Writing is Revising (Except When It's Not)

So, we thought we’d give you our take on revising today. Only, revising is hard to talk about. There are websites and blogs that’ll tell you that there’s only one way to revise/draft/write, and personally, those irritate the fudgesicles out of me. Writing is different for everyone, so I can’t tell you how to revise. I can’t tell you what will work for you.

That said, I’ve just spent the majority of the last year revising. I can tell you what worked for me and what didn’t. The first draft of my novel on subs, WILDFLOWER, was started when I was fourteen. I began querying it on the day before I turned fifteen. And it went out on subs in the middle of this past July. There are some serious time lapses between those three dates. Guess what I was doing. Your choices are:

a)      Procrastinating

b)      Revising

c)      Forgetting to do homework

d)     All of the above

If you guessed answer D, you are one smarticle particle. Have a cookie.

I tried using index cards. I tried using sticky notes. I tried making notes on my mirror with Expo markers. I tried typing out my ideas. I tried writing longhand. I tried eating ice cream. I tried lying on the floor and shooting Nerf guns at the ceiling. I tried Sharpie’ing trash cans. And then I figured out that there were really only three things I needed to revise.

1. Admit that my book wasn’t perfect. Consciously, I knew this. But there was always that one scene that I knew was rather pointless, but didn’t want to cut because it was cute. Or that one character I know wasn’t quite developed, but managed to give myself an excuse as to why. Or that one plot hole that’s small enough that most people won’t notice, but would cause a lot of trouble to patch up. Basically, I had to stop being lazy; I knew that the book had problems, but that didn’t mean anything if I wasn’t willing to face them.

2. A critique partner. I can’t stress this enough. The first eight or so revision of my novel were done without a single second opinion. Your novel can only grow to a certain point if you are the only one looking over it. A critique partner is an invaluable resource, something I learned the hard way.

3. Time to think. Not about the way Jill Johnson’s hair looked like today. Not about what to wear to that party this weekend. Not about Boy X’s cute freckle. About your book. About what it’s problems are. About the notes your critique partners have sent you. About which suggestions are right on the spot, and which ones don’t align with your vision of your book. A lot of people suggest physical activity at this point, something I’ve never found to help (mostly because I would tell myself to think through a plot knot, and then get on the tennis courts and only think about how to hit aces. And then, of course, fail at both of my intentions). But maybe it’ll work for you. Maybe it won’t. Experiment a bit until you figure out what works for you, and then stick with it.

Interview with Julie Murphy

Hi, everyone! We're continuing our interview-every-Saturday month today with an interview with Julie Murphy, author of SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY (Balzar + Bray/HarperCollins, winter 2014)! She is funny and wonderful and didn't scream too much when we coerced her into doing this :)

How long have you been writing for?

I've always dabbled in writing. Whether it was journaling (or really attempts at journaling), poetry, short stories, or screenplays (yes, even screenplays), storytelling in some form has been a part of my daily life for as long as I can remember. A little less than a year ago, I began to take writing seriously. And it's been quite the year!

Tell us a little about your book, SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY.

When sixteen-year-old Alice learns she is terminally ill, she makes a very surprising list of things to do–which includes settling some old scores. She’s made peace with her life—until she goes into remission. Now Alice must face the consequences of everything she’s said and done, as well as her true feelings for the boy she pushed away when tomorrow wasn’t certain.

How did you celebrate The Call from your agent? 

Well, immediately after receiving The Call, I had a solo dance party and then went to work. Womp, womp. But a few weeks after that, I went out for a great big dinner with a few close friends. And I basically bought myself a cupcake every day for at least a month.

Which was harder: querying or going on sub?

Oh wow. Querying is hard. Really, really hard. But submission is a whole other animal. I think the hardest thing about going on submission is, that after querying, we're so accustomed to all the articles and the blogs that detail every square inch of querying. But when it comes to being on submission, you just don't find that same plethora of information out there. Usually, the reason for that is because submission is so very different for every single person.  I was lucky in that both the querying process and the submission process for SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY passed rather quickly. But if I had to choose one or the other, I would say that querying was the harder of the two. That's simply because, when I was on submission, I wasn't alone. I had my amazing agent going to bat for me.

How'd you get your agent? From the slush pile, a conference, a contest?

My dear, sweet agent, Molly, who I gush about at any given opportunity, plucked me out of the slush pile! I've got a detailed agent story on my blog for those interested.

Any strange writing rituals?

Heck yes I have strange writing rituals! Three in particular. The first is popsicles. Boxes and boxes of popsicles. You know I've had a good writing day when my office is littered with popsicle sticks. And then there are movie trailers. I sit down and watch a whole slew of movie trailers before writing. It's very therapeutic for me. The third isn't so strange, but I do a lot of writing longhand. It helps when I'm stuck. And, too, I find that some of my most organic work comes when I power down my laptop and put pen to paper. So there you have it. The secret to my success: popsicles, movie trailers, and writing longhand.

How excited were you when you got your editor?

I don't think there exists a tool on Earth to properly measure my excitement. I could not be more thrilled to be working with Alessandra and the whole team at Balzer + Bray. I don't think I'll ever get used to saying "my editor." My face has been stuck in this really goofy smile. It's kind of starting to hurt. ;)

What piece of advice would you give to aspiring writers? Anything specific for teen writers?

All the usual stuff, of course. Don't give up, keep on trucking, chin up, etc. But most importantly, READ. Everything of value that I have learned about writing has come from a book. Your favorite books make you feel the way that they do for a reason. Find out why. And here's my other piece of advice: don't take all of the advice. Pick and choose what works best for you. Otherwise, you'll just end up with a hodge podge of advice. Sometimes there's no right advice for you, and sometimes you have to set your own rules. In fact, that's one of the best parts about writing. There's no right way.


See? I told y'all that she was wonderful! Thank you SO MUCH for coming, Julie!

Interview with Leigh Ann Kopans

Hi everyone! As promised, we've kidnapped Leigh Ann Kopans today to be interviewed (it almost didn't happen due to some seriously bad planning on Amy's part...). She's brilliant and funny and absolutely wonderful, so I'll stop singing her praises and let you guys see for yourselves!

Thank you so, so much for having me! I love visiting other blogs and I'm honored that you took me up on my (perhaps over-enthusiastic?) twitter volunteering to be interviewed.

How long have you been writing for?

I've been writing for about a year and a half.

Tell us a little about your book, ONE (this is the one you're going on subs for on Monday, right? Oodles of luck to you!)

ONE is about Merrin, a girl with only half a superpower - a One. She can float, but she can't do anything to move herself through the air - meaning she can't fly. She's been dreaming of getting an internship at the Supers' Biotech Hub and figuring out how to fix herself for years.

Then she meets Elias, another One who can push the air around him. There are a couple awesome things about Elias - first, he is very cute and a really good kisser; second, when she touches him, their One powers combine to make them fly.

Everything's going great, including Merrin getting short-listed for that internship she always wanted, until Elias gets kidnapped, and Merrin suspects the Hub is behind it. She's going to have to decide which she wants more - Elias, or a future with the Hub.

I've been obsessed with superheroes since my dad introduced me to the 90s X-men cartoons on lazy Saturday mornings. This book is the ultimate illustration of how I spend WAY too much time thinking about them.

Tell us about your other two novels, SOLVING FOR EX and CHROME

Solving for Ex is about a girl who had to leave her hometown high school after her mad math skills got her into a sticky situation - help one of the most popular kids at school cheat on a final, or suffer merciless bullying. When the bullying drives her to stay with her Aunt and Uncle, she falls in love with the boy next door, Brendan, who has everything in common with her, and, amazingly, is Captain of the Mathletes. But then, a new girl at school is determined to do anything she can to get close to Brendan, including cheating her way to Mathletes State and risking the team everything.

Chrome is a futuristic science fiction retelling of the Exodus from Egypt, with Pharoah recast as a merciless Queen ruling a biodome-encased city and the slave class living beneath it one thousand years after a devastating nuclear world war. Moses is recast as a sixteen-year-old girl, and instead of blood, frogs, and lice, the plagues are faulty circuits and battery acid. I'm pitching it as Battlestar Galactica meets the Bible, and it's all kinds of fun to write.

How long did you query for?

I queried (and contested) One for four and a half months.

How'd you get your agent? From the slush pile, a conference, a contest?

Tricia discovered me in The Writer's Voice Contest, where I was a member of Team Cupid's LC. (http://cupidslitconnection.blogspot.com/2012/05/team-cupidslc-5-one.html)

I also had an offer from a ninja agent, who had seen something she liked on my blog and emailed me directly asking for a submission. So make sure your blogs are up to date with your WiP info! You never know what will come of it.

Tell us about THE CALL.

The Call with Tricia (Lawrence of Erin Murphy Literary Agency) was the most surreal - and amazing - experience. She spent the first ten minutes or so of The Call just telling me everything she loved about my book and its characters. It was honestly a dream come true - she said everything I'd ever imagined someone understanding about One, and then some. She even thanked me for writing my main character! I didn't even know what to say to that.

But then, it got even crazier. She asked me about my plans for a sequel - a SEQUEL! No one had ever even asked me whether I'd thought about a sequel. But wait! She also wanted to know about all my OTHER projects. She explained to me that she was invested in my long-term career as a writer, not just this one book, which was all kinds of confidence-inspiring and, again, a dream come true.

I seriously felt like my brain had been liquefied by the shock. At that point, I'd had 91 form rejections on this manuscript - I had convinced myself it was complete crap. And then here was this amazing agent from a big-shot literary agency telling me that she absolutely loved it, and understood it in a way I never dreamed possible.

Are you nervous about going on submission?

In theory, no. I've been through the muddy, smelly, starving, despairing query trenches twice before (once for my first manuscript and once for One), and I'll certainly survive them, one way or another, with one of the leading industry pros championing my book. Besides, Tricia is my agent for my entire kidlit career, and there will always be A Next Book.

In reality, yes. Completely terrified. It's scary to think of making it this far only to get shot down at the very final step before your book gets to sit pretty on a store shelf somewhere. I'm focusing on that Next Book just to keep myself from completely hyperventilating.

What's your favorite part of working with your agent?

I think it's being able to focus on just the writing, without having to tear my hair out at every moment about how, when, or to whom I will query it. I used to stress a lot about marketability - namely, how very little I knew about whether a project I was working on would attract any attention.

And then, of course, deep down, I just worried that I was a totally sucky writer.

Now that I've signed with Tricia, I have some reassurance from at least one person in the publishing world that I am not, in fact, a completely sucky writer. More importantly than the requisite coddling is Tricia's guidance. She can steer me away from projects that she knows will never make it and advise me on other ones that have the best chance of making my career successful. She has my back, and she believes in me, and that's worth a whole hell of a lot.

What piece of advice would you give to newbie writers? Anything specific for YA writers?

YES! For newbie writers - surround yourself with people who are at the same writing stage as you. Support one another, grow together, and you'll see amazing results in your writing and your careers.

For YA writers - *readies soapbox* Write YA for one reason, and one reason only - because you have stories to tell young adults. Don't write to teach lessons, or to make a point, or to tell teens which decisions to make. Teens are people, with brains, which they use a lot. They'll learn those lessons with or without your books, and they can make decisions for themselves without your input. Teens can smell your agenda from a mile away. Don't try to sneak it past them, because you won't succeed, and you'll just look silly in the process.

Also, if you have to try to "sound like a teenager" when you write, you're doing it wrong. Write about authentic teens with authentic teen voices. Spend some time listening to your characters talk. If they're real enough, they'll tell you what they need to say.

Wow! I didn't know I could get so preachy about writing YA, but there you have it.

Anyway, thanks a ton for having me. I think you two are absolutely incredible, and I'm fascinated by your writing paths. I'm going to be watching for your success stories so I can be appropriately giddy for you, and smug that I knew you when.

And to your readers, thanks so much for reading! It's been fun

Isn't she brilliant, peeps? Thanks A TON for letting us interview you, Leigh Ann!