Writing, From My Experience by Jeffrey Harper...

It is always reassuring to know you are not the only one out there that is in the same position you're in. Guest blogger, Jeffrey Harper, has volunteered to share his experience as an aspiring writer below; and please, visit his blog About Ayn Rand to discover some insight into her life, her beliefs and ideals, and her novels.

Growing Up Can Be Hard

When I was a child I wanted to be a superhero. I had everything: the cape, the boots, and the underwear  over my pants to top it off. The only thing I was lacking was the super-power. I couldn’t move things with my mind, fly, or go invisible. As I got older I realized that my dream of being the next Superman or Flash (my personal favorites) would never come true. I didn’t like this realization so I decided to do something about it, and the way I did that was through my writing.

I decided that since I couldn’t develop super-powers and save the world I would create stories where people could, and through my stories I (or my characters) could do anything. If I wanted them to have the ability to run as fast as the speed of sound, then all I had to do was put it in words and it would come true.

Work, Work, Work

I have written one full length novel geared for teens, and a few short stories for a slightly older crowd. Writing is the easiest part of the whole process; all it takes is time and imagination. Getting published is a whole different thing.

I have read though my work several times, picking through it word by word, but it’s not enough. Questions continue to pop up in my head. Is it good enough? Will people like it? The fear of getting rejected, on something that I have put in so much time and effort to write, is what keeps me from step two: finding an editor and publisher. Where do you start?

I have decided to leave my novel shelved while I try to get my short stories out there. Competitions are a great way to start; most offer a cash prize and publication of the winning story. I have entered two of my short stories in the Writer’s Digest 13th Annual Contest and have my fingers crossed for positive results.

Counting the Days

Although I am a new writer and remain unpublished for now, I have high hopes for the future. I write because I love it and if I could get paid for the work I do, then all the better. For those that are writing and are worried of rejection, you are not alone. Everyone faces that at one point or another. You just cannot give up on something you love.

-Jeffrey Harper

YAL Writing Trends...

If you are perhaps ever wondering what young adult (YA) authors are writing about, or how they are writing, the infographic below could prove very useful in recognizing the writing trends in young adult literature (YAL) as well as in taking note that these trends are what has contributed to the increasing market of YAL.

YAL Trends | Infographic

Attention All Writers: "NaNoWriMo"...

In honor of the writer's favorite month, November, it seems only fitting to mention a great writing tool and potential publishing opportunity: the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).

NaNoWriMo was originally founded in 1999 by Chris Baty along with a group of 20 friends in San Francisco, California, but is now run by The Office of Letters and Light non-profit organization. The program was created for anyone and everyone who has ever wanted to write a novel but hasn't known where to start. NaNoWriMo is a great website that can help you through a daily commitment to writing all through the month of November, and maybe even help you achieve that dream of writing a novel. Publishing opportunities are everywhere as we see here with published NaNoWriMo novelists.

How It Works:

• Create an account (it's free!)
• Just start writing on your computer every day (12AM, November 1 - 11:59PM, November 30)
• Update your word count each day and post an excerpt of that day's work
• Join group forums if you ever need help or advice on something your writing
• On November 30, if your work is over 50,000 words and complete you may officially submit it to the website and have a shot at getting that story picked up by a publishing company!

In 2011 there were 256,618 participants; 36,843 reached the 50K word count. NaNoWriMo aims for higher numbers this year, so writers get to it even if it is the middle of the month; if you don't hit the deadline requirement the experience is still great practice.


Works Referenced:

• The Office of Letters and Light. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/about

Young Adult Literature and the YALSA...

Books have been written for young people since the 1930s; the American Library Association (ALA) committees "have been compiling a yearly list of the best books for young people" (Snethen, 2012, p. 9) ever since. But the definition of young adult literature (YAL) has changed over the years, and the ALA has created many subcommittees to deal with the increasing activity and growth of YAL. In the 1950s many of the books written for young people were either "sportscar stories for boys or prom and date stories for girls" (Stevenson, 1984, p. 87). Soon after 'the problem novel' was created to talk to young adults about topics that "ranged from growth of body hair and growing into brassieres to parental divorce, bereavement, sexual initiation, pregnancy, alcohol and drug abuse, and so on" (Stevenson, 1984, p. 87). This kind of young adult literature quickly became unpopular however because there are only so many ways to tell the same kind of stories.

Decades later YAL has grown to encompass many different genres in both nonfiction and fiction. The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) has created lists to manage the most popular and commonly read young adult novels, and to recommend to libraries all across the country what novels they should order. Young adult fiction has become so popular the YALSA has recently changed its Best Books for Young Adults (BBYA) list to the Best Books for Young Adults to Best Fiction for Young Adults (BFYA) to efficiently accommodate the growing genre, and "added awards and lists that focus on nonfiction, graphic novels for young adults, and various other formats" (Snethen, 2012, p. 9), making the fiction genre much more independent from the others.

For those beginner writers and future authors out there worried about the direction the market is headed have no fear, the YAL market has made a name for itself- in YA fiction especially- with no end in sight. More information on the market will follow in upcoming posts.


Works Referenced:

 

· Snethen, T. (2012). From Best Books to Best Fiction Embracing Change in YALSA's Selection Lists. Young Adult Library Services, 10(3), 9-11.

· Stevenson, D. (1984). Young Adult Fiction: An Editor's Viewpoint. Children's Literature Association Quarterly, 9(2), 87-88.

Interviews: The Follow Up...

In the previous posts regarding query letters and the DFW Conference, young adult (YA) authors Victoria Scott and Lindsay Cummings shared with us a little of what they know in the corresponding topics. Some of you may have wanted to know more about them so, here is more on their interviews.

Please state your name, agent name, title of work(s), and publishing company.

• Victoria Scott, agent- Laurie McLean, the Dante Walker trilogy through Entangled Teen and the Brimstone Bleed trilogy through Scholastic.
• Lindsay Cummings, agent- Louise Fury, The Murder Complex 1 & 2 through Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins.

Was becoming an author your 'Plan A' career? How did you come into writing your YA novel?

• Victoria- I worked in advertising for several years before becoming an author. It wasn't Plan A, but I knew it should have been as soon as I started writing.
• Lindsay- My Plan A was to go to college for vocal studies! But when I graduated high school I got sick with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and wasn't able to go to college. I took up writing as a way to cope, and it ended up becoming a huge passion of mine. Not long after, it became a career!

What was the process like in finding a publishing company?

• Victoria- My agent queried editors she thought would be interested in my book;  those editors requested to read the manuscript, and the one that wanted it...bought it!
• Lindsay- Louise really did everything. She pitched my book to editors at big houses, small houses, all over. If an editor wanted to read it Louise sent a book in...and then we waited for an answer. It takes a lot of patience and a lot of forcing yourself to calm down.

Are there any personal anecdotes you would like to share about your experiences in getting your work(s) published to the writers/future authors that would visit this blog?

• Victoria- Don't give up. And to read...a lot. Compare your work to published works and take the profession very seriously. And have fun!
• Lindsay- Just keep going. You're going to have setbacks and rejections...I think everyone does at some point. But it will happen if you work hard and believe in yourself and your work!

Thank you very much ladies for giving us some insight into the life of a YA author.
For more on Victoria Scott and Lindsay Cummings visit their websites.

 

What Conferences Are All About...

The list of writers' conferences that take place around the United States is vast. Conferences are another great way to meet literary agents rather than solely depending on query letters. They are also a wonderful resource with the various business, as well as craft, forums and workshops you are able to attend. The DFW Writers' Conference in Hurst, Texas is a great example of what you can expect from a writers' conference. Though the details of their website pertain to their 2012 Conference, it is a useful guide to what may take place in their 2013 Conference this coming May 4-5, 2013.

What is most interesting about their website are Agent Interests. There you can find a list of authors and what genres they are looking for. If say you would like to know which literary agents attending the conference are interested in young adult (YA), science fiction, and/or fantasy, you could click on fiction genres, and a list of all the literary agents in attendance pops up in a PDF; each literary agent interested in those topics are checked off in their corresponding rows. Another great feature of this website is under Schedule; if you open the word document displayed, the entire itinerary is available and you can see what kind of forums or workshops you can participate in.

So if last year's conference looks interesting and you would like to attend the next one, you can register on the conference page, and continue to look for details of the DFW Writers' Conference 2013. Lindsay Cummings, author of the upcoming futuristic thriller The Murder Complex, met her agent Louise Fury at a previous DFW Writers' Conference. Cummings says "It was amazing, and the other authors there taught me a TON of awesome things" (personal communication, October 29, 2012). Read about her road to success as a now published YA author after she attended the 2011 DFW Conference.

SAVE THE DATE! 

DFW Writer's Conference 2013

May 4, 2013 @ 8am - May 5, 2013 @4pm

Hurst Conference Center

1601 Campus Drive- Hurst, TX. 76054



The Query Letter- Getting Their Attention...

Every aspiring author should be proficient in writing a query letter. There are many sources on the web, and in print, that can assist you on how to write a great query letter. AgentQuery.com is a great database to find all the information you need on literary agents. They also have an article, "How to Write a Query Letter", that breaks down what you need into basic sections.

1. The Hook - write a one sentence tagline for your YA novel that sums it all up. This is what will keep the readers (potential literary agents) reading. You want to make them immediately interested in your novel.
2. The Mini-Synopsis - summarize your YA novel into roughly a 150-word paragraph. Give just a little more about what goes on in your novel that will make them want to read your manuscript. This will take a lot of practice to perfect but with enough patience a mini-synopsis will become easier to write and ultimately sell your novel.
3. The Writer's Biography - here is where you talk about yourself, but be sure to keep it short and as relevant to writing as it can be. What experience do you have in writing? Have you won any contests? If you have no answer to these questions, then focus more on your mini-synopsis and keep your biography to a minimum.
4. In Closing - always be sure to thank the agent you are addressing in your letter, for taking the time to read your query letter. Also mention that a manuscript is available upon request; and make sure you have your YA novel ready.

Victoria Scott, author of the upcoming novel The Collector, used a simliar site called QueryTracker.net, "wrote a query letter and blasted it out to a few agents" (personal communication, October 31, 2012). When asked if she had any advice for beginners on how to write a query letter, Scott replied, "research proper query format, and then look up winning query letters that landed agents and use those two pieces as a guide" (personal communication, October 31, 2012).  So do your research and sell your YA novel in that single page cover letter.

You can do it!


Works Referenced:

• Agent Query LLC (2012). How to Write a Query Letter. Retrieved from http://www.agentquery.com/writer_hq.aspx