I was recently sent a link to this Movieline post quoting advice from playwright David Mamet on how to create DRAMA. He's talking mainly about plays and films, but he has some good advice for any kind of dramatic writing. His point about considering the scene as if it were a silent movie is something I've actually done in fiction writing! It works well for a dialogue-heavy or internal monologue-heavy scene. Warning: Mamet's guidance is written ALL IN CAPITAL LETTERS, so it's like he's screaming at you, which is a bit hard to take. Perhaps he just wanted to be DRAMATIC. In any case, I advise copying the text into a document and changing it to lower case. Your sanity will thank you. ![]() pdphoto.org If you're not in the mood for a lecture and would prefer a laugh, here's author Lynn Coady's advice for writing fiction, from making sure to include something that will offend your relatives to avoiding writing about symbolic dogs -- or dogs of any kind. ![]() juliefainart.com Lisa Gail Green writes a clever and fun blog called “Paranormal Point of View.” Every Monday she outs one of her followers as a supernatural creature. Delaney Collins, the protagonist of my debut novel, commented on the blog (since Delaney really does have magical powers), but Lisa disqualified her, not because Delaney’s fictional, but because she’s already admitted to being an “f.g.” on her own website. So instead, Lisa targeted me! As a pixie! Find out her reasons why at “Monday Madness.” Some of my friends might observe that I’m a bit tall to be considered a pixie, but I embrace the title and feel honored. In my darker moments, when I’m feeling a little moody or mean, I’m going to remember that I just have to access my endless supply of pixie dust – and get my life back on its happy track. Thanks, Lisa! I'm thrilled at the opportunity to interview yet another member of the Class of 2k10, as a bonus this week on my blog. I'm especially happy to have met Rhonda (in a virtual sense) because we share a similar film business background and are also neighbors in lovely L.A. I hope we'll be able to meet in person soon as well! ![]() Tell us about your book. THE WITCHY WORRIES OF ABBIE ADAMS comes out on April 1, from Dial Books for Young readers. And hmm...I’d have to say it’s a fun, middle-grade novel (not to get all braggy or anything) about a contemporary, fifth grade witch, who runs into a little trouble balancing the normal world with the magical one. ![]() Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publication? Yikes. It was long and torturous, I’m sorry to report. I finished the book five years ago when my kids were the right age to read it...Then, it took ages to get an agent but hardly any time to sell it once I did. Naturally I thought that my literary career was launched...and it was...except for the fact that Raincoast, the publishing house that bought it, went out of business just as the book was headed for the copy editor. My intrepid agent didn’t gave up though and she sold it again to Harcourt...which soon after started undergoing upheaval related to the economy...and caused a lot of upheaval in my heart. My editor Kathy Dawson left Harcourt, but took me with her to Dial, bless her little heart. Then all I had to endure was the glacial pace of the actual publishing process... which takes us right up to this week. Was there ever a time you felt like giving up? Why didn't you? Don’t tell anyone this, but there were kind of a lot of passes before my agent sold the book for the second time...so many in fact that when she called me in person rather than e-mailing me, I felt positive that she was calling to break the news that there was no point in sending it out any more. When I recognized her voice, I instantly plummeted into an abyss of despair. But I popped right out when she told me she’d sold it again. Got all chirpy and everything. What’s the one thing that’s surprised you most on the journey from starting your novel to publication? How everlastingly LONG it all took. Where were you when you got the news that your book had been sold? I was sitting at my desk, glumly slogging away at the second book in my series, even though I was slowly giving up hope that the first one would ever get sold. ![]() aumflowersindiaflorists.com What did you do to celebrate? We went out to dinner where my husband surprised me by having the waiter bring over a bottle of champagne that he said had been sent from JK Rowling because she was such a big fan of mine. Where can we find out more about your book and about you? Why how charming of you to ask. You can find me at my website www.rhondahayter.com, or you can find me with a wonderful group of other debut YA and MG authors at www.classof2k10.com. We’re a-bloggin’ and carrying on all the time over there. Thanks so much for having me. Thank YOU, Rhonda! And I hope everyone noticed that Rhonda's book is already out, as of this posting. You can find information on how to buy her book at her website. Sadly, it’s the final day of the Debut Author Interview Extravaganza. But I'm very happy to close out the week with Angie Smibert, a fellow Elevensie and also a classmate of mine in the Class of 2k11. Once again, there are more new interviews on the blogs listed at the end of the post. (In addition, I have one more interview up my sleeve; details below.) ![]() Tell us about your book. Memento Nora (Marshall Cavendish, Spring 2011) is young adult science fiction. It’s about a teenage girl’s struggle to hold on to her memories—and her identity—in a world that finds it far more lucrative for everyone to forget—and keep on shopping. I pitched it as Feed or Extras meets Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publication? In October 2008, I went to the SCBWI Mid-Atlantic conference in Arlington, Virginia, which was the best $100 (or however much it was) I’ve ever spent. The four editors on the editors’ panel invited everyone who attended to submit queries and/or chapters directly to them. I sent Memento Nora to three of the four. (The fourth didn’t handle science fiction.) A couple of months passed. I’m thinking it’s time to chalk it up to experience when I get a letter from Marshall Cavendish saying they’d like to see more. Happy holidays, indeed. I sent the editor (now my editor) the whole manuscript. And waited. A few more months pass. Then I heard back that they might be interested if I change the ending a little. So, I rewrote furiously and send it back. Meanwhile, I heard from one of the other panel editors that she wanted to see the whole manuscript—which luckily I’d just rewritten. Long story short: a bidding war did not ensue. The second editor graciously declined, but my rewrite was enough to convince Marshall Cavendish. Was there ever a time you felt like giving up? Why didn't you? I’ve been writing fiction off and on (with varying degrees of skill and luck) for many, many years. I did give up on it for long stretches of time, using the excuse that life just got in the way. Finally, a few years ago I decided that I needed to just quit the day job and take a real crack at this writing thing. I don’t recommend that drastic approach for everyone, but it seriously concentrated my focus--plus I think I was finally ready to write the stories I wanted to write. And, here I sit with a few dozen published short stories and a novel set to debut next year. So, ultimately I didn’t give up. Why? I guess I haven’t found anything else that’s as satisfying as writing my own stories. That, and I think I always believed deep down that I could do it. What’s the one thing that’s surprised you most on the journey from starting your novel to publication? The waiting. I don’t know why that surprised me. A writer’s life is full of waiting. You write. You send it out into the world. And you wait. And wait. And wait. I guess the part that surprised me was that after you sign on the dotted line, you wait some more. That was ignorance of the process on my part, though. I didn’t realize how long it takes a book to go from contract to shelf. Where were you when you got the news that your book had been sold? I was at home working. I was so excited I couldn’t remember phone numbers. Thank goodness for speed dial. What did you do to celebrate? I don’t remember. ;) To find out more about Angie and her book, check out the following links: Web site: www.angiesmibert.com (under construction) Blog: www.angiesmibert.com/blog Facebook: www.facebook.com/asmibert Twitter: www.twitter.com/amsmibert Thanks, Angie! I love the premise for your book!
Well, I think we've learned three things this week: successful writing involves waiting, the SCBWI and chocolate. Tune in next week for a bonus interview, to see if 2010 author Rhonda Hayter agrees! Today, visit my fellow blogging interviewers: Elana Johnson Lisa & Laura Roecker Kirsten Hubbard Beth Revis Leah Clifford Carrie Harris Kim Harrington Tiffany Schmidt Susan Adrian Dawn Metcalf Suzette Saxton & Bethany Wiggins Victoria Schwab Gretchen McNeil Amy Holder Day Four the Debut Author Interview Extravaganza! Be sure to visit the blogs listed at the end of the post for additional brand new interviews. ![]() The author in the cute photo to the left is Michele Corriel. Tell us about your book. Fairview Felines: A Newspaper Mystery (Blooming Tree/Tire Swing Press, July 2010) is the first in a series of middle grade mysteries based on the main character, Thomas Weston, who loves everything about newspapers, inky fingers and all. He dreams of having his own newspaper at school, so when all the cats in his town of Fairview start disappearing, he figures he can prove himself and solve the mystery. Oh, yeah, and he thinks in these really funny headlines. Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publication? First of all, it was a long, twisted road with lots of potholes. I’d written this novel a while ago (and have since finished three other novels) but I just couldn’t seem to find a home for it. Finally, after an SCBWI conference I began talking with the publisher of Blooming Tree Press and she asked me to send her the manuscript. It was almost a year later when she called and said Blooming Tree wanted to publish the book. Was there ever a time you felt like giving up? Why didn't you? There were plenty of times I felt like giving up. I have a whole room in my house wallpapered with rejection letters (not really, but I have enough of them!). I’ve always been a writer. There was never anything else I ever wanted to do. I knew if I didn’t continue to send my work out it would never get published. So I kept on writing and I kept on submitting and it finally paid off. (I also have a non-fiction picture book coming in the fall from a different publisher – Weird Rocks, published by Mountain Press!) And I now have a great agent who believes in my work, which really helps me to keep the faith. What’s the one thing that’s surprised you most on the journey from starting your novel to publication? How long everything takes … I’m used to writing for newspapers and magazines … books take years to come out! Where were you when you got the news that your book had been sold? I was at home, alone. My cell phone rang and it was Miriam Hees, the publisher for Blooming Tree Press. Everything seemed to rush by and go in slow motion all at the same time. ![]() formosportal.com.br What did you do to celebrate? I jumped around the house for a while with my dog. (She was really happy, too, of course she’s happy when I drop anything on the floor so it doesn’t take much.) And then I called my husband and my writers’ group. My writers’ group has a pact: if anyone gets anything published that person has to buy chocolate for the group. It was best pound of chocolate I ever bought. Where can we find out more about your book and about you? My website is www.michelecorriel.com. From there you can find me on Facebook, Twitter, and you can also read my blog, Playing With Words. I’m also in the Class of 2K10 and you can find me (and 22 other debut mg and ya novelists) on that website as well: www.classof2k10.com. Thanks for the interview and good luck to everyone! Thanks, Michele! I hope readers are noticing the strong role chocolate is playing in all of these interviews. One of the blogs below features the question "M&Ms or Twizzlers?" in their interviews. I think you can guess where I and my authors (I'm assuming) stand in answer to this question. I won't tell you which blogger asks the question -- you'll have to visit them all to find out. Elana Johnson Lisa & Laura Roecker Kirsten Hubbard Beth Revis Leah Clifford Carrie Harris Kim Harrington Tiffany Schmidt Susan Adrian Dawn Metcalf Suzette Saxton & Bethany Wiggins Victoria Schwab Gretchen McNeil Amy Holder |
KathyI'm a novelist and screenwriter living in Los Angeles. Find details on this "blog" about my books and appearances. Want to reach me? You can Contact Me here. What I'm working on now:
- A new YA novel - A middle grade novel - An original screenplay for the Disney Channel Writing Book of the Month:
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