News Flash: June 12, 2011

Congrats to Jane Cook who won Liane Moriarty’s What Alice Forgot.

From the 2011 Debs…

Deb Elise is over the moon that GirlsLife.com picked Populazzi as one of its Top 40 Hits of the Summer — a list that includes movies, TV shows, and music as well as books!  Squee!

Deb Kim IS CHEAP! Has watched her book fly out the door in the Amazon SUNSHINE DEALS: You can buy her book for just $1.99!  All I Can Handle I’m No Mother Teresa HERE. Please leave a review if you do!   finalized her paperback edits, whispered her new idea to her agent (got a thumbs up, phew!) and was selected as the Stern SuperFan of the Week – a blog for The Howard Stern show with oodles of rabid fans. I’ve met some of the nicest people through the Stern SuperFans FB page. They’be been big supporters of my girls and my book, which features a chapter titles, “Howard Stern Every Day.” That chapter is about how Mark and I reverse roles easily for family needs.


Deb Tawna was tickled pink this week to be interviewed over at The Divining Wand by longtime Debutante Ball (and “authors’ fairy godmother”) Larramie.


Past Deb News

Deb Mia King (Good Things) is giving away a Kindle! If you’ve read her latest book, FRIENDSHIP BREAD (written as Darien Gee), or want to, then you could win! Visit her on her website for more details. The Miami Herald calls it “an engrossing read,” and Ladies’ Home Journal says it’s “charming.” Ends 6/30/11. Good luck!


Deb Dish — A Question Written in to us: “When you write, are you writing for yourself, to answer your own inquiring mind and to tell a story, or for a specific audience?  How do you find a balance?”

Deb Elise

I get in serious trouble when I write for anything other than the characters and their story.  The minute I let “the audience” sneak into my head, I worry about what they’ll like and not like, and edit myself based on that outside eye.  When that happens, the characters’ voices are drowned out, and the writing that comes out has no life.


Deb Eleanor

Definitely for myself. As an example, The Weird Sisters was really an exercise for me to try to figure out things that were puzzling me – the persistence of birth order traits, what it meant to be an adult, the way families communicate. I’ve tried to write for specific audiences for and it’s always gone horribly wrong. Constantly thinking about what someone else might think of what I’m writing is a sure way to shut down any creative progress for me!


Deb Kim

I have a theme thread in my head that helps me stay on track. I delete work that doesn’t add to or explain or remain within the theme (yes, I kill my darlings and it HURTS!)

Deb Sarah

Good question! For me, it’s a mix. I write, first, for the characters. I try very hard to authentically follow their stories, but I often think about the reader. After all, I want the reader to sympathize and not hate the characters. It’s a balance. I also write for my husband, my very first reader, as goofy as this sounds. I want him to love my stories. Is that weird?

Deb Tawna

Blame it on my years in journalism and in marketing/PR, but I’m all about the audience. They’re in the back of my mind no matter what I’m writing – Would a reader like this? Would she think it’s funny or just weird? Though that plays into everything I write, obviously I’m my own first reader. If I don’t crack myself up, I figure I’m not going to make anyone else laugh, either.

2 Replies to “News Flash: June 12, 2011”

  1. The first draft is always just for me. I give my id free rein, and indulge myself by writing whatever tickles my fancy, however wacky it may be (trust me, it can get pretty wacky). Following closely behind, my superego inner editor comes into play, and tries to straighten up the mess. With luck, when they’re done duking it out, I’m left with something fun, yet readable.

  2. What diverse answers! Thanks for taking the time to answer this one! The consensus seems to be write for yourself first- that way you get the story out of your soul with the first draft then start the editing process and working to make it readable for others. The story belongs to writer, first and foremost.

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