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Even when you’ve accepted the oft-repeated truth that publishing is a slow process, it can be excruciating to wait for all the pieces to come together. Writing a manuscript can take significant time, but because that is active, you may find the stages between writing and publication surprisingly challenging.
Obviously, a good deal of patience is required in this career, but there are things you can do while you wait. Use the list below as a springboard for coming up with ways to be active in the in-between times. What to Do While You’re Waiting to Be Published: 1. Start a new project. When the revisions for your contracted manuscript are in, and you’ve handed your story off to the industry professionals who will run the next leg of the race for you, it’s time to get started on something new. Think both strategically and creatively! Is there a follow-up project that would be perfect for capturing the audience you are targeting with your current book? Or maybe your brain will turn to mush if you keep thinking about that topic and you need to do something completely different to reset your inspiration? Time writing is never wasted time. So keep up that writing habit while you wait for publication! 2. Research/find your target audience. Even though you will likely have some marketing support when you publish traditionally, you will always be the best person to talk about (and sell) your book. Do you know how to find the readers who will listen? Where are they hanging out? And what else are they reading? Get to know your target audience so that you can interact with them. It will make you a better writer to engage with the reading community and pay attention to how reader expectations change in your genre over time. 3. Grow your relationships. This one piggy-backs on the last suggestion. Part of your purpose in finding your audience is sales-related market research. But another big part is growing genuine relationships. The writing and reading community is wonderful to participate in actively – book people are good people! Do you have writer friends inside and outside of your genre that are cheering you on? Are you encouraging others? Participating in book clubs, writing groups, and social media can all be positive ways to grow relationships while you wait. 4. Create an Author Site Many authors think that they should wait to create an author website because they don’t think it’s important to have one pre-publication or don't know what to put on it. While that's understandable, there's a lot you can do to start thinking about your brand and create a home base online for yourself. Think of it as a calling card. It's a great tool for helping agents, editors, and eventually readers to get a sense of who you are and for you to show us that you are ready to be professionally engaged online. 5. Study Your Craft While you are waiting to find the perfect agent, or waiting for your agent to find the perfect editor, or waiting for the editor to bring your book into the world... keep learning! Pick up a book on worldbuilding, dialogue, non-fiction research, or even marketing. Think of this "down time" as "in between time" and use it wisely to become an even better writer! We have a long list of suggested books and resources right here on our website! 6. Take Deep Breaths The tough reality is that it can take two years from receiving an offer from a publisher to holding your book in your hands. There are teams of people invested in your work, and they all have jobs that take a certain amount of time. They are also coordinating with each other to make sure everything is in place to maximize the chances of your book reaching its audience and selling well. Authors are busy team members for certain parts of this process and will feel sidelined for others. Take some deep breaths and remember that you will be busy again soon. You know what they say about good things and waiting. by Anjanette Barr A writer is rarely at a loss for words which makes writer’s block the bane of the writing life. At any time in the writing process, a writer can be derailed by not knowing what comes next. A blank page at the start of a new project can make a writer stumble for how to begin. A complicated middle can make an author freeze without a clear path to the climax. And figuring out how to nail a story’s ending can stymie a writer.
Here are six ways to get back on track. #1 Go outside – refresh with a change of scenery and getting active If you are truly stuck with your writing project, staring at a blank screen is not going to get you unstuck. Writing is solitary and sedentary which itself doesn’t lead to generating actions and events in the story. Both the change of scenery and getting active will renew your creativity. The feeling of fresh air on your face will translate to a breath of fresh air on the page. #2 Change format – take a break from prose Sometimes sentences just don’t seem to flow. Try a sideways approach to getting back on track by writing part of a scene in a very different mode. Write a scene only with dialog. Or, replace the prose with a poem. Don’t get stuck on rhyme because poetry is more than that. Maybe alliteration or a rhythm could be the change in texture that helps you get on track. Afterwards, you can replace these sections with prose that’s consistent with the rest of your story. Sometimes, getting your brain to work with words in a different way does the trick so you can find your way back to your story. #3 Brainstorm again – switch to generating ideas Bring fast energy to your scratch pad by writing ideas without stopping. You’ll switch from storytelling mode to brainstorming. Try giving yourself topics related to your characters or events happening in the story and brainstorm various possibilities. You could try ordering some of the ideas into lists, and then switch them in unusual ways to see if that jogs your storytelling brain. You can throw out the crazy and wacky ideas, but often they help you find an unexpected answer for what comes next. #4 Research your audience – find out what your readers crave If you dive into your audience’s experience of reading, you’ll find what keeps them coming back to read more of the type of book you’re writing. Consider what you can do to amp up that experience for them. Can you add something that was missing before? All books have readers turning pages to find out what comes next or what information the author has to share, but categories and genres do this in different ways. When writer’s block stops you, go back to the reason readers will pick up your book; you’ll be able to dive in again to add what readers will enjoy most about your story. #5 Switch to a different project – shifting gears can recharge your creativity It’s always easier to pick up where you left off with a project than to start a new one. Have you ever cheated on one writing project with another? If you’re like most writers, you’ve got a stash of ideas and half-finished projects waiting for you to get inspired to continue working on them. Sometimes getting into a groove with a different project that is in process can jog your brain into productivity on the one that is your main focus. #6 Take a shower – the Hail Mary This is the writer’s version of Murphy’s Law: you’ll get your best ideas when you're wet because you can’t get to a pen (or computer). There is something about immersing oneself in water that helps with going back to the well of creativity. Just try it. When writer’s block challenges you, try sideways tactics to get the flow of words going again. Give yourself permission to get a draft that’s in rough shape; don’t expect your most amazing prose to come with the first sentences you get on the page. The main concern is to beat the block by getting back to writing. by Jennie Dunham If you're among the majority of writers who loathe writing their manuscript synopsis, I hope I can impart some encouragement and motivation with today's post. It's true that the condensed writing required for a synopsis uses very different skills than writing longform. But, I promise that you have what it takes. In fact, YOU are the BEST person to write your synopsis because you have the fullest vision of your work's purpose. Before I get into my advice for making peace with the synopsis process, let's go over why a synopsis is so important:
But what is an author to do when they feel that their copywriting chops are just not up to the task of paring their 200 page manuscript down into a back cover blurb, query letter, or even one page synopsis? Here are some tips:
Don't forget that a true synopsis reveals the ending. Obviously a shortened version, like a back cover blurb, will be vague, but just like your story, your synopsis needs a strong finish. You might, like some authors I know and admire, even decide to begin with the synopsis when your next manuscript inspiration hits. A synopsis can be used in lieu of an outline if you are more of a "pantser" and don't mind modifying it as you go along. When you embrace the synopsis as a healthy part of the creative process, I hope you'll find that the outcome is so rewarding that you dread it less the next time you have to do it, and that you'll come to see the synopsis as more friend than foe. by Anjanette Barr Some writing shortcuts are gimmicks, and generally, if it sounds too good to be true, it is. Nothing allows a writer to bypass the work involved in writing a book. One of the best and most well-known supports is to work with a mentor or teacher who is already an established writer. Getting in-person critiques can make a big difference to writer of any age who’s starting out. But, not everyone has access to an established writer willing to help, and editorial services can be costly.
Instead of working with a mentor, consider using a mentor text. This means foregoing a coach who guides you by prompting you to write or who responds to what you've written. A mentor text itself acts as your guide. What is a mentor text? A mentor text is a book that is already published which you use as a blueprint for the book you're writing. This means that it's not a book about writing which is essentially a self-help book with advice for writers. It's an already-published book that you choose and use in your own process as a successful example of what you’re trying to do. Think of a mentor text as blueprint. It can be especially helpful as a guide for the plot, the tone, the characters, character arcs, and themes. There are so many different elements in a story that even a veteran writer can benefit looking at their current project with a different lens. When looking for a mentor text, think about what you need most from the book that will serve as your guide. Do you struggle with plot? Do you want to keep the tone consistent? Would it help you to look deeply at defining characters and depicting their thoughts and emotions? Do you get caught up in the plot and forget what’s going on with the various characters’ arcs? If plot is your main reason for using a mentor text, likely, you're going to want a book in the same genre. If you're writing a mystery or a romance, the plots will have similar "beats" in the three-act structure. Even a character-driven story needs a narrative backbone. This means you'll head to a particular bookshelf for that genre to find a mentor text. Start at the bookshelves that have the type of book you’re writing. If keeping a consistent tone in your story is your reason for finding a mentor text, think about what tone you want. Are you writing a white-knuckled survival? An edge-of-your-seat thriller? A hysterical rom-com? You’re keying in to how the reader feels, so consider reaching out to friends and asking for recommendations. You may need to do more research to find the right mentor text, but a personal recommendation is a good start. Characters are essential in every story. As a writer you need to know your characters and describe them internally and externally and all of their actions so that the reader understands them. It’s a challenge to write a protagonist so that the reader relates to them. Since virtually every story has characters, it can be harder to find a mentor text because there are so many choices. Hone in on the right text by thinking about attributes of your character that may be unusual or challenges the character may face. See if there are similar stories you can find based on these aspects of your character. Character arcs are important because stories show characters over time interacting with other characters and overcoming obstacles. By mapping out each character’s arc in the story, a writer looks at the rise in tension towards the climax as characters’ motivations, mistakes, and mishaps propel them to the climax. If you want to find a mentor text to look closely at character arcs, try to find a book in which characters have similar relationships to the ones in your book. Look for buddies, siblings, co-workers, parents and children? While it's easy to focus on the protagonist, don’t forget the antagonist and key supporting characters. An online search for books with these types of relationships can be fruitful. You don't want your book to be an exact copy of your mentor text. Your book needs to be your own and to stand as a "fresh and new" story. If you've done it right, nobody who reads your book will know which book you used for a mentor text. Once you’ve chosen a mentor text, read it several times. First and foremost, a book should be enjoyable, so start out doing just that when you read a book for the first time. The plot twists will surprise you, and you’ll feel all the highs and lows of the emotions the protagonist feels. During a second read, you can look more closely to see what you missed the first time. With later reads, you already know the plot which makes the emotions less intense because you know what to expect. You can focus in on the mechanics of how the author crafted the various elements to make an engaging story. That’s when you can use it as a guide. Mentor texts can be especially helpful because of how long it takes to write a book. Somewhere along the line, you might get derailed in terms of where the story is going or change the tone of your book. Referring back to your mentor text can help you connect with the elements of your story that are challenging for you. A mentor text can be helpful at any stage in the writing process. If you’re just starting out writing, or if you have a solid draft, consider using a book that’s already published to help make yours ready for a wide audience and everything you want it to be.  'Tis the season for curling up with a book! Whether you're looking for your next novel to binge on audiobook or hoping for a recommendation to share with family by the fire, we have you covered! Here are some of Anjanette's very favorite reads for the cozy season. Anjanette's Favorite Cozy ReadsChildren's Picture Books: When I think about picture books that are begging to be read while snuggled on the couch or around the table while sipping cocoa, a few authors immediately come to mind. In our home, there's a good chance that every other book you grab from our shelves will be by Patricia Polacco, Tomie dePaola, or Jan Brett. All three of these author/illustrators marry perfectly-paced storytelling with evocative illustrations that children and adults love equally. You can't go wrong with these masters! Already read everything by the above authors? Try: Joyce Sidman Kenard Pak Paul Zelinsky Barbara Coony Ezra Jack Keats Barbara McClintock Jane Yolen Jon Klassen Children's Chapter Books: Fall and Winter are the perfect time to slip into new magical worlds. Here are some of my favorites:
YA and Adult For me, this contemplative time of year gets me thinking about all of the beautiful literature that has influenced us in times gone by. I always pick up at least a few classics. Some of my favorites that are perfect for this time of year are, Dracula by Bram Stoker, Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, and Shakespeare's Macbeth. If you are thinking that those all trend toward spooky and suspenseful, you're right! Nothing like a bit of a chill to make me want to burrow in my blankets! Not a huge fan of older works or just looking for something new? Try The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey or Piranesi by Susanna Clarke.  Describe your creative process?
I wake up, read the paper, hang out with my dog Coda, practice guitar and then go upstairs to my office and write until lunch. I am most creative in the morning. What do you think draws readers to your work? The chance to learn through stories. For example, I interviewed Claudette Colvin extensively so that my book about her would offer more than just the information that there was a bus protestor before Rosa Parks. It also conveyed how it felt to try to make changes in a racially divided city. With DUET I read somewhere that scientists had proved through experiments that mockingbirds could identify individual humans one from another. This was a terrifically important finding, but a pretty dry story. So I found and interviewed Cristine Stracey, a scientist whose work was central to the project. She turned out to be both a fine biologist and a good storyteller. And she sharpened the story a good bit! Outside of writing, what do you like to do? I love to learn about birds. I spend a lot of time behind binoculars. I practice guitar and harmonica. I love to hike. I travel a lot. How did you initially get into writing? I was encouraged by my high school English teacher, Grace Hine. “Do you think I’ll be a writer?" I once asked her. “Only if you need to,” she said. I guess I needed to. What is a cause you care about? So many causes. I support groups that use books—children’s literature—to welcome immigrant children. I support groups that protect plants, animals and ecosystems. I support Planned Parenthood. Who are some authors who have inspired you? Tom Wolfe, Munro Leaf, John R. Tunis, Harper Lee, Rachel Carson Do you have advice for future and aspiring authors? Write a lot, and show your work to others. Join or start a writer’s club at school. It’s scary to share your writing, but that’s the way to get better. What does your working space look like? What do you need in order to be productive? My office walls are lined with bookshelves overflowing with books and papers. A yellow paper-mache dragon is suspended over my head. Posters of my books are pinned to the walls. I can see a sliver of the ocean through my window. Talk to us about music. What are your favorite songs for writing? How do you switch it up? Do you have a theme song for yourself as a writing professional? I am like a mockingbird. I write songs, and learn to play by other musicians. In the late afternoon my wife and I sing harmonies to songs we call up on Alexa. We agree with the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche who said, “without music life would be a mistake.” How did the idea for this new book come to you? A magazine editor hired me to write a piece about mockingbirds. I had always loved their song but didn’t really know much about them. After the article was published I wrote a proposal for a book about mockers. The research was fascinating. I was totally surprised by the power of their connection with humans. Now that I’m tuned into mockingbirds I hear them just about everywhere I go. What was your biggest challenge in writing this book? Waiting for the book to be published. I wanted to share this story with everyone the instant I was finished writing. What about the Mockingbird do you find most interesting or inspiring? Trying to interpret the components of the mockingbird’s song. The song is like a quilt stitched together with song fragments. I know the songs of many birds, and I’m always asking myself, “was that a chipping sparrow?” or “that one was a cardinal’s song, wasn’t it?” The song is fascinating. What are your favorite facts and quotes from the book? “I think of the mockingbird as our native jazz musician…No other area of the world, as far as I know, has a bird so devoted to improvisation.” --Earl Vickers What has it been like working with Dunham Literary? Exciting. We move at a rapid clip and exchange ideas liberally. And we get results! .Do you have a great idea for a book?
Fantastic! You need to figure out your next steps. A book takes a long time to write, and it's a lot of work. Perhaps your first thought might be to find a publisher who will buy the book before you start writing. Why invest lots of time without the guarantee that a publisher will be interested? Or, you may wonder if you would be better off finding someone else to write it for you. Here's the tough news. Every book starts with a great idea. Great ideas are a dime a dozen. Agents and editors are eager for them, but agents can't sell (and editors can't buy) books without a proposal for nonfiction or a full manuscript for fiction. It's the execution of the great idea into a well-written book that really gets publishing professionals excited. If you've heard real estate agents say that the most important aspect of a house when going to sell it is "location, location, location," then the book equivalent is "execution, execution, execution." A good idea might pique the interest of an agent or editor, but the request to read actual pages will follow quickly. If you don't have the pages to send soon after receiving the request, agents and editors will move on to the next project. Not that they aren't interested, but in their eyes, you aren't ready with what they need to move forward. This means that you need more than a good idea before you send a query. You might be better off with someone else writing it if you are an expert in an area and don’t have time because you have a busy career already. This only works well, however, in a few scenarios. One is if you are willing to pay a ghost writer up front to complete a full manuscript before submitting. That's risky since there's no guarantee of publication. Another is if your book can be sold on proposal to a publisher for enough money to make it worth a writer's investment of time and effort before the whole book is written. These types of arrangements are viable almost exclusively for practical nonfiction (how-to, self-help books). For fiction, a good idea usually isn't enough to get a professional writer interested in joining your team. Another aspect of understanding that a great idea alone is not enough is that no two people will tell a story the same way. Retellings of familiar stories can be fresh and exciting even when the reader knows the basics because a writer's individual interpretation provides new insight to the characters, situations, and challenges. The plot might differ in each version in important but nuanced ways. The setting in a different time or place will influence how the characters act. And of course, each writer's voice is distinct. The artistic rendering is what elevates a great idea to a brilliant story. If the idea behind your story is the same or substantially similar to other books already published, then yours will be distinct because of all the parts of the story beyond the basic idea. The central idea gives the gist of what will happen in the story, but the parts that make it special can’t be conveyed in the idea. Since a writer's individual voice and presentation of characters and narrative arc are what make it unique, the idea alone cannot adequately convey a writer's individual artistry. Once you have a great idea, your next step might involve asking yourself some questions. What makes your story different from others? Is this idea fresh enough to stand out from other books already available? A great idea is the seed for every book, but alone it’s not enough to get a book deal. You’ll need to take the idea and craft it into your own, individual story. If you've got a great idea, then it's time to start writing!  How did you come into your career as a paper engineer?
I started my career in paper engineering as an intern at the pop-up book studios of Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart. After graduating from the Pratt Institute with a degree in Illustration I studied under Robert and Matthew for several years, before opening my own pop-up book studio. What is your creative process/What does your creative process look like? My creative process is different for every project. Generally though it starts with the concept, what will I make pop-up. From their I use card stock, scissors, glue, and tape to create a rough mockup of each spread of the pop-up book. Going back and forth with the publisher to refine the pop-ups I then create a color mockup with all the art added to the pieces. Once that is completed I am able to work with the printer/manufacturer to help them reproduce the pop-up for mass production. What do you think draws people to your work? I think people are drawn to my work because I try to make sure that my work always has an element of the unexpected. I try to create situations that no one has ever seen before. Also, I think people just love pop-up books, and are excited to see new was of paper engineering. Outside of your work, what do you like to do? Outside of my work I love to be in nature. I live in Brooklyn, New York so it is sometimes hard to get to the natural world. but i am in the giant park near my house whenever possible. What is a cause you care about? The Climate Crisis. I think it is the most pressing issue happening today. We need to be focusing and rethinking our understanding of humanities impact on the environment, and changing the way we interact with in on a national, international, community, and personal level. Only a systematic restructuring of our society will allow us to whether this change. Who are some creators who have inspired you? I think one of my biggest creative inspirations is Michel Gondry. I remember seeing his music videos on MTV when I was a kid and I was totally blown away by his ingenuity. His film ‘Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind’ is still a touchstone for me in how you can tell a story. Another important creative figure is the illustrator Charlie Harper. His use of geometric forms to distill down the natural world has had a major impact on my work. Whenever I am stuck I go back to his work. What is your advice for future and aspiring book creators and pop-up designers? Pay attention to the details. It is the small, specific moments in the first hour of engineering a spread that matter. Take the time at the beginning to set up your pop-up page so that it can do what you need it to do. Sure you can put a bunch of bells and whistles on it, but make sure the bones are in the right place first. What does your working space look like? What do you need in order to be productive? My studio is 2 desks next to each other with all my tools on one desk, and all my ‘attempts’ on the other. I need lots of room to spread out and lots of time to flesh out ideas and make mistakes. And music, I need to be listening to something while I am creating. Talk to us about music. What are your favorite songs for writing? How do you switch it up? Do you have a theme song for yourself as an industry professional? I don’t know that I have a theme song, maybe I should get one. I have been listening to a lot of female musicians lately: Neko Case, Slater Kenny, Solange, some Heart. I really try to mix it up. I also listen to a lot of audiobooks while I work. I end up associating different projects with whatever audiobook I was reading at the time. What has it been like working with Dunham Literary? I have really enjoyed working with Dunham Literary. It is always reassuring to know they have my back when dealing with clients. They have a smart, measured wisdom that insures the working relationships with publishers run smoothly, allowing me to focus on the work that I get to do. What are your favorite elements of this new book? Honestly I really love how excited all the fans are! It is so trilling to see how fans of Stranger Things are interacting with the book already. People seem really excited about it. Regarding the book itself, I think my favorite part is all the transformations and secrets I was able to sneak into the book. There are a lot of fun surprises through out the book. I hope readers find something new every time they open it. What was the hardest part of this project to complete? Which pop-up is the most intricate or complicated to make? I think the hardest part of the Stranger Things Pop-up to make was spread 1, the scene with the Basement/the Upside Down. I wanted to showcase the transformation from one world to another. There is a pull tab in the center of the spread that changes the whole scene. That was definitely the hardest part of the project to do. Geek out on Stranger Things a bit! Which characters and scenes do you like the best? What plot twist surprised you the most? Have you had nightmares about demogorgons and One (as Vecna)? What do you hope happens in season 5? I love Stranger Things. I have loved it since the show first came out, and I have really been enjoying the newest season. I think the way they have managed to layer this seemingly ordinary town and these ordinary kids with this supernatural, extraordinary world is fantastic. It is such a great and inventive show. I have not had too many nightmares about demogorgons. Though staying up late working on the pop-up book might have given me a nightmare or two, haha. I can’t wait for season 5. I think they are going to do a really good job of ending the series because they know how important the show is to so many people. Thanks, Simon! Stranger Things: The Ultimate Pop-Up Book is available now! November is here! It's NaNoWriMo time! Since 1999 the people behind National Novel Writing Month have been encouraging authors to meet their creative goals by challenging participants to write 50,000 words of a new novel in just 30 days. That's 1,667 words a day! At the end of the the month, writers who "win" NaNoWriMo will have the rough draft of their project and a huge boost of self-esteem to show for their hard work and persistence. It's a great way to supercharge your creativity and have a lot of fun with like-minded people. It is also legitimately difficult to write 50k words in such a short amount of time! So we have some tips for surviving and making the most of NaNo this year! 
 What does your creative process look like?It starts with a word, a phrase, or a thought, sparked by something I’ve seen or heard or dreamt; something that sticks in my mind. For now, I’ll jot it into my Ideas folder. As much as I might want to act on it—shiny, new object and all—it’ll sit there until I finish my current project. (When I start writing a book, I’ve made a commitment to finish a semi-polished draft.) Back to the spark. Usually, it will fade. But if it continues to tug on my imagination and has me thinking about it incessantly, I get serious. What follows are weeks or months of ruminating and notetaking. It’s not until deeper ideas are spilling out my ears AND I hear the voice of the main character dictating a first sentence that I’ll open a file and begin. After that, look out! I’ll write fast and sloppy; anywhere from 1,000 to 7,500 words a day until The End. And then revision. And more revision. And more… What do you think draws readers to your work?For starters, I try to craft that first sentence—at least, that first paragraph—to have readers questioning, already, what’s about to happen. Then, let’s include some mystery and intrigue even when that’s not the point of the story. That’s often how my characters back themselves into some delicious corner. Once there, they find previously unrecognized strengths; realize there’s more to them than they even know. We all like to feel that way, right? Outside of writing, what do you like to do?I LOVE visiting schools. Okay, so that’s part of writing. Not writing? I cook (and do it pretty well I’m told), read (of course), work crossword and other puzzles, travel, golf, watch football and movies and TV (maybe too much of all three). As for collecting, I have a different take on that: I chose to collect experiences rather than specific things. How do you celebrate a book release?Outside of cheering and fist-pumping and all, I do two things. 1. I plant a tree as a token gesture to offset the resources that writing and publishing use. 2. I buy myself a piece of artwork that, in some way, reflects a scene or mood of the book. How did you initially get into writing?I was a freshman in college, majoring in psychology, until that day when I realized how absolutely bored I was with my classes. I HAD to change majors which also meant that I needed to figure out what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Nothing excited me. But I was at the University of Missouri, home of the Mizzou School of Journalism, the world’s first and best J-School. So, why not? It turned out I could write well, write fast, and most important, I was never bored. What is a cause you care about?The First Amendment; particularly, free speech, freedom of expression. Also, freedom to allow our children access to books from all viewpoints. This world is a great big, beautifully diverse place, and the best way for us to be learning, loving people is to understand the totality of humankind. Who are the authors who have inspired you?Through his books, Donald J. Sobol, author of the Encyclopedia Brown series, first made me aware that there are real people behind the words we read. Yes, I understood the concept of the author, but as I read each mini-mystery I wondered how he came up with the solution. Could I have done that? No, I thought. I know differently now. What is your advice for future/aspiring authors?My standard three-part answer used to be: 1) Read, read, read. Write, write, write. 2). Finish any story you start. 3). Once you finish, promise not to look at your story for the next two months, until you can view it with fresh eyes. Those are still valid, but now I stick to a single piece of advice: Get your face out of your devices! By experiencing life and the world around you, firsthand, you give your mind time and space to generate YOUR thoughts and YOUR ideas. Those are the ones that will create new and fresh and strong stories that leap off the page. What does your working space look like?There’s a desk. On the desk is a big old computer screen. And books and papers and pens. On the printer is Hubert, the printer mascot. He’s a stuffed turtle. I don’t know how he got there, and I don’t know who named him Hubert, but there he lives. What else is on my desk? It depends on how deep I am into the story. The messier the desk, the more I’m writing. Right now, you can barely see the light-colored wood on the surface. Talk to us about music. What are your favorite songs for writing? How do you switch it up? Do you have a theme song for yourself as a writing professional?It seems that each book I write comes with a theme song. I don’t look for one. Instead, it’ll be something I randomly hear one day. The reason may not be obvious to anyone but me, but it keeps me on track and captures an essence of why I began writing this book or these characters in the first place. This practice started with THE SEVENTH LEVEL and Bigger Than My Body by John Mayer. For NO WAY HOME, Paradise by Coldplay. And for my current WIP, We Gotta Get Out of This Place by The Animals. What has it been like working with Dunham Literary?Just when you think you’ve got it made (I have an agent!!!), the real work begins. Jennie will not let you get away with less than your best. And her instincts have been spot on. What are your favorite moments of both suspense and happiness in the NO WAY HOME?There’s a point in NO WAY HOME when Tess (the main character) snaps and, unexpectedly especially to her, turns the tables on her tormentors. I loved writing and re-reading that scene. In a whole different mood, there’s a meet-cute. I never expected to write one and didn’t know it was happening until I finished the scene. What are your favorite jokes and quotes in the book?I had fun with the parts where Tess, the main character, is struggling with her Italian; really mangling it. Her host family is doing the same with their English. At one point Tess reflects:
I have no clue whether I said the crypt was scary or it had a lot of gold. And some quotes? Very early in the book, I like how Tess, describing her counterpart in the exchange program, tells a lot about her own self…without telling a lot: I knew she was gorgeous—we’ve FaceTimed her and her parents weekly since we were paired up—but seeing her in person… Is there a step above breathtaking? If every girl in Italy is like Sofia, I’ll be utterly ignorable. Also this from Tess: “Don’t make it sound like a crime. I mean, it was, but I feel guilty enough.” One more thing… I wrote haikus! Who knew I could write haikus? They’re fun! If you have a minute, please send me one of your favorites! |
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