Susan Adrian

Why I write YA

2009-11-05T14:45:00.002-07:00

I have a couple of big-ish blog posts in the works (a new sock-knocker and the interview with Nova Ren Suma), but I was a little stuck on what to talk about in the meantime. So I begged on Twitter, and Courtney Summers told me what to do.

Guys, if Courtney Summers tells you what to do, DO IT.*

*unless it involves Lady Gaga or Twilight or horror movies I couldn't watch from another room. But otherwise, listen!

Anyway, I am ruining my Serious Post.^TM Courtney said, "tell 'em why you write YA." And I thought, hmmm. Why DO I write YA?

Part of it is as simple as "that's what comes out". There was no initial greater YA plan. My first book, The Murderess's Tale, was meant to be straight-up historical fiction. It didn't hit me until long afterwards that the heroine was 16 and it really was a coming-of-age book that just happened to be set in England of 1387. I'd been writing historical YA without even realizing it.

But then I decided I didn't want to write historicals for the rest of my life. I wanted to write a book that *I* would read, that had everything I loved poured into it and shaken up. When I sat down and started brainstorming that book, I listed out all the characteristics of books I loved. And I wrote this paragraph in my writing journal:

So all together, if we have all this stuff, this is some sort of YA. A funny YA, with some sort of fantasy/alternative world element to it, but without the predictable portal crap. A powerful, real voice. A girl who faces things as they are and deals with them—who is having a tough time, and then it gets way tougher and she has to figure it out.

And what came out of that was The Weirdest Thing about Jenna, which got me my most fabulous agent and is out under submission now. And that was it...bing! I'd found my most natural voice.

But the other side of that question is what do I like about YA, about reading and writing it. I certainly take my fair share of guff from other grown-ups about my reading choices ("Why can't you read books for adults?"), so there's got to be a reason I head for the back corner of the bookstore every time.

YA books--well, the best ones--resonate with the inner me (who is apparently 15). They have an immediacy and a lack of pretense. Sometimes I think kids are the most honest, and as we conform and take places in society we learn to adopt masks for different situations, to pretend, to do the socially correct thing. Teenagers are very aware of the masks, which is perhaps the source of some of the scorn for grown-ups you see popping up at that age. They realize they're probably going to have to use them too, and they try a few on. But they're still figuring out who they are.

There's more drama, but there's also more possibility. And far more honesty, both good and bad.

So the reason really is as simple as that, I guess. I write what I love, and I love YA books.

It doesn't hurt that I think the community of YA writers is the best and most supportive (and funniest!) group of people I've ever come across. I keep finding other writers who feel like soulmates, who are Just Like Me.

I sure didn't find that in high school.

The WINNER is:

2009-11-03T08:57:00.000-07:00

Girl with One Eye!!

There were 54 entries with all you guys tweeting and posting and commenting, and random.org picked #27!

Thank you guys SO MUCH for celebrating with me! This was fun.

Girl, send me an email with your choice of book! The rest will go to the teen room at my local hospital. :)

CONTEST!

2009-11-02T09:50:00.000-07:00

First, you guys are amazing. I popped in over the weekend to find a zillion hits and 50 comments (thanks to Janet Reid's link). At first, I admit, I thought I'd been spammed. But no. REAL PEOPLE! Hi real people!

So I also ended up surpassing my secret Twitter goal, which was 500 real followers. Hooray!

Twitter note: This came up in the comments to the How Not To Act post, but I *don't* actually auto-follow. Though I use TweetDeck on one computer, at home and on the road I use apps that don't do lists--so more than 200 people swamps Twitter's usefulness for me. BUT I do always (always) respond to replies, and I often update my lists and drop off/add interesting people. I LOVE Twitter.

To celebrate belatedly the 500-mark, I'm going to give away...a book! Or two. I have a big stack of YA books just sitting here--some of them old-ish, some not. So it's SHARING TIME!! 1 point for commenting here, 1 point for RT'ing. 2 points for announcing on your blog. I'll pick tomorrow this time. Winner can choose from:

LOOKING FOR ALASKA, John Green
EVERMORE, Alyson Noel
BLUE MOON, Alyson Noel
CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO SPY, Ally Carter
THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU-BANKS, E. Lockhart
REBEL ANGELS, Libba Bray
THE HUNGER GAMES, Suzanne Collins
SOMEONE LIKE YOU, Sarah Dessen

You want *one* of these at least, right?

Please enter and spread the word!

Monday

2009-10-26T10:52:00.000-07:00

So baseball's over for the year.

I know, there are a couple other teams still in the mix, but nobody I want to watch. Time to pack up my pom-poms until April!

The new pic over there on the left is a little guy at a county fair, sitting on the prize pumpkin. Just in time for Halloween!

I admit I'm not super into Halloween like many writer-peeps are. Not sure why. I definitely enjoy getting Child gussied up in her costume (this year: Egyptian QUEEN) and doing the rounds trick or treating, even in the below-zero weather that always hits on Halloween. But I don't usually dress up much myself.

Am pondering buying an Actual Costume for next week, though, as I'm running the cake walk at Child's school Halloween party. Hum.

*ponders*

Will let you know what I come up with, if anything!

Tiddy bits

2009-10-21T09:43:00.001-07:00

Randomness today:

The Angels didn't do so well last night. Boo.
I'm about to head out to the doctor to see if I have pneumonia...the cough from the swine flu has persisted for almost 3 weeks, and is getting worse! We shall see.
Conference info for the SCBWI 2010 Winter Conference in New York is UP! http://www.scbwi.org/Pages.aspx/2010-Winter-Conference I'm going to be there. Are you?

Pic of the week

2009-10-20T13:21:00.002-07:00

I'm here! Just busy. Researching and scribbling away, and doing regular Life stuff. I am slowly working on the Nova interview questions, so SOON.

Hopefully.

Anyway, this week's pic of the week is in homage to the MLB playoffs (go Angels). Did you see A League of Their Own?

You know you did. Madonna, Rosie O'Donnell, Tom Hanks? Geena Davis? Women playing baseball?

This is a picture of Dottie Schroeder, one of the real women who played baseball during World War II.

From the Flickr Commons tag: Dorothy "Dottie" Schroeder was born on April 11, 1928 and became the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League's youngest player at age fifteen.

I still don't understand why women don't play professional baseball instead of just softball...

Dani Noir

2009-10-15T09:38:00.001-07:00

Let me tell you the story of a girl.

She's 13. She lives in a small, isolated town where nothing happens, especially during the summer. But this summer is especially excruciating. See, she found out not long ago that her dad had been having an affair, and her parents are now divorced. The divorce was messy and awkward and awful for the kids, as it always is no matter how the parents handle it. Especially at that age, when you're just figuring life and romantic relationships out for yourself. To find out at 13 that your Dad, who's supposed to be your model of future husband, has been lying to not only your mom but you, for years? And then have him walk out and go live with another woman, another family, while you try to pick up the pieces with your mom? HARSH.

Especially when your mom isn't taking it very well. And your dad somehow expects you to not only forgive him, but act like everything's normal. Like he has a right to still be your dad.

That girl is Dani Callanzano, the star of Nova Ren Suma's fabulous debut middle-grade novel DANI NOIR.

But that girl was also me.

So much about this book paralleled my own experiences at exactly that age that a few pages were almost hard to read. It was like dipping into my own brain at that time--an awful time. It was so real; she captured that experience so well. I cried during a couple of scenes that might even surprise Nova, because they were so true.

But fortunately, Dani is also a wonderful girl with a whole, well-rounded world, and there's far more to Dani's story than that experience of divorce. There's old movies, and friendships, the love of Rita Hayworth and Lana Turner and the excitement of sneaking out to do a little detective work herself. I adored Dani, and I loved spending time with her: facing up to challenges her way, with her own noir twist.

Nova's skillfully balanced the tough and the funny, the snarky voice of 13 with the real emotions she's battling with, the helplessness inherent in being that age and the ways to take your own back.

I loved DANI NOIR, and highly recommend you check it out too. And like Courtney Summers says, make popcorn.

(also, I am so excited to be hosting Nova Ren Suma soon for a fantastic interview and giveaway!! STAY TUNED, people)

FTC notice: I bought this book myself, so there.

How Not to Act

2009-10-14T08:31:00.000-07:00

There's something that's been needling at me lately, and I think I need to let it out this way.

Let's look at two writers. Let's call them both "she". Yes, these are both Real Examples.

WRITER A: I've been following Writer A's progress since she was on the agent hunt, since before I had even completed my second book. She was funny, witty, and her book sounded intriguing...so I was interested. I bookmarked her site and checked back on her progress. I made encouraging comments. I cheered when she got an agent, when her book sold. I was all ready to support her, buy her books, help spread the word.

But she never replied to me. Not once. Not on the blog, not on twitter. From the very beginning she projected an attitude I can only describe as snooty. Like she had to shelter herself from "fans" (she even called them fans before her book came out!). It certainly wasn't just me, either. She communicated back only with a select group of writers who were already published, famous. She didn't respond to all those congratulatory messages. She gave the impression, always, that she was above all the unwashed, unpubbed, unagented writers. Again, not just to me. When I mentioned her name to another writer, I got a nose wrinkle.

Do you think I bought her book? Do you think I even read her book? Do you think I will?

WRITER B: Writer B was different. Always approachable, at every stage. She's released two books into the wild, very successful ones, but she never projects that "above-you" image. She makes a point to answer every comment. She replies to most @ tweets, no matter who the commenter is. She seeks out other writer's blogs and makes comments. She hosts and celebrates other writers, at lots of different stages. Her tweets and blogs aren't all about her--they're also building a community.

Yes, it takes more time to be like Writer B. Absolutely. But did I buy Writer B's books? HELL, YES. Did I tweet about them, write about them, hand-sell them to other people? HELL, YES. When I'm looking to give away a book, whose book do you think I'll pick?

It might not make that much of a difference, you say. You're just one person. So somebody rubbed you the wrong way--so what?

The thing is, if you're in the YA community (yes, there is one) and I named you these two writers, I would bet you $20 that 90% of you (at least) would have the same reaction. One is "eh" and one is "I love her!" All those writers are also readers, powerful readers who spread the word. I'd also bet you that if Writer A is like that with other writers, she's probably also like that with readers.This will hurt your sales. It will also forever hurt how people see you.

Writers, it isn't just one person. It's important how you connect with people before, during, and after the publication process. It's important that you've got some humility, remember your manners, reach out.

Be an active part of your community. Take the time.
Other writers are not beneath you because they haven't reached your place on the road yet. Talk to them. Encourage them.
Readers never, ever, ever will be beneath you. Don't condescend. Don't be rude. They are and always will be critical to your success.

There. I feel better now.
/rant

Snippet

2009-10-13T08:21:00.000-07:00

I love this little picture on my sidebar!!

It's from Flickr Commons, of course, and from World War II. The caption says the cat's name is Bobby, and it's a soldier saying goodbye. I love the cat, the sepia, the buttons on the man's pants...but especially the woman's shoes. And the fact that she's stretching up on her toes...

Someday, I'm warning y'all, I AM going to write a WW II story. Maybe a short, maybe something longer. But it's brewing in there. :)

Snow Days

2009-10-09T10:53:00.003-07:00

It's Tiara Day!! Join in by Photoshopping a tiara on your avatar for the day. Or, you know, actually put one on your head for a while. :)

Today it's only 18 degrees, F. It's also the first day of snow-that-stuck. This means the first day of driving to work in snow-that-stuck.

Think *adventure*. Creeping on ice-slick roads saturated with layers of oil from the summer. With a large percentage of drivers on the road who (a) have lost all memory of how to drive in this stuff and (b) haven't put their snow tires on yet. Navigating around all the unfortunates stuck on The Hill, honking and weaving and swearing and praying you won't be one of them.

This morning it was almost comedic that The Sorcerer's Apprentice came on at the moment I headed up the hill and finished just as I pulled in to work. So apropos.

(can anyone hear The Sorcerer's Apprentice and *not* think of Mickey and the brooms?)

(edited to add the link to the Fantasia version! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2Rfriax4DY&feature=related

Anyway, I made it. And it's Friday. And downhill is MUCH easier. :)

Suzie Townsend: 5 most common YA subgenres

2009-10-08T08:13:00.011-07:00

Suzie Townsend is an up-and-coming junior agent at FinePrint Literary Management, a fabulous agency which happens to also be the home of my own agent, the amazing Janet Reid.

I love Suzie. She's honest, straightforward, with a *great* eye, but also kind and open to communication. (You guys want to include her on your query list!) She has her own blog, Confessions of a Wandering Heart, where you'll find plenty of reviews and giveaways. But today is special: Suzie has agreed to do a guest blog here!!

She's my first guest blogger, and she'll be hard to top. :) YA authors, pay careful attention! Here's Suzie's look at the most common subgenres of YA submissions, and what's still fresh/what's getting tiresome.

*******

Most Common Subgenres of YA Submissions

---Suzie Townsend

I read a lot of queries – as an assistant and junior agent – and sometimes it seems like every query is claiming to be the next best thing or something that hasn’t ever been done before. But in reality there are some genres or subgenres that stand out. YA is hot right now, which means I’ve seen a lot of YA submissions, and within YA there are certain subgenres more common than others. Here’s my countdown of the top five most commonly received subgenres for YA submissions, including what’s hot (still love it) and what’s not (over it).

5. Fantasy
(Similar to Graceling, Forest Born)

It’s important to note that YA fantasy is different from Middle Grade fantasy.

Over It: standard fantastical beings such as wizards, elves, goblins, and orcs, and standard fantastical quests involving the Orphaned Child of a shepherd with a name no one can pronounce and magickal weapons, who sets out on a journey only to find they’re actually royalty and the subject of a thousand year old prophecy, destined to defeat the Dark Wizard about to plunge the kingdom into darkness and is also responsible for killing Orphaned Child’s parents.
Still Love: creative, thoughtful, detailed, and unique world-building that gives insight into the historical and cultural background of the world and characters and a well paced blend of storytelling, fight/battle scenes, action, adventure, and internal struggle.

4. Girly Romance
(Similar to The Truth About Forever, All-American Girl, 13 Little Blue Envelopes)

Feel-good, sweet, girly coming of age and possibly first love stories – the “chick-lit” for teens.
Over It: catty, gossipy, or whiny protagonists too hard to relate to.
Still Love: strong characterization is a must, it’s okay if nothing much seems to happen in the plot in terms of action, but the characters have to be involved in an internal struggle, the more range of emotions the better.

3. Dark and Edgy
(Similar to Wintergirls, Tricks, Thirteen Reasons Why, Cracked Up To Be)

YA that pushes limits in terms of style and content, it pushes the boundaries of what is socially acceptable, takes a taboo subject and tackles it head on without apologizing for making readers uncomfortable.
Over It: manuscripts that are generic copies of books already published that don’t handle teen issues in a new way – copies of Ellen Hopkins just don’t live up to the original.
Still Love: edgy manuscripts that do something new whether in rhetorical style or taking on a new issue or approaching an old issue with a new perspective, manuscripts that don’t necessarily tie everything up into a neat ending yet still have some sense of closure.

2. The Post Apocalyptic Thriller (and Romance)
(Similar to The Hunger Games, The Forest of Hands and Teeth)

The apocalypse destroyed the world as we know it, and the survivors have managed to hang on despite the insurmountable odds stacked against them. Characters are dealing with every day teen issues, while struggling to stay alive, and probably falling in love.
Over It: a virus or something not well explained has killed off everyone but a select group of survivors or turned the masses into zombies or some sort of flesh eating facsimile, gladiators or reality show contestants who have to kill each other – it’s just not going to be as good as Suzanne Collins
Still Love: complex and introspective characters in a multi-layered story – thrilling action that also delves into deeper philosophical and political issues (without being didactic!), and creative and unique world building combining science fiction or steampunk elements.

1. The Paranormal Romance

(Similar to Twilight, Evernight, Evermore, Shiver)

The most successful books out there are the tried-and-true YA formula (a coming of age story and a love story) with some sort of supernatural element (vampires, ghosts, fairies, etc).
Over It: manuscripts featuring a kind of boring Plain-Jane-Girl-Next-Door narrator who meets Tall-Dark-Dangerous boy who’s also a vampire/werewolf/shapeshifter/fallen angel/evil fairy and who may or may not be trying to kill her. Plain-Jane falls for Tall-Dark despite his creepy stalker habits and values him more than her own life and despite his desire to kill her, something about her makes him change his ways. He falls in love with her and together they defeat the real Bad Guy.
Still Love: I’m a sucker for all things paranormal and all things romance so I do still love reading manuscripts in this genre, but some agents and editors are trying to move away from this subgenre because there are just so many manuscripts and books out there now. I can’t help but love steamy romances featuring a strong teenage girl, maybe a girl with powers coming into her own, supernatural beings other than the overdone vampire/werewolf/shapeshifter/fallen angel/evil fairy combo, particularly beings with mythological roots, and a strong voice that can incorporate the typical danger, action, and romance with a dose of witty humor.

Last, but not Least, What I’m Clamoring For:

Genuine humor in any subgenre of YA that’s written by someone who is still in touch with today’s teenagers, a writer who can create a voice that understands the slang, technology, music, and other cultural aspects centered in today’s teenage experience.
&
Great characterization – no matter the subgenre. I want to fall in love with characters, get beneath their skin, and watch them come alive while I read. The best manuscripts and novels I read have characters that still exist for me long after I close the book, characters that keep me awake at night because I’m still so caught up in their lives and their story.

****

Thanks again, Suzie!!

cough cough

2009-10-06T07:27:00.000-07:00

So...I'm at home. I've got the flu. Possibly even the porcine flu, but it doesn't matter much. I had a fever (which I don't anymore) and a yucky cough, and I'm taking one more day at home before heading back out in public.

Bleah.

Anyway, I am still going to post a guest blog from Suzie Townsend, tomorrow or Thursday! So watch for THAT. And Friday is still Tiara Day!!!

You're Still in the Running towards Becoming America's Next Author

2009-10-02T09:01:00.007-07:00

I watch America's Next Top Model. I've admitted it before. (I actually get an absurd number of hits from that one mention of ANTM and bikinis, and now I expect I'll get more!)

You might think it odd that I'm obsessed with this show. I'm 5'3". I'm not model age, nor remotely model-like--I've never for an instant wanted to be a model. I'm not even girly! The show is kinda wacked, and the shoots they get up to are pretty...kooky.

Not situations I--or, um, anyone I know--is going to be getting into in everyday life. So why the fascination?

I finally figured it out: because I have empathy with these girls. Because America's Next Top Model is Just Like Publishing.

I'm serious.

Let's break it down, and you'll stop mocking and see what I mean.

1. The first step for wanna-be models in ANTM is to be good-looking. Not in a typical "pretty" way, but some original take on beauty: an unusual mouth, odd-shaped eyes, the ability to walk on a runway with a "trademark walk" and pose well for the camera. This is equivalent to WRITING A BOOK. Your book also must be more than what's already on the shelves, something still "pretty" (entertaining) but different. Something that will make readers ooooh. Sure, it's a little more labor-intensive than...being born...but the similarity is THERE.

2. ANTM hopefuls make videos of themselves, trying to convince Tyra that they are not only beautiful but interesting, have a life story that will inspire others, and can handle themselves. This is THE QUERY LETTER. I don't even think I need to explain this one.

3. Hopefuls are then culled to a small group that will compete for the final prize. These girls are just like writers REPRESENTED BY AN AGENT. These select few get special advice and training from experts (revision), and then they have to put that advice into practice in photo shoots. In photo shoots they may have makeup and wardrobe and helpers, but in the end it's all up to the individual to perform, to show the best side of themselves. This is still revision, taking all the advice given to you and finding a way to weave it into the manuscript to make it the best possible work you can achieve.

4. After the photo shoot we head to the judging panel, where each model's fate is decided. This, of course, is SUBMISSION. Fortunately, we don't have to stand there in person while the judges critique not only our photos (our books) but the outfits we're wearing to panel, our hair, and that unfortunate scarf. Our agents handle both the submission and the possibly-brutal feedback. But we do have to remember that when we're putting ourselves all over the internet, blogging and tweeting and facebooking, we're still kind of standing there in panel. That unfortunate comment we made about a book that editor happened to love is just as bad--or worse--than an unfortunate scarf. I've seen girls get eliminated because of what they wore to panel being consistently bad week after week, when they didn't listen to judge's suggestions. Listen to your agent. Pay attention to how you appear. Don't be an ass.

Actually the judging criteria parallel submission and acquisition even more closely. Here are some qualities that are important both in ANTM models and wanna-be authors, if they want to seriously compete:

You have one chance to make an impression. The most important factor to the judges is that week's photo. Even if you rocked last week (last book), it doesn't really matter. What's in front of them right now, the book you're submitting, is what matters.
Presentation and personality do count when there is a decision to be made. ANTM judges will often favor the girl with a more positive, engaging personality. If you were an editor, would you choose the author who was easy to work with, upbeat, and willing to compromise, or the one who is always whining and complaining?
I said this above, but don't be an ass. Difficult, mean people never make it far.
Persistence matters. Attention matters. Judges look for improvement, for girls who listen to the advice of their experts. Who are willing to revise and revise and keep trying and striving, who put themselves into their effort wholeheartedly.

Now thank God, it's not *all* like ANTM. Authors on submission don't all have to live in the same house, on camera, and bicker at each other. We don't have to be naked on a horse (usually) or roll around in weeds or dirt or wear big poofy clown wigs. Usually. That stuff's just fun to watch.

But I'm in that critical SUBMISSION phase, standing there in front of the judges day after day. And every time I get a positive email from my agent, or even news that we're still out there, still under consideration, this goes through my head, in Tyra's voice. And I smile (smize), because I'm still IN there.

You're still in the running towards becoming America's Next Published Author.

I am such a tease

2009-10-01T12:44:00.000-07:00

Three things to look forward to around here!

Tomorrow (unless I get swamped) I'm going to do a post on why publishing fiction is just like America's Next Top Model. No, really.
Next week I am SO pleased to be hosting Suzie Townsend, Fabulous Junior Agent at FinePrint Literary, as a guest blogger!! Eeee! My first guest blogger, and I'm very excited.
Next Friday, October 9, will be Tiara Day! Polish your tiaras, peeps.

It never slows down, and I like it that way. :)

New duds

2009-09-30T08:34:00.003-07:00

So you may have noticed (if you're not reading this on Google Reader), that I changed things up here a little yesterday.

I get bored pretty quickly with a particular color scheme or design, so every couple months I feel the need to play. Yesterday, in poking around the Internetz for pictures, I discovered Flickr Commons.

Yee-HAW. How could I resist this? Or this? Or (*giggle*) this? But I wanted to use them ALL.

So I'm going to rotate!! Every week (for a while) I'm going to change the big picture on the left. Stop by the actual page once a week and check it out!*

*okay, I may be more excited about the Commons pictures and the rotating than y'all will be. But it PLEASES me. :)

A drop of encouragement

2009-09-29T09:16:00.003-07:00

I had a full-circle moment this morning.

I was driving to work after dropping Child off at school, loaded up with 6 packages of cookies to be mailed out, Brownie gear to deliver later today, my cup of coffee. I was thinking of a scene I want to add to my WIP today, a plot twist I might add.

My grown-up life.

And then Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade came on the radio--and I was 17 again, instantly, sitting in the box of a theatre, watching my first symphony performance. And plotting--worrying, really--how in the hell I was going to review it.

In my first semester of college at U.C. Davis I was enrolled in a "Freshman Seminar," a supposedly low-stress way to introduce freshmen to college life and to the faculty. I ended up in a seminar with two other freshmen and D. Kern Holoman, a distinguished professor of music, and the conductor of the UC Davis Symphony.

He scared the piss out of me.

I don't remember what the focus of the seminar was, really, but somehow we were writing art reviews. We watched a movie, went to art exhibits, and had to write reviews as though we were submitting them to a newspaper. It was fascinating for just-dabbling writer me, and eye-opening. Before that I had NO IDEA how much harder it was to watch a movie or view art when you knew at the end you were going to have to summarize and say something intelligent (and entertaining!) about the art for others. I was scribbling notes in the movie theater about themes and characterization, though I couldn't read my notes afterwards. And he was a stickler--imposing, professorial, strict about word count and interpretation and style. Every time I submitted something I was petrified.

But that was nothing to reviewing a symphony performance. I'd been a ballet dancer, so to me the symphony was background, something I moved to. I'd never been to a concert just to listen. And then not only to listen, but to write a review of it, for a CONDUCTOR?

Eeeek.

So I can still remember vividly the mix of emotions of my 17-year-old self, sitting there in that box as the lights went down. Anxiety, but also excitement--and the opening of a whole new world.

At the end of the term, Dr. Holoman pulled me aside, and told me I'd shown promise. That I could be a writer, or a journalist, if I wanted to pursue it. Of course I was an Animal Science major at the time, determined to be a comparative psychologist working with dolphins or chimps. I was thrilled, and flattered...but I didn't think it would come to anything.

Still, I think that encouragement put me on the path. When a few years later I started on this crazy writing thing, his words were still there. They still are. I thank him, and all teachers who take the time to nudge students, to show them the possibility of worlds they'd never considered.

I have season tickets to the symphony here in town now, and Child goes with us to every performance. She loves classical music, at 7. She also loves words. But maybe someday a professor will pull her aside and tell her she has promise in biology, or medicine, or painting, and those words will eventually shape her life.

You never know how the circle will round out, in the end.

Shift for the Better

2009-09-24T09:26:00.003-07:00

I've been in a bit of a funk the past few days. Don't know why, exactly--it happens occasionally. Doesn't usually last 3 DAYS, but...

The good news is I feel *back* today, cheerful, optimistic. My usual self. Part of it is the character/plot revelation for SALVAGED I had in the shower this morning (yay Magic Water revelations). Part of it is also probably the show we saw last night, in the first concert of the season.

They're called CANTUS, from Minnesota. They were exactly what I needed.

Here's a song to lift your spirits too. Enjoy!

Brain break

2009-09-23T11:41:00.002-07:00

If you need my brain, it will be here:

Brains need vacations too.

Tease

2009-09-21T09:13:00.002-07:00

Sorry, I had to take the SALVAGED teaser down. It's a work very much in progress, after all.

Thanks so much for all your kind words, though!! They made my morning.

Now, I made a promise to a few Twitter peeps this weekend that if my recipe last night worked out I'd post it here. It was YUMMY. So the rest of this post is foodie stuff!

I actually got this recipe from an American Heart Association cookbook...but really, in spite of that and in spite of the inauspicious name, it's delicious!

Spicy Glazed Pork Cubes

A traditional Haitian recipe: serve over rice!

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 pounds boneless pork loin, all visible fat removed, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh orange juice (about 2 medium oranges)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 medium limes)
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 habañero or jalapeno chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:
In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Brown the pork cubes for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onion and garlic, lower the heat to medium-low, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and bring the mixture to a simmer, then cook, covered, over low heat for 40 to 50 minutes, or until pork is tender.

Uncover pan and cook over medium-high heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until juices have reduced to a thick glaze. Serve warm.

Citrusy and very yummy. The turmeric turns it bright yellow, which Child liked.

The other recipe, for homemade potato chips, is over at Simply Recipes but the site isn't loading right now.

Basically all you do is slice baking potatoes in 1/8" slices, and set out in one layer on a baking pan. Drizzle with butter, and broil for 20 minutes or until the edges are brown and crispy. Sprinkle liberally with coarse salt (sea salt) and eat!!

Love Day Friday

2009-09-18T09:37:00.004-07:00

I think it's time for a little Friday love-fest.

Today I'm sharing the love for:

Movie: The Tale of Despereaux. I watched it with Child the day she was sick, and we both adored it. Great story, great flick. My first exposure to Kate DiCamillo! I don't think it'll be the last for either of us.
Book: SKINNED, by Robin Wasserman. Great concept, plot, voice, complex characters. And look, I can get the sequel, too! This is the bonus for being slow on reading.
My WIP. I know, I can't actually *share* it. But SALVAGED is finally skipping forward again after a facelift of the first 50 pages, and I like where it's going!
Music: This is an oldie, but The Psychedelic Furs. Hubby and I went to Seattle on Monday to see them live (probably my 4th time (?) and hubby's in the tens), and LOVED them. As always.
Food: Cupcakes. Particularly this one. (hee hee) And these. YUM.

Please join in!! What are you loving today? Post in the comments!

Craziness

2009-09-17T08:57:00.002-07:00

I'm back at my desk for my first full day of work in a week! Between me being sick, our mini-trip, and Child being sick yesterday (she seems fine now), it's been a little odd. I like getting back to routine after a time away, listening to my Pandora stations while I work, with TweetDeck open on the second monitor. :)

September is my busy month at work, too--I'm putting together next year's calendar (should be at the printer by next week), helping prepare slides for the Board of Regents meeting, getting my researchers settled in again after a summer in the field, and working on a few *new* projects. Yay new projects! Plus we're moving to a new building in December, so I really should be packing things up. AHEM.

And Child's in school and now in her new routine of 3 dance classes a week...to which we've just added Girl Scouts. Add in all the concert series starting up, school activities, husband's work functions...

Fall is crazy, though mostly in a good way. Am so very glad I'm not in school this year, though!!

and out!

2009-09-13T21:37:00.003-07:00

I'll be away for a couple of days, so no posts here.

In the meantime, enjoy a couple of blogs I recently stumbled across that you definitely want to add to your reader:

Blue Rose Girls: 7 children's book professionals (7!) talk about the industry and their experiences

Nova Ren Suma: Her book DANI NOIR is coming out this month, and I can't wait! You just might see a bit of her around here at some point too...

And of course, The Intern. If you're a writer and you haven't read this yet, you haven't been paying attention.

Later!

Sock Knockers: VOICE

2009-09-09T14:37:00.007-07:00

*Note: This is in a series of sock-knockers posts, trying to analyze why particular books stand out above the rest for me. Click on the label below for the others so far.

Ah, voice.

Voice is a tricky little squirmy thing for writers. It can be the reason given by agents and editors for why they don't clamp onto a book ("the voice didn't grab me"), or the reason--whether or not they realize it--why readers can't get immersed in a story. If done well, it's the reason some books excel. But voice isn't really something you can be taught. It has to come naturally and it has to come with practice.

WHAT, you ask. And then you start rolling your eyes at me for being obscure and mysterious. I get ya. I'll explain.

Okay. To me, voice is the representation, the...well, voice (sorry) of the main character(s). If third person, it can be the narrator speaking or a character. If it's first person you're down in the head of that character, and voice has GOT to be representative of their singular perspective.

A good, unique voice should consider the character's:

vocabulary (rich or sparse? long words or short words? slang?)
cadence (how do they phrase their sentences? Different characters should have different rhythms)
experience (does your character know what an IPod is? Does he or she use one every day, or has seen but never owned one? how does that affect her description of it? what does she or does she not notice around her?)
beliefs (attitudes should come out in descriptions as well as dialogue and thoughts)
feelings (how does the character sound when she's angry? What auto-reactions does she go to? How often does she GET angry?)

At the least. I recently read a book where there were two POVs...one male, one female. And I could NOT TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM. Every time I had to stop and look to see who was speaking. I should have been able to distinguish the two voices, easily, for any of the reasons above. This does not make a sock-knocker.

Above I said nailing voice has to both come naturally and take practice. I believe there is some talent inherent in the ability to immerse yourself in a character: to truly imagine yourself in that skin. Some people probably just can't do that. But it takes real practice--more than one novel practice--to figure out how to pour that imagined person onto the page well enough to portray a whole, real voice. It takes awareness of every word, every choice of dialogue or action, to see if it *fits*.

Though maybe not on the first draft. :)

So what are my sock-knockers for voice?

I thought back to come up with a "classic" example, and it fell easily into my head: Anne of Green Gables.

I know! It's third person! But Anne is so clear to me, even this many years later. I feel as though I Know Her. She is a real person with clear likes and dislikes and foibles and an attitude (who can forget how Anne felt about her red hair? Or her name? Or diamonds?), and every inch of the text reflects Anne as Anne.

Well done, L.M. Montgomery. Generations have loved Anne's voice.

For a modern book:

I tried not to use a friend's book as an example. REALLY I TRIED. But the problem is, see, I know a lot of writers, and they tend to write rather fantastic books which are perfect examples...

So my modern book is Joanna Bourne's The Spymaster's Lady, for which she happened to win a Rita this year.

Jo's book is a textbook example of How to Win at Voice. If you haven't read it, please, please do. You will thank me. The book is set in Annique's head so skillfully that she is able to even pull tricks on you, and it makes sense and you don't care and you only see what Annique sees. It is breathtaking.

There are other books that excel at voice, but I've mentioned several of them in other sock-knocker posts already, so that isn't really fair, is it?

*cough cough, Courtney Summers, cough cough*

Anyway. The book I'm writing now is particularly slippery in terms of voice and perspective, so I've been thinking about this a lot. Man, I hope I'm able to nail it. I'd like to blow YOUR socks off too, someday. *hope*

Twists

2009-09-04T10:27:00.002-07:00

I was going to do a post today on my day job--I realized I've never really talked about being a technical/scientific editor, and there may be a few interested in what that's like.

But it's Friday before a long weekend, and I'm full of donuts. I'm cheerful and kinda loopy. This calls for something more FUN, don't you think?

So I'm going to talk about airplane safety videos.

WAIT! Don't go away! I know, we've all seen safety videos or heard the spiel a zillion times. My 7 year old could probably recite it by heart. Passengers have long since stopped paying attention.

But this presents a serious problem for airlines. They need people to listen to those instructions--on the off-chance something does go horribly wrong on the flight, they actually are necessary.

So how do they get and keep your attention? How do they take an old, tired story and twist it?

Watch this. I'm serious--it's only a little over 3 minutes. Watch the whole thing.

Did you catch the twist? Yes, ALL OF THOSE CREW MEMBERS ARE NUDE. Seriously. The whole time--it's all clever camera angles and body paint.

How awesomely creative is that? It's not crass--there's nothing you can actually see there--but it's CLEVER. It's also done with humor and grace, and I for one paid attention the whole way. :)

Lesson from this? Be *that* creative with your own stories. Maybe you're telling about vampires or lonely teens or a detective on a murder case--scenarios that have been done so many times the very thought is cliche. But you still see a story there.

Find a new way to do it. Dig deep. Twist the heck out of it, until it's new and fresh and funny and YOURS. Make readers pay attention through it all, and end saying "Wow, that was original."

If they can do it with a safety video, you can too.

And if you liked the video? There are more here: http://www.nothingtohide.co.nz/

Good news!

2009-09-02T13:23:00.003-07:00

Today is a day of good writer-friend news that I can't help but share!

First, my great friend Victoria Schwab (who I got to hang out with *in person* a few weeks ago) just announced the sale of her book, THE NEAR WITCH, to Abby Ranger at Hyperion!

Watch her most awesome video announcement here. But come back--I'll wait.

*humming*

Don't you have a smile on your face now? I THOUGHT SO.

Smile #2: Courtney Summers got her ARCs in the mail for Some Girls Are!! Better, she's giving one away!! Go and ENTER NOW. You want to read this book, I promise. (*I* want to read this book!)