where it happens

I was asked a few questions for another blog site that shows pictures of writers where they do their writing. I thought it was a lot of fun, so I am "scooping" them by posting my answers here (and don't worry.... more people read that other blog than this one). I'll post a link when they run this bit, too...

What's your favorite possession/writing ritual?

I'm not too into possessions, and I don't know about the ritualistic aspect of writing, if there is one. I am fairly obsessive-compulsive, though, so I feel a deep sense of dread if, when I am writing a novel, something gets in the way of writing time. I don't know what terrible thing would happen if, when writing a novel, I ever didn't write something every day, because I NEVER take days off when working on something. But, I am certain I would probably die in a car crash or something if I ever did take a day off. Or my house would burn down. Or there would be an earthquake.

What's on your bedside table?

On my bedside table, currently, I always keep a bottle of water, a clock, a candle, a wristwatch, a small statue of Ganesh, a pen and writing tablet, contact lens solution, Carmex, a book of poetry by Octavio Paz, my iPhone charger, and a Dodger baseball.

Favorite time to write:

My favorite time to write is in the morning, just after waking up, with lots of black coffee. Usually, this is at about 3:00 a.m.

Cure for writers block:

Sorry. Writer's what??? I don't let myself get it. If I feel jammed up, I know what I have to do... just get those words out onto the manuscript. If it's slow going, I know I will get through it. Head down. Forge ahead. Get it out. Works every time. Besides, if I didn't, something absolutely terrible would happen (see above). Those prospects alone are enough to make someone write.

Heck, maybe I'm not so crazy, after all.

Source of inspiration:

My son, Trevin. He is why I finally got around to writing my first real novel to begin with. When he was about 9, he told me how he wanted to be a writer some day. All I had to do was think about how discouraging my own parents were when I said those same words as a child. I decided to never be like that to my boy. So, he did it. That is all.

Daily writing goal:

When I am in the avert-catastrophic-destruction-of-my-universe phase and am writing a novel, I like to get 1,500 "keeper words" at the end of the day. "Keeper words" have usually been rewritten at least 3 times, though. My first drafts are my final drafts.

Reward for meeting it:

Not having a car accident, house fire, or earthquake. Those are really big rewards in my mind. On days when I do not have car accidents, house fires, or earthquakes, I will often drink a beer. Usually this happens around 4:00 p.m.

up(dates)

I have a couple of updates as of this past weekend.

First of all, the info. is out on the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.

I will be speaking on a panel (tentatively) called Boys Will Be Boys: Guys Talk YA. Fellow panelists include Ben Esch, Blake Nelson, and Allen Zadoff, and it will be moderated by Cecil Castellucci (who is not a guy). This 45-minute panel will take place on the Saturday, April 24th at 1:00 p.m. on the YA Stage. Following the panel, we will be signing books, too.

Okay. I know all of the panelists, and Cecil, too, and I guarantee this will be a lot of fun. Just in case, though, I am fully prepared to craft balloon animals for all in attendance.

Second, I noticed that over the weekend, the New York Times ran an editorial by Nicholas Kristof called The Boys Have Fallen Behind (March 27). If you haven't read the piece, you should. But if you've been reading this blog for the past couple of years, you might not need to. It's entirely what I've been talking about (not every day, but dozens and dozens of posts about these same stats) since about 2008.

But, good job Kristof and the Times for running with the ball.

Citing the book Why Boys Fail, by Richard Whitmire, Kristof writes:

Mr. Whitmire argues that the basic problem is an increased emphasis on verbal skills, often taught in sedate ways that bore boys. “The world has gotten more verbal,” he writes. “Boys haven’t.”

I'm just going to believe that particular quote was chosen not in the most contextually-fitting manner, because I'd have a different take on the premise that the world has become more verbal, although I have to give Whitmire a strong "right on" for his assertion that the trend in teaching has been to make things boring and boy-hostile.

Anyway, I'll have to pick up Whitmire's book. And do read Kristof's piece in the Times, if you can get around to it.

april weekends

This coming weekend, I'll be traveling to New York for a few days, where I'll be paying a visit on the Flatiron Building and all the terrific people who work at Feiwel & Friends.

Then, coming up in the month of April (which starts this week???), I have a couple other planned gigs.

On April 17, at noon, I'll be speaking about the job of being a writer at the “Discovering Careers Seminar,” at College of the Canyons in Valencia. I'm not sure of the room assignment, but the event is free for all participants, and there's always lots of cool stuff there.

Then, on April 24-25, I'll be at the LA Times Festival of Books, at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA. I’ll be on a panel of YA Authors and doing a book signing, but I'm not sure of the exact time and location yet. More info to come, and will also be in the special section of the Los Angeles Times on April 18.

psychedelnick

fear of change

Ever since Nick got in touch with his "70s self," he's been a little scarce around here. He says he's on a spiritual walkabout in Topanga Canyon. That means Drew might have to manage the blog next week when I go to New York.

Unless Nick comes back.

Yesterday's post was kind of prophetic. I visited some great kids at Newbury Park High School, and, of course, I was asked what I thought was the very best thing about being a writer.

I also got quite a few comments about the post (off this site) from other authors about their favorite things about being writers. [Side note: Lewis? Yvonne? Pajamas? Really???]

Then, after my library visit (Newbury Park High has a fantastic library and library staff), I got to sit in on a creative writing class. They have block scheduling there, so the class was about 90 minutes long -- perfect for a writing class. The kids there are so smart and talented, and it was a rejuvenating pleasure to spend time with them. I also got to read and hear some of their very creative poetry.

And I did some readings for them from The Marbury Lens, too. And yes, kids are marking their calendars for November when it will be coming out.

But yesterday's blog also received a very nice comment from "Another Writer," who ended with this thought:

I'm not too thrilled about revisions only because I get really invested in my characters and their "quirks" that I fear will have to be taken out. I've never published a book or gone through "real revisions" but it is a very real fear for me.

I'd like to say something about that.

First, I think your fears are unfounded and you should put them to rest and keep working on what you love doing.

A few weeks back, I read a post on an agent's blog about editing and editors. I apologize for not remembering exactly who the agent was. On her blog, she said something to the effect that there were just a handful of "real" editors left in publishing -- ones who really loved what they did, took their projects to heart, and truly worked with their authors to help them craft the best work they could possibly produce.

Not being an agent, I don't know anything about the population density of such editors, but I have found this to be the case with mine, so I'm either very fortunate or the blogging agent is, perhaps, a bit alarmist.

AW, if you are really invested in your characters and their quirks, as you say, then the depth of their dimensions is very likely going to be what attracts the eye of a "real" editor. I can't imagine that those elements would be things to remove.

One more thought, though, about revisions: It's been my experience, having worked through the process multiple times, that it is almost never the case of taking something out of what I've written -- it's almost always about putting more into it, and that can be a really liberating, uplifting, and enjoyable process.

Definitely not something to be afraid of once you've made it to that stage in the process.

best of

I'll be honest. I enjoy visiting school kids. On Tuesday, when I went out to Barnes and Noble in Glendora, there were probably a hundred or so kids there from the local high school and junior high.

Kids ask great questions, too. One of them I'm frequently asked is, What's the best part about being a writer?

I'm not really good at "bests" and "worsts," because I don't really rank things that way. But there are a lot of really great things that go along with what I do. Here are some of them...

I enjoy talking to kids and getting them fired up about reading and writing. One high school kid recently posted something about one of my books on his blog. He said something like he had forgotten how much he enjoyed reading until he read Ghost Medicine, and how school made reading not fun anymore. He said the things he hated about reading in school were: 1) the lack of choice, and 2) the assignments that went read page xx to page xxx and then there will be a quiz.

That's exactly what I've been saying here for years. And good on him for rediscovering the freedom of reading.

I really enjoy working on revisions with my editor. Last week, a student in Glendora asked me if I thought I was a better writer now than when I wrote my first book. No brainer. I've learned so much by working with the talented pros I get to work with. And, by the way, I just read The Marbury Lens, too. I had to read it slow, to look for any typos in the galley. I know it's weird to get outside yourself and actually read your own words... I mean, how many times have I read this thing, anyway? But, I like it. I think it's really good. Now I'm not so scared about it.

And, being a writer, I've gotten to meet some of my heroes. My actual heroes, face to face. That's a cool thing, too.

What do you like about being a writer?

they will talk

Sorry I am late today. I just got home from a long stretch away.

The hippies are gone, but Nick has some explaining to do. We'll deal with that later.

I have begun hearing from people who've received and read ARCs of The Marbury Lens. There's always something in the waiting to hear "from real people" that is a bit nerve-wracking, and I do anticipate hearing some not-too-pleasant things from some readers. But not yet.

I mean, there are some people who got very angry with me over the fact that kids chew tobacco and drink alcohol in Ghost Medicine. [Shrug. I don't know where these people live, but it's kind of how I grew up. My apologies for telling things that I lived through]. And then there were the people who got really bent out of shape about animals that die in both, that book and in in the path of falling objects.

But, guess what? (And this is not a spoiler, so don't shut your eyes) I put a dog in The Marbury Lens just to NOT KILL IT. For me, the dog (who is only in a couple scenes) serves no purpose other than NOT DYING. That's for you, Sarah (the person who got really mad at me about an animal death). I didn't kill any fictional domestic animals this go round.

Anyway, back to the comments. Last night, I spoke with a woman who told me her husband accused her of being a crack addict over The Marbury Lens. He complained that it was getting in the way of her wifely duties (she finished the book yesterday). But, she told me that the book made her feel exactly like Jack -- that she couldn't wait for him to put the glasses on again, and that once he did, she couldn't stop reading until he fell back out of Marbury.

So, that's a good thing. And it confirms to me why my own son couldn't do his chemistry homework (this is a written excuse, Professor Downs) while he was reading the book.

My complaint department likes hearing things like that.