 Photo Credit Liz Ligon Ally Carter burst onto the YA scene in 2006 with her first Gallagher Girls novel I’d Tell You I Love You but Then I’d Have to Kill You. Since they she has launched two more popular series: Heist Society and Embassy Row.
Released in April, Not if I Save You First, a standalone book that takes place in the wilds of Alaska, features characters with the same determination and resourcefulness her readers have come to love. When did you first realize you were a storyteller? Honestly, that's something I still question every day. I first realized I WANTED to be a storyteller when I was in middle school and read The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. I was growing up in Oklahoma and reading this amazing book written by a teenage girl from Oklahoma made me obsessed with doing it too! What do you love about the writing process? I like to say that writing a book is like going on a really long international flight. When you start, you're super excited and can't wait to get going. Then you'll start to get tired or bored or your back will start hurting. About hour 10, you'll start to think this is the worst idea ever. But you're stuck. You can't get off the plane. Then, eventually, you'll look out the window and see the Great Wall of China or Eiffel Tower or whatever made you get on the plane to begin with and it will all be fun again. What is the hardest part of being a writer? Probably the writing? But there are other challenges that come and go. It's a tough business with no real support system. If I'm on deadline and my computer is acting weird I have to waste two days dealing with it instead of calling the IT department. I don't have health insurance through my job. I literally don't know where my next check is coming from. Now, I thankfully know some are coming! But when? I couldn't begin to guess. But all if it is worth it when you hear from someone whose life has been made better by something you've written. Where do you find your inspiration? Everywhere! For my newest book, Not if I Save You First, I was on an Alaskan cruise when I looked out over about a million acres of wilderness one night and saw one lone light burning in the distance. "If something happens here, you can't call 911" I thought to myself and that's how the idea of a story about a Secret Service agent's daughter who has to save the president's son when he's kidnapped in Alaska came to be! What are you working on right now? Right now, I'm finishing up my first nonfiction project! Dear Ally, How Do You Write a Book is my effort at answering some of the questions that writers hear all the time from teens who want to write themselves. It was so much fun to work on! I was able to draw on some of my favorite authors to tell us a little about their writing processes, and we cover everything from idea to publication. I'm extremely pleased with how it turned out! If you can’t get enough of Ally Carter’s tales of “teen spies, thieves, and diplomats” as she puts it, be sure to visit her website.
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 As a poli sci nerd of many, many years, The President is Missing was too good of a book to pass up on. James Patterson is a best-selling author, and Bill Clinton used to be president of the United States. This, combined with help from David Ellis and others, had the potential of turning this idea into a pretty good story.
While Patterson’s writing success is impeccable, there was no way this book would ring as true as it did without the help of President Clinton. You just can’t tell a story about the president in first person and expect it to work unless you have someone who has walked the halls and made the calls only the Commander in Chief can. The best scene in the book to illustrate this point is when President Duncan is required to drive a car and is totally amazed by the modern technological conveniences that come standard in today’s vehicles (as someone whose car is as older than the incoming freshman he will be teaching this fall, I can heartily relate). Since most of the narrative is confined to a single day, the book reads like an episode of 24, in that the action really is nonstop. Patterson and Clinton give us a character facing multiple challenges that he has to overcome in short order so he can be the hero and save the country. And the reason Duncan is compelling is because Clinton clearly helped shape the determined, self-assured and highly intelligent chief executive. Also, the love for his daughter, rang very true. There might be some clichés here and there, but they are the acceptable ones for this kind of action-adventure story. The authors do deserve a good deal of praise for explaining some highly technical concepts in ways the average reader can understand. Sure, the book tells more than it shows at points but you’re willing to forgive this transgression because of the novelty of having because you have a real president writing about a fictional president. While First Daughter Margaret Truman was a fairly successful murder mystery novelist, the leader of the free world, current or former, does not pen techothrillers. The only real problem with the story is the ending, where the aforementioned problem of telling rather than showing comes into play. Our protagonist is called to speak to a Joint Session of Congress and the authors (I am guessing it is Clinton here, because Patterson, a successful scribe, would know better) cannot resist the opportunity to give the readers a major policy address (OK, to be fair, we’re not talking a 60-plus-page Ayn Rand rant, but the entire chapter is devoted to the speech). A writer more focused on story that ideology would have condensed major portions of the speech, added narrative beats, and so forth. Interestingly enough, Duncan (and by default Clinton if my original premise is true) apologizes for the diatribe, but I think it gives us insight into the President, both fictional and real-life, that Chapter 128 wasn’t pruned down in the first place. However, if that is the worst of the offenses, then such is a minor imperfection in a pretty good story that you literally can’t put down (I had my nightlight on for an hour speeding through the last 80+ pages).  In Nyxia, the first book a YA trilogy that reads like Ender’s Game” meets “The Hunger Games”, Scott Reintgan weaves together an engaging tale for sci-fi readers of all ages. A self-described “back-row dreamer” Scott is a former English teacher dedicated to engaging readers through exciting characters and storylines. Nyxia Unleashed, book two of the Nyxia Triad, releases July 17th.
When did you first realize you were a storyteller? Storytelling clicked for me through video games. As I walked through quests in World of Warcraft and other games, I realized I loved all the narrative piece that tied everything together. That love grew with my love for reading, which eventually grew into my love for writing. I still use the fact that video games paved the path for my career against my mother. What do you love about the writing process? I love the act of creation. There is just nothing quite like that first spark of an idea, that first time we meet the bad guy, that first time we realize how it all will end. I'm actually a big fan of revision, too, which ends up being more like a puzzle that you have to slowly fit together. But that first run through of creating the story and the characters and the setting? It's the best. What is the hardest part of being a writer? The hardest part about being a writer is learning balance. Wiley Cash had a great Twitter thread about this recently, but the image of writers sitting a desk every day for 10 hours, humming along in story world, is just a little inaccurate. Writing involves so much more. Learning how to balance publicity and marketing and still being able to spend time with the characters we love? That's one of the hardest lessons I've had to figure out. Where do you find your inspiration? Inspiration is everywhere. I actually just gave a talk to local students where I discussed collaborating with the world around you. Opening up your eyes. Taking a step back. Listening closely. These are hallmarks of a great author in my opinion. Those threads of reality that we can pluck in our day to day end up being the core pieces of great stories. Just remember to write down those ideas as they come. Far too many authors have had wonderful ideas slip through their fingers for lack of a pen. What are you working on right now? Right now I'm working on the second novel in a middle grade series (the first one--When in Fancy--will release from Random House in 2020). I've finished the entire Nyxia series. Nyxia Unleashed comes out on July 17th, but book three will release in April 2019. I'm excited for people to read the conclusion. And as always, I'm working on like three other books simultaneously because I can't stop dabbling in all these lovely little ideas that come across the brain. To find out more about the North Carolinian wordsmith and us his new adventures, check out his website.  Creative Commons/Brook Ward I recently launched Running, the third novel in my Jim Mitchell series and the student magazine at the college where I teach evening classes graciously agreed to review the book.
The review was mostly a positive one, for which I was grateful. The critic noted, however, that I should have developed a secondary character more, as she found him interesting. You know what? She's absolutely right. There definitely was more to tell of his story that was not in the book. As a matter of fact, the character is worthy of a whole separate story, which is what he had a few years ago. The story of that book, which began as an intense short story that morphed in a powerful novel that never made it across the finish line, is my go-to example of how not every idea is golden. I was able to salvage some of the story and sneak it into Undue Pressure and some of what was left was enough to convert Running from a novella into a full-length (if shorter) novel. While I was happy with the final result, there was much more of his tale to be told. I was afraid that if I went too far afield with the secondary character, people would get frustrated that I had forgotten about our main guy. Maybe I was right, maybe I was wrong. One thing I do know is that Monday morning quarterbacking is easy to do, but I'm not sure it's a good thing to do. Sometimes you just have to accept that all work, even after its published, is still a work in progress.  Photo by Lynn Milbrandt Book signings are weird.
No, I’m not saying that going to meet your favorite author and having her sign book number four in your favorite series is odd (well, I suppose it is because these interactions are awkward by nature. In real life, people who don’t know each other well rarely have to pretend they are best friends for 60 seconds). What I’m saying is book signings are weird from the other side of the table. When you’re an author, you basically find yourself asking people to hang out with you and give you money in exchange for a few squiggles on a page and you trying to sound more impressive than you really believe yourself to be. If we were to be really honest, as we were jotting down that clever tagline we came up with in the car, we would be whispering to you in desperation something like the following:
Now, we never actually say any of these things (or, if we do, it comes with a smile for a chaser, just so you know/think we’re kidding). We also don’t reveal that, as an indie author, we’re just grateful we could find a place for our signing that’s somewhere between a major bookstore and our niece’s birthday party where we just “happen” to have a couple copies of our latest book “if you’re interested”. So, when you go to get your favorite author to sign his latest masterpiece, remember the minor-class celebrity is probably just as nervous as you are. He simply has more experience hiding it.  Writer friends of mine often talk about “the olden days” when literary giants used to scribble out their manuscripts and fairy godmothers known as publishers took care of all that pesky publicity stuff. All Austen, Fitzgerald and Hemingway had to do was show up, sign books and bask in the adulation of their fans.
OK, I’ll be the first to admit we might be looking at the past through rather rosy-colors lenses, but, with the rise of print-on-demand platforms, both indie and traditionally published authors are competing for the same audiences and need to employ new tools and techniques to get eyeballs to read your latest masterpiece. This has led to the creation of the Launch Team, a small cadre of loyal fans who read your work in advance and use their personal and social media network to boost interest (and eventual sales) of your work. People make this sound easy, but rest assured it is not. Basically, you need to recruit friends that will act like a literary Navy SEAL team. You want people who like your work and you enough to spread the word but do so for little pay or few rewards (unless you have the budget for that, which you probably don’t). You are, in essence, asking people for a favor with the hope they will help create the all-powerful “buzz” your book requires for success. My first book did fairly well, but, because of some mistakes on my part, book two sold rather poorly. This time around, I’m hoping that a little advanced planning, plus the kindness and generosity of my friends, this book launch will enjoy a bit more success. Next week we’ll find out if this hare-brained scheme actually works.  Science Fiction always seems to fall into two camps: an action/love story with scant (and sometimes questionable) sci-fi details thrown in or a jumble of so many technical specs that you forgot the two main characters are locked in a death battle 200 miles above the planet's surface. Thankfully Vera Brook, a scientist-turned-writer does not succumb to these faults. Her older YA novels Sand Runner and Cage Runner are fast-paced action stories with just the right amount of scientific detail for the story to flow and make sense.
When did you first realize you were a storyteller? Good question. I’ve been a bookworm ever since I was a kid. If you love reading, chances are at some point you will reach for a pen and start writing. I’ve kept journals with story ideas ever since middle school. So that itch to make up stories was always there. I was also an English major in undergrad and took some creative writing classes where we wrote and critiqued each other’s stories. But I didn’t try to write a novel until years later, after I switched my career path to science. I guess it’s a sign that I’ve always been a storyteller at heart. What do you love about the writing process? Writing is an amazing activity. You start with nothing but a blank page and your imagination & life experience, and you can create whole new worlds. I love that creative freedom, and the feeling that there are no limits to what I can imagine and write about. I also love the surprises that come in the process of writing fiction. For me, writing is half careful, deliberate construction, and half a discovery process. The initial idea for a story or a novel can come from anywhere, and that’s always a thrill. (My advice: Write all the story ideas down. You may think you will remember them, but you won’t.) But after the initial idea, it can take me a good while to figure out the logic of the story and to fill in the details, and the final draft can be completely different from that original spark of inspiration. I also love creating—or discovering—my characters. They feel very real to me. Sometimes they even refuse to do what I want them to do, and I have to listen to them and change the story accordingly, or it won’t work. It’s a very strange experience, being bossed around by imaginary people you created, but I’m sure many writers can relate to that. Finally, I continue to be amazed by how mysterious the writing process is. Where do our ideas really come from? How do we put them together to weave a story? How do we switch from the free creative writer that puts the words down on the page, to the logical, critical editor who beats them into shape and fits them into a careful story structure? Language itself is a fascinating phenomenon and very closely tied to our humanity. I’m trained in neuroscience, and neuroscience tries to understand how everything we do works at the level of brain processes, down to neurons firing and neurotransmitters crossing the synapse. I don’t think we can explain anything as complex as creative writing, or language in general, at the neuronal level yet. Some clues may actually come from computer science and the development of AI that assists writers in either writing or editing their work. So I look forward to the breakthroughs that will come in the near future. I love writing—but it’s also the hardest and most frustrating activity I’ve ever done. So I wouldn’t mind an AI assistant who would help me get all the stories in my head down on paper faster and with less of a struggle. What is the hardest part of being a writer? All of it! The same things that make writing amazing also make it incredibly difficult. You are free to create whole new worlds, and write any story you want—but all of it takes a great deal of work, frustration, and trial and error. There is also no guarantee that your book will resonate with readers, or even be discovered by the readers who might enjoy it. So every book you write is a huge leap of faith, and you don’t know what’s going to happen at the end. All you can do is write the best book you can, keep improving your craft with every book after that, and not let silence or negative reviews discourage you form writing. I’m an indie writer—meaning, independently published—so discoverability is also a huge challenge. Indie authors are their own publishers. In addition to writing the book, I also format it for print and ebook, create my own covers, distribute the book on different platforms, and market it. (Although I do work with a professional, paid editor, to make sure my books are written to professional standards.) I actually enjoy all these publishing tasks, and I’m really glad I had to learn them. But marketing my books is difficult, because I have a very small budget to work with, and not much time to spare. (I have a full-time job which pays my bills, and I would rather spend my free time on writing than on marketing.) Still, this is a very exciting time to be an independently published author, and the difference between indie writers and traditionally published writers blurs a little more every day! For instance, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) has opened its doors to indie writers becoming members, and I’m sure other professional writing organizations are doing the same. And more and more indie writers can make a living on their books, often by developing strong online platforms and turning their books into multiple streams of income, which is great to see and very encouraging. The indie writing community is also very open & supportive, and that makes a huge difference because writing can be pretty lonely otherwise. It’s not a zero-sum game at all. We are all rooting for one another, and celebrating one another’s successes. More writers means more great books to read, and what’s not to love about that? Where do you find your inspiration? A story idea can come from anywhere—a dream, a scientific article I read, an experience I had as a kid, an overheard conversation, and, of course, other books. Also, giving yourself a break from writing to “recharge” helps. Whenever I get stuck in my writing, I go for a walk and just let my mind roam. It’s like you give your conscious mind a rest, but your unconscious brain keeps working on the problem, and I often have a solution by the time I come back from the walk. A lot of my writing is also inspired by my neuroscience training, and my interest in science and technology in general. I write science fiction, so there is usually some science and technology as the background for the story. For instance, in the Sand Runner series, one such technology is bionic prosthetics, or the new generation of prosthetic limbs that are directly linked to and controlled by the person’s nervous system. Such prosthetic limbs already exist and people use them every day, and they will get better and better, and make a huge difference to thousands of people. But it’s amazing to think about how much knowledge about the human nervous system went into designing such prostheses. So both the science and the applications are fascinating and a great source of story ideas. What are you working on right now? I’m usually juggling several projects. It’s probably not the fastest way to finish anything. But I find that it helps, because if I get stuck on one project, for whatever reason, I can switch to another and work on that. Right now my main project is book 3 in the Sand Runner series. It’s challenging because the story and the cast have gotten bigger and more complicated, and I have to be careful not to write myself into a corner. But I love these characters, both the “old” ones from book 1, like Kai, Emily, and Neen, and the newer ones, who appear only in book 2 or book 3. So it’s always a thrill to enter this world and to add another chapter to their story. I hope to finish, edit, and publish book 3 by the end of this summer. But I’m not a very fast writer, so we’ll see. I’m also working on some short stories, some tied into the Sand Runner series, others standalones. And I have, let’s see, four other series in development. Two of them are YA science fiction. The other two are middle grade (MG), and start more in the vein of magical realism but will “grow up” to be science fiction as the characters get older. To keep up with the Vera's latest adventures, check out her website, or follow her on Twitter or Pintrest.  Creative Commons image courtesy of volkspider As a writer, the part of the creative process I like least (after publicity) is proofreading. I realize going through multiple layers of editing is necessary, but the nuclear reactor of energy that drives me to write for eight hours a day for four weeks straight does not take kindly to the constant pruning and polishing required when revising a text.
To me it seems being asked to drive an exotic sports car (a Lamborghini, if you’ve got a spare one in your garage) for a week, with two days spent setting speed records on the Bonneville Salt Flats and the remaining five puttering around town to get groceries or go to Target. The first part is fun, but the latter seems like a waste of time and energy. In writing, however, the best part comes not in the initial creation, but in the refinement. I was very fortunate for Running to have an editor who is good at her job and wanted my work to be the best it could be. It didn’t hurt that she has a great sense of humor to boot. This time around I also secured a proofreader who has an eye for detail and caught things that were missed in previous rounds of editing. They all were small mistakes, but they added up to the work being less than what it could be. In the process, I have learned to love the end result of editing, so I am willing to work through the monotony of it. Besides, it’s worth it to avoid the really tragic (and possibly wildly inappropriate) mistakes that can occur when you’re not careful.  Photo Credit: Kevin Lynch Kristin Hannah is one of those writers whose words touch your soul. Whether she’s describing World War II France in the New York Times bestselling book, The Nightingale, or you are on a journey to wilds of Alaska in the 70s and 80s in The Great Alone, which was just released, her characters and their struggles are real and relatable. And with nearly two dozen books to her name, two of which are being made into movies, Kristin has made a solid career of giving readers an insight into powerful characters filled with grit and determination as they deal with life when everything falls apart.
When did you first realize you were a storyteller? My family would tell you that it was obvious from the beginning. All you had to do was ask me what a movie was about, and I would spend the next hour giving a scene by scene description and then another hour explaining how it could have been changed to make a better movie. They stopped asking my opinion pretty early on. 😊 But I didn't know I was a storyteller until after I graduated from law school. A few years after I started practicing, I got pregnant with my son and had a difficult pregnancy. I was on bedrest for more than five months. This was an era of no internet and no good daytime television. Needless to say, I was bored to insanity. After I'd read everything in the house, I decided I could write a book. Just like that. So I did. Obviously, that book didn't sell, and it took years for me to learn how to write, but it planted the seeds in me and those seeds took deep root. I knew almost from the first word that I wanted to be a writer and I just never gave up. What do you love about the writing process? Honestly, I am one of those weird birds that love everything about the process. I love researching, outlining, writing, and revising. Of those, I love revisions the best. I love taking a book apart and putting it back together in a new way. It's the lawyer in me. I see things very analytically, and my greatest gift as a writer is my fearlessness. I will try anything and everything to make a book better. What is the hardest part of being a writer? No question. Choosing an idea. That is the part of the process I hate. Followed closely by choosing a title. Where do you find your inspiration? I find inspiration constantly, everywhere. In movies, in television, in the newspaper, in conversations with friends. What I'm looking for, constantly, is a question that energizes and captivates me, one I'm willing to spend two years or three years answering. In The Great Alone, it was "could I survive in Alaska off the grid?" (The answer is maybe, but not for long, and not happily...probably just until the library ran out). What are you working on right now? I have just finished the primary research for my next American-set novel. It features another tough, ordinary woman trying to survive extraordinary circumstances---but that's all I can say so far. I haven't started actually writing, and that changes everything. To keep up with Hannah’s latest projects, or to catch her on her national book tour that started Feb. 6, make sure visit her website.  I received a complimentary copy of The Escape Artist from Grand Central Publishing in an exchange for an honest review of its merits.
One of the nice thing about your favorite authors is that when you pick up a copy of their latest work you pretty much know what you are getting. Sue Grafton gave us detective stories, John Grisham (with a couple notable exceptions) spins a good legal tale, Kristin Hannah is going to dig deep into your soul and make you yell or cry, or both. Nicolas Sparks will tell you of uncommon love and the characters in a Joel Green novel are nigh unto bursting with angst. And Brad Meltzer is the name you look for when you want a really good mystery about hidden secrets but you don't want to say up for days questioning all of human history. If that’s what you want, you knock on Dan Brown’s door. Meltzer has become the go-to guy for a fun, fast-paced thriller that most often includes people searching for obscure clues about an ancient mystery. But in the acknowledgements of The Escape Artist, Meltzer tells you something profound happened to him when he was touring with the USO six years ago make him “realize the difference between being alive and actually living.” While this sounds like fortune-cookie wisdom, it is much more than that for this best-selling author. Meltzer is a changed man and it shows in his writing. Don’t get me wrong. He’s not waxing poetic about the banality of the human condition or anything. There is definitely the thrill and mystery that is coded into the DNA of any Brad Meltzer title. But that’s not all that’s there. In The Escape Artist, the mystery in this tale takes a backseat to character development. Nola and Zig are deeply wounded people and we spend a lot of time in their skin watching new bumps and bruises being added atop the old scars that may be faded but still are tender to the touch. Some of the scratches are on the surface, but others cut much deeper. And while Meltzer respected the source material for his earlier stories, there is a reverence here for the heart-wrenching pain and heart-warming honor that comes with caring for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation. So, by the time the actual mystery is fully fleshed out deep in the third act, you’re not really bothered by the fact because you’ve been drawn into the story of these two people who’ve been drawn together by fate more than once. In this work, Meltzer’s storytelling prowess is transformed into something altogether new. He is deeper and more introspective than he has been before. I’m not sure if his next tale will take us back to familiar territory of long-forgotten secrets and stashes of hidden wealth, but I, for one, am hopeful that Meltzer is speaking of himself when his protagonist realizes that “[s]ometimes you need to bury your old life—and make a new one.” |
AuthorI've been writing stories and taking photos since I was old enough to hold a pencil and stand behind a tripod. Archives
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