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When Anything Goes

More Ammunition, Ad for Western Pulp from Art.com

Last night, Ryan and I watched 3:10 To Yuma because as I’ve admitted in the past, we don’t get out much anymore. (And when we do, we’d rather talk than sit in a movie theatre.)

If you want to learn how to create tension throughout an entire story, then I suggest you watch this movie. It’s based on an Elmore Leonard short and he is the master of “anything goes.” Mr. Leonard has no sentimental attachments to his characters and as such, when you start one of his books you get the sneaking suspension that someone important might not make it to the end. His characters – heroes and heavies, equally – are capable of anything. Anyone could buy it at any moment and when they do, it’s just like death in real life – unrelenting and final.

One of my favorite death scenes in literature is at the end of Out of Sight – the book, not the movie – when a lovable secondary character dies. My second is when Jay Gatsby is shot in his pool. And when I say favorite, I don’t mean that I have a thing for death scenes. I mean that they’re so effective, they make you gasp and then at random moments, long after you’ve finished the book, you can still remember how you flinched and then reread the scene to make sure the author really killed that guy off.

The key to this idea of “anything goes” – for me – is to think of my readers as the other character riding along with the story. I’m usually into the third or fourth draft when I invite them in because at that point I know my characters and what they’re capable of doing. So when I let the reader in, I think of that person sitting there with the book in her hands and then ask myself, “how do I get a reaction out of her?” What does she expect and what can I do to turn that expectation around on her?

Donald Maas has a chapter in his book, Writing the Breakout Novel in which you take your character and then think of a bad thing that you could inflict on them. And then something slightly worse. And then something even worse than that until you bring them to the impassable obstacle that would make then turn around and give up the goal.

It is exhausting, frustrating work. When I did it with Switchcraft, the process nearly made me give up. But when I think of what I did to my girls, Aggie and Nely and the emails I got from readers reacting to those final scenes, it was worth it.

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Into the Past

Growing up in National City, we always drove by Cafe La Maze but never went inside. Back then it had a dive feel to it, which made it all the more intriguing. But still, I never went inside.

I’ve been researching my hometown for The Guy Upstairs, learning about places that now exist in the pages of crumbling newspapers from the 1920’s and hearing the voices of residents who are now long gone about their lives on the west side of National City. I even found Maria Duran, my great great great grandmother listed in the city directory for 1929. In writing this particular book, it feels as if my past is catching up with me.

You can imagine my delight when my friend, Jen Mahal investigated the history of Cafe Lamaze and wrote about its reopening in today’s San Diego Union Tribune.

Jen, you now get to wear the cool beans crown!

Cheers,
Mary C.

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When You Think You Know Everything


“Ask Newmann, He Knows” from Art.com

This happened to me when I wrote In Between Men … I went through two full drafts and with each draft something died inside me when I hit Act II. But I was persistent back then and thought I could force the story to go exactly the way I wanted it to. Finally, I realized two things: stories must change and evolve (for me, anyway) and Act II is the place where bad ideas go to die.

Last week, the same thing happened with The Guy Upstairs. I finished the first draft, spent a lot of time fleshing out a revision plan and then got to work. I was cruising along through Act I, but with that dragging feeling in my gut that I ignored because I was convinced that I had the story down. But as I neared Act II, the threads unraveled and it became more and more apparent that the story wasn’t working. Sure enough, it died at page 100.

But I’m glad it happened now as opposed at the end of a tepid second draft. With In Between Men, I had to go back into a third draft where I discovered that I wasn’t telling the right story. (Originally, it was about Isa fighting for custody of her son.) The story that needed to be told was about a woman who falls victim to her own recklessness and yet, without that recklessness she would never have changed her life. This discovery made the writing more difficult, not to mention longer.

When The Guy Upstairs ran aground, I realized that I had better do a writer’s version of stop, drop and roll. I stopped writing and went outside to work on my garden (we planted four types of tomatoes, squash and herbs). Within two hours of refusing to think about the book, I realized what The Guy Upstairs is really about. But I wouldn’t take notes for two days because the other thing I’ve learned is that once you start writing it down, the committee upstairs starts hacking away at your babies.

I’ve been writing the new story since Sunday and the idea has been gaining momentum. The committee grumbles when I sit down to write (which it always does), but my gut tingles with excitement and the heroine’s voice becomes much more distinct and alive. I’ve written about twenty pages of new material and I think this is it.

Or, I’m full of it and still have no idea what the hell I’m doing.

I guess I’ll know for certain when I reach page 100.

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Today on ConnectingMoms.com


I’m one of the featured moms! If you’re interested, check it out.

Not much else to blog about. We watched Gone Baby Gone the other night and it was a very unsettling movie. If you’ve seen it, I wouldn’t have called the cops in the end. That’s all I’ll say.

Last night I finished A Foreign Affair by Caro Peacock. She had me so wrapped up in the end that I gave the Little Dude a lollipop so he’d leave me alone till the ending. If you love characters like Maisie Dobbs and Mrs. Jeffries, then you’ll really dig this book.

That’s it for now. I’m on deadline with three articles and the book is whispering in my ears.

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Storyland, pop. ???

When I’m deep into a story – novella or novel – I go to a place in my dreams that I call “Storyland.”

It’s a town like Monterey, California with homes that crawl up from the bay to the hills. There’s no set time period in this town. Sometimes when I visit, I’m in the 1840’s when the U.S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers, led by John C. Fremont, came into Alta California, liked what they saw and decided to take it from Mexico. Other times when I visit, it is present day.

I meet my characters in coffee shops, their homes or pass them on the street – once I saw Will and Tamara at a farmer’s market but I think I was writing “Till Death Do Us Part” at the time. Sometimes they talk directly to me about what needs to happen in the story; other times I have to chase them down just to see what they eat for lunch.

Strange, yes, but when I realize I’m having a dream in Storyland, I feel like I’ve come home after a long voyage abroad. Even better, I feel like I’ve tapped into the vein of the story I’m writing. I realize not everyone has a Storyland, but then I was always a strange kid.

But here’s what I’m wondering: where do you think your characters come from? When do you know they and your story have come to life?

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It’s One of THOSE Days…

…when your number is called and your first thought is, “is this really happening to me because this sort of thing only happens in the movies”. But then you realize it really is happening and everything in you seems to go silent except the pulse pounding in your ears.

Well, today my husband, Ryan walked into my office and told me with a shaking voice that he was accepted into the MFA Screenwriting program at UCLA!

Me screaming: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Back when we learned the Little Dude was a little bean, Ryan has worked for this. He’s had a lot of career ups and downs; the downs outnumbering the ups, which in my opinion as his wife and unofficial adviser, was Fate telling him he had no business becoming a police officer or attorney. Until he decided to go for the impossible dream of writing screen plays, the scales have tipped in his favor. With the second screenplay he’d ever written, Ryan won the prestigious UCLA Screenwriting Contest. In his recent horror writing class, a visiting director and producer pointed to Ryan’s screenplay as the kind he’d produce. Now, he’s taking the next step and as his wife and cheerleader, I couldn’t be prouder.

(But don’t worry, we will always sit on the USC side of the stadium … unless the Little Dude plays for UCLA.)

I may have AWESOME news but I can’t say anything yet and I’m superstitious about these things.

So with my lips sealed, I’ll post this picture:

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Next week on PBS: Compañeras

Photo courtesy of PBS

If you regularly read this blog, you’ve heard me talk about a Mariachi book that I’ve been working on. (If this doesn’t sound familiar, check out the sneak peek that was part of the Chica Lit Valentine’s Day Tour.)

I just about fell out of my chair when I heard about Compañeras, the upcoming PBS series Independent Lens documentary about Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles, America’s first all-female mariachi, founded in 1994. Hosted by Terrence Howard, the show will air at 10 p.m. on April 1, 2008.

The most prominent of Mexican mariachi – Mariachi del Sol and Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitan – are presently and historically all male. Female mariachi are still frowned upon or considered a joke in Mexico. When I wrote The Ballad of Aracely Calderon, my challenge was to help the readers understand what an uproar it would be if a woman – in Aracely’s case, an American-born daughter of a family of mariachi – took the lead of such a prestigious mariachi group … even in 2008. But when I saw Linda Ronstadt ride a train on-stage during her performance in Canciones de Mi Padre, she was like a queen and I kept that image in my head as I wrote Aracely. To me, female mariachi are regal. The fact that they persist in spite of the misogynist attitude of their male counterparts makes them heroes in my eyes.

As for my book, The Ballad of Aracely Calderon, I’ve decided to dress up like a mariachi for my new author photo!

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Some Things Never Change


PW Daily and Shelf Awareness reported this morning that Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels signed a new law requiring mainstream bookstores to register with the government if they sell “sexually explicit materials.”

Here’s what was reported in Shelf Awareness:

One of the bill’s sponsors told the Indianapolis Star that the law is aimed at “helping counties that do not have zoning ordinances track businesses selling sexually explicit material, including videos, magazines and books,” especially adult stores that open along interstates in the southern part of the state. And a spokesperson for the governor told the Star that the law applies only to new businesses, those that relocate or businesses that begin offering “sexually explicit” material after the law goes into effect.

So if a Borders sells Switchcraft or any of my other books that have steamy love scenes (I think I may have used language like – don’t look! – cock), does that essentially make that store a porn peddler in the eyes of Indiana law? Gasp! Does that make me a pornographer? I don’t know if I should be aghast or strangely flattered …

The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) has vowed to fight the law. But check this out:

The Great Lakes Booksellers Association, 15 independent bookstores and Borders Group sent a letter to the governor before he signed the bill. But a statement from the governor’s office indicated that he had not received the letter and that “no complaints were brought to our attention.”

Uh huh. Sure.

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This weekend: La Misma Luna (Under the Same Moon)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jCZgUiPixE&hl=en]

Mea culpa. I’m one of those people who complain that there are never any good movies out there. Maybe it’s that they now cost $10 to see in my area and I’m just cheap. Or really, really picky. But this weekend, I’m determined to see La Misma Luna (Under The Same Moon) that released yesterday on 275 screens. Opening weekends can make or break a film (unless you’re incredibly, indecently fortunate like Diablo Cody of Juno fame).

When I hear people complain that minorities are not represented in entertainment, I tell them to put their money where their hearts are. In other words, go see the movies and watch the shows and buy the books created by the people you want to see more of.

La Misma Luna has been getting great reviews and was the prize of a bidding war between distributors at Sundance. So unless you want to see more crap like Drillbit Taylor, I highly suggest that we take a stand against stupidity and support intelligent, emotionally resonant cinema like La Misma Luna.

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Caught In Bed With Ward Cleaver


Top of the morning to ye! Do you think the Little Dude will be okay if he doesn’t wear green because he’s half Irish? Better not take any chances.

After years of writing, Jenny Gardiner became an overnight sensation when her American Title III winning manuscript was published by Dorchester. Just a month or two after its release, Sleeping With Ward Cleaver went into its second printing!

Please welcome, Jenny on St. Patrick’s Day!

Chica Lit: How did you come up with the idea for “Sleeping With Ward Cleaver”?

Jenny:I came up with the title, first, and then had to write a book around it. I think we were sitting around talking about some guy who was a bit of a stuffshirt and I thought “man, he’d be like sleeping with Ward Cleaver!” And the more i thought about it the more I loved how that sounded.

Chica Lit: Talk about how it went from an American Title Winner to a published book!

Jenny: It was a pretty amazing ride. The American Title contest was hugely time-consuming–it took me away from writing quite a bit– but it was a wonderful way to market my book even before it existed in the marketplace. One of the neat things about the contest is that it’s expedited to market at that point, because it is timed to come out before the next year’s AT contest is finished. So not quite the wait that happens with a normal contract, when it can be a year and half or more till the book comes out. I had such a great experience working with everyone at Dorchester–my editor Chris was fabulous, Erin, the publicity director, has been terrific, Brooke, the sales vp I’ve worked with enormously helpful. It’s been a very positive experience.

Chica Lit: What did you do on the day it was released?

Jenny: Uh, panic? No, seriously, shortly before the release date I had a little bit of anxiety about the impending arrival–it reminded me of just prior to the birth of my first-born, when it dawned on me that there was no turning back! On the actual day of the release I spent much of the day fielding emails, working on blogs I’d been guesting on, etc. That first week was crazy busy–I flew down to Florida for my first signing and to do a TV segment on a syndicated morning show. I was sick with the flu (Murphy’s Law!) but just kept going. I got back and had tons of cooking to do for my launch party, which was that weekend. The party was such fun–total whirlwind, but everyone had a fantastic time. The first couple of weeks were insanely busy, but all good stuff!

Chica Lit: In “Ward Cleaver”, you go from a laugh-out loud scenario to a real heart-wrenching scene. How did you manage it?

Jenny: I think life can be like that so much. Highs to lows in the blink of an eye. And I think laughter is so therapeutic, it can help to soften a lot of painful times. I wanted to make a protagonist who was willing to laugh at herself and at some of the preposterous situations she was finding herself in, but I also wanted her to really delve into her thoughts to try to analyze what the hell was going on and why. Otherwise how could she figure out how to fix things?

Chica Lit: What has been the reaction from your readers?

Jenny: I am thrilled to say that the reactions from readers has been phenomenal. So many women relate to Claire on so many levels. Readers really appreciate that sense that they’re not alone in feeling the way Claire feels. And many readers have said it’s reminded them to appreciate their spouse. One even said she went out and bought new sexy lingerie after reading the book 😉 . The funniest email I’ve gotten is from a woman who asked me to remove the radio transmitter from her brain as well as the cameras from her household–she was so certain that was the only way I could have had such insight into her life!

And the other wonderful thing have been so many readers saying they didn’t want the book to end.

Chica Lit: Do you think that wives and mothers today are more satisfied or less satisfied with their lives than those of the previous generation?

Jenny: A lot of what Claire goes through is so universal, and I think there is a thread of that universality that runs throughout the ages. Now of course many women have the added element of work outside the home makes things harder on one level, but then again, a hundred years ago women were working far harder physically than now, having to make their clothes and everything was from scratch and life was much much harder.

I think now women are far more comfortable speaking up when they’re not happy. It might take a while, but given enough impetus, they’ll speak their mind!

Chica Lit: One of the things I really liked about “Ward Cleaver” was the idea of the woman’s midlife crisis (because all you hear about are the men & their midlife crisis). Was this something that you set out to explore when you started writing the book?

Jenny: I was noticing with so many women that during their late 20’s and 30’s, women are sort of drowning in that fog of motherhood. They totally lose themselves because they’re devoting 100% to caring for everyone and everything in their lives. And then the kids become older and more self-sufficient and women discover themselves again. Often they’ve give up careers to stay home with the kids, so they have to start figuring out who they are, and have this great chance to re-invent themselves, sort of a mid-life renaissance. It’s almost as if men have a mid-life crisis that’s more destructive but women have a mid-life re-birth that is constructive. So I did want to explore that. The other thing that seems to happen is while women are in this growth phase, at the same time their spouses are often very entrenched in their lives, sort of in a change-averse mode. So the situation is ripe for clash.

Chica Lit: Congratulations on going to a second printing! What’s coming out next?

Jenny: Thanks so much! That was a wonderful milestone to reach. My agent is currently shopping my book, “Mary Kate Goes Over the Falls,” about a woman trapped in an abusive marriage who goes out to pick up her husband’s dry cleaning and instead picks up a handsome hitchhiker, whose lure reminds her of how the lip of Niagara Falls is said to tempt people to jump into the falls. The two embark on a road trip of self-discovery, en route to Niagara Falls. It’s a sweet story with quirky, fun characters. I’m hoping we’ll have news on that soon. In the meantime I’ve got several other books in various states of revision, so fingers crossed something will be forthcoming soon–keep an eye on my website (http://www.jennygardiner.net/) and also on the group blog I share with five other wonderful debut authors called, The Debutante Ball (http://www.thedebutanteball.com/).

Thanks so much for having me, Mary!

Chica Lit: You’re welcome!