Category: Writing (Page 33 of 73)

Looking Back on the 2013 New England SCBWI Conference

April 21, 2015 / Katie L. Carroll

As I gear up for the 2015 New England SCBWI conference (#NESCBWI15), I thought I’d share some highlights from the last one I attended (I missed the 2014 conference due to being very pregnant!). And in the next couple of weeks, look for my gems from this year’s conference. Enjoy!

The 2013 New England SCBWI conference was amazing (of course it was…these conference are always amazing)! Caught up with old friends, including the very talented Kimberly Sabatini and Jodi Moore, and met some new ones. Left feeling inspired and exhausted, and I’m still brimming with creative juices.

One of the highlights for me was seeing my book covers up on the screen in the ballroom during the downtime/announcements/mealtime in the ballroom!

I’ve collected a few conference gems that resonated with me. A quick note about why I use italics instead of quotation marks…these are not necessarily direct quotes, some may be close to what the speaker actually said and others are my own rewording/interpretation as I scrambled to take notes during the speeches and presentations. So without further ado, here they are:

We should meet the world with all our senses. (Jeannine Atkins)
What’s outside in the setting can reflect what’s going on in the inside of a character, but it can also be in contrast to what’s being felt. (Jeannine Atkins)
How do we access that which we are trying to recreate when we’re sitting at our desks or computers? Sometimes we need a sensory kick in the pants. (Dawn Metcalf)
We work with art and it can evoke an objective response. (Ruben Pfeffer)
It was as if someone else’s words had opened up a whole host of words in me. (Sharon Creech)
As writers we want company; we need company. You come along too, please. (Sharon Creech)
Revision is finding and strengthening the heart of a story, and revision is messier than people want it to be. (Kate Messner)
Maybe I had to stop trying to prove to people I was good enough and just had to do the work I was passionate about. (Grace Lin)
Every story has a message, whether or not the writer was aware of it or intended it. (Chris Eboch)
I come to one little detail that sort of wakes up my mind and then start amassing details like constellations. (Jeannine Atkins)
Writers are somewhat schizophrenic; we hear voices in our heads; we listen instead of conversing. (Padma Venkatraman)
Go down the rabbit hole. (Greg Fishbone)

Personally, I feel like I stretched myself not only as a writer but as a person. I jumped headlong into any writing activities that came up in the workshops I attended, even braving to share some of my raw work in front of others. I dared to act out an emotion for others to write about (and I have terrible stage fright when it comes to acting anything). I drove to the train station by myself in a city I’d never been to and picked up another author. So all in all, a fantastic weekend!

Playing Catch Up Jessica McCadden Author of Chapter 8 of THE GREAT CT CAPER

April 13, 2015 / Katie L. Carroll

Chapter 8 of THE GREAT CONNECTICUT CAPER is here! The adventure is really shaking and moving, and with only four chapters left, I can’t wait to see what happens next. While we all wait for find out what exactly is going on with Gillette Castle, let’s give a big welcome to chapter 8 author Jessica McCadden!

Playing Catch Up

by Jessica McCadden

From the moment my wonderful mentor, Sarah Darer Littman, brought this project to my attention I wanted to be a part of it.

As a graduate student pursuing my MFA in Creative Writing, I spend a lot of time reading, writing papers, and working on my young adult novel and though I work with wonderful writers and teachers, I’m always the sole author of my projects. One of the reasons the CT Caper was so intriguing to me was because I was excited about the prospect of creating a story that would be part of a larger work. The really cool thing was that the story would be a mystery not only to the readers, but to me—one of the authors! Participating in this process meant relinquishing some creative control, but was also freeing. I didn’t have to come up with a beginning or end—I just got to focus on my one small part of the story.

Since I was writing Chapter 8, I received the first seven chapters before writing my section. The main characters had been fleshed out, and the basic themes and plot already constructed. I will admit, before even starting to think about my chapter I had to map out what was going on. There were a lot of little details to keep track of, and the most important thing was to make sure I knew where each character was at the end of chapter 7 so that my chapter would be consistent with the events that took place before. This was very different from my solo projects because instead of planning the story from beginning to end, I was playing catch up. Once I was clear on what was going on, I wrote an outline for my chapter and figured out what Connecticut landmark I wanted to include, as well as which facts about William Gillette and Gillette Castle would fit into my story.

I was happy that I could include magic into my chapter because this fantasy world had already been established. My own novel and short stories are usually in the dystopian, science fiction, or fantasy genres, so it was fun to incorporate some of the elements I love to write in Chapter 8. I also wanted to add a landmark from the part of the state where I’ve spent most of my life (southwestern CT), so I did some research and found a historical mansion just a few miles from my old home that I included in the story.

As some of the other writers have mentioned, it was really difficult to stick to the word count! I think my first draft was over 900 words long, and I’d thought I was being frugal! Cutting the chapter down to 650 words took longer than writing the original draft. After some help from the project’s wonderful editor I made revisions and was very happy with the final draft—especially the cliffhanger at the end of my chapter!

Now that my part is finished I’m concentrating on school (pursuing my MFA in Creative and Professional Writing at Western Connecticut State University) and finishing my young adult novel. My goal is to finish the final draft by early next year and after that I will be seeking representation. In the meantime, I teach college English courses and lead creative writing workshops at Writopia Lab, which gives me the opportunity to help amazing and talented kids write their own stories.

I am so grateful for this opportunity to be a part of a unique, history-mystery for children that is educational and fun to read. I’m ready to write another chapter… sequel anyone?

About the Author:

Jessica McCadden is a freelance writer who received her B.S. from Boston University and has worked as a writer and producer at NBC, Nickelodeon, and TV Land. In addition, Jessica is in the process of earning her MFA in Creative & Professional Writing with an emphasis on Young Adult fiction from Western Connecticut State University.

Jessica teaches English Literature as a graduate assistant, has led creative writing workshops for kids at Writopia Lab, worked as an editorial intern at Talcott Notch Literary Services, and is one of the authors of The Great CT Caper, a serialized mystery story for young people.

One of her goals as a writer is to increase diversity in children’s literature. She currently resides in Connecticut and is writing her first YA novel.

Connect with Jessica on LinkedIn, her website, and Twitter (@JessicaMcCadden).

Fairy Tale One-Liners

March 24, 2015 / Katie L. Carroll

I’ve been reading a lot about fairy tales and myths as I put together my workshop for my (sold-out!!!) New England SCBWI conference workshop “Something Borrowed, Something New: Mining Myths, Legends, and Fairy Tales to Write Fantasy.”

As I read and study different versions of fairy tales, it’s interesting to note that they can sometimes have gaping plot holes. Even as a kid, I can remember on occasion thinking, “Why didn’t they just do [fill in simple solution here that for some reason was overlooked]?”

My brain, in all its infinite wisdom, starting taking this to a whole new level (perhaps my constant state of sleep deprivation contributed to this as well) where I’ve been thinking of all these ways that fairy tale problems could be easily solved. So here’s my list of fairy tale one-liners:

CINDERELLA:

Child protective services is called in, dear-old step-momma is arrested for child neglect and abuse, step-sisters are sent to foster care, and Cinderella becomes an emancipated minor who happily lives off her father’s life insurance policy.

SLEEPING BEAUTY:

Merryweather–the fairy who gives Aurora her gift after Maleficent casts her spell–gifts steel-tipped fingers to Aurora, who is already betrothed to Prince Phillip, her true love, so they live happily ever after without all that drama.

THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA:

The prince’s mother is a gracious host and lets the rain-soaked princess sleep in a Temperpedic, so the princess gets such a good night’s sleep that she’s in an awesome mood and the prince can’t help but fall in love with her.

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD:

The grandmother sends Little Red Riding Hood some bus money, so Red doesn’t have to travel through the dark, scary woods all by herself, never meets the wolf, and has a nice lunch with grandma.

RAPUNZEL:

Instead of eating the witch’s rapunzel plant and having to give her daughter to the witch, Rapunzel’s mom sends her husband out in the middle of the night for pickles and ice cream, ya know, like a normal pregnant woman.

Kidding aside, I love fairy tales and myths, and feel so lucky that I get to read them for actual work. What are your favorite fairy tales, folklore, and myths? What ways would you twist them into one-liners?

Meet Melissa Crandall Author of Chapter 6 of THE GREAT CONNECTICUT CAPER

March 16, 2015 / Katie L. Carroll

We’ve reached the halfway mark of THE GREAT CONNECTICUT CAPER! So much has happened since that opening chapter on the Connecticut River when we first learned Gillette Castle had gone missing. Check out chapter 6 and then read about the making of as author Melissa Crandall graciously answers some questions about the making of it and her writing life. Welcome, Melissa!

What was your approach to writing chapter 6 of the Great CT Caper? Did it differ any from your approach when creating a piece written solely by you?

The big difference, of course, was that there were five other writers ahead of me, so my preparation involved reading those five chapters, seeing how they meshed together, and then working to make my chapter fit as another piece to the puzzle. I’ve had a lot of experience doing that sort of thing – I’ve been writing collaborative pieces since high school – so I was familiar with the drill. Whether I’m working solo or in collaboration, my chief goal is to write the very best I can.

What were your expectations coming into writing a collaborative, serialized story for young readers? Had you written anything like this before?

Oh, yes. Back in high school, my friends and I wrote serialized stories where one of us would start, write the plot into a corner, and then gleefully pass it on to the next person to figure out. My first professional novel – Star Trek’s ICE TRAP – was written in collaboration with two other writers under the name L.A. Graf, and for the past several years I’ve participated in The Exquisite Project at Bill Library in Ledyard, CT. In essence, that’s a writer/artist version of the old “Exquisite Corpse” parlor game.

The Great CT Caper’s target audience is children in grades four through seven. What were some of your favorite books when you were that age?

I was (and still am) a voracious reader, so there were many. Some that readily come to mind are: Peter Pan (J.M. Barrie), Misty of Chincoteague and King of the Wind (Marguerite Henry), Black and Blue Magic (Zilpha Keatley Snyder), Andy Buckram’s Tin Men (Carol Ryrie Brink), Steel Magic (Andre Norton), and the Moomintroll books (Tove Jansson).

What writers do you find inspire your own work?

Truthfully, every writer I read affects me in some way. Some teach me ways to be a better writer, and others show me things I don’t ever want to emulate. Some of those who energize me about the craft of writing are J.M. Barrie, Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Barbara Hambly, and Jonathan Carroll.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring two books and one movie, what would you bring?

The books would be Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie and A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. (And if I could sneak in one more, it would be “Red Ranger Came Calling” by Berke Breathed.) As for movies…that’s hard, because my favorite changes all the time depending upon my mood. Probably JAWS.

Everyone is always trying to sneak in an extra one on that desert island! Where else can readers find your writings? What’s up next for your writing career?

Most of my books are currently out of print, but can be found wherever used books are sold. In the past year, my short story “Centaur” appeared in the online magazine Allegory, and I also sold essays to CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL: THE POWER OF FORGIVENESS and the Journal of the American Geriatric Society. They can also check out my website at www.melissacrandall.com and my blog “The Wild Ride – Caretaking Mom Through Alzheimer’s” at https://melissacrandall.wordpress.com/.

Currently, I’m working on a fantasy story and doing research for what I hope will turn into a novel based during the American Civil War.

And finally, what is something funny/weird/exceptional about yourself that you don’t normally share with others in an interview?

I once baby-sat a convalescing elephant.

About the Author:

Melissa Crandall writes “whatever needs writing.” To date, that’s included science fiction novels, fantasy short stories, and non-fiction essays. For several years, she served as fiction judge for the Darien Library Teen Writing Contest. Crandall enjoys hiking with her dog and pursues nature photography as a hobby.

Females in YA: Part 10 Hot, Rude Boys

March 9, 2015 / Katie L. Carroll

Tell me if this sound familiar.

Young woman in a YA novel meets young man. He’s rude to her, maybe even outright mean. He might talk to her in a demeaning or condescending way. He doesn’t seem to care about what she wants because his agenda is the only important one. He’s probably done some things that make him morally questionable. Said young woman notices all these shady characteristics about him.

But he’s hot, and has a mysterious air about him. Maybe she suspects he has some sort of special power. So the young woman hangs out with him willingly or allows herself to be coerced into spending time with him. As she gets to know him, she’s impressed by his piercing eyes or muscular physique. And that time he flashed a perfect smile at her just made her heart skip a beat.

Young woman clings to every small act of kindness he shows her or anyone else. Maybe he even saved her from some terrible fate that was brought on by either her own stupidity or his arrogance. He mostly still acts like a jerk, though. But he’s really, really hot, and now she knows there’s something special/unique/supernatural about him. So she lets him brush a lock of hair out of her face and gently caress her face. Maybe she lets him kiss her because even though the kiss was originally forced on her, once it’s happening, it’s just so magical.

Recognize this scenario? Feeling sick yet? Because I feel like this type of relationship is in soooo many YA books I’ve been reading lately, particularly, but not exclusively, paranormal romances. I blame Stephenie Meyer, but moreover I blame our culture.

(A note on the Twlight series. I’ll fully admit I loved the books. They sucked me in from the start and I devoured them. I’ve read them several times and still enjoy them. Intellectually I can recognize the issues of the whole Edward/Bella relationship, but when I first read these stories, I just didn’t care. I wanted them to be together. Here’s the thing, Stephenie Meyer tackled this type of relationship better than all these other books I’ve been reading and rolling my eyes over. I didn’t roll my eyes when I was reading the Twilight books–though I can’t say the same for the movies! And she did it before all these other books, so they just come across as knockoffs that aren’t nearly as successful. I also found Edward to be a more nuanced character than the young men in other books.)

Back to our culture. We’re raising our young men to think it’s okay to treat women like a means to an end, like objects, like something that is theirs to use as they see fit. And if they’re hot, rich, and white then it’s even more okay. Just as bad, we’re raising our young women to think it’s okay, even desirable, to be treated this way.

And it’s not okay…let me repeat, it’s not okay! A man treating a woman this way does not make a healthy relationship, and it certainly isn’t love, not the mutual, respectful kind of love that is true.

I get that novels serve many purposes and one of their main functions is to entertain. I’m not saying we can’t have dysfunctional relationships in books or that every book needs to set an example for young people. There are certainly YA novels out there that show healthier love than my above example, and it’s okay to read novels with this type of love in them.

My problem with this type of relationship is how normal is has become in YA novels. So normal that it’s almost become a cliche. It feels like every other YA book I pick up has this in it (one of the reasons I’ve have more DNFs–did not finish–on my reading list in the last year than ever before). Yet the characters in these books never seem to think the unbalanced relationship is a problem. No one else recognizes there is a problem, and if they do, they’re opinions are quickly dismissed.

Young women are voraciously reading these novels. I want these young women to know that it might be fun to read about these kinds of relationships, but that it’s not okay to be in one of these types of relationships. I want young men to know that this is not how they should be treating women. I want YA authors to understand that they are writing their characters this way and think about the impact they might be having on young readers.

Okay, I’ve said my peace. Rant over. What are you thoughts on “love” relationships in YA?