Nadine Feldman, Author

celebrating strong female characters and whatever else strikes my fancy

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The Edge of the Desert

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With Patchwork and Ornament at the printer, I am revisiting old, dusty projects that have waited patiently for my attention. I have felt the strain of being in a creative desert for some time now, parched and seeing the occasional mirage that comes up empty. Shifting gears is never easy, but while P&O will require some marketing attention, I now have some free time to write again.

Fortunately, I’ve had these droughts enough times that I know what to do with them. First, I pulled The Artist’s Way off the shelf. I have done this frequently over the years, and I find that I often just need to reread the text (as opposed to doing the exercises) to jump-start my writing again.

This time, though, I need a little more help. I’m enlisting Writing the Natural Way by Gabriele Rico, Ph.D. This book is one of many recommended by one of my writing teachers, Karleen Koen, who has authored several wonderful historical fiction novels (and who also teaches a great class, “Something Novel”). In Rico’s book, the emphasis is on “clustering,” or taking a word and free-associating other words with it, then writing something based on those results. For the past few days, I’ve been dipping my toes in the water of Rico’s exercises, and now I would say that both feet are offiicially wet again. When this happens, it’s not long before I am submerged in writing once again.

As a result, I’ve returned to Exodus (I am going to work on another title soon, I promise), and I’m feeling good about working on it. I’ve received my novel evaluation from an editor that I hired, and I’m about to go through it. I have promised myself that October is a month for new creation…I have a novel idea that I want to explore, and I will be in an environment to do just that.

It feels good to be coming back, to wash myself in the waters of creativity. It’s time to get back to the pool and do some splashing!

The Home Stretch – And the Starting Gate

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The 14th is looming…this is the day I’ve selected for uploading the Patchwork and Ornament file to the printer. Until that moment, I will continue to proofread and to make sure the pdf meets their specifications. I’ve learned a lot this week about imbedding color profiles and all kinds of other things I really don’t care to know. I wake in the night thinking about a particular page or essay in the book, thinking of something else I need to change or clarify. This will go on, I’m sure, until the files are uploaded. I’ve been on this path before, and, well, this is how I roll. I will be making changes until the last minute. This is why I have to set timetables for myself, or I would never get anything done.

Nagging in the back of my brain is all the marketing tasks that are already overdue. If you’re going to write, whether or not you use a traditional publisher, you will have the number one responsibility for marketing. Daddy Publisher no longer provides this support. As a member of the Independent Book Publishers Association, I have access to some excellent resources, and I also study the work of Dan Poynter, Peter Bowerman, and John Kremer for guidance. There are endless tips on writing news releases, optimizing websites, maximizing social media, and more.

This is an odd time. On the one hand, I am about to complete a very big project. On the other, it’s really just beginning. I will take a few days to shift gears and regroup once I send the files off…then it’s off again for another run!

Packing the Right Suitcase

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My husband and I love to travel. Because both of us require only a computer keyboard and, in his case, an Internet connection, we have the good fortune to be able to work–and play–in many different locations. This fall we will experiment with a month-long trip to Switzerland and Provence, where we will hike and bike our way throughout the region. Henry will work three days a week, and I will shop in the markets, using my rudimentary French to buy fresh food for cooking…I’ll add here that cooking is, for me, a relaxing activity, especially when I am not loaded up with other tasks.

When I’m rejuvenating in the presence of nature, new ideas spring forth without effort. Almost as soon as I leave Houston, that “still small voice” begins to chatter away like an excited child, and I can barely keep up. Since I’ve been spending my energy almost entirely in book production lately, I welcome the opportunity to experiment with new material, and perhaps spruce up some drafts that I have lying around.

Today, in preparation for the big trip, we are taking a smaller one to Estes Park, Colorado. We have practiced using our new trekking poles and want some real-world practice, away from Houston’s flat, concrete sidewalks. We have thoughtfully equipped our backpacks to account for weather changes and longer hikes. Of course, this means that packing the suitcase is a different experience. Despite my best intentions to pack lightly, all the equipment takes up a lot of room. It meant choosing a different suitcase. It meant taking fewer changes of clothing, with the intention of re-wearing certain items. It took extra time and care to account for these deviations from my typical packing routine.

Each writing project feels a little like that. Patchwork and Ornament has given me the experience of a book containing visual imagery as well as text. When a Grandchild Dies required me to develop interviewing skills. Exodus demands a deeper observation of the inner self. Blood and Loam, my first novel, provides numerous writing lessons, especially “how not to write a novel.”

As I finish packing my suitcase, I find that in the end, it is packed, complete. Ultimately, if I take my time, everything I need will fit comfortably inside. I may feel a bit clumsy at times. I may worry about whether or not I “did it right.” Sometimes I’ll wonder if I can get the darn thing closed, if I can get everything to fit.

Once my suitcase is filled, I can then travel. Each book’s journey provides an opportunity to meet new people, to learn to skills, and to improve confidence. When I wrote When a Grandchild Dies, I had no idea what a unique and special journey I was about to undertake…and I am looking forward to all the future travels.

Theme Songs and Motivation

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Yesterday we found one of NYC’s great bargains: the Fringe Festival of plays and musicals, a massive undertaking involving several venues and a plethora of new and emerging work. We went to see Mom: A Rock Musical by Richard Caliban, one of Henry’s playwriting teachers. For $10, we were enthralled for two hours by the story of a group of moms who form a rock band and find unexpected success, along with the challenges of sudden fame.

As a middle-aged stepmother, the story hit home. It’s so easy to take care of other people and to not nurture our own dreams. I’m getting better, but it’s still a challenge. I find comfort and motivation through music, often in the musicals that we attend in our visits to New York. One of my favorites is “A Way Back to Then” from Title of Show. And, as of yesterday, I have a new song for when I need that extra boost. It’s called “Don’t Hold Back,” from Mom. It’s a tear-jerker, a song about what a middle-aged woman would sing to the five-year-old version of herself if she had the chance.

All of us who create, whether through writing or other arts, have to deal with those days of sinking spells, discouragement, and frustration. A little bit of music, whether it’s heavy metal to shake us out of lethargy, or lullabies to soothe our nerves after a rejection from a publisher, goes a long way to heal wounds.

Printers, Photographers, and Photoshop Gurus

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Some time ago I pondered when and how to let go of a task and allow someone else to do it. I think I’m getting the hang of it! And it only took 50 years! Part of the problem is that I love to learn, and thus sometimes get into the weeds of projects that take me away from my primary purpose.

This time around, I caught myself after viewing a photograph, before and after it had been worked on by a Photoshop guru. Given that Patchwork and Ornament is full of color photographs (images of artwork, travel, and family), this particular photo caught my attention. It was a picture of a little boy next to someone dressed in a bunny suit. In the after photo, some of bunny’s ears were cut off…and the photo looked great. I never would have crossed such a line. This is when I knew I was out of my league.

My husband, Henry, sensing my panic, swooped in and found a guru on Craigslist who, for a reasonable fee, could remove shadows, lighten dark areas, and brighten colors. All the things I don’t know how to do and don’t have any business learning in this lifetime. We met with her, and I felt instant confidence in her abilities. Moreover, she cares about the project, which is important to me.

Henry also re-shot photographs that I had taken. His equipment and skill level are both well beyond mine.

In less than three weeks, I will send all of this to the printer. I’m confident with my layout–I think I’m doing a darn good job. But it feels good to let work go that someone else knows how to do. My job, I remind myself, is to write, edit, and publish. I’ll have to remind myself again and again, I’m sure, but for today I get it.