new posts in all blogs
Viewing Blog: GOTTAWRITE GIRL, Most Recent at Top
Results 26 - 50 of 84
If you smell your books. If your soul settles in Barnes & Noble. If you obsess over similes. If you're a published oldtimer or aspiring author, like me…I'd like to be your friend. In that first-grade kind of way. Trudging the road to publication is easier with friends! Welcome to GOTTAWRITE GIRL, adventures in children's writing and the trudge to publication.
Statistics for GOTTAWRITE GIRL
Number of Readers that added this blog to their MyJacketFlap: 6
Friends, take heart! Registration for SCBWI's Annual Winter Conference goes live today, at 4pm PT!
This has been months in the planning for me, financially and writefully! So excited!
Are you going? Are you submitting? What do you need to finalize, to make this happen?
I've got to polish my first pages. Revise to a sparkle.
Critique deadlines are still pending at the time of this post. But keep your eyes open, and plot those travel plans!
Please pardon this interruption of our regularly bookish programming...
How'd your voting go this morning? Or will it be a voting afternoon?
I showed at 6:20am. Coffee in hand, magazines in tow, and not alotta conversation. It was still dark, in fact.
Bad news:
*My coffee dribbled. Faulty coffee carriers are my ultimate pet peeve. I threw it away, and navigated uncaffeinated. Ugh.
*The friendly, elderly lady behind me. A wacky chatty-kathy. She feared the "voting machines" would switch her vote, and chastised volunteers for lacking a paper option. I utilized zipit.com.
Good news:
*Once polling began at 7:00, the line went lickity split. I even dropped off my dry cleaning! It's the little things, you know...
Best news:
*Raucous friends and Ledo's bacon pizza in my basement tonight.
How was it for you? What are your TV-watching plans tonight?
Introducing debut picture book author, Eric D. Goodman and his warm and wonderful fable, Flightless Goose. YA author Kristin Groulx calls the Flightless Goose "a beautiful tale," and notes the illustrations by Eric's wife, Nataliya, are "classically done." Eric also helms the Writeful blog, among others, which he describes as a weblog for both writers and readers.
Friends, Eric's online with us today to answer our questions, so be sure to leave a comment and check for his response!
GwG: Your story's inspiration?Eric: Believe it or not, Flightless Goose is based on a real goose. We used to live on a lake. My desk, where I did my writing, was overlooking the pond, so I'd spend a lot of time looking out the window at the lake, the geese, the trees. One of them was hit by a car and could no longer fly.
It was interesting watching the other geese interact with him. They seemed to alienate him. They would fly to other parts of the pond and leave him behind. He'd catch up with them and they'd fly away again. Poor thing.
When winter rolled around, they left him behind. The goose survived and waited for the others to return in the spring. I knew that would make a good story, be fun for kids to read, and would illustrate some important lessons, such as how to cope with challenges, and how to treat those who are different.
GwG: Your trudge to publication?Eric: It took a long time for Flightless Goose to take flight. While it only took a week or so to write the first draft, it took about ten years to become a full-color, hardcover book displayed in a bookstore. Most of that time was spent searching for a publisher.
GwG: What was the revision process like?Eric: Fortunately for us, the publisher,
Writer's Lair Books, liked Flightless Goose the way it was. They did make some very minor edits that we agreed to, but nothing that changed the story. So once Nataliya and I were done with the story and the artwork, it was more or less ready to go.
GwG: Agent or fly solo?Eric: At first, we looked for an agent. Most agents we contacted said they only represented the author or the artist individually, not as a set. That was one of our setbacks – we were the package deal, and most agents and publishers didn't want that. We were fortunate to find Shana at Writer's Lair Books. A lot of getting published boils down to finding the right person at the right time.
GwG: How else are you tooting your authorial horn?Eric: I do public relations for a living, so I have an advantage there. I'll be mentioning Flightless Goose in my regular columns, and a few publications I contribute to will be mentioning it. I've shared the news with the community of writers I'm involved with, including the
Maryland Writers' Association. And press releases will be going out. We're also doing interviews (like this one) online, on radio, television, and in print. And of course, book events. We're going on a small, multi-city book tour. We'll be doing readings and presentations at the
Festival of Trees, the
Kennedy Krieger Institute, at book stores, libraries, and schools.
GwG: Advice for publishing?Eric: Have a thick skin and keep at it. If you think writing may be a good way to make a living, get out now! But if you write because you love it, then keep plugging away. Start small, by publishing in literary journals and anthologies. Then write the novel and search for an agent. For children's books, submit your story or artwork separately – the opposite of the way we did it.
GwG: What are you working on now?Eric: Other than promoting Flightless Goose? I'm looking for an agent to represent Tracks, a novel in stories. And I'm revising Womb, a novel narrated from the point of view of an unborn child. I'm also working on a screenplay, and Nataliya and I are working on a second children's' book. But getting it done is really going to depend on the success of Flightless Goose.
Hello, friends! Be sure to check out this awesome interview with J. Michael Straczynsk, screenwriter of the just-released Changeling.His story's amazing. I'm serious, if you haven't had your morning coffee, then have a pour and settle in... it's a lovely read.
The script was his first feature screenplay, and Director
Clint Eastwood changed only one word. Repeat,
one word. And, he wrote it in just 11 days...
NaNo particpants, take heart!
His writing wisdom? “Like an athlete, you can’t just exercise and practice on the day of the meet. You’ve got to be there every single day doing it, and every day I am behind this keyboard from the time I get up.”
The full article's even jucier. Again, read it
here. It's posted on the
Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) website, which is wonderful if you've never visited. I found the abbreviated version this morning on the affiliated
Writers Guild of Great Britain blog. I follow this blog because it rocks. Great interviews, and a very friendly Tom Green at the helm. They've created a vibrant community, just like we strive to do on this side of the pond!
Also, I'm so happy to announce that our own Sheri Oshins, of the Diary of a Children's Writer blog, won the signed copy of P.J. Hoover's debut YA novel, The Emerald Tablet! Thanks for commenting in support of P.J.!
Write well, everyone, and have a candyrific Halloween!
Friends, great news! Yesterday's book release party was a smash, as was our virtual version! P.J. sent along this note earlier this morning:
The party was a blast! I sold out and an extra 50 books had to be ordered (which is amazing). The kids loved the candy and pumpkin giveaways and the t-shirts were a huge hit! We probably had 150 people there, and everyone laughed in all the right places during my presentation : )
We knew The Emerald Tablet would be a hit. And we knew the party would, too! Enjoy more virtual-party snapshots, courtesy of our author of honor, P.J. Hoover.
And one more item of note: GwG's contest to win a personalized copy of The Emerald Tablet will continue today! There are too many friends popping in to say hello... I want to be sure all P.J.'s supporters are honored and entered... So if you haven't left a comment yet, please do so. I'll draw the winner tomorrow!
Welcome to the official e-release book party for P.J. Hoover's The Emerald Tablet! Not a Texan? Not to worry. You've happily found our online version... we'll support P.J. from afar and virtually attend her bookish affair! And for everyone who leaves a comment, you'll be automatically entered in a drawing to win a signed and personalized copy of the book of honor.
When: Today, at 4:00pm, Texan time.
Where: Austin Texas, at
BookPeople, one of the best and biggest indies in the country.
Snacks: A kid-friendly and Halloween-spooky theme, with plenty of candy corn and orange-filled Oreos.
VIP Guests: Team Emerald Tablet, including P.J.'s husband and two children, who will sport The Emerald Tablet t-shirts.
Itinerary: There will be a showing of P.J.'s book trailer, a quick PowerPoint presentation, a book reading, and a quiz for the kids. Prizes include The Emerald Tablet t-shirts and gift pumpkins.
P.J. will be stopping by later in the afternoon with an update for our e-party, so stay tuned! To learn more about her work, check out her blog,
Roots in Myth, and her wonderful
website. P.J. is also a part of the
Class of 2K8, a group of debut novelists with books releasing in 2008. She keeps a presence on
Facebook and
MySpace, and has enjoyed several shining interviews and reviews. Be sure to check YA and children's author Cynthia Leitich Smith's outstanding
cynsations blog for P.J.'s recent interview.
Teens Read Too offers a rave review, as does
Jen Robinson's Book Page, which deems The Emerald Tablet as "enticing... and highly recommended."
GwG: From inspiration to print, what was the trudge to publication like for The Emerald Tablet?P.J.: It's taken about 4 years for The Emerald Tablet to see the light. I started writing it just after my daughter was born back in 2004. It's gone through tons of revisions and then tons more. I met editor Madeline Smoot of
Blooming Tree Press at the NY
SCBWI winter conference back in 2006. She offered to read my manuscript and give me feedback (no, I have no idea why). Her feedback has to be one of the biggest turning points in my writing life. It was phenomenal and I dove into revisions. I asked if I could send it back to see what she thought. She agreed. This went on a few more times before she bought the trilogy. After selling the book, I became represented by agent Laura Rennert of the
Andrea Brown Literary Agency.
GwG: What's next?P.J.: I'm of course in various stages of revision on the next two Forgotten Worlds books. The second is The Navel of the World, scheduled for publication Fall 2009, and the third is The Necropolis scheduled for publication Fall 2010. The books are written (have been for a while) but still need some TLC. Also I'm working on a middle grade urban fantasy series with an Egyptian theme and a YA urban fantasy based in mythology.
Thanks, P.J., for letting us crash your party! We'll be thinking of you today, and waiting eagerly for an update!
If you're not a Texan and can't be there tomorrow to support our friend P.J. Hoover and her book release party, don't fret!
I'm hosting an e-release party for P.J.'s The Emerald Tablet right here, right down to the virtual menu and bookstore location! Stop by Gottawrite Girl tomorrow, and support P.J. from afar.
Best of all, all those who comment will be automatically entered to win a free, signed copy of the sure-to-be riveting book of honor.
Stop by tomorrow and leave P.J. your brightest, kindest support!
"See" you there!
By:
Susan Gray,
on 10/22/2008
Blog:
GOTTAWRITE GIRL
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
author,
marketing,
slushpile,
publisher,
interviews,
blogging,
picture book,
middle grade,
conference,
Add a tag
When first-time author, Ronica Stromberg, resolved to find a home for Time-for-bed Angel, she found no easy path to publication. But that’s precisely why you’re sure to find her story as inspiring as her debut picture book.
After submitting unsuccessfully to American publishing houses, Ronica triumphed overseas. Lion Children's Books, imprint of United Kingdom’s Lion Hudson, plucked her ms from the slush pile.
Today? Time-for-bed angel is contracted for release in the U.S., and Ronica has a middle school mystery and three teen novels under contract with Royal Fireworks Press.
Aspiring authors, faithen up… this interview’s for you!
GwG: The Time-for-bed Angel is wonderful. How did you compose a lyrical story without being syrupy sweet?
Ronica: My background is bare-bones journalism, and I'm used to writing for teens, so the fuzzy phrases you often see in children's books don't come naturally to me. One of the few “sweet” words in my book—cuddly—was added by my editor. Obviously, I could never write Winnie-the-Pooh books—although I loved them as a child!
GwG: What was your trudge to publication like?
Ronica: Trudge is a good word for my journey into picture book publication. I wrote the manuscript fairly quickly, but it took about eight years to see it into publication. Since the story has a guardian angel in it, I tried both the inspirational and mainline markets. I received plenty of rejections but no helpful feedback. After a few years, I went to a conference and heard there that angels had been a "fad" in writing. This was news to me. I had written the manuscript because I thought it was a good story, not because I was trying to glam onto some fad or trend. I still thought it was a good story, so I stubbornly continued to send it out until I had exhausted the American markets—and then I sent it overseas!
Of the two overseas publishers I sent it to, one in the United Kingdom purchased the manuscript. Apparently, the angel fad hadn't hit so hard over there. It took about two years for this publisher to bring the book to publication. The ironic thing is that two weeks before The Time-for-bed Angel was released in the United States, all the major media were reporting a poll that showed 68 percent of Americans believe in guardian angels. And angels are cropping up in gift shops again as a hot item. I couldn't have planned a more timely release of my book.
GwG: How did you secure an American publisher, after being picked up in the UK? Ronica: I am still with the U.K. publisher, but two American publishers/distributors contracted for rights to distribute the book in the United States. The U.K. publisher handled all the selling of foreign rights, and the U.S. is considered "foreign" in this case. The book is now in many countries—Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands among them—and I receive royalties on these sales. This is undoubtedly better than what I could have done on my own, so I'm thrilled.
GwG: How do you toot your writerly horn?
Ronica: I've been signing at major bookstore chains such as Barnes & Noble as well as little, independent Christian bookstores. I'm also visiting both public and private schools and interviewing with the media in towns I visit. Gas is so expensive that this truly doesn't pay, so I'm looking more at online marketing. I'm not interested in maintaining a blog myself but am open to blog tours and to appearing as a guest on other people's sites and in podcasts.
GwG: Agent or solo?
Ronica: If only! Few agents represent children's writers because, generally speaking, there isn't a lot of money in publishing children's books (unless, of course, your name is J.K. Rowling). I keep trying.
GwG: Tips for getting manuscripts market-ready?
Ronica: Find a good critique group or partner to look over your work. (Bookstores, libraries, and writing organizations—online or otherwise—are often good places to look.) This is so important. I used to work as a copy editing consultant for the U.S. Department of Education, but even I make basic grammatical mistakes in my writing. I know better, but it's hard to focus on everything—plot, character, setting, style, pacing, grammar, and so on—while writing.
GwG: Tips for targeting publishers?
Ronica: The market books are a good place to start. They will at least let you know which publishers are closed to submissions so you don't waste your time or postage on them. The market books also narrow down who accepts manuscripts in the genre and age range you're writing for. Once you have that starter list, you should research publishers online by viewing their catalogues, guidelines, and so on. Try to determine who publishes books closest to what you've written and submit to them.
GwG: What are you working on now?
Ronica: I've actually switched gears and completed my first inspirational romance this summer. And while I look for a publisher for that and my children's books, I'm submitting to magazines and marketing and promoting The Time-for-bed Angel. I have story ideas floating around in my head constantly and just need "chair time" to make them a reality. Funny to think that spending time in a chair was a punishment as children but now we long for that as adults!
Friends, leave any questions or kind words for Ronica in your comments... she'll happily respond and will value the support!
Please welcome award-winning YA and children's author, and blogger extraordinaire, Cynthia Leitich Smith. I reached out to Cynthia when starting GwG ~ I much admire her career and the community she's created, and I hoped to strike a friendship. This interview's been months in the making, and I'm grateful to share her experience. Thanks, too, for those of you who posed questions for Cynthia last week! I've tried to include them all, and I hope you enjoy the interview.
As you likely know, Cynthia's cynsations blog is a thriving corner of children's literature, and her website was named one of the top 10 Writer Sites on the Internet by Writer's Digest and an ALA Great Website for Kids. She's also a member of faculty at the Vermont College M.F.A. program in Writing for Children and Young Adults. Cynthia nests in Austin, Texas, with husband and fellow author Greg Leitich Smith...
GwG: Your writing is praised across the board ~ what qualities and decisions do you attribute your success to?
Cynthia: Thanks! I’m always happy when I manage to connect a story with readers.
With the huge caveat that there’s no one right way to write, these are some patterns I’ve developed...
I spend a lot of time on pre-writing—going on field trips to setting locales, shopping for my characters’ clothes, studying the books (especially classics) in whatever writing tradition I’m working within.
I don’t hurry.
I began Tantalize (Candlewick, 2007, 2008) in 2001-2002, sold it in 2005, and finished it in 2006 (not including, say, pass-page notes, etc.).
I began my upcoming picture book, Holler Loudly (Dutton, 2010), in 2002, and it wasn’t until 2007 that the manuscript really came together.
Obviously, this means I work on more than one manuscript over the course of time, but even when a piece is sitting—which can be important to the process—some part of the brain is turning it over.
I’m fairly ruthless in tackling my own text—not gratuitously so, but I am very willing to cast aside and reinvent.
But probably 80% of the game, so to speak, is psychological. The main thing I’ve done is to not quit.
GwG: One of our blogosphere friends wants to know, who represents you, and how did you both come to work together? Did the manuscript sale come first, or the representation?
Cynthia: I work with Ginger Knowlton at Curtis Brown Ltd. This year marks our ten-year anniversary.
I first met Ginger online through a listserv for (mostly) published authors that an early mentor, Jane Kurtz, had invited me onto. Once I had multiple editors interested in a manuscript—one on traditional submission, the other two from conference critiques—I contacted her about representation. So, technically, I signed with her before the first sale, but in another sense, it was all happening at about the same time.
GwG: From inspiration to print, what was the trudge to publication for your first book, Jingle Dancer?
Cynthia: I don’t recall it being much of a trudge. The first draft was scribbled between meetings with students at St. Edward’s University here in Austin, where I was tutoring English composition (a part-time day job that allowed me to transition to writing full time).
The original draft was about a girl named Kenna, and it was a sister story. But over the some 80+ revisions, she became Jenna, which sounded more musical with “jingle,” and the focus shifted to relationships between girls and women over generations.
I’d previously submitted another picture book manuscript, “Something Bigger” to editor Rosemary Brosnan, and while I was revising that story for her, I went ahead and submitted what was then called “Jenna, Jingle Dancer.”
She passed on “Something Bigger” and bought Jingle Dancer (Morrow, 2000) instead, though SB went on to be rewritten as one of the short stories in Indian Shoes (HarperCollins, 2002).
The real drama was on the industry front. Rosemary was working at Lodestar when she first bought Jingle Dancer, but shortly thereafter Penguin and Putnam merged, the imprint was dissolved, and my contract was released.
Rosemary quickly took another position at Morrow Junior Books and bought the book again—just before HarperCollins bought Morrow and eliminated its children’s line. However, they kept Rosemary and my contract.
So my first book was one of the few that was first bought by one publishing company (Lodestar), produced by a second (Morrow Junior), and released by a third (HarperCollins). Whew!
GwG: How has the trudge to publication changed for your later titles?
Cynthia: The first three—Jingle Dancer (Morrow, 2000), Rain Is Not My Indian Name (HarperCollins, 2001) and Indian Shoes (HarperCollins, 2002) came out on a steady clip. Then I began to diversify my writing—in part because the market for multicultural books was wavering (it’s gaining some ground again now) and in part because I had a wide variety of writing interests to explore.
During that time, I wrote and shelved a couple of novels and three or four picture books. I also began writing and selling short stories, which was tremendously helpful, craft-wise. I was able to experiment with new age levels, boy voice, humor, etc., and I took those lessons back to my book manuscripts.
Once Tantalize hit the market, it sold rather quickly to Candlewick in 2005, and my editor, Deborah Wayshak, and I have had a very simpatico relationship since. I have tremendous respect for her as an editor and fellow author, and under her guidance, I’m in a good productive groove—working now on a third prose Gothic, Blessed, and a graphic novel adaptation of Tantalize. We also just wrapped a short story together.
On Holler Loudly, the key proved to be a talk that editor Melanie Kroupa gave about picture books at the “special weekend” of a Vermont College of Fine Arts summer residency. I don’t remember exactly what she said, but I began scribbling as she was speaking, revised as soon as I got home, and the manuscript sold quickly thereafter.
Along those lines, teaching on the VC MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults faculty has been a godsend. Being forced to clearly articulate craft considerations has deepened my own understanding and ownership of them.
Beyond that, I’m blessed with an amazing youth literature community—nationally, in Texas and especially Austin... in the kidlitosphere... and, on a day-to-day level, at home with my husband and sometimes co-author Greg Leitich Smith and our four dedicated writer cats.
GwG: How do you maintain such a bustling blog as cynsations? Do you have help?
Cynthia: I have help in the sense that so many people have been generous in sharing their thoughts through author interviews and guest articles, and even more have graciously recommended cynsations in venues both online and off.
Beyond that, I simply work far in advance. I have non-time-specific posts pre-formatted and saved to run through December, and I can rearrange at my convenience.
GwG: You initially resisted your mom when she suggested you write for children. What about the genre hooked and keeps you?
Cynthia: I have a passion for story itself, and young heroes are, to me, the most compelling—they’re dynamic, fresh to experiences, yet more limited in their resources and, therefore, more courageous in their choices.
GwG: Worst writing-life mistake, and best writing-life decision?
Cynthia: On the worst side, I had a certain naiveté that at times made me too vulnerable.
I'm stronger now but still surprised (though no longer shocked) when, say, a planner misrepresents an event or a reviewer gets my title wrong. But I guess if I have to err one way or the other, I’d rather be an optimist. It’s probably the Kansas girl in me.
My best decision was to become an active member of the local youth writing community. I have a tremendous love and respect for my peers. They are a constant source of laughter and inspiration. I’m so proud of the Austin community in particular and have grown up with it in the industry and in craft.
GwG: You have several forthcoming titles out. Which drops next and when?
Cynthia: Next up is Eternal (Candlewick, Feb. 2009). It’s a companion book to Tantalize, which features different main characters. The two casts will crossover in a third title, Blessed, which I’m working on now.
THANK YOU!
Thank you, Cynthia! We'll patiently await Eternal and remain cheering your flourishing, writerly career.
Write well, everyone! And stay tuned for an interview with children's and YA author Cynthia Leitich Smith. She's the "Anne Rice for teen readers," per The Bloomsbury Review, and she's our next guest! What would you like to know about Cynthia's exceptional trudge to publication? Let me know!
Also, be sure to peek at Alice Pope's CWIM blog today ~ GwG's her blog of the week, and I'm floating in my cubicle!
Please welcome Jon Bard, of the husband and wife super-team behind the Write4Kids SuperSite and Children’s Book Insider newsletter. Since 1990, Jon Bard and Laura Backes have provided a hub of how-to articles, tips, and publishing resources!
GwG: What’s your children's literature background and inspiration for the Write4Kids SuperSite?
Jon: When my wife, Laura, and I met twenty years ago, she was working in children's publishing (she worked at Farrar, Straus & Giroux and Ballantine Books, and as a lit agent) and I owned a PR firm. That's pretty much foreshadowed our division of labor all these years. Laura is the children's book maven and I handle the business development and marketing.
GwG: How are you evolving the site?
Jon: We're working on social networking to create more of a community experience. We've just launched our first podcast, and we'll be getting into video, live webinars and lots more.
GwG: Any Write4Kids successes?
Jon: One thing we've always stood by—we never take credit for anyone's success. We just offer the tools, and it's the writer's talent and perseverance that prevail. That said, we have a library of autographed books from authors who started with us. My favorite story is that of Anastasia Suen. We still have the note she sent us, after having her first story published in a magazine we listed in our market news section. Today, she's authored more than 100 children's books and is a New York Times honoree. And she's still a subscriber. I'm convinced she knows more about CBI's history than I do!
GwG: Most surprising feedback?
Jon: I'm probably most startled when well-known authors tell us how much they enjoy the newsletter. We just heard from Robert Quackenbush, who's authored more than 200 books, about how the newsletter revvs him up every month. We thought of our readers as folks just starting out, but really successful folks are reading, too.
GwG: Publishing tips for aspiring authors?
Jon: We could write a book about that. In fact, we have! In sum:
1. If you're just starting out, you're not ready to submit. Learn plotting, learn voice, learn dialogue, learn to revise. Then revise it again. Enjoy the journey.
2. When it comes time to submit, don't be intimidated by the odds. Yes, publishers receive many submissions for each book that publishes. But the vast majority of submissions never get past an editorial assistant. They're rejected immediately because the word count is off, or the subject matter doesn't fit, or (and this is a big one) the submission package and query letter is amateurish. If you can learn the right way to submit, you will boost your odds.
GwG: And for marketing your book after publication?
Jon: The traditional offline stuff—school visits, bookstore appearances, press releases, etc.—still count, but the Internet has changed things. Learn social networking, get involved in message boards, start a blog and comment on others. Group blogs—where multiple authors band together—are a great way to get noticed. And be creative—more and more authors are creating "video trailers" for their books and seeding them on the web.
GwG: Most common mistake made by aspiring authors, and how to amend?
Jon: Rushing the process, and banking on the kids loving your book. Editors aren't so easy to please. Be objective and ruthless with your manuscript.
The other big mistake: not reading Children's Book Insider, of course! : )
Good weekending, friends! And a call to arms, if you don't mind! I've just posted my first two "blarticles" for Lucy Magazine. I am so excited... It's a lovely new read. For normal, soulful women. No more throwing up in your mouth when you reach for a magazine, ladies! Our day has come!
But, if I may, I'd love to ask you support. When you have a precious moment over the next few days, please visit Lucy and leave me a friendly comment or two! I've left off with a debate about Sex & the City going high-school... and what that means for keeping literature YA friendly. Always my favorite topic!
Lucy is just getting her wings, and I'd like to help build a friendly family of readers, much like we do in the blogosphere... I mean, I know my mom will read it, but blubberingly biased family members, as much as our tender writer-souls need them, don't much count.
Thanks, everyone, for all your camaraderie! And write well!
Yours,
Susan Gray
GwG: Your trudge to publication so far? Laura: I have a finished middle-grade novel and picture book, and two draft YAs. The MG novel, Archieology, received some glowing rejections. Jill Santopolo at Laura Geringer Books thought it a good fit for Scholastic, so that’s where it is now. I started in late 2005 and finished major revisions last summer.
I don’t write A to Z. I’m not a linear thinker. It was a huge “aha!” moment when I heard Sandra Cisneros speak at the Dodge Poetry Festival a few years ago. She said, “I write in buttons.” If you’ve read, “The House on Mango Street,” you know what she means. Her chapters are like prose poems. Allowing myself to pay attention to imagery & ideas rather than moving from one point to the next, I made amazing discoveries.
I'm in two critique groups, but the children’s group – they’re my cheerleaders. Debbie Clayman is our fearless leader.
By default, my submission strategy is, “Now.” I have to send stuff out right now, this minute, while I’m thinking about it. I don’t do as much research as I should. But if I meet someone at a conference, I’ll find out which authors they work with and submit if it's a match.
GwG: Do you have a writing mentor?
Laura: For poetry, it’s Maria Mazziotti Gillan (editor of the Paterson Literary Review), who was my first poetry teacher. For children’s, it's author Pamela Curtis Swallow, who had me attend my first conference in 2003.
GwG: How about blogging?
Laura: Blogging is new to me and overwhelming. My website designer & friend Eileen Buckholtz encourages me to put myself out there. I’m having fun with it, the way a rollercoaster is fun.
GwG: Your tips for time-triage?
Laura: This is a huge issue at our house. On good days, I write in the morning. I’m a compulsive list-maker. And I have an amazingly supportive spouse. If I need to work on the weekends, Rob makes it happen. I try not to feel guilty about the dust.
GwG: Best and worst writing-life experiences?
Laura: Both in one, when I applied to NYU’s Dramatic Writing Program. My high school creative writing teacher told me I wasn’t talented enough to get in. When I was accepted, the director gave me a “Tisch Writer” button. I wore it to school the next day. It made me believe in myself as a writer.
GwG: And your dream for your writing future?
Laura: My books on a bookstore shelf near you. I’m in this for the long haul. I have a few magazine sales under my belt. The book contract will happen. I’m patient.
GwG: What else should we know about you?
Laura: I lived with ‘tweens from Thailand as a kid. And I’m a Jersey Girl... and proud of it.
Thanks, Laura, for spending time with GwG... and we'll want a full update about Archieology's inevitable contract!
By:
Susan Gray,
on 10/8/2008
Blog:
GOTTAWRITE GIRL
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
SCBWI,
interviews,
blogging,
poetry,
novel,
young adult,
magazine,
teaching,
nonfiction,
middle grade,
conference,
Add a tag
Laura Shovan may be new to blogging, but she's an experienced hand at everything else. Poetry, non-fiction, teaching... no sweat. With a middle-grade novel in consideration at Scholastic and a new blog, Author Amok, Laura is busier than ever. She's everywhere. Writing everything. And executing it all with finesse.
GwG: You're published in a variety of venues, including the Baltimore Sun, the Imperfect Parent, Baltimore's Child, and Poets Online, to name a few. What writing do you enjoy most? Laura: I love the sensory language of poetry and the precision of making every word count. Writing poetry for and with kids is play-time for me. I love it! I just sold a poem to
Shoofly, which is a wonderful audio magazine for kids.
I tried some fiction in high school and even won a school award (the prize: $25 and an Opus the Penguin doll). But I put fiction aside when I was teaching and then home with little ones. Since the kids started school, I’ve added short stories and children’s novels to the genres I work in. Freelance reporting prepared me for writing fiction. Reporters listen only for the meaty parts of what people say. I aim for that in fiction, too.
GwG: Tell us all about your counterpart, Mrs. Poems. Where did the inspiration come from, and what are your future plans for her?Laura: I’ve been a poet-in-the-schools through the
Maryland State Arts Council since 2003. It’s the best job in the world. I get to play with words alongside the students. I bring my
Edgar Allan Poe doll for inspiration. When we revise, I pass out “re-vision” sunglasses.
I work in mainstreamed classrooms, which means I write with a variety of children. One year, a student with Asperger’s Syndrome couldn’t remember my name. He called me “Mrs. Poems.” The name stuck. I use it for my children’s poetry website,
MrsPoems.com. The idea for the website is adapted from my friend Ken Ronkowitz’s site for adult writers,
Poets Online.
GwG: I loved your SCBWI workshop on writing vivid animal characters. How did this become important to you?Laura: I’m so glad you liked the animal workshop! With children, I share “Hedgehog,” a 1200 year-old poem from China. Hedgehog is small and slow, but stands up to bullies. When I ask kids if they know someone like that, they all do.
Then, we write. The prompt is: “When I feel [emotion], I am like a [animal.]” Kids choose strong emotions: anger, sadness, joy.
Comparing a character’s emotion to an animal gives readers an immediate visual. In
Kate DiCamillo’s Because of Winn Dixie, Opal's father is described as being like a turtle, pulling into his shell and hiding from life. Right away, I’ve got a sense of his character.
So, Susan, what did you come up with in that workshop?
(Confession: I was in post-critique despair and didn’t actually WRITE anything. HOWEVER. I didn’t howl and weep, either, which makes me victorious nevertheless.)
Our time with Laura Shovan continues...
National Novel Writing Month launches November 1. Authors from the world over commit to write 50,000 words from scratch, in just 30 days.
Sign up, link your blog, and even peruse your local writer's chatroom. There's sure to be an upcoming group-writing date at a nearby Starbucks... Bring your own laptop, and jump on the accountability bandwagon!
This won't fit the writing timeline for many out there, but for me? I will gleefully leverage this well-timed discipline.
I've read Jack Bickham's Scene & Structure. And I'm furiously outlining my novel. Down to the scene and corresponding word count. Unromantic, yes. But otherwise? I lose my readers with delirious description. I can't help it. I've no perspective. I fall blindly in love as I write, and the story arc falls to the wayside.
What: Write a 50,000-word novel from scratch in one month's time.
Who: You! We can't do this unless we have some other people trying it as well. Let's write laughably awful yet lengthy prose together.
Why: The reasons are endless! To actively participate in one of our era's most enchanting art forms! To write without having to obsess over quality. To be able to make obscure references to our novels at parties. To mock real novelists who dawdle on and on, taking far longer than 30 days to produce their work.
When: You can sign up anytime to add your name to the roster and browse the forums. Writing begins November 1. To be added to the official list of winners, you must reach the 50,000-word mark by November 30 at midnight.
Still confused? Just visit the
How NaNoWriMo Works page!
Have a wonderful, writing weekend, everyone! I'll be back on Monday with a new post. I don't want to bury my now-favorite interview with Katherine, but that's what blogs do... on to a new favorite!
Once a year, the Library of Congress stages the National Book Festival. Over seventy authors converged on the waterlogged national mall for lectures, book signings, and cavorting with fans and media.
Saturday was an unparalellable day.
I had the incredible privilege of attending as press, and interviewing esteemed author Katherine Paterson. If you read as a child, you know her work. She is, in a word, legendary. Both Bridge to Terabithia and Jacob Have I Loved earned Newbery medals, and The Great Gilly Hopkins a Newbery Honor. From the ALA to the International Board on Books for Young People, her work garners momentous critical recognition and worldwide popular appeal.
The best element of our talk was her kindness. I often talk about this quality, but that's only because the people I've met in children's literature have it in spades. Katherine is no exception. For the first five minutes of our time together, she asked only about Gottawrite Girl. She was genuinely curious. Genuinely supportive. I didn't want to "waste her time" with talk of GwG. But who am I to guide Katherine Paterson? I was just fortunate to be with her. And blessed to hear her experience.
Our interview springboards from asking Katherine about the trudge to publication for her first book, The Sign of the Chrysanthemum.
Says Katherine...
I had just moved to Takoma Park, Maryland. I first began writing for church. I didn't know yet what I could do, so I tried writing everything. I eventually took an adult education writing class with a church friend. The class itself did not end up being helpful, but the discipline did.
I promised myself that each week I would write one chapter. After one year, I had 14 chapters. Since there are 52 weeks in the year, you know I didn't actually a chapter a week.
At first, nothing sold. (Note: It took nine years before "Sign of the Chrysanthemum" sold!) But I continued to submit through the slush process - I looked at the books I admired to see who had published them.
My first book took place in 6th century feudal Japan, but I had no idea it wasn't marketable. I was really lucky. A young woman just out of college read my manuscript out of the slush pile, and she gave it to the Senior Editor, who had just come back from a trip to Japan.
Everything just came together as it did. Since 1970, I've had the same editor. She's moved around to different houses, but I've had the same editor (Virginia Buckley).
I would never teach writing, because I don't know how I do it! There are those who are gifted at teaching, but I am not one of them. I've sucked in a lot of information about writing from reading, but not much about technical structure or process. My editor asks questions, and I revise...
I have to tell stories the way the must be told. Everything must match. It must be done honestly. In the case of The Great Gilly 
Hopkins, yes, there were swear words, but it was just a taste. She really doesn't say too much; there's not a lot...
The Newbery awards opened doors for me as a writer. They allowed me to meet people I wouldn't have met before...
Happily, Katherine is now writing a new novel. She recommends aspiring authors write every day. And while our interview reads quickly, it will last for a lifetime. My best day yet.
Friends! A miracle has materialized...
I am home now, slippered and stuffed into my overstuffed chair, after attending the
Library of Congress Book Festival as a member of the press... (um, I wrote a begging email and was granted this privilege).
This week, I am so proud and excited to present an interview (and
lots of photos) with Newbery-award winning author,
Katherine Paterson (think Bridge to Terabithia, Jacob I Have Loved and The Great Gilly Hopkins).
She is amazing. And her experiences will inspire
all of us. Published or aspiring. No question.
This has been one of the best days of my life...
Deliriously happy Susan, now signing out.
Our time with lovely, aspiring MG author, Sheri Oshins, concludes today... Be sure to support Sheri's work and vision by visiting Diary of Children’s Book Writer!
GwG: Why were you advised to start a blog? What about blogging is most worthwhile? Sheri: I was shy about blogging, but a friend of mine suggested that we need to self-promote and that blogging is a fun way to do this. So I began, almost a year ago. Now, I struggle shutting down once I've started. Admittedly, it takes up too much of my time.
This is something I need to control, but it’s so addicting. Why? Because you connect with people who have the same goals. Or maybe they've already made it and you get to live vicariously through them. You feel connected to their story and their rise to the top. It’s exciting and educational.
This year, I will set aside an hour a day and an hour at night, and that's that! But I always feel so badly if I didn't visit all of your blogs. We count on each other. It's a shout out to other writers, and when they comment it's a shout back that they know you're there.
GwG: I love the resource lists posted on Diary of Children’s Book Writer. Any more advice for aspiring authors? Sheri: Thank you. This was really inspired by
Class of 2k8 author,
PJ Hoover (hi PJ!). My advice is to make yourself accountable. Publicized deadlines do this, as does joining
SCBWI or a writer's group. Read blogs by other writers. Start your own blog.
Read the great writers of your genre, not for reading's sake but for learning's sake. Reading for fun and reading as a writer are two different things. Learn to read like a writer. Try to stay one-step ahead of the writer to see if your brain is working the story out in the same way. And if not, was your way better? Was the author’s way better?
Surround yourself with people who have the same goal as you. And remember, it's not the struggle that's important, it's how you react to the struggle, what you do with the struggle that makes all the difference in the world. We all will face sharp criticism and times of pain and tears. Some of us will give up. But some of us will rise up. Decide who you want to be.
Join SCBWI*You will meet other writers and illustrators.
*You will share each other's work.
*You will have individual sessions with editors, authors, or agents!
Writer's To Do List1.) Make friends with your local library.
2.) Join a writer's group. Or start your own. I did!
3.) Join your local chapter of SCBWI
4.) Attend workshops, conferences, seminars
5.) Read your stories to children
6.) Enter contests
7.) Of course, write something every day!
A Writer's Must Haves...To get started, here are a few tools of the trade you MUST have.
1.) An excellent thesaurus.
2.) This year's
Writer’s Market. I specifically buy the one for children’s literature… namely the
Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market.
3.) Read examples of good literature in your desired genre. If you plan on writing middle grade, like me, I suggest you read,
Pearl S. Buck’s The Big Wave,
Sharon Creech’s Walk Two Moons,
Out of the Dust by
Karen Hesse, and any, or all, of
JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books.
4.) Support. Join a writer's group. A good group will consist of positive, knowledgeable members who will help guide and challenge you, so you can put forth the strongest work possible.
5.) Stamina and strength. This is not an easy field. You will face a lot of rejection. But if you believe in yourself and have the stamina to continue no matter what, you will eventually break in!
6.) Knowledge about proper formatting. Learn proper standard submission guidelines. You will be hard pressed to find an editor who will be willing to read your manuscript, no matter how brilliant, if you haven’t at least taken the time to learn the basics of formatting.
Sheri Oshins, woman on a mission, continued…
GwG: What's your trudge to publication been like so far? And your publishing strategy for your novel in-progress?
Sheri: I am still trudging to publication. Sometimes it’s dark, murky, and painful. But there are times when inspiration hits and your fingers fly on the keyboard and your character’s voice rings clear. There's no other feeling like that!
I plan to attend SCBWI events, and show the draft only when it’s ready (common mistake of new writers is to show premature drafts). I will then target agents until I sign that glorious dotted line.
GwG: Best and worst decisions with trudging the road to publication?
Sheri: My best decision has been surrounding myself with those with the same vision. When I’m low and kicking myself, I have many people who raise me up and believe in my work.
My worse regret is that I didn't start sooner. I could have majored in English during college. I had professors who tried to introduce me to editor friends in NYC, but I never walked through those open doors. I know I wasn’t ready, but perhaps I’d already be published today.
GwG: You realized the need to "spread your wordy wings," and that picture book writing wasn’t for you. How did you settle on middle grade?
Sheri: MG chose me, frankly. I always thought I was a picture book writer because I taught kindergarten and first grade. I loved picture books, but when the time to write came, my first story was long. The second story I wrote was even longer. I thought, “Oh no, this is a novel! What do I do with a novel?”
But I just told myself, once again, to trust my process and the stories that come to me. The story chose me for a reason. I told myself to just write and see what comes of it. I discovered when I write this way, my heart sings. When I write PBs I feel contrived. I needed to spread my wordy wings. To write a story in 200 words is a skill I don't possess, just like many PB writers are terrified of writing 250 pages. To each her own!
GwG: Tell us about your novel in-process.
Sheri: The idea came while driving. I heard out of nowhere, “Tristan loved trees, ginkgo, oak, sequoia, pine, birch.” And I only had a Dunkin' Donuts napkin to scribble on. Three napkins later, my heart was pounding.
The novel tells of a girl with an unusual talent that could save her relationship with her father, and mankind’s relationship with nature. When we are kids, we believe we can do remarkable things, like telekinesis or talk to ghosts... and as we grow older we loose our belief. But what if we could do what we once believed, even into adulthood? Tristan reconnects with her childhood abilities and, in so doing, rediscovers herself, her family, and the world.
GwG: What’s your editing process like?
Sheri: When I am in the writing months of the year, September to June, I begin writing around 8:30 am. I start by reading yesterday's pages. I make quick editorial changes and write until lunch. I take a 30-minute lunch break, and then write until about 3:30. I'm what I call a two-stepper. I write forward, then I go back. I wish I could write straight through like some writers. Their process seems faster than mine, but I must respect my own process.
GwG: What will you write next?
Sheri: The sequel to my MG in-progress. I also have a YA up my sleeve, and several more MGs. But that’s a long way off. I know my MG still needs many rewrites before moving on.
This week, please enjoy a series of interviews with my friend, fellow writer and SCBWI member, Sheri Oshins. Sheri founded the Hunterdon County Children's Writer's Group (HCCWG). Her personal blog, Diary of a Children’s Book Writer, has charmed its way to a large audience since only 2007. Her group blog, devoted to HCCWG, has done the same. For 16 years, Sheri taught and tutored reading and writing. Now, she’s wholeheartedly pursuing becoming a published writer. We share this same lifelong dream, which is the platform for our friendship – two women, finally realizing our dream.
GwG: Why is joining SCBWI “the best thing you've ever done?”
Sheri: You know, people say to listen to the Universe, follow what the Universe presents you... I returned to work about 4 years ago. I am a former elementary teacher. I stopped teaching when I had children so I could pursue writing. But I never got much writing done. All you writer moms out there with young babes at home - I bow to you - I just couldn't do it. I was floundering. I didn't know where to begin.
I read the Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market and other books. I took a screenplay writing course in NYC, but I still felt I wasn't on the right path. And I was scared. It's hard to work with one income these days. So, once my youngest was in first grade, I ran back to the shelter of teaching. And I was miserable!
Teaching is more than a full time job. I was the 4th grade English teacher, so I saw all the students for LA, reading, and writing. I had about 70 essays to grade every week. Everything came second to teaching. My children, my husband, my home, and my writing. I was teaching about great writers like Sharon Creech, Pearl S. Buck, Karen Hesse, but I wasn't being one.
We went to see The Chronicles of Narnia (I will get to SCBWI soon, I promise...). The lights went down and we transported to this magical world. I sat there with tears streaming down my face during the whole movie. Not because it was an amazing movie. But because I couldn't stop thinking that I'll never get to see myself do this... write for children... invent worlds in books. It was a turning point for me.
After a long talk with my husband, it was agreed. I needed to stop teaching and give writing my best, whole effort. Life's too short. I stopped being afraid I wouldn't be successful, or we wouldn't have enough money. I just needed to live the life I was meant to live. Once I did, things started happening. My job (which was filling a year's maternity leave) happily came to an end. All the teachers wanted to fight on my behalf, but I knew this was the right move. I moved on. Sure, I was scared about bills and such, but I felt safe. I trusted the Universe.
And then, SCBWI kept whispering to me. At first, I ignored it. But then, the whisper grew into a shriek until I was reminded of that joke about the man who drowned waiting for a sign from God... I spoke to the RA of my local chapter, who was so welcoming. I joined and saw immediately why my first publishing attempt, armed only with the Writer's Market, had failed.
You need other writers in your life. If for no other reason than to surround yourself with people who are living writing life. It enables you and inspires you to press on. Also, you need one-on-one, face-to-face connections with editors and agents. You can't get that anywhere else! SCBWI puts you face-to-face with the very people who might buy your MS. It puts you ahead of the slush pile. It helps make the nearly impossible, possible. I have seen it time and time again: All the writers I know with contracts made those connections through SCBWI.
GwG: How did you form the HCCWG writer’s group, and what was your inspiration to do so?
Sheri: Well, again, this was because of SCBWI. After attending my first workshop at SCBWI, I saw that I really needed to join a peer critique group. But all the groups I tried to join through NJ SCBWI were either full or disbanded. I felt discouraged and called Kathy Temean, the RA for NJ SCBWI. She said, start your own group. I thought, why not?
At first, I went to a large book chain. They suggested I put up fliers in the library. Again, the Universe smacked me on the top of my head! So I called, and as kismet would have it, they said they wanted a writer's group to bring new life into the library. When you are on the right track, things just fall into place. The library also wanted the local paper and radio station to interview me. The article attracted 60 people to our first meeting. I was shocked! We formed 6 smaller sub-genre groups. I found 5 wonderful women to run each of the small groups, and we have run strong ever since.
We celebrated our year anniversary this past April and currently have 40 dedicated members with the same common goal - to write for children and become published. Each facilitator meets with her own small group once a month and we, facilitators, meet once a month, too. We put on events, have guest speakers... it's a great organization, if I must say so myself. And... my writing has grown so much over this year by surrounding myself with honest, diligent writers. You can visit our blog, too.
GwG: How has HCCWG enhanced the writing process for you?
Sheri: First, we set deadlines for one another. You must be accountable for your own progress. And not be the dead weight in the group. We share outlines, writing struggles, dilemmas, brainstorms. It's priceless.
The feedback is priceless too. Not in the sense that you might always agree or want to take all the feedback you hear, but it makes you think. It either solidifies your original intentions, echoes inner fears you've harbored anyway, or highlights what you didn't consider. We have a rule in HCCWG, it's take it or toss it. We heard this at an SCBWI event and we've adapted it. If you hear something that doesn't resonate, don't reject it right away. See if you receive similar feedback from those outside your group. If you hear it at least three other times, it's time to consider this feedback as worthy.
The group also taught me to respect my own process as unique. We often compare what we do and how we do it with other writers. But we need to stop this. Discover when you write the best, the morning, the afternoon, the night.... the spring, the summer, the fall... I have found my writing process is from Sept to May/June and in the mornings. Once summer hits, I need to read, study, and reflect. That's just how it works for me. I've learned, from being in my group, to trust my process.
Back on Monday!
"Sex and the City" author Candace Bushnell is writing two teen novels, "The Carrie Diaries," that "takes readers back to Carrie Bradshaw's formative years in high school, giving an inside look at Carrie's friendships, romances and how she realized her dream of becoming a writer," HarperCollins announced this week.
The first book will come out in 2010. In a statement issued by her publicist, Candace said that "Carrie in high school did not follow the crowd - she led it." The books will be set in New York and in a suburb Carrie spent her childhood.
When asked whether high-school sex will be included in the books, Donna responded that “kids will be doing what teenagers realistically do, but it’s not going to be provocative for the sake of that. I would never put something in just to put it in. But if it was organic to the story... then it would be in there.”
I am guessing these novels will push the edge of the envelope with YA-appropriate content. Just like
Judy Blume did, by writing openly about menstruation, racism, sexuality and religion...
I'm grateful my mom was a librarian and wasn't closed-minded about censored books. I read freely. And now? I'm in love with YA, and can't wait to contribute my own book to the genre.
Similes are warned against in this post by literary agent Nathan Bransford of Curtis Brown Ltd. "Similes are like jalapeno peppers. They can add some spice, but too many of them and your reader will spit out your novel and run away."
Similes are
sung about in my current metro companion,
On Writing. Ah,
Steven King. How I love this book. How I relish his twisted musings. He writes, "when it's on target, a simile delights us in much the same way meeting an old friend in a crowd of strangers does... We are sometimes able to see an old thing in a new and vivid way."
Similes make magic out of everyday words. Really, nothing short of magic. I read
Ernest Hemingway's short story fifteen years ago, and my own, personal conjuring of "hills like white elephants" still burns bright. The diction isn't advanced. The imaging isn't complex. But it just goes
boom. I won't impose by posting an illustration of actual hills.
Fear not the simile, but practice its mastery! Our critique buddies will note when we've crossed the embarrassment-line.
By:
Susan Gray,
on 9/16/2008
Blog:
GOTTAWRITE GIRL
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
author,
marketing,
interviews,
loving writing,
queries,
blogging,
novel,
magazine,
nonfiction,
short story,
Add a tag
Please enjoy this final interview with my friend, author and producer, Devon Ellington. It's been a pleasure and inspiration to peek into her prolific, artful life. Thank you, Devon, for visiting with GwG!
GwG: How do you market your work?
Devon: Press releases, interviews, search engines, forums, my blogs, newsletters, and logo swag.
GwG: How do you necessarily toot your own horn? Are you at peace with the process? Devon: You have to keep writing, keep your name out there, and keep connecting with new readers. I love to read, so I’m always excited to read new-to-me writers; I hope readers feel the same about me. I do as many interviews & guest blogs as possible. I want to be inclusive, not exclusive. I want to intrigue and excite my audience, not bludgeon them.
No, I am not at peace with it. My job is to write the best book I can, grow as a writer, and
help get the book out there. But it's mainly the publisher’s job. Writers need to talk about their work, but I don't agree with the expectation to promote without being paid for it. Publishers get too much for free. It makes sense when the writers have large advances. But for a pittance of an advance, too much is expected...The priority
has to be the writing.
GwG: What are typical mistakes made by beginner writers? Your advice for amending? Devon: *Non-writers who think writing is easy and, more importantly, is easy money. Learn the craft.
*Writers who won’t cut. The Red Machete is your friend.
*Writers assuming their debut book will be a best-seller. You have to prove yourself every time out. Again, the obsession with “niche” and “branding” is a disservice. And, as you query a completed manuscript, begin your next book. Agents and publishers invest in careers, not one-shot wonders.
*Writers who look down on other genres. Business writers who look down on fiction writers. Unpublished novelists who say, “I don’t do short stories.” The best way to build a larger audience is to publish short pieces. Keep them going between the novels. It’s the quality, not the genre, that sets the bar.
*Writers who take jobs that pay a pittance for huge volumes of work. You’ll get the reputation for being a cheap writer, which doesn't lead to better jobs. You’re better off doing pro bono writing for the charity of your choice and building legitimate clips.
*Writers who don’t read. We learn from everything, not only our favorite authors.
*Writers wanting a magical solution to success, or who think there’s only one right way to do things. There’s no Easy Button. You've got to put in the work and mix in the luck. And there are as many different ways to achieve success as there are writers. Forge your own path, learn from others, and trust your gut. Run for the hills if someone tries to be your guru.
GwG: Proudest achievement? Dream for the future?
Devon: Two, actually. Someone contacted me after seeing one of my plays. She said it changed her life and kept her from committing suicide. That’s why the majority of us do this, to help people view the world a little differently and to make a positive change. The other proudest achievement is that I’ve worked in my chosen fields, writing and theatre, my entire professional life. I did not compromise and become a cubicle slave.
Dream for the future: Find my dream house in Massachusetts, and set up my library/writing room. I want to continue writing what interests me, and write it well enough to attract an ever-expanding audience. And I want to be free to move between fiction, non-fiction and plays, because each story is best told in its own, different way.
View Next 25 Posts
Friends, take heart! Registration for SCBWI's Annual Winter Conference goes live today, at 4pm PT!
I really, really want to go, but I doubt I'll be able to swing it, time-wise or money-wise. I guess I'll just have to experience it vicariously through you.
You lucky girl! I am attending a local SCBWI conference this month that I am so excited about. I have not been to one of the big ones yet!
Jeanie, yes! I will share the loot! I had to bail on the last available conference in TN for lack of funds, and couldn't attend my recent regional for being out of town... Nothing's standing in my way this time!!
Kelly, I have never been to a large one, either! Very exciting!
~sigh~ I really really would love to go, but I'm just not in the place to do it.
Have fun! I'll live vicariously through you and anyone else who goes by reading about it! :0)
Lucky duck!
Christy
Wow...time sure does fly. I wrote about this in the News Roundup column for the SCBWI IL newsletter in august, and it seems like I've blinked and it's here. :)
I won't be going (going to the same local conference as Kelly, though), but have lots of fun and fill us in when you get back!
The wail of anguish you hear coming from the south is me: I wanna go to this thing so bad, but I am poor and etc. ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!
Not going so I'll settle for living vicariously through you!
Christy, I will dump all information immediately. That's a promise!!
Tabitha, I know. I've been "thinking" about this conference for almost a year, and all of a sudden it's GO time!
Beth, I hear you. Thank goodness for "automatic withdrawal" to my savings account ~ I don't care if the roof springs a leak!
PJ!! I hope you spend your time just writing writing writing your trilogy... THAT is the coolest path... and I live vicariously through you always!!
Yaye for all of us! Write on!
Ok, it's official, I'm going to have to write a post titled, "Is it just me, or Would It Be Nice to Trade Lives with Gottawrite Girl?" LOL Wish I could go, [sigh]. Be sure to tell all about it. P.S. I'm writing for Lucy Mag too!!
Shelby, great!!! So glad to know you've joined Lucy... and so many thanks for the kind words. We must keep in good touch!
It's times like these when I wish I didn't live in Canada. You guys have so many amazing conferences.
I know you'll have a great time and learn a ton!
Angela, you'll be with me in spirit... I actually visited Canada last year ~ it's beautiful! I went to Toronto / Niagara Falls.
Given the rand dollar exchange rate, the distance and travel involved, I'm afraid it's not going to be a happening thing for me. But I expect to hear ALL about it from you! :-)
Hah, yes! That would be QUITE a trip for you, my friend! Well, when Bologna rolls around, I will email you with envy. : )