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Q&A with Lydia Netzer, author of Shine Shine Shine

“This is the story of an astronaut who was lost in space, and the wife he left behind. . . . This is the story of the human race, who pushed one crazy little splinter of metal and a few pulsing cells up into the vast dark reaches of the universe, in the hope that the splinter would hit something and stick, and that the little pulsing cells could somehow survive.” ~ from Shine Shine Shine

Sometimes, it is in moments of distress that everything becomes clear. We see the truth in ourselves and in those around us. We risk showing that truth to others, and we find strange peace.

In Lydia Netzer’s debut novel, Shine Shine Shine, Maxon Mann is a scientist with Asberger’s, sitting on a rocket en route to the moon. His wife, Sunny, is a woman with alopecia, who hides herself behind several different wigs. When a meteor strikes Maxon’s rocket and threatens to send him and his fellow astronauts careening through space, Maxon and Sunny both search their pasts for bits and pieces that will save them. Maxon uncovers the core of his humanity; Sunny discovers that leaving her wigs behind relieves her of more than the physical weight of her long, blonde, fake hair. Throughout the novel, it is the simplicity of love between complicated individuals that yields the most power in the story. Here’s what Liesl Schillinger says about Shine Shine Shine:

[Netzer] slowly assembles a multitude of pinpoint insights that converge to form a glimmering constellation: the singularity of the miraculous machinery of the human organism.

I’m honored to host Lydia Netzer today, and thrilled to be giving away a copy of her novel. Leave your name in the comments (it’s that easy) to enter the giveaway. Random.org will choose the winner on Tuesday, October 16th, at noon.

And now, welcome Lydia!

CC: One scene in your novel that I particularly love is when Maxon realizes, moments before he proposes to Sunny, how deeply he has grown to know her and love her: “her movements, yes, and her physical shape. He recognized the tone of her voice and he noted persistent mannerisms and favorite vocabulary. . . . But what he realized, looking at her there splashing in the water, making a star with her body and then contracting down to do a somersault, was that he really recognized her, down inside. He knew that, if the planet was spun like a top, and stopped suddenly, and he was asked to point her out, that he could do it.” To drop in a quote here may not give the scene justice, but I couldn’t resist. I read that part several times over. Are you partial to a specific scene or chapter, one that stuck with you long after you finished the book?

LN: The scene that I feel the most happy about and also sad about is probably the scene where Sunny and Maxon are showing their signs to each other, when Maxon is in space and Sunny is watching him on a monitor at NASA. I wanted to give them a way to communicate that made sense to both of them, and would bring them closure, and resolve their discord. Probably if I tried to describe the scene to someone who hadn’t read the book, and said “They were looking at each other in web cams, and then they wrote notes to each other, and stuck them on their bodies,” it would sound a little bizarre… and like something that couldn’t be that emotional. It’s my hope that in opening them up throughout the book in different ways, I have brought you to a point, by the time that scene comes in, that you can understand what they’re saying to each other from the inside of their relationship.

The worst scene to write was when she takes her mother off life support.

The easiest to write was the scene at the neighborhood craft party, when Les Weathers makes an appearance.

CC: I do love that scene with the signs, and I think it’s perfect the way it unfolds.

Throughout the story, Maxon writes algorithms or explanations in computer speak that help him translate how he should interact with others and what he should say in certain circumstances. All those IF THEN statements and ending tags and brackets, I love it! We could all use such scripted lessons at times, and so much of Maxon’s character is revealed in this way. What inspired this idea, to give the reader that kind of visual insight in the workings of Maxon’s mind?

LN: Since I became a parent myself, I’ve become so aware of how many of our interactions are rituals — learned responses to a very small set of situations that occur in daily life. How are you? I am fine. How was your weekend? It was great. We might as *well* be robots, wheeling around, bumping into each other and powering up the appropriate green light so it can flash an answering sequence to the other robots’ green lights.

Teaching a child manners, learning the ins and outs of a new job, surviving a first date, going to church, working out, we respond to input with well-defined outputs, and in training a human to cope with these situations, you find it’s not that much different from programming a robot. The amount of time we spend actually generating some heartfelt interaction with new ways of saying things that we’re inventing on the spot? Probably close to zero percent, given the span of our lives.

It’s very hard for an autistic person to interpret intentions, to understand inflections. And it’s hard for autistic people to mimic nuanced language, and facial expressions. However, it’s possible for a high functioning autistic person, or someone with Asperger’s Syndrome or Hyperlexia, to learn enough “cheat codes” that they can pass in most situations. It’s not always necessary to understand someone, if you appear to understand them. It’s not always necessary to love someone, if you can appear to love them. Thinking about these questions really led me to evaluate how children are socialized, how adults behave, and what is the real difference between a human brain and sophisticated AI?

CC: In this Q&A on Kristin Bair O’Keeffe’s blog, Writerhead, you say, “When I pack for a writing retreat, I need certain smells: Crabtree & Evelyn ‘West Indian Lime,’ Viktor & Rolf ‘Flowerbomb,’ Thierry Mugler ‘Angel.’ Also Vick’s Vapor Rub, grapefruit shampoo, and rosemary. When I was writing Shine, Shine, Shine, the smell of…bergamot helped me think about Sunny and Maxon’s burgeoning love affair.” Do scents still play a part in your writing ritual?

LN: Absolutely. I’m currently writing a story in which one of the mother characters uses lavender scent to mask the smell of alcohol, so that her whole house and everything connected to her is constantly reeking of lavender. Her daughter, in contrast, is lemons.

CC: What are you reading these days?

LN: Right now I’m reading Gods without Men by Hari Kunzru, Zombie by J.R. Angelella, Gilgamesh the King by Robert Silverberg. I’m reading Flatscreen by Adam Wilson and Girlchild by Tupelo Hassman to prepare for our panel at Nashville’s Southern Festival of the Book. And I’m reading a couple more things: Patriots by David Frum and Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen by Susan Gregg Gilmore. I like to have as many books going at once as I can. I’m too hungry a reader to only have one thing on my plate.

CC: What advice can you offer writers on the rise?

LN: Never give up and never quit. Find the story that’s most important in the world for you to tell, and then grab onto it and don’t give up on it ever. When it seems like telling it has gotten too hard, know that you’re doing it right. It’s worth it.

Don’t push your difficult material away by putting your best scenes in summary, in flashbacks, in distant characters’ lives, or locked inside the brains of dead people or children. Don’t smooth over ugliness, don’t skirt around violence or close the curtains on sex. Your difficult material is your best material. Stuff that’s easy to read and write doesn’t matter much. Tear off as many layers as you can between your reader and what really matters, give them all the information you can give them as honestly as you can give it to them, and as soon.

Push every button on the control panel. Don’t hold back. If there’s a way to do it harder, do it. If there’s a choice that’s going to push it farther, make it. This means uncomfortable, personal, honest introspection and a willingness to reach into your own brain, or heart, or soul if you have one, and pull out your secrets.

~

I’m Lydia Netzer, and my first novel, Shine Shine Shine, is a People Magazine “People Pick,” an IndieBound Next Pick, the Amazon Spotlight Book for July, and is available now! I’m a nerd, a mom, an electric guitar player, and I want to make you lunch.

~

For more on Lydia Netzer or her book, watch the book trailer, check out her website here, follow her on Twitter, or subscribe to her page on Facebook.

Don’t forget to leave your name in the comments for a chance to win a copy of Shine Shine Shine.

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Q&A and Book Giveaway with Author, Yuvi Zalkow

“Even in my real life, I lose track of the plot.”
~ from A Brilliant Novel in the Works

That’s explains it, right, the life of a writer? We search for structure in our stories; we work to uncover the solid theme, running throughout, that will pull all those messy details together. We need to know how it all turns out. We get lost, make mistakes, back up and try again. Sometimes, all that happens on the page; sometimes it’s happening everyday with the people around us. Writing fiction isn’t so different from living life.

A Brilliant Novel in the Works, by Yuvi Zalkow, introduces readers to a man, named Yuvi, who is a writer struggling to find order in his life and in his fiction. Like most writers, he is easily distracted by the story lines of those around him, namely his brother-in-law and his wife.

Yes, the protagonist’s name is Yuvi. No, this isn’t a memoir. Yes, you might wonder what is truth and what is fiction. But, don’t let those questions distract you from the compelling tale of a writer in search of the perfect ending for his novel and a man struggling through the murky middle of his relationships.

I’m thrilled to host Yuvi on the blog today, where he shares a bit about his book, about taking risks, about creative therapy and his secret to success. I’m also excited to give away a copy of his debut novel. It’s so easy to enter: leave your name in the comments. That’s it. Random.org will choose the winner on Tuesday, September 18th at high noon. I love saying that, high noon.

Now, welcome Yuvi Zalkow!

CC: The way your book transitions between the (protagonist) Yuvi’s personal story to the stories he writes for his novel, illustrates so well the mind of a creative: we always turn to our art of choice to explore and examine bits and pieces from real life that confound us. I’m guessing the Yuvi in the book is a panster (when he wears pants, that is). What about you? Do you write with an outline, or do you close your eyes and let the words fall where they may?

YZ: First of all, nice way to work pantslessness into your question!…

I definitely start writing any story by just letting some voice or character explode out of me, without worrying about where it is all heading. For me, the first important thing is a strong voice. But I eventually transition into a writer who needs a rough outline to proceed. Towards the end of the first draft of this book, I began sketching out how I wanted the next draft to go.  Nothing too elaborate, but a list of 10-20 connected steps roughly describing the shape of the story and the arc of the key characters. This book had virtually no plot in draft one. I’m not saying that the published work is a plot-heavy story, but it definitely has far more of a shape than draft one. Drafts 2 to 1,000 (ish) were mostly about shaping the story and taming this loud voice into a decent story. For instance, it took a lot of time to figure out exactly which of (protaganist) Yuvi’s personal stories should go in the novel and where exactly they should appear. I did a lot of shaping and editing and trashing in those later drafts.

CC: Throughout the novel, Yuvi takes risks, most of which leave him in precarious positions or in the middle of conflict. But, finally taking the right risk is what leads him to The End. Much, if not all, of writing takes courage. While writing your novel, was the biggest chance you took?

YZ: Wow. I’m getting nervous to answer this question already 🙂 The scariest thing for me — and I realize this may not be quite what you mean — is that step of giving a trusted friend/writer/mentor/reader my whole manuscript for the first time. I remember there was a point where I was thinking: do I show the public the steaming pile of a manuscript or do I hide it and forget about it? I had already read the individual scenes aloud in a writing group but no one had seen the thing as a whole piece of work. This novel is a very personal one (as you can quickly imagine upon reading it) and I felt very exposed to let others see it. I was terrified that they would say: “You’re crazy. You’ve got nothing comprehensible here. Give it up!” I think it takes a lot of courage/strength/risk/stupidity for a writer to take their work out in the world and say, “Yes, I want to see if I can make my words affect other people.” Particularly if you’re doing something that doesn’t follow some well-known standard. As it turned out, as messy as that draft was, my friend could see the power of what I was *trying* to do, and she helped me get closer in achieving it.

CC: I love the videos you make that spotlight all the different facets of the writing life (like tips for time management or the secret to everything). How does working in two different mediums, print and video, keep your creativity in balance?

YZ: To be honest, right now the two mediums keep me creatively IMBALANCED. It’s really just a lack of time. The videos take loads of time and eat into the writing. Since I have a day job and a family, I’m struggling with doing everything right now. But I love doing them both… it’s so much fun because they both are creative endeavors that use very different parts of the brain. Writing is harder. The videos are therapy in a way. I’m scheming up a few ways to do them both in a more balanced way because I hate to let either go. But I haven’t struck a balance yet. Regardless of the (im)balance, each medium has connected me to fabulous people (some as nuts as I am) and I’m thankful for that.

CC: What are you reading these days?

YZ: Wow. I haven’t been reading a whole lot of published books lately — between preparing for my book release and reading my friends’ manuscripts in various writing groups, I’m pretty underwater. But I read THAISA FRANK’S latest collection of stories ENCHANTMENT. Beautiful stories.. And I listened to the audiobook of the fabulous YA novel THE FAULT IN OUR STARS. And I also listened to the GODFATHER on audiobook because I love the movies (I & II) and I wanted to see (or in this case, hear) how the book was structured. Hmm… I think I’d like Marlon Brando to play the role of Yuvi in the movie version of my book… Though Al Paccino will also do. What do you think? Surely you must have also pictured one of those two as you read my book… 🙂

CC: Since this novel is about a writer struggling to write a novel, I wonder if, maybe during a middle-of-the-night rewrite, your Muse or Genius (or perhaps your wife) revealed some secret to success? In other words, do you have any advice for writers on the rise?

YZ: My secret to success is to be skeptical of any secret to success that is delivered with too much confidence. Thanks so much for chatting with me, Christi. In an online world where there is a lot of writing about writing, you really stand out with great insights into the craft and into the writing life.

CC: Thank you, Yuvi!

For all you readers and writers, don’t forget to leave your name in the comments for a chance to win a copy of his great novel! You can also check out more of Yuvi’s work on his website (where you’ll find his I’m a Failed Writer video series), follow him on Twitter, or subscribe to his page on Facebook. Read two other great interviews with Yuvi, as well, on Laura Stanfill’s blog and at The Surly Muse.

Yuvi Zalkow writes and worries in Portland, Oregon. His stories have been published in Glimmer Train, Narrative Magazine, Carve Magazine, and others. He is working on a second novel (about one Jew obsessed with napkins and another Jew in the Klan). He recently received an MFA from Antioch University, which makes him feel official.

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Interview with Andrew Cotto, Author of Outerborough Blues

“…[M]en were restless souls chased by the past after something that couldn’t be found. He said the key to salvation was in our hearts and not in our feet.”
~ from Outerborough Blues, A Brooklyn Mystery

We are tied to our past, no matter how hard we try to pull away, until we find reconciliation — within ourselves or with others. This is true in life and in fiction. When I was younger, my moves to a new house or apartment often were inspired by an effort to separate myself from some person, place, or event. But memories of what, or who, I left behind resurfaced again and again, refusing to be ignored, until I dug deeper to understand them, and myself.

Andrew Cotto’s novel, Outerborough Blues, A Brooklyn Mystery, tells the story of Caesar Stiles, who is on his own mission to escape his past, albeit a much more complicated one than mine ever was. By setting down roots in Brooklyn, Caesar hopes he will break a family curse. But, a mysterious woman pushes him to search for her missing brother and, in turn, sets Caesar off on a journey of unexpected discoveries that eventually forces him to face what he left behind.

Brooklyn comes alive in Cotto’s novel, in the imagery and details, as Caesar and the story move in and out of neighborhoods, brushing against the lives of characters in the mix.

I’m pleased to host Andrew Cotto today to talk about his novel and about writing. Also, he’s offering an autographed copy of his book to one lucky reader, so be sure to leave your name in the comments; the winner will be chosen on Friday, June 29th.

Now, welcome Andrew!

CC: The prologue in Outerborough Blues introduces readers to Caesar and his family’s dark past. It also hints that this novel, while a mystery, is also a story of self-discovery, one that takes Caesar through the winding complexity of a city at large. What inspired you most to write this novel, your character, Caesar, or the diversity of the place where he lives?

AC: I’m always inspired by how characters have to reconcile their past and subvert their own self-image in order to achieve acceptance or transformation. The character of Caesar Stiles certainly falls into this category, both from his family history and, as a result, his own identity. I was inspired by some of the mythological characters of literature reconfigured into a noir archetype of the outsider. Caesar’s family history and transient existence helped shape a character, when immersed in a mystery, who works within these contexts.

CC: In this article on The Good Men Project, you say how much you love storytelling for “the images and language and devices that make the narrative art form so compelling.” Outerborough Blues, set in Brooklyn, is filled with vivid and intimate images of the urban landscape. Were you born and raised in Brooklyn, or what did you do to familiarize yourself so well with the setting?

AC: I grew up in numerous places around America. I’ve always been inspired by urban settings, and I’ve been particularly inspired by the people, cultures, architecture, and general atmosphere of Brooklyn since moving here in 1997. One of the reasons so much Brooklyn ambiance is on display in the novel is that the imagery, as described by Caesar, is a way to reveal his character. This is not a narrator who favors emotional exposition, so I tried to use his descriptive prowess to reveal his nature and aesthetic. This was also done through his cooking.

CC: You write nonfiction (for the The Good Men Project and for the New York Times) as well as fiction, and common themes, like relationships and a strong sense of place, run through both genres of your work. How is writing fiction similar, or different, for you from writing nonfiction?

AC: In both genres I’m trying to tell a story, and those themes you mention (along with a few others) tend to find their way into my narratives, in both fiction and non-fiction. The biggest difference to me is just the scope of the story, and, of course, the component of imagination in fiction. In both cases, though, I’m always trying to create something insightful and descriptive and reflective of our times.

CC: What are you reading these days?

AC: I just got done teaching a literature class where the novels were all pre-selected by the department chair, which dominated most of my reading time for the past three months, so I’m pretty excited to have the summer to choose my own books. I’ve started with the two widely-acclaimed novels of my fellow writers published this year by Ig Publishing. Both Ghosting by Kirby Gann (reviewed recently by the New York Times Book Review) and Jonah Man by Chris Narozny have met the high expectations. I have a “Beat Generation” class to teach in the fall, so I’ll probably spend the rest of the summer preparing for that by reading On the Road, Howl, and some maybe some lesser known “Beat” titles. I’ll also delve into some James Lee Burke and re-read Mystic River.

CC: What piece of advice do you share often with other writers?

AC: Figure out how to self-promote. Almost every writer these days is obliged, if they want to succeed, to connect with their audience. I know a lot of writers, by their introverted natures, don’t dig this idea, but it’s part of the job description these days for any of us who are not household names. There’s ways to do this that are not as painful and time consuming as they seem, and I strongly suggest getting started sooner as opposed to later with having a routine of social media promotion alongside that routine of writing.

~

Andrew Cotto is a writer and teacher who lives in Brooklyn, NY. He is the author of two novels: The Domino Effect is a coming-of-age story about a kid from Queens with a damaged past and a complicated present at a boarding school in rural New Jersey; Outerborough Blues: A Brooklyn Mystery is an unconventional noir about a drifter seeking a missing person and a remedy to his family’s curse in the dawn of urban gentrification. Andrew’s articles have appeared in many national journals, including the New York Times, Men’s Journal, Salon, the Good Men Project and Teachers & Writers Magazine.

Find out more about Andrew and his writing on his website, follow him on Twitter, or like his page on Facebook. And, don’t forget to leave your name in the comments for a chance to win his book.