Young Adult Creative Writing Workshops (YACWW)

Online Chat with Jamie Martinez Wood

2008-12-30T11:49:00.000-08:00

YACWW invited Jamie Martinez Wood on Thursday, November 20, 2008 to chat with the 6th Grade class at Riverhead Charter School on Long Island, NY.

Check out the words of wisdom Jamie had to share with the students at RCS.
http://www.gabriellahewitt.com/blog/?p=373

For more information about this YA author check out her website at http://www.jamiewood.com/teen/

Exciting Rap Trailer for Simone Elkeles New Release!

2008-12-11T06:24:00.000-08:00

Simone Elkeles, author of Perfect Chemistry has put together this absolutely fantastic rap trailer for her YA book. She’s got two versions, the uncut and the G-rated. I watched the uncut. It’s clever, it’s hip and it’s a must-see. I won’t say any more. Get yourself over to her website and check this trailer out. Tell me what you think and tell me you don’t want to go out and buy this book.

Major kudos to Simone!

www.simonelkeles.net

Coming in December 2008!

A modern tale of star-crossed lovers with a fresh urban twist. At Fairfield High School, on the outskirts of Chicago , everyone knows that south-siders mixing with north-siders can be explosive. So when Brittany Ellis and Alejandro “Alex” Fuentes are forced to be lab partners in chemistry class, this human experiment leads to unexpected revelations – that Brittany ’s flawless reputation is a cover for her troubled home life, that Alex’s bad-boy persona hides his desire to break free from gang ties, and that when they’re together, life somehow makes more sense. Breaking through the stereotypes and expectations that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart, Perfect Chemistry takes readers to both sides of the tracks in a passionate love story about looking beneath the surface.

Blast from the past Interview with Agent Maya Rock

2008-08-31T08:22:00.001-07:00

This interview originally happened in August 2006 on YACWW

MAYA said...

I'm a new agent at WRITER'S HOUSE LLC looking for good transportive fiction, especially literary and historical. I enjoy Young Adult fiction, romance, memoir, self-help, inspirational, non-fiction, and stories of people at the edges of society.

Bring on the questions!

Lyric said... Hi Maya. Can you please list the word count difference between middle level and young adult. If an agent says they accept YA, does it mean they accept ML too?

Maya said...Middle grade is from about 10,000-50,000 words. Young adult is about 40-60,000. If an agent says they accept YA, I imagine they prefer it to middle-grade—the term YA definitely doesn’t encompass YA and middle-grade. But if they say they do children’s, that does run the gamut from picture books to middle-grade to YA.

Amanda Brice said...I also have a question for Maya. At RWA this weekend, several agents mentioned that they're seeing booksellers starting to cut back on thenumber of "edgy" YA titles they order and that the market might be wanting sweeter YA's (not quite innocent, but not super edgy either)...at least from the parents. Are you seeing this as well? Also, how hot is the YA market right now?
What types of themes and are you personally looking for?
Finally, (I know, I'm curious) at a workshop at RWA with Nadia Cornier and Simone Elkeles, they broke YA down into 4 age groups:Middle grade (10-13)Tweens (12-15)YA (14-16)Older YA (15-17)Do you agree with these breakdowns and what would you say is the word count for each of them? Should we just call it "YA" in a cover letter and a suggested age target?

Maya said...Personally, I think edgy YA is too broad a category to ever die. The problem becomes when too many writers are writing things that are just too similar to other books out there. The market can’t handle too many generic copies of previous books. There will always be room for edgy books that do something new. I think, anyway. King, and Carl Hiaasen have all been hugely successful in this genre.

This breakdown seems accurate to me, though perhaps a bit too scrupulous. The big distinction I make is between Middle Grade and Young Adult, which I discussed above. I don’t really think these separate breakdowns merit different word counts. The answer to your last question seems to me to be “Yes.”

Dancewriter said...I write both YA and Women's Romance and I put out a lot of material. But I need to switch agents -- mine just isn't doing anything for me. It's lame. But it's so hard to GET an agent...I'm hesitant to let go, even if the lifeline is sinking! What do you suggest?

Maya said...It depends on what you mean by your agent isn’t doing anything for you.
A lot of people feel if their agent sends their manuscript out to editors and it doesn’t get sold, it’s time to get a new agent. But your new agent might not want to take on a book that has already been rejected by other publishers. Does your agent take your calls? Respond to your questions? Share with you her plans for selling your books? Does she love your work? Is she working hard on your behalf? That’s a good agent, even if she (or he) hasn’t been able to sell the book.

However if she doesn’t do these things or you are just not comfortable with her, then maybe you should let go. If you’re looking for a new agent for a book that’s already been rejected by ten or more publishers (this is not an official number, just one off the top of my head), you might encounter some resistance from agents. It might be easier to submit a new work if you can and mention that you have another one that’s been seen by X number of editors. And it’s good to mention you had an agent, and a nice touch to say “you parted amicably.” Do not say, “My old agent didn’t work hard enough for me” as that sends up a big warning flag.

Sasha said...What are you waiting for in young adult literature that you haven't seen yet and wished you could?

Maya said...This is a great question. I think it’s easier to say what I’d like to see more of—I’d like to see more people that were really in touch with today’s teen. It’s a really hard way to be, but I love when people can handle the slang and the computer stuff, the music and the magazines—the authors who really know what today’s teenagers are doing. I find that fascinating. Also I would love to see more things that were genuinely funny. Too much of the humor in YA seems to be too forced.

Harried Mom said...Hi, Exactly what is transportive fiction? I've been listening to a variety of Lois Lowry's works on CD while driving. Does that count?

Maya said...Transportive fiction is a term I came up with to describe the kind of fiction I liked. Of course it’s also possible I just read it somewhere and forgot where. I did hesitate before using it since Word put a red squiggly line underneath indicating it was it was misspelled.

I just like fiction that takes place in strange places, times, or otherwise fully realized settings that I may not be familiar with. I’m just curious about other cultures—whether it’s somewhere across or the world, or just down the street.

I cannot be the final judge of what counts. Your transportive fiction may be different than mine.

Sasha said...What is your pet peeve?

Maya said...I don’t like clearly unresearched work—this particularly stands out with historical and scifi.

Colleen Kosinski said... Do you have any good suggestions of a YA novel that switched voice from third to first. My novel starts with an intro in third and then back to the protag in first.

Maya said...Nothing comes to mind and that could be because switching perspectives can be problematic. It is critical that you avoid disorienting the reader. Perhaps the third person intro could turn out to be something your protagonist wrote?

Sasha said...What advice would you give a teenager looking to break into the world of publishing?

Maya said...As a writer? Write a lot and read a lot and spend tons of time on your work. If you write something great, it will get published. It’s a problem if you spend significantly more time trying to get published than working on your writing.

As someone trying to work in publishing? Summer internships. They don’t pay much but they look good on your resume.

Danica/dream said...I have a question for Maya Rock. I'm writing fiction and nonfiction (self help/ inspirational). Would I need a seperate agent for each, or does that depend on the agent?

Maya said...It depends on the agent, although most agents I know take on fiction and nonfiction.

Sasha said...Maya, what makes you decide about taking on a new client?

Maya said...I don’t usually take on clients based on what I think the market really wants—it comes into play, but it’s hard to change my own personal taste just because I know something is popular. Right now I wish I could get more good historicals in both adult and young adult. My own historical taste is very particular, and sometimes it seems difficult to find the ones that have fantastic, relatable characters but also seem genuinely to take place in another era.

Amanda Brice said... Also, how hot is the YA market right now? What types of themes and genres are you personaly looking for? (I've got a YA mystery series)

Maya said...YA is very hot. Personally I like historical, scifi and deeply psychological books. But I’m ok to anything, really. So much has to do with the quality of the writing, not the genre. Anyone can query me at mrock@writershouse.com (no attachments please, but first page can be copy-pasted)

Rhonda Stapleton said...Maya - what YA paranormals are hot right now, and what's been overdone to death?:D

Maya said...Good question. I had to get help for it!

I asked my colleague, Diana Fox, to field this one since she is much more into paranormal than I am. She says, "The entire YA paranormal genre is very hot right now! I think the most successful books are the ones which use tried-and-true YA formulas but with the addition of a supernatural element, as in BLUE BLOODS by Melissa de la Cruz which is essentially Gossip Girl with vampires, or AVALON HIGH by Meg Cabot which is a teen romance with the main characters cast as reincarnated figures from Arthurian myth, or high school cliques at a new school through the eyes of a girl who can see auras in GOLDEN by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (just to give a few examples). You could call this theBuffy model because TV shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, and Roswell really helped sell the supernatural as metaphor idea as a staple of teen popculture, and it's an incredibly versatile one for writers because they can do everything from comedy to serious issues... and that's why I don't think anything has been overdone to death, because it's all in the execution. It's easy to say oh yeah, vampires are so overdone, but you know what? Vampires remain enduringly popular for a reason, and for every tired unoriginal treatment of a cliché you can also hope to get a new vampire novel like Stephenie Meyer's TWILIGHT, which readers respond to because it's a timeless story. I personally keep hoping someone will send me the Great American Werewolf Novel--maybe set in high school with cheerleaders--but seriously, all it takes is one great new twist on an old idea!"

Sasha said...Maya, is there any particular type of YA lit or adult lit that editors are clamouring for right now that you wished you could get your hands on?

Maya said...I still hear the clamour for edgy and paranormal. For me personally, I would really like to see strong characterization. Too often I feel like I am just reading about generic teen, and not a real personality. I like to fall in love with characters and get beneath their skins. To me a novel could be any genre and I would fall for it if it made me feel the characters were real.

Last but not least....here is what Maya had to say for her last question.

Lis said...Hi, my question is where do you see the YA market headed and what do you think has been overdone to death?

Maya said...In my humble opinion, fantasy has been overdone to death. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t demand, just that I, a former fantasy lover, feel like the quality has gone down in this genre since so many have started tackling it.I see YA increasing in popularity and hopefully drawing more closet (or uncloseted) adult readers to it. I’m not a big trend forecaster as I just go with my gut in terms of what I take on, but I feel there’s room for more SF and more serious books—but that’s just what I find hard to locate when I go to the bookstore, not necessarily where it’s headed.

Sasha said ...You rock, Maya!
Thanks for coming out and chillin' with us.

Hey, don't forget to mention you met her on YACWW!

For more details visit http://www.writershouse.com/

NYC Writers Conference

2008-03-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

Getting Past the Gatekeeper Panel - 4/12, NY, NY

WHAT: Getting Past the Gatekeeper Panel, which is part of the
NYCIP's New York Round Table Writers' Conference. Attracting
writers of all levels from beginner to seasoned professional,
the two-day conference provides access to the nation's
leading literary figures, including editors, agents, publicists,
reviewers, bestselling authors and publishers, speaking on
the business and career of writing. The conference, now in
its fourth year, has built up a considerable reputation for
quality instruction from knowledgeable publishing insiders.

WHEN: Saturday, April 12, 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

WHERE: General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen Library,
20 West 44th Street, New York, NY

WHO:
Jessica Sinsheimer, Sarah Jane Freymann Agency
Laura Walsh, Wiley & Sons
Marcela Landres, Editorial Consultant

REGISTER: Visit http://www.writersconferencenyc.org/
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For a list of all my upcoming workshops, visit
http://www.marcelalandres.com/
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Info courtesy of Marcela Landres
Editorial Consultant
Helping writers get published.
718-208-5810
marcelalandres@yahoo.com
http://www.marcelalandres.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marcelalandres/
Writer's Digest 101 Best Web Sites for Writers

Upcoming Conferences Spring 2008

2008-02-22T05:28:00.000-08:00

Have you heard about these upcoming Children's writing conferences?

24th Annual Children’s Literature Conference April 26, 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY
Fee $99, Lecturers to be announced
Co-sponsored by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators
(SCBWI).
Here’s an opportunity for published and aspiring writers and illustrators to
gather with librarians, educators, editors, booksellers and all others who wish
to create or share good children’s books. The program features two general
session speakers; six special-interest groups (from which students may choose);
and a panel of two children’s book editors, who will critique many randomly
selected, first-manuscript pages submitted by registrants. Be inspired to begin or
complete that children’s book you’ve always wanted to write!
For registration or more info http://www.hofstra.edu/Academics/CCEPA/index_ccepa.cfm

6th annual Hofstra Network of Education Teachers (HNET) Conference, March 8, 8:30am - 2:00pm
Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY
The fifth annual Hofstra Network of Elementary Teachers (HNET) conference is open to all prospective and current elementary teachers and administrators. Workshops explore elementary and early childhood literacy, mathematics, science and social studies, as well as how to land your first teaching job. Admission is free. Teachers receive a staff development letter for submission to their districts. Keynote speaker:Beth Dykstra Van Meeteran “Are Constructivist Classrooms Unstructured?”
Iowa early childhood master teacher and author
Free to general public
For more info or to register officially, you need to email HNET@hofstra.edu with your name, address, home phone #, school, and email

For more info on Hofstra Events visit http://www.hofstra.edu/home/index.html

International Women's Writing Guild
Annual Conferences around the USA, Ongoing dates
The IWWG, founded in 1976, is a network for the personal and professional empowerment of women through writing and open to all regardless of portfolio
For more info check out http://www.iwwg.com/
Or download their registration form http://www.iwwg.com/pdf/CA2008.pdf

Information courtesy of Write4kids.com. (permission to reprint)

Utah State Valley College (USVC) Forum on Children's Literature, March 20 & 21
Utah State Valley College, Orem, UT.
The annual Forum on Children's Literature will feature Caldecott Medalist David Small, Newbery Honor recipient Kirby Larson and Simon & Schuster editor Alexandra Penfold. The conference features workshops, peer critique groups, book signings and more. Details at http://www.uvsc.edu/conted/c&w/forumChildrenLiterature/08/

Colorado Christian Writer's Conference, May 14-17
Estes Park, CO.
This major conference covers a wide range of topics of interest to the Christian writer. Three full days of panels, workshops and addresses. More info: http://writehisanswer.com/colorado/

The Native American Literature Symposium, Many Voices, One Center, March 27-29 Minneapolis, MN.
Panel discussions, readings, exhibits, demonstrations, and workshops highlighting the heritage and impact of Native Americans on current American literature. http://english2.mnsu.edu/griffin/

For more info on upcoming conferences in your neigborhood.
Go to http://write4kids.com/aboutcbi.html

February Market News Update

2008-02-05T12:36:00.000-08:00

Love is in the air! And so are some new opportunities for wiriters.

Courtesy Marcela Landres
Visit her at http://www.marcelalandres.com/.

Voted best industry new websight by Editors and Preditors 2008!
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SEEKING LATINO CHILDREN'S BOOK WRITERS/ILLUSTRATORS
Susan B. Katz is a literary agent with East/West Agency specializing
in the representation of Latino authors and illustrators, including
clientele in Latin America, Spain and the U.S. Her authors range
from writers who are already well established in the children's
market to astronauts and politicians, all with a unique story to tell.
For more information, contact: EastWestAgency@aol.com
*****
CREATIVE NONFICTION CONFERENCE
Registration deadline: February 15
Dates: February 27 to March 2
The first Mid-South Creative Nonfiction Conference features two
programs: Making Memoir and Journeys – Travel Writing. For
more information, visit: http://www.creativenonfiction.org/
*****
MTV POETRY PRIZE
Deadline: February 15
A prize of $1000 and publication by HarperCollins are given
annually for a book-length poetry manuscript by a student
currently enrolled in a college or university. For more information, visit:
http://www.nationalpoetryseries.org/
*****
BOOK PROMOTION 101 FOR AUTHORS
Registration deadline: February 22
Date: March 8
Location: New York, NY
Bella Stander and top-notch publicists, media trainers and recently
published authors provide real-world advice and tips in an intimate,
lively, and collegial forum. Class size is limited to eight, so there is
abundant individual attention and in-depth discussion. For more
information, visit: http://www.bookpromotion101.com/bp101/
*****
$10,000 FIRST NOVEL FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: March 1
A fellowship of $10,000 is given annually for a work-in-progress of
fiction by a U.S. writer who has not yet published a novel. Novels as
well as novellas and collections of closely linked stories are eligible.
For more information, visit: http://www.wilkes.edu/pages/1159.asp
*****
SHORT STORY PRIZE
Deadline: March 15
A prize of $1000 and publication in the Colorado Review will be
given annually for a short story. Antonya Nelson will judge. For
more information, visit:
http://coloradoreview.colostate.edu/NPSF/sub.html
*****
SHORT STORY COLLECTION PRIZE
Deadline: March 15
A prize of $3000 and publication by the University of Nebraska
Press are given annually for a collection of short fiction. For
more information, visit: http://prairieschooner.unl.edu/
*****
$16,000 CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: March 15
A nine-month fellowship, including a $16,000 stipend, is given
annually to a Christian writer of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction
to complete a first book. For more information, visit:
http://imagejournal.org/
*****
EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHER SEEKS BILINGUAL EDITORS
Miami-based educational publisher seeks three editors in K-12
publishing. The ideal candidate needs editorial experience and
Spanish language skills. The publishing company will pay for
relocation expenses for the right candidate. All resumes should
be sent to: resume@barrcon.com
*****
PENGUIN SEEKS ASSOCIATE PRODUCTION EDITOR
Penguin's Dutton and Gotham Managing Editorial department is
looking for an Associate Production Editor to handle production-
editorial responsibilities. The position requires: 4-year college
degree or equivalent work experience; minimum 1 year prior
production-editorial, copyediting, or managing-editorial
experience in book publishing; excellent copyediting and
proofreading skills; ability to multi-task. Please email resume,
cover letter, and salary requirement to jobs@us.penguingroup.com;
indicate "Dutton/Gotham Associate Production Editor" in the subject line.
*****
BEFORE YOU SEND IT OUT
Do you have an idea for a book, but don't know where to begin?
Are you ready to submit your work to agents or editors, but want a
professional to polish it before you send it out? Did you get rejected,
and wonder what's wrong and how to fix it? I can help. For more
information, visit: http://www.marcelalandres.com/ and click on Services.
*****
SPREAD THE WORD
E-mail announcements about contests, calls for submissions, jobs,
book publications, literary events, etc., to marcelalandres@yahoo.com.
*****
NOMINATE WWW.MARCELALANDRES.COM
If you like my web site, please nominate it for next year's Writer's
Digest Magazine's "The 101 Best Web Sites for Writers" list. Send
nominations to writersdig@fwpubs.com with "101 Best Web Sites"
as the subject line and a brief note explaining how
http://www.marcelalandres.com/ has helped you. Thank you in
advance for your support!
*****
SUBSCRIBE
Visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marcelalandres/ and
click the "Join This Group!" button.
*****
READ PAST ISSUES
Visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marcelalandres/ and
click on Messages.
*****
UPDATE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS
Visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marcelalandres/ and
click on "Edit Membership."
*****

Free Writing Children's Books E-zine

2008-02-05T12:31:00.000-08:00

Everything you wanted to know about writing a children's book or illustrating for children's books is right here. Sign up and get the first e-zine for free!

Check out Write4Kids.com
(http://www.write4kids.com/faq.html)

So the Drama... Drama Club!

2007-12-29T10:03:00.000-08:00

THE FALL MUSICAL & THE BIG PRODUCTION
Drama Club Series by Peter Lerangis
Reviewed by Kevin Ferral

The DRAMA CLUB series is definitly for the 10-17 crowd. Lovers of teen love stories, drama, or passionate in reading will enjoy these stories. The humor is witty, flashy sentence structure and speech to boggle the Gilmore Girls, and unique charcters provide an enjoyable experience. Sadly, I must say realistically, this book [might] be missed,...for the typical passerby in a library or store it will most likely happen [as it] isn't a noticable piece of work (and probably is overshadowed by the flashier High School Musical series from Disney).

THE FALL MUSICAL (Drama Club) The first book is told from the perspective of the new girl in town, which is the best way to approach the DC(or Drama Club in the book's jargon. Doing so places the character in the shoes of the reader. The two, you and the main character, view a new place, people, and situations which is a refreshing way to begin a story. But that doesn't neglect an underlining annoyance brought on by the unknown past of the main character. The main character, Casey, comes to the school to escape her past, but the reader doesn't find out why exactly until later. The suspense comes from periodic mentioning of her disturbed past and how it affects her without revealing too much. Granted, later in the story, a great catharsis of the main character is made, but that doesn't make up for the irritation experienced early on. Throughout the story there are numerous humorous moments, awes, and, of course, DRAMA. A typical teen/tween book set in high school life.

THE BIG PRODUCTION (Drama Club) is the second story tells from the previous main character's major influence into the DC, but sadly the previous main character has a minor role. The story has the same key enjoyable humor set in the previous installment, but emphasizes more on other characters' drama and development. The middle of the piece's mood is darker and gloomier. An introduction of typical teen temptations sets in with parents, crushes, drugs, and the stress of life. Everything we've seen, or rather read in this scenario, before.
But don't get me wrong, this is a great book. Something I encourage others to read.

The characters of DRAMA CLUB by Peter Lerangis are lovable and indeed have development, but lack essential originality. Luckily the series narrates from different charcter viewpoints, and this provides different preferable styles of writing that will appeal to the masses.

Drama Club: The Big Production and The Fall Musical are available now at Amazon.com

Learn more about Peter Lerangis.

Praise for Thirteen Reasons

2007-12-29T09:38:00.000-08:00

Thirteen Reasons by Jay Aasher has been reviewed by Book Page
"It's a serious read, for serious readers, that delivers a powerful laook at teens in torment." James Neil Webb, Book Page, January Issue 2008

For more reviews check out http://www.bookpage.com/

CHESS RUMBLE IN THE HOUSE!

2007-11-14T04:43:00.001-08:00

Greg Neri's first book for teens, CHESS RUMBLE from Lee & Low Books, is now available to order.

Are you ready to RUUUUUMMMBBLLE!!!!

CHESS RUMBLE is a free-verse novella about an angry teen who is one fight away from being kicked out of school when he encounters an unlikely chess master who challenges him to fight his battles on the chess board. It was written for boys and reluctant readers, grades 4-8. To check out more on the book, visit: http://gregneri.com/g.neri_chessrumble.html

Here’s what people are saying:

* This book will become a standby pick for reluctant readers, who will be pulled in before they know it by the story’s quick pace and the authenticity of Marcus’s voice and experience.” —SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
* "I think CHESS RUMBLE is perhaps the most awesome title in the history of the world." - Sara Zarr, National Book Award Finalist
* "If more books were written this way, there would be more readers in the world." - Monroe Middle School student
* "I loooove this book!" - Another Monroe student, hugging the book tightly on the verge of tears (for real)

You can order it at Amazon, which also happens to have the best price, only $12.89! If you are with a school or library, you can order it here and get those big discounts!

Lee & Low is a small publisher, so if you want to help spread the word, you can:

* Forward this email to friends, teachers, and teens.
* Ask your local bookseller and library to order it
* Write an Amazon or B&N review
* Buy it for your nephew
* Tell your friends, blogger pals, MySpacers, etc.

Greg has two other books coming out in the next year and a half. Check out his website to see what going on: www.gneri.com.

National Novel Writing Month (NaNo)

2007-10-30T14:13:00.000-07:00

It is November and it is that time again to for the annual NaNo Write!

Permission to forward from Latinadad
Helping Latino writers get published,
Marcela Landres
marcelalandres@yahoo.com
http://www.marcelalandres.com/

Saludos
The very idea behind NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)—namely,
writing an entire novel in 30 days—may seem wacky. But wackiness is
exactly what some writers need to finally get their novels out of their
heads and onto paper. Not convinced? Consider this: Kathy Cano Murillo
wrote the first draft of her novel "Love Shine" as a NaNoWriMo participant
and landed a two book deal with Grand Central Publishing. (You might
recall I interviewed Kathy in the February 2006 issue of Latinidad.) If
you're tired of talking about your novel and want to actually write it,
read on.

Recommendation
Don't be fooled by the facetious title—"No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress,
High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days" is a seriously smart
writing guide. Author Chris Baty, founder of National Novel Writing Month,
stuffs the slim volume with solid advice, notably his concept of "exuberant
imperfection." For the skeptics out there who think it isn't possible to write
a good novel in a month—you're right. The objective of NaNoWriMo isn't to
create a great novel or even a decent one but to simply push out the first
draft. Lani Diane Rich, a NaNoWriMo participant who, like Kathy Cano
Murillo, got a two book deal with a major publisher, says it best: "Crap you
can edit. A blank page will never be anything but."

Baty includes a helpful chart to keep track of your daily word count,
pointers on how to manage friends, family, and work during a month of
unapologetic neglect, and tried and true tips such as "stockpile chocolate
in all its mouth-watering forms." "No Plot? No Problem!" is intended to
accompany those who plunge headfirst into NaNoWriMo which starts
November 1st. If the idea appeals but this November is too soon for you,
use the book for support and inspiration during a month of your choosing.
Alternatively, if you're raring to participate in NaNoWriMo and don't have
time to read the book, everything you need to get going is on their web
site: http://www.nanowrimo.org/.

Writing Opportunities - OCT. 2007

2007-10-06T07:31:00.000-07:00

October is here with a cornicopia of scary good opportunitues for writers

From Editor John Parsley and everyone at LOST http://www.lostmag.com/

Boo! It's October and officially fall, and in this month's LOST Magazine, you'll find Dracula, Bela Lugosi, World Series baseball, headstone carvings, and more, including a photo essay of New York City faces (just right for Halloween), a short play, and essays about a family loss and the capital of Assyria. It's LOST No. 18, and it's all new.

You'll also find the third and final short story selected by our current Guest Fiction Editor, Michelle Wildgen, a terrific piece by Albert E. Martinez.

Come visit us; come revisit our store and pick up a mug or a T-shirt; and get LOST again.

We're reading fiction and nonfiction submissions now. Send your work; submission details on the site!

If you're on MySpace, become a F.O.L at www.myspace.com/lostmag

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From Latinidad http://www.marcelalandres.com/
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CHICAGO REVIEW PRESS SEEKS LATINO WRITERS
Lawrence Hill Books, an imprint of Chicago Review Press, seeks authors
to expand its Latino nonfiction list. Chicago Review Press is a dynamic
midsize company with a list of national and international interest, and
Lawrence Hill Books publishes mostly nonfiction on topics of African
American and Latino interest, progressive politics, civil and human rights,
and feminism. Unagented, first-time authors are welcome to submit
their proposals. Contact Susan Betz at sbetz@chicagoreviewpress.com
for more information.
*****
WRITEGIRL SEEKS VOLUNTEERS
Deadline: October 20
WriteGirl, a creative writing and mentoring organization for teen girls,
is seeking volunteers for our new season to help with everything from
event planning to public relations to mentoring and more. With more
than 30 events annually and a membership of more than 200, joining
WriteGirl means joining a dynamic community of women and girls. In
addition to women writers, we welcome professionals in all fields to
contribute talent and time to this vital program for girls. For an
application and more information, visit http://www.writegirl.org/.
*****
ROBERT OLEN BUTLER FICTION PRIZE
Deadline: November 1
A prize of $1000 is given annually for a short story. The winning entry
and all the finalists will be published in an anthology by Del Sol Press.
For more information, visit http://www.webdelsol.com/.
*****
POETS OUT LOUD PRIZE
Deadline: November 15
A prize of $2000 and publication by Fordham University Press is
given annually for a book-length collection of poetry. The winner
will also be invited to give a reading at the Fordham-Lincoln Center
Campus. For more information, visit http://www.fordham.edu/pol
*****
EXPATRIATE TRAVEL WRITING CONTEST
Deadline: November 30
Transitionsabroad.com invites professionals, freelancers and aspiring
writers to submit articles which provide in-depth practical descriptions
of moving and living abroad, including discussions of immigration,
personal and family life abroad, and potential prejudices encountered.
For more information, visit http://www.transitionsabroad.com/ and
click on "Submit Articles."
*****
ANNIE DILLARD AWARD FOR CREATIVE NONFICTION
Deadline: March 15, 2008
First prize is $1000 and publication in the Bellingham Review. Second
and third place winners and finalist may be considered for
publication. For more information, visit
http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~bhreview/.
*****
THE SCHOLASTIC ART & WRITING AWARDS
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards offer early recognition of creative
teenagers and scholarship opportunities for graduating high-school
seniors. Participants create and submit their best works in any of the
following categories: Journalism, Novel, Personal Essay/Memoir,
Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy, etc. For more information, visit
http://www.scholastic.com/artandwritingawards/enter.htm
*****
READING WITH LAS COMADRES
The Association of American Publishers and Las Comadres have joined
forces to launch Reading With Las Comadres. Members of Las Comadres
will read a book a month, with the selected authors featured in
teleconferences so that readers can learn more about the inspiration
behind their works. Las Comadres is an informal Internet-based group
that meets monthly in more than 50 US cities to build connections and
community among Latinas. Exact times and dates for the
teleconferences can be found on http://www.lascomadres.org/.
*****
JUST PUBLISHED: SPIRIT OF THE GANG
A. A. Delgado announces the release of "Spirit of the Gang," an urban
novel he wrote after helping one of his own students get out of a gang.
Delgado is a teacher in upstate N.Y whose Brother to Brother program
focuses on helping "at-risk" students. The book is being adopted by
schools and is garnering great reviews:
* "Riveting and poetic, it is not only an important book for Latinos but
an important book for the world today."
--Jeff Rivera, author of Forever My Lady
* " `Spirit of the Gang' will have an impact that will carry far beyond
any bookstore or book report."
--Kevin Lucia, Press and Sun Bulletin Review
* "He makes the smallest moments real. . . . His prose is fresh and
alive, with a Latino flavor and zing."
--Liz Rosenberg, Boston Globe Columnist
Visit http://www.myspace.com/ask_mr_d to order a copy.
*****
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA SEEKS PROFESSORS
The Creative Writing Program of the Department of English at the
University of Arizona seeks two tenure-track assistant professors,
one in creative nonfiction and one in fiction, to start August 2008.
Welcome, but not required, is secondary expertise in poetry and/or
an ability to contribute to a college-wide initiative in border studies.
For full details and online application, visit
https://www.uacareertrack.com (cite job #39165 for creative
nonfiction, #39113 for fiction). For more information on the
department and program, visit http://english.arizona.edu/.
*****

Manga Fiction Contest

2007-10-03T16:01:00.000-07:00

SHOMI Fiction Creative Writing Contest

Imagine being an author of a book that is so unique, so innovative that it manages to honor the traditions set forth by novels as diverse as Ray Bradbury's The Butterfly Effect, Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash, and Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, while mixing in romantic elements to ensure a powerful emotional connection…

There you have SHOMI, a ground-breaking line of speculative fiction that combines the very best elements of all genres. Publishers Weekly hailed the imprint as “worth watching,” proclaiming that it “should catch an audience quickly.” Destined to strike a chord with devotees of Romance, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Thrillers, and Manga, its target audience is the fan of Blade Runner, The Matrix, Resident Evil, Alias, Underworld, and La Femme Nikita.

http://www.shomifiction.com/contests.html

2007-08-31T07:56:00.001-07:00

If You Could Only Choose Your Mother by Julie Harford
Review by Kevin Ferrall

Marvelous. If you've seen Spanglish, 10 things I hate about you, then prep yourself for a should- be-film story. If You Could Only Choose Your Mother by Julie Harford is not a groundbreaking piece, but it is impressionable.

To begin, the story is a teen romance telling of the protagonist’s growth in teen angst, peer pressure, and first love. I know we've all heard the plot before, but this is a definite must read. I, too, thought the title of the piece to be banal, but the phrase "Don't judge a book by its cover" applies here. The contents of the book are appealing.

The beginning is very rocky, but as you continue reading the story it is polished into a beautiful diamond. I urge readers not to be swayed because at the end of the book the reader will be stunned. The trip of the protagonist’s life depicted in the story leaves one in awe.

I am a male full of testosterone and I must say read this book. If you're male, female, old, or young this book will thrill you. Granted I am a male who is a sucker for romance movies, I think other males should take the time to read into this piece.
The matters reflected in the novel are serious matters teenagers experience often and the characters are so accurately portrayed you would think Julie had taken the life of a teenager and written it down on paper. Her characters are real, problematic, and humorous like life itself. Woven into dramatic moments of the piece are ingeniously entwined humorous points.

The only true complaint I have, besides the title and rough beginning, is that it wasn't long enough. I wanted to read more after finishing, but in that thought I am also happy it didn't go on. A story is a recording of a time in one's life and this story follows the rule. The ending has the reader yearn for more, but still satisfying. But some parts could've been played out more like the annoying boy bothering the heroine. I think he could have bothered her more on other days so the moment of him being nice could have more impact. Look past these negative comments though because I don't want to persuade readers to not the read the book.

If You Could Only Choose Your Mother is a refreshing teen read that the market has been lacking up to this point. This is a teen read must for any lovers of literature. I can not stress this enough to an audience, read this novel. I would recommend this to anyone. I will shout this to the heavens for people to understand. Julie Harford’s novel is perfect for middle/high school teachers trying to interest their students in books again. It is too adult for elementary students, but a true reader will love this regardless of age.

Review of Mirror, Mirror

2007-07-24T11:41:00.000-07:00

Mirror, Mirror By Chloe Michelle
Review by Kevin Ferrall

After reading Mirror, Mirror by Chloe Michelle, my overall opinion: very nice. It was a well thought out, researched, and engaging novel.

I'll admit I was a tad doubtful as an American, which sounds horrible I know, having an American author write about a Japanese time period. Sorry, but from past experiences, Americans mess up horribly at depicting Japanese history, and I have more Asian pride than I should. I was fond of this novel and found it to be very adult, but tasteful. Luckily, it isn't adult in the usual manner of hack and slash, but in a romantic way which is refreshing.

There are many things complementing this piece of work. What did catch my attention, that seems unmanly of me, is the thought of a love attraction. That's what kept my tuned in on the piece because I am a sucker for love. In saying this, it may rule out the book appealing to men, but I also love a good horror story There's a girl in a mirror crying, talk of Oni, and a girl seeing a figure resembling her. Without revealing the most captivating stuff, I'm surprised at how well Mirror, Mirror was done and especially by someone who hasn't grown, as far as I know, around the Japanese culture.

Although, I did find the beginning troubling, I don't know how to describe it, but the opener didn't catch my attention. What did and kept me reading was the opening picture, very nice! The title will not catch a reader's attention, but the picture in the beginning really had me caught, it is on par with Manga artists. Being picky, I did notice some spelling errors, English words, not Japanese, and I don't know if the editor missed them or not, still it is a minor point.

Mirror, Mirror by Michelle Chloe is a book I would recommend to anyone who wants to read an interesting story about love, Japan, Japanese culture, and fictional historical. I don’t feel this book would appeal to schools, but it is worth a try. From my experience, books like this aren’t typically seen in a high school and with the adult content it’s too taboo to appear in middle schools. Many American schools aren’t big on the whole Japanese thing, textbooks teach kids that Japan is bad in WW2 and Pearl Harbor and the students at the schools make fun of those who are into Japanese stuff. Although, there will be a fan base in the Manga and Anime readers or just lovers of books. Mirror, Mirror would be ideal for reading groups and a great book to have for open discussion in reading circles or book clubs. I strongly do recommend the book.

Sketch Artists

2007-07-12T07:29:00.000-07:00

The PGP-NYTVF Comedy Talent Search has reached the halfway point for submissions, and we are already thrilled at the response. For those of you who have entered, thank you and best of luck. If you haven't entered yet, there are still three weeks to go before the final August 3rd deadline for entries. For more information on how the Comedy Talent Search gives you the opportunity to star in a new TV pilot, visit www.nytvf.com.

Everyone has the ability to participate in the search! All entries to the contest are currently available for viewing under the "NYTVF" tab at the top of the navigation menu on MSN Soapbox. We encourage all of you to view the sketches and rate your favorites. Those of you who have entered are encouraged to invite friends and family to rate their favorites as well, as user ratings on Soapbox will factor into the final decision on what teams will be selected to participate in the inaugural "Procter & Gamble Productions Players." Please participate in helping us find the best undiscovered sketch comedy performers across America!

Head to NYTVF
www.nytvf.com

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul

2007-07-11T06:58:00.000-07:00

We are writing/compiling the next Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul. Based on the thousands of letters we’ve received, teenagers love these books and find inspiration, comfort, and strength from them. So, here is your opportunity to contribute to the latest volume in the teen series. Write something you’ve been meaning to write, or perhaps you already have a story lying around that you would like to submit.

The book is currently titled, A Guide (for Teens) on Getting Happy, Instead of Just Getting By. Chapters include: Getting Positive, Getting Happy with Yourself, Getting Over Past Hurts, Getting Strong, Getting Confident, Getting Along with Others, Getting Thoughtful and Doing for Others, Getting Lighthearted and a Good Sense of Humor, Finding Happiness in Responsibility and Commitment, Getting Active, Getting in Charge (of your life), Getting Motivated.

We are looking for first-person, non-fiction narratives. Stories should be about 1-3 pages long, 400-1200 words, double-spaced, size 12, Times New Roman. They should be written about something that happened to you and made you learn a bit about something you think might help a teenager who reads the book. It shouldn’t be preachy, but still be something that teens can relate to. If you are not a teenager, then try writing from the perspective you had when you were that age. It is okay for the wisdom you have gained with age to shine through.

Send all of your submissions ASAP to chickensoupforteens@yahoo.com.
The submission deadline is July 16, 2007. Sorry for the short timeframe. Release date is winter 2008.
If your submission is published you will receive $150.00 compensation.

Sincerely,
Mitch Claspy
Co-Author, Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul IV

BAD GIRLS CLUB Review

2007-06-16T17:25:00.000-07:00

Crazy mothers have become something of a staple in contemporary fiction. Think White Oleander by Janet Fitch. Think Nora Eisenberg’s The War at Home. In her debut novel Bad Girls Club, the first young adult title from Austin indie publisher Blooming Tree Press, Judy Gregerson once again takes up the theme.

As in the previously mentioned books, the narrator is a teen-aged girl. Her name is Destiny, and her mother, like White Oleander’s Ingrid, is an artistic type. On page one, Destiny expresses her desire for independence – she wants to get a job and buy a car but her father tells her that she must help her mother at an upcoming arts festival:

Dad stares at me. “I can buy you a car. And you can help your mother. That’s your job, and I don’t want you to forget it and go off on some stupid idea. We’re a family. We look out for each other. But you seem to drift, Destiny.”

By page five, any semblance of normality melts away. Mom starts screaming when Destiny’s little sister, Cassidy, gets a bit of tomato sauce on her shirt, and then tosses some pills into her mouth. For the rest of the novel, Destiny strives to protect her sister from their mother and to try to keep things together at home, while her father buries himself in work.

Although Fitch’s Ingrid is presented as charismatic and seductive in the beginning, at least, Destiny’s mother is terrifying from the get go. Unlike many authors, Gregerson does nothing to romanticize mental illness. She does, however, paint a harrowing and realistic portrait of what it’s like to live in a family ravaged by disease. Destiny gradually withdraws from her best friend, whose mundane concerns are aeons apart from her own. She also finds it difficult to get close to Joshua, her new boyfriend. After all, her mother is always telling her that she is a “bad girl.” How could Joshua love someone like that? Later in the book, Destiny begins to show signs of mental instability herself.

Bad Girls Club is not an easy read, but Gregerson is to be applauded for her honesty. At the end of the story, she offers a ray of hope, followed by a list of resources for readers who might have found that the situation in the story hit a little too close to home.

Reviewed by Suzanne Kamata
Author of Losing Kei

Summer Reading Buzz!

2007-06-02T15:21:00.000-07:00

If you're like me, you plan on spending some of your time catching up on all those great books you've been meaning to read. Well, did you know that for every four books you read, a children's book will be donated to communities in need?

Head on over to Scholastic's Summer Reading Buzz. Every book you read and log feeds the reader meter. For every four books you read, one book will be donated to the Reading is Fundamental program.

So don't delay. Pick up a book. Read it. Log it. And know that you're helping children in communities everywhere.

Dog-Eared Publications Publisher

2007-05-22T14:53:00.000-07:00

Dog-Eared Publications is a Nature Publisher for Children. I spoke with Nancy on the phone last week after discovering her website http://www.dog-eared.com/index.html

Publisher Nancy Field's dedication to environmental education for children began when she co-chaired the first Earth Day at South Dakota State University in 1970. At that time, she realized the necessity of educating young minds in order to change the way adults perceive environmental problems.

Today, 37 years later, Nancy Field presides as publisher of a nationally known and respected nature publishing company, Dog-Eared Publications. She writes, designs, and publishes interactive books to expand children's knowledge and understanding of the natural world and to foster an environmental ethic within them. The books are engaging, thought-provoking and broad in scope. The works introduce ecological principals and concepts, current issues, and environmental problems: they open children's eyes to the world in which they live. Young readers see scientists as role models actively involved in research. Activities are designed to involve children's minds, helping them process information. The activities provide opportunities to develop skills in critical thinking, cooperative learning and creative problem-solving. Through interaction with the materials, readers retain what they have learned. Nancy?s books take children a unique step beyond simple awareness to actions appropriate for their age.

Degrees in science enable Nancy to design books employing sound principles of science education. She has B.S. in biology science education from the Univ. of Wisconsin and a M.S. in wildlife biology from South Dakota State Univ. She has been certified by the Wildlife Society as an associate wildlife biologist. Over the years, Nancy lived in different communities, including Seattle,WA and Corvallis, OR. Nancy taught biology and environmental science at colleges in the various areas, such as Bellevue Community College, Western Oregon State College and Oregon State University. In 1988, Nancy moved to Middleton, WI with her husband Donald R. Field, a professor in forestry at U. of Wis., Madison.At that time, Dog-Eared Publications became a full time business.

Dog-Eared Publications has created 26 titles, written for the 3rd to 6th grade reading level. Field discovered a national park service niche and has books in most national parks around the country. The books are also successfully sold in U. S. Forest Service areas, wildlife refuges, museums, aquariums, and zoos Teachers also find the books excellent supplements to science texts. Nan's most recent title, Discovering Sharks and Rays, took home the prestigious 2004 Ben Franklin Award for Best Juvenile-Young Adult Nonfiction from Publishers Marketing Association. The book was also a Finalist in ForeWord Magazine?s Book of the Year Award competition. And it was named one of the "Hottest Products of 2004" by iParenting Media.Another title, Leapfrogging Through Wetlands won three awards in 1999: a Ben Franlkin Award in the category of science and the environment, a Parent?s Guide to Children?s Media Award and a Parents? Choice Silver Award. Several other books have been best sellers. For example, Discovering Northwest Volcanoes is the best selling children?s books at both Mt. St. Helens visitor center and at Mt. Rainier National Park. Over 70,000 copies have been sold. Her timely Discovering Endangered Species book, published in 1990, sold 18,000 copies in just the first year and now has more than 80,000 in print. Discovering Wolves was the first book written in Wisconsin and includes numerous Midwest examples. The newest book is Discovering Black Bears. Nancy's books are having a profound effect on the breadth of children's environmental awareness.

Check out her latest book.
Discovering Black Bears By Margaret Anderson, Nancy Field andKaren Stephenson
ISBN: 978-0-941042-37-6

This engaging book explores the natural history of the American black bear, its behavior and habitat. It covers bear/human conflicts and how problems can be resolved. Written by scientists, this book contains 20 clever activities designed to stimulate children's minds. It contains a full sheet of biologically accurate black bear stickers.

**Nancy sent me a copy for review. Well, I have to say my kids were all over it. The book is engaging. The quality of pictures is terrific. The stickers are fun and realistic. My daughter loved them the most. My son wanted to color in the bears.
Overall the book passed the toughest critics -- my kids.

SUMMER BOOK PARTY 2

2007-05-18T11:12:00.000-07:00

YACWW 2nd ANNUAL SUMMER BOOK PARTY!

Come keep cool with this summer's hottest authors at YACWW! And be entered in the SUMMER BOOK PARTY contest. *

Check out last years line up for the 1st SUMMER BOOK PARTY.

MIRROR, MIRROR by Chloe Michelle
Publisher - Mardi Gras Press ISBN - 1-934329-56-8
YA - Manga / Fantasy 240 pgs
I didn’t plan to spend my last summer vacation before college kidnapping the future Emperor of Japan. And I didn’t expect to be chased, attacked, or seduced by sword wielding samurai or put on the marriage market by an ancestor who died a century before I was born, but I was. And it all started with a shabby old mirror I found after publicly humiliating myself…

DEE DAYS by Adelle Laudan
Publisher - Mardi Gras Press ISBN 1-934329-20-7
Tween - Mystery (series) 120 pgs
Deedee is twelve years old and taller than all of her friends. As if that wasn’t bad enough, they had to move, which meant a new house, a new school and new friends. Her life was over!! Soon after they moved Deedee met Anita and they became fast friends. They were told not to go into the Arena at the end of the street. It had been boarded up for years and wasn’t safe. Curiosity got the better of the two girls and they made plans to explore the old skating rink. What would they find? Was it really as dangerous as they said? Would they regret not listening to all the warnings? They would find out soon enough…

I WAS A TEENAGE POPSICLE By Bev Katz Rosenbaum
Publisher: Gerkley Jam ISBN: 0425211800
YA - Sci-fi/ Chic Lit 256 pgs
Floe Ryan was frozen—well, ‘vitrified’—when she was sixteen. She’s just been thawed, and guess what, it’s ten years in the future and she’s still a teenager. And her parents are still, shall we say, chilling out. Floe’s little sister is now her older sister (and guardian!), and payback’s a beyotch. On top of that, Floe has to get used to a new school, new technology, and a zillion other new things that happened while she was napping in the freezer. Luckily, she has Taz Taber–the hottie sk8er boy who used to make her melt before she was frozen—to reintegrate with. But now they’re trying to close the Venice Beach Cryonics Center—with Floe’s parents still in it! Now that’s cold. It’s up to Floe to save the clinic and her parents—so she can finally have a chance at a somewhat normal life…

*Rules for SUMMER BOOK PARTY contest:
To be entered in the contest simply read one of the books by any of our authors and give a review of the book to your librarian or post the review here in comments. All who submit a review are eligible to chat live online with our authors in August via a live chat function on www.yacreativewriting.blogspot.com.

Participants who write a review are eligible to be included in a random raffle to win an autographed copy of a book by one of our authors.

Interview with Adelle Laudan

2007-05-17T18:47:00.000-07:00

Adelle Laudan is no stranger to this blog. She generously took part in a chat we hosted between her and a fourth grade class in NY and has been a wonderful supporter of YACWW efforts.

It is so great to have her here today, especially since she has some great news to share about her book, Dee Days. But I'll let you find that our for yourself. Enjoy.

Thank you Patrizia and Sasha for having me here today.

Can you tell us about your journey to become a writer/author?

I think it began in my early teens. I started writing my thoughts down on paper. Writing was my great escape from the harshness of life, a place where being hearing impaired had no relevance. I’d only let one other person read my stories up until five years ago when I met the love of my life. January 2006 is the first time I entered a writing contest, in doing so, gave me the desire to try and publish something. At first I was just going to self publish, but the more my friends pushed as well as the positive feedback I received whenever I posted something online gave me the courage to submit my first book Juliana, a story of my heart, which was very well received.

The rest… is history in the making.

You're making a splash with contemporary/mainstream romantic fiction. What made you turn your hand to tween fiction?

I love both genres and think I can have the best of both worlds. My girls are ages almost 12 and 13, so they were always bugging me to write something they could read. I really enjoy writing Tween fiction. For me, it is fun and I will to continue writing books for Tweens, for as long as they are reading them.

I see a definite motorcycle motif running through your writing and websites. What's the story behind that?

I was sort of bouncing from genre to genre, trying to find my niche. A wise woman told me, to write what I know. Since I’ve lived the lifestyle, most of my adult life, it just made sense to write about it. People have the wrong impression of Bikers in general. The majority of us are working class, family orientated people who just happen to share the common bond of riding. It is my hope to change the image of Bikers, one book at a time.

Tell us about Tween Time. Where did the idea come from? What's the motivation behind it? How is it succeeding?

Tween Time originated from my desire to keep my Tween Fiction separate from my Adult Fiction. I also think that kids in their Tween years tend to get lost in the shuffle. They are not kids anymore and not quite young adults either. I wanted a place that was all about Tweens. How different my life might have been if I’d had support and encouragement with my writing at this age.

Give us a brief description of Dee Days.

Dee Days is a Tween mystery with a tWiSt. It is the story of Deedee and how she coped with having to move, after living in the same neighborhood her whole life. Deedee is a bit of an ‘outsider’ amongst her peers. She is taller than most of the kids her age and her strict father, forbids her to wear jeans like the other kids her age. Exploring her new neighborhood with new friend Anita, they find an old abandoned skating arena at the end of her street. In spite of being forbidden to go near the arena, Deedee and Anita venture inside. What they find will have you sitting on the edge of your seats…

How did the idea behind Dee Days come about?

There was an actual arena like the one in my book at the end of my street at that age. Although I never ventured inside as a child, I often imagined all sorts of things happening behind the boarded up windows. Dee Days offered me a way to explore these daydreams and make them a reality of sorts. I am very excited to see Dee Days coming out in print in June 2007.

What other tween books do you have in the works?

I have just signed a Series Contract, making Dee Days the first book in the Dee Day Mystery series. The second book will be out October 13th and in print November 2007!!

I am also doing research for a Tween Fantasy. I’ve never written one before but am having a ball putting it all together. Hopefully it will be ready to submit later this year.

If you could be any character in a book or movie, who would you be and why?

Hermione Grange from Harry Potter. It would be incredible to play a part in such a fascinating world such as the one JK Rowling created for this series.

What is the toughest part of writing for tweens?

Maybe it’s because my girls are in their tween years, but I don’t have any difficulty writing as a tween. I think the hardest part is getting the word out to tweens about my books. There is a serious lack of venues to do so which is why places like this are greatly appreciated.

What advice can you give to young adults wanting to write?

Learn as much as you can about the craft of writing. Read as much as you can in the genre you’d like to write in. Remain teachable; finding a mentor is always a good thing. Most importantly, write… just do it, and don’t force yourself to write something your heart isn’t in. In other words, don’t worry about the trends in writing. A good book will always be a good book, no matter what the trend is this week.

I wish you all Miles of Smiles J
http://adellelaudan.com
http://mardigraspublishingya.com

Review of Thirteen Reasons Why

2007-05-16T22:12:00.000-07:00

If you'd like to read a review for Jay Asher's debut novel Thirteen Reasons Why click here.

Feedback on the Chats

2007-05-13T16:54:00.000-07:00

We mentioned below that at the end of April through the beginning of May, we held aseries of chats where we hooked up six YA authors with five 11th grade English classes form a Lake Charles, LA high school.

There were glitches as you might expect. Because of firewalls and blocking software on the school's computers we couldn't use a chat forum and ended up using the comments of the blog posts introducing the authors. This meant that everyone had to refresh their screen constantly as they chatted. All the authors were very cool about this though they noted that it was a drawback. We are trying very hard to figure out a way that we can have the chats work as we would like them to.

While we hope to have another post giving you feedback from the high school end soon, this post will share some of the comments from the authors and tell you who they are. Do take the time to check over their books. There's quite a variety in subject matter and tone. There's bound to be a story here that you'll want to read.

In response to "What questions surprised you or impressed you the most," our authors said this and a bit more:

Julie Harford: Click here to see the chat.
I had some (the usual “what inspires you” and “what age did you start”) but some of them really caught me off guard (like “are you intimidated by other books” and “which authors are you most like” and “do you ever think it’s pointless to make another piece of literature.”

Jenny Han: Click here to see the chat.
One student asked me how it felt, as a writer, to be immortal. I never heard that one before! I just enjoyed chatting with some very sophisticated students—I got a kick out of a student who said he couldn’t think of a question and asked what I wanted to tell him.

Greg Neri: Click here to see the chat.
A poet asked what advice I had for poetry. I was just getting started and could have easily chatted for another 30 minutes to get into some real discussion. I know it’s limited to class times but an hour is best.

Judy Gregerson: Click here to see the chat.
One kid mentioned that I worked as a kid. I found it interesting that she/he picked up on that. [The chat] gave me a sense of what kids want to know about authors.

Bev Katz Rosenbaum: Click here to see the chat.
I had looked over one of the other chats, so I was prepared to talk about what books I liked as a teen, where I got my ideas, and how I went about writing a novel. Somebody asked which character in a novel I'd like to be. Showed imagination!

Jay Asher: Click here to see the chat.
Someone asked whether I’d had suicidal thoughts, and if that inspired me to write Thirteen Reasons Why. Honestly, I enjoyed the straightforwardness of that question, because usually people tap-dance around that subject even though it’s the main subject in my book that ties all the characters together.

We hope to have further chats between schools and authors. If you're an author and are interested in participating in such a forum, please don't hesitate to let us know. And if you're a teacher who would like to set up such a chat for your class, drop us a line and we'll see what we can do.

Cheers!

Journey To India Essay Contest

2007-05-07T07:32:00.000-07:00

New York Life offers a unique opportunity for 18 -23 yr olds!

New York Life Insurance Company
&
Air India

Present

"Bharat Yatra 5": A Journey to India

An Essay Competition

TO U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY

The Essay must consist of approximately 1,500 words and must be written in English on the topic below. All essays must be the original sole work of the entrant. You must be between the ages of 18 and 23 to participate and possess a valid passport.

Topic: Wildlife conservation in India: Present day challenges and measures required for positive action.

Successful candidates will have the opportunity to visit Karnataka, India. The group will study the importance of ecological security in India and the significance in maintaining natural life to sustain culture and national balance. Fifteen contestants will be chosen to participate in the Bharat Yatra. The group journeying to India will depart from New York City on July 21, 2007 and will return to the United States on August 3, 2007. The all-expense-paid trip to India includes national and international transportation, housing and meals. A panel of three judges will evaluate the essays. Decisions of the judges are final and binding. The winners will be announced on or before June 21, 2007 by the news media, as well as by telephone.

A panel of three judges will evaluate the essays. Decisions of the judges are final and binding. The winners will be announced on or before June 21, 2007 by the news media, as well as by telephone.

Send all Essays to:

Essay Competition
India Tourism Office
1270 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 1808
New York, NY 10020

Essays must be postmarked no later than May 21, 2007. All participants must submit the following with their essay:

• Application form, resume and photo;
• Release and Authorization forms.

To participate fill the forms below, sign, print and mail them to the address above. All entries will become the property of New York Life Insurance Company and will not be returned. This competition is subject to change and may be cancelled or modified at any time. All Federal, State, and local laws apply. Taxes, if any, are the sole responsibility of the winner.

Again, to participate fill out both pdf forms below, sign, print, and mail them to: Essay Competition, India Tourism Office at 1270 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 1808, New York, NY, no later than May 21, 2007. Please remember to submit along with the forms, your essay, a copy of your resume and a photo (passport size).

Bharat Yatra Entry Form (PDF file); Click here to see the form
Bharat Yatra Release and Authorization Form (PDF file); Click here to see the form

The Bharat Yatra is sponsored by New York Life Insurance Company.

More Info go to New York Life Insurance

Check out the Chats

2007-05-01T06:20:00.000-07:00

We've had three chats so far and three still to go. If you're interested in seeing who the authors are and what they talked about visit here.

Enjoy!

It's Official!

2007-04-20T06:20:00.000-07:00

We lined up an awesome program for seven 11th grade English classes. We found six YA authors who graciously gave their time to make this program a success by chatting online with the students. We also have one email interview set up with a New York editor. How cool is that!

Want to know who we got? Check out the list:

Margo Lipschultz
Editor, HQN

Julie A. Harford
Author, If You Could Only Choose Your Mother

Bev Katz Rosenbaum
Author, I Was A Teenage Popsicle & Beyond Cool

Jenny Han
Author, Shug

Judy Gregerson
Author, Bad Girls Club

Jay Asher
Author, Thirteen Reasons Why

Greg Neri
Author, Chess Rumble & Yummy

The chats will be taking place next week and the week after. I'll be posting feedback from the authors. Stop by and see what they had to say about their chats.

What we've been up to...

2007-04-12T19:09:00.000-07:00

We've been a bit AWOL it seems, so we thought we'd catch you up with what's happening. After the chat we arranged for Adelle Laudan (see post below), we were contacted by a high school teacher in Louisiana about arranging chats for her five 11th grade English classes. Your YACWW moderators have been busy tracking down authors, editors and passing out invites.

In doing so, we found this website called classof2k7.com that is very cool. It showcases debut YA authors whose books are coming out in 2007. There is a terrific lineup. It's worth scrolling down the list of authors located on the righthand sidebar. Quite a few books are not only edgy but deal with real tough subjects like suicide, abuse, gangs and mental illness. Way cool to see authors not shy away from hard topics.

Once authors get back to me and we have a list, we'll be posting names and their websites so you all can see who they are and what their stories are about. When it's over we hope to have feedback to post on the blog. Cross your fingers that this event goes off successfully.

The Laughs Never End with Author Rhonda Stapleton

2007-04-05T19:05:00.000-07:00

I'm so pleased to bring an interview to you with author Rhonda Stapleton. Her book Stripped is a chick lit that has gotten great reviews. Currently, she is actively marketing her YA manuscript and hopes to break into the YA chick lit market with Nibbling Nirvana. We certainly wish her success and hope to hear good news on that front soon. And if you want to get to know Rhonda's wicked sense of humor better, visit her blog.

1. First off, tell us a little about yourself. How did you get into writing YA and why chick lit?

I have two kids and a fiance who keep me busy at home. LOL. I have a Master's degree in English and a Bachelor's degree in English, creative writing. I actually started out as an adult writer--I have an adult chick lit novel and an adult chick lit short story published through Freya's Bower. I started that adult novel as a romantic comedy, then realized chick lit was a better fit for my voice and decided to run with it. A writer friend of mine, Erin McCarthy said I should try writing YA. And she was right--I fell in love with the genre instantly!

2. You write chick lit for adults and for teens. What are the similarities and differences writing for these two markets?

Great question. The similarities for me is the chick lit angle. I tend to have a very conversational tone in my writing, which carries well into both adult and YA. But YA presents its own challenges--writing tight, and channeling how things are for the modern-day teen. It sure ain't Sweet Valley High anymore! :D

3. What is your YA story Nibbling Nirvana about? What are your plans for this novel?

This story is about a flaky, self-centered girl who dies while eating a pulled pork sandwich. So, she becomes a ghost and has to accomplish some good deeds in order to cross over. The idea came about because I choked on a pulled pork sandwich one time--NOT fun. My agent is currently submitting the novel to publishers as we speak! *gulp*

4. Briefly describe, Stupid Cupid, which sounds like a hoot, by the way. In what stage of completion is it?

This story is about a teen who becomes cupid for her school. Of course, she's pretty bad at matchmaking, and some crazy stuff happens. The story is completed and going through revisions right now, and then I'll send it to my agent to see what she thinks.

5. What is it you hope readers take away from your stories?

For me, I hope they feel like they just came away from a funny conversation with a close friend. I like the intimate, close feel of writing. I also write a lot of funny--I just like writing goofy stuff!

6. Do you find it harder or easier to write novels for teens as opposed to adults? Why or why not?

Wow, good question. In a way, I actually find it harder to write for adults. Maybe I'm just a teenager trapped in a woman's body. LOL. But the teen voice just felt right to me.

7. On your website you have "Romance, Fun and lots of Laughter." Is that a principle you live by? How do you not let things get to you?

Oh, absolutely. Doesn't mean I don't flub up and get down sometimes, but I think life is too short to feel bad. I hope when I get really old, I have tons of laugh lines around my eyes and mouth. To me, that's REAL character, you know? Having great memories of laughing so hard, tears pour out of the sides of my eyes. But when I get too down to laugh off my problems, I run right to the Reese's peanut butter cups. My pants hate me for it, though. haha

8. What YA books have you read recently that you loved? Who are some of the YA writers that you like?

I've read several that I loved: Lois Lowry writes some FABULOUS YA stuff--I read The Giver, Gathering Blue, and The Messenger. Her stuff is so simplistic, but beautiful. I also read a great book called The Heavenward Path by Kara Dalkey. Great read--go get it if you love reading about ancient Japan! Hmmmm--I also read Now and Zen, which is set in modern Japan, by Linda Gerber. There are tons in my to-be-read pile, too, including Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. I like reading all kinds of YA--historical, funny, serious, etc.

9. If you could be any character from any movie or book, who would you choose to be and why?

This is a cool question. I don't think anyone has asked me that before. SO many people to choose! I'd say someone like Angela Lansbury and investigate crazy happenings (and solve them!!), but it would stink to have people be afraid of you--every time she goes somewhere, someone kicks off. So, maybe Nancy Drew is a better answer. :D

10. When you were growing up, did you dream of becoming a writer? What did you want to be?

Actually, I had about 42,000 different careers I wanted to try, including opera singer (until I went from soprano to alto), deep-sea diver (until I learned about the bends, which freaked me out), a cartoon animator (until my mom made me pass on an art scholarship to a college because it was in another state--wah!), psychologist (until I got preggers and didn't have time to finish all that schooling), and teacher (until I realized I hated the school's education program, haha). I decided on English, finally, because it was a core interest of mine forever. And what I love about writing is that I can be all of these! I can research them, make characters live these roles, and that way, I don't have to pick just one career. Which is great for my other personalities. haha

11. Five years from now, where do you hope to be in your writing career?

I hope to have many YAs written and sold! I'd love to keep moving up, get my books out there, continue growing in my writing and expanding. I think writers need to take an active interest in their own careers, and I plan to do so.

4th Graders Chat with Tween Author Adelle Laudan

2007-04-02T18:10:00.000-07:00

On Friday, March 31st, we invited Canadian tween author Adelle Laudan to chat with fourth graders from a Long Island, NY elementary school. Adelle's first book Dee Days will be released in June 2007. She also has started up a website called Tween Time that is dedicated to encouraging young people to write (just like this blog!)

This was our first attempt at bringing together students and an author and I want to share with you the experience. Adelle gives us some feedback from her end, while on the classroom side YA moderator, Sasha, talks about the perspective from the classroom. Despite the glitches, this is a program we would love to continue and expand. Let's hope we can.

Adelle's comments:
1) Did you have any expectations before going into the chat about what the children might ask you? What were they?

I really didn't have any expectations as I've never done anything like this before. Since I have 4 kids of my own, I knew to be prepared for anything when it comes to kids lol

2) Which question impressed you the most?

I think it was the one where they asked me if I ever got writers block and if so, how do I get rid of it lol I guess it's a universal ailment that doesn't JUST affect adult writers.

3) Was there anything not asked or discussed that you wish had been?

All of the questions were great. Of course going over the transcript I wished I have of answered a couple things differently but that's what happens in live chats lol

4) How did this chat format work for you? Would you have liked to have seen anything done differently?

The chat function was very easy to use from my end. I did wish several times that I could see the kids. Maybe a webcam in the future might be an idea.

5) What did you take away from this chat forum?

I must say the think that struck me the most is the questions the kids asked weren't all that different from the quesitons adults ask. I was impressed with the level of maturity of kids so young. I will remember that in my writing when I'm second guessing if my readers will 'get' certain things in my stories.

6) This was the first time for us to do this. I'm really interested in your impressions in order to determine whether we should pursue doing this with other schools (or maybe libraries) and other authors. I'm not sure how feasible it will be, but I think the ability to bring authors together with children is a wonderful way to encourage them in both reading and writing.

I am very dedicated to encouraging the artistic minds in children. How different my life might have been if that were the case in my own childhood. If there is any way I can help in the future, please don't hesitate to ask.
***********

YA Moderator Sasha organized this event. She worked with the teacher and school to set up the event and was in the classroom when the chat took place on the classroom computer. She has a great deal to share from her perspective. Here is what she has to say:

The teacher and I only told the kids about the chat the day before becuase we didn't want to disappoint them if the author didn't come or we couldn't get the computer equipment to work. So, they didn't have time to prepare. They just winged all of the questions.

For the past months the students had been working on writing a story and publishing it in cute bounded books. They learned about story building, outlining (or story mountains), grammar, drafting, and editing and finally putting it into final format in a book complete with cover and dedication. They finished the books this week.

They did get excited about speaking with an author because they had a lot of questions about what a real author does to prepare and write a story. Sort of like a way to relate all the hard work they had done themselves and then talk to someone who actually did it in the real world. Seemed to validate all their hard work.

The chat didn't go as smoothly as we had hoped because the computer connections were slow and went down half way through. The kids became impatient but once they realized we'd lost connection they settled down. They wanted to talk to Adelle really badly and were into her sending back answers to their questions. Most of the kids were familiar with IM'ing or emails.

Adelle was a great sport. She was patient and answered all of the kids questions. They loved the fact that she had a pot-bellied pig named Jenny and lived in another country. If they could they would have asked a zillion more questions but we ran out of time. Unfortunately, one hour is not enough, especially since we lost about 20 minutes with technical difficulties and the equipment arriving late.

After it was over, I did a quick survey and asked what the kids thought. They all liked it. Thought it was cool and fun. The teacher was impressed and said I could come back anytime, which was really nice. Since it was the last day before spring break it was a nice way to incorporate academics and fun.

I would like to do more in the future but it seems to be a lot of red tape to deal with in schools. I have offered the same program to 4 different teachers and was turned down in one school by the principal but she said to try next year. The other 2 never responded back and the 4th one finally bit. So it is hit or miss. Still, I will keep trying because I think kids really could benefit from it. In a few weeks I'll contact the teacher and ask if she would write a recommendation letter for the program.
***********

So there you have it. If there are any teachers out there who would be interested in putting on this type of program in the classroom or authors who would enjoy particpating, please contact Sasha.

Write Advice Books for Teen Girls

2007-03-23T17:05:00.000-07:00

I'm drooling here. This looks like such a cool opportunity and I am oh so tempted. Orange Avenue books is a packager that spun off to form Zest books where they've produced titles such as Dumped, Decoding Mom, Jeneology and so on. It's advice with a humorous bent aimed at teen girls. I wish books like this had been around when I was growing up. Mom is still an enigma (ahem-cough) years later.

Here's your chance to write an advice book for teens. Details below:

Freelance Writers
Publication or Company: Orange Avenue Publishing/Zest Books
Industry: Book Publishing, Magazine Publishing, Teen Publications
Salary: Freelance
Benefits: Flexible Hours
Job Duration: Freelance (Other)
Job Location: San Francisco, CA USA
Job Requirements: Orange Avenue, an independent publisher in San Francisco, is looking for a few great writers for the second season of our new line of teen books. We are looking for sharp, funny, and in-the-know writers -- preferably columnists or writers who can write advice-oriented books.

Our books are honest, shoot-from-the-hip, often witty and sarcastic, and always current; they are in mostly small formats, and are filled with great illustrations and design. They address topics like relationships, school, parental woes, fashion, living in dysfucntional families, teen bullying, getting organized, peer pressure, not fitting in, beauty, partying, and basically all things teen. They are really cool books.

We are looking for writers from all over the country. We are most interested in experienced teen-audience magazine writers who have not yet written a book, but we will also consider those who have a published book under their belts. We have some specific titles that we need writers for, and we are looking for new book ideas, as well.
About Our Company See our website: www.orangeavenue.com
Contact Ms.Karen Macklin
Email Address karen@orangeavenue.com
Address 35 Stillman Street, Suite 121
San Francisco, CA 94115 USA
Special Instructions Please send your cover letter and resume, along with 3-5 smart, modern, sassy clips (preferably written for a teen audience) to:

Karen Macklin
35 Stillman Street
Suite 121
San Francisco, CA 94115

OR

karen@orangeavenue.com

YA Publishers Call for Submissions

2007-03-21T05:57:00.000-07:00

I came across two calls for submissions for YA manuscripts. I can't provide any information about either publisher. If you are interested, I suggest you do some research and ask around to make sure they worth submitting your work to. And if anyone does have personal experience or other knowledge of either publisher, please drop a comment and give us the scoop.

Pateley Books
Have you written a novel for young adults (ages 12-18)? New area publishing company, Pateley Books, is on the look out for talent. We are particularly interested in edgy literary fiction for older teens. Email brief cover letter and three chapters to E-mail cover letter and three chapters to pateleybooks@gmail.com. PLEASE NOTE, submissions without BOTH cover letter and attachments will not be acknowledged. At this time, we are only looking for manuscripts for the young adult market and cannot consider books for other audiences. Please allow several weeks for response.

UPDATE (3/22/07) There is a discussion taking place on Pateley Books here. Apparently not a lot is known about this publisher, so please proceed with caution. If you do hear of any information that you can share, leave it in the comments. Thank you.

Amira Press
Amira Press, LLC is calling for submissions in fiction - contemporary, fantasy, romance, sci-fi/futuristic, vampire/werewolf, young adult, you name it. Check out our website at www.amirapress.com and review the submissions page.

We are particularly looking for works at least 40,000 words in length to publish in print. There are no fees to the author at all. If you feel your manuscript fits what we're looking for, submit. You can only succeed if you try.

Write a Story for Children about Handling Money

2007-03-11T06:16:00.000-07:00

Here's another contest that has no entry fee and a $1000 prize for the winner (sort of). All you have to do is write a story that teaches children a lesson about money. Best of all it's open to kids as well as adults.

ADVENTURES IN SAVING
---
NO ENTRY FEE
Write a Children's Tale for Your Chance to be Published and Win $1,000!
ING DIRECT wants you to help us inspire children about the importance
of responsible money management. Create a fictional story that teaches
a basic money lesson to young kids. If your tale is a grand-prize
winner, you'll win a $1,000 Orange Savings Account from ING DIRECT
and get your story illustrated and published! For more information
and to apply online, visit www.adventuresinsavings.com. There is no
entry fee, and no purchases of any kind required to enter and win.
Contest deadline is June 30, 2007. The contest is open to everyone
over the age of 6. Children under the age of 18 will need parental
consent to participate.

Teach a Young Adult Novelist Online Course

2007-03-07T22:46:00.000-08:00

I came across this ad in Media Bistro. For any YA authors and writers out there, have you ever thought about teaching an online writing course on the subject? For more information, click on the link below.

YA online instructor

You may be required to register before viewing the ad. Good luck.

More Children's Magazine Markets

2007-03-06T03:09:00.000-08:00

Here are some more markets. These are magazines aimed at children. Remember to read over the guidelines carefully to see what the editors are looking for in a submission. Always follow the guidelines as they are posted. The easiest way to have your submission rejected is by not following the rules.

CRINKLES

---
Crinkles is a magazine for children ages 7 to 12 designed to
stimulate a child's curiosity about people, places, things
and events—both real and imaginary. Each issue features over
a dozen articles with hands-on activities such as paper action
figures, flip books, bookmarks, puppets, word puzzles and fold-
up models. Buys work-for-hire rights for $150 and up.

For more information click here.

=====

FLW OUTDOORS FOR KIDS
30 Gamble Lane, Benton, KY 42025
---
Children’s pullout published in each issue of FLW Outdoors
Magazine for adults. Seeks original short stories – fiction
and nonfiction – of 500 words about fishing, especially bass
fishing, for readers 7-9. Send queries. Pays $200 upon acceptance.

=====

LIBRARY SPARKS
click here
---
LibrarySparks Magazine is an indispensable resource bursting
with fun and engaging programming ideas for today’s elementary
school and children’s librarian. The pages of the magazine are
brimming with practical, ready-to-use lessons and activities
that are written by readers just like you. In addition, each
issue centers on a theme to help keep your programming fresh
and inspired. Pays $250-300 per article.

=====

YOUNG RIDER

---
We sometimes buy 800-1,000 word “horsey interest” type stories.
Stories or events that will interest kids ALL over the country
that the editor is not able to cover personally. We need 4 to 5
good color pictures with stories like this. The pictures must be
color and tack sharp. The pay is about $200 for those types of
stories. We do buy short stories (approximately 800-1,000 words)
for about $150. They have to be “realistic” stories and not too
sugary sweet. We only use 4 to 5 of these a year. We get a great
deal of “children overcoming the odds to win things or struggling
to buy or get a horse of their own” so we don’t encourage these
types of stories. We would prefer funny stories, with a bit of
conflict, which will appeal to the 13-year-old age group. They
should be written in the third person, and about kids. The story
should have a definite plot, some sort of conflict (humorous,
serious or not-so-serious) and a resolution. No “childhood
memories” please. Click here for more information.

College Bound Teen

2007-02-25T16:30:00.000-08:00

Here's a writing opportunity for any college bound teen or current college student.

COLLEGE BOUND TEEN
http://www.collegebound.net/collegeboundteen/contribute.html
---
Feature articles are usually 800-1,500 words. We look for
well-researched articles packed with real-life student experiences
and expert voices. Share with readers stories and survival tips on
everything from dealing with dorm life, choosing the right college,
and joining a fraternity or sorority, to college dating, cool campus
happenings, scholarship scoring strategies, and other scholastic
issues. Be original, real, and creative! Pays $70-$100.

Blogs to Check Out!

2007-02-20T20:11:00.001-08:00

It constantly amazes me how many terrific blogs are out there that focus on reading and the YA market. This week I came across two more that I wanted to tell you about.

First there is All Info About Teen Reading, a terrific all-round resource for teachers, parents and teens with regard to reading activities. Take the time to scroll down to the variety of information available, such as the Paperback Swap Exchange.

Second, it appears that several YA authors have gotten together to form the Teen Fiction Cafe. At the moment the site displays the latest covers along with links to those author's webpages. It's a cool way to introduce you to authors you may not have read. There's a slightly unfinished look to the site as if they may decide to blog but haven't decided. It's worth keeping your eye on.

Patrizia

Highlights for Children Fiction Contest

2007-02-17T05:13:00.000-08:00

Do you remember Highlights? I have memories of reading the children's magazine when I was in elementary school. Apparently, it's still around, which makes me feel real old. ;-) I'm afraid there's not a lot of time to get in on this contest, but it sounds like fun for children's writers interested in mysteries. Unfortunately, you have to be older than 16 to submit. Check it out. ~ Patrizia

Here's the info:

Fiction Contest

GUIDELINES
HIGHLIGHTS 2007 FICTION CONTEST
Guidelines for Submission

CATEGORY: Mystery stories.

PRIZES: Three prizes of $1,000 each.

ENTRY DATES: All entries must be postmarked between January 1 and February 28, 2007.

CRITERIA: Stories may be any length up to 800 words. Stories for beginning readers should not exceed 500 words. Indicate the word count in the upper right-hand corner of the first page of your manuscript.

No crime, violence, or derogatory humor.

Manuscripts or envelopes should be clearly marked FICTION CONTEST. Those not marked in this way will be considered as regular submissions to Highlights.

Enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope with each entry. No entry form or fee is required. Work from both published and unpublished authors is welcome. All submissions must be previously unpublished.

*Entrants must be at least 16 years old.

SEND ENTRIES TO:
FICTION CONTEST
Highlights for Children
803 Church Street
Honesdale, PA 18431

WINNERS: The three winning entries will be announced in June 2007. These stories will become the property of Highlights for Children and will be published by Highlights. All other submissions will be considered for purchase by Highlights.

Manuscripts not purchased will be returned in June with a list of the winners.

* We're sorry that we cannot consider work from children under the age of 16 for the contest. Young writers are welcome to submit their work for consideration elsewhere in the magazine. Guidelines available upon request.

Interview with Linda Gerber

2007-02-12T03:57:00.000-08:00

When I discovered on a Yahoo YA Writing Loop that a fellow writer lived in Tokyo, I knew we had to meet. In a Roppongi Starbucks we sat down for coffee and talked about writing, balancing it with family, and our goals. Linda is as warm and personable as she comes across in this interview below. --Patrizia

How long have you been writing and how did you discover your true fit lay in the young adult market?

Part one: I’ve been writing forever, but only professionally for a few years.
Part two: I’m still channeling my inner teenager so I naturally gravitate to YA.

Describe your journey to being published. What were some of the high points and low points?

Long, long ago, in a kingdom far away, a wannabe writer set out on a quest. Trusty books at her side and computer at her fingertips, she wrote and wrote and wrote. Queries were sent. Rejections were received. Still she wrote. Then, one bright and sunny morning, she received an email. ‘Would you like to write for S.A.S.S.?’ an editor said. ‘Yes!’ cried the writer. And she wrote and wrote and wrote. The end… no! The beginning!

Tell us about being a part of a publisher-driven series. What limitations
did you have to work with? Did you feel those limitations interfered with
the story?

Writing for a publisher-driven series is like building a house with the frame already in place; you know it’s going to have four bedrooms and two and a half baths - everything else it up to you. Does this place limitations on the house? Yeah, if you want to put in a basement but zoning restrictions prevent it. If you’re a good contractor, though, you can work around that. Finish the attic instead.

Your first book Now and Zen came out in Fall 2006. What’s it about?

Nori Tanaka is thrilled to be studying abroad in Tokyo, Japan, but it isn't exactly what she had imagined. She expected tranquil gardens and swoopy-roofed houses, not concrete and neon. And everyone assumes that, with her traditional Japanese features, she's a native instead of the naïve Japanese-American that she really is. Even Erik, a gorgeous German student, mistakes Nori for Japanese, and treats her like a personal tour guide. Nori is sure that he'll like her for who she is once he gets to know her, so what harm can come of temporarily pretending to be Japanese? It doesn't take long to realize that she has a lot to learn about Japan, and about herself, before she can pass for a native. But after exploring the karaoke clubs in Tokyo, the peaceful temples in Kyoto, and the tranquil heights of Mt. Fuji, Nori knows she has a good chance of finding the hidden Japanese spirit and Zen mindset within herself.

What books do you have scheduled for release this year? Can you give a brief description? And what are you currently working on?

My second book in the S.A.S.S. series, The Finnish Line, will be released in September. It’s the story of a girl from Park City, Utah – a competitive ski jumper - who goes to Finland for her semester abroad and works to become one of the first female jumpers allowed to jump at the Lahti Ski Games.

My new baby is a mystery series for Puffin’s sleuth imprint. I just completed the first book and am diving headfirst into the second.

Any suggestions on how writers can learn about publisher driven series that might be open to new authors?

Keep up on the market. Watch Publishers’ Lunch. Haunt your local bookstore. Check out the new series books coming on the market and pay attention to who the publishers/distributors are.

Join a writer’s organization such as SCBWI and take advantage of their market updates.

Network, network, network. This is how I first heard about the S.A.S.S. series.

How do you stay in touch with your target audience? Aside from a website or My Space page, is there anything else a children's writer should do to stay current with trends?

Hang out with the people you’re writing for. You had better like kids if you want to write for them – they can smell a phony a mile off. Read what they read. Watch what they watch. Let them download their playlists into your iPod. Have fun!

What do you find to be most difficult writing for the YA market? Easiest?

Difficult? The competition. There are some great YA books and authors out there. Easiest? Getting caught up in the stories and characters. I love writing YA!

In your opinion, how important is it to have an agent to break into the YA market? What are some of the considerations a YA writer should think about when searching for an agent?

I have a navigation system in my car. I also have a printed map. I can find my way around Tokyo using either one of them. The navigation system just makes it a whole lot easier.

In shopping for agents, I say go for one who A. represents (and LOVES) the type of book you write and B. has a proven sales record C. his/her clients aren’t ripping said agent apart on their blogs…though some of those should be taken with a whole shaker full of salt…

YA has been hot. Do you see that trend continuing? Do you have any
concerns about the direction of the market?

Pull out your fan, baby, ‘cause YA ain’t cooling down any time soon. I think the market’s moving in so many different directions, you can find whatever you want to find. I’m looking at the good stuff. No concerns there.

What are some of your favorite books? Your favorite authors? In YA and in general.

“Make new friends but keep the old; one is silver and the other is gold…” I’m always adding to my favorites list. The latest additions are Kate Coomb’s Runaway Princess, (which is a whole lot cooler than the title makes it sound,) and Ally Carter’s I’d Tell You I Love You, but Then I’d Have to Kill You, (which, yeah, is just that cool.) My favorite authors list is always growing, too. In YA, I love Meg Cabot, Sarah Dessen, Ioin Colfer, Phillip Pullman, Donna Jo Napoli, Jonathan Stroud, Kate Coombs, Marsha Skrypuch, K.C. Dyer… I could go on and on. My ‘grown up’ favorites include Brad Meltzer, Lee Child, Gayle Lynds and Tess Gerritsen.

Where do you get your ideas from? How much influence has your
international experience had on your writing?

I order my ideas online at www.bestsellers.com. If that doesn’t work, I eavesdrop on people and steal their looks, their mannerisms, their personalities and anything else that isn’t nailed down.

The International thing, of course, provided the opportunity to write the S.A.S.S. books. I also think it’s broadened my perspective. I mean, I now know how to dress like a Harajuku girl. My life and my writing are enriched.

How do you juggle family life and a writing career? Any tips for the writing parent?

I send my progeny out the door at 8:30 and play… er, write until they return at 3:00. (When I’m not scrubbing toilets, shopping, cooking, cleaning the turtle’s tank, doing laundry, volunteering at school, running errands, and all that other annoying mom stuff that takes up my writing time!)

Advice to writing parents? Gather your family together let them know you are going to make writing a top priority. Carve out some time for yourself. They will not understand this. Show them, with love and patience, that you mean business. Don’t back down! If you don’t take your writing time seriously, no one else will.

What advice would you give the unpublished writer trying to break into
the childrens and/or YA market?

Read. Write. Send your stuff out. Don’t stop.

To learn more about Linda Gerber and her books, please visit her website at www.lindagerber.com

Get LOST!

2007-02-05T08:46:00.000-08:00

LOST is back!

Online Magazine LOST is currently reading fiction submissions for the April issues and beyond, and nonfiction for March and beyond. If you're on MySpace, become a F.O.L at http://www.myspace.com/lostmag
Visit www.lostmag.com today to get unsettled, to see what's missing, and for a shot of something good.

After two months of our special "LOST in Space" issue, LOST returns to the usual with issue No. 12 (February 2006). And what a "usual" it is.LOST has a mind-blowing excerpt from Piera Sonnino's memoir, THIS HAS HAPPENED, and the first fiction selection from our fourth Guest Editor, Pauls Toutonghi. We have pieces on what it's like to go down in a hurricane; when the factory closes; and when relics of slavery turn up and then go missing again. On what happens to the music a couple shares once they break up; on Ovid's great lost work; and on the circumstances that cause us to mourn the job that fired us. And we have a list of what, besides a number of 14-year-olds' self confidence, went lost last month.

Find yourself here,John Parsley and everyone at LOST

-- Sasha

Tooting My Own Horn

2007-02-04T19:37:00.000-08:00

On your next visit to the library, see if they have a copy of Learning Through History magazine. The January issue is all about Vikings and my article "Runes of Mystery and Knowledge" is inside.

For writers, history books or magazines aimed at children are often a great resource for research. Oftentimes they are written at a level that makes it easy to absorb the information you seek without wading through pages of dense material in a history book aimed at adults or the academic market. Second, this article came about because I happened to be doing research on the Norse gods for a story. I had already done a great deal of reading on runes, so when I learned that the magazine's upcoming issue would be based on Vikings and they were seeking articles, I had the material at hand. You might be surprised how many freelance articles you can come up with based on research you are doing for your own writing.

--Patrizia

Get Inspired!

2007-01-31T22:02:00.000-08:00

Tom Becker, has won the 2007 Waterstone prize in Britain for his novel Darkside. Read the article in the Guardian newspaper to find out more.

Why should you feel inspired?
** He's a first-time novelist
** He's only 25 years old

Don't ever think you are too young to write or too old. There is never a more perfect time to start then now. Below are some contests geared towards professionals, amateurs and young people. I bet one of them is just right for you.

So get out there, get inspired and Write!
---Patrizia

Contests!!!!

2007-01-27T21:07:00.000-08:00

Here's another round of contest information to get your writing skills going. Check them out and good luck!

Patrizia

Short Story Contest for the Heinlein Centennial
Length – 1,500 to 7,500 words. Deadline February 15, 2007.

Professional Division
Professionals are defined as those writers who have sold 3
stories to a professional publication (defined as one paying
3 cents/ word or more) or 1 novel.

Winning Story: $175.
Honorable Mention: $75.

Amateur Division
Authors 16 years or older who do not meet the definition of
professional as listed above.
Winning Story: $175.
Honorable Mention: $75.

Young Writer Division
Authors 16 years or younger who don't meet the definition of
professional as listed above.
Winning Story: $175.
Honorable Mention: $75.

Additionally all stories will be awarded prize certificates
during a special event at the Centennial as well as publication
in the Centennial program and/or other related publications.

* * *

Northeast Texas Writers' Organization Short Story Contest
ENTRY FEE $8 FOR ADULTS/ $5 FOR STUDENTS 18 AND UNDER.
Entries must be short stories between 1,000 and 2,500 words
to be considered. Deadline February 20, 2007. First Place
Award is $100; Second Place is $50; Third Place is $20 and
Fourth Place is $10. Winners, and Honorable Mentions, will
receive certificates suitable for framing.

* * *
Knoxville Writers' Guild Writing Contests
FOR YOUNG WRITERS IN POETRY (Tennessee residents)
NO ENTRY FEE
Deadline: February 28, 2007. Entry consists of three poems of
no more than 100 lines total. Please, only one entry per contestant.
No restrictions as to style or content. Open to all secondary
school students in Knox or neighboring counties. First, $150.
Second, $100. Third, $50.

* * *
Write a Story for Children Competition
ENTRY FEE £2.10 (US$5)
Open to all amateur writers over the age of 18. There are cash
prizes of £2,000 for the best story submitted, £300 for second
prize and £200 for the third placed story. Independent judges
will be looking for such qualities as originality, imagination
and flair. Most importantly, they will also consider how the
story will appeal to children. The story must not exceed 2,000
words in length and can be suitable for children of any age group
up to teenage. Deadline March 31, 2007.

Hey Girl! This One's For You!

2007-01-23T21:35:00.000-08:00

If you haven't heard about SD Girl, now is your chance to check out this cool ezine, the teen spin-off of SD Magazine. They offer a mix on fashion, beauty, dating, music and even writing. It's a magazine for you. About you.

Why am I posting about a teen mag on a blog for writers? Because they are open to articles that matter to young women. You have an idea for an article? Pitch it. And if you like to write short stories or poems, well, there is a special place reserved for that too. Check out the Write On corner where you are invited to showcase your work.

I should point out that there is no compensation offered. In general, I'm a believer that you should be paid for your writing if it's being published. However, for a young writer starting out, getting exposure and experience matters. Take a chance.

Patrizia

Top 1000 Library Picks

2007-01-17T06:38:00.000-08:00

The Online Computer Library Center has released its list of the top 1000 children's book purchases made by libraries in 2005. Can you guess what are the top ten books bought and stocked in libraries around the US? If you guessed Harry Potter, you'd be wrong. Find out who did make the top ten and check out where your favorite reads and authors rank. You can find the list here.

Patrizia

Submissions Call for YA Anthology

2007-01-11T16:53:00.000-08:00

I hope one of your New Year's resolutions was to write and aim to be published. We'll try to keep you posted on contests, publishers and other markets where your writing might find a home. To start off the new year we've heard of a call for submissions for a YA anthology. Details are below.

All the best
Patrizia

Sumach Press is delighted to announce a new YA story collection about mothers and daughters and body image, to be published in 2008. The working title is Cleavage, and we're looking for stories of 2000 - 3500 words about eating disorders, cosmetic surgery, implants, clothing choices, hair, waxing, makeup, piercing, tattoos etc. Point of view should be thirteen and up, but the issues can be hers, her mother's, or both. We're especially interested in quirky, humourous stories that capture the bizarreness of body image along with defining mother-daughter moments. We welcome submissions from new, emerging and established writers by June 15 2007. For details, please go to: Sumach Press

Deb Loughead and Jocelyn Shipley, co-editors
www.debloughead.ca
www.jocelynshipley.com

2007 YA Releases

2007-01-04T17:36:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Everyone! Hope the new year has started off with a bang and that you've set yourself some writing resolutions to shoot for during the year.

Expect another hot year for YA. Here are only a few of the books you can look forward to, but these authors are sure to keep you glued to the page:

2007 YA Releases

March

Paula Chase, SO NOT THE DRAMA, Kensington/Dafina
0758218591

May

Shannon Greenland, THE SPECIALISTS: MODEL SPY (Puffin)
987-0-14-240849-0

July

Stephanie Hale, REVENGE OF THE HOMECOMING QUEEN,
(Berkley Jam) 0425216152

August

Caridad Ferrer, IT’S NOT ABOUT THE ACCENT (MTV Books)
1416524916

Bev Katz Rosenbaum, BEYOND COOL (Berkley Jam)
13-978-0-425-21563-0

Linda Joy Singleton, FATAL CHARM (Flux) 0738711535

September

Linda Gerber, THE FINNISH LINE, (SASS)

----Patrizia

Wings ePress Editor - Robbin Major

2006-12-24T18:12:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone!

Here is a special gift to all you!

Robbin Major, the Senior Editor at Wings ePress, Inc. Is answering your questions about Wings ePress YA Department!

Robbin:

Here are a few questions that our Young Adult Creative Writers would like to know:

1) What is Wings ePress and when was it established?

Below is the press release posted at our web site when Wings ePress, Inc. was established, back in 2002. It gives a good introduction as to why Wings was created, and why it is still around.

Wings ePress, Inc. Takes Flight
New royalty-paying, electronic and trade quality paperback book publisher offers an alternative to established and upcoming authors.
In a time when many publishers are suffering the effects of a rocky inaugural period in epublishing, the founders of WINGS ePRESS, Inc. decided there was still plenty of room for an honest, nourishing community where writers could feel confident and respected. Brought together by a mutual love of quality fiction, this unique group of experienced editors, artists, managers and technicians bring many exciting talents to the WPI table.
WPI opened its cyber doors at www.wings-press.com , with offerings in General Fiction and all genres of Romantic fiction. Books will be available as downloads in popular ebook formats, along with quality trade paperback editions. In addition to publishing a catalog of excellent fiction, WPI plans to put into place an entire writer's community where authors can work directly with editors while honing their craft…

2) How long have you been an editor with Wings ePress?

I have been an editor and copy editor, as well as the Senior Editor of the YA Department at Wings--a woman with many hats!--since fall of 2002.

What is your background?

I have a strong academic background in literature for children and young adults. I was a children’s librarian for a number of years, and hopped from there in to the public school system.
I am a member of the professional organization, The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, as well as a published YA author (under a pen name) and a veteran of numerous writing and editing workshops.

3) Is Wing ePress primarily a YA publisher?

The YA Department is a small division of Wings, which I like, as it allows me to be very hand’s-on with each of the manuscripts that cross my cyberdesk.
While Wings handles a variety of genres (as noted above in the press release), the YA Department has sub-genres of almost all the other genres. We have published YA romance, fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, adventure, time travel, historical and animal stories. We have published YA books that are a combination of the above sub-genres, as well, which means we are open to any well-written story, no matter how far from the mainstream it may stray.

4) What kind of YA novels would you like to see? (i.e. Historical, romance, chic-lit, fantasy, sci-fi, etc.)

Submissions in the YA Department seem to go in waves. We have enjoyed the pitter-pat of scattered genres, and a tsunami of fantasy. I like fantasy, but I like it fresh, and the submissions that don’t get past Round One with me are the ones that are derivative. Hopeful writers of fantasy need to understand that there is only one Luke Skywalker, one Harry Potter, one Frodo Baggins. Find a new angle and dazzle me with your creative genius!

I like accurate historicals; as a history buff, though, I really wince at anachronisms, and can be nit-picky when the research is thin.

I would like to see some good YA sci-fi, with real science, as opposed to fantasy-with-gadgets.

And I would dearly love to see some good, light, humorous YA romance! As I mentioned before, our books are often layered with sub-genres, so we have romantic threads in many of our YA books, but I can’t think of a single one that is simply a fun, feel-good romance.

But I have to say, all discussion of genre aside, that the thing I would like to see more of is stories that are well written, with dialogue that reads like the writer took the time to read it aloud, with characters that have dimension, and with the technical elements in place, as if it were not just a first draft dashed off and submitted in the daze that comes after the last words are written.

At the same time, is there anything you’ve seen enough of, that you feel is overdone in the market?

As I said, I see an awful lot of fantasy. (And sometimes it is awful. J) I think too many people are trying to ride the Harry Potter wave, and wiping out. I love a well-written fantasy, but I think the market is saturated with wannabes.

5) What do you look for in a good YA manuscript?

I look for a first chapter that really takes off. Don’t give me too much background at the beginning. Give me something that makes me want to dive on in to the next chapter. Give me a protagonist I can invest in. Give me a narrative voice that is fresh.

I also look for a successful story arc. Are points carried through to the end? Are there dangling strings that need to be tied or snipped?
Don’t give me forty paragraphs for one little nugget of information. Writers tend to be in love with words, but that doesn’t mean all those words have to be used in one sitting.

And, after story and character and plot are in place, I look for the good, solid basics of writing: grammar, punctuation, consistent spelling. If I have to wade through a morass of typos and technical blunders, it takes me away from the story. And if I keep getting yanked out of the story, I will probably just move on to the next submission.

6) Are there any pet peeves?

See above.
I really, really like to see a manuscript that has been carefully prepared for submission, with attention to the publisher’s guidelines. I like to see a manuscript that looks like it has been proofread, and maybe work shopped or been through a couple of rounds with a writer’s group.
And, speaking of pet peeves, I have very little patience with writers who are afraid of using “said”. I read a book once in which every tag line was a euphemism for “said”--one character barked, another moaned, another snapped. It got to be so distracting that I couldn’t finish reading the thing. When I actually started laughing at the variations, that’s when I put the book down and walked away.
My least favorite tag line in the universe: “I know what you mean,” she smiled. How do you smile dialogue? You can smile with it, but you can’t smile it, because what is that?

7) What is the submission process for those who are interested in sending a manuscript to Wings ePress? How long is the turn around time?

The first task is to write a short query letter, directed to
submissions@wings-press.com, which should include a brief synopsis (no more than one or two paragraphs) of your story, as well as the word count and the genre/sub-genre. We don’t need to know your background, your publishing history, or your political leanings. J Spend the time making your synopsis as polished and intriguing as possible. If we are interested in seeing your completed manuscript, we will invite you to submit it, providing you with the guidelines to do so.Be aware that the word count we like to see in the YA Department falls somewhere between 25K and 50K. We have very occasionally accepted something longer, but that’s the exception, rather than the rule.

Visit our web site for further details on the guidelines: www.wings-press.com

The process, once you’ve been invited to submit, is relatively quick. We have a Reader Evaluation Department; at least two Readers will read your manuscript and rank it before it makes it to my cyberdesk. Based on their recommendations, and my own evaluation, I either request that our Executive Editor offer a contract, or I write what I hope is a very constructive letter of rejection. Sometimes I will invite a writer to revise and resubmit the manuscript, if that writer is willing to address the problems that came up during the evaluation process. The evaluation process generally takes no more than a couple of months, sometimes less, depending on the number of submissions going through the system at the same time.

8) There are those who are leery of e-publishing, how do you respond? Why should an author pursue the e-publishing route with Wings ePress?
There are valid reasons to be leery of electronic publishing, just as there are reasons why it’s one of the most wonderful inventions of the 21st century.
The leery part has much to do with the transient nature of some e-publishers. Look for a company that has an established web presence, one that’s been around for more than a few weeks or months. Talk to other writers who have e-pubbed and learn from their experiences.
One of the things I love about working with Wings is that it was created to be place where writers can take flight, rather than a place where writers are hung out to dry.

At Wings, you will get the attention of a skilled editor, who will work with you to make your book the best it can be. You will have access to marketing strategies, and to a mentor (a fellow author), should you desire one, to nurture you through the process of first-time publishing.
Once your book is published, it will never go “out of print”, unless you want it to.
With e-pubbing, you are free to cross genres in creative and wonderful ways, rather than being forced to write to the formula demanded by big name print publishers.
It is a venue where you are only limited by the boundaries of your own imagination and energy.

9) What advice could you give to first time authors?

Study the market. Read voraciously. Listen to your target audience. Hone your skills. Craft your story carefully, paying attention to detail. And be aware that the actual writing of a story is a very small portion of the job of being a writer. Marketing, whether you are working with an e-publisher or a print publisher, will be a huge part of your work. Vigorous self-promotion is what separates a best-seller from a remainder, so be prepared to toot your own horn. Just make sure your horn is polished and tuned when you start tooting!

Sasha and Patrizia,

I am happy to do this. Thank you for the opportunity.

For further info you can contact Robbin @ subs@wings-press.com

Teens Read Too

2006-12-08T16:38:00.000-08:00

Go on over to Teens Read Too and have fun exploring this great site. Until December 31st they're having a prize drawing every day. Enter each day and maybe you'll win. Also, check out the Goodies available from publishers and authors. And while you're there, find yourself a good book to read over the holidays.

Best wishes--Patrizia

The Purple Crayon

2006-12-07T19:10:00.000-08:00

This is a site worth bookmarking. The Purple Crayon offers a variety of materials and articles on children's book publishing. Take the time to check it out.

--Patrizia

Hot Off the Presses!!!!!

2006-12-02T03:27:00.000-08:00

I just learned of this and am posting it. It's really for those lucky writers in the NYC area. If you do get to go, drop us a line and tell us all about it. ---Patrizia

CHICK LIT free panel in NYC today (Sat)!

Hosted by Sarah Mlynowski, with four panelists

December 2 & 3, Independent and Small Press Book Fair hosts over 100
top-notch presses & leading authors

Chick lit panel: 12 noon, room 208

Free Admission ($1 suggested donation).

The address is 20 West 44th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues, Manhattan.
Tel: 212/764-7021.

Hours: 10am to 6pm on Saturday and 11am to 5pm on Sunday. For a complete list of panels and events: Visit here.

Anyone Understand Russian?

2006-11-30T05:36:00.000-08:00

Sorry it's been so quiet in here. Sasha and I got caught up with the holidays and other things. I can't believe how fast 2007 is coming up. I need to start thinking about Christmas cards! I am so not ready for that.

I learned this through the scbwi loop I belong to. These are links to two Russian sites that depict illustrations of children books. They're quite beautiful and worth a look. Check out this blog on old soviet era children's books or this one on children's book illustrations. I can't read Russian but it was fun looking at the pictures. I did get a bit of suprise at the second site when I scrolled down and realized I could read what the zebra was saying on the page--that's because it was in Italian. What the Italian book is doing mixed in with the Russian will require a translator. ;-)

Cheers--Patrizia

Interview with Bev Katz Rosenbaum

2006-11-16T17:10:00.000-08:00

Today, I'm excited to post an interview with author Bev Katz Rosenbaum.
I Was A Teenage Popsicle is her first YA novel and a great addition to any bookshelf. You want something fun to read, this book is it.

For those readers who haven't read your book, can you tell them briefly about it?
I Was a Teenage Popsicle is a crazy mix of teen chick lit, comedy, romance, sci-fi and action-adventure, featuring cryonically preserved Venice Beach teen Floe Ryan, the first human being to be 'thawed'!

What drew you to writing for the YA market?
I was loving the books my kids were reading, so I thought, why not give it a shot? I tend to write short and funny, so my style was perfect for the genre.

Okay, I've got to ask. Why a popsicle? How did you ever get an idea like that?
Well, the YA market's pretty competitive--coming up with a unique idea is paramount. When the whole Ted Williams cryonics controversy broke, I thought, cryonics, that's the ticket!

Waking up ten years later would freak most people out. What quality about your main character Floe as she deals with this situation do you most admire and why?
I once heard someone say that her heroines are the people she wishes she could be, and that's pretty much how I feel about Floe. She's so much more confident and self-possessed than I was at her age--though she's not without her flaws, because a perfect heroine would be extremely boring!

Trying to fit it in is a theme most anyone who experienced teen life can relate to. What made you write about this feeling?
What you said! Trying to fit in is a theme most anyone who has experienced teen life can relate to. The 'cool' (ha-ha) thing about this book is that Floe's situation is at once totally out there, yet completely universal.

Here's another must-ask question. How did a Canadian end up writing about Valley Girls and Venice Beach types? (Is no one else surprised by that?) And any plans for some Canadian characters or settings?
Well, my publisher is Penguin US, not Penguin Canada, but aside from that, I just thought Venice, California was the perfect place to set my out there cryonics story Having said that, I will tell you a few upcoming projects are set considerably closer to home. You're quite right--the only place you can get totally right is the place you call home, the place you can feel in your bones!

When will your next book be out and what will it be about? What themes will you be exploring this time around?
Watch out for the sequel to I Was a Teenage Popsicle, called Beyond Cool, to be released in August '07. I have several other projects in various stages of development--none of which I can talk about yet!

--Patrizia

Contests!!!!

2006-11-15T16:32:00.001-08:00

Here are some contests for you to consider. Remember to read the rules carefully and follow them; pay attention to the deadlines and proofread your manuscript for grammar and punctuation. Also, note some contests require an entry fee. Good Luck! --Patrizia

Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers is pleased to announce The Twenty-Fourth Annual Delacorte Press Contest for a First Young Adult Novel. The prize of a book contract (on the publisher’s standard form) covering world rights for a hard-cover and a paperback edition, including an advance and royalties, is awarded annually to encourage the writing of contemporary young adult fiction. The award consists of $1,500 in cash and a $7,500 advance against royalties. Deadline: December 31, 2006

The Writer's Digest 7th Annual Short Short Story Competition
We're looking for fiction that's bold, brilliant...but brief. Send us your best in 1,500 words or fewer.
But don't be too long about it—the deadline is Friday, December 01, 2006.

PRIZES
First Place: $3,000
Second Place: $1,500
Third Place: $500
Fourth Through Tenth Place: $100
Eleventh Through Twenty-Fifth Place: $50 gift certificate for Writer's Digest Books

Chapter One Promotions International Open Short Story Competition. This is a UK contest with prize money in British pounds. Deadline: January 14, 2007

UPDATE: 11/18/06 Here's another contest with a December deadline to add to the list.

CAJE DORNSTEIN SHORT STORY WRITING CONTEST
---
NO ENTRY FEE
Up to three prizes, totaling $1,000, are being offered
in the annual David Dornstein Memorial Creative Writing
Contest for Young Adult Writers, sponsored by the Coalition
for the Advancement of Jewish Education. Authors aged 18 -
35 years by December 31, 2006, are invited to submit a
short story on a Jewish theme or topic. Up to three winners
will be selected. CAJE will have the right to publish prize-
winning submissions and to disseminate them to the CAJE
membership at any time; credit will be given to the author.
Stories must be postmarked no later than December 30, 2006.

TEEN FANLIT

2006-11-15T16:32:00.000-08:00

HarperTeen Fanlit. A storytelling event by teens for teens.

Check it out. They have some cool prizes and you get a chance to try your hand at writing or if you want you can just read and vote for your favs!

http://www.harperteenfanlit.com/index.htm?cid=00000049

A TEENS GUIDE TO GETTING PUBLISHED

2006-11-13T10:26:00.000-08:00

Check out this updated version of A TEEN'S GUIDE TO GETTING PUBLISHED by Danielle and Jessica Dunn

Price: $14.95
A Teen's Guide to Getting Published is an exciting must-read for young writers wanting to see their work published. This revised edition, written by two successful former teen authors, offers practical writing tips and an expansive, up-to-date listing of markets that publish student work.

Grades 4-12

SCBWI talk by YA author Linda Gerber--Part II

2006-11-12T19:27:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I posted about Linda Gerber's talk to the Tokyo chapter of the SCBWI. Today, I'd like to continue with Linda's descriptions of Book Packager series, publisher-driven series and author driven series.

You might be wondering what a book packager is. Well, they come up with the concept, get the writer, and produce the project which they then sell to a publisher. A publisher driven series is one designed and conceived in-house by the publisher. An example is Linda's own book Now and Zen which is part of Puffin Books' Student's Across the Seven Seas series (S.A.S.S.).

A book packager series or even a publisher-driven series can be written by different authors, using different characters, revolving around the same theme. Again the S.A.S.S. series is a good example. Another type of series can be one where a pen name is established and then ghost writers are hired to write the story. Think Nancy Drew and how long she's been aorund. Last, a publisher may see a gap in the market and contract authors who already write for them to produce the stories.

An author driven series, of course, is one where the entire concept comes from the author. The character may grow from book to book, like Harry Potter, or stay pretty much the same age from one adventure to the next. Bottom line it's the author who decides what direction the character and series take.

The publishing world is tough and competitive. Writing for a book packager can sometimes be the way to get your foot in the door. It worked for Linda. She has another S.A.S.S. book coming out set in Finland and she went on to seal a three-book deal for Puffin's (a division of Penguin Books) Sleuth series. So keep your eyes open for opportunities. They're out there.

UPDATE: 11/17/06 The above post has been edited to reflect the corrections Linda made in the comments to this post. Sorry for any confusion on the original.

Keep on Writing!
Patrizia

SCBWI talk by YA author Linda Gerber--Part I

2006-11-11T16:22:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I parked the kids with hubby and took the train into Tokyo to attend a talk by Linda Gerber, author of Now and Zen, sponsored by the Tokyo chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Most of my writing life always seems to take place online, so the chance to meet other writers ranks up there with an offer of chocolate--impossible to turn down.

Linda's talk focused a lot on what consititues a series and the various ways to break into the market. She made a comment that I can't emphasize enough: "Keep your eyes open to any opportunities." Sure writing is all about being creative. At least that's what we tell ourselves. But once we start submitting that piece of work, there's a business aspect that can't be ignored. Editors may like your writing, but if the market isn't there or if the market has already turned the corner and your fascinating heroine is considered yesterday's leftovers, you're out of luck.

Study the market. Look at the books that are currently published and see if you can determine why they're such a success. According to Linda, it's spies and sleuths that are hot right now. Will they be tomorrow, good question. Remember that any manuscript you submit now isn't likely to get into print for another year or more, so while it's important to look at the market, don't become a slave to it.

Another interesting point she raised is that while girls generally get hooked on reading and continue to read, boys have to be caught early. Boys don't seem to be the huge readers that girls are (we're speaking in generalities here). This does leave a huge gap in the market for anyone with a cool concept. A YA author on a loop I belong to mentioned recently that her publisher is actively seeking YA boy-focused books.

Tomorrow, I'll post more on Linda's discussion of book series.

--Patrizia

Gallagher Girls Contest!

2006-11-08T17:45:00.000-08:00

Fans of Ally Carter's Gallagher Girl series will be excited to hear that I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You has been optioned for a movie by Disney. Way cool!

Ally also has a contest up on her website for her next book, titled...well, that's your job. ;-) The title is in code and your mission, should you accept it, is to Break the Code! Click on the link for contest rules. Good luck and have fun.

--Patrizia

YA Agents

2006-11-03T10:44:00.000-08:00

Patrizia sent me these links. Check out what these agents are blogging about in YA.

Find out what Agent Kristin is tired of seeing

Read a great interview with Agent Sara Crowe Of Harvey Klinger, Inc

Happy submitting!

Sasha

Writing Contests

2006-11-02T06:26:00.000-08:00

Now is the time to polish up those manuscripts!

DELACORTE PRESS CONTEST FOR A FIRST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL
Deadline: December 31
The prize of a book contract (on the publisher's standard form)
covering world rights for a hard-cover and a paperback edition,
including an advance and royalties, is awarded annually to encourage the writing of contemporary young adult fiction. The award consists of $1,500 in cash and a $7,500 advance against royalties. For guidelines visit
http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/games/delacorte.html.

THE NEXT GREAT CRIME WRITER CONTEST
Deadline: November 27
Do you have a killer book idea? Then this is your chance to make
crime pay. Court TV is offering you a chance to win a book deal with Regan, an imprint of HarperCollins. The Judges are bestselling authors Lisa Scottoline, Jonathan Kellerman, and Faye Kellerman, and editor Judith Regan. For more information, please visit http://getpublished.courttv.com/?link=winabookdeal

NATIONAL WRITERS UNION POETRY CONTEST
Deadline: November 30
A prize of $1000 and publication in Poetry Flash is given annually
for a single poem. Adrienne Rich will judge. For more information,
please visit http://www.nwu7.org/ .

FIRST COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES AWARD
Deadline: December 31
A prize of $1000 and publication by Livingston Press is given
annually for a first collection of short stories. For more
information, please visit http://www.livingstonpress.uwa.edu/ .

Listen Magazine

2006-10-31T16:58:00.000-08:00

This is a magazine aimed at teenagers to provide information on substance abuse and other social and health issues young people face. It's also a paying market. Visit their website for further information on what they are looking for. The easiest market to break into is probably their True Stories section. In addition to true stories relating to substance abuse, Listen Magazine has covered such topics as peer pressure, decision-making, friendship, family conflict, self-discipline, and suicide.

No writing is ever a waste. Even if your interest lies in fiction, topics like the ones above will force you to dig deep to bring out the emotion of the event you witnessed or experienced--a skill you'll need if your really intend to write compelling fictional characters. Stretch your writing muscles and give it a shot.

--Patrizia

YA Author Linda Gerber

2006-10-29T17:05:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday I met YA author Linda Gerber in downtown Tokyo. We had a great time chatting about writing and life in Japan. And we also talked about trends in YA lit. We both agree that the YA market is really taking off.

Linda has an exciting year ahead of her. Her first book Now and Zen is out now and has already received several five star reviews on Amazon. This story will be followed up by another set in Finland and she's hard at work on a three-book series that follows the adventures of a family on the run.

I asked Linda if the writing gets easier once you publish. Well, it doesn't. The doubts and worries that plague you as an unpublished writer still exist once you've sold that manuscript. But I'd gladly deal with those worries for the chance to see my name on the cover of a book.

Cheers, Patrizia

YA　Authors Cafe--Feel like chatting?

2006-10-26T03:57:00.000-07:00

Want to know what's up with some of your favorite YA authors? Visit the YA Authors Cafe. Chats are held on Tuesdays, at 8:30 pm EST . To find out who the next guest will be check the website for more information.

--Patrizia

2006-10-23T06:21:00.000-07:00

Thanks to YA author Bev Rosenbaum I learned of this fantastic site. Young Adult (& Kids) Books Central has everything you could want to know about books. You can find reviews on your favorite books, author interviews and bios and much more. What I really like is that they are open to volunteers. Have you ever thought about doing a review? This is great writing experience, not to mention the fun of reading and talking about books you like. Take a moment and check out the site and don't leave without entering for the YABC Giveaway!

Also, stop by Bev Rosenbaum's website and learn about her October 2006 release, I Was A Teenage Popsicle. I've ordered the book through Amazon and after I've read it, I plan on having Bev join us here for a Q&A. Hope you can join us.

--Patrizia

Writing Contemporary YA Fiction Workshop

2006-10-18T21:06:00.000-07:00

Earthly Charms is a web site that specializes in promotions for writers. They also offer monthly onlone workshops for writers that run two to four weeks long. The workshop scheduled for December features Rita-award winning author Nicole (Niki) Burnham, whose first YA book, Royally Jacked launched the Simon Pulse romantic comedy line. Her latest YA title, Do Over, is in stores now. The course runs two weeks and will cover such topics as YA markets, plotting your novel and Q&A time. The cost for the course is $10. For more information on this workshop, click here. To learn more about Niki Burnham, visit her website at www.nikiburnham.com.

--Patrizia

Teen Read Week

2006-10-15T17:56:00.000-07:00

The third week in October celebrates Teen Read Week. The event is put on by the Young Adult Library Services Association. Drop by to learn more and vote for your favorite book while you're there.

--Patrizia

YA Publishers

2006-10-15T17:29:00.000-07:00

It's another Monday morning here in Tokyo and I'm beat from the weekend. Friday the 13th truly lived up to its name. The computer would boot up and play the screensaver over and over. Try to go to the desktop and it was a black screen. The whole system had to be reinstalled. My five-year-old said to me Saturday, "I thought you said Friday the 13th is a bad day. I had a good day." Lucky him. Hope you did too.

Now on to publishers. This list comes from a markets column in a new e-zine whose focus is women on writing

The markets column, YA Publishers That Pay in Advance, can be found at this link

Good Luck, Patrizia

NANO WRITE

2006-10-13T10:20:00.000-07:00

National Novel Writing Month

It's that time again. NaNoWriMo has officially opened for its eighth noveling season, and they'd love to have you come and join them for another raucous and productive November.

For more info and guidelines go to:
www.nanowrimo.org

Young Novelist Challenge

2006-10-08T19:08:00.000-07:00

It's Monday monring already here in Japan and I've got more great news to share with you. For young writers out there who've written that novel but want to learn how to make it shine or for those of you in the process but need help getting over that bump in the road, this challenge might be just what you've been looking for to get ahead. Note the deadline to sign up is October 15, 2006.

--Patrizia

YOUNG NOVELIST CHALLENGE
http://www.absynthemuse.com
---
Do you fancy yourself the next big thing in publishing? Do you
spend far too much time developing a cool-looking autograph for
your adoring fans during math class? Do you ever wish someone
would finally explain to you the difference between a query
and a hook?

This challenge is for young novelists, ages 13-22, who want to
learn about all there is to book publishing, want to win free
prizes, and garner a critique by a lit agent, namely Nadia
Cornier, of the fabulous Firebrand Literary agency. Perhaps,
just perhaps, she would be so impressed with your work, that
she’ll offer you a contract. That’s something to celebrate!

If you think you’ve got what it takes to whip your novel into
marketable shape, this challenge is for you! Over the course
of the next two months, we’ll be posting articles, offering
roundtable chats where we invite awesome published authors,
editors, and agents to talk to participants, and holding mini-
workshops on Absynthe Muse for you to sharpen your writing
skills.

We’ll take you from ruthlessly editing your manuscript, learning
how to give and take good critique, to researching publishers
and agents, to writing queries and novel synopses, and finally,
submitting them. The more events you participate in, the more
chances you get to win fabulous prizes, such as books, journals,
gift cards to coffee shops, and lots of chocolate to kick writer's
block.

Then, you email us your query with the first three chapters of
your manuscript. We’ll post each with critiques on the blog,
and the handful of entries that blow our socks off we’ll pass
onto Nadia to review.

Sound cool?

All you have to do is sign up on the Young Novelists' Challenge
board on the forum. There we’ll be posting further information
about the challenge and mini-challenges to come. The deadline
for interested novelists to join the board is October 15, 2006.

Happy October!
Elisabeth Wilhelm
Editor-in-Chief

HarperTeen Fan Lit

2006-10-05T17:19:00.000-07:00

Sasha posted a while back about Harper Collins fan lit sweepstakes. Apparently Harper Collins is at it again with a focus on the YA market this time around. Details and other news are below. While you're at it, check out the http://www.harperteen.com/ website for info on their latest books and authors. These are great opportunities for anyone wanting to write for the YA market. Writing for fan lit gives you an objective, a chance for your work to be seen, and simple experience whether you win or not. As for First Look, the more you read in the genre the more you'll find out what you like, don't like, what's hot and what's not and what's been done to death. So, go for it!

FanLit is coming October 17th!

Team up with bestselling YA authors, HarperTeen editors and your fellow readers to create a completely original short story and win great prizes with HarperTeen FanLit !

First Look

We want your thoughts on our new books. Sign-up for First Look, our reader review program to read and review books before they’re available in stores!

--Patrizia

AFRICANA HOMESTEAD SHORT STORY CONTEST

2006-10-04T19:59:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, I'm going to be joining Sasha as a regular blogger here. There is supposed to be a way to add my profile as a team member, but that particular blogger feature isn't working. Until then, I'll be posting via Sasha's account and apologize if there is any confusion.

I found this gem via the newsletter put out by Funds for Writers: http://www.fundsforwriters.com

If you are interested in writing stories with a focus on African American characters and issues, this contest may be for you. Note that the deadline is October 31st. You don't have much time. There is a $20 entry fee but the prize money is attractive and there is always the name recognition from winning.

--Patrizia

AFRICANA HOMESTEAD SHORT STORY CONTEST
http://ahlpub.com/uploads/

The_Africana_Homestead_2006_Short_Story_Contest.pdf
---:
ENTRY FEE $8 for Children and Youth/$20 for Adults
Three categories: Children, Youth and Adult. Deadline
October 31, 2006.

Children (ages 5-11 by October 31, 2006.)
First place $150, Second $100, Third $50.

Youth (ages 12-18)
First place $300, Second $200, Third $100.

Adult (18+)
First place $450, Second $300, Third $150.

Open to residents of the 50 US states and territories.
The subject must be any aspect of the historic or present-day
black experience in the United States or its territories.
Must not exceed 7,500 words.

Nerd Writers Wanted!

2006-10-04T14:05:00.000-07:00

Are you a closet sci-tech geek?

Do you like to tinker with big ideas in literary ways?

Do you keep up with the latest fashions in theoretical physics?

Scriblerus Press is looking for short creative works inspired by STRING THEORY for an upcoming anthology.

Submit a poem, a short story, or a piece of creative nonfiction. We are most pleased by well-crafted work that engages STRING THEORY in an entirely original way. This may or may not mean science-fiction.

Complete guidelines are to be found at http://scriblerus.net

Article from http://www.mediabistro.com/mbtoolbox

YA Market is HOT

2006-10-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

Here's an article on the YA market--it's hot--they say.
from the following link:
http://www.oregonlive.com

In a bit of magic, young adult literature becomes a hot market
Sunday, September 24, 2006

MARY RECHNER

Everybody -- first time author and established scribe -- is doing it: writing for young adults. "YA," a hard-to-define market that encompasses readers between 9 and 19, is attracting writers for a variety of reasons.
Karen Karbo, author of five books for adults, wrote "Minerva Clark Gets a Clue" and the forthcoming "Minerva Clark Goes to the Dogs" "as a way to give girls between 9 and 11 or 12 something to read that didn't involve teen issues they might not be ready for."
First-time novelist Christine Fletcher of Portland thought she was writing for adults until her agent found that editors didn't think adults would respond to the 17-year-old protagonist in her book "Tallulah Falls." When Fletcher agreed to pitch her novel to the YA market, her agent quickly sold it.

Altering "Tallulah Falls," published this spring, into a YA book "did not entail a tremendous about of work," says Fletcher. "I streamlined the plot, removing any navel-gazing. It's all about the story, not about the writer."
The unprecedented success of J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" series deserves much of the credit for transforming YA from an underappreciated niche into a hot market.
Will Peters, the manager of Annie Bloom's Books, attributes much of the burgeoning young adult market to the popularity of Harry Potter.
"People buy new hardcover books much more than they used to," he said. "There are more quality series available."
Charlotte Perry, youth materials selector for Multnomah County Library, concurs. "It's hard to find a book that stands alone, that's not a series."
Perry says another change is that "it's difficult to tell the boundaries between teen and adult books."
Some books, like Mark Haddon's "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time," become successful crossover books by appealing to readers of all ages. Haddon's novel won the Whitbread Novel Award, the Book Trust teenage fiction award, and the Guardian's children's fiction prize.

Roland Smith, the Oregon author of more than 20 books for young adults, notes that before Harry Potter, some of the most successful books for kids were short, like the spooky "Goosebumps" series by R.L. Stine.
"What Harry Potter did for people like me is get kids comfortable reading thick books. Now kids are not intimidated by size if the story is good," Smith said.
California author Kerry Madden's first book, "Offsides," was published in 1996 as adult literary fiction, though it featured a young protagonist. "Offsides" got good reviews but didn't sell well. Madden had asked her agent about the young adult market, but in 1996 was assured that publishing a YA novel would be the "death knell" of her career. By 2005 the book market had changed.

"Writing for young people was taken more seriously as an art form," said Madden. That year she published the first book in what has become her "Maggie Valley" series. "Gentle's Holler" is soon to be followed by "Louise's Palette" and "Jesse's Mountain."
In his job as a middle school teacher, Portland writer Bart King observes that "the reason something flies or not [with kids] is not the content, it's how the content is presented." In his nonfiction books, "The Big Book of Boy Stuff" and the forthcoming "The Big Book of Girl Stuff," King uses cartoons, graphics and a delightfully wacky tone to hook his young readers. He believes gender may play a part in what young readers prefer.
"Girls tend to read more literary fiction, while boys generally read more sports- or hobby-related books, in addition to fantasy and sci-fi," King said.
David Brooks, in a recent column in The New York Times, is concerned about the growing gender gap in academic performance; boys are losing ground. Teaching more boy-friendly writers (Brooks suggests Hemingway, Tolstoy, Homer and Twain) might turn more boys onto reading, but perhaps the TV should be turned off first.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the average child watches three hours of TV daily. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, children who watch too much TV "have lower grades in school, read fewer books and have problems with attention." The National Association of State Boards of Education, in its October 2005 report, found "that approximately 70 percent of adolescents struggle to read," with "one quarter unable to read at the most basic level."
Despite all the magic in the young adult market, an alarming number of young Muggles have yet to be transformed into readers.

YA AGENT

2006-09-27T08:33:00.000-07:00

Here is an agent acquiring for YA

Kristin Nelson of Nelson Agency
http://www.nelsonagency.com/

Check out her blog. A total must read in the industry.
http://pubrants.blogspot.com/

Mentor program

2006-09-22T06:55:00.000-07:00

Here is something interesting Patrizia passed along to me.

FundsforWriters has teamed with Absynthe Muse to provide mentoring for young writers. Available for ages 13-22.
Visit www.mentoring.absynthemuse.com

THe Rule of Three

2006-09-18T06:59:00.000-07:00

THE RULE OF THREE: Using the magic number to plot by Julie Miller

(This is an abridged version of a workshop I presented at the Romantic Times convention in Kansas City, Missouri, and again as a guest presenter on eHarlequin.com. While the focus of the original workshop was on plotting romantic suspense, I’ve altered it a bit to apply to all genres of mystery and suspense.)

In my experience as the author of 28 books--including award winners and bestsellers--I’m often asked: How do you know you have everything you need in your novels to tell a complete, satisfying story? The key is in plotting. While books will differ in terms of voice, storyline, level of descriptive detail, etc.--there are some elements that every mystery or suspense novel should contain. A crime. Clues. A character or characters who work to solve the mystery. Suspects. Red herrings. A good villain. Danger. Rising tension. Climactic black moment. Satisfying resolution. Etc. That’s a lot to work into one story, and to have all those elements intertwine smoothly. Putting such a story together can be overwhelming, especially for a less-experienced writer or one who is new to the genre. While my system isn’t the only way to plot a novel, the Rule of 3 is a tangible way to plot a story before getting started, or to help during the editing process. It’s also a checklist that can prove useful to writers who’ve hit a road block in a work in progress. If you understand the magic of the number 3 in stories, then you understand the basics of plotting--including introducing and escalating the conflict, developing characters, and delivering a satisfying resolution to the conflict.

Think of stories you know where the number 3 figures prominently--you know, Bears, Pigs, Wishes, and so on. For this article, I’ll concentrate on the children’s classic, “The Three Little Pigs.” If you analyze the story, you can see the theme of the number 3 is repeated in several ways. 3 protagonists (pigs). 3 settings (houses). 3 dangerous encounters (with the Big Bad Wolf).

Note the variety of the characters, even in this simple story--3 enterprising pigs, with different ideas, different work ethics, and varying degrees of intelligence. The pigs have an internal conflict--they each need a home, they each want to be safe. They have an external conflict (someone furry wants them for dinner). They each respond to danger in a different way
(1. run, 2. run, 3. build a fire, boil some water, and trick the wolf into coming down the chimney). You can apply the Rule of 3 characters to plotting any mystery story. How about 3 meetings between the main character and the suspected villain? The first encounter, they can walk away from (and may not even suspect the danger at hand). The second encounter is a little more intense, but the third time is the ultimate showdown. Following that basic structure, you’ve already plotted 3 scenes that build suspicions, increase the danger, and show the growth of characters within the story. Now look at the 3 settings in the children’s story--straw, twigs, and bricks. Obviously, you don’t have to be that literal in your story, but picking out 3 different settings for a scene to occur in your story automatically gives you 3 scenes of your plot. It can be 3 different countries, 3 locations within the same city, 3 rooms within the same house. And remember how each setting in the Pigs’ story intensifies. That can apply to building the conflict in your story, too.

How about a first meet in an open place, like a park or battlefield or on the open road? The second setting becomes more intimate--inside the house, inside the castle, inside the car--forcing your characters together. The third meeting can be where a turning point of your story takes place--the confrontation in the kitchen, overhearing that secret from behind the hidden panel near the throne, the police barrier the hero crashes that car through to rescue the woman he loves. Again, thinking in 3’s gives you not just ideas for scenes in your book, but a logical way to organize them so that the conflict intensifies and the suspense builds.

Finally, let’s look at 3 encounters. A full-length mystery will have more scenes than a children’s story like “The Three Little Pigs”, but I think you’ll follow the basic plotting idea. That first encounter is where the hero and supporting characters or maybe the villain and his thugs meet. The reader, like the characters on the page, gets to know who those important characters are. You might reveal tangible details, like name, looks, job; but you’ll also give the reader the first glimpse inside one or both characters--a secret, a fear, personality traits, etc. At the second meeting--farther along in your story--the reader has some idea of what the external conflict is that’s facing your characters--the pigs face the Big Bad Wolf and faulty architecture; they have nowhere to run except to each other. In a mystery, at that second encounter, you should reveal something more to the reader, just as the characters reveal something more to each other. It can be literal, as in a detective discussing clues with his partner. It can be a confession of a secret. It can be the discovery of a pivotal clue or narrow escape from the villain. By this second encounter, too, the reader needs to see those main characters starting to piece together clues and/or planning how they will trap or expose the villain. The third encounter needs to be the turning point of your story. In “The Three Little Pigs”, the third pig steps up and shows his mettle, protecting his home and his family, and conquering the threat that pursues them. In the denouement of the story, lessons are learned about building something solid, knowing who to count on, working hard and being smart. In a mystery, that third encounter needs to be where the main character discovers the truth, and puts something on the line (his/her life, reputation, friend or parent’s trust, etc.). After this last major encounter comes the resolution of the story--explaining how s/he solved the mystery, reunion with friends/family, what will happen to the villain, etc.. The resolution should also show how the main character has grown over the course of the story. As I stated earlier, the length of this article doesn’t allow me to share handouts or go into more detail, but I hope you get the picture. The Rule of 3 is magic.

When you’re plotting your own tales of mystery and danger, remember “The Three Little Pigs” and other tales with 3 repeating elements. By brainstorming before you write, you can come up with 3 scenes for the main characters to interact, 3 places for that interaction to occur, and 3 gradually escalating events that will build your story to a dramatic turning point. Obviously, 3 scenes aren’t enough to make a complete novel, but by plotting those 3 scenes, and remembering to build the danger/ risk/ threat/ action/ emotion/ intensity in each scene, you will see the overall structure of your story. And, hopefully, it will be as easy as 1-2-3 to fill in the spaces in between and plot your mystery or suspense story.

*Julie Miller is the award-winning author of more than 25 books for Harlequin and Dorchester. Her current release is a twisty romantic suspense from Harlequin Intrigue--BABY JANE DOE. You can visit Ms. Miller at her website at www.juliemiller.org

***Current Books from Julie Miller*** BASIC TRAINING--Harlequin Blaze--March 2006 BABY JANE DOE--The Precinct--Harlequin Intrigue--Oct. 2006 BEAST IN THE TOWER--Harlequin Intrigue--Jan. 2007 THE PRECINCT: VICE SQUAD--Harlequin Intrigue--June & July 2007

BACK TO SCHOOL MYSTERY

2006-09-13T10:13:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

Today we kick off the BACK TO SCHOOL MYSTERY with Patrizia Hayashi!

How to Get Write Started

I could say Sasha twisted my arm to get me to write this column, but the truth is I...came up with the idea all by myself. Once again I opened my mouth and so here I sit in a Starbucks in Japan, sipping a caramel Frappuccino and facing a blank screen, all the while wondering what I am going to write about. Who am I to instruct or advise on writing?
I'm not a published fiction author, though I'm trying to make the leap. I have published articles and have worked as a writer and editor for a small corporate communications company. I've taken courses on writing craft and have read umpteen books on the subject. I know what stories I like and don't like.
And I know that bad writing kills a story faster than it takes to switch tunes on an iPod.
So what makes a great writer?
I'm going to let you in on a secret: There is no magic formula to writing. It's hard work and a lot of practice. In other words write! write! write!
But what should I write about you ask or maybe you didn't but I'm going to offer some suggestions anyway.
Start With Yourself
But my life is boring you say. I hear you and can sympathize--so's mine. Seriously, though, get out a sheet of paper and make a list of the following:
5 places you've been
5 things you've done
5 things you like to do
5 things you hate to do
5 experiences that provoked strong emotions in you
5 personal issues you have trouble facing
5 memories from childhood
5 anecdotes about your ancestors or family
What do you fear?
What makes you feel guilty?
What beliefs or concepts do you hold deeply?
What do you dream about?
There is a wealth of material here to spark any story idea. And if you've still hit a dead end, consider variations of fairy tales and myths; scour the newspaper and Internet for ideas or twisting the plot of a favorite story to how you would like it to read (no plagiarizing please.) Open your eyes and look around you when you are at the store, school or work. A creative mind can find a story idea anywhere.
Now that you have the seeds to get you started, here are some writing exercises that will help you to do what you came here to do: Write!

(Note these exercises are meant to stretch your writing muscle. They are not assignments to turn in, but if you have questions, feel free to ask them by posting a comment.)

Writing Exercise 1: One page. Write about one of your childhood memories. Go back and add details. What is the tone? Light? Serious? Could this be developed into a story?

Writing Exercise 2: A few paragraphs. In keeping with the mystery theme for this week, take a notebook when you are out to jot down observations about the people you see. Imagine you’re a private detective and they’re suspects in a case. How would you describe them if you could only do so in a few words? Were you able to describe the characters enough to give them life or do they seem generic/cardboard? Now using the characters you created, sketch out a brief scene. It could be a falling out among thieves, a blackmail attempt, or wherever your imagination leads. Make the most of every word. You want the writing to be tight.

Writing Exercise 3: Two to three pages. Take a strong emotion from your list and create a scene in which that emotion comes through. How did you convey the emotion? Through dialog? Actions? Go back and examine the words and actions you used. Would other word choices or actions make the scene stronger?

Girl Talk

2006-09-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

A new magazine has popped up.

Relate is a magazine aimed at teen girls.

Here's a great opportunity to break into writing for mags.
http://www.relatemag.com/mag/about

End of Summer

2006-09-08T13:25:00.000-07:00

The summer has come to an end.

Back to books, pencil sharpeners and desks. No more running in the park or swimming in the pool.

But no worries. The BACK TO SCHOOL MYSTERY EVENT kicks off next week with some great guest authors giving advice.

So stop in and check it out. (That is if you're not too bogged down with homework)

Fan Lit anyone?

2006-09-08T07:23:00.000-07:00

If you are a fan of the Regency. Here is a chance to get read by a major editor and get e-published.

Check out Avon Fan Lit Contest.
http://avon.fanlit.com/?cid=00000034

Prizes include a Saks shopping spree and a Grand prizes for a development deal with Fox TV Studios.

Good Luck!

Q & A with Jenny Han

2006-09-07T11:42:00.000-07:00

Q. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
A. I don’t think I ever had a “click, lightbulb” kind of moment, I think it was just always something I wanted to do. It was more a matter of owning the desire to write, and just going for it.

Q. How old were you when you tried to pen your first manuscript?
A. I was 8 years old. It was called The Dream, and it won first place in the Young Authors contest at my school for all of the third grade! It was a glorious day.

Q. Most Asian-American writers tend to write Asian or Asian- American characters, what made you decide to make your main character a non-Asian character?
A. It was not a conscious decision, actually. The character of Annemarie came to me in my head, and she was who she was. If I had written a story about a Korean American girl in a small Southern town, it would have been a completely different story from a completely different perspective. Its focus would be different because its narrator would be different—her hopes and dreams, the way she looks at the world, all of it.

Q. Annemarie is an interesting character, what made you decide to give her the nickname Shug?
A. That also came about naturally. Her mother called her all sorts of nicknames, and shug was the one that really stuck. It’s definitely a common term of endearment in the South, and I thought it just fit for Annemarie and for this book.

Q. Shug is a straight-A student and an honor roll student. Were you ever on the honor roll?
A. I was always on the honor roll! I used to love report card day. Well, that is, until Algebra 2. And Chemistry!

Q. Annemarie is in 7th grade and hoping the boy next door will be her first kiss. How old were you when you got your first kiss? And did it taste like a cherry flavored Lifesaver like Shugs?
A. I answer this question the same way every time: Good girls never tell! I will say this though—it was a real pleasure to write Annemarie’s first kiss the way I did, because I never got that cherry Lifesaver moment in December. I wish every girl did!

Q. In the book, Annemarie has to tutor the class bully for an English assignment. What advice would Shug give on how to deal with a bully?
A. I think Shug would say, you should never let somebody walk all over you; you have to stand up for yourself!

Q. Shug has to deal with a lot in Jr. High; peer-pressure, friendships, boys, school dances, grades, big sister, body image, etc. How did you cope with the daily trappings of tween life?
A. I had some really great friends who totally had my back when times got rough. I was also really involved with my church youth group. And, I used to write in my diary all the time, which I have to say, is such a great source of catharsis. I also wrote terrible poems and read books and watched some really good TV shows. Buffy, anyone?

Q. Elaine is her best friend and they get along great, except for one time when they have an argument. What advice would Shug give if someone got into a disagreement with his or her best friend?
A. I think she’d say that nothing’s worth giving up your true best friend. Sometimes you have to bite your lip and say sorry when you know you did wrong.

Q. And last but not least, I have to know, did you type out Shug using the typewriter on the back of the book jacket? (Scary but I’m not sure kids today even know what a typewriter even looks like! LOL)
A. I didn’t! I sort of wish I did, though. I’ve always wanted a typewriter. But I really do love my snowy little iBook. She’s a gem.

To visit Jen and Shug go to http://www.jennyhanwrites.com

The winner of a copy of SHUG is Amanda Brice!

Teens get published

2006-08-29T08:53:00.001-07:00

Here is a great resource to other magazines and publishers looking for teens to write for teen publications.

http://www.writingcorner.com/markets/markets-childrens.htm

Offers links to information about writing for YA.

Q&A with Evelyn Vaughn

2006-08-23T06:45:00.000-07:00

LOST CALLING is a riveting first book in a series entitled The Madonna Key. Filled with excitement, action, and quick wit, the author blends Indiana Jones and Robert Langdon into one heck of a kick-butt female protaganist named Caterina Dauvergne, a museum curator who will stop at nothing to unlock the secret of the Madonna Key.

RITA award winning author,Evelyn Vaughn, joins us today to talk about her latest book.

*****Q&A******
Q: What inspired the Madonna Key Series?

A: As with any group project, The Madonna Key didn’t come from any one source. However, for me, the initiating element was the fact that I love to collaborate with other authors. I’d had an incredible experience collaborating on the “Family Secrets” series from Silhouette, but a diminished experience on the “Athena Force” series, during which neither of the authors who’d written connecting books was particularly available. I thought: I want to do a continuity series with other authors who truly want to play well together. And the only way to have some control over which authors participated was to create our own series.

At about the time I was coming to that conclusion, my editor Natashya Wilson—a Senior Editor at Silhouette—noted in a chat that she would love to see something with “Dan Brownesque twists and turns.” So I contacted another Bombshell author, and she suggested a mutual friend of ours, and it blossomed from there.

More details about them in the next question;)

As for where the idea came from… I’d already been playing with the idea of doing a Grail Keeper book about Catrina and Rhys, in which the “goddess” was the mysterious Black Madonna figure of medieval France. So that ingredient came pretty easily. I’d also written a fantasy story, “Ecliptic” in the anthology CONSTELLATION OF CATS (w/a Von Jocks, ed. Denise Little), which set up the idea of a hidden group of goddess-worshipping priestesses awaiting the Age of Aquarius to reemerge. Other authors suggested there be a “motherhood” theme, and a faction trying to control nature. And so it went!

Q: In the beginning of Lost Calling you make a dedication to all the authors and contributors to the series. Can you tell us more about what went into making such an elaborate storyline?

A: The first author I contacted was Vicki Hinze – I’d never officially “met” her, but online she was a major cheerleader for the Bombshell line, and I was impressed by her enthusiasm and marketing savvy. The mutual friend she immediately suggested was Lorna Tedder; although she hadn’t written for Silhouette in some time, she’s active in small-press publishing, and she did a beautiful short story for an anthology I edited several years back called WORDS OF THE WITCHES, so I quickly agreed. The three of us took the first two weeks creating the basic concept—the weather control, the Marian priestesses, the European setting, the Age of Aquarius—and agreed upon the idea of a mosaic that had to be reformed. Two weeks later was the Romance Writers of America’s national conference, so I invited Jenna Mills (one of my favorite collaborators from the “Family Secrets” series), Sharron McClellan (a Bombshell author also writing lost-history thrillers), and Barbara Samuel, who writes for Silhouette as Ruth Wind. Barbara had to bow out after a few weeks, because of other obligations. The remaining five of us went to work on refining our series idea, specifically how the overarching plot would develop through each book and what twists we could plant. If you’ve only read LOST CALLING, you’ve only scratched the surface of the twists we have planned!

After we’d sold the idea to Silhouette, Cindy Dees—who was already making a name in Bombshell with her Medusa books—was brought in to fill the slot we’d intended for Barbara. Then Vicki Hinze discovered she, too, would be unable to juggle the Madonna Key with her other obligations, and suggested Carol Stephenson, who writes legal thrillers, replace her. Though they were late-comers, they also influenced the flavor of the series… really, we kept refining the series until the final book was written and submitted. And a few early authors went back and made minor changes in the galley stage, to help us pull off some last-minute tweaks in the later ones.

Q: How long did it take you and your conspiring sisters to make the outline/ bible? What kind of discipline did you use in creating the story and how much of a team player do you have to be to work with other authors?

A: This was a much bigger project than any of us expected. It was just over two years between the initial concept, and my first e-mail to Vicki, and the submission of the 7th book!

The first e-mail to Vicki was in July ’04, when the line was brand-new. The original five of us submitted the basic proposal to Silhouette in September ’04, and our editor told us they’d like to see a more polished bible and individual proposals in October. By May ‘05, all of us who would be writing a book had been contracted, and I finished LOST CALLING in the fall of ’05.

The main discipline involved consisted of being available to the other authors—everyone had responsibilities for individual projects to juggle with our Madonna Key work—and trying to keep the storyline straight. Luckily, Sharron McClellan created an excellent spreadsheet that helped with that angle! And yes—to write a continuity series well, one really has to play nice with other authors. We ran into some pretty big snags along the way! Most were caused by some form of miscommunication, but there was also a little power jockeying and some fear reactions. Some authors can accept change very easily. A couple, however, found that once they had their story idea hammered out they did not want to consider any more changes, even those that might improve the series.

Since then, Cindy Dees and I have done a workshop at the Romantic Times conference on how to collaborate on a continuity series, “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” in hopes to smoothing the way for other authors with what we learned! :)

Q: What aspect of doing a big project like the Madonna Key series was the hardest? Simplest?

A: The hardest part was dealing with personality issues that were amplified by the stress of deadlines and individual careers. Absolutely.

The simplest part? Hmm… I’m not sure any part of it was simple! We’ve exchanged over 4000 e-mails back and forth between us, pertaining to different aspects of the series.

Q: How did you convince your agent/ editor that the time had come to take on such a big project?

A: You know… that part wasn’t so hard. My agent knows that I love collaborative writing, and that I love series. I suspect she cringes a bit about it, but she does know and accept it in me! J The idea was just so timely that when our editor took a look, she got excited as well. She’s been a major support for the series, from the very start.

It probably doesn’t hurt that I used to work in the corporate world, and I know what a good business proposal looks like. I submitted the original proposal for the series not so much as a “synopsis” but as a business idea, citing the popularity of “lost history” thrillers such as DAVINCI CODE, ANGELS & DEMONS, and RULE OF FOUR and emphasizing how perfect this idea was for the Bombshell line in particular.

Q: In LOST CALLING, your heroine is a curator/ archeologist based in Paris who stumbles upon a buried historic site containing religious artifacts. How much research did you have to do to learn about the profession, the region and the artifacts discovered/ discussed in the book?

A: I did a little research into being a museum curator back when I wrote Catrina into AKA GODDESS, so that came in useful with LOST CALLING as well. But yes, I did a humungous amount of research on Paris, Southern France, and the French Revolution. My number-one research source is the Internet, where I found great “virtual tours” of the Paris catacombs and real-estate listings with pictures that provided the ideas for Catrina’s apartment and farmhouse. I also used a lot of museum websites to find medieval artwork on which to base that which Catrina discovers. My second best research source was my television set, especially since I have Tivo—I was able to create a “wish list” for terms like “Paris” and “French Revolution,” and thus taped a series of specials off the History, Discovery, and Travel channels about elements that would appear the stories. But of course there’s no substitution for books, when you want to go in-depth. Of particular use was a collection of first-hand accounts by women involved in the French Revolution, called BLOOD SISTERS, and a companion book for visiting the Cluny, which I found online.

Q: When you took on the subject of the Madonna Key, a supposed relic that may or may not have to do with Mary (can't wait to find out as I read more of the series which Mary it is), were you afraid you might touch on some controversial issues with the Catholic religion?

A: Yes, we were J But I think our concern ended up being a strength. Because we were aware from the start of possible controversy, we were able to take extra steps to neutralize that whenever possible. For example, while there really are medieval Black Madonnas all over Europe, we deliberately modified the Black Madonna of the Marians to include a key, a jar, and a sword. So far, I’ve never seen a real Black Madonna with that iconography, which allowed us to subscribe to her a history that—while it might be true of all Black Madonnas—doesn’t have to affect any reader’s true beliefs. Another deliberate “counter-offensive” we made probably isn’t obvious in LOST CALLING, but will become increasingly obvious as the series progresses and the historical background focuses on earlier times. We created a powerful group that we present as insinuating itself into the power structure of the medieval Catholic Church. Then we blamed everything for which the Catholics have gotten bad press, from Inquisitions to supposed Nazi support, on them.

I also hoped that Rhys would be a mitigating factor in any possible slights to the Church. Although he’s left the priesthood, and his behavior isn’t without sin, I tried to write him as having a heartfelt respect for the church, and for his own lost calling. Even Catrina’s memories of her early Catholicism were, I hope, fairly positive. It was her grandmother and her own rebellious nature that drove her away from her faith, not any horrible experiences with priests or nuns.

Q: In the story the main character, Catrina Dauvergne, is a cynic from start to finish. Where did you find her voice and how did you maintain it throughout the story?

A: Here’s where I’m going to get a little weird on you. ;) I believe that characters are real entities. Not that they are necessarily real PEOPLE—few individuals can tell the difference between imagination and reality better than those of us who spend all our free time in the worlds of fiction! But real, nevertheless. There’s a magical concept called “thought forms,” which poses that the more strongly you imagine a make-believe figure, and/or the more people who imagine a make-believe figure, the more actual energy or reality that being takes on.

I told you it was weird! But think about it. How many of us recognize the name of James T. Kirk (fictional) over the name of our Secretary of State (real)? How many of us can easily picture Kirk in our heads? He has a kind of reality, and my favorite writing is when my own characters take on a similar reality. I like nothing better than being surprised by what they say or do, even as I’m first imagining it! Those moments are more like writing-as-channeling, without any of the spooky overtones of disembodied spirits.

Catrina was one of those characters who sprang from my head fully formed. When I was first writing AKA GODDESS, I had planned merely to have a French museum curator who would double-cross my heroine. At first, before I actually got to that part of the book, I pictured a man. But I was trying not to male-bash in AKA GODDESS, and it seemed important to show a woman as a bad-guy at some point. So I created Catrina—and as soon as she walked “onstage,” she was very much herself. I enjoyed her snide commentary and questionable morals so much, I had to bring her back for extra conflict in HER KIND OF TROUBLE. That’s the point at which I noticed how easily she ticked Rhys off—Rhys, who normally doesn’t get angry over anything. It was inevitable, after that, I [had to] see what happened when I threw them together.

There was in fact a predecessor for Cat’s voice. I used one similar to hers to write a series of fantasy stories for my own entertainment, back before I ever sold. I’ve since only published that character once, however, as a short story called “Nothing Says ‘I Love You’ Like the Kiss of Cold Steel” in the fantasy anthology VENGEANCE FANTASTIC (w/a Von Jocks, ed. Denise Little). This is not to say that Catrina is that character, but the earlier character gave me practice in developing a voice that would later become Cat. FYI, one of the tricks I used to keep her sounding French was to avoid contractions whenever possible, since international speakers are rarely as comfortable with contractions and slang. It’s actually a trick I’d used for Rhys, in the earlier Grail Keeper books, but I gave Rhys more contractions in LOST CALLING so that he would sound more English in contrast.

Keeping her voice consistent throughout was mainly the outcome of continual editing.

Q: In Lost Calling, the artifacts discovered belong to a "book club" called the Marions. Who are they and why is the discovery so coveted that an unknown group is willing to kill to cover it up?

A: Hmm… let’s see how much I can tell you without giving away any secrets.

I’ve been fascinated with the role of literary salons in 17th-and 18th-century France for years, ever since I wrote my Masters Thesis in graduate school and found out that the bestselling author of the 17th century (Mlle. de Scudery) was a woman and wrote romance novels. Since I try to incorporate things that fascinate me, I based the Sisters of Mary on similar salons—I mainly used the term “book club” to counter the hair-salon image we get nowadays, when we hear the term, and to clarify the parallel between their intellectual gatherings and the current popularity of book discussion groups.

What differentiates the Sisters of Mary from other salons is that they are apparently a continuation of a group of women who were devotees of the mysterious Black Madonna figure. Unfortunately, by the 18th century, they had forgotten much of what the Black Madonna stood for, which is something other Madonna Key books will explore in greater detail. But apparently, that connection was still strong enough to frighten some very powerful people into hiding all trace that these women existed and charge a fairly simplistic family (the Grimauds) with keeping watch on their hidden tomb, throughout the generations, with horror stories of what they represent.

Q: Curious to know the connection between the modern day heroines and the Marion women of the past. What made the Marion women so strong and does their spirit now lie with the heroines featured in the Madonna Key series?

A: The most obvious connection is that the modern-day heroines feel called to uncover the secrets of the historic Marians. But there’s clearly a psychic connection as well.

Q: How many books are in the series? Titles/Authors?

A: There are seven books and one novella in the series. The novella-prequel (“False Idols” by Jenna Mills) is a free online read available on the eHarlequin website:

http://www.eharlequin.com/cms/onlinereads/readsIntro.jhtml?pageID=060606rs01001

The seven books of the series are:

LOST CALLING, by Evelyn Vaughn (July 06)
HAUNTED ECHOES, by Cindy Dees (Aug. 06)
DARK REVELATIONS, by Lorna Tedder (Sept. 06)
SHADOW LINES, by Carol Stephenson (Oct. 06)
HIDDEN SANCTUARY, by Sharron McClellan (Nov. 06)
VEILED LEGACY, by Jenna Mills (Dec. 06), and
SEVENTH KEY, by Evelyn Vaughn (Jan. 07)

Q: What can we expect to see throughout the rest of the series?

A: Each book will focus on a different, equally strong heroine—for example, HAUNTED ECHOES is about Ana Riesner from Interpol, and DARK REVELATIONS is about Aubrey de Lune, the art thief, both of them introduced in LOST CALLING. All the books have got references to or appearances by characters from other books—we always ran our “shared” scenes by the others, so that each character’s true author could “tweak” her to ensure consistency. As the series progresses, you will get a better picture of exactly who the bad guys are, and what they want, and why danger is increasing. We tried to write in quite a few major twists. Also, in each book the reader will see an earlier time period from the Marians’ history. In HAUNTED ECHOES, you get a glimpse of 16th-century Marians. In DARK REVELATIONS, the period revealed is the time of Joan of Arc. By the last book, SEVENTH KEY, we’ll be in the first century BCE. Everything should be answered by the end of that book.

Q: You will be writing the last book in the series. Are Catrina and Rhys going to reappear?

A: The reason I wrote the first and last books was to avoid the change of tone that sometimes results from a continuity series being ended by a different author than the one who launched it. But I didn’t want this to be Catrina and Rhys’s series—and, frankly, I had trouble choosing between whether to write them or my favorite hero/heroine from my other Bombshells, Maggi and Lex. So SEVENTH KEY will feature Maggi Sanger-Stuart and her new husband.

That said, Catrina and Rhys will absolutely reappear. In fact, every single freaking one of our characters from all six previous books will play a role in SEVENTH KEY J It took some juggling! I particularly enjoyed seeing where Cat and Rhys would be, a year later. Also, there’s still some bad blood between Cat and Maggi, which was fun to write.

Q: Lost Calling is not your mother's traditional romance. (Honestly, I hesitate to call it a romance. The action was intense! Lost Calling could have been mainstream.) How would you describe it?

A: You’ve got good instincts. In the romance market, LOST CALLING would not be considered a romance—when I enter it in the RWA’s Rita contest, I will enter it in the “novel with strong romantic elements” category, instead. This is one of the things which made the Silhouette Bombshell line significantly different from other categories at Harlequin/Silhouette. Instead, they were action/adventure novels with a romantic subplot. In a true romance, there will generally be as much emphasis on the hero as on the heroine, the love story must be the primary plot, and the ending usually has a stronger HEA (“happily ever after”) than Rhys and Catrina’s agreement to live together. In the Madonna Key books, the adventure is the primary plot and the heroine is the focus (which we achieved in part through using first person). I deliberately made sure to keep Rhys out of the final scene, to clarify that balance.

Sadly, Bombshells may have been too mainstream for their own good. Category readers were confused by the lack of a primary romance, and mainstream readers had trouble finding them on the category shelves. We just got news this month that Silhouette will be discontinuing the line. Luckily, it turns through January—which is also the last month of the Madonna Key miniseries.

Q: What advice would you give an aspiring writer when it comes to writing an action/ adventure story?

A: I’d suggest you watch a lot of action/adventure movies and take notes—they certainly know how to do it! Try to make sure you have some action, or at least an immediate threat, hit every other chapter or so. Engage the senses whenever possible—action is a physical thing—and keep your sentences and paragraphs brief when writing an action scene, to intensify the pacing. Whenever possible, use your setting, like the threat of a flood in the catacombs, or the heights of Notre Dame. Action isn’t just about fighting.

And good luck!

The winner of LOST CALLING is Patrizia Hayashi!

YA Latina Lit

2006-08-21T07:39:00.000-07:00

If you're Latina and you know it. Clap your hands!

With more and more hispanic literature going mainstream. Authors with salsa and champange cola in their veins can raise their pens high. YA spanish style!

Rayo, an imprint from HarperCollins, is on the look out for new Latino/a authors. The following article is from Wendy S. Mead http://www.f1rstpages.com/

Rayo: A Great Home for Latino Writers

At HarperCollins’s New York offices, editors are on the look out for innovative and engaging Latino children’s books. One such editor, Adriana Dominguez, was hired in 2005 to help HarperCollins expand its Rayo imprint. Adriana wants to publish materials to serve the Latino community, now the largest minority in the United States.
“Latino children deserve what every other child does: books that are relevant to their experience and background; books in which they can see themselves, while still wanting to share them with others,” she explains.
Adriana feels especially fortunate to be working for Rayo publisher, Rene Alegría, who has entrusted her with the children’s portion of his imprint and shares her vision for making quality materials widely available for the Latino market.
As executive editor, Adriana’s responsibilities include “creating Rayo children’s publishing plan, overseeing the overall quality of our books and translations, and ensuring the cultural relevance of all children’s books that bear the Rayo logo.”
Featuring a mixture of original titles and translations of some of HarperCollins’s best-sellers, Rayo will publish approximately 20 to 22 titles per year.
Adriana brings strong editorial skills and a sharp critical eye to her work. Before becoming executive editor at Rayo, she was the children’s review editor at Críticas, the monthly review magazine of Spanish-language books. Adriana has also worked for such publishers as Scholastic, McGraw-Hill, and Santillana U.S.A.
Since joining Rayo, Adriana has worked with many noted Latino authors, such as Lulu Delacre of Rafi and Rosi fame and the writing team of Alma Flor Ada and Isabel F. Campoy. She also enjoyed working on the Spanish edition of Kevin Henkes’s Kitten’s First Full Moon (La primera luna llena de Gatita).
When looking for new authors, Adriana says that “past publishing experience is always great.” But most important to Adriana is engaging stories and meaningful content.
“I look for originality, a keen awareness of the qualities that make a good children’s book, and for Rayo in particular, background: I am very interested in material written by Latino authors in Spanish, English, and bilingually,” she says.
In terms of subject matter, Adriana says that she is “interested in all types of appealing material, from chic lit and fantasy novels to innovative ideas for board books and bilingual titles.”
Adriana expects that the future for the Latino children’s book market will only get brighter. There is an urgent need for high-quality materials, and publishers are starting to step up to meet the increasing demand.
“I think that Latino and Spanish-language publishing are beginning to improve as the larger market becomes aware of the need to have a Latino publishing industry in the United States.”
She notes that there is room for improvement. “Many of the market’s needs have not yet been fulfilled with relevant, high-quality books, but we’re working on it. That is why I think that the work we are trying to do here at Rayo is so important.”
Adriana and the rest of the Rayo editorial staff have already rolled up their sleeves and are working hard to make their mark on the world of Latino children’s books.

Here is a Q&A with Adriana for Submissions to Rayo.
http://www.latinola.com/story.php?story=3370

For more info on Latina Literature check out this cool blog. http://literanista.blogspot.com/

I'm back!

2006-08-19T15:23:00.000-07:00

Vacation was a blast:) The kids had fun and me and my husband are dogged. Wanted to catalogue my trip but the cell phone died half way through;( Bummer.

Anyway, I'm back and ready to finish out the last of summer with a blast! We still got Evelyn, Sarah and Jenny hanging ten and surfing into town with the block party.

Last but not least....here is what Maya had to say for her last question from lis...Hi, my question is where do you see the YA market headed and what do you think has been overdone to death?

In my humble opinion, fantasy has been overdone to death. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t demand, just that I, a former fantasy lover, feel like the quality has gone down in this genre since so many have started tackling it.

I see YA increasing in popularity and hopefully drawing more closet (or uncloseted) adult readers to it. I’m not a big trend forecaster as I just go with my gut in terms of what I take on, but I feel there’s room for more SF and more serious books—but that’s just what I find hard to locate when I go to the bookstore, not necessarily where it’s headed.

I want to thank Maya for coming out and chillin' here at YACWW. Now I expect to be getting some feedback (say a year from now) that we have a few new YA authors in the house.

ROAD TRIP!

2006-08-10T10:48:00.000-07:00

There is nothing more awesome than traveling along the Atlantic Coastline of the good ole' US of A. Trippin' from NYC down to Daytona Beach, FL.

I'll be sending new pics everyday. (Who knows I may use them as research for my next book!)

SUMMER BLOCK PARTY continues the last week of August. I'll be interviewing RITA award-winning author Evelyn Vaughn and debut author Jenny Han.

Next Idol?

2006-08-08T05:10:00.000-07:00

Do you like to write poems? How about songs?

Word on the street is that American Idol will be holding a songwriting contest. Here is the scoop:
http://www.myfoxny.com/myfox/pages/Entertainment/Detail?contentId=387803&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=7.1.1

There isn't much details but here is an old interview w/ Simon and Fantasia about writing songs they consider great. http://www.usaweekend.com/04_issues/040926/040926teenlyric.html

MAYA said...

2006-08-05T13:14:00.000-07:00

I'm a new agent at WRITER'S HOUSE LLC looking for good transportive fiction, especially literary and historical. I enjoy Young Adult fiction, romance, memoir, self-help, inspirational, non-fiction, and stories of people at the edges of society.

Bring on the questions!

Lyric said... Hi Maya. Can you please list the word count difference between middle level and young adult. If an agent says they accept YA, does it mean they accept ML too?

Middle grade is from about 10,000-50,000 words. Young adult is about 40-60,000. If an agent says they accept YA, I imagine they prefer it to middle-grade—the term YA definitely doesn’t encompass YA and middle-grade. But if they say they do children’s, that does run the gamut from picture books to middle-grade to YA.

Amanda Brice said...I also have a question for Maya. At RWA this weekend, several agents mentioned that they're seeing booksellers starting to cut back on thenumber of "edgy" YA titles they order and that the market might be wanting sweeter YA's (not quite innocent, but not super edgy either)...at least from the parents. Are you seeing this as well? Also, how hot is the YA market right now?
What types of themes and are you personally looking for?
Finally, (I know, I'm curious) at a workshop at RWA with Nadia Cornier and Simone Elkeles, they broke YA down into 4 age groups:Middle grade (10-13)Tweens (12-15)YA (14-16)Older YA (15-17)Do you agree with these breakdowns and what would you say is the word count for each of them? Should we just call it "YA" in a cover letter and a suggested age target?

Personally, I think edgy YA is too broad a category to ever die. The problem becomes when too many writers are writing things that are just too similar to other books out there. The market can’t handle too many generic copies of previous books. There will always be room for edgy books that do something new. I think, anyway. King, and Carl Hiaasen have all been hugely successful in this genre.

This breakdown seems accurate to me, though perhaps a bit too scrupulous. The big distinction I make is between Middle Grade and Young Adult, which I discussed above. I don’t really think these separate breakdowns merit different word counts. The answer to your last question seems to me to be “Yes.”

Dancewriter said...I write both YA and Women's Romance and I put out a lot of material. But I need to switch agents -- mine just isn't doing anything for me. It's lame. But it's so hard to GET an agent...I'm hesitant to let go, even if the lifeline is sinking! What do you suggest?

It depends on what you mean by your agent isn’t doing anything for you.
A lot of people feel if their agent sends their manuscript out to editors and it doesn’t get sold, it’s time to get a new agent. But your new agent might not want to take on a book that has already been rejected by other publishers. Does your agent take your calls? Respond to your questions? Share with you her plans for selling your books? Does she love your work? Is she working hard on your behalf? That’s a good agent, even if she (or he) hasn’t been able to sell the book.

However if she doesn’t do these things or you are just not comfortable with her, then maybe you should let go. If you’re looking for a new agent for a book that’s already been rejected by ten or more publishers (this is not an official number, just one off the top of my head), you might encounter some resistance from agents. It might be easier to submit a new work if you can and mention that you have another one that’s been seen by X number of editors. And it’s good to mention you had an agent, and a nice touch to say “you parted amicably.” Do not say, “My old agent didn’t work hard enough for me” as that sends up a big warning flag.

Sasha said...What are you waiting for in young adult literature that you haven't seen yet and wished you could?

This is a great question. I think it’s easier to say what I’d like to see more of—I’d like to see more people that were really in touch with today’s teen. It’s a really hard way to be, but I love when people can handle the slang and the computer stuff, the music and the magazines—the authors who really know what today’s teenagers are doing. I find that fascinating. Also I would love to see more things that were genuinely funny. Too much of the humor in YA seems to be too forced.

Harried Mom said...Hi, Exactly what is transportive fiction? I've been listening to a variety of Lois Lowry's works on CD while driving. Does that count?

Transportive fiction is a term I came up with to describe the kind of fiction I liked. Of course it’s also possible I just read it somewhere and forgot where. I did hesitate before using it since Word put a red squiggly line underneath indicating it was it was misspelled.

I just like fiction that takes place in strange places, times, or otherwise fully realized settings that I may not be familiar with. I’m just curious about other cultures—whether it’s somewhere across or the world, or just down the street.

I cannot be the final judge of what counts. Your transportive fiction may be different than mine.

Sasha said...What is your pet peeve?

I don’t like clearly unresearched work—this particularly stands out with historical and scifi.

Colleen Kosinski said... Do you have any good suggestions of a YA novel that switched voice from third to first. My novel starts with an intro in third and then back to the protag in first.

Nothing comes to mind and that could be because switching perspectives can be problematic. It is critical that you avoid disorienting the reader. Perhaps the third person intro could turn out to be something your protagonist wrote?

Sasha said...What advice would you give a teenager looking to break into the world of publishing?

As a writer? Write a lot and read a lot and spend tons of time on your work. If you write something great, it will get published. It’s a problem if you spend significantly more time trying to get published than working on your writing.

As someone trying to work in publishing? Summer internships. They don’t pay much but they look good on your resume.

Danica/dream said...I have a question for Maya Rock. I'm writing fiction and nonfiction (self help/ inspirational). Would I need a seperate agent for each, or does that depend on the agent?

It depends on the agent, although most agents I know take on fiction and nonfiction.

Sasha said...Maya, what makes you decide about taking on a new client?

I don’t usually take on clients based on what I think the market really wants—it comes into play, but it’s hard to change my own personal taste just because I know something is popular. Right now I wish I could get more good historicals in both adult and young adult. My own historical taste is very particular, and sometimes it seems difficult to find the ones that have fantastic, relatable characters but also seem genuinely to take place in another era.

Amanda Brice said... Also, how hot is the YA market right now? What types of themes and genres are you personaly looking for? (I've got a YA mystery series)

YA is very hot. Personally I like historical, scifi and deeply psychological books. But I’m ok to anything, really. So much has to do with the quality of the writing, not the genre. Anyone can query me at mrock@writershouse.com (no attachments please, but first page can be copy-pasted)

Rhonda Stapleton said...Maya - what YA paranormals are hot right now, and what's been overdone to death?:D

Good question. I had to get help for it!

I asked my colleague, Diana Fox, to field this one since she is much more into paranormal than I am. She says, "The entire YA paranormal genre is very hot right now! I think the most successful books are the ones which use tried-and-true YA formulas but with the addition of a supernatural element, as in BLUE BLOODS by Melissa de la Cruz which is essentially Gossip Girl with vampires, or AVALON HIGH by Meg Cabot which is a teen romance with the main characters cast as reincarnated figures from Arthurian myth, or high school cliques at a new school through the eyes of a girl who can see auras in GOLDEN by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (just to give a few examples). You could call this theBuffy model because TV shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, and Roswell really helped sell the supernatural as metaphor idea as a staple of teen popculture, and it's an incredibly versatile one for writers because they can do everything from comedy to serious issues... and that's why I don't think anything has been overdone to death, because it's all in the execution. It's easy to say oh yeah, vampires are so overdone, but you know what? Vampires remain enduringly popular for a reason, and for every tired unoriginal treatment of a cliché you can also hope to get a new vampire novel like Stephenie Meyer's TWILIGHT, which readers respond to because it's a timeless story. I personally keep hoping someone will send me the Great American Werewolf Novel--maybe set in high school with cheerleaders--but seriously, all it takes is one great new twist on an old idea!"

Sasha said...Maya, is there any particular type of YA lit or adult lit that editors are clamouring for right now that you wished you could get your hands on?

I still hear the clamour for edgy and paranormal. For me personally, I would really like to see strong characterization. Too often I feel like I am just reading about generic teen, and not a real personality. I like to fall in love with characters and get beneath their skins. To me a novel could be any genre and I would fall for it if it made me feel the characters were real.

Last but not least....here is what Maya had to say for her last question.

Lis said...Hi, my question is where do you see the YA market headed and what do you think has been overdone to death?

In my humble opinion, fantasy has been overdone to death. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t demand, just that I, a former fantasy lover, feel like the quality has gone down in this genre since so many have started tackling it.I see YA increasing in popularity and hopefully drawing more closet (or uncloseted) adult readers to it. I’m not a big trend forecaster as I just go with my gut in terms of what I take on, but I feel there’s room for more SF and more serious books—but that’s just what I find hard to locate when I go to the bookstore, not necessarily where it’s headed.

Sasha said ...You rock, Maya!
Thanks for coming out and chillin' with us.

Hey, don't forget to mention you met her on YACWW!

For more details visit http://www.writershouse.com/

HOT Summer Read

2006-08-01T11:49:00.000-07:00

100 degrees outside!

2006-08-01T09:52:00.000-07:00

I dared to brave the great outdoors. My backyard :)
Check out me lounging with an ice cold pink lemonade and
Shug by Jenny Han
Courtsey of mojungle

Wanna win my copy of SHUG?

CONTEST

MAYA ROCK Q&A Aug 1 - 4

2006-07-31T14:04:00.000-07:00

SUMMER BLOCK PARTY

MAYA ROCK

Maya Rock is a new agent at WRITER'S HOUSE LLC looking for good transportive fiction, especially literary and historical. She also enjoys Young Adult fiction, romance, memoir, self-help, inspirational, non-fiction, and stories of people at the edges of society.

Maya will be here this week to answer your questions!

Sarah Mylnowski Q&A Aug 7 - 11

2006-07-31T13:25:00.000-07:00

Just finished FROGS & FRENCH KISSES.

One Word.

Hilarious!

It was a joy to catch up on the mis-adventures of Rachel and her broom-flying, wacky witch sister, Miri. FROGS & FRENCH KISSES is the sequel to Bras & Broomsticks. Cute and funny with miles of mayhem and heartstring tugging moments, I breezed through this novel.

14 yr old Rachel has been passed over for the witch gene, which both her mother and younger sister possess. In this installment, Rachel has asked for a simple love spell but it all goes amok when she ends up enchanting the love of her life's older brother! To make matter worse, her mother and sister have gone magic-holic crazy! What's a girl w/ non-witch powers to do?

Check out an EXCERPT from FROGS & FRENCH KISSES.

Taking QUESTIONS Aug 1- 4th.
Sarah will be here next week to answer back!

The End is the Beginning

2006-07-28T16:18:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much for all the wonderful teens & tweens (and librarians) that attended the workshops.

Just finished up the last in the series at Rego Park Library. Nice to see some familiar faces and some new ones too.

There is nothing more enjoyable than talking about genres. Trust me, I could have gone all night! (But the library closed for the day)

Oh well...Just wanted to mention a few things I left out.

You guys were so interested in horror (very cool by the way) and DUH! me I forgot to tell you that in October Lynne Hanson author of Heritage House Horror series will be here on YACWW blogging all month about the horror genre.

Lynne's website

Don't forget to stop by in October for SPOOKTACULAR.

Next week starts SUMMER BLOCK PARTY!
Have you sent in your questions?

POST THEM HERE

And come back next week to see your questions answered!

See you soon:)

Shout Out to bloggers!

2006-07-24T11:25:00.000-07:00

This weekend ruled!

First off I have to tell you I met Sarah Mylnowski in person at Barnes and Noble on Thursday.
She is so cool!
Got a signed copy of FROGS AND FRENCH KISSES. Sarah read the first chapter and now I am reading the rest of the book. Now I can't get her voice outta my head;)

Went to a wedding on Sunday. Unlike any in history exception of maybe Pamela Anderson & Tommy Lee's. Punk rock style. The bride's maids rocked tatoos and lots of jewlery: nose rings, tongue rings, multiple earrings, etc. You get the point. Fashion highlight was the crimson red strapless dress offset by a stunning fully inked back and red mohawk. (Somewhere in there is a story that needs to be told)

Anyway...

I like listening and learning -- or rather in this case -- reading blogs.
Here's some awesome kings and queens of BLOG (who could teach you a thing or two.) Read 'em and then use that knowledge here to come and snag that book deal!

Roll Call!

Creative Writing
http://www.ewritelife.com - Living the creative writing life
http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com - funny snipets and spoofs on writing

Agents
http://misssnark.blogspot.com - snarky agent w/ lots of snaky advice
http://pubrants.blogspot.com - Agent Kristin

Editors
http://alg.livejournal.com - TOR - fantasy & paranormals
http://d-muscipula.livejournal.com/ - TOR/ Forge - fantasy

There are a lot more. I just haven't discovered them yet. If you know some awesome bloggers, come and give 'em a shout out.

Sign up for YACWW Newsletter 2006

2006-07-20T09:41:00.000-07:00

Got some awesome guests lined up for 2006!

July & August - SUMMER BLOCK PARTY w/ Sarah Mylnowski, Jenny Han, Evelyn Vaughn, & Maya Rock

Q&A CONTEST

INFO

September - BACK TO SCHOOL MYSTERY w/ Julie Miller, JA Konrath, Pete Hautman, and Lee Weatherly

INFO

October - SPOOKTACULAR with horror author Lynne Hansen

Author Website

And much, much more...
Sign up for the Newsletter and be registered for a YACWW member exclusive i-chat with Associate Editor Margo Lipschultz from HQN!

Got Questions?

2006-07-13T11:11:00.000-07:00

The SUMMER BLOCK PARTY has begun!

All July we'll be taking your questions here for Sarah, Jenny, Evelyn or Maya, and be entered for a chance to win great prizes!*

Wanna submit a question?

Simply click on comment
Then write your question in the box
When finished hit the login and publish button

YES! It is that easy.

What's Summer Block Party? *(click here for contest rules)

Super HOT prizes. 3 Prizes: 1st prize - Signed copy of Frogs and French Kisses by Sarah Mynowlski, 2nd prize - copy of Shug by Jenny Han; 3rd prize - copy of Lost Calling by Evelyn Vaughn

Note: You need to be registered with blogger to post questions.

*If you want to be entered in the contest for a chance to win you must submit a question. Winners of the contest will be annouced at the end of each week in August. So check back frequently to see if you are a winner. Read official rules for details.

Upcoming Events in September

2006-07-05T21:08:00.000-07:00

Summer has just begun but I can't wait to tell you about the BACK TO SCHOOL MYSTERY event coming in September.

All month long YACWW will be conducting mini-workshops on how to write mysteries. So break out your magnifying glass, fingerprint dusting kit and notebook because we are going to crack this case wide open!

Super sleuth author JA Konrath is a scream on the scene. He will be finishing up his 23 state book tour and stopping by the YACWW to talk about RUSTY NAILS, the latest mystery in the Lt. Jaqueline "Jack" Daniels series. Also, he will be giving free shots of wisdom on how to write a mystery novel worth raising your glass to toast. http://www.jakonrath.com/

Intrigue suspense author Julie Miller is going to be packing heat. So you better listen up as she tells us the Rule of 3 about writing. Don't make this former teacher read you the riot act, otherwise you'll be seeing the business end of her pen. http://www.juliemiller.org/

Pete Hautman (author of Godless) is tied up in knots until September. Literally. We've been lucky to snatch up one of the authors of SNATCHED! He's going to be talking to us about the first title in a new series called The Bloodwater Mysteries. http://www.petehautman.com/

Shhh! It's a British Invasion. Mums the word as we sneak in Lee Weatherly for a visit. She'll be popping in to talk about her latest books to hit the US and give advice over a spot of tea. http://www.leeweatherly.com/

So, pick up a good mystery (preferably one written by our guests) and join us for YACWW's BACK TO SCHOOL MYSTERY event.

Spy you in September!

SUMMER BOOK PARTY

2006-07-03T09:05:00.000-07:00

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

YACWW is throwing a SUMMER BOOK PARTY!

Summer has officially begun. Sun, fun, beach and pool parties have arrived! I'm so excited as Young Adult Creative Writing Workshops kicks off this month!

Even more exciting is the news that this summer we will be having some great guests online answering your questions throughout the month of August!

The always fashionable Sarah Mylnowski, chic lit author of Bras and Broomsticks, will be stopping by to talk and answer questions about her new novel FROGS AND FRENCH KISSES. http://www.sarahmlynowski.com/YA%20Site/YA_sm1_home.htm

New kid on the block Jenny Han, heralded as "the Judy Blume of the next generation" by Children's Literature, is kicking back and relaxing with us too. She'll be doing a Q&A about her debut novel SHUG. www.jennyhanwrites.com

Wearing shades and an air of mystery, Bombshell author Evelyn Vaughn, will be dropping by to discuss her latest novel LOST CALLING in the Madonna Key series launching this July!http://www.evelynvaughn.com/bombshell.html

Also, special guest Maya Rock of the well-established literary agency Writer's House will be joining the party to rock out! http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/mrock/

Come keep cool with this summer's hottest authors at YACWW! And be entered in the SUMMER BOOK PARTY contest. *

Invite your friends and let's get this party started!

*Rules for SUMMER BOOK PARTY contest:

Get a chance to talk to the summer's hottest authors by posting questions on YACWW and be entered for a chance to win some super hot prizes.

3 Prizes - Signed copy of Frogs and French Kisses, a copy of Shugand a copy Lost Calling.

To be entered in the contest simply post questions during the month of July on the YACWW blog. Participants can post questions directed to Sarah, Jenny, Evelyn and/or Maya. All participants attending the SUMMER BOOK PARTY event have to be registered with eblogger to post questions. Questions can be specific or general. Participants can ask as many questions as they like and can send to one or all the guests as long as each question is addressed to a particular author. Questions must have the authors name at top. The questions will be answered in August.

Disclaimer:
The host of YACWW has the right to take down any questions that are offensive or contain profanity.
For participants 18 and under, parental permission must be obtained to be entered into the contest. If a parent has any concerns about the website or its content, please feel free to contact the monitor:
Sasha Tomaszycki
yacreativewritng@hotmail.com

YA Creative Writing Workshop Summer 2006

2006-06-22T08:49:00.000-07:00

HELLO!

So glad you came and joined me. I have some exciting news to share with you!

Next month, I will be hosting 3 Young Adult Creative Workshops.
These workshops are sure to be a blast as we have some awesome speakers and goodies to give away!

Date: Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Time: 4:30pm
Place: Rego Park Library, Queens
Speaker: Margo Lipschultz, Associate Editor HQN
Program: The Business Behind Writing - Information about the publishing industry, including helpful tips on editing, grammar, and punctuation.
Directions http://www.queenslibrary.org/index.aspx?page_id=44§ion_id=12&branch_id=Rg

Date: Friday, July 14, 2006
Time: 5:00pm
Place: Freeport Library, Long Island
Speaker: Caridad Pinero
Program: Characterization & Plot - Learning the basics of writing a good story with an acclaimed multipublished author of Latina chic lit and paranormal romance.
Directions http://www.nassaulibrary.org/freeport/hours.htm

Date: Friday, July 28, 2006
Time: 4:30pm
Placec: Rego Park Library, Queens
Speaker: Sasha Tomaszycki
Program: Discussion On Genres - What kind of stories do you read and write? Come learn the secrets behind your favorite books.
Driections http://www.queenslibrary.org/index.aspx?page_id=44§ion_id=12&branch_id=Rg

Hope to see you there:)

Young Adult Creative Writing Workshops (YACWW)

Online Chat with Jamie Martinez Wood

Exciting Rap Trailer for Simone Elkeles New Release!

Blast from the past Interview with Agent Maya Rock

NYC Writers Conference

Upcoming Conferences Spring 2008

February Market News Update

Free Writing Children's Books E-zine

So the Drama... Drama Club!

Praise for Thirteen Reasons

CHESS RUMBLE IN THE HOUSE!

National Novel Writing Month (NaNo)

Writing Opportunities - OCT. 2007

Manga Fiction Contest

Review of Mirror, Mirror

Sketch Artists

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul

BAD GIRLS CLUB Review

Summer Reading Buzz!

Dog-Eared Publications Publisher

SUMMER BOOK PARTY 2

Interview with Adelle Laudan

Review of Thirteen Reasons Why

Feedback on the Chats

Journey To India Essay Contest

Check out the Chats

It's Official!

What we've been up to...

The Laughs Never End with Author Rhonda Stapleton

4th Graders Chat with Tween Author Adelle Laudan

Write Advice Books for Teen Girls

YA Publishers Call for Submissions

Write a Story for Children about Handling Money

Teach a Young Adult Novelist Online Course

More Children's Magazine Markets

College Bound Teen

Blogs to Check Out!

Highlights for Children Fiction Contest

Interview with Linda Gerber

Get LOST!

Tooting My Own Horn

Get Inspired!

Contests!!!!

Hey Girl! This One's For You!

Top 1000 Library Picks

Submissions Call for YA Anthology

2007 YA Releases

Wings ePress Editor - Robbin Major

Teens Read Too

The Purple Crayon

Hot Off the Presses!!!!!

Anyone Understand Russian?

Interview with Bev Katz Rosenbaum

Contests!!!!

TEEN FANLIT

A TEENS GUIDE TO GETTING PUBLISHED

SCBWI talk by YA author Linda Gerber--Part II

SCBWI talk by YA author Linda Gerber--Part I

Gallagher Girls Contest!

YA Agents

Writing Contests

Listen Magazine

YA Author Linda Gerber

YA Authors Cafe--Feel like chatting?

Writing Contemporary YA Fiction Workshop

Teen Read Week

YA Publishers

NANO WRITE

Young Novelist Challenge

HarperTeen Fan Lit

AFRICANA HOMESTEAD SHORT STORY CONTEST

Nerd Writers Wanted!

YA Market is HOT

YA AGENT

Mentor program

THe Rule of Three

BACK TO SCHOOL MYSTERY

Girl Talk

End of Summer

Fan Lit anyone?

YA　Authors Cafe--Feel like chatting?