Talking to Book Clubs: Skype challenges

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I love talking to book clubs, and the internet has made virtual meets possible, through Skype. However, I find that there are often problems with Skype: the screen goes black, or freezes. Sometimes I can hear, but not see. At other times I can see, but not hear, and often there is a lag in the communication, or annoying warbling gaps. It reminds me of talking on the old one-way radios we used in the artic thirty years ago.

I presume that these problems have to do with the quality of the Net connection—its speed and width—and possibly with the computers themselves.

I'm pleased that talking with the wonderful Mont-Tremblant Bookmarks Book Club last night, we came up with a solution. Here's what I suggest:

1) Plan on Skype but have on hand, as well, a telephone with a speaker-phone feature.

2) Connect with Skype. If (when) it proves frustrating, turn off the sound on the computer and telephone, instead. That way, you are talking over speaker-phone, but you can also see each other, which is nice. 

In short: it works.

The Club asked how to structure the hour that we had scheduled. I suggested that they each come up with a question (or two), and come to the screen one by one. This was wonderful--I got to meet each member one-on-one (with the others watching), and their questions were excellent. The hour flew by!

The next time I do this, I will see if I can move the little Skype image of myself to the upper corner of the screen so that I'm not always looking down to check if I'm in view. (Better to be looking up.) I will also use my hands-free telephone mike so that I have more freedom of movement.

Dear Reader: a letter

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I've been organizing my computer files, and in the process found a letter I sent to the two book clubs that critiqued the "final" draft of The Last Great Dance on Earth. I was surprised to learn that I cut 100 pages from Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe after a book club critique.

That's a lot, but it seems to be what I do. I cut so much from The Last Great Dance on Earth I sent it back to my publisher in a larger type size, hoping my editor wouldn't notice. I cut quite a bit from Mistress of the Sun -- an entire chapter and then some -- at the last minute.

Here is the letter, should it be of interest. (Warning: it's long.)

Dear Readers,

First, thank you for doing this. This is the second draft of The Last Great Dance on Earth;  there will be two more before it goes to my publisher, and then it will be edited and revised yet again. What you see here will no doubt change greatly—as many as 100 pages are apt to be cut, as many likely to be added.

The manuscript has not been edited for spelling and punctuation, so expect errors. However, at this stage, the true problems are much, much bigger, and much more difficult to remedy. Let's call it a reluctance to fly, to get off the ground. Let's call it a plane without wings. With each draft, I try to get that plane up in the air more often—and to get it to stay up longer. By the final draft, I want it to be a jet that takes the reader not only to France, but to the 18th century. No crashes!

Symptoms: You look at the clock. You put the book down. You sigh and thumb to the back: how many more pages? Then oh oh, you're up in the air: it could be midnight, but you don't care! The story has swept you away. And then … woops, another crash.

Why? And where? What parts carried you along and what parts were a bit of a trudge? That's what I need to know. What breaks the momentum? Plot structure (or a lack of it)? Characters you either don't believe or don't like (or both)? No narrative drive? ("Where is this going? What's the point?") Lots of things.

Before you begin, I should warn you that I think the opening chapters are not yet right. (And much more, of course—but especially the opening.) I think most novelists spend half their time on those opening chapters and even then, few are successful. Does this opening work, for you? If it did, what did you like? If not, how could it be better? Was it confusing? Is there another place you think the story could open?

Another problem, too, is that often it lacks a sense of place: this is one of the reasons for my research trip to Europe in September. Also, I've not put a great deal of thought into the details that make a story come to life: I want to have the storyline right before I do this.

Some general questions:

Which characters failed to hold your interest? Which ones came to life for you? What actions seemed suspect, unbelievable.

When did the story fail to convince you? When did you stop believing it? And what parts did you believe? Did it make you cry? Laugh? Forget about dinner? Knowing what works is as important to me as knowing what does not.

Again, thank you VERY much.  I want this novel to be wonderful—but before that can "happen," I need to find out its strengths and, most especially, its weaknesses. Be sure to tape your conversation. If you write down your thoughts, I would very much appreciate it. If you mark up the manuscript (please do!), it would be helpful to me to see it. (I could return it to you, if you wish.)

In closing, please don't be concerned if you only have negative things to say about this book. The book club that reviewed Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe hated it. I took out 100 pages, reworked it feverishly, and as a result it was short-listed for the Trillium. Criticism at this stage helps very much. (But a little praise helps too!)

Sincerely, 

Sandra Gulland

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Website: http://www.sandragulland.com/
Blog: http://sandragulland.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/3xzbgv
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sandra_Gulland

Where does your book club look for reading suggestions?

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I'm pleased to see Mistress of the Sun featured on the Readers' Circle site this summer. It looks like a good site for book clubs. It will be interesting to see if I'm contacted for a phone chat.

Now that the blog tour is over, the next task my VA (Virtual Assistant) has taken on is to reach out to book clubs. In this world of few print reviews and even fewer book stores, it's hard to know where book club members go for ideas. No doubt a lot is gleaned on-line: but where? The puzzle is to find the sites that might be key.

Virtually: face-to-face with book clubs

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Okay, the New Age has begun. Sort of. Sitting here in San Miguel de Allende, at my office desk, I chatted face-to-face with the members of the East Grand Rapids book club in Michigan. They had their glasses of wine and I had my glass of water. (Next time I set up a video visit with a club, I'll ask: "And what will we be drinking?")

We chatted back and forth for about 45 minutes: they could see me, and I could see them (or at least those who were in the line-of-sight of their computer camera-eye). Amazing ... but it was not without a few glitches.

Here's how it went:

First, we both had membership in Skype.com (free), broadband computer access, and computers with a video capacity. This can be built-in, or you can buy a USB camera for very little.

We set up a time. This can be tricky because of time zones.

I fussed a bit before they called. My computer was on, Skype was open, I was "available". All set. But I didn't know how I would look to them, so I opened iChat and clicked the video camera icon. And there I was: in need of make-up, a better top, perhaps a scarf — and definitely better lighting.

It was rather like setting up a camera shoot. I tidied my office, propped the computer up on a book for better camera shot, closed my curtains, turned on a lamp. Reminded myself not to stare at the screen with my mouth hanging open. And to sit up straight (yes, mother).

And then the call, so like a phone ringing. I clicked answer, and we were connected. "Hello?" Only I could see myself, but not them. Humm. We decided to try again.

Hang up, quit Skype, reopen Skype, click the telephone icon. Aha: now I could see them, and they could see me — but their image was "frozen," not moving. So, once again...

Hang up, quit Skype, reopen Skype, click the telephone icon. Ah! We could all see each other, and we were moving ... and talking!

It was great — we had a real visit! It was very much like sitting and chatting with a book club, but different – both more remote (we were not face-to-face), but also more intimate, in a way. Because I was in my office, for example, I could show them the stack of papers I was working on: the outline of The Next Novel.

The technology was a bit balky -- the video quality reminded me of shots of men walking on the moon. There was a bit of a lag, sometimes, both in sound and visually, and a few times there was a bit of a freeze. (This may differ depending on net speed and time of day.)

But all in all: fantastic! So thank you, East Grand Rapids Book Club, for helping me to figure this out. Brave New Worlds ... here I come!

P.S. I love the way, when I open Skype, it says: Take a deep breath. I do, every time.

I love book clubs

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This book club in St. Louis has read both Josephine B. and Mistress of the Sun. They make a point to have food for a meeting that's related to the book being discussed. They had brunched on crepes discussing Mistress of the Sun, and then came to see me at Barnes & Noble in Ladue, MO. One of the members had been to my reading years before — I'd been wearing my Napoleonic gown for that one. What will be next?