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Brenda Ferber is the author of the Sydney Taylor Award winning novel, Julia's Kitchen. Her second novel, Jemma Hartman, Camper Extraordinaire, will be published in 2009, and her first picture book, The Yuckiest, Drooliest, Stinkiest, Best Valentine's Day Ever, will be out in 2011 (hopefully). Here, she blogs about the writing life.
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Hallelujah and whoo hoo and yippee yahoo! I finished a first draft! It took me ten months, which is by far the fastest first draft I've ever written. For ten months, I've been thinking about this story, poking at it bit by bit, tunneling through to the end. For ten months, I haven't received a cent of payment, yet I've worked my hardest, struggled, and persisted, all fueled by hope. The hope that I could finish. The hope that this story would be worth writing and then worth reading. The hope that someday, after I revise and revise and revise, this will be the book that breaks me out of the mid-list. This will be the book about which people will say, "You have to read it!"
Lately I've been thinking about hope and how the authors I know get so excited and filled with hope before their book comes out, and then how those same authors are often disappointed when their book, no matter how great it is, doesn't get the attention it deserves. Doesn't get shelf space at the book stores. Doesn't get starred reviews. Doesn't get publicity or buzz from their publisher. Doesn't sell movie rights or foreign rights or hit the best seller lists. It's incredibly frustrating.
They've done this amazing thing that most people never do... they've gotten their book published! But then the reality of it hits... their book is one of around 25,000 new books for children and young adults published every year. It might seem impossible to get published, but the truth is lots of people accomplish that goal. Unfortunately, only a tiny percent of those people are ever published successfully.* You've got to be a fool to hope for that.
So call me a fool.
One of my author friends said she doesn't get swept up by the hope or by the disappointment. She just keeps doing the work. And though I admire her balanced way of approaching this journey, I know that will never be me. I need the hope to fuel me. I would never have spent ten months of my life torturing this story out of me if I didn't think there was a possibility of a huge reward someday. Yes, the writing is the reward... I get that. And as difficult as it is, I love to write and can't imagine doing anything else. But it's too easy to give up if I think I'm just doing this for myself or for mediocre rewards. The hope that maybe this time I could be writing a breakout novel keeps me going. I'll take whatever disappointment comes my way. I understand that's the consequence for hoping, and I'm okay with that. Because without the hope, I'd just be standing still. Dreaming, not doing.
* I realize everyone will have their own definition of success. And it might be that the nature of success is that you always want what is just out of reach. For example, Julia's Kitchen could very well be considered a success.It won awards, got great reviews (even a star from Kirkus!), was translated into German, and worked its way into the hearts of many readers. And though I'm so grateful for all of that, my dream of success goes beyond what I've accomplished so far.
In our family, we celebrated three birthdays this weekend. My twins turned seventeen. And my puppy turned three.
What's it like to have seventeen-year-old boy-girl twins? It's a breeze. It's a joy. It's a whole helluva lot easier than having younger twins. When Jacob and Faith were babies, they were cute and sweet when they slept or laughed or held hands or did something funny like accidentally pee on each other while I was changing their diapers. But in general, it was physically and emotionally draining. I was always needed. My life was basically taken over by these kids. Did I mention that we had another baby 19 months after the twins were born? (Incidentally, my husband recently completed his first triathlon, and he said it was the hardest thing he'd ever done. He must have forgotten what it was like when the kids were little.) Back then, I was going to write a book about how to survive the first year with twins. I had a title figured out: The First Year is a Blur. I bought a binder and organized it with different sections for different aspects of raising twins. But guess what? The binder is empty. And the first year is pretty much a blur.
If you are expecting twins, I don't mean to frighten you. I'm just relating my experience. I'm sure you'll have angelic babies who sleep through the night and nap at the same time and have mellow personalities. It's definitely possible. But here's the important thing: My kids are amazing. Smart and funny and unique and comfortable in their own skin. And holy cow, they're seventeen!
So, what's it like to have a three-year-old puppy? Okay, I realize Ozzy is not officially a puppy anymore, but you try telling him that. Ozzy is our Mini-Whoodle (part Wheaten Terrier, part Mini-Poodle), and he is the world's sweetest dog. I am not even the least bit biased. I know a lot of people end up on my blog when they do a search for Mini-Whoodles, so I figure I might as well give you some helpful information, not just about puppies but about what you can expect when your Mini-Whoodle grows up:
Appearance: 25 pounds, charcoal gray, warm brown eyes, and a funny looking 1970's-ish mustache. He's the perfect size for snuggling with on the sofa, and he's not tall enough to get anything off the kitchen counter.
Trainability: (Granted, some of this is my fault, but still). He sits. He stays in our yard with the invisible fence. He walks well on a leash. He never pees or poops in the house. He doesn't chew anything he shouldn't. He doesn't bite. Unfortunately, he still jumps on people, and he barks at the mail carrier and UPS guy, and he doesn't know how to fetch, and he never comes when I call him unless I'm giving him a treat or a car ride. Thankfully, his sweetness more than makes up for these minor problems.
Personality: Very playful. Very loving. Has never met an animal or person he didn't like. Will do anything for a belly rub. Gives lots of kisses. Enjoys daily walks and car rides with his head out the window. Often sits outside and greets the neighbors by rolling over on his back. Snuggles on the sofa with everyone in the family. Sleeps in his crate with his favorite stuffed animal. Smiles for the camera.
If you're looking for a Mini-Whoodle, I suggest you contact Barb at Old McDoodle Farm. She's wonderful. And if you're expecting twins, I suggest you load up on sleep, solidify your marriage, and reinforce your sense of humor. You're about to have the craziest, most challenging, most beautiful, and most rewarding ride of your life.
0 Comments on Lots of Birthdays as of 9/5/2011 10:06:00 AM
Even though I think it's incredibly important to support authors, publishers, and bookstores, most of the books I read come from the library.
Here's why I don't purchase all the books I read: 1. It gets to be expensive. 2. I have limited shelf space. 3. It really irks me to own a book that I don't love.
And here's what always makes me purchase a book: 1. I went to hear the author speak. 2. I'm friends with the author. 3. I'm head over heels in love with the book.
Obviously, the very best reason to buy a book is #3, falling head over heels in love with it. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen all that often. But yesterday it did. The book: The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson.
What's the book about, you ask? It's about sisters. And love. Loss. And grief. Passion. Music. Poetry. It's written so beautifully that I cried in the happy parts, was unable to breathe during the heartbreak. It made me feel like I was in on a secret, like I was meeting these incredible friends, like I was climbing inside someone's heart.
It also made me feel like I'm only pretending to be an author. That this Jandy Nelson is the real deal. And I'm okay with that. It's good to be in awe of an author. Yesterday, after I returned The Sky is Everywhere to the library, I went to my local bookstore and bought a copy. They only had one available, so I ordered two more. I need to give this book to some friends.
0 Comments on Head over Heels in Love as of 1/1/1900
Are you one of those people who loves writing first drafts? You just zip right through them, happy and carefree? If you are, congrats! You can stop reading now. I wrote this for the rest of us, the ones who think writing a first draft is the hardest part of being an author.
I love revising. Taking something and fixing it up, cutting, moving, shaping, deepening… there's nothing better than watching a story improve with each revision pass. But that first draft, for me, is torture. Creating something from nothing? You need magic for that. But not the sparkly kind of magic that comes with wands and fairy dust. (As if I had access to that!) It’s more the magic of, Holy magaga, where did that come from?! The problem is, you have to sit and write and create and hope the magic visits you. Thus, the torture. So I’ve found some mind games that help, and maybe they'll help you, too.
1. Write as a Reader: I pretend I’m reading the book I’m writing. I picture turning the pages, anticipating what might happen next. If I were reading it, what would I think about these characters, this story line? Am I bored? Impatient? Sympathetic? Excited? What scene am I hungry for next? What will I see when I turn the page? That’s what I write.
2. Best Gift Ever: I imagine that someone else has written everything up to this point. Then that generous person gave me the manuscript and said, “Sorry, I can’t finish it. But you can have it. Go to town.” Seriously? You’re just giving me an almost finished first draft? Thanks! I can totally finish this. How fun! (This trick works great when you’re in the middle or near the end of the first draft.)
3. Character Jump: When my main character is stuck in a tough situation and I don’t know how to get her out of it, I’ll ask one of the supporting characters for help. Obviously, this makes me sound a bit crazy because I’m the one writing all these characters. But really, when I write a first draft, I become my viewpoint character and see and think and feel everything she does. Jumping into someone else’s skin can help me figure out a solution that I wasn’t able to see before.
These little mind games have worked for me in the past, and I’m relying on them now, as I get closer to the end of my current work-in-progress. Give them a try, and let me know if they work for you. And if you have any tricks of the trade, please share!
4 Comments on Mind Games: Three Tricks for Writing a First Draft, last added: 7/17/2011
Revising is a nightmare for me. Minor tweaks, like grammatical things, replacing a word with a near-synonym, tightening up the rhythm... that's all fine. But yanking out a chunk of story is almost physically painful.
I brought chapter thirteen of my work-in-progress to critique group today. Have I mentioned how much I love my critique group? These talented writers and true friends help convince me I know what I'm doing, and they encourage me to keep going. We brainstorm ideas, and when I try to take the easy way out, they don't let me. Nope. Not gonna happen on their watch. That impossible scene I thought maybe I wouldn't have to write? Guess what? I have to write it. I love these women. I could not be on this journey without them. Just sayin.
So I come home from critique, feeling inspired, and I take my dog for a walk. I'm plugged into my iPod, and I'm listening to the soundtrack from The Book of Mormon, and everything's lovely. Then I hear someone call my name from a passing car. I look up and wave, and that's when I see this 16-year-old kid stick his head out of the driver's seat and make a mean face at me. Seriously? This punk used to bother my daughter back in middle school, but that was years ago, and - newsflash - I'm not her.
I am honestly flabbergasted by this snotty, unprovoked disrespect toward an adult. It's so odd that it brings me right back to when my daughter was in middle school. Though my daughter was no angel, the way the other kids and parents (yes, the parents were the worst offenders) treated her was unbelievable. If I ever wrote about it, you would never believe it because it's a case of the truth being way stranger than fiction. Sometimes I even wonder if it all really happened the way I remember it. But today, with this jerk making a face at me out of the blue, I'm reminded that yes, what happened was real. And it was completely unfair.
I'm so grateful that we were able to find a different school in a different community for my daughter. One where she is free to be herself, to learn and grow from mistakes, to explore her passions, and make good friends. Friends who, like my wonderful critique group, will hopefully encourage her to do her best, believe in her abilities, and never take the easy way out.
As for the punk in the car... all I can do is shake my head and laugh. I hope he grows up someday and learns the right way to treat people.
3 Comments on On Friendship, last added: 6/29/2011
I had an experience today where a woman (a stranger on my swamp tour(!!!)) was snotty to me for no good reason, and I had to remind myself repeatedly that perhaps she was only having a bad day... or that if she wasn't, if she's always like that, perhaps she doesn't have enough good people in her life. It's so true that surrounding yourself with people who believe you're a kind/talented/whatever person makes it much easier to be that person.
Ha! They were too plumped up with marshmallows and hotdogs. And, presumably, natural foods like turtles and other alligators. Have I ever mentioned how grateful I am that cannibalism is not the American way?
Who do you think you are, writing a book like this? You'll never get published again. You might as well quit. Even if someone publishes this book, it won't get into Barnes & Noble. It won't be popular. You won't get rich or famous or even slightly rich or slightly famous. Maybe someone will write the book for you. Then you could revise it. Or even better, you could read it once it's published and on the shelves. You're not talented enough to write this book. The characters are flat. The plot is stupid. You don't know what you're doing. You're going to embarrass yourself. You might have an interesting idea, but you'll never translate that idea to the page.
AND...
You've already written 150 pages. That's pretty freakin awesome. You can definitely write 50 more. Then you'll get to revise. As terrible as this first draft is, you know you can improve it in revision. You aren't in any rush. You can take your time and work on the manuscript until it's the very best you can make it. Nobody else can write this particular story except you. It's yours. That's why. Even if it's not a blockbuster, it will be someone's favorite book. You're enjoying exploring the themes and the characters. You're stretching yourself with new writing challenges. It's always this hard. There's no other job you'd rather be doing.
These thoughts run through my head every single day. It's a little crazy-making. Anyone who thinks they might like to be an author should proceed with caution as well as wild abandon. It takes both.
2 Comments on What I Say to Myself While I Write a First Draft, last added: 6/24/2011
I can attest to the every day up and down crazy-ville of living with an author. And how cool it is to hear from people who's hearts have been touched by the her words
It is totally crazy-making. And crazily rewarding. . . on a good day. Bottom line, it's what I want to be doing. So I'm going to keep on doing it. And maybe one day I'll get good.
My husband rocks. Alan and I started dating when we were 19. Who in the world meets their soulmate at age 19? I mean, seriously, he still had bottom braces, and I still had chubby cheeks. How is it possible that we fell in love and got married, and 20 years later we have three teenagers and a happy marriage? (God, I hope I'm not jinxing us!)
But here's the thing. Not only did I luck out with a husband who would never pull a Tiger Woods or Arnold Schwarzenegger on me; I also got a husband who is a first class mensch, (Jewish word for a stand up kind of guy you'd be proud to bring home to Mama), smart businessman, and most importantly a loyal, loving, supportive father. And did I mention that he's hot?
See?
Anyway, the reason I'm feeling so very appreciative of Alan is not because of the new ring he bought me for my birthday (though that helps). It's because he is right now on a plane heading to his father's funeral.
Alan's father left his family when Alan was only seven. He saw him a few times after that, but there was no real relationship. It's hard to have a relationship with a man who didn't show up for visitations and didn't pay child support. Having your dad abandon you will mess you up. And my husband and his sisters all had to deal with this loss in their own ways. When I think about Alan growing up without his dad, my heart breaks, both for Alan and his father.
Alan's father missed out on the nachas (Jewish word for pride and joy) of raising a smart, athletic, sweet, and funny boy. And then he missed out on seeing that boy mature into a real man. The kind of man who would fly to Florida to pick up his grandma and fly with her to Vegas to attend the funeral of a father who almost never showed up for him.
Showing up. It's a way of life I was lucky enough to learn from my dad. Alan learned it despite his dad. Whether it's work or play or family or friends. Just show up.
Yesterday, I took my nephew to the book launch party for The Rotten Adventures of Zachary Ruthless.
Zachary Ruthless
My nephew (not nearly as rotten as Zachary)
I'm so excited about this fabulous new book for two reasons. First, it's a hilarious new series kids are going to love. And second, Allan is a former student of mine, so it's a total joy to see him find success!
My nephew and Allan Woodrow
Allan was kind enough to answer a few questions for me...
I wish I could say I stole it, which would be entirely appropriate since Zachary Ruthless is the world’s most evil boy. But actually, it stemmed from two short stories I wrote for my high school literary magazine too many years ago. They were about a bad guy named, appropriately, Fred Bad Guy. He had an evil worm named Spot. I was looking through some old papers and found the story a couple of years ago and wondered what Fred was like as a kid. So, a quick name change later, Zachary Ruthless was born.
Hope and fear actually have a lot in common. They are both ways of perceiving the future. They both can influence how you make decisions. And they both can cause you to obsess.
I know you're supposed to live in the moment. Be present and all that. But you can't be present all the time. You have to think about the future, too. And when you do, common sense tells you thinking about it hopefully is the way to go. But hope can stop you dead in your tracks just as much as fear can.
Have you ever had the feeling that something good, really good, is about to happen? I felt that way right before Julia's Kitchen came out. At that point, I was so excited and hopeful about my first book being published that I was actually unable to do anything productive. I was just walking around in this haze of hope and happiness. I enjoyed it most of the time, but I would have enjoyed it a hundred times more if I'd been writing my next book then. I wasn't exactly resting on my laurels. It was more like resting on my hope. Either way, it was too much wasted time.
Lately I've been having that feeling again. That something-good-is-about-to-happen feeling. Mmmm. It's lovely. I can sit around and enjoy it. I can think about it, journal about it, obsess about it. But at the end of the day, I'll have nothing to show for it.
It honestly feels like the good thing that will happen in the future is so wonderful that its energy is seeping into its past, my present. That's how firmly I believe. That's the level of hope that's bouncing around inside of me. So what can I do with this energy? I don't want to waste it. I want to use it. I want to take that energy and all the benefits that come with it - self confidence, joy, excitement, and power - and I want to let that fuel my writing and living right now.
So that's the plan. Think of it as mental time travel. Or buying on credit.
And for all you pessimists out there who think it's dangerous to invest so much hope in an uncertain future, I ask you, what does it hurt? If the good thing doesn't happen, I'll be disappointed for sure. But disappointment doesn't scare me. I've been there, done that, and lived to tell the tale.
This is such a fast paced novel. You will not be able to put it down. It's told from the point of view of a five-year-old boy who has lived his whole life in an 11x11 room with his mother. He doesn't realize he and his mother are actually prisoners of Old Nick. This story will stay with you long after you turn the last page. Although the story is dark, there is a lot of hope and resilience in it, too. Emotionally powerful.
I read this book in December, and I still think about it. A fictional autobiography about conjoined twins. Fictional autobiography? Did you hear right? Yes. It's fiction, but it's told as if one of the twins is writing her memoir. Very interesting format and done exceptionally well. If you have a sister, I bet you anything you will love this book. So beautiful. So touching.
For Teens/Adults
These books are marketed for teens but have huge crossover appeal. I love crossover books. Frankly, I think all adults should read books for teens and kids. But that's just me. Anyway...
Holy moly is this an amazing book! It received six starred reviews. Do you know how many review journals there are for young adult literature? Six. A clean sweep. I have to admit that sometimes I don't like books that receive so many starred reviews or big awards. I'm not that highbrow of a reader, and sometimes those kinds of books go right over my head. But this book is amazing. I f
0 Comments on Books Not to Miss as of 4/12/2011 11:50:00 AM
I've been journaling since I was ten years old, and I think it's a big reason that I'm a writer and a sane person today. Really. It's the one piece of advice that I give to everyone: Keep a journal! Especially if you want to be a writer. But even if you don't. I honestly can't imagine getting through adolescence without writing about it all. How would I have figured anything out? For that matter, how would I figure anything out as an adult?
I write to think. I write to make sense of the world. To figure out a problem, a mood, a situation. When I first started journaling, I wrote about what I ate for lunch. I listed all the swear words I knew. I complained about my friends and my clarinet teacher and the unfair word on the spelling test. As I got older, I journaled about my dreams for the future. And boys. I journaled a lot about boys. I was always in love with someone who wasn't in love with me, but it was okay because I could write about all those desperate feelings, and somehow that made me feel not quite so desperate.
When you journal, you realize that whatever you're going through is temporary. You realize that you can get through it. That it will change. That there's something to learn from it. You get perspective, which is an incredible gift. And you give that gift to yourself. How easy!
Five years ago, when I had a snoopy preteen daughter in the house, I bought a little fire safe and put all my diaries in the safe. Three years ago, while we were away for spring break, burglars broke into our house and stole all our valuables, including the little fire safe. Yes, all my diaries disappeared. I was devastated at first. I would never be able to go back and re-read what I'd written. But you know what? I don't really do that anyway. I don't want to go back. I want to go forward. For me, it's the act of writing that matters. Because that's what helps me think.
Since the burglary, I've not kept a traditional journal. I've done it all online in a password protected document. But the document got too long and cumbersome, and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out how to password protect a new file. But now I've found this awesome new website: www.penzu.com. It's an online journaling site, and it's free. It makes it so easy and fun to journal. And if you are just developing the habit, you can even sign up to get little reminders from them to journal on a regular basis. I highly recommend it!
2 Comments on Writing to Think, last added: 3/29/2011
My line is that journaling is cheap therapy -- and I mean that in a good way. Not that a person doesn't sometimes need professional help, but a journal really can perform a lot of the same functions! Writing out your thoughts gives clarity to your situation and emotions. You can say everything on your mind without worrying about boring or alienating your friends. And it's so darn cheap!
At the writing retreat I attended in January, one of the speakers said that all not-writing is due to fear. We might make excuses about time or energy or the muse not visiting or writer's block or whatever. But really? If we're not writing it's because we're afraid.
I didn't write today. Or yesterday. Or the day before. This, after vowing to write every day for a minimum of 30 minutes since December 1st. When my daughter asked me if I had written yesterday, I told her no and gave her a great excuse about wanting to read instead and waiting to get feedback on a different manuscript and blah blah blah. She cut me off and said, "Mom, you have to blog about your failure." Love that kid.
So here I go.
I didn't write for the last three days because I'm afraid.
I'm afraid this first draft sucks. (The fact that it's supposed to suck because it's a first draft is not comforting to me. Sucking sucks.)
I'm afraid I will never be able to translate the idea in my head into the masterpiece I imagine it to be. (This fear makes sense. My idea is perfect in my head. Of course I won't be able to create a perfect book. But who cares? Maybe I can create a book that is good enough.)
I'm afraid someone else will write my book before me, and they'll do a better job than I could ever do. (Stupid fear... nobody can write my specific book except for me. That's why it's mine.)
I'm afraid that even if I write the best book, my agent won't be able to sell it.
I'm afraid that even if my agent sells it, my publisher won't promote it.
I'm afraid that even if my publisher promotes it, reviewers will pan it.
I'm afraid that even if reviewers love it, people won't buy it.
I'm afraid that even if people buy it and love it and and ask for more, I won't ever be able to deliver because it is such an impossible task, and each book is challenging in its own way, and writing one book well does not mean you know how to write another book. At. All.
So there you have it. I'm sitting with my fear. But I'm not so worried. It won't last. Sometimes I have to just succumb to the yucky, scary feelings for a little while. Acknowledging them helps them pass. Because hidden right underneath all these fears are dreams and confidence and faith. Writer's fuel. They won't stay hidden for long.
3 Comments on Writing and Fear, last added: 3/7/2011
Yup. Whenever I start procrastinating on writing (e.g., having a sudden desire to do the dishes of all things) it's almost always accompanied by this tension in my shoulders, a pit in my stomach. And I *know* actually writing will do a lot to dispel the fear, at least temporarily, but it's still so hard to make myself do it sometime.
I mean, heck. Here I am, reading blogs and thinking about how a hot shower would be really nice... and *then* I'll get to writing... promise...
A hot shower sounds lovely! The other day I told my husband I was going to clean out my closet and dresser drawers. He thought it was a great idea. Why didn't he realize it was actually a cry for help??
My last post was about how I'm taking all kinds of life detours while trying to write a first draft of a new novel, thus slowing my progress but making life pretty darn interesting. Here's proof that those life "detours" are time well spent:
My agent told me she thought I was on the right track with my revision, and she asked me if I could intensify one event and move it up in the timeline of the story. It was excellent advice, but I had no idea how to actually do it. The event happened because of all the things that led up to it. And because of the event, the story came to its natural conclusion. How was I supposed to move the event to the beginning or middle of the story?? I was stumped.
That night, I woke up at 3:30 with a headache, so I took my favorite headache medicine, Excedrin Migraine. (which, by the way, I was taking when I plotted the idea for my new ya novel. I swear, that stuff has some creative magic in it.) Anyway, as I was trying to fall back asleep, I was thinking about my agent's suggestion, and I was searching for the solution. Then, bam! It hit me. I don't have to actually move the event. I only have to move the impact of the event. In other words, my main character can be telling the story from that moment, as opposed to telling it all chronologically as the story unfolds. Where did this solution come from? E. Lockhart, the author who spoke at the fabulous retreat I attended! She calls it a "tent pole structure." It also comes from reading some books recently that use this technique. Would I have come up with this answer without those so-called distractions? I doubt it.
I spent the next four hours in bed, in and out of sleep, revising the book in my head. I even came up with a new title. The book was practically written, and my headache was gone!
The next day I went to a coffee shop to get to work. This would be a piece of cake. I mean, I had already done all the hard thinking-work last night in bed.
I opened my document, gave it my new title, and stared at the first paragraph. I love my first paragraph. It's just right. I spent forever crafting it. So the fact that it took me a full hour to have the guts to cut it shouldn't upset me. But it did. Why is dream-revising so much quicker and easier than actual-revising?
First drafts, revisions, publishing... it all takes longer than you want. (Case in point: I wrote my picture book The Yuckiest, Stinkiest, Best Valentine's Day Ever in 2002, sold it in 2007, and it will be out in 2013!!) But who really cares? Things take as long as they take. Why would I expect anything worthwhile to be quick and easy?
So... I hereby vow to stop focusing on how long things take and instead to put my energy into trying my best, learning each day, enjoying the creative process. It might be cliche, but it's true: We shouldn't count the days; we should make the days count.
0 Comments on Dream-Revising vs. Actual-Revising as of 2/14/2011 11:15:00 AM
I'm in the dreaded middle of the first draft of a new novel. And I'm doing everything wrong. So if you want to succeed as an author, feel free to learn from my mistakes:
1. When your agent contacts you about your manuscript that she's submitting (the one you thought you were finished with), DO NOT come up with the perfect way to revise it now.
2. And whatever you do, DO NOT start that revision, even if you think it will only take a week or two.
3. DO NOT go to an incredible writing retreat where you'll learn so much about writing that you'll realize everything you've written so far in your first draft is complete dreck.
4. DO NOT meet talented and personable authors at said writing retreat and then go home and check all their books out of the library.
5. And absolutely, positively, DO NOT start reading their books.
6. DO NOT go to another event where a funny author whom you admire talks about what makes humorous picture books work.
7. And definitely DO NOT get inspired to write a picture book now.
8. When your husband asks how the writing is going, DO NOT tell him the terrible horrible truth, unless you want him to back up in fear, hide the sharp objects, and keep his distance from you for the rest of the evening/week/month.
9. If a special holiday is coming up, like Valentine's Day for example, DO NOT spend time creating the perfect gifts and cards for everyone in your family. Even if it makes you happy.
10. In other words, if you want to finish a first draft of a novel, DO NOT let life interfere.
I'm serious.
Your family doesn't really need you.
And you don't really need to enrich yourself as a writer, or a reader, or even as a human being.
I'm telling you, if you let life interfere with that first draft, you will never finish. Ever.
Well, maybe you will finish eventually.
But it will take you a long time. Longer than you expected. Longer than you want. And it will be harder than you ever imagined. Because writing is hard. There are no shortcuts. There is nothing quick and easy about it. And life is complicated and funny and tragic and beautiful and busy.
But. If you stick with your manuscript and just work on it a little bit every day, no matter how long it takes you, no matter how much life interferes, at some point, you'll finish that first draft.
And then?
You can revise.
1 Comments on How Not To Write a First Draft, last added: 2/12/2011
I was literally IN THE CAR, backing out of my driveway, to go see said admirable funny pb writer talk, when I thought, "If I go, I'm going to want to write a picture book. I have no business starting a picture book with two novels that need writing/revising." And guilty, guilty, guilty, on meeting writers and checking out their books and that putting me into a tailspin! Ok, back to finishing my novel!!!
First of all, this was one of my favorite books of 2010. Second of all, this book trailer is just perfect. It's what all other book trailers should be. Not cheesy. Not long. Just very professional and totally the right tone for the book. This is the kind of trailer I'd love to create for all my future books. If you haven't already read A Tale Dark and Grim, you should. (Thanks to Betsy Bird for the link!)
This trailer got me thinking, though. How much money should you spend to make a book trailer? Who actually watches them? How do you distribute them? Do they have any impact on sales? I don't know the answers to these questions, but I'm very curious. I'm even curious about whether or not you even like this trailer. Is it only me? If you have any thoughts on this topic, please feel free to comment.
5 Comments on Book Trailer Envy, last added: 1/20/2011
I do think this book trailer is awesome. I'm also 99.9% positive it was paid for by the publisher, not the author. Nice if you can get it, right? :-)
I was thinking about book trailers yesterday, and how overall I feel very "meh" about them. I think that most of them are incredibly boring and overlong. I think the most successful ones are those that are quick and entertaining and offer some value beyond simply blurbing the book (e.g., a clever, amusing animation as with A Tale Dark and Grimm).
Because, let's face it, if I just want the book blurb it's way easier to read it than load and watch a 2-minute video of it, especially when said video is probably (based on most of what I've seen) full of stock photography and the "Ken Burns effect." I've seen some down-right laughable trailers like that... but I feel bad laughing knowing that in some cases authors throw down hundreds of dollars for a video that -- two years later -- has still only gotten 100 views on YouTube.
The more memorable videos I've seen aren't even for books themselves -- e.g., Jackson Pearce's music videos, John Green's vlog...
I know what you mean, Lisa. I made a few trailers for Jemma Hartman. I have no idea if they resulted in any sales, but I play one of them at my school visits, and the kids love it. So it's a fun add-on for an author visit.
Yours are actually some of the more memorable book trailers I've seen precisely because they were a little bit different! Live action instead of still images, actually talking to people instead of cheesy voice-overs, etc....
Love this trailer! It's short and striking, and yet still manages to capture the tone of the book without yammering on too much. (Which I must admit I did in the one book trailer I made).
But I agree with Lisa in that your book trailer, Brenda, was really effective, and a good example of what an author can do besides posting some jacked up Powerpoint presentation onto YouTube.
My editor once told me I should put a manuscript away for six months before trying to revise it. Was she crazy? Who has that kind of time? Who has that kind of patience? When I finish a first draft, I can't wait to start revising. Maybe I'll wait a weekend. Or a week if I've got a really great book to read and a huge to-do list to conquer. But I'll be itching to get to that revision. And I'll be calculating how quickly I can revise it and how fast my agent can sell it. I'll have a contract by fall, I think. Or winter. Or spring. Or summer. The book will be published in no time. I'll have to update my website and hope for good reviews and plan promotions and...
Wait a minute. It never ever goes that way. The publishing industry moves at a snail's pace. Agents take weeks to read your work. Editors take months to reject it. When you do finally get an offer, it takes years for the book to actually come out. This is the process. There is no fighting it. It can be incredibly frustrating, but recently I've discovered the positive side to this long, drawn-out journey: Objectivity.
Yes, my editor was right all along. (She is always right about everything, actually.) You need time away from a manuscript to see it clearly and to make it the best it can be. Case in point, my new middle grade novel that my agent and I really love. She's been submitting it for months, and editors have been rejecting it with the loveliest rejection letters I've ever received. I can blame the state of the industry all I want (and I do a little bit), but really, obviously, there's something wrong with the manuscript. Something I need to fix.
And guess what? Six months away from the story gave me the perspective I needed to see what needs to be done. It also gave my critique partners perspective, too. They gave me some perfect suggestions that I can't wait to use. So I'm diving back into revisions, even though my new young adult manuscript is quite a bit jealous that I'm leaving her for a while. Don't worry, I'll be back! Maybe even with some helpful objectivity.
0 Comments on Step Away From The Novel. as of 1/1/1900
I've received lots of photos of Jemma Hartman Lookalikes, but this one for sure takes the cake!
Lauren from Tampa, Florida. What a cutie!
Lauren's teacher sent me this picture, and today I'm heading to the post office to send Lauren and all her classmates some excellent Jemma Hartman swag.
Today I'll also be cheering for my nephew in his school Geography Bee. (This is a kid who at age 3, in the backseat of the car, shouted, "The capital of Alabama!" as the car zoomed past a street sign that said Montgomery Drive.) In other exciting family news: We are celebrating my niece's Bat Mitzvah and another nephew's Bar Mitzvah this weekend! Too bad one is in Chicago while the other is in Detroit. And too bad cloning is not an option.
Happy Weekend!
0 Comments on Jemma Hartman's Twin! as of 1/7/2011 8:37:00 AM
I am proud to say I've now written every single day since December 1st.
Even when I was on a totally amazing Caribbean cruise with my family, I wrote.
The view from the balcony onboard The Adventure of the Seas
True, some days I only wrote for 30 minutes, and true, the writing wasn't all that great, but the important thing was that I kept on writing. I didn't interrupt my flow, and now I've reached page 100 of my work-in-progress. Quite an accomplishment considering it usually takes me six months to write that much. I got this far in a little over two!
I'm at about the halfway mark, which means I'm in that most dreaded part of first drafts: the middle. Why are middles so hard to write? I think it's because beginnings are full of promise and creativity. Anything goes. And you usually know your ending (generally speaking) before you begin, plus by the time you get to the end, you've got all this energy propelling you there. But middles are complicated. You have to follow the threads you started in your beginning. (Why did I make such a big deal about that minor character? Clearly he needs to come back into the story now. Hmm...) And you have to direct everything toward the end. Plus you have to keep the interest and the tension and the stakes high. It's a lot to think about.
At this point, I keep reminding myself I can fix everything in revision. I'm halfway there! I can totally do this. One of my favorite books when I was a child was The Little Engine That Could. (Between that and Free to Be You and Me, it's no wonder I ended up being the persistent optimist that I am!) So I'm thinking about that Little Blue Engine and chugging along, right up the mountain.
How's your 365 Day Challenge going?
3 Comments on 365 Day Challenge Update, last added: 1/6/2011
I'm an outliner, so middles don't bother me. I'm at the middle of my WIP right now and loving it. It's the beginnings that are tough for me, when I'm still getting to know the characters and working out the voice. No matter how much prep and research I do, it takes being in the protagonist's head for awhile to become completely at comfortable living there.
Lisa, I know just what you mean about beginnings. It definitely takes me a while (sometimes the whole first draft) to get to know my characters. And I'm an outliner, too. But my outlines are quite broad, so I still get into trouble in the mushy middle. Oh well. I'm muddling through. :-)
I absolutely love being Jewish during the Christmas season. Especially when Hanukkah is nowhere near the 25th of December, like this year. I don't have any shopping to do. Or wrapping. Or cooking. Or baking. Or cleaning. Or preparing for family gatherings. I don't have to decide who will be stuck at the kids' table. Or what I will serve to the vegan. Or to the one on the low-fat diet. I get to enjoy Christmas music and Christmas lights and Christmas sales. I get to receive lovely holiday cards with photos of kids growing up, and I don't have to send any in return. I wonder if this is this what it feels like to be Christian during Rosh Hashanah and Passover. Hmmm... must ask some of my Christian friends when those holidays roll around.
When I was a kid, my across-the-street neighbors, who were Jewish, used to have a Christmas tree, and we used to go over to their house and help them trim it. I loved it, but I never wished for my own tree. It sort of seemed weird to me for Jews to do that. But whatever. It was fun. And at the summer camp I attended, the last big activity of the summer was always Christmas, complete with a huge tree, cookie decorating, face painting, and presents. My senior year of high school, I spent Christmas with my friend at her family's farm in Virginia. I got to spend time with her younger cousins who firmly believed in Santa Claus. I got to go to Christmas mass. (I must admit I was nervous about that. I remember saying a little prayer to God before I set foot in the church, just to let him know I was still Jewish and this was only me sharing a holiday celebration with my friend.) I also got to milk a cow, but that's sort of besides the point.
So you see, I haven't missed out on Christmas. And I have to say, I loved when my own kids believed in Santa, and they plotted to stay up all night and watch the house across the street (the one with the twinkling Christmas lights) to see Santa arrive. I loved it even more on Christmas morning when they swore they saw him on his sleigh. And I loved it the most when we had a perfectly lovely lazy day, going to the movies and eating Chinese food.
So whether you're Jewish or Christian, or something else entirely, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I hope your holiday season is filled with love and laughter, good health and good fortune. See you in 2011!
1 Comments on A Jewish Christmas, last added: 12/25/2010
Around our house we celebrate Chrismukkah...Both! It is nice when Hanukkah is far from Christmas because it gives the kids more of an understanding of the difference. My daughter has been reading "Arthur's Perfect Christmas" in which two of Arthur's friends get mad at each other because one misses a Christmas party to attend a Hanukkah party. My daughter didn't know people didn't celebrate both!
When I first started writing, I waited for the mail to come each day, hoping to find a magical acceptance letter hidden between the bills and magazines. I think my mail carrier might have been a little scared of me, the way I jumped out of my house everyday, the minute he came near.
Then, when I finally got published, I waited for reviewers to say nice things about my book. That waiting was even harder than the first kind. What if I stunk? Or what if I was a genius? Either way, my life would change dramatically. I became paralyzed with the anticipation. Waiting to see how my book would be received kept me from being able to focus on the important task at hand: writing my next book. Waiting was making me crazy.
After my first book got lovely reviews and even won a very nice award (and I determined I was neither genius nor stinky), I still had to wait. This time I was waiting to sell my second book. Then I waited for those reviews. And so on and so on and so on.
Yuck!
But, ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to say that I have found the cure for waiting! It comes in two parts.
Part I: I understand that the level of success of my writing career is not going to change who I am. I'm a writer. I get crabby when I don't write. I like having stories and characters in my head. I like the challenge of finding the right words and putting them in the right order. I constantly strive to write better books and dream bigger dreams. That's just who I am. Intellectually, there's nothing to wait for because I'm doing the thing I love to do.
Part II: When the logical part of my brain (See Part I above) isn't working, I appeal to my emotional side by plugging into my competitive spirit. Instead of waiting, I race. Right now, my agent is trying to sell my third novel. I'm pretty sure this is the best thing I've ever written, and I'm really excited about it. But at the same time, the market is tougher than ever. My sweet coming-of-age story for tweens is going to have quite a struggle to find its home. It's the perfect breeding ground for waiting-itis. But as I've blogged about before, I'm writing a new book, one that is completely different from anything I've ever attempted before. So here's what I'm doing... I'm racing against my agent. My goal is to finish the first draft of my fourth novel before she sells my third. She thinks she's going to win. I think I will. Truth is, I win either way. But don't tell her that!
2 Comments on I hate waiting., last added: 12/9/2010
There's a kid named Alex in my town who is an amazing runner. I see him sometimes when I'm walking my dog or driving around the neighborhood, and I recognize him from far away because his stride looks so effortless and fast and powerful. Last week, my son told me that it was a big day for Alex because he had run for 365 consecutive days. Every single day for a year! We live in the Chicago suburbs. Our summers are hot and humid. Our winters are blustery and frigid. Our springs and falls are wet and windy. Can you imagine a 15-year-old boy running every single day for a year in weather like that? With typical teen distractions available to him all the time? It's no wonder his stride is so beautiful. It's no wonder that as a sophomore he's already one of the best runners on the varsity cross country team. His running may look effortless, but it's an illusion. He is putting in 100% effort, working every day, bit by bit, getting better, stronger, faster.
And isn't that true of all great things? The more you dedicate yourself, the more work you put into the creation of something, the more effortless it appears in the end. I really admire Alex's dedication. And I figure if he could do it, I can too. (I'm not talking about running, mind you. I hate to run!)
So, inspired by Alex, I've created a 365 Day Challenge, and I invite you to join me.
Choose something that you love and that you want to dedicate yourself to for an entire year. Working out? Writing poetry? Learning an instrument? Knitting? Singing? Creating a new business? Painting? Meditating? Shooting freethrows? The possibilities are endless. Now get a calendar. And go. No excuses. Find the time every day. And let me know how much progress you make. I bet we'll all have amazing stories of success to share.
My 365 Day Challenge is to write fiction. I'm one of those authors who tries to write everyday but quite often finds excuses why I can't get to it. (It's the weekend, It's a holiday, I don't have enough time, I have a headache, etc.) Recently, however, I realized I can get a lot of writing done in a small amount of time. If I turn off the internet, set the timer on my phone for 35 minutes and tell myself I have to continually write until the alarm beeps, I'm amazed at how much I accomplish. And usually, I can find several 35-minute chunks of time on even the busiest days. Every day I write for at least one 35-minute chunk, I'll mark it on my calendar. So far I'm on Day 6. Only 359 days to go!
Are you in? Let me know in the comments.
19 Comments on 365 Day Challenge, last added: 12/8/2010
I'm in, too! I'm setting the even more modest goal of 100 words a day. That's so small it should be impossible not to do. Of course I hope to write more most days. :) But something everyday is the point.
Jenny, you are such an efficient writer, I can't wait to see what you accomplish with this goal in mind! And by the way, thanks for giving me the idea to set a timer and write in small chunks of time. It's working wonderfully!
My first post, showed that I need to use spell check for everything-or at least slow my fingers down, haha!
I am in....As a new writer, trying to finish my first of 3 (series) I need the challenge. But, I need at leat a 500 word per day challenge to reach my goals!
At first I thought, no way! But 100words a day sounds possible. And I won't be fussy about what those words are about. Some of them might even be part of a comment to someone's blog challenge. And I am starting January 1, 2011. :-)
Good plan. I was surprised by how much participating in NaNoWriMo inspired me. Am passing your challenge along on Twitter. I'm in.
Diane O'Neill said, on 12/7/2010 11:18:00 AM
I am definitely in! I do write every day--but I'm not as focussed as I should be. I'm going to aim to work on my middle-grade novel every day for the next 365 days. Thanks for the challenge!
We were talking about this post at our Scribes meeting the other night! I've taken pictures before(one a day...)and made it over 180, but I recently finished NANOWRIMO and am feeling powerful again! I'm going to give some thought to my daily goal, and then I'm in!
Paula Morrow said, on 12/8/2010 1:57:00 PM
I'm in. Had to ponder whether I could really follow through. My Achilles' heel is marketing ... so I pledge to spend 20 minutes a day on marketing in 2011.
You may recall about a month ago I was going on about how much I loved my job. I had just come up with this amazing idea for a new book, and I had the feeling if you locked me in a room for a month, I could write the whole thing and it would be a bestseller.
That, my friends, is called the honeymoon. Your idea is all shiny and new, and you just can't get enough of it. But alas, every honeymoon must come to an end. And although you still may be in love, you aren't dying to be with it every moment of every day. Reality sets in, and you find that your idea is a regular idea, with good points and annoying points, and it demands the regular effort of writing and thinking and revising and writing some more.
Please don't feel bad for me. I'm okay with the honeymoon ending. I've got other things in life that I need to pay attention to anyway. (Hi kids. Hi husband. Hi house!) And it's not like I'm at the 7-year-itch yet or heading for divorce. We're still newlyweds, me and my Big Idea. I still love thinking about it and figuring out what it's all about. I'm still committed. I may not be writing with the passion and intensity that comes during the honeymoon, but I'm still writing.
So how long will this newlywed phase last? I will let you know!
2 Comments on After the Honeymoon, last added: 12/2/2010
1. It's going to see other authors speak. Last night I took my niece to see Lisa Yee speak at Vernon Area Library. Lisa is the hilarious author of Millicent Min, Girl Genius, and lots of other great books. I love going to author presentations because I'm always looking to improve my writing and presenting skills. Why not learn from those who are doing it well?
Lisa introduced me to Peepy, and I introduced her to my latest addiction, Skinny Pop
2. It's making an impact in children's lives. Today I visited a fifth grade classroom that had been reading Julia's Kitchen for read-aloud. I read them the final chapter and stayed to answer all their questions. The reception I received was so enthusiastic and energetic that I felt a bit like a celebrity. Have I mentioned lately that I love fifth graders??
Ms. Gordon's fifth graders and me
3. It's waiting to hear if your agent has sold your latest book. Okay, maybe that's not always fun. There's definitely a dimension of anxiety with this one. These days publishers are not doing backflips when they see a middle-grade coming-of-age story cross their desks. But here's the thing... I only need one publisher to fall in love with my newest book. And it is kind of fun to imagine who that publisher will be. It's definitely fun to dream of a bright future for my manuscript!
4. It's developing new characters and stories. I'm working on a new YA dystopian novel because I figured if you can't beat 'em, you might as well join 'em, and besides, I had this absolutely amazing story idea fly into my brain a couple of weeks ago, and I decided not to talk myself out of writing it. I'd been speeding along, writing faster than I normally do, when my agent reminded me that it can't be all plot. There has to be a compelling character with a distinct voice. Oh yeah, that. So now I'm thinking about this character I'm creating. She's sort of like a paper doll at this point, and I need her to be more flesh and blood. So I'm doing things like journaling from her point of view and imagining all aspects of her life. It's totally fun to create a character. Slowing down to do this important character work will definitely pay off in the long run.
5. It's curling up with a good book. Yes, reading is a huge part of being a writer. I learn so much from other authors. I often re-read fabulous books to see how the authors crafted their stories. Currently re-reading Feed by M.T. Anderson. If you haven't read that book at least once, you are missing out big time!
So there you have it. Writing may be hard. But let's not forget how much fun it is, too.
So the Big Idea I wrote about two weeks ago? It's still big and bright and beautiful! I've outlined the entire book and written two chapters of it. And the best news is that I brought the first chapter to critique group on Monday and received a very enthusiastic response. One of my critique buddies actually predicted my agent will pee in her pants when she reads it. :-)
I don't know about that, but I am loving developing this story. Lots of writers are doing NaNoWriMo this month (where you try to write an entire novel in one month). I know I can't do that. I'm just not comfortable enough with writing so much crap, and believe me, if I tried to write a novel in a month, that's exactly what it would be. But I am trying to write A LOT. If I can write 100 pages by Thanksgiving, I'll be thrilled. Heck, if I can write 50 pages by Thanksgiving, I'll be thrilled.
Meanwhile, here is my new favorite song. Enjoy:
2 Comments on Full Steam Ahead, last added: 11/3/2010
I seriously love my job. Love it! I don't care about all the yucky parts of being an author right now. All I care about is that my mind has been exploding with imagination lately. On Sunday as I was driving home from Michigan, a question popped into my head. It was a big question, prompted from playing "Would You Rather" with my kids as well as thoughts about my good friend who is about to undergo a bone marrow transplant. I can't tell you what the question was, but I promise you it was a Big Question. I immediately began pondering the answer to the question, and I discovered the answer sounded a lot like a book. A book that hasn't yet been written. A book that I want to write. That I need to write.
I floated my question and a bit of my answer to my husband and sons, and they were fascinated. You must understand that my husband and sons are not the least bit fascinated by the stories I normally ponder. And I don't blame them. How many males do you know who care about coming-of-age stories for girls?? But this story caught their imagination. And for the last few days I've been working out the details and discussing some of the problems with them, and instead of losing steam as the story unfolds, instead of coming up against a big Oh-That-Won't-Work or That's-So-Stupid moment, the story is getting bigger and better and more complicated in a really exciting way.
I feel so energized by this idea right now that I can imagine locking myself in a room for the next month and writing the whole book. It feels like it will flow right out of me. I have no idea how long this positive energetic feeling will last. But for now, I seriously love my job!
Revising is a nightmare for me. Minor tweaks, like grammatical things, replacing a word with a near-synonym, tightening up the rhythm... that's all fine. But yanking out a chunk of story is almost physically painful.
We are quite different, you and me!
I will try tip #1 the minute I sit down to write this afternoon.
I hope it works for you, Beth!