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Happy New Year! Can you believe PubCrawl is four years old this year? How time does fly! This little blog will be toddling off to grade school before we know it, sniff.

Anyway, to start off another awesome year with us, we thought we’d let y’all know what we PubCrawlers (current and alumni) are publishing this year!

E.C. Myers

Against All Silence

After being a key figure in the exposing of government corruption, Max Stein has spent a quiet semester abroad in Paris, studying, staying off the Internet, and looking for his long-lost mother. But just as he is about to fly back to the United States for the holidays, trouble manages to find him once again.

Max receives a call from Penny, his on-again-off-again girlfriend who is part of the expert hacking duo DoubleThink. She wants him to meet with Ada Kiesler, a high-profile whistleblower hiding out at a foreign embassy in Berlin. Max has no interest in getting drawn into another corporate conspiracy. But when airport security suddenly detains him on suspicion of cyber-terrorism, he has little choice but to get involved. Soon Max and Penny are tangling with a new group of shadowy figures who are determined to control how the world shares its information. And some figures from Max s past resurface, including his own mother, whose life has mirrored his own in more ways than he d realized.

In this action-packed follow up to The Silence of Six, Max and his hacker friends must fight to expose a corrupt corporation that has been systematically taking control of the Internet.

E.C. MYERS was assembled in the U.S. from Korean and German parts and raised by a single mother and the public library in Yonkers, New York. He is the author of the Andre Norton Award–winning young adult novel Fair Coin and Quantum Coin, as well as numerous short stories. His latest novel, The Silence of Six, is a thriller about teenage hackers and government conspiracies. You can find traces of him all over the internet, but especially at ecmyers.net and on Twitter @ecmyers.

Stacey Lee

Outrun the Moon

From the author of the critically acclaimed Under a Painted Sky, an unforgettable story of determination set against a backdrop of devastating tragedy. Perfect for fans of Code Name Verity.

San Francisco, 1906: Fifteen-year-old Mercy Wong is determined to break from the poverty in Chinatown, and an education at St. Clare’s School for Girls is her best hope. Although St. Clare’s is off-limits to all but the wealthiest white girls, Mercy gains admittance through a mix of cunning and a little bribery, only to discover that getting in was the easiest part. Not to be undone by a bunch of spoiled heiresses, Mercy stands strong—until disaster strikes.

On April 18, an historic earthquake rocks San Francisco, destroying Mercy’s home and school. With martial law in effect, she is forced to wait with her classmates for their families in a temporary park encampment. Mercy can’t sit by while they wait for the Army to bring help. Fires might rage, and the city may be in shambles, yet Mercy still has the ‘bossy’ cheeks that mark her as someone who gets things done. But what can one teenaged girl do to heal so many suffering in her broken city?

Breakout author Stacey Lee masterfully crafts another remarkable novel set against a unique historical backdrop. Strong-willed Mercy Wong leads a cast of diverse characters in this extraordinary tale of survival.

Stacey has two books coming out in 2016!

Catch a Falling Heart

A 16-year-old aromateur with an extraordinary nose, the last in a long line of love witches, scrambles to reverse the effects of a love elixir after giving it to the wrong target—all while trying not to fall for the woman’s attractive son. Publication is set for fall 2016.

STACEY LEE is a fourth generation Chinese-American whose people came to California during the heydays of the cowboys. She believes she still has a bit of cowboy dust in her soul. A native of southern California, she graduated from UCLA then got her law degree at UC Davis King Hall. After practicing law in the Silicon Valley for several years, she finally took up the pen because she wanted the perks of being able to nap during the day, and it was easier than moving to Spain. She plays classical piano, wrangles children, and writes YA fiction.

Jodi Meadows

The Mirror King

Available April 5, 2016!

Wilhelmina has a hundred enemies.

HER FRIENDS HAVE TURNED. After her identity is revealed during the Inundation, Princess Wilhelmina is kept prisoner by the Indigo Kingdom, with the Ospreys lost somewhere in the devastated city. When the Ospreys’ leader emerges at the worst possible moment, leaving Wil’s biggest ally on his deathbed, she must become Black Knife to set things right.

HER MAGIC IS UNCONTROLLABLE. Wil’s power is to animate, not to give true life, but in the wraithland she commanded a cloud of wraith mist to save herself, and later ordered it solid. Now there is a living boy made of wraith—destructive and deadly, and willing to do anything for her.

HER HEART IS TORN. Though she’s ready for her crown, declaring herself queen means war. Caught between what she wants and what is right, Wilhelmina realizes the throne might not even matter. Everyone thought the wraith was years off, but already it’s destroying Indigo Kingdom villages. If she can’t protect both kingdoms, soon there won’t be a land to rule.

In this stunning conclusion to THE ORPHAN QUEEN, Jodi Meadows follows Wilhelmina’s breathtaking and brave journey from orphaned criminal on the streets to magic-wielding queen.

Jodi also has two books coming out in 2016, plus an e-novella!

My Lady Jane

For fans of The Princess Bride comes the comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey.

Lady Jane Grey, sixteen, is about to be married to a total stranger—and caught up in an insidious plot to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But that’s the least of Jane’s problems. She’s about to become Queen of England. Like that could go wrong.

JODI MEADOWS lives and writes in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, with her husband, a Kippy*, and an alarming number of ferrets. She is a confessed book addict, and has wanted to be a writer ever since she decided against becoming an astronaut. She is the author of the Incarnate Trilogy and The Orphan Queen Duology (HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen).

*A Kippy is a cat.

Julie Eshbaugh

Ivory and Bone

The only life seventeen-year-old Kol knows is hunting at the foot of the Great Ice with his brothers. But food is becoming scarce, and without another clan to align with, Kol, his family, and their entire group are facing an uncertain future.

Traveling from the south, Mya and her family arrive at Kol’s camp with a trail of hurt and loss behind them, and hope for a new beginning. When Kol meets Mya, her strength, independence, and beauty instantly captivate him, igniting a desire for much more than survival.

Then on a hunt, Kol makes a grave mistake that jeopardizes the relationship that he and Mya have only just started to build. Mya was guarded to begin with—and for good reason—but no apology or gesture is enough for her to forgive him. Soon after, another clan arrives on their shores. And when Mya spots Lo, a daughter of this new clan, her anger intensifies, adding to the already simmering tension between families. After befriending Lo, Kol learns of a dark history between Lo and Mya that is rooted in the tangle of their pasts.

When violence erupts, Kol is forced to choose between fighting alongside Mya or trusting Lo’s claims. And when things quickly turn deadly, it becomes clear that this was a war that one of them had been planning all along.

JULIE ESHBAUGH writes young adult fiction. She is the author of the upcoming Ivory and Bone (HarperCollins, 2016.) You can visit Julie’s website, add her on Goodreads and follow her on Pinterest and Twitter @JulieEshbaugh.

S. Jae-Jones

Wintersong

Beware the goblin men and the wares they sell.

All her life, nineteen-year-old Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, mysterious Goblin King. He is the Lord of Mischief, the Ruler Underground, and the muse around which her music is composed. Yet, as Liesl helps shoulder the burden of running her family’s inn, her dreams of composition and childish fancies about the Goblin King must be set aside in favor of more practical concerns.

But when her sister Käthe is taken by the goblins, Liesl journeys to their realm to rescue her sister and return her to the world above. The Goblin King agrees to let Käthe go—for a price. The life of a maiden must be given to the land, in accordance with the old laws. A life for a life, he says. Without sacrifice, nothing good can grow. Without death, there can be no rebirth. In exchange for her sister’s freedom, Liesl offers her hand in marriage to the Goblin King. He accepts.

Down in the Underground, Liesl discovers that the Goblin King still inspires her—musically, physically, emotionally. Yet even as her talent blossoms, Liesl’s life is slowly fading away, the price she paid for becoming the Goblin King’s bride. As the two of them grow closer, they must learn just what it is they are each willing to sacrifice: her life, her music, or the end of the world.

S. JAE-JONES (called JJ) is an artist, an adrenaline junkie, and the author of Wintersong (Thomas Dunne, 2016). Before moving to grits country, she was a YA fiction editor in New York City. A southern California native, she now lives in North Carolina, and many other places on the internet, including Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and her blog.

Stephanie Garber

Caraval

An original world. A legendary competition. A mesmerizing romance. An unbreakable bond between two sisters.

Welcome to Caraval—the spell-casting first book in a fantasy series that’s perfect for fans of Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles series and The Night Circus.

Before you enter the world of Caraval, you must remember that it’s all a game . . .

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their ruthless father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the legendary, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.

Then, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation to Caraval finally arrives. So, Tella enlists a mysterious sailor’s help to whisk Scarlett away to this year’s show. But as soon as the trio arrives, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nonetheless soon becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with her sister, with Legend, and with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.

STEPHANIE GARBER loves Disneyland because it’s the one place on earth where she feels as if the fantastical stories she loves to write about could actually come to life. When she’s not writing young adult fantasy, she teaches creative writing a private college in northern California. Her debut novel, Caraval, will be published by Flatiron Books/Macmillan (US) and Hodder & Stoughton (UK) in fall 2016.

And of course we couldn’t let the publication of our dear PubCrawl alumni pass without a mention! Here are some forthcoming books from PubCrawl members past!

What a year 2016 is shaping up to be! Go us!

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Happy New Year! Here at PubCrawl we like to usher in 2016 with a lot of new and exciting books! Hold on to your wallets, friends, because it’s once again time for our Upcoming Titles feature. As always, this is by no means a comprehensive list of forthcoming releases, just a compilation of titles we think our readers (and our contributors!) would enjoy.

Without further ado:

January 5

• Passenger by Alexandra Bracken**
• Worlds of Ink and Shadow by Lena Coakley
• Truthwitch by Susan Dennard**
• The Imposter Queen by Sarah Fine
• This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

January 12

• Other Broken Things by Christa Desir

January 19

• We Are The Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson
• Sword and Verse by Kathy MacMillan

January 26

• All The Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
• The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman
• The Year We Fell Apart by Emily Martin
• The Mystery of Hollow Places by Rebecca Podos
• Night Study by Maria V. Snyder
• Shallow Graves by Kali Wallace

** PubCrawl alum

That’s all for this month! Are any of these books on your TBR lists? Any books we’ve missed? Let us know in the comments!

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by

Meredith McCardle

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I, Susan, am a huge time travel dork. Like, I grew up on a steady diet of both time travel fiction and just straight science time travel books, so when I say that The Eighth Guardian is one of the BEST time travel books out there, I think I’m pretty qualified to make that assertion.

Now, imagine my ABSOLUTE delight when the author of The Eighth Guardian, Meredith McCardle, asked if she could do a guest post + cover reveal on Pub(lishing) Crawl? Cue FREAK OUT!

And as if that wasn’t awesome enough, Meredith and Amazon have been kind enough to donate a Kindle Paperwhite!!! So scroll down to enter that giveaway–and to check out the Blackout cover!

Now, onto Meredith’s guest post!

5 Tips for Researching Your Novel

1. Wikipedia is a great place to start, but it probably shouldn’t be your only source.

Wikipedia is great for the small things—like figuring out who the candidates were in a gubernatorial election in the 1870s. But for the really big stuff, definitely branch outside of Wikipedia. In BLACKOUT, one of the biggest missions that Iris goes on is to Washington during the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Wikipedia was great for giving me a basic timeline of the crisis—when the US discovered the missiles on Cuba, when President Kennedy addressed the nation, that sort of thing. But Wikipedia can’t give you a feel for how terrifying it must have been to be living on the eastern seaboard of the United States in October 1962. It won’t let you experience the protests that built outside of the White House every day. For that, you have to go deeper. These are some of my favorite sources for further research:

• Museums and museum websites. There are museums for everything. Many times, you’ll find they maintain really excellent websites with a lot of information and videos readily available.
• Books! Good ole’ fashioned history books, to be exact. I’ve made fast friends with my local librarians who are always willing to escort me to the right shelf or track down a book through inter-library loan if I need it.
• There’s a reason 90% of my Netflix suggestions are documentaries.

2. YouTube is a godsend.

You really can learn to do just about anything on YouTube. It’s taught me how to pick a lock. It’s taught me how to defend myself against both a knife attack and a gun in my face. You can also find a lot of documentaries on YouTube that aren’t available on Netflix or Amazon Prime. Google Image Search is also a godsend. Not quite sure what a civil war-era rifle looks like? Want to know what a well-heeled Colonial woman wore? Google images! (But brace yourself because you never quite know what you’re going to get. And do me a favor and never, ever, ever do an image search for gangrene. Trust me on that.)

 3. For settings, primary research is best, but it’s not a total necessity.

I set both THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN and BLACKOUT primarily in Boston because I know that city very well. I lived there for several years. But there are scenes in the books that take place in New York City, Washington D.C., and Vermont, places I’m far less familiar with. And as much as I would love to research all the places I mention in my books specifically, it’s not always logistically (or financially!) feasible. But I have friends who live in those places. I have Google Earth. I have access to all sorts of historic maps. As long as you spend the time researching the setting, you can skate by without buying a plane ticket.

 4. When is it time to stop researching?

Have you ever fallen down a research hole? I know I have. The Kennedy assassination plays a huge role in THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN, and I’m sure you can imagine the sheer volume of information out there on it. I turned THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN in to my editor nearly two years ago, and had I attempted to read everything I could find on the assassination and all of its various conspiracy theories, there’d probably still be a stack of library books on my nightstand. And by probably, I mean definitely. So here’s a good rule of thumb that I learned from my days as a lawyer: When you’re running into the same information over and over again in different sources, you probably have a good enough base knowledge. Move on!

 5. Keep your notes.

You’ll need them when you revise. I am a huge fan of printing out every tiny little thing I find on the internet that might be useful. (I’m currently leaning over a full copy of the Geneva Convention in order to get to my keyboard). The papers will pile up on my desk, I’ll scribble notes directly on them, and then once I have a complete first draft, I punch holes in the papers and stick them in a three-ring binder. It’s kind of a pain to organize everything at once, but it makes life so much easier later on. And trust me, you’ll use them later!

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Oh my gosh, having written historical with LOADS of research, I (Sooz) cannot emphasize #5 enough! I was so disorganized with all my research in book 1, and it made copyedits as well as sequel-writing a giant pain in the butt! So be organized and be fastidious!! Meredith’s right that it will make life easier later on.

Now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for ;)–the cover for the second Anum Guard book, Blackout!

Seventeen-year-old Amanda Obermann (code name: Iris) has more on her mind than usual. As a member of a covert government organization called the Annum Guard, which travels through time to keep history on track, Iris has been getting some particularly stressful assignments. Plus, Jane Bonner, the Guard’s iron-fisted new leader, seems determined to make life as hard as possible. Thankfully, Iris has Abe (code name: Blue), her boyfriend and fellow Guardian, who listens to her vent—and helps her cope with her mentally ill mother’s increasingly erratic behavior.

When Guardians start to disappear on their assignments, Iris makes a terrifying discovery: a “blackout” squad is targeting anyone who gets in the way of a corrupt force that’s selling out both the Annum Guard’s missions and Guardian lives. Together, Iris and Blue must go undercover to untangle the Guard’s elaborate web of secrets and lies. But when Iris discovers that the terrible truth may involve her own father, a former Guardian undone by his own greed, she must decide how much she’s willing to risk to rescue her friends…and how dangerous the consequences will be for all of humanity.

A thrilling time-traveling adventure that spans from Abraham Lincoln’s assassination to the Cuban Missile Crisis and back to the present day, this pulse-pounding sequel to The Eighth Guardian reveals that playing with time can turn into a deadly game.

–

I have read Blackout, and I can honestly say it is just as good as The Eighth Guardian, if not more so. Meredith really takes the stakes up a notch, and aaah! SO much tension!! (I really love this series, if you can’t tell.)

So, if you’re interested in starting the series or reading an early copy of Blackout OR just getting a shiny new Kindle Paperwhite, be sure to fill out the Rafflecopter form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

—

Meredith McCardle is a recovered lawyer who lives in South Florida with her husband and two young daughters. Like her main character, she has a fondness for strong coffee, comfortable pants, and jumping to the wrong conclusions. Unlike her main character, she cannot travel through time. Sadly. The first book in the Annum Guard series, THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN, was released in May of 2014 by Skyscape. The second title, BLACKOUT, releases January 13, 2015.  Learn more about Meredith on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or Tumblr.

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by

Susan Dennard

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This is a repost from my personal blog, and it’s something that I KEEP finding myself pointing writers to this NaNoWriMo.

As such, this has become a personal “disclaimer” of sorts, and I thought the lovely readers of Pub Crawl might enjoy it too.

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I get a lot of emails (and tweets, tumblr asks, facebook messages, etc.) asking me about my process–and that’s great! I love sharing what I do, and I love hearing about what YOU do.

But the thing is, no matter what my process is (or her process…or his process), at the end of the day, the writing is all that really matters.

I think it’s easy to get caught up in different “methods” or “outlining plans” or “character creation schemes” because we’re all looking for that Top Secret Foolproof Magic Bullet. I see this most often in new writers–they want that special, insider trick that will make writing a breeze.

Heck, I see it in experienced writers too. They think, If I just follow X-author’s approach step-by-step, then the first draft will basically write itself! 

Or, If I just interview my characters like Y-author does, then that first draft will pour out of me!

Or even, If I find my story cookies like Sooz does and write screenplays for every scene, then this book won’t be hard to write!

And I totally understand that attitude, guys! I mean, no one is more guilty of wanting a Magic Bullet than I. Whenever I’m feeling even the slightest resistance in my drafting, I’ll start scouring books on craft 0r author blogs or online workshops. I want anything that will make this writing easier!

But at the end of the day, no matter what method I use–no matter how carefully I prepare or how strictly I follow X-author’s Top Secret Foolproof Magic Bullet–I still have to write the book. All the outlines in the world won’t change that. Knowing my characters as well as I know myself won’t change that either. And even getting pumped up with my cheerleading critique partners won’t change that CRUCIAL step in writing a book.

You know, the part where I actually have to write a book.

Now, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t explore other methods and techniques. I love trying new approaches to the same “problem.” But you HAVE to realize that no matter what: you’re still going to have to write a book, word by word, page by page, and scene by scene.

You’re going to have put your butt in the chair and your hands on the keyboard. You’re going to have to push through every chapter until you reach, The End. And nothing–absolutely nothing in this entire world (short of hiring someone to do it for you) will change the fact that the writing is all that really matters.

So go forth and write. Even when you feel shaky and unsure.

ESPECIALLY when you feel shaky and unsure.

Sit down (or stand. That’s what I do.) and write one sentence. Then write another sentence. Then write another and another until you have a page.

And then write another page. And another after that.

Don’t stop! Keep going. Maybe not right away, but a wrote little bit as often you can, and eventually you’ll find yourself with a finished book.

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If you like what you read here, consider signing up for my newsletter, the Misfits & Daydreamers or swinging by my For Writers page! All subscribers get a free guide to query writing OR a free extra scene from A Darkness Strange & Lovely.

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Before she settled down as a full-time novelist and writing instructor, Susan Dennard traveled the world as marine biologist. She is the author of the Something Strange and Deadly series as well as the forthcoming Witchlands series (Tor, 2015), and when not writing, she can be found hiking with her dogs, exploring tidal pools, or practicing her tap dance shuffles. You can learn more about Susan on her blog, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or Wattpad.

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featuring

E.C. Myers

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I, Sooz, am so incredibly excited for E.C. Myers’ latest release: The Silence of Six. Not only is Myers a fellow Pub Crawler, but he’s also an Andre Norton Award winner. In other words: he’s a damned good writer.

Plus, even if he didn’t wield magical powers over prose, just read this summary or check out the amazing trailer.

“What is the silence of six, and what are you going to do about it?”

These are the last words uttered by 17-year-old Max Stein’s best friend, Evan. Just moments after hacking into the live-streaming Presidential debate at their high school, he kills himself.

Haunted by the image of Evan’s death, Max’s entire world turns upside down as he suddenly finds himself the target of a corporate-government witch-hunt. Fearing for his life and fighting to prove his own innocence, Max goes on the run with no one to trust and too many unanswered questions.

Max must dust off his own hacking skills and maneuver the dangerous labyrinth of underground hacktivist networks, ever-shifting alliances, and virtual identities — all while hoping to find the truth behind the “Silence of Six” before it’s too late.

AAAH! Don’t you just HAVE to find out what the Silence of Six is??? I know I do!

To celebrate this latest release from E.C. Myers, we’re giving away copy of The Silence of Six. Just fill out the Rafflecopter form (sorry! US only!), and we’ll pick a winner next week.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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E.C. Myers was assembled in the U.S. from Korean and German parts and raised by a single mother and a public library in Yonkers, New York. His Andre Norton Award–winning young adult novel Fair Coin and its sequel, Quantum Coin, were published by Pyr in 2012. His short stories have appeared in anthologies and magazines such as Sybil’s Garage, Shimmer, and Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine. He currently lives with his wife, two doofy cats, and a mild-mannered dog in Philadelphia. You can find traces of E.C. all over the internet, but especially at his website, Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr.

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by

Susan Dennard

—

I’ve talked about productivity in great detail before. I’ve discussed how BICHOK is a sure-fire way to get your writing where it needs to be, how endurance can be increased, and how fear can often hold back your writing.

But what about those times when it’s just plain ol’ laziness that’s keeping you from the productivity you want? What about those days where you spend four hours at the computer and write all of 4 words because OMG! Look at all the pretties and shinies on the internet? And ungh, I’m hungry…and hey, when did that squirrel move into the tree outside my window?

Yeah, it’s kinda like that.

On those distraction-heavy days, my friend, it’s time to seek help elsewhere. It’s time to find SOMEONE ELSE to hold you accountable.

I mean, think about it: when you were in high school, you got your work done (or I hope you did…). Maybe it was at the last minute or maybe it wasn’t always your best work, but you finished. Why? Because someone else expected you to.

I’ve talked at great length about this with my author and solo-entrepreneur friends. We have no bosses! We have NO ONE to look over our shoulders and make sure we’re getting the work done.

Another thing we don’t have are people to validate us when we do make progress. So what if you had a great day writing–there’s no one there to be impressed or to pat you on the back or to say, “Great job! You deserve a raise.” We simply slog on, all alone.

But what if we put a dose of SOMEONE ELSE in our writing lives? What if we find (or start) a Twitter hashtag so we can make accountability partners? Or cheerleader/validation partners? Or what if we interact in forums or via email chains or Facebook groups? Writing is solitary, but it certainly doesn’t have to be.

I think camaraderie is one of the reasons that NaNoWriMo is SO successful for people! They’re all writing together, interacting, sharing, and keeping each other motivated.

So if you’re finding you need a bit more motivation in your life, I challenge you to find another writer who’ll hold you accountable and send you lots of smiley faces when you need ‘em. Heck, come join me in my forums–I’m definitely in need of some writing buddies!! Or add me as a friend for NaNoWriMo!

You tell me: Is this something you would ever do? Or do you already have someone like this in your writing life?

–

If you like what you read here, consider signing up for my newsletter, the Misfits & Daydreamers or swinging by my For Writers page!

–

Before she settled down as a full-time novelist and writing instructor, Susan Dennard traveled the world as marine biologist. She is the author of the Something Strange and Deadly series as well as the forthcoming Witchlands series (Tor, 2015), and when not writing, she can be found hiking with her dogs, exploring tidal pools, or practicing her tap dance shuffles. You can learn more about Susan on her blog, Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.

 

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by

Jodi Meadows

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Lately, I’ve been thinking about how much my other creative pursuits influence my writing — and even help me get through tough problems when I’m working.

There’s something about knitting, for me, that allows me to keep my hands busy and focus juuuuust a little, but frees the rest of my mind to work out a plot tangle or a question about character arcs. I’ve found the same thing in spinning (yarn, not exercise — ugh), and even calligraphy.

(Click to enlarge.)
I started wondering if some of my fellow Pub Crawlers had other creative outlets, as well. And yep. When I put out the call, they delivered.

JJ: I’ll start! When it comes to other creative outlets (or as I call them, other procrastinatory outlets ;-)), I tend to play my piano or guitar, draw, take pictures, or redesign my website. I think they all fulfill different functions; for example, I often redesign my website when I’m stuck or between drafts because fiddling with CSS and other types of code is soothing. There is something about typing one thing and have it show up as a concrete THING on the other end that is very, very comforting (especially when writing fiction, which is anything BUT concrete sometimes). I find it kind of mindless in the way algebra is mindless: simple enough to keep me occupied and let the subconscious wander free. (Which is why I am often redesigning my website when I am stuck.)

Music is less mindless to me, and I often play when I need to completely shut off and do something else for a while. I studied piano for 15 years, but when I play now, it’s less the classical stuff and more the “I just the heard the latest pop song and I want to do a cover” type of thing. Usually I cheat and figure out the chord progressions on my guitar first (I am a terrible, terrible, terrible formal musician. 15 years and I know fuck-all about theory.), or sometimes look up the tabs. Then I transfer the work to the piano. (Luckily, 99% of all the pop songs are the same four chords I-V-vi-IV.)

Sometimes, I doodle drawings of my characters. But that’s usually when I’m doing something ELSE and unable to write (that’s often at the day job). Doodling sketches of my characters keeps me in the right frame of mind for my story, but it also helps me figure out what they look like in my head. (I often post my doodles to Instagram and Tumblr. My doodles can also be found on my blog and Deviantart.)

I also take photographs.

If there’s a procrastinatory technique, then I will do it. Are you sensing a theme here?

Susan: I enjoy tap dancing, sewing, and blogging/newslettering. They all demand really different kinds of creative energy.

One thing that I started doing this year (and that I do a lot of now) is making my own body products and makeup. It’s like cooking crossed with chem lab. Lots of stirring and weighing and melting involved. Plus, you have to really understand how various butters or oils, oxides or clays interact–otherwise the consistency of the cream/lotion/lip gloss won’t be right. Or you might end up with a blush that’s TOO red or a pressed powder that’s so pale you look like a corpse. I find that all that mixing and melting and measuring requires just enough focus that I can’t totally zone out, but it also frees up enough headspace for my subconscious to work through story knots.

Erin: As most of you know, I was a web designer prior to jumping into writing. Design is still a huge outlet for me. Even though it’s related to writing, I absolutely love designing my own promotional materials (bookmarks, stickers, postcards, etc), as well as maintaining my website. I’m a bit type nerd, too, so I tend to collect (read: buy) way more fonts than I should.

Another huge distraction for me, while not necessarily creative, is getting outdoors. Walks, hikes, camping, canoeing . . . you name it. I find being outside, totally away from the computer/technology is one of the best ways to give my brain a break and reset the creative well, if you will.

Kat: I love all kinds of art, and I get really inspired watching people dance, or put on a play, or things like that. As for as things I actually do myself, though, I paint (mostly watercolor at the moment), and I’ve gotten into digital art (“painting” with a wacom tablet and photoshop) this past year or so. It’s a great creative outlet that’s not word-based.

I love photography as well, but since I’m mostly interested in portrait/lifestyle photography, my ability to do it is limited to the times when my friends are willing to play model

I post a lot of both my art and my photography on my Tumblr

Janice: I’m a graphic designer by trade, and I think that’s helped me a lot with being able to handle feedback without taking it personally. Clients always ask for changes and comment on my “art” and it’s helped me be able to see my creative work as a product and not just an expression of myself, and how the creative process can be a group effort to great success.

The last few years I’ve been drawing and painting for fun, and crazy as it sounds, I’ve been painting Nerf guns and toys. All of the guns were bright orange and yellow plastic when I started. My husband gave me a huge AT-AT toy for my birthday that I’m dying to paint. It takes hours, but it’s a lot of fun and very absorbing. It’s a combination of spray paint, fine detail hand painting and dry brushing.

(Click to enlarge.)I’m not sure how “creative” this is, but I’m a gamer and I’ve feel having to make decisions about what to do it games and thinking about what that character would do (their motivations) has helped me plot my novels easier. It forced me to think about cause and effect and how character choices created effects and consequences. There’s also a lot of creativity in designing a game for friends and running one, almost like writing a book where you have no control over the characters, hehe.

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Jodi Meadows lives and writes in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, with her husband, a Kippy*, and an alarming number of ferrets. She is a confessed book addict, and has wanted to be a writer ever since she decided against becoming an astronaut. She is the author of the INCARNATE Trilogy (HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen).
*A Kippy is a cat.

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by Susan,

featuring

Meagan Spooner

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Today, I’m delighted to have Meagan Spooner back on the blog. The final book in her Skylark trilogy, Lark Ascending, just released last week, and if you haven’t yet read these books, then now’s the time!

For one, the books are EXCELLENT (and if you’re a fan of my Something Strange & Deadly, then you’ll definitely love Skylark).

For two, the book is only $0.99 on Kindle right now!!

For three, just read this summary and tell me you’re not intrigued:

Now, let’s get down to the interview!

1. Alrighty, Meg. Biggest author inspirations/influences. Go!

Way too many to count! I’m one of those who firmly believe everything you read (or watch or listen to or see or eat…) goes into the imagination compost and shows up in your work when you least expect it. But some big ones include: Diana Wynne Jones, Garth Nix, Robin McKinley, Neil Gaiman, Peter Beagle, Philip Pullman, Tanith Lee, Tamora Pierce, Patricia C. Wrede, and pretty much every myth or fairy tale I’ve ever heard.

2. You have basically listed all of the authors on MY list as well.  Plotter or pantser or…plantser?

Definitely a pantser. When I first started writing Skylark, the first book in this trilogy, I had absolutely no idea where it was headed. There were a few twists and themes I knew I wanted to hit, but part of the joy of writing for me is the act of discovery. Often the ideas that come to me as I write, whether totally out of the blue or as a response or solution to some problem that pops up, are my best ones. Of the three, Lark Ascending is probably the most “planned” of the three, simply because most of the ideas in it came to me while writing Skylark and Shadowlark. I had all these awesome, epic scenes that I knew I wanted to hit in this third book. It was tons of fun.

3. I feel you on the “art of discovery” bit. So now that you’ve finished, how does it feel wrapping up an entire trilogy?

AMAZING. I think it’s no secret that writers often have a love-hate relationship with their books, particularly with their series books, and I’m definitely one of those. Like any long-term relationship, being with someone–or some story–for that many years means you know it inside and out. Its good, its bad, and everything in between. But despite every time I wanted to throw the story–and my computer along with it–out the window, seeing all three books lined up and knowing that I finished telling Lark’s story in a way that feels complete and satisfying—and TRUE—to me… that’s an amazing feeling.

4. Wow. I’m even more excited to read now. Okay, here’s a fan question: in the Skylark trilogy, which character do YOU identify most with?

Definitely Lark herself. Skylark was the first novel I ever wrote, and for me, at least, that meant that of all my characters, my main character was the one most drawn from my own thoughts and personality and experiences. Lark is an odd combination of things I wish I was, things I’m afraid I am, and things I one day hope to be. She’ll probably always be the character most like–and most unlike–me in all my books.

5. That’s TOTALLY how I feel about me with Eleanor! She’s both part of me and who I wish I could be. So cool. Now, final question: If Lark Ascending were a literary cocktail, what ingredients would it need?

Equal parts fantasy and dystopian with a shot of steampunk and a sprinkle of moral grey area. Garnish with a rebel uprising, and serve on the rocks.

 HA! Love the “garnish” bit. Nice touch.

Okay, dear readers. To celebrate having Meg stop by, we’re doing a giveaway (international!)! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below, help us spread the word about Meg’s amazing series, and we’ll choose a winner next week.

Also: if you weren’t aware, both Meagan and her coauthor, Pub Crawl’s own Amie Kaufman, have a short story releasing tomorrow. It’s called This Night So Dark, and it’s free!! You definitely don’t want to miss it.
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Meagan Spooner grew up reading and writing every spare moment of the day, while dreaming about life as an archaeologist, a marine biologist, an astronaut. She graduated from Hamilton College in New York with a degree in playwriting, and she currently lives and writes in Asheville, North Carolina. In her spare time she plays guitar, plays video games, plays with her cat, and reads. Learn more about her at her website.

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by

Grady Hendrix

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Note from Sooz: I am so delighted to share a guest post from author Grady Hendrix today. Personally, I am desperate to soak up any writing wisdom he might be so kind as to share.

Because guys, his new book Horrostör is incredible. Like, I got a copy of this in the mail, opened the package and snickered at the cover (and how the entire book is laid out like an Ikea catalog). Then I started reading…

…and two hours later, I finished the book. I COULDN’T PUT IT DOWN. It was laugh-out-loud funny and also thoroughly terrifying. Plus, there was incredible character development, a thoroughly twisty plot, and OH MY GOSH, what an ending!!

Since I’m sure y’all are dying to read this book too now (seriously: everyone should read it.), then make sure you fill out the Rafflecopter form below! We’re giving away 2 copies (hooray!).

Now, I’ll hand over the mic to Sir Grady, writer extraordinaire.

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When I was in college, I lived near the Music Palace and that gave me the better education by far. A vast, rotting hulk of a movie palace it showed Hong Kong double features for $6 and, being broke, that was a deal I couldn’t resist. The Music Palace led to me co-founding the New York Asian Film Festival, it led to me moving to Hong Kong, my wife and I bonded over our shared love for Stephen Chow’s Love on Delivery and the hand amputations in Always Be the Winners, and it taught me how to write. Because everything I learned about writing, I learned at the Music Palace.

Everything I learned about language, I learned from subtitles.

“Say if you find him lousy!” Uncle Bill shouts. “Thanks for elephant, it’ll be worse if it’s dinosaur,” mutters Lam Ching-ying. “Are you an archeologist or a sucker!” a cop screams in frustration. Hong Kong movies have to be subtitled in English, but that doesn’t mean the subtitles have to make sense. Recruiting random strangers off the street, or sometimes just making a production assistant stay up late with an out-of-date Cantonese-to-English dictionary, Hong Kong subtitles emerge looking like William Burroughs cut-ups. And I love them. Every time they stretch, push, bend, or otherwise mutate the English language I feel like a door is opening inside my brain. At this point in my life I’ve watched thousands of Hong Kong movies, and not a day goes by when I don’t find subtitles popping into my head. Stuck on a packed elevator? “It’s getting crowdy,” I think. Cut off by an annoying driver? “Damn you, stink man, try my melon!” rolls off my tongue. As I learned from Hong Kong movies, it’s not the actual words that are important. It’s the feeling.

Everything I learned about character, I learned from John Woo.

You may think that John Woo is all about the gunfights, but his secret weapon is his mastery of crafting iconic characters. He doesn’t need plots, he just drops his characters into the ring and lets their conflicting motives drive the story. Whether it’s happy-go-lucky Mark (Chow Yun-fat) in A Better Tomorrow who finally gets sick of being treated like an errand boy and decides to demand respect, or Jeff (Chow Yun-fat, again) in The Killer who’s wracked with guilt over blinding a bystander in an assassination and tries to earn enough money to get her a cornea transplant, or Ben, Frank, and Paul, trapped in Vietnam, one of them wanting to rescue a woman, one of them wanting to steal a crate of gold, and one of them just wanting to go home. In Woo’s movies there are simply characters who want things, and what they want and how they get it drives the story into some of the most insane action sequences ever put onscreen. Because character is action. Quite literally.

Everything I learned about plot, I learned from Comrades, Almost a Love Story

Plot means you throw everything horrible you can think of at your characters and watch them squirm, and by the end they need to be in a different place than where they began. No movie is better at this than Peter Chan’s Comrades, Almost a Love Story. When the movie begins, Leon Lai is a Mainlander who comes to Hong Kong to make money. He falls for local girl, Maggie Cheung, and then…complications. Chan (and screenwriter Ivy Ho) throw every conceivable twist at their two romantic leads and by the time the movie’s over these two characters may seem to be right back where they began, but the viewer isn’t. You’ll find yourself crying buckets of tears not over the main characters but over the people they’ve hurt on their way to “happiness.” Comrades is a movie where every time you think you know the story, you suddenly realize that it’s about something else entirely. Like a great magician, the creators distract your attention over there, and then take you by surprise from over here.

Everything I learned about writing scenes, I learned from Peking Opera Blues

I firmly believe that Peking Opera Blues is the greatest motion picture ever made. Period. Full stop. Movies don’t get any better than Tsui Hark’s tale of three women trying to keep their heads above water during the early 20th century when China was torn into factions by greedy warlords. And one thing he does better than anyone else is stage big fat setpieces that keep going, and going, and going. Just when you think a scene has gone as far as it can, it goes even further. Writers often skip from scene to scene, but great directors know that if you’re going to go through the trouble of lighting a scene, dressing a set, and placing your camera, then you better wring every last ounce of drama out of it. And so, for Tsui, even a scene of a character waking up becomes a slapstick ballet as her father enters her bedroom and she has to keep him from detecting any of the four other people hidden on her bed, armed with nothing more than a blanket. Rather than starting a new scene every ten minutes, Tsui digs deep and plays every spin, variation, and complication on every scene that he can possibly find, turning each one into a setpiece that’s packed with emotional and dramatic information.

Everything I learned about writing women, I learned from The Heroic Trio.

Hollywood has two models for women: mothers and whores. Sometimes they dish up a motherly whore, or a whorish mother, but that’s just about the entire emotional spectrum. I was lucky enough to see The Heroic Trio back in 1993 when it first came out, and in Johnnie To’s movie an evil undead Chinese eunuch from the past is living in an underground lair in a dystopian future, stealing babies to turn them into an army of feral monsters. Opposing him are Wonder Woman (Anita Mui), Thief Catcher (Maggie Cheung), and Invisible Girl (Michelle Yeoh). Wonder Woman is a devoted mother who doesn’t get to spend as much time as she wants with her family because she’s constantly saving the world from evil. Thief Catcher is only in it for the money, but she’ll ultimately do the right thing. And Invisible Girl starts out purely evil, but changes sides when Wonder Woman and Thief Catcher offer her what she’s been missing: friendship. I came out of that movie theater understanding that inside every woman is a Thief Catcher, an Invisible Girl, and a Wonder Woman. I do my best to write them that way.

—

Well, you have succeeded, my friend. I ADORED Amy in Horrorstör. Thank you so much for joining us, Grady! And for all you readers interested in absorbing more of his wisdom, he’ll be touring all week across the interwebs:

• 9/17: The Book Smugglers – Five Horror Novels That Will Make Your Head Spin
• 9/18: Quirk Books Blog – Five Forgotten Horror Novelists You Need to Discover
• 9/19: My Bookish Ways – Are Ghosts Really Real?
• 9/22: LitReactor – The Joy of Horror Novelizations
• 9/23: Publishing Crawl - What Watching Hong Kong Horror Movies Taught Me About Writing
• 9/24: Forces of Geek – You Don’t Know These Ten Horror Movies, But They Will Melt Your Face
• 9/26: Cuddlebuggery – Favorite Fictional Places
• 9/29: Bound by Words: A Playlist for Writing
• 9/30: That’s Normal: Supernatural Smackdown: Difference Between Real & Fictional Hauntings

Finally, here’s the giveaway we promised!

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Grady Hendrix writes fiction, also called “lies,” and he writes non-fiction, which people sometimes mistakenly pay him for. There is a science fiction book called Occupy Space that he is the author of, and also a fantasy book called Satan Loves You which he wrote as well. Along with his BFF from high school, Katie Crouch, he is the co-author of the YA series, The Magnolia League. With Ryan Dunlavey he was co-authored the Li’l Classix series, which are cartoon degradations of classic literature, and with his wife, and Ryan, he wrote Dirt Candy: A Cookbook, the first graphic novel cookbook in America. His fiction has appeared in Strange Horizons, Pseudopod, and the anthology, The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination.

He is very, very beautiful, but if you ever meet him, please do not let this make you uncomfortable. He does not judge.

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featuring

Kat Zhang!

—

HOORAY! Throw the confetti and pop your champagne! Pub Crawl’s very own Kat Zhang has a new book–a book I know I’ve been anxiously awaiting. The third book in the Hybrid Chronicles, Echoes of Us hits stores today!

In case you’re new to the Hybrid Chronicles, they follow Eva and Addie–sisters whose souls share a single body. The first book, What’s Left of Me, has an INCREDIBLE trailer to introduce you:

And here’s the trailer for the second book, Once We Were (which the amazing Kat MADE the trailer for. She’s a regular ol’ Renaissance woman!):

If that doesn’t make you want to read this series, then I don’t know what would. I highly recommend these books. Kat Zhang’s prose is powerful, vivid, and always makes me feel like a complete hack when I read it. :) I’m not even joking, and I’m SURE this final installment in the series will prove just as heart-wrenching (and ego-smashing) as the first two titles.

Now were’s a summary for the latest epic release:

All Eva ever wanted was the chance to be herself. But in the Americas, tobe hybrid—to share your body with a second soul—is not tolerated past childhood. Now Eva and Addie, her sister soul, are constantly on the move, hiding from the officials who seek to capture them. But the tide is changing. A revolution is brewing, and people are starting to question the hybrids’ mistreatment.

Then Marion, an ambitious reporter, offers Eva and Addie a daring proposal: If they go undercover and film the wretched conditions of a hybrid institution, she will not only rescue them, she’ll find a way to free Jackson, the boy Addie loves. It’s risky, and Eva will have to leave Ryan and her friends behind, but if she succeeds, it could also tip the scales forever and lead to hybrid freedom.

As Eva and Addie walk into danger, they cling to each other and the hope of a better future. But the price they might pay is higher than they ever could have imagined.

ACK! I need my copy now!

To celebrate Kat’s release, we’re giving away a copy of  Echoes of Us. Or–if you haven’t started the trilogy yet–you can opt for a copy of What’s Left of Me instead. To enter the giveaway, simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

AND CONGRATULATIONS, KAT!!

We’re all so happy for you and so proud to have joined you on this trilogy’s journey! ♥

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from

Susan Dennard

—

I’m a HUGE fan of books on writing. Like, I probably have an addiction and I know my husband would be REALLY happy if I’d throw out some of these gazillion craft books hogging up the basement…

Recently and sort of on a whim, I picked up Jeff VanderMeer’s Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction. I am so, so, SO glad I did. Seriously guys, this is my new favorite book on writing craft. Not only does this book give beginners everything they need to know to start crafting stories, but it’s an incredibly helpful book for experienced writers too.

Here’s the trailer:

Not only does VanderMeer introduce some awesome concepts and prose possibilities that I’d never considered before, but he also shares tons of essays from other authors on how THEY do things.

Then there’s all the art to go along with it!! A few of the crazy diagrams left my Muse spinning in the best possible way. Like this Hero’s Journey as depicted with a Mexican Luchador:

On top of all the graphics, there’s an interactive website to go along with the text. SO. MUCH. INFORMATION. It took me weeks to get through this book, and I enjoyed/savored every sentence.

So watch the trailer below, read an excerpt or the web extras, and maybe pick a copy of your own. I promise: all artists can gain something from this fantastic guide.

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Jeff VanderMeer is the author of more than 20 books and a two-time winner of the World Fantasy Award. His books have made the year’s-best lists of Publishers Weekly, LA Weekly, the Washington Post, Amazon, the San Francisco Chronicle, and many more. He is the cofounder and codirector of Shared Worlds, a unique writing camp for teenagers, and has taught at Clarion, the world’s premiere fantasy/sci-fi workshop for adults. VanderMeer is based in Tallahassee, Florida.

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Before she settled down as a full-time novelist and writing instructor, Susan Dennard traveled the world as marine biologist. She is the author of the Something Strange and Deadly series as well as the forthcoming Witchlands series (Tor, 2015), and when not writing, she can be found hiking with her dogs, exploring tidal pools, or practicing her tap dance shuffles. You can learn more about Susan on her blog, Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.

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by

Susan Dennard

—

I received an awesome question post in my forum last week, and I thought I’d answer it today.

I thought my first novel was done except for proofreading, after being through many CPs and two passes with a professional editor I hired. Now that I’m about 25% into its sequel, I keep discovering new things about my characters that I’d like to go back and put in the first one as a connecting detail or foreshadowing. This is for characters, but for places too, because my trilogy is fantasy and I get more awesome ideas about the various cultures and places as I write more.

The problem is when can I “stop” world building? Should I write and edit the entire trilogy before self publishing the first one or just publish the first one now because it’s ready. When I’m working on the other two, I’ll just have to delete some of my new ideas I guess? Because the first one will already be out in the world, unchangeable.

How do you deal with this when you have a traditional contract for only one book, not knowing if your editor will want to buy or publish the rest of the series as you envision it?

Okay, let’s break this down into two separate questions.

When to Stop Adding Ideas

It’s funny that this question–When can I stop world-building?–came RIGHT at a time when I’m struggling with a similar issue. I have so many new ideas! I want to squeeze them all in HERE and NOW and into THIS WORLD…

Well, there is a breaking point and there is such a thing as too much. And in all honesty, a tight book that gets complex without getting unwieldy and that wraps up in a great big AHA! of meeting threads–those are the books that readers love most. (An excellent example is the Harry Potter series: lots of threads and characters and world details, but it never bogs down the reader. Best of all, everything comes together for a truly spectacular ending.)

So how do you know if you’re only complicating things by adding more?

For world-building: If you have extraneous details that don’t actually add to the story or need to be there for the plot’s sake, then you might want to cut out some histories and details. A few subtle elements can absolutely enhance the story–little details make a world feel real. But if you worry you have too many details or so many settings that the reader is getting whiplash…Well, you might want to take a look at the world-building.

For characters: If you’re having a hard time incorporating characters into a scene, then maybe they don’t need to be there. I totally made this mistake with Strange & Ever After–I wanted to have Laure join Eleanor and the Spirit-Hunters in Marseille and Egypt. But it got so unwieldy! Having to find ways/reasons for every character to speak and act in group scenes? I just kept forgetting characters were even there. Obviously, I solved this problem by leaving Laure in Paris and then trying to keep each scene focused on only a 1-3 characters at a time.

For plot threads: If, at any point, you have to start writing a really complicated, info-dumpy type scenes in order to wrap up and connect all the threads, then you might have too many plots twining through your book. I am SO guilty of this in Strange & Ever After, and I’ll talk more about that below.

The key is, in my opinion, to getting a streamlined book is to:

1. Work with what you already have when trying to connect scenes, characters, places, and events. Sometimes little throwaway comments from earlier chapters or books can become AWESOME plot points or props.

2. If you can’t work with what you already have, try to instead to TAKE AWAY. Maybe some detail or thread is actually clogging you up rather than giving you the freedom to move forward. Thought it sometimes requires rewriting, it’s often better to simplify than to complicate–unless, of course, the book is already super simple. Then you might want to…

3. Add in those new ideas and see/feel how it works. If you can tell that it’s just opening up too many new story questions or story directions, then maybe you shouldn’t add it. But you can always weave it in, try it out for a few chapters, and then decide.

Writing an Entire Series Upfront

Now, onto the other part of this question: If self-publishing, should you write and edit the entire trilogy before publishing the first? If traditional publishing, how do you deal with new ideas and being confined to what’s already in the world?

Goodness, I can tell you from experience that writing a sequel once the earlier books are published/unchangeable is REALLY HARD. Holy crow, it’s hard. You write yourself into unforeseen corners and you can’t go back to tweak things in earlier books.

Or, you’ll have the AWESOME ideas that you just love and that resonate so much with you…but that you can’t introduce because they really should have been introduced in the already-on-shelves book 1.

Or, if you’ll discover in your third book (as I did) that everything you’d kinda-sorta thought would tie up DOESN’T–at least not in a way that resonates with you. Now you’re stuck adding all sorts of little details and backstories that you really wish you’d dropped into earlier books. For example, in Strange & Ever After, I introduce the idea of gods and other creatures from the spirit realm. I REALLY wish I could go back to Something Strange & Deadly and weave in just a few hints that gods are coming up…But alas, the first books were already published.

So if you can (and if you intend to definitely self-publish the whole trilogy), I actually think you can benefit from writing all the books at once. Not only does this allow you to really build your story and streamline it, but it also allows you to publish the entire series at once (which works very well in the self-publishing world).

However, if you ARE confined to writing only one book at a time, I urge you to follow the steps I list above: work with what you already have, take away aspects, or add new ideas with heaps of caution. Will you be stuck scratching your head and screaming at the already-in-stores book for not being changeable? Probably, but that doesn’t mean writing sequels after earlier books are finished is impossible. (And perhaps my post on planning a series will help!)

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If you like what you read here, consider signing up for my newsletter, the Misfits & Daydreamers or swinging by my For Writers page!

Before she settled down as a full-time novelist and writing instructor, Susan Dennard traveled the world as marine biologist. She is the author of the Something Strange and Deadly series as well as the forthcoming Witchlands series (Tor, 2015), and when not writing, she can be found hiking with her dogs, exploring tidal pools, or practicing her tap dance shuffles. You can learn more about Susan on her blog, Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.

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by

Susan Dennard

–

Recently, I received this question from Kaila in my inbox:

I was wondering, could you please do a post on your “For Writer’s” page about creating 3-dimensional characters?

At first, I was totally afraid to even TRY to tackle this question. I mean…gosh, are my characters 3D? Am I even talented enough or aware enough to talk about something so important?

But then I wrote in my newsletter last week about motivations and consequences, and I realized that–at least for ME–there are 3 things that make a character feel REAL when I’m reading.

#1: Motivation

Character motivation is the WHY of a character’s actions. It’s the WHY behind her goal, the WHY behind her inner and outer needs, and it’s even the WHY behind her short temper and her inability to commit.

But no, you say, that’s backstory! Backstory and history explain her short temper and inability to commit.

Ah, but not entirely. Yes, she’s been burned by men before, so it’s left her wary. But WHY does she  use sarcasm and shouts to make her point? She could just as easily be closed-off and cold. What motivates her to behave the way she does? What does she subconsciously (or in full awareness) hope to achieve by behaving the way that she does?

If you don’t understand these WHYS, then you’ll have characters do things for the sake of the plot…Which means characters will act out of character–and readers will spot that stuff. I promise.

An example: In Truthwitch (which comes out next fall from Tor), I had one of my heroines keep a giant secret from her best friend. I mean, for the plot’s sake, it worked to have her stay quiet, but on a motivation level, it just didn’t make sense. These girls are the CLOSEST FRIENDS you can ever imagine–why would Noelle EVER keep a secret from Safi? Well, a few savvy critique partners asked that very question, and so I finally examined Noe’s motivation for silence…

And it turned out she didn’t have one. I was making Noe stay silent for the sake of the plot. And although changing the story so that there was no secret would require major revisions, I realized that it had to be done. Otherwise, there would always be that lingering question in the reader’s mind of why Noelle did what she did. There would always be the nagging awareness that the character wasn’t behaving quite right.

#2: Emotional Dominoes

In order for me to revise the book with this new awareness–the awareness that Noe wasn’t motivated to keep secrets from Safi–I had to go back to the book’s very first scene and work through every emotional beat in the book. All over again.

Now, I’ve talked about emotional dominoes before, and I will often write in my notes, What are my emotional dominoes?, and then go through each emotion scene by scene. I find this method is incredibly helpful for unsticking my plot, and I also find it INVALUABLE for revising my characters and building real people.

In the Truthwitch example, I had to look at what it meant for Noelle to have told Safi her secret. If Safi knows this bit of history about Noelle, how does it change their interactions? How does it change how they view each other? How they behave in each scene?

And, once I had adjusted one scene to reflect this “new normal”, how did that effect the emotions in the next scene…and the next and the next?

Remember: every scene is linked. What happened before affects what’s happening now, and it will also dictate what happens next. If you try to force emotions to fit a plot, well…You end up with a book that feels forced! And as I mentioned above: readers WILL notice!

#3: Consequences

Consequences are hard. These are very much linked to emotional dominoes–in fact, you could say that “consequences” are just a form of emotional domino. Cause and effect, right?

But what I mean when I say “consequences” is going all the way. I mean digging deep into emotions that scare you and writing raw, honest stuff.

There is nothing I hate more than a character dying and then everyone just sort of moving on! Or a character who commits a truly horrible act (perhaps the heroine keeps a secret which thereby causes the death of her love interest’s family) and everyone just glosses over it–or worse, forgives her right away!

If an act is irredeemable in real life, it will also be irredeemable in fiction.

And if an act causes deep emotional response in real life, then it needs to cause deep emotional response in fiction.

So, as frightening as it may be to face the dark stuff in your heart, you’ve got to if you want your consequences to feel REAL.

If I return once more to the Truthwitch example, I realized as I was revising the book to incorporate Noe’s secret that the reason I’d failed to have it in the first place was because I’d been scared of facing the consequences. I hadn’t wanted to “go there” because “there” was a very scary place, and now that I had Noe’s traumatic childhood secret out in the open, I was going to have to build those consequences and emotions into every single scene.

It wasn’t easy, and I’m still not sure I got it right (thank goodness for multiple rounds of revision!). But I now understand Noelle’s–and Safi’s–characters so much better. I feel way more connected to them as people, and that in turn makes me care about and love the story even more.

Now, obviously we aren’t ALL writing dark characters with twisted backstories. But even books that are funny and “fluffy” have loads of heart and can hit us right in the gut. I remember reading Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married as a teenager and suddenly bursting into tears at the airport. I felt what Lucy felt (oh, Gus! You bastard!), and she was as real to me as if she were sitting next to me, waiting for her flight too.

The reason I connected to Lucy–the reason she felt 3-dimensional–was because I understood WHY she wanted love in her life. I understood why she made the often hilarious and often DUMB choices that she did. I totally understood why her failures brought her low, and every scene toppled neatly into the next. And, above all, when Lucy was faced with the final, really tough decisions, I FELT all the emotional weight that those decisions were due. (If you haven’t read that book, I highly recommend it!! Romantic comedy at its finest!)

So there you have it: motivation, emotional dominoes, and consequences. Those are the 3 dimensions that make a real character for me.

What about you? How do you write 3-D characters?

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featuring

Susan Dennard

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We’re celebrating over here at Pub Crawl. It’s not every day one of our members completes a trilogy, and today, Susan Dennard’s Strange and Ever After, the final installment in the Something Strange and Deadly series, hits shelves!

I (Erin) have loved this series since I got my hands on book one ages ago, but I have to admit: Strange and Ever After tops them all. Susan brings Egypt to life with ease (how is she so skilled at setting?!), but the journey Eleanor and Co. have to make is not easy at all. Packed with action and surprises, SaEA had me frantically turning the pages until the very end. And speaking of endings… this is one of the most pitch-perfect trilogy conclusions I’ve read. Bittersweet and moving. The last few lines (heck, most of the last chapter) was downright magical.

Oh, and if you’re an existing fan of the series, don’t miss the Something Strange and Deadly series recap Epic Reads has on their blog, complete with top 5 moments from each book. You should also sign up for Susan’s newsletter. Like, right now. Not only is it inspiring and packed with helpful writing information, but it sometimes includes bonus scenes from her novels!

Anywhoo, if all my gushing hasn’t sold you yet, here’s the official synopsis for Strange and Ever After:

In the conclusion to the trilogy that Publishers Weekly called “a roaring—and addictive—gothic world,” Eleanor Fitt must control her growing power, face her feelings for Daniel, and confront the evil necromancer Marcus…all before it’s too late.

He took her brother, he took her mother, and now, Marcus has taken her good friend Jie. With more determination than ever to bring this sinister man to justice, Eleanor heads to the hot desert streets of nineteenth-century Egypt in hopes of ending this nightmare. But in addition to her increasingly tense relationships with Daniel, Joseph, and her demon, Oliver, Eleanor must also deal with her former friend, Allison, who has curiously entangled herself in Eleanor’s mission.

With the rising dead chomping at her every move and Jie’s life hanging in the balance, Eleanor is convinced that her black magic will see her through to the bitter end. But there will be a price. Though she and the Spirit Hunters have weathered every battle thus far, there will be consequences to suffer this time—the effects of which will be irreversible. And when it’s over, only some will be able to live a strange and ever after.

Susan Dennard will leave readers breathless and forever changed in the concluding pages of this riveting ride.

Goosebumps, right?

In honor of Susan’s release day, I’m giving away one copy of Strange and Ever After (hardcover if the winner lives in the US; e-book if the winner lives internationally)! To enter, just fill out the Rafflecopter form below, and be sure to wish Susan a happy release day!

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Congrats again, Sooz! I’m so darn happy for you and proud of you and thrilled to see your series conclude with such an explosive bang. You’ve created a world readers are going to want to revisit many times over! <3

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Susan Dennard, featuring Robin Bridges

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I’m so excited to have Robin Bridges on Pub(lishing) Crawl today! If y’all don’t know her (or her Katerina Trilogy), then you’re in for a treat.

First of all, she has the most beautiful covers.

Second of all, she has the COOLEST book trailer of all time. Seriously, watch this.

Third of all, her books are awesome. Just read this summary of The Gathering Storm and tell me you’re not hooked:

St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888. As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. No one knows. Not her family. Not the girls at her finishing school. Not the tsar or anyone in her aristocratic circle. Katerina considers her talent a curse, not a gift. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.

An evil presence is growing within Europe’s royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina’s strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources . . . including two young men—George Alexandrovich, the tsar’s standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina’s help to safeguard Russia, even if he’s repelled by her secret, and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn.

The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?

But enough about Robin’s books–let’s find out more about the author behind them.

1.  Can you tell us how the idea for The Gathering Storm came about?  And why did you choose 1888 St. Petersburg (which I ADORED)?

I love Russian history, and have always loved Russian fairytales like Vasilisa the Brave and the stories of Baba Yaga. I do hate the Romanov family’s tragic ending, however, so I prefer to read about the earlier generations of the Imperial family.  Alexander III’s family was my favorite. Nicholas and his siblings were teens during the late 1880’s- early 1890’s. Princess Elena of Montenegro really did attend the Smolni Institute and truly opened the Smolni Ball by dancing with Nicholas in the fall of 1888.

Russia of the late nineteenth century, especially St. Petersburg, was steeped in superstition and mysticism and interest in the occult.  The Montenegrin princesses, Anastasia and Militza, were known as the Black Peril and they fascinated me with their séances. Papus, the French occultist, was one of their known companions. It was not hard for me to imagine a St. Petersburg where the magic was real.

2. Wow, the Black Peril. That is just so cool. Now, can you tell us a bit about your journey to publication? I’m sure our readers our curious.

The Gathering Storm was the fourth novel I’d ever written, (not including the 118 page murder mystery I wrote on notebook paper in seventh grade.) The first novel taught me how to craft a novel, the second one taught me how to find an agent, and the third one taught me how to write just for fun. The Gathering Storm taught me the importance of persistence (and revision).

3. Patience and persistence paid off! I love hearing such inspirational stories! Now, as I mentioned already, you have some of my FAVORITE covers out there not to mention the most amazing trailer around. Did you have any say in those creations?

I was blessed to have Trish Parcell at Delacorte design all three covers for the Katerina Trilogy.  Katerina is played by a Ukranian model (I wish I knew her name!) and the dress she wears on the cover of The Unfailing Light is actually a dress that was worn by Empress Alexandra. I had no real hand in the process, other than crossing my fingers and being flabbergasted at how beautiful the covers turned out to be.

4. WHAT? Worn by Empress Alexandra?! I literally have no words. Okay, last question: Make us a story cocktail. What ingredients do you think makes the perfect tale?

Mmm, I like spicy and sweet foods, and the books I enjoy reading have a similar balance.  Half romance, half danger?  Sprinkle in lots of smooching and lots of scares, too.  Add a teaspoon of dark humor and one swoony male character.  Or two…

Yessss! I love it!! Bring on the smooching and the scares! Thank you so much for stopping by, Robin!

To celebrate her visit, we have a giveaway for The Gathering Storm. Just fill out the Rafflecopter form to be entered!
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By day, Robin is a mild-mannered writer of fantasy and paranormal fiction for young adults. By night, she is a pediatric nurse. Robin lives on the Gulf Coast with her husband, one teenager, and two slobbery mastiffs. The Gathering Storm is her first novel.

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Ben H. Winters

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Note from Sooz: I am so excited to share this post from critically acclaimed Ben H. Winters, author of seven novels, including Countdown City (an NPR Best Book of 2013 and the winner of the Philip K. Dick Award). He has a great post for you today, in honor of his upcoming release, the third book in the Last Policement series: World of Trouble.

Plus, Ben is running a VERY cool ‘reverse blog tour’ on his personal site, with guests like Ransom Riggs and Hugh Howey. They’re posting tips, doing interviews, and more! And, you can check out Ben’s own blog tour for World of Trouble here.

Now take it away, Ben! (And don’t miss the giveaway at the end!)

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From Vonnegut: Start the Story

The legendary Kurt Vonnegut came to Washington University in St. Louis in May of my senior year, and I got to interview him for the school paper. Two things he said stuck with me. The first was that the internet was just a fad, and he was wrong about that, although sometimes I wish he hadn’t been.

The other thing he said was, when you’re done with your first draft, take the first 30 pages and throw them away. Like a lot of great writerly advice it was hyperbolic (see also Elmore Leonard’s much-quoted and rarely obeyed “rules”), but built around a gem of pure truth: we writers, especially novelists, have a tendency to start slow, to clear our throats, to give all the background at the beginning—which is exactly where it <span “>doesn’t belong, if indeed it belongs anywhere. Start with the story in motion , is what Vonnegut was saying, and let the reader run to catch up.

I live in Indianapolis now, where Vonnegut is a hometown hero, and where a mural of him towers over hip Massachusetts Avenue. Every time I walk past I thank him for teaching me how to to start my books.

From Terkel: Don’t be a fancy-pants writer jerk

As a young journalist working at a free weekly in Chicago, I got to interview Studs Terkel, at his house. Studs told me that one of his tricks to gaining the confidence of the ordinary people he chronicled so vividly in his oral histories was to pretend that his tape recorder was broken. Then he would fuss with it for a while, cursing and mopping his brow, letting them see that he wasn’t some egghead, but just an average fella, like them. Then they’d be comfortable and open up.

In the innumerable interviews I have done since, both as a journalist and now as a novelist, when I’m interviewing cops and astronomers and pathologists and insurance salesmen—and please, for the love of God, if you’re writing a book, hang out with actual humans with relevant experiences, and let them inform the truth of your text—I have done some version of this maneuver over and over. By doing something foolish and klutzy—drop my phone, borrow a pen, forget my questions—I enter into a sort of conversational intimacy with my subject, which is the kind of place that real deep truth comes out of.

And unlike Studs Terkel, I am a total klutz, and I always do forget to bring a pen, so I rarely have to pretend.

From William Penn: Get to Work

This one is kind of a cheat, because the founder of Pennsylvania died three centuries ago, and I just got this quote from a magazine article or something. But it’s the best piece of advice I’ve ever gotten, as a writer and as a human being: Time is what we want most, and use worst.

Because here’s what we writers always do—we complain about not having enough time to write. When will I get to write? Oh, man, I have no time to write. If only I had time to write!

And then when we do have time, when that magical hour or two hours appears, when a plan-free Saturday miraculously turns up on the calendar, what do we do? We waste all that time. Check email, check Facebook, clean the house, read the newspaper, check email again, and then it’s Oh, God, where did all the time go! If only I had time to write!

Take it from someone who wrote a whole series about civilization’s impending destruction: time is a precious resource. Embrace Penn’s dictum; train your mind (and you can train it) to get to work, even when it’s hard, even when you don’t feel like. There is no other way to be a writer.

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Wow. I can’t believe Ben met Kurt Vonnegut. Also, Vonnegut’s advice is perfectly timed for me right now (I just spent >1 month “clearing my throat” with a new beginning). Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this, Ben!

Now, for our dear Pub Crawl readers, there’s an awesome World of Trouble pre-order campaign going on here. Basically, if you pre-order you get all sorts of cool extras. AND, of course, we’re doing a giveaway for all 3 books in the Last Policemen series right here on Pub(lishing) Crawl! WOOHOO! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below to be entered to win!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Ben H. Winters is the author of seven novels, including most recently Countdown City (Quirk), an NPR Best Book of 2013 and the winner of the Philip K. Dick Award. Ben grew up in suburban Maryland, went to college at Washington University in St. Louis, and has subsequently lived in six different cities—seven if you count Brooklyn twice for two different times. Presently he lives in Indianapolis, Indiana, with his wife Diana, a law professor, and their three children.

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Susan Dennard, featuring Page Morgan

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We’ve had the lovely Page Morgan on the blog before, but I wanted to have her again to celebrate her latest release: The Lovely and the Lost.

If you guys haven’t yet read her books, DO. Especially if you’re a fan of my (Sooz’s) books. The Beautiful and the Cursed will totally appeal to fans of Something Strange & Deadly. I mean, just look at those titles together!

For those of you who don’t know the premise:

After a bizarre accident, Ingrid Waverly is forced to leave London with her mother and younger sister, Gabby, trading a world full of fancy dresses and society events for the unfamiliar city of Paris.

In Paris there are no grand balls or glittering parties, and, disturbingly, the house Ingrid’s twin brother, Grayson, found for them isn’t a house at all. It’s an abandoned abbey, its roof lined with stone gargoyles that could almost be mistaken for living, breathing creatures.

And Grayson has gone missing.

No one seems to know of his whereabouts but Luc, a devastatingly handsome servant at their new home.

Ingrid is sure her twin isn’t dead—she can feel it deep in her soul—but she knows he’s in grave danger. It will be up to her and Gabby to navigate the twisted path to Grayson, a path that will lead Ingrid on a discovery of dark secrets and otherworldly truths. And she’ll learn that once they are uncovered, they can never again be buried.

If that doesn’t have you hooked, then maybe reading the opening chapters will. Or–if you’ve already read The Beautiful and the Cursed, read the opening of The Lovely and the Lost instead! :)

Now on to the interview.

1. Okay. I have to know: where did the idea for THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE CURSED come from?

It all started with a picture of a Notre Dame gargoyle. I was struck by this image. It looks like the gargoyle has a heavy burden resting on its shoulders, right? So I did some research and found out gargoyles do have a duty: they protect a structure from evil spirits. I knew there was story potential there, and I was really intrigued by writing about a creature that hasn’t been seen much in books. It took a few years to build the mythology, develop the cast of characters, and research the setting (I’d never been to Paris!).

2. You’re right that I haven’t seen gargoyles in books, and yet everyone is so fascinated by them! Go YOU for seeing a story there! Now, are you a plotter or pantser…or neither?

I used to be a pantser, but now I’m a dedicated plotter. My outlines are extensive. Mini-novels, even. The outline for The Lovely and the Lost was just over 30,000 words! They take months to finish, but once I start writing the actual novel I love knowing exactly what I’m going to write.

3. WOW. I am really fascinated by this! That sounds so efficient! So, with regards to research, what’s your primary go-to location–online or in real life? (i.e. I can’t live without archive.org)

I’m going to check out archive.org! I use a lot of websites, but I found a great one with lots of old maps of Paris, appropriately named OldMapsofParis.com, and GentlemansEmporium.com for everything having to do with clothing, and a great collection of photographs from the 1900 Universal Exposition in Paris from the Brooklyn Museum. Wikipedia is also my friend!

4. If I recall correctly, you got to visit PARISSSSS for your book. What was your favorite thing about the City of Light? (Also, our heroines would totally get along and should TOTALLY hang out there one day. We can pretend, right?) 

I did visit Paris!! I wanted to go before I finished writing The Lovely and the Lost, so I took my parents and daughters and we spent a week there. It was overwhelming and beautiful and I absolutely loved it. One of my research outings was to the Paris Sewers (they are REALLY proud of their sewer system, as they should be!) and yes, we actually walked alongside a canal of rushing sewage. There’s a scene in The Lovely and the Lost where I put that experience to good use! And YES, Eleanor, Ingrid, and Gabby would be such an amazing team! I’m thinking a fan fiction contest is needed…

5. OH MY GOSH, THE SEWERS!!! This is incredible. Okay, last question: if you could meet at the pub with any author (alive or dead), whom would you choose? 

I’d have to say Jennifer Donnelly, whose new book Deep Blue, just released and is on the top of my to-read list. I’ve loved all of her books, and after my friend met her at BEA and told me how genuine and nice she is, I think I’d like to spend an hour talking about writing and book over a pint of Guinness.

I love it! Thank you SO MUCH for stopping by, Page! I’m super curious about your outlining method–perhaps we can convince you to stop by again with a guest post.

To celebrate having Page on the blog, we’re giving away a SIGNED COPY of The Lovely and the Lost! To enter, just fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

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Ian Doescher

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Note from Sooz: I am SO EXCITED (like, fangirl-flipping-out-excited) to have Ian Doescher, the author of William Shakespeare’s Star Wars on Pub(lishing) Crawl! If you guys haven’t read these books, then DO. They are incredible.

Now take it away, Ian!

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In my freshman year English class, as we prepared to dive in to Shakespeare’s Othello, my teacher Jane Bidwell taught us about the four major types of poetic feet, including the meter Shakespeare wrote it: iambic pentameter.  Iambic pentameter is a set of five (pent) iambs, which is a poetic foot with the pattern unstressed-stressed, like the word re-LEASE.  So, iambic pentameter is da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM.

Three years later, as a senior, we were required to write ten lines of iambic pentameter, as we studied John Dryden’s poem “Mack Flecknoe.”  “Mack Flecknoe” is a poem Dryden wrote to make fun of a man named Thomas Shadwell.  Our assignment was to write a similar poem making fun of someone else, so I, naturally, chose Barney the Purple Dinosaur.  Here are the ten lines I wrote at age 17:

“Hello, there kids.  Today we’re gonna sing!

Oh who’s your friend, your ruler, and your king?

It’s me you trust, the great and mighty one

Who makes you laugh, and lets you all have fun!

‘The Purple Hero’ I am known to you,

I love you more than both your parents do!

I’m great, I’m nice, I’m smart, I’m kind, and wise,

So now then, let me give you kids advice:

Believe that I love you and you love me,

And in my power ever shall you be!”

Not too bad.  But here’s a confession: in and after high school, I wrote occasional bits of poetry, and honestly I figured it was okay to play fast and loose with the meter.  If I needed to scrunch an additional syllable or two into my line to use the words I wanted to use, that was okay.  But about eight years ago I made a pact with myself—the kind of pact that only nerds make with themselves: from that point forward, if I was going to write in verse I was going to be a total stickler about having flawless meter (and rhyme).  What I realized back then is that anyone can fudge meter, but only true artists are perfectionists about it.  My exemplar in this is not Shakespeare, actually (who bent iambic pentameter to his own will), but Dr. Seuss:

“Green eggs and ham, green eggs and ham,

I do not like green eggs and ham…”

Flawless iambic tetrameter.  The text of Dr. Seuss’ books sings as you read it because he was just about perfect when it came to meter.

So, what about you?  How can you write great verse?  The trick is to be honest with yourself about where the syllables in your line fall, and if you are fitting in extra syllables or if your rhymes aren’t perfect (“wise” doesn’t rhyme with “advice,” sorry 17-year-old Ian!), you need to go back to the drawing board.  Sometimes this is painful.  In the course of writing the William Shakespeare’s Star Wars trilogy, I can’t tell you the number of times I had to ditch a line and start over because I couldn’t get the syllables to work the way I wanted them to.  In the end, though, I think the books are better for it.  And so will your verse be if you stick to your guns and go for perfection.

As a 17-year-old, I didn’t know that what I was learning about iambic pentameter would change my life, and I didn’t know that my nerdy pact with myself 8 years ago would also be so important.  I’m convinced, though, that (at least in part) it was the attention given to my iambic pentameter that made William Shakespeare’s Star Wars attractive to Quirk Books.  I wouldn’t say my verse is 100% perfect—that’s almost impossible (particularly with words like “stormtrooper” and “lightsaber,” which defy iambic pentameter)—but I know I tried my hardest.  Here’s to taking the time to make your meter sing, like dear ol’ Dr. Seuss!

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Thank you SO MUCH for stopping by, Ian!! To celebrate your visit, we’re giving away the entire William Shakespeare’s Stars Wars series + posters! HOORAY! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form to be entered!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And don’t miss the rest of Ian’s blog tour:

• Mon, June 23rd: GOOD BOOKS & GOOD WINE
• Tues, June 24th: BIBLIOMANTICS
• Thurs, June 26th: GEEKY LIBRARY
• Fri, June 27th: NOVEL THOUGHTS
• Mon, June 30th: ON WEDNESDAYS WE WEAR PINK
• Tues, July 1st: GEEKOSYSTEM
• Weds, July 2nd: MY MERCURIAL MUSINGS
• Thurs, July 3rd: QUIRK BOOKS BLOG

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Ian is a Portland native, and lives in Portland with his spouse and two children.  He has a B.A. in Music from Yale University, a Master of Divinity from Yale Divinity School, and a Ph.D. from Union Theological Seminary.  He is currently the Creative Director at Pivot Group LLC, a full service marketing, research and web agency in Portland, Oregon.

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Laura Wardle

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Note from Sooz: I’m so excited to share a librarian’s insider perspective today! It’s so easy to get caught up in the writing/publishing side of the things that we forget about the people who actually GET our books into readers’ hands. Thank you so much for stopping by and reminding us, Laura!

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Back in 2012, I wrote about being a library assistant in a public library. A post on the writerly benefits of working on the frontline followed a couple of months later. Today I am back to talk about my transition to becoming a school librarian at a secondary school.

So why did I make the switch from a public library to a school library?

When I started working in public libraries, I was still trying to convince myself to stick with women’s fiction. I didn’t believe I was capable of creating anything that could hold its own with so many other super talented young adult authors already in the industry. As such, I was happy enough to work with the young children and elderly folks who predominantly used the library.

But as I grew to know myself as a writer, and finally decided to take a risk and try my hand at writing young adult fantasy, the genre of my heart, I became more and more passionate about encouraging children and teenagers to read. However, I wasn’t able to fully exercise that passion in the public libraries, as we had very few teenage readers, no matter how much we tried to get them through the doors. Without access to that age group, I couldn’t make a difference.

At the end of last year, I packed up everything and moved south east, to another county, to be with my boyfriend. I left my job at the public library and started searching for job listings at other libraries. However, the timing couldn’t have been worse. The local authority had started closing libraries up and down the county—shame on them, if you ask me—and therefore, no jobs were advertised.

I’d love to say that the switch from public libraries to school libraries was the result of my decision to put my passion for getting kids reading into practice now I was looking for a new job anyway, but I’d be lying. I had no other choice. Having worked a day job I’d loved, I wasn’t prepared to settle for the first job that came around. Thankfully, I was in a position where I could be a bit more selective, and protect my creativity by not ending up in the kind of job that would have drained me.

School libraries hadn’t been affected by the council’s budget cuts, and just short of a fortnight after I left my old one, I scored a full-time job as a school librarian.

Almost five months into the job, I can honestly say that working as a school librarian is more rewarding than I could have ever imagined. On a daily basis, I get to gush about all the awesome books we stock, throw recommendations at the kids and watch them try to stuff them all into their schoolbags, and discuss how hot Theo James is as Four in the ‘Divergent’ film. Yeah, it’s as brilliant as it sounds.

Hands down, the most incredible part is knowing that I am, in fact, making a difference.

For example, our year elevens officially left school last Friday, even though they still have some exams to sit, and the Head Girl, who sat on the student panel that had a hand in hiring me for the job, gave me this beautiful photo frame:

She told me that, even though I’ve only been at the school for a short time, I’ve really made an impact on her—especially with regards to her writing. I was rendered speechless. This is what I took the job for—to make a difference. So I can’t even tell you how much her words meant to me. I will carry them forever.

As well as running the library, I run a weekly writing club with an English teacher to a few very keen young writers. It is wonderful to be able to give back some of what I have learnt over the last nine years of writing. If it’s possible, I’m might be even more passionate about giving back to young writers than I am getting kids to read. I did not have anything like this when I was in school, and I wanted to give the students the opportunity to explore their writing amongst peers, with some input from myself and my colleague. It’s proving to be a hit.

Of course, any job I work has to be compatible with my writing life. I am a writer, first and foremost. And it has to be said that working in a school library has to be one of the best day jobs a writer could have. It is a demanding role—there’s no denying that—but it’s all about books and providing for these wonderful kids and I’m crazy passionate about all of that, so I enjoy it. I don’t have to take any work home—I have my set hours—and that’s it. Plus, getting all the school holidays is fantastic. This summer I will have six weeks off work. Does it get much better? I am so inspired every day by these kids—even on the more trying days—and have written more in the last four months than I have in my life. Honestly. It’s perfect. I love my job.

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Laura Wardle is a school librarian and writes fantasy novels for teens. She has more ideas than time, drinks far too much coffee, and loves binge-reading awesome books. She lives and writes in Lincolnshire, England, with her wonderful fiancé. You can visit her blog, and follow her on Twitter and Pinterest.

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Susan Dennard

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A month or so back, someone asked me (in the forums) about writing romance. This is no easy topic to tackle, and it’s something that every author approaches differently. But, I thought I could share a few general rules and also share how I approach romantic elements in my own stories.

Note: this is part 1 in what will be a month-long (or longer) series on my personal blog.

Romance as a Genre

I want to preface this post by saying that romance as a genre is a totally different animal from romantic elements in a story.

The romance genre typically adheres to a certain structure and a certain outcome. In romance, the love story MUST be the primary plot, meaning all your other story threads are secondary. So for example, if a book is a paranormal romance following a werewolf as she tries to take charge of her pack while also dealing with that sexy alpha across the way, the pack conflict (of her taking charge) will be a subplot to the romance between the werewolf and the sexy alpha. The love story will take up more page time than the pack conflicts.

If the book were just a paranormal, however,then the primary conflict would be how the werewolf comes into her own and takes charge of her pack–and the majority of the page space would be devoted to her pack-leadership. The romance with the sexy alpha would be a subplot to that.

Additionally, the romance genre demands an “emotionally satisfying ending”–often times called a HEA, or Happily Ever After. The hero and the heroine must come together in the end, and it must be a “happy” ending.If you’re writing a book in the romance genre, be sure you stick to these genre requirements! I’ll link you to this excellent post in case you’re hoping to learn more.

A story with romantic elements, on the other hand, does not require any sort of happy resolution for our lovers. One character might die, they might already be together when the book opens, they might not end up together, or they might decide they hate each other after all.

What is Romance in Fiction?

In fiction, romance is always going to be linked to character arcs. Always. Whether your story be the primary plot or a subplot, the coming together of two characters must be linked to who they are now, who they are as the story progresses, and who they are when the story ends.

I’ll get into this more deeply next week, but for now remember this: Romance is all about characters growing. If the romance does not push a character to change (for good or worse), then the romance doesn’t need to be there.

And that leads me to my next point…

Does the Romance Add to the Story?

Have you ever seen a movie or TV show that opened with a sex scene that felt totally gratuitous? Like the poor actors were just having to show skin or touch lips because someone in some office somewhere said, “Sex sells.”

Well, we do NOT want that in our stories. When our romantic leads interact (this can be with or without touching), it needs to mean something. It needs to affect the plot, affect the characters, and affect everything that comes after.

If you can remove the love interest character or remove the love scenes without anything in the overall story being affected, then you do NOT need your romance.

I have totally been guilty of this. In the very first book I ever wrote, I spent ages honing the sexual tension between my MC and the love interest. Whenever the two characters were together, I thought sparks just had to be flying. Surely everyone who read would love Finn as much as I did!

Nope. Finn might’ve been sexy in my head, but on the page, his scenes added nothing. He didn’t connect to my MC’s primary plot, and he certainly didn’t push my MC to grow or change in anyway. I could have easily cut him and all of his scenes from the story without affecting the plot or my MC’s character arc at all.

So remember: If you can cut the romantic scenes without affecting the story, then you don’t need that romance.

Of course, let’s say you have a pair of lovers planned that you just KNOW will influence the trajectory of your story and force each other to change, now comes the most important question of all: are you actually excited about them?

You Gotta Love your Lovers

I am the MASTER of coming up with great plot solutions that seem so easy in a synopsis, but when I actually sit down to write said plot solution, I find myself bored. Or at a loss for how to translate a one-sentence solution into a full chapter. Or I’ll be faced with characters who wouldn’t actually do what I had brainstormed for them.

This same problem of “good in theory, not so good in action” happens often with my romances. I’ll be imagining this epic romance between a sexy pirate lord and a fiery duchess, but when I actually put the two characters on the page, they have totally different partners in mind. Or the love/hate relationship I thought they’d share just doesn’t interest me.

Well, that’sno good.If you’re not into the relationship, your readers sure as hell won’t be. You need to be as madly in love with your characters (or as passionately hateful) as they are with each other. The romantic scenes should make your gut flip exactly like theirs. If you’re not into love or not feeling the feels, then it’s time to find a new romance–maybe even rewrite your characters completely.

When these situations strike, I always head back to my notebook for some more brainstorming and some intense question/answer time (more on that later in this series).

For now, just remember: If you don’t love your romance and love interest, then you either 1) don’t need to write a romance at all, or 2) need to find the romance/love interest that does ignite a spark.

Next week, I’ll get into the basics of actually crafting a romance–from understanding character flaws to building characters that challenge each other to grow.

I’ll also be on the NaNoWriMo blog discussing the “hate-to-love” trope (or defending it, rather), so look for me there!

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If you like what you read here, consider signing up for my newsletter, the Misfits & Daydreamers or swinging by my For Writers page!

Susan Dennard is a reader, writer, lover of animals, and eater of (now gluten-free) cookies. You can learn more about her crazy thoughts and crippling cookie-addiction on her blog, twitter, or pinterest. Her Something Strange and Deadly series is now available from HarperTeen, and the Truthwitch series will launch from Tor in fall 2015.

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by

Jennifer Adams

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Note from Sooz: I am incredibly honored to share this guest post from an editor, part-time bookseller, and multi-published, bestselling picture book author. It is chock FULL of advice for aspiring authors of all kinds, so read closely! And don’t miss the giveaway at the end!

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I’ve been a book editor for 20 years and a published writer for 10. I’ve been pitched book ideas in the strangest places—at funerals, by taxi drivers, at family reunions. (For the best success, I don’t suggest any of these approaches, by the way.) I’ve read literally thousands of query letters and manuscripts over the course of my career.

I’m constantly asked for advice about publishing. This article includes a lot of useful information for people are just getting started, including answers to common questions as well as questions you should ask yourself. If you’re serious about wanting to get published, here is some serious information that will help you on that path.

If you’re looking for someone to tell you that publishing is easy, that everyone is publishable, or that your manuscript is great exactly how it is, you can stop reading now.

Publishing a children’s book is hard, but it can certainly be done. However, many people have misconceptions about what it means to publish a children’s book. Here are some important things to know from the outset:

Becoming a published writer takes training and work, just like becoming a dentist or a teacher. The publishing industry is a complicated, competitive business. Learning to navigate it takes effort and time. Becoming a good writer takes effort and time, too. It also takes training and a certain amount of talent. 

Don’t think of your book as a way to get rich. I know many successful published writers, and most of them have to supplement their income in one way or another. Sure, people become rich from writing sometimes. People win the lottery sometimes, too. 

Getting a book published means you’re in for the long haul. Publishers typically acquire books two years out. That means it will be two years after you sell your manuscript before it becomes a real object you can hold in your hands. And it takes months—sometimes years—to sell a manuscript.

Getting a book published is very competitive. Almost everyone wants to publish a book someday; polls show that more than 80 percent of people think they will.

Authors of traditionally published books must be ready to hand over a lot of creative control to their publisher. When you sell your manuscript, many other people will make important decisions regarding how your book ends up. For example, authors typically do not get to choose who illustrates their book. They do not get to design the cover and sometimes don’t even get to say what the title of the book is. An entire team of people is involved in the creation of a book—editors, designers, illustrators, and marketers. That collaborative effort results in beautiful, creative finished work.

Traditional publishing has many advantages. Publishers and the editors, designers, marketers, and publicists who work for them have years of combined experience and knowledge of the publishing industry that it will be impossible for you to duplicate on your own. Publishers pay for printing your book, and have both sales channels and distribution. Your book will be in a catalog, which will be presented to book buyers at bookstores and gift shops around the country, giving you the best chance for placement in stores. Publishers handle foreign rights sales for your book, and any subsidiary and licensing rights.

Maybe you are thinking: I don’t want to navigate the publishing world and I’m not really a children’s writer. I just have one book or one story that I feel compelled to tell. That’s fine, too! Perhaps what you really want is to publish that one book, not to be a children’s book writer.

In this case, a viable option to consider is self-publishing. Although it carried a stigma in the past, things have shifted drastically in publishing over the last five years. With print-on-demand publishing services, you can publish your own book without the expense of warehousing your stock.

Self-published books typically do not have as high of production values nor sell as well as traditionally published books. But ask yourself what is the purpose of the story you want to tell? Who is it intended for? How many copies do you want it to sell? Maybe your book is a family story that you want available for your children and grandchildren. Maybe it is for a very specific target audience.

Depending on your goals for your book, self-publishing may make the most sense for you. Some people prefer self-publishing because the percentage of sales that they get to keep is much higher than in traditional publishing (in traditional publishing, your royalty is typically 10 percent of the price of the book).

Other people like it because you can put your book out there almost immediately and do not have to wait for the long schedules in the publishing world. Sometimes, though not frequently, self-published books are later picked up by traditional publishers. So in those cases, you would get the best of both worlds. CreateSpace, Lulu, and iUniverse are some self-publishing avenues you can explore.

Still, if you do decide you want to publish with a traditional book publisher, here is some additional advice that will make you a better writer and increase your chances of success:

Read Excessively

Anyone who is serious about getting a children’s book published needs to know the market. This starts with reading—a lot. Go to the library or your local bookstore and really get a handle on what’s there. It’s great to have classics and old favorites (long live Frog and Toad Together!) but you have to know what’s being published currently, too.

Books that are coming out right now are what you’re competing with and make up the world you’re trying to publish into. Find which books are your favorites and check the copyright pages. Write down the publishers of those books. Look them up online. Become familiar with their lists. Become familiar with their publication guidelines. Do they accept unsolicited manuscripts? Do they accept manuscripts directly from the author or do you need an agent? Learn about the people you are going to pitch to. You want to find a publisher who publishes the type of book you’ve written.

Write Excessively

Just like learning to play the piano, writing is an art that takes a great deal of practice. No one would expect to sit down at the piano for the first time and be able to play well enough that people would pay to hear them perform in a concert hall. That’s no different with writing. It’s likely the first thing you write (or the second or the twenty-second) is not going to be good enough someone will pay money to read it. Writing is a craft. You get better with practice.

If you want to be a writer—write. You should write all the time. My mentor for picture book writing, Rick Walton, said the best thing to do if you want to get published is write a lot of different manuscripts. Not only will your writing improve, you will also increase your chances of finding a home for something you write just by sheer numbers.

It’s also good for your sanity. If you have just one manuscript and try to sell it, that leaves you nothing to do but fret while you’re waiting to hear back from publishers and agents. After pitching your manuscript, rather than anxiously waiting every day for a response, you can use that time to create new work.

Be Open to Editing

A good writer knows that even the best writer needs an editor. Be humble enough to realize your writing can be improved and be willing to work to improve it. Take this to heart: If you think every word you write is perfect and nothing needs to change, the publishing industry is not for you. Take a writing class. Go to a writing conference. Hone your craft.

On the other hand, learn to discern between helpful criticism and people’s opinions. A good editor knows that you don’t change something unless there is a good reason to do so. But not everyone who gives input on your writing will be a good editor. Don’t confuse people’s opinions (and they will have many!) with helpful feedback. Learn to develop your own voice.

Hang Out with Other Writers

Many writers find it helpful to join a writing group. It gives you deadlines, people to read and critique your work, and a support system. If you think you are someone who would benefit from a writing group, find one and try it out. Whether or not you are in a writing group, it’s a good idea to attend writing and publishing conferences. You will meet agents, editors, and other writers (published and working-to-be-published). It’s a good way to network and stay connected to the industry in a job that is for the most part solitary. Consider joining the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Find ways to connect with other writers online.

Follow Submission Guidelines

Get a copy of Children’s Writers and Illustrators Market. In it you will learn all about publishers and what they are looking for, as well as what their submission guidelines are. This is very simple advice but very important: follow the submission guidelines for the publisher you are pitching. If they don’t accept email submissions, don’t email them. If they don’t accept picture books, don’t send them a picture book manuscript. If you need an agent to submit to them, find an agent before submitting to them. Following the guidelines (which are different for each publisher) shows you are professional and serious about your writing. It also saves you (and the editor) a great deal of time and frustration by not sending something to a publishing house that they would never acquire in the first place. If you decide to get an agent, QueryTracker is a great resource.

Accept the Inevitability of Rejection

This is easy enough to say, and almost impossible to do all the time. Rejection is not fun and it’s especially difficult when people are criticizing something as personal as your writing.

I think that selling a manuscript is like selling a home. You have to find an editor or publishing house or agent that is a good fit. Just because someone doesn’t buy your house when it’s on the market does not mean it’s a bad house or there is anything wrong with it. It just means it’s not a good fit for them.

I have heard of some mean-spirited rejection letters, but typically the many editors I know are kind people and rejection letters are just standard and part of the every day business of publishing.

On the other hand, I have heard different authors over the years tell their own stories about rejection letters that devastated them, but often when they told me what the letters said I didn’t think they sounded too harsh. In this business, you have to expect and be able to take rejection. The bottom line is, if you’re going to put your work out there not everyone will like it, and a lot of people will reject it, and some days that really hurts. 

Keep Perspective

Remember why you are doing this. If you’re not having fun, then it’s not worth it. And if you aren’t liking what you write, you’re probably not writing the right thing. I’ve been told that if you like what you’re writing, chances are somebody else out there is going to like it too. I think that’s great advice.

Of course, not every day is fun. Some days are lonely, some days you feel like a fraud, and some days you miss the kind of job where you know exactly how to do good work and you just do it. Being a writer means you have to be really, really patient—with yourself and with the process and with the publishing world in general, which can be a very crazy place.

Getting a book published is not easy, but it happens. It happens all the time, and it happens to regular people like you and like me. I love the thrill I see in people when they sell their first manuscript, or the day their printed book arrives and they get to hold it in their hands for the first time. Making a book is magical. It’s something to be celebrated. Remember if you’re writing a children’s book it’s a wonderful thing. You’re choosing a creative life. Enjoy adding something good to the world!

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Thank you SO MUCH for stopping by, Jennifer! To celebrate having her grace Pub(lishing) Crawl with her incredible advice, we’re hosting a giveaway! Two people can win copies of Edgar Gets Ready for Bed (check out that awesome cover above). Just let us know in the comments what great classic YOU wish you’d had as a picture/board book growing up.

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Jennifer Adams is the author of the board books in the BabyLit series, which introduce small children to the world of classic literature. Her picture book Edgar Gets Ready for Bed is inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven.” A second picture book, Edgar and the Tattle-Tale Heart, will be published this Halloween. Jennifer loves old stone walls, letterpress printing, lightning storms, beautifully wrapped packages, and people who read. She works some evenings at The King’s English Bookshop to feed her book habit. Jennifer lives in Salt Lake City with her husband, Bill Dunford, who is also a writer. Visit her website at jennifer-adams.com.

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by

Susan Dennard

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Note: This post is actually re-post from my Misfits & Daydreamers newsletter. I apologize for the repeat content to those of you getting the newsletter, but since I’m wrestling with a new beginning now, this topic seemed rather pertinent at the moment.

Recently, I got this question in the Daydreamer forum:

I have a problem with starting projects as well as ending them. I get a very clear idea of the mood or atmosphere I want to convey, and when I’m not able to capture that mood when I begin my WIP, I tend to get depressed, start questioning myself and my idea, and chuck the project. I want to this WIP to have a strong start. How do you capture the mood you want for your projects? Do you ever have any problems similar to mine?

Fabulous question, and this is definitely an issue I wrestle with. Beginnings are ALWAYS hard for me. I have such a vivid feeling and sense of story, but then transferring that onto the page…UGH. With Truthwitch, that image and song above moved me SO much, yet it took me 3 different attempts at opening chaptersbefore I finally hit the nail on the head. I wrote version 1, knew halfway in it was wrong, so I scrapped it and wrote version 2…But I still knew it was wrong, so I scrapped it too. Then I mulled the story over for a few days–letting my subconscious work while I listened to epic music. THEN, I tried version 3, and kapow! That version felt right.Now, version 3 wasn’t perfect–not by a long shot. It wasn’t even good, but at least I knew I was on the right track story/plot-wise.Strange and Ever After took 2 false starts. A Dawn Most Wicked took 2 completely wrong ENTIRE MANUSCRIPTS before I figured it out.

It’s so hard not to get frustrated when you know what you want isn’t what you’re putting down. But that’s the great thing about rewriting and revising. You can ALWAYS do it again. If you missed the mark and the story feels wrong, try again now. Or, if you missed the mark but can’t see what went astray, then power forward until you can see. You can always revise when you’ve finished the book (that’s what I do).

There’s a reason I talk aboutthe Perfect Book in my revisions workshop. The Perfect Book is the VISION of what we wanted to tell–but it’s very rarely what we actually write down. When we revise, we try to reorganize, rewrite, cut, add, tighten, and always, always move closer toward that vision of the “Perfect Book.”

Sometimes the vision will change as you write. When I set out to write Something Strange and Deadly, I wanted to write a light, fun sort of gothic in the vein of Diana Wynne Jones. Um….YEAH. For those of you who’ve read the book, you know Diana Wynne Jones is definitely not what the story ended up as. I wrote the entire book in that DWJ style, and it was terrible and forced. So I ditched it, rewrote the whole thing more in the style of Garth Nix’s Lirael meets Libba Bray’s A Great and Terrible Beauty, and suddenly things CLICKED. It was the same plot, the same characters, but the voice and storytelling style were much better suited to the dark content.

So here’s my advice: don’t worry about capturing the mood when you’re first starting. The mood might change as you draft. Get the story on the paper and know that you are 100% allowed to write crap. Everyone else does. You can revise the story later–once you’re a few chapters in or once you’re finished completely. Give yourself permission to write any and everything–no matter the quality–and you’ll be able to keep moving forward.

You tell me: how do YOU deal with wonky beginnings? Or do you even have this issue to begin with?

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If you like what you read here, consider signing up for my newsletter, the Misfits & Daydreamers or swinging by my For Writers page!

Susan Dennard is a reader, writer, lover of animals, and eater of (now gluten-free) cookies. You can learn more about her crazy thoughts and crippling cookie-addiction on her blog, twitter, or pinterest. Her Something Strange and Deadly series is now available from HarperTeen, and the Truthwitch series will launch from Tor in fall 2015.

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featuring

Meredith McCardle

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I am SO EXCITED because today is the release day for The Eighth Guardian by Meredith McCardle.

Guys. GUYS. This book is SO good. It’s packed with suspense and mystery and AWESOME characters, and I could just gush and gush and gush. I seriously cannot recommend this book enough for fans of YA or thrillers.

Ahem, anyway. To celebrate the book’s launch, I’ve invited Meredith over to answer a few questions–AND we’re having a giveaway!! (Scroll down for that. ;))

So a bit about Meredith to start: she’s a recovered lawyer who lives in South Florida with her husband and two young daughters. Like her main character, she has a fondness for strong coffee, comfortable pants, and jumping to the wrong conclusions. Unlike her main character, she cannot travel through time. Sadly.

The Eighth Guardian

Amanda Obermann. Code name Iris.

It’s Testing Day. The day that comes without warning, the day when all juniors and seniors at The Peel Academy undergo a series of intense physical and psychological tests to see if they’re ready to graduate and become government operatives. Amanda and her boyfriend Abe are top students, and they’ve just endured thirty-six hours of testing. But they’re juniors and don’t expect to graduate. That’ll happen next year, when they plan to join the CIA—together.

But when the graduates are announced, the results are shocking. Amanda has been chosen—the first junior in decades. And she receives the opportunity of a lifetime: to join a secret government organization called the Annum Guard and travel through time to change the course of history. But in order to become the Eighth Guardian in this exclusive group, Amanda must say good-bye to everything—her name, her family, and even Abe—forever.

Who is really behind the Annum Guard? And can she trust them with her life?

Doesn’t that make you want to read? It SHOULD! You will devour this book in a few hours–it’s a real page-turner.

1. So clearly I am obsessed with this book, Meredith, and though I’m sure you’ve answered this question a million times, I don’t think I know the answer: where did the idea for THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN come from?

It came from a song title. I was listening to the Chill station on Sirius/XM in my car, and “Iris Was a Pupil” by Autechre came on. I just kept staring at the song title and asking myself questions—Who’s Iris? What’s she a pupil of? Why isn’t she one anymore? By the end of the drive, I’d crafted a story in my head about a girl who’s at a top-secret government training school, and the plot centered around a rebellion against the institution. Then a few days later, the idea for time travel popped into my head, seemingly out of nowhere, and I realized the school storyline was only the beginning and that I was on to something much, much bigger (and better)! So now Iris spends the first two chapters at school and then she’s tossed into a covert government agency with a lot of secrets…

2. It’s those “seemingly out of nowhere” ideas that are always the best. Now, your leading lady, Iris–she’s certified badass. Oh wait! That’s not a question. Erm…Because Iris is a certified badass, did she steer the story where she wanted it to go? Or did you have an outline that you stuck to as you drafted? (Or neither…?)

So, confession time: The badass Iris who exists in the final version is nothing at all like first draft Iris, who was kind of whiny and bumbling and—dare I say it—incompetent. I got about six chapters in before I realized This is crap, trashed everything, and went back to the drawing board.

I used to start with plot and work the characters out after the fact, but for this (and everything else I’ve written since then), I knew I had to get the characters under control first. So I spent weeks really thinking about Iris. Giving her a backstory, finding her strengths and weaknesses, all of that. She emerged from that several week period the badass we all know and love today!

And now to actually answer your question, it was actually a secondary character who helped steer the story. When I sat down to start writing (er, rewriting, at this point), I knew what Iris’s beginning and middle was going to be. I had no idea about the end. But I did know the beginning-middle-end for a secondary character, Yellow. Yellow’s story arc had always been clear in my mind, so as I was writing, I let that be the guide for everything. The rest of the story fell into place from there.

3. Omg, Yellow!!! She’s my favorite non-Iris character!! I love-love-love what you do with her. Now, moving onto research. I assume there you had to do a lot since we traipse through so many different eras and settings. What’s your go-to, first stop for research?

Oh, I’m Wikipedia…for specific things. Like, when I knew I was going to set a scene during the Boston Massacre, Wikipedia was my first stop. But for broader, more general questions, I start with a simple Google search. Like, I legit Googled “historical events in Boston,” and that’s pretty much the only reason the 1990 burglary of the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum is in the book. I didn’t come up with that one on my own.

4. THE MUSEUM BURGLARY!!! My favorite part of the book!! Which leads me to this very important question: Can I join the Annum Guard? Actually, scratch that. I’m too much of a wuss. Do you think YOU could survive in the Annum Guard? I mean, all that time travel and danger stuff seems pretty intense…

Had you asked me ten years ago, I would have signed up for sure! Getting to check out history in person? Heck yes! But now I’d much rather sit on my couch in PJs and explore the past via the History Channel. Besides, like Iris, I’d probably have serious questions about whether changing the past is the right thing to do.

5. Ah, deep question that. And I like how Iris really grapples with it in the series. Last question...Pub brawl!! What weapon would Iris wield?? 

I’m working on revisions for the second book in the series now, and there’s a scene where Iris is meeting with someone who doesn’t take her seriously. There’s a line in there where she’s like, “This guy clearly doesn’t get that I can think of at least seven ways to kill him with my bare hands.” So yeah, Iris doesn’t need a weapon. She can take care of it by herself!

Thanks so much for having me, Sooz and Pub Crawl! <3 you guys!!

Hell yeah Iris can handle herself! And thank YOU for stopping by, Meredith!! Congratulations and happy book birthday!!

To celebrate the release of The Eighth Guardian, we’re giving away a signed copy! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below and let us know in the comments what era YOU would time travel to (given the chance!).
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by

Susan Dennard

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A few weeks ago, I got this question in my inbox:

How would you go about outlining [a trilogy]? Would you outline it as a whole or each book individually?

Awesome question! And obviously, everyone outlines/plans series differently, so I can only tell you how I plan a series. Hopefully that information is still helpful, though.

Step 1: Plan the first book.

If you want to see how I do that, you can read my series on it here. As your planning this book, decide if you can tell the whole story in a single book or if the story will need multiple books.

If you’re starting to realize that you’re definitely going to need multiple books, then it’s time for…

Step 2: How many books will you need?

To answer this question, we first need to figure out why  you even think you’ll need multiple books. What is it about the story that makes you think you can’t contain it in a single volume? Write these reasons down.

So for example, I knew as soon as my WIP Screechers morphed into an epic fantasy series that I would need >1 book to tell the story. These were my reasons why:

• Lots of POVs (like 8 in the first book alone), each with their own goals/motivations/growth.
• Lots of places to visit. 2 continents + tons of cities/landscapes in each.
• At least 3 romances, and romance always takes time to develop (I like slow burns!).
• Lots of plots/subplots. There’s a missing sister, the screechers threat + origin mystery, an occupying army, a rebellion, a corrupt church, an ancient evil villain, and more. It all intertwines and will clearly take a lot of page space to wrap up…

Clearly I was going to need a ton of pages to cover all that! Now I just needed to decide how many books it might all add up to. To estimate HOW MANY books you’ll need, write down any sort of big events you have in mind. Where do those events naturally feel like happening? Or, where do certain character arcs or romances naturally feel like wrapping up?

While you’re doing that, take a look at other series in your genre. Do they tend to be trilogies? Do they tend to be long, interconnected series (e.g. Game of Thrones) or maybe long, standalone series (e.g. Hercule Poirot)? You can use the comparison titles as a guide for your own story.

Another important reason for looking at comp titles is because you want to make sure your series has structure. Consider how a trilogy follows a 3-act structure on a series-scale (e.g. Star Wars) while longer series tend to have less strict structure (though each book would have a strict structure, of course!). The key, of course, is to follow the well-known rising action scale, but to do it over the course of the whole series as well as in each book.

I ended up estimating 5 books for Screechers, and even though I only have a VERY hazy idea of what happens in those last 2 books (erm, war?), I’ve also read enough fantasy series to naturally know that 5 books feels like the right number to cover the scale of the story.

Step 3: Start a special/file notebook for ideas.

I personally plan my series in the same way I plan an individual book: I write down ideas and snowball from there.

For a series, though, I tend to snowball WHILE I’m drafting the first book. Ideas will thunderbolt in the middle of a sentence, so I’ll scrolls down to my special Scrivener page and write down the idea while I have it. Those ideas might then grow into something more or just get cut as new ideas unfurl, but the point is that I take note of EVERYTHING.

So here’s an example of the ideas that I’ve been snowballing for book 2 in the Screecher series. This is a screencap of my Scrivener file:

This is just the beginning of the ideas for book 2–this list continues on for 6 pages. I have a TON of pretty specific ideas and snippets of dialogue since book 2 is in the nearby future in terms of plot, and it’s often on my mind while drafting.

Book 3, on the other hand…

My ideas for book 3 only continue for 2 pages, and they’re definitely skimpier than my book 2 ideas. BUT, they’re still more flushed-out than my books 4 & 5 ideas:

As you can see, I don’t really know how everything will connect in book 4, but I DO have a general idea of some big plot points. As I write books 2 and 3, then my  list for books  4 and 5 will get meatier.

And, by the time I finish book 1, I’ll have a very detailed/solid idea of what needs to happen in book 2. In fact, I’ll likely have a full outline all ready to go that will allow me to dive write in to drafting.

So there you have it: that’s how I plan a series! It’s very much like how I plan a book, just on a much larger, more general scale.

You tell me: how do YOU plan series?

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If you like what you read here, consider signing up for my newsletter, the Misfits & Daydreamers.

Susan Dennard is a reader, writer, lover of animals, and eater of (now gluten-free) cookies. You can learn more about her crazy thoughts and crippling cookie-addiction on her blog, twitter, or pinterest. Her Something Strange and Deadly series is now available from HarperTeen, and the Truthwitch series will launch from Tor in fall 2015.

 

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Susan Dennard

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Last week, I got another great question in the Misfits & Daydreamers forum (ask your own questions if you have any!):

See, I move around / travel quite a bit…[and] something happens while I’m traveling that breaks / weakens my connection with the characters… I end up writing absolute rubbish, just forcing my characters — these strangers — down plots and crossroads.

SO, my question is: How did you reconnect with your characters?

Okay. Awesome question because losing touch with characters happens to me–and other authors–all the time. Any instance in which you step away from a project for a while, you run this risk. Or, if you’re starting up a sequel after being away from the previous book for a long bit, you might find reconnecting to your cast a bit tricky. (Uh, this was me every time I started a new SS&D book).

I’ll be honest, it will often happen that I don’t even realize I’ve lost touch. I’ll hand off a chunk of pages to a CP, and the CP will be like, “Erm…who is this character? What happened to the character I was reading about ?”

Or, I’ll be in a situation where I’m all, “I’ve been away so long, who are these people and what are they doing with their lives?!?!”

When I come against this wall (or once I realize I’m against this wall), I  do 2 things:

1. Recreate the Original Mood

First, I listen to the music that I associate with that character/story. So, for example, I’ve been (as mentioned in my Monday blog post) having one heck of a time rewriting my ending for Truthwitch. Even once I’d found my characters, I STILL wasn’t totally sure what they’d do in certain situations.

When faced with the “how the heck will Safi react here?” question, I put on the music that I associate with her character.

I literally listened to that song 6 times in a row and became Safi. I saw the situation through her eyes and tried to feel my way through it as if I were her. By the sixth round of the song, I had my scene figured out (roughly, at least). I was back in her head and I knew who she was.

A friend of mine takes a similar approach before she writes a scene–she’ll silence the world, close her eyes, and spend a few minutes settling into her character. She refers to it as a sort of meditation, and once she opens her eyes she’s ready to write.

But even still, sinking into our characters doesn’t always work. We might still write something out-of-whack, or we not even be able to sink into the character! He/she might be so foreign to us, we don’t know who he/she is anymore.

When that happens, I…

2. Ask for Help (or line up your dominoes!)

If you’ve followed me for very long, then you know how close I am with Sarah J. Maas. In addition to being best friends, we do most of our writing in a very collaborative way. In fact, last week, we talked every single day for several hours (each day). Not about life or gossip or anything like that but about our characters.

We’re both struggling with this problem right now–we’ve lost touch with our characters and how they act. This problem happens; we both know it happens; and we both know that there’s no reason to pretend we don’t need help.

So when Sarah writes a scene, I read it and tell her if it rings true. If it doesn’t ring true, I tell her how I think the character would react. Sometimes my ideas are exactly what she needs, and other times my ideas will help spark the right ideas for her.

When I write a scene, Sarah reads it and tells me if it rings true. If it doesn’t, she tells me what she thinks the character would react. Sometimes her ideas are exactly what I need, and other times her ideas will help spark the right ideas for me.

I realize not everyone is blessed with a soul-twin/critique partner who can intuitively see what you were trying to do. (We’re lucky; trust us: we know.) But I think you can recreate what a critique partner does in this situation. First, though, let me explain WHY a CP can spot what we, the authors, cannot…

Critique partners are able to intuitively see things we can’t because they aren’t as deeply mired in the story. They are outsiders to our stories, so they have a much clearer vision of how what’s written on this page connects connects to what they read before.  That’s all the CP (or reader) has to keep track of. A single linear progression of stuff.

We (the authors), however, have to keep track of the 25 plot threads (in this book…and the 47 in the other books), the 207 character arcs, the 506 settings, and how it ALL weaves together to interact and tie up. It’s easy to get buried beneath all that stuff your brain has to consider. And because it’s so easy to get bogged down, we lose track of the characters’ personalities and growth (which is, I think, the most complex and difficult part of any story).

Notice I said CPs keep track of “a single linear progression of stuff.” You know what sounds like? YEP. Dominoes. By evaluating your dominoes, you can recreate what a CP does.

Now, I know I keep talking about dominoes lately, but seriously! Your ability to understand your story will transform when you pull things apart and look at them in order–especially if you’re dealing with multiple POVs.

When we pull out our characters and look at their individual dominoes, we can hone in on ONE THING AT A TIME. Clear out the noise and see what a CP sees naturally. Oh, Eleanor acts X way here, then x way here, then x way here. Ahhhh, I think I see who she is again…More importantly, based on her choices/reactions earlier in the book, this is how she will choose/react in the next scene.

I realize it’s easier said than done to take apart the dominoes, but scene cards or Scrivener can greatly help with that task. I like to also write up a summary sentence of the character’s emotions in each scene so I can get an easy, bird’s-eye-view of the whole arc.

Okay, so I realize that might have only confused you all more, so feel free to ask questions in the comments or forum.

Also, don’t forget to sign up for the Misfits & Daydreamers where I also answer questions about writing.

Now you tell me: How do YOU reconnect with characters?

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If you like what you read here, consider signing up for Susan’s newsletter, the Misfits & Daydreamers.

Susan Dennard is a reader, writer, lover of animals, and eater of (now gluten-free) cookies. You can learn more about her crazy thoughts and crippling cookie-addiction on her blog, twitter, or pinterest. Her Something Strange and Deadly series is now available from HarperTeen, and the Truthwitch series will launch from Tor in fall 2015.

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