There are two ways my agent can contact me, by email or phone. Emails are generally reserved for “Passes” on my novel (we don’t call them “rejections” anymore because it sounds harsh and implies that I’ll suffer some deep psychological scarring that will later require extensive and expensive psychotherapy). We also email back and forth if I’m headed for her neck of the woods and want to set up some face-to-face coffee-talk time, or if she wants to check in on my work-in-progress progress, or if I’m procrastinating on making progress on my work-in-progress and just want to say, “Hello.”
But phone calls, well, phone calls are a whole ‘nother story. So, imagine my surprise when the phone rang late Friday afternoon and the creepy monotone Caller ID lady voice didn’t say, “Call from…Mel-lom, Ro-bin” or “Call from…Ass-her, Jay-yuh.” (I’m not being funny. That’s how she says it.) It scared the crap out of me because not only are Jay and Robin the only two people who have ever called me at home, but it was a call from her. Her!
To avoid jinxing anything, allow me to recreate said conversation in Mad Lib format:
“Hello, Eve. It’s me, ___________.”
“Hello there!” I said, ____________.
“____________, a marvelous ___________ over at _________, ________s your ________ and wants to know if you are agreeable to ________.”
“________?? Hmm, let me think. Um, _______!”
“________ thinks that ________ is a little too ________ for the ________ and wonders if you’d consider _______ing the ________ to make _________ a little more _________ so it’s not so _________. What do you think?”
“Hmm, let me think. Um, ________!!!”
“Great, let’s _______ next week and then we’ll _______.”
“________!!”
I spent the weekend ________ing the ________. Jay was out of town, so I made Robin meet me at _________ so she could ________. Oh, Robin _______ed, all right. So, I’ve spent the last 48 hours ________ing and ________ing and I think I’ve finally got my problem _________ed. Now let’s just hope and pray and cross fingers and toes and ______s and ______s that _______ calls back and says, _______. Then for sure I’ll be _______ and ________ and then the three of us will ________ at ________ this weekend when we’re in _______ for the ________ where Jay will be _________ing! Of course, things in publishing don’t always happen that quickly, so it may be _______ before I hear _______ about _______. I’ll keep you posted. Unless _______ happens. Then I’ll be ________.
- Eve
Mermaid Meet-Up: The three of us will be at the L.A. Times Festival of Books this weekend, and we'd love to meet ya! A good meeting spot on Sunday would be the Penguin booth (#813) at 11a.m. where Jay will be signing copies of Thirteen Reasons Why, or at Young Hall 50 at 1p.m. where he'll be on a panel with Robin Benway, Cecil Castellucci, and Michelle Serros called Young Adult Writing: Not Just for Kids.
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Three authors discuss writing for children.
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By: Disco Mermaids,
on 4/24/2008
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By: Disco Mermaids,
on 4/22/2008
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Growing up, "Kiss my grits" was tied with "Whatchoo talkin' 'bout, Willis?" as my favorite TV catchphrase. But, as a California boy, I had no idea 'grits' referred to a food that Mel's Diner might actually serve on Alice.
I spent this past weekend in Alabama and found out exactly what grits taste like. And they're mmm-mmm good! In fact, they're so good, you can eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In fact, many people do just that. But that's not why I took my first trip to the South. I went because a certain school in Alabama held the first of many Thirteen Reasons Why book clubs last December, and there just happened to be a book fair nearby last Saturday. So I hopped on a plane to say thank you in person.
Here's a photo of my first meeting with some of the HMS iREAD Club students. It was taken soon after I stopped blushing from a little joke they played on me. (Don't worry...I'll get you back!)
During my presentation, Carrie helped me read from the book. It was the first time I heard Hannah with a southern accent, which made her words sound so much cooler than they sounded in my head when I wrote them!
An hour later, I found myself sitting on a very fun panel with R.A. Nelson, Loretta Ellsworth, and Jennifer Echols.
Nope, I never outgrew my love for Clifford.
That night, I met some local teachers and MSFKALs (Media Specialists Formerly Known As Librarians) at a restaurant for my first taste o' grits. Then we went and watched the most amazing cover band I've ever seen, The Spicolis, play everything from Take On Me to Smells Like Teen Spirit. (What? No, I never noticed how cute they all were. They just seemed really nice.)
Of course, I couldn't leave without stopping by a Waffle House. Hashbrowns? Covered!
- Jay
Wanna Chat? Join me online this Wednesday at 9pm Eastern. Thirteen Reasons Why is the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents Book Club pick for April.
By: Disco Mermaids,
on 4/18/2008
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Not much of a theme to my post this weekend. This post is more like “things that are totally unconnected and talked about in a random fashion.” There. That’s my theme!
FIRST RANDOM THING: The other night I watched “The Human Footprint” on the National Geographic Channel. Did anyone else watch that? Fascinating! The show is about everything we consume over a lifetime, like how much water we use and how many bottles of shampoo we go through. Honestly, I think I go through WAY more bottles of shampoo than they showed. And probably twice as much conditioner! Is that bad?
To illustrate the number of showers we take over a lifetime, they lined up thousands of rubber duckies (each duckie representing one shower) and created a wide path that led from the shower all the way out the house, down the road and into a nearby lake. Weird, I know. What’s even weirder, is that this demonstration did not get me to thinking about how much water I waste. Instead, I kept thinking about the poor dude who had to line up all those duckies for 30 seconds of TV time. How did he get THAT job!? Was it his first day as intern!? (Yes, these are the ridiculous things that concern me.)
SECOND RANDOM THING: One of our friends is moving to London and she sold us her didjeridoo. It’s about 4 feet long and when my husband is blowing on it and I’m in the other room…for just a moment… I get scared because I think there’s a walrus in the house. "No, silly," I say to myself, "it’s just our new aboriginal wind instrument." (Honestly, it’s super-cool!)
THIRD RANDOM THING: I’ve been doing, um, okay with being vegan. I’m able to do fine when I’m at home (thanks to the power of lentils) but going out to dinner is a nightmare! I get all tense and my heart palpitates before I even look at the menu because I know there won’t be anything on there I can eat. So I just go ahead and eat things with cheese and pretend it never happened.
FOURTH AND FINAL RANDOM THING: Pumpkins are neat. (That’s the most random thing I could think of. Sorry, but I had to keep with my theme!!!)
You guys got anything random going on?
-Robin
By: Disco Mermaids,
on 4/17/2008
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I’m going to jail. And I couldn’t be more excited.
I’ve always been fascinated by jails and prison culture. And I know I’m not alone. C’mon, who among us wasn’t mesmerized by Escape From Alcatraz, The Green Mile, and Midnight Express? I watch prison documentaries, the MSNBC San Quentin Lockdown specials, and bug my Public Defender sister every day for stories of her jail visits.
I read Mark Salzman’s True Notebooks a few years back and was blown away by how real and sad and funny and inspiring and haunting it was. The book is Mr. Salzman’s nonfiction masterpiece about his time teaching writing to HROs (high-risk offenders), the most brutal juveniles in the Los Angeles penal system, who are mostly charged with rape, murder, and armed robbery. At the time (1997), InsideOUT Writers was a small project, the brainchild of Sister Janet Harris, a chaplain dedicated to creating an avenue for the incarcerated to “express themselves and feel that they are listened to.” The organization has grown, now features over 30 classes a week in the three main L.A. juvenile detention facilities, and boasts a stellar lineup of teachers, including prolific authors, award winning screenwriters, producers, and professors.
And now...um...me!
There’s something so sad yet intriguing about the idea that thousands of lost souls are currently locked up in cages, shackled like animals. It’s especially shocking to think about kids shut away in these places with little food, freezing concrete rooms, and no toothbrushes or soap or other human comforts. Back in college, my roommates and I worked for the UCLA Prison Coalition, an innovative program using college students as tutors in the L.A. juvenile detention system. Fa-scin-a-ting. Amazing kids. Amazing stories. So much talent. So much heartbreak. So much misguided energy and anger. The kids I worked with at Camp Kilpatrick (Gridiron Gang was a movie about this same prison camp, starring The Rock…Hi, Dwayne!) were respectful, sweet, and funny. Most importantly, they wanted desperately to learn. Anything. Everything. How to read. How to write. How to measure the universe.
Though I gripe about still being pre-published, I realize I could have worse problems. And during this long, bumpy journey, I’ve learned a ton. I feel excited and privileged to have this opportunity to teach what I’ve learned to these kids. These forgotten kids who have very little to look forward to. I’m not delusional enough to believe that I’ll change the world, or change anything for that matter. But, if in my tenure even one kid feels excited about writing, feels listened to, or feels a sense of pride in his work, then my trip on this writing road hasn’t been for nothing.
- Eve
By: Disco Mermaids,
on 4/15/2008
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I have decided not to complain about laundry on the blog anymore. That’s my new rule.
But I couldn’t figure out what to blog about since I couldn’t talk about laundry, so I figured I’d complain about how hard I’ve been working lately and how tired I am and how I haven’t had a spare moment to even call my dear, sweet mother and also how much laundry I have to do. Oops. Sorry. Curse you laundry!!!
Anyway, now that spring break is over, I’ve gotten back into the swing of things and I’ve been a writing fool! First, I revised my chapter book, The Nitwits, based on suggestions made by an editor. I loved her suggestions and now I think the manuscript is in way better shape...like it just got a much-needed haircut. My agent also loved the changes, and now the story is back out in the world trying to be adopted by a loving, nurturing publishing house. I feel like a momma sending her son out to the big, bad world and yelling after him, “Write if you get work!”
Meanwhile, I’m still at home with my baby…my new middle grade novel that is starting to take shape. And honestly, I think it’s about to become my new favorite manuscript. (But don’t tell my chapter book. His feelings would be sooo hurt!)
Seriously, I just love writing goofy, fun books. I got hooked on the power of silly stories back in my very first year of teaching. It was fifth grade and I had the kids all day…every moment. And the moments after lunch were the worst. They were wiggly, unruly little monsters. I asked one of the other veteran teachers what to do with them after lunch and she handed me a book. “Just read this out loud,” she said. “They’ll love it. You won’t have any more problems.” It was a copy of Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar. That book is the quintessential funny middle grade book, in my humble opinion. And that teacher was right. The kids were riveted. They begged me to keep reading. Then some of them would come up to me later and beg to read the chapters I had just read to them. Now if that doesn’t tell you how powerful silly stories can be, then I don’t know what does.
But for some reason, I used to almost apologize for writing silly books. I felt maybe I should be writing something with more depth and a message since I was writing for children. However, in January of this year, Jon Scieszka was named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, and now I’m very proud of my obsession with writing silly books. Mr. Scieszka is the author of The Stinky Cheese Man and The Time Warp Trio (among others), and when he was interviewed about being named ambassador, he talked about the need for making books entertaining. His goal is to reach those kids who don’t like to read. “It’s time for reading to be fun again,” he said. I love that guy!
Now when I tell people that I write goofy stories, I can say that I’m just following orders from the ambassador. That’s serious stuff, man!!! Now, if I can just get the National Ambassador for Laundry to make my load of whites disappear…
- Robin
By: Disco Mermaids,
on 4/13/2008
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From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., I spent this past Saturday with two different sides of this crazy business...first with writers, then with readers.
At the Los Angeles SCBWI Writer's Day, I sat in a packed gym, listening to other authors share their tips and experiences. Cecil Castelluci, as usual, was hilarious (making me slightly nervous about speaking on a panel with her at the upcoming L.A. Times Festival of Books). I also bought a couple Gail Carson Levine books and had them autographed as gifts...one being for me!
Most importantly, I discovered the theme for this summer's SCBWI national conference theme party. (Past parties are where we earned the nickname The Disco Mermaids.) Ready to hear it? Paint the Town Red. And yes, we've already started brainstorming costume ideas.
After Writer's Day, I sat in on a meeting of the Vroman's Bookstore teen galley group. The group meets monthly to discuss new and upcoming books, giving Vroman's a good idea of which books to really push. A lot of indie bookstores have teen galley groups, and I recommend that every YA writer attend at least one...for two reasons.
First, you'll get some great insight into what bugs teens about a lot of YA lit.: freshmen characters who are too cool for freshmen, the overuse of prophecies in fantasy, storylines that can easily be defined as "one of those books on divorce", present-tense narration...unless it's done really well, the overuse of sex as a plot device, and misleading covers and summaries.
And second, you'll get some good tips on which books you should read. Here are some books this group loved: Not Like I'm Jealous or Anything, My Most Excellent Year, Project 17, Life as it Comes, Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little, The White Giraffe, Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos, Fancy White Trash, and Thank You, Lucky Stars.
By the way, in the photo above, most of the group members are flashing the Awkward Turtle sign...but it's kind of difficult to describe the complex rules of its use. Just be aware that there are also signs for the Awkward Moose, the Awkward Ostrich, and a few other animals. Unfortunately, my head got chopped off in this photo. Just assume that I'm doing my own interpretation of the Awkward Turtle.
After several in the group had to leave, some stayed behind and...Wow! For about an hour, I listened to them discuss Thirteen Reasons Why in extremely fine detail. They talked about character motivation, discussed the ideas of blame, guilt, innocence, and revenge, quoted passages to prove points, and made me feel so inspired.
And then someone mentioned a rumor that the book originally had a different ending. I confirmed that rumor, and they asked me to tell them about it. I hesitated. But then, they started begging. I mean, really begging...
So did I tell them? Of course!
But when they asked what my next book is about, I told them it's a pop-up book about bunnies going through a divorce...written in the present-tense.
- Jay
By: Disco Mermaids,
on 4/10/2008
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I just finished reading Teach Me by R.A. Nelson, and I need to just say, WOW! It’s an extraordinary exploration of how obsessive love affects the teen psyche and how arrested development affects the adult psyche. The second I put the book down, I emailed R.A, thinking he was a woman, don’t know why. Maybe because he seemed so cozy inside Carolina’s head, so at ease, so…girly. Turns out, he’s a guy, like a manly-guy, who’s like a rocket scientist or something at NASA. Man, that dude seriously scored in the talent genes department. I want to be him in my next life.
What I love most about Teach Me:
- It’s intelligent and profound without being pretentious.
- Nailed the yearning, angsty teen girl perfectly.
- Infuses science in a natural and compelling way.
- Language is poetic and pretty without being flowery or contrived.
- The suspense captured me from the first sentence and I could not put the book down or exhale until the final sentence.
- Funny, funny, funny! Teen funny, not too grown-up funny. (Beezle-Bob. They call their boss at “The Ground-Up Cow Face Burgers” Beezle-Bob. Hilarious!)
- Easy to read. There’s not one unnecessary word in the entire 264 pages.
- Kid-friendly, kid-friendly, kid-friendly. The teens speak like teens, act like teens, and have real teen emotions.
- Symbolism at every turn, but effortless, natural, not hit-you-over-the-head metaphors.
Teach Me is my new go-to book for learning how to write effectively. Talk about power-verbs and avoiding adjectives and adverbs to pump up descriptions! Geez! The man is a genius. When I wrote to him, my first question was, “How on earth did you learn to write like this?” His answer: Nothing. Nada. He never wrote back. Seems that R.A. is keeping his secret safely locked up somewhere at NASA. Probably in the same vault clutching all the mysteries of the universe, like what the alien autopsies revealed and which planets have intelligent life.
Ironically, I just got word that Jay will be speaking with my new literary crush next weekend at the Alabama Book Festival!!! Guess Jay will have to liquor the guy up with pink drinks until he spills all his writing secrets (and, of course, everything he knows about aliens, too).
- Eve
By: Disco Mermaids,
on 4/8/2008
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Jay has been bugging me lately to watch his new favorite documentary. But almost weekly Jay says, “You need to watch my new favorite documentary,” so I’m always a little hesitant to commit myself to his newest favorite documentary, knowing that next week it will be a newer favorite documentary.
But this last one was different. He mentioned it almost every day for weeks. And when that didn’t work and I still didn’t rent it, he rented it for me and forced it into my hands. The documentary is The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. It’s about a guy who tries to beat the record score in Donkey Kong.
I know…I thought the same thing. Please, Jay, find better things to do with your life.
But, oh-my-god, if it wasn’t one of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen. Amazing! The reason it was so amazing wasn’t the impressive editing, which is what I think makes Michael Moore’s movies so great, but because the characters (or real people, actually) were so fascinating. They were weird, quirky, offbeat, and way over-the-top. They made the characters from Napoleon Dynamite look like characters in a wax museum! The guy who held the Donkey Kong record for years was almost too hard to believe. How could someone be that conceited? That rude? That jerky? And have a hair cut that bad!?!?
I think if the movie had been a work of fiction, no one would have felt it was authentic. The characters would’ve come off as one-dimensional and pat. Which is something to keep in mind as a writer…that even though real-life people are sometimes quirky and over-the-top, their fictional counterparts have to have much more depth to be believable.
But since it was "real", the characters were completely fascinating. So much so, that my husband watched it twice. Which means Jay’s newest favorite documentary was that good.
So everyone, please go rush out and rent The King of Kong. But do it quick, because next week, Jay may have another new favorite documentary. My guess? It’ll be about the man with the world’s longest fingernails. Or maybe those guys who gulp hot dogs?
- Robin
By: Disco Mermaids,
on 4/5/2008
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When my book first sold, I had a funny conversation with my editor. Even though I’d been trying to sell a book for years, I never really considered what I would do when it happened. How time consuming would it be to promote a book? How flexible of a schedule would I need?
“Should I quit my job?” I asked. “I mean, I love my job…but if you want me to, I’ll do it.” For making my dream come true, I would’ve done pretty much anything she asked.
My editor, who was used to dealing with nervous and excited new authors, told me to take a deep breath.
“Like this?” I asked. I wanted to breathe to her exact specifications.
I work at a library, which we both saw as a positive. And I worked Tuesday through Saturday, so I was able to pack a lot of school visits into those Mondays.
But it’s all changing now. Starting this coming week, I’ll be working Monday through Friday, which means my amount of school visits are going to have to decrease a bit. And I love school visits. When I first started doing them, I was scared out of my mind. But they quickly became my favorite aspect of being an author.
My last school visit was an awesome one, though. I returned to where it all began. I spoke to three college classes taught by Nancy Hurd. When I took her class, it was called Children's Literature Appreciation. And you’ll find Mrs. Hurd listed in the acknowledgements pages of Thirteen Reasons Why, mentioned as the reason I wrote my first book.
Fortunately, the managing editor of the school paper was there to catch it...
- Jay
BONUS COOLNESS: Thirteen Reasons Why just re-entered the NY Times Best Sellers list at #5!!!
By: Disco Mermaids,
on 4/3/2008
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Kids of my generation spent a lot of time trying in vain to solve that great mystery. My buddies and I cleaned out the ice cream man and the concessions stand at our softball field every weekend to take on that challenge. Unfortunately, the world may never know how many licks it takes because, for starters, licking a sugary pop all day produces disgustingly painful tongue sores, so by the time you get to about 50 licks it feels like flesh-eating bacteria is invading your mouth. I’d spend the day licking away, then at bedtime I’d re-wrap the shiny blob in its colored waxy paper so I could pick it up again the next day. Sadly, by the time I woke up, I would usually have lost count. So I’d start all over. Tenacity.
As an adult, I still have the same persistence. As a writer, I feel like I spend an extraordinary amount of time licking the tootsie pop to get to the center. Seriously, I ask myself this daily. How many rewrites does it take to really reach the heart of my story? I also wonder how many days, months, years it takes other people to finish a YA novel. I mean, really finish, to the point where every little thing makes sense and the pieces fit together seamlessly.
One prolific writer friend told me she takes one month to write a book. One month! She spends only two or three more revising. Boom! Done. I read an interview today with a successful YA author who said she usually spends about three weeks cranking out a novel. Three weeks? On the flip side, I have another girlfriend who has spent many years revising one YA novel. And she’s still not satisfied.
What I’m wondering is why some of us have to lick the proverbial Tootsie Pop for 5 full years (me) before we really hit that center, while others sit like the pudgy little owl in the tree and just bite the damn thing and get it over with. We both get to that gushy, chocolaty core eventually. But why do I take 500 painful licks when others take only 3?
Maybe I’m a glutton for punishment. Or maybe just a glutton. Seriously, my parents should have bought stock in Tootsie Roll Industries back in the day. Those dudes still produce 20 million pops daily! I guess the younger generation is continuing the quest to discover just how many licks it really takes.
- Eve
(Who is bathing her purple tongue in liquid Lidocaine as we speak!)
By: Disco Mermaids,
on 4/1/2008
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Last week, my husband and I took our son to The Happiest Place on Earth. It happened to be Spring Break week, so that meant Disneyland was also The Most Crowded Place on Earth. And by the end of the day we discovered it was also The Most Expensive Place on Earth.
Even though we brought our own bagels and nuts and juice boxes, we still managed to blow over a hundred bucks! A Diet Coke is how much!? But when we were leaving the park, my son clutched his new Buzz Lightyear toy and said, “That was the best day ever.” Aaaahhh…worth every penny.
My favorite part? It wasn’t even in the park…it was the moment when we first went through the gate and stood in that in-between part, right between Disneyland and California Adventure, and they had Raiders of the Lost Ark music piping through speakers and I suddenly felt like I could take on the world. Like the possibilities were endless. It was an amazing feeling.
Does anyone else get all tingly just before they enter Disneyland? Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I don’t get out enough.
Here we are on the ‘C’ just outside California Adventure…ready to take on the world…
We finally made it on to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, and my son decided he wanted to spend the rest of his day as Captain Jack Sparrow. I thought if I heard “Aaarrggghh, matey!” one more time I was gonna scream. But he looked so cute as a pirate, all I could do was smile. (Then happily sip on my $4 Diet Coke.)
- Robin
By: Disco Mermaids,
on 3/29/2008
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Stop! Easter Bunny, You Forgot Something!
That was the title of the first picture book I ever wrote. And guess what. It never sold. Why? Because editors couldn’t get past that title. (Okay, that’s not entirely true. The story wasn’t great, either. But I needed an introduction to this post, and that’s all I could come up with.)
No, I don’t need help finding a title for my next book…yet. But I do need help finding a title for an upcoming writing workshop. I’ll be speaking at the national SCBWI conference this August. Problem is, whenever there’s a breakout session for workshops, there are 11 or 12 workshops to choose from. And I don’t want to talk to an empty room! So I need a catchy title to lure ’em in.
My workshop will deal with adding suspense to your manuscript. Not how to write a suspense novel, but how a manuscript from absolutely any genre can become a page-turner if elements of suspense are sprinkled in.
So leave your titles in the comments section. If I use yours and you’ll be at the conference, I’ll treat you to two drinks. Why two drinks? Cuz everyone says, “C’mon, I’ll buy you a drink.” It’s a cliché…and clichés make me nervous.
If I choose your title and you won’t be at the conference, I’ll send you something autographed in the mail…and it’ll probably be something I wrote (unless you want me to autograph someone else’s book, which I have done recently).
- Jay
P.S. Here’s my favorite suspense-themed joke:
Question: How do you keep a moron in suspense?
***for the answer, check back in two hours and I’ll have it up***
By: Disco Mermaids,
on 3/27/2008
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Such is the case for those who typed the following words into search engines and discovered us. The Disco Mermaids!
- natalie portman turns into a mermaid -
(jay suddenly loses his fear of the ocean)
- sheep made out of hostess snowballs -
(are not as cool as goats made out of hohos)
- dumb dr. phil quotes -
(oprah? shoot...she ain't nothin' without me)
- mermaids and mermans world -
(it took you two-and-a-half years to figure that out!?!?)
- fat disco chicks -
(calm down, ladies...calm down...take a deep breath)
By: Disco Mermaids,
on 3/25/2008
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I have to admit something. Growing up I was a serious reluctant reader. A “High-Low” kid. A real pain in the ass of a student. Because I was smart, my teachers just assumed I had a laziness problem. But the reality is I was a very slow reader and had atrocious comprehension skills. Kid you not, I could read the same page over 8 times and still have no clue what I had read. Reading was a really strange activity for me because I loved stories, and wanted to read tons of books like all my friends and family members, but physically my brain just could not handle taking in tens of thousands of words at the normal human rate. When books were assigned in school I cringed at the sight of the thick ones because I knew I’d have to spend every spare waking moment of my adolescent life struggling to comprehend massive amounts of text. Soon it became a major chore. It’s kind of like running. I love it so much, but if I’m required to do it at a ridiculous pace, it becomes painful.
That said, there are a few books (very few) that have captured me from moment one, and never let go, no matter how long it took me to read them. Though I can’t put my finger on what it is exactly that sucks me in, I can always tell by page 2 if it will be one of those books that I HAVE to read in one sitting, cover to cover. You know, those books you cannot put down no matter how hungry/thirsty/tired or in need of a toilet you are? So I’m taking this moment and showing respect to the short list of books that have cast that spell on me over the years.
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
Love Story by Erich Segal
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Forever by Judy Blume
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
Homeboys by Alan Lawrence Sitomer
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Stuck In Neutral by Terry Trueman
Holes by Louis Sachar
Give a Boy a Gun by Todd Strasser
Inexcusable by Chris Lynch
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (only set it down once to write this blog post!)
Luckily, after several years of college and grad school, I’ve finally learned to read and comprehend at a normal, age-appropriate level. But it still takes an incredibly riveting story to hold me still for a few hours. So, if your book made my list, bravo!
- Eve
By: Disco Mermaids,
on 3/23/2008
Blog: The Disco Mermaids (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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It was quite a week for the DMs. When one DM makes the New York Times Best Sellers list, we do what we always do (for the first time ever)...we cry, we call everyone we know, we cry some more, Eve drinks Cosmos, I drink beer, Jay drinks shots of espresso, then we cry some more.
There’s only one downer to sharing a blog with someone who announces they just made the NYTBS list…you get a voice message like this, “Hey, Robin. It’s Jay. It’s your turn to post next.”
So I get to be the one to post after Jay’s big announcement. Oh. That’s. Just. Great. How can I follow that!? Because right now, my life is a little less exciting.
It’s funny how things in your life can be super exciting (a friend’s success), or things can be going remarkably crappy (the flu)…but there is always laundry. Seriously! Doesn’t laundry know when to take a break? Listen up laundry…I’m putting you on notice!!!
Other than Jay making the NYTBS list, life was extra-regular for me this week. My evil cold morphed again into a sinus infection that now requires me to blow my nose non-stop from morning till night with the only respite being when I get to sneeze. I think our country may get out of this recession if we all invest in Kleenex.
Oh, but I did have something extra cute happen to me this week. (Thanks for asking!) My son has been begging to see pictures of me when I was a little girl. So I had my parents (who live in Georgia) go through all our old photos and pick some out to send to my son. Well, they went a step further and scanned in a bunch of pictures of me from birth through college and then mailed us a CD.
And my son’s favorite picture? The one of me when I was his age…in kindergarten.
But there were pictures of me in high school, and knowing my fellow Mermaids, they will be made public someday without my permission. Unless, of course, they’re willing to show me their high school yearbook pictures. Oh, it’s on!!!
- Robin
By: Disco Mermaids,
on 3/20/2008
Blog: The Disco Mermaids (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Exactly twenty-one hours ago I found out Thirteen Reasons Why will be making its debut on the New York Times Best Sellers list. That means, of course, that I’ve been freaking out for exactly twenty-one hours now.
After getting phone calls from my editor and publisher, calling my wife and parents, and opening a ton of awesome e-mails from other writers, my brain took a brief detour to The Silly Side. For example:
During my first conversation with the first girl I ever went on a date with, I noticed my shoelace was untied…yet I never would’ve thought the awkward moment which followed would make it into a NY Times best selling book.
When I slipped on wet grass, my friend tumbled over me, and two girls we were trying to impress began laughing hysterically…I never would’ve thought that embarrassing moment would make it into a NY Times best selling book.
And when I finally identified the bizarre flavor of my first real kiss…I never would’ve thought that taste (slightly adjusted) would make it into a NY Times best selling book.
But it’s true!
So I’d like to send a heartfelt thank you to everyone who read Thirteen Reasons Why. And I’d like to send a gigantic heartfelt thank you to everyone who told their friends that they needed to read it, too.
Wow! You made me a New York Times Best Selling Author!!!
- Jay
By: Disco Mermaids,
on 3/19/2008
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People have definite opinions on what I write, why it’s not selling, and why I should really give up and write something else. During the last six years, I’ve heard these comments at least infinity times:
- “Who cares to read about poor, tough, inner-city kids?”
- “You should write Chick-Lit; it’s much more publishable than what you write.”
- “Why don’t you write about white girls instead of (insert choice of ethnicity or shade of pigment here) boys? White girls are the ones who buy books.”
Here’s my thing…first, who’s to say that the “typical” reader won’t be interested in reading about impoverished kids going through tough times? Two words: The Outsiders. ‘Nuff said. Second, if it’s true that very few teen boys read, shouldn’t those of us dedicated to literacy be creating interesting stories for them, in hopes of increasing those numbers?
Today I volunteered in several middle school English classes. True, very few boys actually read during free reading time. So, I took an informal poll. Turns out, all agreed that they would choose to read if they could just find something of interest. Little House on the Prairie just isn’t doing it for them. We do have the Greg Neris and the Alan Lawrence Sitomers out there doing their parts contributing to gritty tough-boy lit. But I think we should be flooding the market with endless choices for those tough boys.
Who cares to read about poor, tough, inner-city kids? Well, I do, for one. And I have a feeling I’m not alone. Maybe tough-boy lit will become the new wizard-lit. And then I’ll be kickin’ it like J.K. while little children dress up like my main characters and wait in line at midnight to purchase my books.
- Eve
By: Disco Mermaids,
on 3/16/2008
Blog: The Disco Mermaids (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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It was awesome to do a signing at the bookstore where I worked while writing much of Thirteen Reasons Why...
Me reading as Clay and Sabrina reading as Hannah...
I never thought I'd say this, but I love public speaking...
Yes, I managed to squeeze Vanilla Ice into my presentation...
I could look at their expressions forever...
If you misspell a name, are you supposed to buy them a new book? Just askin' for the future...
And of course, everything's more fun with the other Mermaids around...
- Jay
By: Disco Mermaids,
on 3/13/2008
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I’ve been sick at home this week with some sort of head cold that seems to be morphing into some sort of plague. Have you all come down with this one yet? Just when you think you’re getting better, it shifts into fifth-gear and says, “Nuh-uh, we’re just getting started!” I am officially calling this year’s cold The Evil One. It makes me want to take my head off…like Calvin:
Yesterday, I sat around the house all day, unable to go into work. I was hoping to spend some of that down time working on my manuscript, but every time I looked at the words, they got blurry and my head felt like it was going to explode.
So instead, I spent my day watching The E! True Hollywood Story. (But I did take a break to watch an infomercial for Hip Hop Abs!) I am so addicted to T.H.S., and I suddenly realized why. There is no reason on earth for me to suddenly love Jennifer Lopez, but once I heard her back story, I couldn’t help but love her! (Even though the whole Bennifer thing was super annoying.) But knowing her struggles growing up and how she persevered and stuck with her dreams, I couldn’t help but get inspired!
And that reminded me why back story is so important in my own manuscript. So instead of writing, I spent some time thinking about my character. Why do I love her? Why should the reader love her? What in her life motivates her to act the way she does? And most importantly, when she accomplishes her goal, will she be covered head-to-toe in bling!?
Even though I didn’t get any writing done, I got some thinking done…which is quite an accomplishment under the influence of TheraFlu!
- Robin
Mermaid Sightings: If you happen to be in San Luis Obispo this Saturday, swing by Barnes & Noble at 6pm. Jay will be discussing and signing copies of Thirteen Reasons Why. Need two more reasons to stop by? Okay. Eve and I will be there, too!
By: Disco Mermaids,
on 3/11/2008
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I just returned from Yucatan, Mexico, where I machete-whacked my way through the jungles in search of freshwater cenotes and ancient Mayan ruins, subsisting on berries and plants and the occasional iguana that I had to fry over an open fire made of mangrove roots.
Oh, wait. No. That was my last trip down here when I was young and silly and thought eating fried iguana was exotic. In reality it’s just chewy and tasteless. This time I lounged around a nice tropical house with 8 of my best girlfriends from college. Go UCLA Bruins! We’ve known each other since we were 18 and we have a history and understanding of each other that is unique in so many ways. We travel together at least once a year (sometimes two or three times!) and every one of us attends, no excuses. All responsibilities, including kids, jobs, husbands and pets, are dropped for the week, and the only rule is that we have fun. Over the years we’ve gone canoeing, wine tasting, hiking, spa-ing, snorkeling, cliff-jumping, blueberry picking, played soccer, attended Spring Training baseball games, entered break-dancing contests, raced cars, and swam with dolphins.
The best part of these trips is experiencing the rapid regression back to our teen years. Although we’ve had our share of crazy life experiences over the last 20 years (marriages, motherhood, illnesses, divorces, Peace Corps, grad school, career changes), being together brings us back to simpler times when our greatest concern was fretting over what to wear for a sorority theme party. Every time I see these girls, I feel like I’m a freshman in college again. If I could go back to any age, I’ve decided it would be 18. We had infinite energy and freedom and very little responsibility, but just enough to feel grown-up. And there were so many major “firsts” for me that year. First real boyfriend that I actually loved (Hi Jimmy B!), first frat party, first road trip, first time living away from home with roommates, first hazing session, first beer, first hangover (blech!), first drive-by shooting (witnessed one, didn’t partake in one), first time really having to consider what the heck I wanted to do with my life. And these girls never let me forget who I was at that age (lively, sweet, trusting, naïve, perpetually optimistic and annoyingly cheery…of course I’m none of those things now!). So, I consider hanging out with them to be the best research for my novel, since my MC is 18. Doesn’t that make this trip a tax write-off?
The last day of the trip, I sat at the pool working on my computer and watching the girls slinging Corona, dancing around the hot tub and playing beer pong while the iPod blasted The Pussycat Dolls songs out over the beach. We even learned a few Justin Timberlake dance routines and practiced together in the living room, just like we used to do when the Fly Girls performed on In Living Color. We’re hoping it leads to our own reality show. Although, it will probably be called The Cougar Dolls for obvious reasons. It’s nice to see that as time passes and life becomes more hectic and less predictable, some things will never change. No matter how old or wrinkly or incapacitated or demented we become, when we’re together we’ll always be kickin’ it old school!
- Eve
By: Disco Mermaids,
on 3/9/2008
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This post, I hope, will give encouragement to other apprehensive writers out there to write as honestly as possible. As most of you know, Thirteen Reasons Why deals with some very serious issues that way too many teens deal with in real life. While I was writing it, I had to constantly ignore the inner-person I refer to as Insecure Jay.
I.J. knew there would be people who didn’t approve of the way certain issues were dealt with in the book…or that those issues were dealt with at all. As someone who tries really hard to avoid conflict and hates tense relationships, I.J. constantly considered watering down certain scenes to avoid such problems. But C&H (Confident & Honest) Jay knew that was the wrong way to go because he hates reading watered down scenes in other books. It always weakens the emotional truth of a story.
For some reason, I’ve recently found myself discussing this issue with other authors working on edgy teen novels. (By the way, I’ve decided “edgy” simply means “someone’s gonna disagree with what you have to say.”) I know I would've had a much easier time comforting Insecure Jay if I’d been able to hear what actual teens thought about some of my favorite edgy books.
So…here ya go!
I received permission from two teens who sent messages to my MySpace account to reprint their words on this blog. In exchange, I’m sending each of them a signed audiobook of Thirteen Reasons Why. These messages represent two types of people who seem to really be latching on to my book. I chose them because they arrived close in time to each other (two days apart) and…well…because I love the honesty in their voices. It probably took a lot of guts to write what they did, and I appreciate it.
(To maintain the integrity of these messages, I didn’t change a thing…other than deleting their names.)
Female; 16 years old
Hi there =) My name's (-----). I just wanted to let you know that Thirteen Reasons Why made a big impact on my life. For the past couple years I have actually been struggling with the thought of suicide, and everything you mentioned and portrayed were so accurate; the rumors, the boys, the drama, everything. And it makes me feel so much better knowing that someone understands. Hannah really reminds me of myself. When i read the poem that she wrote that was studied in her class, it really affected me because I wrote a poem very similar to that, prior to reading the book. It's almost eerie how much the book resembles my life. i just wanted to let you know that your book gave me hope. It made me realize that no matter how much you think no one is there, they might be the person you least expect. And i want to thank you for helping make a difference in my life =) I read it in one day. I couldn'y put it down. Please keep the novels coming =) I love your work. Take care, and thanks again.
Male; 19 years old
Dear Jay Asher, Yes your book was amazing and i bet you get that alot. From reading this book i have changed alot. I use to be someone that would be very mean and would be a dick to people. Since your book I have changed from listening to people and being more curtious. I know you have probley all ready thought about this but i think you should make a movie out of this book. Thank you for reading this and i hope to talk to later.
- Jay
By: Disco Mermaids,
on 3/8/2008
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By: Disco Mermaids,
on 3/5/2008
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This past weekend I attended a plotting workshop put on by Robin LaFevers, author of Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos (recently nominated for an Agatha award!). Her presentation was fabulous. We learned about plot layers, inciting incidents, rising action, world building, turning points, acts, pacing, finish work and the pelvic woo! (No, we didn’t really learn about the pelvic woo. It just happens to be my favorite phrase and I like to use it whenever I get a chance. If you have a child addicted to SpongeBob, you’ll know what I’m talking about.)
I had many “uh-huh” moments at her workshop. (I’m hoping with the popularity of Oprah’s “a-ha” moment that the “uh-huh” moment will soon be sweeping the nation.) The first “uh-huh” moment came from the discussion of when to start the story. (Hint: right away...or at least, kinda soon!) My current WIP was getting pretty blah, blah, blah-ish at the beginning and I realized that I probably wrote it more for myself than the reader.
Later, I looked up more information on beginnings in a screenwriting book. Richard Walters writes that the beginning “is that part before which there is nothing.” For example, he says that the movie Kramer vs. Kramer is a film that starts at the proper beginning. Meryl Streep is standing in the doorway with her bags packed, ready to leave the family. It would have been tempting to start with the couple’s escalating fights and then get to her departure, but that’s not really what the story’s about. It’s about the father reconciling with his child. So get to the story!
The other “uh-huh” moment I had at Robin’s workshop was when she talked about writing in acts. She suggested writing just to the next act, like a mini-goal. It makes the idea of writing a whole novel seem less daunting. Surely I can write one act! Right!?
So all that plotting and structure talk caused me to do what I always do when I’m trying to plan a novel…pull out the butcher paper. For me, the scenes have to be drawn on a long paper that I can put up on the wall as a daily reminder of what the heck I’m doing. Even though “what the heck I’m doing” seems to change daily. But there’s always more butcher paper!
How do you writers out there prepare to write a novel? Outline? Note cards? Close your eyes and throw a dart?
- Robin
Oh, wait! Uh-huh Moment #3: Always find a babysitter who can stay the whole day while you attend fabulous workshops so you don’t have to speed home on the lunch break and pick up the second babysitter, then scarf down a PB&J sandwich in the car instead of eating a lovely lunch with your peers. Or maybe that’s just me…
By: Disco Mermaids,
on 3/3/2008
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I’m currently lounging in the beachy backyard of a rented house in the Yucatan of Mexico. This is my favorite place in the world. After college I even moved down here to “live off the land” and work with local doctors in a tiny Mayan village for a while. Yucatan is inhabited by the most gracious and generous people I’ve ever met. Smiles and waves spread cheery greetings everywhere I go and, for the most part, I’ve always felt safe here. In fact, I hitchhiked through the jungles back in the day without a single incident.
The other day, to my disgust, I entered the most unexpected and horrific of scenes…the flight arrival, customs, and immigration area of the Cancun Airport; basically a mosh pit of American tourists and spring-breakers. I cannot even articulate how frightening the situation was. The anger and spite and frustration levels definitely surpassed the red zone and hovered in the…I don’t know…whatever’s scarier than the red level. Maroon zone?
Apparently, the airport was understaffed (an understatement, if there ever was one) and a ton of flights arrived at the same time when they were supposed to be staggered. What ensued was beyond mayhem. We’re talking screaming, pushing, fistfights (no lie), and pretty much full-on rioting. I cannot count how many people were punched, how much hair was pulled, or how many kids were trampled during those 3 ½ hot, sweaty, hungry, tired, angry hours.
Normally, I’d expect this type of tantrum-throwing from exhausted toddlers. But the source of all the shouting, shoving, and thumping? Adults! Full grown, middle aged and older, adults! It was crazy watching well-off American travelers whining about the Federales doing their jobs (i.e. checking people in thoroughly in this post-9/11 world), and going ballistic over having to delay their sunbathing for another few hours. Those who felt above the velvet-roped, Disney-esque snaking lines tried to jump and cut and ended up paying dearly for it. I don’t know which was worse, watching those without consciences who refused to wait their turns pass me by, or watching people get pummeled by the haters of the haters of the rules.
I found it so interesting that the kids (babies and toddlers included) and teens in the mosh pit were perfectly calm, polite, and rule-abiding. Although we always talk about how cruel children can be to each other, I think it’s fair to say that heat, fatigue, and unrealistic expectations can bring out the worst in adults. Sometimes, children really can teach us a lot about patience, compassion and understanding. For proof, go watch how the kids ultimately treated each other on Kid Nation. Then compare how adults treat each other on Survivor.
It’s no wonder I write for children!
- Eve
By: Disco Mermaids,
on 2/29/2008
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The E.B. White Read Aloud Award was first given in 2004, then divided into two categories a couple years later (one for picture books and one for older readers). Being a rather new award, it’s still building name recognition, and not one I imagined seeing my name attached to…until now.
No, I didn’t win the award. But Thirteen Reasons Why has been nominated for it. Quick! Guess which category!
The nomination got me thinking about an aspect of writing which I never thought about while working on 13RW…or any of my previous (and still unpublished) novels. See, I always wanted lots and lots and lots of readers. Primarily, I wanted to entertain them. And secondarily (if that’s a word, and even if it’s not), I wanted to present opportunities to think about the world from other points of view…and not necessarily my point of view.
But I never considered that amazing D-word: discussion.
Because of 13RW book clubs popping up across the country, schools and bookstores and libraries are bringing teens and adults together to discuss the issues raised in the book. Those discussions allow for even more points of view than what I presented in the book. Which is amazing!
I’ve also heard from parents and children, boyfriends and girlfriends, and best friends who read the book aloud to each other (one person reading as Clay, the other as Hannah). Those discussions led to even deeper understandings among already close readers. Which is amazing!
Why this has me so excited is because it brings me back to my high school days. I remember one teacher, Mr. Miller, who often brought up “contemporary issue” discussions in his classroom. Some of the issues were controversial. But when he raised the issues, he never offered his own opinions. He simply wanted us to hear what other students thought. And I was very opinionated about some of those issues. In response to my opinions, his most common question was, “But why?” And he never accepted, “It’s just how I feel” as a legitimate answer.
After hearing other points of view in that class, my opinions changed quite a bit on quite a few issues…though I rarely admitted that in class!
So whether Thirteen Reasons Why (or future books) are read aloud among close family members and friends, or discussed by large groups in a safe environment, I am beyond thrilled…because discussion is always a good thing. At the very least, even if your opinion isn’t changed, it allows you to know why other people hold differing points of view.
And that, I know, has made me a much better person…and writer.
- Jay
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Congratulations! When I read about ___, I ____ and ____! That's ___ awesome!
The L.A. Times Book Festival sounds sooo tempting, but I've been gone the last three weekends in a row, and I'll be gone the weekend after this one. I think I'd better stay home and try to relearn my kids' names.
About your agent... She also says they've "declined" to make an offer, which also sounds so much better than the R word.
Oh, how I love those phone calls from our agent!
I usually_______ but sometimes ________. Then there was that one time I totally couldn't help myself and had to ________.
But I didn't tell her that.
I'm not ____________ at this game but _________ sounds VERY exciting!!
Yay! ________ Yay!
O.M.G. congrats! Sounds like some sweet news!
Hooray!!!!!!!!!!!
Amazing news.
I'm so happy for you Eve! Can't wait until you can fill in all t hose blanks for us...
Cheers!
___, this is the most hilarious post ever!! (Normally I avoid saying ___ online, but you are killing me!)
_____ing awesome!!
You guys are better at creating the Mad Libs than I am.
I have to remember to ______ the ______ until ______ really happens. We can't ______ our ______s before they're ______ in this business!
Thanks for the ________, everybody!
Rita, "______ing awsome"...you are too funny.
Eve
Wow, congrats! I'm not going to do this in a madlib format, b/c they're driving me freakin' insane. I'd love to come out to the LA Times Book Festival but alas, my friends and I are having a get together that day and I don't have a ride to LA either, but y'all have fun!
"Call from…Ass-her, Jay-yuh.”
Really!!?? That's hilarious. I must come over some time and have Jay call us just so I can hear that!
Good luck on the revisions! It's gonna be great!
Hugs,
Robin
Congrats Eve! Exciting news!!
So _____ing _____! I can't _____to see what ____s!
Maybe, just maybe, the caller ID lady has it right, and the rest of us have been pronouncing Jay's name wrong all this time.
i SO want to come to the festival and meet you guys and listen to your panel discussion but i've got a lunch i can't get out of - a woman came all the way from india for it! : )
can you post some of the discussion highlights for us later? puh-leeeeese! can ya huh, please, can ya?
OMG, EVE, CONGRATS!!!!! I'm ____ at reading between the lines, but CONGRATS!!!!
This is too exciting. Believe it or not, I've been waiting for this news from you. I hope all works out in your (and your publisher's -- it's a team thing) favor. Good for you.
Eve,
Isn't it cool that we're writers and can totally fill in all those pesky ______s and figure out (in our own minds) what _____'in news you got?
Hope it's as freakin' ________ as we all wish for you!
Lee