Teen Writers Bloc

Can’t wait for September for new episodes of The Vampire Diaries or the arrival of the highly-anticipated new series The Secret Circle? Well, you’re in luck! On Tuesday June 14, the new TV series The Nine Lives of Chloe King premieres on ABC Family.

Based on the YA book trilogy by Celia Thomson, Nine Lives is about Chloe (Skyler Samuels), a seemingly average girl looking forward to her upcoming 16^th birthday. But it’s not long before Chloe realizes she’s actually anything but normal—she possesses supernatural powers. She has ultra-hearing, amazing speed, and a knack for climbing objects using her claws—yes, as the not-so-subtle title suggests, Chloe has the powers of a cat. She learns she is part of a mystical race of people which, after being hunted by humans for thousands of years, is on the brink of extinction. Chloe herself is being pursued by an ominous figure, and she must quickly learn to protect herself and her people—all the while balancing love and high school.

If you haven’t yet read the books, don’t worry, there’s still time to pick up The Fallen, The Stolen, and The Chosen before the series premiere!

Image courtesy of ABC Family.

Popularity: 19%

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending the This is Teen Live event in New York City, featuring the amazing YA authors Libba Bray, Meg Cabot and Maggie Stiefvater. I also had the distinct pleasure of taking several of the students from the school where I am a librarian to meet the authors. These students are readers — they are required to finish at least 50 books a year, and many of them have doubled that — and to them meeting the authors whose names adorn the books in their library was akin to meeting movie stars.

The event was very successful. The Scholastic Store was full to the brim with avid teen and adult readers. The authors were entertaining and honest in their answers and the Q and A was brief and to-the-point.

The highlight of the experience for me was when one of our students was called on to ask a question, not merely because it was fun to see him with a microphone in front of these authors, but because of their honest and powerful answers. He asked, “What do you hope teens will learn from your books?”

Libba Bray, author of the newly published Beauty Queens and many other books for young adults, fielded this question first with an answer that I thought was truly inspire. In short, she said: “Whatever they want.” She pointed out that she is writing to tell a story, not to teach teens about the world. She wants all of her readers — teens and adults alike — to feel that they own the book at the end.

I was so blown away but the honesty and respect in her answer that I was unsure if the other two panelists could possibly have anything to add. But they did.

Meg Cabot said she agreed fully with Ms. Bray, but with the one caveat that she wants her readers to understand they aren’t alone. She wants her readers to recognize the truth behind the emotions in her fiction and realize that other people have been though the same trials they go through. For example, in her new book, Abandon, the main character dates someone her mother does not like — the God of the Underworld.

While Ms. Cabot — and presumably all of her readers — have never faced the trial of dating someone literally out of Hades, the emotions there are ones to which almost all humanity can relate. But Ms. Cabot also pointed out that writing for adults, young adults, or middle-grade children — all of which she has done in her long career — is essentially the same thing.

Finally, Maggie Stiefvater reminded us that reading is a form of entertainment. The message she has been putting subliminally on each page is simple — “buy the next book.” And, it’s working. That’s why so many people will be flocking to book stores the minute Forever hits shelves in July.

I was thrilled that the young readers who attended this event with me were able to hear such honesty from the authors of the books they devour. They were spoken to like people instead of like little people. After meeting the three authors and getting signed copies of the books for our library, all of them were leaving feeling special and respected. And, of course, looking forward to the next This is Teen Live event!

Popularity: 27%

Melody did not kill her goldfish.

When the goldfish jumped out of its cage, Melody tried to scream to get her mother’s attention. When the fish’s flopping body slowed toward a stop and Melody’s mother still hadn’t appeared, Melody wheeled herself over to the fishbowl and knocked it over to at least wet her pet’s gills keeping him alive for another instant in case help showed up. But when Melody’s mother finally came in the room, saw the overturned fishbowl and Melody’s fresh tears she thought Melody had knocked the pet out of the bowl and killed it on purpose.

Melody’s mother clucked with disappointment as she flushed the toilet, and still Melody didn’t explain.

Why not? Because Melody can’t. Although she has a brain ripe with trivia and photographic memories, Melody has such limiting CP she cannot walk, hold a pencil, or express herself verbally.

I picked up Sharon Draper’s Out of My Mind because the idea of being trapped in your own brain has always been terrifying to me. I love to write about the physical body of my characters but the thought of taking on a character who is so limited by disease that she cannot move independently or express herself is so daunting that I just had to see how Draper did it.

Out of My Mind is a fascinating look at the power of language and how even it can be trumped by the power of a truly great human spirit. Melody, Draper’s main character and narrator, is a hero. The odds are stacked against her from the start and continue to pile throughout the book, yet she manages to change her circumstances by knowing how and when to accept the help of her greatest resources—the well-rounded characters of her parents, neighbor, aide, and baby sister.

The book is not without its issues—it slogs through a good chunk of backstory before the plot gets rolling and the characters that act as obstacles to Melody are largely one-dimensional. However, Draper manages to truly chapter the unbeatable spirit of a ten-year-old who will let nothing, not even her own body, hold her back.

Popularity: 100%

Just around this time last year, I attended the new student meet-n-greet for the MFA program in creative writing at the New School. It was sort of thrilling — the idea of going to graduate school was still just percolating in my head — and sort of intimidating. My daughter Kavya was just barely two months old at the time, and the thought of making that kind of commitment seemed, well, insane. I mean, what kind of new, first-time mom decides to get an MFA? I guess I do.

And looking back, one year later, I’m glad I did.

Like all my ambitions, my goals for my first year in the MFA program were lofty. I wanted to finish a book. Not a crazy idea, given that others in my class have done just that. But for me, it was pretty impossible, between working fulltime, doing school fulltime and doing the mommy thing full time to boot. A lot of the time, I found myself questioning whether I’d done the right thing. After all, graduate school is a huge commitment, time-wise, money-wise, and when you get down to it, emotionally as well. Writing, even when you think you’re working on fluff, often cuts down to the bone. But I plowed through it — and it was invigorating, exciting, exhausting.

And so,  come May 11, as our final class wrapped, I hadn’t finished my novel. But I was more than 100 pages in — and the book had so many more layers, so much more depth than I’d ever expected it to. The feedback from my peers was often astounding. They saw things in it that I’d never known were there, though I like to claim that I’d planted them all along. As I continue to plow through, I’m realizing that, thanks to their notes, this will be a much stronger book. And that, while it may not be a finished project, is a huge thing to have accomplished in this first year.

Still, for me, it’s never enough. I’m working hard to plow through the second half of this book this summer — because it ain’t over till the fall semester begins. Or something like that. That’s right, you can hold me to that.

And I’m not so behind. I’ve even been thinking ahead, plotting and planning not one but two possible thesis projects and even lining up an awesome advisor for second year, one I was hoping to get the chance to work with in my time at the New School.

In the meantime, I’m really thankful to have a few dedicated classmates who have volunteered (along with my darling, ass-kicking husband) to keep me motivated with regular deadlines and workshopping this summer. And if that ain’t worth the cost of tuition, I don’t know what is.

Photo: Inkygirl.com

Popularity: 13%

In a too-close-for-comfort future, New York City is under the spell of a depression. The subways exemplify the bleakness of the new world—they’re filthy and unreliable, but the people, lost in their smartphones, don’t seem to notice. They ignore the intrusive spyglasses of the transit police as if their privacy had never mattered. This is the world Jesse Karp drops us into with his debut novel, Those That Wake (Harcourt Children’s Books, March 2011).

The novel follows two very different teenagers as they face crises that pull them into a confrontation with the force that is tearing society down. Mal, the son of a famous fighter, struggles in foster care, battered and bruised from his many fights. Laura, a high achiever from the suburbs, only wants an internship that will set her on the path to an elite school. But Mal’s brother disappears under mysterious circumstances, and Laura faces an existential crisis that no one could be prepared for—her parents have suddenly forgotten her. This all sounds like it could be the set up for an opposites-attract, against-all-odds action-romance, but what I love about this book is that it’s truly a novel of ideas. That’s not to say that the novel lacks in characterization. On the contrary, Karp infuses the characters with heart-wrenchingly real emotions, which I appreciate all the more because Karp doesn’t overdo it with internal monologues or jerk you for tears. Instead, he lets his characters exist in the world he’s created, which is bleak enough without making the characters rehash it.

One could read our society’s obsession with technology two ways—as a great way to keep us connected and enrich our lives, or as a way to escape from our lives and abdicate our responsibility to change. Karp clearly takes the second view in Those That Wake. Technology isn’t the Big Bad here—the real villain is a fascinating idea that I wouldn’t want to spoil for you—but Karp uses technological escapism as a symbol for all that’s wrong. Using this and other markers, he does a great job of infusing his high-concept ideas with concrete atmosphere.

Too many YA books these days stick to a simple setting and shy away from complex ideas. I was delighted to discover this thought-provoking novel in which the teen characters sensibly spend more time solving their big problem than obsessing over romance. If you love it when your entertainment exercises your gray matter, you’ll enjoy this book as much as I did.

Cover Image: Courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Popularity: 16%

I wrote a book.

This time last year I was gearing up for some tearful goodbyes in Chicago and completely terrified of the many ways my life was about to change. I didn’t know where I would live, what I would do for work, or much of anything about my life. I just knew one thing: I was going to try to be a writer. And I was terrified it wouldn’t be worth it.

But I wrote a book.

Before I met my classmates, who are encouraging, determined, and truly inspiring, I was afraid to want to be a writer as badly as I do. Before this year, my mind was filled with doubts every time I faced a blank page. There’s no doubt that taking this step, surrounding myself with writers, and being open to feedback was worth it.

I did what I always wanted to do. I wrote a book.

I did some other stuff too. I read countless books for teenagers and studied the industry. I wrote my critical thesis. I learned to distinguish the shape of a novel from the shape of a short story. I got fantastic feedback from my classmates and revised and revised and revised. I gave feedback on the projects of my classmates that I am sure I will see on the shelves. I landed a great agent and shaped my manuscript so it would be ready for submission to publishers.

In the end, I know this year was worth it because I wrote a book.

It’s still not enough. It’s not enough because the book hasn’t been picked up, because it takes writing more than one book to actually be a writer, because the point is to get better with every word you write.

And it’s still hard to keep the negative thoughts out of my brain when I face a blank page. It’s still hard to imagine this dream of mine actually coming true.

But with this book, I’m one step closer.

Photo by Joe Lanman

Popularity: 14%

“Life was hard. But a pouf? That should be easy.” This is the first line of Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi’s first foray into literature, A Shore Thing. If you can get past the obvious tense shift and make it to the next sentence, it doesn’t get any better, either. The novel is about — well, I don’t really know because one page into reading it at my local Barnes and Noble, I nearly passed out from losing so many vital brain cells.

Ok, I get it. Every celebrity is now a “writer,” right? Paris Hilton, Miley Cyrus, James Franco, Snooki and her delinquent band of alcohol-soaked rejects. Ok, so James Franco went to Columbia and NYU, but that still doesn’t mean he got published just from his talent alone. I read one of his short stories, and it read like a pretentious NYU student’s — full of pretentious pretentiousness. Light bulb time for Mr. Franco: write under a pen name and then submit your work to agents. End rant. (On James Franco, at least.)

Almost every celebrity now-a-days has a book out or a book deal in the works. Maybe it’s because celebrities simply can’t get by on just their craft — they have to be a brand. Musicians can’t just sell records anymore (thank you, piracy), so they need perfumes and colognes and their own line of skin products and shoes. So why not write a book? How hard can it be, right? I mean, especially for those writing for children or young adults. Hilary Duff and Lauren Conrad, like, totally did it! And now, Perez Hilton is coming out with a children’s book. Then again, his skills as an author are unparalleled! Look out, Hemmingway, Hilton is coming to getcha! Here’s a Lady Gaga-inspired summary from Amazon on Perez’s new book (kudos on the originality, Perez): “He was born that way — The Boy with Pink Hair. He had a cotton candy colored mop that no one had ever seen before … Life is not easy being pink. Adults stare at you, little children giggle behind your … back and some kids are just mean. But when you have a best friend who appreciates your uniqueness and parents who are loving and supportive, you can do just about anything.” Ok, fine, his book is promoting equality and all that jazz, but I just don’t care. Maybe if I create a website where I post self-indulgent boo-hockey about myself, cry on video like a little bizznatch, tear down talented celebrities day after day, and WrIte LiiKe ThiS LOLZ AMAZEBALLZ! I too can catch the eye of a publishing house.

Is this what it’s come down to now? Is this what publishing houses are looking for? A brand to sell their books? I’m sick and tired of seeing these “celebrity” hacks getting book deals simply because of their names. What happened to giving up-and-comers a chance to show their talent to the world? If JD Salinger wrote Catcher in the Rye in 2011, would it get a second look by publishers if he hadn’t been in the latest blockbuster film or appeared on celebrity rehab? Have publishing houses lost faith in the unknown? Is it all about instant profit in a world of instant gratification? I’m asking these questions because every other week a celebrity releases a new book, and I’m not any closer to getting published. Then again, would a publishing house really be more willing to publish me, an unknown, over someone like Lindsay Lohan? Probably not. Which just means I have to set myself apart. I have to prove myself better than a celebrity, because, well, life is hard. Right, Snooki?

Photo Credit: Amazon.com, Celebra Books

Popularity: 28%

On Saturday afternoon I went with fellow Teen Writers Bloc member, Sona Charaipotra, to Books of Wonder for the “Diversity in YA” blog tour. Authors Jacqueline Woodson, Cindy Pon, Malinda Lo, Neesha Meminger, Matt de la Pena, Kekla Magoon, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich joined editor Cheryl Klein in a discussion about diversity and diverse book titles in the Young Adult market. I was very excited to be in the same room with people who have influenced my own writing and made me desire to become a successful children’s book author.

Question: Why do you write for teens?

Neesha Meminger, author of Shine, Coconut Moon and Jazz in Love, said when she first started writing she wrote a large, multi-generational tome because she thought that’s what South Asians wrote about. Then she sent it around to agents and received some rejections, but one woman pointed out that her favorite part of the book was the teen character, so she decided to write it as a teen book and found her place in the teen world.

Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, author of Eighth Grade SuperZero, said she always knew she wanted to write for children and teens because she was working with children in various roles, and wanted to write about transformation and change and what better way to write about it than for kids.

Jacqueline Woodson, author of over 40 books for young people such as Feathers, believes that she writes books from the age she’s stuck in, where she’s trying to work things out.

Question: Do you identify strictly as an African-American, Latino American, Asian-American, LGBTQ etc…? Do you feel like you have to “represent” the group?

Malinda Lo, author of Ash and Huntress, admits to resisting labels as a young person. “I’m American,” she said to the many people who asked where she was from. She hated that question growing up because it insinuated that an Asian face didn’t mean she was born and raised in America. As she aged, she wanted to be just a writer without any qualifiers, but then she started realizing the power of qualifiers, and being out in the world as an “Asian writer”, “lesbian writer”, “feminist writer” etc, gave her a sense of power.

Neesha Meminger doesn’t feel like she has to represent her identity, but writes about a particular experience that happens to fall within a certain ethnic or racial group. She writes from this experience and vantage point because she desperately needed to see her experience as a South Asian on the page, so she writes them. She said she is, “Writing herself into existence.”

Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich said she was a black author who liked cheese, and she represents all the things she loves. She wanted to write about the varied and diverse experiences of people of color, and for her it is all about the character.

Kekla Magoon, author of The Rock and the River and Camo Girl, said she finds it important to write about African-American and black kids and to have their faces on the book covers for kids looking to read something with characters in it that look like them. Writing about the brown/black experience is more than just about skin color, and as a multiracial person it is the line she stands on.

Jacqueline Woodson said she writes from her vantage point as a black person and a queer person because it comes from the sense of trying to legitimize ourselves on this planet through writing. She wants to bring to the page what has been historically invisible. She starts with the “otherness” of the character and then gets to the humanity of the character and their human experience.

Cheryl Klein said something powerful that she’d read: “Kids need windows and mirrors. Windows into other experiences and mirrors to reflect back their own experiences.”

Question: What challenges and pleasures have you faced in publishing diverse characters?

Cindy Pon disliked the preconceived notions she encountered about fantasy with Asian characters in it. And that her books needed kung fu and things of that sort. Or that her books would only interest an Asian American audience.

Neesha Meminger spoke about the disconnect between the “business” of publishing and the art of writing. She reflected on the many polite rejections she received that said, “Great book but no market for it.” She knew there were kids out there that wanted and needed to read her stories. And it reinforced that she believed there was a huge fissure between creativity and commerce, and how many publishing houses are afraid of risks.

Malinda Lo lamented that she’s had an overwhelmingly positive experience publishing her lesbian retelling of Cinderella Ash, and feels like the exception to the rule.

Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich said the most disappointing thing she’s experienced is overhearing parents discuss her book. She told a story of how she would be at book fairs and book expos and kids would pick up her book Eighth Grade SuperZero, and ask their parents to buy it. The parent would scan the paragraph on the back and reach the word “Jamaician” and say something to the effect of, “This book isn’t for us.” She wrote this book for kids just like her and those not like her, and thus the parents’ reaction was disheartening. She finds that kids are grateful to read about themselves, as well as others.

Kekla Magoon says kids are way more open-minded about diversity than adults. And most of the problem seems to be the “gatekeepers” of children’s literature: librarians, teachers, publishers, and parents.

Matt de la Pena, author of I Will Save You, Mexican White Boy and others, reiterated that the business of writing and the art form of writing are so separate. He doesn’t want to be the “Hispanic” author to fulfill some sort of quota, and feels like his books are about being biracial and “not being Mexican enough”. Most times he feels like a sell-out.

Question: What advice do you have for aspiring authors?

Malindo Lo: “Write whatever you want to write and make it as gay as you want to. Tell your stories the way you want to tell them.”

Kekla Magoon: “Believe in your voice. You’re going to get a lot of feedback, criticism, and input on plot, characters and structure, but cling to that unchangeable essence of your voice.”

Jacqueline Woodson: “Just write all the time. Don’t be afraid of what you’re writing. And surround yourself with people who “get” it . Sit on the ‘stoop’ with other writers.”

Thanks to Cheryl Klein and the Diversity in YA group of authors for their creative works and great answers. However, I will say that I was disappointed in the preparations taken by Books of Wonder for their tour stop. There were only 13 chairs for audience members, leaving a huge gap in the back of the store. People had to sit on the floor or were unable to hear. I have attended lots of events at this bookstore and have seen the entire back area filled with chairs and ready for other events. It is just a shame that the attention to detail and presentation reflected at other events wasn’t mirrored during this particular event. I couldn’t stop shaking my head, because of course, an event featuring writers of color wouldn’t look like the other events I’ve attended at the same store. Epicfail Books of Wonder. Shame on you!

Popularity: 23%

It was the beginning of April — two weeks before I was set to leave for the west coast — when I found out I had gotten into The New School’s Writing for Children program. Up until that point, I figured my career as a writer would be nothing more than a pipe dream. In fact, I was filled with so much unrest and so pressed for change that I decided to book myself a trip. Two weeks in Las Vegas and Arizona, ten days in Washington State, and a little over two weeks in California, where I would be looking for a job and possibly a place to live. All that changed when I received my congratulatory letter. I had been preparing for a new life, and suddenly I was redirected back to New York.

When I started school in the fall, I was overwhelmed with excitement. I had just finished writing my first young adult novel that had interest from a few agents — but was ultimately turned down because, plain and simple, it sucked — and was eager to start reworking it. I had decided that the perspective (third person present) was completely off, so I wanted to toy around with first person and multiple perspectives. A few submissions in, my classmates grew agitated with reading the same thing in different perspectives. Still, I learned a lot about perspective and rewriting that first semester. If nothing else, it taught me to try every available avenue before retiring a piece.

That spring, my soul was beaten to a bloody pulp by my workshop professor. I had just started working on something new, something that I’d been itching to write since 2006 (subsequently, it’s what turned into my thesis), and the professor just hated it. Perhaps it was a subject matter he didn’t understand. Maybe it was because those first few drafts of the first three chapters I wrote that semester were terrible — I’ll vouch for that fact. But still, my spirit was nearly broken. I even started to ask myself: do professors expect perfection from rough first drafts? During that semester, I learned to write in spite of others, to continue on because it was important to me.

The start of my second year was really my jumping point. My workshop professor inspired me week to week and allowed me to really see my strengths as a writer; the workshops got more positively constructive, and my writing really flourished. Until it was time to pick thesis semester peer groups. That’s where it got a little fuzzy for me. Politically speaking, it was a mess. Peer groups are required to keep us on track and writing, editing and critiquing in the same style as our workshops. It’s supposed to aid our writing. We had to e-mail our professor and tell her who we wanted to work with and who we didn’t and she’d create the roster from there. Personally, I didn’t care who I worked with. I wanted to stay together as a group. I guess nobody else felt that way, because the groups were unfairly split and I ended up with the short end of the stick. At least I had gotten a great thesis advisor I hoped would further my writing. Still, I couldn’t help but feel slighted.

I guess this brings me to the thesis semester, the one all MFA students look forward to the most. It’s the time where you get to focus solely on your writing. You set your own goals and your own schedule, and you control your own output. I was working with an editor from a legit publishing house, so I had already set my own personal expectations high. Everything started out well enough, but within a month, my peer group had crumbled apart, leaving me to my own devices and with not one extra set of eyes to look at my writing. Ultimately, my advisor was so exceptional that most of the time I didn’t notice my lack of a peer group, and my thesis ended up better than I could ever have imagined it. I’m incredibly proud of the writing I produced these last couple of months, and it taught me that no matter what obstacles come in my way, that as long as I keep on writing, I’ll make it through. I just have to continue believing in myself.

Overall, my experience was a mixed one. I learned a lot about myself and about my writing habits, and I’ve definitely improved my craft and learned how to rely on my strengths. However, I did expect more out of it. I always thought that I’d leave the New School with a great writing group that I’d continue to write with for a solid amount of time afterwards. That didn’t happen. I thought I’d have made a good friend or two, but the truth is I’ve never felt more alone when I’m with my fellow classmates, like I’m on the outside of something great that they forged during their thesis semester together. And I guess I expected a solid path to appear in front of me when I was done, but I’m more lost now then when I started.

Do I think I’ll eventually publish? Yes. I have to believe that. I have to believe in myself. If there’s one thing the New School taught me, it’s that I have the power to overcome. Getting published is a one in a million chance, just like getting into an exclusive MFA program.

Where am I headed? I don’t know. But I’ll write until I get there.

Popularity: 19%

If you think breaking into book publishing is hard, you should try screenwriting. And actually, writers Andrew Jacobson and Adam Jay Epstein, authors of the new middle grade series The Familiars, did just that. The pair hit Hollywood nearly a decade ago and made a name for themselves with comedy films like Not Another Teen Movie. But when they first came with the concept for The Familiars, they saw it as a book — first, at least. The film version is due to hit theaters in 2014. In the meantime, we caught up with the L.A.-based pals to talk collaborations, concepting and the best writing advice they ever got (or gave). Plus, we got the inside scoop on their new literary development company, Endcap Entertainment, and how you can submit!

What were you guys doing before you “officially” became writers?

Adam: I grew up in Great Neck, NY and attended Wesleyan University in Middletown CT. Although I always loved writing and stories, I didn’t realize that it was a career I would pursue until my junior year in college. After moving to Los Angeles, I temped and had day jobs while writing in my free time. As a kid, I would make up stories in my head and now I enjoy being able to share them with children and adults everywhere.

Andrew: I grew up in Wisconsin and moved to Los Angeles to write about ten years ago. I met Adam in a parking garage and we started writing together. I worked briefly as an assistant at a Hollywood talent agency while writing with Adam in the evenings at coffee shops (oft times closing the place down). I always loved playing with action figures as a kid and coming up with elaborate stories for them. Writing became an extension of that and now I am fortunate enough to do it full time.

Can you give us a quick synopsis of The Familiars? How did you come up with the concept for the series?

Andrew and Adam: The Familiars is our debut novel. It was published by Harper Collins Childrens and released last September. Book two in the series, The Familiars: Secrets of the Crown, will be released on September 6th, 2011. Back in 2008, when we hatched the idea for The Familiars, it all started with Adam asking Andrew, “Do you know what a familiar is?” Andrew said he didn’t. Adam explained, “A familiar is the animal companion to a witch or wizard, like Hedwig in Harry Potter.” Andrew immediately took to the idea. We loved that familiars were always in the background, doing very little. What if we told a story where the familiars were front and center? And they were the ones going on the adventure.

Adam’s simple question quickly led to the creation of Vastia and all the magical animals inhabiting it. Our three main characters are an orphan alley cat named Aldwyn, who is mistaken for being a young boy wizard’s familiar; Skylar, a know-it-all blue jay with the ability to cast magical illusions; and Gilbert, a bumbling tree frog who can see visions of the past, present, and future in puddles of water… sometimes. We didn’t have to look very far for our inspiration for Aldwyn. In fact, he was right in Adam’s backyard. There was a stray black-and-white alley cat named Ben, missing a chunk of his left ear, who visited there every day. The rest seemed to just flow effortlessly. The Familiars is targeted at middle readers, ages 8 to 12, but we really believe it will appeal to anyone who loves animals, magic, or fantasy. It takes inspiration from Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings and hopefully puts its own unique spin on the classic hero’s journey.

Can you talk a bit about your process, from conception to publication, especially doing series and working with a partner?

Andrew and Adam: One of the unique things about this book is that we co-authored it. The two of us literally sat in the same room for months and months (we pretty much put in banker’s hours, 9 to 5, Monday through Friday) writing every word, sentence, and paragraph together. Andrew is the typist (because he’s frankly a much faster typer), while Adam sits beside him, or across from him in a nice, comfy chair, or sometimes paces around. After our initial conversation about the idea, we loosely outlined the first few chapters and just dove in. Then after writing about 45 pages, we meticulously plotted out the rest of the story. Of course we discovered many details along the way, but we had a basic sense of the major plot points and where the first book would end. Neither one of us were English majors in college or had any book writing experience previously, but we’ve both read a lot, watched a lot, and lived inside our imaginations since we were little kids.

What has your path to publication been like? What’s been the most surprising part of the writing/publishing process for you?

Andrew and Adam: We began writing screenplays together just out of college. Our first script sale would become the 2001 Sony film, Not Another Teen Movie. That led to years of steady film and television writing, on various features and the MTV Movie Awards (working with comedians ranging from Jimmy Fallon to Jack Black to Andy Samberg). Then, in 2008, we decided to write our first novel, The Familiars. It was picked up by Harper Collins in May of 2009, and optioned for film soon after. The journey from writing teen comedies to middle grade fantasy fiction has been quite a ride!

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever gotten? What advice would you yourself give aspiring authors?

Andrew: Best advice I’ve ever gotten: Butt plus chair. Advice I’d give aspiring authors: Butt plus chair.

What was your favorite book when you were a kid/teenager? What are you reading now?

Adam: I loved the Xanth series by Piers Anthony. That was the equivalent of middle grade fantasy when I was little. Now I am reading Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, which is just great.

What’s next for you writing-wise (and otherwise!)?

Andrew and Adam: We have recently completed book two of The Familiars, which will be out in September of 2011. And we have been concurrently adapting the screenplay for the 3D animated film, due in theaters in 2014!

Do you believe in being part of a “bloc” of writers? Are critique groups and writing communities helpful to you?

Andrew and Adam: What is great about having a writing partner is that we have a permanent “bloc.” We are always there to help each other with advice and criticism. The constant encouragement is extremely needed in this tough creative business. So… yes. For writers without a partner… a bloc is critical. In fact, we are starting a literary development company to give new writers that protection and help that we get everyday.

Can you tell us a bit about the literary development company? What made you guys decide to start it? What are you guys looking for?

We started Endcap Entertainment to give writers something we never had when we started ten years ago: a creative mentor and support system. Trying to get access to the publishing, film, and television world is extremely challenging, and not knowing the needed gatekeepers to break into these industries can keep out talented authors worthy of success. Moreover, when a writer starts out, they often don’t know what is a commercially viable idea; and while it may seem crass to think in those terms, to get published in these franchise/series/transmedia times, having the right idea is crucial to launch yourself.

The way the company works is simple. We are looking for writers with a solid sample under their belt who might benefit from working in a collaborative partnership on a commercial idea that we provide. If we are excited by a writer’s work and they agree to collaborate with us, we will find the best idea suited for that writer and begin an outlining process together. Once that is agreed upon, the writer will take a crack at a few chapters and we will go back and forth until they are ready. Then, with a synopsis for the remaining chapters, we will submit to publishers. In success, we will try to sell the work to ancillary markets such as film and television as well.

We’re looking for authors excited to work in the YA/MG space. Everything from Alex Rider to The DUFF. Samples can be emailed to endcapentertainment@gmail.com.

Photos: HarperCollins; Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson

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