Thursday, May 13, 2010

Watch your back Rachel...



My sister is the Rachel Berry of the literary world. Do you see the resemblance? She is chock full of ideas (really good ones, if you ask me), a total control freak, overenthusiastic, reach for the stars kind of gal. A blogging, vlogging, facebooking, tweeting, commenting, reading, reviewing, emailing, thinking, writing, planning, promoting, social networking force of nature.

She is determined, determined to succeed at this whole book writing thing even at the expense of sleep--after all, we have a strict 6 chapter a week schedule to uphold. Deadline from our publisher? No, just a schedule Lisa developed to get our butts into gear. She will stop at nothing. And she is single-handedly driving our agent and editor craaaazy.

But, seriously, if we ever make it in this crazy business, it will be because of her. I just write 50% of the books and wait for Rachel Lisa to tell me what to do next.

And I like it. I love it. I wouldn't have it any other way. It must be the younger sister in me.

How about you guys? Do you have a little Rachel Berry in you? If not, I'm thinking about renting Lisa out occasionally so her over-enthusiasm doesn't get us blackballed from publishing.

42 comments:

Matthew MacNish said...

You forgot to mention that just like Rachel, she's really purty.

Personally though I'm nothing like that. I don't have much ambition or any OCD about organization. I may have occasional flashes of brilliance like when I got you guys to do a guest blog post for me but otherwise I'm kind of meh.

I may have to rent that sister of yours out some time soon. Hit me up if you want to discuss compensation!

S.A. Larsenッ said...

That's funny. I guess I do have a little Rachel B. in me. Let me turn the tables. Does she ever think she's taken on too much or that she's crazy?

If not, then that's where we differ. I can't seem to stop myself from encapsulating everything I am into the writing thing. I can't s.t.o.p. LOL

Lindsay said...

I think I do have a little rachel in me. I can be very one-minded and determined when I start something.

Unknown said...

Uh-oh I think I might actually be Rachel! Everything you just said sounds a lot like me... is this bad?? Yikes I'm starting to panic.. I guess being a little of Rachel/Lisa isn't such a bad thing!! I'm going to run with it!

lisa and laura said...

A Skype convo between Laura and I this morning:

Laura: you weren't offended by the post, right? you think it's funny?
Lisa: um, it was my idea
Lisa: which makes me more rachel than anything else!
Lisa: ah, irony, it's a bitch.
Laura Stropki: Hilarious

Um...yeah. True story. I'm crazy.

Candyland said...

Can I rent her at a discounted rate? I think I have a little Rachel in me. Other wise, I'd have quit a long damn time ago.

Hardygirl said...

Katie is my Rachel. I'd still be a closet writer if she hadn't gotten me off my butt and into the world.

Now, if I just had a Rachel cracking the whip for me to get my laundry done . . .

sf

Creepy Query Girl said...

It's so great how you guys work as a team and use eachother's strenghts and weaknesses. Yes, I think I do have a little Rachel Berry in me- the only difference is that I'm not usually very comfortable in the spotlight. That's why I like writing- even the famous writers can kind of sneak around behind the scenes (or computer screnes) in most cases.

TerryLynnJohnson said...

Very cool comparision. Rachel is my fav. character - but alas, I think I may be a little more like Mercedes.

Vicki Rocho said...

I'd like to sign up for the Lisa rentals....a good swift kick now and again may be just the ticket!

JESSJORDAN said...

Haha, genius! From now on, I think I might call Lisa Rachel. Just for S&Gs.

Rachele Alpine said...

Oh my gosh..I'm dying! I saw the post of your blog today and for a second, I thought your were threatening me! No lie! I mean, you two are so big and bad, it totally makes sense that you'd title a blog post targeting. me. I'm such a dork! :)

Kerri Cuev said...

I have to be my own Lisa too! If I had a Lisa I probably would sit back, have a drink and get super lazy. Hmmm maybe it's a good thing I don't have a Lisa because I might get my butt kicked, lol!

Christina Lee said...

Wow, there IS a resemblance there. Hmmm...

well if I didn't have a little Rachel in me, I guess I'd never get anything done (for the record, I got the annoying others part DOWN!).

Katie Anderson said...

haha! This made me giggle. I can totally see this although I have just been accused of being a Rachel by SF :)

Lisa has me beat though. I don't even twit anymore. Er... I mean, tweet.

Love you guys. Happy Thursday!

Amy Jo said...

I love the comparison! You're lucky that you have someone pushing you along, making sure you succeed.

Anonymous said...

OMG, 6 chapters a week!?! How long are your chapters? That's amazing. I thought I was a little like Rachel B but maybe there's just momentary flashes as I'm certainly not maintaining that kind of writing schedule.

Marsha Sigman said...

HAHHAHHA.

I am a major control freak...I know because my husband tells me so. And I tell him to shut it and get back to cooking my dinner. Ok, I'm lying.

But I am like Rachel minus the perkiness. In the mornings anyway. And on Mondays.

I want to be Sue. My fav quote of her's: What you call insanity, I call inspiration.

Lisa Gail Green said...

It might be a Lisa thing because I'm obsessed when it comes to all this writing stuff, blogging, tweeting, writing, revising - you name it!

Dara said...

I think I need to be a little more like Rachel :P I can't believe I just said that, but I think it's true.

Sara B. Larson said...

I think I really need to start watching Glee... ;-)

Laura Pauling said...

That's great to be able to combine your strengths! I think it always helps to be driven, even if at times we're obsessed by things that distract - like movie star gossip. ;) Or Glee. :)

C. Michael Fontes said...

I push hard too, but it's been hard lately. Pregnant wife, two kids, two jobs, writers group (two of them)... I wish the day had more hours. It would solve so many problems!

Heidi Willis said...

This was a funny post, but even funnier given the skype addition! :)

I'd love to see a post from your agent and editor that gave their real and unedited opinions about y'all's enthusiasm. My guess is that you drive them a teensy bit crazy, but wish every author they worked with was like you two. :))

Shannon O'Donnell said...

Oh! I'll pay! Send her over...right now. Or tomorrow. Or whenever. The Rachel in my family is my little sis - and she's two states away and uninterested in my book weirdness. :-)

Shannon Messenger said...

Ah, Lisa, you are a girl after my own heart. The OCD overachiever in me can't be silenced. But I wish I knew where you get your energy from. You could run circles around me--and you do! :)

Emily J. Griffin said...

I have a little Rachel in me in the sense that, "I am like Tinkerbell... I need applause to live," but I want to be like Laura and have someone else tell me what to do (totally the younger sister mode) and then shower me with praise for doing it.

I need a writing dictator to compliment my artsy, airy fairy ways.

Elana Johnson said...

The resemblance is striking...

And yeah, I think I have a little bit of Rachel Berry in me. I think any author has to in order to survive all the black holes in this freaking industry.

Mariah Irvin said...

Such a resemblance! I'm going to have to hear some singing though...

I'm always pushing myself in a million different direction so yeah, I've got some Rachel in me!

Talli Roland said...

I'm embarrassed to admit I do have a bit of Rachel in me. Unfortunately, I can't sing aas well as she can so my Bon Jov renditions don't do me any favours in my quest for success!

Krispy said...

I think I need a Lisa (or a Rachel?) to give me a push when I start lagging. Put me on the rental list?

Lisa Desrochers said...

I got no Rachel. Though, I'm pretty sure I don't want no Rachel. I guess, really, when I'm writing, my characters are my Rachel. They won't shut up until I write down what they're telling me. Do I need professional help?

Jemi Fraser said...

I need you Lisa! I move so slowly - mostly becasue of my crazy busy life of course, but I'd like to move faster! I need a cheerleader :)

Hayley Lovell said...

Not a lot of Rachel Berry in me, I'm not extra spunky or anything, but I've got drive that's got to count for something right?

Sarah Wylie said...

Yes, please! I'd love to borrow Lisa's genius for a bit. I'm so not Rachel Berry. In fact, I think I'm exactly like Finn.

Susan Fields said...

I definitely think there's something to this birth order business. I'm the youngest of 5 children, and even though I'm 41, I still let my oldest sister take care of me (when we shared a hotel room at a retreat a year ago, there was a hair on the toilet when we first checked in, and she wiped it off for me, that sort of stuff) and I still let her. I got chatting with a customer at a craft store the other day, and I asked her if she knew where something was. She didn't, but she went and hunted down a clerk and asked my question for me. I didn't ask her to, she just did it. I asked her if she's an oldest child and she is. Definitely something to that birth order business.

Gail said...

Me have any Rachel in me? The woman who single-handedly convinced her city government that it was imperative to fix the sidewalk because she's visually impaired and might trip and break an ankle? Nah, no determination here.:-)

Little Ms J said...

This reminds me of the blog about watching Stacy's little one and asking what the baby's schedule was just for her to tell Lisa to make one. I celebrate her Rachelness, but I don't know how you do six chapters a week.

I am a little Rachel. When I want something I'm dangerous. My problem is I wanted the job I have now for ten years. I finally got it, I've arrived. Now it is in the way of my new dream job.

WWRD?

Shelli (srjohannes) said...

i have no doubt lisa is the push but you are the pull :)

Jo Schaffer said...

I have five sisters--and I love them all. What would be cool--is if one of them did all that for me. (= So I could have more time to write. Haha!
http://jostorm.blogspot.com/

kanishk said...

This was a funny post,
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California Keys said...

I don't have Rachel Berry in me.... I take things in stride....

I guess that's why I don't have a book deal.... Well, that and talent....

Don't call this a comeback

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