Friday Fifteen

Happy Friday, guys! Tomorrow I’ll be taking part in B-Fest, Barnes & Noble’s national teen book festival, in Charlottesville, VA, aka one of my favorite places ever. If you’re in the Central Virginia area, swing by and say hi. In the meantime, let’s get the weekend started with a look at what I’ve been reading and writing in fifteen words or fewer:

Reading: Bleed Like Me by Christa Desir
Christa has such a way of writing about teens in pain struggling to find peace.

Writing: “Well I didn’t throw a plate in anyone’s face so [my day is going] fabulously.”
It’s the little victories.

Best of Best Friends in YA Lit

The internet tells me that today is National Best Friends Day, and while it doesn’t seem like there’s info about how this day became a thing, it is a great opportunity to talk about some of my favorite friendships in YA literature.

Way too often the conversation about relationships in YA veers toward the romantic, but for so many teens, their friends are the strongest and most solid relationships in their lives. And YA novels that feature engaging friendships and friends who are just as complex as the main character are my jam. For example:

Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston
An adaptation of A Winter’s Tale, Hermione and Polly are smart, fierce, and strong in so many ways.

Just Visiting by Dahlia Adler
A touching portrait of what happens when two best friends are pulled in different directions when contemplating their futures.

Dairy Queen series by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
DJ is one of my favorite characters in YA, and I love that her best friend, Amber, is going on her own complex journey throughout the series.

code-name-verityCode Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Julie and Maddie’s friendship is one of the most powerful I’ve seen in literature as a whole.

Feeling Sorry for Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty
Another one of my all time favs, and a great look at how friendships change over time.

Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero
I love Gabi’s circle of friends and how they offer each other a support network while they all face some pretty significant struggles.

Dramarama by E. Lockhart
Summer theatre camp? Big yes to that. And I love how Sayde makes some major mistakes, and how Demi gets his own chance to thrive.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
Not all friendships are positive, and this story about two friends with eating disorders show how destructive relationships can be.

Wildlife by Fiona Wood
A great look at how subtly a so-called best friend can have a very negative influence.

Favorite best friends from YA lit that didn’t make my list? Share them in the comments!

Join Me at Teen B-Fest at Barnes & Noble in Charlottesville!

Good news: going to Charlottesville, VA, (aka my favorite place) for a visit in a couple weeks.

Even better news: my visit also coincides with Barnes & Noble’s national teen book festival, B-Fest.

Best news: I get to join B-fest for a reading and signing at Barnes & Noble Charlottesville!

The details:

Saturday, June 11, 2pm
Barnes & Noble – Charlottesville, VA
1035 Emmet St Suite A, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903

Come hear me talk about writing, the awesomeness of YA lit, and why I dream of Bodo’s. Check out the Facebook event page for more info, and come say hi on Saturday, June 11!

Links Galore

Lots of good links:

Friday Fifteen

Happy Friday, guys! We got some much-needed sun this week, and I got some good writing time in. Here’s a look at what I’ve been reading and writing, in fifteen words or fewer:

Reading: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondō
I’m both side-eying this advice and compelled to clean my closets.

Writing: “…I felt her warmth beside me, and it felt like we were happy.”
think I’m settling on my new project. Fingers crossed!

Friday Fifteen

Happy Friday, everyone! It’s been the grayest, rainiest week in the Boston area, but between NESCBWI last weekend and jumpstarting the YA Buccaneers‘ Spring Writing Bootcamp, I’ve been feeling the good writing vibes. Here’s a look at what I’ve been reading and writing in fifteen words or fewer:

Reading: The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
Parts didn’t quite hang together for me, but love her characters and settings.

Writing: “We were born for bad luck.”
We’ll see where this goes.

Blueprinting Your Novel, Evel Knievel, and Why Sympathy Is Not a Positive Attitude: the NESCBWI 2016 Conference

At the annual NESCBWI conference, surrounded by writers and illustrators and editors and agents, it’s easy to think about community. Writing can feel like a solitary job, and it’s good to spend a weekend with people who really get it. And being around people who get it was just what I needed.

Due to scheduling and budgeting, I didn’t get to go to any writing retreats in the last year, and I didn’t realize how much I needed that time with my writing community until I got to Springfield. There’s something about being surrounded by people who share your passion and by setting aside time to remember that, no matter what the struggles, you are a writer.

A few favorite moments from the conference:

  • BSoS crit group NESCBWIGetting to spend time with my critique group, including two members who no longer live in the New England area and make the trip out for the weekend.
  • Showing off our love for The Bitter Side of Sweet by crit group member Tara Sullivan.
  • Wendy Mass‘s touching and hilarious keynote, including gems like “It’s easy enough to write what you know. Write what you want to know about,” her giant scroll of rejection letters, and how she takes magic lessons.Swings
  • Also, Wendy Mass’s blueprinting/outlining method that might legit change my writing process for the better.
  • Tara Lazar on how picture books need to be the more exciting narrative roller coaster.
  • Patrick Carman’s keynote about being inspired by Evel Knievel and how we are all entrepreneurs.
  • Amitha Knight and Padma Venkatraman‘s thoughtful and engaging workshop on writing disability, with tons of helpful resources and frank discussions about things like how “sympathy is not a positive attitude.”
  • An awesome panel about working with booksellers and educators, including shoutouts to graphic novels as legit reading.
  • Winning a copy of Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles in her fabulous NESCBWI bookstore‘improv’ writing workshop.
  • Seeing The Chance You Won’t Return in the conference bookstore alongside so many wonderful books (and so many wonderful books by friends!)
  • Spending time with lots of my favorite local writers and illustrators (even though there were still people I somehow didn’t run into all weekend).

I headed into May feeling inspired and rejuvenated and ready to write. No matter what you’re working on now, I hope you can find a chance to connect with your fellow writers and remember what we’re all in this together.

NESCBWI Prep: My Dos and Don’ts for Conference Newbies

One of my favorite annual conferences, NESCBWI, is this weekend, and I’m so psyched to see lots of wonderful writer and illustrator friends for a weekend of bookish inspiration. But only a few years ago, I was a total NESCBWI newbie, and was headed to Springfield equal parts excited and nervous.

In case you’re a newbie to the writing conference experience, here are my tips for getting the most out of your weekend and having a blast.

Do: use the conference hashtag
Intimidated by how everyone seems to know everyone else? Joining in on social media can be a great way to connect with a lot of people at once, and it’s way easier to meet people in real life if you’ve already interacted on Twitter. This weekend, follow along at #NESCBWI16.

Don’t: be scared to talk to people
I know, it’s hard to be the new kid. But everyone’s there because they love the same thing you do, and that means you already have something in common. Ask what they primarily write/what kind of media they use in their art/what book they’re totally fangirling over/how their last session was.

Do: take notes
It’s easy to think you’re going to remember everything from that amazing session on outlining, but details get fuzzy a week later when you’re diving back into your WIP. Bring a notebook or your laptop/tablet and jot down a few helpful points in each session.

Don’t: stress about remembering everything that was said in every talk/workshop
The stuff that really resonates with you will stick with you. Sometimes it’s more important to be present than to feel like you’re going to have to recite the workshop verbatim next week.

Do: get your time and money’s worth
Conferences can be expensive and take you away from your other responsibilities for a weekend. (Sorry, laundry, see you Monday!) Take part in workshop exercises, listen to the keynotes, join in on open mics, get a critique from an agent or editor. This is your weekend just to be a writer, so you might as well get the most out of your time that you can.

Don’t: get conference burn-out
Getting the most out of your weekend is one thing, but you don’t want to be so drained by it all that you end up zombie-walking through your last four workshops. Take some alone time when needed, or hole up in your hotel room and grab an hour of inspired writing time.

Do: dress comfortably
It’s a writing conference, not a fashion conference. (Miranda Priestly will not be there to judge you.) Modcloth-cute outfits are appreciated, but you’re also going to be walking from room to room and floor to floor and dodging people to get a seat at lunch. Comfortable shoes are key, and a lot of people wear jeans.

Don’t: forget to bring a few essentials
I like to have a notebook, a few pens, my cell phone charger, some business cards/bookmarks/other swag to hang out with my name and book on it, cash for the bookstore, and a reusable water bottle. Your essential items list may vary, but I think these are good basics.

Do: ask questions that benefit everyone
Most sessions have time for Q&A, but nothing’s worse than someone taking up 15 minutes on a question that only applies to their very specific situation. Think about questions that might apply to lots of other people in the group. If you have a specific question and the workshop presenter is available to talk after, bring it up individually.

Don’t: network all the time
We’re writers/illustrators, but we’re also people. You don’t have to be pitching your book or bragging about your daily word counts all the time. Remember that your fellow conference-goers are also people who have families, other hobbies, favorite movies, etc. The best ways to connect with your colleagues are when you remember that they’re regular humans, too.

Do: have a pitch for what you’re working on
This one is still hard for me, too. At some point over the weekend, someone will ask, “What do you write?” Instead of mumbling “Oh something about people and feelings, but it’s funny” like I do, think of a one or two sentence pitch for each of your projects.

Don’t: feel bad if you leave a critique without an offer from an agent or book deal
I’m not gonna say getting signed by an agent or editor can’t happen, but instead of worrying about getting that contract, try to focus on what’s working in your story and what you should consider in revision. And remember that not every agent/editor is the right one for you–maybe the one doing your critique could offer helpful suggestions, but ultimately isn’t the one who’s the best match for you or your book.

Do: have fun!
Conferences like NESCBWI are a great opportunity to meet people and learn more about your craft, but they should also be a chance to enjoy yourself among your peers. Writing is hard enough, so when we’re all together for a weekend, we might as well celebrate.

And if you’ll be at NESCBWI this year, copies of The Chance You Won’t Return should be available in the bookstore. I won’t be doing an official signing, but if you have a book and find me around, I’ll totally sign it for you (and give you a hug/high five).

Other conference tips? Share them in the comments!

Friday Fifteen

Happy Friday, everyone! This has been a pretty exciting week for me, and I’m having a birthday redo this weekend (since my actual birthday involved food poisoning and frozen pipes), and today’s the second anniversary of The Chance You Won’t Return‘s publication, so I’m giving mid-April a big thumbs up. Let’s get the weekend started with a look at what I’ve been reading and writing.

ReadingThe Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
Characters solved mysteries a while after I did, but enjoyed the writing a lot.

Writing: He doesn’t say it, but I think it—no one else who wanted you.
Ping-ponging around new projects. We’ll see where I land.

This Weekend – Cape Elizabeth Author Fest!

Attention Maine book enthusiasts! This weekend I’ll be at the Cape Elizabeth Author Fest with more than 80 other fellow authors, meeting educators and librarians and book fans of all ages. The details:

Cape Elizabeth Author Fest
April 9, 2016 from 11am-2pm
Cape Elizabeth High School
345 Ocean House Rd, Cape Elizabeth, Maine

Seriously, check out all the authors coming–it’s a great line-up, and I’m psyched to be part of it.

Check out the Author Fest 2016 Facebook page for more info and updates. Hope to see you on Saturday!