Author Intrusion

The humble will be exalted and the exalted will be humbled.

I've always loved that quote and have tried to remember it from day-to-day. Yet the problem with writing books is that you need to self-advertise from time-to-time. It's the absolute worst thing about the writing life.

Think of it, and consider why most writers are a little off. You work on something, completely alone, for months and months. Through it all you tell yourself that it's the greatest thing ever written, but you counter that with bouts of - this is complete garbage. Months - maybe years -later you put it out there and before it even gets by the editor, you have to swing into self-promotion mode. You have to explain why you sat alone in your room, for hours on end, to tell a story that maybe no one would want to, or ever have the chance to read. And in your mind, you try and stay stable, and if people like it, humble.

I'm attending the New England Book Festival because Nobody's Home won a bit of recognition in the fiction category. As I told some of my co-workers in the construction field about it, they were very understanding of course. From one: You write books? What a dork.

From another: You get to fly to another city to drink wine with other geek writers? Oh, I'm so jealous!

Even from my wife at Book-Expo New York a couple of years ago: Boy this is fun, people talking about books!

Yet there is certainly a passion involved. I will drink wine, or whatever alcoholic beverage I'm forced to drink. I will discuss what I've read and what I'll be writing. Despite my above-quote, I may feel a sense of pride when I discuss Nobody's Home and do you know why?

Because I know the reason why I wrote the book. I understand that it was a learning experience for me where I was taught by my wonderful editor the art of transition, and where I handled an emotional conflict that was awakened in me by a madman that lived in my hometown.

It's one hell of a conflicted life, but I have a sneaking suspicion that I'll be writing new things, real soon, because exalted or not, it answers the knock at the door in my own crowded head.

Cliff Fazzolari is a professional writer and prolific author. He is on the Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo PICU Parent Advisory Council. He currently resides in Blasdell, New York.

I must admit that I listen to the Howard Stern Show every day. I feel that all of the characters are true friends and each day I thrill my wife with stories of their antics, but today, I was upset by something about the show, and it has to do with my writing career.

Sure, Howard Stern wrote a couple of best-selling books, but now, his sidekick, Artie Lange, has also hit number one on the New York Times Bestsellers list. He laughed when he told the news and commented that there were most likely a lot of writers out there who were aggravated by the news.

I know of one! It occurs to me that the surest way to garner the number one spot at Amazon.com or the New York Times is to already be a celebrity. Whatever happened to the art of writing? What ever became of carefully creating a plot, establishing some viable characters, and entertaining millions with a structured story of mystery and suspense?

I’ve published five novels. I’ve tried my hand at non-fiction and wrote a couple of memoirs that have deeply affected doctors, nurses and patients. I have stayed awake at night deciding when and where to place my characters, and Artie Lange (who I love as a comedian, by the way) hires a ghost writer, slaps a funny title on the book – Too Fat to Fish, and cops the number one spot on the list.

And it’s not just Artie. Madonna wrote a book about sex that did very well. OJ was featured in a story about how he would have committed murder if he were so inclined – and that debuted at number one even after they yanked it from the shelves.

Dr. Phil sells a hundred thousand books for every book I ever sold, and then there’s Dr. Laura, Al Franken and Bill O’Reilly.

I have a new rule – if you’re already a millionaire from doing something else – you can’t call yourself an author.

If you are selling books based solely on your name, you can’t be part of a list. If you haven’t put in the time to do a classic rewrite, and have never sat lonely at a book signing, you can’t even begin to think about cashing a royalty check.

Let the struggling writers have their own career. Artie Lange’s debut at number one on the bestsellers list is certainly an accomplishment, but he spent a little time jokingly referring to himself as Hemmingway.

The worst part about it is that he probably sold more books than Hemmingway!

It’s beginning to dawn on me – perhaps I’m just not well known enough to ever write a bestseller. Maybe the best thing to do would be to run down to the bookstore and grab a copy of Artie Lange’s book. Perhaps he can show me how it’s done.

I’m just too normal to succeed.

Cliff Fazzolari is a professional writer and prolific author. He is on the Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo PICU Parent Advisory Council. He currently resides in Blasdell, New York.

If someone were to ask me about how to live a successful writing life, I suppose that I would have to say that there is a lot to endure.

There is the apprehension of wondering about whether or not something that you’ve written is good enough.

There are the sleepless nights as you consider plot changes, and the painful evenings when you sort through the angry red pen of the editor.

There is that lonesome moment when you realize that not everyone is interested in what you’re writing about, and the sad reality that John Grisham and James Patterson will probably outsell you for the 700th month in a row.

Yet if you are strong enough to endure – there will be moments – when you feel like the king of the world.

This past week brought one such moment. I was invited to speak at The Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, NY to discuss my book, House of Miracles.

The event wasn’t important to me because I was going to sign and sell books. It didn’t mean anything that people would clap for me and admire the story I put together.

No – the reward was all about three people who are chronicled in the pages of House of Miracles. Anthony, Nicholas and Trina Stinson are a family that had their lives changed by an illness with no cure. (To read more about the Stinson family – buy the book!)

Yet I saw love in the eyes of each family member. I made them proud to be recognized for their life of love. Quite simply, I was beautifully rewarded for being a writer.

Cliff Fazzolari is a professional writer and prolific author. He is on the Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo PICU Parent Advisory Council. He currently resides in Blasdell, New York.

Click here to read a Q&A interview with Cliff Fazzolari about his upcoming event at The Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo, NY.

Writing is a noble, but strange profession. What other profession is so filled with people who want to do it, but just don’t have the time?

“If I just had the time, I could write a best-seller,” is a common refrain at book-signings.
I always answer with, “You should do it, it’s fun.”

Yet it isn’t fun. Writing is hard work. Finding an agent you can trust and a publisher who shares the dream is even more difficult. Handling the absolute despair of the editor’s rewrite is agonizing at best. So why do it?

I like to write inspirational, against-all-odds, types of stories. I get all worked up when the main character is able to succeed when it looks as if there is no hope at all. Still, is that enough to keep you writing?

Years ago, after publishing my first book, I went to work on a second. A good friend of mine stopped by with beer in an attempt to get me away from the computer. “I’m writing,” I said.
“You already did it once, why bother?” he asked.

Fast-forward to about five years and three books later. A mother, who lost her son in a car accident, seeks me out at the funeral home. “Your books have meant the world to me,” she said, as she hugged me tightly.
Why bother?

Because you just might reach someone.

Cliff Fazzolari is a professional writer and prolific author. He is on the Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo PICU Parent Advisory Council. He currently resides in Blasdell, New York.

Click here to read a Q&A interview with Cliff Fazzolari about his upcoming event at The Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo, NY.

My life as an author began because of my deep passion for reading. I literally read words from the time I wake up in the morning (reading the Yankee box score in the New York Post) to the time I go to bed at night (reading a fiction novel or a non-fiction work on a subject that interests me.)

My love of reading was a gift from my mother, who is still reading just as much as she ever has. There are very few trips made to Mom and Dad’s house without a gander at the books she’s finished and is just waiting to share.

I was always nervous giving my mother a copy of my books to read because she is such a voracious reader. I was worried that she might see right through me. Thankfully, she has loved each of my efforts.
Yet each and every time I do a book signing or an appearance, I am asked about what I like to read. Students, book club members, other authors, and even the janitor on the way in wants to know whom I read.
I usually begin talking about Steinbeck, switch to John Irving, mention Stephen King’s The Stand and become particularly annoyed if someone mentions The DaVinci Code (I hated that book.)

Yet do you need to read to be a good writer? My answer is a shout-from-the-mountaintops “YES!” How can you craft a story if you never read one? How can you develop characters if you aren’t exposed to poorly developed ones? (See The DaVinci Code.)

I have not read every book ever written. As the discussion goes on, someone will eventually mention the greatest book ever written that has somehow slipped by me.

“Oh, you just have to read it!” the person will squeal.
I’ll certainly try. I’ll read as much as I can, every day, for the rest of my life. If you love the craft of writing, you just have to.

Cliff Fazzolari is a professional writer and prolific author. He is on the Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo PICU Parent Advisory Council. He currently resides in Blasdell, New York.

Driving home late yesterday afternoon with a tired mind, I passed a lime green Chevy Nova. I immediately thought of my grandfather. He had owned such a car late in his life. I pictured him behind the wheel with two eyes on the road and one ear on my grandmother, who was the world’s worst backseat driver. For the next twenty minutes I contemplated the life of Grandpa Clifford Schryver. I was named for the man, and our motto was, “Us Cliffs must stick together.”

My mind continued to play tricks on me. Before too long I was able to recall taking a long walk with Grandpa. I was about seven or eight years old. Grandpa and I were just walking and chatting, not really saying much, when I found a dime on the sidewalk. I recall being very excited and explaining to Grandpa Clifford that I would just walk the world looking for money.

“It don’t work that way,” Grandpa said. “You need to work hard.”
Which is of course my thought on writing. You don’t necessarily have to be overly inspired to complete the task. Sometimes all that you need to do is open up your mind and let the thoughts collect for you.

Through the years I have taught writing classes and given speech after speech about how to tackle the daunting task of telling a story. Most of the time I find it extremely difficult to explain myself. Perhaps this is the way to handle such a question: Writer’s…write, and talkers…talk. Therefore people who talk about writing are just talkers.

I very rarely need to be inspired to write, and that is most likely because I walk around with an open mind and a fresh notebook, looking for ideas. Immediately after contemplating my grandfather’s life, I heard an old Air Supply song. Back in college there were a couple of gals who loved Air Supply. I recalled sitting in their apartment as they played the record over and over. I feigned disgust each and every time the needle hit the vinyl, but twenty-some years later I drove through town thinking of college and wondering what my old friends were up to. I was able to sing every word of the song, and it blew my mind to consider what the heart is able to trap.

The next time that you are looking to be inspired, sit back and allow your mind to take you on a trip, backward or forward. You’ll be writing in no time, but remember the words of my grandfather: “You need to work hard.”

Cliff Fazzolari is a professional writer and prolific author. He is on the Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo PICU Parent Advisory Council. He currently resides in Blasdell, New York.

I recently read an interview with John Irving, the author of such classics as The World According to Garp and (one of my personal favorites, A Prayer for Owen Meany. Irving explained that he didn’t consider himself a great writer, but did believe that he is a great rewriter. Reading that quote, and finding a brilliant editor within the walls of Sterlinghouse Publisher, changed my entire writing career.

You must rewrite! Don’t let anyone tell you any different. Of course, the great author that lives inside of us all would have you believe that you nailed it on the first draft, but I have been writing long enough to know that it certainly isn’t the case. I am almost embarrassed to send the first draft in. I feel that my editor is sitting there, shaking her head, wondering what made me believe I could write.

Yet there is always hope. Each draft makes the story better. Every corrected grammatical error allows the story to flow more smoothly.

The one major rewrite lesson of my life concerned my book, Desperation. Of course, I felt as if I had nailed it – I had written my Grapes of Wrath but my editors felt differently.

“I need you to change the point-of-view,” my publisher explained.
“Okay,” I said. “Sounds easy enough.”

Ten minutes later, after hanging up the telephone, it hit me that changing my point-of-view was not easy at all.

“I need to rewrite the whole book!” I screamed.

Yet months later, knee-deep in the process, I knew that my publisher and editor had been right. I made it a much better book by putting in the time, distancing myself and establishing the story lines.

Just as a way of clarification: One thing that drives me absolutely crazy is when someone posts a sign with a misspelled word. Who could ever do that?

Cliff Fazzolari is a professional writer and prolific author. He is on the Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo PICU Parent Advisory Council. He currently resides in Blasdell, New York.

By Cliff Fazzolari

I headed to the local YMCA for a dip in the hot tub and a sweat in the sauna. As I entered the lobby, I noticed that there was a used book fair going on. Realizing that I had signed books at the YMCA for the book club, my heart skipped a beat as I considered that someone would be selling a copy of Counting on a Miracle for a quarter.

I walked all around the tables, just praying that my book wasn’t in one of the bins. Each story takes a year or more to write and the task is a little like giving birth. Would someone actually sell one of my babies for a quarter?

I noticed a Stephen King book that I absolutely loved – hardcopy – and on sale for $1.00.

There were three Grishams and two copies of The Great Gatsby! The YMCA was asking fifty cents for each work of art.

Again, I felt as if I might cry. At home, my books are stacked high to the ceiling, as a badge of honor. I read about sixty books a year and love some more than others, but I have a real hard time throwing them away. In a world where we are in search for instant gratification, there is something to be said of my love of books.

I continued my exploration, but thankfully did not see any of the signed copies of my book that were now on sale. I had a proud moment as I considered that my customers kept my books. Take that, Grisham and King!

There are moments when, searching for a book deal, you envision a life of leisure and endless accolades. Perhaps all us authors can really hope is that our books don’t end up for sale two for a buck.

Cliff Fazzolari is a professional writer and prolific author. He is on the Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo PICU Parent Advisory Council. He currently resides in Blasdell, New York.

By Cliff Fazzolari

I’ve spent this campaign season looking for signs of life from the candidates. I must say that my impression of the upcoming presidential nominations, and ultimately the election, is like that of the old prospectors who searched the streams looking for gold.

I can’t honestly say that I wouldn’t have been successful as a prospector of gold, but in this day and age it appears to me that I’m not bringing much up that is pure gold. My tongue-in-cheek look at the candidates so far:

John McCain is a war hero who spent years and years in captivity. I’m guessing that he had plenty of time to formulate his plan for the country, and there should never be an attempt to downplay what he did for this country. Yet everyone seems to dislike him for one reason or another. He is a Republican who used to be a Democrat, so the Republicans distrust him. He is a Republican now, so, of course, the Democrats distrust him. Sounds like he has some persuading to do.

Hillary Clinton – There is no need for introduction to this candidate, as we have watched her grow through the years. Yet she is the first female candidate for the highest office, and knowing all of the details of her fine marriage to Bill might be enough to make us hate her. Hillary conjures up all sorts of emotions in the minds of potential voters. I’m not sure we love her enough not to hate her.

Barrack Obama – The candidate we know the least about, other than he is black. He speaks eloquently of change, and that is certainly a welcome tune, but change to what? How well he answers this question will determine his electability.

Yet after sifting the candidates through the mill, one thing is certain: I am not shouting that “There is gold in dem der hills.”

By Cliff Fazzolari

There are jars by the door at nearly every convenience store. They plead for nickels or dimes, or twenty-dollar bills. Sometimes there are stories of the illness or accident suffered and the punch line that medical bills are through the roof, and the family is about to lose their home.

I defy any man or woman to read the story and not drop a dime or two in the jar. Every year there are telethons to raise money for children, and some authors even donate portions of their proceeds to one cause or another. Yet we have always heard the phrase that charity begins at home. I examined that thought as it pertains to my own life, and yes, I can understand the meaning.

Charity is about learning to love within the confines of a family. It is about sharing and understanding the highs and lows of a marriage. It is certainly about going out of your way to give more of yourself to those around you. If you are uncharitable in your family structure, chances are you can walk right by that jar at the convenience store.

Through the years, I have tried to make donations to those less fortunate. I can’t, in good conscience, walk by a man who is strumming a guitar and begging for a quarter if he has a sign saying that he was a war veteran. I often think that we would be better off as a species if we were all a bit more charitable. Just remember, charity isn’t always about money. It can be a smile, or a wave, or just a kind word. Charity begins at home, and your feeling of home is in your heart.