Chapter Member
Spotlight Profile
July 1999
Chapter Member Spotlight Profile
July 1999
Barbara "Babs" Lakey
Editor, Futures
Barbara Lakey is a busy woman. Her magazine, Futures, evolved from her involvement with the "prepublished" interest group (also known by the less than elegant, though accurate, name of "Guppies" -- for Great Unpublished.) She intended to provide a forum for the works of the "pre-published." The magazine has evolved to be that and more. With wonderful cover art, it has also become a medium for artists, a repository of "how-to" and inspirational columns, and is on the verge of national newstand distribution. Barbara, or "Babs" as she likes to be known, is all over the writing forums, providing words of encouragement and a few chuckles along the way. Futures isn't her life--she is still writing her own fiction, trying to find homes for her works, and tuning engines. Except for the engines, she's like many SinC-IC members, as you'll see when you read on. Here is Babs' gift to us:
1. Trust your instincts.
2. Always be on time, or a few minutes early.
3. Over tip!
4. Don't be cruel.
5. If you really want it done right you have to do it yourself.
6. Read a lot, but don't believe everything you read.
7. Your life is your own.
8. Anything is possible.
9. All men and women are equal.
10. Always take responsibility for your mistakes.
11. Always take (and give) credit where credit is due.
12. Never settle for less.
Twelve of the Best Things I learned from my Mom, Jenny Reith
IC
And you chose the above as your signature piece because ...?
Babs
My daughter Jenny gave it to me for Christmas many, many years ago and it is something I treasure. She wrote it and framed it.
IC
Before you became the mother of Futures, what did you do?
Babs
My husband and I have had a motorcycle high performance shop for the past fourteen years. I learned about engines and grew to appreciate the beauty, the art involved in building these machines. All things mechanical were Greek to me but now I love the sight, smell, roar of a finely tuned motor. I was working at our shop full time when I broke my leg--the time 'home alone' prompted me to write my first novel.
IC
Your motto in Futures is "fire to fly"--have you always had that fire yourself?
Babs
Always. As a child I lived to pretend. I was so timid that it was painful to speak, yet, by junior high I was in every school play and when the theatre went dark the audience disappeared and I was someone else. I am obsessed with every aspect of art and story. Beautiful works of art make me cry. I have many hundreds of books; I even collect paper because I find the shades and textures so exciting. I don't labor over a story, it seems to burn and bubble out.
IC
What prompted the birth of Futures?
Babs
I belonged to a group of prepublished writers within Sisters in Crime and found myself doing their newsletter and in charge of membership. I'd been writing for several years and had many disconcerting incidents while trying to obtain an agent and get my own novels published. I started to see how many other writers had similar problems and how many were on the brink of giving up. I always ended my correspondence with the prepublished group with, Let's Get Published! While writing is a solitary thing, and I love that about it, it's more satisfying when you can share your triumphs and less disappointing when you know others have experienced your defeats. So, my original dream was of a writers' community where together we could help one another achieve what alone is so difficult. Maybe that writers' community will happen some day, I don't know, but meanwhile, Futures works at uniting and helping writers find inspiration and whatever makes them feel successful.
IC
And what has happened with those novels you were trying to get published?
Babs
They are still waiting for fame and glory to descend. I began Futures at the start of 1998 and while I thought I would be able to keep up with my own writing, I discovered that the magazine took a great deal more of my time than I'd expected. The more I did, the more I had to do, the more I wanted to do, that kind of thing. I also got involved with writing my first screenplay, an adaptation of the first Hitchcock film, Blackmail. I immersed myself in the screenplay and let the search for an agent for my series wait for the day I thought was just around the corner, the day when I would have more time. Ha! During that same time I started a company that does greeting cards for writers. The idea, outside of the obvious one that there are very few, if any, cards like these available, was that if I could have other interesting products to place in bookstores along with the magazine, it might get us better placement in the stores. I want to see Futures up by the register rather than on a bottom shelf by the back door! As we know, where the stores place the magazine is important since name recognition is what we are attempting to achieve for all of our writers and artists. This February, after doing some research on the e-publishers, I decided to submit my first novel to one of them. I believe that the Internet is an important part of the future. With e-publishers you do not need an agent, and I had no time, anyway! I heard back from Hardshell Word Factory (my first choice) a week or two ago. They were pleased with the first three chapters and wanted to see more. I zipped it off to them, and here I sit, one more hopeful writer waiting. So, as one of my greeting cards states, "my novel is now languishing with a publisher."
IC
How much of your time does Futures consume?
Babs
Networking takes time and that is what keeps Futures alive. Networking is the cornerstone of this building process. But, whoosh, goes the time! Ha! It takes at least five or six hours a day, everyday, and when I'm doing the layout, etc., more like ten or twelve hours a day. At the moment I'm working on distributing. I write to bookstores, writers' coffee houses, etc. I send samples of the products and hope something about them will catch the store owners' imagination. Many days I go right to work when I get up and don't stop until bed time. Futures and all that the publishing business entails has become an obsession! I know that we can make a future for many writers--that together we can achieve what we cannot do on our own.
IC
What's the best advice you received in your youth?
Babs
My mother tells a story of how, as one of ten children during the depression, her family would harvest whatever they could on their farm. Her mother would divide the food and ask her to help take it to those around them. My mother, her family was always hungry in those days, would say, but mom, this is our food, we haven't enough, and grandma would say, but they have less. Mother taught me to give without regret. I have been told that I am good at bringing people together and I think this is the reason. I believe that if we live our lives as a unit, we never lose the strength to forge ahead. Does that make sense? That is the core of why I never give up. Someone is always there, giving strength.
IC
What's the best advice as a writer you've received?
Babs
Persevere. There is no such thing as failure--every lesson learned is part of your future.
IC
Before starting Futures, how many short stories did you read in a month?
Babs
Now that I'm so busy I read less than I used to, but I've been reading and enjoying short stories since I first took out a subscription to The New Yorker in 1964.
IC
I've heard that one must live in or be near Los Angeles in order to have a shot at having a screenplay even looked at, contacts being the key. Any thoughts?
Babs
I don't think that we, as writers, can afford to listen to anything that holds us back, or keeps us from trying one more time. If it's movies that you want to write, write them, and find a new way, a "never been done before," approach. I did a screenplay recently. I had the opportunity to co-write an adaptation of the first Hitchcock film, Blackmail, along with the original screenwriter's son, John Bennett. Never in my wildest dreams did I consider that he might like my storyline and want to work with me, but he did! Whatever comes of it, I took the opportunity that presented itself and gave it my all, and I'm very pleased that it happened. I'm most anxious to write my next screenplay and I live in Minnesota! The Internet has given us the great gift of opportunity for networking and we all need to take advantage of that.
IC
Even the major mystery short story magazines are having trouble staying afloat (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine have cut-back on issues etc.) Small quarterly magazines operate on the edge or in the red. What, then, is the future of mystery magazines?
Futures is not mainly a mystery magazine. I call Futures the magazine brought to you by artists and writers with the fire to fly. And that's the best definition. We are an eclectic literary magazine that publishes fiction--genre and literary, poetry (our poetry editor RC Hildebrandt is a Pushcart Winner), humor, articles about writing and the publishing business, cartoons, and original art work. Our columnists are authors, editors, agents, publishers, even a private investigator. We have Starting Line where brand new writers can have a story published. And we have the Editor's Choice awards in fiction and nonfiction that are given to the stories and articles that we believe are the best of each issue. One of the most popular features in Futures is "writers share." We select a theme question and then give the opinions of many writers and these are sprinkled throughout the issue. I'm told it is inspirational. That's because of the fire to fly. What I intended to do was to gather creative people who were always reaching to do better--to fly! We award, reward, and publish them. Their energy is alive in Futures.Is it difficult to stay afloat? It is. Writers work hard for little. How can they afford to support even what they love? At the start, we were not able to pay our creative contributors and have just now turned Futures into a paying market. A very low paying market. But, hey, this is the start of year two, and we are going to fly! That's our future. I am convinced that if we work together and help one another succeed, we will all have money and that translates into a successful business.
Now, to comment on the future of mystery magazines: I made Futures multi-dimensional for what I felt was a good reason. That eclectic mix fits my personality--suits me to a T, but there's room for all of us. Variety really is the spice of life! This is like any small business. The big guys are taking over in many areas but if we work hard and pull together, there's still room for small companies to thrive. I say this with hope in my heart and not a dime in my pocket!
IC
Let's say your novel is soon published as an e-pub. Do you have a plan of attack for promoting it?
Babs
Although I've learned not to hope too much for what might happen down the road and instead focus on what I'm doing, I believe I've laid a solid foundation. Years ago I took a number of classes at The Loft, a local writers' community, which is the largest in the nation. The teacher for my favorite class was author, Ellen Hart. I learned a great deal from Ellen and we've kept in touch. She had a plan for promoting her work that was excellent! I saved those notes and she is the first person I'd talk to for guidance. I remember thinking, my gosh, not only must we write, we must sell! It was not long after that class that I decided to take a break in writing my novels and concentrate on promoting myself and my writer friends. I began with articles, interviews, whatever I could get published. This included doing a newspaper column that I did on motorcycling from the female nondriver perspective. So, to answer you, I started my self-promotion two to three years ago.
IC
You read many submissions. What is it that makes a story a keeper?
Babs
First of all, we have to have a sense that it is, indeed, a story. By this I mean that when I start reading, I keep reading. The first typos/errors turn me off. I immediately feel that the writer hasn't taken enough time to read it through again and make it right.I love good dialogue. What is worse than stilted conversation! It's no different than when you are uncomfortable talking to someone. You don't want to feel uncomfortable while reading for enjoyment.
A good tip would be to stay away from dialect, cliches--please! As E.B. White says, do not attempt to use dialect unless you are a devoted student of the tongue you hope to reproduce. I had several submissions from a wonderful writer whom I really wanted to publish but this writer could not write without an overabundance of unusual sex and drugs presented--that's isn't what Futures is all about. You must know the style of the magazine you are submitting to and, at the very least, listen to what we are saying when we explain why we are saying no, and then try again!
The worst un-keeper, is when the ending ends badly. Sometimes I feel that the writer simply runs out of steam or energy, or worse, imagination, and the story ends. But badly.
When we go all the way through, and no matter how many misspellings or whatever and we're still intrigued, we'll send the story back to the writer for a rewrite and a resubmission. That means we're not going to correct the errors, but whatever's there is worth working on if the writer is interested in doing the work. Usually they're happy to work it over. This reworking is to everyone's benefit.
IC
Who was your favorite teacher or professor and why?
Babs
Sister Mary David was a Dominican nun and my third grade teacher. She was feisty, full of fire and vinegar, and attitude. I learned something that year that would shape my future; to care about others more than self. By the end of that year, I'd made up my mind to be a nun just like her, only I wanted to work with the leper colonies and take care of those unfortunate people that no one wanted to help. A few years later I began to read Ayn Rand and I learned the virtue of selfishness. It made for a healthy mix.
IC
What's your favorite pet and would you adopt an iguana?
Babs
I had a mutt named, Elsa. I loved her so much that I named the primary character in my series, Elsie, after Elsa.I had a parrot, Charlie, for many years. He talked nonstop. Talked, screamed, barked, meowed, you name it, Charlie said it. He screamed so much neighbors walking by who didn't know us thought I was beating my children! When my kids left home and I worked more than full time, he was lonesome. It was so hard on him that I decided to find him a home. I was offered many thousands of dollars for him but I gave him to a naturalist at the zoo who promised me that he'd keep him as his personal pet and never make a show animal of him. If I had time for an iguana I'd have kept Charlie!
IC
Did you ever check on Charlie after he went to his new home?
Babs
I check on him from time to time, but it's difficult as I miss him and he lives about an hour's drive from here. Generally I just call and talk to him. Ha! The naturalist did what he told me he'd do, set Charlie up with his own little habitat and a few close bird friends. He still talks and laughs like me though! I remember the first time I realized it was my laugh I heard from him all day. I was at a party and thought, oh, that sounds like Charlie! Once I realized that the sound was coming from me I wondered, had I trained him or...?
IC
What was your favorite activity in grade school?
Babs
I loved to draw. Colors fascinate me and always have. I could spend an Autumn afternoon gazing at the shades in a tree that was in the process of change. I had a favorite tree that I'd climb, sit in and day dream while planning my next pastel sketches.
IC
If one looked in your high school yearbook (or college or both) what would be seen as your stated goal?
Babs
Ha!You'll laugh. I wanted to be an actress! I knew I would be! I won many awards in high school in humorous and dramatic interpretation. I was in every school play and, as we had two town colleges, I was asked to be in some of their college performances, too. Most of the town thought I'd be famous!
IC
What happened?
Babs
I fell in love, dropped out of college, got married and was pregnant and poor for years and poof, there went that dream! I remember a college professor I had for theatre who said, "too bad the people with the talent do not have the ambition." Well, jeeze. Had I had the ambition I'd have missed out on having my three incredible daughters. Plenty of time for dreams and now I'm creating my heart out!
IC
Is there something you are bursting to talk about?
Babs
Many things! One that is dear to my heart is a special memorial Futures is doing for the first time this year. It is called the Karen Besecker fire to fly Memorial Award for mystery writers. In conjunction with the Futures Annual 'fire to fly' Awards, there will be an award of $200 given to a novice mystery writer. (Defined as one who does not have a published mystery or subgenre novel and has three or fewer published mystery or subgenre short stories.)Karen Besecker, born in Columbus, Ohio, graduated from California State University at Fresno, married her High School sweetheart and had a very young daughter, Katherine Joy. Karen wrote during her lunch hours and at night. She was thirty-four when she suddenly and without previous warning passed away in her sleep just three days after she saw her first paid for mystery story published by Murderous Intent Mystery Magazine. She was a shy woman, but dynamic and determined--the driving force that founded the San Joaquin chapter of Sisters in Crime. Karen did this single-handedly. Her funeral was so heavily attended by her friends that they filled the chapel and the hall. She served on the Board of Friends of the Library. In lieu of flowers, contributions were sent to the library in her name. She is still remembered by donors to the library who give in her name. An anonymous donor of the $100 prize that started an award, that we hope will grow into a memorial of some stature, states, "I would like the award to be given for a novice mystery writer and believe that Futures' compassion for new writers makes this connection with Futures Karen's style."
Futures will continue this award each year in honor of Karen and the untold others like her who give of themselves to help make all of our creative dreams come true. E-publisher Gina Haldane of Starlight Writer Publications has offered to publish an anthology of the finalists in this contest (providing we have quality entries). This anthology will be sold with their other e-books and the profit put into a fund for the next year's Karen Besecker Memorial Awards. Those of you who participate will be helping this Award live on.
Betty Wright, publisher of Rainbow Books, Inc. will help sponsor this award with her offer of $100 and as she has offered her help, she will be one of the final judges.
IC
Any final words for our visitors?
Babs
I'd like to leave them with a quote that is on the back cover of Futures. It says a lot about the magazine and even more about me! "This is a prophetic magazine I said to myself," when I picked up my first issue of Futures. "This magazine is about spunk, and guts, and never saying never. " Molly Essau (who writes a column for Futures titled, Essau's Fables.
This interview was conducted for the Internet Chapter during May and June 1999 by Louise Guardino
Visit Barbara Lakey's Futures web site
_babs@sinc-ic.org spot@sinc-ic.org
Read an earlier Spotlight Profile
