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Introducing CRAZY by Linda Phillips- Part II

carolbaldwin

Last week Linda Phillips shared the backstory behind her debut novel, Crazy. As Linda’s close friend, one thing I have witnessed is how much she has learned and how she has not taken any part of this journey for granted. In this second post, she shares more of her insights.



After the initial excitement of signing with Eerdmans died
down, patience part two was required
with the dog of all dogs: revisions.  But
I have to confess that I learned a ton about my own writing through that
process.  

Here are just a few of my
takeaways: 
  • One of the things I do best is repeat myself, especially if it has
    an emotional valence.
  • I rarely place the relevant pronoun immediately after its
    antecedent.
  • A large cast of minor characters is like trying to find a missing
    cat in dense fog.
  • There is such a thing as tragedy overload.
  • A little slang
    goes a long ways.
  • If you are writing about a specific year in time, be sure
    you research the etymology of words relevant to that year (how shocked I was to
    find that 1963 was not a “groovy” year).
  • If it serves no useful purpose, trash
    it.
  • Give your protagonist a spectacularly unique personality and then, like
    a good parent, make sure she remains true to character throughout.

Last but not least, I think I am beginning to learn not to take myself or my writing too
seriously.  (hold me to this when the
reviews start rolling in!)  This part I
can do only with God’s help.  The writing
life is such a roller coaster ride and I am admittedly already a roller-coaster
personality type.  There has been and
will continue to be many nail-biting, hair-splitting moments, and many with
positive outcomes.  But I have had
occasion already to remind myself that “this is just a book” and there is life
beyond these words and pages that I have poured so much of myself into.  
So my learning curve right now includes seeking a balanced
life that includes quality family time, good health, and continued writing
success.  Repeat after me:  This is not life and death, it is just a book. 

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Here’s a video of Linda reading “Nervous Breakdown” one of the poems from the book. You get one guess as to the name of her videographer and the beautiful setting in which it was “filmed”!
If you think Linda is sitting around twiddling her thumbs until her book comes out in October, then you’re wrong. She’s offering writing workshops and working on her next book about a teen struggling to understand the impact of Batten’s Disease on her sibling. 

Remember, one of the ways we all can support new authors is by pre-ordering their books. Linda and Eerdmans will appreciate your interest in her book even before its October release date!

Published by carolbaldwin

Carol enjoys teaching writing and has presented at many educators' and writing conferences. She has published widely in newspapers and magazines and along with Rebecca Wheeler, co-publishes Talking Story, a newsletter for educators and media specialists. When she isn’t reading, writing, or blogging, you’ll find her walking with friends, golfing, or gardening.

38 thoughts on “Introducing CRAZY by Linda Phillips- Part II”

  3. Thanks for dropping in Barbara. I'm chuckling about “emotional valence” because I guess I have “taken it for granted” that others were familiar with this term that I have often used without thinking about it!

    Reply

  4. Emotional Valence is also new to me.This is not life or death. It's just a book. Oh, yeah, well it's killing me!I'm curious about the pronoun and the antecedent. Is this a writing style thing? Want to give me an example from the book?

    Reply

  9. I can't think of an exact example from the book about pronouns and antecedents, but it goes something like this. I might be talking about Joyce and Carol in a sentence and then in the next sentence I say “she said” but leave everyone hanging as to whether the antecedent is Joyce or Carol. I'm not an English teacher so let me know if this isn't clear, ha! All I know is I do it all the time (according to my wonderful editor).

    Reply

  11. Linda, So exciting to hear about your adventures with revision. I am also trying to balance by writing time and my family life. With so many deadlines I get overwhelmed with getting it all done! Can't wait to read Crazy!!

    Reply

  12. Thanks for sharing, Linda! I never heard of emotional valence either. And yes, I totally agree about trying to keep all the roller coaster ups and downs of this process in perspective. So looking forward to reading your book! Miriam

    Reply

  14. Thanks for your kind comments Sheri and Miriam. Here's hoping we can all keep a good perspective and balance in our writing life versus “the rest of our life.” I think with some focused effort, we can do it!

    Reply

  18. Congratulations Linda! and thank you for sharing your advice-and thank you Carol, I always learn something new when I read your blog!

    Reply

  22. Thanks for dropping in Barbara. I'm chuckling about “emotional valence” because I guess I have “taken it for granted” that others were familiar with this term that I have often used without thinking about it!

    Reply

  23. Emotional Valence is also new to me.This is not life or death. It's just a book. Oh, yeah, well it's killing me!I'm curious about the pronoun and the antecedent. Is this a writing style thing? Want to give me an example from the book?

    Reply

  28. I can't think of an exact example from the book about pronouns and antecedents, but it goes something like this. I might be talking about Joyce and Carol in a sentence and then in the next sentence I say “she said” but leave everyone hanging as to whether the antecedent is Joyce or Carol. I'm not an English teacher so let me know if this isn't clear, ha! All I know is I do it all the time (according to my wonderful editor).

    Reply

  30. Linda, So exciting to hear about your adventures with revision. I am also trying to balance by writing time and my family life. With so many deadlines I get overwhelmed with getting it all done! Can't wait to read Crazy!!

    Reply

  31. Thanks for sharing, Linda! I never heard of emotional valence either. And yes, I totally agree about trying to keep all the roller coaster ups and downs of this process in perspective. So looking forward to reading your book! Miriam

    Reply

  33. Thanks for your kind comments Sheri and Miriam. Here's hoping we can all keep a good perspective and balance in our writing life versus “the rest of our life.” I think with some focused effort, we can do it!

    Reply

  37. Congratulations Linda! and thank you for sharing your advice-and thank you Carol, I always learn something new when I read your blog!

    Reply

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