Lena Lario's Blog

Writing in a foreign language is not difficult. Writing well in a foreign language, on the other hand, is close to impossible. I started writing in English when I was a teenager still living in Russia. It’s wasn’t homework for my English class, but simply a way to make sure that nobody could understand what I wrote in my diary. I remember having a crush on a boy, a gymnast I met at a few training camps, so naturally, instead of telling my friends about him, I wrote it down in such bad English that nobody would ever be able to decipher it. I honestly don’t remember his name, but for a while he was the only boy who motivated me to write in English.

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When I came to go to college in the United States, I have studied English for seven years. You’d think by that time I’d be fluent, but that would be similar to watching cooking shows for seven years and then competing at the Iron Chef competition. You know what you’re supposed to do, you know what it’s supposed to look like, but you’ll find out very quickly that the only way to learn how to do something is to actually do it.

I never thought of myself as a social person, but I realized that I was wrong when during my first few months in the US I wasn’t able to carry on a simple conversation with my peers. Things that they talked about was not something we covered in my English class. Apparently Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms is not a popular topic at American college parties. So, very quickly, I’d been labeled as “quiet”. We don’t use the word “quiet” to describe a person in Russian. I understood what they meant, and it made me realize that I lost confidence and a part of my identity when I had to speak English.

Growing up, I loved to read and write in Russian. I read Tolstoy’s War and Peace in 9th grade (although I skipped book three because it was all about the war). The only books I read in English during my college years were textbooks. Then, slowly, I transitioned to reading in English for fun. Twenty years after I came to the United States, I wrote my first book. Very few people would describe me as “quiet” these days. New people that I meet “detect an accent”, but they can’t quite place it. I edit my husband’s writing (he is from Pennsyltucky, so I just translate it to English).

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My journey to becoming an English speaker hasn’t been easy, but it was worth it. The only way to truly appreciate the culture and become a part of the society is to speak the native language. Of course, speaking the language is helpful when trying to get a job or when explaining to your kids why you took away their phone, but there are also small things that just don’t have the same impact if you translate them.

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If English is your second language, don’t think that you can’t express yourself because you can’t find the right words. Start “doing”, and the words will come. And if you’re a native English speaker, don’t rush to make decisions about who we are. We’re not “quiet” we’re still learning.

My friends often ask where I get ideas for my novels. Honestly, my problem is not coming up with ideas but organizing them into a story. Many of my ideas are from simply paying attention to the world around me. I’m one of those annoying people who say, “Did you see that?”, when we’re watching the exact same thing. So many things fascinate me that I feel the urge to make sure that the rest of the world notices them too.

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I am also easily impressed by talent and creativity. When I witness these qualities, I go from “did you see that” to “you have to see that”. When I started working on SNOW & WHITE, I didn’t know it was going to be a mystery. I just knew I wanted to write a novel about a singer.

Why a singer? Because I’ve watched a few season of The Voice and every time I thought, “this is the best performance I’ve ever seen”, somebody else topped it. There are also dozens, if not hundreds, of singers on YouTube that make song covers sound better than the originals. And then there is Pentatonix, who’s in the league of their own. Just now, as I was deciding which video I want to include in this blog, I ended up listening to at least ten songs.

I’ve been fortunate to see a few live performances. I’ve been to OneRepublic, Maroon 5, and Sia concerts. Each one was amazing in their own way, but the one that stands out was a recent concert by Jewel. For two hours she performed by herself. There was no band, no backup singers, just Jewel and her guitar. Her voice sounded out of this world, and her lyrics were the story of her life.

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So, if you’re one of the people who wants to write a book, but doesn’t know where to start –  look around. You’d be surprised how much more you’ll see if you start looking at things as potential ideas for your book.

When I was getting ready to publish FLIP SIDE, I had to provide the novel’s genre. It may seem like an easy task, but I hesitated when I had to select the primary category. Should it be Sports or YA Romance? Would gymnastics fans be annoyed by a gymnast who has time to fall in love? Or would the YA romance readers hate the gymnastics lingo?

As I was working on the 2nd edition of FLIP SIDE, I decided that Nina’s Mom should be a huge fan of The Cutting Edge. It’d been a while since I’d watched the movie, and when I googled it, I found articles that called it “an epic sports romance” and even “a cult classic.”

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One of the critics wrote the following review: “The Cutting Edge” is a marriage of two durable Hollywood genres: It’s an Underdog in Training sports film, crossed with that most beloved of all romantic formulas, the Incompatibles in Love.”

This description would fit dozens if not hundreds books about sports and romance. On a high level, most novels and movies can be boiled down to a simple formula, but that doesn’t necessarily make them boring. A lot of things in life are formulaic. When you go to a restaurant, you can order appetizers, main dishes, and desert. The best restaurants don’t serve shoes instead of main dishes, they excel in preparation and creativity. When you go to watch ballet, you wouldn’t be pleasantly surprised if the ballet troupe has been replaced by a football team. Sure, they both wear tights and many football players are good dancers, but no matter how many times I’ve seen the Dance of the Little Swans, I’d still prefer to watch the ballerinas’ version.

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FLIP SIDE tells the story of an elite gymnast who has to overcome several obstacles to achieve her dream of making it to the Olympics. And like the figure skater in the Cutting Edge, the gymnast in FLIP SIDE falls in love at the worst possible time.

If somebody calls FLIP SIDE the gymnastics version of The Cutting Edge, I would not be offended, in fact, I would use that to pitch my book to movie producers. So, go ahead, call me copycat, I think we’re overdue for another “epic sports romance.”

Many of my friends have not been to Paris, but almost every stranger I talk to has been there more than once. Recently I met a lady who goes to Paris for long weekends. From Boston.

“And you?” she asked.

“Are you kidding?” I said. “I can’t think of a better way to spend a long weekend than to fly 9 hours each way and spend 3 hours in the airport security line. And don’t even get me started on free in-flight snacks.”

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My recent long weekend trip to Paris was on the way back from a business trip to Spain. I don’t know how to say it without sounding like a snob, but I actually didn’t go to Paris to see Paris, I went there because it was a half-way meeting point with my Mom. I live above the Arctic Circle, and she lives in Sahara. Wait, it only feels like I live in the Arctic, I actually live in Minnesota, and she lives in the steppe region of Southern Russia where it rains only when Russian hackers break into the US computers (almost never, and if it does, it’s just a sprinkle).

For Russians Paris is a magical city that in the Soviet time only a few privileged people got to visit. Trips abroad were for politicians, talented dancers, and great athletes. The rest of us caught glimpses of the Eiffel Tower in foreign movies or rare magazine articles. The famous French perfume was never from France (it was manufactured in Poland), but at least the music was real. My parents listened to Joe Dassin, whose songs are still performed by street musicians in Paris. In the 90’s the Russians were mesmerized by Patrcia Kaas’s smoky vocals (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDm3KL_nzOs) and charmed by Vanessa Paradis’s sweet voice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJI99zQYgGQ.

When I moved to the United States, I found out that when it comes to Paris, Americans fall into one of three groups:

“J’adore Paris and everything French”
“The French are so rude”
“Is France, like, where they make French fries?”

Like the first group, I have stood in awe trying to absorb the intricate details of Gothic cathedrals. Like the second group, I have been offended by people who didn’t understand my perfect French (I’m sure I’m fluent after studying it for 1 semester in college). And I have been clueless about simple things like the difference between Brie and Camembert.

[image error]Brie and Camembert. If you think that they taste different, you will also be able to tell the difference between an energy bar and a piece of cardboard

Of course, every society has the elite group, and in case of Paris, it’s the “Been There Done That” group. I have officially joined that group when I took my Mom on a tour of Paris. She really enjoyed hearing that the weather was much better in June when I first visited the Eiffel Tower, and that the lines were much shorter last time I visited the Louvre.

Paris today is not the same Paris that I visited almost 20 years ago. My memories of the first trip were of cathedrals, palaces, and museums. What I remember most from my recent trip are policemen with machine guns, graffiti, and traffic. Maybe they were there on every trip, and I just didn’t notice.

Paris is not just a tourist attraction, it’s a busy city with big city problems. I guess the honeymoon phase is not just for people. But don’t worry, Paris, I’ll love you even with your crowded subways, tiny hotel rooms, and lack of bathrooms.

If you want to follow ITA Confidential tracks in Paris, take the Seine River Cruise from Pont Neuf and go for a walk in the Tuileries Garden. I’ve gotten a few interesting ideas from my recent trip, and maybe next time the ITA team will get to visit a few hidden gems like this one.

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While writing ITA Confidential, I got to revisit some of my favorite places, including Seattle, Sorrento, Paris, and St. Petersburg.

Computer genius Jack and his recruiter David meet at the Myrtle Edwards Park next to Seattle downtown. It’s not the most tranquil park because of its proximity to a railroad, but if you need a break from the busy Seattle waterfront, you can be there in less than five minutes. It’s a great place to go for a walk or a bike ride. If you like modern art, walk toward the Olympic Sculpture Park, and if you are into gardening, walk in the opposite direction toward the rose garden. If you’re there in August, bring a container to pick delicious blackberries.

View from the Myrtle Edwards Park

When Victor comes to Seattle to confront Jack, he stays at the luxurious Four Seasons hotel. Located across from the Pike Place market, it’s the perfect spot to explore downtown. Even if you are not staying at the hotel, you can enjoy a lunch or a dinner at the elegant Goldfinch Tavern. If Victor and Eva went on a date, he probably wouldn’t take her to the Pike Place Market Gum Wall.

Pike Place Market Gum Wall

David’s rental apartment is on Highland Drive across from Kerry Park. Can you imagine having dinner while overlooking the most photographed view of the Seattle skyline?

View from Kerry Park

When Eva unexpectedly shows up at David’s place, he takes her across the bay to the Seacrest Park. If they weren’t so tied up with their projects, they could’ve rented bikes or kayaks, and enjoyed dinner at one of the waterfront restaurants.

View from Seacrest Park

There are so many other places that I wanted to include in the story, but I had to remind myself that I wasn’t writing a travel guide. My other top picks for Seattle are Gas Works Park (Lake Union), Seattle Center, and the University of Washington campus.

I would love to hear about your favorite places in Seattle and the Olympic Peninsula. They may find their way to ITA Confidential: Volume 2

Right around this time last year I finished writing Flip Side. Here’s a little peek at what you can expect if you decide to read it.

A is for Alex, without whom Nina’s trip to Moscow would be too ordinary and the story too boring.

B is for balance beam, the event that gymnasts either hate or love. The 1 percent that love it also love to swim with sharks.

C is for chalk, the crumbly white substance which makes it possible to hang on to the uneven bars. It can also be used as makeup if your skin is pasty from spending the whole summer in the gym.

D is for doping test. Getting a cold before a gymnastics meet? Taking medication may cost you a medal (just ask Romanian star Andrea Raducan).

E is for events. There are four events in women’s gymnastics and six in men’s (because it takes men longer to figure out who’s the winner).

F is for Floor Exercise. Men are expected just to tumble, but women also have to dance. Double standard?

G is for Greg, best coach ever.

H is for horse, which was used as a gymnastics apparatus for vaulting, until it was replaced by a table. At least the springboard wasn’t replaced by a table cloth.

I is for ice. Handy for icing a nagging injury or cooling off a drink after a long practice.

J is for judges. They are not mean, they just look that way because they are focusing. Or because they haven’t had a break for eight hours. Or because somebody in the stands keeps using the camera with a flash light.

K is for Kremlin, Oksana’s favorite place to mingle with the Russian socialites.

L is for leotards. ‘Nuff said (see this post).

M is for Mike, who knows just what to say and just what to do… except when it comes to his own feelings.

N is for Natasha, best coach ever. Since there is no tie breaker in the coach division, both Greg and Natasha get the first prize.

O is for Oksana, the Russian gymnastics queen who won’t be overthrown without a fight.

P is for Paris, where Nina loses the love she almost had and almost gets the one that she didn’t.

Q is for quitting. There is no letter Q in Russian (you can figure out the rest).

R is for the Russian gymnasts – graceful, athletic, and as normal as a teenager next door.

S is for St. Petersburg, Alex’s favorite place to take a girl on a date.

T is for Tanya, Alex’s sister and an amazing ballerina who can do a mean hip hop routine.

U if for Uneven Bars, where the only way to succeed is to let go.

V is for Victoria, the bubbly Russian teenager who is a part-time gymnast and a full-time One Direction fan.

W is for the World Championships, the event where Nina’s journey begins.

X is for iron cross, one of the few gymnastics moves that only men can do.

Y if for Yurchenko, a vault that got its name from a fearless gymnast who decided that approaching the vault at full speed by facing it is too boring.

Z is for zone, the place where all good gymnasts go before they begin the routine.