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Hey guys, it’s Kat! I hope you all had a great week For those of you who have been reading Pub Crawl/Let the Words Flow (as we used to be known way back when), you might remember we used to do Questions of the Week, where a number of us here at the blog would all answer one reader-submitted question, offering a variety of insight.

Well, it’s been a while since we did a QOTW, but we decided to bring the feature back. However, QOTW is a bit of a misnomer, since we’ll probably be doing them more like once a month…so now they’re called Questions of the Month!

The question we’ll be discussing this Friday is: “In your opinion, what makes a great villain? And how do you go about crafting your own villains?”

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It’s really important to me that a villain’s motives make sense. This doesn’t mean that I ever agree with his/her actions, just that however evil or wrong or misguided the villain is, I can at least get inside his/her head and see where they’re coming from. Example: Voldemort was so terrifying because his obsession with pure-bloods and the cleansing of the Wizarding race felt real. His racism ran deep, and I could see what he was trying to attempt and why. Every villain is the hero of his/her own story, and the protagonist is the antagonist in our villain’s eyes. I always try to keep this in mind when writing.

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Don’t leave your villains lurking in the shadows; I think it’s important to give villain’s plenty of page time. I used to be a huge fan of the television show The Vampire Diaries. One thing I loved about that show was that their villains were never part time. They were active characters, always causing problems, killing people, directly tormenting the MCs. It was awesome! I think this also made the villains on The Vampire Diaries feel more powerful because they weren’t afraid to show their faces, and during many of these confrontations they would win.

I think that ideally your villain and your MC should have a relationship arc—just like the other arcs in your story. And if you take the time to map out something like this, it’s going to ensure your villain does more than just randomly pop up everyone once in a while.

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In creating villains, examine their black souls and find the colors inside. A multi-dimensional villain can break your heart, too.

 

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I agree totally with Stephanie on relationships between the villain and other characters. I also think it’s important to somehow make the villain relatable; give them common human traits or trivial weaknesses so that even if people can’t relate to the murderer, they can relate to them disliking the cold not because the cold is their nemesis, but because the cold sucks.

In terms of how I write my own, I wrote a post here a while back that covers that

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I love JJ’s mention of the slippery, morally ambiguous villain. Those are definitely some of my favorites as well – I find myself hating them and rooting for them all at once, which can be deliciously frustrating. And villains whose motives make complete sense to me as a reader are even better. We’ve all heard the phrase “a villain is the hero of his own story”. But I think it’s important to remember that this means our hero is his/her villain. And how does this play out if the hero and the villain have a personal relationship already? What does this mean for the reader, who is now being given another layer to the conflict? There are so many ways to create depth in villains, but I think at the very start of the list, a villain must have more than “rule the world at any cost” on their to-do list.

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I agree with so much that’s already been said here! If I could add anything, it would be that it helps me to remember that most people believe they are acting morally, so in the villain’s (however twisted) understanding, his actions are morally justified. I also enjoy a story that has so much moral ambiguity–depending on whose POV you consider–that it can be unclear who the villain actually is.

—

Annd, that’s our round-up! What are you guys’ thoughts on villains?

If you have a question you want us to consider for a future QOTM, feel free to post it in the comments or tweet it at us! Even if we don’t choose it for our next QOTM, we might pick it for a future one after that

 

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[My apologies if you've already seen this on my site. For some reason, the LJ importation device on my blog seems to have broken, which then breaks the Facebook automatic importation from Livejournal. I'm copying and pasting the last 5 entries that have been missed in the importation, as a temporary fix to figuring out the WordPress problem.]

Ingrid writes to ask:

How exactly does an imprint of a publishing company work? Are imprints more specific in subject matter or is there a deeper connection with the parent company?

Are your chances of getting published better with an imprint or does the sale of your work do better with a more well-known publisher?

I would like to submit my manuscript to a smaller company because I think that they will "get" my writing style, but this company is an imprint of a bigger one. Is it safer to submit to the parent company and hope for the best or will an imprint be more helpful and "reachable?"

First off, let's distinguish between a smaller company and an imprint. Big and small publishers will both have imprints. You may have an advantage getting published with a smaller press because they'll often be able to give more personalized attention from the editorial stage on through production and promotion---though that can depend, too. I'll get to small publisher vs. large publisher in another post. First, what is an imprint?

An imprint is publishing speak for a brand. It's usually not a separate company from the parent publisher; rather, it's a way to divide books within the publisher that might just be on paper (editors and other staff might work across imprints; the books are simply branded differently depending on genre or audience) or might be a fiscal division of the company, depending on the size of the company and the way it's organized.

For example, MacMillan reorganized last year so that all their children's imprints (FSG, Feiwel and Friends, Holt, etc.) are in one division of the company, MacMillan Children's Publishing Group. Now, I don't know the company well enough to know whether the editorial for each imprint is divided into different departments underneath the group (I imagine so---the articles I've read mention that they'll share art departments and production resources), but certain editors only work on Feiwel and Friends, and others only work on FSG. At least, that's how I understand it as an outsider to the company---some editors could be working across imprints, the way that Sharyn November works on both Viking and Firebird books at Penguin. It just depends on how the company structures itself.

When I worked at Wizards of the Coast, I only worked on Mirrorstone books, not any of the adult novels, and not any of the game books (such as Dungeons and Dragons rule books). Mirrorstone was the imprint I worked on, but Wizards of the Coast was the company I worked for, which was itself a division of Hasbro, the toy and game company. There were departmental lines between the novels and the games (at least at first; this changed, as corporations are wont to do), and within the novels lines, editors were assigned to particular imprints. When the now-defunct Discoveries imprint was launching, all the adult editors worked on Discoveries as well as their own Wizards-imprint books, but Mirrorstone editors worked only on Mirrorstone. Here at Lee & Low, I only work on Tu's books, and the other editors only work on Lee & Low books, not Tu.

Editors will pass manuscripts over to editors at other imprints within the company if something has been misdirected to us, but we prefer that a book be directed to the right imprint. Hence, if your manuscript fits a particular imprint, it's best to submit to that imprint---if they take unsolicited submissions. Most of the bigger companies don't take unsolicited submissions, and if the larger company doesn't, usually the imprint doesn't. Check their submission guidelines, which are usually linked on company w

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Looking for a place for a vacation combined with books? You can stay at Nora Robert's B&B or follow the Bookstore Tourism blog and plan your trip accordingly. Then there's always the Library Hotel.

Do you have any other book/author-friendly vacation spots?

Unrelated, but fascinating, to me anyhow. Do you remember, in TWISTED, the English teacher told the main character, Tyler, about a friend of his in grad school who had Homo, fuge written on his arm, in Latin? (A wonderful librarian quotes the entire passage on her blog entry about TWISTED, if you don't remember.)

Well, there is evidence of a real-world person getting this tattoo, though he went for the English translation, not the Latin. I am quite sure this tat had nothing to do with my book and everything to do with the original Tragical History of Doctor Faustus. It's just cool when the real world and the world in my head intersect. (thanks to Susanna William via Fuse #8 for the linkitude.)


You wrote: This is probably one of those "whatever works for you" kinds of questions, but I'd like your perspective. Since, as you mention, most writers must maintain full-time jobs to live on while writing, how does one balance writing with the other demands of life? This includes not only the full-time day job but also raising children and family demands. I'm sure that your juggling of book tours and fan mail and running and family alongside your writing time must provide some wisdom...please share!

No wisdom, just sympathy. Every writer I know faces these struggles. And they don't seem to get easier, they simply morph into something new. Most of our kids are grown, but now taking care of our elderly parents takes up a lot of time. Chances are that when our parents have all passed away, grandchildren will appear on scene. "And so it goes...," to quote a famous man.

I've always set well-defined and somewhat attainable goals for myself, both in my writing and my real-world life. Having goals helps me keep the right compass heading when life gets overwhelming. I've also gotten better at turning away from the kinds of activities that do not support the priorities in my family life and my work. This means watching little television and going to few movies. I'm not much of a volunteer anymore. I kind of feel bad about that, but to my dismay, there are still only 24 hours in a day.

Here's something that might help. Indentify the core values in your life (family, marriage, creative work, financial stability, for example). Try to keep it at 5 or fewer.

Write the values down and then list the tasks that you do everyday that connect to and strengthen those values.

Here's the tricky part. For one week, monitor how you are spending your time. (Maybe you could do this at the top of every hour, or before you go to bed each night.) List which activities support your core values and which had nothing to do with them. Then figure out how you can detach yourself from the things that are not within your core value system. This will free up time for the things you care about the most.

Any thoughts on this?

Back to work. Scribblescribblescribble...

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Went for a nice walk in our Little Forest yesterday with the Creature With Fangs and my Beloved Husband.

BH is cooking up a new project that I'll be blogging about soon. Can anyone guess what it is?

Whilst perambulating, I came across

the first hint of Spring. We are still likely to get snow for a couple of months, but the days are a wee bit warmer. Know what that means? The sap is starting to rise in the maple trees!!!!!

Aside from tromping through the snow, yesterday was an excellent writing day. I tried to take a break to watch the All-Star football game, but honestly, I couldn't get into it.

Now, to Batch #2, (I will get to all of your questions, I promise, even if it take a couple of weeks.)

You asked: When you're working, how do you measure progress? I've set a personal daily goal of 2000 words a day (1000 before lunch, 1000 after dinner) and try not to type less than that many a day.
I know other authors just spend X hours on the computer and are happy with whatever comes out.
DO you have a recommendation?

It depends on two things: what kind of book I'm trying to write and where I am in my writing process.
Right now I'm working on a historical novel. For me, that means I spend a lot more time up-front developing and polishing the two plot strands - the exterior plot of the story that deals with the historical events (CHAINS = occupation of New York City by the British in 1776) and the interior plot arc of my main character, which must be woven in with the historical events.

Right now I have all of the historical plotting done on my current Work In Progress. I'm still refining the interior stuff of my main character. In the last week, I tossed an entire sub-plot tangent that bogged down the book and took my character to a really dumb place. So sometimes, you can measure progress by what you are throwing out!

When I have the bones of my plot laid down, and I understand my character's internal journey, then I let my imagination run and my fingers fly. At this point - if family demands and publicity needs can be kept at bay - I try to write a minimum of 10 pages a day, though it can be a lot more than that. These are not polished pages, not at all. This is letting the magic of story - circumscribed by the limits of my plot structure - flow.

After that comes the slow and painstaking revision process. Sometimes that means one page a day, but if I've done my job, it is a well-written page. Different writing tasks require different measuring sticks.

As always, a caution. This is the way the writing process works for me. Every writer develops her own style, so feel free to ignore all of my advice!

Another note - the process for my YA novels is different. Someone ask me about that later in the week, please.

You asked: what kind of educational background do you have and do you think it prepared you to be a writer. what other things helped you be a better writer?

I did not go to college straight after high school. I worked at the mall and later on a farm. When I was ready to go to school, I went to Onondaga Community College in Syracuse NY and got an Associate's Degree in Liberal Arts. I LOVED community college. It had terrific professors and I could afford it. I did so well there that the nice people at Georgetown University gave me a big honking scholarship. That, combined with a lot of student loans, let me go there. I studied foreign languages and linguistics. I avoided the English department and did not take any creative writing classes.

What prepared me to be a writer was reading thousands of books, writing - for fun - not worrying about publication, and learning how to observe people and human behavior. I also had a job for a while as a freelance newspaper reporter. That helped me learn about deadlines and not being afraid to revise my work.

There are a few people who go to college and come out with the skills, perspective, and experience to launch themselves into a career as a full-time writer, but the truth is, that doesn't happen to too many people. Go to college, study what sounds interesting, and figure out how to get a decent day job that will pay your bills. Then write for fun. Again, other authors did it differently. But it worked for me.

AFTER you reach your writing goal today, head over to Fuse #8 to watch the hands-down best video ever from the world of children's publishing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (It's long, but so worth it. Go to the bathroom first so you don't ruin your pants.)

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Thanks for all the great questions!!! Let's get to it!

You asked: When your first book was published, was it by a small, independent company or one of the larger, well-known ones? If a publisher rejects you, should you send the same manuscript back to them a year later, or assume that they're not interested?

My first published book was a quiet picture book about a girl in Kenya called Ndito Runs. It was published by Henry Holt in 1996 and has been out of print for several years. (It was later translated into Xhosa, Zulu, Africaans, and Lesotho for publication in South Africa. That was very cool.) Henry Holt is one of the major publishers. My first piece of published writing for children was a short story in Highlights Magazine. That was a real thrill because I had been such a fan of the magazine as a kid.

If a publisher rejects you, then please do not send the manuscript back a year later. They are dealing with too many manuscripts as it is. Send your story somewhere else and get to work on a new one. I have plenty of manuscripts that were rejected. Why? Because they weren't good enough to be published. I thought they were, but the publishers didn't and that's all that matters. It hurts, it sucks, and it's part of being a writer. Write something new.

You asked: Does it have an effect on your work if you watch tv shows or movies? A big obstacle for me is that my characters seem to be too much like characters from my favorite tv show. (Let's not bother guessing which one.) How do you avoid creating something that seems more like fanfiction than original work?

I don't watch many movies or television shows (except for sports) so I'm not the best person to answer this question. Maybe you could experiment with taking two weeks off from your normal television watching and use that time for writing instead. By the end of two weeks, I bet you'll see a difference. If you do this, let me know how it turns out.


Thanks to the LiveJournal Spotlight this week, we've had many more blog readers. Hail and welcome to the Forest! I hope you come back!

For those of you who are new to the blog, feel free to follow me on Twitter. My name there is halseanderson. This will explain what Twitter is if you don't know.

I didn't get the 10 pages I had hoped for yesterday, but I found a way to tighten up the second half of the book, so it was a day well spent. Am going back to it right now. (Feel free to keep those writing and publishing questions coming!)

Scribblescribblescribble...

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Yes, it's a Facebook meme, but I feed my LJ to my Facebook, so this is called efficient blogging.

1. I am too busy for this meme.
2. - 25. See above.

Honest - I'll try it again in the summer. Everything that came to mind to write in the meme had to do with feeling overwhelmed or not having enough time or some other whiney crap that nobody wants to read.

For me this is the best of times, mostly, and a little of the worst of times. Obviously, I'm enjoying (well, basking in) all the wonderful attention that my work has recently received.

Interjected note for those of you seeking to break into writing: I started writing for kids on September 7, 1992. First picture book was published in 1996. First novel SPEAK, published 1999. So it's taken me 17 years to get here. Be patient and keep working!

People have been very kind about my books, I have the chance to do work I care about, my family is healthy, my bills are paid. So I have no serious worries. The only small cloud on my horizon is learning how to better balance the time demands. I leave in about six weeks on the next book tour and have a bunch of other speaking trips after that. Once we get past ALA, I'll have plenty of writing time, but the book I'm working on is due before that.

I've thought about taking a 6 month hiatus from blogging, but I've decided not to. The blogosphere is my water cooler, where I get to hang out with friends while I pour a cup of coffee. It is also part of the Author side of my job. If you are making your living writing books, you have two jobs: Writer = writing books. Author = everything related to publicity and contact with readers.

Despite the very cranky note on my website discouraging readers from contacting me with homework questions, I received a flood of them this week. Most of them wanted me to explain various aspects of my books for an essay or a report. These were usually accompanied by demands that I answer by midnight, because the paper was due the next day.

For the record: I don't do homework. And I was such a bad student of English, that if I did give answers, they would probably be wrong.

A couple of the emails asked good questions about being a writer. I thought they might be of interest to you, too, so I'm going to answer them on this blog next week. If you have "What's It Like To Be A Writer?" questions, leave them in the comments section, and I'll answer those, too.

What's it like to be a writer for me today? I am going to try to write 10 pages, and empty my email box and get started on the fan mail that came in this week. And I really need to go for a run.

Scribblescribblescribble.....

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I often hear from young readers asking my advice about how they can become an author, but yesterday, the question came from a different angle. The mother of a talented teen writer wrote in asking my advice.

She wrote "I need some advice (please)…… My teenage daughter writes beautifully and her teachers are saying she should consider a future in journalism or writing etc. When I try to discuss this with her all I manage to get is “I hate to write”. Did you know from an early age that you wanted to be a writer/author? How do I cultivate such a gift without turning her away from it? You know how it is when you are a teenager, the more your mother wants you do something the less you want to do it."

My first thought was that I'd love to have coffee with this mom. She's she's probably a little overanxious about her daughter's future, but most parents are, and besides, this mom is reaching out for some information. How cool is that?

So I wrote back: "I have a strong opinion about this, so brace yourself.

Leave her alone. Please!

I had no idea I was going to be an author when I was in high school. I didn't major in English or creative writing or journalism (though I wound up working at newspapers for years). But I found my path. If my parents had dragged me to this path, I can guarantee that I would never have become an author.

There are countless ways your daughter's gift can unfold. Please give her the space to explore them on her own. Fill your home with books, art, music, and good food, and keep the "You Must Be A Writer" pressure locked out.

If she does become a writer, please don't turn her bedroom into a guest room, because she'll probably move back home to save money."

She, in turn, wrote back a very nice note thanking me.

I wish I could take some of that mother's enthusiasm about her daughter's talents and sprinkle it on the parents who discourage their kids' artistic dreams.

Come celebrate Banned Book Week with me tonight! Join me in downtown Syracuse where the Onondaga County Library System is hosting a reception for and presentation by Carolyn Mackler, author of wonderful books like The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things, and Vegan Virgin Valentine. The reception starts at 5:30pm, and Carolyn speaks at 6pm.

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Apparently there is a discussion going on at some listserv about teachers assigning students to communicate with authors. I've talked about this here before. It can be wonderful (most of the time) and frustrating, especially if a reader's grade hinges on hearing back from the author, or if the reader writes demanding the author explain all of the symbolism, setting, and themes of her book. But mostly it's great.

I thought I'd post one day's worth of notes so teachers could get a sense of things. Here is the email I got yesterday. (There was snail mail, too, but I am months behind on that.)

This comes from a teacher:
"I am teaching Speak in my Junior Honors class. As a parallel work, we watched the film version of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. My students found it a little weird that you named the wonderful art teacher the same name as Maya Angelou’s rapist. Since I didn’t have the answer (except to say it was probably more to demonstrate YOUR Mr. Freeman’s character and the connection to the other character was an accident), I told them I would ask you. So I am."

A fairly detailed request, from a reader who hasn't yet found the Biography or FAQ pages of my website:
"Hello...i m .... & im doing
a Author report on you and i was wondering
if you could help me and answer a few things.
please.

like tell me thing what you liked to do in
your childhood?

How did you become intersted in writting?

What other degrees did you earn?

Did you earn one to become a writer?

how was your family?

anty brothers/sisters?

What are your most important awards/honrs?

What your favorite book?
[my speak]] very good!

Well i would apprecitate it VERY much if you took time to answer me these questions and tell me about your self!"

Ah, spelling. But you have to love the sweet tone of this one:
"Hey, Im doing a school project on you, we were told to pick an author and do reserch and i really couldnt think of the books i have read cuz im not a big reader and the frist that came to mind was speak, i have read the book 2 times and have watched the movie plenty, it was a touching story, now i have got most of my info from writer lady, but thiers one thing i really coundt find and thats qoutes... i need a few qouets that u may say or live by and if u could reply back to this it would be much help and i would appreciate it tones!!!"

Never been asked for this before:
"Hi Laurie.... During our English 12 class, we have to choose one particular author and write an author study on our choice. I decided to write about you. I have read mostly all of your books besides a couple, only because our school library does not own them. But, I am hoping to buy them this summer. The reason I am emailing you is because we have to find a short story that our author wrote. I have looked long and hard and have not found a short story written by you. I was wondering if you have ever written any short stories. Sorry if that offended you, but in my search, every sight told me you have not written any. If you have, I was wondering if you had the time, if you could email me a short story you have written. I would appreciate it greatly. Thank you for reading this email. I understand that you have a life of your own and do not want to be a burden. If you're too busy, I understand. I hope to hear back from you."

Students are not the only ones writing:
"My name is... and I'm a bookseller at... my manager and I are trying to round up prizes and giveaways to put in our goodie bags. I have been given the unenviable task of e-mailing every YA author and/or publisher I can think of and asking for help. I read Speak when I was about 13 or so, and it made quite an impression on me, so of course, you were one of the first authors I thought to e-mail.

Do you have anything—and I mean anything—that you could send me to help me out? Anything from signed books to a stack of bookmarks would be fantastic. Not a lot goes down around here, so we are trying to make this as fun as possible. Let me know, and I can send you the store address and my manager's name."

This one is wonderful... she forgot to include the link to the site she was talking about, but did so in a post later in the day:
"i know you have no time for any of this, or maybe just no brain-energy left, but life is short & really what else matters?
so anyway i wanted to thank you for 'twisted', which i just read in one sitting / lying (sprawled, in someone else's empty bed, in someone else's empty house-)

i read 'speak' in high school, maybe when i was more part of the Target Audience, but now, finding 'twisted' at 22 i wish more than anything my (older) brother could have read it when he was most vulnerable.. it could have really saved him. you are doing immensely important work, i hope you know that..

though i understand you are terribly busy & probably inundated with emails like this, i would really be honored if you would look at something i made / am making... just a little nothing in the forest. click the house when it lights up.

if you find a moment, thank you, it takes awhile to load, i hope it's worth it. oh, and your website is beautiful, by the way."

This is simply lovely:
"I have recently read your book speak. I found it very interesting and i could connect with it in many different ways. Throughout my school years i have endured some very tough times, and reading this book brightened my life a little bit, and made me realize that anything is possible. I wanted to personally thank you for writing an excellent book, that is also very meaningful to me and many other readers. You are one of my all-time favorite authors and believe me i do not say this to everyone! Well once again thank you so much for the insight that your wonderful book provided me."

As is this:
"hi laurie i'm yvette, i read three of your books and i loved them, i actully finished them it usally takes me a whole semester to finish a book but not this time. so far i read "speak" "fever 1793" and "twisted" i liked them all and i can't wait to read the rest of your books!"

Gotta love this, too:
"that your book Speak is by far the best book I've read, and I'm sure you've heard this a lot, but I am an absolute slowwww reader and I have a very difficult time just sitting down and concentraiting for a solid ten minutes. So like I've said before, I know you hear this a lot but i couldn't put this book down, and this book has also inspired me to speak up. thank you."

My conclusion:
Beefing up the website has definitely helped stem the tide of reasonable requests for information. (Though I have no plans to post essays about the themes in my books!) Answering reader mail is mostly a very nice problem to have. The only thing I ask teachers is please don't make a student's grade rely on my ability to respond in a timely fashion.

Any thoughts?

I'm back in the Cave of Revision, BTW. Will be crawling out for my booksigning in Oswego on Thursday evening.

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:: trumpet fanfare plays and cymbals crash::

Web God Theo Black has finished the major website overhaul at my website, Writerlady.com!

All Hail The Theo!
All Hail The Theo!
All Hail The Theo!

Yes, there are nit-picky things to clean up, and yes, there are still a few things to be added, including a page to tell you how to get signed copies of my books, but we're getting there. If you get stuck in the branches of the tree (still a glitch there) use the words at the bottom of the page to navigate.

Be sure to check out the shiny new, veeeeeeeeeery long Frequently Asked Questions section, which is found in the Junk Drawer. (Many of the questions were posed by people on my blog: thanks for the help.)

What do you think of this new version of the site?
What do you like?
Anything not working for you?
What's missing?

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Yes, Theo is in the process of posting my new website, and yes, we know that not all features are working yet. Thank you very much to everyone who has written to let us know pages that seem to be empty and the broken links. Consider the current version very much Beta. It will be polished and shiny soon.

Katarina, an 8th grader from NJ, mailed the following questions. I'm on deadline again, so the answers will be pithy.

When did you realize that you wanted to become a writer specifically for young adults?
I haven't decided that yet. I just try to write good stories.

How do you deal with frustration/writer's block?
I run.

Are there any specific classes that I should take in high school/college?
Keyboarding. I suggest you don't major in creative writing, either, but take some of the classes if the professor has a good reputation with the other students.

Is this a job that includes more failure or success?
Ha! Buckets of failure, tasty tablespoons of success.

How long does it usually take to get “started,” i.e. find a reputable publisher and editor
Ten years.

How long, on average, does it take for you to write a book including the editing/publishing process?
Two to three years from the beginning of a project until it lands in a bookstore.

What precautions can I take so I don't fall for publishing scams?
Never pay cash to anyone who claims to be an agent. Learn the difference between vanity presses and trade presses. Your librarian will help you find books that explain the difference.

Should I have a good knowledge of other styles/genres of writing?
Write what is in your heart.

How can I learn to deal with bad reviews and critics?
Smashing your hand in a car door once a week helps. If you don't have a car, use a hammer. Bad reviews hurt.

When I am just starting out, is the compensation good enough, or is it hard to make a living?
Learn how to waitress so you'll always be able to eat. Be nice to your parents in case you need to live in their basement until your big break comes.


And a very nice note from Danica, who writes:

Ms. Halse-Anderson,
I've got to let you know how much I truly loved "Speak." I first read
the novel as part of an Adolescent Literature class, and I enjoyed it
so much that I thought I needed to find a way to work with the novel
on a deeper level. I've decided to use it as part of my senior thesis
on reader-response and adolescent literature.

You've managed to take a subject like rape and address it in a way
that's approachable for adolescent readers-- the treatment of the
subject is not too intense or explicit, but still clearly demonstrates
the emotional pain of rape. It seems that rape is too often treated
lightly (somehow-- something I will never quite understand), and your
book is a wonderful approach to the benefits of speaking out about
sexual trauma.

Thank you, I look forward to reading more from you!

Thank you very much, Danica. That is exactly the inspiration I needed to go back to my revision!

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