Asking me to name a favorite author is like asking a wine snob to name the best vino. I struggle mightily with this question—which is one of the top three questions I’m asked in interviews—both because I have eclectic reading taste and because I don’t want to leave anyone out. I read across genres and I read constantly: I could literally name at least a hundred books I’ve read…
This week, the Debs are discussing authors we fangirl over, and I’ve decided to focus on the one writer who has influenced my brain more than any other. William Shakespeare I mean that so sincerely and entirely. I worked for the man for seven years, after all! My Master’s degree is in Shakespeare studies. I’ve not only read all of his plays, I’ve actually seen all of them. Most of…
This week on The Debutante Ball, we are describing our personalities. To be honest, I have a hard time describing my personality, which varies according to the person with whom I am interacting and whether or not I’ve had my coffee. Plus, meta-cognition is not really my thing. Therefore, I have decided to focus on your personality. Specifically, I am going to assess whether or not you have the personality…
Last week my phone began spiraling. See, I’m not one of those people who runs out to buy the latest and greatest gadget. When something works, I hold on to it. I’ve had my phone since 2014, and while some folks think that’s not a long time, but when it comes to Apple products, iphones age in dog years. I noticed it’s unresponsiveness to touch, the way it felt like…
Congratulations to Jacqueline Bridges, winner of our #DebBallGiveaway of the SMALL ADMISSIONS audiobook! We send our thanks to author Kimberly Belle for being our guest yesterday on The Debutante Ball. If you haven’t already, pick up a copy of THE MARRIAGE LIE. Or you can enter to win a copy! Simply RETWEET on Twitter: Enter the #DebBallGiveaway to win THE MARRIAGE LIE by Kimberly Belle! RT to Enter, Ends 1/13 https://t.co/pdYKZqWfBL pic.twitter.com/GPDO2BH9eF — The Debutante…
In the spirit of election week (have you voted yet?) this week’s Deb topic is about big decisions we’ve made as writers. I watched Ann Patchett speak a few years ago and something that she said really stuck with me. I don’t recall her exact words but essentially she said that a profession as a writer was the hardest thing you could ever choose to do. Let me elaborate: You…
Oh, this one’s easy. What did I love best about my year as a debut novelist? I PUBLISHED A GODDAMNED NOVEL, PEOPLE!! Okay, I won’t just exit stage right. Even though that was what I loved best, there were other things I also loved. Things like: Getting to know my fellow Debutantes. Other than Louise, whom I’d “met” on the AgentQuery website, all of these women were strangers to me. One year…
Ah, envy. What a complicated topic, especially for writers. And now comes my turn to examine the green eyed monster. First I have to distinguish envy from jealousy (sorry; writers are word nerds). Envy is when you covet what someone else has. For example, when I go to Book Passage to hear debut novelist Garth Risk Hallberg read from CITY ON FIRE as part of his publisher-funded national book tour and…
Self promotion goes against every fiber of my being. From an early age I was taught to not brag, to not raise myself above others. I’ll gladly tell you about how everyone else is great, but if you turn the spotlight on me, I want to hide. But in today’s publishing world, that’s not an option. Writers must talk about themselves, drum up excitement for a release, and ask people…
We live in an amazing time to be a writer. It’s easier than ever to share work, offer feedback, and commiserate rejection. With the glory that is THE INTERNET (imagine angels singing and the words illuminated by a heavenly glow), we don’t even need to put on pants to do it. There are lots of places to meet fellow writers in person and online, several that Colleen wrote about yesterday. But…
