Getting to Know You! Mini Interview with Author Kimberley Griffiths Little

Kimberley is a talent Middle Grade writer with many accolades to her credit, but I'll stop gushing now and let you get to know her yourself...

ME: 1. So, what is your deepest darkest writing secret you are willing to share?

KIMBERLEY: I write in the shower . . . well, let me clarify that. Ideas come during showers or characters start *talking* to me—and then I have to get dressed real fast so I can scribble down their conversations without suffering mortification. Scrubbing toilets is always inspirational for some reason, too.

When I’m doing a lot of fast drafting, I make tons of chocolate chip cookies, sneak them out to my writing cottage warm from the oven with cold milk (including ice cubes). Oh, and I’m having a secret love affair with Dr Pepper.

ME: OMG! Me too! The shower writer part, not the Dr. Pepper or the toilet scrubber part. (That shower thing must be a real writer trait, I've heard it from many others, too.) Now...

ME AGAIN: 2. I understand your back-story isn't one of instant success. It took you a great deal of work and time to get your career to level it is today. Can you share a few highlights of your publishing journey with those of us who are still struggling to break through that glass ceiling?

KIMBERLEY: It’s embarrassing to admit just how long it took me. I think I must be the world’s slooooowest learner. If I can do it, anybody can learn the craft and publish. I swear you can. It’s just a matter of practice. It takes a doctor 12 years. It takes a concert pianist their whole life to be able to perform for a packed house at Carnegie Hall. Well, it took me longer. But I’m still having fun (most days!) and still learning, and that’s the important thing.

I try to celebrate all the highlights: I screamed and cried when I sold my first short story for $26.00—and then it was never published in the magazine when they changed their focus. (My second short story sold for $15 bucks – booyah!) Celebrate all of your personal milestones along the way. Finishing that first draft. Sending out queries. Finding the perfect crit partner. Going to a writer’s conference. My biggest writing tip is in the next question so don’t go away yet . . .

ME: Success in this business is soooo subjective. It's true, we should all celebrate the small successes along the way. Okay, now...

ME AGAIN: 3. What is one thing you wish someone had shared with you earlier in your career?

KIMBERLEY: I always say that I wish 20 years ago someone had told me to quit polishing the same thing over and over again ad nauseum and write something new. Doesn’t matter if it’s a short story or a novel. Write a new short story every week. Edit and polish for a week, then send it out. Then write and send out the next one, and the next, and the next. Write 50 short stories a year. OR write a new book at least every year - if not more than that. (I have a friend who wrote 3 novels a year while she was practicing, about 15 in total before she got published.)

Once I finally started to do that, success began to trickle into my life. It's a HARD lesson for most new writers, though. We're too attached to our flawed masterpiece and moving words around or changing a sentence or two because we can't see that it takes 10,000 hours to get good—or that the premise or plot needs a complete overhaul. The only way to get better is to write a LOT and read a lot. With every piece you write, you automatically DO get better.

ME: I agree. No use beating a dead dog, as my mother used to say. Sometimes it's just better to step over the carcass and move on! (Sorry, but it's true!) And in so doing, you're often freshly inspired, as well.

ME AGAIN: And lastly...

4. What excites you the most about coming to Niagara?

KIMBERLEY: Here’s a Multiple Choice Answer!

A. Time away from my hectic, crazy household?

B. To see the stunning Falls for the first time ever in my life?

C. Not having to cook and clean for four days?

D. Meeting new writers from around the country?

E. Getting inspired!

F. All of the above? You’re right!

If you're interested to get to know Kimberley better, why not join us! Last Call to join us at the Falls!
www.niagararetreatandconfernence.com

Getting to Know You!!! A mini-interview with Agent Susan Hawk!

Susan Hawk is an agent with the Bent Agency, in NYC, who is currently seeking submissions. She acquires all things wonderful from picture books to Y.A. and more. Now without further ado, here is Susan...


ME: Tell us a little about yourself.

SUSAN: I’ve been agenting for three years now and I represent picture books, chapter books, middle grade and YA. I’m also looking for graphic novels and non-fiction, both for children as well. Before I was an agent, I worked in marketing for kid’s books at Penguin and Henry Holt. Taking one step further back, I have a degree in Library Science and worked at a branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, and as the Lower School Librarian at The Hewitt School. And before that I was a bookseller – in fact, my first job ever, age 13, was in the local children’s bookstore in the neighborhood where I grew up in Washington, DC. Guess I’ve always had a home in children’s books, one way or another!

ME: Wow, so you and books go waaaaay back. That's very nice to know.

ME AGAIN: Now,tell us a little known secret about yourself, just one.

SUSAN: In another life, I might have sung opera.

ME: Opera? So I take it you like to sing? We have a barbershopper among us this year at the Niagara Retreat who's promised to entertain, perhaps you can join him? (Bewildered look.) Okay, anyway...next question.

ME AGAIN: What kind of projects do you dream about working on?

SUSAN: Oh, gorgeously written ones, of course! I recently posted on the Bent Agency blog about the kinds of projects I’m looking for right now and you can see more of that here: http://jennybent.blogspot.com/2013/04/query-in-box-what-will-you-bring-me.html. But, in a more general sense, since I’m open to most anything, really, genre-wise – voice and character are probably what I fall in love with first. I want to meet someone new in the pages of a book, and I want them to talk to me in a way that feels different. I am drawn to projects that skew more literary, but I also am looking for tight plotting – I want something big to happen to those characters!

ME: Very cool! The 'something big' is important I agree. And that combination of 'someone new on the page' doing 'something big' appears to be what editors are really looking for these days. With that said, can you explain what makes one project more commercial than another?

SUSAN: I think it has most to do with the concept and plot. Commercial novels are more exterior, and deal more with what’s happening around the characters, rather than what’s happening inside them. There has to be a balance between interior and exterior – I don’t think books work if there isn’t something of both happening – but commercial novels typically focus more on plotting. Often, they also have a “high-concept,” or start with a single arresting idea, i.e. what if humanity develops machines so sophisticated that they become sentient, and then those machines turn on the humans that created them? If you start with that single striking idea and build a tight, complex plot around that idea, you probably have a commercial novel.

ME: That is a very tangible description of 'high-concept', which writers often view as very intangible thing. "Start with a single arresting idea,"pose it as a question, answer it, and build from there. Wonderful. I must remember that. Now, to address the other end of the spectrum, what do you think, is there room for quiet stories in the industry anymore?

SUSAN: I think there is room for every kind of story, as long as it’s written in a compelling way. The market is tighter, and the acquisitions process is more controlled than it has been in the past. In some ways that means that it’s harder for editors to take on a “passion project” but mainly, I think that means that editors are publishing smarter, are more aware of what’s working in the marketplace. So, it can be tougher to find a home for a book, but I don’t think that toughness is focused on any single kind of book, quiet or otherwise.

ME: That's really good to know and I love the idea of becoming an editor's "passion project," quiet story or otherwise. Lastly, you are scheduled to be on the faculty at the Niagara Writer's Retreat and Conference this May 3-5, in Niagara Falls Canada. Can you share with readers what you are most looking forward to about attending Niagara?

SUSAN: Meeting the writers! I love meeting new people and talking about books, not least because I always learn something – come home with new perspective on the writer’s process for instance, that I can use to better work with my clients -- so going to conferences is something I look forward to.

ME: Awesome! Me, too. And we have a GREAT group of attendees coming, who are looking forward to chatting it up with you as well!

ME AGAIN: Well, that's all I have for you today, Susan, thank you!

SUSAN: No, thank you!

If you'd like to get to know agent Susan Hawk even better, why not consider attending Niagara! I hear there are still a few spaces left! You can check out the details here: www.niagararetreatandconference.com

Until then, happy writing!

Getting to know you! Mini-Interview: The Incomparable...Ellen Hopkins...

Wow, what an honour to be able to interview my long time mentor and friend, Ellen Hopkins. She is not only an accomplished NYTBS author, but a generous role model for up-and-coming writers, as well as a philanthropist and advocate, assisting youth in finding their way through this ever-challenging and forever-changing world. But enough from me, let's hear from Ellen...


ME: 1) Tell us a little something about yourself we might not know.

ELLEN: I am an early riser. It’s both a curse and a blessing. Light triggers my brain and even the palest morning light kicks my thought processes into gear. I can’t remember the last time I slept past 7 a.m. The good thing about that is it lets me get a lot done.

ME: Wow, 7:00 a.m., eh? I know you are always one of the first up at conferences and retreats, but I had no idea this was your life routine. (Mental Note: Rise early. Get things done. Like, Best Selling Novel kinda things.)

Next question:

2) You are quite the success story, a shining example of never giving up on your dream. Can you share with us a little bit about your struggles to break into the industry and how you were finally successful?

ELLEN: I started as a freelance journalist, which allowed me to make a little money with my writing while figuring out where I belonged on the fiction end. The first novel I wrote was a big (as in overwritten) adult fiction, which was agented for a while but never sold. Some of the articles I wrote felt like they’d be interesting nonfiction books for children, and that proved to be the case. I published 20 for mostly middle grade readers, and mostly in the educational market. At that point I thought I was going to write picture books, or maybe early chapter books. That wasn’t where I belonged, and my submissions went nowhere.

I didn’t consider YA until the “story I had to write” kind of slapped me in the face. By that time, I’d been through the submission/rejection process for over a decade. But when the right story found me, I sold it with only 75 pages written, to an S & S editor I met at a conference. That was Crank, of course, and it’s been forward motion ever since.

ME: I must say, every time I think I know everything about you, you surprise me with something more. For example: I never knew you had a BIG adult novel subbed in the very beginning, and TEN years of submission/rejection...wow, gulp...okay...I need to shut up now.

Question number...

3) I understand you've just opened a non-profit to benefit Teens. Can you tell us a little bit about it and your goals?

ELLEN: In my travels, I’ve come across highly motivated young people whose personal circumstances denied their dreams. I founded Ventana Sierra to help youth-in-need off the streets, into safe housing, and working toward career goals through higher education, apprenticeships and the arts. We’re opening our first home, for four young women, June 1. All will be enrolled in the fall semester at WNC. We’ll give them a place to live, food, clothing, tuitions, books and life skills training. Whatever they need to realize success and move into the future well prepared. We plan a second house, for young men, before the end of the year, and more in the future. We can always use help! Visit us as www.ventanasierra.org

ME: This is so very cool.I love the way you are always willing to assist people in the pursuit of their dreams. (Please readers, check Ellen's Ventana Sierra program out.) Anyone who's attended Niagara in the past knows, you and Suzy Williams are the inspiration behind my creating a scholarship to bring one struggling writer or illustrator to Niagara each year. My little attempt to 'Pay it Forward' and make up for the generosity you and Suzy extended to me during the Mentor Program, a few years back.

And now for the final question...

4) You are a very generous person (as so eloquently illustrated above), and love to help writers improve their craft. Why in this day and age of so many self-publishing possibilities do you think it is still so important for any writer at any stage of their career to focus on craft?

ELLEN: No matter how you publish, if you want this as a career, you need an audience. Readers tend to be very loyal, but not if your writing doesn’t measure up. Yes, I realize there are exceptions to that rule, but they are few and far between. You hear about them because they are exceptions, and the truth is jumping into a writing career with money as your ultimate goal is probably going to leave you quite disappointed. You have to love writing, and if you do, don’t you want yours to be the best? Story is only half the equation. Writing it well is the other half.

ME: Well said, Ellen. Writing it IS definitely the other half -- the daunting half. But it's great to know authors like yourself are out there willing to pass on what they've learned about their craft.

Want Ellen's help to improve your manuscript? How about the chance to sit with her and receive one-on-one critique? Well, lucky for you, Niagara's just around the corner and Ellen is on the faculty!

Visit: www.niagararetreatandconference.com for registration details.

Getting to Know YOU! A mini-interview with Agent Laura Biagi - Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency! Enjoy!

Inside the mind of an agent that's where we all want to be, right? Inside the mind of an actively acquiring agent especially! Well, here is your chance. In this mini-interview, Laura Biagi of Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency shares what she is looking for and her thoughts on the industry. So without further adieu, let me introduce Agent Laura Biagi...


ME: 1) Tell us a little about yourself.

LAURA: I have a background in creative writing and anthropology, and both influence my agenting style to some degree.

I became interested in publishing because I enjoyed critiquing manuscripts in creative writing workshops so much that I wanted to enter an industry where I could do something similar, all the time! As a result, I am very hands-on when I work with my authors. When I give editorial notes, I consider the larger picture regarding plot, character, and structure, just as much as the smaller, more nitty-gritty details that are important for creating a polished draft. I also enjoy helping authors brainstorm new ideas.

My anthropology background often comes into play when I am reading submissions. Anything with an interesting cultural element immediately captures my attention. More often than not, it will prompt me to request more to read.


ME: It's always great to have an agent so actively involved in the editorial process of developing your work :) Now, the burning question on everyone's mind...
2) What kind of project could you use on your list right now?

LAURA: I would be thrilled to find a funny picture book to add to my list of client projects. I love how humorous picture books can incorporate both a light touch as well as a wicked edge, with deadpan humor or sarcasm involved, like in I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen, or one of my agency's books, Petunia by Roger Duvoisin. I would also love to find an author-illustrator with a picture book project that creatively approaches change and/or individuality with fun colors and shapes, a la Eric Carle.

I am in the market for exciting YA and middle grade books as well. I often tend toward the extremes in these areas. If I'm reading a reality-based YA or middle grade, I like it to be edgy and dark. If I'm reading something less reality based, I tend to like high-concept plots, like Delirium by Lauren Oliver, or an agency book I've worked on, Amber House by Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed, and Larkin Reed. Amber House blends magical realism, ghost stories, fantasy, horror, and a touch of romance. Genre benders like this usually always captivate me.

ME: Looking for author/illustrator combination and humorous picture books...I must say, that is refreshing!...and good news for the YA and MG crowd too! (Dark and edgy, that's my kinda gal...) Okay...onward...
3) In your opinion, what constitutes great and saleable writing today?

LAURA: I am a big advocate of strong writing. Some books are published because they have wonderful concepts but only "meh" writing. I love a good concept as much as the next person, but, for me, the most important aspect is the quality of the writing. I am a sucker for lush descriptions and vivid imagery; however, too many adjectives and adverbs will make the writing feel over-the-top. The same goes for too many images, which can prevent a reader from getting any clear sense of what he/she should be paying attention to in the story.

ME: Good things to think about for sure. Finding that balance is so important. Okay, something I really want to know the answer to, and I know a lot of other writers do too...
4) Is there room for quiet stories in the industry anymore?

LAURA: This may sound a little silly, but I think "quiet" stories often get the same bad rap as "quiet" people do. Neither are really quiet at all if you take the time to get to know them. For a manuscript, the key to allowing readers to "get to know it" is to identify what exactly is making the manuscript quiet. Is there very little plot? Are the characters stereotypical? Is the writing beautiful, but is a bland story line putting the reader to sleep? Is the pacing too slow?

There is no one solution to fixing the problem of a quiet book, and any possible solutions are never easy, which is why I think "too quiet" is so often used as an excuse for rejection by editors and agents, including myself. For example, in a manuscript that lacks a plot or has too-slow pacing, the solution isn't necessarily to add more to the plot or increase the pacing. Instead, the solution might be to heighten the power of your language by making it more subversive and unique, and/or by sprinkling in dialogue exchanges that are unexpected and revealing of characters' personalities. Or, perhaps, the solution could be to come at your plot through a slier angle, by revealing less and leaving more up to surprise.

"Too quiet" isn't the death knell of a manuscript, but if you suspect your manuscript of being too quiet, or if you've directly heard that feedback from editors or agents, you may be able to fix the problem by delving deeper into your work, taking a hard look at your strengths and weaknesses, and focusing your creativity on finding ways to make those strengths a little more vocal. This type of troubleshooting will likely take a great deal of time, trial and error, and honesty with yourself about your writing--but so does all writing. Like all great writers, you've just got to keep pushing yourself.

ME: That doesn't sound silly at all, I love that analogy, "I think "quiet" stories often get the same bad rap as "quiet" people do." Brilliant. Now...
5) Give us your take on the fluctuating market.

LAURA: In considering the fluctuating market, I think it's helpful to look at the history of the publishing industry over time. It seems to have always been fluctuating in some way, sometimes more drastically than at other times. With the advent of e-books, self-publishing, and the internet, we seem to be experiencing another dramatic fluctuation, but ultimately I think there will always continue to be a place for books, whether in print, in "e," or in both.

I also think that, right now, more people are writing and reading than ever, what with blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc. While some fear that this type of writing and reading will lead to shorter attention spans among potential audiences, which could ultimately discourage traditional book reading, I think what's more important is that this type of writing and reading is already encouraging creativity and heightening enthusiasm surrounding the written word. And encouraged creativity and heightened enthusiasm will lead to more people writing and reading on all kinds of platforms, including books.

ME: Well said, I agree. I think we have recently opened a new set of floodgates on creativity and I too, believe reading is here to stay. And now for my final question...
6) What are looking forward to most about attending Niagara?

LAURA: The castle-like venue and costume-themed dinner, of course! Just kidding, though I am very much looking forward to those.

I'm actually most excited to meet all the participants. I always love chatting about writing, so I'm looking forward to doing that with participants and fellow faculty members for three days straight.

I also look forward to hearing from authors who are searching for agents, because I am very actively seeking clients. I would love to find my next client at Niagara!

OH WOW! That is GREAT NEWS for all those in attendance! A possible agent hook up, what more could you ask for?

If you're still sitting on the fence about Niagara, it's time to consider. And if want to get to know Laura Biagi a little bit better, what better way to do it then face-to-face at beautiful Niagara?
You'll find the details here: www.niagararetreatandconference.com

(P.S. There is still room. And payments plans are still available...)

Getting To Know You! Mini Interview With Lorin Oberweger, Freelance Editor Extraordinaire!

Lorin Oberweger...where do I begin (taps chin) mentor...editor...friend.
Truth is, Lorin is so many things to so many people...so many LUCKY people...I think it's best if I just let you get to know her for yourself.

(Trust me, you're going to love this woman. I mean seriously, look at that face...don't you just love her already?)

ME: 1. Tell us a bit about yourself, something we can't learn from your bio?

LORIN: Hmm... Does my bio say I live in Tampa, Florida, which I absolutely adore, and that I have two cats and am probably the most grateful person around to be able to do what I do? If not, it should!

What else? I am an absolute repository of useless information, especially of anything related to pop culture. Want to know what celebrities dated what other celebrities? Or who appeared in what film? I'm your go-to gal. Want a 40-something year old who knows the meaning of "twerk?" That's me. I don't know that any of it adds up to much, but it's my gift and burden.

I'm also a serious geek/nerd appreciator. I come from a family of early tech adapters (both my siblings are "in" computers), and though I'm a flibbertigibbet creative type, it's rubbed off on me. I love my
electronics! (Also my Nathan Fillion and all things Whedon.)


ME: 2. You really love your work, share with us a little bit about your
passion. Why do you find this work so rewarding?

LORIN: Well, first and foremost, I'm a writer, so I understand what it means to BE a writer--the peaks and valleys, the bouts of euphoria immediately supplanted by bouts of self-loathing. I get it. And I love everything about it. NO art form offers what books offer in terms of being fully dimensional, immersive, transcendent experiences.

Secondly, I really do feel as though this is what I'm MEANT to do. And
I believe, fully, that when you align with your purpose in life, the
angels sing. Or something like that.

It's an extremely gratifying feeling to help someone else achieve his
or her creative dreams, to unlock some component of craft or of
structure that's been heretofore locked. Giving a person what they
need to leap forward in terms of their writing capabilities, which
brings them closer to their own professional and creative goals, is
just a humbling and awesome thing.

And part of me also loves the puzzle of it, of digging in and helping
rearrange pieces as needed. It's both highly creative and a little bit
organizational/technical at the same time, which keeps my brain happy. So, it's win-win-win all around.

ME: 3. I recently read in an article, in the future successful authors
will always need to employ the following: 1) a good freelancing
editor 2) a great negotiating agent and 3) a publicist they can
trust. Can you speak to the importance of working with an editor,
despite this new self publishing craze?

LORIN: For me the bottom line has to do with a respect for your audience, for the end reader who you hope will not only love ONE book but ALL of the books you produce.

Given that goal, which I think is a much more critical goal than fame and fortune, I believe that editors can help you take a story from serviceable to GREAT. We can help you push your level of craft and storytelling beyond your current capabilities, helping you create memorable, GREAT books that people will want to read and pass along to
others.

I don't really care about whether you're pursuing traditional publishing or self-publishing. I DO really care about the integrity and vitality of a book and about a writer's desire to deliver the most powerful, well-expressed, evocative, rich book possible. In any genre, for any market.


ME: 4. You attend a lot of conferences and events and hold a lot
yourself. Can you share with us a few reasons why you think writers
benefit from attending conferences and events, regardless of what
stage they are in their career?

LORIN: I think there's power in community, of course. In finding fellow journeyers. I also think a GOOD conference helps you achieve what I've outlined above: moving beyond your current scope of knowledge and opening you up to new skills and expertise.

Conferences also connect you with industry professionals, which is valuable in my view not just for making connections with people you hope will someday take on your work, but helping you connect to people inside the industry in general, people inside publishing who can share their sensibilities.

I don't know that the greatest conference successes necessarily come from someone liking your work (though that's great, of course). I do know that there's MUCH to be gained by listening and absorbing conversations among staff members who are likely to communicate a great deal.

ME: 5. I know you've said you are looking forward to Niagara. Why
Niagara? What makes it special?

LORIN: Well, the location is AWESOME, of course. Pretty unbeatable. And the food, as has been mentioned, definitely ranks beyond standard conference fare.

But of course what really makes it special is your commitment, Jackie, to giving people a challenging, empowering, and jampacked experience. I respect the fact that you want to fill students' days with as much substance as humanly possible. That's an enormous benefit and one that folks who don't have a lot of conference experience really need to appreciate. It's a fantastic event!

ME: Awwwwwhhhh...blushes, surprised, embarrassed...thanks.

Want to get to know Lorin better? Well, there's always Niagara! Why not considering joining us?
www.niagararetreatandconference.com

If you can't wait until Niagara, you can also personally contact Lorin at:
Free Expressions Seminars
and Literary Services
www.free-expressions.com

THAT BOOK IN YOU!

Donning on of my many hats here, I'm gearing up for a local talk on "THAT BOOK IN YOU!" at the Grand Bend Rotary Club tomorrow's eve. Join us for dinner if you're interested, or contact me directly, if you'd be interested in me appearing at your club or function. Let me help you realize THAT dream BOOK in YOU!

That Book in You Flyer by jackiegp

Niagara Writer's Retreat and Conference - Come one, Come all!