We All Float Down Here

Way back, in 1987, I read this:

Today, the pages are yellowed, the print is probably too small for me to read, and it smells like old books and memories. It's one of my favorite King books.

In 1990, I watched this:

Not on DVD but on TV over the two nights it was broadcast. I'm pretty sure I didn't sleep either of those nights or many of the ones after. Tim Curry terrifies me to this day.

In about a month from now, a new version of IT returns. While I'm usually skeptical of remakes, the trailers for this not only look true enough to the core story, but they also make me want to pee my pants. Seriously. I'm not sure I'll be able to see this movie in the theater.

I've included the teaser trailer below because it's my favorite so far. If you have two minutes to spare, if you're in a well-lit place, and if you're not afraid of clowns or red balloons, I'd give it a look. (Okay, honestly, I just don't want to be the only one with nightmares . . . . )

Have you read IT? Seen the original miniseries? Plan on seeing the movie? If so, are you brave enough to go to the theater or will you wait for viewing from the safety of your couch? Do you have any favorite horror novels or movies? 

A King and a Lawyer . . .

. . . walk into a bar. No. Wait. Let's try that again.

Stephen King and John Grisham walk into the packed Neel Performing Arts Center here in Florida and proceed to entertain the audience - including me and my husband! - with stories about reading, writing and life, all to benefit libraries and literacy.

Stephen King did the event himself last year, and apparently, when the committee wondered how in the world they'd ever top that, King replied he had a friend who might be interested in participating . . . .

We've heard King speak before and he's always so down-to-earth and entertaining, and it was fun to see that Grisham is the same way. Both men wore jeans, chatted and told stories like the old friends they are, and donated their time to the event (which raised over $200,000!)

Grisham (left), King (right)

A few highlights from the evening:

* When Grisham's first novel A Time to Kill (one of his best, in my opinion) made the New York Times bestseller list, King sent him a congratulatory note.

* Early on, they shared the same editor who bought both King's Carrie and Grisham's A Time to Kill.

* Both men are often approached by fans who praise the movies, not the books. King often responds with "I've written books, too."

* They talked about being famous authors in a society that doesn't really read, how they can pretty much move about their lives unnoticed. (I thought this was an interesting point, although I recognized King when I saw him in the store awhile back while I would've walked right by one of the Kardashians.)

* Grisham prefers print books, while King reads both paper and on screen.

* When asked if he'd ever write a horror novel, Grisham said some people think writing about lawyers is already pretty horrifying. (My husband, who is a lawyer, found this hysterical. And true.)

Oh, and at the end - cookies!

Is the Summer Over Yet?

I am sooooo looking forward to the Fall, especially because of the books, movies and TV shows coming out then. Here's a quick sampling of what I'm looking forward to...

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Not only will Joshilyn Jackson's new novel, Someone Else's Love Story, be out in November 2013, BUT she also wrote an e-novella, My Own Miraculous (October 2013) which stars one of the characters from the new novel. It's like the appetizer before the meal, and I am pulling my chair right up to the table! (And, if I wasn't already a huge fan as a writer and a reader, these two posts about how she struggled to write the synopsis for the e-novella - "A Dirty Look Behind the Scenes" and "Why I Call You Best. Why You Are Beloved" - would've made me one for sure.)

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I have a feeling Stephen King's Dr. Sleep (September 2013) will keep me awake long into the night....

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If you're in the mood for a movie this Fall, check out the trailer for Catching Fire...

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But, to be totally honest, I am most looking forward to Season 4 of my favorite TV show, The Walking Dead. Argh, October is so far away!

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Are you looking forward to the Fall? Why? Excited about any - or all! - of these books, movies or TV shows? 

Notes and News - Writing and Otherwise

Lazy days of summer? Who said that?! I don't know about you all, but things have not slowed down for me. And yet I still find time to putz around on the Net. Sigh.

Ah, but my putzing is to your advantage! Here's a quick round-up of some items I thought you all might be interested in... 

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Camp is in session! Camp NaNo, that is! This July, I'm heading back into the woods, armed with only my horror manuscript and some chocolate, and I will not return until the draft is complete! Or until I run out of chocolate...so, about July 2nd or so. 

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The CBS miniseries of Stephen King's Under the Dome starts Monday, June 24th. I can't wait! Here's a preview: 

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If you enjoy a good short story, you won't want to miss A List in Honor of Short Story Month 2013, compiled by Flash Fiction Chronicles. It contains links to over 150 stories, all suggested by readers as some of their personal favorites. (Hmm, number 100 seems vaguely familiar....)

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As a writer and a fan of Pixar movies, I just loved this - 22 Storytelling Tips for Writers from a Pixar Storyboard Artist. 

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On Sunday, June 23rd, Nik Wallenda will walk across the Grand Canyon - no net, no harness. My heart's in my throat just thinking about it! My husband went to one of Nik's local (FL) training sessions - here are some pics: 

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Planning on going to Camp NaNo this July? Will you check out any of those short stories? Are you a Pixar fan? Will you watch Under the Dome and/or Wallenda's walk? I'll be watching both!    

Book Notes and Writing News from Around the Web

Here are some notes and news I thought you all might be interested in....

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Khaled Hosseini's new novel, And the Mountains Echoed, comes out May 21st. I have no idea how he's going to top The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, but if anyone can do it, he can.

I absolutely loved Beth Hoffman's Saving CeeCee Honeycutt so I am counting the days until May 28th when her second novel, Looking for Me, comes out.

And June brings both the heat and the chills with two creepy novels  - Joyland by Stephen King and Always Watching by Chevy Stevens (whose novel, Still Missing, continues to haunt me years later!)

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Want a hilarious look at the writing and/or cleaning process? Check out Nathan Bransford's post, "How to Do Your Chores in 12 Easy Steps."       

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Two great posts on Writer UnBoxed - 

"Clawing Our Way Back to the Creative Center" by Robin LaFevers talks about having to disconnect from the real world in order to connect to her writing.

"The New Era of Self-Publishing" by Allison Winn Scotch is a great post about how she, a traditionally published author, is considering self publishing her next novel. The discussion that follows  in the comments of her post is civil and thoughtful.

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This actually has nothing to do with writing but since it's on author Joshilyn Jackson's blog, I'm counting it. Besides, it totally cracked me up - "The Third Piece of Unsolicited Advice Drops." 

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Looking forward to any - or all - of those novels? Going to check out any of the links? Is there anything you've come across lately that you'd like to share in the comments? 

Book Notes and Writing News From Around the Web

Some writing news and and book updates I thought you all might be interested in...

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In honor of Women's History Month, The Book Case had a great post about 11 female authors to watch for this spring and summer. I've already added two books to my TBR list!

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Stephen King's new novel, Dr. Sleep, won't be out until September 2013, but the cover has been revealed and I am not ashamed to tell you, it is already giving me nightmares!

Plus, here's a great interview on EW.com with King about this sequel to The Shining. And, if you can't wait until September, check out King's Joyland this June!

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The NaNoWriMo blog posted an interview with R.L. Stine: On Writing Addiction, Challenging Himself and Thrillerfest.

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I bookmarked this post from Writer Unboxed back in January and it's one for the "keeper file." In Embrace the Naked, Robin Lafevers reminds us how - "The act of writing is not only about claiming our truths, our selves, but having the courage to not apologize when we do. Our writing is where we need to be our bravest and most fearless selves. You can’t write your best work if you’re not all in—and once you’re all in, you’re vulnerable. We don’t serve our audience—our true audience—by holding back."

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Will you check out any of the books by those female authors to watch? Are you planning on reading either/both of Kings books? Are you a fan of R.L Stine? Planning on attending Thrillerfest? As a writer, do you "bare all" on the page? 

Writers and Writing from Around the Web

During my Internet travels over the past week or so, I came across a few things you all might enjoy -

* Two excellent posts on the Writer Unboxed site are excellent reminders that it's all about the craft, all about writing the best book (or story or poem etc.) we can. Check out "A Promotional Strategy for Overwhelmed Introverts" by Robin LaFevers and "The Importance of a WOW Book in an Overcrowded Marketplace" by MJ Rose.

* UMass Lowell kicked off their Chancellor's Speaker Series with a very exciting first speaker - Stephen King. You can read a bit of background about the event and King here. And, you can watch/listen to the whole thing online here! I haven't gone through all of it yet myself - you can click on individual clips, like him reading a brand new short story! - but I've enjoyed it so far. Even if you're not a fan of the horror genre, King always has excellent writing advice.

* Since I celebrated a relatively big birthday in 2012, I found this article/slideshow, "Authors Over 80 Who Shun Retirement," particularly inspiring. You're never too old to be - or stay! - a writer.

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Planning on writing past "retirement age" like those over 80 folks? Excited about the King talk? Do you sometimes feel the craft of writing gets overshadowed by the fast paced pressure to get our work, our words, out there?

The "King" of All Days (Part II)

[Continued from The "King" of All Days (Part I)]

I have to do something...

...even though my hands are sweating and I'm sure my eyes are all bloodshot or whatever from the eye doctor. I stop SK near the doors and say, "Excuse me, Mr. King, I don't want to keep you, I just want to say I'm a huge fan." (Shades of Kathy Bates in Misery, anyone?!)

But the man smiles, stoops down a bit since he's pretty tall and I'm kinda short, then shakes my hand and says, "Thank you," before moving on.

I want to collapse on the floor and weep with relief and joy but my friend, P, is still waving me over. She tells me he'll sign something for me. I'm just so happy I spoke to him without sounding like a complete fool that I tell her I don't want to bother him anymore. She says no, no it's fine, he's over in the cafe. So, with jangling nerves, I go grab paperbacks of The Stand and On Writing and off we go.

In the cafe, P slides onto the seat next to him and asks if he'd mind signing a few books. He laughs and says, yes, but it's okay. (Here's the part - okay, another part - that makes me want to crawl under a rock and die of absolute embarrassment.) P says, "This young lady was too shy to ask you to sign a book." He turns around and shakes my hand again. He asks my name, I spell it for him, tell him how much I enjoy his books, especially  On Writing, etc. and then P tells him I'm a writer. (Hold that picture in your head for a moment. Got it? I know, right?) Then, he says, "Good luck."

I know I've told this story kind of half-joking - partly because I did act like a dork but also because that moment meant so much to me. He is one of the reasons I write. I devoured his books. I learned from them. I wanted - still do - to make people feel the way I do/did when I read his work.

It also came at a time when I felt really low about my writing - I no longer had an agent, I was stalled on a manuscript, I felt like I was flailing and failing. And I know SK probably writes the same thing in every copy of On Writing, but it absolutely meant something to me, even if I'm the only one who knows it.

The "King" of All Days (Part I)

Regular readers of this blog know I am a HUGE fan of Stephen King. When I learned he lives part-time in my area, I was thrilled. When I learned people I knew, knew him - or at least had chatted with him - I moved beyond thrilled into ecstatic. One day, I would meet him. I was sure of it.

My husband and I used to joke - "Sure, SK will just show up at the chain bookstore on a busy weekend morning at the exact same time we're there. Of course. Why not?" (But we always kept our eyes open, just in case.)

And then...

...I happened to be at the bookstore on a weekday morning. I'd gone to the eye doctor and I was just giving my eyes time to adjust before driving home. (Any excuse to go to a bookstore, right?) I was wandering around a table of books near the registers when I thought, Wouldn't it be funny if SK was here today? Ha ha.  (I know this next part is going to sound hokey but I'm telling you, it's true.) I looked up and there he was. Just like a regular person, he was getting on line, a few books in hand.

I froze. Then, I panicked. Should I run back and get a book for him to sign? But what if I don't have time and I miss him? Ack! And I don't want to make a scene, cause a crowd to surround the man. What if he's in a hurry? What if he's sick of fans accosting him? I don't want to be rude or annoying but I can't let this opportunity pass me by.

I decided to wait by the end of the line, near the doors, so I can say a quick something before he leaves. He's chatting with my friend, P, at the register. She sees me hovering and waves me over but SK is already leaving and I have to do something...

(I'm not sure if this qualifies as a "cliffhanger" but you'll still have to come back on Friday to read Part II and find out what happens. One really obvious hint - I acted like a giant dork.)

The Pigs Are Flying

You know that saying about how "something" will only happen when pigs fly? Well, I don't recall ever actually saying "I'll only read an ebook/read an ebook on my phone when pigs fly..." BUT I'm pretty sure I said something close, if not quite that emphatic.

So, if you saw a swine swoop by outside your window yesterday, it was my fault. I read an ebook. On my phone. (Cue soap opera-like catastrophe music...)

But it gets worse.

I liked it. I liked playing with the brightness and the font size. I liked swiping my finger across the screen to turn the page. It didn't hurt that it was Stephen King's new ebook, "Mile 81" which I probably would've read if it had been written on a roll of paper towels.

Of course, I kept my back to my bookshelves but I could feel all the books' spines straightening in disgust and despair. Their rustling pages whispering, "Traitor!"

Yes, I'm overreacting, I know. It's not the end of the world or my bookshelves or my love of the printed page. It might be the start of a new friendship with the digital word and the ease and immediacy of having a new story/book at my finger tips. It's definitely the beginning of me being careful to "never say never."

Who knew a flying pig could be so pretty?

Favorite Writing Books

In my office, I have two shelves of books about writing. One holds books I've read and consider keepers. The other contains books I haven't read yet. (Guess which one is crammed full?) The subject matters range from inspiration to technique to writing exercises.

I've already talked here and here about Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way but some of my other favorites are On Writing by Stephen King (big surprise, I know) and Writing the Breakout Novel  by Donald Maass (which, obviously, I haven't done yet.) I've also got books by Natalie Goldberg and Heather Sellers and Maeve Binchy, to name a few more.

I know, I know - I should spend more time writing than reading about writing but I think having a handful of go-to books is kind of like having your own little private cheering/inspiring/consoling section. So, how about you? What are your favorite books about writing? (Maybe I have some of them on my to-be-read shelf.) What about those books keeps them on your shelf? And what about other writing resources or writing magazines - any favorites there?

Crying Over a Character - Favorite Teen Read

Literary agent Nathan Bransford posed the question "What was your favorite book as a teenager?" on his blog the other day, and my first thought was THE STAND by Stephen King. And, according to the comments on that post, I wasn't the only one.

I was a voracious reader (then and now!) and loved a lot of what I read, but I think the reason THE STAND stands (ha ha) out for me - besides the fact it's a great story with amazing characters - is because it's the one book I remember clearly where I cried when a main character died. Now, obviously, I had read CHARLOTTE'S WEB and THE OUTSIDERS and others where characters died and I have to believe I cried for them, too, but for some reason it's THE STAND where I clearly remember sobbing when one of the main characters dies. (I don't want to say who, don't want to ruin anything for anyone who hasn't read it!) I thought, "no, he can't be dead, he's a main guy" and flipping back a few pages to see if I missed something. Then, I flipped forward, thought "it's a trick, a dream, it was faked." But no.

To be able to do that to a reader? For a reader?

It's one of the reasons why I write. So I can - hopefully! - do that to, for, another reader, out there, somewhere...

Anyone else want to share a favorite teen read? Or one that struck a chord for you in some way?