Writing Goals: 2009 (or The Year My Fingers Will Wear Down to Tiny Nubs)

Tip of the Day: After every 30 minutes of writing, do 30 jumping jacks. It keeps you awake and helps combat writer's butt!

Happy New Year, everyone!

I SHOULD start this post by recapping my 2008 writing goals and seeing what I met/almost met/didn't even come close to meeting, but alas, I don't think I even made 2008 writing goals! So let's jump right into 2009, shall we?

1. Sub my MG #1 to additional eds.

2. Polish my MG#2, newly revised, and sub to eds.

3. Fast draft in JANNoWriMo style (January Novel Writing Month since I had no time in November) the Vietnam War YA that's been in my brain for years.

4. Get editorial notes from my agent on YA#1 and polish it.

5. Get critique partner comments back on MG#3, make it pretty, and send to my agent.

Wow. I'm gonna be busy!

Notice the goals here include things I can control. Of COURSE I'd like to sell, sell, sell! But I can't control that part of the process, and I'm resigned to it. What I can control is the quality of my work which I am definitely willing to keep working on until yes, I sell, sell, sell!

What are your writing goals for 2009? The ones you can control?

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing (yay new Miss name!)

New Year, New Goals and Objectives

Tip of the Day: If you are interested in doing JanNoWriMo with Kate, Deena, and I, leave a comment on this entry. That way we know and we’ll try to check out your blog/Web site/email or something throughout the month of January to encourage you to reach 50,000 words.

There are so many goals that I’d like to accomplish this year that it’s hard to narrow them down. As 2009 approaches, I really feel like writing-wise this is a make it or break it year for me.

I’m entering my fourth year of writing fiction seriously. And I’m to the point where something drastic needs to happen for me to keep my sanity or I’m going to have to completely twist my thinking and writing upside down and try something completely outside of the box. I’d of course prefer the Get An Agent or a Book Deal change, but I’m not opposed to being twisted and contorted to improve myself.

I’m feeling really positive and motivated right now to make good changes with my writing, and what it boils down to in terms of goals is this:

Goal 1: Get an Agent

Goal 2: Get a Book Deal

• If I’m going to have a goal to get an agent, I might as well aim big and go for the book deal too, right?

Goal 3: Think Outside of the Box with my writing and try to push myself further

• To be honest I hope to do this even if Goals 1 and 2 come true this year.

Kate mentioned yesterday that goals should have a time limit. In the PR and advertising background I come from goals can be general, but objections should be the things that can be measured. Either in time, quantity, or some other form that can be graphed or charted. Here are my objections to make my Writing Goals happen in 2009:

Objective 1: Complete 50,000 words on Contemporary YA book in January

• You all want to do it with us, don’t ya? If so, let us know and we can cheer each other on. Because a little known secret about me is that I always wanted to be a cheerleader. And don’t you want to help a girl out with that dream?

Objective 2: Finish and revise Middle-grade Mystery that I worked on this December

• This book’s outline and first half draft are nearly complete. I’d like to let the ending half of the book sit, so I can finish it when my thoughts are more compiled.

Objective 3: Revise January’s Contemporary YA book

Objective 4: Do something that scares me or something new at least once a week

• This has been one of my goals for a really long time, and I’ve never put an objective to it to actually make it happen. Well, 2009 is going to be the year I make that change. Which is why my husband and I are actually starting a new blog adventure year where you can follow our pursuit to complete so many things in our life we’ve always wanted to do, but never had the guts. And I really think it will help in my writing life to gain more confidence and overcome my query fears.

Objective 5: Query at least 50 agents

• Of course, I will not be upset if it takes less

And it’s a good thing the most popular suggestion for my new Miss Name was Miss Querylicious. Because it’s definitely going to help me with Objective No. 5.

And oh yeah, if I want it to be measurable, I guess I want to accomplish this all by December 31, 2009.

What are your goals and objections for 2009?

Share, so I can be a cheerleader. (Seriously, I’m not lying when I said I wanted to be a cheerleader. I tried out for the squad and everything.)

--Emily, Miss Querylicious (whose additional goal is have a new name in 2009)

Ring in the New Year!

Tip of the Day: Join us for Fast Draft January! Emily, Deena, and I will be writing the first draft of a new WIP this January, encouraging each other as we go. We'd love more writers to join us. Interested?

Happy 2009! I am greeting the new year with optimism! I am energized to take on new projects and challenges this year, and so I am unveiling my new Miss name for 2009: Miss Perfecting the Pages. That will get me into the revising spirit. Thanks everyone for your input on my new name.

This week, we’re discussing our writing goals for the year. I considered starting off by finding my goals from last January and seeing if I measured up. Confession time: I couldn’t find my goals for 2008! I think I was just like a ping-pong ball in a dryer, bouncing from one idea to another. So this year I’m going to be goal-oriented. I’d better start a list:

Goals
Be goal-oriented.

I believe a proper goal is supposed to have a time limit, but I’m going to let “Be goal-oriented” be a stretch goal. I do have goals with time limits, though.

I’m jumping right into January with Fast Draft January! And Deena and Em will be my partners in crime! In January, we will write the first draft of a project near and dear to our hearts. I’ll be doing something I’ve wanted to do for a long time—attempting to write the script for a graphic novel. My graphic novel takes place in 1910, so I’ve been getting primed for my Fast Draft by using 1910s slang. I know you’re jazzed for an earful of 1910’s slang from me this month. It’s gravy.

After January, I’m back to finishing the book I was working on before I stopped to read for the Cybils Award. My goal is to have that tween novel revised and ready to send out queries by the end of April. That’s 3 months: February, March, April.

I also have a first draft of a middle grade novel I’ve had “on reserve” while I work on the tween novel. I’ll start sending that to my crit partners after I get some more work done on the tween novel. Let’s say I can start working on that in March and switch over to concentrating on it totally in May. Could it be ready by October or is that unrealistic? I think I’ll need input to know for sure, but I’m going to set October as the benchmark I’m aiming for.

That leaves me with November and December to revise my graphic novel script. Okay, so what if I write the graphic novel in January and decide, hot dog, that’s jake, I don’t want to wait a year in this market to send out a graphic novel? I’ll still need to take a breather in between the first draft and revision, so I can always pick it back up in May and switch the revision lineup around.

This doesn’t really leave me any time to write short stories, do another round of NaNoWriMo, or make any other major time commitments. And I’m okay with that this year. I don’t want to gum up the works with other commitments. I’m writing down my goals so I can stay attached remora-like to my revisions or I’ll never have anything to send out.

Except for January. We’d love to have more writers join us for Fast Draft January.

-- Kate, Miss Perfecting the Pages

A2A Teen Years: I'm Dreaming of a Fishy Christmas

Tip of the Day: Since Christmas is next week and we’re guessing most people are busy with all kinds of wonderful things, the old author2author blog will be a bit quiet. But we’ll return the following week to reveal our new names and talk about our goals for 2009!

Oh geez. These A2A teen year posts are hard for me. Don’t get me wrong, I loved being a teen. And I don’t mind telling you about my wonderful teen years. But the older I get, the more trouble I have remembering anything ABOUT those wonderful teen years. In case you don’t know, it sucks getting old! Wait, now you think I’m really old. And I’m not. I just have an old memory card in my brain. Or something.

Anyway, even though I wasn't quite a teenager anymore, I’m going to tell you about the first Christmas I celebrated with a boyfriend in college, the guy who eventually became my husband.

We had been dating about four months when our first Christmas rolled around. It was a big deal. I bought him all kinds of wonderful things, including a new comforter for his bed, a beautiful sweater that I thought would look really great on him, and some other cool things.

He handed me my first gift to open, and I have to say, it was rather odd-looking. Long and skinny. I had absolutely no idea as to what it might be. I opened it up and what a surprise - he’d bought me a new fishing pole! At some point, we must have talked about how I fished a lot with my dad and my grandparents when I was growing up. I seem to recall him asking, “So you like to fish?” And I probably shrugged my shoulders and said, “Sure.” And now I had my very own pole to go fishing any time I wanted!

The next gift I opened was small. This one, I thought to myself, must be something nice. A diamond necklace, perhaps, or a bracelet. But it was another surprise! This time, my very own pocket knife! I was so lucky!! He showed me how it had scissors and a cork screw and just about any gadget a girl could possibly need, all in one handy little place.

There were a couple of other little things I don’t remember, but that was definitely a Christmas I’ll never forget.

Since that Christmas, I’ve learned his family is very much a list-making family. When it’s Christmas, you make a list, and that is how gifts are chosen. So every year since that first Christmas, I make a list and share it with him and his mom. And what do you know, there hasn’t been a single fishing pole since. I mean, you know, since I already have one and all, I really don't need TWO, do I?

I want to thank Kate, Emily, Deena and Tina for suggesting reasons to buy my book, FAR FROM YOU, for yourself or a teen you know as a Christmas gift. That was very sweet of them. I hope everyone buys at least one book for a Christmas gift this year. Doesn't have to be my book. Just buy a book. Or two. Or twenty. After all, no fishing line required!

~Lisa, Miss Pinch Me I'm Pubbed

A2A Teen Years: It was Beary, Beary Bad

Tip of the Day: Don't spend an hour straightening your hair and then go out in a snow storm.

It was my first Christmas with my first REAL boyfriend. We had been together most of the year and were quite in the giggly, touchy feely, calling each other nauseating pet names stage of the relationship. I had big expectations for this first perfect Christmas and the perfect Christmas gift that was sure to come from he, my Prince Charming. I imagined all kinds of things-- would it be a book of love poems that he inscribed with some amazing note that I would look at every Christmas for the rest of my life?


Would it be some amazing piece of jewelry, like a necklace with our birthstones or a locket with our pictures side-by-side?

Whatever it was, I knew it would be momentous and it would be something I'd take out to show my own kids and grandkids someday.

Or not.

Though I still remember it like it was yesterday. We were sitting on our knees, facing each other, in front of the lit Christmas tree in my livingroom. I had just given him an AMAZING gift (no, I don't remember what it was, but certainly it was AMAZING). And he had just handed me mine. It was in what looked like a clothes box, but I knew it wouldn't be clothes. Not on our perfect first Christmas. Clothes is an old person's Christmas gift. Maybe it was a stunning photo collage of our relationship? I nervoulsy lifted the flaps of wrapping paper, stealing glances at him. He was very excited and proud of whatever lay in the box. Finally it was open. I parted the layers of white tissue paper and froze. Him, giant smile, so pleased with himself. Me, afraid to lift the item out of the box and a hundred thoughts flying through my head of how I was going to make this ok and what I would tell people when they were sure to ask about my first glorious Christmas gift from my boyfriend.

Want to know what it was?

It was a navy blue sweatshirt with a white turtleneck sewn into the collar. And on the front of the sweatshirt were two big embroidered teddy bears hugging.

I didn't know what to do. I was a teenager, afterall, not eighty and in a nursing home. I couldn't figure out why he thought I'd wear a turtleneck sweatshirt with teddy bears. "Did you read it?" he asked. Oh god, there's more? I thought. I looked at the shirt and sure enough, over the teddy bears it said "I love you BEARY much." Of course it said that. It couldn't just stop at the teddy bears right? I let out some weird kinda giggle and tried to hide my dissapointment. "I, oh, uh, love it" I said. I never was an actress. "I knew you would," he said. "Wear it to my New Year's Eve party ok?" I almost fell backward. What's this? Some kind of joke? He actually wants me to wear this? In public? I tried to make like I had another outfit already but he was so darn proud of his bears in love shirt and insisted that I wear it.

I did wear it. But only that one time. I remember slipping it over my head and feeling like the turtleneck was choking me. I remember walking down the long hallway from my bedroom to the front door of my house, past my three brothers who were all rolling around on the floor laughing and pointing at me and my sweatshirt. And I remember my boyfriend's big smile and him telling me how good I looked when I walked into his house that night.

That, of course, was the last of the sweatshirt. I got rid of it soon after. It never did become that item I'd show my kids and grandkids. And I never told anyone else this story. Until now.

Kristina, Miss Soon-to-Pub


BONUS TIP: Buy Lisa's new book, FAR FROM YOU on 12/23. And then when your relatives are driving you nuts on Christmas day you can sneak off and read it.

A2A Teen Years: Nutty Christmases

Tip of the Day: Don't underestimate the power of duck boots in Western NY.

At a young age, my parents were very good about some things. One of them was buying us kids very on-target Xmas presents. Yes, with three kids and one working parent, there would be no extraneous spending on gifts which could very well be either a) broken in five minutes, b) fought over in 10 minutes, or c) cast aside til the next garage sale.

So it is actually quite surprising that from childhood to teenhood, my parents consistantly filled my stocking with one gift that I never, ever used.

Nuts.

I still don't even know what those dark brown ones shaped like orange wedges are.

After years and years and years of me not eating the nuts, my parents continued to fill my stocking with them.* I assume it was more of an Xmas tradition than a true desire to provide me with someting exciting -- the grocery stores sold them in bulk for the holidays -- but for me it was always a disappointment to see that bulging stocking on the fireplace only to find that beneath the candy canes, oranges, and new crayons were piles of mixed nuts.

If I could blame it on the fact that they ate the nuts themselves, then it wouldn't be such a question of why they appeared in my stocking, but Dad can't eat nuts, and I never saw Mom snacking on piles of them herself.

So there you have it. Mixed nuts in the shell. The worst present I got as a teen...over and over and over again.

Know what you SHOULD buy? Lisa's newest YA, FAR FROM YOU! A reason to buy it on December 23rd is because you'll have time off from work, and what better way to spend your down time than in front of the fireplace with a versed tale of the cold outside?

Deena, Miss Recently Repped

*Mom and Dad, if you are reading this, no hard feelings, right? :)

A2A Teen Years: Why Great-aunt Martha Rocks

Tip of the Day: our very own Lisa Schroeder is giving away tons of awesome prizes (including a signed copy of her new book Far From You) on her blog.

After careful consideration I’ve decided there are two sides of the fence a person could belong on in regards to Holiday Gifts.

Fence Side 1: Those who think bad gifts exist

Fence Side 2: Those who think there’s no such thing as bad gifts

Maybe you think your Great-aunt Martha should belong on Fence Side 2, especially after the reindeer antler ear muffs she got you last year.

Dear Great-aunt Martha wouldn’t know a bad gift if it hit her over the head and lucky for you she has you on her gift buying list.

But if Great-aunt Martha doesn’t KNOW her gifts are bad, does it still make her gifts bad?

(Okay, that question is totally confusing, but think of it in the vein of “If a tree falls down in a forest, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”)

The answer to that question could also probably have people on opposite sides of the fence. But my answer would be: NO. For two reasons:

Reason 1 Great-aunt Martha Rocks: because she was thoughtful enough to buy you a present she thought you would like. And that rocks.

Reason 2 Great-aunt Martha Rocks: because even if you will NEVER be caught dead wearing reindeer antler ear muffs, I bet you will never forget the gift. And if you remember the gift ten years later and have a story to tell about it, then surely it was a memorable gift. Which of course means Great-aunt Martha rocks!

Now, personally, I don’t have a Great-aunt Martha and I’ve never received reindeer antler ear muffs (though, when I was younger I did have a pair of bear ones that I received as a holiday gift from my grandmother, which I loved to wear. But had I been a teen, I probably would have been mortified).

But I still think that there’s no such thing as a bad gift. Only ones that make you laugh more than others. Which is why I personally love the idea of White Elephant Gift parties. Where people raid Goodwill stores, garage sales, or their home for hideous items, and then wrap them up and give them away, or have a fun game to gift them.

And without cheesy, bad gifts you would never find such gems of presents as these that make you laugh:

If you look closely, you will find everything from a Polka vinyl record, another vinyl record that I am holding which had raccoons and bears on it (I really wish you could make it out in this picture---but trust me it was hideous), 80’s shirt clips, the ugliest barrettes ever made, and homemade snowman sweatshirts!!

Bonus Tip: Lisa’s book Far From You would make an excellent gift. White elephant or not. To switch it to a White Elephant gift you could design or buy a cheesy image book cover like these. That way not only would the person get a laugh opening it, but then they could take the cover off, see the awesome cover on the actual book and get a good book to read. In the words of my teen pal Miley Cyrus: It’s the Best of Both Worlds.

Happy Holidays!!!

--Emily, Miss Awaiting an Agent

A2A Teen Years: Ghost of Christmas Past

Tip of the Day: Looking for gift suggestions? Visit http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/2008/12/have-a-happy-cybilsthemed-holiday.html for links to lists of book recommendations, and check out the rest of my post for my recommendation.

Welcome to A2A: The Teen Years, where we explore our inner teen and dredge up those memories that work their way into stories. This week, we'll be blogging about our best and/or worst holiday gifts as teens, so feel free to join the party and share your own gift triumph or disaster in the comments.

What was my worst Christmas gift ever? Something homemade from a well-meaning aunt or age-inappropriate from Grandpa? Oh, no, mine was way worse. I qualify for that teen angst memory "boyfriend you're about to break up with buys you expensive jewelry."

The fact that I was seeing this guy in December wasn't entirely coincidence. He was a football player, and in my high school, wearing a guy's football jacket was the height of cool. I was slightly bothered by the chauvinistic ownership message implied by the whole football jacket thing, but you know, it was football season and those blue and gold jackets were really nice looking. Plus most of my friends were on the bandwagon and I was on the rebound from another breakup with my "on-again, off-again for four long years" high school boyfriend. But by Christmas, I'd realized that the jacket was cooler than the offensive lineman who'd asked me out. He'd seemed like a nice guy at first but time was revealing him to be jealous and possessive, the kind of guy who wanted to know where I went with my girlfriends (so he could show up unexpectedly) and why I didn't call him if I was going to be five minutes late getting home.

So I had major misgivings at Christmas, but how do you break up with someone on Christmas? I was learning that he had a bad temper too. I had to plot my escape carefully if I wanted to avoid a high school scandal. I'd play it cool at Christmas and break up with him before the New Years parties. And then he presented me with the most gaudy piece of jewelry I've ever seen. Seriously. It was an elaborate ankle bracelet that was meant to be worn as a necklace with hearts and freshwater pearls and our names engraved and every Long Island bell and whistle you can imagine. And here's the quiz: what was the worst aspect of this present?

a. He was so interested in draping me with another object with his name on it that he never noticed that I didn't wear jewelry.
b. It cost a chunk of money, and he didn't work because of football practice, so where did the money come from?
c. Engraved means non-returnable, right?
d. Now he was going to be twice as pissed when I broke up with him, and now I obviously needed to do that right away.

So I broke up with him, and on our first day back to school from the holiday break, he got suspended for ambushing my ex-boyfriend. Then he started driving by my house real slow at night, around the block, over and over. Then I was really scared because I'd have to get my parents involved, and my father was likely to go out there swinging a bat Sopranos-style. My father always got me the best Christmas presents but they'd usually fallen off a truck in Manhattan somewhere if you know what I mean. Oh, he wasn't mob connected, but he'd lived and worked in the city all his life and he'd picked up what he'd had to pick up. My suburban linebacker didn't stand a chance, but there was no way I wanted my father in trouble for my stupidity.

Well, in real life, it all worked out. My ex-boyfriend's friends convinced him he was being stupid and he got over his temper tantrum. It wasn't like we'd been together for more than a few weeks, so it blew over quickly. But in the fictional universe, if I ever finish the story I started about it, it will escalate, of course. Because such a traumatic (and ugly, did I mention ugly?) gift should at least be fodder for a story.

Do you want to avoid bad-gift trauma? Books are the perfect gift (you probably knew that!), and I'm psyched to remind you that A2A's Lisa Schroeder's novel Far From You goes on sale December 23, in time for your holiday shopping! My top reason to buy Far From You for the holidays: you can have it shipped from Amazon right now instead of waiting until December 23. Check it out at http://www.amazon.com/Far-You-Lisa-Schroeder/dp/1416975063/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229349983&sr=8-1. I'm hoping my husband ordered my copy. I wonder if I should search the house for it?

-- Kate, Miss Apprentice Writer

My arms are getting sore from all that pinching!

Tip of the day: A friendly reminder this holiday season – please, don’t drink and drive!

Wow, hasn’t it been fun to see all the cool name choices for my blogging buddies? I can’t wait to see what they choose! We’ll reveal our new names in the new year when we talk about our goals for the coming year.

Now, as far as my name, I suppose I should be at the point where I don’t have to pinch myself anymore. I’ve had one book on the shelves for almost a year, and another book comes out in less than two weeks.

Still, just a few weeks ago, I sold a mid-grade novel to Aladdin. And I was like, wait, I sold a MG novel? Me, Lisa, the one who wrote not one, not two, not three, but FOUR before one was finally good enough to be published? And then, just this week, I sold a third YA novel to my publisher, Simon Pulse. And I still can’t believe THAT happened. First of all, I sold on a partial. How do they know it will be any good? How do they know I’ll be able to finish it? Does my editor really believe in me that much??? Pinch. Ow!

So here are some ideas for me – let me know what you think!

Miss Stop Pinching and Get to Work – Okay, not the most catchy name, but it’s the truth! I have one novel to write and one novel to revise. If I use this one, every time I do a blog post and sign my name, it’ll remind me there is work to be done!

Miss Dreaming of Ditching the Day Job - Okay, I’d be lying if I said I don’t occasionally imagine what it’d be like to make enough to write full-time. But I don’t see it happening any time soon, certainly not in the next year, and if my boss happened to stumble upon this blog? Uh, not good.

Miss Pub Pub Pubbing Along – This is cute, and I like it a lot. Although, does it sound like I’m going brew pub hopping, trying to find the best tasting ale?

Miss Crafting a Career – This one is nice, and easy to say. But when I read it, I sort-of feel stressed. With every word I write, I’m crafting a career? Yikes – the pressure!

Miss Don’t Stop Believing – Because it’s kind-of become my motto!

Love to hear which one you like best, or if you have any suggestions of your own.

~Lisa, Miss Pinch Me I’m Pubbed

Who Am I? The Search for the REAL Me

(Doesn't that title make it sound like this is going to be a DEEP post?? It isn't.)

Tip of the Day: Join Buy a Book, Save the World on facebook.

It's kinda crazy to think almost a year has gone by since we started this blog. And really, my name is still pretty suitable- Miss Soon-to-Pub. Obviously I meant "soon" loosely-- like somewhere between a week and two years. And now I'm even sooner to pub since it's only about 9 months away.

*Pausing to comphrehend this. Whoa. 9 months isn't all that long is it?*

Ok, I'm back. So, I guess I could be Miss REALLY Soon to Pub. But that's not so catchy. Let's look over some more options and if you guys think of anything else, please, let me know.


Miss Pumped to Pub- Pretty self explanatory. I'm pumped!

Miss Proud to Pub- And proud too of course.

Miss Reved to Release- I guess this is kinda similar to pumped. But makes me sound like a motorcycle. Vroom vroom.

Miss Ready to Release- I'm so ready! But, then again, sometimes I'm not. Sometimes I like to just look forward to it like Christmas. Though I have been looking forward to it for a long time. Ok, I'm ready!

Miss Dying to Debut- Huh. Kinda gruesome. Maybe dying shouldn't be in there? Though I DO like "debut" since 2009 is my debut year.

Miss Delighted to Debut- I'm kinda liking this one the most. What do you think? I am definitely delighted. Though, when you read this title does it evoke a picture of me standing above the words with a big cheesy smile and a tray of muffins? Like on a cookbook? Or maybe that's just me. I should probably stop writing down everything I'm thinking...

Miss Plans to Pub Plenty- This is my goal one. In 2009, I hope to sell more books. (Let's hope the industry picks up!)

So do any of these work for me? If you have any other suggestions at all please let me know!

Kristina, Miss Soon-to-Pub (for now)

Names That I Call Myself (or Split Personality)

Tip of the Day: Buy books for all your holiday gifts! Support the industry!

So it's been almost a year since I signed with my agent. Wow! The year has flown by! And while we haven't gotten a book deal yet, we have a plan (more writing, revising, submitting, of course!). But after 365 days, I don't think I'm "recently repped" anymore.

What I am is all of these things -- but which one has the nicest ring to it/most meaning and hope?

Miss Determined to Debut -- I am certainly determined and pride myself on my determination.

Miss Coveting a Contract -- I like the aliteration, but does coveting sound negative?

Miss Subbing for Pubbing -- No lie here. This is what I'm doing and it has a nice Seuss-like rhyming quality.

Miss Sure to Sell -- The optimism here is wonderful, and I like a positive message.

Miss Envisioning Editors -- Yes, I think about the editors reading my manuscripts and picture them offering contracts.

Which of these Misses should I be for 2009? Or if you have any brand new suggestions, please post them in the comments!

Deena, Miss Recently Repped

Should I be Miss Querylicious?

Tip of the Day—If you are interested in reading tons of first paragraphs or entering a first paragraph contest (which someone writing this blog might have also entered—you so want to compete against me and well 500-600 other people, don’t you? If you do, check out Nathan Bransford’s 2nd Sort-of-Annual Stupendously Ultimate First Paragraph Challenge.


I stand before you today a bit embarrassed I haven’t been forced to change my Miss Name yet. When we started this blog at the beginning of the year, I was optimistic and hopeful that 2008 would be my year and I would be at the very least agented by the end of it. Unless something miraculous happens within the next 22 days, that pretty much ain't happin' (but this is the season for miracles, isn’t it?)

And I discovered I’m okay with that. Because it means much better things are probably in store for me in 2009, and that’s a great feeling.

Even though I haven’t been forced to change my Miss Name because of a move onto the next stage of my writing journey, I do think it’s time for a not-so-forced change. Because change is good, right?

So without further ado, here’s some suggestions on a new name for yours truly who has been going by Miss Awaiting an Agent for the past year. Suggestions and thoughts in the comments section would be much appreciated, because you are talking to a girl who decides pretty much everything in her life with a mini-poll or survey.

Who Should Emily Be? Poll

Miss Will Be Repped-- I do like this, because it’s all about positive thinking and willing it to happen. Plus, if you read this fast it sounds like “Will Be Rapped.” (at least in my mind) and I’ve always secretly wanted to be a rap star. If only I didn’t have a problem with singing or talking fast, I would so be E-to-the-M or Miss Em-derstood!

Miss Agent Hunting—this was actually a possibility for last year. Even though the hunting aspect can be scary, because it makes me think of Bambie being shot, I do like that this Miss name implies it’s work and you are out there completing tasks instead of “awaiting an agent,” which sounds like agents frolic in a meadow and come to you.

Miss Ready for Rep—yep, am I ever ready.

Miss Query Widely—I like this because it’s so true, and it’s definitely motivation to get querying more. Plus, if you say it three times fast, it's a tongue twister. And having a name that's a game has always been a dream of mine.

Miss Querylicious—um, yeah, Tina suggested this one. And I like Tina and her love of “licious” words, so I included it. (Okay, who am I kidding? I secretly heart Beyonce and the song Bootylicious, too.)

Miss Revision Queen—I threw this one in there because I think much of my time last year was spend revising and not querying, and I was starting to feel bad that I was Miss Representin' myself and saying I was looking for an agent when I was really still putzing along and working on my manuscripts to make them agent-worthy. And I have a feeling much of this year will be the same.

Especially because several of us on the blog are making January JanNoWriMo (more of which I’m sure we’ll discuss later and invite all of you to join us, because the more people involved the more motivation it is for us to get our butts in gear and type away). Oh, yeah, and I’m also doing the same thing in December. So, yeah, two books written at breakneck speed. I'm so going to need to be a Revision Queen. Maybe I need to buy one of these tiaras to complete the look.

Thanks in advance for your help!

--Emily, Miss ???

New Year, New Goals, New Names

Tip of the Day: Thank you everyone who participated in our giveaway last week. If you won, remember to e-mail us your contact information at author2author dot blog at gmail dot com so we can get those books out in the mail to you!

This week at A2A, we continue with our one-year anniversary celebrations. We like to celebrate as long as possible. (My Christmas tree will probably stay up until mid-January.)

When we first started blogging, we each picked out a "Miss" name that encapsulated how we felt about our place in our writing careers. Deena had just gotten an agent, Lisa was launching her first novel ... we picked our names based on what was uppermost in our minds. But a year can bring a lot of change, especially to women who work as hard as my blog partners. Our Miss names don't seem to apply anymore. It's time for new names!

Currently, I sign my blog post "Miss Apprentice Writer" and I definitely still feel like an apprentice. Do you ever stop learning to write? But I have a lot on my mind, writing wise, and I think I want a name that will help me step up to the challenges of 2009. Can you help me pick one out?

Here are some suggestions we brainstormed:

Miss Optimistic Writer. This was one of my choices because I could use some optimism and maybe this will be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Miss Ready to Revise. That's most of what I'll be doing this year: revising. A lot.

Miss Revision Goddess. I'm leaning towards this one because I want to be a revision goddess!
Miss Draft 'til You Drop. That seems to cover new works and revisions. It makes me sound like a go getter, I think.

Miss Perfecting My Prose. Doesn't that sound so sophisticated? Should I be sophisticated this year? Another variation is Miss Perfecting the Pages.

Miss Creative Crafting. It would be nice to have the word "creative" in my title to help me keep that as a top priority.

Did you ever notice that writers are supposed to be good at titles but most of us think we suck at it? I'm in the "I stink at titles" camp. So please let me know which name you like best in the comments. Thanks!

-- Kate, Miss ???

And the winner is...

Wow, thanks so much to everyone who entered to win an ARC of FAR FROM YOU. Your messages were all so nice, and I wish I had a box here and could just send one to each of you!! That's the one thing I don't like about contests - I wish everyone could win!

But alas, this time there can only be one winner, and the winner is:

Chelsea!!

Please e-mail us your contact information at author2author dot blog at gmail dot com!

I will be having another contest starting December 21st and I'll be giving away a LOT of fabulous prizes, so stay tuned for more information on that.

Have a great weekend everyone. Please stop by next week where we're going to have some fun coming up with new Miss names. We'll be asking for your help and we hope you'll weigh in on what name you like the best for each of us.

~Lisa, Miss Pinch Me I'm Pubbed

We Heart Our Blog Readers - Holiday Giveaway Day 5

Tip of the day: Congrats to HOPE, the winner of Tina's book, Lauren Barnholdt's FOUR TRUTHS AND A LIE. Hope, please e-mail us at author2author DOT blog AT gmail DOT com with your mailing information to receive your prize!

Hasn't this been a fun week? Thanks for all who have participated! Today is your last chance and look what I'm giving away today!

Yes, that's right, I'm giving away my last Advanced Review Copy of FAR FROM YOU. I still haven’t figured out how to describe this book well in one sentence. I know, I get an F in the blurb department. This is the flap copy:

Lost and alone...down the rabbit hole

Years have passed since Alice lost her mother to cancer, but time hasn't quite healed the wound. Alice copes the best she can, by writing her music, losing herself in the love of her boyfriend, and distancing herself from her father and his new wife. But when a deadly snowstorm traps Alice with her stepmother and newborn half-sister, she'll face issues she's been avoiding for too long. As Alice looks to the heavens for guidance, she discovers something wonderful.

Perhaps she's not so alone after all...

So let's ask author Lisa Schroeder what she's thankful for.

Lisa: What are you thankful for in your writing life this past year?

Lisa: Well Lisa, I'm so glad you asked! Being an unknown author is hard. It's scary. It's nerve-wracking. Even now, with my second book coming out, and one that isn't getting nearly as much buzz as the first simply because it doesn't have as much of a hook as the first, I'm scared and nervous. So today, I want to thank those people who championed my first book. Because I'm REALLY thankful for those people. Here, let me show you.

For all of the people who bought I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME, I'm thankful.
For all of the people who told their friends about I HEART YOU, I'm thankful.
For all of the teachers and librarians who handed I HEART YOU to a student, I'm thankful.
For all of the readers who blogged about it or reviewed it or gave it away in a contest, I'm thankful.

My book got a TON of support in the teen blogging community. And to all of you (you know who you are) I'm especially thankful. When I had the idea to do a fun contest and get a couple of teen bloggers involved to celebrate the release of FAR FROM YOU, I worried that I might not find anyone who would want to do it, because I'm asking them to do something pretty different for the contest. But you know what? The first two people I asked said yes. They didn't even hesitate. They were right there, willing to help me. So I'm also thankful to Vanessa and Liv, who you'll "see" more of in a couple of weeks when that contest gets underway.

In the meantime, leave a comment here, today, and you'll be entered for a chance to win an ARC of FAR FROM YOU. The book doesn't even come out until December 23rd, so you'll be winning it before you can buy it! Please note, we can only ship to the US and entries must be received by midnight EST, December 5th. For a second entry, link to this blog on your own blog and let us know in the comments. I'll do a special blog tomorrow letting you know who's won!

~Lisa, Miss Pinch Me I'm Pubbed

On the fourth day of the holiday giveaway my blogger gave to me...

Tip of the Day: The winner of Deena's giveaway, KENDRA, is Khyrinthia. E-mail us at author2author DOT blog AT gmail DOT com with your mailing address to receive your prize.

Love, love, love giving away books! Especially to our wonderful readers because I know you guys totally love YA books just as much as we do. So today I'm giving away Lauren Barnholdt's FOUR TRUTHS AND A LIE.

I'm a total Lauren Barnholdt fan-- and not just because her books are always fun and clever and told in a great voice. Lauren is also a super cool person and taught me a lot in this whole YA writing world. Before I took her YA chick lit class online the summer of 2006 I'd never had another person read one of my books. Not even a family member or close friend. And I ended up with several great critique partners from her class. I also had never blogged or even heard of live journal or blogspot back then (yeah, I was living under a big rock). And I didn't know any other YA writers. And now from blogging around (I just love that phrase) I know tons. So, I'm thankful Lauren popped up in my google search that day back in 2006 and that I signed up for her class.

I asked Lauren what she was thankful for in her writing life this past year and here's what she said:

"There are so many writing-related things I'm grateful for this year. I have an amazing agent, a new chapter book series that will be out in the fall, and new deals for both my tween and YA books. And while all this stuff is exciting and wonderful, the thing I'm most thankful for is that over the past year, I've rediscovered my love for writing. I am so, so lucky to have found what I'm passionate about, what I love, and what I want to spend my time doing. So many people go their whole lives without finding that thing, that goal they can work toward and get better at. This year, I am most thankful just for writing. The pure joy of knowing that I've found it."

I totally agree! It is so awesome to get to do the thing you love. And one of you lucky readers will get to read one of Lauren's fab books by commenting here by midnight EST tonight (two entries if you post on your own blog and let me know). Lisa will post the winner tomorrow!

Kristina, Miss Soon-to-Pub

Thank You Blog Readers (or How Bout Stopping Eating When I'm Full Up*)

*With apologies to Alanis Morisette ("Thank U") in honor of holiday eating.

Tip of the Day: The winner of Emily's DEATH BY books is Bamabelle! Bamabelle, please email us at author2author DOT blog AT gmail DOT com with your mailing address to receive your prize!

I was very fortunate to attend the YALSA Symposium in Nashville, TN in November, where I schmoozed with authors and got copies of their autographed books. One such author was Coe Booth, an amazing writer with a fabulous personality, generous spirit, and great smile.
Coe's first novel, TYRELL, tells the story of a teen boy living in the projects of NYC who fights day to day to make sure he has food, shelter, and money to survive. Coe's second novel, KENDRA, which just came out in October, is about a teen girl who lives with her grandmother who is obsessed with making sure Kendra doesn't get pregnant as a teen like Kendra's own mother did with her. Both novels are gritty and emotional with realistic dialog and scenarios.
You can visit Coe on her newly revamped website, or at the Longstockings blog.

I asked Coe, what writing-related anything from this past year is she thankful for. Her response:

"I really have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season. I recently returned from my year-long writing residency in Switzerland, and I'm very thankful for being given that opportunity, especially since it came completely out of the blue!

"I'm also thankful that my second book KENDRA is out. It feels good to know real people are reading it, and I love the feedback I'm getting from readers.

"And now, as the deadline for my third book approaches, I'm really thankful that I'm able to write full-time. Time really is a gift -- one I'm really appreciating right now!"

Because the A2A Misses are thankful for YOU, our readers, we're giving you a chance to win books all week long (we can only ship to the U.S.). Comment to this post for a chance to win KENDRA by Coe Booth (please note the book is recommended for ages 15+) by midnight EST. For a second entry, link to this comment on your own blog and let us know in the comments.

Thanks for giving us a reason to blog!

Deena, Miss Recently Repped

Holiday Giveaway--Day 2

Winner of the Day: Congratulations to TruBlu93! you are the winner of I Know It's Over. Please send your mailing address to author2author (dot) blog (at) gmail (dot) com!

Today I'm giving away not one, but TWO BOOKS. Yep, I'm so excited about the books in this series I had no idea which one to pick to give away so I decided to do both.

So to win a copy of both DEATH BY BIKINI and DEATH BY LATTE by the very talented Linda Gerber, please leave a comment. You can tell us what you are thankful for, you can tell us which cheesy holiday movie you are most excited to see (I need suggestions), or you can simply say hi. We don't care. Just leave a comment by midnight tonight. Deena will announce the winner on the blog tomorrow. And if you put the contest info on your blogs, let me know again, so you'll get double the chance to win.

Okay, now onto the fun part.


These books are incredibly fun and entertaining, and follow the life of Aphra Connolly. She grew up on a remote tropical island resort and mingled with the rich and famous. But in Death by Bikini when a guest washes up dead on the beach lots of mystery follows. In the sequel Death by Latte, Aphra's adventures continue in Seattle. These books have mystery, tropical islands, coffee shops, and hot boys. What more could you ask for?

The author Linda Gerber agreed to participate in our mini interview, and was willing to share what she's thankful for in her writing life.

Take it away Linda...

"I was glad that Emily asked me to take a moment to write about what writing-related thing I was most thankful for this past year. Thinking about all that I've been blessed with was awonderful exercise - I highly recommend this to anyone! The problem was, I couldn't decide on only one thing, so I decided to list the top ten - in no particular order:

1. Fans. I wouldn't be writing if people weren't reading, so I am incredibly grateful for them! Especially the readers who take time to send me a note letting me know they are enjoying the books. It makes all the hard times worth it!

2. My Critique Group. I belong to a fantastic Crit group. We've been together for six years, and we haven't killed each other yet!

3. My Editor. I have been lucky enough to work with the same editor on every book so far - a novelty in the industry, I understand - plus she's probably the kindest, most diplomatic editor in the business.

4. Puffin's Book Designers. I LOVE the covers they gave me for the DEATH BY series!

5. My Agent. I signed with Elaine after the DEATH BY series had sold. Even though she isn't the agent of record for those books, she has been incredibly supportive and patient with me as I finished up with them and we launched into our next project together.

6. Teen Fiction Cafe. I feel incredibly lucky to be included with this group of talented blogging YA authors.

7. Online Friends. LOVE connecting with other authors, writers, readers, librarians, reviewers and interesting people online!

8. My patient family. They deserve sainthood for the number of times they've endured takeout, undone laundry, being locked out of my office and other indignities that go along with being saddled with a wife/mom who is a writer.

9. Really Good Books. Reading keeps me going!

10. Diet Coke. Nectar of the Gods. Has seen me through many a deadline."


Doesn't she sound just nice and sweet?! Thanks so much Linda for stopping by. We are incredibly thankful for you and your awesome books! And of course for Diet Coke.

--Emily, Miss Awaiting an Agent

Thanks Readers! Holiday Giveaway Week

Tip of the Day: Can't get enough of giveaways? Check out Tina Springer's Livejournal at http://kspringer.livejournal.com/ for a chance to win The Twelve Dates of Christmas. But be quick--her giveaway ends at midnight tonight!

We have got a phenomenal week planned and I am PSYCHED. We're giving away 5 different novels this week, just in time for you to give as gifts. Or keep them for yourself! I would. Not to be selfish but these are great books we're talking about here. And here's our holiday theme: thankfulness. We want to thank you, our readers, for a fantastic year in the blogosphere, a year that I have loved.

I get to start off with a novel I absolutely loved, I Know It's Over by C.K. Kelly Martin. This book was so highly recommended to me, I couldn't wait to read it, and I was not disappointed. I Know It's Over is the story of Nick and Sasha from Nick's point of view, and what happens when: they break up, Sasha discovers that's she's pregnant, and Nick's broken heart threatens to overwhelm his life. I am very envious of how well C.K. Kelly Martin writes emotions. Nick and Sasha were portrayed so truthfully it seems amazing they don't really exist.

I asked C.K. Kelly Martin what she's most thankful for in her writing life. (Was it her talent for making her readers feel along with her characters? That wouldn't have surprised me.) She said:

Since my first book was released this year I feel like I have so much to be thankful for but at the very top of this list would be the fact that I'm writing in a place and time that allows me the intellectual freedom to explore whatever themes and subject matter I'm drawn towards. Books do get challenged in North America (the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom received 420 reports of book challenges in 2007) but attempts to restrict access to books like Uncle Bobby's Wedding and The Perks of Being a Wallflower are themselves often challenged. We also celebrate these same books during Banned Books Week in the States and Freedom to Read Week in Canada. I know my agent has faced difficulties in placing I Know It's Over with certain foreign publishers because of its subject matter. In some countries that knocked the novel out of consideration from the very beginning but I'm so incredibly grateful that in a country where a sizeable segment of the population support abstinence-only sex education (although thankfully the tide really seems to be turning on this) and would like to see Roe v. Wade overturned that Random House was willing to publish a book where teen sexuality is explored and abortion is given serious consideration as one option to an unplanned pregnancy. It's amazing to be writing in a time and place where authors can feel free to tell the truth about difficult situations and not have to worry that will automatically mean our books will never have the opportunity to find their way into readers' hands!

I love this answer. You can tell from it how well-thought out and honest this novel is. Thanks, C.K.

So, would you like to win this book for your very own? All you have to do is leave a comment before midnight EST. Mention our giveaway week in your own blog and you get two entries! Just let us know you linked to us in your comment. We can only mail books within the continental United States. Emily will announce my winner in her post tomorrow. And she'll be announcing her own choice of book to give away. Oh, man, wait until y'all see the titles we're offering this week and the authors we've spoken to. You have GOT to check back. And thank you for all the times you've checked us out.

-- Kate, Miss Apprentice Writer