Chatting With Fellow Sourcebooks Debut Author Kurt Dinan About The Writing Life and DON'T GET CAUGHT!

One of my favorite parts about the path leading up to the debut of MY KIND OF CRAZY has been becoming friends with the hilarious witty and insightful fellow YA author Kurt Dinan.

Not only do we share a publisher (yay Sourcebooks Fire!) but we also share a release date, and having someone to navigate the murky waters of the unknown with has been such a great experience. We've traded everything from marketing and writing advice to debating about which of Rory's boyfriends on Gilmore Girls was the most annoying. Kurt's real-life wit spills onto the pages of his debut novel, DON'T GET CAUGHT, which is about a high school nobody who, through a series of increasingly inventive heists that turn into an all-out prank war, finds his people and his voice. In his non-writer life, Kurt has taught high school English for over the last twenty-one years, and while he's never pulled any of the pranks detailed in DON'T GET CAUGHT, he was once almost arrested in college for blizzarding the campus with fliers promoting a fake concert.

To celebrate our upcoming debuts, Kurt and I thought it would be fun to interview each other and chat about the writing life and give a little behind-the-scenes of our books. So without further ado, let's dive in!

Robin: In THE BREAKFAST CLUB, the brilliant John Hughes movie that your hilariously witty debut DON’T GET CAUGHT has been compared to, Principal Vernon asks all the characters to write an essay saying who they think they are. They had a thousand words or less to do it, but you’re a writer, and a clever one at that, so in 50 words, who is Kurt Dinan?

Kurt: I’m a father of four who teaches English in Ohio’s largest public high school. When the papers are graded and the kids are in bed, I write. Or at least I try to. I wrote horror short stories for years, but writing juvenile-humored YA is a lot more me, yo.

Robin: It is often said that there are pieces of the writer in each of the characters they create. What was the inspiration behind your main characters and which one(s) do you feel are the most like you? Which one would you most likely have been friends back when you were in high school?

Kurt: It’s funny, because every writing book says you should use the people you know as characters, but this was the first time I ever did that. None of the characters are exact copies, obviously, but I borrow from a few people I was good friends with. In high school I was definitely the most like Max in my feelings of not really fitting in. I got along with people and had friends, but I didn’t have lifelong friends until I got to college. I had a very Wheeler-esque friend in high school--the screw-up who’s probably too smart for his own good--and had a crush on an Ellie Wick-like girl, the all-American teenage girl who has a lot more going on under the surface than people realize. Malone is a combination of two girls I’ve been friends with and they’ve both intimidated in the same way Malone intimidates Max. I use “intimidate” in only the most positive sense of the word, heh.

Kurt in his senior year of high school working at the school radio station.

Robin: I think so many readers will relate to Max. All your characters are wonderful and so richly drawn. Which brings me to my next question: Do you come up with characters first or story? Are you a plotter or a pantser? Do you tend to draw your story ideas from real life events that inspire you or a random thought that blossoms into more and takes root?

Kurt: I’m an idiot, so I pretty much come up with a story idea first then shape my characters to suit my needs. That’s the opposite of what every writing book advises doing, and I understand why. It took me forever to get my characters “right”, especially Max. Wheeler, however, came really, really easy for me.

As for process, yeah, I’m definitely a plotter. Like maniacally so. I’ll spend months plotting it all out to the point where I’m probably wasting good writing time. With the novel I’m writing now, I’m trying to be a little less strict and make it up as I go. Like most writers I know, I discover ideas while I’m writing, so I should trust that more. I suppose I’m really just a control freak at heart, unfortunately, but I’m working on it.

With where story ideas come from, I usually do a list of what I’m interested in and/or would be interested in reading and go from there. On the list that led to DON’T GET CAUGHT it says (among other things): ensemble casts, heists, pranks, and juvenile humor. That’s pretty much the novel I wrote, eventually.

Robin: A good friend once told me, “Write what scares you.” Do you have a project you are wanting to write that scares you? Are you interested in writing for adults as well or is YA your niche for the kinds of stories you’d like to tell? Can you share a little somethin’ somethin’ about what you’re working on now?

Kurt: See, I’m practical to a fault, so I only start a project that I think I can sell. It also has to entertain me though, so it takes me a long while to actually get moving. Basically, I don’t have any projects in mind that I won’t write because they scare me; it’s more like I have projects in mind that interest me but I won’t write because I don’t think I could sell them. As much as I’d love to write whatever is in my head, I have to be choosy because I struggle to find writing time to begin with.

I prefer to write YA right now mostly because it’s the world I know. Teaching high schoolers, contantly being around teenagers, it’s sort of a secret “in” that I can use to my advantage. I know my audience pretty well, at least the sort of kids I write for. And since you asked, yeah, I have a new project that I’m working on that is coming sloooowly. Basically, it’s a road trip novel--think Revenge of the Nerds meets The Amazing Race.

Robin: I am SO in! That sounds fantastic! One more for the road: If you had to impart one invaluable writing tip based on your experiences to aspiring authors, what would it be?

Kurt: Oh man, advice? Okay, this is the best advice I can give--find whatever works best for you and do it. There’s no one way to write and anyone who tells you differently is an idiot. I spent a lot of time studying different writing processes and even asking other writers about their processes, and finally the writer Douglas Clegg said, “I think you’re looking for a magic answer, but the truth is there isn’t one.” That helped a lot. My writing process is ever-changing and not very pretty, but it works for me. So my advice, do whatever it is you have to do to make the words right.

Thanks for this opportunity, Robin!

To learn more about Kurt Dinan and to read his interview with me, check out his blog here. You can buy his book at your favorite bookseller or online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and IndieBound. You can also follow him on Twitter at @KurtDinan and be sure to add DON'T GET CAUGHT on Goodreads.

Click on the Rafflecopter link below to be entered to win one of two copies of MY KIND OF CRAZY!

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So now the book is finished so you just sit back and chill, right? Yeah, not even close, dude....

I apologize for not blogging in so long. Lately, my life has been a little crazy, but in all the best ways. I think one of the biggest misconceptions an aspiring writer has is that they will write the book, an agent will represent it and sell it, an editor will acquire it and help mold it and sculpt it and take it to the next level, and then, after the final round of edits, the author simply dives in to work on the next book and awaits the initial book's release, all the while fielding movie offers from Hollywood. After all, it's been through several rounds of edits and copy edits and it's finished, so what more could possibly need to be done?

So much more.

In fact, now the next phase of the job begins, and it's almost as much work as writing the book itself.

I was pretty excited that my publisher assigned me an in-house publicist, and I am lucky to work with a team who is so enthusiastic about my book and is willing to do whatever they can to channel awareness to its upcoming release. They are the people who coordinate distributing ARCs to bloggers, librarians, reviewers and media outlets. They bring that ARC to industry trade shows and events and try and generate word of mouth. They tweet about the book on social media and retweet links to positive reviews and shout-outs and what-not. They create a marketing plan for the book, organize a blog tour and reach out on my behalf in the hopes that across the various forms of media and social media, people will want to learn more about me and MY KIND OF CRAZY.

So what comes next? I'll tell you.

The first exciting step is the cover reveal, which your publisher may arrange or you may seek out a source yourself. Generally whomever hosts this will also want a bio, an excerpt of up to 500 words and maybe a few questions. No problem! You can fire those off AND get four loads of laundry done, get the dishes out of the sink, play a few levels of Candy Crush Saga, update your Facebook status (#amwriting!) AND get down some word count on the new book. This is easy. And fun!

Then, after the cover reveal and coupled with the efforts of your diligent in-house publicists, you will suddenly find yourself easing on to the radar of bloggers and librarians. If you are fortunate, they will start to contact you wanting to interview you or write a guest post on topics ranging from behind the scenes trivia about the book to playlists to 15 Things You Didn't Know About Me. Often their questions can be similar to another blogger's, but you don't want to give the exact same answer because who wants to read the exact same interview over and over? So now you're putting thought and creativity into these, trying to differentiate each one out of respect to the person taking the time to feature you because how awesome is that??!

If you're smart, you will have teamed up with other fellow authors who share your debut year and will be working to help promote each others' books. This often involves an ARC tour where you read as many of the books from your fellow debuts as you can and then write about them on social media to help spread the word. It's wonderful and it creates amazing friendships and great support, but it too takes time, as you will need to now make time in your schedule for reading all their books. Sometimes you may have two or three that show up in a week, and you need to turn them around pretty fast.

And then you start thinking about swag. People love swag, and writers bring this with them when they go to signings or participate on panels. It's also great for giveaways and pre-order incentives, so now you've got to put on your thinking cap and start coming up with fun stuff to create: bookmarks, bracelets, postcards, buttons, the possibilities are endless. You find yourself spending time on line comparing prices, talking with other writers about what they used, trying to come up with something original that screams what your book is about in a fun way. Note: the dishes have now not been done in a couple of days. This is a good point to get up, stretch, get them done and throw in a load of laundry.

Now it's time to think about appearances, because nothing compares with the ability to have face-time with readers and librarians and anyone who might be interested in your book. If you moderate a panel, you respectfully need to make sure you've read all the books by the people on your panel so you can speak thoughtfully to them about their work and ask pointed questions. Add that on to the evening to-do list and start buying food you can turn quickly into something that passes for dinner. Crock pots and Trader Joes will be your new best friends. You schedule a book launch (make sure you order enough swag!) (and where to have that? Better research that too) and then you look into local conferences and book festivals that feature young adult authors and reach out and see if they might be interested in having you come participate. (By the time you finish this, you should probably throw in another laundry load because that first one has been sitting in the machine for a couple of days and smells funky. Actually, maybe you should just wash that load again.)

Meanwhile, every time you sit down to work on the new book, there's another email, another piece of something to sign off on, and for the love of all things literary, GET OFF GOODREADS!

As the release date gets closer, the momentum does not let up, and that's a GREAT thing because it means more people are interested in reading about your book. And at the same time, it's all sort of daunting. The marketing and promotion side makes you feel a bit like a used car salesman, because you're a person who does not feel comfortable on stage in the spotlight. You are much more comfortable backstage, if not hiding under the stage, and suddenly you've got to learn about things like public speaking and pitching yourself for panels and all sorts of things that are uncharted territory.

But guess what? Nobody can sell your book better than you. And yes, it's a lot of work, but it's super rewarding, because how cool is that that people actually want to read your book? And that even though you aren't supposed to go on Goodreads, you've seen people compare the writing to John Green (OMG!!) and fangirl about your characters. That's the good stuff, and worth all the energy and effort, even if you have one inch gray roots and you could get a square meal off your kitchen floor.

Then the book comes out, and there will be another wave of more of the same, all the while still plugging away writing the next book. And then the cycle begins all over again. And you stop and remember that nothing worth having comes without hard work, and so you push through. And when you feel like you can't adult another minute, you talk to your writer friends who have been there and assure you this is all normal, YOU are normal, and that they've been there, done that and have that t-shirt too. And then you laugh about what a crazy business publishing is while washing that laundry load for the third time because you actually forgot to dry it again that second time and think to yourself how cool is it that you get to spend your days making up stories and feel blessed for this amazing ride.

COVER REVEALS AND OTHER SURREAL THINGS

I think the second coolest thing to holding one's actual completed book in hand is getting to see the cover for the very first time.

It's been absolutely exhilirating to watch the design team at Sourcebooks work to create the perfect look, and I think they really nailed it. I was also lucky enough to be included in the process, which is rare.

Every writer has some idea in his or her head before the book is even queried what that cover might look like. For me, I had always pictured the title written in sparklers on a night sky background. When my editor asked if I had any ideas to throw into the mix, not only was I excited at the chance to share my vision, but elated when I saw that Sourcebooks loved the idea too and it stuck. The cover has endured many permutations to make sure it holds interest for the widest audience possible and also being so eye-catching that the reader is drawn to pick that one off the shelf because they want to know what that book is all about. That old saying – "Don't judge a book by its cover" – is so true, because like it or not, readers do just that, so it has to be spot on.

The day I received the final cover image and was given the green light to reveal it was a really cool day. In fact, you'd imagine I would have posted this then, but I really wanted to take in that moment.The first breaths the book takes out in the world in any way. Now that it's settled in (as much as it ever could because it's still all so surreal) I am so excited to share my beautiful cover with you.

You can read about the cover reveal and a sneak peek at the opening of the book over at YA Highway.

Also, my publisher is running a giveaway of (5) copies of MY KIND OF CRAZY on Goodreads if you want to check it out. As is my life philosophy: "You can't win if you don't play."

Next step: Awaiting ARCs and proofread pages, which are my final opportunity to make any changes to the book before it goes to press. T minus five months and counting. Crazytown. Stay tuned.

The Post In Which I Do The I've Finished My Line Edits Happy Dance

Last night was huge. After weeks of revising MY KIND OF CRAZY, I reached the final few chapters and that's when I blasted the AC/DC and ABBA and Alanis Morrissette and took this bad boy to the finish line. As I reached the final sentence, it was one of the most cathartic experiences of my entire life.

I cannot stress the importance of a great editor. I happen to have an amazing one. She pushed me further at every opportunity and knew these characters as well as I did, if not sometimes better. Through our experience of working on this book, she gave me a master class in editing. Until you are deep in the thick of the text, you don't realize how many things you miss on the surface that can make all the difference in a tight story with scenes that pack an emotional punch. Overuse of filler words, flowery language, repetition of mannerisms and information: these are the things that can take a story from good to great. And as much as we can think we know our stories, that second set of eyes is invaluable. And now, as I go back to working on my next book, I benefit from all that I have learned and will hopefully have a stronger richer manuscript from the get-go. Or at least, here's hoping.

My editor and I traded notes and chapters back and forth for weeks. Each time the next bunch of chapters arrived, it was admittedly overwhelming to see the hundreds of comments in the sidebar. It seemed impossible that I could ever address all her points and make all these fixes. But she also wrote little love notes in the margins, whether it be in reference to characters, scenes, or lines of dialogue, and they were everything to me. They kept me going, snapping things back into perspective that she wasn't just telling me all the things that were wrong, but also what was really hitting the mark, and that we were working together as a team to make this story even better. Hopefully, the end result we have created together is something readers will love and it will touch their hearts. It's hard to imagine that people will walk into a bookstore in just a few months and see my book on a shelf and choose to buy it. People I don't know will be reading it. Some will love it, some will hate it, and frankly, that's a little terrifying. But at the end of the day, this book is the story of my heart, and I'm beyond grateful that it will have a chance to live in the world.

Next step is copy edits, where all the fact-checking, spelling and grammar are cleaned up. Thank goodness for copy editors, because they make writers look like they can English with ease. And then . . . ARCs. An ARC is an advanced reading copy, which looks like an actual book, though it is not proofread. It will go to bloggers, reviewers, be used in giveaways, and sent to other incredible writers who are kind enough to take the time to read and blurb my book. It's where the word of mouth begins. The fantastic team of designers at Sourcebooks is hard at work designing the perfect cover, and I look forwrad to being able to share that in a few weeks as well.

I cannot wait to hold this book in my hands and share it with all of you. It's been quite a journey, and I am so grateful for all my incredible friends, family, and of course, my amazing agent Leigh Feldman and superheroine editor Annette Pollert-Morgan, who have been there cheerleading every single step. I raise my Starbucks to each of you and say thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Why Do Agents Take So Long To Answer My Query and Other Burning Questions You Always Wanted Answered: A Behind-The Scenes Q&A With Lit Agent Brent Taylor From TriadaUS

The road to publication is long and twisty and not for the faint-of heart, but along the way you may meet some incredibly cool people who help make the journey all the more fun and exciting. One of those people for me is Brent Taylor, who is an amazing, enthusiastic, up-and-coming literary agent with TriadaUS Literary Agency, Inc. (Follow him on Twitter @NaughtyBrent)! Although he is not my agent, from the moment we became friends, we have each been cheerleading each others' successes along the way. Brent has provided me with incredibly helpful insight into all the ins and outs of publishing, and I told him that when I was first starting out querying, I wish that I had been able to find more information that helped de-mystify the whole process and answers to all the noob questions about the things most authors are dying to know. Being the awesome person that he is, he graciously agreed! So without further delay, Brent Taylor gives you all the answers you've been waiting for.

Hi Brent! Thanks so much for visiting my blog and offering to help shed a little light on the mysteries of the agenting world! Top of the list, of course, is once a writer sends off that query, why does it take so long to hear back? (I know TriadaUS is pretty fast, but speaking generally for most agencies) Aren’t you all sitting by your computers hitting inbox refresh, just waiting for that hot new idea?
You’re right—it generally doesn’t take that long at all for a writer who has queried me to hear back. The longest I let a query sit is two days, but I typically respond within 24 hours. A response time that quick is understandably rare, and it will change once I have a heavier list. Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t necessarily all about that “hot new idea” that will make editors line up outside the door with cash. I get a lot of queries that I’m on the fence about, so although I do take a peek once a new email comes in, I almost always file it away for later.

Describe a typical day in the life. What sorts of fires do you have to put out on a daily basis?
I wake up around 6:30 a.m. and drink coffee as I do damage-control on my email. I like to clear everything pressing off my desk before I start going through queries. After that and through lunch time, I’m usually editing client manuscripts, on the phone with editors or my boss, or doing miscellaneous emailing. The wonderful thing about agenting is that there is no “typical day,” however, so sometimes this routine is shaken up by a book deal or the signing of a new client.

Do you read manuscripts at home in the evenings and on weekends?
This is the only time to read manuscripts. There are just too many phone calls, emails, and distractions during the day.

How many queries do you get a week? On average how many of those turn into full or partial requests, and ultimately into offers?
I get roughly 20-25 a day, so a minimum of 140 queries per week usually. I’m awful at math, so I can’t even begin to comprehend what it would take to calculate a conversion rate, but I will tell you the following two things:
I do tend to over-request. My philosophy is when in doubt request the manuscript and take a closer look, because I don’t want to miss on the opportunity to work on something that could be great with one extra push. I started taking unsolicited submissions in September 2014, and I have 4 clients as of February 2015. My first client was a writer I’d worked closely in a handful of other capacities, the next two were from the slushpile, and the last was a referral from a colleague. So of the thousands of unsolicited queries I’ve read in the last months, two turned into offers of representation.

What is the number one thing with a bullet that makes you fall in love with a story?
Writing that resonates. It’s a very magical feeling when a novel invigorates you and you’re able to reflect or grapple with a personal issue in a new light because of that novel.

So many authors complain that an agent passed because they loved their writing but didn’t connect to the story. In those circumstances, would you ever consider signing that client anyway because of the potential you see? If not, why not?
Here’s the thing: it’s hard enough for us to sell the books that we love. So offering representation to a writer we can’t get fully behind isn’t only a drag for us, but it’s a huge disservice to the writer. You really deserve nothing less than an agent that will fight to the death for your writing career, and I would have such a bad conscience if I represented someone whose writing I couldn’t get passionate about. I’ve passed on a ton of books that other agents represent and I know will sell—because they just weren’t books I gravitated toward as a reader. That’s something I remind myself a lot when making important decisions: I’m an average reader first, and a literary agent second.

Once you get a query that interests you and you request to see more, what happens next? What is involved before you would actually offer representation?
I read the manuscript, and if about 50% of the way through I’m really loving it, I ask for a second opinion on the pitch and first few pages from a friend or colleague. Once I’ve finished reading and still feel confident about offering representation, I make an exciting phone call.

Once you have signed a client, how often should they expect to be in touch with you? What sort of role should an author expect of their agent in getting a manuscript ready to go on submission?
This is so tough, because not only is every agent different, but every client and novel is different too. Like in every business, you have clients and projects that need more attention than others. For me, it’s less about giving each client X amount of my time, but instead striving to constantly assess and meet their needs with 110% effort.

What are the key things a writer should and should not do when reaching out to agents to ensure they do not induce involuntary eye rolls and make them feel stabby?
I’m so grateful for anyone reaching out and sharing their novels with me, so I try to keep eye-rolling to a minimum. But just a few things that come to mind…Be polite and don’t assume too much. Phrases like “I know you’ll love this” and “you said this is what you’re looking for, so you’ll love this” don’t work in your favor. A concise query is a good query. If it can’t fit onto one page, it needs some strong reconsideration.

What made you interested in being an agent?
I’m a natural leader and I have been since I was a kid, so taking charge and being an authority is what I’m good at. Being an agent in this day and age requires this amazing balance between business-savviness and having your finger editorially and artistically on the pulse. That’s precisely why agenting is the only job for me.

What types of manuscripts make you jump the couch that you’d love to see but aren’t seeing right now? What’s the best way to get in touch with you?
No one’s sending me this generation’s Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, perhaps because I’m a man, but I’m trying to put the word out there that this is something I desperately want. Beyond Sisterhood, I’m very open to all sorts of YA. For some reason, I’m also having a hard time getting diverse submissions to come through my inbox. All flavors of diversity are welcome, but LGBT characters and storylines are of a great personal importance to me. I would go crazy for a literary MG or a novel written in verse. The best way to reach me is at brent@triadaus.com. Querying writers can send me their query letter and first ten pages pasted into the body of the message.

Thanks so much for all this great insight, Brent! Good luck everyone!

Procrastibaking and Other Hazards Of The Limbo Writing Zone

So you've finished your last book and it is sitting in the inboxes of half of Manhattan and you are anxiously awaiting news of any sort because you're in this funky sort of limbo state. If the book sells, the editor will want you to revise and you will need to go back in the heads of your previous characters, so you can't possibly dive into something new because that would be practically schizophrenic switching gears like that, right?

Put down the chocolate and log off of Facebook and stop your procrastibaking, my friends. This is what is known as an excuse. Because the truth is: there is no more important time to be writing than right now, while the book is out there. If it sells, editors will want to know what else you've got. Your agent certainly will too, as their relationship with you hinges on your ability to produce more books, not just the one. And because the process takes so long to go from offer to actual publication, there is more than enough time to get seriously knee deep in the next thing so it will not be years between projects and you can strike while the iron is hot.

Even if you can't manage to get the words on the page, begin to research and map out the project. I like to buy a fresh spiral notebook that I dedicate to that project and start to take notes. I write down ideas, scenes, snippets of dialogue, great quotes I find that might suit the story and somehow find a way to be worked in later, ideas on theme - anything I can think of. It makes it so much easier when I sit down to write to have even the vaguest sense of who these characters are going to be and where I want this to go.

That said, I am a total pantser. Often when I start to write, I am working off of a zygote of an idea, and it's my characters that end up taking me the rest of the way there. Other people make charts, or use Save The Cat or Scrivener or Plot Whisperer tecniques. I use it all, but at different times and as needed. But first, I start with characters and setting. Who are these people? What attributes can I give them that make them unique and interesting and quirky so that they will stay with the reader long after they have finished the book? What can happen in their lives that will make a reader want to keep turning the pages to find out what happens next? What do they want and what is at stake if they don't get it? What (or whom) is standing in his/her way? Setting is important too, so where is the best place for this story to unfold? Is it someplace familiar to me or do I need to do research? And last but not least, are there other stories out there in the same vein as the one I would like to write? Or films? I begin to draw up lists and start to review them all to make sure I am not inadvertently duplicating something that already exists so I can make sure my take on things is fresh and fun.

The best part is finally diving in and meeting these new characters and finding out who they are and what they have to say. Immersing myself in their world helps me to forget the inevitable angst and anxiety of focusing on the last book and wondering when something will move with it in the ways that I am hoping it will. And when the other book does finally sell, getting back in the heads of those characters will be like meeting up with old friends.

This limbo time is precious. Don't waste it. DO take a break between projects, to clear your head, regroup, celebrate, and dust. (I can usually write my name in it by the end of a project: true story.) But then get busy.

Being On Submission (a.k.a. Thank you Costco for 2-Pack Bulk Nutella)

So REBEL WITHOUT A CLUE is out there in the inboxes of some of the most amazing editors in New York City, and I'm hoping the perfect editor falls in love with Hank and Peyton and all the other crazy characters. However, I'm here to tell you that when Tom Petty said "The waiting is the hardest part" he wasn't kidding. I'm not gonna lie: having a book on submission to editors and waiting to hear back is not for the faint of heart. It's a l-o-n-g process, filled with lots of nail biting, inbox refreshing, Nutella-straight-out-of-the-jar eating complemented by the occasional Happy Hour of Gilmore Girls on Netflix marathon for distraction. Because this part of the process can take aywhere from days to months, my friends, and there really isn't a whole lot you can do about it.

Oddly, I am much calmer about this part of the process than the agent search, despite the Nutella eating, because lets be real, I do that anyway. Somehow an agent search feels so much more personal. An agent is not only evaluating your work, but your future potential, your whole package, your body of work, both written and unwritten, and it's a very personal relationship, much like a marriage. At this stage of the game, things seem more black and white. An editor loves your story, or they don't. They feel it has issues that need fixing and they have a vision to get it there or they feel they are not the best fit for it. His/her publishing imprint is looking for books just like yours or they already have something similar. In short, things that you cannot control. At all. And there's something very freeing in finding that right representative to take the reins, trust in their expertise and knowledge of knowing where it might generate the most interest, and letting go. I believe I've found that kind of championing partner in my new agent, Leigh Feldman, and I have the absolute faith that if she can't find REBEL a home, no one can. Honestly, when she offered representation, I thought it had to be a mistake. :) I was so nervous, and in fact, I think my exact words to her were "I'm shaking," to which she replied, "Why, are you cold?" She's witty, and smart and all-around amazing, and I feel so lucky every day to be working with her.

In the end, it all comes down to faith and trust. Faith that you've written something good/funny/important/poignant, trust that you are partnered with someone who shares your excitement about your work and is as passionate about it finding its way into the world as you are, and the underlying belief that the delay is never the denial. That while there are plenty of "I sold my book in six days" stories, history has shown you that your story is different, and not to get rattled when results don't come immediately. Everything comes in its own time.

In the meantime, I'm busy at work researching everything from funeral homes and embalming procedures to Indian cooking and the Food Network and plotting my next novel. I'm sure if anyone saw my cache right now they would be hella confused, but I absolutely can't wait to write this next story :) It promises to be pretty hilarious. It's also a great distraction from agonizing over who may or may not have responded today and potentially put me one step closer to my life's dream coming true. And the reality is, once the book sells, while that's awesome and confetti-toss-worthy, I've got to be writing the next one and the next one after that, digging deep and finding all the crazy, funny stories rattling around inside my brain and helping them find their way onto paper. Or into a Word doc. Whatever.

In the meantime, writer friends, just FYI: Costco sells two-packs of giant sized Nutella bottles for about 8-1/2 dollars just rows from where they sell those super-comfy yoga pants. Coincidence? I think not.

Questioning Everything: That Annoying Logic Thing And How Crucial It Is To A Successful Story

One of the biggest blunders we all make in our writing is losing sight of logic as we write our stories. On the surface, the sequence of events may make sense to us, but to a reader, or even more specifically an editor, they may be far less forgiving. This is one of the biggest reasons, next to plain old bad writing or uneven pacing, that a book can fail to hit the mark.

When you are crafting your story, channel that person in your life (we all have at least one) that needs to know the details of everything and asks all the questions. They take nothing at face value, but need to understand the minutiae details of why and how A connects to B. Even though these elements may not be detailed in your story, they are critical for its ultimate success. For example: It's not enough to write a love story where a 17-year-old takes off, hitches a ride with a friend and follows a boy she loves across the country. It's romantic, sure, but there are niggling details that need to be addressed: How will she get home? How will she pay for it? Would her parents let her go? If not, why not? What will be the ramifications if she just takes off and how will she address them? What if the boy doesn't return her feelings? What then? Are there too many coincidences in your story that just make everything fall into place too easily? Because life isn't like that.

The stuff that makes up the meat of the story is in those details. What's the worst thing that could happen to this girl if she goes? Make sure it happens. How does she feel about the situation? Make sure it has changed and evolved by the end, and not just via an epiphany, but because of some catalyst action that makes her and her views change in a realistic way. We don't just turn our feelings for someone on and off like a light switch. They develop over time, sometimes we are in denial, sometimes it takes something painful to make us see how things really are, or maybe something has happened that can't be ignored along the way that has created different feelings for someone else.

A reader may be willing to suspend disbelief with proper world building in a science fiction or fantasy novel, but it's equally hard to pull off in a contemporary novel, because this is an actual world that your reader may be able to relate to directly. Make sure you've established traits in your characters that support them taking the actions that they do or it will be implausible and possibly make the reader unsympathetic.

Question everything, every action, every exchange between characters. Not just to see if it needs to be there to move the story along, but if it could really happen and it makes sense for it to happen with the characters you've created. First ask why they did this and what are all the possible logical outcomes. Then choose a realistic one and figure out all the realistic outcomes of that choice. It's like a giant chain based on each individual choice. But it all begins with your characters. If you don't know who your characters are, the reader certainly won't be able to connect to them either. Despite your anxiousness to throw words on a page, sit with them awhile and perhaps write some backstory so that you understand them a bit better before moving forward. Then their choices might become clearer to you.

When That First Book Doesn't Sell

It's a hard thing to let a book go. Actually, it sucks big time, and with it comes an inherent sense of failure that pulls at my chest and churns in my stomach. And then, I have to remind myself I've failed at nothing here. I wrote a book, which is a huge accomplishment all by itself. It got me an agent, which is yet another flaming hoop, and it got read by some of the top editors in the publishing industry, many of whom praised my writing. I have to remind myself that that, all by itself, is success, even if the ultimate outcome is not what I hoped for.

Yet, truthfully, it feels much like a death. These are characters I've given birth to, know intimately, laughed with, ached with, rooted for. The book is a part of me. I understand publishing is a business, and that rejections aren't personal. A book is only as strong as the marketplace that is willing to receive it. Across the board, the feedback I received was wonderful, constructive, and helpful. They praised the writing, they loved the humor and the characters, many thought it was a fun, great concept for a YA. However, most ultimately felt that this book was a tough sell for the current market because it had a male protagonist in a book that wasn't geared for boys. Some even mistook the target audience to BE boys because it had a male protagonist. (I don't know many that would willingly read a humorous, romantic comedy, but hey...) So whereas I thought perhaps my "fresh" take on things was to let girls live inside the head of a boy and hear the story from his perspective, apparently publishers thought their readers would not ultimately respond.

Fair enough.

But now that the book has been read by all the major players in YA publishing, we can't return to them with essentially the same novel but flip-flopped with a female protagonist. So what happens next?

Unfortunately, it's time to put it on the shelf (for now).

It's not unusual for that first book to not sell. In fact, as I prepared to throw myself a major pity party, other writer friends showed up and graciously shared their stories with me of how they could relate to what I was feeling because they'd been there themselves. One major bestselling YA author I've met sold her first book with the 9th book she'd ever written. Another said the process took her 10 years. It happens.

Therefore, the best thing you can do while your book is on submission is to WRITE SOMETHING ELSE. Not only does it keep you nice and busy and distracted, but that way, if the first one fails to get attention, you have something else waiting in the wings. One of the positives of having sent the book out there, despite the rejections, is it let the editors become familiar with my writing style, and several said they would love to see anything else I wrote as I result. That's huge! It means for the next book, there's a built in audience of where we can send it that already likes the way I write. We can strike while the iron is hot and the interest is current by sending something new. There's little room to feel overwhelmed by being discouraged because there's a new and exciting project waiting to take its place.

Rejection is a huge part of the process, unfortunately. No way around it. But there is more to be learned from the rejections than anything else, frankly. The feedback, for those that take the time to give it, can help your future writing be stronger with greater attention to specific details that may have missed the mark on the previous work. You are introducing yourself to the editors, and although they may not connect with that particular work, it may whet their appetite for others.

So if your first (or second, or eighth) book doesn't sell, keep moving forward. There are many stories within you, and it's simply a matter of finding the right one that connects with the right editor and the right marketplace at the right time. And once you've established a foothold and had your work published, you may be able to pull that old book off the shelf and re-introduce it. It may have less of a "risk factor" if you're an established author with a clear audience.

So remember the old adage - "If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it was meant to be." This is true for our stories too. Trust that everything is as it should be, even if we cannot appreciate it at the time, and that if it is meant to happen, it will find its window.

Writing Effective Loglines and Pitches

One of the most important parts of selling your novel is creating an effective logline and pitch. Regardless of the fabulous epic novel you've written, filled with quirky characters, edge-of-your-seat action and riveting dialogue, the logline and pitch are the first thing any editor or agent will see to determine if your novel is something they wish to read. Therefore, they need several key elements that not only convey what the story is about, but also the tone of the story itself, distilled down to one or two sentences, in the case of the logline, and a couple of paragraphs for the pitch. I don't know about you, but this task, to me, may be even more daunting than the writing of the story itself.

Let's start with the logline. A logline gives a concise overview of the story without going into detail on characters or subplots, just the essential bones. For example, let's look at THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins. It's logline, taken from it's Copyright page, reads:

“In a future North America, where the rules of Panem maintain control though an annual televised survival competition pitting young people from each of the twelve districts against one another, sixteen-year-old Katniss’s skills are put to the test when she voluntarily takes her younger sister’s place.”

A strong logline will convey the following: WHO the story is about, a SETTING, if essential to the story, WHAT the protagonist wants and WHAT stands in his/her way. All of this is told without giving away the entire story. Think of it as the answer you'd provide when people ask you what your novel is about. Generally, it should be just one sentence, but more intricate storylines may use two. Use a really strong adjective or two when describing your main character (a geeky clarinet-playing seventeen-year-old, an overachiever, etc.) to help paint a bigger portrait of who the protagonist is. Also try and avoid putting "themes" or "messages" in your logline, as it may make the story immediately seem preachy or cliched.

The pitch lets you go into a little more detail. This is the information you would put into a query to agents, and ultimately what your agent would use to in turn pitch the story to editors. You have the ability to elaborate with a little more detail on the points you touched on in the logline, but again, be sure not to give away twists and turns or the ending. Otherwise it leaves the reader no need to read the story itself to find out what happens. Think of the pitch like reading the jacket flap on a book. It conveys an outline of the story with just enough detail to read you in but leave you hungry for more. It is important to include information about setting, genre, and what makes your book unique or stand out (i.e. not just another road trip novel or vampire story.) This is truly the place to let the tone of your book show and let the agent/editor get a feel for you as a writer. If your book is funny, the pitch better be too! Otherwise you are missing a golden opportunity to show the flavor of your book and your writing.

Good luck!

Finding your Unique Story In A Sea Of I've-Seen-This-Before Stories

In the past, I've blogged about the importance of writing the stories we want to write, not just following the trends. I do believe this wholeheartedly, but the reality is, will the stories we want to write sell and be enough to capture the interest of a traditional publishing house in today's competitive market? And how much are we willing to compromise the original story in our head to make it sale-able?

I am ensconced in writing my WIP, which is a light, funny, romantic road trip novel. When I talked about it with my agent, reality set in that although the story may be great, it's on the "soft" side, and therefore not what is likely to catch an editor's eye right now. Therefore, if I want to pursue traditionally publishing this, I need to start to think bigger and more out of the box than I previously had been. My funny, sweet story might actually need to have a little more of a Thelma and Louise-esque infusion to make it stand out. Of course, Thelma and Louise has already been done too. So what is a writer to do?

The best place to start is by researching all that have tread this path before you in the same genre and see what got published, who published it, and what made their stories stand out. As an exercise, literally make a list and write down the key point that singles it out from other similar works. Take all that info and set it aside, and then set to work with the really challenging stuff - finding out what you can add to your book that makes it stand out from every single one of those. When you have found that answer, and only then, move forward with your writing. Otherwise, you are setting yourself up for some major frustration and hair-pulling revision down the line when you find all your blood sweat and tears may have produced a lovely story that simply can't sell because it doesn't have something unique.

Unique is key, whether you are aiming for traditional publishing or not. If your work doesn't have that something that makes it stand out, you are simply offering readers a story they've heard before. And chances are, it won't even reach your intended audience because an editor will shoot it down long before it ever gets there.

If you are wholeheartedly committed to writing what you want to write regardless of what traditional publishers want, then self-publishing is definitely an option. So many authors have enjoyed great success telling wonderful stories, undergoing their own marketing campaigns and staying true to their words. But at the end of the day, the choice is yours. Obviously, you reach a much wider market potentially with traditional publishing, but it may force you to stretch as a writer in ways you are not comfortable with as well.

I think any opportunity to try something new with our writing is a great thing, but also keep in mind that readers, especially teen ones, can immediately pick up on something that feels inauthentic, so if you are trying something new, make sure you do your research. Read everything you can and study it. Have beta readers you trust look at it for you. I have a writer friend in a similar boat (you know who you are!) and she told me just yesterday that she had to change up some aspects of her story and tread some writing ground she was unfamiliar with, and it was hard and scary, but in the end she knew and agreed that it made for a much better, stronger book with stronger sales potential.

Good luck!!

Finding the Funny

My post today is more of a musing than a real writing post. I've just become increasingly aware from the headlines on Yahoo and the postings of friends on Facebook how it seems as a collective whole we are all going a little crazy. It seems like people are dealing with tragedies and stress in unbelievable numbers - untimely passings of family and friends, home foreclosures, jobs lost, lives being forced to shift and change in unplanned ways. This feeling of personal and literal dystopia seems echoed in the movie and book offerings of the time in record numbers, which on some level offers a bizarre comfort that we are not alone in our personal day-to-day struggles. But wouldn't that mean, more than ever, there is a demand for things that make us feel good, that take us away from our problems and give us hope?

We, as writers, make choices in what we present to our readers. I, personally, feel a sense of responsibility, to remain committed to bringing the light rather than furthering the darkness. After 9/11, I could no longer stomach thrillers and horror movies and stories that didn't offer promise of a better day or the discovery of a safe place. When I choose to disengage from the world, I want to laugh and be entertained, and to forget for the moment what is rattling around in my brain. I remain committed to creating those kinds of stories for an audience that both wants and needs them, regardless of their popularity or current trends.

I started writing a book last year that I got 140 pages deep in to. It was a dark, dramatic story dealing with themes of teen suicide, hopelessness and the main character's journey of self-discovery. While this type of story has a strong foothold in the current market, every time I sat down to write it I would just get . . . depressed. I couldn't exist in the hearts and minds of these characters for very long without needing to take a break from them and find the funny again. It's not to say I won't ultimately return to this story and complete it. I will. But I knew it was not what I needed to write and where I wanted to be the second I sat down and started writing my current novel, which is a light, humorous, romantic road trip novel. It literally did something to the endorphins within me, to laugh and to feel the excitement of a blossoming romance. There is still a story of self-discovery here, but it's a more upbeat one, and that's the haven I want to offer my readers as well.

Don't get me wrong - I admire the incredible imaginations of some of today's authors and the amazing stories they tell, but at the end of the day, I know who I am and what I'm good at and what I want to write. There is plenty of time to experiment later, down the road. When my readers think of me, I want them to conjure up images of stories that make them laugh out loud and give them butterflies in their stomach and capture the essence of what it feels like to be sixteen.

Do you feel committed to anything in particular as you write? Are there certain kinds of stories you feel you are driven to tell? Is there a certain feeling you get when you are writing that lets you know this is "your" story? And if you tend to write darker stories, what makes you feel connected to these stories more than others? Are these also the same types of stories you like to read to escape and entertain?