JESSIE PEARL IS A TRAVELIN' GIRL

My agent, Deborah Warren at East/West Literary will be presenting at SCBWI Alaska's Midnight Sun Conference on September 6th and 7th. As part of her presentation, I was asked for a quote, something that I learned along the way, but wish I had known at the start of my writing journey. Here's the advice I provided:

Not every critique is created equal. Listen to feedback with an open mind. Take notes. Give yourself a couple of days to digest what was offered, but in the end, it's your story. Only make changes that feel right to you.

Deborah will also be using THE BALLAD OF JESSIE PEARL in a workshop as an example of strong first page voice. I am honored that she's showcasing my book.

In other news, I will be traveling to Boston on November 25th and 26th for the ALAN Conference. I will be part of a panel called, Past and Present Southern Voices of YA Literature.

From Alaska to Boston that Jessie Pearl is a travelin' girl!

Writing from Personal Experience

In 1969, my sister was hit by a car. She was only five-years-old when it happened. I was playing in the sandbox and witnessed the accident, but my memories of it are foggy. What I remember most is seeing a body hit the passenger side door. At first, I thought someone was falling out of the car. My mind didn't connect the dots. I had no idea it was Robin.

Somehow I ran to the scene of the accident, but I don't remember doing so, only that I was there. Recently I asked my mom what she remembered. Her memories are cloudy too, but she told me that Robin took a couple of steps afterward and then collapsed. I experienced the accident emotionally and not logically. It was too horrific for my mind to process the details. All I'm left with is feelings.

The overwhelming emotion that I remember from that time in my life is guilt. Robin had a collapsed lung, a concussion, and a broken femur bone. She spent weeks in the hospital and then came home in a body cast. I felt guilty because I could run and jump and play, while Robin had to lay flat on her back and use a bedpan. She was as helpless as a newborn baby.

I decided to write a middle grade novel about the accident. Though I was actually eight at the time it happened, I made my protagonist twelve. I decided to really give her something to be guilty about. In the fictionalized account, Sarah is supposed to be babysitting and is reading when the accident happens.

Much of the story is true: the injuries, the details about living with someone in a body cast, the fact that my dad actually bought a pony and brought it home in the back of a car, but as with my first novel, most of the plot is made up. What's true are the emotions.

Have you ever tried writing fiction based on a personal experience? If so, what challenges did you encounter?

Writing Picture Books Tips From Rubin Pfeffer at East/West Literary

I recently had the good fortune to attend a workshop at the Florida SCBWI conference led by Rubin Pfeffer. The workshop was called, "The Art (or Science) of Picture Book Submission."

Mr. Pfeffer started by telling us it's a tough market for picture books. One reason is the number and quality of good chapter books. Kids are simply graduating to chapter books earlier, which is why editors are looking for brief picture books written for the very young.

Mr. Pfeffer shared a story about a picture book he recently sold called A PRESENT FOR MILO. After he made the rounds of New York houses, he simply could not sell this book. Because Mr. Pfeffer is a champion of e-publishing, he had an "app" made of A PRESENT FOR MILO. The electronic version led to a print book deal. He opened my eyes to the possibility of a print and e-version actually complementing each other.

The following list is the criteria Mr. Pfeffer uses to evalutate picture book submissons. He credits the list to his dear friend, Andrea Welch at Beach Lane Books. A manuscript doesn't need all of these, but it should have several of them.

1. Who is the manuscript for? Is there a clear audience?
2. Is the manuscript emotionally engaging?
3. Does it meet a special childhood emotional need?
4. Is there a highly creative concept, structure, or execution?
5. Does the manuscript use clever, evocative language?
6. Is there a compelling narrative arc?
7. Does the manuscript have strong pacing? Fun page turns?
8. Wordcount...Keep it down! Has the author left enough room for the illustrator to bring it to life?
9. Are the characters memorable and relatable?
10. Is it a story kids will want to hear again and again?

I was thrilled to meet Mr. Pfeffer, and proud that I'm represented by his partner at East/West Literary, Mary Grey James.

I'd love to hear if these tips help with your picture book submissions. Happy Writing!

CYN BALOG'S FAIRY TALE STORY

Cyn Balog’s first novel, FAIRY TALE, was published in 2009 by Delacorte Press. Her second novel, SLEEPLESS, is set for release in July. And Cyn’s news gets even more exciting: she has two additional novels scheduled for publication in 2011 and 2012!

I read on your blog that you have two small children.

Yes, I just had a baby in July of 2009, right after FAIRY TALE was released, and I also have a three-year-old who doesn’t nap. It is chaotic. I find that I was actually able to get more work done when I was working full-time out of the house, because I would set aside my lunch hour to write. My daughter was in daycare so I had no interruptions.

What tips do you have for other parents who are trying to write with kids underfoot?

Write after they go to bed. I am not a night person but I have had to force myself to stay awake at the computer.

All of your books are paranormal romances. What draws you to this genre?

I didn’t set out to write paranormal romances. I liked them, and I’d read a story about a girl who learned she was a fairy princess. It seemed like there are so many books about girls who learn they are fairy princesses, and I thought, “That’s boring!” because the girl is lucky! She’d be the envy of all her friends. Not so if it was a boy learning he was a fairy prince. I thought that would be more interesting, so I wrote it. And then I had the idea for SLEEPLESS. Afterwards, I was kind of branded a paranormal author. I tried writing a realistic book, but my editor wanted me to stay with the paranormals, so I added a paranormal element to it. It’s cool, doing paranormals, though. I get to make really wild stuff up!

Describe your agent search.

I was very lucky finding an agent. My critique partner loved my work and then sent it off to her agent, who loved it as well and signed me. I hadn’t really been looking for an agent for very long so I maybe garnered only two or three rejections at that point. But don’t kill me! I had my share of heartbreak…the manuscript didn’t sell.

Tell us more about that experience.

My agent submitted to a handful of editors and like I said, they all swiftly rejected it. Meanwhile I’d been working on another book, FAIRY TALE, and my agent was so certain that should be the one I debuted with because she felt it was much stronger. She was right. She submitted it as soon as I finished and I had a pre-empt six weeks later from Delacorte.

Who is your editor and will you be working with the same editor on all four books?

Stephanie Lane Elliot is my editor for all four books…she’s wonderful to work with. I have heard editor horror stories and have been lucky that Stephanie is such a pleasure.

What promotional tools have you found to be most effective in reaching your target audience?

I have to say that promotion for FAIRY TALE went down the toilet last year considering I was nine months pregnant upon its release. I had to limit signings and events to once a month. I did find producing and handing out bookmarks to everyone I knew was a huge help. I also made use of Facebook and really relied on my online friends for their help.

How did you celebrate your first book?

The day FAIRY TALE came out, I went waddling along to every bookstore in a twenty mile radius of my house and just said, “Hey this is my book, want me to sign stock?” That was so exciting. Well, for the most part; a few nervous bookstore workers were like, “Um. You’re not in labor yet, are you?” But I will probably do the same with SLEEPLESS. Well, minus being pregnant, thankfully. There is something so exhilarating about going into a bookstore and seeing your book there. It never gets old.

Can you give us a preview of SLEEPLESS?

SLEEPLESS is about a Sandman who falls in love with a mortal girl whose sleep he controls. I wrote it in three weeks while seven months pregnant so that’s really all I remember about it. I’d had longer to write the book, but the first draft I turned in, which was written when I was going through the worst morning sickness, was so hopeless and dreary Stephanie asked me to rewrite it. It took everything I had to open up the document and start again. But I kept telling myself that being a writer was my dream; I hadn’t come this far just to give up. So I redid it in three weeks so I could keep it on schedule.

What tips do you have for aspiring novelists?

Don’t stop writing. While you’re submitting to agents, keep writing your next book. While your agent is submitting to editors, keep writing. If you are stuck on something, skip over it and write the next chapter. Write something else. Do not stop. There is a lot of discouragement in this business and if you let it stop you from writing, you’re sunk. If you keep at it, eventually it will pay off. I have a lot of writer friends, and I can place them into one of two groups. There are the ones who dwell on every little word in their manuscript or every little rejection and eat cartons of ice cream and mope. I call them Complainers. And then there are the ones who are positive and keep going no matter what. I call them Published, because eventually, that’s what they all became!

Shannon Hitchcock is represented by Mary Grey James at East/West Literary. She has her fingers crossed that one of her novels will sell!

How I Found My Agent

The January/February issue of The SCBWI Bulletin had the following blurb:

"Mary Grey James former lead book buyer for Ingram Book Company joined East/West Literary Agency (EWA) as a partner literary agent, personal interest in Southern women and their stories; serves as the vice president/president-elect of the Women's National Book Association (WNBA) and chair of the WNBA Pannell Award Committee that honors two bookstores each year which excelled in bringing books and young people together."

The words personal interest in Southern women and their stories jumped out at me. I grew up in rural North Carolina and most of my stories reflect that. Might Mary Grey James be the agent for me?

The article didn't list any contact information so I fired up Google. I located Mary Grey James and her email address through Linked In. I sent Mary an email query and she requested the full manuscript. About six weeks later, I signed the contract. Two things worked in my favor:

1. I write what Mary is looking for: Southern stories.
2. Mary is a new agent. It's easier to break in when an agent is actively building his/her list.

Mary has my first novel out on submission. It's an exciting time for me and I'm waiting. Waiting for the right editor to sprinkle blood, sweat and tears so that together we can turn my manuscript into a published novel.

Are you looking for an agent? Or do you already have one? I'd love to hear your story.