We’re BACK FROM TOUR! And by we, I mean Sarah J. Maas, Erin Bowman, Kat Zhang, and myself.

We survived our epic road trip, our 10 signing events, and our 8 workshops with only a few minor hiccups. Honestly, we could not have asked for a more smooth, fun, and gratifying tour.

For those of you who DIDN’T know about the self-hosted tour that four of us Pub(lishing) Crawl ladies recently undertook, then you can read more about the idea here. Otherwise, read on as I give a quick recap of the past 2 weeks.

–

The Workshops

Our workshop lessons at the amazing Mighty Writers center in Philadelphia.

The free writing workshops that we hosted were, by far, the highlight of our tour. I honestly cannot gush enough about how rewarding it was. We saw kids of all ages–as young as 11 up to 25+. Technically the age limit was 13-22, but we weren’t about to turn away any eager young writers.

Sometimes the workshops were super intimate–only 8 or so students–but most of the time, we saw really stellar turn-outs. I think our largest was in Medina, Ohio, where over 30 tweens, teens, and young adults arrived to learn about writing and ply us with questions.

Sometimes the workshops were with young suburbanites, and other times, we worked with inner city kids. No matter the background, the kids had two things in common: they loved to write, and they were brilliant at it.

For us authors, it was especially amazing to see the workshop participants get so EXCITED. We did these exercises with something called story cubes, and not only was it super liberating for the four of us to free write for 5 minutes, but it was so FREAKING FUN to hear what the kids came up with. It was also really cool to see how differently the same three story-dice could inspire everyone–where I might see a magnifying glass on the die and think of a detective, Kat would see it and think of lighting fire to a field, and one of the students might see it and think of a Google search.

We genuinely hope that all of the fabulous writers we met from Philly, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Grand Rapids, and Chicago had as great a time as we did.

—

The Signing Events

THANK YOU FOR YOUR EPIC & LONG TRAVELS, ANGELICA!!! <3

From new readers to old fans to aspiring authors to awesome parents who drove their kids 6 hours to see us (seriously, one awesome dad actually did this), we got to meet and interact with so many people.

Seriously: there is nothing that will warm your heart quite like meeting a reader. It’s SUCH a warm and fuzzy feeling.

In addition to readers, we were also lucky enough to see many AUTHOR FRIENDS along the way. We saw other Pub(lishing) Crawl gals–Jodi Meadows even did an event with us in Baltimore–and other non-Pub-Crawl friends. There’s nothing quite like the squealing-run-hug-bounce between authors who haven’t seen each other in a while… There’s also nothing quite like making new author-friends (E.C. Meyers, Leah Clifford, and Scott Tracey: you’re AWESOME for coming out to support us).

Oh–and the booksellers! How could I forget to mention all the fabulous stores and booksellers we met! In order, we went to:

Main Point Books in Bryn Mawr, PA!

Barnes & Noble in downtown Philadelphia!

Baltimore Public Library in Cockeysville, MD!

Penguin Bookshop in Pittsburgh, PA!

Mac’s Backs Books in Cleveland, OH!

Medina County Library in Medina, OH!

Schuler Books in Grand Rapids, MI!

Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville, IL!

THANK YOU TO ALL THE STORES FOR BEING SO GREAT!! None of our events could have happened without YOU.

Also, for those of you who want a signed copy of our books, but missed our signings, you can totally stop by the above stores! We signed stock, so hopefully you can snag an autographed copy.

—

All the In-Between Stuff

We had a VERY full trunk…

We did a lot of driving. Like, a LOT. And on those drives, there was a lot of singing. Like, a lot. There’s nothing quite so exhilarating as belting out 90′s tunes on a summer’s day with the windows down. I’m pretty sure we all went CRAZY when Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” came on (why is that song STILL SO GOOD?!).

In between the driving and events, we did some eating. If you scroll through our Tumblr, you can see that eating was a HUGE part of this tour. From pizza to sweets to fresh fruit, we were all about gorging as often as possible.

We also couch-surfed quite a bit (THANK YOU TO ALL OUR LOVELY HOSTS!!!), and whenever we had the time, we explored the areas we were in. From an adorable restaurant to a beach walk to aquarium scouting to some stunning botanical gardens, we made the most of our limited free time.

Sarah and I on the WGN Midday News in Chicago!

Oh, and lest I forget another huge highlight of the tour, we even wound up on TV! No joke–we were on TV!!! Thanks to our amazing publicists, we scored segments on two different Chicago stations.  Needless to say, we were all on the verge of puking leading up to our brief (and frighteningly LIVE) news segments, but I think we managed to pull it off pretty professionally. What do y’all think?

Of course, as fun and rewarding and inspiring as all the events were, I think I most enjoyed just hanging out with my friends. There’s nothing quite so bonding as road-tripping with your most favorite author buddies for 2+ weeks, and I have to be totally honest: I’ve now been away from Sarah, Erin, and Kat for 2 days…and I miss them.

BUT HEY, there’s always next year.

—

To celebrate the awesomeness that was the Young Authors Give Back Tour, I’m giving away an ARC of the much-anticipated Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson (that I snagged at BEA), a copy of the award-winning Fair Coin by E.C. Myer (we met Eugene in Philly; he is AWESOME), an ebook of Something Strange and Deadly, an ebook of A Dawn Most Wicked, swag from ME, and swag from Sarah J. Maas.

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment telling us if you saw us on the tour–and if so, WHERE you saw us!

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]]> http://wp.me/p1VRPr-26R/feed/ 0 http://wp.me/p1VRPr-26R http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SusanDennard/~3/dNopUFTqVlk/ http://susandennard.com/2013/06/04/a-dawn-most-wicked-releases-today/#comments Tue, 04 Jun 2013 11:00:43 +0000 Susan http://susandennard.com/?p=8047 I am just so, so, so thrilled that the e-novella A Dawn Most Wicked is available today. You can buy it from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and iTunes.

I love this cover. The Mississippi River at dawn is just so perfect for this story.

Even cooler, I have signed up for Authorgraph, so if you get the kindle version of the book, I can send you an e-version of my autograph!

If you DON’T have a kindle or you want something physically signed, you can always get a bookplate or other signed swag. Just fill out the form here.

So a bit about A Dawn Most Wicked. When I wrote this story, I foolishly thought that writing a novella would somehow be easier than a full book. It’s only 100 pages, I thought. And it’s with characters I already know and in a world I already know–it’ll be a piece of cake.

HAHA. I was so wrong.

Piece of cake? Not even close. Cramming an entire story with character growth and relationship arcs–not to mention the vivid 1873 Mississippi setting–into 130 pages was darn near impossible.

This novella might have been the hardest thing for me to write. Ever. I had always known how the the Spirit-Hunters met, but I’d never thought about it in great detail.

I had always known about Daniel’s past, but I had never actually sunk into his head and lived that story.

I had also always known that there was a girl before Eleanor, but I had never had to actually fall in love with her. She was just a piece of Daniel’s past–not an actual person. Like, I had never to be in love with that girl, and when I actually DID have to, she was The Other Girl and I just could not get past Daniel + Eleanor FOREVER!

I also couldn’t seem to get into Daniel’s mind. I had always seen him through Eleanor’s eyes. I had never had to offer up the actual thoughts and emotions that would have driven him to say the things he said.

So no surprise: my first attempts at the story felt forced. I was telling the reader about Daniel instead of showing him.

Several months after starting, I finally realized the bajillion drafts I’d already written were failing because I was approaching everything wrong. It’s like assembling a puzzle and suddenly seeing that the reason you couldn’t squeeze in those six pieces was because you were holding them up all wrong.

The pieces I needed were all there for my story–Cassidy, a Mississippi steamboat, Joseph Boyer, Jie Chen, ghosts, and a steamboat race–I just had to re-orient them.

And as I’ve now said a few times, once I hit on the right story, everything fell into place. The story just tumbled out of me, and two weeks later, I had my novella. Best of all, I understood Daniel–everything about him.

But I never could have worked as fast as I did if not for three people:

1. Erin Bowman
2. Amie Kaufman
3. Editor Karen
4. Sarah J. Maas
5. The Frenchman

 Erin, I can never thank you enough. You literally read every scene right after I wrote it and got your thoughts to me immediately. You held my hand for this novella, and I owe you so much for that. Plus, your feedback helped me hone the story and guide it as I wrote. Your criticism and your compliments helped me hammer this out when I thought the task impossible.

Lots of love to you, Ders. This novella would not exist if not for you.

Amie, you read my finished draft and caught all those nasty little last-minute mistakes. And, as you always are, you were an AMAZING cheerleader. You have always been so supportive and so helpful when it came to the SS&D series. I honestly wouldn’t have this series even close to the condition it’s in, if not for you.

Editor Karen, thank you for being so patient with me on this story while I worked through it bit by bit. You helped me see that the Right Story I had finally found was really only Mostly Right–that it lacked one critical component. And with your suggestions and patience, I was able to find that missing piece. I’m really proud of what we’ve made together with this e-novella, Karen, and with this entire series.

Sarah, you helped me revise this book after the story didn’t quite meet what what was needed. You helped me find a way to keep everything I had written–that Right Story–but incorporate more. I love the story that you helped me find, and as always, I can’t imagine ever writing a book without you at my side. We have our creative process down to an art, now, and it’s pretty amazing.

Frenchie, you are always the one thing that keeps me going. All of your amazing cooking, all of your patience when I am a raging b**** from deadline-stress, and all of your support when I cry frustrated tears or hop around the house with trigger-happy joy–these are what make a book happen for me. I would never be where I am today if not for you and your unwavering support. Unflinching and unafraid, you have helped me ever since that day 4 years ago that I decided I wanted to become a published author. Je t’aime.

AND OF COURSE, THANKS TO ALL MY READERS!!! I wouldn’t be in this lucky position if not for all of YOU who read my blog, buy my books, tweet with me, email me, and do all the awesome things you do to help me. I love you guys so much. Seriously.

So, when I say that I hope you enjoy A Dawn Most Wicked, I really, really, really mean it. I hope you enjoy Daniel, I hope you enjoy the ghosts, the Spirit-Hunters, the Mississppi setting, and everything else in the story.

Happy launch day, my little e-novella!

♥

Let’s start with my crazy BEA schedule for all of you who will be in NYC next week (EEEE! I CANNOT WAIT!):

Sooz’s Spectacular BEA Schedule

Wednesday 5/29

Teen Author Carnival @ Jefferson Market Library — 6:30-9:30 pm

I will be doing a panel with Erin Bowman, Sarah J. Maas, and Kat Zhang at the Teen Author Carnival–and we’ll be with 13 other YA authors. Full list is here.

Thursday 5/30

BEA — all day

I’ll be prowling the expo with my tour mates and other authorly friends. Look for me!

Friday 5/31

♦ ♦ Signing @ BEA – 10:30-11:00 am ♦ ♦

I will be signing FREE HARDCOVERS of Something Strange and Deadly.

I will also have tons of FREE SWAG to sign and giveaway.

I will ALSO have an awesome, super-badass, you-need-to-enter RAFFLE
for 5 ARCs of A Darkness Strange and Lovely,
5 Aim for the Knees t-shirts,
and 5 copies of the e-novella A Dawn Most Wicked.

Saturday 6/1

Interview with ShinDig — 12:40-1:00 pm

I’ll be prowling the expo with my tour mates and other authorly friends ALL DAY.

Plus, I’ll be at the ShinDig booth for a live-streamed video chat at 12:40.

Now for those of you who WILL NOT be at BEA next week (which is, I imagine, most of you), there is also a live chat on Saturday…

♦♦♦

Sooz’s Spectacular ShinDig Chat

  Join me for Live From Book Expo! Yep, as cheesy as it might sound it’s TOTALLY TRUE. And I’m not the only author participating! There will be 3 exciting days of online author talks from the floor of BEA to a computer near you. Check out the stellar lineup of best-sellers!

I’ll be answering questions from viewers at 12:40 on Saturday 6/1

so come ready to video chat! And be sure RSVP for an e-mail reminder at www.Shindig.com/LiveFromBookExpo.

Also feel free to share the link with your friends on Facebook and Twitter!

I really hope to see some of you there. If NOT, then don’t forget our AMAZING YOUNG AUTHORS GIVE BACK TOUR schedule!!

♦♦♦

Young Authors Give Back Spectacular Tour

Sunday 6/2

Main Point Books in Bryn Mawr, PA

We’ll be doing a workshop at 3:00 (register here) and then a signing at 5:30!

Monday 6/3

Mighty Writers in Philadelphia, PA

We’ll be doing a workshop at 6:00 (register here)!

Tuesday 6/4

Barnes & Noble in Philadelphia, PA

We’ll be signing books at 5:00 PM!

Wednesday 6/5

Baltimore Public Library in Baltimore, MD

We’ll be doing a workshop at 6:00 (register here) and then a signing right after!

Thursday 6/6

Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh, PA

We’ll be doing a workshop at 6:00 (register here) and then a signing right after!

Penguin Bookshop in Pittsburgh, PA

We’ll be signing books at 7:15 PM!

Friday 6/7

Coventry School in Cleveland, OH

We’ll be doing a workshop at 4:00 (register here)!

Mac’s Backs Books in Cleveland, OH

We’ll be signing books at 6:00 PM!

Saturday 6/8

Medina County Library in Medina, OH

We’ll be doing a workshop at 1:00 (register here) and then a signing at 3:15!

Tuesday 6/11

Schuler Books in Grand Rapids, MI

We’ll be doing a workshop at 4:00 (register here) and then a signing at 7:00!

Wednesday 6/12

826CHI in Chicago, IL

We’ll be doing a workshop at 6:00 (register here)!

Friday 6/14

Anderson’s in Naperville, IL

We’ll be doing a discussion/panel at 7:00 and then signing right after!

PHEW, that was a lot to type out and PHEW, it’s going to be a long few weeks. I think we might all be half-dead by the time we reach Chicago (sorry, Chicago peeps!).

I imagine a lot of you can’t make the tour, so don’t miss out on all the various giveaways for an ARC of A Darkness Strange and Lovely!

♦♦♦

Sooz’s Spectacular Giveaways

Goodreads ARC Giveaway!

This runs until June 10, and you can enter it here.

1000 Facebook Likes Celebratory Giveaway!

This runs until June 2, and you can enter it below.

Also, I should note that when I called out for 3 more people to like me on Facebook, I never expected to get SO MANY PEOPLE to help me spread the word! As of writing this post, I wound up with 76 more likes instead of just 3! You all are AWESOME, and this is why I love you so very much. ♥

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And stay tuned for more giveaways–specifically on launch day for A Dawn Most Wicked!

Oh, and there’s still all the FREE COPIES OF SS&D that I’ll be signing at BEA next Friday.

And don’t forget the SUPER EPIC RAFFLE you can enter at BEA too…

♦♦♦

Sooz’s Spectacular Novella

I can’t believe this e-novella releases in just a few days. 11 days, to be exact.

I’m nervous because, unlike with full books, there are no ARCs to go out ahead of time–no advanced galleys for readers to review (and perhaps rip to shreds). I have no idea what people will think of Daniel’s story, and all I can do is hope for the best.

Because I’m proud of this 130 page novella.

Really proud of it.

It was not easy for me to write–I just couldn’t get into Daniel’s head or find his voice. Mechanically I could make it all work, but I knew–even after 4 drafts and over 200 pages thrown away–I knew I still hadn’t found the Right Story.

And then I did find the Right Story, and the words poured out like magic. I suddenly understood who Daniel was (and the way I’d always seen him, which is the way Eleanor sees him) was actually completely wrong. So as I wrote his story, I discovered who he was, where he came from, and where he really wanted to go.

Honestly, I sobbed like a baby writing this story.

But now I understand Daniel, and now I understand how to get my Muse to cooperate. 

While I don’t hope to make you sob with the novella, I do hope to make you feel something. And I hope you can understand Daniel the way I do now. Plus, I just really want to entertain you all since that’s the whole reason I write.

So mark your calendars for June 4, and if you feel so inclined, then preorder from Amazon or Barnes & Noble or wherever you buy your digital tomes.

♥

Oh, and join me on Twitter on June 4! I’ll be tweet-partying to celebrate the novella’s launch and hosting some more GIVEAWAYS!!!

♦♦♦

Alright, this is all I have to share for now. I won’t be around for a while, so I apologize in advance. I swear I’m not slacking off. In fact, as I type this post, I have 176 pages in book 3 revisions left to work through BEFORE leaving town tomorrow. Ha. Here comes the espresso.

Share and Enjoy:

]]> http://susandennard.com/2013/05/24/bea-shenanigans-shindig-live-chat-arc-giveaways-the-yagb-tour-and-a-dawn-most-wicked/feed/ 4 http://susandennard.com/2013/05/24/bea-shenanigans-shindig-live-chat-arc-giveaways-the-yagb-tour-and-a-dawn-most-wicked/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SusanDennard/~3/pQyBGY_sPcE/p1VRPr-22R http://wp.me/p1VRPr-22R#comments Mon, 20 May 2013 11:00:46 +0000 Susan http://susandennard.com/?p=7973 So this isn’t really a conversation post this time–more like me adding onto Sarah’s last post. Mostly because she touched on something I feel very strongly about:

The idea that having a critique partner somehow means you don’t trust your own writing.

Just as Sarah said in her post: that’s not true. In fact, I’m gonna go ahead and (excuse my language) call bullshit on anyone who says something like that.

Because it is just so, so, SO wrong. Having a critique partner is a sure sign that you absolutely trust your writing. In fact, it means you trust it enough to think it’s actually shareable. It means you believe in yourself enough to want to improve as a storyteller. It means you know your manuscript is not the best yet, but that you’re willing to make it better.

And above all, it means you trust your critique partner’s writing. You trust your CP and believe in him/her so fully you are actually willing to use your valuable time to read their work and offer feedback.

More than anything else, that giving is what makes a critique partnership strong. It can’t all be take (and should you ever find your CP only takes-takes-takes, then it’s time to move on [Sarah: I owe you, so I'm just waiting for you to send me something that isn't already in spotless condition and actually needs critiquing]). Not only should you trust yourself enough to share YOUR unpolished, unperfected writing, but you must trust in your CP enough to take their own unpolished, unperfected writing.

It’s a careful balance, critique partners. It’s a relationship that grows as your writing skill improves. Gosh, when I think about some of the stuff I let my CPs read a few years back, I cringe. And I bet they do the same. We weren’t at the writing level we’re at now; we grew together.

But even though I wasn’t the best I could be then (and I am certainly not the best I can be now; I’m always working at it), I trusted my writing. I believed in it, and I knew that I was strong enough to take a bit of criticism–and that I would only become stronger from each comment, each track-change, and each plot-hole-uncovered.

Actually, a lot of pursuits or hobbies or skills are honed by trusting yourself and trusting someone else. Back when I used to do karate, my sensei would pair the class up during drills. Sometimes he would put me with a higher belt, but more often than not, he would pair me with someone of a similar skill level. As a purple belt, I’d go with a green belt, a brown belt, or another purple. Then, during the drills, I would push myself like mad.

Example: We had this AWFUL drill called “zombie-keep-away” that required you to use all the power in your front thrust kick to keep away the “zombie”…who was really just your partner holding a giant pad. Because my partner would always be pushing me (quite literally), I would max out my effort–no holding back. And then when it was my turn to hold the pad, I wouldn’t go easy either. Me and my partner would grow stronger together; our skills would get honed together; and we trusted each other to not only help all the way to the end of the drill, but to also push all the way to the end.

You can’t improve if you aren’t pushed to your limits. And just as my thigh muscles would always SCREAM at me after a particularly rough round of zombie-keep-away, I was stronger by the time next week’s drill rolled around.

It’s the same with critique partners. Our feelings ALWAYS sting in the face of criticism–no matter how long you’ve been doing this or how close you are with your CP. But with time, it’ll sting less. It’ll become more of a “huh, I guess she’s right. I’d better redo that.” Plus, the more you critique, the better you get at spotting your OWN mistakes. I have learned more about writing from my critique work than I have from any workshop, text book, lecture, or convention combined. It’s just like martial arts: you can get the gist from a book or kata, but zombie-keep-away will really test how strong your front thrust kicks are.

So the next time you hear some a$$hole say, “I don’t believe in critique partners. It’s a sign you don’t trust your own writing,” you can give them a nice front kick in the stomach and count that as one zombie kept away.*

*You probably shouldn’t do that, actually. I think that could potentially get you arrested. But you can flick them an ever-so-polite bird instead.

But it isn’t. It never is.

The thing is: you can’t stop working. And you can’t give up.

Writing is really hard. Revising is really hard too. And it doesn’t get easier just because you’re published or agented or have finished X-number of books or sold in 45 territories. More often than not, the writing just gets harder.

But don’t give up. You’ll get where you need to be; we all do.

And now, here’s some music to send you off to work by. It’s my current writing fave, and I hope you find it as uplifting as I do.

1. First and foremost, hands down the most educational, and definitely the most expensive, we have ALL of Holly Lisle’s courses. She has a ton of different lecture packets and actual courses that cover EVERY aspect of writing. Now keep in mind: she does not interact with you or read your work. Rather you can work/interact in a forum with other students (but you don’t have to interact there–I didn’t). And even after your course is looong over, you still have access to those forums.

Holly Lisle has a rabid and huge following, and she has it for a reason: the courses are GOOD. Like, really, really, really good. Not everyone will jive with her tough-love, no-sugar-coating, lay-it-bare style, but I found it worked very well for me. If you want to read some of her articles, you can get a feel for her teaching style. Here’s a favorite of mine.

If I had to recommend one of her courses, then I would absolutely suggest her How To Revise Your Novel Course. It teaches you SO much about writing craft, reader expectations, and then actual revising that I learned more in that course than ALL other courses combined. It basically teaches you everything she teaches in other courses/lectures while also letting you break your finished manuscript apart piece by piece (which really appeals to the scientist side of my brain). Seriously, if you’re gonna spend money on writing, I suggest the How To Revise Your Novel Course.

2. RWA (Romance Writers of America). Now this isn’t a workshop, per se, but once you’re a member, you have access to HUNDREDS of workshops. Literally hundreds. And in those workshops, you’ll get actual one-on-one help from various teachers. I haven’t taken an RWA workshop in years, so I can’t specify which ones I loved, BUT I know that all the ones on publishing industry–from query writing to agent research to synopsis writing–were incredibly helpful and educational.

Of course, the RWA ain’t cheap, so you’ll want to think a bit before you sign up. But guys, it’s a great community. I met my very first critique partner there, and I LOVED “meeting” all these other writers on the same journey as me. There are a ton of benefits to being in the RWA, and so even if you don’t write pure romance (I obviously don’t), it’s still worth joining. They have a YA sub-group, an international sub-group, a books-with-romantic-elements sub-group, and many, many more. You can read more about the educational opportunities here.

3. Savvy Authors has a lot of the same workshops and community as RWA but for a much cheaper membership. It was started by the same people who started Entangled Publishing, and it’s got a very, very strong go-get-’em vibe. I really enjoyed the workshops and community I found through Savvy Authors. Again, the emphasis tends to be on romance, but that is by no means all that’s there.

4. WriterUniv has some pretty cool courses. I LOVE the stuff taught by Mary Buckham and Alicia Rasley–very strong teachers, in my opinion. Plus they offer great one-on-one feedback. I haven’t taken anything by Laurie Schnelby Campbell, but I’ve heard really great things about her courses. I highly recommend trying these classes out for a more advanced, in-depth approach to craft. These classes really taught me how to think outside my usual style-bubble.

So that pretty much sums up all the various outlets through which I took courses–or rather, where I took courses that I benefited from and felt were worth the price tag. I also took courses from two well-known outlets, and honestly, they were NOT worth the money.

In one course, I had an agent tell me my first 5 pages were terrible and to essentially start over (fortunately, her feedback came two months later than it was supposed to because she was behind schedule, and at that point I already had an agent and a book deal…so clearly she was just grumpy and mad). In the other outlet, I worked with an author who I thought did an excellent job, but the COST of the course was hundreds of dollars…and months later, I wound up getting the same quality feedback from a $15 dollar workshop through the RWA. I realized I’d been gipped (and it wasn’t the author that gipped me but the company through which she taught).

If anyone is curious to know which outlets I suggest avoiding, email me privately (susan at susandennard.com). I don’t want to blast hate on the internet.

You tell me: have you taken any online writing workshops that you loved or really benefited from?

So, for those of you living under a rock who have not yet heard of our Young Authors Give Back Tour, you can get more details here.

Last week, we set up registration for three cities: Bryn Mawr, Baltimore, and Grand Rapids. Plus, the Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh has opened their own registration.

NOW REMEMBER: We are only accepting 20 students at each location, so be sure to apply soon before all the spaces are filled!

Bryn Mawr 

• Where: Main Point books (1041 E Lancaster Ave)
• When: 6/2 from 3:00-5:00 PM
• Who can register? Anyone from ages 13-22!
• Registration form

Baltimore

• Where: Baltimore Public Library (9833 Greenside Dr, Cockeysville)
• When: 6/5 from 6:00-8:00 PM
• Who can register? Anyone from ages 13-22!
• Registration form

Grand Rapids

• Where: Schuler Books (2660 28th Street SE)
• When: 6/11 from 4:00-6:00 PM
• Who can register? Anyone from ages 13-22!
• Registration form

Pittsburgh

• Where: Carnegie Library (708-710 Brookline Blvd)
• When: 6/6 from 4:30-6:00 PM
• Who can join? Anyone ages 13-22.
• Register here!

As for all our other stops, you can register with those places through the actual locations. All that information can be found here.

Now, to entice you to help spread the word, I’ll be doing some giveaways over the next few weeks! This week: I’ve got a signed ARC of A Darkness Strange and Lovely! Next week, stay tuned for some signed books by other YAGB tour ladies.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Well, I take back my anti-modern-music declarations (hear that, Erin & Sarah? YOU WERE RIGHT) because I discovered two bands at Edgefest that I adore. Capital Cities makes me want to shimmy and slide (and they were the only band to get almost every author signing to dance!) while A Silent Film makes my heart all achy and tender.

That last video TOTALLY made me cry. As does the song pretty much every time I hear it.

Also, I should point out that both the Capital Cities and A Silent Film sounded brilliant live. I often find bands suck live (they can never properly reproduce the quality of sound they have on their albums), but these guys actually sounded IDENTICAL. They were both amazing.

Somehow, I also randomly rediscovered an old favorite–Ween. For those of you too young to know Ween, they were one of the strangest experimental bands pretty much EVER. They got a lot of attention for being incredibly talented while also making some of the weirdest music you’ll ever hear. Plus, they were the first band (at least the first I know of) to start sharing their music for free on the internet–and this was during the tie of Napster. So way back. They would live stream performances and basically offer their fans free access to their tunes. It was revolutionary at the time.

Here’s one of their totally normal songs…

And now here’s one of their REALLY WEIRD songs. That I adore.

It gets super epic at around the 2:15 mark.

You tell me: what are YOU listening to right now?

♥

Left to right: Mary Lindsey, Brigid Kemmerer, Victoria Scott, Brodi Ashton, Erin Bowman, ME

Sorry for the brief internet absence. I was in Texas for a week (it was AMAZING). Edgefest was a blast and I discovered a few new bands I am now obsessed with (I’ll share next Monday ).

Moving on, a reader asked a while ago:

Looking back, knowing what you know now, how would you approach learning the craft for writing your first novel? Would you start with learning how to craft characters, plot or world-build etc.?

Honestly, I think I followed a great path to get to where I am–and I would think there are many authors/people who say that. As the quote from Douglas Adams goes, “I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.“

So what did I do? Short answer to how I approached my first novel:

1. I read a bunch.
2. I wrote a bunch, and I wrote fearlessly.
3. I learned craft.
4. I finished a book.
5. I revised it.
6. I learned how the publishing industry works.

Those steps are, I would guess, what most authors follow. The order is unimportant because I was doing most of the steps simultaneously. I learned craft AND I wrote/revised.

Side note: I think all storytellers must learn craft. I will even go so far as to say that anyone who says you don’t need to learn craft is an idiot and they are wrong. You will most assuredly meet those people; ignore them and move along. Think about it: to work with an editor, you must at least have a basic knowledge of writing terms (from POV to turning point to em-dash). And of course, the more you know, the more your writing can improve. THAT SAID, I do think it’s easy to obsess over craft and lose sight of the forest for the trees, but I delve into that more below.

Now, for the long-winded answer of how I approached my first novel:

I started writing at age 12 (or maybe 13?). I was (and still am, of course) a HUGE reader, and I wanted to turn all my daydreams into books like I loved reading. (1. I read a bunch; 2-a. I wrote a bunch.)

In high school, my dad urged me to learn craft and gave me all sorts of brilliant opportunities (workshops, craft books, etc.) that I always turned down. At that age, I was in full-on wrinkled-nose mode–i.e. I wrinkled my nose at everything. I foolishly felt I was already quite brilliant and did not need to learn.

In hindsight, I was just scared. I was afraid of rejection (aren’t we all) and it was better to hide behind an armor of “I’m already good enough” than to risk rejection at the hands of a teacher.

After graduating, I set off for university. At first I was going to major in English (there was no creative writing major), but I quickly abandoned that in favor of marine biology. Then the next year, I shifted away from straight marine bio to work in fisheries and statistics. TOTALLY different from writing, but I actually had an advantage over most science majors because I could write darn good papers.

Flash forward to the end of college: I moved to Canada for graduate school. I was going to become a PhD and save the fishes of the world. That was my plan…until I met a handsome Frenchmen. Instead, after getting my masters of science, I married that Frenchman and we moved to Germany. Suddenly I was 25 years old with way too much free time. I was so used to pushing myself to be the best that suddenly having nothing to do was awful.

Fortunately, I was now at that ripe age when you realize you DON’T know everything and that conquering your fears makes you stronger. So I dove into writing. Headfirst, no looking back. (2-b. I wrote fearlessly.)

I started by writing a novel. It was chick lit, of all things, because I foolishly thought it would be easy. Contemporary times and a fluffy romance–that’s all there is to it, right? Ha. So wrong. No book is easy, and I learned that soon enough.

While I was writing my shiny new draft, I read books on craft (you can see a list of my favorites here). (3. I learned craft. At the same time as drafting.)

While I was writing my shiny new draft, I also took online workshops. I’ll do a post soon about my favorites courses. By the end of my first draft, I had taken a lot of workshops. More than I needed. I had also read a ton of books on writing–also more than I needed.

The truth is, I got a wee bit obsessed. It was like once I started learning about writing, I couldn’t stop. A switch went off in my brain and all I wanted to do was eat/breathe/think/dream writing. Maybe it was the scientist in me, but something about seeing all the components of story (from characterization to plot to pacing) made everything seem much more manageable. A story was less daunting when I knew what its individual pieces were.

3.5 months after starting my chick lit, I reached the end of the first draft. I knew immediately that the book was bad. It was a learning experience, but there was so much that needed fixing. More importantly, my heart just wasn’t in the story any more.

Plus, I had a new idea. It was a steampunk story about a girl named Eleanor Fitt based on a dream I’d recently had.

With my new arsenal of writing tools, I sat down and wrote a first draft for what would become Something Strange and Deadly. (4. I finished a book.) It was TERRIBLE. So, so, so bad. Atrocious. Nose-wrinkling.

The truth was that I was trying too hard. I knew all the parts of writing, but I hadn’t internalized them yet. They didn’t come naturally. There’s that line about, “Learn everything and then forget it.” You do have to learn the basic tools to be a writer, but at some point you have to stop focusing on them. You have to let them slide and settle into the back of your mind and come out organically as you write.

This honestly took me a few years to get the hang of, so don’t stress over it. Keep learning and keep writing.

With my finished book in hand, I revised it using Holly Lisle’s How To Revise Your Novel. It was a brand-spanking-new workshop at that point, and I learned a ton as I went through each lesson. That course ain’t cheap (my mother actually helped me pay for it), but it was worth every dime. By the time I finished my first revision of Something Strange and Deadly, I was a much stronger writer. (5. I revised. At the same time as I was still learning/honing my craft.)

I revised again. And again. And again.

As I was revising, I began to research the publishing industry (6. I learned how the industry works. At the same time as revising.) and I reached out to critique partners. I forged some strong relationships with writers, studied query letters and synopses, built a database of agents I wanted to work with, and continued to revise.

Soon enough, I knew that Something Strange and Deadly was the best I could make it on my own, so I began querying. As they say, the rest is history.

You tell me: How did you or would you approach your first novel? Learning first? Writing first? Learning and writing together?

What are some of your current favorite reads?

I love that there are two covers--one with the demon and one with the angel character. CLEVER!

Well, as of this week, I’ve been on an “old-books-I-read-but-don’t-remember” kick. I started on Sunday, with Good Omens (my World Book Night giveaway book).

I zoomed through THAT amazingly hilarious book in an evening.

And guys, it wasn’t my “normal” reading genre. Lately, all I read is adult fantasy, adult romance, and occasional YA. But Good Omens is straight humor.  It’s speculative fiction layered with more clever jokes than you can imagine…and just as I had when I’d read it at age 18, I adored it on Monday. I haven’t laughed so hard in ages.

So after finishing Good Omens, I thought: why not read other old favorites I’ve forgotten? Why not read…(insert me rummaging through moving boxes of unpacked books)…Jurassic Park? I was a huge Michael Crichton fan in junior high, but I really didn’t remember most of his books. Plus, scientific thrillers and heist books really aren’t my usual diet.

PLUS, I just saw Jurassic Park 3D (which was amazing, of course) and was on a dinosaurs-are-terrifying-and-cool kick.

I wound up reading into the wee hours of the night, and the book was sooooo good. Better than I remembered it, and even with my overly-critical-author’s mind, the story gripped me from page one. I also hadn’t read the book since becoming a scientist, so I gained an extra oomph of pleasure from seeing all the accurate scientific stuff (or rather as accurate as it can be with fake, impossible science) crammed into the pages.

Then came Lost World, the excellent sequel to Jurassic Park that is absolutely NOTHING like the movie and features one badass leading lady.

This was the cover on the hardcover I bought on release day. Sigh. Memories.

Now I’m going to start Timeline, which I read when it came out in 1999 (yep, my mom took me to the book store to buy the hardcover on release day; I remember it vividly). I recall this book being my all-time favorite Crichton book, so I guess we’ll see if that’s still true.

Obviously, my tastes are PRETTY SPECIFIC right now…Basically anything by Michael Crichton.

Also, can I just say I wish there were more Jurassic Park books? As horrific and moderately disturbing as the whole idea of dinosaurs running rampant and killing everyone is, I LOVE IT. I love the whole theme park idea and terrifying velociraptors…and I love that Crichton writes some tough, intelligent women of science.

Anyway, end Sooz’s love letter to Crichton books.

You tell me: what are YOU reading right now? Have you read any Michael Crichton?