Where Are They Now? Tales of Project Mayhem Alumni by Michael Gettel-Gilmartin

Here at Project Mayhem, we've been fortunate over the years to have quite the cadre of talented writers and to maintain a wonderful sense of community. Through the years, we've said our share of goodbyes--but we've also been able to keep in touch. I thought our readership would be interested in what the Mayhem Alumni are up to right now!

Braden Bell:
Life is good. I've just finished directing "Mary Poppins," at the middle school where I teach, which was a joy of course. I had a book that was picked through KindleScout. It's a YA novel and will probably come out sometime in late Aprilish. I'm trying to write every day, currently querying a new MG fantasy.

Marissa Burt:
As you know most of my time has been happily taken up soaking in this new baby girl, Beatrix. She is almost three months old, such a gift to us all, and stays busy entertaining her three big brothers with all of her coos and smiles.

I've also just finished the final edits on A LEGEND OF STARFIRE (sequel to A SLIVER OF STARDUST), due out in October. And I've been working on a first draft for a write-for-hire project with Harper, which has been such a learning experience. That book will come out Fall of 2017. Other than that, I'm working on new book ideas and hope to have some time to dive into a new project this summer.

Yahong Chi:
Hello, dear Mayhemers! I'm writing from small-town Belgium—I'm currently studying for one term in Europe until the end of June. In the years since I left Project Mayhem, I've finished and shelved one MG contemporary novel, and begun a new MG fantasy along with a YA sci-fi. To fill the blog-shaped hole in my heart, I ran a small but dedicated book blog for two years. Most recently, I've taken on the role of social media coordinator at Disability in Kidlit, which I'm so very excited about! (And in non-book-related news, I've started a knits blog & shop at Théo&Tia! Thank you to Michael for this chance to catch up with you all.

Dee Garretson:

I had a Boxcar Children book come out in fall 2015, THE SLEEPY HOLLOW MYSTERY, and I have another one coming out this fall, an election-themed one. I'm not sure of the title yet. I have the first book in a YA science fiction trilogy coming out in April 2017 from Month9 titled STATION FOSAAN and I'm very excited about that. I'm keeping busy writing the other two books in the trilogy. I also have a historical middle grade out on submission.

Joe McGee:
First things first, Project Mayhem ROCKS! I’m very happy to have been welcomed into the Mayhem with open arms and just as happy to be able to pop back in and share a bit about what I’m up to and what is going on. Ok, so…what IS going on?

Well, I’m very happy to announce that I just signed a two-book deal with Abrams! ALIENS AND JELLY, the sequel to PEANUT BUTTER AND BRAINS, is set for Fall 2017. Reginald and Abigail are back to solve a Quirkville dilemma. Aliens have landed and nobody knows exactly what they want. One thing is certain…if things aren’t cleared up soon, the mayor is going to have a very sticky situation on his hands. The second picture book is yet untitled (nothing to do with PB&B) and scheduled for Fall 2018.

Let’s see, besides that, I am working on a middle-grade series that I am very excited about and visiting schools to share my book and my love of writing, reading, creativity and imagination.

While I am still teaching writing at Rowan University, I am thrilled to announce that I have been hired as faculty at Sierra Nevada College’s low-residency MFA program, specifically in Writing for Children and Young Adults (WCYA)! SNC has an established MFA program for poetry, writing, and creative non-fiction, but this WCYA track is brand new. I’ll be joining YA superstars Amy (A.S.) King, Ellen Hopkins, and e.E. Charlton-Trujillo, middle-grade rock stars Pablo Cartaya and Lisa Papademetriou, creative non-fiction writer and poet, Gayle Brandeis, as well as literary agent, Jessica Regel (Foundry Literary and Media). So, yeah…super excited! Quite the line-up. Come write your stories by our campfire! In fact, I’ll be joining Brian Turner, the MFA Program Chair on #LitChat (Twitter), Monday, April 11th, at 9 p.m. EST.
For more info about #LitChat check out http://litchat.com/a-special-litchat-mfa-chat-series/ 
To learn more about SNC, go to: http://www.sierranevada.edu/academics/humanities-social-sciences/mfa-in-creative-writing/children-young-adults/

I’m with a new agency now! My agent, Linda Epstein, joined Mandy Hubbard at her new agency: Emerald City Literary Agency. I’m grateful for everything the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency has done for me, but I am also very excited to continue with Linda in the Emerald City.

I’m living in rural Pennsylvania in a tiny town (a village actually) that might be tucked away in a Harry Potter novel, with my absolute best friend and complete heart, Jessica Rinker. She has a YA novel and a middle-grade out on submission, is currently finishing another YA novel and putting the wraps on an awesome picture book biography.  So, yeah…a lot of writing going on in our house. We just started a really good kid lit critique group featuring one of our own Mayhemmers, Donna Galanti! There are really good stories being developed in this group. Other than that, my hair is getting longer, my beard is getting grayer, and I’m just writing away!

Thanks for checking in. Happy writing, friends!

Shannon O'Donnell:
Right around the time I left Mayhem, I accepted the head coaching position of my high school's speech & debate team. My oldest son was a sophomore at the time. He is now a freshman in college, far from his mom and Montana, in Ripon Wisconsin.
I took some time away from my writing, but I recently submitted final edits of the first 13,000 words to my agent. We have a plan to submit the finished manuscript to publishers by fall. Finally. I had no idea life (teaching, coaching, parenting) would extend the end of this novel for so long, but I am eager to reach the end of final edits and the beginning of submissions.

Tracy Edward Wymer:
Two years ago I moved from teaching to administration. I'm now an assistant principal, and in my fifteenth year as an educator, all at the same school. The change to administration has been a learning experience, but I still get to connect with our students daily, and for that I am thankful. I'm still learning in my writing endeavor too. If you stick with the process long enough, there comes a little success. Okay, I'd consider this more than "little" but I think you know what I mean.

In 2015, Penguin (Grosset & Dunlap) released the anthology BEEN THERE, DONE THAT: Writing Stories from Real Life (edited by former Project Mayhemer Mike Winchell). I was lucky enough to be part of this book, alongside an all-star lineup of middle grade authors and illustrators. In this anthology each author offers two stories, a nonfiction account of what really happened, and a fictional twist on the real events. I'm very proud of this book, and even more thrilling was watching Mike Winchell's vision unfold from idea to finished book.

In 2014 my agent sold my middle grade novel to Aladdin/Simon & Schuster. After months of editing and more months of final revisions, SOAR will be released on July 5, 2016. On July 4, there will be fireworks across the country to celebrate this great occasion. :-)

So great to catch up with all these fine former Mayhemmers. Go follow them on Facebook and Twitter, and all places social. Guys, best of luck to you all. Thanks for all you did to make the Mayhem so magical!

Mayhem's Season Premier: Three New Stars!!!

Welcome to Project Mayhem's new season of Writing with the Stars... well, we can but dream of being beamed into every living room in America in our spangly gowns and sparkling tuxedos. (And get a look at Hilary's tap shoes!)

Seriously, it does seem like a new season on the blog. This summer, we said farewell to three magnificent Mayhemers--Lee Wardlaw, Mike Winchell, and Tracy Edward Wymer ("The Three Double Yous")--as they moved on to pursue other avenues of Mayhem in their lives. Then, in kind of our own papal conclave, we sent up some white smoke and were blessed by three great new writers who said YES! to the Mayhem. So, without further ado, let me introduce our newest members:

Joy McCullough-Carranza – Joy grew up in San Diego (where she was a total bookworm), went to college in Chicago (where she studied theater and became a playwright), and lived in Guatemala for a year (where she met her husband). Now she makes her home in Seattle with two book-obsessed kids and an equally book-obsessed husband. A walk through their home includes the ever-present danger of a falling stack of books. Between homeschooling her children, freelance writing and editing, answering someone else’s fan mail, and writing her own middle grade fiction, Joy is excited to make room for Project Mayhem in her life.

Website  Twitter  Blog

Braden Bell - was the least-stable, lowest-achieving middle school student in the history of civilization. He shocked every former teacher by eventually earning both a Master’s degree and a Ph.D. in theatre.  A middle school teacher by day and a father by night, he is around middle-grade mayhem 24/7. He teaches choir and directs plays, but whether he fights evil on evenings and weekends is something he cannot disclose. Braden lives with his wife and children on a quiet, tree-lined lot outside of Nashville, TN. He is the author of THE KINDLING, PENUMBRAS, and the forthcoming LUMINESCENCE.

Blog   Twitter   Facebook

Joe McGee - Joe was raised by wolves. Llama riding, Irish wolves who roamed the countryside, selling stories for cheese and Sour Patch Kids. At the age of 12, he began to write these stories down, filling spiral-bound notebooks. He has not stopped. He has ink in his blood and words in his heart. He is 17 feet tall and can swallow fire and can play six ukuleles at once and may have been a pirate in another life... Wait. None of that’s true? Well….what about the spiral-bound notebooks filled with stories? Yes, that part IS true.

He LOVES quirky, dark, strange fiction. (Tips hat to Roald Dahl.) He enjoys witty banter. Cemeteries, shadows, and tentacles make him warm and fuzzy. Joe has his Master’s Degree in writing and is very close to finishing his MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults at The Vermont College of Fine Arts (July 2014). He is represented by Linda Epstein of the Jennifer DeChiara agency. Joe writes picture books, young adult, and middle-grade (HUZZAH!)           

Website  Twitter 

I sat down (virtually) with the new recruits to chew the fat. Of course, since we're all writers, our first ruminations were about books.

Me: So guys, any thoughts about books you'd like to share? Favorite books as a child? Favorite lines? Books you'd love to read again for the first time?

Joy: I'd love the chance to re-experience the Harry Potter series - as a kid. (But watching my daughter discover them has been the next best thing.)

Me: Oh, me too. I've actually read the series aloud twice to my older two kids. Now I'm waiting for my first grader to show interest. But he wants to be Indiana Jones, not a schoolboy wizard.

Braden: My favorite book when I was younger was actually a whole series of books about pig named Freddy who solved mysteries. There were at least a dozen, I think. I still remember some of the names and characters because they seemed so vivid to me at the time.

Me: Whoa, never heard of that! (Quick web search) Hey, I've found it: Freddy the Detective, by Walter R. Brooks. Cool. I'll be on the lookout for those!

Joe: I've got a favorite line to share. Actually, I want to give you two. Can I do that? Can I lead off with some mayhem? ;) 

1. "Not all those who wander are lost." J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring.
2. "Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland.

Me: Speaking of breakfast, I'm a bit peckish myself at this time in the morning. What's your favorite breakfast, Joe?

Joe: COFFEE.

Me: Yeah, I gather you're a bit of a night owl. How about you, Joy?

Joy: Hmm ... I love breakfast foods, both sweet and savory. I think I'll go for some super fluffy chocolate chip pancakes drowning in whipped cream. I wouldn't turn down some fresh-squeezed orange juice. No coffee, though. Because blech.

Me: Ooh, them's fighting words! But we all get along on Project Mayhem, even if we can create a bit of a stir. Braden, you got anything to add?

Braden: I have to leave the house at 6:25 to get the kids to school so I don't eat breakfast--that is a few extra minutes of sleep right there. So I have spoonful of peanut butter usually and then way too much Dr. Pepper. 

Me: Wow! I'm not letting my kids know that's an option. They'd be all over it! Well, now that we've got the breakfast issue out of the way, how's about having a little fantasy. Anyone want to share a dream vacation?

Joe: Riding llamas (or zebras) across New Zealand, stopping only to serenade the locals with ukeleles, and fireside stories.

Me: Okay, I'm expecting a new llama/zebra-with-ukelele novel from you any time soon. Joy and Braden?

Joy: I've never been to Europe, and if I have to narrow it down, I think I'd say Italy. But ideally, I'd love to do the whole shebang. Not with backpacks and youth hostels, though. Europe on a luxurious budget - now there's a dream!

Braden: I spend so much time gone and away from my home that when I am daydreaming about vacations, I tend to daydream about not having to go anywhere. Being able to putter in my yard, read, and watch some old movies is my dream vacation. Oh--and lots of lemonade and even more Mexican food. 

Me: Yup, let's hear it for staycations. And Mexican food!!

Thanks, guys. This has been quite a fiesta. You're all so great! I'm really looking forward to working with you at Project Mayhem. 
World, have your say, and welcome Braden, Joe, and Joy to the Mayhem!

Revision Notes, by Tracy Edward Wymer

I’m in the middle of a major revision on my middle grade novel. This would explain my short-term memory loss, constant misplacement of car keys, and truncated conversations with friends I normally enjoy talking to. In short, my mind is Elsewhere. 

I've always compared revising a novel to taking a car engine apart, piece by piece, and spreading the pieces over the garage floor, then cleaning and fixing every piece and putting the engine back together again. Presto! Like magic!  

Yeah, right. Revising a novel takes maximum effort, focus, and persistence. And a lot of coffee!

Since I'm going through this process now, I thought I’d share a few revision notes, with examples, that have helped me develop my story, in hopes of it reaching its full potential. Most of these notes, or suggestions, came from my agent, but some of you might have beta readers who would point out similar instances to you. I always find that concrete examples help tremendously (the teacher inside of me speaks!), and I hope that you can take something useful away from them. 

Keep in mind, this story is still a work-in-progress. 

Revision Notes

1. More! - Like my recent shortened conversations with friends (because of the revision), search your manuscript for truncated scenes. I tend to bottle up my main character’s emotions (gee, I wonder who the main character gets that from) and stop short of finishing conversations between characters. This leaves the scene unfinished, with an abrupt ending.   

Scene Synopsis: Eddie, the main character, has been shot with a pellet gun, and has a pellet lodged in his back. He was shot by his nemesis, Mouton, an overgrown bully with Tourette Syndrome. Gabriela, the new girl in town, who is also from Brazil, is helping Eddie.

Original Scene: 

At Gabriela’s house, under the bathroom light, she uses tweezers to pull out the pellet in my back. She places an ice pack over the tiny hole. It’s not a hole that goes all the way through me, just a hole that goes through one layer of skin. 

“You are luck,” Gabriela says. “This could have been worse.”

“You mean lucky.”

Gabriela rolls her eyes. She presses harder on the ice pack.    

“Ouch!” 

“I knew you would be injured during this mission,” she says. “Night air is bad air.” 

“Where did you hear that phrase? Let me guess, The Phantom Tollbooth?” 

She smiles, holding the ice pack on my wound. Let me say that again. The prettiest girl in school is holding an ice pack on MY WOUND.  

I am lucky. 

I have my bike. 

I have my girl. 

Now I can find my Golden Eagle.

In this revised scene, I did not add-on to the end of it, but implemented more dialogue prior to the ending. I liked the ending that I had originally written, so I left it alone. 

Revised Scene:

At Gabriela’s house, under the bathroom light, she uses tweezers to pull out the pellet in my back. She places an ice pack over the tiny hole. It’s not a hole that goes all the way through me, just a hole that goes through one layer of skin. 

“You are luck,” Gabriela says. “This could have been much worse.”

“You mean lucky.”

Gabriela rolls her eyes. She presses harder on the ice pack.    

“Ouch!” 

“I knew you would be injured during this mission,” she says. “Night air is bad air.” 

“Where did you hear that phrase? Let me guess, The Phantom Tollbooth?” 

“That is right. I am learning more unusual English phrases from Milo and his dog than I am learning at school.”

“Have you made it to the part in the book when—”

“Eddie! Do not ruin the story for me!”

She adjusts the ice pack on my wound. 

“You should see Mouton’s room,” I say. “It’s covered in all these paintings that look real. I can’t believe he can paint like that.” 

“I am not surprised.” 

“What? How can you not be surprised?” 

“Everyone has a special talent,” she says. “Mouton cannot control what he says, but he can control what he puts on a canvas.”

“Wow. When you say it like that, it sort of makes sense.” 

“Maybe he can help you with your project.”  

“Yeah, maybe.”

She smiles, holding the ice pack on my wound. Let me say that again. The prettiest girl in school is holding an ice pack on MY WOUND.  

I am lucky. 

I have my bike. 

I have my girl. 

Now I can find my Golden Eagle. 

2. Cut Telling! Show this! (Show, don't Tell) - Middle grade readers need the story to roll quickly, so pacing is always on my mind when writing. Because of this, I have a habit of fast-forwarding through mini-scenes that, if written in full, can reveal a lot of about characters. 

Scene Synopsis: Eddie is walking with Miss Dorothy, an elderly woman, back to her house. Eddie has grown up birdwatching on Miss Dorothy’s land. 

Original: 

I walk with Miss Dorothy from her house, giving her my arm to lean on. She tells me about the times Dad brought me here. She remembers when I said my first word: bird. Dad once told me it was a sound between nerd and turd, so he and Mom guessed it had to be bird.   

Revised:

I walk with Miss Dorothy toward her house, giving her my arm to lean on.

“I used to love seeing you here with your dad,” she says. “He was a good man.”

“Miss Dorothy?” 

“What is it, Eddie?” 

“Was my dad…” 

I hesitate, scared of what she might tell me.  

“Go on, Eddie, spit it out.” 

“Was my dad an honest person?” I finally ask her. 

She stops walking and looks up at six bobwhite quail perched on a telephone wire.

“Put it this way, Eddie. Your father was his own person. He was true to himself. The way I see it, that’s as honest as one can be.”

I nod, letting her know that I get what she’s saying.

She smiles, grabbing onto my arm, and we walk to her house.  

3. Too Vague! Be Specific! - Be wary of vague language and unclear moments in your narrative. Make every word and moment (in this case, memory) specific. This will help with character development, and make your characters feel more dimensional.

Original:

I want to yell something back at Mouton, like Dad did once to a birder who was in his way. 

Revised:

I want to yell something back at Mouton, like Dad did once when he told another birder who wouldn’t get out of his way to “move it or lose ’em,” in reference to the guy’s teeth. But if I say something like that, Mouton will totally sabotage my locker.  

MY JOURNEY (THUS FAR)

Hi. It's me. Tracy. I'm the newest Mayhemer, and I'm honored to be one. I really mean that. Absolutely honored. (And you’ve probably figured out by now that I have trouble writing in complete sentences. Oh well. It is creative writing, right?)  

Since the readers of this site are interested in reading and writing middle grade books, I thought I’d introduce myself and tell you how I came to be here. That is, how I came to be talking to you via a decent internet connection and a backlit screen, one that’s probably too bright and wreaking havoc on your eyes about now. 

When I peruse author sites, read blog posts, and attend conferences, my favorite elements are discovering writers’ journeys. For many people, these journeys offer comfort and hope, and they attempt to make sense of an art/business full of waiting*, close calls, and rejections. And waiting.* And then more waiting.*

So, here is a synopsis of how I came to be talking to you through this bright screen. (Where is that brightness button anyway?)

I started writing my first middle grade novel in 2003. It took me forever. And it was awful. I sent my first query to a literary agent in 2008. It might have been earlier; I sent so many queries that I lost track. Plus, you have to factor in the snail mail queries that I neglected to keep record of. I spent hundreds of dollars on postage! (Thank you, email) 

Anyway, the point is, I was an idiot. I had no idea what I was doing. The book (my book!) wasn't even finished. I hadn't revised it one bit. But I was going to land an agent and a book deal, I was sure of that.

After about a year, when no agent or book deal came, I moped with disappointment. I was a teacher and a writer. I read and taught classics and Newbery winners. The best of the best. Well, as it turns out, teaching an award-winning book doesn't exactly give you the ability to write one. 

Not even close. 

In 2012, I self-published my first middle grade book THE COLOR OF BONES. It sold decently, for a selfy. While I was prepping that book for publication, I wrote another middle grade novel and queried it widely. I received many coveted full requests from agents, but no one pulled the trigger. It was too.... quiet... and not saleable.  

Then, this past January, I sent a last query. No, seriously, a LAST query. I had read a blog post on an agency’s website, and the post was about the state of publishing and where it is headed and why it is headed in that direction, and you know what, that post really spoke to me. So, hey, I looked up which agents repped middle grade and fired off a query to one of them. No postage! Didn’t cost me a thing, except my time and effort!

Seriously. This was my LAST query for this particular book. I had exhausted every agent, except this one. 

Three months later, I was driving to school in the morning. While waiting at a red light, I looked down at my phone. An email. I tapped the screen. It was from the agent. I scanned the message and saw the word representation. And then, the stoplight turned green. 

When I arrived safely in the parking lot (that is a lie), I read the entire message. He said that he loved my book, and he wanted to schedule a phone call to discuss representation.   

Over the last decade, while I was being rejected repeatedly, I've done more than write. I've learned, listened, participated, read hundreds of books, and remained professional through the peaks and valleys of living as a writer. What I'm trying to say is, while I was being rejected, I grew as a writer and as a person. And this growth is now paying off.  

In April, I signed with literary agent John Rudolph of Dystel & Goderich, and now I’m revising my middle grade novel, which will go to editors later this year. Shortly after, I applied for Project Mayhem and was eventually invited to join. And that is how I came to be talking to you through this electronic means of communication. 

And now, I want to know how many rejections you've accumulated during your journey?  Who has me beat? Three hundred.... going once... going twice... 

(Don’t be shy. Here at Project Mayhem, we admire bravery and persistence.)

*Waiting = Thinking about new project. Researching. Planning. Outlining. Plotting. Characterizing. Writing. 

**Basically, waiting = anything but waiting!