Wednesday WOLF - Cathouse

I’m such a big nerd that I tend to look up word origins in my spare time because I'm fascinated by our language. The odder the origin, the better. I've got a collection of random information in my brain that makes me an awesome Trivial Pursuit partner, but is completely useless when it comes to real world application. Like say, job applications.

In any case, I thought I'd share some of this random crap with you in the form of the new acronym-ific series. I give you - Word Origins from Left Field - that's right, the WOLF. Er... ignore the fact that the "from" doesn't fit.

So today I thought I'd tackle the origin of the word "cathouse" as a nickname for a house of prostitution, because, surely there's a great colorful story behind that, right? I found many and sundry an answer to my question, and am a bit unsure of where to attribute the real origin.

My favorite answer combines history and awesomeness because it attributes the term to a story involving the crazy little town of Deadwood, SD. According to the tale, the flourishing business involving ladies of the night also suffered from smaller, less sex-interested mammals who would overrun buildings and... er... distract people. And despite their constant flow of customers, it seems said ladies often felt lonely, so an enterprising businessman thought, "Hey, I'll round up some stray cats and sell them to hookers!" (I'm still waiting for my big money making idea.)

However, the 2nd edition of the Oxford English Dictionary claims that the word "cat" was slang for "prostitute"as early as 1401, when it was used as such in the Middle English poem, Friar Daw's Reply. I'll add that the usage in this poem is somewhat debatable.

I found a more likely culprit in the pages of Folk-Etymology: A Dictionary of Verbal Corruptions or Words Perverted In Form or Meaning, by False Derivation or Mistaken Analogy by Abram Smythe Palmer. It seems the word "cat-house" was the term for an old species of battering ram, originally pronounced "cattus" because of its "crafty approach to the walls."

So, er, with all the battering ram and crafty approaching of walls imagery, I'm a little more likely to go for that last explanation, though I love me a good Deadwood story!

What's your favorite word origin? Tell me, or ask one you've always been curious about - I'll do my best to find the answer and get back to you in a future WOLF!

Artistic Cross Training With Hilary Graham

In the course of my internet wanderings I came across Hilary Graham, a screenwriter turned YA author whose artistic journey fit in so perfectly with our philosophy here at From the Write Angle that I thought I might relocate an SAT to my second blogging home.

Hilary Weisman Graham is a screenwriter, novelist, and director whose work spans nearly two decades. Her debut young adult novel, REUNITED (Simon & Schuster), is due out in June 2012.

Hilary's essays have appeared in The Sun, Utne Reader, and Imagine Magazine. An Emmy-nominated television producer, her broadcast credits include WMUR's Chronicle, the nationally syndicated television show Wild Web (CBS/Eyemark), as well as freelance work for The Discovery Health Channel, Access Hollywood, A&E's Biography, and PBS's Zoom.

In the summer of 2007, Hilary was selected as a contestant on the Mark Burnett/Steven Spielberg produced reality series On the Lot: The Search for America's Next Great Director. Out of a pool of 12,000 submissions, Hilary made it onto the show as one of the eighteen finalists and stayed in the competition until only nine contestants remained, making her the longest-standing female director.

What skills do you find come in useful in both screenwriting and novel writing?

One of my most prized skills as a writer is my ability to allow myself to write crappy first drafts. It took me YEARS to learn to do this, but it's really an invaluable part of my process. RARELY do I get it right the first time. As in basically never. So it's nice to be able to let myself off the hook for getting it wrong and so I can give myself the space I need to work it out in rewrites.

I am also a very disciplined writer, a skill that gives me the benefit of creating lots of new material (and occasionally gets in the way of my self-care). i.e, there are times my writing (and my sanity) would probably be better served by stepping AWAY from the computer and going to yoga class. ;)

Are you a Planner or Pantster? Do you find that you use the same approach in both screenwriting and novel writing?

I'm a Planner with Pantster tendencies. I ALWAYS outline my fiction, though in the past, I have written screenplays without outlines. As I've matured as a writer, I've learned that it's crucial for me to know where I'm going plot-wise before delving into a screenplay or a novel. That being said, I view my outlines as malleable things and use them with the assumption that there will be changes. A strong structure also gives me freedom to explore my characters and plot without worrying that I might go off the rails. Some of the best moments in my work are the result of discoveries I've made along the way.

Do you work on one project at a time, or are you a multitasker? Do you tend to focus on screenwriting all at one time, then novel-length works? Or do you mish-mash?

In a perfect world I'd focus on one project at a time, but since this is reality (sigh) I've learned to live as a multitasker. Luckily, I do it quite well. Of course, there are stretches of time when I'll only work on my book, or a screenplay, and I feel that's the ideal way to work. However, there have been weeks when I've juggled my book, a screenplay, a treatment for a TV show, AND a pitch for a new screenplay. And yes, it was exhausting as it sounds. But if I can get myself into the right frame of mind, it can actually be creatively stimulating to have multiple storylines rolling around in my head, and sometimes, if I'm lucky, the various plots and characters end up informing each other. Though I might not be the most pleasant person to be around when I've got four different projects in my brain. ;) And I will say that in the screenwriting world, it pays to be a multitasker since the ability to generate new material is so important.

Have you ever quit on a project, and how did you know it was time?

I have a really hard time letting go of a project and I almost never do it. In fact, the only project I can recall giving up on is a recent effort to make a video trailer for a completed script I've written. I wanted the video to be hilarious and have the potential to go viral, but it just wasn't gelling. So I tossed it aside and I haven't looked back.

But typically, I'd rather work myself to the bone to try and fix something I care about and make it great than to give up on it. However, there are TONS of ideas in my filing cabinet that will never even get off the ground, because the concepts don't seem appealing to me anymore, or because they fail to excite me in the way they (presumably) did once. But even then, I still can't bear to throw ANYTHING away.

Who is your agent and how did you get that "Yes!" out of them? Did you consciously choose an agent who repped both screenwriting and novels?

I signed with my amazing manager—Seth Jaret of Jaret Entertainment—after I was on the FOX reality show ON THE LOT: THE SEARCH FOR AMERICA'S NEXT GREAT DIRECTOR (which aired on FOX the summer of 2007 and was produced by Mark Burnett/Steven Spielberg). Seth represents my screenwriting efforts and he hooked me up with my book agent, Steve Malk at Writer's House. I think Steve and Seth share quite a few screenwriter/YA novelist clients.

How much of your own marketing do you?

It's funny you should ask because I'm doing it all right now! My website (which currently only details my film career) should be updated in the next couple of weeks. I also have a brand spankin' new blog, an Author Page on Facebook, I'm on YouTube, and of course, I'm on Twitter.

As REUNITED's release date gets closer (June, 2012), I'm planning to do a HUGE online campaign to promote interest in the book. I've already shot a killer BOOK TRAILER (since I'm a filmmaker, too) and it will be released as soon as the book's available for sale. (But watch for teasers on my YouTube page & Blog.) And as June 2012 gets closer, I plan to start doing contests and giveaways on my blog on my blog as well as creating a big web presence for the band in the book, Level3.

Because REUNITED focuses so heavily on music (it's the story of three ex-best friends on a cross-country road trip to see their old favorite band, Level3, in concert) I figured there was a huge opportunity to promote REUNITED using Level3's music.

A professionally produced version of Level3's hit single “Parade” is already in the works! This song will be available for download on my website (for free) and possibly even in the e-book version.

I'm really hoping to attract a following for the band, and Level3 Myspace and Facebook pages should be live within the next few weeks.

When do you build your platform? After an agent? Or should you be working before?

Hmmm. I'm not sure I know the answer to this one. I think these days, it never hurts to “brand” yourself if you've got something to sell.

Do you think social media helps build your readership?

Gosh, after all I'm planning to do, I sure hope so. ;) But going to the Book Bloggers Convention in NYC this past May meeting so many wonderful bloggers really helped me understand the power the internet has to foster a book's success. And on a personal level, I'm really looking forward to being able to connect with my readers online.

Do you have other artistic outlets that help inspire your writing? What are they?

Blogging with Steph, Who Is Maybe Genius

In the course of internet wanderings though, I’ve ran across a lot of really awesome people, and culled an enormous amount of information from blogs. As I raided my brain – yes, I picture myself on the prow of a Viking ship, approaching my own gray matter – for more people I’d like to interview, it repeatedly offered up names of bloggers. And so, my readers, I give you the third series; Bloggers of Awesome. Yeah, it’s the BOA.

Today's guest is S.E. Sinkhorn, who writes both speculative and contemporary YA fiction, and was the 2010 runner-up for the Katherine Paterson Prize for YA & Children’s Writing. She loves cyborgs, alternate universes, wily heroines, and cookies.

So you run an excellent blog over at Maybe Genius. What made you decide to take the approach you do on your blog?

Thank you! I started out as your usual writer-who-wanted-to-record-her-journey about two years ago. From my own daily writing musings, it evolved into crafting tips and publishing news, as these things tend to do. About a year ago, I decided to turn my focus over to YA literature, because it’s what I write and what I’m passionate about. I wanted to create a space where “mind meets heart.” I believe young adult literature can be so powerful, so important, and so GOOD. I wanted to stay away from jumping on trends and “cashing in” on the YA craze and focus more on building strong, well-crafted stories.

I know a lot of aspiring writers who are intimidated by the idea of blogging.  They want to, but they are worried it will cut into their (already precious) writing time.  You're a prolific blogger - how do you recommend one be both a successful blogger and writer?

Plan ahead, heh. I keep a long list of possible topics. That way, I always have a subject to turn to when it’s time to write a post. I only blog three days a week. I keep my posts fairly short – I can usually bang out 500-1000 word posts in about an hour. If time’s really tight, I write posts ahead of time (usually on weekends) and schedule them. It’s also 100% okay to give yourself time off. I just took a month-long hiatus so I could finish my current draft. It dips your readership, sure, but your writing comes first. Even more important: only blog if you really enjoy it. If it’s a chore, don’t do it. Write.

It looks like you’re a big reader - do you set aside time for that?

Definitely. I am completely behind the idea that you must read to be a writer. It’s important to me to know what’s currently out there in YA lit, so I make time for it. It’s not all I read, but it makes up the bulk of my reading habit. I’m also constantly in search of the diamonds in the rough, and you can’t find them unless you look.

Do you think blogging is a helpful self-marketing tool?

Tough question. Yes and no, because it depends on how you use it. I blog for writers. Writers will certainly be interested in any book I put out, but they’re not my target audience. I don’t think blogs really work as “marketing” unless you’re targeting the people who will buy your book. I definitely think successful blogs increase sales, but as to how much, I couldn’t say. If I find an agent and sell my current manuscript (*fingers crossed*), I may toy with the idea of creating a second, more targeted blog.

What other websites / resources can you recommend for writers?

Oh, tons:

Agent Mary Kole's Blog
Nathan Bransford's Site
Absolute Write
Publisher's Marketplace
Shelf Awareness
SCBWI
Duotrope
QueryTracker

On Writing by Stephen King
Writing the Breakout Novel (and workbook) by Donald Maas

How’s that for recommendations? :D

What is your genre, and what led you to it? Does your genre influence the style of your blog?

I write Speculative and Contemporary fiction for young adults, and yes, it absolutely influences the style and content of my blog. It’s the main focus, really :)

Any words of inspiration for aspiring writers?

All the usual advice about writing what you love and screw the trends and all that, but also: don’t sacrifice (or straight-up refuse to learn) craft because you think rules are for squares or something. Don’t. It doesn’t matter how amazing or original your idea is if you can’t skillfully transfer it to the page. Yes, successful authors break rules all the time. They also know what they’re doing. Be careful not to confuse “breaking the rules” with “it’s too much work to learn them, so I won’t.”