The MiG's 2013 Goals

Happy New Year! Another year rolls in and we are super excited about  2013. Each January we always make our goals and share them with each other. This year we thought how fun it would be to share our goals with you.

Here they are!

Andrea Mack

1. Finish rewriting Novel #4 (my middle grade novel about a girl on a wilderness adventure).

 2. Finish drafting Novel #5, the middle grade novel I started during NaNo. I'm excited about his project and it's keeping me writing and puzzling about the plot.

 3. Write two picture book manuscripts based on ideas I collected during Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo). I have some good ones and I want to take the time to develop them into stories.

Debbie Ridpath Ohi

 1. I will make regular time for my novel writing every day, no matter what excitement is going on in my picture book career, and even it means just writing a very small chunk or revamping the outline or (in the case of severe deadline crunch for other projects) just thinking about the story and characters and what's happening next. The important goal is to devote some focus on my novel(s) every single day.

2. I will finish my revamped outline for my MG novel and write the first draft.

3. I will come up with 10 new picture book ideas a month (roughly two per week). Halfway through the year, I'll choose the idea I like the most and spend the last half of the year polishing the mss, working on rough visual ideas.

Christina Farley
(whose YA novel GILDED launches from Amazon Children's this November)

 1. Jan- Write and send sequel proposal to agent.

 2. Jan- Write and send new book series proposal to agent.

 3. Jan- Work on revisions of GILDED.

 4. Feb/Mar- Launch new website.

 5. Mar- Aug- If sequel is a go, revise it and send to agent.

 6. July- Work on book launch.

 7. Sept- Nov- Organize for the launch of GILDED.

 8. Nov- Launch GILDED into the world!

  Carmella Van Vleet
(whose EXPLORE ELECTRICITY! launches from Nomad Press in August)

 1. Finish revising my YA and send off to agent. Revise some more. (Hopefully submit to editors by end of the year.)

 2. Fine tune my picture book (with astronaut Kathy Sullivan) so agent can start submitting.

 3. Start outlining a new MG.

 4. Get together a brochure and look for more opportunities for author visits.

 5. Promote my new book, Explore Electricity!, due out in August.

 6. Read. Every day. (I'm inspired by Andrea and her annual 100-books- a-year goal. I need to get myself in gear!!)

 7. Sign some contracts. :-)

  Susan Laidlaw
(whose AN INFIDEL IN PARADISE launches in Feb from Tundra Books)

 I'm going to finish revisions on my second novel well before my March 1st. deadline, so I have time to mull over the changes I've made before submitting it, which means putting in a solid morning of writing, every morning, which is when I'm most creative. If I don't feel I can continue into the afternoon, I'll spend a few hours every afternoon doing something toward marketing my first book, which includes getting back to my blog. I will try to blog once a week.

 I will begin research on my third novel as soon as we get to Mumbai in February, which means volunteering with an NGO working with either street kids, or underage prostitutes. I'm going to finish the rough draft of my third novel before the end of May and try to have the revised version in my agents hands before the summer.

 I will stay on top of my critiquing responsibilities with my critique group because they really are the best and I love being a part of the Migs.

  Kate Fall

 Oh, Lord, manage stress, YES!

 I try to think of one word for the year. This year it's THINK. Think Big. Do my books interconnect? Think of new markets. Should I be writing for adults? Think more before I first draft. Think of what I want and can get from my career, and think on what I'm learning from others.

Asking Santa for an Agent? - by Christina Farley

Happy Holidays everyone! Have you written your list to Santa? One thing you might have on your list is: "Bring me an agent, Santa."

The other day, we MiGs were chatting about agents and offers and revisions and all that good stuff. After our chat, I thought how helpful it would be to put together all of our thoughts and ideas on what to do when you get that "call" from an agent.

So I made up this vlog that goes over each step of the process, some questions you might ask during the phone call and why you should ask those questions. I hope you find this helpful.



Anything else you would add to this list?

Christina Farley's debut YA, GILDED, releases fall 2013 by Amazon Children's Publishing (formally known as Marshall Cavendish). She is represented by Jeff Ourvan of the Jennifer Lyons Literary Agency, LLC. She blogs and vlogs about writing and traveling, and is often found procrastinating on Twitter.

After the Book Deal- The First 3 Months

These past few weeks have been so amazing and fun and exciting to finally announce my book deal. Here is the PM announcement:

Christina Farley's GILDED, in which a 16-year-old Korean-American girl with a black belt and a deadly proclivity with steel-tipped arrows discovers an ancient Korean god has been kidnapping the first-born daughters of her family for generations, to Miriam Frank at Amazon Children's, in a nice deal, for publication in Fall 2013, by Jeff Ourvan at Jennifer Lyons Literary Agency (world).

And if you're interested, you can read about the full story here.

I thought over the next year, I'd do a series of blog posts that highlight things that I'm doing (or should be doing) to prepare for my book coming into the world.

So, you've gotten an offer on your book from a publisher, you've said yes, and it's been announced to the world! Yay! Congratulations.

Here are some things you can do right after you announce your book deal:

1. Celebrate! Of course celebrate with your family and friends, but take this one step further and celebrate publicly. If you have a blog, Twitter or Facebook account, tell the world about your good news. You want people to already start anticipating your book's arrival into the world.

 

2. Change all of your accounts to show your book title and publisher. For example, on my Twitter account I changed mine to look like this: Writer, traveler and chocolate lover. My debut YA, GILDED, will be published by Amazon Children's Publishing, fall 2013. Repped by Jeff Ourvan.

3. Join your debut class. Since my book will be coming out in 2013, I joined The Lucky 13s. This is a group of children and young adult writers who work together to help each other maneuver through the process of getting published as well as blog, tweet and Facebook each other's successes. They offer a support system and provide useful tips to each other.

4. Write your next book. Depending how long you have to wait for your editorial letter, you should start your next book.

The only precaution I would have is if you're writing a sequel. If your editor is giving you substantive revisions on book 1 that would reflect book 2, it might make things tricky. But otherwise, it really gives you a head start. There is a lot of work to be done right to get set up as an author and you want to give yourself plenty of time to write that next book. Think about how long it took you to write book 1. You probably won't have that luxury for book 2.

5. Talk to a marketing expert. I was lucky and won a phone chat with S.R. Johannes. She's not only a marketing expert but she's also a writer. She provided heaps of advice for me and steered me in the right direction. Take notes!

6. Start brainstorming your marketing plan. You don't have to set anything up yet, but it's important to start gathering ideas. I'm so fortunate because both my sister and her husband are VP's for their marketing companies. They will be doing all my online presence. Yay!

But she did have me make a list for her of my favorite YA websites, YA book trailers, and swag that I've seen floating around. I would recommend for you to do the same. It gives you an excellent starting point.

7. Author photos. I hired a professional photographer, Abby Liga. She's amazing and if you check out her blog you'll agree. She completed a hundred pictures for me to choose from. The whole photo shoot lasted about 15 minutes but it took me forever to pick two out because they were all amazing. I'm planning on doing a separate blog post on getting your author pictures soon.

8. Start communicating with your editor. I got my first email from my editor, Miriam Frank, a little over a week ago. I can't deny that was one of the most exciting moments in my writing career. I printed it out and saved it. Make sure you start communicating with your editor on a positive note. You'll be working together on this book and maybe future books! 

So there's a start for you. Anything else that you recommend for writers in their initial months after signing?

Christina Farley's debut YA, GILDED, releases fall 2013 by Amazon Children's Publishing. She is represented by Jeff Ourvan of the Jennifer Lyons Literary Agency, LLC. She blogs and vlogs about writing and traveling, and is often found procrastinating on Twitter.

Photo by Abby Liga

Grace in the Face of Disappointment

This is a photo of 1,800 kids standing on the field of Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis right before the 2012 Drum Corps International World championships were announced. It’s kind of hard photo to look at because I think it’s missing some people - my son and his marching corps.

If you read my last blog post, you know that my son and the rest of the Blue Stars were in the semi-finals this past week. We got word late Friday afternoon that they missed the finals by three-tenths of a point. Outscored at the worst possible time by another corps that had been trailing them all summer. Noticed that I used the word “outscored” and not “beat.” That’s because there seems to be a consensus the Blue Stars were victims of some politics. 

Lest you think I am a prejudice mom, I would like to share that numerous people from other corps stopped me at the finals - I was wearing a Blue Stars shirt and hat - and told me they felt the group got robbed. (I wasn't the only one this happened to either.) And, most telling, an alum from the other corps made it a point to come to our website and post on the message board that he thought what happened was wrong. 

But this isn’t a sour grapes or “let’s cry foul!” post. It’s about grace in the face of disappointment.

When my son texted me to let us know he wasn’t moving onto the finals, I knew he was deeply disappointed. How could he not be? He and his friends had worked all year and poured their hearts and souls into their music. Despite spending a small fortune on tickets, I told my son I’d try to sell them or let them go unused so he didn’t have to sit in the stadium and watch other kids get to do what he wanted to do.

My son said no and decided to join us in the stands, proudly wearing his Blue Stars jacket to boot. When the other corps came on and performed, my son politely clapped. “They worked just as hard,” he said. “We shouldn’t take that away from them.” Because I’m not that big of a person, I didn’t clap. (But I did try to remember that as sad as the Blue Stars were that's how happy the members of the other corps were; the anger should be at the judges and not the kids.) When they were done, the worst thing my son said was that he thought the Blue Stars show was stronger. I was amazed and humbled by his attitude and told him so. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been nearly as gracious.  

Other corps came on the field and performed. And as the night went on, I noticed something really cool. Instead of being all depressed and resentful, my son was enjoying himself. In fact, during one corps show he could barely contain his excitement as they pulled off a drill movement that is as impressive to watch as it is to do. He become animated and excitedly telling me about the music and moves. When the group was done, he stood on his feet and cheered. And that’s when I was struck with this realization: he’s a fan first.

His passion for marching and music is what brought him to the marching corps to begin with and he was just honored to be a small part of it. Because he'd been in the trenches himself, he knew what it took and what it meant for those other kids to be there in the finals. 

It happens in life. And it happens in this business of writing.

Often times, we don’t get what we want or fall short of a goal. The dream agent says no. The editor sends us a form rejection. Or the acquisitions committee takes a pass. The reviews are less than stellar. The book doesn’t sell or goes out of print. And it’s difficult. Very, very difficult to sit in the stands and watch other people get what we want. 

We work just as hard.

We want it just as much.

We think our work is just as good - and, often times, it is.

But there are politics, bad timing and subjective judges and sometimes things simply don’t go in our favor. It’s not a reflection of us or of the other writer. 

When we fall short, we shouldn’t let our disappointment take away from someone else’s work. We should not only enjoy but celebrate other writers’ success. Stand up and cheer loudly because that’s what we’d like when it’s finally our turn. 

I don’t know about you, but I came to writing because I love books. But even so, I don’t read nearly enough these days. That’s in part because I find it hard not to feel a little envious. But I’m going to try to work on that. Being a story teller is one of the most honorable callings and I’m blessed to be a part of it. 

Be a fan first. This is what my son taught me this past weekend. 

Finis Cornonat Opus

My oldest son has been marching in the Blue Stars, a World Class drum and bugle corps, this summer. (You can check them out in action here. But please don’t ask me to pick out my son - I can never find him unless he’s standing still.) It’s his rookie year and, from what I hear, it’s been a baptism by fire. The drill* is killer this year. It’s incredibly fast and tight and the kids have been struggling all summer to clean it up** and gain the respect of judges who seemed to have pigeoned-holed them early on. I’m talking literal blood, sweat and tears, not to mention twelve hour days on the field. But last night, their last show of the regular season, the kids scored their highest yet and beat out a rival for the first time all summer. It was a real high for these kids who have been working their butts off. And it was a great way to for them to move into finals week. They seem to be peaking at just the right time. 

Why am I telling you all this? Well, besides the fact I’m a very proud mama? :-)  It’s because the Blue Stars have this great motto and I think it something worth sharing. 

Finis Cornonat Opus

It’s Latin and the basic translation is “The end crowns the work.” 

Isn’t that awesome? And so true. When I get bogged down in the messy, hard day-to-day work of writing, I try to remember this. Getting to the end will be worth it. Having a book I’m proud of will be worth it. All the work - the tears, angst, frustration, pain in my hands and wrists, research, worrying, never ending doubt and sacrifices to spend time writing - will pay off.  

I think that’s true for all of us. So this week, remember Finis Cornonat Opus and of course (cover your ears), GO BLUE STARS!!

* Drill - the visual lines and movement on the field

**Clean up - straighten their lines and move when they’re supposed to / play the right notes etc

Literary Tattoos

Not too long ago, I discovered the very cool site The Word Made Flesh. It’s all about literary tattoos. (And thankfully not a "Twilight" one in the bunch!) Books and words fascinate me and because I’m also into tattoos, it shouldn’t come to a big surprise that I have a literary tattoo of my own.

My wrist tattoo (above) is my only visible ink. It means a lot because it’s just for me. It's the one I read and look at every day. It’s taken from a Paul Simon lyric. I’ve been a huge Paul Simon fan since I was little girl. (I have an early memory of dancing around my living room to Simon and Garfunkel's “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard.”) And his songwriting has had a powerful influence on me as a writer. I think it was the first time I realized how words connect us all. One of my prized possessions is a book of his lyrics that my mother bought me. 

The full line is from the song “Hurricane Eye” off the album You’re the One. It goes:

You want to be a writer

But you don’t know how or when

Find a quiet place,

Use a humble pen

When I first got the tattoo (a couple of years ago) someone asked me what it meant. I told her the “quiet place” part was easy. It’s about finding that quiet place in your own head to be still and let the words come. 

The “humble pen” part took a me a little longer to understand and articulate. But I've discovered that, for me, it means we must do and give our work away without expecting anything in return. That can be a tough, tough thing. After all, writers write to be published. At least I do most of the time. I want that publishing contract. I want the validations that awards or having my books make lists gives me. There’s nothing wrong with wanting those things, but I can’t write *expecting* them or thinking that I deserve them simply because I showed up and did the work. My humble pen must write and simply hope that somewhere out there, I’m connecting with another soul. 

Hope.

I think that’s what a writer does best. 

Breaking through the wall

Yesterday I got my sixth tattoo. It was a coverup up of something I wasn’t happy with and didn’t really fit my personality anymore. I waited a long time to have it done and saved for months to afford it. It’s the biggest one I have and so - no surprise - it took the longest time to get done.

For the first two hours or so, I did okay. The pain was manageable and I was able to talk my way through it. (My daughter and friend came along for support and to engage in mindless conversation with me.) But by the time we got to that last hour-and-a-half, I was in significant pain. I was genuinely worried I might throw up and instead of being chatty, in my mind I was screaming, “Are we done yet?! Please be done!” 

I get the same way when I reach that three-quarters the way through point when I’m writing a book. I move along fairly well and then, suddenly, it Gets. So. Hard. and it seems like it’ll never end. I’ve heard the same thing happens to people who run marathons. (I wouldn’t know because they only time I run is when people are chasing me. Which is to say, rarely.) 

That wall is a tough thing to break through. Like with my tattoo, I usually just grit my teeth, try not to scream out obscenities and concentrate on the end result. 

What about you? How do you push through that wall? How do you find your second wind?

Hanging Out with Debbie Ohi on Google +

Yesterday Debbie Ridpath Ohi and I "met" on Google + hangout. We've known each other for many years via online so it was so wild to see her live and hear her voice. After we squealed in shock, it was natural just to dive right in and start chatting. I realized that sometimes email just doesn't cut it like actual talking does.

I've never done anything like chat via video before so it was my first time trying out my web cam. And now I'm addicted!

It's very simple to set up, especially if you already have a Google account. Go into your account and click on the hangout icon on the left. Create a hangout and then choose who you want to hangout with. And there! You're ready to chat. It's that easy.

Debbie and I said we needed to get all the MiGs on there once in a while and have group chats. If you have an online crit group or are planning an event with multiple authors, it's really the way to go.

We chatted about writing, marketing and ideas we have for new projects. I really value her advice and I was taking notes. We even talked about my little secret (okay, so it's kind of a BIG secret) that I hope to be able to tell you all about soon.

Here's the very cool picture that Debbie created after our talk. Isn't she so talented?

~Christina

Hurry Up and Wait

Picture from the Daily Drive

There's the saying that publishing is slower than Christmas. Often the phrase "hurry up and wait", though cliche, fits in rather nicely in the publishing descriptor.

Sometimes the wait feels like it's never going to end and when it finally does, the crazy thing is there's always something else to wait for.

Example:

Waiting for the idea to fully form.

Waiting on the agent to respond to your query.

Waiting on the agent to respond to your full.


Yay! You got an offer from an agent! But now you have a new set of worries:

Waiting on the editor to respond to your submission.

Waiting (and biting your nails) when your manuscript goes through acquisitions.

Waiting for the book offer.


Yay! You got a book offer! But now you are waiting for a new set of things:

Waiting to announce your book deal.

Waiting for edits from your editor.

Waiting for your book cover.

Waiting for your arcs.

Waiting to launch your book.


Wow. I don't know about you, but by this point, I'm just tired of the word waiting. So what does an author do to keep their sanity?


Ideas of things to do while you are waiting:

1. Write another book! And make this one even better than the last.
2. Read!
3. Go to writing conferences.
4. Take a writing class and get inspired.
5. Travel to some place new and explore new sensory details.
6. If you are literally on the edge of your seat waiting for a phone call, go to the movies.
7. This is precious time, use it to do something amazing.
8. Tackle a new hobby.
9. Eat chocolate. *grin*

What about you? Are you sick of waiting too? What suggestions do you have for those who are so busy waiting.

~ Christina

Some YA Highway love

Just a quick little post. One of the blogs I read on a regular basis is YA Highway. Today, there's a funny and spot-on-true post by Lelia Austin. I thought I'd pass it along if you're in need of a good laugh, need to hear you're not alone or just hate garden gnomes. Ready? Go....

HERE

I'm always on the lookout for awesome blogs to help me procrast... um, inspire me. What blogs do you read?

The Lifelong Influence of Good Children's Books

I was tidying up my office the other day and came across these:

I haven’t looked at any of these for a while but they still rank among my favourite books. They’ve always been part of my life. I remember going to the library many times as a child, signing them out or just sitting and reading my favourites. [My favourite is still The Tale of Two Bad Mice, but I also love The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale of Benjamin Bunny, The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies and The Tailor of Gloucester.] In high school, some of my friends and I even nicknamed one of our teachers "Puddleduck", after the character in The Tale of Jemima Puddleduck.

As an adult, I remember being thrilled to visit an exhibit about Beatrix Potter’s life and work, with her original sketches and paintings. My husband bought me the entire collection of the little books early in our marriage. And I “rediscovered” them again in reading them to my own daughters. On my bookshelves I have a biography as well as The Beatrix Potter Journal (a collection of letters, photographs, journal entries and art).

I think reading Beatrix Potter’s books and learning about her and her life planted the seed of my writing dream. Growing up, I was interested in drawing plants and tiny creatures from nature. And I made up stories about families of mice. The first novel I wrote was about tiny human-like people that live in a garden. It’s so interesting to see how the spirit and love of those tiny tales connects to so many different parts of my life and has influenced me as a writer.

-- Andrea

Filling Up the Writing Well

When I was kid, for a while we lived in a house with a well. Water was something I hadn’t thought much about until then, it was just there when I turned on the tap. But in the short time we lived in that house, the well went dry a number of times. I remember going with my Dad to get the water truck, bringing it back to our house and filling up that well.

This week, my writing mind was kind of like that well. Empty. I tried scraping the bottom to squeeze out a little more writing water. I set timers. I doodled. I looked back over my notebook for ideas to inspire me. But free writing about nothing sometimes just gives you nothing. So I gave up. I decided not to waste my time and energy on thinking about it and instead, I spent my time on the other things that fill up my life. My kids. My dog. My work.

Sometimes, the inspiration runs dry, and you need a little time away from it to give the well a chance to fill up again. It’s funny how ideas trickle into that writing well when you’re not even looking.

News and Signs

Wow. It’s been a while since any of us have posted. Sorry about that. All of us have been busy writing and revising and, in one case, illustrating. (Don’t look at me; my mom may be an artist but I can’t even draw a stick figure.) Lots of great news is just around the corner!

Here’s some more news I’m happy to share: I have an agent! I’m thrilled to announce that I’m now represented by Marie Lamba at the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency. Marie is an experienced writer who’s just made the move into agenting. I am her first client and I’m very honored and humbled she chose me. It’s a unique situation but one that makes me very happy. I feel like we are both starting on this journey together; she’s putting her faith in me and I’m putting my faith in her.

I know some people like to hear stories about THE CALL. So I thought I’d share mine.

First some background. About a week or so ago, I was approached by an editor I’ve worked with before about doing a non-fiction book. I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it. I’m in the middle of a new project (a YA) but everyone I approached for advice, told me to take it, do it. It’s writing. It’s money. It’s a BOOK.

I enjoy doing non-fiction (and would like to do some more eventually) and it made no sense for me not to take the project. But my gut kept telling me “No.” I didn’t understand it and I didn’t know what to do. I felt like I was at a crossroad: go back to doing non-fiction or stay on this new path I’ve chosen. Which, frankly, was beginning to feel like a dead end. Three years. Two novels. Numerous “close calls” but no agent or book contract. It all takes a huge, mental and emotional toll. Especially since I'd left paying gigs to do it.

So, last Thursday, I woke up and asked the Universe for a sign. I do that a lot. I’m sure the Universe answers but I don’t always see them clearly so I got greedy and also asked for a “big” sign. Preferably something written in neon.

While procrastinating (yes, I procrastinate, shocking, I know) I visited a favorite blog, YA Highway. This post was up. It’s about protecting your writing sanity. Scroll down to the bottom. See that note that says “Don’t Do Things You Don’t Want to Do” ? I read that and went, Hmmm. Maybe that’s my sign!

Just to try a decision on, I started to compose a note to the editor. You know, to test out how it felt to turn down the project. I opened a file, got, oh about three sentences into it, when the phone rang.

Yep. It was Marie! (But you could see that coming, right? LOL )

I spoke with her for about an hour, hoping that I sounded half-way coherent and intelligent and trying to remember all the things you’re supposed to ask an agent about. By the time, we said goodbye, I felt really confident she was a good match.

There were still two other agents who had my full. I contacted both. One got back to me right away, wishing me luck. But I hadn’t heard from the other one. Then, the next day, as I was driving my daughter home from school, I caught myself hoping that second agent would hurry up and turn me down too so I could make things official. I realized that if that’s what I was thinking, then I’d already made a decision. I called Marie as soon as I got home and accepted her offer.

So... I’m sticking on this new path I’ve chosen. I may go back to non-fiction someday but, for now, this is where I want to be. And now I have a traveling companion to help share the load. Or - more accurately - another traveling companion because I wouldn’t be where I am today without my amazing, kind, talented, funny, wicked smart critique group! Thank you, Debbie, Andrea, Christy, Kate and Susan. I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

Let’s hear it for neon signs! :-)

Celebrating success

More often than not, I lean toward stubborn. So when my taekwondo instructor recently stopped a particularly tough class and told us we could get a drink, I hung back. “I don’t need a drink. I’m good. I’m tough.”

But as I watched everyone step up to the fountain, I noticed something that should have been obvious. People were walking away refreshed and smiling. My stoicism waning, I got in line too. And enjoyed a nice, long cool drink.

Here’s what I learned - you should always take a drink when one is offered!

And I think that goes with writing too. Writing is such a hard, lonely vocation. We need to stop and take those drinks of encouragement whenever they’re offered. We need to CELEBRATE every small bit of success. These are the things that will refresh us, nourish us and keep us going during a particularly tough patch.

I’ve definitely been struggling lately, wrestling with confidence and patience issues. But there’s been a few sips of water, too:

The online plot class I’m taking is giving me some really useful tools.

I have three terrific I’d-love-to-work-with-any-of-them agents reading the full of my manuscript.

While progress is slow, I’m very pleased with the work I’ve done on my new story.

I’ve recently discovered an amazing online program that helps me focus.

What “cool drinks” have you allowed yourself to enjoy lately?

Why Do You Write YA or MG?

 Writing MG or YA is the reason we got together. But what drew us to write for kids in these age levels?

  Carmella Van Vleet: I write in these genres because these are the kind of books I love to read. I don't frequently connect with books written for adults. I fell in love with reading with YA and MG books and so it's easy for me to channel my younger self.

It helps that I have teenagers and a front row seat to how today's kids talk and think and what they're going through. But I think I'd write YA and MG anyway. There's just something universal and cool about our formative years. Besides, kids are the toughest and smartest audience around and I like that challenge.

  Debbie Ridpath Ohi: I write MG and YA because, as Carmella says, these are kinds of books that I enjoy reading the most. When I buy these books at bookstores or borrow a pile of these at the library, sometimes I'll get comments from people assuming the books are for my kids, or for market research.

 I write MG and YA because I remember how much some of these books affected me as a young person, in so many different and positive ways. I do read "grown-up" books as well nowadays, but I always end up being drawn back to MG/YA because for me, the latter tend to have stronger stories, more likeable characters and more hope.

  Andrea Mack: I started writing for my own children and my nieces when they were toddlers. Beginning with picture books was challenging, to say the least. As my girls got older (and after many rejections for picture book manuscripts), I decided to try writing a MG novel. Since then, I’ve written four of them.

 Even though my girls are now moving on to reading YA, I think I’ll stick with MG. I like the chance to think like a kid. Plus, I haven’t grown tired of learning about how to write MG, even though my rejection responses are starting to pile up. I just wish I could learn and write faster!

  Christina Farley: I write MG and YA because those are my favorite genres to read. I love how these books strip away all the fat and get right into the story. These books seek adventure, romance, and mystery while at the same time explore life and deal with difficult issues.

  What age level do you write for? What draws you to it?

Where Are All The Good Story Ideas?

What do you do when your mental idea factory comes to a grinding halt? Sometimes it’s not enough to sit staring at a blank screen. In fact, you might not want to be sitting at your computer at all. Check out where these MiG writers get their best ideas:

Debbie Ridpath Ohi: My best ideas come when I'm out for a walk. I used to always listen to music or audiobooks when I was out walking but now I tend not to listen to anything except my own thoughts. Inevitably, without really trying, I'll come up with a solution to a plot problem that's bugging me, or a new story idea.

Andrea Mack: I usually get my best ideas at the most inconvenient times. I often get them in the shower. There’s something about that running water and not having a pen and pencil that seems to inspire me. Do they make waterproof notebooks? I also get ideas in the middle of the night, when I’m supposed to be sleeping.

Christina Farley: My best ideas come when I run. I think part of it is that I'm away from everything that can distract me. Maybe there is something about endorphins pumping through my body that kicks in that creative adrenaline too!

Carmella Van Vleet: I find that I'm most creative, oddly enough, in the shower or bath. I guess there's something about the soothing and warm environment that loosens the cobwebs in my brain. (Maybe I was a mermaid in a former life.) In fact, when I'm stuck I'll often grab my journal and a pen and climb into a hot bath for inspiration. Sometimes I take notes but most of the time I just close my eyes, let my mind drift and play "What If". Maybe it works because my bathroom is the only quiet room in the house!

Kate Fall: My best ideas show up when I'm driving, especially when I'm on the same old commute and don't have to pay attention to my route. I cue up a playlist on my iPod that suits my story or shut off the radio altogether. I keep index cards in my purse and have been spotted in parking lots jotting down notes. I also get great ideas while I'm researching and reading non-fiction. And every time I go on vacation, I come up with a story based on the new place I'm visiting. 

Where do you get your best ideas?

Expectations

I ran out earlier to do a few errands. One of them was to stop by the high school and pick up tickets to the home opening football game where my 17-year-old son will be marching tonight. As I walked by the main office, I glanced up and saw my oldest son’s banner and it got me thinking about expectations.

You see, last year my oldest, Matt, graduated. He was valedictorian and he and another classmate were National Merit Scholarship Finalists. It was the first time in the school’s history that they had Finalists so it was a big deal. The two kids got these humungous banners with their pictures and names. And, like I said, the banners hang right by the front door.

I’ve often wondered what my middle child, Sam, thinks about having his brother’s banner up like that. He literally has to walk under it every day. (My youngest, a freshman this year, doesn't have to deal with this as much since she attends a different school.) While Sam is a very smart kid in his own right, he’s not the top of his class. Matt - and I say this with all the love in my heart - is a bit of a freak of nature. I’m guessing it must be rather hard for Sam to live in the shadow of so many expectations from teachers and classmates. (My husband and I have always expected our three kids do nothing but their best. We don’t compare them. Or at least try not to.) How challenging it must be sometimes for Sam to be his own person and shine in his own unique way.

I’ve been struggling with the same thing lately. Only, it’s not because of some banner. I’ve been doing it to myself!

I got it in my head that if this new project I’m working on - the one that’s barely three pages and a bunch of scribbled notes at the moment - doesn’t land me an agent or sell, I’m gonna pack it up and call it a day as a novelist. Now, how’s *that* for pressure?! No wonder I’ve been having a heck of a time finding my stride.

Why on Earth do we do this to ourselves? Our expectation when we begin any project should be to just to do our best. Publication, agents, high sales, book clubs, awards (banners with our pictures and names...) be damned.

Sure, I’ve already had a dozen or so non-fiction books published. Some of them have gotten recognition and sold well. But none of that - and I mean NONE of that - has any barring on my current project. I should have no expectations. Just the joy of letting the story grow and shine in its own, unique way.

I owe the story, and myself, nothing less.

~Carmella

The College of Countless Hours and Hard Work

When my son went to his college orientation, a professor stood in front of the small group of kids who who'd been admitted to the Fine Art college and told them they were special. When they questioned whether or not *every* professor told their orientation group the same thing, she reminded them that while all the other students (for the most part) had been admitted to their perspective colleges based on their high school records, kids in the fine arts had spent their whole lives preparing. They’d taken private music lessons since they'd been tiny, they'd pursued outside art and painting classes and spent years building a portfolio, they'd been in countless theater productions and took acting, dancing and voice lessons. In other words, even though they'd arrived in the same place as the other kids on campus, they'd put a lot more work into getting there and that made them special. I think writing is like that, too. We spend many, many years writing and sticking it out when it feels like we'll never end up where we want.

I'd bet none of those select few kids in that orientation room - many with scholarships - would say all their years of hard work were worthless. So why do we often feel as if we’ve failed when we spend a long time working on a book, story or article and it doesn’t sell or land us an agent?

Our work is never worthless. It’s only preparation for the places we’re heading.

Breaking up is hard to do

After revising my latest novel, I promptly sent it out to an agent who had expressed interest in it. I’ve been interacting with this particular agent at conferences and via email for many years. I thought she might be “The One.” (If there is such a thing.) She’d had some concerns about the direction of my career which is why she’d passed on offering representation last round. But I let her know that I’d made some decisions and hoped she was interested in reading the revisions and discussing my thoughts about my future.

I got a “No and please stop contacting me” within 48 hours. (Okay. She didn’t actually say to stop contacting her - it just felt like that! *grin*)

It was a depressing, l-think-I’ll-go-eat-a-bowl-of-cookie-dough-now experience, sure. But it was also, in a real way, liberating. Kind of like dating someone for a long time, realizing you want more from the relationship but the other person doesn’t. I walked away thinking, “Alrighty then. Well, at least I can cross *that* person’s name off my list!”

But here’s the thing. Several days later, I had lunch with a friend who happens to be one of Agent’s clients. We were talking about the “break up” and she told me she knew the agent had another client who was trying to write both MG and YA and not having much success dividing her energies and nailing both voices. (This was the main reason Agent took a pass on me earlier. She really like the MG book I submitted but not the first 30 pages of my YA book.) So my friend told me she could see why Agent would be reluctant to take on another client that she felt was in the same position.

Who knows? Maybe Agent was right. Perhaps I haven’t quite pulled off the YA voice in my other project. But maybe she let her prejudice and experience with this other writer cloud her judgement when it came to my work.

Either way, it was a good reminder that - sometimes - it's THEM and not you.

Happy writing!

~Carmella

Writing- A Way of Life

I started writing 5 years ago, but when I started, it was more of a hobby than anything serious. I had made a list of the top 100 things I wanted to do before I died (morbid, I know) and writing a novel was on that list. I started checking things off my list (like walking on the Wall of China!) but lurking in the back of my mind was #14- Write a novel.

Easy peasy right? Hardly. It wasn’t easy. And I had NO idea what I was doing. Even today I’ve got to say to anyone who has written a novel “Wow.” Because it is a wow. Just the mere fact of sitting your bottom into the chair and being disciplined enough to be able to write “The End” is huge. Never let someone tell you otherwise.

I go back and read some of the pages from that first book atrocity and cringe.

And smile.

Because that’s where it all started. In the awfulness of that first book it made me the writer I am today. It really is an encouragement to compare my writing then and now. So if you’re ever feeling down, go back and read some of your first pieces of writing. You’re going to feel a whole lot better.

Then there’s the fact that this is only the beginning. Think of how much better I’ll be in another five years. Because it’s a never ending process. Reading, writing, learning, listening.

Steven Malk gave me some fantastic advice at a writing conference. He reminded me to never rush my writing career. Take my time to write my very best because isn’t that what I want the world be to reading?

My very best.

~ Christina