Sunday, January 29, 2017

Guestopia: Pia Fenton

Welcome back to Guestopia 2017! Yes, this is the second Guestopia of January, you are not mistaken. But, you see, we love authors so much here and we want to help spread the word about as many different and diverse books as possible.

Today, please join us in welcoming the very lovely...

Pia Fenton






Pia Fenton writes historical romance and time slip as Christina Courtenay (published by Choc Lit), and self-publishes YA under her real name.  She is half Swedish and during her teens she moved to Japan where she had the opportunity to travel extensively in the Far East.  She's a former chairman of the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association.  Her novels Highland Storms and The Gilded Fan both won the RoNA for Best Historical Romantic Novel of the Year (in 2012/2014 respectively).  Her latest novels are The Velvet Cloak of Moonlight (time slip) and New England Dreams (YA contemporary romance).







Is this your first published book?

No, I’ve had ten historical/timeslip novels and five Regency novellas (all for adults) published under the name Christina Courtenay, and self-published three other YA novels.





What’s it called?

New England Dreams



Which genre?

t’s a contemporary YA romance with a US high school setting, but with British heroines





Which age group?

The books are suitable for teens from age 13 up





Is it a series or standalone?

It’s the fourth book in a series (the Northbrooke High series), but they can all be read as standalones





Are you an agented author?

No, I don’t have an agent – I don’t think it’s really necessary when you’re with a small independent publisher and/or self-publish





Which publisher snapped up your book?

This one was self-published.  The first book in the series was published by Choc Lit (an independent UK publisher), but they subsequently decided not to continue with their YA imprint and as I’d already written the sequels I decided to publish them myself





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

Very – I’ve done it all apart from the editing and cover design (although I had a lot of input in that too).  I like having control over all aspects of the publishing process





Do you have another job?

Yes, my husband and I run a holiday cottage lettings business which takes up some of my time but luckily also leaves lots of time for writing





Did you receive many, if any, rejections prior?

Prior to having my first adult book published in 2010 I had received countless rejections, but I was always told never to give up if I really wanted to be an author and although it’s annoying to hear that when you’re feeling down, it is good advice.  I found myself a couple of writing buddies who were at the same stage as me and we supported each other until we got there





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

I was thinking back to some of the stupid/crazy things I did as a teenager and the first scene in this book is based on something I did myself so that is what triggered the idea for the book (kissing a stranger on an airplane)





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

For this book, not very long.  Because it’s the fourth book in a series, I already had the setting and most of the secondary characters, so it was just a question of figuring out what was going to happen and when, and getting to know the hero and heroine





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

Thankfully, it was one of those stories that just sort of came pouring out of me and I wrote the first draft very quickly.  After that, of course, I had to do a lot of polishing and editing, but that’s just part of the process.  It’s so nice when you don’t have to wrestle with it though, isn’t it? 





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

I think I did two drafts before sending it to some of my writing buddies.  I started on my self-publishing venture together with three other YA authors (Gill-Marie Stewart, Katy Haye and Claire Watts) because we were all a bit unsure about the whole thing and needed each others’ support.  We formed a group and called ourselves Paisley Piranhas (website/blog at https://paisleypiranha.wordpress.com/ ) and have gone on this journey together ever since.  That means we help out by critiquing and proof-reading each others’ stories and we also do promo together, which is great.  I’m very untechie so I’m not sure I would have tried self-publishing without the encouragement of the others.





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

Both.  As I said, the Piranhas do the critique and later the proof-reading, but I always employ a proper editor for a structural edit to make sure the story is working and there aren’t any major holes in the plot





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

Not sure, five or six maybe?





How many drafts until it was published?

Same





Has the book changed dramatically since the first draft?

No, this one stayed more or less intact with just a few minor tweaks





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

I try never to read my books once I’ve published them because I know there will always be things I’ll want to tinker with or change.





What part of writing do you find the easiest?

The writing itself



What part do you find hardest
?

Self-promotion is extremely difficult, which is why I love doing it together with my friends





Do you push through writing barriers or walk away?

If I’m having a hard time with a story I usually leave it alone for a while.  Then if I read it through again later, I might come up with a solution.  Or if I get stuck in the middle of a manuscript, I go back and make an outline in bullet points so it’s easier to see what may be missing. But I don’t walk away from a book completely, they just get put on hold until I can see a way forward





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

Usually at least two, one historical or time slip story (adult), and one YA.  That way, if I’m stuck on one of them I can work on the other.



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

I think the craft of writing can be learned – the basic rules like no head-hopping etc – but you probably need to be born with a good imagination and like to tell/make up stories.  I never wanted to be a writer when I was younger, but I did a lot of day-dreaming and making up stories in my head, so perhaps that helped?





How many future novels do you have planned?

I have lots of ideas for future stories (and have made a start on a couple), but they’re not fully formed yet





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

I write blog posts whenever I’m asked to be a guest (and if I have something to say that might be of interest), but I don’t write very many short stories.  Only if I have to – I don’t like to stop after a thousand words, that’s too short for me!





What’s the highlight of being published so far?

Holding a new book with my name on it in my hand is great, but the best thing is when readers say they’ve enjoyed something I’ve written.  That’s a wonderful feeling!  Being shortlisted for, and occasionally winning, an award is also fantastic.





Give me one writing tip that work for you.

Having a writing/critique buddy, someone I trust completely and who will tell me the truth, but never be mean.  This is invaluable as it’s sometimes really difficult to see where you are going wrong in a story.





And one that doesn't.

Writing a detailed synopsis and outline before starting to write – I can’t do that as I’m a “pantser”, I just have to sit down and write.





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

It’s a fantasy YA novel loosely based on the old Norse gods and sagas, Odin in particular.





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

“Please can we make your book into a film/TV adaptation starring your favourite actor?” – “Yes, absolutely, as long as I can go on set and meet the cast!"




Thank you so much for joining us today, Pia! We've loved having you on the blog and wish you tremendous luck with New England Dreams as well as all your past and future novels!

Here are some handy links for you guys to find out more about Pia and her books.



Saturday, January 28, 2017

New Beginnings Come with a Price

New beginnings are exciting because there's full potential and no mistakes have been made yet. That's why everyone loves a new year, a new manuscript, new new new. But I'm going to be that person who stirs the magic Beginnings Brew and warns, "It comes with a price, my dear..."

Source: giphy.com

But because I'm nice, I'll give you two choices for your price.

Price number one: All your new beginnings mixed with everything else on your plate will stretch you thin and leave you tired and overwhelmed.

Price number two: Some of your old darlings will die to make room for your new darlings. Circle of life.

Source: giphy.com

You know what? I'm feeling extra nice today, so I'll even tell you which option is better because it's not super obvious, right? Better to say goodbye to some old darlings, darling. I know, I know. It's hard because you love those things or have an obligation to them. So if you don't want to let go, I understand. Price number one for you. Let me know how that works.

But for me? I choose price number two. I hardly worked on any fiction in 2016 because I had a new baby to enjoy. But in 2017, I'm getting back to writing fiction. I'm working on a first draft and totally revising a book I've queried and revised since 2011 (because with time and space from the manuscript, I finally know what's wrong with it!). But here's the thing...I don't magically have more time for writing in 2017. So this past week, I said goodbye to some things I've loved being a part of. I just had to ask myself what I want most in life, and what it'll take to get me there. The things I let go of are great, but don't help me go where I want to go. The goodbyes are bittersweet, but it'll be worth it to move forward and not be stretched too thin.


Ask yourself what you need to let go of. Because that's the price you have to pay for a new beginning. That's the price every successful writer has to pay. What will you let go of for your new beginning?


Jessie Mullins is wife to her middle/high school sweetheart and has embarrassing, love-struck diaries from back in the day she can use for YA fuel. Together, they have a son who just so happens to be the sweetest boy in the world. During naps times, Jessie blogs on YAtopia and her personal mommy blog, Her Arms Are Strong. She writes and adores YA. Her husband makes fun of her for liking stuff that's made for teenagers, and if he doesn't stop the teasing, she's going to write in her diary about it. 




Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Guestopia! YA debut author Maura Jortner

Welcome to 2017 and our first Guestopia of the year!

We have an amazing, incredible line up of authors this year and we're kicking things off with a very special young lady from Texas!

MAURA JORTNER!


Here's a little bit about Maura.

Maura Jortner grew up in New Hampshire and now lives in Waco, Texas with her patient husband, two amazing daughters, and one unruly cat. She teaches literature and writing classes at Baylor University. A lifetime ago, she used to direct plays and put on puppet shows for kids, which led to a Ph.D. in Theatre History. Currently, when Maura’s not writing, she’s spending her time like every native-born Texan: worrying about how many chiggers might be hidden in the grass outside her house or if she put enough sunscreen on her kids.

And let's get started...


Is this your first published book?

Yes


What’s it called?

The Life Group


Which genre?


YA thriller


Which age group?

YA, but I’d personally say 14+


Is it a series or standalone?

Standalone


Are you an agented author?

No.


Which publisher snapped up your book?


Lakewater Press


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

I’ve been involved in a sense, but Lakewater does an excellent job. I’ve been kept abreast of all facets of publication, but not put in charge—and I haven’t been asked to do much outside of my comfort-zone as an author, which has made me very happy.


Do you have another job?

Yes, I’m a professor at Baylor University. I teach writing and literature.


Did you receive many, if any, rejections prior?

LOL. Yes. Lots. Even good books get turned down.


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

I was driving to get my kids at their day care. Here’s the longer story—

Two events inspired me to write THE LIFE GROUP.

First, one of my students mentioned being part of a life group. He said something about why he hadn’t done his homework–and it was completely innocent, some kind of charity work with his group–but it struck me as odd that people his own age had so much control over him. They could persuade him to engage in activities he perhaps should not be doing (blowing off homework when he’s a full-time student), and maybe even lead him down a bad path (flunking out of school). Could they convince him to do something even more dangerous?

The second event was of greater significance: one of my colleagues went missing. The vanished professor wasn’t gone long—less than a week. And good news is, she was fine.  It turned out to be mental illness showing its ugly head. But the events of those five days when she couldn’t be located struck me to the core.

Later that semester, as I drove to the local daycare to pick up my kids, thoughts of my colleague swirled through my head. I remembered the gnawing feeling I had—my stomach alternating between tight clenches and high-up flips. I recalled my heart thumping as I trotted down sketchy streets in the bad part of town, looking for her apartment. In my mind’s eye I again saw my colleague’s office key sitting on the side table as if she’d been abducted and her attacker told her in a calm voice to place them there before he tied her up, gagged her, and took her away. My children’s daycare in sight, I gripped the steering wheel tighter, and then it came–the entire plot of The Life Group. It bounced straight into my head, and I knew my next book had to be about a missing person and the desperate search that followed.

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

Once the plot was fully in my head, I started writing. I’d been waiting for an idea to hit me, so I was ready to sit down and work. I ended up writing the first draft during the dates mentioned in the novel—February 14 to mid-March. Then I started the editing process. I think it went out to readers in May of 2015.


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

It flowed naturally. I work with an outline, so I always knew what came next. Some sections emerged onto the computer screen quicker than others, but it all basically poured out.



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

I have a handful of wonderful, trusted CPs (critique partners). They include: Tracy Townsend, Michelle A. Barry, Rebecca Waddell, Jennifer Griswell, Emily Bleeker, Aften Brook Szymanski, Oriel Offit, and Heather Brewer. Mostly, I get a draft as well done as I can and then hand it over to a couple of them. Then I edit it, change it, wrangle it, and send it off to a few more. I keep doing this until I feel like I’ve handled most of the “problems” in the text and lots of people have seen it.






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

Lots. Too many to count.


How many drafts until it was published?

Once it was accepted by Lakewater, I didn’t have to work on it for long. But from beginning to end, there are always many, many edits and drafts.


Has the book changed dramatically since the first draft?

Surprisingly, no. I had to do some work for character consistency, and I played with some plot points, but it mostly stayed the same.


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

I’m pretty happy with how it came out. J


What part of writing do you find the easiest?

The beginning—no. Certainly not. The middle tedium—no. Definitely not. Perhaps writing the ending. I love getting the thrill of reaching that exciting conclusion that I’ve been building up to and imagining forever.


What part do you find hardest?

The beginning—maybe. The middle tedium—maybe. But I think I probably find editing the most difficult. Trying to fix and alter all the repercussions of some small edit—changing a character’s height, for instance, or relationship to another character—that’s the tough stuff.


Do you push through writing barriers or walk away?

Push through.


How many projects do you have on the go at the same time? I mostly have one that I’m actively working on… but I might have one that I’m querying while I’m writing, and most of the time I have an idea for one that I might start after the one I’m currently working on.


Do you think you’re born with the talent to write or do you think it can be learned? It can absolutely be learned. There needs to be discipline and desire—that’s all.


How many future novels do you have planned?

One’s running wild around my head right now… but I need to finish the one I’m editing first. But I guess the real answer to the question is “a bunch.” I hope to never stop writing. I don’t necessarily have them planned in that I don’t know what they’ll be about, but I intend to keep going, to keep writing ad infinitum.


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

Not well, but I’ve been working on it. I have started a blog as part of my website (maurajortner.com). I also wrote a short story to send out to readers who sign up for the newsletter on my blog. So I’m trying new things all the time! I’ve written scholarly articles in the past, too, but my passion is for novels.


What’s the highlight of being published so far?


Having one of my books “out there” has been a dream of mine for a long time, and I’ve been pursuing it for about five years… so the answer is something like “all of it.” It’s all such a wonderful experience; I couldn’t be happier.


Give me one writing tip that work for you.

Sit down and do it. I push myself to write 1,000 words a day. It’s not much—really just 3-4 pages. But after a month, I’ll have 30,000 words if I’m true to my goal. That keeps me going.


And one that doesn't.

I’m sorry to say, I don’t know. I haven’t heard any writing tips that simply don’t work.


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

The one in my head right now is about a drama club where the kids keep being killed off. The main character has to wonder if she’s next… and who’s murdering her friends one by one.


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

Oh, gosh. Again, I don’t know. Sorry! I guess I don’t really think up questions I want people to ask me. When I have an interview coming up, I try to prepare for it; I try to imagine what the person might ask so I’ll be ready. But I don’t spend my time or mental capacity imagining myself being interviewed. I’m a bit too nervous about making mistakes, putting my foot in my mouth, or generally being boring to fantasize about such things. I’m much more likely to take the time thinking about plot points or main characters than an anxiety-producing interview!


And that's it! Thank you so much for joining YAtopia today, Maura. We wish you heaps of luck with The Life Group and recommend anyone who loves a suspense-filled, gripping novel that's totally unique buy it now! Here are some links that might help.

Amazon.com
Amazon.com.au
Amazon.co.uk
Goodreads

Twitter
Website



Tuesday, January 24, 2017

What's Next? How an Author Chooses Her Next Project

My second book, Keeping Her Secret, came out in August and since then I haven't written a single word on a new book. Not because I don't have any new ideas, but because I have too many.

My first book (Dragons are People, Too) was a fast-paced, high-stakes urban fantasy and the latest was a light-hearted summer f/f romance, so I'm not really hemmed in by genre expectations. My current ideas include a fun contemporary, an other-world fantasy, a heavy contemporary, and even an epistolary historical. I love reading in all genres and want to write most of them.

My love and passion for writing hasn't diminished; I feel the pull as strongly as ever. I just can't decide what to start. We're talking about beginnings this month on YAtopia and it's got me thinking a lot about the next book.

A conversation with my agent helped me rule out one of the books, as editors aren't interested in that certain sub-genre, so I'm starting to make progress. But when you have several potential projects that excite you for different reasons, how do you choose?

One of the projects requires significantly less research than the others, so I could go the easy route and write that one. But I'm not the kind of person who takes the easy way and I actually really enjoy research. Then again, just because it doesn't require as much research doesn't make it easy.

One of the projects resolves around an issue near and dear to my heart, but it is not an easy one to discuss and every bit of it would require careful consideration. I could do my absolute best and still mess up and that is terrifying for many reasons.

I've never been so torn between projects before, so here's my plan: I'm going to take the three most promising projects and write a scene or two from each and see if anything catches. For an ENTJ and an engineer, this loosey-goosey plan makes me anxious. I wish I could develop an equation, assign values, do some excel analysis, and come out with a clear answer, but writing just doesn't work that way. But it's been too long since I put pen to page and my analytical mind is paralyzed, so I have to push it back and let the creative brain take over, if only for a little while.

Unless anyone else has a better method? I'm all ears over here.


Sarah Nicolas is a recovering mechanical engineer, library event planner, and the author of Dragons are People, Too and Keeping Her Secret. She is a contributor for Book Riot and also writes romance as Aria Kane. When she’s not writing, she can be found playing volleyball or drinking wine. Find her on Twitter @sarah_nicolas.

Sunday, January 22, 2017

Getting Swept Away by New Beginnings



Hi fabulous readers of YAtopia! I’m Rosanne, a YA author and scriptwriter who loves writing about new worlds or unfathomable situations. I’m really excited to be contributing to YAtopia, and you can expect posts about querying, editing and staying in love with your writing from me for the next year.

Since Jan 1st, I’ve been excited about all the new beginnings I promised for myself back in 2016: New gym routine; revised writing routine; creating time for ‘me’; hitting my day-job goals, etc., which is ace. But with all this concentration on new beginnings, I started losing love for the writing projects I had already started.

Getting swept away with new writing ideas isn’t a bad thing, but it can be damaging if, like me, you do it all the time. Stored away in my mental WIP folder I currently have 60k words of a YA historical, 20k words of a YA sci-fi, and 0 words for a sparkly new idea… guess which one I want to write about?

The new one.

Yet that only makes me happy for so long, because in the back of my mind I have those other MSs staring at me, sulking that they haven’t been chosen to come out and play. So, in the face of all these beginnings, here’s some tips on how to fall back in love with your (older) beginnings…
·        

  •  Re-read the opening, concentrating on the way you felt when you first started writing the MS.
  •  Look over your notes and think about how far you’ve come since you started with just a grain of an idea.
  •  List all the reasons you wanted to write that story in the first place. Cross off any ones that no longer apply, add new ones, and see if what you have left is enough to carry you through to the end.
  •  Make an aesthetics board to reflect the mood/characters/theme of your novel - there are lots of collage apps that let you do this, just make sure your images are copyright free if you want to share them on social media.
  •  Ask yourself: will your characters ever leave you alone if you don’t finish their story? WILL YOU HEAR THEIR VOICES BEFORE YOU GO TO SLEEP?! (Really hoping this last one isn’t just me…)
  •  Research agents or publishers who you think would be a good fit for you and your story – this always gets me excited about finishing and submitting something.
  •  In a similar vein to above: research any competitions you’d like to compete in once you’ve finished – I’d recommend Brenda Drake’s website for this.
  •  Set yourself writing rewards: do another 10k words on your old WIP, then allow yourself to start your new idea! After this, even if you haven’t fallen back in love with your old WIP, at least you know you gave it a go.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with using a WIP as a stepping stone to the story you are REALLY meant to write, so if it’s not working, break up with it and move on to your true heart’s desire (until something shinier takes its place!)