Prince Balthazar

Cracked is out in the world

2012-01-12T06:58:00.002-06:00

My good friend Kate Walton's YA debut, Cracked, is out in the world. I'll be picking up a copy as soon as possible. Kate has a great Road to Publication story on her blog and should be read for people in the trenches waiting for representation.

Congrats, Kate!

Young Adult

2011-12-26T06:49:00.003-06:00

I saw the film Young Adult on Christmas evening. I didn't know a whole lot about it, but wanted to see it since it was written by Diablo Cody who wrote Juno. It was quite good. I had no idea that it actually dealt with the YA we all know.

Charlize Theron is a YA ghostwriter for a popular series of teen books. Trouble is, she's not quite an adult herself, and has a bad case of arrested development. Hijacks ensue. A really good dark comedy I recommend.

It was very funny to see her avoid calls from her agent.

Happy post holiday wishes to everyone out there.

Hobbittttsssss

2011-12-21T06:37:00.001-06:00

Hey look, it's the Hobbit trailer.

Happy Holidays

2011-12-21T06:26:00.003-06:00

As you can see from the dearth of activity, I've been quite lax on Ye Olde Blog. It happens. Everything is quieting down for the holiday break. I've been working on a new MG with a pretty cool premise, and hope to make a lot of progress over the break.

I hope everyone has a happy Christmas-Hanukkah-Kwanza-Festivus-Solstice-Festivus!

Hunger Games

2011-11-16T06:13:00.004-06:00

Here's our first long teaser for the Hunger Games. Check it out here.

I think it looks good, but I always imagined the main characters as younger.

I hope this turns out well and they complete the series. I was disappointed in the treatment that His Dark Materials/The Golden Compass got. What a tragedy.

But there will always be the books that spawned these films in the first place.

(I want to see a drunk Woody Harrelson as Haymitch!)

If Tolkien were black.

2011-11-10T07:11:00.003-06:00

Very interesting article over at Salon.com

David Anthony Durham, one of the authors profiled in this piece, seems to be a very cool guy.

He keeps a blog here and engages with his readers a lot.

Do you Nano?

2011-10-31T07:30:00.002-05:00

I've never done NanoWriMo before but I'm thinking about doing it this time. The launch of the contest happens to coincide with a new idea I've been kicking around, so now might be the right time to take the leap: 50,000 words in a month. I think I can do that. Uh, I think.

How about you? Anyone else participating?

Where's your notebook?

2011-10-13T07:48:00.005-05:00

Although I have a tendency to pick up moleskin notebooks and other small journals--I swear, they are on every shelf in my house--I never seem to use them for keeping story notes. Although I haven't bought one in a long time, every time I see these little notebooks stacked neatly in the bookstore, just waiting to be filled with flashes of inspiration, I have to turn away like an alcoholic being offered a turn-of-the-century scotch. (Or wine, whatever you fancy.)

It's like a weird fetish I have: the texture of the paper, running my fingers down the spine of the notebook...you get the idea. I do have one that I bought a few years ago. I made a point of using it and actually filled quite a few pages. I took it to a reading by Philip Pullman, author of His Dark Materials and a slew of other great books. He even signed it! I asked him for some words of inspiration when the Muse is in one of her moods and is not visiting. This is what he wrote:

"When those moments come, remember that it is our job to write just as well and just as regularly when we're not inspired as when we are."

So how do I keep notes for story ideas without a notebook? I created a private blog and, since I'm at my Mac what seems like eighteen hours a day, it's easy to go over and post the idea, no matter how insignificant it may seem. We all know a seed can bloom into a great idea. If I'm away from the Mac I send a text to myself.

So how about you? Where do you scribble your ideas?

Image Wikimedia commons

Your bestseller on a Nook?

2011-10-07T13:04:00.003-05:00

I read a post on an agent blog the other day that gave a good step-by-step tutorial on how to put your novel on an e-reader. From what I understand, a lot of agents these days read submissions this way.

I have a Nook, and the other day, I made a PDF of my book and transferred it over. (It wouldn't take the Word doc.)

Trouble is, there are weird line breaks and it doesn't make for the easiest reading. Anyone know how to fix this? I think there is a way of formatting your manuscript before making a PDF that will work.

Anyone recall reading a post about this subject?

2nd Campaigner Challenge

2011-09-30T05:59:00.012-05:00

I'm late to the party, but here it is.

Words that have to be used:

• include the word "imago" in the title
• include the following 4 random words: miasma, lacuna, oscitate, synchronicity
• If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional and included in the word count), make reference to a mirror in your post.
For those who want an even greater challenge (optional), make your post 200 words EXACTLY!

Okay, so here goes my random off the top of my head prose:

TITLE: Imago, Awakened

“I am a larva. Soon, I will emerge and glide upon the firmament of heaven."

In moments of stress, I repeat this mantra until my breathing returns to normal, working in perfect synchronicity with the rhythm of what I imagine to be monarch-spotted wings folding and unfolding from the center of my spine.

Not much longer now and I will break free of this confining human guise, spread my wings and soar. But still, there is that vague miasma of doubt: can I truly fly?

I stood in front of the mirror and lifted my arms. I took slow breaths, filled my lungs with air. Oscitate--that was the word Father used when I was a child, as if by using archaic words he could reach that empty place inside me and calm my nerves.

So much for psychologists.

There is something missing in the internal clockwork of my being--a lacuna--a gap that can't be filled by joy or sensual pursuits. Only when I stand on the roof of the school and spread my gossamer wings, will people know what I truly am.

I am a Monarch, released from its chrysalis to soar, loosed from this mortal coil.

And there you have it. 200 words. Extra brownie points for using the word mirror.

I need a nap now.

Like me. (I just want to be liked.) I'm entry #172

If you have yet to read my--if I must say so myself--fascinating and rather long interview with debut novelist Elizabeth Richards, check it out below this post. (She uses funny British words.)

Image Wikimedia Commons

Debut Details with Elizabeth Richards

2011-09-25T06:55:00.012-05:00

Welcome to the 2^nd Edition of Debut Details with author Elizabeth Richards.

Black City, the first book in her dystopian YA trilogy from Putnam, Black City Chronicles (that sounds so bad-ass) hits the street fall of 2012. She is represented by Ayesha Pande of Ayesha Pande Literary.

Deep in the heartland of the United Sentry States are the burning ruins of the Black City, a melting pot simmering with hostility as humans and Darklings struggle to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of a brutal and bloody war. A wall now divides the city separating the two races. Trapped on the wrong side of the wall is 16-year old hustler ASH FISHER, a half-blood Darkling who'll do whatever it takes to survive, including selling his addictive venom ‘Haze’ to help support his dying mother...

Read on for more!

Thanks for taking the time to do this, Elizabeth.

You’re welcome! Thanks for asking me.

You used to review video games. Do you see any connection between a great video game and a great book? As you were reviewing, did you look at it from a story point of view, or was it all about the mechanics of the game?

There’s definitely a connection between great video games and great books, as both rely on tight plotting and good characterization to get people hooked and wanting to continue to play/read. A video game can’t just be about mechanics, and while kick-ass game play is very important, you also need to see how the story hangs together and whether you feel invested in the protagonist’s journey to want to keep playing.

The reason games like Tomb Raider were so successful wasn’t just because the gameplay was good or because Lara had giganto-boobs (although I’m sure that helped somewhat), it’s because she was a fascinating character, and the story was filled with twists and turns, and giant man-eating T-Rexes.

I know you’re a journalist by trade. But when did you start writing fiction with the goal of being published?

I started writing fiction about three/four years ago (sorry, I’m getting to the age where years start slipping into each other). It was always something I wanted to do though. I remember being a nine-year old kid in middle school and my English teacher told us to write a 250 word short story about a desert island. That moment had such a profound effect on me, because it was the first time I ever really attempted any sort of creative writing and I knew right then that this is what I wanted to do. I felt awakened. I’m sure every author has that moment, and that was mine.

During my high school years I also wrote a number of terrible novels, including one frightfully awful Mills & Boon called ‘Love on a Ranch’ (don’t ask, I was a lonely, horny teenager needing an outlet for my unrequited lust), several short stories about a ‘misunderstood black-haired vamp girl’- I wonder what my inspiration was for that? - and a movie script, which secured me a place on my university course.

My best friend still has a copy of Love on the Ranch and keeps threatening to put it on eBay. *shudders*

(I have a feeling Love on the Ranch is going to become quite the collector’s item! Mills & Boon? I’m a yank, so I had to look it up. Ok, it’s a publisher of romance novels.)

I always knew I wanted to write, it just took me a long time to really work out what it was I wanted to specialize in.

Did you set out saying, “I’m going to write a dystopian novel,” or did it just organically come to define itself?

It happened organically. I’ve always been drawn to dystopian novels and it filtered through in my writing. But funnily enough, Black City was originally a straight up-and-down paranormal romance when I first queried it. It got a lot of positive feedback, but agents were uncertain about taking it on because of the vampire aspect, as the Twilight Saga was still dominating the market at the time.

So I took it back to the drawing-board and ramped up the dystopian element of the book, based on a friend’s recommendation, and I’m so glad I did. The story just came to life. The world Ash and Natalie inhabited had more peril, it was darker, more twisted, and it just worked. And it was more ‘me’. These are the types of books I like to read, so it made sense I should write them too.

Was Black City Chronicles the first book you submitted to agents?

No. Oh Lord, no. It was my second attempt. My first book was a YA contemporary novel called RAISING LAZARUS, about a boy who used music as a means of getting over his mother’s death.

I really loved that book and the characters, but it was very rough around the edges and there were a lot of rookie mistakes in it.

When I had to trunk it, I was gutted. It’s so hard letting go of characters you’ve spent a year of your life with, but sometimes you just have to accept it’s not going to happen.

Still, I took all that experience and put it into my second book, Black City, and the rest is history.

Why do you write YA?

I think it’s partly because I’m still a teenager at heart, and partly because it’s a period in a person’s life that’s full of so much dramatic potential. It’s a time where we first fall in love, where we have to break free from our parents’ control, where we have to define ourselves and our path in life.

Emotions are high and so are the stakes. When you’re a teenager, everything feels like life or death, and in my novels they often are!

Being a teenager is so hard but it’s also an amazing, wonderful, exciting time, and I love exploring that in my writing.

Are you a pantster or an obsessive plot outliner?

Obsessive plotter. I trained as a scriptwriter at university, and part of that training was to write detailed outlines, 3-act structures with all your key turning points mapped out, character bibles etc. So I’ve carried a lot of that through in my writing career, because it really helps me to get to know the characters and to know where my story is going.

Of course, after about fifty pages I tend to throw all this work out the window and just let the characters tell their story, but I still like to put the effort in and do the prep work as it’s a great reference to fall back on.

Are you now a full-time novelist? Or do you have another day job?

I’m still working full-time as I wait for my advance, but once that’s through I’m looking to go part-time, woo! I know it’s the fantasy of every author to write full-time, and that’s certainly my end goal, but very few authors have this luxury, even if they sign a three-book deal!

So you have to be prepared for it. Getting a book deal doesn’t mean you’ll be able to quit your day job the very next day, and it’s a lot of hard work trying to do revisions and write the sequels when you’re working a full time day job. But thems the breaks. I don’t consider my day job as my career though. When people ask what I do for a living, I tell them I’m a YA author, who also works on websites.

You are a Brit, and live in London, but you have an agent based in the U.S. What’s up with that?

I knew the U.S had a strong YA market, especially for paranormal romance and dystopian fantasy, the two genres I’m most interested in writing. We’re still developing our YA market here in Blighty, and the majority of books that are on our shelves are imports from the U.S, or contemporary fiction, so I wasn’t certain I’d be giving Black City the best chance possible by approaching UK agents.

So it made sense to me to approach an agent in New York. I was so lucky to find Ayesha, she really is amazing!

How many agents did you query for Black City Chronicles?

Gosh, that’s a good one. Well, I did two rounds of queries (as mentioned earlier), so in total I approached around 35 agents. Ayesha was the first agent I queried in my second phase. It was fate!

What was your first response when you got the call?

Well, because of the time difference Ayesha actually sent me an email saying she loved my novel and wanted to arrange a phone call, as she wanted to make an offer of representation. I have to admit my first response to receiving the email was mild confusion.

I’d gotten so used to rejections I’d convinced myself it would never happen, so when I saw that email I was like ‘Huh? What?’ I re-read it twenty times, emailed Ayesha back to arrange the phone call and then called my writer friend to tell her what had happened. She was so thrilled and happy for me, it was at that point that it finally sunk home what had happened and I had a little ‘Squeeeeee!’ moment.

You never react the way you think you will!

This is so awesome to hear!

How long was it between signing with your agent and getting a deal?

I signed with Ayesha in mid-March 2011, we went on sub in June, and got my offer from Putnam on 2nd August, so just over five months. It was the most exciting time of my life, I can assure you! Nothing is more thrilling than having your book on submission and then getting the offer.

How much did the book change with your agent’s input?

It didn’t change much. Everything she suggested was about developing the universe and characterization rather than changing aspects of the plot. I did tweak a few subplots on her recommendation, because they were sort of hanging around not doing much, but really we spent the revision stage just enhancing what was already there.

She’s a fantastic agent, and spends a lot of time and effort editing your work before putting it on submission, and for that I’m super grateful. I just knew the book we were putting out there was in really good shape, and all the feedback we got from editors was incredibly positive; they all loved the writing, and that’s exactly what you want to hear as an author.

What about your editor?

Squeee! Oh I simply love my editor, Stacey Barney. She’s absolutely AWESOME. She’s so fun and enthusiastic and she’s completely in love with Nat and Ash (she calls them ‘Nash’. Love it!). You really need a cheerleader on your side, and that’s exactly what she is to me. She’s just so passionate about the book, and it gives me so much encouragement.

I’m so lucky, as she keeps me informed every step of the way, and she’s really interested in my opinion on things like cover art, even asking me to supply examples of my favorite covers so she could gauge my tastes. I can’t wait to see it!

I love the idea of being able to give opinions on covers. That sounds like a lot of fun.

Plus, she’s just an amazing editor. The notes she’s made on my MS are so detailed and she digs in deep and asks a lot of questions and makes you think much harder about things than you probably otherwise would. I’m on deadline actually, and my revisions are due tomorrow, so I better crack on with those in a minute.

Do you mind sharing the query that got you signed?

No problem, although I have to confess my query writing isn’t my strong point! The best responses I got were to queries with a writing sample attached. It’s a real skill, and something you absolutely must keep practicing and fixing, depending on feedback.

I think the key thing about writing a successful query letter is to make sure you tailor it as much as possible to that agent you’re approaching. Find out their personal tastes and highlight aspects of your novel you know they might be more interested in hearing about (this means doing a bit of cyber-stalking and reading interviews and blog posts with them to see if they mention anything).

Totally agree with this point.

Here’s the query, for my sins (P.S. The novel was originally called CRAVING):

I'm getting in touch to see if you would be interested in CRAVING, my 98,000-word dystopian novel targeted at young adults. It will appeal to fans of Suzanne Collins and Malorie Blackman.

Then there’s NATALIE BUCHANAN, the daughter of the Sentry Emissary, who feels imprisoned by her life of privilege and fame. When their paths cross, Ash is shocked when his once still heart starts to beat. Bonded by a mysterious connection, Ash and Natalie struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they’re caught, they’ll be executed. Then Haze users start dying all over the city and Ash discovers the terrible truth behind his and Natalie’s mystical connection. Suddenly, city walls and the threat of execution become the least of their problems...

I’m an experienced editor and journalist from the UK, and have written for a number of entertainment magazines aimed at teenagers including CUBE, P2 and PLAY, during which time I won the Jane Hayward Young Journalist of the Year Award. I have a BA Hons in Scriptwriting for TV and Film and am an active member of SCBWI.

This sounds really fascinating! What is your writing schedule like?

Bonkers! Currently, I finish work at 4.30pm every day, and by 4.45pm I’m on my laptop working on Black City. I finish most days around 1am, or at 3am at weekends. I write seven-days a week, and spend my lunch hours working on marketing and responding to emails.

That’s really remarkable and makes my writing sessions seem so lightweight. You are dedicated!

The hours are insane at the moment, but that’s because I’m on deadline and working full time.

I’ve then got until March to get the next book in the trilogy, so I don’t foresee the hours getting shorter anytime soon. It’s a lot of hard work, but seriously it’s SO worth it. This is my dream and nothing worth having comes easy.

I can't wait to blow off my friends by saying, "Sorry Frank. I'm on deadline."(But I know that brings a whole new set of issues.)

So many of us are out in the trenches, waiting to get signed, speculating and wondering in a very obsessive manner what it must be like to have an agent and actually have a book coming out. What is something you’ve learned now that you’re on the “inside?”

I’ve learnt that the pain of rejection is nothing compared to the elation of getting a deal. It’s like child birth; you completely forget the trauma of querying.

YAY!!!

It makes you more confident about your writing skills, but also very humble because you know that a lot of people are putting a lot of faith in you and your book to make them money, so there is that added pressure.

But most of its just so much fun! Dealing with agents and editors, learning about the publishing industry, working on edits and getting interviewed by lovely people such as your kind self, really is wonderful!

It’s my pleasure. One of your Fun Facts on your blog is that you have an identical twin. Did you ever think about a story having to do with twins? I would think that having an identical twin would lead to some interesting concepts for writing. Or are you over the whole “twin thing.”

I don’t think I’d ever write about twins, they’re proper freaky ;-p

I do get frustrated when I read books or watch films with twins in them, as it’s always the same thing: one twin is good, the other is evil; one twin is a super hoe-bag, the other is purer than a Disney princess. And, most annoyingly, the twins are nearly always psychic. *gags*

So true.

Funnily enough, I was watching the Parent Trap this afternoon and it bugged the crap out of me that the twins’ parents were so monumentally negligent that they didn’t notice when a completely different child turned up on their doorstep. Grrr. It does irrationally anger me, but I do have to gently remind myself it’s a movie.

Saying that, I do love Fred and George in Harry Potter. They’re fab.

Being a writer, I know ideas can come from anywhere: a picture, a dream, a flash of inspiration. Do you recall what the seed was that became Black City Chronicles?

Honestly? It was a movie called Charlie Bartlett. The protagonist really appealed to me. He was funny and charming and just on the right side of naughty, a bit of a Ferris Bueller type. Shortly after watching that, the character of Ash formed in my mind. I knew I wanted him to be a supernatural being and a drug dealer; I wanted him to be charming and to have some swagger, but also be damaged and vulnerable. So that was the seed of Black City. It’s a bit of a leap going from an indie teen movie to a dystopian fantasy, but inspiration can strike anywhere!

You’re a member of the Apocalypsies, a group of authors whose books debut in 2012. How important is it to have some sort of online presence, or to be involved in a group like this?

It’s soooo important. People pretty much use the internet for everything these days, and if you don’t have an online presence you might as well be invisible. Having the support of the Apocalysies is great, because we’re all debut authors trying to find our feet in the publishing industry, and we give each other so much support and encouragement. It’s vital to have a strong support group around you, as they can help answer your questions, give you advice and assist with marketing. It’s fab!

What is the one TV show you cannot miss?

QI. It’s a British quiz show by the BBC, hosted by Stephen Fry who is my hero. It’s absolutely brilliant. It’s so funny and informative and just a brilliant piece of entertainment, mixing the right blend of sophistication with bum jokes to really appeal to me. I’ve watched every episode about ten times thus far.

(I like Stephen Fry. He’s filming the Hobbit right now! And he was great in a lot of films --from V for Vendetta to Oscar Wilde.)

Last great book you read? Or what you’re reading now?

I finished reading The Help last week. Oh my word, that was wonderful. The story is so heartwarming and the characters are just perfection. It makes you really think about civil rights issues without ever being preachy and it’s just a beautiful tale.

What is your favorite volcano?

Of the ones I’ve seen thus far, Stromboli! When I was editing travel magazines, I had the privilege of going on a 16-day cruise around the Med. The ship sailed around the volcano at night time and the memory of it still gives me chills. I’ve never seen anything like it – watching a volcano erupt makes you feel very small, but also part of something truly amazing.

(I wish I could claim the credit for tossing such a non sequitur of a question out there, but during my research for this interview, I came across Elizabeth’s volcano passion on her website.)

How can I get my American friends to pause during the day and start participating in tea-time rituals?

Ha ha! Well, I guess it’s about making sure you tempt them with a proper English Afternoon Tea, accept no substitutions. My friends and I often pop to Fortnum & Masons for their afternoon teas, and seriously, it’s the best meal of the day. It’s just so decadent and it’s also a very social meal; the purpose of it is to have a leisurely gossip as you nibble on sandwiches, scones and cakes. It’s so civilized and one of the best parts of English culture! I love them.

Thanks, Elizabeth, for staying up so late to do this interview!

There you have it folks. Make sure to look for Elizabeth's debut Black City, the first of three--three! Wow! --in her Black City Chronicles due from Putnam fall 2012. Check out her blog here and the Apocalypsies.

Superman was here

2011-09-19T13:49:00.004-05:00

Last week when I was in Chicago, I was surprised to see that a lot of streets were blocked off around my office. I saw lots of film trucks and crowds, people taking cell-phone videos. Upon further inspection, I found out that they were filming a few scenes for the new Superman movie.

I was able to get this pic of two cabs marked up to look like cabs from Superman's city of Metropolis.

I missed it when they were filming the third Transformers movie right outside my office. My friends told me it was very cool. Explosions and cars being tossed in the air right from my old office window!

Not that I'm into Transformer movies. I haven't seen any of them. (Except for a few minutes on cable.)

This was pretty cool though. I later heard that our office is being used as the Daily Planet newspaper.

Bedside Reading

2011-09-16T10:16:00.001-05:00

I have a book fetish.
What are you reading?

Award Mania

2011-09-14T21:04:00.004-05:00

Well, since joining in Rachael Harrie's Platform-Building Campaign, I've had a lot more visitors and have met quite a few great folks with wonderful blogs. Three of my new blogger friends all gave me the same award. It's the Versatile Blogger Award.

Thanks so much to Maeve Frazier, Angela Orlowski-Peart and Elizabeth Varadan aka Mrs. Seraphina.

Applause!

Now I am supposed to do this:

• Thank the person who gave me the award and link back to them
• Share seven completely random things about myself
• Pass the award on to fifteen worthy bloggers

Well, I promise to think about those seven things and post them soon. I'll have to dig deep for it, but once I commit, I'm sure it won't be too hard. (It's all about what you want to reveal, eh?)

One of my seven random things is that I was obsessed with Tolkien as a kid and can still recite a bunch of Elvish and passages from the Lord of the Rings. (God, how geeky is that?)

Watch this space for more.....

Chillin in ChiTown

2011-09-13T20:15:00.008-05:00

I love Chicago.
But I don't live here anymore.
But my office is here.
And I still work there.
Confused?

About a year ago, after thirteen years in Chicago, my wife and I decided to move to Maryland to be closer to family. My bosses were cool enough to let me work from home. So I come in once a month or so and show my face.

Anyway, I'm here this week, working on a few projects. (I write TV, web and radio for a bunch of big corporate clients. Yawn... )

So when I got here, the first place I sought out (other than the office) was my old haunt, Millenium Park. It's one of my favorite places in Chicago. The picture I took this morning is of a sculpture called Cloudgate (often referred to as the bean.) I used to come here just about every morning during Chicago's short summer and try to squeeze in an hour or so of writing.

It's such a wonderful place to write, especially in the early morning, when it's quiet, and the park is yet to be invaded by the masses. The reflective surface is a brilliant metaphorical brain from which I draw energy. At least that's the fantasy in my head. (Click the pic to enlarge it a few times. I was glad I was able to get a pic without anyone standing next to it. That's rare.)

It's nice to be back for a few days.

What is one of your favorite places to write?

Platform- Building Challenge

2011-09-07T10:22:00.006-05:00

Here's my attempt at a 200-word story with the opening words "The door swung open" and closing with "The door swung shut."

I just made this up and it's not from an existing WIP. Thanks to Rachael Harrie and the all the writers participating. I hope it doesn't suck too bad. Oh, and I hit two-hundred words exactly!

If you haven't yet, don't forget to check my post below for an interview with debut author K.M. Walton.

"WITHIN"

The door swung open.

This made things even weirder since the door wasn’t even there moments before.

I stared at the empty space, a dark chasm with floating blue lights twinkling within.

The question was: “Should I enter?”

I rubbed my wrists where the rope had been tied for so long.

I wasn’t crazy.

I was put here because people thought I was crazy.

But often, the first symptom of craziness, was saying, “I’m not crazy.”

If I could find a way back, I could prove my case.

That was all I needed.

A…way…to…get…back.

I took a ragged breath, then stood up and walked to the open door. My legs were stiff and my joints creaked. Cool air caressed my face and a fine mist settled on my bare arms. My nostrils flared at the scent of loamy soil or newly turned earth.

I drew closer. The blue lights were actually stars, pulsating in rhythm with my heartbeat.

I closed my eyes and stepped through.

My heart jumped to my throat.

I fell, my arms and legs pin-wheeling behind me, cold air blasting into my open mouth.

I’m not crazy…

The door swung shut.

Debut Details with K.M. Walton

2011-09-06T07:24:00.012-05:00

Hey folks, I'm trying to venture into a weekly/monthly post everyone can look forward to. I'm going to start interviewing debut authors. Hopefully, we can all learn a little from writers who have snagged an agent and are on the road to publication.

First up - my friend, K.M. Walton.

I’ve made quite a few online friends during my writing journey, but nothing beats putting a face to those little blog icons. I had the pleasure of meeting K.M. Walton or Kate, at an SCBWI conference in NYC a few years ago. Her photo was on her website, and once I got to the hotel (and headed to the bar, of course) I recognized her curly locks from a distance and went up and introduced myself. Her debut novel, Cracked, is available in January from Simon Pulse, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. She is represented by Sarah LaPolla of Curtis Brown, Ltd.

Hi Kate, thanks for accepting the first ever Debut Details. (I had to come up with some kind of alliterative name for this. Isn’t that what bloggers do?)

LOVE IT!

When did you start writing with the goal of being published?

I wrote my first picture book back in 1993. It was horrendous. I queried it anyway and actually got a request from Harper Collins. They politely declined after reading and so began my quest towards publication. I took many long pauses in between queries and wrote a few more picture book manuscripts along the way.

Was Cracked the first novel you submitted to agents?

I didn’t write my first novel until spring of 2008, and I started querying it in spring of 2008. Yep, not lying. I obviously queried too soon because I racked up quite a few rejections (close to 150). I wrote a second novel, then a third, and then I wrote Cracked.

Are you a pantster or an obsessive plot outliner?

A mixture of both – but leaning towards pantster. I do a stream of consciousness list before I start writing a new book—bullet pointed lists of character details and plot points. Then I let it stew a while. After it’s just about boiling over, I start writing. That’s where my love of the pantster mentality takes over and I just write and see where the story takes me. Many, many times surprising plot points emerge out of the blue. That’s my favorite part of the process.

Do you still teach Language Arts? Or are you now in the enviable position of telling people you are a full-time novelist?

After twelve amazing years in the classroom I left teaching to pursue a new career of coaching teachers on their instructional practice. Then the budget cuts came and that was the end of that two year career. Luckily, I am able to write full time now, and I live each day realizing how blessed I am to do so.

How many agents did you query for Cracked?

Thirty-seven.

What was your first response when you got The Call?

I tried my best to enter the call prepared (I knew Sarah was calling since we had corresponded a few times about her requested revision of Cracked) but I know I came off as a bumbling idiot. I was just so damn nervous because I had wanted that moment for 2.4 years – dreamt about it – salivated about it – yearned for it. And here it was. I was blown-away excited.

How long was it between signing with your agent and getting a deal?

Just two and a half months. Sarah LaPolla is my hero. (That is amazing!)

How much did the book change with your agent’s input?

Sarah has a brilliant editorial mind (I tell her that frequently) and the revisions she suggested made the novel that much stronger.

What about your editor?

Annette Pollert is a genius. She guided my writing to levels I didn’t realize it was capable of. I learned ridiculous amounts about the craft from her line edits. Her attention to detail is remarkable and left me feeling so lucky to have her in my corner for Cracked. I will never ever be able to thank her enough for the work she put into my novel.

Do you mind sharing the query that got you signed?

Not at all:

Dear Ms. LaPolla:

I am an active member of #YALitChat and read today that you are now an agent with Curtis Brown Ltd. Congratulations on your new job! Now on to my query…

CRACKED is a contemporary young adult novel, complete at 47,200 words.

Sixteen year old Victor knows he’s weak. He’s got the most self-absorbed parents alive. His life sucks. Then his dog dies.

Sixteen year old Bull knows he’s angry. He’s sick of taking the drunken beatings from his grandfather. His life sucks too. And he likes to take out his anger on Victor.

**(I removed five key sentences that would give the novel away and my agent and editor would kill me.. BUT, when writing your query, tell the agent key things – don’t be coy – let them know your story)**

Buried underneath their weakness and bravado are two sixteen-year-old boys. If they don’t realize how broken the other is and how similar their pain is, they may not survive.

Fans of THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART TIME INDIAN and GOING BOVINE with their heartbreaking hilarity will enjoy a similar style in CRACKED. This manuscript recently won a national writing contest organized by Sourcebooks Inc. and judged by Dan Ehrenhaft.

I’m a member of SCBWI and have a long and lively background teaching middle school language arts.

According to your online submission guidelines, please find the first chapter and full synopsis below. Thank you for your time and consideration.

~ Kate Walton

(That's quite an honor winning the contest with Sourcebooks, folks!)

You’ve got a family with kids. How do you find time to write? Do you do it every day? What is your writing schedule like?

When I’m writing a first draft my husband does an excellent job of keeping my boys occupied and out of the house as much as possible (I’ve written the majority of my books while working full time). Now that I’m able to write full time, I will have the luxury of an empty house when my boys go to school. I am pretty excited by that scenario.

I have definitely learned why publishing is such a slow business. I can remember getting aggravated with slow agent responses back when I was querying, but now that I’m on the other side I understand why. At the risk of stating the obvious – publishing involves a tremendous amount of reading – reading takes a tremendous amount of time. I’m not sure why I failed to make that connection before I had an agent, but I did. I know the waiting is torturous, believe me, I’ve lived it, but patience goes a long way and can make the waiting less painful. My advice, start a new project once you start querying.

You’re a member of the Apocalypsies, a group of authors whose books debut in 2012. How important is it to you to have some sort of online presence, or to be involved in a group like this?

I have worked for three years to build up my online presence. I think it’s important to be involved in as many online ventures as you can handle. But never let the online stuff take the place of your writing. It is always about the writing. Having a gazillion blog followers isn’t going to land you an agent or get you a legitimate book deal—only your writing can do that for you. I guess the key is finding your own personal balance. I think I’ve done that. And The Apocalypsies rock and rule and are tremendously supportive.

Cracked takes a look at some heavy themes like bullying and teen suicide. What drew you to this subject?

I dedicated the core principals of my teaching career on anti-bullying. I never shied away from facing and addressing bullying – I believed it was my job, as the adult, to discuss and address bullying – every single time it reared its head. I held lunch meetings with the bully and the victim countless times, conducted whole class and small group meetings – whatever it took. I wanted the kids to see each other for the human beings they were…not the labels they attached to each other. Adults that turn the other way or expect the kids to “work it out on their own” baffle me. They’re kids – they need to be taught and many times, re-taught, how to either be kind/tolerant or how to handle situations when they are the victim. It doesn’t just happen on its own. Sorry, I’m a bit passionate about the subject.

(No need to apologize. We need more adults like you who can bring this into the public consciousness!)

Do you plan on delving into other genres with subsequent books? Fantasy? Paranormal? Mystery? What are you working on now?

I have a picture book series out on submission right now, and in addition to two other completed contemporary YAs, I also wrote a MG sci-fi. I’m about to dive into a shiny new contemporary YA idea that came to me this past week. I already did my bullet pointed lists last night, and I think I’m ready to get writing.

What is the one TV show you cannot miss?

LOST was my never-miss-show. I don’t think it will ever be topped. I do love Survivor and have never missed a season yet.

Last great book you read?

Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante (It’s an adult mystery novel written from the point of view of a sixty five year old dementia patient—a retired hand surgeon—whose best friend turns up murdered…with her four fingers surgically removed. And the MC can’t stay in the present long enough to remember anything. It is written magnificently and one hell of a read.)

Thanks, Kate, for participating in the first Debut Details!

NO, thank you, Ron, for even wanting to interview me.

Of course, and I'll be telling everyone to pick up Cracked, when it streets January 3rd. (I always wanted to say "streets" or "drops." Can I hang with the cool kids now?)

The only reason to watch MTV

2011-08-28T18:29:00.004-05:00

Tonight, during what is known as the VMAs on MTV, an otherwise dreadful and sordid experience, I will be waiting to see our first look at the Hunger Games film.

Looking forward to this!

I'm a Joiner!

2011-08-28T17:05:00.007-05:00

I am a Platform-Building Campaigner! (See the nifty badge on the sidebar.) It's a very cool idea from writer Rachael Harrie, that helps bloggers, writers, readers and enthusiasts get together and support the Kid Lit community. It's a great idea. Go check it out and meet some new writerly friends!

The Eleventh Plague Excerpt

2011-08-26T09:43:00.004-05:00

This awesome dude, Jeff Hirsch, wrote a book called the Eleventh Plague. Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games, duh, hellloooo? ) said it was an excellent, taut debut novel.

I hate him.

I suggest you go check out the first few chapters over at his blog right now.

Hey, I won an award!

2011-08-26T07:54:00.007-05:00

My friend, the fabulous Kate Walton, whose debut novel, Cracked, comes out on January 3rd, 2011, knighted me with the coveted Liebster Award. Um, what's that, you ask? It's an award that goes to bloggers who have under 200 followers. Since I am a sporadic blogger at best, I have nowhere near that number. I guess I need to blog more.

Thanks, Kate.

Now I get to bestow the Liebster Award on some other worthy bloggers:

Anita Saxena

The Amazing Ray Veen

Tina Laurel Lee

Shari Arnold

Sarah J. Clark

The Liebster Award guidelines:

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.

2. Post the names/links of those you'd like to forward the award to, and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.

Prepare your speeches!

Conjuring the Next Harry Potter

2011-08-20T09:50:00.003-05:00

Fantastic article on YA books over at the Wall Street Journal. Most of it is about the novel, the Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern, and all of the crazy pre-publication promotion taking place before its debut. Really great read.

Querying

2011-06-30T05:45:00.001-05:00

Wish me luck.....

Why is someone else in my book's author photo?

2011-05-26T07:46:00.001-05:00

Hilarious and weird story from Salon.com

Hello blog

2011-05-04T07:21:00.002-05:00

If anyone even comes here anymore...

I have been quite remiss in posting. What have I been doing? Well, aside from geeking-out and watching Game of Thrones on HBO, a lot of advertising crap. Ugh.

The good news is that my YA novel is done.
Kind of.
My wife is doing another proofread and that's it. I have to let it go. I'm so close to it now, I can't even look at it objectively. I do think it's good, though--the best thing I've ever done. But an agent will have the last word on that.

Wish me luck as I begin to query in the next week-and-a-half or so.

I'm scared.

Hold me.

Coolness

2011-03-22T12:53:00.002-05:00

My online blogger friend Jeff Hirsch just got an amazing blurb.

Check it out. Sounds awesome.

A Dance with Dragons

2011-03-03T12:44:00.004-06:00

At long last, we have a release date for George R.R. Martin's fifth book in his Song of Ice and Fire series. It took six years for A Dance with Dragons to get a release date! The last one, A Feast for Crows, was 2005.

Fortunately, I didn't have to really wait that long because I just finished Feast for Crows last night. I read the other three several years ago, and in preparation for the HBO show, decided to re-read them and then tackle the one I hadn't read.

If you are a fan of big, sprawling, epic, and at times--very violent medieval fantasy--this series has no peer. I've turned into a total fanboy and can't wait for the show on HBO.

( Uh, and I didn't know I was fan of violent medieval fantasy either until I read this series. It's more about political intrigue and power struggles than it is about the typical fantasy tropes.)

Are you the writer you thought you'd be?

2011-02-21T17:03:00.003-06:00

I always knew I wanted to be a writer. Even from the time I was a kid. But I spent many years in a bohemian daze, surrounded by great books by Martin Amis, John Irving, James Baldwin, Tobias Wolf and many others.

I wanted to be in that company. You know, the literati. I wrote several short stories, never a novel. I submitted dutifully to the quarterly journals: The Paris Review, etc. Even got a few hand-written rejections.

But somewhere in there I dedicated a lot of time to my career. And writing, while once My Big Dream, took a back seat to getting married, buying a place, moving to Chicago...all the grown-up stuff. It was only a few years ago that I decided that I should write what I loved as a kid: books about adventures and fantastical worlds. And that's when something hit me: I had found my voice.

I was surprised that it took me that long to figure it out. I loved fantasy and sci-fi as a kid, but stopped reading a lot of those genres as an adult. Once I rediscovered it--it was the proverbial lightbulb over the head.

What about you? Did you know the path your fiction would take--or did it completely surprise you and turn into something else entirely?

The picture, by the way, has nothing to do with anything. It's from Wikimedia Commons and was free so I decided to use it to give this post some visual interest. The caption reads...wait for it: in the future, the evolution make all women beautiful. By small jaws and beautiful voices.

That should give you something to think about.

Sure is dusty around here

2011-01-22T08:51:00.002-06:00

Wow, I've been quite neglectful of Ye Olde Blog. You know how it is: an extended hangover from the holidays, life gets in the way, you procrastinate, wonder what to blog about.

Yeah, all that.

The good news is that I've made quite a bit of progress on my YA novel and I hope to query soon.

I didn't make any New Year's Resolutions. Don't think I ever have, actually. If anything, I just make a vow to continue writing and not falling into a sense of malaise.

Then again, maybe it should be to blog more. Some writers I admire blog a lot and I wonder how they do it.

I have to say, I'm really excited by this book and hope it's the one to snag an agent. But, you never know. It could be a pile of crap. I'm at that stage where some days I think it is The Most Awesome Thing I've Ever Written. Other days, it's an insult to the craft of literature.

I'm so close to it it's hard to look at it fresh. I know: set it down and pick it up again later. Well, I've done that and now I just need to let it go. One more read-through, I believe, and I think it's ready.

I'll keep you all posted on my progress.

The dark side of YA

2010-12-27T15:32:00.002-06:00

Interesting post in the New York Times on dystopian YA fiction:

Let the awesomeness begin

2010-12-07T06:36:00.001-06:00

Hunger Games

2010-11-15T07:33:00.001-06:00

Interesting interview with Hunger Games author, Suzanne Collins

Huge news for a fellow writer

2010-11-08T13:42:00.001-06:00

Only a month or so ago I pointed out that my hard-writing friend K.M. Walton signed with a great agent. Well, less than a few months later she has done the unbelievable.

Go check it out for yourself.

Go Kate!

Baltimore Book Festival

2010-10-08T11:25:00.008-05:00

This was a lot of fun. Lots of people, books and some great YA authors. I stood in a gaggle of teen-aged girls (feeling extremely out of place) and listened to a debate:

Team Zombie: Justine Larbalestier, Scott Westerfeld and Carrie Ryan vs Team Unicorn: Holly Black, Kathleen Duey, Diana Peterfreund.

It was, um, interesting. All of the authors had some funny things to say. I don't really know who won the debate. I got tired.

MT Anderson was very cool and funny. I wish there had been more people there to hear him speak. Then again, it wasn't an SCBWI conference, so most of the people were just book lovers and locals wandering around. I wanted to go grab people and shake them. "Don't you know one of the most talented writers on earth is right over there!?"

(A not very good pic of MT Anderson)

He has a middle-grade book based in Delaware and as he signed my copy of Octavian Nothing, I told him I was from there and we had a laugh.

All in all, a fun event.

Mockingjay

2010-08-23T15:44:00.001-05:00

Any Hunger Games fans out there waiting with bated breath for the final book in the trilogy? I came to the party late, and am only just now finishing Catching Fire. Don't like it as much as the first one, but I'm curious to see what the fate of these characters will be.

I'll support my local indy kid's bookstore and pick it up tomorrow. So who's looking forward to this release?

Wow

2010-08-03T15:27:00.000-05:00

My friend K.M Walton has some HUGE news today.

Great post on never giving up

2010-07-30T07:42:00.003-05:00

I found this on Corrine Jackson's blog. She has a great blog and I encourage you to take a look. This post by author Jodi Meadows is certainly worth reading.

Hey, I write like Ursula K. LeGuin

2010-07-17T10:24:00.001-05:00

Who do you write like?

And be sure to check out the blog.

online writing contests

2010-06-28T09:32:00.001-05:00

Writing is a solitary craft and we often hold our work close to the vest, sharing only with trusted critique partners.

I only share work when I feel it is worthy enough to be critiqued, free of the early blunders of those first few attempts.

That said, how do you feel about entering online contests? Miss Snark's First Victim offers quite a few and they're usually judged by a guest agent or editor. Nathan Bransford has also offered some.

The prize is usually a critique of your full manuscript. I like the idea of these contests but have never entered one.

It seems like a free-for-all or a huge casting call, with writers coming out of the woodwork with their first pages and lines, hoping they can make an impact, be the one to rise above the others. I know they can do some good, and the winners, I imagine, get a great ego boost and possibly even a match with an agent.

Ever entered one?

Game of Thrones

2010-06-14T07:29:00.002-05:00

It's only a short peek but it's exciting. A Song of Fire and Ice is one of my favorite series. So excited to see HBO pick this up.

Winter Is Coming

How do you query?

2010-05-19T16:14:00.001-05:00

Have you ever been so excited by one of your works-in-progress that you queried before the book was finished? And if you got a request for the full, what did you do?

I haven’t, but I can understand the urge. I’m really excited by the YA I’m working on now, and can’t wait to see how agents respond.

Of course, most of us know this is a complete no-no. That along with calling your work a “fiction novel.” Uh, what other kind of novel would it be?

And while I’m on the subject of queries, do you only share them with your crit group, or post them on other writing sites? I hold everything pretty close to the vest and only share with my trusted group. Same goes for writing excerpts. I know there are sites out there where you can get feedback from other writers, but I’ve never shared with strangers. Of course, complete strangers will read our books eventually…hopefully.

Just curious to hear from other writers on this.

SCBWI Western Washington

2010-04-27T04:26:00.004-05:00

I grew up as an Air Force Brat and have lived all over the place. But in all my travels, as a kid and as an adult, I had never been to the Pacific Northwest.

That changed a few weeks ago when I flew to Redmond, Washington for the SCBWI Western Washington Conference.

The main reason I wanted to go was to meet my critique partners Elise Murphy and Michele Thornton. We've talked on the phone and Skyped several times but had yet to meet in person.

It was a great trip. When people saw that my name tag read Maryland they did a double-take. That's a pretty long trip. Six hours. Oofa. But it was worth it.

A few of the highlights:

Jay Asher's keynote speech: How to Sell a Book in Twelve Years... or Less!
I missed this at the NYC SCBWI a year ago so I was glad to finally hear it.

Mitali Perkin's speech about moving to America from India, a stranger in a strange land, and how her love of reading allowed her to find her own place in the world. (With a lot of funny anecdotes along the way. Her slide-show was hilarious.)

Laini Taylor's speech on Plot. Brilliant. That is one talented woman.

Agent Edward Necarsulmer's speech about his role as an agent. By the time he was finished, everyone in the room was talking about how great he would be to have on their side.

And what was REALLY cool, my crit partner, Elise Murphy, along with a few other writers, was called out and given recognition for...drumroll...The Most-Promising Works-in-Progress category!

How cool is that?

It was a great time. I didn't have a chance to see much other than Redmond, no down-time at all, but it was a great conference.

Now I just need to get them to come to the one in DC!

Uh, I'm serious.

In Your Head

2010-04-16T09:01:00.001-05:00

Take a look at my critique partner's latest post over at PenTales!

Rituals

2010-03-12T12:09:00.001-06:00

What is the one thing you must do every day before you write?
•Say a prayer to your god of choice?
•Stand on your head?
•Take deep breaths?
• Scream?
•Or just dive in, like me?

I've always found this a curious subject. I've never really had a ritual I would carry out before writing, but I think I just found one.

The book I'm reading, Write Away, by Elizabeth George, not only has a lot of great advice, but a few words of inspiration, that come in the form of chapter headings: Journal of a Novel. This one really got my attention:

This is the moment when faith is called for. Faith in the creative spirit within me, which is part of what I've been given by God; faith in the process; faith in my intelligence and my imagination. If I've managed to imagine these characters and this situation into being, doesn't it follow that I should also be able to imagine my way through to the end of the book? It seems so. Thus...I suit up and show up. I sit down at the computer and I do the work, moving it forward a sentence at a time, which is ultimately the only way there is to write a book.

I found this so inspirational, I think it will become my wallpaper for my computer so I will see it every morning before writing.

So, what helps you clear your thoughts and get into the creative space of writing?

Snowpocalypse

2010-02-06T13:42:00.007-06:00

Wow, we got some serious snow in Maryland. Look at all the snow on our balcony.

I think we are definitely snowbound for a few days. I see plenty of SUVs getting stuck. The news says it was as high as 26 inches at 11 A.M.and it hasn't stopped snowing yet.

I know I won't be going anywhere. I've got books, more books, food and lots of writing time.

And brownies and ice cream.

What, you didn't know you were allowed to eat crappy food in a weather emergency?

It's never too late to return a borrowed book

2010-02-03T08:00:00.005-06:00

You know you have one on your shelf. The book you borrowed twenty years ago. But you moved/broke up/whatever and fell out of touch with the person who lent it to you.

My brother went to a reading by William Burroughs in the late eighties and had the author sign a copy of Cities of the Red Night.

But he lent it to someone.

And never got it back.
It kills him to this day. (So whoever borrowed it send me an email so I can return it to my brother!)

Anyway, about twenty-five years ago I worked in an art supply store in Baltimore. A guy used to come in now and then (let's call him John) and we would talk about books, mostly science fiction. He asked me if I had ever read Stars in my Pocket like Grains of Sand, by Samuel R. Delany. I hadn't, so he lent it to me.

Flash forward, oh, twenty-some years. I moved a few times. The book sat on my shelf all those years and I never even read it. It used to bug me every time I saw it. It taunted me. It knew what I had done. As a book lover, I had committed the ultimate bookish sin: not returning a borrowed book.

To make matters worse: the book was SIGNED. Not just the author's signature but one of those personalized: "To John (insert witty author bon mot) from: author's scribble.

So a few months ago I thought about the book and had an idea: Hey, I could look this guy up. Today is the age of the Internets! The YouBooks and FaceTubes all the kids use.

So I, uh, Googled John.

I thought I found him. He had the same name. No pics though. I decided to write an email:

Hey, I borrowed a book from you twenty years ago and would like to return it.
Nada. No reply.

So we moved back to Baltimore a few months ago. Within our first week here, I see the guy in the grocery store. (I'm like a crow; I never forget a face. What? You didn't know crows had that ability? Ah, another post, then.)

So I see the guy. That's him. The beard. The glasses.

I stop him in the deli section:

Me: Excuse me, is your name John Smith?

John (bewildered) Yes.

Me: My name is Ron Smith.

We shake hands. He's very pleasant meeting a stranger.

Me: Well, about twenty years ago I worked in an art supply store, Nyborg's?

John: Uh, yeah?

Me: And you lent me a book?

John: Raised eyebrow.

Me: Stars in my Pocket like Grains of Sand?

John: Oh, yes.

(I really wasn't sure he remembered. I couldn't really tell)

Me: So I've had guilt over not returning that book for years.

John: Laughs

Me: So if you give me your email address I can return it.

Anyway, he gave me his business card and since we just had bookshelves built, we finally unpacked our book boxes. Sure enough, there it was. I'm going to send it out this week.

Uh, I think.

Book count

2010-01-26T04:15:00.006-06:00

I've often come across other blogs where the authors keep a running tally of the books they've read that year. I've always liked this idea but never adopted it as a practice. I figured it was just too hard to try to remember all the books I read in a year in the middle of July.

Well, since it is a new year, I may as well start, right?

Right now I am reading The Well of Ascension, the second book in the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. This is also the author that is finishing the Wheel of Time books by the late Robert Jordan.

I have a lot of things I want to read this year that I didn't have time to last year, for whatever reason. I really want to read the Octavian Nothing books by M.T. Anderson, Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, the Hunger Games and Catching Fire ( I know, I can't believe I haven't read them yet either.) and a bunch of other stuff that escapes me at the moment.

I hope you all enjoy lots of great fiction this year!

Happy Post Holidays!

2009-12-30T07:16:00.003-06:00

Uh, hello? Anyone there?

This blog, along with the blogs of my critique group, have been pretty quiet lately. I'm not one to post every day (I don't think I could ever find enough things to post about) so I usually only do it when I have something I think might be of interest to fellow writers.

Anyway, I've started a new book. I've got about 10,000 words of a YA novel I'm really enjoying. It's my first real attempt at Young Adult fiction. Until now, I had been firmly ensconced in the world of middle-grade.

I hope everyone has a great new year!

Notebooks

2009-11-24T07:59:00.003-06:00

A post by Persnickety_Jen over at Five Red Pens got me thinking about writing notebooks/journals. Pop over and read it. I'll wait.

la la la la la la la la la

Okay. Back?

I've always loved the idea of keeping a journal/notebook and have even bought dozens over the years. Unfortunately, I throw them on the shelf and they sit there and collect dust. I just feel I've never been a notebook writer, as much as I'd like to be. I have to be in front of a keyboard to be productive. I still carry a moleskin journal but hardly ever use it.

If I think of something during the day I just try to remember it so I can put in my desktop folder of Ideas. Or sometimes I even put a note in my phone's Notes function. (Not so literary sounding is it?)

I know some people love their journals. I think Elise Murphy, one of my critique partners, is really into keeping notebooks. How about you? Can you live without your notebook?

By the way, the image is from my moleskin notebook, which Philip Pullman--yes, you heard me--that Philip Pullman signed. It reads:

When those moments come, remember that it is our job to write just as well and just as regularly when we're not inspired as when we are.

Hello Bawlmer! Give me a crabcake, hon!

2009-11-18T06:34:00.008-06:00

That's Baltimore, for those of you not in the know. Ye Olde Blog has been pretty quiet these past few weeks as my wife and I prepared for our move from Chicago to Baltimore.

Huh? What's that sound? Is that your jaw hitting the floor? Baltimore? Land of John Waters' films, crabcakes and the scary but incredibly compelling HBO crime drama The Wire?

Yes, indeed, that is the Baltimore of which I speak. We arrived last night and are staying with my wife's mother until our things arrive and we move into our new place. We wanted to be closer to family and had talked about a move back east for years.

This is not our first foray into Charm City, as the locals call it. It was our home before we moved to Chicago 13 years ago. A lot has changed during that time. More great restaurants have sprung up. There are a lot of new places to shop, and the art and music scene is thriving. Plus, we're only 45 minutes from D.C. and two hours from NYC.

When we lived here years ago our circumstances were different and we didn't take advantage of a lot, but things have changed and I believe this stint will be different.

Fortunately, my employer is letting me keep my ad writing job and work from Maryland. So that's cool.

It was hard to leave Chicago, but the approaching winter made it a little easier. I do love the Windy City though, and will always have fond memories. Now we're in for long, humid summers and milder winters.

So I am now officialy a Balti-moron, another one of those local aphorisms. Wish us luck.

Now I'm off for a crabcake, hon!
(A term of endearment originating from the word honey. Pronounced hun.)

Alice in Zombieland

2009-11-05T08:25:00.001-06:00

Check it out at Pentales.

Agent tip of the week, month, whatever

2009-10-22T10:17:00.000-05:00

Agent Amy Tipton has left FinePrint Literary Management to join Signature Literary Agency.

Go forth and query.

Monster Blood Tattoo

2009-10-15T11:56:00.003-05:00

This book is so good it makes me want to throw down my pencil and give up. (Not that I write with pencils, mind, it just sounds better than computer.)

D.M. Cornish's imagination is so huge, I don't see how he keeps his head from exploding.

Brilliant stuff. Charles Dickens meets Gormenghast.

Go read it.

Why artists matter

2009-10-08T11:05:00.003-05:00

Beautiful. Uplifting. Melancholy. You have to see it.

And also check this out.

Can your story do this?

2009-10-01T10:33:00.005-05:00

It's Freytag's Pyramid. You know old Fry, right? No? I'm sure a lot of people are familiar with it from writing courses or school.

Take a look at your novel and see if it follows this structure. I would think that, even if you've never heard of it, your novel can't help but follow this pattern. If you're a reader, and I certainly know you are, it's instinctual to follow this structure when attempting to write a book. (Even if you didn't know you were.)

So, how about you? Are you adhering to the doctrine of Herr Freytag?

It's National Punctuation Day! It's National Punctuation Day!

2009-09-24T13:31:00.001-05:00

That's right, kids. You remember it. Dad coming home with nicely wrapped apostrophes, mom dressed in a flowing gown made of semicolons. Ahh, the memories.

No seriously, today is, in fact, National Punctuation Day. Don't believe me? Look here.

So what's your favorite punctuation mark? I don't have a favorite, but I despise semicolons. Just make up your mind and decide whether you're a period or comma for God's sake.

I also have a particular fondness for the old em dash--love it.

Chicago Celtic festival

2009-09-15T17:23:00.005-05:00

I've always enjoyed reading about Celtic mythology and history. My novel (out to agents now) borrows from Celtic legend in a few places: names, creatures, flora and fauna. This means I never miss the Celtic Festival every September in Chicago. It was here again this past weekend and I went down to check it out.

One thing I had to do there was replace a ring I bought the year before from a vendor called Sean's Celtic Creations. It was a Tree of Life ring. Unfortunately, I took my old one off once when I washed my hands in Baltimore Washington International Airport and left it on the sink.

Right now, a custodian somewhere is wearing a very cool ring.

Or some businessman.

So I ventured down to get the new ring and see the sights. Fortunately, I found the vendor. Once I saw the sign for his booth the name clicked. Sure enough, I found the same ring!

I also saw a lot of fun stuff but I didn't get many good pics because I only had my camera phone.

Fringe Widget

2009-09-11T17:42:00.001-05:00

My addiction

2009-09-08T11:25:00.005-05:00

As much as I try, I can't beat my addiction: buying new books.
Lucky authors. I hope they return the favor when I'm published (think positive!)

I bought The Hunger Games, which needs no introduction (unless you're some kind of literary snob and don't think there could be anything of Real Cultural Importance in a YA book.)

I also picked up a book that has been getting some buzz. The Magicians, by Lev Grossman. I've already read about 100 pages and can't stop. It's really good fiction. Harry Potter for grown-ups,
is what some reviewers are calling it.

The premise: what if there really was a school for magic, concealed right on the edges of our world. That's what perpetually daydreaming high school senior Quentin Coldwater finds at a school called Brakebills in upstate New York.

When we read fantasy for kids and young adults, we accept that the worlds of magic, vampires, faeries, etc. are real. We buy into it. That's something you have to accept on page one. In adult fiction, we have to be convinced. Grossman tackles this concept with great wit and wonderful literary abilities. There are a few other books that come to mind in this field of Literary Fantasy Fiction: Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke; The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue, and of course many others including Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere and American Gods.

Know of any great books by "literary" authors in the field of fantasy or speculative fiction? Tell me about them.

Look for my spoiler-free review of The Magicians soon.

Cindy Pon's Silver Phoenix

2009-09-08T10:14:00.003-05:00

I loved this book. It's beautifully written and full of wonderful prosaic passages. Cindy's character, Ai Ling, is a spunky--wait a minute--she's not spunky. She's smart and a little reserved, determined, brave and grows over her journey.

If you have ever stopped by Cindy's blog, you know that she likes food.
And taking pictures of food.
Well, don't read Silver Phoenix on an empty stomach. There are wonderful Asian delicacies throughout, described with sumptuous detail. Ymmm.

As for Ai Ling herself, hers is a journey through a world she thought was only myth, in search of answers to her father's disappearance. She is joined by Chen Yong, a young man in search of answers, too.

It seems to me that the thread of Family runs throughout the book. There are moments of great beauty, pain and violence, some of it rather gruesome, but I'm all for the gruesome. Cindy handles it well and with a sure hand.

Silver Phoenix is a treat. If you don't have it, go buy it. It's a good, classic book, unaffected by trends or modern cliches.

I think it will be around a long time.

The Nettlehorse

2009-09-06T12:47:00.005-05:00

There's an elementary school in my neighborhood called Nettlehorst. On weekends in the summer they have a nice, outdoor French market where one can buy fresh vegetables, flowers, wonderful breads and other goodies.

Today, as my wife and I walked by, I was drawn to this incredible horse made up of scrap frames. The name on the plaque below it reads: The Nettlehorse.

It looks wonderful. Of course, this got the gears in my fantasy-inspired brain churning and I'm already thinking of a way to use this name in a story. Maybe it's a short story. The horse comes to life after the kids build it! Yippee! I'm off to go work on this. (Click photo to enlarge for a better view.)

Overheard on cell phone

2009-09-05T14:21:00.005-05:00

First in an ongoing series:

Twenty-something guy walking down street:

"Because I'm not going to go to a straight sports bar at ten a.m."

Cold Love

2009-09-03T10:37:00.004-05:00

I was lucky enough to snag an ARC of Maggie Stiefvater's novel Shiver at the American Library Association convention here in Chicago a few months ago.

I haven't read her other book, Lament, but I plan on it.

Shiver is a well-written novel about two souls who have known each other from a distance for a long time. But they don't really know each other. They just have this connection.

Only problem is, one of them isn't human. Well, at least not all the time.
It depends on the weather.
That's all I'm going to say.

You probably know the storyline already anyway, but I'll keep it quiet for the few visitors who might drop by who don't read MG and YA fiction as obsessively as I do.

At its crux, Shiver is a neat concept. It's about transformation, shedding a cloak, wild nature, the beast in us all.

I really enjoyed the community of creatures and how they interacted while in their human form.

Grace, our heroine, is very genuine. We can relate to her. Her parents are distant and have no idea what she's doing half the time. Mom's a flighty painter. Dad is invisible to her.

It's a love story, of course, and has a very lyrical style.

The more I think about it, as I write this, I really liked this book. She's definitely a good writer.

Check it out.

Magnificent Mile, Indian Style

2009-09-02T15:45:00.006-05:00

Michigan Avenue in Chicago is the premiere posh shopping strip. They call it the Magnificent Mile. Saks, Bloomingdales, all the designer names.

The other day, amidst the bustle of shoppers and tourists, I heard singing and the sound of bells and whistles. I looked up, hoping to see Legolas and Glorfindel, or maybe even a band of dwarves, but instead, passing right by the Chanel store, was a long, colorful
caravan proceeding down the Michigan Avenue sidewalk, complete with this chap on a horse!

A wedding!

It was fantastic. I got a few pics on my camera phone. Not the best quality but you get the idea.

It was a nice moment.

The giant under the snow

2009-08-30T07:46:00.004-05:00

Last year, when I had a very rough draft of the Glimmerlings & The Book of Sleep, the middle-grade novel I am querying now (I have a few partials out and hoping for good news) I sent it out to an editor. This is an editor who does manuscript consultation. I know now it was way too early for anyone to review, but he did like it, and gave me some good feedback I used in subsequent drafts.

He compared my writing to the Narnia books, the Dark is Rising series and one other, one of his favorites, he said, the Giant Under the Snow by John Gordon.

Well, first of all, I was flattered and over the moon that a Real Live Writing Professional thought my scribbles were actually a story; and secondly, that he had compared it to such great books.

I was curious about the Giant under the Snow, as I had never heard of it. I looked on Amazon but couldn't find it. (I do see now that it has been re-issued.) I think I called Borders and they found a used copy for me and I ordered it.

Anyway, the book is fantastic. It is written with a sure hand and in a very literary style, which doesn't dumb things down for its intended audience. It is truly dark and sinister, with a malevolent thread that runs throughout it.

A young girl, Jonq (Jonquil) wanders away on a school trip in an unnamed city and meets a ferocious black dog. This dog is described in chilling detail and we know that there is something about it that isn't quite...right. She is saved by a woman who lives in a small house that seems to appear out of nowhere. Sometime later, Jonq finds what she thinks is one half of a simple old belt buckle, but is actually an ancient artifact that has been lost for centuries.

With her two friends Arf (Arthur) and Bill, they set out to discover what this buckle really is. Little do they know, it is being sought by dark forces, the creepiest of which are the Leathermen, who...well, I really shouldn't say, as it would spoil the suspense.

The author John Gordon, wrote the book in 1968, and has written a few other books of a supernatural bent for kids. I highly recommend it.

Agent tip of the day

2009-07-31T10:40:00.001-05:00

Michael Stearns has left Firebrand Lilterary to start a new venture, Upstart Crow Literary. He will be joined at the company by Chris Richman and Danielle Chiotti, both of whom were most recently with Firebrand Literary, and all three agents will be bringing all their clients to the new venture. The company's new Web site, www.upstartcrowliterary.com, will be live soon.

Go forth and query.

Uh, when their Web site is live.

ALA Convention in Chicago

2009-07-13T20:58:00.006-05:00

I have to thank my crit partner, Juliette, for letting me know that author Cindy Pon would be signing her book, Silver Phoenix, at the American Library Association Convention in Chicago this past weekend. Until she told me this I had no idea this convention was going on here in my fair city. And even if I had, I probably wouldn't have gone. Library Association? I mean, I love libraries and books but I had no idea it would be an incredible two days of networking.

After studying the ALA website, which was very hard to navigate, I just decided to go down to the convention center to see how much it would cost to get in. (I couldn't even find that out on their website.) I made my way there and it was mobbed with people. I had to register ($25) which allowed me in for the whole event, but only in certain places, which were publishers and authors, the place I wanted to be anyway.

So I got my badge and wandered around. I met Cindy Pon at the Harper Collins booth and had her sign my book. She was very nice and seems like a cool person. Sitting next to her was David Macinnis Gill (Soul Enchilada) who also signed my book.

So I wandered around some more and got ...more books. One is the sequel to a book I reviewed on my blog last year: Elfquest, by Daniel Kirk whom I met, he seemed nice, but a little taken aback when I said I loved his book. Maybe he thought only kids would read it? I don't know.

Met Ellen Jensen Abbott who wrote Watersmeet, and is a member at Enchanted Inkpot, along with Cindy. She was very nice and we talked for a long time. I bought her book at half price, because she was so nice and the book looks interesting. (I also felt I should give some money to authors since a lot of books were free!)

Got a lot more books and then something struck me. Dude, you're at a convention. Publishers and editors are here...helllooo?

I'm not going to name any names but I proceeded to make some great contacts from really wonderful editors.

It was an incredible networking event and I had no idea the ALA was that type of convention. It wasn't swarming with writers looking for agents, so the editors/publishers were easy to talk to.

Neil Gaiman was there but a line of at least 300 people prevented me from joining the queue. Saw Holly Black chatting with people. I think they were friends of hers. She is very striking and I was intimidated. Didn't want to be a fan wanker boy.

Wow.

So day two I set out with a list of a few more editors/publishers to talk to. Success again. Yay! One highlight was getting an uncorrected proof of a book a lot of teen girls would probably kill for: Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver. Also picked up Patricia C. Wrede's new one-- The Thirteenth Child.

I have to say, I left the convention center with a backpack of books and a bunch of business cards. Suffice it to say I had a very good weekend!

Agent tip of the week

2009-07-08T10:50:00.001-05:00

Stephanie MacLean has been promoted to literary agent at Trident Media Group, where she started in 2007 as Dan Strone's assistant. She is specializing in romance, women's fiction and YA.

Go forth and query.

Agent tip of the week

2009-07-02T11:15:00.001-05:00

Nancy Yost is leaving Lowenstein-Yost Associates Inc. to start up her own literary agency. She may be reached at nancy@nyliterary.com.

Go forth and query.

A rediscovered memory

2009-06-13T08:24:00.002-05:00

It is common knowledge in my family that I don't remember much of my childhood. It's a running joke. Sometimes I think I was abducted by aliens and had my memory erased. The reality is that, growing up an Air Force Brat, we moved every few years and all the places I called home blurred into a mish-mash of small, military airbase homes.

I was born in Maine and have lived in Japan, South Carolina, Delaware, Michigan, Ohio, Alabama, Washington, D.C. and a bunch of other places.

But one vague memory has always been in the back of my mind, and, as my life has led me to become a writer, it's interesting that this memory has always been with me.

The memory is of a poem.
Actually, a poet reading a poem.
In school.
About trains.

Was I in Kindergarten?
First grade?
Who knows?
(Remember, I have issues with memory.)

I don't remember what the poet looked like, but the first few words of that poem have been stuck in my head for decades. The rhythm of it was what captured me:

"Stop Look Listen/as gate stripes swing down/count the cars hauling distance/upgrade through town:/

This mantra stuck in my head for years. Trouble was, that's all I could remember--that first line. I remember being so impressed by the poet that I memorized the whole poem (or, at least I think I did as a child.)

I've often thought about that poem over the years. Only recently, maybe about a year ago, I realized there's this thing called the Internet and I could look for it!

With a minimum amount of searching I found it. The poem is called The Crossing and the poet is Philip Booth. It was a joy to read the rest of the poem, and hear the wonderful rhythm of those words.

And the more I read about Philip Booth, the more I unraveled a piece of my own scattered memory.

Booth was known as Maine's "clearest, poetic voice."

Maine.
Hmm.
I was born in Maine.
So maybe Philip Booth came to my school when I was a little kid in Maine!
Eureka!

This was a great revelation for me.

Here's the poem, The Crossing, still in print, and accompanied by some amazing illustrations. I'll have to get it from Amazon.

If you have a child who likes trains, or just wonderful words strung together, I promise you and your kid will enjoy it.

I'm thirsty

2009-06-10T15:51:00.002-05:00

Before you sign

2009-06-03T16:54:00.002-05:00

Now that I am querying the Glimmerlings & the Book of Sleep, my middle-grade fantasy, I'm researching everything I can find on agents. There are a lot of great articles on the Web. One in particular, from writer Sarah Ockler, author of Twenty Boy Summer, which just came out two days ago--congratulations, Sarah!--offers must-know information about agent representation. Sarah was kind enough to allow me to repost her article here. Take a read and pop by her blog when you get a chance.

Literary Agent Offers: Don’t Settle!
Sarah Ockler

You’ve perfected your query letter, done your agent research, and sent your letters to a targeted list. You’ve crossed your fingers, rubbed the genie lamp, kissed your lucky troll doll. You’ve gotten requests, sent out partials, sent out fulls. You may have even suffered a few (or many) rejections along the way.

But then… what’s this?

An offer from a literary agent to represent and sell your work?

Congratulations! An agent! A real agent! You’re on the road to publication! He’ll sell your book for millions of dollars! She’ll rocket you to best-sellerdom! He’ll get you on Oprah’s couch with the literary elite! You’ll thank her in your acknowledgments and become BFFs for life! Right?

Not.
So.
Fast.

Making an Impression

As writers, we spend a lot of time trying to make a good impression on potential agents with our polished prose, personality, and professionalism. We’re so excited (rightfully so!) when an agent responds to our efforts—especially if we’ve already endured a few (dozen) (hundred) rejections—that we forget one very important point:

An agent interested in representing your book should work just as hard to impress you.

If an agent makes an offer, she’s already excited about you and your writing. She’s in love with your book, and believes she can sell it. She probably already has editors in mind that will love the project as much as she does. See? Your good impression was a success!

Now, it’s her turn.

Your agent works for you, and should have your career and best interests in mind always. Accepting her offer is the beginning of a long partnership—one that you must consider as seriously as you would any long-term commitment or career decision. Enter it with both eyes open.

Pre-Literary Counseling

I don’t know what the author/agent divorce rate is these days, but I bet it’s higher than failed marriages and, in some cases, more complicated. The souring of a literary partnership isn’t always predictable, but having an honest, two-way conversation up front might help you avoid future drama.

Before accepting representation from an agent:

* Thank him for the interest in your work.
* Let him know that you’re excited about the opportunity to work together.
* Tell him that you’d like to take a few days to think things over and prepare your questions.

Don’t skip this crucial step because you’re worried that questions will scare him off, or that the offer won’t last. This isn’t a TV promo, it’s a potential business partnership. His offer is on the table, waiting patiently for your consideration and ultimate response. It’s not going anywhere unless the offer or the agent isn’t legitimate, in which case, that’s not the person you want representing your work.

Questions to Ask Literary Agents

Craft questions to help you learn about the following:

1. Working and communication style. Some agents offer more personal attention and career development than others. Some are heavily involved in the editorial and revision process, while others are more interested in selling and contract negotiation and will not spend a lot of time reviewing your work. Certain agents encourage you to call them informally and often, while others will rely more on email communications or scheduled appointments. What do you prefer? Don’t enter a relationship with someone whose working and communication style will overwhelm you, confuse you, or leave you wanting more.

2. Ideal clients. Ask the agent to describe her ideal client. Of course it will be you, but beyond that, get specifics. This will give you another perspective on her working style and help you determine whether you’ll be a good fit. If the agent likes clients who are highly involved in brainstorming ideas for their next projects and career path, but you’d prefer someone who just focuses on contracts and managing the author/editor relationship, this agent isn’t for you. Similarly, if you’re looking for a lot of hand-holding and the agent tells you she likes clients who leave her alone to do her job, that’s not a match.

3. Client load. The number of clients an agent has and wants will impact his time. Some have as many as 60 (or more!) clients to manage. If you want an agent who can provide personal attention and a more hands-on approach, look for agents with fewer clients.

4. References. Ask the agent to put you in touch with some of his current clients. You can ask them for firsthand accounts on what it’s like to work with the agent before and after the sale. You can also look at the blogs and Web sites of the agent’s clients to see if they’ve said anything about their agent experience. If an agent is reluctant to provide you with at least one client reference, be wary!

5. Sales and non-sales. You should have a good idea of the agent’s track record for selling books before you query him or her, but you can ask about additional details after you’ve received an offer. Understand how the agent treats your manuscript if it doesn’t sell—does she set it aside and get ready to shop around your next project? Does she revisit the original project later or help you revise for another round of submissions? Or does she drop you as a client if she can’t sell it in a certain time frame?

6. Genres / specialties and co-agents. You may query an agent with your adult historical fiction manuscript, but what if you decide to write a middle grade novel in the future? Non-fiction? A paranormal romance? A teen guide to surviving the zombie apocalypse? Ask the agent if she represents other genres you may be considering and if not, if she has a partner, co-agent, or referral for you, should you decide to write something different. There’s nothing wrong with using a second agent if your primary agent doesn’t represent what you want to do next, but it’s an important question to ask before you sign on.

7. Finances. Most agents will take the standard 15% fee from the monies that you earn (may be higher for foreign rights or other special circumstances). Be sure you understand the rate, and ask about how the money is distributed. Generally, the publisher will send your advance and royalty money to the agency, which will cut you a new check, less their 15%. Ask about how (and how often) your money is managed and distributed.

8. Breaking up. No one wants to think about ending a relationship before it even begins, but asking about it now could save you and your agent heartache (and legal fees) in the future. Find out about the agency contract and how and when either party can dissolve it. Also, ask about what happens if your agent leaves the agency, is unable to work due to illness, injury, or death, or if the agency itself dissolves.

It’s tempting to give an instant YES to that well-earned agent offer, but remember, an agent making an offer is already interested in you. She’s not going to change her mind just because you’re asking questions or taking a few days to think about it. Just the opposite, actually. By doing your homework, you’re showing potential agents that you’re professional, committed, and serious about your writing career—all qualities that make you a better client.

Danger! Bad Agent Warning Signs

If the agent you’re considering exhibits any of these behaviors, get thyself back to the querying board:

* The agent is uncomfortable or terse in answering your questions, or responds with canned marketing-speak designed to evade your research.
* She’s reluctant or refuses to provide client references.
* He makes you feel like you’re wasting his time or like he’s doing you a favor, or he pressures you into making a hasty decision.
* She charges a fee to read, consider, or submit your work, or charges more than the standard 15% fee for domestic sales.
* He charges for or refers you to a paid editing service or “book doctor,” or charges for these services in-house.
* The agent or agency is listed on Writer Beware’s Thumbs Down Agency List or has a negative rating on Preditors & Editors: Literary Agents.

You should also Google the agent and agency’s name to scope out any bad press or client comments about them. If you do find any negatives, evaluate them carefully, considering the source and not jumping to conclusions. One ranted-about experience doesn’t mean the agent is bad or even at fault. But if you find numerous complaints or warnings, you probably want to steer clear.

A Not-So-Perfect Union

Even with your questions sufficiently answered and agency contract signed, sealed, and delivered, stuff might happen. Your book doesn’t sell. Your agent doesn’t responded to your emails. You’re having problems with your editor and your agent hasn’t stepped up to mediate. You’ve experienced a misunderstanding or miscommunication, or someone has made an outright screw-up.

Like in any relationship, things aren’t always sweet and rosy. It doesn’t mean that you have a bad agent, that you’re a bad client, or that it’s time for a divorce. It just means that you need to pick up the phone. Be open and honest with your agent about how you’re feeling, and see if you can find some common ground.

It’s unrealistic to expect constant perfection, but you should expect a willingness to communicate and a commitment to resolve issues as they arise. Sometimes what feels like an insurmountable obstacle turns out to be a laughable misunderstanding. Sometimes it doesn’t. But either way, it’s worth checking out before you make a hasty decision.

Ultimately, if you do decide to part ways, let your agent know that your seeking other representation before you jump ship. This is a business and should be treated respectfully, even if you’re the only one being respectful. If the partnership isn’t working and you just can’t reach an agreement, be honest about your intended departure and try to leave on good terms.

An Affirmation to Remember

If you’ve got an agent offer, that means you’ve achieved what most people never will—you’ve written an entire book. It didn’t happen overnight, and you’ve certainly poured a lot of blood into it. Give yourself and your hard-earned accomplishment the respect you both deserve—don’t settle for the wrong agent just because she’s the first to show an interest in your work. There are hundreds–possibly thousands—of hard-working, dedicated, talented agents out there waiting for your query.

This is your writing career, your passion, and possibly your life’s dream. Take your time, do your homework, and find the right agent to represent you. You deserve it!

There are many publishers out there for writers and this Board doesn't pretend to know everything about all of them. I just want to remind everyone that BEFORE you sign ANY contract on the dotted line, you should always check out everything you can about the company you are considering before making any commitment.

How long has the company been in business? Does it have a good reputation? Check it out on the Preditors&Editors website. http://anotherealm.com/prededitors/pubwarn.htm

Is it a traditional publishing company or is it a self-publishing or vanity publisher where the authors pay to have their own books published? Will you have to pay any money up front to have your book published? (If it's a traditional publisher, there will be NO out of pocket costs for you. The publisher takes all of the risks.)

How will your books be distributed and to whom? Are they going to be carried by the big distributors -- like Ingram? Will they be carried by Borders and/or Barnes & Nobles? Will your books be submitted to the big reviewers like Publisher's Weekly, School Library Journal, and The Horn Book?

How many of your books will be in the first print run? How many free copies will you receive? What will your royalty rate be and will it be based on the retail sales price of books or on their net earnings? (Net base means you get about half of what you would get on gross sales totals.)

How much money are they offering you for an advance and when do you get it? You should get part of your advance at the time of signing, then depending on the book and the terms they set out, you should receive part when the full book is submitted and the rest when the full book has been edited and is ready for publication. Do not make the mistake of agreeing to receive your advance after the book is published. It could take 6 years (or more) or it might even never make it to publication!

Make sure there are no hidden costs for you to pay! Traditional publishers always pay YOU, not the other way around. Otherwise, you are signing up for a "self-publishing" deal, or are using a "vanity publisher." Neither of these options will give you much, if any, help in distributing your books and you pay for the costs of the publication yourself.

By doing your homework before you sign on the dotted line of any contract, you can protect yourself from a potential financial fiasco and know when you do make that sale that you have made a GOOD sale -- one that you can be proud of.

And he's off...

2009-05-18T15:50:00.001-05:00

I'm querying the Glimmerlings & The Book of Sleep.

Wish me luck.

I'm scared.

Hold me.

Cool Site

2009-05-14T11:38:00.004-05:00

If you are into graphic design and book covers, you'll probably really like this site: Mishaps & Adventures

Chad Beckerman is an art director and illustrator for Abrams Books for Young Readers and Amulet Books.

Wow.

He does a lot of great covers for kid's books and YA and updates regularly.

You may find a lot of familiar titles. He seems pretty prolific.

Bones of Faerie

2009-05-06T16:25:00.000-05:00

What an amazing book. Janni Lee Simner is a really wonderful writer. Bones of Faerie is dystopian YA at its best. (I don’t know if I’ve seen at its worst, though. Who knows what that would look like?)

Fifteen-year-old Liza lives in a world like ours. This is a time after the war against the fae and the land is blighted and desolate. Indeed, the very trees and nature itself possess the power to do great harm.

Magic is only known as something evil—the weapon of the faeries. And the telltale mark of a person cursed with faerie blood is pale hair, “Clear as glass,” Simner writes.

When her sister is born with just such a trait, things begin to unravel in Liza’s world. Her mother disappears, her father’s abuse toward Liza worsens and Liza herself ventures out into the wild to seek answers: what happened to her mother, and the faerie child she brought into the world.

There are a lot of genre books out there that deal with faeries, but this one takes a wholly different approach. We are never sure what to expect from the denizens of this world and I was constantly surprised. At its heart, Bones of Faerie is a coming of age story told in the most original of voices. I won’t give away more here, but the book is a quick read but full of wonderful language and vivid detail.

Check it out. It’s worth the time.

2009-05-01T06:03:00.005-05:00

Author Cindy Pon's anticipated novel Silver Phoenix hits shelves today. It looks like a fun read. We've never met but she's good friends with some of my critique partners and sounds like a really nice person.

So support your fellow Young Adult writers and buy a copy. I know I will. And check out her blog for a cool contest that can get you some free goodies-- like some of her wonderful artwork, bookstore gift cards and a signed copy of her debut novel.

Congrats, Cindy!

Agent tip of the week

2009-04-29T10:32:00.001-05:00

Liza Pulitzer Voges has opened the literary agency Eden Street representing authors and illustrators of children's books. She was previously at Kirchoff Wohlberg for 25 years where she created and managed their literary department.

Go forth and query.

SCBWI Summer Conference

2009-04-25T10:47:00.003-05:00

I really enjoyed the winter con in NYC last year and now that I'm no longer a conference virgin, I'm looking forward to LA. The Annual Winter SCBWI Conference takes place August 7-10. If you want to read my report from the winter con, check it out here.

Looking forward to meeting another of my crit partners, Elise Murphy!

Agent tip of the week

2009-04-14T10:50:00.001-05:00

Michael Harriot has joined Sanford J. Greenburger Associates as an agent. He was at Vigliano Associates for the past nine years, representing his own clients as well as co-agenting deals with David Vigliano.

Go forth and query.

Fantasy Island

2009-04-09T10:27:00.018-05:00

A few pics from our awesome vacation on Barbados.
This little hotel is called Peach & Quiet. Corny name. Awesome ambiance. The owners are a British couple and gave us a splendid holiday. We rented a car on the island but turned it in after two days because it was much easier to hire a driver to take us to restaurants and on tours. Driving on the left side of the road and the steering wheel on the right makes for some hairy maneuvering. And let's not forget the roundbaouts. I did it before on another island, Anguila, but it's a smaller island and the roads were desolate. Barbados is much bigger.

Lots of great fresh seafood and vegetables. Sun. Tropical breezes. Just fabulous.

I can haz shade?

Ocean Breezes

2009-04-01T10:31:00.002-05:00

The prince and his lovely wife have been in the wonderful country of Barbados for the past week. The days are winding down and I will soon return to the real world. Alas...

I'm surprised I got a signal because there is no Interweb service at our little hideaway. It's been wonderful and I spent my birthday on a catamaran sailing on crystal clear water looking at giant turtles.

Sleep. Read. Eat. Write. Drink rum punch. Repeat.

Full report when I arrive stateside.

Carry on.

Wild Things

2009-03-25T14:37:00.003-05:00

The trailer to the film Where the Wild Things Are is up. You can find it here. If someone were to ask me who would be the perfect choice to direct this film I would have never said Spike Jonze. But now that I've seen the trailer, it's the perfect choice. This is the man that brought us Being John Malkovich and a bunch of wacky Bjork videos.

I am truly surprised that the studio and writers went this direction. The safer choice would have been to do a kittens and ice cream version full of happiness. But that's really not the tone of Sendak's book, is it?

I think this is going to be wonderful. I am sure I will cry. Something about the trailer just exudes the idea of daydreams and melancholia that fits perfectly with my remembrance of the book, but it's been ages.

Anyway, check it out.

Agent tip of the week

2009-03-23T14:49:00.003-05:00

Thought I would have another post between my last Agent Tip and this one, but oh well...

Jenny Bent has left Trident Media Group to form The Bent Agency. (Her 15 years in publishing included a stint at Cader Books.)

Go forth and query.

Agent tip of the week

2009-03-18T16:28:00.001-05:00

Trying to think of things to blog about...hmmm...

Oh, Hello. I didn't see you.

In my attempt to dust off this place I will be posting a new Agent Tip every now and then, whenever I get 'em. (I have sources.)

Today's agent tip:

Rebecca Gradinger left Janklow & Nesbit Associates and launched Finchley Road Literary, a boutique agency specializing in literary fiction, up-market commercial fiction, narrative non-fiction, memoir, humor and pop culture. (She has also worked as a scout at Mary Anne Thompson Associates and a lawyer practicing media and intellectual property law at Frankfurt Garbus Kurnit Klein & Selz).

Go forth and query.

Zombies

2009-03-11T12:55:00.003-05:00

I went to Borders today during lunch and picked up this book.

I started reading it on the bus on my way back to work and was really wrapped up in it. It looks like it's going to be very, very, good.

I've been visiting Carrie's blog for a while and have eagerly awaited the day when I could pick it up.

And although I have never met her, it's a cool feeling to know the details of her journey: getting an agent, the revision process, etc.

I put up a post over at PenTales about self-promotion and I think Carrie has done a good job of it. So congrats, Carrie. Here's to a lot of sales!

A smile for the day

2009-03-03T13:42:00.001-06:00

Courtesy of Janet Reid.

If we could all be so lucky.

Agents

2009-02-26T11:51:00.004-06:00

How do you research agents? Once my group gives my MG novel, the Glimmerlings & The Book of Sleep, one last read, I will begin querying. I have tons of bookmarks of literary agencies, and am really excited to enter this next phase. I also have editor and agent contacts from the two SCBWI cons I have attended.

Once I get organized and begin, I am sure that there are a few that will rise to the top. the Dream Agent: Ms. Amanda-Binky-Vater-Reamer-Goldblatt. You know the crowd.

Agent Query will be a good place to look. I want to be very selective and query those who I feel would be a good fit.

Publishers Marketplace lists which agents are selling what titles so that is another good source. (I haven't joined, though, it's kind of expensive: $20.00 a month. Which isn't outrageous, but still, one more monthly commitment.) Maybe it's worth it. I do get the free email: Publisher's Lunch, which gives some news but not the specifics on deals.

So how did you go about finding an agent? Did you just query everyone or were you more specific?

SCBWI Winter Con 2009

2009-02-24T10:44:00.002-06:00

Hello people. Please come read about my experience at the 2009 Con at my group blog Pen Tales!

Yay!
I have no idea why I just wrote Yay.

This book is scaring the hell out of me

2009-02-17T19:44:00.004-06:00

The Spook's Apprentice by Joseph Delaney. It's about a young boy who is the seventh son of a seventh son and becomes apprentice to the Spook--the old, weathered monster hunter who rids the town of boggarts, witches and things that go creepy crawly.

It has some truly scary moments and I wonder how kids perceive it. I wrote a scene not too long ago and then got rid of it because I thought it was too scary...now I'm reconsidering. I know it still has to be right for me though, and not just because someone else does it.

It's written in a very spare style, but really effective. The unnamed country is very English farming town circa late 1800s.

I highly recommend this book if you want to be creeped out. I think there are five in the series.

MWWWAAAAHHHH!!!!!

By the way, that cover is really cool, but I think it is the British edition. Those Brits always get the cool covers.

How do you write?

2009-02-17T09:03:00.005-06:00

Do you think in terms of theme, narrative arcs, rising tension and inciting incidents?

Or do you just say the hell with all that and just write?

I am the latter.

I've never taken writing courses. Well, I did take a class at a local Chicago workshop that was a little helpful. So what I know about writing I've learned from reading and using words every day as an ad writer.

But I've read a whole lotta books.

Now that I think my novel is finally done. (Ha Ha. I am sure my crit group will tell me if I am done or not.) I am looking at the book and wondering if all the parts are there. I know that sounds strange.

Ok, yes, I do have an inciting incident; there is a theme, as far as I can tell, not that I set out to have a theme; my character changes, which I've heard is the thing that really counts (although I can think of plenty of books where that change is small or subtle, and not huge); and, of course, I have a conclusion.

I'll let my crit mates be the judges.

What is your process?

Chirp, Chirp

2009-02-04T11:31:00.003-06:00

Sure is quiet around here. Lots of cobwebs. Creaky doors. I'll be back soon with a report on the SCBWI NY Con. So check back!

Thanks!

Scrivener?

2009-01-23T10:01:00.004-06:00

No, not Bartleby. The writing program. I've heard of writing software programs but never paid much attention to them before. But this one is getting a lot of attention. Laini Taylor wrote about it recently and she gave a really good review. It's under her post entitled: Happy Dance Round-up. (How can you not love that?) I love gadgets and stuff so I'm wondering if I want to check this out. Can organization help you become a better writer? I don't know. That seems to be Scrivener's main function. Anyone use this thing or have any ideas about writing software?

Drive-by post

2009-01-14T14:48:00.006-06:00

Arrgh. Work has been in the way of my REAL work. Just wanted to let people know about an awesome (of course) new blog:

Pen Tales. It's a journey of five writers on their path to publication. Including yours truly. So come check us out. We'll be blogging about all kinds of stuff in the world of YA and MG fiction. And perhaps some other things, too. Interviews and such.

Hope to see you all over there!

Were you born to write?

2009-01-06T08:30:00.007-06:00

Happy New Year!

Okay, so were you born to write? Did you know when you were a little tyke that being a writer would be your life?

I remember reading books when I was a kid, discovering language and stories. I loved it and always did well in English. I wrote a post about it a while back that some of you may not have read:

I'm lucky enough to make a living using words. I write TV and radio commercials, even though I am sick of it, which I have mentioned more than once.

But I always knew I would be a writer. Only in the past two years have I really gotten serious though. I used to write a lot of literary short stories, but never had them published. Discovering YA books recharged my dreams.

Speaking of writing, do you feel one can be taught to become a fiction writer? I think one can, but if you have a natural inclination for it, it's a lot easier.

It's like the first time I picked up a guitar. I could immediately play it. Not very well, mind you, but I could do it. My brother, on the other hand, can barely press his finger on the fretboard and pluck the string at the same time.

So, the question for the day: when did you know you would be a writer?

What is your goal?

2008-12-31T09:08:00.006-06:00

Not a New Year's resolution, but a goal--something you wish to accomplish in 2009.

Me? I will send out query letters and get an agent. Shortly thereafter, you will be reading my Road to Publication story on this very blog.

"Oh," you say, "is that all? Why don't you hit the NYT bestseller list while you're at it."

I have confidence I can do it. This is coming from someone who hasn't even sent out a query letter yet. But, for some reason, I know I will get my book published. What's that old song by Journey? "Don't stop, believinnn..."

That song is now forever associated with Tony Soprano's demise. At least I think it was his demise.

I also hope to get out of the corporate whoring world of advertising.

Whatever, I digress. So what will you accomplish in 2009?

Check out that orange...whatever on Steve Perry. Classy.

What's your hook? Do you have one?

2008-12-16T14:13:00.007-06:00

I don't think I have the twenty-word pitch down for my book yet. Do you?

Let's say you're in the elevator with your dream agent and she asks you what your book is about. What do you say after sweating profusely and wondering if you have a nose hair sticking out of your nostril?

Here's mine. Which, um, I just made up on the spot. See, I've got skills.

Or maybe not.

The Glimmerlings & The Book of Sleep, in which twelve-year-old Max Hollyoak discovers he is not only half Fae but that he must stop the rebel King of Faerie from stealing the souls of children.

Jeez, 35 words.

I was looking at Cyn Balog's blog--wait a minute--she's got the word blog right in her last name. Sweet. Anyway, after rooting around for a while, I came across her blurb from Publisher's Marketplace:

Cyn Balog's SLEEPLESS, about a sandman who falls for a mortal girl whose sleep he controls.

Now that sounds like a hook. In thirteen freaking words. It's even got the conflict right in it. In fact, it makes me jealous. Damn, what an original-sounding idea. Uh, I need one of those.

So what's your pitch, if you want to share. Or even if you don't want to share it, do you have one?

60k and counting

2008-12-11T08:34:00.000-06:00

I never thought my middle grade book, The Glimmerlings & The Book of Sleep, would get to 60,000 words. I thought I was done at 30. Yeah, right. It's gotten a lot tighter in the past few months, thanks to my awesome critique group: Elise Murphy, Michele Thornton, Juliette Dominguez and Janet Krusi, who has yet to enter the blogosphere. Come on, Janet!

They're all awesome writers and I encourage you to visit their blogs.

So what's the length of your latest WIP? And is it what you imagined it would be?

Hey. My blog is a year old today

2008-12-03T13:25:00.000-06:00

Woopee.
I will say that during the past year I have become much more serious about my writing and have met (virtually) some cool fellow writers who are all pursuing the same dream.

I never really thought it would be a place to get comments and such. I just did it to force myself to write something--anything--when the Muse was absent. So what were you thinking when you started your blog?

An author's favorite books

2008-12-03T12:07:00.000-06:00

Presenting a very interesting list of Philip Pullman's favorite books.

I have to say, honestly, I've only truly read one of them: Maus by Art Spiegelman, and have browsed many others sitting on my dusty shelves. Voyage to Arcturus, Grimm's Fairy Tales, H.P. Lovecraft

How do you stack up against this heavyweight auteur?

Not that it matters. I've read a bunch of books that Pullman hasn't read.

So there.

The anti-Twilight movie

2008-11-27T19:46:00.000-06:00

Just saw a really cool vampire movie. No not the ennui-ridden Edward and Bella. I'm talkin' Oskar and Eli. What, you haven't heard?
Let the Right One In is a Swedish Vampire horror film that really gets under your skin.

My wife and I walked home after seeing this film and not only were there no people in our usually bustling Chicago neighborhood (post Turkey dinner) but the chilling atmosphere of this moody and twisted little film left me feeling really creeped out.

In a nutshell it's about a bullied twelve-year old boy who befriends the twelve year old girl next door. She's a cute little kid. And she's a vampire. They become buddies and, well, people get bitten. It has some truly terrifying scenes and actually some funny, campy ones. If you like intelligent horror as opposed to torture porn (Saw, Hostel). This is a must see if it is playing in your town.