One of the Reasons I Love Writing

... is that it lets me make use of some of the many odd facts stored in my head.

I have a peculiar brain that soaks up facts and retains them, things of very little use in day-to-day life, like the average number of dust mites living in a pillow, that eating foods microwaved in plastics likely contributes to decreased sperm count in men, that you need to snip porcupine quills before pulling them out.

But writing lets me use these odd bits and pieces. When a friend is writing something that requires a disease that renders a person incapable of movement, I immediately suggest a rare disease that turns bodies into stone (well, bone, actually). When I'm writing a scene where someone needs to die, I remember that life jackets can become waterlogged or solidify and, er, not work. I know that ice has many stages, that the TGV takes an hour from Paris to Tours, that soybeans add nitrogen to the soil, that in Australia you can order a long white or short black coffee, that Tri-Flow is a great chain lubricant, that our bodies make and store vitamin D from the sun. Thanks to my pal Amy, I know what an egg-bound hen is, and can make a good guess at how the situation is rectified. These facts all reside in my brain, waiting to be pulled out and slotted into place in whatever novel I'm writing, like a piece in the corner of the jigsaw puzzle box, awaiting its turn to be dusted off and used.

All except the egg-bound hen, perhaps. That I may never use.

Note: That I bequeath to Scott Phillips, who requested it.

Advice to a Newly Blogging Aspiring Author

A writer who just started a blog sent me three questions yesterday, which I answered in probably far too much detail (which I tend to do, like a computer downloading info) - so I decided I'd post it all for bloggers who might have similar questions.

1) I've heard that people will steal your stuff, that it's just a given. How does one protect from that?

You can't. (With some blog programs you can "protect" the blog so that only people you approve can reach it - which I recommended for one friend who was posting complete short stories.) You can put copyright notices all over, but if someone wants to lift your stuff, they will. For photos, you can PhotoShop a copyright notice onto the bottom of them. I simply pretty much post nothing that isn't clearly me. I debated long and hard whether to post a PDF of my first pages of my novel, but waited until the novel was copyrighted and I think until it had sold. But I tend to expect the worse. (I also don't post the name of the town where I live, let alone my address - because you never know when a crazy stalker type person may pop up.)

2) [Mutual Friend] says you've set yours up so that it sends an email notification when you post something new. Does that email go to people who've subscribed to your site? If so, how is that done?

I use Blogger and SquareSpace, and both have an option that will email me or someone else whose address I type in when a new post goes up - it also sends me an email notice when a comment is typed in (I have it set so that I have to approve all comments, to keep away the Chinese and other spammers). I also use FeedBurner, which lets people sign up to receive the blog posts via email. You'll also want to supply a link to Google Reader - and probably eventually to Twitter and to Facebook. (You can set it up so your blog posts automatically post to Twitter and Facebook.)

3) How does one get publishers or agents to see the site?

You don't. In the event that you send an engaging query, you put your blog URL in your signature, so they can click on it if they want. Or you make fascinating comments on their blog, and hope they follow your link to your blog. I "found" a few writers through their blogs and steered one toward agents (a very talented 15-year-old writer - first novel now published and she just turned in her second).

For most people, the blog is there to find future readers, as an outlet for writing things that you can't use otherwise, and as a calling card for the future. My most ardent fans (besides Mutual Friend and my other Squaw Valley friends) are people I met via their blogs and Twitter, and through a writer site called Backspace. And some days I write on my blog to clear my brain and get started writing for the day. (Like today.)

To find readers is another story - you have to comment on blogs, set up a Twitter account, etc. I networked my blog to Facebook and to Twitter so it posts automatically there. I have about 220 followers - I don't chase followers (I'd have to post nearly daily to get a lot, and be a bit more topical, and more funny, or post more about writing and agents). But the blog is there if people go looking (I also have a website, although these days you can develop your blog into looking like a full-blown website).

To attract readers you'll need a mix of entries, some brief, some long, some funny, some poignant, but you'll build those as you go. One of my best blogger friends is VodkaMom (we've met, but I still have trouble thinking of her as her real name). You may want to categorize your excerpts , so at a glance they are visible instead of mixed in with other posts. Basically I'd just forge ahead with the blog, and you'll find what works for you.

Don't post anything you'll regret later - stuff on the Internet lives on forever. (I am sure a certain author wishes she hadn't indulged in this Twitter exchange.)

And have fun - if you're not enjoying it, don't do it.

You Know You've Been in Vermont Too Long When ...

... while visiting in a much-warmer state, you

• find yourself wanting to save scraps of paper and cardboard to start fires with
• have to restrain yourself from picking up likely looking twigs on walks to use for fires
• forget the thrill of turning on a tap and having hot water immediately (because heat-on-demand water heaters take a while when the water in your well is ice cold)
• forget that you don't have to wait until 9 pm to start your laundry when the electric rate goes down
• realize that you don't have to keep your laptop battery on full charge, because it's not likely the electricity will go out
• forget that your cell phone works all the time, and that people might actually call or text you on it

But the absolute best thing about being outside your small Vermont town is being able to go to a movie theater with stadium seating and pay matinee prices (however horrifyingly high those are) and actually see two movies in a row with Helena Bonham Carter (and Michael Gambon, now that you think about it), not that you intended it that way.

(But there is, alas, no Northshire Bookstore here, and the beloved local formerly independent bookstore is closing its doors this week.)

It's All a Matter of Perception

When I travel, I sometimes rent out my home to folks from the city who love the idea of staying in a chalet-style Vermont home bedecked with snow and icicles, with a roaring wood stove. (Me, I'm very happy at the moment staying somewhere with central heating that doesn't require lugging in wood, building a fire, and cleaning up after it.)

I can almost always tell from pre-rental emails who's going to love the place and who's not, and in one case - after detailed emails about the last time a cat had been in the house and the degree of firmness of the Aerobeds - I returned the deposit and told the person I didn't think this was the house for them.

This week I had two batches of renters. One (and no, this one didn't surprise me) sent me a sniffy post-rental email that other places they have stayed in have been cleaner. I'm sure they have - although I actually removed and washed sofa cushions, a once-a-year feat at best, and wiped the living room floor on my hands and knees on the way out the door. This is no spotless condo. It's a house in the country. Spiders creep inside, the wood stove emits particles, dust settles, the wood pile sheds bits of bark - and the house is home to dogs, and renters can bring theirs. And dog hair has an astoundingly talent for hiding behind and under things and zipping out the moment your back is turned, no matter how much you sweep, vacuum, and Swiffer (yes, I do it in that order).

The second batch of renters, arriving immediately after the first batch, adores the place. They love the books, the wi-fi, the snow, the dog bowls, the Vermonty gifts I left them. They probably even love the funky red light on the wall that tells them when the electric heat won't work, and when not to use the dryer or dishwasher because the electric rate is higher. If there's some dog hair here and there, well, it just makes their dog feel more welcome.

If you want to find dirt and ugliness, you can find it. If you want to find loveliness, you can find it.

It's all how you look at things, and maybe what you're looking for.

PS. I hope everyone is having a lovely December end and had a lovely holiday. Me, I got to see wonderful friends I adore, but have been hunkered down with an unpleasant cold I'm just emerging from.

OK, Making This Was Way Too Much Fun

Booklist Seems to Like Me

When Troy Chance spots what she thinks is a small boy being tossed off the back of a passing ferry, she instinctively jumps into the icy waters of Lake Champlain. ... In her debut, the first in a projected series, Henry proves herself to be a smooth and compelling storyteller. And her lead is highly appealing: an athletic, fiercely independent young woman who, like crime-fiction author Gillian Flynn’s feisty females, is capable of making delightfully acerbic observations. — Joanne Wilkinson, Booklist, Dec. 15, 2010

More Reasons to Read HAILEY'S WAR

Wherein I lift a paragraph quote from Sarah Weinman's blog, to flog a book I love:

HAILEY’S WAR, Jodi Compton
You want to talk of comeback kids? Compton, whose first two novels were published a zillion years ago (okay, 2005 and 2006) seemed to have disappeared…before HAILEY’S WAR was published by a different Random House imprint. Thank god. It’s fantastic, or as I said a little more floridly in the LAT, “HAILEY’S WAR serves as a metaphor for dreams so close to realization but for a fault line or two. Weaker hearts would flinch, then crack. But Hailey, instead, summons her inner soldier, the one that tells her, no matter what perilous situation she’s in, to paraphrase Bob Marley, she has to get up, stand up, stand up for her life — a better and truer test of heroism.”

(Note: Jodi and I happen to share a publisher, editor, and agent.)

Sneak Peek: Outline of My Next Novel

Yes, this is the entire outline.

If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em

I have very odd feelings about seeing an advance reader's copy of my novel on eBay. Partly because that means some reviewer got a copy and promptly ditched it, and because someone is making money on a book that was sent out for free. (And that no royalties are being paid for my work.) And partly because I am desperate for more ARCs (that's what we call 'em) to hand to bookstore owners and reviewers, so that when my book comes out it sells. And I can keep on writing books.

I've learned I can make eBayers take down the listings - and one nice person just sent it to me, free - because of the question of copyright and intellectual property rights (and the small fact that they say NOT FOR SALE on the cover). But this listing had a description I found flattering:

The first novel from a highly respected new writer. Sure to be a collectible edition.

and a high opening bid, and the seller told me he bought it at Housing Works Bookstore in Manhattan, which benefits AIDS families. So I decided not only to let it run, but to join in the fray and bid. What the heck.

So if you want a copy of my novel (complete with typos - such as "slocks" instead of "slacks") before it hits bookstores in February, here you are. Bid away. You can have him* mail it to me and I'll sign it and send it on to you. Or you can read it and send it to your favorite book reviewer or take it to your favorite bookstore and ask them to stock it. Or mail it to my sister, who has yet to see a copy.

*I'm assuming it's a him

I've Never Seen It Better Put Than This

Some folks I know (myself included) are now writing their second novel, which is perhaps something like a second date, but one that will affect the rest of your life. I found this amazing description on the Murderati blog, by my friend JT Ellison:

I had a whopping, massive case of block on this book. I’ve never experienced anything like this. I’m betting it’s similar to what many writers experience on their second novel, that soul sucking fear that the world is going to swallow you whole and you will never, ever produce anything that remotely resembled a finished novel, much less anything that real people would want to read, much less pay actual money to read, and you’re the worst writer in the world, with no discipline, and you can’t remember exactly how you wrote the first book, because looking back, you think you must have entered a fugue state and the gremlins in your brain exited, stage right, onto the page and when you woke each morning they appeared as tiny little black scratches on a white background which most of the world’s people have been exposed to because in Europe learning English is mandatory but to you it looks like Cyrillic, which sends you into new waves of spasm because seriously, the whole world can read this but it makes no sense to you.

NPR's Maureen Corrigan Names Her Favorite 10 Books of 2010

and ends with this lovely nod to the late David Thompson, of Busted Flush Press and Murder by the Book in Houston:

 I want to end this list by doffing my hat not to a book, but to an independent bookseller and small press publisher. David Thompson was known throughout the mystery world; he died suddenly this year at 38.  David introduced me to the wonders of noir writers like Reed Farrel Coleman, Daniel Woodrell and Martin Limon. His legacy is a reminder to all of us who love books that, as someone once said about the late critic Irving Howe, enthusiasm is not the enemy of the intellect. - Maureen Corrigan, "Maureen Corrigan's Favorite Books of 2010"

Gift Recommendations, Twitter Style

(Now you know why I love Twitter.)

Your Holiday Gift Guide - Books, Natch

Okay, here's the spelled-out guide - all fiction, none light or fluffy - all  superb:

PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ, by A.S. King - an amazing book. The chains aren't carrying it, so call ahead to your favorite independent bookstore, or order a signed copy from Aaron's Books. Warning: I cried. More than once.

INNOCENT MONSTER, by Reed Farrel Coleman - this is considered a crime novel and it's the sixth in a series, but don't let that stop you. Find it, read it, and then you can have the pleasure of finding his other books. Call your bookstore to ask if they carry it, or order from the publisher, Tyrus Books.

WINTER'S BONE by Daniel Woodrell - I cannot express how wonderful it is. Woodrell is a brilliant writer. Read it; rent the movie. In that order. You won't be disappointed.

HAILEY'S WAR, by Jodi Compton - gritty but lovely all at the same time. First in a series, so you have more to look forward to. Hard to put down. Buy it; read it.

FALLING UNDER, by Danielle Younge-Ullman - this one you'll have trouble finding, so I'm suggesting Barnes & Noble online, where you'll find it for the astoundingly low price of $4.48, and you can become a B&N member short-term and get free shipping.

BENIGHTED, by Kit Whitfield - I love this book, and I'm not even going to try to describe it. It has what all my favorite books have: a conflicted main character exquisitely drawn, great internal dialogue, moral dilemmas.

for our Australian friends (it's not out here yet), I'll add:

BOY SAVES GIRL, by Steph Bowe - this is YA (young adult) - I read it in its infancy and prodded the young author toward an agent, and I think this marks the start of a great career.

What Gives Me the Right to Steal Books?

My friend Amy King not too long ago wrote about illegal downloads of books - Amy, who works amazingly hard to make a living and who has two small (and very charming) daughters to help support, does take it personally when someone posts one of her books for illegal download. She spoke up, and she got a lot of flak about it. But then she got an incredible letter, part of which I'm lifting from her blog (emphasis added by me):

When I read your post I thought really hard about what you said. Would I have the balls to walk into a bookstore and snag a book off the shelf? Would I rationalize that because I was only taking one book now and that I'd buy more books later it was acceptable? Would I be able to tell myself that there are people walking into stores everyday swiping things off the shelves and that I was just a speck of paint in the big picture? No, of course not. Because I know better. My mother raised me better. So why, then, would I ever think it was acceptable to do the same thing with the same material simply because it is online? What gives me that right? Nothing. Nothing gives me that right. I wouldn't steal from a store. I shouldn't steal online. Stealing is stealing no matter how you do it.

I have never downloaded any of your books illegally - If I had, I think I'd be feeling really guilty right now over the possibility of depriving your daughter of an opportunity to walk out of her college experience without the weight of giant student loan debts. But I have downloaded books by [other authors]. Obviously, I am an adult now so my mother isn't marching me to my inbox and making me apologize to these authors for violating their copyrights and stealing their work. But, yes, there is a little bit of her in this apology, a little bit of that day when she taught me that stealing has consequences in this apology. To all of these authors whose hard work I have cheapened by my ignorance, I humbly apologize.

I have deleted all of the illegal files from my computer and plan to, when I can, buy those books to make up for taking them illegally.

Yes, downloading a book online for free is stealing. And you're not just stealing from a big conglomerate of a publisher, you're stealing from that author - and from her children. Kudoes to Amy for speaking up, and for this letter writer for "getting" it. (And yes, before she buys her next lunch out or treats herself to a movie, she should take that money and buy a copy of an author's book she stole online. )