Sunday, March 18, 2012

The Blog Zone Interview With Author Jessica Leader


Q)  When did you start writing?  What keeps you going?

A)  I started writing on my own time the summer of 9th grade, when I took a playwriting class. I      began with a 10-minute play in verse about a knight sentenced to eat his hat and went on from there (clearly it was only a matter of time before I found children’s literature.)  What keeps me going is the desire to see a character’s story all the way to the end, and to portray stories in novels that I haven’t seen on the shelves. 


Q)  What was your most encouraging moment as an author?

A)  Learning that my novel, Nice and Mean, was going to be featured on the IndieNext list, which is the publication by the American Bookseller’s Association that advises book-buyers what to purchase.   It was a thrill to learn that Nice and Mean was going to be published, but the IndieNext list encouraged me that people other than my immediate circle would value the story.


Q)  What was your most discouraging moment as an author?

A)  Something recent springs to mind that cuts too close to the bone to share, but I mention it to note that even after you are published, there are discouraging moments.  A discouraging moment I will share took place at an SCBWI conference, where I met with an editor about an earlier draft of Nice and Mean.  She told me that too much was going on and maybe it just needed to be Sachi’s story, and that instead of focusing on the video Sachi makes—which is central to the plot—I should just write about her outgrowing her friends.  I felt certain that I knew my book needed what I had put in it, but I was still so frustrated that I couldn’t convey it accurately.  I had wanted to hear praise for my work, and instead, I left feeling terrible. 


Q)  What’s your antidote to writer’s block?

A)  I hate when people say things like this, but I don’t believe in writer’s block – or rather, I don’t think of writer’s block in the same way that many people seem to.  Sometimes, I have trouble figuring out what should happen next in my story, or I feel uninspired to write the next scene.  Usually, this is due to the fact that I’ve gone down a wrong path in whatever I’ve written recently and need to go into reverse before going forward.  For example, sometimes I will be unexcited to write a scene, and I’ll realize that I’ve already mined the emotional tension of this scene before, so it’s not fun to consider writing it again.  If that’s the case, I’ll ask myself, “Which scene do I need most?”  If the answers is, “Both,” I’ll insert some repetition and revision: if Zoe is blowing off her friends for the second time in three chapters, what makes it different this time?  Once I’ve figured that out, I’ll get excited to write the scene.  In short, when I get stuck, I look backwards and try to see what landed me in Stucksville.


Q)  Describe the typical writing day:

A)  I have a daughter who’s less than a year old and I teach part-time, so there’s not much that’s typical!  But I try to get to the writing desk by 9 am and write 1,000 words at the very least each day.  (Sometimes it’s a lot more, but I try to feel good if I’ve gotten 1,000.)  Also, unlike a lot of writers I know, I don’t write at night unless I’m on deadline, I don’t like the feeling that I could or should always be writing.  If I had a typical 9-5 job, I might say that I had to have the computer off at 9pm.  I just need to know there’s some downtime that’s not negotiable. 


Q)  From where do you draw your inspiration?

A)  From the students I see around me, from stories in the news, and from my own experiences as a wee lass.


Q)  Tell us about your latest book:

A)  I’m working on a story about the blossoming of love and dissolution of friendships.  Also, there are a lot of sweets in this story.  They just creep in everywhere. 

Thanks for visiting.  Please enjoy and comment. 



BOOK LINKS

Author Bio: Jessica Leader is the author of Nice and Mean (Simon and Schuster/Aladdin), a middle-grade novel about two girls, one nice, one mean, who are forced to work together in their middle-school video elective.  Nice and Mean appeared on the IndieNext List and was a finalist for a regional SCBWI Crystal Kite Award and a Cybils Award.  She holds an MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and lives in Washington, DC.

PDF of book: You can download it from http://jessicaleader.com/contact.html -- bottom right

Links website, etc.  www.jessicaleader.com


Sunday, March 11, 2012

Why I Love Teens/Tweens

           Why do I love tweens and teens?  Quite simply, they are the emotional truth-tellers of the world. Take that legendary adolescent Holden Caulfield.  Like Holden, tweens and teens have highly evolved radar that can smell fake a mile away.  They have a no-tolerance policy for the balderdash of the world and those who spew it.  And as a young fortiesh woman weighed down with the mundanity of young fortiesh things: bills, groceries, and apps coming out of my eyeballs, I appreciate that. 
            But I don’t just like writing for tweens and teens; I like analyzing literature with them.  So much so, I do it for a living.  They are astute observers of the human condition and quite truthfully, some graduate courses haven’t held a candle to the literary insightfulness of the students I’m privileged to teach.  Their keen eye for symbolism, character development, and thematic analysis would force a half-simper on Harold Bloom’s grinless lips. 
            Now some cynics and anti-Holdenites may brush off my gushing adoration for this niche group as simply a consequence of the YA Renaissance.   (If you weren’t aware, the YA Renaissance is currently in full swing!  Just go to your local bookstore and observe the crossover as soccer moms, and dads, get their fix of Twilight, Harry Potter, and even weigh in on Edward v. Jacob). 
            Then my superego tells me to take a look in the mirror and check myself.  Why do I really love writing about angst, zits, romance, popularity, and love.  Is it that I need closure, validation, and/or have a fear of growing old?  Have I not gotten over the fact that more popular Jennie Kanter didn’t invite me to her slumber party in the ninth grade?   Hmmmm – that’s something to think about. 
            And that’s when my id answers back in a half-hearted mumble – Whatev!


Sunday, March 4, 2012

Blog Zone Interview with Author KC Frantzen


Today we have author KC Frantzen with us.  Great to have you here, KC!  

Q)  When did you start writing.  What keeps you going? 

A)  I've been writing since elementary school, but not seriously until about 30 dog years ago! Writing a story about our PAWmazing dog, May, just would not leave me alone. I'd wake up at night, imagining all sorts of scenes and situations. Finally decided to sit at the computer, and start pounding the keys. Offering hope and positive concepts to combat the darkness rampant these days keeps me at it. Writing is one of the more difficult things I've done, but so rewarding.


Q)  What was your most encouraging moment as an author?

A)  Being an optimist, I'm not sure if the most encouraging has happened yet, though hearing from May's fans is right up there! When an adult says the book altered his viewpoint on how animals think, and another says the story changed her perspective on her own abuse as a child, when the Mom of an 8 year old says her son did not like to read but now, is foregoing video games to grab a book, when a 12 year old young lady is excited about May's next book… These are most encouraging!


Q)  What was your most discouraging moment as an author?

A)  Time management continues to be an issue. I get into the zone and want to do nothing else, but that isn't always practical with family, church and civic responsibilities. It's discouraging to have the story bubbling up, waiting for a place on the page, and not having (or making) the time. Scheduling writing time weekly, if not daily, is I think the answer to this. I struggle to find balance.


Q)  What’s your antidote to writer’s block?

A)   Putting words on paper or computer screen. If I have difficulty with one aspect of a scene, I skip ahead and write something else. Things tend to work out. For example, in May on the Way: How I Become a K9 Spy, I was writing diligently, and about halfway through, before it dawned on me that May is a spy. Who knew? Things fell into place after that.  I'm a recovering pantster. Working from a plot outline has made a HUGE difference. Thank you Randy Ingermanson! 


Q)  Describe the typical writing day:

A)  I'm a night person! When in the zone, sometimes I work until 1 or 2 AM. I start the optimal day around 9AM, check email and several news and writing sites, answer/make phone calls until about noon or 1PM. I fix lunch and then start to work about 2PM. Setting a timer for 45 minutes has been a big help. I work without interruption, take a break, repeat several times.  Creating is much more difficult for me than editing, so this is strictly creation time. When editing (which I love) I find a timer is unnecessary. But honestly, each day is quite different.


Q)  From where do you draw your inspiration?

A)  So many things in life are inspiring – the trick is to keep ideas in an accessible format. Weaving current/historical perspectives and principles into the story is also important.  Ultimately, it's our May with the PAWmazing, creative story to share. She is most inspirational as she dictates to me, curled in my lap. (She has no thumbs, so it's difficult for her to type it. Ha!)


Q)  Tell us about your latest book:

A)  May on the Way ends with a bonus chapter so May 2 continues her story. She's still fighting the bad guys. This time, she teams up with a feral cat who lives in a cemetery - in Paris!

Thanks for visiting.  Please enjoy and comment. 
  
BOOK LINKS


                           http://maythek9spy.com/html/resources.html