W h e r e d
o y o u g e t y o u r
i d e a s ?
My
ideas seem to come like lightning bolts - all of a sudden, out of
nowhere - which is exciting, because in a flash I have this idea
that could be a whole novel, and all of these characters pop out and
want to be heard and are as real as anyone I know. But it's also
scary, because the flip side is that I wonder if I will ever have
another novel-worthy idea. But then it happens again. Luckily I'm
working a couple of books ahead, so at least I have ideas for the
next few years. Then there are the little ideas, flashes, that come from
all over the place - things overheard, friends telling
funny stories, life, art, from TV and movies, reading, playing with my daughter, traveling, classes, dreams, feelings and observations. I keep a
notebook for writing down random thoughts, because you never
know when an idea will become something more. When I start work on a
project, I keep a virtual file of ideas and notes as well as a
physical notebook of anything that might come in handy. The ideas often
mutate as they simmer. Then the fun part begins - actually writing.
t o p
H o w o f t
e n d o y o u w r i t e ?
A phrase you
hear over and over in the writing world is, "A writer writes." I
hate that phrase, mainly because I wish I could hook my brain up to
some kind of thought translation device and get the jumble of ideas
and emotions out on the page easily. Writing is hard work, at least
for me. But it's true ... a writer writes. Many writers I know write
every day without fail. I don't (unless you count email), mainly
because I don't want to miss a moment of my daughter's toddlerhood. But
I do miss it three days a week while she's at preschool, and I work for eight hours straight. I spend an hour or so
procrastinating, another hour trying to remember where I left off,
and the next six hours writing every thought I can squeeze out of
myself.
t o p
W h a t
a r e y o u r f a v o r i t e t
e e n r e a d s ?
Now we embark
upon my most beloved subject. If I could, I would read as much as I
write. Recent, awesome reads include:
- North
of Beautiful, by Justina Chen Headley (available Feb 2009)
- Fat
Kid Rules the World, by K.L. Going (one of my favorite teen
books ever)
- The
White Darkness, by Geraldine McCaughrean (stunning, in my
top ten)
- Story
of a Girl,
by Sara Zarr (a girl and a secret - read it to find out...)
When I'm
writing, I try to avoid reading books similar to mine (contemporary
YA). BUT I do allow myself the occasional fantasy or historical.
Recent faves:
- Dragon's Keep, by Janet Lee Carey (clever princess born with
a dragon claw - see my dragon claw craft on
Janet's web site!)
- Avielle of Rhia, by Dia Calhoun (princess incognito must
save her people!)
- Hattie
Big Sky, by Kirby Larson (plucky teen stakes her own Montana
claim during WWI...will make you want your own supply of
streudel.)
- Book
of a Thousand Days, by
Shannon Hale (her best yet, which I think is saying a lot)
t o p
H o w
d o I g e t m y y o
u n g a d u l t o r c h i
l d r e n ' s b o o k p u b l i s h e d ?
The single most
helpful thing I have done is join
SCBWI
(Society of
Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) - both the international
organization and my local chapter (SCBWI
WWA). I started out with the local chapter, which meets
once per month and publishes a quarterly newsletter, and I
eventually joined international. SCBWI holds two international
conferences in NYC and LA, and many local chapters offer smaller
conferences (see websites for details). SCBWI is cheap to join, and
the return is many times the investment. SCBWI members also tend to
be taken more seriously as people who have "done their homework."
Join a critique
group. Online, through SCBWI, take a class and get your classmates to join,
look for ads in the paper. I have found my association with other
children’s writers to be invaluable. Every writer I know wouldn’t
dream of sending something off without much input from their
critique groups. Other people see flaws when you are too close to
your work, and they very often have ideas that will help your work
shine.
Know thy market.
Research
exhaustively. Read everything you can get your hands on that has
anything to do with your subject, your target age group,
developmental psychology, writing classes, web resources, anything
that will help you become a better writer and thus increase your
chances of getting published.
About.com has some terrific
resources to get you started. The very best thing, though, is to
talk with people who are doing what you want to do, and find out how
they have done it. And write as much as you can! Learn about the
craft of writing and revise, revise, revise. Read award winners in
your genre and study what makes them great.
If you are ready to submit your manuscript, I recommend picking up a
copy of Children’s Writers and Illustrators Market (published in
January, about $30), which contains fairly up-to-date information on
who is who, what publishers are interested in what types of books,
and loads of other very helpful information. It is critical to know
who would be interested in your work if you want to avoid needless
rejection. Also the
Children's Book Council has up-to-date
information on their website.
Lastly, don't fear rejection. It's part of the process. Even widely
published people get rejections all the time. I've come to see mine
as badges of courage! Critique groups will help you develop a thick
skin and see your work more objectively. Many factors go into
getting published: great product, persistence, and luck in finding
an editor who sees something special in your writing. That's part of
why networking is key - you hear and meet editors and find out their
preferences - more than just names in a marketing book. It probably
won't happen overnight - most of the published writers I know will
tell you it took years to hone their craft, write something worth
publishing, find the right editor and see their words in print.
t o p
H a v e y
o u w r i t t e n a r t i c l e s
o n w r i t i n g
a n d i l l u s t r a t i o n ?
Why,
yes, I have. Here are links to a few:
t o p
H o w d o
y o u p r o n o u n c e y o u r
n a m e ?
Ok, no one actually asks me that,
because they just assume it's pronounced CUP-uh-luh (ack).
Impress your friends with the much more musical coo-PAH-lah, which
rhymes with Impala (hmmm, wonder why
Andre drives an Impala?).
In case you're wondering,
it's an East Indian name, from whence my husband's wonderful family
hails.
t o p
