Teen Writers Bloc

I think it’s safe to say that my three favorite female authors writing today are and will probably always be Sarah Dessen, Toni Morrison, and J.K. Rowling. Many of my previous posts discuss Ms. Dessen and her amazing body of work, her ability to create realistic characters and put them seamlessly into relatable conflict during their ‘teen years.’ I’ve also posted about Ms. Morrison before. She is extremely talented and has the ability to write clean and powerful prose while weaving themes and tropes intricately into her novels without being too overbearing, but still drawing the reader into the tale she has crafted. The Bluest Eye had an enormous impact on my life, as did Beloved and Song of Solomon. They are haunting texts for sure, but as an aspiring author I often dove into them curious about how she was able to write such focused, detailed and purposeful narratives.

That said, I probably haven’t mentioned Ms. Rowling before, because most likely I figured there was no need. I think everyone can understand the enormous impact she and those following in her footsteps (Hunger Games, Matched, and other series-laden franchises, anyone?) have had on the literary world. She is probably the most successful author on the planet, except for maybe James Patterson, Stephen King and Toni Morrison, and that’s a big maybe. And the most inspiring thing about her is the fact that she believed in her creation, her characters and their story, despite the fact that few others did at the time. She persevered through tons of rejections, just like most writers do, and it ended up paying off for her many times over.

When I mention that I’m getting my MFA in Creative Writing, a lot of people that I respect are encouraging, but there are still those who say it’s foolish to pursue a writing career and that it’s a career where you don’t make any money and one that is completely impractical — as if I didn’t already know or hadn’t heard all of that before. But the longer I’m in this program, the more I realize that the most important thing is to be committed your craft, despite the naysayers (and there are many), and to go after your passion. There may never be another J.K. Rowling, such a groundbreaking phenomenon may never repeat itself, but that isn’t really the point. The point is that every author has to make a commitment to her craft, block out those who tell her no, and run towards what she wants — just to see if maybe, just maybe, it’s possible to make her ambitions a reality.

Book cover image courtesy of Vintage

Popularity: 11%

Back in January, I got my hands on an advanced copy of Starters, the new dystopian YA novel by debut author Lissa Price. And I was intrigued from the very first line: “Enders gave me the creeps.”

The story, in a nutshell, is about Callie, a teenager, or as they’re called in this story, “Starter,” who lives on the streets of Los Angeles with her sickly younger brother. It’s the future, and America has been hit by a biological war which left everyone between the ages of 19 and 80-ish dead. Children who don’t have living grandparents or elderly relatives are considered “unclaimed minors” and are being rounded up by the government to live in unsavory institutions. Callie and her brother have been on the run for about a year, and now that Tyler is getting sicker, she knows she has to do something to get money. But the only “job” available to her is to rent her body out to old people, aka “Enders,” who want the experience of being young again, via some fancy-yet-highly-illegal new technology. The donor is supposed to remain in a coma-like sleep while the renter is out gallivanting with the rental body, but a week into her month-long rental period, Callie wakes up. She hears a voice in her head — the voice of the Ender who has rented her — telling her that her life is in danger. Thus begins a complicated story of many twists and turns, having to do with political corruption and greed and the murder of children.

In the beginning of the galley, there is a note from the editor, Wendy Loggia, Executive Editor at Delacorte Press. In her note to the reader, Ms. Loggia says, “Starters is one of the best first drafts I’ve ever read, and Lissa Price is a tremendous bestselling author in the making.”

Okay, with an endorsement like that, a reader is going to expect a LOT from a book. Doesn’t Loggia know that going into something (a book, a movie, a play, etc.) with low expectations or no expectations at all is far better than going into it with crazy high expectations? If you start out expecting greatness, you will inevitably be let down. She’s setting her readers up for certain disappointment with this letter. And that’s exactly what happened when I read it.

Things I enjoyed about this book: It was definitely a page-turner. I kept thinking about it during the times when I wasn’t reading, wondering what was going to happen next. I also quite enjoyed Price’s writing style. In contrast to other dystopian-type books like Matched and Delirium, the language in Starters is very bare-bones. Not that I don’t have the greatest respect for Ally Condie and Lauren Oliver — I do — but Price’s simple, unflowery, scant-on-metaphor language was absolutely appropriate for the fast-paced, never-a-dull-moment plot of Starters. I also loved that the story takes place in a city that we all know and recognize, one that doesn’t look that much different after a major war than it does today. Most dystopian stories take place in made-up futuristic societies, and Starters turns that dystopian setting blueprint on its ear.

However, there are certain things about Starters that I wish had been different. Without giving too much of the plot away, let’s just say it follows the unassuming-teenage-girl-takes-down-the-establishment-and-saves-the-world formula made famous by The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins pulled it off beautifully, but I don’t quite understand why so many authors today are following her lead. It’s just not all that believable.

There are many other similarities to The Hunger Games as well, such as Callie’s almost super-human accuracy with a deadly weapon and the childhood guy friend versus sexy new boy dilemma.

But my biggest problems with the book are things that I can’t go too far into without giving away the story. Let’s just say that there is at least one major plot hole that I really wish Price’s editor would have caught (hint: it has to do with a will), and the big “twist” at the end was less surprising than completely disturbing and unsettling.

I do think Loggia is right about one thing, though — Starters is destined to be a bestseller. Look for it in bookstores March.

Photo Courtesy Delacorte Press

Popularity: 19%

Hurray for women! And especially hurray for women authors!

In honor of March being Women’s History Month, we at TWB are taking a look at our favorite groundbreaking female authors from history and today. My favorite female author from the past came to me immediately, but choosing just one from the present was a hard one for me. But after weighing all the wonderful merits of today’s female authorial world, I finally reached a decision.

Jess’s Favorite Female Author from History:

Jane Austen! Duh. Not only was the woman a total genius, she managed to write six amazing novels (and publish four while she was still alive) while living in a less-than-ideal time for women who wanted to work outside of the home. And on top of that, she managed to use her stories to somehow get away with making thinly-veiled and oftentimes scathing observations of the society in which she lived.

Jane figured out something long ago that many of us writers are just only starting to realize – in fiction, anything can happen. Though she desperately wanted to fall in love and get married, it never happened for her. So she made certain that her characters would get to live the life she always wanted for herself but could never have. Elizabeth, Emma, Elinor and Marianne, Fanny, Catherine, and Anne all live get their “happily ever after” – even if they do face some obstacles along the way.

Jess’s Favorite Female YA Author Today:

Laurie Halse Anderson! The woman is a genius, ‘nough said. One of the main reasons I love Laurie is that she isn’t afraid of the scary issues. Speak, her first young adult novel, is about a 13-year-old girl who becomes mute after being raped. Wintergirls is about eating disorders and self-mutilation. Catalyst is about incest and death. Twisted is about depression and suicide. Yeah, not exactly light reading, but these stories are so, so important and I commend Laurie for tackling them so beautifully and astutely.

Happy Women’s History Month, everyone!

Popularity: 15%

#DidYouKnow that we live in a world of technology? Everyone has a cell phone – now-a-days the iPhone is like the common cold: everywhere and hard to shake – and with the surge in applications like Twitter and Facebook comes the death of #grammar.

I’ve noticed this when I’m editing papers. When did it become acceptable to write “n” instead of “and,” or “cuz” instead of “because”? When did the use of the semi-colon become so widespread it’s like the plague of essay writing?

It’s commonly referred to as Text Language, as if improper spelling and grammar deserves its own proper name. What used to only be commonplace in instant messaging (you know, back when AIM was an actual form of communication) is now creeping into academic essays and worse – young adult fiction.

Maybe it’s a believability issue, but I think writing in Text Language in a YA book is not an artistic move; it’s just perpetuating the idea that all teens write grammatically incorrect sentences when they text their friends, or update their statuses (or worse, when teens IM each other in books – since IMing is so popular #insertsarcasmhere). Take, for example, my 17-year-old sister, who is a frequent contributor to my Facebook Newsfeed. I’ve had conversations with her multiple times over the last few years where she has expressed her disgust when her friends (or people she knows) text her grammatically incorrect text messages. In her words, “How %@$^&#$*& hard is it to type a complete sentence with punctuation?!”

I just think that those who write young adult novels and employ Text Language are just encouraging today’s youth to continue writing (and text messaging) in grammatically incorrect sentences. If not, I fear the apocalypse. Trees will shrivel up like old, dried-up broccoli. Volcanoes will spew out venom-squirting raccoons that will take up residence in our garbage cans and eat us when we throw out the trash. Stars will collide (and not in the romantic way that songs inaccurately depict – I’m talking Bruce Willis in Armageddon or Tea Leoni in the oft-forgot about Deep Impact). Britney Spears might even cease to exist altogether.

So this is a call to all YA writers: #GrammarSavesLives

Cartoon courtesy of Chris Madden

Popularity: 21%

I had several favorite female authors when I was growing up. One was Ellen Conford, who usually wrote about pre-teens and teens going through problems that were familiar to most of us, such as first love and being bullied, and the unfamiliar, like finding out you’re the long lost princess of a small country. But no matter what the subject was, Conford’s characters always had confidence and a sense of humor.

I read The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin for our seminar class last spring, but I was already familiar with her works. When I was in the sixth grade, I discovered The Westing Game in my local library and I loved how it was a mystery book just for kids. I searched for more works written by Raskin and found similar books like The Tattooed Potato and Other Clues and The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel). These last two also had mystery themes, which appealed to me.

But out of all the female authors whose books I’ve read, Judy Blume is definitely one of the most well known. Her stories, sometimes viewed as controversial, dealt with the pains of growing up. Comparing her books to some of the ones that are available now, the subject matters seem almost tame.

I can’t say I have a favorite female author now, but there are two that have definitely caught my attention. The first is Laurie Halse Anderson. My first experience with her was reading Wintergirls in David Levithan’s seminar class. Wintergirls was well written and Anderson skillfully caught the pain of her main character who was suffering from an eating disorder. I was inspired to read Speak and Catalyst. In each book, Anderson knew how to express the isolation and confusion her narrators felt without overdoing it.

The other author is Libba Bray, who came to David Levithan’s class as part of an author panel to speak to our class. She had a great sense of humor and I hoped that was apparent in her writing as well. It was. Bray had a knack for picking unusual topics for her stories and giving them a twist. Going Bovine had a 16-year-old male narrator who contracts a life-threatening disease and goes on a quest for a cure with an angel, a video-gaming dwarf and a garden gnome for his companions. I thought Bray did an excellent job writing from the point of view of a teenage boy. Beauty Queens is about a group of teenage beauty pageant contestants whose plane crash lands on a deserted island. Bray uses just enough humor to let the situation still feel serious, yet believable when the contestants find ways to use their various pageant skills to survive.

I’m sure there are so many more excellent female authors that I’ve never read. Any recommendations?

Book cover image courtesy of Penguin Group USA

Popularity: 10%

March is Women’s History Month and what better way to celebrate the power of women than in recognizing their accomplishments — both fictional and not — in the field of children’s lit?

After all, we have an wide array of women’s superstars in our industry, from Katniss Everdeen and Hazel Grace Lancaster to JK Rowling and Judy Blume.  And this parade of women marches far back behind the page. The majority of literary agents representing children’s’ authors are women; the majority of editors putting kids lit on the shelves are women; the majority of authors and aspiring authors putting words on the page for teens and young people are women.

When people discuss careers dominated by women, they usually mention eduction, nursing, fashion, etc.  It’s a growing list and it’s wonderful to be able to add the very alive world of children’s publishing to it.

But all of this adds to the mystery of the New York Times Best Sellers List.

I first noticed this a few weeks ago (February 12th to be exact) when I was reading the paper with my dad. He was discussing how the adult’s Best Sellers List tends to be the same authors over and over again, and I posited that that was probably true of the children’s list as well. But that’s not what I noticed when I checked that week’s Book Pages. Instead, I noticed that the list of names was as follows: John, Rick, Random, Brian, Jack, Shel, Rick, Brian. Not one woman’s name on the list!

Because my own short time in this industry has been so dominated by women — eleven of our twelve classmates, four of my six professors, my agent, my editor, and all of the other agents and editors I spoke with are women — this seemed strange. But I figured it was just a current trent. Probably just a fluke.

So I crunched the numbers. I listed every author on the Best Sellers List over a year’s time, but I excluded the non-fiction titles (i.e. The Lego Handbook), which don’t seem to belong on this same list as The Fault in Our Stars or The Red Pyramid anyway. Here’s what I found:

*41 weeks of the year, there were more men than women on the list

*8 weeks of the year, there were more women than men on the list

*4 weeks of the year, the list was evenly split between the genders

*6.2 was the average number of men on the list

*2.88 was the average number of women on the list

*4 weeks of the year, the list was topped by a woman

*48 weeks of the year, the list was topped by a man

I have to admit, this shocked me. What’s going on? Obviously, it feels like we should be aiming for a 50/50 split, which we’re far from.  But considering the majority of qualified authors are women to begin with, it seems like the data should swing in the other direction. How is this possible? Why would this be?

I have been trying to fill in the reasons ever since, but I haven’t gotten very far.

Perhaps there is a gender-based reason for this. Perhaps men are simply better at publicizing themselves and pushing their ideas toward the big money. Perhaps men tend to be more focused on reaching a broad audience or perhaps they are more likely to define success through becoming a Best Seller. Perhaps the fact that there are fewer men out there to push means that more people rally behind them.

Or maybe the reasons are more benign. Maybe it’s simply the old lore that girls will read about anyone, but boys prefer to read about boys, so men automatically end up with double the audience. (Although in my time teaching for boys, this proved to be entirely untrue.)

Or maybe it’s even simpler than this. Maybe it’s just that the recent super-stars are Rick Riordan and Brian Selznick, so there are men who often appear on the list multiple times in the same week. And maybe these numbers would look completely different in a year when the rage was Twilight or The Hunger Games. 

But no matter the reason, it seems a mystery worth exploring during Women’s History Month.

Photo Credit: croniclebooks.com

Popularity: 23%

My grandmother used to work at a library as a book mender, and she would always bring me home the most beautiful old copies of books that she’d saved from the destruction of time, and age, and old binding glue. One of these books was a battered copy of Little Women.

I loved that book so much I refused to read the last page, so that it never actually ended. In fact, I still have not read that page, though I probably would now — but I’d want to read it from that particular copy, which is packed up somewhere in my parents’ attic. Louisa May Alcott’s story of the four March sisters allowed me to imagine what it might be like to have sisters. Marmee was like a second mother. I wanted so badly to have Jo’s courage, though it was Beth who was my favorite — I cried like a baby when she died. I’m even named after Amy, because my mother studied art and loved drawing. Louisa May Alcott created a world I so badly wanted to live in, a world of proposals and petticoats, but also of the strength of family, and the belief that nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it. She was an incredible woman for her time, and she wrote incredible female characters — Jo March was the first living, breathing juvenile heroine to act from her own convictions and individuality, rather than the stereotypical young woman depicted at that time. And even though her world was nothing like mine, I could relate to the struggles of growing up and trying to figure out who you are.

Now, other worlds have enticed me — worlds of magic and strange creatures, of battles between good and evil. And these worlds were predominately written by men, until J.K. Rowling came along. Not only did she bring fantasy to a broader spectrum of readers than the genre ever reached before, but she opened the door to female fantasy writers everywhere, allowing them to join what used to be a pretty exclusive all-boys club. Because of her, women no longer have to use their initials to write fantasy for fear no one would by a “boys” book written by a woman. She was certainly an inspiration to me.

It took me so long to discover this path my life has taken, to realize that in writing I’ve really found my true passion. And it wasn’t until I actually sat down and wrote this post that I realized I probably wouldn’t be doing it if it weren’t for these two extraordinary women.

Popularity: 17%

Shaw. Professor Shaw.

That’s my new title. Okay, well technically my title is Assistant Professor Shaw, but Professor sounds so much cooler. I can finally thank The New School for that master’s degree — that $40k piece of paper that hangs on my freshly painted bedroom walls. It feels good.

I’ve known for many years now that I wanted to teach. That’s half of the reason I decided to go to The New School (the other half was to improve my writing so that I could get an agent and get published. Ahem … Earth to agents. This is for you. Ahem!), so it’s nice to know that I am finally teaching.

Where: The College of New Rochelle.

What: Writing 102: Critical Research Essay

When: Why am I telling you this? So you show up and slaughter me on my way to class?

It’s a required freshman writing course geared towards showing students how to write a well-developed research paper.

Typically, the thought of writing is one that makes students want to scream. So you could imagine what writing a research paper must do to them. That’s why I’ve decided to take a mass media/pop culture spin on the proceedings.

What do Facebook, Britney Spears, Suzanne Collins, South Park, Saved by the Bell, Modern Family, People Magazine, The New York Times, Drake, Lady Gaga and Beyonce, Don Henley, Chuck Klosterman, Dove, United Colours of Benetton, and many, many more pop culture references have in common?

They’re all a part of my class.

Example: On the second day of class, we listened to a few songs about fame and media influence, like Drake’s “Headlines” and Lady Gaga’s “The Fame.” My first essay assignment had my students compare Britney Spears’s “Piece of Me” to Don Henley’s “Dirty Laundry” and discuss what each says about the media’s influence. I’m also having them read Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games because of what it says about our reality TV-obsessed culture. (Does anyone think Hunger Games is basically one giant commentary on Britney’s head-shaving, paparazzi-umbrella-attacking breakdown?)

Not your typical run-of-the-mill writing course, eh?

Exactly.

It’s weird being on the other side of the red pen. But it’s natural. I come alive during class time, and I live to create assignments. My goal is to foster a fun learning environment that provokes discussions that ignites my students’ creativity, hopefully gives them ideas for their writing, and helps them dive deeper into their own thoughts. Last week, I had them read a study on online gender-swapping. Then I had them use Facebook to study a member of the opposite sex and write a few paragraphs on gender construction.

I’m employing everything I’ve learned in my career as a writing student (and that of a writing tutor) to kick ass as Professor Shaw.

We’re entering the fourth week of classes, and so far I have a wonderful group of students who really seem to respond to the material. We have our first writing workshop on Monday.

Stay tuned for more stories and lessons from The Other Side of the Red Pen as they develop!

Photo Credit: The Daily News and New York Post

Popularity: 20%

I recently caught up with Tracey L. Pacelli — friend of Teen Writers Bloc and author of the new paranormal YA novel Time Warped.

Tell us a bit about yourself and how you became a writer? What did you do before you “officially” became a writer?

In 5th grade we were given an assignment to write a sci-fi short story. My teacher  chose mine to read in front of the class, declaring it the most inventive. I never forgot the thrill it gave me to be singled out that way. Afterward, my best friend said I was talented and that was basically it for me. I knew I was a writer and would someday follow that path.

Before writing, I chased those “glamour” positions that pay very little, working administrative type jobs at CBS, HBO and the NBA, all in New York. It was fun, especially HBO, but I could barely pay for the Upper West Side closet my landlord creatively called an apartment, so I jumped ship and headed to a financial office in a little place called The World Trade Center, building #7. Beautiful area, but I didn’t mesh very well with the Trump wannabes. So, I fired myself and headed for Charleston, SC, with my new hubby. In Charleston, I worked for a scary police chief in the paralegal dep’t and about a year later I was a ballroom dance instructor at The Fred Astaire Dance Studio. The ballroom had no bathroom, and the students had to go across the street. After only one month of lessons, I was expected to teach! I wasn’t ready, so I headed for that bathroom across the street and never came back.

What made you want to be a writer? Do you write full-time now?

Gene Roddenberry and Star Trek made me want to write. Since I couldn’t actually share in the crew’s adventures, I had no choice but to imagine myself on the Enterprise as a red-headed, Venusian navigator in love with Captain Kirk, and penned many exciting episodes for myself over the years.

Can you give us a quick synopsis of Time Warped? How did you come up with the concept for the book?

Time Warped is about a troubled teen, Lanie Landry, who wakes up one day to find herself in an insane asylum, back in 1969. There she meets her biological mom for the first time and falls for a mysterious inmate.

I’d just seen Shutter Island and knew immediately I was drawn to the setting of an insane asylum. Call me crazy–and many do–but I thought, how about we put a teen in one who didn’t actually belong there, and I’ll add some Twilight Zone twist to the story. I’ve always been fascinated with time being a man-made construction and I like to fool with the idea of taking that construction apart, till it no longer makes sense. In other words, I think time travel is really cool.

What’s your writing process? What does a typical writing day look like? Where does your inspiration come from?

It used to be I’d spend the larger portion of my day writing and leave the marketing, cleaning, preparing meals and listening to my daughter and husband’s rants, for my evening chores. Now, everything’s basically gone to Hades, including my family’s basic needs, and I find myself knee-deep in the gorilla marketing trenches, unable to climb out. Of course, the novel only just launched and there’s a need for me to push it out into the world, much like a newborn. But it’s a labor of love, and I actually am enjoying finding ways to hammer my book over the heads of unsuspecting readers. Hmmm…wonder if Vistaprint sells hammers with book image?  Must look into that.

As for inspiration, pop culture usually feeds it nicely. Whatever I’m watching on TV, at the movies, or reading in my daughter’s teen mags (don’t tell her I borrow them), becomes fodder for the muse I keep locked up in my basement.

There are a lot of pop culture references in Time Warped, which I found really helped develop the character of Lanie and grounded us in a real place and time. Did you do this intentionally or was that a happy accident?

Funny, I just answered your question. Must be psychic. I really do love pop culture, which is probably why The Gilmore Girls is my second all-time favorite show, right after Star Trek. Lorelei is a master of pop culture and I can only bow to her greatness. Rosie is another pop-culture goddess. I hope one day I may be in their league and maybe go bowling with them sometime.

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

I wrote it and they came! But, first I had to walk thousands of miles barefoot over sharp rocks, swim through a feces infested moat, use my body as a battering ram to knock down the castle door, and sleep atop a thousand mattresses with this annoying pea underneath. Only then was I given the keys to the castle. Translation: As a writer I cried waterfalls of tears over the years, facing overwhelming rejection to finally land this amazing deal at Gypsy Shadow Publishing. And, I’d do it all again.

What was surprising part? To Quote Sally, “They liked me…they really liked me!”

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

Every rejection moves you one step closer to success!

What was your favorite book when you were a kid/teenager? What is your favorite children’s or young adult book today? What are you reading now?

Pride and Prejudice and Pride and Prejudice. I know, every girl loves that book, so why should I be any different? I’ve always loved to laugh at ridiculous people. Jane Austen had such a gift for exposing them. Though I used to think I wouldn’t be caught dead in a room with Mr. Collins, I actually now have a couple of friends who are very much like him and I thoroughly enjoy their company!

Presently, I’m reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.

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

I actually belong to The Royal Book Club in downtown Asheville for parents who like to read young adult books. Sounds crazy, right? But we’ve already established I’m a bit off my rocker. At the meetings, we dissect the writing to such detail, it becomes a great learning tool for me as a teen author.

What’s up next for you?

I’ve completed the first draft of a new teen trilogy I’m quite excited about called Already Gone. It takes place just a wee bit into the future and then travels back and forth to Atlantis during its final days before the apocalypse.

There’s also my littleredwriter paranormal blog, where I try to mix in a little humor with weekly paranormal news at www.traceypacelli.com.

Thanks so much for this interview. I’m a great fan of TWB and wish all the writers much success!

Thanks so much, Tracey! Time Warped is available now in print and e-book format!

Popularity: 23%

Life after The New School is odd.

I’ve been severely MIA from TeenWritersBloc.com. I sincerely apologize and promise to be a better writer. Do you forgive? Good. Because I have lots of news!

The past couple of months have been a little busy for me. In August, I completed my third novel, How I Set Myself On Fire, after a year and a half of working on it extensively and exclusively. It’s gone through three complete rewrites to become what it is now. And what it is now is something that I’m incredibly happy with. More than happy: ecstatic.

Yes, I be a wee bit dramatic. But I’m proud of my work.

After writing two novels prior to this one, I can say without a doubt that this is the beginning of my career as a writer. This is what I’d want people to associate with me. This is my debut. Now if I could get some damn representation!

This summer has also been a different one for me. I graduated from The New School and had to come to terms with the fact that I wasn’t going to be starting classes in the fall. It’s a weird feeling, being in school for 24 years and just like that, it’s over.

I still feel like I should be taking some sort of class. Maybe basket-weaving.

At the end of the summer I found out I got a job at Westchester Community College as a Senior Writing Tutor in their Writing Tutorial, which is pretty rad. Although now I work six days a week and have no time to write. I’m still getting used to working so much and adjusting to this schedule.

But the start of September brought great promise. The promise of a literary agent. Well, not so much the promise as the idea. Which, as any great writer would know, is the way the best things start. I started querying just last week.

Do ya’ll know what goes into writing a query letter? In blatant terms: it sucks. Condensing your life’s great work into a two paragraph succinct summation is daunting. In fact, it’s down right frightening. It took me two weeks to get something that I liked enough to send out. (Special thanks to fellow TWB writer Corey Haydu, who gave me great advice!)

Now I’m working on the querying process.

So that’s what I’ve been up to, in addition to turning 25 years old, balancing a wonderful relationship with the most amazing person, and trying to fight off pesky colds. Still, I promise to be better, if you’ll have me!

It’s good to be back.

Popularity: 19%