The variety show – and a RA giveaway!

Variety is definitely the spice of this writer’s life. Today I’m digging into crocodile copyedits and researching a 1949 codebreaking crisis … and that’s not all! I’ve also been printing out documents, rehearsing a speech, pondering a research trip, sending out a couple tweets, replying to emails from my publisher, reading a book in my field, and renewing my SCBWI membership. And yes, I’ll be doing a little writing, too. 

My favorite days are the ones where I get to write and write and write. Next best are the days when I dive deep into research and discover something new, or when I get to talk to people about books and reading and the subjects I love best. But I’ve had to accept that writers have to do other things, too — including plenty of paperwork and email. I tell myself it’s a variety show.

On a completely different note, I have some fun news about a Ra giveaway. My lovely publisher and TeachingNet are offering a chance to win one of 10 packs of both Ra the Mighty books — SIGNED copies of RA #1 and ARCs of RA #2. The offer is open till October 31 to US residents and you can enter here.

Please enter if you’d like to win — and good luck! And if you know of anyone — especially a teacher or librarian or youth club — that could use some funny books for readers in 2nd through 5th grades, please pass the link on!

Walking, dreaming, thinking

I used to be the kind of writer who could only commit to one book at a time. Then I became the kind of writer who could only commit to two books at a time. Nowadays I have several on the go: a tenth draft, a finished first draft, a promising opening, and another couple still mostly at the dreaming stage.

This week every single one of my works-in-progress has hit a point where I need to step back and think things over. I think best on my feet, so that means I’m doing a lot of walking.

Just going outside can give me a second wind. My thinking loosens up, and I see patterns that I might have missed before.

Seven swans a-swimming, spotted on my morning walk..

 

It may take a lot of walking, but eventually my writing ducks start to get in line. After looking at them from another perspective, I may even discover they’re swans.

On writing a funny book in dark times

Today is RA THE MIGHTY’s book birthday! It’s my sixth book, so you’d think that book birthdays would feel very routine by now. Not so. They’re a cause for celebration every time — and maybe especially this time.

When the idea for this book came to me, I was in the midst of a truly terrible year. I’d had my first emergency ride in an ambulance, multiple hospital consultations, surgery far from home, serious surgical complications, flu, pneumonia, pleuritis, further complications, and a flare-up of lupus. And the year wasn’t over yet.

On top of all that,  I felt burned out as a writer. I’d just finished a YA trilogy written under grueling deadlines, and then I’d written a book that my agent didn’t want. I thought I might never write a book again.

But then one day a cat showed up. An imaginary cat, true — but one bursting with personality. A cat who made me laugh. Soon I discovered he had a scarab beetle buddy, who made me smile, too.

Write a mystery for us, they begged. A funny mystery.

I’m sorry, I told them. You’ve got the wrong writer. Maybe I could do a mystery, if I got my health back and I worked hard. But I can’t do funny.  I wish I could, but humor isn’t one of my gifts. You’ll have to find somebody else.

But the cat and the beetle stuck around. Just give it a try, they urged me. It’ll be fun. You’ll see.

So I finally did. And they were right. It was a joy to write their book.

Happy book birthday, Ra and Khepri! Thank you for seeing me through a dark, dark time. It’s wonderful to see you in living color.

My writing mascot watches over Ra and Khepri’s book

That isn’t the end of my gratitude. All books take a village, and I send warmest thanks to all of mine, especially to Kit Sturtevant and Paula Harrison and my husband and daughter, who read drafts and laughed in all the right places and kept my spirits up. To Sarah Horne, whose art amazes me every day.  To Paula and Mo O’Hara, who wrote such lovely blurbs for the cover. To my agent and editor and the people at Holiday House, who are Ra and Khepri’s champions.

And thank you, dear readers and dear friends. I’m grateful to you all.

 

Double Vision – and a Sneak Preview

My Septembers are almost always busy, but this one has me seeing double.

The impossibly beautiful Tarn Hows, where I went for a walk ten days ago

Why double? Because I have two big writing milestones coming up.

• Later this week, I need to turn in the revised draft of RA #2 to my editor.
• Next week RA THE MIGHTY debuts on September 18^th… just nine days away!

One of these milestones would be enough to keep me busy. Taken together, they’ve made my life  a blur of revisions and website updates and long to-do lists. Even the lists themselves are higgledy-piggledy, with arrows and crosses and jottings squeezed in on the side – all too representative of my state of mind.

All is not lost, though. I’m still making time for snacks. And even the occasional nap.  (Ra the Mighty would approve.)

And I do have something fun to share today:  a sneak preview of RA THE MIGHTY! My publisher has released the first two chapters, so they’re now available for FREE online – and you can see Sarah Horne’s hilarious illustrations, too. If you like what you see, I’d be thrilled if you pre-ordered the book, or asked your local library to order it.

I’m wishing you all luck with your own to-do lists. And if you’re having double vision, too — here’s to a clear-sighted September!

The First Review Rolls in…

I always get anxious when I’m waiting for the reviews to come in on a new book. I’ve learned to work through it, but the shadow of worry is still there, ready to pounce in any quiet moment. So I was thrilled and relieved to get a fantastic review of RA THE MIGHTY from Kirkus yesterday.

Kirkus praised the “exciting ancient setting” and the “delightful repartee,” and the fact that the book has things to say about the nature of power. They said lovely things about Sarah Horne’s illustrations, too.x

The bottom line: “Fast-paced adventure with a lot of charm.”

Maybe I can stop holding my breath now?

Thankful Thursday: Fellow artist

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Jeannette Faith

One of the best things about making a book trailer was having the chance to work with pictures. I’m a visual thinker, but as a writer I mostly work with words, so immersing myself in images all day was a treat. And my favorite image from the trailer — Jeannette Faith’s stunning “Bride of the Sea” — has a great story behind it.

Before I saw “Bride of the Sea,” I searched through many, many photo sites, trying to find an image of a girl by the ocean that felt right to me — an image that spoke of mystery and magic, of loneliness and strength, of storms and waves and the pull of the tide. A tall order, admittedly! I started to think it just wasn’t out there.

Then I saw Jeannette’s photo on Flickr, and I fell hard for it, and for her work as a whole. She creates haunting and truly inspired photographs. Each one sings a song; each one tells a story.

Wonderful as Jeannette’s sea photo was, I wasn’t sure I’d be allowed to use it. We had a shoestring budget for images, and I knew I’d have to ask for permission to alter the photo slightly. (The girl in the photo is blonde, and my heroine is dark.) I figured Jeannette would probably say no. But at last I girded up the courage to email her, explaining how much I loved the image and offering to pay her what I could afford to use the image in the trailer.

In return, I received the most incredibly generous letter from Jeannette, who granted me permission to use the photo for free, saying she “would be more than happy to help out a fellow artist.”

My book is about a girl who sings magic — and it turns out that Jeanette, in addition to being a gifted photographer, is a wonderful singer and musician. She does smooth, subtle vocals and keyboards for a terrific group called Hearts + Horses. (If you want to check out their music, you can find it on iTunes, bandcamp and Amazon. My very favorite track is “Be With Me.” )

She also composes and performs music for film. By the time I wrote to her, I was already committed to other music, but if any of you want to commission original music for your own trailers, take note!

I was amazed and delighted to discover all these musical connections behind “Bride of the Sea.” And every time I see Jeannette’s photograph, I’m amazed all over again – not just by the beauty of the image, but by the generous heart of the photographer.

Thankful Thursday: On blurbs, courage, and gratitude

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chantress

Asking for blurbs is part of the modern writer’s life, but let me tell you, it is hard to do. You would think I’d have perspective on it by now, especially as I’ve sometimes been approached for blurbs myself (for narrative nonfiction, which I also write). But no… when it comes to my own books, I still feel like I’d rather write the whole thing over again than ask for blurbs.

If you’re utterly convinced of your own brilliance, maybe it’s easier, but I don’t know very many writers who are. Despite putting everything we’ve got into our work, most of us still worry that our books aren’t good enough. And not only not good enough, but maybe so bad that the universe will laugh and we will sink under the shame of it. (Well, that last part might just be me, but you get the picture.)

And asking for blurbs means saying to the writers we most admire – people who shine like goddesses in our personal writing pantheons: “I think your work is wonderful… so would you consider interrupting it to read mine? Will you take a gamble on my work and on me, solely because I think the world of you? And if you like what I’ve done, would you consider taking even more time away from your brilliant book to write something nice about mine?”

Yikes. Can you spell N-E-R-V-E?

But it’s worth getting up the courage to ask. (Even if you’re like me, and it takes you weeks.) Because sometimes when you do, amazing things happen.

As proof, I’m presenting the blurbs for Chantress, every single one of which made me cry with wonder and gratitude. Blessings on the generous writers who offered them!

Wonderfully felt, seen, and dreamed, Greenfield’s debut fantasy is an enchanted read.

Franny Billingsley, National Book Award finalist and author of CHIME

Chantress is one of those rare books that’s so beautifully written you want to read it slowly and savor every word, but the story is so compelling you want to race through the pages! I loved it.

Mary Pearson, author of THE ADORATION OF JENNA FOX and THE FOX INHERITANCE

With a spirited heroine, fearsome monsters, and luminous worldbuilding, this story had me hooked from the first page. CHANTRESS is truly enchanting.

Jessica Spotswood, author of BORN WICKED

Chantress is like the best kind of magic – absorbing, mysterious, and delightful.

Rebecca Stead, Newbery Award winning author of WHEN YOU REACH ME, FIRST LIGHT and LIAR & SPY

A pure and elevated pleasure, like strawberries of the perfect ripeness or a gorgeous aria. In Greenfield’s gripping fantasy novel the menace is palpable, and the practice of magic is described in such an evocative and haunting manner that I yearned to hear it. This exploration of the costs of a fear-based society and the real but worthwhile risks of freedom is deeply relevant to our times.

Katherine Sturtevant, author of AT THE SIGN OF THE STAR and A TRUE AND FAITHFUL NARRATIVE

Chantress is a beguiling and mesmerizing story, full of mystery and song. From the first word, I was enchanted by Amy Butler Greenfield’s unique twist on English history and by her compelling, magical, and loveable heroine, Lucy.

Nancy Werlin, NYT-bestselling author of IMPOSSIBLE and EXTRAORDINARY

Sometimes you just have to get on the train

Thank you so much for the virtual hugs and cups of tea and cries of “Me, too!” that greeted my post on loneliness last Sunday!

I’d been thinking that a certain amount of loneliness is part of the writerly (and human) condition. And it is — to a point. But I’m glad I didn’t suffer in silence. Your responses made me feel so grateful for the community we have here. And your concern and gentle nudging made me sit down and count how long it’s been since I actually had a face-to-face conversation with another writer:

Seven months!

Somewhere between the move and getting my family settled in, my social life as a writer got lost.

Something had to be done.

So yesterday David and Sweetpea took me to the station, and I got on the train to London, where I went to my first SCBWI meeting here in the UK — a meet-and-greet in a pub in Paddington Station.

I had a quavery moment as I scanned the crowded pub, trying to figure out which ones were the writers and illustrators. But I guessed right on the first try.

I can’t tell you how good it was to be there. I didn’t know much of anyone at the start, but that didn’t matter. We talked stories and plots and risk-taking and publishing — oh, what a joy it was!

So thank you, one and all, for giving me the get-up-and-go to, well… get up and go!

Loneliness

Writing can be a lonesome job. And most of the time, I’m okay with that. As long as I have pen and paper with me, I can be happy, even joyful, sitting in a corner by myself.

But sometimes the loneliness is harder for me to handle: Days when I’m struggling with a chapter or a story that isn’t working, and I don’t know why. Days when I run across a snarky review (even if there are a dozen wonderful reviews right next to it). Days when I face the fact that what I’m working on may never be published — and that even if it is, there’s no guarantee that the world will smile on it, or even take notice.

Don’t get me wrong. Despite all the down sides, I am very glad to be a writer. It’s a privilege and an honor to have work that challenges me, work that allows me to say what I think, work that lets me share what matters to me.

But this is one of the lonely days.

Key questions

Only weeks to go before we move, and the sifting and winnowing continues. In the past few weeks alone, we’ve divested ourselves of a futon sofa, chest of drawers, a rocking chair, three end tables, two exercise bikes, a stair-stepper, and another couple hundred books.

And there’s more, much more, to come. (How much stuff can one small bungalow hold? Trust me, you don’t want to know.)

But I’m getting better and better at letting go of things.

Not that it’s always easy to figure out what to surrender. But here’s a key question that helps with the tougher decisions:

Will my spirits rise when I unpack and see it?*

My heart spells out the answer every time.

Which is something to think about as I continue, in odd moments and hours, with this revision. Sometimes a new idea or scene comes to me out of left field, and it’s hard to know whether it’s a keeper, or whether it’s a will-o’-the-wisp. Sometimes I get stalled just trying to answer that question.

Maybe the better question is:

Do my spirits rise when I think of it?

Because I can’t always tell beforehand if I’m on the right path. But if an idea makes me happy, it gets me writing. And even if I don’t keep those particular words, I learn from them.

*I cribbed this question from a wonderful book called Scaling Down, Living Large in a Smaller Space. Definitely worth buying if you’re moving, scaling back, or just overwhelmed with stuff.