Swati Avasthi

Day 3, Blog Tour Redux

2012-01-27T10:05:00.000-06:00

The awesome John at Dreaming in Books hosted my third stop. It was the first of the scenes I wrote outside of SPLIT's narrative to try to mine the characters I was working with. I love reading John's reviews. Check out his blog.
Christian in New York

In Split, Christian, Jace’s older brother, disappeared one night when Jace was ten years old. After taking years of his father’s brutal abuse, Christian ran, relying on the hope that their dad had not, and therefore would not, hit Jace. But he was wrong. For five long years, Jace never heard a word for Christian until the night Jace finally hit his father back. When Jace shows up on Christian’s doorstep, Christian has a lot to answer for.

As a writer, it is easy to get sucked so deeply inside your protagonist’s head, that you don’t think about what is going through your secondary characters’ heads. And when that happens you end up as the puppet master and your critique groups keep saying, “I’m confused about Christian.” And then you go home and grumble to yourself that they are right. But you don’t know how to fix it.

One day, you go to your meeting in the Loft Mentor Series and Jim Moore, a poet and teacher, assigns you and your colleague a writing exercise: every day for a week, sit down in the same place, at the same time and write for 15 minutes. Write about this: 1) Take two characters who have a charged relationship and write a quiet scene between them 2) have a reoccurring object.

You decide to write from Christian’s point of view. It seems like a good fit – you hate taking precious minutes away, writing scenes that have no chance of making ink in your book, but you think 15 minutes for 7 days isn’t that bad. You only manage to get in five days. When you’re done, you have five exercises that were never meant to go into your novel. But you also have Christian’s voice. You also have the better part of a scene that ends up in the novel, after all. And you have 5 details that end up making it in the final cut of your book.

Here’s what those 75 minutes produced:

1. Jace’s nickname –Toad.
2. Why they like having breakfast for dinner.
3. Jace thinking, “He never stuck a candle in a cupcake on my birthday”
4. The Halloween that Jace and Christian went trick-or-treating that Christian tells Mirriam about.
5. Mornings where Christian would run and Jace would ride his bike.

And most, importantly, you understand why… why Christian didn’t write letters or contact Jace. This is the first in a series of three mini-scenes written from Christian’s point of view:

(Author -Mystique-buster: This is all I get in 15 minutes and first drafts are pretty bad.)

Eleven

Standing at the library table, I unfold your birthday card and put it down. It sits there, open, white, waiting for ink. I scrounge a gel ink pen from my backpack and lay it beside the card.
You’ll be eleven.

What can I say? Is there anything I could write that would justify my five-month absence?

Outside the beveled glass window, I can see autumn. Every day the sun sets a little earlier, and so the trees begin to hibernate. The leaves lose their shiny green façade, showing their waning colors: reds from fire maples, yellows from ginkos and elms. The leaves flare as they go. Here, in New York, they spill out from the sidewalks onto the streets, caught in the gutters, ending up a mushy pile.

I snap the top off my pen, work it onto the back of the pen, leaving its silver tip available.

It’s your first birthday without me.

At home, mom has baked you a cake. What is it this year? Fourth birthday was a stegosaurus-shaped chocolate cake that stood up, triangular chocolate cookies for the spines sticking up down his back. She even found a candle for you that would roar when it was lit. “Once you know that frosting is glue, you can make anything” she would tell me. But last year’s was her piece d’resistance; an entire scene made from cake: a castle with chocolate leaves and a molten moat. A knight, his sword and shield gleaming with silver balls, stood facing a dragon. What have you chosen this year?

I can’t imagine.

I try to make myself sit down at the table. I pull out the chair and tell my thighs to contract. I push myself into the seat and force my hand to pick up the pen. What is your cake this year, Jace? What are your latest, greatest imaginings? Have you kissed a girl yet, or do you still turn away when dad kisses mom’s cheek before he heads out the door? Paper can’t answer my question, and a pen won’t build a bridge.

I close the card and put it in my backpack. I’ll come up with something, later , I tell myself, but I know that I’ll forget, lose the card, not have the stamp – invent some excuse because getting a birthday card after five months without a phone call, an email, even a postcard is worse than nothing. It’s hope for more, when there will be less and less. Next year, I won’t even buy a card, won’t even light a candle or look online for presents I won’t buy.

Autumn trees should just die, not hold out hope for spring.

Day 2 of blog tour redux

2012-01-26T10:00:00.000-06:00

On the second day of the blog tour, my bloggers gave to me: a review by the kind Corrine!

Reposted here by permission of Corrine at Lost for Words, where she is currently hosting another blog tour for Julia Karr's new release, Truth.

I love this review! The word that jumps out at me most today is the word "intense" because, as I learned last week, that is the word used most often by my students to describe me. While I honestly believe that there is a pretty significant difference between authors and their characters, I guess some defining traits will always come through.

Well, of course, I don't *mind* the final line of the review either.

Split - Swati Avasthi - Blog Tour Review

4:50 PM | Posted by Corrine

Sixteen-Year-Old Jace Witherspoon arrives at the doorstep of his estranged brother Christian with a re-landscaped face (courtesy of his father’s fist), $3.84, and a secret.

He tries to move on, going for new friends, a new school, and a new job, but all his changes can’t make him forget what he left behind—his mother, who is still trapped with his dad, and his ex-girlfriend, who is keeping his secret.

At least so far.

Worst of all, Jace realizes that if he really wants to move forward, he may first have to do what scares him most: He may have to go back. First-time novelist Swati Avasthi has created a riveting and remarkably nuanced portrait of what happens after. After you’ve said enough, after you’ve run, after you’ve made the split—how do you begin to live again? Readers won’t be able to put this intense page-turner down.

(Synopsis taken from goodreads.)

Title: Split

Author: Swati Avasthi

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf

Publication Date: March 9, 2010

Source: ARC given to me by Kari. Thanks Kari! This review is part of theTeen Book Scene blog tour.

My rating: 5/5

Split follows the story of two brothers after they have broken away from their abusive home. Christian escaped several years earlier, and now Jace is landing on his doorstep, having just left as well. Jace has finally had enough, and is hoping that he will be welcomed in by his brother, knowing that they both have survived a tumultuous and horrific upbringing.

Jace is a character that I immediately felt sympathy for. He is a three dimensional character, well rounded, yet broken. He gets good grades, is an excellent soccer player, but he's had a hard life, and is hoping to break the cycle of abuse. He's had his fair share of regrets, but is hoping to learn how to live without fear, pain, or knowing that he could be more like his father than he would like.
Christian was an intense character as well. It is so hard to define him as he left relatively early on in Jace's life. He is, again, another broken character, picking up the pieces trying to learn how to live a "normal" life, when everything is so far from normal. He does gather favour in my book, when he takes Jace in and tries to establish a home life for Jace.
Avasthi writes a mesmerizing tale of destructive tendencies, and how one person's actions can and will reverberate through those around them. Splittakes a raw, no holds barred approach to domestic violence, and allows us a glimpse into a world that unfortunately is all too real. The view she gives to us, of Jace, Christian, and their parents, is a haunting and gripping one. We see that things are not necessarily black or white, and it truly is an eye opening experience to realize that for those stuck in the cycle, the unknown could be worse than the reality.
All in all, a disturbing, but eloquent look at the severity, and secrecy of domestic violence in a person's home. You truly do not know the circumstances of those around you, and to escape from that cycle, and to have to learn to adapt and break the cycle is truly amazing. Statistics dictate that most cannot break the cycle, but it is heartening to realize that above all, people have choices. You define who and what you are, or will become. No one else can take that from you. With that said, everyone should read Split.

Blog Tour Kick Off Redux

2012-01-24T10:24:00.000-06:00

SPLIT -- in paperback, with a brand new, beautiful cover. (Thank you, Knopf marketers!) I'll confess: I LOVE IT!

And to celebrate its release and to honor the upcoming National Teen Dating Violence Month, I'm going to re-post the 2010 October Blog Tour for SPLIT in paperback ... uh... electronic... uh... a different (?) format. Which is to say, it will all be here on my website, instead of elsewhere in the world.

Note: I'm skipping the first post because it was all about October and the attached fundraiser / auction.

Hope you enjoy.

A Place Called Character

by Swati Avasthi

See, there are these things called issues and there are these things called novels and, according to

plenty of people, the two should never go together. Otherwise you are treading into after-school-

special zone. No one wants preaching disguised as fiction.

That was drilled into me. If not through conversations and lessons, then through my own

experiences while I winced, embarrassed for writers who would blatantly hammer in the moral

of the story. And the morals were always so self-evident: If Ugh hit wife, then Ugh baaad. No

hit wife, Ugh.

And yet, both as a writer and as a reader, I found myself drawn to issue narratives, pulled to the

serious and heavy one-word title books: Speak, Godless, Twisted. They would jump out at me

and I’d devour them. Plenty, plenty, plenty of writers have written great issue novels. Look at

Chris Crutcher or Jay Asher or Laurie Halse Anderson.

But I was still afraid to write them, especially afraid because I came to Split with a history of

working with survivors of domestic violence. (I coordinated a domestic violence legal clinic for

three years and spoke to thousands of survivors.) I came to Split after giving lectures about the

cycle of abuse; I came to Split with statistics that clattered around in my head, and stories that I

couldn’t shake loose from my brain. So, I was worried that if I wrote about domestic violence, I

would pull out the soapbox that kills a good story.

But, to get onto a soapbox, you must have answers. And I only had questions: what would it

be like to grow up watching your dad hit your mom? What if you loved your dad anyway and

looked up to him the way that every kid does?

I had left the clinic almost ten years before I sat down with a cup of coffee and my computer and

a 16-year-old boy in my head. The deeper I dug the more muddled I became, uncovering more

questions. But somehow, I didn’t feel like I was the one asking the questions anymore. My

narrator, Jace, was. And the nature of the questions were slightly altered and the stakes much

higher. Instead of “What would happen if you loved your dad anyway?” my questions became

more specific and were asked in Jace’s voice: “Why, in the name of all that is holy, do I still

admire my creep-of-a-father? WTF is wrong with me?”

I had no more worries about my soapbox. All I worried about was whether I could get my story

right and what would happen to Jace. The challenge became not to flinch when the story got

hard, how to be honest now matter what. The story stole the soapbox’s spot.

Much later, after the ARC came out but before the novel was printed and we were deep into

copyedits, a friend read the book and commented that she was upset with something I’d written

– something minor, but valid – about culture. And I suddenly was so tempted to use Jace as a

mouthpiece. I struggled for two days, trying to find a way to make the idea work. My friend

was astonished and wondered why I could “make Jace” argue with Mirriam about issues, but

couldn’t find a way to “make him say this.” I told her I could never “make Jace say” anything.

About a year after I wrote Split, a colleague of mine was working on an issue novel. In her fear

that she would preach, her novel ended up saying nothing and she asked, “how do you write an

issue novel without preaching?”

So, I could tell her: See, there are things called issues and these things called novels. And they

should go together right through the juncture of a place called character.

This was originally posted at: Karen's For What It's Worth blog. Which is a spectacular blog, run by a spectacular lady. After drumming up comments and donations for the October fundraiser for SPLIT, she did another great push for Doctors without Borders. Subscribe and find her on twitter @teamsheltie.

An Avenue for Relief

2011-03-12T09:58:00.000-06:00

Since news of the Japanese earthquake and the ensuing tsunami, I've been fairly paralyzed, listening to death tolls and watching stunning footage.

Author Maureen Johnson had a very different and admirable response. She put together a drive through Shelterbox to help. As she describes it, Shelterbox is an organization that goes into areas of the world affected by disaster with large green boxes that contain shelters and the materials needed for people to restart their lives on some level. The boxes always include a top-quality tent, and they usually include stoves, blankets, water purification systems, and tools. This is true, life-saving stuff, hand-delivered by volunteers trained in survival techniques.

If you have been like me -- stuck and stunned -- or if you are looking for an avenue for relief, hop over to her blog and donate. She is offering some great prizes, including six signed first editions of The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman and many more. Prizes are still pouring in and I just donated a hardback, signed copy of Split, too.

Thanks, Maureen, for moving me from horrified to mobilized.

CYBILS? CYBILS? CYBILS!!!!!!!!!!

2011-02-14T12:17:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, I tweeted that I've never been a big fan of Valentine's day, in spite of the fact that I've had someone to celebrate it with for more than 20 years. But this year, I'm definitely feeling the Valentine's Day Love.

In other words...

Holy mother!

SPLIT won a CYBILS award!

I suddenly feel completely inadequate to express how thrilled and grateful am I. Which is, of course, ironic. Sweetly ironic. (Everything is sweet today!)

Here's my best and completely unedited shot at it while I explore the contours of the word grateful:

1) I've been on award committees before and I know it is a lot of work. Really, wonderfully, fabulously fun work, but work all the same. Work that is usually done by busy people who carve out the time from their lives because of their dedication to the written word. And of course, in the case of the CYBILS, two rounds of judges. To have gained the attention of these judges is particularly pleasing. Thank you, Judges!!

Panel Organizer: Jackie Parker, Interactive Reader

Panelists (Round I Judges):

Cherylynne W. Bago, View from Above and Beyond
Justina Ireland, The YA 5
Kelly Jensen, Stacked
Ami Jones, Three Turtles and Their Pet Librarian
Jackie Parker, Interactive Reader
Amanda Snow, A Patchwork of Books
Melissa Wiley, Here in the Bonny Glen

Round II Judges:

Karen Ballum, Sassy Monkey, BlogHer
Kathy M. Burnette, The Brain Lair
Michelle Franz, Galleysmith
Alice Pope, SCBWI
Tasha Saecker, Kids Lit

2) All seven of the books nominated for the CYBILS award in the YA category are amazing. I remain honored to be in the company of such authors. Contrary to how I would have expected to feel, winning is humbling. These books are important. They are needed. They make a difference. Having Split included among them -- among the hard work, the emotional insights, and the persistence of these authors -- is a privilege.

Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelley

Dirt Road Home by Watt Key

I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan

Stolen by Lucy Christopher

Scrawl by Mark Shulman

Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers

4) Bloggers, everywhere. I've often said that the best part of being published, hands down, is that other people cared about Jace and Christian -- these two characters who occupied a huge amount of my thoughts, my time, my life. Bloggers entered into or generated or posted conversations about Jace and Christian made me feel like they were worth caring about.

5) As I wrote in my acknowledgements, it took a village to grow Split. And it was a large, large, large village. Maybe even a town. Did I mention it is large? I am particularly grateful to my writer's groups, editor, agent, teachers/mentors, and most significantly to my family. Without a doubt, Split couldn't have been written without my husband.

This is sounding remarkably like an sloppy acceptance speech so, I must get off my podium and go order myself some gold stickers.

I wonder if I'll glow in the dark, tonight.

Wow. Thanks everyone!

2010-11-13T22:53:00.001-06:00

The blog tour and auction are over and we raised just over $4100.00 to help prevent violence. By "we" I mean everyone who commented during the tour. By "we" I mean all the blogger who hosted me. By "we" I mean everyone who donated such fabulous items to the auction. By "we" I mean everyone who bid. And by "we" I mean the awesome women at Teen Book Scene who set up this tour for me, as they do for many authors, simply as a labor of love. That's right, gratis.

We hit our goal of 250 comments so I will double my $1/comment donation, and donate $500 to Family Violence Prevention Fund. Great fundraising everyone! THANK YOU!!

For highlights of the tour, stop on over to A Good Addiction where I have the closing post.

Did you miss the tour? Not to worry. You can catch up right here:

Friday, October 1: Random House Buzzers

Monday, October 4: Karen at For What It's Worth Reviews (Guest Post: Writing an Issues Book)
Tuesday, October 5: Corrine at Lost For Words (Review)
Wednesday, October 6: John at Dreaming in Books (Christian POV Scene)
Thursday, October 7: Jessica at A Fanatic's Book Blog (Cut Scene)
Friday, October 8: Page Turners (Guest Post: Writer's Tips)
Saturday, October 9: Jami at YA Addict (Review)

Monday, October 11: Sandy at Pirate Penguin Reads (Guest Post: Cycle of Abuse)
Tuesday, October 12: Michele Corriel (Revision: Obsess Much? Write a Novel)
Wednesday, October 13: Kelsey at The Book Scout (Cut Scene)
Thursday, October 14: Hattie at DeRaps Reads (Character Interview - Jace)
Friday, October 15: Sammee at I Want To Read That (Guest Post: Letting Your Characters Drive)
Saturday, October 16: Michelle at See Michelle Read (Review)

Monday, October 18: Sarah at Sarah's Random Musings (Guest Post: Interviewing DV Victims/Research
Tuesday, October 19: Taylor at The Library Lurker (Review)
Wednesday, October 20: Teens Read (On Inspiration)
Thursday, October 21: Lea at YA Book Queen (Photo Essay)
Friday, October 22: Linna at 21 Pages (Jace's POV Guest Post)
Saturday, October 23: Kelsey at The Book Scout (Cut Scene)

Monday, October 25: Jami at YA Addict (Cover Post & Create Your Own Cover Contest)
Tuesday, October 26: Arya at Sea of Pages (Review)
Wednesday, October 27: Weronika Janczuk (You're Not Crazy, Your Characters are Talking To You)
Thursday, October 28: Michelle at See Michelle Read (Cut Scene)
Friday, October 29: Stephanie at Steph the Bookworm (Animated Movie Short or Vlog)
Saturday, October 30: Sandy at Pirate Penguin Reads (Review)

Monday, November 1: Kari at A Good Addiction (Playlist + Ipod Giveaway)

Spend my money, please

2010-10-19T11:59:00.000-05:00

If you're just coming in on the Split blog tour and charity auction, I have a little news for you:

IT'S NOT TOO LATE!!!

Yet.

If you want to comment belatedly, please go here: http://theteenbookscene.weebly.com/split-details.html

Each Monday, Kari at Teen Book Scene, the fabulous coordinator of the tour, updates the link so that all you have to do is click on a post, comment, and repeat, to catch up.

For those uber-procastinators (like me): I will donate $1/comment toward the $250 comment goal until October 31st. If we reach the comment goal, I'll double my donation to Family Violence Prevention Fund. So spend my money please and help prevent abuse.

On November 1st, I hope I have good news to announce.

And, in case you don't know what I'm talking about, you can read it about here.

And introducing at last... Before the Split Blog Tour and Charity Auction

2010-10-01T07:54:00.013-05:00

It is October, my favorite month of the year. Paradoxical as it sounds, fall makes me feel like the world is shaking off the thick humidity of summer and starting new. Maybe it’s because the cool air clears my head, lifts my spirits and hones my energy. I’ve always associated October with crispness – crisp air, crisp leaves on the ground, and apple crisps. It was only after working at the domestic violence legal clinic that I started to associate it with something else: National Domestic Violence Awareness month -- something that actually lifts my spirits as well.

We know that abuse is horrible and the statistics are overwhelming. The CDC estimates that one in four teens are abused by an intimate partner and UC Davis estimates that boys who grew up witnessing abuse are four times more likely to become abusers. All year long that can make us feel powerless. But I think that this is the month when we turn our attention to these disturbing statistics with the hope that by increasing awareness, more people will speak out. More people will get help. And more people will help in return.

So… the Before the Split Tour Begins.

To honor National Domestic Violence Awareness month, you’ll find me touring Split. The fabulous Kari Olson at Teen Book Scene, who is coordinating the tour, has lined up twenty-six stops. Through interviews and posts, I’ll give you a look inside the novel-making process, both by talking about writing as a craft and by giving you a peek at cut scenes (those scenes that didn’t make into the novel), draft versus the final product, and even a mini-scene from Christian’s point of view. Read an interview with Jace (I’m told the questions will be hard), watch a vlog, and enter the Create Your Own Cover contest. You can follow me!

About Split

My debut novel, Split, is narrated by Jace Witherspoon, a sixteen year old boy, who drives practically non-stop 19 hours from Chicago to Albuquerque on the night he finally hits his father back. He hasn’t seen or heard from his brother, Christian, in five long years but Jace shows up, unannounced, on Christian’s doorstep with nothing more than a few bucks in his pocket, the latest bruises that dear-old-dad gave him, and a secret.

Split is about what happens after. After you’ve said enough, after you’ve run, after you’ve made the split.

I chose “after” because I always wondered what happened to the survivors I worked with after they left the legal clinic, with their orders of protection in hand. I chose “after” because I believe that leaving is the first step. And I chose “after” because I think that what you do after you are free from abuse helps determine who you become – stronger or weaker, better or worse.

But there’s also the story of “before.” The Family Violence Prevention Fund’s initiatives focus strongly on the “before” and on preventing abuse. In addition to many other programs, they have these great campaigns like Coaching Boys into Men that give a good role model or Lessons from Literature and Start Strong to support teens and families. These initiatives focus on what we really want to achieve – stop the violence before it starts and interrupt the intergenerational pattern of abuse.

About “Before the Split” Blog Tour & Auction for Family Violence Prevention Fund

After reading Split, some bloggers, teens, and bookclubs I spoke with wanted to do more about domestic violence and I do, too.

You want to help, too? Well you can.

Yep, follow the tour and comment on the posts. Comment because you want to chat. Comment because you have something to say. But most of all, comment because I’ll donate $1/ for every comment to the Family Violence Prevention Fund, with a goal and cap of $250. If your comments reach that goal, I’ll double my donation.

But the fundraising effort doesn’t stop there. Oh, no. Excess is my middle name. (Actually, I don’t have a middle name, but that’s not important now. I’ll take that up that with my parents. And therapist).

Over 40 authors, editors and agents have donated fabulous items, including: personalized, signed copies of books by seriously awesome author, memberships to YALITCHAT.org or to Children’s Literature Network, and even items you can’t buy anywhere: critiques of your manuscripts and querries.

Ihe items will be waiting for your bids all month long. Bidding will close on November 1, the last day of the tour, and then we’ll tally and total.

Follow the Before the Split tour. Have fun. Get stuff you want. And, while you’re at it, make a difference.

Before the Split Blog Tour and Charity Auction Tour Schedule

2010-09-28T01:41:00.008-05:00

To honor National Domestic Violence Awareness month, I'm combining a blog tour for Split, with a charity auction. (More info here). Over 40 authors, agents and editors have donated manuscript critiques, personalized books, and more to an online auction that anyone –reader, writer, booklover -- can bid on and buy.  All proceeds go to the Family Violence Prevention Fund. In addition to the auction, I'm donating $1/comment on my 26-stop, month-long blog tour, coordinated by Kari Olson at Teen Book Scene. If I reaches her goal and cap of $250, I will double the donation.  Follow the tour, get stuff you want, and make a difference.

This is where I'll be by 5 PM everyday:

Launch
Friday, October 1: http://www.randombuzzers.com/ -- "Before the Split" Intro

Week One
Monday, October 4: http://www.fwiwreviews.net/ - Guest Post
Tuesday, October 5: http://lostforwords-corrine.blogspot.com/ - Review
Wednesday, October 6: http://dreaminginbooks.blogspot.com/ - Scene from Christian's POV
Thursday, October 7: http://afanaticbookblog.blogspot.com/ - Cut Scene
Friday, October 8: http://www.pageturnersblog.com/ - Guest Post: Writer's Tips
Saturday, October 9: , http://yaaddict.blogspot.com/ - Review

Week Two
Monday, October 11: http://piratepenguinreads.blogspot.com/ - Guest Post: Abuse Cycle
Tuesday, October 12: http://mcorriel.livejournal.com -- Guest Post on Revising
Wednesday, October 13: http://thebookscout.blogspot.com/ - Cut Scene
Thursday, October 14: http://derapsreads.blogspot.com/ - Jace's Interview
Friday, October 15: http://iwanttoreadthat.blogspot.com/ - Guest Post: Letting your Characters Drive
Saturday, October 16: http://seemichelleread.blogspot.com/ - Review

Week Three
Monday, October 18: , http://sarahbear9789.blogspot.com/ - Guest Post: Survivor Interview
Tuesday, October 19: http://librarylurker.blogspot.com/  - Review
Wednesday, October 20: www.teenreads.com -
Thursday, October 21: , http://yabookqueen.blogspot.com/ - Jace's Photo Essay
Friday, October 22:   http://21pages.x10hosting.com/ - Jace's guest post
Saturday, October 23: http://thebookscout.blogspot.com - Review

Week Four
Monday, October 25: http://yaaddict.blogspot.com - Cover Post + Create Your own Cover contest (win a signed audion book)
Tuesday, October 26:  http://seaofpages.blogspot.com/ - Review
Wednesday, October 27: http://www.weronikajanczuk.com/ - Guest post: You're Not Crazy, Your Characters are Talking to You
Thursday, October 28: http://seemichelleread.blogspot.com/ - Cut Scene
Friday, October 29: http://stephthebookworm.blogspot.com/ - Animated short scene
Saturday, October 30: http://piratepenguinreads.blogspot.com/ - Review

Closing Ceremony
Monday, November 1: , http://agoodaddiction.blogspot.com/ - Play List + Ipod Giveaway

Split, back in California.

2010-08-01T11:20:00.000-05:00

Split is lounging in the California sun. I'm so jealous. Wish I could be there, too.

Check out the geometry in the pix. Not bad at all.

Despicable Me -- The New Villain in Stories for Kids

2010-07-11T23:12:00.000-05:00

Despicable Me is ushering in a new era of kids' villains. It breaks a lot of the rules and I loved every minute of it. I know, I know, I'm not the target audience, but my kids (12 and 8) are. And they loved it, too.

A bad guy who isn't a bad guy? Talk about a change.

Imagine Despicable Me as a query letter:

45 year old* Gru, who wants nothing more than to be the best supervillian in the world and thus earn the affection of his mother, devises his greatest plan ever: stealing the moon. But when his competition, Vector, steals the shrink ray he needs, Gru must find a way to get it back, ** SPOLIER** even if it means adopting three little girls who can innocently penetrate Vector's fortress by selling Vector's favorite cookies. In this playful tale, Gru learns that capturing the moon and earning the title of Greatest Supervillain isn't as important as capturing the hearts daughters and the title of Great Dad.

Here, I imagine, would be the response:

Dear Writer,

After perusing your hysterical and entertaining tale, I regretfully must pass. While I tend to be vague in these letters, let me give you a few pieces of concrete advice:

1) Children don't care about and can't relate to the desires of a 45-year-old villain.

2) While the three girls are the catalysts for Gru's transformation, they are not the primary protagonists of the story, nor do they solve their problems on their own. *Spoiler* Rather, they are rescued by said 45 year old man.

3) I'm not sure it is morally sound to cast your protagonist as such a clear example of an anti-hero in children's literature.

4) It's missing some opportunities that the story has created: (i.e, where are the bogie bots at the end?)

(Truthfully, number 4 is because I wanted to see them boogy-ing again)

Thank your for your submission. Best of luck in finding a home for the story, perhaps in adult literature.

Kids' villains have become increasingly funny (Kim Possible, Meet the Robinsons) and even likeable (Despicable Me, Shrek, Megamind). While I don't think we'll see a true anti-hero (someone who intends to and does something truly awful and is unlikeable) in stories for young kids any time soon, I suspect we'll see a wave of books to follow this growing trend, stories with an even stronger anti-hero than Where the Wild Things Are and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Stories with an anti-hero who intends to cast about evil, (though the consequences will be tame and the anti-hero will be bumbling) instead of someone who is overly excitable or just in a bad mood.

*I'm guessing as to the exact age. Suffice it to say, from the kids' perspective, really old guy.

At long last... a photo

2010-07-10T09:52:00.000-05:00

Split, who has been a bit negligent in communicating with me, is still on the road! Finally, he has sent me some pictures. He is with a friend in Cleveland, OH, who has convinced Split to visit a college campus. Yay! Get him moving in the right direction.

Here he is, lounging on a mailbox, thinking about the Gehry building and pondering life in an institution of higher learning.

And now, getting closer ....

And closer...

But apparently, he was too intimidated to go inside Case Western. (A good school). He is a bit young, I suppose. Someday... he'll actually go inside. In the meantime, thanks to my friend for hosting Split and taking him to see what's in his future.

Next stop. I know he's scheduled to visit his Class of 2k10 buddy, Tagged at Mara Purnhagen's place. I wonder if Tagged might teach him about graffiti...

Evolving Voice in the YA novel

2010-06-28T17:43:00.000-05:00

In lieu of a post, here's an article I wrote on The View from the Loft. Check it out. Hope you like....

Final moments in books

2010-06-15T02:29:00.000-05:00

In the last couple of years, I've been thinking about what makes for satisfying final moments of a book -- the kind that makes you sigh and put the book down on your chest, still open to the last page because you want to savor the moment, because you aren't sure you want to close the book yet.

My question about final moments was thrown into sharp relief when I took a screenwriting class and discovered that I can quickly and easily recall the ending of about half or a third of the movies I've seen. On the other hand, there are only a handful of books whose final moments I can remember. I asked some other writers and found that I'm not alone in this. Final moments of books are rarely memorable. Why is that? Are movie endings better?

At first, I thought it was a strong image. And while I'm sure that's a factor, I'm not sure that is the only factor. After all, many, many books' final moments are on a strong image and honestly, the image didn't make them any more memorable.

Then, I thought it was because movie endings are a so clean and everything is wrapped up, but then, some of my favorite movie endings are not. The end of Shakespeare in Love, for instance, is Gwyenth Paltrow walking on a beach with the voice over narrating something along the lines of: "My story starts at sea, a perilious voyage to an unknown land." (Go to minute 3:25 to see what I'm referring to.)

Or even the little joke at the end of Patriot Games, where we cut to black while we are waiting to hear whether the next baby in the family is a girl or a boy. Sure, the ending was tied up, but something else was happening in those endings: they were giving the viewer a way to let the story continue.

Does that translate to the page? I realized that there were only three(Jazz by Toni Morrison, Project X by Jim Shepard, and Invisible by Pete Hautman), and they all had something in common: they weren't really endings. (Well, maybe I take too much credit when I claim to have 'discovered' this. More like, it was nicely gift wrapped for me. I was lucky enough to talk to Jim Shepard when he came to the University of Minnesota and asked him about endings, citing his book as one of the few whose endings stays with me. He told me that Project X ends en medius reus). Which got me thinking about Invisible, which ends with a bit of twist that indicates that there is more of the story to come and Jazz, which is one of the best endings I've ever read. Jazz ends by bringing the call and answer techinque of the musical art form of well -- jazz -- to lit. Wikipedia defines the call and answer this way: Part of the band poses a musical "question", or a phrase that feels unfinished, and another part of the band "answers" (finishes).

Morrison ends my throwing out the call and waiting for the audience to answer. Her final line: "Look. Look at where your hands are right now." They are, obviously, on the book. She is giving us a hint about the narrator of the piece, but also empowers the reader to act, to move, to think and by doing so, answer her call.

So maybe the Shakespeare in Love prinicple applies here. Maybe final moments in books, like movies, are most memorable when they leave room for the reader.

I'm still not sure why movie endings leave a stronger impression than books, so what do you think? Who has written an ending that you love? Why? What makes a final moment satisfying to you?

Blog Resurrection & Top 3 BEA lessons

2010-06-06T16:21:00.000-05:00

So... that mini-break turned into a major break. Sorry 'bout that. Lots going on... most of which you will get to hear about in time.

Most recently, I was at BEA. Sort of. I went to NYC with the Class of 2k10, a group of middle grade and YA novelists who are debuting this year. I've been in touch with these writers via email for about a year, but had met only one of them previously. It was wonderful to meet all these writers who had been encouraging and helping each other. They were funny, intelligent, witty and as varied as our books are. Shari Maurer, whose novel Change of Heart just debuted, put together the tour and the hysterically funny Shannon Delany, author of 13 to Life, introduced us to some great bloggers.

I started off by lunching with my editor who told me, off handedly, that Split is in its second printing!! I went through the day on a cloud, completely misunderstanding what that meant. (Reality set in far later. More on that below.)

Class of 2k10 started by reading at Books of Wonder in Manhattan. I never really understood what it meant when I read "pumping hands" to describe shaking someone's hand until I met the owner. He was enthusiastic and wonderful, to say nothing of what happened when he came in front of a crowd. I did my 2 minutes, panel-style on Split with my editor in the audience and a good friend and writer, Nicholas Kaufmann. But I really had to work to keep it together in front of my editor who still intimidates me beyond words, regardless of how kind, personable, and un-intimidating she is.

Throughout the weekend, when we talked at The New York Public Library to 3 fabulous classes of kids and when we went to The Voracious Reader in Larchmont, I was tickled to hear from the author's mouths about their books. I learned that Shannon's book started as tweets, that Jame Richards' can tell a true story about the how a girl was saved in the Johnston Flood by a mattress and a courageous man, and that I'm not the only one of us authors who is struggling with that sophomore effort. It was reaffirming and supportive and a lot of fun -- everything I'd hoped for.

My last evening in NYC was my birthday as well and I'm now of the age where I'm just starting to greet birthdays with the slightest bit of hesitation, wondering if I really want this to come. I really like being in my 30s and the 40s are getting closer rapidly. But, reading at The Voracious Reader, where the owner and her window display, is so kind helped me forget about it. Then, a friend and blogger who happened to be in NYC as a choreographer took me out for an incredible desert at Cafe Lalo. (Don't miss their Pear Almond Tart) and we gabbed and munched. I even got a birthday candle to blow out and they played Happy Birthday on their speakers.

So, here's my top 3 things I learned around BEA.

3) Standing out in a crowd of talented and funny authors is a hard thing to accomplish. So, don't bother to try.

I quickly abandoned all competitive urges and instead, reveled in the company. Every author has struggled just as hard, worries just as much, and seems always interested in how much to charge for school visits, what publicity has worked, and second book blues.

2) Second printing does not equal earning out.

Printings these days are small and so the publisher expects/wants/hopes to go through a number of printings. It does not, as I had hoped, mean that you've exceeded or even met your publisher's expectations. I had a rewarding email exchange with my editor after I returned that helped me realize that my publisher would be pleased if I sold twice as many books as my first print run. Earning out is not about when the house starts making its money back. Rather it's about when an author begins to get money beyond the advance. I found out from my fairy godmother (agent) that you can roughly calculate your earnings by taking 10% of the list price and then multiplying that times the books sold. BUT don't bank on that amount because of those horrid things called returns if the bookstore can't sell all the copies it has bought. (Yikes!)

And, I found out from a fellow class member that any royalty statement that you receive in which you haven't earned out, shows how far in the deficit your publisher is on your advance. (Double yikes.)

And I read (on the web somewhere, can't remember where so I'm not sure if I trust it) that 85% of authors don't earn out. And of course that if you don't earn out, you are less likely to get a second contract. I'm trying to fight off panic and trying, though not succeeding, to stop watching that fickle and meaningless Amazon sales rank.

1) Gespalten is the german world for Split (at least according to translator.com).

On my final night in NYC, my birthday, I got an email from my fairy godmother just before the clock struck midnight that told me that she has sold German rights. Gespalten will get a new cover and a translation! I'll be paid in Euros (which of course, means less and less each day). Turns out that "issue" books don't generally get translated and that means that Split has done what I'd hoped for -- surpassing the issue and becoming a book about Jace, his family, his struggle, and his journey.

Break from blogging

2010-04-05T18:27:00.000-05:00

Mini-break while I catch my breath. I hope to post again after I return from AWP's conference in Denver next week! I'm excited to hear what everyone has to say and will be presenting, too.

Split goes to Hollywood!

2010-03-29T23:51:00.002-05:00

After the lush R&R at Bonnie Doerr and Island Sting's place, Split has journeyed again on its tour. This time, it went all the way across the country for a hopping good time with Split's buddy, The Witchy Worries of Abbie Adams.

In truth, Split confided to me a few hesitations before visiting a witch, what with her fuzzy little familiar and her sudden cases of floating attacks. But, as some of you might know, Abbie is one fun witch. Even Booklist says so (in longer words).

And Abbie's writer, Rhonda Hayter, is no different. Though maybe she's a little more grown up and a little more responsible. I say this because Rhonda took such good care of Split.

See how she holds him up and letting him see the sites? She was even kind enough to send along copies of the pix. Here's her email to comfort Split's worried writer.

Split enjoyed his visit to Hollywood very much. He had his photo taken at the Hollywood Highland mall where he posed in front of the Hollywood sign. (above).

He dropped by the Kodak theatre where they do the Oscars and American Idol and ...

he visited Mary Pickford

and the Star Trek crew in front of Graumann's Chinese theatre.

He'd have written you a postcard, but he's unfortunately short on hands.

Hmpf! There are enough hand or hand prints around him, but you know how it goes. They hit the big time and then they never write, they never call... But I'm so glad to see he's having a good time and fitting in with all the celebs. Personally, I think he and Patrick Stewart would get along great! (More on this later).

It was particularly kind of Abbie and Rhonda to host Split, considering that Abbie is about to make her big debut! I know I'm eagerly awaiting April 1st, when I'll look for her to fly on over and make an appearance at my house. Keep an eye out; she might breeze her way over your place, too.

In case you want to now a little more about her, here's Abbie's trailer to check out, too.

Awesome pix

2010-03-27T10:19:00.000-05:00

Previously, I mentioned my college roommate, Jenny, who had come out for Split's launch. Intelligent girl that she is, she married a massage therapist, John Magruder. Turns out John is multi-talented. Quite the photographer. He is currently doing a year of self-portraits. When he read Split, he contributed this one:

Love this composition.

John has some amazing shots of the International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque. This guy has an excellent sense of place and movement. Look at those Chicago shots, while you're at it.

Those of you who have read Split know that Jace is photographer. If he could take shots of Albuquerque and Chicago, they might look something like John's.

Considering that this is John's "second talent," I might need to head down to Chicago for a massage.

Bon Voyage, Split!

2010-03-23T12:29:00.001-05:00

I was happy to celebrate Split's launch on Saturday and to wish it a fond farewell as it begins its multi-city tour. Since a book doesn't have to pay for accommodations, food, or even travel, it can afford to go where I can't. So, the lucky thing will get to visit many spots without me.

On the other hand, I seem to be getting pictures and anticipate it might send me a postcard now and again.

Its first stop on its whirlwind tour was Winston-Salem, NC.

It kicked off its tour by visiting its buddy: the middle grade eco-friendly adventure novel, Island Sting. Bonnie Doerr, author of Island Sting, generously welcomed Split into her home and even took its picture for me.

Here it is, sitting on the porch of her lovely home:

Awww, it looks so little as it ventures out into the world!

And then pondering the view from the well.

I hope it is careful and doesn't fall in.

But I'm sure Bonnie is taking good care of it, keeping out a protective eye. I do hope it is behaving well and that Split and Island Sting are getting along well.

I'll keep you posted as it tours, visiting its fellow books from the Class of 2k10 and other cities. We'll see what kind of adventures Split can have as it tours cross-country.

Bon Voyage, Split, and good luck!

Launch Party for Split

2010-03-21T22:29:00.000-05:00

The day finally arrived. I got up late, trying to get my rest and so was still in my p.j.s when the first of my surprises arrived: an enormous bouquet of balloon from the loving husband (TLH). I'm not sure that words will do the size of this justice. So:

They had to be delivered because they couldn't fit in my SUV.

I spent the rest of the day picking out passages to read and rehearsing them while TLH got errands done, took the kids to a birthday party, and made a lamb stew for when we got home. Mmmm, the house smelled fantastic while I worried about whether I should read this scene or that, calling a writer friend and asking her advice.

Finally, I had my post-it notes stuck to my book, passages picked out, hair curled, and the sitter had come for the kids. TLH and I got out of the door around 15 minutes late, but I wasn't really worried, comfortable that the wonderful caterer, The Coffee Gallery, and the stellar Loft staff had everything ready.

And did they ever.

So sophisticated...

I arrived and ran into Francine Tolf, an all around comforting person and elegant writer. We had spent a year in the same writing program, and Francine recognized in me, a fellow reading-phobic. She said I looked calm.

I wasn't. But I wasn't nervous either. I was so excited that I could not stop smiling.

I went up stairs and was greeted by Brian Malloy, a writer whose work I've admired for some time and who was gracious enough to introduce me. I signed a book for him and thought about the first time we met when I asked him to sign his book for me.

Then people started coming. I had asked the Loft to arrange for 30 people, figuring we could add seats. Brian said that they had set up for 50 and I thought, well, they know this better than I do, newbie that I am. Turns out, they had to add seats. It was packed!

Usually, that would make me even more nervous. Instead, I could feel the energy in the lobby feeding me.

And, then, I got the best surprise of the night. My college roommate, Jenny, who lives in Chicago, appeared! She had flown up just for the occasion, which was glorious enough. But it was also deeply meaningful for me. Jenny went into social work, interviewing sexual assault victims at the same time that I started working at the domestic violence clinic. For three years, we walked in step, learning about professional distancing and coping with the stories we were told. If I had a hard day and needed someone to ground me, she was the person I would call. It was a powerful moment to have her with me as I stepped into this new career, too.

I got ready. Brian introduced me and I went up to the podium.

If you follow this blog, you'll know that I had to learn to trick myself into public speaking and then struggled even harder with reading my own material. So, I decided yesterday that this reading wasn't for me; it was for my readers.

And that became vibrantly evident as I stood at the podium. So many of the audience members were not only friends, but had been a part of the journey as I wrote Split, providing me with emotional support or manuscript critiques, or acting as a sounding board, or feeding me little lines and moments for my book. And now, they had come to celebrate with me and it gave me a chance to finally say thank you.

From the first time I read, four years ago, until now, my goal for readings had been simple: I wanted to enjoy myself. I reasoned that if the reader ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.

And for the first time, I got it. The reading was easy and fun. I got some laughs, talked about all the things I wanted to say, forgetting to thank only a few people (and the Loft, of all places). The Q & A was fantastic, with two of my friends, (Jenny and Kit, who had also worked with Domestic Violence victims) feeding me the best questions.

Post-reading, I signed books -- I have no idea what I wrote to people. I just hope what I wrote makes sense. (I have a book that is signed from a debut novel on her launch night that says, Swati, I can't wait to read your swati when it comes out.)

And then the reading was done, but the high was so great, that I could barely sleep, got up a few hours later, still smiling and still too excited to sleep.

Now I know I promised more about the "Split Tour" today. Forgive me. It will be up on Tuesday. This post is long enough on it's own.

But I'll leave you with this: one of my teachers, Alexs Pate, told me that getting published is like getting married. Somehow, once those vows are said, you are different and you can never go back and you never even want to.

After last night, I see what he means.

Tonight, tonight!

2010-03-20T07:01:00.001-05:00

There's an event that you've all heard of right? I've been publicizing it non-stop. I've invited more people to it than I did to my wedding. You're invited, too!

In case all my shouting from the rooftops didn't make it to the rock you are hiding under, pop by the Loft (Open Book Building, 1011 Washington Ave S., MPLS) tonight at 7 PM for the Launch of Split! It should be a blast -- a party! There will even be some Mexican munchies after the reading. Free.

And then tune in tomorrow to learn all about "Split's Tour!" It will be a multi-city engagement!

On Giving Readings

2010-03-19T16:34:00.000-05:00

Shortly after I graduated from college and landed my first job, my boss asked me to introduce her at a talk. I had no idea what to say, so I pretty much said nothing. Just a "Mary asked me to introduce her and here she is." Seriously, I think that's all I said. Maybe less.

Since, one of my job requirements to train up to 200 people at a time, I had to learn how to say more than a few words in front of a crowd. So, I did what any logical, honest person would: I tricked myself. I reasoned: no one comes for me. They want information is a reliable and quick way. My trick served me well. As a presenter. As a teacher.

But definitely not as a reader of my own work. I can't hide behind the material because the material is something I've created. I've invariably gotten ill before readings. Given this little phobia, I was concerned about reading on the radio. Not only an audience, but it was being recorded. I prepared diligently, taking a few hours, marking up my copy, and timing out the segments.

I walked into the booth. Five microphones were perched around a table with a center console where someone was doing a show. The microphones were ridiculously huge. (Why do microphones needed steroids? I wondered.) I put on the headphones, listened to the opening, and started reading.

And I loved it. Not having a visible audience seemed to free me. The interview was a blast; I received great questions from Charlotte Sullivan. When I was done, I had no idea what a said. Good thing it is downloadable from KFAI.

I have a big reading coming up, the launch of Split on March 20th at the Loft at 7 PM. I've invited everyone. You're invited, too. Come on by. See if my new trick works. This reading, I've learned, isn't for me; it isn't even about me. It's about my readers. And knowing that, I'm ready. I hope. I'll keep you posted.

Winner Announced for 3 Rivers Rising Giveaway

2010-03-15T00:31:00.000-05:00

Congrats to Caroline Starr Rose! You'll have an ARC of Jame's lovely book your hands very soon.

Thanks to all who entered! If this was any indication of Jame's forthcoming success, I'm sure she is grinning from ear to ear.

I suppose the downside of the doing a drawing is that there is only one winner. Sorry to all who didn't get it. The only consolation I can give you is that in one month you can buy it! I know I am pre-ordering my copy.

Reminder -- One Day Left

2010-03-12T07:59:00.000-06:00

To win Jame Richard's fantastic Three Rivers Rising, enter here for a signed ARC! Kirkus gave it a starred review.

I suspect this book will be big once awards roll around. In fact, it has already won a Pen New England and the Susan P. Bloom Discovery Award.

Some details:

Sixteen-year-old Celestia spends every summer with her family at the elite resort at Lake Conemaugh, a shimmering Allegheny Mountain reservoir held in place by an earthen dam. Tired of the society crowd, Celestia prefers to swim and fish with Peter, the hotel’s hired boy. It’s a friendship she must keep secret, and when companionship turns to romance, it’s a love that could get Celestia disowned. These affairs of the heart become all the more wrenching on a single, tragic day in May, 1889. After days of heavy rain, the dam fails, unleashing 20 million tons of water onto Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in the valley below. The town where Peter lives with his father. The town where Celestia has just arrived to join him. This searing novel in poems explores a cross-class romance—and a tragic event in U.S. history.

And:

"I loved this powerful story that is wrought with such skill and told in soaring language. Readers will long remember these memorable characters as they struggle against disaster. A splendid work!"

-- Patricial Reilly Giff

I'l be sad to part with it, but you'll be happy to receive it.

Release Day

2010-03-11T11:38:00.002-06:00

I had some misgivings about release day. My theater background means that opening night is a big deal: you get your first audience, get your first feedback, and of course, you get to see the performance how it was meant to be seen.

But releasing a book is different. And I was worried it would be a little anticlimactic.

My day started out with the highlight. My 8-year old daughter invited me to join her in her classroom to celebrate the release. I was a little worried about talking to second graders about domestic violence. I told them that Split was inspired by a time when I used to help people handle bullies. I think that's pretty fair.

I asked them to tell me about a time they had helped someone. Oh did those hands go up! Everyone had helped someone: a baby sister whose diaper needed a change; a friend who needed a band aid, a boy who played with someone who was feeling left out. We talked about the cover and it didn't take long before someone said he could see the faces, not just the keys. Oooh. Ahhh. Really cute.

I went from there to breakfast with my husband and a couple of friends of mine, Patrick Hueller and Charlotte Sullivan -- both of whom will have books out someday, both of whom helped me along on Split's journey.

Then I had this totally wonderful experience inside Barnes and Noble.

OMG! Top Shelf. Centered.

Ooo... signing stock!

See the green sticker on the cover. It says autographed copy!

So amazing. I hit a bunch of stores before picking up my kids from school.

To finish out this practically perfect day, I headed out to dinner with more friends. We ate Indian food and celebrated. They brought me beautiful flowers and a Starbucks gift card "for the next book" they said, knowing that my favorite way to work is at Starbucks with my earbuds in. They also had bought books and I signed those.

But the best compliment of the night was that I could not sign books for two of my friends. Why? Because the wonderful, independent bookstore, The Wild Rumpus SOLD OUT! (More copies due in on Friday.)

Not anticlimactic at all.

Up next on Second Story Reading Series: Lynne Jonell and Stephanie Watson

2010-03-02T13:14:00.000-06:00

Little refresher: Heather Bouwman and I co-curate the Loft's Second Story Reading Series. We feature MG and YA authors and pair them up so that readers can come for their favorite and discover another author. We've been having a blast at these.

This time we are doing book giveaways! You'll have a chance to win Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat, Emmy and the Home for Troubled Girls, and The Secret of Zoom. But that's not all. You could also win Elvis and Olive or an ARC of Stephanie Watson's second in the Elvis and Olive Series, which is coming out in July. Honestly, these book are so great that I want to enter. But, I'll buy them at the reading instead, so I won't go home empty-handed.

We'll also have tasty treats and door prizes.

And, because the Loft is awesome, all readings are free.

Second Story Readings: A Reading Series for Children’s and Young Adult Literature

Come to listen to one author. Stay to discover another.

The Loft Literary Center

Open Book, second story

1011 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis

Saturday, March 6^th, at 10 a.m.

Lynne captures and keeps her readers from word one. She's one of those authors who knows how to keep the pages turning while giving us such much more than a page-turner. She gets to a deeper level that makes her stories valuable without ever sacrificing a sense of play and suspense. I can see why she won a Minnesota Book Award for her fabulous Emmy books. Great writing! Open one of these book and you'll sink right in.

Lynne Jonell is the author of three middle-grade novels (Emmy & the Incredible Shrinking Rat, winner of the 2008 Minnesota Book Award; Emmy & the Home for Troubled Girls, and The Secret of Zoom) and seven picture books. Her work has received starred reviews in Horn Book, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Booklist, and Sesame Street Parents. She lives in Plymouth, Minnesota with her husband and has two grown sons.

The Secret Zoom

By Lynne Jonel

Christina lives in a stone mansion on the edge of a forest surrounded by barbed wire, an electrified fence, and signs that read “TRESPASSERS WILL BE BOILED.” High above looms the Starkian Mountain Ridge, and deep within the forest is the laboratory where her mother was blown to bits when Christina was just a baby.

Christina’s father, the head scientist at Loompski Labs, knows how dangerous the world can be. So he keeps his daughter safe at home, and forbids her to talk to the very interesting orphans down the road.

But when an orphan named Taft talks to her, whispering of a secret tunnel, Christina forgets about safety to help him escape. All too soon she and Taft discover that there is far more to the orphanage, Loompski Labs, and the mystery of her mother’s supposed death than she ever suspected...

Stephanie's Elvis and Olive is one of the best book I've read for capturing that period in girlhood when you're just learning that your parents aren't always right, that friendships are strange and wonderous things, and that boys are next on the horizon. Her characters are drawn in a crystal-clear fashion and I recognize them and want to spend time with them. So, I'm excited that Elvis and Olive is a series.

Stephanie Watson’s debut novel, Elvis & Olive, was a 2008 Junior Library Book selection and a Washington Post Book of the Week. The sequel, Elvis & Olive: Super Detectives will be on store shelves in July of 2010. Last year, Stephanie created Life is Life, an online story in words and pictures. A groundbreaking storytelling experiment, Life is Life has drawn online readers from over 50 countries.

In addition to creating fiction, she teaches writing at the Loft Literary Center, gives classes in improvisation at Dreamland Arts in St. Paul, and runs a web copywriting agency called PlumLines.

Elvis and Olive

By Stephanie Watson

Ten-year-old Natalie Wallis is a shy bookish perfectionist. Annie Beckett (age nine) is a wild tomboy liar. Why do these two very different girls become friends? Because they’ve got some serious spying to do.

“Even the most dull-looking people do all kinds of weird, interesting things when they think no one’s watching,” Annie says. With this in mind, the girls form a secret spying club and start snooping on their neighbors under the code names Elvis & Olive.

By the end of their summer together, Elvis & Olive have uncovered a number of strange secrets about their neighbors. Eaten far too many freeze pops. And formed a friendship like no other.

Three Rivers Rising Give Away!

2010-02-27T23:12:00.003-06:00

Remember when I went to Boston for ALA Midwinter? I met Jame Richards whose debut novel, Three Rivers Rising, is coming out on April 13th. Before I went, I was lucky enough to get an ARC of the novel. I was eager to read it because of its beautiful cover, because Jame is a Class of 2k10 member, and because she is published by Random House, like me.

So, as soon as it came in the mail, I opened it. I'll admit, then I kind of groaned, discovering it is a novel in verse. And, it is historical fiction. Which, to me, is two strikes against it.

But reading it was entirely groan-free. In fact, it had be me gasping. At one point, I read a beautiful line that had me picturing a moment that I held my breath until it passed. Then when I tried to read on, I had to stop and share that moment with someone, anyone. I walked into the next room and read it aloud to my husband who nodded solemnly in the wake of the power.

Three Rivers Rising gives you that and much more. But don't take my word. Enter here for my giveaway! That's right. A signed ARC of Three Rivers Rising in your hands before the book is released.

You've got until March 13th to enter. (One month before the release.) Enter by leaving a comment. +1 entry for tweeting in your right. +2 entries for blogging about it. +3 for following my blog. Increase your chances, people; it's worth it.

Books Have Arrived!

2010-02-24T23:52:00.000-06:00

More to be excited about.

Plus that, it's a whole 2 weeks aka fourteen days aka 336 hours until the actual release.

Happy Ears?

2010-02-20T11:38:00.007-06:00

I was just writing a thank you email to the editor at Listening Library who acquired Split as an audiobook. I wanted to let her know how much I've appreciated the communication with all the great people who have been working on it, including this interaction with award-winning actor Joshua Swanson. While searching for the link, I stumbled upon something.

Here's a sneak peek, or rather, a sneak sound bite.

After hearing Joshua embody Jace's voice, I ended up waxing philosophical: Can ears experience happiness?

Split on Indiebound Kids Next List

2010-02-19T07:20:00.004-06:00

Split was selected by an Indiebound book seller to make the Spring 2010 Kids Indie Next List.

Sweet. Very, very sweet. I'm so honored.

Sweeter: Also included were fellow 2k10 class members Irene Latham and Jennifer Hubbard. Not to mention Alison McGhee, whose work I adore. So I'm in excellent company.

Sweetest:

"At age 16, Jace Witherspoon has finally fled from the home of his violently abusive father. With only the return address on an envelope slipped to him by his mother as he left, he travels to find safe haven with his long- vanished older brother. Split is the story of their prickly and unexpected reunion, and the two brothers' struggles to reconcile the legacy of their damaged upbringing with the possibility of a new life. Dynamically told through Jace's voice, this story is relentless and captivating." --Karen McCollom, TheYankee Bookshop, Woodstock, VT

Everything I know about the Yankee Bookshop:

1) It is an independent bookstore, so God Love 'Em.
2) .... nope, no 2.

So I looked them up. Here's what I found on their website:

Now, that is sweet. I want to go there! Meet Karen, pet pups, and explore their store. Road trip, anyone?

Time for Adults to come out of the YA closet

2010-02-15T23:04:00.000-06:00

I'd say at least 50% of the time I say that I'm a YA author, the adult I'm speaking to looks down for a second and then sheepishly back at me. And then says something along the lines of "I actually read a lot YA myself."

YA is not just for kids. And why should it be? As most people who read YA know, the genre has blossomed in the last 15 or 20 years, turning from didactic, simplistic fiction into nuanced, complex fiction. The genre has evolved from Saturday-afternoon special to what actually happens on a Saturday afternoon. It has authors like Sherman Alexie and Francine Prose contributing to it now, authors who have found critical acclaim in the adult world.

Why are adults, both as writers and readers, turning to YA?

Story and plot are key to YA. We YA authors believe that there should be a chain of events in the story (a.k.a. a plot), that kids (and adults) should want to turn the page and find out what happens next, that kids (and adults) are busy and have 400 other things pulling at their attention, and so we try to rivet the reader's attention to the book.

Now, to those authors and readers who will start waggling their fingers at me and telling me that plot-driven stories are too-Hollywood, that plot is necessarily formulaic, and accusing plot of being the downfall of literature, I reply: Ever read Beloved? How about As I lay Dying? Hmmm... maybe there's some plot in those novels. And yet, they are anything but formulaic. Without a doubt, these books also contain excellent characters who experience moving character arcs. In fact, good literature isn't about the absence of plot; it's about marrying plot to character so that the story is rich.

Plot and character are not at odds, fighting for space on the page. Instead, they can be and should be united. Any good plot is character-driven. A character has a goal, something to solve and, as the character tries to solve her problem, she creates plot. As the effects of her actions affect her, she evolves, which is to say, she progresses along a character arc. In this way, character fuels plot and plot fuels character.

Adults are turning to YA lit because it is good lit. It hasn't sacrificed story to a higher belief that plot is for amateurs and because, yes, we YA authors are addicted to plot. So, if you are an adult who enjoys reading YA, don't hang your head in shame. Celebrate it and demand that the literature, whether YA or adult, give you both a story and deep, compelling characters to care about.

Questions for me?

2010-02-08T19:52:00.000-06:00

Come ask them at Random House Buzzers. Or, come play at the polls, write from your own experience... So stoked to be there and chat. And you'll earn Buzz Bucks

I'll be here all week (and next, if fact). Don't forget to tip your waitresses.

Split's Trailer!

2010-02-06T12:09:00.000-06:00

I am just thrilled with this new trailer, so I had to share. Hope you enjoy!

Addendum to DSM V

2010-02-05T17:11:00.005-06:00

At about midnight last night, I was trolling the web and looked at Brian Malloy's website. He has a great page about the emotional roller coaster of the debut novelists first year of publishing. Reading that plus knowing a few debut novelists has helped me decide that the DSM V should identify a new psychological disorder: Debut Bookitits.

Symptoms Include:

1) Inordinate amounts of non-localized stress.

2) Repetitive Stress Injuries from googling one's own name.

3) Extreme Solipism that can result in the afflicted getting distracted during conversations and saying, "So, have you bought a copy of my book yet? It's coming out soon. You can pre-order, you know?"

4) Review Obsession: May include memorizing reviews, knowing the dates that LSJ and Kirkus issue their reviews, checking multiple times per day when the reviews are delayed, reading all the reviews in the issue the afflicted's comes out in and ranking them.

5) Daily checking of Amazon Sales Rank, even though the afflicted knows that Amazon is only one vendor.

6) Oscillating between extremes: Everyone HATES my book to everyone LOVES my book. This can be in rapid cycle or extended cycles. And can be experienced even before the book is released.

Treatment Recommendations

Talk about yourself. It's better for the afflicted to get out of their own solipsism as soon as possible and the afflicted are too far gone to ask how you're doing, remember that you might be having a life of your own, much less thoughts of your own that are not related to her book.

Do not give the afflicted caffeine. She is probably up all night trolling the internet already.

Prognosis

I don't know.... What do you think? Is there hope?

Goodreads Give Away Starts Today

2010-02-01T08:08:00.000-06:00

I announced too early. The give away for a signed ARC of Split starts today. February 1, and goes through the 9th, one month before the release. Hope you enter. Hope you win.

Minnesota Book Award Finalists Announced

2010-01-31T18:03:00.000-06:00

I have had the honor of judging in the MN Book Award for the last three years. Over the years, I met great librarians and book sellers, got to read at least four books of exceptional quality, and then attended the Gala Reception in April, with the secret of the winning book battering around like a caged bird in my chest just waiting for the gate to open. Sadly, I am not a judge this year, but at least I still have a list of books to read that are of exceptional quality.

...And the Nominees are:

Children's

~ The Longest Night (Holiday House), Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Ted Lewin

~ Red Sings from Treetops: a year in colors (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski

~ Song of Middle C (Candlewick Press), Alison McGhee, illustrated by Scott Menchin

~ Stampede!: Poems to Celebrate the Wild Side of School (Clarion Books), Laura Purdie Salas, illustrated by Steven Salerno

General Nonfiction

~ Drink This: Wine Made Simple (Ballantine Books/The Random House Publishing Group), Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl

~ I Go to America: Swedish American Women and the Life of Mina Anderson (Minnesota Historical Society Press), Joy K. Lintelman

~ Journeywell: A Guide to Quality Aging (Beaver's Pond Press), Trish Herbert

~ Richard Parkes Bonington: The Complete Paintings (Yale University Press), Patrick Noon

Young People's Literature

~ Crows & Cards (Houghton Mifflin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), Joseph Helgerson

~ Lucy Long Ago: Uncovering the Mystery of Where We Came From (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), Catherine Thimmesh

~ The Magician's Elephant (Candlewick Press), Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Yoko Tanaka

~ the sky always hears me and the hills don't mind (Flux/Llewellyn Publications), Kirstin Cronn-Mills

Genre Fiction

~ Frag Box (Poisoned Pen Press), Richard A. Thompson

~ Jelly's Gold (Minotaur Books/St. Martin's Press), David Housewright

~ Rough Country (Putnam's Sons/Penguin Group), John Sandford

~ The Silent Governess (Bethany House Publishers/Baker Publishing Group), Julie Klassen

Poetry

~ Faith Run (The University of Arizona Press), Ray Gonzalez

~ I Wish I Had a Heart Like Yours, Walt Whitman (University of Notre Dame Press), Jude Nutter

~ Skirmish (Graywolf Press), Dobby Gibson

~ unrest (Graywolf Press), Joanna Rawson

Memoir and Creative Nonfiction

~ The Bullhead Queen: A Year on Pioneer Lake (University of Minnesota Press), Sue Leaf

~ Going Blind: A Memoir (Excelsior Editions/State University of New York Press), Mara Faulkner, OSB

~ Holiday Inn (Borealis Books/Minnesota Historical Society Press), Kevin Kling

~ The Wolf at Twilight: An Indian Elder's Journey through a Land of Ghosts and Shadows (New World Library), Kent Nerbern

Novel and Short Story

~ The Annunciations of Hank Meyerson, Mama's Boy and Scholar (Hooded Friar Press), Scott Muskin

~ The Book of Night Women (Riverhead Books/Penguin Group), Marlon James

~ A Travel Guide for Restless Hearts (Borealis Books/Minnesota Historical Society Press), N.M. Kelby

~ The Turtle Catcher (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), Nicole Helget

Minnesota

~ Honor Bright: A Century of Scouting in Northern Star Council (Northern Star Council, Boy Scouts of America), Dave Kenney

~ Jewel of Como: The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory (Afton Historical Society Press), Leigh Roethke and Bonnie Blodgett

~ Minneapolis in the Twentieth Century: The Growth of an American City (Minnesota Historical Society Press), Iric Nathanson

~ Opening Goliath: Danger and Discovery in Caving (Borealis Books/Minnesota Historical Society Press), Cary J. Griffith

Minneapolis is tied for the most literate city in the US. With all these readers, it's not surprising that we have wonderful writers coming out from this Land of 10,000 Lakes. Getting nominated ain't easy. Congrats!!!

Split Giveaway on Goodreads

2010-01-28T13:43:00.000-06:00

Wanna a copy before March 9th?

Enter. Win. Read.

Signed ARC and you'll get a smidgen of Class of 2k10 swag as well!

Titler's Remorse?

2010-01-25T20:42:00.003-06:00

Recently, I discovered that Stefan Petrucha's YA novel Split is coming out from Walker books one week after my Split is being released. Other than screaming out for a database of some kind with in the publishing industry (which would, understandably fall on ears that are listening more and more for the chink of change in the bank than an expense like this), I just have to laugh.

Making me chuckle even harder was the extent of my title hunt. When Gravediggers was rejected as a title from my publisher (and rightly so as it sounds too paranormal for my book and sends the wrong message), I began a serious title hunt. Of all the changes my editor suggested, the title was probably the most difficult. And it made me a little crazy.

Over 200 titles came up and got knocked down. I must have shown my editor around a dozen. With the marketing department's help, we narrowed it down to two: "What We Leave" and "Split". We chose Split because we thought that it was punchier and better represented difficult subject matter. And because, when I polled all the writers who read created of writers I know Split came up as a better title 8-2.

What makes titling so hard? Well, first, a title must accurately represent your book in terms of the subgenre and the market. Do you think any teen would pick up a book if it was titled Lily and Busy Bunnies? Me neither.

In addition, a title points the reader to something important about the book. It functions like an arrow in the text, saying hey reader, look here! When I titled Split, I searched the ms for the word and had to remove it from a spot where it was used casually.

And then, it should act kind of like a line of poetry. They should have rhythm and meter, if you're going for the long titles, like The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing. Or impact when you're going for one-worders. Like Patricia McCormick's Sold or Cut.

A title is your first impression. Make it a good one.

So, do I have title remorse? Not really. I'm sure it will cause some confusion, but to paraphrase a Children's Literature Network representative, that just means that people will have to talk about both books a little more. Yep, there are worse things.

ALA Midwinter

2010-01-22T12:50:00.000-06:00

It took me three days to write about ALA because the experience has left me uncharacteristically speechless. I’ve mentioned before that the publication process has been surreal for me from the auction of Split through the copyedits through holding the ARCs in my hands. And, so I expected the same kind of thing with ALA. After all, things that don't happen in real life were happening: Knopf flew me out to ALA to go to a party where they were featuring four of their debut novelists (yours truly, Anna Jarzab, Marianne Malone, and the fabulous Jame Richards) at a cocktail party for their It’s a First launch. Right there, that’s enough to send me into surreal-city. But it was even better than that.

I got to meet my fabulous agent, Rosemary Stimola. I was a bit concerned because I had pretty high expectations of my fairy godmother. Over lunch, we discussed everything from her daughter’s recent wedding to my second book, BIDDEN. I got all my questioned answered and a better sense of this industry. And, we had a good chuckle over my complete inability to conceal every emotion I experience. Even in my emails, as it turns out. Other than the absent wings and wand, she lived up to my image of her.

Then I took the elevators down toward the conference floor. Apparently, I thought, surreal-city has an address. But it seemed unusually real. I wandered from booth the booth, taking photos for friends when I saw their books on their publisher’s shelves and then found a lot of books sitting on the floor. I wondered, are these the ugly sister books?

When I walked over to Random House, I searched for my book on the shelf and couldn’t find it. Instead, I discovered all these books with shiny, green stars sticking out of them, with names like Booklist, Kirkus, Library School Journal: ah, those special books that have starred reviews.

I finally found Split. Sitting on the floor. And worse, there were hardly any of them, maybe three. So, ugly sister, eh? But then, a librarian picked a copy off the floor and I suddenly got it: Librarians were free to take copies of the books on the floor, not the ones of the shelves and so, the fact that mine were nearly gone was actually a good sign. (They had completely disappeared before I left) The shelf copy, it turns out, had been lifted; I never thought I’d be happy to have something stolen before.

Before I met my editor I knew a few things about her: she’s a baker, she has a great sense of story and she is very kind and thoughtful. But, like most new writers, I’ve been pretty intimidated by her. But when I met her, things changed for three major reasons: 1) She’s far shorter than I thought, and that was in heels. 2) She is funny and has a fabulous laugh. 3), I got to meet her mother, who, since she’s a librarian was attending the event. My editor went from presence to person. Very cool person. We ended up having the most reassuring conversation I’ve ever had about BIDDEN, the second book, which ended with my editor saying those words everyone likes to hear… “I trust you.” Phew!

When we got to the party, I was ready to enter the land of the surreal, for sure. I felt it going up the elevator while Jame Richards talked about the ghost stories about the Omni Parker Hotel. But then, my editor handed me my book. Not a manuscript, not an ARC, but my actual book. Split, in the flesh, so to speak. With thick pages and a shiny jacket and the heft of a real book. I grabbed a copy and hung on to it for the rest of the night. The experience should have been surreal, with people coming up to me asking me about Split, asking me to sign Split (and in a totally rookie move, signed the first copy of the wrong page) and my editor making a quick speech, complimenting Split. But it wasn’t. With the book in my hand, it was the most grounded, I have felt in the last eighteen months.

SFD

2010-01-11T23:19:00.000-06:00

Finally! A first draft of BIDDEN. Wow, this took so much longer than I expected. I started writing something like BIDDEN about a year ago. I had more than 100 pages of it that I threw out. Twice. I'm so thrilled to have a SFD ("sh*tty first draft", term is courtesy of Anne Lamont in "Bird by Bird"), or in slightly prettier terms, the skeleton. Time to start building the muscle and sinew. But I'd better build fast! My May deadline is coming up!

Wish me luck.

Fun with our Reading Series

2010-01-10T13:21:00.000-06:00

Three fun things that happened last night.

Fun Thing No. 1: A Name! A Name!

My co-curator, Heather Bouwman, named our reading series! (Drumroll, please... Pull the curtain... and...)

Yep! The Second Story Reading Series. Perfect (if a little blurry).

Here's why: It has two meanings. The Loft's performance hall is on the second story of the Open Book building (hence the staircase in the pix above), and of course, our reading series is designed to feature two writers: an emerging and an established author, so there is always a second story.

Fun Thing No. 2: Our Chilling Reading

Last night, we featured chilling tales on a chilly night. Even though the temperature hovered around zero degrees and the snow/ice was thick on the roads, we had a large turn out for Patrick Jones and NY Times Bestselling Lisa McMann. We even had to add seats.

Patrick kicked us off. He was great, moving around the space, connecting with the audience, and hitting notes (when imitating teen girls) that I didn't think was in his register.

Then, Lisa treated us all to a selection of her upcoming book, Gone. Always fun to get a sneak peek. And when we revealed that Lisa would give out her copy of Gone, at least half the audience (the half that hadn't signed up for the giveaway already) beat it to the lobby for the grand prize.

After a Q and A and our final giveaways, our audience got their books signed and munched on Monster cookies in honor of Patrick's book The Tear Collector ("You're a monster!" "Cody, there are no such thing as monsters") and Orange Dreamsicle Cake in honor of Lisa's book Wake ("Your dreams are not your own").

Fun Thing No. 3: Seat at the Grown Ups Table

Split is coming out in less than two months. (59 days, but whose counting?) And even though I have held an ARC in my hands, it still feels surreal. But I got another grounding experience last night after the reading. Lisa generously took Heather Bouwman, Erin Downing Kurtis Scaletta, Charlotte Sullivan (radio host on KFAI and will-be-published-someday author) and me out to a tasty dinner. It was something to have literally a seat at the table with four other published authors. We discussed things all things inscrutable to writers: contract prices, NY Times Bestseller lists v. Bookscan numbers, why publishers select certain authors for events. It was a conversation that only authors would have and it was great to be speculating amongst them.

Kick off the Year with Patrick Jones and Lisa McMann

2010-01-04T15:58:00.000-06:00

Not cold enough for you? Come hear some chilling paranormal tales at the Loft!

For our next installment of the youth and teen reading series, we're proud to have Patrick Jones and New York Times bestselling novelist Lisa McMann.

When: Saturday, January 9th at 7 PM

Where: The Loft, The Open Book building at 1011 Washington Ave. S.

And, in case you need some bolstering after the reading, we'll have snacks before you head back out in the Minnesota winter.

More info about our readers and their books.

Check out Lisa's Trailer:

Lisa McMann is the New York Times bestselling author of Wake and Fade and her upcoming novel, Gone, is the third in her Wake trilogy. She grew up in Michigan and now lives in the Phoenix area with her husband and two kids. You can friend her or tweet at her.

And equally tantalizing is Patrick's:

Patrick Jones is the author of six novels for teens, most recently the supernatural tome The Tear Collector. His 2007 novel Chasing Tail Lights was a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award. A former librarian for teenagers, Jones received lifetime achievement awards from the American Library Association and the Catholic Library in 2006. While he lives in Minneapolis, he still considers Flint, Michigan his hometown.

Hope you can make it!

Editor's Cookies?

2009-12-19T10:10:00.002-06:00

That's right. One of the many reasons my editor rocks is that she sends holiday cookies. She is a seriously busy woman who still finds ways to remind her writers that this business is the best one to be in.

This is the second year I've received cookies and this year, my husband and I were checking the mail. When the envelope came, my husband came in our kitchen and said, "Editor's Cookies!"

This is how they come:

Here's why we gobble them down:

They are as tasty as they look. Chocolate Meringue and Cranberry Bars.

I don't want this post to suggest that I value my editor's cookies more than her notes, only that her cookies have a very different affect on me.

So yummy. Gotta go... I'm getting crumbs in my laptop.

Joshua Swanson is Jace!

2009-12-18T16:37:00.002-06:00

Split on audio is fast becoming a reality. Listening Library snagged the award-winning Joshua Swanson for the gig. I'm thrilled! He is wry and seems to find the funny in scripts -- something absolutely necessary for Split to work. I can't wait to hear him embody my protagonist, Jace.

Check him out: Demos

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Agent or Fairy Godmother? You Decide.

2009-12-11T21:38:00.005-06:00

It is Happy Agent Day in the Blogosphere, so I'm celebrating my agent, Rosemary Stimola. Rosemary is actually a fairy godmother in disguise. Here are my top 5 reasons why:

#5) With a wave of her wand, she can make emails appear in my inbox.

Recently, I was worried about not receiving some nameless information from a nameless person at a nameless company. When I called Rosemary and relayed my concern, she first calmed me down, telling me not to worry about it. Then she said she shared my concern that I wasn't getting any communication. She put in a call and --ding-- I got mail.

#4) Receiving email from her is like getting a treat.

First, she has lightening-speed response time. I have yet to wait 24 hours for a response. Not even when she broke her ankle and warned me she might be a little slower with responses. When I queried her, she asked for a full manuscript within nine hours. This woman knows what 'prompt reply' means. She must have coined the term.

Second, she has her own style of emailing, which just oozes personality Here's an example:

hey, lovely news!
am about to leave office for weekend, so will get contracts out to you on my letterhead for signature early next week!
more on subs then as well...
very pleased to have you on board!
ro stimo

#3) Her experience in the biz is reliable.

The most important aspect of the agent-writer relationship, as Andrew Karre once told me, is trust. At the time, I didn't quite understand why, but now I do. Truth is, I'm a writer and I don't know how this industry works: with Rosemary's help, I'm learning what is reasonable to expect from my publisher, what is important, and what I shouldn't worry about. She's been at this for a long time now and is one of the top-sellers on Publisher's Marketplace; she knows what she's up to. That keeps years on my life and takes more off my plate.

#2.5 because it is related to #3, but a little higher up) We're in this together

When she offered to represent me, I asked to interview her, which made me a little self conscious. But Rosemary thought it was a great idea because, as she said, the agent-writer relationship is like a marriage. It's a long-term commitment and you need to know what you're in for.

And she does treat me like a partner in my career. We talked about what houses to send Split to when it was just an aspiring manuscript. After relaying her list, she asked if there was any house I wanted that wasn't on her list. When I said yes, she included it. She went through my contract with Knopf for Split with me word by word, and it's around 12 pages. And explained things to me I couldn't understand (me: "remind me...what are sub rights?").

#2) Best opening line for an auction ever.

When it became official that Split would go to auction, I wasn't sure that my feet were actually on the ground. The idea that one house wanted to publish it would have sent me to Cloud Nine. But having more than one house interested and willing to bid on Split was like being rocketed into the stratosphere of high-hopes. Cloud Nine was so small from way up there.

On the day of the auction for Split, she called me in the morning with the offers and said, "Are you still breathing?"

I laughed, releasing some of my jitters. "Barely."

"Deep breaths," she said, amused. "I can't have you pass out on me now."

Talk about setting the tone for the day: celebratory, surreal, and business-like.

#1) She's incredibly diplomatic, knowing how to set the tone of a conversation, (see #2) and has balls of steel.

In other words, she is exactly the kind of woman I want representing me -- polite, knowledgeable, reasonable, and won't back down when she's right. Which she usually is.

After all, what fairy godmother is in the wrong?

Death Knell #1

2009-12-10T10:54:00.001-06:00

I know that businesses routinely close. I know we shouldn't get attached to corporations. But there are some for which, when the bell tolls, we don't need to ask who it tolls for, because we know that we've all lost.

Goodbye Kirkus Review.

Audio Book Recording Begins

2009-12-08T00:47:00.005-06:00

After a disheartening week in which I was waiting for good news that never came, I have a little something to celebrate. Yes, in my inauspicious inbox, I found an email that let me know that the audio book for Split will be recorded this month!

And with this step, like all the others on the what-do-you-mean-I'm-getting-published road, I have to convince myself that I haven't gone completely around the bend and fantasized the entire contract.

3 months and one day until kick off.

Interview with Julie Schumacher

2009-12-05T18:50:00.009-06:00

BACKSTORY: I met Julie Schumacher almost three years ago as one of her students in University of Minnesota’s MFA program, but knew her through her work and venerated reputation within the Twin Cities writing community prior to that. I first encountered her work in Book of One Hundred Truths, which won a Minnesota Book Award in 2007, and was drawn into the work at the end of the first chapter in which our narrator states, "I should probably mention something right now before this story goes any further: my name is Theodora Grumman, and I am a liar.” Um, yes, Hooked.

Schumacher’s latest novel Black Box has been named a Junior Library Guild selection, ALA Best Book for Young Adults 2009, and a ALA Quick Pick (for Reluctant Readers) 2009. Even more honorably, Black Box makes my list of fav books for the year. Impressed by the choices and techniques that Schumacher brought to this novel, I taught it in my young adult and voice class at the Loft last summer. And, because Julie gives her time and attention, she agreed to answer some questions.

INTERVIEW

Q: I think the decision to go into flashback from page 4-20 was a risk (i.e a ballsy and brilliant move) Did you see this as risky? Were you concerned about losing the forward motion of the book?

**SPOILER** Why did you chose to start where you did and not, as this question implies, when Dora swallowed the handful of anti-depressants?

JS: Yes, I do see it as risky (because of the forward-momentum issue), and the editor had a bit of a problem with it at first, for the same reason. I don't see it as brilliant, at all: this is one of those cases in which, Yes, I knew the early flashback presented a problem, and Yes, I knew I'd probably have to argue for it/justify it, but.... that's where the book started from fairly early drafts, and it Just Felt Right, so I was willing to leave it there and to argue for it. This was always Elena's book, and I think that entry into the hospital would have been the moment that struck Elena hardest. I imagined that moment as the one that would always be foremost in her mind. It would be the moment when she recognized, for the first time, that something was truly happening to her family -- a story was unfurling itself in front of her, and she had to begin to try to tell it.

Q: Right before the flashback Dora poses the question: "How did my sister fall through the hole in her life..." Because of that (and something I think you said to me earlier), I'm wondering if you structure your books as a series of questions for the reader to answer?

JS: Interesting. I do think that part of the author's job -- particularly in y/a lit -- is to raise a series of questions in the reader's mind that will inspire that reader to continue turning the pages. If the reader isn't, at some level, wondering "what happened next?" you lose your audience. I didn't consciously think about structuring the book via a series of questions, though. The "How did my sister fall..." is the one huge primary question in Elena's mind, e.g. "How can this have happened to us?"

Q: My students (and I) were blown away by the one line chapters and asked me: "How does she get away with that?" I'm wondering if you have any insights about how you made that work?

JS: Initially there were a few more one-line chapters, and the editor (wisely) said, "These will be more powerful/more effective if there are fewer of them." So I excised a few very short chapters (folding them into larger chapters) -- while insisting that I had to keep #5 ("Dora got worse") and #61 ("A bottle of pills, a tube of glue. She broke her promise.") I see these two as echoes of one another. In any case, my intention, with these very short sections, was to try to capture Elena's distress and her fragmented thinking, the sense of shock. In chapter 5, there is no room for anything else in Elena's mind but "Dora got worse." Those three words entirely occupy her thoughts and her imagination, crowding everything else out. In effect, I didn't see these short chapters as stylistic flourishes, but as a way of conveying the quality of Elena's emotions.

Q: **SPOILER** Toward the end, Dora is talking to the grandma therapist, she narrates, "I felt as if I were waiting for the end of the story, for the moment the crisis passed and the characters wisely understood what had happened to them and someone shut the book with a satisfying snap. But what if the story didn't end and the book stayed open?" Your book, does have an open ending. At what point in the writing process did the scene with the grandma therapist come into the novel? Do you feel that it, if you are giving the reader an ending that is not as clear cut, you need to foreshadow it? I ask, in part, because I've been seeing this more frequently in open endings.

JS: I didn't feel obliged to foreshadow the ambiguity at the end of the book. But I wrote the ending relatively early (something I often try to do), and then struggled to find the best ways to work toward it, so that the final page wouldn't seem to come out of nowhere. I suppose one of those ways in which I worked toward the ending was the passage you're referring to. In general, I think the aim is for all the portions of a novel to cohere and to echo each other, and to add to the power of the whole.

Q: I think you set us up nicely, foreshadowing that the ending won't be exactly clean, but it is an ending that has no clear (if any) denouement. Again, a risky successful move. Which I see as even more risky because it is a YA novel and you're employing an ending that really requires a sophisticated reader, that requires that reader determine whether Dora's ability to face her emotions is enough for her to heal or not. Did you see that as risky? I see this as an ending that makes me understand the whole of the book in a different way, which is not the way I'm used to thinking of endings, actually. In our class we discussed what makes a good ending, what would you say?

JS: While I was working my way toward the end of the book, I knew I couldn't write either a "happy ending" (it would be unrealistic, and not in keeping with the tone of the novel) or a disaster scenario. (If Dora had died, Elena would have had to say so earlier -- for Elena to get to the end of the book and only then reveal that her sister was dead would be too manipulative.) So I knew I was aiming for ambiguity in some form or another. I have always loved (and often taught) Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, which ends with the handmaid "stepping up into the darkness, or else the light" -- either being rescued, or heading off to her doom. And I often tell my students, if you're headed toward a choice between two possible endings, Ending A and Ending B always head for C. You want an ending that will cast a shadow over everything that has preceded it, so that the reader will want to look again at the beginning of the book in the new context of the ending. (I'm not advocating for a "surprise" ending, but for complication and resonance.)

More specifically, regarding Black Box: what mattered to me most in the novel was Elena's reaction to Dora, the progress of Elena's emotions being more central or primal than Dora's deterioration. Logically, even if Dora were to get better, Elena would always worry, would always be left with some emotional ambiguity. So that's where I decided to leave her.

I have gotten emails from some teenage readers asking me whether Dora is going to be all right. To me, that's a great source of satisfaction: to have a reader contact me, worried about the welfare of a person I have invented. I want my readers to worry about Dora; I worry about her as well.

Thanks to Julie Schumacher for providing this insight into her book.

2k10 trailer

2009-11-29T00:11:00.005-06:00

2k10 is a group of debut authors who have bound together for support and such. I've met some great women on line and I can't wait to read all the books this coming year. We've been working hard as of late to launch our new website (coming very soon!) and asked Madison at M2productions to put together a trailer for us. Talented girl. Here's what she came up with. (Stick around, Split is second to last)

I love the images she came up with for Split -- how the fist is foregrounded and the background is blurry, left to your imagination. The kid in the tennis shoes taking off... lovely, given the fact that the book features running, both metaphorically and literally.

I'm absolutely thrilled with it and I'm considering asking her to do one for Split, now that I've seen her work. But I have to wonder about trailers in general. What do you think? Do book trailers make a difference for you? Has one ever helped you decide to buy a book?

Kicking off a New Reading Series TODAY

2009-11-21T08:53:00.005-06:00

HM Bowuman and I are co-curating a new bi-monthly Reading Series at the Loft featuring writers of Children's Literature. The idea behind the series is to pair up a nationally recognized author with an emerging one in a kind of "if you liked..., you might also like ..."

We're so excited to get the authors we have for this month: Pete Hautman and JT Dutton. Here's the pitch: Come, enjoy, steal (or earn) a chocolate car.

Listen to Pete Hautman, winner of the National Book Award, read from his new novel, How to Steal a Car. We've got a newcomer in the line up, too: J.T. Duttonauthor of Freaked, will be coming through our fine twin cities just for a this reading.

When: TODAY, November 21st at 2 PM.

Where: The Loft. Open Book, 1011 Washington Ave. 2nd floor

And there's more! Chocolate cars, which you can try to steal or earn with a question! (Pete won't be giving lessons on car-jacking, but he will be signing books).

Not enough? We have even more.

DISCUSSION: Julie Shumacher will be discussing how to get published alongside editors from Milkweed, Carolrhorda and Flux.

When: Saturday, November 21st at 4 PM.

Where: The Loft. Open Book, 1011 Washington Ave., Minneapolis, MN

As you might already know, Pete was one of my mentors in the Loft's Mentor Series a couple of years back and, even though he no longer has the official title, he's remains one of my writing gurus.

Besides, the guy can write.

Here's an excerpt from Pete's newest book:

The way this whole thing got started was completely coincidental and not like I planned it or anything. Jen and I had been at Ridgedale a few days before and we got kicked out of Abercrombie & Fitch because Jen was carrying around this enormous drippy wafflecone, so we went outside and sat on one of the benches in front of Macy’s so she could suck down the rest of it. We were talking and watching people walk to and from their cars when I noticed this salesman-type guy younger than our parents but way older than us score a prize parking slot close to the front entrance. The guy got out looking very pleased with himself and set his car keys on the hood and started digging in his briefcase for something. His keys slid off the hood and landed by his feet. He didn’t notice.

I looked at Jen but she was having some sort of crisis with her cone.
A couple seconds later, the guy found whatever it was he was looking for. He closed his briefcase and took off toward Macy’s entrance, passing real close to us. I opened my mouth to tell him he’d dropped his keys, but for some reason I didn’t.

After he was gone I said to Jen, “That guy dropped his keys.”
“Where?”
I walked over to his car and picked them up.

See what I mean?

In fact, JT Dutton is also a mentor of mine. (I'm so lucky!), through the Class of 2k10. We've been emailing each other and she has given me some great advice already on being a debut author. More specifically, she has helped me with my second book blues. She reassured me that yes, the second book is a unique beastie and that the third book is much easier. I'm actually going to get to meet her today, which has me grinning. I hope to have an excerpt and interview for you later!

For now, hope to see you there.

Why Writers Fear Marketers

2009-11-01T12:23:00.005-06:00

They can make anything look like something else.

The Problem with Writing a Problem Novel

2009-10-15T09:30:00.004-05:00

Problem novels have a lousy reputation, especially amongst adults. Which begs a few questions for which I, in my delusions of grandeurs(DoG), will answer. (See the trick here is that I pose questions that I know the answer to. Pay no attention to man behind the curtain.)

First, what are problem novels? In YA, they’re novels in which the characters of the novel try to cope with issues like rape, domestic violence, homelessness, alcoholism etc.

Why are they so seemingly unpopular? They are accused (and some times rightly so) of being preachy and overwritten, cleaving to a particular perspective (see the comments section) or providing little real characterization where the author uses the characters as props.

But the real problem with problem novels arises when the author tries to give a solution, wrapped in a neat after-school special bow.

Consider Blackbox by Julie Schumacher (more on her later, including an interview). This is a novel that absolutely refuses to provide a quick and easy solution. Or Godless by Pete Hautman.

So, what does that mean for those of us who love to write these dreaded novels? We can use the Schumacher/Hautman/ [insert many other names here] model: Refuse to give into the temptation to tell your reader what you’re story is about. Sound like familiar writing advice? Well, it is quick combination of “Show, don’t tell” and “Trust your reader.” If we do it for adults, then we definitely owe it to teens. Teens are reading to, in part, develop their own perspective on the issues, not to adopt the author's.

In my DoG, here are some things pay close attention to:

Your ending: have you given a moral to your tale? Have your earned your ending?
Your language: who is talking? The author or the character?
Your characters: are they ever a tool or have you given them true autonomy to drive the story, even if it is in a direction you didn't want/expect?

To paraphrase Laurie Halse Anderson (who seems to get a lot of ink in this blog), the job of a problem writer is to pose the problem and let the readers discover the solution.

Brightening up my week

2009-09-16T23:48:00.007-05:00

I haven't posted in a little while because school has started and the reams of paper are climbing over my head.

Seriously, when will I learn to cut back? My friends tell me that when I'm forty I'll learn to say no. So, while I'm looking forward to that birthday, I'm also a bit frightened that it will take me around 38 years to re-learn the favorite word of all 2 year olds.

But, if you were to dig me out from under the books and manuscript pages, you'd find me smiling about a review of Split.

The Complicated Art of Giving Feedback

2009-09-07T11:00:00.004-05:00

After reading this Salon article, reposted by Moonrat, I started thinking about feedback, which honestly, I think about a lot between my final year in University of Minnesota’s MFA program, two writer’s groups, teaching, and doctoring manuscripts (i.e. manuscript consulting). The question the writer’s friend has in the Salon article is, basically, how do I keep a friend and still give honest feedback. Unasked, I’m chiming in.

Of course, all friendships are different, but I do think friends should strive to be honest. But be honest about everything: strengths and weaknesses both.

So, if you're gracious enough to read for a writer, then here are my tips for giving feedback:

1) Telling the author she’s pretty.

Okay. Not literally. This is a phrase that my writer's group came up with to indicate that every piece has it's good points. You need to tell her what works, and not just to protect the ego before ripping her work (not her) apart. The value is simple: pedagogical studies indicate that we learn better from our strengths than our weaknesses.

And here's the hard part: You should try to tell her WHY it worked. And you thought giving compliments was simple.

2) Be a mirror.

Writers get lost in our own work and worlds. On the 5^th draft of my novel, Split, my agent asked me something about a character’s history. I was shocked to discover that her history was not only absent in the 5^th draft, it wasn’t in any draft; it was still in my head. So, tell the writer what you see. For instance: 'Jenny is a 15 year old girl who likes to take chances.' Sure, it makes you sound a little simpler than you are. It’s a 'well, duh' kind of thing. But as writers we don’t know what is on the page and what is still in our heads.

Mirrors also help because the mirror contains no value judgement. The value judgement is all up to the person looking at the reflection. It's true that sometimes, as writers, we're trying to do something you don't like. Like make you hate a character right from the start, or frustrate you with a character's choices. My editor wrote a question in my manuscript that went something along this lines of, 'why doesn't she just ...?' I asked her about whether my character's motivation was unclear and she said no, she was just so frustrated by my character's choices she had to write something. I count that as one of my best compliments ever; I knew I had what I was trying to do.

Very useful feedback, indeed. Do tell the writer your responses.

You guessed it; mirroring is actually the hard stuff.

3) Tell her what needs more attention.

Whether it’s sloppy sentence structure of characters whose arcs are flat, writers come to critiquers to know what they can do better. So, with care, tell her what parts you didn’t believe or thought the writing was weak or whatever your concerns are.

Surprisingly, this is the easy part.

One caveat though: If the manuscript is solid, don’t make up something to sound smart. More on that in another post when I discuss some of the perils of workshopping.

4) Trust the writer.

As writers, we’re told to trust the reader. As critiquers, trust the writer. Give her some time, expect she’ll figure out what to do, and know that she appreciates the hard work you’ve done for her.

5) Finally, thank her.

Exposing our work to a reader is a little like posing naked for a photograph and then asking what you think about the lighting and the composition. If she's willing to show it to you, she trusts you. Value the compliment.

I know we're asking a lot when we ask for a critique, but writers could not produce the fantastic works they have without the help of their friends/editors/readers. Just look at Maxwell Perkins’ writers. Thomas Wolfe is no slouch, but I’m equally impressed by the person who reigned him in.

Acts of Faith

2009-09-05T09:54:00.002-05:00

A first book is an act of faith. You hope your imagination will bring you some place worth going and that your intuition will not fail you. You dig deeply into your imagination and create characters; you fuss with plot and structure; and you pray. A lot.

But I did not think past my first book; it was all I could handle – creating a manuscript and hoping it would turn into a real book someday. Thinking beyond that was plain hubris.

That kind of thinking. magical thinking, makes sense to me when it comes to the unpredictable and mysterious world of publishing. It’s like women who don’t discuss their pregnancy until after the first trimester (I blabbed immediately) or throwing salt over your shoulder (I can never remember which shoulder). A lot of us are ruled by superstitious half-truths that we don’t buck, lest bad luck befall us.

But magical thinking didn’t serve me well after I got my contract.

Now, I know, it's not kosher to complain about something as remarkable as a contract. Who has that much ego and hubris and looking a gift horse in the mouth? Well, every author who has come across a second book, I believe. But because we, who have a debut novel emerging, are aware of our luck and are grateful for what we have, we don’t discuss our second book struggles. Or at least, not as much as we should.

But I’ve come up with some weapons for attacking the second book blues. Here’s one of my best weapons coping with rising expectations. Elizabeth Gilbert faced much, much higher expectations after publishing the enormously successful Eat, Pray, Love. Here’s what this funny woman had to say about it. I hope it inspires you, like it has me.

Interview with Laurie Halse Anderson

2009-08-31T10:17:00.007-05:00

In May, I was lucky enough to introduce Laurie Halse Anderson before she read at the Loft in Minneapolis, MN. (See Meeting a Writing Hero.) Being the generous woman she is, she agreed to let me conduct an interview which she gave via email, in spite of a personal tragedy.

Laurie Halse Anderson has garnered accolades and awards too numerous to enumerate here, but here are some of the highlights: ALA Best Books 2008, ALA Quick Picks 2008, New York Times Best Seller List, International Teacher's Association Teacher's Choice, National Book Award Finalist, and Printz Award Finalist. And that's just for her young adult books. (She also writes historical fiction and, as she calls them, kids books) .

Anderson's work tends toward a lot of risks, both in subject matters and form, and my interview questions were focused on the courage to take such risks and the process of such a ballsy writer.

Without further ado:

Swati: Your books address big problems that teens face, including emotional abuse, rape, and most recently, eating disorders. Have you faced criticism for choosing these topics? How do you respond to it?

Laurie: The criticism mostly comes from people who feel that by talking about these problems, I am somehow encouraging more teens to dive into dangerous behaviors. I completely disagree with this. I know that the only way to reduce the incidence of dangerous behaviors, and to help heal the emotional wounds suffered by so many of our teens, is to talk about these big problems.

Swati: You had a great deal of success with Speak. How did that affect you the next time you sat down to write? How did you cope with that?

Laurie: It has taken a while to move past Speak. The only way to do it was to write a lot more books. It is healthy for writers to realize that they can only control the quality of their work, not how people are going to react to it.

Swati: Comparing Twisted to your other work, do you find writing from the point of view of a girl and a boy different? Are there challenges for each? Is it easier for you to access a girl’s voice? If so, how did you access Tyler’s voice?

Laurie: A girl's voice comes easier, but that makes uncovering a boy's voice more work and thus, more rewarding. To help discover that voice, I interviewed countless boys and men, and tried to listen to them without judging their answers. It was a lot of fun to delve into the physical, kinesthetic realities that Tyler experienced. I think a lot of boys experience life more through their bodies than many girls.

Swati: Are you influenced by what is on the market already? Chains and Octavian Nothing by M.T. Anderson – both books told from the perspectives of slaves during the revolutionary war – came out at about the same time. Did that concern you?

Laurie: It does not concern me because I avoid knowing what is on the market. M.T. Anderson and I seem to be plugged into the same wavelength, that's for sure. I think it is wonderful that we've written about the same topic. Americans deserve many stories about slavery. Every writer is going to approach it differently.

Swati: You use a variety of techniques that are unique, including blank pages and the strike out feature in Wintergirls and pseudo-playwriting format to indicate Melinda’s silence in Speak. This really helps define the voice, and also challenge your readers to read a little differently. What helps you decide to take those risks? Are these more intellectual decisions or are they organic?

Laurie: Those were all organic decisions that evolved in the heat of writing the early draft. One of the things I most love about writing for teens is that they are open-minded and embrace new narrative techniques. I love playing around with new stuff - the goal is to communicate the story effectively.

Swati: You said that your fans wanted you to write about eating disorders and that is what drew you to Wintergirls. Did that affect the way you researched and/or the way you wrote?

Laurie: It did not affect the writing. It drove the research. I did not fully understand the emotional pain of eating disorders, and it was those letters that compelled me to dig into the subject so I could understand.

Swati: **SPOILER QUESTION**: One of my favorite parts of Wintergirls is how Lia instigated the competition between herself and Cassie eventually, took responsibility for undermining her friend’s recovery. How did that come to you?

Laurie: I guess it came from my understanding that one cannot grow without taking responsibility for one's actions. I think is what keeps many people stuck in immature attitudes, because it can be very painful to acknowledge mistakes.

Swati: Can you tell me about what you’re working on now?

Laurie: I'm working on FORGE, the next historical novel, and beginning to think about my next YA.

Swati: Is there anything else you’d like to say?

Laurie: To anyone out there with the dream of writing, I'd like to say this: Write the story in your heart - the one that only you can write. Don't worry about trends or critics or what your mother is going to say. Don't think; just write.

Want more? Watch and listen to her discuss her stunning book, Wintergirls.

Meeting A Writing Hero

2009-08-28T20:02:00.004-05:00

In May of this year, I got to meet one of my writing idols, Laurie Halse Anderson. I discovered her books years ago, when my son, who we’ll call The Possum, was only about four. We had spent so much time in bookstores over the years that The Possum had become an excellent book browser by age four. He could out do me. So, while he browsed books in at a local children’s bookstore, I wandered bored. I assumed there was nothing for me to do.

I struck up a conversation with a bookseller, Liz. Liz should have reminded me of a stereotypical librarian – small glasses, whitening hair, a passion for books – but she is not anything like the shushing, stern librarian I knew in grade school. (The librarians I meet nowadays seem to be about breaking those stereotypes). Liz is warm and has a great ability to sense what books will appeal and finds the best about every book.

When I asked Liz if she had anything for adults, she looked me over and then grabbed Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson’s debut novel. What I discovered, when I went home and read it, was that the world of young adult literature had changed from the time I read it as a child. It had become voice-y; it had become an arena for authors to push what was acceptable in literature, both in terms of content and in terms of form.

Two days later, my son and I were back at the store, only this time he had to drag me out, clutching 3 more YA books. Speak snared me. I started reading YA, and lots of it, listening to many of Liz's recommendations. And, now of course, I see it was what got me writing YA.

When I heard that I could meet Laurie Halse Anderson at a reading she gave at the Loft, I pulled every string I could think of to make sure I wouldn’t be just another face at the back of the signing line. One of the Loft’s staff, who has known me for a while, picked up my excitement instantly and suggested that I introduce Laurie instead.

When Laurie arrived and we were introduced, (“Halse, rhymes with Waltz – Halse”), I had to work hard not to gush. But I was rewarded for my self-control because I got to listen to her, not myself. I learned that Ms. Anderson is generous, freely giving me advice on my second book fears and agreeing to an interview, which will be featured on the More on Mondays blog on Monday, August 31.

She looked as I expected: she is slender and seems gentle in her tone. Then when she read to her audience (and make no mistake, it was her audience), she rejected the mic in favor of a strong voice, engaged the audience (answering all their questions, but asking a few of her own) and demonstrated a level of respect for the many students who came to see her.

Most heroes pale upon meeting. Laurie Halse Anderson did not.

Inaugural Blog

2009-08-15T20:49:00.000-05:00

Recently, I was sitting in at Harvest Moon Café with a member of my writer’s group who was complaining about tweets that go something like this: “Swati is eating apples” or “Swati is tired.” Other tweets, he told me, are valuable, such as “I just posted a new blog.” He objects to the idea that every thought someone has needs to be expressed, that it needs to be shared, and that by writing it down, we imply that eating apples is inherently interesting.

As someone who has written those status lines on facebook and who loves reading others’ similar stati, I disagreed. I do like hearing that my cousin, who I only see once every two years, is making posole. It is the only way I have to enter her daily life. I am, like most of us, separated in physical distance to most of the people I am closest to. Twitter or facebook transform that which has disconnected us (a computer in a solitary room) into a source of connection.

Then again, I’m a writer. I love all sorts of communication. And for me, communication is connection.

In this inaugural blog, I’m questioning why should I write this and whether anyone should care if I’ve eaten apples, or even the more inherently interesting experiences like auction day for my contract (more on this later). And I remind myself that this blog is a form of connection to anyone who wishes to read. Whether it’s a blog, a short story, or even a novel, I write to connect, to reach across the distance.

So, welcome to my blog. I hope that you’ll come again to the blog, just to reach back.

I promise not to mention all my culinary delights. This blog will be focused on my writing, the life of a writer, and the process of publication. I will also be featuring interviews with authors, usually young adult authors who have had some sort of influence on me.

Coming soon: Laurie Halse Anderson, multiple award-winner, who was gracious enough to give me my inaugural interview and shortly thereafter, Julie Schumacher.