Stephanie Van Orman
Bio
I write novels like I am part-printer, part book factory, and a little girl running away with a balloon. I'm here as an experiment and I'm unsure if this is a place where I can fit in. We'll see.
Stories (74/0)
Putting a Razor to Your Skin
I remember one time, the most ridiculously handsome boy told me something he found unattractive in a girl. He was describing a girl both of us knew from school and church. She was our age, wore toupe-colored pantihose and she did not shave her legs. He told me that the sight of her leg hair mashed down and completely visible through the sheer pantihose grossed him out.
By Stephanie Van Orman2 years ago in Blush
The Great Gatsby and Me
When I was a teenager taking English classes, I often saw copies of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald hanging around. The blue cover, the crying flapper, the city skyline, and the eyes that never stop watching. It never came up in the English classes I took, but when I was a teenage warthog, I asked my mother what it was about.
By Stephanie Van Orman2 years ago in Journal
A Scorpion Journal
When I was caring for my aging mother, one of the recurring themes in her care was unresolved issues from her past. One of the things that bothered her in particular was a young man she was dating who abruptly stopped seeing her. I'm very good at dating, love, romance, and all that. I wouldn't call myself a love guru, but I would call myself a reliable resource, so I decided to use my skills for the good of my mother. I sat down and told her to tell me everything she could remember about her relationship and to leave not one thing out.
By Stephanie Van Orman2 years ago in Journal
From Idea to Novel
The very first step in creating an excellent novel is first not caring what anyone thinks. It is opening the doors inside you to a room that is all your own, like a little stage at the bottom of rows of theater seats. You take your seat on the second row and start ordering the stage about like you’re the director and everything is going to be exactly as you say it is. You want a character that looks like this. Perhaps you want a set that looks like that. Change the lighting, play the music, bring the mood.
By Stephanie Van Orman2 years ago in Journal
Why You Can't Finish Your Book
I’m pretty good at writing a book all the way to the end. I may not even have that many other talents as a writer besides ferocious tenacity. One of the biggest mistakes I notice in newer authors is that they can’t stop telling people their ideas. I’m here to tell you it’s a bad habit and I’m going to give four reasons why it needs to stop.
By Stephanie Van Orman2 years ago in Journal
One Star Blues
I only leave five-star reviews. Seriously, if I’m going to review a book, I’m going to leave a five-star review or I’m going to shut up. I don’t do this because I’m a nice person. I do this because I am a novelist and the last thing I need is an angry author with a reasonably good vocabulary biting my face off in the footnotes on a bookstore’s website with no way to remove it.
By Stephanie Van Orman2 years ago in Journal
Do You Want a Publishing Deal?
Today, I saw a writer post a question about whether or not they should try to get an agent and then a deal with a traditional publishing house. These questions are not uncommon and there is a lot of conventional wisdom doled out when someone asks a question like that. I will answer the question, but only with what I have EXPERIENCED personally after getting that coveted deal.
By Stephanie Van Orman2 years ago in Journal
- Top Story - July 2022
Why I Won't Edit Your BookTop Story - July 2022
The other day, I was talking to a newer writer who wanted me to go through their writing and explain how it could be improved. I outright refused and they were unhappy with that, but we were interrupted and I didn't get to explain why I wouldn't do it. So, instead of explaining why to that person, I'm going to explain why to you.
By Stephanie Van Orman2 years ago in Journal
Why I Call My Readers Ink Drinkers Instead of Bookworms
I'm a novelist. When I first started addressing my readers, sending out ARC invitations, newsletters, and such, I felt that I needed to call them something. I needed a pet name to call all of them that showed my love for them without the hassle of writing to each of them individually. Here were the choices:
By Stephanie Van Orman2 years ago in Journal