No Rest For The Wicked

I did it.  This morning I sent my completed novel to my agent.  It feels incredibly liberating to get the book off my desk, and onto hers.  Yay!  Champagne and chocolate all around!

And then...we wait.

There's a lot of waiting in a writer's life.  Waiting for your agent to read the book, waiting to hear back from editors.  And if we should be so blessed to receive an offer, it can take days or weeks to actually seal the deal, and then months after that to get the actual contract, and even more months to get your first advance check.

So what do you do while you're waiting?

There is no rest for the wicked...aka, the writer.  You start writing again, right away.

This was a hard lesson that I learned with my first novel.  After it went out on submission, I procrastinated starting anything new.  My reasoning was that soon I'd be under contract and have to do edits and what was the point of starting anything new only to return to the first novel?  Well, that novel didn't sell.  And I wasted about six months...six months that I could've used to write a good portion of a new book.

When WINTER FALLS went out on submission, I was determined not to make this mistake again.  I threw myself into the Artist's Way program (a 12-step, 3-month creative recovery program) and took two online writing intensives back-to-back (Fearless Writer, which I highly recommend).  It kept me creatively active during the long months that WINTER FALLS was on submission.  About four months into this, I had the idea for the book I just sent to my agent, and started to dig deep into work on it, and get really excited about it.  A few weeks later, WINTER FALLS sold.

That's not a coincidence, I don't think.  It was only after my energy was directed into a new project that the old project sold.

There's so much that's out of our control in this business - whether editors will like our book, or if the market's right for it, or if readers will respond - that it's vital that we control what is in our power.  That starts with where we put our energy.  Do we put it into waiting around to hear back from agents and editors?  Or do we pour our energy into the next book?  Having done both, I can tell you that the latter is much more fun.

What's my next book?  I have no idea.  The world is my oyster.  It can be anything I want it to be.  And THAT feels incredibly liberating, too.  

Nicole Maggi writes YA - paranormal, historical, and beyond.  Her debut novel WINTER FALLS will be released in 2014 from Medallion Press.  She's represented by the fabulous Irene Goodman of The Irene Goodman Literary Agency, and lives in Los Angeles with her husband Chris, their daughter Emilia (after the Shakespeare character), and two cats Sawyer & Hurley (after the LOST characters - yeah, she's a geek).  Check out her website and follow her on Twitter!

Trust Your Subconscious

When I first started my current WIP, there was one tiny plot point that kept popping up.  And although it didn't seem to go anywhere,  I kept it in the story.  And even though my critique partners kept saying, "I think you should change this," I kept it in the story.

In the back of my  mind, I knew I needed to connect that little plot point to something at the end of the story.  But I tried not to stress out about it.  I just let it lie in the back of my mind, fermenting.

And lo and behold, it finally became wine.

Last weekend, at a meeting with my critique partners, we were discussing the end of my story and in mid-sentence I realized exactly the purpose that little plot point had had all along.

Photo by Bill Kuykendall

So the lesson is, trust your subconscious.  There was a reason I put that tidbit in to begin with.  There was a reason I didn't cut it out even though more than a few people told me to.  I didn't know the reason, but I trusted that eventually it would reveal itself.

The writer's subconscious is like a leafy green forest with endless paths crisscrossing through the
brush.  It's hard to see the ground ahead.  Sometimes you have to just close your eyes and feel your way through.

And sometimes cutting out that little plot point is the best way to go.  But don't worry...your subconscious will tell you that, too.

Nicole Maggi writes YA - paranormal, historical, and beyond.  Her debut novel WINTER FALLS will be released in 2014 from Medallion Press.  She's represented by the fabulous Irene Goodman of The Irene Goodman Literary Agency, and lives in Los Angeles with her husband Chris, their daughter Emilia (after the Shakespeare character), and two cats Sawyer & Hurley (after the LOST characters - yeah, she's a geek).  Check out her website and follow her on Twitter!
 

The Swamp

Photo by Susulyka

Currently, I'm in what my good friend and critique partner (and brilliant screenwriter) Jen Klein calls The Swamp.  That's the place where you suddenly feel mired down in your story, unable see anything but the mud and the muck and alligators.  You know the story needs something, but everything you try doesn't seem to work.  You doubt every decision you make.  You rewrite a scene, only to decide an hour later that the new scene is crap and the whole book is crap and your agent is going to hate it and it's never going to sell but that's okay because no one is ever going to want to read it anyway.

So, uh...yeah.  That's The Swamp, and that's where I am.  By the way, Jen calls it The Swamp because in her first screenplay there was literally a swamp at the place where she got stuck.

Georges Seurat's La Grande Jatte/Art Institute of Chicago

It's like I'm stuck inside Georges Seurat's La Grande Jatte and all I can see are the tiny multi-colored dots.  I can't step back and see the beautiful painting as a whole, its scope and vision.

There's a swamp in every single creative project, a place where we're suddenly struck with quicksand-like self-doubt.  It takes every ounce of positive thought and determination to not let yourself get pulled under.  Sometimes you have to doggie-paddle in place to keep yourself afloat for a while.  Sometimes it takes copious amounts of cookies and chocolate and pie to keep the alligators at bay.

The thing about The Swamp is that you can't really fight your way out of it.  You have to write your way through it.

 And maybe it takes rewriting the same scene over and over and over, but eventually you'll realize that the third new version of that scene does work, and your decision to cut that particular character out was the right one, and your writing actually isn't crap.  The sun will shine through the trees, the alligators will slink back down into the mud, and you'll find yourself on solid ground again.

Nicole Maggi writes YA - paranormal, historical, and beyond.  Her debut novel WINTER FALLS will be released in 2014 from Medallion Press.  She's represented by the fabulous Irene Goodman of The Irene Goodman Literary Agency, and lives in Los Angeles with her husband Chris, their daughter Emilia (after the Shakespeare character), and two cats Sawyer & Hurley (after the LOST characters - yeah, she's a geek).  Check out her website and follow her on Twitter!

Dark YA

A reader recently complained to me about how dark some YA fiction seems to be. This reader was an adult, who reads YA because he wants to escape from reality, but he has trouble finding things he can read that aren't more upsetting than many adult books--or than real life. He asked me why YA authors want to write such dark things.

I didn't have an answer for him, because even though I write YA, I don't feel that qualifies me to speak for all YA authors. I can only speak for myself. So here's my opinion, because I'm opinionated like that...

First of all, "dark" is in the mind of the beholder. To my 17-year-old, a story about someone who is bullied and turns to drugs or self-harm is dark. To another teen the same age, that might be light and fluffy, because they've lived through much worse. There are some concepts and plots that nearly everyone would agree are dark: abuse, rape, death, etc. But even within those categories, there are many shades of darkness or light, depending on how the topic is treated and what happens within the story.

Second, "dark" sometimes sells, or at least that's wisdom I've seen around the internet lately. "Teens want to read about what they're experiencing" has been used as justification for books about drug and alcohol abuse, physical and sexual abuse, sexual promiscuity, etc. Not that there's anything wrong with those types of books; some would agree, though, that they are dark. And not all teens want to read them, but some do.

Personally, I write what I feel drawn to write. The reader was talking specifically about my novel Fresh Meat, and I could understand why he might consider that dark. Honestly, I consider it one of my darkest young adult books. The main character, Tobias, lives in a home with a father whose violent temper sometimes explodes onto Tobias or his mother; the older of his two younger sisters is autistic and the younger of the two is ignored; and his mother is constantly overwhelmed. Tobias, at 15, finds comfort with a 22-year-old man, until that man sexually assaults him, turning him into a werewolf in the process, and takes him away from his home.

I didn't set out to write a "dark" book, nor did I set out to trigger myself or any readers (though I was triggered when I wrote the scene in which Tobias is assaulted). I set out to write the backstory of a character who intrigued me in Karenna Colcroft's adult romance series Real Werewolves Don't Eat Meat, with the blessing of the author and publisher, and from that guideline I followed where the character led. It did go to dark places. But it also went to light, hopeful places: Tobias's friends Shawn and Eddie, who have problems of their own but support Tobias; Jed and Eloise Howe, the werewolf Alpha and his mate who take Tobias in and become foster parents to him after his change; and Harok, the 18-year-old boy who appoints himself Tobias's mentor in the werewolf world and becomes his closest friend. And Tobias himself, his strength and determination to live his life regardless of circumstances.

And that's my reason for writing what some might consider "dark YA". I write the stories that are brought to me by the characters I create, and I write so that readers who may be experiencing darkness in their own lives can see that there is light if they reach out for it.

Reasons Why Music is Important

When I taught writing, I played music because it inspired creativity in my students’ writings. When I taught reading I played music to calm and sooth my students as they read and drifted into the worlds they were reading about.

As I write, I listen to music. I create play lists for the stories. Pick songs that fit the characters and the moods of the story.

But why is music so important?

1. Music is a universal language. It evokes feelings, and even bridges gaps that spoken language often cannot. It brings people together in celebration and prayer. It is a commonality in a world of diversity. It is something we can all understand even when we don't understand each others language.
2. Music inspires and evokes emotions. Music helps us to express feelings and emotions that we sometimes find very difficult to find the words to express. It can help us to express our love. It can help us to express our sorrow.
3. Music sparks imagination and enhances our creativity. The right song at the right time can cause a spark to ignite, and suddenly a masterpiece is born.
4. Music enhances learning. Music effects learning. It makes it more enjoyable. Various studies have shown that music effects several different brain functions--motor control, imagination, sight, hearing, and memory. Music in the classroom increases learning and raises student scores.
5. Music creates ambiance. It can enhance or add to the mood the environment is already evoking. It helps people to relax.
6. Music is spiritual. All religions use music. 
7. Music is just fun.

Dead Penguins, I Never Knew This

Did you ever wonder why there are no dead penguins on the ice in Antarctica ?
Where do they go?

Wonder no more!
It is a known fact that the penguin is a very ritualistic bird which lives an extremely ordered and complex life. The penguin is very committed to its family and will mate for life, as well as maintain a form of compassionate contact with its offspring throughout its life.

If a penguin is found dead on the ice surface, other members of the family and social circle have been known to dig holes in the ice, using their vestigial wings and beaks, until the hole is deep enough for the dead bird to be rolled into, and buried.

The male penguins then gather in a circle around the fresh grave and sing:

"Freeze a jolly good fellow."
"Freeze a jolly good fellow."


You really didn't think I knew anything about penguins, did you? 

Encouragement for Teen Writers

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Those of us who write YA spend many hours connecting with teens, observing them, thinking about their problems, jotting down their dialogue, and crafting stories we hope they'll love. When you're around teens that much and they know you're a writer, quite a few of them will confess that they want to write or are writing a novel. They ask for tips on how to get published.

It's hard to encapsulate years of writing advice into one conversation or even hours of talks, so writer Jill Williamson, who's been a mentor to many teen writers, and has many published and forthcoming YA novels has joined Stephanie Morrill to publish a book for teens. The duo also have a website geared for teen writers. Teens can hang out there to discuss writing, find out about writing opportunities, and learn from published authors. Jill also runs NovelTeen, a site where she and teens review YA novels.

Here's the blurb for Go Teen Writers:

Whether you’re just starting to write your first story or you’ve finished and are wondering how to edit, this book will help you learn how to perfect your craft and get your project ready for publication. Click to learn more.

Includes tips for:

-Getting published, finding the right agent, book surgery, thicker plots, deeper characters, richer settings, weaving in theme, dealing with people who don’t get your writing
Find this book at your local bookstore, or…
On ebook at: Amazon.com • BarnesandNoble.com • Kobo

One of my favorite pieces of advice from the book is this tip for deepening character development. After offering the usual advice of giving the character a goal and an inner desire, the authors suggest creating a lie for the character to believe and a reason for him or her to believe it. As they point out, "And just like the lie can be a point of weakness for your main character, it can be the downfall of your antagonists."

The book has more great advice that isn't just for teens, but for any writer.

If you were to give one piece of writing advice to teens, what would it be?