Welcome to November!

Welcome to November, the month containing Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving.

No surprise, this month’s theme is Thankful! I've already seen Facebook posts starting thirty days of thankfulness. Today, I’m sharing a short thankful list of what makes my life as a writer easier. This is personal, obviously, but maybe it will inspire you with ways to make your writer-life (or whatever your job is) easier or get you thinking about what you’re thankful for.

1. Each of my kids cook dinner one day a week. I give this advice to anyone with kids: Teach them to cook independently! This has far-reaching effects, but the one that fits my purpose today is that I don’t have to worry about dinner five days a week. All I have to do is ask each child what they want to cook, add their ingredients to my grocery list, and my work is done until eating time. I can write until dinner is served—or skip it altogether—knowing the evening meal is taken care of. If your children are still very young (early elementary school or younger), this is a future dream. But start working toward it now. Invite your kids into the kitchen and cook with them. And one day, instead of living off pizza during a deadline, you’ll have multiple supporters (at least until they go to college).
2. Coffee shops. I have a Mac desktop—my gift after signing my first publishing contract—and I really should spend more time at home writing on it. I did complete one manuscript at my desk about a year ago. But most of the time, I pack up my laptop and find inspiration in coffee shops. Or perhaps, I find relaxation when I’m in a coffee shop so I can create, instead of working a few feet away from the chaos that is five kids and three dogs. In fact, arriving at one I wrote in for several weeks, I would literally relax and feel my creative energy revive while standing in line to order! Whatever reason though, I’m thankful for a community containing so many coffee shops. 
3. Brainstorming partners. Most often, my brainstorming partner is my husband. But I have writer friends I call on to fill the role as well. I’m so thankful for these people! When I’m stuck on an idea—or stuck without an idea—just talking about the story can be enough to unclog the creative pipes. I don’t think I would be as successful if I just talked to myself. Actually, I know I wouldn’t be, since I talk to myself regularly.

What makes your thankful list as a writer?

Sarah Tipton is a writer of Christian Young Adult Fiction. Her debut novel, Betrayal of the Band, released in August 2017.

How to Respond to Criticism

I know it's Spring Cleaning time around here, but I have something I need to get off my mind. Hey, I guess it fits the theme, after all!

Listen authors, we gotta talk. Bad reviews and other forms of criticism can hurt. Whether you haven't even finished your first manuscript or you have published eight thousand books, you're going to receive criticism.

Like, a lot.


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Whether it's that guy in your MFA class, a member of your critique group, an agent offering precious feedback, an editor declining to publish your work, or a reviewer commenting on a published work, you're going to get a lot of it.

Some of it really is nonsensical and may have more to do with the reader's problems than the writing. Some of it is going to click right away. But most of it? You're going to think it's all shades of idiotic and undeserved, but sometime later (maybe years?) you're going to realize your critic had a point.

Though it may feel like it, criticism about your writing is not a personal attack. Someone saying they don't like (parts of) your book is not bullying. The info here does not pertain to actual personal attacks where the person has some kind of power over you. If you think you might want to contact the police or a lawyer, do that. Don't tweet about it, just do it. Personal attacks and actual bullying are a different issue. But in the heat of critique, it is very often difficult to realize the difference, and many authors have misconstrued the two.

It has become apparent that maybe some authors could use some tips on how to respond to criticism. From someone who has been a reader, reviewer, hopeful author, mentor, editor, published author, and publicist, I'll offer my (admittedly not perfect) advice.

1) Don't respond.

Not to argue, not to "correct." You're going to disagree with their opinions. Just do so inside your own head, okay? If it's someone you've asked to critique your work, you're permitted two words: "Thank you."

I know you want to defend yourself and your work. But you don't have to. You put your work out there and someone responded to it genuinely and honestly. That's it.

But if a reviewer got every single one of your main characters' names completely wrong, describes your light and fluffy romance as a creature horror, or grossly misrepresents your book in some other way?


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Don't respond.

That's it. I know you're angry and/or hurt. We're compelled to defend ourselves. Your emotions are real. But for everyone's sake (especially your own), you gotta back off.

So what can you do?


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Scream at the sky, drink a glass of wine, pet your puppy, go to yoga class, dance around your apartment to old-school Avril Lavigne, strap yourself to a chair until the rage passes, carry heavy stones up a hill then back down again, cry your eyes dry, call your BFF/sister/therapist/partner and rant about it - whatever you need to do to process your emotions privately. But then let it go.

I should be able to stop here, but recent events have shown that some of this needs to be spelled out more explicitly. So.

2) Don't write about it in any public or semi-public space.

If you wouldn't post it on facebook, twitter, and the front page of the New York Times, don't create a written record of it. Let me rephrase: If your publicist would so much as give you that little half-frown she does when you're being slightly ridiculous if you put this on twitter, don't email or message or post in a "private" facebook group. Emails can be forwarded, "private" facebook groups are the privacy equivalent of fish netting for clothing, and anything written can be screenshot.

This includes subtweets, posts where you don't name the critic and/or only summarize what they said instead of quoting them. One, you're just bringing more attention to the critique you don't want anyone to see. Two, in my nine years in the book community, I have literally never seen any response to criticism turn the tide of public opinion back in the author's favor.


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This isn't just so you "don't get caught" but it's because you're going to say things either you don't really mean or don't understand the full ramifications of. Writing it and making it public - that's permanent. You can't take it back, ever.

If you really can't control your compulsion to write about it, go the old-fashioned route with pen and paper. Then light that shit on fire and let your bitterness float away with the smoke.

3) Don't contact the critic.

As the kids on twitter say: don't @ me. No tweets, no emails, no goodreads comments, no facebook messages, no tumblr reblogs, no instagram comments, no sending $0.01 donations via PayPal, no writing billboards, no passing things through a friend.

"But what if...?"


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Nah, just don't.

And (Lady Godiva help me, I can't believe I have to say this) do not -- under any circumstances -- seek out & share personal information about them, contact their place of work, go anywhere near them in person, talk about their children in any way, tell everyone who will listen how much they hurt you, or any number of things I would never think I would have to warn you away from.


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4) Read your positive reviews/feedback

Negative feedback can leave you feeling defeated, in addition to angry. Chances are, you've received positive feedback. Go ahead and re-read that. Say to yourself, "See, THIS PERSON appreciates my genius." Then maybe make friends with them if you're not already. Bask in the glow.

Don't isolate yourself to the point where all you hear is praise, as that will stunt your growth as a writer, but revel in your fans when you need to.


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5) Don't read reviews

Some people offer this as blanket advice, but I don't. I think reviews can be a great source of both encouragement and education. And if the work is not yet published, you're going to HAVE TO listen to criticism of it. No one writes a perfect book on their own.

But some people just can't handle reading negative comments of their published work. And at that point, it's not like you can change the book anyway. Most of the time, you think you can handle it, but then you find them gnawing on your mental health and energy. If you find that happening to yourself, if your muscles are straining to respond or lash out, don't read any of your reviews.


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Ask your publicist to send you the good ones, but don't lay one digital finger on your Goodreads or Amazon listing.

Some critique may find you, but you don't have to seek it out.

6) Listen & Consider

It may seem like this is the opposite of the last point, but it doesn't have to be. Here's the thing: a lot of that criticism that stings or feels like a knife to your gut? It may be valid.


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Whether it's that you lean too heavily on the word "smirk" or your book could be harmful to a marginalized group, wait until you're calm and really consider the potential validity of the criticism. Maybe discuss it privately with someone whose opinion you value (but make sure it's also a person who is not afraid to tell you when you're wrong).

Take it in, process it, and use it to improve your writing.

If something in your writing has deemed to be hurtful, apologize. (Note: "I'm sorry you were offended" is not an apology.))

7) Revise or Start Something New

Now it's time to move on. If the work is not yet published, and you can use the criticism to improve your work, do that.

If the book is published. Write something else. Something better and (if applicable) something not harmful.

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What is a New Beginning?

There are many ways people can describe a New Beginning. Some think of it as shrugging off the past and starting completely afresh. Some think of it as totting up their information from the year before and finding a new point to build off it. Others look at new ways to tackle writing and life problems - they experiment and try new things. For me, New Beginnings are all of those things.

As writers, I believe we can sometimes fall into the trap of getting to a New Beginning with a promise of writing more, harder, querying until our fingers bleed, getting our blood pumping. And while those are all great things, I think that some things are sadly left behind. One of those is reading. We can forget to read for the pure pleasure of the written word, so focused on the achievements we want in our own writing. Forgetting to sit down and read something that's not for editing and not for studying can actually make our New Beginning not so new after all.

I also believe that many of use forget about our writer's life. I'm not just talking about our new goals or our shiny new desk space. These are certainly awesome parts of our writer's life, and I wouldn't give them up for the work (well, I could negotiate on the desk page if I really needed to). What I'm talking about is diving into the rest of our life. Have we put into our New Beginnings something to try outside of writing our book? What about a new class? Pottery? Dancing? Wine tasting? Something totally unrelated to your book. Ah, but Fiona, it's not that easy. I don't have the time for that. Agreed, time can be hard to find. But how about all that time you waste on the internet, chatting on social media. How about that time when your kids are doing their homework without you for once? How about that commute to work - audio book if you need to on a new hobby or interest. At the moment, mine is learning more Greek. For me, to those who can, putting life into your writer's life is just as important as putting in the writer.

So there you have it. Those are my thoughts on New Beginnings, and I have many more that are my passions. Books I want to read just for fun this month - The Peculiar & The What Not, Cress & Winter, How to Hang a Witch - all of which sit on my bookshelf waiting for me. And there are a whole lot of books waiting on Amazon for me to order. And then there's the life I want to include into my writer's life - learning more Greek (an eternal process!), improving my horse riding, swimming in the summer in the beautiful Mediterranean Sea, planning my wedding, travelling to Rome, trying another creative art...will I achieve all of these? Maybe, maybe not, but I'm going to try my damn best to!

What are you going to read? What are you going to live? What will be your New Beginning in your writer's life?

Changing Things Up

Welcome to 2017! 

I love beginnings. New days, new weeks, new months. Yes, I am someone who actually loves Mondays. On Monday, the week always holds possibility and the chance for something better than last week. I also love mornings for the same reason, and because of coffee. Mornings = Coffee, so how can they be bad?

And today is not only a Monday, it’s the first Monday of 2017. A new year, fresh and open to possibilities. A chance to change things up to meet goals.

Okay, I confess, I didn’t wait until the first of the year to change things. I started last Monday. I’m impatient like that. But since I made changes a week ago, I’m now an authority, so I can give advice.

The last couple of months, writing has been a struggle. Really, for the last year. I did complete a manuscript in 2016, but that happened because I took a week off from life and wrote like a fiend. Truthfully, I’ve found it increasingly difficult to work writing into my everyday life. My other responsibilities feel more important: homeschooling five children, feeding those same five children (even though they do a lot of the cooking, I still have to do the grocery shopping, some assisting, and fix a few meals), driving those children to activities, spending time with my husband, exercising. Yes, those responsibilities are all important, and I honestly enjoy them all too. (Except the tenth grocery store visit in a week. That I do not enjoy.) But I was giving these activities priority, which left me too tired to do the writing thing. I had the time to write, but not the mental energy. Sandwiching writing after homeschooling and exercising and before driving and feeding left me too drained. Those two to three hours became my downtime, NOT my writing time. So I decided something had to change.

A few years ago, I started making sure homeschooling happened first because it was the top priority, and for several years, that worked. Then that schedule stopped working. But because I had drilled into myself that I wasn’t motivated enough to succeed at homeschooling when it came second in my day, I took a really long time to address this problem and recognize that I needed to—and could—make a change. Not only that, but life had changed. My kids are older. Our school day isn’t filled with phonics and addition and crafts. I don’t need to be my freshest, most patient self because the subjects no longer try my patience (most days anyway). Writing can take the first of my day when I’m freshest and school the second half, when all I really need to do is check assignments, read, and ask questions.

So if you’re finding writing (or any other important task) not fitting into your life, here are a few tips to try changing things up.

1. Reevaluate Those Things In the Past That Didn’t Work: So you tried once a month cooking five years ago to give you a couple more hours in the evenings to write, but you ended up eating out too often because you consistently forgot to thaw the meals. Or you attempted to write during your child’s music lessons but you were constantly distracted by the teacher’s teaching and couldn’t focus. Just because these things didn’t work before doesn’t mean they can’t work now. Maybe you can tweak the idea to fit your life better, such as once a week cooking, so you can prep ingredients but keep them thawed in the fridge, or write in the car during music lessons since your child is older now. Don’t continue rejecting an idea simply because you tried it once and failed. You’ve changed. Your life has changed. So try again.
2. Think Outside the Box: For a while, I took a long nap in the afternoons. I got up in time to help with dinner, spend time with the family, and after the kids went to bed around 8ish, I wrote until midnight. Then I’d sleep until five-thirty, go to the gym, homeschool, and after lunch, nap again. It was like living two days every twenty-four hours. Day one was gym and homeschooling, Day two was family time and writing. And it worked. So try arranging your schedule unconventionally.
3. Don’t Give Up Too Soon . . . : When implementing a change in your life, don’t quit before giving it a realistic chance. If you’re getting up an hour earlier to write first thing in the morning, and by day three the newness has worn off and there isn’t enough coffee in the world to wake you up, don’t give up on the experiment. Keep setting your alarm. Keep programming your coffee pot. Keep making the change.
4. . . . But Don’t Be Stubborn About What Isn’t Working: If after a month of waking up early you’ve actually written LESS than before you tried writing in the mornings, reevaluate. Obviously, writing early in the day isn’t working. But maybe it’s only the writing muse that sleeps in while you actually find yourself awake and not hating the solitude of the quiet pre-life hours. If so, what could you do during that time that doesn’t require creative brain cells but would free up time later in the day when the words start flowing? 

Most of us are fitting writing into our lives around family and job and other obligations, and sometimes, the pieces stop fitting together. When that happens, don’t give up on a piece that isn’t fitting. Make a change instead. Try fitting those pieces together in a different way, build a new picture, and make a new beginning.

Guestopia - Ampersand Prize winner, Cally Black

Today, we've switched things up! Instead of our Guestopia Interview going live on the 26th, we've brought it forward - and for good reason!

First, let's meet today's very special guest... Australian author, CALLY BLACK!

Cally is a winner of Hardie Grant Egmont's Ampersand Prize, and her debut novel In the Dark Spaces will be published in 2017.

She has travelled throughout Asia, Europe and Africa and now lives in Melbourne with her family. When she's not writing YA sci-fi, she teaches TAFE, writes for the educational market, and works with gifted children.

Awesome! Now click here for a little info about the Hardie Grant Ampersand Prize, which closes this year on Friday, September 16th, to find out what a massive writing prize this is!

So, let's gooooooo!

Is this your first published book?

Yes, this is my very first trade novel. It's very exciting.

I've had short stories published for children in Educational Publishing and in SF magazines before but have been focussing on YA novels for the last couple of years.

What’s it called?

In the Dark Spaces, which has a double meaning, and, I feel, invokes a mood similar to one of my favourite stanzas from a Robert Frost poem, “Desert Places.”

Which genre?

Science Fiction Thriller

Which age group?

Young Adult

Is it a series or standalone?

This is standing alone, and if it does really well... who knows?

Are you an agented author?

No. Unagented.

Which publisher snapped up your book?

Hardie Grant Egmont selected it as their Ampersand Prize novel for 2016 from their annual competition. Very exciting for a first novel to hit the ground with an award behind it!

How involved have you been in the whole publishing process of your book?

I'm very hands-on. Marisa at HGE has a lot of advice and ideas for tweaks and I see it as my job to realise that potential, so it's a lot of hard and rewarding work. I don't think anyone else could do it for me. There's an unusual voice and it's set in an unusual world. I wouldn't want anyone else to do it for me!

Do you have another job?

I have two other jobs. I work for a private educational company that works with children during the day and I teach at TAFE at night. Fortunately, I get school holidays off both of those.

Did you receive many, if any, rejections prior?

Only about a gazillion! Actually the last couple of years I'd stopped sending work out (this stops rejections!) and turned inwards to focus on my writing to try to understand why it got attention but never an offer, and to try to improve. It was a process that involved reading a lot of essays and articles by writers and reading their novels and picking apart how they did the things I loved. I'm still in that process. I may always be in that process. There's so much to learn!

What created/what were you doing or watching when the first idea for this book sneaked up on you?

 I'd read Hunger Games and then I read 5^th Wave and I thought you know what? These authors are having fun and letting go and not censoring themselves. Gloves off! I'm going to go into a novel swinging and punching. What's the worst that can happen? I told myself I didn't have to show it to anyone. It was just for me. And there were a few new techniques that I wanted to try so it was all useful.

How long did you plot/plan until you started writing it?

I don't plot. I write to tell myself a story, to entertain myself. If I plotted, I will have told myself the story and the process of writing it would change. What I do is I write scene by scene, and when I get to the end of the story. I put it aside and write it again in a more orderly fashion from scratch, and try to fully realise the motivations and quirks of each character. So I write and then I plot, and then I write again. This second time, I guess is with a writer hat on, whereas the first time, I suppose I'm inhabiting the viewpoint character. This is a very slow way to do things, even if you can type 40wpm, but I think, if the writer is enjoying themselves and connected with their character, you can feel that in the words.

Once you started, did the story flow naturally or did you have to step in and wrestle it into submission?


I started it. It went in a weird direction after 20,000 words. I turned the page and started it again, and I've been wrestling it ever since!

How many drafts did you write before you let someone read it? Who was that someone?

 Well, you understand this was a novel just for me. I made about half a dozen passes over it. Put it aside, came back to it, and I still liked it far too much for the strange thing it was, the experimental thing I was never going to show anyone. So I showed the opening to an online writing group in the US, and they were really accepting of it. They didn't bag anything I thought they would. So then I showed the opening to Dee White who is a great friend and great writer and she liked it. So then the thing I didn't have to show anyone, became something I could actually show people.

Did you employ an editor/proofreader or did you have a critique partner/beta readers before you started querying?


Only the opening with Dee before querying. The Ampersand was a bit of a spur of the moment thing. Normally I would run the whole thing via friends, do a novel swap. I'm pretty good at editing, so it's the story that I need examined. Dee has read the whole novel since to help me with the HGE edits.

Roughly how many drafts did it take before you sent the manuscript off into the real world?

Probably around eight. I'm obsessive about getting things right. Not good at keeping track of numbers.

How many drafts until it was published?

Another four implementing big and minor changes with Marisa.

Has the book changed dramatically since the first draft?

The core main character has remained the same and the core story, but another character was added, and a lot of work expanding characters and their motivation has improved it significantly. It basically grew a heart.

Are there any parts you’d like to change even now?

Yes! Always! Marisa's just pried it from my hands! I'd keep working on it forever. If only there was more time, if only I could have another 10,000 words!

What part of writing do you find the easiest?

I find being the character and writing the openings the easiest. I love writing dialogue. Finding a voice. I love setting the character free to tell her story.

What part do you find hardest?

Endings are hard. Being bound by word counts and pacing is also hard. Not letting the dark parts of the stories overwhelm the light... as might be judged by a YA reader is difficult, because clearly I'm a dark person! My darkometer is a bit stuffed.

Do you push through writing barriers or walk away?

I'm diseased with writing. Did you see above where I said even though no one wanted to publish me, I wrote just for me for two years? I write to entertain myself. I write to learn more about writing. I write because it's a habit I just can't kick, but at least it won't damage my liver.

How many projects do you have on the go at the same time?

Erm... three lately but usually two.

Do you think you’re born with the talent to write or do you think it can be learned?

100% learned. I'm not “writer material” whatever that is. I wasn't read to or raised among bookshelves, we didn't own many books. School libraries were my only source of books. I was good at English but it wasn't my favourite subject. But I am from a family of storytellers. The things we did, became stories told at late night fires after hard day's work. The things we survived, were relegated to stories, told over and over to friends. My history is a collection of stories that have been garnished for entertainment value. There is the truth softened and made entertaining by the story. I am a collection of stories. Maybe we all are.

Early on in my daydream of learning to write, I read Dare to Be a Great Writer by Leonard Bishop. Bishop told me it didn't matter where your starting point was, as he was once a hobo who won a typewriter in a dice game, your voice can be as relevant as any other, more so, if it's honest and raw. It's taken me a long time to trust my voice.

How many future novels do you have planned?

 100s but how many get published is up to the readers, and whether they like this novel.

Do you write other things, such as short stories, articles, blogs, etc?

I don't have time to blog. Lately nothing on the short story front. But perhaps some more in the future.

What’s the highlight of being published so far?

The first meeting with Hardie Grant Egmont when a young woman from marketing came to meet me with Marisa and I asked what her role in the meeting was (feeling nervous I was being assessed for marketability) and she said, she adored the book so much she had to meet the person who wrote it! My first fan!

Give us one writing tip that works for you.

'Don't stage direct the senses.' Your main character is usually too busy seeing something to think about the fact that her eyes are doing the seeing or pointing in a particular direction. Just plunge on in with what's happening.

And one that doesn't.

'Start with action.' Don't start with action, start with some movement, but something that allows your reader an insight into your character. Don't expect a reader to care that an unknown character is under threat of death in the opening paragraph. This is my Ampersand Prize entry tip too.

Can you give us a clue or secret about the next book?

Erm... I haven't got that far along yet. If readers want a sequel, they'll have to let me know next year after they read In the Dark Spaces, but at the moment, I'm writing another YA set closer to home, in small town Victoria, which involves a lot of missing people and a bit of an invasion.

What question have you always wanted to be asked but never have? What would the answer be?

You realise I can say almost anything because as a new author, I've not been interviewed!

But maybe I can share what I was like when I was the age of my protagonist, with the question, “What were you like as a young adult?”

And the answer is: angry, stupid, a lanky goofy thing with no identity or sense of value with a deathwish ambition to be burnt out before 20 (told you I was stupid). And I'm so glad that was one of the many things I failed at.

And that's a wrap! Fantastic. I for one cannot wait to read In the Dark Spaces, it sounds awesome. Thank you so much for joining YAtopia today, Cally!

Guestopia - Aften Brook Szymanski

It's Guestopia time, and this month we are thrilled to welcome YA debut author Aften Brook Szymanski to YAtopia! 

In case you're wondering about her Aften - OF COURSE YOU ARE! - here are a few details to get you started! 

Aften Brook Szymanski, at the age of five, once fell on her bum looking out a large picture window while eating a pickle and people laughed. She thought she was funny, life has never been the same. She’s obsessed with LEGOs, cozy reading nooks, and over-the- knee socks. A graduate of the College of Southern Idaho with an Associate of Arts degree, Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Science degree, and the University of Utah with a Master of Education degree. Learning is more fun than testing, sometimes we have to endure both.

She lives in a very cold Wyoming valley with her husband, three kids, and one unhappy cat, where they are being cryogenically preserved for all time—thanks to how cold it is.


And now for the interview! Take it away, Aften! 


Is this your first published book?

Yes—through a publisher. Though I have self-published children’s books, mostly for my own kids and family. That is what got me started and taught me that “hey, maybe I can do this writing thing I’ve always loved.” Not everyone considers self-published works to be the same as published.

What’s it called?

Killer Potential

Which genre?

Psychological Thriller

Which age group?

YA or teen

Is it a series or standalone?

It’s written as a standalone novel.

Are you an agented author?

I am not agented. I’d love to have an agent. I’m currently querying a different novel in hopes of finding agent representation.

Which publisher snapped up your book?

BookFishBooks offered me a contract. I had three offers for this piece at the time, and it was difficult to decide where to take the story. I loved the covers that BookFishBooks puts out and they’re contract was very fair. I’ve also loved working with their editors and staff. They’re fantastic.


How involved have you been in the whole publishing process of your book?

I’ve revised a number of areas that just weren’t sharp enough, as well as gone through several rounds of edits. The marketing team lets me know what they’re working on and asks for my feedback, but overall they get the final say. They make good work, so I trust them. I was also able to approve the cover design, which I’m sure stressed the team out a ton. I panicked once of seven times.

Do you have another job?

My favorite job is being a mom. I also work as a teacher for the visually impaired, where I get to do cool stuff like work with braille (only part time). I like to work and have taken jobs from filling in at the local Post Office on Saturday’s for our Post Master to weeding onion fields and picking peas. I’ve worked in a fabric store, burger joint, teen correction facility, psych unit, research aide for a molecular biologist, teaching grade school (this is what my undergrad degree is in), filing HMO’s… I enjoy work where I feel like I’m helping. (I also started working when I was 13 and worked while I was going to college and grad school, which gave me a lot of different work opportunities).

Did you receive many, if any, rejections prior?

Heck yes! There were some weeks when I averaged a rejection a day.

What created/what were you doing or watching when the first idea for this book sneaked up on you?

Probably staring at the blinking cursor of mockery.

How long did you plot/plan until you started writing it?

I’m a bare bones plotter. I create a basic outline and beef it up from there.

Once you started, did the story flow naturally or did you have to step in and wrestle it into submission?

This story flowed. Revisions… That was a wrestle, but well worth it.

How many drafts did you write before you let someone read it? Who was that someone?

Two. I probably should have waited for three. I think Tifani Clark was my first beta reader. We often read each other’s works. She’s an amazing writer.

Did you employ an editor/proofreader or did you have a critique partner/beta readers before you started querying?

I circulated through two rounds of beta readers and critique partners. In each round I had between three and five people read and made revisions first on things that were common concerns, and then went into greater detail with each person’s notes from there. I have great beta readers/critique partners.

Roughly how many drafts did it take before you sent the manuscript off into the real world?

Probably twenty-three. By the time I sent to BookFish It had been revised twenty-seven times (at least, maybe more).

How many drafts until it was published?

If I count the edit rounds with BookFish, I’d say thirty some-odd drafts.

Has the book changed dramatically since the first draft?

So much. Completely. All for the better.

Are there any parts you’d like to change even now?

Sometimes I’d like to make it a happier story, but it just doesn’t fit.

What part of writing do you find the easiest?

The part before revision, but the most rewarding part is definitely the revision phases.

What part do you find hardest?

Due to my natural lack of organization, revisions can be a struggle. But, I’ve managed to employ some helps that make it easier for me to tackle everything thanks to amazing writing friends.

Do you push through writing barriers or walk away?

Both. It depends what’s going on in my day as to whether I can push through or need to just walk away. I’ve found that I generally make better choices to address the barrier if I go with my instinct regarding the hang-up. By that I mean, if I feel the need to walk away, I often discover the problem/solution engaging in other activities. Or if I feel I can push it, the scene often materializes.

How many projects do you have on the go at the same time?

I try to work on one project at a time, but might also be doing revisions while working on a new WIP.

Do you think you’re born with the talent to write or do you think it can be learned?

I’m a firm believer in dedication over talent. I am not naturally talented in writing. I am dedicated and in love with writing. Determination to learn skills in areas I fall short has helped me continue to progress. I love that.

How many future novels do you have planned?

Way too many. I have an abundance of ideas and not enough time to write them all. I have a folder with story ideas that continues to fill all the time.

Do you write other things, such as short stories, articles, blogs, etc?

I write all the things (minus articles). I love venturing into different styles. Though I admit I am not skilled in every genre of writing. If I worked at each genre I’m sure I’d improve in those areas, but I might not ever be awesome at them all.

What’s the highlight of being published so far?

When someone relates to something in the story. That’s my favorite thing in the world.

Give me one writing tip that work for you.

“Whether or not you write well, Write Bravely.” –Bill Stout

And one that doesn't.

“Write every day.”

Can you give us a clue or secret about the next book?

Trust your instincts or accept the consequences.

What question have you always wanted to be asked but never have? What would the answer be?

Q: “Are those salon made silver streaks in your hair? It looks amazing.”

A: “Nope. That’s all my own self-grown wirey-gray strands or life experience and awesomeness. Gray Pride.”

Best question and answer ever! 

Well, thank you, Aften, for taking the time to pop by. We wish you all the best with Killer Potential and implore lovers of dark YA fiction to get out there and buy this book! Here's the blurb and some essential links! 

BLURB

Seventeen-year- old Yvette Gibbs was just admitted to the hospital psych unit in handcuffs as the main suspect in a murder case, which she refuses to talk about. 

Drugs and depression claim her family—leaving Yvette to fight her own demons alone. Adopting the skill of master of passive-aggressive vengeance lands Yvette in the psych unit with no family support, unless she cooperates with her therapist to clear her name, also a convicted murderer.

Yvette wants revenge on the world that taught her to be afraid, claimed her mother to depression, hid her father in a fog of job hopping, turned her brother to dealing drugs, and swallowed her sister whole, but to achieve this she must lie, manipulate, and most of all survive. Pitting her dead sister’s shady friend whom she fears against the man who reminded her she’s not immune to victimization, is her perfect solution to all life's hassles, even if that means she ends up with blood on her hands. Until everything backfires.

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2016 - Keep the passion burning

So it's time for my seasonal greeting to you all - Happy New Year YATopians!

Well, where to begin? Another year has rolled around and we're divided into three camps:

1) Those sparkling full of new promises and resolutions.
2) Those ruminating over last year and not quite feeling the buzz for the coming 12 months.
3) And those who couldn't care either way.

So what does this all mean for us lofty writers? Well, it means that we're all swimming in the same writing waters. We might be at different places than each other, but we can see each other over the white tips of the waves.

If nothing else, we should look at the new year not in a stressful way. We should look at it as a way to build upon what we have - whether that is craft skills, publishing goals, or simply to do what it is that we enjoy - writing.

I have one tip for anyone continuing their writing journey this year: PASSION.

For those sparkling with new promises - make sure you keep your passion alive no matter the day, week, month or year. Don't stress yourself. Make sure the passion is more important than the goal. Don't let your writing become a circle of fighting to meet goals to the detriment of your enjoyment of the written word.

For those ruminating on last year and feeling a little down in the dumps - think hard about why the negative events/thoughts/reactions are impacting so much on you doing what it is you love. Yes, you might have ambitions and dreams you haven't achieved, but that shouldn't take pride of place over the wonderful written word you are creating and growing into a magnificent story. Enjoy your art, love your words, and let the excitement of what you do wash over you.

For those who don't care either way - perhaps you are the luckiest of all. Perhaps you are continuing to float along in a blissful wave of happy writing and contented storytelling. And if you are, great. And if you're not, why not let your mind wander and find the story that grabs you and stirs up the muse and the excitement in your gut.

So, my fellow YATopians, let's imbue our writing world with all the passion that we have.

Happy 2016!

GUESTOPIA! Interview with Candice Lemon-Scott

It is with great pleasure I bring a very special author interview straight from the Gold Coast today. Please join me in welcoming Candice Lemon-Scott to Guestopia!



Hi Candice! Thank you so much for joining us!

 

 

Is this your first published book?

No, I had several standalone chapter books published before the Jake in Space books, as well as a school reader. I’ve also published a novel for adults, Unloched, which received a commendation in the Victorian Premier’s Awards for an unpublished manuscript before it was picked up by Odyssey Books.

Which genre?

Science Fiction.

Which age group?

7-11.

Is it a series or standalone? 

It’s a six-book series.

Are you an agented author?

No, I don’t have an agent.

Which publisher snapped up your book?

New Frontier Publishing.

Do you have another job?

Yes, I own a bookstore on the Gold Coast, Big B Books.

Did you receive many, if any, rejections prior?

I received two rejections before New Frontier Publishing picked up the first book and asked me to create a series from it.
 
What created/what were you doing or watching when the first idea for this book sneaked up on you?

I have no idea how I ended up writing a science fiction adventure. It just evolved that way from my memory of failing my driving test numerous times (I won’t tell you how many, it’s way too embarrassing). As such, I had to learn a lot about space and the science of space travel to write this series. It’s been an exciting learning curve.

How long did you plot/plan until you started writing it?

I don’t really plan my stories out so I just started writing about this boy, Jake, who kept failing his driving test and was sent to remedial space car driving school on the Moon. The adventure developed from there. I quickly discovered I needed to learn some stuff about the Moon to write this story when he got there though so it took about a month to do all the research so I could write the book.

Once you started, did the story flow naturally or did you have to step in and wrestle it into submission?

Because there’s a mystery element involved I did have to wrestle with the story a bit so that the pieces of information were revealed at the right time and made logical sense, as much as you can in a futuristic setting where kids learn to drive space cars and use slooper goo.

How many drafts did you write before you let someone read it? Who was that someone?

Usually I only write my first draft before I read my work to my husband, and sometimes my kids if it’s appropriate for their age. Reading aloud is my process of beginning the editing process because it’s then I notice anything that needs attention, such as where the story isn’t working as it should, if there are any issues with flow and plausibility and of course picking up any poor spelling and grammar or word repetition.

How many drafts until it was published?

I did about 3-4 drafts myself, then another three with the publisher, plus a final proofread.

Has the book changed dramatically since the first draft?

The story itself hasn’t changed much but the writing style has. I originally wrote it in first person, present tense until my editor suggested I rewrite it in third person, past tense. It works much better in the new form. Oh, and Jake wasn’t called Jake originally.

Are there any parts you’d like to change even now?

No, it’s gone through enough edits and I’m now completely happy with it, phew!

What part of writing do you find the easiest?

Writing the initial story – that’s the fun part.

What part do you find hardest?

Fixing anything that’s implausible – especially when it comes to science fiction.

Do you push through writing barriers or walk away?

Push through them usually, unless it’s a problem with the overall story. If I didn’t do that I’d give up and never get anything finished.

How many projects do you have on the go at the same time?

Usually only one, or two at most. I like to concentrate all my creative energy on one project at a time once I know what story I want to tell.

Do you think you’re born with the talent to write or do you think it can be learned?

I think it’s a combination of both, like with anything. For me, I was always an avid reader and keen writer. English was my favourite subject at school and teachers often read my stories to the class. I later went on to study writing and editing though through my Bachelor of Communication/Diploma of Arts (Professional Writing & Editing) so I learned to refine and improve my writing skills then. I’m always learning to become a better writer even now too and, like everything, writing gets better with practise.

How many future novels do you have planned?

Lots! I have so many ideas that I just need the time and patience to write them.

Do you write other things, such as short stories, articles, blogs, etc?

I published several parenting articles and had a regular blog spot when my children were little. I also have a media background so I’ve written a gazillion news reports.

What’s the highlight of being published so far?

 

Having Jake in Space: Moon Attack listed in the Herald Sun ’12 Books Children Will Love in Christmas 2014.’

 Give me five writing tips that work for you.

1.       I must have a great character with a massive problem to deal with.

2.       I need to get inside the head of my main character and write as though I am that person.

3.       My ideas come when I get active and have a clear mind to allow the story to appear, not from sitting in front of a computer screen.

4.       I need to have a story outcome in mind as a guide but I don’t need to stick to it if things take a different direction.

5.       I have to enjoy the writing – if it’s a constant struggle, the story isn’t there yet so I need to take a break and rethink it or let it go.

And one that doesn't.

Not caring about the main character and what happens to him or her – if I don’t care, no one else will either.

Can you give us a clue or secret about the next book?

My YA novel Clearwing just received a highly commended place at the CYA Conference so I’m hoping to develop that further now.

Thank you so much, Candice! Good luck with Clearwing!

Go out an buy Jake in Space, YAtopians, it's a fantastic series for lower middle grade readers, I promise you won't be disappointed.

If you want to know more about Ms Lemon-Scott and follow the progress of her new projects, check out these links below.

Website
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LinkedIn

And even Jake has his own website!

 

How to Support an Author 101

Since the release of my book, Becoming Jinn, on April 21 (and, yes, I’m still on a high!), many people have been asking me what they can do to help support me. While buying the book is one very nice way I will never say no to (!), most people, aside from my mom, won’t be buying more than one copy (and some people can't afford to buy one, which I completely understand). So what else can you do to support an author you love? 

My good friend, Jen Malone, author of the upcoming Hollywood YA novel, MAP TO THE STARS, has two excellent posts on this very topic. If you are looking for ways to support the authors whose work is important to you, I urge you to read those posts here and here.
 
Here are some of my favorite tips excerpted from Jen’s articles (with her permission!):

Preorder
 


If you are going to buy the book, preorder it. Why? Here are three of the biggest reasons:

1. This gets it on the radar of bookstores, whether it’s your favorite local one or a big one like Barnes & Noble. Enough preorders can trigger automatic orders for additional copies due to the formulas these companies use to calculate ordering strategies. High pre-sales also encourage booksellers to offer extra marketing attention and prime in-store placement to those titles.

2. When bookstores order more copies in advance of a book’s release, it can trigger publishers to order a bigger initial print run and generate a push for more in-house marketing efforts. Additionally, many houses wait for early sales numbers before green-lighting a sequel or follow-up book, so strong pre-sales could give them the confidence to move forward on another book deal for the author you love.

3. Preorders get lumped into first week sales, thus bumping the author farther up in the sales charts for their “opening week.” This can also capture the attention of smaller indie bookstores, who factor sales rankings into their ordering decisions. In some slower weeks, as few as 2,000 combined preorders and opening week sales can put an author on the NYT bestselling list. Any idea what having “NYT Bestseller” on a book cover does for future sales?

Ask for It by Name
 


After the book’s release, when you go into a bookstore or a library, ask for the book by name (you can do this even if you don’t intend to buy a copy or check it out that day). Have the bookseller or librarian direct you to the book. This makes them aware of it, shows interest in the book, and may prompt them to recommend it to the next person who comes in looking for something in that genre. Word of mouth is key, and this is one way you can generate it.

Speaking of Word of Mouth…
 

If you loved an author’s book, spread the word! Tell your family and friends, post it on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram (pictures of the cover are great to post as it adds to brand building and recognition for the title and book). If you have a book club, suggest they read it. Most authors will do Skype chats with book clubs, and many will visit locally in person. Check out an author’s contact page on their Web site to see if they’d be willing to visit your book club. Recommend the author to your bookstore, library, or child’s school as a speaker. Many of these places run events or panels where they include authors. Recommendations help get authors on the radar for the organization’s next event.

Review It
 


Telling friends and family is great, but why not tell the whole world? If you have an account on Goodreads, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble, review the book. On some of these sites, a book must have a certain number of text reviews to be entered into the algorithms that recommend books either on the site or in e-mail newsletters. Your review can help the author get there. And, yes, it’s perfectly okay to copy and paste the same review into multiple sites. Don’t worry about “saying the right thing.” If you loved it, say that. That’s enough!

Request It
 


Many local libraries have Web sites that allow you, as a library patron, to request that the library carry a certain book. Most libraries will order requested books, which means you can get your favorite authors’ books on more shelves and exposed to more readers. If you do this online, you may need certain information like the ISBN number, the publisher’s name, and the release date. Fortunately all of those are easily found in the details area on both Amazon and Goodreads. They are usually on the author’s “books” page on their Web site as well.

If your library doesn’t allow you to do this online, simply swing by the desk the next time you visit and ask in person.

While this may sound simple, it makes a huge difference, and authors will be most grateful!

Tell the Author
 


While all of the above is very important for the book’s success, one of the nicest things you can do if you love a book is to simply tell the author. Tag them on a Facebook post, Twitter message, or Instagram picture. Send them an e-mail. Writing is a long, often lonely, process. To hear from readers—the people we are writing for—who love the book means more than everything else combined.

Thank you and happy reading!

Lori Goldstein is the author of Becoming Jinn (Feiwel and Friends/Macmillan, now available!!, sequel, Spring 2016). With a degree in journalism and more than 10 years of experience, Lori is a freelance copyeditor and manuscript consultant for all genres. She focuses on the nitty-gritty, letting writers focus on the writing.

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