Lee Goldberg

A Writer’s Process

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Prolific author Lynn Viehl talks, in a series of interesting entries on her blog, about her novel writing process.

While I’m writing the book I do not back-track to read and mess
with what I’ve written, edit or rewrite the new material as it lands on
the page, change my mind about the story, hate myself, hate the work,
avoid the work, wait for the planets to align correctly before I write,
let my inner rabid bitch off her leash, wonder how what I write will
affect the reader, worry about the state of my soul, chakrahs or ego,
or otherwise railroad myself.

My apologies in advance to the
writers who do any/all of the above. My methods are a professional
necessity, because honestly I could not handle what you do in order to
write a novel.

She also mentions that she gets an advance of about $21,000 a book which, because she mentions it so often on her blog, comes across more like boasting than informative candor.

In  another post, she discusses how she pitches her book projects to editors. Once she has a deal, it’s time to…

… move into the construction phase of the novel
process. I’ve already done the imagining, researching, and outlining for the novel, and I probably have at least a hundred pages of it written as part of the pitch, so everything is ready to go.

A hundred pages? No wonder she can just write without angst… she’s already gone through all her angst, and made all the tough decisions, in her massive (way too massive, in my opinion) sales and outlining process.

I "sell" my DIAGNOSIS MURDER novels (and now my MONK books) on the basis of a punchy page that reads more like book-jacket copy… and then I write a beat sheet for myself that oulines the rest of the plot. By beat sheet, I mean a crude version of the outlines we write in the episodic television business (you can see samples on my website or in my book SUCCESSFUL TELEVISION WRITING).  All together, it might amount to ten pages, mostly in bullet-point form. A hundred pages? Good God.

Unlike Lynn, I also rewrite my books as I go, usually starting my work each day by editing whatever I’ve written the night before. Then again, I also go through almost all of the whining and self-doubt that Lynn manages to avoid…but in the end, I think it helps my work. It forces me to concentrate on plot and character… and to go back and rewrite/refine/hone my writing.

But everyone has their own method. Mystery novelist  Sandra Scoppettone, for instance, doesn’t outline at all, discovering her plot,  her characters, and her murderer, as she goes. Now that is unimagineable to me…

The Name is Carsone, Johnny Carsone

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Update: 4/18/2005

I received a very polite and good-natured email from John Carsone asking me to please remove the correspondence from him that I posted here, since he sent it to me privately.  Just so there’s no confusion in the future, you should all know that any emails I get are fair game for my blog!

Our Trip – Day Seven

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Day Six of our trip was largely a traveling day… so not much to report. We were hit with hail and snow on our way out of New Mexico, preventing us from visiting the Acuma Pueblo…but we did stop at a few trading posts to stretch our legs and browse.  We ended up in Flagstaff around 5 and were able to catch the sunset in Sedona, which was beautiful. Sedona is visually stunning and far exceeded my expectations.

This morning, we returned to Sedona to take in the sights, do some shopping, and have lunch with Richard S. Prather, author of the bestselling Shell Scott mysteries, which sold tens of millions of copies in the 60s. We met at his home and had a wonderful time talking about writing,  plotting and, of course, the outrageously entertaining adventures of Shell Scott.  The one-liners in those books are priceless…for example:

Leeprathersedona"We were dancing, my client and I. But it was much more than just a dance. It was like doing the fox trot and getting your pants pressed at the same time."

We’ve been penpals for a couple of years now, and have spoken on the phone a few times, but this was our first face-to-face meeting. For me, it was a real thrill. One of the great perks of my profession is the opportunity to meet so many of the writers I’ve enjoyed, and admired, since I was a kid. I still can’t believe how lucky I am (click on the picture for a larger image).

After lunch, Valerie, Maddie & I visited the mining town of Jerome, then wandered around Sedona some more before returning to Flagstaff. Tomorrow, it’s off to Las Vegas for a day then back to L.A.

It’s been a wonderful road trip…but come Monday, it back to work.

Our Trip – Day Five

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Today we spent money… Valerie & Maddie on Indian jewelry in Old Town and I, of course, bought books, going crazy at Albuquerque’s wonderful Page One Bookstore. I left after three hours of browsing with a bunch of  signed first editions mysteries, used westerns (by Bill Crider, Ed Gorman, Robert Vaughn, Joseph West, and James Reasoner) and hard-to-find books by Andrew Coburn and Robert Sims Reid. I had a great time. It’s a good thing Page One isn’t in L.A. or I’d go broke…

Our Trip – Day Three

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P1010690Last night in Flagstaff, I wandered into Bookman’s and found a bunch of used Bill Crider and Robert Vaughan westerns in fine condition. Nothing makes a trip like finding good books. This morning we left Flagstaff around 9 (after a complimentary breakfast of biscuits and gravy at the Hampton Inn) and headed east for Albuquerque. Along the way,  we took a peek at the famous La Posada Hotel in Winslow AZ (a desolate, decaying, modern-day ghost town), made the obligatory photo-opportunity stop at the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook (that’s my wife Valerie and my daughter Maddie in the photo, which you can click to enlarge) and toured the Petrified Forest National Park. We stopped for lunch at the El Rancho Hotel in Gallup, New Mexico and made it to  Albuquerque by 5:30 for a sunset stroll through Old Town, which was closed and deserted for Easter. Tomorrow,we’re planning on revisiting Old Town, taking the aerial tramway up to the snow and having dinner with my friends Aimee & David  Thurlo, authors of the Ella Clah novels.

Our Trip – Day Two

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P1010663I’m on-the-road with my family, driving from L.A. to Santa Fe. Tonight, I’m writing to you from the lobby of Hampton Inn in Flagstaff, AZ.  Yesterday, we drove along a narrow, twisting, forgotten stretch of Route 66 through Oatman, an old mining town, where wild burros roam freely down the dusty main drag.  Here’s the weird thing:  a good chunk of the DIAGNOSIS MURDER novel I turned in last month takes place in Oatman and on that stretch of Route 66…which I described without ever having been there.  It turns out that what I "imagined" was pretty close to the reality. Who says you can’t just make things up? On the way out of Oatman, we visited a gold mine (my daughter loved it) and spent the evening in snowy Williams. This morning, we headed out to the Grand Canyon under cloudless, bright blue skies….then drove into Flagstaff on Hwy 189 through snow-covered woods. We had the road almost to ourselves and stopped along the way for a snowball fight.  Tomorrow, we set out for  Gallup,  NM with stops at the Petrified Forest and  the Meteor Crater. (Click on the photo for a larger image)

Road Trip

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Things may be very slow here next week… on Friday, my wife and daughter and I are heading out on our first family roadtrip, driving from LA to Santa Fe and back… stopping at the Grand Canyon, Sedona, and who-knows-where. If I may post some dispatches from the road otherwise, if I survive, you’ll find me back here around April 4th.

Blog Spam

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The kid who emailed me for career advice the other day sent the identical email to lots of other TV & film writers who’ve got blogs.  And we all responded. On our blogs.

Here’s another one.

We all gave him more or less the same advice. And, in doing so, taught him a couple of other valuable lessons:

1) All writers procrastinate.
2) One of the best ways to procrastinate is to run a blog.
3)
The best way to avoid writing when you have a blog is to answer
questions about being a writer when you are in the midst of avoiding
being one.

Another Brilliant Idea for a TV Series That Will Change the Very Course of Mankind

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I got this email today:

Dear Mr. Goldberg,

I read the story about the woman who wanted a shortcut into the television arena. I can understand where she’s coming from on that. But how about the individual who doesn’t have 22 scripts or wants to make  the big bucks? How about the individual who has an idea that begs for a  collaborator…and you don’t know who to call (man! the theme from Ghostbusters
haunts after all these years!!!)? What if the idea isn’t a different type of children’s show? What if it is a story that is based on something Jews, Christians, and Muslims would buy into? What if it is show Oprah would love if  her staff would listen to someone who doesn’t have an agent (again? Who do you
really go to here?)? What if it is a show that NARAS would love because it would help the sales of music, and the industry would appreciate because it helps young writers showcase their talent? There are so many "what ifs" that Creed would have a run for their money. Simply put. Some guys have that place on the perch and others who want to get half way there…just don’t know how. But all it takes is just someone to reach out and give someone a chance (ah! yes, the theme from Mahogany….) Such is life…

Here’s how I replied:

I’ve answered this one so many times, I should probably just use a boilerplate.  So here’s the shorthand version. Again.

Ideas are cheap, execution is everything. No one buys ideas. What the networks are buying are scripts and proven producing skill.  BLIND JUSTICE is not a  great idea.  What ABC bought was Steven Bochco and his stellar writing/producing team doing a show about a blind cop.  It doesn’t matter whether your idea will appeal to Jews, Muslims,  Christians and lovable chipmunks.  No one cares whether Oprah, Ellen, or Biff The Talking Wonder Chimp would love your idea or not.  No one cares if your idea will revolutionize the entire entertainment industry, the American culture, and life as we know it.

No wants to hear your idea. Especially me.

Virtual Bookworm

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I got this email today:

I am considering publishing with Virtual Bookworm. I saw them listed on your list. Anymore you can tell me  about  them.

They are a print-on-demand publisher, also known as a "vanity press." They will not get your books distributed to stores. They will not promote your book. And you will have difficulty getting the book reviewed or taken seriously by anyone (not to mention selling any copies). You may have even more problems than that… just a simple "Google" search on them turns up nothing but complaints and warnings, like this one:

Writer Beware has received a number of complaints about Virtual Bookworm. Most involve unpaid royalties, or royalty statements that don’t reflect the actual  number of books sold. Some authors are looking into legal action.

I found all that out in about 8.5 seconds. Have you done any research at all yourself? If so, you wouldn’t be asking me about them.  If you are intent on paying to have your book published, try  iUniverse.