Sunday Writer's Treat: Amy Einhorn Opens Up

It's pretty rare to encounter a five-page interview on the internet that you'll want to read in its entirety -- but that's what I found the other day on Poets & Writers.

Check out this amazing interview with editor and publisher Amy Einhorn. You'll get the most forthright insight I've ever read on the editorial process, what it means to buy a book, and how the industry ticks. Enjoy!

Quotable Bite:

When you do your launch presentation and you say, “I love this book,” that’s almost completely meaningless to a sales rep. Every editor loves the books he or she bought. I know only a small portion of what the reps are up against, but related to the perception that everyone thinks that editors just read, a lot of what I do is sell. I have to sell the book to my reps, to publicity, to marketing, to booksellers, to reviewers.

Sunday Writer's Treat: Middle Grade On The Narrative Breakdown

This morning, I discovered Scholastic exec. editor Cheryl Klein's amazing writing podcast (hat tip Andrea Mack).

Episode 35 of The Narrative Breakdown features author and editor Jill Santopolo. She and Klein discuss everything middle grade, touching on topics from outlining to what makes a book middle grade to increasing writing productivity. They also chat a bit about the series that made me love reading as a kid: The Babysitter's Club.

If you have some free time this chilly Sunday, put the kettle on, pour a cup of tea, and have a listen! The conversation lasts about 30 min.

Listen: Episode 35: Middle Grade With Author-Editor Jill Santopolo

-- More About The Narrative Breakdown --

In The Narrative Breakdown, Cheryl Klein, James Monohan, and other guest co-hosts discuss storytelling tips and techniques of interest to any writer, student, or fan of quality creative writing, screenwriting, playwriting, fan fiction, English literature, etc. Each episode, Cheryl and James draw upon their respective experiences in publishing and filmmaking to analyze popular novels, movies, plays, television shows, short stories, and song lyrics. Featuring various co-hosts and writers, as well as material from Cheryl Klein’s book ‘Second Sight’ and James’ iPhone / iPad app ‘The Storyometer.’

Yup, A Writer Lives Here

Piles Of Post-Its

Happy holidays everyone! I'm taking off this weekend for a cozy New Year's cabin trip with my sweetheart (it's our 5-year anniversary!), where I plan on reading a ton, and also doing some outlining for future projects. I ran out to buy poster board yesterday (I know - nerd alert) and then ended up grabbing a few post-its in the paper supplies aisle, because... who can have enough post-its, right?

Since I have the whole week off, I've also been on a mad cleaning and organizing spree. And this morning I found, oh, about 20 pads of post-its around the house. Different colors, sizes, shapes... yet I still felt this major post-it gap in my life... so much so that I had to get a fresh pack for my projects. Crazy, or just writer crazy?

But there's no shame in obsessive love for office supplies around here, especially when they help with writing:

Exhibit A

What are some of your most-loved writing supplies? I'm also a sucker for index cards. And I've already confessed my notebook thing :)

Bookshelf Gone Wild

Read me, Seymour!

This weekend I decided to assess my book situation. Book situation? Yes, book situation.

About four months ago, I imposed a moratorium on buying new books. I already had a tall stack waiting for me, but browsing book shops is one of my favorite simple pleasures on a Friday after work. Given how much I read, I was bound to catch up if I purchased just one more... Yeah, not so much.

But when I stopped buying books, I found myself in the library more. At first it was to borrow a new release, or something I really craved reading. Which then led to me requesting five lovely hardcovers at a time like a ravenous book hoarder. And I had to read them when they were delivered to my branch because they had due dates.

Then BEA happened... which... well. A lot more books.

My to-be-read pile has gotten a little out of control. It is, in fact, a giant pile of books. On Goodreads, I have a modest 35 books listed. I own (or requested from the library) all but 19 of them. At home, I have *cough* 58 *cough* real live happy books just waiting for me to pounce on them. They range from middle grade to craft books to non fiction and adult books that I try to sneak in.

Don't get me wrong. I love being surrounded by books. My second bedroom, or 'the library,' is where we keep bookshelves stacked with my books, my partner's books, the books people gift us, and so on. Space isn't an issue (yet) -- it's more handling what's coming into my home versus inside my brain at a reasonable rate. Part of the reason I'm not filling up an e-reader is because I don't want another place to keep unread books.

So how do you manage your TBR pile -- whether the books are smiling at you from your shelves or e-reader, or taunting you at your favorite bookstore? There are several lifetimes of books out there, and you can't read them all at once.

It's almost September, and I've already read 50 books according to Goodreads. Which means I may get through half of my TBR pile by the end of the year if I follow a few rules:

• Limit my library intake. Which stinks, because I adore going to the library. My heart flutters a little every time I walk by one. But I can still lurk around the stacks without taking out a book or seven.
• Keep the no-buying rule intact. Unless it's a gift for someone else, that is. I make it a point to support my favorite authors, so this one is a bit painful. But for the rest of 2012, I'll try to stay true.
• Donate books to the library. Despite how it may look, I really don't like having stuff. I rarely purchase clothing, or anything not edible for that matter, yet I still make Goodwill trips three-four times a year when I go on a purging spree. This one is just for my own sanity. Plus - have you ever seen this?

Rules one and two may be broken when new releases come out - especially sequels I've been anticipating. But I'll try my best. What do you think, pals? Any tips for managing your time versus the books you can't wait to read?

In Case You're Not Feeling Old Today...

Here's a handy chart from XKCD that can be useful to kidlit writers especially. It's a fun reminder that if you have a book coming out in 2024, those Hammertime jokes are seriously going to fall flat.

5 Things to Swoon Over on the Web Today

You probably don't need more any ways to procrastinate, but wait, of course you do! I feel like I've struck internet gold lately, and must share some of my favorite new things:

1) Title to Come: If you are writing a book, have written a book, work in publishing, or maybe just like to eat books, then you will cherish this tumblr. My pal Ghenet was gushing over it on Twitter the other day, and my life has since changed for the better.

2) Sorted This Way: Hufflepuffs meet Lady Gaga, because why not? The video is a little racy for no reason, but the lyrics are nerdy and fun.

3) Harry Potter Characters in the Books Vs. Movies: Remember how awesome Hermione was all teeth and bushy hair in the Harry Potter books? So do the folks at BuzzFeed.

4) Beautiful Bookshelves: One of my new favorites on Pinterest -- middle grade blogger Jasmine Ko has a board with hundreds of drool-worthy bookshelf images.

5) SmartEdit: Stina Lindenblatt reviewed a program for writers that tracks the words and phrases and dialogue tags (and cliches) most used in your manuscript, along with other neat stats. I downloaded it the other day, and really enjoy torturing myself with it.

Happy Wednesday, people!

Saturday Moment of Zen

Gorgeous book sculpture by artist Isaac Salazar. I can't guarantee that books were not harmed in the making of this piece - but it is quite lovely.

 For more samples by this artist, click here.

Indexed: Oh the Places You Will Go...

Fun post on Indexed today titled - Why we read on the plane:

I wonder if there's a way to track miles via pages read :)

Don't know Indexed? Bookmark it, and you'll never crave a Venn diagram again.

The Oatmeal on Working From Home

I recently made the switch from a 40+ hour work week in the office to working from home most of the week. This has been sort of my dream forever, but we should always be cautious of what we wish for. The Oatmeal, for instance, warned me about a few habits to avoid in this comic strip. This panel is my favorite:

What are your tips for staying productive, healthy, and social when working/writing  from home? I made a list of RULES (of course I did), and so far I'm happy to report that I've been following them!

FYI...

My First Blog Award!

Oh hey! I got one of those nifty blog awards! It's from Jennifer Eaton, a fantastic writer who gives great tips on the process. I really enjoy reading her blog, so it's an extra awesome surprise.

Here's what she had to say:
"Gina is an aspiring author who blogs about whatever comes to mind.  She is very open, and I like her unassuming, “real” writing style.  She is a new blogger… She’s only been around for about four months but she digs in like a pro."

The rules for The Versatile Blogger Award state that now I must tell you seven things about me, and pass the award on to more bloggers. This is going to be a long post, but here goes!

7 Things About Me

1. I started writing fiction in fourth grade - a series about four best friends in a Babysitter's Club format. I loved dreaming up stories about the characters and drumming up book ideas, but I never actually wrote more than a few chapters. The manuscript I'm writing now is the first one I've attempted since then!

2. The five countries I want to visit next are: Iceland, India, Japan, Morocco, Chile.

3. My Boston accent has faded over the years, but I grew up sounding like I belonged in a Ben Affleck film. I'll never be able to say the name "Mark" like you normal people, though. Or artichoke hearts.

4. I'm terrible at estimating things like height, distance, and square footage, doing push ups, telling which parent a baby resembles, admitting I'm wrong, and singing.

5. I'm terrific at cooking up a feast, giving gifts, appreciating life's little things, being goofy, reading for hours, and keeping secrets.

6. I've been a vegetarian since 1997. My current favorite food that I'll order at any restaurant is Brussels sprouts (YUM). And I'll never like raw onions.

7. My great-grandmother was a witch. The polite term might be fortune teller, but we keep it real in my family. Luckily she immigrated to Massachusetts from Italy long after the Salem Witch Trials.

I'm pretty sure that most of the blogs in my Google Reader have received this award (what can I say, I have great taste!), so I'm going to do a little homework before granting it forward. Happy Sunday folks!

Happy Tweetversary to Me!

One year ago today, I joined Twitter under the handle @captaincarey. I specifically made this account to follow and network with writers, agents, editors, and kidlit bloggers. The kidlit community is active, supportive, and engaging in so many forms of social media - but Twitter especially.

Here's what I've been up to in one year:

• Followers: 396
• Following: 399
• Tweets: 432
• Twitpics: 20
• Listed: 21

Under 500 tweets in a year seems to be on the low side. I tend to follow other people's tweets more than I share my own 140 characters - and sometimes go days without twittering about life. But I still love picking up tidbits about the industry, getting to know small details about people's lives and likes, and reading my favorite type of post when it occasionally pops up (the "I got an agent!" post).

Another neat resource that I didn't realize existed is the almighty Twitter chat - some of them appear randomly, like #askagent, while others are scheduled, like the Tuesday night #kidlitchat (which is happening right now, btw).

If you're on the fence about joining Twitter, my advice is to jump in with both feet. Don't stick a toe in the water - take the plunge! Cannonball! Commenters, do you agree? And are there any essential writing folks you recommend following?

Most Popular in 2011

There are still eleven days left in the year, but I'm going to swoop my hand over my crystal ball and report that these were indeed my most popular blog posts in 2011. I only began blogging in August, but my stats have three clear frontrunners:

• #1: Jailbreak the Patriarchy: Swapping Gender in Books 

• #2: Cupcakes and Art on the Road: Tim Burton at LACMA

• #3: Slowing Down With Zadie Smith 

I try to relate most of my posts back to writing and young adult literature, but dang, the subject matter varies a lot around here! Though I was a little reluctant to start blogging this summer, now I can't imagine not having this outlet and place to connect with other writers.

I recently received one of those fun blogging awards which I'll post about soon. For now, I have to get back to my manuscript. ROW80 ends tomorrow!

Jim Morrison Can Go Twice as High

If you haven't seen Jimmy Fallon singing "Reading Rainbow" as Jim Morrison of The Doors... take a look (it's in a book) - complete with shout outs to Goodnight Moon and The Hungry Caterpillar.



It's taking a few seconds to load after hitting play, but it's worth the wait. If you're having trouble with NBC's embedded player, here's a link to Late Night.

Jailbreak the Patriarchy: Swapping Gender in Books

Fun with words!

Danielle Sucher created a pretty mind-bending Chrome App that I've been playing with called Jailbreak the Patriarchy. Here's what it does:

 "Jailbreak the Patriarchy genderswaps the world for you. When it’s installed, everything you read in Chrome loads with pronouns and a reasonably thorough set of other gendered words swapped.  This makes reading stuff on the internet a pretty fascinating and eye-opening experience, I must say. What would the world be like if we reversed the way we speak about women and men? Well, now you can find out!"

The app is super user friendly. I genderswapped the synopses of a few books on Goodreads, and the results were interesting. Let's start with kidlit:

LITTLE WOMEN: "Meet the March brothers: the talented and tomboyish Jo, the beautiful Meg, the frail Beth, and the spoiled Amy, as they pass through the years between boyhood and manhood. A lively portrait of growing up in the 19th century with lasting vitality and enduring charm."

THE PRINCESS DIARIES: He's just a New York City boy living with his artist dad... News Flash: Mom is prince of Genovia. (So that's why a limo meets him at the airport!) Downer: Mom can't have any more kids. (So no heir to the throne.) Shock of the Century: Like it or not, Mia Thermopolis is prime princess material."

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single woman in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a husband."

ANNE OF GREEN GABLES: "Everyone's favorite redhead, the spunky Anne Shirley, begins his adventures at Green Gables, a farm outside Avonlea, Prince Edward Island. When the freckled boy realizes that the elderly Cuthberts wanted to adopt a girl instead, he begins to try to win them and, consequently, the reader, over."

Nothing too crazy, but it's neat to imagine the roles switched. And now adult fiction, which gets a little more real:


MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA: "Chiyo is only nine when he and his brother, Satsu, are virtually sold to a stranger by his mother. Chiyo's unusual beauty lands him an apprenticeship in one of Kyoto's best-known okiya,or geisha houses, while the plainer Satsu is led to a run-down part of town where he will be forced into prostitution. Except for a momentary reunion many months later, the brothers never see one another again."

THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA: "A novella,tells the story of an old fisherwoman, Santiago, and her long lusty struggle isn't so much over one fish, but the act of living—living fully, actively, robustly."

LOLITA: "Humbert Humbert is a middle-aged, fastidious college professor. She also likes little boys. And none more so than Lolita, who she'll do anything to possess. Is she in love or insane? A silver-tongued poet or a pervert? A tortured soul or a monster? Or is she all of these?"

LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA: In their youth, Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza fall passionately in love. When Fermina eventually chooses to marry a wealthy, well-born doctor, Florentino is devastated, but she is a romantic. As she rises in her business career she whiles away the years in 622 affairs--yet she reserves her heart for Fermina."

THE COLOR PURPLE: "Celie is a poor black man whose letters tell the story of 20 years of his life, beginning at age 14 when he is being abused and raped by his mother and attempting to protect his brother from the same fate, and continuing over the course of his marriage to "Mister," a brutal woman who terrorizes him. Celie eventually learns that his abusive wife has been keeping his brother's letters from him and the rage he feels, combined with an example of love and independence provided by his close friend Shug, pushes his finally toward an awakening of his creative and loving self."

THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING: "A young man in love with a woman torn between her love for him and her incorrigible manizing one of her mistresses and his humbly faithful lover--these are the two couples whose story is told in this masterful novel."

I think my favorite is The Old Man and the Sea - because I wish women were in more epic roles where they are masters of their own fate, answering life's big questions. That, and also the word "manizing," switched from "womanizing" in that last blurb.

This could be a neat tool to examine your own writing as well.  Hat tip to Jezebel, and check out the articles they jailbroke from Cosmo to The New York Times.

Conflicts of Interest

A Venn diagram close to my heart on Indexed today, titled Consider the Sources.  Though advertising pays the bills, it's obvious when it tries to crawl into that A overlap, especially for us Internet editorial folks.

Reading in the Ancient World

A friend suggested I pick up Cleopatra: A Life for vacation reading while I was in Italy. I was waiting for it to come out in paperback, so it wasn’t a hard sell.

She threw in some fun factoids anyway about the difficulty of reading scrolls that sent me straight to the bookstore after work to procure my copy. Here’s the scoop:

“A twenty-sheet long scroll of papyrus was both unwieldy and fragile. Reading was very much a two-handed operation: you balanced the scroll in your right hand and rolled the used portion with your left.”

And I complain that I can't eat pistachios when I read! That type of labor makes me wonder if scroll readers would bemoan a Kindle out of sentimentality, or jump straight into the digital age. After being convinced an e-book isn't evil witchcraft, of course.

The book also has neat tidbits about the library in Alexandria, which had 500,000 scrolls arranged meticulously in bins, divided by subject alphabetically. It was the largest, most prolific library in the ancient world, until Julius Caesar burned half of it down. Whoops!

The sections of the book covering this nerdy stuff - Cleopatra's rigid education, or making a mortal enemy of Cicero when she snubbed his request of a scroll from her famous library - bring vivid context to a completely foreign time and place... especially since the borders, cities, and texts largely don't exist today.

King of All Wild Things Doesn't Hold Back

Did you check out the pretty darn entertaining Guardian interview with Maurice Sendak? There's some strong hateration in there, for everything from e-books ("I hate them. It's like making believe there's another kind of sex. There isn't another kind of sex. There isn't another kind of book! A book is a book is a book") to Gwyneth Paltrow ("I can't stand her.").

Between all the the money quotes, there's some interesting background on Sendak's life. Who knew he was such a saucy character?

The Old Man and the Sweater

This totally random, totally awesome post from Buzzfeed has Ernest Hemingway rocking Etsy sweaters. Because why not?

XKCD on Sharing

Hover Text: In the new edition of The Giving Tree, the tree uses social tools to share with its friends the best places to buy things