Tag Archives: YA author

Throwback Thursday with Shannon Lee Alexander

09 Thursday Oct 2014

Posted by in Adventures, books, humor, teenage years, writing

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Given the trendiness of Throwback Thursday, I’m re-branding my beloved series of guest author posts called “Self-Deprecating Sunday.” Self-Deprecating Sunday started because I’d written a YA novel about a girl in R.O.T.C. in high school. I was looking for photos of myself in my uniform–had to get the description of the uniform just right. I found some of those photos. I’m the one in the ridiculous glasses,  on the right. EPSON MFP imageEven beyond R.O.T.C., it really cracked me up to look back on all the outfits I wore and what I knew was hip and cool, so I started showcasing some of that on my blog. So much of being a teen is about exploring your identity; it’s partly why I love writing about teens. We all get through the awkward years–some of us with more flair than others, and it is fun to look back. Young adult authors around the Internet joined in with me to celebrate their youthful escapes.

Today, I’m thrilled to have my friend and Critique Partner (Capitalized because she’d just that good), and debut author, Shannon Lee Alexander, join me for our first installment of Throwback Thursday! Her wonderful novel, Love and Other Unknown Variables hit shelves Tuesday and is getting some beautiful reviews.

So without further ado, here’s Shannon Lee Alexander doing her Throwback Thursday thing:

My family moved to a small southern town when I was in fifth grade. I immediately met two amazing friends, my Em, to whom Love and Other Unknown Variables is dedicated, and Avery, who was the kind of friend you could just be with. Also, her mom had a shiny tiara and a scepter encased in a glass table in their living room, which I always thought was pretty cool.

My parents were Yankees. They’re totally southerners now, but back then, we were all somewhat confused by southern customs. For example, barbecue did not mean cooking out on the grill. It was some strange, vinegary, shredded pork concoction that southern people would go to war over if someone were to question its honor.

And then there was cotillion. Everyone assured my mother that every proper southern young lady should be attending cotillion. And while I was not so good at proper, I was desperate to fit in, so I begged to go. Basically, at cotillion, boys and girls at the awkward age of thirteen are forced to learn ballroom dancing. I was slightly tall, and hated sticking out, so of course, EVERY SINGLE TIME I’d end up paired with the shortest boy in class. It was unpleasant for us both.

I think maybe etiquette was taught, too, but by that time in the evening I was too overwhelmed from having to dance with a boy to pay attention. I just wanted the watered down lemonade and cheap cookies that were calling to me from the refreshment table in the corner of the room.

Today’s picture is of Avery and me dressed for the first shannon TBTcotillion. My dad was pretending to be grumpy about us going off to dance with boys. We’re laughing, but inside I wanted to cry. Growing up is a strange Tango of wanting to be grown and wanting to stay small.

As a fun aside, Avery and I fell out of touch during college, but recently rediscovered our friendship. Our shared love of reading brought us back together. Her blog, Flutters and Flails, is even featured on the back cover of Love and Other Unknown Variables, which was a fun surprise to us both!

Thank you, Shannon, for joining me. I’m so happy you’ve stopped by the blog. Readers, check out Love and Other Unknown Variables, a beautiful story of love, hope and ache of growing up.

And, if you’re a YA writer and wish to be featured on Throwback Thursday (formerly Self-Deprecating Sunday), please contact me at jody(dot)mugele(at)gmail(dot)com, or leave a comment.

Where Donna Galanti Interviews Me

21 Thursday Apr 2011

Posted by in books, teenage years, writing

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Yesterday I did an interview over at Donna Galanti’s blog. We connected during the time I was writing my first YA manuscript, in which a high school girl joins the Navy. One of key pieces in my research was a slim book called, Letters From Boot Camp. It is filled with letters she wrote as she went through boot camp as a young adult.They are wonderful: sad, exciting, frustrating. I have NO idea where she found the energy to actually write them, as boot camp is clearly an exhausting few months.

Donna is also writing fiction now, for adults and young adults. Check out her blog: http://donnagalanti.wordpress.com/ to learn about her work. And of course check out her interview with me where I answer questions about writing, having a failed book submission, what inspires me to write, and more.

Book Review: Girlfriend Material

16 Saturday Apr 2011

Posted by in books, teenage years, writing

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I liked this book. I picked it up mostly because it was published by Disney-Hyperion and I’ll be attending an upcoming conference with one of their editors. I always feel better if I’ve come with at least one of their books read. Possibly I’ve read more, but nothing comes to mind. Anyway, I started another book from that publishing house, put it down, and picked this one up. Girlfriend Material was a light and breezy read. I liked how Kate, the main character, struggled to understand what it meant to have a boyfriend and be a girlfriend. I think this book will ring familiar with girls who are new to the realm of actual relationships with guys. And Adam is a fun guy to follow around with Kate.

Some parts of the book were quite funny, and while at first I was kind of pissed that the storyline with Kate’s mom wasn’t resolved, I later decided that I liked it better that it hadn’t been resolved. Tammara, if you are reading this, I recommend this book to you. I believe it would hit the spot for you: romance with a small side of steam paired with a bit of family drama, and finishing with bit of humor and sweetness.

Next, something meatier: Where She Went, by Gayle Foreman. If you haven’t read the prequel, If I Stay, I highly recommend it. Wondering if I should re-read it before digging into the next one. It was my favorite book of 2009, even though I’d completely brushed off the idea of reading it because, ohmygodnotanotherbookaboutdeath! Glad I found that signed copy in the used book store that night in Ann Arbor.

My Life As a Book Cover (4)

24 Monday Jan 2011

Posted by in books, writing

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I think this would be a rad book cover. I’m totally this guy right now: A dopey-grinned, coffee-drunk, cartoon penguin. Mmmmmmmm.

I have finally finished the…let’s call it…the Landing Zone draft. The one where you know the story is finally in place. For me this one took three false starts. I’d get 45,000 words or so into it, and think to myself, nope, I don’t really care how much my main character has suffered. This is not right! I’d think on it for days, weeks even. Then I’d start again and go for 45,000 words, and the same thing would happen. Again for a third time, the same thing. Apparently for me, the fourth time is the charm.

How long did it take for me to get to this point? Well, I wrote this post back in October of 2009, indicating I was starting to put some pieces of the plot together. So that’s fifteen months. Present word count: 50,500. That equals 200 pages on the mark. It’s actually slimmer than I’d envisioned, so maybe when she’s all polished up, she be a little fuller. And if not, that’s fine too. I’m happy with her.

It’s always a bit strange, and a lot of fun, to go back to my original notes, and see how far I’ve veered from that original path. Maybe some day I’ll start a section of posts called Manu-scraps, to include deleted scenes from drafts of young adult books and ideas of where I thought I was going, and why it didn’t work. It’s also strange to think how much the manuscript will continue to change once agents and or editors begin to get involved. But this story–this draft–is mine for the moment. It’s the story I want to celebrate having finished! So, you’ll pardon me while I walk around looking befuddled and in love for a few days, right?

Book Review: Gender Blender

19 Wednesday Jan 2011

Posted by in books, teenage years, writing

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I was really slow getting on the Blake Nelson train. I just read Paranoid Park last year. Didn’t even know it had been a movie. Still haven’t seen that, but I was in love his writing from the start. When I think of edgy YA fiction, I think of Paranoid Park. That book was dark, met with concepts I hadn’t seen in Young Adult works, and the ending wasn’t tidy. For such a slim book, it hit me in just the right way. So, after I read that, I went to my Goodreads list and marked a few more of his books to read, including Gender Blender.

I dig this cover so hard, I didn’t even read the jacket copy to what this was about. Kenny Holcomb, I hope you design a book cover of mine someday. So, knowing Nelson’s dark and edgy YA style, imagine my surprise when I opened this book to find a middle-grade comedy. Now, it’s not as if the cover I’m so in love with screams or even smirks of darkness, so I’m not sure why I was so surprised. But I was. I normally only read one or two middle-grade novels in a year, and usually it’s out of some sort of duty to a recommendation or because it’s a Newbery winner. So, I was kind of like, huh. But that cover!  And it was Blake Nelson!

I ended up reading it quite happily, as it was intended to be read. And I was very pleased and even more impressed with Nelson for being so versatile a writer. The book is a junior high version of Freaky Friday, and the body switching occurs between a boy and girl who are classmates. Yes there is a boner scene. Yes there is a period scene. Yes they are awkward. And funny. And there’s no way this book could have happened without them. I’m still amazed that any dude would tackle the voice of a junior high girl, and Nelson has done it successfully in this book.

I’m looking forward to more books by Nelson. And I won’t be going in with any subject matter or stylistic expectations next time.

Are Books Social Media?

14 Friday Jan 2011

Posted by in books, Social Media, writing

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This question came up yesterday during a social media presentation at work. It piqued my interest because it perfectly marries my interest in being a YA author with my day job as a social networker and SEO guru.

It made me stop and think for a minute. But the answer is actually a pretty simple no. Books are just plain media. The book is a one-way engagement with a reader. The discussion that follows after a reader (and/or author) engages with it, will hopefully become social media via Tweets, Facebook posts, school discussions, book clubs, and the conference scene. And authors put themselves in a better (and inexpensive) marketing position if they use that in some way. There is so much talk of social media these days, I’ve been avoiding blogging too much about it. But, as it is, I happen to have a paying job that encourages me to learn about social media and networking to my hearts content and beyond.

If there is one thing I ‘m learning as I go along my social networking way at work, it’s that much of what we do mimics what naturally happens in the online world. We just give that a big boost. And, what’s happening right now is that Google is measuring your online presence based on frequency of content and authority of content. My understanding is that some of that authority is based on how many people are “liking” and “tweeting” your content. Google is taking into consideration that it’s not just how many times you “tell” Google “I’m important” but rather it’s who is saying it and how often. And that my friends, means social networking is a dominating force. It’s no longer about simply having a website; it’s all about engaging. Just as writers are encouraged to meet and engage their readers in person, I’d say it’s just as important to meet and engage with Google. And I’m pretty sure Google is here to stay, at least for a huge portion of the years in which I’m building a career as an author. Because seriously, who still uses a phone book? Encyclopedias? Gets news from an actual paper?

So, while a book may not be social media, I think the author should definitely be engaged in social media. I think writers are sometimes resistant to this. And I get it. I told my dad in junior high that I didn’t need to learn to type. Where would I be now if I hadn’t have learned? It’s time for us all to accept that social media is around. I’m no expert, but I predict Facebook and Twitter are the typewriters of the social networking world. Who knows what the PC and MAC will turn out to be. But, they’re coming. Don’t be left behind. Oh, and P.S. I wouldn’t mind terribly if you clicked the tweet button at the bottom of this post.

 

The Hunger Games series: Why It Worked (For Me)

10 Monday Jan 2011

Posted by in books, military, teenage years, writing

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I’ve been trying to write a blog post about this series for over a week now. The problem is a) my YA author friends have all read this and are probably exhausted from so many posts concerning this series and really what could I possibly have to say that hasn’t been said, while b) my non-YA author friends are actually looking for opinion on this series because they may want to read it, and I’m afraid I’m going to say something altogether spoilery in nature. So, we’ll see where this blog post lands.

*Okay, yeah. This got spoilery when I started talking Character, but not in a way that would ruin it. Anyway, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!

I am naturally interested in books that explore how youth deal with, or are consumed by, war, loyalty, duty, and courage. This may have something to do with how much I detested the books I read in high school about war, namely Red Badge of Courage, while going through the ROTC program and questioning career possibilities in the military. The idea of throwing kids into an arena to fight til the death for sport, which leads to unrest and rebellion? Yes! I would have loved to have read this in high school. So there’s that. Captivating plot.

The series was swift, full of action, and the most suspenseful book(s) I read all year. I read them all together, one after the other in about the span of five days. Each one was equally hard to put down; and I made the right decision to wait until all three were out before I read them. I was more than satisfied with the level of “WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN-ness” that the author created. It was thrilling. So, there’s that. Amazing suspense.

Now, character. Collins ranges in how she, character-by-character, shows the effects of war. I was most impressed with Gale. His character was perfectly complicated and changed accordingly as the series progressed, (though I agree with the folks that say his ultimate destination was too quick an ending). But for all the effects of war on the characters that Collins gave us, she puts Katniss (the main character) in a tricky position (writing-wise) by the third book. The hunger games have opened into something far bigger, bigger than the teenage cast could “control.” The main character is no longer fighting her own battle–among peers, but is in the midst of a full scale war. There becomes an adult influence in the book that is not in the others. It is still Katniss’s story, but to me it felt pressed down or stifled somehow, and I think it was because she was teenage character outside the arena, and in an adult-run world. I wanted her to burst free of this, but at the same time, it wasn’t inauthentic that Katniss would not be included in many of the major plot points (adult forces at work) in the book. I was talking about this with E.M. Kokie, (follow her on Twitter) one of my author friends, whose book, Personal Effects, is due out in 2012, from Candlewick Press. (Goodreads description: A teenage boy discovers evidence of a secret love affair among his dead brother’s personal effects shipped back from Iraq, and embarks on a cross-country trek to find the mystery woman and deliver a last, unsent letter, with surprising results.) She said when we were discussing The Hunger Games series, “I liked seeing other characters emerge as more powerful, intelligent, etc. because often it isn’t the young person who knows what to do.” She adds,”I agree that I would have loved to see Katniss burst free of her PTSD and childhood and emerge from the ashes the strong leader – I would have cheered for her. BUT, I think it was more organic to Katniss and to reality that she couldn’t shake the PTSD and grow that fast. And I applaud that Collins let war overtake and change her characters, and not generally for the better.”

While I think that true, I’m still not fully convinced that being a pawn should have been Katniss’s story by the time we get to book three. She is the Mockingjay. I keep asking myself, Did Katniss take from both her upbringing and what the capitol threw at her and emerge a new kind of creature? And if so, who or what is that? I’m still thinking about it.  Sometimes I think yes. Sometimes I think no.

E.M. Kokie also said that Collins never once took the easy way out in any of her writing of this series. I absolutely agree. So, no matter Katniss’s role in the story, the series was ultimately very very good. Thought provoking, gripping, and in the end, hopeful. I highly recommend it. And I am super excited about the movie, scheduled to release in 2013. Hope the world doesn’t end before then!

Book Review: Virgin Territory

20 Monday Dec 2010

Posted by in books, teenage years

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This is the first book I’ve read by James Lecesne. Now that I know his first one, Absolute Brightness, was a Morris Award nominee, I’ll be hoping to read that, as well.

Virgin Territory is rich with metaphors and layered with imagery I enjoyed. That probably makes it seems purply-prosey, but make no mistake, the voice of the book is strongly male, and swift in it’s descriptions.

I love young adult books that brush up against religion, which this one did, making it seem like setting, but actually being more. If you are a believer in reality and science, don’t let that scare you off from reading this. The “religion” aspects are more about finding faith in yourself, your memories, learning to engage with your community, and making truth out of what may or may not be fiction.

I would have liked to have seen a little more development with the minor teen characters. I didn’t love the teen girl characters, but I’m not sure I was meant to. The adults in the book were well-formed, especially Marie, who is the main character’s gram. I remember disliking reading about old people when I was a teenager. I love it, now. Specifically, I love seeing how teens interact with the elderly. When it’s done well, as in this book, there’s sweet, sad satisfaction about the circle of life that washes over me.

My favorite idea from the book is that most of life is a big mess with a few clean and clear spots among them. You may find yourself in a moment of clarity or satisfaction but it always go back to messy. It wasn’t as simplistic and pessimistic as I have probably made it sound. So, I recommend reading this one, which is more enjoyable than my review.

Really dig this book cover, too. Egmont USA has a good thing going, not only with their covers, but I’ve really enjoyed a few of their books in the short time they’ve been producing them.

A Visitor Among Residents

10 Friday Dec 2010

Posted by in getting old, insecurity

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I feel thoughtful and a little reactionary, which probably means this post will come off as self-indulgent and uninteresting. I blame HR. Just kidding, Tracy. Sort of. When I hired in, there was no HR department. The company I work for is growing rapidly; we recently hired eight more people for the department in which I work. Pretty soon we’ll have an employee handbook, and policies are coming down the pipe faster than Drano.  What used to feel like a few people hanging out, building links (I thrived in that atmosphere), now feels like a job – a job in a Young Company with Young People. The president and partners are all younger than me.  It’s not that I feel older and wiser or anything like that. No, I’m comfortable with my leaders. Very. My issue is that I sometimes struggle with how on track everyone around me is. Their young lives going along in an orderly fashion, and I feel how differently I’ve done things. Sometimes I’m thankful for the weird turns my path has taken and sometimes I just feel behind in life – or maybe it’s more like sideways. Surely everyone, no matter their “track,” feels the same kind of dual thankfulness and insecurity about how they’re living, changing, and achieving.

Lately at work, the insecurity I’ve been feeling annoys the piss out of me. Here’s the thing(s): I’m 36 years old, in an entry level job, with aspirations to become a YA author. The “typical” employee at my company is fresh out of college, or transitioning here from a first or second job. He or she is looking to begin a career in a flashy young company, grow with it, and learn the shit out of it, and get into a position to support a nice lifestyle for self or family. And, according to new policies, this kind of employee will be rewarded for his or her investment in the company. It’s a lot like the “college-bound” kids in high school – who the classes and curriculum are designed for. But what if I’m on a different path, one that is not headed for college, so to speak? Do I still fit?

Because I’m on a different path, I don’t need that A+ grade and that citizenship certificate. I’m not motivated by it. I want to provide for my kids and husband, and I want to do a good job – because I care about the company. And I like it there. But, it is and always will be less of a priority than the other parts of my life: family and writing. This, I feel like, puts me into a non-traditional grouping (maybe a group of one person), and that leads to my insecurity. It’s not that I think I deserve a reward for having different priorities, it’s just that I see everyone else on the traditional path, and I find myself veering that way, feeling fake, and then asking myself what I’m doing. Kind of like visiting a southern state and picking up the accent. Suddenly you’re like, “Oh shit, I’m a poser. I don’t really talk like this.” And in many ways I think I’ll always be a visitor among residents in my job. I really hope so, anyway. Even if it makes me “less” of a worker and no matter the insecurity I feel. I’ll always love my family and the craft of writing more than building links. It’s a conviction as well as a decision. And, now it’s on the record.

Writing Young Adult Books: Q and A (1)

15 Friday Oct 2010

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On occasion, I receive emails with questions about writing young adult books. It makes me feel a little bit like an expert in my field, which is sort of flattering. And while I don’t have so much as an inkling about the world of publishing, I do know a little bit about the craft of writing. I never had writing courses in college. I never had the confidence to think I could “be good enough” (whatever that means) at writing until I was staring down at my 28th birthday cake and found the balls to actually practice. So, everything I’ve learned is from reading novels, as well as reading books about writing and publishing, as well as reading blogs and websites and forums, as well as talking to people in the industry. The more I learn, the more I love writing. And the more I hate it sometimes, too. But today I’m going to focus on the love.

Today’s question:

Do you have a set time that you write each day? I saw that you have a full time job (as do I) and I wondered with that and with kids, when and how long do you try to write each day?

Remember how I said I pretty much fling myself at life and get flung? That’s also the approach I take to writing. To be frank, I don’t think people would ever pick the words “responsible,” “tidy,” and “organized” to describe me. That’s because I don’t care. My time with my kids, husband, friends, and writing take priority over things like home and obligation.

I don’t have set times for anything besides my full time job. That means I basically grab what I can when I can. I’m sure this doesn’t work for most people, but it works for me. With Josh having just gone through medical school and now being an intern, it’s actually freed me from the normal constraints of routine living. No one ever expects a family dinner. Sometimes it happens, and that’s nice, but I don’t feel the traditional obligations of most moms and wives. This may be the thing I love most about my life and my family. I really do feel free to be dirty and a little bit fat, to give time to (basically) two careers, and then jump back into the family whenever I want. My family is my landing zone and because it’s fun, relaxed, and forgiving (most of the time), it works. I’m not afraid to tell my kids to leave me alone for the hour, the day, or even the weekend in order to write. I want them to see me working hard at something I love because I want them to do the same thing one day. They are also not afraid to say to me, “You haven’t spent enough time with us.” So then, I try to listen. Hopefully I do. I think I do.

So the shorter answer to the question of the day is, I generally don’t write every day. There are no set times. Fridays are a time I can usually count on, but nothing is guaranteed. If you want to write, then get used to the notion that nothing is guaranteed. Sometimes I go weeks without writing. In May, I don’t think I wrote at all. But, I love the time when I do write. And I would even say that the time away is a good thing, because I really can come back to it with fresh eyes and clean heart. I say “clean heart” because if I’m writing that heavy feeling scene, and I’ve been there for days and days, then I can really work myself into feeling what I hope the reader feels; it’s a false feeling. If I come back in a week, I’ll see it’s drivel. On the other hand, sometimes I hit my stride and spend twelve hours on a Sunday writing really good stuff.

I’m not sure this is helpful to hopeful writers with families, or not. But I think the time constraint issue is less about how to juggle time and more about feelings of obligation to family and home. I’m going to guess “obligation” is what stops people with families from becoming practiced, career writers. So, if I could drive home one point, it’s that if your family is worth their salt, they will allow you to do what you love whether that time is scheduled or not. Feel no guilt; your family wants you to be happy.