To say it’s been tricky getting work done while watching my 7 month old is a bit of an understatement. I don’t really have any great tips for doing this, all I can say is thank goodness my mother-in-law likes to babysit for me. She babysits regularly, twice a week, and because of that, I actually get to leave the house to write (and leaving the house to write is such a good thing!).

But because my time is much more limited now, I’ve found that I’m becoming a little more efficient with my writing. Whenever I find myself saying, “Hmm, I don’t feel like fixing this scene right now. I’ll do it later,” I stop. I think about the fact that there really is no “later”. If I put things off, it’ll take me months to write a scene that should have taken a few weeks. And then, I just do it. Or at least I do most of the time. :)

Not only am I trying to balance writing time with baby time, I’m also trying to juggle two works-in-progress at once:

1) Cloudreader, the MG fantasy I’m writing with my sister is mostly done…except for the ending. The ending is kind of in sketch form, with notes and badly written sentences. I’m slowly going chapter by chapter, incorporating suggestions from writing group and then working on the next chapter. There isn’t much left though. I should be done with this round of revisions in a few months. Then will be time to revise the manuscript as a whole.

2)Landwalker, my YA post-apocalyptic/sci fi novel is just getting going. I’m working on my characters, figuring out backstory, figuring out where the plot is heading, doing some background research. I have a few chapters written, maybe about 30 pages in total. I’m using Scrivener for this one, so some of my time has been spent playing around with a new organizing scheme and things.

My strategy for working on these two projects has been to basically work on Cloudreader one week (the week that submissions for my writing group are due) and then Landwalker the following week (the week that I have writing group). This also keeps me from working on Cloudreader immediately after group meetings–I’ve found it’s best to let feedback settle for a bit and see which comments actually resonate with me before changing things.

(As you can tell, I also do some blogging as well, but that’s usually my last priority and gets done during baby’s naps.)

I have no idea how well this strategy is going to work in the long term, and I may end up changing things around, but so far, so good.

Writer-Moms (and Dads): How do you balance writing and parenting?

Harvard Square Coop: August 23rd @ 10:30PM-12:30AM (Party at Uno’s 22 JFK Street)

“Join us for feasting & fun, and get your copy of MOCKINGJAY at midnight!
All you need to do is call or email ph: 617 499- 2253 email: info@thecoop.com)
to reserve your seat at the feast, and get ready for a great time! Costumes are welcome!

Great Food– All registered party guests will get a 20% discount off the entire Uno’s menu, and enjoy a FREE mini desert
Trivia Contest & Raffle– Consider The Coop your “sponsor” for great prizes
Glitter Make-Overs– So you can glow like Katniss!”

(thanks to @JosephAndersen for letting me know about this one)

Porter Square Books: August 24th @ 7AM

“Join us for activities, refreshments, prizes and OF COURSE books!! Festivities will continue until about noon but books will be here…well, until they’re gone!”

Buttonwood Books & Toys: August 24th, 8AM

“The event will include ”Hunger Games” activities and raffle items. One lucky person will win a copy of “Mockingjay” with a signed bookplate from Suzanne Collins. Refreshments will be served.  Free event.”

Most Boston Area Borders (check websites to be sure): August 28th, 4PM

“Join us for a fan mash-up of debate, discussion, speculation, intrigue, and more!”

If you find anymore, let me know, and I’ll add them to the list!

I don’t get HBO (or BBC) so I hadn’t heard about No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, a Peabody award winning show, until I saw it listed on Netflix. After watching the first season on DVD I thought: what a cute show! I had read the first book and loved it, and was happy to find that Alexander McCall Smith’s funny and charming novels were faithfully adapted for the television screen…

Click here to read the rest.

We’ve talked about characters and plot. Now for the final part of this series: details. When trying to make a scene more realistic, directors rely on props and costumes. The right details can totally make a scene. Whenever I get those little sleep masks on an airplane, I can’t help but think about Audrey Hepburn’s sleep mask with the fake eyelashes in the movie Breakfast At Tiffany’s. (I totally want one of those). The sleep mask adds a sense of glamour to the scene, and yet also says something about her lifestyle–she regularly sleeps during the day because she spends all night partying. Hence, the sleep mask.

Here’s a little writing exercise for you: Take a look at the picture above and try and describe it to yourself. Once you’ve described it scene, go back and figure out which details matter and really say something about the character and which ones don’t. For example, Holly Golightly’s nameless cat lounges on her back as she sleeps = important. Holly’s pillowcase is white = not important (though maybe it would be if it were smeared with last night’s makeup). Also pay attention to what sounds they’ve decided are important to include with the scene. I’m too lazy to actually watch the movie again and find this scene, but since this is daytime in NYC, it might be realistic to add cars honking, maybe the cat’s meows as he/she begs for food.

One limitation–television is only a visual/auditory medium (though I’m still waiting for smell-o-vision for watching Top Chef). When describing a scene, it’s important to involve your other senses as well. What smells/tastes/feelings (as in sense of touch) would help the scene come further alive? Try brainstorming:

Smells: Holly is probably wearing an expensive perfume, and since she’s been partying also probably reeks of cigarette smoke and alcohol.

Tastes: Holly can probably taste the cigarette smoke, alcohol, and morning breath.

Feelings: Are the sheets rough, cheap sheets? Or has Holly splurged on high thread-count sheets?

Try this writing exercise on your favorite TV show (or, horror of horrors, maybe try this exercise on a real life scene).

Have you ever noticed how after several seasons, the once unique aspects of a reality show become tired and stale? Case in point: Survivor. I have no idea why this show is still on the air. I got bored after about two seasons. Yeah yeah, people starve and fight and sell each other out. Yawn. But somehow, no matter how much I hate to love The Bachelorette (and The Bachelor), I just can’t stop. (I can’t quit you Chris Harrison!) Now there were a few seasons that I didn’t watch (for example, I didn’t see the premiere Bachelor season and I didn’t watch Season Three with Jennifer Schefft) but something about this show just keeps me coming back…

Read the rest here.

Abbreviated/edited email:

Dear Amitha,

I’m working on a short story that takes place in a hospital. The patient is in the room with his family when an orderly shows up. What does this orderly say?  Does he introduce himself in a friendly way or is the relationship strictly analytical and dry?  How can I avoid clichés when describing this scene? Is a clipboard mandatory? Would they wear scrubs and a stethoscope? Also, what should I avoid in the “doctor-talking” between patients and doctors/nurses/orderlies? Any information or advice you have is appreciated.  And thank you for your help and your time.

-CT

My response:

Dear CT,

My first reaction when reading this was–what the heck is an orderly? I vaguely remembered an old Jerry Lewis movie called The Disorderly Orderly, so I knew this wasn’t a made up word and ended up using wikipedia to find out the answer. :) For those who don’t know, an orderly seems to be a type of medical assistant no longer used in the US health care system, but still exists in other countries. Thus, if your story relies on the existence of an “orderly,” it will be very clear that your story does not take place in the US (whether that is your intention or not, I can’t tell from your email).

Okay, so here goes for the rest of your questions:

1) What does this orderly say?  Does he introduce himself in a friendly way or is the relationship strictly analytical and dry?

Asking whether the orderly is friendly or not is kind of like asking whether a lawyer is friendly or mean, or if a shoe-salesman comes to greet you in a store or not. It depends entirely on the person. This answer is a little bit of a cop-out so I’ll try my best to give you some hints.

How a person talks to a patient also depends slightly on the type of information they need. Naturally if he is someone like a hospital administrator who just needs basic facts to fill out forms–name, birthdate, social security number, etc.–his demeanor will be less engaging, and more fact-based so they can efficiently move on to the next patient. If he is a doctor or a nurse who needs the answer to broader questions–about the history of the patient’s illness, the patient’s medical history, etc.–he will try to be more sympathetic, friendly, and engaging to get more information. It is difficult to get answers from people if they don’t like you.

In general, the professional thing to do when working at a hospital is to be kind and courteous (duh). Doctors and nurses try not to talk down to patients or use too much jargon. Remember that these are real people, so the way they interact with others also depends on their personality, how tired they are, etc.

2) How can I avoid clichés when describing this scene? Is a clipboard mandatory? Would they wear scrubs and a stethoscope?

What a person wears depends on where they work and what their role is. For example, doctors usually don’t wear scrubs, but rather professional attire (pants, blouses, button-down shirts, ties. etc.) unless they are on call or are surgeons who are required to be in the operating room for some reason (and even then it is considered more professional/cleaner to only wear scrubs in the OR). Nurses often wear scrubs no matter where they are in the hospital as do medical assistants because they do handle more..umm..bodily fluids than doctors tend to. But if you were to have a doctor wearing scrubs or a nurse wearing regular pants, this wouldn’t really be “incorrect” either.

Clipboards–if someone needs to fill out forms a lot, they may carry a clipboard, or they might just use the table that’s in every hospital room. It depends again on the person. I used to carry a clipboard as a med student and as a starting out intern, but as I got busier, I quickly realized the clipboard was just something that didn’t fit in my white coat pocket, and thus could potentially be left somewhere on accident. But if you have more of a desk job or something more patient-intake oriented, it would make sense to keep one around.

3) Also, what should I avoid in the “doctor-talking” between patients and doctors/nurses/orderlies?

This question, like #1 above, is difficult to answer, mainly beause I don’t really know what you have in mind. I can say that in general, it is unprofessional to talk about a patient in a way they can’t understand in front of the patient. But this doesn’t mean that people don’t do it from time to time.

To make a long story short–you are the one writing your story, not me, so it’s up to decide how people will interact with each other. Likewise, I can’t help you choose which details tell the most about a person. I can only tell you whether things are realistic or not. Deciding what is or isn’t cliché, unfortunately, is up to you.

Got a medical fiction question? Email me: amitha [at] amithaknight [dot] com. (Or just comment on my blog/send me a tweet.) I’ll try my best to answer!

Prizefighter en Mi Casa by e. E. Charlton-Trujillo

This book was amazing. Well-written, exciting, scary, heart-warming, and troubling at times. I lived in Houston, Texas until I was eight years old so it was interesting to read about someone growing up in Texas under completely different circumstances than mine. I also loved that the main character was Mexican-American, but couldn’t speak Spanish (where I’m Indian-American and can’t speak much of my mother-tongue, Tamil) so I kind of related to that.

The story is about a young girl named Chula whose very poor family has asked a Mexican fighter to come and fight in a match so that they can basically win some money off of him. The premise felt very unique and I loved the very dark imagery the writer uses to describe the fighter. I did have a few issues with the age of the character, which felt a little inconsistent to me (she felt younger than 12 at times), as well as with her constant denigration of her own potential. Chula repeatedly talks about how Mexicans from her neighborhood, “the Circle” can never amount to anything and never get the chance to be anything, which felt a little untrue since though they *did* have an accelerated learning program at her school and her aunt even had the opportunity to Princeton (though didn’t because she got pregnant).

But all in all, excellent novel with a strong voice and memorable, multi-faceted characters.

No idea which shows I’m going to try yet. No Ordinary Family looks kind of intriguing though.