Ask Nicola Archives

Writing and the Writing Life

February 15, 1999

Hello Nicola,
first,as usual, thanks for the writing. I anticipate, enjoy, and appreciate your writing. The Blue Place is one of the (very) few books I re-read passage due to the, to use your most appropriate phrase, heft of the language. The visual imagery and texture evoked by your words was just rich and amazing. (The development, at least in opinion, since Ammononite, which was just great, has been impressive and each novel is something I very much anticipate and recommend. You signed a copy in Seattle for me for my birthday here in Australia, thank you!!) I am currently reading the book, Blood Rites by Barbara Ehrenreich, from your recomendation at Amazon.com and I am being surprised and enlightened by the insights and much appreciating her comprehensive developed support for her fundamental and subsidary premises.Thank you for that. It has appeared in several 'stimulating' discusions at work and at play!

If I can ask about your writing. In response to questions and interviews you describe the passages you read aloud from your work. Do you use the process, activity (?), of reading your work (in progress) either to yourself or to an audience (of whatever size) as part of the development/refinement of whatever you are working on? Why do I ask? The depth and emotive content is uncommon. The only author I find similar is an Australian called Terry Dowling and he writes his work to be read aloud. Is that also, (part?), of your structure and intent?

Again, thanks for writing, and as someone with severe difficulties typing and with general life, (major surgery and wrist pain, can't seem to find much that doesn't involve hands ) I very much appreciate your comments about Ms and the significant and ongoing impacts on your life. I suppose a million people have told you this but to reduce SOME, and only SOME, physical effort, at least if you are using a computer, voice recognition technology such as Drag which I use, may be of value.

I very rarely read my work aloud as I'm writing. The only time I do so is when the work is finished and I'm preparing a section or two for readings (which I generally do when a new book comes out). Having said that, I think I really should read my stuff aloud, because I find that it pinpoints weaknesses in the prose (not so much the dialogue, oddly enough) that I can then fix. In fact, there are several passages in both Slow River and The Blue Place which benefited a great deal from me trying to decide which bits I'd read aloud when I did the publicity thing. However, the passages I then choose to read aloud do not often appear in the novel the way I read them. I often rewrite quite heavily for readings: chopping paragraphs out, or allusions to what has happened earlier (or foreshadows what is to come) because a live audience doesn't need that; they only need the now. I like to read intense, dramatic passages. My favourite reading from The Blue Place is the scene with Aud dancing her katas alone in the police gym, followed by the chi sao with Julia.

One thing I don't much like reading aloud is dialogue. The true spoken word is so unlike the literary spoken word that to try make one sound like the other is a nightmare. It can work sometimes but it's a risk. Generally the times it works best, in my experience, are when the reader is using a different dialect or accent for a character who is larger than life - in other words, where there is already a certain unreality and/or suspension of disbelief in play. One writer who is particularly good at this is Dorothy Allison: she gets that Carolina rhythm and accent and character rocking and rolling and,wham!, you're there. Hearing most people read dialogue, though, makes me shudder. The thought of making my audience shudder means I think at least twice before including it in any of my performances.

Several people have, indeed, recommended voice activated software as a way to reduce fatigue, but most of my work at the computer is writing. Actually using one's hands brings a different part of the brain into play, I think, than simply speaking aloud. And, as I've said elsewhere, I write for the eye, not the ear--to be read, not listened to. If I dictated my fiction, it would be in the same form as my speaking voice, which is nothing like my writing voice.. It's an experiment I think I'll try one of these days, just to see how my style might change. Maybe when I decide to write that pseudonymous sword-swinging barbarian fantasy <g>.

October 10, 1998

Dear Nicola,

I have written a book, it is fiction, but I have tried to find how to find a publisher. I would like to have someone who has the staff to make the correct form and that is willing to take on a new author. Please I would need someone who is serious about helping a new writter get started out on the right track. Please give me any helpful information you can provide. I know you probably get this question all the time, but I am truely serious about this book.

The one friend indispensable to you as a writer is your local librarian. She or he is a fount of useful information. Go have a chat with her. Tell her you want to look at the handbooks, such as Writer's Guide, periodicals such Writers Digest, and any reference works with lists of Authors Representatives. There are, literally, dozens of these things. If you are looking for an agent, these books will give the names and contact information for hundreds, along with their particular areas of interest. There's no point sending a historical novel to an agent who handles only science fiction and non-fiction. You won't get very far asking a high-powered agent who usually only deals with celebrities to take you on if this is your first novel.

If you're looking for a publisher, your best bet would be to go look in a large bookshop and find a couple of novels that most closely resemble your own. Look in the front of the book to find out who the publisher is. Go back to the friendly librarian and get a reference book which lists the names of editors and their specialities at these publishing houses. If your book is a mystery novel, find out who usually edits mysteries at that house. Then send that editor a three-paragraph letter, telling him about the novel you have written, and asking if he'd like to see a few chapters. Then wait patiently for a month or two.

The trick is to identify the right market for your work. It will save you a lot of time and effort in the long run. Good luck.

Congratulations on the blue place, this work flows and makes clear your gift as a writer of fab science fiction and mysteries. Excellent cover art too. I am visiting Seattle for a few days and bought your book to read.

During my visit, my friend Carol Bolt received an offer from a literary agent in NYC and her lawyer is advising her not to sign the contract as is, but is not advising her what to do to fix the agreement. Since your web site was listed on the back cover, it struck me that you or your partner might be accessible. Since you are both authors and also live in Seattle, I wondered if you would recommned a competent attorney to walk a novice through this process. Carol's phone number is (removed from posting). Her email is (removed from posting).

Would you be willimg to contact her? Or you could respond via e-mail to this address and I will make sure she gets the message quickly. Thank you very much.

Lawyers--unless they are well versed in intellectual property issues--are not the best people to talk to about this. Your best bet is to approach one of the professional writers organizations. For example, on page 10 of the Spring 1997 Bulletin (a publication of SFWA--the Science-fiction and Fantasy Writers of America) there is a model author-agent contract that takes a writer through what should and should not be in such a document (it doesn't matter what genre your friend works in, the agreement would be the same). Back issues can be ordered by emailing the editor, Mark J. McGarry at . I would urge your friend to take a look and use it as a guideline.

What do you think of Seattle as a writing community? I currently live in South Dakota, having moved here from Austin, Texas. I have been thinking for some time about relocating, and Seattle is high on my list for various reasons, but one of my main interests/requirements is a writing community that is supportive of sf/f. How does Seattle compare with other cities you're familiar with in terms of this?

Thanks for any information you can provide. ^_^

There is a very active writing and fan community in Seattle: parties, conventions, readings, and--of course--Clarion West. Most people here know each other--neophytes and Big Names, writers and readers, editors and fans, all mix and mingle; they are a rather amiable bunch. I find, however, that I'm interacting with other writers less and less, not because I don't like writers, but that when I'm doing the job all day, it's the last thing I want to talk about at night. Well, actually I suppose that's not strictly true. I love to talk about writing; I just get tired of talking about the _business_ of writing. That's what agents are for <g>.

The sf community here is very supportive. With the exception of Atlanta, this has been true of every city I've lived (and I suspect that Atlanta was simply a case of me not knowing how to find people). If you do decide to move out, let me know and I'd be happy to introduce you to a few people and get you started.

Hello Nicola,

I have just read tour essay in the latest issue of SF Eye. Interesting. You touched on some problems thatI have had with the use of Plato over the millennium. Also the general disaster that christ- ianity has been for people trying to understand their true identity. Let's just that I have a slightly different idea about relating to my body then most other people. It is only in recent months that I feel good about it. But that is not the reason why I am writing you.

Ah yes, the city of the mind. Quite frankly, as a fire and brim- stone, backwoods atheist, I have a hugh problem with the idea that flesh only gets in the way of the IDEAL, be it cyberspace or god. If anything, ideas are what helps the flesh to survive whatever prob- lems we face. Ideas should serve us, not us being slaves to ideas. Therefore, I guess I am concerned about all these people who believe that this place is the inherent source of equality. They are sadly missing the point. Besides, I have worked too hard on myself, to like myself and my body to be informed that it is irrelevant. Oh! Nevermind!

Oh, about this equality of the minds in cyberspace; how come I get the feeling that unless pointed out otherwise, most people are going to assume that the other minds they are interacting with are white males? If this is the case, that dominance is not gone. Could it be that some of us are grasping for anything that can keep some hope going? Sigh!

These are a couple of points I wished to share. By the way. Thank you for writing a couple of novels that I have enjoyed very much. I hope that when you read this is one of your good days.

I'm glad my essay moved you to respond. You ask, "How come I get the feeling that unless pointed out otherwise, most people are going to assume that the other minds they are interacting with are white males?" Well, the easy answer would be that boys are the benchmark. In this culture, straight white men are generally perceived to be the Norm, whereas anyone else (gay, female, black, etc.) is definitely Other. This perception was not born of christianity or any other religion; I'd say, rather, that those religions sprang from the prevailing culture.

Barbara Ehrenreich (in Blood Rites) suggests that our gendered culture owes its existence, in turn, to the culture of war. She lays out the path humans and our homo ancestors took from being prey to becoming predators, and along the way explains religion, sexual discrimination, and childish nightmares about monsters under the bed. It's fascinating stuff and well worth reading, a book that pulls together dozens of theories from various disciplines: psychology, anthropology, biology, archaeology, history and so forth. Fabulous.

And, by the way, today *is* one of my good days, or should I say the last two or three months have been good. I've been spending a lot of my time trying to bring myself up to optimal: doing physiotherapy every week (and exercises every day, ack), and aikido. It's strange doing a martial art again. One of the hardest things is accepting that my body is different now, not nearly as able. Moves I would have picked up and done fluently after fifteen minutes now take weeks and weeks to learn, and even then I can only do them in halting fashion. Every now and again, when I fall over, or my leg simply won't move into the right position, I get this urge to shout: "But this isn't who I am! I'm good at this stuff, really!" but of course I'm not, not anymore. I used to be, but that's not the same thing at all. Still, it's good to learn new things, to be back in a dojo, to use my body once more. And my stamina and co-ordination and ability increase a little every week.

Dear Nicola,

I would like to try my hand at writing, but I have no idea where or how to start. Could you give me some tips?

The first place to start with writing is to have something to say. What it is that you want to say will dictate its length and form. If you have a single image in your head that you want to describe--or a single thought, a single feeling, a single object--then probably a poem is the place to start. If you want to tell a story that takes place over, say, a day or two, then a short story is the way to go. If, however, you want to talk about a large chunk of a character's lifetime--a year or more--then you're contemplating a novel.

So the first thing to do is to work out exactly what you want to say. Then you simply have to keep trying to say it. There is no other way to learn to write than to write.

Think of your favourite author--poet, short story writer, novelist as the case may be--then go re-read something by her or him, paying particular attention to how they create and use character, place, imagery and so on. Then read it again. Take it apart. See how they did it. And then try to do it, too. Then try again, and again, and again. Then cut out every single word you absolutely don't need, and rewrite it once more. Then read it through and see if you've written what you wanted to write.

At this stage, you could let someone else read it--someone you trust to not snort with derision and say, "You spent the last month/year/decade on this?!" This is also the stage at which you might want to consider talking to people about writing workshops in your area. But workp>Hello, shops, thought occasionally helpful, are not really necessary; just write and keep writing. Keep trying to say what you want to say as gracefully and economically as you can. Avoid latinate polysyllables when plain old Anglo-Saxon will do--don't say "cogitate" when you can say "think." Every page, every paragraph, every sentence, every single word of what you write is important.

Beginnings are especially important: the reader needs to know who is telling the story, where they are, and when, and in what state. Is it hot or cold? Day or night? Inside or out? England or Africa? City or countryside? Imagine you are a host: you want to welcome the reader as a visitor; make them feel comfortable and relaxed. Once the reader is settled, you can serve them any kind of bizarre food you like--but if they're not happy, they won't stick around to see what you're serving.

Good luck.

I'm looking to get published for the first time. I've sent my manuscript to topic related company. I'm looking for a fellow author to share information on royalties and/or sale of book to the publisher. I don't want to get this type of info from the publisher. Please help!!! Any information could prove to be invaluable. Thanks!

What you need is to educate yourself, then start asking specifice questions of specific writers. The best way to find out what you need to know is to subscribe to one of SFWA's publications.

The Science-fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) was founded in 1965 to "inform its membership of writers on matters of professional interest, to promote their general welfare, and to help them deal effectively with publishers, editors, and anthologists." As you have never published anything, you can't join SFWA, yet, but you *can* subscribe to The Bulletin, a SFWA publication. The Bulletin is stuffed full of interesting and useful information on contracts, royalties, publishers, agents and so forth. A one-year subscription (it's published four times a year) costs $15. Send a cheque made out to SFWA Bulletin, 404 Oceanside Street, Islip Terrace NY 11752-1203. If you want to get more information first, check out the SFWA website at http://www.sfwa.org/sfwa.

SFWA also publish a handbook, details of which you can probably find at the website. Best of luck with your work.

I just finished reading Slow River and was more drawn into it than by any science fiction book I've read in a long time. I was amazed at how much you know about sewage science. I am applying for Clarion West 1997, and know that you are going to be one of the instructors there. Did you attend Clarion West? I'm a beginning writer and was frankly astounded by your work, and am thinking that maybe I'm not good enough to go to Clarion. What is "good enough" for Clarion?

On your page it said that this is anonymous - I sure hope that's true. Thanks for your answer and thanks for your beautiful books.

I'm not one of the committe that decides who gets to attend Clarion West and who doesn't, so I couldn't tell you what criteria are used for selection. I will say this, though: let the selection committee decide if you're good enough, don't self-select yourself out of the running. Submit your story, and see.

Now, I've already said that I have no say in picking who gets in and who doesn't, but if I *was* in charge, here's what I'd say:

- Pick your best work. Hopefully it would also be your most recent.

- Choose a story that says something. I'm always more interested in fiction that explores people and how they feel and why than some whizz-bang gizmo. Oh, I *like* whizz-bang gizmos, but I like them to effect a change.

- The whole point of a story is movement. I'm not talking about characters running around, but characters or groups learning and changing and growing. They can succeed marvellously or come to a terrible end, or just feel sad that they couldn't do what they had wanted to do--but they must *realize* something.

- I'm a big fan of sensory detail. You can tell the reader so much about the internal state of a character simply by describing, say, the weather, or the kind of furniture s/he prefers. Be particular, not vague.

I could go on and on--but then I'd end up trying to condense my week of teaching at Clarion to a one-page email. So, send in your story and cross your fingers. However, as this Ask Nicola really *is* anonymous, if you do get accepted you'll have to come up and introduce yourself. Best of luck.

Financial matters are very difficult for writers; it seems that only a Best-Selling book can earn enough money to support an author (and sometimes even Best-Seller money runs out in a very short time). My question for you is: how do you and your partner manage to survive financially? The travel and publicity costs you must pay to publicize your works must be enormous, not to mention the medical bills you must face from your MS (don't you just love America's crappy health-care policy? The government tells people to eat meat and then won't help anyone pay for their medical bills). Also, it would seem you have financial burdens from getting your Green Card.

Do you or your partner have other income sources besides writing? What do you think of the horrible economy right now in America, and the lack of appropriate jobs for people with advanced college degrees? (I know people with Ph.D.'s who are swabbing out toilets and running cash registers for a living-- some of those people are [gasp!!] COMPUTER Ph.D.s.)

How do you see SF images of the future being influenced by the relatively new lack of opportunity in our society (lack of opportunity for EVERYONE -- even Pale Males) and the growing group of people with Master's and Doctoral degrees who are living below the poverty line?

Earning a living as a writer is difficult, but not impossible. This year will be the first time I'll earn a living wage. Oh, not enough to eat out, or have a holiday, but a literal living wage--more than minimum wage. I'm very lucky in that my partner, Kelley, has a day job that pays very well. We're lucky, too, in that we bought a house in Atlanta and sold it for a very healthy profit and were able to pay off the crippling debts that we accumulated during my Green Card war, *and* to put a down payment on a house here in Seattle.

We're especially lucky because the company Kelley works for, Wizards of the Coast, have an enlightened domestic partner benefits policy--I count as her dependent (as of June 1 this year, yay!), so my insurance is covered. This is an enormous relief. Before then, we were paying huge amounts of money on healthcare.

I don't have to pay for travel and publicity costs for my books anymore. Ever since Ammonite won a couple of awards, Ballantine/Del Rey have taken me seriously--i.e., they have paid for all that stuff. My new publisher, Avon, is an unknown quantity at this point because I'm still in the middle of writing my novel for them. They'll definitely pay for good publicity because they've risked a certain amount of money already on the book; I won't know about travel until the book comes out.

The lifespan of the Living Wage writer is very short. The first book doesn't do it, the second rarely does. Then you hit the third book, and things pick up. Unfortunately, you then have to either sell a lot of copies, or you get dropped from the list, that is, you either move up beyond Living Wage territory, or you have to go find a day job. Kelley and I are two years into something we call The Five Year Plan: I'm determined to be earning enough in the next three or four years for Kelley to be able to leave her job and write full time. Right now, it's a bit like she had been putting me through medical school--only the earnings at the end are not guaranteed. Sometimes I really believe that in five years I'll be rich and famous; sometimes I think I'm nuts.

I find American health care to be rather mixed. On the one hand, there are vast chunks of the population who have none at all; on the other, those that can afford it get excellent care. Take the UK as a comparison. On the National Health, you can have your tonsils taken out for nothing--but you have to wait three or four years, meanwhile, your immune system is destroyed by all the antibiotics you have to take to fend off the tonsilitis. Also, the UK has the lowest cancer survival rate in the developed world. So while I complain about the horrible costs, I'm glad I'm ill here rather than there. (And now I imagine there'll be some Brits out there who'll think I'm terribly disloyal and will want my guts for garters.)

Ph.D.s scrubbing the toilets.... Hmmn. Well, I think most people with degrees should not have bothered. Many people believe that getting a higher degree entitles them to something--a job, respect, security. It's demonstrably not true. Some of those people with Master's and Doctoral degrees should have done something else. It seems to me that often, students get their first degree and think: oh shit, now what do I do?! They panic, and sign up for a Master's. Frankly, I loathe the education system--in this country and the UK. It smothers those who truly want to *know* and encourages the mediocre. This doesn't mean I don't feel sorry for those who are stuck cleaning the toilets.

I think the "relatively new lack of opportunity in our society" is only new in that it is affecting those Pale Males of which you speak. White Boys aren't used to not getting what they want. Women are. From my perspective, there are more opportunities for women today then there ever have been. That hugely affluent period in this country after WWII was a freak. It probably won't come again. The SF imagery we're used to--homogeneous cultures striving towards a single goal, technology leading us to a brighter world, the conquest of space--was refined during that period. The feminist and separatist SF of the seventies was refined during the feminism of the sixties and seventies. The cyberpunk of the eighties stems from the Reagan voodoo economics and the sudden growth of the disenfranchised White Boy population. What will come from the nineties and the new century? I don't know. Maybe some of what we're seeing now--SF about real people with real lives; more fiction about non-perfect people; the fictional equivalent of niche marketing: stories about lesbians and gay men; the disabled; religious fundamentalists of all stripes; characters from non-Western countries; and so on. It'll be interesting to watch it develop.