Liesl Shurtliff- Writer Ropes

I'm tired. And happy.

2012-01-24T11:49:00.000-08:00

I know I've been absent for the past couple of weeks. I've been working on the last round of edits with my editor and it knocked the wind out of me, I tell you! I was not expecting that to be so intense. Our first round of edits were (I thought) a good amount of work, mostly big picture things that required me to revise several chapters, clarify character motivations, cut here and there, cut down on the excessive potty humor... (Is there such a thing as excessive potty-humor? Apparently not in my house, or my brain.)

Anyway, this last round was a little more than I expected. My editor explained that she was going to "line-edit" and basically look at each page under a microscope. My thought was, okay that shouldn't be too big of a deal. I'll just go through, look at her suggestions and say yeah or nay and make whatever little changes necessary. We'll be done in a week!

Ha. Ha.

It was more like scrubbing an endless tile floor with a toothbrush. Oh, and some of the tiles were cracked and needed to be replaced, or that tile would look better over there so dig it out and cement it in over there. And then I needed to decide if I really agreed with that assessment, and if I disagree is it because I'm being lazy and I don't want to deal with that kind of upheaval or do I really just disagree? Also there is gum in your hair.

Well I'm finished now, two weeks later. I turned in the revisions yesterday morning, and I feel euphoric. And exhausted. It was challenging for sure, but I feel confident that I dug in with both hands and did my best to make my book really shine. I did not shy away from the nitty-gritty, dirty work. Children deserve the very best books, and I'm determined to give them the very best book I can offer.

RUMP will go to copy-edits soon and at the same time a couple of authors have agreed to read and possibly blurb. I won't name names, because that would be embarrassing if they hated it and decided not to blurb! (Embarrassing for me, not them.) I'm hoping to see cover sketches any day (Oh my gosh I almost died when they showed me the artists' portfolio! Brilliant!) Everything seems to be coming together and the reality of my book sitting on a shelf (or preferably in a child's hands) gets a little brighter every day.

I can't wait to share it with all of you.

What's on the 2012 shelf!

2012-01-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

So many books, only so many hours to read! But I went ahead and made a list of the books I would really like to read this year, a lot of children's, some new, some a little older, and a few nonfiction. Right now I'm in the midst of one of my non-fiction picks In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan, which is fascinating. Seriously changing the way I think about food and eating and I think it should be required reading in all high school health classes. But I digress. Here's a lists of what I'm looking forward to reading in 2012. Tell me what's on your reading list!

2012 Releases
May B. Caroline Starr Rose (Released just yesterday!)
Pandemonium Lauren Oliver
Bitterblue Kristin Cashore
Crossed #3 Allie Condie
Small Medium at Large Joanne Leavy
Scarlet A.C. Gaughen
The Mapmaker and The Ghost Sarvenaz Tash
Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Released in the last year or two or three:
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Shatter Me by Tahera Mafi

Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver (I already love this author, but I just love her all the more because she used my name and spelled it right!)

Inheritance by Christopher Paolini

Inside Out and Back Again Thanhha Lai

The Scorpio Races Maggie Stiefvater

The Friendship Doll Kirby Larson

Eve Anna Carey

If I Stay Gayle Forman

Breadcrumbs Anne Ursu

A Tale Dark and Grimm Adam Gidwitz

Anna and the French Kiss Stephanie Perkins

Lola and the boy next door Stephanie Perkins

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer Michelle Hodkin

The Near Witch Victoria Schwab

How to Save A Life Sara Zarr

Legend Marie Lue

Chime Nancy Billingsly

Icefall Mathew Kirby Library
White Cat Holly Black
Moonglass Jessi Kirby
Mermaid Carolyn Turgeon

A little further back:
Spindle’s End Robin McKinley

The Road Cormac McCarthy

Oliver Twist Charles Dickens

Nonfiction

Overtreated: Why too much medicine is making us sicker and poorer Shannon Brownlee

In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto Michael Pollan

The Feminine Mystique Betty Friedan

Nurture Shock: New Thinking About Children Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman

Successful Resolutions

2012-01-02T11:31:00.000-08:00

First, the winner of the book giveaway is Elise! Congratulation! Elise, I will email you and ask you which book you would prefer and get it to you asap!

Now I fancy myself a very goal oriented person and I usually reach the goals I set. Yes, I'm tooting my own horn, but I'm a good goal-maker and reacher, so you want to listen to me.

1. Less is more. The biggest mistake I see most people making when setting resolutions is making a mile long list of all the things they want to change and do better, thus setting themselves up for failure right from the get-go. Slow down. Pick between 1 and 4 (seriously no more than four) things depending on the focus and time each goal will take. If one of your goals will take daily focus and strain, maybe add one or two that are less time-consuming or stressful. Or one goal is just fine too.

2. Write them down. Can you even remember the goals you made last year? We humans are forgetful creatures, easily distracted. Oh my, is that chocolate sitting on my desk? Even when we feel passionate about something, it's amazing how quickly it can slip our mind. Write down your goals in

GIANT

text and stick it on your fridge or mirror or some place where you will see it on a regular basis.

3. Set goals within your sphere of influence. "I will get a publishing contract this year" is not a great goal, because there are so many factors outside your control (unless you decide to self-publish.) Instead, set a goal to submit to 10 agents or publishers, or to attend a writers conference and get some feedback on your current WIP.

4. Set action goals instead of end results. You will likely be far more productive if you set goals that break things down into smaller, more regular steps, rather than a huge goal that's likely to overwhelm you. For instance, setting a goal like "I will write and revise an entire novel this year," isn't an unrealistic or unachievable goal, but all you're looking at from day to day is that overall daunting task. Instead, do something like "I will spend at least five hours a week on my writing," or whatever number is realistic and you'll probably be more productive with that goal rather than the Goliath goal. If you're like me and you spend every available moment you have on your writing, sometimes having specific focuses on improvement can be helpful, like setting a goal to study and improve dialogue or world building, or pacing, etc.

5. Be fierce and unrelenting! You may be trying to achieve things that are hard, uncomfortable, painful, frustrating, not enjoyable at the present moment...suck it up! No pain, no gain my friends. It takes time to work things into your flow of life and consciousness. And if you falter on a goal one day or week or month, don't give up! Pick yourself back up and start again. You can always modify the goal if you suddenly realize that you maybe bit off more than you can chew. There's no shame in that.

Slow and steady wins the race.

I hope you reach all your goals in 2012! May all your dreams come true!

The Top SEVEN of 2011! And win a book!

2011-12-28T12:30:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again, when I share my favorite number of favorite books! I read somewhere around 40 or 50 novels this year and, unlike some years, it was very difficult to narrow the list to seven. My picks range from picture book to literary classic, so there's something for everyone. All the books are linked so you can read more about them if you like.

And HAPPY NEW YEAR! Enter to win a copy of any of the following books! Just leave a comment and please leave me your email address if you'd like to enter as sometimes I have a hard time getting a hold of winners. Also bonus entries if you tweet or FB or otherwise announce this giveaway.

7. THE EMERALD ATLAS by John Stephens

Orphans Kate, Michael and Emma are sucked through a book to another world full of magic, old prophecies, and danger, and perhaps the secret to their parents' disappearance.

6. FLIPPED by Wendelin Van Draanen

Julie flipped when she first saw Bryce. Bryce ran away when he first met Julie. Then things started to flip. An adorable and hilarious he-said/she-said tale that everyone can enjoy.

5. ALICE IN WONDERLAND by Lewis Carroll

I can't believe I haven't read this before. I'm kind of on an Alice in Wonderland kick right now. Lewis Carroll is a bizarre genius.

4. STUCK by Oliver Jeffers

Floyd got his kite stuck in a tree...plus a whole lot more. Endearingly quirky and surprising. My boys and I laughed out loud.

3. THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern

A dreamlike circus designed around two rival magicians. Fascinating scenery and a gorgeous love story.

2. THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak

A hauntingly beautiful story, narrated by Death, through the eyes of a young girl in Nazi Germany.

1. EAST OF EDEN by John Steinbeck

Steinbeck's masterpiece story of the Trask and Hamilton families. A brilliant portrait of the human soul; it rattled mine.

Happy New Year!

I will leave the giveaway open until January 1 and will announce a winner on January 2.

Revision: The real work of writing

2011-12-21T09:56:00.000-08:00

"I don’t fart glitter and unicorns."
-Maggie Steifvater from her blog.

I've recently finished a draft of my next book. Yay! (The title and subject shall remain secret for now. Ooh, aren't you curious?) It's a wonderful feeling to write the words "The End" after so many hours of struggling to find the threads of your story, the right words, the right beginnings and endings, and the right characters needed to tell the story. It's a rush and I love it. But anyone who has every written a book, or at least attempted to, understand that first drafts almost always suck. Even if the individual sentences are brilliant, there is such broad scope in a novel; themes and character arcs we have to develop, plot threads that need more weaving, pacing and dialogue and structure that needs finessing. It's a lot more work than just writing the words.

That work is called revision.

For me, revision is the real work of writing, but it is also the real joy of writing. It's a mercy really, that the first thing I write doesn't have to remain, that I don't have to share it with the world until I (and many others) feel it's ready. Because really, settling on a first draft would be like going on American Idol when you're half-way dressed and you sing out of tune, and honestly who does that? Wait a second...

I don't have a huge elaborate revision process I always stick to. I like to leave room for different things depending on what's needed, but here are a few things that I usually always do:

Let it rest. One of the best things you can do for your writing is to get away from it. We need distance for good perspective. When you are writing you have your nose to your book, so to speak, and only taking time away from it can you step back and get any sense for the big picture. I almost always try to stay away from my manuscript for a good month, more if I can help it. I catch up on reading and all the chores I've been ignoring in the name of "work." [Evil grin.]

Print and pen. I always print out a copy of my manuscript and revise with a pen, scratching notes in the margins, crossing out huge chunks or deciding that chapter 8 should really be chapter 2. I know it's not environmentally friendly, but it seriously helps and I recycle, okay?

Beta-readers. This is probably the most painful, yet most valuable part of my revision process. It's hard to hand off a piece of writing that I know is still very rough, choppy, maybe even incoherent. Imagine inviting friends over for dinner and, despite the magnificent feast you took great pains to create, dinner is undercooked and bland. Sending a manuscript to readers feels like that. But there comes a time when you will need to let other people into your process. Even with the distance you gain by letting your work rest, you are still too close to your own writing to see all the problems and holes. What is very apparent in your imagination is not always what comes out on the page. Timing of letting people read your work is also very important. Get beta readers too early or too late and it can do more harm than good. I usually seek beta-readers after one revision of the rough draft. It's somewhat painful to get that initial feedback, but probably the most helpful in terms of moving forward and really improving my book.

Gather questions, seek answers. While you can get great ideas and helpful hints from your readers, the greatest value they can give you is to ask questions and share their reactions at any given point in your story. I love to hear when they were excited or intrigued, because that makes me feel I'm on the right track, but it's also ~~painful~~ helpful when they point out where they were confused or bored or disappointed. Right now I'm in the stage of gathering feedback from readers and making a list of questions. Sometimes I get great suggestions of how I should answer those questions or problems, but more often than not, I have to search and brainstorm for my own answers. It's usually best if it comes from you anyway.

Triage. In the medical world, triage is used to sort victims and decide which injuries and problems need attention first, and which can wait. I use a similar concept in revision, though it's not always easy for me to see which element needs attention first and which can wait. (So many things feel equally important to me.) I usually focus on the larger plot elements first, making sure the story itself makes sense, and then I zero in on things like characterization and setting and dialogue and transitions, giving each separate focus. I line edit throughout my entire process. I can't help it.

Patience. Again, nothing will be great the first round, and maybe not even the second or third, but have patience. Allow things to simmer and develop and you'll be amazed at the wonders of good revision. That's when the glitter comes.

Is it obvious what's on my mind right now? I just got feedback from my husband on my latest manuscript and I'm trying to process. Also I'm still trying to ignore household chores in the name of "work." [Really evil grin.]

Things I would have in a world of my own

2011-12-14T12:52:00.000-08:00

If I were to have a world of my own we would build our houses with Necco-tile roofs, and Nerd snow would be a viable form of weather. For now I just put them in my gingerbread house. Also, the idea of those Cadbury chocolate Christmas balls as walkway stones is really appealing to me, though we would probably have to replace them often.

Do you need an MFA in Creative Writing?

2011-12-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

If you look into my writingbackground it's fairly easy to discover that I do not have any kind of degreein literature, writing, or English, let alone an MFA. Given that fact, one might think Idon't have room to speak on such a topic, however I will say that at one point I seriously considered getting an MFA and have done a fair amount of research. Regardless of anything I mightsay in this post, I don't think MFA’s are pointless degrees, not atall. Some of my favorite writers have come out of MFA programs; Shannon Haleand Kristin Cashore are just two off the top of my head. And some of myfavorite writers have no formal education in writing or literature.They just do it.

A few years back I attendeda workshop of an MFA program. It was well presented. The teachers wereprofessional and intelligent and obviously knew a thing or two about teachingthe craft of writing. From what I could tell, this MFA program was professional,well-structured, and staffed by some very talented writers and teachers.(Whether it was worth the tuition, I'm not entirely certain.)At some point they all came to each table and spoke to us and allowed us to askquestions. This was my questions:

What can I get from your program that I can't get in any other way?

The professor stumbled overher answer and said something like, "It really jump starts you...There areso many things you can learn much quicker that might take you years of makingmistakes."

Not a wrong answer, but aweak one in my opinion. At this point I had been writing for at least fiveyears and had been published in reputable magazines. I had taken a 2-yearlong writing course and had attended a few writing conferences and worshops. I was well into writing my first novel. I certainly wasn’t going to pay 30k tolearn how to avoid pitfalls. I could get that for free any day, and I alreadyhad.

At the beginning of my writing journey, I didn't feel comfortable investing so much money into my writing until I was absolutely certain I wanted to be married to booksand writing for the rest of my life. (Can you imagine? 30 grand later and then suddenly "Oh never mind. I really don't like writing. I'd rather be a tax accountant.") By the time the assurance had rested upon me, I believe I had already made a great many mistakes, learned from them, and am a better writer for that trial-and-error phase. Even if I could go back, I wouldn't change that time for a "jump start." There's something to be said for slow and steady learning, allowing it all to marinate and sink in.

So what is the value of anMFA? In short, I think there are three things:

1. Time for your writing. Many writers, especially those starting out, simplyneed a structured environment, something to force them to get their butt in thechair and actually write. An MFA program will give you assignment anddeadlines, something to motivate you. It seems more necessary to write whenyou’re going into debt for it and a grade is hanging over your head. You’llalso get plenty of feedback from your instructors as well as other students. You're constantly work-shopping, which is so valuable to your progress.

2. Networking. Many MFA programs offer real time with real editors and agents. Youare also making connections with other writers, many of whom will be futureauthors and possibly very successful. Just like any other business, sometimesit’s helpful to have a few connections to get your foot in the door. And when you do get published, you will want other people to champion your book.

3. A terminal degree. If you want to teach writing, it’s often necessary to have a degree.An MFA is as high as it gets in the creative writing field.

As far as I can tell, #3 isthe only thing you can’t get on your own. 1 and 2 are things you can do forfree or for a lot less, especially #2. There are many, many wonderfulconferences and workshops where you can workshop your writing and meet editorsand agents and other writers. I’ve met some of my best writing pals at conferences.

In defense of the MFA, I ampositive that people come out of them better writers, and I have no doubt I would benefit as well, no matter where I am in my writing journey. There has to be great value in being made to produce acertain amount of writing every week and then have that writing held under amicroscope and analyzed and torn apart by other professional writers. Maybesome MFA writers hone their craft and gain insights in ways that wouldn’t havebeen possible under any other circumstances. And I’m certain an MFA will fillyou with all kinds of tricks and skills, not only in writing craft, but alsothe in the general publishing industry, which can be a dizzying maze tonavigate, to say the least.

So in the end, and MFA is avery individual matter. You need to ask yourself where you are in your writingjourney and where you hope to end up. How might an MFA help you achieve thatgoal, and what other methods are available to you? Is it worth the cost and time? There's no one path for every writer, so whether you choose the MFA or the Lonely Road, the important thing is that you love writing and that you do it. Everything else is confetti.

A few valuable resources, courses, and conferences:

A List of the Top 50 MFA programs in the country for 2011

http://www.institutechildrenslit.com/ I am a graduate of ICL's course on writing for children and teens and feel it can "jump start" you very well for a fraction of the cost of an MFA. They also have courses for writing for adults.

The Creative Writing MFA Blog

Gotham Writer's Workshop: Writing courses, workshops and various resources in New York and online

WriteOnCon- A FREE annual online writer's conference with some pretty amazing editors, agents, authors and illustrators.

BECOME winners!

2011-12-01T12:03:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Ali for donating an e-book and some awesome swag! The winner of the ebook is...

MINDY!

And the winner of the swag is...

KRISTA!

Congrats ladies! Get ready for the awesome!

More on Self-Publishing with Ali Cross

2011-11-30T08:39:00.000-08:00

Yes, we are celebrating Ali Cross this month. Don't forget to enter for a free e-book of BECOME as well as a chance to win some swag! Leave a comment here. Not here. I will announce winners tomorrow!

Today we have an interview with Ali about self-publishing. You might think that I am shamelessly using my blog to promote my friend. Yes, I am. But I also believe in Ali and her work. Not only is she a fiercely talented writer, she is a remarkable person and I think we can all learn something from her. Also, I find self-publishing to be increasingly fascinating.

I see 4 reasons to self-publish:

1. You only want to publish a book so you can have a keepsake and share it with your friends and family. You don't really care about readership or making writing a career.

2. You want to be your own boss. You enjoy being an entrepeneur and taking charge of all the details of your book from editing to design to sales and marketing and the endless lists between. It's a rush!

3. You don't have the patience for traditional publishing. And yes, it takes a fair amount. A boatload, actually. Plan on ten years from the time you've decided you want to be a writer to the day your book comes out in print (with lots of frustration and rejections during that time.) That's a pretty fair estimate. It will be about nine years for me by the time my book comes out. If you can't come to terms with that, then maybe self-publishing is the road for you.

4. And lastly, a reason which could be mixed with any of the above, you just want your book to have a chance. Maybe you've tried to go the traditional route to no avail, but you still believe there is a market for your book and want to share it with others.

I have serious respect for those who self publish. It's a huge undertaking, one which requires skill and confidence. For myself it's not something I've considered, because I have neither the skills nor the confidence self-publishing requires. For me it was get a publisher or let the writing die.

Writing a book itself is an enormous amount of work, and though I know I'll have to do a lot of work outside my writing to promote my books, there is so much that goes into publishing, more than most people ever consider. And a lot of self-publishing is just having the confidence to go at it alone. You face some roadblocks that traditionally published authors don't, including the skeptical attitude that many people have when it comes to self-publishing. Your readership is automatically limited. I don't have that confidence. I really wanted to be a part of a team of professionals who know books, people who could help me succeed, who believe in me and are willing to spend time and money to promote my work. I don't think I have what it takes to do it all on my own.

But Ali Cross does. She's got the skills, confidence, and guts to go at it on her own, and she has graciously agreed to answer a few questions about her journey. So welcome Ali!

1. Why did you decide to self-publish?

I decided to self-publish because I believed I had a good story that was ready to be read but I couldn't find anyone who believed in it enough to put it out there. My choice was either to shelve it for a year or two and try querying it again, or to just go for it myself. I'm not very good at waiting so . . . I went for it!

2. What value do you think you gained from your experience of trying to go the traditional route?

Through agent suggestions and revision requests, my story became stronger, for sure. I learned that I didn't suck as a writer, but that it was the story itself that the agents couldn't buy in to. I believed, though, that they were wrong--that there is a market for my book. Strangely, the experience of querying, revising, and querying some more brought me to this place where I have a strong belief in myself and my book.

3. What do you think are the pros and cons of going this route?

The main con is probably believing. You don't have anyone else to hold you up when you feel like you can't go on. You have to create your own team, and since you chose them instead of them choosing you (like an agent who loves your story and chooses it from the pile of hopefuls), there's this whisper of doubt that follows you around. You have to be stronger than that doubt.

The pros are thrilling! I have all the control, all the power. I can decide how I want to market my book, what the cover will look like, whether or not I follow a particular storyline or create a sequel. I don't have to worry about the second or third book being picked up, I already KNOW the other books will be published and what story they will tell. I love that!

4. What advice do you have for writers who are thinking about e-publishing?

I think the most important thing a writer needs to do when they self-publish is build a strong team. You have to have people who will read your work and not just love it. Pick people you trust to tell you the truth--because you need that refiner's fire to create your best story. Usually an agent and/or editor will do that for you, but when you're on your own you're it. So pick critical and confident people to help you make your story the best it can be. Oh, but they should love you and your story too; they should just be highly motivated to help you not suck. :)

5. Is there ever a case where you would tell someone NOT to self-publish?

Um, I don't think so. I can't think of a time, anyway. But wait, I was thinking of story alone--there's another important element that must be considered.

Can you, as a person, hack it?

It's a boatload of work, I'm telling you. I've never worked so hard in my life. And you need all the confidence you can muster. Some people (and this is not a bad thing, it's just is) who really need the support of a professional publishing team. I think it's important to know for yourself what you're capable of and how much you're willing to do alone, Because sometimes you will feel very alone. There's no shame in admitting it, and you'll be better off if you take some time for introspection before jumping into the self-pub pool!

Thank you Ali!

Don't forget to enter for Ali's book BECOME!

So there you have it! There's not right path for everyone in this business, and sometimes it's just a matter of figuring out what you have in your tool belt, where you want your writing to go, and what it is you really want with your publishing experience.

BECOME review and interview with Ali Cross

2011-11-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

I am so thrilled to have Ali Cross, author of BECOME, with us here today. First, I will give my review of BECOME, after which there is an awesome interview with Ali, after which you can enter to win a FREE e-book of BECOME, not to mention some awesome swag! All kinds of happy here today.

Note: Ali is my friend, but I am always honest in my reviews, no matter what. I know Ali would expect nothing less from me, or she wouldn't have asked.

Desolation Black is the devil's daughter, and even though she hates Hell, she's destined to inherit her father's kingdom. But when Desi is sent to earth to temp weak humans and lure them down to Hell, Desi find herself resisting her demonic nature and hoping for what she's always thought impossible- friendship and love.

The premise for this novel so intrigued me, that I dove in with eager eyes. Where would Ali take this? I fancy myself a pretty perceptive reader, and I must admit, I made a lot of judgements as to how this story would play out. Typical angel book? But I was completely surprised along the way, and I don't mean just plot twists (though there is that) but also character development. The characters surprised me too. The plot moves at a quick pace and the characters are varied and vibrant. Desolation Black has many flaws and sometimes makes horrific mistakes, but not only did I love her, I empathized with her. I wanted what she wanted, even when what she wanted was wrong, even when she wished to be back in Hell. It takes some skills to make Hell sound desirable.That said, I was kind of hoping for a little more details for the brief time we spent in Hell in this book. I don't think of it that often, so the idea of immersing myself in Hell in a book was sort of sadistically enticing, but there wasn't much that piqued my interest there, and I supposed that makes sense from Desi's point-of-view. Hell is pretty boring to her.

Enough about Hell. Let's talk romance. Let me just premise this section with the fact that I am not much of a romantic. (Doesn't that just make you want to slap me?) I tend to balk at a lot of romance in novels, especially in a lot of YA I've read. It often comes off as shallow, naive, and kind of slimy. But not in BECOME. Even though Desi and Michael have an immediate and powerful connection, Ali did not resort to the oft used and annoying method of "I felt inexplicably drawn to him." There is an explanation for why they are so drawn to one another and it is so fulfilling and heart-warming and, wow, their relationship didn't make me gag at all. It was intense, almost immediately, but genuine and well-developed. That's the kind of romance I can fall for.

I was at times a little confused about the time and place of the action, as well as the rules for the world and its deities. Ali mixed pretty strong Christian elements with more obscure mythology, which sometimes threw me off. The plot occasionally moves between worlds and realms and past and present, and I found myself questioning who was who and when and where was this all taking place? By what laws is this world and its gods governed? Some of these questions were eventually answered, but there are some unanswered questions in my mind, some loose plot threads, and I will be looking for answers in the succeeding books. I cant wait to read them!

By far my favorite part of this book was the ending. Of course I can say much, but OH MY HELL (literally) IT ROCKED! The ending alone is making me hungry to read the next book. BECOME is a gorgeous and thrilling book, with strong writing, characters, and story. Can you tell I'm excited to read more?

So enough from me. Let's hear from the real deal. Thank you Ali for agreeing to this interview!

1. What were the seeds of your idea for BECOME? How different was the end product from your original vision? Any surprises along the way?

The idea for BECOME came from playing the "what if" game one summer morning. I asked the question, "What if the devil's daughter wanted to be good?" and the story was born!

The end version is vastly different from my original attempt. There were many surprises--like the impossibility of changing a character's behavior to suit my ideals, or the use of Norse mythology, which I totally didn't expect.

2. You have some powerful themes in your book dealing with dual nature as well as heart-breaking choices, (and I believe the two are linked.) Did these themes develop organically from your ideas or were they conscious choices? How do you think these themes relate to people in general and teens in particular?

Wow, that's a great question. The themes developed organically, for sure. And I think you're right--our dual nature and our difficulties to sometimes make wise choices are inexorably linked. If we were all black or all white then our choices would be simple--you go black or you go white. But when real truth lives somewhere in the gray, every choice can be a game-changer.

No person is all good or all bad, but I do think teens in particular have a greater temptation to reveal themselves to others in a less-than truthful way. Not because they are bad or anything, but because they still haven't discovered who they are, so they're a little bit THIS for one person and a little bit THAT for another person. Until we find ourselves I think we're always trying out the molds other people have created for us.

Like Goldilocks and the three bears, it can sometimes take a lot of trying things out before we find what really works for us, or who we really are.

3. You take some elements that are unequivocally Christian but then also somehow morph those elements into something more universal. Was it your intention to cater to a specific audience, or do you think BECOME can be accessible for a larger audience, perhaps even people with little to no religious belief?

I worried the Christian elements would bother readers. And it still might. But so far, it's the mythology that's throwing them for a loop! I really didn't have any intention regarding the religion, so I hope people can see past that and to the heart of the story. I guess only time will tell how it will play out.

4. Any hints you'd like to throw to us about what's in store for Desi in the next book?

Aha! You're the first person to ask me this. So here you go …. YES Michael returns in the second book. And …. yeah that's all I'm gonna say about that. ;)

Oh goody! I like Michael. Thank you Ali! Everyone can buy BECOME at one of these sellers:

Amazon Paperback

Amazon Kindle

Barnes and Noble Nook

Smashwords

Also Ali is graciously giving away a FREE e-book! (A code will be given to the winner to download the book for free.) And this awesome swag, bookmark, keychain, and a hand-tied Celtic bracelet. Leave a comment and you will be entered to win either the e-book or the swag! I will leave the contest open for a week.

Ali Cross is the sensei of the Writer's Dojo where she holds a black belt in awesome. She lives in Utah with her kickin' husband, two sparring sons, one ninja cat, two sumo dogs and four zen turtles.

I Bombed.

2011-11-20T16:29:00.001-08:00

This is just a note to say that I forgot to post the review and interview for Ali Cross's BECOME on Saturday, as I was supposed to. I forgot to schedule it. Yes, I am a loser. SORRY ALI!

So we agreed that we would post this coming Wednesday. It's scheduled now. So stay tuned!

Happy Release Day to Ali Cross and BECOME

2011-11-10T19:57:00.001-08:00

I told you a while back about my friend who decided to self-publish her urban fantasy, and the day has finally come! BECOME by Ali Cross is now available through these sellers:

Amazon Paperback

Amazon Kindle

Barnes and Noble Nook

Smashwords

Sixteen-year old Desolation Black wants nothing more than to stay in Hell where it’s cold and lonely and totally predictable. Instead, she’s sent back to Earth where she must face the evil she despises and the good she always feared.

When Desi is forced to embrace her inner demon, she assumes her choice has been made—that she has no hope of being anything other than what her father, Lucifer, has created her to be. What she doesn’t count on, is finding a reason to change—something she’s never had before—a friend.

I had the opportunity to read BECOME a few weeks ago, and I tell you, it is such an intriguing and emotional read. Dark, angsty, and deep. In less than two weeks I'll be giving a review for Ali's blog tour, and Ali has also agreed to an interview! So more one Ali and BECOME soon! But in the mean time, pick up Ali's book so you can join the conversation!

Ali is part of the Dark C.A.R.M.A. tour. To find out more visit www.darkcarmatour.blogspot.com

Thoughts on No-Response-Means-No

2011-11-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

In this month's SCBWI bulletin, the heads of SCBWI, Stephen Mooser and Lin Oliver, penned an open letter to the industry, expressing their thoughts on the response policies of agents and editors, particularly those who have a No-Response-Means-No policy.

In in a professional and tactful way, they basically said the No-Response-Means-No method of rejection is unprofessional, unnecessary, and inconsiderate of the writer's time and efforts. In this day and age, all anyone has to do is click a button to send an automated response. This at least lets the writer know that their work was received and looked at.

I'm all for agents and editors giving some kind of response, even a short form letter. Some writers get their undies in a knot over a form letter, but that never bothered me. At least it told me that they got my query/book and someone looked at it (maybe.) But a no response causes me to question whether they even got the query at all, and that thought process can be maddening. What if they would have loved it and it's stuck in cyberspace?! #$%@!

But then SCBWI also had this argument, which I found intriguing and somewhat perplexing:

From the writer's point of view, never hearing back encourages us to undertake multiple submissions so as not to waste time waiting for an answer that may never come.

To say that the No-Response-Means-No method "encourages us to undertake multiple submissions" is a bit misleading in my opinion. Most writers would do multiple submissions in any case and I believe agents and editors have come to terms with it. Sometimes the average response time for an agent is 3-6 months, and not only because they have a mile-high pile of queries, but because they have work to do for their already existing clients. If I were to have queried one agent at a time before I hit the right one, it would have taken me years to find my agent. Even in the magazine market it can take months for a response.

So let's not strike a deal where agents and editors say they'll always respond if we'll just query one at a time. That's not practical. But it is practical to push a button, a form rejection auto-response. I'm trying to think under what circumstances this doesn't make sense. I'm lead to assume that these agents and editors don't look at all their queries, and the No-Response-Means-No method is a way to release them of any burden to respond to those they don't look at. Hey, that's their right. I certainly wouldn't begrudge any agent or editor for not looking at something. Unlike some, I don't think they owe the writers querying them anything at all. It could be their loss in the end.

But even so, most agencies and publishers take email submissions and unless their queries go directly to spam, they still have to click on the "Archive" or "Trash" button. Wouldn't sending an auto-response be just as easy? One click. That's all it takes to just say "I saw this. I'm not interested." I don't even care if it's nice. We writers just like clear communication. That's what writing is all about, isn't it? Sending a message, even if people don't like it.

Can anyone think of a reason why the No-Response-Means-No makes any sense at all? I'm really interested to know.

Oh, I just thought of something! Maybe they fear any kind of actual rejection, even a form one, will cause some writers to respond with malicious emails. We're a passionate, funny bunch. Janet Reid has posted some pretty funny ones. I can see that as a reason maybe. Still, I don't think that many people do that. Or maybe they do?

My first interview and a Publisher's Marketplace annoucement!

2011-11-03T07:32:00.000-07:00

So much fun stuff today! Head on over to Krista's blog Mother. Write. Repeat. where my agent and I were interviewed about the query process for RUMP. Most of you probably know and follow Krista's blog already. Not only is she an extremely talented writer (believe me I know) but she is also an invaluable resource for agent interviews and also query contests. As a matter of fact, I do believe an agent just recently signed an author found through Krista's "An Agent's Inbox" contest. Very cool!

And we announced in Publisher's Marketplace today!

Liesl Shurtliff's RUMP, a fairy tale retelling in which the reviled Rumpelstiltskin is recast as a young boy who has inherited both a spinning magic he doesn't yet understand and only the most unfortunate part of his name, to Katherine Harrison at Knopf Children's, by Michelle Andelman of Regal Literary (NA).

And last but not least, as all of you are starting NaNoWriMo, I just finished a first draft of my next book! So I will NOT be partaking in the festivities of word cramming. I'm catching up on reading as I let my book rest, and then I will tear it to shreds. Unless I get more edits for RUMP...then I will work on that. Working on two books at once is a little dizzying.

Why all writers should create amazing characters

2011-11-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

So my family can be them for Halloween!

Photo taken by Jenna Cole

We kept it all correct according to the family tree, except Yoda, but I figured that Yoda and two-year-olds are somewhat similar: They both have knowledge of a force way over my head.

This photo was taken at our church Halloween party, where we of course won Best Family Costume. I have to be honest. I'm not the biggest Halloween fan. I usually don't even dress up, but my husband and son are die-hard Star Wars fans and my husband got these costumes MONTHS in advance. We had to pay our daughter twenty bucks to be Leia, but I think it grew on her after a while.

Okay, there's a little window into my family life. I don't open it very often. Tomorrow I have way more cool stuff pertaining to writing! Stay tuned!

Technically challenged

2011-10-24T11:43:00.001-07:00

A few times I've gone into my blog and tried to do a search for a certain post, only instead of doing a search I accidentally type in my search as a title and create a new post. So if you're wondering why random posts show up in your Google reader with zero content, it's because I'm technically challenged. Sorry about that.

Why I only feel sort of sorry for Lauren Myracle

2011-10-21T08:54:00.001-07:00

So apparently I've been living under a rock for the past week, because I missed some pretty big news in books. If you have also been living under a rock and haven't heard about the National Book Award screw up, here it is in a nutshell: NBA finalists were announced last Wednesday and among the finalists for "Young Readers" was SHINE by Lauren Myracle. However, not two hours later another book was added, CHIME by Fanny Billingsley, and for the first time ever, there were six finalists.

BUT it was later revealed that there had been a miscommunication and SHINE was never meant to be on the list, but had been mixed up with CHIME. First NBA announced that all six titles would remain, then they said they would take SHINE off the list, then they had the gall to ask Lauren Myracle to withdraw her book from nomination to "preserve the integrity of the award."

You can read more details in Publisher's Weekly. Also Libba Bray had quite the blog post about the situation and then there's Lauren's own blog post, an honest and classy recounting of the emotional roller-coaster.

Okay, so that was a HUGE mistake. HUGE! It's difficult to imagine something like this happening, especially when the authors are called personally by the director of the National Book Foundation himself. You wouldn't think that mistakes like that would happen, coming from the top. But it happened and I can only imagine how difficult is has been for Lauren Myracle.

But do I feel sorry for her? Well...yes and no. On one hand, it's got to hurt to realize that you've been given one of the biggest awards in literature only by mistake. I mean talk about a slap in the face. "Your books SHINE is amazing. Oh wait...just kidding. We meant another book that rhymes with SHINE but isn't actually your book. We like that one better." And the whole thing was just handled...not very well, though honestly, once a mistake like that is made, I'm not sure there is a good way to handle the situation.

On the other hand? Holy Crows, you can't buy publicity this good! This debacle has brought Myracle and her book into the spotlight in a way that even the award itself couldn't do. I mean, I can't even name all the other NBA finalists from memory. Can you? And will I be buying SHINE? You bet! And probably before I even take a look at CHIME to see if it will interest me. (Maybe we should be feeling a little sorry for Franny Billingsley?)

So while I hope that NBA puts more checks and balances on their process in the future, I wouldn't mind a mistake in my case. Maybe the Newbery committee will be nominate a book called DUMP or SLUMP or BUMP or FRUMP. Then maybe I'll get an accidental phone call of my own.

Do you have daily word count goals?

2011-10-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

When I first started writing, I used to give myself daily word count goals, like 500 or a thousand words. I think when you first start writing, daily word count goals are probably a good thing. It helps you to develop discipline, to sit your butt in the chair and get the job done. It's also forcing you to get words out, to experiment with them freely, and to try to mold them to move along a story. As you write more words, more and more ideas come to you. This is probably the greatest value of NaNoWriMo.

But I've since decided that daily word goals are counter-productive for me, at least in terms of the quality of my writing. I find that if I'm writing just to reach my thousand words or so a day I often will write total crap, and then I have to go back anyway and rewrite it later, when the muse is speaking a little louder.

So instead I just have certain hours that I dedicate to my writing. Some days I feel particularly tenacious and I write 5000 words. Other days I feel like blubber and I write 5, or I revise the 5000 I wrote the previous day. Some days I don't write at all. I do something mindless, and allow my brain to wander freely and allow the good ideas to walk in by chance. Usually after some mental rest I have a great writing day the next day.

I think as long as your butt is in the chair and you're dedicated to writing the very best you can, there's no need to make yourself meet fat word goals. This isn't a race. Creativity has to simmer every now and then, you know?

What do you think? Do you have daily writing goals?

What is good writing?

2011-10-13T19:00:00.000-07:00

Stories are equipment for living.
-Kenneth Burke

Recently I read a book that I thought was super-lame. The writing was flat, the dialogue was corny, and page after page I kept asking myself, Why am I reading this? But I couldn't put the stupid thing down! I just had to find out what happened.

On the flip-side, I also recently read a book where the writing was absolutely gorgeous. The words and sentences were rich and eloquent, the descriptions so vivid, the characters so well drawn. And yet I never felt fully immersed in the story. I finished it, but it left with me a kind of ho-hum feeling, despite my appreciation for the writer's skill.

These kinds of books always leave me feeling frustrated and conflicted. It makes me pause and think about the definition of good writing. I totally want to bash on that first book, but at the same time, something about it made me keep reading, and I secretly enjoyed it. I want to give praise to the second book, but at the same time, it was easy to put down. What makes a book praiseworthy? What makes it worth a reader's time? Is "good writing" defined by the words or the story?

There are lots of writers out there who have been very commercially successful, but in literary circles are looked down upon because of their "horrible writing." I won't name names, but I'm sure you can think of a few who might be on the list.

These writers are really good at getting you to turn the page. They know how to turn the points of the plot at the precise moment to pique your curiosity. They know how to continuously increase the tension. Plainly put, these writers are great storytellers.

Other writers have a gift for words, form, and structure. They know how to string words together to create the most eloquent prose, their descriptions evoke vivid images. They can draw deep and witty characters and create the perfect setting and tone. I appreciate these writers, but I have to be honest, without great stories, their beautiful writing is lost on me.

But the very best writers can do both. They know when to stop indulging in their own genius and make something happen, and they know when it's alright to slow down and give us the sweetness of their words. I will always seek out those books and treasure them. I aspire to write the same.

But when I don't have both, when it's either an exciting story with mediocre writing or an okay story with great writing, I wonder what value I should put on the book. One is more enjoyable to read and the other is perhaps more thought provoking and educational. So maybe we just need to judge them like we do food. Sometimes we want to eat chocolate and sometimes we need our vitamins.

I opt for chocolate vitamins.

What do you think? How do you define "great writing?"

As true in America as it is in India

2011-10-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'm certain I've talked about this before, but I don't think I can say it enough: Not all "literary agents" are literary agents! Go read this article about shady literary agents in India. This advice translates to The U.S. as well.

Don't ever pay a "literary agent" up front. They get paid a commission when they sell your work and most agents help you revise and polish your manuscript for free, believing that it will pay off in the end. If you want to hire a freelance editor to help you do that, that's perfectly legitimate, but it's not considered ethical for agents to charge "reading fees."

Okay? Okay. I've said my piece. Friends don't let friends be suckers.

Thoughts on Self-Publishing

2011-10-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

I think I have to start off with a disclaimer here: I don't know much about self-publishing and my attitude toward that particular market has been ambivalent at best. I've read very few self-published books, and even less that I thought were good, BUT, there has been a lot of change in the publishing market in the past decade and self-publishing is an exploding market. It's gotten my attention and I'm curious to see how it will evolve over the next decade.

One of the biggest things I see changing these days is with the small publishers and niche markets, publishers who publish books for perhaps a more selective and unique audience. Those publishing houses are dropping like flies, unable to keep up with the quickly changing tides of publishing and book sales. And make no mistake, the big publishers are feeling the squeeze too. They're scaling back in lots of areas, including the amount of books they publish. Not every well written and worthwhile manuscript that passes their eyes will get published. That's just a fact.

Maybe you've gotten great feedback from editors or agents but the response, for whatever reason, still remains a no. Does that mean your book has no merit? Does it mean your book isn't good enough or that no one would enjoy it? I don't think so. Just because someone wasn't willing to bet money on it, doesn't mean it isn't actually worth money and more.

Enter self-publishing.

Sometimes self-publishing can give a book and an author the chance no one else would give them. Look at Richard Paul Evans, Amanda Hocking, Julia Cameron and many more who started out self-publishing and went on to great success. Self-publishing is the ultimate way of taking your writing career in you own hands.

BUT, before you jump on the self-publishing wagon, I suggest you take some time to consider what it all entails. Self-publishing is a lot of work. You are the writer, editor, designer, printer, and publiscist. You do it yourself or pay someone else to do it for you. Either way, it's all on you. Some might think of this as a good thing. Total Control! But while it might seem nice that you don't have to worry about hating your cover or disagreeing with your editor over why a certain section needs to be taken out, you can exhaust yourself with the details. It takes a crazy amount of confidence, courage, energy, and time to self-publish if you want to do it well; all things I'm not certain that I would have enough of to embark on the self-publishing path.

But if you believe in yourself and your work, if you're willing to put in the time and energy, then I say CARPE DIEM! Live your dreams and don't let anybody hold you back.

I'm so pleased that I know someone who does have the courage and energy and talent to self-publish. Ali Cross has decided to self-publish her book BECOME, a YA urban fantasy. I met Ali at the WIFYR conference two years ago and not only did I love her, but I loved her writing. She is talented. She is skilled. She has big, amazing ideas. I am proud of her for taking this step in her writing journey and I'm honored that I will be reviewing her book here on my blog next month. Ali will also be doing a guest blog post at the end of this month. Stay tuned for her greatness!

Self-publishing is growing like crazy. There are those who are going to rise to the top, no matter the obstacles and we are seeing some great talent come out of the self-published market.

What do you think? Do you read self-published books? Would you consider self-publication?

Once Upon a Time anyone?

2011-09-29T11:53:00.000-07:00

I saw a television poster with a way creepy Robert Carlyle as Rumpelstiltskin. Now that struck my curiosity. It's not anything like my RUMP, but I will be curious enough to see how this fractured fairytale show will unfold.

Anyone looking forward to ABC's "Once Upon a Time" series? Click on the link to view the trailer. Sorry, I couldn't figure out how to embed this one.

Your battle is not with time

2011-09-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

As I've been announcing my publishing contract, it never ceases to amaze me how many people tell me, "I want to write a book someday, when I have more time." It almost makes me want to laugh, not because so many people want to write a book (I really think that's great) but because of the added statement "when I have more time."

Well I hate to break it to y'all, but the truth is, we all have the same 24 hours to work with and I don't know a single soul who has ever "found more time," in those 24 hours. (Though wouldn't it be great if we could get Hermione's time turner?)

So it's time to come to some cold, hard facts. Or maybe just one cold hard fact:

You will never have more time to write.

No matter what stage of life you are in, there will always be more seemingly important tasks and activities than writing a book and more than you can reasonably accomplish. Family, jobs that actually pay the bills, house work, social lives, etc. So actually, the battle is not with your time. Stop fighting that. You're going in circles like your clock. Your battle is with PRIORITIES.

I remember when I told my husband I really wanted this, I really wanted to be a writer, not just like a hobby, but a career path. Without hesitation he jumped on board with me and we made a schedule. He knew that during naps I would not be doing dishes and laundry. And some nights he would come home from work and I would disappear and he would be left with the kids and the mess we made during the day (that I did not clean up during nap time.) And on Saturdays I take a significant chunk of time leaving him to do chores and play with the kids. He even takes vacation days off work every now and then to let me have an entire writing day while he plays Mr. Mom. (I think he really hopes he can do that full time one day. Dream on honey.)

You will have to let some things go, like the dishes and the laundry, your favorite television show (or at least narrow down that list) some social gatherings, your scrapbooks and crafts, your obsession with Twitter, FB, and your intelligent comments on 500 blogs. (Did I just encourage you not to comment on my blog? Twisted.)

I'm not saying you have to sell your soul, or become a hermit and never enjoy anything outside of writing. There is such a thing as too much sacrifice. As Ally Condie once said at conference, "Sometimes sacrifice is good and sometimes it is too much." No one can draw that line for you, but if you are serious about being a writer, then you must sacrifice some things.

I hope by now I have thoroughly convinced you to stop dreaming about the day you will have more time. It will never come. Decide what it is that you want and start making the sacrifices now. It takes the average writer about a decade to get their first book published. So, stop reading this blog and go write the book you've always wanted to write. (After you leave a comment, of course.)

RUMP's release date! (And why it takes FOREVER to publish a book!)

2011-09-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

So after vacations and moves and getting the kids settled in school (seriously getting your kids in school out here is more complicated than applying for college), my editor and I were finally able to sit down and roll out some details.

RUMP will be released Spring of 2013, likely April, but since it's so far in the future it's usually just a season until we get closer to the date.

Several people have asked me why on earth it takes so long for a book to get published. Isn't it already written?

Yes, yes it is.

I have always known that publishing a book was a 18-24 month process AFTER the book was written and signed with a publisher, but I've never been able to clearly explain why that is. Until now. Behold, the mysteries of publishing (in a nutshell.)

First, my editor will compose an editorial letter. That's a little (or long) letter that explains all the edits they would like to see in my story, mostly big pictures things, like character and story elements, things they believe will make your book more wonderful than it already is.

Once I have the editorial letter in hand I will revise my book once again. I'm expected to have my revision back to my editor by mid to late October. Assuming my editor accepts my revisions, she will then send my book to a copy editor. Those are the editors who basically put your manuscript under a magnifying glass and make lots and lots of red marks on your manuscript. They make you bleed.

They then send the manuscript back to me to either approve or disregard those copy edits. (Sometimes they'll correct things that you put in there as a "stylistic choice," and it's ultimately up to the author to either keep or change.) If I reject a lot of their marks, or make more changes in wording, they may send it back for another round of copy-edits.

After that, they take it to design to lay out the pages as they will appear in the book.

Another round of copy-edits. (They won't send it back to me.)

Then cover design! (Oh, I'm excited for that.)

They will then print ARC's (Advanced Reading Copies.) All this will likely be completed by spring of 2012.

But wait. That still leaves an entire YEAR before my release date. What goes on during that year? Marketing and publicity, my friends, which is a HUGE part of publishing. The publisher has to get materials to the sales force way in advance so they can start giving ARC's to book buyers like Barnes and Noble, librarians, and reviewers.

So that's it in a nutshell. I'm excited and nervous all at once. I'm really in new territory here and I'm starting to feel like I was born yesterday. So it's actually to my advantage that I have about 20 months before this baby hits the shelves. Hopefully by then I'll have learned to walk.

Book Winners!

2011-08-30T07:06:00.000-07:00

It was so much fun to share all these wonderful books last week! I honestly wish I could have given copies to all who entered. When you read a great book you want to make it possible for everyone else to read.

The winners are as follows:

THE PENDERWICKS goes to Krista V.

THE BOOK THIEF goes to Mary Gray

THE EMERALD ATLAS goes to Abby

FLIPPED goes to Robin

Huzzah! Please email me your addresses at sendliesl(at)gmail(d0t)com and I will mail those books to you ASAP.

I'm busy getting the kids ready to start school so I'll see you all next week!

Last Day of Knopf Book Giveaways! FLIPPED by Wendelin Van Draanen

2011-08-25T21:01:00.000-07:00

It has been so fun to share books that I love, books from the publisher who will publish my own book. I struggled to choose the last book I would share with you and give away. I thought maybe it should be a really well known book, something really big. Knopf has published plenty of "big" books that have won prestigious awards and gone on to be best sellers.

But then I decided that I really want to share a book that I think is wonderful, but maybe didn't get as much hype as other books. A "quiet" book, some call them. So I choose this book.

When seven-year-old Bryce Loski moved into his new neighborhood, the scariest thing was Julianna Baker, the girl across the street who accosted him with her unwanted adoration the moment he moved in. It wasn’t until 8th grade that he started to see beneath the surface of her annoying behavior.

When seven-year-old Julianna Baker first set eyes on Bryce Loski, she flipped. It wasn’t until 8th grade that she started to see beneath the surface of his beautiful blue eyes.

Bryce and Julianna tell this adorable story in alternating points-of-view, each describing the same events in incredibly different ways, so that even though I was reading the same events twice, I got such a thrill over reading Julianna’s POV compared to Bryce’s. This is such a tender coming of age story that deserves high praise. And if you're a writer and you want to study some masterful point-of-view, character arc, and story structure, this is the perfect book.

It's also now a movie, which looks adorable, but I haven't seen it yet. I'm going to though!

So to enter, you can either just say you want it, but if you are brave enough, you can also share something about your first childhood crush. Something embarrassing or cute or both! I'll go first:

I had my first "boyfriend" in seventh grade. He asked me out at the skating rink and we held hands while we skated around in circles. I felt weak in the knees. We held hands in the halls and hugged each other before we went to class. Yes, this was scandalous, but what can I say? I was in love. I mean I wrote it all over my journal. A+L=TLA (True Love Always.)

And the jerk dumped me two months later. I guess I didn't put out enough.

Knopf Giveaway Day 3: "The Emerald Atlas" by John Stevens

2011-08-25T06:10:00.001-07:00

Today I bring you a wonderful middle-grade adventure, THE EMERALD ATLAS, which is Book one in the BOOKS OF BEGINNING trilogy by John Stevens.

A snowy winter's night. Three small children are chased from their home by the forces of a merciless darkness. Ten years later, Kate, Michael, and Emma are no closer to the truth about what separated their family.

The answer lies with an enchanted atlas.

The power of the atlas unleashed, the children are transported to a land ruled by a golden-haired Countess and her army of soulless Screechers. Kate and her siblings soon find themselves on an incredible adventure- one that involves captive children, unexpected allies, bloodthirsty wolves, underground battles, a glittering, ghostly ball, sword-wielding giants, and a quest for three books of unspeakable power.

This books was such a delightful and adventurous read that I thrust it at the first middle-grader I came across...and he loved it so much he couldn't wait to tell all his cousins and friends about it. So if you know a middle-grader who's looking for more adventures like Harry Potter and Fablehaven, THE EMERALD ATLAS is a good place to find them.

Tell me in the comments if you would like a chance to win this wonderful book!

And by the way, in case you were confused, I'll announce the winners of all the books at the same time next week.

Knopf Giveaway Day 2: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

2011-08-24T06:13:00.000-07:00

Someone on Twitter yesterday asked if anyone ever gave away books that they don't like. And my answer is NO! I would NEVER! In fact, lest you think I'm just trying to get rid of books I already have, I'm not giving you my own copies. I own all the books I'm giving away, but I'm buying additional copies for the prizes. No one touches my books!

So here is another Knopf book that is actually one of my favorite books ever. It definitely makes my all-time top ten list, probably even five. It's hard to choose a number one spot.

If you haven't read THE BOOK THIEF, I'm telling you right now that you must. And even if you have read it but you don't own it, you know you want to own it. Such wonderful characters, a wealth of gorgeous words, a unique narrator, and a hauntingly beautiful story. And even though it is historical fiction, it is true.

Just tell me you want it in the comments, that is all. And of course mention FB, tweets, blogs, and all that.

I kind of like this cover better. What do you think?

Let's celebrate some more! Giveaways and Favorite Summer Vacations!

2011-08-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

What fun it is to announce a book deal! I've been keeping that good news to myself for a while and I have to say, it was just as exciting to share the news as it was to receive it.

Welcome new followers and readers! I hope this blog will prove to be entertaining and useful. I think it will today because everyone likes free stuff, and especially FREE BOOKS!

I'd like to celebrate my publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House. They have published so many wonderful books and to highlight just a few of them I'm going to give away a Knopf book everyday this week, starting today and ending Friday. Now that's a celebrations!

Today's book giveaway is THE PENDERWICKS by Jeanne Birdsall, A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy. THE PENDERWICKS won the National Book Award for Young Readers in 2005 and well deserved. It is a charming book that transported me back to my childhood summer vacations. Magical.

To enter, all you have to do is tell me about your favorite childhood summer vacation. You must be a follower to enter and I'll give bonus entries for tweeting or blogging or FBing (is that a term?) about this giveaway. I'll take comments on each book giveaway until Friday night at midnight. You can enter for each book giveaway, but once I draw your name for one, I'll remove you from the others. No prize hogging.

I have some great summer vacation memories, but I think one of my very favorites was spending summers on Camano Island, just north of Seattle, Washington where I lived until I was six. We'd spend hours searching for seashells and sand dollars, digging for clams and catching crabs, and then we'd have clam bakes (I never ate those) and marshmallow roasts (I ate a lot of those) and my brother and sisters and all our friends would put on cheesy musical productions. We also occasionally caught ginormous starfish.

Check this baby out! It looks like it came out of some fantasy novel! One day I'll write a book about it.

My beloved story now has a home!

2011-08-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

Seven years ago I began writing with a dream that one day I would publish books and be a real author. I took classes and workshops and wrote for magazines and newspapers. I wrote some books that will forever remain in a drawer, but this past year I wrote a book that I adore. I hoped with all my heart that someone else would love it as much as I do. Someone who might want to publish it.

Someone does!

One day, a while back (almost a month and it's been killing me to hold this information) I got a call from my super-stellar agent, Michelle Andelman, and she said "We have an offer!" I love that phone call.

My middle-grade novel RUMP, a quirky and charming retelling of Rumpeltstiltskin in his own words, will be published by Knopf/Random House!

I have never paid much attention to which publishers publish which books, but of course now I'm paying attention, and I feel honored that such a wonderful publisher feels my book is worthy to carry their name. Knopf has published many of my favorite authors including Carl Hiaasen, Phillip Pullman, Christopher Paolini, Jerri Spinelli, and Markus Zusak. I've also been reading many of their recent titles and have loved them all. So many wonderful books!

My editor is Katherine Harrison and I know she'll be a perfect match for RUMP. Her comments and ideas for my book were perfect. We also share very similar tastes in books, and that gave me a lot of confidence because anyone who likes what I like must be a genius!

I wish I could share a publication date, but that's still to be determined. I figured I would deliver the big stuff today, and save more fun details for later, you know, spread the love (and give you a reason to come back!) There will be plenty more exciting announcements, and yet, I promise not to let the blog be dominated by marketing and publicity. I'll still be me and hopefully this blog will still be a good place for learning and discussion and fun. In the meantime, you're welcome to ask any questions and I'll do my best to answer them in my next post.

All I can say now is how grateful I am to all those who have supported me, believed in me, and helped me. Thank you. (You know who you are of course and I'll hug and kiss you all later.) This journey has been ever so adventurous and is by no means at an end. I hope it will go on for a long time. Seven times seven more years.

Love the Liebster

2011-08-12T21:19:00.000-07:00

Thank you Stephsco and Rebecca Kiel for giving me the lovely Liebster Blog award! They are both in the Chicago vicinity and this just feels like a welcome home gift. I hope to meet you both in person soon. SCBWI Prairie Writer's Day maybe? Let's have lunch!

The Liebster Award is meant to connect us even more and spotlight new bloggers who, at the moment, have less than 200 followers. The rules are:

1.Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
2.Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3.Post the award on your blog.
4.Bask in the love from the most supportive people on the Internet – other writers.
5.And best of all – have fun and spread the karma!

My top five picks are:

Jenilyn Tolley who just has the best sense of humor and such wonderful insight.

Rachel of Trapped Between a Scream and a Hug. Her blog is not necessarily a writing blog so much as a mommy blog (I can do that, right? It's my award to give?) but if you're a mother, you need her blog in your life.

Gaylene at Unwritten. She shares such great information I don't think I would get otherwise.

Jolene B. Perry at Been Writing. I actually have no clue how many followers she has but I like her stuff!

Anita Grace Howard of A Still and Quiet Madness. I have no clue how many follower she has either, but she's a rockin' writer and she has big news to share soon and she torturing us all with suspense! The mark of a good writer.

And now I just want to know one thing. Who the heck is Liebster?

A letter to Veronica Roth

2011-08-09T10:31:00.000-07:00

Dear Ms. Roth,

A few months ago I was determined that I would not read your book DIVERGENT. I had just read several YA dystopian novels and I was feeling tired of the genre. So in my mind your book was just a little late getting in the game.

But then you went and landed yourself #6 on the NYT Bestseller list, and there was all this buzz about your book and the awesomeness thereof.

So, knowing that I would have to read DIVERGENT in order to have intelligent conversations with other writers and publishing professionals, I bought it. But don't get all pompous. I was still determined to not like it, never mind that it's set in my beloved Chicago. I was ready to disregard it as just another dystopian YA, riding on the success of The Hunger Games. And I have to be honest, it is a lot like The Hunger Games.

But ROAR! Your book is so damn good I can't put it down. I'm sleep deprived and my house is a mess and my kids are telling me they're hungry. They also might be screaming that my toddler is playing with knives. Also the house could be on fire. I'm not really sure. I've kind of tuned it all out.

I haven't finished your book, but I have this sick and twisted hope that the ending totally bombs so I can go back to my life and never read any of your other books. But somehow I just don't think that's going to happen.

Sincerely,

Liesl Shurtliff

Update: I finished the book. The ending basically rocked. ROAR!

Road Trips

2011-08-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'm back! Back in Chicago and back on the blogosphere. The past few weeks have just been a little insane. We managed to cram in a yard sale, three family reunions, two weekend vacations, moving another family member, and finally moving ourselves from Salt Lake City back to Chicago. We drove for two days with our three young children and arrived in Chicago to sticky heat. I wasn't breathing air, I was drinking it.

I'm rather a veteran when it comes to road trips. When I was growing up, every summer my giant family would load up into our giant 12-passenger blue van with the license plate that said 8SGREAT and we'd hit the road to California. We never really knew if we would make it or not. Sometimes we broke down in The-Middle-Of-Nowhere, Nevada and our aunt would come rescue us in her even less reliable Suburban.

My favorite memory is when the van started smoking and when we pointed the fact out to my step-dad he said, "It's fine. It's just blowing off steam."

But it kept smoking and it got a little thicker, a little blacker and my mom said very sweetly, "Honey, I really think you should pull over."

"Why do you have to be so negative! If you just don't talk about it, it will go away!"

Well eventually something exploded. That something was our engine and we were towed to Winnemucca, Nevada and stayed in a crappy motel for a day until the local mechanic could get it fixed. To this day my step-dad says it would have been fine if we had just exercised a little more faith.

Why am I telling you this story? Maybe because I just like it, but I also think road trips are a lot like our writing journeys and life in general. We know where we'd like to go, but sometimes things get in our way. Road blocks, explosions, tornadoes and hurricanes. Sometimes we can get around those things and find a detour. Other times we have to turn back.

I can't speak for anyone, I can only share my own experience. A little over a year ago I was still working on a YA novel I was convinced would be the one that would start my writing career. I loved my idea. I loved my characters. I worked on it for two years, feverishly revising, shredding it and writing again. I just thought that if I worked on it hard enough that it would become something great. It had to eventually, right? All I needed was to keep going! All I needed was more faith!

But the reality was that I was working that story into a dust bin. It just wasn't going to happen. Furthermore, I had another idea working in my mind. A very shiny one. I clearly saw a new path that might just be better than the one I was on. Still, I hesitated. Was I giving up if I stopped work on my beloved story to pursue this new one? It felt like quitting, and I hated to be a quitter. I didn't care if my story was up in black smoke, I was still clinging to the ashes. My faith would make it whole!

But I finally realized something: You can't have faith in things that are dead.

So I made the change. I went down a new path and oh! What a wonderful path is has been! I loved (almost) every minute of writing RUMP and things have been working out beautifully ever since I took that leap.

Sometimes we don't end up where we originally though we would, or at least we don't arrive at our destination on the road we originally planned. Life has a way of creating bumps and explosions and all those fun surprises. So my advice is really simple:

If you see smoke, pull over.

Query Critique Winners and I'm on the road!

2011-07-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

So sorry that I didn't post this yesterday, but I'm in the middle of moving across the country, so I have a good excuse, right?

Anyway, the winners of a query critique from me are Jeff Chen and Tiffany Tacket! So email me your queries and first pages (if you like, totally optional) and I will give you feedback by the end of the week. Can't wait to read them! Email them to sendliesl(at)gmail(dot)com that LIESL L's not I's.

In the meantime, I'm driving from Salt Lake City to Chicago right now (yes, literally right now) and because moving is like a hurricane and requires major disaster control I will be out of the blogosphere for a bit. I hope to be absent no more than a week, but we'll see how it all goes.

I will miss you all. Don't forget me.

7 things to avoid when querying agents

2011-07-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Don't forget the query critique giveaway HERE. Spread the word! Comments close Friday at 10pm.

1. Don't use general statements. Don't say "My book is about love and loss" or "I explore themes of family and forgiveness." This is all stuff that should come through in your pitch. Be as specific as possible.

2. Don't ever call an agent! I know that there's this standard in the business world where you usually call a company to make sure they received your resume. You don't do that with literary agents. If you don't hear anything in the agency's stated response time, then you can send a follow-up email. But you don't ever call them.

3. Don't query before your book is finished. And polished.

4. Don't compare yourself to untouchable authors. Sometimes agents like you to compare your work to other books and authors. It gives them a sense for where your book belongs in the market, but be careful. Don't compare yourself to the likes of J.K. Rowling, Stephenie Meyer, Stephen King, or any other author royalty. I don't care if you think you're a better writer or even if you really are, they're in a class of their own and saying that you think your book is the next Harry Potter of Twilight could come off as somewhat pompous and naive. I never felt comfortable with the comparisons at all, so I guess this advice is somewhat personal.

5. Don't berate yourself. I can't imagine why people do this, but I've heard it does happen, so I have to say it. Don't say things like, "It's not the best book," or "I know my writing isn't very strong." Really? If you don't have confidence in your own work then why should anyone else? Why would you expect people to pay for your work if you don't think it's that good? Berating yourself is not humility, it's just awkward. Confidence is part of professionalism.

6. Don't tell them that all your friends and family adore you book. Of course they do.

7. Don't mention things that don't matter. Like your hobbies, grandchildren, puppies, or college degrees that have nothing to do with writing or your subject matter. If you have publishing credits or a degree in English or an MFA in creative writing, of course mention those, but at the end of the day everything comes down to the writing. The book is what they care about. Spend most of your time on that.

I'm sure there are lots of other don'ts I missed. The list can go on. So friends, share them in the comments!

Agent Serires: How to write a query letter plus a query critique giveaway!

2011-07-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

Oh, the dreaded query letter! Who ever knew that one little page of writing could give you so much grief? There are lots of gripes about query letters. It's so unfair. How can anyone judge the merit of a novel based on one page? (Answer: Most readers do it all the time. It's called jacket copy, and you're lucky if they actually read that instead of judging the book by the cover.)

It's a tough business. And my advice to you is this: Get over it. Worry about the things you can control. You will never be able to force everyone to read your book, and even if you could, you certainly can't force them to like it. But you absolutely can learn to write an effective query letter and increase your rate of requests from agents.

Here are my 7 query letter tips:

1. A good hook. Life's short. Agents have a lot to read. You want to grab their attention from line one. Don't use a gimmick, that's annoying, but something that sets the tone of your story and tells them right away why it will be interesting. Here's mine:

"Rump is a lousy name, but it’s even worse when your name is your destiny."

And I'm hoping the agent is going to get a little jolt and wonder why would anyone be named Rump? How can a name be your destiny? It's not a gimmick. It actually encompasses the heart of the entire book.

2. The Who, the What, and the How. The basic purpose of your query is to tell the agent three things. Who the main character is, what it is they want, what is standing in their way, and how they plan to get what they want. Generally you never give them the entire plot (though I did query an agent who wanted to know the resolution of the story in the query) just up to the inciting incident or a place that will entice them to want to know more.

3. 250 Word pitch. Boil down your book to 250 words. It can be extremely difficult (particularly with fantasy and sci-fi) but so important to learn. When it comes to queries, less is more. Stick to the big picture. You don't need to name every single character, every little plot point. Probably don't introduce more than three characters by name. If you can’t coherently explain what your book is about in 250 words, then you might not know what your book is about. That’s a problem.

4. Infuse voice. Your query should give the agent an idea of not only what the book is about, but the voice and tone of the book. This was tricky for me because my book is in first-person, but in general, writing a query letter in first person is not advised. Still, I found ways to show a little humor and quirkiness that I felt matched the voice of the main character.

5. Follow instructions!!! Failure to follow instructions just gives agents an easy reason to reject. Agents querying preferences are extremely varied. Make sure you've included everything the agent asks for per their submission guidelines ON THE AGENCY WEBSITE. It's also a good idea to personalize your letter, so they know you didn't just send out a mass email to all agents in the universe. Let them know you queried them for a reason. (i.e. because you represent author X, or I read that you enjoy X kind of books, or I heard you speak at X conference, I enjoy your blog, etc.)

6. Read Query Shark. I think Janet Reid’s Query Shark blog was one of the most helpful resources in learning how to write a successful query. I was never brave enough to submit my own query to her teeth, but I'm grateful to all others who do.

7. Have people read your query letter. Just like you wouldn’t send out your book without having people read and critique it, the same goes for query letters. If you can, get someone to read your query who has not read your book. You want to make sure that it will a) makes sense and b) make them want to read more. Those are your two big jobs. Be clear and be enticing.

And on that note, I would like to offer my own query critique services to any writers in the query trenches. I will critique a query letter and also the first page of your manuscript (up to 400 words.) All genres and age ranges are welcome and I promise to give constructive criticism. I know how hard it is to put yourself out there!

All you have to do is leave a comment that you would like a query critique. Extra entry if you are a follower. Add another entry for every time you blog, tweet, FB, or in some way spread the word about this critique giveaway. (Please let me know these things in your comment!)

I’ll close comments on Friday at 10pm and I’ll announce TWO winners on Tuesday!

Agent Series: How to search for a literary agent

2011-06-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of fun participating in my first blogfest yesterday! I met so many wonderful people! I love hearing why people love to write. But now on to the second installment of our agent series! I hope this will be helpful.

Some people will say not to worry about the query process until you're actually ready to query. I can see their point. You main job is to write a great book. Until that is done, you should not query agents.

But trying to find agents can be tedious, and the query process is, quite honestly, a torture chamber. It's almost as much work as writing the book, (if you want to get it right, at least) so I say it's never too early to start doing research on agents and the query process. I started a couple years before I really needed an agent and I do think it helped me.

So whether you're still in the writing process or you're ready to query agents now, here are a few tips to get you started.

1. Start a list/use Querytracker.net: Start making a list of prospective agents. Querytracker.net is an invaluable website/database where you can not only search for agents according to age range and genre, but you can compile your own list of agents and enter in data when you submit, when agents respond, when you sent material, etc.

Querytracker is great about updating their database and they're strict about the quality of agents they have on their site. You can use the basic Querytracker for free, which is what I did and worked fine for me, but you can also pay $25 a year for more features.

Another helpful agent database site is Agentquery.com

2. Interviews: There are several blogs which do awesome interviews with literary agents. This is a great way to get a feel for an agent's personality, their reading tastes, their pet peeves, what they're looking for, and any tips that might help your submission get noticed with them. You can often google and agent and find interviews with them, but here are a few blogs that do some great agent interviews and spotlights. You can add agents to your lists as you find ones that interest you:

Guide to Literary Agents blog
Mother. Write. (Repeat.)
Literary Rambles

3. Do your homework. Always research the agent before querying them. Google them. Read their blog. Follow them on Twitter. (I don't actually tweet, but I hear it's helpful.) Read their clients' blogs. (Yes, you are basically stalking. It is necessary.) Look on their website for current submission guidelines and ALWAYS FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES. Don't go off another websites info. They're not always current.

4. Beware. Not all agents are created equal and some "agents" do little more than take your money. A sure red flag is an agent who asks for a reading fee. NEVER, NEVER PAY AN AGENT TO READ OR EDIT YOUR BOOK! All legitimate agents work strictly on commission. They work for you because they believe it will pay them in the future.

Check the agent's track record. Do they have recent sales? Who are their clients? What's their work experience/education prior to becoming an agent?

New agents may not have a track record that gives you a sense for how great of an agent they will be, but you can still get a sense for how savvy they are in the business. Have they worked in the publishing industry before? Are they with a reputable agency that has a history of making good sales?

A couple websites that help you distinguish good agency practices from scams:

Absolute Write-Writer Beware
SFWA Writer Beware

5. And finally, learn how to craft an effective query letter. And for this bit of advice, I will expand and dedicate my next post. Until Tuesday!

Why I write blogfest

2011-06-29T08:10:00.000-07:00

Today is the Why I Write Blogfest, sponsored by Kayleen Hamblin of Kayleen's Creation Corner.

Why I write. There are many reasons and maybe not all of them are as noble and selfless as others, but they're all reasons that have influenced my writing.

I write to make sense of things. Long before I decided I wanted to actually be an author, I wrote all the time, in journals mostly, but some creative writing too. I write to put down in words things I don't understand about myself, other people, society, and the universe at large. I write to work out possible answers to my questions and problems. I have always needed words to express how I feel and when I find the names and words for my problems and feelings, then I'm more likely to find the answers.

I write to appease the voices in my head. That sounds schizophrenic, I know. And maybe some writers do have a mild case of schizophrenia, but whatever the reason, the voices are there, and sometimes they say some strange and interesting things. I've always lived in my head. I imagine bizarre scenarios all the time. It never occurred to me that this was a good thing, not until I decided I seriously wanted to write. But since I started writing, those voices have served me very well.

I write for a sense of accomplishment. I'm the type of personality that needs a steep challenge, a mountain to climb, a seemingly unreachable goal. Tell me I can't do something and watch me do it. I'm kind of feisty that way. Writing is hard work. Sometimes it does feel impossible, but that's what I love about it. It's the hard that makes it good. When I overcome the obstacles, I get a rush. Best drug ever.

I write for hope. Writing is a hopeful thing for me. I hope that my words will be clear and powerful. I hope they will have meaning not just to me, but for many. I hope my stories will make people laugh and cry. I hope my writing will be a good thing in my life, not just for me, but for my family and all those I love. I write because I have hope that it makes me a better wife and mother, a better daughter, a better human being.

Why do you write?

And be sure to check out Kayleen's blog, where she has a list of all those participating in the Why I Write Blogfest!

Agent Series: Why I wanted a literary agent

2011-06-28T06:00:00.002-07:00

For the next few posts I'm going to share some things I've learned while searching for literary agents, and hopefully give a few tips that might help you in your own process.

Some people have asked me why I wanted a literary agent, and some even inquire with a level of concern, like I'm being duped or something. While it is true that you don't have to have an agent to publish a book, and it is also true that there are "literary agents" out there who do little more than take your money, (more on that at another post) there are several factors that played into my decision to find a literary agent. I did not take this decision lightly. I did a great amount of research and weighed my options on both sides. Here's why I decided to go with an agent.

1. Open doors. Many of the major publishers won't even look at unagented manuscripts, for legal reasons among others. I want as many doors open to me as possible.

2. Faster process. Without an agent it can take several months and sometimes even years for editors to respond to your submission, because unless they've requested your manuscript you go to that deep and dreaded slush pile. An agent can put you on the fast-track, and get those response times down to weeks.

3. Connections. Most of the publishing world is in New York. I don't live there and I have no contact with any editors out there. But my agent does. She knows the publishing industry. She has regular face time with many publishing professionals and she knows what editors are looking for. When we discussed my manuscript she rattled off several names of editors and publishing houses she thought would love my manuscript. That's an invaluable resource.

4. Contract expertise. Today's publishing contracts are complicated, with many clauses and much lingo, and often there are things in them that really aren't in the author's best interest, or at least things they don't understand until it's too late. I don't speak publishing/legal lingo too well. I wanted someone who could translate for me and point out the spots that may not be in my favor.

5. Negotiations. I suck as a negotiator and I tend to be rather cowardly when I have concerns or requests. An agent is often the go-between and they'll fight for what's best for your book and your career.

5. A life long coach and advocate. Getting published was not the be-all-end-all for me. My agent took me on not just for one book, but for my writing career, which I hope will be long and fruitful.

I'm still a relatively new client, but so far my agent, Michelle Andelman, has been a dream come true. I feel confident in her expertise and advice. She's smart, prompt, organized, and the agency as a whole has many resources that can help me in navigating the very complicated and ever-changing world of publishing. It's nice to have someone in the business who's got your back.

Next post: How to search for literary agents

We Love Readeo

2011-06-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

My husband has been traveling this past year for work and the kids don't like it that much. (Neither do I.) They miss him especially at bedtime when they want him to read to them. I want him to read to them too.

That's why we love Readeo, a "book chat" site. Basically it's video chat with a picture book on the screen, so the kids see and hear their dad reading to them in the corner but a picture book fills the main screen. My kids LOVE it! And we'll appreciate when we move back to Chicago and all the grandparents are far away.

Readeo has a great library of picture books both familiar and unknown, and even a few beginning chapter books like "Mercy Watson" by Kate DiCamillo. (My 7-year-old loves those.) It's been fun to read some books that we never would have discovered in a library or book store. I've even used Readeo to read to my kids at night when they're tired of all the books on our shelves and just want to try something new. They even have links to buy the hard copies of books you're reading, so I think this site is good exposure for picture book authors as well.

Down sides? Readeo does have a monthly fee, $10/month, but only one party needs to pay the fee and the other party can log in as guests for free. We had a few technical glitches at first with the video, I think because they don't have it set-up quite as well for the Mac, but the customer service is superb and they helped us figure it out very quickly. Now it's smooth sailing. They have a free 14-day trial so you can decide if you really like it or not.

All in all we really love Readeo and I think it's well worth the price for more books and a little connection when Daddy is far away, or grandma and grandpa. I mean, isn't this picture a good advertisement?*

*No one paid me or asked me to write this review. I just like Readeo, really.

Open and Honest

2011-06-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

When I was in college a professor gave me some wise words. "If you want to be successful in life, you must be open and honest."

It sounded so simple and profound but it's amazing how often I have reflected on those words and tried to really understand what they mean to me. I've come to realize that it means many things and it can be applied in almost any situation. Here are just a few ways I have thought of this advice both as a human and a writer:

Be honest about your current place and goals and be open to different paths in your life. Sometimes we get so fixated on what we want, we don't realized that our supposed dream is making us miserable and the path that can make us happy is just one door down.

Be honest about your strengths. Be honest about your weaknesses. Be open to change and growth.

Be honest about your questions, doubts, fears, the gaping holes of logic in your universe. No one has everything figured out. Be open to answers and strength that may come from unexpected places.

Being open means that sometimes you must put yourself in uncomfortable situations and then be honest about why you feel uncomfortable.

Be open to different points-of-view, different life-styles, different beliefs. Place yourself in their shoes, their history, their life experience. Be honest in understanding why you are the way you are and why other people are the way they are.

Be open and honest with those you love. Sometimes we must say things that are uncomfortable, that may cause pain, that open a chasm of unknown. Real love rises above all that. If we are honest with our loved ones, we are equally open to forgiveness and change.

Open and honest is not just words and actions, but a state of mind. We can be honest about the way things really are. We can be open to the way things could be.

And the lucky winner is...

2011-06-17T10:08:00.001-07:00

Gaylene! Gaylene I will email you so you can give me your mailing address and I'll ship off the signed copy of POSSESSION. Yay!

Last chance to win POSSESSION

2011-06-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

If you're still interested in winning a signed copy of POSSESSION by Elana Johnson, enter your comment HERE. (Not this post. The last one.)

Cut off is at 12AM EST and I'll announce the winner on Friday!

POSSESSION Giveaway!

2011-06-14T06:00:00.001-07:00

Yes friends, I am here to give you the opportunity to own an awesome book. Because it is full of awesome. I've been snot-face sick all weekend, but I consoled myself by staying in bed and reading POSSESSION by Elana Johnson. It is a page turner. It has a twisty plot, romance, action, and cool tech. It gave me much to think about. Plus the cover is shiny.

So if you would like to a free SIGNED copy of POSSESSION by Elana Johnson all you have to do is leave a comment in the comments section. You do not have to be a follower, though I will give bonus points* to followers. I'll also award you bonus points* if you want to blog or tweet or FB about this.

And if you want more bonus points* you can answer a question that POSSESSION got me thinking about. One of the main themes in the book is choices and what forces we allow to influence our choices or what things we shut out from influencing us. So my question is:

What forces influence your choices?

*The points don't matter. But it makes me feel good to award them.

7 Random Facts

2011-06-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

So I accidentally posted this with the date of May 4th! I need blogger brains!

Kayleen of Kayleen's Creation Corner, and Anita of A Still and Quiet Madness bestowed this lovely award upon my blogging head. They gave it to me quite a while ago and I'm a loser and haven't posted this. Anyone can give me an award any time. It really makes me happy and I am grateful! (Even if it takes me a month to post my gratitude.)

And since I'm supposed to recite 7 random facts I couldn't resist. You know I love the number 7. (Some of these I may have mentioned before, but I'm too lazy to go back and see what personal info I've given.)

1. My new years resolution was to go without candy or desserts for an entire year. Ironically it is killing me. Chocolate is a necessary nutrient in my diet.
2. I went to four different schools between kindergarten and 1st grade. I struggled to read.
3. I am the world's crankiest morning person, just short of violence.
4. My mother was going to name me Megan, but there were three other girls born at the time named Megan, so they went with Liesl. Not many of those.
5. I have a totally immature love for potty humor. Say "fart" and I can't help but giggle.
6. I grind my own wheat and bake my own bread. My one "Little Red Hen" domestic talent.

I bestow this award upon my good friend Kate Coursey of Weaving Colors, who recently signed with agent Edward Necarsulmer IV (sounds like royalty) of McIntosh and Otis. I'm lucky enough to have Kate as a critique partner. She's awesome and her writing seriously ROCKS. You might want to keep tabs on her.

Going to WIFYR?

2011-06-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

I caved and decided that I must go to Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers this year, at least for the afternoon sessions. I'm moving back to Chicago in July and I don't know when I'll get to come visit again. I love the writing community in Utah and seriously, this conference is one of the best children's writing workshops you can attend. Allie Condie, Holly Black, Brandon Mull, Carol Lynch Williams, editors from Disney Hyperion and Aladdin, and agent Mary Kole.

So I'll be there Monday! If you're going please let me know so we can actually meet!

POSSESSION: Elana Johnson's Debut!

2011-06-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

FYI for now I'm going to be posting on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I can't promise that schedule will stick, but I'll let you know if it changes.

I've been following Elana Johnson for a while now. The woman is one of my heroes to be quite honest. I don't know how she does all she does and somehow still has time to write books and sleep. Author admiration aside, when I heard about her debut novel POSSESSION (Simon Pulse) I knew it was going to be something I would love.

Here's a blurb for POSSESSION:

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

Sounds awesome right? And I hear the ending rocks.

So POSSESSION is out TODAY! Yippee! Go buy it!

If you're in the Salt Lake City area, come to the launch party at the King's English tomorrow (Wednesday) June 8th at 7:00pm. You can get your shiny new awesome book signed by Elana. I will absolutely be there. And if you can't be there, then come back to the blog in a couple days. I might just be able to help you out.

Of Fear and Faith

2011-06-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

There have been occasions in my life when I've been consumed by fear. Fear that I'm not good enough, that my dreams will never come true, that I'll sound like an idiot, my children will turn out to be hellions, my parents will move in with me, I'll have to move in with my parents. Bed bugs, poisonous snakes, and spiders.

I am a person of faith. I don't talk about that much here, but my faith is something that deeply affects my writing both in process and content, even if I don't really write religious stuff. To me, writing is an act of faith. We don't know exactly how things will turn out, but we believe our writing can be great and we act on that belief. If we didn't have at least some amount of faith in that, we wouldn't write. Faith is not just belief, but action.

I think sometimes people think if they have "faith" then whatever it is they want will work out or whatever it is they fear will never happen. But really that's just wishful thinking. Faith is much deeper than that.

I'm going to quote The Bible, okay? Don't freak out. Whether you're religious, agnostic, or atheist, you have to admit the bible has some pretty kick-butt stories in it. Seas parting, living inside a giant fish, and walking on water. One of my favorite stories is in the book of Daniel when these three guys named Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego refuse to worship the gods and idols of King Nebuchudnezzar. (The bible has sweet names too.) And that mean old king threatens them with a burning fiery furnace. Harsh.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego practically scoff at his threat. "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us from out of thine hand, O King." (Daniel 3:17)

And here's the kicker...

"But if not, be it known unto thee O King, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." (Daniel 3:18)

But if not...Now that is a statement of faith. They knew of the possibilities, they believed that God was capable of saving them, but they didn't actually know what would happen. They stepped into that burning fiery furnace knowing that they very well could just burn and die.

Well if you want to know what really happens go get a bible and read it maybe. Just teasing. They survive the burning fiery furnace and Jesus is with them in the fire, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego basically shock the Hell out of that king.

What does this teach us about writing and maybe life in general? We have amazing potential. The world is at our fingertips and opportunities are blossoming. The words I write will be amazing. The stories I pen will rock the house and everyone will read it and love it and, Wahoo! I will be on the best-seller list.

But if not, I will keep writing. I will not let fear get the better of me and my fingers will always reach for a pen or the keys. My mouth will always open and refuse to close, even though there is a risk that I may sound like an idiot. My faith will overcome my fear.

Back it up

2011-06-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

I've been hearing many stories lately of writers losing portions of their manuscript, or even all of it, when their computer crashes.

This really doesn't need to happen friends. There are lots of things that can protect your baby (your manuscript) from obliteration.

1. Get an online back-up service like Mozy or Backblaze ($5/month for a lot of peace of mind.)
2. Email yourself your ms once a week
3. Get a Mac. They rarely glitch or crash compared to a pc. Just sayin'.

Combat manuscript fatalities! We can win!

My Impromptu School Visit

2011-05-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

I've always known I would eventually do school visits, and I looked forward to the day. I just always thought I would do them when I got a book published or at least when I had a contract and a publication date in sight.

But last week my mother-in-law asked me to come visit the 5th grade at Quail Hollow Elementary and talk about being an author. It's her last year of teaching, so I figured it's now or never. I put together a presentation and decided it would be good practice.

And it was really fun! The kids were so enthusiastic, bursting with questions and comments about their own writing experiences. We discussed fairy-tales and why I chose to write a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. I asked them to tell me what holes they saw in the traditional tale and what questions went unanswered. These were their questions:

Where does Rumpelstiltskin come from?
How did he get his name?
Why does the miller tell the king his daughter can spin straw to gold?
Why does Rumpelstiltskin help her?
Why does he want a baby?
What's the baby's name? (And the miller's and the daughter's and the king's?)
What is the kingdom like?
How does Rumpelstiltskin turn the straw to gold?
Why does he say his name out loud in the woods?

All excellent questions, and I was so happy to say that RUMP answers every one of them. They were excited about that, so I read them a little of Rump and they loved it. One student asked if I would give them all a free book when it was published. Oh, wouldn't that be nice? I said no, but I would gladly sign a copy for them. They seemed to think that was good enough.

I think the students' favorite part was when we discussed story ideas and then we created our own class story. I had them choose a main character, what the character wants, what is in their way, and how they overcome the obstacles to achieve their goal. It went something like this.

Demo is a girl and she wants to take over the world through mind control. But she can't because of her annoying brother who is breaking her concentration. Also there are mad scientists and a crazy unicorn and Demo has a curse to eat cheese.

But she stuffs her annoying brother in a closet with the crazy unicorn and transfers her curse of eating cheese onto the mad scientist and was able to take over the world through mind control.

The end.

Pretty awesome if you ask me. I see a best-selling chapter book in the making, something along the lines of Franny K. Stein. I encouraged them all to write the story down in their own way.

So it was a lot of fun, good practice, and I hope many more school visits are in my future. I love this age. Middle-graders are so enthusiastic about reading and writing and stories. It's a pleasure to write stories for them and it's a pleasure to share.

The only thing I feel is really lacking in my presentation is the music. I just have this fantasy of playing the guitar and singing for the kids at the end, but alas, though I have a beautiful guitar I don't know how to play it. Better get on that.

My query letter and first page

2011-05-24T07:00:00.001-07:00

I was debating whether or not I wanted to share my query letter on the blog. I've been ever shy about my writing projects, but I think it's time I come out and share a little, if only so my readers know the kind of stuff I actually write.

I affectionately dubbed my manuscript "Herbert" here on the blog. But Herbert really has a very different name, and in fact his name is extremely important to his story.

Below is my original query to my agent, Michelle Andelman. I queried via snail-mail and she emailed me just a few days later with an enthusiastic request for the full. It was hard not to get my hopes up, but three weeks later she offered representation. It was a good day, to say the least.

Dear Ms. Andelman,

Rump is a lousy name, but it’s even worse when your name is your destiny. Rump’s destiny really stinks. Because his mother only spoke aloud part of his name before she died, Rump is only part of a person. He is short, skinny, and apparently an idiot, because he thinks the world is round when everyone in the village says it’s flat.

When Rump discovers his mother’s old magic of spinning gold, he thinks his destiny is golden, until the greedy miller manipulates Rump into bringing the gold to him. Only then does Rump realize that the same magic that allows him to spin the gold also binds him to take whatever others will offer him in exchange for the gold. He fears his half-spoken name has something to do with the mess.

Then the miller boasts to the king that his only daughter, Opal, is the one who spins the gold. Rump thinks he’ll be a hero if he helps Opal, but he gets in over his head when Opal makes a foolish bargain: she promises Rump her first-born child. On a quest to be free of the miller’s greed and the binding bargains, Rump learns of rumpel, magic that traps you, and of stiltskins, magic that frees you. He’s got the trapped part down. If only he could find a stiltskin. If only he knew his whole name.

RUMP, a middle-grade retelling of Rumpelstiltskin from his own quirky point-of-view, is complete at 58,000 words. I read that you prefer quirky and charming middle-grade, so I hope this will interest you. I have published stories and articles in Guideposts Sweet 16, Hopscotch for Girls, and The Friend. I review books for Deseret News and I’m an active member of SCBWI since 2008.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Liesl Shurtliff

And the first page:

CHAPTER ONE: Your Name Is Your Destiny

My mother named me after a cow’s rear-end. It’s the favorite village joke, and probably the only one, but it’s not really true. At least I don’t think it’s true, and neither does Gran. Really my mother had another name for me, a beautiful name, but no one ever did hear it. They only heard the first part. The worst part.

Mother had been very ill when I was born. Gran said she was fevered and coughing and I came before I was supposed to. Still, my mother held me close and whispered my name in my ear. No one heard it but me.

“His name?” Gran asked. “Tell me his name.”

“His name is Rump…haaa-cough-cough-cough…” Gran gave Mother something warm to drink and pried me from her arms.

“Tell me his name Anna. All of it.”

But Mother never did. She took a breath and then let out all the air and didn’t take any more in. Ever.

Gran said that I cried then, but I never hear that in my imagination. All I hear is silence. Not a move or a breath. The fire doesn’t crack and even the pixies are still.

Finally, Gran holds me up and says, “Rump. His name is Rump.”

The next morning the village bells chimed and the gnomes ran all through the village crying, “Rump! Rump! The new boy’s name is Rump!”

My name couldn’t be changed or taken back, because in The Kingdom your name isn’t just what people call you. Your name is full of meaning and power. Your name is your destiny.

My destiny really stinks.

REPRESENTATION!!!

2011-05-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

I am THRILLED to announce that I am the newest client of literary agent Michelle Andelman of Regal Literary!

AAAAAAAAHHHH! (Everybody scream and jump up and down!)

I have been rather quiet about my query process and the status of my writing projects in general. I'm kind of shy that way. I don't like to be too open when it feels like the odds are stacked so high against me. (I hate failure! Rejection is torture! I'd rather keep it private.) And though this doesn't mean my book will for sure get published, I feel like I've taken one big step toward my dream.

I'm so excited to move forward with Michelle. I truly feel I couldn't have asked for a better match; someone who gets my style and voice and intuitively knows where it needs to go. And Regal Literary as a whole seems like an amazing team.

But I also know that none of this would have happened without dear friends who read my rough draft and offered savvy suggestions and heaps of moral support. Kate, Jen, Jenilyn, Krista, and Ali, thank you so much for all your help. You all rock and I love you.

Okay, this is starting to sound like the acknowledgments page at the back of a book. Yeah, we're not there yet. Michelle and I will be doing some revisions together over the next few weeks before we go on submission.

Cheers all around!

If anyone wants to know more about this process, I'm happy to share. I just never know how much detail people want. So if you're curious, ask away.

Interview with author Lindsey Leavitt and book signing!

2011-05-17T07:00:00.001-07:00

I am so pleased to feature an interview with Lindsey Leavitt, author of the "Princess For Hire" series and YA contemporary "Sean Griswold's Head."

Lindsey will be at The King's English this Saturday May 21st at 4pm, signing and reading from her two new books "The Royal Treatment" and "Sean Griswold's Head." Come and join! The King's English itself is a magical treat. That place makes me want to blow my grocery budget on books. (Luckily I have self-control. Last time I was there I only blew a little of the grocery budget.)

This interview mostly pertains to Lindsey Leavitt's "Princess for Hire" series.

Photo by Jennie Slade

You said you were a bit of a tomboy growing up, not quite the girly-girl. What inspired you to write a book about being a substitute princess, complete with bubble transportation?

Even though I grew up a tomboy, I still had a fascination with beauty queens, old Hollywood, and royal history. So when I was at a writers conference a few years back and an editor joked that her perfect book would involve princess dinosaur vampires (or some other assortment of high concept trends). I thought… well, I can’t write that book, unless I wrote the anti-princess book. From there, I began taking notes for a picture book about a little girl who tries out to be a princess for a bunch of countries but never measured up. I shared the idea with a friend, and she said it sounded more like a tween novel. That one comment brought me back to thirteen-year-old me. Wouldn’t it have been cool if I could still be myself and do all the things I liked doing back then, but every once and awhile pretend to be someone else, someone popular and crazy rich? Someone like Audrey Hepburn, who EVEN PLAYED A PRINCESS in the movie Roman Holiday, about a princess who takes the day off. And viola, my main character, Desi became a substitute for princesses.

Do you have strong memories of junior high? Are there things from that period in your life that influence your writing?

Strong memories? That's a nice way to put it. Junior High was angstsville for me. I was awkward and unsure and, well, thirteen. So yes. My character's are very much influenced by my own personal experiences. To help me connect with my main character, I read through old journals and looked in old scrapbooks and really tried to tap into those universal emotions of alienation and longing. Sure, I added princesses and a magical institution, but those feelings still stayed the same.

I love the themes of identity and putting yourself in another person's shoes. Why do you think Desi can solve other people's problems so easily, but when it comes to her own life, she flounders?

Even though she’s acting as someone else, it is still acting in a way. It’s not Desi’s reality. I mean, I always gave my girlfriends sage boy tips, but couldn’t even talk to my own crush. Listening to yourself, to your own advice, takes courage and Desi finds that courage through walking in other girl’s shoes. Er, heels.

You have another "Princess for Hire" book coming in June of 2012. Can you give us any hints as to where you'll take that one? Any plans to do more after that?

I can't say much, except that Desi has some big decisions to make in this next book, both at home and at work. And although her journey ends with the third book, I'd be open to writing another story with either the characters or the Facade agency.

Any other projects in the works?

Absolutely. I write contemporary young adult fiction as well, and I'm following up the recently released SEAN GRISWOLD'S HEAD (Bloomsbury, March 2011) with AUTHENTICALLY VINTAGE (Bloomsbury, 2013), about a girl who deals with her boyfriend's online cheating by "going vintage"--quitting 21st century technology and accomplishing the goals her grandma once set at age 16.

Thanks to Lindsey for allowing me to post this interview!

Learn more about Lindsey Leavitt and her books at lindseyleavitt.com

Two new reviews and an author interview

2011-05-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

I have reviews up with Deseret News for two new books! "Lost and Found" by Shaun Tan, whose art and stories are truly unique, deep, and beautiful. View the review here.

Also there's a review and author interview for Lindsey Leavitt's second book in the "Princess For Hire" series, "The Royal Treatment." It was fun to include some quotes and personal info on Ms. Leavitt but because of word limits I couldn't include everything I wanted to. (Darn those word limits.) But yay! Lindsey said I could post the entire interview on my blog, so that's coming up.

Read that article/review here.

It's going to be a busy week on Writer Ropes. Usually I don't post more than once a week, but there's just too much to share to hold off. So stay tuned for some awesome stuff this week including some exciting news about yours truly!

E-Reader Diaries Part I

2011-05-10T09:48:00.000-07:00

I love paper book. I love they smell of them and the way they look lined on a shelf. I like turning pages and feeling the thickness of the book in my hands.

So naturally I felt a little traitorous when I began to want an e-reader. It took me a while, but finally I decided I really did want to try it out and Happy Mother's Day to me! On Sunday I got one!

I got a Nook!

I've only had it for a few days. I haven't tried everything I need to, but there are a few things I already like:

1. Easy access to a bookstore. Just click a button and you have a new book
2. Most of the classics are free or very cheap
3. I can increase the font size.
4. One page spread. I never knew how distracting it was to read a two page spread until I read on the Nook. I really like seeing only one page at a time.
5. I got this super sassy red leather case. So it's like every book I read is red. I love red.

The only downer so far...I tried to download a pdf file from online and it worked fine, but I can't increase the font size for that, and it was too small to comfortably read.

I haven't tried to download one of google's free books, nor have I tried the share features or borrowing an ebook from the library. I'll let you know how that goes.

My first book on the Nook? THE SECRET GARDEN by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I've never read it before, probably because I was perfectly satisfied with the movie, but wow, I am loving it! What a beautiful story!

I still love my paper books, and I will continue to buy them, but the Nook is just a way for me to have more. More, more, more! Everybody love more.

And I still think B&N got the name for the Nook from Dr. Seuss.

We took a look. We saw a Nook.
On his head he had a hook.
On his hook he had a book.
On his book was “How to Cook”
We saw him sit and try to cook
But a Nook can’t read, so a Nook can’t Cook.
SO…
What good to a Nook is a hook cook book?

-Dr. Seuss One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

Book Review: "A Tale of Two Castles" by Gail Carson Levine

2011-05-09T09:02:00.000-07:00

When I saw that Gail Carson Levine's latest book was up for review with Deseret News I snatched it in two seconds. My editor said she'd never seen a book go that fast. Well what can I say? When I seem something I want I tackle. Mine! Mine! Mine!

Read the review HERE.

None of Levine's books have quite captured me the way "Ella Enchanted" did, which is one of my most favorite books, but I still love her style and fairy-tale retellings are always fun.

I'll be at The King's English this Saturday for Gail Carson Levine's signing. Come and join! Should be a blast!

7 Things You Can Learn from a Shark

2011-05-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

The Query Shark, that is. If you're an aspiring author, perhaps on the verge of sending queries out to agents or editors, literary agent Janet Reid's query critiquing blog is a must read. But even if you're in the midst of writing a first draft, her blog can give some pointed advice on writing in general. She doesn't beat around the bush; she digs those rows of sharp teeth in and rips out the weak flesh. Here are seven things I've learned from such ferociousness:

1. Follow the &*!% instructions!
2. Be clear and concise.
3. Never demean yourself or your work. You're trying to convince someone that it's WORTH $!
4. Don't tell the entire story in a query. Stop where they'll want to read more. (a few agents actually want the entire story, but then I refer you to #1)
5. Tell the who, the what, and the why, not what you think your story is about (i.e. It's about love and loss or the evils of war, etc. Blech.)
6. The term "fiction novel" makes you sound ignorant, and if you use it you likely are.
7. Follow the $%!* instructions!

#1 and #7 are the same because apparently this one is hard to remember.

The query is your introduction to an agent or editor, so even if your book rocks but your query sucks, you might have a difficult time getting anyone to read your amazing book. A lot of writers complain about this, but it's important to remember that publishing is a business and if you want to be part of that business you must learn how it works. Educate yourself.

I spent a LOT of time perfecting that query, researching agents, and following their #%*! instructions. This is no replacement for working on the actual book, but still, it's paid off with requests from agents to read my full manuscript.

7 Reasons why I LOVE middle-grade

2011-04-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

1. Middle-grade is magical reading, even if there isn't actual magic in the book.

2. It combines the innocence and profound wisdom of children.

3. It's not dumbed down, just all the boring stuff is left out.

4. I can read it in a day or two, but it fills me more than a book three times as long.

5. I feel like a kid when I read it, in a good way.

6. I never have to worry about gratuitous sex scenes, or the f-word and usually not many four-letter-words, (though I can really appreciate a good "hell" or "damn" every now and then, especially if it's from an ornery grandpa.)

7. Middle-grade books make me feel like the world is still a beautiful place.

What is the obligation of a memoir?

2011-04-19T18:40:00.001-07:00

I've never been a huge fan of memoir. I can count the memoirs I've read on one hand. But I did read Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and I loved it. So of course I was dismayed to hear the 60 minutes broadcast, which accused him of fabricating several parts of his story. An article has been written in the Deseret News.

There are some details that I'm not too worried about, it was more like poetic license to keep the flow of the story, but others were a little disturbing, like fabricating the number of schools he built, or a kidnapping by the Taliban, which really was one of the most intense parts of the book. I feel a little ripped off that it didn't actually happen.

I have no desire to go on a tirade about Greg Mortenson. All in all I think he's done a lot of really great things and his mission is still a noble one. I can think of worse things to harp on people about. Three Cups of Tea was, in many ways, educational. Also it moved me, even if some things were fake.

But now I'm skeptical of memoirs. All of them. This is not the first time I've heard of memoir fabrication. Who doesn't remember the drama incited by Oprah's Book Club pick author James Frey for fabricating many details of his memoir A Million Little Pieces? And I found this piece from Smithsonian.com, reviewing five memoir scams.

Not only does this make me skeptical of memoirs but I'm curious as to where memoir really falls in the genre-line. Is it non-fiction? Or is it more like those movies "based on a true story"? What is the obligation of a publisher for fact-checking, even when a "primary source" writes the book?

At the very least, I feel the writer and publisher have an obligation to be clear about what is fact and what is not. I don't mind some made up stuff; just tell me there's some made up stuff! Maybe publishers can have some kind of memoir disclaimer stating that the memoir contains the views and memories of the author and does not necessarily reflect historical fact.

What do you think? Is this a scam or just lazy research? How do you feel about memoirs in general?

Traditional Publishing 101

2011-04-19T05:27:00.000-07:00

When I tell people I've written a book and I'm attempting to get it published this usually sparks some curiosity as to what publication entails. I know that many of you who actually read this blog already know the ins and outs of publishing and if you don't maybe you don't care. If you fall into either category, feel no need to read further. But just in case there is anyone curious to know about it, I'm happy to share what I've learned over the last several years.

There are many avenues to publication. I've heard enough stories to know that everyone has their own path and experience as to how they got published. Self-publishing is a huge topic in the industry right now and I'll share my thoughts on that later, but today I'll stick to "traditional publishing" which is the avenue I personally would like to pursue.

Traditional Publishing is what writers refer to when they want to sell their work to a publisher and have them do most of the work beyond their own writing. The basic business model is the publisher and author enter a contract and the publisher pays the author an advance, ranging anywhere from small dollars to millions, (usually small dollars) to publish their book.

The publisher pays for all costs up-front, believing they can make money off the book in the future. This is an important distinction. The author gets PAID for their work. They don't pay anything to the publisher. (These are often called "vanity presses.")

Prior to printing the book, the editor and author will go through a rigorous editorial process, the publisher designs the cover and come up with a marketing and sales plan (though most authors have to do quite a bit of self-promotion, especially for their debut book.)

So how does one get their book published by of one of these wonderful publishers? First you have to get them to look at it. For some publishers you can send them a query letter explaining the premise of your book and a few sample chapters, but many publishing houses are now closes to unsolicited manuscripts, and even those who aren't can take six months or more to even look at your work. Which brings us to one of my favorite topics in the industry, the literary agent. Ah, agents, those gatekeepers to the publishing world.

A literary agent is a wonderful person who loves books so much they read through hundreds and thousands of query letters and sample pages looking for that gem of a manuscript they can sell to a publisher. A good agent will have connections with publishers. They understand the publishing market and are savvy about contracts and negotiation.

Even if an agent decides to offer a writer representation, they often go through revisions with their author before submitting their work to publishers. Also, they make no money until they sell your work. A legitimate literary agent only works on commission, believing they can sell your work because they think it rocks. So again, authors do no pay any money. If someone tells you they are a "literary agent" and will represent you for $500, run.

Though you can sell your work to traditional publishers without an agent, it's getting more difficult, and even if you do, those contracts are getting more and more complicated. Just read agent Kristin Nelson's blog Pub Rants and browse through her posts on contract negotiation and interpretation. In fact there is one such post up right now. It boggles my mind. So not only is a literary agent helpful in getting you a publisher, they are helpful in negotiating the best contract that will benefit you now and in the future.

Some of my favorite sites for learning about agents are AgentQuery, QueryTracker, and Publisher's Marketplace. And some of my favorite blogs that are very savvy about the publishing industry: Editorial Anonymous, Nathan Bransford's blog, and Pub Rants, (link above.)

So that's it, the very, VERY basics of just one vein in this crazy industry. Publishing is a little up in arms at the moment, what with all the e-books and kindles, and ipads and self-publishing. The industry is changing, and there are a lot of naysayers when it comes to traditional publishing, but I'm optimistic. I believe most publishers are committed to publishing quality books, and no matter the format or sales avenue, the best publishers and authors will survive. One day I hope to join their ranks.

Any questions or other subjects you're curious about? I can't claim my knowledge or opinions to be exactly expert, but I'm happy to share anyway.

What's your favorite WWII story?

2011-04-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

I just reviewed Faith Behind the Fences by Kelly DiSpirito Taylor, a true story of a Dutch-East Indies family's time in prison camps during World War II. I hadn't heard a story quite like this one, which dealt with the politics of the Japanese after Pearl Harbor. After the review was published, another Dutch woman contacted me and told me of her incarceration in the same camps. She created her own website recording her story.

Most of the WWII stories I've read focus on Nazi Germany and the Jewish Holocaust, but there are so many stories, so many points-of-view, I doubt we'll ever stop seeing stories that focus on that time in history.

Here are a few of my favorite WWII books:

And some of my favorite WWII movies:

What are some of your favorite WWII books and movies?

Do you judge books by their covers?

2011-03-31T11:26:00.000-07:00

It's one of the oldest sayings: "Don't judge a book by it's cover." Does anyone even know where that originates? I don't and right now I'm too lazy to even google it.

But here's the thing, I DO judge books by their covers, and I would venture to say that 99% of readers do as well, if only subconsciously. It's not that I'll necessarily buy a book if I love the cover, but certainly I will pass on a cover that turns me off.

When I see a book with a girl with heaving bosoms, half-dressed and perhaps in the arms of some mysterious man behind a curtain...hot stuff but not for me. Also, I'm a fantasy fan, but I don't like those covers that have comic-style characters, i.e. women in full spandex, men with muscles that can only be attained through steroids, or some glowing weapon or amulet. I think my brother likes them, I just have a hard time taking it seriously.

I assume that marketing departments know these things and design their covers to appeal to the readership they are aiming for, but have you ever read a book where you felt like they got the cover totally wrong? I've heard those horror stories, where authors are mortified by their book cover (and if you didn't know, authors rarely have any say when it comes to covers, unless they're self-publishing.)

One time I went to a signing of a very popular author, who shall remain nameless, suffice it to say I very much admire this author's work. The guy in front of me pulled out one of said-author's books that had the comic-style cover design which I described above, the kind of book I would immediately gloss over, and the author said, "I hate that cover."

So I wonder how many great books I've passed up merely because the girl on the cover was showing a little too much cleavage for my taste. Maybe there were some really great literary merits in those heaving breasts.

Do you judge books by cover? What attracts you and what turns you off?

WIFYR and First Line Contest

2011-03-29T15:03:00.000-07:00

Last year I attended the conference Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers in Utah and absolutely loved it. Seriously, the children's writing community out here is amazing, AMAZING! SPECTACULAR! Do you get my drift?

If you're an aspiring children's writer, this conference is the place to be. Holly Black. Allie Condie. Agents, editors, more amazing authors, illustrators and aspiring writers. It is a lot of bang for your buck. If you do the morning sessions you get TONS of professional feedback on your work and I've met some of my very best writing friends at this conference.

SO, in connection with WIFYR, there is a first line contest over on Chersti Neiveens blog. Chersti is one of the main assistants for the conference, a fabulous writer, and she just happens to be one of the very good friends I met at WIFYR. Prizes include a query critique from agent Mary Kole, who will be in attendace at WIFYR, a 5-page critique, $20 towards WIFYR tuition, and books.

So put in your awesome first line. Entries are due midnight on April 2nd.

Come back to Earth

2011-03-21T13:57:00.000-07:00

I often live in another world. I think most writers, and artists in general, live in some kind of La-La Land. We're always thinking about our stories, our characters, their troubles and hopes. We imagine new worlds and realms of possibility. Then when we write that story we worry if it will get published, if people will read it, if they'll like it.

In some ways artists are rather selfish beings. We get so wrapped up in our La-La Land that we forget about the real world we actually live in. I suppose that's partly because reality can be so monotonous and boring. I'd much rather write a poem or create a quirky character than do the dishes, (I hate the dishes,) but sometimes I have to remind myself that the real world I live in is filled with real people, real problems, and real joys.

The other day I played Karate Kid with my four-year-old son. I did six loads of laundry and listened to nothing but the screams and laughter of my kids. We sat down and ate dinner together and then we played Twister. My husband purposely made calls that made me stretch in ways I have not since high school and then my hefty two-year-old bull-dozed us all down. We laughed. Then we ate strawberry crepes with whip cream (the real stuff, none of that canned crap.)

I believe balance is key to happiness and success. Obsession with anything, even if we think it's a good thing, disrupts other important areas of our lives and those good things we love can quickly turn into bad things.

I love my stories and characters. I love thinking about them and writing them down, but every now and then I need to call myself back to Earth. Life is good here too.

On that note I'm going to go play ball with my chubby two-year-old.

How do you keep balance in your life?

My first book review!

2011-03-19T15:01:00.000-07:00

It's here! My first book review for Deseret News is up and yippee, I really liked the book. Click HERE to view.

I'm going to the book signing on the 24th at The King's English. If you're in the Salt Lake area come meet up! I really think "Y is for Yorick" is a delight, as you'll see in my review.

The problem with agendas

2011-03-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

One reason I think some people choose to write is they believe they have something to say, something important, something so strong in them they believe the world must hear. I would be lying if I did not put myself in that category to some degree. I do have things to say. I hope to say them and I hope to say them well. But at the top of my goals as a writer, more specifically a story-teller, is simply this:

Do not be boring.

Boredom is the enemy of good writing. Boredom is the enemy of anything you want people to like and remember. Boring=forgettable. Boring is literary sin.

I repeat. Boring is sin.

I have read some books where I believe the author is saying something important, true even, but they fail in their quest if only because their beautiful truth is lost in the drudgery of their words. It's like trying to make me eat soggy, bland vegetables. I know they are good for me, but at the same time the way in which they were prepared is making me sick and I might just puke it all up. Purpose lost.

Okay that sounds harsh. I think it's okay to have a theme in mind for your story, or a message you feel strongly about. My caution is simply this: setting out to prove a point can often lead to bland writing, tough and indigestible. When we are story-telling, whatever point we think we need to make must take a back-burner to the experience. Our job is to create an journey that other people will want to take and come away feeling altered.

If you are dedicated to the experience, the world and your characters, your deepest beliefs will come out freely and without force. Sometimes you will be surprised by what you write because the subconscious can release things your conscious mind never would. I think that's what happens when writers say their characters "take over" their story. They simply liberated their subconscious. It's a magical place I tell you.

So, three things I think will help in your endeavor to make a point:

1. Be authentic.
2. Be imaginative.
3. Immerse yourself in your characters' world and experience.

All that deep feeling and theory you absolutely must share with the world will either come naturally to the page or it will remain in the fuzzy parts of your brain, still developing for another story.

Don't force it. You're certain to be boring or annoying and nobody likes either.

A little news

2011-03-10T13:26:00.000-08:00

Little news, I said. Don't get all excited.

So I got a gig writing for a newspaper. Just a little strange to me, I never thought I'd do such a thing, but I have a friend who works for The Deseret News and she asked me if I'd be interested in writing for them. I was hesitant at first (in no way do I consider myself a journalist) but then I discovered I could do book reviews...and keep the books.

Absolutely I will.

And so I filled out a form and sent in some writing samples and huzzah! they called me the next day and made me a writer. I've already turned in my first book review and the next book is on the way.

And now that I've written a review I'm even considering branching out into other topics. We'll see. Don't want to get too crazy all of a sudden.

I'll post a link when my first review comes out.

Simplify

2011-03-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."
-Leonardo da Vinci

I'd say more but I'm trying to be sophisticated.

Lessons from LTUE

2011-03-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

A couple weekends ago I attended Life, The Universe and Everything: the science fiction and fantasy symposium presented at BYU. It takes place over three days and each day is filled with presentations and panels of published authors on any number of subjects having to do with science fiction and fantasy, or just writing in general. I highly recommend it. Free for students and for everyone else only $25 for all three day. A bargain!

This years James Dashner was the guest of honor and he was great, surprisingly light and funny considering the un-funniness of THE MAZE RUNNER trilogy. Other authors in attendance included Jessica Day George, Mette Ivie Harrison, Dave Wolverton, Bree Despain, and Elana Johnson, just to name a few.

Mostly I enjoyed being in a creative environment, surrounded by other people who love the same things I do. I picked up some encouragement and good advice and reminders. There wasn't a lot I hadn't heard before, but I'm a pretty forgetful person, so it's always great to get reminders or hear something in a different way that resonates with me.

So because I love the number 7, here are 7 bits of advice that resonated with me this year:

1. NEVER GIVE UP! (James Dashner made us say it out loud. I felt like I was in 1st grade.)
2. Lack of understanding leads us to poor storytelling.
3. Fake it till you make it (but not too much, you know? Be real.)
4. Don't re-write to death. Finish and send it out.
5. Don't stay married to your first story. Write another story and then another...
6. Take all advice with a grain of salt. What may be right for one story or author may be totally wrong for another.
7. Be nice to everybody.

And on that #7 note, I have a little more to say. This year I paid close attention to the authors' behavior. I listened to the way they said things, how they responded to questions or comments, how they treated people who approached them. Generally I don't think about my life and behavior as a published author, it's still so intangible, but I learned some lessons I hope to keep if I ever do get published and participate in a conference.

One lesson in particular I really hope to keep: DON'T BASH ON OTHER BOOKS OR AUTHORS.

I know we can't be Pollyanna positive all the time, but there's a difference between soft, general criticism in order to educate, and harsh, direct criticism to make yourself look better. I can tell the difference. I think most people can. Usually if ever a specific author or book was pointed out and criticized, I felt a line had been crossed. Ironically I don't even remember what point they were trying to make, I only remember that they were being negative, that they were bringing down another author and it turned me off. Usually the criticism was pointed toward best-selling books, (which just screamed jealousy. I did notice that the best-selling authors on the panels never criticized anyone.)

I guess what I'm trying to take away from this is, if I ever get the opportunity to be an author and take part in a public discussion or presentation, I hope to be hyper-aware of how I present my opinions. I hope I can be helpful and positive at the same time. I do think it's possible. It's good to point out how we can be better. It's good to point out the pros and cons of certain story elements or styles.

It's not good to publicly bash on another author's work, no matter how well you can defend your opinions. It's not helpful, and it some cases it's more hurtful to the criticizing party. It reflects on them. And when I say publicly I think that includes the internet. We may think we are screaming into a black hole but sometimes those black holes can come back to bite you in the butt.

So, I'm going to try and stick to the Bambi rule: If you can't say something nice, don't say nothin' at all. Promote the books you love and let the others be. They might be loved by someone else.

Book Review: SCUMBLE by Ingrid Law

2011-02-28T07:00:00.000-08:00

When Ledger Kale turns 13, things start to fall apart, literally. In Ledger’s family, everyone discovers their magical power, their Savvy, at age 13. Ledger hoped his Savvy would make him run super fast. Instead, he busts apart anything made of metal.

A companion novel to Savvy by Ingrid law, Scumble carries the same rich and endearing voice. All the small-town twang made me wish I could say things like “triple-wow deluxe,” “gollywhopper weird,” or “bad news a dozen ways to Sunday," but I'm just not that cool. And where there are characters who can levitate, make the wind blow, shoot electricity out of their fingers, and control creepy crawly bugs, the world is open for adventure.

But beyond the adventure is deeper meaning and the book lends itself to great classroom discussion. The story of Ledger feels like a giant metaphor for young teens. What thirteen-year-old doesn’t feel explosive? So out of control I’m sure if emotions could be channeled to actual powers things really would bust apart. It’s a frustrating age, but one of the best things kids can do to abate those explosive emotions is to read books like this, where they can relate to all the out-of-control emotions and actions and hopefully learn to “scumble” their own.

The Benefits of Being Sick

2011-02-26T15:28:00.001-08:00

I have strep throat. That sucks, right? I'm in pain and my head feels like a water balloon. But if I rest my water-balloon head back on a pillow and don't move or talk then I feel okay. So I've spent the day in bed, editing my manuscript, tightening my query letter, and researching agents.

Being sick can be quite productive. Maybe I should do this more often.

Judy Moody Rocks

2011-02-22T11:00:00.000-08:00

My 7-year-old daughter has to do a report on some aspect of American history: a person, a monument, a symbol. At first she wanted to report on the American flag, but then after a couple weeks she decided that the flag was too generic of a subject.

"Everyone knows about the flag," she said. "I want to do a report on something really interesting, like Sybil Ludington."

"Who's Sybil Ludington?"

"Sybil Ludington is like the female Paul Revere!" she exclaimed. "She rode on her horse and warned everyone about the red coats that were coming."

Seriously, this kid is seven. I'd never heard of Ms. Ludington in my life. I asked her where she learned all this.

"Judy Moody."

Judy Moody?

So I googled Sybil Ludington, and sure enough I found her and indeed she is the female Paul Revere, only cooler. And so my 1st grade daughter is doing a report on Sybil Ludington. She researched and wrote it all on her own and it's pretty darn good.

So Megan McDonald, you and Judy Moody rock. Thanks for teaching my girl about a strong woman who made a difference in history. Kudos for writing it in a way to make her want to know more. That's what I call a great children's book.

You're on your own

2011-02-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

I have been tearing my hair out over the first chapter of my novel. Why? Because I feel beginnings are crucial. First impressions can carry a long way. If it sucks what does it matter if the rest is really good? How many kids do you know will keep reading after a crappy first chapter? I don't and I'm an adult.

Okay, there isn't anything really crappy about my first chapter, in fact the first few paragraphs I really love, but there are some parts that I just know aren't right. They're not necessarily wrong, but something is off. I couldn't feel confident that it was the best opening or my best work. And the worst part? I didn't know what to do! Some of my readers mentioned spots where they felt confused or that the story disjointed. A few had suggestions. I asked advice from some other people, I consulted some writing books, but nothing made me think "Ah ha! I know what to do!"

I now realize that no one has the answer for me. There are simply times when you are on your own and no person or book holds the answer. I am on my own.

But it's okay. It's actually good. This is my story, right? I don't like people telling me what to do anyway. Liesl's life motto: Don't tell me what to do! (My husband printed it on an apron for my birthday one year.)

Anyway, I think I figured things out on my run this morning. Running is magic I tell you! I reworked some of the first chapter and my husband will tell me if it still sucks. He's usually pretty honest that way. Yay for honest husbands.

I really hope it doesn't still suck.

The Importance of Awesome Beta-Readers

2011-02-08T11:18:00.000-08:00

I have received critiques on Herbert from all my beta-readers as of yesterday. Much thanks to Ali, Kate, Krista, Jenn, and Jennilyn, plus my husband who always gets the first read. Amazing beta-readers, you are a treasure. May all aspiring writers be so lucky.

I stress the word amazing, because I strongly feel you can't give your early draft of work to just anyone. I think it's important to find readers who a) are intelligent, b) you like c)have an understanding of story structure and d) are in tune with the kinds of stories you write. Some people ask to read my work and I joyfully tell them I would love for them to read my book when it's published. :) What can I say? I'm protective of my babies. Shield them until they're ready to face the world.

Gail Carson Levine once said in a keynote address at LTUE that she had people read her early drafts because "I'm very stupid when I write and I need people to point out where I'm stupid." I'm glad she said that. Though all my readers were complimentary and gracious, they did indeed point out where I was stupid. Great! Thanks!

It can be overwhelming to get so much feedback and see how far you really have to go before your manuscript is ready. But I've been processing it all and I've come up with a plan. I'll relay that plan to you in the form of advice.

1. Read through each critique twice. You'll start to internalize the patterns and repeats of feedback and then you will know what the big things are you need to change.

2. Make a revision list. Organization. Growl. But really when there's that much stuff swirling around in your brain it behooves us all to become organized. Start with the big things and move down to the small.

2. Set aside the line-edits for now. It's too overwhelming to think about small details when you still need to cut chunks of boring crap, fill in holes, clarify confusion, and develop lacking scenes and characters. Go through the line edits when you're fairly certain your storyline is clean. Chances are some the line edits will be taken care of during the big edits.

3. Keep the story your own. Even if you get the same feedback from several authors and you know something needs to change, make sure it stays within your vision of the story. I've heard several agents comment on this, how the requested revisions actually weakened the story because the author only tried to please the agent instead of keeping the integrity of their voice and vision. As my old acting teacher would say, "Take the direction and make the connection." I wanted to punch him when he said that, but it's true.

Onward and upward. I have a deadline of February 28th and then Herbert will go off to another round of new readers.

Be a Writer, not a "writer"

2011-02-01T13:00:00.000-08:00

Go read this please:
Notes from Sara Zarr's SCBWI Keynote address

There are obviously a lot of gems in that speech, but there was one gem in particular that jumped out at me, and I just needed to share. The one in the blog notes titled "Obsession with Process over Craft."

Taken from the blog post notes:

"Being a writer" as opposed to being a writer: chronic conference goer, filer of inspirational quotes, outliner of novels, John Green follows you on Twitter ... If this is you, you are not putting the time into your own work. It's a life with all the accessories of being a writer – but not really doing it."

This blog is an accessory. Mind you, I like this accessory. It's lots of fun, it helps me relax and regroup and I hope it's somewhat enjoyable to others. But it doesn't mean I'm a real writer anymore than my really sharp Wusthof Santoku knife makes me a real cook. (Oh, how I love that knife.) Neither do dance shoes and tights make a dancer or voice lessons make a great singer.

The conferences I go to do not make me a writer. The notes, the quotes, the collection of autographed books do not make me a writer. Books about writing don't make a writer, nor does writing about writing or posting about writing on Facebook or Twitter. Following industry news and agent and editor blogs does not make a writer.

So what makes a writer? Writing makes a writer. And rewriting. Taking the time and effort to improve your craft and write the very best that is in you makes you a writer. Nothing more, nothing less.

I'm not saying the accessories don't have their place. They can help in several ways, and I do think it's important to learn the ins and outs of the business. But we live in such a busy world with so much information at the tips of our fingers, so many ways to connect and share, and there comes a point where it's just getting in the way of the main thing.

So here's my unsolicited advice to you. Declutter. I know I'm saying that at the risk of you never reading my blog again, and that's okay. This is just an accessory. (Just remember I only post once a week, sometimes even less, and they're usually short. I'm already decluttering for you.:)

Keep your main focus on the main thing. Your writing, your creativity. That is what people will pay attention to. The "accessories" mean very little. The big stuff, the important stuff, is already in you. It takes time and focus to bring it out with power and voice.

Here's to being a writer and not a "writer."

Creativity is a Funnel

2011-01-24T21:04:00.000-08:00

I am not a hugely organized person. My husband would probably say that's a huge understatement, but the truth is I CAN be organized, but I often CHOOSE not to be. Do I sound like a smoker? I can quit any time I want.

To me, creativity is a funnel. You have a wide opening at the beginning, just let everything in, just pour it all in, the good and the bad, because they're hard to tell apart. Then the funnel starts to taper little by little until only a small amount is pouring through. The good stuff.

That's how I feel my writing process is and the pouring is over. The funnel is tightening. I'm starting to get feedback on Herbert. So far it's all solid and encouraging, but my wheels are spinning on all the changes I need to make, elements I need to strengthen, confusion I need to clarify. This means I actually have to be sort of organized. (Growl.)

So I'm making a list. My husband would probably make a detailed spreadsheet but making this list is rather painful I tell you. It has numbers and indentations with little letters. Eck! Blech! I'm having difficulty breathing. I think I may be developing a rash. But in the end I think it will be for the best. I'll focus on specific sections or characters or elements and then maybe it won't be so daunting.

How do you handle revisions?

I threw away my security blanket...

2011-01-18T13:24:00.000-08:00

My security blanket is my own space, both physically and mentally. Everything is safe when you're alone, you know? You can think, say, write, or do whatever you want without any judgment or criticism, except maybe from God. But I've found God to be far less critical than any human.

So anyway, I sent out my novel to beta-readers today and I feel like I just stepped outside in a bikini. Did I shave? Is my butt covered? Do I have RT? Am I pasty-white? I hope no one notices my stretch-marks. What about that jiggly place between my thighs? I need one of those ghetto Thigh-Masters.

I hate swimsuits.

Revision is Bliss

2011-01-06T09:12:00.001-08:00

My posts may be sparse/absent for the next week or so as I'm very absorbed in revising Herbert. It's going well so far, and my goal is to have the revisions finished by the 15th so I can send it out to beta-readers. I'm ahead of schedule at the moment, so huzzah for me.

But really what I want to say is that I love revising. I know it's supposed to be the real dirty work of writing, and some people make it sound like it's akin to gouging your eyes out, but revisions make me happy. It's so satisfying to take a string of words, or a paragraph, or a chapter, and rework them in a way that sings. Because it's never what you say, it's the way you say it. I hope to say things in such a way that people will remember.

2010 Top SEVEN Reads

2010-12-28T07:00:00.000-08:00

I did it last year and I'm doing it again. My top seven reads of the year.

I read 33 books in 2010. Maybe that's not a lot compared to some but it's seven more than last year and good grief, I wrote two books and moved across the country. I took care of three children on the side and I make my own bread, (my one domestic talent.)

It was surprisingly easy to pick out my favorites for this year.

SAVVY by Ingrid Law

Sweet, spunky and original. I'm looking forward to reading the companion novel, SCUMBLE.

#6
WHEN YOU REACH ME by Rebecca Stead.
Newbery Medal winner. This was actually a pretty complex plot, something to challenge kids and adults alike. I loved how she really dug deep in her concepts and made sense of things that make no sense, like time-travel.

#5
A CURSE DARK AS GOLD by Elizabeth C. Bunce

A loose retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. Gorgeous and haunting. I'm a new fan of Ms. Bunce.

#4
MOCKINGJAY by Suzanne Collins.
It made me want to take anti-depressants but still I love this series. I will always love it.

#3
MATCHED by Allie Condie

Likely the most highly anticipated YA novel of 2010 and it did not disappoint, (well not me anyway.)

#2
FEED by M.T. Anderson.

I am not a fan of cussing and especially not the ever popular "f-word" so it is probably surprising to some that I like this book because it says the f-word in abundance and plenty other colorful words. But strangely, this book is one of my favorites and I almost appreciate those four-letter-words, for they are not written as a compliment to themselves. Feed is surprisingly literary and it is so deep and poignant to our society today. I think every teen, and even adults, should read this and consider what they sound like, what they act like, what they feel like.

And my #1 read for this year is:

THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN by Sherman Alexie.

And it is absolutely true and funny and sad and beautiful. I find it interesting that my favorite read of the year is a contemporary novel with no sci-fi or fantastical elements whatsoever.

Do me a favor and tell me at least one of your favorite reads this year that wasn't on my list!

Happy New Year! Looking forward to an awesome 2011.

Other Shiny Idea

2010-12-14T17:18:00.000-08:00

Oh You
Other Shiny Idea
Sounding so scintillating
Lurking in the back of my imagination

You try so hard
Other Shiny Idea
To steal my attention
Away from Herbert

Herbert has been faithful
and kind and hardworking
We've stayed up late at night
We've fought and made up

You look and sound so wonderful
Other Shiny Idea
But I will not be caught in your snares
You will have to wait

You will have to be satisfied
With a few jots and tittles
Until my faithful Herbert is finished
And on his way out the door

Then we can stay up all night together
We can fight and make up
You tell me all your secrets
And I will write them down

And soon you too will have to fight
To keep my attention
From another
Other Shiny Idea

No one is entitled.

2010-12-10T09:02:00.000-08:00

I have a blogging friend who had a book deal, until her publisher closed. Her book was slated to be published in fall of 2010. She had already done several rounds of revisions with her editor. She was already marketing. I was so excited to watch her publishing journey.

Of course she was devastated, yet I haven't seen a rage or a rant or anything of the kind. In fact, she's been sincerely humble about the whole thing and not just humble, but grateful. Grateful? Yes. Grateful. Grateful that people took notice of her work and thought it was worth publishing. Grateful that they worked so hard to make her book shine. Grateful for the opportunity, even if it didn't turn out as she had hoped. I believe things will work out for her in the end, even if it takes a while because she's patient, gracious, and a hard worker.

I've seen and heard other writers rant about the publishing business; how publishers are publishing crap, their writing is way better than that person who just got a six-figure deal, agents and editors don't know great writing when they see it, agents and editors only care about books that will make tons of money, etc., etc.

While the publishing industry isn't perfect and maybe some of these sentiments have some truth to them, I see little point in carrying these kinds of attitudes. No one is entitled. You're not entitled to have your work published, liked, or even read. There is no point in comparing yourself to other authors, or even people in general. No one is entitled to get all the things they think they deserve. The world is not going to the dogs if no one likes your story.

You can try. You can hope. You can work your brain and little fingers to the bone and hopefully something good will come of it all. But if we go through life with the attitude that we deserve more, then we will never be satisified, no matter what comes our way. There will always be something more we want. More publicity. More money. More power. More love.

It is great to have goals and sincerely want them and work to reach them, but if we can't love where we are and appreciate the gifts we have now, the road will always be rocky.

Words are a gift. Creativity is a joy. Stories are a blessing. Appreciate all you have now.

Reading published vs. unpublished material

2010-12-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

The other night my husband and I were discussing my writing (one of my favorite subjects,) and he told me that it's strange to read something that's unpublished.

"When I'm reading a published book," he said, "I'm more willing to accept whatever is there. I'm not looking for something to be wrong. If I don't get it, I just assume that I will get it at some point later on. I just assume that the published book is perfect."

While I know that published books are never perfect, (some come closer than others,) I understood what he meant. I too already have a certain expectation for published material so automatically there's an amount of trust between the author and reader. The author gave their best work and jumped many hoops to get their book published. The reader paid money expecting it to be good, therefore they will give the author the benefit of the doubt that their book is worthwhile.

But coming from the other end, things can be quite different. When we read others' raw material, we are reading with the mindset that it isn't perfect, that there are mistakes, incongruities, and even some boring parts. That's why they want us to read it in the first place- to make it better.

However, I think being too deep in this mindset can sometimes hurt more than it can help. I once heard an agent say that they wanted to give every writer the benefit of the doubt. They were always rooting and hoping for whatever they read to be wonderful. I wonder how much that helped her to spot the gems. It's probably easy to dismiss just about everything when you're only looking for the flaws.

So, in an effort to improve my critique skills, I want to come from the end of being positive. When someone hands me their work I want to be excited about it. I think it helps to not get too cerebral about the work until we notice that we're bored or confused. If things are great, let them stay great. But when things get slow or confusing, when we stop feeling any emotion for the work, then we can try and work out why that happened.

Phase One of "Herbert" Complete.

2010-11-29T15:05:00.000-08:00

The first draft of my MG novel was completed Saturday at 11:30pm. Huzzah! It's full of holes, incongruities, nonsensical stuff, and weak description, but it's a structure that I can work with and I'm still excited about it.

I will not look at it until after Christmas. What will I do with all that spare time?

Enjoy the Christmas Season
Gain five pounds because I will enjoy the Christmas Season
Read
Make family videos and photo books
Reupholsters a chair
Make a gingerbread house with my kids- a real one, not one of those namby-pamby store-bought things. My gingerbread mansion will rock those shacks!
Go sledding
Mop my floor. (Seriously gross.)
Sleep
Maybe write some other stuff I have floating in my head, but it all depends on how good the food is.

After that it's revision time and then get ready beta-readers!

Validation

2010-11-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes we all just need a little validation. I could go on but really can't say it better than this video. It's 16 minutes but worth hours of your time, I swear. Watch it, then find someone who will validate you.

You are AWESOME! (You have amazing cheekbones.)

The Reader's Bill of Rights

2010-11-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

Every reader has rights. And they are...

The right to not read.
The right to skip pages.
The right to not finish.
The right to reread.
The right to read anything.
The right to escapism.
The right to read anywhere.
The right to browse.
The right to read out loud.
The right not to defend your tastes.

—Pennac, Daniel, Better Than Life, Coach House Press, 1996.

Question? Comments?

The Upside of Letdown

2010-11-15T09:49:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I attended the annual Utah/Idaho SCBWI conference in Salt Lake City. There were some wonderful presentations which I shall blog about in the future. I met some old friends and made new ones, and I was privileged to have the first ten pages of my WIP critiqued by Chelsea Eberly, assistant editor at Random House Books for Young Readers. She also met with me for 15 minutes to talk about my work.

Ms. Eberly had some great feedback on my work and she wanted to know more about where I was going with my story. So I dove in and told her the main plot points, which really sucks because some large plot points can be turned on small details so I felt like a mumbling idiot, but she followed along with me and I generally felt pretty good about it. But then I got to the very end and Chelsea asked how a certain major plot point would be resolved. Admittedly, I hadn't written that part yet and I wasn't totally sure how it was going to work, but I told her what I had planned for now and that's when she grimaced. "Be careful with that," she said. "I'm not saying it can't work, I'm just saying that it has the potential to be a real letdown to your reader."

*%$#! Double *&%#!

I've been trained to take criticism graciously. Never defend, at least not in that moment, because your head is not in the right place to think clearly about such things. So I said I could see what she meant and I would work on that. At the end of it all Ms. Eberly gave me encouragement and said there was definitely room in the market for a story like mine and we parted.

I should feel good right?

The rest of the day I continued to deflate and by the end I felt horribly depressed. No matter how many nice things Ms. Eberly had said about my work I could only focus on that one thing, and the reason was because I was pretty darn sure she was right. And it wasn't just a little thing, it was a key element of my story that will take some major surgery to fix. She had stabbed my story right in the center of its deformed little heart.

I spent the rest of the weekend eating chocolate and contemplating various ways I might commit literary suicide without looking like a total quitter; chop off my fingers, pick out my eyeballs, bash my head against a rock until I can no longer form complete sentences.

But really, after the initial disappointment subsided, I began to realize that this is a good thing. I was shown a significant weakness in my story that I might have ignored from a lesser critique and that probably no professional would have taken the time to point out. But after listening to Ms. Eberly speak, I believed her to be a rather sharp editor and I had to believe that she chose her criticism and advice with care. She was trying to help me see what works and what doesn't and why.

After I ate enough chocolate and said a few cuss words and ran a few miles, I began to get new ideas, ones that will work. I'm not sure if they are the absolute right solutions for my story, but it showed me that I haven't hit a brick wall. There are more ideas swimming in my little brain.

So I thank you Chelsea Eberly. Even though your tonic was rather bitter, it may in the end make everything all better.

What Would I Change?

2010-11-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

"It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer."

~Albert Einstein

Because I accepted an award from Kate, I am obliged to answer this question about myself.

"If you had the chance to go back and change on thing in your life, would you, and what would you change?"

This is an important question. No one is without regrets. We've all done things we wish we hadn't and I am no exception. I still feel sick about some of the things I've done, but if I could go back and change one thing in my life, it wouldn't be an event or a choice. Those mistakes and regrets are things that have shaped me for the better, even the painful memories guide me to be more conscious of my actions and the way I treat others.

What I would change is the way I viewed myself.

We live in a society a tad obsessed over labeling people. She's smart. He's athletic. She's a born singer. Or even on the negative side...She's mean. Not an athletic bone in his body. He's not a good reader. She's so disorganized. I realize we often have good intentions for this labeling process. We want to steer people in the right direction, let them know where they might mostly likely succeed. And we put labels on ourselves so we can have a sense of belonging. But I can't help but think we do a lot of harm in this also. We shove ourselves and others in corners and watch them turn out exactly the way we expect, for better or worse, because what other option do we give?

I had a few labels on me as a child. I was gifted in dance and music (Everyone said so.) I was horrible at science (My test scores said so.) I excelled in English (my teacher said so.) Chemistry was a disaster. (My experiment said so.) My 9th grade chemistry teacher told my mother, "She can do it, but she's told herself that she can't. So she doesn't." Those words didn't hit me then, but they haunt me now.

"I'm just not that smart." I told this to myself and even others and I believed it so wholeheartedly that I honestly thought I was exempt from studying chemistry. I wouldn't get it anyway, so what was the point? Now I will admit, my brain does not naturally wrap around math and science concepts, but that doesn't mean I'm not capable of learning and understanding. I erroneously thought that anything I could be good at should come easily to me. But what is the point of only trying to excel at what comes naturally to us? Bo-ring.

So if I could go back, I would shred all those labels I allowed others to pin on me or the ones I stuck on myself. I'd tell myself that the world is wide and full of possibilities, and there's nothing in my way except maybe myself.

But since I can't do that, I tell it to my kids instead, which is a little like time travel anyway.

I Accept

2010-10-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes other bloggers give me awards. Generally I thank them and don't do anything beyond that. Is that ungrateful? I don't know. I'm not blogger award savvy, also I feel a little sheepish, plus I'm lazy and the acceptance process usually require some form of work.

Well today I'm breaking my tradition and I accept a few awards; the first awarded by Krista of Mother. Write. Repeat. Actually Krista has given me a fair few awards, but now I finally claim two at once! Krista has great agent interviews on her blog.

And the second from Kate Coursey of Weaving Colors, a freaking amazing author, never mind she's only 17.

Thanks guys! You make me feel special. And here comes the work. For Krista's award I'm supposed to tell you 7 random facts about myself. Hmmm...

1. I got a cat just to get rid of mice. Mice are from Hell.
2. Once, to impress a boy, I tried to do a flip on the monkey bars and landed flat on my back. He still dated me.
3. I have a really nice guitar and I don't know how to play it.
4. I am generally ornery but chronically grumpy in the morning.
5. I am one of those mothers who lets my kids run around in their underpants.
6. Once my older brother and sister made me eat a fly (Could have been worse.)
7. I have 1 brother, 3 sisters, 1 step-sister, 2 step-brothers, a half sister, step-parents, ex-step parents and ex step brother and sisters. I've lost count of my grandparents and I have cousins in the hundreds. My dad says we put the FUNK in dysfunctional.

For Kate's award I actually really liked the question posed and so if you don't mind Kate, I'm going to save it for my next post. And I know I'm supposed to pass these things on but sheesh! I just did a lot of work and I'm tired, plus my 15 minutes of blogging time are up. I'll save that for another day too.

Review: Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris

2010-10-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

3.5 out of 5 stars

Ed, a forest troll, happens upon a lost little boy in the woods. He ends up raising the boy, Christian, in his forest cave.

As Christian grows he watches the royal family across the river and becomes curious about the youngest princess, Marigold. They become pen-pals, exchanging "p-mails" (letters delivered by pigeon.) Christian learns that not only is Marigold smart and interesting, she's also very much in danger of being forced to marry against her will, and that is just the beginning.

This was a very sweet and endearing book. The voice is cute and silly and the world mixes modern ideas into an old world. It's not a fast paced, high thrills kind of book that I think most kids prefer, but I hope there is still room for books like these, sweet and simple, but quirky and fun, and very innocent. Some of the humor might go over a kid's head, but I think it would still be a fun read for 8-12 and also a fun read-aloud for classrooms and families.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This soup is so easy and delicious, not your everyday taco soup, and of course it makes great left overs.

4 chicken breasts cooked and shredded

½ tsp. minced garlic

2 cans chicken broth

2 cans stewed tomatoes

1 C. salsa

2 T. fresh cilantro, chopped

1 T. cumin

1-2 cans black beans, undrained

Tortillas cut into strips

Grated cheddar cheese

Sour cream

Combine all soup ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on low 8-10 hours, or high 4-six hours.

Place tortilla strips in bottom of bowl, pour soup over and top with cheese and sour cream.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Our family's favorite cookies. I often half this recipe. The whole thing makes about five or six dozen.

3 C. Canned pumpkin

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1 C. vegetable oil

2 tsp. nutmeg

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

3 C. sugar

1 tsp. salt

5 C. flour

1 1/2 C. milk chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except flour and mix well. Add flour and mix to combine. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop dough onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Happy Halloween!

Once I was a Kid

2010-10-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

Just hit 100 pages on my first draft of Herbert. Having a blast!

The other morning as I went for a run, I watched some teen girl walking across the street. They were loud and obnoxious. They were flailing and prancing around in their tight jeans and high boots. Hair all fussed up, mouths full of gum, lips fat with gloss. They ruled the world.

I had deja vu right in that moment, or I time traveled, or something. That is totally me, I thought.

Okay 12, 13 years ago. But I saw my teen self so clearly at that moment, and some of my hard repressed teen emotions seeped into my heart. Oh, ugh, I thought. Why can't I just erase that period from memory and maybe the decade before that too?

I think many adults look back on their teen years, and maybe even much of childhood, with a sort of horror, and hope to distance themselves from the memories as much as possible. I know I often do. Yet as I watched those teen girls, I was suddenly aware of how much I want and need to still know that girl I once was. I want to understand her feelings and thoughts.

As irrational and dramatic as children and teens may seem, I do remember my feelings were very real. Everything was big. Everything I felt was important, and I just wanted to be heard and understood. My feelings and thoughts made complete sense to me, even if I couldn't explain them to anyone else. And that is why I think writing for teens and children is so important. They deserve a voice too, one that accurately reflects their feelings and also one that can positively influence their malleable psyche.

How do we do that? How can adults do justice to the voices of children? What do writers do to get there?

Memory can help, but memory does not always accurately reflect past events or even present feeling. It can be like reaching through water to grab something that you see very clearly only to find that the object was not where you grabbed. It was two feet away.

Having my own children is helpful, too. I am constantly observing their world and point-of-view, but it is still limiting because I can't fully see into their minds and know what they're thinking, and they're not always articulate enough to be able to tell me. For me, I find the most helpful and really only way to accurately portray a child is to actually be a child again, at least in my mind and heart.

And I do that...how?

I've kept journals from the time I was eight. I have somewhere around a dozen (rather large and thick) journals full of my experiences, feelings, and thoughts. Some of my entries are hilarious, some of them I would like to burn, some things I have no memory of, but the experiences were important enough to me in that moment that I wrote them down. It was an outlet for me then, but now it is a time-travel back to the world of my childhood. I read them, and suddenly I remember exactly what it was like to be eight and lock myself in the bathroom so my brother wouldn't punch me in the nose, or to be fourteen and have such a huge crush I was sure the boy was "the one." (Yeah, he wasn't.) I also think, subconsciously, I didn't want to let myself forget those feelings. Maybe I was just telling my future adult-self not to forget the girl she used to be. It helps me to not dismiss the seemingly irrational mentality of other kids and this informs my writing a great deal. How can I write about kids if I forget what it was like to be one?

If you write from the teen or child point-of-view, what do you do to make sure the point-of-view is authentic and age appropriate? Or even if you're writing from the adult point-of-view, how do you write a character whose life experience is very different from your own?

p.s. My husband would have me add that I have the benefit of being married to an over-grown five-year-old, who will forever allow me to see into the heart and mind of little boys. Thank you dear.

Cliche Vs. Tropes

2010-10-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

23,000 words on my current WIP. I wish I was farther, but I'm happy with the way it's going. I'm guessing the whole thing will be between 40 and 50k, so about half way there!

A couple weeks ago I was lucky to have dinner with Christopher Robbins, CEO of Gibbs-Smith Publishing. Okay, so he's my uncle. And the dinner included his wife and nine children and my husband and three children, plus their giant dog and six snakes, but whatever. Take advantage I say. He looked over the first few chapters of my WIP and gave me some great feedback. He publishes mostly non-fiction, but it was valuable to get the feedback from someone who evaluates books all day long and really knows the publishing business.

Since I write fantasy, one of the conversations we had was about certain elements in my work. You know, magic and all that. He told me that it's important to know and understand the way these elements work in other books. For instance, in my current WIP names are significant. Well, he wanted to know if I had researched the rules of that. How has the power of names played a role in other books and works of literature?

"Well I don't want to be cliche," I said. Because that's something I really work hard to avoid.
"Yeah, but there's a difference between cliches and...and..."
"Tropes?"
"Yes, exactly. Very good."
(Glowing with literary pride.)

And so we discussed the difference between cliches and tropes, particularly those pertaining to fantasy. There are certain things that appear in nearly all fantasy. Often, there is an imbalance in the world and only one person who can set it right. The hero. That's not cliche, that's a trope. We see it again and again, and we know who will win. That's not the point. We just want to know how.

We see good vs. evil, a dark lord, a quest, magical swords and rings, magicians, witches, wizards, elves, centaurs, gnomes, dwarfs, ancient worlds and made up languages. These elements come up again and again in fantasy. They don't have to be there, (truly most of these things are not in my book and I think it's working out pretty well,) but neither do you have to disregard the ideas simply because they have been used over and over. What makes a book cliche is not repeating elements, but rather the way they are used. Now that's the tricky part. Try taking something that's been used a gazillion times and make it new and exciting all over again.

Do you see what I have to work against? So I thank Mr. Robbins for the clarification, but I am still fighting against cliches.

On to Azkaban and Ginger Pumpkin Soup.

2010-10-19T07:00:00.001-07:00

Ack. Kids have been sick for over a week. Luckily I've managed to stay healthy so far (fingers crossed knock on wood because my husband is out of town this week.) But if that doesn't work out I've still got Harry Potter on tape. I'm on to Prizoner of Azkaban, my husband's personal favorite. Also nothing cures illness like good soup and this one is sooooo tasty. Sweet and creamy with just the right amount of spice. It's very rich so small amounts will satisfy.

Ginger Pumpkin Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup chopped shallots
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup apple cider
1 (15- or 16-ounce) can pumpkin
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup half-and-half or whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Whipping cream (optional)
Fresh thyme (optional)

In a 3-quart saucepan heat oil over medium heat. Add the shallots,
onion, and ginger; cook until tender. Stir in the flour. Carefully
add the chicken broth and cider all at once. Cook and stir over
medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Stir in the pumpkin, maple
syrup, bay leaves, dried thyme, cinnamon, pepper, and cloves.
Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

Remove from heat. Discard bay leaves. Cool slightly. Pour one-fourth
to one-third of mixture into a blender container or food processor
bowl. Cover and blend or process until smooth. Pour into a bowl.
Repeat with remaining mixture until all is processed. Return the
mixture to the saucepan. Stir in the 1 cup half-and-half or whipping
cream and the vanilla. Heat through, but do not boil. Ladle into soup bowls. If desired, swirl a little whipping cream into each serving; garnish with fresh thyme.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Dare to be BAD

2010-10-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

"Everybody revises. Nobody farts glitter in this business."
--Maggie Steifvater, author of LAMENT, BALLAD, SHIVER, and LINGER

First drafts are really painful for me. If I'm being honest it is my least favorite part of writing. I like brainstorming and pre-writing. I love revising and polishing. To me that's the dessert of writing, with the first draft being a course of--no even vegetables are too good--stale bread, maybe a little moldy.

One of the reasons the first draft is so painful is because I deplore mediocrity. If I'm going to do something I'd rather do it really well or not at all. We might think of this as a good trait, one that would help the quality of our work, but really it's actually quite debilitating. Who does anything really well the first time? How many writers do you know who write an amazing first draft? Okay, maybe, but good? Great? Amazing?

James Dashner, author of several books including THE MAZE RUNNER and just released THE SCHORCH TRIALS, once said at a conference, "Dare to be bad." And for me this meant lowering my expectations on my first draft. We have these ideas in our head and we just think if we're good writers that they'll come out fully formed and amazing on paper. But that's just not how it works (for me anyway.)

So I just let the story come out. The first draft is more about giving myself characters and a structure to work with. We can do a lot in revision, so don't hold yourself back with the idea that the first draft should be perfect. Think if it as bouncing to various stages of your work. You can bounce to one level with the first draft and then standing on that level you can bounce a little higher on the next revision and higher on the next and so forth.

I write this because I'm in the middle of writing of first draft. Moldy, moldy. I need to keep reminding myself that my writing is an artisitic process, not an Olympic sport where I have to jump the highest the first time to win the medal. I don't even need a medal to feel successful...I wouldn't mind it though.

Butternut Squash Lasagna and more Harry Potter

2010-10-11T16:06:00.001-07:00

Okay, it's not a soup recipe but this is too good not to share. It's a perfect fall dish and if you're vegetarian and you feel all left out when everyone's stuffing their guts with turkey, you can make this and everyone will give up their meat and potatoes to eat it. It's a little labor intensive but worth every minute of work. Makes fabulous left-overs too.

Almost done with the second Harry Potter audiobook and enjoying it immensely. Seriously, if you haven't listened to the recording, skip the movies this month and listen to Harry Potter. It's so fun!

Butternut Squash Lasagna

For Squash Filling:
1 large onion, chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
1 cup hazelnuts (4 oz), toasted, loose skins rubbed off with a kitchen towel, and coarsely chopped (Opt. I make it without them and it's still delicious. They do however, add great flavor and texture of you want to go the extra mile.)

For Sauce:

1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 cups milk
1 bay leaf (not California)
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper

For assembling lasagne
1/2 lb fresh mozzarella, coarsely grated (2 cups)
1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (3 oz)
12 (7- by 3 1/2-inch) sheets no-boil lasagne (1/2 lb

Make filling: Cook onion in butter in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes. Add squash, garlic, salt, and white pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until
squash is just tender, about 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in parsley, sage, and nuts. Cool filling.
Make sauce while squash cooks: Cook garlic in butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring, 1 minute. Whisk in flour and cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Add milk in a stream, whisking. Add bay leaf and bring to a boil, whisking constantly, then reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 10 minutes. Whisk in salt and white pepper and remove from heat. Discard bay leaf. (Cover surface of sauce with wax paper if not using immediately.)

Assemble lasagne: Preheat oven to 425°F.
Toss cheeses together. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in a buttered 13- by 9- by 2-inch glass baking dish (or other shallow 3-quart baking dish) and cover with 3 pasta sheets, leaving spaces between sheets. Spread with 2/3 cup sauce and one third of filling, then sprinkle with a heaping 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat layering 2 more times, beginning with pasta sheets and ending with cheese. Top with remaining 3 pasta sheets, remaining sauce, and remaining cheese.

Tightly cover baking dish with buttered foil and bake lasagne in middle of oven 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until golden and bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let lasagne stand 15 to
20 minutes before serving.

Cooks' note: • Filling and sauce can be made 1 day ahead and kept separately, covered and chilled. Bring to room temperature before assembling.

Telling Lies to Tell the Truth

2010-10-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

I think fiction is a curious irony because it's often the best vehicle for revealing truth. I read widely. I read non-fiction: politics, social science, history. I read fiction: historical fiction, classics, fantasy, sci-fi, contemporary, romance, middle-grade, YA. I've read dozens of articles with research and hard-core scientific backing to certain ground-breaking theories. I've listened to lectures and had conversations with some amazing professors, students, and researchers. But the greatest truths I ever hear are always displayed in stories, often in fiction.

I'll read something, and even though it has no scientific proof, no research to back the statements or events, sometimes a string of simple words jump off the page and right into my soul. This is true, the words whisper, as if they were meant just for me.

And that is the power of story. The best fiction conveys the deepest truths. It speaks to the soul, and no amount of research or scientific proof could ever make it otherwise. That is what I aim for.

I want to tell lies to tell the truth.

Stealing Time

2010-09-21T11:09:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when I tell people that I'm a writer the response varies, but often people ask, "Where do you find the time?"

And I always laugh a little. As a mother of three I don't find any time. My time is gone long before it ever arrives. I steal time.

It's never easy and I think I'll always wish I could steal more time for writing, but I have a few guidelines and tricks that help me.

1. I don't watch TV. Really. Zero.
2. I limit my blog time. 15 minutes a day. Some days I skip. I love blogs and I want people to love mine, but the blogs are really a secondary tool. It's nice to express my thoughts and have a social network, but the blogs won't write my book for me, nor get it published.
3. If Kids 1 and 2 are in school and Kid 3 is napping I WRITE. Only life threatening situations interrupt that time. The laundry and dishes are not life threatening, (contrary to popular belief.)
4. My awesome husband will often do clean-up and bedtime, so I can go straight to writing.
5. Earplugs.
6. Have family laundry folding parties
7. If no one helps with the laundry, don't fold it. Just throw it in the drawers. Wrinkly clothes never killed anyone.
8. Be picky. Because I really do want to be a writer, I don't have many other hobbies. This is my hobby. I love friends and gatherings, but I'm picky about what I choose to attend or get involved in. No need to be reclusive, but maybe a little elusive.

In the end, writing is not my first priority. My family comes first. Sometimes that means I have to put my writing on the back burner. Sometimes I get irritable when I can't write, but the most important thing is that we never give up. NEVER! We just keep doing what we love.

What are your tricks? I can always use more.

Harry Potter and Soup

2010-09-18T20:49:00.001-07:00

It is fall and I love fall! There are three things that I particularly look forward to: Soup, pumpkin, and Harry Potter.

So I will be making lots of soup and pumpkin stuff over the next little while. I'm also listening to Harry Potter on tape. I've actually never listened to an audio book before but I'm finding it truly delightful. The dude who reads Harry Potter rocks. I average 2 hours of driving every day between school drop-offs and pick-ups and errands. When I lived in Chicago I drove about twenty minutes a week, so Harry Potter is making the change a little more bearable. I actually look forward to getting in the car.

For the next few weeks I'll share some of my favorite fall recipes! Reading and soup go so well together. Enjoy!

Pasta Fagioli and Peasant Bread

Pasta Fagioli

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, sliced (I don't like celery so I omit)
1-2 carrots, sliced
2 T. olive oil
2 cans (8 oz. each) tomato sauce
1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 can navy or great northern beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups chicken broth or water
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. italian seasoning
1 T. dried parsley
1 bay leaf
1/3 C. grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
1 cup diced ham (opt. I never use it.)
3/4 C. shell or small elbow macaroni

In a larg soup pot, saute onion, garlic, celery and carrot in olive oil until soft. Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, cannellini beans, navy or Great Northern beans, chicken broth or water, salt Italian seasoning, parsley, bay, parmesan cheese, and ham. Bring to boil and simmer, covered, 30 minutes.

While soup is simmering, cook pasta. Drain and add to soup. Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese and Peasant Bread.

Peasant Bread
This is such easy bread and so amazing with any soup

2 C. warm water
2 1/4 tsp. yeast
2 tsp. salt
1 T. sugar
4 C. flour

oil
corn meal
melted butter

Mix water, yeast, salt, and sugar. Stir until dissolved. Mix in flour. Do not knead. Let rise for 1 hour. Spread a little oil on a baking sheet and sprinkle with corn meal. Form the dough into two rounds and place on the sheet, several inches apart. Cover and let rise 1 hour. Brush lightly with melted butter. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 and bake for 15 minutes more. Brush with more melted butter while hot.
Serve warm.

Follow That Impulse

2010-09-15T08:02:00.001-07:00

I took an improv acting class in college. It was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. There was no script, no direction, often very few parameter. In short, I felt like an idiot. But I did the work and committed myself to suffering through it in order to graduate. I didn't think the class had any value besides making me extremely uncomfortable, until my professor ripped my security blanket away from me.

I had just finished an "improvisational" scene. I don't remember what it was, only the comment my professor made.

"That was flat and boring. You want to know why? Everything you did was premeditated. I don't think you followed a single impulse."

She then went on to teach me one of my greatest lessons in my short-lived acting career. If you have an impulse, you follow it. Don't think beforehand what you think the best choice will be. Whatever the best choice is, it will come to you right before you actually make it.

Translation to writing application?

I know there are many who choose to outline and many who do not. I've done both. I see the merits of both. But even if you choose to outline, it's imperative that you follow impulses in your writing. If you planned for your character to jump off a cliff and when you get to the scene it feels natural, then great, make that character jump. But if you've forced every word because that's what you planned and by golly you're the writer, STOP! Wait. Listen. What else could happen? If you were in your character's shoes, their skin, their mind, their heart, how would they act? How would they choose? It may take your story in a completely different direction, but it will be better. Great writing is about making great choices in both words and actions.

It takes practice to recognize and follow impulses. It's uncomfortable at first because you are vulnerable and it requires leaps of faith. But when you let go of that security and take the leap of faith, then your writing will be natural, spontaneous, and exciting.

Because Heaven forbid it should be flat!

Any experiences where you planned for one thing and then wrote something completely different?

Character and Setting

2010-09-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

I now live in Salt Lake City. It's where I grew up and it's all very nice, however, I'm reluctant to switch my location status from Chicago. I admit, I held some pride that I lived in a big city and I'm struggling to let that go. Plus I miss it. Give me a week or two.

But let's look on the bright side. My move has given me cause to reflect on how important setting is. Because my own setting has recently changed, I'm hyper-aware of how intricately connected setting is with character. We are, for the most part, products of our surroundings. We soak in what we see, hear, and experience and those things are what we become. When those things are changed, we change too. So if you like who you are, stay where you are. If you want to change, then move. If you don't know what you want then go sky-diving.

I'm having an identity crisis here, can you tell?

Setting itself can be thought of, not just as a stagnant place where characters can play out a scene, but as a character itself, ever evolving and affecting the characters, shaping their choices. Hogwarts Castle is constantly creating problems and solutions for the students. The moving staircases, the Womping Willow, the secret rooms and passageways. And if you don't have a magical world there's always the weather. Nothing shakes things up like Mother Nature!

So I'm curious to know how you develop your worlds or settings? Are you conscious of it at all or do you let it develop naturally, subconsciously even, with your story?

Distracted by Life

2010-08-23T08:36:00.000-07:00

In general I am pretty good about keeping to my writing routine. It takes a lot of discipline but I do my best to block everything else out in the evening (or whatever time I have) and just write. But sometimes there are things that put a significant stop to writing. Like Ginormous Life Changes. I have one of those.

We're moving. Back west to Salt Lake City. In one week.

This was a very unexpected change for us. I'm not going to go into all the personal details of why we're making this change but I will say I'm certain it's for the best. Still, it's a lot of change and it is consuming my brain! Selling our house, finding a new one, registering kids for school, movers, goodbyes, and just wondering what my life will be like back there. And I'm mourning the loss of Chicago. I love this city, my neighborhood, and my friends.

Even though I'm in a sea of change I would really like to be able to continue working on my latest story. I really don't want to lose momentum, but I'm afraid I'm not in the right frame of mind. It's difficult to focus!

So give me your advice please! How do you focus on your work when there are BIG distractions outside of it? How much do you let go? How much do you force yourself to get in gear? Somebody throw me a bone!