Letting Go

LETTING GO


This is it.

The last word.

The story is finished.

There comes a time when a writer has to stop working on a story and put the pen down. A point when no amount of editing will polish the plotline, no amount of re-reads or re-writes will improve the story structure. This is the end of the story, a place where a writer has to put a period at the end of the last page and move on.

Letting go of a story is the hardest part of the writing process for an author in any medium. It means the writer has to allow themselves to be vulnerable. Not just to praise, but to criticism, rejection and even insults. Without those things a writer can’t grow in their craft.

Unfortunately, some writers hold onto stories they write for years trying to protect themselves from the very thing that will improve their craft: Sharing it with the audience. They think that if they write one more paragraph, change one more sentence, restructure the plotline to go in another direction, the story will get just that much better. Sometimes this process goes on for a few months. Sometimes a few years. Sometimes it can just go on too long. Sometimes analysis is just another form of insecurity.

I used to be one of those insecure authors who protected his stories like a newborn baby. After I completed my first novel back in 1997, I kept trying to rewrite it telling people I had to make it better before I submitted it to the publishers and agents. It was fear. I didn’t know I was stalling my own growth as a writer; I was afraid of criticism and I started a co-dependent relationship with my characters. They were like old friends and I liked hanging out with them every day in front of the pea-soup green screened Brother word processor.

It wasn’t until I went to the bookstore and I realized it was time to let go of my first story and write something else. I noticed a lot of authors on the bookshelf hadn’t let go of their first works and how it impacted their long-term careers. Because they hadn’t separated themselves from their first novel and moved on, they kept writing the same book over and over again. It stalled their writing craft; the writing style hadn’t changed, their storylines became more and more predictable, their characters the exact same person with another name. Since there was no end of the first story there couldn’t be a beginning. to a new one.

Ending and beginnings are the primary elements of the writing process. Just as one story ends, a new one begins. To let go of my old story and start a new one, I often write something in a totally opposite direction of my previous story. If I finish writing a fantasy story, I write a contemporary romance. If I finish writing a contemporary romance, I write a gritty drama. If I finish writing a gritty drama I write a romantic comedy. If I wrote a screenplay, I’ll write a book next. If I write a book, I’ll write a blog post, a movie review or an article. Mix it up. Make it interesting. I don’t want to get too comfortable with a bunch of characters ever again. I feel it stalls me creatively. A good writer shouldn’t be afraid to put the period at the end of a story and move on.

Starting the next story is the hardest part of writing. For me, it means leaving old friends behind, and getting to know a whole new group of people and interacting with their world. I may like them. I may not like them. It’s a very vulnerable position to be in mentally and emotionally for me at the computer. But I understand it can be very rewarding as I learn about different story models and different experiences than I’m familiar with.

Sistah Friend Book Club Review of The Cassandra Cookbook

The actual review is posted here.

Cassandra Lee thinks she has found true love; however, early in the story she learns that he is just another down-low brother. Without mystery, there is another brother right around the corner. James has a unique way of making you want to grab a doughnut as you read her descriptsion of the passion the Lees have for Cassandra Bakery. A good read for the entrepreneur; there are some real lessons to be learned about proper workplace behaviors and how to operate a successful business. If you are trying to climb the corporate ladder, pay attention to the smooth professional, Simon James, who, with a little help from a old-school brother, learns all the right moves. In addition, the Cassandra Cookbook shines the light on how "mother knows best," or maybe not in some cases. By the end of the book, you will be cheering as the hidden secrets of the hard work pays off.

4 Sistah Hugs --- Sistah Teesa

RAWSISTAZ Review of The Cassandra Cookbook

Here is the RAWSISTAZ Review of The Cassandra Cookbook:

http://www.therawreviewers.com/artman/publish/printer_TheCassandraCookbook.shtml

The Cassandra Cookbook by Shawn James
Virtualbookworm.com Publishing, August 2008
264 Pages, Paperback,
$14.95
ISBN: 160264229X
Genre: Romance

RAW Rating: 3.5 (out of 5)

Cassandra’s parents own a bakery in Brooklyn and named it after their only child, Cassandra. It is a very popular stopping place for those needing tasty baked goods. It’s so good, a large company, ITC Foods, wants to buy the rights to the cookbook and sell the products nationwide. The deal will make enough money for her parents to retire to Florida and leave the running of Cassandra’s to Cassandra. Cassandra is engaged to a lawyer and her wedding is fast approaching. While negotiating with her parents, she leaves the shop in the middle of the day. Unfortunately, when she reaches her home, she discovers her fiancé is keeping secrets from her. The wedding is off. While setting up the ITC takeover of the cookbook, Cassandra meets Simon James, the company representative. There is an immediate attraction between them, but because of Cassandra’s former relationship, she has difficulty letting down her defenses. Simon is not about to give up and he pursues her. Simon has his own issues – one being his very controlling mother. Will these two ever get together? And will Cassandra actually sell the recipes? THE CASSANDRA COOKBOOK by Shawn James is the story of love and money – which is more important? The characters are well-developed and it is easy to see how they arrive at their decisions. There were side characters and action that kept the book moving. It is good entertainment.

Reviewed by alice Holman, RAWSISTAZ.com


Remember, there's still time to pick up a copy for yourself or someone you love. Makes a great gift!

Barnes & Noble
virtualbookworm.com
amazon.com

Reviews of the Cassandra Cookbook

New Book reviews for The Cassandra Cookbook came in at Amazon.com. Check em' out I'll post more as they're sent to me.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
Know All Your Ingredients, November 6, 2008
By
Jennifer Coissiere (Georgia) - See all my reviews Cassandra Lee gets one life-changing blow after another. Having caught her fiancé in a compromising situation, only days before they exchange nuptials, Cassandra has more on her plate than she knows what to do with. The Cassandra Cookbook by Shawn James is not only about cakes and cookies, but how one woman is determined to secure the future of her parents and herself, by the choices she has to make. Will she be able to successfully make everyone happy? Cassandra's parents, Carlton and Helen Lee, are the owners of Cassandra, a bakery they opened when she was but a little baby. Through the years Cassandra followed in her parents' footsteps, learning the tricks and tools of the trade. Using the knowledge and her eye for attracting people, Cassandra helped to change the profits coming in to their bank accounts. When a major conglomerate corporation takes interest in the bakery's cookbook, a sign of the changes to come are obvious. James delivered a series of characters who were three dimensional, and believable. The plot was well developed. However, with such a great storyline the editing needed to be on point and it was not. The grammatical errors, extra words, and punctuation misplacements served to be a distraction at certain points throughout the book. Even with the errors, I still recommend The Cassandra Cookbook to a reader looking for romance, a little drama and whimsical characters.

Jennifer Coissiere APOOO BookClub

***Cassandra Rules, November 2, 2008
By OOSA Online Book Club "O.O.S.A. Gets It Read!" (World Wide Web, USA) - See all my reviewsThe Lee family owns a bakery that they named after their daughter Cassandra. Cassandra loves the bakery and currently is working as a manager. In the last five years she's made a lot of changes that have as a result generated a lot of revenue. In exactly one week Cassandra and Gerald will be married. As her parents near retirement Cassandra has no doubts that she will soon be the owner. She is overflowing with excitement. Regrettably, Cassandra's dream life is due for major upsets. First, she learns that her parents have decided to sell the bakery. Although she is clearly upset, Cassandra wants to please her parents and goes over the contract to ensure that they aren't getting the short end of the stick. Second, she catches her fiancé in their bed with another. Is Cassandra able to stand the heat in the kitchen? Or has she been burned too many times? "The Cassandra Cookbook" is a satisfactory enough read. The author repeatedly uses `I digress' which after awhile becomes excessive. Reviewed by: Carmen


A Tantalizing Recipe For Literary Success, October 28, 2008
By
Apex Reviews (Durham, NC USA) - See all my reviewsCassandra Lee has spent nearly her whole life working in and building up her parents' bakery, named for her, thinking it would one day become hers. What she did not count on was that she would do such a good job that corporate food giant ITC would want to buy it. Although she is heartbroken that her parents would want to sell the store, Cassandra talks them into letting her represent them in the transaction so she can make sure they receive the best deal possible. To further add to her stress, she finds her fiancé in a compromising position that brings their engagement to a halt (in her mind, at least). Her whole life is turned upside down, but she knows she needs to keep it together to be there for her parents. Simon James is the market researcher at ITC who has been assigned to head up the project in preparation for his promotion to Product Manager. This project is his big break, and he struggles with his new role while balancing advice from his mother and his good friend, Smitty. Then, he and Cassandra meet and hit it off, and he has to figure out how to keep the deal professional while pursuing his feelings for her. The Cassandra Cookbook is a story of African Americans in the business world, showing how the choices they make can determine whether they will succeed or fail - an important theme, no matter your skin color. It is a classic tale of good person does well, bad person does not, with a strong message that you should consider how every choice you make affects other people. While the book is enjoyable, it needs editing for grammar and punctuation, and the descriptions are so heavy-handed as to be distracting, rather than helpful to the story. In addition, the first-person viewpoint, jumping from person to person, makes for some confusion and distraction for the reader. However, the story is compelling and the characters life-like, giving an interesting behind-the-scenes view of both the corporate business world and a successful bakery. It also gives some insight on the issues that African Americans must deal with every day in their quest to succeed.

Jennifer Walker Apex Reviews

The Cassandra Cookbook

Now Availabe From Shawn James

ISBN: 978-1-60264-229-4

MSRP $14.95

A pinch of hard work.
A dash of determination.
A recipe for success.

Cassandra Lee’s lifelong dream is to take over the downtown Brooklyn bakery with her name on it when her parents retired. Her dream turns into a nightmare near the eve of her wedding when she learns corporate giant ITC Foods has plans for the store and her low down down low fiancé Gerald is caught in the arms of another man.

Cassandra perseveres, acting as her parents’ agent working with ITC rep Simon James to complete the deal. As their professional relationship gets personal, Simon reveals a secret that devastates Cassandra. Sending Cassandra over the edge, Simon must come up with a plan to heal her broken heart and make her dreams come true.

Read the first Chapter here!

Or buy the book at one of these online retailers:

Barnes & Noble

virtualbookworm.com

amazon.com

A Recipe for $ucce$$ Chapter 1

Chapter 1
Cassandra Lee

Six A.M.

Time to make the donuts.

I spring out of bed with a smile on my face and butterflies in my stomach. This morning my parents are meeting with me to discuss Cassandra’s future. They’ve been talking about retiring lately and I think they’re finally going to give me the bakery.

I proudly look up at the series of family portraits displayed on the wall above the dresser before getting a change of underwear out of the top drawer. The first shows me as a fussy toddler in my father’s arms as we stand outside of a small rundown Downtown Brooklyn corner shop in 1974. As Cassandra changes, I grow from a child into a confident woman leading her staff of twenty employees outside a Fulton Mall staple. Today everything they taught me will come full circle.

I choke back tears and march down the hall into the bathroom. After brushing my teeth and taking a quick shower, I streak back into the bedroom to stand in front of the full-length mirror hanging on the closet door. I quickly get dressed in a neatly pressed pink broadcloth blouse, khaki twill pencil skirt, and shined burgundy loafers. When I take the five-carat platinum and diamond engagement ring out of the jewelry tray and slip it on my finger I proudly admire the reflection of the polished professional black woman on the closet door.

Mmmmmmmmm…the sweet spicy aroma of my bakery’s warm cinnamon buns swirl in the air as I step out into the hallway and head downstairs. It looks like Gerald hasn’t left for work yet. I’ll go say good morning to my fiancé.

I rush through the living room into the kitchen and find my chocolate colored man dressed in a charcoal pinstripe suit, white shirt, and lavender tie. He stands behind the center island counter in front of a half eaten cinnamon bun and cup of coffee typing an e-mail on his Blackberry. Gerald gives me a kiss when I walk up to him; the traces of white icing on his lips makes him taste even sweeter.

“Good morning Cassie.” Gerald greets. “I thought this was your day off.”

“It is, but I’m supposed to meet with my parents regarding Cassandra’s future.” I say. “I think they’re going to give me the store.”

“Well, you should finally own Cassandra. It has your name on it.”

“My expansion plans for Cassandra are going to get us a whole new set of customers. The catering service I’m planning is going to be better than the bakery.”

“If they give you the store I’ll invest a little leftover money in it. I think I can persuade the senior partners to hire you to cater some of their events. All the parties they have they can give you some business.”

“Thanks.”

“Did you call the travel agent to confirm the details of our Honeymoon?”

It just pops into my head after he mentions it. “Oh- I forgot. I’ll do that today.”

Gerald rolls his eyes. “Cassie…”

“Well, the shop gets hectic. It’s hard for me to get out of there sometimes-”

“I’d think our wedding being this Sunday you’d take some time off from work to actually plan it. This is your day more than mine.”

“I know. But I just love baking. It’s in my blood like it was in my father’s blood. You cut me and I probably bleed red icing.”

“As the manager, you can delegate some of that responsibility of yours to your employees. Just something to think about.”

“I’ll take your suggestions under consideration counselor.” I flirt.

Oh no it’s 6:35. I’ve got to get going. “I’m going to see you tonight right?”

“Yeah. We have to go over the seating arrangements for the reception. Again.”

I steal another sweet kiss from Gerald’s lips before rushing out of the kitchen over to the front door. I get my backpack out of the foyer closet and bump the closet door shut with my butt. When I open the front door I smile as I inhale the sweet dew in the morning air from the trees that line the sidewalk of Pierrepont Street.

Trotting down the gray concrete stairs of the red brick brownstone, I pull the remote keyless entry out of my purse and point it directly at my pink Cadillac Escalade parked out front. Anxiety builds inside me during the twenty-minute drive from the brownstones on the quiet tree-lined streets of Brooklyn Heights down to the busy shops of the Fulton Mall.

I smile as I get out of the truck and see my name written in black script letters on the store’s pink canvas awning. When I open the door and walk onto the sales floor most of the regular customers waiting on line smile at me. I smile back at them and say good morning as I make my way through the crowds over to the employee entrance.

As I approach the sales counter next to the door, I notice a stack of green flyers for Perch near the registers. The new ads for the DUMBO seafood restaurant list different lunch specials than last week. Molly is here. I definitely have to say hi to my girl before I go to work.

I look around the crowd of customers and see Molly’s purple Perch baseball cap across the sales floor by the cake display. The tall trim bronze colored woman waits while one of my workers ties red and white string around each of the six pink hexagon shaped cardboard boxes containing the order of desserts for her restaurant. Her eyes light up when I tug the sleeve of her white chef’s shirt.

“Hey Cassie.” Molly greets.

“Hey girl.” I reply. “Everything in your order the way you wanted it?”

“Yeah. Why you coming into work on your day off? I thought your pops was opening up the store.”

“I have a meeting.”

“Work never ends for you.”

“Hey, that’s the way it is in the restaurant business. We never rest so the customers won’t rant.”

“I hear you. Running Perch is like that. I’m going over there to wax the floors once I finish up here.”

“Did you and Sara get your bridesmaids’ dresses?” I inquire.

“Yeah, we got the ugly pink things.” Molly sighs. “Why they got to be so loud?”

“Well, you’re only going to be wearing it once. Want me to help you carry these to your car?”

“Nah, you don’t have to go out of your way. Michelle, the employee who you graciously pay ten dollars an hour to work for you can continue to help me by carrying these boxes to my car.”

“I’ll see you at the rehearsal Saturday night.” Molly says as Michelle picks up the six pink cardboard boxes and walks towards the front door.

After Molly and Michelle leave the store I walk back over to the sales counter and open the white door next to it marked employees. The wonderful aromas wafting in the air from the fresh baked goods put me in a euphoric state as I gracefully maneuver myself through the maze of baker’s racks, workstations, and mixers in the bustling kitchen. I say good morning to the members of my hardworking crew on the long journey to the front door of my office located just a few yards across from the giant rotating baker’s oven in the back of the store. I overhear my parents talking on the other side and check my watch. I’m on time.

I open the white door of office and to find my parents sitting in front my glass-topped desk with anxious smiles on their faces. There’s a white canvas tote bag is under Dad’s chair. Dad doesn’t usually carry a tote bag to work, so whatever is inside must have something to do with Cassandra’s future. Perhaps it’s the deed to the store.

“Good morning Mom, Dad.” I greet. “What’s up?”

“It’s big news Cassie.” Dad says. “You better sit down.”

I slide into the black leather chair behind my desk as Dad closes the door. When he sits back down my Mom is so eager to share their news she’s about to burst. I try to remain calm.

“ITC FOODS IS GONNA BUY OUR BAKERY!” Mom exclaims giddily.

Hold on- did I hear that right? Did they say they’re selling Cassandra?

I let the words run through my head again and my heart stops. When it starts beating again I catch the smiles on my parents’ faces.

THEY’RE SELLING CASSANDRA!

No- I’ve got to convince them that this is wrong. Ever since I was five years old I knew they built this bakery for me to take over when I got older. They wouldn’t have put my name on it and taught me everything they knew about baking if they were planning to sell it out from under me.

“When did they make us an offer?” I ask nervously.

“One of their guys called us a month ago while you were out at lunch.” Dad says. “He asked for a rundown of the business. Now a big corporation doesn’t do that unless they want to buy you out.”

“Did you send them anything?” I ask.

“I sent them everything.” Dad says smiling.

Oh God.

“They sent us a proposal saying they want to turn our cakes and pies into a brand!” Mom exclaims. “We gonna be like Entenmann’s. Our stuff is gonna be in the supermarkets!”

“You guys should have talked to me about this before you did anything.” I sigh.

“What’s to talk about?” Dad says. “When a big company offers to buy you out, you take the money.”

Take the money- I can’t believe how shortsighted they are. “Dad, they could be thinking about setting up shop and pushing us out of business. Big companies do that all the time. They get your information and then use it against you to put you out of business.”

“Cassie, that’s not the case.” Mom says. “ITC already has products like ours in stores. Now they probably want to use our recipes to make some of those products. I wouldn’t mind seeing a box of our cookies on a store shelf.”

The more I listen to my parents talk the more my heart breaks. Perhaps if I tell them about my dreams they’ll change their minds. “Mom we’re making money. We don’t need ITC to sell our products for us. I’m doing that for you.”

“Cassie, you’re getting married.” Mom continues. “You don’t need the burden of running the store in addition to taking care of Gerald-”

“Mom, it’s not a burden to me. I wanted the business.”

“Focus on your wedding baby.” Dad says. “Your life is going to change in a couple of weeks.”

“The store is as much my life as Gerald is. I thought you opened it up for me to have when I got older.”

“Cassandra was our life.” Dad continues. “We opened it up so we could take care of you. Now you’re grown and you deserve to have something of your own. With the money we get from ITC you could open up a better Cassandra in the city.”

“Why would I want to open another store someplace else? Cassandra’s customers are here. I mean I practically grew up here. This place is like my home-”

“Come on Cassie, you can do a lot better than this old place. Everything you’ve done here shows me you have what it takes to run one of those really swanky downtown coffee houses with the books and the sofas in them.”

Commuting into Manhattan and being just another baker in some tiny high-rent Upper West Side storefront selling overpriced coffee, bagels, muffins and cinnamon rolls is not my vision of a successful future. My vision of success is building on our thirty-year legacy of sharing Cassandra’s lovingly crafted baked goods with the people of Brooklyn who appreciate our products. I’ll try to explain what I want to do.

“The way I see it our business can still take care of us all. That’s why I went to culinary school and double majored in pastry arts and restaurant management. I wanted to take over the business. I want to continue selling our products here to our customers and share the profits with you.”

Mom shakes her head. “We never wanted you to stay here.” “We wanted you to have a better life than this. You can do so much better than us.”

“Well this is the life I want for myself.” I say. “I have plans for expanding Cassandra-”

Dad shakes his head no. “Cassie, we want to sell the store to ITC. It’s too big a break to let pass.”

“Dad let me do this.” I plead. “Let me have my bakery. I’ve got some money saved up-”

My father laughs at me. “How are you going to pay for your wedding then?”

I glare at him. “You’re paying for my wedding. My savings and the loan I get from the bank will be more than enough money to retire on.”

“Cassie, I know you want to do right by us.” Mom says. “But this deal could be for some real money. For what ITC is probably gonna offer us for this place we can pay off the mortgage and get a house in Florida.”

I look to my father for support and realize how alone I am. “I want a Lexus to go in the driveway myself.” He chimes.

I fight back the tears in my eyes. I don’t know what’s worse having my dream taken away from me or finding out my parents who raised me right are just as greedy as everyone else when some anonymous corporation glances at them with promises of a truckload of money. I hate seeing human nature manifest itself in the people that I love. I thought they were better than that.

Since they want to sell I’m going to be a good daughter and honor my parents’ wishes. I’ll oversee the selling of the store so those fast talking suits at ITC won’t cheat them in the deal.

“If you want to sell the store let me represent you.” I sigh. “These suits can be shifty.”

“Cassie this isn’t like running the store.” Mom chides. “These are big businesspeople. You don’t have the experience working with corporations-”

“I can do this Mom.” I insist.

“Cassie can do this Helen.” Dad interjects.

“Carlton-”

“Cassie’s been to college. She knows more than we do about business.” Dad says. “With her college education I know she can get us a better deal than we could get on our own.”

Dad pulls a black binder out of the tote bag sitting underneath his chair and hands it to me. “This is the proposal the ITC guy sent us a couple of weeks ago. You can look it over.”

“Okay. I’ll get right on it.” I say.

BRAND NAME DROPPING LEADS TO A GENERIC READING EXPERIENCE

Manolo Blahnik.
Jimmy Choo.
Prada
Gucci.
Bergdorf Goodman.

That’s the only time you’ll ever see those designer names featured as the subject in my writing.

A lot of writers think adding the names of designers in their stories will make their writing trendy and hip. However, smart readers see through this gimmick and know it’s just another example of really bad writing.

Using designer brand names to describe what a character is wearing isn’t creative writing, it’s what a lazy writer does to avoid writing details in a story. It’s easier for a bad writer to describe a character wearing an navy Armani suit and tan Manolo Blahnik sandals than to describe them wearing a tailored navy double-breasted Italian business suit, crisp ivory cotton blouse and Bone colored Italian leather strappy sandals.

What’s the difference between the two descriptions? It’s in the readers’ imagination. In one description the reader sees the labels the character is wearing but learns next to nothing about them as a person. The opportunity to develop the character is lost.

However, the more detailed description seems vague on paper, but readers have a clearer picture of who the character is as a person in their minds. The words tailored and crisp give the reader an image of the character being a well-dressed person. These adjectives tell the reader something about who the character is, what they are what they’re doing and why they’re doing it.

Without the labels getting in the way readers can make their own story regarding the character. And in a novel, it’s the story the reader creates reading between the lines that makes what’s on the page important.

Personally I hate name-dropping and do my best to avoid it in my stories. I feel it cheats the reader out of an opportunity to use their imagination. I don’t want my readers to have their reading experience constantly interrupted by a commercial. Besides, these designers aren’t paying me royalties, so why should I give them a free endorsement?