing is a ‘”learn by doing”‘ affair.

Eileen Cook (Unpredictable, What Would Emma Do? YA and Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood YA):

“Speaking for myself – I have a zillion craft books. Whenever I’m stuck I seem to buy a new one. I think I buy them in the hope it will help me figure out my problem! My favorites include:

On Writing by Stephen King
Save the Cat by Snyder
Writing the Breakout Novel by Maass
The Writer’s Journey by Vogler”

Kristy Kiernan (Catching Genius, Matters of Faith and Between Friends coming April 6, 2010):

“My top three: The Forest For The Trees by Betsy Lerner. On Writing by Stephen King. And yes, Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott.”

To be continued…

Announcement: The winner of Jenny Gardiner’s memoir, Winging It, is Cathy Carper and the winners of Ad Hudler’s novel, Househusband, are Dera and Katie Alender. Congratulations to all of you! Please send your mailing address to diviningwand (at) gmail (dot) com and the books will be sent out promptly.

When the following thoughtful question was posted on The Divining Wand’s Q & A page — rather than select a few authors to answer this query –, it was sent out to everyone.

I wondered, what do your authors read in the way of writing books? Do they have favorites they refer to again and again? Do they read the classics like, Bird by Bird, or Writing Down the Bones, or do they favor books on craft like, Save the Cat?

Reading (and writing) minds want to know!

As might be expected there were duplicates mentioned, however the authors’ overall choices are impressive for any writer’s library:

Jessica Barksdale Inclan (Being With Him, Intimate Beings, The Beautiful Being):

“I am sure you will get a slew of the best book titles, but my true fav is the Scene Book by Sandra Scofield — wonderful for fiction and narrative writers of all kinds.”

Sarah Pekkanen (The Opposite of Me):

“I have my writing bibles up on my website under the “Writers I Love Link” and I also did a piece for NPR’s “All Things considered” on the 3 books that helped me learn to write a book – it’s on the main page of my website.”

Lauren Baratz-Logsted (most recent Crazy Beautiful YA, Sisters 8 series with Book 5: Marcia’s Madness coming May 3, 2010):

“My favorites over the Years: Forest from the Trees, Betsy Lerner; On Writing, Stephen King; The Mythic Journey, Christopher Vogler; The Art of Dramatic Writing, Lajos Egri.”

Ad Hudler (Man of the House, All This Belongs to Me, House Husband):

“I might be in the minority here, but I never read books about writing. Instead, I learn by critically reading other writers’ novels and essays and memoirs. If I like something I say, “‘Now … what makes this work so well?” And if I don’t like it I say, “Now … why didn’t this work? What’s wrong with it?’” But writing books per se? Nah.”

Joëlle Anthony (Restoring Harmony YA coming May 13, 2010):

“I’ve never been that big on books about writing, although I’ve read a few – Bird by Bird comes to mind. However, I like craft books. Ones that tell me what to do, like how to plot a mystery or write comedy or edit the first five pages. My favourite one, and the only one I really turn to over and over, is Donald Maas’ workbook that accompanies his book WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL. While I don’t have dreams of being the next Dan Brown, this book and workbook has taught me so much about the craft of writing. And I use some of his exercises when I teach writing too. It’s a must-have for every writer’s library, if you ask me. No matter what your genre or aspirations.”

Therese Fowler (Souvenir, Reunion)

“My personal go-to books are the following:

By John Gardner: On Becoming a Novelist and The Art of Fiction
Stephen King’s On Writing
Janet Burroway’s Writing Fiction (the best instructional book I’ve found)
Robert Olen Butler & Janet Burroway’s From Where You Dream

Each fills a different need. Gardner’s books are a bit dated, but his clear-eyed assessments and advice have always spoken to me.”

Maud Carol Markson (When We Get Home, Looking After Pigeon)

“Stephen King has a wonderful book, On Writing. But for me — the best way to learn about writing is to read (over and over again) the books that I love. I try to absorb what these writers have done with characters, dialogue, plot, voice, etc. Then I write and write and write.”

Jenny Gardiner (Sleeping with Ward Cleaver, Winging It: Twenty Years of Caring for a Vengeful Bird Determined to Kill Me coming March 16, 2010)

“Loved Bird by Bird and Stephen King’s On Writing. I think Save the Cat is a fabulous book that anyone who is putting pen to paper to tell a story should
read. Blake Snyder was a wonderful, smart, and generous person who shared so much great
information for anyone and everyone. I was so sad that we lost him so young. And really bummed because he was to blurb my book and I know it would have been a lovely one.”

To be continued…

Announcement: The winners of Sarah Pekkanen’s debut novel, The Opposite of Me, are Janel and Kristen. Congratulations! Please send your mailing address to diviningwand (at) gmail (dot) com and I’ll get the books to you as soon as possible. Thank you for playing everyone.

Once again, from The Divining Wand’s Q&A page, a reader asks:

Larramie, in yesterday’s interview with Shana Mahaffey (Sounds Like Crazy), I was very intrigued by this line:

What, pray tell, is an ‘Edwardian (cooperative) compound’ ???

Below, in a lovely post, is Shana’s explanation.

“Shana lives in San Francisco, California, in part of an Edwardian compound that she shares with an informal cooperative of family, friends, and five cats.” You bet this sentence gets the gamut of responses ranging from “what is it?” to mutters of “San Francisco” accompanied by knowing nods of the head from the informed.

The Pierce Street Edwardian compound is a “modern day Tales of the City,” the main differences being we’re located on a real street, and we have Mr. McGrath (he’s not transgendered) instead of Mrs. Madrigal. The inhabitants are aging hippies, dot-com dropouts, a couple of musicians, and a school teacher. Overseeing the whole operation is, of course, the five cats.

The compound itself consists of one large Edwardian style building with four apartments in the front and a smaller Edwardian style building with two apartments in the back. It was built around 1900 when this style of home was popular in San Francisco. The Edwardian style home generally has simpler trim than the Victorian homes typically associated with the city. Another fun fact about the Edwardian is the distinguishing feature of this style is the egg-and-dart cornice work; and these homes were constructed of wood, stucco, brick or a combination, while the Victorians built previously were all made of redwood. The two Edwardian style dwellings that make up the Pierce Street Compound are separated by an eclectic garden with a fir tree, a variety of bushes, catnip every five feet, and easily over 100 pots of plants, which are rotated by the season. In spring and summer our garden is a cacophony of color, and fall winter we have mostly green.

My second cousin, Mr. McGrath, who owns the Pierce Street Compound is a card carrying Republican complete with an NRA sticker on his car. Yet, he forged our community (in every sense of the word) by deciding to charge only what is needed to cover the bills—an act that is unheard of in modern rental markets. The result is a group of people who live in the middle of San Francisco with unlocked doors (granted our compound is protected by two very secure gates), who are a community of neighbors, friends, and family related by blood and/or time. And while do we have our own homes where we can close our doors, we’ve taken the time to keep them open enough that we know each other, we take care of each other, we basically coexist quite happily.

Another offshoot of living in a community like this is our militant social consciousness. Admittedly, this could also be considered a by-product of living in San Francisco, nevertheless, we are obsessed with green living. We religiously recycle and compost. We also share cars, ride bikes, and take public transportation as often as possible. In our homes and basement you’ll only find eco friendly products. And, even we know that we take our sharing and sense of fellowship to an extreme when it comes to parking (a perpetual problem in San Francisco). We have a three car garage that is held open for late night arrivals and guests. Keys remain in parked cars and spares are kept in the garage so that anyone vacating a parking spot can move the one in the garage if necessary to ensure availability just in case. You can often hear one of us say, “Should we move the car, or am I obsessing about parking again?” But, guests at our frequent garden parties know if they come early, they’ll get parking; and they’re also accustomed to checking if their discards are recyclable or compostable before haplessly tossing stuff in the garbage bin.

The most unique aspect of the Pierce Street Compound is our infamous Delmar Dinners, held every other month, in honor of the Pierce Street Diplocat whose ashes are scattered throughout our garden. Aside from the camaraderie, green living, frequent parties, and convivial coexistence, the glue that holds the entire compound together is our unwavering reverence for Cats (yes I mean to capitalize). You may laugh, but cats have been associated with humans for at least 9,500 years, and are currently the most popular pet in the world. And at the Pierce Street Compound, we don’t just coexist peacefully with the most popular pet in the world, we understand our role and take seriously our duty to act as staff to the five felines currently occupying the compound. Ancient Egypt has nothing on us.

Now that you’re among the informed, whether you say, “cool!” or shake your head while whispering “San Francisco,” you are always welcome at the Pierce Street Compound. Just remember if you do drop by, you might get parking, you’ll have to recycle and compost, and most important, if you see one of the cats, you must be ready to serve.

[Please remember that Shana's debut novel, Sounds Like Crazy, is scheduled to be presented here on Monday.]

The Divining Wand’s Q&A page has been active again with another “writing” question. However please remember that all questions, including those about authors and their books, are welcome too.

I am in the middle of a novel in progress, which I put away for 12 months, and which I have dusted off and begun work on. My goal is to finish it by the end of this year (Dec. 2010).

My question: Would it be useful to hire a professional editor to provide editorial advice on my novel once it’s finished and before I begin to query agents?

This Fairy Godmother chose author, teacher, and former student of Anne Lamott (Bird by Bird), Jessica Barksdale Inclan (Being With Him, Intimate Beings, The Beautiful Being), to respond:

“There are few professions in life where we can do the work at home and spring it on the public and have it universally accepted. In my writing career, I’ve never sent a manuscript to an agent or editor without careful reads by my trusted readers, all of whom in my case are writers. Each manuscript goes through careful scrutiny, and then I spend a great deal of time making the thing right before sending it on to agent or editor. And in that way, I end up getting a lot done up front. With my first novel, Her Daughter’s Eyes, my editor commented on how very little there was to do (it was never that easy again).

“So yes. Finish your draft. Make it as best you can. And then hire someone who writes in your field to read it. You should expect to get back notes and textual comments. You should also ask for a follow up after you finish reading through both.

“The truth also is that might not be enough. But it usually is, and you will have the confidence that your work is going out in its party dress, ready for the party.”

But serendipity was in play as our messages crossed paths and Jessica’s OTHER email arrived in my Inbox announcing that;

“Due to unforeseen and universal tiltings, I’ve found myself with some time this quarter to work with folks privately. This could either be a quick hourly consult or a full manuscript read. As I’ve written around in genres, I’m able to work with contemporary, literary, and/or genre fiction–romance and young adult.

“I’ve had a crash course in the past few months on “How to Get an Agent,” and I did just do that, signing with a new agent only two weeks ago. In that time, I have sharpened my query writing skills and have learned a great deal about the process anew–synopsis writing, chapter outlines, and first 50 page edits. Personally, I’m hoping to never have to use these skills again, but I could help guide you through the morass.

“If you are interested in working on a full manuscript or something much smaller or know someone who is, please email me or forward this on and I’d be happy to talk further. Thank you.”

This is an open invitation to all those who might be seeking assistance. If interested, please contact: jbarkinclan@gmail.com

Announcement: The winner of Randy Susan Meyers’ The Murderer’s Daughters is Erika. Congratulations to you! Now please email: diviningwand (at) gmail (dot) com with your mailing address and the book will be sent out promptly. Thank you to all who commented.