Back to School Shopping for Writers

Tip of the Day: Four kids are expensive. I spent $95 on back-to-school underwear and socks from Target this week. Not even kidding.

It's back to school time and if you're a parent you're running from store to store trying to get everything on the school supply list. Well, I have a back to school list for you writers. You must get (okay, look at and ooh and ah over it like me) everything on this list:

Edgar Allen Poe lunchbox, available at Entertainment Earth:

These freaking adorable pencil socks from sockdreams. (Deena & Em, you need these for work right?)

A purse made from your favorite book from rebound-designs.

Chocolate pencils from this Japanese chocolate store:

And book earrings that you can make yourself (I'm thinking I need to make some with my next book's cover. What do you think?)

Kristina, Miss Author in Action

NOW is the Power (or Living in the Moment)

Tip of the Day: Interested in reading novels that take place in video game worlds? For engrossing, try READY PLAYER ONE by Ernest Cline; for cute, try HEIR APPARENT and DEADLY PINK by Vivian Vande Velde; and for creepy and British, try EREBOS by Ursual Poznanski.

I've been reading PRACTICING THE POWER OF NOW by Eckhart Tolle.

In addition to finding that the words in this book help me to quiet my mind, they also resonate with my writing.

Writing a novel cannot be about getting it published, or awarded, or earning a bestseller label because those are all future goals for the work that you are WRITING NOW. And you should be enjoying the NOW, and experiencing every part of it: the music or silence in the background as you write, the smell of coffee or tea brewing in the kitchen or coffee shop, even the feel of the keyboard/pen against your fingers. Soak it all in as part of the experience of NOW because NOW is really all that exists.

Likewise, if feelings of doubt come into your mind about the future of your writing, the future of your career or book, remember that your thoughts are NOT YOURSELF. You can overcome this doubt by picturing yourself over your head -- like an image of your face hovering -- watching your brain and seeing the negative thoughts passing by like on a close-captioned TV show. And you can decide, "Wow, this channel sucks. Time to change it!" and not listen to it/watch -- just tune it out.

And then tune back into the NOW and enjoy the work you are doing. Because it is you and you choose to do it. Because you love it and you would not be you without writing.

It is a challenge to do, to get into the NOW, just like writing is a challenge each and every time. But if any of this was too easy, we'd get bored.

Right?

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

Vacations and Saying No

Tip of the Day: Are you bad at saying "no" to people. Next time try one of these funny ways to say no. Gotta love a list that starts of with "I have to floss my cat."

Sometimes you need to write and sometimes you need to just take a break.

This week is one of those vacation weeks. (If you call rooming in a cabin with eight children vacation, I guess).

Many studies have proven that time away from work actually makes you more productive. So I'm not going to argue with the experts.

As I've gotten older, I definitely appreciate my free time much more and try to say "no" more often so I can actually have free time. Sometimes working full time and then coming home to write can be extremely challenging and taxing. But most of us trying to break into writing are doing just that. Kudos to us! Many times I feel like I have a second job, even though I'm not making any money, nor do alot of people understand me when I say I have to go home and "work"-- aka write.

I think it's something that only writers can understand. Yes, writing is fun. Yes, most of us do it because we enjoy it. But publishing is a business and a hard one to get into at that. So it is a job, even if you aren't making money.

And just like with any job, sometimes breaks are important.

Which is why I'm enjoying my vacation right now.

And next week I will happily go back to "work" and keep on writing away.

--Emily, Miss Querylicious

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

Hard Work Pays Off: SCBWI PAL

Tip of the Day: If you're a writer - treat it like a real job. Don't let anyone say your writing time isn't valuable.

If you're Facebook friends with me or a member of SCBWI-IL, you've heard the news: my self-published novels have been granted PAL status.

Maybe you're new to those acronyms. I'll explain what they stand for and what it means.

SCBWI = Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
PAL = Published and Listed

PAL is, traditionally, only available to those with a publishing contract from a verified publisher. Self-published authors could not be PAL members.

Back in April, the Yahoo! group for SCBWI-IL exploded in conversation on whether self-publishing was viable, valid, and worthwhile. As a self-publisher who loves what she does, I stood up for self-publishing. Others shared opposing feelings. It was a spirited debated.

Afterward I was encouraged to contact the governing board of SCBWI concerning self-publishing. Even though that made me very nervous, I decided to do it. To my surprise, I heard back from a member of the board quickly. They were all interested in learning more about self-publishing, particularly from those who were successful.

Over the last few months, I've shared quite a bit of my personal data. Sales reports, income statements, etc. Because SCBWI was so integral in helping me become the writer I am today, I wanted to give back in any way I could (I have also done various behind-the-scenes volunteering for them since I joined).

A little over a month ago, a friend told me I should apply for an exception to PAL. I was really surprised, but figured it couldn't hurt to try. I spoke with my contact on the board and asked if this was a possibility. Within a few hours I was encouraged to send along a detailed packet of information for them to consider.

It was weeks before I heard anything. Honestly, I had no idea whether or not they would accept me. I certainly didn't deserve it just because I'd been in communication with the board. If I was going to receive a PAL exception I wanted it to be for my achievements in writing and in the business of publishing.

Earlier this week, the good news came through! I had been accepted! My friends asked if I was bubbling over with excitement. I was happy, but at the same time I knew it was just an exception for me. I still want my fellow self-pubs to find a path to PAL.

To me, PAL means you're a professional. It means you've achieved something incredible in your writing career. So why are successful self-publishers still not able to have it? I'm certainly not the most successful self-pub out there. I do quite well, yes, but I'm not the queen by any means.

It's my hope the SCBWI board will find a way to make PAL work for everyone who's achieved success in publishing. I know it's not an easy task. I don't envy their position. I will continue to share my information with them if they want it and advocate for my self-pub friends. The publishing world is evolving. I don't know about you, but I think it's a beautiful thing.

Viva publishing and viva SCBWI!

Megg, Miss Enchanted ePubber

Middle Grade Mania

Tip of the Day: Check out the Unread Reader's My Book Boyfriend giveaway!

I'm back to working on my middle grade so that means I'm looking around for middle grade books to read when I'm not writing. And since it seems like middle grade books don't get nearly the same amount of book love YA books do (online anyway. I know plenty of young teens who love their middle grade books!) I'm going to occasionally spotlight ones that look especially good to me. Starting with:

Sarah Mlynowski's Whatever After, Fairest of All. First of all, I adore Sarah Mlynowski's books. She had me with her Bras & Broomsticks series. So of course I was drawn to her newest. Here's a summary from Amazon:

"A fresh, modern spin on a classic fairy tale--from bestselling author Sarah Mlynowski!

Mirror, mirror, on the basement wall . . .

Once upon a time my brother and I were normal kids. The next minute? The mirror in our basement slurped us up and magically transported us inside Snow White's fairy tale.

I know it sounds crazy, but it's true.

But hey -- we're heroes! We stopped Snow White from eating the poisoned apple. Hooray! Or not. If Snow White doesn't die, she won't get to meet her prince. And then she won't get her happy ending. Oops.

Now it's up to us to:
- Avoid getting poisoned
- Sneak into a castle
- Fix Snow White's story

And then, fingers crossed, find our way home."

I'm also especially drawn to S.R. Johannes' On the Bright Side. The cover grabbed me right away (background on how her cover was designed here) and then when I read the summary I was hooked. This one is waiting for me on my iPad right now. I started it last night and so far, so cute. Here's a summary from Amazon:

"On the Bright Side is a hilarious road to guardian angeldom paved with so much drama and due-paying that it makes middle school look painless.

As if the devil’s food cake at her wake and the white fat pants she’s stuck wearing for eternity weren’t bad enough, fourteen year-old Gabby is quick to discover that Cirrus, the main rung of Heaven, is a far cry from the Pearly Gates. Here, Skyphones and InnerNets are all the rage. Until Gabby finds out she has to protect Angela, her school nemesis, in order to move up through the training levels of heaven. Problem is, Angela is now hitting on Gabby's should-have-been boyfriend. (awkward!)

Instead of protecting Angela, Gabby pranks her (like tripping is a sin?) at the hopes of cooling off the new couple. At first, they seem harmless until the school dance sabotage gets completely out of control. Then, her Celestial Sky Agent, who happens to have anger management issues of his own, puts Gabby on probation, threatening her eternal future. 

Determined to right her wrongs, Gabby steals an ancient artifact that allows her to return to Earth for just one day. Without knowing, she kicks off a series of events and learns what can happen when you hate someone to death."

The Land of Stories, The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer is the last book that grabbed my attention. And not because it's written by Kurt from Glee. Or because of the cover because while it is interesting, it isn't the type of cover that usually stops me in my tracks. And not because of the summary on Amazon (but I'll share it anyway) because really it's pretty meh:

"Alex and Conner Bailey's world is about to change, in this fast-paced adventure that uniquely combines our modern day world with the enchanting realm of classic fairy tales.

The Land of Stories tells the tale of twins Alex and Conner. Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, they leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about. 

But after a series of encounters with witches, wolves, goblins, and trolls alike, getting back home is going to be harder than they thought."

This book grabbed my attention because I heard Chris talking about it when he appeared on Windy City Live and he made it sound so interesting. He talked about how he got the idea and how after he read fairy tales as a kid he was always left with so many questions. Like, how was Cinderella's wedding? What happened in the years following? Why are there a couple of princesses (Snow White and Cinderella I believe) married to "Prince Charming"? And are they brothers? He said his book addresses things like this and that made it sound really cool.

I hope you guys check out these books and I'll keep my eye out for more great middle grade to share with you!

Kristina, Miss Author in Action

What's Old is New Again (or Rewritten and Revised and Resubbed?)

Tip of the Day: The YALSA Symposium is three months away! Who's going (besides me)?

I am rewriting the MG novel that got me my first agent in 2008. Two slightly different versions of that novel were subbed to -- and rejected by -- about eight editors over the course of 2008-2009.

This year I went back to that novel. I love that novel (unlike some drawer novels that I have no interest in working on again). I've been rewriting and revising it like crazy, with good feedback from my CPs, and think it is so much tighter and developed and the characters stand on their own.

The main plotline of the novel is the same, as is the setting, but the execution is just so much more on point because I am a much better writer now than I was in '08.

BUT, it is too late for an agent to look at that novel? Has the ship sailed? I know editors move around a lot from house to house, and some who read it are no longer at the same houses or even still in the pub business.

If this novel were polished and ready to go out four years after its first attempt, what do you suggest I do with it if I am unagented?

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing