Guest Post: Andy Sherrod on Boy Readers

Today I have the honor of hosting my Vermont College of Fine Arts fellow grad Andy Sherrod. Andy is not only a talented writer and all-around nice person, he's also made a close study of how boys read and why many don't, and how we as writers can appeal to so-called "reluctant readers."

Here's his research - I'd love to hear what readers think!

It’s Not Just About Gender

Many boys lose interest in voluntary reading around the age of ten or twelve earning them the label “reluctant reader.” I prefer “aliterate reader.” An aliterate reader is one who CAN read but chooses not to engage in voluntary reading because he thinks books are boring. Here’s how I know:

A national survey conducted by the Young Adult Library Services Association asked boys, an average age of 14, to list their top obstacles to reading.

39.9% said reading was no fun.

29.8% said they were too busy.

11.1% liked other activities better.

7.7% said “I can’t get into the stories.”

4.3% said they just weren’t good at it.

The top four responses, a whopping 88.5%, are essentially saying “books are boring.” Then along came Harry Potter…Hmm, they aren’t reluctant after all, they are aliterate.

So what makes for a good boy book?

Many believe that a good boy book MUST have a male protagonist. One study shows that, yes, boys prefer it by 61.7% but there is another dynamic at work. In a study by researchers at the University of Georgia, preschool children were read four stories.

1.     A male protagonist engaged in a stereotypically male activity (playing with trains).

2.     A female protagonist engaged in a stereotypically female activity (playing with dolls).

3.     A male protagonist playing with dolls.

4.     A female protagonist playing with trains.

The boys’ number one pick was the male protagonist playing with trains. However, coming in second was the GIRL playing with trains pointing to the fact that the ACTIVITY is as important as the gender of the main character.

In an article by Thomas Newkirk entitled “Misreading Masculinity: Speculations on the Great Gender Gap in Writing”, he cites research that analyzes the reading and writing differences between boys and girls. Here’s the conclusion:

In their own writing, girls keep their main characters in familiar surroundings, they are connected to a community (friends), and the conflict involves relationships.

Boys, in their own writings sent their protagonists “out there” away from the familiar, they acted alone (sometimes in isolation) to conquer physical challenges.

Many children’s books written today have both genders acting in concert with a friend or in groups, staying in a familiar place and dealing with relationship issues. No wonder so many boys think books are boring.

Here’s the take-home message. When selecting a book for an aliterate boy reader, do NOT consider the gender of the protagonist ONLY. Choose books where the main character:

1.     Acts alone

2.     Takes off somewhere

3.     Must overcome physical challenges.

If you do, you have a better chance of capturing the interest of an aliterate reader.

New: Trailer for FORGIVEN

My son is making me a series of video teasers and trailers for my upcoming release, SIRENS, so I thought it was high time to ask him to make me a trailer for FORGIVEN. I love it! What do you think?

Debut Authors of Class of 2k12: Joanne Levy and SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE

I'm delighted to have on hand another of the talented members of the Class of 2k12, Joanne Levy, here to talk about her debut middle grade novel SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE.

Congratulations on the publication of your novel, SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE. I really love the title (and the cover!) Can you tell us a bit about the story and what inspired it? 

Thanks so much, Janet! I’m getting so much love about the title and I have to tell you that it all started with that! I woke up with it in my head one day and it nagged at me for about a year until I figured I needed to write a book to go with it. I’m glad I followed my instincts!

Absolutely! And following your heart, too. How long have you been writing for children/teens? Have you written other books or is this your first effort?

I’ve been writing seriously with the hope of being published for about 9 years now, but it wasn’t until sometime in 2007 that I wrote my first YA. I’ve written several YA books that got some interest, but no sales. SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE actually was first written as a YA (and was the twelfth book I’d written), but an editor thought my voice would be more suited for a younger audience, so, long story short, I rewrote it as a Middle Grade and it ended up selling, so I guess she was right!

Can you describe your path to the publication of SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE? 

It’s a very long one with a lot of winding and bumps along the way and just about no part of it was easy, linear or logical. SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE was the only book I’ve never queried an agent on, but the one that sold. But, the agent that sold it, wasn’t the one who first shopped it, but she signed me on a different book that never sold. See what I mean? None of it makes much sense. I’ve had four agents and have been on submission more times than I care to admit with several different books, and have had more rejections than some people have had hot dinners. Honestly, my path would take hours to write out, but let me just say after a lot of trying and failing and dusting myself off, I got there. 

And you've just suggested the key: persistence. Do you have any further advice for beginning writers? 

If you’re just in it for the writing—then write. Enjoy the process and let it carry your spirit to magical places. BUT, if you’re looking to get published, it’s a different beast. Be prepared to fail. Be okay with failing, because you will learn and move forward from it (and will probably learn more about writing, too). Be strong and prepare to work your butt off and make sure you REALLY want it, because it’s probably going to be hard. And even if your first book deal is easy, the stuff that comes after will be hard. I don’t know anyone in this business, even the big-name authors, who hasn’t faced failure and hardship at some point. But stay hopeful: read Stephen King’s ON WRITING and learn how failure does not mean you will continue to fail. Fail. Step over your failure. Fail again, learn. Move on. Succeed.

Can you tell us something about your personal life – inspirations, plans for the future, goals, etc.? 

I’d love to write full-time. But I also love eating, so until people buy enough of my books to make my pesky eating habit viable from book royalties, I’m stuck with a day job. That said, right now, my biggest goal is to keep writing and hopefully make people laugh and enjoy reading the silly stories I make up in my head. Oh, and I’d like to go on a cruise soon. I really need a holiday—that counts as a goal, right?

For sure. :) Do you have any new writing ventures underway? 

I’ve just finished a funny rom-com YA about a tomboy. It’s called, uh, TOMBOY. No word on what’s happening with it yet, though. I’m also hoping SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE will have a sequel, but I’m still not sure about that, either. So really, there’s not much to tell.

Best of luck with both of these! Do you have a website where readers can learn more about SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE?  

YES! http://joannelevy.com – for all the latest Joanne Levy news and other goofy stuff.

Adrian Fogelin Chats About SUMMER ON THE MOON

When a mutual friend sent me a copy of Adrian Fogelin's SUMMER ON THE MOON with the note "you must read this!" I did. And I was delighted that I did. SUMMER is a rich story of growing up in difficult circumstances, and has an authentic "boy" voice that is a marvel of craft in a rich, layered story. I had to invite Adrian to appear on my blog. Little did I know that she is not only a talented author but a songwriter with a band! Here is our interview:

Hi Adrian! Can you summarize SUMMER ON THE MOON for readers?

Sure—although writing a summary of a book has got to be harder than writing the book itself, but here goes!

Socko and his best friend Damien have just finished their last day at school and are looking forward to a boring summer in their hot inner-city apartment building where the local gang, the Tarantulas, will probably add the only excitement they can look forward to—and not the good kind—when Socko gets an unexpected get-out-of-jail-free card in the form of an offer from a great grandfather he's never met. The General, as he likes to be called, will buy a house for Socko and his mom if they keep him out of a nursing home.

Socko's mother, Delia, quickly takes the old man up on the offer and selects a house in an only partially-built housing development. What she doesn't know is that the subdivision is going bankrupt and that they are the only ones who have purchased a house in Moon Ridge Estates.

At first it seems that Socko’s summer will be spent keeping  his cranky great-grandfather company while Delia goes to work, but as he explores the wasteland that is his new neighborhood he begins to claim the territory as his own, just the way the Tarantulas claimed the old one. He turns the empty community pool into his own personal skate park and walks the beams of half-built houses.

But always at the back of his mind is the unfinished business in his old neighborhood—how can he save the best friend he left behind from being engulfed by the gang?

This book ends with a splash. Socko, who is now the guy who knows the territory, tricks Rapp, the gang leader, into putting his Trans Am in the swimming pool (now full) after a chase through the empty streets of Moon Ridge. When Rapp doesn't get out of the car Socko has to decide whether to save his worst nightmare or let Rapp drown.

A most excellent summary. Do you write from personal experience?

There is always some of my own life experience in my books. In the case of Summer on the Moon, the setting was familiar. I grew up in a brand-new subdivision a lot like Moon Ridge Estates. The only trees were planted by the developer, one on either side of the driveway. Each cast a shadow as thin as a pencil. The water for the subdivision was still a work in progress. Some days it was pink, some days blue. Standing behind my house at one end of the block I could see the houses at the other end with nothing green in between.

But personal experience played a smaller role in this book than usual. Summer on the Moon was built around a shared experience: the economic recession. Socko’s neighbors in the apartment building are all losing their jobs, in the new neighborhood he finds a homeless family squatting in one of the unsold houses. The recession affects everyone in the book, just as it has affected many of the readers I hope will pick up this book.  I wanted young readers to see their own hard times in a story and maybe open the topic for discussion.

I love the General. Please talk about how his character came to be.

The General is a member of the generation that fought in WWII—my dad’s generation. Tough and practical, they survived the Great Depression, fought in a global war (often in their teens), went to college on the GI Bill and raised families. Those that remain are in their eighties and, like the General  who is about to be surplused to a nursing home, are often dismissed for being old, cranky and irrelevant—or as Delia observed “past their pull date.”  

Before they fade into history I wanted to portray the grit and wisdom of what Tom Brokaw labeled “greatest generation,” so I created the General.

You’ve written a number of highly acclaimed books (CROSSING FORDAN, ANNA CASEY'S PLACE IN THE WORLD). What is your process? Are you a pantser or a plotter? Do you write every day?

Pantser?  I love it! The term I’ve coined for my method is “blurter,” and yes , the seat of my pants is always involved. I have come to trust the process, even though I sometimes have no idea where I am going when I write page one. Scenes, like the pages in a pop-up book, open up as I need them. Something below the surface of my brain must be working awfully hard coming up with that next scene, but by the time my conscious mind is aware of it the scene appears as a detailed picture. All I need to do is find the words to describe what I see.

As for every-dayness, I do some kind of writing every day, even if it is only journal-keeping, but most days I am churning out pages for a novel and waiting for the next scene magically appear.

What’s up next for you?

I've just completed a draft of the next book in the Neighborhood series. So far this series goes like this: Crossing Jordan, Anne Casey's Place in the World, My Brothers Hero, The Big Nothing, The Sorta Sisters.

The new book revolves around a fedora, long forgotten in a closet.  It was left by the mysterious Uncle Paul who has not been heard from in three years. When Cody Floyd finds and begins to wear the hat it seems to give him magic powers. At first the older kids in the neighborhood make fun of Cody and his “magic hat” but when the hat finds them an abandoned garage deep in the woods, the perfect clubhouse, they begin to listen to Cody and gradually come to depend on the magic of the hat. The story is told in the course of one week, the week before Cody's seventh birthday, a birthday he shares with his vanished uncle who will unexpectedly reappear on their shared birthday.

What an engaging idea! Is there anything else you’d like to tell us – secret dreams, childhood favorite books, how you got started as a writer...?

One thing I always mention is the library my neighbors and I started at the house across the street from mine. My father lived there until his death in 2007. Because I didn’t want to sell the house I needed a good excuse to keep it (who needs two houses?).  The best excuse I could come up with was to turn it into a library for the kids of Seminole Manor Neighborhood. We now have more than 2,000 cataloged books and run programs for the kids every Sunday.  I put a link below if you would like to visit the Front Porch Library.

Secret dreams? Okay, but remember that “dream” is the operative word here. One of my favorite forms of writing is songwriting which I do collaboratively with my singing partner, Craig Reeder. I’d love it if we could write a hit—you know, the kind guys who have giant busses with their names on the side play for crazy-big audiences.

My more realistic dream is to continue to write and have my novels published and read. I am lucky to have worked for a dozen years with Peachtree Publishers, a great independent house in Atlanta. I wish every writer could find a home for their work that is as supportive. The “peaches” feel like my second family.  

Thanks for helping me keep the dream of reaching readers going Janet!

You are more than welcome! Please give readers a way to find out more about your books and you. And thanks!

My author website: www.adrianfogelin.com

My books through my Publisher:  http://peachtree-online.com/index.php/author/adrian-fogelin.html

My blog for adult readers: http://slowdancejournal.wordpress.com/

The Front Porch Library: http://thefrontporchlibrary.wordpress.com/

Literacy music video made by my band, Hot Tamale and the kids of The Front Porch Library:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjaX0pA2CBY

My band: http://hottamale.weebly.com/index.html

Denise Jaden's New Release: NEVER ENOUGH

I love the fact that my 2k10 pals are releasing their next books, and I get to host them here! Last week Kristina McBride...and this week I'm featuring my friend Denise Jaden, and her new novel NEVER ENOUGH. Keep an eye out for her collaborative video, which is such a cool idea; I'll feature it here when it's out. Here's Denise:

Congrats on your new release, NEVER ENOUGH! Please give readers a synopsis of the story.

Loann’s always wanted to be popular and pretty like her sister, Claire. So when Claire’s ex-boyfriend starts flirting with her, Loann is willing to do whatever it takes to feel special… even if that means betraying her sister.

But as Loann slips inside Claire’s world, she discovers that everything is not as it seems. Claire’s quest for perfection is all-consuming, and comes at a dangerous price. As Claire increasingly withdraws from friends and family, Loann struggles to understand her and make amends. Can she heal their relationship —and her sister—before it’s too late?

LOSING FAITH was such a terrific debut. Did you find the second novel harder to write? Easier? How about your writing process – has that changed?

I had actually written many drafts of NEVER ENOUGH before I’d even come up with the concept for LOSING FAITH. NEVER ENOUGH has been a work in progress for about eight years, and has gone through many extensive revisions. I have since discovered NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), which has taught me a lot about fast drafting and moving forward to find my real story, rather than getting caught up for months on one section.

How about the publication process now – do you feel more comfortable with it?

Yes and no. Everything takes FOREVER in publishing, and I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to that. Also, being a figure of public scrutiny is hard to get used to. But I’m at the point now where I have so many projects on the go, it keeps me from getting too caught up in any of the more difficult parts of publishing.

You are great at publicity. Would you mind sharing what you think works best?

Thank you! I don’t enjoy selling myself, but I do enjoy social media very much. Maybe too much! So I’ve learned to put my time into the things I enjoy (read: Twitter) and not so much into the things that I don’t (read: sitting behind a table in an empty bookstore). I’m always trying new things regarding publicity, and I say yes to pretty much anything that comes my way (time-permitting), but I spend less of my time seeking out opportunities now. One new thing I’m trying with the release of NEVER ENOUGH, is a collaborative author video on self-esteem. It should be out soon and I’m really excited about it!

Has anything in your writing or personal life changed that you’d care to share?

Plenty has changed in my life since the publication of my first book. I actually had a pretty rotten year in 2011, lots of tragedies, including the sudden loss of my dad. All these things have really given me a dose of perspective. I love writing, and I’m back to a place where I’m doing it because I love it. Family is certainly my priority, though, and where my life got swept off course with the release of LOSING FAITH, I feel much more balanced coming up to this release.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a couple of projects I’m excited about. One is another YA contemporary novel with strong romance/mystery elements. It’s called FOREIGN EXCHANGE, and is about a girl who has to sneak away from her class trip in Europe, along with her crush, to find her missing best friend.

The other is my first attempt at non-fiction. I’m working on a book called WRITING WITH A HEAVY HEART: USING GRIEF AND LOSS TO STRETCH YOUR FICTION. This book is the result of a workshop I taught earlier this year on writing grief in fiction. It should be out later this year.

That sounds amazing - I look forward to both of those! Where can readers find out more about you and your books?

I try to keep my website up to date at http://www.denisejaden.com

You can also find me on Facebook or Twitter under denisejaden.

Thanks so much, Denise!

Thank YOU, Janet!!

Kristina McBride and ONE MOMENT

This week I'm featuring my sweet friend and 2k10 sister Kristina McBride, whose new novel, ONE MOMENT, debuts today! I'm so excited for her and loved her first novel, THE TENSION OF OPPOSITES, so I know I'll love this one, too. Here's Kristina on first and second novels and the writing life:

Please give us a synopsis of your new release. Is it available now?

ONE MOMENT will be available June 26^th – and I cannot wait!

Here’s the synopsis (from Goodreads):

"This was supposed to be the best summer of Maggie’s life. Now it’s the one she’d do anything to forget.

Maggie Reynolds remembers hanging out at the gorge with her closest friends after a blowout party the night before. She remembers climbing the trail hand in hand with her perfect boyfriend, Joey. She remembers that last kiss, soft, lingering, and meant to reassure her. So why can’t she remember what happened in the moment before they were supposed to dive? Why was she left cowering at the top of the cliff, while Joey floated in the water below—dead?

As Maggie’s memories return in snatches, nothing seems to make sense. Why was Joey acting so strangely at the party? Where did he go after taking her home? And if Joey was keeping these secrets, what else was he hiding?

The latest novel from the author of The Tension of Opposites, One Moment is a mysterious, searing look at how an instant can change everything you believe about the world around you."

I adored your debut, THE TENSION OF OPPOSITES. What was the primary difference for you in writing this novel as opposed to TofO? Was this harder? Easier?

Thank you! To be honest, I’m not sure that there were many differences. I mean, I had successfully taken one idea and seen it through to a finished novel, so my confidence was a bit higher compared to when I was working on THE TENSION OF OPPOSITES. But I still faced the same ups and downs as far as my creative process: all the doubt and self-criticism that I tend to pile on myself as I begin writing a new project, then the super-cool feeling of being swept away by the story one I get going, and of course, the difficult process of facing what feels like a mountain of revisions. I suppose that ONE MOMENT was easier in the sense that I knew what to expect – the various highs and lows at each stage of the game – and that made me a little more prepared to do everything that needed to be done without my emotions getting in the way.

How are you handling publicity this time out?

Publicity is so hard! I never feel like I’m doing quite enough, so I have to remind myself that I can only do what fits with my life as a wife and mother of two little ones. To promote ONE MOMENT, I’m going on a blog tour, as well as offering up several copies for different giveaways during June, the month of the release. I also have a few events scheduled throughout the summer. I’m super excited for my launch party in Dayton, Ohio on June 29^th, and also a group signing in Cincinnati on August 4^th with a panel of super cool authors. A detailed listing of my events is posted on my blog.

Has anything in your writing life changed? New habits? New approaches that work better for you? New craft techniques that you’re experimenting with?

I’m fortunate enough to be raising two incredible little ones, so for me, it’s all about using my time wisely. The major difference this school year is that I’ve had four mornings a week to devote to my writing. This change has really given me the time I need to dive in to my latest projects. My approach is simple: When the kids are at school, I’m writing. No exceptions. No breakfast with friends, running errands, walking in the woods, hitting the gym – nothing but me and my characters and my computer (and, okay, maybe a little Facebook/Twitter time if I need a few minutes away from a tricky transition or difficult chapter opener). The bottom line is that I’ve learned to protect my writing time, because if I don’t, no one else will.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on two different projects right now – one a series, the other a stand-alone. I’m pretty excited about both and can’t wait until I can share them with the world. For now, though, both must remain top secret. (Sorry! I hate when people do that to me! But you asked, so I answered.)

Please give us contact information – website, Facebook page, Twitter addy, Pinterest location – anything you’d like to share!

Website: http://kristinamcbride.livejournal.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kristinamcbrideauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/McBrideKristina

Blog: http://kristinamcbride.livejournal.com/

Amazon – Buy Now: http://www.amazon.com/One-Moment-Kristina-McBride/dp/160684086X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337963339&sr=1-2

Guest Post: Victoria Hanley on Conflict, Plus a Giveaway of WILD INK

Today I'm delighted to host author Victoria Hanley, whose newest book is Wild Ink: Success Secrets for Writing and Publishing in the Young Adult Market. Now here's a book I wish I could win! Prufrock Press has generously offered a giveaway of this handy guide, so please come and comment in order to enter!

Plus for each tweet of the post 1 extra point; each Facebook post one extra point. Just let me know in the comment that you've helped to spread the word. And include your contact info so I can let you know if you've won.

The contest will run for the next two weeks. Here's Victoria:

Want to Be a Young Adult Novelist? Bring on the Conflict

Victoria Hanley

Writers tend to fall in love with our characters. Their quirky voices fascinate us, and their motivations drive us to keep going for hundreds of pages. Yes, we love them, and we want to ... be mean to them.

What? No! We don’t want to be mean to them. They’re so young and tender, and we love these people! Wouldn’t it be nice if things would just go well for them?

Nice, yes. Good story, no. That’s why you haven’t read any page turners—YA or otherwise—where the characters had it easy.

 It can be hard to resist the urge to intervene for your characters as soon as they begin to suffer. I’ve seen plenty of new writers set up convincing conflict only to take pity on their protagonists. This is one of the biggest and most frequent mistakes a new writer can make. It’s a bit like tying off a balloon before there’s enough air pressure. Instead of soaring high, the story will be flabby and drag on the ground. 

YA characters are going through the crucible known as “coming-of-age.” A sweet phrase, really –coming-of-age—aw, look, isn’t it pretty?

Let’s hope not.

Whether your YA is a contemporary novel, dystopian fiction, romance, sci-fi, fantasy,  horror, or some other subgenre, coming-of age will be horribly grueling for your characters. They’ll have to face down challenges from which there is no escape and no rescue. Depending on your style, they’ll endure physical, emotional or mental pain—or all three, as happened in The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

Take a look at the conflict you have going in your novel. How much pressure have you put on your protagonist? Have you eased up on the heartache and hardships and angst? Have you allowed the adults in the book to resolve things? Oversimplified an issue or even skipped over it? If so, it’s time to revise!

Choose conflict that fits your characters, message, and plot. Then keep up the pressure until the climax hits. Bam! The balloon explodes. Your protagonist finally gets resolution, and your readers get a book to remember.

Check out  this free download of Chapter Two of Wild Ink: Getting Your Book in Shape, Novel Writing 1 http://www.prufrock.com/Assets/ClientPages/pdfs/Wild_Ink_Excerpt.pdf

Guest Post: Author Dave Becker on Not Pandering to Young Adults

This week I'm delighted to welcome Dave Becker, author of The Faustian Host, on the subject of pandering to young adults. Dave is an author and artist living in Pennsylvania. He has spent almost twenty years as a husband, father, and youth leader. The Faustian Host, a young adult, paranormal thriller, is his first novel.

And this is an excellent take on an important way to *not* approach our audience. Thanks, Dave!

"Everybody Hates Pandering"

I hate election years. The constant stream of hyperbole, mudslinging, fear-mongering, and polarizing vitriol becomes mind-numbing for me after about a day. But the thing I hate the most is the pandering.

I've worked in marketing for over 20 years, so I understand how to manipulate facts and emotions to generate an artificial feeling about a particular product or idea. It's not the noblest trade, but it's part of life, and I've learned to deal with it. What I can't tolerate is a hypocritical facade that veils a condescending opinion of me as a human being - like I'm not really worth talking to, so I'll just be talked at. Pandering always stems from a deep-seated disdain for the audience, and usually comes off as an offensive caricature. So politicians talk about grits in the South, and trees in the West, as if those silly stereotypes actually define the voters and their concerns.

It's great to be here at the North Pole. The polar bears are just the right size, and I simply adore baby seals. Makes me want to build an igloo, or a magical toy factory.

In the movie As Good as it Gets, Jack Nicholson's character describes his ability to write women so well thusly, "I think of a man, and I take away reason and accountability." I think many young adult writers try to portray kids similarly. "I think of an adult, and I take away self-control and rationality." It's pandering, and the effect is the same as it is for politicians.

Like all art, writing is supposed to connect us spiritually. Language communicates; art enlightens. Certain stories keep being retold because they affect us in ways that mere words and images can't. They penetrate our minds and hearts and speak to us on levels that seem more than real, more than true, more than us. A connection like that can't be achieved without an immense respect - even love - for the audience.

That's why young adult novels like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games appeal to more than just kids. The characters are young, but their characteristics are timeless. A four-year-old can appreciate bravery just as much as an eighty-year-old. A mother of six struggles with doubt just like her children. Adults wrestle with the glories and pains of relationships as much as teenagers do. Everyone, at every age, agonizes over daily decisions and the future.

Writing for young adults isn't a trend, a gimmick, or a marketing decision. Young adult is simply a genre. The same rules apply. Love your readers. Love your characters. Have something worthwhile to say. Tell the best story you possibly can, with the greatest craft you cam muster. Enlighten, entertain, edify, and leave the audience wanting more.

Pandering is the coward's attempt to win affection. Politicians apparently can't get elected without being liked (maybe we should just move elections to Facebook if that's all they want). Writers, on the other hand, aren't striving to be liked. We strive to be true - to ourselves and our readers. The goal of the politician is to have a voter think, "I feel good about this candidate." The goal of the writer should be to have a reader finish the book and think, "I feel good about myself." Because the greatest virtues of humanity - love, courage, truth, sacrifice - are always admirable, regardless of the age of the characters.

On The Faustian Host: 

Plymouth Rock is bleeding. Day has turned to night. Hundred-pound hailstones level buildings. The small town of Clement seems cursed, and the residents know who's to blame: the new kid, Tony Marino.

dave@davebeckerdesign.com

http://www.davebeckerdesign.com/

Debut Authors of the Class of 2k12: Katherine Longshore and GILT

Congratulations on the publication of your novel, GILT.  Can you tell us a bit about the story and what inspired it?

Thank you so much for having me on the blog, Janet!  It’s such a delight to meet other writers of historical fiction.

GILT is a story of friendship and betrayal.  Of cliques and wanting to belong. Of going along with the Queen Bee’s wishes because it is sometimes easier (and less confrontational) then having your own.

It is also the story of Catherine Howard, who married Henry VIII in 1540 at the age of sixteen, and died less than two years later, having been convicted of treason and adultery.

Ultimately, I was inspired to write a story that could resonate with a modern audience but in a setting that reflects my love of history.  I wanted the chance to describe the lustrous palaces and gorgeous costumes of the Tudor era, while also exposing the darkness within it.  I saw a similarity to high school in the halls of Hampton Court, and sought to bring it to life.

So many fabulous historical novels coming out this year - and here's another to add to my list! How long have you been writing for children/teens? Have you written other books or is this your first effort?

Compared to others in the business, I haven't been writing for young people for very long–just under five years. But I've been writing my entire life.  I studied geography, anthropology and journalism in college because I wanted to be a travel writer. My first book – about my travels through Africa – was 800 pages of chapters and paragraphs beginning with “and then I…”

I wrote my second book eleven years later. A young middle grade time travel adventure. I loved that book, but something very similar hit the New York Times bestseller list while I was revising. So I switched to full historical YA. And I love it here.

Can you describe your path to the publication of GILT?

I started GILT immediately after the middle grade debacle–it was the slutty next novel, ready to be written. I knew I might be onto something when an agent at a workshop asked me to query her when it was finished. So I did. I was lucky to receive offers from some amazing agents, but knew–probably immediately–that Catherine Drayton was the right fit. She gave GILT a great title (it was cringingly titled CAT’S SHADOW before) and a makeover by offering amazing revision suggestions. And then she placed it with Kendra Levin, an editor who “got” me and my work from day one and never ceases to amaze me with her insight and talent. GILT's publication story is much more of a fairytale than what is between the covers.

"Cat's Shadow" isn't bad...but "GILT" is fabulous. Do you have any advice for beginning writers?

1.  Write the book you want to write, not the book you think others will want to read. You will be happier, and so will your readers.

2.  Finish the book. It seems like common sense, but it's a hard thing to do.

3.  Revise. Revise. Revise.

4.  Read. It'll keep you grounded and make your mind soar. Read outside your genre. Read craft books. Read everything. It's worth it.

Can you tell us something about your personal life–inspirations, plans for the future, goals, etc.?

I’m forever finding new and exciting things to research and write about. When I travel to England, I always discover a juicy bit of history I’m dying to put into a novel.  This year, I’m branching out with my research – into another century and a completely different way of life.  I'm finally reaching the point when I feel like I might be able to begin my dream novel, but I can't be sure until I do. I'll keep you posted.

Do you have any new writing ventures underway?

I'm revising Book 2 of the series. It is set much earlier than GILT and includes a sexier Henry VIII. I'm also researching and plotting Book 3.  And dreaming about the dream novel.

Do you have a website where readers can learn more about GILT?

Yes! You can find me at www.katherinelongshore.com. There you can read more about my books, about me and news and GILT-related events.  You can also go to my blog – www.katherinelongshore.blogspot.com -- where I babble on about inspiration, the GILT playlist, history and anything else that comes to mind.

Mima Tipper: Part 3 "When Characters Speak"

***Spoiler Alert*** This blog post contains story spoilers. Read the full version of my YA short story “Waiting for Alice” in the first issue of Sucker Literary Magazine at http://suckerliterarymagazine.wordpress.com/

Can You Hear Me Now? When Characters Speak Through Revision, Part Three

(In which Mima finally hears what Alice has to say)

I thought about the story more, about Mia more and, as the following bits from my writing journal prove, obviously more and more:  

September 16, 2008…What is it with Mia? Should I change her name to Alice so I can really look at her with fresh eyes?

…September 19, 2008. How crazy to be afraid of my writing, like it will bite me.

…October 4, 2008. Some days I am a little freaked out by “…Alice.” I just finished M. D. Bauer’s collection of gay-themed YA short stories, and it scares me a little to have imagined what I’ve imagined… (Tipper Journal)

My journal shows me having finished the Bauer collection, so I know that the October 4^th entry occurred after I had my library-epiphany. What I also know is that the moment I began writing Mia (now Alice) from the perspective of a young girl struggling to understand an unexpected development in her growing sexuality, the story, now titled “Waiting for Alice,” came to life. As did the revised ending:

Three girls come in. They smile at you in that way that says they don’t know you. It’s true. They don’t know you. There’s a whole world out there that doesn’t know you. You look beyond them to the door.     

Mom and Stacey—your best friend Stacey—are out there somewhere, waiting on the other side. 

The dream dark waits, too. Black and soft and velvet as falling. How much easier it would be to go back there, stay there. Blink—what’s it going to be, Ali-girl, Ali, Alice?   

You can’t do it.You can’t stay in that empty, lonely, not-true place. 

But there won’t be any falling or diving or jumping. Just one step, and then another. 

Out. (“Waiting for Alice,” Sucker Literary Magazine, Winter, 2012)   

Examining the two endings I’ve included, the style and structure of them is not that different. In truth, the style and essential structure of the entire story didn’t change much from the first bit in my fantasy novel. The meaning, however, changed not only dramatically, but also in a way far beyond any intention. By the time I wrote the first of the drafts titled “Waiting for Alice,” it was as though I was channeling Alice as opposed to creating her. 

What writing “…Alice” has revealed to me as a writer, is that a story concept, even a full first draft, is one piece in the larger part of writing a story. I’d always thought of writing and revising as a linear process, draft after draft leading in a line toward whatever the initial inkling of the ending would be. When Alice spoke to me on that library day, I understood that revision is not just part of writing a story, it is writing the story.  That writing is more like a big puzzle, where the writer begins placing pieces—some fitting, some not—to see what the picture is. And if a writer is open to the picture becoming something entirely different than presumed, the process of revision will create magic. The kind where a protagonist will speak, as if sitting at the table, and tell an unexpected whopper of a story.  

Thanks for listening, everyone, and for sticking with me and Alice!


Thank you, Mima, for such a great story!

Works Cited:

Kaplan, David Michael.  Revision.  Cincinnati: Story Press, 1997.

Krishnaswami, Uma.  Letter.  6 May, 2008.

Leavitt, Martine.  Letter.  28 August, 2008.

Tipper, Mima. “Faerie Games.” Ms.  VCFA, 2007.

---. Journal. 2008.

---.  “Peer Pressure.” Ms.  VCFA, 2008.

---. “Mia’s Letter.” Ms.  VCFA, 2008.

---. “The Alice Effect.” Ms. VCFA, 2008.

---. “Waiting for Alice.” Sucker Literary Magazine, winter, 2012.

This series ran originally on the Hen & Ink Literary Studio blog last January at http://henandinkblots.wordpress.com/. Also a freshly updated version of my interview with Sucker’s editor-in-chief, Hannah Goodman, is up this week on Through the Tollbooth at http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/ and I’m also guesting on Lindsey Lane’s blog for “Quotable Tuesday” this week at http://www.lindseylane.net/blog/


Mima Tipper spends as much time as possible writing stories and novels for kids and teens, and recently had the tremendous good fortune to earn an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Along with being mad-proud that her YA short story “Waiting for Alice” is in the premiere issue of Sucker Literary Magazine (live now) she is thrilled that another YA short story, “A Cut-Out Face”, was a Katherine Paterson Prize finalist in 2010, and appeared in Hunger Mountain’s online Journal of the Arts’ Art & Insanity of Creativity issue, Fall, 2011. Mima lives in Vermont with her family, is represented by Erzsi Deàk at Hen & Ink Literary Studio http://henandink.com/ , and can be found @meemtip on Twitter.