Category: Reading & Writing

Geek Girl makes a list!

Our editor emailed us the other day to let us know that The Geek Girl’s Guide to Cheerleading was nominated for the 2012 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults list, which is sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) of the American Library Association. Geek Girl is nominated in the Get Your Geek On category (appropriately enough).

Be sure to click through and check out all the books on the list. It could keep you reading all summer long. Plus, other 2009 Debs are keeping us company, such as Jennifer Hubbard (The Secret Year) and Jennifer Brown (Hate List).

Why ideas aren’t the same as books

On February 6th, I wrote the following as my Facebook status:

Last night’s dream: I was selected to write a modern retelling of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. And that’s just what the world needs right now.

From today’s Publishers Marketplace:

Frank Cottrell Boyce’s CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG FLIES AGAIN, with black and white illustrations by illustrator and animator Joe Berger, featuring the Tooting family, who discover an old race-car engine and fit it to their VW Samba Bus; soon they are hurtling across the world rebuilding the original Chitty – with a sinister character on their tail, based on the original by Ian Fleming, to Hilary Van Dusen at Candlewick Press, in a six-figure deal, at auction, in a three-book deal, for publication in Spring 2012, by Zoe Pagnamenta of the Zoe Pagnamenta Agency on behalf of Simon Trewin at United Agents.

Apparently, it is what the world needs right now, to the tune of six figures, no less. So. Yeah. It kinds of leaves you wondering. Where’s my six-figure deal?

Not in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’s trunk, that’s for sure.

Here’s the thing: I do this all the time. I once wondered if anyone bothered to write a retelling of Anna Karenina. Why did I wonder this? I don’t know.

A week later, a deal came through on Publishers Marketplace for … wait for it … a retelling of Anna Karenina.

That novel about a modern US civil war? Yep, had that idea–twice (two different versions). Same for a bunch of others that I’m too depressed to enumerate here.

I’m either really tied into the collective unconscious or I should start writing these things down.

That’s the key. Everybody has ideas; writing 50,000 – 100,000 words in a row so they make sense is what separates the idea from a book. And honestly, I never wanted to write a retelling of Anna Karenina, or Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, for that matter, not even to the tune of six-figures.

Still. It kind of leaves you wondering.

Teaser Tuesday: Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer

It’s Teaser Tuesday over at Should Be Reading. The rules:

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

I let out a tiny laugh; I couldn’t help it. “How can you be lonely when so many people love you?”

~p 134, Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer

Bad Writing

Courtesy of Ta-Nehisi Coates comes this gem:

Bad Writing is a documentary about a wannabe poet who sets off on a quest for answers about bad writing, good writing, and the process in between. What he learns from some leading figures in the literary world will inspire anyone who has ever dreamt of creating art. Featuring interviews with David Sedaris, Margaret Atwood, George Saunders, Steve Almond and Nick Flynn.

And as Ta-Nehisis Coates writes:

The ability to go to war with one’s own awfulness requires a special kind of moxie. I believe that many people have the talent to write. But very few have the courage to rewrite. Even fewer have the courage to rewrite fail, and live to do the whole thing again. And even this gets it wrong. It makes it sound like all of this is some sort of choice.

This topic fascinates me. I so want to see this documentary. I did a lot of reading on talent last year: Outliers, The Talent Code, Talent is Overrated. Seriously, if it had “talent” in the title, I was there. I also reflected on my on rate of failure (epic), in particular, during the last year. I have some definite opinions on writing, talent, success, failure and all the rest. If I can get them into coherent form, I’ll post them here.

The DVD is available from IndieFlix.

Write into the new year: story contest for girls

Hey, it’s time to start the new year “write.” (Sorry. I should resolve not to pun this year.)

Below are two writing contests for girls 7-12 (chixLITtle) and 13-17 (chixLIT).

chixLIT and chixLITtle, literary ‘zines by and for girls, are looking for the good things that come in small packages. Our motto is, “Words are powerful, and they can make you powerful too.”

Each ‘zine will publish winners plus a selection of finalists. The winning story in each category will receive a cash prize! Additional prizes may be awarded at judges’ discretion. Decision of judges is final.

Submission Guidelines:

  • Stories must be 100 words or fewer. Title does not count toward total.
  • You can submit as many stories as you want, but each entry must be submitted separately via US mail. NO EMAIL ENTRIES.
  • Include writer’s name, age, and postal mailing address plus email address if available.
  • $5 entry fee required. Entries without fee will not be considered.

Include:

  • SASE for reply.
  • Entries must be postmarked by March 1, 2011.
  • Every entry will get a FREE issue.
  • Send to: chixLIT story contest, PO Box 12051, Orange CA 92859

Visit chixLIT for information.

Looking around the web this week

Amazon, in a never-ending quest to bring authors more crack information, launched access to Bookscan numbers. The LA Times has an article on it here. In a related note, Darcy and I would like to thank the City of Angels for its apparent love of Geek Girl.

Google, in a never-ending quest to bring everyone more crack information, gives us the Google Books Ngram Viewer. Not impressed? Just watch. Let’s search on Geek Girl:

It doesn’t look like it, but let me assure you, it’s the time suck of the day. Have fun.

It’s about time

This week around the web, it’s all about time.

First, from Nathan Bransford (yes, I’m always linking to Nathan–it’s because he’s made of awesome), comes a post on The Beatles, 10,000 hours, and just how much practice it takes to make it look like it doesn’t take any practice at all.

From the “I don’t know how she does it’ category comes this article, A Working Mother’s Guide to Writing a Novel. I posted the article earlier in the week on Facebook to resounding apathy. Not a single person “liked” it, never mind commented on it.

Fine. I’m posting it here. It’s a great article with some practical tips. I have the urge to write my own follow-on blog post about writing when you don’t have the time. Stay tuned. That could happen.

Words of encouragement

I hope to post a recap of the MEMO conference in the next few days. Short review: It was fun! I had a blast and sold some books.

Here’s the note Kyra wrote to me before I left:

From: Kyra
To: Mom

Make sure to not tuck in your shirt and don’t forget to look your best. I hope you have a good time there. Love, Kyra and don’t forgot again to love and miss me. I will love and miss you too. Love, Kyra and I will love you back and do not and I mean do not forget about me.

I failed on one account. Sadly, I did tuck in my shirt.

100 books!

This is worth another around the web this week post.

Little, Brown, the publisher of Twenty Boy Summer, has donated another 62 books to the Debs Speak Loudly giveaway, for a total of 100 books! Visit the 2009 Debutantes website to enter. All it takes is a comment. And with 100 books, your chances are very good.

In other news, Nathan Bransford talks about why so many dead/absent parents in children’s literature. Lazy writing? Or is there something more nefarious going on? Or, are there other, legitimate, reasons for this? Go have a read.

Thinking about dating a writer? Enamored by the meme going around tumblr about just how great that would be? You may want to rethink that. Look here for a point by point deconstruction. My favorite (although there are so many to choose from):

Writers are surrounded by interesting people. Every last one of whom is imaginary.

And … remember, I’ll be at the Minnesota Educational Media Organization (MEMO) fall conference on Friday, October 1st. If you happen to be there too, stop by and say hi!

Debs Speak Loudly

Bringing you around the web this week, a day early.

From the 2009 Debutantes website:

Banned Books Week has special significance for the Debs this year. Our own Sarah Ockler and her debut novel, TWENTY BOY SUMMER, are under challenge right now in Republic, MO, along with Kurt Vonnegut’s SLAUGHTERHOUSE 5 and Laurie Halse Anderson’s SPEAK.

In response to this, the 2009 Debs are giving away thirty-eight (38!) copies of Twenty Boy Summer. Visit the Debs site for more details, but the contest is open between now October 2, 2010.  Entries open to everyone worldwide. We’ll ship anywhere!

For more information on what’s going on, visit Sarah Ockler’s site and read her blog. Additionally, check out Laurie Halse Anderson’s blog as well. You can also read Sarah’s wonderful response to the challenge here.

Unfortunately, Mr. Vonnegut is no longer with us and cannot respond to the challenge, but one can imagine what he might have to say.

I’ve seen a few suggestions around the web that the authors in question and their supporters not speak loudly about this–that only gives the challenger in question too much attention, a national platform.

Just ignore him and he’ll go away.

Except sometimes, people like that won’t.  Sometimes, they convince other, reasonable people that there is a threat contained between two covers of a book.

The thing is, children may learn facts from history, but they learn empathy and truth from fiction. How and where do we want our young adults learning about the harsh realities of the world? From the safe confines of a book–where they have the time and opportunity to think about the situations presented and the moral and ethical implications.

Or should we simply shove them out the door unprepared? Let them learn it on the street, from peers who may be as ill-equipped as they are. All under the guise of keeping them safe.

How do we expect our children to make good ethical decisions when we’ve shielded them from ethical dilemmas? Why do we decry the “me-me-me generation” and then take away the very thing that teaches empathy? We complain that children don’t read, then snatch away the very books that engage them.

So sometimes you have to speak loudly to be heard above the din. Like Sarah Ockler. And Laurie Halse Anderson.

Speak loudly, because some would prefer you not speak at all.