This counts as "writing", right?, by: Marissa Burt

http://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine/2014/07/27

I can end this post right here, yes? I think all writers have to resonate with this on some level, because writing requires self-motivation from a group of people who are often easily distracted by imaginary worlds, let alone all the interesting things right there in front of us.  While there is something to be said for sitting down and eking the words out through sheer force of will, I'm beginning to let go of the drivenness that says every writing-moment must equal words on a page.

Matt's earlier post about being okay with not writing every day was spot on, and I'm going to springboard off that and say that sometimes things that have absolutely nothing to do with writing are useful for building creativity. No, this is not a weak attempt to justify my ridiculous fondness for Candy Crush, but I do think mindless indulgences - whether it's frittering away a few minutes online or daydreaming out the window - do something for our creativity.

It's like how I stop to do a few stretches after I've been hunched over my laptop for an hour. My body needs a break and a reset. Why do I begrudge my mind the same?

So I'm learning to factor wasting time into my writing time. If I have a whole four hours to write, I've come to accept that about 30% of that will evaporate into research rabbit-trails and a quick visit to facebook and another trip to the pantry.

All that being said the ability to focus in and really get lost in the world varies with the stage of the manuscript. I squander writing time frivolously during the first draft, but as I reach the end of the manuscript, I find it difficult to even stop for lunch, and if a brilliant plot twist strikes, all bets are off.

What about you? What do you do to reset your creativity? And 'fess up, Mayhemers, what are your secret time-wasting indulgences?

Karen Rivers & FINDING RUBY STARLING - Interview & Giveaway

UPDATE: THE WINNER OF THE GIVEAWAY IS TARA! Thanks everyone for commenting and I really encourage you all to check out Karen's marvelous MG books! 

I recently requested a book off NetGalley based mainly on the cover and the premise of “The Parent Trap meets the digital age”, but I hadn’t heard of the book or author and had no idea what to expect. FINDING RUBY STARLING by Karen Rivers delighted me so much I ended up tracking down the fantastic author to answer a few of my questions, and one very lucky blog commenter will win a signed copy of FINDING RUBY STARLING and a copy of its companion novel THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ME.

Here’s the description of FINDING RUBY STARLING:

When Ruth Quayle used a special app to search for pictures of herself online, she found dozens of images of "Ruth Quayle" -- and one of "Ruby Starling." When Ruby Starling gets a message from a Ruth Quayle proclaiming them to be long-lost twin sisters, she doesn't know what to do with it -- until another message arrives the day after, and another one. It could be a crazy stalker ... but she and this Ruth do share a birthday, and a very distinctive ear....

Ruth is an extroverted American girl. Ruby is a shy English one. As they investigate the truth of their birth and the circumstances of their separation, they also share lives full of friends, family, and possible romances -- and they realize they each may be the sister the other never knew she needed.

Written entirely in e-mails, letters, Tumblr entries, and movie scripts, FINDING RUBY STARLING is the funny and poignant companion to Karen Rivers's THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ME.

Karen was awesome enough to answer a few of my questions. 

FINDING RUBY STARLING is a companion novel to THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ME. Since I haven't read THE ENCYCLOPEDIA yet, I can definitely attest that RUBY STARLING stands alone, though now I can't wait to read THE ENCYCLOPEDIA. How did the companion novel come about? Did you have Ruth's story in mind when you were writing THE ENCYCLOPEDIA?

I did not have Ruth's story in mind, but I've long been a fan of "series" books that aren't series. Taking a look into some of the background characters is just a whole lot of fun. I found Ruth fascinating and my editor and I had talked about her quite a bit. She was quite fully realized, even though she wasn't in the book much. I just really wanted to go further with her.  (And also with Freddie Blue Anderson, who will hopefully be the next girl from Cortez to get her own book.) 

FINDING RUBY STARLING is written almost entirely in emails (with the occasional claymation video script and Tumblr poem thrown in). I was concerned as the story went on that we might not get the full weight of the climax, as filtered through emails. As it turned out, I shouldn't have worried (if my sobbing was any indication). How did you decide whose perspective certain scenes should come through? Was it a struggle to hit the right emotional tones in pivotal scenes, given the structural limitations you'd given yourself?

I honestly didn't think of it that way, about who should have the perspective. It just happened naturally. I wrote the book in the order that you are reading it in, when it felt like Ruth's/Ruby's "turn", then I just pivoted and went with it. Some of the scenes were harder than others. The ones that come to mind are the letters from Ruby's mum and from her Nan. Those ones had a LOT of editing. It was hard to go there without going either too far, or not far enough. My instinct was to pull back, but luckily my editor, Cheryl Klein, is smarter than me and convinced me to just put it all out there.   

You write super convincingly as both British and American -- and you are Canadian, right? Have you spent time in the UK, or do you have British relatives? (Amazeog is my new favorite word, by the way.) How did you decide to make Ruby British?

I am Canadian, which makes me a bit half and half. We have a lot of American influences obviously, and I live in a part of Canada that is frequently described (cringingly) as a Little Bit of Olde England. I have many British relatives and a smaller subset of Canadian relatives with a strong penchant for all things British. And I grew up reading British boarding school books and still love reading British books. Originally I started writing this book with a British friend, Kate LeVann. She was going to be the British voice and I was going to be the American, but that hit the skids relatively early in the process and I decided to just run with it, knowing that clever editors would pick up all my glaringly non-British mistakes. I think both characters are suitably over the top with their nationalities such that they come off as being so incredibly different, it's part of what makes the book fun. I have never had so much fun writing two characters, that's for sure.

You write adult fiction, YA, and MG! Any more MG projects in the works right now?

I am writing Freddie Blue Anderson's story, which will be middle grade and will (hopefully) delve into the subject of mental illness in children, as well as touch on things like how society instills a terrible vanity into pre-teens and how sometimes that can be very difficult for them to manage.  And bullying. And toxic friendships that can sometimes be very difficult to dodge. Also, there are auditions and acting; friendship and loss. It doesn't sound that cheery when I describe it like that, but much like ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ME and FINDING RUBY STARLING, I think it has a lot of moments of humour all huddled around a much bigger, more serious issue. I also just sold two YA novels to Farrar Strauss Giroux and I'm really excited to see what happens with them. One is called GREAT WHITE ME, and the other is titled HOW TO SAY YOU'RE SORRY TO THE DEAD.   My pet project right now is an adult literary mystery, although that is not really the right descriptor either as it's not so much a mystery as it is an examination of life in the 21st century, wherein it's not as uncommon as it certainly should be for someone to, say, shoot up a school full of children.   It's a look at tragedy in the Pinterest world, let's say. I don't really know for certain where it's going, but there are beaches and long grasses and fireflies (or the search for them). I feel like when I'm asked to describe it, all I see are the sand dunes and crashing waves, so there you have it. I'm loving the experience of writing it, so far. Fundamentally, I don't find there is much difference in writing for teens or tweens or adults, it comes down to the age of the protagonist and then, obviously, the way they see the world through their experience. I feel very lucky to be doing any of it, I couldn't have made up a better job for myself.

Thank you so much, Karen! I can’t wait to read THE ENCYLOPEDIA OF ME and am thrilled there is another companion novel coming!

Project Mayhem readers, one lovely commenter will be chosen to receive a copy of THE ENCYLOPEDIA OF ME and a signed copy of FINDING RUBY STARLING. (Be sure to give us a way to contact you in your comment.) These are really fantastic gems to add to any MG collection! I hope you love them as much as I did!

You can find more about Karen at her website, and on Twitter.

Did you ever imagine a long-lost twin when you were growing up?

HOW TO WRITE WHEN YOU'RE NOT WRITING

The great poet, Rainer Maria Rilke, said there is an ancient enmity between daily life and the great work.  Many of us can relate to that.  Every day we have dozens of things to do, all of which pull us away from the novel.  How do we overcome this challenge and stay productive and finish what we start?

One way is to learn how to write even when you’re not writing.  What I mean by this is that we’d all love to have four or five hours of peace and quiet in front of a computer to finish a new chapter but what if we only have fifteen minutes in a school parking lot waiting to pick up the kids? 

My suggestion is to use that fifteen minutes, use every second you have in your day that allows you to focus your imagination on the story you want to tell.  Keep a pen and notepad in your car.  Whip it out whenever you get the chance, even if you’re just jotting down notes about a new character, a character you don’t have a handle on yet, a character who is one hundred pages away from being born.  All work matters, even two or three lines.  It all adds up.  Most importantly, it maintains the connection between you and your novel.  You need to keep that connection strong and vibrant. 

Completing your novel is of paramount importance to you.  Do whatever you have to in order to keep making progress.  Get in the habit of using the voice recorder on your smart phone when you’re out walking or grocery shopping and an idea pops into your head.  You will feel better about yourself and your creative journey regardless of how small the output.  You’ll feel like you’re doing something.  And you are doing something.  You’re being creative.  You’re being resourceful.  You’re remaining steadfast.  Five minutes here, ten minutes there, do whatever you can until a block of time opens up that will enable you to get rolling.  They key here is not to drive yourself crazy.  We don’t want to get neurotic about trying to pack an hour’s worth of writing into five minutes in a parking lot.  What we do want to do is take the little chunks of time that seem ripe for creativity and plant something in them.  Keep planting and some day you’ll have a garden.

Interview With a Young Writer--Rena Marthaler, author of MAGIC THE CREST

Rena bottle-feeding koi
(picture taken from her website)

This is the second of my occasional series, featuring young authors. (The first was about Felicia, of Stanley and Katrina, which you can read HERE, if you missed it the first time around.)

I am in awe of the creativity, work ethic, and gumption of these authors. I'm even more thrilled because Rena Marthaler lives in Portland, Oregon--and though we haven't met yet, it would certainly be fun to do so!

Here are Rena's answers to my infintely probing questions. Enjoy!

Me: When did you write and publish Magic The Crest?

Rena: I wrote Magic The Crest during the annual National Novel Writing Month in November, 2013. The NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program is used in classrooms, or kids can participate on their own, which I did. I published the book in December, 2013.

Me: What was the most enjoyable part of the writing, and then the publishing, process?

Rena: Not having to do my homework that month, I mean - er - not completing all of my homework was a nice side effect to having to finish a whole novel in 30 days. The best part of the publishing process was working with the cover illustrator.

Me: Can you give our readers the "pitch" for Magic The Crest?

Rena: My book is about four girls who just found out they have powers. They are given a quest to find a lost girl. She is also a “magic.” Together, they travel to a magical universe of elemental planets, where they have to find different gems. To get the gems, they must battle monsters and meet creatures that you would never encounter in the mortal world.

Me: Are you writing anything else now?

Rena: Yes, I’m co-writing a story called The Place Beyond Our World with one of my friends. We write it on a shared Google doc. And I’m planning the sequel to Magic The Crest. I also write on my blog, renamarth.wordpress.com.

Me: How much time per week do you spend writing?

Rena: That varies a lot. During NaNoWriMo, it was four to six hours a day. Now, it’s more like two hours a week not including school assignments (and it’s summertime, so I don’t have homework!).

Me: What about schoolwork? Besides writing (and reading) what are your favorite subjects at school?

Rena: I love art and spelling. My second-grade teacher taught us “bookmaking,” which was making elaborate boxes with folded pages with our stories in them. I also liked studying the Oregon Trail and making a covered wagon out of resources that were already in our house.

Me: What books are you reading right now? 

Rena: This summer, I read The Big Book of Superheroes by Bart King. I’m halfway through the Sisters Grimm series. I read Matilda by Roald Dahl, and I would like to read all of the novels that are mentioned in that book. I liked the first Andy Smithson book by L.R.W. Lee and I've started the sequel.

Me: When you read, do you like hard copy books, or e-books--or both?

Rena: I like either, as long as the book is good!

Me: I'm wondering if you have had an inspirational teacher?

Rena: I have really loved all of my teachers. This year, I felt inspired because my teacher was enthusiastic about our achievements. One of my most inspiring teachers is my guitar teacher - he shows me how to take the next steps in a way that makes me excited about learning guitar.

Me: Would you mind filling the blank: "I am awesome at..."

Rena: I’m awesome at making friends. I’m getting awesome at Minecraft. But mostly, I think I’m awesome because I enjoy trying new things.

Those were totally awesome answers! There is also an interview with Rena on This Kid Reviews Books (and "This Kid"--a.k.a. Erik W.--is someone I hope to feature on this series in the future.

About the Author: Rena Marthaler is a ten-year-old living in Portland, Oregon with her two dogs. She wrote Magic The Crest, a middle grade fantasy adventure novel, during the 2013 NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program. Her website is RenaWrites.

Thanks so much, Rena, for joining us on Project Mayhem today. Best of luck in your future writing projects--keep us informed about how things go!

So You Want to Write a Graphic Novel? Great!

It seems like every conference has at least one workshop on writing a graphic novel. I bet you’ve even tinkered with the idea yourself, right? Of course, how to write one is the follow up question that causes problems.

Been there. Done that. Slipped in the gutters.

That’s a graphic novel joke (not a good one), because gutters are the spaces between the panels in sequential art, and…

*crickets*

Okay, bad terrible jokes aside, the idea of writing a comic or graphic novel appeals to a lot of us. Heck, my own writing journey started after taking a “creative vacation” that included a week-long class on writing comics taught by Peter David. Yes, the Peter David of the Eisner award winning run on The Incredible Hulk (all the fan boys just perked up…).

That week awakened my interest in writing. Not specifically writing comics, but as they say, “write what you know.” And so, like many an aspiring writer, I started buying craft books (we should have a support group), and mine included more than a few on comics and sequential art. At VCFA, I spent much of my time researching words and pictures as storytelling tools, and in this past May I presented a talk at NESCBWI on that topic. All of which is to say, I may not be the world’s biggest expert, but I have some bona fides in my corner, and a short list of craft books you might find helpful when approaching your graphic novel. Ready?

Before I start that list, I want to make one more point (or maybe my first point, I’m tired and need more coffee). It helps to become familiar with the medium you’re writing for. Makes sense, right? So do yourself a favor and read the best ones out there. Here's some links to help ferret them out:

Kids Comics Awards 2014
Kirkus Graphic Novels & Comic Books Reviews
School Library Journal Graphic Novel Reviews

Bookmark those for future reference, because here come the craft books.

Craft Books for Graphic Novelists

Writing for Comics and Graphic Novels with Peter David

A very nice overview of the comic writing process that looks at everything from story structure to word balloon placement to script format.

The Everything Guide to Writing Graphic Novels

A real nuts-and-bolts approach to every aspect of independently producing and self-publishing your graphic novel. If you're a motivated, self-starter this book will be a valuable road map for you to follow.

Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels 

Scott McCloud's follow-up to Understanding Comics is even better, in my opinion, for the writer of comics. I love his books on comics, and can lose hours at a time re-reading and unpacking everything McCloud puts into them. This book will raise your writing game, no matter what format you're writing.

The Ultimate Spider-Man Script Book

Speaking of format, that's very often the first question new graphic novel writers ask. This collection of actual comic scripts from Brian Michael Bendis is invaluable for granting access into one writer's specific way of doing it. Better still, with a little digging in your local comic shop or in trade paperback collections, you can find the published comics and see how the illustrator translated the script into a completed comic. 

Words for Pictures – the Art and Business of Writing Comics and Graphic Novels

More Bendis, and with good reason. He's been one of Marvel's top writers for well over a decade, and he brings a Whedonesque approach to his work. Epic conflicts, fueled as much by small character moments as cataclysm, are a hallmark of his writing, and that always works for me. In this brand new book, Bendis not only discusses his approach to writing, but also interviews other top creatives in the field, including illustrators, and editors. It's a terrific guide to the craft and the business.

Excelsior!

My list of craft books tends to lean heavily into the superhero genre, but that doesn't mean they are the be-all and end-all of graphic novels, not by a long shot. What it means is that I think anyone looking to write graphic novels can learn how it's done from the industry professionals that have driven the format's popularity. 

Learn the format, then tell your story with it. 

Up, up, and away!