Browse Category by Writing

Musings on drafting, editing, querying, submitting, and publishing in general.

Teaching, Travel, Writing

New Site!

As I begin to query for Improbable Girl, I decided it was time to make an author site.  I feel like I have no idea what I’m doing, which is mostly true.  My built in IT department, also known as my husband, is busy writing math textbooks and has pushed me out of the nest to muddle through myself.

I just imported my old Writer, Reader, Teacher, Spy blog posts and a few of them have some issues with pictures.  I’ll try to get those fixed over the coming weeks.

Thanks for stopping by.  These blog posts will showcase the many hats I wear, so it will be a mixed bag.  I hope you enjoy!

Teaching, Writing

What I’m reading right now

I sent out a query to an agency this week that was done through a form on a website rather than through email.  (Side note: This seems to be a growing trend for agencies, and I bet it helps them to categorize, sort and log their queries.  I predict it will be more common for agencies to go this route.)  As part of the submission form, I was asked to name the most recent book I read.

I think that’s a great question and I thought it would be worthwhile to share my answer.

If I was being totally honest, the most recent book I read was Biscuit Loves the Library by Alyssa Satin Capucilli, which is one of the books my four-year-old checked out of the library last weekend.  But, I am not sure that is what the question was really asking.   What I wrote was Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari with Eric Klinenberg.

There is a unique pleasure to reading a book after my toddlers have gone to sleep.  In this photo, I’m also clearly reading rather than folding those baskets of laundry that are on the right edge of the frame.  I’ve got my priorities straight.

But sometimes it is too good to wait for after their bedtimes, so I read during bathtime!

I absolutely loved it.  Non-fiction has been appealing to me lately, but I love Aziz’s voice and humor.  Reading it was also a trip down memory lane to my single days in New York.  I did online dating and speed dating, and I remember well what that was like.  Interesting and really funny, this one had me giggling in the evenings.  In addition, I’ve been gravitating towards non-fiction to avoid losing my own voice in my writing.  Like picking up an accent, sometimes I find that whatever fiction I’m reading tends to influence my own writing.  It’s tricky to balance inspiration with my own individuality.  
The other books I am currently knee-deep in are these two:
Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market 2016, a gift from my mother-in-law for Christmas.  
I’ve been reading through all of the agent, publisher, and magazine listings.  There are also very interesting articles and interviews.  A lot of this is reiterating what I learned at the Mid-South SCBWI conference, but it’s nice to have this reference text.  

And Self-Editing for Fiction Writers.  (Again, notice the jammies.  I’m in the After-The-Toddlers-Are-Asleep Writing and Reading Club.)

I read Self-Editing for Fiction Writers once through, and now I am re-reading it and taking notes and making one giant checklist.  Each of the 12 chapters ends with a self-editing checklist.  I am putting that all on one document and adding my notes and highlights from each chapter.  It’s really a great book, with examples, clear explanations, exercises and checklists.  I read it in December, between finishing the third draft of my novel and starting the fourth.  My hope is to start using the checklists and my notes to tackle my fourth draft next week.

Writing

Try again, fail again, fail better.

Samuel Beckett wrote in his short story Worstward Ho, “Try again.  Fail again.  Fail better.”  I find myself thinking about that a lot. Right now, I feel like I am failing slightly better.

I wrote a second picture book manuscript and sent it to twelve agents.  I got two rejections last week.  These are notable for two reasons: first, they came within a week of submission, which is a fantastic turnaround time; second, they both involved some kind of personal response or feedback.

I explain it this way.  The least desirable response is silence.  It’s inevitable when agents have so much to read and respond to.  I get it.  Still, it’s like waiting for someone to notice you in high school.

The next level up is a form letter email rejection.  It is usually very kind and thanks you for your hard work and the chance to review it.  At least I know that someone did a cursory review of my manuscript and I can stop hoping.

One step above that is a rejection that contains some kind of personalized feedback.  My first response said this, “Thanks so much for giving me a shot at your picture book.  I’m sorry to say that I wasn’t connecting wholeheartedly with your writing, despite its many charms, so I ought to step aside, but I truly appreciate the look, and I wish you the best of luck!”  It has charms!  But, it wasn’t encouraging connection for that agent.  Still, it felt good to read that.

My next rejection had more specific feedback.  Here is a snippet:

I’ve had a chance to review and consider your work and can see how much you’ve invested in this. It’s very funny and I love the idea of turning this old rhyme on its head. But I think it’s missing something — I think maybe a narrator, or something to break up the dialogue, and give us more than a scene would be good.  I think you can have even more fun with the way you’re playing with things. Unfortunately, given these concerns, I don’t think I’m the right agent for this particular project, so I must pass. But I send this with gratitude and all good wishes for the future.

A quick explanation: my book is written entirely in dialogue.  Think Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus or I Want My Hat Back.  The bus driver talks straight to us, as does the pigeon.  And the bear looking for his hat either asks about his hat, questions others about his hat, or tells himself how much he loves his hat.  There are no dialogue tags, “the pigeon said” or “said the bear.”  I appreciate the feedback so much, but now I am wondering how to proceed.  I think it might be an interesting exercise to try and rewrite the book with a more traditional narration structure.  This presents a couple of problems.  First, I don’t know how I’d keep it around 500 words, which seems to be the recommendation now.  Secondly, my husband was quick to point out that this is just one agent and I shouldn’t rush to throw the baby out with the bath water.

For the sake of exercise, I will play around with the narrator.  I will also try to play with things a bit more, although I don’t know yet what potential she might be referring to.  Hmm.  Things to consider.

Now I wait for the remaining 10 agents, or rather, I wait for 12 weeks and then I assume any silence is a no.  Maybe I’ll get a bite!  For now, on to my novel, and to let a new picture book idea simmer.

Writing

New picture book

A few weeks ago, on a Monday at the breakfast table, my three-year-old, Calvin, requested the “Hey, diddle, diddle” nursery rhyme.  I obliged, but I was distracted and accidentally skipped over the cow who jumped over the moon.  Calvin immediately protested, and an idea popped into my head.  What if the cow had some opinions about how the rhyme was written?

Immediately I thought about Bottom in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  Bottom, despite being the lead, thinks he should play all the parts.  He takes it upon himself to coach his fellow actors i and demands a series of prologues be written.  He’s quite an atrocious actor who thinks he is hot stuff.

Thus, an idea was born.  My husband and I teach at the same school, so that morning while it was his turn to drive, I feverishly scribbled my first draft onto a pad of paper.

Then the strep throat hit, and I was completely incapacitated.  I spent three feverish days on the couch or trying to teach and having to leave school early.  The fever made me feel like I was having an out of body experience.  On Friday morning, I got antibiotics and by the evening my brain function was returning.  I took out my paper draft and typed it up.

I took it to my picture book critique group on Saturday morning.  The feedback was strong, and I decided to move forward with it.  I went home and revised my draft during nap time.  I worked on my query letter for the next few days and then I sent it out to 10 agents.

This was only my second round of querying, but it felt smoother and less daunting than the first time.  I am now less scared of the process.  Wendelin Van Draanen, (who wrote The Running Dream, our all-school read) came and spoke at an assembly a few weeks ago.  She said that every time she sent out a manuscript, it was like putting hope in the mail.  I took what she said to heart, and thought of it as hope in the (e)mail.

I also felt happy that I was able to take another piece of advice: as soon as you send out one project, start on the next.  After I wrote my first picture book manuscript, I didn’t really have any other ideas, or none that were feeling fully formed in my head.  But, by staying open and paying attention, I was able to start the next project.

Now that I have send out my second picture book manuscript, I am going to turn my attention back to my women’s fiction novel.  I think that maybe at the end of this draft, I’ll be ready to start querying.  I’m looking forward to that.  More than just querying, I’ve got an idea for a middle grade novel that I’d love to get started on.  I’m looking forward to freeing myself up for another project!

Teaching, Writing

Thesis and outline workshop

Both my 10th grade classes and my 9th grade classes are working on thesis statements and outlines for their upcoming essays–on The Secret Life of Bees for 9th graders, and Life of Pi for 10th graders.

The first stage in the process is a Graffiti Wall.  I have them tape their exploratory paragraphs and quotes onto a large sheet of paper.  Silently, students rotate to the other papers and leave feedback.

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Then, they work on writing a few thesis statement attempts for 10 minutes.  They pick their favorite and write it on the white boards, without a name.  They then pair up and rotate through the statements leaving feedback.

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The feedback is valuable, but giving feedback and evaluating the work of others is equally valuable.  It reminds them there are many different topics and arguments and they aren’t chasing the one, perfect topic.

I also want to make writing less lonely and emphasize the power and potential of collaboration in the writing process.  I am a member of a few writing groups, and they are essential to development and growth.

Writing

Querying picture book agents and rejection

This summer, I pulled out a draft of a children’s book I had written in 2006, while I was getting my master’s degree in Educational Theatre from NYU.  
This summer, I worked on the children’s book when I needed a break from revising my novel.  I sent the picture book manuscript to friends and colleagues for feedback.  One suggested I look into the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.  I joined and signed up for the regional fall conference just outside of Nashville.  
Once I joined SCBWI, I had access to a massive manual on publication, agents, and the market.  There is an entire section on agents that represent children’s books and what they are looking for.  I read through it in the semi darkness while rocking Matilda to sleep one night.  I circled a bunch of agents I thought would be a good match.  I spent a few days composing a query letter, and sent my manuscript to 6 agents.  
As of mid-September I’ve received three rejections.  My top choice agent, the one I really feel would be the best fit, has yet to respond, which means there is still a chance.  (Although silence is usually a no.)
These are clearly form letters, but they are very kind.  
I will say that I feel good about each of those rejections.  It was confirmation that my work was received, and more importantly, that I am joining the ranks of Real Writers.  Real Writers send out their work.  Real Writers get rejected.  It is a badge of honor and a sign that progress is happening.  This feels very different to me than the years that manuscript sat as a file on my hard drive.  This feels better, even if it is rejection.  
After joining SCBWI, I have started to learn more about publishing picture books.  You do not need an agent, and many smaller publishers will accept unsolicited manuscripts.  The SCBWI manual also lists those, and I circled the ones that would be a good fit for my project.  I opted to go the agent route more as an experiment.  The larger publishers (Scholastic, Harper Collins, Random, etc.) do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.  The agent route can get you access to more publishers, but then the agent collects a portion of any sales.  Submitting directly to publishers can present its own challenges.  How do you stand out among the other unsolicited manuscripts?  Some writers argue that agents are unnecessary.  Because I am also working on a novel, for which an agent is most definitely required, I thought I would take this opportunity to gain a new experience.    If I hear silence or receive rejections from all six agents, I will submit directly to publishers who accept unsolicited manuscripts.  
The SCBWI mid-south conference was last weekend, so please keep your eyes out for a post about the pile of things I learned and the changes I am making to my manuscript!