I've begun reconnecting with area writers and writing groups after a long period of isolation (the reasons why are not relevant here). Something that came to me while fighting insomnia last night is this: if you want to write, you must READ BOOKS.
If you write fiction, you must read widely, both in your genre and out of it. Study styles, how dialogue is crafted, what is said and what is left out, and how the author manages to communicate images and feelings without blatantly spelling them out (i.e., no "She felt sad" sorts of sentences). And that's only a small part of what you need to study, because there are ways characters are formed, how settings are communicated, how the plot is paced, and so on.
I recommend reading best-selling authors, not because their writing is flawless (in my experience, it's workmanlike at times). However, many best-sellers have one strong, compelling aspect, and that is the plot. Now, the plot may not work for you, or it may resolve stupidly and make you throw the book at the wall. But the best-selling author knows how to hook you, knows how to keep you reading page after page after page when you have an early meeting the next morning, and knows how to make the pacing consistent.
I meet so many writers or people who want to write who feel they have stories and characters to share, but a number of these folks don't seem to read much. I'll mention some favorite authors (well-known people, usually, in various genres), and get blank stares. Come on, people! If you want to write a novel but never read novels, it's not terribly likely you'll be able to write one that will eventually be published.
To quote mega-best-seller and consummate storyteller Stephen King***: "If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that."
So, if you want to write, find some good books and read, damn it all!
***Disclaimer: I don't like some of King's stuff, but that's mostly because really gory horror is too disturbing for me at bedtime...
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
If You Want to Write...
Posted by Barrie Abalard at 2:08 PM 0 comments
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Go Ask Alice! (an excerpt to read)
Friends who have known me for years know that I've been working on a novel entitled "Alice in Shtuppingland" for about seven of those years. This long, complex story, set in Seventies Boston, is in the final edit stages and will be ready to submit very soon.
I am thrilled that I've finally gotten it together enough to revise the story. The original version had some plot and character weaknesses, which I have now (I hope) corrected. I'll have details on publication dates for Alice, I hope, within the month. For now, here's a teensy excerpt that I hope will whet your appetite.
***Excerpt, "Alice in Shtuppingland", by Barrie Abalard. Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. DRAFT--MAY DIFFER FROM FINAL, PUBLISHED VERSION.***
My lust didn’t keep me warm for long. Thirty-five frigid minutes later, I was staring at a street sign, shivering upon feeling the bite of the wind off the Charles River. Neither Todd nor the tasty Doug had said anything about a Brookline Street. I rechecked the map to locate Putnam Ave and, after a short walk, found it. When I turned left, I could see the Cambridgeport Spa two blocks down.
A funky mixture of wet wool, spicy Caribbean food, and smoke of at least one illegal variety assaulted my nose. I'd never need to buy dope again—I could get high just stopping by to pick up my bread and cigarettes here.
Posted by Barrie Abalard at 2:13 PM 0 comments
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Wolves--a free short story
What follows is part of a very short story I wrote a long time ago. It's not kink or erotica, but it might appeal to you if you're into gritty and raw. Email me at barrieabalard [at] gmail [dot] com if you'd like a copy of the entire story. Here's the intro.
Posted by Barrie Abalard at 1:34 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
You Say You Want a Revolution...
The Pill is fifty years old, if not today, then soon. (There's some debate about exactly when the birth control pill's birthday is.) And, boy, did it make a difference in the lives of women.
I first took The Pill in college because I wanted birth control, and an acquaintance volunteered to drive me to the nearest Planned Parenthood clinic. This was back in the dark ages when many doctors would not prescribe The Pill for unmarried women. (I recall going to a gyno in the early Seventies where I had to lie and wear a dime-store wedding band to get birth control and sexual health care. Feh!) I'm extremely happy that such experiences in my youth aren't ones that women younger than me have had to deal with. (Now, aren't you glad a bunch of us old farts protested and carried on and forced various sexual issues?) Before that, I wouldn't have intercourse at all because I knew how unreliable pre-Pill birth control was, and I had no intention of getting pregnant and thereby ending my big plans to Have A Life. (This was pre-Roe v. Wade, so abortions were simply not an option unless you wanted to go the illegal and dangerous route. Note that I am not arguing a position on abortion here, so calm down. Facts are facts.) But obtaining reliable birth control changed not only my life, but the lives of many women around the world. The sexual revolution of the Sixties simply wouldn't have happened without birth control. And I also believe that many of the hard-won freedoms we have as women wouldn't have happened if we hadn't been able to control our bodies' procreation.
Birth control for women has always been a political issue. We owe much to pioneers like Margaret Sanger (who I admit could espouse extreme views not always consistent with my own). Did you know distributing information on birth control was illegal at the beginning of the 20th century? Just telling a woman how to prevent conception (and the options were pretty limited and unreliable back then) could get you arrested. And forget sending such information through the mail--to do so meant you broke federal laws, and in fact Sanger was arrested for doing just that with her paper, Woman Rebel, whose motto was, "No Gods, No Masters."
So, today I am remembering my roots, sort of, and counting myself lucky that I hadn't been born even ten years earlier than I was. My life would have been so different if I had been, and I'm thankful that I was able to live my life pretty much the way I wanted to, even with all the pitfalls and problems. The Pill was part of what made that possible. And I believe that the inroads women made after that--careers and so on--would not have been possible without reliable birth control.
If you know a woman who blazed trails, be sure to thank her on Mothers Day, whether or not she's your--or anyone else's--mother.
Posted by Barrie Abalard at 2:43 PM 0 comments
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Romance and Spanking and Delicious Food!
I've been neglectful in mentioning my latest Discipline and Desire book, a long contemporary spanking romance novel titled "The Baker's Man."
The book is special to me, because it's the first real novel I ever wrote. Years and several edits later, it was ready to be published. I hope you'll find the story of the four main characters--Lena, her younger sister Annie, Lena's catering rival Jackson, and Jackson's main employee, Ricky--as happy and sad and romantic as I do. Below is a description of the book, and the entire first chapter. Happy reading!
THE BAKER'S MAN by Barrie Abalard
"After years of hard work, Lena Korhonen and her sister Annie are finally making it as caterers when rival caterer Jackson Portsmouth appears, threatening their livelihood—and Lena's heart. The two are thrown together when Annie is injured, and Lena's cantankerousness requires Jackson to spank her—more than once—to bring her around. Well-matched in many respects, the two fall in love with each other when they work a job together.
But an overheard phone message after a night with Jackson convinces Lena she's put her trust in the wrong man—again—so she backs out of the catering job she was supposed to work with him. Then someone sabotages Jackson, jeopardizing his reputation and career, forcing Lena to decide if she’ll obey her heart and stand with him rather than against him. Only now, an angry and heartbroken Jackson wants nothing to do with her. Will these two stubborn people, made for each other, ever combine their hearts and lives and find a spanking-ever-after happiness? Read "The Baker's Man" and find out!"
Excerpt from "The Baker's Man", © 2008 Barrie Abalard. All rights reserved.
Karolena Korhonen turned to watch as the man in the old Mercedes sedan pulled away. She narrowed her eyes, automatically memorizing his plate number. At first she'd thought he was a potential buyer for the triple-decker across the street, but the longer he’d parked there, the more she'd wondered about his purpose. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had expressed interest in the dump. The place across the street had been on the market for so long, the metal “FOR SALE” sign was rusting.
She had sensed his eyes on her, so she’d patted her right front pocket to reassure herself that her cell was still there, available for any emergency. Although she liked her new digs, this area of Gainesborough occasionally had problems, and any stranger sitting in a car staring at her rather than going about his business made her wonder exactly what his business was.
Still, she had caught a glimpse of simply styled, jet-black hair, a strong profile, and large, capable-looking hands. She imagined his long, tactile fingers skimming slowly down her torso, trailing fire. She also imagined his hands spanking her bottom with authority, as if he had a perfect right to do so. Then those long fingers of his would explore the hot wetness between her legs…
Posted by Barrie Abalard at 1:38 PM 2 comments
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
The Best Chick Show You're (Possibly) Not Watching
If you haven't seen Men in Trees yet (ABC, Friday nights at ten), you don't know what you're missing. If you party on Friday night, just tape/TiVo the damned show and enjoy it another night. You can always get the back story and back episodes on ABC's web site.
Anne Heche plays Marin Frist, a relationship coach who flees her cheating fiance back in NYC, ending up in "man-centric" (ABC's term) Elmo, Alaska. The characters are quirkily human and the writing is great (love the dialogue!), so the show is soooo worth watching. (The occasional naked male chest doesn't hurt it any.)
I fell for Men in Trees from the first. (And I don't even like Anne Heche, so the show had one strike against it. But Heche as Marin has won me over.) In fact, now that Ugly Betty has stumbled a bit in its second season (my opinion), Men in Trees is the one show I truly look forward to all week. Well, okay, Boston Legal is the show I most look forward to--I need that weekly Spader fix--but Men in Trees is a close second. It moves me. The voiceover of the Marin Frist character at the end of each show often produces a lump in my throat.
The DH insists that the reasons I like the show (he definitely doesn't) are A, I'm crazy for Alaska, and B, it's "Northern Exposure" done as a chick show. I admit to also loving "NE" when it was on TV. But "MiT" is special. It really, truly is. I suspect it's the writing that keeps me coming back for more.
I'll have to riff on ABC's fabulous new show Dirty Sexy Money another day (Peter Krause!), because, while it is fabulous, it's just not...
Men in Trees.
Barrie
Posted by Barrie Abalard at 7:55 PM 0 comments
Friday, October 26, 2007
Here's to All Those Who Support Writers
I've been away or otherwise preoccupied with family for the past ten days. Here's part of a post from my old blog, circa July 2006. I've updated it heavily. Hope you enjoy it!
*****
Being a writer is not one of the easier careers to have. Getting published is damned difficult, requiring lots of work, a boatload of patience, persistence, and a fair dollop of luck.
But working with a writer--as well as living with a writer--can also be damned difficult.
So, here's to the editors, the agents, and the administrative staff who work with writers, helping them publish their works, and to the friends and family, who help the writer in more personal ways.
I live with a husband and a grown child. I know I'm not always the easiest person to get along with. I'm certain some of the things I celebrate--or feel sad about--don't make as much sense to them as they do to me. Yet, my family continues to support me, and celebrates with me when I want to celebrate, as do my friends.
I'm here to say, having people who are in your corner makes a huge difference in a writer's life. I know a number of writers whose families aren't supportive, mostly women whose husbands don't support (or who actively belittle) their career. Not having people in your corner is like trying to swim for shore while weighted down with baggage: it can be done if you try hard enough, but it's also possible you'll sink.
I currently work with two epublishers, and I have nothing but praise for them. (For the record, it's Amber Quill Press's Amber Heat and Loose-id.) These folks catch my mistakes and make me look good. And I am thoroughly grateful! (I admit I don't understand writers who get mad at editors who catch mistakes and make corrections.)
These two publishers stand in marked contrast with the publisher who filed for bankruptcy, screwing hundreds of writers they had under contract, me included. I'm grateful I only have one book in play, as opposed to those who have as many as a dozen books in limbo. As the case is in process, I can't really say much more about it. But I can say this:
There's a special rung in Hell for people like the ones who owned the business in question. Not only did they lie and spend money that wasn't theirs, but by going under the way they did, they managed to cast a pall over epublishers in general.
So I'm going to publicly praise Loose-id for their stated intent to purchase all the author contracts, giving all rights back to all authors. They are offering to spend money they don't have to spend, to help authors that may not even write for them. They don't need to buy contracts to pad their list of published books--they have tons of great writers in their stable already. Now, for various reasons, the purchase may not come to pass--but their intent is worthy of much praise.
Thank you, thank you, Loose-id!
And, while I'm at it, thank you, family, friends, and publishers I work with. Together, we create a little bit of magic that entertains and pleases those who read.
I'm asking you to do the following: if you know a writer, contact them today, to let them know you care. If you're the writer, make sure those around you realize how much you appreciate their support.
Barrie
Posted by Barrie Abalard at 2:07 PM 0 comments