Retreating and Rewriting

The words are flowing at this here retreat! We've had many productive writing sessions, and also some, uh, NOT productive ones. It's late Saturday evening now and we're about to close up laptops for the night and remove to the hot tub area for wine and shop talk.

Tomorrow we have breakfast, morning writing, and then we head back to NYC. Booooooooooo.

*caroline hickey

Writer's Retreat! Weekend Update!

Hi, this is Jenny Han, signing in from our super secret writing retreat location. We've just had a delicious breakfast of apple walnut pancakes, sausage, and cinnamon cake. We're just sitting down to write, to go for a three hour push before lunch. Last night, we ate crab legs and baked potatoes and came back to the place ready to... SWIM! We took a latenight swim in the pool and went straight to the hot tub. Awww, yeah. Except for Coe, who wrote dilligently. So yesterday we settled in and did some brainstorming work and today we are settling in for the long haul. Writing, lunch, pool, writing, dinner, writing!

This is Jenny Han, signing off!

QoW: From Guest Blogger, Sarah Beth Durst!

Question of the Week: What is the best pet in a children's book?

I had a little trouble deciding on a best pet, so I asked my three top contenders to stop by for a group interview. With me now are: Wilbur (Fern's pig from Charlotte's Web by E.B. White), the Cheshire Cat (from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll), and a telepathic dragon (from the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey).

Let's begin:

Me: Question #1. So, what makes you different from all other pets? Do you have any talents/skills?

Dragon: I am a fire-breathing telepathic dragon who can cross through space and time instantaneously.

Wilbur: Oink! [The pig executes a perfect back-flip while a hairy spider writes the words "SOME PIG" in her web.]

Cat: Seems to me that it's the spider with the talent. [The cat vanishes, leaving only a grin.]

Me: Question #2. What is your worst habit? In other words, is there anything about you that would annoy me if you were my pet?

Dragon: I am perfect, though sometimes I do belch fire.

Wilbur: Oink, oink. [The pig rolls in the mud and then eats garbage.]

Cat: Twas brillig, and the slithy toves... [The cat reappears and disappears twice as he sings nonsense words.]

Me: Question #3. If I were in a burning building, what would you do?

Dragon: I would call upon our telepathic connection to locate you, pry off the roof of the building with my talons, and then soar with you to safety in the smoke-stained sky.

Wilbur: Oink, oink, oink-oink. [A rat scurries into view. He is holding a match. He strikes it against the pig's trough. Wilbur lifts his hind leg and, a-hem, douses the flame.]

Cat: Do I look like Lassie? I am a cat, not a dog. A dog growls when it's angry, and wags its tail when it's pleased. Now I growl when I'm pleased, and wag my tail when I'm angry. Therefore, I am a mad cat and not inclined to enter burning buildings.

Me: Question #4. If neighbors came to visit, how would you react?

Dragon: I would demand 20% of their earnings, as is my right as a dragon of Pern.

Wilbur: Oink! [The pig displays his meaty stomach while the spider spins the word "SUCCULENT."]

Cat: In that direction, your neighbor is the Mad Hatter. In that direction, lives a March Hare. I wouldn't recommend letting either of them visit. They're both mad.

Me: Final question. If you were my pet, how would you treat me?

Dragon: Like you were the lost half of my soul. Like the sister of my heart. Like my true family.

Wilbur: Oink-ety oink! [The pig trots over to me, opens his mouth, and drops a spider's egg sac into my hands. Baby spiders begin crawling on me. I shriek.]

Cat: That depends a good deal on how much you feed me. [This time, he vanishes leaving only a mouth with very sharp teeth.]

Me: Thank you all for coming. I hope you'll forgive me when I say that you'd all make really lousy pets. I'm going to go interview Black Beauty and Old Yeller...


Sarah Beth Durst's first novel, INTO THE WILD, was just released last week!

You can learn more about Sarah Beth (and her book!) by checking out her website and her very funny blog. Oh yeah, she also has a MySpace page!

Thanks, Sarah Beth. And good luck with your first novel!

Enjoy!!!
:-)

QoW: Who's the rottenest rotten of all?

Question of the Week: What is the best pet in a children's book?

I'm going to define the term "best" here as meaning "the most fun to read about." Because my pick for best pet, Rotten Ralph, surely isn't most people's idea of a good kitty.

Rotten Ralph was one of my favorite picture books as a kid, although I simultaneously adored it and was freaked out by it.

Loved it: Ralph is a hilariously terrible cat, finding ever-inventive ways to be more and more rotten. Case in point: at Sarah's tea party, he takes one bite out of every single cookie. Awesome.

Freaked me out: While Sarah is swinging, Ralph saws off the branch her swing is hanging from. Yikes!

I also used to get kind of spooked when Sarah's dad got so mad at Ralph that he actually left him at the circus. Poor Ralph! The idea that anyone (even a cat) could be so terrible that his family would just abandon him and force him to be slave labor for sideshow performers always made me a bit fearful. But in the end we see that Sarah and her family still love Ralph, despite everything he does, and he tries his darnedest not to be rotten anymore (except when Mom cooks lobster.).

~lisa graff~

QoW: All Dogs Go to Heaven

Question of the Week: What is the best pet in a children's book?

I'm going to make this QoW about beloved, brave dogs that have passed but have made a mark on me. * spoilers ahead. * Most dogs mentioned are long gone, but you never know who hasn't read what!

First, Ann and Dan of Where the Red Fern Grows. Oh, Ann and Dan. I'm not exaggerating when I say that just talking about this book makes me cry. When Ann gets mauled by a mountain lion, trying to protect her boy Billy and her pal Dan, ohhhh man, I can't hold the tears inside. Brave, brave Ann! She was always the stronger one. As a kid, I loved that. I loved that Ann, the girl dog, could kick anybody's ass, including her brother pup Dan. Poor Dan died of sadness, and that kills me. Poor Billy without both of his pups! But now he has the red fern. Although, let's be honest, would you rather have a dumb old fern or two of the greatest hunting dogs ever? That you yourself trained and made great?

Next is old Searchlight from Stone Fox. Oh, Searchlight! I don't remember much about this book but the end. I love that line at the end where Stone Fox is like, "Whoever crosses this line gets shot." Or whatever. Something like that! It is very inspirational anyway.

Last is Sounder. Another coon hunting dog, another loyal friend. Now I don't even 100% remember if Sounder dies, but I do remember his ear is all tore up and he gets hurt awful bad. I haven't read this book since the fourth grade, but I remember that ear. And I remember the way the house was filled with the smell of bread and bacon that morning The Boy's dad stole the hog that changed their lives forever.

jenny

QoW: Pow!

Question of the Week: What is the best pet in a children's book?

I’m going to tweak this a little and write about the best names for pets in books. I am a huge animal lover and I get such a kick out of well written pet characters. And for me that starts with a great pet name.

In my opinion the queen of naming pets is Beverly Cleary. Her names capture, in one or two words, the essence of the animal in a way that a thousand page essay couldn’t come close to doing. For example, Sir Puss of FIFTEEN. You get the full I-take-my-fur-self-very-seriously nature of a particular type of cat in those two words. Then there’s Picky-Picky from the Ramona books. Again, the name tells us everything about this fussy, things-have-to-be just-right-for-me type of kitty cat. They’re perfect.

But others have given Ms. Cleary a run for her money in this department. What was the family in the Babysitters Club that had the lazy basset hound named Pow? That name cracked me up. I can just see those kids hoping that if they named their dog Pow, he’d turn into a superhero dog. Kudos to Ann M. Martin on that one.

Judy Blume also does an excellent job naming pets. She does poignant, like when Peter names his dog Turtle in TALES OF A FOURTH GRADE NOTHING. But she also gives the name that is cute and fun to say, like Mew in IT’S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD. There’s even a good story about how Mew got her name.

Those are just a few of the good ones out there. Anyone else have others to add?

#daphne

The Scoop from ALA

I. Saw. Judy. Blume. I SAW JUDY BLUME!

I was at ALA in DC this weekend and got to sit in on a terrific program discussing the evolution of audiobooks for children. The speakers included Bruce Coville, John Green, Jack Gantos, and JUDY. I'm pretty sure I had a silly grin on my face the entire time she was speaking. I read ALL of her books when I was in second grade (even the YA ones--my mom said I would not be stopped until I'd read them all!) and since then I have idolized her. And she is every bit as lovely in person as her prose would indicate. (The other speakers were marvelous too, but Judy was, well, JUDY.)

ALA itself was pretty neat. I went to a party for my publisher on Friday night which was great fun, but the conference was overwhelming at times. I heard there were 20,000 attendees. 20,000! The exhibit hall was packed, and some of the programs I attended were so full I had to stand in the hallway. I did get to hear Laurie Halse Anderson, and Virginia Euwer Wolff, and Cornelia Funke, and many others, as well as meet some extremely awesome librarians.

I did NOT get any ARCs, as I left before the end of the conference, which I hear is when publishers start throwing them at people. I did see my book displayed at my publisher's booth, which made me feel slightly cool.

But mostly, it was all about the Judy.

*caroline hickey

QoW: Dogs have feelings too

Question of the week: What is the best pet in a children's book?

I know I have talked about ELSEWHERE many, many times on this blog. But I can't help the fact that once again, that book answers the question of the week for me. It's really a no-brainer.

When ELSEWHERE starts, we're immediately in Lucy, the dog's, head. We're feeling her agony, her pain, her struggle over the loss of her beloved Liz. Lucy's thoughts are what grabbed me into the story, what made me unable to put the book down. And besides, how can anyone resist a pet with actual, real, human, feelings?

Here are a few snippets to prove my point:

Sitting primly on Alvy's too-small lap, Lucy imagines that Lizzie is just away at college. Lizzy was nearly sixteen, and it would have happened in about two years anyway. The glossy brochures had already begun piling up on Lizzie's bedroom floor. Occasionally, Lucy would urinate on one of the brochures or bite a corner out of another, but even then she knew it couldn't be stopped. One day Lizzie would go, and dogs weren't allowed in dorm rooms.

The next day the mother takes Lucy to the dog park. It's the first time anyone has remembered to walk Lucy since the end.
On the way over, Lucy can smell the mother's sadness all around them. She tries to determine what the smell reminds her of. Is it rain? Bourbon? Old books? Wool socks? Bananas, Lucy decides.

Bandit, a one-eyed all-American who in less refined circles would be called a mut, offers his sympathies. He asks Lucy, "They putting you on the streets?"
"No," Lucy replies, "I'll still live with the same family.
"Then I don't see what's so bad about it," Bandit says.
"She was only fifteen."
"So? We only have ten, fifteen years tops, and you don't see us carrying on."
"But she wasn't a dog," Lucy Barks. "She was a human, my human, and she got hit by a car.
"So? We get hit by cars all the time. Cheer up, little pug. You worry too much. That's why you have so many wrinkles."
Lucy has heard this joke many times before and she thinks, somewhat unkindly, for Bandit isn't a bad sort, that she has never met a mutt with a good sense of humor.



*Lisa GW*

Readers, place your bets

So this is a few weeks old, and I'm sure most interested parties have seen this already, but I thought I would pass it along just in case.

It's that article in the Times about what makes a bestseller. The most interesting part for me was finding out the advance that Curtis Sittenfeld got for Prep! (40,000 in case you're wondering.) But there were some other interesting points made as well.

* "There are two ways for a book to become a best seller. One is to make it on to a best-seller list by selling many copies in a week. Other books sell steadily over months and years, eventually outselling many official best sellers."

* "The advance payment to the author is often an estimate of the first year’s royalties, usually 10 percent to 15 percent of expected sales. The advance is a liability for the publisher because it is a fixed cost. It doesn’t have to be repaid by the author if it turns out to be an overestimate, which it usually is. But when earned royalties exceed the advance amount, the author is paid more."

* "To make money, the industry depends on perennial sellers and on best sellers. It’s not so much the almost sure-fire best sellers by the well-known authors, because those cost so much to acquire and market, but the surprise best sellers. Those include books like “Prep,” “The Nanny Diaries” (bought for $25,000, it sold more than four million copies), “Marley and Me” (bought for $200,000, sold 2.5 million copies) and “The Secret” (bought for less than $250,000, sold 5.25 million copies in less than six months)."

* "Ms. Sittenfeld says she is reminded of something she heard from an editor: 'People think publishing is a business, but it’s a casino.'"

Doesn't that just sound kind of ominous? I don't like thinking of my book or my career as a slot machine. But it's true, it's all a gamble, and the nature of the business is so fickle and mysterious that who even knows what will pay off or what will break the bank. But see, I've always been a gambling woman. So I guess I'll play, because, it is fun.

jenny

The Off Season is totally on

So Daphne was kind enough to let me borrow her copy of Catherine Murdock's Off Season, and last night I stayed up till 5am reading it. Let me first say that I really enjoyed Dairy Queen, and I really enjoyed this. DJ is such a nice girl to spend some time with, and her voice is just right. I really felt DJ's weariness right along with her-- the pressures of keeping up the farm, all her family responsibilities, all of it. I felt the world on my shoulders just like DJ. The surprise ending made me cry. It was just so good! The only thing I would've liked to have seen was more of was the relationship between Dad and Bill and Win. There was that big rift carried over from the last book, and when they finally see each other again, I felt like it wasn't really dealt with. Now I know that's how Schwenk men are, but still! Also, I would love to hear DJ finally say, dang, all of these responsibilities Mom and Dad put on me are not fair and it's too much. Her mom and dad rely on her so much, I wanted to cry for her. DJ barely gets to go to school because she's handling all of the things they should be handling! I feel mad on her behalf just thinking about it. I'm hoping there will be a third book! I want to see what happens to the farm and see it succeed! Oh, one other thing I loved-- all of the food scenes! I love food scenes. In this one, we got barbecue and fried chicken and spinach with bacon. Mmmm! So all in all, this sequel gets two thumbs up from me. Go buy it! I might just get my own copy.

Next to borrow is Lisa Graff-- maybe you could share your thoughts too, Lisa!

jenny

Roundtable Time! Talkin' Up Coram Boy

A few weeks ago, Jenny, Coe, and I went to see the Broadway production of Coram Boy, which was based on the YA novel of the same name. The book (which is, by the way, incredibly good), is a sort of Gothic Dickensian historical novel that takes place in 18th Century England. The story's quite complicated, but to sum up rather quickly, it is based on the idea of the "Coram Man" -- the man who would take unwanted children from their unwed mothers (often from high-class families) and bring them safely to the well-regarded Coram Hospital in London (the one place at the time where orphans really had a shot at any sort of decent life). Some Coram Men were legit. Others, not so much. The book and play center around one such scoundrel named Otis, who takes money from these desperate woman and then promptly throws their babies in ditches (egad!), and the tangled web that ensues when one baby slips through the cracks (as it were).

Here, then, are our thoughts on the Broadway extravaganza:

Jenny: First of all, I'd like to apologize for all my screaming. I am very sorry that I am easily scared. I am like a skittish pony, shrieking at the littlest thing. But in my defense, this was a SCARY play. The choir kept singing in a freaky way, and there were baby skulls, and a hanging, and a loud musket! Can we discuss the baby skulls for a moment?

Lisa: Baby skeletons!! Man, those were freaky. It's one thing to read about dead babies, and quite another to see their skeletons being unearthed from the ground. With crazy Handel music going on in the background. But I thought it was really effective. I mean, that kind of thing is supposed to be freaky.

Coe: To be honest, I'm still a little traumatized by the play. And yes, I admit, I was WEEPING by intermission. There was just so much going on. My emotions were all over the place!

Lisa: Yeah, Coe, I was a little shocked to see you weeping! Between you crying and Jenny screaming, you'd think we all were being abducted or something. What did you guys think of the show as a whole? Thumbs up or thumbs down?

Coe: Hey, don't make fun of a gal for sobbing during a Broadway play! I mean, c'mon, they were pulling baby skeletons out of the ground!!! I was completely freaked out. I was thinking, "What kind of play did Lisa bring me to? Why is she doing this to me?!?" :-)

But, I would give the play two thumbs up! It was beautifully staged and acted. And all that raw emotion and scary Handel music! Wow.

Jenny: Okay, the weeping, Coe? Really? I walked into the theater not knowing a whole lot about the subject matter, which I think was a good thing for me. I trembled in fear the whole time! And fine, I may have teared up when certain folks were reunited with certain folks. Lisa, do you think the play was true to the novel?

Lisa: It was amazingly true to the novel. Some plotlines were simplified bit, but I can't think of any that were missing all together. That kind of shocked me, actually. I thought they'd try to cut out some of the more minor characters or trim the storyline more ruthlessly, but they didn't -- which is cool, because I think all of those characters and subplots add to the depth of the story. But it is a very complicated plot. Did you guys find it confusing at all, going into it blind? I feel like I would have gotten a bit lost if I hadn't read the book first.

Jenny: No, I wasn't confused, especially since you explained who Coram was before the story got started. That definitely helped! I was more confused whether the actors playing the two main guys were girls or boys. A quick peek at my playbill during intermission confirmed that they were indeed girls. So yeah, that's what I was pondering during the first half.

Lisa: Quick side note: Did you realize that the girl who played Young Alexander during the first act was the same person who played Aaron (Alexander's son) during the second act? Because I am so lame I didn't even realize that until this morning when I read that she was up for a Tony!

Coe: Yes, I realized that, more for her voice than her looks. I thought it was very clever of them to do that!

Jenny: Wait a minute, whoa. I thought Aaron's voice sounded familiar! But wait, Alexander with the ponytail seemed so much older! And taller. Wow. No wonder they switched from young Alexander to older, much suaver Alexander right before the "Let's Get it On" scene with Melissa. It would be weird if Alexander was both the father and the son. Am I making any sense here?

Lisa: Ha! Totally. Any final thoughts?

Coe: Seeing the play definitely makes me want to read the book. I think it would explain a lot of the characters' backgrounds. And maybe it'll be a little less scary!

Jenny: All in all, it was a great day. Thanks for bringing us, Lisa!

Lisa: No problem! Thanks for joining me!

###

The play has, sadly, already closed on Broadway. But the book (by British author Jamila Gavin) is truly amazing, and I would definitely encourage everyone to check it out!

~lisa graff~

saving you money, a dime at a time...

In my endless quest to procrastinate, I stumbled onto another website that might be of interest to those of us who routinely lose track of our library books (and rack up huge fines!)

Well, if you're like me, LibraryElf might be your answer!

LibraryElf is a free way to manage all the books, DVDs, and CDs you borrow from the library. Signing up is really simple. All you need to know is the name of your library system (they have a pull-down menu of libraries all across the country) and the barcode from your library card. Then you choose how you want LibraryElf to notify you when your due dates are coming up (you can choose from e-mail, RSS, and text message) and when you want to be notified (I chose 3 days before the due date.)

I can't tell you how well it works yet since my due date is still too far away, but it seems like an interesting little service, especially when you have several books checked out, all with different due dates.

See for yourself!

(And if you're already an Elf member, please let us know what you think about it.)

:-)

~Coe~

For Writers In Tiny Apartments

Okay. So my apartment isn't that tiny. But because my boyfriend is a designer and he has to have one of those enormous fancy macs (as well as a scanner, a wacom tablet and all kinds of stuff), he's the one who gets the desk. That has left me, up until now, to sit uncomfortably all over our apartment with my legs scrunched up as a laptop prop.

I don't mind being a nomad in our apartment. I like being able to move around to either find quiet, or to look out the windows, or to watch some TV. But my legs do get sore after a long typing spell. So I just invested in this sweet baby AND I AM IN LOVE WITH IT!

It's just the right height to type on the couch, in bed, or on the floor. I can even cross my legs like a lady underneath it. And I think that cork inlay for a beverage is a nifty feature. I also love the deep paper well, where I can stash the hard copy of my manuscript while I type.

Anyhow, just thought I'd pass this along to any other spatially-challenged writers out there.

-=siobhan=-

Cojones

Help me, dear readers. I need a kick in the pants!

I'm working on the revisions for my second book, ISABELLE'S BOYFRIEND, but I'm having trouble locating my cojones. Normally, I'm a pretty fearless reviser, slashing scenes, killing characters, and rewriting with confidence. But for some reason I am really wussing out on this draft. I seem to be stuck on trimming and tightening, which I need to do NEXT draft. This is supposed to be my slash and burn draft!

So I need a stern talking to. Yell at me! Help me to find my Raging Inner Reviser! Or offer your tried-and-true wisdom on overcoming second-book-sissy syndrome.

*caroline hickey

Just Not Invited

So what’s a girl to do when she learns that except for her, all the moms in her kid's toddler group have been invited to a party thrown by one of the other moms? I had sulk, stew and decide I hated the other moms covered in the first hour, but they weren’t fully satisfying. So I turned to books.

One of the many things I love about reading is the reminder that your life is unique and at the same time contains universal experience that a lot of other people have struggled through and survived. And it can really make you feel better to read about their experiences.

I started with the Critter book my kids had me read at nap time, JUST NOT INVITED. Critter believes he is the only one not invited to Billy Bear’s birthday party and is sick over it until the day of the party when he goes to the park and sees that Tiger and a few others weren’t invited either, and they go off and have fun together. It wasn’t like I suddenly felt all better, but it did help me to remember that I had actual friends who invite me to their parties. And I could always call them to complain about being left out (which I did.)

Next I hit up FIFTEEN. There’s a poignant scene where Jane is not invited to a dance and tries to pretend that it doesn’t bother her but in the end accepts that it really hurts. This scene reminded me that I had a lot less at stake than Jane and that in the big picture things often work out for the best. But also that no matter how you try to play it, it sucks not to be invited.

These books helped but I am searching for more. What are some of your favorite not-invited/left-out scenes in books?

#daphne

Something I've been pondering

Lately I've been thinking about the whole "write what you know" concept. I used to think it was the best way to go. Afterall, when you know something really well and when you care about something a whole lot, your writing comes out deeper and more emotional and consequently, just generally better. However, after a discussion with my agent a few days ago, I came to a conclusion. When you know something so so so so well, it's really hard to separate yourself from the subject. It's hard to write a story and not simply write and rely on your story.

Gennifer Choldenko, the fabulous writer of one of my favorite books, Al Capone Does My Shirts, talks about this very eloquently.

What are your thoughts? Please share. I've been thinking about this so much lately and I'd love to hear what all of you think.

Thanks!

I signed a poster

I did something last night I've never done before -- I signed a poster! To me, that's something famous (or at least important) people do. Not little old first-time authors.

I had a book signing up in White Plains and at the end of the evening, the staff took down the posters and asked me if I'd sign one for them to hang on their wall. Sign with MY SIGNATURE, which is still pretty uneven, considering I've only been signing things with this last name for a year and a half. Sometimes I still catch myself writing Caroline Sm..., then remember to put Hickey, and my signature ends up looking like Caroline Smhickey. Smhickey's a nice name.

Anyhoo, here's the pic. You can tell I'm feeling a bit cheeky.

Galleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeys!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll admit I'm slightly frazzled this week. I've just come back from the awesomely awesomest vacation ever (check out my blog for some ridiculously lovely photos), but now I am sick, I'm jetlagged, my apartment looks like I tried to split an atom in here, and work is insane. So when I came home last night, I was so so thrilled to find this on my doorstep:


GALLEYS FOR MY SECOND BOOK! Wheeeee!!!!! That cheered me right up. It must've been Galley Day or something, since the lovely Miss Siobhan just got hers too. I took a page out of her book and snapped a photo of myself (Siobhan, you are never lame. Me on the other hand...):


YAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY! :)

~lisa graff~

OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!

MY GALLEYS HAVE JUST ARRIVED AT MY APARTMENT!!!!

of course, no one is with me so i had to celebrate by taking a picture of myself! ha! man, i am soooo lame.

anyhow, i don't have a jpeg of the cover (that handlettered font is not yet final) but here's my baby!


SQUEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

QoD: O Time, Time, Wherefore Art Thou?

Anonymous asked the following Question of the Day:

Where do you find the time to write? Do you have a set regimen? For example, at least two hours a day/two pages a day? What works best for each of you and how do you stay disciplined?

Oh, Anonymous, where do you come up with these questions?!? I can only answer this one from my own experience and hope other writers will weigh in as well.

I'm really, really bad at finding the time to write. I'd always imagined that if I ever had the opportunity to write full-time I would be super efficient. I would wake up early and knock out a chapter or two before breakfast. After breakfast I would hit the keyboard again for the rest of the day, taking a break only for important phone calls from my editor and agent, and (since this was my imagination) the director of the film based on my novel! (And, hey, let's just call this director "Spike." Hint hint, Mr. Lee!)

Okay, back to the real world...

In reality, my writing is way less regimented. I have some scheduled writing time during the week when I meet with my writer friends at specific times/locations to write. Otherwise, I try to write whenever I can. My prime writing time is between midnight and four A.M. I'll also write in the afternoon, but it's hit or miss then. Too many distractions!

One of the friends I write with has a set-goal of writing 1000 words a day. I think this is excellent since it has really kept her on track with her novel. I also know people who have a time goal, like, they must write for X amount of hours each day, usually around four hours. I've tried both of these goals, but they never worked for me for long. It's possible I'm just lazy. But I will try again! (I think I like the word count goal better than the time goal, though!)

For me, the only way I'll ever be even a teeny tiny bit disciplined is by use of a device that has kept writers writing since the beginning of time! A deadline! Without a deadline, I don't think I'd ever write a word. The primary reason I went back to school to get the MFA was because I needed to be forced to write. Writing groups are also good for that. We Longstockings turn in work to our group at scheduled intervales and that also helps keep us all writing.

So if you need a little kick in the pants to write and you don't have an editor breathing down your neck, find a good writing group, one that will hold you to some kind of deadline.

Okay other WRITERS, let's hear from ya'll now!

~Coe~

QoW: How's a girl to pick just three?

Question of the Week: You're about to be stranded on a desert island and you can only bring three books with you. Which ones will you bring?

This is a ridiculously hard question! Who thought of this one??? In any case, I can only hope I don't really end up on a desert island with only three books because, like Justine and my fellow Longstockings, I am having trouble choosing. Also, I get sunburned really easily...

Okay, so here are my choices (although I reserve the right to change my mind three seconds after I post this):

1. To Kill a Mockingbird
This is the only easy choice, actually. By far my favorite book of all time, it makes me cry and laugh and bite my nails and root for humanity and love life all at the same time -- exactly what a good book should do. I would happily snuggle up with this book anywhere.







2. The Human Comedy
Now, this one was a tougher call. I love love love this book, and it does all the things for me that Mockingbird does, but it has one fatal desert-island flaw: it's extremely short. Nevertheless, I'm packing it in my bag, and if I ever do tire of reading it I can rewrite it as a play and have the island geckos help me perform it for an audience of coconuts (hey, a gal's got to entertain herself somehow).





3. Moby Dick
I may very well regret this one, especially since I have long proclaimed to loathe Herman Melville to my very core. BUT I'm picking his stupid whale book for five very important reasons: (1) I've never read past page 30, so unlike the other two books, it has the whole novelty aspect going for it. (2) It's long, and that's a good thing when you're stuck on an island for goodness-knows-how-long with only a troupe of theatrical geckos to keep you company. (3) There will be lots of room in the margins to keep a journal about my desert island exploits and -- if need be -- how much I loathe Mr. Melville. (4) While stranded on an island it is perhaps not the worst idea to know a little bit about whaling and seafaring practices, and I hear there's a whole heck of a lot of both in this particular novel. (5) If all else fails I can use it as kindling.


~lisa graff~

QoW: From Guest Blogger, Justine Larbalestier!

Question of the Week: You're about to be stranded on a desert island and you can only bring three books with you. Which ones will you bring?

I hate this question. I hate all questions like it. They're impossible.

How the hell am I supposed to choose just three (or ten or twelve or a hundred or whatever) books for a desert island? That's like picking my three (or ten or twelve or a hundred or whatever) favourite books. Ridiculous! Annoying! Not possible!

I change my mind. I change my mind a lot!

If you'd ask me this when I was seven I'd have picked three Enid Blyton books. By the time I was eight and still stuck on that island, I'd be wanting to go back in time to kill Enid Blyton. And she was already dead!

Or if you'd asked me at twelve I'd've insisted on Flowers in the Attic which would have made me deeply sad before too long. It ain't a book (important as it was in my development as a reader and a writer) that stands up to a lot of rereads.

My favourite books change from day to day. From minute to minute. I've read Pride and Prejudice half a million times. And so far it's been what I needed to read every single time. But the last time I picked up a Dorothy Dunnett—The King Hereafter—something astonishing happened: I wasn't in the mood. How is that even possible?

I'd never not been in the mood for Dorothy Dunnett before. Not once. What I was in the mood for, it turned out, was Her Majesty's Dog. One of my fave manga series. And after reading all the available volumes again, manga was all I could read for several weeks until, all of a sudden, I had to read short stories by Zora Neale Hurston. Nothing else would do.

The books I need to reread depend on my mood, the day of the week, how well (or badly) my writing is going, whether I need to read Love or Things Blowing Up or Love Blowing Up.

Sometimes, rarely, I must read poetry. And it must have a particular flow and weft and mouth feel to it or it won't work. But I don't know what all that is until I pick up the book and go, Ah, yes, Gig Ryan's poetry. That's what I was after.

I am a capricious, cranky reader, I cannot and will not choose favourites.

Though I reckon The Master and Margarita might be more than a little bit necessary on any desert island. Or Come In Spinner. Or possibly The Long Goodbye. I'd go mad without Anne of Green Gables. But then I'd need all the Anne books. Do series count as one book? And what about Beloved? I can't take that but then leave Song of Solomon behind. And then there's Geek Love. How sad would I be without my Geek Love? And then there's Austen and the Brontes (all of them) and Dickens and, oh, yes, I'd have to have Capricornia. I'd have to have some Patricia Highsmith. But which? And how could I forget Isak Dinesen . . .

You see? Impossible!


Justine Larbalestier is the author of the acclaimed MAGIC OR MADNESS trilogy. Her newest novel is MAGIC'S CHILD. Justine is also the recent winner of the Andre Norton Award!!!

You can find out all about Justine at her website. She also keeps an almost-daily blog. Can't get enough of Justine? Then why don't you "friend" her on MySpace?

Thanks, Justine. And congratulations on your award! You're da bomb!!!

QoW: Readin' and 'Ritin'

Question of the Week: You're about to be stranded on a desert island and you can only bring three books with you. Which ones will you bring?

Okay, I want to know how I got advance notice of this stranding. I mean, thanks for letting me bring books, but as long as we all know it's coming isn't there some way I can get out of it? No? Oh well.

The bad news is, I read really fast. The good news is, I don't mind rereading.

1. Terry Pratchett's Bromeliad trilogy (Truckers, Diggers, and Wings--the single-volume edition of which is currently on my TBR pile, waiting for my road trip this summer. It's perfect for being stranded--it's long, and Terry Pratchett's what I always read (or reread) when I'm stressed out.



In fact, it's going to be very difficult to resist naming Good Omens (his book with Neil Gaiman) as #2. But instead I will go with:



2. Ta-da! Another all-in-one choice; I am so very clever! Having the complete illustrated Jane Austen will ensure that even though I am all alone on my desert island, I am never without interesting society.




And, last but not least:

#3: My journal. Partly because a lady should always have something sensational to read on a desert island; partly because if I'm good about writing in it then when I finally get rescued I can publish it and become the new female kid-lit Robinson Crusoe. Just what I always wanted!

--Kathryne

QoW: Siobhan's Three

Question of the Week: You're about to be stranded on a desert island and you can only bring three books with you. Which ones will you bring?

I wanted to approach this QoW with a bit of practicality. That, and I am currently obsessed with watching Bear in Discovery Channel's Man vs. Wild use random stuff to survive.

1. BLANKETS by Craig Thompson
Great story, wonderful pictures. I love love love this baby and it's the kind of book you can read over and over again and find some new little nuanced nugget. Also, I could make it into a coloring book for added entertainment, if need be.

2. RABBIT - THE EVERYMAN LIBRARY COLLECTION by John Updike
The series of Updike's Rabbit novels were my meat and potatoes through undergrad. In fact, I debated getting RABBIT tattooed on my back in old-timey typewriter font. I still might! Anyhow, I love a good anti-hero story and this collection does not disappoint. It also contains a gold ribbon bookmark that I could use to start fires or tie a raft together.

3. THE DANGEROUS BOOK FOR BOYS - by Conn Iggulden and Hal Iggulden
Talk about a handbook for survival. This little ditty would surely help me survive, seeing as it is full of lessons like Knots, Making Cloth Fireproof and Hunting and Cooking a Rabbit. Though, I sort of was hoping this desert island might have a spa on the other side. Bear always manages to find civilization, so I will too.

-=siobhan=-

QoW: My Three

Question of the Week: You're about to be stranded on a desert island and you can only bring three books with you. Which ones will you bring?

This is tough because on the one hand I want to bring books I love, but on the other hand, it’d be nice to have something new to read while I’m taking breaks from trying to build a raft out of palm fronds. And given my ability to build anything, chances are I’m going to be stuck on that island a while!

First is an easy one: the new Harry Potter. It’s guaranteed to fascinate me from start to finish, it’s long so it’ll occupy me a while and if I have any company on the island, we can have endless conversations about how things could’ve gone differently, how we’d have written it, etc. Plus once I was rescued I wouldn’t have to worry about anyone spoiling the end before I read the book myself, which is a major danger if you don’t read a Harry Potter book when the rest of the country reads it.

Second would have to be a trusted favorite that I’d be happy to revisit again and again. Obviously there are a bunch of books that fit this description but I’m going to go with Beverly Cleary’s FIFTEEN, perhaps my all-time favorite book ever. I could read it every day for a year and love it more each time.

Third is a difficult call but I think I’m going to go with something I haven’t read that will take me a while. I’m opting for OCTAVIAN NOTHING because it’s long, enough people I trust say it’s good and it has some density to it so I won’t breeze right through. I’m gambling here because if I don’t love it I’m stuck with it for a while. But I think the story has enough layers that it could stand up to a number a read-throughs, at least according to all I’ve heard.

So that’s my list- what’s yours?

#daphne

QoW: Comforts and other stuff

Question of the Week: You're about to be stranded on a desert island and you can only bring three books with you. Which ones will you bring?

1. Tuck Everlasting. No surprise here, I know. But every time I read it, I find something new to love about it. I cry every time and then immediately want to go back and read it again. But I cry in a good way, in a refreshing, cleansing sort of way, so of course I'd have to bring it with me. There's no way I could be without it.

2. Gone with the Wind. Okay, so I've never read it. I confess. And I've always been wanting to read it, but I still haven't. So this would be the perfect time to have it, and I'd have plenty of hours to read it, enjoy it, and savor it. I think it's a good plan. (P.S. I wrote this before I read Jenny's post. I promise.)

3. My new MacBook. This is cheating, I know, but I am so excited about the computer I just bought on Saturday. It's small and lightweight, and I know I am going to type lots and lots of wonderful pages on it. It makes me feel so inspired to dig in on my WIP and spend hours and hours using its battery, not even needing to plug in. Ah. So, back to the island thing. Well, sure the battery will eventually run out and there probably won't be anywhere to plug in on the island, but I'd still bring it with me. (Note: I really just wanted to use this as an excuse to tell everyone about this.)

*Lisa GW*

QoW: LOST with only 3 books and no Sawyer? Dang.

Question of the Week: You're about to be stranded on a desert island and you can only bring three books with you. Which ones will you bring?

This is so hard. How does one pick only three books to take with them, especially when you have no idea if and when you will ever be rescued? I could try and be mucho clever and pick "How to Survive on a Desert Island" or some such, but I'm not gonna do that. I am going to be true to this question and the selection process. Here is the criteria I am going to consider:

1. Longevity: Can I read this book over and over again and not be bored? Will it be pleasurable each and every time I pick it up?
2. Intimidation Factor: Is this a book I've always wanted to read, or thought I should read, and just never did? Well, now I'll have all the time in the world to tackle it and really give it some thought.
3. Length: If I can only pick three, they better be long. I'm not taking some flimsy little thing with me.
4. Binky Element: Does this book comfort me, make me feel like I'm at home with a steaming cup of hot chocolate? Is it an old favorite, one that I return to again and again because it makes me feel nostalgic, safe, secure? (This is closely tied to Number 1 but I think there is a definite distinction.)

So, now that I've sorted out my criteria, on to the picking. For my first choice, I am gonna gave to go with... THE BIBLE. This one actually fits all 4 criteria. I have never read the Bible straight through. I tried once in high school and I think I got waylaid around Numbers. I have always wanted to read it cover to cover, and this would certainly be a good goal to see through when I am on this island. You know, making lemonade out of lemons. Or rather, pina coladas out of coconuts. It's certainly long enough, and I can't think of another book that would bring me more comfort during such a tribulation. I could think of David in the desert, or Job or Moses or any of the other people in the Bible who have gone through hard times. I could also think of me in Sunday school, drinking orange Tang and gluing my Sunday school teacher's lips together... Ah, the old days. See, I'm nostalgic just thinking about it!


Next, GONE WITH THE WIND. I know I've already stated my love and adoration for this book but I can't say it enough. This one would fulfill numbers 1,3, and 4. I know I would be inspired by Scarlett's dogged determination to survive, to LIVE! As God as my witness, this island's not gonna lick me! After all, tomorrow is another day, n'est ce-pas?

And finally, my last choice. Even at this moment, I am going back and forth over what to choose. I love The Prince of Tides. I love To Kill a Mockingbird. And what about Harry Potter, or Rebecca, or The Lord of the Rings? Or something I've never read, like Anna Karenina, or Leaves of Grass, or Middlesex, or maybe Shakespeare's complete works? You'd get a lot of bang for your buck with that one. Or what about the Oxford English dictionary? I'd definitely leave the island way smarter than when I got on it. I would be a freaking genius. Yep, you know what, I think that's what I am going to have to pick. Because, I think my time on this island will be all about bettering myself and using this time wisely. So for my last pick, OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY.

xoxo jenny

QoD: Selling your second book

From a Longstockings reader: How many of you Longstockings have sold your second books already? What are the benefits of a two book deal? And if you didn't do a two-book deal for your first one, did you already sell the second book before the first one came out?

When I sold CASSIE WAS HERE, I did not have another book, and I was not offered a two-book deal. But, my contract did have an option, meaning I had to show my next book to my editor before showing it to anyone else. So while CASSIE was in the editing stages, I began working on a teen novel (which my agent liked and felt was appropriate for the option), and we sent it to my editor. Luckily, he liked it too! That deal happened about 3 months before CASSIE came out, which was a big relief to me, because it kept me distracted from all the nerves and whatnot surrounding a debut book.

As for the benefits of a two-book deal, perhaps another Longstocking will chime in?? (We have several two-bookers.)


*caroline hickey

Come see me!

I'll be doing a book reading and signing for Cassie Was Here in White Plains, NY, so if you live nearby, please come for a book and a bookmark. And maybe a hug, because I hug people who show up to readings. :)

Date: June 15, 2007
Time: 7pm
Where: Educational Warehouse Bookstore
60 S. Broadway
White Plains, NY 10601
(3rd Fl of the Westchester Pavilion)


See you there!


*caroline hickey

QoW: Come Away with Me

Question of the week: Spend a day with a character. What would you do?
I've been on a Madeleine L'Engle kick ever since the lovely Lisa Graff gave me FSG's new reiusse of A Wrinkle in Time. Luckily I went home to my parents' house this past weekend, and brought back all the paperbacks I read to pieces when I was a kid. I read A Swiftly Tilting Planet while I was there, The Young Unicorns on the plane home, and now I'm deep into A House Like a Lotus.

I think I'd really have to take a whole month and go with Polly O'Keefe on a thorough European Tour, like the time she spends tooling around Greece and Cyprus in Lotus. We would have a blast. We'd both be sixteen, of course, and we'd be on our own because our parents know we're so mature and responsible. And neither Polly nor I is rich enough to afford to just go to Europe for the heck of it, so we'd have to be doing some kind of work: maybe participating in a theatre tour, one that mysteriously allows lots of time for sight-seeing? A girl can dream, right?

The tour would start in London, of course, and on our day off we'd go to the Globe Theatre because we're both Shakespeare buffs. We'd go to a show and then we'd go out for tea and cakes and analyze the performance in excruciating detail, comparing it to our own touring production.

From there we'd go to Portugal, where we'd take advantage of the show's stop in Lisbon so that Polly could show me the tiny island where she lived when she was young. Then we'd head off to Paris, where we'd stay up late after every performance, drinking wine in very small sips, eating coq au vin and talking about Moliere and Montaigne. We'd be sharing a tiny room on the Left Bank and we'd laugh about the long flights of stairs to get to it, and the teeny tiny bathroom--I'd probably grumble at first, but Polly would remind me that at least we don't have to share it with her six brothers and sisters.

Then on to Rome to eat gelato and talk about Art and Religion, and to Venice to eat spaghetti alla vognole and have lots of discussions about Decadence, and we'd finish up eating spanikopita and discussing Philosophy in Athens!

By the time we got home we'd be absolutely insufferable. All the popular girls who called us stuck-up know-it-alls before we left would do so with even more vigor, but it wouldn't matter because Polly and I would have found each other. Each of us would know that we were special and that for once there was another girl out there who really got us. We'd send thick letters back and forth and we'd talk on the phone whenever school got too horrible, and we'd know that all those other kids were just jealous.

--Kathryne

Omit needless words!

I've been reading Strunk & White's The Elements of Style and laughing about how many of its rules are violated in the blogosphere. One of the tenets of the Strunk philosophy is to Omit Needless Words. How many needless words do bloggers write? I'm sure I've used a bunch in this post already. I'm a writer; I like to write. I like to blather, even. Here I am, blathering, when really I meant to impart some wisdom.

Here's a tasty snippet of Strunkism:

Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences ... This requires not that the writer make all sentences short or avoid all detail and treat subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.

Now there's food for thought. In your writing, do you make every word tell?


*caroline hickey

Any Favorites?

I woke up to see that Betsy from Fuse#8 has the Quill Nominations up on her blog and I have shamelessly stolen them and put up the middle and teen nominations here:

Children's Chapter/Middle Grade:

Clementine Written by Sara PennypackerIllustrated by Marla Frazee

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Written by Jeff Kinney

The Invention of Hugo Cabret Written by Brian Selznick

Pick Me Up Written by Jeremy Leslie and David Roberts

The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3)Written by Rick Riordan

Young Adult/Teen:

American Born Chinese Written by Gene Luen Yang

The Green Glass Sea Written by Ellen Klages

Incantation Written by Alice Hoffman

Life as We Knew It Written by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Sold Written by Patricia McCormick

I haven't read any of the middle grades so I can't weigh in on those. But I am torn between the three teen ones that I've read: American Born Chinese, Life as We Knew It and Sold.

Life was excellent- I grew up a Susan Beth Pfeffer fan- I loved the one about Cass and opening her mouth, and I remember being mesmerized by The Year Without Michael. Life was equally gripping and I swear I could feel the hunger and creeping cold as I read. For weeks afterwards I had to stifle urges to buy lots of canned goods every time I passed a grocery store.

Sold was incredible in different ways. It brought me into a totally new world- I learned a lot while being sucked into an excellent story. ABC was fabulous in other ways: I loved the pictures and the stories were each gripping. The way he tied it all together at the end was genius. I learned a lot reading that one too.

To choose a favorite amoung these? I may have to draw straws! Who gets your vote(s)?

#daphne

QoW: Lilly + Lisa BFFAE

Question of the week: Spend a day with a character. What would you do?

Lilly and I would hang out on a Saturday so she wouldn't have to miss school. We'd go out for brunch, filling up on high-protein foods like scrambled eggs and multi-grain toast because we'll need our energy later for shopping. By the way, we'd both be wearing movie star sunglasses at brunch because we both really love sunglasses, especially movie star ones and we want to wear them at all times.

After brunch, we'd take a stroll through Central Park, still sporting the sunglasses. And then we'd hit the stores. Lilly loves bags and I love bags and so we'll hit all the hotspots: LeSportsac, Longchamp, Delfino, Bloomingdales.

We'd discuss all sorts of stuff, like school and purple plastic purses and of course, little brothers. Lilly has a little brother named Julius and I have two little (not so little anymore) brothers, so there'd be a lot to talk about. We could complain about how annoying they can be at times, but maybe I'd also be able to convince Lilly that Julius is cute, not just stinky.

*Lisa GW*

My Interview...

Just a little announcement:

Recently, I was interviewed by Joel Shoemaker for VOYA. Well, the interview is finally out! It's called, "Not Your Average After-School Special." (I kinda like that title!)

So if you're looking for something to read, check it out! And, really, how cute is that baby on the cover?!?

:-)

~Coe~

This is Jenny Han, reporting live from BEA

Just kidding. It's not exactly live and I'm not exactly at BEA-- that was yesterday. I'm only just now regaining the strength to report back on it! BEA was... wayyyy crazier than I expected. So many booths. So many people. And they were all just a-pushin and a-shovin to snag some free tote bags. Here are a few highlights and a couple of lowlights:

highlights...
- I got to sign books next to Robert Sabuda, who is like the nicest man ever. I worried about little old me signing next to a Big Star but he was just as sweet as can be.
- The rolls at the Booksense lunch were very very good. Dense and not the least bit dry.
- David Levithan got a really cute haircut and it is hot, my friends.
- I think I may have seen Joyce Carol Oats in the bathroom. But would she wear a lavendar floppy canvas hat? I don't know. It might've been her, might not've.
- I got to see my editor Emily who I haven't seen in forever!
- I got many compliments on my new yellow dress and I didn't even spill anything on it!
- I got to meet some really nice booksellers! Hello, booksellers!

lowlights...
- I didn't see as many awesome galleys as I was hoping for. Booo. What's up with that? A lot of publishers had like, one or two galleys out for giveaway. Share the wealth, people!
- I was almost late to my signing because of subway problems. Because of said subway problems, I ran to the convention center, which is on like, 20th avenue. Because of said location, my feet were all blistery by the time I got there so I had to switch to flip flops.
- The bartender at the Kiddie Lit drinks night was kind of surly, and, since it was so crowded, I didn't get to say hi to as many people as I had hoped. Sadness! But at Cheryl Klein's suggestion, Siobhan and I did check out the BBQ place across the street and their sweet tea was VERY good.
- It was really really hot and dusty outside.

So as you can see, the highs outnumber the lows and all in all, it was a fine day. But you know, now that I've done BEA, I might be good with that one time for the rest of my life. Crowds make me one irritable Jenny. But then again, there was cheesecake, and that was pretty darn good.

Over and out. xoxo Jenny

QoW: Coloring Outside the Lines

Question of the Week: Write a day in the life of a character when they are grown up.

I am forty-six, broke, divorced, depressed... and I'm still bald.

Yes, it's me. Harold.

Today started out on a bad note. My mother died two weeks ago and I spent all day cleaning out her house -- my childhood home -- and preparing it for the realtor. It was a difficult chore, sorting through things to either give away to family, donate to charity, or throw away.

That's when I saw it, in a box in my old room.

My purple crayon.

I hadn't seen it since I was a little boy, but there it was. Simply holding it again brought back so many memories, so many adventures.

The first thing I did when I found it was draw myself a bottle of vodka. It was one of those days.

Then I called my ex-wife and invited her over. I told her I had some things to give her, things my mother wanted her to have.

Lie.

In the hour it took for her to get there, I had drawn myself a brand new Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet and a beautiful mansion in the empty lot next to my mother's house. I had even drawn myself some muscles... and hair.

You should have seen her face when she drove up to the house in what used to be my 1997 Geo Metro. I was waiting for her, leaning against the Porsche, my shirt off, exposing the new bod.

"Harold?" she asked, getting out of the car.

"Hey, baby," I said. Smooth.

"Is that your car?"

"Yeah. Just a little something I picked up."

Her mouth still hadn't closed.

"What'd'ya think of my new house?" I asked, pointing to the mansion behind me.

"What? How? When?"

I smiled. "Looks like you got out too soon, huh?"

Her face turned red. She looked flustered. It was great.

"Harold, I don't know what's going on here—" She stopped talking as Heather emerged from the mansion in a bathing suit. A bikini.

Oh, did I mention I had drawn myself a girlfriend, too?

Well, wouldn't you?

"Who is that?" my ex asked. "What's going on here?"

I stood up straight and strong. "Before you, way before you, I had a life. I took chances, I went places. I wasn't afraid to create my own life, my own destinations. I mean, I took a trip to the sky!"

"What are you talking about, Harold?"

But I was on a roll and I didn't feel like explaining anything to her. "Well, that Harold is back, dammit. He's back."

My ex-wife looked confused, but also kind of intrigued by the new me. There was the hint of a smile on her face. "Harold, maybe you and I can talk about this," she said. "Maybe we can give us another chance."

"Too late," I told her. "I've moved on."

She turned around and jumped back in the car, then took off down the street. And I just stood there, laughing like a little boy again. It felt so good.

Oh, I left something out again. I forgot to mention that I had drawn a large sinkhole right near the corner. She would be stuck down there for a couple of hours... at least.

Man, I always did love that purple crayon!


~Coe~