SusanWiggs | writing Archives

August 22, 2019 | 1 Comment

Dear Readers,
I wrote a thing.
Jennifer Weiner wrote an essay in Publishers Weekly deconstructing this phrase. I remember reading the piece on May 17–my birthday–and it felt like a gift.

“I wrote a thing is born of women being told, overtly and implicitly, that our stories do not matter—not the stories we write, which are still not reviewed as frequently or taken as seriously as men’s books, and not the stories we tell, which are still too often met with skepticism and shrugs.”

She’s reminding us that when we work our asses off, when we conceive of a story and spend months and months writing it, and revise it until it sings, and work with our very dedicated editor to polish and publish it, we’ve elevated that “thing” to a work. A pièce de résistance. A damn fine novel.

[People Magazine loves the book. Why shouldn’t I?]

Most of us squirm when we have to promote our own work. If we get a starred review, a bestseller ranking, a rave from a reader, a glorious peer endorsement, a mention in O Magazine, we balk at drawing attention to it. We’re concerned about seeming immodest, self-absorbed, insecure–any of those behaviors we’ve somehow come to think of as “unbecoming.”

Well, fuck that, dear readers.

I have a new book out and it’s not a thing. It’s a damn fine novel. I wrote my heart out and it’s getting rave reviews and I’ve already heard from some readers that reading The Oysterville Sewing Circle has been life-changing for them in ways I never imagined while writing it. If ever I needed to switch from being bashful to boastful, it’s for this book, a story of women supporting women.

So I hope you’ll read it. I’m not going to say, “Do me a favor and maybe read it.” No. Do yourself a favor and read it. Just on my say-so. So there.

You can get signed copies, order from an indie bookseller, get it before you take the next breath of air, or have it read aloud to you in dulcet tones. And I hope you’ll come see me–in Grand Rapids, in Cleveland, or in Franklin, Indiana. Or who knows, maybe you’ll spot me on my soapbox somewhere.

Thanks for reading. And kudos to Jennifer Weiner for opening the conversation.

Image result for the oysterville sewing circle

#books #writing #writerslife #newfiction #reviews #booksbywomen

Saint Patrick is my homeboy.

March 16, 2019 | 12 Comments

I love this time of year, because my Inner Irish Girl gets to come out and play. She looks out her window and sees this: ferry with rainbow

She gets to wear a sweater in the worst shade of green. She eats food in colors not found in nature, drinks beer to match and paints shamrocks on her fingernails. She bakes Skillet Irish Soda Bread, listens to music by the Young Dubliners and invites her friends over to watch Waking Ned Devine and The Commitments.

Also, my Inner Irish Girl gets to tell you about one of her favorite writers and people– Malachy McCourt. I’ve been to many writers’ conferences and sat through many a keynote speech. But there’s one talk that stands out in my mind. It was an address to a huge ballroom full of people, mostly restless, socially-awkward writers hungry to hone their craft. It was a speech about the power of story and the deep well inside the writer, the place you go to again and again, seeking those hidden springs, where everything comes from. It was the kind of talk that makes you jump up out of your seat and rush to find a quiet spot, because you can’t wait to get going on your writing. This talk was given by Malachy McCourt.

Of all the writers I know, Malachy has the most unique and varied bio. He’s been everything, including but not limited to: bestselling writer, film actor, columnist, theater actor and the Green Party’s candidate for Governor of New York. Frank & Malachy McCourt

His wit and wisdom know no end. Read his books. Better yet, listen to his audio books. And if that doesn’t convince you, just ask your own Inner Irish Girl or Irishman. It’s no blarney.

top o’ the morning

March 14, 2019 | 2 Comments

Nothing fancy, just a nice recipe for something called Irish Soda Bread. Why’s it called that? Bicarbonate of soda was introduced in the 1840s, and it reacts with the acidic buttermilk to make a fizzy leavening agent. It’s simple and delicious, so here you go. If you’re like me, you don’t keep buttermilk around so use yoghurt or cream or something, and a squeeze of lemon.

tastes better than it looks

4 cups flour, plus more for kneading

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

6 tablespoons brown sugar, packed

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

4 tablespoons butter

2 eggs, beaten, optional

1 1/4 to 2 cups buttermilk (use more if you omit the eggs)

1 cup raisins or currants, soaked in hot water

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter, add eggs and buttermilk. Stir in raisins. Knead a few times and let rest 10 minutes. * Shape into an 8- or 9-inch round. Score top with a knife in the shape of a plus sign. Place in 9-inch cast-iron pan and bake at 375 degrees until top is brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove and cool on rack.

Serve toasted with butter. Try it with a wedge of sharp cheese and a bit of hard-smoked salmon. Good luck!

Speaking of luck, I have written several books about Ireland because I love it there. I love the people and their history and heritage. Irish Magic and Irish Magic 2 are anthologies written with some of my favorite writers–Roberta Gellis, Morgan Llywelyn, Barbara Samuel (aka Barbara O’Neal). The Mist and the Magic (republished as The Maiden of Ireland) takes place in Tudor Ireland. And the late, great Dancing on Air was republished with a new title: At the Queen’s Summons. Good luck with that, too!

my good deed for the day : : taking your excuses away from you

January 07, 2019 | 5 Comments

I hear it from emerging writers all the time. From working writers, too, for that matter. I’ve got a great idea for a novel. I’m going to sit down and write it as soon as I…

…get my day job under control
…quit my day job
…get my final kid into kindergarten
…into college …out of jail
…get my finances in order
…fix my marriage …fix my kid
…finish painting the house
…pay off the car
…clean the can opener
…clean the rain gutters
…get the puppy housebroken
…retire from my job
…finish binge-watching the third season of _______
…get my Bachelor’s…Master’s…PhD…LLB…MD
…pay off my student loans
…read all the Outlander books
…check in with my nineteen thousand Facebook friends
…upgrade my computer
…make tenure
…landscape the yard
…take a vacation
…host my book group
…teach my teenager to drive
…finish knitting this sweater
…forgive my parents …forgive myself
…get over my fear of failure …get over my fear of success
…get permission from my parents/spouse/children/therapist
…hire an agent
…learn to use the subjunctive case
…quit worrying about what my family will think of my story, especially the dirty parts
…stop smoking/drinking/drug of choice/playing online games
…figure out the business of publishing
…lose 20 pounds so I look good in my author photo…
…as soon as I ________________ [fill in with your favorite excuse]
You name it, and a procrastinating writer has said it. How do I know? Um…. So here’s a dirty little secret. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the cruel reality is this. There will never be a good time to write. I wrote my early novels while holding down a teaching job, raising a young child, managing a household with two dogs and a lot of chaos, financial uncertainty, car trouble, you get the picture. And yet I wrote two books a year during that time.

I learned early on in my journey that life will always intrude. That’s what life is. Be glad for that. If you have no life, you have nothing to write about.
The good news is, there’s a simple solution. Make time for the things that are important to you. If writing your story is important, make time for it. Simple as that. Turn off the TV, stop the streaming service, leave the dishes undone, close your e-mail, turn off your phone, grab a notebook and pen, and tell your family, “Don’t interrupt me unless your eyes are bleeding.” You’ll be surprised by the respect they give you.

The way you spend your day is the way you spend your life. So quit being your own worst enemy and start being your own best friend. Make time to write, even if you don’t have time.

It’s a fresh new year. Great time to make a fresh new start.

I have procrastinated my way through the writing of many books. Somehow, despite my best efforts to sabotage myself. the story emerges. The Oysterville Sewing Circle hits the shelves this year–a Wiggs book, but something completely different from me. And Map of the Heart is a giveaway on Goodreads right this minute. There’s a lot of love and truth in these books. Let me know what you think.

STARTING NOW

December 31, 2018 | 1 Comment

I’m starting this year the same way I’ve started every year since I can remember–doing something I love.

Call me crazy, but I even love doing revisions.

The trouble is, I love doing a lot of things. Being with people I love–family and friends.

What’s better than a drink and a laugh with a good friend? I MEAN REALLY

Seeing the world.

overlooking the Calanques of Cassis

Working on my next novel.

tick tock… I call this the “deadline sweater” and I’m already sweating a deadline

Thinking about my upcoming novel and getting excited for people to read it.

I can’t wait for you to read this book! It’s an August release but you can preorder it now.

Thinking about the many wonderful books I’ve read this past year.

Image result for a spark of light Alternate Side - by Anna Quindlen (Hardcover) - image 1 of 1 Image result for punch escrow Image result for this is how it always is Image result for the perfect couple book cover

Looking forward to the books I want to read this year.

Word on the Water. These are 15 of the most beautiful bookshops in London. London is home to some of the most beautiful bookshops in the world. These are all independent bookshops in London and they stock a variety of old and new, fiction and non-fiction etc. Perfect for bookworms in London! #whatshotblog #bookshopporn #bookstagram #bookshops #travelLondon

[image from whatshotblog.com]

Thinking about food. I think about food all the time.

Every great love story has a beginning…(and who doesn’t love pancakes?)

Feeling grateful for the many wonderful things in my life–family, friends, animals, good health, people I work with, a job I love, and readers I’ve never met except through the books I’ve been so very privileged to write.

What about you?

What’s on your calendar for 2019?

Thank you and Happy New Year!

#newyear #2019 #writing #reading #travel #gratitude #fiction #newbooks

Still working…30 years later

December 20, 2018 | 1 Comment

Working Girl with Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford, and so many other recognizable faces. I loved everything about this movie. WHO’S WITH ME? And who is sad that we still have such a long way to go?

Melanie Griffith is Staten Island secretary Tess McGill in Working Girl.

If you haven’t seen Working Girl, you need to. Seriously.

If you’re a writer and you haven’t seen it, then you have homework to do. I learned one of the best character arc lessons in my writer’s arsenal. Want to know which one? Watch the movie and track her wardrobe and body language each time she makes the crossing on the Staten Island ferry. See? Character arc in three simple steps. Shout out to Michael Hauge for that bit of wisdom.

“Let the River Run” was my anthem in the 80s. What was yours? What’s yours today? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv-0mmVnxPA

#amwriting #classicmovies

Sunday dinner

September 24, 2018 | Leave a comment

I’m a longtime fan of Maria Shriver‘s newsletter and books, not to mention her social initiatives. She invites readers to send pictures of their Sunday dinner time with family. This morning, I was inspired to send her this very retro “Sunday dinner” photo, because of the story it tells. It’s my parents and grandfather in upstate New York–in a town not so different from Avalon, on Willow Lake–with my brother and me at the Sunday table. My mom had just given birth to my younger sister.

These days, we would call my grandparents farm-to-table organic producers. Back then, they were known as subsistence farmers. Everything on the table was homegrown and farm raised, and canned, preserved, or frozen at home. They didn’t have a lot of money, having raised their family through the Great Depression and WWII. The humble Formica table and dishes, the freezer in the background, and the jars on the table were a ubiquitous presence in my childhood.

This Sunday, my husband and I are spending the day canning homegrown tomatoes from our sunny garden here on Bainbridge Island in Puget Sound. I like to think my grandparents would approve of our effort, and at dinner, we’ll send a special prayer to them out there, wherever they are.

Here’s my simplest and most delicious recipe for pasta sauce. I think it was made popular by the late, great Marcella Hazan, but I learned it from the label of a big can of San Marzano tomatoes imported from Italy. For this recipe alone, I was inspired to grow my own San Marzanos. Don’t skip the butter or use a substitute. When you taste this, you’ll know why.

My version is even simpler than the original because I won’t make you peel the tomatoes or fish the onion out after cooking

Perfect Pasta Sauce

3 cups canned or 2 lbs fresh San Marzano tomatoes

1 onion, quartered

6 Tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon salt

NOTE: You can peel the tomatoes or not–up to you. The peels will slip off during the cooking, so if you want, you can pick them out of the pot with tongs as the sauce simmers. Otherwise, the peels with disappear during the blending.

Place all ingredients in a heavy pot and simmer for about an hour. I don’t put a lid on the pot because it reduces the liquid. Just make sure the onion is submerged. After simmering, blend it smooth with an immersion blender, or in a food processor or blender. Serve over hot pasta with a grind of pepper or a pinch of red pepper flakes, a sprig of basil, and a shaving of Parmesan.

photo by Matt Duckor

What are you serving your family this Sunday?