DON'T VOTE FOR ME Is Out in Paperback!

AMAZON | B&N | BAM | INDIEBOUND | !NDIGO | POWELL’S | GOODREADS

It's been a year since DON'T VOTE FOR ME came out in hardcover, and you know what that means--DON'T VOTE FOR ME is now out in paperback! You can purchase it at any of the retailers listed above or ask your favorite indie to order it for you (if they're not stocking it already).

And now we return to this week's round* of "An Agent's Inbox" with Patricia Nelson of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency!

*Speaking of this week's round of "An Agent's Inbox," we still have several open slots to fill. Ms. Nelson is willing to consider MG and YA fiction of all stripes as well as romance and women's fiction, so if you have a finished manuscript in one of those categories and/or genres, definitely check out the submission guidelines.

You Can Now Pre-order the Paperback Edition of DON'T VOTE FOR ME

Actually, you've been able to pre-order the paperback edition of DON'T VOTE FOR ME for a while now, but I haven't remembered to let everyone know. Links below!

AMAZON | B&N | BAM | INDIEBOUND | !NDIGO | POWELL’S | GOODREADS

(Of course, if you've already read the book and would like to review it on any or all of these sites, I'd be forever in your debt!)

Highs

If I'm being completely honest, 2015 didn't exactly go as planned. There were bad reviews and cancelled contracts (among other things), so the title of this post was originally going to be "Highs and Lows." But in an attempt to be more optimistic than I naturally am, I'm going to focus on the highs and try to put the lows behind me. I mean, it's not every year that you become a published author.

So without further ado, the highs of 2015!

THE SOUND OF LIFE AND EVERYTHING got a blurb from Tricia Springstubb. Actually, THE SOUND OF LIFE AND EVERYTHING got a blurb from Tricia Springstubb back in 2014, but since it took me several months to appreciate how cool that was, I figured I could get away with mentioning it here:)

There's nothing quite like holding your book for the first time. And there's nothing quite like building a ginormous tower out of them.

Book signings are my favorite. One of the best things about being a published author is having an excuse to hunker down in a bookstore and talk books with fellow readers. I even like passing out bookmarks and accosting innocent bystanders. What can I say? I'm a Mormon;)

School visits are great, too. Especially when they make you awesome signs like this one. (Thanks again, Mr. Scovill and Sunrise Ridge Intermediate School!) Now, I'll admit that schools visits are also kind of scary, but it's a good kind of scary. Where else can you meet so many of the people that we write these books for?

I had two books come out this year. Sometimes I forget it isn't normal to have two books come out in the same year. I'm not going to lie--that was pretty awesome.

And I can't wait to see what 2016 has in store.

Enter to Win Signed Copies of THE SOUND OF LIFE AND EVERYTHING and DON'T VOTE FOR ME!

To complement the Goodreads giveaway still going on for DON'T VOTE FOR ME, I'm giving away one signed copy of THE SOUND OF LIFE AND EVERYTHING and one signed copy of DON'T VOTE FOR ME right here on the blog. To enter, leave a comment below and tell me if you want to win THE SOUND OF LIFE AND EVERYTHING, DON'T VOTE FOR ME, or both. (I'll do two separate drawings, but you can enter both if you want to, which means it will be possible for one person to win both books.) Since I'll have to mail two of the copies currently sitting on my dresser, this contest is open to U.S. residents only (sorry!) and closes in three weeks, on Thursday, December 3, at 11:59 p.m. EST (or 8:59 p.m. PST). I'll announce the winners the next day!

Giveaways Galore

Sourcebooks has been great about sponsoring giveaways for DON'T VOTE FOR ME, and when I spied their latest effort, a twenty-book extravaganza over on Goodreads, I knew I had to join in. While their giveaway plays out over the never couple of months, I'll be sponsoring several smaller giveaways for THE SOUND OF LIFE AND EVERYTHING, and the first one just went up. It's also on Goodreads, so definitely hop over there and get your name into both giveaways. (The one for DON'T VOTE FOR ME is only open in North America, but the one for THE SOUND OF LIFE AND EVERYTHING is open internationally.)

The second giveaway for THE SOUND OF LIFE AND EVERYTHING will be right here on the blog, and the third will follow on Twitter, so keep an eye on both spaces to maximize your chances to win!

Happy Book Birthday, DON'T VOTE FOR ME!

The summer started with a bang with THE SOUND OF LIFE AND EVERYTHING's release, and now it's ending with another bang as DON'T VOTE FOR ME comes out. This book is a lot more lighthearted (though THE SOUND OF LIFE AND EVERYTHING does have its lighter moments, too), but it occurred to me not long ago that, deep down, they're both about finding friends in unexpected places. I guess I feel strongly about that:)

About DON'T VOTE FOR ME:

"It's class president election time, and no one is surprised when Veronica Pritchard-Pratt is the only name on the list. She's the most popular girl in school, a social giant who rules the campaign every single year. David, for one, is sick of the tyranny--which he says. Out loud. When Veronica hears about this, she issues a public challenge to David. With his pride on the line, David accepts his fate and enters the race.

"But as the campaign wages on, and David and Veronica are also paired up for a spring musical recital, David learns this Goliath is more than just a social giant--and maybe deserves to win more than he does..."

For a reader's-eye view of DON'T VOTE FOR ME, check out the reviews over at Rebecca J. Allen (includes a hardcover giveaway!), Sahar's Reviews, and the Deseret News. (I used to deliver papers for the Deseret News, so it's like my life has come full circle.) And here are a few one-liners from around the industry:

"A comic romp that's also an enlightening quest for increased awareness and self-understanding"

--Kirkus

"Van Dolzer keeps the tone light between David's wry observations, amusing friends, 

and the goofy predicaments he falls into"

--Publishers Weekly

"Readers looking for realistic middle-grade fiction will find David a likable guide

in a balanced lesson about ceding the spotlight"

--School Library Journal

You can order DON'T VOTE FOR ME from all the usual suspects:

AMAZON | B&N | BAM | INDIEBOUND | !NDIGO | POWELL’S | GOODREADS

And since I promised you a giveaway when THE SOUND OF LIFE AND EVERYTHING came out but still haven't followed through, I'll sweeten the deal. Leave a comment below, and you'll be entered to win a hardcover of THE SOUND OF LIFE AND EVERYTHING--and if you mention that you've already ordered DON'T VOTE FOR ME, I'll give you an extra entry! THIS CONTEST IS OPEN INTERNATIONALLY and closes in two weeks, on Monday, August 17, at 11:59 p.m. EDT (or 8:59 p.m. PDT). I'll announce the winner the next day!

Three Opportunities to Win DON'T VOTE FOR ME

Clearly, Honey Bear should have been an architect.

There are a handful of DON'T VOTE FOR ME giveaways floating around the Internet right now, so instead of tweeting about them one by one, I thought I'd put all the links in one blog post:

Goodreads

Rebecca J. Allen

Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile

You can enter the blog contests anytime in the next month, but the Goodreads giveaway ends next week, so don't delay!

"Five Ways to Bring Place and Time Alive" on the NaNoWriMo Blog

In case you missed it last week, The NaNoWriMo Blog featured my guest post on Friday as part of their "Choose Your Camp" series. I shared a few tips on beefing up your setting, so feel free to check those out.

Also, a seventh-grader from Connecticut recently asked me a few questions about THE SOUND OF LIFE AND EVERYTHING for the Fearless Fifteeners blog. She came up with some insightful questions that really made me think, so definitely check those out.

Finally, today is the last day to enter to win one of three signed ARCs of DON'T VOTE FOR ME over at Kidliterati. It looks like the odds are pretty good, so get your name into that drawing! The giveaway is over now, but you can still pre-order DON'T VOTE FOR ME from all the usual suspects, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Indiebound.

Interview with an Art Director: John Aardema on DON'T VOTE FOR ME's Cover

I'm so pleased to welcome John Aardema, art director at Sourcebooks, for a much-anticipated interview (or at least I've been anticipating it for the last couple of weeks). When I asked the great folks over at Kidliterati to reveal DON'T VOTE FOR ME's cover, I knew I wanted to offer some bonus content. I immediately thought of interviewing the cover designer, and Mr. Aardema was kind enough to agree. So check out the cover reveal (where I'm giving away THREE SIGNED ARCS), then pop back over here to get the behind-the-scenes scoop!

KV: Tell us a bit about the initial design meeting. Did you have a clear vision for this cover, or did it develop as you went?

JA: This was actually one of the very first covers I worked on when I started at Sourcebooks last summer. The initial meeting was interesting as the very first question we had to address was “what are we going to sell on the cover of this book?” Which is a very important question for an art director to have answers to. In this instance, we had a lot of back and forth around the idea of selling school elections--are kids really interested in that? Would they rather read about the band since both kids play instruments? But when we looked at other books in the middle grade space, and what other books have similar themes, it was clear that kids actually find election stories interesting. The numbers don’t lie. 

The second biggest point of discussion for us was "who should be on the cover?"  This is a story for both boys and girls, and as much as you want every book to sell to both boys and girls, just putting one or the other on the cover doesn’t really represent the content and could limit your audience. So again, we looked at the other titles in the category and what stories that they told. In the end, though, we are telling our story--telling Krista’s story, and telling Veronica and David’s story--and when we had all our questions answered, from there I did my part: sketches that brought to life the elements we all agreed belonged on the cover, the elements that were going to speak to the consumer and tell them what this book was about.

KV: It seems like MG covers tend to be illustrated, but Sourcebooks has had success with MG covers that feature photographs (like the ones in Anna Staniszewski's Dirt Diary series). Why do you think that is, and why did you decide to go with a photographic cover in DON'T VOTE FOR ME's case?

JA: The middle grade space covers a wide age range and reading level. You get second graders who read at fourth and fifth grade levels and want to be challenged, and you get fourth and fifth graders who can’t wait to read what their friends in junior high and even high school are reading. We believe that the cover treatment helps create a visual cue to the reader and to the parent as to how appropriate the content is for kids at various ages in the middle grade space.

You tend to see illustrated covers on what we call “lower middle grade” and then photographic or photo-realistic covers on “upper middle grade.” Stories that may take place in fourth and fifth grade will still have illustrated covers, but once a story or a character hits sixth to eighth or even that wonderful “freshman year,” the covers tend to feel a bit more sophisticated, while the content remains appropriate for younger readers.

And believe it or not, these covers are actually “photo illustrated”--they start with two people being photographed in a studio, but the rest of the design is composited from stock, from illustrations, etc. And the final art is sometimes given a painterly effect. And in this case, the kids on the cover are really only about forty to fifty percent of the total cover experience. The rest is in the illustration, the title type, the layout. The end result is a slightly older, but appropriately aged, middle grade book. 

KV: Once you came up with the initial concept, how did things progress from there?

JA: After the sketch stage, I needed to find the right photo-illustrator, pick clothing for the models, and art direct the illustrator to get the final image we wanted. The expression on the kids' faces was very important. Too much expression in the wrong direction and the girl would look like a bully! And you wanted to believe these kids are in the scene at school even though they are being photographed in a studio. It’s actually a lot more difficult than you’d imagine it to be--getting the right kids with the right expressions to feel like they are in the moment.

Once the photo is taken, then the real work begins. The “illustrator” who creates the full cover layout needs to know how we plan to set the type on the cover so he knows how to position the art. The two have to work together. I worked with the in-house design team--as I mentioned before this was my first cover for Sourcebooks middle grade, so the team here was great in offering suggestions on how to bring the whole package together. I’ve attached a couple of sketches you might find helpful. One is the initial pencil sketch back when we thought we were calling the book RULE THE SCHOOL. The second attachment is a more comprehensive sketch based on a photo test the illustrator sent to me.

KV: I have to admit that I find the whole concept of a photo-illustrated cover fascinating. I'd never heard of this technique, so these last few responses have been especially informative (and it's kind of thrilling to think about real, live kids posing in a real, live photo shoot, but I digress).

My favorite element is definitely the title treatment. Where did that idea come from?

JA: Will Riley, one of the senior designers at Sourcebooks, does a phenomenal job with middle grade and has a great eye for type. He really helped build this cover from the raw images into the final package, and that type had a lot to do with the final direction ending up where it did.

KV: Talk to us about the color palette. The patriotic reds, whites, and blues are especially appropriate for this story. Was that intentional?

JA: Again, as we discussed how to position the cover, and the focus on elections, it only seemed natural to go with a red, white, and blue color palette. Any kid running for school election is probably going to paint his or her own campaign posters in red, white, and blue--most politicians do too! It’s a natural choice and helps really keep the focus on the package as a whole. 

KV: Last but certainly not least, I'm handing the mike over to you. Any final thoughts about DON'T VOTE FOR ME or its cover?

JA: I’m glad you liked the cover for DON'T VOTE FOR ME. It was a great first project for me at Sourcebooks. It was definitely a team effort on our part, and a number of departments all had a hand in making sure the cover we ultimately put on the book is the very best we could put forth in terms of design, marketing potential, and quality. Best of luck on your cover reveal!

Thank you, Mr. Aardema! And thank you for these insightful responses. The more I learn about this industry, the more I realize I don't know much, so I appreciate your taking the time to fill us in on this part of the process.

Mini (Work-in-) Progress Reports

I haven't had a ton of time to blog lately, so here's a quick roundup of the projects I've been working on:

Steve

Word count (to the nearest thousand): 60,000
Status: Chilling like a villain (okay, not really like a villain, but it (sort of) rhymed)
Attitude: Not hostile

Also known as THE SOUND OF LIFE AND EVERYTHING, Steve is the little book that could. It recently occurred to me that I started querying this manuscript three years ago this month, and I'm STILL working on it. Okay, maybe I'm not actively working on it at the moment (and I'm pretty sure most of the heavy lifting is behind me), but I still have at least another round of pass pages to review and who knows what else. That said, holding an ARC in my hands for the first time was a really awesome moment, and I can honestly say that I don't hate this story anymore. I plan to give away an ARC or two on the blog and on Goodreads, but I probably won't get to those giveaways until after the holidays. In the meantime, you can pre-order him and/or add him to your Goodreads list, so if you're interested, you can check out the "Books" page above.

Clyde

Word count (to the nearest thousand): 44,000
Status: Waiting for first pass pages
Attitude: Excited to see what happens next

We still haven't settled on a new title for Clyde, but since my last update, I have turned in a revision and finished copy edits, so things are moving along. Though the manuscript hasn't been designed yet, Sourcebooks has added this copyright page to the beginning of the document. Like a caterpillar morphing into a butterfly, Clyde is slowly but surely turning into a book.

Clyde the Second

Word count (to the nearest thousand): 48,000
Status: Working on the second draft
Attitude: Amused

I cranked out a few and have spent the last few months cleaning it up and getting reader feedback. Clyde the Second isn't a straight sequel, but it is a companion novel that takes a secondary character from Clyde and turns her into the main character. It's also a math mystery (thanks for the idea, Liz!) set at a summer camp. I'm still not sure if Sourcebooks will even want it, but I've enjoyed writing it, so that's something, at least.

Well, that's all I've got. What have you been working on in the last few months?

New Look Courtesy of Icey Designs

The blog has a new look courtesy of Icey Designs! It took us a few tries to get to this design, but I love how it turned out. I told Hafsah I wanted something in neutral tones with pops of color, and that's precisely what she gave me. The old-fashioned typewriter was the perfect touch.

You'll notice that I've taken down some of the preexisting pages. I know that makes it harder to find interviews and past rounds of "An Agent's Inbox," so I'm trying to figure out how to include those references without cluttering things up. (In other words, stay tuned!)

In the meantime, I hope you'll stick around. The next few months should include a few cover reveals and more details about Steve and Clyde's respective releases. (In case you haven't noticed, Steve and Clyde will now be coming out in the same season, Summer 2015.) Exciting times!

"My Writing Process" Blog Tour

By now, I'm sure most of you have heard about the ongoing "My Writing Process" blog tour, which has been making the rounds. The girls over at The Write Shelf were kind enough to tag me, so here are my answers to the now-familiar questions:

What am I working on?

I'm kind of bouncing back and forth between Steve and Clyde at the moment, but since Clyde's latest draft is currently open on my desktop, let's go with him for now:)

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

Clyde's a quirky MG contemporary, so he's got a lot of company. I'd say the most unique thing about him is that he's a retelling of a biblical story. I suppose any underdog story could be considered a retelling of David and Goliath, but I really tried to incorporate some of the plot points from 1 Samuel into Clyde's storyline.

Why do I write what I do?

I tried speculative YA stuff, both fantasy and sci-fi, for the first few years, didn't have a ton of success, switched over to realistic MG (sort of), and had lightning strike. I landed an agent and two book deals within a year and a half, so I'm a huge proponent of trying something new if what you've been writing for a while isn't getting you where you want to be.

How does your writing process work?

I started out as a pantser, made the leap to plotter, and ultimately went back to pantser. If I spend too much time not-writing, the whole thing starts to feel like homework, so I let myself just go, go, go when I'm writing a first draft. But once I've raced through that first draft, I spend a ton of time revising (like, two or three times as long as I spent writing the first draft, and that's BEFORE I start working with an editor). In other words, most of the work gets done on the back end for me.

Next up, Myrna Foster and A.L. Sonnichsen! These two have been good writing friends for almost as long as I've been blogging, and I can honestly say I wouldn't be where I am without them. Definitely check out their blogs (and keep an eye out for their posts next week!).

Mini (Work-in-) Progress Reports

It's been a while since I've shared anything about my works-in-progress, so I thought I'd round them up!

Steve

Word count (to the nearest thousand): 60,000
Status: Waiting for first pass pages
Attitude: Exhausted (but it's a good exhausted)

This little manuscript has been on a long journey. As I mentioned in a recent post, Steve has undergone a ton of changes in the year since he sold, but I think the end is finally in sight. I reviewed the copyedits several weeks ago, so we're down to first pass pages and, after that, ARCs. In the meantime, the illustrator is busily working on the cover (though I haven't seen even a draft, so don't ask me what it looks like!). Also, you should know that THE REGENERATED MAN isn't going to stick, but I think you'll like Steve's new title even better. More soon!

Clyde

Word count: 45,000
Status: Working on the first revision
Attitude: Determined

Though Clyde sold almost a year ago, we've had to put him on the back burner while I worked on Steve, so now we're playing catch-up. (In an amusing twist of fate, Clyde's editor's name is also Steve, so that's made for some exciting (read: confusing) e-mails.) It's been a little weird to work on this story again--I haven't even opened up the document in the last sixteen months--but it's also been kind of cool to see how far I've come as a writer. Oh, and DUEL/DUET isn't going to stick, either, but then, we've always known how terrible I am at titles:)

Bonnie

Word count: 71,000
Status: In a holding pattern
Attitude: I haven't even thought about this manuscript in a while, so I guess I can't really say

Like a pair of unruly two-year-olds, Steve and Clyde have been demanding my attention for the last several months, so I haven't even thought about this manuscripts in a while. But I still love this story and hope I get a chance to share it with the world someday.

Casper

Word count: 10,000
Status: Sitting in Kate's inbox
Attitude: In love

Call me superstitious, but I've been hesitant to talk about this manuscript online. I had this idea a few months back that simply wouldn't leave me alone, so I scribbled down the first five chapters in about a week. (I also threw together a synopsis so I could get a handle on the plot, and it clocked in at a whopping 5,000 words. Holy synopsis, Batman!) I've passed it off to Kate so we can figure out where to go from here, but I've fallen in love with this concept and these characters and hope I get a chance to write the rest of it someday.

I also have ideas for two more manuscripts that I desperately want to write--one's an MG, one's a YA, though they're both contemporary--but I'm not sure I'll be able to throw another ball into the mix (let alone another two). At least I won't run out of things to write for the foreseeable future:)

How are your works-in-progress coming along?

Clyde Sold! Want a Critique?

I apologize for the silence last week. I'm in the process of wrapping up Steve's latest round of revisions, and then Clyde's waiting in the wings. But I should have a few days between manuscripts next week, so it seems like the perfect time to offer some critiques!

There are three 30-page critiques up for grabs to celebrate Clyde's sale. If you're interested in entering, please follow these steps:

1. TWEET, BLOG, OR FACEBOOK ABOUT THE GIVEAWAY WITH A LINK BACK TO THIS POST. Please note that you only have to do one of these things, so don't feel like you have to bombard your friends and family with Krista spam.

2. LEAVE A LINK TO YOUR TWEET, POST, OR STATUS UPDATE IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.

3. In that same comment, INCLUDE YOUR MANUSCRIPT'S TITLE AND CATEGORY/GENRE as well as A BRIEF, NO-MORE-THAN-THREE-SENTENCE DESCRIPTION of your project.

Your manuscript doesn't have to be finished, and I'll read any category, any genre (provided the first thirty pages are no worse than PG-13-rated), so everyone is welcome to enter. But I do want everyone to have an equal shot at this, so PLEASE ONLY ENTER ONCE (even if you're working on more than one project).

I'll pick two winners based on their descriptions (totally subjective, I know, but if an entry catches my eye, I want to be able to read it!), then a third randomly from the remaining entries. The giveaway will remain open until next Monday, September 23, at 11:59 p.m. EDT (or 8:59 p.m. PDT). I'll announce the winners on the blog the following Tuesday.

Thanks for sharing my good news!

Clyde Sells to Sourcebooks!

It's been a while since I mentioned Clyde. I guess that's just what happens when a manuscript is on submission and you're waiting, waiting, waiting. Then this happened:

From Publishers Weekly: Steve Geck at Sourcebooks has acquired Krista Van Dolzer's contemporary MG novel Duel/Duet, a David and Goliath story set around a middle-school class election and a musical recital. Van Dolzer writes the Mother. Write. (Repeat.) blog, and is author of The Regenerated Man, which Putnam will publish in winter 2015. Publication of Duel/Duet is set for fall 2015; Kate Schafer Testerman of kt literary did the two-book deal for North American rights.

Actually, this started several months ago. At the beginning of June, Kate sent me an e-mail late on a Friday afternoon. She'd just spoken to Steve Geck at Sourcebooks. He loved DUEL/DUET (the manuscript also known as Clyde) and wanted to take it to acquisitions the following week.

Of course, few things rarely happen as quickly as you want them to in this business, especially in the summer, so it took a few more weeks for Steve's interest to turn into an offer. (Oh, I see you've noticed I now have an editor and a manuscript named Steve. This is going to be all kinds of exciting:) ) By the time Kate called that afternoon, I was convinced he'd turned it down.

Instead, he bought two books.

So that's how Clyde sold. In hindsight, this roller coaster ride wasn't nearly as wild as my last one, but it still felt like it. I think that's just how it goes.

If you'd like to learn more about Clyde, I've changed "My Book" to "My Books" and added an actual summary, so feel free to check that out. And while you're up there, don't forget about Steve. 2015 is shaping up to be one exciting year...

(Work-in-) Progress Report: Clyde

Word count (to the nearest thousand): 44,000
Status: Almost finished!
Attitude: Calm

After much weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth, I’m happy to report that Clyde is pretty much done (for now, at least). He even has a title! (It’s DUEL/DUET.) You KNOW my manuscripts are almost ready once I come up with one of those:)

This manuscript has made me dig deeper than perhaps I ever have, not because I had problems with the words but because I had problems with myself. There were days and even weeks when the last thing I wanted to do was stick my butt in that chair and write, when my own voice annoyed me and all I wanted to do was roll over and admit defeat. But writers write (especially if they want to get published someday), so I powered through it. I hope I’m stronger because of it. I hope Clyde is, too.

Someday, I’ll write a summary to stick up there with Steve’s, but right now, I’m kind of busy. (Also, I’m still basking in the knowledge that I don't HAVE to write a summary if I don't want to.) In the meantime, check out this post for a few more details if you’re curious.

I have no idea if Clyde will sell. As this post from Bryan Bliss and Boys Don’t Read so eloquently puts it, the publishing industry owes me nothing. Sometimes I’d like to think they do, but they don’t. So I’ll trim my fingernails (the writer’s equivalent of rolling up your sleeves), stick my butt in that chair, and write another manuscript. And some days I’ll think I’m a talentless hack, and other days I’ll wonder why no one’s handed me a million bucks for the honor--nay, the privilege--of putting my words into print (wink, wink), and hopefully, I’ll get there. I’m still not sure where there is yet, but I’ll know it when I see it.

Or maybe it’s been all around me this whole time.

(Work-in-) Progress Reports: Bonnie and Clyde

Word count (to the nearest thousand): 64,000 for Bonnie, 43,000 for Clyde
Status: Wrapping up Clyde’s latest round of revisions and Bonnie’s first draft
Attitude: Focused

It occurred to me a few weeks ago that, in the seven-plus months since I signed with Kate, I’ve written well over 100,000 new words and (almost) completely revised one full manuscript. That’s the most writing I’ve ever produced in a seven-month period BY FAR.

I suspect the reasons for this are twofold. First, I had two ideas come to me at about the same time. I feel pretty strongly about releasing a debut and a follow-up that will appeal to roughly the same readership, so I already knew I wanted to write another MG. But not long after I started Clyde, another shimmering idea came to me that simply refused to be set aside. So I started Bonnie, and I’ve been juggling both ever since. (At least they’re both contemporaries, right?)

Second, now that I have an agent, I kind of feel like I have this obligation to write that I didn’t have before. Don’t get me wrong--Kate is supportive and chill and never makes me feel like I have to work harder. But I WANT to work harder because I know I’m not the only one relying on my efforts anymore. And because this lifelong goal seems so close I can practically touch it. I just want to get there, get there, get there!

Besides, I’m in this for the long haul; I want to sell many, many manuscripts over the course of my lifetime. And if that’s going to happen, someday I’ll have deadlines and multiple books under contract, so I figure this is good practice:)

How go your works-in-progress? Anyone out there juggling more than one project, too?

The Next Big Thing

Adam Heine tagged me a few weeks ago, so here's my take on "The Next Big Thing." The WIP in question? Clyde!

What is your working title of your book?

This would be the first question, wouldn't it? See below*

Where did the idea come from for the book?

Last spring, Sarah LaPolla tweeted about how she'd love to see a contemporary retelling of a biblical story. (Or maybe it was any kind of retelling of a biblical story, so long as it didn't have religious elements.) I'd been mulling over the idea of writing about a middle school election, and when she mentioned the biblical element, something just clicked. Middle school election. David and Goliath. Done.

What genre does your book fall under?

MG contemporary.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Couldn't say, since the kids who'd act in a future movie rendition would be, like, six right now. But if we suspend age requirements for a moment, I could totally see Elle Fanning as Grizelda, the Goliath character in my manuscript.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

I'm feeling a little lazy, so I'll stick with the boring, "It's a contemporary MG retelling of David and Goliath." :)

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Represented by an agency (assuming Kate thinks the manuscript is solid enough). I really don't think self-publishing is a viable option in the MG market. I think a self-published author would have a tough time reaching MG readers, and it's really hard to fake a professional-looking MG cover, since they're often illustrated.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

About two months, although it would have been a bit faster if I hadn't been managing this little contest called "The Writer's Voice" while I was writing the first draft:)

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Several of my critique partners have thought the tone reminds them of Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, but I haven't read any of those yet, so I couldn't say for sure. *dodges tomato*

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Isn't this kind of the same question as number two? Cross-apply my previous point. (High-five to any fellow policy debaters in the blogosphere!)

What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?

I'm not a fan of playlists, but this manuscript ended up with one by virtue of the fact that so many gorgeous pieces figure prominently in the plot, including Louiguy and Edith Piaf's "La Vie en rose" and Frederic Chopin's "Nocturne in E Flat Major." Oh, and there are paintball guns. Did I mention there were paintball guns?

*Now that you've heard a little more about the manuscript, I need your input on the title. I've come up with three options so far. There are pros and cons to all of them, so I want to know which one you like best (or which ones you hate). And if you have another idea, feel free to suggest it!

HOW TO BEAT A POPULAR
THE UNBEATABLE GRIZELDA PHILLY-STEEN
HOW I, DAVID GRAINGER, BEAT THE UNBEATABLE GRIZELDA PHILLY-STEEN

Last but not least, I'm tagging the following bloggers:

Ben Spendlove
Jenilyn Collings, whose blog is undergoing renovations at the moment
Monica B.W.
Myrna Foster
You! (Feel free to include a link in the comments of this post once you answer the questions!)

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Message for the tagged authors and interested others:

Rules of The Next Big Thing:

*Use this format for your post.
*Answer the ten questions about your current WIP (work-in-progress).
*Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them.

Ten Interview Questions for The Next Big Thing:

What is your working title of your book?
Where did the idea come from for the book?
What genre does your book fall under?
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? May we see an intro?
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?

Include the link of who tagged you and this explanation for the people you have tagged.

In the Pipeline

Just popping in to say I've had very little time to blog over the last few weeks, as I've been hiding out in my revision cave. But lest you think I've blown off the blog entirely, here's what's in the pipeline for October:

A new installment of "Interview with an Agent" with Kerry Sparks of Levine Greenberg Literary Agency

Another informative "Agent-Author Chat" with Andrea Somberg of Harvey Klinger, Inc. and one of her newest clients, Melodie Wright

October's round of "An Agent's Inbox"

I'm also working on my answers to "The Next Big Thing," which will include a few tidbits on Clyde, and I'm sure I'll end up working on a few unexpected posts along the way. You never know when the blogging bug will strike...

In the meantime, what have I missed around the blogosphere? Feel free to leave a shout-out to a must-read post in the comments!

(Work-in-) Progress Reports: Bonnie and Clyde

Word count (to the nearest thousand): 41,000 for Bonnie, 45,000 for Clyde
Status: Bouncing back to Bonnie after wrapping up Clyde’s latest draft
Attitude: Meh

Here’s how my month went down: I added almost 30,000 words to Bonnie in the first few weeks of August, then turned my attention back to Clyde once my readers’ notes came in. They gave me some great big-picture stuff to fix, so I spent about a week and a half working through their suggestions. Since I was a little ahead of schedule, I thought I’d give the manuscript one last read-through and start cleaning up the prose.

Worst. Idea. Ever.

I don’t know why I think that last read-through will make me like the story more, because it never does. Nothing short of silky smoothness will satisfy me when it comes to wordsmithing, and that’s a hard standard to meet over the course of an entire manuscript. Mind you, no manuscript--and not even any published book--is perfect, but I usually feel pretty good about ninety-five percent of the sentences by the time I’m finally done.

Clyde’s hovering somewhere around fifty percent at the moment. Yuck.

Anyway, I’m trying not to think about it while I wait to hear back from Amy and Jeni (and Kelly, too, of course!). Instead, I’m devoting all my subconscious thought to Bonnie. I wasn’t quite sure where to go with her a few weeks ago, but now the gears are churning again. I’ve already had a few ideas that should give me more to write, so that’s something, at least.

How are things going for you?