YA Sunday Morning News: This Week for Writers 4/2/17

by Lori Ann Palma

Get ready to read all the latest YA news! This week, in addition to the best articles on writing craft and inspiration, I’ve included a slew of upcoming writer contests, and a great article by MTV News on YA fiction and how it’s become a resource for teens.

Happy reading!

Writing for Publication—Before the Sale:

What to ask an agent after you get an offer via Janet Reid, Literary Agent: Questions to ask when deciding between agents.
Eight reasons that even a good book is rejected by publishers via Scroll.in: A literary agent lays out the factors that go into the acceptance – or rejection – of a manuscript.
The key to a good query letter: Summarizing through specificity via Nathan Bransford, Author: Tips (with examples) on how to update the generalities in your query with specifics.
10 Ways to Make Your Submission Stand Out in the Slush Pile via Writer’s Digest: Literary agent intern Meg LaTorre-Snyder shares her tips for your query letter.

Writing for Publication—Book Marketing and Social Media:

Why the Standard Author Platform Doesn’t Work via Operation Awesome: Using customization to make an author platform that’s yours.
How to Customize Your Facebook News Feed to Maximize Your Productivity via Social: Not exactly a book marketing article, but we could all use help being more productive!
Innovations In Book Marketing: Bill Konigsberg’s Free Short Story That Bridges His Novel and Its Sequel via The Official SCBWI Blog: Bill Konigsberg discusses the short story that connects his two novels.

Author Interviews:

Q&A Round-Up With Emma Chastain via Riveted: Chat with debut author of Confessions of a High School Disaster.
Author Chat with Claire LaZebnik (Things I Should Have Known), Plus Giveaway! via YA Books Central: Interview with Claire LaZebnik, author of Things I Should Have Known.
Author Of The Week: Chat with Beth Rodgers (Sweet Fifteen), Plus Giveaway!! via YA Books Central: Interview with YA Author of the Week, Beth Rodgers.
An Interview with Laini Taylor, Author of Strange the Dreamer via The B&N Teen Blog: Interview with Daughter of Smoke and Bone author on her new duology.
Actor, Director And Writer Andrew McCarthy Takes On Young Adult Fiction via NPR: Andrew McCarthy discusses his new young adult novel, Just Fly Away.

Adventures in YA Publishing Author Interviews:

Ira Bloom, author of HEARTS & OTHER BODY PARTS, on cutting off a limb: We talk with Ira Bloom about his debut novel, Hearts & Other Body Parts.
Elizabeth Eulberg, author of JUST ANOTHER GIRL, on only putting our best selves forward: We connect with Elizabeth Eulberg to hear more about her latest novel, Just Another Girl.
Bill Konigsberg, author of HONESTLY BEN, on writing in a bank vault: Bill Konigsberg shares more about his latest novel Honestly Ben, a companion to Openly Straight.
Rosalyn Eves, author of BLOOD ROSE REBELLION, on blending fantasy and folklore: We sit down with Rosalyn Eves to learn more about her debut novel, Blood Rose Rebellion.
Donna Cooner, author of WORTHY, on facing public scrutiny: We sit down with Donna Cooner to discuss her latest novel, Worthy.

Literary Agent News and Interviews:

New Literary Agent Alert: Kortney Price of Holloway Literary via Writer’s Digest: See what type of YA Kortney Price is seeking.

Writing and Pitch Contests:

#KidPit via Heidi Norrod: The next scheduled #KidPit is April 5 to pitch your completed MG and/or YA novel.
Writing Contests: How to Write to Win via Fiction University: Great tips on how to evaluate writing contests and enter your best work.
April 2017 Contest Roundup via Sub It Club: Contests for writers that open in the upcoming months.

Writing Craft:

How to balance writing to market and writing what you want via Nathan Bransford, Author: Is it really possible to write what you want without thinking about the market?
How to Edit Your Story Like a New York Publisher via The Write Practice: Advice for editing your story.
Worlds Within Worlds: A Structural World-Building Exercise via National Novel Writing Month: An exercise to develop your fictional world-building skills.
How to Craft the Perfect Antihero via Writer’s Digest: A post on making your protagonist likeable, yet flawed.
How Free Writing Helps You Find Your True Creative Voice via The Write Practice: Finding your true voice through daily free writing.

Writing Inspiration:

How to Become a Successful Writer and Work Full-Time at a Day Job via The Creative Penn: How author Ron Vitale moved into full-time writing.
Finding the Right Writing Inspiration for Your Life via Writer’s Digest: Author Jennifer Probst shares the places she goes for writing inspiration.
When You Don’t Want To Write via WOW! Women on Writing: What to do when you don’t want to write.
The Bulletproof Writer: How To Deal With Rejection via The Creative Penn: Tips from Michael Alvear on how to handle rejection in a more positive way.
Preparing Your Mind for Writing: How to Make the Shift via Writer’s Digest: How to get into the right mindset to put words on the page.
On Nurturing Creativity and Preserving Writing Time by Ira Bloom, author of Hearts & Other Body Parts via Adventures in YA Publishing: Author Ira Bloom shares a writer’s pep talk.

Publishing News & Trends:

YA IS MORE THAN JUST A GENRE, IT’S A RESOURCE via MTV: MTV News speaks with authors Jennifer Niven and Nicola Yoon about the responsibility of being a YA author in a world that mirrors the dystopian ones they write about.
NEW Buffy the Vampire Slayer Book Series! via Riveted: Simon & Schuster’s teen division, Simon Pulse, will publish a new spinoff series of the cult classic television show.
Carolyn Mackler Expands on a YA Favorite via Publishers Weekly: The author discusses a sequel to her 2003 novel, The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things.
April 2017 YA Book Adaptation Updates via Epic Reads: Movie and TV release dates and more.

New YA E-Book Deals:

New YA Book Giveaways:

YA New Book Deals and Releases:

What’s New In YA ~ March 28th, 2017 via YA Books Central: A focus on new YA book releases.
What new YA books release this week? (March 28) via YA Interrobang: A weekly feature of YA releases hitting bookshelves.
New Releases this week 03/27-04/02 plus 4 Giveaways via Adventures in YA Publishing: Our featured list of new YA releases this week!
What new YA covers hit the web this week? (March 26) via YA Interrobang: A selection of new YA covers for upcoming books.
What authors received YA book deals in March? Via YA Interrobang: A list of authors who received book deals in March.

Just for Fun:

The 51 Prettiest Sentences In Young Adult Books via BuzzFeed Books: Writing inspiration from your favorite YA novels.

If there’s a news story or blog post you found particularly interesting, please share it in the comments!

Lori Ann Palma

Posted: Apr 2, 2017

Category: Imported from AYAP

Tags: Lori Ann Palma | This Week for Writers

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The first slide is an animation of a science/magic room in a castle. A cartoon character of a mad-scientist looking man in in the foreground says: “Hello! Dr. Frankenstein here to say, Well Done on kid lit zombie week! I’m an expert at reviving the dead, and let me assure you, with a little spark, you can bring dead projects to life. Especially if you dig up parts from other dead things. I’ll even let you have a sneak peek at my laboratory’s store room to consider potential parts for your dead project. If you see something with a yellow glow, that means you should click it. Have fun!”

He points to the right side of the screen and a new scene slides in of a castle science/magic storage room. There are various cartoon Frankenstein body parts scattered around. Some of them have a yellow glow. If you click on them, the images below appear (I’ve added alt text to them, so I hope it works).

The Heart of your story is the main character. The protagonist is the beating core that truly brings your story to life. If your MC doesn't make kids (and their grown-ups) care within the first few pages, your story will flatline. </p>
<p>Your main character needs to be:<br />
• Relatable enough for kids to see themselves<br />
• Unique enough to stand out in the slush pile<br />
• Active enough to drive the story<br />
• Memorable enough to survive multiple readings at bedtime</p>
<p>Where do you find this amazing donor heart? It might be the very thing you loved so much about the manuscript you want to revive. It might be the younger sister from your shelved YA novel. Or maybe it’s the hilarious kid you blogged about meeting at a school visit. Find a character beating with potential and place it in the center of your story.<br />

The Brain of your story is the theme or central message. The theme is the big idea that controls everything else. Picture books are more than stories - they're tiny life lessons disguised with humor and heart.</p>
<p>But your theme needs to be:<br />
• Subtle enough not to trigger the dreaded "didactic" rejection<br />
• Clear enough for a four-year-old to grasp<br />
• Universal enough to speak to both kids and adults<br />
• Fresh enough to prevent agents and editors from responding with "Not another sharing/bedtime/first-day story!"</p>
<p>Check your other dead manuscripts to see if there is a recurring theme, something that really seems to be speaking to you. Find the bit of poetry you scribbled on the back of a receipt to see what theme inspired it. Reread the pep talk you texted your critique partner at 1am. Pick the theme that will drive your story, giving it purpose, direction, and deeper meaning.<br />

The Legs of your story is the plot. Not to be confused with a grave plot.🤪 The plot is what keeps everything upright and moving, as well as providing support for all the other elements. You have very few words to use in a picture book, so you need to do a lot with each plot point.</p>
<p>In general, your plot should:<br />
• Hook readers fast<br />
• Build tension that a child can follow<br />
• Create page turns that feel natural<br />
• Wrap up in a way that satisfies</p>
<p>You can borrow a plot twist (a leg) from one manuscript and the opening (the other leg) from a different manuscript. Consider if the subplot of the middle grade novel you trunked would work better as a picture book. Or maybe your Facebook post about a disastrous camping trip could become a story for kids. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other until you have your storyline.

The Arms of your story are the side characters.

The Torso of your story is the setting. Setting helps a story breathe and connects all the elements of the story. It isn't just where your story lives, it's what makes your story ALIVE. It's the difference between "this happened in a park" and "this happened in that park, the one with the twisty slide that burns your legs and the creaky swing that sounds like a baby crying.”</p>
<p>Your setting should:<br />
• Make your character's world feel real<br />
• Contain your story in a way that makes sense to young readers<br />
• Connect different scenes and moments organically<br />
• Give your illustrator enough room to add visual subplots</p>
<p>Half-finished manuscripts are a great place to dig up settings, since you worked out the place details before the plot petered out. Or maybe you had to cut a second fantastic location from your chapter book. You can also revisit the detailed caption from your Instagram carousel documenting your tour of that delish candy shop. Disinter a robust setting that can house all of your story's vital organs.

After you press the Click When Done circle button, the lights flash with the sound of electricity buzzing. Then the screen goes black and lightning zaps across the screen with the sound of thunder.

The screen then lights up to show the storage room, and all the Frankenstein pieces have been assembled into the whole monster. An upbeat song plays in the background. Then a speech bubble pops up with the words, “I’m alive! I’M ALIVE!” Then the screen goes to black.

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