Devil's Footsteps (or Books That Make Me Draw the Blinds)

Tip of the Day: Read and analyze some short horror stories for a primer in how to create creepy atmosphere in 20 pages or less. I recommend Stephen King's "The Man in the Black Suit". I was afraid to look out my window after reading that one.

Happy Halloween Week, Blog Readers! I love Halloween. Costumes are fun, candy is cheap, pumpkins are great to hack into with a sharp knife, and scary is in.

The scariest YA novel I think I've ever read is this one:

Kids are disappearing in the woods. Adults don't hear the Dark Man coming for the children, but teen Bryan knows that's who took his little brother. And the Devil's Footsteps sing-song rhyme is not just a twisted poem.

I'm not sure what makes a book scare me like this one did, but if I think of the movies and short stories that creep me out, what I can pinpoint is this: When the MC's own fear of the situation is extremely well written, then I take on his/her fear and am definitely scared by the writing. The "danger" could be anything mild or murderous, but I won't be scared unless I truly believe the fear of the MC.

Another thing that scares me is when the "danger" is not clear and the MC's not sure what exactly he/she is afraid of. Then my imagination takes over and comes up with the creepiest things possible.

Good stuff! I love being scared! Usually.

What types of scary stories scare you the most?

Deena, Miss Recently Repped

Tales from Books that Scare

Tip of the Day: make sure to take a break from all the scary books to enjoy some scary movies for Halloween. And if you don't know what to watch, try some of my favorites ones from High School: Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Watching scary movies from high school always reminds me of the first time I saw the movie and I instantly get in the YA mood.

I have to agree with Kate. In that, one person's scary book is another's "meh, I wasn't scared." When thinking about scary books to post for this week, several crossed my mind: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote (real life murderers, what's more scary than that?), Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (because looking at how our society could kill itself off is super scary), and Life As We Knew It (because reading it was scary for me during a blackout).

But those aren't as even remotely scary to me as the topic of the book I chose.

Ghosts.

And not the friendly white variety.

I've been scared by ghost stories for as long as I can remember. Nothing scares me more than the unknown. And walking around, living your life, unsure if a ghost is watching you, is pretty freakin' scary.

In high school one of my teachers took a day where people shared real life ghost stories, and I almost had to leave the classroom. Tales of people awaking at night to find a shadow at the foot of the bed, being held down by some force not letting them get up, or hearing rocking noises from the attic and then finding an old woman in the chair.

Seriously, if that happened to you, how would you defend yourself? Especially if it was holding you down? Would you throw something at it? Or kick it? Only to have your foot move through air, not making contact.

Most of the people didn't believe many of the stories. But I didn't even want to think about the stories in my own home town long enough to debate whether they were true or not. That's how much thinking about ghosts scares me.

Which is why I don't watch ghost movies and why I refuse to watch Sylvia Browne when she's on Montel.

And it's why initially I didn't want to read The Mediator series by Meg Cabot. Despite the fact some blog readers might remember Meg is one of my favorite authors.

For those of you that have read The Mediator series or those who know Meg's work you might be saying: "it's Meg Cabot she does fun and funny, that's not remotely scary?"

True. But it happens to be the only ghost book I've ever read (after months of deliberating whether to read it or not). So it's the only one I can recommend in this blog.

But I'm glad I gave in, because I have to tell you The Mediator is one of my favorite Cabot series. The book series (starting with Shadowland) centers around Suze, whose a mediator that helps ghosts cross over to the "other world." When Suze moves to California, she encounters several ghosts that need saving, including one that accupies her bedroom: Jesse.

Jesse almost made me give up my fear of ghosts, because he's one of my favorite book characters of all time.

However, the Mediator still remains the only ghost books I've ever read. But I am looking forward to finding more ghost stories in the future that are funny enough to make me read them and forget about the fact ghosts are between the pages.

Any suggestions?


--Emily, Miss Awaiting an Agent

Books That Scare Me

Tip of the Day: If you're interested in writing something scary, I recommend the book How to Write Horror Fiction by William F. Nolan (Writer’s Digest Genre Writing Series).

Happy Halloween! This week at A2A we’re all about scary, spooky, creepy books. Of course, one person’s horror book is another person’s “meh, I wasn’t scared” book. Let me tell you about the book I’m too scared to read … {drumroll} …

The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer. That’s right, I actually can’t read this book. I checked it out of the library once and it sat on my bedside table, taunting me, until I returned it unread. To give you some background, the novel takes place in New York City after an asteroid has smashed the moon into a new orbit much closer to Earth. This causes catastrophic disasters: tidal waves, earthquakes, volcanoes and volcano ash winter, which blocks sunlight leading to massive crop failures. And that means no food. No food source in New York City. What are people going to eat? Well, I’ve seen that Charlton Heston movie, thank you.

Soylent Green is people!!

I love scary stories and I’ve read everything by Stephen King, but at cannibalism, even just potential cannibalism, I draw the line. I can’t even listen to documentaries on the Donner Party without having nightmares for a week. I blame it on watching The Hills Have Eyes when I was in grade school, sleeping over a friend’s house. We were camped in the den and she fell asleep with the TV on. And now I am traumatized for life. Or maybe I was eaten in a past life. If so, I don’t want to know about it.

So I don’t think I can read The Dead and the Gone, unless an edition comes out with a big label on the cover that states Nobody in this Story Contemplates Eating Anything They Shouldn’t to Stay Alive. Because that’s what I find scary. Giant spiders? Bring ‘em on. Characters stuck in a situation where they need to eat the spiders? I’d be staring into my refrigerator for an hour taking inventory to calm myself down.

However, I hear it’s a great book. Feel free to warn me about other books I might not be able to handle. I’m scared of Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, too. But I loved Soylent Green, probably because Charlton Heston was so appropriately outraged.

-- Kate, Miss Apprentice Writer

I've Been Around the Block (or at least Around the Internet)

Tip of the day: Do not buy Halloween candy until it's HALLOWEEN. It's cheap because they know you'll eat it and come back for more.

There are so many places for an author to be on-line these days, it can be overwhelming trying to prioritize and figure out how to make the most out of all the various sites. Today I thought I'd break it down for you and give you my opinion of what's worth your time and what isn't.

There's facebook, myspace, twitter, goodreads, livejournal/blogger, amazon, youtube, and probably many more I don't even know about. Here's a quick and dirty rundown of the ones I have experience with and what I think of each one.

Facebook - This is really designed to be more about connecting with people you actually KNOW than connecting with people in a promotional way. I know some authors or fans of authors have set up groups, like FANS OF SARAH DESSEN or FANS OF THE XYZ book. I think that works when you're a really well known author, but I'm not sure it works for authors like me still trying to get my name out there. Mostly I use Facebook to play Wordtwist with friends. 'Nuff said.

Myspace - I think some people feel like myspace is on its way out but let me tell you, there are still a lot of teens who are active over there. I have found it to be a great way to connect with my readers. It doesn't take a lot to maintain a page. Once you get it set up, it's simply a matter of logging in every few days, accepting/denying friend requests, approving messages, etc. Once a week I go and wish people happy birthday, because it's a good way to get my name and book in front of them on their page. If you're really going to get the most out of myspace, you have to put some work into friending people. I will go to other author's pages who have books similar to mine and send out friend requests to teens and in my message say something like - "Hi from one book lover to another." Now that I have a large group of "friends" I can send bulletins that go to everyone I'm friends with - news about an upcoming book, contests, whatever.

Twitter - So far, I don't twitter. Twitter is a "micro-blogging" site. It allows you to tell people who follow you what you're doing (called tweets) in 140 characters or less. Since I don't do it, I can't say if it's effective for authors or not. If you're an author and Twittering and think it's a good thing to do for you and your book, please, in the comments, let me know why! I'd love to hear about it.

Goodreads - Goodreads is a site that allows you to keep track of what books you've read, want to read, and are reading now. You set up a profile page and you can connect with other readers, which you call "friends." Authors also have pages so readers can look you up if they want to and learn more about you. I really like goodreads. It's easy to friend people, you can comment on reviews people leave for books, including your own if you're comfortable with that, and you can send a message to all your friends. I haven't sent any messages yet, but I plan to when it gets closer to December 23rd, the NEW release date of FAR FROM YOU (do you like how I slipped that in). Sometimes weird people do friend you (like someone who has 1,239 friends and has only read 1 book) but you can easily block people, so it's not a big deal. As an author, you have to be okay with reading reviews that will be less than favorable, and resist the urge to comment on those kind of reviews.

Livejournal/Blogger - There are already a million blogs, why should you have one too? When you're a brand new author, I'm not sure you should unless you make a conscious effort to read and comment on other people's blogs. Okay, unless you're an agent like Nathan Bransford or Kristin Nelson or a big name author like Meg Cabot. Blogging is all about networking. Every time you go and visit a blog and converse with the blogger about the content, it's like you're leaving a little business card behind, because they can then click on your name and go and read YOUR blog and find out about you. But please, don't make your comments about YOU and YOUR book. That's icky. Network on blogs with other people you want to get to know and you have an interest in - not simply because you want them to read your book.

Amazon - I have yet to use Amazon's blogging feature, but next week I'm going to try and figure it out and do one for the first time. I do read what authors put there when I'm clicking around looking at books, so I think it can be an effective tool.

Youtube - Okay, so you're not John Green and you don't want to be. That's fine. It's worked well for him, but it's certainly not going to be something that will work for all of us. However, I do think it's worthwhile to have SOME content about your book up there, whether it's a book trailer or you reading from your book or whatever. Over 1,000 people have viewed my book trailer and over 700 people have viewed the video I posted on the release date of I HEART YOU where I read a little bit from the book. People have even left comments there, and it's been fun for me to see those and respond. If you're not comfortable with doing anything here, no worries, but if you ARE, I think it can be worthwhile.

What do you think? Anything you want to add? Would love to hear your thoughts!

~Lisa, Miss Pinch Me I'm Pubbed

Just What EVERY Writer Needs on the Wall

Tip of the Day: If you’ve been trying forever to get in the Oprah audience, check here periodically to see posts for last-minute reservations. Guess who’s going tomorrow? :-)

Prepare to reach for your glue gun-- it’s Arts & Crafts day here at A2A.

Ever have one of those days where you just felt craptacular about your writing? You just received a rejection, you’re majorly stuck on a revision that is coming up on overdue, or you read a review that compared you to cow poop? Well then you NEED this craft.

I’m calling it-- I AM a Rockin’ Writer

Here’s what you need to do:

1) Purchase a really cute happy piece of paper from your local craft store.

2) Find a nice picture of yourself (go ahead and photoshop out any blemishes—we need you at your best here).

3) Go through old notes and e-mails and gather all the nice things other authors, agents, and editors etc. have said about you and your writing.

4) Pick out the BEST things people have said and then format them into the kind of blurbs you see on a book cover.

5) Glue all this stuff onto a piece of paper.

6) Hang on your office wall.

And wah la!

Next time you’re feeling like you suck as a writer, look at your creation and say “Ah….yes. I AM a Rockin’ Writer.

Kristina, Miss Soon-to-Pub

Readers Wait (or Sittin' in the Waiting Room*)

*With apologies to Fugazi

Tip of the Day: Step away from the bags of Halloween candy. Step away!

All writers seeking publication are familiar with waiting. Once you are Recently Repped, it doesn't get any easier -- especially when you know you're waiting for EDITORS to get back to your agent about your book. (Can you tell I'm feeling this just a little bit right now? ;))

But guess who else waits? Readers! And those are the best kind of waiters for us writers! How many of you take a book in your bag when you head off to the doctor's office, knowing you'll be a the mercy of the old selection of magazines otherwise? When the appointments get backed up before you, aren't you almost glad when you're immersed in a good novel?

I also take to spying on what other waiters are reading -- it's excellent market research! Personally, I tend to bring whatever book in my TBR pile is a paperback. Better yet if there's a mass market size book in there. Perfect travel size! What books do you see others reading while waiting?

Here's a challenge for all you published writers out there: Bring copies of your book with you everywhere and casually drop them in waiting rooms. Do those waiting for their oil change/dentist appointment/doctor visit/DMV attendant pick it up? Or are they too engrossed in the book they brought with them? Or do they go for the magazines on the coffee table?

How bored will someone have to be to pick up my first published novel off the waiting room table? :)

Waiting's not ALL bad....

Deena, Miss Recently Repped

High School—10 years later

Tip of the Day: If you need high school character ideas, pick up your yearbook and flip through the pages.

This weekend I traveled south to attend my 10-year High School reunion, and from what I observed, not much about High School changes in 10 years:

• Walking into the reunion room is just as scary as the first day of school. And just like the first day, you quickly learn it isn’t as bad as you anticipated.
• Everyone ate at the similar table—with their same friends—as they did in the lunchroom in high school, except now the food was slightly nicer.
• Cliques still exist. Despite the fact you really, really want to know what everyone’s been up to over the past 10-years, a part of you is too chicken to ask or mingle.
• Everyone looks pretty much the same, except with newer hairstyles and clothes.
• We still care about our appearance too much. Wondering if we look fatter in this outfit or that one, and in case of the pregnant woman in the room: “I hope this outfit makes me look pregnant and not just fat.”
• The most popular question is “what do you do” or “do you have kids,” instead of “what do you want to be when you grow up” or “are you dating anyone”

Despite the fact so much changes when we are adults, much remains the same.

I think this is why so many of us write for high school. Instead of firsts, you have tons of seconds and thirds. But it’s easy to slip back into the memories of one of the most awkward, fun, and interesting times of our lives. And you never loose many of the thoughts and feelings you experienced when you were a teen.

--Emily, Miss Awaiting an Agent