How Thick Is Your Skin?

Last week, I was invited by my friend, Sue Bradford Edwards, to participate in this "blog hop interview." The idea is this: She sent me some interview questions, which I answer, and at the end I tag 3 other writers who will in turn answer the same questions on their blogs next week. Please check out Cynthia's answers to the questions at her blog, One Writer's Journey (suebe.wordpress.com).  Feel free to leave a comment and tell her it's from me. 

~ How does your writing process work?

~What is the hardest part about writing?

~What scares you?

Because I try to break the norms...not be a rule follower...be a rebel...I'm going to combine three questions into soap box discussion:

Writers seem to try and group themselves as either a plotter or a pantser.  I'm somewhere in between.  Before starting a big project I jot down notes, either on paper or on the computer.  I write down scene ideas, setting notes, character notes, words I like and in the case of the novel I just started querying, historical details that I think will be relevant to my story.  Then I write all of those things on note cards and put them into groups and glue them on poster boards. I mount them on bulletin boards on easels or anywhere I can get them to balance in my office.  Then I start writing on paper.  I pretty much write scene by scene.  Having the posters hanging everywhere really helps me with this.  I always know where the story is going to begin and end, but many times my characters have surprised me as I'm going along. 

When I've finished a manuscript, I read it out loud to myself and do more edits.  Adding in needed details.  My mg novel started at 18,000 words and ended up around 35,000.

When I think I am ready for a critique partner to read for me, I put the manuscript  in the correct submission format, with headers, page numbers, etc. I just read an awesome article on how to prepare your manuscript for a critique partner or for submission on Theresa Milstein's blog. Please check it out.

The first time you hit send it can be really scary, heck it's always scary, but you build up  tolerance.
I'm always worried that the person who reads my words will think it is awful.  So then I read it out  loud a couple more times before I hit send.  

Remember, you can't take it back one you hit send, so you want it to be the very best manuscript it can be.  ALWAYS use spell check!

Then while I am waiting to hear something, I write something else. Right now I am working on a fable. 

When I get a critique back, I read all the comments and suggestions...then let them sink in.  Sometimes you get feedback that is pretty tough.  Responding to it right away is not the best idea.  I got a critique from an agent a few years back that made me really upset.  I sent her a graceful thank you and stuck it and my story to the side for several months.  When I went back to it months later, I could see what she was talking about.  I reworked the ms.  I've had great feedback and suggestions from both agents and editors since then.  Having a thick skin helps you get through those moments. I had to remember the agent was trying to help my ms...not insult me.  Now the ms is improved, I'm working on finding a small niche' home for it...just like the editors and other agents suggested. 

~Who are the authors you most admire?
My favorite Non-fiction writer Stephen Swinburne and for YA Scott Westerfied, and finally, for picture books, Tammi Sauer.


Thanks for stopping by and chatting with me. You guys are the best!

Please check out Sue's  answers to the questions at her blog,   Feel free to leave a comment and tell her it's from me.

In addition, I am tagging the following authors:
Eve Gall
Robyn Campbell
Lenny Lee

Please stop by these blogs next week for glimpses into three authors' worlds. 

PS: If you missed this awesome post on critiquing over at Theresa's blog please check it out.

Tammi Sauer is in house...A giveaway...And a winner

If you know me very well, you know I am a HUGE fan of Tammi Sauer's work.  Her new book PRINCESS IN TRAINING is soooooo much fun!  The illustrations are fantastic too.

Here's my little blurb:

Princess Viola is an awesome skateboarder, but not the "perfect" princess that the king and queen would like her to be.  So what would any good parent do?  They send her away to Princess Camp where she should learn how to behave like a proper princess.  But....it's not as easy as it sounds.  Viola tries hard, but has quite a few mishaps until a dragon comes along and her unprincess like skills cause her to save the day.

It's not only a fun read, but it  shows young readers that it is okay to be different or have different skills.  I give PRINCESS IN TRAINING five stars....ahem out five stars.  :)

I met Tammi several years ago in one of her workshops.  She is an amazing writer and I hope you'll hop to the link and see all that I learned from her.  I am always trying to pick her brain (because it is amazing) so I sent her a few questions and she agreed to answer them for us.

When did you begin writing?

I have always been a writer. As a kid, I was very big on getting mail, so I joined a penpal club. But those weren’t the only letters I wrote. I spent hours sending fanmail to various celebrities, including Loni Anderson and Barbara Mandrell.  Somewhere I have a collection of retro 8 by 10 glossies to prove it.

It wasn’t until 1997, however, that I began toying with the idea of writing picture books. I would write one day. Stop for 36 days. Write again for a week. Stop for four months. I didn't make a commitment to writing until the spring of 2003 when an illustrator visited my daughter's preschool. Seeing someone who was actually in the business inspired me to get serious about writing. That day I decided to devote my kids' nap time to writing. Even if my mom called. Even if Oprah was on. One year later, I got the offer for my first book—Cowboy Camp.

Do you have an agent?

Yes, my agent is Laura Rennert at Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

Can you tell us about the journey took until you reached publication?

When I first decided to try to become a children’s book writer, I would write something on Monday, send it out on Tuesday, and expect multiple offers by Friday.  Little by little, however, I learned more and more. I wrote. I read. I studied successful picture books. I attended conferences. I found a critique partner and a critique group. And those early stories? They were awful, but I never once thought of them as a waste of time. Those were my practice stories. It’s the same with sports or playing a musical instrument. The best way to get better at something is to practice.

Are all your books published by the same publisher?

I work with a variety of wonderful publishing houses—Bloomsbury, Disney-Hyperion, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Simon & Schuster, and Sterling.

What one thing would you say to prepublished authors?

With a lot of perseverance, some talent, and a little luck, YOU can sell a picture book. (In my experience, an unlimited supply of frozen Milky Ways also helps.)

Do you have any special news you’d like to share???

I am really excited about my upcoming book with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt called Nugget and Fang. This book is illustrated by the oh-so-amazing Michael Slack. It focuses on the unlikely friendship between a minnow and a shark.  I am hoping Nugget and Fang make a huge splash in spring 2013.

And finally the all important question:  What is your favorite kind of cheese?

Wow, that’s like asking me who my favorite child is. I am crazy about cheese. I should totally move to Wisconsin in my support of cheese.

Here are some places you can learn more about the awesome Tammi Sauer.  (I bet that makes her blush!)

website: http://www.tammisauer.com/

blog: http://tamarak.livejournal.com/

her books

I am giving away a copy of Tammi's awesome book, CHICKEN DANCE...

and Tammi is giving away two of her PRINCESS IN TRAINING buttons (so cute) on November 15th.

Now for a winner of WE HEAR THE DEAD by Dianne Salerni:

Janet Johnson

And the winner of a signed bookmark for her upcoming book CAGED GRAVES:

Kelly Polark

Thanks for dropping by!

Hugs to all!

Worms and Winners

 No my friends, those are not sticks...

 They are worms and they are all over the streets in my subdivision.  (GROSS)  It smells like worms outside. (This one was at least 15 inches long!)

 Has this ever happened where you live? 

 I have to say walking to the mailbox is rather creepy...

The winner of Tammi Sauer's book is (drum roll)....

number 12...

Lenny Lee

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

ME WANT PET....review and giveaway

Do you have an author crush?  You know an author you just adore and can't get enough of their books... I have an author crush on Tammi Sauer.  (blushes)  I met her at the SCBWI conference in Kansas City a few years ago.  I took a class from her and was bowled over by the wealth of information she shared with us.  If you missed that post, please feel free to check it out.  So when Tammi asked me if I would be interested in doing a book review for ME WANT PET I was beside myself.  I had already pre-ordered ME WANT PET, so that is good news for you because I will be giving a copy of this amazing hardback picture book!

Tammi is also doing a book giveaway .and.... she is giving away some wicked cool second and third place prizes too.

ME WANT PET! (Paula Wiseman/S&S, 2012)
Illustrated by Bob Shea
Synopsis:
Cave Boy goes in search of the perfect prehistoric pet.
Raves and Reviews for ME WANT PET!:
"This account of the age-old bond between animals and children is ideally paced for read-aloud pleasure." - Kirkus Reviews
"Sauer has crafted a humerous read-aloud that's both age-appropriate and entertaining." - School Library Journal
"In this Stone Age comedy, Sauer and Shea imagine a child with a demand as old as time." - Publisher's Weekly




My review without spoilers.... 

If you ever wanted a pet and were told no, this is the book for you!

Cave Boy really wants a pet, but his parents find every excuse they can  for why he can't keep each animal he brings  home. But Cave Boy doesn't give up...He keeps searching for a pet that his parents will accept.  He searches hard and long to find the perfect pet.  Something awful happens....then something great happens....and a very very  happy ending.  (See no spoilers)

ME WANT PET is a delightful story, that is easy and fun to read and kiddos will want to read it over and over again.  Cave Boy is such a relate-able character. It's full of fun dialogue...OOGA!

If you are a picture book writer, I suggest you check out Tammi's books.  I've been studying them to improve my writing.  You can check out all of Tammi's books and upcoming books here.  You can purchase ME WANT PET here and here.

Tammi's book Mostly Monsterly is featured on Cheerios boxes right now!    So hurry out and buy a box of Cheerios!  Mostly Monsterly is an amazing book!

To check out & enter Tammi's contest hop over to her blog.... 


If you would like to enter my giveaway, please be a follower and use "OOGA" in your comments.  I will announce the winner on my March 22nd post.

Do you have an author crush???

Monsters, Chickens and a Contest...

First, let me say Tammi Sauer is one of the funniest, charming people I've ever met!  If you have the opportunity to see her present at a conference or at a workshop....sign up for it and take a pen and paper and...be prepared to laugh and perhaps participate in some role playing. 

Tammi has 8 picture books on the market!  MOSTLY MONSTERLY is one of her newest and has a great story arc!  It is full of emotion, great characters, plot that moves the story forward, words that "sing," great pacing, and humor.  It definitely makes you want to turn to page to see what is going to happen next...

Something Tammi asked in one of her sessions was to ask yourself  "Is this a picture book or is this a magazine story?"  This was a great point...They are two very different, but worthy kinds of stories...Does the story rely on pictures to tell it?  If the answer is yes, then it's a picture book...

Does your story have a universal theme?  Like bravery, honesty, perseverance...

Is there a conflict or a problem?  A BIG ONE????

Do you have a story arc? Obstacles the main character must overcome to solve the big problem...

Are your words fun on the tongue? 

Don't forget to use humor.  (Tammi uses a lot of humor in her books and it seems to be working well for her!)

Remember you, the writer, are half of the book....the illustrator is the other half.  Your words must make way for great illustrations...

Choose a great title! (This week, I had a rejection because the publisher had a similar story under contract...followed by another email saying they really liked my title...so the lesson here is...Titles really do matter!)

You can find Tammi's Live journal on my sidebar.  (smile...cause we're buddies now...)  She has a great website that is kid friendly (cause she loves kids).  She also has a CHICKEN DANCE website with illustrator Dan Santat.

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If you are not following Dear Editor.com now would be the perfect time to start!  They are holding a contest to celebrate being up and running for six months!  It's a great place to go for advice and if you have advice it's nice to be able to share, too...  So hop over and perhaps you could win a picture book critique!