PROJECT MAYHEM

An Exciting New Release

2012-02-27T09:08:00.002-06:00

Explorer: The Mystery Boxes

Expected publication: March 1st 2012 by Amulet Books

Amazon Blurb:

Seven clever stories answer one simple question: what’s in the box?

Funny, fantastic, spooky, and suspenseful, each of these unique and beautifully illustrated short graphic works revolves around a central theme: a mysterious box and the marvels—or mayhem—inside. Artists include middle school favorites Kazu Kibuishi, Raina Telgemeier (Smile), and Dave Roman (Astronaut Academy), as well as Jason Caffoe, Stuart Livingston, Johane Matte, Rad Sechrist (all contributors to the groundbreaking comics anthology series Flight), and upcoming artist Emily Carroll.

This is a fantastic compilation of short graphic novel stories, put together by eight top comic creators. Seven different stories and fabulous color graphics will keep middle grade readers engaged for hours. Both my 10-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter LOVED it. In fact, I had to steal it from my daughter in order to write this post.

My son's favorite thing about these stories was the endings. He told me he loved the way they kept the mystery alive, even at the end, and then insisted on reading three of the endings to me. Both kids loved the recurring theme of the mystery boxes in every story. I love the graphics.

I highly recommend picking up a copy of this one. It's scheduled to be released this Thursday!

Marketing Consultation Giveaway!

2012-02-24T01:00:00.009-06:00

It might be just me, but the words "self-promotion" send down a shower of stressful thoughts and stomach-tightening anxiety. On the off chance some of you other lovely authors cringe at the thought of look-at-me marketing tactics, Project Mayhem wants to help! Marketing genius and MG author Shelli Johannes is here today to offer us some strategic methods that can help get our writing into the hands of readers. In a non-obnoxious way.

Not only that! Shelli has offered to give away a one-hour phone marketing consultation to one lucky reader. Read on to hear from Shelli and learn how to enter.

PM: Welcome Shelli! Thanks again for joining us. Let's get to it. What is the #1 self-marketing tool authors should consider.

Shelli: I hate to call it marketing...

PM: Thank you for that! So do we! :)

Shelli: ...But I think building a platform and social network is critical. Build relationships online and help others. What comes around goes around. That, to me, is the best tool an author can have. Other than that,

it depends on your target audience.

PM: What, in your opinion, is a time waster?

Shelli: Being online all day. You need to schedule your online time. Choose one hour in the morning to tweet, facebook, answer e-mails, blog questions, etc. Then, turn off your wireless and work. Maybe schedule three intervals a day and do it all at once. You can use tools like twaitter to schedule tweets if you want them out there. So look for tools that help you streamline online.

PM: This is so true. All the online possibilities and demands can really cut into writing time. And there's so many options! Twitter, Google-plus, Facebook, blogs - how's an author to choose?

Shelli: An author needs to do what they feel comfortable doing. Don't get on Facebook or Twitter if you are not going to use it to your advantage. Don't start a blog if you blog four times a year. It's not worth the energy. Pick one or two things, and do them really well. There are so many places - Wttpad, Tumblr, Pinterest - you could get lost. Pick one and go for it. Make sure you pick one where your target audience is. Don't hang out on Facebook all the time if you are trying to reach eight to twelve year olds.

PM: That's a great point. It seems like there's a lot of good advice out there about marketing, but it can be so overwhelming! And when it comes to a book launch, things just increase exponentially! You've launched two books recently, UNTRACEABLE for YA readers, and your tween novel ON THE BRIGHT SIDE. What do you recommend as far as swag and giveaways?

Shelli: If you do signings or massive giveaways - have swag. Everyone loves to get free stuff. But you can be creative. Does it have to be a bookmark? No. I have a friend who has a book in winter and an accident happens on ice. She gave out ice scraper key chains. Try to give out something different to get attention.

Also, when I say massive giveaway, I mean if you do a giveaway online, then don't just give out free bookmarks, because the stamp to ship costs more than the bookmark. Do one or two big packages - t-shirt, bookmark, and a book. Make the shipping worthwhile.

If you don't have tons of money, do one big giveaway at a singing to those who show up and use that as a marketing tool to get people in. Everyone loves pens and bookmarks and they are not expensive. If you do them, make sure it has book title, author, and a website or isbn - something so they know what it is later.

PM: I would love a bookish ice-scraper! What a brilliant idea! This has given us lots to think about for online marketing. What about bricks and mortar promotion?

Shelli: I recommend contacting indie store owners or librarians. Call them and say hi. Maybe send them a reminder by post or e-mail about your book. Think about what you can offer them. Do they have a book club? Do they like bookmarks for their readers?

Again, don't just send out a mass e-mail or a mass postcard mailing. It isn't personal. This is where relationships come back into play.

PM: That seems to be a theme running throughout all your responses. Taking the time to build personal relationships - whether online or in person - not only helps get your writing into the hands of readers, it's fun! The online community of writers and readers is wonderful, welcoming, and full of interesting people. Thanks so much for sharing your tips with us today, Shelli! We'll put them to good use!

Now, I'd love to hear from our readers in the comments. What thoughts do you have on book promotion? What drives you crazy? What do you think are especially helpful means to connect with middle-grade readers?

To enter the giveaway for a one-hour phone consultation with Shelli, follow Project Mayhem and leave a comment below! The contest will be open until midnight EST on 2/29 (happy leap year!), we'll choose a winner through random.org, and the winner will be posted on 3/1.

***

S.R. Johannes is the author of UNTRACEABLE (a teen wilderness thriller) and ON THE BRIGHT SIDE (a tween paranormal). She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her dog, British-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and princess, which she hopes - someday - will change the world. After earning an MBA and working in corporate America, S.R. Johannes traded in her expensive suits, high heels, and corporate lingo for a family, flip-fops, and her love of writing.

You can visit Shelli online on her blog, twitter, facebook, and goodreads.

Virtual Journeys

2012-02-22T05:00:00.003-06:00

A couple of years ago I took up running--and discovered that I loved it!! I totally get a runner's high. But keeping it up hasn't always been easy. The most convenient time for me to run is at the end of my day, between 6 pm and 8 pm. In the wintertime, it's dark. In the summer, it's often still 90+ degrees, and as much as I enjoy running, I don't much fancy the idea of heat stroke. So I got a treadmill. Problem solved, right? Now I could run in the comfort of my own home at any time of day or night no matter what the weather. Ok, that's all well and good, but now I had a new problem. Running on a treadmill was boring. B-O-R-I-N-G. I mean, I was staring at a wall the entire time. A white wall. With no window. You get the point: boring.

Then, quite by accident, I stumbled onto a company called Vita Digital Productions online. These people have a wonderful product for the bored treadmilling likes of me--virtual jog/bike ride videos. You see, Vita Digital Productions is run by a retired videographer and his wife. They do a lot of traveling, and they go on walks/bike rides in beautiful locations around the world, filming from the point of view of the walker/rider. These videos are meant to be watched while on a treadmill, stationary bike, or elliptical trainer, so you can go on a "virtual jog" in these beautiful places.

Here's some sample footage from their bike ride around Loch Etive in Scotland:

And here's a walk on the Isle of Capri:

And here's one of my favorites, a walk through swampland in a Florida national park:

I've ordered lots of their videos: Scotland, Ireland, Egypt, Florida, Hawaii, Italy. And yes, my treadmill time is a lot happier and more exciting now. And interestingly enough, it just seems to fly by because I'm enjoying the virtual scenery so much.

It recently occurred to me that I love these videos for the same reason I love a good setting in a book: it sucks me in and makes me feel like I'm there. I can hear the birdsong in the trees, see the sunlight glint off the water. I can hear the hustle and bustle of the crowds, see the people rushing past, hear the dogs barking in the distance. From time to time, I notice little details that really give me a sense of place, like the beautiful wrought-iron gate gracing the front of an Italian villa, but, of course, it's the large details that really grab hold of me, like the sweeping cliffside ocean view. I'm not stationary but moving through the scene, seeing it through the eyes of someone who is actually there.

As writers, what we do is pretty comparable to making a virtual jog video. Ok, I know that sounds strange, but think about it: we're taking readers on a virtual journey, too. So remember, no white walls--make the scenery worth it :)

-Dawn Lairamore

Winner of the Animal Farm Giveaway!

2012-02-21T12:06:00.000-06:00

Mercedes!!!

Congrats, Mercedes!

Please email your mailing address to

projectmayhem@gmx.com

Giveaway of new MG mystery debut DIZZY MISS LIZZIE and interview with R.M. Clark

2012-02-20T08:03:00.002-06:00

I’m very pleased to welcome Robert Clark to Project Mayhem today to talk about his new middle grade mystery debut, DIZZY MISS LIZZIE, and to offer a giveaway of it. My 11-year-old daughter read it first and liked it so much, I had to take it away from her at the dinner table and then also the same night when she went to bed (mean mom.) She got up early the next morning to finish! That’s about the biggest endorsement I can give to a book. The book also has some fascinating real history in it, which I always like in a story. In interviewing Robert, I found out some interesting things about him as well. It’s always a surprise to find out about a writer’s background!

First, here’s a description of DIZZY MISS LIZZIE:

Thirteen-year-old Kasey Madrid finally has the freedom she's always wanted. Instead of putting up with sitters or camps, she can spend the summer home alone in their "new" house. Never mind that the house is a creepy old place built in the nineteenth century. The creep factor skyrockets when Kasey meets a nineteenth-century girl named Lizzie Bellows in the basement. It takes some time for Lizzie to convince Kasey she's not a ghost, though neither girl understands why they can see each other when they live 120 years apart. The difference in their worlds doesn't stop the two from becoming fast friends. Lizzie's life isn't easy though. In her time, her parents died in a fire many believe Lizzie started herself. As the summer passes and Kasey learns more about her own past, she is shocked to discover Lizzie is part of a terrible Madrid family secret. It's up to Kasey to go back to Lizzie's world to unlock the secret and clear Lizzie's name.

Bob, you have a fascinating background for someone writing books for middle graders. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I'm a computer scientist with the Department of the Navy. I live in SE Massachusetts (near Fall River) with my wife and two sons. I started writing fiction in early 2007 and am currently at work on my eighth novel. Dizzy Miss Lizzie is my third and it got me an agent in the fall of 2009. The agent couldn't sell the manuscript and we parted ways after less than a year. I kept writing new material while submitting Lizzie to smaller houses. I turned down several offers, then finally agreed to a contract with Marsha Morris at Stanley Publishing in August, 2011. As luck would have it, I got an agent for another book (Good Golly Miss Molly) just two weeks after signing with Stanley. I am now represented by Frances Black and Jennifer Mishler of Literary Counsel.

How did you think up the idea for the book? (Dee’s daughter’s question)

I live a few houses away from the one-time summer home of Lizzie Borden's family (Lizzie lived there in the 1880s). We thought about buying the house, but it was too old for our tastes. As I walked by it one day, I wondered "what if we did buy it" and "what if we could talk with a young Lizzie Borden." I changed the main character to a young girl whose family buys the house and I created a secret room in the basement for them to meet. The whole "friensdship with Lizzie Borden" proved to be too dark for my first set of readers, so I created fictional Lizzie Bellows and lightened the mood considerably.

I was interesting the setting, the southeastern part of Massachusetts near Mount Hope Bay. How did you research that part of the story?

The story is set in the fictional town of Chepstow, across the Taunton River from Fall Fiver. Chepstow is a composite of two "towns across the river," including my hometown. I thought it best to use a fictional setting. Our public library has some great books on Victorian-era Fall River, plus I scoured the internet to ensure historical accuracy about clothing, transportation, speech and even the details of the Slade's Ferry Bridge.

Is there any basis in real life for the legends used in the stories? (I’m thinking of the curse stones in particular.)

The Boston Post cane, given to the oldest living resident of a town, was real. The Fall River Press cane and its legend are fictional. Curse stones do exist, but the history and usage in the book are made up.

Did you read mysteries or ghost stories as a child?

Oddly enough, I didn't enjoy mysteries until I started writing. My childhood goal was to become a sportswriter, so I spent many hours reading bios of famous athletes. I went through a Stephen King phase in college, but mysteries are a recent pleasure.

What are you working on now?

I writing an Alice In Wonderland-type middle grade story about a boy who wonders why all the big clocks in his town have stopped. He gets sucked into a crazy "clock world" where two rival villages battle for control and the only way to solve the conflict it is to find the elusive Tick Tick Man. It's completely different from my other stories and it should be done some time this spring.

Robert, thanks so much for taking the time to stop by Project Mayhem. We’re offering a signed copy of DIZZY MISS LIZZIE as a giveaway. To enter, if you are already following Project Mayhem, just leave a comment. If you aren’t yet following us, join us and then leave a comment. The deadline to enter is 12:00 A.M. on Tuesday, February 28^th, and the winner will be picked in a random drawing. I’ll announce the winner later that day.

~ Dee Garretson

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

2012-02-17T05:30:00.000-06:00

This post originally ran at Caroline by line December 2011.
My boys are at an age when my suggestions for read alouds aren't always greeted with enthusiasm. There are times I'm able to win them over by reading a few chapters, but more often than not, they'll turn down my titles and suggest something of their own. At eight and ten, I can hardly blame them for developing their own tastes -- it's a good thing! But it does make me a little sad when they show little to no interest in titles I've enjoyed in the past or new books I would like to read. Enter THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET.I bought a copy of HUGO while teaching in Louisiana (thank you, Scholastic Book Orders!) but had never gotten around to reading it. When I learned there would soon be a movie based on the book (now nominated for a gazillion Oscars), I decided to give the story a try with my boys. I'm so glad I did.

We raced through HUGO in a couple of days. Both boys finished before I did then indulged me in reading the ending again. The combination of pictures and words and the mysterious nature of the storyline really held their attention.

Last week I took them to see the movie. It did not disappoint. The natural lighting used to mimic the style of early film, the Paris-as-cogworks opening image -- it was wonderful. All three of us loved the experience and the way the story unfolded on the screen.It was interesting to see what changes were made in the book's translation into a visual story:

stronger development of the villainous station master
the addition of several dream sequences
The absence of the character, Etienne

For those of you who have both read the book and seen the movie, I'd love to hear your impressions.

Lessons from Animal Farm and Giveaway!

2012-02-15T08:35:00.005-06:00

"No question now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which." - George Orwell, Animal Farm

As writers, we are encouraged to read pretty much anything we can get our hands on, especially new books in our chosen genre with fresh new voices and fresh new stories, thereby inspiring us to create the same. Reading is a weapon in any writer's arsenal. It's what makes the gears in our minds start turning and the ideas flowing.

As important as it is to read new books, it's equally important to read the old ones. Books such as The Wind in the Willows, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of N.I.M.H, The Phantom Tollbooth, and scores of others come to mind--books that as children got those gears turning, and perhaps made us the people and writers we are today.

All that good stuff said, I recently picked up my old dog eared copy of Animal Farm by George Orwell, required reading when I was in middle-school. I know, many of us cringe when we hear "required reading", but in this case I'm glad it was required.

Though written in 1946, Animal Farm transcends its publication date, being especially relevant not just for its many political aspects that seem to always suit the world somewhere, but for another reason. It's the perfect model of a classic children's novel. I know there's some controversy as to the age range of this book, but I feel it's particularly applicable to today's middle-grade or tween reader. It does have violence, though not too much. It has excitement, battles, though not too bloody. Unique and interesting characters can be found in the beloved horse Boxer, and the intimidating pig turned farm owner, Napoleon ( "Napoleon is always right."), along with many others. It has a riveting beginning, middle, and end, all compactly stored in 100 brilliant pages--the perfect embodiment of a middle-grade novel. You can see by the many covers (and this is just a small sampling) the great impact this book has had.

"ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL, BUT SOME ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS"

I remember reading this as a child and to this day I recall the beginning of the book wherein Major, the white boar that started the animal revolution, is standing on his platform, convincing every farm animal that they deserved better. It's an image that has stuck with me all my life.

In the spirit of this post, let us know what childhood books YOU can't get out of your head or maybe you have a son or daughter reading Animal Farm right now. What are their thoughts? If you're a teacher, what books do you think are important to your students and should be considered more than simply required reading? Do you think this appropriate for middle-graders? Did you love or hate Animal Farm or have you still not read it? Well, no fear if you have not, here's your chance!

ANIMAL FARM GIVEAWAY:
Because I love this book so much and think it's such a perfect example of what works in middle-grade writing, I'd love to give away a brand new copy to one lucky winner. To enter, follow Project Mayhem, and leave a comment. Tell us your thoughts on this book or required reading in general. :)

Winner will be announced on Tuesday of next week!

Hilary

Who's Your First Reader?

2012-02-13T03:00:00.009-06:00

Photograph by Jennifer Zwick

You've finished your first draft. You're giddy. You know it may need a tweak or two, (heck, who are you kidding? It needs to be rewritten till the cows come home) and you're wondering who you should get to read it and give you all the love and praise you deserve. After all, you've written a complete novel, for jiminy's sake.

Back when I started writing--in the Mesozoic age--this was the sort of mindset I had. I shudder when I think of the first novel I wrote, which I happily shipped off to agents in first-draft stage, expecting to unleash a tag-team wrestling frenzy to represent me. I wish I'd kept the rejection letter which essentially said, "yes, we'd all like to be published, but wouldn't it be nice if we learned to write first?" Ouch.

I'd had my wife read my novel, and my in-laws, and all of them had declared me a genius. They're intelligent, well-read people--so how could we all have been so wrong?

The answer is that there is a span as wide as the Gulf of Mexico between those who read for pleasure (most people) and those who read for business (everyone in the publishing business.) Fortunately, I'm a 60W bulb, and not a 40--and I realized I needed help. I took writing classes, I read and read and read, and I joined critique groups, members of which were published authors or working journalists. These were people who liked me but didn't love me, and who were all too willing to point out my flaws--and give me the tools to fix them.

These critique group members are now my first readers. I think my wife feels sad about this, but the reality is she is my first beta reader--the first person I let read the draft I think is done.

(I've yet to let the following be my first readers: my uncle, the lawyer finalizing my will, my gastroenterologist, assorted students, and my dental hygienist. Yes, all of them have asked to read my novels at one time or another. I'll remind them of that when I'm out in hardback.)

Who is your first reader?

Michael Gettel-Gilmartin

When Did You First Fall in Love, with Books?

2012-02-10T05:57:00.000-06:00

I feel a little silly sharing this video and writing this post after all the great, deeply researched, and courageously shared posts by my fellow Mayhemers lately, but this has been on my mind, and the video is fun! So I'm writing it anyway.

First things first, I love this parody, because this guy, whoever he is, is so fearless in his love of Harry Potter, and is not the least bit uncomfortable rocking his nerd card - hard. That's inspiring to me, because when I was young, and especially in middle school and as a teen, I was often ashamed of my passion for things like books, dungeons and dragons, and imagination in general. It just wasn't considered cool to be into those things, and I often got called nerd - or worse.

This guys has no such fear, and I really love it, because now that I'm old, I feel the same way. Books are cool. Imagination is cool. Expressing yourself is cool. I'm so glad that culture has changed enough (many thanks to Jo Rowling for being a huge part of that) that my kids are very popular, and yet also very bookish.

Anyway, I wanted to talk about falling in love with books, and poll our readers to hear their stories too. Before I get to mine, I just want to talk about the part of this video that really inspired this post. The nerdy singer guy is cool, but it was something else that made me write this post.

The wand battles are very cool, and look like so much fun, but there is this scene at the end, after 3:30, where the little kids leave some books on the porch of an even littler kid, and it's like he's discovering this amazing new world of fantasy and adventure, and you just know his life is going to change forever - for the better. I'm not ashamed to admit watching that kid pick up that book and fall into it's pages makes me cry, just a little bit, every single time.

I think Jo Rowling gave the world a beautiful gift when she gave Harry Potter to our children, but it became even greater than the sum of its parts when our children gave it to us. I have a very cool, and slightly embarrassing story about how I came to love Harry Potter, but it's not for this post.

Today I want to share with you about how I first fell in love with books. I was the middle of three children, with two sisters. My dad was the stage manager for the Seattle Opera, so he was rarely home, but when he was, he often shared his love of books. He and my mom had this huge California king-sized bed, and it was so big our whole family could fit on it. My sisters and I would snuggle between mom and dad, and dad would read to us - from The Lord of the Rings. I remember like it was yesterday the first time I met Frodo and attended Bilbo's birthday party, and to tell you the truth, my heart has never really left Hobbiton. Like George R.R. Martin, I'd forsake heaven, as long as I could end up in Middle Earth.

The first book I read by myself (that I can recall after picture books and early readers) was the Hobbit, a natural progression after falling so in love with Tolkien's work. I was absolutely engrossed. I got the read along illustrated books, the Rankin-Bass production on betamax, everything I could get my hands on that would allow me to continue the dream. Technically, I was a bit below middle grade reading level at the time, probably about 7 or 8, but the point is, once I fell in love with books, I never turned back. Making that connection between a book and a young person is what it's all about. It's why we write for children, I believe.

When did you first fall in love with books?

Reaching Reluctant and Struggling Readers

2012-02-08T03:30:00.021-06:00

An author friend who is scheduled to speak at a school asked for my input on how to connect with both struggling and reluctant teen readers—the student population I worked with for fifteen years.

I realize that different teachers will have different styles and also may be somewhat limited in what their schools will allow them to do. Given that, here are some things that worked for me in my classroom full of 13 to 19 year-old struggling and reluctant readers over a period of 15 years. Most of my students were boys.

1. Read out loud to your students w/out requiring them to follow along. Just require that they listen. Make sure it is a good book or short story with a lot of action. Make sure you know how to read out loud. Nothing kills a story easier than a reader who hasn't taken the time to hone up on their read aloud skills.

2. Have quiet reading time every day at the same time where the students can choose what they want to read. Do not require them to keep a reading journal. No strings attached, just read a book, the newspaper, a magazine, whatever. (My goal is to eventually get them to read books but forcing that up front creates the opposite result. They need to choose it.)

3. Have a wide variety of books available and be an expert on what those books are by having read many of them yourself. You want your students to have confidence in you as someone who knows what they are talking about when it comes to books.

4. Do frequent book talks/teasers where you read a snippet and talk a little about the author or story and then make the book available.

5. Bring your own books in and share them.

6. As the teacher or person in charge, you also need to read during the silent reading time. This shows your students that you value reading. And, if other adults happen to be in your classroom during silent reading time, they need to read too.

7. Let kids stop reading a book if they want to, just like us adults do when we want to.

8. If you have a book in a series, make sure you have the rest of them. (I once had a student eat up 13 books in a series he started.)

9. If a student is having trouble connecting with a book, hand-pick a few based on what you know about him and set them on his desk. This personal touch goes a long way.

10. If you see a student is really engrossed in a certain book you might mention another book that is related or similar when they are almost finished.

11. If a student actually wants to read a book that he’s already read, let him.

12. Bottom line—you have to meet the kids where they are and not try to impose some program on them and expect them to fit into it.

13. Allow your students the time to develop into readers. Every time you get into a power struggle with a kid about reading you are potentially driving them away from reading because of that negative experience.

Thanks for stopping by. I’d love to hear your thoughts on engaging struggling and reluctant readers. What has worked for you? What hasn't worked? What do you think will work?

Winner of ON THE BRIGHT SIDE giveaway!

2012-02-07T01:00:00.003-06:00

Congratulations Kristina Springer!

You have won a copy of Shelli Johannes' ON THE BRIGHT SIDE. Please leave your e-mail in the comments, and Shelli will connect with you sometime soon.

Thanks for playing, everyone!

Spellcheck: the ultimate frenemy

2012-02-06T06:30:00.000-06:00

This is a real screenshot of my current work-in-progress (tentatively titled Faking the Aurora Borealis) being highlighted by Word’s built-in spelling and grammar proofing.

People of all ages are warned not to rely on spellcheck to proof their documents. As we’re all aware of, spellcheck doesn’t always distinguish correctly between heard or herd, or they’re and their, and sometimes it even incorrectly suggests changing it’s to its. We get it: spellcheck doesn’t always work.

But let’s not forget the other side of spellcheck—the grammar. (Is there such thing as grammarcheck? …Oh, probably not. My word processor just underlined the word. Think I should “add to dictionary”?)

Grammar proofing will pick things up like:

Fragments. These babies are vital in dialogue and interior monologue—in fact, I’d go so far as to say that if you have no fragments at all, you’re doing something wrong.

Order of words. Seventh graders won’t always speak in noun-verb-noun sentences, now, do they?

Improper grammar. Same as above. As well, when saying something like “I paused, then took a step back”, Word will insist on placing an “and” in front of the “then”. This has always bamboozled me. Anyone have an explanation?

Tense shifts. When your protagonist is thinking something, the tense is present. However, you may be writing in past. When the two tenses are cobbled together in one sentence, spellcheck throws a fit, as you can see from the image above.

Other languages. Word’s “detect language automatically” is a failure. My protagonist has a French background, and therefore French words are dropped here and there. And yet, simple things like oui (“yes”), non (“no”) and d’accord (“okay” or “I agree”) don’t get picked up. So either I live with the underlining, or manually highlight each word and change the designated language to French.

Now, to deal with these, you’ve got a few options.

Turn off grammar proofing. If you have Microsoft 2007 or later, you can go to File > Options > Proofing and deselect “Mark grammar errors as you type” and “Check grammar with spelling”. This will turn off any kind of grammar check.

If you don’t want to turn it off completely, choose Ignore rule. When mousing over a green-underlined word or phrase, right-click, choose “Grammar…” from the drop-down menu and click “Ignore rule”. This is especially handy for fragments.

Finally, you can Hide grammar errors in this document only. Again, under File > Options > Proofing, at the very bottom you’ll find this option, along with a choice to hide spelling errors.

The bottom line here is: sometimes grammar/spellcheck has no idea what it’s doing. It’s all about context, and only you can judge if that “improper grammar” sentence really is improper grammar—or if it’s just the way an eleven-year-old speaks.

You tell me: how much do you rely on spelling and grammar proofing?

—Yahong

A New (Publishing) World

2012-02-03T00:01:00.063-06:00

Do you have tunnel vision when it comes to publishing?

I must tell you up front that I am one of those writers who has never really thought of—or at least, never consciously recognized—anything other than traditional publishing. It’s always been the *only* way to do it in my eyes, like I have tunnel vision and can only see the traditional route. As a writer, it goes something like this: write a book, edit & revise, get an agent, edit & revise with your agent, have your agent sub to publishers, get a book deal, see your book in print. Then repeat.

I think I still see it this way. I…think.

The thing is, I got a Kindle last year and I thought I'd hate it. Nope, I ended up loving it. Now I do perhaps 80% of my reading on my Kindle. One simple device severely changed how I read in one calendar year. Pretty impressive. And this forced me to view the publishing world in a new way. Lately, I’ve been observing (and attempting to analyze) the many changes that are occurring in publishing. I’ve had discussions with my agent, my writing friends, and other people in the industry who are much more business-savvy than I, and we are all in agreement that publishing is changing. Drastically. Quickly. I have to be honest, though, that as I type this I am not sure how I feel about these changes. But it doesn't matter how I feel, or anyone else, since we are now in the midst of a new (publishing) world. And we better embrace it.

Let's start with self publishing. The self publishing realm not only has become more accepted by those in the industry, but it has also become a place to scout for new talent. Agents and publishers are now keeping an eye on self-published books (and authors) to see which books (again, and authors) have developed a following. Amazon is now a place for agents and publishers to visit and see who might be ripe for the proverbial picking. Not all agents and publishers, mind you. Some still look at those who self publish with the stink eye. But more and more, things are changing. In fact, I challenge you to visit the websites of some of your favorite BIG literary agencies—try visiting, say, 10—and see how many have some sort of e-pub or self-pub division. You might be surprised. Oh, and when it comes to publishers embracing self-publishing, perhaps you didn't see that Penguin has actually moved into the self-publishing world.

Getting back to that strange combination, literary agencies mixing with self-publishing, some authors say it is a conflict of interest for a literary agency to have one foot in the traditional-pub pool and one foot in the e-pub/self-pub pool, yet I say it’s simply a sign of how different things are, and how agents need to embrace this difference and help their authors better function—and succeed—in the new marketplace. Because let’s be honest, if there were ten pools, I would wish my agent had ten feet, one in each pool.

And while there once was a stigma attached to self publishing—and there still is for some people—that stigma has begun to fade as self-publishing success stories continue to surface. Yes, I know that many of you might be saying that those self-pub success stories are nothing compared to the many, many self-pub authors who have barely sold any copies of their books. “Few and far between” and all. But here is the thing: I have seen waaayyy too many traditionally published authors who have barely sold any copies of their traditionally-pubbed books. Even with the backing of that “Big 6” publisher, I’ve seen authors literally begging people for reviews, or begging for people to buy their books. So it goes both ways.

Anyone who has been “aspiring” for more than a couple years knows how slowly things move in publishing. Traditional publishing, that is. But there is a vast difference between the traditional route and the self route. First off, while things move very slowly on the traditional end, self publishing moves as fast as you want it to. For authors who write slowly and perhaps put out a book every few years, the glacial speed of the traditional route might be a good thing. The slowness might not bother those types of writers. For those who write quickly and pound out multiple books a year, the slow-motion traditional process may seem intolerable. Sometimes I shudder when I see a book deal announced on Publishers Marketplace and I see the pub date three years from the date of the announcement. It’s hard to imagine waiting that long for your book to appear on shelves. But the waiting aside, it’s hard to imagine NEEDING three years to get a book ready. Is that really necessary? And by the way, is it even good business?

Speaking of good and bad business, I have noticed that some publishing houses don’t have electronic versions of their books available, which severely limits the ability to get the book in many eager hands. What about people who read on e-readers exclusively? You've lost that segment of the market, which I mentioned is growing every day. Or sometimes the problem is that the e-book version comes out eons after the print version comes out. That's bad business as well, because you're not taking advantage of the buzz while it's at its height (on release date). And then there’s the inflated price of e-books through traditional houses, which seems to be the biggest disadvantage, in my mind. I mean, to spend $10 or more on an e-book is tough for some people to do when they have a family to provide for. Personally, I have no problem spending a couple dollars on an e-book, but the average price of most traditionally-published e-books is in the double-digits, so they lose my business, sorry to say, until there is some sort of sale or a drop in price. I just can’t rationalize spending that much money on an e-book. I hear authors gripe about this all the time, and they should. Some publishers are hiring e-marketing & e-pricing experts because they desperately need to have someone who specializes in the electronic market; they need help staying competitive electronically.

And I’m sure these e-experts are noticing, as many people who sell electronics are as well, that sales of e-readers are blowing up. As a teacher, I have seen more and more of my middle-grade students sporting e-readers, as have some writer/teacher friends of mine out there, like Tracy Edward Wymer.

All this is to say, there are multiple ways to go about this crazy publishing game, and there are new and exciting changes taking place every day in this "new" world. In fact, the idea of writing a serial novel is intriguing. I’ve seen some news recently where writers have signed on to write a series of “chapters” that will be published at set periods of time. A lot of news. Did I mention I've read news about serial publishing? Other individual authors and small presses alike are trying out similar methods, where each “chapter” will be sold individually, and then when the entire book is complete there will be a full-book option for purchase.

Then there are other start-up publishing companies trying out other methods, and many of these companies I see in the vein of the throwback dot.com type ventures. And I love that! It gets me excited to see innovative people getting a read on the changing climate and then developing a new and fresh approach. Coliloquy is an example of a company trying out the exclusive e-book format, but they are attempting to make reading more interactive, as featured in Publisher's Weekly. A different approach, yes. And to that I say, "Go for it, Coliloquy! Take this new [publishing] world and put your stamp on it!" I hope it works, and I hope it fosters more innovation and growth.

Someone who has recently decided to write a YA novel in serial form is a writer I think has a wealth of talent, Shaun Hutchinson, author of DEATHDAY LETTER (SimonPulse) and the forthcoming A TALE OF TWO PARTIES (SimonPulse). The difference with Shaun’s serial novel, called THE DARK DAYS OF ME AND HIM, is that Shaun’s is completely free. He is writing what I call an “important” story in serial format, and has decided to put chapters up on a website every two weeks. The series began this past Wednesday with the first two chapters, and I encourage you all to visit the site and take part in his experiment. The website is HERE.

So now that I've had a chance to paint a picture of this new world, any thoughts from you out there about the changing publishing landscape around us?

Successful Momentum

2012-02-01T09:29:00.001-06:00

(photo source)

What simple action could you take today to produce a new momentum toward success in your life?

~ Anthony Robbins

Our writing journeys have definite periods of productivity and periods of lack of productivity. We get stalled by lack of ideas or plotting or writer's block or "the end" or any number of things. So then what?

Rich Fettke, author of Extreme Success, has 10 tips for maintaining our momentum:

1. Take some time to clarify your desired future outcome. Success is seeing what you want and moving toward what you see.

2. Use visual reminders of your intention. Get some magazines and cut out pictures and words related to your goal. Put them where you’ll see them on a regular basis, like on your bathroom mirror, in your wallet, next to your computer screen, or on a poster board.

3. Set clear goals with clear timelines.

4. Be action-oriented.

5. Ask yourself, "How much and what kind of fun will I have with this project?" This will help raise your energy. If you’re dreading the process there’s a good chance your momentum is going to get stifled.

6. Fill your mind with inspiration. Read books, listen to audio programs, and watch videos that educate, uplift and inspire you. Go to seminars and attend conventions related to your goal. Read about and learn about people who have done what you want to do.

7. Take a Risk a Day. So often to move towards what we really want requires us to get out of our comfort zone. By getting into the habit of taking a risk a day you will strengthen your courage as you take those important actions that can lead to your greatest opportunities.

8. Create a support team. Ask a few of your friends to form a group to support each other on your goals. Find a mentor, someone you think would add input, support, advice, feedback, and/or accountability to help you keep your attention on your intention.

9. Consistently review your top three intentions. This will add fuel to your fire and will help you focus your attention on what matters during your day. It will also help you recognize the opportunities that might help you move toward your desired future outcome.

10. Clarify how your intention also helps others. The fuel that can come from helping others can inspire you to take action and stay focused on your goals.

Numbers 7, 8, and 10 are my favorites, although I think they are all brilliant. When I first read #10, I thought of Elana Johnson and her e-book From the Query to the Call, and I thought of the WriteOnCon team and all they've done for writers online. There are so many ways we can use what we've learned to help each other.

So . . . what simple action could you take today to produce a new momentum toward success in your life?

May B. Giveaway Winner!

2012-01-31T08:00:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Sarah Heacox, who won a copy of May B. Sarah's decided to share the love by giving this copy to the fourth-grade class where she's an assistant! Way to go, Sarah.

Interview with Shelli Johannes & Giveaway of ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

2012-01-29T21:10:00.000-06:00

Today, we are delighted to have YA and MG author Shelli Johannes with us for an interview and giveaway of her new MG novel ON THE BRIGHT SIDE.

PM: Welcome Shelli! Would you tell us a little bit about ON THE BRIGHT SIDE?

Shelli: Gabby is a disgruntled tween angel who has just been assigned to protect her school nemesis and ex-beffie. Problem is her ex-beffie is dating Gabby's longtime crush. Instead of protecting Angela, Gabby pranks her (since when is sticking toilet paper to her shoe or spinach in hr teeth a sin?) Soon, Gabby gets out of control and is put on probation by her SKYAgent, who has anger management issues of his own. Determined to right her wrongs, Gabby steals an ancient artifact that allows her to return to Earth for just one day. Without knowing, she kicks off a series of events and learns what can happen when you hate someone to death.

PM: Gabby sounds like such a quirky and fun character! We'd love to know more about her.

Shelli: Gabby is a disgruntled Bright (aka guardian angel) who is not happy being dead. Not only is she cursed to wearing her white fat pants for eternity, but she has also been assigned to cover her frenemy and fencing rivalry, Angela. To make matters worse, Angela is now dating her was-supposed-to-be boyfriend.

Can you imagine? I would say Gabby is grumpy and brutally honest. She is not what you would expect an angel to be and struggles with her mischievous side

in a world with a billion angels. She has always watched her weight, so let me just say she is not happy to find out that Brights only eat Angel Food Cake and Angel Hair Pasta. The carbs alone would kill her (if she weren't already dead). ;) She loves to prank and when no one can see you - do you blame her?

PM: Cake and pasta for every meal sounds pretty heavenly to me - haha! In middle-grade novels, finding the right tween voice can be challenging. Did you call upon your own experience as a tween when you were writing ON THE BRIGHT SIDE?

Shelli: I was just like Gabby. Bad, right? I was kinda grumpy - partly wanting to be

on my own and for my parents to let me be, yet still kinda wanted them to take care of me. I have always been snarky, so Gabby is my inner tween. I even had a pair of white fat pants my mom would make me wear to special occasions (because all I had besides them were jeans.) So for Gabby, I pulled on myself. In addition, I think I had to learn the

lessons Gabby did. Only I wish I had learned them at fourteen instead of thirty. :)

PM: This makes me want to see a school photo of tween Shelli - ha! Pretty please? ;) The tween years can be equal parts wonderful and horrible. What drew you to writing for this audience?

I decided to do ON THE BRIGHT SIDE as a tween/middle-grade book because first - I wanted to have a funny book about death (I know, sick, right?), and I don't think funny death works in the dark YA realm today. Also, I don't there are enough fun books for tween readers. Thirteen and fourteen-year-olds don't necessarily want to be in the kids' section anymore, but their parents think they are too young for the books and issues discussed in YA material. So I wanted to write a fun, cute adventure for those readers.

PM: Well, here at Project Mayhem, we're also big fans of middle-grade readers, so we love hearing about authors trying to write stories for that sweet spot between children's and YA. We're thrilled that ON THE BRIGHT SIDE will be finding its way into the hands of eager readers in the next few weeks. To get your paws on a copy, pop on over to Amazon or Barnes & Noble for the Kindle E-book, and the paperback version will be available in February.

Thanks so much for joining us today, Shelli!

For an entry into the ON THE BRIGHT SIDE giveaway, please follow Project Mayhem and leave a comment below telling us your favorite MG comedy! The giveaway will run through midnight EST on 2/6. We'll choose a winner through random.org, and then the winners will be posted on 2/7. Good luck!

***

S.R. Johannes is the author of UNTRACEABLE (a teen wilderness thriller) and ON THE BRIGHT SIDE (a tween paranormal). She lives in Atlanta Georgia with her dog, British-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and princess, which she hopes - someday -w ill change the world. After earning an MBA and working in corporate America, S.R. Johannes traded in her expensive suits, high heels, and corporate lingo for a family, flip-flops, and her love of writing.

You can visit Shelli online on her blog, twitter, facebook, and goodreads.

New Lives for Old Books

2012-01-27T05:00:00.001-06:00

A lovely book broach by bookity, an artisan on Etsy.

It's starting to look like that time again—the time for me to go through the piles of books scattered around my house, piles that have somehow grown exponentially when I wasn’t looking, and make the painful decision about which ones must now move on to new homes. I recycle my old books by donating them to a local charity that hosts monthly book sales, with the proceeds going to support local animal shelters and organizations. I feel positive about the fact that my books are moving on to good homes while doing some good in the process.

While Christmas shopping on Etsy.com this past December, I was extremely impressed at some of the lovely and creative ways the artisans there recycle old books. (If you’re not familiar with Etsy, you really should spend some time browsing there. It’s a fabulous online marketplace for all things handcrafted.) Below are a few of my favorites items.

Here is a wonderful book-purse by NovelCreations, made from the cover of a copy of HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE (I love the rhinestone fastener):

Here, too, is another delightful book-purse by retrograndma featuring the cover of INKDEATH:

Oh, and SmartGirlsArt has a beautiful beaded book-purse featuring one of my favorite authors, Jane Austen:

Retrograndma also has a lamp I would have loved to have as a kid—a Nancy Drew book lamp:

Theshophouse makes really cool “bookmobiles.” This one reminds me of dangling wisteria:

I like this flower wall art by shophana, too, made from a vintage book:

And recycling books into wearable jewelry—what a great idea! Here is a beautiful brooch by bookity, featured above:

And recycling old newspapers can be just as lovely, as proven by these bracelets by HippieKingdom:

And now it’s your turn to share. What do you with your old books?

-Dawn Lairamore

The Workings of a Critique Group

2012-01-25T07:54:00.001-06:00

I didn’t have a critique group for my first book, but now that I’ve been in one for a couple of years, I realize how important it can be. Our group has ebbed and flowed, and some members didn’t work out, though overall we have been lucky to get people who have similar expectations. Here’s what I’ve discovered makes our group work:

Everyone brings different strengths to the mix.

I am not good at line editing. In fact I hate line editing other’s work. Two of the people in my group are terrific at it, and line edit mine without expecting the same thing in return. I’m far better at seeing how plotting and pacing can be enhanced. We all discuss our impressions of each other’s characters, and this is incredibly valuable. Each of us knows our own characters so well, it’s easy to assume that everyone else will love them or hate them in just the way we intend, but this is often not the case

We don’t often reread.

This did not come about as a conscious decision, though it has worked out for the best. I know someone in a different critique group and they have trouble with one member who brings the same piece time after time, changing only a few sentences here and there. I sympathize with a perfectionist nature, but it can end up aggravating people who don’t want to have to validate each word. Another issue of rereading is the problem that people might be miffed you didn’t take their suggestions, yet you expect them to now look at the same piece again where they are likely to have the same issues.

We’re not just looking for validation.

We had one member who didn’t work out, and we actually kind of disbanded the group for a bit, unsure of how to ask her to leave. She wasn’t well-read in the genre she was writing in, and didn’t listen to the critiques. That put us in a bad spot, because we got to the point where we didn’t even want to read her work. I don’t agree with every single critique, but I think carefully about what to use and not use, and the rest of our current group does as well.

Just yesterday, another writer said about her own group, “It really helps me to find out what I have in my head and what I've actually conveyed to the reader.” That’s the toughest part of writing and where a critique group can be key to making a story work.

Oh, and one last tip-Our group meets in a café. That’s why there is a picture of a chocolate dessert with this post. A little chocolate helps any group, right? Anyone else have other tips?

~ Dee Garretson

Win a Copy of May B.!

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000-06:00

I'm thrilled to share with one lucky Mayhemer a copy of my debut novel, May B.

May is part Hatchet, part Little House on the Prairie, part Out of the Dust. It's a story of courage and hope

and is a great fit for reluctant readers.

To enter, simply follow our blog and share a courageous character from children's literature in the comments below. This contest closes Sunday, 29 January.

Project Mayhem Team Member Catch UP!

2012-01-20T09:34:00.005-06:00

Pure Soapy Goodness!!

It's hard for us to believe that Project Mayhem has become so big! Just recently, we've been listed in the 5th edition of the Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Published as a quality blog for children's writers, and hopefully, there is only more to come! On that note, we wanted to give you an update to all the things that our Team Members have going on! We encompass all stages of the publishing process, from just starting out to books on the shelves!

Hilary Wagner ~ I'm super proud of Team Mayhem's amazing accomplishments! I'm crazy thrilled to announce, my first novel, NIGHTSHADE CITY, just sold to the Frenchpublisher Albin Michel. Currently, I'm working on an undersea fantasy about theelusive goblin shark, which releases next year, and then I'll work on the third book in the NightshadeChronicles series, KINGS OF TRILLIUM. I've also just joined the Bookanistas, which should be loads of fun!

Dee Garretson ~ It's been a crazy year for me. I left my originalagent in the spring and didn't sign with a new one until November, so themonths in between were rather nerve-wracking. My new middle-grade sciencefiction story has been revised, and my new agent is contacting my editor of myother two books to see if she is interesting in reading it, so I'm waiting tohear on that. WOLF STORM, my second book came out in late August and I've beenspending a bit of time trying to get the word out on that, but I've decidedI want to concentrate more of my effort on writing new stories. I did findout WOLF STORM in paperback will be in the Scholastic book club flyers in thefall, and this bit of news excited me almost as much as seeing my books in ourlocal library. All those years as a kid begging my mom to let me order somebooks from the flyers, I never thought one of my books would be in them.

WILDFIRE RUN has been nominated for two state librarian/readers awards, inNebraska and Louisiana. I've heard it's on a third list, but haven't receivedconfirmation yet, so I'm waiting before I announce that. And because Iwanted to try something new, I also self-published an adult historical mysterycalled THE GARGOYLE IN THE SEINE. That's been an interesting challenge and I'mhaving fun working on the sequel. All in all, I'm keeping busy!

Dawn Lairamore has spent the past several weeks poring over paint samplestrying to decide whether to paint her hall bathroom "PicnicGreen" or "Romaine"--and wondering how the heck she'ssupposed to paint that tiny corner between the bathroom doormolding and the linen closet. Because,seriously, she's going to need a paintbrush the size of a toothpick! She'sdone a couple of really enjoyable author interviews recently--and PrincessIvy's made some web appearances too--a couple of which you can read here:

Teazurs - TheWriteStuff - The Brain Lair

Marissa Burt ~Writing-wise, I've been working towardSTORYBOUND's release on 4/3/12. This means exploring marketing ideas,trying to complete blog interviews in advance, and stalking people I know haveARCs to see if they liked it - ha! In other exciting news, Italianrights to STORYBOUND have sold - hooray! - which makes me particularly excited,because my mother's family is from Italy. I've also been finishingup revisionson STORY'S END (the sequel) due out in early 2013. Now that those arenearly done, the files in my idea compartment are starting to tempt me, and I'mthinking about beginning a new project. Besides that, I've been spendinga good amount of time with the lovely characters of Downton Abbey and Once upona Time and catching up ona lot of reading. Hooray for 2012!

Yahong Chi ~ On the YA side of the Internet, a new e-zine calledSucker Literary Magazine is releasing its inaugural issue this month! Have alookthrough; you'll find yours truly in the staff credits. ;) On adifferent topic, the movie The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn cameout in December and bleeeeeew my mind. I loved it. Also: you know the hashtag#worstbookever? Let me tell you, the reason it was invented is spelled L-o-r-do-f t-h-e F-l-i-e-s. But I'm reading The Emerald Atlas by JohnStephens and that makes up for it. :)

Michael Winchell recently signed with his new agent, Alyssa EisnerHenkin of Trident Media. He put the finishing touches on his latestmiddle-grade manuscript, which is now out on submission with publishers. On apersonal note, Mike learned there will be a new addition to his family, as ababy girl is due in May.

Caroline Star Rose ~ is the co-president of the Class of 2k12, apromotional group of debut middle grade and young adult novelists. She'srecently become the Schmooze coordinator for New Mexico's SCBWI (and has beenchristened by the group as the Schmoozista). Caroline's middle grade historicalverse novel, May B., debuted January 10th.

Matt MacNish had his vignette Lake Argo published in theonline literary magazine Vine Leaves Literary Journal, and is expecting tobegin querying his novel WARRIOR-MONKS early this year.

Paul Greci signed with Amy Tipton of Signature Literary Agencythis last November. His middle grade novel, Stranded took second prize in thePacific Northwest Writers Association's Annual Contest. Other news: This winterhe's been shoveling tons of snow, dressing in layers to combat temps dipping to50 below, and having a ball teaching English as a second language at the highschool level.

Michael Gettel-Gilmartin started this year withgreat news. He signed with Stephen Fraser at The Jennifer DeChiara agency. HisMG time travel novel, Shakespeare on the Lam,is going on submission to editors soon. His only other news is that he finallyneeds to wear glasses all the time.

Shannon O'Donnel recently signed with Terrie Wolf of AKA Literary and hopes to go on sub this March, which she is very excited about!!

Thanks to everyone who has become a reader to Project Mayhem! We love you all and would not be able to spread the word about all things middle-grade without you, so thanks so very much!!! ~ TEAM MAYHEM

How Do You Put The Fun In Funny?

2012-01-18T03:00:00.010-06:00

Have you ever told a joke and no one laughed? Or have you ever laughed uproariously at something, and everyone else was sitting about in stony silence? Yup, humor's tricky. One man's yee-haw is another man's yawner.

Which makes "writing funny" really hard. However, for our middle grade audience, it's imperative. Kids love to laugh--and they do so far more than most grown-ups. So bring on what my friend Barbara Watson calls "the goof."

Barbara is doing this cool Middle Grade from A-Z on her blog, and last week she reached "G is for Goofy." She wrote, "middle grade magic happens when writers weave humor and silliness with very serious issues." That rang a huge bell for me. Incidentally, at the same time, I was also reading Funny Business, Conversations with Writers of Comedy compiled and edited by Leonard S. Marcus. In his introduction, Marcus writes "humor can also be a way of talking about things too hard to talk about any other way."

I have to admit that, although I loved this book as an insight into the childhoods and work habits of some of my favorite children's writers and humorists, (Louis Sachar, Jon Scieszka, Carl Hiaasen), I have to agree with Harold Underdown's comment on his review of Funny Business.

Harold Underdown:

In all of this, I didn't find the answer to the rhetorical question asked by Marcus in a brief introduction: "What makes funny funny?" And perhaps that's the point; writing humor doesn't follow a certain formula or set number of steps. As we learn in the interviews, writing humor springs from who we are and from our own experiences.

So, the mystery of how to put the fun in funny continues. We know it's important, and we know what we like--but how to get there? Early middle graders love potty humor (Captain Underpants, anyone?). I have a penchant for grandiosity and skulduggery (Josh Lieb's I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to be Your Class President nearly caused me to blow my chocolate milk through my ears, which would have been a funny sight in its own right.)

The cause of the chocolate milk near-disaster

Help me, Mayhemmers! Tell me what makes you laugh, or leave a list of your favorite funnies. We all could use a good laugh!

How Do You Stay On Top of it All?

2012-01-16T06:00:00.001-06:00

Wow. What a busy weekend I had. My daughter's sixteenth birthday was yesterday (Happy Birthday, sweetheart). It was the Divisional Round in the NFL playoffs. I had to drive my other daughter to dance and back. I had to meet a blogger friend to exchange some books way down in the city. I had to whirlwind clean the house and vacuum up all the dog hair because the gateway inside our router had died, and AT&T had to send a technician to replace it.

There was other stuff too, and I'm not complaining, because I'm very fortunate to be able to do all these things, have a roof over our heads and so on, but it got me to thinking. Thinking about writing, being a father, having a day job, and still wanting to find time to do things I enjoy, like watching football. Luckily, I had recently finished another round of revisions on my novel, because I definitely would not have gotten any writing done this weekend, even if I'd wanted to. Also luckily, I no longer had teams I really care about involved in the playoffs (Vikings, Falcons), because if I had, I would have had to miss much of their games, with everything else that was going on.

So, to carry this comparison over to writing, I want to talk about how to find a balance. How to make the time to get it all done. We all have different strategies. Taking the laptop along to soccer practice is something I've done. Converting a friend's manuscript so that I can read and critique it on my Kindle is another. Skipping TV, or even writing or revising while the family is watching is another.

I'm also very fortunate that I have a job where I can get some writing and blogging done from work. My shift starts at 6 AM, though, so it means that I get very little sleep during the week. I suppose that's another way to find the time. Sleep less.

Lately I haven't even had the time to work out in the afternoons, which is not something I want to allow for long, but it just goes to show you that you can't always find the time for everything you want to do. Ideally it would be wonderful to be enough of a full-time author for it to pay all the bills, but I think we have to recognize that such a thing is very rare, and most of us will have to suffer through other jobs.

Those of you who have all these things on your plates, how do you manage it? Or even if you don't have a full-time job, but your time is short because our kid's lives are so full of commitments, and caring for a home can be a full-time job, how do you handle it and still find time to write?

This is a question we talk about a lot, and I know there really is no easy answer, but it's been on my mind lately, and it's always nice to hear about the strategies friends use.

Micro-level Revision

2012-01-13T03:00:00.015-06:00

Here are a few things I read for on a micro-level in my novel after the plot and character arcs are pretty solid, and after I’ve eliminated unnecessary scenes.

1. Read the opening and closing of every scene and ask: Does the opening pull you in? Does the closing make you want to turn the page? If they don’t, then fix them so they do.

2. Showing versus telling: Is there a balance? Am I showing things that I don’t need to show? Am I telling things that I need to show? There are a zillion and one ideas about showing and telling. Your decisions are going to depend on the type of story you are writing and your style.

3. Setting: Do the setting details drive the story forward? Are they colored in a way that provides insight into the POV character and his or her current mood/emotional state?

4. Voice: Is the voice consistent?

5. Dialogue: I read it out loud—multiple times. If my characters are making faces or moving in other ways while they speak I act these things out to see how they look and how they feel. I’d recommend doing this in a semi-private writing space so you don’t freak anyone out. And, sometimes it’s helpful to be in front of mirror.

"Would he really tilt his head in this situation? I wonder"

I’d love to hear your thoughts on micro-level revision. Do you ever act out what your characters are doing? Or make the faces they make?

Rushing towards that dream? Wait.

2012-01-11T08:06:00.000-06:00

So for some writers, the ultimate dream is to get published. The path there may differ, of course: get an agent, get picked up by one of the Big Six; self-publish; go with a small press. Whatever it is, the years of long hard work and patience all seem to culminate in the golden prize of being a published author.

That's how it is for me, too. But it shouldn't be all about your name on the hardcover. So I asked a few middle-grade authors:

What do you miss most from when you were an unpublished, unagented writer?

From Kate Messner, author of Sugar and Ice and The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z.:

The thing I miss about being an unpublished, unagented writer is that feeling of anticipation, I think...the knowing that that first phone call would come if I worked hard enough and persevered. It’s funny because I think that waiting can be the most frustrating thing about that stage in one’s writing life, too — but I also know that you only get one first book, and hearing the news of that first sale on the phone is something I’d love to go back and experience again. It’s the moment when a dream comes true.

From Jonathan Auxier (remember him, guys? we reviewed his book a while back), author of Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes:

That is a wonderful (and complex!) question. I don't miss anything about being un-agented, save the complete ignorance of just how hard it is to get something you've written out into the world. However, there is one thing I miss about being unpublished: before I had a book in the world, I had no real sense of my audience. Audience was an abstract idea that couldn't be pinned down and had little say in my storytelling. With the publication of Peter Nimble, however, I've suddenly found myself writing stories with specific readers in mind. It's hard to type a sentence without thinking: I wonder what Librarian X or Critic Y will think of this? While such thoughts may be helpful during revisions, they can be crippling to the early stages of the creative process.

From Stephen Messer (remember him, too? we interviewed him), author of The Death of Yorik Mortwell and Windblowne:

This is a tough one. You work so hard to get to the point where you're a published author that your first instinct is to say you don't miss anything about the period where you were working on the seemingly hopeless task of writing this novel that may not be any good and that no one would ever want to read (you imagine). But that wouldn't be true. I do miss writing purely for the act of creation, without any thought to sales or business or placement in chain bookstores or any of the other things you can't control but still find yourself thinking about once you've got a contract. There's a freedom in knowing you can write whatever you like, taking all the time you like, and simply run wild without consideration of the bottom line. But as far as problems go, this is still one I'll gladly accept!

Anticipation, lack of an audience, and no creative boundaries... those all sound like excellent reasons to me for appreciating your time as an unpublished writer. What do you think?

How John Hughes Ruined My Life

2012-01-10T10:18:00.000-06:00

I entitle this the Woes of a Generation X'er or how John Hughes ruined my life and forced me to be a fantasy writer.

Growing up when I did, you wouldn't catch me getting ready to go out with my friends without a John Hughes movie playing in the background and as soon as I got to my friends house, the night usually ended up with us watching a John Hughes movie. My friends and I didn't have vampires or werewolves, but we sure as heck had Molly Ringwald, Andrew McCarthy, Judd Nelson, and Ally Sheedy, telling us how they world worked. I could literally recite Pretty In Pink and Some Kind of Wonderful word for word...and still could today, as it was stitched into the fabric of who I was.

Like many kids who grew up alongside me, in true Gen X'er form, I was disillusioned and cynical about life. To put it in a nutshell, I was bored. I didn't understand my parents--nor did I want to try--and they certainly didn't understand me. To me, all the political parties were idiots, despite Mtv's loud message to "Rock the Vote", and nothing in life, other than music, clothes...and John Hughes movies, interested me or seemed very important.

But thinking back on my childhood, these movies were very important to who I've become as a writer--important because they all gave a message of hope that the rest of the world wasn't giving me--and that's what I was looking for--a small slice of hope. Of course John Hughes was a director, but first and foremost, he was a writer...he made sure to always send that message of hope and let us know that no matter who we were, every single one of us matters. All of his characters were special and amazing in their own way. His writing allowed us to have teen angst and to rebel, and helped us realize, at least in the 90 minutes of the movie, that we could overcome anything and no matter who we were, there was something amazing about each of us. We were important. In fact, perhaps the greatest impact he had on our generation was letting us know it's okay to be different. It was preferred to be different. It was okay to be the nerd. It was okay to be the jock who inwardly struggled to keep his popular status--yet secretly didn't want it. And it was okay to be the pretty girl--who's far more than just pretty.

So, when combining my Gen X'er pessimistic, indifferent, "everything bores me" perpetual slacker attitude, with my need for hope--a fantasy writer was born. When I did finally grow up, I realized there was a secret power in Hughes' teen movies messages. And my inner disenchantment with life, that boredom with anything and everything, made me want to give readers like me that same hope Hughes did, only in a more fantastical light. And what could be more fantastical than an underground world of super-intelligent rats who were fighting for their very lives?

Just as in Pretty and Pink and Some Kind of Wonderful, in Nightshade City, you have the "Have's" and "Have Nots," and my story is about that same hope to change your destiny, only with much higher stakes. I wanted young readers to really think deeper into life than teen love and rich verses poor, wherein instead of my audience asking, "Is Andrew McCarthy going to finally get over himself and officially date Molly Ringwald despite the fact that she's poor?" to "How are we rats going to escape the Catacombs without Commander Billycan coming after us and shackling us in the city square and watching us starve to death or cut out our tongues?" :)

With my writing, I want to take readers beyond their daily problems. My dilemma growing up, as is the case with many children, is I was too self-absorbed. It's hard to feel for others when you're only thinking about yourself, and it's hard to listen to others when you prefer the sound of your own voice--as most kids do. I want my readers to inspire themselves to do better and to be better than I was. I want them to know they have their own unique voice and it's okay to use it.

Growing up, I didn't think I had a voice. I would have these deep (Breakfast Club style) talks with my friends about life and the world, and what we were going to be when we grew up, but I didn't think grownups cared what I had to say, so I never said anything to them. And being silent just became a way of life. I want kids to stand up and talk about what they want in their world. I want them to talk about what they see as injustices and prejudices in the world around them. I want them to know it's okay to stand up for themselves and it's okay to say, "That's not right!"--and to even shout it sometimes.

Just because children are young, it doesn't make them wrong and should never make them silent. Silence is what causes bad things to happen, whether it's on an epic scale such as Nightshade City, a terrible breakup in a John Hughes film, or something awful in one lone child's life. My friends and I all had the silence syndrome growing up and it wasn't until I had children of my own that it occurred to me that wasn't okay. Maybe that's why my kids are so noisy!

"You see us as you want to see us: in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain, and an athlete, and a basket case, a princess, and a criminal." - John Hughes, The Breakfast Club

Out On Submission

2012-01-08T21:26:00.000-06:00

I recently tried to explain to someone what it was like to be out on submission. I found it hard to describe accurately, because the truth is, the process can eat you up from the inside out. It’s like being oh-so-close to the pinnacle of the mountain, only to have your feet swallowed by the earth, unable to take another step. You can only stare up at the top of the mountain and imagine what it looks like. “But I am so close,” you whisper, your feet planted in ground beneath you. Stuck.

Then I had an email conversation with another writer who was also out on submission. She was actually going through it, and her insides were being devoured—like many writers—by the hair-pulling, nail-biting, and ulcer-inducing waiting game. I didn’t need to explain anything to her. She understood completely.

But the thing is, there are ways to help get through it without destroying yourself. Here are a few things I’ve learned:

1) USE YOUR AGENT TO BOLSTER YOUR CONFIDENCE.

When your book is out with editors, keep reminding yourself how passionately your agent responded to the book when she first read it. This will keep your confidence high. And, if you happened to have multiple agents who had been vying to rep you, use their passion to help bolster your confidence, too. Because let’s face it: this business is S…L…O…W! Each day that goes by without any word can push you one way or the other, so you need to remember that your agent (who knows what she is doing) loved your book. This is one of the many reasons you need an agent who champions your work.

2) REMEMBER THE SLOW NATURE OF THE PUBLISHING BUSINESS.

I mentioned it before. This business works at glacial speed. At best. Here’s the way many submissions go for debut authors: The editor needs to read and love your book, then share it with others who need to read and love it, after which they need to discuss the book, weigh and evaluate the book with a team, and then put a deal together to share with your agent. All that takes time, and remember that the first step—the editor actually reading the book—can take a while to begin with, especially given the fact that there are other projects on her plate. True, there are some authors who hear back quickly, but don’t assume that’ll be you. And don’t be discouraged if it isn’t. Just remind yourself that things usually happen slowly in this business.

3) KEEP IN MIND THE LONG, TOUGH ROAD OTHER AUTHORS HAVE TAKEN. YOU ARE FOLLOWING THEM.

Some writers have a quick and easy path to publication. Don’t hate on them, tough as it is not to be jealous. The key is to realize their quick road was most likely a combination of a few things: talent, a killer concept that's hot, great timing, and a bit of luck. Yes, luck. I’m not saying luck is the key factor, but it does play a role. Tim Green, an accomplished NYT bestselling author, once paid an author visit to my school district and talked about what it takes to be a success in any entertainment industry, like writing. He mentioned that you needed a good deal of talent, along with a “maniacal” work habit. “And finally,” he said, “let me tell you something people often leave out, but something that you NEED. And that’s luck.” Tim Green is right. Because his point was that you need those first two (talent and hard work) but you also need a bit of luck, whether it’s that your type of manuscript is selling like crazy at that time, or that the editor who just received your manuscript somehow found herself trapped in an elevator for hours with only your manuscript to keep her company. Point is that most authors have a potholed, bumpy ride before they find a smooth stretch of interstate. One author who I think best epitomizes how long and difficult the journey can be is James Dashner. I urge you to visit his website and scroll down to “HOW I GOT PUBLISHED” and read all 9 parts of his story. Seriously. Do. It. Now. And while you’re at it, agent Jill Corcoran (not my agent, but a darn good one) has a list of successful authors who had a tough road HERE.

* And please feel free to mention and link any other well-known author who has had a long journey as well.

4) WRITE SOMETHING NEW (NOT A SEQUEL) NOW! NO EXCUSES! DO IT!

Most importantly, once your book is out with editors, start something new. Even if your book is the first of a series, start something unrelated to the book that just went out. I’m not saying you NEVER write that second book, but I am saying you need to get something else going immediately because you need to let the other project play itself out. And guess what? That might mean it never sells. If that happens, you would have wasted a lot of time writing the second book of a series that never sells. It’s better to give yourself over to a new, exciting project. Why? Well, first off, it gets you in that writing mode again, and you’re a darn writer, not a waiter. Right? So stop waiting around and write. The second thing this does is it gives you new hope just in case, unfortunately, that first book doesn’t sell. And that’s important because you can’t give up. You can’t ever give up. I see too many writers who sink all hopes in one manuscript. I understand the bond you have with that project, with that baby, but you need to cut the cord and give birth to another. The third reason you need to start something new and unrelated to the project out on submission is because it takes your mind off the other project. And I’ve learned from experience that you can’t dwell on a project that’s out there. You really need to move on and let your energy focus on something fresh.

In the end, this is just my opinion, which is based on my experience. How about you? Let me know what you think about this crazy process.

Some Middle Grade "Sleepers" of 2011

2012-01-06T04:00:00.005-06:00

We all know and hear about releases like Wildwood, The 39 Clues, Beyonders, The Penderwicks, The Dork Diaries, Big Nate, anything by Rick Riordan and all of the Wimpy Kid books. There are other books, maybe just as good, that for one reason or another we don't hear much about. These are some of my favorite "quiet" hits of 2011.

The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter by Frank Cole

Amber never dreamed her archaeology class would turn into a top secret mission that would take her across the globe, but when her teacher goes missing, Amber realizes it's up to her to protect the Hidden Scepter or risk unleashing an ancient power too terrifying to imagine. This guaranteed page-turner from the bestselling author of the Hashbrown Winters series is perfect for the adventurer in your family.

The Atomic Weight of Secrets by Eden Unger Bowditch

In 1903, five truly brilliant young inventors, the children of the world's most important scientists, went about their lives and their work as they always had. But all that changed the day the men in black arrived. An amazing story about the wonders of science and the still greater wonders of friendship, The Atomic Weight of Secrets or The Mysterious Men in Black, the first book of the Young Inventors Guild trilogy, is a truly original novel.

Huber Hill and the Dead Man's Treasure by B.K. Bostick

When his grandfather dies, Huber Hill is devastated—-until he opens Grandpa Nick's mysterious box. An old gold coin and directions to a hidden Spanish treasure send him and his friends off on a mind-blowing adventure, but he's not the only one on the hunt. Filled with dangerous animals and cryptic puzzles, this book will have you on the edge of your seat until the last page.

In the Forests of the Night (Goblin Wars #2) by Kersten Hamilton

The battle against goblinkind continues... but which side will Teagan be on? Teagan, Finn, and Aiden have made it out of Mag Mell alive, but the Dark Man’s forces are hot on their heels. Back in Chicago, Tea’s goblin cousins show up at her school, sure she will come back to Mag Mell, as goblin blood is never passive once awoken. Soon she will belong to Fear Doirich and join them. The disease that’s destroying her—that’s destroying them all—has a name: Fear Doirich. And Teagan Wylltson is not going to let him win.

The Last Martin by Jonathon Friesen

There's always a Martin. One Martin. Martin Boyle already has plenty to worry about. His germaphobic mother keeps him home from school if she hears so much as a sneeze, and his father is always off somewhere reenacting old war battles. Martin really doesn't need this curse hanging over his head: when one Martin is born, the previous Martin dies. And---just his luck---Martin's aunt is about to give birth to a baby boy, who will, according to tradition, be named Martin.

Skipping Stones at the Center of the Earth by Andy Hueller

From the horrible orphanage at the center of the earth to his untamed red hair, Calvin Comet Cobble's life is out of his control. But when he meets Mr. E, who can skip a stone clear across Lake Arctic, everything about Cal's life changes. Told with wit and humor, this book is guaranteed to charm readers of all ages.

When you get the chance, I hope you'll give a few of these a try.

Let me know if you do!

They are all wonderful MG stories.

A Letter to my 6th Grade Teacher

2012-01-04T01:00:00.008-06:00

Dear Mrs. Maki:

You may remember me. When I was in your 6th grade class, I was that girl who read novels during class. The one who didn't care so much about finishing well as finishing fast and would trounce up to your desk with my paper before the others were halfway done, just so I could get back to my story.

Mrs. Maki, I remember you telling us that you didn't care whether our math answer was right or wrong, but that you wanted us to understand the process. I need to confess that I despised that never-ending stack of pages marked "REDO" across the top. I even hid some of them under the class library books so I wouldn't have to keep correcting them until I had gotten every part of the problem right.

Mrs. Maki, wherever you are, THANK YOU. Not only did you give me admirable long-division skills, but you helped me cultivate persistence. I'm not a mathematician; I'm a writer. My road to publication is a meandering one that took me over quite a few "almost" and "just not right for us" speedbumps. When a potential editor was interested in an exclusive revision, I soon discovered that was code for a red-pencilled "REDO" over the top of the manuscript.

The first edit was based on a phone call asking for general changes. Next came a 13 page letter (single-spaced!). The third round was a shorter letter with line edits. Two smaller rounds of revisions later and...we were ready to present my book to the publisher. After they acquired it, it went through four or five more revisions before it was ready to go.

Mrs. Maki, I know other people also taught me persistence. Without your resurrecting math worksheets, I might still have learned that doing something thoroughly is (nearly) as good as doing it fast. Or I might not have learned it, and instead of welcoming the revision process, I might have hidden my manuscript away back when it got its first rejection. So here's a belated thank you to you and to all the 6th grade teachers out there. Maybe it will make up for all the whining you get about math worksheets. In the end, they (really, you) helped me become a better writer.

All the best,

Marissa

P.S. I might as well include a very late apology for that incident with the glue and the watercolors. So very sorry about the wall.

Hey Mayhemers! Have anything you'd like to say to your 6th grade teacher? Or another teacher who influenced you on your writing journey? Comment below!

Does Word Count Matter Anymore?

2012-01-02T05:00:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year!

Project Mayhem sends you and yours very warm wishes for a happy and prosperous 2012. May you have many wonderful writing successes.

For this first post of the brand new year, I’d thought I’d blog about a topic that seems to keep coming up lately in my own writing circles: word count. Just recently, I had a conversation with a local children’s writer who was fretting because her middle-grade manuscript was nearly 80,000 words, a length she feared would turn off prospective agents and editors.

We’ve all heard a lot about what the word count should be for a middle-grade manuscript. The numbers vary, but a couple of years ago, it seemed like 20,000 to 40,000 got tossed around a lot as a standard range.

Whoops—guess I’m not very good at following standards. Both of my published middle-grade novels came in well over the high end of that range, IVY’S EVER AFTER clocking in at almost double with 75,000, and sequel IVY AND THE MEANSTALK a leaner but still lengthy 56,000. Guess I don’t follow “the rules” very well.

I was really, really worried that length was going to be an issue for the original IVY. I figured the very first thing my editor would request was that I cut a chapter or two—or ten. Imagine my surprise—and delight—to discover that my editor had a really easygoing and fabulous attitude about the length of a book. “If it holds kids’ interest, they’ll read it, no matter how long it is,” she said. After all my fretting and worrying, tossing and turning at night, telling myself I must cut, cut, cut and trim, trim, trim, in the end, the length of the book wasn’t even an issue for my editor at all.

And really, do old word count “rules” still apply anymore? With the longest of the Harry Potter books, HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, tipping the scale at 870 printed pages, and lengthy middle-grade reads like INKHEART and ERAGON and their various sequels topping bestsellers’ lists, hasn’t it been proven that young readers aren’t intimidated by a hefty length?

Currently, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) lists the market trend for middle-grade manuscripts as 100 – 250 typewritten pages. With one-inch margins and 12-point Times New Roman font (also recommended by current SCBWI guidelines), 200 typewritten pages comes in at about 56,000 words on my word processor, so it sounds like that old 40,000 cap, at least, might be a thing of the past.

What do you think? Is there still an “acceptable” word count for middle grade? What kind of word counts do your manuscripts sport?

-Dawn Lairamore

Revision strategies – A Chapter Worksheet

2011-12-30T08:01:00.000-06:00

Now that 2012 is upon us and the holidays are nearly over, I’m ready to get back into some serious writing. I spent the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas revising my middle grade science fiction adventure, so I decided to share some things I’ve learned now that I’ve been through extensive revision processes with my first two books. For this one, I wanted to approach it more systematically than I have in the past, in hopes that it would make the process easier and I wouldn’t end up like the poor writer in the photo.

Once I have a draft I’m fairly happy about, I go back and revise by chapters, trying to ensure each chapter holds together as a unit itself and adds to the story as a whole. The chapter checklist below is something I came up with to make sure I’m not missing anything in a particular chapter. It works well for my type of plot-based stories, but I’d be curious to see how others writing more character-focused stories approach the process.

So here’s my worksheet for each chapter:

1. Chapter # ___

2. Chapter length in pages____

3. What event makes the plot move forward?

4. Which new characters are introduced and what does reader learn about them?

a. if the goal is to make the reader like the character, how is this achieved?

b. if the goal is to make the reader dislike the character, how is this achieved?

c. if the goal is to leave the reader unsure about the character, how is this achieved?

5. How are existing characters or character relationships developed?

6. Is there backstory? Is it woven into the action? (avoiding the dreaded information dump!)

7. Worldbuilding/Setting details-What senses are used to describe setting?

sight

sound

touch

taste

smell

8. How is the theme developed?*

a. External conflict – what actions/information add to the theme?

b. Internal conflict-how do the characters change/develop?

9. Chapter ending-why would reader want to continue to the next chapter?

*My main goal is to tell a good story, but I’ve come to realize by reading some of the reviews of my books that my themes may not be obvious enough. By trying not to hit the reader over the head with the message, I’ve sometimes gone too far in the other direction and made it too hard to recognize there is a theme. I’m still trying to find the right balance of theme development without ruining the pacing of the story.

How does this compare to your revision methods? Any other tips you’d like to add?

~ Dee Garretson

Five Debut Mid-Grades for 2012

2011-12-28T08:00:00.000-06:00

Here are five new middle grade novels I'm looking forward to next year:

Glory Be - Augusta Scattergood

releasing January 1, 2012

A Mississippi town in 1964 gets riled when tempers flare at the segregated public pool. Augusta Scattergood has drawn on real-life events to create a memorable novel about family, friendship, and choices that aren’t always easy.

The Mapmaker and the Ghost - Sarvenaz Tash

releasing April 24, 2012

A simple decision to map a forest lands 11-year-old Goldenrod in the midst of a true blue adventure involving a gang of brilliant troublemakers, a mysterious and very ugly old lady, and an exceedingly unexpected—and long dead—questmaster.

Chained - Lynne Kelly

releasing May 8, 2012

The touching story of a boy and an elephant who have a friendship that’s stronger than any lock, shackle, or chain.

One for the Murphys - Lynne Mullaly Hunt

releasing May 10, 2012

In the wake of heart breaking betrayal, Carley Connors becomes a foster child who finds herself in the hands of the bustling, happy Murphys, a family that shows her a side of life she’d believed did not exist.

Small Medium at Large - Joanne Levy

releasing July 3, 2012

Because being 12, flat-chested and harassed by the school’s popular girl isn’t bad enough, Lilah Bloom’s life changes forever when she is hit by lightning and can suddenly hear dead people.

Any here you might add to your reading list?

Is the Multi-Author Series the Wave of the Future?

2011-12-26T02:45:00.001-06:00

Happy Hoppin' Holidays! Happy Boxing Day! (If you want to know what Boxng Day is, here you go.) Did Santa bring you everything you wanted? I hope so!

But I digress. What I really want to ask you is, "did you see the recent announcement in Publisher's Marketplace?"

NYT bestselling author of THE MAZE RUNNER James Dashner's INFINITY RING series, beginning with A MUTINY IN TIME, with subsequent books written by Carrie Ryan, Lisa McMann, Matt de la Peña, Matthew J. Kirby, and Jennifer A. Nielsen, an alternate-history time travel series combining books, "Hystorian's Guide" collectible maps and interactive feature (named for a secret society featured in the books), and an online game where readers travel back in time to fix history, to David Levithan at Scholastic, for publication beginning in September 2012 simultaneously in the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

Holy Hotdogs! What a team of heavy hitters. I immediately dashed off to do some snooping and found an informative article in the New York Times. Basically, in the seven book series the main characters will "encounter historical figures like Aristotle, Alexander the Great, Louis XVI and Harriet Tubman. Children reading the books and playing the online game can interact with the characters and press them for historical information. Playing the game — which will be available on the Web, smartphones and tablets — should lead children back into the books, which contain clues and information that will not be online."

It sounds like it's going a step further even than the game cards contained in The 39 Clues series, which my oldest son adores. (Confession time: I haven't read the series. Throw me into the middle grade dunk tank.) Mr. Dashner, in the NYT's piece, hoped that the interactive content of The Infinity Ring would spur reluctant readers to read more.

It certainly sounds exciting and innovative. (And I love me some time travel!) Do you think these sorts of multi-author series, with gaming/reading interactivity, are the wave of the future? Does this sort of thing excite you, or make you scream "please god, not more screen time for the kiddies!?"

Holiday Hope & My REAL Rejection Letters

2011-12-23T09:36:00.000-06:00

On Wednesday, I posted on my own blog about the mountain of rejection letters I received while trying to find an agent for Nightshade City. I've reposted it here today and I think after you read it, my reasons will be clear. Around this time of year, I'm hopeful we can shed a bit of inspiration for those currently in that uphill battle to get published. With any luck, my story will help.... :)

This is not some random picture I pulled off Google, these are the actual rejection letters I received from literary agencies from 2008-2009. There are about 75 letters in all, not to mention 100+ email rejections. I'm sure you can do the math. I wanted to toss these into the trash as even now they're a bit hard to look at, but my husband forced me to keep them. He said I'd be happy I did later on, and he was right. Since my first book, Nightshade City, was published, it's won the Westchester Fiction Award for 2011, it's been named a CBC Best Book of 2011, and is a Goodreads Choice Award and SCBWI Crystal Kite Finalist for 2010. I'm invited to speak to kids and other writers on a regular basis and they actually are interested in what I have to say, which is pretty darn cool for a girl who four years ago decided to write a random book about rats--of all things. Nightshade City also resulted in my job with National Geographic, as a Nat Geo editor read it and then contacted me to see if I'd be interested in writing for them. I guess what I'm trying to tell you guys is it's darn hard to get published, but my story is one of the many examples that it is entirely possible and there are many good things to come if you can weather the storm.

Around this time of year we all wonder about our goals in life and if we'll ever reach them. I cannot say I didn't get defeated back then, with my ever growing pile of rejection letters, but I can say, I didn't give up...so don't you do it either.

I mean it. Don't give up or I will hunt you down and slap you around a bit!

Me holding my first copy of Book II
of the Nightshade Chronicles,
The White Assassin

Fitting the Pieces Together

2011-12-21T03:30:00.040-06:00

When I was a kid, we used to do jigsaw puzzles in the winter, often over the semester break. A few months ago my wife purchased a couple of puzzles. And at first I was like, “Okay, sure,” knowing that I had so many other things to do that involved deadlines and pressure and people counting on me that the puzzles would probably just sit in their boxes.

But now that we’ve started one during the dark time of the year—and I was actually the one who initiated it—I’m totally digging it. We’ve been carving out a little puzzle-time a few nights a week and I love how the rest of life drops away as I get absorbed in the satisfying task of searching for the right piece.

As the puzzle started taking shape, I was totally struck by how putting a puzzle together is like my writing process. I can see some of the big things that will happen in a story and sometimes I can see how “I think” they will be connected, and I can even somewhat define the parameters of the story, but there is a lot left to figure out and to play with.

And with writing, we not only figure out where all the pieces go; we create the pieces.

And, yeah, sometimes the pieces you see are blurry.

You can have some amazing scenes and ideas, but without all the pieces you don’t have a story. And sometimes the most non-descript parts of a story—the times between the big scenes—can be the most difficult to figure out.

Unfortunately our puzzle had a missing piece.

Happy Holidays! And safe travels if you’ll be heading out to visit friends and family. We’re heading to Northern Arizona to visit friends and to do a little hiking.

From a middle-grader's perspective

2011-12-19T03:30:00.000-06:00

source for this lovely photograph HERE.

There are so many things a twelve-year-old notices that an adult doesn't, don't you think?

The sky changing colours to a shade named on the spot, like Crayola orange or sun white. The new birdcall that's joined the morning chorus. The NHL flag on the car next door, thereby making the neighbours fellow hockey fans.

To me, this innate curiousity built into youth is an extraordinary thing. It's the plucking of specific details from their surroundings, the blindness to the dog doo-doo they're just about to step in but the complete awareness of the homeless person crouched in the gutter. And the fact that this -- this super power fades, weakens as you grow older adds another layer to the idea.

This is really key, I think, in writing middle-grade. There's an awe, a genuine appreciation of the way things are without the constant worry that grown-ups carry around with them; even I, a not-yet-full-adult, experience gray days where nothing around me seems to give off the slightest bit of light. That's not to say that middle-graders never worry; it's just that they notice things. Things that adults would otherwise miss.

So look for that light. The river: it looks solid enough to stand on, if ice were black. The bus: it just gave off a sound like the fart the geo teacher always lets loose. The clock bells: they ring out the tune of "Yankee Doodle"; the building should probably get that fixed.

So tell me: what's one small, special thing you noticed today?

—Yahong

A Surprise Book, A Surprise Gift

2011-12-16T00:01:00.093-06:00

** Before I begin, I must explain that this post is not a result of a publisher or author request. I was never contacted by anyone asking me to publicize the book I'm about to discuss. I do so simply because I feel compelled to share a great discovery with you all. I feel the book more than deserves it. Okay, now on with the post. **

Something happened a few weeks ago that doesn’t often happen: I discovered a fantastic MG series that I had no idea existed, one that has been out for a while without my knowledge. Still can’t believe I’d never heard of it, since I am usually very up-to-date on MG books/series. I don’t know how I happened upon the book on Amazon, but I downloaded the sample and gave it a look. As I read the sample on my Kindle, I was blown away by how intriguing the concept was, and how much I enjoyed the voice. I immediately bought the first book in the series. The book I’m talking about is Dean Lorey’s MONSTER HUNTERS (released a few years ago), which is the first book of his NIGHTMARE ACADEMY series. To me, this type of discovery of an unknown book is like receiving a surprise gift. And I highly, highly recommend this surprise gift.

Here is the summary from the publisher’s website:

Join Charlie Benjamin on a “fast-paced, action-packed” adventure. When Charlie’s nightmares bring monsters to Earth, Charlie gets a once-in-a-lifetime chance to learn to control his powers at the incredible Nightmare Academy. “Marvelous creatures” greet Charlie and his new friends as they embark on “a straight-forward thrill ride” of “rip-roaring monster slayings” in a debut novel that’s “pure entertainment.”

To add to that summary a bit, here is my own:

Charlie Benjamin has been a loner ever since he can remember, but that's not exactly his choice. See, things happen when Charlie falls asleep. Strange things, like the night he is invited to a sleepover that results in all the kids being hung from the ceiling in cocoons--all the kids except Charlie, that is. Ever since the "Terror at the Sleepover Apocalypse," as it is called in the local newspaper, Charlie finds his house to be his entire world. He rarely leaves his house, and is even home-schooled. But when one of his nightmares leads to a strange monster called a silver tongue invading his house, Charlie meets a couple of monster hunters named Rex (a Banisher) and Tabitha (a Nethermancer), along with a Facilitator named Pinch. Charlie is invited to join the Nightmare Academy to help hone his craft. Because, turns out, the Gift is strong with Charlie (he's like the Luke Skywalker of the academy). Charlie's gift is so strong he can open portals that most "nethermancers" can only dream of opening. The academy is a Camp Half-Blood type place (Percy Jackson) that houses kids who have the Gift. But none of the other students have Charlie's type of power. And Charlie's power will be needed to deal with a vicious monster named Barakkas, whose presence could spell doom for all. I'd go on, but trust me, you'll want to invest your time in reading this book, and the ensuing series. And if you have a MG boy out there, RUN to your local bookstore and get the book(s)! Your MG-er will thank you over and over. You have my word on that.

As I now read book 2 (MONSTER MADNESS), I wonder if this type of thing has happened to anyone else. Have you ever happened upon a great MG book (or series) that had been out for a while but you had no idea existed? Do tell.

On Loss, Grief, and Young Readers

2011-12-14T05:27:00.000-06:00

I am currently reading this wonderfully imagined novel, A Monster Calls, by Patrick Ness, from an original idea by Siobhan Dowd. I'm not done with it yet, so it may be a bit presumptuous for me to write this post, but I think I know where the story is going. I could be wrong, but that's not really the point.

I'm the father of a young adult, and a middle grader (well, technically Madison is only 10, and not in middle school yet, but she reads above her level). Luckily my children have not had to endure much loss, but loss doesn't always have to be a death in the family. Loss can be moving away from friends, divorce, heck, even summer camp can feel like a temporary loss.

The loss in my own life almost all occurred in those middle grade years. My dad was out of the picture when I was ten. My mom died when I was eleven. Then, just to make things worse, my aunts and uncles decided to separate me from my older sister when they determined our living situations, in their infinite wisdom. Yeah, needless to say, I was a messed up, angry kid.

But I managed to survive. Loss hurts like salt in an open wound at first, but eventually it simply becomes part of who you are. The trick is getting through that first part. One of the best ways to get through the hard part is to escape into stories. Storytelling has a magical ability to heal, or at least to give you solace from the storm, when things are at their worst. Movies, TV, theater, all these venues for telling stories are great, but none of them really compare to books.

Books can take you anywhere, and sometimes where you need to be is very far away from where you are. Middle Earth. Narnia. Krynn. Westeros. There are so many places full of so much wonder and beauty in books, it can make the pain of real life seem less ... sharp, for a time.

But then there are also books that face the harsh truth of this topic head on. Books like A Monster Calls, that deftly look the pain of suffering dead in the face, and show with courage that life goes on.

I'm glad my children haven't had to endure much loss in their lives, but if they did, I'd be sure to share books like this with them. Or books like Danny, Champion of the World, by Roald Dahl, or Wintergirls, by Laurie Halse Anderson, or Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Story, by Greg Neri, or The Deathday Letter, by Shaun David Hutchinson, or even, Marley and Me, by John Grogan.

What books about loss and grief, or even just to help one through loss and grief, would you recommend for young readers?

Dean Koontz for Middle Graders? + Giveaway

2011-12-12T04:00:00.006-06:00

One sure thing about kids is that whatever age they are, they want to be older. The "big" kids are always so strong, so fast, so smart, so cool . . . I remember when my son was in third grade and had a high school reading buddy. His buddy was his hero--just because he was *gasp* a high schooler.

When people think of Dean Koontz, they do NOT instantly think children's author. They think of adult horror and suspense, and rightfully so. However, that is not the only hat he wears these days. Believe it or not, he is also a picture book author and children's poet.

His picture books, SANTA'S TWIN and ROBOT SANTA: THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF SANTA'S TWIN are a huge hit with my high school students and my middle grade son. As you can tell, they're a bit twisted, and MG kids usually love anything twisted.

In addition to his Santa PBs, he also has a couple of picture books about his dog, Trixie: I, TRIXIE, WHO IS DOG and TRIXIE AND JINX. Both are adorable.

The most middle grade friendly of his children's books is THE PAPER DOORWAY: FUNNY VERSE AND NOTHING WORSE, a collection of poetry reminiscent of Shel Silverstein.

Poems like "The Monstrous Broccoli Excuse," "Boogeyman," "Frankenbunny" and "You Get the Pickle You Asked for" will be instant hits with most middle grade readers. And they get the added bonus of being able to say they read Dean Koontz!

I will give away ONE copy of The Paper Doorway to a commenter on today's post. To enter, follow Project Mayhem and leave a comment! The lucky winner will be notified by email on Wednesday. Good luck.

Writing with a Soundtrack

2011-12-09T01:00:00.006-06:00

Often when I visit another author's blog, I see a fancy-schmancy playlist. Usually it includes songs that inspired the story or music the author was listening to while writing. Not only does reading the list of unfamiliar names make me feel incredibly old - never do I see Roxette or Bon Jovi listed - ha!, but it makes me wonder if I'm missing out on potential creative inspiration.

When I write, I pop in my earbuds to block out background noise. If I have wifi, I'll click on over to Pandora and pick an instrumental station - piano is my favorite. Occasionally, I'll do string quarters or something. But I absolutely cannot listen to music with lyrics while I'm writing. Most of STORYBOUND was written to constantly repeating Christmas at the Keys, because I always worked in a coffeeshop that didn't have internet, and it was the only music I had saved on my laptop at the time. But, as fun as Christmas in July is, it doesn't make a very impressive author playlist.

I've tried to hip-it-up a bit. On my last writing day I braved a Tom Petty station on Pandora, but (though Tom Petty is as cool as ever), I just couldn't focus in on my writing.

What about you? Do you write to a soundtrack? I'll take any suggestions! What music inspires you? Do you have any imagined soundtracks to some of your favorite books?

Fairies, Fairies Everywhere—Tales, That Is

2011-12-07T05:00:00.003-06:00

The following was originally a guest post I wrote for Teen Reads last month. I thought I'd share it here at Project Mayhem because it seemed so timely—fairy tales are just really "in" right now. Loving it, loving it!! I mean, you have to admit, the trailer for Snow White and the Huntsman looks pretty cool:

As writers we look to many different sources for inspiration, and I think there is a lot of wonderful material to be had in traditional tales—and a lot of wonderful ways to twist it all up and make it your own.

Have an enchanting holiday season,

-Dawn Lairamore

*****************

With major television networks premiering shows such as Once Upon a Time and Grimm and a number of fairy-tale-themed movies slated to hit the big screen in 2012, including retellings of Snow White and Hansel and Gretel, fairy tales seem hotter than ever. And why not? There’s a lot to find appealing—magic, adventure, romance, fantastical creatures, heroes performing daring feats, good versus evil. Fairy tales are fun and familiar. They entertain, with the added bonus that there’s usually a moral or two thrown in for good measure.

Fairy tales in one form or another have, of course, long been a staple in the world of children’s books. One of my favorite books as a child—and still to this day—is Robin McKinley’s BEAUTY, a lovely retelling of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST with the ironic twist that Beauty isn’t beautiful.

This is the perfect example of a fractured fairy tale, a fairy tale in which some element of the original story has been changed. Fractured fairy tales are right up my alley, because while I love traditional tales, I also love stories that do the unexpected or contain some type of twist. And, as entertaining as stories of old can be, I think it’s quite obvious to modern readers how outdated some of the mentalities behind these tales can be. There’s a delicious sense of rebellion in revisiting them with modern sensibilities in mind. I enjoy how fractured fairy tales challenge the archaic or superficial in old stories—the role of female characters, the focus on wealth or materialism, the emphasis placed on beauty and good looks.

A very common fairy tale motif features a princess being saved from a dragon by a handsome prince or courageous knight. When I sat down to write my own fractured fairy tale, I thought, what if the princess wasn’t so helpless and was perfectly capable of rescuing herself? What if the dragon wasn’t a ferocious beast but a timid creature with a heart? What if the handsome prince wasn’t a hero but a villain? And what if the princess and the dragon actually teamed up against him? And so, my first novel, IVY'S EVER AFTER, was born—a fairy tale about a princess seeking out her own “ever after,” rather than having one thrust upon her.

The sequel, IVY AND THE MEANSTALK, continues that idea of twisting a traditional fairy tale. JACK AND THE BEANSTALK has always been my least favorite fairy tale, because Jack never seemed like much of a hero to me. He seemed like a lazy, thoughtless boy who stole and did other not-so-nice things. So MEANSTALK is my reimagining of JACK AND THE BEANSTALK with a rather dim view of Jack.

Most of all, I love fractured fairy tales because these new takes on the familiar offer an important reminder: “happily ever after” isn’t one-size-fits-all. There are as many unique adventures out there as there are characters—and readers—to have them.

And the winner of GUYS READ: THRILLER is...

2011-12-06T05:05:00.004-06:00

After my consultation with that mysterious oracle, Random.org., the winner of

Shannon O'Donnell

Congratulations, Shannon. Project Mayhem will be in touch soon. Thanks to all who entered. I enjoyed choosing lines for you.

2011 Debut Middle Grade Books - How many have you read?

2011-12-05T07:05:00.001-06:00

The kidlit community of readers, writers, bloggers, teachers and librarians is terrific for supporting new voices. In the spirit of that, I’ve put together a list of all the 2011 debut middle grade books I could find. I know I've missed some, so If you know of any others, please post in the comments and I’ll add to the list. I like the thought that one of these might be an author to add to a favorites list in the future.

Many thanks to book blogger, the Story Siren http://www.thestorysiren.com/ and her terrific list of YA and MG debuts, which helped me get a start on this, and to @chorkie from Twitter for tipping me off to that list. Here’s my question for Project Mayhem readers-What makes you pick up a book by an unknown (to you) author?

A DOG’S WAY HOME by Bobbie Pyron
ALICE-MIRANDA AT SCHOOL by Jacqueline Harvey
ALIENS ON VACATION by Clete Smith
CALLI BE GOLD by Michele Weber Hurwitz
CASPER CANDLEWACKS IN DEATH BY PIGEON! by Ivan Brett
CHARLIE JOE JACKSON’S GUIDE TO NOT READING by Tommy Greenwald
CINDERELLA SMITH by Stephanie Barden
COLD CASE by Julie Pratt Leonard
DESPERATE MEASURES by Laura Summers
DOGSLED DREAMS by Terry Lynn Johnson
FETCHING by Kiera Stewart
FLIRT CLUB by Cathleen Daly Maurissa
FLUTTER by Erin E. Moulton
HOW LAMAR’S BAD PRANK WON A BUBBA-SIZED TROPHY by Crystal Allen
HOW TO ROCK BRACES AND GLASSES by Meg Haston
INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN by Thanhha Lai
JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW by Nathan Bransford
JUNIPER BERRY by M.P. Kozlowsky
KAT, INCORRIGIBLE by Stephanie Burgis
LATASHA AND THE LITTLE RED TORNADO by Michael Scotto
MY UN-FAIRY TALE LIFE by Anna Staniszewski
PETER NIMBLE AND HIS FANTASTIC EYES, Jonathan Auxier
POSSUM SUMMER by Jen K Blom
RETURN TO EXILE by E.J. Patten
SPARROW ROAD by Shelia O’Conner
STIR IT UP by Ramin Ganesram
THE BLOOMSWELL DIARIES by Louis L. Buitendag
THE DRAGON OF CRIPPLE CREEK by Troy Howell
THE EMERALD ATLAS by John Stephens
THE FOURTH STALL by Chris Rylander
THE GREAT WALL OF LUCY WU by Wendy Wan-Long
THE MAP OF ME by Tami Lewis Brown
THE PRINCESS CURSE by Merrie Haskell
THE RENDERING by Joel Naftali
THE ROTTEN ADVENTURES OF ZACHARY RUTHLESS by Allan Woodrow
THE UNDERTAKERS by Ty Drago
THE WIZARD OF DARK STREET by Shawn Thomas Odyssey
VANISHED by Sheela Chari
VILLAIN SCHOOL by Stephanie Sanders
WITH A NAME LIKE LOVE by Tess Hilmo

~ Dee Garretson

Reviews Discussion: Beating a Dead Horse

2011-12-02T05:30:00.000-06:00

I'm the third Mayhemer to bring up reviews (are we tired of this discussion yet?). Rather than focusing on the ways reviews affect our reading and/or purchasing habits, or their subjective nature (these are great discussions, by the way; stop by if you haven't already),
I'd like to talk to the authors out there:

How do you deal with reviews? Do you read them? Avoid them? Enjoy them? Dread them? Do reviews affect the way you write? Do they affect the opinion you have of your own abilities as a writer? I've heard of bad reviews paralyzing authors, but I've been fascinated to learn that for some authors good reviews do the same.

Any advice for those of us new to the publishing world?

GUYS READ: THRILLER (and a SIGNED GIVEAWAY)

2011-11-30T02:30:00.010-06:00

"Why is that shady-looking character lurking in the dark alley? What's he doing with that crowbar? Is that something in his other hand? What is he doing? What has he done?

That is the mystery.

I'll bet the kid who just spotted him knows what he's up to.

There's not enough light from the street or the full moon to see the guy's face clearly. What if he turns? The kid will see his face. But he will see the kid. And then what?

That is the thriller."

Yowzers. Jon Scieszka's introduction (above) to GUYS READ: THRILLER (Walden Pond Press, 2011) fairly sets my teeth on edge and my heart to pounding. And that's only the introduction, people. The book itself features stories from such thrilling types as M.T. Anderson, Gennifer Choldenko, Margaret Peterson Haddix,and Anthony Horowitz. Jon Scieszka again: "these writer have delivered with the wildest mix of detectives, spooks, cryptids, snakes, pirates, smugglers, a body on the tracks, and one terribly powerful serving of fried pudding."

This is all in the service of getting the guys to read. Scieszka's been at it for over ten years on his website GuysRead.com, recommending books for that difficult demographic. It's a great website, chock full of recommendations of books that might appeal to the guy in your life. Because, as Scieszka says, "boys will read if they're given reading that interests them." (I can attest he's right. I have three guys. They read. But not usually books that have pink covers.)

Here's yet more good news. Recently, I was fortunate via Twitter to win from the good folks at Walden Pond Press a signed (by Jon Scieszka) copy of GUYS READ: THRILLER. Hooray for me! However, I already have a copy... so, if you become a follower of Project Mayhem, leave a comment, and choose a number from 3 to 272 (I got that bright idea from Marissa Burt earlier this month) I will enter you in a drawing, as well as feed you a line from the page of your choice.

What could be more thrilling than that?!

(Other writers in this volume are Patrick Carman, Matt de la Pena, Bruce Hale, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, James Patterson, and Walter Dean Myers. Illustrations are by Brett Helquist)

(The contest will run until Monday December 5th at 23:59 PST GOOD LUCK!!)

Sports, Kids, and Books

2011-11-28T06:12:00.000-06:00

I have to apologize for these terrible photos, but I only recently upgraded to a phone with a decent camera, and I don't have the steadiest hand. Anyway, this is my daughter, Madison, and my nephew, Bryce, at their very first NFL game.

We live in Atlanta, so it's a Falcons game, but we're from Minnesota (well, sort of) so we're Vikings fans. It was a pretty good game, but that's not really my point.

The point I want to make, is that I think sports, whether professional, collegiate, intramural, or just community organized, are a great way for kids to get exposed to many important things in life. Things like teamwork, respect, sportsmanship, pushing ourselves to succeed in spite of pain and/or fatigue. There are a lot of great lessons to be had from sports.

And the great thing is that sports, especially if the kids are participating, but even if they're just watching a game, don't beat you over the head with those lessons like ... some other venues for education.

I love that sports give kids an opportunity to learn things for themselves, without someone having to tell them anything. Showing is always better, right?

So anyway, after the game, it got me to thinking: what are some great young adult and middle grade books about or with sports in them, that maybe aren't exactly sports books?

I suppose I'm not the most widely read when it comes to these kind of books, but I couldn't think of many, so I figured I'd come to you guys. I mean I really enjoyed My Dog Skip (both the book and the film) and I suppose there is some mention of sports in both, but it's not really the kind of book I'm thinking of. The film The Sandlot would be a great example, but I don't think that story is also a novel, or at least I've never read it.

I did find a decent list, which you can read: here, but I was hoping our wonderful Project Mayhem readers would be able to recommend some books they'd actually read. Do any of you have a young adult or middle grave novel you can recommend that has sports in it?

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. Here's one more photo, just for fun:

Everyday Heroes

2011-11-25T04:30:00.003-06:00

Yep, that pretty much sums up a cold snap.

A couple weeks ago the temperature dipped to 40 below. Yeah, our first cold snap of the season came early and broke a bunch of low temperature records.

I love exercising outside. I’ve been running and biking at forty below and colder, but sometimes it’s hard to get motivated to get out the door when it is that cold. I had to do something, so I decided to go for a short walk.

I’d been walking for about ten minutes when I heard footsteps behind me. It was my neighbor. My eighty-two year-old neighbor. Running.

He doesn’t run fast, and he’s always a little hunched over, but he runs every day. It doesn’t matter how hot or cold or snowy or rainy it is—he runs.

We’ve exchanged a few words over the eleven years I’ve lived in the neighborhood, but mostly we just wave at each other. I know he started running relatively late in life, after being very ill.

A day rarely passes when I don’t think about him. He’s an everyday hero who inspires me to keep pushing myself in all areas of my life. I’ve told all my friends and family, near and far, about him.

Even though I barely know him, I am thankful that he's in my life.

Do you have any everyday heroes in your life who rock your world?

Happy Thanksgiving!!

It's all subjective anyway!

2011-11-23T04:00:00.000-06:00

(Continuing in the vein of Hilary's post last week!)

There's a reason why Twilight is in the top five of both the "Best YA Books" list and "Worst YA Books" list on Goodreads. (In fact, it's #1 of the "Books You Wish You Could Forget" list.) There's a reason why no book with more than four reviews has an exact five-star rating.

It's because taste is subjective.
(Of course, there's also that matter of no book being perfect.)

Look at Picasso. Some people thought his art was marvelously avant-garde, while some people thought he just couldn't paint right. You might even say this is a curse of being too well-known: with every batch of fans come a slew of haters as well.

Art? Or just an inability to colour right?

Take comfort if negative reviews are getting you down, be they for your own books or a personal favourite. As a reviewer, there will be times when personal biases or frustration with trends will get the better of one and result in a less-than-professional review. (Personally, I can't stand inauthentic interior dialogue.) As a reader, I end up covering up the computer screen and going, "Lalalala, I can't hear -- er, read you!"

Just remember -- it's all subjective. Have heart, friends.

-Yahong

Winner of STORYBOUND ARC

2011-11-22T10:04:00.002-06:00

Hi Everyone!

I'm delighted to announce that Deb A. Marshall is the winner of the Storybound ARC giveaway. Shoot me an e-mail with your postal address, Deb, and I'll pop it into the mail for you.

marissa.burt@gmail.com

Thanks for playing, y'all! And, for you new followers, welcome to Project Mayhem!

Marissa

The Meaning Of A Year

2011-11-21T05:34:00.000-06:00

My son A.J. turns one on November 26th!

My son A.J. will be a one-year-old this Saturday, 11/26! My wife actually went into labor last year on Thanksgiving Day, believe it or not. I’m so excited to celebrate the special day with my ~~little~~ big boy.

And my son’s first birthday gets me thinking about what was going on in my life one year ago. A month before A.J. came into the world things had really been busy for me. In early October of last year I ended up with eight offers of representation from agents and had a tough time deciding between the eight of them. I ended up signing with the agent that seemed to be the right choice, at the time. We then revised my book for a few weeks and submitted it in early November. I was so nervous and antsy—and obsessed—when the book went out that it took my mind off the fact that A.J. could come at any time. I thought of my book way too much and it wasn’t healthy at all. But when A.J. arrived, everything changed. And that’s the true purpose of this blog post. How priorities, stressors, and life in general can change so quickly, and how important it is to remember what truly matters.

Sandra Boynton is my son's favorite author.

Think about it this way. That book, the one that had been so sought-after by those eight agents, didn’t end up selling when we went out with it. It was shocking to me, but it didn’t seem to matter as much whenever I would hold A.J. and look at his smiling face. Or when I’d rock him to sleep. Forget “didn’t seem to matter as much”…heck, it didn’t matter at all. That’s why it was so much easier to decide to pull the book (so as not to burn any future submission possibilities for the book and save it for later), part ways with my agent (it was a tough decision, but it was the best thing for both of us), write something new (which ended up working out so well), and query new agents (that was a pretty quick search, actually). I did all this with the mindset that, while it matters to me because I value my writing and my writing career, I don’t place the value of my writing above my family. Not even close. You parents out there realize this, and those expecting will soon realize it, too.

Now, a year later, I have another book that will soon be submitted by a new agent (who I really think is the right match for me). But the thing is: When this book goes out I won’t stress like I did when my book went out last year because I have such a different perspective on things. Sure, I’ll be anxious to have my work find a great home, and I’ll look at my cell phone a bit more when the book goes out, but will I focus on it like I did last year? No way!

With Thanksgiving on its way, I wanted to post this on Project Mayhem because I hope to remind you all that writing is important, and so is reading. It’s a passion for most of us. I don't mean to devalue literature in any way, whether it's reading or writing.

Everything I live for is found in this picture.

But please remember how important it is to value your family more than anything. To take time away from them with your writing as little as possible. I shudder at the possibility of missing a “first” of any kind with A.J. and that helps to remind me how important it is for me to make sure my writing time doesn’t replace our time together as a family. Oh, and as a little announcement, my wife and I are expecting our second child in May of 2012. Kind of teary as I type that because it makes me so happy to think of having a second child.

Happy Birthday, A.J.! And Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

How Do Reviews Impact What You Read?

2011-11-18T08:18:00.008-06:00

Before I even thought of actually dipping my size 9/10 feet (I know, Sasquatch) into the publishing pond, I read a lot of books. I rarely bought anything without reading at least a few reviews, unless I picked it up on a whim at the bookstore--I'm a sucker for a good cover! It got me to thinking of how reviews impact what we read and don't read. I have a few favorite authors, who, even if they receive a hailstorm of bad reviews on their latest endeavor, I'm still buying it! Generally, I'll be disappointed in the book overall, but there are always those special gems held within that makes me believe it was a worthwhile purchase.

A book can't please everyone and every book is going to get a few negative reviews, even the ones who garner gobs of awards. So, if a premise of an author's book intrigues you will you still buy it, in spite of a high number of negative write-ups or do you prefer to pass on that one?

I think with the dawn of e-books, it's a little easier to bite the bullet and buy a book you're unsure of, since in many cases the e-book price is lower, but I'm wondering what you think. Is it worth it? Do you take the risk and buy, get it from the library, or pass it up all together?

Giveaway - ARC of STORYBOUND

2011-11-14T01:00:00.002-06:00

Hello Mayhemers!

I'd love to give away an ARC of my upcoming middle-grade fantasy STORYBOUND! Here's a little bit about the book:

In the land of Story, children go to school to learn to be characters: a perfect Hero, a trusty Sidekick, even the most dastardly Villain. They take classes on Outdoor Experiential Questing and Backstory, while adults search for full-time character work in stories written just for them.

In our world, twelve-year-old Una Fairchild has always felt invisible. But all that changes when she stumbles upon a mysterious book buried deep in the basement of her school library, opens the cover, and suddenly finds herself transported to the magical land of Story.

But Story is not a perfect fairy tale. Una’s new friend Peter warns her about the grave danger she could face if anyone discovers her true identity. The devious Tale Keeper watches her every move. And there are whispers of a deadly secret that seems to revolve around Una herself....

With the timeless appeal of books like A Wrinkle in Time and the breathtaking action of Inkheart, Storybound has all the makings of a new classic. Brimming with fantastical creatures, magical adventure, and heart-stopping twists, Storybound will leave readers wishing they too could jump through the pages into this enchanting fairy-tale world.

If you'd like to enter the giveaway, follow Project Mayhem if you don't already, leave a comment with a page number from 1-403, and I'll reply with a line from that page of STORYBOUND. (Thanks to Sarah Prineas for the page number inspiration!)

Comments will be open until midnight on 11/21, with the randomly-selected winner announced on 11/22. Thanks for playing!

Making Tangents Work—An Ivy-Inspired Recipe

2011-11-11T05:00:00.003-06:00

Recently, friend and fellow SCBWIer Bethanie Humphreys invited me to be interviewed on her blog to celebrate the release of Ivy and the Meanstalk. I was thrilled to be asked—but a little surprised. You see, Bethanie runs a food blog, and what did Ivy have to do with food? But Bethanie made it work. “Since you mention a lot of neat and interesting foods in your books, I’m going to do an Ivy-inspired recipe,” she said. Her interview had a lot of food-related questions as well. And the result was really, really incredible and lots of fun. Bethanie has been kind enough to let me share her recipe and an abbreviated version of her interview below. I hope you’ll check out the full interview and Bethanie’s blog, Kitchen Tangents, at this link. I’ve long admired her amazingly creative recipes, and she has a special interest in kid-friendly food. Bethanie even had the recent honor of being named a finalist in America’s Test Kitchen’s Boston Blogger Cookie Challenge back in May. America’s Test Kitchen actually gave her a private tour of their set!

I also think Bethanie’s recipe is a great reminder of how there are unique and wonderful ways for authors to market their work out there, even in unexpected places, with a little creative tweaking to make their books relevant to the target audience. After all, isn’t being creative what writers do best? Thanks, Bethanie, for this wonderful tangent.

Oh, and if anyone makes her incredibly easy microwavable (yes, microwavable!) Chocolate Fairy Cakes, please let us know how they turn out.

-Dawn Lairamore

Interview with Middle Grade Author Dawn Lairamore, and "Chocolate Fairy Cakes,"

An Ivy-Inspired Recipe

by Bethanie Humphreys

I am very honored to share with you my conversation with middle grade (books for 8-12 year olds) author, Dawn Lairamore. Dawn’s debut novel, Ivy’s Ever After, was released in 2010, and named A Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year in 2011.

Her follow-up book, Ivy and the Meanstalk, was just released. She describes her books as fractured fairy tales. (I just love the imagery in that expression.) They are fun, spirited stories that whisk you away with Ivy, a fourteen-year-old princess whose love of books and the outdoors inspire high adventure with the most unlikely of friends, Elridge, a rather un-ferocious and smaller than average dragon. Together, they find their fire to help save their kingdom (and themselves from conventions that just don't fit).

Isabella, my 8 year old, liked Ivy’s Ever After so much we read it twice. We had recently started reading the Harry Potter series, but she insisted on taking a break from it when I brought home Ivy and the Meanstalk.

Also, to give you a little background on this latest tangent, i.e. how a food blog comes to interview a children’s author whose books are completely unrelated to food: I met Dawn through SCBWI, a wonderful organization for children’s book authors and illustrators. They organize fantastic conferences and networking opportunities locally, on up to the international level.

Here's Bethanie!

I joined SCBWI because I’m developing a kid’s cookbook that encourages picky eaters to explore fruits and vegetables. My obsession with produce stems from my own pickiness. At 18 months old, my daughter started refusing to eat anything green. I challenged myself to find ways to prepare a greater variety of vegetables so that I actually like them as a way to provide a better example for her. It has been quite effective! She gets just as excited when I make artichokes as she does when I make cookies.

To celebrate Meanstalk’s release, I thought it would be fun to create a recipe inspired by Ivy. “Oh, fairy cakes!” is a charming little expression used throughout both books (in the same way as one would say, “Oh, darn it!”). My kid-friendly recipe for “Chocolate Fairy Cakes,” made in a magical, most unconventional way (in the microwave), will follow the interview.

Dawn’s books are not about food, but in true kitchentangents style, I couldn’t help but ask her about my favorite subjects: writing, food, and the little things that make life sweet.

On Writing:

kitchentangents: In both of your books, you’ve taken a familiar fairy tale and turned it on its ear. In Meanstalk, (a riff on Jack and the Beanstalk) rather than Jack being a lucky boy who gets his hands on some magic beans and treasure from a kingdom in the clouds, you tell the story with more sympathy towards the giant whose treasure was stolen. What inspired you to write this kind of story?

Dawn Lairamore: I love fairy tales, but I also love stories that do the unexpected or have some sort of twist, which is why I’m often drawn to retellings of traditional tales. A very common fairy tale motif features a princess being saved from a dragon or other monster by a handsome prince or courageous knight. I thought, what if the princess wasn’t so helpless and was perfectly capable of rescuing herself? What if the dragon wasn’t a ferocious beast but a timid creature with a heart? What if the handsome prince wasn’t a hero but a villain? And what if the princess and the dragon actually teamed up against him? And so, Ivy’s Ever After was born—a fairy tale about a princess seeking out her own “ever after,” rather than having one thrust upon her.

Ivy and the Meanstalk continues that idea of twisting a traditional fairy tale. Jack and the Beanstalk has always been my least favorite fairy tale, because Jack never seemed like much of a hero to me. He seemed a lazy, thoughtless boy who stole and did some other not-so-nice things. So Meanstalk is my revisitation of the Jack and the Beanstalk tale with a rather dim view of Jack.

kt: Writing is very much about painting a picture in your reader’s mind with specific, meaningful details. Your stories are very easy to visualize, and yet move along at a nice clip (as a good adventure story should). Are there any editing secrets you can share that you use to strike a nice balance between action and detail?

DL: This is a tough one because some readers–like me–love detail, but some find a lot of detail distracting and would rather a story focus on more “urgent” components like action or dialogue. I think, as a writer, you have to do what feels right for the story. I felt that the Ivy books, being fantasy/fairy tales with some rather fantastical and magical settings, warranted special attention to setting and detail. But, yes, you have to be careful not to overdo it. Description and detail shouldn’t overpower other elements of the story.

As far as action, young readers often have a shorter attention span than adult readers, so I think stories for young readers especially need to move at a good pace. When writing for this age range, I think it does help to focus on the external (actions and events) over the internal (thoughts and emotions). Don’t get me wrong–the internal *has* to be there, emotions and conflict have to be part of the story, but perhaps not at same level as you’d expect in an adult book. Long internal monologues or scenes where characters reflect upon their feelings probably isn’t going to fly too well with a middle-grade audience.

On Food:

kt: There seem to be a fair number of pies, cakes, and giant gooseberry tarts in your stories. What was your inspiration for the food you describe?

DL: The Ivy stories are fairy tales at their core, so they’re not meant to take place in any real-world, historical time period. That being said, Ivy’s world felt very medieval to me, what with the castles and swords and suits of armor, so I researched medieval recipes and used a lot of what I found for inspiration. And, of course, I think food in a fairy tale should have an appropriately fantastical and feast-like quality to it.

kt: If you could try any of the food in your books, which would it be?

DL: I’ve never tried a gooseberry tart–or a gooseberry anything–so I’d go with that. I love experiencing new tastes! Elderberry is a flavor mentioned in the book as well, and I had never tried anything elderberry until recently, when a friend of mine brought me a bottle of English elderberry cordial back from her vacation. Delicious!

On The Little Things:

kt: What were your favorite stories or authors while you were growing up?

DL: The Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, The Secret Garden and The Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander, The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper, Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry.

kt: What smells or tastes remind you of childhood?

DL: My dad was in the military when I was growing up, so my family moved a lot and lived in a lot of different places. We moved to the Philippines when I was a year old, so my earliest memories are of our time there. I associate many tastes of that region with my childhood. I remember getting my face and fingers all sticky with mango and guava, and sucking on fresh, raw sugar cane.

And for our final course, Dessert!:

Fortunately for us topsiders, this dessert fit for the fairy realm is almost as easy to make as waving a magic wand. This bit of domestic magic is performed entirely in a microwave. It properly serves two princesses or princes. If a dragon guest comes to call, it may do to conjure up at least twenty.

It’s particularly important with this recipe to always level your measurements!

Chocolate Fairy Cake:

2 Tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon milk

3 Tablespoons flour

2 teaspoons cocoa powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 egg

3 Tablespoons sugar

¼ teaspoon vanilla

1) In an oversized teacup (or cereal bowl, but something with high sides is best), melt chocolate chips, butter, and milk in the microwave for 20 seconds. Don’t stir it quite yet, just let it cool while you work your magic.

Bethanie's beautiful daughter Isabella.

2) In a separate bowl swirl together flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda.

3) In yet another bowl whisk egg first till uniformly yellow, then twirl in sugar & vanilla until golden brown.

4) Now stir melted chocolate chip mixture until dark and glossy. Add egg mixture to the chocolate (use a spatula to get all the eggy goodness out of the bowl), and stir till smooth. Sprinkle in dry ingredients and blend with a fork till there are no lumps in sight.

5) Microwave for 1 minute, possibly another 10-15 seconds, but stop once about half of the cake top is dry. Don’t worry if the edges are moist, it will continue to cook even once it’s removed from the microwave.

6) Immediately loosen the edges with a knife and turn the cake upside down onto a plate. Eat while still warm and steamy as the Isle of Mist. To make multiple cakes, just wash out the baking bowl and repeat.

The cake is delicious on its own, but if you wish to feast in true fairy style, top the warm cake with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Winner of THE DEATH OF YORIK MORTWELL!

2011-11-10T08:00:00.006-06:00

Jared Larson!
WooHoo!

Congrats, Jared!!!

Please send your address to us at:
projectmayhem@gmx.com

How to Win at NaNoWriMo Video :)

2011-11-09T07:16:00.001-06:00

For those who are unfamilar with NaNo, it stands for National Novel-Writing Month and takes place in November. I was very confused about it when I first heard about it, though not as clueless as the character in the video. I don't participate in NaNo, but had a sudden inspiration to make a video about it.

I made the video the other night on a whim, and then couldn’t figure out why I had spent the time on it when I could have been doing something more worthwhile. The guilt only lasted a little while, until I realized that when writing becomes a job, sometimes writers need to step away from it and find some other creative outlet just to relax and clear their minds. In my case, one of the things I do is make goofy videos. The pressures to write something publishable, then get it sold and then hope people buy it can make you crazy if you don’t find a way to forget about it occasionally. I’d be curious to know how other writers deal with the pressure. Please comment if you find yourself in the same situation, and tell us what you do to cope. Oh, and if you have never checked out Xtranormal, it is a terrifically easy way to make short videos, especially if you aren’t looking to make serious ones.

If you'd like to see my other extranormal videos, including "Punctuation Man-The Secret to Getting Published," they are on one of my blogs: videos

~ Dee Garretson

Things I've Learned From Beverly Cleary

2011-11-07T05:00:00.000-06:00

I loved Beverly Cleary's Ramona books when I was a girl, but if it's possible, I love them even more as an adult. Re-reading these books has taught me a lot about writing compelling characters. Here are a few things I've learned from Ramona Quimby:

Make them real: Ramona feels like a real pesky kid sister; she's as familiar as our own siblings or neighbors.
Make them realer than real: Ramona is a bigger-than-life character, the type that does and says things beyond the regular, everyday world. Somehow, this over-the-top aspect of her character is what makes her seem most like an actual kid: the more unique and outrageous she acts, the more she reminds us of real life.
Make them sympathetic: It would have been easy for Beverly Cleary to create a character whose flaws made her unattractive, like good ol' Bugs Meany in the Encyclopedia Brown books (has there ever been a better mid-grade villian's name, by the way?). But those flaws are precisely why we love Ramona -- we feel for her in the midst of her problems because we see our own selves in her experiences.
Make them logical: Part of Ramona's appeal is the way she makes sense of the world: the time she walks to school at 25 after the hour (because she was supposed to leave her house at the quarter hour), the time she is convinced her teacher is going to give her a gift because she tells her to sit for the present. Even when she's wrong we can relate to her logic because we're seeing her world through her young eyes.
Show them respect: The thing that has really struck me as an adult re-visiting the Ramona books is the compassion Beverly Cleary has for her character. Though she doesn't shy away from awkward moments, there is a tenderness in the way Cleary deals with Ramona when she throws up in class, when she kicks her bedroom walls in anger, when she names her doll the most beautiful name she can think of -- Chevrolet.

These books have reminded me what it was like to be a child. They've nudged me to be more patient with my own children. They've encouraged me to treat my characters with compassion.

Thank you, Beverly Cleary, for creating such a memorable, remarkable character. My writing -- and living -- are better for it.

PROJECT MAYHEM

An Exciting New Release

Marketing Consultation Giveaway!

Virtual Journeys

Winner of the Animal Farm Giveaway!

Giveaway of new MG mystery debut DIZZY MISS LIZZIE and interview with R.M. Clark

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Lessons from Animal Farm and Giveaway!

Who's Your First Reader?

When Did You First Fall in Love, with Books?

Reaching Reluctant and Struggling Readers

Winner of ON THE BRIGHT SIDE giveaway!

Spellcheck: the ultimate frenemy

A New (Publishing) World

Successful Momentum

May B. Giveaway Winner!

Interview with Shelli Johannes & Giveaway of ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

New Lives for Old Books

The Workings of a Critique Group

Win a Copy of May B.!

Project Mayhem Team Member Catch UP!

How Do You Put The Fun In Funny?

How Do You Stay On Top of it All?

Micro-level Revision

Rushing towards that dream? Wait.

How John Hughes Ruined My Life

Out On Submission

Some Middle Grade "Sleepers" of 2011

A Letter to my 6th Grade Teacher

Does Word Count Matter Anymore?

Revision strategies – A Chapter Worksheet

Five Debut Mid-Grades for 2012

Is the Multi-Author Series the Wave of the Future?

Holiday Hope & My REAL Rejection Letters

Fitting the Pieces Together

From a middle-grader's perspective

A Surprise Book, A Surprise Gift

On Loss, Grief, and Young Readers

Dean Koontz for Middle Graders? + Giveaway

Writing with a Soundtrack

Fairies, Fairies Everywhere—Tales, That Is

And the winner of GUYS READ: THRILLER is...

2011 Debut Middle Grade Books - How many have you read?

Reviews Discussion: Beating a Dead Horse

GUYS READ: THRILLER (and a SIGNED GIVEAWAY)

Sports, Kids, and Books

Everyday Heroes

It's all subjective anyway!

Winner of STORYBOUND ARC

The Meaning Of A Year

How Do Reviews Impact What You Read?

Giveaway - ARC of STORYBOUND

Making Tangents Work—An Ivy-Inspired Recipe

Winner of THE DEATH OF YORIK MORTWELL!

Jared Larson!WooHoo!

Congrats, Jared!!!

Please send your address to us at:projectmayhem@gmx.com

How to Win at NaNoWriMo Video :)

Things I've Learned From Beverly Cleary

Jared Larson!
WooHoo!

Please send your address to us at:
projectmayhem@gmx.com