Showing posts with label Signings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Signings. Show all posts

Friday, September 13, 2019

Politics, Anyone?


I don't discuss politics when I'm at a signing or asked to speak at an organization. I stay away from giving my opinion about controversial subjects. This is a matter of courtesy to me. People doing me the courtesy of attending an event don't come to be subjected to political tirades.

Politics in these United States have taken a savage turn. Discussions turn mean fast. I suspect that is true for my British Type M'ers over Brexit.

I'm liberal by choice and because I was instilled with fervor for the Democratic party by my father whose family came from the Deep South: Haversham County in Georgia. Politics were discussed passionately and often in the Southerland household.

Nevertheless, I'm not a "Yellow Dog Democrat." This term refers to people who would vote Democrat even if the party's only candidate was an old yellow dog. The phrase was coined after the Civil War during a heated Presidential campaign. I always vote. I'm most likely to be swayed by statements on a candidates website.

It's hard to gather accurate information about issues and personalities in today's world of sound bites. I would love to hear unopinionated news.

I can think for myself, thank you. I want to know what our candidates say and think, without immediate exposure to some political wonk's professional opinion about what a speaker "really" meant.

Friday, June 10, 2016

When Events Go Wrong



A couple of weeks ago I witnessed one of the most glorious examples of how to recover when an event goes astray. My granddaughter was married in Manteo North Carolina and the bride, groom, and the parents had worked hard to create a beautiful outdoor venue. Both grandmothers, the groom’s parents, and most of the groomsmen were bused in from various hotels.

The bride and bridesmaids were preparing in the special event center where we would all go after the ceremony for a dinner with dancing to follow.

We gathered under trees overlooking the bay awaiting the magical moment when the bride and her ladies would emerge. The sea sparkled in the background. Artful arrangements of flowers perfected the fairyland setting. We were moments away from taking our seats.

The weather was perfect. And then it wasn’t. The skies opened.

Both grandmothers, the groom, the mother of the groom, most of the groomsmen, and various other participants were sloshed in a sudden downpour. Not a sprinkle, mind you. A cascade of water. Immediate and devastating.

Safely inside, the bride, the mother-of the bride, and the sheltered members of the wedding immediately flew into high gear. Their hardest task was coaxing the miserable sodden guests to run through sheets of water to the event center. Once inside, the wedding planner announced there would be a slight delay. We were given hair dryers and patted with paper towels. It didn’t help much.

Tables were moved from the center of the floor to form an aisle, the orchestra relocated to a balcony, a staging area created, and the bride processed between columns of joyful (standing) friends. What a splendid predictor of happiness in the marriage!!! Adjustment was immediate, in tandem, and victory created when the afternoon could have culminated in tears, tantrums, and an ugly melt-down.

Handling events gone wrong is one of the most difficult lessons I’ve had to learn in a writing career. It’s especially disheartening to set up a signing, arrive and learn the store owner has not ordered books, or the books are there but the people aren’t. Anticipated fans all went fishing or something.

I wonder how many pages I would need to list all the things that have gone wrong in my writing career. Many more would be needed to list all the stupid things I’ve said or done. I regret the length of time it’s taken to learn to face adverse events with humor and a sense of perspective. It takes a long, long time to learn how to flip misfortunes into opportunities.

I envy my lovely granddaughter and her splendid husband. They are beginning their marriage with attributes it usually takes a lifetime to acquire.

Friday, October 30, 2015

A Two-Handed Clasp



She's very famous. Wins about every award out there. People line up to buy her books. She's every bookstore's favorite because at a signing she works the room and greets every person there.

When she shakes hands with her adoring fans, she uses a two-handed clasp.

And just what does she mean by that? Warmth? Comradery? Is she conveying caring? There's no doubt in my mind she genuinely is happy to see each person she greets and her very personal handshake expresses gratitude.

But as to us lessor lights, I think a two-handed clasp can convey a different message especially in ordinary situations. To me a two-handed clasp by someone I'm meeting for the first time in a non-writerly setting conveys insincerity. I'm immediately wary. I back away from overly familiar people.

Body language is a minefield for mystery writers. Never mind delving into countries outside the United States. That's too exhausting to think about.

Even tip-toeing through the nuances in the good 'ol USA can be tricky because there are also regional customs that can trip us up.

He said, she said, can be dreadfully boring. Dialogue broken up by description of what characters are doing provides context and also projects an imagine. When someone other than our protagonist is speaking in a scene, what is our protagonist doing? Are her hands at rest? Does she listen intently? Does she squirm in the chair. Drum her fingers? Twist her hair? We convey a lot without saying a word.

One of the clearest and most annoying signals of insincerity to me in "mixing" situations is for someone to look me intently in the eyes as through they are listening and then look over my shoulder at someone else. Several times. It's time to move on.

There are a jillion books out there on reading body language. I'm thinking hard about improving character tags and spiffing up personalities. TV is a great resource. I try to pay attention to the facial expressions of the best actors. Trying to describe the set of jaw, the lines of their faces, their eyes, is wonderful practice.

I don't think we have study all this very hard. We know how we feel about body language. Our interpretation is usually accurate without having to think about it.

It's describing it that's the pits.