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Today RJ Palacio, author of Wonder, will talk to us about her writing process and her road to publication. Take it away, RJ!

Evolutionary Road

I’m 48 years old, and Wonder is my first published book. When people hear that, they often take that to mean that I suddenly took to writing right smack in the middle of middle age, but that isn’t the case. I’ve been writing my whole life. I have a file cabinet full of half-written books, ideas for books, outlines for books, and even one almost-completed novel from my early twenties. I had lots of reasons why I never managed to finish those books, of course: lack of time, lack of focus. I used to blame my day job, the thing I did for a living that paid the bills, for sapping all my creative juices. Mind you, I loved my day job, but the more successful I became at that, the less energy I had to devote to
my secret life as a writer. And then I had children, the best excuse in the world for letting life get in the way of one’s writing. So I had lots of reasons why I never finished any of those writing projects that ended up in my file cabinet. But looking back, I realize now that all those projects were never really about the end result as much as they were about the process. I didn’t know that at the time, but now I see that what I was actually doing was quietly working away in my own apprenticeship, honing my craft, being my own worst critic, indulging ridiculous flights of fancy and whatever bad trends needed to work their way out of my system. In essence, I was finding my voice as a writer. Some people find it early on. But my voice, the voice that became Wonder—needed time to develop, needed to be a mom first, needed to have had a career doing something else, before it could say what it wanted to say. I no longer mourn those books that lived inside my head, half-explored and left abandoned inside my file cabinet. They served a purpose. They were part of an evolution

OLA today was wonderful! And tiring. And feel-good.

The first thing I saw when I got to the Fitzhenry & Whiteside booth was my Canadian editor, Christie Harkin (it’s always lovely to see a friendly face), and then the beautifully arranged stack of copies of HUNTED!

I posed with Christie–but I still find having my photo taken slightly triggering, so it’s not the best smile. But Christie’s is!

I had SUCH fun at the Fitzhenry & Whiteside booth, signing HUNTED! In 25 minutes, we’d run out of all 100 copies of HUNTED! I couldn’t believe how fast they went, or that I’d had a long line! The people just kept coming! That was such a thrill, and I felt drunk on happiness for a while afterward. I think it was even happier for me because I’d had a fear that no one would come.

I also enjoyed speaking to each person, and I loved how when I’d offer a pen color, each person chose one and many enjoyed being offered the choice.

I wish I could see the whole line of people–they extended all the way on my right, and I was too focused on each person as they came up to me to look–but this lets me see some of them.

Then I walked around for a while with YA writer (and my friend) Lena Coakley. I also stopped by and got books signed by YA authors Marina Cohen, Sylvia McNicoll, and said hi to Mahtab Narsimhan at her signing (I’d already bought her book), and Teresa Toten (we were too late to get hers). It felt lovely to see writers and people who I like and care about with their books.

And then came the CANSCAIP book launch, where we each talked for three minutes about our books. Even though I’ve now done public speaking a number of times, I still get anxious beforehand each time, and sometimes scared. This time it was scared in the hour or so I had to wait to present HUNTED, my heart pounding and my hands sweating. I was glad to see I wasn’t the only anxious one; other YA writers I like and admire were also anxious. I was actually shaking while I was up at the podium speaking–BUT apparently I presented really well. Fellow YA writers Karen Krossing and Lena Coakley told me afterwards that I spoke beautifully and with emotion and great expressiveness, that I didn’t seem nervous at all, and that what I had to say was interesting and real. It helped to hear that; I still find public speaking stressful. And I speak my emotional truths and the things that are important to me; I mentioned that for me HUNTED is analogy to cults or cult-like groups that oppress, and that it also addresses homophobia and racism, though not i

YA author Jus Accardo (TOUCH)

Our favorite songs, the TV shows and movies we love—even the foods we can’t live without—they’ve got one thing in common.

Inspiration.

The most mundane things in life can bring about brilliance. Stepping outside your house and into the crisp fall air, surrounded by rich colors and distinctive smells, can tug at the creative soul. I find inspiration to write in everything I do. Everywhere I go, everyone I talk to—it’s all got the potential to help me create unique scenes and vibrant characters.

Every part of my life contributes to my writing. Bits and pieces of overheard conversations can morph into dialog, or sometimes, situations. Standing on line at the grocery store, simply watching others shop, can turn into character mannerisms and description. Just walking around downtown, out in the open air taking in the buildings and cars as the pass can help in creating scenes and characters that feel real.

And music… Music is a huge one for me. When I’m blocked I usually only have to flip on my Zune to get my brain into motion again. There’s so much emotion in music. Good, bad, sweet and sour. Angry and happy… There’s something for every feeling and every occasion. Need fuel for that touching scene you’ve been stumbling over? Flip on the radio!

If you find yourself stuck on a scene, or have characters that just aren’t speaking to you, get out of your chair and hit the road. Go hiking or troll the mall. Sit in a diner for an hour and just look and listen. Get out there and pay attention. I bet you’ll be surprised at what you come back with.

Author Bio:

Jus Accardo is the author of YA paranormal romance and urban fantasy fiction. A native New Yorker, she lives in the middle of nowhere with her husband, three dogs, and sometimes guard bear, Oswald. Her first book, Touch, is due out in November 2011 from Entangled Publishing. She is represented by Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

About TOUCH:

“When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.

Except there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to this boy – and her father’s “law firm” – than she realized.

Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation – an organization devoted to collecting “special” kids known as S

I love it when people talk about things that affect them, that can affect other people, too. Things that can be hard to talk about, but need to be talked about. I think talking about painful things can help make a positive difference in the world. So I’m proud of YA author Bobbie Pyron for her article The Perks of Being BiPolar.

I don’t have BiPolar. But I do know what it’s like to live with severe depression, PTSD, and DID (resulting from the child abuse and torture I endured) and it can feel unbearable, hard to live through sometimes. And sometimes it can be hard to talk about–especially if people judge it. Some people do judge.

But when someone speaks out, it helps to make such a positive difference–for people who’ve been through the same or similar experiences, and for others who never have, but ho might be able to understand someone they love or know a bit better because of it.

So kudos to Bobbie Pyron for speaking out!

Bobbie Pyron is the author of A Dog’s Way Home and The Ring.

Today Lena Coakley opens up about a difficult childhood and why reading fantasy saved her life. Lena Coakley is the author of Witchlanders, a fantastic YA fantasy that I love.

you can still
listen in through the podcast! I LOVED how articulate, clear, strong, and intelligent YA author Maureen Johnson was!

I also called in (since Gurdon slammed Scars in her WSJ essay). I was glad to be able to say a short bit–and so grateful, as always, for all the lovely YAlit people’s support through Twitter! It really makes a huge difference.

I found it…hard…to have Meghan Cox Gurdon tell me that she pities me. Pity feels…far away from compassion, and can be condescending. I think it usually makes the person pitied feel awful. And I found it hard that again, Meghan thinks that most teens can’t relate to dark books because it’s not their experience (she thinks). I SO wish I’d been able to get in that 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 8 boys are sexually abused before the age of 18. That alone shows how many teens need “dark” fiction, and that’s just one issue. Never mind teens who haven’t been through such things but have friends who have.

But Maureen Johnson was so articulate and smart (I knew she would be), and so was the teen reader! And the Twitter support–you all are wonderful!

Check out the podcast if you want to hear it for yourself.
http://www.whyy.org/podcast/070611_110630.mp3

The wonderful Maureen Johnson, who started the #YASaves movement on Twitter in response to Meghan Cox Gurdon’s WSJ article that slammed so many good books (including Scars) will be on NPR TODAY at 11am EST!! I hope some people will call in to support her!

The radio show is here: http://whyy.org/cms/radiotimes/

And that is a CALL IN show. The number is 1-888-477-9499.

HOW to be a caller on the show: http://whyy.org/cms/radiotimes/how-to-be-a-caller-on-radio-times/

If you don’t get NPR locally, here is the LIVESTREAM: http://www.whyy.org/91FM/live.html

You can hear it live streaming here:

You go, Maureen!! I am so very grateful for strong, reasonable voices like Maureen, who know that YA books make a positive difference in teens’ lives. And that if a book doesn’t work for you, personally, just put it down!

It’s October 28th! Ooooh, I’m so excited! (beaming)

It’s kind of thrilling to hear the release date, to know when Hunted will be here. When I’ll be able to hold it, leaf through it, read it again, and when it will start to reach others!

(You can read more about my YA paranormal fantasy HUNTED here.)

Today I have a treat for you–an interview with YA author Michael Harmon–author of SKATE, LAST EXIT TO NORMAL, BRUTAL, THE CHAMBER OF FIVE, A KID FROM SOUTHIE, and UNDER THE BRIDGE.

Author Michael Harmon and his dog Hank

Q: Why do you write?

A: I’d have to sell pencils at the airport if I didn’t, but there’s a passion and love for writing that pencil selling doesn’t give me.

Q: I hear you.

What do you love about writing?

A: I love writing because it is absolute freedom.

Q: What don’t you like about the publishing business? (Or about writing.)

A: What I occasionally have difficulty with about the business side of writing is that the essential premise of money is necessarily contrary to the foundation of the freedom writing gives me. I do, however, find that the compromises I need to make for the sake of our society’s sometimes odd boundaries and political systems are miniscule compared to the blessing of reaching my readers in a positive way. I will add that most publishers do a fantastic job of juggling the ethos of expression with the realities of business. With the occasional controversies surrounding the first three novels I have on the shelves, my agent and publisher have been incredibly stalwart, courageous and supportive of my principles, which sometimes go against the business ethic of making money. They have my absolute respect, and I return their loyalty with trust.

Q: What would you want in your ideal writing studio? What does your writing space look like now?

A: I’ve no desire for a writing studio. It would remind me of an office, and I’m not an office kind of person. My writing space looks like a queen-sized bed with my English Mastiff, Hank, snoring next to me as I grind out chapters on my laptop.

Q: (laughing) I’m not an office kind of person, either. Writing with your dog beside you sounds lovely.

Where do you write most often?

A: On my bed.

Q: What do you think is the most important thing (or things) that makes a good book work?

A: Truth. Every horrible passage I’ve ever vomited out can be traced to me not being true to the story, characters, and my craft.

Q: I like what you said, Michael; I think truth woven into fiction makes it powerful.

What is your favorite type of book to read?

A: Anything that bleeds honesty, and anything that makes me forget I’m reading by making me feel it. Cormac McCarthy’s THE ROAD did that to me.

Q: I love that in books, too.

What are some of your favorite YA books? How about picture books?

A: I’ve only read three YA books in my life. I’m weird that way. Does Maxim count as a picture book?

Q: Ahem. No. (smiling)

How much of yourself or your own experiences and emotions do you put in your books?

A: I put my entire being into every novel I write, though I never portray specific circumstances….just the emotions and perspectives I think are universal to being human. I believe that a writer who fears their feelings, whether they be moral, immoral, angelic, or evil, will find it difficult to po

Check out my audio recording for my author name pronunciation at TeachingBooks.net! You’ll find out how I got my last name. I’m honored that they asked me. (beaming)

Where did the concept for your current book come from? Remarkably, with my writer’s group there was a challenge to write a short story based on a painting. I wrote it, and it resonated so well with me that I expanded it into a 62k mid-grade novel. I should add that my publisher got permission from the artist to reproduce the same painting for the cover of my book. The painting is abstract and it can be interpreted in a number of different ways—but it certainly depicts a poignant scene with winged creatures. Continue reading →

I am SO excited–my paranormal fantasy, tentatively titled Teen Para, is coming out from WestSide Books most likely this October! The WestSide editor, Evelyn Fazio, is a dream to work with, and WestSide has been incredible with me for Scars, so this feels really good to me on so many levels. I can’t stop smiling! (grinning and grinning)

In Teen Para, Cassie is a telepath in a world where that is illegal. She is on the run from the government troopers, trying to stay hidden and alive–and trying to help make the world a better place for others with paranormal talents.

I drew on many of my trauma experiences in writing Teen Para, just as I did with Scars. Like my main character, Cassie, I know what it’s like to have my life threatened, to face oppression, to experience torture, and to break free from cult or from a group of oppressors.

My main character isn’t gay this time, but there is a queer character who’s important in the book.

I care about this book a lot, too. I needed both realistic and fantasy books to survive my child- and teenhood. You’ve probably heard me say it before, but realistic fiction helped me know I wasn’t alone, and fantasy helped me dream and hope. So I’m delighted that this fantasy book is going to be published and reach readers!

Just because an author is published doesn’t mean that they don’t receive rejections–so I’m even happier about Teen Para getting published!

I can’t wait to see what the cover looks like, can’t wait to share my novel with you! Meanwhile…I’m sharing my excitement. (grinning)

If you want to know more about Teen Para, read on:

As a child, Cassie watched as an angry mob killed her father, murdering him for being a Para. Since then, she and her mother have been on the run from government troopers, and constantly searching for her missing brother who disappeared during the riots. When Cassie starts at a new school she thinks she will have to do what she’s always done–blend in as hard as she can, and never, ever let anyone know she’s a Para–able to read people’s thoughts. But then she meets Alex, a fellow swimmer who she starts to fall for hard, as well as Rachel, one of her first true friends, and she finds herself not wanting to hide any more. But the government is closing in, and someone is killing Paras, draining of them of their life energy. Cassie knows that she doesn’t have much time before her identity is discovered. Ultimately, she must make the decision whether to save herself or save the whole human race.

And, in case you worry about it, Teen Para has a happy ending. Not over-the-top Hollywood happy, but happy enough to work for me (who doesn’t like unhappy endings; I had enough of that in my life). I hope Teen Para interests you, and hope you’ll check it out when it comes out!

I wrote a letter to my teen self at Dear Teen Me. I hope you’ll check it out.

It also features some of the art I did as a teen, including one drawing I mentioned in Scars.

 I love hearing about the successes of other bloggers. I mean, at some point, some of their fairy dust has to rub off on me, right? One of the blogs I read on a regular basis is Inkspells, from Susan Kaye Quinn. So imagine my surprise last month when she announced that it was release day for her first novel, a YA romance. Never saw that coming!

Of course I bought the book, gobbled it up and asked if I could interview her. If you haven't already heard the amazing story of how the publisher found her and invited her to submit, do yourself a favor and check it out. Trust me. It's like porn for aspiring authors. And when you're done, come back and read this interview to learn more about former California girl, debut author Susan Kaye Quinn.


You obviously know how to keep a secret! Seriously, how hard was that not to spill on your blog about this novel?
I share so much of my writing process on my blog, it was hard to keep from blurting it out. But I respected my publisher’s wishes to keep it under wraps until we were able to launch and give people something to hold.

On Ink Spells you focus on books for boys. How did your boys feel about LIFE, LIBERTY AND PURSUIT?
They want me to write more science fiction! My boys are 7, 9, and 11, and don’t have much interest in romance. My oldest read the back cover, shrugged, and walked away. They want to know when my middle grade novel is going to be published, and I have to keep explaining that publishing is a very long process. Seems like eons to them.

Oh, trust me. I can sympathize with them there!
Are you working on anything they'd be interested in?
I’ve written a middle grade science fiction novel called Byrne Risk. It’s a story about a girl struggling to save her clone caretaker from the Peace Police, who want to arrest her for stealing secret wormhole technology to help the clone resistance. My boys like the technology and the genetically engineered pets, as well as the broader themes of slavery and standing up for what’s right. Byrne Risk is in final edits, and I hope to start querying it soon.

I’ve promised them I’ll start writing another MG book this fall.

Wow, Byrne Risk sounds like a cool story! I hope someone picks it up once you get the queries out there. I'm pretty sure my son would enjoy reading that as well.

You’ve named Eoin Colfer, one of my personal favorites, as an influence on your SF/MG writing. Who are your YA romance literary heroes?
This is a tough one, as I haven’t actually read a lot of YA romance. My niece was enamored with Twilight, and I wrote LIFE, LIBERTY AND PURSUIT as a love story for her that was grounded in reality and didn’t require magical creatures to create the compelling tensions of the love story. Not that I have anything against fantasy – far from it. But life is epic all by itself.

You read and write a lot of different types of books, from MG sci-fi to YA romance. Do you think it will be a challenge to reach such varied groups of readers?
There are definitely different paths for different markets. Cynthia Leitich Smith is my hero for crossing genres and showing it to be acceptable (she writes picture books, MG, and YA). It’s easier to reach YA readers because they are online, and there are a gr

Are you a published children’s or YA author or illustrator? If you are, you can enter to win 1 of 6 spots at JacketFlap’s booth in The Orange County Children’s Book Festival (Southern California) for Oct 4.

To qualify, you must be a published author or illustrator of children’s or young adult books, and at least one of your books has to be listed on your JacketFlap profile in your published works section. To enter, all you have to do is post a comment saying “I want the space” on the Event’s page on JacketFlap.

Lara M. Zeises (author of Bringing up the Bones, Contents Under Pressure, and more) has a new book out! Yes, yes she does! It’s called The Sweet Life of Stella Madison, and you can buy a copy at IndieBound.org, Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and many friendly neighborhood bookstores.

I’m excited! I’m definitely putting Lara’s book on my to-read list.

Lara has also redesigned and updated her website, and, starting Monday, she’ll be blogging about her new book for a week. The contest is US-only, though I’m hoping that if you have a US friend with a US address, it can be mailed to them. I’ll find out.

There are 10 chances to win Lara’s new book. To enter, you need to submit your favorite family recipe to Lara at her blog no later than midnight, August 8th, 2009. Her ten favorites will win one of the galleys, plus a copy of any of her backlist (Lara) books (you can choose which one they want - good while supplies last), both of which can be inscribed to whomever you want. Winning recipes will also appear on her blog as recipes of the week.

Here’s a description of Lara’s new book, The Sweet Life of Stella Madison. It’s already got me interested :

It’s not easy being the daughter of a famous chef and a restaurant owner when your idea of a great meal is the kind that’s served via a drive-through window.

Seventeen-year-old Stella Madison’s food-loving parents have been separated for years, but they’re still as sweet to each other as can be, which is just the way Stella likes it. When their connections help her land a summer job at the local newspaper, the salary is hard to resist. There’s only one catch: she’s expected to write about food.

Now Stella will need all the advice she can get to complete her assignments. Luckily, she has Jeremy, the hot new intern at her mom’s restaurant, who’s more than happy to help. Soon, Stella can’t stop thinking about Jeremy–but where does that leave Stella’s boyfriend, Max, who recently dropped the L-word? If that’s not confusing enough, her dad’s interest in the pretentious programming director of the Food Network seems to go beyond the culinary, and it looks like her mother might be cooking up a romance of her own.

It can be hard for a new writer to get a blurb from established writers, especially if they don’t personally know the writer, or have a friend or agent who has contacts. Or so I’ve heard. I haven’t tried yet, but I know I will be in the next year.

So it was heartening to me to read Courtney Martin’s article “Reforming the Book Blurb Bull” in Publishers Weekly, asking established and famous authors to offer a helping hand by actually reading some new writers works for possible blurbs. I love that idea. I really believe in helping others. I understand being swamped by queries from hopeful agents and authors, and feeling pressured or hassled, so wanting to refuse everyone–but if they just read a page and knew it didn’t work, they could toss it aside. At least, that’s what I think. And if they read, say, one a month, or one every two months, that wouldn’t take too much time, would it?

I know some established authors do help others. The children’s and YA writing community especially seems to be a great one. And of course, the more famous an author is, the more requests they’re going to get, so often they have a blanket refusal. But…isn’t there room to help others?

What do you think?

And, if you’re an author who’s gotten blurbs, how did you do it?

Thanks to TerryWhalin at Twitter for the link.

Tomorrow my wonderful library is having an author reception for me from 2-3 pm to celebrate the release of SLEEPLESS. I don't know how many of you are Coloradoans, but I'd love to see you!

Smoky Hill Library, 5430 S. Biscay Cir., Centennial. For more info click here.

The July issue of Locus Magazine, a magazine about SF/fantasy publishing, focused on young adult fantasy fiction. It contains essays by Neil Gaiman; Holly Black; Sarah Beth Durst; Justine Larbalestier; Scott Westerfeld; Graham Joyce; and more.

How did I miss this? Well, I don’t frequent magazine stores. Still, this is exciting. I wonder if I can still get my hands on a copy. Maybe eBay? How about you–have you checked it out?

I just discovered this through Sarah Beth Durst’s blog which I discovered through Bookshelves of Doom

Alex Flinn (author of Breathing Underwater, Breaking Point, and many other great YA books) has a really interesting post over at her Live Journal blog. A teen wrote her a letter, telling her that her book was studied in her class and he didn’t do well on the pop quizzes, is failing the class, and wants to graduate. He asked that she phone his teacher in the hopes that it would hope his grade.

Alex wrote a thoughtful letter back, giving him a quiz of her own, and she received a reply from the teen, responding to her quiz. She’s forwarded the email to his teacher, and now she–and the readers of her blog–are waiting to see if there’ll be a response. I find this so interesting! Find it interesting, too? Go check it out.

The mail man brought me something nice today – my contributor copy of Little Ears magazine, bearing my poem Raining. Always wonderful to see something I’ve written in print, and especially wonderful to see it included in such a quality publication, alongside names including Claire Saxby, Meredith Costain and Dianne Bates. By email I also received something nice – a PDF of proofs for my new