The Writing Journey #atozchallenge Theme Reveal

TWO GUYS, THREE GIRLS, AND A WRITING JOURNEY

The 2019 Operation Awesome Team has two guys and three girls. So our theme is a play-on-words of the show "Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place."
We would LOVE if you'd help us out by voting for one of the two three images below. Oliver, Banner, or Olive pizza?
Tell us what you love or loathe about them in the comments, please!

Oliver!

Banner

Olive Pizza

ADDED MARCH 20

What it's Like to Be a Full-Time Writer

In August, my partner and I moved from Minnesota to Belgium. I looked for jobs, but I was struggling to find something I was qualified for that would also enable me to apply for a work permit (as it turns out, the law is very complicated – who knew). So I figured, hey, we have enough money for us to survive for a year if I don’t work; why not use this year to finally finish my manuscript and find an agent? Sounds like a breeze!

Narrator: It was not a breeze.

No it was not. By the time a month had passed, I’d barely done anything. It was infuriating. After years of wishing I had time to just sit at home and write, that was my reality – but the words refused to come. For weeks, I spent more time than I’d care to admit yelling “WHAT THE HELL” in my mind as I stared at blank pages or chapters that simply refused my revision efforts.

It seemed so backwards. Six years of college yielded countless notebooks that started out with the good intentions of taking relevant notes but devolved into mostly plot ideas and character descriptions with phrases like “lake turnover” and “anaerobic respiration” crammed into the margins. All the ideas that had come to me when I really should’ve been paying attention to my classes had completely fled my mind.

After struggling for several weeks, I talked to one of my critique partners about how lost I felt. I had tried setting daily goals for myself, like “write for two hours” or “write 2,000 words,” but neither had really worked. Could I count time spent staring at my computer as “writing time?” What if I deleted a couple thousand words, did that put me in the red for that day? I spent way more time thinking about the act of writing than I was spending on actual writing.

My CP gave me two great suggestions. She knew that I had previously been a competitive short story writer, and that I’d been a part of a free-association writing group in Minnesota. She tasked me with writing a short story every day for the remainder of my time in Belgium. At first, I thought there was no way I’d be able to do that – it seemed like so much work and I am, admittedly, very lazy. But then I realized that I’d able to do just that when I was thirteen when there were actual stakes, and there was no reason I couldn’t do it now.

So, every day, I find time to sit down for thirty minutes maximum and write a short story based on a writing prompt from Reddit. (If you’re interested in doing this, visit r/writingprompts for free writing prompts every day. You could even make an account and post your stories if you’re looking for feedback!) Amazingly, as of today I’ve written a short story every day for more than a month. They’re not all good – in fact, some of them are downright terrible – but about once a week or so I write something that I’m proud of, and that makes the bad stories worth it. I’ve even written a couple pieces that I’d like to expand into full manuscripts. I try to choose various genres to write and vary the length to push my creative boundaries. Sometimes I let myself write the full thirty minutes, and sometimes I force myself to only write six sentences. No point doing the same thing over and over expecting to learn something.

The second suggestion my CP gave me was to read THE 90-DAY NOVEL. (This is not an advertisement, this is just what happened.) If I was skeptical of my ability to write a short story every day, I was downright suspicious of a book that claimed to be able to teach me to write an entire novel in three months. I’ve participated in NaNoWriMo with varying success since 2014, but I usually cheat and use it as a way to force myself to work on existing manuscripts. I’m very much a planner – I want to know exactly who my characters are, what motivates them, what the conflict is, and I usually write an entire novel’s worth of worldbuilding material before I even get started writing the actual story. Doing all of that in a very compressed time frame seemed impossible.

As of this writing, I’m only on day twelve of the ninety days, but it’s going better than I anticipated. I started out with a vague idea for my manuscript – I wanted to write about an all-female combat robotics team – and I’ve already outlined the three acts; created a detailed background for my protagonist, antagonist, and love interest; and come up with a pretty solid opening and ending.

Even with all this planning, though, I’m still nervous for the point where I start writing the first draft (which doesn’t start until day twenty-seven; everything before that is brainstorming). I’ve already tried to write this story twice, and both times I crashed and burned after less than a week. Luckily, I started doing this just in time for NaNoWriMo, which will begin about a week after I start writing. I’m hoping that I’ll be motivated enough to finish this thing and I won’t fall off the word-count wagon.

For a long time, I thought that if what I wrote wasn’t good, there was no point writing it. My flash drive is a graveyard of abandoned manuscripts, and you wouldn’t believe the number of notebooks I have in a storage unit in Wisconsin littered with tidbits of stories I never even began writing. I thought this year would be a panacea – a chance to finally be a full-time writer and turn the frustration of not having enough time to write into an amazing manuscript that would go on to become a cultural phenomenon, or maybe just a thing a few people enjoyed reading, I don’t really know. So far it hasn’t quite lived up to the hype, but the year isn’t over yet. 

I think I can do this.

Wednesday Debut Interview: The Road Back from Broken by Carrie Morgan

Today's Wednesday Debut Interview is with Carrie Morgan, author of the self-published adult contemporary novel, THE ROAD BACK FROM BROKEN.

 

Thanks for agreeing to be interviewed at Operation Awesome! Tell us a bit about THE ROAD BACK FROM BROKEN.

The Road Back From Broken portrays a family in turmoil after the husband/father is seriously wounded in an IED attack in Afghanistan that claimed the life of another soldier. Road examines not only Fitz’s psychological recovery, but the impact of his trauma on his wife and son, and shows them struggling as a family to heal and reconcile.

Although his physical injuries have healed, Fitz is a mess. Months of heavy drinking leads to a DUI crash that sends his wife and son packing and leaves him one screwup away from a Bad Conduct Discharge. When sobriety unleashes vivid memories of the IED attack and his fallen comrade, Fitz has to choose between numbing the pain and losing both his family and his career, or coming to terms with his role in the death of his friend.

Do you have a favorite line in this book? Can you tell us a bit about it without spoiling too much?
There's a scene in which Fitz is agonizing over mistakes he's made in dealing with his trauma (especially his abuse of alcohol and mistreatment of his family) and someone tells him, “You can't unring the bell.” The quote is so emblematic of the story’s central message that it actually appears in the back cover art. Although we can't alter the events of the past or erase the scars those events leave behind, we can move forward by coming to terms with the past. The healing process can't move forward without an act of compassionate acceptance. In Road, that sort of acceptance is key to Fitz’s recovery and his reconciliation with his family.


Let's talk about your writing process. How long did it take you to draft this novel? How long from that first draft until publication?
The muddle of ideas that became Road had been swirling in my head for about two years before I actually sat down to write it. A trip to Ireland and Northern Ireland in November 2013 was the catalyst I needed to finally start writing on New Year's Day 2014. I finished the first draft of Road on April 4th, ninety-four days later. I released Road on October 20, 2015, a little over a year and a half after completing my first draft.


What's the most difficult part of the writing process for you?
Waiting for feedback from my beta-reader team and/or freelance editor was brutal. I was on pins and needles wondering how my story would be received and waiting to find out whether it needed fine-tuning or a complete overhaul. I didn't mind working through the edits once I got the feedback, but waiting for that feedback was tough. That's when the seeds of my self-doubt would sprout.

What factors led you to decide that self-publishing was the best option for this particular story?
I queried literary agents but received a consistent set of “beautiful writing, but this story has no market” responses from agent after agent. Several agents told me I'd have a better shot if I rewrote it to make Fitz’s wife Jenn the protagonist so the story could be marketed as women's fiction. Others said to make Fitz’s son the POV character so it could be sold as YA. I was told the story in its current form had no viable market and would have to be radically transformed to fit into a salable category.

The trouble was, the resolution of Fitz’s anguish is dependent on repressed memories unfurling from his POV, which means he had to be the main POV character. I believed in my story and the means I’d employed to tell it, and I knew the story had an audience (if not a sizable market), so I decided to publish Road myself.


Was there anything about self-publishing that surprised you?
I was really surprised by how supportive the rest of the indie (non-agented) and self-publishing writer communities are. It's been incredibly edifying to have the support of other indies as I've gone through the process.

Another thing that surprised me relates to the specific channel I used to publish Road in paperback. I went through CreateSpace and I was knocked sideways by how professional a print-on-demand paperback could look. A number of readers have told me my paperback looks every bit as good as one published by one of the big publishing houses. That was a very pleasant surprise!


What about the title? Was THE ROAD BACK FROM BROKEN the original title you had in mind? How did it come about?
No, actually, the original working title was Wages of War (which is the name of my blog site). The novel focuses on the impact of war traumas on military families, and on the intergenerational rippling effect those traumas have, so while I was writing the first draft, I called it Wages of War.

In the end, though, given the fact that the story’s subject matter is so heavy, I decided I needed a title with some built-in optimism and more focus on the healing journey. That's how I arrived at The Road Back From Broken.


I live near the mountains, so I'm sure I'm a bit biased, but I love your cover! Tell us about it! Who designed it? What do you hope it will tell the reader about your story?
Road’s cover was designed by Mark Aro of Hyperactive Studios. Mark is a brilliant designer and was a joy to work with.

Road takes place along Colorado’s Front Range, with the action split between Colorado Springs (where Fort Carson is located) and Littleton (my hometown, which happens to be Fitz’s hometown, too). I went to Mark with stock photos of Garden of the Gods and told him I wanted a cover that includes a road (a key metaphor in the story) and a set of dog tags (to mark the story as having a military subject) that evokes the Colorado setting.

Mark took all that and made sense of it somehow, producing a cover that I think perfectly evokes Fitz’s journey. I love the little touches like the dog tags (which have Fitz’s identity details rendered in proper U.S. Army format), the weathered interior of the vehicle (Fitz drives a 1976 Scout), and the blurry image in the rear-view mirror, which captures the idea of memory as an imperfect lens.


Releasing a debut is definitely cause for celebration — how did you celebrate this achievement?
I released Road two days after the book won a Royal Palm Literary Award from the Florida Writers Association, so that turned out to be a pretty great way to usher in the release! Release day started with a flurry of blog and Twitter posts announcing Road’s release and ended with a nice sushi dinner out with my husband. A pretty bouquet of flowers was waiting for me when I got to work the next morning.


Congrats on the award! Do you have any other projects in the works?
Yes! I'm working on the sequel to Road, entitled What Fury Left Behind, which takes place at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

I have a couple of other novel projects in the queue behind Fury, all of which deal with the struggles and experiences of military families. A couple of those are suitable for submission to small specialty publishers, so I might try that route for the non-”Fitzverse” novels.

I'm also thinking about writing a few short stories to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme next summer.


Is there any other advice you'd like to pass on to others pursuing publication? Anything you would have done differently?
Believe in yourself and your story. Listen to the qualitative advice of others, especially beta readers and editors, but don't let anyone tell you that your story doesn't matter. Stories get rejected by publishers for all kinds of reasons that have nothing to do with quality and everything to do with money. Make your story the very best story it can be, then determine the best path for it to find its readers. Don't let anyone tell you your story has no audience. Don't let the business of publishing, with all of its trends and its profit and loss calculations, let you think for a minute that your story doesn't matter. Every story has an audience. Every story matters.


And, just for fun, since your cover makes me think of road trips: What artist/album would your main character Fitz would listen to while driving?
If he's just driving around town, he'd probably be listening to whatever came up on his iPod’s shuffle—an eclectic mix of blues, alt-rock, and metal like Stevie Ray Vaughan, R.E.M., and Metallica. But if he's on a long drive, like the 150-mile haul from Denver to Glenwood Springs, I think he'd settle in with a couple of long prog-rock albums like Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, Iron Maiden’s Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, and Rush’s Counterparts.

Great choices! Thanks again for joining us, and congrats on your debut!

Purchase THE ROAD BACK FROM BROKEN here!

Wednesday Debut Interview: Grudging by Michelle Hauck

Our debut interview today is Michelle Hauck, talking about her debut adult fantasy novel, GRUDGING.

Thanks for agreeing to be interviewed at Operation Awesome and congratulations on your adult debut! Tell us a little bit about GRUDGING!
Let me try to avoid the blurb and put it in my own words. A city-state in the desert is under siege from an overwhelming army. Other city-states have already burned. Their only recourse is to seek assistance from their traditional enemy—the witches. It’s a tale of four characters: A young man, Ramiro, who hero worships his brother. The city Alcalde trying to keep his people alive. A girl, Claire, who wants to know more about her magic and life outside her swamp. A priest who lands in the middle of the enemy. Can they come together to beat back the flames and save a people?


Worldbuilding is often a huge part of what sets fantasy novels apart. Can you tell us some aspects of GRUDGING's world that makes it unique?
The world of GRUDGING is based on medieval Spain with Moorish aspects, which means a form of religion based on Catholicism, with a twist of course. It’s set in a desert and a swamp to make sure the terrain varies. And it includes three completely different cultures to keep the plot complex. You have witches who sing to bewilder the mind. An enemy religion of blood sacrifice to appease a dark god. And a weapon that can kill with just a touch.


You mention witches that can sing to bewilder the mind; that sounds similar to the ancient myths of sirens. What sort of research did you do and how much of your sirenas are based on the Greek sirens?
I did research on other things, such as armor, but did nothing on sirens. I wanted my sirens to be different. For one they live in a swamp and not the sea. They use their magic to repel men, not lure them. The Women of the Song just want to be left alone. They will use their magic to defend themselves if needed and have a variety of tricks up their sleeves.


Let's talk about your writing process. How long did it take you to draft this novel? How long from that first draft until publication?
Hmm. Let me think. I started GRUDGING in November of 2014 as a NaNoMoWri project (write a book in a month). I don’t usually try to write 50,000 words in a month because I know that’s not possible for me, but I needed the motivation to get started. I did manage ten thousand words. Then it took me eleven months to finish the draft and have my critique partners read and send feedback. My agent sent more feedback and some larger revisions. It went on submission in February 2015 and sold at the end of May. So it’s published just a year after I started it!

Can you tell us about how you got your book deal with Harper Voyager and what makes them a good fit for your book?
My agent sent GRUDGING out on submission to about eight editors. Harper Voyager was one of those who requested quickly, then we waited about two months before they offered for their Impulse line. I love that Harper Voyager is devoted to science fiction and fantasy, and they were specifically looking for more epic fantasy at the time. Fantasy is all I write and read, so I feel like I really fit in.


What about the title? Was GRUDGING the original title you had in mind? How did it come about?
GRUDGING is my original title when I started the manuscript during NaNoMoWri in 2014. I pictured two ancient enemies having to work together to throw off a larger and newer adversary. Claire and Ramiro wouldn’t work together happily. So much of the story is the progression of that relationship.

Operation Awesome posted on your cover reveal last month (LINK). How did your reveal day go?
We just had a big reveal on October 15th. Rockstar Book Tours hosted it and it included a giveaway of three e-books. I was amazed at how many people signed up to put GRUDGING’s cover on their blog! It was so exciting!


Tell us about your book launch! What, where, when, and how do you plan on celebrating?
Rockstar Book Tours is doing a virtual release tour for me also. They will arrange interviews, guest posts and reviews online. The print book comes out about six weeks after the e-book and I’ll do live events then. Other than that, I plan on going out to dinner, having a big dessert, and just having a lovely day on November 17th. Let’s see if I can resist checking Amazon sales numbers. Not sure if I can help but peek at them.


GRUDGING is book on in the "Birth of Saints" series. Can you give us any hints about what's to come? How much of the series is written at this point?
The second book is tentatively titled FAITHFUL. I’m about fifty percent done with the first draft. I can say that things will not be getting better for Ramiro and family, though he and Claire will get closer. There will also be a new point of view scenes from a familiar character, Teresa. And that reminds me, if you enjoy the GRUDGING and want to see what happens to Teresa in that book, I have a deleted chapter I’ll be giving away to anyone signed up for my newsletter.


Is there any other advice you'd like to pass on to others pursuing publication? Anything you would have done differently?
Research about agents and publishing first. Know how to write a query letter and what word count is desired for what genre. Many people don’t have any luck until their second, third, or fourth manuscripts, so persistence is key. And always get other writers to read and critique for you.

If I could do things differently, I would have followed that advice with my first manuscript. I knew nothing about writing, agents, or publishing. Learn and grow all the time.


And, just for fun:

If Ramiro could join forces which the hero of another fantasy story to help him on his quest, which partner would he choose and why?
Ramiro would have a case of hero worship on Aragorn from Lord of the Rings. They are both sword and horses type of guys. They could sit around with an ale and discuss honor and duty and what it means to them.


Thank you so much for your participation in this Wednesday Debut Interview!
You can follow Michelle here:

Twitter: @Michelle4Laughs

Blog: Michelle4Laughs: It’s in the Details

Facebook: Michelle Hauck, Author

Goodreads: Grudging

Goodreads: Kindar’s Cure

Tumblr: Michelle4Laughs

Buy links for GRUDGING: |Amazon|Barnes and Noble|

Wednesday Debut Interview: A Clear Solution by Eric McFarlane

Today's Wednesday Debut Interview features Eric McFarlane and his humorous adult crime novel, A Clear Solution, which is now available from Accent Press.

Tell us a bit about yourself, Eric!
First, Wendy, thanks for having me on Operation Awesome. Ignoring the writing, I'm a chemistry graduate who worked for the same company for many years in the Pharmaceutical industry, latterly as laboratory manager. After redundancy I had several other jobs in the sector before throwing in the towel and starting a business selling stamps over the internet. This is how I currently find an income, not, sadly, through my writing.


Tell us about A CLEAR SOLUTION!
The book’s unlikely hero is Daniel Dreghorn, chemistry technician, a man with the knack of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. A series of deaths are incorrectly attributed to him and as a result a clutch of his crazy colleagues and acquaintances believe he may be able to help them with their own nefarious schemes. These to include unwanted spouse disposal, exam paper theft and drug production.

In a single sentence: If it can happen it will.


The main character of A CLEAR SOLUTION is a lab technician — have you had experience working in science labs?
Most of my working life has been spent in laboratories. It was a natural background for my first novel.

Between chemical labs, homicidal bank managers, and crime... what part of this book required the most research?

I must admit to always keeping research to a minimum in anything I write. I knew I was ok with the setting. Homicidal bank managers? – well, who doesn’t know one of those? I did some research into the effect of cyanide poisoning but for the most part I just made it up as I went along.


Let's talk a bit about your publishing journey. How long as this process taken for you, from the first draft until publication date?
A long time! The novel was started more than 15 years ago as an antidote to redundancy. I also began to write short stories. Then I read a comment somewhere to the effect that there was no market for comedy. So why am I writing comedy? I dropped A Clear Solution and started writing a thriller. This in turn was dropped when I had an idea for a novelisation of an SF short story I had written. Then, unbelievably to me now, I launched into yet another novel length project. At this point I stopped and gave myself a shake. You’ve got to finish something. So A Clear Solution it was, being the project nearest completion.

After more months of editing I finally found enough courage to send out to a couple of agents with the inevitable result. Over the next few years it was turned down by more than 50 agents and publishers. Although there were a few positive comments it was dispiriting and I put A Clear Solution aside. During this time I had completed my crime thriller and started to concentrate on finding a market for that. Then I heard about Accent Press in a writing magazine and that they were looking for crime novels. A Clear Solution is firstly a humorous novel but crimes happen in it so why not. I sent it away and forgot about it.

I remembered about it during a holiday in Australia when checking my e-mails. There was a note from an Accent Press editor who was reading my submission and liked it. Could I send the rest?

Could I? Well no, I couldn’t, not until I returned to the UK three weeks later but that didn’t seem to be a problem. The surreal element was that this editor, working for the Welsh Accent Press, was currently living not 50 miles from where I was staying in Melbourne. Now it’s on the shelves. As I say, a long time!


Wow! That is quite the journey! Every writer experiences some rejection and setbacks along the way. How did you learn to cope with them and move on?
If you’re going to write for publication then you’re going to be rejected. It’s harsh but that’s how it is and every writer has to find their own way to cope. Personally I’ve never had a problem with coping. It’s your fiction that’s being rejected not you. If you try to understand the writing industry as it is now and the economic situation you’ll learn not to take it personally.


What makes Accent Press and your editor(s) there a good fit for you and your book?
Accent Press are I believe among a growing number of smaller publishers who are able to take a chance on novels which are not mainstream and would be turned down by the larger companies.

Tell us about your cover. It's been awhile since I took chemistry, but I like how the title is written a bit like a chemical equation. Who designed it? How much say did you have in it? What do you want it to tell your readers about your story?
The cover came from Accent Press, I had no hand in it but thought it was great as soon as I saw it. It includes many aspects of the novel; humor, chemistry and murder.


Was A CLEAR SOLUTION the original title you'd had in mind for this story? If not, tell us about how it came to be titled that.
A Clear Solution was my title for the book from the start although I didn’t think of it until the first draft was finished. Accent were happy with it. It has several meanings which are combined by the end of the novel. To say any more would be a spoiler.


Can you tell us about some of the things you been working on between signing a contract for A CLEAR SOLUTION and its release? What about the post-book-deal process been most surprising for you?

I had already completed a sequel to the novel when it was taken up so am doing final edits on it.

I also have an SF novel I’d love to see published and have been tweaking that. I’m also in the middle of a comedy crime novel with a female lead character. I’ve been surprised at how much time book promotion has taken up, seriously digging into writing time.


How does it feel to finally have your book out in the hands of readers?
It feels fantastic. I always believed in the book, the friends who had read it liked it but now I know for sure it was good enough to be published and that’s a great feeling


Is there any other advice you'd like to pass on to others pursuing publication? Anything you would have done differently?
Don’t give up! See my comment above about rejections. But DO listen to advice. Actively look for criticism and if several people say the same thing they are probably right so act on it. When you’ve finished something don’t concentrate exclusively on looking for publication. Write something else. The more you write the better you get at ANY stage of your career from beginner to best-seller.


And, just for fun, since the blurb mentions a particular doughnut that may not be all it seems to be, what's your favorite type of doughnut?
Coated with sugar and oozing cream of course. Ah that reminds me, coffee break.


Thanks so much for joining us!

Readers of crime & humor -- pick up Eric McFarlane's book here: http://amzn.to/1FNkp38

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If you are an author looking forward to your debut sometime between December 2015 and June 2016 and are interested in being part of our Wednesday Debut Interview feature, please contact me at wendynikel at gmail dot com with your book title, category, genre, publisher, and release date.

Always Know Yourself Before...

During my trip to New York, I saw a lot of interesting sites, and had a great conference experience at Book Expo America.

Before visiting the city, I had a chance to go to Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, where the likes of Bob Dylan and other folk musicians have performed. That night, it was a unique blend of blues--sliding guitar, tuba, and trombone. But most fascinating was what I encountered in the bathroom:

"Always know yourself before making a decision that may change your life"

While the walls were covered in inspirational quotes, I picked this one above the others because it's so deceptively simple: "Always know yourself before making a decision that may change your life." Because better decisions are made when you have your own best interests in mind. And knowing what those interests are is key in determining whether a decision is a good fit.

As with anything, this can be applied to writing at all levels:

Crafting stage: When you are still in the process of editing your work, and getting it critiqued by others, make sure feedback resonates with the story you want to write. Don't assume that someone knows more than you, or that negative feedback means you have to change the story entirely.

How to Know Yourself: Think, reflect, and figure out which feedback resonates with you most. Be with it for awhile to see what sticks and what doesn't. That way, you can save having to revert to a previous draft when someone else's recommendations aren't working (though this isn't unheard of--I've had to do it myself).

Agented/publishing/selling stage: From what I understand, this can be a perilous stage because it involves a lot of waiting. And waiting can inevitably morph into unnecessarily questioning yourself. Or settling for a deal that might not be right for you in the long run in order to relieve immediate stress.

How to Know Yourself: Be sure of the direction you want your career to go. Make the decisions that honor that, even if it means waiting to see yourself in print. Because settling for something lesser means possibly having to undo it later on--and that isn't always an option.

What about you? In what ways do you know yourself? And how do these inform your decisions going forward? 

Wednesday Debut Interview: The Rearranged Life by Annika Sharma

Happy Wednesday! This month's final Wednesday Debut Interview features Annika Sharma, author of THE REARRANGED LIFE, a NA contemporary romance novel that debuted May 15th.

First off, tell us a bit about yourself!
Thank you for having me! My name is Annika. I’m in my twenties. I’m an avid lover of Starbucks, online shopping, Once Upon a Time, pizza and thunderstorms. I’m still scared of the Wicked Witch of the West. I know all the words to A Little Princess, which is one of my all-time favorite movies. And every one of my celebrity crushes is British (including the girl crushes).


How would you describe THE REARRANGED LIFE in one sentence?
A mix of east meets west, where a first generation Indian girl in the United States has to make a big choice between her past and her future when she falls in love with a handsome American.


How long as this process taken for you, from the time that you began the first draft of this book until the date of its publication?

Two years, ten months and two weeks to the day. I wrote the book in six weeks—then sat on it for a year in graduate school! I spent three months revising. It took nine months to get an agent, three months to get a book deal, and another five months to my publication date. Phew!


How have your own experiences as an Indian-American influenced those of Nithya, your protagonist?
Indian culture is absolutely beautiful—the customs, rituals and magic is thousands of years old and I come from a traditional family so I’ve been lucky to embrace it. But being first-generation comes with its own struggle: sometimes the culture we are raised in, American, and Indian can tie together seamlessly. Other times, they clash so spectacularly; there are choices to be made about which direction to go in. Things like marriage and dating are an ideological clash, and it was interesting to watch friends (and myself) go through things that made us choose one over the other. Those definitely shaped the way I wrote the story.


What part of this book did you most enjoy writing?
I loooved writing the scenes where Nithya spends time with her love interests. It’s always fun to write banter between two people who are interested in each other because it’s relatively universal how they react to each other. But between Nishanth and James, I got to weave some cultural differences in the way they speak and it was so fun to simultaneously write a flirty, similar relationship and differentiate the two with the nuances.


Every writer experiences some rejection and setbacks along the way. How did you learn to cope with them and move on?
It can be so hard to drown out the voices! I don’t know if I’ve ever completely gotten over it—some comments definitely stick harder than others. An agent once said she wasn’t interested in knowing what happened to the characters, which hurts after you’ve spent months creating them. You have to learn to filter the criticism that helps, like, “Your pace isn’t steady,” versus “You suck,” and see what you can use to make your future work better.


How did you find your publisher? What makes them a good fit for you and your book?
My agent, Stacey Donaghy, had experience with CQ and said they really catered to authors. For a first timer, they were gentle (ha) and really showed me the ropes gradually. I felt so taken care of and they tried so hard to a) allow me in on every process and b) make me happy. The editing process between Lisa, my editor, and I felt so collaborative. I loved my experience with CQ.


Tell us about your cover. Who designed it? How much say did you have in it? What do you want it to tell your readers about your story?
Eugene Teplitsky of CQ designed this cover. We must have gone through forty drafts!

Marketing, Eugene, my editor, agent and I all had to agree—and I had a lot of say. This cover was so hard because we wanted to capture the “Indianness” of the story—but Nithya grew up in the United States so she blends into American culture. We also had to capture the American side—but we couldn’t go too far in that direction either. Add a relationship, college, and fun/flirtiness with a serious twist to it…there were a LOT of elements to sort through! Ultimately I think we got it.

I think so! It's lovely!

Tell us about your title. Was this the original title you'd had in mind?

It was the original title, believe it or not. I briefly toyed with Threads that Bind or something, but I wanted to play on arranged marriages, how Nithya’s life takes a different direction than expected and how it wasn’t broken—just set up differently.


What's next for you after this book debuts? Have you started working on another book?
I turned in my second manuscript to my agent and am currently with toying with ideas for a third! I’m so excited to hopefully have more books out there soon.


How does it feel to finally have your book out in the hands of readers? Do you have any events planned you want people to know about?
I’m currently alternating between being so excited I can’t speak and breathing into a paper bag.

So far, reviews have been largely positive so I’m taking that to heart and reminding myself to look at those when the inevitable negative one comes through. On May 26th, I’ll be a part of a mult-author New Adult Debut Party on Facebook and I’ll be at RWA in July!


Is there any other advice you'd like to pass on to others pursuing publication? Anything you would have done differently?

I went to this leadership conference in college and their tenet was, “Have a healthy disregard for the impossible.” I loved that. The odds are always against you but it’s up to you how much credibility you give them. Work hard. Wanting to give up is natural. Keep going anyway, especially if you feel passionate about it. If I could have done something differently…I might have done more research into storytelling tactics, so I could pinpoint what I love about certain stories. But overall, I like to think things happen for a reason, so the story and the process happened the way it should.


And, just for fun, which book in your own library do you think would be your main character Nithya's favorite?
All of my college textbooks… And Michael Crichton, Robin Cook, Jhumpa Lahiri, Abraham Varghese...literary fiction and fiction with a medical edge.


Thanks for joining us and congrats on your debut!

BUY THE REARRANGED LIFE HERE!

Wednesday Debut Interview: Anna, Banana, and the Friendship Split by Anica Mrose Rissi

Today, we're excited to chat with Anica Mrose Rissi about her MG debut that just came out yesterday, Anna, Banana, and the Friendship Split!

First off, tell us a bit about yourself!
Hello! Thanks for having me. My name is Anica Mrose Rissi and I am a writer, storyteller, and editrix, based in Brooklyn, New York. I like dogs, ice cream, and dancing around the room.

How would you describe ANNA, BANANA, AND THE FRIENDSHIP SPLIT in one sentence? What gave you the idea for this particular story?
Anna, Banana, and the Friendship Split is the first book in a new series about a girl named Anna who navigates the ups and downs of third-grade best friendship, with a little help from her wiener dog, Banana.

The idea for the book started with the title, and the story spun out from there. I had a lot of fun writing it!


How long has this process taken for you, from the time that you began the first draft of this book until the date of its publication?
I spent more than two years writing and revising (and revising, and revising) the draft of the manuscript that sold to my editor, the super-fabulous Kristin Ostby at S&S. Kristin signed up the first four books in the series in July 2013—at which point I revised Friendship Split twice more.

So, from the start of the first draft to publication day took over four years.

The next three books in the series (which I wrote under contract, and therefore with a much stricter and more regular writing schedule) took about six months of writing and revision each.

They will all be released within two years of conception. Book two, Anna, Banana, and the Monkey in the Middle, comes out on July 7.

And the "Banana" in the title is a little wiener dog -- too cute! Do you have dogs of your own?
Yes! My dog, Arugula, is a long-legged hound mix who wiggled her way into my heart six years ago when I saw her sitting in the window of an adoption bus that was parked on my street in Brooklyn. I’d been on my way to the train station to visit my parents, but I called them said, “I’m going to be late. I’m adopting a dog.” My father said, “Bad idea. Call us when you know what train you’ll be on.” Her middle name is “Badidea” in honor of him. She’s the very best bad idea I’ve had.

A rather adorable "bad idea"

What part of this book did you most enjoy writing?
Some of my favorite scenes to write were the ones with Anna and her family, especially the moments with her older brother, Chuck. Chuck loves teasing Anna, and Anna both likes and hates being teased, and the dynamics of their relationship were really fun to draw out. (They were inspired, in part, by my relationship with my own older brother, who has always been a key figure in my life.) I use Chuck throughout the series for moments of comic relief, but he also has some surprising big-brother wisdom to offer, and serves as a great example of how sometimes someone you love can drive you nuts, make you angry, or make you want to scream or cry, but no matter what, the love is always there. That’s what family and good friendships are all about.


Every writer experiences some rejection and setbacks along the way. How did you learn to cope with them and move on?
I spent more than thirteen years working as an editor at three major publishing houses, so I know from first-hand experience on the other side of that fence that rejection is not personal. As an editor, I turned down hundreds of manuscripts every single year. Most of the projects I rejected were good manuscripts, I just wasn’t the perfect editor for them at the time. An editor needs to fall head-over-heels in love to acquire a manuscript—she has to want to spend her nights and weekends with it, because if she acquires a project, that’s when she’ll be editing it—and it has to be something she feels she can publish well in the current market, at her current publisher, considering the other projects currently on her imprint’s list and out in the world. And although rejection stings, it’s like dating: You don’t want to be matched with just any editor, you want to land the editor who is the right match for you and your book. That can take time, luck, and perseverance. When a rejection comes in, I remind myself that finding the right editor is worth the wait. (And, I try to listen with an open mind to any feedback or suggestions that might come in the rejection note—a thoughtful rejection letter can be a real gift.)


How did you find your publisher? What makes them a good fit for you and your book?
My literary agent, Meredith Kaffel at DeFiore and Company, crafted a careful submission list of editors and imprints she thought might be a good match for the project. After we discussed it, she sent out the manuscript to our top picks. Rejection letters almost always come first, and I was prepared for that (and got some very nice ones, for which I’m grateful). But after a few weeks, Meredith got a call from Kristin at S&S, who was bringing the manuscript to her editorial meeting. I knew that this didn’t necessarily mean she’d be making an offer, but I allowed myself to start dreaming—and to learn everything I could about her from Twitter, which led to an immediate editor crush (she’s smart and funny and loves dogs too! how could this not work out?). By the time the offer came in, I was convinced she’d be a wonderful editor and advocate for Anna, Banana, and me, so Meredith and I accepted a pre-empt offer. And I was right.


Tell us about your cover. Who designed it? How much say did you have in it? What do you want it to tell your readers about your story?
The adorable cover is thanks to illustrator Meg Park (who also did the interior art) and designer Laurent Linn, who added wonderful touches throughout. The publisher chooses and hires the illustrator (after consulting with the author), and I was thrilled when S&S matched the project with Meg—she draws especially wonderful animals, and when I saw her online portfolio, I was immediately smitten. I sent my editor some character descriptions for Meg to work with and gave reactions to the sketches, but really the cover is the domain of the publisher, and I think they did an excellent job with it. Seeing the art for each book has been one of the most exciting parts of the process—so fun.


Tell us about your title. Was this the original title you'd had in mind? If not, what made you change it?

The idea for the book actually started with the title, though at first I was missing a comma. The breakthrough moment in coming up with the plot happened when I realized this wasn’t a book about a girl named Anna Banana, it was about a girl named Anna and her wiener dog, Banana.

That a-ha moment happened while I was out walking my dog in the park. We ran straight home and I wrote the opening scene.


Tell us about the other books in the Anna Banana series! They're already written?

Yes, they are already written and Meg Park is hard at work on the interior illustrations. Anna, Banana, and the Monkey in the Middle comes out this July, followed by Anna, Banana, and the Big-Mouth Bet in September and Anna, Banana, and the Puppy Parade in January 2016. I can’t wait to see them all together on the shelf!


How does it feel to finally have your book out in the hands of readers? Do you have any events planned you want people to know about?
It’s hugely exciting, especially getting to share the story and talk about writing with kids. I did a few events in the weeks right before publication, including the Newburyport Literary Festival in Newburyport, MA, and release parties and school visits in Decatur, GA and Alexandria, VA. I’ve got one more release party (at BookCourt in Brooklyn, NY on Saturday, May 9–if you’re in NYC, please come!) and several more school visits coming up. I’ll also be at the Decatur Book Festival in September. If you’d like me to visit (or Skype with) your class, school, or library, please reach out! You can find my email address on my website, anicarissi.com.


Is there any other advice you'd like to pass on to others pursuing publication? Anything you would have done differently?

An author I adore, the wonderful Rebecca Serle, once told me: “You have to celebrate every good thing along the way, no matter how small.” I think that’s an excellent way to approach the writing life. I celebrate everything from finishing a tough chapter to getting a personalized rejection letter (hey, that’s better than a form rejection!) to signing a contract to seeing a comp of my next book cover. When something good happens, I text a close friend, buy myself an ice cream, or sometimes even break out the prosecco. Celebrating the good moments helps me push through the less fun parts of this career and remember how truly lucky I am.


Excellent advice! And, just for fun, which book in your own library do you think would be your main character Anna's favorite?
Anna can’t wait for Erin Soderberg’s Puppy Pirates series, which comes out this summer. Pirate puppies! Brilliant. (And she already loves Erin’s other series, The Quirks.)

Awesome! And thanks for the interview, Anica!

Buy a copy of Anna, Banana, and the Friendship Split here!

Small town writing versus big city writing

A few weeks ago, my family and I went on our annual summer vacation, and compared the pace in the city we visited, the change of pace was huge. Here are a couple facts in order to set this story up properly:

* The population of our town: Approximately 55,000. Technically, our town covers 16.6 square miles and is surrounded by a perimeter of orchards, dairies, and fields of cotton, alfalfa, and things of that nature. 

* The population of Long Beach? Approximately 466,000, claiming 51.44 square miles. (Yep. Talk about a major difference.) Cars and houses and buildings are everywhere and even when you're just walking on the sidewalk, it feels as though you're constantly in somebody's way.

As you can imagine, the town of Long Beach is very busy. And loud. And... congested. (I'm sure this suits city-folk just fine, but it took us some getting used to.) My point is, the pace of our hometown and the pace of Long Beach were different in practically every way.

But back to our vacation. We were blessed to rent a home facing one of the main streets in town (cross the crosswalk, walk a few yards, and you'd be met by stairs leading right down to the beach at the end of the cul-de-sac), and the first time we checked it out, my husband was with us. A few days later, however, when two of my daughters and I decided to trek over there on our own, we had an... interesting experience. 

Minutes passed as the three of us stood at the corner, waiting for cars to stop so we could cross the crosswalk. It wasn't an intersection, so nothing specifically gave us the right to walk (except for the fact that we were pedestrians, and where we live it is always stressed that pedestrians have the right of way--I'm pretty sure this is a California law, is it not?). Though the sign posted nearby said 30 MPH, no one heeded that "suggestion". At times, the momentum of vehicles flying by actually forced you to take a few steps back. Finally, though, a nice lady driving a truck decided to wait for us. We smiled, appreciative of her unusual Long Beach generosity, and looked to our right, expecting oncoming traffic to see the stopped truck and us getting ready to cross and well, stop. 

Vrooooom! Whoooosh! Cars kept charging past. It was broad daylight. They had to see us three standing there, yes?

I looked at the truck. Someone pulled up behind her and started honking. Great, I thought. Now she was being blamed for the fact that everyone else was mean and inconsiderate.

Finally, after about a minute of this, we heard a man's voice behind us yell (I'm guessing from the window of a building, maybe?) "You just have to go! They won't stop unless you start walking!"

Uh, what? Charge into that traffic? 

I laughed, shook my head, and told the girls, "I'm not risking my life by walking out into this! That guy is crazy!"

To make a long story short, approximately thirty seconds later someone stopped and we (hurriedly) crossed. The experience was definitely one of those "city" experiences, and here's where I (finally) bring writing into the story:

Sometimes, the writerly world is a lot like Long Beach. Publication news, best-selling news, agent news, do-this-or-don't-do-that advice advice advice from everyone everywhere and so many other things are constantly being shared, tweeted, and blogged about, and it gets to a point where the information is a lot like that street we were trying to cross--loud, in a rush, and overwhelming. 

With so many things continually being broadcast, it's easy to feel as though you're going to be left behind. Like you'd better get your rear in gear and get that stuff out there, or you're going to miss your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. (Hurry up! Everyone's going to pass you by! Who cares if it's ready yet--send that story out, publish it already, before it's too late and you're a nobody! What are you waiting for? You'd better do it like this best-seller did! Go go go! Any of those thoughts sound familiar?) 

But... is heading out into crazy-fast oncoming traffic the smart thing to do? Not really. Will getting out there a few seconds (or minutes even) make a difference in the overall grand scheme of things? Most likely no.

In the same way, I've found that rushing the writing process--throwing it out into the noise of the industry when a piece of work is not remotely ready--also isn't beneficial. Choosing to take the small town writing mentality versus the city one does, in the long run, benefit the writerly method in its entirety. I would much rather be a country writer where I can sit back and enjoy the sunrise, the smell of the cows (well, sometimes), even the slow drivers. To me, it's not worth diving into oncoming traffic. Give me that extra time to push out a quality product and not only will I enjoy every step of the way, I'll learn more as well.

It's like coffee. Do you dump the beans into the coffee pot, add the water, and expect it to be ground, percolated, in your cup, and ready to drink? Of course not. Likewise, allowing our writing to go through each step of the process is a much more memorable (and educational) experience in the long run. Take time to grow your writerly coffee beans. Enjoy the aroma as it's ground and mixed with the hot water. Then when you sit down, cup in hand, you can relax and savor the taste of a perfectly prepared cup, knowing it's the best brew out there, and there isn't a single thing you would have done differently.

Going Postal—Encouragement on the Writing Journey

It was February 2009 and pouring down rain. I’d spent the past three weeks feverishly working to revise a manuscript at an agent’s request. The agent wanted a hard copy of the whole revised book—and it was a hefty plus-one-hundred K.

I hurried through the downpour with my young children to a shipping store. I waited in line, then helped the employee wrap the manuscript, trying to keep all the pages in order, even though we had to split it in half to fit it in the box. And then I found out they wouldn’t send it without requiring a signature. Literary agencies do not like to have to sign for packages.

Frustrated, I turned to the dreaded post office, where I’d had lots of bad experiences with manuscripts, including raised eyebrows, pitying looks, and being told I had to send an entire manuscript at the letter rate.

This time, someone new was at the counter. Her smile was warm and genuine, her words quietly serious as she studied the bundle of papers and the address. “This is your book?”

I nodded.

“This is very important, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

I must’ve looked as anxious and deflated as I felt. The postal worker printed out a “Media mail” sticker, though others had told me I couldn’t use that rate for unbound paper. It wasn’t a book yet, they felt compelled to remind me.

This lady looked me right in the eye. “You must be very smart and talented.” She smiled at my kids. “You’re lucky to have such a Mom. She’s going to be very successful.”

Lady, if only you knew what the odds are against that, I started to think. But she was so sincere, and the kids nodded in agreement. The cynic in me melted, and I let her kind words do as they were intended—encourage, uplift.

Has a stranger ever encouraged you in your writing journey? How did you react?

You Are Not A Failure

So. 2013 is finally here. You may or may not have resolutions. I sort of have a few, but yeah. It's only sort of. I'm bound to break them if I try to accomplish them too hard. *is lazy* 

Last year, I learned many things about myself, both as writer and person. I also learned many things about life. Of all those things, I struggled with one truth the most: I don't have to understand why things don't go my way immediately. I got to thinking about this particular truth after a few days of reminiscing about high school. Lots of things didn't go my way back then. Lots of things did. I have moments where those that didn't tend to outshine those that did. Sucks, but that's how it is for me. 

One part of the frustration caused by Things That Didn't Go My Way is simple: I had no idea why they happened. I was at a total loss. The moment something goes wrong is the moment I start to pick that thing apart in the attempt to find out where and why I failed. 

The problem? Sometimes the moment something goes wrong isn't the moment you figure out why.

Case in point: my high school reminiscing. I remembered someone in particular. A guy (please stop staring at me like that...). I thought this guy was magic, folks. The kind that inspires you to find your own brand of awesome. I thought he was going to rule the world and shape it into the best version of itself. And I thought I was going to be right there, witnessing it all in his proximity.

He hasn't changed the world, but the world has changed him.

Sometimes he likes his life. Most of the time, he doesn't. He has more regrets than laugh lines. Which is why I'm here today to tell you what I wish I could tell him: you are not a failure. 

Didn't meet all your goals for the year? You are not a failure.

Haven't been able to write in months? You are not a failure.

Don't know how to fix that plot problem? You are not a failure.

Agents and editors rejecting your manuscript? You are not a failure.

Not selling as many copies of your book/ebook as you wanted? You are not a failure.

Why are you not a failure? Because there will come a day when you look back at one moment, or several moments, and you will understand why Things Didn't Go Your Way. I certainly understand why Magical Boy and I aren't living the daydream I had back in high school. He didn't lose his magic--I simply found mine in a reality far stronger than that daydream. You'll find your answers, too.  Spoiler alert: better things are waiting for you. The trick is to recognize them when they cross your path, and seize them before they leave without a trace.

You've been warned. Now go live your life in 2013, not the past.

And have a happy Monday :)

And the Nomination Goes to.....

So this morning I watched the live broadcast of the Academy Award nominations. I never realized they made such a production of it. I did have interest in it this year, as one of my favorite actors, Hugh Jackman, was rumored to be up for consideration because of his performance as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables. So I tuned in online and waited with baited breath to see if he'd get the bid. And I'm please to say, he did.

Overall, Les Miserable got great reviews. There were some people who couldn't stand the movie musical, and how they sang everything. And then there were some people who criticized the singing, saying it was nothing compared to the stage cast. However, in a movie, you need a combination of acting and musical abilities  And though I'm not a huge fan of Hugh's vibrato, I thought his performance as Jean Valjean was emotionally amazing. I was so pleased he got the bid. And I'll be cheering for him on awards day, as well.

As they announcing the nominations, it got me thinking about all the actors and directors and writers that were sitting there sweating, hoping that they would be given the bid. As they announced the supporting actors, they had mentioned that every single one of them had been a previous Oscar winner. In comparison to writing, it would be like a group of famous author gaining more bestsellers.

For the actors who have never been nominated, like my man Hugh, I can only imagine what it was like for him to be recognized after so many years. To be an actor, much like being a writer, takes lots of work and a lots of lucky breaks. There are tons of starving actors out there, and to even get a part in a major motion picture is a dream come true. Much like, as a writer, we struggle and struggle to just get an agent's notice. Then we struggle, more and more, and perhaps finally get a small press to notice us. But even then, the journey is not done.

Best sellers do not happen over night (typically). Sure, there are some that seem like they jump right into novel stardom. The journey of a writer is much like Mr. Jackman here. It takes years of persistence, maybe taking non staring rolls at first, and working your way up to that Oscar nomination. As a writer, it might take years to get to the New York best seller list, if ever at all. And maybe, just maybe, when we write the book of our lifetime, perhaps we too can be on the top of that bestseller list.

Remember...the journey makes the destination mean so much more.

The "Over-Many-Nights" Success

I read a 2007 post by Rick Riordan, about when people ask what it feels like to be “an overnight success.” It took him nearly ten years to reach his “overnight success.” His story parallels that of so many writers I know or have read about. I don’t think people realize oftentimes just how hard these overnight successes had to struggle before they “made it.”

Since my book deal was announced, I’ve had people ask me about my journey. When people hear that Treasured Lies was the first book I ever wrote, I think they sometimes assume I didn’t have to struggle much. After all, I sold my first novel!

However… :D

The very first draft of Treasured Lies was finished about five years ago. Since then, it has been completely rewritten at least three times, and I mean COMPLETLEY, with countless revisions of those rewrites in between. And I wrote other books between those TL rewrites. I queried that poor baby over 200 times (and then I stopped counting). I got many requests, some revise/resubs, and lots of “I love it, buts" :)

I’ve started other projects that I’ve abandoned. But this one I just couldn’t leave alone. I believed in it too much. So every so often, I’d pull it out of its virtual drawer and start all over again. So while it might technically be the first book I wrote, if you count up all the rewrites and books in between, it’s at least book number 5 or 6 :)

I’m glad I had a hard road of it, because now I can truly appreciate the success I've earned. And I know, and accept, that there is another hard road ahead. More importantly, I know I can handle the speed bumps that are going to come my way. Getting published is just one more step up. It's a good step, a very very good step that makes me smile whenever I think of it :) But I know there are still some rough times ahead, and probably always will be. And it's good to know that I can deal with all the ups and downs that will come with the journey to true success.

Rick Riordan says all this so much better than I am doing here :) Be sure to read his article. It’s inspiring – and wonderful to know that even the big names out there had to go through the same things I am :)