Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Tossing My Summer in a Bucket

Summer officially hit the U.S. on the 21st. Technically, I'm two weeks late, but I've created a twenty-five item Summer 2015 Bucket List.  CLICK HERE to check it out!

By some people's standards, the items might not be the most exciting.

But for me?


Trying a new restaurant, getting a pedicure, trying a new recipe? The epitome of adventure. For me, at least. As a person, I have a difficult time with anything "new." But this summer is a summer of determined excitement. Thus, new things are a necessity!

Check back on the page every once in awhile. As I accomplish each task, I'll stick a picture up there as proof. Not that you guys take me for a liar or anything.

Now I  encourage you, readers, to make your own bucket lists. Add some unknown into your sunny days.

Friday, June 26, 2015

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Drowning My Sorrows

In all three of the books I've queried...

I've never failed this bad. Only one request so far (a partial at that). And fourteen rejections.

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Guuuyssss.

This is like my darkest hour. My sadness is demanding boxes (yes, BOXES) of chocolate, a bubble bath, and a really good book.

Instead I'm drowning my sorrows--literally. On Monday I restarted (yes, I've done it before) this kick where you drink the recommended amount of water for your body. 80 ounces, people. I've become very good friends with the bathroom at work. Considering my bathroom phobia, this is a big accomplishment.

Enough peppy humor. I really am concerned. I thought my query letter was perfect. At least, that's what everyone told me. My nearest-and-dearest and strangers around the world can't be liars.

(ARE YOU?!?!?)

By my highly mathematical equations, all these rejections mean one thing: fate owes me, and I'll have a request sitting in my inbox soon.

That logic works, right?

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Interview With YA Author: Laura Lee Anderson

Laura, thank you so much for taking some time to chat with me (and be interviewed—my first one ever!). Before we start, can you tell us inquiring minds a little bit about yourself?

Hi Emily! Thank you so much for taking the time to interview me!

I'm a Young Adult author from Pittsburgh, PA. My first book is a YA Contemporary called Song of Summer, and it's being published on July 7th, 2015 by Bloomsbury Spark. When I'm not writing, I'm taking care of my almost-two-year-old son or helping my husband run a semi-professional Shakespeare company composed of urban teens. I'm also a professional stage actor (when I can get the work, haha), and love lattes and big dogs.

With your debut novel, SONG OF SUMMER, coming out July 7th, you’ve accomplished something a lot of writers (myself included!) only dream of.  If you don’t mind, share a little about your querying process (i.e. rejections, requests, time frame).

Sure! I actually had a very strange querying process. I queried my very first finished novel (a YA Techno-Thriller called Bleeder) very widely and accumulated a LOT of rejections! Bleeder was the book that taught me all about the business. But after about a year and 30 or so rejections, I wrote another book- the one that became Song of Summer. After a couple of months of revisions, I took it to the Pennwriters Conference in Pittsburgh, PA and did an in-person pitch to Uwe Stender at TriadaUS. He loved the idea and I sent it to him that night. In a few weeks, he asked for a revise and resubmit. I loved his feedback, his professionalism, and his friendly openness so much that, after taking his advice, I submitted only to him. It took him about three or four weeks to read and get back to me, and it took me about four to six weeks to do the revisions, so the whole thing happened within a summer!

You ended up signing with Literary Agent Uwe Stender.  How did that work? What made you decide to work with him as your agent?

I'd loved our discussion during the revise-and-resubmit meeting, so I knew we communicated well. After he offered representation, I chatted with him on the phone to ask a few final questions. I then fixed a couple of typos and emailed him the final document. He started pitching it to editors the same day I signed the contract!

Honestly, there were a lot of factors that went into signing Uwe as my agent. First of all, his enthusiasm for my project was infectious. He loves the book as much as I do, and that's saying something! From the very first sentence I told him about Song of Summer, he grinned and said, "That's perfect. I want to read it now." He was open and honest and easy to talk to. I agreed that his revisions made SoS a better book. And he lives about 20 minutes away from me! I'd also read The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth Laban, which he represents, and it reminded me a lot of my book. All of those factors combined, and I think we're the perfect match!

In your opinion, which is harder: querying agents or going on submission with publishing houses? How does the publishing submission process work?

In my opinion, querying agents is much harder than going on submission. For one thing, you have to write the query! (And believe me- the query is SO IMPORTANT! You know all those blurbs about Song of Summer? The Goodreads profile, the Amazon profile... they are all taken from my query). You also have to personalize each query and keep track of who you're querying and when and their response. Some agents you never hear back from. Some you get an auto-reply. Some switch agencies three days after you query and you have no idea!

Being on submission is much easier! Uwe had his list of editors that he sent the book out to. He'd send them in batches, just like an author sending out queries, and every once in a while, he'd send me the new list of editors who had it. Something that I really appreciated was that he sent me every (nice) rejection, so I could see exactly why the editors said no, and hear their really generous compliments! Every agent works differently, though, so when you're signing with an agent, be sure to ask what it's like to be on submission.

Now that the publishing questions are out of the way—tell us about SONG OF SUMMER! How did you get your idea? Do you have a favorite character or scene?

I got the idea for Song of Summer when I was a barista- a deaf woman would come into my coffee shop and write down her coffee order (which I soon memorized- medium coffee with a shot of hazelnut). All I felt confident saying in American Sign Language was "Thank you." I thought, "What if a cute girl was waiting tables in the diner I waitressed at when I was 16 and a cute deaf boy who walked in? What if this was a love story?" And scenes started to pop into my head. 

The book is co-narrated in alternating perspectives, and I have to say I love being in both of their heads, so I certainly can't choose between main characters! But my favorite supporting characters are a cook/waitress duo- Fannie and Violet- who act as Robin's (somewhat inept!) fairy godmothers. I have a lot of favorite scenes: Robin and Carter's first date on the overlook comes to mind, as does their first kiss and Carter's experience inside the world's largest outdoor pipe organ.

Where do you get your inspiration to write? And are you the type to dedicate time each day or are you more a binge writer?

My inspiration comes from telling the stories of people who I think are under-represented. I've never read a YA novel about someone who is culturally Deaf, and I really want Deaf people to be able to see themselves in literature. I know that Carter is only one person, and he certainly doesn't represent an entire culture, but I hope that someone can see themself in him. In a similar vein, I love my home town of Westfield, NY, and I want the world see it in Robin! The town is its own unique culture. People like Robin and Trent (her ex-boyfriend), who can pick up an instrument or play a gig, are not uncommon in Westfield! It is a very close-knit, musical, down-home town.

I am totally a binge writer! Song of Summer's first draft was written during NaNoWriMo. The book I'm working on right now is taking way too long because I didn't write it during NaNo. I'm one of those "I hate writing. I love having written," writers who has to use external motivation (usually withholding something delicious!) to get myself to draft. I like revising and I like editing okay, but that initial draft can be hard.

Plotting and pantsing. Different methods work for different writers. Which do you prefer? If a plotter, how much time do you spend planning your book before you start writing?

I am SUCH a pantser! I've tried plotting. I really have. But my story seems to lose its heart.
I think that, because I was an actor before I was a writer, I love being inside a character's head and reacting along with them to what's going on around them. With a degree in Theatre Performance, I was also basically trained in storytelling for four years, so my sense of story is very well-trained.

Usually, a character comes to me first. Then their friend/love interest. I dream up the basic idea of the story, maybe make a few notes, and free-write in the character's voice a little. Sometimes I make a list of scenes that I'd like to be in the book. That's the extent of it! You can see how the short drafting time frame (NaNoWriMo) comes in handy when I write like this: It's easy to keep the story in my head!

As we wrap up, is there anything you’d like to add or say to aspiring writers?

Writing is a journey, not a destination. You will never have "arrived." Yes, it's good to have goals, but don't pin everything on them. Walk your path step by step, choice by choice, and don't stop. Don't look to see where other people are going unless it's to cheer them on. Don't hate on the people who are running when it's all you can do to put one foot in front of another. And if you pass someone up, encourage them as you go. Remember that your steps and choices will take you to different places than other writers, and that no place is "better" than another one. And once again, don't stop.

Thank you so much for hosting me, Emily! It has been a pleasure! 

If any of you aspiring writers pre-order Song of Summer, I'd love to critique the first 250 words of your current novel! Go here to learn more about this pre-order promotion.

And thank you, Laura! SONG OF SUMMER sounds like the perfect summer read (Ah, my sense of humor). I'm excited to get my hands on it--I've already fallen in love with the cover!

Readers, make sure you check out Laura's TwitterFacebook, and her website to stay up-to-date on her literary exploits!

She's also got a great Pinterest Board for SONG OF SUMMER. Pinterest is a great place to get inspired!

To pre-order SONG OF SUMMER, click below one of the links below:



Kobo Books

Thursday, June 18, 2015

My Dream Man

All right, it's time to admit it. For me, at least.

Every girl has a fictional dream man (or at least I do!). More than one, in fact. One of the most awesomely fantastical things about being a writer is we get to make our "dream man" real for 60,000+ words. How much better does it get?

In honor of imagining up my "dream man" for my next book, SECOND-HAND SCAVENGERS, I'm going to go through my dream men from childhood to present. Prepare yourselves for some serious 90's references.


1. First fictional love ever: Aladdin from Disney's Aladdin. I swore I'd walk down the aisle to A Whole New World. Still seriously debating it.

2. Tuxedo Mask from Sailor Moon. Ah, the days of DiC. (No, the picture doesn't move)

3. Jace Wayland from the Mortal Instruments Series. Before I realized what a healthy relationship looked like.


4. Gilbert Blythe from Anne of Green Gables. Actor Jonathan Crombie, you are missed.

5. The Prince from The Prince of Persia Sands of Time game. His pakour moves were amazing for the time period.

Kudos to my sister, Maddie, for making this gif! :)
And, finally, my newest character: Dimitri Protea.

To all the wonderful fictional men in my life. And to my dad, a unfictional man who's just as, if not more, amazing than all the above.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

They've Taken Over--Send Help

Say it with me, readers:

"Characters in books are not real people. They are imaginary products of a writer's imagination."

Okay, maybe say it even simpler:

"Book characters don't exist in real life."

But, guys? They kind of do. Not all of them, but definitely bits and pieces. I realized this Saturday when I was hanging around the pool with my sisters (super hot on the east coast this spring, say whaaat?!). To illustrate, I'll give you a few lines from my currently queried book THESE WICKED WATERS.

"Positive things about short hair: saves time in the shower. Negative: hair cut to the jaw line doesn’t fit into a ponytail."
"I yanked on my ugly florescent life jacket. Underneath I wore a cute tankini with pineapples on it."

"As I entered Mayfield Villa, I wondered if Mom considered the fact that I didn’t know how to swim, before she dragged me to her island."

And here's a picture of me from Saturday...


Short, crazy hair? Check!

Pineapple bathing suit? Check!

Can I swim? NOPE! In fact, I had to be saved in the ocean last summer (never going into the waves again), which happened to kickstart my idea for THESE WICKED WATERS.

So, are book characters all that imaginary? 

I don't know. You tell me.


Thursday, June 11, 2015

It Only Takes One. It Only Takes One. It Only...

I hate querying.

I really do.

The stats don't looks so lovely for THESE WICKED WATERS. I've been repeating the phrase "it only takes one" over and over in my head. Yet... I'm still largely pessimistic. What if the concept for TWW is too outdated? I mean, sirens aren't hugely popular anymore. But then I tell myself that it's not really about sirens.

Ugh. I'm obviously a bit discouraged. I just want to show up at an agent's office and be like, "Please want me."

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 Those of you who have followed my blog from the beginning watched as I fielded rejection after rejection for AFTER ALICE. You saw me throw in the figurative towel and move on to another project.

Well, guess what?

As much as I get depressed over and frustrated with the "business" aspect of the literary world (agents have to make tough calls on what will sell--and what won't--I know), I'm not giving up.

THESE WICKED WATERS is worthy of a publishing contract. Just wait, guys. It will be on a bookshelf. Maybe not this year or next year, but one day.

Keep the faith!

P.s. I recorded reaction videos for the first five of my query letters. They'll be up on my YouTube Page on 6.26.15.

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Release the Kraken

Substitute "queries" for "kraken," and you'd have the perfect summary of my weekend. 

Yes, I started querying Friday. Oh, sorry. That calm font is not even close to the way I felt when I clicked the "send" button. Let me rephrase.

I starTed qUerying FRIday!!!!

Much better. Sheesh, I was a mess. Never, on any of my books, have I been this nervous. Also, never on my other books have I:

1. Finished writing in two weeks.
2. Worked on my query letter four four months.
3. Wanted to die at the thought of not hooking an agent.

I love These Wicked Waters SO SO SO much. More than I've loved any previous work. 

And I'm terrified of rejection. But I know without a doubt its all part of a grander plan. So I'm just going to sit back, relax, write something else, and be patient.

For at least five minutes each day.

;)

Thursday, June 4, 2015

It Takes Dedication

It may come as a surprise to you readers, but sometimes I really don't want to write a blog post.

I like to think I'm not the only one out there occasionally bitten by the "lazy bug." But if I were honest, sometimes it's more than just laziness. I feel like my posts are unimportant. That they're just floating in cyberspace without anyone to read them.


That's also how I feel about my books, too. They're just hanging out there on my laptop's hardrive, not being read. They're not even collecting dust on a bookstore shelf!

Writing is the most exciting and heart-rending career in the world.

But I wouldn't trade it for anything. I love what I do. And that love--that passion--keeps me going.

Even when the odds are stacked against me and getting published seems impossible.

If you're feeling discouraged, don't give up. You never know what opportunity might be waiting around the corner.

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Finish Faster

Writing a book is a long endeavor. It's common knowledge that a novel takes years and years to write and perfect.

Yet what if it didn't?

When I first started writing, my books took years to write. Not to mention edit.

Then I cracked the code and completed my fifth book in less than two weeks. Thirteen days, to be exact.

How did I do it, you wonder? Well, lucky you. I'm going to give away my secrets.

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It's actually a rather simple process and involves one word. PLAN.

Before I start writing, I plan everything. I figure out my main characters, what makes them tick. Then I move on to plotting. I write out a detailed outline from start to finish (keep in mind, this is flexible. I'm allowed to change it while writing if I feel the need). Finally, I set a goal and keep track of it. There are a lot of different options available to track your word count. I use an app on my phone and update it every day. Find one that shows you how many words per day you have to type to reach your goal.

One important thing to consider before you start writing: get accountability partners! Post your goal to social media or tell a friend.

All in all, using this method, I spend about two-four weeks plotting and about two-four weeks writing. It works.

Good luck!