We're talking about NYT bestseller 13 REASONS WHY on readergirlz this month, and welcoming author Jay Asher. Here are a few things you might not know about Jay:
On his nightstand: A really thick biography of Charles Schulz
Favorite drink while he writes: Coffee with cream and sugar
Favorite bookstore: Vroman's
Favorite library: San Luis Obispo Public Library (and not just because I work there)
Pet: I haven't owned a pet since Dodger (a beagle)
Place to write: Linnaea's Café
Inspiration: People watching
Writer-buddies: Robin Mellom & Eve Porinchak (we blog together as The Disco Mermaids)
Cures for writer's block: Ben & Jerry's Chubby Hubby ice cream (it solves nothing, but it makes me forget there was a problem)
Favorite outfit: Pajama bottoms and a T-shirt
Long-hand or laptop? Laptop (but I often brainstorm long-hand)
Stilettos or Uggs? If it counts, I've worn stilettos for a costume
Author idols: Stephen King & Ray Bradbury
YA novels he recommends:
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway Vegan, Virgin, Valentine by Carolyn Mackler Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Such youthful glam is probably why Laurie's also a movie star (apparently she made a cameo as a lunch lady spooning out mashed potatoes in the film version of SPEAK.) She just finished the draft of WINTERGIRLS, a novel coming out in 2009, and to celebrate and replenish, she did some jam'n, as they say in teenspeak (or used to say, can't keep up to speed.) By jam'n, I mean literally (see video posted below.)
Check out a few of the questions asked by teens, authors, divas, and other fans, along with Laurie's answers at the forum.
Q. What is the easiest thing about writing for teens? The hardest?
Easiest: getting into the mindset of teen humor. This is easy because I am an incredibly immature middle-aged woman. Hardest: some scenes really throw me for a loop (suicide contemplation in TWISTED, the rape in SPEAK, the death in CATALYST) and really hurt me. My next YA comes out in MAY 2009. It has been the most painful book I have written, so far.
Q. Do you like writing under contract or does it add pressure?
It sucks either way. Without a contract, you have the luxury of time. With a contract, you have the luxury of an advance. We have four kids (just finished putting 2 of them through college), so I’ve been choosing contracts, because the bill collectors don’t like it when I say "But I’m blocked! Give me another month!"
Q. What was your defining moment in becoming a writer?
It happens every morning, about 5:30 am. I put my cereal bowl in the dishwasher, I pour a second mug of tea, and I sit down to write. The conscious, mindful decision to write every day makes me a writer.
Q. If you could meet anybody in the world, who would it be?
I was frustrated by the ungodly pressure put on gifted kids to succeed academically, often at the expense of their souls.
Q. In TWISTED, what made you decide to write about a guy? Was it harder than writing a female point of view?
I wanted to write from a male POV because I like a good challenge. It was harder, obviously, but I had a lot of fun with it. I came away with more respect for men and boys.
SPEAK is 10% my life in high school, 90% fiction. I have a lot of experience with depression — that definitely went in the book ... Inspiration had a lot of threads — part was my own adolescent pain, part was my frustration with the world of high school, which seems uniquely tailored to damage children.
Q. What was it like having a movie be made of SPEAK? What kind of say (if any) in the process did you have? Were you happy with the end result?
They asked me to write the screenplay of SPEAK and I said no because I was busy with another book. I love the movie. I think the director did a great job and stayed very true to the story. Except the end of the movie which is it’s own story.
Q. Has anybody optioned PROM for a movie?
No — I wish!!! Feel free to pass it one to anyone you know in Hollywood!
Q. Are you writing any more picture books? I loved, loved, loved THANK YOU, SARAH!
I just published a new one with the same illustrator as THANK YOU, SARAH. The new one is called INDEPENDENT DAMES and features almost 90 kick-butt girls and women who participated in the American Revolution. And there will be more in the future!
Q. What about novels?
CHAINS is my next novel. It is historical fiction, set in 1776 in New York City. I have been working on it for a long time (pre-Octavian Nothing, I’d like to point out) and I can’t wait until the world gets to read it.
PUBLICATION DATE: OCTOBER 21, 2008
Which I guess is just about 4 months away.
Gulp.
Q. Does CHAINS feature a male or female protagonist?
CHAINS has a female protagonist named Isabel. S&S liked the book so much, they’ve asked me to do two more with the same characters. The next one will have a male protagonist, Isabel’s friend from CHAINS. His name is Curzon.
Q. Curzon ... ooooh!!! Which sounds like corazon ... which makes me wonder, is this a love interest?
All will be revealed in the fullness of time.
Q. Wow! That's fantastic. Then it will be a historical fiction trilogy. Did you have to do a lot more research for the subsequent books?
Oh, yeah! TONS! Our house is sinking into the ground under the weight of all these books, plus I have a bunch of research trips this summer. I am loving every minute of it!
Q. Are you enjoying the creation of far-reaching story arcs, both in time and over the course of multiple books?
Yes, actually, I am loving it. I have a little experience in this because I wrote the series for younger readers called VET VOLUNTEERS (originally published as WILD AT HEART). I loved figuring out the various arcs and making sure the story threads wove together properly.
Q. In CHAINS, I’m assuming you’re writing about African and African American characters. I am a strong believer in no apartheid in storytelling, but I know some people will wonder how a suburbanish white woman had the nerve to cross the racial divide in storytelling. How would you answer them?
Yep. Isabel in CHAINS is a slave from Rhode Island and the book looks at the plight of African Americans during the Revolution. (The PATRIOT movie is NOT good history.)
I have felt called to explore the sin of American racism and its roots in our slave-holding past, for decades. Particularly because I am a white woman who had benefited enormously from the color of her skin.
I finally decided that I could tell this story, not because I am white, but because I am American. This is an American story — our story. I believe that as an artist, I have the obligation and skills to empathize with people of all backgrounds, of all conditions, of all times.
The easiest characters for me to inhabit are those who are like me. And I owe it to my country and my readers to be obsessive and relentless about research. My editor is African American, and we had a number of historian of several ethnicities review the manuscript.
Think of it this way — if an artist/writer cannot figure out how to tell stories outside of her race, what hope is there for America? How will we ever learn to love, honor, and respect all of our peoples?
I have no doubt the issue will be raised often with me. I am looking forward to the discussions that can grow out of this. Not everyone will agree with my point of view, but that is one of the glories of this country; room at the table for all.
Thank you, Laurie, for your generous spirit and your unflinching courage in confronting suffering for the sake of your readers. Next month we're hosting author Jay Asher over at readergirlz, and featuring his New York Times bestseller THIRTEEN REASONS WHY. And don't forget — we're throwing a party on June 27th, at 6 PM PST / 9 PM EST at the forum. It's the rgz Summer Sizzle with E. Lockhart, Sarah Mlynowski, and Lauren Myracle. Mark your calendars, rgz!
Please spread the word that Laurie Halse Anderson will be chatting live on the MySpace readergirlz forum this Thursday, June 19th. The chat will start at 6 PM PST/9 PM EST and last for about an hour. We're featuring Laurie's book PROM (US cover on left, UK cover on right) in this month's issue but the discussion goes in every direction. To whet your appetite, here are a few things we've found out about Laurie:
On your nightstand: Flashlight, notebook, pen (all for middle of the night ideas) and my inhaler.
Favorite drink while you write: Tea or coffee
Favorite bookstore: River's End Bookstore, Oswego, NY
Favorite library: Mexico Public Library, Mexico, NY
Pet: Kezzie (my German Shepherd)
Place to write: The loft of our house
Inspiration: My readers
Dream book tour: One that includes Paris, Edinburgh, and Tokyo
Author-buddies: Sarah Dessen, Chris Crutcher, Holly Black
Cure for writer's block: Run 5 miles
Favorite outfit: Jeans and hoodie sweatshirt, sneakers
Long-hand or laptop? Laptop
Stilettos or Uggs? Uggs!!!
Author idol: Francesca Lia Block
Next up: Chains (Fall 2008), Wintergirls (Spring 2009)
We were treated to the humor and heart of Shannon Hale, author of BOOK OF A THOUSAND DAYS, during her featured month at readergirlz. Here are a few questions from teens, authors, divas, and other fans, along with Shannon's answers during her chat at the forum:
Q. Was BOOK OF A THOUSAND DAYS based on a specific fairy tale?
(It's) based on Maid Maleen, and obscure but (to me) fascinating Grimms brothers tale ... The story is so strange and yet has such amazing detail and depth, but it was the maid that caught me. After spending 7 years in a tower, she’s dropped from the narrative entirely half way through. That neglect really bothered me. I wanted to hear her voice, loud and strong, speaking up from the dust. I also chose it because of its similarity to The Goose Girl but very profound differences. I loved the dialog the two tales created with each other.
Q. Do you think of BOOK OF A THOUSAND DAYS as fiction or as sci-fi/fantasy?
I think of all my books as fantasy, and I think of them all as realism. And I’m slightly kooky.
Q. You donated a part of the profits to - what was it - the Heifer Foundation?
I didn’t want to mention that in the acknowledgments because it seemed so self-congratulatory, but then I thought it would give that wonderful organization more attention. My only regret is that you can’t buy people a yak. But water buffaloes are cool, too.
Q. Will there be a sequel to BOOK OF A THOUSAND DAYS?
I have a book outlined that takes place in the Eight Realms after B1000, though it’s not technically a sequel. That said, I have notes on lots of books. And so little time lately...I hope you’ll enjoy it in 2018.
Q. Do you plan on writing a sequel for PRINCESS ACADEMY?
I had considered doing a PA sequel. I know what happens next, but I decided against it for lots of reasons. Other stories were (and still are) more insistent in my brain I kept getting emails requesting a sequel and then describing to me what should happen in it--and it was almost always exactly what I’d intended to write. Which tells me if a reader can already imagine a sequel, it’s better left in her brain without having the author come in and intrude. I really like that particular story standing alone.
And yes, after I’d decided not to, PA did extremely well in paperback and I had the thought, "I could make some good money if I wrote a sequel." So now I won’t. If I think about the money a book could make, I’m dooming the project. It’s not really superstition so much as practicality. If I’m doing it for the money, then the story is bound to be less good than if I’m doing it because I can’t bear not to tell that story.
Q. What is it like being stunningly beautiful? ;)
It’s really, really hard. But I get by. [ ... :) ] Too bad we’re not doing video chat ... because I look FAB today. Mascara smeared under eyes, hair fleeing a rubber band, no shower in two days. I’ve swept the kitchen floor three times today and I still have to brush stuff off the bottom of my bare feet whenever I walk across it. LIFE OF GLAMOR, that’s me.
Q. Would you ever write a novel in collaboration with another author? One you aren’t related to? Like Libba Bray? ’Cause your two woman (book tour) was quite awesome.
I talked to Libba about that! And I’ve talked to Stephenie (Meyer) too. And we’re all so busy. Co-writing is more work than writing alone. But maybe someday...
Q. Read anything great lately?
Right now I’m reading THE HOST. Just read Richard Peck’s fantastic A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO. The TRUE MEANING OF SMEKDAY was so funny. BIG FAT MANIFESTO was a great read and really thought provoking.
Q. I heard a rumor that you might be writing a YA sci-fi trilogy. Is this true?
The rumor is true, though I’m mortally afraid of revealing anything before I’ve begun to write it. I think I can say that it’s called Daisy Danger Brown, it’s contemporary, first person, and superhero/scifi. I’m very eager to start on it. Especially right now when Bayern 4 isn’t cooperating.
Q. Does it feel strange stepping out of the fairy tale world into sci-fi?
I get bored easily, so I love to move around to new places and new kinds of storytelling. My adult books and graphic novels have been a wonderful stretch for me, too.
Q. When do you find the time to write (especially now that you’re a mum)?
I find very little time, but I’ve got a babysitter coming over three mornings a week this summer! Wahoo!
Q. Would you share your writing process?
I think about a book for at least a year, often more, taking notes whenever they occur to me. If I don’t write it down, it’s gone. Then I organize the notes and start in on a first draft of whichever story is yelling at me the loudest ... I ABHOR first drafts. Actually, more accurately, I fear them with great tremblings ... I rewrite about a dozen times over about a year and a half. And I weep and declare that I’ve lost it, I can’t be a writer anymore, I’m washed up, it’s over. And my husband rolls his eyes.
Q. What is your favorite part of the writing process?
Finding that perfect sentence. And meeting people who didn’t like to read until they read one of my books, and have gone on to read many books. I don’t feel like it was me who did either of those things, but they both rock.
Thank you, Shannon! This month we're hosting author Laurie Halse Anderson over at readergirlz, and featuring (it's June, people, so what else?) her novel PROM. Stay tuned for more ...
New York, NY, April 28, 2008: James Patterson announced today the 34 U.S. winners and 3 Canadian winners of the 3rd annual James Patterson PageTurner Awards. Winners will receive cash prizes totaling $250,000. Among them are libraries, schools, bookstores, and innovative individuals and organizations that go to extraordinary lengths to spread the FUN of books and reading across the country.
Patterson says: ’This year’s winners are doing great work and at a time when getting people excited about reading and books is especially important. I’m thrilled to help them do what they do so well.’ The winners truly embody the spirit and energy of the PageTurner Awards — to spread the excitement of books and reading as far and wide as is humanly possible. And for that, we salute them all!"
Thanks to the whole crew over at readergirlz, we’ll be using this grant to bring teens even more rewarding reading experiences.
Chat live with author Shannon Hale (BOOK OF A THOUSAND DAYS) on the readergirlz forum tonight at 6 p.m. PDT and 9 p.m. EDT. The chat will last about an hour. Shannon has been her usual funny, articulate, and honest self as our featured author this month, so we're expecting a lively discussion. Next month we'll be talking all about PROM with Laurie Halse Anderson, so stay tuned ...
MAY FEATURE ON READERGIRLZ Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
When Dashti, a maid, and Lady Saren, her mistress, are shut in a tower for seven years for Saren's refusal to marry a man she despises, the two prepare for a very long and dark imprisonment. The arrival outside the tower of Saren's two suitors - one welcome, and the other decidedly less so - brings both hope and great danger, and Dashti must make the desperate choices of a girl whose life is worth more than she knows.
With Shannon Hale's lyrical language, this forgotten but classic fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm is reimagined and reset on the central Asian steppes.
Did you know that author Kelly Bingham (SHARK GIRL) used to write Disney movies -- including Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, The Emperor’s New Groove, and Atlantis? Or that she finished the first draft of her book just a few days before surfer Bethany Hamilton was attacked by a shark, and then put the book away for a whole year? Kelly's been spending time this month on readergirlz, and here are some great quotes from her live chat last Thursday at our forum.
On books she loved as a teen:
Little House on the Prairie books! Trixie Belden, teen detective! This sounds juvenille, but lots of Charlie Brown comic books. I read a lot of animal stories but couldn’t bear to read anything twice where the animal died or was hurt.
On researching SHARK GIRL:
I started with shark attack facts. Do you know it is actually quite rare to have a shark attack in America? And fatalaties are very rare here. I read all kinds of books about it and looked at stomach-turning photos. Blah. Then, once I started writing, I had to heavily reserach amputees and the things they have to use and the therapy they go through. I read for most of my research. But I also interviewed therapists, doctors, and a maker of prosthetic limbs. I also visited a rehab facility. I also read bios of people.
On how writing for film helps her create stories:
I drew storyboards for the films and worked with writers and directors to help figure out our stories. You do all that work before anyone animates anything, of course. The process takes two to five years. So I learned a great deal about character development and pacing and arcs and emotional beats, all that stuff.
On where she writes:
I write at my desk, which is in the loft of our home in the North Georgia mountains. My kids bedroom is attached to the loft. I work in the mornings when everyone is at school and I’m sort of energetic. I am constantly distracted by the chirps of birds and the desire to crawl into our bird blind and take pictures of the birds on the feeders. But soon school will be out and I will hear the sound of voices, not birds!
I honestly think it would be inappropriate to contact her. It would look as if I thought she and I are connected in some way, or I had something to offer her.... the reality is, how could I possibly understand what her loss has truly meant? My story is fictional, hers is real....and no matter how I explain, it just LOOKS so bad, you know what I mean? I think if I were Bethany, ... I would be like, "Why are you sending me this book, I just lived this story, I don’t need your imaginings." She is quite the inspiration herself and I admire her a great deal.
Great stuff, don't you think? In May, we're hosting Shannon Hale (BOOK OF A THOUSAND DAYS), so spread the word. Shannon's live chat will be Thursday, May 22nd, 6 p.m. PDT, 9 p.m. EDT. And in June, what could be better than to focus on PROM by Laurie Halse Anderson?
Come join us for a live chat on the readergirlz MySpace forum with our April-is-poetry-month author Kelly Bingham tonight, Thursday April 24th, at 6 p.m. PDT and 9 p.m. EDT (you mountain and central people do the math and join us.)
SHARK GIRL: A Novel In Verse
What happens when life as you know it is changed forever? What happens when your dreams are snatched away? And how do you move on when you have lost part of yourself forever?
Shark Girl is a story of fifteen-year old Jane Arrowood, a budding artist and junior in high school. On a sunny summer day, Jane goes to the beach with her family and goes for a swim. That's when everything changes---forever.
Now she dreads returning to school, with her fake arm and the stares, whispers, and pity of the students around her.
Told in poems, letters, newspaper articles, and conversations, SHARK GIRL looks at what it's like to find the courage to rebuild the life you thought you'd lost.
Here's an excerpt from Kelly's conversations this month with the girlz:
Does anyone here have recurring dreams? Are they good or bad?
I have several. For years and years, I had a recurring nightmare about walking along the slippery edge of a pool filled with sharks. It was terrifying.
The funny thing is, after completing Shark Girl, I never had that dream again.
Now I dream about orcas! ... In my dream, I walk to the beach, come over a hill, look down, and see scores of Orcas floundering around in the shallows, looking menacing and scary. Sometimes they are even coming up on the sand.
Today's the day! I rocked the drop -- scattering books far and wide in places like Dallas, Texas; Springfield, Missouri; Concord, Massachusetts; Winchester, Massachusetts, and of course in the fabulous Children's Hospital in Boston, where Dr. Jessica Daniel coordinates a program called Booking It In The Waiting Room, trying to make sure that teens who come in for stressful appointments can choose and take home wonderful new books.
Sarah Dessen was our guest author over at readergirlz for the month of March, talking about her forthcoming book, Lock and Key. Here are some excerpts from her chat with the girlz last week:
I get a little crazy everytime I’m writing a book, especially at the end, when I’m so tired and burned out and just trying to finish. Mostly by then I’m just subsisting on chocolate and fear. But somehow, it works out.
I never start a book until I have what I call "the skeleton, " which is the first line, climactic scene, and last scene. They often change from what I begin with, but I like knowing where I’m going. I’ve started books without knowing that and they never work out.
I actually had a lot of people say they thought Just Listen was TOO much like Speak. I made a point of not reading Speak until JL was edited and done, but while they have the theme of sexual assualt in common, I thought they were very different. I think it’s never a bad thing to have many takes on an issue that people don’t talk about enough.
My favorite spot to write? These days, anywhere. I used to love my office, but now I tend to write in my daughter’s room, when she’s downstairs. I like to think I can write anywhere, but it’s awfully nice here in this room. There’s a Where The Wild Things Are poster on the wall!
(My routine's) changed a bit since my daughter was born. Everything has! But I still try to write about an hour to an hour and a half a day, in the afternoons. Sometimes I get to do that, sometimes I don’t. I can’t be as obsessive as I used to be, which is actually a good thing.
I really like writing YA, but I think eventually I would like to write about older narrators. A lot has happened to me since high school! I actually have a couple of books I’ve written with older narrators, but I just haven’t had a chance to show them to anyone yet.
I’m actually working on a new book right now, but it’s in the really early stages. I’m so superstitious I can’t talk about it! But I am always that way...
I love John Irving. His book A Prayer for Owen Meany is probably my favorite book. I named Owen Armstrong after Owen Meany! I also love Southern Writers like Lee Smith and Jill McCorkle. I also LOVE Jennifer Weiner and Anne Tyler. For YA, I love Laurie Halse Anderson and John Green and Cecil Castellucci and Sara Zarr and the list goes on and on...
Lock and Key is about a girl named Ruby, who has lived most of her life moving from place to place with her Mom, who is not exactly the most responsible person. As the book begins her mom has taken off, and this time she doesn’t come back. Ruby plans to live alone in their little yellow farmhouse, but she gets turned into Social Services by her landlords and sent to live with her sister, who she hasn’t seen in ten years. It’s a book about change, and family, and secrets, and how even getting what you think you want isn’t always easy. It’s out on April 22nd.
Along with writing memorable characters, Sarah is also great at creating a sense of place in her fiction. Here's a video explaining why:
This month we're hosting Kelly Bingham (Shark Girl) for National Poetry Month. Check out the issue, and stop by to chat with Kelly at the readergirlz forum.
All Sarah Dessen fans are invited to participate in the live readergirlz Lock and Key Sneak Peak Party with the author this Thursday 3/27 at 3 o'clock EDT. Prizes and giveaways abound, and Sarah's ready to answer questions and talk about her new book via readergirlz' MySpace site. Scroll to the bottom of the page to find the chats. And check out this month's issue featuring Sarah.
Written a book for teens? Any book? Or got an extra one on your shelves to spare? The American Library Association's Young Adult Division, aka YALSA, and we at readergirlz are inviting you to participate in a fabulous opportunity.
We're starting our second joint teen literacy project, Operation Teen Book Drop (TBD) (the first was the 31 Flavorite Authors for Teens program last October.) To build awareness for April 17, 2008, Support Teen Literature Day, readergirlz and YALSA are organizing a massive, coordinated release of 10,000 publisher-donated YA books into the top pediatric hospitals across the country.
We now invite you to celebrate Support Teen Lit Day with us. How? Donate one or more of your books to your community and join an unprecedented online book bash: The TBD Post-Op Party!
Web-Based Stuff To Do
If you want to share a teen book you own and love, download a TBD bookplate here. Paste this bookplate into the book you plan to donate. If you're the author of the book, download this plate.
Blog about Operation TBD and your upcoming participation, and place the I Rock the Drop icon on your site. Pick up the code here and check mine out in the sidebar.
At the readergirlz MySpace group forum look for the thread TBD rgz and post a reply that you plan to “Rock the Drop.” Watch and participate in other readergirlz MySpace group forum threads as they're posted.
Drop a Book on April 17th
Leave your book, with a TBD bookplate pasted inside, in a teen gathering spot in your community. Place it where the book will be found, taken, and read. (i.e. a coffee shop, the park, school, a bus stop.)
Join the TBD Post-Op Party, April 17th
We invite everyone to join our online two-hour book party hosted at the readergirlz MySpace forum, on April 17th (Support Teen Literature Day), at 6-8pm Pacific/9-11pm Eastern. The chat will be in a thread titled "TBD Post-Op Party." The readergirlz divas will be giving away books and prizes!
We've invited so many authors, you just never know who you might end up meeting! This is the same day all 10,000 publisher-donated books will be dropped in pediatric hospitals across the country, and it is the same day authors and librarians themselves will have released their own favorite books into their communities as you have.
Operation TBD has special meaning to my fellow readergirlz divas. After researching pediatric oncology wards for her novel GIRL OVERBOARD, Justina Chen Headley spent a year purchasing autographed YA novels to donate to her local Children’s Hospital, specifically because most hospitals do not have comfort objects for teens. Lorie Ann Grover (ON POINTE) and Dia Calhoun (AVIELLE OF RHIA) personally know the healing power of stories during hospital stays, since they both live with chronic illness. In fact, it was after they described Operation Teen Book Drop to me that I decided to join the team.
We're celebrating our one year anniversary over at readergirlz with a makeover and a March Sarah Dessen extravaganza, including a Sneak Peek Lock and Key (her forthcoming wonderful novel) Party on Thursday, March 27th at 12:00 PM PST / 3:00 PM EST at the readergirlz forum.
The readergirlz divas -- Dia Calhoun, Lorie Ann Grover, Justina Chen Headley, and moi -- also invite you to join us, YALSA, and publishers in a never-done-before book release program, Operation Teen Book Drop (TBD). We're putting new and amazing books into the hands of over 10,000 teen patients in Children's Hospitals across the country in April. More details to come, so get in touch with us over there to find out how you can read and release a book with us!
The February issue of Readergirlz is up, featuring the incomparable Nikki Grimes, who describes her writing discipline in an interview:
I set aside time every morning, six days a week, to work on a project. Usually, it is a work-in-progress: a collection of poetry, a novel, a chapter book, an essay for a magazine or journal, etc. I lay out whatever materials I'm going to need for that project, so that they are handy. (Notes, journals, books I want to quote from, etc.) I try to go for a 3-mile walk every day, so I'll read my notes for a passage or a poem that I want to work on, go for my walk, and work out that piece in my head as I go. When I get back to the house, I grab a pad and jot down whatever I’ve come up with before I forget it. Then, for the remainder of the morning, I continue working on that piece. The work is sometimes dry when I begin, but that's to be expected. That’s what rewrites are for. The early draft is just to get the basic idea down on paper, so that you have something to work with. My final version takes several drafts. Thank God for computers with cut and paste!
... by authors who aren't white, or teen novels featuring female main characters who aren't of European descent.
I know how hard it is to promote a novel if you're not one of those "squeal factor" authors whose new release goes viral on pub date. That's why, wearing my Readergirlz Diva hat, I'm asking you to blast me with titles that may be off the radar but glitter with the possibility of word-of-mouth magic.
I'm talking books like Kashmira Sheth's amazing Keeping Corner, which got four starred reviews -- PW, Kirkus, SLJ, andBooklist -- but somehow missed the buzz during awards season.
Burton Snowboards and Girl Overboard author Justina Chen Headley, in partnership with Youth Venture, are co-sponsoring the Go Overboard Challenge Grant to find the best youth-led ideas to change the world.
Commit to a cause you're already passionate about -- whether it's saving the environment, ending world hunger, or protecting endangered species. Olympic Gold medalist Hannah Teter, with the help of Green Mountain Sugar House, bottles Vermont-grown maple syrup-Hannah's Gold to earn money for AIDS orphans in Africa. Justina co-founded readergirlz -- an online book community -- to promote teen girl literacy. And Syrah in Girl Overboard spearheaded a huge snowboarding event to raise awareness for cancer. So think about a problem and figure out a solution!
Then tell us how you, your club, your team, or your entire school will Go Overboard. The best ideas will win one of the many Go Overboard Challenge Grants of up to $1,000 each. So get ready to change the world with your plans.
BTW, Justina's YA novel Girl Overboard is a premiere Junior Guild selection!
Now we've got two Massachusetts-based bloggers -- Vivian and me -- on board along with all those Pacific Northwest Peeps (like the three new go2girlz, Holly, Sara, and Martha). Go Pats!
When Readergirlz invited me to join the ranks of Divahood, I hesitated. I've honed my vocational mission statement through the years and the first two words in it are "to serve." Wanting to become a Diva (defined by Merriam Webster as an "unusually glamorous and successful female performer or personality") seemed a contradiction.
But then I took a closer look at what Lorie Ann, Janet, Dia, and Justina were asking: they wanted me to be the one to book the authors featured in the 4,500-member (and growing) forum. Basically, that means promoting other writers so that teens can connect with great novels. After a year of moaning about publicity (or lack thereof), this felt like my answer -- instead of spinning wheels in time-consuming efforts to brand myself, I could foster the love of books in general (not just my own) and join a team dedicated to literacy, girls, and stories.
Okay, my skeptical friends, you might think, "Right, Mitali. This is all about getting yourself and your books more out there." Yes, there is an element of self-promotion involved; I've usually gained secondary rewards when I make decisions in line with my primary statement of purpose. And, as my mother always reminds me, as long as my priorities are in the right order there's nothing wrong with a win-win situation. I highly recommend going away for an overnight (if possible -- take an hour in a coffee shop if that's all you've got) and coming up with a vocational manifesta of your own even if you're not a writer. Or a diva.
This just in from Readergirlz (note my new job title):
January 1, 2008
An Open Letter to Readergirlz Around the World
When we started readergirlz way back in March on National Women’s History Month, skeptics wondered: in today’s world of IM, TIVO, and Guitar Hero, is reading even relevant to teen girls?
Well, if readergirlz is any proof, any indication, any sign of hope…YES, teen girls (and guys) are reading. Passionately. Deeply. And in droves. Let us tell you this. Not only are teens reading, they are also connecting books to their own lives. They are giving back based on what they’ve read. They are creating community. Just witness this: in ten short months, some 4,500 girls (and counting) have signed up for readergirlz. Girls around the world—from Kuwait to Kansas City—have flocked to readergirlz to chat with each other…and stellar authors, including all the ones who participated in our unprecedented 31 Flavorite Authors for Teens. These girls have cracked us up with their witticisms. They’ve humbled us with their support and insight. And they completely stoked us with their passionate love affair with story and words.
That’s good news because more than ever our world needs teens—our changemakers of today and tomorrow—to be avid readers. When you think about it, critical thinking is a direct offshoot of critical reading. Filtering out insignificant details to distill the main issue is nothing but literary analysis. More than that, reading teaches us to forge hand-in-hand through difficult times with our characters, not to avoid tough situations. Reading teaches us to dwell with our thoughts, to contemplate—not just to chunk up our time with disjointed and frenetic multitasking. Reading wakes us up to the world with all of its problems and possibilities. And reading teaches us to hope. A community of critical readers, deep thinkers, and engaged global citizens is what readergirlz hopes to create for teens in today’s world.
Don’t listen to us. Listen to what the teens themselves are saying about reading at readergirlz in particular: “Kids need this. There aren’t that many places where teens and adults get to discuss some of the very real issues of growing up in our society.” And this: “You guys are the main reason I even check my MySpace everyday because I can’t WAIT to see what new topics we have. You guys make me feel so awesome about being who I am.”
And now we give you the Readergirlz Manifesta 2008. This is what we stand for. This is what we believe. This is what we promise teen girls.
Readergirlz is committed to creating groundbreaking programs that make teen reading seriously fun. If you thought 31 Flavorite Authors for Teens was Big and Bold, just wait until you see what we’ve got planned for April, 2008.
Readergirlz is about celebrating excellent YA novels that feature strong girls with the guts to dream—and putting teen readers in direct contact with the author. You aren’t going to believe our 2008 line-up, including (drum roll, please) the brilliant Nikki Grimes (February, 2008), spectacular Sarah Dessen (March, 2008), and incandescent Shannon Hale (May, 2008).
Readergirlz is about reaching out to others based on what you've read. So continue to see how readergirlz ties every single book we feature with a community service project. And have we mentioned April, 2008? And most of all, readergirlz continues to be about inspiring girls to make history of their own! New Girlz on the Block
To help us in 2008, we are increasing the readergirlz ranks.
Please help us welcome our newest readergirlz diva: the critically-acclaimed YA novelist Mitali Perkins (Monsoon Summer, First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover, and the forthcoming First Daughter: White House Rules). You may know Mitali through her popular blog (www.mitaliblog.com/) that reviews novels with intelligence and passion, focusing on multicultural titles. We are so thrilled and honored to have Mitali join us.
In addition to our brilliant postergirlz—our advisory council of major children’s lit bloggers—we have created a second group to help us run readergirlz. Please welcome our go2girlz, made up of three exceptional writers—Holly Cupala (winner of a 2006 SCBWI Work-in-Progress Grant), Sara Easterly (SCBWI co-regional advisor and Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award winner for her debut children’s title, Lights, Camera & Fashion!) and Martha Brockenborough (hilarious Cinemama columnist on MSN, founder of the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar, and author of the forthcoming Things that Make us [SIC]). For more information, please see their websites: www.hollycupala.com; www.saraeasterly.com, and www.marthabee.com. Our fabulous go2girlz will guarantee that readergirlz continues to rock and roll for you.
Thanks for making our 2007 a veritable pageturner. We hope 2008 will be revelatory. Revolutionary. And wholly revolving around words. So to the girl who wrote us on the last night of 31 Flavorites, “You're bringing me Stephenie Meyer tonight. Do you have any idea at all of how much I love you people? Monuments shall be erected in your honor!"—we say this: just you wait for 2008. (No monuments necessary. Just more books.)
To gutsy girls worldwide, ~the readergirlz co-founders~ Justina Chen Headley, Girl Overboard Lorie Ann Grover, On Pointe Dia Calhoun, Avielle of Rhia Janet Lee Carey, Dragon’s Keep
