Susan Fletcher on Dragon Chronicles Book 4: Ancient, Strange and Lovely

Atheneum, 2010

Happy New Year, one and all! Today, Susan Fletcher joins me to talk about the publication of Book 4 in her Dragon Chronicles series: Ancient, Strange, and Lovely, (Atheneum, 2010). Personally, I can think of no better way of ushering in 2011. 

A consummate crafter of award-winning historical fiction and fantasy, Susan teaches in the Vermont College of Fine Arts’ MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program. This is fitting, as her body of work successfully spans the often arbitrary divide between middle grade and young adult classifications. Her skill at writing is matched only by her genuine gift for teaching. Susan shared with me the particular difficulties she has encountered in writing and gave me much to chew on in this delicious (and nutritious) interview. Pull up a chair, tuck your napkin into your shirt and dig in!

 

AB: Congratulations on the publication of the fourth book in your dragon chronicles series, Ancient, Strange and Lovely.  I was delightfully absorbed by your imagining of a near future earth, especially with teens who have developed creative, if unattractive, body art that highlights and protests the spread of environmental toxins. What were the challenges of writing a novel set in the near future?

SF: The near-future technology was incredibly difficult to write about; everything else was the kind of challenge I enjoy.   I’ll talk about technology issues later (see questions #4, re: “torture.”)   Meanwhile, the body art, especially the skwebbing (skin + webbing) was really a hoot to invent and think about.  I concocted a new rock subgenre (eco rock), some eco rock groups (i.e., Mutant Tide, Radioactive Fish), and parts of songs (i.e., “Cryptid Rant,” “Dragon Dreams,” and “Philange Web Salute.”)  I cooked up a super-encrypted eBay-like site for poachers and imagined some of the crazy (and disgusting) things they might be selling.  I extrapolated from some of the environmental problems we’re having now to imagine bad stuff that might happen in the near future.  This wasn’t exactly what you might call “fun,” because it’s scary to contemplate.  But it was interesting.  I had the best time, though, imagining how people would respond to the environmental problems.  Especially kids.

AB: What led you to write this story for young readers in particular?

SF: Ancient, Strange and Lovely is a funny kind of sequel to the books in my Dragon Chronicles series: Dragon’s Milk, Flight of the Dragon Kyn, and Sign of the Dove.  The earlier books have a medieval setting and extremely long-lived dragons.  I’d always wanted to bring the series up to the present or near future, but I didn’t know exactly how to do that until…  Well.  More on that in question #7.  A funny thing about age groups.  When the earlier three books came out originally, they were listed for ages 10 -14.  When they came out in paperback, they were listed for ages 8-12.  And Ancient, Strange and Lovely, though the main characters are in high school, is listed for ages 8-12.  These are marketing decisions, I think.   I like to imagine that kids might enjoy this story well into high school.

The lovely Susan Fletcher

AB: In your rich world building, your main character Bryn uses some terms you invented, including “’tants” and words you re-appropriated, such as ‘seismic’. For me it was reminiscent of the slang argot of Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange. I loved the not-too-distant future lexicon. How did you go about coining words? What was your process? Did you enjoy it?

SF:  I had a blast coining new words, but it was also really hard.  Slang is so tricky!  If you use current slang, you run the risk of dating yourself.  If you make up your own slang, you run the risk of sounding fake.  One option was to strip out nearly all of the slang…but it was clear to me that some of my characters wouldn’t speak in Standard English.  They just wouldn’t.   I’m not talking only about the poorly-educated characters.  I’m talking, too, about the brightest characters, the ones who are most alive. They would play with language, almost revel in it.  So I knew I’d have to deal with slang.  I kept three running lists of words: technology words, words evocative of mystery, and current slang that I’d overheard or heard in movies or TV.  I experimented, combined words in unexpected ways, played with them.  I read the manuscript aloud, just listening to how it sounded.  I changed it over and over, sort of feeling for what felt right.  The final result is a combination of Standard English, invented slang, and current slang that I thought might be around for, like, decades.

AB: Ha! I think you're right about 'like' not going anywhere for awhile. On your website,  you say that Ancient, Strange and Lovely was “excruciatingly hard to write. I’m talking torture. So with the fun and the torture happening at the exact same time, it was like when you eat ice cream too fast and it freezes the inside of your nose.” On behalf of readers everywhere, thank you for enduring this ‘torture’. What made it so difficult?

SF: Technology is changing so fast that it not only marfles my mind – it defies even the experts’ attempts to predict the tools we’ll all be using in the next five to seven years.  I was constantly scanning through technology magazines to try to keep up with what might be coming down the pike.  But even if you know what technology is coming, you don’t know what’s going to “take.”  You don’t know how things are going to be adopted, and by whom.  You don’t know if something’s going to out-and-out tank.  The iPad, for instance, was introduced not long after I’d made the final changes to my book.  I wondered if Bryn ought to have taken a tablet down to her basement, for example, instead of a laptop.  But it was too late to make the change.  The problem with the near future is…  My book will (I hope!) still be in print when some of these issues shake out.  So I worried that in a few years the book might be dated or anachronistic.  My brilliant editor, Karen Wojtyla, suggested a solution.  It’s an alternative near-future, right?  I wasn’t predicting the near-future; I was simply suggesting one way it might pan out.  After that, I was able to relax – at least, a bit!

AB: How long have you been writing? What was the timeline between the third book in the Dragon Chronicles series, Sign of the Dove, and Ancient, Strange and Lovely?

 

SF: I’ve been writing forever.  Professionally, I started out writing advertising copy, moved to writing for national magazines, then to writing novels for kids and young adults (my favorite).   My first novel came out in 1988; the third novel in the Dragon Chronicles (Sign of the Dove) came out in 1996.

AB:  Your stories generally involve a young heroine who, rises to whatever challenge confronts her courageously. In Ancient, Strange and Lovely, I enjoyed the way you vary the point of view, alternating from Bryn's first-hand account, to a close-in third perspective of other characters. I haven't seen much of this in MG/ YA fiction. Could you tell us why you chose this method of storytelling?

 

The third book in the series.

SF: I’ve never tried changing points of view before.  Well, there was just a little bit of it with the harper character in Sign of the Dove, but that’s about it.  I can’t remember exactly how I decided to vary the point of view so frequently in Ancient, Strange and Lovely.  I do remember that when I started moving my focus to other perspectives, it felt incredibly liberating.  Seriously, it was a blast.  In my other books, when something happened that my protagonist didn’t know about, I had to use all the craft I possessed to bring in that information unobtrusively.  This time, I just shifted to a new perspective and vamped.  Stuff came out that I had no idea was in there.  I think that this technique may work best for books in which rather complex events outside the protagonist influence the direction of the story.  I’m thinking of Philip Pullman’s Sally Lockhart series and His Dark Materials series, for instance.  Or Nancy Farmer’s The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm.

As to the first person…  I started out writing Bryn’s parts in third person, but they felt kind of leaden to me.  When I switched to first person, Bryn came alive. My agent felt uncertain about the combination of first and third person.  My editor had no problem with it.  At some point, I think, you’ve just got to trust the way in which the book comes to you most alive.  No matter what the rules say, if it’s alive…that’s right.

AB:  There is an underlying theme of environmental stewardship which runs throughout The Dragon Chronicles series. Was this something that was initially intentional on your part? Has writing this novel in the near future helped you explore different facets of environmentalism?

SF:  Way back when I was writing Dragon’s Milk, the story sort of bent, all on its own, in the direction of endangered species.  It was a discovered theme, not deliberate.  But it was at that early point that the idea of the relationship between humans and the environment became integral to the series.  Two questions that I explored throughout were: What do we lose when an animal goes extinct?  And how does that loss diminish us?

I was pretty jazzed about taking the series into the near future -- re-exploring the theme of environmental stewardship in light of what we know today.  But for a long time, I couldn’t find a way in…until one day my daughter, a microbiologist, told me about a rare lizard whose spit has microbes that might be able to clean up some seriously wicked toxins.  Returning to the questions I’d asked myself in the earlier books, I began to think about the idea of interconnectedness.  If this lizard has microbes in its spit that might get rid of environmental toxins, who’s to say that dragons might not have similar microbes – only better?  Who’s to say that they might not really help us to clean up some of the environmental messes we’ve made?

So if dragons disappear, you lose more than just the cool flying-and-flaming thing.  You lose the ability to clean up the environment, too.

AB: I understand that you work with a critique group. How is that helpful to you? Aside from the critique group, what and/or who has been most helpful to you in developing your craft?

SF:  I’ve been in a critique group for more than 25 years.  Some of us have grown up together, as writers.  I have learned so much from these smart, sensitive people!   I hear their voices as I write and revise, particularly the ones who were there very early on.  For example, I can still hear Eloise McGraw saying that each book teaches you how to write that book, but not necessarily the next.  Ellen Howard’s examples of emotional honesty and depth are always with me; they’re what I’m striving for.  I feel Margaret Bechard’s finely-tuned bullshit meter go off when I’m trying to persuade myself that a piece is good enough, but I know in my heart that there’s something wrong about it.  When I despair of ever getting it right, I think of Winnie Morris bringing a piece back to the group again and again – vastly improved each time -- until we can’t find a single critical thing to say about it.  At first, I processed everything through the group.  Now, I tend to go through a first draft before I show my chapters to anybody.

The other thing that’s been helpful is to reread favorite writers to try to penetrate their secrets.  First I read the book, and let myself savor the whole range of emotional experience.  Then I go coldly back and ask:  How did she do that?

AB: Are you able to read much current middle grade/ YA  fiction? If so,

what are some books published in the last 5-10 years that you've enjoyed?

What makes you like them so much?

SF: I don’t have time to read as much as I’d like to!  But definitely: I read.  Some of the kids’ and YA books I’ve enjoyed over this period are: The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey; Skellig, by David Almond; The Crimson Cap, by Ellen Howard; The Underneath, by Kathi Appelt; Spacer and Rat, by Margaret Bechard; Thursday’s Child, by Sonya Hartnett; This Full House, by Virginia Euwer Wolff; The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo; The Ear, the Eye and the Arm, by Nancy Farmer; Feed, by M.T. Anderson; Airborn, by Kenneth Oppel; Runt, by Marion Dane Bauer; One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams Garcia, and The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.  I could go on.  This is just kind of a random sampling, books that are springing to mind at this moment.  Different qualities endear.  Some I love most for their deep exploration of a theme: The Monstrumologist, Feed.  For others, it’s a kind of mythic quality, books that don’t seem created, but feel as if they’ve always been in the world: The Underneath, Skellig, Thursday’s Child, Runt.  In others, I’ve fallen head over heels for their characters:  One Crazy Summer, This Full House.  And always, always, it’s the quality of the prose.

AB: What about writing comes easiest for you? What is most difficult about the craft?

SF: Sometimes, the words just come to me.  I wish I could figure out a way to make this happen on command.  There are parts of my books that have been written in the shower, or in airplanes, or in the car, or on walks, or while I’m in the middle of writing something else entirely.  There is an epilogue in Dragon’s Milk; there are many passages in Shadow Spinner; there is nearly my entire picture book, Dadblamed Union Army Cow.  There are more scattered passages like this throughout all my other books.  They just came into my head; I wrote them down.  Later, when I look at the finished books, I see that I hardly had to revise these passages -- these gifts -- at all.  For the most part, though, for me, writing is hard labor.  I don’t mean to over-dramatize it – no drops of blood springing from my fevered brow or anything like that.  It’s just work.   (My earlier comments re: torture notwithstanding!) The hardest part for me is when I’m partway through the marathon that is a novel, when I’ve done a whole bunch and there’s still a whole bunch more to do.  Trying to scrape up the requisite stamina and faith.

AB: You tend to engage in very thorough, often hands-on research for your writing projects. Could you tell us what went into preparing for Ancient, Strange and Lovely?

ALA Best Books for Young Adults

SF:  For Ancient, Strange and Lovely, I didn’t have the travel adventures that I did, say, for Alphabet of Dreams.  It was one of those books where I didn’t so much go out to find things as stay alert to stray stories and bits of information that crossed into my world.   There was the story my daughter told me about a lizard with a symbiotic microbe that cleaned up environmental toxins.  There was the newspaper article about a webcam, a thief, and a lawn dwarf named O’Merkley.  There was the lapidary store that I wandered into in Seattle, where I learned how to crack open a fossilized dragon egg. There was the story my hairdresser told me about people who engage in online trade in really creepy stuff, like shrunken heads.  There was a friend who wrote a book about an Alutiiq healer on a remote Alaskan island. All of these things, when they crossed my path, provided answers to questions the novel was asking.  All were serendipitous.

AB: In the meantime, what advice would you offer a writer who is just starting out?

SF:  I’m kind of old school on this one.  There is so much emphasis these days on marketing, platforms, new technologies.  The thing is, I’ve already worked in advertising.  I left that to do this.  I came to writing novels because I love to read them.   I’m talking about reading as in living a story, stepping inside of a book character’s world and breathing along with him, falling in love with him, breaking my heart over him, busting out of the tight little time-and-place box I live in and experiencing stuff I’d never imagined.  There’s a kind of magic in making that happen.  It’s sorcery.  And, ever since I first experienced this, I wanted to perform that kind of magic, too.

So I’d say, first, put your energy into learning how to perform that sorcery, to perform it as well as you possibly can.  Read and study books you love.  Take classes.  Go to conferences.  Read craft books and blogs like this one.  Write and rewrite your novel until you can feel the magic happening.  And then do the marketing.

Having said that, I want to say that marketing has become an important component in sustaining a career as a writer.  And I am very grateful, indeed, Amy, for this opportunity to chime in on your awesome blog!

AB: Thank you, Susan! It's an honor to interview you. Now, I must go and Google the lawn dwarf named O'Merkley forthwith.

Winnie Mack Book Giveaway!

Are you and/ or your tween daughter in need of a good summer read?  Be sure to comment with your email address at the end of this blog post for a chance to win a copy of Winnie Mack's debut middle grade fiction book After All, You're Callie Boone. It's a story about 11 year-old Callie, a girl who's having a cruddy summer but steadfastly pursues her top-secret Olympic dream, with the help of her quirky dad.  Kirkus reviews says, "Dive in, this story is fine!"


Winnie Mack, a.k.a. Wendy French has published four successful 'chick lit' titles, but is now ready to make a big splash in the realm of kid lit. Bring your kids along to meet Winnie at A Children's Place Bookstore this Thursday at 4 pm!

AB: Congratulations on the publication of your first middle grade fiction book, After All, You're Callie Boone (Feiwel & Friends, June 2010). Could you tell us a bit about how you came to write this particular story?

WM: I had always been a bit scared of writing for younger readers, as I don't have children of my own and felt a bit out of touch with what might interest them. But the more I thought about what I'd loved to read as a child, the more I realized that even though technology has changed things rather dramatically for kids, some aspects of social life are still very much the same.

So, I knew I wanted to write about a girl who was going through a hard time socially, but I also realized I wanted her story to be realistic. I wanted  her to be a "normal" girl like I had been, a girl who couldn't rely on special powers or magic to solve her problems.

I don't really know where Callie's love of diving came from, other than the fact that I wanted her to be striving toward a goal that she would ultimately have to achieve alone. She could have the support of family and friends, but success would come down to a moment alone at the top of a diving board.

AB: You have an established, successful career as a writer of witty women’s fiction under the name ‘Wendy French’. What led you to write for young readers in particular? What about children's fiction appeals to you?

WM: I wrote four "chick lit" novels as Wendy French, and as much as I enjoyed writing them, the market was flooded with pastel colored books by the time the final one was published.

Along the way, a couple of editors had asked my agent if I might be interested in writing for kids, and I'd always declined, but when a friend had great success with her first Young Adult book, I thought it might be worth a try. I had no idea I would love doing it.
 
AB:  How long have you been writing? What was the timeline between the kernel
of the idea to publication of your upcoming books? 

WM:  I have been writing novels since my I was in my mid-twenties. It took me 5 years, 3 novels and 137 rejection letters to land my first literary contract at age 29, and I am now 37.

As far as the current book goes, I jumped into writing Callie Boone during my lunch hours at work over a period of about two months in Spring 2008, with no idea of whether it could actually sell. It was purchased in June of that year and published this month (two years after the sale).

AB: How does writing for adults differ from writing for children for you?

 WM: Writing for kids is more fun! I like the fact that kids have some limitations they can overcome (like difficulty at school or mastering a hobby) and some they can't (like rules set by their parents). I find that I have a different mindset when I'm writing for kids.

AB: Do you work with a critique group? What and/or who has been most helpful
to you in developing your writing craft?

When I began writing novels, I belonged to a critique group who met weekly to share work, which was extremely helpful at the time. Once I had my first contract, I continued with the group for a year or so, then as I wrote more, I gradually became more confident about my ability to edit myself.

I think that growing confidence has been one of the most helpful elements of developing as a writer, as well as a willingness to listen to feedback from editors, etc.

AB: Are you able to read much current middle grade/ YA  fiction? If so, what are some mg books published in the last 5-10 years that you've enjoyed? What makes you like it/them so much?

WM: I haven't read a ton of current Middle Grade fiction, but I really enjoyed The Rules by Cynthia Lord, and I get a kick out of the Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney. Both contain narrators with very distinct voices. 

AB:  What about writing comes easiest for you? What is most difficult about the craft?

WM: The initial spark of an idea is of course the simplest part, but as far as the actual writing goes, what comes easiest for me is the second draft of a novel, when I have something to work with and improve upon. I'm not a huge fan of getting through that first draft.

I have a full-time job, so sometimes it can be difficult to find time to write.

AB: What advice would you offer writers who are just starting out?

WM: Have fun with it. Writing is a very isolated hobby and it's important to enjoy yourself while you are doing it.

I would also advise them to keep at it. As I mentioned, I am no stranger to rejection, and I think it's very important not to take them personally.

AB: Thanks, Winnie! One last thing: what’s in the pipeline?

WM: I have written a hockey novel for boys called Hat Trick, which will be published by Scholastic Canada in October. I have just finished a basketball book, and I am now working on the sequel to Callie Boone, which features her friend Hoot.

Renée Watson Offers Hope Through the Storms

Photo credit: David Flores Photography

Renée Watson has been writing and performing since she was a kid at Vernon Elementary in Northeast Portland. She credits a teacher from Jefferson High School as her biggest influence to become a writer. Now, as an artist in residence in schools in the Bronx, she uses creative writing and theater to heighten social awareness and success among students.  

Renée writes stories that are not always easy to tell.  Her debut picture book A Place Where Hurricanes Happen (Random House, June 2010) deals with four friends separated in the aftermath of Katrina.  Caroline Kennedy calls it "a profound tribute to the power of friendship to heal and give us hope in troubled times." Her upcoming middle-grade fiction debut What Mama Left Me (Bloomsbury, July 2010) is about a 13 year-old whose father did "the worst thing in the world" and now she'll never see her mama again.


On June 24th at 7pm, Renée will be reading from both books and signing copies of A Place Where Hurricanes Happen at A Children's Place Bookstore in Northeast Portland. She will also be a featured author at the 2010 Wordstock this October.  If you leave a comment on this post with your email, you'll have a chance to win an advance relase copy of What Mama Left Me.

AB: Congratulations on the publication of your book, A Place Where Hurricanes Happen. We are all connected in some way to Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. Could you tell us how you are connected? Could you tell us a bit about how you came to write this particular story?

RW: I visited New Orleans a few times before Hurricane Katrina and loved the city. After Katrina hit, I was asked to come to New Orleans and lead poetry workshops with young people who were coping with the aftermath. The summer camp existed before Katrina, but after the storm the director knew she needed to have students process their feelings, so the entire camp—the creative writing, art, dance, and music classes—were dedicated to processing the devastation that happened.

Once I returned to New York, I couldn’t get the children’s stories out of my head and I wanted to do something to honor them. In the beginning, I was only writing it for New Orleans, but once the book was finished, I realized it’s about any child, anywhere, whose life has been turned upside down and that there’s hope after any storm—literal or emotional.

AB: What led you to write for young readers in particular? What about children's fiction appeals to you?

RW: I’ve worked in middle and high schools for about twelve years. The pains and joys of adolescents are moments I witness on a daily basis, so I think their stories are always with me as I write.

Also, for me, the lives of children and teens are interesting—they are always changing. Their conflicts are more dramatic, and there’s just so much to sort through. All of this makes for good plots and complex characters.

AB: At The New School, you studied creative writing and drama therapy. At the time, did you focus on children’s literature and arts? Were there any professors or mentors who particularly influenced you?

RW: Yes, my focus in writing and drama therapy was children and young adults. I also took playwriting and solo theater courses.

I’ve been blessed to have many mentors. Several at the New School, but honestly, the person who influenced me the most when it comes to writing is my former high school teacher Linda Christensen at Jefferson High School. Linda treated me as a “real writer” even when I was just a student writing for the literary magazine. My senior year she would have me come to her freshman class and read my short stories and poetry to her students. She saw something in me and encouraged me to pursue writing and teaching. She challenged me and gave me books to read that made me a better writer. So yes, I had great professors at The New School—Catherine Stine, Julia Noonan, Nancy Kelton, Sharon Mesmer, and Sue Shapiro—to name a few. They added skill to my passion. But I must say Linda’s voice is always in the back of my mind cheering me on. The lessons I learned from her on writing dialogue and the basics of story telling are the catalyst for everything I write today.

AB: You work extensively with children who are coping with violence (sexual, domestic, even acts of nature). How did you come to choose this as your vocation? How do you explore these themes during your artist in residency programs?

RW: In a sense, my vocation chose me. I knew I wanted to work with youth through the arts but didn’t set out to use the arts to help young people cope with hardship. When I first started being a guest artist in the schools, I was strictly teaching the fundamentals of poetry and theater—which I still do. But I learned early on in my teaching career that students can’t leave their lives at the door when they come to school. They bring with them whatever is going on at home and in their communities. Poetry and theater provide an outlet for students to express themselves and process what they’re going through. So it was a natural thing that students were sharing intimate parts of their lives with me through their writing or in an improv sketch. Once I saw that this kept happening, I sought out training for working with youth who’ve experienced trauma.

But I also teach the basics of creative writing and theater. My in-school residencies are usually tailored to what the classroom teacher is asking for. I do a lot of arts integration with humanities and literacy teachers.

AB: How long have you been writing? What was the timeline between the kernel of the idea to publication of your upcoming books?

RW: I have been writing all my life—I wrote a 21-page story when I was in the 2nd grade and my teacher told my mother, “This girl is going to be a writer. Get her a journal.” So, in a very real way, I have always considered myself a writer. But professionally, as far as publishing my writing, these are my first books. A Place Where Hurricanes Happen took me two days to write. It all just came to me a few months after I returned from New Orleans and I couldn’t stop writing it. But of course, with revision and editing—which is where the real writing happens—it took me about four or five rewrites to get it where I wanted it. So all in all, it took about 4 months to write.

What Mama Left Me was first a stage play that I wrote in high school. Back then, it had a different title, but the storyline was pretty much the same. I’ve had these characters in my head for more than fifteen years. I wanted to do something more with the characters—go deeper with them, so I took the play and wrote it as a novel. It took me about a year to write the first draft of the novel and lots and lots of rewrites to get it in its final version. From start to finish it took me about a year and a half to write the novel.

AB:  Can you tell us a bit more about your upcoming novel What Mama Left Me that will be on shelves in July?

RW: What Momma Left Me is about a thirteen-year-old girl who witnessed her father kill her mother. In the aftermath, she begins to lose faith in God. She doesn't understand why horrible things happen to good people and she's angry with her grandparents, who pastor a local church, for making her attend church and pray to a God that doesn't seem to be answering any of her cries. As she grieves the loss of her mother, she realizes her mother left her more than secrets and shame and she ultimately finds an inner strength that can be traced back to her mother and other strong women in her family.

The main character, Serenity, loves poetry and each chapter begins with a poem or quote. As she comes to terms with the loss of her mother, several people along the way come to her rescue: a best friend, a boyfriend, and a poet—Maya Angelou, who help her realize she is more than her past.

AB:  What Mama Left Me sounds profound and moving. Could you tell me about your emerging artists show Roses are Red, Women are Blue? What type of project was this?

RW: Roses is a one-woman show where I play six different female characters. The show explores women and their relationships with food, men, family, and friends. Each woman’s monologue makes reference to a rose—a bride’s maid who desperately wants to catch the bouquet at the reception so she can be next, a grieving widow who takes a rose off her husband’s casket, an abused woman whose boyfriend always apologizes with roses. The characters are based off of interviews I did with women ages 10 – 60.

I wrote the show at The New School, when I took a Solo Theater class taught by Alice Cohen, author of What I Thought I Knew.

AB: Do you work with a critique group?

RW: Yes, I’m a part of a group that meets twice a month. It’s a small group, about five of us. We met at The New School and wanted to continue to get feedback on our writing after we graduated. It’s so helpful to get their input and when I read and critique their manuscripts, it makes be a better writer. We all learn from each other. It’s great.

AB: Are you able to read much current middle grade/ YA fiction? If so,

what are some mg books published in the last 5-10 years that you've enjoyed?

RW: Yes, I love to read. Reading good books strengthens my writing. I love the Make Lemonade trilogy by Virginia E. Wolff. I also think Lisa Graff’s Umbrella Summer is a wonderful book. Looking for Alaska by John Green is one of my favorites, as is anything by Patricia McCormick. Another author I enjoy reading is Sherman Alexie. My favorite of his is The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian. As for poetry for young adults, I think Naomi Shaib Nye’s A Maze Me is great.

AB: What advice would you offer a writer who is just starting out?

RW: My advice is to read. I tell beginning writers to read a book through just for pleasure and then read it again and study it. What is the author doing that’s making this a story you can’t put down? Good writers read. I even encourage writers to finish a book they don’t necessarily like. Knowing why you don’t like something is just as important as knowing why you do. Understanding what makes a book work or not work for you will fine-tune your own writing skills.

AB: Thank you so much for your time, Renée. I can't wait to read both of your books. What’s next for you?

RW: I have another novel, which is untitled right now, that I am working on. I’m hoping to spend most of the summer finishing it. Summers are great for me because I’m on a teacher’s schedule, so I have summers off and can write, write, write!

Not Your Mother's Lisa Schroeder

 OK Portlanders: let's get one thing clear, here, as there seems to be some confusion. There are two fantastic artists, both named Lisa Schroeder, who call Portland home. One Lisa Schroeder nurtures bellies with her delectable restaurant fare at Mother's Bistro & Bar and Mama Mia Trattoria. Her medium is "Mother Food". 

Then there's "not your 'Mother's'" Lisa Schroeder. Her medium is the written word. Author of six kid lit/YA titles, this Lisa Schroeder broke out on the YA scene with the publication of her popular 2008 novel-in-verse I Heart You, You Haunt Me (Simon Pulse, 2008).  Then she followed up with Far From You (Simon Pulse, 2009) and her new release Chasing Brooklyn (Simon Pulse 2010) In these, Lisa nurtures readers with spare, tightly woven verse exploring teen love, loss, ghosts, and healing.

Oh. And now for cupcakes. (Did I mention cupcakes?) Lisa's most recent novel is her foray into middle-grade fiction and her first NOT-in-verse novel. In it, she explores cupcake baking, travel, and mother-daughter relationships.

AB: Congratulations on the publication of your first middle grade fiction book It’s Raining Cupcakes (Simon Aladdin, 2010). Could you tell us about it? What was your initial inspiration for writing this book?

LS: Thank you! It's Raining Cupcakes is about twelve-year-old Isabel who dreams of traveling and seeing the world. When she hears of a baking contest hosted by a magazine where the finalists go to New York City to compete, Isabel decides to enter. Only problem is that her best friend, Sophie, is entering too, and things always seem to go her way. And with Isabel's mom getting ready to open a cupcake shop, she has certain ideas as to what kind of recipe Isabel should enter. It's a book about family, friendship and making dreams come true.

I wrote this book when I was in between YA projects, and the world seemed pretty gloomy at that time, with the recession in full force. I wanted to write about something happy. So I thought - what's something that makes people smile when they just hear the word? And cupcakes came to mind. Cupcake shops have become really popular in the past few years, and I thought, how fun to set a story in or around a cupcake shop. And that's how it started.

AB: You write YA novels-in-verse that deal with themes of love and loss. Could you tell us what in particular inspired you to write Chasing Brooklyn?

LS: Chasing Brooklyn came about because I had many readers who loved I Heart You, You Haunt Me and were asking me for another book "just like that." As you know, you can't really write another book "just like that" but I tried to give them the same elements (love, loss, healing and hope) and put it inside a very different book. It's told from two points of view - Nico and Brooklyn - which is something I've never done before. It was challenging, but I'm really proud of how it turned out, and reader feedback so far has been very positive, so that makes me happy.

AB: I’m also excited to see that your picture book Little Chimp’s Big Day (Sterling, 2010) is coming out this fall. You write in many different genres. What do you like about the picture book format? Where did the idea for this story come from?

LS: Yes, looks like it will be released September 7th! I sold this book quite a long time ago, when my focus was the picture book genre, but it took time to find the illustrator, and then it took her time to do the illustrations. But I think it's been worth the wait. Lisa McCue is an amazing illustrator, and this book is SO adorable. I can't wait for people to see it. Seeing your words paired with illustrations really is one of the best parts of writing a picture book. It's challenging trying to tell a story in 500 words or less, and it's not something that's easy to do. I've kind of moved on at this point, taking that task of telling a story in as few words as possible and transferring it to my verse novels. 

This book came about when I was brainstorming in my idea notebook and this line popped into my head:

In a jungle, in a tree, sits a little chimpanzee

And that is how the book begins! 

AB: What inspired you to make writing for young readers your career focus? What do you love about writing for young readers? What are its challenges?

LS: Adults are just so boring! Sorry, adults who are reading this interview. In a way, writing for young readers lets me experience those youthful years all over again. It's just so much fun (most of the time). The biggest challenge for me is mostly coming up with new and fresh ideas that might be commercial enough to get noticed these days in what has become a very competitive market.

AB: Could you describe your work space and your writing process?

 

LS: I have a small office in our home with an ancient desktop that doesn't allow a lot of web surfing unless I want to wait 15 minutes for a page to load (which I don't). So when it's time to write, I go in there, shut the door and open up the document. I have written most of my books on that computer, even though I bought a laptop a few years back. Going into my office says "work" to me, and I think there is something to be said for having a special spot where you write and can avoid distractions (for the most part).

As far as my writing process, I usually have a few seeds of ideas that I've jotted down in my special little notebook that is just for ideas. Usually I begin writing when I'm so excited about the idea, I can't wait any longer. So I'll write some pages and see how it goes. Generally, I know fairly quickly if there is enough there for a whole book. I've recently begun using the 9 box plotting method once I've started in and have decided this IS the book I want to write. You can read about that method here at fellow kidlit/ YA author C.J. Omololu's blog.

AB: What kind of young reader were you?

LS: I was an avid reader growing up, especially during the middle grade years. I loved books so much then, and the books have stuck with me all this time. That's just so amazing to me. And it's why I want to continue to write MG novels, if I can. YA is where it's hot right now, and I've found a readership there that I'm extremely thankful for. And verse novels seem to be a nice fit for me. But I love the more innocent stories around family and friendship that you often find in middle grade novels. And knowing that a book you write could be the start of a path down a love of reading for a child? Wow.

AB: What advice do you have for writers?

LS: Play, experiment, figure out what YOU are good at and do that. It's so easy to get caught up in what's selling and what might be the next big thing, but I really think you have to find your strengths and go with that. I started out writing picture books and despite a couple of sales there, I know now it's probably not where I really belong as an author. I'm thankful for the experience and for the beautiful books that came about as a result, but over the years, I've learned where my strengths lie and I want to focus on those.

AB: How have you seen the business change since I Heart You, You Haunt Me? If so, what do you think of those changes?

LS: Mostly, it has exploded. I mean, when I Heart You came out in January 2008, the book stores were just in the process of moving the teen books out of the kid's section and giving them their own dedicated section. In just two years, I can't believe how many more YA books there are on the shelves. It is really incredible. As a reader, I love it. They say we are in the golden age of YA literature, and isn't it just so cool to think about being a part of that and getting to read SO MANY awesome books? As a writer, it scares me because more and more, I feel like publishing is becoming like the Hunger Games, where only the strongest will survive, and what if I'm not strong enough?

AB: Do you find the time to keep reading? Do you have any favorites of the year?

LS: I'm always reading at least one book, and usually a couple at the same time. Right now I'm about six chapters into The Year the Swallows Came Early by Katherine Fitzmaurice and it's so wonderful. My kind of book! Another MG novel I keep raving about is Barbara O'Conner's The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis.  Some favorite YA reads include Breathing by Cheryl Renée Herbsman and How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford.

AB: Lisa, thanks so much for your time. One last questions: what can your fans look forward to next?

LS: At this point, I'm not really sure. I have a couple of things on submission right now, so I'm in that wait-and-see mode. I will make any announcements of sales in the coming days and weeks on my blog. 

Thanks so much for having me here, Amy!

Shana Corey: Her Life in Books

What self-respecting bookworm wouldn't want to be Shana Corey? As an editor at Random House Children's, she works with award winning authors on graphic novels, middle grade fiction and YA. She's also an author in her own right, working steadily on her laptop when her children are asleep. Shana has written many picture books and early readers that have kept my children's noses in books. She also specializes in incisive biographies of women long-forgotten, by focusing on small moments where they have turned the tide of history.

Shana's latest picture book biography Mermaid Queen: The Spectacular True Story of Annette Kellerman, Who Swam Her Way to Fame, Fortune and Swimsuit History! (Scholastic, 2009) with pictures by  Edwin Fotheringham was a huge hit at my children's elementary school during their Mock Caldecott round-up. Shana kindly took the time to talk about Mermaid Queen, some of her other books, the research involved, and in-house writing. She also explains why her current list of books she has edited are such treasures. (Hint: if you're a Babymouse fan, read on!)

Rosanne Parry: Heart of a Writer

Tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?

When I finished reading Rosanne Parry’s fiction debut Heart of a Shepherd, I had a visitation of sorts. The above lines of Mary Oliver’s The Summer Day kept haunting me. Like Oliver, Parry challenges you to bear witness to nature and reflect on the spiritual. But unlike Oliver, Parry throws down the gauntlet to middle grade readers of fiction. In her slim, tightly woven prose, Parry succeeds  in keeping our attention and challenging our thoughts, long after we put the book down. I don't make comparisons to the work of Mary Oliver lightly. I can’t recommend Heart of a Shepherd highly enough. 

In Heart of a Shepherd, Brother, the youngest of five sons, must run the family ranch with his grandfather when his father’s reserve unit is called to active duty. This provides Brother with an opportunity to prove himself- to show his father and brothers he is capable, despite his own self-doubts. He and his grandfather withstand many challenges, and Brother ultimately gains insight into how he can best serve the spirit of the land, his family, and himself.

Lucky for us, Rosanne has decided to write with her "one wild and precious life." And she does it in a tree! And lucky for Portlanders, Rosanne is making her first appearance at Wordstock on Sunday October 11^th. Don’t miss her! Read on to learn about the genesis of her story, her craft,  and crucial advice for those of you who have searched your souls and found that writing is your vocation.

AB: Congratulations on the publication of your book, Heart of a Shepherd (Random House, 2009). I read it on a plane and tried in vain to hide my tears and puffy face from the person next to me. I was particularly struck by the realism in the story- Brother's family felt like my family, even though we've neither lived in Eastern Oregon nor raised sheep. What led you to write this story? 

RP: Thank you, I’m delighted that you enjoyed the book. I’m beginning to think that it should come with a little sticker that says, “Don’t read this book on a city bus!” I’ve actually gotten a few complaints on that score. It’s a real honor to have moved a reader, but I’m very sorry if you were embarrassed. If it makes you feel better, my editor refused to work my book in the office for exactly the same reason.

It’s sometimes hard to pin down one thing that inspires a story. I know plenty of ranchers and soldiers. That’s part of it. During the current war in Iraq, I’ve seen small towns deploying their most valuable community members overseas. The impact of their service on their communities seemed worth the attention of a novel. Ultimately though, I had a character I loved, and I was willing to follow him where his story led.

AB: What led you to write for young readers in particular? What about children's fiction appeals to you?

RP: There are so many things to love about kid’s literature. You will not find more attentive or passionate readers anywhere. I love it that children’s books are not about the writer, but about the reader and the story each reader constructs from her own abilities and experiences. I love school visits and letters from child readers, and I find the community of children’s writers a very inspiring place to be.

AB: What was the timeline between kernel of an idea to publication? 

RP: This story began as a poem I wrote about a boy and a grandpa playing chess at least 10 years ago. The poem became a short story that won a Kay Snow Award from Willamette Writers in 2003, the same year I met my editor Jim Thomas at the Oregon SCBWI fall retreat. Slowly, and with much pausing to work on other projects, the short story called The Chess Men became the first chapter of a whole novel. My editor made an offer on it in September of 2006 and it came out in January of 2009.  The audio book came out the same month as the novel, and I also sold the movie option for Heart of a Shepherd in January of 2009. It seems long but I’m lucky to have had the luxury of time to get the story just the way I wanted it to be.

AB: I have read your informative Cynsations interview. Could you tell me when you started becoming involved with SCBWI? How helpful has being a partof this organization been for you?

RP: I’ve been involved with SCBWI-Oregon for more than ten years. I count myself very lucky to be in the company of generous mentors at our region’s conferences and retreats. I met my Random House editor at one of our retreats, but far more importantly, I met friends who have supported and advised me in all the stages of my career.

AB: In 2004, you were the recipient of the Oregon Literary Arts fellowship for Young Readers' Literature. How did you hear about the Oregon Literary Arts fellowship?

RP: I made it a habit in the “pre-published” phase of my career to enter at least 3 contests a year. I was chatting with one of my SCBWI friends about what new contests I could enter, and she suggested OLA. It’s an amazing organization and a testament to the strength of the reading culture in our state.

AB: How did you find your agent, Stephen Fraser? Was it difficult to find an agent?

RP: I didn’t start to look for an agent until I had four finished middle grade stories, about a dozen finished picture book manuscripts, some published newspaper articles and the Kay Snow Award. I was at the point where I was consistently getting not form rejections but notes that said, “Thanks, good writing, but this is not what we do here. Please send us something else”.

I asked my friend Brent Hartinger, who loves his agent Jennifer Di Chiara, if she was taking new clients. He said, “Yes, but her list is very full. My editor at Harper Collins is becoming an agent in Jennifer’s agency. He’s great. Try him.” So I queried Stephen according to the guidelines. He got back to me in just a few weeks offering representation. So it wasn’t hard, but I believe that’s because I’d already done the hard work of creating not just one saleable manuscript but a body of marketable work and enough knowledge of the industry to have reasonable expectations and be an active partner with my agent.

AB: I understand that you work in a critique group. What and/or who has been most helpful to you in developing your craft?

RP: What I love most about my critique group is the variety of response. One member has a gift for copy editing. She has, with considerable patience, taught me much of what I know about the more complex elements of grammatical construction. She is also a genius at picking out the inconsistencies and errors in logic. I love that about her, and I depend on it. Another member is great at helping me sort out things like narrative distance and consistency in point of view. Yet another is great about telling me when I’ve hit the emotional nail on the head and where I’ve missed the mark. Perhaps most important of all, they are there year in and year out, expecting a new chapter from me every two weeks. It’s very motivating. Our group has changed membership over the years, but I can’t imagine how I’d get an initial manuscript into editor-ready shape without the help of other writers.

AB: I've read your website and know a bit about what you liked to read when you were younger. I've also checked out your "Goodreads" page. But I'm wondering: are you able to read much current middle grade fiction? If so, what are some middle grade books published in the last 5-10 years that you've enjoyed? What makes you like it/them so much?

RP: I wish I read more. My goal is to set aside at least one week and maybe two a year just for the purpose of keeping current in my field. I also try to keep up with what my children are reading both for fun and in their English classes. 

What have I read lately? I just finished Marcello in the Real World last week and found it one of the most absorbing books I’ve read in a while. I’m a big fan of Megan Whelen Turner’s books, The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, and The King of Attolia. I have enjoyed all of the books in my debut authors group the Class of 2K9.  One title in particular that stands out is the middle grade novel When the Whistle Blows by Fran Cannon Slayton. I could never settle on a favorite but those are what spring to mind today.

AB: How about current picture books? 

RP: I also need to go on a picture book reading binge this week. Two that I’ve read recently are Deb Lund’s Dinosailors and Deborah Hopkinson’s Apples to Oregon. I think the Olivia books by Ian Falconer are both visually interesting and great characterization.  I’ve been a fan of folk and fairy tales all my life so The Paper Dragon by Marguerite W. Davol, illustrated by Robert Sabuda, and St. George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman are long time favorites.

AB: Daddy's Home  (Candy Cane Press, 2009) is a lovely picture book in rhyme that you wrote which came out last spring. How are writing picture books different from writing middle grade novels?

RP: I have loved poetry all my life, and I do think that picture books have more in common with poetry than with novels. It’s good for my writing to switch between novels and picture books. The novels remind me to make the picture book have a satisfying arc no matter how short it is, and the picture books remind me of the importance of reading my work out loud.

AB: What advice would you offer a writer (like me) who is just starting out?

RP: Two things spring to mind. The first is probably advice you’ve heard before. Read. I would add to that: read current books. Read at least a dozen books in your genre every year. Think about what you are reading. When you find a book you love, pick it apart and figure out what makes the story work. Spend a little time with books you hate as well, particularly if it’s a best selling book that you loathe. Think about why you have the reaction you do and what other readers are seeing that appeals to them.

The other advice is to develop a body of work. Finish at least 3 or 4 novels or a dozen picture books. Learn all you can about the craft of writing from these first books. Work with a critique group or partner. Figure out the kind of story you like best and practice the work habits you’ll need to sustain a career in publishing.

AB: What can your fans look forward to next? Can you tell us a bit about your upcoming novel that takes place during the cold war? 

RP: My next novel will be Second Fiddle, and it will come out in the spring of 2011. It's an adventure story about three girl musicians living in Germany just as the Berlin Wall has come down. They rescue a Soviet soldier from death at the hands of his own officers and help him escape from East Berlin to Paris. It's a complete change of pace from the first book, but still a thoughtful coming of age story about trust, friendship, and a girl who loves music finding her own voice.

AB: Do you ever do public readings or speaking engagements? 

RP: Yes! I just returned from a wonderful weekend in Enterprise Oregon leading the Fishtrap Children’s Literature Workshop. I was very impressed with the enthusiasm of the Fishtrap staff, the quality of the participants and the brilliance of my teaching partner, author and story teller Meg Lippert. This is an event that happens every fall.

I’ll be making my first appearance at Wordstock on Sunday October 11^th. I’ll be sharing the stage at my reading with Karen Cushman! How cool is that? I can’t wait to meet her. I’ll also be teaching a writing workshop called "Character and the Seven Deadly Sins." It’s a fun one. I’d love to see some friendly faces there, so stop by if you can. My reading is at 4pm on Sunday and my workshop is at 1:30.

I’ll also start scheduling my school visits and Skype visits. It’s my goal to visit 20 schools in the next school year. I’ve done two already in Wallowa and Enterprise, Oregon. I have Skype visits lined up in Chicago and Wisconsin. If you have a school that’s interested in an author visit, let me know. Interacting with readers is becoming my favorite part of the job!

AB: Thanks so much, Rosanne!