Jennifer Laughran is a senior agent at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. She joined ABLA in 2007 after many years as a buyer and event coordinator for an independent bookstore. Jenn is always on the lookout for sparkling YA and middle grade fiction with unusual and unforgettable characters and vivid settings; the common thread in all her favorite stories is an offbeat world-view. She loves funny books, thrilling books, romantic books, books that make her cry, and all-around un-put-downable books.
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| Jennifer Laughran on the big screen - and on the Agents Panel |
Jennifer talks about the scope of her agenting, from big picture to deals to day-to-day author/illustrator care. A few highlights:
She goes into detail about the ways she helps her illustrator clients get their work in front of art directors and agents. Hint: make sure you have a good website with an online portfolio, showing a broad range of styles, action, movement, kid characters...
In fielding a question about how she feels about clients who want to write in two different genres, Jennifer says it depends: "Are you good at both?" She cites her client
Kate Messner's range of titles, genres and categories and how they strategize Kate's releases with a color-coded calendar! (p.s. - she's sold 30 books for Kate!)
Query letters: Long enough to cover what she needs to know, but short enough to intrigue her.
On success: "George" is a middle-grade debut novel by Alex Gino
that Jennifer sold overnight to Scholastic. They got it Monday evening and made an offer Tuesday morning. It's being talked about as an overnight success. Except for the eight years Alex spent writing it. And the additional year the author worked with Jennifer on the book before it was sent out on submission. So it's really "a decades-long success."
Jennifer represents a lot of established authors and also a lot of debut authors. She looks out at the room of over 1,000 authors and illustrators and tells us she's always looking for new people, and hopes some of her future clients are in the room.
With conference faculty guest agent Tina Wexler, agent Jennifer Laughran, Art Director and Author Laurent Linn, Best-Selling and Award-Winning Author Jane Yolen, editor Emma Dryden and editor and publisher Arthur A. Levine, our group of more than forty attendees gathered to share and talk about writing and illustrating LGBTQ characters and themes in works for children and teens.
In moments ranging from hilarious to somber, topics covered included picture book art notes (dos and don'ts), gender non-conformity, gender challenges in the English language, and the urgent need for more books with LGBTQ diversity.
At one point, an ally voiced a concern about writing from a queer perspective, and the consensus was to not hold back about writing from other points of view (outside your own.) To do your homework, to run it by people who are members of that community...
Arthur: "I urge you to not be self-conscious"
Jane: "In terms of getting it right. In terms of getting the feelings right."
It was a great conversation and the room was filled with a sense of warmth and community. We sat in a circle, each person sharing their name and what they're working on, with our conference faculty (and myself) chiming in with thoughts, advice and insights.
Once the session ended, many participants stayed to exchange contact information and mingle. The pictures are from that part of the evening:
I was honored to host - my thanks and appreciation to the panel and all the attendees!
Lee
My “next” project that I’ve been working on forever has been giving me fits. One of the dilemmas is what age to make the characters, and therefore, who the target audience will.
I’m an MG kind of a guy. I’ve spent a career teaching fifth and sixth graders. I know how they operate, what shenanigans they think they can get away with, and the cocky attitudes they employ to pull it off. And I’m smart enough to realize they probably got away with a few things I wasn’t aware of. They’re as capable as teenagers of scheming wild ideas, just not as aware of when the silly notion won’t work.
Earlier this week, Julie Daines said to listen to your gut, our writer’s intuition that is our friend should we choose to listen. I think my friend is telling me to take it MG. But the first time I did that, I overshot my audience. What to do, what to do?
Then a timely article arrived this month from Writer’s Digest. In “The Key Differences Between Middle Grade Vs. Young Adult,” agent Marie Lamba of The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency helps clarify the two. She sees a lot of queries of manuscripts with “an MG/YA identity crisis.” She rejects many of these simply because the writer did not know the basics of the age group they thought they were writing for.
In a nutshell, the differences boil down to a few areas:
Age of readers
Middle-grade does not mean middle school. MG is for readers ages 8-12 and 13-18 for YA. While there is no “tween” category, middle school libraries tend to have shelves for both. There are upper and lower MG as there is in YA.
Age of protagonists
Kids “read up” so your characters should be on the higher end of the age of the readers. Thus a 10-year old hero would be ideal for a lower MG, 12 or even 13 for upper MG, and 17 or 18 for YA. Your YA character can’t yet be in college.
Manuscript length
30,000-50,000 words is the norm for MG while YA starts at 50,000 and goes up to 75,000. These are not set in stone, but a good length to shoot for. Fantasy novels can exceed that due to the world-building necessary.
Voice
YA is usually written in first person while third person is common for MG.
Content
There is a difference in what is allowable in each. While there is no profanity, graphic violence, or sexuality in works for younger readers, they are acceptable for YA, the exception being erotica. In a recent Writer’s Digest webinar, Jennifer Laughran of Andrea Brown Literary Agency says a few “Hells” and “damns” are okay for MG, but the harsher curses should be avoided. MG heroes can have romance, but it should be limited to a crush or first kiss. Generally, MG novels end on a hopeful note while that isn’t necessary of YA works. Marie Lamba says there are gatekeepers between you and your middle-grade audience - parents, teachers, librarians - who may discourage the book. That ultimately could affect a publishers’s choice to print it. This isn’t as much an issue for YA, though gratuitous sex, numerous F-bombs, and extensive violence could mean the book may sit in fewer schools.
Mind-set
This is a biggie, the one I missed when I originally wrote the book. MG focuses on friends, family, and the character’s immediate world and their relationship to it; character react to what happens to them, with minimal self-reflection. YA characters discover how they fit in the world beyond their friends and family; they reflect more on what happens and analyze the meaning of things. Jennifer Laughran says that MG kids test boundaries and have adventures “finding their place within a system” whereas YA teens do the same, while “busting out of the system” and find themselves.
There are, of course, exceptions to every rule. Once you have the writing chops of J.K. Rowling, you, too, can write a 200,000 word tale. But even Harry didn’t kiss Ginny until they were teenagers.
So I’m listening, gut, my quiet friend. I do wish you would speak louder sometimes.
(This article also posted at http://writetimeluck.blogspot.com)
If you’re an un-agented writer, you might be thinking—do I even NEED a blog? What content should it contain? How often should I post? What SHOULDN’T I blog about?
Well, relax. I asked a few agents what they thought of writerly blogs. Their responses may surprise you.
Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency:
“I don’t have any strict rules or do’s and don’ts. I find blogs are perhaps less useful than they used to be, with the exception of those with large followings. Mostly I go to them, when considering signing someone new, to get a sense of their personality and how they present themselves (whether to fellow kidlit folks, gatekeepers or kids).”
Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary Agency:
“A writer’s blog wouldn’t be a deal-breaker for me unless it was wildly unprofessional. First and foremost, when I’m looking at a potential client, it’s all about the writing. But beyond that, a blog or website gives a sense of who that person is, how our tastes and interests might mesh, etc. So make sure your web presence reflects who you are, and that it looks clean and tight and polished. I don’t think they’re essential, but it is nice to put a face and background to the voice I’m reading on the screen.”
Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary Agency:
“I don’t care if an author has a blog or not. But if they DO have a blog, I hope it is lively, interesting, informative, fun to read, and gives a sense of their “voice” and a glimpse into their lives.
Turnoffs: Lots of word-count posts. Constant self-promotion. Complaining about blogging, complaining about the publishing industry, complaining about specific people (your agent or editor, for example)—or “Humblebragging.” Overly political or “sexy” posts (unless you are a political or sexy writer).
If an author HATES blogging and is struggling to find the time or energy…if it is taking away from their work or making them miserable…then they should absolutely not do it. An unused blog, or a blog that is just complaints or self-PR, is so much worse than no blog at all.”
Teresa Kietlinski, Prospect Agency:
“Blogs are absolutely important in my decision making. When submissions come in, I tend to visit blogs first because they give me a taste of the writer’s (and illustrator’s) personality, voice and interests. It also lets me see how dedicated they are to the craft of writing or illustrating. Do they post frequently? Do they talk about topics of interest in the children’s book world? Are they honing his/her skills? What books is he/she reading? Would I like to join him/her for
Jennifer Laughran joined Andrea Brown Literary Agency in 2007. Her clients include Daniel Pinkwater, Calef Brown, Matt Faulkner, Jackie Dolamore, Ilsa J. Bick, Eric A. Kimmel, L.K. Madigan, Adam Selzer, Tara Kelly and Kate Messner, and many excellent debut authors.
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| Jennifer Laughran speaking to a packed room |
Jennifer starts her session with sharing her background. She was a bookseller (her family owns an independent bookstore), then a buyer for a major bookstore and an events coordinator.
She became an agent in 2007 and finds the jobs are very similar – matching the right books to the right people… just in a more macro way.
Andrea Brown Literary has nine agents, Jennifer is their NY agent (the main office is in the San Francisco bay area.
They're the #1 children’s agency in the country, and they only represent children’s, PB to YA
Her focus is MG and YA
with a few authors who do PB also,
and a few author/illustrators.
Jennifer has a wonderful blog
here's the link and has sold 78 books as of this month since 2008! (27 or so are out already.)
She covers a number of different metaphors and definitions of fiction, positing that fiction is always true, some element of truth, some part of the human condition that you’re exposing – that’s where “write what you know” comes in. It means “write what you know about the human condition to be true.”
She talks about many of the “rules” as a reader, and how you really need to ignore the rules.
A writing tip via author Holly Black:
“Write to please a reader self and not a writer self.”
Jennifer explains that means don’t write things that are boring.
“If you do get dressed in the morning, don’t tell me about it, I’ll take it on faith.” Tell her about what happens when you leave the house and have an adventure.
Her Advice:
Write the book that you would have held close to your heart when you were a kid,
a book that only you can write.
Trends?
“trends suck. I hate them. I think you should be setting trends, not following them.”
The fact that the marketplace has contracted is a good thing for readers, but it’s tough for writers, means we have to work that extra hard. But she praises those of us here doing our work, saying we’re already one step ahead.
She’s running down different kinds of MG and YA books, and urges us to figure out how to differentiate our take on the subject if we’re going to write in a genre that’s well-known. Writing about vampires? How do you have a different take on it?
She explains how each of us can find our voice, defines high concept, and tells us
“There’s always a market for awesome books.”
Her tastes are “at the intersection of beautifully written and highly commercial,” saying the greater a manuscripts un-put-down-ability, the easier it is to sell, and that’s the book she wants to represent. She adds, “I am always interested in fresh unique funny MG and
mysterious, scary YA.”
She took a lot of questions from a very enthusiastic and interested audience, making us laugh many times and sharing so much great information.
Okay, I know I promised you practical tools for managing online information but I was just SO DANGED thrilled about this interview that I decided it couldn't wait another week, while practical online tips most definitely
could.
I am HUGELY excited to share with you an interview with Jennifer Laughran of the
Andrea Brown Literary Agency, better known to those of you on Twitter as
@Literaricat.
In an industry that can often overwhelm and confuse, Jennifer is an invaluable, accessible source of publishing insight and helpful information. After reading
her blog and following her on Twitter for lo these many months, I felt sure that many Shrinking Violet readers would benefit greatly from some of that insight...
SVP: Are you an introvert? How about your clients, would you say a large number of the writers you’ve met are introverts?
JL: I am sort of a mixture. I can be quite outgoing, "on" - I am quite noisy and confident when in this mode, and I'm OK with talking to large groups or strangers. But I do need a lot of time to decompress afterward. I'd say for every hour of "on" I need two of quiet alone-time. I am not sure how my clients would define themselves in this regard. I'd imagine that most of them are kind of like me - able to be lively raconteurs, but possibly work better in solitude.
SVP: Your client list is widely varied and includes debut authors, those who have published a few books, and those who’ve been publishing for years. Can you pinpoint what qualities those authors or their writing have in common that drew you to them?
JL: They are all at the top of their form. Their work is all totally different, but always fun to read. They are all pretty much straightforward and open communicators.
SVP: What is your agenting style? Are you a hands on agent editorially? A shark?
JL: I do read and give notes, but the are likely to be big-picture or "Meta Notes." Like, I might tell you that I feel the main character seems too young to be credible and ask you to consider aging her up a bit. But I am unlikely to give detailed line-edits or copy-edit type notes. My authors tend to give me pretty polished work (and if it wasn't almost ready, I wouldn't have taken it on to begin with.) So, yeah. I consider myself a SELLING agent.
SVP: What do you think aspiring authors would be most surprised to hear about agents in general or you in particular? JL: I think there is a lot of mystique surrounding agents. In fact, we are quite normal, and rarely drink writer blood.
SVP: What is the one biggest misconception authors seem to have about the publishing business?
JL: Many people think (quite erroneously) that there is some easy shortcut to publication that nobody is telling them, and that once they are published everything will be covered in rainbows and sparkledust.
In fact, getting published is mostly a very long, very slow, at times quite painful, slog. It is HARD WORK to be a great writer. Publishing is SLOW and AWFUL much of the time. I mean, don't get me wrong, it is probably better than digging ditches, and there can be momen
Last Saturday I woke at 5:00am to meet up with my critique group to drive to the Western/Central Upstate NY SCBWI Cabin Fever Conference in Syracuse. The roads had not yet been plowed and the snow drifted across the lanes making me think that if the plow guys weren't up yet, then I shouldn't be either. But that is how much I wanted, needed a mid-winter writing boost, to mingle with other writers and learn something new.
The first speaker was writer Linda Oatman High, who I admire for her ability to take historical anecdotes and create compelling picture books like Cemetery Keepers. She shared how she uses her own experiences and weaves them into fine fiction. I liked her advice for dealing with annoying siblings -- "Don't fight'em, write 'em." Put them in your stories and you can turn the tables to make them do anything you want them to do.
Illustrator Jonas Sickler spoke about self promotion, and although his advice applied mostly to illustrators, I learned that each time you update your website Google elevates you in their listings. I also learned about amazon.com associates and why it might be a good idea to have a fan page on facebook. Although there is nothing lonelier than a fan page with no fans. Or is it one of those "build it and they will come" phenomena?
For me the highlight of the conference was agent Jennifer Laughran. Her frank humor was refreshing. "There is no point in this process," she said, "when someone won't be mean to you -- so if you can't handle that, please stop now." Yet she patiently provided answers to beginner's questions and demonstrated why any writer would want her on their side. Laughran has a wonderful enthusiasm for championing her client's stories, and I felt a pang of envy, which I promised to turn into resolve in my own search for an agent.
After lunch where I chatted with another writer and a future librarian, I sat in on the first page critique. I didn't submit anything, but learned a lot listening to each page read and then the comments of Laughran and an "Anonymous Intern" who spent her summer as a first reader at a major publishing house. What sparked comments? Overdone leads like watching the character wake up in the morning; too many similes in one paragraph; a passive voice; starting too early in the story; starting too late; and leads that are meant to be mysterious and intriguing, but to a reader are just vague and confusing.
Back in the car, we rehashed the day and each of us wondered how we could revise our work based on the new bits of information we acquired. I bet everyone at that conference was back at their desks the next morning, reenergized and ready to work. And that's what a great conference can do -- give you the boost you need to elevate your work to the next level, so, someday an agent will lift your books high. As Jennifer Laughran said, "There is always a market for amazing."
Jennifer Laughran from Andrea Brown just updated her
Ask the Agent post on her blog, and I found something there I thought you should see. Here is is:
A question posted by Drachen Jager:
Hi Jennifer,
I have a question about percentages. You said above that you accept approximately .1% of what crosses your desk (which, I gather, is pretty normal for an agent). What I'd like to know is, what percentage of manuscripts you request make it out of the slush pile and on to your client list?
I have two manuscripts out on requests right now (one partial) and I'm just wondering what my odds are. They've both been out for over a month which I hope is good news since both requests were made within a week of my query (going under the (possibly flawed) assumption that if they read queries so fast they probably have at least looked at my MS).
Thanks! You're doing a great thing here and I'm sure it's a big drain on your time. I'm sure I speak for everyone here when I say we really appreciate your efforts!
Jennifer Laughran's response:
Umm... I have no idea. I would say that I request about 1 full in every 50-80 queries. And of those fulls, I end up repping possibly 1-2%
Don't know about you all, but I need a drink. And a dose of genius.
Dare I say, 'happy submitting'?
Martina
Hi all!
Most of you know this already. Just a reminder that the 2nd "Dear Lucky Agent" Contest being held on the Guide to Literary Agents blog ends this coming Sunday, February 21, EST. The category this time is Kids Novels (Middle Grade and Young Adult).
To enter, you must submit the first 150-200 words of your unpblished, book-length work of middle grade or young adult fiction. Entry must be e-mailed with no attachments. Also, you must submit the title of your work and a logline (one-sentence description of the work) with your entry.
***To be eligible to submit, Chuck (the GLA editor) asks that you do one of two things: either mention & link to this contest TWICE through some type of social media (blog, Twitter, Facebook), OR mention the contest once & add Guide to Literary Agents Blog to your blogroll.
FIRST PLACE winner --- critique of 25 pages of your work by your agnt judge, a query critique, and 2 free books from Writer's Digest Books (you get to choose from several choices)
SECOND & THIRD PLACE winners --- critique of 10 pages of your work, and 1 free book from Writer's Digest Books
For complete details & guidelines, click here
Oh yes, the judge for this contest is Jennifer Laughran of the esteemed Andrea Brown Literary Agency
GOOD LUCK to everyone who enters! :)
...But I know I'll be a book some day
at least I hope and pray that I will...
All this week, we've talked about how a story becomes a book. And now that we've got the book made, we need to sell it... and that's where Jennifer Laughran comes in.
Jenn... you wear three different hats in the book world (Jenn is also an associate agent at Andrea Brown Literary Agency), but today we want to know about your role as a "gatekeeper". You're a buyer and events person for Books Inc., one of the bigggest and best indies in the country. And that means you help decide what the store will carry, and what it won't. I guess what we all really want to know is how you decide what to buy? We know the publishing houses send sales guys (and gals) out to the stores, but how do you pick your books when there's so much to choose from?
Larger publishers send the buyers a lovely sales kit, full of catalogues, marketing materials, ARCs, etc. The buyers paw through them. The sales rep comes to visit. We go through the catalogue page by page with the sales rep, looking up info about each title as we go. For example, what numbers past titles by the same author or on the same topic or in the same series have done. We then use those numbers, combined with the spiel the rep gives us, to decide how many of each title to get, and what to skip. The reps know us and our stores needs very well, and are a tremendous help. They are not just trying to be "boosters" -- the best reps are very very honest about what they think will do well for us, and we trust them.Smaller pubs, we just go through the catalogues on our own, in the same way.
Are there certain kinds of books you absolutely won't carry?
There is no genre or type of book that we categorically "will not carry" -- we cater toward our neighborhood clientele however. So since most people in my neighborhood shun shiny Disney character books and love thinky hardback literature type books -- I tend to go heavy on the latter and very light on the former. At a different store, this equation would certainly be different. We do have 10 stores, and I think that each location has a different looking inventory because they are really customized for the neighborhoods.
And once they're in the store, how long do you keep them around? If you really love a book, will you keep it on the shelves forever?
Every buyer has their own formula. For me, adult hardcover fiction has about 8 weeks to sell before I start culling down (from 5 copies to 2, for example), and I will return all copies if it hasn't sold in 12 weeks. Simple reasoning - adult hardcover relies greatly on publicity to sell. If the publicity hasn't hit and done its job in that time, it isn't going to, and there are more books vying for attention and shelf space every week. Paperbacks and books about specialized topics have more time. And so do children's books in all categories. Children's books rely very much on word-of-mouth, and on being embraced by teachers & librarians, etc., to start picking up steam. Some of our bestselling kids books are ones that have been out for years now, while new ones might languish for a while before they start going. Still, do we keep them forever? No. It has to sell some copies. If I or one of the other booksellers loves-loves-loves a book that is maybe getting overlooked, we'll write a "shelftalker" -- that is the little card with a recommendation that goes underneath the book -- and that will usually give a favorite title a good boost. Then it doesn't get returned! Yay!
Do you order many books you don't like, but that you know will sell? Do you ever direct someone away from a book you don't like?
I don't like lots of things. In fact, I would go so far as to say that I don't like MOST things. So, I order things that I think my customers will like. I don't tell people my personal feelings about a book unless they ask me directly, and even then I'll hedge and be diplomatic. "You know, that isn't MY favorite, but it got terrific reviews and it is selling really well, so..."
Are there any secrets to handselling? What are you pushing right now?
It is just like selling anything, I suppose. You try and figure out what the customer wants and how you can quickly customize your pitch to them. A librarian is looking for books for a different reason than a grandma or a six-year-old. They might all end up with the same book! But how I sell it will be different for each person. There are other secrets, of course, but I can't tell them, or I'll be kicked out of the guild. And what I decide to push varies from day-to-day. Come shop in my store, and I'll sell you something nice.
Is there any way an author can effectively suck up to you so that you'll handsell their book?
Besides writing a great book?
No.
How much does the book's cover matter, in terms of what you order, and also in terms of what seems to sell?
A lot.
Do blurbs matter a lot?
Not for kids. Maybe for adults who are clueless and just grasping for any sort of information about the book and need a reason to pick one book over another. If there are two gigantic middle-grade dragon books with blue covers and glitter, you might pick the one that has a blurb by Neil Gaiman over the one with the blurb by Joe Schmo, cause Neil Gaiman is an expert, right? But then again, if you don't like Neil Gaiman, your preference will go the other way.
In addition to being a buyer and an agent, you run the wickedly successful Not Your Mother's Book Club. How'd that come about? Why do you think it's been such a hit? What's different about it?
I wanted to bring awesome YA authors to the kids in my neighborhood, and do fun events rather than boring typical "author visits" or some book club where it is like homework. I try and make our events more like a party, and I give away lots of free stuff and have food, etc. And the kids respond really well.
Do you think in-store events like that affect sales much, or are they more about the community of the bookstore?
Both. The sales may not be huge on the night of the event - but in the long-term, they are definitely up for that book and the authors other books. And the YA section as a whole has probably tripled in size and sales.
What's been your best event so far?
Mmm... there have been a lot of great ones. I liked "GOTH PROM" with Holly Black and Cassie Clare, that was fun. We did a HUGE event for Stephenie Meyer when the last book came out -- about 500 people -- but we also hosted a private lunch for just 12 kids and Stephenie. That was amazing! And we did a party at a cafe with Sarah Dessen that was absolutely phenomenal -- it was a couple of years ago, and the kids that went to it will remember it forever.
And what's on your nightstand?
My "nightstand" is actually a wooden chair with -- hang on, let me count -- um, about 45 books on it. But the ones at the top are the ARCs for Forest of Hands and Teeth from Delacorte, and Eon from Viking.
Last question-- you juggle a lot, as an agent, buyer, event planner. What's the hardest part of your job?
Finding time to read
Thanks Jennifer! Our book is almost there! It's been bought and now it is heading for the shelves...
By:
Alice Pope,
on 2/19/2008
Blog:
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Check Out Chuck's Blog...
Guide to Literary Agents editor Chuck Sambuchino recently posted notes from a conference session he attended with agent Jennifer Laughran of Andrea Brown Literary and author Wendy Lichtman. They offered tips and advice for writing for tweens and teens.
Click here's to check it out.
By:
Garden Painter Art,
on 2/14/2008
Blog:
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Good Morning:
Well, just as I suspected, the few days of 80 degree weather that we had here in the Southern California desert was short lived. I'm okay with that. It just doesn't seem right to be so warm in February. Our walk this morning was chilly to the bone with a constant goose-bump inducing wind. Was nice to get back home and have that first cup of morning coffee.
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It seems that today is Valentine's Day. Ava (my daughter) is busy in the kitchen making a cheesecake for Gary and me to have as our desert tonight. She's altering the recipe to make a peanutbutter cheesecake, so I'm looking forward to the end result. Later today, I'll run out and buy a bottle of Almond Champagne and set the table for a nice dinner for two. Ava will make dinner for my two sons and herself, and Gary and I will feast on our traditional Valentine dinner of "Pick-Up-Stix". I shan't allow myself to think of the sinful amount of calories that I'll be consuming!!
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I have a new original 4" x 6" collage on canvas listed in My Etsy Shop. Have a look at the old church in the background. I took that photo a few years back in Cuervo, New Mexico. It's a little abandoned town off of Interstate 40. I googled Cuervo not too long ago, and found that there are some interesting stories connected to the town.
SUNDAY MORNING WITH LITTLE RABBIT AND BROTHER BILLY
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Looks like I'm off for the day. I have a few chores that need to be attended to.
Until Next Time:
Kim
Garden Painter Art
Good Morning All:
With the warm summer mornings and brutally hot days we've had this last week, it takes my mind back to some of the family road trips we took through the 1990s and early 2000s.
We traveled back and forth between Northwest Arkansas and Southern California many times during the summers when our kids were little. For whatever unfortunate reason, no matter what vehicle we owned at the time, it was inevitable: our air-conditioner would go bonkers as soon as we started off across the long, parched desert roads. I can remember it being so miserable and stuffy in our van that we had wet towels wrapped around our necks. We would soak the towels in the ice chest and get them good and icy cold and wrap them around our shoulders and necks. The kids would literally put them over their entire heads!! It was miserable at the time, but looking back, it made great memories.
On one of our many trips, my daughter, who was about 6 at the time, was coming down with a cold and had a fever on our first day on the road. She was lying down in the back seat and I was sitting next to her. She looked at me, said, "uh-oh, sorry" and launched her breakfast all over both of us. We stopped at a restaurant and cleaned up. She felt better the rest of the day, but honestly, we were foul smelling until we made it to the hotel in Grants, New Mexico.
This trip became so common place for us, that my husband, who was the driver extraordinaire, had the trip down to a science. What should have been a nice, leisurely 3 day 2 night trip, became a whirl-wind one-nighter. Two long days on the road and one night. We always stayed at the same Days Inn in Grants New Mexico.
Through our journeys, we made some awesome discoveries. Not only cool discoveries along the roadside, but discoveries about ourselves and our strength and perseverance.
One of the most beautiful sights that we found on the roadside was this gorgeous and abandoned church in Cuervo, New Mexico:
I had often admired it from Interstate 40, but getting my husband off the beaten path was not easy. The last trip we made, he pulled off of I-40 and onto old Route 66 so that I could get some pictures of my often admired church. We didn't get out of the car, but I managed to snap some nice photos. I have always intended to use this church in a 5" x 7" collage someday.
Our trips were never luxurious or even very pleasant, but looking back, I can see how important they were. It taught my kids patience and appreciation of roadside sights. We endured heat and exhaustion and the stench of a very huge cattle ranch in the Texas panhandle. We have boxes of photos from these trips that are now classified as my personal treasures.
It's doubtful that we'll make that trip across the great American highway again. At least not without air-conditioning. But I wouldn't trade my memories of those long and stuffy days, packed in our van with 3 kids for any amount of money.
Until Tomorrow:
Kim
Garden Painter Art
Kim's Kandid Kamera
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Excellent post. I wonder if editors would have a similar spectrum of responses.
Tara, this is an interesting and timely post. I got the same message from SCBWI-LA this past weekend. According to Jen Rofé, it’s nice if you have a platform so your books will sell, however a platform does not automatically mean a blog, FB and twitter. A platform means credibility. Your platform could be your teacher’s credentials, your art history expertise (if you write about that), your obsession with natural disasters (if you write about that) etc. For most of us, our blogs don’t attract a big following, and most of our followers are fellow writers. That doesn’t really make a platform or generate a lot of book sales. Plus spending a lot of time blogging, FBing and tweeting can take you away from your own creative work. The takeaway was, “If you use social media, use professionally.” However, it’s totally not necessary.
Thanks for adding this, Kirsten. It is precisely what I told my picture book writing students last night. Most author blogs attract other writers and not necessarily parents and the people who buy books. But those reader-writers are a good source of support and may help promote your books, too. Blogs aren’t necessary, especially if you don’t ENJOY writing them. I happen to really love blogging, and I hope that shows through in my posts.
Aha! Yet another blog post for the future…
Good thinking! I’ll look forward to that.
so helpful Tara! Reminds me to update my website. Thanks to you and the agents!
This does surprise me, Tara…it’s good to hear from the agents themselves. Maybe I can relax a bit??
And yes, I wonder what editors would say….
This very topic has been heavily on my mind lately. I know authors need web presence, but blogging just hasn’t clicked for me yet. I need to devote the time I have now to writing stories and keeping my household together. So, for now, I read only a few *select* blogs to help gather the seeds for what will someday be my own. Now, don’t you feel special?
Tara, your love of blogging does show! I let myself take a blog-cation this summer, and it was very freeing. Now with the understanding that I don’t HAVE to blog, I hope to write fewer, but hopefully better posts.
YES! I DO!!! Thanks.