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Sunday, December 13, 2009
Leisurely Pacing Echoes Setting in Debut Novel ... And That's Not A Bad Thing. Not At All.
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Next to a cast of nice, round, colorful characters, nothing pulls me into a book better than a vivid setting. I'm not just talking about pretty backdrops, I'm talking about story places that are so real, so complete, so vibrant that I not only want to visit there, but I want to buy up every acre of available real estate. For me, it's less about connecting to the landscape and more about bonding with the people, the rhythms, the very pulse of a place. When an author uses all the other elements of her story to echo and reinforce her setting, well, I'm pretty much a goner. I guess that explains why I found Leslie Goetsch's debut novel, Back Creek, so entrancing.
Although Goetsch's setting is fictional, she grew up in a similar Tidewater Virginia community. Her passion for these creekside enclaves is obvious from the way she describes her setting. She laughs at its backwater tendencies, pokes fun at its eccentricities, and hints at the danger lurking beneath its placid surface - but she does it all with such a gentle hand that it only adds to the charm of the place. The creek comes alive so well that it really takes center stage. All the other characters seem to exist only to support the real star - Back Creek.
Queen of the supporting actresses is 18-year-old Grace Barnett, who lives on the shores of the creek in the same home that has sheltered generations of her family. She awakens on the last day of May 1975 to the sound of a boat roaring through the no-wake zone outside her window. When she flies to the window to remind the boater to slow down, she witnesses a horrifying scene - the Boston Whaler barrels right into a pier. Although the police rule it an accident, Grace isn't so sure. Regardless, Tommy White is dead. The creek people plan a funeral and get on with life, ignoring any indication that a native son might have intentionally killed himself. For Grace, the funeral is a pivotal moment. She knew Tommy, of course, but it's not the tragedy itself that changes her life so irrevocably - it's who his death brings out of the woodwork, namely her sister, Lillian.
Like the creek itself, The Barnett Family has some murk churning below the surface. Not only has the eternally rebellious Lillian returned with a secret in tow, but Grace's father is drinking too much and her mother has gone on an extended visit to the country. It's her mother's absence that bothers Grace the most. Although Mother takes frequent trips back to her family's North Carolina tobacco farm, this trip has an ominous finality about it. With everything that's going on, it's exactly the wrong time for her to take off. Grace has only one person in whom she can really confide: 23-year-old Cal, a Vietnam vet, whom everyone knows is crazy. Still, he's got a weird steadiness that attracts Grace, even though her family warns her not to get to close to him.
Despite all the turbulence in her life, Grace decides The Barnetts are overdue for some community action. When the family shows up at the annual 4th of July barbecue, no one says a word about their topsy-turvy existence, because:
This was the way of the Creek, and we understood it. They had sized up the situation immediately, but knew it was against the rules to talk about it. We were allowed only polite conversation: the depths below the surface were better left dark and murky (131).
For bookish Grace, who prefers to spend her time on the moors with Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw, the summer of 1975 will be a time of facing the dirt below her family's surface. It will be a time of growing up, of tackling the grim realities of life. It will be a time of truth. It will be a time to put aside storybook travails, to live life as Grace never has before. Or, in her own words:
...I knew I had been thrust into the middle of this mess, and I was beginning to sense that I would have to be the one to put the pieces together. These were not the romantic tragedies and comedies of fictional characters. This was the even stranger fiction of real people, and I would not be allowed to just sit back and experience it vicariously. I would have to live it right along with them (65).
As Grace deals with the conflicts of real life, she comes of age in a way that matures and strengthens her. For her, the summer of 1975 changes everything.
The thing I especially like about Back Creek is the pacing. It mimics the ebb and flow of the creek - mostly peaceful, but always with an underlying current of trouble. Compared with most modern fiction, the pace is definitely slow or leisurely - yet, the story never becomes boring. There's enough mystery and depth to keep it interesting. Goetsch's prose has a lovely subtlety that, once again, echoes her beloved creek. Her characters are real, her plot authentic, and the sense of place superb. All of this combines to create a memorable first novel. Back Creek's a different kind of book, but that's not a bad thing. Not at all.
I do have two issues with the book, only one of which really has to do with the novel itself. My problem is with the ending. It leaves a number of issues unresolved, making the story feel incomplete to me. No one likes finales that wrap everything up in tidy little boxes, but I do like to have a sense of closure when I finish a book. Back Creek's ending didn't quite accomplish this for me. My other complaint - confusion may be a better word - has to do with marketing. I can't understand this book's classification as young adult. Yes, its protagonist is a teenager, but even she admits that she doesn't relate well to people her own age. With its old-soul narrator, slower pacing, and timeless feel, I don't see Back Creek appealing to modern teenagers. Its bucolic cover certainly won't attract youthful attention. Again, this isn't a bad thing - in my opinion, Back Creek is an adult novel with a teenage narrator. It works. Quite well, in fact.
So, while Back Creek didn't fully satisfy my every literary need, it came close. It's unique, vivid and worthy. Even with danger lurking beneath, Goetsch proves that creekside is not a bad place to be. Not at all.
Grade: B+
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for language, underrage drinking (18 may not have been considered underrage in 1975, but it is in 2009), adult themes and nudity (although no real sex)
To the FTC, with love: I received a review copy of Back Creek from Bancroft Press' Harrison Demchick, who is, quite possibly, the nicest editor/screenwriter/marketing associate/odd jobs guy in the biz. Not that that had any influence on my review. I'm just sayin' ...
Thursday, December 10, 2009
(Totally Random) This and That
So, yesterday was a very bookish day for me. Remember Alexander and the No Good Horrible Day? It was a lot like that. I started the day in the dentist's chair getting a brutal teeth cleaning, then got my blood drawn by a phlebotomist named True, and it only got better from there. Of all the no good horrible things that happened to me though, guess what was the worst? I forgot my book at home. I know, right? Stuck flipping through magazines when I could have been doing some real reading. Not that I don't love magazines - I do, as you'll see in a moment - but books always come first. Ah, well. That's just the way my day went. Hopefully, today will be better.
I'm still feeling overwhelmed and scatter-brained - I'm afraid this post is really going to reflect that. Sorry in advance. I just wanted to mention a few "bookish" things:
- If you caught my review of Saving Sammy by Beth Maloney (you can read it here), you will want to watch The Bonnie Hunt Show today. Beth will be there to talk about her experience with her son's OCD, which she detailed in her book. You can find more info here.
- I've only had a few people enter my giveaway for Donna VanLiere's The Christmas Secret. Click here to sign up, then tune into Lifetime, which will be playing the three movies that were made out of VanLiere's Christmas books. On December 13, The Christmas Shoes will air at 4, The Christmas Blessing at 6 and The Christmas Hope at 8. You can see the full schedule for its holiday movies here.
- Remember how fascinated I was by Dave Cullen's Columbine (read my review here)? The only thing I still didn't get after reading it was how the shooters' parents could have been so oblivious to what was happening in their sons' lives. According to Cullen, those parents refused to be interviewed; thus, no one knew much about them or their relationships with their sons. In November's issue of Oprah Magazine, Susan Klebold tells her story for the first time. You can read it in its entirety here. Interesting.
- Did you read my extensive response to Shannon Hale's thoughts on the responsibilities of writers and readers? In this month's issue of The Writer, novelist Randall Silvis states my thoughts exactly (and much more eloquently than I did):
... It is not the reader's job to work hard; it is the writer's job to work hard to provide the reader with an evocative experience...
The notion that the reader is in any way responsible for a story's effectiveness simply can't be justified except on a purely egotistical level. Because the truth is,we read fiction primarily for enjoyment - whether it is the delight we take in a writer's use of language, the vicarious pleasure of watching a new world unfld, or the titillation of being perched on teh edge of our seats nad leaning forward with all senses cocked. So why should we as readers be forced to struggle to comprehend a story when we can be quite confident that the writer, unless she has spend the last 30 years in Tibet learning how to levitate, is probably not going to reward our labors with some startling insight?
The best that any of us can hope to do with our writing is to present to the reader a piece of the world, and to do so with honesty and clarity and gratitude. The best we an hope to do is to extend an invitation to the reader to see and feel the worlds we create inside our heads. The irony of writing is that , although conducted in solitude, it is an act of communion between the writer and her readers. Not a contract that impries a conscious mutual agreement, but an inexplicable connection between hearts that will probably never meet. (15-16)
- Speaking of writing, I mentioned The Marshall Plan for Novel-Writing by Evan Marshall in my last post. I discovered this book a couple of years ago while browsing for writing books at Borders. It's quickly become my favorite, because it boils the whole mysterious process of fiction writing down to an easy-to-follow formula. I have used the workbook several times to outline stories. Well, Marshall let me know that he has now developed software that makes the workbook even easier to use. I'll be reviewing it soon, but you can get a sneak peek here. I told Marshall that chatting with him is like meeting my favorite rock star - really, I love him that much.
- Finally, check out Bookreporter.com's Second Annual Holiday Blogs feature, in which a bunch of authors - including Barbara Delinsky, Sandra Dallas, Kristin Hannah, Donna VanLiere and more talk about the holidays.
P.S. Yes, some day I will post a real, live review of a work of fiction ...
See, totally random. Have a great day, anyway!
I'm still feeling overwhelmed and scatter-brained - I'm afraid this post is really going to reflect that. Sorry in advance. I just wanted to mention a few "bookish" things:
- If you caught my review of Saving Sammy by Beth Maloney (you can read it here), you will want to watch The Bonnie Hunt Show today. Beth will be there to talk about her experience with her son's OCD, which she detailed in her book. You can find more info here.
- I've only had a few people enter my giveaway for Donna VanLiere's The Christmas Secret. Click here to sign up, then tune into Lifetime, which will be playing the three movies that were made out of VanLiere's Christmas books. On December 13, The Christmas Shoes will air at 4, The Christmas Blessing at 6 and The Christmas Hope at 8. You can see the full schedule for its holiday movies here.
- Remember how fascinated I was by Dave Cullen's Columbine (read my review here)? The only thing I still didn't get after reading it was how the shooters' parents could have been so oblivious to what was happening in their sons' lives. According to Cullen, those parents refused to be interviewed; thus, no one knew much about them or their relationships with their sons. In November's issue of Oprah Magazine, Susan Klebold tells her story for the first time. You can read it in its entirety here. Interesting.
- Did you read my extensive response to Shannon Hale's thoughts on the responsibilities of writers and readers? In this month's issue of The Writer, novelist Randall Silvis states my thoughts exactly (and much more eloquently than I did):
... It is not the reader's job to work hard; it is the writer's job to work hard to provide the reader with an evocative experience...
The notion that the reader is in any way responsible for a story's effectiveness simply can't be justified except on a purely egotistical level. Because the truth is,we read fiction primarily for enjoyment - whether it is the delight we take in a writer's use of language, the vicarious pleasure of watching a new world unfld, or the titillation of being perched on teh edge of our seats nad leaning forward with all senses cocked. So why should we as readers be forced to struggle to comprehend a story when we can be quite confident that the writer, unless she has spend the last 30 years in Tibet learning how to levitate, is probably not going to reward our labors with some startling insight?
The best that any of us can hope to do with our writing is to present to the reader a piece of the world, and to do so with honesty and clarity and gratitude. The best we an hope to do is to extend an invitation to the reader to see and feel the worlds we create inside our heads. The irony of writing is that , although conducted in solitude, it is an act of communion between the writer and her readers. Not a contract that impries a conscious mutual agreement, but an inexplicable connection between hearts that will probably never meet. (15-16)
- Speaking of writing, I mentioned The Marshall Plan for Novel-Writing by Evan Marshall in my last post. I discovered this book a couple of years ago while browsing for writing books at Borders. It's quickly become my favorite, because it boils the whole mysterious process of fiction writing down to an easy-to-follow formula. I have used the workbook several times to outline stories. Well, Marshall let me know that he has now developed software that makes the workbook even easier to use. I'll be reviewing it soon, but you can get a sneak peek here. I told Marshall that chatting with him is like meeting my favorite rock star - really, I love him that much.
- Finally, check out Bookreporter.com's Second Annual Holiday Blogs feature, in which a bunch of authors - including Barbara Delinsky, Sandra Dallas, Kristin Hannah, Donna VanLiere and more talk about the holidays.
P.S. Yes, some day I will post a real, live review of a work of fiction ...
See, totally random. Have a great day, anyway!
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Fiction Writing 102
So, in case you're wondering, my novel-writing isn't going so well. I'm trying, but man, it's tough. Things are crazy busy with the holidays, but that's only part of my problem. I've discovered what a "bleeder" I am - I write very slowly because I want every sentence to be perfect, even on the first draft. I'm trying to write as fast as I can and not "bleed" over every line. It's tough. Plus, I'm plagued by self-doubt - Why does everything I write sound so dumb? Why are my characters so stiff? Who's ever going to read this piece of crap? And so on ... The weirdest thing is that I can read someone else's book and tell you exactly what's wrong with it, but I'm having trouble making my own idea work. I've said to myself a million times, "I could've written that and much better, too," but can I, really? I'm not so sure anymore.
A funny: The other day, my 7-year-old daughter asked me to read a story she's been working on. She told me, "Mom, I know that parents always tell their kids that everything they write is good, but I want you to be honest. Do you really like it? Is there so much description that it's boring? Or is there not enough description? I really want to know and I really want to be a published author. Do you have some, you know, editor friends who would look at it for me?" How is it that she, at 7, is so thick-skinned and self-aware when I, at 33, cringe at the thought of anyone actually reading my pathetic attempt at fiction?
ANYWAY, the thing that's been great about this process is that I've been reading some really helpful writing guides. They've helped re-teach me the craft of fiction writing. My favorite so far has been How to Write A Damn Good Novel, but I know there are more great ones out there. Anyone have any recommendations?
All this rambling really is leading up to a book review, I promise. Here goes ...
(Teensy tiny image from Barnes & Noble)
The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them) by Jack M. Bickham is exactly what it says it is - 38 chapters on errors many writers make on the road to publication. As a novelist (according to Wikipedia, he wrote the book that inspired The Apple Dumpling Gang - I used to love that movie!) and writing professor, he looks at book creation from the standpoints of students, beginning writers and professionals. If you're expecting the book to reveal the great mysteries of what publishers really want, you're going to be disappointed. Bickham focuses on the basics: clear story goals, tight plot structure, dynamic characters, etc.
The most instructive chapter for me is 27: "Don't Criticize Yourself to Death." The following really gave me something to think about:
The most common formof lethal self-criticism, it seems to me, is often heard in the young writer's wail, "This story I wrote is really dumb!" Or, "This whole plot line is dumb!"
What writers who uter such lines are relaly saying, I think, might be paraphrased as follows: "This is the best I can do, but I'm deathly afraid it isn't slick and clever enough, and therefore you are going to think I'm a stupid person for having written it."
Such fears are as much a part of writing fiction as headachs, wads of crumpled paper on the floor, and rejection slips. When you write fiction, whether you realize it or not (and at some level you probably do), you are risking revelation of your dreams and deepest emotions. It's frightening to reveal yourself this way, even indirectly. Further, the act of writing is tied very close to a person's ego structure; I have seen students shaky with even a brief paragrpah of factual material. "Criticize my work, criticize my personal essence," the feeling seems to be. The most humdrum piece of writing somehow represents the writer's worth as a person sometimes. Small wonder, then, that the writer of a story or even (horrors!) a novel often gets worried sick - literally - about whether the reader may think it's dumb. Because if it's dumb, the writer is dumb. And if the writer is dumb, he is also, ipso facto, worthless, an object of potential ridicule ... doomed.
Thus, it's perfectly natural for you to worry that some character or bit of dialogue or plot line you just wrote may be "dumb."
It's natural - but it's also dangerous ... So stop it. (77 & 80)
While I didn't find Bickham's book nearly as entertaining as How to Write A Damn Good Novel, I still found it instructive. The chapters are short and to-the-point, but still cover a lot of ground. Much of what he says, especially about scene structure, reminds me of another of my favorite writing books, The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing by Evan Marshall.
Like How to Write A Damn Good Novel and The Marshall Plan, Bickham's book was written in the pre-Internet years. I wonder how the CyberSpace Age has changed the craft, if at all. What's your opinion? And what other writing books should I be reading?
What I'm finding from all these books is that writing fiction really is a no-brainer. Follow the formula and voila! You've got yourself a book. All you published authors make it look so easy ...
Grade: B
If this were a movie, it would be rated: G
To the FTC, with love: I bought this one with my own hard-earned money, and I didn't make it reviewing books. Actually, I didn't make it at all ... my husband did. And not by book blogging, either.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
A Happy Birthday (to Me) Giveaway
Are you getting any reading done in December? I looked back at my post outlining the reading I planned to get done before the new year, and laughed. So. Not. Happening. My reading has been almost totally eclipsed by the craziness that is December. I've been putting up Christmas decorations, thinking about getting cards mailed, shopping for gifts, and dealing with a very full schedule. I love this time of year - the cool weather, the Christmas lights, the feeling of joy and giving in the air - so why do I start and end the day feeling overwhelmed and headache-y? I swear, next year I will be more organized so I can actually ENJOY the holidays.
I really don't have anything to complain about, though - I have a beautiful home; a wonderful, healthy family; strong faith in God; and more blessings than any one person really deserves. Life's good - I just need some Tylenol and a nap :)
Anyway, on to the important stuff: books. I'm reading Back Creek by Leslie Goetsch, and really enjoying it. Goetsch does a remarkable job of pulling you into the setting, not only with the way she describes everything but with the very pacing of the story. I feel like I'm living creekside - it's actually very calming, something I need desperately right now. I'm hoping to have a review up by the end of the week. We'll see if it happens ...
In other news, I'm still waiting to hear back from Beth, who won a copy of Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Faria Stolarz. Beth, will you please email me (blogginboutbooks[AT]gmail[DOT][COM]) your address? If I don't hear from her by Sunday, I'll have to choose another winner. To the other winners, I will get your books out as soon as I can. Thanks for your patience.
Speaking of giveaways, I have some fun ones coming up. You know Invisible i, which I've been raving about? I'm going to have copies up for grabs soon. I'm also planning a little something-something to celebrate my 500th post on BBB (this one is #495), so keep checking back for more fun and free books.
While we're on the subject of free books, I'm giving away a little holiday cheer today. I was going to wait until I read and reviewed it, but that may not happen this year, so here goes: I have 2 copies of The Christmas Secret by Donna VanLiere to give away. This is the 5th in her series of holiday books, although I'm not sure "series" is the right word since the stories aren't interrelated as far as I can tell. I've never read VanLiere, but her books seem to be sweet and heartwarming. You can find out more about the author and her work on her website (link is above). Deadline for this one is my birthday, December 22. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling me what Christmas "secrets" you hope to find under your tree. Dream big, people! Blog, Tweet or announce the contest in some other way, and I'll give you an extra entry (1 extra entry per post, Tweet, or whatever). Contest is open internationally. Good luck!
(P.S. Copies of The Christmas Secret are courtesy of The Book Report Network. Thanks, Anne.)
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