No Time to Write

This is for everyone out there who wants to write a book, but can't seem to find the time. Believe me, I don't have time either! I write for a living, but finding time to write the books I want to write (with the aim to get them published) is no simple task. So, a few tips...

1. Write when you can. Don't wait till you have several hours at your disposal. Write when you have an hour. Write when you have ten minutes. Every bit of writing you do will help you chip away at your project till it's done.

2. Think about your project. When you can't write, mull it over in your mind. I've heard plenty of writers say they think over what they want to write so that when they finally sit down, it just pours out. I started doing this a few months ago, and it works. Good times for thinking about writing: in the shower, in the car, in bed before falling asleep and before getting up in the morning.

3. Carry a notebook. When you get great ideas but can't fully address them, jot them down. That way, you won't lose them and can come back to them later.

4. Another reason to carry a notebook: You can actually write in it, too. Many people prefer to write on a computer, but you can't always have it with you. Don't let the lack of your favorite writing instrument deter you from writing.

5. Quit doing something else that sucks up all your time. If you really want to write, it has to be a priority. What can you give up? Channel surfing? Folding laundry? Cooking elaborate meals? I've had some very productive writing days when I let the house get completely wrecked and chose not to address it in favor of writing.

Happy writing!

Who's the Seuss?

That's the name of the amazing workshop I attended today, given by Coleen Murtagh Paratore (author of The Wedding Planner's Daughter series, among other books) and Eric Luper (author of Seth Baumgartner's Love Manifesto, also among other books). I learned much, much more than I can write here tonight, as I am exhausted, but I will most likely be writing about it for several posts to come!

A few words of advice I can share in the meantime:

1. If there's a local writer's workshop held in your town, make sure you go to it! They don't happen that often in many smaller communities, and chances are you'll learn something useful. Maybe you'll learn a lot.

2. Bring along some of your own work when you attend a workshop. I didn't realize we would have the opportunity to share the first page of our manuscripts today. (I probably should have read that flyer over more closely!) Luckily, I happened to be carrying my work with me, so I was prepared anyway.

3. Speak up! If you get a chance to voluntarily read any of your work aloud, do it. Take every chance for feedback from professionals in the field.

More to come... next time!

Clichés in Kids' Fiction

In the November/December issue of SCBWI’s member bulletin, author Joelle Anthony talks about clichés in YA (young adult) and MG (middle grade) fiction. She's not saying they're bad, just that they're overused. The fact is, they work for plenty of reasons (readers can relate, readers enjoy the fantasy, etc.). New writers may want to try to avoid them, though—you know, try to be a little more original.

Some of Anthony's finds include:

1.    Main characters who hate math
2.    Guys with gorgeous green eyes
3.    Main characters who don't have a cell phone, while everyone else in the world does
4.    Main characters who describe their looks while gazing in the mirror
5.    Main characters with only one friend (and then they have a fight)

I thought this article was fascinating. Really insightful and useful. Now, I can’t read a YA or MG book without noticing clichés, too.

Here are a few of my own finds:

1.    Books where the main (female) character has a boyfriend by the end
2.    Books set in small, walkable towns, where young characters can safely wander alone
3.    Girls who are pretty, but don’t know it
4.    Main characters whose lives are transformed from dull normalcy to a much more exciting reality (ie. She's really a princess with superpowers!)

Now, it’s your turn. What kinds of clichés do you find in YA and middle grade fiction?

My First Book Signing

It’s official—I’ve scheduled my first-ever book signing!

Where: The Book House, Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany, NY

When: Saturday, July 9, 3 p.m.

I don’t know why I haven’t done this before. I started writing books back in 2004, when I co-authored Bridal Guide Magazine’s How to Choose the Perfect Wedding Gown. It never occurred to me to promote my books. I just wanted to write them.

Now that I’m doing this, I can see the benefits definitely go beyond selling books, which is the reason I thought authors did signings. I emailed friends and family about this, and everyone is so excited. Excited! Congratulating me!

I have to say, it makes me feel good. You need a little validation sometimes when you write on your home computer for editors who live across the country. Sure, they’ll email me that I did a good job. But this interest from people who know me and live nearby is really, well, great!

What I’ve realized from all this: I’ve been too shy about sharing my successes. (The kicker was when a friend of a friend emailed back to say she never even knew I write—I’d never mentioned it!) That’s no way to go about building a career. Better to actually tell people you write. Show them the books when they come out.

That may sound simple and obvious. But I'm not too shy to say it wasn't so simple or obvious to me—up to now!