New Year's Writing Resolutions

One of the things the Longstockings do every year is make writing resolutions during our workshop. Usually something like finish a draft of X, sell Y, finally start idea Z that I've had in the back of my head for three years, etc. But we all write them down and discuss them at our first workshop meeting of the new year. We also remember our resolutions from last year and see what kind of progress we made (I'm pleased to say I made half of mine: I sold my second book and started my third, although I wanted to have a complete draft of the new book and of course I don't).

Our next meeting is on Wednesday, January 9th, so I have a little time before I commit to my resolutions for 2008, but I've already got a few percolating in my brain that involve finishing and selling my third book, reading tons more and staying on top of NEW books, making writing dates with some authors I've met in DC, and, most importantly, to stop worrying so darn much about every little writing bump in the road.

What are some of your writing resolutions for the new year?


*caroline hickey

Have YOU Met the East Village "It" Couple of YA Lit?

I'm talking, of course, about Scott Westerfeld and Justine Larbalestier, who are very, very awesome. This article in The Village Voice tells you all you need to know about the newly crowned couple and their fabulous lives.

Here's a tasty snippet.

"They cultivate fans and colleagues on their heavily trafficked blogs, enjoy upscale working vacations in Mexico, and migrate yearly between New York and Sydney. They rack up frequent-flier miles visiting libraries and book conventions to promote their latest literary efforts. And, most importantly, they finance this haute-bohemian lifestyle by writing speculative and fantastic adventures for smart adolescents."

Come on. That's just dreamy! I want that life!

And then, there's this:

Too freaking cute.

Sigh! I remember when I started my MFA program at The New School and was freshly single. At orientation, I was all like, "Where are all the cute single boys writing YA? Don't they want to date me? Don't they want to marry me and buy us a cottage where we can edit each other's manuscripts and then make out?" The answer was...No. Not because I'm not especially charming or have un-shiny hair. But because there were no single boys. At least, not in my year. Magic YA literarylove like that can only happen like...I don't know...twice or something in the history of ever.

*ahem*

But congrats to Scott and Justine! They are a most deserving couple!

-=siobhan=-

ps. happy 2008

Holiday Question (kind of off topic)

To all those who celebrated, I hope it was a very merry Christmas! I am super into Christmas so today I am feeling that let-down knowing that it's a full year before carols (I own a librabry of Christmas CD's), trees and our bank tellers wearing Christmas hats are back. There are a lot of things I love about Christmas and one of them is movies. I love the Grinch, Charlie Brown at Christmas, the Island of Misfit toys and seeing Frosty's adventures. But this year a couple of us were trying to come up with good adult movies and the list we came up with was pretty short. Anyone have a Christmas movie or two that you just love?

#daphne

Christmas stories

As a Jew, I'm really fascinated by Christmas. The whole thing is intriguing to me: the tree, the food, the presents, what time the festivities start, etc.

I'll be out at the movies tonight and tomorrow, seeing friends and probably eating the traditional Jewish Christmas meal: Chinese food. But if you feel like it, share your Christmas traditions in the comments. I'd really like to hear them.

Merry Christmas to all who are celebrating!

xoxo
Lisa GW

My Christmas Break Reading List

One of the great things about the holidays is you get more time to read! There's nothing nicer than curling up by the Christmas tree with some hot chocolate to read a great book. I went to the library last week to stock up on my reading for the next week.
Here's what made the list:

Twilight - Stephenie Meyer. I've been waiting to get around to this for ages

Love, Stargirl - Jerry Spinelli. I loved STARGIRL so I'm sure I'll love this too.

Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist - Rachel Cohn & David Levithan. The Longstockings know and love David and Rachel!

The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl - Barry Lyga. I've heard so many good things.

His Dark Materials Trilogy - Philip Pullman. This is a re-read, but I've been meaning to do it for a while.

What are you reading this week? I need some more recommendations in case I finish all of these!

*caroline hickey

Website

When my husband suggested last spring that we do my website ourselves it seemed like a great idea. I wanted something very simple and basic, and he had the computer skills to set it up. But boy, did it turn out to be lot of work! We had two supremely talented friends help with art and design, and that was a saving grace. But the actual work of setting it up was much more stressful than we’d ever imagined. Not that I did actual work. It was more like me saying things like, “Are you sure I said I wanted that there, because I think it would be so much better on this page over here…. really, it would be THAT much work to change it? But it would be so much better…” Yeah, I’m buying him a big thank you gift! But after many months I am pleased to say that it is up and ready to roll! So if you’re feeling inclined, check it out. (And let me know if you see any typos!)

#daphne

Proof that there's nothing like holding a book in your hands...

Check out this article.

And enjoy this timely (and maybe a little extreme) quote:

A writer who waits for the ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper. ---E.B. White


Even though we're all procrastinating and feeling preoccupied during the Holiday Season, after January 2nd, it will be write, write, write. I am looking forward to that, looking forward to getting back into some sort of writing routine.

xoxoxo
Lisa GW

Can't get enough of Beedle the Bard?

Amazon.com has posted some information on their purchase of J.K. Rowling's THE TALES OF BEEDLE THE BARD, the handwritten and illustrated book that was sold at auction at Sotheby's in London. So if you want a glimpse of this book, complete with summaries of the tales and pictures of the illustrations, click here!





:-)
~Coe~

We have a winner!

Well, folks, I am pleased to tell you that The Tales of Beedle the Bard sold for an astounding 1,950,000 Great British Pounds this morning, or what works out to be just shy of four million American smackers.

Seriously. Four MILLION dollars.

So the winner of our Longstockings Guess-How-Much-People-Will-Pay-for-JK's-Book contest is Cheryl, who guessed $2 mill (and who woulda thunk that'd be a conservative guess?)

Cheryl, for your powers of premonition that even Professor Trelawny would be proud of, I am happy to offer you up the grand prize of an autographed galley of my not-even-born-yet new book, and (even better) a giant bag of Christmas-themed Hershey's kisses.
Chocolate and books. Mmmmmmmmmm.

~lisa graff~

P.S. Cheryl, email us your mailing info (thelongstockings@yahoo.com), and I will pop these goodies in the mail for you!!

Contest reminder!!

JK's new secret book goes to auction tomorrow at Sotheby's, so don't forget to join in the Longstockings contest to guess the winning bid. Closest without going over gets a rad rad prize (okay, I still haven't decided what it is yet. But I have decided it will be rad.) Leave your guesses HERE.

A Bad Case

A little over two weeks ago I got an awful stomach bug. For 24 hours I felt like I was on death's doorstep and then just like that I was fine again. Except for something else that I had somehow acquired during those 24 hours: I came down with a crippling case of procrastination. And it's only gotten worse.

My WIP of the moment is an outline for a new teen book. I got an idea, juggled it around in my mind for a few weeks and was just starting my next phase, which is taking a notepad and writing down every single thought I have for the book: scene ideas, act ideas, character ideas, etc. Usually this takes me a few days and then I sit down at the computer and start to organize it into an outline. But with this nasty case of procrastination I'm barely through a page on my notepad. And it's been weeks!

The things I find to do are ridiculous. Like I'm glad the space under my bed (prime storage area in an NYC apartment) is now carefully organized but did I have to spend an entire morning on it? Apparently yes. And it's not that I'm not into the project- once I actually start in on it I get excited. But then something takes me away and it's hours or days before I manage to get back at it. All I can say is that I hope this passes or I'll be spending all of 2008 on an outline. And I hope for the sake of other writers out there that this is not going around!

#daphne

Movie Review: The Golden Compass

My husband and I went to see THE GOLDEN COMPASS this weekend. I've read the trilogy; my husband was completely unfamiliar with the books. I should also mention that I LOVE the books, especially The Subtle Knife, so I was really pumped to see the movie.

Unfortunately, it was a pretty big disappointment.

The director tried to cram every major action scene into two hours, with very little regard to character development, pacing, or building tension.Basically, it went: special effect scene, dramatic music, daemon looking cute, special effect scene, dramatic music, etc. There was never a beat between the BIG moments to allow the audience to catch their breath and get involved with the characters.

While the movie explains what daemons are (CENTRAL to the books, especially the first one), they never actually showed how important and close one's relationship with one's daemon really is. They just looked like nifty pets. Iorek Byrnison, who I think is one of the coolest characters of all time, is allowed some backstory but his bond with Lyra is really told more than shown, and the incredible world of the armored bears is given short shrift. And don't even get me started on how they glossed over the witches!

But the biggest disappointment to me was Lyra. Dakota Blue Richards is definitely the right actress for the role, and does a lovely job, but the audience never really gets to see the stubborn, ornery, lying side of Lyra, which is so integral to her character and how she manages to defeat the bear king. We get a moment of it at the beginning, but then she goes on to do such amazing things that it isn't really believeable.

Sadly, I'm going to have to give this movie a thumbs down. It did inspire me to go back and reread the books, however. So that's something.


*caroline hickey

Lots of Yays for Jenny Han!!!

Check out this awesome good news just in from Publishers Marketplace:

Jenny Han's THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY, in which a sixteen-year old returns to her mother's best friend's summer beach house to find that lots of things change when you turn pretty, but not always for the better, to Emily Meehan of Simon & Schuster Children's, by Emily van Beek of Pippin Properties (NA).

How amazing is The Longstockings' own Jenny Han? Seriously.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Lisa GW

I really do love dictionaries

It's no surprise that I love words. I am a word lover, a logophile. Things like Free Rice, which I mentioned earlier on this blog really excite me.

And this article really excited me too! I love the Word of the Year. I really do. And it's true; there is no better way to publicize a dictionary.

Well, I try to be a locavore whenever possible.


Happy Holidays!
Lisa GW

Gregory Maguire rocks my world.

So, as some of you know, I work at a school library. Yesterday I had the extreme honor of listening to Gregory Maguire talk about bravery, and writing, and WICKED, and all kinds of stuff. He came for a casual sort of lunch talk with our Gay Lesbian and Straight alliance and our Diversity club, and we all just sat around a table and listened to him talk. And he is a FASCINATING talker, he spouts wisdom like it's nothin, he said so many profound things that I am kicking myself for not writing it all down. I just gobbled it all up and now I am sitting here trying to really digest it.

If you're not familiar with Gregory Maguire, he is the author of like, a million books (well, 30, which is basically a million) but most notably WICKED, which is now an award-winning Broadway show. And an amazing show at that. He talked about adopting his three kids, about how he came to pick the name Elphaba, and how the story of WICKED came about. He talked about his writing process-- he writes by longhand first! He has like a million notebooks! He is amazing! It was such a rare privilege to hear him talk, I hear he doesn't do many school visits these days. He's the longtime family friend of our Associate Head of Academic Affairs, which is how he came to spend time with us. I'm still just kind of soaking it all in and feeling very grateful.

I'll leave you with this:

So if you care to find me
Look to the western sky
As someone told me lately -
Ev'ryone deserves the chance to fly
And if I'm flying solo
At least I'm flying free
To those who'd ground me
Take a message back from me -

Tell them how I
Am defying gravity!
I'm flying high
Defying gravity!
And soon I'll match them in renown
And nobody in all of Oz
No wizard that there is or was
Is ever gonna bring me down!

QoD: reachin' in the ol' mailbag

Question of the Day: Recently, we received a letter from Stephanie, an English major who is considering doing an honors thesis on the topic of children's literature, a field she is very interested in and "passionate" about. She writes:

"My only fear is that I will have to convince my professor that this is a viable area of study and not just me playing around...and that this subject is more than the stuff of guilty pleasures!

So...that's where your help might come in. I need some help from the experts brainstorming. If you could just throw out some ideas-- anything, as long as it's not totally ridiculous and implausible--with themes I could try, connections I could make, or approaches I could take, I'd greatly appreciate it! I know you guys are MFAs and probably focused more on the technical/creative side of the subject than the history/analytical side...but I trust you all and your infinite wisdom! Thoughts?"

Stephanie, yes, we all have MFAs, but in order to graduate we had to do both a creative thesis (a completed novel or a large portion of a novel-in-progress) and a literary thesis (which is more along the lines of what you're talking about here.) I totally understand where you're coming from because there were certain higher-ups at our school who also didn't think the field of children's literature was one that could be approached in a serious/scholarly manner. And it was so frustrating!

But I really think you should go ahead and write your thesis on something you're interested in because you're going to be working on it for a very long time, too long, and there's nothing worse than boring yourself to death.

However, finding the right topic can be, uh, tricky. Some of our classmates started with very broad topics and then narrowed their focus after they began their research. And that's the dilemma: You want your topic to be narrow enough that it will be taken seriously by your professor, but not so narrow that you can't find books and articles to support it.

Some of us began with themes such as death, spirituality, sexuality, family, health, love, gender, etc., and discussed how these themes have been approached in children's books throughout history, or how they are being approached now. Others focused on one author and extracted a theme from an analysis of his or her works. And others compared two or three authors and how they approached a common theme or how they used various writing techniques.

Since I was writing TYRELL at the time, I chose to write about the representation of African American boys in middle grade and teen fiction, especially focusing on the pressures and responsibilities these characters experienced. I had other ideas in mind before settling on this one, but it wasn't until I started researching that I figured out what I wanted to write about... and what I could write about, based on the amount of available material.

There are several textbooks out there on the subject of children's literature, and you might want to check them out as they might give you some ideas on researchable topics. Also, definitely read all of the industry magazines like School Library Journal, VOYA, and Horn Book for more ideas on current trends in books. Having these books and magazines might also help your professor understand that children's books are being studied in a serious manner and can be a viable topic for your research paper.

And read read read all of the children's books you can get your hands on! Find what you love and start from there!!!

Okay, readers (MFAs and non-MFAs alike!), please help Stephanie brainstorm ideas for her honors thesis. Is there an area of children's literature that should be further explored? Is there a topic just waiting to be written about? Or, better yet, what currently interests you in the world of children's books?

And if you have already written a thesis (or research paper) on children's literature, please share your topic!

C'mon, Stephanie needs your help!

:-)

~Coe~

Update and Question

So today was my big picture book talk at my kids' preschool. Thanks to your advice and a few last minute tips from Eric Luper, I went in feeling prepared to talk about selecting good picture books. And I have to say it ended up being pretty fun. Yeah, out of the seven people who showed four worked for the preschool, but whatever, at least there were people there! I started with five of my favorite picture books and talked about what I loved in each of them and what made them work as books. Anyone reluctant was quickly won over by the great works of Mo Willems, William Steig, Dav Pilkey and Andrea Beaty. It was neat to hear people talk about their own experiences reading as kids- one guy talked about how he learned to read solely to be able to read comic books and that lead to a good talk on graphic novels (yeah, we got off topic a little.) Overall it was just fun to sit down in the middle of the day and talk books.

A lot of people had questions about finding particular types of books and one woman asked about MG books that have math or logic problems in in them. The only one I could come up with was CHASING VERMEER and I wondered if any of you knew of a few others so I could email them to this woman. All answers appreciated!

#daphne

Holiday Gifts - Editors

Some people say giving a holiday gift to your editor isn’t necessary. I whole heartedly agree. I don’t think any editor expects to receive a gift from their writers. I certainly did not when I was an editor, nor did I receive them from the majority of writers I worked with. But I did receive a few, and they certainly were appreciated.

So if you are thinking about getting your editor something for the holidays, keep these (somewhat obvious) guidelines in mind.

1. Make it Personal
An easy way to make your holiday gift stand out is to make it personal to you, your book, or your editor. When I gifted my editor last year, I got him a really cool LOMO camera. Cameras play a large part in my book, A Little Friendly Advice, and my editor takes a picture every single day. Slam dunk!

A writer friend of mine got her editor a small gift, which also reflected a donation to one of her favorite personal charities.

Another friend bought her editor the Ursula Nordstrom book, Dear Genius.

And another friend would always talk make-up with her editor, so she bought her a gift certificate to Sephora.

A little thought will go a long way here. If you’re stumped, consider some personalized stationary and a pretty pen from Kate's Paperie, a big decadent jar of hand lotion from Kiehls, or a gift certificate to the big movie theater at Union Square for a well-deserved night off from red pen. Even a cute set of bad-ass band aids to treat her from hazardous paper cuts.

2. Don’t Spend Tons of Money
Extravagant gifts are just going to make everyone feel uncomfortable, so keep it modest. That said, I did spend a little more money on the year or my sale than I did the following year. But don’t go shortchanging your boyfriend or loved ones because you had to get your editor that Coach leather case for their contact lenses.

In fact, this year I made my gift for my editor. (I'll post a picture after he's opened the package.)

3. Food For Thought
A sweet treat is a nice thought, but there’s surely holiday nibbles all over the office, and most people I know are watching their intake, unless the calories are totally worth it. So pass up that huge tin of caramel popcorn from Costco and send something gourmet, like chocolates from Jacque Torres. Or you could always get your editor a gift certificate to their favorite restaurant for to-be-eaten lunch or a loaded Starbuck's gift card.

4. It Really Is The Thought That Counts
No matter what you end up buying, or not buying, for your editor, one thing you should definitely do is send them a note of thanks. Spend a moment reflecting on your working relationship, how that experience has made your year, etc. These were my favorite kinds of gifts. Editing is, in large part, a thankless job. So take the time and thank them.

That’s all they really want anyway.

-=siobhan=-

ps. any other gifting ideas for editors? post them in the comments!

A visit to the Girl Scouts

Last night I spoke to two troops of Girl Scouts (ages 10-13) in Perry Hall, MD. These girls were some SERIOUS readers! I talked to them about how I became a writer, and what kind of writing and reading I liked to do when I was their age, and how to approach writing as a career. As part of the requirements for their Reading Badge, they had to each bring a question for me. (This can sometimes be a sticky part of school visits when you get a group that's shy.) This group amazed me with the thoughtfulness of their questions. It was easy to tell who in the group liked to write, because they asked questions about outlining, how to get through the sticky middle part of a manuscript, how to keep yourself from getting distracted when you write, etc. The readers mostly asked about authors I loved, who inspired me, and whose career I most want to emulate.

I spent close to two hours with the girls and it was one of the most fun evenings I've had in a long time. It's funny that the little "extra" parts of being a writer -- meeting your readers and talking to them about writing -- are even more enjoyable than the supposed big highs of being writer, like see your book on the shelf for the first time or getting your hardcovers in the mail.

I'd choose another night with these girls any day!


P.S. Yes, I'm a little bummed they weren't wearing their uniforms, BUT I did get to hear them recite the Girl Scout pledge.

*caroline hickey

My Top Five of 2007

2007 was a rocking year for books. Soon-to-be classics like THE THING ABOUT GEORGIE and CASSIE WAS HERE came out. New authors appeared on the scene. Old favorites came out with new books. So it was tough to pick my five top YA's of the year, but I buckled down and did it (perhaps when I should've been doing my WIP but whatever) and here are the results:

ECLIPSE. I've read a lot of criticism of the TWILIGHT books calling them less than literary (to put it nicely.) All I can say to these critics is, your loss, because these books are some of the funnest reads around. Juicy, meaty and utterly satisfying. I seriously can't wait for the next one to come out!

LONG MAY SHE REIGN. Not only did one of my favorite writers, Ellen Emerson White, come out with a new book, but it continues the saga of the Powers family who I came to love as a teen. Getting another book about Meg (and one this good!) was one of the best reading experiences of the year.

THE OFF SEASON. You know I adore Catherine Gilbert Murdoch and book 2 about DJ did not disappoint. It's a rich, totally absorbing story that was bittersweet and totally true.

GUYAHOLIC. Not only did Caroline Mackler come out with a new book, which was cause for much celebration, she wrote it about V, one of the most interesting characters from VEGAN VIRGIN VALENTINE. This book was just a treat, from the hysterical beginning to the touching end that had me sobbing happy tears. Love, love, loved it.

BOY TOY. Yes, this year I have been loving the books from favorite authors writing about beloved characters from books past. But this was also a year to fall in love with new writers. Well, new to me because everyone else was smart enough to find Barry Lyga last year when he came out with THE ASTONISHING ADVENTURES OF FANBOY AND GOTH GIRL. For some reason I let it fall to the bottom of my reading list (I've since rectified that) and my first Lyga was BOY TOY. Let me just say that Barry Lyga is my newest literary crush and I have it bad for him. BOY TOY was so powerful and real it kept me up all night reading.

So there you have it, my top five of 2007. What were some of your favorites of the year?

#daphne

Another quote I need to share

Sorry to overload with the quotes lately, but these are so good.


Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrecorded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. -----Calvin Coolidge

Attention Dog Lovers!

Okay so this may not be children's book or writing related, but it's cool anyway. Check out this site. Post videos of your dog! Check out other people's videos of their dogs. Really, it's just a whole lot of fun.