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Next up on our tour of failure is Erin Dionne, another “niner” and excellent writer of middle grade novels.

“Do or do not, there is no try.” – Yoda

“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”- Samuel Beckett

I fail every day. Multiple times, actually. My life consists of parenting two small kids, teaching full time at a small college, and writing.

And always, every day, failure.

Teaching that night class? Missing bedtime. Papers to grade? The writing time gets ditched. Invited to write a blog post about failure? Blew the deadline. Taking the kids out on a Saturday afternoon? Well, no failure there—but I fight “I should be working” guilt, nonetheless.

People talk about finding “balance,” or “managing the writing life”. I have looked for the elusive balance—it doesn’t exist (at least, not when your kids are three and six). I’ve put systems in place to manage my life (implementing a bullet journal, being really careful about how I spend my time), and something always comes up to smash my carefully constructed house of cards.

But I still go for it.

Yoda’s quote has been my mantra for years. Cheesy, I know, but the distance between “trying” and “doing” is important to me.

Merriam-Webster defines “try” as “to make an effort to do something: to attempt to accomplish or complete something,” and “do” as “to bring to pass.”

Attempting to do something doesn’t cut it for me. I need to bring that book to pass. I need to complete what I start (which is why, when I took up knitting, I wanted to finish that sweater/scarf/hat in one sitting. It was a terrible hobby for me.). But “bringing something to pass” isn’t always pretty, especially the first time around. Pinterest fails are proof of that.

This is also why I’m not all over Pinterest.

Like all writers, I put a lot of effort into my work. I struggle over drafts, agonize over revisions, and stress about reviews, sales, and what comes next. Over and over, I remind myself that as long as I keep doing something, I’m doing something—even if all I’m doing is moving forward in small steps. I eke out those hours—or minutes—to work on my novel. I set aside time to grade those papers. I play with my kids.

Most of the time, I feel like I am failing at all of it: the writing is crappy, I can’t ever get to the bottom of the grading pile, my kids watch too much TV. That’s when Beckett comes in:

“No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”

I first saw his quote on poet January Gill O’Neil’s blog. As much as Yoda encourages me to keep going and keep doing, Beckett gives me the permission to do so badly. I don’t have to succeed every single time I do, I just have to suck a little less next time. For someone like me, who holds herself to unreasonable standards and sleeps very little, this is freeing.

This manuscript stinks? I can make it better with revision.

This class discussion bombed? Next time I’ll approach the topic differently.

Fed the kids leftover mac n cheese and pizza for dinner? Tomorrow we’ll have veggies.

Have I made my peace with failure? Not exactly; because once you do make peace with failure, you slip into the realm of “trying.” Yet accepting the tenets of Beckett’s failure allows me to follow Yoda’s advice. As long as I keep failing better, I keep doing. And that’s success.

Tomorrow, I’ll fail again. Without trying.

The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet Erin Dionne

It's not easy being Hamlet Kennedy. Her little sister is a genius and going to middle school with Hamlet this year (her little sister is 7.) Her parents are Shakespeare scholars and like to speak in sixteenth century English and dress in Elizabethan costume. Oh, and a secret admirer keeps leaving pigs in her locker (because her name is HAMlet.) To top it all off, they're doing a huge Shakespeare unit and school that her parents are all over and it turns out that Hamlet might have the most unwanted talent of all. Plus, it's middle school, so lots of mean girls and boy drama.

It's both funny and touching-- that wonderfully done coming-of-age novel when the character has to learn to accept herself and her family and friends, and life in general, and does it in a way that makes you cheer and isn't overly sappy or unbelievable. I loved the tension between Hamlet and her sister Desdemona. Dezzie is this genius kid and very smart and talks like a socially awkward adult, but, at the same time, is still 7. And sometimes Hamlet forgets that. And Dezzie's better at navigating the social scene, maybe. But I love that Hamlet is jealous of her sister, and extremely protective of her at the same time. It's such a great depiction of sisterhood.

Overall, a really great book that I very much enjoyed.

Book Provided by... my local library

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The Line by Teri Hall

Lots of people seemed really impressed with this one and unfortunately, for me, it just fell short. Such potential with the whole "dystopian" genre going for it and a pretty compelling main character, but the buildup was really slow and the "big moment" wasn't so big.

The author definitely left room for a sequel, which I'm interested in reading and will pickup if it ever comes out, but this one just isn't a book I'll be remembering for very long. Bummer. And I know I'm in the minority, so go check it out even though I thought it just ok.

Great cover though!

Overall rating: 3 out of 5

The Line
Teri Hall
224 pages
Young Adult
Dial
9780803734661
March 2010
Book borrowed from my local library

Heart of a Shepherd by Rosanne Parry

Oh gosh, this one as just as wonderful as every blogger said it was. Filled with such heart and soul, real characters, beautiful writing, and a fabulous setting. I honestly don't know how it didn't win the Cybil this year.

I had such emotion while reading this, having a husband in the military and the feelings of being left behind sometimes. Brother was just such an amazing main character and makes me want to hand this little book to everyone I know. Go out and get it if you haven't already!

Overall rating: 5 out of 5

Heart of a Shepherd
Rosanne Parry
176 pages
Middle Grade
Random House
9780375848025
January 2009
Book borrowed from my local library

The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet by Erin Dionne

Yep, as adorable as everyone says. I, at times, had a pretty hard time believing in the crazy ways of Hamlet's parents, but that didn't deter from the cuteness of the overall sto

This is the first in a year-long series of blog interviews I'll be hosting with my fellow 2009 Debut Authors, called "How They Got Here." 

It should be an especially helpful series for teens who write, teachers, and anyone who wants to write for kids.  2009 debut authors will be dropping by to talk about how their writing in school shaped the authors they are today, what teachers can do to make a difference, how they revise, and how they found their agents and editors.  (You'll even be able to read some successful query letters!)  If you know a teacher or two who might be interested, please share the link!



Today...Erin Dionne, author of MODELS DON'T EAT CHOCOLATE COOKIES!

Thirteen-year-old Celeste Harris is no string bean, but comfy sweatpants and a daily chocolate cookie suit her just fine. Her under-the-radar lifestyle could have continued too, if her aunt hadn’t entered her in the HuskyPeach Modeling Challenge. To get out of it, she’s forced to launch Operation Skinny Celeste—because, after all, a thin girl can’t be a fat model! What Celeste never imagined was that losing weight would help her gain a backbone . . . or that all she needed to shine was a spotlight.






Welcome, Erin!  Please tell us about the first thing you ever wrote that made you think maybe you were a writer.

Hmm....I guess it was the short story I wrote in fourth grade about a girl who hid while watching the colonists plan the Boston Tea Party. I loved the feeling of concocting my own version of the story. I still have it.

What books did you love when you were a kid?

Too many to list. Off the top of my head: The Little House on the Prairie series, the Great Brain books, Charlotte's Web, The Westing Game, Hotel For Dogs; Jennifer, Hecate, William McKinley & Me, Elizabeth...

Is there a particular teacher or librarian who was a mentor for you in your reading and writing life?

Yes! Mrs. deBaerstrand, my 4th grade teacher encouraged my outrageous reading comprehension skills by giving me books to take home and devour, and she would quiz me on the contents when I finished them--often the next day!

In high school, Mrs. Baron encouraged my writing. I never had her as a teacher, but she was the faculty adviser to the school's literary magazine, which I edited. She encouraged me to write as much as I could.

Moving on to the here and now, most writers admit that making time to write can sometimes be a challenge. When and where do you write? Do you have any special rituals? Music?

Most of the time I write on my laptop, either at the dining room table or in my local library. Since I have a new baby, I write whenever I get the time!

I always listen to music when I'm working--typically mellow, background stuff like Paul Simon, Jack Johnson, or Sting. But I'll sneak a Red Hot Chili Peppers song or Linkin Park on my playlist to wake me up every so often!

Do you have a favorite strategy for revision?

I have an elaborate kabuki ritual around revision. I wish I were a one-or-two revision writer, but I'm not. In order for my work to be good, I have to go through a lot of steps:

I print the manuscript, make handwritten notes on it and tag the pages with post-it notes. Then I input the changes into the computer, making additional tweaks as I go. I print the manuscript again, make the edits--I did this 7 times when working on MODELS. Then I put each scene on a color-coded index card to evaluate the book as a whole. And I go back to the manuscript two more times.

What’s your best advice for young writers?

Read a lot. Write a lot. Love it!

What’s special about your debut novel?

What's special to me is that it shows how hard work can really pay off! What's special to readers...well, I hope readers find something special that they relate to.

What were the best and worst parts of writing it?

The best parts were when the words came in a rush, and when writing some of the scenes I cracked myself up. There weren't any "worst parts." Going to the keyboard was tougher some days than others, but overall I loved every minute of it.

How did you find your agent and/or editor?

I found my agent through a recommendation from another author, but she wasn't ready to take on children's book writers at the time. About a year later, she was adding children's book writers to her client list, and MODELS was ready to go out. Voila!


Ready to dig into this tasty novel?  You can pick up MODELS DON'T EAT CHOCOLATE COOKIES at your local independent bookseller, order it through one of my favorite indies, Flying Pig Bookstore (they ship!), or find an indie near you by checking out IndieBound!

Up next in the "How They Got Here" Debut 2009 series...Saundra Mitchell, author of SHADOWED SUMMER, will be stopping by on Monday, February 16th.

Oh, my friendlies, can we really be nearing the end of this exciting week of cyber-partying? It flew by so quickly! Thanks to all of the talented and fabulous authors who contributed, and the readers who stopped by and chatted with us. Feel free to keep up the conversation through the weekend--I'll be selecting winners at random early next week, so there's still time to post a comment and enter yourself to win lots of fun stuff.

Erin Dionne won me over when she told me she'd be giving away CHOCOLATE as part of her prize. Well, and also, her book is called, "Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies," which is one of a very many reasons why I will never, ever be a model. On the subjects of popularity, voting, and otherwise, Erin has this to say:

1) What's the most outrageous/silliest/weirdest thing you've ever done for the sake of popularity?

My sophomore year, I was the "new kid" AND I joined the marching band. It did wonders for my social standing. : ) Seriously, I *did* love it. But thanks to that, I was no candidate for Homecoming Queen!

2) Do you have any horror stories (or sweeping success stories) about participating in student government back when you were in school?

To help me "adjust" to my new school, the administration suggested that I co-chair an auxiliary student government group that facilitated freshman orientation and other campus events. Although the events went okay, being forced into the power structure/social order was NOT the best way to ease my transition...

3) What's the most unexpected cause you ever found yourself lobbying behind?

In high school? Trying to save the job of a teacher that I didn't like.

As a kid, Erin Dionne lived in five states and attended two elementary, junior high, and high schools. To fit in at each new place, she did cool things like join the marching band and the literary magazine. The awkward, introspective, outsider, writerly-thing thing paid off, though--her first novel, MODELS DON'T EAT CHOCOLATE COOKIES will be released by Dial Books on March 5, 2009. To find out more about Erin or her book, visit her at www.erindionne.com.