COVER REVEAL: HIGH AND DRY

My contemporary YA mystery, HIGH AND DRY, comes out April 15th, 2014 from Amulet Books! I love the gritty cover:

What's HIGH AND DRY about?

Framed for a stranger's near-fatal overdose at a party, blackmailed into finding a mysterious flash drive everyone in school seems anxious to suppress, and pressured by his shady best friend to throw an upcoming game, high school soccer player Charlie Dixon spends a frantic week trying to clear his name, win back the girl of his dreams, and escape a past that may be responsible for all his current problems.

• Enter my giveaway at Goodreads to win one of two ARCs (advance reader copies) this fall

• Pre-order HIGH AND DRY at Barnes & Noble.

Do You Feel Lucky, Punk? Well, Do Ya?

I've joined a new group for children's and YA authors with debut books launching in 2013. We're called the Lucky 13s and today -- the 13th, of course -- is our inaugural post. Come say hi and meet the other Thirteeners! Don't step on any sidewalk cracks.

Speaking of luck, we were very lucky to have our logo created by the talented Wendy Martin, an accomplished children's book illustrator.

I'll continue to blog here once a week, as well as once a month or more at the Lucky 13s blog. We'll be providing the inside scoop on what to expect during the year leading up to publication.

You can also follow us on Twitter for news about our books and the literary world at large.

Lastly, here is a photo of "Lucky" from General Hospital. You're welcome.

Where to Start? Screenwriting Tips for Novels

"You only like the beginnings of things." (Hey wow, a Mad Men reference in January. If you missed my recaps of the past two seasons, I put them on ice. With booze.) Dr. Faye's parting shot to Don Draper in the season finale last year was both snide and perceptive, and I've been thinking about beginnings a lot lately, because I always struggle to decide how my novel should start.

Beginnings set the tone of the whole story, of course, and they're inevitably the portion of the manuscript that gets edited, moved around, and generally futzed with most, because every time I open my document to write, the beginning is there, staring at me accusingly, saying, "But don't you want to make me perfect before you continue?"

For screenwriting, I was taught to ask, "What's your inciting incident?", meaning, what comes along very early on to propel your main character to action? Since a page of script corresponds with a minute of screen time, you have about 15 minutes to set up A) the main character's world and normal, everyday life and B) knock both of those off-kilter.

With books, it has to happen even faster.

Yet somehow I manage to forget this fact when I start a new project. I want to introduce my characters, rather then get them moving and reveal who they are through action.

I got 12 pages done on my new YA novel this week before realizing it was NOT the right beginning. The pages weren't a waste, though -- they gave me some fun dialogue to insert later, and taught me things about the characters that I wouldn't otherwise have known. I set the document aside, started fresh, and placed the inciting incident on page 2, which helped get the story off to a faster, cleaner start. Will it stick? Who knows, but it feels right at the moment, like elements are aligning properly.

Do you ever scrap your beginnings and start over? How do you decide which scene should kick off your novel?

If Only There Were a Container Store for Ideas

I hit the Container Store in Century City last night after work. It's the best place ever! I got, well, containers for old journals so I can stack them up dust-free in the closet, a wine rack, coffee, flour and sugar containers, a double-hook for our housekeys, a magnet that displays how to convert cooking measurements (did you know a cup is equal to .06 of a gallon?), a shoe rack and a mini-garbage can for the bathroom.

I wish there were containers for ideas. You could seal them up, store them away and keep them fresh with all the details intact for when you have time to write them.

I'm about to start revisions on a new novel (the one I finished in December), but I have ideas for three new stories creeping around the edges of my mind, fighting to get in, and I'm scared I'll forget some of the juiciest bits.

Off to my retreat tomorrow. See you next week and happy writing, everyone.

Does it Ever Pay to Not Get Paid?

I'm not talking about writing for free -- though I've done that in the past to build up local newspaper clips. I'm talking about turning down paid writing work in order to have time to write something that may never pay. About a year ago, I reduced my freelance writing (paid blogging, film reviews, Hollywood columns and novel coverage) because continuing those assignments, along with working a day job, left me no time or ability to work on my novels.

The decision earned me anxiety and insomnia; I feared I was crazy for turning down work. Could I have used the money? Absolutely, in the short term. But in the long term, I have to believe my novels will become a source of income one day. If I don't believe it enough to give it everything I've got, who will? Besides, the joy I get from creating stories and characters, even if just for myself and my friends, outweighs the frustration I feel when I don't have the time or energy to pursue my real passion. Life is short.

A month or two after deciding to focus on my unpaid writing, I was lucky enough to sign with a wonderful agent. I'd like to think the two are connected.

Kind of a serious entry for a Friday, but it's been on my mind because of my writing retreat next week. I plan to get a lot done.

Five Days of Reading & Writing

I'm hosting a wee writing retreat (aka "having friends over to my parents' rental in Palm Springs") later this month, and I'm trying to decide how best to use my time at the event.

I can't type on laptops and I'm not bringing a desktop computer, so I won't actually be typing, but I can grab a pen, Holly Lisle's One-Pass Revision checklist, and revise my new YA novel by hand. I can also spend some time researching (I've loaded up my library holds list) and diving into "Sin and Syntax" by Constance Hale for some refreshers.

Also, I plan to plot against my liver. It's a WRITING RETREAT ;)

Other suggestions are more than welcome.

* CONFESSION: I have never revised a manuscript in one pass and don't think I ever will. Ha!

In the Meantime Inbetween Time

I'm in limbo at the moment. Just finished some revisions on a previous novel, but I'm not quite ready to look at my newest novel (I like to take 6-8 weeks off after completing a first draft before diving in again, so I can hopefully see it more objectively).

My husband and I bought a townhome, but we can't move until we re-carpet, re-paint and pack up.

I just got a major hair cut (perhaps a teeeeensy bit too short) so I'm waiting for it to grow out a bit. (Yes, it's actually shorter than the photo above and to the right. I had it braid-able length for a while, and just chopped it off again.)

Can't believe it's already February. I'm between actions, poised and ready, with nowhere to go just yet.

Tagged

On Friday I was tagged by Natalie for this writing meme and I planned on answering all the questions today. That was before I stayed up super late this weekend reading "Catching Fire" (book #2 in Suzanne Collins' amazing Hunger Games series); I'm feeling pretty beat, so I'll start with the first 5 questions for now:

1) What's the last thing you wrote? What's the first thing you wrote that you still have?

Revisions on an older story, and a first draft of a YA project. First thing I wrote that I still have? Probably stories I wrote in Junior High, or "radio shows" on cassette I recorded with my sister before that. And I swear we're not that old.

2) Write poetry?

Only if my character does.

3) Angsty poetry?

See #2

4) Favorite genre of writing?

Usually dramas with an element of mystery, and I also love coming of age stories.

5) Most annoying character you've ever created?

I could never choose. They're all annoying in their own special ways ;)

GOOOAAAALLLLL(s)

Hope everyone's enjoying the holiday season. I finished reading my 100th book of the year on Monday night, realized I'd counted wrong and it was only the 99th, screamed, and grabbed another one for Tuesday. Figured it was time to post my "year in numbers" before 2009 ran out.

So!

Books Read = 100 (I swear this time)

Specifically, 13 non-fiction, 4 graphic novels, and 73 fiction. I also read several friends' manuscripts, which are excellent novels-to-be, so you can add a few more to my fiction count if you're feeling generous :)

Scripts Read = 317

Freelance Articles Written = 9

Hats Knitted = 3

This year I also celebrated 5 years of marriage, signed with a lit agent, revised a novel, adapted an old screenplay into a novel (failed experiment), and wrote the rough draft of a brand-new novel. Whew!

Goals for 2010 include fixing up the new novel, writing a NEW new novel, moving to Santa Clarita, and getting a bicycle and using it as my main method of transportation (keep in mind I live in L.A. so this goal is actually insane... but I think it's good to have at least one insane goal per year).

Happy champagne clinks, and see you next year.

The Darlings, They Must Be Killed -- Or Must They?

It's often said about revisions that you should "kill your darlings," i.e., get rid of the scenes that you love but that don't actually help your narrative move along. Love is blind, after all, and sometimes the lines, descriptions or dialogue you most adore don't belong.

But what about when you're in the midst of writing a first draft? If I've written a sentence that I really like, I check to see if it's out of place, and if so, in what way (tone, style). If it's truly better than the material surrounding it, that's a problem. But instead of freaking out because I like something, and viewing it with suspicion for being "a darling," I'm going to try to lift the rest of the prose up to its level. That's the challenge I've set myself while heading into the third act of my current project.

And when it comes time to edit the sucker, I'll see if I was on the right track, or completely insane.

Finding a New Voice

I'm writing my current novel from the POV of a 16-year-old girl. Establishing her voice has been fun but challenging. Although I'm at 30,000 words so far, and definitely in the groove, I still find myself asking, is this the language my narrator would use? What is/should her vocabulary be? If her grammar is deliberately incorrect from time-to-time, will that be distracting for readers, insulting to teens, or feel real? I sent the first chapter to my 17-year-old cousin to find out if she thinks it's authentic. I don't think I've ever been so nervous about getting notes!

In the meantime, I'm really enjoying the Pardon My Youth YA book club at Skylight Books. So far, we've read:

• The Messenger by Markus Zusak

• What I Saw and How I Lied* by Judy Blundell
  

• Rats Saw God* by Rob Thomas

• Tyrell by Coe Booth

• Fat Kid Rules the World by KL Going

• For October: Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

I also try to pick up at least two YA books whenever I'm at the library. This weekend I read Fly on the Wall by E. Lockhart (hilarious and wonderful) and Looking For Normal by Betty Monthei (more middle-grade than YA, and a gutwrencher).

*I read these two prior to joining the club, proving that YA's scope and appeal goes far beyond the shelf it happens to be categorized on.

Project Interrupted

When I got The Call from Sara Megibow, I was in the middle of working on a new project. (Literally. I was at the computer, typing away.) I was absolutely thrilled to hear from her and displayed my delight by babbling incoherently. (She was very patient and kind.) I of course put aside the new project to shift my focus back to the one she signed me for.

But now she's doing her agent thing (and doing it very well) and I'm supposed to be doing my writer thing again, so it's back to Project Interrupted. And you know what? I'm excited every single morning -- well, after my coffee -- to work on it and spend time with the new characters. I thought for sure I would take a break from writing for a few weeks and...

A) sleep in
B) watch more TV (speaking of, did last night's AMNTM really happen? Did Tyra really dress up as a heroine name Super Smize? (at least, that's how the Closed Captioning at my apartment gym spelled it))
C) finish reading all the books that are due at the library

...but after a weekend off, I felt antsy. So I booted up the computer. I guess I'm addicted.

Location as a Character In Your Novel

If I hadn't lived in Los Angeles for a decade, I don't think I would have felt comfortable writing about it. It takes a long time to know this city, if knowing it is even possible, and I researched a lot before starting my novel a few years ago.

I was already a big fan of Carrie Fisher's Postcards From the Edge and Janet Fitch's White Oleander. I also read everything from Mildred Pierce to Sue Grafton mysteries to Joan Didion's Play it As it Lays to L.A. Noir anthologies. I drove around my own neighborhood, and neighborhoods I wanted to depict, taking mental snapshots and jotting down notes.

Since my main character is a recent transplant, however, I also had to keep in mind that she wouldn't know the city as well as a local would. I wanted her outsider-reactions to the quirks and oddities of L.A. to feel authentic, too.

At the moment, I'm reading Jamie Ford's terrific historical fiction novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet -- which takes place in Seattle -- while on a trip to Seattle. It wasn't planned, but I love when that happens; when the feel and essence of a story seeps into your surroundings.

A Wee FAQ About Magic

Q: What's it like being married to a magician?
A: It is magical.

Q: Seriously now.
A: It's like Hogwarts. All the time. (Seriously, it's great.) Joe's got mad skillz and it's fun to see his routines before anyone else. One of my favorite things when I'm at his shows is to scan the audience for people's reactions. I love seeing how astonished and happy he's made them.

Q: Does he tell you all the secrets OMG?
A: I prefer not knowing, and I rarely figure things out on my own; my brain simply doesn't work that way. I spent several months researching magicians for my novel, and that was a blast -- but I wasn't looking much into the how-to's of tricks. It's more fun for me to wonder.

Q: Do you hang out at the Magic Castle (private Hollywood club for magicians) a lot?
A: I used to go once a week, but now it's more like once a month. Joe understandably likes to talk shop with other magicians, so I try to give him space to do that. I love bringing people who've never been before, and seeing the place through their eyes -- there's no club like it in the world!

Q: Which style of magic do you like best?
A: I'm sort of biased, but I think close-up magic can be the most amazing to witness live. I also have a soft spot for Vegas-y shows that use big cats.

And Away We Go!

I'm thrilled to report that I've signed with the fabulous Sara Megibow of the Nelson Literary Agency. I'm so honored to be working with her!!

I know my novel is in great hands and I think we're a perfect fit.