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Brenda
Janowitz
On
Wednesday, we were happy to welcome
Brenda Janowitz, author of Scott on the
Rocks!
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Twilight:
Welcome everyone!
BrendaJ:
hi everybody!
Acolyte Sleepy Maggie:
*waves to ghosties*
Twilight:
Brenda is an author who also teaches
writing and we are absolutely
delighted to have her here in DS to talk
to everyone
Acolyte Sleepy Maggie:
are!
Twilight:
The way we will be handling this
Brenda, the floor is all yours!
BrendaJ:
im so thrilled to be here tonite!
i absolutely love vzones!
im here tonite to talk about the world of
publishing and my first novel, SCOT ON
THE ROCKS
(How I survived my ex-boyfriend's wedding
with my dignity ever so slightly intact)
and id love to start with a little
reading from my first novel!so here goes:
You know that feeling you get when
everything seems to be right with the
world?
When the planets seem to be in alignment?
One of those days when you’re
actually running on time, your apartment
is (relatively) clean, and you
haven’t gotten That was exactly how
I felt as I walked up the steps to
Trip’s wedding. into an argument
with your mother/ best friend/ boss/
therapist in at least a week?
I was wearing an impossibly sexy vintage
Halston dress (if only two sizes too
small) and brand new stiletto heels (that
I When I told my mother that I was going
to Trip’s wedding, she said,
“Trip’s wedding? Trip
who?” (As if Jewish girls from to
gocould almost even walk in), flanked on
either side by my two best friends.
Nothing could go wrong.
to that?” Long Island know that many
men named Trip.) “Trip from law
school Trip? What woman, in her right
mind, would want Vanessa, my best friend
from law school, initially RSVP’d
‘no’ to the wedding, since she
assumed that I wouldn’t want to
attend.
When she found out that I wanted to go,
she later called Trip to tell him that
her “big case” had settled and
that she and “wanted to her husband,
Marcus, would be there—but not
before asking me approximately four
hundred and seventy-two times if I about
it?”And when I told the partner I
worked for at my firm that I would be out
of town for a four day weekend to take my
boyfriend to talk a
L.A. to go to Trip’s wedding, even
he asked me, “Why the hell would you
want to do that?”
I could have sworn that I even saw my
therapist look at me sideways when I told
her that I was going to my
ex-boyfriend’s wedding.
Okay, so I understand that this
isn’t exactly your typical
“girl goes to wedding” kind of
situation. But, just because Trip is or
am more nervous about this wedding, or
that this wedding is any different from
any other wedding in any way at all! And
Tripmy ex-boyfriend from law school,
don’t take that to mean that I care
more about this wedding or
is just another friend of mine. Because
it’s not. Trip’s wedding is
just another wedding.
Even if he is my ex-boyfriend.
BrendaJ: What’s an ex-boyfriend
anyway? Everyone has an ex-boyfriend.
Everyone.
I mean, even some lesbians I know have
them.
Nothing special about them, right? I
don’t care any more or less about
him just because he’s my
ex-boyfriend. He’s just I barely
ever think about him and how he may or
may not have been my last chance at
happiness in this cruel and unforgiving a
person. And staying friends with your ex
is a piece of cake.
world.
Really.
I have the satisfaction of having a great
career and a great independent life
filled with fabulous friends and, of
course, touch with friendeven more
fabulous shoes. I am such a woman of the
new millennium that I can go work a full
ten hour day, keep in friends through
email, do a few errands on the way to
meet my friends for dinner, and then go
meet cute guys over martinis at
the bar after I eat. All in three and a
half inch heels.
I am such a woman of the millennium that
I can do anything, even things that
previous generations would have thought
completely impossible—Betty Friedan
be damned! I can even stay friends with
an ex-boyfriend.
So, there you have it- an excerpt from my
debut novel: SCOT ON THE ROCKS.
Acolyte Painter
Mysstwalker:
this sooooo sounds like me lol
BrendaJ:
LOL- Yes, please go order it asap!
Acolyte Painter
Mysstwalker:
except for the part of the heels, I would
be in crawling mode
Acolyte Sleepy Maggie:
lol
Acolyte Painter
Mysstwalker:
OK, Maggie, do you have member questions
for her?
Acolyte Sleepy Maggie:
I just want everyone to know that I
personally have NEVER made a fool of
MYself over a fella
Acolyte Painter
Mysstwalker:
*cough*
BrendaJ:
Oh, God, I have!!!
Acolyte Sleepy Maggie:
How do writers find artists to illustrat
their works or make the covers?
BrendaJ:
thats a great question!
actually, most publishers have art
departments that do that for you
so, while you get to pitch ideas,
ultimately there are experts there who
really do it all for you!
its great bc they do market research and
the like to really develop a killer cover
for you
Acolyte Sleepy Maggie:
Do you think if you stay here in
DreamScape long enough,
you would find material for your next
book?
BrendaJ:
thanks so much! i was really happy with
how my cover turned out!
oh yes, definitely!!!
you truly can get inspiration from
anywhere
Acolyte Sleepy Maggie:
How did you go about publishing a book?
What steps are needed?
BrendaJ:
its just about that germ of an idea....
and then developing it into something
more!
the first thing you need to do is write
the whole thing
yup, all 300 pages!
(dont hate me for saying that!)
so, id suggest taking a writing class to
help you out
after you finish the book, you then need
to find an agent
basically, you get a guidebook and
research agents
Acolyte Painter
Mysstwalker:
thats the part im curious about
BrendaJ:
you can also do internet research
and mediabistro.com, where i teach,
offers articles about different agencies
then you just start querying and cross
those fingers!
your agent does the rest for you- she
finds the publisher and makes the book
deal.
Acolyte Painter
Mysstwalker: that will come in handy
that has to be so exciting when they call
and say they have a buyer for your book
BrendaJ:
yes, mediabistro.com is a GREAT resource
for writers
any guidebook is good-- i used writers
market, but i hear jeff hermans guide is
good, too.
when i got that call, i was in total
disbelief!!!
Acolyte Sleepy Maggie:
I used to read the Writers Market back
when I had Big Dreams - it IS good
I am hoping a call like that will be in
my future
BrendaJ: writers digest magazine is
great, too!
i hope so, too!!! just keep at it and
youll get that call!!!
________________________Continue
to Page 2!
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