May 2009
A Killer First Entry
26 May 2009
I’m wondering if starting a blog is similar to starting a novel, where you need that killer first line that leaves a question in your mind, a situation that helps the reader sympathize with the narrator, and then an inciting incident that leads us into “story world.” I hope not, because I’ve racked my brain for months over how to kick off this sucker and I’ve still got nothing. Plenty of ideas for future blog entries, just nothing really super for this first entry.
I guess I could start by saying this whole blogging thing really freaks me out. I’m not worried about finding stuff to write about, but I’m pretty worried that no one will want to read it. As I say on my bio (is it horribly ostentatious to quote yourself?), there’s a reason I make stuff up. My life isn’t fascinating. I’m not even sure it’s interesting. It’s way too good and wonderful to interest people.
On the off chance that someone besides my mom is reading this, it’d probably be an okay time to explain who I am.
My name is Stephanie Leigh Morrill. I’m 25. I live in suburban Kansas City with my husband of five years and our 17-month-old daughter. My daily life revolves around them, so I imagine their names will appear from time to time.
I write books for teenage girls. In the biz we call this Young Adult fiction. In real life when I say this, I usually receive a blank look. One time I even got, “Like Nicholas Sparks…?” The only comforting thing about the situation was being able to say, “No. Not a thing like Nicholas Sparks.” Though, in retrospect, I probably lost a potential reader. Drat, I’m horrid at this marketing stuff. A smarter writer would’ve said, “Yes, we’re very similar…”
Well, I’m now wiping my forehead with relief because the first entry is just about done and over with. Am I supposed to end with a teaser? Something to bring you back tomorrow? I hope not because my daughter’s waking up and I don’t have time to think of one. Just have to hope a few come back regardless. Or that at least my mom does.
What Do You Mean Two Out of Three Ain’t bad?!?!?
27 May 2009
I went to Sheridan’s this weekend with Ben and McKenna. I don’t know if they normally play music, but if they do, it’s the fade-into-the-background type. This weekend, the music jumped out at you. And not in a good way.
About halfway through my yummy Caramel Pretzel Crunch Concrete, a song finally came on that gave me a flutter of excitement. Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad by Meatloaf, which I listened to as a kid with my father. (It’s on the same CD as Paradise by the Dashboard Lights, which he used to teach me about the carnal male nature.) Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad is about a guy breaking up with his girlfriend. A fine subject for a song, in my opinion, but my moment of nostalgia was interrupted when I became totally distracted by the chorus, which is: I want you, I need you, but there ain’t no way I’m ever gonna love you. So don’t feel bad, cause two out of three ain’t bad.
I felt a surge of annoyance with the songwriter. I mean, what kind of flip comment is that during a breakup, that two out of three “ain’t bad”? (Plus my spell check is going crazy with the word “ain’t,” so I’m now even more annoyed.) I really wished I could say to our anonymous guy, “How is it possible that you both want and need her, but don’t love her? I’m so confused by your emotions. I don’t understand you and you’re making me mad.”
If Ben ever decided to leave me and wanted to do it in a way that made me absolutely crazy, he should steal a few lines from Meatloaf.
Is it just that I don’t understand our songwriter’s situation? I don’t think so. Because today in the car, Sometime Around Midnight by The Airborne Toxic Event came on the radio. A song I love and can’t help turning up every time it’s on. The song is about a guy who spots an ex-girlfriend in a bar. She leaves with someone else, and he kinda freaks out. This has never happened to me. In fact, I can’t think of a remotely similar situation (it helps that I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve been in a bar). But somehow, when Mikel Jolliet belts out his pain, I somehow relate. I believe in his situation. I want to hug him and tell him it’ll all be okay. With Meatloaf, however, I want to smack him and say, “This is a horrible breakup! Who would ever be cruel enough to say this to a person? A person they ‘want’ and ‘need’?”
And it came to me today that it’s often the same situation with books (or movies for – sigh – you non-readers out there) we love or hate. When I dislike a book, it’s usually because I don’t relate to the characters. I don’t understand why they’re acting the way they are. Especially if they do that stupid thing where a very important letter shows up, but instead of reading it, they tuck it away. Oooh, few things make me as angry in fiction as that, which is so clearly a ploy to stretch out tension.
It’s not that we have to love all the characters in a novel, or feel like, “Yes, that’s exactly the way I would have reacted!” What it comes down is believing they’re behaving in a way that makes sense for them. Which is something I’m going to be very careful of from here on out. Because it’s just plain obnoxious to sit there while some guy croons on and on about wanting and needing, yet not loving. Give me a break. And, if possible, an explanation.
Oh…um… Sure, let’s have a book signing…
28 May 2009
Those first two were the words I used most today during my meeting at Barnes and Noble. I’m sure I wowed their Community Relations Manager with my intelligence.
“During the signing, do you want to talk to the girls? Or should we tell them not to ask questions?”
“Oh…um…Yeah, I’d like to talk to them.”
“Okay, great. And you’ll let me know what kind of pens you want, right?”
“Oh…um….”
“Like for signing? Sharpies? Ball point?”
“Oh…um…I’m not sure. I’ll let you know.”
Don’t I sound so professional? Like I really know what I’m doing? Thank heavens he bought me coffee so I had something to hold and do during our meeting.
But despite my best efforts to sabotage myself, we have a set date for the signing. It’s Saturday, July 11th from 1-3pm at the beautiful brand new Barnes and Noble at Oak Park Mall in Overland Park, Kansas. Seriously, they’ve done a fabulous job with the place. The YA section made me salivate – it’s huge!
So if you’re in the area, please, please, PLEASE come. Sounds like management will even let you ask me some questions. Since I’ve okayed it and everything…
Book Day – The Apothecary’s Daughter
29 May 2009
Fridays are going to be book days. I love Fridays. I love books. It’s a no-brainer.
I’m not far enough into my current book to discuss it, so I’m instead going to talk about The Apothecary’s Daughter by Julie Klassen. Um, wow. (This is why people don’t ask me to do book reviews very often.) Julie has a previous release, Lady of Milkweed Manor, and I’m so going to figure out a way to squeeze that onto my summer reading list.
The weird thing to me is when I got on Goodreads to rate The Apothecary’s Daughter as five stars, I saw that the average rating is 3.98 or some such fiddle-faddle. Does this happen to you too? Where you’re so engrossed in a book, so in love with the world and the characters and the plot, only to find out that somebody else thought it was less than awesome? I mean, 3.98 is still a very nice rating. But I just can’t fathom why anyone would rank it as less than a four. Unforgiveable.
So if you’re looking for an awesome historical read, check out The Apothecary’s Daughter. I think it’s a five. Though apparently that’s debatable.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!