Sarah Skilton

So Your Critique Group's Awesome. Now What? How Do You Decide Which Notes to Implement?

2012-01-19T19:59:00.000-08:00

Just about every writing blog I follow has at some point addressed the importance of critique groups, and I couldn't agree more. They're vital to making your work shine. A good critique group can mean the difference between signing with an agent or not, or even landing a book deal or not. We all need other writers to point out inconsistencies, plot holes, info dumps or just plain bizarre/bad writing. We also need cheerleaders to encourage us and point out the moments they loved. The best beta readers are a combination of the two.

Assuming you already have a core group of committed critique partners whose opinions and advice you respect, it's still difficult to decide which notes to listen to, and which to ignore!

Here's how I go about figuring it out:

1. Is there a consensus about some aspect of the story? (Do 3 out of 3 AI judges agree?) Then take another look at the problem, even if you don't want to, even if it's a pain in the butt to fix. There's a reason they all brought it up spontaneously. It's a problem. Consider this a bonus. It makes things easier.

2. What does your gut tell you? Even if only one person sees a particular problem, that doesn't mean you can automatically disregard it. You can usually tell right away if he or she has hit a nerve. Did you feel defensive or self-concious when it was brought up? Were you secretly hoping nobody would notice it? It's probably worth changing or you wouldn't have had that reaction.

3. What does your gut tell you, part B: Is the reader trying to help you tell your story, or are they trying to help you tell the story they wish you had written? If the former, give it serious consideration. If the latter, don't worry about it and move on. Luckily, it's been a long time since I've run into this dilemma; my beta readers all seem to "get" my style and help me see it through. I'm super grateful for them!

How do you handle critiques? Do you follow the above guidelines or do you think I'm nuts?

My New Website & The Amazon Dilemma

2012-01-12T09:56:00.000-08:00

So in a frankly scary burst of energy last Saturday, I made myself a little website.

I'd had the domain name for years but hadn't done anything with it, and it was time to admit I was never going to code a site from scratch, no matter how much I pretended it was going to happen. I have basic html skills but no patience when it comes to design. I wanted something clean and colorful, where I could introduce myself and my book to the world, or at least to a corner of the web.

Next order of business: I know I'm late to the party, but I think this topic is worth revisiting.

Remember that super-annoying, condescending Slate article ("Don't Support Your Local Bookseller") late last year? I found some excellent rebuttals to it I'd like to share:

Why Independent Bookstores Matter by Rob W. Hart
More Books, More Choices: Why America Needs Its Indies by Rachel Meier

In Los Angeles, we have a thriving indie bookstore community (Skylight Books in Los Feliz; Vroman's in Pasadena; Book Soup in Hollywood; Diesel in Brentwood; and Libros Schmibros in Boyle Heights, to name a few). The Borders in my town has closed, and the Barnes & Noble near my office is about to. Driving 40 minutes to the nearest indie isn't always a possibility for me. I'd like to support local booksellers and I often do, but sometimes the convenience of Amazon lures me away.

How do you balance Amazon versus indie stores?

Do you have access to local booksellers in your neck of the woods?

Edited to add: for some reason this post went out twice, so I deleted one version. Sorry to lose the comments :(

Scout vs Francie: A Coming of Age Smackdown

2012-01-05T11:12:00.000-08:00

To kick off the new year, I decided to ditch YA for a little while and re-read some classic "adult" books. So of course I chose coming-of-age novels, ha. (YA wouldn't let me go so easily.)

Both are historical and both feature strong-willed young protagonists. As you've probably deduced from the title of the post (and, um, the images), the books I chose were To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.

Although Mockingbird won the Pulitzer, and is obviously well written, I (whispers) prefer Tree. It was a close call, but for me, Tree is a delight from the very first page, whereas Mockingbird takes a little while to get started. Don't get me wrong; the second half of the book is utterly amazing -- and pays off all the "slower" parts from the first half -- but it's not one I can read over and over the way I can Tree.

However, my opinions could certainly change over time, and once I'm older I might flip my position.

Have you read both books? Which do you prefer?

Need a refresher? Take my quiz and find out if you're more likely to dig Scout or Francie:

Quizzes by Quibblo.com | SnapApp Quiz Apps

12 Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2012

2011-12-29T13:09:00.000-08:00

This year I got to read some wonderful ARCs (Advance Reader Copies) of upcoming books, including Sarvenaz Tash's delightful Middle Grade novel, The Mapmaker and the Ghost (available 4/24/12); Jill Hathaway's Young Adult thriller Slide (available 3/27/12); and Diana Renn's fantastic Japan-set art mystery, Tokyo Heist (available 6/14/12)

Here are 12 Young Adult books I haven't read yet that I'm dying to get my hands on when they're released in 2012 (in alphabetical order by title; summaries from Publishers Marketplace):

1) Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Wolf
About a young woman healing from the car crash that killed her boyfriend while hiding the truth of their relationship.

2) Fracture by Megan Miranda
In which a girl survives a fall through the ice into a Maine lake and subsequent brain injury, only to discover that she now has a strange and frightening affinity with the dying.

3) Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne
A compelling, fast-paced paranormal thriller where Girl, Interrupted meets Beautiful Creatures.

4) Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
In which two teens, the school bad boy and a former member of the girls "in-crowd", are brought together by their court-ordered therapist and are determined to discover the secrets of their case files but neither foresaw the shattering consequences of learning the truth regarding their families or of falling in love.

5) Something Like Normal by Trish Doller
About a young Marine home from Afghanistan, dealing with PTSD and trying to find his place in a life that no longer fits.

6) Splintered by Anita Grace Howard
An urbanized gothic retelling of ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND, in which a sixteen-year-old descendant of Alice Liddell (real life inspiration for the Lewis Carroll novel), realizes the story was true when she is pulled into the darker side of Wonderland to fix the things her great-great-great grandmother Alice put wrong.

7) Starters by Lissa Price
The first in a futuristic thriller series featuring a society where youth is coveted at an impossible price, and one girls' ability to bring it all crumbling down.

8) Struck by Jennifer Bosworth
Set in earthquake-devastated Los Angeles, in which a seventeen-year-old human lightning-rod finds herself in the middle of a power struggle between two fanatical doomsday cults, one that wants to save the world, and another that wants to destroy it.

9) Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo
About a girl who must leave her best friend - and first love - behind to save her country from the growing darkness of the Unsea, but first she must contend with the kingdom's magical elite and their seductive and powerful leader, pitched as Graceling meets Tsarist Russia.

10) The Vanishing Game by Kate Kae Myers
A gothic suspense about a girl who receives a letter from her dead twin brother, forcing her to return to their eerie old foster home and to a guy she never thought she'd see again, in order to prove that her twin is alive.

11) Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe by Shelley Coriell
Pitched as THE BREAKFAST CLUB meets WKRP IN CINCINNATI, in which an ex-popular girl, forced to join the misfit staff of her high school's struggling radio station, dispenses relationship advice on a late night call-in show only to find she has a lot to learn about love, loneliness, and lasting friendships.

12) Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time graphic novel adaptation by Hope Larson, just in time for the 50th anniversary of this classic book! The illustrations are going to be fantastic.

It was almost impossible for me to narrow down the list to 12. Want more? Feast your eyes on the Apocalypsies' upcoming releases and swoon over the delectable artwork in the sidebar.

Year in Review: How did 2011 Stack Up?

2011-12-22T08:53:00.000-08:00

It's time to look back on the year and see what I accomplished. If you're feeling compare-y and contrast-y, check out my Year-End Stats for 2009 and 2010.

In December of 2010, here's what I hoped to accomplish in 2011:

"In 2011, my goals are to research, write and revise my newest YA novel, contribute to DearTeenMe.com, give audio books a real chance, and bring actual knitting back to my knitting group. I'd like to go jogging twice a week, and read at least 50 books, partially so I can surpass that goal."

Here's how my checklist turned out:

1. Wrote and revised a new YA novel? Yes!

2. Contributed to Dear Teen Me? Yes! You can read my letter here.

3. Gave audio books a real chance? No! Not even remotely! Didn't even try! Why am I using so many exclamation points!

4. Brought actual knitting back to my knitting group: Yes! Knitted two hats.

5. Went jogging twice a week? Hahahahahaha. (Wipes tear.)

6. Read at least 50 books? No! More like 45. Which is a drop from 2010 (when I read 62) and an even worse drop from 2009 (when I read 100). However... I did read a bunch of WIPs and ARCs from friends whose books are coming out in 2012, and I gave notes on manuscripts, and I also read 450 screenplays at work. So it's not like I wasn't reading. [/defensive]

Other Fun Stats (maybe I should've listed these first):

I sold my novel (wooooooooooo!), attended a fun writing conference in NYC (where I got to meet my agent, editor, and lots of cool writing peeps), and joined The Lucky 13s. Lastly, my husband and I have a fresh work-in-progress due early next year. (Before anyone freaks out, the imbibing photo above is old.)

How did your year stack up against your expectations?

What are your hopes for 2012?

One-Stop Shopping - A Compilation of "Best of 2011" Book Lists

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

To be honest I'm still working my way through January Magazine's Best of 2010 list, which was brilliantly categorized by genre, but for those who are a little more up-to-date and looking for 2011 picks (imagine that), I've compiled a wee list of links. Happy shopping!

Best Books of 2011

From the Christian Science Monitor (Which has nothing to do with Christianitiy or science)

From the NY Times (For people who want to impress their in-laws)

From GQ Magazine (A magazine my husband claims most men are neither gay enough nor straight enough to read)

From Slate Magazine (This list's got a nice mixture of fiction and non-fiction)

From The Guardian (For Anglophiles / people who really want to impress their in-laws)

From USA Today (For people who don't read. "See what books authors, from Laura Bush to James Patterson to Snooki, fondly remember as the best book they ever got for Christmas." (Must I? ;))

From Kirkus Reviews (A list of "Best Teen Books," and they look absolutely gorgeous)

What I Learned From NaNo, and an Interview with Miranda Kenneally

2011-12-01T07:39:00.000-08:00

Well hello there. It's been a few weeks! Here's what I learned in the month of November, which I spent revising my latest YA novel:

1. All first drafts are terrible.
2. This doesn't mean they will always be terrible.
3. Research is my friend.
4. Except when it isn't. (Too much can paralyze you.)
5. Knowing I have potential readers standing by was a powerful motivator. I don't want to let them down when the time comes to (gasp, horror) show this puppy to someone else.
6. When writing and revising is going well, there's nothing better.

Admit it, you bloodthirsty sharks: what you really want to know is, did I pass or fail National Novel Writing Month?

I'm going to give a non-answer, and there's nothing you can do about it. (Also, I didn't set out to write a novel, I set out to revise one, but, as they say on those Money Market shows, let's crunch the numbers.)

As I write this post, it's the evening of 11/30, the last day of the month, and I still have 25 pages (out of 250) to edit. So! 90% done, or an A-, but NaNo hard-liners will stamp FAIL on my forehead. However, I'd like to point out that I added nearly 7,000 words' worth of new material that I'm pretty proud of, and around the half-way mark of the month, I stopped hyperventilating / berating myself and started truly enjoying the process, which was a wonderful surprise.

My ultimate goal for the holiday season is to have a solid draft of this manuscript finished before the end of the year so I can get critiques in mid-December and January. On that front I believe I've succeeded. And now the real revisions can begin :)

Over at the Lucky 13s blog, I've posted my first interview for our Apocalypse Now series, in which we chat with 2012 debut authors about their Young Adult and Middle Grade books.

My pal and agency-mate, Miranda Kenneally, has a wonderful contemporary YA book, CATCHING JORDAN, out today. I was lucky enough to read an ARC of this exciting debut over the summer at the RWA Conference.

Miranda discusses her writing methods and other cool stuff right here. Happy Book Release Day!

NaNo Revision Mission

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

While many writers are click-clacking away for National Novel Writing Month, I'm spending my November in what my pal Sarvenaz Tash has dubbed NaNoRevMo: National Novel Revision Month. Joining me in this ~~experiment~~ courageous endeavor is fellow agency-mate Kat Brauer.

I spent January through August writing a new Young Adult novel, and then set it aside to edit BRUISED for Amulet Books. Now it's time to whip my new book into shape.

My grand plans got off to an inauspicious start when I printed the entire manuscript without setting page numbers first. Wheeeeeee!

With a full-time job, a baby on the way, and massive revisions ahead of me, I'm taking the next three weeks off from blogging. I'll still post to The Lucky 13s, though, and you can see my revision progress on Twitter. Follow me and I'll follow you back. I'm a follower.

Who else is committing to writing a novel or revising a new draft this November?

Happy writing, Happy Thanksgiving, and May the Caffeine Be With You.

See you back here December 1st!

A Photograph is Worth, Well, You Know

2011-10-27T10:01:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the blog Dear Photograph? Contributors return to the scenes of old family photographs and take new pictures there. In some cases they jot down what's changed in their lives or what they've learned in the interim. I love the concept, but I'm not crazy about the execution; the way the photos are framed (original images held by hand in front of updated location), it's almost impossible to tell whether it's the same place.

The site got me thinking about my WIP. For some reason I decided to set the story in a neighboring California town I've never been to. This was not terribly smart of me, but hey, at least I'm not alone in this manuever.

Stephenie Meyer famously set her Twilight series in Forks, Washington, before having set foot there. Rumor has it she Googled "rainiest town" or something and got Forks. In fact, Forks was apparently the original title for Twilight. (I'm picturing a fork in an apple for that first cover. Anyone else?) Now the Chamber of Commerce there has built an entire tourist industry around the books.

After I get my act together, I plan to hop on the freeway, visit my WIP's location and take a bunch of photographs for later use, so I can get a feel for the place as I write. I may call the town something different, but I'd like it to be drawn from reality.

Have you ever used photographs to help you with descriptions, setting and mood?

It's Too Late: You've Already Given Your Baby Alzheimer's

2011-10-20T20:26:00.000-07:00

I agree with the title of debut author Emma Price's upcoming book, "Never Google Baby." In fact, I advise against looking up anything to do with pregnancy or you'll be paralyzed with fear.

Even the most innocent question ("Is it okay to eat yogurt?") can lead you down a rabbit's hole of horror stories, either in the sidebar or as follow-up questions to an original post. (And I never claimed to be emotionally healthy to begin with.) Unfortunately, this glut of information isn't restricted to the Internet; baby books are terrifying, too.

Here are but a few precious pearls of wisdom I've collected on my journey so far:

1. Did you ingest caffeine, cigarette smoke, sushi, unpasteurized cheese or alcohol within a few short years of thinking about conceiving? It's too late: you've already given your baby Alzheimer's.

2. Being tired is perfectly normal. But if you're "too" tired, you might have gestational diabetes.

3. Having swollen feet is perfectly normal. But if they're "too" swollen, you might have edema.

4. Bleeding gums and bloody noses are perfectly normal. But if they're "too" bloody, you might have gingivitis, which triggers pre-term labor.

5. Backaches are perfectly normal. But if you're "too" achy, YOU'RE ABOUT TO GIVE BIRTH!

6. Feeling stressed out?* (Stress? Why on earth would I be stressed?) Book yourself a spa day. But never use nail polish, nail polish remover, makeup, sunscreen, moisturizer or deodorant. Those chemicals may harm your baby.

*By the way, stress is bad for the baby.

Do You Feel Lucky, Punk? Well, Do Ya?

2011-10-13T07:38:00.000-07:00

I've joined a new group for children's and YA authors with debut books launching in 2013. We're called the Lucky 13s and today -- the 13th, of course -- is our inaugural post. Come say hi and meet the other Thirteeners! Don't step on any sidewalk cracks.

Speaking of luck, we were very lucky to have our logo created by the talented Wendy Martin, an accomplished children's book illustrator.

I'll continue to blog here once a week, as well as once a month or more at the Lucky 13s blog. We'll be providing the inside scoop on what to expect during the year leading up to publication.

You can also follow us on Twitter for news about our books and the literary world at large.

Lastly, here is a photo of "Lucky" from General Hospital. You're welcome.

WeHo Book Fair

2011-10-06T22:02:00.000-07:00

I attended the West Hollywood Book Fair on Sunday to see some friends and to check out the Teen Stage, where current and upcoming Young Adult releases were showcased.

My favorite event was the live trailer for Carol Tanzman's Dancergirl, available this November, which featured a crazy-impressive dance routine choreographed by a high school actress. (When I was in high school I mostly watched TV.) I also enjoyed the YA Graphic Novel panel.

At the local independent bookstore booths, I was psyched to see my publisher, Amulet, well-represented. In fact, the shelves were dominated by Abrams and Amulet fare. I wanted to snatch up every single title.

Drool for yourself:

Can't wait to see what the cover for my book will look like next year...

Pilot Watch: Person of Interest

2011-09-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I blogged about the new shows I planned to watch this fall, based mostly on whether the programs were in any way connected to Lost.

The pilot episode for Person of Interest -- which is executive produced by JJ Abrams, so check mark there -- kept me guessing, and all the credit goes to screenwriter/creator Jonathan Nolan (best known for Dark Knight and Memento).

Twist #1: The thuggish weapons dealers from the teaser show up a second time as an integral part of the plot. Did not expect to see them again.

Twist #2: The group controlling the criminals, the group they're terrified of... aren't other gang members but corrupt cops.

Twist #3: The woman our heroes are trying to protect is actually the perpetrator; her colleague's the one in danger.

I didn't see any of the twists coming, and for that reason alone I was very impressed with the pilot script. However, it's one of those shows that requires willful suspension of disbelief.

The show centers on an eccentric billionaire (Michael Emerson) who teams up with a former CIA operative (Jim Caviezel) to prevent crimes before they happen. (How do they know what's going to happen? They receive flagged social security numbers from covert surveillance software created for the government after 9/11. Yeah.)

If you're willing to accept certain elements of the premise without thinking about them too much, it's definitely worth tuning in.

Now back into the editing cave I go!

There Are No Second Acts in American Lives (Unless You're "Two and a Half Men"?)

2011-09-22T14:12:00.000-07:00

On Monday, I intentionally watched Two and a Half Men for the first time (I'd seen it once before at the gym and couldn't escape). I was curious, from a writing standpoint, to see how they would jettison Charlie Sheen's character -- also named Charlie -- after eight seasons on the air, and introduce Ashton Kutcher's character (to record ratings, apparently).

We cold open with Charlie's closed-casket funeral, where a bunch of his ex-girlfriends hold court, excoriating the deceased by listing the variety of venereal diseases Charlie gave them before kicking off. It's revealed that his demise came about in Paris; he was pushed in front of a train and his "body exploded like a bag of meat."

To this, er, surprising revelation, the Half-Man, now a teen at this point in the show's run, pipes up with, "Is anyone else hungry, or is it just me?" [Cue theme song!]

OKAY WAIT. I get that this was series creator Chuck Lorre's turn to bash Charlie Sheen. I soooo get that, but, BUT. Is this really how the character is written off, after eight years? And is this really the kid's reaction to his uncle's murder? He's not even remotely troubled by this information, content instead to deliver a zinger in the teaser.

Charlie's brother (played by Jon Cryer/Ducky) is similarly unconcerned. As for Charlie's mom, she pretends to be mournful for about three seconds, but it's all just a set-up to another punch(me) line; she wants to make a commission by selling Charlie's house as soon as possible.

Dudes, this is America's #1 comedy.

I guess it's just not my kind of humor. Or maybe I've been spoiled by the likes of Arrested Development and How I Met Your Mother and can no longer abide so-called traditional, three-camera sitcoms.

For me, the best sitcoms -- Mary Tyler Moore, Cheers, Cosby, Murphy Brown, etc. -- always had a little bit of heart injected between jokes, those occasional moments of poignancy that are even more effective precisely because they stand in contrast to the humor. Sure, Seinfeld was populated by a bunch of selfish (funny) jerks, but you still believed they were Friends.* Their behavior was still traceable to that of Human Beings on Earth.

A more modern example of three-dimensional characters might be Louis CK's half-hour show on FX, which, while not a traditional sitcom, is, to me, the epitome of hilarious realism. The characters I saw on Two and Half Men weren't even trying to be flesh-and-blood people.

Anyway, continuing on through the next scene: Dharma & Greg (?!) make a random cameo, as does John Stamos, and then we're treated to a couple of fart jokes between Grandma and Half-Man. After that, Jon Cryer chats to Charlie's urn of ashes for a while, trying to figure out where to spread them.

Enter Ashton. The audience whoops like it's the 1970s and he's the Fonze. Speaking of, I actually liked Ashton on That '70s Show. (But I digress. Summarizing this episode makes me want to digress a lot.) ANYWAY, Ashton's appearance at the window startles Cryer, who flings Charlie's ashes in the air, where, he's sure to point out, they'll be Dust Bustered later. Wa-wa.

Ashton's character is suicidal, a heartbroken internet billionaire who becomes insta-pals with Cryer/Ducky. You see, Ashton tried to drown himself in the ocean but the water was cold. After a night of drinking, which ends in a threesome for Ashton, starring a couple of interchangeable bimbos who think it's sexy that he's sad, Ashton gets naked and blurred (for the second time) and hugs Cryer, just as Cryer's son walks in. It is hilarious.** Then Ashton decides to buy Cryer's house, thus saving the set from being torn down.

To be continued...

(Not me. That's what it said onscreen at the end of the episode. "To be continued..." But I'll just have to live with the fact that I'll never know what happens.)

Did anyone else tune in to the premiere? And for those who regularly watch, what am I missing? Is it usually better? I'm willing to be convinced.

* A show which may have had too much heart in the last few seasons. I definitely suffered Ross/Rachel fatigue by the end

** It's not hilarious

How a Dork Edits

2011-09-15T17:08:00.000-07:00

While reading my manuscript, I realized to my embarrassment that I apparently have difficulty depicting the difference between weeks or months passing, so it's not always clear when everything is happening. So one of the first things I did before diving in to revisions was print out blank calendars! Fun!*

I then proceeded to fill in every major event, the exact day it occurs. It was dorky but made me feel settled, and ready to edit.

P.S. The photo is deliberately blurry as opposed to my usual "accidentally blurry." Can't give away all my plot secrets.

*I'm not being sarcastic. It was really fun!

What Makes a Good Editorial Letter?

2011-09-08T10:24:00.000-07:00

My first editorial letter arrived last Friday from the fantastic Maggie Lehrman.

I was nervous to open it, but once I did, I found myself nodding my head like a madwoman and feeling a rush of excitement as I realized how much stronger Maggie's changes will make the story, and how well she knows the characters.

What makes the letter so good?

1. Praise goes a long way. Maggie started out by telling me her favorite parts, which immediately set me at ease and reminded me it's all going to be okay; she likes the book! That's why she bought it!

2. It's very organized: the perfect recipe for revisions. It doesn't jump all over the place; it's divided into categories so I can follow along easily and see how everything fits together. I'm confident if I follow instructions, I'll end up with a delicious cake.

3. It's clear and specific. Maggie didn't give me vague suggestions like, "fix the humor/emotion/tension/romance/mystery [insert attribute]"; she clearly laid out exactly what she felt might be improved, and then gave precise examples of how and why. As I read the letter, I could immediately picture what I needed to do. (Now it's just a matter of getting down to it...)

The next morning, I woke up early, ripped open my new package of red pens (see above), and started jotting feverish notes in the margins of scenes I wanted to flesh out or change. It's been exhilarating so far. I've got work ahead of me for sure, but Maggie's notes were so helpful and spot-on to me that I won't feel "right" about my manuscript until I've made these changes.

I feel very lucky to have an editor who believes in my writing and could see things in it that I didn't see, and who's willing to work with me to create the best version of the story possible.

What do you look for in critique notes or edits?

Dear Teen Me, and My First Online Interview

2011-09-01T21:50:00.000-07:00

Have you checked out Dear Teen Me yet? It's a place for authors to address their teen selves and offer advice, comfort, warnings, and occasional pleas (my favorite remains: "Don't perm your hair").

Earlier this week I contributed a post about vague teenage dysthymia and the heartbreak of cat allergies, complete with photos of my hairsprayed '80s bangs and "why did these exist" striped jean shorts. Even more exciting, the creators of Dear Teen Me announced their anthology book deal! Wish them well here.

A few days later, I sat down for an online video interview with the wonderful Jeff Rivera of Author Learning Center. Jeff was a terrific interviewer who immediately put me at ease, and he didn't seem put off by my "I'm still getting over a cold, fear me" voice.

We discussed my upcoming book Bruised and YA books in general, touching upon what elements might make YA compelling to readers and how to create realistic dialogue.

I'll let you know where and when to find the video once it's been edited (and auto-tuned, haha).

What I'm Watching on TV This Fall

2011-08-25T20:58:00.000-07:00

This is normally the time of year when I recap new episodes of Mad Men and rate them between 1 and 5 razor blades, but the show's not airing again till next February (!) so I instead I'll I'd devote this post to the fall TV season.

I'm choosing what programs to watch based solely on whether they have ties to the late, great Lost.

Just kidding. Or am I? With help from IMDB, here's my probable DVR schedule of new shows:

Best Potential Epic:

Once Upon a Time (Modern-day fairy tale from Consulting Producer Damon Lindelof, a Lost alumni who apparently wrote more eps of Lost than anyone else; starring Jennifer Morrison and Ginnifer Goodwin)

Best Opportunity for WB Nostalgia:

Ringer (starring Sarah Michelle Gellar as evil and possibly eviller twins, with Nestor Carbonell, aka Richard the creepy immortal from Lost)

Best (Future-)Crime Drama:

Person of Interest (starring Michael Emerson aka Ben/Henry from Lost)

I'm also interested in Awake, but it's a midseason replacement.

What new shows are you watching this fall, and how did you decide on them?

Three Things I Did Wrong to End up Where I am Today

2011-08-18T08:12:00.000-07:00

1. Worked for free.

What a chump, right? Let me explain. When I graduated college in 1999 and moved to L.A. to work in entertainment, I applied for dozens of entry-level jobs. All of them required experience, and the only way to get experience was to intern. It's an inherently unfair system that stacks the deck against people who can't afford to work for free, so I felt a bit guilty about going that route, but I was lucky to have parents who were willing and able to support me for three months while I worked at a talent management company at precisely $0/per day. The internship led to a job in TV production, and the TV production job led to the job I hold today.

Cut to 2009. I was researching lit agents online and sending off queries when lo and behold, I noticed one of my bosses from the internship ten years before was affiliated with an agency I really hoped to impress. The boss and I had kept in touch, so I asked if I could use her as a referral, and I included her name in the email subject line of my query. The agency I hoped to impress was Nelson Lit, and I got a partial request the next day. If my writing sample had sucked, none of that would've mattered but I do think name-dropping a trusted source helped speed up the process.

2. Wrote in the wrong genre.

I spent four months turning a college-set screenplay into what I thought might be a YA novel. Halfway through adapting it, I heard about a panel at a local bookstore featuring a Q&A session with established YA authors. I decided to go, so I could ask them about my story and have experts confirm how brilliant it was. Ha! Every single writer there told me in no uncertain terms you can't write about college in YA books.

Shocked, I scrapped the "brilliant" project and began writing something entirely different (the book I would eventually sell, with my wonderful agent at the helm of course). At the panel, I met people in the audience who would go on to become friends and critique partners of mine. If I hadn't done the wrong thing (and naively sought to have it validated), I wouldn't have met people who ended up being integral to my journey, nor would I have started a new project.

3. Took a day-job as a writer.

I recently read an article in a writing magazine that named the best jobs for writers. Teaching was listed first. Also recommended were office jobs and temp work, something you can leave behind at the end of the day. The only job they specifically advised against was the one I have: reading and writing. I read screenplays and create character descriptions for a living, and then I go home and read and write novels.

The article stipulated it was a bad idea because I'd have nothing to draw from and no clear cut break from my two jobs. I'll admit I get a bit tired of typing, but I love reading regardless of the format and I love my day job, and if I had to spend 8 hours a day (plus the commute) doing something I didn't enjoy, it would be very difficult to muster up the ability to create.

So there you have it. Three bad things I did that ended up leading (eventually...) to publication. Following the "rules" is overrated.

Or maybe I'm just a slow learner.

In your writing journey, have you made mistakes that later turned out to be blessings?

Night Writer

2011-08-11T08:40:00.000-07:00

The other week, my friend and agency-mate Natalie blogged about writing something every day, regardless of how much time you have, and not worrying whether you write a sentence, a paragraph, a page or multiple pages.

I took her words to heart because I realized I've been throwing in the towel way too easily on days that aren't "perfect" for writing. I've gotten it into my head that I AM A MORNING WRITER AND CANNOT WRITE AT NIGHT. IT MUST EVER BE THUS.

I'm fine with doing research at night, or brainstorming in a notebook, but actually opening up the (gasp) document and adding to it is off limits for some reason, so for years I've stuck to morning-only typing. In the morning, my mind seems clearer and more open to creativity, uncluttered by the events of the day because there have been no events. At night, I'm tired from work, and tired from my commute, and I really just want to curl up on the couch with a Millionaire Matchmaker marathon (the episode I caught recently with Patty's parents was priceless).

But some mornings I want, or need, to sleep in. Unfortunately, I also want to finish what I'm working on, and if I'm not writing as often in the mornings, how am I supposed to do it?

Two weeks ago I dared to break my No Typing at Night rule. I know, I am crazy adventurous.

The first few tries were tough. I splashed cold water on my face, sat in my desk chair, shut my ears to the TV's siren song, and managed to barely, and painfully, churn out 500 words over a two hour period. Slow but steady progress was made.

After another week or so, I got the hang of it, and last weekend, I wrote 6,000 words, all in the afternoon/evening. In fact, I finished the draft! But if I'd stuck to my Mornings-Only rule I'd still be floundering, and beating myself up for not being done yet.

Do you have rules about when and where you can write?

Weekend of YA Events

2011-08-04T20:25:00.000-07:00

Wow hey this weekend is jam-packed with YA and MG writing events.

If I'm feeling ambitious, here's what I'll be up to*:

Friday Night, Century City - Crash the SCBWI Summer Conference and meet up with some fellow Apocalypsies

Saturday, 9am PST / Noon EST, at the computer - Marbury Lens book chat with author Andrew Smith (read the book a few weeks ago and can't get it out of my mind. Plus I have questions. I think). Follow along at Evil Editor's blog.

Saturday, 2 pm, Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena - Elise Allen is signing copies of her new book Populazzi

Sunday Night - Kidlit Drinks at Pink Taco, back in Century City.

*No guarantee of ambitions, but I'll definitely be at Vroman's and definitely at the Marbury Lens chat

"The Magicians" Redux

2011-07-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

(The following pseudo-essay contains spoilers for Lev Grossman's 2009 novel, The Magicians. It does not contain spoilers for the sequel, The Magician King, which is due out August 9th.)

I had a love/hate relationship with The Magicians a few years ago.

I loved the writing, but the ending of the book (literally the last page) infuriated me. Also, I felt like the inside jacket flap gave away absolutely everything about the plot. See me rail about that here.

When I found out there'd be a sequel to the book, I was conflicted. Do I read?? (How can I not??) I finally decided to re-read the first book this weekend in preparation for the second, and to my surprise, I found the experience to be completely different than it was two years ago. I wholeheartedly enjoyed the experience.

Reading the book this time around, I was able to distance myself from the emotional aspects that had overpowered me last time. I realize these are somewhat arbitrary and bizarre things to fixate on, but you'll see why in a second: I, too, went to college in upstate New York. The boy I met at 19 (who eventually became my husband) is a magician who can do all the things Quentin does for his entrance exam. We, too, didn't date immediately but after a couple years of friendship and classes together. I also lived in a house off-campus with 4 other people, like the Physical Kids. As a result, after Quentin and Alice cheat on each other, I had a hard time concentrating on Fillory; I was that upset. The ennui and depression Quentin faces were familiar as well. And because Quentin's mistakes and decisions were so boneheadedly realistic, they hurt that much more to read about.

This time I focused on the whole story and didn't fixate on the character interactions as much. Since I knew betrayals were coming, I was able to shrug them off and better appreciate the intricate plot threads and call-backs to cleverly laid out clues.

Most importantly, I no longer dislike the ending -- it makes sense to me now, and I was relieved, in fact, that it didn't end the way I believed it should have before. See, the first time I read the book, I thought the "lesson" (for lack of a better word) was that you can't live in Fillory / Fillory-substitute-allegory / Fantasy Land / Childhood forever -- you must eventually leave; you must eventually grow up.

Martin Chatwin decided to live in Fillory forever and it warped him into a hideous monster. Quentin, who used to envy Martin his ability to leave the real world behind, comes to realize what a mistake it was. Because Quentin does leave (as a broken man who has suffered great losses and become a momentarily wiser person because of it) I figured that was his arc; he'd avoided Martin's fate. So when his friends show up, flying outside the office window, and invite him back to rule Fillory, I was like YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. I felt it ruined everything that had come before.

This time, however, it felt satisfying to me -- I was able to see that Quentin had still grown, he had learned things, and Emily Greenstreet was wrong; magic hadn't ruined everything. It was the people who'd ruined things, as people often do*. So now I find myself eagerly anticipating the next book. Hurry up, August 9th!

(This time I will avoid the inside jacket flap and all Amazon summaries.)

Have you ever re-read a book a few years later and had a completely different experience with it?

*This doesn't mean I believe the adage about guns being blameless, btw.

How the Storytelling in Documentaries Helps My Writing

2011-07-21T09:04:00.000-07:00

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." - Robert Burns

I watched two documentaries last week that were vastly different but shared a common storytelling thread: the protagonists' plans went heartbreakingly wrong. One was darkly comedic, the other tragic-yet-inevitable.

The first, Catfish, concerned a series of online relationships, including a romance, that turned out to be false or at least deeply misleading. The slow reveal was filled with tension, dread, and even an awful kind of humor as the protag and his friends paid a surprise visit to their internet friend's family and scrambled to figure out what was really going on.

The second documentary, Last Train Home, involved a modern Chinese family's disintegration. The parents had made the impossible decision, 16 years prior, to leave the country and find factory work in the city. Their plan was to send money home to fund their children's education so the youngsters could go to university someday and never have to work in a factory.

So what happens? The oldest, a teenage girl, resents her mom and dad for not raising her and decides to rebel by quitting school, heading to the city, and... working in a factory. You could see it coming, and yet you hoped it wouldn't be so.

I love documentaries because they provide a refreshing, even jarring, change of pace to the usual movie experience. There are fewer tropes, fewer predictable outcomes, and occasionally better dialogue and more authentic human interaction, even if it's painful, awkward or even boring at times.

Just like with sports, you don't know what's going to happen, and there's absolutely no guarantee of a happy or tidy ending. At the same time, the directors and editors frame the events in such a way that audiences can see structure and purpose to the story.

With Last Train Home in particular, I was reminded that the best stories often have a deceptively simple premise (parents try to make a better life for their children; children don't understand the behavior and resent it) that can be rich and full.

Seen any good documentaries lately? Did they help with your novel writing, or remind you that going "off-book" can be a good thing?

P.S. Edited to add: Lest you think I'm a dirty rotten spoiler, the plot points I've mentioned above happen fairly early on in each documentary.

RWA Conference Photo Journal, Part Two

2011-07-14T08:33:00.000-07:00

My New York City adventure continues, wheee. Just to back track for a second, here's the hotel where the RWA conference took place:

Which is right smack in the center of Times Square:

However, that's not where I stayed, because the amazing Sarvenaz Tash (author of The Mapmaker and the Ghost, coming out April 2012) allowed me and Miranda to crash at her uber cool pad in Brooklyn. As a result, I got to experience parts of the city I'd never been to before. One of my all-time favorite books is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, so I was delighted to finally check the place out.

But back to the timeline.

Wednesday Morning: Sara Megibow's clients met up at the Marriott for coffee. It was really fun hanging out with everyone and chatting business and writing.

Below, top row from left to right: Aislinn McNamara, Roni Loren, Ashley March, Tiffany Reisz.
Bottom row, from left to right: Me, Allison Rushby (who traveled to NY from Australia!), Sara Megibow, and Steve Vera, who has lived an extraordinary life.

Not pictured is Miranda Kenneally, who had left a moment earlier to pick up some ARCs of her debut YA novel, Catching Jordan. Observe the gorgeousness:

Wednesday, Noon: I had lunch with Sarv, Miranda, and the lovely Katie McGarry, another Apocalypsie. I loved hearing about her upcoming book, Pushing the Limits (yay contemporary YA!). Then it was off to a rousing matinee at the theatre.

Wednesday Night: Allison, Sara, Miranda and I attended the YARWA event, with an all-editor panel. I mingled with some writers and snarfed several plates' worth of appetizers. We called it an early night to head back to Brooklyn, where Sarv treated us to a tour of her neighborhood.

Check out the Brooklyn Public Library:

Not to mention the awesome Brooklyn Museum:

Next up was a Doctor Who-themed bar. Because it had a TARDIS.

I used a sonic screwdriver to open it and reveal the depths -- okay, bathroom -- beyond.

Thursday Morning: At this point I figured I should, you know, attend a conference event. The two biggest YA-related events were conveniently scheduled one after the other. I checked out "The Y.A. Romance Market: Advice from the Pros" (with Kristin Nelson, Rosemary Clement-Moore, Caridad Ferrer, and Aubrey Poole) and "Writing the Y.A. Bestseller" (with authors Simone Elkeles and David Levithan).

After that I had a hilarious lunch with Kristen Callihan and Lindsay Mergens, who helped me figure out how to walk to Central Park (a mere 13 blocks away).

I rested in the park and then got lost on the subway trying to get down to NYU. (How First Season Felicity of me.)

Thursday Night: I caught up with a college friend and saw another play (Through a Glass Darkly starring Carey Mulligan, whom I knew was brilliant from the film An Education. If you haven't seen it, go add it to your Netflix queue. Unless you've quit Netflix because of the 60% price hike announced this week.)

Friday Morning: Breakfast with Sarv at Tom's Restaurant (the inspiration for that Suzanne Vega song -- got it stuck in your head yet?).

Then I headed back to Manhattan for lunch with Sara Megibow and my super cool editor, Maggie Lehrman, who is wicked smart and so fun to chat with.

Here's me at the mod Abrams offices. I also swiped a copy of the Amulet Fall 2011 catalog; every cover looks like delicious candy to me. I absolutely love the artwork for the upcoming books.

Friday Afternoon/Night: My flight from Newark got canceled and moved to JFK airport -- for the next morning with a layover (woooo!) So they had to give me hotel vouchers, roundtrip car vouchers, and meal vouchers. But the hotels at JFK were all booked, so they sent me to LaGuardia. I got to the hotel in Flushing, and on the front desk was a print-out with weather information. How's this for existential:

In case you can't see it clearly, it says, "Today will be about the same as yesterday."

Luckily, that was not the case for me in New York -- every day was uniquely wonderful and I had a blast at the conference. Thanks for flipping through the digital album with me.

RWA Conference Photo Journal, Part One

2011-07-07T09:31:00.000-07:00

Let me preface this by saying I only got my iPhone two months ago; I'm still learning how to use it; and the photos I take with it lean toward everyone's favorite style: low lighting / slightly-out-of-focus. Still here? Then please enjoy my wacky adventures in the city!

Last week I hit the Romance Writers of America conference in New York. It was beyond cool.

But first I stopped in Virginia to visit a college friend, Robyn, and her son and daughter, ages 5 and 6. Robyn is the only person with whom I regularly exchange good old fashioned snail mail. She and her family live in Staunton (pronounced Stanton, or they'll know you're not a local).

Saturday: I arrived at 10 pm in Washington. The Dulles Airport was empty, and eerily beautiful at night:

Sunday: both of Robyn's kids had organized dueling tea parties (the regular kind; as far as I know, they're not politically active kindergartners). I divided my time equally between both soirees, but this did not prevent violence from breaking out. The calm before the storm:

While Robyn's husband watched the kids, Robyn and I strolled around outside and headed to downtown Staunton for lunch.

The town was beautiful! No chain stores, just rows and rows of gorgeous brick buildings and Mom & Pop establishments, including a heavenly gelato parlor and a stunning toy and bookstore for children, Pufferbellies.

Monday: we explored more of the town, including the railroad station.

Tuesday: I left for New York City via Charlottesville, VA. The Amtrak was really comfortable and the 6-hour train ride flew by. I read A.S. King's "Please Ignore Vera Dietz", which made me cry in public.

Tuesday Night: my lit agency, Nelson Literary, threw a cocktail party at the rooftop of 230 5th Avenue.

I met my wonderful agent Sara Megibow for the first time, as well as agency president Kristin Nelson, marketing director Lindsay Mergens and literary assistant Anita Mumm, not to mention writer Miranda Kenneally and several other Nelson Agency authors. It was like my Twitter feed had come to life and surrounded me, drinks in hand.

I'm afraid of heights, so I kept to the center at all times, but the view from the top was amazing! There's the Empire State Building:

Below, from left to right: Kristen Callihan, Lindsay Mergens, me, Tiffany Reisz (and guest Alyssa Palmer), Roni Loren, and Kristin Nelson.

Next week, Part Two of my trip continues with a Team Megibow coffee chat, a tour of Brooklyn with the lovely and generous Sarvenaz Tash, a musical, a play, lunch with my editor Maggie Lehrman, and -- GASP -- an actual conference event (or two!?)

Perhaps most importantly, I figure out how to use the flash on my camera so photos like the one above stop happening.

Off to RWA

2011-06-24T10:04:00.000-07:00

So this week got all cattywampus. I usually update my blog on Thursdays, but with my book announcement on Monday and work and packing and other life stuff, I kind of forgot, and now it's Friday and I'm heading to the East Coast to see some college friends and attend the RWA conference, wheee.

I'm meeting my agent for the first time (!!), as well as a bunch of agency mates, new writing friends, and my editor.

I'll be back here on July 7th with lots of scoop from the conference, but if you'd like the scoop from NYC in real time, follow me on Twitter (@Sarah_Skilton). See you in a few weeks!

Book Deal!

2011-06-20T08:43:00.000-07:00

Guess what: My wonderful agent Sara Megibow sold my debut YA novel, Bruised, to the fabulous Maggie Lehrman at Amulet Books.

Now here's the same info in a different format, because Publishers Marketplace makes it look so pretty and official:


		Children's: Young Adult		Sarah Skilton's debut BRUISED, about a 16-year-old girl with a black belt in martial arts who freezes up at an armed robbery and is left wondering if martial arts failed her or if she failed it, to Maggie Lehrman at Amulet, in a nice deal, for publication in 2012, by Sara Megibow of Nelson Literary Agency (World).

Next week, I'll share the same info in Esperanto, and the week after that, I'll share it in an interpretive dance vlog.

(Just kidding; little bit giddy.)

Huge thanks to my friends for reading early drafts of the novel (sometimes multiple times...), and of course my family for their love and support. My husband Joe deserves special commendation for giving me so many pep talks the last couple years, through first drafts to querying to submissions.

I couldn't be more excited to work with Maggie, and I'm so grateful to Sara for her all her hard work.

Really looking forward to sharing Bruised with new readers next year. I hope you like it! :)

Recommend Read: "Chiggers" by Hope Larson

2011-06-16T18:31:00.000-07:00

I'm a little embarrassed to admit I haven't read many graphic novels. I mean, I've read the ones everyone reads (Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, Art Spiegelman's Maus, and Alison Bechdel's Fun Home...) but otherwise my repertoire is sadly limited.

Which is strange, because I used to love comics. When I visited my grandma in England as a kid during the 1980s*, I'd devour Asterix and Obelix stories, and I had monthly subscriptions to Heathcliff and The Get-Along Gang comics (if anyone else remembers the bizarreness that was the Get-Along Gang, WE MUST TALK). I also read various Archie digests and went through an X-men phase in high school and early college.

So why didn't I transition to graphic novels? It's a mystery, and one I'd like to rectify.

Last week I read Hope Larson's fantastic summer camp-set YA graphic novel, Chiggers. There's not a single moment in the book that isn't authentic. Right from the first line of narration -- "Being the first one at camp is like waking up first at a slumber party" -- I knew it was for me.

Everything about the story feels real, from the friendships, to the crushes, to worrying about whether you're normal, to befriending the "weird, possibly lying" new bunkmate no one else likes, to playing capture the flag and navigating the mess hall. Plus there's bonus material like diagrams on how to make a friendship bracelet, and the artwork is expressive and innovative, whether depicting the passage of time or mocking a parent's opinion about the evils of breaded food.

Read any good graphic novels lately? I'd love some recommendations.

*a fact which means I can never donate blood. I know because I've tried. So what do British people do?

Recommended Viewing: "Somewhere" Written & Directed by Sofia Coppola

2011-06-09T22:01:00.000-07:00

Lost in Translation is one of my favorite films. I think it perfectly captures not only the bewilderment and beauty of visiting a foreign country, but also the ennui that comes from mid-life crises and post-college crises, when you either regret how you've spent your life so far, or you can't figure out who you're supposed to be.

This line never ceases to make me laugh:

Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson): "I tried being a writer but I hate what I write. I tried taking pictures, but they were so mediocre. I guess every girl goes through a photography phase. You know, horses... taking pictures of your feet."

Despite my love for the film, I was reluctant to watch Ms. Coppola's most recent project, Somewhere, because I feared it would be more of the same, yet less of what was so great about Lost in Translation.

There are a few obvious similarities. A movie star (this time played by Stephen Dorff instead of Bill Murray) lives in a hotel, drifting through his pampered, rather absurd life without purpose. And yes, once again he's jolted out of his stupor by a "younger woman" (his 11-year-old daughter Cleo, play by Elle Fanning).

The performances are terrific, and I especially appreciated the way the film was bookended. We begin with a static partial shot of a race track, and watch as Dorff, in his expensive and noisy Ferrari, speeds around it (briefly out of sight) four times. The symbolism is clear: he's going nowhere; he's going in circles.

The final shot (spoiler alert) is Dorff in the same car, alone again, but driving out of the city, out onto the open road, going somewhere at last. And when he exits the car this time, there's a hint of a smile on his face.

When I write novels or short stories, I aspire to make my endings relate directly to my beginnings -- either by referring back to the opening imagery, or using similar allusions so the story feels like it's come full circle.

Do you believe endings should directly reference beginnings, or do you think it should be up to readers to interpret any potential parallels for themselves?

New Twists on Old Classics

2011-06-02T17:31:00.000-07:00

Don't worry, I'm not randomly launching a screed against New Coke twenty-five years after the fact. I'm talking about the FX show Sons of Anarchy, aka "Hamlet on a Harley." Series creator Kurt Sutter took the basic premise of Hamlet and set it in a biker gang. How brilliant is that?

Current leader Clay (Ron Perlman) is Claudius; his wife Gemma (Katey Sagal) is a modern-day Gertrude; and her son Jax (Charlie Hunnam) is the "prince" and would-be heir who wavers in his committment to the club and senses something rotten his father's demise.

I think the reason the concept appeals to me so much is because A) it's unexpected and B) the roots of the story are so powerful that they really will work in any environment. Even though I know how Hamlet ends, it's fascinating to watch the tale unfold within the framework of a biker gang.

It's why I enjoyed Amy Heckerling's Clueless (which is basically Jane Austen's Emma for Valley Girls) and the 1999 film 10 Things I Hate About You (which is The Taming of the Shrew in high school).

Have you ever considered taking a classic or well-known story and placing it in a modern setting?

Is there any bizarre combo you'd like to see? (King Lear in the fashion industry?)

How do you jumpstart a scene?

2011-05-26T21:27:00.000-07:00

In regard to plot stagnation, Raymond Chandler famously said, "When in doubt, have a man come through a door with a gun in his hand."

TV Tropes has a lot of fun discussing what they've dubbed "Chandler's Law," and comparing it to parallel plot devices in TV, comics, films and video games. I've heard that NaNoWriMo participants often run out of steam during the second week, and have to rely on quick, sometimes outrageous plot devises to keep their "writer's high" (and word count) going. The only time I attempted NaNo, I didn't even make it through the first week, so I'm not exactly an expert.

When your story doesn't seem to want to move forward, how do you jumpstart it? Have you ever used the same fix twice? Did it work?

When it Comes to First Drafts, What Kind of Writer Are You?

2011-05-19T08:14:00.000-07:00

If you haven't already seen it, I highly recommend you check out Jennifer Wolf's recent blog post on Pantsers vs Outliners (i.e. the difference between people who write by the seat of their pants, and those who prefer to outline). It reminded me of a conversation I had this past weekend with the lovely Kristen Kittscher, who recently sold her middle-grade mystery. We were discussing the different ways one can write a first draft.

I also polled some of my Writing Night pals (thanks, Amy, Hope and Jen!) and they were split. One prefers to jump in and enjoy the discovery of seeing where the story goes; another prefers to outline, and the third does a combination of the two, depending on the project. Here are the different categories I believe people fall into when it comes to first drafts:

The Perpetual Starter - You have twenty stories you want to write, and none that you want to finish (this was me last year)

The Polisher - You rewrite the beginning 17,000 times before you feel "right" continuing (this is me now)

Quick Like a Bunny - You churn out 5,000 words a day for several weeks and have yourself a first draft within a month (sadly, I have never been this person and probably never will be)

The Jumper - You jump from scene to scene, writing your favorite or most important moments first, and then fill in the blanks later (I don't often do this, but I know it works for some)

I've come to accept the fact that I'm not a fast first-drafter. Sure, I have moments of "Must sit down and write this scene now! GO GO GO!" inspirational frenzies, but for the most part, I'm a Polisher, sometimes to my benefit and sometimes to my detriment.

When you write your first draft, do you fit into any of the categories above? Are there types that I'm missing?

Pitch the Book You'd Want to Read

2011-05-05T21:01:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago a friend asked me what my new project was about, and before I realized what I was doing, I'd typed up a paragraph synopsis that sounded pretty awesome.

Too awesome, in fact. It wasn't accurate! Some of the elements I'd mentioned weren't even part of the story, or at least not yet. I didn't do it on purpose. By wanting the story to sound as intriguing as possible, I'd overshot. That's when I realized I hadn't pitched my project. I'd pitched the project I wanted to be writing.

It sounded better in the paragraph than it did so far on the page, and I vowed to make my manuscript live up to my pitch. Maybe that's a backwards way of going about it, but by giving myself a succinct challenge ("I must hit elements A, B, C and D in the novel or it won't reflect the logline"), I at least guarantee myself a draft in which I include all my favorite parts. Will it work, or will it be terrible? Stay tuned.

Have you ever pitched a partial manuscript? If you do pitch your project before you're done writing it, are you ever surprised by your own synopsis? Has it ever led you in a new direction?

7 Random Facts and 7 Wondrous Bloggers

2011-04-28T06:52:00.000-07:00

My new blogging buddy Sophia the Writer has kindly dubbed me a Versatile Blogger. What does this mean? It means, among other things, I get a purty award to display!

It also means I have a mission to fulfill.

The rules for this award are:

Thank and link to the person who nominated me.
Share seven random facts about myself.
Pass the award along to 15 new-found blogging buddies.
Contact those buddies to congratulate them.

Seven Random Facts About Me:

1. My mom's side of the family is British, and my mom was born and raised in Lusaka, Zambia. When I was 16, I spent part of my summer there. My aunt still lives in Africa.

2. As kids, my older sister and I didn't play "Barbie and Ken"; we played "Diane and Charles." (I don't know why she was Diane instead of Diana. Maybe we thought the name Diane was more American?) BUT YES, WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE ROYAL WEDDING TOMORROW. WHY DO YOU ASK?

3. I'm a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and Hap Ki Do.

4. My husband thinks I have an iron stomach and fears for me. I can eat expired or otherwise "bad" food and drink and somehow emerge unscathed.

5. When I was in junior high and high school, I kept detailed notecards about every Cheers episode I saw, including my favorite quotes.

6. In 2008, I was in a car accident that shook me up so much I rode the bus everywhere for 3 months. In L.A. this is considered eccentric. It sometimes took hours to get places that were normally 25 minutes away.

7. I once modeled in a catalog for chef wear. This is not kinky or a code for anything. It's exactly how it sounds: caps, polo shirts, chef hats and aprons. I think the market was restaurant owners. (I nearly posted pics here but I don't want it to be what pops up on Google images until the end of time. If you'd like to see the evidence, email me, but remember, the photos can't be un-seen.)

Anyone still here after that chilling and sobering glimpse into my past?

To those who remain, here's another confession: I love receiving awards but I'm also kind of a lazy ass who's supposed to be packing for a trip right now, so I'm cutting my mission (more than) in half and linking to 7 lovely bloggers instead of 15. Did I break the chain? I hope there's no curse associated with this kind of loose cannon behavior, because I'd really love to give a sincere shout-out to the extremely cool writers I've met recently, both online and in person.

New Blogging Buddies:

1. Sarvenaz Tash and I share eerily, giddily similar obscure pop culture references. She's a generous, super-fun middle-grade novelist and terrific screenwriter. I know because we've swapped scripts! She held a hilarious Geek-Off recently on her blog that made me realize I need to work harder to claim any title of geek. I believe I'm up to the challenge, however.

2. Leigh Bardugo has a suh-weeet sounding YA fantasy novel (The Grisha) coming out next year, and she met up with me in my old 'hood for drinks and laughs a while back. I'm devouring her analysis (of the analysis...) of HBO's Game of Thrones. She also rocks amazing boots.

3. Sarah Maas is another fabulous YA fantasy novelist I had the pleasure of chatting with recently. Her description of her book, Queen of Glass, in which Cinderella is an assassin, blew my mind and made me delirious to get my hands on it.

4. Alyssa Linn Palmer writes luscious Parisian noir and I'm hoping beyond hope to get her take on my WIP some day!

5. Samuel Park used to run a blog called "Daily Pep for Writers" that I really respected and enjoyed. He's shifted his focus, and rightfully so, to publicizing his novel This Burns My Heart, but he'll be reposting some of his best "Pep" discussions soon and I can't recommend his site enough.

6. Kara Lucas delivers thought-provoking and insightful blog posts on the writing process and motherhood, and I think we're a lot alike when it comes to our gut reactions to Twitter and "new media" in general. I'm looking forward to getting to know Kara better and hearing about her books.

7. Kat Brauer is a new agency mate and spiffy YA author who's raising funds for clean, healthy water in exchange for writing critiques from pros. She lives in Japan, which I think is beyond cool!

I feel lucky and blessed to have met so many lovely writers this year. This is an incomplete list, and I hope to acknowledge more people as time allows. Those I've tagged, feel free to claim your award, list your 7 fun facts and award 15 others if you are so inclined. No pressure, of course. And feel equally free to pull a Sarah and pervert the chain by assigning arbitrary numbers to the task.

(Sophia, are you sure you still want to meet me? :)

Soccer & Writing: When Supporting Players Take Over the Field

2011-04-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

When I saw the team lineup for Sunday's L.A. Galaxy game, I was worried and, to be honest, kind of annoyed. I got into soccer last summer because I wanted to follow the further adventures of Galaxy team captain Landon Donovan after his excellent showing at the World Cup.

Impossible as this may seem, I'd forgotten at the time that David Beckham was also with the Galaxy, partially because I'd shunned from my mind the "Posh & Becks" reality show Coming to America, and partially because he was injured for most of last season. I quickly became spoiled by his presence, however, so when he, Donovan, and several of the other Galaxy headliners were absent on Sunday, I panicked. Seemed like everyone good was either suspended because of yellow card accumulations or resting up after injuries. "Aggh, we're going to get murdered," I thought, settling in for an afternoon of pain.

A minute later, however, I was thrilled to realize that A) last year's talented rookie, Stephens, who normally only gets a few minutes per game, would be starting and B) I would get to meet a bunch of players I'd never seen before, who are rarely afforded a chance to play at all.

And guess what? They were fantastic. They beat Chicago 2-1. I find myself allllmost curious how the team would do without its "stars" for the rest of the season.

I had a similar situation with my WIP recently. Having written 100 pages, I realized that one of the smaller roles was the most interesting to me, and deserved a deeper exploration of his motivation and background, especially since the character's relationship with my lead was central to the heart of the story. So I set the 100 pages aside and pulled up my original opening, which included the smaller role earlier on. It's going to take some work to start over, but I'm really excited about this development.

Have any of your supporting roles ever asserted themselves into a larger role? Have they ever taken over the story completely? Did they surprise you with what they brought to the narrative? I'd love to hear how you worked them in.

Support Teen Literature Day

2011-04-14T08:49:00.000-07:00

Today's been dubbed "Support Teen Literature Day"* by YALSA (Young Adults Library Services Association). "The purpose of this celebration is to raise awareness among the general public that young adult literature is a vibrant, growing genre with much to offer today's teens."

There are lots of ways to show your love for Young Adult novels, and I'd like to show my support by recommending some great YA-related blogs. These are blogs I discovered recently, and also blogs I've been visiting for the past year or two:

YA Fresh (interviews, book gossip, giveaways and chats run by two YA authors)
Elevensies (a place to discover and support authors whose YA or MG debuts are happening THIS YEAR, MAYBE EVEN RIGHT THIS MINUTE!)
Apocalypsies (an introduction to authors whose YA or MG debut books will be released in late 2011 through early 2013, wooooooooo!)
Dear Teen Me (showcases truly amazing - and brave - high school photos, and poignant, heartfelt, sometimes humorous letters from YA authors to their teen selves)
Undercover Book Lover (book reviews, author interviews, and character interviews -- fun! Also a cute new weekly category of posts, A Match Made in (YA) Fiction, "which features a couple where the girl and the guy are from different young adult books.")
YA Books Central (hundreds of archives from 2005- the present, featuring 12 different contributors, including a teenage reviewer)
Book Chic Club (YA reviews from a 24-year-old male; great to see a new and different perspective!)

*Thanks for the scoop, Mom :)

Down These Mean Streets a Boy YA Protagonist Must Go

2011-04-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

Verrrrrrry interesting discussion at the #kidlitchat (held every Thursday at 9pm Eastern) on Twitter a few nights ago. Among the topics discussed was male POV in YA books, as well as the possible differences between male and female authors' depictions of boy characters.

One Tweeter mentioned that whenever a teenage boy narrator spends too much time describing someone's clothes, it throws him or her out of the story because it doesn't feel real; while I agree to a certain extent, I also find it ironic that in that most "male" of genres, the hardboiled detective story (as exemplified by Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett), descriptions of people's clothing occur frequently.

Here's an example from Raymond Chandler's classic noir, "The Long Goodbye":

"She was slim and quite tall in a white linen tailormade with a black and white polka-dotted scarf around her throat. Her hair was the pale gold of a fairy princess. There was a small hat on it into which the pale gold hair nestled like a bird in its nest. Her eyes were a cornflower blue, a rare color, and the lashes where long and almost too pale. She reached the table across the way and was pulling off a white gauntleted glove and the old waiter had the table pulled out in a way no waiter ever will pull a table out for me." (p. 89)

What's brilliant about Chandler is that his description of Mrs. Wade's clothing tells us so much about her character, and not just about her style, or her class position in life, but about the effect she has on others, including the waiter, the narrator (and the reader!). There's a lot going on in that deceptively simple paragraph. Hell, there's a lot going on in the last line of that paragraph.

Here's another segment from the same book (Vintage Crime edition):

"He wore a gray tweed suit with no padding. His shoulders didn't need any. He wore a white shirt and a dark tie and no display handkerchief. A spectacle case showed in the outside breast pocket. It was black, like his shoes. His hair was black too, no gray at all." (p. 230)

This description of Harlan Potter, an older, obscenely wealthy man, tells us that Potter is apparently virile, too; his shoulders don't need padding and his hair has no gray in it.

The Fedora Lounge offers some more examples of clothing description in Chandler's work.

Would a teenage boy notice someone's clothing and relate it in such detail? No, probably not. But I thought it was interesting that today it might be an indicator of something amiss in a male voice, when in the 1950s it was a common and effective tool.

Greetings From Wacky Town

2011-03-31T08:48:00.000-07:00

Last week after I posted about feeling overwhelmed in my writerly pursuits, I saw this amazing article in the New Yorker, all about therapy for screenwriters.

The "Letter From Los Angeles" segments, designed as if sent by a batty aunt*, sometimes make me skeptical, coming as they are from a New York POV.

The chosen topics often make Los Angeles sound like a bizarre and alien land consisting solely of entertainment professionals/possible cultists/fashionista yoga raw tofu-dies stuck perpetually on the freeway** ordering off the secret menu at In N Out while scheduling colonics, but I guess I really am a local now, because I didn't even think this article was strange. I was just nodding along like, "Well, of course. Yes. I wonder if this guy accepts new patients."

* Oh, frak. I just realized that for my niece Rose, I am that batty aunt

** That part might not be entirely inaccurate

Kinda Overwhelmed - or - Who Will Save This Pitiful Creature?

2011-03-24T23:16:00.000-07:00

One of my oldest friends called me up the other day for advice on how to get started with a possible writing career. She lamented the fact that it feels impossible to find the time. I definitely understand where she's coming from.

I work 8 hours a day at an office, and I have a 2-hour commute on top of it. Not a big deal, most of the time. If I want to write, I can do it in the morning before I leave. The problem is the Internet. (Stop me if you've heard this one before. Actually wait please don't because I'm going to ask for advice at the end.)

If I want to...

1) Email
2) Tweet
3) Blog
4) Check Facebook
5) Update GoodReads
6) Read other people's tweets, blogs, status updates and GoodRead reviews

Then I must necessarily do it...

A) In the morning before work -- but then when will I write?

B) In the evening after work -- but then when will I see my husband? When will I see my friends? When will I read books? When will I watch The Good Wife, The Amazing Race and L.A. Galaxy games? When will I get a break from the computer screen? WHEN WILL I HAVE TIME FOR ALL MY ANXIETY?

I love my job reading screenplays and creating character descriptions for roles being cast, and if it were just a matter of juggling my own writing and my job writing, I think I'd be okay. It's when you throw online networking into the mix that it all starts to make my brain -- and my sexy tendonitis -- beg for mercy. No matter what I do, or how I allocate my time, there are never enough hours in the day, nor is there enough caffeine.

I've really enjoyed making friends online (um, at the risk of sounding like an ad for Adult Friend Finder) and I don't like letting anyone down by not responding to messages, polls, emails, or questions in a timely fashion. I also don't like missing out on great discussions / controversies / information, but there are certain days when I know something's gotta give, and it can't be my husband, and it can't be writing.

I know this isn't true, but some days it feels like everyone else has figured out how to juggle all of the above; like everyone but me is metaphorically lounging beside a pool with their smartphones, getting tans and sippin' cocktails while I flail about, just trying not to drown. So what am I missing? How am I supposed to do this? Helppppppp.

p.s. Case in point, I've been updating this blog every Thursday and I'll barely make the deadline tonight.

Memories of Japan

2011-03-17T13:41:00.000-07:00

I tried coming up with a good blog topic this week but the news out of Japan, most recently the sacrifice being made by the workers in the nuclear reactors, has been so incomprehensibly awful that I can't concentrate much on writing or reading.

My husband and I spent our honeymoon in Japan in 2004. It was a long held dream of ours to travel there, and I think we took more than 400 photos. We visited Tokyo and Kyoto, two extraordinarily beautiful and very different cities that, to us, represented the contrast between modern and traditional ways of life. Everyone we encountered was friendly and helpful and we loved our time there.

Worried about scams, or feeling overwhelmed by how and where to donate to relief efforts for Japan? Here's some quick info on legit U.S. Organizations Accepting Donations.

If you're like me and live in an earthquake-prone area, you might consider putting together an emergency supply kit. (And if you're lazy like me, they also sell pre-made ones on Amazon.)

Show Me the YA Version

2011-03-10T09:14:00.000-08:00

Sara Shepard's popular series Pretty Little Liars was conceived as Desperate Housewives for teens, which got me thinking about other programming and properties that have been successfully re-imagined and reshaped for a younger audience.

Lauren Oliver's Before I Fall (which has been optioned for a film adaptation) is sort of like Groundhog Day for teens, and Carrie Ryan's dystopian future / zombie novel Forest of Hands and Teeth mixes elements of Cormac McCarthy's The Road with M. Night Shymalan's The Village for teens.

It works the other way, too. What is Lev Grossman's The Magicians if not Harry Potter for grown-ups?

Here's my (admittedly bizarre) wish list of projects I'd like to see redone in YA style:

1) Lost (Not in a Lord of the Flies or Survivor way, though -- I'm more interested in seeing the metaphysical aspects, the sense that certain people are destined to affect one another throughout their lives, plus time travel, obvs)

2) Inception (Entering people's dreams and altering their daylight decisions? Yes, please)

3) Prime Suspect (How this would even remotely work I have no idea. But it'd have a strong heroine and be awesome)

Are there any films, TV shows or adult books you're dying to see adapted into YA format?

How Do You Choose What To Read?

2011-03-03T08:24:00.000-08:00

It feels like half the books on my shelf are ones I borrowed from friends or bought ages ago but haven't gotten around to reading yet. As I sit at my desk typing this, I can feel them glaring at me and going unread. They keep getting pushed aside for library books (due dates!), book club selections (due dates!), research (can't write without it!) or recommendations from people who tell me to "stop everything and read this now."

At the same time, I'm always looking for something new to read. How this is possible, I don't know, because the stack will never diminish if I keep up this way.

I mostly rely on the following to make my endless list:

Recommendations from friends, family, and co-workers
Book club selections (for YA books)
Christian Science Monitor book reviews (everything under the sun)
New Yorker reviews (for literary and non-fiction)
January Magazine (still working my way through their Best of 2010 lists)
Entertainment Weekly (pop culture selections)

How do you choose what to read, and how do you choose the order in which to read it?

"Scars" is on my Bookshelf

2011-02-24T07:46:00.000-08:00

As you might have seen on Twitter or around the blogosphere (a word I've never actually used before - am I ten years late?), SCARS by Cheryl Rainfield was challenged at a public library recently, and subjected to review by the librarians there. (More info here .)

On February 8, I found out I'd won a copy of SCARS off Twitter, from a contest sponsored by WestSide Books. They publish edgy, contemporary realistic YA fiction and their catalog looks intriguing and powerful. Per their instructions, I sent them my address and recieved my copy of the book in the mail yesterday, only to find out about the controversy. Now I feel compelled to buy one as well, and perhaps donate the one I got for free to my local library, particularly if they don't yet have a copy.

Chew On This: My 9-month-old Niece Eats Books. Sort Of.

2011-02-10T08:06:00.000-08:00

Okay, haven't we all wanted to eat books at one point?

No? Just me?

What if you were pressed for time, and had the option of absorbing a story instead of reading it? You could gobble up books for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

My niece, Rose, is halfway there. She enjoys chewing on tags. Manufacturing tags, like those found on the sides of blankets. They are delectable to her. (She also chews on her own socks. My sister's solution is to allow it until the sock falls on the floor, at which point the game is over.)

Anyway, I got Rose a book for Christmas, and the book's main attraction was that it included colorful, chewable tags on the side, perfect for munching. I didn't even know this was a "thing" with babies until then. I figured Rose would like it, and she does -- but she doesn't chew on the designated tags.

She chews on the manufacturing tag. It's the only tag she wants! Here she is, caught in the act (thanks for the awesome photographic evidence, Rach :)

Write What You Know, and Then Get Other People to Tell You What THEY Know

2011-02-03T09:26:00.000-08:00

I love research. I also love procrastinating. Funny how that works...

Anyway, I've always followed the adage, "Write what you know." My last two projects grew out of fictionalized elements of my own life but also required lots of outside research. I love interviewing people, so I see this as a bonus.

For my magician mystery, I drew on my own experiences living in L.A., and I spent a lot of time at the Magic Castle observing magicians in the wild (I know, tough gig...). I also asked my husband's advice on certain aspects of magic and magic history.

For my young adult martial arts novel, I drew on my own experiences as a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, but I also asked a clinical psychologist for help authenticating other aspects of the story. Luckily, a friend of a friend happened to be well-versed in the subjects I needed assistance with, and she was incredibly generous with her time and suggestions.

So now I'm writing a noir story set in high school. Who's going to be my expert source?? Anyone go to San Clemente High School?

Goals You Control vs Goals Other People Control

2011-01-27T09:46:00.000-08:00

This has been on my mind since January 1st, so I decided I better post it before January ends!

If you read my last post of 2010, you may have noticed I didn't include "sign a book deal" as one of my New Year's Resolutions.

I would obviously love to sign a book deal! But I've found that for my own sanity -- such as it is [insert cackle] -- it's better to list goals that are within my control, rather than goals that rely on the decisions of other people. That way, achieving them might be difficult, but at least it won't be out of my hands.

So, what can I control?

I can control whether I research my subject and genre. I can control whether I get up at 7am each morning to write before work. I can control the quality of my spelling, grammar, sentence structure and prose. I can control making revisions based on my agent's and other trusted readers' notes. I can control working on my craft and striving to always improve.

What I can't control is the marketplace, the state of the industry, or whether someone says "Yes." I can only write the best book I can write, and then revise it, and revise it, and polish it, and polish it.

I guess my goal is to keep on truckin', no matter what.

Do your goals rely on your behavior, or on someone else's?

Where to Start? Screenwriting Tips for Novels

2011-01-20T08:46:00.000-08:00

"You only like the beginnings of things." (Hey wow, a Mad Men reference in January. If you missed my recaps of the past two seasons, I put them on ice. With booze.) Dr. Faye's parting shot to Don Draper in the season finale last year was both snide and perceptive, and I've been thinking about beginnings a lot lately, because I always struggle to decide how my novel should start.

Beginnings set the tone of the whole story, of course, and they're inevitably the portion of the manuscript that gets edited, moved around, and generally futzed with most, because every time I open my document to write, the beginning is there, staring at me accusingly, saying, "But don't you want to make me perfect before you continue?"

For screenwriting, I was taught to ask, "What's your inciting incident?", meaning, what comes along very early on to propel your main character to action? Since a page of script corresponds with a minute of screen time, you have about 15 minutes to set up A) the main character's world and normal, everyday life and B) knock both of those off-kilter.

With books, it has to happen even faster.

Yet somehow I manage to forget this fact when I start a new project. I want to introduce my characters, rather then get them moving and reveal who they are through action.

I got 12 pages done on my new YA novel this week before realizing it was NOT the right beginning. The pages weren't a waste, though -- they gave me some fun dialogue to insert later, and taught me things about the characters that I wouldn't otherwise have known. I set the document aside, started fresh, and placed the inciting incident on page 2, which helped get the story off to a faster, cleaner start. Will it stick? Who knows, but it feels right at the moment, like elements are aligning properly.

Do you ever scrap your beginnings and start over? How do you decide which scene should kick off your novel?

"Shift" by Jennifer Bradbury: Breaking a Cardinal YA Rule

2011-01-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

This terrific 2008 debut novel by Jennifer Bradbury, a mystery involving a cross-country bike trip taken by two best friends the summer after high school graduation, has two things going for it that I'd personally like to see more of in YA:

1. Boy narrator
2. COLLEGE

Yes, the elusive college setting! For half the book! Granted, it's only a few weeks into freshman year, but still -- I love it when rules are broken. When I first considered trying my hand at YA a few years ago, I attended a YA panel and asked the authors if early college experiences were okay to write about. The answer was a resounding "No." Apparently, and this was a surprise to me at the time, YA rarely ventures into college territory.

The theory is that teens like to read "up" about kids who are older than them. Junior high kids like reading about high schoolers, and young high schoolers like reading about older high schoolers, but older high schoolers don't particularly want to read about college kids, because by the time they're 17 to 18, they're reading "adult" and classic books instead. As a result, college-set books for teens have a hard time getting published. Thanks to Amy and her lending library, I can think of two recent exceptions to this rule: Naomi & Ely's No-Kiss List by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn; and An Off Year by Claire Zulkey.

But now I can add Shift to the list. Told in alternating chapters (first semester in college, with flashbacks to the summer after high school, when the amazing bike trip from West Virginia to California took place), Chris tries to figure out how and why his best friend, Win, disappeared. Win ditched Chris toward the end of their ride, and now the FBI wants to know what happened.

Last year, I read A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend by Emily Horner, another YA novel that centers on a teen's epic bike journey to California. While the structure is similar to that of Shift (alternating chapter flashbacks), the stories and lessons are quite different. In fact, I'm hooked on bicycle-trip stories now. I want this to be its own genre.

"The Westing Game" and Character Arcs in YA Novels

2011-01-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

I recently read Ellen Raskin's fabulous, Newbery Award-winning YA novel The Westing Game, about an eccentric millionaire, Samuel W. Westing, whose heirs are forced to compete for millions of dollars by following clues and solving puzzles to determine the identity of Westing's murderer. Complicating matters, the heirs all live in the same apartment building, and they're paired up with the least likely people as teammates in the game.

Bonus material (yay!) at the end of the book included an interview with the author.

She was asked about character arcs in children's literature, and she replied: "I'm not the type of writer who wants her characters to grow and develop and change... Children know change, they're changing every day. My attitude toward my characters in my book is to try to describe my characters in one way, a way that children might say, 'Oh, I don't like that one.'... and just when the children know them better, through their actions... to have the readers change the opinion of these characters, rather than have the characters in the book change..."

Her response fascinated me, because I'd had that exact experience while reading The Westing Game. Characters I didn't initially like, or assumed were a certain way, turned out to be completely different than I predicted, but they didn't really change; it was only my perception as a reader that changed.

For those who write MG or YA novels, do your characters grow in the course of the story, or does the reader's interpretation of them simply change?

I think there are merits to both, though I personally tend toward the former. I like to see a concrete difference in my main character from the first page to the last, but I also like Ellen Raskin's idea -- particularly in mysteries -- of holding back information and allowing that to color the reader's assumptions.

To hear more from Raskin (er, literally) here's the complete audio.

Also, next Thursday at 1pm EST, my agent Sara Megibow is hosting a live webinar all about opening pages and how important they are in catching the attention of an agent or editor. She'll be offering a free read of the first 3 pages of each novel for the participants. If you're at the querying stage, this is a great opportunity to get feedback and will be worth every penny.

Year in Review: 2009 vs 2010

2010-12-22T12:39:00.000-08:00

Last year I summarized my accomplishments and jotted down goals for 2010. Let's see how I did, shall we?

"Goals for 2010 include fixing up the new novel, writing a NEW new novel, moving to Santa Clarita, and getting a bicycle and using it as my main method of transportation (keep in mind I live in L.A. so this goal is actually insane... but I think it's good to have at least one insane goal per year)."

Hmm, yes, well, hmm.

Three out of four ain't bad. Okay, 2.8 out of three. I did fix up that novel; I did move to Santa Clarita (and I love it here except maybe for the commute). I also got a bicycle, but saying it's my main method of transportation would be wildly inaccurate. I mostly use it to go to the library.

And now, inspired by Kristin Nelson's year in statistics, here's what I've been up to since January, numbers-wise (2009's stats will appear in parenthesis so we can laugh at my best laid plans):

Books Read = 62 (100) For shame. Almost a 40% drop!

However, I stipulate that my time spent commuting directly correlates to the diminished number of books read. In 2009 my commute was 40 minutes/day on average. In 2010 it was 2.3 HOURS/day on average. The defense rests.

Audio books would seem to be the answer, but I find it a wee bit problematic to pay attention to plot intricacies while fearing for my life on the freeway. This year we had fires *and* flooding.

Of the 62 books I read, 35 were YA, 14 were "adult"/literary fiction, 11 were non-fiction (including memoir), and 2 were about writing ("Sin and Syntax" and "Spunk and Bite"). I also read 4 friends' WIP manuscripts, which are fab novels-to-be, another friend's ARC, and I'll probably get through several more over the holidays, so maybe I can fudge my numbers and give myself a total of 70.

Scripts Read = 438 (316) DANG I WORKED HARD THIS YEAR. 100 + more scripts than last year!

Hats Knitted = 0 (3) For shame, part deux. (My husband: "Your knitting group is really cool. They don't really knit, though." Pretty much.)

This year I revised two novels and started a brand-new novel for NaNoWriMo. I promptly abandoned it at 30 pages, but I'm back on track again with a fresh idea and oodles of fun books for research. (Yes, I genuinely enjoy research.) I also hosted a writing retreat in Palm Springs this March, got to help welcome my niece into the world in April (on my birthday no less), and visited friends and family in Illinois and Wisconsin over the summer.

In 2011, my goals are to research, write and revise my newest YA novel, contribute to DearTeenMe.com, give audio books a real chance, and bring actual knitting back to my knitting group. I'd like to go jogging twice a week, and read at least 50 books, partially so I can surpass that goal :)

How did your year compare with 2009? Did you meet your goals?

Splendor in the Grass

2010-12-15T14:30:00.000-08:00

About a week ago, Harmonic Feedback author Tara Kelly wrote an excellent post about what it's like to be a debut author, looking back nostalgically to the days before her project sold, when everything was still ahead of her, and anything was possible.

She theorizes that if you don't find satisfaction in writing anonymously, you certainly won't find it in being published. Writing for the pure love of it has to be what drives you. At least, that's what I took from the post.

In the past month I've read about publishing deals falling through, imprints closing, and the frustration of never-ending revisions. I empathize with writers who've made it through the submission process only to discover it wasn't quite what they expected. Of course, I'd love to join their ranks, but it's interesting to hear that the grass isn't always greener.

The end of the year is a good time to reflect on why we became writers in the first place.

Don't forget to celebrate every accomplishment, whether it's getting helpful feedback from an agent or editor, finishing a particularly challenging rewrite, brainstorming a new idea, or simply carving out the time -- day by day, week by week -- to tell your story.

In Celebration of Turkeys

2010-11-24T09:47:00.000-08:00

Conversation I had in the dead of night last night:

Me: I don't get what happens when the President pardons the turkey. "So, you're pardoned, but we're going to eat you now"?
Husband: No, they don't eat that one.
Me: So where does the turkey go after that? Does it just live at the White House? Also, pardoning it implies that it's done something wrong.
Husband: They bring the best turkey they can find in from somewhere and the President goes, "You're such a great turkey we're going to pardon you." I think Roosevelt started it or something and now all of them have to do it.
Me: Huh.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Extra special thanks to my friends and family. I feel incredibly blessed to have you in my life.

Cover Girls

2010-11-11T17:42:00.000-08:00

Two of my agency pals, Miranda Kenneally and Jennifer Wolf, sold their debut YA novels last week! Check out their blogs for more info and to wish them well.

I was wondering what their covers will look like, and it got me thinking about the eye-catching images on Amy Reed's books. Beautiful features an attractive blonde girl who seems to be trying on an adult persona. It's a compelling shot to go with a compelling and thought-provoking story, but it also provides a specific model/actress for the lead, which may affect the way a reader sees the role. Clean, Reed's upcoming novel, is similarly striking.

In contrast, Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series and Courtney Summers' books feature young women whose faces aren't quite seen, allowing the reader to fill in the characters' looks for themselves.

Do you prefer covers that include specific images, or ones that only allude to an image? Does it change the way you "see" the characters in your head if the book cover provides a precise image?

Seeking: One Muse

2010-10-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

I like to think of myself as a worker bee when it comes to writing. One of those "put your butt in the chair every morning for two hours no matter what and get it done" types, but every once in a while, real life knocks the creativity out of you. Last week I found myself thinking, "What if I never get another good idea? What if I never get any ideas? HOW WILL I SPEND MY LIFE?"

Of course, besides being a worker bee, I'm also a drama queen… bee… who occasionally mixes metaphors. The point is, armed with some good books, a notebook, and a promise to take it easy on myself, I managed to coax my muse out of hiding.

What if you could just hire a muse? What would your job listing say?

Muse Requirements:

Must be willing to work flexible hours, including nights and weekends. Must be equally comfortable in my suburban home office, my '96 Toyota, my bedroom at 3 a.m. when I can't sleep, my urban day job office, and during long walks around the park. Commutes between each place are a prime time to hit me with inspiration. I assume you'll be fickle, but I still expect monthly progress reports. No water nymphs; I live in the desert.

Pay: All of the secret glory, none of the credit.

What would you ask of your muse?

Mad Men 4x12: "I have a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach"

2010-10-19T08:14:00.000-07:00

I sort of went on involuntary hiatus there from my Mad Men recaps but I'm back with a vengeance for the finale, because the finales are always legendary. Season Four's didn't disappoint. Well, it probably disappointed Faye. By the way, my husband will attest that I 100% called this turn of events like five episodes ago:

A) Faye herself told Don a while back that he'd "marry within the year"
B) Megan is very good with Don's kids, and he would get all misty-eyed watching her
C) Megan clearly adores Don, represents a fresh start, and already sees him the way he would like to believe he could still be

However, I didn't think we'd *see the proposal.* I thought we'd jump to Season Five and Don would come home, and there Megan would be, all wifey-like, and it would be the big reveal.

But no! We had to cringe and anticipate and watch Don declare his love. So Faye gets an entire razor blade to herself. At least she got the last word on the phone ("Does she know you only like the beginnings of things?"), but it was still brutal to watch. Carla also gets an entire razor blade because she was abruptly, coldly dumped by Betty after at least a decade of service, for letting Glen ("are you decent") say goodbye to Sally.

Other revelations: Joan is keeping the baby, which my husband called three episodes ago. We are Mad Men clairvoyants. I LOVED seeing Joan and a stunned Peggy chat about Don's news. "Whatever could be on your mind?"

For a finale especially, 2 out of 5 razor blades on the Depressing Scale is pretty low -- but it was nice seeing Peggy and Ken score a new client, and even kind of nice seeing Don, his kids, and Megan get to be happy. Besides, I'm sure it won't last! *

See you next season!

*edited to add: By "it" I mean the low rating of a mere 2 razor blades on the Scale won't last -- not Don and Megan. I actually think they'll stay married just fine. The show, however, will be back in fine depressing form soon, no doubt.

Interview: How Writing Contests Can Advance Your Career

2010-10-15T08:14:00.000-07:00

Ever wondered what it's like to win a writing competition, and what effect it might have on your career?

My good pal Kristen Kittscher, a talented author of middle grade novels, won the YA category of the Pacific Northwest Writer's Association Literary Contest last year, so I thought she'd be the perfect person to interview.

Q: How did you hear about the contest? Were you a member of the Pacific Northwest Writer's Association, or did you join in order to participate?

A: I took an online class with Sean Murphy, whose first novel The Hope Valley Hubcap King won The Hemingway Award for a First Novel. He and his wife, writer Tania Casselle, both emphasized the value of entering contests to boost writing confidence, practice promoting our own work, and attract the attention of editors and agents... I figured, why not give it a shot? I wasn’t a member of the PNWA when I entered the contest. It is open to everyone.

Q: What were the guidelines to the contest? (Submit a full manuscript, a partial, a chapter?)

A: The guidelines were very detailed. When I was named a finalist, I joked that I was simply one of the few who was able to follow them! The guidelines have changed a bit since last year, but at that time writers submitted a partial and detailed synopsis. The entry fee is $50.

Q: Had you entered any other writing contests before?

A: I entered the Maryland Writer's Association contest as well. I earned second place in the YA category; however, the conference was too far away for me to attend.

Q: Were you always planning on attending the Seattle conference, or did you feel compelled to go because of the contest?

A: I'd been to Seattle quite a few times, as I have family there. I'd been considering going to the conference regardless, but becoming a finalist certainly helped my decision. Finalists receive discounted rates and free attendance to the awards banquet.

Q: What was the conference like? Did any of the events or speakers stand out as particularly helpful?

A: Held at a Hilton not far from the airport, the conference was much larger than I expected. Writers from all over the country converged to network and learn more about the publishing business. They came to the right place, as this conference was focused much more heavily on the business than craft.

Agents patiently stood and listened as long lines of writers pitched them projects. Writers could make appointments to speed pitch editors and agents. Workshops focused on query letters and panels discussed trends in the market. I especially enjoyed the panels focused on writing for children and young adults, of course. All of the workshops were helpful, but they were definitely more geared towards writers just getting started in their careers.

Q: What was going through your head when they called your name as the winner?

A: At the award banquet Saturday evening front tables were set aside for the finalists, and we were each seated according to our category. My husband was in town with me, so he joined as well — as did several of the finalists’ spouses. We joked that it was set up a bit like the Academy Awards.

Our photos were projected on a large screen as a host for the evening read off the "nominated" titles then announced the third, second, and — finally — first places in each category. I was hopeful I'd win, of course – and I could tell my fellow competitors were as well. Still, I was surprised when the host called my name for first place. As they ushered us up front for a quick photo with the conference organizers, I remember thinking how close I'd been to not entering the contest at all. I'm sure glad I did.

Q: Were there any immediate benefits to winning? Did you get approached by agents or editors?

A: That was the best part! Immediately after the awards banquet, winners were escorted to a hotel suite where a wine and dessert reception awaited. Agents and editors joined to mingle with us. After spending several days watching agents and editors swamped by authors pitching, it was a pleasant reversal to have agents hoping to talk to us! I ended up speaking with about twelve agents that evening — and getting several requests for either partials or fulls.

The only downside for me is that, naïve beginner I was, my manuscript was not nearly in good enough shape to send out immediately. Still, it was great to be able to make those connections and speak so frankly with agents. The party didn't end until the wee hours! Those agents know how to have a good time :)

Of course, there's one other lovely benefit to winning the contest. The Zola Award comes with a $700 check.

Q: What was it like to be a judge for this year's contest?

A: As a judge, I developed an even deeper appreciation for agents' and editors' work. The stack of partials I read was nothing compared to what they receive on a weekly basis, yet it still took a good deal of time to read and score them all. I was very impressed by the quality of submissions. I learned a great deal about my own weaknesses and strengths as a writer while trying to evaluate others' work, as well. I followed the contest closely and was glad to see that deserving manuscripts were recognized. I know what a boost in confidence the contest had been for me, so it certainly felt good to be part of the process.

Q: Tell us a bit about what you've done with your manuscript since winning, and what the next steps are for you. Will you mention the win in your queries?

A: You may be surprised to hear that I tossed [the manuscript] in the trash and started over! The conference and my subsequent talks with agents and editors helped me realize how much better shape my manuscript could be in – and should be in – before submitting. Thanks to careful readers and critiquers, I now have a new, tighter, more suspenseful draft of my manuscript.

I definitely will include my win in the queries... It's a way to show I take my writing seriously and have some skill. I’ve also been lucky to get editorial interest in the manuscript, so I will be sure to include the names of those editors who have read sections and are interested in reading the full.

Congrats, Kristen, and best of luck with your agent search!

Talking About Writing vs...Writing

2010-09-29T09:22:00.000-07:00

My friend and writer pal Kristen Kittscher just started blogging, and she hit a home run her first time at bat. I was fascinated by her inaugural post, about the balance between trying to keep up with the fragmented online world while still maintaining good writing skills and finding time for true contemplation. At least, that's what I got out of it. She spells it out a lot more eloquently.

I'll be interviewing her soon about what it was like to win the YA category of the annual Pacific Northwest Writer's Association in 2009.

In the meantime, her post got me thinking about the differences between talking and doing.

Like most writers, I love hearing how other writers work. What's their schedule like? Do they prefer writing in the mornings or evenings? When does inspiration tend to hit? Do they write longhand, or always type first drafts? How often do they swap pages with a critique group?

The online world is fabulous for learning about and forming connections in the publishing industry, and I never get sick of these discussions. However, sometimes I find that if I start talking, I stop doing. Discussing the process can bleed it dry; strip away the magic from it.

Instead of Tweeting "#amwriting", why don't I just go about it quietly without an announcement? Why don't I turn off my Internet connection and revel in the privacy of creating? Do we fear that if we don't acknowledge something to the world at large, it didn't happen?

Before the Internet, writers were kind of recluses. And I think there was something nice about that, from time to time!

Mad Men 4x9: Mrs. Blankenship Sets Sail

2010-09-22T08:18:00.000-07:00

Aw man, I can't believe they killed Mrs. Blankenship. She had some of the best quips and moments on the show. Most recently, she delivered this line to Peggy: "It's a business of sadists and masochists, and you know which one you are."

On the other hand, we got these great quotes as a result of her passing:

"I would have my secretary do it, but she's dead." - Don

"I don't want to die in this office. I almost have -- twice." - Sterling

"She died as she lived -- surrounded by the people she answered phones for." - Sterling

We also got to see Pete in the background, covering Mrs. Blankenship with a quilt and trying to maneuver her corpse out from behind the desk.

The real heartwrencher of the episode was Sally, who may actually be the best actor on the show. Did you notice that she's picked up her mother's inflections? She uses Betty's same flat tone when addressing Don -- and yet she can also throw a great tantrum and light up a room with her smile. I felt so bad for her when she fell down and no one would help her. Actually, secretary Megan (who kinda resembles Anne Hathaway) was great with her -- and for some reason I sense that's going to have consequences that Ms. Miller won't like.

Sally's devastation at being forced to go back to a home she clearly can't stand puts the episode at a 2.5 out of 5 razor blades for me. It was certainly upsetting, but most of the rest of the show (Mrs. B, Joan and Sterling's renewed relationship) was played for laughs.

Mad Men 4x8: Betty is still a Child but Don is Growing Up, Awww

2010-09-15T08:20:00.000-07:00

Here's how Time Warner Cable described Sunday's episode of Mad Men: "Peggy and Joan are forced to deal with some rambunctious office shenanigans."

Can you hear the laugh track and sound effects? Wah, wah. I feel for those summary writers, though, because that's part of what I do at my job and it's not always easy to logline something complex. I just used a noun as a verb. It is early in the day.

Still, "shenanigans" implies something harmless and adorable, which is inaccurate; the ladies suffered a lot of crap and verbal abuse. Peggy can never win; especially not with Joan.

Don was looking wrecked at the pool (and did people in the '60s really not notice the correlation between smoking and uncontrollable coughing? He lights up right after his workout) but I loved his (Vampire)diary voice overs and the fact that he's decided to take better control of his life. I like him with the marketing woman, too.

Favorite line: "That was my ex-wife, her husband, and some slob who's about to have the worst dinner of his life."

Least favorite moment: the Nausea Cam.

Although they're not being chased around office furniture anymore, Peggy and Joan do have a rough time at work, probably every day, which I have to acknowledge by giving the episode 3 out of 5 razor blades on the Depressing Scale. On the huge plus side, though, Don is finally getting to a better place and even looked genuinely joyful at his 2-year-old's birthday party.

Farewell, Freelancer Joey's smirk. (Sorry that he got the boot, Amy, but you should be proud: he had a good run.)

You're Finished! Maybe. What Now?

2010-09-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

So you've finished your latest revision.

It took time, a lot of brainstorming, some back-and-forth emails with trusted friends and advisers, some sleepless nights, a couple long bike rides or walks, a dash of angst, some cutting and pasting and reconfiguring from old drafts, some creating of brand-spanking-new scenes, and a print-out and a red pen.

You got some more notes and updated accordingly. You finessed some awkward phrases and rewrote descriptions and metaphors. You printed it out again for a quick scan, and at long last you emailed a copy to your agent, your editor, or your critique group.

What do you do next?

A) Immediately start a new project
B) Take time off
C) Read a book or 20 to inspire you before jumping back in to writing

I'm torn between all three, leaning toward C.

Anyone else in the same boat? What did you decide?

Mad Men 4x6 and 4x7: I am Slacking Horribly

2010-09-12T16:32:00.000-07:00

The past two weeks galloped away from me. Because I'd jotted down notes while watching (Peggy: "It's a relief to see someone worse than me") I got it into my head that I'd blogged it, too, but apparently jotting things down in creepy slanted handwriting on a piece of legal paper while watching Mad Men in the dark does not equal blogging. (Or does it??)

And then the week after that, I was in Arizona visiting my grandparents.

So, let's combine and move on, shall we? First let's talk guest stars.

Jonathan! From Buffy!
Victor! From Days of Our Lives!
Flashback hair!

Let's also give both episodes 3.5 out of 5 razor blades on the Depressing Scale. Sure, Don had a Lost Weekend and woke up with absolutely no memory of the past 24 hours, and that was disturbing, and Peggy had to deal with a surprise birthday dinner she didn't want any part of, but the Peggy/Don bonding was long overdue, and they also discovered Sterling's hilarious book notes on audio.

So, yeah. Not much of a recap. I'll try to be better this week. Really, I will.

Obligatory - But Heartfelt - MOCKINGJAY Post (No Spoilers)

2010-09-01T07:33:00.000-07:00

"Don't read this one too fast. I did, and I regret it." - Sage advice to me from the cashier at the late, great Borders in West Hollywood, referring to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Helpful cashier, I take your advice many years later and apply it now to Suzanne Collins' Mockingjay, the third and final book in the amazing Hunger Games series.

Yes, I'm desperate to find out what happens, but I'm even more desperate to prolong the experience. I read Hunger Games in a day and a half, and Catching Fire in one feverish evening, but this time, I'm going to take my time. When this one's over, it's all over, and I'm not ready to let go of the adventure or the characters and the world they inhabit. I don't want to leave them behind.

I love the sense of anticipation I have right now, the not-knowing how it's all going to end, because no matter what happens or how I'll feel about the events of the story, the hardest part for me will be that it's finished.

Oh, to one day publish a book that someone will devour in an evening or lovingly procrastinate over!

(P.S. This is no small feat, reading the book slowly, because my husband's already done.)

Mad Men 4.5: "Your daughter's psychiatrist called."

2010-08-25T09:32:00.000-07:00

Let's start off with Fun Casting Facts!

There were two (count 'em, two) True Blood actors in Sunday's episode of Mad Men: Don's occasional date, Bethany (who played the vamp-hating preacher's wife on TB) and Sally's school counselor (who plays Jane Bodehouse on TB). Of all the shows to overlap! I never would have expected the '60s ad agency to poach talent from the southern gothic vampire town, but then again, I never expected anyone from Angel to be on Mad Men, either, and yet we have Pete, who obviously rules.

(Know who I'd like to see cross over? Jason. Freaking. Stackhouse.)

Next up: Poor Sally. For some reason I'm usually a Betty apologist but she finally, finally crossed the line with me (probably long overdue), and her treatment of Sally immediately gave the episode a 3 out of 5 razor blades on the Depressing Scale (tm). A slap? Really? For cutting her hair?!

Roger Sterling's cringe-tastically appalling performance with the Japanese clients adds another .5 because even though he was a total jackass I also felt bad for him.

What's stopping the 3.5 from becoming a 4?

1. Everything Mrs. Blankenship does, especially announcing people long after their arrivals, and this priceless exchange about an incoming call:

Don: "What's it regarding?"
Mrs. Blankenship: (sigh) "Do you want me to go ask?"

2. Don's complicated bluff against his rival

3. The Honda businessmen ogling Joan ("How does she not fall over?")

4. Don opening up to the secretly-not-married focus group woman

Things I Should've Done:

2010-08-22T21:42:00.000-07:00

1. Taken my car in for a smog check
2. NOT parked in a tow-away zone
3. Blogged, Facebooked, Tweeted, returned emails, etc.
4. Vacuumed
5. Ridden my bike
6. I dunno; paid the bills?

Things I Actually Did:

1. Write

I guess that's how it goes sometimes. And it feels pretty good.

Mad Men 4.4: "How the hell did it get so sad so fast?"

2010-08-18T08:48:00.000-07:00

Actually, this was the least depressing of the season so far, and also the best Peggy episode in ages. I give it 2 out of 5 razor blades on the Depressing Scale (tm) because most of the time, I was laughing -- but then suddenly cringing in horror. Most of the sad parts were also hilarious, and most of the hilarious parts were also sad.

Case in point:

1. The sobbing focus group (from which I drew the title of this blog post, courtesy of a perplexed Freddy)

2. Pete using his unborn child to essentially blackmail his father-in-law

3. Don's beleaguered secretary throwing things at him

4. Don's unfinished, pathetically drunken apology letter (how weird was it seeing Don type?)

5. Don's ancient replacement secretary, Mrs. Blankenship

6. The return of Cosgrove!

And there were things that were ONLY sad:

1. Pete and Peggy, and their rarely referenced baby

And things that were ONLY hilarious:

1. Peggy standing on her desk and peeking over the wall into Don's office

2. Peggy's new bohemian art friends

As for the nudity warning at the beginning of the episode, my husband and I speculated about what to expect ("Will it be depressing or happy nudity?"/ "It won't be one of the series regular women or it would've happened already -- so who's the poor guest star?" / "Will it be in an ad?") but didn't quite guess correctly. Alas, it was in a photo.

Mad Men 4.3: Insert Title Here

2010-08-08T21:22:00.000-07:00

Basically, there was cancer. So that automatically gives the show a base rating of 3 out of 5 razor blades. And then Joan and her husband were kind of depressing, and Lane Pryce spent New Year's Eve with Don and some hookers. So, yeah. Welcome to 1965.

In other news, I spent Saturday evening watching Lady Gaga videos on Fuse, hanging out with a writer pal, and analyzing my new TV obsession. Can that be every day?

Mad Men 4.2: A Glass of Gin and a Box of Velveeta

2010-08-01T22:41:00.000-07:00

GAH, the season is young but we've already reached 4 out of 5 razor blades on the Depressing Scale (tm), and it probably would have been 5 out of 5 if this episode had actually aired at Christmas. So, yes. Welcome to the Christmas episode. Won't you enjoy some eggnog and cyanide?

Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce is forced to throw a Christmas party to appease their demanding, obnoxious client (singular), and if that's not uncomfortable enough, the forced cheer is accompanied by a forced Santa-ing.

We also saw the return of Freddy (the drunken pee-er, now 16 months sober) and That Weird Kid, Glen, who was corrupted by Betty (or something?) back in season one and is now corrupting Sally by explaining over the phone in poorly lit rooms about the ways of mothers and stepfathers. In an odd display of adolescent chivalry, Glen and his friend trash the Draper house after Sally says she hates it there. They don't touch Sally's room, however, and they leave her a little gift of a bracelet. Weird, but almost cute, too.

So at this point in the episode, nothing is THAT depressing, right? I mean, it's kind of depressing, but there were still a handful of yuks: the Christmas party conga line, the Roger/Joan flirting, the shaky icing.

I was getting disappointed, truth be known, because if any show is going to do a depressing Christmas episode, it's Mad Men. So at first I thought, "Well, it sucks that Don is spending Christmas alone, and it sucks that Peggy's boyfriend knows nothing about her, and it sucks that Sally keeps thinking she'll see her dad everywhere, but ehh, it's probably a 3 or 3.5 rating", BUT THEN Don foisted a creepy, depressing quickie on his secretary.

See, Don is not supposed to be that guy.

In the pilot episode, he is specifically not that guy. He is kind to Peggy, and that immediately sets him apart from all the other men at the office. Yes, he cheats on his wife, but he's never creepy at work, and he's never creepy with his secretaries, and that's why, in part, we were able to root for him.

But now he's absolutely that guy and it's ugly and sad, for all involved. And the next day he gave the secretary some cash in a card as her Christmas bonus!!! NO!!!

It's gonna be a long season if we'll be spending it watching Don hit rock bottom. And I'm scared to find out what Mad Men thinks is rock bottom.

"Inception": Inspiration for Perseverance

2010-07-28T09:51:00.000-07:00

According to Wikipedia, it took nearly 10 years for writer/director Christopher Nolan to bring Inception to the big screen. He wrote the idea for Inception in 2001 but didn't think he was ready to tackle such a large project at that stage in his career, so he waited until 2009 before revising the script and selling it to Warner Bros.

At first I thought it must have been agony for him to wait that long to do his "dream" project (har) but actually... nine years is not that long. And it's not like he was idle all that time (ahem, Insomnia, The Prestige, Batman franchise), just biding his time and learning how to direct projects that were bigger in scale than his mind-bending feature debut, Memento. I think it was smart of him to wait, and rather inspiring.

Depending on what you're writing, nine years of development is not unheard of, especially with historical fiction. Let's say it takes a year to research, brainstorm, and jot down notes for your novel; two years to write the first draft; one year to revise based on notes from family and friends; six more months to revise based on agent notes; six months on submission; another year or two to revise for the editor; and one more year before it's actually published -- BAM! Eight or nine years, in a blink.

The trick is that it wouldn't be the only thing you're working on, of course. You could have three or four projects in the wings, at various stages of development, until before you know it, you've built a repertoire. And with each project, the process is streamlined to go faster. Some projects would only take a year or two.

That's what I choose to take from it, anyway :)

Mad Men 4.1: Scrappy Upstarts, Slappy Prostitutes

2010-07-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

Annnnnd, we're off to a rip-roaring start to the new season of Mad Men. I give this episode 2 out of 5 razor blades on the Depressing Scale (tm). On paper, perhaps, the episode is quite depressing, but there was so much humor mixed in, and I was so excited to see the gang after nearly a year's absence, that I was fairly giddy throughout.

The episode begins with a question. The central question, in fact, of the show's run: "Who is Don Draper?"

To answer it, let's look at the more depressing aspects of the season premiere. Since we last saw him, Don Draper lives in a hovel, yet still pays the mortgage and insurance on his and Betty's old house. Don Draper is irritable, and has no appetite. Don Draper pays prostitutes to slap him. Don Draper is decidedly alone on Thanksgiving. Don Draper gives really bad interviews to Ad Age Magazine. Don Draper's first "real" date (preacher's wife from True Blood! Speaking in the same accent!) since his divorce says, "The world is so dark right now," yet this episode is somehow not, because:

A) Ham! Fight!
B) Peggy has an underling -- and a fake fiance / protector
C) Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce is pretending to have a second floor
D) Pete is as toadying as ever
F) Ham! Fight!

"Mad Men" Returns Next Sunday

2010-07-18T11:46:00.000-07:00

It's (almost) that time of year again, when I rate new episodes of Mad Men based not on the quality of the show -- which tends to be uniformly high -- but on how suicidal it makes the viewer.

Using a scale of 1 to 5 razor blades, I'll discuss the most depressing aspects of the program. It doesn't help that the show airs late-ish on Sunday nights, when most of us are already quivering wrecks anticipating the work week ahead.

Not surprisingly, my sympathies and biases tend to lie with Peggy and Joan. However, I'm also a sucker for Don Draper's melancholy speeches, especially when they involve the definition of nostalgia.

For a refresher on where we last left our booze-addled pals, who recently emptied out the office in the middle of the night to secretly start a new company, click here. (Aw, remember when Pete and his wife danced up a storm at Sterling's wedding, a la Donald and Daisy Duck?)

Next Sunday night/Monday morning I'll kick things off for the new season.

Why Watching the World Cup is Like Reading a Bestseller

2010-07-12T08:11:00.000-07:00

Farewell, World Cup. You are already missed.

I know, I know, Americans supposedly don't like watching soccer; we don't have the patience; and we don't think the refs' calls are fair. We just play it as kids and then abandon it as adults. And we already have a sport called football that we refuse to swap out.

But I was obsessed this year. I woke up at 6:30 am before work to watch. I planned my weekends around it. I discussed and debated it with other fans. I drove my husband a little bit nuts. I read heaps of articles, Wiki-pages and analysis on the sport and the players. I accepted the vuvuzelas. (Eventually. (In fact, now it seems strange to watch matches without them.)) And I WILL be watching more matches now, L.A. Galaxy's specifically, which is the first time I've felt entitled to root for an L.A. team. I've lived in California 11 years but I still root for Illinois in most sports. Well, no more.

Anyway, I was thinking about why I fell so in love with soccer this time around, and I think it's the same reason I like reading bestselling books: To feel connected to the rest of the world, at a time when society is becoming ever-more fragmented into smaller and smaller subcultures.

There's something wonderful and magical about reading the hot summer item, the one with all the buzz, the book that's been at the top of the bestseller charts around the world for months. First, there's curiosity: "What's the fuss about?" Then there's impatience: "I gotta get my hands on this book!" Then there's that lovely feeling of a shared experience: "Ooh look, my co-worker/friend/random person on the train is also reading it! I wonder what they think??"

At the moment I'm reading Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition by Daniel Okrent and The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness.

What book has got you frantic this summer?

Thanksgiving in July

2010-07-09T15:10:00.000-07:00

I went home* to the midwest for Fourth of July weekend and enjoyed a great many things to be thankful for. I got to meet my wonderful two-and-a-half month old niece, visit with old friends, hang out with my family, and oh yeah, watch a wild turkey wander around the curb of a busy intersection.

Known as the Lake Bluff Turkey, the oddly majestic creature has received TV news coverage and inspired a Facebook page, T-shirts and bumper stickers. As far as I can tell, it's been there since early June.

Why is it there? How is it still alive? What does it eat? Why has no one claimed it? Has it caused many traffic accidents, or does it add cheer to everyone's commutes? So. Many. Questions. Also I LOOOOVE the cheesy local news headlines, all "ruffled feathers" and "let's talk turkey."

* Considering I haven't lived there full-time since I was 18, is it still home?

Print Journalism Reborn (At Least, Quarterly)

2010-07-02T11:08:00.000-07:00

Heard an intriguing interview last night on NPR (I was in the "good" car for my commute last night, the one that gets radio reception on the 405. Although in some ways it's also the bad car because the ride is bumpy, whereas the bad car is "good" in that regard). Anyway!

Warren Olney interviewed Laurie Ochoa, co-founder of the new quarterly journal, Slake. And yes, it's a print publication. There is paper involved. Over 200 pages of paper, in fact, and it's all about Los Angeles. But not in the way you think; it's not about Hollywood or celebrities. There are pieces of cross-genre fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and what's considered longform journalism; the kind of measured, slower, indepth reporting that's hard to find these days. I'm drooling and have already ordered a copy off Amazon, though it's also available at independent bookstores like Skylight and Book Soup.

For more info, check out this article in Brand X, featuring Laurie and her fellow editor Joe Donnelly, in which Laurie states, "Everyone talks about print being gone already, but it's not gone, it's still here. And we don't want to give up on it."

Recommended Viewing: "The People vs George Lucas"

2010-06-24T09:55:00.000-07:00

I caught a documentary screening at the L.A. Film Festival last night called The People vs George Lucas. It was a brilliant examination of the Star Wars franchise, its most ardent fans, and the disappointment/rage the fans felt when Lucas tinkered with the original trilogy and released the prequels.

I was a fairly casual fan of the series. I was born the year Episode IV: A New Hope first hit theaters, I rented the original trilogy on VHS as a kid, and my friends and I watched the films regularly in college. Oh, and I had a lifesize Han Solo cardboard cutout in my first apartment. And at one point I collected the cards... (Okay, upon further reflection, I was a medium-sized fan.) So I well remember the anticipation and frustration provoked by Lucas' misadventures in the late 1990s and early 2000s that seemed to undermine the greatness of his creation.

The People vs George Lucas is an often-hilarious and touching celebration of film and fandom, and poses the question: Does Lucas alone control the rights to his masterpiece, or, once something becomes a part of the global cultural zeitgeist, do the people who made it a success/were most affected by it have some say? *

As the film progressed, I changed my mind quite a few times regarding this central theme -- and that, to me, is a good indication of a well-produced and thoughtful documentary.

*edited to add: especially when it comes to the altered re-releases, which, some argue, fundamentally changed the characters (*cough* Han)

How to Get Published in an Anthology, Part 2

2010-06-21T08:27:00.000-07:00

My friend Amy Spalding was recently published in the anthology CLICK: When We Knew We Were Feminists, which has been called "diverse, touching, and entertaining" by Gloria Steinem.

CLICK here (get it? get it?) to read an excerpt from Amy's terrific essay, "My Number One Must-Have."

I was curious about her experience contributing to the book, and how it might have differed from my experience writing for a Chicken Soup for the Soul anthology (see Friday's post for more on that).

Ready, set, Q&A!

Q: How did you find out about CLICK? Was there a call for submissions? Did someone send you a link to the guidelines?

A: One of the editors posted at the blog Feministing about it with a call for entries. The theme was the "click moment" one realized they were a feminist. At this point, there were some recognized names in modern feminist writing and activism signed on to the project already, but they wanted a wider range of experiences and stories, so they were putting out a wider call. I didn't have to submit a full essay at this point, just about 100 words about what I would write, in the style and voice I would use.

It was several months later when I received notification that I had been selected to write for the anthology, and at that time I was given a word-count guideline and a deadline to complete the first draft of my essay.

Q: Did you know immediately what you wanted to write about, or did it come to you gradually?

A: I knew immediately what I wanted to write about, as my personal growth through my relationship with music - most specifically Sleater-Kinney, but other bands as well - has informed so much for me, and really came to define parts of my life that can pretty easily be labeled "before" and "after". So few events in life are capable of giving you a new era of yourself, so when they occur they're not too hard to recognize as such... at least for me.

Q: Have you submitted to any other anthologies before? If so, was this process similar, or different? If not, why did you choose CLICK?

A: I hadn't. At the time I sent out my short proposal, I had never before tried to get any writing published or represented in any way. However, like I said, this part of my life seemed so big and important to me. I'd actually for some time wondered if there would ever be an opportunity to express it in a large way, so the announcement for CLICK just really aligned with that desire.

Q: Was it difficult to write something personal?

A: The process of writing my essay, "My Number One Must-Have" (which is a take on a title of a song of Sleater-Kinney's that is among the most outward in stating a particular ideology) was ultimately far more difficult in many ways than I expected. First of all, I hadn't ever really written any sort of personal essay, outside of some assignments in college when I was seventeen. The only writing I did was all fiction, and all novel-length. So just the format itself was daunting to me. I wasn't sure how to structure it or how much ground to cover.

But the personal aspect of my essay absolutely became the most difficult part of the task for me. I was used to writing about fictional characters and their fictional troubles. Not only did it feel rather foreign to stick to the facts, I had been so focused on the good parts of my story (the "after") that I hadn't really considered that a big chunk of my essay would be devoted to the "before". I had moved on, but I still had to put myself back in my former mindspace, where life was difficult and my options seemed limited.

Q: Did you have any trouble conjuring up memories from that time in your life, or was it still pretty fresh?

A: It became easier as I wrote. At first, it was just such a strange experience writing a personal essay, period, that it felt like a lot of work. As I settled in to the piece, the details began to emerge more clearly, and it was easier hashing everything out on paper.

Q: How long did it take the editors [Courtney E. Martin and J. Courtney Sullivan] to send a response? Also, did they have notes, or accept the essay as-is?

A: My essay was accepted based off a proposal, so by the time I sent in the actual essay to the editors, I already knew it would be appearing in the book. Several weeks, maybe a couple months later I received feedback, and at that point I revised a bit, sent it back in, and received one more request for revisions.

The revisions I made actually all had to do with digging deeper for more personal details, more emotion, etc. This was no small task as it's really not in my nature to dump what I carry around in my heart onto pieces of paper in this manner; while I love sharing thoughts online and maintaining a large social network, I'm not one who delves into the truly personal with strangers on any sort of a regular basis (unless therapy counts?). With each rewrite I think I conquered this a little, and I knew I'd completed the final version when it literally made me cry to write. And - yes - that was the version that was accepted officially for the book.

Q: How long after your essay was accepted did it take for the book to appear on shelves?

A: Actually not too long - about eight months.

Q: Would you submit to more anthologies after this?

A: I definitely would, if I connected with the overall subject matter and if I respected the editors and publisher. I'm not desperate just to get my writing out there any way I can, so I would never want to contribute just to contribute. That said, there are a lot of topics I'm interested in, and this was such a positive experience that I definitely hope it isn't the last.

Q: Were you ever nervous about the topic of feminism in general, since there are so many differing interpretations of and/or potential knee-jerk responses to it?

A: I don't know; perhaps I should have been? But I really wasn't. I'm really active in educating myself on feminism, and through my readings and my life's experiences have definitely formed my own ideology that feels very solid and secure, and while I know the world doesn't necessarily agree with me, that doesn't really faze me. I also really hope that my story in CLICK can be a part of the book's overall inspiration for younger women, or women who haven't had their "click moment" yet. I also hope that my specific story, which has to do with music, might help dismantle some of society's stereotypes that feminism is for strident academic types who hate men and fun, when that stereotype rarely holds true - as most stereotypes don't, obviously. Out of those descriptors, only "academic" describes me, and I'm actually thrilled to let the world see that feminism doesn't have to only be about poring over Butler and hooks, etc., but can be about the joy of music and shared experience too.

I agree. Thanks, Ames!

How to Get Published in an Anthology, Part 1

2010-06-18T09:20:00.000-07:00

A great way to build up your writing clips is to submit personal essays to anthologies. It looks awesome on a query, it's a relatively fast route to publication (usually within six months of acceptance), and it proves you have the ability to tailor your work to a specific market.

In 2006, my essay about martial arts as a stress-reliever got published in a Chicken Soup for the Soul: Healthy Living anthology. The Chicken Soup and a Cup of Comfort books are always looking for submissions, and have easy-to-follow guidelines on topics, word counts, and styles. I saw their call for submissions on Craigslist in 2005 and followed a link to their main site for specifics and upload info.

Once I hit send, I received an email stating that each essay would be evaluated by "a variety of readers, including professionals who are interested in that topic, editors, writers, and contributors to previous Chicken Soup books." They would score each essay based on "how it made them feel (its emotional or humor content), interesting development of character or plot, and values learned or lessons taught."

After they accepted my story, I had to get signed permission from the real figures depicted (such as my martial arts instructor) to publish the piece. It was a bit scary writing about my real life, but also exciting to think that someone might read and enjoy it. The book's been on my shelf for a few years and every once in a while I pick it up and smile. You won't get rich from anthology publication, but it's a fun way to stretch your writing muscles in-between querying or working on longer pieces.

Next week for Part 2, I'll be interviewing the lovely Amy Spalding on her recent experiences getting published in the fantastic feminist anthology, "Click."

Mmmm, Apocalypse-y

2010-06-16T07:29:00.000-07:00

Hey "Hunger Games" fans, the latest New Yorker analyzes the dystopian trend in YA novels. (Yes, it's the infamous "20 Under 40" issue that lists the most promising writers of a generation. Maybe the YA version of this list should be "40 Characters Under 20." That I'd want to see.)

By the way, is it still a trend if articles are being written about it? Does it mean the trend is on its way out, or just beginning? I hope it's the latter; I love dystopian books.

Either way, there's this AMAZING poster outside my office building. It looks like a relic that will be found one day in a dystopian future. Plus it is personally horrifying to me since it involves my commute. The guy in his car at the intersection when I snapped this image totally agreed that it's scary looking.

Click the pic to better observe the garbage, weeds, detritus of an election, danger sign, and chainlink fence, and shudder along with me.

Something For Shel Silverstein Fans

2010-06-10T14:03:00.000-07:00

Took this photo the other day and had to share.

"There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind..."

-Shel Silverstein

The Horror

2010-06-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

I went to my new dentist this morning and he said he thinks I need braces for my overbite! GAH! Apparently my two dominant uppers are like grinding down my defenseless lowers. (Do you think I'm stressed?)

I managed to survive all of adolescence and my twenties without a retainer or braces so I have no intention of going down without a fight.

I've got a consult with an orthodontist next Wednesday. I've already refused a mouthguard at night because I've tried it before and it didn't end well.

Backstory: How Much, How Little, When, and Where?

2010-06-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

Lost (RIP) was a master of backstory.

Starting with the first scene of the pilot, the show followed the cardinal rule of screenwriting: open in the midst of a crisis, and introduce your characters by showing how they react to it.

Having crashed on an island, Jack opens his eyes, gathers what he can of his situation, and springs into action doing what he does best: saving other people.

And once the audience sees the plane wreckage and starts to meets the survivors, they want to know A) what happened on the plane? and B) who are these people?

Using parallel stories (one taking place on the island, and one taking place before the crash), the show jumped back and forth between two equally compelling plots each episode.

I struggle a lot with back story. I don't want to overload the beginning with information that's not relevant, but I also don't want to provide too little information and risk alienating the reader. If the audience doesn't understand why someone behaves a certain way, they might lose patience or stop caring about the character altogether.

How do you balance "present time" versus backstory? Do any novels or TV shows inspire you in this regard?

The Best Part of Going to the Magic Castle

2010-06-06T10:27:00.000-07:00

(Beside the magic, of course...) is seeing the reactions of people who've never been before.

My husband Joe performed all last week in the Close-Up Gallery, and I brought friends on Monday, Wednesday and Sunday. I'd planned to go even more, but with my commute and his late schedule (he performed 10 pm to 1:45 am) it was a little tricky.

The Castle is a private club for magicians and there's no place like it in the world. Seeing it through the eyes of first-timers is a blast because I never know what's going to fascinate them most: the portraits whose eyes follow you? Saying the secret code to get past the entrance door? The winding, hidden hallways and a floor plan that mysteriously never quite adds up? The Houdini Seance Room? The fact that there are five separate bars?

Joe's week was great because not only does he have a killer new show, the rest of the magician acts were completely different in technique, style, and tone, so the variety of performances complemented each other well. I think it was one of those wonderful combinations that only comes around once in a while.

Questions to Ponder While Stuck in Traffic on the 405

2010-06-03T13:43:00.000-07:00

1. How did the graffiti artist get up that high?
a) Why is the word "Wucky" spray-painted on the side of that truck? Was the creator a Wookiee fan who can't spell? Or is it an homage to Russell Brand's "My Booky Wook"?

2. Will I be able to drive 6 miles in 40 minutes? *

3. Would walking be faster, at this point?

4. Why is the guy in front of me letting everyone into our lane????

5. Is the 101 interchange the root of all evil?

6. Who is "Dr. Gutter, Inc." and does he have a PhD?

7. What genius coined the term "rush" hour? The same person responsible for the phrase "short sale"?

8. And finally, How much does the bus cost, and where do I catch it?

* No, no I will not.

An Abundance of Jonahs

2010-06-01T08:16:00.000-07:00

In the last month or so, I've read three YA books featuring a lead character named Jonah:
1. "Jellicoe Road" by Melina Marchetta
2. "How to Say Goodbye in Robot" by Natalie Standiford

3. "The Black Book Diaries" by Jonah Black (a fictional narrator)

This isn't a trend for anyone but me. It's completely random that I happened to read these books in a cluster.

Still, I'm curious why the name was chosen. Although most famous for the Biblical figure who was swallowed by a whale, Jonah also means "dove," according to www.behindthename.com

None of the characters in the above-mentioned books are particularly peaceful or dove like. In fact, the first two are pretty antisocial and give the main female character angst.

How do you pick your characters' names? Do you ever study the etymology first, or do you just go with what feels and sounds right?

Lotsa Love for "Lost"

2010-05-26T17:14:00.000-07:00

I needed a few days to process the finale of Lost before I posted, but overall I loved how the series ended, and I'm keeping the Jimmy Kimmel special on hold just so I'll have something to look forward to.

Lost was unique. I can't think of any other show on TV that so beautifully combined action/adventure, sci-fi/fantasy, romance, philosophy, mythology, time travel (!!), and mystery. There really was something for everyone.

I love the way epic TV events bring people together and in this case, Lost went all out. The episode was broadast "day and date" -- something usually reserved for blockbuster movie franchises -- meaning it aired simultanously across the world (like 5 a.m. in London) to avoid spoilers and bootlegs getting out.

The Internet kind of exploded, too. According to Variety, "Google tracked more than 1,700 online news articles and 245 blog posts about the finale by midday Monday." At my office, we've been literally talking about it around the watercooler for the past few years and I'm going to miss that. The characters on the show were so richly drawn I feel like I've had to say goodbye to some friends.

Reviews of the finale were mixed, mostly divided into two categories: the "But they didn't answer X!!!!" people, and the "Emotionally satisfied but slightly confused" people who enjoy analyzing and interpreting the different possibilities.

io9 hated it...

But the Onion's AV club loved it.

As did Entertainment Weekly. Perhaps most intriguingly, someone claiming to have worked for Bad Robot (Lost's production company) also chimed in.

Cyber Clean

2010-05-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the brainstorming tips and encouragement yesterday. I haven't typed anything in the past few days, but I have written some free associations by hand, done a bit o' research and come up with some solutions to my plot dilemma. Gonna give the issue a few more days to percolate.

In the meantime I've discovered new and creative time wasters. Yesterday I cleaned my keyboard with ecto-plasma neon goop, er, I mean, Cyber Clean. It's completely weird. I love how they refer to cell phones as "high tech equipment."

A Case of the Mondays

2010-05-19T09:27:00.000-07:00

Or at least a six pack.

We set up our home office this week. My husband did an amazing job putting it together and I love it. Computer, printer, slide-out tray for keyboard, phone, back-up hard drive, ergonomic chair, coffee...

I should be writing up a storm but I screeched to a halt Sunday night. To be fair, I had been writing up a storm until that point, and then I got to the halfway mark of my revision and felt like I'd wandered over to the edge of a plot cliff.

Each option presents new problems.

I'm driving myself crazy so I've decided to stop thinking about it for a few days and see if my brain will come up with a solution when I'm not actively pursuing one.

Have you reached an impasse in your writing recently? What did you do to overcome it?

Small Advance, Huge Prize

2010-05-14T12:07:00.000-07:00

According to the Christian Science Monitor, this year's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, "Tinkers" by Paul Harding, was rejected by 20 publishers and only earned him a $1,000 advance.

"Tinkers" story centers on a man, now dying, who repairs antique clocks. Despite the tough road to publication, the novel was lauded by the L.A. Times, the New Yorker and the Boston Globe prior to capturing the Pulitzer.

Do you think Harding's next advance will be bigger? ;)

Diabetes Research Auctions - With Literary Prizes

2010-05-12T08:29:00.000-07:00

Attention writers!

Win a 30-page read and phone comments from literary agent Sara Megibow. Trust me when I say her notes will be AMAZING. Best of all, it's for a worthy cause -- all proceeds in the auction go to benefit diabetes research. You've got about two and a half more weeks to place your bid.

Live in the DC area? Love politics?

Here's another great auction, courtesy of the awesome Miranda Kenneally: Lunch and a private tour at the U.S. Department of State.

Writing Lessons From "30 Rock"

2010-05-10T08:33:00.000-07:00

Tina Fey is one of my favorite writers and performers and I have a theory about why her character on 30 Rock, Liz Lemon, works so well.

In comedy there are two basic types of characters: the straight man, who reacts to everybody else, and the wacky one, who gets to do ridiculous things. Liz Lemon is both, depending on who else is in the scene with her. For example, when she's in boss mode and has to corral the talent on the show-within-the-show, she's often exasperated and deadpan, but when she's in employee mode and heads upstairs to Jack Donaghy's (Alec Baldwin) office in the corporate arena, she's a bundle of quirks and physical comedy. She's three-dimensional but never contradictory.

Nobody is just "one thing" and I think viewers relate easily to Liz because A) we all think of ourselves as weird or nerdy and B) we also think other people can be worse.

Do your characters change when they interact with different people? Does their language and behavior reflect the differences?

Is it Necessary to Have This Much Cranberry Juice?

2010-05-07T09:02:00.000-07:00

At my local Von's, there is an aisle devoted to cranberry juice and every variation you can think of. This photo is just the tip of the iceberg. It's too big for my camera.

There's 100% juice, juice cocktail, plain cran, cran with apple, cran with pomegranate, blueberry cran, raspberry cran, diet of all of the above, "light" of all of the above, generic, brand name, six-packs, gallons.

It makes me think of Andy Warhol, and Western excess.

My mother moved to the U.S. from Zimbabwe in 1970, and the grocery stores overwhelmed her with the sheer amount and variety of what should have been basic items. I finally understand what she meant.

"How big the world is!" the ducklings said.

2010-05-04T14:49:00.000-07:00

"The Ugly Duckling" by Hans Christian Anderson is one of my favorite kids' stories. As I'm sure you remember, the poor duckling is an outcast who spends a miserable winter alone, fending off the bitter weather and the other animals' cruelty and scorn.

But eventually... "He now felt glad at having suffered sorrow and trouble, because it enabled him to enjoy so much better all the pleasure and happiness around him..."

I always thought that was a great lesson, because how can we know what it means to be happy unless we've also experienced unhappiness?

For those writers who are querying agents, out on submission, or just plugging away at a third or fourth draft, do you think years of hard work and uncertain toil will make success all the sweeter, or do you wish fortune would shine on you now?

Reverse Schadenfreude?

2010-04-30T18:19:00.000-07:00

It's no secret among my friends that I like messed-up memoirs. In fact, most of the non-fiction books I choose to read depict a world or situation I'm vaguely horrified by.

Recent reads include "Among the Thugs," about soccer hooligans in Europe; "Chalked Up: Inside Elite Gymnastics' Merciless Coaching, Overzealous Parents, Eating Disorders, and Elusive Olympic Dreams"; "Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China"; "Adrift: Seventy-Six Days Lost at Sea"; and "The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective." Last night I started "Nothing to Envy: Ordinary lives in North Korea" by Barbara Demick.

Why do I read such downer books? Probably for the same reason I watch Intervention and Extreme Hoarders: not to delight in others' misfortunate, but to celebrate their hard-won victories, remind myself how lucky I am, and learn what life's like for people who A) grew up in other countries B) grew up in other time periods. Also, real life is definitely stranger than fiction, and can inspire me in different ways than fiction does.

If you read non-fiction, what topics pique your interest?

A note to inspire

2010-04-28T14:14:00.000-07:00

"Who wants to become a writer? And why?... It's the streaming reason for living. To note, to pin down, to build up, to create, to be astonished at nothing, to cherish the oddities, to let nothing go down the drain, to make something, to make a great flower of life, even if it's a cactus."

-- Enid Bagnold, British novelist and playwright

My mom sent me this quote in the mail a few years ago and it's had a home on my bulletin board ever since. Whenever I feel down about my writing or wonder what I'm doing, it perks me up.

Today's my birthday (my Facebook wall doesn't know what hit it) and I may be getting the most wonderful present later: a niece!

A Quick Primer on E-Publishing

2010-04-27T12:58:00.000-07:00

I have to admit I've been conspicuously avoiding most talk about e-books. When the words "e-publishing," "Kindle," "iPad," "Sony Reader," and "agency model" appear, my eyes kind of glaze over. I know I should be following this stuff. I know I should be informed.

Part of my hesitancy to delve into the topic is pure denial. (Always smart.) I'd like to think that someday I'll have a physical book on a shelf in a brick-and-mortar bookstore (another term that earns the Eye Glaze. "Brick and mortar"? Did anyone even use this phrase until recently?).

Because really, who dreams of one day having a downloadable file?

But last night I read a fantastic article, "Publish or Perish," in the New Yorker, about Kindle vs iPad, publishers' attempts to set prices with e-distributors, the hope that Apple may "save" the publishing business, and various insights from staffers at the six largest publishing houses.

And click ye here for Kristin Nelson's excellent posts on the Amazon / Macmillan war as it unfolded.

L.A. Times Book Festival and Another Idaho Pic

2010-04-23T17:49:00.000-07:00

It's been quite a week! I returned from Idaho on Monday, got lotsa notes on my YA WIP (okay, a "yawip" sounds like an exotic breed of dog, the bark the dog makes, or both) and tonight I've got a college friend visiting from out of town.

I also read two excellent books ("The Girl Who Fell From the Sky" by Heidi Durrow and "Albatross" by Josie Bloss).

If you live in L.A., be sure to check out the Festival of Books this weekend at UCLA. The line-up is amazing; guests include Meg Cabot and Dave Cullen.

And now, a random photo of Boise, taken by my husband. :)

A Trip to Idaho

2010-04-21T18:01:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a lovely trip to Idaho, where my husband Joe is performing magic at Mystique restaurant in Boise for the month of April.

My agent-mate Natalie Bahm and her husband were kind enough to join me for a meal and show, and we got to chat reading and writing, which was really cool.

Fun fact: the Idaho state lotto features "Cheers" scratch-offs. It's almost like I designed it.