Jen Wrote This

And the Winner is...

2012-02-13T19:55:00.004-07:00

Many thanks to all who Tweeted, Facebooked (is that a word?), Pinned, or otherwise let the world know about THE FALSE PRINCE. The winner is Stephanie (you can follow her on Twitter @stephthomasbook)! I'll get a book out to you soon!

In other news, THE FALSE PRINCE received a starred review from Publishers Weekly today! Among other niceties, it says, "Sage is deftly characterized through humorous first-person narration, quickly establishing himself as a beguiling antihero: 'I'd never attempted roast thievery before, and I was already regretting it,' he says when readers first meet him. 'It happens to be very difficult to hold a chunk of raw meat while running.' ...This is an impressive, promising story with some expertly executed twists."

I sincerely appreciate the enthusiasm of those who are eager to read this book. I can hardly wait to share it with you too. Ack! If you want to watch the trailer, you can find that here, and if you want to read the first chapter and get a feel for the story, you can read it here.

Want THE FALSE PRINCE now?

2012-02-08T20:24:00.004-07:00

This weekend will mark fifty days left until the release of THE FALSE PRINCE (squee!), but I have in my hands a paperback copy now, and I'd love to give it away to someone. Shameless self-promotion to follow...

There are three ways to enter to win. Enter as many times as you'd like:

1. Tweet about this contest. You can write your own tweet, or to make it even easier, you can copy and paste this:

Lose the Game, Lose your Life! Only 50 days until THE FALSE PRINCE release: RT to win a copy now! http://tinyurl.com/76dk7j4 @nielsenwriter

2. You can tell your friends on Facebook about THE FALSE PRINCE. If they share your post with their friends, let me know and I'll give you an extra entry for that too! (Leave a comment below to tell me about this.)

3. You can add THE FALSE PRINCE to your Goodreads "To Be Read" list. If it's already added, then you can find it on a Goodreads lists and give a vote for it. (Leave a comment below to tell me about this.)

This contest is open now and will continue until midnight Sunday Feb. 12.

Upcoming Local Events

2012-02-07T19:09:00.004-07:00

There's a lot coming up over the next few months, and so an update might be in order. If you're a local, or might consider becoming a local for a few days, here are places to find me!

* This weekend, February 9-11, I will be a panelist at the "Life, Universe, and Everything" (LTUE conference at Utah Valley University. The Thursday panel will be about creating conflict, Friday's panel is called, "You've Written Your Book, Now What?" And on Saturday, I'll be talking about breaking into the market. I'll also be part of the mass book signing on Friday evening and will be doing a reading Saturday at noon.

This is a great conference, and mostly I'm excited to meet a bunch of new people. Please come and say hi if you're there!

* On March 17, the Rock Canyon writers of Utah will be hosting the Writing for Charity Conference. Here's the official pitch, which is better worded than I'd do on my own:

Have your writing critiqued by professional authors ON SITE! Fabulous

workshops! Very affordable! Lunch provided! A silent auction with

amazing things to bid on....all donated by the authors.

Items include advance copies of novels, lunch with authors,

manuscript critiques, andmuch more! Come schmooze with

writers for a great cause--putting books inthe hands of underprivileged

children. March 17, 2012 (that's St.Patrick's Day) at the Historic Provo Library.

Check out the website formore information: www.writingforcharity.blogspot.com

I'll be on some panels there and will probably be teaching a class on character psychology. I'd love to see you there!

* On March 26, I will be finally, finally launching THE FALSE PRINCE. I'm not sure exactly where or when yet, but I'l be announcing the details soon! But please do reserve the date and please, please do come!

* On April 12, Davis County Schools will host a literacy night (location and time still TBD) with eighteen local authors. Although this is primarily for Davis School District students, the event is free and open to everyone, so I'd love to see you there!

* On May 4 and 5, I'll be teaching a class on middle grade writing at the LDS Storymakers Conference. Registration is now open.

And if you're out of town, and intend to stay that way, I have other things in the works, so please watch my website for announcements.

Winter Institute and ALA Midwinter

2012-01-27T08:10:00.014-07:00

Last weekend, I was honored to attend both the Winter Institute in New Orleans, an intimate conference for independent booksellers, and the ALA Midwinter Conference in Dallas. These events, to promote the upcoming release of THE FALSE PRINCE were so much fun, not only because of the spectacular booksellers, librarians, and book people I was able to meet, but because hanging out with Scholastic peeps is nonstop fun! This is a photo of the lovely Nikki Mutch, a Scholastic District Sales Manager (who is also responsible for the cute packet in the picture below)

At Winter Institute, I did a reading at a dinner for an invited group of booksellers.

These packets were at every seat - if you've read the book you understand the significance of these items! I was so glad they had one of these for me,

because I was thoroughly prepared to steal one away, if necessary.

Then the following evening, I signed books and met so many wonderful people. This is a picture of me with Eddie Case from Changing Hands Bookstore (one of my all-time favorite stores!) in Arizona. Photo credit to Claire Kirch, who I also met and liked very much. One of the other perks is that I also had the chance to meet Robin LeFevers, another author who was signing ARCs of her upcoming book, GRAVE MERCY. Even if she doesn't know it, she's been a mentor of mine, and getting to meet her was a real honor.

While I was flying from the beautiful weather in New Orleans to Dallas, here was the weather at home. Nice, huh? Thank goodness for a wonderful husband and family who support me while I'm gone.

On to ALA Midwinter. The highlight event was a reader's theater for librarians in which the participating authors read excerpts of each other's books. Group one was Siobhan Vivian for THE LIST, Francisco Stork for IRISES, and Ed Fotheringham and Barbara Kerley for THOSE REBELS, JOHN AND TOM. Wow! With their amazing source material, you can imagine how wonderful the performance was.

Siobhan, Francisco, Ed, Barbara

Then in my group was Jordan Sonnenblick for CURVEBALL: THE YEAR I LOST MY GRIP, and Lin Oliver for GHOST BUDDY. Her writing partner, Henry Winkler, was unable to attend because of a conflicting family event. However, standing in for him was David Levithan, who was absolutely hysterical. They all helped in the reading of THE FALSE PRINCE, and I was thrilled with what a great job they did.

Lin, David, Jordan, and Me.

Between all of that, we ate, enjoyed the sun, soaked in books, ate, met fantastic people involved in all levels of the book business, and snuck in some spare time to eat.

I found the hidden stash of FALSE PRINCE ARCs!

Francisco Stork, Jennifer Nielsen, Lin Oliver, Siobhan Vivian, Barbara Kerley, and Ed Fotheringham saying hello.

Mmm. beignets!

Elliot and the Last Underworld War

2012-01-27T07:42:00.011-07:00

I've been negligent on blog posts lately (well, let's be honest, I'm always negligent on that). But this time it's a bit of a problem because there actually is lots of news to report.

The final book in the ELLIOT series will be out on April 1 (the same day as THE FALSE PRINCE, so if you're pre-ordering the one, you may as well get the other...just sayin') and is called ELLIOT AND THE LAST UNDERWORLD WAR.

I always support Indies first, so please try to buy it from your local bookstore. But if you want to learn more about the book, here's a link.

In this story, Elliot has to finish the battle that was started during Book 2, ELLIOT AND THE PIXIE PLOT. Kovol, the most evil demon of all time, has vowed to destroy earth in revenge for Elliot stealing his socks, and now Elliot will need the help of his family, friends, and all the good Underworld creatures to stop Kovol.

Below are several of the wonderful illustrations for the book, created by the infinitely talented Gideon Kendall. There are even more great illustrations inside the book.

To see what others are saying about this series, you can read this review here.

Book Trailer for THE FALSE PRINCE!

2012-01-12T06:18:00.003-07:00

Scholastic created a most wonderful trailer for THE FALSE PRINCE. I only wish it were longer so that I could just keep watching it forever. Granted, that might get tiring at some point for everyone else, but I think they did a great job!

I'll get it up on my website soon, but until then, you can view it here or if that doesn't work, then go here.

p.s. If you know anyone really high in the movie industry (Steven Spielberg's coming over for dinner tonight, for example), maybe you should show them this trailer and say, "Gosh, don't you think this would make a wonderful feature film?"

Infinity Ring!!

2011-12-20T10:03:00.009-07:00

This isn’t the first secret I’ve revealed on this blog, and happily not even the first big secret. But this might have been the hardest one to keep quiet about.

A couple of months ago, I received a call from my editor at Scholastic, asking what I anticipated for my writing schedule over the next year. We were (and still are, in fact) involved in revisions for the second book of the Ascendance trilogy, and the third one is waiting to be written, and we’re already discussing a possible new series to follow THE FALSE PRINCE books. But…was I interested in adding another project?

That’s the sort of question that gets an author’s heart thumping.

“What project?” I asked, trying to sound casual, as if these were the sorts of calls I get all the time (Which I don’t, by the way).

Before the first sentence was out of her mouth, I’d already said yes. Here it is.

Scholastic’s enormously popular series, THE 39 CLUES, is winding to an end, and they had plans for another series in the same multi-platform style. The new series would be called INFINITY RING, and would feature a total of six bestselling YA and middle grade authors. Did I want to be one of the authors?

Did I mention that I said yes even before the first sentence was completed?

INFINITY RING is a time-traveling adventure, fixing the breaks where history has gone wrong.

There will be a total of seven books, the first being released in September 2012 with subsequent releases approximately every three or four months. Between each book will be an opportunity for kids to go online for an interactive game where they get to play as one of the story characters to fix other breaks through history (I’ve seen parts of the game – it’s very cool).

During the read, kids will learn about history, but the best part is they will be so caught up in the adventure, mystery, humor, and danger they won’t even realize how much exciting historical information they’re absorbing (yes, I did just say that history can be exciting).

Book 1, A MUTINY IN TIME, has been written by James Dashner, author of the hugely popular MAZE RUNNER series. I've read it, and absolutely couldn't put it down. Seriously, clear your kids' schedules for next fall because they won't want to do anything until they've finished this book.

Other amazing authors for this project include Carrie Ryan, Lisa McMann, Matt De La Pena, and Matthew J. Kirby. I’m going to write Book 6, releasing in late 2013. For me, it’s truly an honor to be able to work with such excellent people.

(Photo credit: Ken Karp. Back row L to R: Matt de la Pena, James Dashner, Matthew J. Kirby. Front row: Lisa McMann, Carrie Ryan, Jennifer Nielsen)

And to answer some questions that may come up: Yes, I do know what period of history I’ll be writing, and no, I’m not saying yet what it is. Yes, I do think someone should make this into a movie, and no, I don’t think it would translate well as a “story on ice” (though maybe we should give it a try, eh?).

And yes, I’m humbled, honored, and thrilled to be a part of this project. Many thanks to the stellar team at Scholastic for putting this forward in such a wonderful way.

Stay Tuned

2011-12-13T08:43:00.004-07:00

Big announcement coming soon. For hints, I can provide the following juicy details:

A. Nope, it's not movie news for FALSE PRINCE, and

B. Yep, it's cool.

That is all.

The Love Story of Plotting

2011-11-10T03:30:00.004-07:00

Somewhere between a trip to Target and gassing up my car the other day, I fell in love. Well, I fell in lust. The love comes later.

Not with a person (unless characters can be counted), but with a story idea. And reflecting on that, I realized that there’s not too much of a difference between the two. See here:

Stage 1: Infatuation

Your early stages of attraction are marked by near constant thoughts of him (Er, him is the story. I should make that clear.). You see signs of him everywhere, and even a look brings excitement. When he’s gone, you obsess over the details of your last encounter. The plot possibilities he whispers send chills up your spine. You wonder when the next inspiration will come, and if it seems too long, you will seek him out. But the thought that there might be more to him than just a passing infatuation – that’s the real hook.

Stage 2: Early Romance

You think about him just as often, although it takes some serious flirtation to bring about the same titillations. You’ve shared a few casual conversations, checking out compatibility. Is he the kind of plot to match up with the story you want to write? Is he really as charming as he first seemed? Early on, things are looking good. You drop a few hints that you’d like to know more about him. Although it’s much too early for a commitment, you’re definitely interested.

Stage 3: Love

Time has passed and you’re getting to know each other quite well. You can see he’s got substance and heart, and just the right amount of humor. You’ve started testing the relationship on your friends and those you trust, and so far, he’s winning their approval. Could he be the one – the story that you decide it worth a long-term commitment? You begin putting everything you have into this relationship, ready to test that out.

Stage 4: Crisis

You’ve had your first big fight. Lately, all you can see are his flaws – how could you have overlooked them all this time, they were so obvious! You never expected him to be perfect, but there’s just so many plot holes, and scenes that aren’t working. You’ve had a lot of bad relationships before; is this doomed to be yet another failure? You ask yourself whether he’s fatally flawed, or are you the problem here? There are so many reasons to give up, to stick him on a shelf and hope you can fall in love again one day with someone even better. And yet you remember those early feelings of love, the promise that this relationship offered you. If you are strong enough to work through your problems, you’ll both come out stronger on the other side.

Stage 5: Commitment

For better or worse, you’ve worked through your problems and written the manuscript. You two are bonded now and there’s so much ahead for you both. There may be bumps in the road: rejections, bad reviews, poor sales. But there’s also the hope for great things: enthusiastic reviews, fan letters, and perhaps even the pitter-patter of sequels down the road. Once accepted for publication, he will always be a part of your life. The infatuation that became love has turned into an honest understanding of who you are, and who he is. And once he’s released into the world, though you may not have his story to write again, you know that a new love is just around the corner…

Jennifer’s first series, The Underworld Chronicles, wraps up in February 2012 with ELLIOT AND THE LAST UNDERWORLD WAR (Sourcebooks). She will release the first book in The Ascendance Trilogy, titled THE FALSE PRINCE (Scholastic), in Aprll 2012. And she is currently in the infatuation stage with her next series, one that she hopes is as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside.

Did Goblins Attack a Home in Iowa?

2011-11-02T22:48:00.003-06:00

I got a very interesting email today from an alert 7-year-old reader who thinks he may have evidence of a Goblin attack on a home in Iowa.

As readers of ELLIOT AND THE GOBLIN WAR know, Elliot has a bit of a setback after Goblins blow up his house. The scene is perfectly captured here by my illustrator, Gideon Kendall.

Now look at this news story here. What do you think? Goblins?

And if it was Goblins, then why blow up this house? Thanks to this bright 7-year-old, now we get to ask.

p.s. For the record, I'm very sorry about the woman who had the possible concussion. But I'm also glad the house was vacant at the time.

ARC Winners

2011-10-16T20:37:00.004-06:00

I had intended to give away only one signed ARC of THE FALSE PRINCE, but the response was much kinder than I had anticipated, so I'm going to give away two ARCs! I'll notify the winners privately, but they are Ashley J (Maryland) and Leah C (Massachusetts).

If you had hoped to win - sorry, but for the next week I'm still doing a giveaway on Goodreads which you can enter here. And I will definitely be doing more future giveaways.

In the meantime, stay tuned to this blog or the False Prince fan page for more exciting news to come soon!

False Prince ARC giveaway!

2011-10-06T14:00:00.004-06:00

Still six months before its release, FALSE PRINCE is getting some great online buzz, including comparisons to Megan Whalen Turner's "Queen's Thief" series and even "Hunger Games." If you want to read it now and judge for yourself, here's your chance!

To celebrate the official cover release for FALSE PRINCE, as well as the news of the movie option, I'm giving away a signed copy of the ARC.

To enter, do one or more of the following (one entry for each!):

1 - "Like" my False Prince Facebook page here.

2 - Tweet about this contest. Trust me, I'll know.

3 - Put a notice about this contest on your own Facebook page, then leave me a comment here about it.

I'll let this contest go for about a week, then notify the winner via email.

I'm running out of ARC's faster than I'd like, so I won't have many more chances for contests. So I'm extra excited to have the chance to give it out today, to a new friend or a long time one!

Big Announcement 2!

2011-09-30T05:45:00.004-06:00

The general rule in publishing is that when someone makes a really cool public announcement, they’ve probably been sitting on that news for weeks and sometimes longer.

I’ve been sitting on this news for about six months. Based on that, it should be pretty exciting, right? And I will admit, I’m very excited to finally be typing this.

So here it is: THE FALSE PRINCE has been optioned for movie rights by Scholastic Media. Gotham Group made the sale in conjunction with my always amazing agent, Ammi-Joan Paquette of Erin Murphy Literary Agency.

Does this mean it’s going to be a movie now? Um, I can give that a solid answer: “I dunno.” But for the record, I’m totally in favor of it happening. If it helps, I can send the studio homemade brownies or something while they’re reviewing the manuscript (although I’ve tasted my cooking – it probably wouldn’t help).

Over the last few months, I've studied a lot about what it means to have an option.

An option gives a production company the right to begin pursuing production (find a director, a studio, a budget – minor details like that). If those factors don’t come together within the contractual time frame, then that’s as far as it goes. A lot of times, this is where the process ends, simply because there are more books optioned than movies that are made.

However, if things do come together, then other terms in the contract start to come into play. They buy the rights for that type of production, which could be anything from television movie of the week to TV series to major studio production. Then the process moves to screenplays, casting, and the all important question – exactly who do I have to schmooze to get to spend a day on set (and how close will my seat be to the catering wagon?)

Stories that tend to get made have to fit a rather strict criteria. Obviously there are exceptions, but generally speaking, the manuscript:

* Should feel different from what’s already been done.

* Needs a concept easy to sum up in one or two sentences (brilliant logline).

* Must have a strong visual potential.

* Should have a three-act structure.

* Must have a wide audience appeal.

* Needs a concept strong enough to balance its budget requirements.

And if the studio can create merchandising for it, well that’s just bonus.

Probably the biggest talk right now for a book's adaptation into film is Suzanne Collins’ THE HUNGER GAMES. Consider how well her book fits each of those criteria. Based on those above standards, it’s the perfect candidate for a movie adaptation and will undoubtedly be a great box office success.

So, does THE FALSE PRINCE meet that criteria? Obviously that’ll be for the studios to decide. Until then, I’m so entirely grateful just to be where I am. It’s still over six months until the book’s release and there are so many people involved in preparing the book for a successful launch. I cannot give them enough thanks.

And if you're a movie studio and you just got the manuscript - brownies are on their way...

BIg Announcement 1!

2011-09-29T15:39:00.004-06:00

Big Announcement 2 is coming soon, I promise. And I'm not sure which news is the best or most exciting. So Announcement 1 and Announcement 2 aren't in any particular order; it just makes sense chronologically.

FINALLY, I can publicly announce the cover for THE FALSE PRINCE, to be released in April 2012 with Scholastic. It was done by the very impressive Tim O'Brien (who also did the cover art for Hunger Games - squee!).

For me, I love this. Love it. I'm considering having the design printed onto linen so I can wrap myself up in it to sleep (Just kidding - but no, not really kidding at all). My thanks to the many people at Scholastic who put so much time and heart into the development and direction of this cover.

Here is the story description:

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.

Big announcement 2 will come tomorrow. Unless I get too eager and post it tonight!

Road Trip, Day 1

2011-09-26T22:24:00.004-06:00

I visited two fabulous schools today - the Imagine School in Avondale and the Center for Educational Excellence in Tempe. The children at both were wonderful and asked great questions. Look at the cute sign waiting for me in front of the CEE!

Here's a closeup of someone's re-creation of the artwork.

Then I did a signing tonight at the Barnes and Noble in Chandler. Many thanks to the a

wesome staff who kept everything running so smoothly, and thanks also to the kids and their families who came to the event.

To everyone I met today - I hope you enjoy the books and I hope we'll meet again soon!

Also, since who knows when I might decide to blog again (soon, I hope. Big announcement coming...), please stop by R.L. LaFevers and Mary Hershey's "Shrinking Violets" website where I guest blogged about how to do a public reading. Considering what I spent all day doing, the timing was perfect! Click here to read it.

For now, I'm tired. But looking forward to more fun tomorrow!

This Week...

2011-09-24T15:19:00.003-06:00

For any readers who may be in the Tempe, Arizona or Austin, Texas area, I'm inviting you to come on out and say hi! Bring your kids, or any neighborhood strays too (kids, not cats)!

Mon, Sept 26 7 pm Barnes and Noble

3111 W. Chandler Blvd, #2054

Chandler, AZ

Tue, Sept 27 7 pm Changing Hands Bookstore

6428 South McClintock Drive

Tempe, AZ

Thu, Sept 29 7 pm Barnes and Noble

2701 Parker Road, Bldg A, Suite 700

Round Rock, TX

Also, as an FYI, I'm sitting on two great pieces of news that it's killing me not to be able to reveal yet. But soon. Very, very soon...

Elliot and the Pixie Plot Book Trailer

2011-08-12T10:01:00.004-06:00

I love it. I hope you will too! If the video loads too slow (or you want to see it larger), you can find it on YouTube here.

More Praise for "The False Prince"

2011-07-23T20:38:00.002-06:00

It's still over eight months until the release of THE FALSE PRINCE (April `12), but Scholastic has already been busy. They recently sent manuscripts to several bloggers and bookstore owners, and every so often, comments about the manuscript pop up online.

Please take a look at what Alamosa Books, a great bookstore from Albuquerque has to say here. As a quick excerpt, "If there is a higher commendation of this novel, I cannot conceive of it. And I would challenge anyone else to just try to put this book down unfinished. This is simply a captivating adventure. Nothing is lacking."

My thanks to Alamosa Books for their very kind review, and of course, to Scholastic for all their work so far on promoting this story so close to my heart.

Rules of Personality

2011-07-20T19:21:00.003-06:00

I recently did a guest blog post for John Brown's website. I'd love for you to check it out here. It's an explanation of some of the basic rules of personality, which is for writers to use in creating believable characters.

The rules are part of a larger presentation I give about how writers can use a basic understanding of the rules of psychology to understand their own characters. The presentation is partially based on several years of experience working with teens who are sent to wilderness camp. These are kids who for whatever reason find themselves in a difficult place in life. Coincidentally, our characters are also in similar circumstances - not necessarily in their actual situations, but certainly in a place of life upheaval.

If you're interested, definitely check out John Brown's site. And if you want to know more, I'll post when and where I'll be giving this presentation in the future!

Amazing blog post for "The False Prince"

2011-06-13T09:07:00.003-06:00

How does my name end up in the same blog as the amazing Suzanne Collins and Megan Whalen Turner?

Very late last night I stumbled onto a blog post from "Collecting Children's Books" by Peter D. Sieruta that got my heart pounding fast enough to keep me awake even later into the night and woke me up early (I'm a little tired right now).

In fact, the entire blog was really interesting. It starts with well-deserved congratulations to Betsy Bird on the birth of a beautiful new daughter. And it ends with an interesting discussion about how buzz is created for a book - when it works and when it doesn't. To read the entire post, please visit here. (No seriously, click that link!)

But I did want to post a few of my favorite excerpts of what Sieruta has to say about my forthcoming book from Scholastic, THE FALSE PRINCE."

"It all started on Thursday when my bookstore buddy phoned to tell me about a new book she’d just read, THE FALSE PRINCE by Jennifer A. Nielsen. The first title in a series called “The Ascendance Trilogy,” the volume will be published by Scholastic in 2012. My friend was overwhelmed by the novel, saying she was having a hard time returning to “the real world” after living within the pages of this book for the past couple days. She’s always had an instinct -- and the knowledge -- for picking out “the next big thing” in children’s books and when she loves a title, she gets right behind it. She told me, “I want to sell a hundred copies of THE FALSE PRINCE. I want to sell it to everyone!”

She then offered to let me read it next....

Wow!

Set in a mythical kingdom, THE FALSE PRINCE concerns shrewd and sneaky Sage competing with two other orphans to assume the role of their country’s long-missing prince, now the sole heir to the crown. Reminiscent of both THE HUNGER GAMES and Megan Whalen Turner’s “Attolia” series, the novel is full of twists, turns, surprises. And for those who are somewhat overwhelmed by Attolia’s detailed political and cultural milieu, THE FALSE PRINCE cuts right to the chase, offering a you-can-barely-turn-the-pages-fast-enough story, heavy on dialogue, that will appeal to even the most reluctant reader.

I agree with my bookstore friend: THE FALSE PRINCE is going to be a big hit."

Sieruta continues in the post to discuss how Scholastic sent his bookstore buddy a spiral-bound copy of the manuscript. It was accompanied by a letter signed by my editor and the entire sales team.

Then Sieruta writes:

"Based on the quality and accessibility of this novel, I think Scholastic is correct in promoting this book so strongly.

It will be very interesting to see if both reviewers and general readers agree with Scholastic, giving THE FALSE PRINCE the kind of critical kudos and sales that the publisher seems to anticipate."

Wow, right? I'm completely blown away.

A Quick Thanks

2011-06-13T09:02:00.002-06:00

Many thanks to the Arlington Heights Public Library for giving "Elliot and the Goblin War" a place on their summer reading list for 3rd and 4th graders. Also on the list is my good friend, Ruth McNally Barshaw, with her adorable and very funny book, "Best Friend's Fur-ever." In fact, you ought to pick that book up first and then if you have any time left this summer, find a copy of "Elliot" and enjoy. And as a reminder, "Elliot and the Pixie Plot" also comes out in August!

http://www.ahml.info/kids/booklists/2011-summer-reading-discover-good-book-3rd-4th-grade

Elliot winner

2011-05-17T13:08:00.003-06:00

Congratulations to Jordan M. who won a copy of Elliot and the Goblin War at the LDS Storymakers Conference held last weekend. I hope you enjoy it, Jordan!

A Tribute to Old Favorites

2011-05-16T08:08:00.002-06:00

I blogged this morning for "From the Mixed Up Files" about five of my very favorite books as a middle grade reader, and how they shaped me as an author today. You can read that post (please do!) right here: http://www.fromthemixedupfiles.com/2011/05/tribute-favorites/

As an adult, I've found it interesting to have the perspective about how certain things from our childhood shape us, and books should certainly be included in that. Looking back, I realize that even if the genre is different, and the characters certainly are, that the themes I write about aren't so different.

I didn't read a lot of humorous books when I was young. For the "Elliot" series, that's my own voice at work. But the danger and adventure Elliot finds along the way is undoubtedly impacted by my early book choices. And for "The False Prince," which comes out next April, the suspense, danger, and intrigue also have some credit due to the authors I loved most as a child.

Stop on by From the Mixed Up Files and leave a comment about the books that shaped you most while you were young!

Plug for Dark Angel Fiction Blog

2011-02-18T12:54:00.003-07:00

I just wanted to give a plug back to the Dark Angel Fiction blog who has kindly cross-posted my Infinite Checklist of Writing Tips, with the added bonus of some of her own excellent advice. If you bypassed my website and want a look at the tips (not to mention a lot of other fantastic content), here's the list.

School Visit Tips

2011-01-27T21:48:00.003-07:00

I’m fresh off of a great trip to Arizona, where between Monday at noon and Wednesday at noon I visited six schools with a total of eight presentations. My thanks to the great city of Gilbert for giving Elliot his own street!

I LOVE doing school visits. I love the kids, their enthusiasm, their questions, and the unpredictability that always comes when working with children. I love bringing them a message I believe in, one that matters.

There’s a lot of advice out there about getting visits to schools, and I’ll probably blog about that eventually. But for those of you who have already booked a school, here are a few tips.

1. Bring a Message. Deciding what to talk about at a school visit can be difficult for some authors. I believe that children can handle more substance than we sometimes give them credit for. The kids will love humor, fun, and play, but they will also love messages with heart and meaning. Every one of us has something we feel passionately about from our own experiences, and when we have a passion for the topic, it’s easy to speak. Even better is if you can link that subject to a theme of your book.

2. Be Funny. While it’s important to have a solid message, it’s also important to have a sense of humor. Some people have a natural sense of humor, but others create humor by using funny pictures, telling kid-level jokes, wearing funny costume pieces, or involving the kids in a funny demonstration. Now let’s be honest, not everyone has a sense of comedy for a children’s audience. If that’s the case with you, then at least find a way to have fun up there. If you’re having fun, then they’ll have fun.

3. Speak to the Children. Not at Them. Speaking at the children isn’t much different than speaking at a wall, and it won’t have any more impact than if you were talking to a wall. Some presenters find it intimidating at first to look directly at the children they are speaking to, but if you force yourself to do it a few times, it’ll become natural. Look at their faces. Are they watching you? Are they listening or is their attention wandering? Children live in the moment and if you get in tune with them you will sense when they’re becoming bored or when they’re connecting with you, then you adjust your presentation accordingly.

4. Be Interactive. Find ways to involve the children in your presentation. Ask questions, get volunteers, use their input, take questions from them. Find ways to utilize their senses. If they are only listening to you, they won’t last long unless you are really vibrant in your presentation. The one caution I would give is when you allow them to participate, it’ll generate some noise from them. Be sure to have a plan for how you get their attention back on you when you’re ready to move on. There are dozens of ways to do this. For ideas, watch what teachers do.

5. Move. A person who stands in one place to present will eventually become invisible to the children. Move with purpose, but be sure to move. If the school provides you with a podium, ignore it completely or stand to the side of it, but never hide behind it. If there is a stage that places you several feet higher than the children, stand on the ground level (unless it’s the only way for everyone to see you). If they give you a microphone with a stand, make sure you can remove the microphone and carry it with you.

***Bonus Tip *** I come from a theater background, so I always look at school presentations as a type of theater. If you are nervous or unsure about yourself in front of an audience, consider approaching the presentation “in character.” Maybe you, Jane Author, are nervous and unsure, but your character, Jane SuperAuthor, is confident, enthusiastic, and fabulous. Sometimes the idea of being in character provides a buffer that allows an author to come out of their introvert shell.

Funny Thank You's From Kids

2011-01-22T19:02:00.002-07:00

Every so often when I go on school visits I get some thank you notes, or else a student will send me an email to tell me about their own writing. Here are some excerpts of my favorites:

* “You should get paid for your book because of how cool it is.” - J.T.

- Thanks, J.T. I agree!

* “I enjoyed when you taught us about characters. Now I am probably going to go home and write. You have inspired me.” - M.K.

- I hope you will write, M.K.

* “I love, love, love, LOVE your books. Or I probably will when I read them.” – S.S.

- Hopefully you’ll still love them after you read them, S.S.

* “I want to read your book so bad. Usually I wouldn’t read those books, but I might take a chance with you.” - B.W.

- Live the wild life, B.W.

* “The antagonist in my book will be named Jennifer and she’s mean. Not that you’re mean, you’re very nice. I just like the name Jennifer.” – K.P.

- No no, I can be mean. Let me be a character in your book!

* “I’d like to get your series but I don’t think we have enough money because I have like 15 books to read already.” - K.K.

- When you get through them, consider “Elliot” for #16. Deal?

* “You are an amazing author and I’ve never even heard of you.” - E.M.

- E.M., are you by chance friends with S.S. above?

* “All my life I have wanted to be famous. Since I am a dance I have thought about auditioning for a traveling group, but I think it might be funner to be a writer.” - D. C.

- Do them both. I’m a writer and also a pro at the laundry.

* “I read your book too fast. When’s the next one?” - K.M.

- Elliot and the Pixie Plot will be out in May. I hope you read it slower this time.

* “I wrote a book too. Can you give me the address of where to send it to be published?” – P.C.

- Hmmm. Where to start…

Keep `em coming kids!

Feeling Like a Writing Failure? Reasons to be Grateful For It.

2010-11-25T14:23:00.003-07:00

For me, getting published didn’t happen overnight. It didn’t happen in a week or a year or even five years. It didn’t happen with my first manuscript, or my second, or my fifth. I have failed in every way it’s possible to fail while trying to break into the publishing business.

I now have a book just released with five more on the way. It’s still the beginning of my career, with (fingers crossed) more to come after that.

Michael Jordan said, “I have failed over and over and over in my life, and that is why I succeed.” So today, I am thankful for all the failures that preceded this.

In light of that story, I think of what is probably the most difficult part of a writer’s career: dealing with failure. It’s a good day to be grateful for it. Why?

1. Failure toughens you up. Writing is a difficult business, for everyone at every level. In some ways, it gets even more difficult the higher you climb in your writing career, the more success you obtain, because there are more people watching. Learning to survive the little failures that come early in a writer’s career thickens your skin, toughens you up for when the battles get larger, and the blows strike deeper into your ego– and they will.

2. Failure teaches you patience. The publishing industry is a slow moving ship. Experiencing the long waits between agent or publisher responses, working and reworking a manuscript to improve it, and learning how to manage the demands of life while wanting to withdraw into the world of your story, these are all lessons that prepare you for the realities of publishing after you sign the contract.

3. Failure makes you a better writer. Most published writers look back with gratitude that their first manuscript wasn’t published. Those who experienced instant success often express their regrets that they can’t go back now and improve their writing now. If you turn in a manuscript and it’s rejected, the wise writer will pick up that manuscript and study it again with an honest eye. It’s so easy to blame external factors: the editor can’t spot talent, nobody can get an agent these days unless they’re already published, the only stuff that gets published these days is drivel anyway. If you can avoid making excuses, then you can look at the real reasons you were rejected, fix those issues, and then emerge better at your craft than ever before.

4. Failure helps you bond with other writers. Published authors love to share their war stories. How many times that particular manuscript was rejected. How an agent who rejected them a year earlier just offered to sign them. How they got the worst review since the middle ages. Once you break into the business, you will want to be that author too. You will want to have a war story to share, so make it a good one.

5. Failure keeps you grounded. Once you begin to hear “yes” from agents and editors, there will be many things that can inflate your ego. People will praise your writing, celebrate your successes, admire your book cover, and tell you how wonderful you are. Amidst all of that, a little failure now and then – a low Amazon ranking, a bad review, an editor’s rejection – keeps you grounded and reminds you that while a “yes” is great, it’s still only one “yes.” Nobody is so safe in their career that they are immune from getting a “no” just around the corner. So stay humble and keep moving forward.

6. Failure keeps you choosing to write. Failing at something isn’t usually something we choose. As writers, that choice is with the agent, the editor, the contest judge, or the reviewer, and we often have little control over the reasons why we failed. However, we have total control over our response to the failure. I’m convinced that we’ve never truly failed until we give up. Everything else is just a temporary setback. So each time you receive a failure, try again and try harder. Try until you do succeed. Because each time you choose to try, you choose to continue being a writer. This is a tough business. The only people who should be in it are those who have chosen to be here, not only despite their failures, but because they have failed and choose to continue writing anyway.

So today, give a little thanks for the failures that got you as far as you are now. No matter where you are in your career, if you use those failures to help you, you will be further ahead tomorrow.

Elliot and the Pixie Plot Cover

2010-11-14T16:25:00.004-07:00

The illustrator for the "Elliot" series is an artist named Gideon Kendall, who in my opinion is the artistic equivalent of Zeus. So I'm very excited to present the cover for Book 2, ELLIOT AND THE PIXIE PLOT.

In Book 2, Elliot is kidnapped to the Underworld by a mischievous Pixie named Fidget Spitfly. The only way she will send him home again is if he's able to get a sock from the evil Demon Kovol without getting earth destroyed. If that's not enough trouble, Elliot hasn't finished his science project yet.

As a teaser, here's a brief excerpt:

An entire floor of St. Phobics Hospital for Really Scared Children has been set aside just for readers of this book. If you are about to begin reading, then you may wish to take a minute first and reserve yourself a bed there. St. Phobics Hospital is located right on the strip in Las Vegas, one of the brightest places on earth. You may not understand why that’s important now, but somewhere in chapter 18 you will.

As you read, you may begin to understand myctophobia (mic-to-fo-be-a), or the fear of darkness. However, do not expect this book to help you with arachibutyrophobia (a-rak-i-something-be-a), the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth. There is no peanut butter in this book. Elliot’s family is out of peanut butter and probably won’t buy any for another month. Nor does this book deal in any way with zemmiphobia (just show the word to your teacher and she’ll pronounce it for you), the fear of the great mole rat, although most readers will agree that great mole rats are pretty freaky.

If you can’t get yourself to St. Phobics Hospital, then there are things you can do at home to protect yourself. First, get every lamp, flashlight, and lantern you can find, and drag them into your bedroom. Turn them all on. Not bright enough? Before we go any further, it is very important, no matter how afraid you are of the dark, that you never, ever light a fire in your bedroom to try to make it brighter. A fire won’t give you that much more light, and it will probably burn your house down. A much better idea is to go to a baseball field and ask the owners if you can borrow all of their field lights for your bedroom. You’ll need them until you’re certain there is nothing in the dark that is going to try to kill you.

At least that’s what Elliot wishes he had done.

ELLIOT AND THE PIXIE PLOT will be released on May 2, 2011. I am already excited!

Jen

Young Adult Character Chart

2010-11-03T12:04:00.003-06:00

In a perfect world, I'd be able to figure out how to make a downloadable pdf of this file, but in the meantime, feel free to copy and paste. There are a lot of good character charts out there for writers, but few that I felt were very thorough for children or YA characters, so here's the one I use.

Young Adult/Middle Grade Fantasy Character Chart:

Full name ___________________________________ Nickname ___________________

Physical Appearance

Age Height Weight Eye Color Glasses?

Hair color and description

Looks more like: Mom Dad Grandparent Other

Most distinctive physical trait

Any deformities or handicaps?

General health?

Circle all that apply for appearance only: Strong Weak Imposing Squatty Ugly

Memorable Forgettable Striking Bright-eyed Sloppy Neat

Fashionable Dated Rebellious Trendy Skinny Fat

Bookish Attractive Strange Sickly Arrogant Shy

Add any other descriptions

Family

Parents’ names

Living? Are they involved in character’s life?

Does character live with parents? Why/not?

Parenting/discipline style?

Circle all that apply for this character’s parents: Passive Involved Patient

Understanding Impatient Cruel Strict Loving

Helpful Selfish Worried Tolerant Judgmental

Sentimental Traditional Dictatorial Weak Overwhelmed

Add any other descriptions

Siblings and ages

What is the character’s relationship with each sibling?

Does the character fit in with his family or stand out?

Which family member has the best chance of succeeding in life?

Which family member has the least chance?

Is this a functional or dysfunctional family?

Circle any description that fits the family in general, regardless of whether your character

is like them or not: Ambitious Humorous Spoiled Hard Working

Lazy Kind Intelligent Wealthy

Powerful Strange Cruel

If your character is an orphan, complete the following:

At what age was your character orphaned? Did he know his parents?

Who has taken on the parent role, if anyone?

Did the parent role person want the care of your character?

Does your character feel connected to a family?

How would your character have been different if he had not been orphaned?

Emotional/Mental Health

What makes your character saddest?

What would make/makes your character happiest at the start of the story?

What is the greatest threat to your character’s happiness?

What makes him angry?

To your character, what is unjust?

Is your character prepared for what will happen in the story?

What will be the hardest thing for him to overcome internally to make it through the

story?

What is his greatest strength? Weakness?

Does your character understand his own strengths and weaknesses?

What flaw most threatens your character’s success in life?

What is the worst thing that could happen to your character?

What is he afraid of? Is it a realistic fear?

What will the reader understand about the character that he does not know?

At the beginning of the story, is your character in stress?

How does he handle stress?

Does he experience any physical reactions to stress?

Is your character generally in control of his life? If not, how does he react to that?

Is your character prone to any of the following: Depression Anxiety

Obsessive/Compulsive acts Substance use Pervasive anger

Rule-breaking Suicidal thoughts Dishonesty

Posttraumatic behavior Hyperactivity Narcissism

Circle any words that describe your character’s emotional and mental state at the

beginning of the story: Happy Sad Angry Calm

Stressed Nervous Eager Controlled Patient

Worried Hopeful Afraid Satisfied Dissatisfied

Cocky Confident Warm Cold Idealistic

Realistic Pessimistic Bored Restless Overwhelmed

Add any other descriptions

Strengths/Weaknesses

What are your character’s greatest talents?

What is something your character wishes he were better at?

What is a strength your character has that he is not yet aware of?

What is something your character can do that few around him can do as well?

Is there any strength your character has that he would consider a weakness?

What is something your character is good at that has absolutely nothing to do with the

plot?

What is your character not good at doing (an activity)?

What in his personal character is flawed?

If there is anything that might make your character fail, what is it?

Does your character see any of these personal traits as weaknesses?

Is he aware of his flaws?

Is he capable of overcoming these weaknesses, or will these always be his flaws?

What flaw is obvious to the reader that the character is not aware of?

What is a weakness your character has that has absolutely nothing do to with the plot?

Fantasy Elements

Does your character live in a magical world? Does he have magical ability? What is it?

How does having magic affect your character’s personality?

Is magic a good thing for your character?

Does your character have a relationship with any mythical creatures? Is that typical for

his peers? Does this relationship affect who he is?

Goals and Dreams

More than anything, what does your character want?

What prevents him from getting it?

If your character got what he wants, would he be as happy as he expects?

Is it possible for your character to get what he wants?

Is your character’s plan to get what he wants an organized plan or a vague goal?

What would your character’s dream life be?

Is it a realistic dream?

If your character got his dream, would he be happy?

Chutes and Ladders

2010-10-17T20:08:00.003-06:00

We all know that being an author is a brutal career choice, a “kiss you and kick you” business. I had (naively) anticipated that the worst of that came before the publishing offer. But with the launch of my debut book, Elliot and the Goblin War, only a few weeks old, I’m learning that was only the beginning.

It’s like the game of Chutes and Ladders we played as children. Move forward a square or two at a time. Occasionally you get a little ladder, sometimes almost to the top. Then you get a slide, sometimes almost back to the bottom.

So…

You write a manuscript. Unlike your previous attempts, this one is coherent. Maybe even good. Advance a square.

Advance one square for each critiquer who gives it a thumbs up.

Submit to agents. Get a nibble? That’s a one-row ladder. Get a bite? That’s a two-row ladder.

Agent subsequently rejects. That’s a chute almost back to the beginning.

Eventually you get an agent. Same routine now with the publishers, except the ladders are bigger, and the chute won’t take you back to row 1.

The publisher makes an offer. Depending on the publisher and the terms, it could be a one row or a ten row ladder. But it’s definitely a ladder.

Good editors, good cover art, good publicity: all squares forward.

But maybe your editor leaves to another house and the replacement has no passion for your work. Maybe your cover looks bland and uninteresting. Maybe the total publicity you get for your book is a signing at your local bookstore, if that. All chutes.

The book is released. It feels like it should be a ladder, but it’s really not. It’s a square forward. A terrific, amazing square, but just a square. And no, not the last square.

Good reviews are squares forward, great reviews are little ladders. Bad reviews aren’t necessarily chutes, though they’ll feel that way.

Amazon rankings are will feel like an endless loop of chutes or ladders, recalculated every hour. Which bookstores stock your book? How is it placed? Spine out or cover out? Are you getting any awards or nominations? Are you on anyone’s lists? How many Goodreads bookshelves is your book sitting on? Are you mentioned in anyone’s blogs or tweets? Probably you have a mixed answer to this, meaning that you’re going up ladders and down chutes multiple times per day.

Someone sends an email that they love your book. A bookstore sold out of its copies and has to order more. You have a successful signing. A school somewhere not only invites you for a visit, but prepares for your visit. You earn out your advance. Your editor asks to see your next WIP. Squares forward.

And so wherever we are in our journey, the reality is we’re all playing a game. We think we know what that last square will be, but the fact is, that last square is a shifting goal, raising ever higher and more ambitious. And for the most part, it happens one square at a time. There’s an occasional ladder and yes, an occasional chute. But whatever comes, we roll the dice again, and continue climbing.

Launch Party!

2010-10-11T09:27:00.011-06:00

A big thank you goes to all the family and friends who attended the launch party for “Elliot and the Goblin War” on Saturday. We sold out of books (all those ordered in plus my 13 remaining authors copies), except for one book my in-laws didn’t buy because they wanted the store to have at least one left in stock. That was just amazing to me. So many people came forward wanting to buy multiple copies. Wow!

The cake was made by Dick’s Bakery just down the street from Fire Petal Bookstore, where our event was held. Dick’s is a longtime favorite of mine, but they really outdid themselves here.They replicated the book with a separate smaller cake on top of the cake I ordered, then used edible images from the book on the cake. It was so beautiful I couldn’t cut into it, so I left to go sign books and let someone else do it.

My apologies to everyone who had long waits in line and I thank you for your patience. It was great to see old friends, fun to make some new ones, and awesome to receive the support of family. My gratitude to Fire Petal Bookstore for your assistance and your smiles despite the chaos.

If anyone missed the event and still wants a book signed, I’ll be signing at the Barnes and Nobles near the fountains at the Gateway Mall on Friday, October 15 from 2-4 pm.

More pictures of the launch are below.

Highlights from Oprah’s JK Rowling Interview

2010-10-04T09:18:00.005-06:00

Something about JK Rowling has always been fascinating to me. Maybe it’s knowing her roots or looking at how connected she still is to her roots, maybe it’s having watched how she handled the perils of instant worldwide fame with such class, or maybe because I love the Harry Potter books and it’s fun to know more about the author behind that series.

Rowling’s Harry Potter series has sold over 400 million copies in 69 languages and 200 countries around the world. Book 7, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is the fastest-selling book of all time with 8.3 million copies sold in its first 24 hours. Oprah credited her with doing more for literacy than anyone else on the planet.

So I really looked forward to her interview with Oprah. Though I’m not a big Oprah fan, there are few people who do meaningful interviews as well as her. And I think there were some excellent things said. A few highlights:

* About failure: “Failure is so important. We speak about success all the time. It is the ability to resist failure or use failure that often leads to greater success. I’ve met people who don’t want to try for fear of failing.”

* Also on failure: “I’ve often met people who are terrified – you know, in a straitjacket of their own making – because they’d rather do anything than fail. They don’t want to try for fear of failing. [Hitting] rock bottom wasn’t fun at all – I’m not romanticizing rock bottom – but it was liberating. What did I have to lose?”

* Describing her lessons following the failure of her first marriage: “I am proud that it taught me that I had a strong survival instinct. I had a very tiny baby and walked right into poverty and depression. I did a lot of thinking after that marriage ended.” She also said that she would do the marriage all over again, if only because it gave her Jessica, her daughter.

* Oprah and Rowling discussed Michael Jackson who spent the balance of his career “chasing the phenomenon” of Thriller, a tragedy in itself. Rowling said she was content with her success: “I am proud that I did it [Potter], but this is a new phase.”

* Does Rowling feel she has to top Harry?: “No, people don’t ask me that. They tell me that. I really truly don’t think that. It was amazing, it was insane at times. I am so grateful I had it on so many levels. I love the people who read the books. I dedicated part of the last book to them – the ones who have stayed with Harry the whole time."

* On happiness, she references Dumbledore’s words to Harry: “'The happiest man alive would be able to look into the mirror and see himself exactly as he is.’ I’d have to say I am pretty close [to that].”

* On the death of Rowling’s mother: “The books wouldn’t be what they are if she hadn’t died. At least half of Harry’s journey is dealing with death. It’s there on every single page. If she hadn’t died I don’t think it is too strong to say there wouldn’t be Harry Potter.”

* On her confidence in the success of the series: “I had this moment where I suddenly thought – it was like another voice speaking to me – and the voice said: ‘The difficult thing is going to be to get published. If it’s published, it will be huge. And that is exactly what it was.”

* On the day of 9/11 she emailed her editor, Arthur Levin, who responded to her almost immediately. The last line of the response read: “And they say we shouldn’t teach children about evil.”

* Rowling said the great gift money has given her is freedom from worry: If you’ve ever been there, you will never, ever take for granted that you don’t need to worry. Never.”

* On fame, Rowling compared herself being one of the Beatles: “Except there were four Beatles, so they could turn to each other and say, ‘My God, this is crazy.’ I couldn’t turn to anyone. So the pressure was insane…I kept saying to people, ‘I’m coping, I’m coping.’ But the truth was, there were times when I was barely hanging on by a thread.”

* On love: Love wins. It does win; we know it wins. When the person dies, love isn’t turned off like a faucet. It is an amazingly resilient part of us.”

* On whether she will continue writing: “Oh God, definitely. I literally I can’t stop. You could tie my hands to my sides. I need it for my mental health. I can’t stop.”

15 Banned Books I'm Glad I read

2010-10-03T11:25:00.008-06:00

This is no slight on other books on the banned books list. These are just the ones I've read and loved.

1. Animal Farm by George Orwell

The most powerful political book I ever read. I think evidence of its theory is everywhere in the world today where there are some people who are more equal than others.

2. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

This was my absolute favorite book when I was growing up. I still have full sections of the text memorized from having read it so often.

3. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

Another of my childhood favorites, and I couldn’t wait until my children were old enough that I could put it in their hands. Again, the concept of thought control was ingrained in me during my formative years.

4. Harry Potter series by JK Rowling

To me, the whole irony is that the main reason this was challenged in schools is the exact opposite of the final message of the books.

5. 1984 by George Orwell.

This book scared the bejeebers out of me when I read it as a teenager, particularly the controls of speech and thought. In some respects I think society has long surpassed this book.

6. My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok

A teacher handed me this book when I was a junior after she discovered I had already read every other book in her usual curriculum. I devoured its contents and remember the feeling of finally closing the last page.

7. Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Brilliant story, haunting, a must read.

8. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

It was one of the first “grown up” books I read, and did an amazing job of balancing tense subject matters with fabulous humor.

9. Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan

Lois Duncan was one of my favorite authors while growing up. I’d read anything of hers, especially if there was something in it someone found objectionable.

10. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

There’s something about this story that keeps me near it always. Sad and amazing.

11. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson.

This was one of my favorite books as a child and I still love it. Beautiful, beautiful story.

12. The Giver by Lois Lowry

This book helped me form a lot of the thoughts and opinions I still have today.

13. How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell

Excellent book with excellent themes and a great message for children

14. Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut

The only reason I read this book is because it was banned. My form of teenage rebellion. Got to the end and never could figure out why it had been banned.

15. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, A Separate Peace by John Knowles

Okay, I didn’t actually love these books, but I’m very glad I read them. How about you? What are your favorite banned books?

Things I've Learned So Far

2010-09-22T07:12:00.005-06:00

It wasapproximately 18 months ago when I first got an agent and subsequently signed the contract for "Elliot and the Goblin War." At the time, looking forward, I thought it would take forever to get to this point, days until the book's official release. Since it's early and nobody in my house is awake other than the dog, I've become pensive about things I've learned over the last 18 months.

1. Time Moves Quickly

Yeah, this should be obvious but it wasn't t

o me. I'm so glad for everything I did in preparation throughout the last year and a half and so frustrated with myself for not having done more. I didn't realize that there would be enough work to do on things that could only be done in the last few months before a launch (scheduling school visits and signings, planning the launch party, blog tours) that anything else I hadn't done was going to be troublesome.

2. Relationships Matter

Personal relationships matter: old high school friends, extended family, new friendships. There are people in my social circle who are bending over backwards to try to help promote the book, or contacting their school to see if I could come visit, or purchasing books for every child they know and asking their friends to do the same. Online relationships matter too. They are cheerleaders when there's good news and offer sage advice when I need opinions from people who have been where I'm at now.

3. Talk About the Book

This is hard for most authors, and certainly for me too. In a perfect world, people would discover the book entirely on their own and solicit me for signings, visits, and lectures (oh, and world peace too in a perfect world, I suppose). As it is, I'm a debut author in a marketplace with a lot of great books that deserve to be picked up and read as much as mine. There are people in my own neighborhood who still don't know I'm releasing a book - how do I expect others to know it's there unless I talk about it?

4. School Visit Letters are Like Queries

I don't even dare estimate how many query letters I've written over the last several years, but it's been enough to know how to do them inside and out. I was nervous to begin contacting schools to see if they were interested in having me come visit. Guess what? It's really no different than writing a query letter.

5. Every Past Experience Prepares You for Now

Just like queries prepared me for soliciting school visits, o

ther experiences before I got the contract are helping me now. Those pitch meetings at writer's conferences helped me learn to talk about my writing in a succinct, interesting way. Having to network with other writers taught me to network now with booksellers and librarians. Receiving rejection letters early in my career toughened me up should I receive a bad review. I didn't know this years ago, but I'm so glad now to have gone through that amateur process.

6. Publishing Really is a Small World

The more people I meet in the industry, the more I'm glad to have conducted myself so far in a professional way. "Elliot" isn't my only existing book contract, and there are people I'm working with at one house who know people in the other house. There are people I've already worked with who've since moved on to other houses, editors I've submitted to but later turned down for other offers.

7. Think Different

I've done the standard stuff to prepare for the book release: I have a website, I Twitter, I do bookplates and bookmarks and bought pens in the color of the book cover. What's gotten my publisher most excited though are some labels my husband made for promotions. There's Goblin Repellent labels for water bottles and Turnip Juice labels for juice bottles. The publisher has asked for labels they can put on bottles and send out. Children have asked if they can have one. It did cost some money to print up the labels, and the bottles aren't free but they're a lot cheaper than a lot of other publicity things I've seen.

8. Meet Locals in the Industry

In Utah where I live, there is a very strong children's literature community. I've met several wonderful authors here. They've connected me with others I might not have met on my own, with local booksellers, writing instructors, conference planners. All people who can and are helping me begin to build my own career.

9. Keep Writing

Although "Elliot" is the book at the top of my mind, there always has to be new writing in progress. It's not this book that matters most to my career. It's the next book, because without a next book, my career stalls.

10. I Still Know Nothing

The old adage is true: The more I learn, the more I realize how little I know. Yep. The closer I get to the release the more I am certain that I haven't got a clue about anything. So I'll post again in another year when there's a couple more books and a lot more experience under my belt. Chance are, everything I think I know now will be wrong.

The Book is Here!

2010-09-21T08:43:00.003-06:00

It's like Christmas.

For the past eighteen months since I signed the contract for "Elliot and the Goblin War," it's been all anticipation. Great things.

Seeing an edited manuscript. Seeing cover art, internal art. Reading blurbs. Book 1 sold to a Turkish publisher. All great things.

But today it's Christmas.

If I'd known the nice UPS man was coming today with my books I'd have rolled out the red carpet for him, offered him a cookie or something while I opened the package to show him what was inside. As it was, I was hurrying out the door for errands, running late, and hurriedly took the package which was certain to be for the husband since I hadn't ordered anything. When I saw my name on it, I knew, and all the errands fell away.

So I'm thrilled to announce that I have my author's copies in hand, which means it can't be that many more days until they start to appear on bookshelves everywhere. They're also available online at Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/2b3t5jp

I also want to share a little of my Christmas with a blog visitor. So go ahead and leave a comment - any comment - and it'll put you into a drawing to win a free signed copy of the book.

Where Inspiration Begins

2010-09-13T08:50:00.002-06:00

A common question writers get is, “Where do you get the ideas for your stories?”

Stephanie Meyer had a dream that inspired “Twilight.” JK Rowling had an image of a boy wizard pop into her head while riding a train. Rick Riordan wanted a story for his AD/HD son.

So many people I meet claim they have an “idea for a great story.” It may not be fleshed out, but the seed is there. So there doesn’t seem to be anything unique about getting the idea. It’s what happens after that first prompt that defines a writer.

Every day is full of inspiration if the writer opens their life to those prompts. Maybe not the idea for the next blockbuster book (although who’d object to that, right?), but more often the little things.

Yesterday I was on a walk up in the mountains, on a road where I’d never been before. Aspen trees shivered in the breeze, beams of sunlight lit the road, and birds chirped as they flew overhead. Pretty Thomas Kinkade-esque, really. I’d been walking for a while, up to the point where it was really time to turn back, and yet the next bend in the road beckoned.

Just see what’s on the other side, it called. So I’d walk to the bend and not far ahead the road would curve again. The lure of where that road might ultimately end was tempting enough to have taken me much further than I’d planned to go.

At one point it occurred to me that this was something the main character of the series I’m currently writing would do. He would follow the road, just out of curiosity, only in his world it would lead to getting him into some sort of trouble.

That detail may never make it into a story, but it’s something new I understand about him. And understanding that helps me understand his behavior in other circumstances. It also leads me to ask the next question, “What would he find around the bend that would cause him trouble?”

And that’s how inspiration happens.

Open your mind to ideas, to prompts, to moments, both the large and small. They are everywhere if you put yourself out there. And they are the moments that stories are built upon.

Website Up

2010-08-19T13:41:00.002-06:00

With many thanks to the brilliant husband, my website is up and running! Find me at www.jennielsen.com, which oddly enough will link back to this blog, sending you in an endless, dizzying circle.

Such are the hazards of the Internet, I suppose.

The website will probably evolve as more books are released, but until then, I'd love for you to check it out and let me know what you think!

Writing for Charity Event

2010-08-03T21:28:00.000-06:00

Are you an…

Aspiring Children’s Book Writer?

On August 21, 2010, come spend a day with Utah’s nationally published children’s authors and illustrators! Get your picture book, middle-grade, or YA manuscript critiqued, and learn about the craft and business of publishing from the best writers in the state. New York editors and agents are asking why so many good writers are coming out of Utah. Come and find out. Your registration fee will buy a book for each child in a classroom! All-day workshop price is $60, which includes lunch.

Help us put books in the hands of Utah kids!

Not an aspiring writer but want to help?

Come to an evening extravaganza on August 21^st with performances by Divine Comedy, Nancy Hanson, and a panel of celebrity Utah authors including Brandon Mull, James Dashner, and Bree Despain. Raffle prizes and a silent auction that will astound you! Price is $10 per ticket, $25 per family. Every penny goes toward putting books in the hands of underprivileged Utah kids!

To register, donate, or for more information, visit: www.writingforcharity.com

A BOOK FOR EVERY CHILD CHARITY EVENT

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Waterford School Performing Arts Bldg, #800

1700 East 9550 South Sandy, UT 84093

What To Do While You’re Waiting

2010-07-30T10:35:00.001-06:00

Publishing is a slow moving boat. Writing the novel takes a while, but at least you’re in control of that process. Then you…wait for your critiquers. After revisions, you begin submitting to agents and….wait. Agent submits to publishers and you…wait. Publisher likes it but has to take it to acquisition meetings so you…wait. Wait while agent negotiates the contract. Wait for revision notes from the editor. Wait as the long, slow process of producing the book evolves. Wait for reviews, blurbs. Wait for release day.

Here is just a small list of ideas a writer can do while they wait.

1. Start another book. Hey, why not? I sold another series while waiting for Book 1 of my first series. Now I’m waiting on that series. Might start another one.

2. Buy some ice cream for when it’s time to celebrate.

3. Buy some ice cream in case you need consolation.

4. Eat the ice cream while you’re waiting. Heck, you can always buy more.

5. Get on Twitter. You can lose a lot of time that way.

6. Browse peopleofwalmart.com. You won’t care how much time you waste there.

7. Depending on where you are in the process, do a “peripheral” writing task, i.e. work on your own revisions, build your blog following, make a publicity plan, create an Amazon author page, etc.

8. Harass your kids about whatever they’re not doing. They’ll be so glad when you get back to writing!

9. If you’re in the agent query phase, do not wait. Always have something in every stage of the query process.

10. Every time you check your email for a response, do twenty pushups. It won’t speed up the response time, but you’ll look great (and it’ll counteract some of that ice cream)!

11. Read everything you can get your hands on. There will come a point in your career where this is far more difficult.

12. Make a plan for how you’ll celebrate if the news from your waiting time comes back positive.

13. Make a plan for how much money you’ll spend at the mall if the news from your waiting time comes back negative.

14. Clean something. Or if you’re a guy, repair something.

15. Study up on your writing craft. You’re bound to learn something you did wrong which will no doubt make your wait even that much more anxious (anxious = exciting?).

16. Do critique work for another writer. Critiquing improves your own writing.

17. Get lost in a bookstore.

18. Google the agent/editor/publisher/reviewer, etc. Again, it won’t speed up the process but it will make you feel you’re doing something worthwhile.

19. Write something completely unrelated to your project: a poem, a short story, a full length Broadway musical.

20. Do a blog post on what to do while you wait. Because yes, I am…waiting. I hope to have some news soon.

Why I Write Fantasy

2010-07-12T05:59:00.002-06:00

I blogged today at The Enchanted Inkpot briefly about how I came to write fantasy and why I choose to write in the fantasy genre. http://community.livejournal.com/enchantedinkpot/

Ever Had This Happen?

2010-05-26T16:16:00.001-06:00

I tend to have a pretty firm visual concept for my main characters. A lot of times I use pictures that I find online or in magazines to help me. I did that with Sage, the character from my Orphan Prince series with Scholastic. Not always though. Elliot, in the Underworld series, was only ever in my head until the illustrator brought him to life.

It doesn’t matter though. Because either way, the visual is so strong I feel like I would actually recognize them if I saw them on the street.

Well, it happened. I saw Sage.

Granted, it probably wasn’t him. I’m willing to concede that based on the fact that he’s a character I made up. And yet, while I was sitting in an airport in Jamaica last week, a kid with a remarkable resemblance to him was at the counter next to me.

He’d had his hair braided for vacation, but a girl with him had some pictures on her iphone of him before he had it braided and it was the right length and style (yes, I admit that I peeked). His eyes were slightly narrower than Sage’s would be, but his smile, height, and build were spot on. His attitude seemed to be a little friendlier than Sage’s, but I told myself that if Sage had spent a week vacationing in Jamaica, he’d probably be a little friendlier too.

In a remarkable twist of fate (or the fact that there aren’t that many flights from Jamaica at any one time), he was on the same flight home (two rows in front of me), so I had ample opportunity to rudely stare. I tried not to be too obvious, but it was just so…strange.

I was seeing someone who could have been a character in my book. And I wished I could have introduced myself, just to explain that despite all evidence to the contrary, I wasn’t a crazy stalker. But somehow, I think the explanation would have made things worse.

He and his family disappeared sometime after customs and I continue to work on furthering Sage’s adventures. But wherever he is, it’s enough for me to know that somewhere in the world, my main character is alive and well.

Erin Murphy Agency Retreat, Pt 3

2010-05-13T07:32:00.003-06:00

Day 3, Saturday

Our morning group session began with a focus on revision tips. Here are some of the highlights:

* Take risks in revision.

* Hang on to the vision for the whole story, even if it means sacrificing individual elements.

* Trust is a big part of the revision process. If you trust the person giving suggestions, trust their opinion.

* The author has final say in a revision. Consider the suggestion but don’t feel the it’s mandatory.

* Remember that kids are very savvy readers. They will notice flaws.

* If you won’t fix the flawed parts, the whole won’t be good.

* If you want to become a better writer, ask for heavy edits.

* Even as a professional writer, it’s a good idea to occasionally take classes

* “Avoid the stranglehold of ego.” (Don’t remember who said it, but it was brilliant)

For lunch, the ladies who are clients of Joan’s went to lunch. That was excellent and we continued the conversation about revision with one client who has an editorial letter the size of the Sears Tower. It was interesting to hear the challenges she faces and her strategies for managing them.

Since it was my last full day, I used the balance of the afternoon to gather a few souvenirs for the kids, and some Garrett’s caramel Popcorn for a friend. A local in line beside me said I was lucky that it was only a 45-minute wait in line. She said she’s waited much longer, and it’s still worth it. The question crosses my mind as I walk back to the hotel that there’s no way to fit two large bags of popcorn in my already full carry on suitcase.

Everyone went for a nice dinner at the hotel that evening. I got the salmon, which was terrific. I sat at a table and peppered the more experienced authors with questions about school visits, book promotion, and other tips. It was one of the most helpful times of the weekend, getting to ask people who really know what they are talking about for advice I specifically needed.

I went to bed exhausted, but completely energized to return home as a refreshed, restocked author. I have promotion to plan for Elliot and the Goblin War, revisions for Book 3 of Elliot, and writing for Book 2 of Orphan Prince.

The retreat next year will be in Austin. I can already hardly wait!

Erin Murphy Agency Retreat, Pt 2B

2010-05-10T20:09:00.005-06:00

Day 2, Friday afternoon

After morning meetings, the group divvied out into smaller groups according to interest. I trailed behind (a.k.a. stalked) a group heading south along the Millennium Mile until one of the agency writers and locals, Penny Blubaugh, took pity on me and helped me get to an afternoon meeting with my Sourcebooks publicist, Paul Samuelson.

Paul and I met for lunch at a Corner Bakery where I had an Asian salad (calorie count unknown but it was yummy so who cares?). I asked to sit outside since it was quieter but totally forgot the “less windy” aspect. Paul was very nice about having to keep all the paperwork he had brought from flying off. (Turns out Chicago is not called the Windy City because it’s windy. Something about all the politicians talking is like a big wind blowing through. Makes sense.)

Paul gave me a quick tutorial on publicity in publishing. He was super helpful, seemed to know just about everything about publicity and particularly how technology is impacting book promotion. In contrast, I think I had some lettuce stuck between my teeth.

After the meeting, since everyone else at the agency had gone off for touring, I was on my own. I found my way up to Millennium Park and thought it was much cooler than our local park where the biggest attraction is a permanent mud puddle. It was a little over a mile to the meeting, and by my best guess, eighty miles back to the hotel. I probably worked off about eight calories though, so all was not lost.

Dinner was on the Lake Michigan beach with a few other of the authors. It was cool and fairly quiet and just perfect. I got a seagull to dare his way almost to my hand in pursuit of some food. Wish I could’ve stayed longer.

The evening event with the agency was amazing. Everyone had a chance to read a couple of pages from their writing. Timing was very important here. I had to make sure I took my turn only after someone who was not phenomenal did their reading. However, it quickly became clear that using this method, I would never have the chance to read. So I took the turn after the break. Even then, I’m not sure I lived up to the quality of the break time chatter. Despite the variety in the writing themes, the quality was wonderful. The only thing that made it okay for someone’s reading to end was that another one was about to begin.

Day 2 Lesson: Work on what you can control: be the best writer you can. Learn to manage the inevitable anxiety for what you can’t control.

Day 2 Goal: Be a much better writer.

Erin Murphy Retreat, Pt 2A

2010-05-08T09:12:00.003-06:00

Day 2, Friday morning

First off, I just have to say that the beds at the Whitehall Hotel are the most comfortable in any hotel where I’ve ever stayed. So it’s completely unfair to require a person ever to get out of one, even for a worthy cause. Sarah and I had stayed up rather late just talking, so the wake up call came far too soon.

Erin graciously provided breakfast on the 19^th floor. I did a quick survey of all the high calories foods, then loaded them onto a plate and proceeded to gain 28 pounds. I figure I’m going to have to eat literally hundreds of those delicious under 400 calories turkey wraps from Einsteins Bagels just to equal out the calories (Not all at once, of course. Even I know that!). It’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.

The morning discussion was great. I want to hit a few highlights:

* Getting into B&N or Borders can be tough. They want to sell the most commercial books. If you can get into Target that’s pretty great too, but not easily done.

* Good reviews and awards do matter. Some librarians will only select books that have received starred reviews. (Kirkus – I think you have my ARC right now. I am willing to send cookies for a good review!)

* Develop a strong relationship with your local indie bookseller. They can be your best friend in selling books for you.

* It’s never too early to work on publicity. Show your publicist what you are willing to do on your own behalf. They are overworked and underappreciated, so anything you can do will help.

* Publishing creates an emotional upheaval. It often creates a situation where your emotions become about external factors (I think I’ll blog specifically about this soon). So regulating your emotions becomes challenging.

* You have no control over 99.5% of what happens to your book after publishing. What you can control is the writing of your next book.

* People have a magical idea of you as an author. Use that to help yourself.

Erin Murphy Retreat, Pt 1

2010-05-07T12:47:00.004-06:00

I’m a few days late in posting this, but it turns out the world doesn’t stop just because I’m out of town. So I came home to a To Do list the length of my living room (Don’t panic. It’s not a very big room). Anyway, here is the wrap up.

Day 1: Thursday

I got in early to the Whitehall Hotel, which had these strange brown fuzzy blankets on them. But they folded up cute and the bed looked comfortable so that was fine. Also, I had a blinking light on my phone, which meant I already had a message waiting for Erin. The message was in my hand, but the light was still blinking. I picked up the phone and pushed a bunch of random buttons. The light stayed on, and I think I ordered room service or something.

Since I knew absolutely nobody who had already arrived and since I’m pretty loyal to my antisocial tendencies, I decided to go out and begin exploring. Exploring large cities is not generally a good idea for me. I can barely get around in my own town, (even though I know the mountains are always to the east). I asked the doorman which way was east and he pointed in the opposite direction as I’d have guessed. Turns out there are no mountains in Chicago.

But I was hungry, since the little cookie on the airplane was insufficient and a sandwich at the hotel would’ve pretty much consumed my trip budget. So it forced me into the wilds of Chicago. I got up to Michigan Avenue without too much trouble (it was 400 feet straight ahead) and debated whether to go left or right. There were fewer people to the left so that’s the way I went. Probably should’ve gone right. Founds a few stores, but the only people who could afford to shop in them are the people who buy sandwiches at my hotel. However, I eventually found an Einsteins Bagels, hardly native food, but it was fast, cheap, and the only other food place around so I went in. Turns out it was the best lunch of my stay – a turkey wrap I chose because it’s under 400 calories, but it was absolutely fantastic. I’m thinking of going back to Chicago so I can get another one. Alternately, I suppose I could just drive to the Einsteins Bagels down the street right now.

After lunch, I found a Borders bookstore (ahhh) and an H&M store just around the corner from my hotel. It was a sign that I should shop there. I love H&M because the clothes are cute and not too expensive. And it was practically mandatory that I buy something because the weather was a lot warmer than what had been forecast, so I hadn’t packed the right clothes. Darn! I have to shop! Well, okay!

A little later I met my roommate, Sarah DeFord Williams, whose brilliant book, Palace Beautiful, was released just a couple of weeks ago. I had been crossing my fingers about my roommate because when you’re sharing a room with someone new, you have to sorta hope they’re not any combination of deranged, Kleptomaniacal, or infused with bodily odors. Turns out, Sarah jumped onto my top ten favorite people list almost immediately. She is one of the nicest, most genuine people I’ve ever met and it was all I could do to keep my deranged, Kleptomaniacal, body-odor infused personality under wraps.

Sarah and I went up to the 19^th floor, where a chorus of chatter and laughter could be heard from inside the elevator seven floors away. Nearly everyone had already arrived and they gave us a warm and cheery welcome.

The first night was all about getting to know each other. I made a few awkward comments, endured the “well aren’t you a strange one?” stares that inevitably followed, and had a great time.

My lesson from Day 1: I am in an agency with two phenomenal, savvy agents and with several of the most talented authors I could ever hope to keep company with.

My goal after Day 1: Be a better writer. Oh, and say fewer awkward things tomorrow.

Interview with Clint Johnson

2010-04-27T09:53:00.003-06:00

I interviewed the fabulous author of the book, "Green Dragon Codex" a few months ago for a blog I participate in, "The Enchanted Inkpot." However, due to space constraints I was not able to post it in its entirety. I happened to come across the full interview when I was finally cleaning out my desktop, so here it is.

You speak about conflict and the story mechanism. Can you briefly explain what that means to you?

Narrative is universal. It crosses culture, geography, and time, which means that it must fulfill some inherent human need that isn’t satisfied through any other mechanism. Stories do something for us—but to achieve that, they have to function. A meaningful story, whether romantic, exciting, tragic, comical, or whatever, must be more than a collection of isolated concepts (characters, setting, plot, etc). These things must work in conjunction to become greater than the sum of their parts, and the fact is that there is a set system in which these parts function. It’s like building an engine—to get the best result you have to follow the blueprint. If you build your story according to this established rhetorical system, you get a good story; if you construct your story’s engine haphazardly or without regard to effect, you get a ream of paper thick with irrelevant words.

So do you believe an author should approach a story with a more systematic approach?

I think all art is creative, expressive, and the result of inspiration; I also believe it is rhetorical and the fruit of plain hard work. It isn’t one or the other. We as writers have a choice: we can be dependent upon our personal Muse, writing via a mystical instinctive process over which we have very little control, or we can try our best to master our creative processes to exert greater influence over our craft, passion, and profession—written story. Organic writers, those who simply “write what comes,” are constrained by natural talent; they’re prisoners of their gifted or not-so-gifted natures. I was afraid I might be in the not-so-gifted category. When I figured out how bad my first book was, I rejected the notion that my writing career would be utterly determined by whatever native talent I possess. I decided to do everything in my power to develop my craftsmanship and skill, because those things I could to some degree control through diligence and hard work. Eventually that led to the realization that story is just as rhetorical as language, and that through education and practice we can improve our skill at both.

What are the main elements of this system?

The main elements of the system are commonly known if not always well understood: conflict (need + opposition + action until resolution) which increases as the story unfolds; rich, specific, and efficient setting and plot made relevant through a strong and unique perspective or point of view (the importance of this is so often overlooked); and emotion, emotion, emotion. The system is so intricate we can never master it, but its basic framework is so simple anyone can learn to craft it if they work at it.

What does conflict achieve in a story?

Conflict is the fuel that makes a well-constructed story run. It is the catalyst that makes story relevant. There is a specific mechanism behind this: conflict forces character action; action reveals deep character; revealed character facilitates the suspension of disbelief; as disbelief decreases, identification rises; identification with characters invests us in stories and allows for vicarious experience on an emotional (relevant) level; we tell stories to communicate and understand our emotions. The very purpose for the existence of story ceases to be without conflict.

This has been known for a long time. Aristotle identified what he called the six dramatic plots: Man vs. Self; Man vs. Man; Man vs. Society; Man vs. Machine; Man vs. Nature; Man vs. Supernatural/God. People debate if some of these are different aspects of the same thing or if there are more plots, but it’s quite a silly debate, really. Note anything common to all of them? Man vs. whatever. That’s story. Put a character in a situation where he or she needs something, something of equal power keeps them from getting it, and the two sides battle to some resolution, and you’ve got a story. If you want your narrative to be relevant to a reader, you can’t escape conflict. When Kurt Vonnegutt taught writing one principle of his instruction was to make your character want something, even if it’s just a glass of water. Conflict is that essential. The narrative machine simply doesn’t work without it.

How does conflict help the reader to connect emotionally with a character?

Characters, if they’re written well, aren’t very different from people. They have routines. They are self-aware and have a good deal of regard for their own comfort and happiness, and will have structured their lives so as not to rock the boat. But how much do we learn about a person by observing their routine? Simply, we don’t.

It’s a long-accepted psychological truth that we all wear masks, and we change our masks according to situation. We pretend to be other than we are to get along without creating friction with others. Very few people get to see us without our psychological masks. To allow people to know who we really are is to risk intimacy, which is dangerous because it bares our hidden emotions, allows us to be deeply hurt and to hurt others in turn, and fosters dependence on other people. The reader of a story needs to see herself in the characters, so intimacy is vital. Conflict is the tool the storyteller uses to rock the boat. It’s how we break characters from the comfortable routine they’ve set; it strips away their masks and shows what’s underneath, all the complex, raw, genuine feelings and motivations that are the substance of our humanity.

So do you believe that breaking down our characters’ masks requires some emotional honesty on the author’s part as well?

Ah, that seems an innocent question, but it has such an important and frightening answer: yes. Let’s be completely honest here, none of us humans is really all that bright. There is infinitely more that we don’t understand than what we do. All our potent science gives us is good cause to believe something; certainty is beyond our grasp. Thus life is one long opportunity and struggle to figure things out better than our current understanding, and our great fixation is ourselves. Everything we do has an element of species-understanding motivating it. We want to know what we are and why we are that way, ultimately because each of us wants to answer that great double faceted question, “Who am I and what is my importance?” We largely look to others to answer that question, primarily through the language of narrative. That’s how we share those inner things that define what it means to be human—not only what things are but what they mean. To do that, to honestly raise your voice in this great conversation, you have to write from truth as you understand it. That means always writing from yourself: your hopes and dreams and fears, your insights and perplexities, your emotive slant on reality. That genuine expression of self, when it finds resonance with another person, is the validation and interconnectivity that we all need to better know and be happy with who we are.

The scary side of this is that our masks are also our shields, and when we take them down we can be hurt. We often observe that artistic personalities are often addictive or otherwise self-damaging as well, and try to understand this frightening correlation. Some believe that you can’t be a great artist without being in some way significantly broken as a human being. Jack London used to say that he considered his writing and his drinking to be the same, two expressions of his fixed character, and believed he couldn’t possibly stop the one without ending the other. I don’t believe this. I don’t accept that artistic sensibilities are the result of a self-destructive nature. I do believe that art is always expression of human longings, confusions, terrors, frustrations, and innumerable other powerful emotions attached to things that we don’t feel we completely understand. To explore these things, to seek to understand and even communicate them to others, means that we can’t ignore or dismiss them. The artist can turn away from the difficult truths and frightening questions like most others do, but chooses not to. But braving these turbulent emotional waters takes a toll. If you want to understand pain, or heartbreak, or rage, or despair, and to communicate that to someone else, you have to go into that shadowy corner yourself. It can be traumatic. Some of us deal with this trauma by destroying ourselves, seeking escape through drugs or other forms of self-mutilating behavior. Others, however, cope by making connections with others, by using our expression—in my case, my writing—to find our reflection in other people. I’m not so frightened of those dark corners when people read my stories, look me in the eye, and say, “I’ve been there too.” We can face truths, horrible as well as beautiful, as long as we don’t have to do so alone.

How does conflict reveal character?

You can watch a young mother at her daughter’s soccer game year after year and never truly know her. Send an out of control car onto the field, and we learn who she is: Does she look around at others, seeking verification that what she’s seeing is real? Does she cover her eyes and start to quote scripture? Does she run out onto the field and pull her child free from harm? Does she run onto the field and pull the coach, a secret lover, from the field, and leave her child alone? Characters besieged by dramatic conflict can’t hide themselves.

You have talked about dramatic conflict stemming from the author discovering what the protagonist needs emotionally. Can you explain that?

When asked how to write a good short story, F. Scott Fitzgerald said, “Find the key emotion; this may be all you need know….” The same is true of any story, accepting more or less emotional frustration and evolution given length. For us to identify with and thus share the emotions of characters, they have to show us who they truly are. They never want to do that, no more than we do. It’s scary and risky and we’re encultured our entire lives not to do it. Can you imagine a society where everyone acted in perfect accord with their feelings? It would be anarchy. All civilized and social beings know this, and this includes our characters. So we as storytellers need a mechanism to propel our characters from the unrevealing comfort of the normal to the revealing dramatic—Joseph Campbell would call it from the natural to the supernatural world. We do this with conflict, and conflict begins with a powerful need. Our protagonist has to need something so desperately it motivates her to act out of character, which when done in an authentic way isn’t out of character at all—it is revealing, not just of character, but of character evolving.

But can’t a character need something that isn’t emotional?

What about Vonnegutt’s glass of water? The simple fact is that all needs are emotional; all wants, even the most transitory—pleasure—are emotional as well. That which invokes in a person no emotion is irrelevant, truly without meaning. So whatever a character needs, be it a physical item like a gun or a situation of events such as winning the championship game, this need arises from the emotions undergirding the item or event. If you aren’t aware of the emotion beneath the surface, you don’t know your character. Does she want the gun to save her own life (emotion: fear of death and the unknown), to save the life of another person (emotion: love and interdependence), or to attain revenge? Does your teen want to win that game to prove to his teammates that he isn’t a loser (emotion: pride and shame and self-doubt), or to atone for last year’s loss (humiliation), or to win the girl of his dreams (love, infatuation, and validated pride). The fact is it doesn’t ultimately matter what your character wants, no matter how grand, if you don’t know—and the reader can’t tell—the emotional why behind that desire.

How can the author use conflict to force that protagonist into reaching for his needs?

Develop that need, both on the emotional as well as external level, to the point where it motivates the character to break routine and evolve as a person, either for better or worse. Then confront the character with an oppositional force of equal or greater strength that is just as determined to keep the character from getting what he needs. Then have both sides do everything in their power to get their way. It’s really that simple. Need + Opposition + Action until resolution = story.

Can you give an example of this?

I could give you a million, but let’s take the experience of an abused wife. She’s been married for fourteen years, has three children, and has been abused every year of her marriage. She sometimes considers divorce but always decides against it. There is a lot of bad stuff happening here, a lot of tension, but it isn’t dramatic conflict. She’s still in her routine: get abused, dream of freeing herself from the situation, decide against it because of concern for her kids (love) and an unrealized fear of the uncertain life that would await her following divorce. Her need is security, for herself and, more importantly, for her children. Her routine perceives the certainty of abuse she’s well acquainted with as being preferable to the uncertainty of divorce. Then one day she goes to tuck in her ten-year-old son and sees he has a black eye. The moment she sees that her routine is shattered; her need, safety for her kids, is no longer being met in her mind. It doesn’t even matter that he tells her it happened playing football; from her perspective, her husband has hurt her child. From that moment on she doesn’t care how scary the uncertainty is or what negatives divorce may have on the kids—it’s better than their living the life she has, full of fear, and doubt, and questions of self-worth. The story becomes how she goes about getting the divorce, both externally as well as emotionally. It all stems from that need for safety being thwarted via the appearance of an innocent black eye.

Let’s talk about your book, for a moment, Green Dragon Codex. In the book, young Scamp makes a discovery that changes the course of his life. What do you see as his emotional needs?

Primarily acceptance and esteem, from others as well as himself. Scamp is that child who is far from a perfect fit—in his family, his village, his world. (Which is true of every child, and every adult, truth be told.) He sees things differently from others and is aware of this, and that awareness creates in him a duality of independence and deep craving for acceptance. He can’t do so many things, including meet standard expectations of the heroic, unlike Mather who is something of a poster boy for the traditional hero celebrated by society. But there are many things Scamp can do, only he is so little valued for the things he brings to the table. This story is about how a boy who is more strange than stereotypically heroic has to become a hero by being true to who he is in spite of little encouragement from others. All the things about him that drive people crazy—his need to touch and explore things, his fanatical curiosity, his just plain weird problem solving—are what save the day. I wanted a story that required a boy who is willing and able to run around in his underwear and drop cows on dragons to get the job done, because we need these people in real life. We have enough problems in life that people with new and unusual ideas can be one of our greatest resources, if we have the imagination to embrace them.

You have talked about being willing as an author to consider what would happen if we “push our characters to the edge.” That may not actually make it into the story, but considering this possibility opens up new discoveries about the characters. What would be the thing that would push Scamp to the edge?

Things in the story include learning of Mather’s traumatic experience, dealing with a death, and having to part with Pug at the end of the story. As much as Mather frustrates Scamp, there is a lot of hero-worship going on there as well. Learning how hurt and uncertain Mather is makes Scamp change his entire view of life and how he is going to measure himself. Peda’s death and Pug’s departure force the boy to realize that adulthood is coming eventually, and the innocent and sweet things of childhood aren’t always sustainable. That’s one terrifying edge that we all must cross in our lives.

Things that were in the novel to some degree but not to the extent I considered in my construction of the story were Scamp’s crisis of faith in benevolent providence and Dannika’s death. While she lives in the book, I considered his reaction if she had died, and it taught me a lot about this boy. All these things forced Scamp to change, and seeing who he could become given circumstance helped me to better know both who he is and who he actually would become in the story.

A primary conflict for Scamp throughout the story is in the developing relationship with his older brother, Mather, who is much stronger physically and seen as being far more capable. The fact that both of these boys struggle in their relationship has a very humanizing effect on them for the reader. How do you think this struggle reveals Scamp’s character?

I hope it shows his dual nature. Scamp is both frustrated with and in awe of his brother. He sees the older boy as the impossible standard he is expected to meet but never will. Mather’s own behavior only reinforces this perception, when in reality the older boy’s sternness and demanding nature hide his own powerful self-doubt. In a way, Mather is just as intimidated by Scamp as Scamp is of him. Scamp lives his life going full out, trying everything, striving hard at things he cares about and not letting others dictate what those things will be. Mather is too terrified to invest himself that way, to ever go full out and put himself on the line because he’s afraid of failing. They’re dim reflections of each other, which I think is an interesting and accurate way to display what brothers truly are.

Mather was also very important as he serves the parental role in the story. Much of the dynamic between Scamp and Mather is alluding to the relationship children have with their parents, and the conflicts they experience come from that type of relationship. When Scamp learns of Mather’s internal vulnerability it is very much the moment he realizes that caregivers aren’t perfect, not simply by choice, but because of lack of capability. This combines with other aspects of the story to force Scamp to face his own limitations—and his own strengths, which can be just as difficult when something of great importance is really on the line. Without this brother relationship in the novel, the story doesn’t exist. Scamp’s character, from beginning to end, is largely a product of his relationship with his brother. This is something I want to come through all my stories, because none of us are islands. To understand ourselves we need to understand as much about those around us as possible, the more people and greater variety the better.

Elliot and the Goblin War Cover

2010-02-22T21:29:00.003-07:00

Okay, so my geek senses are firing. I LOVE the cover for Book 1: Elliot and the Goblin War. Many, many thanks to the illustrator, Gideon Kendall, who I've decided is completely brilliant! And many thanks to my editor at Sourcebooks, Dan Ehrenhaft, for finding Gideon and for his guidance in creating this cover.

Book 1 will be released this October. No dates announced yet for books 2 and 3, although since I know the plots and characters, my heart is already pattering for what those covers will look like.

By the way, the book is also up at Amazon (without the cover yet, but that'll come). The tiny URL is: http://tinyurl.com/ye72odo. Things are really beginning to happen for this book, and I couldn't be more excited!

Rejection Letters

2009-10-17T22:18:00.003-06:00

Every writer who has ever gotten a rejection letter has pretty much figured this is the way it goes, right?

It's not. Hang in there.

The Twilight/Wuthering Heights Cover

2009-10-13T09:51:00.007-06:00

Just a little p.s. on book covers...

Maybe you've already seen the new cover for Emily Bronte's star-crossed lovers story of Wuthering Heights. Published in 1847, let's just say it's not still on the top 10 list. Here is an old cover. Several exist, but here is one I grabbed. Not likely to get that many teens picking it up, right?

Now check out the new cover.

If you've paid any attention to book covers lately, you might notice it has a certain similarity to a wildly popular series about two star-crossed lovers,

Bella and Edward. Yep, here's the Twilight cover. Look also at the little star on the Wuthering Heights cover. If you can't read it, it's just a reminder

that it's Bella and Edward's favorite book.

I'll be very interested to see how this affects sales.

Movie Posters and Book Covers

2009-10-13T09:29:00.011-06:00

Okay, I know there are differences between movie posters and book covers, primarily because the mediums are different. However, I think they have more in common than not. Both are intended to garner audience interest off a quick visual. Both have to rely on that one image to convey enough story, theme, and tone to let a reader/watcher know if this is for them. And both have to decide what the balance will be between images and words. Sometimes the actor’s name – or the author’s name – is big enough to sell the book or movie. Sometimes not.

So I was very interested to see this list of 100 best movie posters of all time. It’s a subjective list, obviously. But what drew my attention is the T.C. Candler’s explanations of why a certain poster worked for him. I think there are some great lessons to be learned for

book cover designs.

Lord of War. Nicolas Cage’s expression here is a brilliant capture of his character of Yuri Olov. Contrast the effectiveness of this cover with another one that was released. The second one is fine, but lacks the drama of the first.Some of my favorites.

Shawshank Redemption. A little bias here because this happens to be one of favorite movies of all time. But I guarantee this poster would make me see the movie, and if it were a book cover, I’d be in the checkout line with it already.

Rosemary’s Baby. I’m with Candler. Baby carriages in sillouette are just freaky. And how terrific is that creepy green light?

Minority Report. That eye…is watching…me.

Star Wars: Episode 1. Okay, so everyone was going to go see this movie whether there was a poster or not. But while the movie was disappointing, the poster does its job well. Even if I were from another universe and had never heard of Star Wars, I’d want to find out more.

And for fun, if you’re interested, here is someone’s list of the ten worst movie posters of all time.

New FTC Rules for Bloggers

2009-10-10T14:06:00.001-06:00

If you’re a blogger, you’ve probably already heard about the new FTC rules regulating Internet posts. These rules take effect on December 1, 2009. If you want to read the full text, go here: http://www.ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005endorsementguidesfnnotice.pdf

The basic idea is to require a blogger to disclose whether they’ve received free products, services, or been paid a fee for what it is they’re blogging about. Although unlikely, failure to comply could result in the blogger being fined up to $11,000.

So how can you violate this new statute? Really, it’s not that hard. Since this is a writer’s blog, I’ll try to put it in a writer’s perspective.

1 – Blogger receives an ARC for review. ARC’s are always free and there is always an understanding that just because it’s free doesn’t mean the blogger is going to give it a good review. However, if the blogger fails to explicitly state that the ARC was free, that’s a violation. This goes for anything the blogger receives for free.

2 – Blogger receives a fee for the post. Even if the blogger has explicitly stated that payment doesn’t guarantee a good review, he or she still has to reveal that there was payment for the post. If they don’t, they’re in violation.

Let me tackle these two first. Most bloggers are already doing this (Example: http://www.staygolinks.com/policy-on-paid-reviews). I rarely see this for book reviews, however, and that’s for one obvious reason – everyone already knows how that game goes. Movie reviewers get into movies for free and we all know how eager they are to hand out bad reviews. Do you really expect Roger Ebert to announce before his next review that, “By the way, you ought to know that I saw this movie for free.” Ridiculous.

Now the next two are where it gets a little scary to me.

3 - Social networking sites also appear to be affected (p. 54). Let’s say you as a writer are given free entrance to a writer’s conference and then you become a fan of that conference on Facebook, or Twitter about how great the conference was. Fail to disclose that you got in free and risk being fined. Yep, you have to fit that disclosure into your 140 Twitter characters or you’re in violation.

4 – The rules also appear to apply to people who make posts about a place they are employed (or their publisher, perhaps). If I’m published by Scholastic then make a Twitter post saying how amazing I think Scholastic is, without disclosing that Scholastic is my publisher, yep, I’m in violation. Or maybe I’m in a chat room and the conversation is comparing Scholastic versus another publisher. If I start bragging up Scholastic without disclosing, yep, that is a violation of the new FTC guides.

Okay, so this is where I have to make a little disclaimer. Is it likely the FTC is going to institute fines for my Facebook status? No. In fact, Richard Cleland, with the FTC has clarified that it would usually only result in a warning letter, but the FTC reserves the right to take the matter to court, where a judge could impose a fine. He said, “We don’t have the resources to look at 500,000 blogs. We don’t even have the resources to monitor a thousand blogs. And if somebody reports violations, then we might look at individual cases…Right now we’re trying to focus on education.”

Ah, but did you catch that little exception in there: If somebody reports violations, then we might look at individual cases.” It reminds me a little of the White’s House’s request to forward anyone’s emails who were giving out false information about health care reform. Just a little too much of Big Brother.

If you don’t have blood popping out of your eyes yet, here’s the real kicker: these rules only apply to the Internet (p.47). Traditional media (i.e. newspapers, television, radio, etc) is exempted. Why is something in one media form okay that is not okay in another?

Blog by nature are opinion pieces. Few bloggers would consider themselves “journalists,” so why the move for the FTC to poke their noses into editorial comments? I agree that a blogger should disclose compensation if there is any possibility that the post may have been affected). But that’s because it’s the moral thing to do, not because it’s a government regulation.

I’ve heard a lot of theories in the past few days about why this is happening. Some people have said it’s a way for the government to collect a little extra tax revenue. I doubt it. There aren’t many bloggers earning enough to make it worth the government’s time.

I do wonder this, however. President Obama’s regulatory advisor, Cass Sunstein, is a proponent of an idea he calls “nudging.” Which suggests that you can’t go change policy in big sweeps. Rather, you nudge in the direction you want things to move in, until the policy is changed.

I think this is a nudge. A bill proposed in August would give President Obama control over the Internet in case of some vaguely defined “emergency.” I hate to go all conspiracy theorist on everyone, but I can’t help but wonder if this is a nudge, a test to see whether this narrow aspect of the “new media” can be controlled.

I admit I may be wrong, but it does remain a test of the government’s ability to regulate the Internet. This new guide is narrowly focused in its targets, and there is some rationale for it. But if it’s successful, look for more regulations soon.

Remember the Republicans’ lame arguments in defense of the Patriot Act? That if we aren’t doing anything wrong, we don’t have a reason to object. Well I’m not doing anything wrong. And I object.

2009-09-27T09:35:00.003-06:00

More is Less

So I just discovered The Eye of Argon, written by Jim Theis in 1970, when Theis was 16 years old. It’s a heroic fantasy novella and considered to be some of the worst writing in fantasy.

Considering he was 16, it’s not bad. I figure it’s a brilliant example of overwriting, a study in obscure adjectives and unnecessary adverbs. Don’t worry, excerpts are coming.

The Eye of Argon follows the journey of the warrior, Gringr, who spends much of the story trying to escape the king’s dungeon. It’s evolved into a popular game at Sci Fi conventions, namely to see how long a person can read it without laughing. To Theis’s credit, there’s not much I wrote at age 16 that I’d want anyone reading aloud. But here it goes.

The opening paragraph (typos left in from the original):

The weather beaten trail wound ahead into the dust racked climes of the baren land which dominates large portions of the Norgolian empire. Age worn hoof prints smothered by the sifting sands of time shone dully against the dust splattered crust of earth. The tireless sun cast its parching rays of incandescense from overhead, half way through its daily revolution. Small rodents scampered about, occupying themselves in the daily accomplishments of their dismal lives. Dust sprayed over three heaving mounts in blinding clouds, while they bore the burdonsome cargoes of their struggling overseers.

Adjective/Adverb Count: 17 (18% of the text)

Notable problem: The state of the trail. Weather beaten, and age worn hoof prints implies hard-packed dirt. Yet it’s also apparently very sandy and dusty (4 references).

Then a little further into the first chapter, a battle is underway, apparently between the riders of the three heaving mounts. Don’t ask me who is who.

A gleaming scimitar smote a heavy blow against the renegade's spiked helmet, bringing a heavy cloud over the Ecordian's misting brain. Shaking off the effects of the pounding blow to his head, Grignr brought down his scarlet streaked edge against the soldier's crudely forged hauberk, clanging harmlessly to the left side of his opponent. The soldier's stead whinnied as he directed the horse back from the driving blade of the barbarian. Grignr leashed his mount forward as the hoarsely piercing battle cry of his wilderness bred race resounded from his grinding lungs. A twirling blade bounced harmlessly from the mighty thief's buckler as his rolling right arm cleft upward, sending a foot of blinding steel ripping through the Simarian's exposed gullet. A gasping gurgle from the soldier's writhing mouth as he tumbled to the golden sand at his feet, and wormed agonizingly in his death bed.

Adjective/Adverb count: 27-ish (lost count a few times) (18% of text – he’s consistent)

Notable problem: Who’s the Ecordian, renegade, barbarian, and Simarian? Same person? What is a misting brain and is that something you can shake off? Exactly how many people are in this scene and who am I supposed to root for?

I don’t bring this up to make fun of Theis, but rather to point out that good writing is not a function of filling up sentences with as many words as possible. Adjectives and adverbs often become crutches for ineffective nouns and verbs. So use them sparingly and use them well. Good writing happens when less produces more, not the other way around.

If you’re interested in reading more, The Eye of Argon has been published by Wildside Books, or you can find it online at http://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/~susan/sf/eyeargon/eyeargon.htm

2009-09-25T09:43:00.005-06:00

Writing Humor

When I was asked the other day about humor writing, my clever answer was something along the lines of “I dunno.” Humor is one of those hard to define things, like beauty or a great song, or Quentin Tarantino movies.

We all know it when it works and when it doesn’t. It’s highly personal. Completely subjective. And it evolves throughout our life.

What makes you laugh? Puns and clever wordplay? Slapstick? Incongruent situations? Sarcasm? Derogatory or non-politically correct humor? Probably any of them might make you laugh, or none of them. Depending on how it’s done.

So here’s a few things you might consider when writing humor.

1. Humor requires serious characters. To get your reader to laugh, your central character should not be laughing. Remember when Ralphie is sitting on Santa’s lap at the mall in Christmas Story? All Santa wants is to get out of there by closing time. And asking Santa for the Red Ryder BB gun is Ralphie’s last chance to get it for Christmas. Both characters are absolutely serious in this scene about their goals. Neither of them makes a single joke, and yet it’s brilliant comedy namely because each character is so serious about their goal.

Occasionally, a central character is a “pop off” personality, such as Bill Murray’s character in Ghostbusters. And he gets some well-deserved laughs, but only because A) His partners, played by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, have absolutely no sense of humor whatsoever, giving Murray great characters to play off of, and B) he usually uses humor as a “fight or flight” response to what he considers very serious situations.

2. Humor requires surprise. It’s why jokes are always less funny the second or third time around, and by the fifth hearing you sort of hate it. Something is funny because of what we don’t expect. In Napoleon Dynamite, after half a movie of Napoleon’s big brother, Kip, talking about the love of his life he met in a chat room, the woman who steps off the bus to meet him is the exact opposite of who viewers expected. Funnier still, their relationship works.

One of the problems with a lot of comedy we either read or watch is that it’s become formulaic: the mad race to the airport to get the guy or girl who got away; the stupid man in the relationship; or the lazy but lovable best friend. It’s ceased to be funny because it’s ceased to be a surprise. So if you’re going to write comedy, write something that hasn’t been seen before.

3. Humor requires irreverence. This doesn’t mean it has to be offensive. In fact, I think deliberately offensive humor is usually nothing more than cheap laughs and demonstrates a lack of talent. But true humor is often self-deprecating or plays up the quirkiness that exists everywhere in the world. Joe vs. the Volcano derives humor from a dying man. What About Bob pokes fun at a mental disorder. My Big Fat Greek Wedding plays up stereotypes of Greek-Americans. They were all willing to play with the reality that humor exists everywhere in life. Bill Cosby once said, “You can turn painful situations around through laughter. If you can find humor in anything, even poverty, you can survive it.”

Okay, so if you do all these things, are you going to be funny? Maybe. As with anything else in the writer’s craft, some people come by humor more naturally than others. If you want to write humor, start reading humor. Find the book that makes you laugh out loud, then study it like a textbook.

And when you figure out the best way to define it, let me know.

Elliot and the Goblin War Wins

2009-09-22T13:24:00.004-06:00

Some exciting news to share about Book 1 of my Underworld series, Elliot and the Goblin War. It took 1st place in the Tweens category for the League of Utah Writers contest. I also won a few smaller awards too, which gives me some cash to pump back into promotion for Elliot. One of those was a poem about kids who don't understand why other people think they're being naughty. That took a 1st place too, so now I might have to find a home for it.

2009-09-22T13:19:00.000-06:00

I love these! Thanks to Southern Review of Books for this posting. It takes a lot of talent to write this bad.

Deliberate attempts at bad writing have been popularized by the Bulwer-Lytton awards, named after the British author noted for writing purple prose and melodrama. Another notable effort to encourage readers to submit stretches similes and overwrought metaphors was launched by the Washington Post in 1995 and 1999. Following are some of the noteworthy entries.

1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a Thigh Master.
2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.
3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.
4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E.Coli, and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.
5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.
6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.
7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.
8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife's infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM machine.
9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.
10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.
11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.
12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.
13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.
14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.
15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth.
16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.
17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River.
18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut.
19. Shots rang out, as shots are known to do.
20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.
21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for awhile.
22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.
23. The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.
24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.
25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.

Back in the Game

2009-04-14T16:04:00.002-06:00

It's time for me to begin blogging again. I really love The Underworld Chronicles, I still love Apprentice to a Madman, and I love the possibilities for Aeonstone Quest. Now I need an agent, or publisher, to agree with me.

Remember the Jack Handy quote, "Perhaps, if I am very lucky, the feeble efforts of my lifetime will someday be noticed, and maybe, in some small way, they will be acknowledged as the greatest works of genius ever created by man."

That pretty much sums up my life goals. Is that so hard?

Overwhelmed

2008-04-13T23:30:00.002-06:00

Remember Pixie Sticks? You just dumped them in a pile and the whole goal was to pick one up without moving the other.

Yeah, I was never very good at that.

So now I'm doing the writer's version of pixie sticks, which is to say that in the process of trying to get published, and trying to do it the best way possible, I've got a whole lot of "sticks" laying on the ground. Which to pick up first?

Query agents, right? Well, maybe first I should have a website to show how professional I am. Hmm, maybe I should have a blog so there can actually be some website content (yep, you're reading it). Or maybe those are distractions from the actual goal of getting my manuscript in front of an agent. So maybe I should join that online critique group to perfect my chapters before querying. But of course, they're asking for my blog and website addresses. And once I join, I'll be busy reviewing other people's writing so I can get mine reviewed.

Everyone knows the querying process usually moves on par with glaciers. So maybe I should work on the next manuscript so my writing skills stay sharp.

I guess the point is that for a person as neurotic as me, prioritizing my writing goals is really key. Here's out it shakes out.

1. Join the online writing group tomorrow. Begin critiquing and accepting critiques.

2. Look for more topics to blog about.

3. Work on some contest entries (just thought I'd throw that in the mix).

4. Get used to the ride, because it won't get any easier down the road!

Breakfast with Stacy Whitman

2008-04-02T13:15:00.002-06:00

Many thanks to those who invited me to sit in on a breakfast with Stacy Whitman, an editor at Mirrorstone Publishing. She is as nice as she sounds on her blog and yet has a clear vision of her job as editor and the direction Mirrorstone is heading.

I'm in the revision process regarding a few changes she suggested, changes I am certain will strengthen the total package. But I did go ahead and send her the initial query package, since that wasn't really affected by her suggestions.

She said she's a slow editor and that's fine by me. I always wait a long time at my doctor's, but that's because he's worth it once you do get in, you know?

Crossing my fingers!

Virgin Blogger

2008-03-10T13:54:00.003-06:00

Blogging for me has always been the thing I couldn't wait to do tomorrow. I sort of figured there was an advantage in waiting to blog until you actually have something to say.

I may not have reached that point yet.

But I wanted to begin keeping a public record on my journey to publication. I say "journey" because I expect it to happen at some point, hopefully sooner than later, but I certainly haven't arrived yet.

I began writing full length fiction about ten years ago in the genre of women's suspense. The stories were good but not great and I eventually came to a point where I wasn't sure if I wanted to be writing at all anymore. I realized that genre was no longer a match for me.

A couple of years ago, my husband was gone on nearly a two-week business trip. With more than enough quiet evenings to myself, I accepted a challenge to write the 7th Harry Potter book for fanfic. The idea excited me. I loved seeing if I could take the marvelous world of J.K. Rowling and wrap up all her loose ends on my own.

The fanfic was a great success. There were wonderful reader comments and pleadings to post more chapters soon. As neat as that was, even bigger was how much fun I had. I realized that my heart was really in YA fantasy. It captures my imagination and love of an adventurous read in a way nothing else does.

So here I am with two of three books written in a trilogy that I love. The first book, "Apprentice to a Madman" is being submitted. I'll blog about that story very soon.

And I'll continue blogging. Because at least for me, I want to look back on this post one day and trace the journey.