GCC: Ellen Meister and reading out loud

First I have to apologize. I know I’ve fallen off the face of the Earth recently. There’s a lot of stuff going on chez Diana, and the blog lost out. Also, due to a variety of fun circumstances (I love modern travel!), I am not currently in possession of the signed copies of Julie’s books, but the nice people at UPS tracking tell me I should have them shortly, so I can at last send them out.

I’m also behind on my blog tour. When I left town on September first, I had no idea that I would be gone so long, nor that I would be so incredibly wiped from my recent writing marathon. Let this be a lesson to myself — never cut a deadline so close again.

Okay. So today we have the GCC tour of Ellen Meister, whose book, Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA, is making a big splash in both printed and audio book form! Here’s the gist:

When a Hollywood location scout comes to Applewood, Long Island and announces that the local elementary school might make the perfect backdrop for an upcoming George Clooney movie, the PTA’s decorum crumbles like a cookie from last week’s bake sale.

Enter Maddie, Ruth and Lisa, three women who become the glue that holds the project together…and wind up forming a bond of friendship stronger than anyone had imagined.

A good thing, too, because each of them is about to come apart. Maddie Schein, an ex-lawyer trying as hard to fit in as she is to save her marriage, gets knocked off balance by Jack Rose, an old college friend hell bent on seducing her. Ruth Moss—rich, sexy and outspoken—has more to give and less to enjoy than most people think. Indeed, since her husband’s stroke left him embarrassingly uninhibited yet completely impotent, she’s more of a caretaker than a wife. And modest Lisa Slotnick, a loving parent who wants nothing more than to fade into the scenery as she tends to her children, must deal with the humiliation of being thrust before the spotlight by her scandalous, alcoholic mother.

When these three get together, a powerful alliance is forged. But is it strong enough to overcome the obstacles to getting the movie made in their town? And will their friendship be enough to mend their hearts and homes? Join them as they reach for the stars…and try to pull off a Hollywood ending of their own.

Here’s what people are saying:

“Meister’s debut novel is heartbreakingly funny, her characters facing life’s dramas and disappointments head on with wit and spunk.” — Library Journal, starred review

“With sexy characters, sharp dialogue, and snappy pacing, Meister’s sassy, saucy debut novel could well turn into a movie of its own.” — Booklist

“Three conflicted housewives in Applewood, Long Island, long for something more fulfilling than what their families and their membership in the local PTA offer…. helping each other realize their dreams. Comical yet poignant…” — Kirkus Reviews

Want to hear more? Check out excerpts of the book as read by none other than Lisa Kudrow, who says of the experience, “The best time I’ve had in years. Ellen Meister’s characters are so funny, smart, and real, I feel like I’ve made three new friends!”
____________________

This last bit is really interesting to me. I only know a few people who have had audio versions done of their books, or even excerpts of their books. Ellen is one, and Ally Carter also records herself reading first chapters for her MySpace page. I think Lauren Barnholdt did it as well. I know a lot of people who swear by books on tape. I’ve listened to some on occasion, usually when I’m given them as presents or need to put something on as “background noise” while I’m packing or driving across the country. I always, always enjoy them, but I’d rather have a book. Not sure why. It might be because audio books tend to be so expensive, but I think I just have a very tactile relationship with books. If a book is available electronically or POD, even if POD is heaps more expensive, I buy it like that. I like books. I like holding them, turning the pages, etc.

I’ve never recorded myself reading my books. Personally, I hated the one time I had to read out loud to an audience. I’d rather let a talented actress like Lisa Kudrow handle that sort of thing. I can’t figure out why I’m so scared by the idea. After all, once upon a time, I did act and sing and generally perform in public. Maybe it’s because, unlike, say, Jim Dale, I can’t do hundreds of voices at a stretch. When I was practicing for my reading, I was thinking I was going to do the Interview scene from Chapter One of SSG, until it occurred to me that there was no way people would be able to tell when Amy was speaking out loud and when she was snarking off in her head, and moreover, would be hard pressed to tell who was Poe, who was Malcolm, and who was Amy. (You guys DO know that’s who the people talking in the scene were, right? Because I got a weird question the other day about who the “Shadow Who Smiles” was and I figured it was pretty obvious.) So instead I read the scene where Amy gets her Tap Letter and Lydia kicks Brandon out of the suite, etc. Much less dialogue to worry about.

After the reading, some of the attendees came up and said I should to my own books on tape. I think they’re nuts. I can never make the books sound like they do in my head. I always pull back. I think that might be the problem. I can hear the difference between what I’m capable of and what a real actor would be capable of and it makes me self-conscious. It’s the same reason I don’t sing in the shower much anymore. I was hanging out with someone (names and relation to me redacted because she’d be so embarrassed if she found out I was talking about her on my blog) and she sings ALL THE TIME. In her apartment, in the car, in the shower, in the taxicab we took together (which totally drowned out the conspiracy theory talk radio the driver had blasting). It was awesome. When did I stop doing that?

Several writers I know swear by reading their work out loud. Scott Westerfeld and Justine Larbalestier read all their work out loud to one another, and they have also done no small amount of public readings. Tim Dorsey recently told my RWA chapter that he reads his drafts out loud, alone, in a room. (Apparently he’s scared his wife awake in the middle of the night if he’s reading a particularly gruesome or suspenseful scene.) I’ve started reading scenes out loud. It’s a great way to hear if your rhythms are off or if a sentence clunks. I tend to write by ear anyway (I’ve been known to regularly type homophones into my manuscript in the heat of the moment), so I already have a good idea of what my story “sounds like” — though I have been surprised enough times to think the whole reading out loud (in private!) thing is a good idea.

Ooh, mail! yay, my luggage is here. I can start sending out all those massively belated prizes! Catch y’all later.