Thursday, September 8, 2016

Writers Like Us - Becky Albertalli

So because of this news, this blog series totally got away from me--but I'm back and ready to push the series to 50 interviews. Check them all out here, which include advice and insights from Sara Zarr, A.S. King, and many, many others.

This week, Becky Albertalli stops by to share her writing, publishing, and life advice. She's the author of the hilariously swoony Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and the forthcoming The Upside of Unrequited. You can find her tweeting at @BeckyAlbertalli. Her answers are below in bold.

Becky on Writing
  • I've written two books, and 1.5 have seen the light of day (second one is floating around in bound manuscript form, but it will be released in April of 2017!).
  • My favorite type of scene/character/setting to write: flirty scenes, first kisses, and drunk Simon Spier.
  • No matter how long I've been writing, I still have issues with overusing words – and the specific words change, depending on the character’s voice! My editor always has a few things she wants me to clean up in find/replace. 
  • A typical comment from my critique partner is, “I think it would be okay for this to wrap up less neatly.”
  • The book I wished I wrote is HOUSE OF ORANGE by Lianne Oelke (coming in 2017!)

Becky on Getting Published
  • When I was querying, I felt like I was seventeen. So much yearning and nervousness and hoping to hear from someone.
  • The biggest mistake I ever made querying was nudging agents with an offer over Thanksgiving week. It couldn’t be avoided, and it worked out perfectly, but I feel guilty that there were agents reading during that time!
  • What I love most about my agent is how easy he is to talk to, and how excited he gets about even the little victories for my books.
  • While my book was out on submission, I did not actually expect it to sell. Brooks (agent) sold it in five days. 
  • When I got "The Call," my first thought was that I need to convince Brooks Sherman that I’m about 75% less awkward than I am in real life.
  • When I saw my book sale in Publishers Marketplace, I took a screenshot and sent it to my mom.

Becky on Life Outside Writing
  • If I weren't a writer, I'd probably be a psychologist (I actually am a nonpracticing licensed clinical psychologist).
  • Secretly, I'm terrified of bees.
  • My secret girlfriend/boyfriend is Jim from the Office (but only in an alternate universe where I’m Pam, because I cannot break up my OTP).
  • Sometimes, when no one is around, I wear pajamas all day. Sometimes when everyone is around, I wear pajamas all day, too.

Becky Albertalli is a clinical psychologist who has had the privilege of conducting therapy with dozens of smart, weird, irresistible teenagers. She also served for seven years as co-leader of a support group for gender nonconforming children in Washington, DC. These days, she lives in Atlanta with her husband and two sons, and writes very nerdy contemporary young adult fiction.

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Writers Like Us - Cynthia Hand

So because of this news, this blog series totally got away from me--but I'm back and ready to push the series to 50 interviews. Check them all out here, which include advice and insights from Sara Zarr, A.S. King, and many, many others.

This week, Cynthia Hand stops by to share her writing, publishing, and life advice. She's the author of the Unearthly Series (aka the best angel fantasy ever), the tear-jerking The Last Time We Say Goodbye, and the co-author of hilarious My Lady Jane. You can find her tweeting at @CynthiaHand. Her answers are below in bold.

Cynthia on Writing
  • I've written six and a half books, and six have seen the light of day.
  • My favorite type of character to write is a conflicted villain.
  • No matter how long I've been writing, I still have issues with pacing. Almost all of my books require an overhaul from first draft to last, just to get the pacing right.
  • A typical comment from my critique partner is "where's the rest?"
  • The book I wished I wrote is The Knife of Never Letting Go, by Patrick Ness, or The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater.

Cynthia on Getting Published
  • When I was querying, I felt, well, I never technically queried. I got my agent when a few agents contacted me about a literary short story I published while I was in grad school.
  • The biggest mistake I ever made querying was um, see above, but I have never been any good at writing the darned query letter. I'd rather write a novel than a query letter for a novel.
  • What I love most about my agent is all the different hats she wears with me. Sometimes she's my friend. Sometimes my fierce defender. My financial advisor. My cheerleader. My editor.
  • While my book was out on submission, I ate a lot of chocolate.
  • When I got "The Call," my first thought was that I must be dreaming--the whole thing was very surreal.
  • When I saw my book sale in Publishers Marketplace, I cheered. The day I sold my first novel I went to a Barnes and Noble, ordered a caramel frappachino, looked at the YA bookshelves, and cried with utter happiness.

Cynthia on Life Outside Writing
  • If I weren't a writer, I'd probably be a very bored office assistant or a literature professor.
  • Secretly, I'm terrified of elevators getting stuck.
  • My secret girlfriend/boyfriend is Jamie from the Outlander series.
  • Sometimes, when no one is around, I make myself a batch of homemade fudge, which is a real treat since no one in my family likes it but me.

Cynthia Hand is the New York Times bestselling author of several books for teens, including the UNEARTHLY trilogy, the contemporary novel THE LAST TIME WE SAY GOODBYE, and the new historical comedy, MY LADY JANE. Before turning to writing for young adults, she studied literary fiction and earned both an M.F.A. and a Ph.D. in fiction writing. She currently resides in Boise, Idaho, where she teaches creative writing at Boise State University.
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