Q & A -> Writing Questions Answered

Every time I log into Goodreads, the empty space after the “Ask the Author” questions stare back at me. This week, I finally took some time to sit down and focus on these questions. Hopefully some readers will find solace or camaraderie in my answers below. Happy reading and happy writing kindred spirits!

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How do you deal with writer’s block?

Honestly, I don’t really think writer’s block exists. If it does, it’s surely not an illness that afflicts creative minds with symptoms like, pulling your hair out in front of computer screens.

It’s an old-as-time battle between your will power and procrastination. It’s a vicious fight between your goals and the pile of laundry accumulating in your closet, between waking up early or sleeping-in, between forcing yourself to sit-down at a desk or running three miles.

There will always be something you should or need to do, that seems more pressing than writing. To me, writers blocks is a series of days where I gave into that “other thing I need to do.” It’s when I haven’t written for four days straight because I didn’t make writing my number one priority. When the days sans writing swell up, sitting down to write Viola’s next adventure seems that much more intimidating and overwhelming.

All this to say, for me, I conquer “writer’s block” by sitting down, lighting a powdery candle, setting a timer, and jotting down words. When I sit down, I know full well, that the first words taking shape from my graphite wand are rubbish. On the other hand, I also know that once I sink into the world I’m conjuring, I can create something magical.

My Lab

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What’s the best thing about being a writer?

Creating something from nothing. For me, telling a story and building an empathetic connection with a stranger or friend through a series of symbols, is nothing short of alchemy. ❤

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What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Begin. Try a pencil. Write for yourself.

Beginnings are the hardest part. Whether it’s waking up at 5 am to write before I hustle off to work or beginning the first page of chapter, the first five seconds of commencing my writing ritual is the most difficult hurdle to jump. Endure that brief moment of weakness and don’t think too much about it.

If you are feeling stuck, try long-hand. When I started writing Lost in the City of Flowers,  I started with a small laptop I bought for $200. I often got frustrated and would delete whole pages at a time. On a whim, I bought a Moleskine lined notebook and tried writing a chapter the old-school way. Now, I can’t invoke the Histories of Idan without a notebook and a pencil. After I write a chapter in long-hand, I type it up a few days later. This process helps me edit without being too hard on myself too quickly.

Will people like my book? Who will want to read it? What if people hate it? Questions like these, ones that every writer may grapple with, will kill any writing courage I have mustered. Write what you enjoy. Write because you need to. Write because you love to.

Fresh Notebook

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What are you currently working on?

Torn by Salt and Satin is the working title of book 2 in The Histories of Idan series.

Viola’s must travel back in time to save Mrs. Reed, who has gone missing in 1789 Paris. In a place on the cusp of rebellion, Viola becomes an apprentice to  Jacques-Louis David, a ward of Thomas Jefferson, a friend of Marie-Anne Paulze in her quest to find a missing drawing, and her mysterious patroness before the bloody axe of the French revolution falls.

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How do you get inspired to write?

I get inspired by listening to music and letting my imagination wonder. While I was writing Lost in the City of Flowers, I listened to Lord Huron’s Lonesome Dreams album on repeat. The album almost felt like it was written for my heroine and I. Every morning, before I would write a single word, I would listen to Ends of the Earth and would really inspire me.  That said, if you lack inspiration, I would suggest looking to other art forms and art practices to kick start your writing.

Front Stage @ Fillmore Theater – Lord Huron

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 Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

The initial goal of The Histories of Idan series, is to get people excited about art history and to introduce the subject in an adventurous albeit quasi-fictional way. With this in mind, I try to look back at my own art history journey, to pinpoint artists or time periods seduced me. Jacques Louis David, and the cultural makeup of the French Revolution have always fascinated me and I would be remiss to not write a book that focused on this glorious time in art and human evolution.

Research Trip to Versailles, 2014

Paris I

Last week was my first week in Paris… Ever.

I planned and plotted this trip around research for the next book in the Histories of Idan series. Before I boarded the plane, I meant to have a seamless itinerary but our travel plans unraveled for serendipitous reasons and because of a serious case of jet lag.

In the next few posts, I will add some of my Parisian observations as well as my itinerary for that particular day. Ready, set, jet!

Day 1

Apartment in Montmartre

• We arrived in Paris on a Friday morning. Specks of water hit our glasses and cheeks as we made our way from Montmartre´s Lamarck-Caulaincourt station up to the apartment we had rented on AirBnB. Our host, Antoine, greeted us with a bottle of champagne and some local tips about the neighborhood.

Historic note: During the days of Vincent van Gogh, Montmartre was known for being Paris´s artistic neighborhood, but also for St. Denis´s decapitation and the nocturnal scenes of artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

At the Moulin Rouge, Henri de Toulouse Lautrec, 1892–1895

• Although eager to return to the streets of Paris we had a power nap. Then I did what any sensible person would do, I ate my first authentic croissant at the pink boulanger (119 rue caulaincourt) around the corner from our apartment.

Observation: Winter rain is different in Paris. It falls in minute drops, that barely spray your face and clothing. It´s almost hard to tell it´s raining but for the slippery stone pathways and shallow puddles. The closest thing to it might be Portland, Oregon´s drizzle but it seems to come fall from all directions instead of from above.

Café Crème and Croissant

• We then spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie. The main reason we went to this museum is that Jorge, my partner in crime, is an Exhibition Designer at the Patricia and Phillip Frost Science Museum in Miami. The inspiring woman who conceptualized all the institution´s amazing accessibility initiatives, guided us through the many exhibitions. Herself being blind, she was attentive to every label detail as well as extremely knowledgable about all visual aspects of the museum. Meeting her was one of the most inspiring experiences of my life because of her accomplishments but also her humility. In addition to being naturally kind, she was more humble than anyone I have ever met.

Braille at Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie

• On our return trip, we zigzagged down towards the center of Montmartre, past La Basilique du Sacré Couer, and got our first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower. Which, to be honest, is much more magical than I had anticipated. We walked down to the rue des trois frères until we reached Lánnex restaurant. There we supped on duck breast, honeyed potato mash, asparagus, artichoke purée, and a variety of cheeses. We washed down the savory dinner with a smooth French red. The service was awesome because there were only three couples in the restaurant. Lánnex is a wonderful secret, if you are ever in the neighborhood.

Fun fact: I took about three years of French in college but I´m sad to say, I speak poorly. My pronunciation isn´t terrible though, so I tried my best. I found that French people really appreciated it when I tried to speak French. Even if we ended up speaking English. I kept trying to answer at least partly in French. Consequently, I always felt well treated everywhere we went. No one was rude to us but instead affable and curious.

To be continued…

KickstArt

The battle for perfection and a happy anniversary.

I wanted to write a book. More than that, I needed to write a book. This desire soon multiplied into a series of books… Before I could catch up with myself, I had more than half of the first book written with no way to fund it.

Some believe anyone can write a book. Whether that be true or not, an author’s attention to details mingles with their intention and expectation. This willingness to create a tailored work truly dictates the published outcome. Sure, I think anyone can write a manuscript. They can even publish it online through a variety of websites.

Wrapping Rewards

Even though I love the idea of making your work and ideas easily accessible, I still believe that self-published writers and aspiring novelists, need to do what they can to fight against the stereotype of “vanity writing.” Many people in the publishing industry, and sometimes even readers, see self-publishing as a way to “cut-the-line” and sneak past quality control. This is where being a perfectionist is helpful if not imperative.

When one writes a work and then skips the copy-editor, designer, or beta reader review process, it’s likely that the quality of the book will suffer. Each of these steps and consultants take time and usually cost money. The struggle to fund what are sometimes moments of inspiration can be difficult.

Cover Photo of Campaign

My case was no exception. There I was, living in Spain, with no money to get any of the services I needed to craft Lost in the City of Flowers into a finished, professional, and enjoyable historical fiction novel. Although I had heard of a few crowdfunding projects, I had never created a campaign, nor did I ever think I would. After a few weeks of deliberation and research, creating a Kickstarter campaign seemed like the only viable debt-free option for funding my “dream.” That same day, I spent the fall afternoon scavenging around my in-laws garden to create a cover image for my crowdfunding adventure.

Overall, I spent over a month putting the campaign page together. Just down the street from where we lived, was a family friend who had studied film. Pedro graciously helped me put the campaign video together. With only one morning to film, he directed me and my awkward ways around the medieval section of Barcelona. To tie off the project, I added a chapter from the Lost in the City of Flowers and a few pictures I had taken in Florence a few years ago.

Once the page was complete, I had to figure out the reward packages… This took the most time. My father-in-law, who was a banker, patiently listened as I tried to communicate my money woes and concerns for the campaign. In the Kickstarter, I needed to estimate how many books backers would buy, how much the book would cost to produce, the shipping materials, and the postage. All this was then added to the bare sum I needed to actually get the novel closer to my idea of perfection. None of this would be necessary, if my goals had been more modest. Alas, they were not. In fact, the goal was, and still is, to get as many people as possible to fall in love with art history. Although ambitious, it keeps me daydreaming. None of my books will ever be perfect but that doesn’t mean I can’t try. Just reaching high is enough for me.

All in all, I am happily celebrating the day my Kickstarter was successfully funded. This anniversary would not be possible without my backers. Several of which are dear friends, family, and colleagues. The Histories of Idan and their author truly adore your constant support, love, and inspiration. Although it’s unlikely I will do a crowdfunding campaign for my books again, it was a wonderful experience!

Vacation, Photo by Shaun Mendiola

If you’re thinking about designing a project using a crowdfunding approach, feel free to ask me any questions. I’d be happy to answer and help you in any way I can.

Story Mapping

A mash-up of art, history, and adventure…

A colleague of mine showed me the vortex that is the  Knight Lab’s Story Map creator. Although I am not particularly savvy about all things technology, my understanding is that it is a tool which allows you to map out stories using world maps or colossal images. Since I am both a writer and art historian, they had me at “story map.”  It’s also an awesome note-taking/research tool because you can add anecdotes or thoughts to landmarks, streets, or paintings.

Currently, I am using it to trace Viola’s next adventure through Paris but I could not resist returning to Florence. So, more than a few hours later, I now have a story map for Lost in the City of Flowers that gives each traveler a peek into the world of the young Leonardo da Vinci, grand cathedrals, and narrow streets of Renaissance Florence. I will let the Lost in the City of Flowers’ Story Map do the rest of the talking.