Things Never Go the Way You Planned, and That's Cool

Lots of stories have morals, but lately I've been wondering if the moral of every story should be "Things Never Go the Way You Planned, and That's Cool." Authors work hard to keep their readers guessing, even though there are far more patterns on the page than in real life.

People who live great lives never know what they're getting into ahead of time -- they just manage to exist in a way that fascinates other people.

Whenever I've dreamed ahead, or looked forward to something, it never turns out like I imagined. Real experiences don't care what we want.

And here comes the close-out for the year 2015. My debut year that wasn't. A year that did not go as planned, so much so that I made a list:

1) I had a bizarre and random health scare that directly impacted work.

2) I lost my son's day care through particularly unfortunate circumstances.

3) There has been a lot of loss around me -- the kind that would have broken lesser humans, including myself. And it brought back some feelings from the past that I'd much rather have kept back there.

4) I bounced between feeling like the best and worst father on a daily basis.

5) Oh yeah, there was that one thing about my book losing its publisher. That hit me like a bag of poop to the face.

So yeah, 2015 threw me a lot of surprises. And these weren't so much surprise-party-on-your-multiple-of-ten-birthday surprises so much as pigeon-dumped-on-your-shoulder-while-walking-under-the-El-tracks surprises.

I got to thinking about that list. I drew an imaginary T-chart in my mind's eye, and put it in the left column. Then I added things to the right column to balance it out.

1) I'm still standing at work and giving all I can to my students. Parents had kind words for me at parent-teacher conferences. How bad can things be when people are going out of their way to assure you things are okay?

2) My parents jumped in to help with daycare, and my son is doing better than ever with so much individual love and attention. Many parents can't afford daycare, and don't have parents capable of helping.

3) The people I've watched experience loss are healing in their own personal ways. They will make it through the darkness, and while they won't be unscathed, none of us are at the end of the day.

4) Maybe it's possible that I make both good and bad parental decisions sometimes, and that's the best parents can expect from themselves.

5) It sucks to lose a publisher, but it's really great to land a new one. It makes for a great debut story. And I still have the Fall Fifteeners, and Fearless Fifteeners, and Sweet Sixteens backing me up every step of the way. The kidlit community rocks my face off.

Maybe 2015 didn't go the way I wanted it to at all, and that's okay.

Mike Grosso is the author of I AM DRUMS, a debut contemporary middle grade novel for musicians of all ages. It was orphaned due to the closing of Egmont USA, but has found a new home at Clarion Books and an updated release date of September 6, 2016. The Fall Fifteeners have been nice enough to let him hang out even though he's technically a sixteener now.

You can visit Mike's website here or follow him on Twitter @mgrossoauthor.

Can Music Complement a Book?

Generally speaking, reading is a solitary, independent activity. There are exceptions, but in most cases readers and writers are alone, experiencing something independent of human contact.

I wonder sometimes how to implement another dimension. A writer must do so properly – I have no desire to smell real smells or hear real sounds when prose can provide these sensations without the scientifically inaccurate "fourth dimension" gimmick.

And yet, I still wonder if I AM DRUMS could use a soundtrack. An original one, with no prior connections in the reader’s mind. Not stock songs people have heard before – those come with their own ideas and memories and feelings. And nothing with lyrics that directly spell out the reader’s experience. My debut novel already has enough words, I think.

I’d like to create fresh perspectives with any music meant to accompany Sam Morris’s story.

I wrote and recorded the below instrumental song about a year ago. It has issues, as most works in progress do. The tempo should be a tad faster. The bass needs a little more oomph. It was recorded in my former apartment, which had terrible acoustics, without a real drum set (a crime when your song accompanies a book about drums), as playing one in an apartment complex tends to make your neighbors think an asteroid has collided with the building.

But this song is something, and I know I was thinking about Sam at the time. It’s called FIGHT BACK for a reason, but I'm not sure how to explain said reason.

But do books need music to be complete? They don’t need artificial smells, sounds, or surfaces to fill your senses.

I feel like designing audio for the sole purpose of accompanying a reading experience implies that words are not enough. Even as a musician I do not believe this to be the case.

But this song exists, and I’m not sure what to do with it. Maybe I won't do anything, and that's okay, too.

*****

Mike Grosso is the author of I AM DRUMS, a debut contemporary middle grade novel for musicians of all ages. It was orphaned due to the closing of Egmont USA, but has found a new home at Clarion Books and an updated release date of September 16, 2016. The Fall Fifteeners have been nice enough to let him hang out even though he's technically a sixteener now.

You can visit Mike's website here or follow him on Twitter @mgrossoauthor.

R U OK?

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day (and this is National Suicide Prevention Week). 

If you are a survivor of a friend or loved one lost to suicide, you can join millions of other people tonight by lighting a candle near a window at 8 p.m. your local time. I’ll be lighting one. 

Over 800,000 people around the world end their lives each year. For teens and young adults in the U.S. it’s the second leading cause of death, and about 25 attempts are made for each completed suicide. 

The biggest predictor for suicide is depression (although suicidality only affects a small subset of those suffering depression). Alcohol or substance abuse makes things a lot worse.

Depression is highly treatable.

Suicide is preventable.

My YA thriller, Romancing the Dark in the City of Light, deals with suicide. You could even say that it’s about suicide. It’s a topic in which I’ve long been interested.

It’s still a difficult subject that makes most people uncomfortable. The stigma surrounding it (in the west) is strong. This dates back at least to medieval times and the stance the Christian church adopted toward suicide. Even though we've rethought the old desecrate a suicide’s corpse, bury them at the crossroads, seize all their assets and exile their family, we've still got a ways to go.

If we can’t talk about it, we can’t help someone who needs it--including the devastated family members who survive a loved one’s suicide.

Let's talk about it. We can save lives.

If a friend or loved one is showing any of these signs, ask them if they’re okay.

R U OK? is the name of a national Australian suicide prevention program.

Have them call 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) or text "go" to 741-741.

“The act of showing care and concern to someone who may be vulnerable to suicide can be a game-changer. Asking them whether they are OK, listening to what they have to say in a non-judgmental way, and letting them know you care, can all have a significant impact. Isolation increases the risk of suicide, and, conversely, having strong social connections is protective against it, so being there for someone who has become disconnected can be life-saving.”

The International Association for Suicide Prevention, part of the World Health Organization is sponsoring World Suicide Prevention Day and the quote above is from their site.

The American Federation for Suicide Prevention sponsors National Suicide Prevention Week.

The Signs of Stress

I'm not going to lie. I almost forgot to write this post. Like I've forgotten to do a lot of things lately.

Sometimes you have a bad day. Or a bad month. And things get thrown to the side whether you like it or not.

August has been a terrible month. I'm keeping a positive attitude about it, but that's really just spit-shining a turd.

My mom looked at me the other day and said, "You know, Mike, you're really showing signs of stress." Then she pointed at my eye and said I'm blinking 3,245,987 times per minute.

That's not to say there aren't great things happening. Today I'm going to close on a house. It is not a big house, but it doesn't need to be. It just needs to be my house, and it most certainly is.

The path getting there has been insane and stressful. And losing daycare for my son two weeks before my school year started? I have a new vein in my forehead that I now call my DAYCARE VEIN.

A whole host of other personal and professional tomfoolery piled on, and all of a sudden I'm out of time for reading, writing, finishing copyedits, planning for my school year, and meaningful father experiences.

Oh, and my book was initially supposed to come out this month, but it won't for another year. So I'm kind of sad about that. It deserves a blog post of its own when the time is right. And Amazon still hasn't updated its listing.

My point -- besides tangential whining -- is that I'm learning how much the writing life relies on you keeping other affairs in order. You can't be productive and inspired when a million other tasks are weighing you down. Letting stress get to you has physical and emotional side effects. It's inevitable at times, but I'm really thinking I have to let go and convince myself the world around me will not fall to pieces if I take a break now and then.

Because that's a lot of freaking blinking.

* * *

Mike Grosso is the author of I AM DRUMS, a debut contemporary middle grade for musicians of all ages. It is currently orphaned due to the closing of Egmont USA but is on its way to finding a new home. The Fall Fifteeners have been nice enough to let him hang out in the meantime.

You can visit Mike's website here or follow him on Twitter @mgrossoauthor.

Do Something Unexpected

Why reinvent the wheel? I'm linking to Chuck Wendig's always interesting Terrible Minds blog where he recently posted 100 RANDOM STORYTELLING TIPS. Some thought-provoking writing advice awaits you. A lot of thought-provoking writing advice.

I taped number 4 near my keyboard to refer to as I struggle with my work-in-progress:

 Do something unexpected in the story. Yes, right now. If not now, then soon.

The power of the unexpected in storytelling is one of my favorite subjects and I still need to remind myself to remember it. If everything happens as expected, there's no story!

So, surprise us.



via GIPHY

I also like number 98:

 The best stories make us feel giddy and afraid not only when we read them — but when we’re sitting there writing them, as well.


Next month on September 10,  I'll be talking about National Suicide Awareness Week. It's one of my favorite times of the year. Join me!

Release Day for From Where I Watch You by Shannon Grogan

It's Release Day for Shannon's book

From Where I Watch You!

Here is my book, summarized in 3 Gifs!

Stalker

Baking

KISSING

Available now from
B&N | Amazon

Why I Read Young Adult

Neighborhood friends keep forwarding me emails inviting me to their next book club meeting. While I am never one to turn down free wine or any appetizer made with cheese (or any appetizers not made with cheese, for that matter), I continue to politely decline. I read at least a book a week, so you'd think I'd be drawn to this like college kids to Panama City during Spring Break.

The truth is, I would rather spend my time reading Young Adult novels than the ones on their book club lists. Yes, I know that a woman my age should probably prefer books in in the genre of Women's Fiction. But as my first love Tim W. told me when he broke up with me in sixth grade: The heart wants what the heart wants.

I prefer not to invest my beloved reading time in story lines where middle age women question their life choices and struggle against the conflict that results when dysfunctional families are put under duress. Obviously. If I wanted that kind of drama, I wouldn't waste twenty dollars on a hardcover book at Barnes and Noble. All I'd need to do is go in my family room and attempt to wrestle the remote away from my sons in a bitter battle wherein I try to switch the channel from ESPN to HGTV.

I choose to read Young Adult fiction because the characters are more emotionally charged and the conflicts are more intense and fast paced. Maybe it's the resilience of youth, but YA fiction leaves me feeling more hopeful and positive about life. Or maybe I love YA because it submerges me in the kind of passion that ignites when your life is so ripe with yearning and potential. Or maybe I just feel grateful to be done with all that adolescent angst.

So there you have it. My name is Lynn and I read YA fiction. Give me the Teen Department in the book store over Oprah's suggestions any day. And if you don't know where that's located, you're really missing out.

"...it's impossible to put the book down. Conspiracy, loyalty, secrets, oaths, lies, and riddles flourish, making this the perfect book for readers who love to untangle mysteries by puzzling things out."  -BOOKLIST 

"At the end of the day, it’s Talan and his endearing combination of bravado and vulnerability, coupled with the crackling chemistry he shares with Laney, that will keep readers turning the pages. A satisfying read for secret-society fanatics and romantics alike."   -KIRKUS REVIEWS

Lynn Lindquist (Chicago, IL) lives with two overly social sons who provide fodder for her young adult novels and growing anxiety disorder. Her contemporary thriller Secret of the Sevens is set for release on June 8, 2015 from Flux Publishing.  To learn more, follow Lynn on lynnlindquist.com or on Twitter at @LynnLindquist.

The Mystery of Creativity: Should You Be Surfing the Internet or Should You Be Writing?

This is excerpted from a post I did on Through the Toll Booth in 2008.

You are a writer; an artist. If all your novels, stories and poems flow forth abundantly—golden words, clever concepts, satisfying connections and solid structure tumbling fruitfully from your brain to your fingertips and onto the page or screen, then this post will be of no interest.

If you occasionally struggle, or if you are procrastinating right now because you sat down to write and could not think of a darn thing to type, read on.

I’D RATHER BE WRITING (NOT).

George Orwell said, “All writers are vain, selfish, and lazy, and at the very bottom of their motives there lies a mystery. Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not DRIVEN ON BY SOME DEMON whom one can neither resist nor understand.”

If it’s so hard, why do we write?

Because we're driven on by some demon – whom one can neither resist nor understand.

  

We all know that writing productively is magic. But sometimes it's that being productive part that's hard.

Robert Olen Butler says in his book, From Where You Dream, that “…Writer’s block probably suggests that you have an artist’s instinct. [It happens to writers] because  some important part of them knows that they’ve got to get to the unconscious. But they’re not getting there; they’re thinking too much, so there’s nothing there. Except it’s not quite nothing—you sit there thinking, fussing, and worrying: ‘Gee, I’m not writing,’ ‘I’ve got to write now and I’m not writing,’ ‘Oh my God, I’m not writing.’”

Creativity. Visits from the muse. How can we as artists tap into that all-important creative part of our brains? Keep it healthy and well-oiled? Strengthen it so it’s not fragile and temperamental?

After all is said and done, when our writing is not flowing, we’ve got two choices:

1. Show up with no excuses. If necessary, force yourself with tricks and treats to work and plunge past the block,

or

2. Back off and go “refill the well.” (See Jane Cameron and THE ARTIST’S WAY)

Option 1 is usually the right answer, and the more you do it the better you get at it. If you’re a pro, you produce. But every now and then you have to go with option 2. And surf the Internet.

If there’s one thing to learn about the writing life, it’s patience. Patience for learning the craft, patience with the process and learning how you work best, patience for a “finished” work, patience, lord knows, for publication. And faith all along the way.

In the end, we must have faith. In ourselves. And, I believe, in the universe.

Remember in the film, Shakespeare in Love, how the theater troupe was always one step from disaster? Financial, creative or legal? But how the production would always come together beautifully, even transcendentally in the end, and the players all had faith in the fact that it would work out?

Phillip Henslowe: Mr. Fennyman, allow me to explain about the theatre business. The natural condition is one of insurmountable obstacles on the road to imminent disaster.

Hugh Fennyman: So what do we do?

Phillip Henslowe: Nothing. Strangely enough, it all turns out well.

Hugh Fennyman: How?

Phillip Henslowe: I don't know. It's a mystery.

It is that, for sure. 
Now go back to work.

Ann Jacobus's YA thriller ROMANCING THE DARK IN THE CITY OF LIGHT will be out from St. Martin's Press on October 6, 2015.

Finding a Literary Agent: Four Things I Learned

Literary agents are fantastic creatures. They get your manuscript into the hands of top editors, which is important since a lot of publishers don’t accept unagented work, and the ones that do can take a long (really long) time to respond. Agents negotiate contracts, not just the dollar amount, but rights issues and other clauses that you may not know much about. Agents have the connections needed to sell foreign rights and to make sure you’re actually paid for these rights. Getting an agent might be hard—they work on commission, so they’ll only take on manuscripts they think they can sell—but becoming a successfully published writer without one is even harder.

If you’re a writer in search of a book deal, it makes sense to look for an agent first. Here are four things I’ve learned from my own agent quest.

1.      Research queries. For those of you who don’t know, a query is a letter you send to agents in an attempt to pique their interest in representing your manuscript. A bad query can ruin your chances of ever getting to the next stage. Luckily, there are websites devoted to helping you. I like Query Shark and the Query Letter Hell section at Absolute Write. I’d like to point out that the names here are rather telling. I’ve never heard of a query puppy or a query letter heaven.

2.      Research agents. There are a lot of fabulous agents out there, but there are also some dishonest and incompetent ones. Look for agents with a solid sales record. If you’re going with a new agent, look for one with publishing experience or connections at an established agency. Also, make sure the agents you query actually represent the genre you write; otherwise, you’re wasting everyone’s time. Once again, Absolute Write has a great section—Bewares, Recommendation, & Background Check—to help you. Literary Rambles is a blog that does informative spotlights on children’s agents. Query Tracker makes it easy to find agents who represent your genre.

3.      Pace yourself. If you query all the agents on your list at once, you won’t be able to tweak a letter that doesn’t get a good response. On the other hand, querying one agent at a time could take you the rest of your life, especially since some agents never reply. I suggest sending your query out in small batches of about five to ten.

4.      Don’t be desperate. For many unpublished writers, getting an agent can seem like a daunting obstacle, and it’s easy to settle for anyone willing to offer representation. The truth, though, is that a bad agent is worse than no agent. Don’t query anyone who looks shady. Don’t sign anything you’re not comfortable with. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

©Trent Black
 
Laurel Gale lives in the desert with her husband and a band of furry monsters that might actually be ferrets. She enjoys reading novels, playing board games, and learning about everything from history to science to grammar. Her debut middle grade novel, Dead Boy, comes out September 29, 2015, from Random House/Crown Books for Young Readers. 

You Say It's Your Birthday

By Natasha Sinel

Today is July 23^rd. My birthday. I know exactly what you’re thinking: Hey! Happy birthday, hope it’s a great year! Also, You’re aging quite gracefully!

This is what I’m thinking: Thanks! Also, Thanks!

A year ago today, I was celebrating. Big time.

The day before, I'd gotten the call from my agent. The editor who’d shown interest in my manuscript had managed to jump through all the hoops on her end, and made an offer for THE FIX. Honestly, the first thought I had was: Tomorrow, I actually get to celebrate. For real. The last four birthdays had been bittersweet—happy to have another birthday, a chance to eat cake, get cards and presents and such, but mixed with that other thought, too—another year without a book deal. It would've been my fifth birthday wishing for that one thing.

But on July 23, 2014, there was much to celebrate. There was cake, cards, presents, hugs from the kids, and champagne for the book deal.

And then everything happened so fast.

Contract, announcement, joining a debut group and getting up to speed on what it meant to be a debut author—all the things I’d have to do. There were the things I’d expected: edits, cover, blurbs, bio, etc. But also so much more: social media, blog posts, self-promotion, postcards to libraries, bookmarks. ARCs. Planning launch parties. Media. Bookstores. So. Much. To. Do. I got sucked into it all.

On June 23, 2015, exactly one month ago and nearly a year after the offer, my agent asked me, “So, how’s writing going?”

I laughed. “Um, it’s okay. I’ve been side-tracked with all the promotion stuff for THE FIX, so I haven’t written a ton, but I will. I mean, I’m writing, don’t worry…but…” Cue nervous laughter. Was I making excuses? About writing?

A tough love speech followed (emphasis on the love). It included a much-needed reality check that went a bit like this, “You need to prioritize your writing. This is your job. You are a writer. You write books. So, write another book.” And then the follow-up question, “When can you get a first draft to me?”

As authors (debut authors, at least), we do the bulk of our own marketing and promotion. More than you can even imagine, actually. And while I’ve been having a great time on social media, ordering bookmarks, designing cute stickers, and planning launch parties, those aren’t the things I’d signed up for. Somehow, I found myself working nonstop all day, yet not adding a word to my new manuscript.

Along the way, I’d lost focus.

This focus—I write stories about teenagers. That’s what I love to do. I’m a writer, and writers must write. Right?

My agent waited quietly while I thought. I made quick calculations in my head.

“August 15^th,” I said, as my heart started to pound.

“Great,” she said. “That’s great.”

So, I’ve been writing. After I make my word count goal for the day, I work on the other stuff, which is also important, but the writing has to come first.

A year ago today, I was celebrating my first book deal. Today, I’m anticipating the release of my debut novel in less than six weeks. And I’m confident, thanks to my agent, that in less than four weeks, I’ll be sending the first draft of my new manuscript to her.

Natasha Sinel writes YA fiction from her home on a dirt road in Northern Westchester, NY. She drives her kids around all afternoon, but in her head, she's still in high school, and hopes that no one near her can read minds. Her debut YA novel THE FIX will be out from Sky Pony Press on September 1, 2015.

"How do you find time to write?" is the wrong question. Here's why...

Greetings readers!

I'm doing something way out of my comfort zone for my July blog post. I'm posting a video blog!

Why? Because it's time efficient, and my goal this month was to talk about the question I am asked most frequently by non-writers: "How do you find the time to write?"

It's usually (though not always) asked out of genuine curiosity and respect. And it deserves a solid answer. I don't think I managed that with this video, but I tried my best.

Enjoy...

11 No Judgment Ways To Squeeze Writing Into Your Summertime Parenting Schedule

Hey there parent of a young child or more! It’s summertime and you need to get some writing done but sadly, your child isn't old enough to be set free into the wild or dropped off at the mall. Here are ten ways to get your write on without having to hide in the bathroom pretending you have a poo-poo tummy for two hours.

1. Whoa. You woke up and it’s just you. No one is up yet. It’s a miracle! Instead of sleeping with one eye open and anticipating the pitter-patter and morning “Mom I’m hungry!” greeting, get your write on. Have a notebook or your laptop by your bed, so you can just knock out a few words, ideas, or get started on a scene before the day begins. This can get you an early start on your day and 4-60 minutes of writing time.

2. Set up a “work area” for you and your kid(s) near your desk. Set up a few books, paper, crayons, a drink and a snack or two. You can even “deliver” them a continental breakfast or bag lunch to their “office” for their mealtime. Depending on the attention span of your kid(s), this can give you 8-60 minutes of time to draft your next great novel.

2. Cheap Babysitters. There’s an App for that! Download a new app or two for your child and get 10-60 minutes of writing time. Here are a few fun and educational apps that I and my almost five-year-old would recommend: MomA: ArtLab, Tiny Bop: The Human Body and Alligator Apps: Little Writer. We also like “Bug Builder” and love to pass it back and forth as we make surprise bugs for each other.

3. TV is an obvious choice but to get the real benefit with less guilt, do it right. Don’t just have the TV on 24/7 and squeeze whatever writing you can throughout the day. Be smart. Check the listings, find a show or two your kid is into and schedule an hour block of time to work.  (Ok fine, you know you can go 90-120 minutes, who are we kidding?)

4. Summer camp is expensive, but if you can swing a week or more, you should. Your sanity and the free writing time is worth the expense. 25 plus hours of writing time could be yours!

5. If summer camp isn’t an option, consider hiring a babysitter for a nice 3-6 hour time block on a Monday afternoon. Case of Mondays averted.

6. This is my fave life hack but it only works if you have an older child to watch the younger one(s). My son is 14 so I can pay him half as much as the regular sitter and take a five-minute drive to the library. “Bye kids! Don’t tear down the house and I’ll see you in 2.5-3 hours!”

7. If you don’t have an older child but have one that’s “old enough,” give them a few dollars, promise them you’ll go out for ice cream or INSERT BRIBE HERE if they’ll play with the younger kid(s) QUIETLY. Meanwhile, you are locked in your room writing. If you can get the older kid to think of this as a legit job, they’ll probably surprise you and you can get a solid 40-60 minutes of writing time in.

8. No older child? Borrow a niece, nephew or a friend’s 10-13 year old and pay them a mothers-helper type wage to play with your kids while you hide in the quietest corner of the basement revising your masterpiece. Ten bucks is still a lot to some kids. It could get you a 2-3 hour writing session.

9. Give your child a plate of brussel sprouts and liver and let them know that THEY WILL NOT leave the table until they finish their dinner. Bring your laptop to the table, put in some ear buds, crank up some classical music and write away. After 45-60 minutes, if you’re feeling it, tell your kid they’re off the hook and give them a couple slices of pizza. You are now a hero! And you just bought yourself another 5-10 minutes depending on how fast they scarf down that pizza.

10. The day is almost over! It’s time to give your kid a bath. The benefit of summertime heat is that a long bath isn’t going to give your kid hypothermia. Fill up the tub, throw in some toys, put the toilet seat down or get cozy on the bathroom floor. Sure your kid will be a little raisin when they get out, but look at all the words you got down in 20-40 minutes of writing time.

11. Now that the kids are asleep, you are exhausted. All you want to do is make a mai-tai or eat a pint of ice cream and watch the show you DVRd last night. Nope! Not yet. Hop on Twitter or text another friend for writing accountability and burn through a 40-60 minute writing session.

Ami Allen-Vath is the proud parent of a fourteen year old and a four year old. Her first novel, completed during TV time, bedtimes and one fabulous Puerto Rico vacation is Liars and Losers Like Us. It'll be sent into the wild March of 2016. Some of the places you can can find Ami are here, Twitter and Facebook.