I'm delighted to feature #RRCB's February Spotlight Author, Lisa Kirazian, on my blog today - Welcome!
A Different Writing Process
Lisa Kirazian's Cadenza and
"The Music We Made" series
It's an honor to write this guest post and to be RRBC's Spotlight Author for February!
I relished the challenges of writing the book, Cadenza: writing it as part of "The Music We Made" series, as the finale no less; writing a book that could still be stand-alone interesting and complete enough for someone who hadn't read the first two books; and taking the story into new territory, far more small scale and intimate than the epic ensemble feel of the other two books (Bravura and Appassionato) which each covered a scope of decades.
And the challenges of the series overall were fascinating, in the end: my first exploration of this story was the script version, a six-hour miniseries for television, which later became Bravura, the novel. But Appassionato and Cadenza were written as novels first and are being written as a script second. You can imagine how many different sets of notes, outlines and scene cards I had amassed across these scripts and books over the years! I still have most of them.
Another challenge emerged when I shopped around the first book to publishers many years ago. They said, "Gosh, I could sell this book, if only it were a true story." Boy was that frustrating to hear -- like the truths and situations of the book were less relatable just because the 'based on a true story' tag couldn't be slapped onto it? I had done meticulous research on the book while in London at the British Library, so that the historical events and even supporting characters (including famous musicians of the era) would be quite accurate. Not unlike how the television show Downton Abbey has strong accuracy in its historical backdrop but has fictional characters in the foreground. Writers who create works like this still have to make sure that their fictional main characters COULD have existed and are believable for their time and place.
I also grew a great deal as a writer in exploring three generations of the Driscoll family of musicians. Having to stay with a group of characters for more than 60-70 years, integrating their stories together so that each book would have its own arc, while also playing its part in the overall arc of the series, also helped me give every main character their moments in the sun. I'd like to think that each book could exist as a stand-alone title if someone wanted to pick it up and read it, but of course the experience would be richer when one reads them in order, as the story builds through the years.
If you haven't already, I hope you choose to take this reading journey of Bravura, Appassionato and Cadenza, one day. Thank you. Onward!
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And the challenges of the series overall were fascinating, in the end: my first exploration of this story was the script version, a six-hour miniseries for television, which later became Bravura, the novel. But Appassionato and Cadenza were written as novels first and are being written as a script second. You can imagine how many different sets of notes, outlines and scene cards I had amassed across these scripts and books over the years! I still have most of them.
Another challenge emerged when I shopped around the first book to publishers many years ago. They said, "Gosh, I could sell this book, if only it were a true story." Boy was that frustrating to hear -- like the truths and situations of the book were less relatable just because the 'based on a true story' tag couldn't be slapped onto it? I had done meticulous research on the book while in London at the British Library, so that the historical events and even supporting characters (including famous musicians of the era) would be quite accurate. Not unlike how the television show Downton Abbey has strong accuracy in its historical backdrop but has fictional characters in the foreground. Writers who create works like this still have to make sure that their fictional main characters COULD have existed and are believable for their time and place.
I also grew a great deal as a writer in exploring three generations of the Driscoll family of musicians. Having to stay with a group of characters for more than 60-70 years, integrating their stories together so that each book would have its own arc, while also playing its part in the overall arc of the series, also helped me give every main character their moments in the sun. I'd like to think that each book could exist as a stand-alone title if someone wanted to pick it up and read it, but of course the experience would be richer when one reads them in order, as the story builds through the years.
If you haven't already, I hope you choose to take this reading journey of Bravura, Appassionato and Cadenza, one day. Thank you. Onward!
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FEATURED TITLE: CADENZA
In CADENZA, the final book of "The Music We Made" series, the young tenor Brian Martin finds himself on the cusp of superstardom and marriage, until he is compelled to leave behind his distinguished musical family, and his fiancé, in London, to visit the U.S. to see where his famous late grandmother, Maggie Crawford, the only other opera singer in the family, grew up. His journey takes him to Marshall, Minnesota, and Maggie's hometown high school, where he meets the music teacher, Laura Jones, who helps him with his family history in more ways than he could have imagined.
AUTHOR BIO:
Lisa Kirazian writes fiction, plays, screenplays, and also directs for stage and screen. Her writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Performing Arts Magazine, San Diego Union Tribune and many other publications. She is in demand as a speaker and has been a guest on KPBS Public Radio and at various conferences. Lisa is a graduate of Stanford University.
Several of her screenplays have placed in major competitions and festivals. Twelve of her stage plays have been produced across the U.S. and have won numerous awards, including a few publications. She also directed and wrote the adapted screenplay of the short film, "Reflection Day."
Her novels include BRAVURA, APPASSIONATO, and now CADENZA, the three books of "The Music We Made" series, following three generations in the Driscoll family of musicians and inspired by her experience as a violinist. The series is also being developed for television.
Lisa lives in San Diego with her husband and two daughters and is involved in the Armenian community locally, nationally and abroad.
Several of her screenplays have placed in major competitions and festivals. Twelve of her stage plays have been produced across the U.S. and have won numerous awards, including a few publications. She also directed and wrote the adapted screenplay of the short film, "Reflection Day."
Her novels include BRAVURA, APPASSIONATO, and now CADENZA, the three books of "The Music We Made" series, following three generations in the Driscoll family of musicians and inspired by her experience as a violinist. The series is also being developed for television.
Lisa lives in San Diego with her husband and two daughters and is involved in the Armenian community locally, nationally and abroad.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Twitter: @kirazian and @TheMusicWeMade
Facebook: @TheMusicWeMade
Website: https://www.lisakirazian.com
Blog: https://lisakirazian.wordpress.com/
Instagram: @lisakirazian
Cadenza on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QDLVSKL/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_0RSS8DZMN3R1SYCXG1TQ
Facebook: @TheMusicWeMade
Website: https://www.lisakirazian.com
Blog: https://lisakirazian.wordpress.com/
Instagram: @lisakirazian
Cadenza on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QDLVSKL/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_0RSS8DZMN3R1SYCXG1TQ
Thank you so much for dropping by today to show your support of RRBC’s February “SPOTLIGHT” Author, Lisa Kirazian! To follow along with the rest of her tour, please visit the “SPOTLIGHT” AUTHOR forum on the RRBC site. And please, take your support two steps further by leaving her a comment below and also picking up a copy of either of her books!
