When NOT to write

Have you ever read a novel that started off one way and then somehow morphed into
something totally different mid-book? That kind of stuff throws me as a reader.
But as a writer, I can see how it happens.
You start out with a bunch of newbie characters, then you put them into difficult situations.
They react, and how they react shows what their true character is like. Before your eyes, your
little newbies are growing up (*sniff, sniff!) having opinions, growing a backbone (or not) and becoming
themselves.
At least that's the way it is for me.
Other writers might experience it differently. Maybe their characters come to them fully-formed but then the further they go along in the novel, the characters end up changing or going in directions the author did not anticipate.
This is why, when writing a novel, some 'writing days' are spent reading.
Today was a reading day. I hadn't planned on it, but I'd gotten to a place where I needed
to be reminded of where my MC had been and how far he'd come.
Writers have to stop sometimes and read from the beginning -
to make sure Main Character in Chapter One matches Main Character in Chapter Twenty-One. And if he/she doesn't, you have some 'splainin to, Lucy.

AN INTERVIEW WITH MARIANNE NOWICKI ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF BOOK TRAILERS AS RAZZLE DAZZLE MARKETING TOOLS FOR NEW AUTHORS

Are you a debut author who is wondering whether you should invest in a professionally made book trailer? Recently, through the magical world of Facebook, I discovered that my long lost close college friend Marianne Nowicki was in the business of designing trailers for authors. I asked her to make the trailers for Freaked (HarperTeen 2009) and Stranded (HarperTeen 2010). Wow! was I wowed at the results. Marianne and I discussed her process which in a lot of ways sounded like my process. Designing trailers seems to be yet another place creativity in book making merges and becomes collaborative.

JD:
Do you think book trailers offer a new way for consumers to browse? How will trailers affect bookstores? Do you foresee them becoming part of a card catalog record in libraries?

MN:
The book trailer is a relatively new promotional method, but clearly one that will be sticking around. For YA readers, it is a no-brainer. Today's tweens and teens are so used to viewing videos and movie trailers - trailers are a great way to compete in today's technological and visual marketplace. But I think authors and publishers of all genres will find them an exceptional marketing tool. Personally, I still love using written text in my trailers- in lieu of voiceovers - it makes more sense to me when I consider that they are promoting books, not movies, but that's just me. Can't really say what will happen with the library card catalog. I am finding it interesting however that many high school book club sites now have spots for trailers.

JD:
How did you get into the business of making book trailers? what specialized skills do you bring to the field?

MN:
My background in the advertising industry (specifically working with professional photographers and illustrators) has been invaluable to me. It taught me the importance and power of a strong visual - it most certainly could make or break an ad. The advertising photography business changed drastically with the advent of digital photography and the growing availability and popularity of exceptional stock photography. There is so much to choose from today -having the background to discern between powerful and weak imagery is certainly an asset in my current incarnation as a book trailer producer. I got started producing trailers initially when I began offering web video production services to a few authors and speakers I was providing virtual assistance to and that organically led to producing their book trailers. At some point, I realized that I had a knack for translating the essence of a book visually. I have a blast putting together these trailers - it is a great creative outlet for me.

JD:
Very neat. How closely do you collaborate with authors? What questions do you ask them before you start work on a new trailer?.

MN:
I work very closely with my authors and I am particularly concerned when it comes to the text used in my trailers. In the essence of keeping the trailer moving forward, it usually becomes necessary to insert at least some text that isn't directly quoted from the book - it is very important to me that the authors have a comfort level with all text in the trailers and particularly so if it is written from the perspective of one of the characters in the book. Also, although I tend to shy away from showing too much of a person's face or body in any single clip (I don't want to detract from the reader's experience of developing their own mental picture of what a character looks like) I do like to be sure I have the basics correct and rely on my authors to tell me if they think the image I have chosen is not working. The authors are so intimately connected with the characters and locations described within their books - and it is important to me for them to feel that I got those parts right. The authors I work with have as much say as they want, but ultimately they understand that they are hiring me for my eye as well.

JD:
All of your trailers have unique, vivid color schemes. How do you choose the tones you use? Do you think the color choices affect the mood of each trailer?

MN:
Definitely. There are certain colors that portray mystery better than others, or humor better than others. Think about any great movie that you have seen - they all have some effect that provides continuity. Directors are hired to bring a look and feel to a movie - to add a consistency to the clips and a continuity to the imagery. The same is true for graphic design - when I receive a brochure or catalog, the ones I am most drawn to - that appear most professional and relay a strong branded message- are the ones that employ a color and mood consistency. Many times when I am asked to produce a trailer, the book cover art is already chosen - if that is the case, I try very hard to figure out how to incorporate the feeling and color scheme of the book cover into the trailer. The same is true for any special effects on the images.

JD:
I noticed on your site that you have made trailers for both fiction and non-fiction titles. Is there a difference in how you approach the two? How much does one have to inform, the other tell a story?

MN:
They both have to tell a story, but most non-fiction books by nature are informational, so there usually is more of an informational quality to the non-fiction trailers. However, it is equally as important to develop a look and mood to be carried throughout a non-fiction trailer. And with both fiction and non-fiction, it is crucial that you understand what types of images will appeal to your market.

JD:
How do you choose the text you include? Do you quote directly? Do you sometimes paraphrase? How often do you find images alone can convey what you need?

MN:
It is such an organic process, but if the book offers direct quotes that work to tell the story in two minutes, then I love using them - that happened most often in the Freaked Trailer so far. But there is always going to be some amount of paraphrasing to be sure the trailer on its own makes sense. I have found that when I want to speed up the trailer and highlight a particular peak in the plot - images on their own can tell the story. Almost all the trailers I work on have at least a few clips that contain no text. Although that is less true for non-fiction trailers.

JD:
How do you choose the parts of a story you can tell? Is creating suspense one of the objectives of making a good trailer?

MN:
As an avid reader, it is very important to me to completely read and digest the book before I can get too involved in making a trailer (although I do take notes all along the way to earmark strong visual descriptions, quotes, and what I call key plot moments). Suspense, intrigue, mystery, connection - anything that compels the viewer to want to know more, is a crucial part of an effective trailer. I never lose sight of the fact that trailers are promotional tools - I think of them as dynamic visual book jacket blurbs and I am very wary of giving away plot spoilers.

JD:
Visual book jacket blurbs, I like that. How important is the audio portion of the video? Are the complications or difficulties in acquiring musical rights?

MN:
I am always unbelievably surprised at how great some of the stock audio is - but it is important to read the stock music agreement carefully - I always call my sources to confirm the use. That being said - I spend almost as much time searching for the right soundtrack as I do for all of the images to be used in the trailer. Because for me, it is crucially important that the music reflects the overall feel and genre of the book and will appeal to the book's intended readership. And once you find that - is it interesting? does it change pace and allow you to spotlight certain clips in the way you want? I do find I have to edit most music in order to fit all of these demands. A good portion of my downtime is spent researching great audio sources.

JD:
Which leads us to the question of what is the difference, in your opinion, between a trailer that works (and might lead readers to buy a book?) and trailers that don't?

MN:

For me, trailers need to have all elements working in concert to be visually effective. For my style of trailer, that means text, font, imagery, music and other audio, color and style. Referring back to your first question, I think that is one of my greatest strengths - making them all work together. There are many different styles of trailers - I recently saw one that was simply an author giving a reading, but the subject matter was so poignant and emotional that she was really able to connect with the viewers (a few shots of the audience in tears also helped tremendously). So, different types of trailers can be equally effective. The acted movie-style trailers can also be very effective, but can be very costly to do well. In a nutshell, an effective book trailer is one that leaves the viewer needing to know more..................


JD:
Speaking of knowing more, how should someone who wants a trailer or has more questions contact you?

MN:
Probably the best way to contact me for questions and consultation is at my website: http://nowickiproductions.com

JD: Thank you Marianne. It’s been a pleasure conversing with you and I love the trailers you made for me.

Take this Quiz!

Are You a Successful Writer?

A whacky quiz in three parts

Caution: Any attempt to measure success may drive a mildly insane writer over the edge

Part I

1. Are you published?

2. Have I heard of your book?

3. Are you on the NY Times Bestseller’s list?

4. Has Oprah called?

If you answered no to any of the questions 1-4, you stay up nights contemplating your failure.

Part II

5. Is there a member of your family, critique group, or circle of friends that admires your writing?

6. Have ever you gotten fan mail? (Even letters/emails calling you Stephanie Meyers by mistake count.)

7. Is your book in a library? Has it ever been checked out?

If you answered yes to any of the above, you’ve experienced happiness. For at least a minute.

Part III - Bonus Question

8. Despite all the ups and downs, do you still love writing?

If the answer is yes, than you are both happy and a success!!

The Love of Jazz, Cowboy Songs, and Great Stories

I come from a long line of artists and musicians and teachers. My grandparents had a vaudeville act in the 1920s--"Haywood's Hawaiian Players". My mother was a teacher and a beautiful painter. My dad played the saxophone and has the best jazz collection of anyone I know. He also has a really good singing voice, but he won't do any solos unless he's belting out one of his cowboy songs. As a teenager, I lived in fear that he would do that around one of my friends, but now I actually look forward to it. My brother, Tom, plays guitar and bass, and my brother, Tim plays brass, a little bit of percussion, and is a talented graphic designer. All I'm going to say is, it's a good thing I can put a sentence together, because I can clear a room pretty quickly with my singing voice.

My family treasures books and good stories, but I am the first in the family to be a writer. When ALSO KNOWN AS HARPER became a reality, my brother and sister-in-law had a party at their house in Seattle. Before I got on the plane, my cousin called.

"I have something for you," my cousin, Lynn said. "I think it belongs to you."

Lynn is a special kind of relative. The kind who you love not just because you have a family obligation, but the kind you would choose for a friend, even if you didn't share a DNA pool. And the fact that we are separated by about 3,000 miles means I just don't get to see her very often. So I couldn't wait to see what she was talking about.

She arrived at my brother's with a thick brown box, the size that would fit a tall stack of manuscript pages. It was tied up with a thick white string, kind of like those wonderful bakery boxes in the Bronx, and Lynn sat down with me to watch me take the lid off. But what was inside was even better than a pastry from Arthur Avenue. It was our great-grandmother's stories. She had been a writer! My family is not quiet by any means, and I was pretty sure I would have heard about this before. My father had known his grandmother, but had not known that she was a writer.

The stories are in all of the drafting stages, from the notes she'd scribbled on the back of scraps of paper ( just like I do!), all the way through her handwritten drafts on old newsprint tablets, and to the final draft that she'd typed.

One page of notes is written on the back of an old milk receipt from the dairy farm that she owned. It was dated November, 1933, which meant she was already a grandmother at that point. Did she wait for her kids to grow up to start writing? And when in her busy day as a dairy farmer, did she find time to get out her pen and paper? And since nobody knew she was a writer, did she write in secret? Her stories are full of action and adventure and great dialogue. I picture her standing at the counter in the kitchen, dreaming about places seemingly out of the reach of her farm, and scribbling as fast as she could.

I wish I could sit with her and talk about writing. Had she ever sent a story off to a publisher? Did she dream of seeing her work on the shelves of a library? Would she love the same books that I love? Would she think Dorothy Parker and Flannery O'Connor were brilliant and ahead of their time? Was my great-grandmother ahead of her time?

But my biggest question was this: would she have ever imagined that her great-granddaughter would be reading and cherishing her stories almost 80 years later?

"I wish she could tell her about my book," I said to my critique group.

"Oh, she knows," they said. "She knows."

--Ann Haywood Leal

Books I Wish I'd Read Aloud

One of my favorite parts of the day is the time I spend snuggled up with my 10-year-old daughter reading before bedtime. Unfortunately, not all books are created equal when it comes to reading them out loud. I won't mention any names, but I have stopped mid-book to say, "Why don't you finish this one on your own because I just can't keep reading these clunky sentences to you."

Other books I cherish. Right now we're reading Down Sand Mountain by Steve Watkins. I'm not sure that I'd fully appreciate the characters' wonderfully unique voices if I weren't reading the book aloud. I also loved reading Shannon Hale's Book Of A Thousand Days to my daughter. And I wouldn't have wanted to miss hearing the sound of each well-crafted sentence in East by Edith Pattou (okay, so some of the Norse was a little tongue-twisting).

Sometimes I wish I'd read a book aloud. I bet The Underneath by Kathi Appelt would be wonderful read that way. I kind of wish I'd gotten to really bring alive the characters in Jenny Moss' novel Winnie's War. And Waiting For Normal by Leslie Connor would've been a good one too. My daughter's teacher has read several Class of 2k9 books to the class too--and I envy her that reading experience.

Which books do you wish you'd read out loud to someone?

(Posted by Sydney Salter)

Sharing Time, Sharing Books

One of the things I’ve learned during the past year is to make double use of time. And to share – with readers and with other authors. So this blog is one that I may repost. But for now it’s all yours. The Class of 2k9 is such a supportive group of good friends now and it’s become habit to share other people’s books while I’m presenting mine. Many librarians have asked me for lists of other books – they love the 2k9 postcard with it's yummy menu of all kinds of reading. So here I’m going to share some books I recommend that, like my book, speak to the experience of war.

Operation Yes, by Sara Lewis Holmes, Scholastic, 2009. I loved this book because, after reading about life on a military base and moving and a mom deployed to Iraq, I ended up feeling like kids have real power over parts of their lives. That they can, with a good plan and a good attitude, impact the world in glorious ways. After reading Operation Yes I imagined kids all over the world posting little green men. (MG)

Heart of a Shepherd, by our own 2k9 Rosanne Perry, Random House, 2009. A quiet gem about the impact of war on one ranch kid, his family, and his community when almost all the adult men in his small Oregon town are called up to the reserves. It speaks as much to family, faith, and finding one's place in the world as it does to war. But if you imagine the wars in the Middle East are far away and are only reminded of them when you see a clip on the news, you need to read this book.(MG)

Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick, Balzer and Bray/Harper Collins, 2009. A not so quiet step into the life of a nineteen year old serviceman in Iraq. He has suffered a traumatic brain injury and has lost his memory of an encounter with the enemy which may change his life. A page turner that reads honestly and is enhanced with sensitive details. (YA)

Bull Rider by Suzanne Morgan Williams, Margaret K. McElderry/Simon and Schuster, 2009. Well this is mine so I’ll be short. It’s about a Nevada ranch kid whose older brother suffers a traumatic brain injury and loses an arm in the Iraq War. It’s the story of the brothers – and how they cope with the changes war brings to their lives. (Tween)

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, Penguin Books, 2007. This best seller doesn't need my recommendation but it's a book I give to friends. A look at one man's experience creating and building schools in what was to become a war zone on the Pakistan/Afghanistan border. There is a "young readers edition" from Turtleback. (nonfiction, Adult/YA)

On my nightstand that I haven’t finished yet:
Sunrise in Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers, Scholastic 2008 (YA)
100 Days and 99 Nights by Alan Madison, Little Brown, 2008 (young middle grade)
Ghosts of War, The True Story of a 19-Year- Old GI by Ryan Smithson, Collins/Harper Collins, 2009 ( nonfiction, YA/adult)
War Is, Soldiers, Survivors, and Storytellers Talk About War, edited by Mard Aronson and Patty Campbell, Candlewick Press,2008 (nonfiction, YA/adult)

And Before Iraq and Afghanistan:
Diary of a Young Girl by Ann Frank ( nonfiction YA)
Red Badge of Courage by Stephan Crane (YA/Adult)
The Sun Also Rises by Earnest Hemmingway (YA/Adult)
Tistou of the Green Thumbs by Maurice Druon (MG)

This is my list. Do you have books to add? I'd love to have a long annotated list to offer librarians. Thanks, Suzanne Morgan Williams

YOU ASKED! Number 1 - AGENTS

Ok, peeps, one thing you should know is that things get a little nutty after one's book comes out. Most of us are into, or finishing, or revising our 2nd or third books while still trying to keep the promotion thing happening for our first ones.

THEREFORE, in an effort to streamline our kooky lives, what we decided to do is to post one question at a time and we will all answer in the comments section. That doesn't mean you can't comment! Please do. And then check back to see the new answers.

Ok: This week's question was:

To those of you moving forward unagented, are you seeking an agent, or are you comfortable with self-representation? I don't have an agent and every minute I can pry away from work is devoted to writing my next book and getting my promotion stuff ready for book one. Should I be *making* time to find an agent?

Now, because I'm one of the un-agented ones and I'm posting this, I'll go ahead and put my two cents in here:

This has been an ongoing inner struggle for me! I had sold HAVEN and had an offer for BEST FRIENDS FOREVER: A WWII Scrapbook when I signed with an agent the first time. (So I had 'made' the sales on my own. She negotiated the second contract.) The agent and I were together a year when we decided to part (amicably). However, because this agent negotiated the contract, she will forever get her percentage of my sales, foreign rights, etc. (Something to think about.)

After we parted, I wanted another agent ASAP! But I think that had more to do with my pride than anything else. Plus, I had nothing finished to show an agent! So I waited. Now I am halfway through my next novel and my editor is interested in seeing it when it's finished (no guarantees). I figure if she wants it, I will contact a literary lawyer to help me negotiate the contract. If the editor doesn't want it, I will THEN submit it to a few agents I have my eye on. I haven't lost any agent-looking time, because I'd have to have a finished ms to submit to them anyway, right?

Take from this what you will!

And good luck:)

Comments from anyone else?