Today on twitter:
- 11:37 With so many wonderful publishers/writers/industry professionals/book fans on Twitter, I've rediscovered my excitement about books! #
- 11:37 Thank-you, guys! And happy new year. #
- 16:12 RT @sfsignal: Bummer! IROSF Suspending publication. bit.ly/62lu9U #fb #
- 16:16 RT @OzAlleyCat: RT @pubperspectives: Best of '09: Analysing the Global Ranking of Publishers bit.ly/75C1L9 (via @publishingtalk ) #
- 22:39 #knighthoodformicallef #
A new year is almost here, and I have lots of things planned for 2010! In addition to the usual craft-related posts, I'll also have more guest posts, some exciting interviews, and even a book giveaway or two! In fact, I plan on starting off the year right by having a contest. Look for more details next week.
Happy New Year Everyone!
| Originally published at www.annastan.com. |
Today, I'm doing something I've never done before—participating in a blog tour. My guest is Jill Miles, whose first novel, GENTLEMEN PREFER SUCCUBI was released by Simon and Shuster on December 29.
You can get an insider's look at the road to publication by reading the series of blog entries that started here: here
You can even win a prize! For each tour stop you comment on, you earn an entry in a drawing that can win you a query critique from Jill's agent, Holly Root.
As you might guess, I'm interested in how Jill coped with the long delays in the publishing business and that's what I asked her about. Here's what Jill had to tell me.
Hi, Jill. Welcome and congratulations on the publication of your novel. That's a real achievement, and it takes more than good writing to get there. I know there was a fair gap between now and when you first signed with an agent. Tell me about it.
Oh wow. It's been a long time! Okay, well, I wrote the book in 2005. I held off on querying it because I was still querying another novel (that has never sold). I eventually decided to send it out in February of 2006 and an agent offered in March of 2006. From there...it was a lot of waiting. Really horrible waiting. I'm not patient in the slightest, mind you. ;) I think I was at my wits' end in March 2007, when a year had passed and no sale. My (then) agent called me and said we had a publisher interested. It took about 2 more months for everything to be figured out, but we accepted Pocket's offer. The plan was for my book to be published as an erotica trade paperback. That changed a few months later, when my editor decided they wanted to move it to mass market paperback as a regular paranormal series (and I thought that was a terrific idea and jumped on it). That meant rescheduling all the way out to January 2010.
Between that time and now, I wrote the sequel in 2008 (which comes out on January 19, 2010), and this year I did edits, copyedits, and galleys on both books. It's a long, drawn out process, but an exciting one!
What qualities of character or mindset did you use to get through that long wait? Do you have tricks to offer other writers or maybe just other people struggling for confidence and patience in tough situations?
The waiting was (and I'm not going to lie) horrible. It was awful. And I'm the type of person that tends to fixate and obsess, and I think that's a really irritating personality trait to have in this business. I wouldn't recommend it. ;) In the meantime, I wrote (I kid you not) six more novels. They're not all ready for prime time, mind you, but writing helps give you focus and feels like you've accomplished something. Plus, it never hurts to have a shelf full of things ready to dust off and send to your agent. Because of my backlog, I was able to turn in another fully completed manuscript to my publisher (which they also bought) and we have a few projects going out in the spring that are also more or less completed.
I think the big lightbulb moment I had was when I was struggling NOT to contact my agent. I kept hearing that clients did not pester agents. Clients did not call agents, or email and you were supposed to just wait for news. If someone liked your stuff, you would hear about it at some point.
And for me, that was really really hard. I worked best with a casual sort of communication, and I'm the type that likes to ask questions, so to have the idea that "Sit down and shut up" was the best way to be a client? That was rough.
It took me some time before I realized that it was *OKAY* to check in with an agent. That "Sit down and shut up" isn't necessarily the best way to be a client. That my way of thinking was a little extreme. Checking in every 2 weeks (or more often if you have some hairy stuff going on) does not make you a bad client. Coming up with nitpicky things for your agent to do, or sending her a new chapter every hour might be obnoxious. A quick email just to check in is not, however, and it keeps you on the radar.
My current agent is terrific, and even if I end up emailing her twice in the same day, she never makes me feel like I'm bugging her. I love that about her, and I'm very comfortable with our communication. And if I'm nervous about something, I email her without stressing over it. Because I can obsess over something tiny for 3 weeks, but a 2-line email from my agent immediately alleviates all stress. So - new clients. Don't be afraid to check in (really!) but just be respectful of your agent's time.
What's the one thing you like best about GENTLEMEN PREFER SUCCUBI?
You know, I love that it's a fun story. I originally started out with a serious concept for the book, but when it started to come out on the page, it was light and breezy and just fun. I enjoyed writing it so very much. That seems kind of lame and silly, I know, but I started out trying to write serious stories and they fell really flat. When I let myself be silly, I really felt it come alive.
***
So there you have it, folks. From here, you can go on to tomorrow's tour stop at Jen Hayley's blog
You can get an insider's look at the road to publication by reading the series of blog entries that started here: here
You can even win a prize! For each tour stop you comment on, you earn an entry in a drawing that can win you a query critique from Jill's agent, Holly Root.
As you might guess, I'm interested in how Jill coped with the long delays in the publishing business and that's what I asked her about. Here's what Jill had to tell me.
Hi, Jill. Welcome and congratulations on the publication of your novel. That's a real achievement, and it takes more than good writing to get there. I know there was a fair gap between now and when you first signed with an agent. Tell me about it.
Oh wow. It's been a long time! Okay, well, I wrote the book in 2005. I held off on querying it because I was still querying another novel (that has never sold). I eventually decided to send it out in February of 2006 and an agent offered in March of 2006. From there...it was a lot of waiting. Really horrible waiting. I'm not patient in the slightest, mind you. ;) I think I was at my wits' end in March 2007, when a year had passed and no sale. My (then) agent called me and said we had a publisher interested. It took about 2 more months for everything to be figured out, but we accepted Pocket's offer. The plan was for my book to be published as an erotica trade paperback. That changed a few months later, when my editor decided they wanted to move it to mass market paperback as a regular paranormal series (and I thought that was a terrific idea and jumped on it). That meant rescheduling all the way out to January 2010.
Between that time and now, I wrote the sequel in 2008 (which comes out on January 19, 2010), and this year I did edits, copyedits, and galleys on both books. It's a long, drawn out process, but an exciting one!
What qualities of character or mindset did you use to get through that long wait? Do you have tricks to offer other writers or maybe just other people struggling for confidence and patience in tough situations?
The waiting was (and I'm not going to lie) horrible. It was awful. And I'm the type of person that tends to fixate and obsess, and I think that's a really irritating personality trait to have in this business. I wouldn't recommend it. ;) In the meantime, I wrote (I kid you not) six more novels. They're not all ready for prime time, mind you, but writing helps give you focus and feels like you've accomplished something. Plus, it never hurts to have a shelf full of things ready to dust off and send to your agent. Because of my backlog, I was able to turn in another fully completed manuscript to my publisher (which they also bought) and we have a few projects going out in the spring that are also more or less completed.
I think the big lightbulb moment I had was when I was struggling NOT to contact my agent. I kept hearing that clients did not pester agents. Clients did not call agents, or email and you were supposed to just wait for news. If someone liked your stuff, you would hear about it at some point.
And for me, that was really really hard. I worked best with a casual sort of communication, and I'm the type that likes to ask questions, so to have the idea that "Sit down and shut up" was the best way to be a client? That was rough.
It took me some time before I realized that it was *OKAY* to check in with an agent. That "Sit down and shut up" isn't necessarily the best way to be a client. That my way of thinking was a little extreme. Checking in every 2 weeks (or more often if you have some hairy stuff going on) does not make you a bad client. Coming up with nitpicky things for your agent to do, or sending her a new chapter every hour might be obnoxious. A quick email just to check in is not, however, and it keeps you on the radar.
My current agent is terrific, and even if I end up emailing her twice in the same day, she never makes me feel like I'm bugging her. I love that about her, and I'm very comfortable with our communication. And if I'm nervous about something, I email her without stressing over it. Because I can obsess over something tiny for 3 weeks, but a 2-line email from my agent immediately alleviates all stress. So - new clients. Don't be afraid to check in (really!) but just be respectful of your agent's time.
What's the one thing you like best about GENTLEMEN PREFER SUCCUBI?
You know, I love that it's a fun story. I originally started out with a serious concept for the book, but when it started to come out on the page, it was light and breezy and just fun. I enjoyed writing it so very much. That seems kind of lame and silly, I know, but I started out trying to write serious stories and they fell really flat. When I let myself be silly, I really felt it come alive.
***
So there you have it, folks. From here, you can go on to tomorrow's tour stop at Jen Hayley's blog
"For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning." ~ T.S. Eliot
"Burns and Highland Mary," oil on wood by Thomas Faed.
Well, it's New Year's Eve as I'm writing this, and the song of the hour is "Auld Lang Syne."
The version that's running through my head at the moment isn't the traditional one we commonly hear at the stroke of midnight -- a kind of drunken, forcibly jubilant shout-song that usually culminates in whoops, hollers, the shrill of noisemakers, and a cloud of confetti.
What I've been listening to and loving is Robert Burns's poem sung to its original, intended melody. Thanks to Mairi Campbell's beautiful rendition, included on the "Sex and the City" film soundtrack, I've definitely acquired an entirely new appreciation for "Auld Lang Syne."
A song of fond memories, friendship, yearning, reflection, and celebration, it's even more poignant and meaningful when it's performed with a pristine, angelic vocal and the clean, crisp strains of an acoustic guitar. In an age of overproduced noise and loud-look-at-me electronic mishmash, there is much to be said for pure lyricism, quiet restraint, and the soaring radiance of a simple song.
Here's another video of Mairi Campbell singing the song live with Emily Smith. Makes me well up every time and long for Scotland!
May 2010 bring you much happiness, success in any way you wish to define it, good health, pleasant surprises, new friends, boatloads of chocolate, cupcakes, and hearty bowls of delicious soup! Thanks so much for reading, following, and supporting this blog another year. I'm taking a short break to enjoy the rest of the holiday season, but will be back on January 6th. Cheers!
The first Poetry Friday Roundup of 2010 is being hosted by Mary Lee at A Year of Reading. Here's to another year of fine poetry!
♥ 2009 marked the 250th birthday of Robert Burns.
♥ The painting opening this post depicts an imaginary meeting between Burns and his great love, Mary Campbell. She was to accompany him to Jamaica, but died from a fever, possibly typhus, before departure. How ironic that the person singing "Auld Lang Syne" so beautifully these days is similarly named, "Mairi Campbell."
from reinap's photostream.
Copyright © 2009 Jama Rattigan of jama rattigan's alphabet soup. All rights reserved.
- Mood:
nostalgic
Thank you to the Scribner School in Nebraska for the cards and bookmarks!
While I'm waiting for "First Pass" (typeset pages) for TOUCH BLUE, I decided to end 2009 with being all caught up on my mail. Yesterday and today, I'm signing bookmarks and writing letters.
Here are some lines that made me smile:
Everyone is different, and that is the rule behind the rules. --Brooke
Catherine was easy for me to relate to because we both enjoy art and we both fight the urge to be popular, to make friends, and we share the number one rule: don't get embarrassed. --Tara
Every day we had so many things to discuss about the book that we always ran out of time. --6th graders of Notre Dame School
I was sick with the flu when my dad read me the book. That day I did not eat, but he told me he would not read if I didn't eat, so I ate. --Colleen
I'm so amazed that you had never written a book before RULES. I thought you were a much more experienced writer. --Mia
I was outstanded by your book. --Kyle
The best part about how you wrote was you made a middle, beginning, and end. --Leah
I was pretty amazed when I saw how you could pinpoint this story so correctly as a kid's life when you're a grown adult. --Jordan
What I learned about this book is that preteen kids could still enjoy reading. --Cameron
And some lines that touched my heart:
Then I remembered your book and told my brother to find all the red cars. It kept his mind off my dad coming and I noticed he wasn't crying or talking to himself. I felt so relieved. --Crystal
Don't get me wrong, I love my brother and everything about him. It just makes me sad seeing him in pain and I have no idea what's wrong. --Nicole
I have an autistic cousin and I don't like how when we go into town people stare at him and I hear whispers from children in the same lane as us. I can even hear some adults saying stuff. --Danielle
- Mood:
touched
I can't believe that 2009 is almost over. This year went by so fast! You know what I have to say about the end of 2009, though?
Good riddance.
For reasons I won't bore you with, this year sucked for me. I noticed it, my family noticed it, and heck, even the dog noticed it. I know the arrival of 2010 won't magically make things better, but it's renewed my sense of hope, and you can never go wrong with that.
I'm not a total pessimist, though. There were some good things about 2009. These are the most notable of them:
1) All my loved ones -- aside from one death -- remained happy and healthy.
2) I finished writing Love and Arrows, which has since stolen the title of its sequel, For the Love of Gods.
3) And, of course, there was the arrival of this cutie:
How was everyone else's year? Anyone else looking forward to 2010 as much as me?
Good riddance.
For reasons I won't bore you with, this year sucked for me. I noticed it, my family noticed it, and heck, even the dog noticed it. I know the arrival of 2010 won't magically make things better, but it's renewed my sense of hope, and you can never go wrong with that.
I'm not a total pessimist, though. There were some good things about 2009. These are the most notable of them:
1) All my loved ones -- aside from one death -- remained happy and healthy.
2) I finished writing Love and Arrows, which has since stolen the title of its sequel, For the Love of Gods.
3) And, of course, there was the arrival of this cutie:
(This pic courtesy of my sis, 'cause I couldn't take a decent photo if my life depended on it.)
How was everyone else's year? Anyone else looking forward to 2010 as much as me?
For the last stop on the 31 Blogs in 31 Days trip I'd like to point out the blog of author Jo Knowles.
Jo's blog is the blog of a working writing with tidbits about revision and the crazy business we're in. On Monday's she offers up a writing prompt and it is always tied to some wonderful Jo story about life.
I hope you've enjoyed your visits to 31 blogs this month. The yellow icon will reside in the sidebar of my blog so you can dip back into them in the future.
Whoa . . . where did the time go????
It's been a busy year with 43 days on the road and three books out, like ABSOLUTELY MAYBE . . .
BOBBY VS. GIRS (ACCIDENTALLY) . . .
Plus a story in GEEKTASTIC: STORIES FROM THE NERD HERD.
I was even on Fox Sports Network! Yes. Three disconnects. Fox. Sports. Me. But look, it's for real!
Lisa Yee
I was going to do a 2009 Blog in Review, but have suddenly become stricken with lazybloggeritis. However, if you're curious, or bored, you can CLICK HERE and see the over 12,765ish blogs I wrote in 2009.
Speaking of presents (okay, so we weren't really but, um, let's pretend we were), Puppy's favorite Christmas gift this year was her Mr. Bill toy. (If you remember Mr. Bill from Saturday Night Live, then you're old like me!)
Sadly, for Mr. Bill, Puppy "overloved" her toy . . .
Speaking of the Rose Parade (Disclaimer: I've used up all my transitional sentences for the year), once again, Peepy is single-handedly building our hometown float.
Here's the logo--it's made from seeds and such. EVERYTHING is all natural. Also, here are some of Peep's float-building tools . . .
As always, it comes down to the wire (or Wisteria, or whatever flowers are put on right before the parade). So here's what the float looks like before the blossoms are placed. See those green vials? Each one will be filled with flowers. Also, that bucket of red? Those are seeds that are GLUED to that red trolly . . .
Here's the Rialto Theater. It figures prominently in the spin-off novel to the Millicent Min series I'm writing AT THIS VERY MOMENT (sort of). Also, our beloved library is on the float . . .
Plus, here's Peepy . . . can you see her?
We will be walking the parade route at midnight and will send you photos for our very first blog of 2010. In the meantime HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! (And here's hoping that all our computers in general, but mine in particular, have a happy new year, too.)
It's been a busy year with 43 days on the road and three books out, like ABSOLUTELY MAYBE . . .
BOBBY VS. GIRS (ACCIDENTALLY) . . .
Plus a story in GEEKTASTIC: STORIES FROM THE NERD HERD.
I was even on Fox Sports Network! Yes. Three disconnects. Fox. Sports. Me. But look, it's for real!
Lisa Yee
I was going to do a 2009 Blog in Review, but have suddenly become stricken with lazybloggeritis. However, if you're curious, or bored, you can CLICK HERE and see the over 12,765ish blogs I wrote in 2009.
Speaking of presents (okay, so we weren't really but, um, let's pretend we were), Puppy's favorite Christmas gift this year was her Mr. Bill toy. (If you remember Mr. Bill from Saturday Night Live, then you're old like me!)
Sadly, for Mr. Bill, Puppy "overloved" her toy . . .
Speaking of the Rose Parade (Disclaimer: I've used up all my transitional sentences for the year), once again, Peepy is single-handedly building our hometown float.
Here's the logo--it's made from seeds and such. EVERYTHING is all natural. Also, here are some of Peep's float-building tools . . .
As always, it comes down to the wire (or Wisteria, or whatever flowers are put on right before the parade). So here's what the float looks like before the blossoms are placed. See those green vials? Each one will be filled with flowers. Also, that bucket of red? Those are seeds that are GLUED to that red trolly . . .
Here's the Rialto Theater. It figures prominently in the spin-off novel to the Millicent Min series I'm writing AT THIS VERY MOMENT (sort of). Also, our beloved library is on the float . . .
Plus, here's Peepy . . . can you see her?
We will be walking the parade route at midnight and will send you photos for our very first blog of 2010. In the meantime HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! (And here's hoping that all our computers in general, but mine in particular, have a happy new year, too.)
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Rampant by Diana Peterfreund
Eyes Like Stars: Theatre Illuminata, Part I by Lisa Mantchev
Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins... See More
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Silver Phoenix: Beyond the Kingdom of Xia by Cindy Pon
The Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines
Daughter of the Flames by Zoë Marriott
Lips Touch by Laini Taylor
The Miles Between by Mary E. Pearson
Hate List by Jennifer Brown
Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd by Holly Black
The Just One Wish by Janette Rallison
Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
ABC's of Kissing Boys by Tina Ferraro
A Map Of The Known World by Lisa Ann Sandell
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Liar by Justine Larbalestier
Marcelo In The Real World by Francisco Stork
Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern
Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have by Allen Zadoff
Pop by Gordon Korman
What are yours?
Eyes Like Stars: Theatre Illuminata, Part I by Lisa Mantchev
Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins... See More
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Silver Phoenix: Beyond the Kingdom of Xia by Cindy Pon
The Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines
Daughter of the Flames by Zoë Marriott
Lips Touch by Laini Taylor
The Miles Between by Mary E. Pearson
Hate List by Jennifer Brown
Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd by Holly Black
The Just One Wish by Janette Rallison
Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
ABC's of Kissing Boys by Tina Ferraro
A Map Of The Known World by Lisa Ann Sandell
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Liar by Justine Larbalestier
Marcelo In The Real World by Francisco Stork
Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern
Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have by Allen Zadoff
Pop by Gordon Korman
What are yours?
Ok, I admit, I'm hooked on the Vampire Diaries. I even got the first two books in the series and I'm reading them during the break.
I'm kind of glad I did this now as the books are a lot different than the show. For one thing, Elena is blond and the queen of Robert Lee High. She's used to getting any guy she wants.
Stefan is from 15th century Italy and a count's son where he meets Katherine for the first time. Katherine plays both brothers against each other just like the hints we saw in the show.
The book also goes back and forth from both Elena and Stefan's POV, which is interesting. Let's just say Stefan isn't as innocent as the show portrays him.
I'm also getting hints of what the second part of the series will be like in January.
For those who want a teaser, here's a clip:
I'm kind of glad I did this now as the books are a lot different than the show. For one thing, Elena is blond and the queen of Robert Lee High. She's used to getting any guy she wants.
Stefan is from 15th century Italy and a count's son where he meets Katherine for the first time. Katherine plays both brothers against each other just like the hints we saw in the show.
The book also goes back and forth from both Elena and Stefan's POV, which is interesting. Let's just say Stefan isn't as innocent as the show portrays him.
I'm also getting hints of what the second part of the series will be like in January.
For those who want a teaser, here's a clip:
While I was up at my inlaws' for Christmas, I was munching away at MaggieCereal for breakfast and sort of watching TV, because that's what you do when you're at someone else's house for breakfast, and an Expert came on talking about New Years Resolutions. As y'all might guess, my ears pricked up, because goals/ resolutions and me, we are like this. Tight.
Expert: 90% of New Year's Resolutions will fail this year.
Host: That is a stunning and saddening figure.
Expert: Yes. That means 90% of all Americans will be failures.
Host: Yikes. Tell us how to keep our resolutions from failing. Or should we just not make them.
Expert: Resolutions are fantastic. I'll tell you how to make them succeed. I'll also tell you CUT TO COMMERCIAL.
They cut to a commercial. I kept eating cereal. Lover and I mused gently over whether Expert would give the same advice I always give on resolutions while I ate my cereal. Thing 1 joined us at the table to also partake of cereal. She made a small pile of Thing1Cereal around her bowl as she ate.
When the Expert came back, she told us we really needed to want to change, and that we should have a reward system built in, and that we should hang with people who helped our resolutions instead of hurting them. For instance, if your resolution was to lose weight, make friends at the gym and not at Dunkin Donuts. She didn't say that, but that's what she meant. And then she said, booyah, the force be with you, peace out. It was all very feel good and empowering and fluff-making.
And yeah, those are all very nice things. But she didn't say anything about the resolutions themselves. If you make well-meaning, empowering, flufftastic resolutions that aren't really achievable while wanting to change and having reward systems in place, it's like having great cooking habits and a craptastic recipe. You'll spend hours in the kitchen and end up with hamburger helper muffins.
Sooo again for our television viewers who just tuned in, remember that I already said why I think most resolutions fail. Because folks don't think of them like goals, and good goals are quantifiable and within my control, and bad, hamburger helper goals are nebulous, subjective, or mostly in the hands of politicians. Here's my official goals/ resolutions/ Cleveland post on that. I also like goals that make me stretch and define my year in a way that I wouldn't have normally. So I don't put stuff on the list that I'd be doing anyway. For instance I have two novels due in 2010, but I'm not going to put them on the list because they have to get done whether or not they end up on the list.
Here, without further ado, are my 2010 Resolutions.
1. Write a screenplay
2. Write a song every week.
3. Sketch once a day.
4. Take Thing 1 & Thing 2 to a Broadway show.
5. Go to the UK in September.
6. Take Lover to a new sort of concert that we've never been to before.
7. Compile an album/ demo.
8. Create dummy/ general shape for graphic novel.
9. Organize a teenage writer's workshop.
10. If LINGER goes to #1, buy a piano.
When I was making these up, I was trying to think of things that would stretch me in ways that I wouldn't normally go, and things that would push me out of my comfort zone. I tried to keep the ones that couldn't be crossed off until the end of the year to a minimum (the only two I have are sketch once a day and write a song each week -- note they can't be crossed off until December 31st, 2010)(if they were all like that it would make for a really unsatisfying list as the whole point is to be able to cross those bad boys off). And I only have one on there that's not in my control: the last one. I had one of those for 2009 too: if the UK rights sold for SHIVER, go to the UK. I figured it wasn't cheating because if I didn't add that to the list, I might have sold the rights and then just not have followed through with the UK trip. Same with LINGER and #1. I can't control the "if" part. But I can control the second half.
So. It looks like an entertaining list to me. And an entertained Maggie is a Maggie that stays out of trouble (when I was a pre-teen, I learned the adage "a tired puppy is a good puppy" and I found out it also applied to me). So now these are officially out there.
Ahem. Ahem. You guys done with yours?
Expert: 90% of New Year's Resolutions will fail this year.
Host: That is a stunning and saddening figure.
Expert: Yes. That means 90% of all Americans will be failures.
Host: Yikes. Tell us how to keep our resolutions from failing. Or should we just not make them.
Expert: Resolutions are fantastic. I'll tell you how to make them succeed. I'll also tell you CUT TO COMMERCIAL.
They cut to a commercial. I kept eating cereal. Lover and I mused gently over whether Expert would give the same advice I always give on resolutions while I ate my cereal. Thing 1 joined us at the table to also partake of cereal. She made a small pile of Thing1Cereal around her bowl as she ate.
When the Expert came back, she told us we really needed to want to change, and that we should have a reward system built in, and that we should hang with people who helped our resolutions instead of hurting them. For instance, if your resolution was to lose weight, make friends at the gym and not at Dunkin Donuts. She didn't say that, but that's what she meant. And then she said, booyah, the force be with you, peace out. It was all very feel good and empowering and fluff-making.
And yeah, those are all very nice things. But she didn't say anything about the resolutions themselves. If you make well-meaning, empowering, flufftastic resolutions that aren't really achievable while wanting to change and having reward systems in place, it's like having great cooking habits and a craptastic recipe. You'll spend hours in the kitchen and end up with hamburger helper muffins.
Sooo again for our television viewers who just tuned in, remember that I already said why I think most resolutions fail. Because folks don't think of them like goals, and good goals are quantifiable and within my control, and bad, hamburger helper goals are nebulous, subjective, or mostly in the hands of politicians. Here's my official goals/ resolutions/ Cleveland post on that. I also like goals that make me stretch and define my year in a way that I wouldn't have normally. So I don't put stuff on the list that I'd be doing anyway. For instance I have two novels due in 2010, but I'm not going to put them on the list because they have to get done whether or not they end up on the list.
Here, without further ado, are my 2010 Resolutions.
1. Write a screenplay
2. Write a song every week.
3. Sketch once a day.
4. Take Thing 1 & Thing 2 to a Broadway show.
5. Go to the UK in September.
6. Take Lover to a new sort of concert that we've never been to before.
7. Compile an album/ demo.
8. Create dummy/ general shape for graphic novel.
9. Organize a teenage writer's workshop.
10. If LINGER goes to #1, buy a piano.
When I was making these up, I was trying to think of things that would stretch me in ways that I wouldn't normally go, and things that would push me out of my comfort zone. I tried to keep the ones that couldn't be crossed off until the end of the year to a minimum (the only two I have are sketch once a day and write a song each week -- note they can't be crossed off until December 31st, 2010)(if they were all like that it would make for a really unsatisfying list as the whole point is to be able to cross those bad boys off). And I only have one on there that's not in my control: the last one. I had one of those for 2009 too: if the UK rights sold for SHIVER, go to the UK. I figured it wasn't cheating because if I didn't add that to the list, I might have sold the rights and then just not have followed through with the UK trip. Same with LINGER and #1. I can't control the "if" part. But I can control the second half.
So. It looks like an entertaining list to me. And an entertained Maggie is a Maggie that stays out of trouble (when I was a pre-teen, I learned the adage "a tired puppy is a good puppy" and I found out it also applied to me). So now these are officially out there.
Ahem. Ahem. You guys done with yours?
- Music:"One Last Message" - Andrew Lockington
Two nights ago, a young man named Brendan unexpectedly passed away in his sleep.
When the news reached me last night, I couldn't believe it. I still can't believe it.
This gentle soul was one of my friendliest customers; every single time I saw him, he had a smile on his face and two (yes, two) hats on his head. I first met him two years ago, and we bonded quickly over books. He was always eager to tell me the title and plot of the latest book he'd read. I told him about Bildungsroman, GuysLitWire, and readergirlz. He, in turn, shared links to his artwork and his blogs, where he frequently offered music recommendations.
He enjoyed speculative fantasy and good literature, so I recommended The Menagerie novels by Christopher Golden and Thomas E. Sniegoski. Not only did he track down the first three books in the series quickly, but he beat me to the last one! I think I'll obtain another set of the books and donate them to Operation Teen Book Drop this coming spring. It's the least I can do in honor of his joy, his potential, and his love of books.
If you have a Twitter account, please join his friends in using the #mlarg tag in honor of his online handle.
This is nearly ten years to the day that Missy passed away. That fact was not lost on me last night. Even the time I was informed was nearly the same as it was before.
Those lost shall be remembered fondly, and missed forever.
When the news reached me last night, I couldn't believe it. I still can't believe it.
This gentle soul was one of my friendliest customers; every single time I saw him, he had a smile on his face and two (yes, two) hats on his head. I first met him two years ago, and we bonded quickly over books. He was always eager to tell me the title and plot of the latest book he'd read. I told him about Bildungsroman, GuysLitWire, and readergirlz. He, in turn, shared links to his artwork and his blogs, where he frequently offered music recommendations.
He enjoyed speculative fantasy and good literature, so I recommended The Menagerie novels by Christopher Golden and Thomas E. Sniegoski. Not only did he track down the first three books in the series quickly, but he beat me to the last one! I think I'll obtain another set of the books and donate them to Operation Teen Book Drop this coming spring. It's the least I can do in honor of his joy, his potential, and his love of books.
If you have a Twitter account, please join his friends in using the #mlarg tag in honor of his online handle.
This is nearly ten years to the day that Missy passed away. That fact was not lost on me last night. Even the time I was informed was nearly the same as it was before.
Those lost shall be remembered fondly, and missed forever.
- Mood:
sad - Music:Pitter-Pat by Erin McCarley
Over the Christmas holiday, I worked on revising SAH until my brain bled, my eyes crossed and the manuscript was as spiffy as I could make it. Today, I sent it out to readers and now I’m headed toward my first short term goals for 2010.
1. Do an agent requested revision of SK and don’t get tempted to send it back to the agent until it shines.
2. Finish my next article for Vermont Bride--due mid-January.
3. Write a one page synopsis of SAH for the Vt College retreat.
Once that’s done, then I can look at the rest of 2010 and set some more goals.
I have the strange feeling 2010 is going to be The Year of the Revison for me.
*The tarot card is from Glastonbury Tarot. Click the link to start your new year with a free reading http://www.isleofavalon.co.uk/tarot/inde
Highlights
Lessons I Learned About Kidney Stones:
1) The staff at my local emergency room is super nice.
2) Almost everyone I know has either had a kidney stone or knows someone who had one.
3) It's pretty much like going through labor but without the baby at the end. Though my body seems to have more trouble with simple illnesses than most people. Instead of passing the stone after a couple of days of pain, like most people, I had my stone for over weeks until I had to have a procedure to remove it.
4) When the doctor said, "You might have some irritation after the procedure", what he really meant was that if my stone was really stuck -- which it was-- I'd have a week of searing pain that I could dull by taking pain medication every 4 hours.
5) Watching Being Human is an excellent way to spend a week living on the couch and taking around-the-clock pain medicine.
6) Filling a tube sock with rice and nuking it in the microwave for 60 seconds makes a wonderful heating pad.
7) In conclusion, kidney stones are more fun than any human should be allowed to have. ;)
Sprinting Back Into Regular Life:
The minute I was well I subbed almost every day. On the last day of my job before Thanksgiving the principal told me that Ms. D. had broken her ankle on her trip and asked if I could sub all next week too. I said, "Sure. Why not?" Then I spent Thanksgiving weekend making fun, educational lesson plans, cruising the library for good books, and designing samples of the projects we would do. Whew!
Fiction Books Finished:
The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart (** 1/2) - Talented orphans are recruited into a secret society. While the beginning pulled me in, I found the middle a bit slow. The book has a good message about advertising and seems to be quite popular but for some reason I didn't enjoy it that much. [Ages 9 and up]
Gregor the Overlander & Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane, by Suzanne Collins (*** 1/2) - When eleven-year old Gregor tries to stop his two-year old sister "Boots" from falling down a laundry chute, the two of them are sucked down a wind tunnel and land in the world of Underland. There he meets giant bats, cockroaches, rats, and the nearly translucent Underlander humans who believe Gregor just might be the warrior they've been waiting for. This is a great middle-grade fantasy series. Underland is a fascinating world full of appealing characters. It would make a good classroom or family read too. [Ages 9 and up]
The Cabinet of Wonders, by Marie Rutkoski (***) - When the Prince of Bohemia steals a clockmaker's eyes, twelve-year old Petra decides to steal her father's eyes back. This middle grade fantasy-- set in a slightly magical 16th century Prague-- starts out slow but builds to an exciting conclusion. [For ages 10 and up]
Non-Fiction Books Finished:
Woman: An Intimate Geography, by Natalie Angier (*** 1/2) - An enjoyable book on the female body. Angier describes menstruation, fertilization, and menopause in ways that not only explain but inspire. Her chapter taking down evolutionary psychology is especially welcoming.
Teaching Outside the Box, by LouAnne Johnson, (*** 1/2) - The movie Dangerous Minds is based on LouAnne Johnson's first teaching experience with low-income at risk high schoolers. Since then Johnson's had a wide range of teaching experiences and gives good advice for teaching reading and English to students from upper elementary school through high school and college -- emphasizing both strong class management and how to motivate students to learn.
TV- Top 5 Favorites of the Month (In A,B,C Order)
(The) Big Bang Theory, current season 3 - I like the way Penny and Leonard's relationship isn't the focus of the show.
Being Human, series 1 - is an enjoyable unique supernatural story about three twenty-some adults sharing a flat together in Bristol. Instead of the usual save-the-world plot, this story about a vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost is mostly a story of new adults dealing with the day-to-day dramas of adulthood, relationships, and coming to terms with who they are. [ I watched the 6 episode series on itunes.]
(The) Good Wife, current season 1 - Out of the dozens of new shows I tried this season, The Good Wife is the only one I've stuck with. Julianna Marguilies is wonderful as a woman trying to breath life back into her law career after her husband has been jailed in an Eliot Spitzer type situation. The legal cases are interesting and I like the way this show doesn't spell everything out for the viewer.
Mad Men, current season 3 - turned out to be my favorite season so far. It started out slow but built to a series of satisfying conclusions.
Supernatural, current season 5
Sub Jobs:
1/2 day- Art teacher at another school
1 day- Media teacher at my regular school
1 day - Ms. D's 2nd grade
1/2 day - 1st grade reading at another school
1/2 day - 1st grade reading at another school
5 days - Ms. D's 2nd grade
Lessons I Learned About Kidney Stones:
1) The staff at my local emergency room is super nice.
2) Almost everyone I know has either had a kidney stone or knows someone who had one.
3) It's pretty much like going through labor but without the baby at the end. Though my body seems to have more trouble with simple illnesses than most people. Instead of passing the stone after a couple of days of pain, like most people, I had my stone for over weeks until I had to have a procedure to remove it.
4) When the doctor said, "You might have some irritation after the procedure", what he really meant was that if my stone was really stuck -- which it was-- I'd have a week of searing pain that I could dull by taking pain medication every 4 hours.
5) Watching Being Human is an excellent way to spend a week living on the couch and taking around-the-clock pain medicine.
6) Filling a tube sock with rice and nuking it in the microwave for 60 seconds makes a wonderful heating pad.
7) In conclusion, kidney stones are more fun than any human should be allowed to have. ;)
Sprinting Back Into Regular Life:
The minute I was well I subbed almost every day. On the last day of my job before Thanksgiving the principal told me that Ms. D. had broken her ankle on her trip and asked if I could sub all next week too. I said, "Sure. Why not?" Then I spent Thanksgiving weekend making fun, educational lesson plans, cruising the library for good books, and designing samples of the projects we would do. Whew!
Fiction Books Finished:
The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart (** 1/2) - Talented orphans are recruited into a secret society. While the beginning pulled me in, I found the middle a bit slow. The book has a good message about advertising and seems to be quite popular but for some reason I didn't enjoy it that much. [Ages 9 and up]
Gregor the Overlander & Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane, by Suzanne Collins (*** 1/2) - When eleven-year old Gregor tries to stop his two-year old sister "Boots" from falling down a laundry chute, the two of them are sucked down a wind tunnel and land in the world of Underland. There he meets giant bats, cockroaches, rats, and the nearly translucent Underlander humans who believe Gregor just might be the warrior they've been waiting for. This is a great middle-grade fantasy series. Underland is a fascinating world full of appealing characters. It would make a good classroom or family read too. [Ages 9 and up]
The Cabinet of Wonders, by Marie Rutkoski (***) - When the Prince of Bohemia steals a clockmaker's eyes, twelve-year old Petra decides to steal her father's eyes back. This middle grade fantasy-- set in a slightly magical 16th century Prague-- starts out slow but builds to an exciting conclusion. [For ages 10 and up]
Non-Fiction Books Finished:
Woman: An Intimate Geography, by Natalie Angier (*** 1/2) - An enjoyable book on the female body. Angier describes menstruation, fertilization, and menopause in ways that not only explain but inspire. Her chapter taking down evolutionary psychology is especially welcoming.
Teaching Outside the Box, by LouAnne Johnson, (*** 1/2) - The movie Dangerous Minds is based on LouAnne Johnson's first teaching experience with low-income at risk high schoolers. Since then Johnson's had a wide range of teaching experiences and gives good advice for teaching reading and English to students from upper elementary school through high school and college -- emphasizing both strong class management and how to motivate students to learn.
TV- Top 5 Favorites of the Month (In A,B,C Order)
(The) Big Bang Theory, current season 3 - I like the way Penny and Leonard's relationship isn't the focus of the show.
Being Human, series 1 - is an enjoyable unique supernatural story about three twenty-some adults sharing a flat together in Bristol. Instead of the usual save-the-world plot, this story about a vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost is mostly a story of new adults dealing with the day-to-day dramas of adulthood, relationships, and coming to terms with who they are. [ I watched the 6 episode series on itunes.]
(The) Good Wife, current season 1 - Out of the dozens of new shows I tried this season, The Good Wife is the only one I've stuck with. Julianna Marguilies is wonderful as a woman trying to breath life back into her law career after her husband has been jailed in an Eliot Spitzer type situation. The legal cases are interesting and I like the way this show doesn't spell everything out for the viewer.
Mad Men, current season 3 - turned out to be my favorite season so far. It started out slow but built to a series of satisfying conclusions.
Supernatural, current season 5
Sub Jobs:
1/2 day- Art teacher at another school
1 day- Media teacher at my regular school
1 day - Ms. D's 2nd grade
1/2 day - 1st grade reading at another school
1/2 day - 1st grade reading at another school
5 days - Ms. D's 2nd grade
Hello there! Bildungsroman's visitor and viewer statistics have skyrocketed over the past week, and though I don't know why - since LiveJournal's programming does not allow my tracker from eXtreme Tracking to access referral links and such - I am quite flattered. I'd love to hear from new readers and learn what brought you here. Please leave a comment below introducing yourself and letting me know what or who pointed you to Bildungsroman!
Also, many thanks to![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
strangerface for inspiring me to finally secure a paid account for this book blog. Thank you for the nudge, even if it was unintentional. I created this blog over six years ago, on September 30th, 2003, and should have ensured its stability long ago.
Also, many thanks to
strangerface for inspiring me to finally secure a paid account for this book blog. Thank you for the nudge, even if it was unintentional. I created this blog over six years ago, on September 30th, 2003, and should have ensured its stability long ago.- Mood: thirsty
- Music:Law & Order: Criminal Intent score music
Originally published at devafagan.com. You can comment here or there.
It’s that time of the year: time to take stock of what’s been and look ahead to what may be. And since I love lists, I’m recapping 2009 in a series of five lists of five, starting with…
Five books/authors/series I discovered in 2009:
- INCARCERON by Catherine Fisher: [This is coming out in the US in 2010, but it's been out in the UK for a while now]. I really enjoyed this, most especially for the worldbuilding (a sentient prison world!), but also for Claudia (the warden’s daughter) and her subtle and bittersweet friendship with her tutor Jared. The sequel, SAPPHIQUE, has been on my wishlist for awhile now!
- MY LIFE IN FRANCE by Julia Child: Julia Child is now one of my heroes. She is one of those people who seems to have figured out that elusive question: how to be happy and have a full and meaningful life.
- THE BEEKEEPER’S APPRENTICE by Laurie King: Even listening to a scratchy, occasionally garbled, obviously-much-played library cassette recording of this couldn’t stop me from loving this book. It’s just the sort of book I like to read for pure pleasure, for interesting characters doing clever and amusing things. The dynamic between Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes could have gone terribly wrong in the hands of another writer, but King handled it perfectly.
- FREDERICA by Georgette Heyer: I’ve heard so many good things about Georgette Heyer from so many people who share my tastes in books that I don’t know why I put off reading her for so long. I was absolutely delighted by the wit, banter, humor, and rich historical detail of this book. More, please!
- NINE COACHES WAITING by Mary Stewart: I read Mary Stewart’s Arthurian series many many years ago (in fact, so long ago I should probably re-read them as I have forgotten so much) but I had never before tried her suspense-romances. I am so glad I finally did! I am actually still in the middle of this one, but I am loving it. The prose is lovely and lyrical, the characters intriguing, and the sense of place incredible.
Five highlights of my writing year:
- The publication of FORTUNE’S FOLLY, my first novel. Words can’t express what this means. It was truly the fulfillment of a life-long dream.
- Seeing the cover of my second book, THE MAGICAL MISADVENTURES OF PRUNELLA BOGTHISTLE. I got thrills! I am so pleased with the alligator, with the running, with the creepy swamp and firefly lights. I love it!
- Finishing my submission draft of my third book CIRCUS GALACTICUS. This was by far the most fun book I’ve ever written, the one that has stayed with me, haunting my brain, and the one I’m most proud of. This is the first time that writing a book was a bigger thrill for me than selling it.
- Sharing my debut year with the rest of the 2009 Debs. It is not an exaggeration to say that I would have gone off the deep end without them. The debs have brought me laughter, comfort, and much-valued friendship.
- My very first library visit, where I got to meet strangers who had read my book, and discovered that I actually kind of enjoy speaking in public and doing presentations.
Five entertainment discoveries:
- Big Bang Theory: A show about science geeks who love gaming, comic books, and takeout food, and who are all hilariously funny.
- Project Runway: My husband and I got addicted to this near the end of the year and have now watched seasons two through five. I generally don’t get into “reality tv” but I absolutely love this show, and not just for Tim Gunn. It’s fascinating to watch the challenges themselves, but I think my favorite part is seeing creative people striving to achieve their dreams. And it’s pretty nifty to see how many parallels you can draw between fashion and writing.
- Last.fm: I have actually used this website in the past, but this year I actually took advantage of more of the customizable radio station options to find new music. My greatest success was in finding a host of moody, atmospheric world-music groups to listen to when I’ve exhausted my Dead Can Dance collection. Some of my favorites: Irfan, Stellamara, and Azam Ali.
- Blaqk Audio: Discovered via Maggie Stiefvater. I listened to Semiotic Love over and over again while dreaming about CIRCUS. It reminds me of the Depeche Mode I loved in high school.
- Lady GaGa: Every single one of her songs that I’ve heard has ended up stuck in my head on repeat for about a week. But aside from the catchy beat, I love her over-the-top stage presence, her gutsy attitude, her willingness to go out there and wear a dress made of muppets or a ginormous freaky hairdo. And she really can sing. Go listen to the live performance on the Ellen show and you’ll see. Another big inspiration for CIRCUS.
Five favorite new foods:
- Hot chocolate at Florian’s in Venice
- Ricotta Brown Sugar gelato from The Gelato Fiasco
- The Special Raman from Ippudo in NYC
- Chocolate-filled Cornetto from Scudieri’s in Florence
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts. Cut in half, daub with olive oil, and roast until crisp and brown. My favorite vegetable of the year!
Five Moments of Pure Happiness:
- Stepping out of the train station and seeing Venice for the first time
- Listening to the chants at San Antimo Abbey in Tuscany
- Biking to work along the Kennebec under a brilliant blue sky
- Seeing Charlie racing around joyfully at the off-leash park
- Sitting cozily upstairs drinking tea and reading in our newly painted library, watching the sun highlight the books on the shelves and the bright purple walls.
All-in-all an excellent year!
When you're standing on the surface of this tiny delicate planet, that's ALL THERE IS, everything that ever was, is or will be... and then you put it into context... and WOW...
Tina McEvoy, Assistant Director for Lawrence Library in Pepperell, MA sent this entry to our contest! She says:
I am reading THE GEEK GIRL'S GUIDE TO CHEERLEADING (by Charity Tahmaseb and Darcy Vance) because in 9th grade, way back in the 80s, I *was* a geek cheerleader (even wore my glasses while cheering!)
Are you a library professional? There's only ONE DAY LEFT to enter to win 46 brand new YA & MG novels for YOUR collection! See this entry for details.
...and the end of the decade...
...and I tried to put a glance-backwards-to-help-me-understand-w
Happy New Year, everyone.
...and I tried to put a glance-backwards-to-help-me-understand-w
Happy New Year, everyone.
Lesley McGill, Children's and Youth Services Coordinator for Orangeville Public Library in Orangeville, Ontario sent this photo of herself in their brand new teen section. She's posing with Sarah Rees Brennan's THE DEMON'S LEXICON, which will have a sequel in June 2010 in THE DEMON'S COVENANT!
Are you a library professional? There's only ONE DAY LEFT to enter to win 46 brand new YA & MG novels for YOUR collection! See this entry for details.
Profile
- cynleitichsmith
- cynleitichsmith
- Cynthia Leitich Smith Official Web Site
Page Summary
- deborahb : Via Twitter [+0]
- annastan : What's In Store For 2010? [+0]
- dawtheminstrel : Blog tour guest, Jill Miles, with her new book [+1]
- jamarattigan : thursday and friday feast: auld lang syne [+0]
- cynthialord : Finishing up 2009 [+0]
- edgyauthor : 2010 Is Tomorrow? What?! [+0]
- susanwrites : 31 Blogs You Might Not Know - Jo Knowles [+0]
- lisayee : By and Bye 2009!!! [+1]
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif)
coolteenbooks :: cindysku : Favorite books of 2009 [+1] - kbaccellia : Guilty Pleasure [+0]
- m_stiefvater : 2010: These Are The Things I Will Do To You [+19]
- slayground : A Lost One [+0]
- patesden : 2010 Goals: not so much for the year as for the month [+0]
- rowena_eureka : October & November 2009: In Brief [+2]
- slayground : Hello there! [+2]
- devarae : Five Fives of 2009 [+1]
- anghara : Happy trails amongst the stars... [+0]
- debut2009 :: anywherebeyond : Debut Library Entry: Lawrence Library [+0]
- anghara : 'Tis the end of the year... [+0]
- debut2009 :: anywherebeyond : Debut Library Entry: Orangeville Public Library [+0]