how they got here – Page 3

March 8, 2009

How They Got Here: 2009 Debut Author Cynthea Liu

This post is part of a year-long series of blog interviews I’ll be hosting with my fellow 2009 Debut Authors, called "How They Got Here."

It should be an especially helpful series for teens who write, teachers, and anyone who wants to write for kids. 2009 debut authors will be dropping by to talk about how their writing in school shaped the authors they are today, what teachers can do to make a difference, how they revise, and how they found their agents and editors. (You’ll even be able to read some successful query letters!) If you know a teacher or two who might be interested, please share the link!

Today…Cynthea Liu, author of THE GREAT CALL OF CHINA!

Chinese-born Cece was adopted when she was two years old by her American parents. Living in Texas, she’s bored of her ho-hum high school and dull job. So when she learns about the S.A.S.S. program to Xi’an, China, she jumps at the chance. She’ll be able to learn about her passion—anthropology—and it will give her the opportunity to explore her roots. But when she arrives, she receives quite a culture shock. And the closer she comes to finding out about her birth parents, the more apprehensive she gets.

Enter Will, the cute guy she first meets on the plane. He and Cece really connect during the program. But can he help her get accustomed to a culture she should already know about, or will she leave China without the answers she’s been looking for?

Welcome, Cynthea! Tell us about the first thing you ever wrote that made you think maybe you were a writer.

Hmmm… that would probably be my first query letter. It was to Arthur A. Levine and it got a yes! So I was pretty psyched about that. Made me think that I might have a future in children’s book publishing. I know it was only a query letter, but that was plenty enough for me.

What books did you love when you were a kid?

I ate up any book that had animals in it. Misty of Chincoteague, Trumpet of the Swan, Black Beauty, Mouse and the Motorcycle …

Is there a particular teacher or librarian who was a mentor for you in your reading and writing life?

I still remember my Algebra teacher in 8th grade. I moaned to her there was nothing to read anymore. I had basically blown through every book in the library that had looked interesting to me, and I thought I was done. She brought me a copy of one of her favorite authors, Dean Koontz. I think it was WATCHERS. Then I realized there was a whole world of adult fiction I hadn’t even begun to explore. So thank you to Ms. Macon for reviving my love for reading. (I swear, I skipped over the love scenes in that book!) 🙂

Moving on to the here and now, most writers admit that making time to write can sometimes be a challenge. When and where do you write? Do you have any special rituals? Music? Food & beverages?

All I really need is my laptop and a four-hour stretch of time. That 4-hour thing is rare these days. But when I do have it, things get even better if I have a diet Dr. Pepper to go with and a Snickers bar. Yes!

Do you have a favorite strategy for revision?

Hmmm… I usually write the whole thing first and only go back to make major revisions that affect forthcoming chapters or pages. Once the first draft is done, I start from the top and work my way through the book again. I do this a few times with my critique partners before it’s ready for my agent.

What’s your best advice for young writers?

Believe that you can do it if you are willing to listen, learn, and endure.

What’s special about your debut novel?

THE GREAT CALL is unique because there are few fiction books that feature a teenage foreign-born adoptee. It’s amost a first in its own right. I think the selection of books in the United States could better reflect how diverse our country is, and it’s not just about skin color. It’s also about diversity within our families, too.

What were the best and worst parts of writing it?

The best part of writing any book is putting THE END on it! Seriously. Developing something from nothing, like writing a novel, is way harder than having a baby. At least when you’re pregnant, your body is on auto-pilot. You just have to deal with the backpain and all the trips to the bathroom. With writing a book, however, everything (except for the stuff your editor makes you do) is up to you. You have to take care of all the details—what the characters say, think, do, and much, much more! It can be more tiring than labor, that’s for sure.
The worst part of writing THE GREAT CALL OF CHINA was tackling a dramatic scene that could easily cross over to melodrama. It took me forever to get that down in a way that I thought was acceptable. So big emotional scenes are one that I really dread writing. They can be so taxing.

(Though somewhere in all of this, I assure you I do have fun writing. There’s nothing like nailing a good line! But … THE END is still more fun to write.)

How did you find your agent and/or editor?

I researched agencies via the usual channels–on the Internet, using Jeff Herman’s guide, the CWIM, and SCBWI publications. After I narrowed it down, I just queried a few agents with my picture book manuscripts. After they rejected me, I queried again with a new manuscript I had written. That manuscript was PARIS PAN TAKES THE DARE, which is coming out in June. An agent connected with that story, and the rest, as they say, is history!

This was the pitch used in the query letter:

Twelve-year-old Paris Pan has moved to a small town where she has a real shot at making friends. But that friendship comes at a price. She must take The Dare, something that killed a girl on the very property she now resides. To make matters worse, Paris must play basketball against her will, eradicate a crush on the least desirable boy in sixth grade, and cope with a family crisis that was possibly caused by a chili dog.

Thanks, Cynthea!

You can read more about Cynthea at her website. You can pick up your copy of THE GREAT CALL OF CHINA at your local independent bookseller, order it through one of my favorite indies, Flying Pig Bookstore (they ship!), or find an indie near you by checking out IndieBound!

Up next in the "How They Got Here" Debut 2009 series… Carrie Ryan, author of THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH, will be stopping by on Thursday, March 12.

March 3, 2009

The Amaranth Enchantment: An Interview with Author Julie Berry

This is kind of a long story, but first of all, let me tell you that you really need to get this book and read it.

I had the good fortune of reading THE AMARANTH ENCHANTMENT as an early draft, and it was amazing even then. If you like fantasy with a fairy tale feeling — books like ELLA ENCHANTED — you will absolutely love it.

Now…the story. THE AMARANTH ENCHANTMENT is by Julie Berry, who is the little sister of my best friend from junior high school. At the New England SCBWI Conference two years ago, I heard someone call my name, and there was Julie, all grown up and beautiful and brilliant and writing amazing books for kids. Her sister Joanna, my friend and a talented writer, too, was in touch with me online and told Julie I’d be in Nashua. We swapped critiques and have been touching base with writer-talk ever since.

In case you weren’t lucky enough to grow up hanging around Julie’s house in the country like I was, here’s a chance to get to know her a bit – a 2009 Debut Authors feature!

Welcome, Julie! Tell us about the first thing you ever wrote that made you think maybe you were a writer.

In sixth grade, I was assigned to find a photo in a magazine and write a descriptive paragraph. I found a picture in National Geographic of a jungle waterfall. I’m pretty sure I used words like “glossy” to describe the jungle leaves, and “thundering cascade” for the waterfall itself, the kind of stuff no editor would let me get away with today. But I was proud of my paragraph, and I showed it to my older sister, who said, “Maybe you should be a writer when you grow up.” She was my big sister, she knew everything, so naturally, I figured, she must be right.

What books did you love when you were a kid?

Oh, goodness! So many. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, first of all. Little Women and everything by Louisa May Alcott. All the Little House books. The Great Brain books by John D. Fitzgerald. Anne of Green Gables and all its sequels by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Plenty of Nancy Drew, too. I loved anything by Roald Dahl, and still do. Some of my favorite books – and I still have the dog-eared paperbacks – were It’s Like This, Cat, by Emily Neville, Mrs. Frisby and The Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O’Brien, and Bridge to Terebithia by Katherine Paterson. Two of my favorites when I was very young were The Story of Ping by Marjorie Flack and Kurt Wiese, and I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew by Dr. Seuss.

Is there a particular teacher or librarian who was a mentor for you in your reading and writing life?

My sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Mary Vosler, inspired me by challenging me. She was utterly unimpressed with my writing, or so I thought at the time, and it irked me just enough to make me try harder. She made me rewrite assignments repeatedly, and chastised my handwriting, grammar, and construction. She wouldn’t accept a paper from me until it was perfect (by at least some measure). I’ve thanked her repeatedly for being strict with me! She was a gem of a teacher. Language is bigger than we are, and it deserves nothing less than our best effort.

Note: Mrs. Vosler was my 6th grade teacher, too, and she’s every bit as awesome as Julie says.

Moving on to the here and now, most writers admit that making time to write can sometimes be a challenge. When and where do you write? Do you have any special rituals? Music? Food & beverages?

Generally, I write at night, after my sons have gone to bed. Kids need my attention when they’re awake; writing needs attention, too. I write best in a quiet space when distractions are at a minimum. When I’m under a deadline, sometimes I’ll go to the library for an evening after my husband gets home from work, or for a block of time on Saturday afternoons. I don’t have any rituals, really, and I don’t eat while writing because eating late at night, and eating at the library are both taboo (alas). This is my ideal set of conditions, but I’ve learned that I need to be flexible about every aspect of my writing, or else circumstances will prevent it from happening. Laptop in bed vs. PC in office, library or home, quiet or noise, I have to roll with it.

Do you have a favorite strategy for revision?

During the writing process I try to be gentle and sweet to my ideas. Come revision time, I’m stern, like Mrs. Vosler. At least, I try to be. If I’m unsure about how to revise, cutting is a good way to start. I save backup copies just in case, but then I slash my way through a piece. Rather than wondering if I should cut, I like to cut, then see how it feels. Probably the best strategy of all is just to listen. Listen to what you’re really telling yourself when you read and reread a piece. Get your ego out of the way, and listen to what you already know about how the piece can improve.

What’s your best advice for young writers?

Read lots, and write in a journal. Develop a bulletproof vocabulary – when you find a word you don’t know, look it up, then use it! Those are the basics, like brushing and flossing. Beyond that, when you write creatively, write about what excites you, or what you really care about. Don’t worry about what’s a good idea or a bad idea. If it interests you, it’s good enough. Then just write and write and write. If you have a teacher, friend, or parent who will challenge you to make your writing better, don’t get discouraged – count yourself lucky.

What’s special about your debut novel?

The things I love most about The Amaranth Enchantment, I think, are Lucinda’s friendship with Beryl, and her romance. There’s nothing in the world quite like falling in love for the first time, and I tried to capture that experience. Aside from that, the story would lose a lot without Peter the rascal. And every girl needs a goat named Dog. I enjoyed developing the otherworldly aspect of the fantasy, and I hope that readers will enjoy that as well.

What were the best and worst parts of writing it?

Writing this novel was joyful. I felt close to Lucinda. Her ups and downs became my own. I liked and respected her, I wanted her to win. Figuring out how to make that happen was a big triumph. Authors often don’t know how they’re going to solve the dilemmas they’ve created for their characters until they’ve thrashed around for a while. So that was a lot of fun. The hard parts were the late nights of propping my eyelids open, and some of the revision work. Not that the revisions were bad, they were just challenging. That’s where the real problem-solving happens. I think authors don’t really write novels into being, they revise them into being.

How did you find your agent and/or editor?

I met my agent at a local SCBWI conference. I introduced myself, and followed up with a short note in the mail. We corresponded, I sent a submission, and ultimately, she offered to represent me.

Thanks, Julie ~ and many, many congratulations on your debut! I can’t wait to read it all over again.

March 1, 2009

How They Got Here: 2009 Debut Author Jenny Moss

This post is part of a year-long series of blog interviews I’ll be hosting with my fellow 2009 Debut Authors, called "How They Got Here."

Today…Jenny Moss, author of WINNIE’S WAR!

A debut novel set against the backdrop of the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918.

Life in Winnie’s sleepy town of Coward Creek, Texas, is just fine for her. Although her troubled mother’s distant behavior has always worried Winnie, she’s plenty busy caring for her younger sisters, going to school, playing chess with Mr. Levy, and avoiding her testy grandmother. Plus, her sweetheart Nolan is always there to make her smile when she’s feeling low. But when the Spanish Influenza claims its first victim, lives are suddenly at stake, and Winnie has never felt so helpless. She must find a way to save the people she loves most, even if doing so means putting her own life at risk.

I had the good fortune to read an ARC of Winnie’s War and was swept away by Jenny’s story of a small-town Texas girl standing up to try and protect her family from the 1918 influenza epidemic. This is the very best kind of historical fiction – full of rich characters, vividly detailed history, the suspense of a threatening pandemic, and even a touch of romance, in the form of a first-kiss scene that made me smile for weeks after I read it. Teachers, in particular, will want to snatch this one up for their classrooms and school libraries.

Welcome, Jenny! Tell us about the first thing you ever wrote that made you think maybe you were a writer.

I can’t remember when I *didn’t* think of myself as a writer. But I do remember when I realized someone else might view me that way, too. It was one of my junior high English teachers, who praised my writing in front of the class. Teachers rock — and matter more than they probably know.

Is there a particular teacher or librarian who was a mentor for you in your reading and writing life?

So many! But this from my Acknowledgments page:

Many thanks to: The librarians at the numerous libraries I visited in Harris and Galveston counties, but especially to Mrs. Simkulet, wherever you may be, my first favorite librarian, who taught me how to shelve books and about kindness

Do you have a favorite strategy for revision?

Printing out the whole manuscript and reading it through first is a must for me.

What’s your best advice for young writers?

Write, read, and enjoy!

What’s special about your debut novel?

The main character, Winnie, lives in a small Texas town in 1918. Much of her life is very different from kids today, but some of her worries are timeless.

How did you find your agent and/or editor?

I found my agent through research, and she found me in slush.

If you’re a fan of historical fiction, WINNIE’S WAR is a middle grade novel you won’t want to miss. You can pick up a copy at your local independent bookseller, order it through one of my favorite indies, Flying Pig Bookstore(they ship!), or find an indie near you by checking out IndieBound!

Up next in the "How They Got Here" Debut 2009 series… Cynthea Liu, author of THE GREAT CALL OF CHINA, will be stopping by on Monday, March 9.

February 19, 2009

How They Got Here: 2009 Debut Author Stacey Jay

This post is part of a year-long series of blog interviews I’ll be hosting with my fellow 2009 Debut Authors, called "How They Got Here."

Megan Berry’s social life is so dead. Literally. Fifteen-year-old Megan Berry is a Zombie Settler by birth, which means she’s part-time shrink to a bunch of dead people. All Megan wants is to be normal–and go to homecoming. But someone in school is using black magic to turn average, angsty Undead into flesh-eating Zombies, and it’s looking like homecoming will turn out to be a very different kind of party–the bloody kind.

Welcome, Stacey! Tell us about the first thing you ever wrote that made you think maybe you were a writer.

I wrote the first four chapters of a romance novel when I was probably…eight years old. Maybe nine, but whatever my exact age, I was WAY too young to be writing romance novels. But what can I say? I guess I’ve always been a romantic.

What books did you love when you were a kid?

Little Women was a HUGE favorite. I think I read it a dozen times. And I’d read anything with fantasy or paranormal elements. I loved horror, got big into romance in my teens…really I’d read just about anything and enjoy something about it. I still would if I had the time.

Is there a particular teacher or librarian who was a mentor for you in your reading and writing life?

I was lucky enough to have a lot of great teachers and librarians, but probably the most influential was my college professor, Susannah Berryman. She was the first person to make me believe I could do this professionally. Thanks Susannah!

Moving on to the here and now, most writers admit that making time to write can sometimes be a challenge. When and where do you write? Do you have any special rituals? Music? Food & beverages?

I write whenever, wherever. I prefer to lock myself in a quiet room while my husband watches the kids, but that’s not always possible. He has to like…work to earn money to pay our bills and stuff. So I write while cartoons are on, make notes in the car while I’m waiting to pick up my older girls, daydream storylines while I’m feeding the baby, just snatch time wherever I can. There is no special ritual, just stubbornness and determination.

Do you have a favorite strategy for revision?

Getting it done as quickly as possible because it is The Yuck. I hate revisions!

What’s your best advice for young writers?

Read! All the time, everything you can get your hands on.

What’s special about your debut novel?

Zombies and romance, but not zombies having romance. (That’s my other book coming out with Flux in early 2010, lol.)

What were the best and worst parts of writing it?

Best=having my first revision go over well with my new editor.
Worst=learning my current editor was leaving…twice! Ugh, that was also The Yuck.

Would you like to share part or all of your successful query letter with blog readers?

Dear Agent X:

Nothing is going to keep Megan from going to the Homecoming dance with Josh Pickle, the cutest guy in school. Not even an army of undead.

Megan is a zombie Settler. She helps the freshly dead to move on—at least, she did until a childhood accident stole her power. No big loss. Life as a normal teen is way better than hanging out with the undead, but just as Megan starts really going places—like on a date with Josh—her powers return.

Along with them comes Ethan, her childhood best friend and fellow Settler, who’s now all grown up and dangerously appealing. Being with Ethan feels…right, despite his attitude, but being with Ethan also means admitting to herself that she isn’t a regular teenager at all-she’s a Zombie Queen.

Of course, when someone tries to ruin Homecoming–not to mention her life–a Zombie Queen is just what’s needed to settle the risen dead. With the help of family and friends, she’s going to rise to the challenge of her new life, and maybe manage to dance with the hunk of her choice too.

YOU ARE SO UNDEAD TO ME is a 75k stand-alone YA novel, but is intended as the first of a series.

As XXX, I have three books accepted for publication with XXXX. YOU ARE SO UNDEAD TO ME is a different genre for me, but I’ve been a big fan of YA since I was a Y myself, and can’t imagine a more wonderful break from penning XXXX than writing for this exciting market.

Please feel free to visit my website: http://staceyjay.com if you’d like to learn more. Thanks so much for your time, and I hope to have the chance to shoot a few chapters your way.

(That query letter got a lot of response and several requests from agents other than the one I ended up signing with, so hopefully that will be helpful to someone J.)

Thanks, Stacey!

If you’re a zombie kind of person (come on…admit it), you can pick up YOU ARE SO UNDEAD TO ME at your local independent bookseller, order it through one of my favorite indies, Flying Pig Bookstore(they ship!), or find an indie near you by checking out IndieBound!

Up next in the "How They Got Here" Debut 2009 series… Jenny Moss, author of WINNIE’S WAR, will be stopping by on Monday, March 2.

February 16, 2009

How They Got Here: 2009 Debut Author Saundra Mitchell

This post is part of a year-long series of blog interviews I’ll be hosting with my fellow 2009 Debut Authors, called "How They Got Here."

Today…Saundra Mitchell, author of SHADOWED SUMMER!

Nothing ever happened in Ondine, Louisiana, not even the summer Elijah Landry disappeared. His mother knew he ascended to heaven, the police believed he ran away, and his girlfriend thought he was murdered.

Decades later, certain she saw his ghost in the town cemetery, fourteen-year-old Iris Rhame is determined to find out the truth behind "The Incident With the Landry Boy."

Enlisting the help of her best friend Collette, and forced to endure the company of Collette’s latest crush, Ben, Iris spends a summer digging into the past and stirring old ghosts, in search of a boy she never knew.

What she doesn’t realize is that in a town as small as Ondine, every secret is a family secret.

Welcome, Saundra! Tell us about the first thing you ever wrote that made you think maybe you were a writer.

Even though I’ve been writing all my life, and had been selling stories and articles, it wasn’t until my second or third year as the head writer on the Fresh Films series that I realized that writing was my calling and career. So I was a little slow in that regard.

What books did you love when you were a kid?

I loved The Outsiders, the Little House books, The Song of the Lioness series, pretty much everything by Lois Duncan, Zilpha Keatly Snyder, Stephen King, Jack London… this list is actually shorter if I list the books I loathed as a kid. (The Red Badge of Courage, if anyone’s curious. Why, Stephen Crane, whyyyyy?)

Is there a particular teacher or librarian who was a mentor for you in your reading and writing life?

My high school English teacher, Mrs. Redman. She got me. She just got me in a way none of the other teachers did, and she let me learn instead of making me conform. She was the first teacher who actively encouraged me to do more than read the text and spit out the approved answers. More than once, she said she was a great lover of words, and in her classes, I learned to be a great lover of words, too.

Moving on to the here and now, most writers admit that making time to write can sometimes be a challenge. When and where do you write? Do you have any special rituals? Music? Food & beverages?

Mostly, I just need people to leave me alone. I like to have a cocola, and some music, and a heating pad in my lap. But mostly, I just need my family to fend for themselves unless there’s blood involved!

Do you have a favorite strategy for revision?

I like to order my revision notes- easiest (things like spelling errors or badly-worded sentences in need of rescue) to hardest (adding in an entire storyline, rewriting large portions of the story.) Then I print them out so I can check off each revision as I complete it. When I do it this way, I can see what I’m accomplishing, so it doesn’t feel like such an endless task.

What’s your best advice for young writers?

Read. A lot. And don’t let anyone tell you that fan fiction is NOT a great way to learn to be a good writer. In my opinion, it’s the *best* way!

What’s special about your debut novel?

Though I always strive for honesty and truth in my work, I think Shadowed Summer is different from a lot of books right now because it’s not stark. It reflects the reality of being suspended- in youth, in poverty, in ignorance- without insisting on the inevitability of hopelessness.

What were the best and worst parts of writing it?

This book was hard for me to write in a lot of ways. Mostly, I wanted to tell a wicked ghost story. That was the specific goal. But Shadowed Summer was also a way for me to ask *why*, and explore the answers, and the silences that come in response.

Would you like to share part or all of your successful query letter with blog readers?

Nothing ever happened in Ondine, Louisiana, not even the summer Elijah Landry disappeared. His mother believed he ascended to heaven, the police believed he ran away, but twenty-five years later, fourteen-year-old Iris Rhame is determined to find out for sure. Enlisting the help of her best friend Collette, and forced to endure the company of Collette’s latest crush, Ben, Iris spends a summer digging into the past and stirring old ghosts in search of the truth. What she doesn’t realize is that in a town as small as Ondine, every secret is a family secret.

My name is Saundra Mitchell, and I have been a working writer for twelve years. For the last four years (and currently,) I’ve been the head writer for Dreaming Tree Films’ short film series, "Book of Stories," with over forty short film productions, and next year, principal photography will begin on my first feature, "A Rain of Blood." I have published fiction with ATM Magazine and Smokelong Quarterly, poetry with Poems Niederngasse, Doll World Magazine, and Parnassus, non-fiction with @Internet Magazine and The Familiar Magazine, among others, and I am a member of SCBWI.

"Incident" is my first young adult novel, however. It’s complete at 70,455 words, and I’d like to offer it to you for your consideration. As requested on Agents Actively Looking, I’ve enclosed the first chapter, and an SASE for your reply. Thank you in advance for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you.

(When I wrote this query, in 2003, Incident was the original title for Shadowed Summer. The book is now complete at about 45,000 words, and since then, I’ve written and produced over 300 short films! What a difference 6 years, a million revisions, and publication make!)

~ Shadowed Summer ~
Delacorte Press
www.shadowedsummer.com

You can pick up SHADOWED SUMMER at your local independent bookseller, order it through one of my favorite indies, Flying Pig Bookstore(they ship!), or find an indie near you by checking out IndieBound!

Up next in the "How They Got Here" Debut 2009 series…Stacey Jay, author of YOU ARE SO UNDEAD TO ME, will be stopping by on Friday, February 20th.

February 10, 2009

How They Got Here: 2009 Debut Author Erin Dionne

This is the first in a year-long series of blog interviews I’ll be hosting with my fellow 2009 Debut Authors, called "How They Got Here."

Today…Erin Dionne, author of MODELS DON’T EAT CHOCOLATE COOKIES!

Thirteen-year-old Celeste Harris is no string bean, but comfy sweatpants and a daily chocolate cookie suit her just fine. Her under-the-radar lifestyle could have continued too, if her aunt hadn’t entered her in the HuskyPeach Modeling Challenge. To get out of it, she’s forced to launch Operation Skinny Celeste—because, after all, a thin girl can’t be a fat model! What Celeste never imagined was that losing weight would help her gain a backbone . . . or that all she needed to shine was a spotlight.

Welcome, Erin! Please tell us about the first thing you ever wrote that made you think maybe you were a writer.

Hmm….I guess it was the short story I wrote in fourth grade about a girl who hid while watching the colonists plan the Boston Tea Party. I loved the feeling of concocting my own version of the story. I still have it.

What books did you love when you were a kid?

Too many to list. Off the top of my head: The Little House on the Prairie series, the Great Brain books, Charlotte’s Web, The Westing Game, Hotel For Dogs; Jennifer, Hecate, William McKinley & Me, Elizabeth…

Is there a particular teacher or librarian who was a mentor for you in your reading and writing life?

Yes! Mrs. deBaerstrand, my 4th grade teacher encouraged my outrageous reading comprehension skills by giving me books to take home and devour, and she would quiz me on the contents when I finished them–often the next day!

In high school, Mrs. Baron encouraged my writing. I never had her as a teacher, but she was the faculty adviser to the school’s literary magazine, which I edited. She encouraged me to write as much as I could.

Moving on to the here and now, most writers admit that making time to write can sometimes be a challenge. When and where do you write? Do you have any special rituals? Music?

Most of the time I write on my laptop, either at the dining room table or in my local library. Since I have a new baby, I write whenever I get the time!

I always listen to music when I’m working–typically mellow, background stuff like Paul Simon, Jack Johnson, or Sting. But I’ll sneak a Red Hot Chili Peppers song or Linkin Park on my playlist to wake me up every so often!

Do you have a favorite strategy for revision?

I have an elaborate kabuki ritual around revision. I wish I were a one-or-two revision writer, but I’m not. In order for my work to be good, I have to go through a lot of steps:

I print the manuscript, make handwritten notes on it and tag the pages with post-it notes. Then I input the changes into the computer, making additional tweaks as I go. I print the manuscript again, make the edits–I did this 7 times when working on MODELS. Then I put each scene on a color-coded index card to evaluate the book as a whole. And I go back to the manuscript two more times.

What’s your best advice for young writers?

Read a lot. Write a lot. Love it!

What’s special about your debut novel?

What’s special to me is that it shows how hard work can really pay off! What’s special to readers…well, I hope readers find something special that they relate to.

What were the best and worst parts of writing it?

The best parts were when the words came in a rush, and when writing some of the scenes I cracked myself up. There weren’t any "worst parts." Going to the keyboard was tougher some days than others, but overall I loved every minute of it.

How did you find your agent and/or editor?

I found my agent through a recommendation from another author, but she wasn’t ready to take on children’s book writers at the time. About a year later, she was adding children’s book writers to her client list, and MODELS was ready to go out. Voila!

Ready to dig into this tasty novel? You can pick up MODELS DON’T EAT CHOCOLATE COOKIES at your local independent bookseller, order it through one of my favorite indies, Flying Pig Bookstore (they ship!), or find an indie near you by checking out IndieBound!

Up next in the "How They Got Here" Debut 2009 series…Saundra Mitchell, author of SHADOWED SUMMER, will be stopping by on Monday, February 16th.

February 9, 2009

How They Got Here: 2009 Debut Author Sarah MacLean

This is the first in a year-long series of blog interviews I’ll be hosting with my fellow 2009 Debut Authors, called "How They Got Here."

Today…Sarah MacLean, author of THE SEASON!

Seventeen-year-old Lady Alexandra Stafford doesn’t fit into the world of Regency London — she’s strong-willed, sharp-tongued, and she absolutely loathes dress fittings. Unfortunately, her mother has been waiting for years for Alex to be old enough to take part in the social whirlwind of a London Season so she can be married off to someone safe, respectable, wealthy, and almost certainly boring. But Alex is much more interested in adventure than romance.

Between sumptuous balls, lavish dinner parties and country weekends, Alex, along with her two best friends, Ella and Vivi, manages to get entangled in her biggest scrape yet. When the Earl of Blackmoor is killed in a puzzling accident, Alex decides to help his son, the brooding and devilishly handsome Gavin, uncover the truth. It’s a mystery brimming with espionage, murder, and suspicion. As she and Gavin grow closer, will Alex’s heart be stolen in the process?

Romance and danger fill the air, as this year’s Season begins!

Welcome, Sarah! Please tell us about the first thing you ever wrote that made you think maybe you were a writer.

I’ve wanted to be a romance novelist for as long as I can remember. When I was 13, I wrote a romance short story for my 7th Grade English class. I don’t remember much about it, but I do remember the heroine was named Chantel. My teacher, who was a man, posted it on the bulletin board outside his room, and it became a big gossipy thing in my school because the hero and heroine French kissed. That’s when I knew I might actually pull this crazy career off someday.

What books did you love when you were a kid?

I cut my teeth on Roald Dahl (James and the Giant Peach was my favorite book for AGES), Judy Blume, Ann M. Martin and the Sweet Valley High Books. And then I found Jane Austen, and never looked back.

Is there a particular teacher or librarian who was a mentor for you in your reading and writing life?

There isn’t one…there are dozens. I was so very lucky to have a collection of incredible teachers and librarians who encouraged my crazy ideas and were willing to go along for the ride. Off the top of my head: Ms. Brear (4th Grade); Mr. Sullivan (6th Grade); Mr. Slattery (8th Grade Geography who never once complained when I spent every free moment in his class with a romance novel in my hand); Mrs. Moylan (who made history come alive for me in high school); Ms. Nolette, Mr. Boudreau and Mrs. Deriso (who did the same for literature). And Ms. Long (my high school librarian who is still there…and still a big fan). And that’s all before college!

Moving on to the here and now, most writers admit that making time to write can sometimes be a challenge. When and where do you write? Do you have any special rituals? Music? Food & beverages?

I have a day job (like most writers), so things are particularly challenging in my world.

The short answer is, I write whenever I can. I’m on a really tight schedule for my next books, with one due every 6 months for the next year and a half, so I can’t really afford to have a ritual. Mainly, I write on the subway, waiting in restaurants for friends, at the laundromat, and at my dining room table while my husband watches The West Wing.

When I am at home, though, my writing almost always involves classical music. Mozart was really popular in the Regency, so I listen to a lot of that…and Johann Strauss, Jr.’s waltzes always get me in a ballroom-scene-kind-of-mood.

Do you have a favorite strategy for revision?

Trust your gut and slash and burn. If I second guess a sentence or word, it gets cut or rewritten. No questions asked.

What’s your best advice for young writers?

Writing is not a talent. It’s a skill. Write every single day and you’ll eventually be a pro.

What’s special about your debut novel?

I hope that Alex and her friends are what’s special about it. My goal going into it was to create a world and a group of characters who were fun and feisty and, most importantly, good friends to each other. I hope I accomplished that.

What were the best and worst parts of writing it?

I’ve said it before…writing The Season was the most fun I’ve ever had. In my life. Meeting these characters, spending time with them, enjoying them, it was all so fun. It wasn’t so fun being on deadline. And it’s not so fun waiting for reviews and reader response. But the writing was SO FUN!

How did you find your agent and/or editor?

My editor found me, actually…she knew I was thinking about a Regency novel and suggested I try one for YA. I actually didn’t have an agent for it…but I now have one–best thing I ever did.

Would you like to share part or all of your successful query letter with blog readers?

Again, it was slightly different for me…but here’s the first paragraph of the query I sent for an agent…after the purchase of The Season.

Lavish ballgowns, extravagant parties, juicy romance and a fair share of adventure fill my young adult regency romance series–which follows three best friends as they navigate their first London Season during the spring and summer of 1815. The first of these books, The Season, has already been purchased by Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic, and is set for publication in March of 2009. I am writing to you with a somewhat strange query; I was unrepresented for The Season and would like to avoid being so for the next book!

The Regency World of Sarah MacLean.
Be there…or be talked about.
http://www.macleanspace.com

So…would you rather be there than be talked about? You can pick up THE SEASON at your local independent bookseller, order it through one of my favorite indies, Flying Pig Bookstore (they ship!), or find an indie near you by checking out IndieBound!

Up next in the "How They Got Here" Debut 2009 series…Erin Dionne, author of MODELS DON’T EAT CHOCOLATE COOKIES, will be stopping by on Wednesday, February 11th.