Other deep thoughts

http://thelongstockings.blogspot.com/2008/07/trying-something-newfor-better-or-worse.html

I'm an outliner. Always have been. I like to know exactly what's going to happen before I settle down to write a story. But for the new book I'm working on, I decided to take a different approach. 

I'm trying to come up with a clever way to say that I have nothing to say. I thought about doing a blog that mimicked the form of an email away message. (I'm away from my blog right now....) But the concept lacked punch. I thought about a terse note of the "gone fishing" sort. That didn't seem right, either. I even considered going with he truth. I'm on vacation and just don't feel like blogging, even though I'll be consumed by guilt at the thought of disappointing the two or three readers who expect a steady output. Besides, the truth is no fun. I guess I'll just have to admit that I have no clever way of saying that I don't feel like blogging this week.

I was reading a very amusing thread in the librarians group on LT, which is full of all the daft things patrons/customers have asked for in libraries & bookstores. (E.g. "Tequila Mockingbird")

That led to this priceless page on Library Juice (language warning!), which consists of "search expressions that led from search engines - mostly Google - to pages on Libr.org between mid-2001 and March of 2004"

I'm only part way through the list and wow, is this planet teeming with strange people or what?

Favorite t-shirts spotted this week:

Let the Wookie win.

I'm no longer with stupid.

EVERY TIME YOU POST WITH CAP LOCKS ON,
ee cummings kills a kitten.

Also, lots of people have asked about what's happening with the AGATB movie. So here's your answer: not so much yet.

The script is being hammered out. That's where things stand. So, just to clarify: There has been no casting, no production start date, no secret Hollywood cabal meetings (or none that I was invited to and asked to bring snacks). As soon as I hear anything more, I'll post it. Promise.

And now, back to BOVINE. Five more days of deadline. And I've promised myself if I work hard today, I will go see DARK KNIGHT as my reward and I will mix the M&M's into the popcorn.

From the Class of 2k8: "Liz Gallagher grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia and was an English major at Penn State. She worked on the editorial staff of Highlights for Children. She is a graduate of the University of Denver Publishing Institute and the Vermont College MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults. Her home in Seattle is within chomping distance of the Fremont Troll." Learn more here.

What kind of teenager were you?

I was the kind who has friends across different groups, but isn't really part of any one clique. I loved to go bowling and shopping (still do!). I was New Kids on the Block's biggest fan. I played softball. I watched way too much TV, but now I think that experience prepped me for the pop-culture prowess that I enjoy today. I know that I read a lot as a kid and teenager, but I can't remember exactly what I read except for Kurt Vonnegut, late in high school.

Could you tell us about your apprenticeship as a writer?

I've been so lucky. I'd have to say that my apprenticeship started with my amazing kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Niccolo; she taught me to love writing. At Penn State, I took three fiction workshops with the same professor; that's the point at which I started reading like a writer. Later, I worked at Highlights for Children as part of the editorial team; reading submissions helped me think more critically about writing. Then, I went to Vermont College and got to work with Lisa Jahn-Clough, Ron Koertge, M.T. Anderson (author interview), some lady named Cynthia Leitich Smith, and the rest of the faculty there; that's where I gained the power to believe in myself as a writer.

I had the honor of being one of your advisors at the Vermont College MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults. Why did you decide to get an MFA? How would you describe the experience?

And I had the honor of being one of your students! I thought, correctly, that being in an MFA program would give me permission--in my own mind--to prioritize writing. I wanted the structure and the feedback.

I was led to Vermont after falling head over heels for Feed (Candlewick, 2004) by M. T. Anderson and finding out that he was faculty head at Vermont. Then it seemed as if every book I was reading and enjoying was written by a faculty member or grad of the program, so it was a no-brainer to apply.

I would describe the experience as school that doesn't feel like school because it's so much fun and you get to read and talk about reading and write and talk about writing. I learned from all of the faculty and from many of the other students, and I grew so much as a writer.

Could you tell us about your path to publication? Any sprints or stumbles along the way?

It wasn't very stumbly, actually. I think I managed to meet great mentors along the way, so that when I was ready to submit my manuscript, it went smoothly. Lara Zeises (author interview) has become a close friend and she's the one who guided me through the submission process.

We're both students of Lisa's (me at Vermont; Lara at Emerson). Toward the end of my time at Vermont, I started submitting to agents. Rosemary Stimola (agent interview) signed me right before graduation, and I think it only took her two weeks to sell Opposite to Wendy Lamb [Wendy Lamb Books at Random House]; I'd call that a sprint.

Congratulations on the release of your debut novel, The Opposite of Invisible (Wendy Lamb, 2008)! Could you tell us a bit about it?

Thank you! I wrote most of it during the Vermont program. It's set in Seattle--I live here and it's my love letter to the city. It's about a fifteen-year-old girl, Alice, who's coming out of the cocoon she's (metaphorically) lived in with her best friend, an artist boy named Jewel. Her world is getting bigger as she makes new friends and tries new directions in art. She's figuring out the difference between a crush and love, and love and best friendship.

What was your initial inspiration for writing this book?

I love Halloween time and wanted to set a story then. While walking past a big junk shop in Fremont (the neighborhood of the book, and the one where I live now, though I didn't at the time), I realized that it was the perfect setting for a Halloween story. The original first line--"It all started with this dress."--came to me on the page, and I just kept going.

What was the timeline between spark and publication, and what were the major events along the way?

I started writing this story as a short story for my first Vermont workshop, so that means I started writing in the late fall/early winter of 2005. It was published in January 2008.

The whole ride seems like a major event! Having feedback from Lisa, Ron, Tobin, and then you, Cyn, was always amazing. My first rejection from an agent, over the phone, was a major event; it was disappointing but I knew that even getting a phone call was a big step forward.

Once sold, I've loved attending ALA conferences and meeting librarians. I've also enjoyed meeting lots of Seattle's booksellers. And I became a member of The Class of 2k8 (co-presidents' interview)--I get to celebrate 27 releases this year, not just my own!

Actually, seeing Vermont friends' books come out while waiting on my own -- especially Sarah Aronson's Head Case (Roaring Brook, 2007)(author interview) and Carrie Jones' (Flux, 2007)(Tips on Having a Gay (Ex) Boyfriend (Flux, 2007)(author interview) and Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape)(Flux, 2008), and Zu Vincent's The Lucky Place (Front Street, 2008)--has been so wonderful.

Early on, Vermont grad Andy Auseon was a big role model for me. I love his Funny Little Monkey (Harcourt, 2005), and I think he has another one coming out soon [Jo-Jo and the Fiendish Lot (HarperCollins, 2009)].

What were the challenges (literary, research, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life?

A lot of my roadblocks are psychological. I'm the type of writer who can type and type but not be sure what I'm saying. I need someone who I trust to reflect it back to me--to say, this is what you've got on the page. I'm much more talented with character and voice than I am with plot. So it takes a lot for me to feel as if I've succeeded in making something happen in the narrative and seem like it isn't too mechanical or forced.

Logistically, having deadlines for Vermont really helped me. The whole "butt-in-chair" thing can be hard for me when I'm only beholden to myself.

What has surprised you most about being a published author?

That I'm still just me! I honestly forget that I'm a published author sometimes. It's a dream come true and I love it and I'm proud, but on a day to day basis, I'm just Liz. I don't feel any different--which I see as proof that a writer is a writer, published or not.

It also surprises me how often people who aren't in the YA book world ask why I write for teenagers, as opposed to adults.

If you could go back and talk to yourself when you were beginning writer, what advice would you offer?

Read a lot across genres. Read constantly! Keep a notebook for ideas that hit you add odd times. I still need to start on the notebook one.

What do you do when you're not in the book world?

I used to work at a Montessori school. For the past year, I've been freelancing for magazines (mostly Seattle magazine) and a web site called Red Tricycle. I also worked on writing with seventh graders this year through Seattle Arts and Lectures' Writers in the Schools program. Now, I have a full-time job as a product copywriter, writing about shoes all day. I still write and edit for Red Tricycle. I watch a lot of reality TV, ride my Vespa, go out to brunch, read, and hang out in coffee shops. Sometimes, I knit.

What can your fans look forward to next?

I'm working on a companion to Opposite. Then I hope to get back to work on the manuscript that I started during our semester together, Cyn. It's the story of a girl who's dealing with the tragic death of her best friend, an artist who pushed everything to the edge until he fell off.

Cynsational Notes

Visit Liz Gallagher's official site, read her LJ, and visit Liz at MySpace!

I love reading through Publisher's Weekly Sneak Preview.

I like reading about the books coming out. Sometimes you can even see a bit of a trend, like this time around, I notice there are quite a few YA thrillers.

I love seeing the names of my LJ and blue board friends!!! There are a few I recognize. (Carrie Ryan, David Gill, Cyn Balog). Are you in there? Let me know!

Okay, I admit it, I like seeing my name. There it is - my name! :)

I like knowing about upcoming books by big name authors. Sherman Alexie has one coming out called RADIOACTIVE LOVE SONG. Susan Patron has a sequel coming out to A HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY called LUCKY BREAKS.

And, I can't help but look and see if there are any books coming out that sound like a book I'm writing or like a book being shopped. Whew, doesn't look like it, at least this time around.

Here's THE LINK if you want to take a peek yourself!

February 1 was my last day at work. Since then, I have struggled to figure out how much writing I need to do every day. It’s kind of like when I got a two-book contract after having written my first book. How much did I need to write every day in order to have a finished book in 11 months? With my first book, I had been able to take as long as I wanted.

Now, I have two books coming out in 2009 (both written, one still to be edited). Two books coming out in 2010 (one written, but still to be edited, and one slowly coming together). And I find myself back trying to figure out how much I need to write each day in order to have two or three books done by the end of the year. [Full disclosure: I have to write a lot if I want to make up for my old salary and benefits, including a generous pension plan.]

In February, I wrote nearly five hours a day, every day. I’m talking turning my stopwatch off if I even checked email or went to the bathroom. It was pretty crazy and I wrote 40,000 words.

Now I’m aiming for three hours a day, plus some on weekends. Oddly enough, that is enough to fill up a whole day. I don’t goof off, watch TV, or nap. The house is cleaner, but the meals are not markedly better (which was a dream of mine). And I never worked this hard at my real job. At my job there were meetings (many, many meetings), chats with friends, a trip to get coffee, a peek at LiveJournal from time to time.

I was glad to read this post of Sarah Dessen’s. She’s a full time writer, and up until she had her baby, she was writing two hours a day, seven days a week. At least I beat that.

How much do you think is enough? I’m talking pure writing, not reading blogs or talking to your agent or anything. Just writing.

Poll #1228880 How much is enough?
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

How much daily writing is enough?

The minor family emergency didn't escalate, thank heavens. My mother fell Tuesday night and we spent yesterday doing the rounds with doctors and the hospital and x-rays. She's home now, though I won't say she's exactly comfortable. She broke three ribs.

She's going to be fine; the fractures are uncomplicated and there were no other injuries. In a week, she'll feel much better. Normally I might ask for funny stories I can tell her, but laughing hurts too much right now, so if you have a kind thought or a prayer for comfort, those sure are appreciated.

J.L. Bell has another cool post about how an alleged John Adam's quote turned into historical "fact." This is a must-read for anyone thinking of writing historical fiction or non-fiction.

Today's goal: Write 15 minutes.

Today's mindset: sowing conflict.

Today's prompt: Take your favorite picture book or fairy tale and write what happens next, after the last page of the story. Add on a new challenge for the character; a new story arc of complications and solutions, and character growth. Hint, you'll probably need to introduce a bold conflict right away.

Scribblescribble....

can't have Crow (who is my favourite btw) without Tom Servo *salutes* so he gets his own page in my sketchbook.





Tom, unlike Crow, didn't need a lot of practice to get right. He's a whore-bot! Easy as they come! (j/k, lol)

and as soon as I learn to draw Gypsy (and do her some justice) I'll do a page for her too

First, I just signed the petition against age banding of books. This is a battle being fought in the UK, but you can bet Australia will be next. (There's nothing we love more in this country than a good classifying, preferably administered by half a dozen overlapping government departments.)

I don't intend to go into age banding here, but if you don't have a clue about the problems it might cause, visit the site above and find out.


Second, I just noticed Planet Fantastic's Bestselling Books of All Time, and the first three Hal books are all present. (Hal 4 was their #1 bestseller last month, so it's a bit soon to expect to see it in a list covering over three years of sales.)

First, this is the top ten:

1...Temeraire, by Naomi Novik
2...A Feast for Crows, by George R. R. Martin
3...Thud!, by Terry Pratchett
4...Anansi Boys, by Neil Gaiman
5...Never Seen by Waking Eyes, by Stephen Dedman
6...Black Powder War, by Naomi Novik
7...Judas Unchained, by Peter F. Hamilton
8...Shadow Box, edited by Shane Jiraiya Cummings
9...Knife of Dreams, by Robert Jordan
10..Old Man's War, by John Scalzi

then the Hal books take up these positions:

#25...Hal Spacejock, by Simon Haynes
(...)
#57...Hal Spacejock: Second Course, by Simon Haynes
(...)
#86...Hal Spacejock: Just Desserts, by Simon Haynes


Congrats to everyone on the list.

Here's a question:

What movies of MST3K do you own that are un-MSTed verions? I admit, I have some weird idea that I HAVE to own a lot of the movies like that. I don't know why, must be the bad movie connoiseur in me.

Here's my List:
Catalina Capers (came with the MST3k volume one)
The Creeping Terror (ditto)
Sky Divers (again ditto)
Bloodlust (yes again also from that too lol)
Danger Diabolik (I LOVE THIS MOVIE!! XD )
Girl in the Gold Boots (I like the songs okay!! XD )
Manos the Hands of Fate (I couldn't believe I found this!)
The Incredibly Strange Creatures that Stopped Living and Became Mixed up zombies (I appreciate this movie now that I heard the director commentary.)
Cave Dwellers (I also have another Ator Movie because it was only one dollar LOL)
Godzilla VS Sea Monster (the dubb we saw on the episode is WAY better then the redub! lol )
Godzilla vs Megalon (I wish this had a redub. *wants to maime Roxanne* )
The Horrors of Spider Island (I always crack up at this one. XD )

My goal is to get all of them, no matter how horrible they are! (Yes... even Sidehackers... I do want the soundtrack for that movie more though *lol* )

Time to put one foot in front of the other and start this journey rather than sitting on the fence watching the world walk on past.  The query is done, synopsis is done, manuscript is done.  Being summer with a busy five-year-old wanting my attention, being as I'm supposed to rest, I cannot do my usual blitz of sending out to agents.  Instead, I am trying for a few each week.  Slow and steady turtle, that's me :) 

I already have that hankering for a new WIP . . .

Hey, just wanted to take a minute to say "Hi", and assure the rest of the world that, despite living in the sticks in Tennessee, we DO still have that most wonderful nugget of entertainment known to humanity (and robots), MST3K. Been a fan since '95, and I take great playsure in the number of friends, coworkers, and ex-wives (well, ex-wife, not makin' THAT mistake again) I've converted to the cause over the years.

Just a quick bit of random oddity to enquire about: Has ANYONE out there seen an old (early-Eighties) episode of SNL with a young Joel Hodgson performing a bit of prop stand-up, or did I just hallucinate it?...

Favorite quote (and this usually changes on a daily basis): "Here's the plan:My army of trained rats'll lead the charge, and my scabies'll protect our flank." (Final Sacrifice)

OR

"Hey, Ward's got back!/This movie is all ropes and asses!" (Mole People)

And once again, I'm pleased as punch to be a part of community that'll never judge me harshly for saying that one of the proudest moments of my life is still heckling Titanic in the theater with a couple of friends, and not getting kicked out in the process.

OUT!

Phew. The Mets won. I think the people at the gym thought I was a freak since I kept walking up to the TV to check the score. I had taken my glasses off b/c they kept slipping off and I had to squint. I'm sure it was funny. I have to "skip" tomorrow cause I'm not getting up at 5am to go to the gym and we're hanging out at my parents tomorrow night.

I'm officially stuck in my writing. I can't get past this chunk of chapter. I don't know what to do with it. The idea I'm toying with just doesn't feel like it's working. I think the book ends of the chapter are good, it's the middle it weak. I might play with it tonight for a few minutes before I go to bed.

Edit: 1:43am: I can be such a wuss, I jammed through it. I don't know if I'm happy with it and will look at it with fresh eyes tomorrow. I wound up adding 300 words from draft 3a to draft 4a.

Tomorrow is facing up to be a busy day.

For those of you who happened to Google your title and ended up here, please know that one star is not a bad thing in Robin's world -- just the fact the I picked up your book and started it means that somewhere it's getting good buzz (or that your blurb was really cool). 'R' means it's a re-read.

* I didn't make it beyond the first 20 pages.
** I made it to the end, but I either skimmed or skipped large sections.
*** I might have skipped/skimmed, but I liked it and will read it again.
**** I read at least 95% of the book and it was good.
***** I read every word, and I loved it!

The V Club, by Kate Brian **** This was a fun book, and I really liked how KB handled the multiple POVs. I never got confused between the four MCs, and I felt like she explored their complexity nicely.

Head Case, by Sarah Aronson *** Well written, to be sure, but definitely not an upbeat book. Certainly made me think about things, however.

Gem X, by Nicky Singer ** This was okay. I couldn't get through it all, and after the first chapter or so, I definitely just skimmed the rest. Interesting ideas, but a little dense in its prose (just my opinion, of course).

stay with me, by Garret Freymann-Weyr ** I was liking this okay until the MC falls in love with someone that I, personally, don't find even remotely realistic. I skimmed to the end after that.

The Girlfriend Project, by Robin Friedman ** Just meh, for me.

Tim, Defender of the Earth, by Sam Enthoven *** Definitely a unique take on a thriller -- I liked it, though. It was quirky.

Luna, by Julie Ann Peters ** This oozed raw pain -- so I'd say it's well-written, but I just couldn't get through it.

Sisters in Sanity, by Gayle Forman ***- I enjoyed the romance and the complexity in this one. Interesting concept and ideas (and, I guess, based loosely on fact).

Set in Stone, by Linda Newbery ** I read the last third of this pretty closely and found that, for me, that's all I needed to get the story. It's an interesting style, though -- similar, imo, to Victoria Holt.

Mermaid Park, by Beth Mayall *** More interesting ideas, but I couldn't quite get a handle on the MC...she was slippery, in many ways, and I couldn't really tell how much she actually learned/grew by the end.