Category: Writing for YA

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Writing for YA

Feeling Blocked? Five Tips to Help

I’ve never liked the term writer’s block and prefer to call it writer’s exhaustion, but it means the same thing. Hours or days of staring at a blank screen unable to type a word.

Recently, I’ve found myself at the crossroads between emotional exhaustion and distraction.

It’s common for creativity to dry up when a person is overwhelmed. Distraction also plays into the inability to buckle down and produce. Writing requires a lot of thinking and emotional input. 

At times I have plenty to say, but emotion stands firmly between my heart and my pen. Then I feel guilty and frustrated, which only adds to the stress.

In this situation, the first thing to do is to recognize the various demands and stressors affecting attitudes, feelings, and productivity.

Here are five tips that help when you’re feeling blocked

Focus on a different task for a short time.

Finding a new creative outlet can re energize, give a tired brain something else to concentrate on. We require times of refreshment, even when situations demand urgent action. It’s okay to take a moment or two, or three for mental health. 

Adapt. 

I received an email from a dear friend yesterday. An in-person writing group has been one of her anchors for years. A support system suddenly becoming unavailable is painful. Virtual meeting aren’t the same, but at least alternative methods exist. 

Many of my friends are taking advantage of writing conferences they wouldn’t ordinarily be able to attend. New seminars and opportunities are offered daily as organizations attempt to fill writers’ current needs.

While writing fiction is hard for me at the moment, taking notes isn’t a problem. For me, this dry spell is an opportunity to concentrate on learning craft. For others, the opposite may be true and periods of writer’s block are the perfect time to journal or explore a different type of writing.

There will be times when the well seems empty. Try to find things to focus on that are attainable. 

Celebrate accomplishments. 

I have a tendency to expect a great deal from myself, and it helps to stop and change my view point,  think about successes in light of my circumstances. I constantly need to remind myself I have a limited energy budget. We aren’t designed to do it all. There is no guilt in that admission. Recognize the goal posts along the way, instead of focusing on the never-ending to do list gives a realistic picture of progress and spurs me forward.

Find joy in the art of writing.

I am one for structure and schedules, which can sap the joy right out of what I love and turn it into a grind. I used to have a mindset that if it’s too much fun, maybe I’m not working hard enough. That’s not true. It’s still work even if I love my calling. It’s right and good to take joy in the gifts and abilities God has given.

Rest.

For me, the biggest obstacle is giving myself permission to allow time for self-care. Self-care is not selfish. It’s necessary for healthy functioning. It’s okay to take a break from whatever is stressful. 

It’s okay to be kind to yourself.

Donna Jo Stone writes YA contemporary novels about tough issues but always ends the stories with a note of hope. She blogs at donnajostone.com.

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Writing for YA

Write Anyway

There will be days when writing is hard. When your eyes burn and your back hurts. You will scrape dried ink from the bottom of the well, wondering if these tiny, insignificant flakes are worth anything. 

Hours, days, years of work languish with no guarantee of display in the light of day.

Write anyway.

Some days your words and lines will rip out your heart with their truth and beauty. You will feel naked and afraid. 

Some days the emotion you are desperate to share dribbles away, never caught and put to page. An unspoken message is worse than letting the world taste your secret sorrows. The tale must be wept out and sweated out onto paper even if it doesn’t want to be confined—or set free—by a pen. Story will haunt, steal your rest, demand attention. You will pound a keyboard while dinner burns.

Write anyway.

There will be people who tell you the harsh truth, and those who whisper sweet lies. And others who are purposely unkind, cruel with breath-stealing carelessness that makes you doubt your own passion. 

There will be rejections wrapped in softness. Slamming shut doors will become a commonplace sound. 

There will be hindering mentors, jealous companions, and friends who mean well but let you wallow in mediocrity and blissful ignorance.

Write anyway.

Some days you will be your own worst enemy, second-guessing, unsure as a newborn colt. Some days you will be too sure of yourself, and ignore horrendous flaws, until, stumbling over the cracks, you fall flat on your face, hard. The danger is invisible to the scribbling storyteller. You will fail and embarrass yourself time and time again.

Write anyway.

If you succeed, the monetary rewards are likely to be small. There will always be ugly reviews. People will inform you point-blank they didn’t like your book. Family members and friends won’t even bother to read it. But someone will. And sometimes it will mean a great deal to the reader, your reader. They may or may not tell you—this really happens—how it touched them, comforted them, and made them feel understood.

It’s why we write anyway.

Donna Jo Stone writes YA contemporary novels about tough issues but always ends the stories with a note of hope. She blogs at donnajostone.com.

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Writing for YA

Writing Diverse Mental Health Themes in YA Fiction

If you’ve queried in the past five years, you’re familiar with the plea for diverse books. Publishers and readers alike are searching for stories that reflect the world in all its colours, orientations, beliefs, and abilities. We are searching for connections. We want to be seen.

But not all diversity will be as obvious to spot on the cover of a book.

Diversity goes deep—down to the core of who we are and how the neurons in our brains allow us to think. But, as a society, we are less likely to recognize or celebrate this deeper neurodiversity.

Each of us process and react to the world differently.  Our life experiences also play a role, leaving unique internal scars and mended pathways. For a growing majority of teens today, this internal milieu feels like a battlefield and it comes out as mental illness.

Right now, more than ever, these differences in neurological wiring and life experiences will affect how teens react to fear, anxiety, grief, and confusion. And if they can’t find themselves in the stories that they’re reading, we risk letting them feel alone in their experiences. Which we all know is false.

As YA Authors, mental health themes need be high in our considerations for diversity. But how can we do this authentically?

  1. Write #OwnVoice – Mental health stories written from lived experiences offers a genuine and raw lens. If you’ve lived it and feel comfortable communicating the everyday struggles, along with the big plot turns of life, do it.
  • Write Deep – Don’t include mental health as an afterthought. A person is more than one aspect of their diversity. Our characters need to be seen this way as well. Ask deep questions of your characters. Know their wounds and back stories. Empathize with them before starting to write.
  • Write Educated – If you haven’t experienced the themes present in your story, spend time researching what they are and how they present. Look to respected resources (i.e. The DSM-V) rather than arbitrary blog posts.
  • Write Relationally – Even with the best research, there is something powerful about speaking with a person who has experienced mental illness first-hand. If you will listen and come with empathy and encouragement, odds are you will find someone who will share. Please be considerate though. Never approach someone who is in crisis and stick with friends and family.

With my novel, FADE TO WHITE, I wrote from both personal experience, research, and over 10 years of relational conversations with teens. Some of those conversations were painful to hear, but there was also mutual healing and hope gained through sharing our stories.

mental health

Mental illness is a hidden disease, despite its ever growing prevalence. By considerately sharing diverse mental health experiences, we are giving young people a chance to be seen. A chance to be recognized as broken but not lost. A chance to be represented within the diverse and unsettling world we now live in.

Tara K. Ross lives with her husband, two daughters, and rescued fur-baby in a field of cookie-cutter homes near Toronto, Canada. She works as a school speech-language pathologist and mentors with local youth programs. When Tara is not writing or reading all things YA, you can find her rock climbing the Ontario escarpment, planning her family’s next jungle trek, or podcasting at www.tarakross.com.

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Writing for YA

Why Your Beta Stopped Reading Your Manuscript

Finding a reliable and dependable beta reader can be a challenge. They often bail on you. Why? This topic comes up regularly on beta read groups.

First, let me point out the reasons why a beta reader may never start reading a manuscript.

  • The author ignores formatting requests. I ask writers to put their manuscript in standard submission format. Not everyone wants this, but if your reader asks for a certain format, then try to be respectful and accommodate. Try to avoid tiny print, colored font, weird formatting, or other issues that may be an obstacle to easy reading.
  • Ten chapters landing in their mailbox when they asked for one. 
  • A manuscript with the chapter numbers removed and several chapters squished together when they asked for one chapter.
  • The author makes unreasonable demands, such as fast turnaround, free line editing, and/or free proofreading.

Why a beta reader may stop reading a manuscript after one, two, three, or four chapters. Or pages.

  • Materials are vastly different from the description. If a book is listed as PG-13, graphic sex scenes or violence shouldn’t be in the book. If it’s pitched as a cozy, blood and gore on page one can be a shock. The novel also needs to fit within the expected market guidelines for content. A YA novel, even if self-published, still needs to follow certain standards.
  • Often, I will stop reading after a few chapters. This is because at this point of a beta read, the big picture problems are apparent. If the author consistently has the same issues in the first four chapters, I begin to repeat myself and my advice becomes repetitive. There’s no reason to continue until the writer has reworked the rest of the manuscript. To carry on is frustrating for both reader and author.
  • If a submission is too rough and has editing mistakes in every line, a reader may stop after a page.
  • Nonproductive dialogue with the author can ruin the reader-author relationship. Some writers desire affirmation rather than feedback. Encouragement is helpful to a certain degree, but beta readers primarily provide feedback to assist a writer find the flaws so they can improve. That does not mean writer must take all, or any, of their reader’s suggestions. But the author should expect suggestions rather than only praise. The beta should point out what works and what doesn’t.

Other reasons your beta stopped reading.

  • They got sick.
  • There was a family emergency. 
  • An unexpected work situation came up.

In other words, life happened.

It’s not always about the manuscript.  A reader can have many reasons for not finishing your book.

Beta reading is hard work and time consuming. Volunteer beta readers don’t owe anyone an explanation if they find they can’t or don’t want to finish reading a manuscript. 

Remember, your beta readers are doing you a service and should be treated with respect.

Always be kind if it doesn’t work out, and move on.

Donna Jo Stone writes YA contemporary novels about tough issues but always ends the stories with a note of hope. She blogs at donnajostone.com.

Categories
Writing for YA

Researching and Authenticity in Fiction: Interview with YA Author Felicia Bridges

I’ve always loved books about far flung places. It’s a wonderful way to expand horizons. I decided to talk with YA author Felicia Bridges about her experiences and ask her advice about writing about other cultures and countries.

Felicia believes life is a great adventure written by the Author and Perfecter of our faith. Her adventures as an Army BRAT included living in eight states and two foreign countries by age fifteen. Along with a strong foundation of faith, this nomadic childhood created a passion for missions and travel which leads her writing to exotic places. Felicia has a degree in Psychology, but her experience as a short-term missionary, HR Manager, mother of four, and pastor’s wife provide her most unusual tales.

Find Felicia Bridges at:

DJS: I’ve always found studying and learning about different countries and cultures fascinating. When learning about and researching other cultures for fiction writing, what do you feel are the most important things to keep in mind?

FB: Bearing in mind that while customs which are unfamiliar to us may seem odd, they usually have a logical basis. It’s critical to keep digging until we can portray another culture authentically in a way that helps broaden our readers’ understanding.

DJS: What was the most interesting or surprising thing you discovered as you were delving into your research for your books?

FB: There have been so many surprising and amazing discoveries, it’s impossible to pick one. One of my favorite discoveries was in researching Czech folklore. They have such a rich history and I would spend hours one the internet reading one story after another. The most surprising discovery was the legendary story of Campbell Bridges that I wove into KenyaQuest. This real-life Indiana Jones figure lived a fascinating life and I was honored that his widow and son worked with me to ensure I portrayed that accurately. In BoliviaKnight, the most amazing discovery was the Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat. This amazing place forms a giant mirror during the rainy season providing stunning pictures of the sky reflected on the salt. This place tops my bucket list of places I’d love to visit!

DJS: It’s so important to respect other cultures. How can an author make sure to stay authentic when writing about a segment of society they are not a part of?

FB: In today’s world it is absolutely critical to be respectful in our depiction of other cultures. Failure to recognize and eschew stereotypes can literally ruin your career with a single tweet. I’ve spent the past ten years pursuing a greater understanding of my own biases and privilege, and a deeper understanding of the perspectives of marginalized people groups. Since my series necessitates portraying people from different cultures, I’ve tried to be intentional about researching the culture and avoiding stereotypes. We also need to communicate well that authors of fiction are working from our research plus imagination.

DJS: I’d love to take research trips. Who wouldn’t? It sounds like fun! Unfortunately, that’s not always possible. What advice would you give to someone who wants to learn about other countries or cultures, but their resources are limited?

FB: We are so privileged to live and write in a time where we can virtually visit anywhere on the planet. Although nothing can compare to actually walking in the places that you are writing about, I’ve learned so much from building relationships with missionaries, from using technological tools like Google Earth ™ and the internet to search out answers for any question that arises. For the relatively small cost of internet service, we can zoom in to street level in Prague, read a firsthand account of an expedition in the Amazon, or see glorious pictures of the cultural festivals in Papua New Guinea. I would advise them to research all they can online and save all they can to be able to travel to their favorite places.

These are all great points and suggestions! Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge.

Felicia’s series debut, The International Mission Force, features the exploits of teenage missionaries around the globe and begins with CzechMate, which is set in Czechia. BoliviaKnight and KenyaQuest carry readers to Bolivia and Kenya. The next book in the seires, IslandGambit, is set in Papua New Guinea and due to release in 2020.

Donna Jo Stone writes YA contemporary novels about tough issues but always ends the stories with a note of hope. She blogs at donnajostone.com.

Categories
Writing for YA

How to Alienate and Offend Readers: Diversity and Sensitivity

What’s sensitivity reader?

A sensitivity reader may not be what you think it is.

These are not “thin-skinned” readers ready to roast a writer for making a misstep. They are fact checkers who examine your writing for specific things. Sensitivity readers help authors find places in their manuscript where they have unwittingly used inaccurate information in describing a diverse character, and to check for things that could be considered offensive. They are Diversity Editors.

Who needs sensitivity readers?

Everyone writing a character from any marginalized or diverse community.

Even if a person is writing about a group they feel they know everything about, a sensitivity reader isn’t a bad idea. Different points of view enrich understanding.

An author can write beautiful prose, have a great story idea, and even be well known, but if a story doesn’t pass muster, the manuscript may not have a chance with an agent or publisher. And it shouldn’t!

When does it matter?

Always.

A novelist is duty bound to represent all sorts of people in such a way that it does not harm or perpetuate harmful stereotypes and myths. People are influenced by what they read, and there is no magic loophole. Claiming it’s “just fiction” or it’s “just a minor character” won’t fly. Words influence.

Listen to your sensitivity readers.

When engaging a sensitivity reader, a writer doesn’t get to tell them what they’re being nitpicky about. As with most differences of opinion, finding common ground requires listening. If there is a disagreement about feedback, engaging more sensitivity readers and going with the majority is the best course of action.

If a writer chooses to ignore their suggestions on style, grammar, plot lines, they are not hurting anyone, except possibly themselves, but ignoring information acquired from a sensitivity reader poses a real danger of failing the author’s audience.

Once a novelist has done harm, I no longer trust them.

As a reader, I don’t often let novelists off the hook for representing of groups of people in a harmful way.

If I read a novel I know is misrepresenting people, I am not likely read books by the author again or suggest his or her books to anyone. If their name comes up in conversation, I may not have a positive reaction, no matter how famous they are.

Our stories influence.

Sadly, there are novels out there that continue to do damage by perpetuating falsehoods and stereotypes, encouraging attitudes and prejudices. Writers have a certain amount of responsibility. The stories we write influence the world around us. The best ones influence in a positive way.

Sensitivity readers can be found by searching for readers within the community you are writing about, or by finding paid sensitivity readers online. I start my search with writing groups, then the community groups, both local and on Facebook.

Donna Jo Stone writes YA contemporary novels about tough issues but always ends the stories with a note of hope. She blogs at donnajostone.com.

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Writing for YA

Tips for Podcasting with Author Tara K. Ross

I love a good podcast and listen to several. Recently, I found The Hope Prose Podcast by young adult author Tara K. Ross. I enjoyed it, so decided to ask Tara a few questions about podcasting.

Why did you choose to start a podcast?

I am a self-confessed podcast junky. I listen to podcasts during my commute, when I exercise and even when I’m scrubbing toilets. I can enjoy them when my eyes need to be elsewhere and I always have time to sneak one in. For all these reasons, I knew their value.

I also love audiobooks and narration. In our podcast, we have the opportunity to narrate some of our favorite books in short samples. Audiobook narrating is on my shortlist of dream side-gigs, so our podcast format is an ideal way for me to get my feet wet.

Finally, I saw a need. I scoured the podcast space for YA book podcasts and found surprisingly few. When we added in the faith component, there were zero specific to YA. I also wanted to find a way to support Christian YA authors and reach their readers while veering away from screens and social rankings.        

What are some things people should think about before attempting to start their own podcast?

  • How much money do you have for your podcasting venture? At the minimum you will need the following:        

o A website with domain name – including monthly hosting fees

o Headphones and a mic external to your computer

o Recording or editing software – Zencastr and Audacity as good starting points

Audio file hosting – we use Sound Cloud, but there are many out there

  • Is there a need for your podcast? Is someone already covering a similar topic? How can you make your show unique? Can you find a niche that is not being filled?  
  • What format will you use for your podcast? Will you run a solo show or have a co-host or panel? Will you interview guests? How long will you make each episode?
  • How often will your podcast air? Daily, weekly, monthly? Is that schedule sustainable? Do you have ideas for your first five episodes? Record the first three before you go live.

I love the name of your podcast, The Hope Prose Podcast. How did you come up with it?

It actually started from my blog and my desire to write transformational YA fiction. Hope Prose birthed out the idea that well-written prose challenges us to reflect on who we are right now, and how we are striving to change. I wanted to guide readers to those stories that transport us to magical places, leave us breathless with anticipation, reflect our deepest struggles, but in the end, offer hope that is unquestionably woven into every word.

A thousand things can go wrong with any new venture. What have you found to be the most difficult part of producing a podcast? Did any issues come up that surprised you?

Rebekah, my co-host, and I live on opposite sides of the continent. Finding times that not only work for our unique time zones but also for our guests’ schedules has been an interesting challenge.

The other difficulty would come down to technology. There have been a few cases where we’ve lost guests to a WiFi glitch or had the sound quality disintegrate mid-sentence. I’ve become good friends with YouTube when it comes to editing together split sound recordings and unplanned background interruptions.    

Do you have any advice or tips for people who will be making a guest appearance on a podcast?

  • Review previous episodes of the podcast. Get a sense of the format, the style and the length of the episodes.
  • If the podcast host provided you with questions, plan your talking points. Jot down any websites or books you will reference.
  • Ensure access to a reliable internet connection. Whether streaming through Skype, Zoom, or Zencastr you will want a signal that is strong and consistent.
  • Invest in some decent earphones and a mic external to your computer
  • Find a quiet space free from environmental noises (think airplanes, traffic, family members, pets, and squeaky chairs). Avoid clothes or jewelry that may crinkle or clank.
  • Hydrate. Warm-up your voice. Long pauses are easier to edit than ‘umms’ but don’t stress if you repeat yourself or need to retract a response.  
  • Make sure to spread the word about the podcast when your episode goes live and consider leaving a review.  

Tara is a perpetual Toronto suburbanite despite her best efforts to escape. When Tara is not writing or reading all things YA, you can find her rock climbing the Ontario escarpment, mentoring youth leaders or podcasting at The Hope Prose Podcast. Her debut YA novel, FADE TO WHITE will be published through IlluminateYA in May 2020. You can find out more about Tara and her podcast at www.hopeprose.com

Donna Jo Stone writes YA contemporary novels about tough issues but always ends the stories with a note of hope. She blogs at donnajostone.com.

Categories
Writing for YA

New Year, New Goals

The new year is almost upon us. Instead of making New Year’s resolutions, why not try to come up with New Year’s goals?

Make a plan.

Gather information about the task you want to achieve. Have a general idea of the steps you need to take to get a grasp on the big picture. I’ve found it to be a good idea to use more than one source. For a novelist or nonfiction writer, this can include authors you know, websites (like this one!), books, magazines, and organizations. What you are writing determines the steps in your plan. Indie or traditional? Fiction or nonfiction? These have different processes. 

Determine what the primary goal is and list the tasks needed to do to achieve the objective in order of importance. Having a first things first policy helps me stay focused and having incremental guides keeps me motivated as I mark my progress.

Unrealistic expectations are a set up for deep disappointments when things don’t pan out as expected. Wrong turns and dead ends can be avoided by getting the lay of the land beforehand.

Set reasonable goals.

Often, when tackling a new project or activity, the tendency is to overreach. Setting reasonable goals increase the likelihood success will come to pass.

When I first began writing novels, I struggled to be consistent. I decided to try for large word counts and grind away every day until I produced a massive amount of words. Predictably, the only thing I was consistent about was failing to pound out those words! I’d get to the end of the week or month feeling like a failure.

I changed my thinking, and set a small goal of five hundred words a day. In this way, I established a habit of writing. Sometimes I would surpass my desired output, but when I started out, most days I was right around five or six hundred words. Producing small, manageable chunks was within my reach and watching the words add up day by day kept me faithfully working. Persistence pays off, and I got my novels written. As time went on, my daily word counts went up. Establishing the habit kept me going and still does on difficult days.

If your objective is to find a critique partner, try to determine the time required to exchange feedback before you commit. If you want to learn a new skill, don’t expect to become proficient overnight. Divide the task you set for yourself into manageable chunks and be patient with yourself.

Be flexible.

If your goals are too challenging, or not challenging enough, allow yourself to make adjustments. Life is in a constant state of change. To be successful, flexibility is vital. The point is to keep working towards the prize.

Find a cheerleader. Or two or three!

There’s bound to be periods of difficulty in any endeavor. Some days are harder than others. Surround yourself with people who will lift you up.

Be an encouragement to yourself by keeping track of your past successes. Remind yourself of why you write.

Don’t give up!

If you find the set goals are not as easily attainable as you thought they would be, don’t give up. Instead, reevaluate and adjust your plans. The journey never quite unfolds the way we expect it to but if we stay on the path, we will get there. It’s all part of the adventure.

Keep going. 

Organizations for YA Writers

https://www.scbwi.org/

https://www.acfw.com/

Writing Aid Program

https://prowritingaid.com/

Donna Jo Stone writes YA contemporary novels about tough issues but always ends the stories with a note of hope. She blogs at donnajostone.com.

Categories
Writing for YA

How to Succeed with PitMad

Are you familiar with PitMad?

#PitMad is a pitch party on Twitter where writers tweet a 280-character pitch for their completed, polished, unpublished manuscripts. Agents and editors make requests by liking/favoriting the tweeted pitch. Every unagented writer is welcome to pitch. All genres/categories are welcomed. #PitMad occurs quarterly.

Pitchwars.org website

The next PitMad is coming up December 5th. I considered the last PitMad to be a success for me because I got a heart from an agent on my list, and another from a publisher I recognized.

On PitMad days, the camaraderie among writers gives me such a boost. It’s the perfect time for connecting with other writers and supporting each other.

After I’d done a few pitch parties, I had the sense to search for other people who are writing work similar to mine by looking for their hashtags. I’m not good at Twitter. Even so, I am figuring out how to participate in Twitter parties. To participate in a Twitter party you don’t necessarily have to be great on Twitter. 

TIP: Follow other authors in your genre and support them.

One of the best things about participating in PitMad was that it forced me to be concise and specific about my book descriptions. The tweet that got the most attention was short and simple.

My Tweet

Theater kids, small town, Asperger love. WHAT TO SAY NEXT x GEM & DIXIE #PITMAD #YA #CON #MH #DIS #ND #autism Coming of Age + Sweet Romance

This tweet went against a lot of advice I’d received about how to craft the perfect tweet. I am impatient when reading tweets, so I wrote one likely to get my attention, as descriptive as I could, using as few words as possible. (I posted another tweet that did well for a different pitch party on my blog here.)

TIP: Practice writing your tweets ahead of time.

Another key may have been how many times it was re-tweeted. I got a huge boost from my WFWA group. There was a specific list to join if you were participating in PitMad so that we could easily find each other’s tweets and support each other by retweeting. It’s difficult to keep up with everyone’s tweets, and without that list I would have been lost.

TIP: Pin your latest tweet so your friends can find it easily and retweet.

I was pleasantly surprised to get a heart from Flux books. At the end of the day, I had a hard time winding down. Several hours after the party was over, I got another heart. This one was exciting, because not only did I recognize literary agent, they were on my query list. 

TIP: Not all hearts are the same. Do your research.

I couldn’t sleep, so by 3 o’clock in the morning (!) I’d sent my submissions, one of which was a full. I also used the PitMad requests as an opportunity to nudge to an agent who’d had my manuscript for a few months.

TIP: Have your materials ready to go.

PitMad isn’t the only Twitter party. 

You can try out your tweets for #faithpitch, #REVpit, #kisspitch, #sffpit, or #IWSGPit and more.

Have your manuscript finished and polished, write your tweets, and join the party. If you aren’t ready to pitch, use a pitch party to connect and support other writers.

There’s nothing to lose and quite a bit to gain.

Have you participated in a pitch party? Do you plan to? Leave a comment!

Donna Jo Stone writes YA contemporary novels about tough issues but always ends the stories with a note of hope. She blogs at donnajostone.com.

Categories
Writing for YA

Interview with Author Judy Christie: Writing Across Genres

Sometimes writers have a hard time sticking to one genre. I’d thought I see what Judy Christie had to say about the topic.

DJS: You’ve written in a variety of genres, the YA series Wreath, the small-town series  Gone to Green, the Trumpet & Vine series, as well as nonfiction. Your new book, Before and After: The Incredible Real-Life Stories of Orphans Who Survived the Tennessee Children’s Home Society, was released last week on Oct 22. You co-authored this book with Lisa Wingate to tell the personal stories related to her bestseller, Before We Were Yours. You also are a journalist! What has been the greatest challenge about writing for different markets?

JC: Different genres mean recalibrating for different readers—and I have to make sure every genre aligns with who I am as a person and fits my writing brand. I try to keep readers in mind at all times, whether I’m writing a magazine profile or a novel. Hint: It’s easier to stick to one genre.

DJS: I know we aren’t supposed to play favorites with our book babies, but which project seemed more enjoyable or easier than others? What do you think made it so?

JC: Without a doubt, the new book, Before and After, is the most meaningful project I’ve undertaken; it was both hard to write and enjoyable. What a unique publishing experience—for a novel to inspire a true sequel. Being entrusted with these stories from such kind and loving people made the writing process extra intense. When I sat down to write, I felt like I was in the state of flow writers hear so much about. Plus, I had the pleasure of co-authoring it with the phenomenal Lisa Wingate, which was like playing with a friend while taking a master course in writing.

DJS: I’ve heard that a novelist should stay in one genre, but many of us are drawn to different stories and can’t help drifting into new territory. What has been the most difficult or challenging thing about writing for multiple genres and how do you think a writer can temper those disadvantages?

JC: I would definitely say: Don’t do as I do, do as I say. *smile* If possible, choose one genre and stick with it. Own it. Become the best at that genre so readers look forward to your next release and know what to expect from your work. An agent once told me that when an author changes genres, the reader feels like she went to her favorite Chinese restaurant and was served an Italian meal. I did not start out to write in different genres, but as I was building a writing career, I took opportunities that arose or wrote projects I was deeply interested in. The hardest thing is building a broad readership when you have a YA audience one time, a self-help audience another, Southern fiction the next. The way to temper that is to be true to who you are in everything you write so that your subjects and themes weave together in some way. 

DJS: What’s the best thing about writing in multiple genres and how can a writer make use of those advantages? 

JC: Exploring topics and themes from different perspectives and learning all along the way. Playing with words in totally different ways…. My first book, Hurry Less Worry Less, was about slowing down and enjoying life more, a topic that was so important to me that I had to write about it. But I wanted to write a novel about a big-city journalist who took over a tiny Southern paper. I had so much fun with the Green series. I’ve written a book column for a newspaper for about six years, and that has kept me plugged into publishing in a different way and also keeps deadline skills in good form. Nonfiction worker lets you meet so many good people doing good things. I choose projects that matter to me.

DJS: I’ve often noted a thread of encouragement in your writing. What encourages you to keep writing? 

JC: That is such a kind thing for you to say because that is my goal in whatever I write. I love telling stories, and that led me into journalism and has stayed with me all these years. Putting words together is a pleasure to me—whether in my journals, which I’ve kept since I was 11, or in a novel that I’m brainstorming. And it is my hope to encourage, entertain and maybe even enlighten.

Thank you, Judy!

Readers, if you’d like to read an interview I had with Judy about Before and After, visit my blog here.

Author Judy Christie has had 18 books published, including three Southern small-town novel series and is an award-winning newspaper reporter and editor. Sign up for her e-newsletter and a free guide to telling family stories at www.judychristie.com. Follow her on Facebook @judychristieauthor.

Donna Jo Stone writes YA contemporary novels about tough issues but always ends the stories with a note of hope. She blogs at donnajostone.com.

Categories
Writing for YA

Interview with Watty Award Winner Brian McBride: Using Wattpad to Build Your Audience

Today I’m talking with Young Adult author Brian McBride. I wanted to know more about Wattpad.

DJS: Your book Love and the Sea and Everything In Between is a 2016 Watty Award winner. How long did it take you to gain a significant following on Wattpad and how often did you post? 

BMcB: Honestly, I had put the first 10-15 chapters of Love and the Sea up on Wattpad back in 2015. I only had a couple thousand reads and a few dozen followers and held steady at that for months. When the time to submit for the 2016 Wattys came around, I decided to just upload the full manuscript rather than try to post weekly. After I won the Wattys, my reads multiplied exponentially almost overnight. I’ve left the first few chapters of the 2nd draft up since then and am on my way to half a million reads now. Winning the Wattys definitely gained me some visibility!

DJS: How did Wattpad affect your growth and progress as a writer? How do you think Wattpad can help new writers starting out? 

BMcB: Wattpad really helped because I received reader feedback in real-time! With the ability to comment, I was able to gauge a reader’s in-the-moment reactions to certain aspects of the story much better than if they just left one long review at the very end. Wattpad was great for building a platform, learning from my audience, and motivating me to write.

DJS: Can you tell us about a Wattpad user experience or difficulty that could have derailed you? How did you overcome that experience? 

BMcB: Oof. This is a great question. Because I think that a lot of what turned me off about Wattpad when I was just starting out – and it still kinda turns me off today – is that good, quality stories are often lost in the murk of trashy fan fiction and smut. I’ve read incredible, life changing stories on Wattpad that rarely surpassed a few thousand reads; meanwhile those trashy/smutty stories amass a whopping million. Like, how does that make sense? What has storytelling become? 

DJS: You were sixteen when you published your first book. What are the three most important things you have learned about publishing so far? 

BMcB: Determination to pursue success in your craft. Patience when you hit those bumps in the road. Endurance to see yourself through to the finish line. 

But also, more specifically: be competitive. Price your books competitively. Examine what others in your genre are doing with their covers, synopses, and marketing. Learn what the big publishers and authors are doing and apply it on a smaller scale to your own books. Market, market, market. And, when someone asks for a copy of your book in exchange for a review, say YES!

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions, Brian! I look forward to seeing what the future holds for you as you continue to write novels.

Read more about my talk with Brian and about his newest release, Every Bright and Broken Thing, on my blog here.

A winner of the 2016 Wattys Award, Brian published the award-winning Young Adult Contemporary debut, Love and the Sea and Everything in Between, in 2018.

Brian has been writing since he was thirteen-years-old. A fourth generation pastor, he is deeply passionate about the Church and is also pursuing his Minister’s License. It was this passion that compelled him to launch the Pioneer Mvmt, a social-media-based faith movement. Among other things, he is also passionate about iced tea, animals, adoption, and the arts.

Brian writes realistic, contemporary YA Christian fiction. You can purchase Brian’s books on Amazon.

Donna Jo Stone writes YA contemporary novels about tough issues but always ends the stories with a note of hope. She blogs at donnajostone.com.

Categories
Writing for YA

The Path to Publication: Interview with Agent and Author Hope Bolinger

Today I am talking with Hope Bolinger. She’s an author of young adult novels as well as a literary agent with C.Y.L.E. I find her blog posts to be full of useful information and an inspiration as I travel along the writer’s path. Her novel Blaze came out last month.

DJS: As you were going through the publishing process of Blaze, what was the most interesting or surprising thing you learned?

HB: Such a good question! I would say, I learned just how many rounds a book has to go through to get to that contract. When I first started writing as a teen I thought it went: get an agent after you send one email, they send it to a publishers, publisher looks it over and says, “Eh, looks good.” I mean, that’s sort of how it goes, but there are many other intermediate stages involved.

DJS: I am persistent, and believe this tendency has kept me focused on my goals. What personal character trait or traits have been useful to you as a writer? What is one important trait necessary for a writer to make it in the publishing world today?

HB: Oh, persistence. Persistence, persistence, persistence. But also, hope. Yes, my name is Hope, so I do have a pun in there, but it really carries you a long way. When you get rejection letter after rejection letter, you want to quit. But if you have hope, you can keep going, no matter what.

DJS: How did going through the journey to publication yourself affect the way you approach your job as an agent?

HB: It really helps me to empathize with whatever my clients go through. I started as an author before I became an agent, so I know every step of the way to getting an agent, meeting with publishers, and getting them to like your book. It breaks my heart because I know how much they have to endure, but it also gives them a shoulder to cry on.

DJS: I love a character who makes me laugh and cry, like good-hearted Anne Shirley (of the original books, please!) or the quirky Mr. Monk. Who is one of your favorite fictional characters and what made you fall in love with them?

HB: This is so hard, but I have to go with Anne of Green Gables. She’s just so wonderful. She has an imagination and such energy. I feel like I’m often more of a subdued version of her.

A kindred spirit! Thank you for visiting with us, Hope, and congratulations on your new book.

Guys, you can read more about Hope and her book in an interview we did a few weeks ago for my personal blog here.

Hope Bolinger is a literary agent at C.Y.L.E. and a recent graduate of Taylor University’s professional writing program. More than 350 of her works have been featured in various publications ranging from Writer’s Digest to Keys for Kids. She has worked for various publishing companies, magazines, newspapers, and literary agencies and has edited the work of authors such as Jerry B. Jenkins and Michelle Medlock Adams. Her column “Hope’s Hacks,” tips and tricks to avoid writer’s block, reaches 6,000+ readers weekly and is featured monthly on Cyle Young’s blog. Her modern-day Daniel, “Blaze,” (Illuminate YA) just released, and they contracted the sequel for 2020. Find out more about her here.

Donna Jo Stone writes YA contemporary novels about tough issues but always ends the stories with a note of hope. She blogs at donnajostone.com.

Categories
Writing for YA

How to Defeat Dream Killers

We know them. Naysayers. Those who never have a word of encouragement. But who are they? Before we can avoid their influence, first we have to identify who they are.

Identifying Dream Killers

Ourselves

I don’t know about most people, but I am my own worst critic. Perfectionism can drive me to despair, rather than encouraging me to be my best. Are you your own worst enemy? Negative self talk, sabotaging yourself, not giving priority to the task, or being oversensitive to criticism or setbacks are all ways to sabotage goals and dreams.

Purposefully feeding our vision can help to keep us on the right track. Get rid of negativity and fear. What comes out of your mouth influences the outcome, be it positive or negative. It feeds or smothers. Spoken words and subsequent actions define and expose true feelings and beliefs about your destiny.

Toxic People

Recently, I read about the toxic bond. For many people, the relationships that should be the most loving and supportive are anything but. Something inside us craves the approval of the ones we love, even if we have never experienced a supportive relationship with them. Don’t expect toxic people to change. It’s OK to acknowledge the desire for approval, but trying to earn affirmation from those who won’t or can’t give it will only cause you greater pain. Hang around with the right kind of people, the ones who encourage and lift you up. 

Discernment is needed to recognize who are the encouragers and who stands in the way. 

“Standing alone is better than standing with people who don’t value you.” ~ Unknown

Experts  

Seeking counsel is a wise thing to do, but asking for input and taking instruction from the wrong people can hinder your progress. There will be people who mean well, but rather than helping, they erect stumbling blocks. Their advice doesn’t apply to your situation, or there is difficulty communicating. Perhaps they do not understand your goal, or have different literary tastes from yours. That’s not to say you can’t use their critique, but be selective. Don’t blindly apply suggestions you don’t understand, instead ask questions so it can be a learning experience. In the end, choose for yourself how to write your story. If personalities don’t mesh, things may not work out. Not everyone will be a good fit.

I get a great deal of expert advice from books and blogs, but I can get hung up on gathering knowledge. Learning occurs by both instruction and practice. If I only read about writing and never actually put pen to paper, the book won’t get written. 

Withstanding Dream Killers

Define Your Vision

A person with a clear objective is hard to discourage. Define your goal and purpose. Understand why you are pursuing that target. If you need to, write it down. Ask yourself, what is the greatest vision that I have for the work I am doing? What is the biggest achievement I hope to accomplish? 

A worthwhile vision requires commitment, discipline, and patience. This is what to keep in mind. Your vision must be greater than the inevitable negativity. 

From time to time I get caught up in the business of writing and forget my core purpose for the work. I write to communicate, to deliver a message. I have to have faith that the ones who need this story will find it.

Take Action

A dream will not come to pass if no steps are taken towards it. Take one step and then another. Without the daily pursuit of goals, you can’t expect anything to come to fruition. Design a plan and work at it.

Stay Steady

Discouragement is draining and the desire to give up can be strong. Refuse to allow failures and difficulty derail you. Stay in the battle, and stay focused on your vision. Persistence is necessary. 

Discouragement will come. How are you going to react to it?

Did this post encourage you? Let me know! Share and leave a comment.

Donna Jo Stone writes YA contemporary novels about tough issues but always ends the stories with a note of hope. She blogs at donnajostone.com.

Categories
Writing for YA

YA Slang in Writing

Every once in a while, on one of my writers’ lists or on facebook, someone will want to know what slang they should use in their young adult novel. My answer? None. Don’t do it. I think the exception is when you are trying to date your story. If you feel compelled to use slang for your story, consider keeping it to a minimum.

If you are writing a contemporary, by the time it gets on the shelves you can be sure new jargon will have replaced what was in vogue when you wrote it, assuming you could keep up with the ever-changing meaning of teen language while writing the book. Current lingo will likely be outdated before the first draft is finished.

You could invent your own vocabulary for your fictional world, though. I’ve seen this done quite well in many books. Kids do this is real life constantly. Within groups, teens make up their own private language, nicknames, and figures of speech unique to their crowd.

As an “old” person, I’m not aware of how widespread certain sayings are. At this moment as I am writing, in the small young adult circle I am familiar with, dishing out juicy gossip is known as “giving the tea.” For all I know, by the time this post goes up it will be out of fashion. I may not even be using this saying correctly, which is another pitfall when appropriating slang for a novel. It’s like the outdated youth worker trying to be “hip” with the kids.

I’ve been told words like awesome, cool, bummer, and totally are completely out, even though I’ve heard, or overhead, teens using them, and read them in books.

Will writing devoid of colloquialisms sound authentic? In any fiction, voice is what makes it authentic.

While it’s true kids have a few words they like to repeat in conversation, having dialogue in your story reflecting actual repetitive speech, or speech with slang can annoy the reader. We don’t write exactly the way we use language in our everyday lives. Writing an authentic character develops relatability with the reader. Peppering prose with the latest sayings may not do that.

Being cool happens the same way it always has. You’re only cool when you’re not trying to be.

Write realistic, well-rounded characters, and save the slang for those opportunities to embarrass the special young people in your life.

That’s my totally cool and awesome advice for writing slang. Do you have a tip to share? Leave a comment!

Donna Jo Stone writes YA contemporary novels about tough issues but always ends the stories with a note of hope. She blogs at donnajostone.com.

Categories
Writing for YA

What’s a Beta Reader and Do I Need One?

All writers need feedback. Should you use a beta reader?

What is a Beta Reader?

The majority of people define a beta reader as a test reader, a person who reads your manuscript after it has been critiqued, polished, and edited. Most writers will provide a list of questions for their beta readers. These questions ask for general feedback about character development, plot, setting, and so forth. Some writers feel it is best not to ask leading questions, while others ask readers to evaluate certain areas that they think need attention. Beta readers are generally intended to catch big picture story problems or plot holes.

Some people use beta readers as editors and proofreaders, but betas are not a substitute for editing. Betas can stray into critique as well.

Paid Betas

There are many paid beta reading services. These might be considered a budget version of a content edit, or a first pass content edit, and seem to stick to test reading only. I had one individual offer to read my manuscript for free and she did a fair job. I provide a list of questions for my betas, but she had her own, which were similar to mine.

If you plan on using a paid beta reader, shop around. Ask for recommendations and referrals.

Ready for a Beta?

Free beta readers can be found in online groups. If you decide to take the plunge and use a beta reader, save time and aggravation. Submit the first chapter and see if they respond with appropriate and timely feedback.

It pays to be leery of beta reading offers from people who don’t read in your genre. There’s nothing like having a beta offer to read and then confess they do not like this genre right before they suggest rewriting the manuscript to please them. On the other hand, a good beta will be able to read across genres and offer constructive feedback.

I’ve gotten everything from single word answers to a full blown expository review. I always read all comments. One reader gave strange answers to the response questions, repeatedly citing an incident that wasn’t in my book. I wanted to ask if she’d been watching Netflix while beta reading. BUT, she did comment in track changes on my MS, catching several typos and a couple of crucial loose ends. Go figure.

I’ve met some amazing writers through beta reading groups. The community is generous and most try to do their best. A few people have reached out to me and helped me without asking for anything in return. I’ve met some wonderful writers who I consider to be some of my most valued critique partners and beta readers. They help me see things I wouldn’t have otherwise because I’m too close to the project. A good beta reader’s value cannot be overestimated.

My all-time favorite betas are two wonderful ladies in the UK. For some reason, the criticisms are easier to take and the encouragement makes me smile. “This part is a bit muddled” and “Brill!” just tickles my ear.

Do you use beta readers? Tell me about your experience.

Donna Jo Stone writes YA contemporary novels about tough issues but always ends the stories with a note of hope. She blogs at donnajostone.com.

Categories
Writing for YA

Managing Failure

I’ve bumped into an old acquaintance again. It’s name is failure. Far too often I’ve kept company with this unwelcome guest.

Writers face rejection. It’s part of the experience. I need to remind myself of the nature of failure, and think about how to overcome the despondency it sometimes brings.

Failure is an opportunity to learn.

Growth isn’t easy.

In the midst of disappointment, it is difficult to see setbacks as opportunities. Missing the mark doesn’t feel like something to be happy about, but failure is one of the ways to learn and grow. If nothing else, the pain and suffering of failure illuminate the way not to go. It can be a gift, producing times of reflection and reevaluation, encouraging new approaches and different methods.  

Every challenge carries with it a risk of coming face to face with inadequacy, always an unpleasant proposition. But as much as failure hurts, stagnation would be unbearable.

“Failures, repeated failures, are finger posts on the road to achievement. One fails forward toward success.”


C. S. Lewis

Failure is inevitable.

The thing about failure is, it always comes up. It does not need to be on a to-do list. It just happens.

Discouragement can seep in and hinder all of the best-laid plans, but it’s good to remember that there are bound to be bumps in the road to success. These encounters are no reason to stop trying. Failure may be inevitable, but it’s not fatal. It’s not even permanent unless it is allowed to be.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”


Winston Churchill

Failure is a sign of courage.

It costs something to compete, to be vulnerable. Sometimes it costs a great deal. Be brave. Dare to dream, to create. Step outside of the comfort zone.

Failing to reach a goal only happens when risks are taken. An even bigger failure is to never try at all.

“The greatest glory and living lies not in never failing, but in rising every time we fall.”


Ralph Waldo Emerson

It’s okay to take a few moments to acknowledge the sting, as long as the setback is temporary. Get up. Try again.

There’s beauty in the persistent rising after defeat.

How do you encourage yourself after a failure? Leave a comment.

Donna Jo Stone writes YA contemporary novels about tough issues but always ends the stories with a note of hope. She blogs at donnajostone.com.

Categories
Writing for YA

What Is YA and Who Reads It?

At a recent writers’ group meeting, a member asked, “What, exactly, is young adult?”

I gave the short answer: “When the protagonist is a young person.”

That didn’t quite satisfy. After all, scads of books have a teen as a main character, and those aren’t always categorized as Young Adult. A conversation ensued about various popular books labeled as YA.

It’s not as straightforward as one would think.

I thought I’d ask some YA authors.

“Young Adult readers range from age 13 up. Many of my readers are adults who prefer the “clean” nature typically associated with YA. Stories may feature mature themes, but do so without resorting to graphic sex or violence.”

Felicia Bridges, author of the award winning International Mission Force series

While Young adult novels are written for people between 12 and 18 years of age, about half of YA readers are 18 and up. Within the genre the categories include most of those that are found in adult fiction, such as Mystery, Romance, Historical, Contemporary, Sci-Fi, and more.

The protagonist is young, usually 14 to 20 years of age. The themes are relevant to teens and their experience. I think what defines the genre is the age of the main character, although coming of age novels for the adult market may also have a young protagonist, so that isn’t the only criteria.

“YA novels give insight into the issues teens are facing and the steps they can take to battle them. Sometimes those issues aren’t one the reader has faced personally, but viewing the struggle through a character’s life tears down judgments. And the world really needs less judgment and more understanding.”

Sarah Tipton, author of Betrayal of the Band, 2018 Carol Award Winner

Teens have a different set of problems they are concerned with, and this comes across in young adult fiction. Friendship, self-discovery, identity, and first love are all things adults can relate to, but these are in the forefront of teens’ thoughts as they navigate the turbulent years preceding adulthood.

Young adults are often idealistic and full of hope, and that is reflected in much YA fiction. It is entertaining and has all the feels. Some brings attention to issues we should take a hard look at and can foster understanding.

Recently I followed a conversation in one of my Facebook readers groups and was surprised at how many people suffer from literary snobbery and will not so much as crack open a young adult book. I think they are missing out.

Do you have a favorite YA novel? Share it. I’m always adding to my TBR list.

Donna Jo Stone writes YA contemporary novels about tough issues but always ends the stories with a note of hope. She blogs at donnajostone.com.