Outlining Madness #4: Okay, Now It's Turning Into Madness

Tip of the Day: Like Tumblr? You can follow YA Highway on Tumblr at http://yahighway.tumblr.com/. And Game of Thrones fans must get the excellent advice at http://jorahsays.tumblr.com/.

So an outliner is me. I outlined a trilogy based on a novel I wrote a couple of years ago and started rewriting the novel. And I don't like it. I don't feel like the outline is stiffening the writing or taking the surprise out of it. I just don't like it. Maybe revising an old novel feels like going backwards. Maybe I feel like I should be spending my time working on something more similar to my last novel.

Am I, an unpublished author, talking about branding? I might be talking about branding.

The problem is that my last novel required a lot of research, and if that's going to be my brand, it's going to be very, very difficult to produce in quantity. Which is a pain in the butt. Aren't we new media/new publishing world writers expected to have lots of product on hand? Have we lost the luxury of taking a year or more to write a novel because of the research involved?

Okay, back to the drawing board. The whole idea of having outlines this summer is so I'd know what to write. I went in fully prepared to put aside outlines and first chapters and ignore them. And if that's what I've decided to do ... well, that outline and opening chapters aren't going anywhere, and maybe they'll have some use someday. Ha.

But now I need to write an outline for a novel where I have no idea what the main plot is, I'm not sure   who all the viewpoint characters should be, and that naturally means I don't know where to begin the novel. I'm in pre-outlining mode. I'm Googling things like strip mining and Civil War regiments of colored troops and census names and hoping this all comes together into something.

Anyway, I have a page labeled "Promises to Reader." Actually, it's in my handwriting, so it's labeled "promses 2 readr" but you get the point. There are subtitles for things my setting promises the reader. (Underground tunnels. Fires/explosions.) And there's a subtitle which, in my writing, is YA Genre promses 2 readr. Here's what's under that heading so far:

romance
change
looking ahead, not back
injustice
proactive main characters
making difficult decisions about the future

Right now I've got what feels like 7 subplots but I'm missing the hook. The thing that would make you think "I have to read this book." So I'm still reading and thinking and putting things together, and trying to come up with something that will catch me a fast hook and not push me off a cliff to nowhere.

But this week I'll start sketching out scenes and character motivations, and that will give me the foundation of an outline. And then I'll outline it, write a few chapters, and decide whether to keep going or pick a different story idea from the Acme catalog of half-baked ideas in my brain. And probably somewhere in there, I'll fall off a cliff once or twice. Let the madness continue!

-- Kate, Miss Perfecting the Pages

Yearbooks: Oh the Horror (or Memories for a Lifetime?)

Tip of the Day: Check out this new website that Lisa belongs to -- Contemps!

On Sunday night I was working on my wip when I hit a brain dead zone. My eyes wandered the Writer Room and hit upon my high school yearbooks, books that had been buried under my bed until I moved this past May. I thought maybe if I jumped into some Deena-As-Teen moments from the past, I'd be reinvigorated for my writing.

I randomly pulled out my junior yearbook and flipped it open to the inside cover. Various patterns of handwriting covered the page, some entries signed with just a first name from a person who I can't recall. Other entries were from girls I still am friends with now, but whose promises of "I will never forget XXXX!" made me wonder, what the heck was XXXX?

In high school, everything that happens is so important. All moments are things to be remembered, cherished, and laughed about years later. We are so sure we will "never forget."

But then we do.

When writing teen fiction, that's something for me to recall. That the little things are important. That the "me" time, the small quiet moments between friends, mean everything. That a tiny wrong can lead to a big hurt. That perspectives are smaller due to the restriction of age.

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

Book People (or "Spendin' all our Money on Brand New Novels"*)

*With apologies to Moxy Fruvous

Tip of the Day: Check out Cynsations -- a great blog by Austin author Cynthia Leitich Smith who has a shout out in her April 12th post to an interview with Tina! Thanks, Cyn!

This past week I was in Austin, Texas. What a great city! There's so much going on -- and there's an awesome bookstore called Book People. I had heard about it from Austin writer friends like Jo Whittemore so I got my manpanion to swing by.


The first thing I saw when we pulled up was that John Green, David Levithan, and Erin Hunter had recently been there. Wow.

The second thing I noticed was that this indy store was the size of a B&N or Borders. Wow wow.

The third thing I saw (after I flew to the YA section) were the laminated, colorful, handmade signs by the BP staff, recommending specific titles. Adorable!

Also cool is the way the YA section is set up. The fiction is broken down into realistic, fantasy, and TWILIGHT read alike/vampire books. The stock is so great that each section had a large selection.

The signed stock is clearly labeled with stickers, teens and kids roamed the floor with interest, and I left with some board books and this for a mom-to-be:



Because of my impending date with I didn't sample any of the cafe wares. The dining area was large, though, and busy. A good sign.

Overall, man, I loved that Book People!

The next day I ran into my cousin, a high school librarian, who was also in Austin from Rochester for my bro's wedding. What did she say to me? "Deena, did you go to Book People? Oh my gosh, that store is awesome!" I laughed and drooled along with her, glad I wasn't the only one who made a special trip while on vaca to a bookstore.

Indie love to Book People! Invite me back when I have a book on your shelves and I'll happily sign stock!

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

When Does the Research Stop?

Tip of the Day: I'll be at Author Fair 2010 with a bunch of other authors this weekend in Joliet, IL. If you're in the area, stop by!

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I had a new book that I'm working on and so so excited about. And you'd think I would have 5 or 6 chapters nailed by now right? No. I'm still on chapter 1! Ugh. Page 7 to be exact. You know what's happening? I keep starting then stopping. Start and stop. Startstop. I begin writing and I'm so jazzed and then I think oh no! I need to research more! Would she say that? Do that? Must read lots and lots about ******* (I'm not telling yet) before I can write! Then I read for days and days and take notes and get really excited again and write about a paragraph or two and then hit the BRAKES. Wait...am I missing something vital? Must get more books to read. Then it's more and more reading. And no writing. And I feel guilty because I should be writing. But it's like I'm afraid I'll write something wrong and portray a character the wrong way or not use the right words or setting. THIS NEVER HAPPENS TO ME! This is book #8 and I've always just sat down and written them out, no prob. I've never done loads of research before any book. Even with the Espressologist and all the coffee drinks and terms etc. that I needed to get familiar with I still didn't do a lot of research. I just wrote whatever I felt each time I sat down to write and learned all the coffee details as I went along.

Do you guys do a lot of research before you write? And when do you stop researching and start writing?

Kristina, Miss See Me on the Shelves

Just Call It Research

Tip of the Day: Books make an awesome gift! And if you sign up at Borders.com or BarnesandNoble.com they'll start e-mailing you coupons every week. Or, check out Amazon where they always have a discount and you can get free shipping if you spend over $25. Or, visit your local indie and see what deals they've got going on.

I don't know about you but with the holidays zooming up on me (Yikes, is Christmas really next week?!) I can't concentrate on writing at all. Which then makes me feel kinda guilty and we can't have that. Thus, I'm telling myself everything is research:

Like Christmas shopping. It's so hard trying to find that perfect gift. And if you think you know just the right thing what would you do to get it? Would you do this?













To get this?



















Some did! And maybe that type of person will be a future character in a book.

Then of course there is the cheesy Christmas movies on fa la la la lifetime and Hallmark etc. I looooooove these movies. They are a holiday must. And they always only get the top notch actors like Roseanne Barr's ex husband and that guy married to Tori Spelling and starring on her reality show.














And I have to say it was good to see Dawson again. Oh, how I've missed him.


















Ahem, back to research. These types of movies provide a clear and easy example of plot structure. They're all pretty typical (really, I dare you not to know where the movie is going in the first two minutes) but enjoyable.

And the cookie making. Ohhhh, the cookie making. Let's see, that could be a practice in thinking up colorful adjectives. Like, delicious, delectable, scrumptious, tasty, yummy, succulent, delightful...












That is, until after the holidays when you're at the gym cursing out the evil little sugar balls of death.

Finally, the family get togethers. Families provide an abundance of crazy characters that you can pick interesting traits from. But like Deena has mentioned before, make sure you change them enough that your family doesn't get wise. Or you could have a situation like I had on my hands this past Thanksgiving when everyone cornered me at the table and accused me of putting various people in the book. :-) That's when you keep repeating, it's fiction people! It's fiction!














Happy Holidays!

Kristina, Miss Delighted to Debut

Holidramas (or We Are Fa-mi-ly)

Tip of the Day: If $10 electric beaters seem too good a deal to be true, they probably are.

Real life family dramas can be draining enough, but when they are rampant through the holidays, well, get the wine bottle opener ready. Or lock the liquor cabinet, depending on your guests.

Because of the amped-up drama surrounding times that are supposed to be Jolly and Chipper and full of Good Cheer, adding a holiday family gathering into your manuscript can be a great way to increase tension or set the scene for a solid familial blow-up. Besides, you can get the whole family in one location for the ultimate audience for your MC's explosion/revelation/meltdown!

(Ellen Wittlinger's PARROTFISH is an excellent example of using Christmas as the backdrop for a climax/beginning resolution scene. Have I mentioned lately how much I love Ellen Wittlinger)
I need to follow my own advice on this. So far I have two books that feature Independence Day, and one that features a birthday party. Good, but not nearly as potentially theatrical as Thanksgiving through New Years.

However, in writing such scenes since they often do include family, be careful not to too accurately portray your own Crazy Aunt Luella or Drunken Grandpa Pete, lest they recognize themselves upon publication. Unless they thrive on that sort of thing.

This year, family dramas are abounding, but I don't want to exploit the fam's holidrama even if I do find it somewhat amusing. How do you find the balance between writing real minor characters who mirror your own family and flat-out stealing Cheating Cousin Kyle's exact hilarious personality and situation for the sake of your story?

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

Teen Takes on Twilight (or The Velocity of Vampires)

Tip of the Day: Pop some echinacea if you feel a cold coming on. It might be a placebo, but who cares as long as it works!

I've had the pleasure of working with some teen volunteers lately, ages 13-15, and a great book conversation starter is always, "So did you read TWLIGHT?"

Some responses (all from girls -- and they are smart!):

--The first book in the series is the best. It showed the most of Bella and Edward as individuals. It had the most/best plot.
--I read the series many times. I read TWILIGHT 7 times. I bought all 4 books. I was sad when I finished the series. I stopped reading book #4 halfway through bc I didn't want it to be over.
--TWLIGHT was about what it is to be human and what Bella would have to give up
--THE HOST was about our souls and how they are a powerful connection between ppl
--THE HOST was better than the TWLIGHT series. I can't wait to see who plays Wanda in the movie version
--BREAKING DAWN spent too much time on Bella's gross pregnancy. I felt sorry for Victoria. The ending was sad. The ending was perfect.

Number of copies of TWLIGHT currently on my YA shelf at the library: 1 out of 10 available. Yep, Ms. Meyer is still going strong! Go YA lit!

Other vampire books are also popular, but I have copies of VAMPIRE ACADMEY on my shelves and only own two copies of each of those books. Overall, it seems no matter how hot vamp books are, TWILIGHT is still tops on teens' lists -- and adults, too, in the TBR piles!

Me, I liked Amanda Marrone's UNINVITED for a YA vamp book.

Just some observations from the crowd for which I write -- and love to work with!

Any other vamp books that are different and worth checking out, preferably YA?

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

Big, Big World Building

Tip of the Day: Seriously, someone please remind me next Sunday NOT to watch the Buffalo Bills game. It totally buzz kills the weekend.

Do you know what I'd like to write? Science fiction. A big futuristic fantasy with some technology thrown in. I'm thinking "colony on the moon." I really want to write a story that takes place in a moon colony.

I've shied away from this kind of story before because I haven't had good luck with stories with super cool settings and sketchy, vague characters. I have a ton of potential "awesome settings, no characters" ideas: 1900 Outerbanks, 1910 Steampunk Metro New York, the Great San Francisco Earthquake (possibly also steampunk), and also some kind of Gilligan's Island type thing--hey, I never thought of doing Gilligan's Island Steampunk until now! I'm calling that one! Don't you all jump on it first! (Or is Gilligan's Island already Bamboo Punk?)

My moon colony idea is different, though, because it has characters with motivation. I met a couple of restless teenagers on the moon. They're unhappy with their lives and want out of my colony. Of course, there's no air on the moon, so they can't just walk out. They're going to need my help.

If I'm going to explore this story further--and I think I should, because setting, plot, and character all together are hard to come by--I'm going to have to world build. What do they eat? How do they dress? How is the colony heated? Is there garbage? Where does it go? I can't even imagine all the questions I'm going to need to address. This isn't like a paranormal where I can build some magic rules and history and assume a kitchen is still a kitchen. This is going to require more planning before writing than I'm used to.

Does anybody have any tips on where to start? Websites, books, templates? Do you plan out your story world on paper or on computer? I'm at the very beginning of exploring this idea, so now is the perfect time for me to learn new ways of planning. I'd be grateful for any suggestions.

-- Kate, Miss Perfecting the Pages

Pro Opinions (or Y I RACWI)

Tip of the Day: If you'll be in Western NY on Saturday, November 7, check out the Rochester Children's Book Fest!

My local SCBWI chapter contains the Rochester Area Children's Writers and Illustrators (RACWI) and I feel so fortunate to be part of this group! Not only are the kidlit writers talented and friendly, but they are helpful and put on the amazing Rochester Children's Book Fest!

At our last meeting, we got into small groups and discussed problems we know we have with our writing, the business, etc., and the other group members offered their 2 cents. My writing question to the group was, "How do you balance the right amount of setting details with rest of the novel? (How do you make sure that the novel isn't bogged down with environmental descriptions, yet there are enough so that the reader can see what is in your head?)"

Here are some of the helpful responses and suggestions I received:

1) Sprinkle details in small batches, 2-3 sentences or so, around the ms.
2) Write out every setting detail you see in your head in a separate doc, then transfer the relevent bits over to the main doc where appropriate.
3) In a separate doc (after a complete draft/scene is written), write a list of every detail that was included, then a list beside that of what is still important and has not been added in yet.
4) Use the five senses in every scene.

Thanks again, RACWI friends!

Anyone else have any more suggestions for me on making the setting clear yet seamless with the rest of the novel?

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

I'm Stealing That! (or Careful, or you'll end up in my novel*)

*With apologies to whoever originally put that on a sweatshirt.

Tip of the day: You can pre-order Miss Delighted to Debut's debut here! Only one month til release time!

Here's some real life gems that I heard recently that I have to incorporate into a novel:

1) A waitress had to cut-off two customers after they get their fifth free pasta entree refill, and then the eaters got mad bc they claimed they didn't get their money's worth.

2) A teen boy came home smelling of beer, puke, and urine after a party and convinced his mom that the reason she saw him sleepwalking to the dresser and peeing in it was because he was innocently slipped a drug into his non-alcoholic beverage while hanging with a boy from the church; his mom believed it bc she wanted to.

3) A crazy mom who took her 12-year-old kid to a school quiz bowl and when another kid showed up to compete, the mom said to the other boy, "You're here? I didn't know you were smart."

What have you heard lately that is begging to be included in a story?

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

Whatcha Readin'? (or Family Reading Time!)

Tip of the Day: Make sure all your windows are closed before turning on the heat....

What are the other members of your household reading? Do you share reading tastes? Can you get your adult housemates to read MG/YA?

My manpanion is reading:

1) THE DARK TOWER VII by Stephen King. You know the reader is serious about finishing the series when he takes an 843-page hardcover book in his airplane carry-on across the country.

2) THE NEW EARTH by Eckhart Tolle. He read THE POWER OF NOW after his mom recommended it, so I handed him this "sequel".

3) GREGOR THE OVERLANDER by Suzanne Collins is on deck. Yay! I finally convinced him to read THE HUNGER GAMES and then he blew through that and CATCHING FIRE and wanted to know what else SC wrote. I brought home GREGOR. I haven't read it yet so he may be turning me onto an MG novel!

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

Vacation Memories (or Laboring Over Labor Day)

Tip of the Day: If you haven't yet, visit the Grand Canyon. Talk about breathtaking inspiration!

I still have last week's vacation out west on the brain! In an attempt to cover everything I want to about the trip and how it relates to my writerly-obsessed self, here's a list:

1) Satelite radio in our rental car and lots of listening to "80s on 8" on the drive from AZ to NV where songs like "Take My Breath Away" by Berlin and "Alone" by Heart remind me of hanging at my dad's shop as a kid where he always had WARM 101.3 on the radio, much like the MC in my MG novel, BAKERIES, BOYS, AND BEST FRIENDS FOREVER.

2) Vegas is a great, iconic setting for novels and it can work for YAs as is illustrated by BAD KITTY by Michele Jaffe (girly mystery) and TRICKS by Ellen Hopkins (edgy) -- perhaps I can tap into this in a future novel. Or maybe a Grand Canyon mystery (I should also re-read the MG SAMANTHA HANSON HAS ROCKS IN HER HEAD by Nancy Viau which has a great Canyon setting).

3) Weddings are the perfect setting for laughter, drama, characters, and fabulous glam make-up and clothes.

4) Reuniting with the sibs and new bro-in-law's sibs and sharing stories from our teen years is a great way to contemplate future teen scenes.


Now that I have all these ideas, I need to get back into a writing groove!

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

Popular Picture Books (or They Tell Me What They Want, What They Really Really Want*)

*With apologies to the Spice Girls

Tip of the Day: Chilled, sweet NYS Finger Lakes wines are delicious treats for summer writing nights on the porch. My recommendation? Red Cat.

I love working the Reference Desk in the Children's Center at my library. Watching kids get so excited about books is encouraging and energizing! I know this blog's focus is on YA and MG work, but with my recent picture book dabbling, I have to do a post on The Most Asked For Picture Book Topics.

So here they are, in no particular order:

1. Cars and trucks (I like TRUCK STUCK)

2. Trains, specifically Thomas the Tank Engine (I like ALL ABOARD THE DINO TRAIN)

3. Sesame Street, specifically Elmo (most of ours are board books)

4. Faries (we have a lot of chapter books on them, less picture books)

5. Princesses, often Disney princesses (Barbie works, too)

6. Dinosaurs (Jane Yolen's a winner here)

7. Earthmovers, cranes, construction vehicles (The McMullans's I'M DIRTY and I STINK are hugely popular. I'M BAD fits the dino category.)

8. Airplanes (Nina Crews is good for this)

9. Well-known characters, specifically the Berenstein Bears, Curious George, Clifford

10. Dr. Seuss, specifically anything

...and parents often ask for...

11. A new baby coming into the home

12. Potty training (MY BIG BOY/GIRL POTTY)

I know that publishers don't like to have too many competing subjects on their lists or backlists, but man, we buy every picture book involving dinos that comes out -- we can never have enough! The new books that come out on these topics are ALWAYS checked out for AT LEAST A YEAR before we can get our hands on them to give requesting patrons.

Non-fiction books on these subjects are good, too, especially the ones on construction vehicles, trains, etc, for the little kids (ages 5 and under).

What picture books are popular in your homes/families/libraries/book stores?

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

What Economic Downturn? (or Turn That Downturn Upside Down!)

Tip of the Day: Want to drop 25 pounds in 6 months without even trying? Cut gluten from your diet! (Not me, the manpanion.)



In case you didn't realize, editor response times are slow. Some of my peers say slower than ever. I'm not surprised, and I don't blame those hardworking book lovers -- many of them are doing more work with less staff after the layoffs at this past year.



So what can we do to kill waiting time while subbing for pubbing? First, step away from your PC, laptop, iPhone, or whatever device you have that connects you to your email. (After you read this blog.)



Second, try some of these ideas (and no, I'm not going to tell you to write your next piece; you know that already -- right? :-p ):



1. Take a day trip to a beach, lake, amusement park, or nearby city. Walk the streets, paths, sand, or shore and take in the details: sights, sounds, smells. Make note of the tidbits you have to include in a future work. Rich details can be close to home if you look for them.



2. Visit your local library. Observe what books kids and teens are excited about reading this summer. Scope out the children's and teens' areas to see what's on display -- and what's completely checked out. Take home a stack of books for yourself why you're there.



3. Interview an older friend or family member about a part of their life that now seems outdated. What was important to people when your F&Fs were kids or teens? What stories does your family have to share about your ancestors that may inspire a new novel?



What do you do to pass the time while subbing for pubbing?



Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

In the Weeds (or Discard Me Not!)

Tip of the Day: Stay tuned for my guest post on author Melissa Walker's blog on what YA covers/titles get teens to check them out. Meanwhile, read her entertaining new beach read, LOVESTRUCK SUMMER about love in the Austin music scene!

I'm out of room in the K-Ps in my YA Fiction shelves. What does that mean? Weeding time!

What is interesting to see is which authors who have inches and inches of shelf space (read: lots and lots of books) are still being read despite their beat up pages, outdated cover art, and "old" stories. In other words, books I can't/won't weed bc they are still being checked out.

The authors I've noticed this week who fit the bill?

1) Ursula LeGuin (probably comes as no surprise; her Earthsea books are still on school reading lists)
2) Madeleine L'Engel (is it her timeless fantasies that make her forever read?)
3) Robin McKinley (I've never read any of these books but many others certainly are)
4) John Marsden (really? I didn't know he'd even been around that long)
5) Joan Lowery Nixon (I read her thrillers in middle school)
6) Gary Paulsen (HATCHET readers seem to take to his other books as well)
7) Richard Peck (is it because he's an award winner?)

In other news, there are authors who USED to have always-read books, but who now are finally experiencing recent reading lags (no check-outs on some of their titles since 2006/2007 -- this doesn't mean ALL their titles, just more than ever before):

1) Lurlene McDaniel (are her baby-down-a-well-with-cancer tales finally too depressing for today's teens, or merely too realistic to handle?)
2) Cynthia Voigt (I think newer books that cover similar tales of teen angst are replacing her more dated stories -- though I still love me some CV)

What makes some MG/YA novels timeless/classic and others not-so-much? Is it word-of-mouth through the generations? School reading assignments? Or just great stories that have never been retold in quite as solid a way?

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

YA May Days! (or Pass It On!)

Tip of the Day: Always advertise free food at any events you host that you want teens to attend.

It was YA May Days! time at my library last month. I bribed -- er, asked -- the teens to write a review of a book published in 2009 and got a good number of reviews! Some teens went ahead and did a review of a 2008 book. When June rolled around, what were the two most reviewed books?




And the number one reason why the books were picked up by these teen readers? Recommendations from their friends and siblings. Don't underestimate word of mouth advertising!

Other books reviewed were picked up because of their
1) interesting titles (Because I Am Furniture)
2) cool covers (Fragile Eternity)
3) good predecessors in the series (Forever Princess, Max: A Maximum Ride Novel)

Is word-of-mouth your number one way of deciding what to read?

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

What Teens are Writing (or The After-Effects of Uglies)

Tip of the Day: Get more info about our very own Lisa and enter for a chance to win her two fabulous novels at http://reviewerx.blogspot.com

In January and February, my library runs a writing contest for teens in our town. This year we had 119 entries in both junior and senior divisions and the prose and poetry categories! I didn't have time to read all of the entries, but I did read the first place, second place, and honorable mention winners'. And do you know what the overwhelming theme was for the prose?

Science fiction!

Jet-powered sneakers, feuding interplanetary colonies, illegal children being reclaimed by the government -- intense futuristic/dystopian stuff!

Is this a sign of the next Big Trend to come in YA when vamps, wolves, and faeries slow down? I'm not sure, but it does seem that the teens must like reading these stories if that's what they're writing! Too bad I don't have one waiting in the wings....

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

Me Funny Part II (or What I Learned From Stephen Colbert!)

Tip of the Day: If you ever need a big laugh, watch some episodes of the Colbert Report. You won't be sorry (but you might pee your pants).

Since my post last week about funny books and how to write funnily (or funnilier than the spelling of this word), I've come to three conclusions as to what makes me LOL when reading a book (or watching TV or a movie, etc):

1) Deadpan jokes. How does Stephen Colbert do it? How does he say something completely outrageous with a totally straight face?

The one time I actually had a captive audience laughing was in my undergrad communications class. We had to give a speach to persuade the listeners that they should adopt an idea that was against the norm or a current insitutionalized belief. Some students discussed why alcohol should be sold to minors, or why pot should be legalized (very important topics to the undergrad population), while I did my speech on why there should be an open hunting season on squirrels in our college town. With as straight a face as I could, I described the serious menace of squirrels today, complete with evil photos of the tree rats, and a supported list of evils they caused, such as eating Halloween Jack o'lanterns, chewing through garbage cans, and blowing out the power on the entire street when they exploded themselves on the street's power transformer (true story). The class was actually laughing at my speech! I was so happy! I don't think it ever happened again.

And now years later I realize why: the deadpan approach.

2) Narrative voice. Our own Tina and Emily have this one covered (and yes, I am jealous of the brilliant saracasm they can cast in their narrator's voice). Here's an excerpt from THE ESPRESSOLOGIST by Tina to illustrate this point:

"So, Jane Turner, isn't it?" Melissa asks. "Still dating family members, Jane?" Both girls laugh.

I grab the cream instead of the skim milk and pour it into the foaming pitcher. There we go -- we'll see who's laughing when she gets on the scale later.

3) Dialog. In real life, listening to people's conversations can yield hilarity even if you don't know what they're talking about. Sometimes that makes it even more funny. Different word choices or described situations can make me laugh. Here's an example from Robin Benway's AUDREY, WAIT! between best friends Audrey and Victoria:

"See, now, Evan wouldn't have done this," Victoria pointed out as she took her drink. "He wouldn't have noticed that you were even thirsty, much less that I was. I mean, you could both be walking in the Sahara desert and you'd be dying of thirst and he'd be like, 'Hey, Aud, I've got this killer idea for a song.' Totally useless."

I swirled my ice with my straw. "Evan used 'killer' last year. This year, everything's 'fool-ass.'"

"Okay, Audrey? Let me introduce you to something called The Point. You are missing it."

So now, my personal mission, should I choose to accept it, is to write something funny this week in a WIP.

What if my breakout novel ends up being this funny WIP? Then will there be pressure to be funny all the time? ACK! Does the pressure never end?

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

Starring Me as the MC (or A Novel Identity Crisis!)

Tip of the Day: Comment today -- and all week! -- for a chance to win Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty by Jody Gehrman. See Kate's Monday post for the rules!

Doesn't this





get you in the mood for this? (I love the detail of the kissing couple inside the circle! Get close and check it out.)


As writers, we are often asked of our work, "Is this story based on real life?"



The answer for my first novel ever written is, "Well, kind of, but I changed enough details to make it so it wasn't like my life."



In other words, I took a scenario I was familiar with from real life but changed:

1) the characters' ages

2) the characters' backgrounds

3) the characters' jobs

4) the characters' reactions to the situation

in order to make it "fiction" and not like I was writing a memoir, and to "force" me to create characters and scenarios instead of rehashing a sort of truth.



But now as I reevaluate that novel with thoughts of a major overhaul, I realize that in going so out of my way to make it NOT my life, I lost the essence of the story that WAS my life; the essence that would drive the story; that which inspired me to write it to begin with.



The painful reactions of a sister pulling away, the joyous revelations of a new boyfriend, the authentic VOICE that I scrapped bc I was afraid it was MY voice, not my MC's voice.



In some cases it's OK to use "your" voice as you write. It's in your head for a reason and as long as your character speaks and acts in a way that is true for her given the situation, it's OK for her to act like you would -- or how you as the author would want to act.



When I get around to revising this book, it still won't be anything close to a memoir, but the MC's voice will be a bit closer to the truth and I think that's a good thing.



I hope this make sense. This revelation just came to me and I'm still pondering it but think I'm getting somewhere....



Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

What's Selling at B&N? (or An Internista Explains It All)

Tip of the Day: If your gas tank isn't quite drained but the sun is shining, fill your tank. You'll regret it when you're running on fumes and there's a -20 degree wind chill a few days later.

I have a fantastic intern at the library. She's enthusiastic, energetic, smart, fun, responsible -- and a Barnes & Noble bookseller. In addition to her regular B&N duties, she conducts teen book talks at the store and also does them for me at the library. How cool is that? She's a regular Internista!

Today she and I had a discussion about what books are selling at her B&N during "these hard economic times." Here's some of what she's observed in the YA realm:

1. Thanks to Stephenie Meyer and the Twilight saga, YA is still selling! Her books pull customers into the YA section and they sometimes leave with additional novels.
2. Since many customers are attracted to Stephenie Meyer's books, when they finish the series they want Twilight saga read alikes. So dark, vampire, zombie, faerie, etc novels are selling better than light teen high school tales.
3. But some high school tales ARE selling -- the ones that have a new twist like our own Tina's ESPRESSOLOGIST and Lisa's FAR FROM YOU (the former has the unique twist of matchmaking based on coffee drinks, the latter has the verse format). Fresh spins on these stories are important for sales right now.
4. That said, the dark tales also need to have fresh spins. Otherwise the vampire books are competing with each other, for example, and B&N will be monitoring the sales of these other books. Here's a book that is unique, dark, and is selling well:

5. Other books that are doing well are the Gossip Girls and The Clique. As much as this might pain some to hear, books like this are good for the publishing companies. They make the pubs money so that they can afford to buy stand alone titles from new authors. So be happy that these are still selling!

Keep in mind that this too shall pass. People will once again have money to spend on books and then they WILL take chances on new, sweet stories. So write what your heart and head want you to write. Perfect your craft. Read lots. Don't be afraid to submit. Economic times will turn around and perhaps all of our books will sell and be well-stocked at the book superstores.

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing