This is a question that has been bothering me since I was a bookseller taking the downloaded bestseller list from corporate and repositioning the books in the front window.

What made these books so special? Is it the author’s established name? Marketing of the book? Word of mouth?

Does it have to do with how the book is written? What type of words are used? What is the predominate sentence structure of a bestseller?

I’ve decided to make my new mission figuring out what makes a book a bestseller.

In preparation of this task, I looked over the New York Times Bestseller List for 12/25/2011.

I’ve picked five books in each book category; mass market, trade, and hardback books.

There is one thing I found interesting right off the bat.

I looked at the top twenty books in each category. Within the hardback best sellers, twenty percent of the books are written by females. With the trade paperbacks, fifty-five percent of the books are written by females. In mass market books, thirty-five percent of the books are written by females.

At this point, I can’t make any claims to why this is happening. Looking at one week isn’t enough to make any sort of observation. However, this is another aspect of the bestsellers list I want to explore.

Come journey with me as I explore the method to the madness of a bestseller list.

It never seems to fail. I turn on “White Christmas” and there’s Bing and Danny sitting in the train cart singing about snow.

Then the one girl chimes in with how she wants to wash her hair in snow.

Why would she want to do this?

I was thinking maybe there is a crazy old wives’ tale about washing one’s hair in snow. Maybe snow has great shine potential? Does new fallen snow come from Angels?

Then I start wondering how will she wash her hair with snow. Does she take some snow, melt it down, lather, and rinse? Does she come outside with her head full of soap and drag her hair through the snow? Is the snow acting as her shampoo?

What about her fingers? Wouldn’t they freeze off playing with the snow? Are there special mittens she uses to grab the snow from the ground?

Or is it even snow on the ground? Is it snow from the sky? Does she see it’s snowing and grabs her shampoo and dashes outside?

Is it only snow from December? Can she only use the first snowfall?

Could I be missing out on one of the best kept beauty secrets of all time?

I know it’s only a song and I’m overanalyzing things, but I wouldn’t have noticed this strange line if I didn’t keep seeing the same scene over and over again.
I can’t help wondering why this woman wants to use snow.

I do believe, like assholes, everyone has an opinion. I had mine about Shakespeare and they had theirs.

What I will not stand for, and frankly anyone who blogs should do the same, is the downright nasty and rude name calling. If you want to argue your point with me, I’m for that. Do it intelligently and with respect. Behind this blog is a human being who doesn’t take kindly to people telling me I should go fuck myself- true story.

It isn’t because I have a weak skin. I’m a writer and a teacher. You can’t buy thicker skin than mine. Why these nasty comments bother me is because this childlike name calling takes away from the real point. I get so fixated on the fact you called me an asshole, I’m not looking at your argument.

I understand that opinions make the world go ’round and some people think the shocking the better. Some people really do get so mad they have no recourse but to curse, yell, and wish death on me.

I’m not alone in this.

In a small book by Steve Almond called, “Letters From People Who Hate Me,” Almond not only shows the reader the incredible hate mail he has gotten over time, but he also shares his responses. What I love about the responses is the deflection. Sure, Almond could rant right back and name call, curse, and be a raging asshole. But he doesn’t. He responds to the letters more thoughtfully than the person who mouthed off and sent the nasty letter to him.

I wish I would have read this book before I started blogging. It would have saved me a lot of nasty return comments.

If you are interested in getting your hands on this book, the only way you can get it is through going out to one of Steve Almond’s speaking engagements or book signings. It is well worth the time, believe me.

Here’s his website so you can see where he is and get yourself what I like to call my saving grace when daring to have an unwelcomed opinion. We should never back down from our opinions. As long as we present them logically and intelligently, we should not be attacked. I know that won’t happen. Thank goodness for Steve Almond.

Website: http://www.stevenalmond.com/

Go to the “Read, Baby, Read” (The Tour) spot for Where in The World is Steve Speaking (I made that Where in the world part up. Just now.)

With the holidays coming up, I started thinking maybe I should get him one of those easy bake ovens.

Then I looked at it.

It’s purple and has a big girl’s face on the front of it.

Why, in the 21st Century, are products like this easy bake oven still geared towards girls?

What do we buy the little boys who love the Cake Boss? Do those boys really want a little oven that is geared and marketed towards girls?

Sure, I could buy him a kid’s cookbook, but they don’t seem to be any better. The problem still remains. I want him to be able to make and bake his own stuff.

When we baked, he mixed the sugar and eggs and he decorated the cupcakes. I was the one who, rightly so, put everything in the oven.

Why can’t he have something that he can make and bake on his own? Why are girls the bakers?

We make so many advances, yet with children’s toys, we are still so far behind. We keep the same marketing ideas, but these aren’t the same kids.

His sister, of course, wanted a quater to make her own wish. She was about to tell us all her wish when her brother stopped her and said if she told us her wish, it wouldn’t come true.

The two things that bother me about this is:

1. When did wishes start costing a quater? In my day, a penny would do just fine. Or maybe that was my problem. Maybe because I thought a penny was good enough, I was only really wishing with one percent of my wish potential.

2. Why can’t we tell our wishes?

I know the boy was right. We were all taught if we told our wishes, they wouldn’t come true. But I want to understand why.

Why do we have to be so secretive about our wishes? If they are things we really want, why can’t we tell others?

What’s the harm?

And wouldn’t it be better to get some support for your wish? Like if your wish was to take a trip to say, London. This is merely an example. I’m not at all saying this is my wish or anything. Just so we are all clear, I’m not broadcasting my wish here. I’m giving an example.

So, again, say the wish was the go to London. You tell your friend. The next day, your friend sees you about to buy a pair of three hundred dollar shoes. Maybe your friend whispers in your ear, “London” and you put the shoes back. You don’t need three hundred dollar shoes, but if you are willing to plunk that much down on shoes, maybe you need someone to help curb your habit. And why not have the motivation come from something you wished for?

Because in reality, all our wishes are things we can basically obtain (okay, maybe not living on another planet or having a loved one back in our life) if we could only motivate ourselves.

If it was as simple as motovation, the wish would be a moot point. But we need help. Why not tell our friends our wish and have them help us go after our wish?

If what you are wishing for is so important to you, why aren’t you working towards it?

I signed up for National Novel Writing Month.

The cool thing is they have a site for it (which I had no idea about until today when I googled it). By signing up, you get to tell everyone how many words you wrote. It’s like a community.

One I had no idea existed.

That’s bad.

I’ve always heard people talk about NaNo. At first I thought it was a discussion on Apple products. But no, it’s this whole community of writers ready and willing anyone who wants to write a whole novel…in a month.

Please help me.

If you want to follow my journey, I’m MM Wittle. Here’s the website if you’d like to sign up for yourself.

http://www.nanowrimo.org/

Wittle:  How did you come to write flash fiction?

Breslin: I’ve always been a fan of short stories, but I was driven to
write flash fiction by two influences. First, I’m a fan of the website
fictionaut. Many writers contribute excellent flash fiction pieces and comment
on each other’s work. Second, I read the Collected Stories of Lydia Davis. Her
pieces are little gems, many are less than a single page, and they really
capture a moment or a thought. They are simply beautiful and they led me to
start crafting short pieces.

Wittle: Describe the process you went through to place the stories in the
collection, Elephant.

Breslin: The stories in Elephant were written over a four year period. I
wanted to explore different themes while evolving my own style. After I wrote and
revised each story over time, I shared with one of the three critique groups I
regularly attend. Their candid feedback helped me decide which stories to fine
tune even further and which stories to simply shelve for the time being.

Wittle: In the first story, “The Ex,” there are a lot of great
details that do double and triple duty. I found the reveal that Aaron was an
addict as Eve was eating the Asian pear to be very well done. How many drafts
did it take for you to get details like this just right?

Breslin: Thanks for the nice words! I worked on that story off and on
for almost a year. I probably revised that section over thirty times. I believe
in the idea of sweating over every word, continually shaping the piece until
the scenes feels natural. In that scene, I just kept working on the timing of
the discussion with their handling of the pear until I felt it flowed
naturally. I’m glad you thought it worked!

Wittle:  In, “We are not Dog People,” could you describe Evan’s
deeper connection to the neighbor’s dog?

Breslin: Evan has constructed a life where he finds himself fenced in,
constrained by his own beliefs. He keeps his head down and tries not to stir up
trouble. Although the dog is a nuisance, what Evan really resents is this dog’s
boundless energy and freedom.

Wittle: I love the story, “Elephant.” Can you explain the deeper
purpose of the elephant in the story?

Breslin: This started out with the old British phrase the “elephant in
the room.” I wondered how I could deliver that uncomfortable feeling without
using the phrase. I spent about four hours working on the piece, and I still
wasn’t sure what the elephant was. I thought the couple might have lost a baby.
Later, I thought the story might work better if the elephant was only something
he could see. It took another day to write and revise the story, and the piece
is only about 500 words. I also like that the word elephant does not appear in
the story itself.

Wittle:  ”Dashboard Jesus” and “The Rapture” are connected
by the one character in each story. I loved the way the reader sees two
different point of views on the connected character. Was this story ever one
story or was it always two separate stories? Would you ever think of connecting
them further?

Breslin: I had written “The Rapture” first and “Dashboard Jesus” came
some months later, though I knew it was the same man on the street corner. I
hadn’t thought of merging the stories into one, but when it came time to order
the stories in the collection, it made sense to put them together. I haven’t
thought of merging the stories further, but it’s an interesting idea. I would
like to write a collection where each story is linked by one interaction.

Wittle:  ”At Night in the Field” is a haunting story because the
details are sparse but punch the reader in the stomach with their implications.
This is one of the stories that went beyond the page. Can you explain more
about the relationship the girl and stepfather have and have not?

Breslin: Driving home from the Rosemont Writers Retreat one night, I saw
a pick up truck in a baseball field. It was a strange sight and the first draft
flowed out fairly quickly. The narrator has lied to her mother, is popping
pills, and hates her stepdad. It’s hard to know what details we can trust. No
doubt, her stepdad is creepy but I don’t know if anything has happened between
the two.

Wittle:  Could you see any of these stories turn into a novel? Which one or
ones and why?

Breslin: Good question. I do think there are some characters in these
stories who eventually I might expand on. I really like Jack and Emme in “The
Pullback” and how they are overwhelmed with three rambunctious kids in the
moment. I would like to see how they fare later in life. I could see a prequel
of sorts for “The Rapture” exploring the arc of this mother and her son. Also,
the character Frank Bausch from the final story “The Pasture” has lived a long
full life that could be explored further. Interesting ideas. Thanks!

I would like to Thank Jim Breslin for taking the time to answer my questions. To read more about Jim Breslin and pick up a copy of Elephant, http://jimbreslin.com/

Dear PWWrites:

I’ve been trying to get back into writing for a long time. I don’t have the time to get an MFA and I feel like I’m alone in my writing. How do I get a writing group together?

Thanks, 

LoneWriter 25

Okay, this is not an uncommon question, LoneWriter25. There are many ways to access the writing community without getting a MFA (although I will say if you ever get the time to get one, it really is a well worth it degree. I learned a lot about myself as a writer and what the different genres can bring to my writing toolbox).

First, use the internet and all it’s social networks. You will find plenty of people just like you struggling to write. Use the social networks to talk about writing.

Second, look to your local library and book stores. I know Barnes and Noble does some writing groups and I once went to a writing group in my local library. I stopped going because I went into grad school and I didn’t have the time to juggle the writing group and school. It was a great experience being around others who wanted to work with writing and it was a big writing ego boost for me.

Thirdly, look at the local literary magazines in your area. In Philadelphia, there are many local literary magazines and these magazines offer writing classes as well as events for writers to attend. Also, try going to open mic nights if poetry is your thing. There you will meet people who write and from there you can start talking to others just like you.

Lastly, read books in your genre and look for blogs that discuss these books. That will help you see what others are saying about your favorite books and many bloggers are interested in craft issues their favorite writers solve. Some bloggers will discuss these types of issues with you and that will help you feel less alone.

The main thing you want to do is take a good look at yourself as a writer. Ask yourself what you really want from a writer’s group. What is it about your writing you feel like you need advice with? That will help you understand what you are looking for and as you progress in your writing, your needs will change. Do not be afraid to move with your change and move on to a new writer’s group when you progress.

Now, this is a down and dirty way of looking at writing groups, but I think it is a good place for you to start. Let me know how things go.