http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/Patry/ Life is short, misery sure, mortality certain. But on the way, why not carry those two inflated pig bladders labeled Zest and Gusto. -- Ray Bradbury en-us 2007-09-05T20:06:06+00:00 Publishers Marketplace Patry Francis hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00:00+00:00 http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/images/PM_rssimg.gif http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/ http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/Patry/index.html#20070905135503 Okay, the ex-army officer who said this probably wasn't talking to writers. He probably wasn't thinking about how to create unforgettable charcters either. Nor was he talking about how to make your screenplay leap to life, or how to take your non-fiction out of the dry world of the academy and directly into the hearts and minds of readers. But without absorbing this message, can you really do any of those things? I know I can't. "The secret to success is to always be in love. Staying in ... Patry Francis 2007-09-05T19:55:03+00:00 http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/Patry/index.html#20070710150324 I've always believed that the best writing advice applies equally well to life -- and vice versa. It should also be simple and to the point. This one, which Sarah Waters, has hanging in her writing room passes the test. It also got me through a month when I lost my way in my new novel, and was forced to scrap 80 pages and begin again. "STAY CALM AND CARRY ON." Is it really that simple? Yes, I believe it is. Patry Francis 2007-07-10T21:03:24+00:00 http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/Patry/index.html#20070101102344 In my years as a novelist-in-training, I started three personal collections: 1. Rejection slips. Why writers save these, I don't know, but many -- perhaps even most of us -- have impressive collections. Maybe we hoard them so we can re-read the little promising scrawls at the bottom. The "Thanks!" that is often enough to keep us going for another day, or the heart-lifting "Please try us again." (Is this the time to say thank you to all the editors who took the time to write a note?) Or ... Patry Francis 2007-01-01T16:23:44+00:00 http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/Patry/index.html#20061116185146 A year ago today, something incredible happened to me. Let me set the scene: It was around eleven in the morning, and I was in my study writing when the phone rang. I shambled toward the kitchen, coffee cup in hand, a defiant bunch of characters still carrying on a spirited dialogue in my head. I was still wearing my pajamas. My first thought? Maybe it was my agent calling to say she'd sold my book! An amazing coincidence maybe? A sign that that I possessed the gift of prophecy? ... Patry Francis 2006-11-17T00:51:46+00:00 http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/Patry/index.html#20061017143908 A while back I told you about Sadie J, the character I came to love so much that I grieved, seriously grieved, after I wrote the last story about her. Now that story, "My Women", is available on Amazon for a price not seen since the days when Woolworth's flourished -- 49 Cents! Out of that 49 cents, I think I get about a dime. So please, read it -- because it takes a lot of dimes to buy a cup of coffee these days...and I have a kid in college...and because someone just told me that ... Patry Francis 2006-10-17T20:39:08+00:00 http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/Patry/index.html#20060912190942 LOVES IT! Yes, that's right. With her own much anticipated novel, THE MEPHISTO CLUB, hitting the shelves today, this amazingly generous writer took still found time to read my galley and offer her support. When her email came in late last night, I was so thrilled I woke my whole family up with my hooting and hollaring. And once they heard what she had to say about my novel, they jumped out of bed and joined me in my happy dance. Her quote: "Patry Francis is a sly and seductive writer, and ... Patry Francis 2006-09-13T01:09:42+00:00 http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/Patry/index.html#20051114201919 I bought these shoes a couple years ago on sale for $14.99. A deal! I called a few of my waitress friends who came out and bought two or three pairs. But not me. See, I didn't plan to wear those ugly black clunkers much longer. Back at home, I was writing my little heart out (mostly in secret, lest people think I'm crazier than they already do). But also in secret, I believed something great was going to happen to me. Something miraculous. I was going to find an agent who had faith in ... Patry Francis 2005-11-15T02:19:19+00:00