QoW: The Pants Fit

Longstockings Question of the Week: What do you think is the best (or worst) movie adaptation of a children's book?In general I am never a fan of movies from books. While I adore movies, they don’t have the width and breadth that books have to tell a story, and as a result the movie at best simplifies and at worst completely alters the book. But there are exceptions to this and I thought that one of them was ‘Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants.’

I love the ‘Pants’ books and was wary of the movie version. But the script honored the essence of each story even when it made changes to the plot. The actresses who played the girls were all great (especially American Ferrera as Carmen- she was awesome!) and I think this was probably what made the movie work so well. The locations were terrific too- the Greek island Lena visits was just as gorgeous as I pictured it when I read the book. Bridget jogging on the Mexican beach was just right too. Whoever did this movie had a lot of love for the book that shone through and made it a wonderful compliment to a great read!

QoD: Everything in Its Place

Question of the day: How much of your writing is planned out before you actually put pen to paper? I'm specifically curious about novels. Do you know absolutely everything that is going to happen in your story before you write it, or does it mostly come as you write? If the latter, how much of your plot ideas come while you're writing and how much is planned beforehand?
Just to add the opposite view, I am utterly dependant on an outline. My stories start as ideas and once I’ve jotted down enough threads, I sit down and hammer out an outline. It usually takes me a few weeks because I’m constantly hitting walls and needing to rethink where I’m going and how I’m getting there. But nothing thrills me more than printing out that first outline. It looks so wonderful all planned out in neat little sections!

But inevitably once I start fleshing things out, stuff doesn’t work: scenes are in the wrong place, the arc to a storyline isn’t happening right, or just the basic I’m writing and it feels wrong. At these times I sit back down with the outline and rethink it, adding and taking away and shifting things about. By the time I’m halfway through my neat outline is a scribbly mess.

My recent discovery is that my outline is also a huge help in revising my novel. As soon as I got my editorial letter I sat down with my ouline (okay, first I called my husband and friends, and whined about how all the ideas in the letter were so good that I wasn’t sure I could ever actually execute them but then I got down to work) and thought through my changes. My editor wanted some new scenes and it was so helpful to have the outline to help me fgiure out where they could fit in with the rest of the story. She also wanted me to take stuff out so seeing it all on the outline helped me see how the whole arc of a story would be affected.

I think how your write is tied in with your whole personality. I’m kind of an organization freak (some people have used the word controlling) so I need to feel organized about how I write too. For other people though, that wouldn’t work at all. So like so many writing things I feel like it’s something where you try different ways and find the one that works best for you.

Thanks for the question Lindsey!

QoW: Waltzing Matilda

Longstockings Question of the Week: What do you think is the best (or worst) movie adaptation of a children's book?

Man oh man, I can't tell you how many times a trailer for a new movie adapted from a classic children's book has made me cringe in fear. The Cat in the Hat comes readily to mind. I am always very wary of movies made from my favorite books, so if they look awful (and Cat in the Hat definitely did) I try not to see them. It would be just too, too painful.

So my example of a bad adaptation isn't nearly the worst one ever (because if I allowed myself to see it, I had to have had at least some hope in it), but I think it perfectly demonstrates the way in which Hollywood often destroys kid's books. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I give you Matilda:



Cute as a button, right? Ah, such a darling little dance scene! This is the kind of thing that makes me want to vomit a little bit. Maybe I'd enjoy this if it weren't based on a book I know and love, but it is and I do, and it's just so very far removed from everything that I think makes Matilda a wonderful, droll, witty book, that I just can't stand it. Why must there be a cutesy-happy dance scene in every kid's movie ever made? Harriet the Spy, anyone? Even Because of Winn-Dixie. I'm sure there are a million more, too. It's not that I think these movies are utterly horrific, because I don't. And for the most part they stay relatively true to their source material. But I think that in rounding out the sharp edges of the books, in turning them into goofy-happy family-togetherness flicks with slapstick comedy and dance sequences and chubby-cheeked little girls, they take away what is wonderful and unique about a book and turn it into just another mediocre Hollywood film.

Okay, enough whining from me. There are some adaptations that I think are wonderful. An example? Holes. The book is one of my absolute, all-time, hands-down favorites, and the movie actually lives up to it. They changed things, sure, for cinematic reasons, but all of their changes make sense. And, more importantly, all of those changes stay true to the story and the characters, and the storytelling that made the book wonderful in the first place. Two thumbs way up from me.

QoD: It's all about the headlights

Question of the day: How much of your writing is planned out before you actually put pen to paper? I'm specifically curious about novels. Do you know absolutely everything that is going to happen in your story before you write it, or does it mostly come as you write? If the latter, how much of your plot ideas come while you're writing and how much is planned beforehand?

This question comes to us from our new pal Lindsay-- thanks for the question, Lindsay!
So E.L. Doctorow has that great quote, "writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way." For me, that's about as far as I can see-- a few feet! I'm not a planner or an outliner, I just can't seem to do it. When I try to plan ahead, I find myself feeling boxed in and zapped of my creative flow. I am one of those who need to let the story go where it will go, and then figure it all out later. In fact, I don't even write it in order, I write whatever comes to me and go with the flow. It'd be one thing if I were writing epic, complicated novels with twists and turns and such, but that's not the kind of story I know how to tell. I figure out where my characters are going emotionally, and then I figure out how to tell it. Sometimes I really really wish I could outline and map it all out, because at least that way I'd be able to tell how much more of the journey I have left. But I'm more like, I'm starting here, I know where I need to end up, now to figure out how to get there! I usually take the scenic route and get lost more than once. If only I knew how to read maps. Maybe it's all related!

I'll Be Here, There & Everywhere, Oh My!

On Saturday, I'll be participating in The Delaware Book Festival. This is my first book festival, so if anybody is in the area, please stop by and say hi. (And help me stop quaking in my shoes!)

I'll be speaking and reading in Pavilion B at 12:45 and signing copies of TYRELL at 1:45.

There'll be a lot of very cool authors there like Jordan Sonnenblick, K.L. Going, Chris Crutcher, Lara Zeises, & Sebastian Junger. There'll also be lots of panel discussions on writing and publishing, and storytelling and other activities for kids. So come on out!!!

I also have a lot of New York Public Library visits coming up. Click here for a full listing.


And just a reminder: The second Teen Author Reading Night is this Wednesday at 6:00 at the New York Public Library's Jefferson Market Branch on 10th Street and Sixth Avenue. Here's the incredible lineup:
E. Lockhart (The Boy Book)
Natalie Standiford (The Dating Game series)
Micol Ostow (Emily Goldberg Learns to Salsa)
Natasha Friend (Lush)
Blake Nelson (Paranoid Park)
Jordan Sonnenblick (Notes from the Midnight Driver)
and the event will be hosted by David Levithan!

So if you're in the NYC area, don't miss this. I promise you a great time!!!

QoW: Okay...I See Your Point

Longstockings Question of the Week: What was the best piece of writing advice you ever received? Who gave it to you?

An argument is only interesting if both sides have a valid point.

This little gem came by way of my undergraduate writing professor, Steve Saylor. I feel like truer words have never been spoken, which doesn’t make for a compelling argument, but does make for a nice piece of advice.

My current WIP has a lot of discussion between two best friends, who through the course of the book, grow to have conflicting points of view on a particularly sensitive and personal subject.

Although I favor my main character’s opinion, I try to challenge myself to have everyone’s position ring true…even the littlest bit. That way, when the scene ends, my main character always has something nice and juicy to reflect on and a bit of doubt to propel her into the next chapter.

QoW: Writing is Rewriting

Longstockings Question of the Week: What was the best piece of writing advice you ever received? Who gave it to you?

It's not flashy, I know, but here's a piece of advice I have repeated to myself during many a dark hour: Books aren't written--they're rewritten. Michael Crichton

I know that there might be people out there whose fingers are capable of typing word after perfect word after perfect word in their first draft, but I am not one of them. I'm a third, fourth, even fifth draft kind of gal. It takes me one whole draft to figure out who my characters are and what the story is. Then I try to resolve plot issues in my second draft, motivations in my third, and language and dialogue in my fourth. It's sort of a different version of slow writing, as Daphne mentioned on Tuesday. Consequently, my first few drafts are pretty stinky. And often I get so overwhelmed by their state of stinkiness, I forget that if I just relax and follow my process, they will be much improved very shortly.

Writing is rewriting. And trusting, trusting, trusting your own process. Even when your manuscript sometimes stinks like old cheese that got stuck behind the refrigerator.

QoW: Warning: This may seem obvious to you

Longstockings Question of the Week: What was the best piece of writing advice you ever received? Who gave it to you?

About a year ago, I was perusing the internet and author websites, and I stumbled upon some very wonderful words of wisdom (love the alliteration) from Meg Cabot. "You are not a hundred dollar bill. Not everyone is going to like you...or your story. Do not take rejection personally."

Okay, so you may be reading this and thinking, well, yeah, of course we're not hundred dollar bills, of course not everyone is going to like us, and of course not everyone is going to like our writing. So what? And maybe there are some people out there who don't worry about people liking them, and people out there who don't get bogged down with sadness when people don't like their writing. Confession: I am not one of those people. Hence why Ms. Cabot's words really stuck with me.

Sometimes you read something and you think, "Wow. That makes total sense. I am not going to forget that." Well, that's how it was when I read the dollar bill sentiment. It's such a simple concept, really, but it stuck with me. I held on to it, and when things get tough, I remember it.

QoW: Jenny's Addiction

Longstockings Question of the Week: What was the best piece of writing advice you ever received? Who gave it to you?

I have a thing for books on writing (as well as pajamas, stationery, stamps, baked goods). I love to buy them, and though I often end up returning them, the ones I keep, I love. I don't know if it's that I'm looking for some hidden secrets to good writing, or if I just like legitimately writing them off as writing expenses. I think it's a little of both. My favorite is called Exploring Into the Open by Elizabeth Berg. She gives oodles of great advice in this book, but this is one of my favorite parts. She's talking about sharing your work before it's ready, how it's good to keep things close to the vest before you release it. She witnessed this conversation between two 4-year olds playing in a sandbox:

He: What are you making?
She: (smiles shyly) Something.
He: (demanding) Let me see.
She: (softly) No.
He: Let me see!!
She: (not softly) NO!!
He: But what are you mak-ing?
She: (walking away) Nothing.

QoW: More Than One Way

Longstockings Question of the Week: What was the best piece of writing advice you ever received? Who gave it to you?One of the things I heard again and again at school, in writing books, at readings, etc. was that to write well you have to write slowly. Apparently for a piece of writing to be good, it has to take a long time to create. And each time I heard this advice I cringed. Because if there’s one thing I never ever do, it’s write slowly.

The thing about writing is that I think there’s only so much of the process you actually control. You control when you write and for how long, and what you do with it when you’re done with a draft. But as for that time when you’re at your desk writing, I’m not sure there’s a lot you can change. I know for me when I’m there I’m writing fast. It’s just kind of how it works. I don’t want to write fast, especially after all that advice about how writing fast is the same as writing sucky stuff. But I don’t seem to be able to help it. It’s just how it happens. Every once in a while when I don’t have anything better to worry about, I worry that I might be a really good writer if I could actually write more slowly. But I’ll never know because I can’t change how I write.

So what I glean from this piece of advice that I hate: there’re no solid rules on how to write. What works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another and there’s no one “right” way to do it, no matter what anyone says. It’s great to try new ways to do things to see if they work for you. But the bottom line is that what works for you is the right way for you, no matter what advice you may get.

QoW: Whatever it takes

Longstockings Question of the Week: What was the best piece of writing advice you ever received? Who gave it to you?

"The best way a writer can find to keep himself going is to live of his (or her) spouse."

The next line acknowledges that "psychologically, at least, it's hard...Yet for all that may be said against it, living off one's spouse or lover is an excellent survival tactic." I wish I'd read this last year, when I was in school and actually living off my (almost) spouse. I wasted so much writing time agonizing over not making any money! And then we ran out of the time we'd budgeted to live on one income, and I still had a lot of work to do.

I should have remembered the advice I gave myself, that propelled me to grad school in the first place: whatever you have to do to get the work done, is what you have to do. If it's going to cost more money in student loans then you've ever earned in a year, then that's what it's going to cost. If in order to keep up your confidence you need someone to read everything you write, immediately after you write it, and tell you it is a work of unparallelled genius, then you have to go find that person. If you need someone to read everything you write and tell you it's complete drek, thereby inspiring you right back to your desk to do better, then go find that person, too.

And be grateful for whatever is the easiest way to make the most money. Never, ever apologize because your day job isn't fun to talk about and doesn't work you very hard---if it allows writing time in between brainless tasks, or leaves you with enough energy at the end of the day to come home and get to your desk, then thank your lucky stars you landed it. And if you're lucky enough to have somebody with an income want to come home to you after you've spent a day giving the best of yourself to something you love, even if it's not paying off just now and probably won't for a couple of years, then, well. Stop apologizing for being so broke and get back to work.

QoW: Oh my darlings

Longstockings Question of the Week: What was the best piece of writing advice you ever received? Who gave it to you?

Sadly, off the top of my head I can't think of any sterling nugget of writing wisdom that's ever been shared with me. Instead I think what's been most helpful to me throughout my writing career has been the encouragement and sympathy I've been offered. But digging through my brain, I can readily think of one piece of writing advice we authors seem to hear quite frequently:

Kill your darlings.

Who said this? (Seriously, I don't mean that rhetorically. I feel like I should know but I don't.) And, more importantly, is it true? Should we writers really feel the need to delete our very favorite bits from our novels?

I am of two minds on this one. On the one hand, I certainly think that writers often get attached to things for sentimental reasons and they don't always work with the story as a whole. Or something works in one draft but doesn't work once things around it start to change. I know I have definitely written entire scenes that led up to what I believed to be the most GENIUS bit of dialogue in all of children's book history, only to realize later that it was completely lame, and needed to be cut. And cut it I did. (I may have cried a little, though.) This can happen with whole scenes, or characters, or subplots, or ... well, you get the idea. We writers sometimes fall in love with things we've written. But as we know, love is blind, and sometimes the things we adore most simply don't work. Or, to put it more bluntly, they're stinkin' up the whole darn novel. Axe 'em, I say! Axe away!

Now, this does not mean that I'm in favor of hacking away at everything you love in your story like some enraged serial killer. No. Let's be reasonable here. Just because you loooove something doesn't necessarily mean it sucks. The key, I think, is to be objective (and to listen to the people in your writing group when they tell you, "Seriously, Lisa, that line makes no sense."). But what does everyone else think about this? I'm curious.

Terrell Owens: Dallas Cowboy, or Children's Author Extraordinaire?

This is not exactly breaking news, but I saw in my Publisher's Lunch newsletter that Terrell Owen's (of recent alleged attempted suicide fame) picture book deal has been announced.

"Terrell Owens's LITTLE T LEARNS TO SHARE, on the importance of sharing by one of football's most talked about athletes, to Glenn Yeffeth of BenBella Books, for publication in November 2006, by Ian Kleinert of Literary Group International."

I thought I'd seen it all with celebrity children's authors (Jay Leno comes to mind). But noooo, Terrell Owens. TERRELL OWENS. With a book about sharing.

Even though it's from 2004, this is a good article about celebrity authors.

Also, here's a list of celebrity children's authors on Amazon.

Who's your (least) favorite celebrity author?

QOW: Fantasy: It's A Whole New World For Me!

Longstockings Question of the Week: What are you reading right now? What made you pick up the book, and what do you think of it so far?

Right now, I'm all caught up in the MAGIC OR MADNESS created by Justine Larbalestier. I'm not a big reader of fantasy normally, but I picked up this book after I made a tiny faux pas a couple of weeks ago. I was introducing Justine to my fellow Longstocking, Lisa Graff, and I said, "Justine is the author of MAGIC AND MADNESS." Justine corrected me by saying, "No, it's called MAGIC OR MADNESS." Okay, it wasn't a big gaffe, but to me, it just pointed out the fact that, while I've known Justine for almost a year, I still hadn't actually read any of her books. And why not? I don't know. I guess because it's considered fantasy and maybe I thought I wouldn't understand it or wouldn't get into it.

I know, how stupid!

So on my next trip to the bookstore, I checked it out. I read a chapter or two in the store and found myself immediately caught up in the story of Reason Cansino. When Reason's mother is committed to a mental hospital, she is sent to live with her grandmother, Esmeralda, a woman who is believed to have magical powers! The woman's house is very creepy, too. I don't want to give too much away, but there are secret rooms, magical keys, and a certain hairbrush with TEETH hidden inside.

Right now, I'm about halfway through and I'm totally enjoying it. Even though it's fantasy, so much of this book is grounded in reality, and for some reason, I wasn't expecting that. I didn't think I'd be able to relate and connect to the characters as much as I do. Let's just say: I was wrong.

MAGIC OR MADNESS is Book One in a trilogy. Justine has finished writing the third book already, and by the time it hits the stores, I'll be all caught up!

Now I need to know, what other fantasy books should I be reading?

QoW: All Things Blake Nelson

Longstockings Question of the Week: What are you reading right now? What made you pick up the book, and what do you think of it so far?

Ummm...there’s really no other way to put this: Blake Nelson is awesome.

I read PARANOID PARK two weeks ago and was blown away. Blake’s characters are so honest and real, and he handles weighty emotion with the most convincing, light touch. That is something I struggle with in my own writing—how to portray the intense stuff without coming off heavy handed and to have a character waffle and worry and contemplate issues in their life without sounding schizophrenic.

So I decided to read all things Blake Nelson. Like immediately.

ROCKSTAR SUPER STAR. Finished this on my way back from Philly. Holy moly. What an awesome novel, awesome voice. I am soooo in love with Pete. And I’m convinced that Blake’s dialog is some of the best I’ve ever read.

Last night, I finished THE NEW RULES OF HIGH SCHOOL. Astounding. Doesn’t get more realistic than watching Max flounder and f up and figure things out (sort of). I love books that end with a (sort of). I want that for my novel.

Today I will buy PROM ANONYMOUS. I’m interested to see how Blake handles multiple POVs on the girly side.

In summation, I heart Blake Nelson big time. And if you live in NYC, you should definitely come and see him read with other fabulous YA authors at the NYPL on Wednesday November 1st. I can’t wait to meet him and gush like a school girl. Le sigh!

QoW: What's with Claudia's bangs?

Longstockings Question of the Week: What are you reading right now? What made you pick up the book, and what do you think of it so far?

I'm reading the graphic novel of the first Baby-sitters Club book, KRISTY'S GREAT IDEA. This is the first graphic novel I've read (I've thumbed through some, but never actually read one) so there was a bit of an adjustment as I "learned" to read the book. I don't mean to imply that it's difficult to read, just that I know this book so well, and I knew when lines of dialogue were left out, or scenes trimmed to fit the style. Also the illustrations changed the pacing of the book, as it chose to sum up different baby-sitting experiences into a short series of pictures rather than show them in real-time, like the rest of the book.

For the most part, the dialogue and illustrations capture the book amazingly well, especially the excitement of the group as they form the Club. I did feel that the graphic version makes the characters seem younger than the original. I think it's a combination of the way the characters are depicted visually and the amazing amount of exclamation points. And, I have to say it, what the heck is with Claudia's bangs? They're WHITE. She has black hair, and white bangs. I think it's supposed to look punk, but my recollection is that Claudia had gorgeous silky black hair with nary a mention of different colored bangs.

I definitely enjoyed the book and I recommend it to all BSC fans. For my next graphic novel read, I'd like to try something that was created as a graphic novel, not converted to one, as I think it will be a different experience. Perhaps AMERICAN BORN CHINESE (First Second/Roaring Brook) which is nominated for the National Book Award.

Any other BSC graphic novel readers out there? Lay it on me!

QoW: What was once simply printed out pages

Longstockings Question of the Week: What are you reading right now? What made you pick up the book, and what do you think of it so far?

Even though I read many different segments and sections of TYRELL in Sarah Weeks' writing workshop at The New School and in writing group, I am now really and truly reading it. Reading it as a real book, from beginning to end, savoring every word.

I love the book, and I adore Tyrell as a character. I've known him for a while now, and I truly admire him. Coe Booth is a masterful writer, and I feel so fortunate to consider her a friend, writing partner and fellow Longstocking.


I'm also just about to start The End (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 13) I'm reading it along with the 7th grade book club at school, and I'm looking forward to it!

QoD: Resist the temptation, shorty

Longstockings Question of the Day: Do you recommend letting close friends and family who aren't writers read your work? It'd be nice to get feedback (or just
compliments from my mom), but I'm not sure it's a good idea to share my drafts with people who aren't familiar with the writing process but whose opinions matter a lot.

Here's my take: No, I don't recommend it. Here's why: I think that when you share your work with other writers, there is a mutual disclosure there, an understanding that you are both becoming vulnerable in sharing something important to you. You are sharing your stuff, they are sharing their stuff, and you both know how to critique each other's work in a way that is helpful and constructive (hopefully). Basically, you are critiquing people in the way you'd want to be critiqued. When you share your stuff with people who aren't writers, you aren't working from the same template. I think it's super-hard because you really care what they think, but you pretty much just want glowing praise from them-- and if it's not glowing praise, you might be thinking, yeah, but what does Husband Dan or Aunt Shirley know about writing anyway? And you'd be right. At least partially. True, they know how to be readers, but that's completely different than being a writer and having the language to speak about it. I know that whenever I've shown my work-in-progress stuff to non-writers, I've felt disappointed, and that's because I was expecting something from them that they didn't know how to give, which isn't really fair. So, from my experience, I'd have to say no, wait until it's pretty much in the best shape possible before showing it around. But this is only one opinion-- maybe the other Longstockings will have another perspective!

Good luck to you!

QoD: When it comes to writing, does mother really know best?

Longstockings Question of the Day: Do you recommend letting close friends and family who aren't writers read your work? It'd be nice to get feedback (or just
compliments from my mom), but I'm not sure it's a good idea to share my drafts with people who aren't familiar with the writing process but whose opinions matter a lot.

Well, that's a tricky one, and my answer is pretty much in the gray area. Let me explain.

I think the main potential complication when sharing your work with family and friends is that you'll get criticism that may not prove to be entirely helpful. For example, I let my husband read portions in the very early stages of my novel-in-progress, Camp Shalom. We met at Jewish summer camp, the one Camp Shalom is based on, and so he compared every charachter to real people when they weren't really supposed to be resemble anyone specific! And then he'd say, "Oh you really need to change that. That pool director is wayyyyyyy too similar to so and so." You get the point. If you think family and friends are going to nit-pick in those sorts of ways, it won't help you much, unless you're in that stage of your writing.

But, on the other hand, I very recently let my mother and grandmother read a more polished draft of Camp Shalom, and I was very grateful for their feedback. One because I was more ready to receive family feedback since I'd gotten oodles of criticsm from the longstockings. I was ready to take whatever they wanted to dish. Two because they were very complimentary, and that's always good to hear!

So, I think it's really a question of if you're ready to receieve that sort of feedback. Getting criticism from classmates and writing group partners is one thing since that's their job! They are supposed to critique you! But as for family members and friends, share when you're ready, when you're confident enough in your work that you won't go and change something just because your mother isn't completely in love with it.

I hope this helps. Now it's time for my fellow Longstockings to weigh in...

Why?

From Publishers Weekly today: Scholastic U.K., the originating publisher of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials books, has acquired worldwide rights to publish movie tie-in books based on the film His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass. New Line Cinema will release the movie next year.

I didn't even know New Line was making a movie!

But my question is: Why do they need movie tie-in books when it all started from, get this, A BOOK??!!

QOW: I'm Totally Sold on SOLD

Longstockings Question of the Week: What are you reading right now? What made you pick up the book, and what do you think of it so far? I am reading SOLD by Patrcia McCormick. I’m almost done and it truly is amazing.

I picked it up because it’s by Patrcia McCormick and I love her stuff. And I’m glad I did- I am blown away by this book! It’s the story of a girl living in a small Himalayan village who is sold by her family to work as a maid in the city. Sweet Lakshmi is proud to have an opportunity to earn money for her family and has no idea that in fact she’s been sold into sexual slavery. It’s an absolutely heartbreaking topic and McCormick handles it beautifully. She lets us experience the searing pain of Lakshmi’s life without drowning us in it. Although she suffers terribly, Lakshmi also meets kind people, forms meaningful relationships and the book ends on a hopeful note. The story is told in a series of vignettes, some poignant, some devastating, some funny and all simply beautiful. McCormick wows me with her gorgeous use of language.

My ultimate test for how much I love a book is whether or not I get so caught up reading it on the subway that I miss my stop. It’s happened twice with SOLD.

QOW: I second Lisa's motion

Longstockings Question of the Week: What are you reading right now? What made you pick up the book, and what do you think of it so far?

That's amazing! I'm reading An Abundance of Katherines, because I went to that very same reading, and Lisa interpreted the cover for me and I thought it was cool. (Personally, I am really looking forward to the inevitable tampon joke. If it's not there I might have to write an angry letter.) Plus, you know, between a grandmother named Katheryne, a cousin named Kathryne, a cousin's wife named Katherine, a duet-singing partner named Kathryn, a very good college friend named Catherine, and a sister-in-law named Kathleen, the title comes very close to my life.

I'm behind everything Lisa said about the general awesomeness of it all, and want to put a special shout-out to Hassan, who is one of the better side-kicks in teen literature (and that, my friends, is a crowded field).

I also picked it up for matters of craft: I got my manuscript back from my readers last week, and their insighful comments basically boiled down to "we know there's a plot somewhere in these 312 pages, and we'd really like you to find it and write about it." I figured since Katherines is only 215 pages, the plot might be a little easier to discern, and then I could remind myself what one looks like. If anyone has any other recommendations for YA books I should read to remind myself how a plot works, I'm all ears.

QoW: An Abundance of Awesome

Longstockings Question of the Week: What are you reading right now? What made you pick up the book, and what do you think of it so far?
Among other things, I am currently reading John Green's An Abundance of Katherines. I'm only on about page 70 or so, but so far it is about a teenage boy named Colin who used to be a child prodigy (now that he's graduated high school he feels like a washed-up hack) who goes on a road trip with his best friend Hassan to help him (Colin) get over the fact that he's just been dumped by his nineteenth girlfriend (all nineteen girlfriends dumped him, and all nineteen were named Katherine). As of right now Colin and Hassan are hanging out in the hillbilly town of Gutshot, Tennessee, where former arch-duke Franz Ferdinand is buried, and they have befriended a girl who is not named Katherine.

I heard John Green read from the book a couple weeks ago when I went to see Coe Booth and Friends at the NYPL, and it sounded really good. To be perfectly honest, though, I mostly started reading it because I just really like the cover. All that mathy goodness (um, is that a to the nth power? Rad rad rad.), and pretty colors to boot? Love it. Props to the designer.

What do I think of the book so far? So far I'm loving it. It took me a couple pages to get into the voice, but now I'm hooked. It's very funny, and I like me some funny. I also like math (I know, I'm a dork), and there's math galore in this book. There is even funny math. Now that's just hard to do. I also (now this will sound weird) really love novels with footnotes. Maybe I have some sort of footnote fetish, I don't know, but give me some footnotey goodness and I will eat a book right up.¹ Anyway, even without the footnotes, the book thus far is delightful. The characters are real and charming and utterly fallible, and the plot is exactly the right balance of weird and believable. I am slightly worried that the entire novel is gearing up for one very large and tasteless tampon joke (those who have read it will know what I mean), but I will bear with it to see what happens.

1. Two other novels with footnotes that rock: The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, and the absolutely adorable Introducing...Sasha Abramowitz by Sue Halpern.

Listen Up

Have a few minutes to spare? Check out my podcast on teenreads. Click on the TYRELL icon for Chapter One read by yours truly! It was a little weird reading it since there's some "intimate" activity in Chapter One. But the podcast came out better than I thought, considering how embarrassed I was reading it in front of the recording engineer and the marketing manager from Scholastic!

NOTE TO SELF: Never put any "intimate" activity in the first chapter of a book because you WILL be asked to read it in front of other people!!!

Cover Me Happy

I celebrated a big birthday this week (30!) and got the best birthday present ever -- the cover for my first book! Now, for those of you out there who have never looked at someone else's visual interpretation of something you spent two years writing, well, the first minute and a half feels like skinny dipping in the Hudson River in January. Because there is no possible way that any image is going to match what you had in mind. HOWEVER, once you've swum in the freezing Hudson for a few minutes, you start to warm up. You feel your fingers and toes. You feel awake and refreshed. Then, finally, content. And you say, "Dang it, that's one fine looking cover."

Kudos to my editor and Roaring Brook for a job well done.

QOW: Were we taught to write?

Question of the Week: Would you say that doing the New School MFA played a major role in helping you write that first book, in terms of setting deadlines, knowing that you had to hand in pages? Or had you already written your books before you started the program?

Time to get controversial. We've had lots of posts this week about what an incredible motivator the MFA program is, how beneficial constructive criticism can be, and how finding a community of writers not only helps your writing, but also validates your goal of being a writer. And I agree with all of it. Without the MFA program, I would not have a book coming out this April. I would not have learned to revise and read critically and push, push, push through the difficult parts as I have. BUT, what I suspect some of our dear readers would like to know is, did the MFA program "teach" us to write? Is it a book factory? Let's discuss.

Did the MFA teach us to write? Hmm. I would say for sure that we learned the best way to go about being published. Being located in NYC and attending frequent author readings, publishing panels and conferences (a minimum of 8 events required per semester as part of our curriculum), we learned how, who and when to query. However, we also learned how to push our writing-selves. We attended strenuous weekly workshops in which our prose was hammered by teachers and fellow students alike. We took criticism right in the face week after week after week. That is a serious motivator to improve one's writing, and a unique situation that I don't think many writers get the opportunity to experience. Plus, there was so much great writing and revising surrounding us every week, how could we not learn from it?

Are MFA programs book factories? It might appear to those reading this blog that the New School is churning some serious wake in the children's publishing world. 50% of the class of 2005 have sold books. About 33% for the class of 2006, who only recently graduated. Is that solely the result of the MFA? I don't think so. It seems more likely to me that those who are willing to sacrifice two years of their lives to attend a full-time writing program (often quitting/changing jobs, moving, significantly changing their lifestyle), are willing to PAY tuition for a writing program and to wholeheartedly dedicate themselves to writing great books, are the people that really want to be writers. They're serious about it. They're not just saying over a cup of tea on rainy Tuesday, "I'm going to write a book someday. I have this great idea..." Also, for those of you intimately familiar with MFA programs, they eschew those who seek publishing as the goal rather than writing. The MFA is a focus on craft, and craft alone.

So, long story short (too late), I think all writers are taught to write. It's just that some do it over many years of solo practice, some through a writing partner or editor, some through writing workshops, and some through an MFA program. And it doesn't matter, really, as long as great books and new voices are the result.

Awards galore!

The Quill Awards were announced last night (and I heard Donald Trump was there, ooh la la!). Here were the winners in the children's book categories:

Children's Illustrated Book: If You Give a Pig a Party by Laura Joffe Numeroff
Children's Middle Grade/Chapter Book: The Penultimate Peril by Lemony Snicket
Young Adult/Teen: Eldest by Christopher Paolini (no Elsewhere -- sorry, Lisa GW!)

And today the finalists for the National Book Awards were announced. The nominees in "Young People's Literature" are:

M.T. Anderson, The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol. 1:The Pox Party
Martine Leavitt, Keturah and Lord Death
Patricia McCormick, Sold
Nancy Werlin, The Rules of Survival
Gene Luen Yang, American Born Chinese

I'm rooting for Sold. (Okay, that's the only one of these I've read so far, but still. I loved loved loved it.)

QOW: Meant to be

Question of the Week: Would you say that doing the New School MFA played a major role in helping you write that first book, in terms of setting deadlines, knowing that you had to hand in pages? Or had you already written your books before you started the program?

There's a Yiddish expression that sums up my feelings about my writing life thus far, applying to the MFA program at The New School, getting in and meeting these wonderful fellow Longstockings aka fabulous writers and fabulous friends. Besheirt It means to meant to be, and it's usually used for couples who meet and eventually get married, but it works here too.

When I first thought of applying to an MFA program, it seemed crazy. Spend all this money on writing classes? Well, can't you just write on your own? Can someone really teach you to write?

The truth is, I think the MFA program was worth every penny. My writing did totally, totally improve. I met so many great writers and I gained confidence not only in my writing, but in the idea that writing could actually be a career, or part of one.

And the deadlines helped too. I knew that I had to turn pages in, so I had no choice but to write. But, it wasn't only that. I wanted to write! I wanted to be good at it. And like Jenny said, I liked when the teacher complimented me, and when my fellow writers complimented me too.

Well, Anonymous, I could go on and on. I say that you should go with your gut feeling. If you think it's something you'd want to do, then go for it. Apply, and see what happens. And keep us posted!

QOW: It's All in the Criticism

Question of the Week: Would you say that doing the New School MFA played a major role in helping you write that first book, in terms of setting deadlines, knowing that you had to hand in pages? Or had you already written your books before you started the program?

Kathryne and Jenny summed this up really well: I do feel like the best things from my MFA experience were the motivation to work really hard to be a writer and the great community I found there. But I will add two other big perks.


First, the opportunity to work with experienced and successful writers who knew the field. Kid Lit teachers at the New School ruled. I learned so much from them about how publishing worked, and that insight was pivotal when I was in the process of selling my book.


Second, from my teachers and my awesome classmates I learned how to take critique and that is no small thing. When I first started in writing workshop, any critique I got felt like an assault. It was so hard to listen when people punched holes in the work I’d poured my heart into. But everyone was gentle with me and I slowly got to see what a great thing it is to have people criticize your stuff. Readers you trust help you see weaknesses in your text that you never could’ve found on your own and they also help you fix them. There’s no way my manuscript would’ve sold without the changes I made due to the terrific (though at times painful) critique I got.

So yes, the MFA played a major role in helping me write that first book and also in making it better. Because, yes, I had started a manuscript before beginning the program, but the deadlines, the motivation of having committed to being a writer, and the awesome support and critique of my classmates and teachers all made it possible to actually write a book that could be sold. I know there are a ton of great authors who write amazing books and don’t need the MFA, but it never would’ve happened for me if I hadn’t enrolled in the program.

Thanks for the question, Anonymous and good luck with whatever you decide!

QoW: It's the eye of the tiger, baby

Question of the Week: Would you say that doing the New School MFA played a major role in helping you write that first book, in terms of setting deadlines, knowing that you had to hand in pages? Or had you already written your books before you started the program?

The New School was pivotal in me finishing my first book Shug, it absolutely was. I had started writing it my senior year of college, but I really only came to grad school with about 30 pages. The program pushed me to continue on and finish the book. It pretty much got my lazy butt in gear and made me work harder than I ever had before. There was a lot at stake for me. I had moved up to New York for this, I had decided this was gonna be my career. So, the program helped me focus partly because I had invested quite a bit of money in this venture, and partly because I wanted to do well and keep getting better. I am a competitive, goal-oriented person by nature, and I love it when a teacher is like, good job, Jenny! So, I was always hoping for little carrots and words of encouragement to spur me on. And, even when I had a bad critique, it made me go home and try and fix things and make the story as good as it could be. The key is respecting your instructors and your classmates and knowing that you can learn from them.

The New School also introduced me to these lovely ladies, many of whom are my writing partners. Really, the MFA introduced me to a writing community that continues to support and encourage me. It's so important to have people that understand what you're going through and who honestly want to help you make your book better.

QOW: Pluggin' away with my MFA

Question of the Week: Would you say that doing the New School MFA played a major role in helping you write that first book, in terms of setting deadlines, knowing that you had to hand in pages? Or had you already written your books before you started the program?

This week's question comes to us verbatim from that perennial source of wisdom, Anonymous: in this case, a question posed in the "Comments" field of Caroline's recent post about writing her second novel. "Second novel?" Anonymous seemed to exclaim. "How the heck did you get to your second novel? How did you finish your first?"

Anonymous, I feel your pain. And yes, I would say that the New School MFA played--and plays--a HUGE role in helping me write that first book. Here's why.

First off, in order to go to an MFA program, I had to make a pretty major commitment to the writing life. I truly hate paperwork, so filling out the forms for five schools, not to mention requesting my undergrad transcripts and calling all the people I needed letters from and taking the GRE, provided me with ample opportunity to talk myself out of it. Every time I did something I didn't want to do, I was that much more committed to writing as a career path rather than a hobby. I also applied to three schools out of state, so as the months went on I got more seriously committed to changing not just my career, but my whole life, to make writing the center of it.

Once I got to the writing workshop, it wasn't so much the deadlines that helped me out. Those were great, don't get me wrong. But having to turn in pages was not nearly as motivating as wanting to turn in pages.

Before, writing had meant slaving away during what little spare time I could squeeze out of my life. My only encouragement came in the form of occasional feedback from people whose main qualification was that I liked them. They were good readers, but I'd really rather go to the movies with them than write something for them, and they liked the movies, too, which took a lot of hours away from writing time.

Grad school was instant-gratification time! I wrote something, a week later people told me what they thought about it, and I went back to work. It was great. And it was so much easier to work, knowing that someone else was waiting to see what I did.

Most importantly, the New School MFA introduced me to a whole community of people with my obsessions, solving the same problems I was facing. Suddenly Being A Writer wasn't a pipe dream, it was a real job that some people had. Now we have writing dates together, and set deadlines for each other, and give feedback to each other, and do whatever it takes to keep each other on track. We commit to each other's novels the same fervor we commit to our own. And let me tell you, a book feels so much more real when it exists in other people's imaginations besides yours.

QOW: Slow Going

Question of the Week: What problem are you having in your writing life right now, and what are you doing to fix it?

I'm a slow writer, and that's probably my biggest problem right now. I think and think and think. Then I write a little something. Then I go back to thinking again. I wish I were the kind of writer who could knock out a quick first draft, but I'm so not! I need to live for a while in my character's head and that takes a lot of time.

Have I mentioned I already missed my deadline? :-(

Lately, I've been stuck trying to figure out HOW to tell the story, the structure. I've written the beginning so many times I'm embarrassed to admit it. But I think I finally figured out a way, and for right now (this minute, anyway), I'm kind of excited about it. I'm not sure if it works, but I've made one big decision. I'm not going back. I'm going to take my own advice for once and, no matter what changes I make, I will write to the end. Everything will have to be changed, amended, and/or reconciled when I'm done. Finished.

So if you are also struggling to finish your novel, here's what you'll need to follow my method:

1. A good binder, preferably with D rings



2. A Post-It pen, the one with the flags


Now, once you have your supplies, here's how you finally finish that novel -- it's simple:

*Write a chapter
*Print the chapter
*Review your pages ONE TIME ONLY
*Make corrections
*Print the chapter again

Then put your pages in your binder and NEVER LOOK BACK.

I know, I know. It's sounds easier than it is, but it really works!

As you continue writing, you will make changes that affect the beginning of the book. For example, when I was writing TYRELL, about 70 pages in, his little sister became a little brother. I didn't think the sister was working and I wanted to see how he would "parent" a little boy instead. Of course, I wanted to go back over the beginning and change the girl character to a boy, but I RESISTED. Instead, I pulled out my handy dandy Post-Its (they didn't have the pen back then!) and put a flag on the first page the sister character appeared. I then wrote on that page, "CHANGE CHARACTER TO BOY" or something like that.

By the time I finished writing, there were about a billion flags. Some big changes, some small. Every time I'd felt the urge to fix something, I held myself back. Instead I stuck the flag and wrote the intended change on the paper. And now, with the ending already in place, going back and fixing those flagged pages was really easy.

So remember, DON'T GO BACK!!!

Now it's time I started taking my own advice.

QOW: Sunny days, chasin' the clouds away...

Question of the Week: What problem are you having in your writing life right now, and what are you doing to fix it?

I'm here to gloat, really. I have no writing issues at the moment. I have nothing to do. I'm on my first vacation from writing in five years.

I get Uncle Jesus back from my critique group on Monday, at which point I'm sure the stress and anxiety will kick back in with a vengeance as I realize exactly how much of a mess I've created in 312 pages (that's 97,259 words, folks). But I'll also have the return of all the strategies I cooked up to get me through the last round of stress and anxiety.

When I was trying to finish the first draft, while also holding down a full-time job and planning a wedding, I started tying in writing time with things I would have wanted to do anyway. I gave up my unlimited ride metrocard and started paying $5/ride to take the very comfy express bus from my apartment to my office: that's 60 minutes of writing time a day, or 105 if I took the bus home, too. Avoiding the loathed #6 train was just a bonus. I also got my (did I mention very supportive) corporate bosses to give me Fridays off in August, during which I got up just as early as I would have on a workday and went to my favorite neighborhood Starbucks. For a good six weeks, time was at such a premium I had a standing excuse to take taxis and order lots of take-out--I couldn't spend valuable writing time waiting for a bus or cooking dinner.

My vacation has been great. I went to Florence and didn't even ask myself if I should take my laptop. Normally at this hour on a Saturday I would be in Starbucks, ignoring my bladder for another half hour so I can hit 2500 words before I pack up; today I'm watching the Food network and reading the Times online, and my husband and I are making lists of all the dinners we're going to host once we get the boxes out of the living room. I've been plowing through all the books I haven't had time to read because I was spending all my free time writing my own.

But I'm ready to get my notes back and get back to work. I've never been one of those people who thought that you had to write every day in order to call yourself a writer; I know better, from my own and my friends' experience. But after three weeks of not working on my novel, it's been easy to forget. The last few days I've been complaining about my day job over dinner, just like I would if it had any bearing on my life--a habit I got out of when I wrote 500 words before I got to the office.

QOW: That's not your job, Siobhan. Do your job!

Question of the Week: What problem are you having in your writing life right now, and what are you doing to fix it?

The biggest problem I’m facing right now, as I approach the first draft due date of A LITTLE FRIENDLY ADVICE, is to stop myself from being an editor long enough to become a writer.

I absolutely love the editorial process. My favorite part of being an editor was receiving a first draft and having my mind inundated with ideas of how I could help the writer make it a better, stronger story. I’d craft these insane 15+ page editorial letters, reworking everything from word choice to switching chapters around to adding/removing entire storylines. It was so unbelievably satisfying to figure out what's not working and devise a plan for how to fix it. Oh yessssss.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to shut off that part of my brain as I plow through the rest of my draft. So many ideas and tweaks and potential changes are elbowing for room in my mind. I'm seeing problems, snags, plot holes and I dig my heels into the page. I want to STOP! I want to FIX! But I CAN'T!

It’s a total brawl. I have bruised my grey matter for sure.

I’m trying to keep writing while making lists of these issues, but I’m definitely the kind of writer who wants to tweak that sentence a million times before I feel happy with it. It's a bit paralyzing for me, at times, to think back to all the things I want to make better in chapters 1-18 when I should be brainstorming ideas for chapter 19.

But I keep telling myself that the only way I’ll be able to hone my story down and make it totally kickass is to have a full first draft before I go back, put on my official editor's cap (see right) and start pruning. And it's true. You can't really fix a story that hasn't been written.

So here's the deal I've struck with myself. After typing THE END, I’ll set aside one full week to write a 15+ page editorial letter addressed to me. I'll even mail it in a manilla envelope, with a nice pretty stamp.

Who would YOU cast in your book?

Holly Black has posted casting decisions for the movie version of her books The Spiderwick Chronicles! I have to say, this is a pretty star-studded, amazing cast. Mary-Louise Parker is amazing, Andrew McCarthy is mcDreamy, and you've gotta love that young Freddie Highmore! Holly is so lucky. Here's the rest of the cast:

In Negotiations:

Mary-Louise Parker (Saved!) as the kid's mother Helen Grace
Nick Nolte (Hulk) as the voice of Mulgrath
Martin Short as the voice of Thimbletack/Bogart
Joan Plowright (101 Dalmatians) as the kid's Aunt Lucinda Spiderwick

Already Cast:
Freddie Highmore (Finding Neverland) as the twins, Jared and Simon Grace.
Sarah Bolger (In America) as the sister, Mallory Grace.
Andrew McCarthy as the kid's father, Arthur Spiderwick.

Now here's the real question: Who would cast in your own book, or your favorite book that's not yet a movie? For me, it's a real toughie, because it's so hard to try and cast child actors when everyone knows it takes forever for an actual movie to get made, and by that time, the child actor could be 27. But, let's play make-believe here and pretend. I'll pick AnnaSophia Robb (of Charlie and the Chocolate Factoy and Because of Winn Dixie) for Annemarie, a younger Dennis Quaid for Daddy, Wilcox, Maria Bello for Mama Wilcox, Rachel Bilson for Celia, and I honestly have no idea who I'd cast for the two boys. Boys look different from one minute to the next! And I can't think of a single boy actor off the top of my head.

QOW: Sophomore Effort Paralyzes Author

Question of the Week: What problem are you having in your writing life right now, and what are you doing to fix it?

The problem I'm having right now is a lack of confidence in my second book. My first book is in the production stage, and now that it's been through editing and copyediting, I'm really very happy with it. And that's kind of a shocker, because I thought I'd hang on to it forever, tweaking and fixing and nitpicking, but I really feel that it has reached a good place. HOWEVER, it's also making me feel sort of lost and desperate about my new book, which is only in the second draft stage, and isn't going very well.

My nerves about the second book are further compounded by the idea of showing it to my agent/editor at some point in the future and having both of them ask me never to call them again. And that is paralyzing me and keeping me from doing really strong revisions. Or any revisions, for that matter, because for the last week I've just been staring at it and hoping it will fix itself. And that kind of behavior is really only acceptable in a six-year-old, and not a big, grown-up writer lady like myself.

So I need help! How do I get past this second-book paralysis and just write already?

Don't worry, be happy?

Okay, so my post sort of piggy-backs on Daphne's, and Lisa's too. I'm a worrier. It influences my life (sometimes I wonder if this blog also serves as a therapy session?) and it influences my writing.

I worry before I sit down to write. I worry about getting enough done, feeling happy with what I've gotten done, etc. etc. And sometimes I worry that what makes sense in my head may not make sense on paper.

About ten years ago, I found a cartoon (I thought it was Cathy, but now I don't think so) that said, "Math, science, history: the worrying alone could take hours!" Luckily I no longer have to worry about those subjects, but the comic is so true! I spend so much time worrying when I could be sitting down at the computer and writing!

Also, I'm having a hard time with writing in third person. I feel so happy when I'm in first person, strolling along through my story. But now I'm working on something in third person, and it's hard! But, I'm getting used to it, I think.

Here's to writing, and trying to cut down on the worrying!

Think people are going to read your book's press release?

I came across this article in my WritersWeekly newsletter and I thought I'd share it. Even though publicists normally handle this stuff, many writers are becoming more and more involved with marketing and publicity themselves. Here are some highlights from the article:

The biggest mistake you can make is to begin the title of your new book press release with "New Book" or "Just Released" or some other boring line like that. Since the proliferation of self-publishing companies, there are so many new books released each day now that nobody really cares anymore. What you absolutely MUST do to get the press and the public interested is to make your press release a news story. And, news stories, good ones anyway, don't simply announce new books that have come on the market. They make the book or the author today's news.

When you write an "article" that is, in essence, promoting your book, it is a press release. When you make that press release an article, the press is much more apt to grab your story and run with it. You've not only given their readers a great story (and only a tiny, subtle marketing blurb), but you've also made a journalist's job much easier that day! They won't need to rewrite what you've written and may only need to make a few changes, or none at all. What more could a journalist (and a hopeful author) want?!

Read the full article
Press Releases Are Boring -- News is Not by Angela Hoy

Literary Writers Conference in NYC 11/2-11/4

So our benevolent alma mater New School has given us the head's up about the Literary Writers Conference in NYC, from Nov 2nd-4th. It's pretty steep-- $350 but some of the seminars seem pretty interesting. For example, "Behind the Scenes: Shaping Your Career," "Marketing Team Matters," and "Working with an Outside Publicist." More details below:

"CLMP has come up with a stunning lineup of professionals from the Academy of American Poets, Barnes & Noble, Bookforum, Doubleday, FSG, Grove/Atlantic, HarperCollins, Knopf, New Directions, Norton, Poets & Writers, Publishers Weekly, Softskull, and many others. For the complete schedule, please go to www.lwcnyc.org."

Lockstockings, are any of you going? I think I'd like to check it out, we get a pretty big discount as New Schoolers.

Waiting and Worrying

My writing is now in the stage of waiting: waiting for my editorial letter. I’m not sure there’s anything I hate as much as waiting. The sense of helplessness, the inability to do take any kind of useful action, the not knowing when it will end all leave me stewing in my own juices. And that is not a good because it leads me to the place I should never go: the land of worry.
I’m a born worrier, I can worry it up with the big time worriers. In fact I could give those people lessons. So as the hours pile up with no editorial letter to keep me focused and productive, my worries grow. Here are just a few of the things I found to worry about in the last ten minutes:
* That no one will ever buy my book and it’ll be in the half off bargain bin three days after it comes out. And then it won’t sell there either.
*That every reviewer will massacre it and it’ll become legend, the most reviled and mocked book in the history of teen lit.
*That I’ll go to readings and the only people there will be my husband, my mom and my sister, who will try to compensate for all the empty chairs and pretend that every customer who walks by is really there to see me, even if that customer has their hands over their ears.
*That I will go for a school visit and get booed.
A wiser person in my situation would write an award winning book or learn to knit in this waiting time, but me, I’ll just be hanging out in the land of worry, until the day when that letter arrives. At which time I can spend all my time worrying that my rewrites suck…

What a feeling

LONGSTOCKINGS TOPIC OF THE WEEK: What problem are you having in your writing life right now, and what are you doing to fix it?

Well, frankly I’m having oodles of problems with my new manuscript, having started the stupid thing dozens of times without ever finishing a complete first draft. Arg. Not to be a whiner or anything, but sometimes writing is hard. Some days I just want to give it up and be a welder. Okay, I’m sure I’d be a terrible welder, but they do get to wear those awfully cool hats. And some of them are really good dancers. (Side note: you don't see any awesome dance movies about children's book writers, do you? Hmmm.)

I know that I just have to finish the first draft of this dumb book, and then I can go back and fix it. It’s tough, though, when you sit down to write something you think will be brilliant and somewhere between your fingers and the computer monitor it turns to pure dribble. Or you do manage to write some bit of genius, and you’re very proud of yourself, and the next morning when you go back to read it you realize it’s somehow rotted during the night and it’s not half as wonderful as you thought it was. I keep trying to remember what Anne Lamott says in Bird by Bird (okay, actually she stole it from E.L. Doctorow, but whatever):

“Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.”

Still, I keep getting all panicked, like, “I can’t see with just my headlights! I can’t see! WHAT IF I HIT A DEER????”

Clearly, I have some issues.

Right now, I’m just trying to get stuff down on paper. And not—I repeat, not—start over. I will finish this draft, I swear. And I do think that little by little I’m coming to figure out what my story is (which is, of course, not at all what I thought it was going to be at the beginning). So in the end I know it’s good for me that I have to muck through all the stops and starts—to learn what it is I’m really trying to say. And welders don’t get to do that. Because once you weld something together, I’m pretty sure it’s stuck like that forever. So I guess I’m glad I’m a writer after all.

Anyone have any great advice for getting through the mucky first drafts? I’m all ears. Help, please!

Books I love, love, love

Now, anybody who knows me knows my favorite book is I CAPTURE THE CASTLE by Dodie Smith. But because I am crowing about it all the time, I'm gonna switch things up on ya and talk about some of my other beloved books.

I'll start with the most epic of epic-- Miss Margaret Mitchell's GONE WITH THE WIND. In the 7th grade, I was positively feverish for Gone With the Wind. I was obsessed with the idea of realizing too late that you love someone, and to have him say, I don’t give a damn, dude, and walk out the door anyway. I loved the idea of this girl who flounced around Atlanta like a diva. I loved that she wasn't the most likeable kind of main character, but you kinda liked her in spite of her wicked ways.

I also loved FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC by VC Andrews. I read it in the fifth grade, and I definitely didn't understand everything in it, but I was fascinated by it! What kind of mother locks up her four beautiful babies in an attic for a few years? Who does that? And, VC was really good at describing food (canapes and fried chicken and powdered donuts, oh my!) and also clothes (tutus and pink ruffled panties and emerald green ballgowns!).

Other favorites: anything Lois Duncan but LOCKED IN TIME and STRANGER WITH MY FACE in particular, Christopher Pike especially REMEMBER ME, Sixth Grade Can Really Kill You by Barthe deClements, and Camp Girl-Meets-By by Caroline B. Cooney. And L.J. Smith's Secret Circle trilogy! And it goes without saying that I loved the Babysitter's Club, Fabulous Five, and Sweet Valley Twins.