Casual Friday: Summer Reads

This week, it finally feels like summer in Michigan. Hot, humid, and full of mosquitoes. We turned on the air conditioning and dusted off the camping supplies.

It sounds strange, but this kind of weather always makes me want to curl up with a good book. As a kid, summer was basically 3 months of as many library books as I could devour. Mom took us to the library once a week, and I always left with the maximum number of books I could check out.  The librarian couldn't believe I actually finished them, but I read everything - adult mysteries and romance, historical novels, kids books like Nancy Drew and Anne of Green Gables and anything by Madeline L'Engle. I read sci-fi and fantasy, mystery and suspense. I think my eclectic reading taste now stems from this orgy. It was pretty much a free-for-all! By the end of the summer, I'd probably read 40 or 50 books.

Now I find that when the weather gets warm, there's nothing more I want to do than curl up in the hammock and read a book. So when it got nice last week, I pulled out some of my favorite books to re-read and looked at my TBR list.

Some of the books I'm looking forward to reading this summer:

• Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2) - Marissa Meyer
• The 5th Wave - Rick Yancey
• The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman
• The Ashford Affair - Lauren Willig
• Chantress - Amy Butler Greenfield
• The Rules for Disappearing - Ashley Elston

There are a ton more, but then this post would be pages and pages, so I'll keep it short :)

I do find that I like to mix up the "heavier" books with something lighter in between. So I'm always looking for more beachy summer reads - fun, usually romantic, and definitely something I can escape with. I'm thinking that quite a few of the New Adult books I have on my list might work really well. Or even some contemporary YA that I haven't read yet. Either way, I'm so excited that it's finally summer and time for ALL THE BOOKS!

So how about you guys? Do you have summer book favorites? What are your recommendations for something fun to read while lounging by the pool?

Band Geek Thursday: Guest Post (and Wishlist!) by Quirk Books EA Blair Thornburgh

Hey, Misfiteers! Happy Band Geek Thursday! We know it's been a little while, but trust me when I say we've got some great BGT guest post installments coming up! This morning we have for you the lovely Ms. Blair Thornburgh, Editorial Assistant of Quirk Books, here to give you Music to Edit By and a list of what she's looking for at Quirk! You may not think you're familiar with QB, but you might know a little book called Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, yes? Or Pride and Prejudice and Zombies? Hey, check that out - you know Quirk Books after all ;) And another wonderful part? A literary agent is not required to submit. So polish those manuscripts, slip on your headphones (or slip in your earbuds!) and check out what Blair's listening to and looking for!

***

This Band Geek Thursday is brought to you by the miracle of earbuds. Without earbuds, all my fellow editors would know how dorky the music I listen to really is and I would probably have to hide in shame (which is not easy to do in an open-plan office).

When I'm editing (or writing, for that matter), I can't listen to anything with lyrics or the words in the song get jumbled up with the words on the page and I end up putting Vampire Weekend lyrics in my line edits. No good. Instrumental music is much more my speed—usually. The exception is non-English lyrics, and that's where I run into some real nerdery.

Here's the thing: I am a consummate dork, but especially about the Middle Ages. I majored in Medieval Studies. I watch "Vikings" religiously. I have a Renaissance Faire outfit and I'm not afraid to wear it in public (though it does get sweaty under that bodice). And just because Ye Olde Recording Studios weren't exactly a thing in the twelfth century doesn't mean that I can't also get my Middle Ages fix with music.

There are HOARDES of neo-Medievally tunes just waiting for me to listen to their siren song on Spotify—and the earbuds make it happen. I love everything from slow and mysterious Enya tracks to upbeat, dance-y folk songs from German neo-pagan bands—not to mention the literal scores of soundtracks to movies like The 13th Warrior and King Arthur ("Woad to Ruin" being the best/worst pun name for a track I've yet seen). YOU try not feeling like you're soaring through the Mists of Avalon when you're listening to songs like "Ecci Mundi Gaudium" and "Boadicea"!

Ahem. Anyway, there you have it. The secret's out, the truth is revealed, and the playlist is below—BYOEarbuds.

Wishlist: I'm always on the lookout for an unusual love story. I'd love to see something with a speculative high concept but a literary execution (think The Time Traveler's Wife) or something with a fresh voice and offbeat protagonists (like Eleanor & Park). I also love stories with a colorful and well-rounded group of friends like in the Scott Pilgrim series—and, of course, a sense of humor is crucial! (Lightheartedness isn't a sine qua non, but I'm not really feeling dystopian or high-drama contemporary right now).

Oh, and novels set in the Middle Ages have a special place in my heart. Obviously.

Music to Edit by

A native Philadelphienne and apparent devotée of gendered demonyms, Blair Thornburgh makes a mean plate of scrambled eggs and a much friendlier cup of coffee. Her professional past has seen her at the helm of everything from a 35mm projector to a cantankerous tractor, so she's glad to have all her fingers still intact for typing. She would love to talk to you about (or in) multiple dead languages. Hwæt!

Check out Blair's website at http://www.blairthornburgh.com/ and follow her on Twitter at @ATallOrder!

Writing Club Wednesdays: Contests and Critique

Writing contests are SO FANTASTIC, y’all.

(I know I’m from Kentucky. I almost NEVER say “y’all.” I just need to make that clear.)

Contests are a great opportunity to get your work out there and have other eyes look at it. Usually contests involve agents- and in many cases, the agent will comment on every single entry so you’ll know what s/he did or didn’t like. You’ll also get comments from everyone else who reads that particular blog.

I know it’s terrifying to think of people actually reading your stuff. I. Know. But you have to get feedback to know what works and what sucks.

Having said that- here’s what I’ve learned from the few contests I’ve been in- Maggie referred to it as a case of “too many cooks in the kitchen.”

My friend Maggie is SO SMART, y’all.

(I know. I did it again. It just seems like the right word.)

You know everyone is always talking about subjectivity? You have to keep it in mind when you’re taking feedback.

Some of the feedback will be legit—and especially if you are getting the same comments over and over, you probably need to address it. That doesn’t necessarily mean to CHANGE your work. But maybe you need to make things more clear if what you’re trying to convey is not what the reader is getting.

And some feedback will be, as Leigh Ann says- “Nitpicky Nitpickiness.” It seems like some people NEED to find something wrong to prove they can offer critique. I get that. I think it’s weird, but I have to admit there’ve been times when I’ve felt that pressure too. Like, people will think I’m….what? Soft? I don’t know. I’m a hardcore writer, yo.

For instance, back when I was entering contests, my first 250 words showed my MC Harper coming home to find her mom in the midst of one of her infamous cleaning fits. A cleaning fit can only mean one thing- something MAJOR has happened. So before she even goes into the house, Harper texts her brother Sam and is like- “GET HOME NOW.”

A lot of people loved it. A lot of people hated it.

And one person told me that this is just not how teenagers would act. S/he said that it’d be more realistic if Harper texted Sam to say- “Come get me out of here.”

Well, no. That wouldn’t make sense at all. But that person doesn’t know Harper. S/he has no idea that Harper would just NEVER do that.

Which leads me to my next point- from Jenny- “You know your story, you know your characters. Hold to that.”

Don’t I have smart friends?

You can’t address EVERY SINGLE critique. And you’ll want to. You’ll want EVERYONE to love your work. That’s normal. You can’t please everyone. You’ll go crazy trying.

Monday Pep Rally: in between WIPs

Happy Pep Rally Monday, Misfiteers! 

If you'll recall, we've changed up our format a little bit for these posts. Because we've all gotten so used to getting our thoughts down in 140 characters, we're taking the discussion to twitter! Every Monday, we'll be talking about our Pep Rally question on twitter and we'd love you to join in. Just keep an eye out for the #MisfitPepRally hashtag!

Currently, I'm in between WIPs. I have just finished the YA contemporary I was working on like a fiend these last couple of months, and although I'm toying with my other ideas--affectionately known as Secret SciFi, Spy Fantasy, and Magical MG--I've been enjoying a couple of days of doing exactly nothing to recharge for my new stories. 

I mean, after I finally cleaned my house and did the dishes and caught up on laundry and cooked for the first time in days...

But aside from all those things I loved lounging around, catching up on my tv series, celebrating the return of 24, and spending way too much time on Twitter without feeling guilty. I even managed to finally, finally make a dent in my tbr-pile. Not to mention some of the betareads that had been gathering virtual dust on my Kindle. (Which usually leads to me stalking out many more.) (I mean, that whole not writing is nice and all, but I have to do something that involves stories!)

But what I love to do most between WIPs? What recharges me like it's nobody's business? Travel. I booked a trip to Ireland last night. I'm going to visit my Alma Mater in a couple of days. I'm looking forward to attending World Fantasy Con 2013 in a couple of months. And obviously it's not possible to travel across the world after every manuscript (I wish!) but day trips to unknown places are just as awesome. And even thinking about it, planning, going through photos? 

There's nothing that makes me feel more ready to tackle the next story. 

How about you? What do you do in between WIPs? What recharges you to tackle new stories? Join us on the hashtag! :D

Casual Friday: Comma, comma, comma, chameleon

Hey Misfiteers!

(c) Chiaralily, creative commons.

As I mentioned in our yearbook post, I’ve been hard at work pounding my latest manuscript into shape—a YA contemporary. My previous manuscript was YA fantasy. Before that, I had a magical realistic manuscript. I have a YA sci-fi and a literary MG manuscript lined up.

I’m a genre chameleon.

It’s one of the things I love about writing kidlit. As opposed to adult fiction, we write YA (or MG!) first, genre second. Which gives us more leeway to experiment, to try genres we never had thought about writing. And obviously I’m a big fan of this.

But.

I don’t think it’s as easy as it may seem. I’m convinced that to write in a specific genre, you have to know that genre inside out. You have to know what recent publications look like. You have to know who the big players and primary examples in the genre are and why. You have to respect the genre you're writing.

I wandered around in fantasy publishing for a long, long time and I can’t even count the number of times I had people tell me writing fantasy was so easy because there were no rules to follow. Or that they wanted to write fantasy someday, because they had such amazing ideas that would take the genre beyond what Tolkien did. And oh, they loved to read fantasy books, but they grew over that.

Um.

(c) JosephKes creative commons

Conversely, I’ve heard plenty of others say they wanted to write stories based in the real world, because at least they didn’t have to pay attention to worldbuilding. After all, how hard can it be to write about the real world? We live in it! And it seemed so much easier, because the stories weren’t as complex as speculative fiction.

Also, um.

Frankly, I always wanted to tell them to write and find out just how “easy” it is. And to be honest, I don’t think there’s a better way to get to know any genre than to write it. No matter how much you read, understanding the subtleties of a genre is a matter of testing it and trying it. So I don’t think you have to have read every single book, all award winners, or all the NYT bestsellers.

But you have to know the basics before you dive in. Because, those people? As a reader and a writer who loves all genres, I wanted to strangle them, too.

Every genre has its own conventions, its own hardships, and its own challenges. Its fun sides and its perks. Some of my favorite writers write across the genres. But when you start to write a story because it seems easier and you know better than the rest of the world what it's supposed to be... you're doing both the story and the reader a disservice.

Or maybe I just have a pathologic need to understand everything before I dive in. Both are probably true. ;)

Do you genre hop? Do you think it’s easy? Do you prefer investigating, or trial by experience?

Writing Club Wednesday: The Edit Letter in 8 Easy Steps

Let’s talk about edit letters. 

Most of us have had them. Whether they’re letters from your editor, revisions for your agent, or crits from a CP, criticism is part of being a writer, and an even more important part is knowing what to do with that criticism. 

I’m currently working through my first round of edits with my editor, and have had plenty agent and CP edits, and I think I’ve finally (finally!) got a system down. 

STEP 1. See email arrive in inbox. Realize it's not from Groupon, or Priceline, or Crate and Barrel, but actually from the person who was just reading your book. Faint a little, then read through all the notes way too fast to actually absorb any of it. 

STEP 2. Okay, now that that’s out of the way, take a deep breath, go somewhere quiet, and really read the notes. Jot down anything that really jumps out at you, or any ideas you have (do this all throughout the process!) but for the most part, just get a general idea of what your reader is saying.

STEP 3. Put it away for a bit. Seriously. Could be a day, could be a week, could be an hour. Just let your subconscious mind play with what you’ve read for a little bit. 

***I promise, these steps have a point. Your mind is already working on all the problems, and what's more, by doing it this way, you get to gauge your own reactions, because knowing which suggestions you're going to take to heart and which you aren't is an important part of this process. 

So during Steps 2 and 3, make sure you have a good idea of your own vision. Evaluate what resonates with you and what doesn’t, and think about why (especially for the comments you automatically want to dismiss!). If you feel defensive about a comment (What! I'm never taking out my fire-breathing unicorn army!), or if you find yourself thinking any variation of, "She just doesn't understand that character, or she wouldn't be telling me to change this!" really dig deep and think about what that means, especially if it's a comment you've heard more than once. Could the thing you're defensive about be a darling that needs to be killed/changed? Sorry, but it happens. And if you ever feel like readers don't understand something in your book...well, that's a red flag, too. What can you change to help them understand? 

STEP 4. Get out a notebook and pen, and get down to the real work. Read through the notes again, but this time, jot down everything you think is important. At this stage, I start separating out themes. For instance, if you see quite a few notes that center around your MC’s relationship with her mom, maybe group them together. Write down whichever of your reader’s notes resonate with you, and any ideas you have off the top of your head to fix them.

STEP 5. Organize. I like to make a checklist, grouped by the themes I’ve found in step 4. I try to get specific. For me, this might look something like:

*Mom Relationship

     -Show strained relationship in chapter 2

     -Flashback to XYZ incident later

     -Add more thoughts about mom in second half of book

*Character A

     -Add interaction earlier

     -MC thinks about Character A and the iced mocha incident at Place Z

*Reveal B

     -Move up info Q to the Coffeehouse Scene

     -Sprinkle more clues through first half of book

As you can see, some of my notes are more specific than others. If I have ideas on how to fix things right away, I write them down. If I just know I need to change something, I write that down so I’ll remember to come back to it.

STEP 6. Figure out all the “remember to come back to it” stuff from Step 5, and write it down. Essentially, make sure I have a complete revision outline. (Example: Under Add more thoughts about mom, actually think about and write down what the thoughts are, and where exactly to add them.) For a relative pantser like me, this feels like a whole lotta planning, but I find when doing big revisions, it’s easier to know exactly what you’re doing before you start writing. If it conflicts with something else, it’s easier to change at this point than once you’ve already written it all

STEP 7. Write it in! Easy-peasy, right? (hahahahahaha) Okay, this step can take a while, but trust me. If you've done steps 1-6, it's going to be much, much easier than if you'd just gone into it blind. (And, if you’re like me, you get an incredibly inflated sense of accomplishment when you can put a checkmark beside each outline item!)

STEP 8. Read the book. Make sure everything fits together, and that you’ve accomplished all the goals set out in your outline and that your book still matches your vision. 

And congratulations! You’re ready to send it off to CPs, or your agent, or your editor, and…start the whole process over again?! Wait a minute. What have I signed up for here? I think I’ve been tricked…

So, this is the system that seems to work for me, but your mileage may vary. What’s your editing process? Do you do anything really differently? I'd love to hear!

(Yes, this is the super abbreviated version. Each of these steps could be a post all its own. But it's a start!)

(Also, yes, the picture up there is my desk during edits. Don't judge my mess too much, okay?)

Monday Pep Rally: Who Were You in High School?

Happy Pep Rally Monday, Misfiteers! 

If you'll recall, we've changed up our format a little bit for these posts. Because we've all gotten so used to getting our thoughts down in 140 characters, we're taking the discussion to twitter! Every Monday, we'll be talking about our Pep Rally question on twitter and we'd love you to join in. Just keep an eye out for the #MisfitPepRally hashtag!

A couple of months ago I read a new contemporary YA book that people were obsessing over. And I thought, "Yeah, this is a good book, but I'm not as in love with it as other people seem to be. What's up with that?"

And then I thought about some of the comments I'd read about why people connected with this book so much, and I realized several had something along the lines of "I basically was [insert MC's name here] in high school."

The thing is, I wasn't.

I had nothing in common with that character - not her looks, her background, her experiences, the school she went to, the city she lived in, the family dynamic, her friends, her demeanor... absolutely nothing. And while I certainly enjoy reading characters who are nothing like me, and I love learning about different towns and cultures and experiences, I couldn't help but wonder (she said in her Carrie Bradshaw voice) if maybe that drew the line for me between like and love. Maybe I couldn't love the book because I couldn't see an iota of myself in it.

Which of course then made me think - who was I in high school? What characters did I read that made me think of me?

And here was my bizarre mash-up of an answer:

Jessica Darling

Dan Humphrey

                                        +










Yeah, I know, but hear me out. Like Dan, I was a comfortable-but-not-wealthy-kid in a school full of super rich kids, many whose world I totally did not get. Unlike Dan - but like Jessica - I didn't do the date-a-rich-kid thing; instead I did the "don't date anyone... but then do, and make sure it's the offbeats ones. Oh, and make sure you crush on guys who screw with your head. That part is very important."

Academically, I wasn't quite as standout brilliant as those guys, but I did A-OK, especially on my SATs, and got into my college of choice. I wrote, though obviously nothing that would've gotten me into The New Yorker. (Ugh, Dan.) Like Jessica, my absolute best friends were long distance, and I didn't quite feel like I mastered fitting into my family. And like both, I packed a lot of crazy and neurotic insecurity into a brain and body that ultimately did just fine.

(I will say, though - I was surrounded by way smarter people than either of these guys, and I liked my friends a whole lot more.) 

SLOPPY FIRSTS was in fact the first book I read where I thought, "This main character is exactly who every girl in high school thinks they are." As I got out of my own world a little bit, I realized that wasn't actually true, but it was who this girl *aims two thumbs at self* thought she was, and that's no small thing. And yes, dear reader, I loved it. Really and truly.

So what about you, Misfiteers? Which YA main characters do you think best echo who you were in high school?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MISFIT GINA!!!

What’s that, Kellan? You’d like to tell you a little bit about our birthday girl, the one and only Gina Ciocca?

To start with, Gina writes some of the most romantic, sweetest (and sometimes steamiest!) contemp around. Like, the kind of stuff that makes you laugh and cry and fall in love all at the same time. Yeah. Like that. I mean, have you met David?

You’ll meet him one day, and you’ll be SO glad you did. (The Taffy Scene. That’s all I’ll say. TRUST ME.)

And then there’s the fact that she’s flipping hilarious. Since what we’re usually emailing about is not quite appropriate for public consumption, I’ll just show you our reaction to most of Gina’s emails:

And best of all, Gina is the most incredible, supportive, caring CP and friend. We love you so much, G!!

So to our beautiful, talented birthday girl,

I mean…HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
(And also, Happy Mother's Day tomorrow, Ms. Mommy-to-Be!) 

Casual Friday: Ideas and Execution.

Greetings Misfiteers!! Happy Friday!! 

Today we're talking about ideas... through awesome GIFs, cause, why not.

For some people ideas come easy. Others? Not so much. Luckily ideas come easy to me, but it's the execution I always need help with. 

This is what I look like when I get an awesome idea...

 I get ideas in a lot of different places. TV, other books, documentaries, a friend that does something funny or weird. Conversations with other writers. A good song.

Once I try to write it though? 

Then it's more like THIS.

It's like my brain just... doesn't know what to do with a cool idea. I write through it. I try to fight that feeling that I've gone too far down a rabbit hole... BUT around 10-15K

Crap comes and it's like THIS.

Then THIS.

And eventually... something just clicks and I'm able to move past it

...most of the time and then it's like THIS.

What about you? Do your ideas always come to fruition? 

Have a great weekend!!

Yearbook Meeting #1: The Lit Mag

Hey, Misfiteers! Welcome to our new monthly feature in which you can get to know the girls behind the argyle a little better by attending one of our "Yearbook Meetings!" This month's meeting is The Lit Mag, and here's what we're discussing:

What are you working on right now in your writer life?


I'm actually revising three (!) manuscripts, one NA and two YA. Sometimes a few things just converge at once and get a little crazy. My newest, JUST VISITING, just came back from CPs, and I'm really excited about it. It's probably the manuscript I've worked the hardest on, but I think it has the potential to be totally worth it. I also just sold my debut, BEHIND THE SCENES, so whenever that edit letter comes, it definitely takes precedence over everything! - Dahlia


I am revising BETWEEN after receiving my very first editorial letter, which was oddly exciting and not nearly as terrifying as I expected it to be. As soon as I turn these revisions in, I have a YA contemporary in the plotting stage that I'm really hoping to spend some time with, and I need to start plotting BETWEEN book two! - Megan

Sometime in the near future I'll be back in revisions for ASK AGAIN LATER, but for now I have this strange little sci-fi/contemporary story (weird? yes.) out with a few CPs, and I'm passing the time by drafting its companion novel. (Okay, but truthfully: I'm working on ALL THE THINGS. And finishing nothing. As usual.) - Chessie




Now that TEACH ME TO FORGET my YA contemporary is in the hands of my lovely agent, I'm ready to revise my new YA Contemporary IT WAS ALWAYS YOU. I've had one CP read this one and she had some great insight so I'm excited to get back to it. I've had a couple of ideas come up in my small break between MS's that I can't wait to write too ;o)  - Erica

I recently picked back up a YA Sci-Fi novel I'd drafted a few years ago. I got halfway through it and ran out of steam, but I couldn't stop thinking about it, even years later. So here I am reworking the plot, and I am actually thinking about aging it up to be an NA Sci-Fi. It's been pretty fun, and seems to be making all the difference. I'm also dabbling with an epic fantasy idea just for fun. - Jamie

I have about 4 different ideas that I'm trying to flesh out - one romance, one angsty romance, a psychological thriller, and one that I'm not quite sure how to classify. But I'm doing all this in between long distance house hunting, working full time, and getting ready for a baby, so things are a bit hectic! - Gina

I'm working on pounding my contemporary YA in shape. This story wasn't easy to write at all, but these characters just wouldn't let me go. I'm so excited to see it turn into what I wanted it to be! At the same time, I'm plotting my spy fantasy and flirting with Secret SciFi... and maybe that MG ms of mine. - Marieke

I think the better question is what am I not working on! Besides pre-pub stuff for EYRE HOUSE, I've got a YA Urban Fantasy I'm working on, that I'm really in love with. There's also an NA Sci-Fi/Space Opera, and a YA Contemporary redux of Northanger Abbey that I'd like to get back to. Moving houses has kind of backed everything up, but I'm hoping to get settled soon! - Cait

I'm outlining a new novel for a ghostwriting project I'm part of, and I'm getting ready to work on a final edit for TWO (the sequel to my debut, ONE.) And, of course, ONE comes out in just four weeks, so I'm having tons of fun writing blog tour posts and working with my street team to spread the word in tons of other ways! - Leigh Ann

I am currently deep in edits for The-Book-Formerly-Known-as-THE-ELITE. My editor's notes were amazing, and helped me understand exactly what I want this book to be…which has meant some pretty extensive revisions. But it's good! It's really good! Once I turn this round of edits in, I have a couple projects I'm messing around with, and also need to start plotting Book 2. Oh, and I'm maybe-definitely going to be doing some traveling soon, which maybe-probably-almost-definitely is going to involve a BOOK RESEARCH side-trip! So that is a whole lot of exciting, too! - Maggie

My YA contemp romance THE EXTRAORDINARY ART OF FALLING is part of The Writer's Voice competition, so I'll be working on tweaking my first page and query. I'm (still) revising my YA contemporary fantasy SIGNAL HILL and I just started outlining/writing a shiny new idea for a supernatural mystery. The fun part of my SNI is that it's in first person present. I've never written in first before, so it's a fun challenge! - Jenny

I have a few SNIs floating about in my head but for the most part, I'm still trying to figure out the plot of a project I started a few months ago. Planning for me usually takes several months while the actual writing takes several weeks so I'm trying to make sure I got everything figured out before I start writing again in the summer! -Lyla

What are you working on, Misfiteers?