It's All About the Journey

Middle Grade Romance

2012-02-15T03:04:00.000-05:00

Since today is Valentine's Day, I decided to write a love related post. As I pondered what I wanted to say, I was reminded of a conversation I've been having with a group of writers about the difference between middle grade and YA. One of the points brought up was the fact that YA HAD to have some sort of love interest, whereas middle grade did not.

But middle grade is a special time when it comes to romance. Girls who've had crushes on boys for years finally find that the boys are interested too - or that they are not. More people start "going out." Almost every conversation with friends is about who likes who. And along with these first real crushes are the first heart breaks and rejections. So how can middle grade books not touch upon that, at least a little?

Middle grade romances may be(and hopefully are)simple- smiles in the hallway, a friend telling a friend that someone likes you. First dates once you get to middle school. But that doesn't mean they are insignificant or unimportant. When I look at my own journals from that time there is not a page that doesn't contain my feelings towards the boys in my life.

Or maybe that was just me?

Finding the Story Inside Your Own Story

2012-02-09T20:01:00.000-05:00

When I was eight my parents took my sister and me on a camping trip from Long Island to Wyoming and back. That camping trip has lived vividly in my memory for all this time, so it is no wonder that when I started writing, I wanted to revisit that trip. I wrote a lovely story about two sisters who go on a camping trip and have a good time.

Unfortunately, what was a great memory for me was not a page turner for others. Real people don't always have problems and solutions. A camping trip is just a vacation. To tell that story in a way others would want to read was, and still is, a challenge.

Now I am starting again, with only a setting. While I may pull from memory, what happens this time will be my characters' stories, not mine. They will have to face obstacles, challenges, and overcome flaws that my sister and I didn't experience. While I know their location, I am going to leave it to the characters to see where this journey takes them.

Have you ever used your own story in your story? How did it work for you?

Dealing with loss

2012-02-07T21:07:00.000-05:00

Have you ever noticed that in many YA novels and even in some middle grade, characters have to deal with loss? Whether it is a dead parent, relative, or even friend, characters have to face the reality of moving forward without someone they love.

So why? Why kill off characters? Is it just a cheap way to place the main character on their own to solve problems? Is it an easy way to get the reader's tears? I don't think so.

Every human being deals with death, even at a young age. My earliest memories surround the passing of my great-grandmother and maternal grandfather. My children, ages 6 and 8, have already lost a dog, a cousin, a fish, a class pet, and today, a great-grandfather. With each loss they had to learn how to let go, move forward, and remember. Some of those losses were easy to handle. It was just "their time." But some seem senseless and those deaths reach beyond out capacity to understand.

My cousin died one of those senseless deaths last year. As hard as it was for me to accept, it was even harder to imagine what his sister was feeling. Then about a week after he died I read The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson. The book gave me a framework, a schema, to wrap my head around what she might be going through. Even though I was reading a book, understanding how the character dealt with her grief was helpful and comforting in a time of pain.

Death and loss in books can help us deal with it in our own lives. They are ways to recognize that it is a shared experience, one that we will have to live through again and again. I am thankful that there are books that touch upon experiences of loss in different ways. Hopefully everyone can find a story that speaks to them in their time of need.

Has reading or writing helped you make sense of a loss?

Why write a story about a girl who plays baseball?

2012-02-02T19:41:00.001-05:00

When my character first told me she was a girl who played baseball, my husband gave me a strange look. "In this day and age," he said, "do women and girls really have a hard time playing baseball?"

It was a good question. And for a minute or two I was hoping he was right and I was wrong. He was wrong.

Just watch this YouTube video and you'll see what I mean. It starts off on a positive note, announcing that the first female pitcher is playing pro in the US. Then listen for yourself to see where it goes.

So what are your thoughts about this video? I know what Sam would think.

Getting out on the road

2012-01-31T19:03:00.006-05:00

When I started this blog I was still in the early legs of my own journey. We'll call it step one: Planning for the trip. In order to figure out how to get onto the road, I interviewed author friends who had already made the journey. I wanted to tell their stories to give myself, and others hope that this writing thing can happen, it's not impossible, and you don't have to be a celebrity.

But on a very happy, lift your feet of the ground and float on air day in November I took my first steps out the door and into the car. I got the call. The one where the answer was not, "Sorry, not for me." It's amazing how one yes can wipe out five years of nos. So now thanks to the call from Jennifer De Chiara, and my agent, Linda Epstein, this blog/website can be about me. About my journey down the road to publication.

I hope you enjoy my ride.

Interview with YA Author Denise Jaden

2011-02-21T15:40:00.008-05:00

Denise Jaden is, or has been, everything from a professional Polynesian dancer and fitness competitor to a mushroom farmer and church secretary. Most of her time now is spent homeschooling or playing with her seven year old son or in front of my computer writing. I was thankful that she took some time out to answer some questions about writing and her debut novel, Losing Faith.

When did you decide to become a writer?

It kind of happened by accident when I was in my thirties. Growing up, I’d never been much of a reader or writer, but one day while reading a novel (A Map of the World by Jane Hamilton) I was struck by the language and wording of it. The idea of putting words together that exquisitely really appealed to me. I started with a bit of free writing and journaling and it took off from there.

Why kidlit?

My first novel (yet to be published) was aimed at the mainstream adult market, but many of my critique partners said it felt very YA to them, even though it had a thirty year old male protagonist. My second idea for a novel centered around a theme very prevalent to teens, so I figured why not give it a try. I could tell from the first paragraph that the genre was for me.

How did you go from aspiring writer to published author?

Wow, you ask hard questions! Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t think it’s overwhelming talent or anything I’ve done along the way that has made it happen for me. I’ve written lots, taken and implemented lots of criticism, and submitted lots. I’m constantly trying to improve my craft, but every writer I know does that. There’s definitely a certain amount of kismet involved in this business, and so I just consider myself very, very blessed.

How did you come up with the idea for Losing Faith?

I lost a close friend when I was sixteen, and I’ve always felt like losing someone at that age is a big area to explore. One thing I love to say when people ask me what Losing Faith is about is this: It’s about secrets and wishing you had paid more attention. That, for me, was the biggest memory that spring boarded the idea of my book: wishing I had paid more attention.

Even though I am Jewish, I found it easy to connect to your characters and their experiences. Were you at all concerned as you wrote the book about using so much religious content?

I was very concerned. My main critique partner is also Jewish, and she helped me shape the religious content so it didn’t come off as preachy or heavy-handed. Since the book has been out, I’ve been surprised at the number of readers who not only have mentioned they felt this was handled well, but have also commented that they don’t feel there is enough religion in YA fiction.

Each of your characters had to deal with loss of a loved one and the failure of a parent(s) to handle that loss. Is there any reason you chose to portray them that way?

I honestly don’t know. It wasn’t done intentionally on my part. With Alis and Reena, I realized over time what had happened to their mom and how it would work best into the mystery. That family situation was tweaked a lot over time because it was integral to the plot. I brought Tessa in during my first draft, and her story appeared to me pretty much how you see it now in the book during the initial writing. I knew I wanted an unlikely friend for Brie, but one she could somehow relate to somehow. I didn’t sit down and plan this out any further. It all just kind of…happened.

Who reads your writing before it is published? Do you belong to a critique group? Do you ever test your work out with your audience?

I have a small number of critique partners I call on to read my work. They’re not really a group, but I’ve spent several years discovering the writers I really connect with and work best with. I’m not part of a “critique group” of any kind, and honestly, I don’t know quite how one of those would even work. I really like that I can swap chapters or entire manuscripts with my CP’s and they can always get me the kind of feedback I need. I used to be quite active on Critique Circle and at that point I had several teen readers. Other than that, I haven’t really tried much of my writing out on my audience.

Are you represented by an agent? If so, how did you get him/her to represent you?

My agent is Michelle Humphrey from ICM Talent and I adore her! I’m a slush pile success story—I didn’t have any previous communication with her, and she just made an offer of representation after liking my query and reading my full manuscript.

How did you find your editor? When did you know that he/she would be a good match for this project?

I met my editor at a writer’s conference, before I even had an agent. Even though my editor requested to see my manuscript at the conference, I chose not to submit it until I had an agent. I had a chat with my editor later on the phone about her vision for my book before accepting her offer, so I knew we would be a great match.

What was the process like once you were picked up by an editor?

Long! LOL. If you think waiting for a reply on a query is a painstaking process, believe me, it’s nothing compared to the publication process. At first it didn’t quite feel real that I had actually sold a book, so the waiting process for that first revision letter felt the longest. I think I received my offer in March and I didn’t get revision notes until around July or August. But then there’s also waiting for back cover copy, art design, advance reader copies. The whole process took a year and a half, but other than the waiting, it was really pretty wonderful!

What do you feel you do best as a writer? What do you still need to work on?I think I have a very natural writing voice for YA, and can write a good mix of serious, hard-hitting topics that still include a bit of comic relief. I have a lot of things I still need to work on, but the greatest of these is my passive writing. It takes me several drafts to get my characters, especially the main ones to be really engaging and active.

Thanks so much for answering my questions. I just have one more: What are you working on now?

I’m working on another YA contemporary novel called APPETITE FOR BEAUTY. It’s about cheeky and forthright Loann Rochester, who discovers a dangerous, self-destructive side in her sister, and has to decide between helping her sister and a powerful and unfamiliar desire to become appealing to a mysterious boy.

For more information on Denise Jaden and her books, visit her author page.

Learning to Write by Reading (YA Paranormal)

2010-11-06T09:46:00.004-04:00

Some writers have told me that they can't read when they are writing, or if they do read it has to be in other genres. I find the opposite to be true. I read in my genre to see for myself what the experts are doing. I read as a writer. And since each story I read is unique with it's own voice, mine should be too.

So here's what I'm reading as I write a Paranormal YA. Some of the books I've read previously, which influenced me to try this genre. Some I read in anticipation. Others I've read as a break from my own paranormal universe. And I'll be honest, I didn't like all of them. But that's part of the learning experience to. I've listed them in chronological order (as in, date I read them)

Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Shiver and Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

The Thirteen Treasures by Michelle Harrison

Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey

Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Wicked Lovely Series by Melissa Marr

Wake and Fade by Lisa McMann

iDrakula by Bekka Black

Birth of a Killer by Darren Shan

Fallen and Torment by Lauren Kate

Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Three Quarters Dead by Richard Peck

Wings and Spells by Aprilynne Pike

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephanie Meyer

The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

Slayed by Amanda Marrone

Need by Carrie Jones

Captivate by Carrie Jones

Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith

I think that's all of them. Now off to the library... to get more.

Interview With Middle Grade Author Laura Toffler-Corrie

2010-02-21T21:51:00.010-05:00

Laura Toffler-Corrie is a freelance writer who holds an M.S. in school psychology, as well as an M.F.A. in dramatic writing from New York University, where she also taught writing. She has written for a number magazines including 'Parenting' and 'StoryWorks.' Laura lives in Westchester, New York with her husband, twin daughters and a variety of noisy pets. This is her first novel.

When I first met Laura, she was an aspiring writer. As a great networker, she used her connections to run a number of events for my group, The SCBWI Writers of Lower Fairfield. It's been exciting to know her as she went through this process of getting an agent and finding a home for her book. I hope her experience will inspire you.

How did you come up with the idea to write THE LIFE AND OPINIONS OF AMY FINAWITZ?
Growing up, and into college, my best friend and I used to write each other these letters, in the form of plays, poems, short stories, just for a laugh. They were all about our lives, boys, friends, parents, neighbors. This inspired the letter format for AMY. The character of Beryl came from my experiences with the Chabad, an ultra religious Jewish sect. As far as the historical facts in the book, I stumbled on those, but they’re all true.

Who read your writing before it was published? Do you belong to a critique group?
I enjoy the social aspect of critique groups, but it‘s hard for me to share my unfinished work. Too much feedback (even when it’s intelligent and well meaning) just disrupts my process. I do attend Pat Reilly Giff’s writing workshops at The Dinosaur’s Paw in Fairfield. She’s an amazing teacher and often reads my work aloud to the class. That’s an invaluable, sometimes humbling but usually exhilarating, experience. I would recommend a good workshop to any writer.

I know you have an agent. How did you get her to represent you? What was the process like once you were represented?
I’m repped by Elana Roth at the Caren Johnson Literary Agency. I initially queried an agent at Firebrand Literary Agency, who expressed interest, but his plate was full. Just about this time, Elana joined the agency, so he passed my manuscript to her. It was great kismet for me! She was excited about the book and signed me on. We moved to CJLA and the rest is history. My agent found my editor, the wonderful Nancy Mercado at Roaring Brook Press, MacMillan. Basically, I trusted Elana’s judgment about the match. Then once Nan and I started talking about the book I knew that she was exactly the right person for me and AMY.

What was the process like once you started moving towards publication?
At first, it was a bit scary. You want to make your book the best it can be, you want to please your editor, you fear that she will discover you’re really an imposter and ask for your advance back! Really though, once you start working with your editor, it’s very inspiring. I’ve learned so much. Over the course of the process, I received a few ‘revision letters,’ with all of her suggestions mapped out. It was a useful tool to refer to. But there were phone calls too and emails that went back and forth. Primarily, it’s about mutual respect and communication. You both want the same thing: a great book.

Last question. What do you feel you do best as a writer? What do you need to work on?
I think I'm good at humor and character. I wish I was a bit more disciplined and was more creative in the morning. I’m pokey in the morning. As it stands, I do my best writing later in the day, but then sometimes at night, I’m just fried.

Thank you so much for answering these questions, Laura. I'm looking forward to reading THE LIFE AND OPINIONS OF AMY FINAWITZ when it comes out this Fall of 2010.

For more about Laura and AMY visit her on her website, on
Facebook, or on Twitter.

You can also leave a question for her in the comments. She may stroll by and answer.

Interview With YA and Middle Grade Author Sarah Darer Littman

2010-01-05T19:55:00.007-05:00

Sarah Darer Littman, writer, mother, and unpaid chauffeur, is a living example of the cliche, "Life Begins at 40." After spending much of her adult life doing things she didn't really plan to, including such diverse occupations as financial analyst and farmer's wife, she at long last found her true calling as a writer. She indulges her adult voice as a columnist for the Stamford Advocate/Greenwich Time newspapers.

Visit her blog or her website.

When did you decide to become a writer?
I wanted to be a writer when I was in high school, but when I thought I would go to college and major in English and write the Great American Novel, the message I got from my parents was "Uh, dude..." (well, actually, they didn't say "dude" because my parents don't speak that way) "How are you going to make a living as an English major?" I didn't have a good answer so I ended up on a completely on a completely different track - Wall St, MBA in Finance and then, believe it or not, living on a dairy farm in rural England and helping to run a cheese making business. But all along, there was this little voice inside me whispering that I should be writing. Finally, a few years before I turned 40, I started listening to that voice. I realized that I didn't want to be in my nursing home at the end of my life thinking "What would have happened if...?" I had to at least try to write, even if it was a total failure. So I started taking some adult ed classes and giving myself time to experiment with it.

How did you go from aspiring writer to published author? Was it luck or hard work?
Hard work, serendipity and research. My first novel for kids, about a runaway school hamster, will never see the light of day, but it was a good practice novel. I also wrote 200 pages of a grown up book that will also probably never see the light of day, at least in its present form, but it helped me develop my skills as a writer. I kept taking classes though, and ultimately went to Writers Week at Manhattanville College, where I was fortunate enough to take a workshop in writing for children with the late great Paula Danziger. I took a chapter of the hamster book, and Paula told me that I had talent, but that I should start something new. It was in her class that I came up with the idea for CONFESSIONS OF A CLOSET CATHOLIC. I went home one night and wrote the first page, came in and showed it to her and she said, "Yes - this is it!"

I wrote the whole book and when I was almost finished with it, I went to my first SCBWI conference in New York. There, I went and listened to several editors talk about their interests. I knew that whoever was going to buy a book about a girl giving up being Jewish for Lent was going to have to have a quirky sense of humor. When I heard Julie Strauss-Gabel speak, the first slide of her presentation was a picture of herself in the high school band, with all these blonde girls playing the flute and herself, frizzy darked haired playing the drums. She said, "This is who is reading your manuscripts". Right then I knew that she was someone I wanted to work with - because my book was all about that kind of girl.

When the book was finished and polished to the best of my ability, I sent it off to her. I also sent it to a friend of mine who worked for Harper Collins in sales who'd offered to read it (they didn't take unagented submissions) saying that if she liked it, maybe she could pass it on and if not, don't feel obligated. And then I sat back, expecting to wait for six months and be rejected by both, because I have such great self esteem ;-)

Three and a half weeks later the phone rang, and it was Julie Strauss-Gabel. I almost couldn't talk, I was so shocked. She asked me if I was willing to make revisions (um, let me think...yes!) and then offered to buy the book. I hung up and started screaming and dancing around the kitchen. My kids thought I'd gone insane!

The serendipity part was that completely unbeknownst to me, Julie had been looking for a book with Jewish content. She'd said so at several conferences and had been inundated with things that didn't work so she'd stopped mentioning it. So she was really happy to find a book that did work.

How did you come up with the idea for your latest novel, LIFE AFTER?

The story of my upcoming book, LIFE, AFTER is an interesting one, because it grew from failure. During my lengthy "second book blues" period, I'd worked on three chapters and an a synopsis for a book called A DIFFERENT DRUMMER, about a boy with Aspergers Syndrome, something that I'm familiar with because my son was diagnosed with it when he was five. We submitted it but my then editor felt it was too much like A CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHTTIME and rejected it. I was dejected, but went back to the drawing board and worked on some new ideas. A few months later, my editor heard the StoryCorps interview my son did of me (broadcast on NPR and called my agent, suggesting that maybe we could revisit the idea for that book, but perhaps from the voice of the sibling of the kid with Aspergers.

I'd just read the ARC of Cynthia Lord's RULES, so I knew that had already been done and done brilliantly. But I started thinking about my own son and how in elementary and middle school, he'd tended to gravitate towards kids from South America, and I wondered if perhaps it was because they too, weren't the "typical American kids" and also had problems with idiomatic speech, although in their case it was because English wasn't their native language. I also wanted to explore something that had frustrated me when 9/11 happened - that it was as if many Americans only then appeared to recognize the existence of terrorism. I'd grown up in England during early 1970's during the IRA bombing campaigns and being aware of terrorist threats was part of our way of life. I have cousins in Israel for whom this continues to be a way of life. It's not that you let it dominate your existence, but you are always vigilant and aware.

So when I picked the South American country for my main character I chose Argentina, because I wanted her to have lost a family member in the bombing of the A.M.I.A. (Jewish Center) that took place in July 1994.

I wrote a synopsis and some sample chapters to apply for a SCBWI WIP grant, but never really connected with my main character. In the end, I went to the Kindling Words retreat, shortly thereafter, and decided to write PURGE instead. This book idea got put in a drawer and probably never would have seen the light of day if it hadn't been for a wonderful woman called Claudette Greene, to whom LIFE, AFTER is dedicated.

About the time I was trying to figure out what to work on for my third book, I met with a local mother/daughter book group that had read CONFESSIONS. It was great fun, and afterwards, Claudette, one of the moms, wrote to thank me. She told me that her daughter had become interested in writing after she lost her dad on 9/11 and asked if I'd ever considered writing a book about it, because there just wasn't anything out there for teens at that point. I took my synopsis out of the drawer and e-mailed it to her and she told me I should write the book. I ended up including it on a list of proposals I gave to my editors at Scholastic and they liked it, but thought it should be YA rather than middle grade. When I went back to the book, having met Claudette and heard her story, I felt so much more of a connection to the main character, and a greater passion for writing the story.

What do you feel you do best as a writer? What do you still need to work on?
I think I've created some great characters. I'd love to learn more about plot and pacing. I'm hoping to get the opportunity to take the Robert McKee Story seminar at some point in the near future. But it's hard to take that time away when you have kids and you're a single mom.

What are you working on now?
I just turned in a manuscript for a book that's coming out from Scholastic Press in 2011 called WANT TO GO PRIVATE? It's about a girl who becomes involved with an Internet predator. That's been the most difficult book I've written so far. My daughter would come home from school and I'd just have written a chat scene between the girl and the predator and I'd say to my daughter: "Stay away from me, I'm a perverted man right now!" It really started to do my head in after a while.

I've also just started something new, but I'm too early in the process to want to talk about it. But it's something different. I'm very excited about it, because I'm always looking to grow as an author. I guess you could say I'm learning on the job!

Thank you so much Sarah for answering these questions. I am looking forward to reading LIFE, AFTER which will be released on July 1, 2010.

Hope you liked the interview. Comment below for a chance to win a signed copy of Purge by Sarah Darer Littman

Interview With YA and Middle Grade Author Lisa Schroeder

2009-12-31T09:36:00.014-05:00

Lisa Schroeder is a native Oregonian, which means her childhood summers were spent camping, fishing, reading books (of course!), and playing in the sun, when it finally came out. These days, Lisa spends her summers, and every other part of the year, sharing all the wonderful things Oregon has to offer with her husband and two sons. She is the author of three verse novels for young adults published by Simon Pulse - I Heart You, You Haunt Me, Far From You, and Chasing Brooklyn. Her middle grade debut, It's Raining Cupcakes, will be published by Aladdin in March, 2010. This interview was conducted by email on Dec. 30, five days before Chasing Brooklyn's release date.

How did you come up the idea for Chasing Brooklyn?

Chasing Brooklyn came about because I desperately wanted to write a book for the fans of I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME. So many teens write to me, asking if there’s going to be a sequel, and when I approached my editor about the idea, he said he thought we left Ava in a good, hopeful place. But he tossed out the idea of having Ava make an appearance in a book. So, I thought around that, and decided I could write another book about loss, and perhaps have Ava offer help to one of the characters.

In Chasing Brooklyn you tell the story in first person from two main characters. Why did you decided to use more than one character’s point of view?

As I was playing around with it, in the beginning, I tried a couple of pages, alternating between Brooklyn and Nico, because I knew they would both be integral to the story I was playing around with in my head. It was SO fun to write from a male POV for a change. And I really love books that have multiple points of view, when they’re done well. The problem I later discovered is that doing it that way is not exactly easy. Instead of writing one story, in a way, you’re writing two. But, I’m really happy with how it turned out, and I hope readers are as well.

Let's talk about how you plan and write your books. Do you have specific prewriting techniques?

If I get a story idea that I’m really excited about, I’ll take some notes and try to get the “hook” into a one sentence blurb. If I can do that, and I’m excited by what that one sentence says about the story, I dive in and see where the characters take me.

Sometimes, though, it’s more of a seed or two of an idea that sprouts, and so I’ll take notes in a notebook or on note cards, and just keep taking notes until I have a good sense of what’s going to happen. Again, I’ll try to describe the book in one sentence, and if I like how it all sounds, I begin.

I didn’t used to worry about summarizing the plot, but now I understand that with the market as competitive as it is, you need to have a book that sounds good from the get go. Of course the writing needs to be good and all of that, but the premise is really important, and I want to make sure I’ve nailed that before I begin.

Here is a question for the writers reading this interview. How did you go from aspiring writer to published author? Was it luck or hard work?

I think most authors would agree with me that it’s usually a lot of hard work and a little or a lot of luck thrown in there too. I had been writing for a long time, manuscript after manuscript, and when I finally got an agent, after querying agents on and off for two years on various manuscripts, I think right place, right time did have a lot to do with it.

Still, you have to have a good manuscript to begin with, and that only comes through working hard on craft. I had written a few mid-grade novels and half of a young adult novel when I had the idea for my first novel, I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME. I started writing it and it flowed out of me like nothing I’d written before. I got critiques on it, revised, and then started querying on it. I received many nos from lots of well known agents, but one wonderful agent asked to see the whole manuscript, and a couple of weeks later, she was offering me representation.

What do you feel you do best as a writer? And on the other side, what do you still need to work on?

Well, the teens who enjoy my books say I’m really good at writing the emotional scenes. It’s something I work hard at, so it makes me happy to hear that. As for what I still need to work on, I’d have to say all of it. I don’t think it ever gets easier. There’s always so much to learn, and with each book, I want to get better at character development, sensory details, showing instead of telling, writing a gripping plot, etc. etc. With each book, I want to stretch myself, and make myself dig deeper and try harder to do the very best I’m capable of.

What are you working on now?

I’m playing around with some ideas for a mid-grade novel, trying to decide what I’d like to write next. I took most of November and December off, working on promotional stuff for the release of CHASING BROOKLYN. But I’m ready to dive into something new, and I’d love to have another book to follow my first mid-grade novel, IT’S RAINING CUPCAKES, which comes out in March. But first I have to write it!!

Lisa, thank you so much for answering these questions. Good luck with your release on Tuesday. I am looking forward to reading Chasing Brooklyn.

Thanks so much for having me here, it was a pleasure.

Make sure to check out Chasing Brooklyn. You can purchase the book at Indie Bound or use their links to find your local Indie Bookseller.

Favorite Books Read in 2009

2009-12-29T10:36:00.005-05:00

This year I have met or connected with amazing kidlit people with great book recommendations. Here's a list of the best books I read in 2009 (in no particular order)

Young Adult Fantasy/Science Fiction
1. BEAUTIFUL CREATURES (2009) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
2. HUNGER GAMES (2008) and CATCHING FIRE (2009) by Suzanne Collins
3. GRACELING (2008) and FIRE (2009) by Kristin Cashore
4. THE MAZE RUNNER (2009) by James Dashner
5. GRAVEYARD BOOK (2008) by Neil Gaiman
6. SHIVER (2009) by Maggie Stiefvater
7. SILVER PHOENIX (2009) by Cindy Pon
8. ENDERS GAME (8th Printing 1994) by Orson Scott Card

Young Adult Realistic Fiction
1. PURGE (2009) by Sarah Darer Littman
2. HATE LIST (2009) by Jennifer Brown
3. ONCE WAS LOST (2009) by Sara Zarr
4. IF I STAY (2009) by Gayle Forman
5. LOOKING FOR ALASKA (2005) by John Green
6. THIRTEEN REASONS WHY (2007) by Jay Asher
7. EVERY SOUL A STAR (2008) by Wendy Mass

Middle Grade Favorites
1. PARIS PAN TAKES THE DARE (2009) by Cynthea Liu
2. THE DOG DAYS OF CHARLOTTE HAYES (2009) by Marlane Kennedy
3. YEAR OF THE DOG (2007) and YEAR OF THE RAT (2008) by Grace Lin
4. THE UNUSUAL MIND OF VINCENT SHADOW (2009) by Tim Kehoe
5. THE YEAR THE SWALLOWS CAME EARLY (2009) by Kathryn Fitzmaurice

What books are on your list?

My Day at BEA (Book Expo America)

2009-06-06T09:44:00.010-04:00

This was my first year at Book Expo America, an event I recommend highly to all teachers, librarians, writers, and publishing people. Thanks to my friend Jody, I had the opportunity to attend in a unique way. This is what BEA looked like when I arrived:

Notice the lack of people. BEA opened at 9:00. My day started at 7:00am.

As a volunteer in the autographing area, I was in charge of signs. At 7:30 I placed the hanging signs on the poles. Then, starting at 10:30, each half hour I switched them to make sure the right book hung from all 30 autograph lines. It was a tough job (only because the signs hung at about 5'9" and I am 5'2"), but someone had to do it.

Other than the sign turning, I spent the day visiting booths, meeting friends, talking to authors, editors, agents, and librarians. I also spent a lot of time in the Green Room, welcoming authors and their entourage, as they prepared for their signing time.

Here are some highlights of my day:

1. Being fifth online for Kate DiCamillo as she signed hard copy editions of the Tales of Despereaux at the First Book booth. My only disappointment of the day was missing the chance to get the ARC of her new book, The Magicians Elephant.

2. Meeting the Tiffanys in the real world. Here are twitter friends Tiffany Schmidt (in purple) and Tiffany E (in pink).

3. Talking with editors/publishers Joni Sussman of Kar-Ben, Andrea Spooner and Jennifer Hunt from Little, Brown, Evelyn Fazio from WestSide Books, Andrea Davis Pinkney from Scholastic, and literary agent Michael Bourret.

4. Being surrounded by writers, publishing companies, and LOTS of books.

5. Taking home 20!!! free books/ARCs, 5 of them signed. Here is Tiffany Schmidt getting a book signed by Sara Zarr.

In the end, I left BEA tired and worn with lots to read and remember. (BEA at 6:15 pm).

What I Am Reading: Purge

2009-05-03T11:28:00.001-04:00

Purge by Sarah Littman

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sarah Darer Littman's new book Purge is the story of Janie, a girl who is in a hospital for people with eating disorders. Using a combination of group sessions, diary entries, and relationships with other people in the hospital, Sarah opens a window into the all to real world of people with eating issues. A definite "must read" for adults and teens.

View all my reviews.

The Twitch

2009-03-29T18:34:00.003-04:00

Nice Mommy/Evil Editor, Anglea James, has a great post this week called, "What can Twitter do for your pitch?"

In a nutshell, she recommends practicing your pitch (or twitch) on twitter to take advantage of the 140 character limit. By limiting the number of characters you can use, you have to get rid of the garbage and get down to what really matters.

She says, "But what I’m getting at is that it’s important to be able for authors to refine your book to its purest hook. The conflict, the angst, the info that’s going to make a reader, editor or agent want to pick it up to read, go find an excerpt, request a full or keep reading your query letter."

(One side note: She clearly states that one should never actually send this twitch TO an agent of editor directly. Too tacky.)

So, my twitch: 10yo Zoey would do ANYTHING to save her parent's marriage. But can a carsick mosquito-phobe survive a cross country camping trip?

How'd I do? Would you read it?

Results of Critique

2009-03-14T08:43:00.002-04:00

In my last post I wrote about handling critique. Now I have to face reality... My WIP is a quiet story about two sisters who go on a camping trip, not an epic journey across America.

Positives:
* Great dialogue
* Well developed family relationships
* Beautiful setting description
* Interesting supporting characters
* Well-written small moments

Negatives:
* Main character isn't distinct
* It's an adventure story without much adventure

How did this happen?
Well, the story is based on a camping trip I took with my own family in 1982. While I changed some characters, introduced new characters, and changed the motivation behind the trip, I had so much fun researching the real trip that I forced the story line into the setting instead of allowing the story to take its own path. My story map was an actual map made on mapquest.

What to do now?
Take to re-plot, rethink, and get to know my character a bit better. Why is she on this trip?

And then?
And then I can decide if this is a story I need to tell or if the book is just a memory best written for my own family.

Handling Critique

2009-03-12T10:17:00.002-04:00

How do you handle critique? Do you go back and change everything based on the advice? Do you give up on the project or completely rip your work apart? Or do you take it with a grain of salt and realize that everyone has different tastes?

I tend fall someplace in between. When I am critiqued, I listen carefully to both what the critiquer is saying, and to what they aren't saying. Sometimes facial expressions and tone give you better feedback then the actual words. After listening, I ask questions. Some questions are based on their feedback. Others may be things I want to know about the manuscript that weren't said.

Once I've collected all of the feedback, I take some time to process everything I've heard. Sometimes I have an immediate plan of action. Other times it takes a few days before I decide what to do. In either case, the process helps me make decisions about my manuscript that I am comfortable with.

And, while it usually leads to weeks of careful revision and the loss of many words, the manuscript keeps getting better... which is the whole point, isn't it?

#Queryfail

2009-03-05T22:21:00.003-05:00

If you are still wondering whether or not to get a twitter account, visit #queryfail. Initiated by agent Colleen Lindsay of Fineprint Literary Management, agents from different agencies used twitter to post some of the worst lines from queries they have actually received.

Even if you don't learn anything by reading it (and if you are an unpublished writer looking for an agent, try to learn something), reading through the ridiculous and downright peculiar things people have written should brighten your day and hopefully make your own query look a lot more promising.

For more on the agents who were on twitter today visit Colleen Lindsay's Blog.

For myself, I can't wait until they do it again. Even if it did mean that I opened twitter today to find 202 unread messages.

First Chapter Woes

2009-03-02T18:57:00.003-05:00

For me, writing the first chapter is the hardest part. That doesn't mean that my first chapters don't turn out well eventually, but if I had a counter on the amounts of times each part of my manuscript faced revision, I would probably find that my first chapter takes the majority of my revision time.

Here is some I've liked or used:
- Start with the most exciting moment.
- Start with something shocking.
- Write the book then delete chapter one (and sometimes two).

Here are some web links about creating first chapters:
Writing the First Chapter
19 Articles about First Chapters
All Kinds of Writing
Children's Books: Writing Great Beginnings

What next?

2009-03-01T17:42:00.002-05:00

This week I've been struggling with what to write next now that revisions are done (for now) on my NaNoWriMo project. The hardest part, at least for me, is deciding between the old, the very old, and the new. Fortunately so far the decision has been made for me. Not by someone external, but by the story itself screaming at me in my sleep. So, come on characters, wake up and scream at me. Please!

Twitter

2009-02-24T23:26:00.006-05:00

Having just discovered Twitter at the SCBWI conference in New York (thank you Michael Bourret), I wanted to share some great posts and articles about why writers should use it:

Must reads:
1. Why Michael Bourret Loves Twitter
2. Twitter Tips for Writers +25 Good Follows
3. Book Trade People on Twitter
4. Twitter: It's What You Make of It

And of course, don't forget to follow me.

Getting Rid of Words

2009-02-16T12:30:00.002-05:00

As I continue the revision and editing process on my latest manuscript, I also continue to think about word choice. Jon Bard from Write4Kids.com pointed out this article called Get Rid of Ugly Wordiness: How to Cut Your Novel Down to Size. It identifies ways to cut out unnecessary words.

Grammar Grumbles

2009-02-15T12:33:00.002-05:00

Recently a parent engaged me in a detailed grammar conversation. I am not going to go into detail about the conversation, but it does have me thinking deeply about grammar and mechanics in this day and age. As a writer, I want my character's voice to be "authentic" but how much proper language has to be thrown away to achieve that kind of authenticity? And think about the whole idea of a blog. In many ways it is a stream of thought. My thoughts aren't grammatically correct, does that mean that it is okay for my blog to have some errors?

The current issue of Writers' Journal there are two articles on this topic. One, called "How Does Your Character Sound?" by MaryAnn Duffy, has a large section on Written versus Spoken English. It recommends dropping the -ly from words, using who instead of whom, and using me instead of I. It says, "Once a broken rule becomes the norm in speaking, it nudges its way into acceptability in written English." Interesting, don't you think?

The second article, called "Seven Bad Habits of Highly Unsuccessful Writers" by Scott Nicholson, adds more items to the list of things writers should try to do (and not do).

So, where do we stand? For myself, being part of a critique group has taught me more about grammar usage then any book. Looking at edits from writers more talented then myself in the mechanical area help me to recognize my common errors. Now I just have to hope that their way is the one that is currently accepted.

This is It

2009-02-15T00:31:00.001-05:00

Okay, my own blog. Not for the group but about me (and anyone who wants to read about me). Not that I really need something else to spend time doing... but who knows, maybe my own journey will help someone else out there. You too can ramble on aimlessly on the road to publication.

Truthfully, I started this journey three years ago almost as a dare from a group of fantastic third graders who are now in sixth grade. As I hounded them day after day to revise, they told me that there was no way a "real writer" could spend that much time on revision. Not if they had written a whole novel. I took the challenge. Forty-four pages later I had written, what I thought was, a real novel. Ah, if I could only go back and laugh at the writer I was then. If I only knew that true revision didn't take weeks or even months, but years at times. Especially when you've written a forty-four page high fantasy novel for middle-graders.

Completely over-confident, I googled agents and started to send my novel out... to one. I read the submissions guidelines, no multiple submissions. I waited three months to receive my first self-addressed-stamped envelope in the mail. I opened it and found nothing. The envelope appeared to be empty. I opened it a bit wider and there it was, my first rejection, on a small strip of paper cut apart from other rejections. I would like to tell you that I still have that rejection (something to show when it HAPPENS), but, it is hard to keep a piece of paper that small. It disappeared one day, never to be seen again. But don't worry. I have plenty more to share.