Posted by nisha on Jun 28, 2009 in
Blog
First, for all of you who are writers out there, here is a great chance to get your query letter critiqued in a contest. My local chapter, PLRW, is hosting their annual Write Hook Query Letter Contest. The information is right on their site on how to enter. Just click the above link and it’ll take you straight to the information. It’s a great opportunity, and I wish you all the best of luck!
Second, four major deaths have happened within the last seventy two hours. I wanted to say how sorry I am for the death of Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, Ed McMahon (who actually died last Tuesday), and Billy Mays.
I know that Billy Mays was definitely not as famous as Ed McMahon, and McMahon wasn’t as famous as Fawcett and Fawcett wasn’t as famous as Jackson, but they all still lived in the public eye and I thought I’d put a little thingy in here about it.
On a brighter note, I’ve joined this great blog called ‘The Word Ninjas!’I'm officially a Word Ninja! 
Word Ninjas, Ink. is this great blog that promotes authors and reviews new releases. You can check out their site here. I’ll be reviewing Word Ninja books on my young adult literature column at Examiner.com if you want to check it out. Next Tuesday, I’ll be reviewing Cyn Balog’s book ‘Fairy Tale’ so make sure you stop by.
Last but not least, I’ve had some good news on the writing front with some adult work I’ve been writing but nothing on the young adult stuff yet. For some reason, I always thought that the selling stuff would happen soon after signing. Instead, I’ve been working on revisions for a few months. My book is definitely in better shape now than it was when I first signed, but I’m getting antsy to move on to the next step. I’ll let all of you know if any news happens any time soon. You know because I’ll be freaking out.
Anywho. Keep reading on Examiner.com and on my blog here for more updates! I have Andrea Dana coming up on Wednesday and more sexy Saturday’s in the future!
Have a great night! <3Nisha
Posted by nisha on Jun 27, 2009 in
Blog
First, I’d like to point out that I have crazy stuff to catch everyone up on, from my local chapter’s Query Contest, to my new initiation as a Word Ninja, as well as upcoming articles on Examiner.com that I write for, and maybe even some good news for this adult romance novella I wrote, but until everything is set in stone, I’m going to just tease you with very little information.
As for right now, let’s have a bit of fun, shall we? Since Transformers came out this week, I think it’s only fitting to have this sexy study spotlighted today on our Sexy Saturday count, don’t you? Enjoy some eye candy! This guy is totally going to be my future hubby.
Hope you enjoyed! <3Nisha
Posted by nisha on Jun 24, 2009 in
Blog
Today, we have special guest Ally Carter here telling us about her 
writing process. You all know Ally from her Gallagher girl series. Her latest book hit the shelves just a few days ago ‘Don’t Judge a Girl by her Cover.’ Let’s check out what Ally has to say.
What is your brainstorming process for a new book?
Books usually come to me in stages. In the past, they’ve always started with a main character and a central conflict that basically deals with the worst thing that can happen to that character at that point in time. From there I usually know what the character’s 
ultimate goal is, and a general idea of what sort of obstacles she’ll have to face along the way. Figuring out the specifics about those obstacles usually comes with the writing. Sometimes it comes from staring at the blank screen. Sometimes from talking through the plot with trusted friends. Sometimes from taking a nice nap. Really there’s no predicting where a good brainstorm might come from.
Can you explain your typical work week day?
I’ve learned that there’s really no such thing as typical for me as far as writing is concerned. As a rule, though, I’m more productive at night than in the morning, so I usually spend my days running errands, reading, and taking care of the non-writing aspects of having a career as a writer (responding to emails, talking with my editor and agent, doing paperwork). And then I really start getting serious about working on the book in the late afternoon or early evening. Of course, all of this varies significantly as deadlines come and go.
Tell us about when you made the decision to write.
It wasn’t really a decision I actively made as much as something that I have always been interested in and started dabbling in more and more, starting projects that were more and more ambitious, until finally I had a finished product that I thought might possibly be good enough to get and agent and, ultimately, get published.
What suggestions do you have for aspiring writers?
I have a lengthy “For Writers” section on my website (www.allycarter.com) so I’d encourage your readers to visit that to read some things in more detail, but the condensed version is easy: read as much as you can and write as much as you can. Really writing is something that you only learn by practice. One of the biggest mistakes that I think most aspiring writers make is that they spend more time talking about writing than they spend actually 
working on the craft. By just putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys) you already have a huge head start on the competition.
Tell us about what you’re working on right now and what we can expect from you in the near future.
I just completed a very rough, very early draft of Gallagher Girls 4. I’m afraid I can’t share a title or a release date, but I certainly hope that readers will be seeing it sometime in 2010. Also coming in 2010 (probably January or February) is a new book that is possibly the first in a new series featuring an entirely new set of characters. I’m afraid I can’t tell you the title yet, but I can say that it’s about a girl named Kat who grew up in a family of con-men and art thieves and she is desperate to leave the family business. It was a lot of fun to write and I sincerely hope that Gallagher Girls fans give these new characters a shot. If they do, I’m sure they’ll grow to love Kat and her crew of thieves as much as I do.
Omg, I’m so excited to hear about a new Gallagher book and a possible new series! Thank you so much for joining us today, Ally. For those of you interested in knowing more about Ally Carter, visit her website at AllyCarter.com.
Thanks for checking out Writers on Writing, everyone! Next week, we have Andrea Dana in the house so make sure you stay tuned in for that. Have a great week!
Ally Carter is a writer living and working in the Midwest. She loved school so much she kept going…and going…and going…until finally she had to graduate. Now she has degrees from Oklahoma State University and Cornell University and a house and a job and other very grown-up things.
Posted by nisha on Jun 17, 2009 in
Blog
If there’s one difficult subject a writer has to deal with in the young adult genre, it’s virginity. Sara Hantz, however, takes it in stride with her book ‘The Second Virginity of Suzy Green.’ Today, Sara stops by to talk about her writing style down under.
Thank you for joining me today for my Wednesday Writer’s Write series, Sara!
Lets start off with the basics. What is your brainstorming process for a new book?
I usually start with the grain of an idea, or sometimes just a title. Then I phone one of my critique partners and we talk about whether there’s something there and maybe come up with ideas to develop it. After that I’ll write a short paragraph to see if I can get the motivation and conflict sorted. At this stage my critique partners and I will usually debate the merits of it and this often means I go away and try to refine it a number of times. Once the paragraph is written, I set about outlining the whole book. I’m a planner, so need this depth before I can start writing. Once again, it goes out to my critique partners and we discuss it. Then I go away and write a scene spreadsheet, so I know exactly what’s happening and when. Then I start to write. Although this seems a very rigid process, I don’t let it constrain me. If, when I’m writing, I’m taken in a different direction, that’s ok. I just adjust the outline.
Can you explain your typical work week day?
We have a motel which is pretty much 24/7, from when we get up until we go to bed. Having said that, there are lulls. So, I open up my manuscript in the morning and dip in and out of it all day. I’m lucky that I don’t mind being interrupted and can get straight back into what I’m doing. My motto for any work I do is ‘little and often’ . That way I don’t have to spend ages trying to get back into something because my head’s still in it!
Tell us about your big break in the writing industry.
My big break happened when I got fed up with my crit partners not doing as I suggested and writing a young adult novel and so decided to write one myself. Previously I’d been writing chick lit, with some success in contests but the agent/editor thing eluded me. I had an idea for a book and after writing the first three chapters did what you’re told not to and queried agents. I wanted to see if the idea was saleable. Anyway, I got an amazing response from agents asking for both partial and full manuscript. I then worked really hard and had the manuscript ready within a couple of months. I was offered representation almost immediately and it sold within a couple of months. The title was changed to The Second Virginity of Suzy Green.
What suggestions do you have for aspiring writers?
Don’t take rejection personally. We all get rejected all the time. All it means is that your work isn’t right for that particular agent or editor at that particular time.
Tell us about what you’re working on right now and what we can expect from you in the near future.
I’m working on a middle grade book about a girl who decides to change her image. My agent is currently shopping a young adult novel about two ‘warring’ teens.
We look forward to seeing more from you, Sara. I love the idea of ‘warring’ teens. Thank you for joining me today at ‘Writers on Writing!’ It was a pleasuring having you. Next week, Ally Carter will be stopping by, so we’ll see you then!
Sara Hantz is an author of fiction for young adults. Her debut novel The Second Virginity of Suzy Green was published by Flux on September 1st 2007. Hantz grew up in the UK and now lives in New Zealand with her husband and Labrador where she is currently working on her next book.
Posted by nisha on Jun 15, 2009 in
Blog
I went to Philadelphia this past weekend because I wanted to chill with my college roommate and friends for a bit. I took a few pictures. I had to leave most of them out because this is a pg-13 blog *winkwink*. Right, Jordo? You party animal, you.
Anywho. We walked from her apartment in the UPenn campus area all the way to South Street. Yeah.That’s like, five miles. It was such a nice day, though. So check out our adventures!
That’s my roommate Jordan. We were in Rittenhouse Square, here. We only meant to take a little break, but this crazy woman started shoving people and started trying to kick people. Someone called the cops and three cruisers along with four cop bikes showed up. Nope. No national security issue. Just a crazy person.
We stopped and ate at Cosi’s which is AWESOME. We got s’mores because that’s what you get a Cosi’s.
As you can see, Jordan does not have the s’mores finesse that I do. That’s probably because I was a Girlscout and she totally wasn’t. Girlscouts rule! The training totally came in handing for me here.
Then we passed by the Capitol Building…
And Independence Hall.
After that, it got pretty dark and we reached South Street so I stopped taking pictures for the night. Haha. Do you think I’m crazy to put incriminating stuff up here? Nope. Sorry! I have my reputation to protect, you know.
I will say this. The next morning, we headed out to Urban Outfitters where I got the cutest purse EVER and then to Barnes & Noble.
We had brunch at this place called Marathon Grill. I had wanted to go to this place called ‘Rx’ which is this old apothecary turned cafe but it was too far down and we had walked enough the night before. Anywho. The food at Marathon Grill was really good!
Unfortunately it started raining after that and it rained all the way back to my place in New York. That’s a crummy picture of the New York skyline as I drove over the Verazzano Bridge. Either way, it was still good to be home!
So that’s my Phily adventure with my roomie. I met a bunch of other friends but alas, I get really lazy and never take pictures when I should. I promise, next time, I totally will.
It’s been fun blogging with ya! Stay tuned for Wednesday when I interview Sara Hantz for our Writers on Writing column. Hope to see you there!
<3Nisha
Tags: adventure, Jordan, Philadelphia
Posted by nisha on Jun 10, 2009 in
Blog
Today we have author Tera Lynn Childs telling us about her writer’s life. Thank you for joining me today for my Wednesday Writer’s Write series, Tera!
What is your brainstorming process for a new book?
I usually start with a tiny seed of an idea—a title, a character, a situtation, or a world—and then I build out from there. I do a lot of research, both online and in bookstores, looking for anything that might spark an expansion of that seed. Once I have a basic premise and the character I’m going to put in that situation, I start writing from the opening scene. Invariably I get stuck after about thirty pages and have to create a character collage to kickstart my very visual brain. Then, other than bouncing ideas off writing friends, I just write straight through to the end.
Can you explain your typical work week day?
Without a day job, I don’t think any day (week or otherwise) is ever typical. If I’m really close to deadline, I’ll usually roll out of bed in the morning(ish), quickly check email, and then drag myself to the nearest coffee house to work for a few hours. If I’m not on deadline, then that plan gets a lot more … relaxed.
Tell us about your big break in the writing industry.
Aka, the call story. After my first, last, and only year teaching seventh grade science, I’d fled to Florida for the summer. We’d had numerous rejections on OH. MY. GODS. and I’d started working on something new. I was on the phone with my mom when a New York City number buzzed in on the caller ID. When I clicked over, my agent said, “I bet you can guess why I’m calling.” She told me that Dutton wanted to buy the book. I squealed, “Hold on, I’m pulling over.” She said, “You’re driving? Don’t be driving!”
What suggestions do you have for aspiring writers?
Keep moving forward. It’s so easy to get bogged down in one story, obsessively revising it to death and never submitting it anywhere because it’s not “perfect” yet. (FYI: There’s no such thing.) But you have to move on, write the next thing. And the next. And the next after that. Because you learn to be a better storyteller with every book you finish. So keep forging ahead and keep the faith that one day the stars will align and it will happen … and it will.
Tell us about what you’re working on right now and what we can expect from you in the near future.
Next up is GODDESS BOOT CAMP, the sequel to my debut novel and which I can’t reveal too much about because it will contain spoilers for for OH. MY. GODS. After that, in Summer 2010, will be FORGIVE MY FINS (the story I started that summer in Florida) which is about a half-mermaid princess attending high school on the mainland. At the moment I have a little time before I need to start pounding away on the sequel to FINS. I’ve been playing around with (and occasionally actually working on) a few top secret projects. Hopefully I’ll have news about those soon.
That’s great, Tera! Thanks again for joining us! I hope all of you enjoyed today’s Writer’s on 
Writing. You can get yourself a copy of GODDESS BOOT CAMP here or at your local bookstore tomorrow. Until next week!
Tera Lynn Childs is a wannabe goddess and the author of OH. MY. GODS. and GODDESS BOOT CAMP. Tera lives in Houston, Texas, where she spends her time fleeing hurricanes, making character profiles on MySpace (stop her before she makes one for Adara—oops, too late), blogging with the Buzz Girls, and writing wherever she can find a comfy chair and a steady stream of caffeinated beverages.
Tags: tera lynn childs, Writers on Writing
Posted by nisha on Jun 8, 2009 in
Blog
I was sitting in Borders the other day and I overheard this wonderful elderly lady talking to her friend over a cup of coffee. I’m a writer, so naturally, I eavesdropped on their conversation. I was instantly drawn into the most wonderful story I’ve heard in the longest time. I’m going to try to re-tell it for you here. Okay. Here we go.
We heard it on the radio. About the war ending. I was playing with my makeup in the bathroom and i didn’t understand why my father jumped out of his big easy chair and started shouting like a mad man. He was always in that easy chair. If I wanted to talk to him, I would sit on the arm of that chair and I’d still feel as if I was a room away from Daddy. I knew the news about the war was huge for him because he jumped up for a reason other than to get a beer or to go upstairs or something. I could remember clutching my compact. I was so afraid when he started crying. My mom came in and he swept her up in a hug. They started dancing around the living room.
I can still remember my mother shrieking with happiness when my father told her the war was over. She started crying to, and in true Clark Gable style, he leaned in and kissed my mother until she was weak in the knees. My father shouted about beer after that and a lot of people came over to have dinner that night. To celebrate, I guess.
I didn’t realize the significance of the war ending until a year later when my brother came home. Oh my lord, we had such a party that day! My father went to the store to pick up the finest beer that he could find. We went to the pier in our best Sunday clothes. I was so nervous since i was a little girl when my brother left. People used to tell us how lucky he was to have survived the war. There were so many people who lost loved ones. God must have really had a look out for my brother, they used to say. I didn’t know if he would recognize me, so like I said. I was really nervous. There wasn’t any reason to be. When we got to the pier, my god, there were so many people! Everyone was cheering and dancing. Children were hoisted on broad shoulders and streamers were already launched into the air. The ship had just docked when we arrived.
My father was preening like a proud bird. He wouldn’t stop telling everyone about my brother. My mom was wringing wrinkles into the skirt of her dress. I stood their patiently. I had started dating Henry, then. I told him I was going to pick up my brother at the pier and he was a little agitated that I couldn’t spend the day with him. After Henry and I were married though, he joked with my brother about that day.
When my brother came down the plank, he spotted us immediately. I knew there was something different about him just by seeing him across a distance. The noise was so loud, the party was just swelling around us with pride and happiness. My brother jogged down the rest of the plank and he grabbed my mother by her waist. He lifted her high off the ground and twirled her until she shrieked with laughter and tears. my father cried that day, too. He enveloped my brother in the biggest bear hug he could manage and he thudded him on the back for what seemed like a half hour.
We came back to the house and had a glorious party. There was dancing, and singing. People listened to my brother when he spoke about the war. Their mouth’s dropped in awe, their eyes widened in delight, and some of the women gripped the sleeves of their husbands, curling their fingers into the flannel fabric in fear. My mother was no different. She was just as afraid, horrified that her boy was thrust into such a violent world. But she was proud, too. And until my parents died, they remained proud my brother. Their memories faded over the years, but I tell you, they never forgot that day at the pier when my brother came down that plank and twirled my mother in the air. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it either.”
Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!
<3nisha
Posted by nisha on Jun 6, 2009 in
Blog
Don’t worry, I’m sure you can see (if you scroll down a bit) that I have your Sexy Saturday pictures. I just wanted to talk a bit because I haven’t blogging as frequently as I like.
So, wasssup, Nish? you ask. Well, a lot of stuff, cool blog reader. For one, I finally finished my writing deadline and I just have to clean up some grammar stuff before I ship it back to Jamie (my amazing agent). I suck at grammar so I don’t know how that’s gonna go, but hopefully I’ll get that finished today. Second, I’ve been having weird health problems. It’s the start of summer and I’m having health issues. Life can totally suck sometimes. Don’t worry! I’m surrounded by Indian doctors 24/7 and I’m totally going to be fine. But lastly, I’ve been twitching like MAD because I’m sooooooo stoked about the national RWA conference! AHHHHH!!! That’s coming up soon!
On another note, I’ll update you guys on BEA and the teen author carnival soon, so stay tuned for that. I’ve been posting update on that stuff on Examiner.com, so check out some of the latest book reviews that I’ve done and pics from BEA here.
I’ve been asked by Word Ninjas, Ink. to do a blog post on June 11th (I think) so I’ll be sure to remind you all when that date comes around. Check out their blog in the mean time! The theme for the month is summer. I can’t wait for all of you to read my summer post. Besides Examiner.com, and Word Ninja’s Ink., check out this Wall Street Journal article that Gayle Forman posted on her Facebook page today. It talks about how YA lit has gone a bit dark. It’s really good! Check it out, here.
I think that about sums up my wonderful blog post for today! Now down to business. Today’s Sexy Stud is none other than handsome man himself, Brad Pitt! Check out the eye candy ladies.
Tags: brad pitt, Examiner.com, RWA conference, Sexy Saturday
