Merry Christmas

Yes, I have a tree decorated to match my book. After thirty or so trees, I do start running out of themes and color schemes. I like to decorate trees as much as I like to write. But since Christmas comes but once a year, isn't it lucky I have more than one passion. Also great has been the comments I've been getting from people who have read my book. Usually they laugh, repeat a line from the book, and tell me how true it is. It seems we all have the same wicked thoughts we're too polite to speak aloud.

Who is Elizabeth?

I wrote JustMe: thinking that Elizabeth was like my daughter Melanie--not the same but of like mind. The mom in the book was based on me. Readers who know me say Elizabeth's not so sweet, but hopefully humorous asides sound more like me. But believe me, I'm far from my twenties and Elizabeth's energy and urgent dreams. Melanie has assured me that she could (sometimes) see herself in Elizabeth but it was through the author's (mine) filter. That would make Elizabeth Melanie with an overlay of Pam. Yikes! According to Melanie the mom in the book is nicer than me. For me she is like looking in a rear view mirror. The image is recognizable but not quite right. How do people write autobiograghies? At least fiction is truthful about being a set of lies.



The Orginal Shoes

This was the first idea for the cover. The original shoes were red so the color had to be changed. Then I found the pink shoes. Happy coincidence! The writing process is full of such coincidences. Just as a character needs defining you notice someone at the mall with a distinctive walk or hair style. Stray comments overheard, half remembered stories, and even jokes can fuel a scene. The trick is to keep open to possibilities. Perhaps that's the trick to life too.

Food for thought

Food can be an important part of a book--or not. Some book groups like to cater their meetings with foods from the month's selection. Forget that with JustMe:! Canned cream of mushroom soup casseroles (green bean casserole may be a must for Thanksgiving, but not as a staple), stale mall cookies (they are good microwaved--for about a minute) and bacteria laden egg salad -- now food poisoning is just not fun. So I suggest cookies with pink and green frosting when serving up JustMe:.It's what I'm bringing to my book signing. You could add Elizabeth's favorite drink of cranberry and vodka to the party. It matches the cookies well.

Book Signing Dec. 10th At Kennett Resale Book Shoppe

*My first Book Signing is Sat., Dec. 10, 11 am-3 pm at the Kennett Resale Book Shoppe, 113 South Union, Kennett Square, PA.

I dressed up my book and flyer with a coordinated Christmas tree. Again is there anything better than a custom color scheme? A well known fact --I love Christmas trees. I'll be putting pictures of my other ( 30 or so) trees on Facebook. About the Kennett Resale Book Shoppe--it's a used book store manned by volunteers. The store's profits go to the Kennett Square Area Senior Center. For the past four years I've been a volunteer. My title is "Queen of SciFi, Horror, and Fantasy" as those are the areas I'm responsible. My family may find me a horror at times, and I've been known to live in a fantasy world, but I'm most interested in Science Fiction. (I have and will wear Star Trek uniforms.) My book signing is a perfect excuse to visit this gem of a used book store. It's large collection is well organized and reasonably priced. Parking is free on Saturdays. And everyone is always glad to help customers--we love fellow readers!

Why a green cover?

Green goes well with pink. Lime green is a hot color now. --Good reasons, sure but the real reason is that I love the color green. For me lime green is neutral. What doesn't go with a bright green purse? Or hat? Or shoes? Perhaps I'm becoming obessive about shades of green of a yellow hue.

Why pink?

In my first conversation with Melanie about the book we thought an aversion to pink would be funny. For years Melanie would not wear pink. I only wear fuchsia and bright pink. We just aren't pastel people. In JustMe: I kept throwing pink at Elizabeth--pink work shirts, a pink dog, pink bridesmaid dresses, pink boots until she gives in and buys pink shoes. The original title for the book was "How I Learned to Live, Love, and Wear the Color Pink." It was decided by my first readers and other writers that the title was perhaps too long. The title does describe the book. Which title do you like?

JustMe cover

Wow look at that!

Seeing the book printed makes it real. But the cover means I have a color scheme. And for someone who color codes her towels to each bathroom (yes, I'm like the mom in the book--at least in that detail. She's nicer than me.) knowing my colors reassures me that I can market the book. So yes I'll be the crazy woman dressed in lime and pink selling her book. Hint: There will be no avoiding me! 

                 The Perfect Shoes

JustMe:
by Pam Stebbins with Melanie Stebbins

Don't you love these shoes? I'm close to finishing the process of putting a book "JustMe:"on Amazon and the cover needed a pink shoe, a great high heeled shoe. These are perfection, I can wear them without falling over and they are ruffled--a detail I had imagined but not dared to put on the page.  The shoes have to be be an omen, right? My book cover is going to be as great as it is inside. See I am learning about marketing in between trying on shoes and crossing my fingers.  

The original shoes were red. They were described by a friend over 60 as F**me shoes. A term my mother and I had heard before, but not my daughter Melanie.

Writing advice from Humpty Dumpty by way of the "Through the Looking Glass."

"When I use a word." Humpty Dumpy said, in a rather a scornful tone," it means just what I choose it to mean- neither more nor less"

Writers they can use words inventively and even make up words, but only if they have command over their prose. Wrangling words means knowing their current means, how context can change meaning, (think-gay) as well how they sound so that reading flows. Although science fiction and fantasy writers often make up words, they still have to worry about how they sound and fit in the worlds they create.

Humpty Dumpty on about words: "They've a temper, some of them - particularly verbs: they're proudly - adjectives you can anything with,but not verbs-however I can manage the whole lot of them!"

Yes, verbs are exacting, that is the action ones. Passive verbs should be left in first drafts and replaced. Action verbs (are you walking, running, skipping?) puts the reader into the story. Reliance on easy adjectives and especially adverbs puts flab on your writing. Instead look past the easy to find the unique phasing that will make your writing memorable.

Lately I've been reading children's books. Besides all the Oz books that come my way, I found Hugh Lofting's Doctor Dolittle on the Moon. As a child I wanted to read the book but my library didn't have it. And yes, I enjoyed it. And no, I'm not saying how long I've waited to read to the book.

Why read children's books?

Besides being fast, fun reads, children's books remind writers what clear, streamlined writing is and sweeps away the clutter of convoluted sentences and overcomplicated plots. Secondly books from twenty, fifty, ninety years are more than nostalgic jaunts, they are insights into the society and time of the author. Lastly juvenile nonfiction is a quick and painless way to get an overview of a topic. So pick up Alice in Wonderland, settle in with Lemony Snicket or build a cathedral with David Macaulay. Being an adult doesn't mean you can't have fun or that you have to do research the hard way.