Spotlight Profile
February 2002
Writer, entrepreneur, businesswoman, wife, step-mother - in other words, human dynamo - describes Lorraine. She works full time for Eastman Kodak Company, is working on a cozy mystery, handles a booth at an antique co-op, is the editor for several newsletters (including First Draft, the newsletter of the Guppies, a special interest chapter of SinC). She's married to "the world's most patient and understanding man," has "four semi-naughty cats," and "three evil stepdaughters." But how bad can that be when they provided the gist for her first true-confession sold?
Lorraine has impressive writing credentials including five completed novel-length manuscripts; eight short story sales; articles for numerous newsletters devoted to writing; co-author of a self-published series of how-to pamphlets, and was a copy editor for Kodak's employee newspaper for eight years.
IC
You have an impressive list of writing accomplishments, Lorraine. How long have you been
writing?
Lorraine
For 25 years, but I've only been trying to sell professionally for six. I've completed five manuscripts. Four in my woo-woo series, and one featuring a protagonist who runs an
antique co-op. I'm currently trying to sell that, although I'm working on a major re-write before I send it out again.
My first short story was to a very small romance magazine, Strictly Romance, in 1997. It was about a nurse who falls in love with a patient's husband. It was very "sweet." No sex. After that sale, I concentrated on finishing two manuscripts. After more than three years of agent rejections, I thought I'd try confession writing, as it is supposed to be the easiest market to break into. My first confession story took two years to sell. My first confession sale took one week. So far I've sold eight short stories. Seven have seen print, six in various issues of True Love magazine. I have three more confessions sitting in a slush pile. Murderous Intent folded before my only mystery sale saw print. But since I got paid, it's a bona- fide sale.
IC
You write true confessions. How did you get started?
Lorraine
I have three evil stepdaughters and resent shows like "The Brady Brunch" which make "happy"
blended families seem like the norm. No matter how old children of divorce are, they still hope in
their hearts that one day their parents will reconcile. After one particularly frustrating incident with the youngest stepdaughter, I wrote and sold a story about that experience. It was the first confession I sold to True Love Magazine.
I'd hoped that publishing credits would gain me the attention of an agent. So far that strategy hasn't worked. However, the money was really nice!
IC
Coming up with true confession ideas must be a challenge. How do you do it?
Lorraine
Like the majority of writers, most of my ideas come when I ask myself "What if...?" At first I
used my own life experiences for confessions, but they weren't tawdry enough. I get a lot of
ideas from the newspaper. There's a lot of heartache out there.
IC
What techniques do you use for developing your plots and characters?
Lorraine
I tinker with a scene until I'm satisfied with it. I use a lot of paper, since I like to work from clean
copy. I used to feel guilty until I read "Bird By Bird" by Anne Lamott. She gave me permission
to write bad first drafts and use lots of paper if one day I send lots of money for reforestation. I figure I've killed at least a grove of trees by now.
IC
How do you find balance while pursuing a career as a writer, working full time, handling a booth
at a co-op, and being a wife and step-mother?
Lorraine
The step-daughters are all grown and married and no longer a factor. My booth at the antique
co-op takes up a lot of time, but I enjoy the interaction with my fellow vendors and our customers. It revitalizes me. My husband, a former art director turned cartographer, has a
creative nature and understands the time and energy that goes into my writing. We might not
have the cleanest house on the block, but we encourage each other in our separate pursuits
and we accomplish a lot.
IC
How did you get into the antique co-op business?
Lorraine
On my first trip to Stowe, Vermont, I stayed in a wonderful inn, which was the setting for my second
book. One of the owners supplemented her income by having a booth at a local antique co-op.
My protagonist's girlfriend blurted, "I'd love to do that," and I realized she was speaking for me.
A friend at work had a booth at the local antique co-op and encouraged me to go there. I bought
a lot of stuff...too much stuff and wanted to upgrade what I bought. Soon I had a shelf at the co-
op and when a booth opened, I took it. I've been at it for 5 years and I love it.
IC
Do you specialize in a certain type of antique?
Lorraine
My specialties are desirables and collectibles. I buy things that need a new and loving home. I
particularly like framed material--pictures, mirrors, certificates, etc.
IC
What does one look for when antiquing and where do you find your treasures?
Lorraine
I buy only things I love or think someone else with will. I love yard sales and often visit thrift
stores. But England and Scotland have much better stuff than the U.S. I had to buy an extra
suitcase just for my treasures on my last trip.
IC
Has your job for Eastman Kodak helped with your writing at all?
Lorraine
I've learned to streamline every task so that I can work in more time for writing. Being a copy
editor taught me discipline, the importance of checking facts, and the need for good manuscript prep. Unfortunately dream jobs don't last forever. After eight years I was downsized--twice within two years--and hung on by doing secretarial work. To stay with the company, I was forced to take a job as a data entry clerk. I kept my salary grade, but it was a blow to my ego. It didn't take long for me to realize that I was using more of my creative energy for myself instead of churning out corporate double-speak. I like it much better this way.
IC
What, if anything, have you given up to pursue your writing career?
Lorraine
Time. And the older I get, the more precious it becomes. You can't get back all those years of
rejection.
My biggest regret is not having enough time to read. That's why I've turned to books on tape. I can listen while I work and still accomplish a lot. I only wish everything I wanted to read was available on tape or CD.
IC
How do you get "in the mood" to write?
Lorraine
Is anyone ever in the mood to write? I listen to music. Loud rock when I have an action scene,
favorite singers when I'm writing a tender scene. Most often, however, I listen to New Age
music, which makes a pleasant backdrop but doesn't generate a lot of emotion in me, although I'm
sure the artists wouldn't like to hear that.
I also like to have a deadline, even if it's just to have something to take to my critique group. When I'm between projects, I get antsy. Like an itch you can't scratch. The only thing to get rid of that restlessness is to get back to work, even if it's just revisions. Sometimes I write whole scenes of my character's back story. This helps me gain perspective on where they've been and where they're going in their lives. It helps jumpstart me and keeps me writing, even if no one but me will ever read it.
IC
How do you handle your inner voice? Or are you one of those lucky writers whose inner voice only sings their praise?
Lorraine
My inner voice tells my everything I create is crap. It tells me I'd make more money donning a
McDonald's uniform than writing, and sadly, it may be right. When I was selling confessions fast
and furiously, I thought maybe I'd beaten it into submission. But I haven't sold a story in six
months and I've got more agent rejections under my belt, too. Yup, that uniform is starting to look pretty good.
IC
What frustrates you the most in writing?
Lorraine
Right now it's the lack of an audience. My main reason for leaving fandom was to garner a
larger audience. I've gone from 200 readers to about 10. It's a good thing I write to entertain
myself first.
I'm also frustrated by traditional publishing itself. What other industry could survive by producing products and then doing absolutely nothing to promote the majority of them?
I'm frustrated that the U.S. book market is dominated by chain stores, which have done more harm to writers' careers than any other factor. They order large amounts of books, then return or strip them for credit.
I've heard from several agents that my work could have easily sold 10 years ago, but now the market is too tight. I should have tried to sell a lot sooner.
IC
What, if anything bothers you about being a writer?
Lorraine
Rejection. Especially form rejections. You get no sense of whether the agent / editor even
bothered to read your submission before inserting a bad photo-copied form into your SASE.
Also, that I have no real source of direction for my writing career. You hear from different sources what agents or editors want and yet when you try to deliver, you're thwarted. For example, I'd heard that agents only want see a one- to two-page synopsis. From comments made, I believe the last agent who reviewed and rejected my work judged the book more by the synopsis than the first 75 pages she requested.
IC
What message do you want to convey in your writing?
Lorraine
I like to write about emotions, although it's the hardest element to infuse into my work.
However, my stories tend to be dark. Before I tried to sell my work, I believed the mystery
market was more open to sensitive subjects. One of the subplots of my third book, Cheated By Death, concerns abortion. I can't even get an agent to look at it. Apparently vicious murders in
novels are fine, but even the mention of abortion is taboo. Who knew?
IC
Who / what was your greatest influence in your writing career?
Lorraine
In 1975 I learned about fanzines, magazines for amateur writers. Until that time, I never had the
courage to put on paper the stories that had been circling through my brain since childhood. In
fandom I met like-minded people who nurtured my creative spirit and taught me more about
writing than I'd learned in high school or college.
IC
At what point in your career did you start calling yourself a writer and why at that point?
Lorraine
In 1977 after my first edited story appeared in print. I received my first fan letters. The story is
still in print and I'm still getting mail on it. It still feels good.
IC
What's the most valuable piece of advice you've ever received?
Lorraine
Persevere. My first writing mentor told me I didn't have as much talent as other writers, but that
I would succeed because I had the willingness to persist. That hurt, but she was right. I know writers who have much more talent than me, but they can't finish anything. They can't take
any kind of criticism. They get depressed because their first drafts aren't perfect. I may not get it
right the first time, but I work on a scene until I do. I think if I was writing more toward the market, I'd have sold by now.
IC
What does your writing offer readers?
Lorraine
I think you share a piece of yourself with every character you create. I hope my work entertains, and I hope when they read my stories it makes them want to read whatever I write next.
IC
Do you have any favorite quotes?
Lorraine
I have several above my computer.
First: FINISH THE DAMN BOOK!
Second: (attributed to Mark Twain) Explore. Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
But the one I like the best is: Don't quit five minutes before the miracle happens.
IC
Is there anything else you wanted to say about writing?
Lorraine
I think it's important for writers to volunteer for their favorite writing organizations--to give back a little of what they get. The bulk of the work is always done by a few, which often cuts into their writing time. If you enjoy being a member of the SinC Internet Chapter, MWA, or some other writer's organization, lend a hand once in a while. Right now my volunteer efforts are devoted to helping my Guppie sisters get published. Hopefully, my efforts will pay off for me as well. Volunteering is a great way to network, too. And selling your work is often a product of networking. So get your name out there, write an article for your group's newsletter, become a member-at-large, or a board member. The rewards aren't instantaneous, but the experience can only help you grow as a writer and increase your understanding of the business of writing.
IC
Thank you Lorraine, for allowing all of us the pleasure of getting to know you through this
interview.
This interview was conducted during the month of December 2001 for SinC-IC
by Ellen Westphal.
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