YA Author Stacey Kade

Book Two–still operating under the title of Princess Poltergeist–is now officially turned in. Yea!!! I’m very proud of myself because this is the first book where I was under contract with a REAL deadline. I’m really happy with how it has turned out so far–my editor is awesome and will surely have suggestions to make it even better.

While I’m waiting for edits, I’m attempting to “relax.” I don’t relax well, honestly. And things are about to get rather busy, promotion-wise for G&G, so it would be good if I could take advantage of this momentary lull. But…not so much.

So I’m playing around with a few new ideas–unrelated to the Alona and Will trilogy–and letting notions for the third book in that series simmer also.

It’s always strange to be at the beginning of something again. I know, logically-speaking, that at the beginning of G&G, I started as I usually do–a curiosity about the story that won’t let go and the urge to see if I can do it, if I can tell this particular story.

In remembering it now, though, it seems it always felt like, “Yeah, this is going to work!” In truth, I suspect I was having fun trying it and felt a connection to the story, which made me want to see it through to the end.

So that’s what I’m trying to make myself keep in mind. I’m playing, writing pages to see if they will go anywhere or not and trying not to worry about whether they do or don’t. If I’m having fun, odds are, it’ll be worth it one way or another.

One of my previous day-job managers, who is writer as well, said that the uncertainty, the unsureness of whether you can write a particular project, is good. It’s an incentive. I didn’t understand that at the time. Now, I get it. I’m always looking for ways to challenge myself, improve my writing or explore different facets within it.

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Other stuff:

–Just picked up Hex Hall by fellow D-H author (and Tenner, I think) Rachel Hawkins. It is just awesome! Shaping up to be one of my favorite books so far this year.

–LOVE, LOVE, LOVED Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers. Kept me riveted.

–Only two more Fringe DVDs and then I’ll have to move on to a new show on Netflix because Season 2 isn’t out yet. Any suggestions?

–We saw Up in the Air (the George Clooney movie) and Percy Jackson this weekend. Up in the Air was kind of depressing, as I’d expected, but Anna Kendrick deserves all those nominations she’s been getting. (Also, I totally called the “twist” that everyone was talking about, much to my husband’s annoyance.)

Percy Jackson was…eh. I felt like they’d meant it to be like Harry Potter 1, but cast the actors like they were from Harry Potter 5, does that make sense? The actors seemed too old for some of the stuff that was going on. I don’t know why they didn’t cast younger, other than the heart-throb factor. Other than that it reminded me a lot of Clash of the Titans (the original), which only reinforced the idea that the new version of Clash of the Titans (now with MORE Sam Worthington goodness) is going to be fabulous!

Whew! Okay, the good news is my brilliant critique partner came back with very positive things to say about Princess Poltergeist and only a few relatively minor fixes were required. Yea! So, I finished those this weekend and rewrote the ending slightly, per her recommendation, and though I wasn’t sure at first, I now LOVE the new ending.

That is what’s wonderful about having a critique partner who really gets you and how you write. She could see more clearly the note on which this story needed to end and helped me see it, too. Which is interesting because the way we write, in some ways, couldn’t be more different. I have to have the whole thing written and nearly done before I can share it for feedback. She’ll shoot me one or two chapters at a time to get my thoughts. Our individual ways work for each of us, and I think it helps actually that our processes are so different.

So, now at the end of this book I feel, as I always do, that I’m kind of coming out of hibernation. It’s a nice but unsettling feeling. It’s good to have the time to go out for a spontaneous meal with two of my closest friends and their adorable kids, for example. So much fun!

But that huge chunk of space in my brain that was once occupied with Princess Poltergeist (and likely will be again, during edits) is for the moment unoccupied. Eeek.

I don’t like that. I spend a lot of time thinking about what I’m writing. While I’m driving, when I’m waking up, when I’m folding laundry, when I’m falling asleep. And right now, I have that frantic feeling of trying to seize upon something to fill those moments.

But I don’t yet want to start on the third book in the G&G trilogy until the major edits are done on PP because that could affect events in book three.

So, I’m playing with a couple of new ideas. Playing being the operative word. I don’t know if either (or both) will pan out, become something I want to work with. But I guess this is the only way to find out.

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Books bought recently:
–Gone by Lisa McMann
–Heist Society by Ally Carter
–Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers
–Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
–Monster by Walter Dean Myers
–The School for Dangerous Girls by Eliot Schrefer

Princess Poltergeist is now with my absolutely brilliant critique partner for review, and I’m in that panicky stage where I’m convinced that she’s going to send me a gently worded email to the effect of, “We need to talk,” which is code for “This is hopeless. You’re screwed.”

So, in an effort to distract myself, I’m blogging (obviously) and looking for interesting things to keep me occupied until I hear back from her.

First, I picked up Rachel Vincent’s book, SHIFT, last night on my way home. I’m so eager to read this next installment of her werecat series. (Please note: While Rachel does write Young Adult, this is series is NOT.)

Second, another DVD of Fringe Season One arrived yesterday as my Netflix–yea! It’s not the X-Files, which I loved, but I have always liked Joshua Jackson (Yes, even back in his Dawson’s Creek days) and the combination of humor and strange science is right up my alley. It’s kind of a relief, actually, not to have the Mulder-trying-to-find-his-sister type of plotline hanging over the show. Makes it possible to enjoy each episode on its own merits.

Third, I think I’m going to start taking notes for another book. Writing is one of those self-soothing things for me. So when I’m stressed about one book, it helps sometimes to focus on another.

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I also found a fabulous blog entry about writing and being a writer by Robin Wasserman (author of the awesome book SKINNED) on Justine Larbalestier (author of the equally-awesome-but-in-a-totally-different-way LIAR)’s site. Here’s a quote:

“Obviously there’s no absolute right or wrong way to be a writer any more than there’s a right or wrong way to be a working mother—there are about a million ways, all equally prone to setback and failure and second guessing.

And writers, at least the ones I’ve met, are extremely good at second-guessing. Not to mention self-abasement and paranoia. (As far as I can tell, the only writer not afflicted by this is James Patterson, who seems to have developed some kind of miraculous immunity.) They harbor the fear that they’re failures, that they’re frauds, that they’re lazy, that they’re hacks, that it’s just a matter of time before that bottom drops out or that whatever they’ve achieved, it isn’t enough.

This is partly because we’re crazy.”

I LOVE that.

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I follow screenwriter John August’s blog as well because I use screenwriting techniques in writing my books. Plus, I like the way he thinks about things.

Anyway, he posted this week about the advantages and necessity of being able to simulate powerful emotion on the page even when you’re not feeling it personally, at that moment. It was fascinating, and I found myself nodding in agreement with much of what he said. That distant observer part of you does kick in, even in the most trying of situations, to record stuff for later. I call it the, “I might be able to use this somehow” feeling, which is kind of creepy but part of being a writer, I think. We try to observe everything, including our own emotional reactions, to help us understand and relate to something else. It’s part of how we function.

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Also, random note, speaking of emotion, my sister pointed me toward Sia’s song “Breathe Me,” which I just love, and if Princess Poltergeist has the same ending that it does now, that is THE song for that scene. Makes me cry every darn time.

I missed my blog post the other day! So, to make up for it, I’m posting today. I created the following as a handout for my talk at Barrington High School. Thought others might find it interesting as well.

Top 10 Myths about Being an Author

1. Professional authors get the story right in the first draft, leaving only minor grammatical errors to be addressed in a second draft.

False. Oh, I wish this one was true, but no. Most of us survive by writing really crappy first drafts and then making them better in second, third and fourth—or more—drafts. Otherwise, the pressure to be perfect is too much, and we won’t write anything at all.

2. You have to know someone in the industry to get your book published.

False…sort of. Some people work for years with their agent and editor without having ever met them in person. They sent their manuscript in, and the agent/editor fell in love. However, in my experience, most people find it a HUGE help to have contacts. Getting out and meeting other writers, agents and editors at conferences can make a big difference. I’ve reached this point in my career primarily because of one person: my mentor, Linnea Sinclair.

3. Once you’ve sold a book, you’ve got it made. Watch for the money to start rolling in.

Uh, false. With the exception of J.K. Rowling, Stephenie Meyer, Stephen King, etc., most of us are not millionaires. Not even close. You have to write because you love it. If money follows, that’s even better.

4. If vampires are really hot right now, you should write about vampires.

False. You do need to pay attention to the market—what kind of books are selling well—but that should not be your sole consideration. The books on the shelves now were bought by publishers a year ago or more. A trend that was hot then may not be hot now. Also, writers are more passionate about stories and characters that truly interest and engage them. That passion will show through to the agents and editors reviewing your work. So, don’t write vampires just to write vampires. Write the story that speaks to you.

5. The key to being a successful writer is practicing self-discipline and being persistent.

True! There’s an old saying in the “industry” that goes something like this: What’s the difference between an unpublished author and a published one? Persistence. The one who is published just didn’t give up. Self-discipline is all about BICHOK—Butt In Chair, Hands On Keyboard—even when you don’t feel like it.

6. Writing is an art and a business.

True. What this means for you—you need to write a story that YOU love, but you must also understand that getting it published and on the shelf is a BUSINESS. That means, you have to keep in mind what makes a book saleable, what publishers (editors, specifically) are seeking, and that your artistic vision is subject to bottom line considerations (i.e. making money).

So, if it’s the book of your heart, write your 400,000 word romance novel set on Mars with a rotting zombie as the hero. But be prepared for a bit of an uphill battle when it comes to getting it published. (Love scenes with a zombie=ewww!) That being said, if it’s good, really good, someone will be interested.

7. Once you’ve written the book, your job as the author is finished.
Nope, not even close to true. Aside from the various rounds of edits and copy edits from your editor and copy editor, you also have to be thinking about cover concepts (if you want to have input on your cover, and trust me, you do), promotional items, websites, signings, contests, reviews, getting the word of mouth started. Your next book deal may depend on how well your previous book sells.

8. All successful authors outline their stories ahead of time.

False. This is one of the most fiercely debated topics in the writing community. Plotters vs. Pantsers. There are people who outline every single scene, and others who start off with nothing more than an idea. Typically, even “pantsers” have a vision of the end to help guide them. And plotters admit that sometimes the story doesn’t quite unfold as they envisioned it in outline form and they have to remain open to changes as the story progresses.

As a former “pantser,” I must admit my methods have changed. With contracts and deadlines a part of my writing life now, I’m much more apt to sketch out a vague idea of who everyone is, what they want, and why they want it before I jump in with both feet.

9. You need to be older before you can become an author.

False! There are many young authors out there. Christopher Paolini became a NY-Times Bestselling author at 19, and Amelia Atwater-Rhodes published her first novel at 14.

10. To be a successful writer, you need to read a lot.

True. I’ve heard rumors of writers who manage to write without reading, but I’ve never met one. And I’ve met lots of writers. One hopes you’re inspired to write stories because you enjoy reading them. Like a musician learning to play by ear, a writer learns to write by reading. Some of this happens on a subconscious level. As you start to write, you’ll draw on this subconscious knowledge. You’ll know when your story takes a wrong turn, even if you don’t know why. It’s like hearing a wrong note in a song. Consciously analyzing and picking apart a well-written story (i.e. one you enjoyed or made you feel something) is also a useful exercise. Why does a certain story or character work? How did the author make you care about what happens?

One of the things I love most about writing is watching the movie of it play in my head. Scenes play out in my head, just like on a screen. The trouble is sometimes I have no idea who these people are, why they’re doing what they’re doing, or what comes before or after the moment playing in my head.

This is something I’m still working on how best to understand and cultivate, honestly. Before, when this would happen, I would eagerly leap into writing those scenes, banking on the fact that eventually the story would come. The scenes before and after would make sense, the motivations for the actions I was seeing would eventually become clear. Sometimes they did. Other times, I got sixty pages in and discovered I didn’t really have a story.

That was heartbreaking. Truly.

These days, I’m a little more cautious. Mainly because I can’t afford to go in endless circles for months at a time with deadlines and contracts and being a professional (yea!), nor do I want a repeat of that heartache and frustration.

That being said, sometimes it feels like you can’t know whether a story really has something until you’ve given it a little time to unfold. Then you’ve got at least a jumping off point from which to figure everything out. Otherwise it’s all up in the air and impossible to pin down.

So, I think I’ve decided to give myself permission to write the first three chapters in a given idea first before worrying about where it’s going. But only the first three. Then it’s time to figure out whether this idea and I have a future together or it’s just a fling.

I’ve got three ideas I’m playing with (yikes, that would be a total of nine chapters to write “just to see”) for books in addition to my Ghost and The Goth series. (Princess Poltergeist is and will continue to be my top priority, of course! But I’m thinking ahead because I like knowing what I’m going to work on next so it can start simmering in the back of my brain.) Not sure which of these ideas will end up being “the one,” or if it will be something entirely new, an idea that hasn’t even introduced itself yet.

So many possibilities…That’s half the fun, I guess!
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Random Stuff:
–Impossible by Nancy Werlin and The Hate List by Jennifer Brown were both awesome, awesome books! Highly recommend them.

–Glee rocks my world, just thought you should know.

–If you have a chance, check out my post–Mean Girls, Villains and Cheerleaders, oh my!–over at The Bradford Bunch blog and tell me what you think.

To give myself some kind of structure around here, I’ve decided that Wednesday posts shall be (loosely) writing related. Otherwise, this whole blog will be nothing but squeeing about books I’ve read and loved and reminders to watch cool shows. (Speaking of which…GLEE on tonight!)

So…

I spend a lot of time thinking about goals. Not just my personal ones, but the ones my characters have.

Everybody wants something. That’s one of the basic tenets of Debra Dixon’s brilliant Goal, Motivation and Conflict theory/way of thinking.

People have external goals–something they’re trying to achieve that can be seen or recognized through the senses. Completing a 5k run, for example.

They also have internal or emotional goals, which they may or may not be aware of–wanting to be loved or accepted or independent, etc. I want to make Dad proud of me, for example.

It occurs to me today (and I could very well be having a belated realization based on Dixon’s GMC work as I’ve practically absorbed it into my subconscious by now through so many re-readings) to wonder if there’s a kind of causal connection between the internal goal and the external goal.

In other words, if someone is aware of the internal goal or need, do they consciously seek out external goals they believe will also meet their internal goal/need?

In other words:

If you have a character who is, for example, seeking acceptance or reassurance of being accepted, does said character then have an external goal of being elected Homecoming Queen? If I become Homecoming Queen, then that’s proof that I’m accepted.

Or, if a character wants to prove his independence (internal), perhaps his (external) goal is to climb Mt. Everest alone or something.

My trouble is I usually know what someone’s external goal is first, and working backwards isn’t as easy. There can be any number of internal (emotional) goals driving the establishment of an external goal.

For example, our mountain climber could be doing this to express his independence or he could be doing it to find inner peace, escaping the trouble and heartache of his life. The two would work out to be completely different stories with the same external goal for the main character.

What do you think? Are internal and external goals connected? Should they be?

Crap. I’ve been gone for too long. But it’s for a good reason, I promise! I’m working hard on the sequel to The Ghost and the Goth, Princess Poltergeist. (As always, my Facebook and Twitter pages–www.twitter.com/staceykade and www.facebook.com/staceykade–are the best place to find me!)

I’m thinking there probably needs to be a bit more routine around my blog updating. I’m good with routine and scheduling. However, I’m not particularly interesting, I’m afraid, so you may end up getting lots of posts about cool new books and tv shows you should check out.

I can say this, that outside of Princess Poltergeist, I just had an experience that doesn’t come along very often: an idea comes out of nowhere and it’s just freaking tantalizing I want to start writing it right away. THAT does not happen often for me. Usually there’s lots of planning and thinking and hmm, where is this story going to go? But not this time. It was, like, all there. Or, almost all of it. Which is quite distracting because I normally spend a good deal of time getting to know the people and what they want.

I do know from experience, though, that I need to take the time to do the pre-writing. Otherwise, when I run out of the stuff I know (the scenes I’ve already watched in my head), I’ll be really stuck.

So, I’m working on piecing it together in spare moments when I’m taking a break from Princess Poltergeist.

I should also have an update about a potential school visit at the end of September/October.

But in the meantime, don’t forget GLEE comes back tonight! I’m so excited!!!

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about the process of writing. I’m always looking to understand my own process better and learn something new, some way of making this even just the tiniest bit easier.

My friend Isabo Kelly and I have discussed this several times, and I think the analogy we came up with holds true. Writing a book is like finding your way across an unfamiliar room filled with furniture…in the dark. You stumble into things, bark your shins, get stuck in a corner, yell for help, and finally eventually make your way through it. But, unfortunately, because every book is different, once you make it to the other side of the room and turn around to go back again through that darkened room, someone has moved the furniture on you.

Still, there are things I’ve learned about myself and writing:

1) When a proposal (typically three chapters and a synopsis) is due, I need to write the chapters first. If I write the synopsis first, it kills the story dead, right then and there.

2) Before I can start writing, I must do the pre-writing first. Getting to know the people in the story is essential.

3) Everybody who is a main character (e.g. my heroine and her love interest) must have a goal. It’s better if it can be described in concrete action verbs. Like, win a music scholarship, stop parents from getting a divorce, graduate from high school, etc.

4) Characters either have a goal from the beginning of the story and events occur to change it (or try to), or events that occur in the story give them a goal that was not present before. I guess, technically, they always have a goal. It just depends on whether the story is about them keeping that original goal despite the events that occur, or changing to a new goal based on the story events. In the first, it would be like someone who’s determined to be an Olympic ice skater even though her parents lose their jobs, the rink closes down, her coach quits, etc. The other would be someone who’s content to stay at home until something dramatic happens and forces them on an adventure to save the princess, or whatever.

5) I think that good stories involve choices. It can’t just be about things that happen to people. They have to have some skin in the game, so to speak. They have to make choices that cannot be avoided with important consequences hanging in the balance.

6) There should be conflict in every scene. People walk into the moment wanting different things, and nobody wants to lose.

7) That little snippet of dialogue or description that drifts through your brain? Write it down. Immediately. Otherwise, you’ll forget it and drive yourself crazy trying to remember it. Chances are, you’ll remember it as being more erudite than it actually was, but better to know for sure!

I’m sure there are more…but this is what I have so far. One of the things I love about writing is the opportunity to keep learning. To try new things. Find better ways. So, yeah, there are bruised shins and another dark and crowded room to navigate each time, but it’s all about the journey and what you learn along the way. And I’m always interested to discover what I’m going to learn next.

Alona and Will’s story will continue! Disney-Hyperion, my publisher, bought the sequel, which is called Princess Poltergeist, and a third book in the series. I am SO excited!

The official blurb is below (my thanks to my friend and fellow author, Juliana Stone, for sending this to me):

Stacey Kade’s PRINCESS POLTERGEIST and an untitled sequel, continuing the story that starts in the forthcoming GHOST AND THE GOTH, about a newly-dead homecoming queen and the tragically uncool spirit guide she has to work with in order to get “to the other side”, to Christian Trimmer at Hyperion Children’s, in a very nice deal, for publication in Summer 2011 and 2012, by Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency.

We’re talking about flawed characters over at Lucienne Diver’s blog. Lucienne is the author of the fabulous VAMPED.

Who are your favorite flawed characters? Dr. House and Starbuck are two of my favorites from TV.

Or, maybe you you don’t like flawed characters–I’ll admit sometimes I have a hard time with them because watching other people make mistakes makes me feel bad for them and squirm in sympathy and embarrassment for them.

Like Michael Scott from The Office. Sometimes I have to watch that show with my hands over my face because I feel SO bad for him. My husband laughs at me for this, but it helps and it’s progress compared to what my mom does. She leaves the room!

Come join in the discussion over at Lucienne’s blog! Also, it’s YA week this week, so there’ll be lots of fun posts from YA authors!